5 NFL teams that will surprise in 2018

3. Seattle Seahawks

Normally, the Seahawks wouldn’t qualify to be on this list. In past seasons, Seattle has been in the running as favorite to get into and win the Super Bowl, much as it was last year. Speaking of 2017, the Seahawks and Green Bay Packers were almost universal favorites to play the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII. Neither ended up in the postseason.

The Seahawks lost a ton in the offseason, but they may benefit from what could be an overrated NFC West. The Cardinals are in the midst of a rebuild, the Los Angeles Rams are trying to keep their momentum going with a litany of boom-or-bust acquisitions, and the San Francisco 49ers are hoping to live up to the hype train. Los Angeles and San Francisco could be awesome, or they could each go 7-9.

Furthermore, the Seahawks have the benefit of employing the division’s best quarterback in Russell Wilson. Wilson remains one of the top five signal-callers in the league and with a championship ring on his finger, there’s reason to believe he can elevate an otherwise middling roster.