By: Andy Davies

Plenty of uncertainty surrounds the Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, and Houston Texans going into the 2021 season. Their quarterback situations are far from clear and their overall rosters are mediocre at best.

The same goes for their head coaches, with all three going into their first seasons at the franchise. Neither of Dan Campbell, Nick Sirianni, or David Culley has been a full-time head coach in the NFL. Campbell is the only one to have some experience, with his spell as interim head coach of the Miami Dolphins in 2015.

Here is why you should be expecting the Lions, Eagles, and Texans to have the three worst records in the league in 2021.

Saying Goodbye To A Franchise Legend In Detroit. Struggles For The Replacement

Matthew Stafford was the number one overall pick in 2009, with the entire city of Detroit hoping he would be the man to turn around the fortunes of the franchise. Despite three seasons of making the playoffs, the Lions and Stafford never won a single postseason game as the wait continues. The Lions remain the team with the second-longest period without a playoff win, their last taking place on January 5th, 1992.

Stafford had some great individual moments as a Lion, most notably his Mic’d up moment during his 2009 rookie season. In a week eleven game against the Cleveland Browns, he overcame injury to produce a moment of pure heroism. He played with a separated shoulder despite the efforts of the medical staff to keep him off the field, leading the Lions to a touchdown-winning drive.

Jim Caldwell guided the Lions to these playoff appearances but was not seen as good enough to take them to the next step. New England Patriots assistant head coach Matt Patricia was brought in but never took to life as head coach. The Lions had three consecutive losing seasons under the coaching of Patricia. They will hope that they have found their guy in Dan Campbell. His press conference was certainly not dull, with Campbell referring to “biting kneecaps”. As a former Lions player, he knows what it takes to play in the league. He also knows about the city of Detroit and his intentions are both positive and clear. If he is given time, he has the desire to bring the good times back to Detroit. However, he is inexperienced as a head coach and the roster is below average.

New quarterback Jared Goff has the potential to struggle. This is despite the drafting of offensive lineman Penei Sewell at seventh overall, a selection that had Campbell and new General Manager Brad Holmes very excited.

Despite his brilliant 2018 season that saw the Rams reach Super Bowl 53, Goff had a poor game and struggled in 2020 as he and head coach Sean McVay’s relationship deteriorated.

Goff struggled despite a plethora of offensive talent around him. Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp form one of the best wide receiver duos in the NFL. He is going to a franchise that let go of their two best wide receivers and failed to replace them.

The Lions have a schedule that features the San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, and Cleveland Browns. There are also two games against their division rivals, the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, and Chicago Bears. The Lions do not have it easy.

Prediction: 3-14

Trouble In Philadelphia; Reason For Hope?

The Eagles have seen three years of gradual decline after winning Super Bowl 52. The 2017 season saw the Eagles lift the Lombardi Trophy for the first time after two previous attempts.

Doug Pederson was the head coach to guide the Eagles to a Super Bowl but was fired after the conclusion of the 2020 season. His decision to bench rookie quarterback Jalen Hurts in order to lose and gain a higher draft pick appeared to be the final nail in the coffin.

Carson Wentz had an MVP caliber season before an injury derailed hopes of winning the award. Backup Nick Foles stepped in and guided the Eagles to the Super Bowl 52 win. He also stepped in a year later and guided the Eagles to a shock Wildcard Round win against the Chicago Bears, with thanks also going to a Cody Parkey missed field goal.

Both Foles and Wentz are no longer Eagles players. Out of the starters in that Super Bowl 52 win, only seven remain with the franchise. Their decision to draft Jalen Reagor over Justin Jefferson continues to be mocked by rival fans and nobody knows how new head coach Nick Sirianni will do in the role.

The schedule is mixed for Philadelphia. Whilst they face the New York Jets, Lions, and twice play the New York Giants, they also have to face the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs.. This is as well as facing a rising Washington Football Team twice as well as playing the Dallas Cowboys both home and away.

Reports have surfaced in recent days of the Philadelphia Eagles being the favourites for Deshaun, with talks said to be “heating up”.

This could be a move that transforms the franchise. However, Deshaun Watson had his best statistical season yet the Texans only managed four wins all year. This proves that whilst it is very important to have a good quarterback, you need more around to be successful.

Unless the Eagles do something in what remains of the offseason, they will continue to be mediocre if their roster continues to be this poor. If they get offensive or defensive talent in the next one or two offseasons, then they are a team that will compete for years to come. Otherwise, the Eagles will fail to be a threat to both the NFC and NFC East.

This is why Deshaun should avoid the Eagles at this present time. He will be going into a situation no different to what he experienced in Houston.

Prediction: 4-13

What A Difference A Year Makes

Where do we start with the Houston Texans? The 2019 season saw them take a 24-0 lead against the Chiefs in the Divisional Round. However, they allowed 41 unanswered points as they lost 51-31. What has unfolded since in the following nineteen months has been reminiscent of a Greek tragedy.

Head coach Bill O’Brien, who also was general manager, made the unusual decision to trade star wide receiver, Deandre Hopkins. In exchange, the Texans received a running back past his sell-by date in David Johnson, one second-rounder and one fourth-round pick. O’Brien only lasted four games in the 2020 season as they finished the campaign with just four wins.

Since the conclusion of the 2020 season, franchise legend J.J Watt has left and there continues to be an uncertain future surrounding quarterback Deshaun Watson. Houston’s quarterback requested a trade in January before allegations of sexual assault arose. These have lingered throughout the remainder of the offseason. It is unclear if Watson will play in the NFL at all in 2021 but even if he does, it is unlikely that he will be wearing a Texans jersey.

Houston has said they would listen to trade offers for Watson, with the franchise said to be wanting three first-round picks. They have also acquired Tyrod Taylor via Free Agency and used their first pick in the draft on Davis Mills in the third round. Even if the Eagles stick with Hurts, there will be plenty of other suitors.

Even with Watson, the Texans are light on the ground when it comes to elite talent. Linebacker Zach Cunningham and Laremy Tunsil are talents and despite adding Phillip Lindsay and Mark Ingram to the running back room, the roster is one of the league’s worst.

David Culley has developed somewhat of a worrying reputation after his time with the Eagles, Chiefs, and Baltimore Ravens. During his fourteen-season spell with the Eagles, his four seasons with the Chiefs, and two years with the Ravens, he had 0 wide receivers earn a PFF grade of 80 or above.

The Chiefs wideouts went an entire season without a touchdown under Culley. With a wide receiver room featuring Brandin Cooks, Nico Collins and Anthony Miller, this is not exactly a position of strength for the Texans. Culley is unlikely to see any of these receivers score high PFF grades.

Whilst the Texans might be playing the Jacksonville Jaguars twice and the Jets, they have a tough schedule. They will face the Cleveland Browns, Buffalo Bills, Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins and Seattle Seahawks. Houston will also play the Los Angeles Chargers and the San Francisco 49ers as well as the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans twice.

They are unlikely to win many of these games. Fans should be expecting a difficult season.

Prediction: 2-15

The post Expect the Lions, Eagles, and Texans to have the worst records in 2021 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jayson Snyder

My, what a tumultuous offseason it has been for the Philadelphia Eagles!  

Since they concluded their now infamous week 17 matchup against Washington with the maligned quarterback, Nate Sudfeld, at the helm, the organization has undergone an incredible change.  

The first domino to fall came with the firing of head coach Doug Pederson, who just three seasons prior was hoisting the Lombardi trophy in celebration of the club’s first-ever championship in the Super Bowl era.  

An exhaustive search followed and eventually, the Eagles announced that the unheralded Nick Siriani, former Colts offensive coordinator, would assume the reins.  Siriani’s status as an unknown among fans fueled speculation that the organization was seeking a front man who the front office could quietly control behind the scenes.  Nick’s uncomfortably nervous first impression at his introductory presser certainly did not quell these suspicions.

Next came the trade that many had expected, sending the former face of the franchise, Carson Wentz, to Indianapolis for a reunion with Frank Reich.  Though we may never truly know the details behind the breakdown of this player-club relationship, the departure of Wentz has been controversial and divisive among the fan base.  

Left in the wake of the contentious Wentz trade was considerable dead money and a cash-strapped organization which was unable to make significant additions in free agency.  With no choice but to embrace a more affordable youth movement, the team has turned its attention to the draft.  After trading down 6 spots in the 2021 draft, they currently find themselves armed with the 12th overall selection this season along with the potential for three 1st round selections in 2022.

While the draft pantry is stocked nicely, the prospect for the organization in the present is incredibly uncertain.  Even the status of second-year quarterback, Jalen Hurts, has been clouded by speculation.  With a starting quarterback not well defined in mid April, a push toward youthful personnel, and a brand new coaching scheme to unravel, there are clearly ample tea leaves to read.  With this in mind, I present to you three players who are currently lurking in the depths of the Eagles roster with the potential to make a big splash in 2021.

Quez Watkins

Desperate for talented pass catchers, the Eagles selected three wide receivers in their 2020 draft class.  The final of these three was Quez Watkins out of Southern Mississippi.  At 6’0” and 185lbs, Watkins is slight of frame but a willing competitor on 50/50 balls.  However, where he excels is with blazing speed, logging a 4.35s 40 yard dash time at the 2020 NFL Combine.

When questioned about scheme and his offensive style, Nick Siriani recently told NBC Sports Philadelphia “As coaches, what offensive scheme do you run? It’s the one that fits your players the best, not the one that you like best. Figure out the type of players you have, their strengths, their weaknesses. Maximize their strengths. Try to hide their weaknesses.”

A sub-4.4 40 time for a receiver jumps off the page pretty readily as a significant strength, and thus I would expect Siriani to exploit Watkins’ obvious talent.  In addition to traditional ”˜go routes’ which capitalize on straight line speed, I would anticipate the Eagles to utilize high percentage short to intermediate routes to create open space for Watkins to go to work.

The Eagles could be looking to add receiving talent through the early rounds of the upcoming draft, a move which may change the forecast for Watkins.  However, as the roster currently stands, Quez is nicely situated to make a significant impact in 2021.

Jordan Howard

The Miles Sanders hive may disagree, but I don’t believe that he is built to withstand the punishment of being a lead back in the NFL.  More importantly, it seems that the Eagles also believe this to be the case, as they have meticulously managed his snap count over the first two year of his career.  Though clearly valued by the club, I do not expect him to eclipse the 15 touch per game plateau that has defined his early career.

So who fills the void of the remaining touches?  Though Corey Clement will always hold a special place with Birds’ fans for his Super Bowl heroics, he has clearly declined in potency over the past few seasons.  Boston Scott adds depth and contributes to the special teams unit, but has only been featured when propelled by injuries elsewhere at the position.  Certainly, slight of frame backs like Jason Huntley and Adrian Killins have durability concerns and cannot be relied on to even make the roster, let alone contribute.

Enter Jordan Howard.

In his 2019 stint with the Eagles, Howard was a significant contributor amassing 4.4 yards per carry and 12.9 touches per game.  That season, he was the thunder to Sanders’ lightning, collecting the hard fought ground yards, and it’s entirely reasonable to suggest that the team has a similar approach in mind for the 2021 campaign.  While the specifics of Siriani’s playbook is still a mystery to most, Howard is at least familiar with the Eagles organization and he clearly valued that familiarity in re-signing with the team.

As is the case with most areas of the current Eagle roster, Howard is no sure thing.  However, it is not at all unreasonable to expect a notable contribution from a player that many have all but written off.

Hakeem Butler

Hakeem Butler was the darling of many football fans during the lead-up to the 2019 NFL Draft.  Some projected him among the elite wide receivers of that class and predicted that he might be selected with a first-round stamp of approval.  Ultimately, he instead fell to the fourth round where he was ultimately selected by the Arizona Cardinals.  The disappointment did not end there for Butler, however, as success eluded him and he eventually found himself released by the team that had drafted him just one year later.

After a short stint with Carolina, the Eagles poached Butler from the Panthers practice squad in September of 2020.  What was notable about this signing was that the Eagles announced their intentions of converting Butler to a tight end.  While on the surface this move seemed unconventional, there was actually considerable merit for such a change.

Butler has a tremendous frame, measuring 6’5” and weighing in at 227lbs.  During his collegiate tenure at Iowa State, he terrorized defenses with a ”˜my ball’ mentality with respect to contested catches.  Unfortunately, his college offense did not require him to execute a full route tree, and he thus rose to prominence by outmuscling defenders rather than beating them with technique.  Sure sounds like a top notch, developmental tight end to me.

The Eagles have long been at the forefront of the ”˜12 personnel’ shift, utilizing two tight ends to create mismatches with the defense.  Though willing to adapt to his personnel, Nick Siriani has shown that he values a two tight end look in his offenses as well.  

A casualty to salary cap limitations, all-time Eagle tight end, Zach Ertz, has been widely regarded to be on his way out of the organization.  Given his second round investment, Dallas Goedert is clearly regarded as the premiere tight end for the organization going forward.  But who fills that second tight end role?

Assuming that Ertz is ultimately traded this offseason, the roster appears to lack depth at the tight end position.  Thus, after a year of behind the scenes development at his new position, it is entirely reasonable to believe that Butler may seize upon the opportunity to assert himself as part of a new-look Eagles offense.
It was my pleasure to bring you this piece, and I would love to continue the conversation.  Please comment below or contact me @Spydes78 on Twitter with your thoughts. Be sure to browse their archive of talented writers for amazing insights to all aspects of professional athletics.

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