5 teams that can't afford to get off to a slow start
The NFL season officially kicked off Thursday but will begin in earnest this weekend. While every team wants to open its campaign with a win, the schedule isn't created equally for all, and some clubs should be more desperate to get off to a hot start.
Here are five teams that need September and October to be fruitful.
Chicago Bears
The Bears wouldn't have traded a package involving two first-round picks for Khalil Mack if they didn't believe they were a genuine contender this year. They now have to prove an offensive nucleus centered around second-year quarterback Mitch Trubisky is enough to make a dent into the competition.
Chicago begins its season against the archrival Green Bay Packers, then follows that up with a series of winnable games against the Seahawks, Cardinals, Buccaneers, and Dolphins before it faces a truly difficult stretch. With Mack in tow, the Bears have all the tools to become a top-10 defense, but it'll all have to click right away if they are to make the most of the blockbuster addition and prove they are ready to contend. Otherwise, questions will begin to surface about what Ryan Pace has built since taking over as general manager in January 2015.
Houston Texans
With a roster boasting Deshaun Watson, J.J. Watt, DeAndre Hopkins, and Jadeveon Clowney, the Texans' Super Bowl ambitions are legitimate, but they'll need to fly out of the gate. An opening date against the Patriots presents the Texans with a chance to capitalize early, while fixtures against the Titans and Colts in Weeks 2 and 4, respectively, allow them to jump ahead of their AFC South foes. Although the Texans are teeming with high-end talent, the Jaguars are the class of the division until proven otherwise.
The back-end of the schedule complicates matters. Houston finishes its season against Philadelphia and Jacksonville, games which could greatly swing the division. A lead will need to be built early if the Texans are to capitalize on their new-found playoff potential.
Carolina Panthers
The Panthers may look different than the team that was a game away from capping off one of the most impressive years in NFL history - before losing in Super Bowl 50 to the Denver Broncos - but they are still built to contend. Carolina sports a very talented roster but has the misfortune of playing in the vaunted NFC South, where Atlanta and New Orleans are also in Super Bowl-or-bust mode. For this reason, it's imperative the Panthers take advantage of their schedule early on.
Carolina's final three games are daunting, with two against the Saints and a Week 16 matchup with the Falcons, all of which will likely seriously impact playoff seeding. If the Panthers stumble out of the gate with losses to the Cowboys (Week 1), Bengals (Week 3), or Giants (Week 4), there will be too much ground to cover and they'll have wasted another year from Cam Newton's prime.
Seattle Seahawks
It's expected to be a transitional year for the Seahawks, who missed the playoffs last season for the first time since 2011. Russell Wilson, Doug Baldwin, Earl Thomas, and Bobby Wagner are the last mainstays left from their glory years, but the Seahawks aren't backing down from their contender status without a fight. The Rams are a trendy Super Bowl pick, while the 49ers are the league's most polarizing team, so the Seahawks will need to win early to not get caught in a proverbial landslide.
With two games against the Rams along with contests against the Packers, Chargers, Panthers, and Chiefs looming, it's clear the Seahawks need to get out to a quick start or run the risk of living in the shadow of L.A.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers have all the talent in the world at their disposal, with one notable omission. Le'Veon Bell's holdout has continued well into September and his teammates openly blasted the star running back for what they believed to be selfish behavior. It doesn't appear Bell is coming back anytime soon and if the Steelers' offense fails to recover without him, the Ravens and new-look Browns will be sure to capitalize on their rival's vulnerability.
Pittsburgh's schedule grows more difficult after October, with games against the Falcons, Panthers, Jaguars, Patriots, and Saints on the horizon. While Bell ought to be back by then, his absence could sink an otherwise talented Steelers group of players, who appear to be at each other's throats with their season slated to get underway.
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