While some teams have separated themselves from the rest, a few teams have yet to tap their full potential. In the scope of playoff probabilities, these 'sleeper' teams are flying under the radar of most experts. With all the surprises of this NFL season, there are many sleepers to choose from. But the two to be mentioned teams stick out among the rest. If the full potential of either of these teams is met, they could match well against any contender. Your best betcha bets for a sudden ascension lies in these 2 teams.
Minnesota Vikings
What Makes Them Dangerous
The Vikings 3rd most yards/game average at 390.5 poses a danger to even the greatest of contenders. When healthy, the Minnesota Vikings can out-pass and outrun most teams in the league. In the run game, Dalvin Cook's average of 4.9 yards-per-carry forces defenses to open up holes in the passing game. With Adam Thielen at Kirk Cousins' disposal, the Vikings have no issues scoring almost at will. To further their cause, the offensive weapons mentioned only seem to escalate their play in big-game situations. Any team with that much firepower to complement a competent quarterback is a team to watch for.
What Could Be Their Downfall?
What could be their demise is their defense, which has surrendered the 4th most yards against per game at 381.5. While solid upfront with a league-leading 41 sacks, coverage beyond the frontline has seen more holes than swiss cheese. Even the most potent offenses need the other end of the ball to hold up for less than 30 points per game.
Having to perpetually outfire your opponent in high-scoring games is not a recipe for success. Though the Vikings expect their offense to overcome their glaring defensive shortcomings, no offense should be leaned on so heavily.
San Francisco 49ers
What Makes Them Dangerous
Any offense and defense that simultaneously rank in the top 8 is a threat to do serious damage. Those numbers indicate well-rounded talent across the board. Having top players at multiple positions would give any team an upper hand on both ends of the ball.
Game-changers like Nick Bosa, George Kittle, and Deebo Samuel can each take over a game at their position. Bosa boasts the 3rd most sacks(14) and 2nd most pressures(43) in only his second season. On the offensive side, Samuel's top 5 receiving yards(1,028) complement Kittle's league-leading YAC avg(9.4). Samuel is no slouch in that category either, being ranked 4th in the league at 7.9.
What does that tell you? This team is going to come at you hard and make you work for every inch to bring them down. The play is only just starting when a catch is made. If the 49ers make the playoffs, I wouldn't want to be matched against them in the 1st round. Even if they don't win, they're going to make life difficult for the opposition with their grinding style. Yet, it may also be this heavy-hitting mentality that is resulting in the 49ers failure to stay healthy
What Could Be Their Downfall
Their ultimate downfall could very well be a lack of a proven no.2 wide receiver to complement their number one threat in Samuel. Brandon Aiyuk, the expected no.2 heading into the season, has been beyond underwhelmed with his inconsistent, often absent play. In addition, The core of talent around Garoppolo seems in place at every position. But whether it's poor play-calling or execution, Garoppolo doesn't look like a pressure performer.
The 49ers YAC mentality has inflated Jimmy G's statistics beyond his actual impact on the game. If the 49ers make any noise the rest of the season or playoffs, it won't be because of their QB.
Honorable Mention
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo bills get the honorable mention for possible sleepers thanks in large part to the many question marks surrounding them. You can't put them in the underdog category because their projections placed them to be much better at the beginning of the season.
You can't put too much blame upon the shoulders of quarterback Josh Allen for the team underwhelming as a whole. However, his inconsistent play is a complete reflection of how this team has struggled to keep their offense on the field. Having a dreadful ground attack doesn't help him in the passing game, either. If they can learn to play a complete game, they could be in trouble. However, based on what we've seen so far, they don't look like a team capable of consistency.
