The 2017 NFL season has featured a handful of teams making stark turnarounds and becoming late playoff contenders. Of the eight teams with 10 wins through 14 games, six were .500 teams or worse last year.
Four of those teams have former Maryland players in key roles. Let’s talk about them.
Perhaps the surprise contender of 2017 has been the Jacksonville Jaguars, who went 3-13 last season but are 10-4 and just clinched a playoff spot. They’ve dominated on defense, and Yannick Ngakoue has been a star for them. He leads the NFL with six forced fumbles this season and is tied for sixth in the league with 11 sacks.