ESPN has asked a panel of six NFL experts- a mix of former players, reporters, scouts, and statheads- a very important question: which NFL team will have the best offense or defense in 2017.
On defense, the six panelists each gave two votes to the New York Giants, Seattle Seahawks, and Denver Broncos, which makes sense because they ranked second, third, and fourth in points allowed in 2016 and all ranked in the top five of DVOA.
I’m a little surprised the team that ranked first in points allowed wasn’t even mentioned in passing, especially because they improved their defense on every level, but I guess the New England Patriots will have to settle for being named the best offense in 2017.