Last season, some of the biggest names in the NFL were forced to miss most of the season, which directly affected the way their team performed. This year, those injured players are healthy and ready to go, which should make a significant difference to how things play out this year. Since their team’s NFL spread was impacted by their injuries, they will also be impacted by their return.
Joe Flacco, Tony Romo, Jordy Nelson, and Terrell Suggs are just a few of the big names that missed significant time last year, resulting in a lost season for their teams. However, there was some positives that came out of those situations because some of those teams were able to secure high draft picks that will have an immediate impact on the teams this year.
In Baltimore, Joe Flacco, Steve Smith, Justin Forsett, and Terrell Suggs are all coming back from significant injuries that cost the team a chance to make the playoffs for a second consecutive season. The injury dropped the Ravens in the standings, but helped put the team in position to draft one of the top offensive linemen in the country, which should make Flacco happy this year.
Steve Smith was going to retire after last season, but an ACL injury forced him to miss significant time, and it also forced Smith to change his mind and come back for one final season. With a healthy Flacco throwing him the ball, Smith should be able to pick up where he left off.
Suggs is coming off the second ACL injury of his career, but he is expected to make a full recovery. Unlike Flacco and Smith, who told reporters they will be ready for training camp, Suggs hasn’t announced when he plans to return to the field, but head coach John Harbaugh, believes he will be ready for training camp.
In Dallas, Tony Romo’s injury took the Cowboys from NFC East contenders to a team that finished with one of the worst records in the league. Their disappointing season led to the team being able to draft running back Ezekiel Elliot, who was considered one of the best players in the draft.
With Elliot in the lineup, the Cowboys are hoping he can give them the type of running game they had when DeMarco Murray was still in Dallas. If he is as good as advertised, there will be less pressure on Romo to try to do things by himself, and it will also give Dallas a balanced offense, which is something they missed last year.
In Green Bay, Jordy Nelson is returning from an ACL injury that forced him to miss the entire 2015 season. Unlike some of the other big names that missed significant time, the Packers were still able to make the playoffs without Nelson, but the offence was not as effective as it was with him in the lineup, and it eventually cost the team in the playoffs.
With Nelson back in the lineup, the Packers are once again favorites to come out of the NFC, but fans have to wait and see how nelson’s knees hold up once he is back in the lineup.
