It's the last week of October, which means spooky season is in full effect. Whether you're dressing up, partying, handing out candy, watching scary movies and visiting haunted houses, or partaking in none of the Halloween festivities on Saturday, the NFL season will continue rolling Sunday — a great way to enjoy all that leftover candy. With the season nearly halfway done, we know which teams are trending toward the postseason and which ones aren't.
But which teams are truly scary in a good way — no opponent wants to see them — or scary bad to the point their own fans want to hide their eyes? We break down the nine scariest teams, six scary good, three scary bad, this season. Yes, the reigning Super Bowl champions still belong here, even if they're "only" 4-3, and a 20-3 domination of the Chiefs should be all the reason you need.
Even their defense is called the "Dark Side," and any unit that combines Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy up front with safety/weapon Nick Emmanwori and star cornerback Devon Witherspoon should strike fear in opponents. Sam Darnold has had some turnovers that make Seahawks fans hide their eyes, but Jaxon Smith-Njigba is scary enough to keep any defensive coordinator up at night. Overlook last year's champs at your own peril.
The offense may not strike fear in many opponents' hearts, but that defense? Downright terrifying, especially for quarterbacks. Brian Flores' unit blitzes on 71% of opponents' dropbacks, which is 27 percentage points higher than the second-highest rate.
The Vikings also own the best sack rate in the NFL (10.6%). Only one team has scored more than 16 points on this defense, which might as well be the Purple People Eaters 2.0. And just when you think you have the offense under control, Justin Jefferson can produce a big play anytime, anywhere.
If Kyler Murray can settle in, this team will be frighteningly good, and with blitzes that will give even the most poised quarterbacks a jump scare or two. Could we really get another installment of the Reign of Terror from Kansas City? Looking for his fourth Lombardi Trophy already, Patrick Mahomes has been impressive early this season after returning from a torn ACL.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
