Time waits for no man. It is inevitable, and it comes for us all one day. I didn’t mean to start this football post off like the beginning of some post-apocalyptic story, but it’s the central idea in what I’m writing about today. It’s one of the most compelling storylines in all of sports – “the window.” Of course, I’m talking about the period of time a franchise has when all the stars are aligned for a championship run…from the onset of a special group of players and coaches catching lightning in a bottle to the final straw that makes it all fall apart. The clock is always ticking.
It’s fascinating to stop and think about how time factors into one’s success or failure in the NFL. Players don’t have long to make an impact. That hourglass is flipped from the moment they step onto the field at rookie minicamps. If you don’t make what reps you get count, you’ll be out of the league before you know it. By the way, you only get so many opportunities in meaningful games to make those reps count. For coaches, it’s gotten closer to that in recent years. In the old days, guys would get several years to build a real franchise. Owners aren’t as patient anymore.
My mind always goes to the LaDainian Tomlinson Chargers. Damn, those were some fun football teams to watch back in the day. Antonio Gates, Philip Rivers, and Tomlinson made for an exciting brand of football. It just so happened that they played in the same era as prime dynasty Patriots. Their window shut without them ever reaching a Super Bowl. Most recently, and it does hit a little close to home, I think of the Mike Vrabel Titans. Those teams had a toughness that wasn’t easy to manufacture. Often the underdog, they parlayed that toughness into a run to the AFC Championship after the 2019 season. But, they could never get over that hump. Eventually, the clock struck midnight on Cinderella. I got to thinkin’ about this the other day, and I’ve come up with five teams that I think are approaching that window-closing territory.
NFL: Teams That the Window May Be Closing On
Buffalo Bills – They have the franchise quarterback and they have one of the most stable coaching situations of the last five years, but the seat may be warming up underneath Sean McDermott. The Bills have been a major threat in the AFC. But, they haven’t been able to get over the Patrick Mahomes hump. Their best chance of doing that might’ve already passed. The offense will reset a bit with Keon Coleman as the projected top dog in the receiving corps. Is he ready for primetime? That remains to be seen. I imagine we’ll see Dalton Kincaid become a breakout guy in the passing game, but I won’t be surprised to see this team run the ball a little more with James Cook and Ray Davis. Regardless, it feels like a transition period is on the horizon for the Bills on offense. I thought the Bills slayed the draft on defense, snagging Cole Bishop, Edefuan Ulofoshio, and Javon Solomon. All could be impact players in the future. For the Bills, you only get so many opportunities to play for a championship. They haven’t made the most of those opportunities so far, and eventually, they run out. Maybe this is the year McDermott gets them to the promised land. Maybe it’s the year he gets canned and they blow it all up in Buffalo.
San Francisco 49ers – I hated putting the 49ers on this list because Kyle Shanahan is one of the best coaches in the game and he’s put a system in place that allows his offense to operate efficiently. With John Lynch on the job, they seem to simply reload every year from a personnel standpoint. My initial thought was, “well, you may have to replace a cog here and there, but the machine is rocksteady.” But, man…look at how many Super Bowls they’ve been to and lost. Look at how many elite players they have. Brandon Aiyuk (who, to be fair, might not even be a 49er by the time this article is released), George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, Christian McCaffrey, Fred Warner, Trent Williams, Dre Greenlaw, Nick Bosa, Charvarius Ward…these are big names. I’m as high on the 49er way as you’ll find, but even I have to acknowledge that at some point, you’re not going to be able to pay all of these guys and you’re really pushing your luck to count on drafting replacements to that level. If Shanahan doesn’t get one with this roster, I don’t know what will do it for him.
Philadelphia Eagles – The Eagles may be the closest to decline of the five teams on this list. Things were already starting to look a bit dicey down the stretch in 2023, and Nick Sirianni’s name was even brought up as a potential surprise firing. To have the Eagles sputtering the way they were despite the level of talent they had on that roster was pretty concerning. Now, they have to worry about replacing the best center in the game. Don’t get me wrong – I’m a Cam Jurgens fan, but Jason Kelce leaves behind some big shoes to fill. If the heart of that offense was being able to line up and pound the ball at will, it’s likely to take a hit. They’ve added some interesting young pieces on defense, but if Sirianni can’t manage the load, it may be time for change in Philadelphia.
Dallas Cowboys – We don’t have to hash out the Dak Prescott conversation in detail yet again, but the clock is firmly ticking on he and Mike McCarthy. I don’t know if you’d say the Cowboys are in a bit of a soft rebuild, but the depth on this roster has changed dramatically. The negligence of the running back position, albeit not the most important on the field, has been puzzling. The drafting of Tyler Guyton was fine, but thrusting him into a starting role at left tackle seems risky. The loss of Dan Quinn means a makeover on defense under new DC Mike Zimmer. It’s a lot of change that, to me, looks an awful lot like life after Dak Prescott may already be in motion.
New York Jets – The Jets moved all their chips to the center of the table with the Aaron Rodgers acquisition, but that roster is absolutely loaded with talent. It is ready made for a run if Robert Saleh can piece it all together. His name was in the hot seat conversation a year ago, but I think patience would prove wise in his case. This defense will be nasty. If Rodgers is anything like his old self, they should be a contender. If he’s not, that roster will have one glaring hole yet again, and it’ll just so happen to be the most important position on the field.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.
SoBros Network and Stacking The Inbox have teamed up for the greatest premium content collaboration in the history of Nashville. Get all of the Tennessee Titans and NFL Draft coverage you need on top of premium SoBros Network content such as The Movie Review Rewind Podcast, Sports Punch, and much more! Only $5/month gets you instant access to an exhaustive content library of articles, podcasts, and videos created exclusively for our subscribers! Sign up on Substack today!
