National Football League

NFL: 5 Most Disappointing Teams From the 2016 Preseason

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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After three games, here’s a look at the five most disappointing NFL teams so far in the preseason.

Aug 18, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) scrambles for a loose ball against the Atlanta Falcons during the second quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium. The ball was snapped over Griffin

This is one of the most exciting times of the year for football fans as the final week of the NFL preseason means the start of the regular season is right around the corner as the Denver Broncos will square off against the Carolina Panthers on September 8.

From the Los Angeles Rams returning to their old hole to the surprise emergence of a rookie quarterback with the Dallas Cowboys, the 2016 preseason has been filled with plenty of excitement from a fan perspective. But that doesn’t mean some fans are feeling the frustration towards the way their teams have looked over the last three games.

Normally, they say the preseason can never be taken too seriously since starters are limited most of the time, but that doesn’t mean a few teams shouldn’t be concerned over their play heading into the start of the regular season. With one game remaining before meaningful football gets underway, here’s a look at the five most disappointing teams from the 2016 NFL preseason.

Aug 28, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer (3) scrambles to avoid Houston Texans defensive tackle Christian Covington (95) during the first half at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Arizona Cardinals

After falling just short of a Super Bowl appearance last January by losing the NFC Championship, the Arizona Cardinals enter the 2016 season as one of the favorites in the NFC, but they’ve looked like anything but a contender so far with a winless record.

As if combining for 13 points against the Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers wasn’t already a concern, the Houston Texans embarrassed the Cardinals during their third preseason game on Sunday. Carson Palmer was taken out of the game earlier than expected by Bruce Arians following two interceptions and the defense had zero answers when it came to stopping Brock Osweiler.

While this game would have been much difference with some of Arizona’s key starters, this frustrating performance just sums up what preseason has been like for this team. If the Cardinals want to be one of the top contenders in the NFC, they certainly didn’t do enough convincing in the preseason.

Aug 27, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz (80) in the 2nd half at MetLife Stadium. New York Giants defeat the New York Jets 21-20. Mandatory Credit: William Hauser-USA TODAY Sports

New York Giants

The New York Giants are coming off back-to-back 6-10 finishes and if the preseason is any indication of how this upcoming season is going to be, the Giants could be in for another disappointing season.

To say the Giants looked awful over in the two games to start off preseason would be the understatement of the year as the team failed to scored just 10 points against the Miami Dolphins and were shutout by the Buffalo Bills. New York did manage to come through with a 21-20 win over the New York Jets in the third contest of the preseason, but this team looks like they’re going to be a work in progress during their first season with Ben McAdoo as head coach.

Hopefully, the Giants look like a completely different team than preseason once the meaningful games roll around and the return of Victor Cruz ends up benefiting Eli Manning in the passing game. At this point, Manning will take any extra weapon he can to make an impact alongside Odell Beckham Jr.

Aug 18, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA; Chicago Bears head coach John Fox on the sidelines during the second half against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Chicago Bears

It’s hard to believe a team with the talent level of the Chicago Bears has failed to reach the playoffs since the 2010 season, but this team heads into the 2016 season with just 11 wins over the last two years. And the sad thing is the Bears could be heading down that disappointing direction again with the way preseason has looked for John Fox and company.

The only positive takeaway from Chicago in preseason was their close upset on the road against the New England Patriots in Week 2. Other than that, this team hasn’t really looked confident with their play as the offense was shutout by the Denver Broncos in the season opener and scored just seven points against the Kansas City Chiefs in last week’s contest.

Even if the Bears deserve a little slack for competing against three strong AFC contenders from one year ago, this squad certainly hasn’t given their fan base much confidence heading into the regular season.

Aug 26, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton and quarterback Garrett Grayson (18) during the second half of a preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Steelers defeated the Saints 27-14. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

New Orleans Saints

On paper, the New Orleans Saints appear to have one of the top offenses in the league and whether that happens will come down to Drew Brees staying healthy. As for the one concern for the Saints in preseason, Mark Ingram better hope to get his act together before it’s too late.

New Orleans has high expectations for their running back in 2016, but Ingram hasn’t made the team feel confident with his performances over the last two preseason games. The fact that Ingram has combined for 28 rushing yards on 14 carries between the Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers has to be frustrating for the Saints to see.

To top it off, New Orleans has looked awful as an overall team in the preseason as they have failed to win a single game heading into their finale against the Baltimore Ravens. The defense was one of the weaknesses of this team in 2015 and early signs point to that happening once again when the regular season gets underway.

Aug 26, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon (12) celebrates with quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) after he scored a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Cleveland Browns

Before jumping to any conclusions about the Cleveland Browns being the typical disappointing team in the AFC, keep in mind this offense actually has the potential to put up big numbers in 2016. But with this team failing to score more than 13 points in each of their three preseason games, the Browns still fall under the category of a work in progress.

With the way Robert Griffin III has looked in the preseason running the offense, Browns fans are excited to see if the quarterback can take advantage of a fresh start with a new team. Despite their 0-3 start to the preseason, Griffin’s been sharp in the preseason thanks to the chemistry he’s developing with Terrelle Pryor, Josh Gordon, and Corey Coleman.

Of course, the challenge now becomes carrying this chemistry over to the regular season and make Cleveland one of the league’s top offensive threats. The Browns certainly have a few positive takeaways from the preseason, but even Hue Jackson knows this team still has plenty to work on and it’s no surprise to see the head coach is going to play some of the starters in the preseason finale.