The Rich Top 5: NFL Sleeper Teams to Watch This Season

The rules Rich set for this one were simple. Sleeper means a team that missed the playoffs last year and makes them this year. And the team at the top is not just a playoff team, it is a team Rich thinks can win the damn Super Bowl.

**5. Cleveland Browns.** Rich likes the draft haul. Fannin, Judkins and KC Concepcion are all in the building, and Cleveland has stacked up some real kids. The one condition attached: let's get some quality quarterback play. Do that, and Rich thinks the Browns are better than you think.

**4. New Orleans Saints.** Rich admitted he is buying some of the bandwagon talk here, and the math is the reason. The Saints were only two games away from winning the division. Olave has been paid. Travis Etienne got paid. Then Rich asked the question that makes this one fun: what if Kamara is good too, and what if Etienne and Kamara turn into the best running back tandem in the NFL? The defense is the unknown. The offense is not.

**3. Tennessee Titans.** "They are bald and they are beautiful," Rich said, and the studio agreed loudly enough that this was somebody's number one. The case is Cam Ward finally getting coaching, which now means Daboll. Around him: Carnell Tate, Ridley, Pollard. "There's some home run hitters, folks." And Rich expects Saleh to coach the defense up.

**2. New York Giants.** Rich is buying this hype as well, with one honest caveat. The schedule is brutal. But John Harbaugh is coming into town, and Rich expects that to plus this team up on the spot. The defense is already good and gets after you. The only ask is the obvious one. Keep the quarterback out of the big blue tent.

**1. Cincinnati Bengals.** This is the one Rich planted a flag on. He thinks the Bengals can win the AFC and the whole damn shooting match, because this offense is still this offense. Protect Joe Burrow. Give him a short field once in a while. Give him some happiness so he is not just going home and staring through his new telescope into the abyss and the celestial stars. The sleeper of the year label, in Rich's definition, means win the division, go deep in the playoffs, and if not, make it back to SoFi.

Then Rich broke his own format, because five was not enough. The bonus entry is the Minnesota Vikings, and the reason is J.J. McCarthy. Give the kid time, Rich said, and the kid starts showing up. Give the kid time in the playoffs and you find out what he can do when the chips are down.

That is six sleepers for a top five, which is how you know he meant it.