The Philadelphia Eagles finished 7-9 in 2016. Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles were their two leading rushers, Jordan Matthews was their leading receiver and their rookie quarterback Carson Wentz had a 79.2 quarterback rating. On February 7th, 2017, even the most ardent Eagles supporters would have considered a World Championship in February 2018 a true long shot. Even if somebody supposed the Eagles would win the NFC East, that same prognosticator would not have said the other division winners would include the Minnesota Vikings, Los Angeles Rams, and Jacksonville Jaguars. In today’s NFL, the possibility of going worst to first is at play. With the exception of the New England Patriots’ unprecedented run of success in the AFC East and the Cleveland Browns’ historic demise in the AFC North, unpredictably abounds among the other 30 ball clubs.

For a certainty, there is a lot in play before the 2018 season begins. Free agency and the draft will alter many rosters. However, it is never too early to look ahead to next year. Let’s focus on five teams that missed the playoffs in 2017 that could win the Super Bowl in 2018.

Green Bay Packers – Let’s start with the most obvious team on the list. When Aaron Rodgers plays on your team, you have a chance to win the Super Bowl. The Packers finally seem to have some depth at running back as well with the emergence of Aaron Jones and the veteran Ty Montgomery. The Packers also have several fine receivers. On defense, a veteran free agent or two will help Green Bay match up favorably with three good NFC North foes.

Assuming Rodgers is healthy and firing, look for head coach Mike McCarthy to coach for his life. That bodes well for the Pack as the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears have an uncertain coaching situation and the Vikings will have plenty of questions surrounding the quarterback position. It was not a fluke that Minnesota finished ahead of Green Bay in 2017. Rodgers’ injury definitely contributed to the results, but the Vikings had the better coaches and players from start to finish. This will be an exciting divisional race and one the Packers can win.

Dallas Cowboys – Dak Prescott was a much better player as a freshman than as a sophomore with the Cowboys. As much as he struggled in 2017, he is likely to improve to that degree in 2018. Ezekiel Elliott and a healthy Tyron Smith will make all the difference. Even if Dez Bryant does not come back to Dallas, the Cowboys have enough talent on both sides of the ball to jump right back into the mix. Even though we are seven months from opening day, it is not far-fetched to think the NFC East will turn into a two-team race.

San Francisco 49ers – The Niners head to 2018 with the longest winning streak in the NFL and likely will have Jimmy Garoppolo under center. The future looks unbelievably bright. One player that flew under the radar somewhat and is a future superstar is Reuben Foster. Foster had a little hiccup last month involving marijuana, but probably will not face a suspension. Either way, the 49ers got better as the 2017 season wore on due to their hot quarterback, fine young coach Kyle Shanahan, and a quick, young defense. Actually, it would not be a surprise to see the NFC West with four strong teams in 2018.

Houston Texans – Deshaun Watson, J.J. Watt, Whitney Mercilus are three reasons Houston has an excellent chance to dethrone the two-time defending AFC champion New England Patriots. Those injuries contributed to their putrid 2017 campaign. Football fans are going to love watching Texans football next season as the three stars mentioned join a solid coaching staff and a good roster which features Jedeveon Clowney and the brilliant DeAndre Hopkins. The Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans claimed the playoff spots from the AFC South in 2017. Houston will make a repeat for those clubs very difficult.

Los Angeles Chargers – It will not come as a surprise to anyone who watched the Chargers play during the second half of 2017 to see them among the elite in 2018. Indeed, some poor personnel decisions and an abysmal kicking game prevented Los Angeles from finishing 12-4 in ’17. The Chargers have the best starting 22 from top to bottom in the AFC. If they can keep their offensive line healthy, Los Angeles may even be able to run away with the AFC West.

The Oakland Raiders and Denver Broncos will not look the same in 2018. However, that does not mean either will improve from their respective poor performances in 2017. Likewise, the Chiefs are a huge unknown, but if Patrick Mahomes if what he is being cracked up to be, we might get a race. We simply will not know until the regular season gets rolling.

It is only 215 days until the Eagles get their Super Bowl flag unfurled at Lincoln Financial Field. It will be a banner day in NFL history. The new shooters will be out in force, though. The Packers, Cowboys, 49ers, Texans and Chargers are among the teams that can flip this script quickly and turn the Eagles into a one-year wonder.

Brandon Fazzolari is a Super Bowl expert…@spot_Bills