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NFL's 'scariest' good, bad teams: Why Seahawks strike fear, Titans fans should be terrified

With Halloween arriving, these teams sure are spooky

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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.

Six scary-good teams

Seattle Seahawks

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.

Minnesota Vikings

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.

Kansas City Chiefs

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. Kenneth Walker III has been the best offseason addition by any team, able to seemingly disappear in a pile of would-be tacklers and reappear down the field. His seven carries of 20+ yards are tied for most in the NFL. Steve Spagnuolo's defense may be young, but his cornerback tandem of Mansoor Delane and Nohl Williams can make opponents feel like they can't escape anywhere. The Chiefs need more firepower in the passing attack, but everyone knows by now that Mahomes is the scariest of sights come the postseason.

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers' injury report makes it look like the team survived a month full of terror, but after the bye week, Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel, and a host of other standouts could be on their way back. And no one will want to see this offense in full gear. Brock Purdy and mad scientist play caller Kyle Shanahan can expose any defense's weakness, and no one wants to mess with George Kittle or Trent Williams in the trenches. On defense, newly acquired game-wrecking defensive lineman DeForest Buckner makes San Francisco a lot scarier, too.

Buffalo Bills

Simply put, we have evidence that Josh Allen is an alien who's come to take over planet Earth.

Chicago Bears

If you cannot stop the run game, the Bears will hammer you over and over again, with D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai proving to be double trouble. But what gets really scary is when Caleb Williams starts doing his thing. Always capable of using dark arts to finagle his way out of trouble and making a big play, Williams has gotten terrifyingly accurate this year, too. Oh, and there aren't many scarier sights along the defensive line than newly acquired All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, who will have opposing offensive linemen quaking in their cleats.

Three teams that are scary bad

Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers won 11 games in back-to-back years, but this team is a perfect example of how scary expectations can be. Mike McDaniel was a highly anticipated addition as offensive coordinator, but Justin Herbert's play has been hard to watch. Add in injuries along one of the NFL's worst offensive lines and struggling pass catchers all over the place, and Herbert is doomed. The echoes of Jim Harbaugh saying, "Who's got it better than us?" haunt the nightmares of any Bolts fan this season. In the midst of a brutal stretch of the schedule, it might get worse before it gets better.

Tennessee Titans

The Titans hoped a new coach, a new offensive coordinator and new weapons would help Cam Ward, but here they are with a 1-6 record and Ward having thrown for over 200 yards just once this season. Tennessee might have a bright future, in part thanks to the two first-round picks they acquired for Simmons, but without its best defensive player, this team could continue to spiral for the rest of the season. Can Ward help them escape the nightmarish run of quarterbacks they've been on? Nashville's known for country music, but this has been a sad-song franchise for quite a while.

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts are in the scariest situation of them all. Just a year ago, the Colts traded two first-round picks for Sauce Gardner. Now, they're selling at the trade deadline and tanking ... without their 2027 first-round pick. If the season ended today, Indianapolis would have the seventh pick ... and send it to the Jets. Horrifying. The Colts just fired GM Chris Ballard, Daniel Jones keeps turning the ball over in truly disgusting ways, and there's no telling who will still be on this team come Nov. 11, when the trade deadline has passed. The Colts have dug themselves a deep, deep hole, and who knows how long it will take for them to escape? 

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