With a retooled defense and new weapons on offense, the Panthers are hoping to turn a strong finish to 2024 into a breakout 2025 in a make-or-break year for Bryce Young.
Cover photo taken from Athlon Sports.
Welcome to 32 Teams in 32 Days, a daily series leading up to kickoff of the 2025 NFL season where I preview every team in the league as decided by a wheel spin and project what their season will look like. You can keep up with everything right here.
One thing I’ve learned over the last three weeks is that the wheel likes to stick with the same divisions. We’ve already wrapped up the AFC South, NFC West and NFC East, we’re almost done with the AFC East, but haven’t even touched the AFC West and barely dipped into the NFC North.
All this to say, we’re sticking in the NFC South today where the Carolina Panthers are hoping to turn a strong finish to 2024 into a breakout 2025 in a make-or-break year for Bryce Young.
Last year was more of a tale of three thirds than two halves for the Panthers. The first third dealt with Bryce Young being benched after just two games, with Andy Dalton coming in and winning a game, then getting hurt to bring Bryce back in. The middle third saw some more struggles for the 2023 No. 1 pick, but gradual improvement as close wins over bad teams like the Saints and Giants turned into to close losses against great teams like the Chiefs and Eagles.
Then, the final third, which was really more like the final three weeks: the offense’s coming out party. In those final three games, the Panthers went 2-1 behind an emboldened Bryce Young, who had a passer rating of at least 100 in each of those games and was 7th among all QBs in EPA+CPOE in that stretch. For reference, he only eclipsed a 100-plus rating twice in his career until then. He was a scoring machine with 10 total touchdowns and zero turnovers, leading the offense to be fifth in EPA/play in the home stretch. And it all culminated in a 5-touchdown masterpiece to close out the year with a 44-38 win in Atlanta to knock the Falcons out of the playoff race.
Now, the question is whether or not that can be sustained. Dave Canales had his fair share of ups and downs in his first year as head coach, but maybe that was to be expected with the state of this roster. On the year, the offense was 23rd in EPA/play with an OL that ranked 30th in pass block win rate. Before finishing the year red-hot, Young was pretty bad with eight touchdowns to nine interceptions and a bottom-five EPA+CPOE among 35 qualified QBs. The run game was a bright spot, ranking 11th in rush EPA thanks to Chuba Hubbard’s career year with 1,195 yards and 10 touchdowns.
But more than anything on offense, it was the other side of the ball that completely sullied 2024 in Carolina. This defense was dead last in total and rushing yards allowed, points allowed, EPA/play, success rate, rush EPA and run stop win rate while ranking 31st in dropback EPA and pass rush win rate. Let that sink in. All things considered, this was pretty comfortably the worst defense in football. You’re not going to win many games with a unit that bad, regardless of what’s happening on offense.
As such, bolstering the defense was the main focus of this offseason. Several big signings were made to fix the front seven and aid star DT Derrick Brown with Tershawn Wharton, Patrick Jones, Bobby Brown and Christian Rozeboom coming over in free agency while the team spent draft capital on Nic Scourton, Princely Umanmielen and Cam Jackson. The secondary — which already has a blue-chip superstar in Jaycee Horn — was improved with additions like Tre’von Moehrig in free agency and Lathan Ransom in the draft. DC Ejiro Evero better hope that he fixes that side of the ball, or it’ll be his last season in Charlotte.
That’s not to say the offense didn’t also see some improvement this summer. Two major moves stand out: selecting WR Tetairoa McMillan eighth overall and signing Rico Dowdle to create one of the sneaker RB duos in football alongside Hubbard. McMillan is an absolute stud — a 6-foot-4 monster with a massive catch radius and aggression at the catch point with some sneaky speed to boot. He’s the kind of player to bring the downfield juice to this offense that’s been missing since DJ Moore was sent to Chicago. Adding him to a WR corps which already has last year’s first-rounder Xavier Legette and steady veteran Adam Thielen means that Young will have his fair share of weapons to dish it out to.
X-Factor: The Offensive Line
This is my main concern with the Panthers this season. I obviously have my reservations about the defense, but at least there were moves made to improve all over there. Carolina is running back the same offensive line they had a year ago — the one which made Bryce Young consistently run for his life. It didn’t show up in the sack total, but as I mentioned earlier, this unit was third-worst in football in pass block win rate. Perhaps the bigger X-factor here is the passing game at large, as Bryce needs this to be the year he puts it all together. But his ability to do so is largely reliant on this line being able to consistently keep him up and block as effectively in the pass game as they do in the run game.
Team MVP: QB Bryce Young
Caption. (h/t Athlon Sports)
No other option, right? Well, if he can turn his last three weeks of 2024 into the majority of his 2025, there’s no doubt. I’ve always been a fan of Bryce, even through the size concerns. The start to last year was extremely unsettling — his numbers were awful and his tape was worse. But now, it’s all starting to come together. In a second year with Dave Canales and with the new additions to his offense, the pieces are in place for Bryce to finally emerge as a top-15 quarterback in football. That would be a massive success considering how the first two years of his career have gone.
Breakout Candidate: WR Xavier Legette
Legette wasn’t drafted in the first round for no reason. He’s got a unique blend of size and speed, being 6-foot-1 and 221 pounds but still running a sub-4.4 40. He’s a yards after catch machine that makes his money in the quick game, turning shorter passes into longer runs. But, in last year’s offense, there wasn’t a lot of opportunity for that. The Panthers wanted Legette to be a downfield threat for whoever was lining up under center, but that’s not really his game. Now that McMillan has been brought in to truly fill that role, Legette should be able to thrive by doing what he does best. After no standout games or highlights a year ago, I expect XL to have a number of each in this revitalized passing game.
Record Prediction: 6-11
I really wanted to be nicer, but to be honest, it’s kind of hard to find the wins on this schedule. It’s not the most difficult, but there are a number of difficult road trips, and playing the NFC West is not going to be easy, not to mention games against Buffalo and Green Bay. On top of that, I need to see this defense play better before I believe that they’re going to. Yes, the moves they made this offseason are promising, but there wasn’t a single one that made me think things are going to magically get better. I do think this offense will be a very fun one to watch, but that won’t mean anything if the other side of the ball keeps getting gashed. But, if Bryce Young puts together the season we think he could have and the defense turns into a competent one, a record closer to .500 or even above it is within reach.
In New Orleans, the cap chickens have come home to roost, and the Saints are squarely in the financial hell that they’ve been staring at for years. Because of that, the future in the Big Easy is bleak at best.
Cover photo taken from NBC News.
Welcome to 32 Teams in 32 Days, a daily series leading up to kickoff of the 2025 NFL season where I preview every team in the league as decided by a wheel spin and project what their season will look like. You can keep up with everything right here.
After a solid run of good teams, the wheel has dragged us back down the cellar. In New Orleans, the cap chickens have come home to roost, and the Saints are squarely in the financial hell that they’ve been staring at for years. Because of that, the future in the Big Easy is bleak at best.
Remember when the 2024 Saints were 2-0 with two blowout wins and we all thought, “Huh, maybe this thing could work!” Yeah, me neither. Here we are on the cusp of the ’25 season, and this team is a bonafide disaster.
Seven straight losses after that hot start turned into a 5-12 finish with New Orleans being bogged down by key injury after key injury and dealing with abysmal coaching from Dennis Allen, who was mercifully fired at the end of the season. Between Derek Carr hurting himself on a ridiculous attempt to play the hero — which wound up being his final play in the NFL — Chris Olave suffering two more bad concussions and countless other misfortunes, the Saints put together their worst season since 2005 — their last season before Drew Brees and Sean Payton arrived.
I wish I knew what he was thinking. (h/t KGET)
Just to quickly run through the numbers, because they’re bad: the offense was 25th in EPA/play — including 30th in dropback EPA — and 28th in success rate with the offensive line ranking 30th in both pass and run block win rates. The defense was marginally better, sitting at 19th in EPA/play, but they were 30th in rush EPA with a DL that ranked 29th in pass rush win rate and 19th against the run. Nothing stands out from last year’s Saints team because nothing can. It was just horrid all around.
When Carr missed time, the keys were primarily handed to Spencer Rattler. And to put it plainly, the dude just isn’t an NFL quarterback. Among 40 QBs with at least 250 snaps last season, Rattler was tied for last in EPA+CPOE. The only other player on his level of awful? Anthony Richardson. Woof.
When it wasn’t Rattler, it was Jake Haener, who was so much worse that I don’t even want to dive into his numbers.
So, New Orleans had no QB, a horrible offensive line, a decimated group of receivers, a nonexistent pass rush and a Swiss cheese secondary. But surely through the draft and free agency, they got better, right?
Wrong! Because the Saints have damn near $90 million in dead cap thanks to their financial shenanigans of the last decade. As I said, the bill has come due. You can’t name me a big-name free agency move the Saints made because it doesn’t exist. Hell, I’d bet you can’t name me a move they made at all. I mean, even I couldn’t remember anything before doing research for this article. They’re simply in purgatory.
For the sake of mentioning those moves, I’ll say that the secondary has been remade with Isaac Yiadom, Justin Reid and Julian Blackmon to join Kool-Aid McKinstry and Alontae Taylor. Notice I said remade and not upgraded. Davon Godchaux was added to beef up the interior of the defensive line. That’s fine, I guess. On offense, they brought back Brandin Cooks for some reason. And they literally just traded for… Devaughn Vele? Whatever helps new head coach Kellen Moore sleep at night.
Really, the story of this offseason in New Orleans was the draft. For the second year in a row, the Saints took a tackle in the first round, plucking Texas LT Kelvin Banks Jr. to hold down the blind side after slotting last year’s top pick Tailese Fuaga at right tackle. Most of the rest of the draft was spent picking productive defenders like LB Danny Stutsman, S Jonas Sanker, DT Vernon Broughton and LB Fadil Diggs.
But one pick stood above the rest: Tyler Shough. The former Oregon, Texas Tech and Louisville quarterback who spent six years in college and is older than Trey freaking Lance. Though he was not a great college QB, Shough undoubtedly possesses the so-called intangibles that would translate to the pros: size, a live arm, some solid accuracy. But he also has what is known as the “bozo gene,” or what I mentioned last week when talking about Cam Ward, which is thinking you can make every throw when you know you can make any throw.
Shough’s tape has some high highs and some awful lows, and it’s no surprise that he’s not on track to beat out Rattler for the starting job. You’d think a dude that spent six years in college would be pro-ready. Guess not.
“Are those my only two options?” – Jonah Hill as Peter Brand in Moneyball (2010). (h/t Bleacher Report)
It remains to be seen whether or not that’s a disaster of a pick. But I’d have higher hopes for a guy who started college before mask mandates were a thing.
In any case, quarterback certainly doesn’t feel like an improved area for the Saints. Neither does the defensive line. Or the linebackers. Or the secondary. Or the receivers. The only clear upgrade was at left tackle, but the interior of the line is atrocious. So, even if the pass blocking is slightly better, the run blocking won’t be. And the pass blocking might not matter considering there isn’t a capable QB on the roster.
Holy hell. This is even worse than it seems.
X-Factor: Hopes And Prayers
They’re gonna need them. There’s nothing that can save the Saints in 2025. Seriously. In all my years of watching football, I can’t remember many teams entering a season so hopeless and devoid of talent. Maybe Kellen Moore is a competent first-time head coach and maybe Shough develops into a stud and maybe the defense finds a way to play actual NFL football. But those are all either uncertainties or pipe dreams. I don’t see a single tangible thing that can turn the Saints from the abysmal team they are into anything resembling a playoff team. Except for a talk with the man upstairs.
Team MVP: RB Alvin Kamara
I haven’t talked about Kamara this whole time because I was being overwhelmingly negative. But Alvin Kamara isn’t a negative. He’s really the only bright spot the Saints have. It’s like that meme of the guy pointing towards the sky saying, “If no one got me, [blank] got me.” You can always count on the franchise legend to have a productive season with over 1,000 yards and close to 10 touchdowns from scrimmage. He’s certainly at the tail end of his career, but he’s still putting up some very solid numbers and will be a safety blanket for whoever lines up under center in black and gold this season. It’s just a shame that he has to deal with that after the epic highs of his first few years in New Orleans.
Breakout Candidate: QB Tyler Shough
I mean, I had to pick someone. I don’t have much faith in Shough as a pro, but as I said before, the tools are definitely there for something to come to fruition. He’s 6-foot-5 with some solid mobility and a rocket arm. Surely that can be molded into a starting NFL quarterback. Again, I don’t think he’ll start the season over Rattler, but it’s definitely only a matter of time before he sees the field. From that point on, it’s anyone’s guess.
Record Prediction: 2-15
The Saints will be the worst team in the NFL this season and finish with the No. 1 pick in next year’s draft, where they will undoubtedly take a quarterback. Who that’ll be remains to be seen, but I imagine it’s either a kid who already plays in the state or one with family ties to the franchise. If you’re curious, the two wins I have on this schedule are against the Giants and Jets, because why not. Gotta give them something to cheer about. But the rest of the NFC South, the AFC East and the whole of the NFC West will run straight through these Saints and send them straight to the gutter. And, considering the circumstances, it’s a long, long way back up to the surface from there.
The Eagles soared to a dominant Super Bowl title last year behind one of the most well-rounded, stacked rosters we’ve ever seen. Now, it’s a matter of sustaining success in Philadelphia.
Cover photo taken from KRON4.
Welcome to 32 Teams in 32 Days, a daily series leading up to kickoff of the 2025 NFL season where I preview every team in the league as decided by a wheel spin and project what their season will look like. You can keep up with everything right here.
We round out the NFC East with the defending Super Bowl champions (sigh) as the Eagles look to run it back after one of the more dominant seasons we’ve seen in several years.
I was always dreading this one, but I’m not evil. I’ll give a team flowers when they deserve it.
Philadelphia was incredible last year. They were a more-than-deserving champion, which they unequivocally showed in a 40-22 shellacking of the Chiefs in the Super Bowl — one of the worst beatdowns we’ve ever witnessed. Their defense was elite, their offense was a well-oiled machine and it all culminated in the franchise’s second ring in the last eight seasons. I have my own qualms with the quarterback and head coach, but it’s hard to keep complaining when the results are what they are.
It was all thanks to a remarkable offseason. After the embarrassing end to 2023, GM Howie Roseman cleaned house, brought in fantastic replacements and rebuilt a decimated defense in a matter of months. Hiring Kellen Moore as OC and Vic Fangio at DC, drafting studs like Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean and Jalyx Hunt. Signing key veterans like Mekhi Becton and Zack Baun to bolster the offensive line and front seven.
But one newcomer stood out above the rest: Saquon Barkley. We all knew how talented of a back he was in New York, but injuries and bad teams seemed to derail what could’ve been a truly generational career. Well, turns out when you go to a well-run organization with a killer offensive line, your fortunes can change. Barkley cashed in a massive contract and Offensive Player of the Year honors after a ridiculous 2,005-yard, 13-touchdown season and truly elevated this team to be the contender they were.
The missing piece. (h/t KRON4)
The Eagles offense has been great since Jalen Hurts emerged as the player he is now, but the star RB proved to be the missing piece to get them over the top, especially in a tumultuous passing season. Hurts was up and down in the regular season and frankly awful in his first two playoff games, but in the NFC Championship and Super Bowl, he was spectacular. It was a microcosm of the season; Philly was 14th in dropback success rate while ranking first in rushing EPA.
It’s not like the passing offense was abysmal or anything. That would be hard to accomplish with AJ Brown and Devonta Smith out wide, who combined for nearly 2,000 yards and 15 touchdowns. And of course, the offensive line was the key to it all, ranking eighth in pass block win rate and third in run block win rate. Kellen Moore dipped out to take the HC job in New Orleans, so we’ll see what new OC Kevin Patullo has cooked up for this offense.
But the Eagles don’t win the Super Bowl without the resurgent defense, which found new life under Fangio and it’s mix of new vets and rookies. In the EPA/play department, the Birds went from 29th to 3rd, culminating in a dominant playoff run in which they forced the most turnovers of any team ever in a single postseason. Jalen Carter has emerged as one of the league’s best tackles, Nolan Smith has developed into a star pass rusher, Baun was a DPOY candidate at linebacker and the duo of Mitchell and DeJean fortified the secondary as a lockdown one.
Ouch. (h/t Yahoo Sports)
They were as well-rounded as a team could be; in fact, only Philadelphia and Denver ranked in the top-10 in pass block/rush win rate and run block/stop win rate. Dominant in the trenches, suffocating on the backend and deadly with their skill position group.
The only question: can they sustain it for another season? A lot of key pieces are gone: Josh Sweat, Milton Williams, Darius Slay and Mekhi Becton all left in free agency while guys like Landon Dickerson and Nakobe Dean are dealing with injuries. Most of the key stars remain in place, but it might take a minute to figure things out with some newer moving parts.
The good news is that those new parts are pretty damn good, too. The strategy of investing in a young defense continued as Philly drafted studs Jihaad Campbell and Andrew Mukuba in the first two rounds as well as potentially valuable depth pieces like Ty Robinson, Mac McWilliams, Antwaun Powell-Ryland and yet another Georgia Bulldog in Smael Mondon. To be honest, as long as Vic Fangio is coaching the defense, I don’t really have any doubts about them.
This is a team that’s built to sustain the success it had a year ago. There are superstars and All-Pros everywhere you look. It’s hard to say anyone in the league is currently better than Philadelphia, and even if you were to argue a team like Baltimore or Buffalo, I’d unfortunately have to point to the ring.
Yeah, this sucks.
X-Factor: Defensive Newcomers
I already touched on it, but there’s more key turnover on defense than offense. A lot of guys are being thrust into starting roles: Hunt replaces Sweat, Jordan Davis replaces Milton Williams, Kelee Ringo repalces Darius Slay and Sydney Brown replaces CJ Gardner-Johnson. If the young guns are up to the test, then this unit shouldn’t see too much of a falloff. But, again, it might take a little bit of time to figure it out.
Team MVP: LT Jordan Mailata/RT Lane Johnson
Unstoppable forces. Immovable objects. (h/t Philadelphia Eagles)
Not what you were expecting? Maybe it should’ve been. Mailata and Johnson form perhaps the best tackle duo I’ve ever seen and fortify a top-5 offensive line in football with complete and utter dominance on the ends of the line. Just to put things in perspective: Johnson was fifth in pass block win rate and ranked 6th in pass blocking among tackles by PFF while Mailata was 14th and 2nd, respectively. That’s simply ridiculous. The interior of this offensive line is also crazy good, so I don’t want to discount guys like Landon Dickerson and Cam Jurgens, but it’s because of these two that Jalen Hurts rarely gets touched and Saquon Barkley gets to run wild. They are the straw that stirs the drink.
Breakout Candidate: LB Jalyx Hunt
I was having trouble picking between Hunt and Jordan Davis for this spot, but I went with the 2023 third-round pick because of what I’ve seen from him every time he’s thrust into action: immediate impact. I have no doubt that Davis is going to be a stud alongside his college teammate Jalen Carter on the interior of the defensive line (good luck running on these guys), but I think Hunt is going to emerge as the team’s best pass rusher. He had as many sacks in the playoffs as he did in the regular season, and with a starting role, I expect that number to skyrocket towards double digits in 2025.
Record Prediction: 13-4
I expect this regular season to go a lot like 2024: a 2-2 start with a loss at Tampa Bay before rattling off 10 wins in a row, losing in Week 16 at Washington, but still winning the division. This time, though, I have the Eagles getting the 1-seed in the NFC (and likely getting back to the Super Bowl, but we’ll save that for later). The infrastructure is too sound on offense, and the defense is still remarkably talented. Yes, I have my own set of concerns with the quarterback, and the offense could take a step back with a new play-caller, but the Eagles are simply a self-sustaining machine. They should sleepwalk back to the playoffs, and assuming the Commanders don’t go nuclear (God, please prove me wrong), they should become the NFC East’s first repeat champion in two decades.
Last season was more than just a success for the Commanders. It was a rebirth; a burgundy and gold phoenix rising from Snyder ashes. With a unicorn at QB and an upgraded roster, can they replicate 2024’s magic?
Cover photo taken from Washington Commanders.
Welcome to 32 Teams in 32 Days, a daily series leading up to kickoff of the 2025 NFL season where I preview every team in the league as decided by a wheel spin and project what their season will look like. You can keep up with everything right here.
Now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for. Strap in folks, this one is going to be a doozy.
2024 was the best year of my life. I really didn’t think it would be. I’ll be the first to admit that I didn’t want Dan Quinn as head coach. For the first half of the offseason, I wanted Drake Maye at No. 2, not Jayden Daniels. I didn’t understand the moves to bring in Zach Ertz, Bobby Wagner, Austin Ekeler and the other vets. I was wary of hiring Kliff Kingsbury as the offensive coordinator. I thought the offensive line could be the worst in the league. I thought the roster might’ve been the worst in the league, too. I had extremely low expectations for the season, projecting us to finish with five or six wins.
In a shocking turn of events, I was wrong. Very, very wrong.
Last season turned into more than just a successful campaign. It was a rebirth. A burgundy and gold phoenix rising from Snyder ashes. A rejuvenation of a fanbase starved for success for three decades. An exorcism of Dan demons that seemed primed to haunt the franchise forever.
Turned tragedy to triumph. (h/t Commanders)
The Commanders — who entered the season with the second-lowest win total projection in the league — had the most magical year the league has seen in years, surging to a 12-5 record and an appearance in the NFC Championship on the back of a 24-year old kid who just might be the best thing since sliced bread.
I want to take my time with this one, so let’s start at the beginning with the last time we spoke before I came back a couple weeks ago. Complaining about the same old stuff to start the season after a lifeless opening loss in Tampa, insisting that we’d drop the home opener to the Giants. Then, radio silence. Again, I regret that, because I would’ve loved being able to document last year on a weekly basis. So let’s make up for lost time.
Week 2 win over New York. Jayden did his thing to be sure, even if the offense couldn’t punch it in the endzone. No matter. A key Malik Nabers drop and seven field goals will get it done.
Week 3 in Cincinnati on Monday Night Football. Jayden’s 91.3% completion and the dagger of the year — or so we thought — to Terry McLaurin. The breakout.
Coming out party. (h/t PFF)
Week 4 in Arizona. The highest scoring output in nearly a decade behind another surgical performance from the quarterback.
Week 5 against Cleveland. Jayden’s best performance on the ground with a number of jaw-dropping plays in the air.
Week 6 in Baltimore. A battle on the big stage. Team fell short, but the QB sure as hell didn’t.
Week 7 against Carolina (I was there!). Game was over before it started, but an injury to Jayden on the offense’s first play — what was ironically his season-long run — soured it. Especially ahead of…
Week 8 against Chicago (I was there, too!). No. 1 vs. No. 2. Caleb vs. Jayden. Even with the rib injury, Daniels gave it a go. Offense couldn’t get out of its own way. Williams couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn until the waning moments, which saw the Bears take a three-point lead with 23 seconds left. We all know what happened next.
Hail Noah. Still can’t believe it happened. (h/t NBC News)
Week 9 in New York. Complete the ho-hum sweep of the Giants.
Then, the three-game skid. First, to the Steelers in a game we had no business losing — blame Benjamin St. Juste, Johnny Newton or the refs. Then, the Eagles on Thursday Night Football: a game we were always going to lose on a short week being desperate for a bye with a beat-up QB. And finally, the wackiest, stupidest game I’ve ever seen against Dallas, culminating in a miracle to rival the Hail Mary followed by a special teams debacle to ruin it all.
At 7-5, questions loomed all over as the team was crawling to the bye, but not before getting right by blowing out the Titans. After the off week, it was all systems go.
Week 15 in New Orleans. A game that had no business being as close as it was, nearly leading to a perfect storm for the Saints to come back and steal it. Alas, a win.
Week 16 against the Eagles. Five turnovers from the offense. No matter. Five touchdowns from Jayden — topped off by a nine-yard game winner with six seconds left — to fuel a furious comeback will play.
Week 17 against the Falcons on Sunday Night Football (of course I had to go). In the most electric regular season atmosphere Landover had seen in almost exactly 12 years, a marvelous second half on offense combined with a laughable finish to regulation put the ball in No. 5’s hands in overtime with a win putting Washington in the playoffs. And, amidst MVP chants from the whole DMV, there was never a doubt how that would end.
Almost had him. (h/t AP News)
Then, the playoffs. In search of the franchise’s first postseason win in 19 years — which had come in the exact same building — Jayden’s poise and precision put his team in a position to win the game. A key third-down conversion on an improbable run set up the doink heard around the District to finally get the monkey off the back and end the drought.
Onto Detroit. Playing with house money in the electric, hostile home of the 1-seed Lions, who were coming off their best regular season in franchise history powered by an unstoppable, supercharged offense. Just another day at the office for Jayden Daniels. His excellence and five massive turnovers forced by the defense combine for a blowout win over the Super Bowl favorite in their own house to advance to the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 1991. It was the first time in franchise history that Washington won multiple road playoff games in the same season. Let that sink in.
What up doe. (h/t Bleacher Report)
We know what happened in Philly. We don’t need to talk about it. The Eagles were awesome last year and deserved to win the title, but what happened that day still stings. What hurts the most is knowing that the loss wasn’t on Jayden. It was the countless fumbles and idiotic penalties that buried a team that may have been punching above their weight.
Regardless, last season was a blessing and I still pinch myself when I think about it. I do the same when I remember that Jayden Daniels is my quarterback. We deserve this. After everything we’ve been through. We deserved 2024, and we deserve what’s coming next.
So, onto 2025. Despite all the success from last season, it was pretty clear where this team needed to improve: offensive line, running back, defensive line, secondary. Kinda nuts they won 12 games in the regular season and two in the ‘offs with that agenda.
Honestly, the offensive line held its own. They finished ninth in pass block win rate and second in run block win rate despite the run game completely fizzling out in the last month or so. Because of Jayden — who finished fourth in QBR and EPA — elevating the unit, the offense wound up finishing fourth in EPA/play and fifth in success rate. Still, it can’t hurt to add beef in the trenches to protect your unicorn at QB. Trading for superstar LT Laremy Tunsil — who graded out as PFF’s fourth-best pass-blocking tackle in 2024 — and drafting RT Josh Conerly Jr. in the first round will do just that. All of a sudden, a line of Tunsil, Brandon Coleman, Tyler Biadasz, Sam Cosmi (when he returns from injury) and Conerly doesn’t sound too bad. Plus, it should mean less chips on defensive ends from receivers, tight ends and backs, which we saw so much of last season. That means the downfield passing attack develops faster, giving Jayden more time to surgically pick apart defenses. Sounds like a winning formula to me.
It was pretty clear that Washington needed to give Daniels some more weapons on offense outside of Terry McLaurin. While they could’ve made some big free agent splashes like Tee Higgins, they opted to trade a fifth-round pick to San Francisco for Deebo Samuel, hoping to get some more juice out of him after a down year with the 49ers. Subject to many a fat joke, I think it’s clear he still has some gas left in the tank. In an offense that’ll use him the way he wants to be used, he should have a solid season. But we’re probably never seeing 2021 Deebo again. With the less-than-impactful departures of Dyami Brown and Olamide Zaccheaus, the Commanders will hope to see some real development from guys like Luke McCaffrey and fourth-round pick Jaylin Lane to round out the WR room.
Running back was a question because of how last season ended. Brian Robinson hit a wall and was a complete non-factor down the stretch, and while Austin Ekeler was reliable as always in spurts, he can’t be a bell-cow RB1. Perhaps seventh-round steal Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt can help with that. More on that later.
The defense wound up finishing 22nd in EPA/play, so there was plenty of room for improvement across the board. I’d say the defensive line out-produced its expectation last season, particularly in the pass rush department. Washington finished seventh in pass rush win rate, largely thanks to one-year rental Dante Fowler turning in a pretty nice season off the end and Frankie Luvu proving to be a very effective blitzing linebacker. But, the lack of a blue-chip edge rusher caught up to them eventually. Plus, the run defense simply never materialized, finishing 23rd in run stop win rate and being absolutely gashed by Jahmyr Gibbs and Saquon Barkley in the postseason.
As such, seemingly every move on defense this offseason was about getting bigger in the middle and stopping the run. Javon Kinlaw was given a pretty solid deal to replace Jonathan Allen at tackle. Future Hall of Fame veteran Von Miller comes in on a one-year, incentive-laden deal to provide the situational juice needed off the edge, and Deatrich Wise was brought in from New England to provide depth.
The secondary entered last year in a laughable spot with Emmanuel Forbes and Benjamin St. Juste holding down the boundaries, but got better as the year went on with the emergence of second-round pick Mike Sainristil and the trade for steady vet Marshon Lattimore from New Orleans. When healthy, Lattimore was solid in spurts. But, staying healthy was a problem, and even when he was on the field, he had a propensity to get bullied by physical receivers like AJ Brown and Mike Evans. Second-round rookie Trey Amos should be able to help with that on the boundary, allowing Sainristil to dominate his natural spot at nickel with newcomer Jonathan Jones providing some solid depth. Plus, Will Harris replaces Jeremy Chinn at free safety, which is an upgrade if you ask me considering Harris’ versatility and better ball skills. With the beefier front, Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu holding down the middle and an upgraded secondary, the defense should be much better in 2025.
So, check all the boxes on upgrades across the board. Nothing crazy flashy, but it didn’t need to be. It’s about putting yourself in the best position to win with your ridiculous quarterback still being on his rookie contract before he inevitably becomes the highest-paid player in the history of the sport. These key signings are elementary moves to do so, as is extending your star WR1… right?
Probably smart to keep these two together. (h/t @Commanders/X)
So we would think. But here we are: Aug. 20, and still no Terry extension. Everyone wants to point fingers in every direction, but it’s honestly a simple calculus. It’s a business. McLaurin is a staple of the franchise — a fan-favorite, a star who was with us through the mud and is now soaring. He finally got the QB he deserved, and it showed last year with 82 catches, 1,096 and a career-high 13 touchdowns. So, where’s the impasse? Shouldn’t this team want to lock him up no questions asked?
Well, Adam Peters is the type of GM to ask questions. Questions like, “How old are you again?” and “You really think you’re worth $30 million a year?” Unfortunately, those are pretty pertinent inquiries. Yes, we all love Terry more than anything else. He’s going to be in our Ring of Fame one day, and I hope he’s the last player to ever wear No. 17 in burgundy and gold. But he is going to be 30 next month, and he is asking for a pretty penny. Why these camps just can’t lock themselves in a room and agree on a $27-28 million deal boggles my mind, and Terry having to request a trade because negotiations are going so poorly is spooky. But I know in my heart of hearts that a deal will come soon enough, and No. 17 will be out there for Week 1. Lord knows we need it.
X-Factor: The Defensive Line
If this DL can simply be better in the run game while continuing to get similar production from its pass rushers, this defense will skyrocket. This team will have to get through Saquon Barkley, Jahmyr Gibbs, maybe even Bijan Robinson and Christian McCaffrey to get where they want to go this year. This line will have to step up to the challenge and do what they couldn’t in 2024. I do think an improved secondary will help the pass rush by giving those guys more time to get to the quarterback. But pass rush honestly isn’t my concern. It’s stopping No. 26 in midnight green. It’s the only major question mark I have on the whole roster. And it’s truly the one thing that could hold the team back once again.
Team MVP: QB Jayden Daniels
The savior. (h/t Commanders)
Forget team MVP. League MVP is within reach for Jayden Daniels in 2025.
This kid is the best thing to happen to Washington since George himself. Despite being overshadowed by Caleb Williams for the whole draft process and offseason, it was JD that wound up being the generational talent of the class while the kid in Chicago looked like a fish out of water for 17 games.
69% completion — a rookie record. 3,568 passing yards. 25 passing touchdowns. 100.1 passer rating. Sixth in EPA+CPOE. 891 rushing yards — also a record for rookie QBs. Six rushing touchdowns. AP Offensive Rookie of the Year. And status as a consensus top-10 quarterback in football.
But really, he’s a top-5 quarterback and clearly the best in the NFC. Don’t bother arguing with me, because I won’t listen. Jayden Daniels is everything you could want out of a franchise quarterback in the modern NFL. Pre-snap smarts. IQ at the line. Poise in the pocket. Lightning-quick release. Legolas-level accuracy. Deadly speed and an innate feel for rushing lanes to make something out of nothing. The only other QB in the league with those types of skills plays an hour up I-95.
But what Jayden has that’s truly special for someone his age is the pure ice water that flows through his veins. He’s cool as a cucumber no matter the circumstance — a true cold-blooded Terminator, regardless of situation. It’s rare for a player to be so clutch at such a young age. He has the Patrick Mahomes type of aura where he’s almost better from behind than he is with a lead. It’s unreal to watch.
It’s the embodiment of his character and work ethic. This is the kid that shows up to the facility every day at 4 a.m. to throw on the virtual reality headset and dissect defenses comprised of ones and zeroes, then replicates it on the field on Sundays. The kid who’s never too high, never too low, always thanking God and his teammates for his success. The kid who doesn’t really like the spotlight, but knows that he has the goods and deserves to be one of the faces of the league for years to come.
All of this to say that Jayden is a unicorn of unicorns. He’s the brightest young quarterback the league has seen this decade with a ceiling that might reach unknown galaxies.
One of one. (h/t Washington Commanders)
Everyone loves to bring up the potential of a “sophomore slump” because they’re lazy sensationalists who chase headlines and point out a bad 2024 season from 2023 OROY CJ Stroud as a seemingly valid piece of supporting evidence. Last I checked, Jayden’s offensive line got better while CJ’s was horrendous; plus, Stroud dealt with a ridiculous amount of injuries to his receivers and backs.
But forget that for a moment. If we’re going to run with this logic of “X happened to Player A, so X must also happen to Player B,” then let’s talk about other notable sophomore campaigns. In 2018, Patrick Mahomes had the best passing season of the last decade en route to an MVP. In 2019, Lamar Jackson won an MVP unanimously and led the Ravens to a 1-seed. In 2021, Joe Burrow led the Bengals to their first Super Bowl in decades and came this close to winning it.
But no, it’s cool. Keep bringing up CJ Stroud. Keep being lazy. It’s all good. I keep receipts. We’ll talk in six months.
Breakout Candidate: RB Bill Croskey-Merritt
Bill. (h/t Arizona Desert Swarm)
The wheel couldn’t have chosen a better time to land on the Commanders, because after playing on Monday Night Football — albeit in the preseason — people now know the name Bill Croskey-Merritt. The coaching staff, players, media and fanbase have been singing his praises ever since rookie camp as an exciting prospect that can finally bring the juice that this RB room has lacked since… Antonio Gibson’s rookie year?
Bill has a fascinating story. For starters, he goes by “Bill” because he was bald as a kid and people said he looked like Little Bill of Nickelodeon fame. So, that’s hilarious. But this is a kid who should’ve been a third- or fourth-round pick, but missed all but the opening game of last season with Arizona due to eligibility issues after transferring from New Mexico. So, he falls to Washington in the seventh, and might just be one of the best value picks of the class.
He’s got really impressive vision, a special ability to get skinny and quickly burst through a hole. He’s essentially the anti-Brian Robinson. It’s no wonder why Washington is shopping Robinson, who isn’t likely to be on the final 53-man roster. They know they have their RB1 of the future in Bill. He figures to be a massive part of this offense moving forward, which could help open up so much for the offense down the stretch if they’re able to consistently move it on the ground.
Record Prediction: 11-6
I may be me, but I’m a realist. When I think of this season, I think of a pretty simple vision: better team, worse record, potentially worse end result.
This team is undoubtedly better than the one that went to Tampa last September, and even the one that went back there in January. But they also played a last-place schedule a year ago, went 8-2 in one-score games including five consecutive wins on the final play from scrimmage and had a whopping 87% conversion rate on fourth down. As cool as it’d be to do that again, it’s not sustainable.
The schedule went from 0-to-100 with marquee matchups essentially every week, highlighted by Green Bay, Kansas City, Minnesota, Detroit, Denver, the Chargers and the Eagles twice. They play eight games in standalone windows and even more in 4 p.m. ET national windows, so the eyes of the nation will be fixated on the burgundy and gold all year long. I’d hate to let them down. But it’s just going to be tougher sledding.
I think the first couple months will be up and down. I have us at 4-4 at the midway point in the season with losses to Green Bay, the Chargers, Dallas and Kansas City. But after that Monday nighter against the Chiefs, there’s a chance to go on a run. They can beat the Seahawks, Lions, Dolphins, Broncos, Vikings and Giants consecutively to push up on the Eagles in the standings and assert themselves in the playoff race. Split with the Birds and beat Dallas at home on Christmas, and boom: another 6-seed in the playoffs, where Jayden Daniels will make his money once again.
I’d love to tell you that this team is going to win the Super Bowl. I’d love to believe that’ll happen. But winning a Super Bowl is hard. Sustained winning in general is hard. But, if all goes to plan, this should be the first time Washington has a winning season in consecutive years since 1992. What a stat.
Last year was fun. Now we need to prove that it wasn’t a flash in the pan. I haven’t been this excited for a football season in my life. I’m hoping and praying that it pays off.
As long as No. 5 is lining up under center, I know we’ve got a chance to do something incredible. And just being able to say that is enough.
The Cowboys are coming off a down year — most of it being without Dak Prescott — and seemingly facing an uphill climb to get back into the playoffs. But, with some interesting moves in the offseason, anything is possible.
Cover photo taken from ESPN.
Welcome to 32 Teams in 32 Days, a daily series leading up to kickoff of the 2025 NFL season where I preview every team in the league as decided by a wheel spin and project what their season will look like. You can keep up with everything right here.
Our second dip into the NFC East takes us to the heart of Texas where the Cowboys are coming off a down year — most of it being without Dak Prescott — and seemingly facing an uphill climb to get back into the playoffs. But, with some interesting moves in the offseason, anything is possible.
Despite entering 2024 with Super Bowl sights, the season was over practically before it even began with nothing going on either side of the ball before Dak suffered a season-ending hamstring injury halfway through the year. They were getting embarrassed every other week by teams like New Orleans, Baltimore and Detroit with nonexistent offense and an abysmal defense.
Prescott was on track to have the worst passer rating of his career at 86.0 with 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions, and finished 25th in EPA+CPOE (backup Cooper Rush was even worse, finishing 31st). The offense was 29th in EPA/play while the defense was 28th. It’s honestly surprising that Dallas managed to find seven wins amidst all that horrible football.
Thus, Jerry Jones decided it was time to make a change. Mike McCarthy was shown the door after five years at the helm and replaced by OC Brian Schottenheimer, who isn’t really fit for the job, but was the easy, in-house hire that wouldn’t take any attention away from Jerry. A classic Cowboys call. Parlay that with Zack Martin’s retirement and the departures of Demarcus Lawrence and Rico Dowdle, and it might be easy to say that the Cowboys got worse this offeseason.
I don’t want to diminish the additions, though. The biggest move was undoubtedly trading for WR George Pickens from Pittsburgh to pair alongside superstar CeeDee Lamb — bringing in a true deep threat to open up the middle of the field for No. 88 to go to work. But other solid gains were OG Tyler Booker in the first round and four running backs: Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders in free agency and Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah through the draft. I have a feeling that Blue will emerge as the lead back at some point, but more on that later.
In any case, this roster leaves a lot to be desired. The offensive line — which was 24th in pass block win rate a year ago — will likely feel the absence of Martin, and last year’s first-rounder Tyler Guyton is going to miss some time with a knee injury suffered in camp. There are no difference-making pass-catchers outside of Lamb, Pickens and tight end Jake Ferguson. The front seven can be solid if guys like Mazi Smith, Marshawn Kneeland and Donovan Ezeiruaku develop well; plus, vets like Dante Fowler, Soloman Thomas and Kenneth Murray can bring some oomph.
But those are some big ifs. Plus, the secondary is genuinely abysmal with Trevon Diggs constantly being hurt, Daron Bland falling off a cliff and guys like Malik Hooker and Donovan Wilson just straight up not playing well. The only notable additions to that room are Kaiir Elam — who was awful in Buffalo — and rookie Shavon Revel Jr., who’s already dealing with injuries. Not great!
But honestly, none of that matters if Micah Parsons doesn’t get resigned. It’s baffling to me how Jerry Jones has let this nonsense get to this point. He is the best player on the team, one of the faces of the franchise, one of the league’s premier defensive players at an ultimate premium position. This deal should’ve been done months ago, if not last year. I understand they had to pay Dak and CeeDee, and both of those contracts were deserved. But so is this one. Especially when the rest of the defense is as bad as it is. I fully expect Parsons to resign in Dallas eventually, but if it comes to a trade, it’ll be an abject disaster for the Cowboys, who will be infinitely worse off for it.
Get it done. (h/t Imagn Images)
X-Factor: The Secondary
It’s bad. Really, really bad. I already talked about the personnel, which should be enough of an indication that things are likely going to be rough again. But if — and it’s a huge if — they can find a way to improve under new DC Matt Eberflus, it’ll pay dividends for the rest of the team at large.
I also wanted to put the offensive line here, considering last season did not live up to their standard, but I don’t think they were necessarily the problem. Even if they struggle a bit, it’s really Dak’s health that plays the biggest factor.
I even wanted to put Dak here, but that seemed like too much of a shoe-in. Of course he plays the biggest role of anyone, and he needs to stay healthy, but he’s genuinely the least of my worries right now. Last time we saw him in a full season, he could’ve won MVP. It’s a different set of circumstances now, but I think he’ll be fine.
Team MVP: CeeDee Lamb
Draft him in fantasy. (h/t ESPN)
If you’ve been reading my work since Cedarian’s rookie season — first of all, thank you — you know how much I love him. He’s right next to Ezekiel Elliott as my favorite players to suit up for a division rival, simply because he’s just too damn good to disrespect. Last year wasn’t as productive as his nuclear 2023 campaign, but that’s excused considering the awful QB play he had. Still, 101 catches for 1,194 and six touchdowns is nothing to scoff at. Plus, he was the only real receiver on the roster — now, Pickens will help spread things out a bit. I imagine Lamb will line up in the slot a little more often, creating for some interesting possibilities for Brian Schottenheimer to scheme up. In any case, this season should be another monster one for CeeDee, who is a bonafide top-5 receiver in football and will be a nightmare for defenses no matter who’s at quarterback.
Breakout Candidate: RB Jaydon Blue
The fifth-round rookie out of Texas will fit this offense like a glove. He’s not the craziest north-south runner, but he’s a threat out of the backfield in the passing game, which plays right into the hands of Dak Prescott. When he gets the ball in his hands, he’s shifty and quick with breakaway speed — something that’s thoroughly lacking on this offense, particularly in the RB room. Because of that, I think he’ll find his way into the starting lineup sooner rather than later. He just brings a level of athleticism to the backfield that you won’t find in Javonte Williams, Miles Sanders or Phil Mafah.
Record Prediction: 7-10
I don’t think the Cowboys got worse, but I also don’t think they got much better. I don’t believe in this coaching staff, I certainly don’t believe in the ownership, I worry about the offensive line, I have questions about the front seven and I know the secondary stinks. Not a recipe for a winning season. I think Dak is a wildly over-hated player who will still likely have a good year, and the combo of Lamb and Pickens will be fun to watch. But that’s about it. It’s a gauntlet of a schedule like each of the other NFC East teams have to face, and unlike Philadelphia and Washington, this team is not built to handle it.
The Rams have once again pushed all their chips to the center of the table with sky-high championship aspirations in what might be the final season of the Matt Stafford era.
Cover photo taken from Bleacher Report.
Welcome to 32 Teams in 32 Days, a daily series leading up to kickoff of the 2025 NFL season where I preview every team in the league as decided by a wheel spin and project what their season will look like. You can keep up with everything right here.
The NFC West becomes our second division to be wrapped up as we head out to southern California, where the Rams have sky-high expectations and championship aspirations in what might be the final year of the Matthew Stafford era.
In the first month or so of last season, the idea of the Rams being back in the Super Bowl conversation seemed far-fetched to say the least. Sitting at 1-4 heading into their bye, Los Angeles seemed primed for a crash-and-burn type year with seemingly nothing going right on either side of the ball, especially with star receiver Puka Nacua out of the lineup with an injury sustained in Week 1.
But, on the other side of the bye, the Rams caught fire, winning nine of their next 11 games en route to clinching the division in Week 17, smacking the Vikings in the Wild Card round and nearly pulling off a most improbable comeback against the eventual Super Bowl champion Eagles in the Divisional.
To be honest, it’s not like the Rams turned into world-beaters or anything. The offense was 15th in EPA/play and 9th in success rate while the defense was 23rd and 25th, respectively. They just started playing their brand of football again. A lot of the credit can go to Nacua simply being back on the field as Stafford’s performances got exponentially better with his top target back out there. Even then, by the end of the year, they were winning games by scores of 6-3, 19-9 and 13-9 in consecutive weeks shortly after beating the Bills 44-42. It’s honestly one of the stranger years any team in the league had looking back on it.
Still, it felt like they left some meat on the bone. They very well could’ve beaten Philadelphia — especially if it never snowed that evening — and who knows what would’ve happened in the NFC Championship and beyond? As such, the Rams have put themselves in an ideal position this offseason: gear up for another push at a title.
At least, that’s what it seems like. It’s certainly what the media wants us to think. But if I ask you to name me a move LA pulled this offseason other than signing Davante Adams, could you do it? Didn’t think so.
Don’t get me wrong, that’s a massive addition. Adams and Nacua could comprise the most productive WR duo in football this year. My point is, the Rams didn’t necessarily break the bank or pull another “screw them picks” to get in a position to win another Super Bowl.
That’s because they didn’t need to. So much of last year’s success was banking on young players — particularly on defense — to grow up fast and become difference-makers. That’s another reason why they finished much stronger than they started. Guys like Jared Verse — who won Defensive Rookie of the Year — Braden Fiske, Kobie Turner and Byron Young helped the defensive line pull a 180 by season’s end. Though, that unit was particularly bad against the run, which will need to get buttoned up. So, the real benefit of this offseason was just getting the young guys even more seasoned and ready to rock as they make a real championship push.
What’s the ceiling for these guys? (h/t Bleacher Report)
Can they do it, though? It’s easy to think so. Sean McVay already has a ring and is easily a top-3 coach in football. Stafford has proven that he can still sling the rock, even though he’s getting up there in age and injuries are starting to linger — more on that in a second. Nacua, Adams, Kyren Williams and maybe even guys like Tutu Atwell and Blake Corum comprise a skill position group that should be one of the league’s best. The defense should be much better simply because of experience.
But it’s one of those situations where seemingly everything will need to go right. The top dogs need to stay healthy, the defense needs to prove it across the course of the whole season and then they need to show up and show out in the playoffs. All of that is easier said than done.
X-Factor: QB Matt Stafford’s Health
The Rams will be nothing without Stafford. That’s why the current situation regarding his health scares me. For nearly a month, he’s been dealing with a back injury that the Rams are being strangely cryptic about. It’s safe to say that it’s a little worse than it might’ve initially seemed considering he recently had to get an epidural and still has no timetable for a return. For LA’s sake, this situation better resolve itself quickly, otherwise they risk him starting the season on the PUP list and missing the first four weeks of the year — two of those games are against Houston and Philadelphia. Considering Jimmy Garoppolo and Stetson Bennett are the backup options, the Rams simply can’t afford for Stafford to miss any time. I just worry that this is worse than we think it is. He’s already old, he’s injured a decent amount and we’re clearly reaching the end of his time in the league. That’s why this season in particular feels like the last dance, and why a long-term setback would be particularly devastating.
Team MVP: WR Puka Nacua
As elite as they come. (h/t PFF)
Not only is Puka one of the best receivers in the league, but he’s simply one of the coolest stories in the NFL. From an unknown fifth-round pick to an instant-impact stud and clear star out wide, it’s an ultimate underdog story. All he’s done in his first two seasons is haul in 184 passes for 2,476 and nine touchdowns in 28 games. A combination of crisp route-running, a larger-than-frame catch radius and underrated speed have Nacua as a clear-cut upper echelon WR. And the best still might be yet to come. Now that Davante Adams is lining up beside him, secondaries will be stretched pretty thin. I think they’re both in for very productive years.
Breakout Candidate: RB Blake Corum
There was a number of ways I could’ve gone here: Kamren Kichens, Terrance Ferguson, Jordan Whittington. I went with Corum because I think he has the skillset to play his way into a lot more action this season than his quiet rookie year. Kyren Williams is the clear-cut RB1 and still remarkably productive, but I have to believe that the Rams took Corum in the third round last year for a reason. There’s got to be a plan for him in this offense to take some of the heat off Williams. I have a feeling a lot of that could come on third downs and/or in the passing game. But, we all remember how effective Corum was running between the tackles at Michigan as well. So, no matter what form the touches come in, I think he’ll make the most of them and have a much better sophomore season.
Record Prediction: 12-5
Let me get this out of the way: this is entirely contingent on Matt Stafford being fully healthy and playing every game this season. If he misses extended time or is clearly ailed by the back issues, this whole operation could go south in a hurry. But, assuming he’s good to go and everything else goes to plan, I think the Rams should be able to repeat as NFC West champs and be a top-three seed in the postseason, potentially hosting multiple playoff games. Is it going to be enough to make the Super Bowl like so many pundits are predicting? We’ll see. I’ll get into that more when the time for playoff predictions comes along. In the meantime, I’ll leave this here and hope that Stafford winds up being okay.
The Texans remain a shoe-in to win the AFC South. The question, however, remains the same: does the NFL’s brightest collection of young talent have enough to make serious noise in the playoffs?
Cover photo taken from Houston Chronicle.
Welcome to 32 Teams in 32 Days, a daily series leading up to kickoff of the 2025 NFL season where I preview every team in the league as decided by a wheel spin and project what their season will look like. You can keep up with everything right here.
We round out the AFC South with the two-time defending division champion Texans, who feel like a shoe-in to three-peat. The question, however, remains the same: does the NFL’s brightest collection of young talent have enough to make serious noise in the playoffs?
We can get the obvious out of the way early: the Texans have been one of the NFL’s best and most exciting turnaround stories in recent memory, going from the cellar in 2021 and 2022 to one of the best young teams in football after adding HC DeMeco Ryans, GM Nick Caserio and QB CJ Stroud in 2023 to guide the franchise to success. After a drab combined 7-26-1 record in the two years prior to their arrival, Houston has gone 10-7 with upset home playoff wins in back-to-back years. Pretty great story on the surface.
But, there’s more to the picture, particularly as it pertains to last season. It was a struggle bus, especially in the second half of the year, losing six of their final 11 games before being bounced in the Divisional Round again. Practically all fingers can be pointed at the offense, which finished a drab 31st in success rate. The offensive line allowed the fourth-most sacks in the league with 54, clocking in at 22nd in pass block win rate and 31st in run block win rate. OC Bobby Slowik, who was once heralded as a boy genius and future head coach elsewhere in the league, was sent packing after the season’s end.
As such, CJ Stroud suffered a falloff from his historic rookie season, finishing 28th in EPA+CPOE and 27th in success rate — he was 12th and 14th, respectively, in ’23. He threw for nearly 400 less yards, three less touchdowns and tossed seven more INTs, seeing his passer rating drop from 100.8 to 87.0. It wasn’t all his fault — the offensive line was a glaring weakness and he dealt with a number of injuries to his wideouts — but it’s still not what you want to see from your franchise quarterback after such a prolific rookie season.
Still, Stroud is an insanely talented player who will be an elite quarterback for years to come. While the line remains a problem, one thing Houston has in bunches is pass-catching talent, which they need after dealing with so many dings a year ago. Nico Collins has emerged as a top-10 receiver in football, coming off another brilliant season despite missing extended time. Christian Kirk was brought in to provide some juice in the slot. And the Texans spent two high draft picks on Iowa State WRs Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, who bring an added level of athleticism to a receiving corps already littered with freaks of nature. Plus, Dalton Schultz is a proven stud at tight end. If/when Tank Dell returns from his leg injury, Houston could boast one of the league’s best receiver rooms.
But I still don’t know how to feel about that side of the ball because of how the line is shaping up. I don’t know if the way to fix this OL was to trade away its best player in LT Laremy Tunsil, but the Texans did just that. Signing Cam Robinson as his replacement and bringing in Laken Tomlinson to plug and play at guard could help. Houston also spent a second-round pick on Minnesota tackle Aireontae Ersery, who should slot in immediately at RT. Between those additions and trading away former first-round bust Kenyon Green, it’s definitely possible that the OL sees more success this year. It simply remains to be seen.
In any case, the real story of this team is DeMeco’s dogs on defense. Houston has emerged as one of the most dominant defensive teams in football thanks to an embarrassment of riches across the board. Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter — who combined for 23 sacks last year — form the best pass-rushing duo in the league, Azeez Al-Shaair and Henry To’oTo’o have proven themselves to be a solid linebacking couple while Derek Stingley Jr. has finally blossomed into a top-five corner in the NFL. And we can’t forget about guys like Jalen Pitre, Kamari Lassiter and Calen Bullock, who have made this secondary a truly vaunted one.
Just to run through the numbers real quick: in 2024, Houston’s defense was fifth in total yards, sixth in EPA/play, fourth in success rate, first in pass rush win rate and second in run stop win rate. That’s just absurd.
DeMeco’s Dogs. (h/t Houston Chronicle)
If the offense can make up for last year’s shortcomings and catch up even slightly to the defense, Houston will not only win the AFC South again, but they could contend for a conference title. Winning Wild Card games in back-to-back years is great, but we all know that with this quarterback and with this team full of difference-makers on rookie deals, the window is only open for so long to make a Super Bowl. If any core is going to take the Texans to their first conference championship game, it’s this one.
X-Factor: The Offensive Line
Keep him upright. (h/t Imagn Images)
We all know how good CJ Stroud is. Even after last year’s “sophomore slump,” no one doubts his talent. But talent can only lead to production if it’s allowed to. Behind last year’s Texans offensive line, it wasn’t. This year has to be different. Even if this line is a middle-of-the-pack one, it’ll be good enough to let CJ and company do their thing. If it’s a redux of last year, then the ceiling remains as relatively low as it is. And with the rest of the division getting better, the Texans can’t afford to fall behind. In any case, you just don’t want your future-highest-paid-player-in-the-league franchise QB to get sacked 54 times in a season anyways. They need to be better, and if they are, it’ll pay so, so many dividends.
Team MVP: QB CJ Stroud
I honestly wanted to put Nico Collins or Derek Stingley Jr. here, but CJ is my favorite non-Washington player in the league, so it only felt right to give him the nod. Regardless, I think he’s due for a massive bounce-back 2025. The talent and infrastructure around him is better — especially new OC Nick Caley, who should open up the passing game more. And Stroud himself is a dog: one of the league’s best pocket passers with an innate feel for the game and underrated mobility who can make any and every throw on the field. CJ’s ceiling this season is an MVP. If the circumstances around him hold up and he lives up to his enormous potential, I can totally see that happening. And I would love to watch it.
Breakout Candidate: WR Jayden Higgins
I’m not overly fond of putting rookies as breakout candidates, because technically any rookie success story is a breakout, but this one feels different. Higgins is in a position where he could genuinely explode onto the scene and immediately become one of the league’s top WR2s. With Nico Collins demanding so much attention, this kid is going to get a ton of targets. The former Cyclone star is an athletic freak with ridiculous speed for someone at 6-foo4-4 and 217 pounds and a catch radius that pops off the screen. He’s big and strong with soft hands, and he’s a menace after the catch. People are going to learn his name very quickly. The same could be said about fellow rookies Jaylin Noel and Woody Marks, but Higgins is the one I have the highest hopes for.
Record Prediction: 10-7
A third straight 10-7 season would not surprise me at all for a number of reasons. One, like I said earlier, the rest of the division is getting better, and although I didn’t give any of the other three teams more than five wins, I think the divisional games will be split across the board. Two, Houston still has to play a first place schedule — that means the Chiefs, Bills and Ravens are back on the docket. Three, they have to play the rest of the AFC West, which could easily be three more losses. And lastly, two of their NFC opponents are the 49ers and Buccaneers. So, it ain’t exactly easy sledding this season. But, with their overwhelming talent and defensive prowess, a division title is almost a certainty. I just want to see more than that. A Texans Super Bowl run would be very, very pleasing.
The wheel insists on keeping us in the AFC South, where the Jaguars are beginning a new era with a first-time HC and GM, but still facing an uphill climb with some questions to be answered.
Cover photo taken from News Herald.
Welcome to 32 Teams in 32 Days, a daily series leading up to kickoff of the 2025 NFL season where I preview every team in the league as decided by a wheel spin and project what their season will look like. You can keep up with everything right here.
The wheel insists on keeping us in the AFC South with this trip taking us to Jacksonville, where the Jaguars are beginning a new era with a shiny new HC and GM, but still facing an uphill climb with some questions to be answered.
Something in the universe changed when the Jaguars got to 8-3 way back in 2023 and were in control of the 1-seed in the AFC. Jacksonville is 5-18 since then, highlighted by a 1-5 finish to that season and a 4-13 campaign last year. Losing QB Trevor Lawrence twice — first due to a shoulder injury, then to a gnarly concussion after a massive hit from Houston’s Azeez Al-Shaair — certainly didn’t help. But the Jags were already doomed well before that with a 2-7 start to the year.
Even without Lawrence, the offense stayed afloat, clocking in at 19th in EPA/play despite Mac Jones being at the helm. It certainly helps when you have a WR1 like Brian Thomas Jr. — more on him later. It was the defense that unraveled completely, finishing second-to-last in EPA/play and dead last in dropback EPA, letting quarterback after quarterback rip them to shreds.
Once primed to lead a new AFC contender, HC Doug Pederson was canned as soon as the season was over, leading to one of the strangest hiring cycles I can remember. Former Buccaneers OC Liam Coen seemed to be the favorite to land the gig, but shockingly backed out of a second interview with Jacksonville to stay in Tampa, seemingly due to friction with GM Trent Baalke. So, plenty late into the offseason, the Jags fired Baalke as well — a move made several years too late, if you ask me — re-opening the door for Coen, who wound up snaking the Bucs and taking the job. Talk about a carousel.
Still, the Jags needed a general manager; in fact, by the time the Super Bowl ended, they still didn’t have one. Enter James Gladstone, who had spent the previous nine seasons with the Rams under Les Snead, primarily in scouting. At 34, he’s now the youngest GM in the league, inheriting a roster that’s kind of a jumbled mess, but has its bright spots.
For all his faults, Lawrence remains under center in Jacksonville, continuing to rake in a contract he got perhaps a little too early. He’s proven himself to be solid, but straight up bad more often than he is great. That’s not a recipe for success to remain a long-term starter in this league. He just hasn’t lived up to his 2022 success since that season ended, finishing 21st in EPA+CPOE and 29th in completion percentage a year ago. That’s not good enough to make up for the rest of this offense’s shortcomings.
I do think that side of the ball got better this offseason, though. Thomas Jr. is obviously a gem, coming off a ridiculous rookie season. Gladstone’s first major move as GM was to trade up from No. 5 to No. 2 for the unicorn Heisman-winning WR/DB Travis Hunter, giving up a first-rounder in the process (not a fan of that one). I expected Hunter to play more corner than receiver, but it appears Jacksonville will do the opposite; regardless, he’s a stud with the athleticism and playmaking ability to provide plenty of juice to either side of the ball. And I’ll get this out of the way: he’s obviously not playing both sides remotely close to full-time.
Unicorn? (h/t A To Z Sports)
Dyami Brown could be a solid WR2/3 after ending his tenure in Washington with a strong playoff run. Running back is a big question mark with Travis Etienne coming off a horrible 2024, potentially opening the door for second-year back Tank Bigsby or rookie Bhayshul Tuten. And the offensive line, which finished 19th in pass block win rate last year, has a couple new additions on the interior. There’s seemingly enough for Coen and new OC Grant Udinski to play with.
The defense remains a giant problem, though. The front seven was a massive disappointment a year ago, finishing dead last in pass rush win rate and 27th in run stop win rate despite having some solid talent. Former No. 1 pick Travon Walker has back-to-back double-digit sack seasons, Josh Hines-Allen has been pretty good for a number of years and Foye Oluokun and Devin Lloyd form one of the better on-ball linebacker duos in football. Maybe new DC Anthony Campanile can figure out what to do with that talent. In any case, the secondary will likely continue to be a giant weakness, seeing as it didn’t get better at all this offseason. I hate to break it to you Jacksonville, but Jourdan Lewis and Eric Murray aren’t going to solve your problems, especially if Travis Hunter is going to be a backup defender. That’s another reason why I think he should play more defense: the team needs it a hell of a lot more than they need a pass-catcher.
I think the Jags have made the right hires to kick off this new rebuild, but this thing will clearly take some time, especially without a first-round pick next year. They better hope Hunter turns into the stud he’s supposed to be. Regardless, this feels like a year to figure things out with a first-time head coach, general manager and coordinators. If all goes to plan, the Jaguars could be a surprising team with a must-see offense that makes a playoff push. But, I think it’s far more likely that we see a team that struggles to win games due to a lack of a clear offensive identity and a porous defense.
X-Factor: QB Trevor Lawrence
2025 is TLaw’s last straw. The Jags are in a position where they can’t really do anything with him due to his contract, but it’s a put up or shut up type of year for Lawrence, who hasn’t shown us anything close to his ceiling in over two years. In his last 25-or-so games, he’s been genuinely bad. People will blame Doug Pederson, but having a bad playcaller doesn’t make you a bad quarterback. The best can overcome that. So, with a seemingly great playcaller, a bonafide star WR1 and a potentially electrifying WR2, are we finally going to see the generational QB we were promised five years ago? I have my doubts. But if we do, this team’s ceiling rises exponentially.
Team MVP: WR Brian Thomas Jr.
Strap up. (h/t PFF)
I’ve only dropped some BTJ bread crumbs until now, but what else do you want me to say about the kid? He’s already a ridiculous receiver who took the league by storm in his first season despite being overshadowed by the likes of Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malik Nabers in the draft process. A whopping 87 catches, 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns in his first year dropped jaws across the league as Thomas Jr. utilized his unique blend of size and speed to become one of the league’s most daunting matchup nightmares out wide. And that was with Lawrence and Macaroni! Imagine what truly good quarterback play will do for his game. In any case, he’ll continue to be the star of the show in Jacksonville, and I expect another massive season out of him in year two.
Breakout Candidate: EDGE Travon Walker
As I mentioned earlier, Walker does have back-to-back seasons with 10-plus sacks. But, those figures are 10 in 2023 and 10.5 in 2024. It’s time to take the big boy jump. Walker needs to prove to us why the Jags spent the top overall pick on him in 2022. I understand that he’s very good in run defense, but that’s not necessarily what he was drafted to do. Jacksonville took him over Aidan Hutchinson for a reason. I think Walker has the skills to get to 15-plus sacks, it’s just a matter of putting it all together. We’ll see if this is the year.
Record Prediction: 4-13
The front half of this schedule is absurd with games against Cincinnati, Kansas City, San Francisco, Seattle and the Rams all before the Jaguars’ bye week. An 0-7 or worse start is genuinely on the table. While I don’t think that’s going to happen, I still think it’ll be slow off the blocks. And though the back half is a lot softer, I just struggle to find wins on this schedule for Jacksonville. I simply don’t know what kind of team we’re going to see out there under Liam Coen. The potential is high, but I need to see it to believe it.
Oh, and one last thing. At this point, I’m convinced the wheel is sentient, because…
The rebuild is at full throttle in Tennessee as the Titans usher in a new era with a new franchise quarterback — one whose talent could bring the success the franchise has lacked for decades.
Cover photo taken from Bleacher Report.
Welcome to 32 Teams in 32 Days, a daily series leading up to kickoff of the 2025 NFL season where I preview every team in the league as decided by a wheel spin and project what their season will look like. You can keep up with everything right here.
The wheel has taken us back to the basement as we head down to Nashville where the Titans rebuild is at full throttle after last season saw them finish with the worst record in the NFL and the No. 1 pick in the draft.
2024 was an abject disaster for Tennessee. Juggling between Will Levis and Mason Rudolph at QB while dealing with the turbulence of a roster void of talent in year one under HC Brian Callahan led to a 3-14 record — not the greatest start to the rebuild. The offense ranked 30th in EPA/play and 29th in success rate while Levis sat dead last in each of those categories among QBs.
Enter Cam Ward. The top pick in the 2025 draft by way of Miami, Washington State and FCS Incarnate Word, takes over under center in Tennessee, looking to be the savior of a franchise that has been starved for success for decades. Ward is an absolute stud — a prototype of a franchise quarterback in the modern game with size, athleticism and the arm to make any throw. Last year with the Hurricanes, he threw for 4,313 yards, 39 touchdowns and just seven interceptions while leading the nation in QBR, EPA and PAA en route to finishing fourth in Heisman voting and earning an All-American nod.
The skills to pay the bills. (h/t NFL.com)
That being said, there is a propensity in Ward’s game to make the odd mistake. I have a saying: when you know you can make any throw, you think you can make every throw. Think Josh Allen in his first couple of seasons. So there will undoubtedly be some plays this season that make you say, “What the hell was Cam Ward thinking?” But, there will be even more plays that make your jaw drop. In any case, he’ll be a clear upgrade and is in a position to make a real difference. His ceiling is extremely high if Callahan molds him into his new Joe Burrow.
To support their shiny new rookie, the Titans have bolstered their skill position groups, which was desperately needed after last year. Chimere Dike, Elic Ayomanor and Ward’s college buddy Xavier Restrepo will shoot to provide depth and potential starting roles at receiver. Van Jefferson and Tyler Lockett will be the plug-and-play starters there, serving as veteran outlets. Chig Okonkwo and rookie Gunnar Helm form a pretty solid tight end duo. And the offensive line — which finished 27th in pass block win rate a year ago — received major boosts with the additions of Kevin Zeitler from Detroit and Dan Moore from Pittsburgh. Plus, Tony Pollard had a very solid first year in Tennessee last year.
The defense might leave a bit to be desired, finishing 25th in EPA/play last year, but the talent is there for the unit to improve this season. Jeffrey Simmons and T’Vondre Sweat are a massive duo in the interior, Dre’Mont Jones and rookie Oluwafemi Oladejo will make an instant impact in the pass rush, and the secondary still has potential so long as L’Jarius Sneed remains healthy. I don’t expect them to take a huge jump, but there were spurts last year where they flashed their potential only to be undone by the offense committing turnover after turnover. If Ward can keep the ball in Tennessee’s hands, this defense should see a statistical improvement.
This rebuild is coming along, and new GM Mike Borgonzi knows how to build a roster. I have high hopes for this franchise’s future, even if it doesn’t materialize in instant wins a la 2023 Houston or 2024 Washington. They’ve got the right QB, the right GM and maybe the right coach. That’s a recipe for success.
X-Factor: WR Calvin Ridley
Ridley has felt like a ghost since leaving Jacksonville, but he actually had a solid year last season with 64 catches, 1,017 yards and four touchdowns despite awful QB play. You’ve got to figure those numbers go up with Ward under center. More than anything, I list Ridley here because I think he needs to be the top veteran option to help ease Ward into the league. Every rookie QB needs his reliable WR1 to settle in. Ridley needs to play that role to a T if Ward is to remain even and not make too many mistakes.
Team MVP: QB Cam Ward
Despite the lack of clear blue-chip talent around him, I think Ward is in for a pretty good season. I’ll get into my award predictions closer to the start of the season, but I’m probably going to take him as my Offensive Rookie of the Year — don’t hold me to that, though. He just has the talent to pop some eyes, especially among a pretty weak rookie class. But I’ll get into that more when the time comes.
Breakout Candidate: DT T’Vondre Sweat
Big man coming through. (h/t Titans Wire)
Sweat, last year’s second round pick out of Texas, quietly had one of the better years among rookie defensive linemen. The numbers weren’t eye-popping, but that’s not exactly his job. At 6-foot-4 and 366 pounds, his mere size and force in the middle of the line was enough to bolster an otherwise weak Titans run defense. PFF graded him as the 10th best tackle in the league against the run out of 220 total interior defenders. This year, he could emerge as one of the league’s best run stuffers. And if he winds up developing the pass-rushing prowess that we’ve seen out of his partner in crime Jeffrey Simmons, watch out.
Record Prediction: 5-12
Again, I have high hopes for the future of the Titans. But this is not the year. They lack the playmaking ability on offense, and their secondary gives me pause. It’s not a crazy schedule, and the rest of the division is obviously weaker than it is strong, but this is going to be a feel-out year for Tennessee. They need to let Ward get his bearings set and figure out all the moving parts on both sides of the ball. In 2026 and beyond, with more weapons at their disposal and a more comfortable HC and QB, they can certainly contend in this division.
A playoff disaster and a mass exodus of an offseason have snapped the Lions back to reality after a dream 2024 season.
Cover photo taken from Detroit Free Press.
Welcome to 32 Teams in 32 Days, a daily series leading up to kickoff of the 2025 NFL season where I preview every team in the league as decided by a wheel spin and project what their season will look like. You can keep up with everything right here.
It’s about damn time the wheel landed on an NFC playoff team. And the Lions are a particularly juicy one, because I’ve got some strong opinions on this squad going into 2025 considering how last year ended and how the offseason treated them.
Let’s start in 2024, which saw Detroit have the best season in franchise history by pretty much every metric: points, yards, wins, winning streak, you name it. A 15-2 mark, an NFC North title and 1 seed and a status as the Super Bowl favorite entering the postseason. They were third in EPA/play on offense, first in success rate, second in yards/game and first in points/game with 33.2, the highest output the league has seen since the 2019 Ravens (funny how both these seasons ended in pretty much the same way).
The Lions were essentially a superteam everywhere on offense, and it all started with QB Jared Goff, who had by far the best year of his pretty underrated career. He was the most efficient quarterback in football, ranking first in EPA+CPOE — above guys like Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen and Joe Burrow — and success rate. Jahmyr Gibbs emerged as one of the league’s top running backs with 1,412 yards and 16 touchdowns on damn near six yards per carry. Amon-Ra St. Brown continued his WR1 ways with a massive 115-catch, 1,263-yard and 12-touchdown campaign. Even Jameson Williams came on strong with a career-high 1,001 yards and seven touchdowns.
The defense was a different story. Yes, they have bonafide stars everywhere: Aidan Hutchinson off the edge, Alex Anzalone and Jack Campbell at linebacker, Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph at the safeties. But the best ability is availability, and the Lions didn’t exactly get that.
Though things got off to a hot start, Hutchinson’s broken leg in Week 6 began an awful trend for that side of the ball as impact player after impact player suffered injury after injury, leading to a complete collapse on that side of the all. From Week 13 to the Divisional Round, Detroit’s defense was 29th in EPA/play and 30th in dropback EPA. Everyone from Josh Allen and Jayden Daniels to Jordan Love and Brock Purdy tore them apart up and down the field, and it led to their undoing in the postseason.
So, about that. Just to get it out the way. I mean, I don’t really talk about it. Not really. Not much. Okay, maybe a little. Maybe a lot. Depends who you ask. But, after the greatest season in franchise history, as nearly double-digit home favorites against the wild card Commanders, it all crashed and burned for the Lions in their first playoff game, losing 45-31 to a rookie quarterback courtesy of five turnovers — four of which coming from Goff — and a nonexistent defense. Never gets old saying that.
Almost had it. (h/t Detroit Free Press)
Thus, the Lions entered the offseason on a whimper. And it wasn’t much kinder to them. By the time the Super Bowl rolled around, they lost OC Ben Johnson, WR coach Antwaan Randle El and QB coach JT Barrett to Chicago — can’t wait to talk about that when the time comes, by the way — DC Aaron Glenn, TE coach Steve Heiden and pass game coordinator Tanner Engstrand to the Jets — more on that here — and DL coach Terrell Williams to the Patriots. That’s absolutely insane, even after a 15-win season. Plus, standout center Frank Ragnow retired out of nowhere, guard Kevin Zeitler left for Tennessee and Carlton Davis headed to New England.
Detroit did their best to replace what they lost. LB coach Kelvin Sheppard was promoted to DC, John Morton was brought in from Denver to be the OC, DJ Reed was a marquee signing at DB, and Tate Rateledge was a high draft pick to fill the void left in the interior of the line. But, as is always the case when a team loses so much of its infrastructure, we just don’t know whether or not the Lions can sustain the success that they had in the last two seasons.
That being said, I trust Dan Campbell. He’s proven himself as a master motivator and a heck of a coach. He can figure this thing out. Even though they’re likely to take a step back after a dream 2024, this team will still be fine for the most part. They’re just too talented to fall off the face of the earth.
X-Factor: The Offensive Line
I’ve heard a ton of people say the Lions have the best offensive line in the league. I have no clue where that’s coming from. Yes, Penei Sewell is one of the best right tackles in football. Yes, Taylor Decker has been holding down the blind side for years. Yes, Ragnow was a dog at center. But this line was 12th in pass block win rate and 16th in run block win rate a year ago. That’s hardly elite. Between the explosiveness of Gibbs and the quick-hitting nature of the offense, they just didn’t have many cracks that showed. Now, that unit is clearly weaker than it was a year ago, which is a massive concern for me. Poor offensive line will lead to a worse game, a worse Goff, a worse offense in general. That’s the Lions’ whole identity. If it comes crashing down, it could be ugly. But, if the new guys come in and keep up the standard, then the offense should still be able to function as normal.
Team MVP: RB Jahmyr Gibbs
Gotta go fast. (h/t PFF)
I haven’t talked too much about Gibbs up to this point, but what more is there to say? We’ve all seen the blistering start he’s had to his career. He’s already one of the most dynamic backs in football with ridiculous speed and elite contact balance, making him one of the most feared players for defenders to stop in the open field. I still contend that if the Lions could’ve just handed the ball to him on every play against the Commanders, there’s no way we would’ve won. But, that’s not how life works. In any case, I expect Gibbs to continue his monstrous ways in 2025 en route to a potential OPOY nod. He’s just that good. And this offense will need him to be at that level if they want to get where they think they can go.
Breakout Candidate: LB Jack Campbell
I don’t know that Campbell hasn’t already broken out, but this can be the type of season that sees him make his first Pro Bowl or even get his first All-Pro nod. After seemingly being a reach in the first round in 2023, he’s been a stud holding down the middle of the field with 226 combined tackles in his first two seasons. He’s got the intangibles and the smarts to emerge as one of the league’s top on-ball linebackers if he stays healthy; luckily, he hasn’t missed a single game thus far in his career.
Record Prediction: 10-7
It just feels natural. Look at what happened to the Eagles in 2023 after they lost so much in the coaching staff and from a personnel standpoint. It’s just not easy to replace so many high-impact people in the building in one offseason. Plus, the defense is dealing with so much uncertainty; Hutchinson will be back, but there are still injuries galore up front that cause concern. The Lions have the infrastructure to remain in a competitive place for the next few years, and they’ll be in the playoffs this season, but it just feels like they’ll take one step back before taking those steps forward again. Plus, this schedule is a blitz with games against Philadelphia, Washington, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Kansas City, Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh and the Rams in addition to the cutthroat NFC North. For reference, the Lions only played two playoff teams after Week 2 last season: Houston and Buffalo. The AFC South ain’t walking through that door.
Kansas City Chiefs
Carolina Panthers
New Orleans Saints
Philadelphia Eagles
Washington Commanders 
Dallas Cowboys
Los Angeles Rams
Houston Texans
Jacksonville Jaguars
Tennessee Titans
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