Author: Raza Umerani

Massive sports fanatic. Sadly a diehard DC Sports fan. Virginia Tech Sports Media and Analytics '24

Post-Week 1 Power Rankings

A thrilling opening week of the NFL season has led to an interesting set of debut rankings. Here’s how I stack things up after Week 1.

Cover photo taken from WTOP.

1 – Bills (1-0)

Buffalo deserves to be at No. 1 sheerly based on the fact that they won on Sunday night. Did it look like they could hang with the Ravens for most of the game? No. But, Josh Allen did Josh Allen things, putting on the superhero cape and leading one of the more furious comebacks we’ve seen in recent memory to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. That’s worth being on top to start off the 2025 season. But man, they need to get right on defense, particularly in the back end. Ed Oliver is a monster up front, but the lack of a pass rush combined with the injuries they have in the secondary make for a sticky situation. The good news for Buffalo, though? They don’t play another contender until November.

2 – Ravens (0-1)

I want to make something clear: I still think the Ravens are the best team in the NFL. They had no business losing a game in which they looked like world-beaters for three-and-a-half quarters. Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry are both still insane, and I left Sunday night feeling better about Zay Flowers than I ever have. I think this secondary could be a huge weakness seeing as though the Jaire Alexander acquisition isn’t exactly as impactful as many might’ve assumed, but I still believe this is the most talented roster in football from top to bottom. They’ll likely be at No. 1 very soon.

3 – Packers (1-0)

The most eye-opening performance of Week 1 probably goes to Green Bay after absolutely thrashing Detroit in a game that almost signifies a passing of the torch at the top of the NFC North. What’s kind of nuts is that the Packers didn’t do anything that blew you away statistically; the box score is one of lies and deception considering the Lions’ end-of-game numbers. It was simply a good old fashioned butt-whooping. Jordan Love was on fire and the defense was suffocating. They looked like the contenders I expect them to be, even with Micah Parsons on a snap count. Considering his impact when he was on the field, imagine what it’ll look like when he’s a full-time starter.

4 – Eagles (1-0)

You alright, guys? Do the receivers want to get open against a bad secondary? Does the offensive line want to get a push against a defensive line that no longer has Micah Parsons (though is admittedly improved in the interior)? Does the defense want to show up in the first half? Does Jalen Hurts want to throw a ball past the sticks? Oh well, I guess it doesn’t matter. Hurts was a killer with his legs, and that was the difference. The Eagles are elite for a reason — they don’t need to play their best game every week to win games. They’ll stick to grinding you down over the course of four quarters. But I’m team process over results, and I don’t really like the process I saw. The run defense was abysmal — though Jalen Carter being tossed before the first play from scrimmage plays a big role there — the secondary looked like a glaring weakness and the receiving corps was quiet. But, this is Philly. Those problems won’t last long, I imagine.

5 – Chargers (1-0)

Good for the Chargers to finally get a signature win under Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert. For my money, Friday night’s performance in Brazil was the best of Herbert’s career, and one that vindicates me for all the support I’ve given him over the years. Against a Chiefs defense that we know is good, LA got everything and anything they wanted, utilizing an effective run game to create a deadly play action attack. And with plenty of time to throw, Herbert was surgical. Combine that with an inspiring defensive performance, and the Chargers looked truly elite. Now, it’s a matter of sustaining it.

6 – Chiefs (0-1)

Stop hurting your own players, guys. This ain’t a sustainable formula for winning. For that matter, please figure out what the hell is going on when it comes to downfield passing. How and why Patrick Mahomes has turned into one of the league’s worst deep passers is beyond me, but it has gotten to a point where I’m concerned. Can KC continue to be a dink and dunk, death-by-a-thousand-papercuts offense? Sure. But I don’t think that’s what Patrick wants. In any case, even without Xavier Worthy, this offense isn’t my problem. It’s what I saw out of the defense. No pass rush, no discipline in the secondary, and no real resistance. If that repeats itself against the Eagles in Week 2, it will not end well.

7 – Commanders (1-0)

Everyone who hated on the acquisitions of Javon Kinlaw and Deebo Samuel, please meet me outside. I just want to talk. Led by Kinlaw and Da’Ron Payne — who might hoop in his second contract year — the defensive line was the single best unit on the field on Sunday. And on offense, Samuel was the sparkplug, making an instant impact and looking like the player we saw out west for so many years. Combine that with a ho-hum game from Jayden Daniels, a dazzling debut from Bill Croskey-Merritt and a lockdown showing from the secondary, and you get Sunday’s result. Things can be described pretty succinctly — you know it’s a new day in DC when the team plays a game that neither they nor us are super impressed by, and they still win by 15 without allowing a touchdown. Feels good, doesn’t it?

8 – Buccaneers (1-0)

Man, this team is fun. I knew Emeka Egbuka would be an instant impact player, but I didn’t realize it’d be like this. You won’t hear any complaints from me, though. Baker Mayfield was unreal on Sunday, and this offense looked like the exciting unit we expected. I still have concerns about this defense, particularly on the backend, and Tampa got away with a couple of Falcons blunders, but I won’t hold that against them for now. I feel like the Bucs won that game more than the Falcons lost it.

9 – Rams (1-0)

That looked nothing like I expected it to. You’re telling me that the Rams defense out-performed their offense and were the chief reason why they won against a good team? Maybe the end of last year really is sustainable. I also know that LA won’t face a pass rush as ferocious as Houston’s again this season, which is good news for Matt Stafford, who still made the plays he had to in order to win the game. I give a ton of credit to the Rams across the board for pulling that one out. It was very impressive.

10 – Lions (0-1)

Yikes. Just yikes. I was expecting to be proven right at some point this season, but I didn’t know it’d look like that, and I didn’t think it’d be so quick. But our worst fears might be on the verge of coming true, and the Lions might be in serious trouble. The offense looked completely discombobulated and disjointed, completely unable to look remotely competent or on-time like they were under Ben Johnson. What’s the point of all that talent on offense if they can’t mesh to make it work like they did previously? John Morton has a lot to figure out. Oh, and the defense still ain’t exactly ready to step up, either. I still think Detroit will be fine against lesser teams, but they’re clearly not the contender they were in the past two seasons.

11 – Bengals (1-0)

So, I guess playing your starters in the preseason means… nothing? By all means, the Bengals should have lost on Sunday. They had seven — count them, seven — yards of offense in the second half on Sunday and got away with the Browns missing two kicks of less than 40 yards. Putting them at No. 11 honestly feels gross. Joe Burrow was awful, Ja’Marr Chase was a nonfactor, the offense was stuck in mud. The defense wasn’t good either, just opportunistic. Credit where credit is due for snagging a couple of picks when it mattered, but I’ve never seen a win feel more like a loss. Cincy needs to tighten up ASAP considering what their next few games look like. We’ll see what they’re really made of very soon.

12 – Broncos (1-0)

Speaking of wins that felt like losses, here’s your Denver Broncos! Now, for what its worth, they were largely dominant on Sunday, having the largest delta in net success rate against their opponent of any team in the league this week. But it just didn’t feel that way. The Titans beat themselves more than the Broncos did with drops galore and horrendous coaching. And Denver should be thankful for that, because Bo Nix was arguably the worst quarterback in football in Week 1. Three awful turnovers, terrible decision-making and just horrifically inefficient play leaves such a sour taste in the mouth. But, Denver’s defense is still elite, and that was enough… for now. Let’s see what happens when you’re not playing the Titans.

13 – Vikings (1-0)

What a coaching job that was by Kevin O’Connell. To settle your quarterback down in his first start on the road on Monday Night Football after three dreadful quarters of play was unreal to watch in real time. And I’ve got to give a ton of credit to JJ McCarthy, who had as many touchdowns thrown to the defense as first downs going into the fourth quarter, but still dusted off his shoulders and locked in for an incredible comeback. He showed poise, determination and a will to win on top of really great playmaking ability. The remade offensive line looked dominant and the defense was flying around. If the Vikings can extrapolate their fourth quarter into consistency across full games, this team will be right in the playoff mix.

14 – Falcons (0-1)

All of a sudden, I feel really good about the Falcons. Michael Penix Jr.? Stud. Bijan Robinson? Most dynamic player in football this season, probably. James Pearce Jr.? Instant impact off the edge, silencing so many doubters, albeit against a patchwork offensive line. Xavier Watts? Probably the most impressive rookie defensive back this week. Kyle Pitts? Actually good! If it wasn’t for Younghoe Koo’s right leg, we’d be talking about the Falcons as having one of the more impressive performances of Week 1. But, alas. We’ll have to settle for a dynamite SNF matchup in Minnesota to see if they can keep it up.

15 – Texans (0-1)

So, when is the Texans offense going to look competent? Ever again? Please? I don’t want CJ Stroud to come out and say this team was “lollygagging” ever again. The defense is obviously still insane, but it won’t matter until this offense wakes the hell up. The protection is still a glaring issue, which is just going to hold these guys back. Although, I was pleasantly surprised with the run game. Nick Chubb still has some gas left in the tank. In any case, things aren’t getting easier for Houston with the Bucs on tap, so the offense better figure itself out if they want to avoid an 0-2 start.

16 – Cowboys (0-1)

Hey, that wasn’t as bad as we thought it’d be! Good for you! Dak Prescott was genuinely awesome in the opener, though the stats won’t reflect it. The run game was cooking for most of the game, and the defense was a pleasant surprise when it came to anything but stopping quarterback scrambles. If CeeDee Lamb could catch — just a strange problem dating back to last year that’s bogging down one of the league’s best receivers — we’d be talking about the Cowboys as pulling the upset of the opening slate. Alas, we’ll have to settle for giving them a moral victory instead.

17 – Steelers (1-0)

Unc still got it. Aaron Rodgers was straight up awesome on Sunday — a statement I didn’t think I’d ever make again. The Jets defense is no slouch, and he still threw it all over the place. Now, the Steelers got just about every break to win it, from a fumble on a kickoff to two super long field goals from Chris Boswell. And I wasn’t very impressed with this defense, though they made the plays when it was time to make them. More than anything, I’m just a lot more interested in this Steelers team. Because that game looked nothing like what I expected it to. So, what comes next?

18 – Raiders (1-0)

It’s too early to take my Geno Smith victory lap, especially considering the secondary that he was facing on Sunday. But that game gives me confidence that QB play will not be a weakness in Vegas this fall. The run game, on the other hand, was concerning. Yes, the Patriots have a much stronger front seven, but Ashton Jeanty was not drafted to have 38 yards on 19 carries. I hope they can open things up more for him as the season rolls along. And we’ll see how the defense plays when they line up against some more put-together offenses, like the Chargers on Monday night.

19 – 49ers (1-0)

Is this harsh? Probably. But it’s more of a reflection of the current state of the 49ers, who are staring at a game against the Saints without Brock Purdy, George Kittle, Jauan Jennings and Brandon Aiyuk. They were absolutely blessed by the football gods to pull that win out in Seattle. There wasn’t really any area where I was impressed, other than with Trent Williams, Fred Warner and Nick Bosa, which is par for the course. Obviously all those Jake Moody misses play a role, but I just need to see the Niners consistently win with all these issues they’re dealing with before putting them above some teams that I thought were more impressive this week.

20 – Colts (1-0)

Well, well, well. Indiana Jones had a smashing opening weekend at the box office. Good for him, and good for the Colts. I’ll take it with a grain of salt because the Dolphins are an absolute joke, and I’m fascinated to see what the sequel looks like against one of the best defenses in football this week.

21 – Cardinals (1-0)

Most nothing win of Week 1? Most nothing win ever? People are asking. But, a win is a win. The Cardinals helped people remain alive in their survivor pools with a remarkably unimpressive win in New Orleans, but I’m leaving with two major positives. To start, Marvin Harrison Jr. was involved! Keep that up. And second, Will Johnson looked every bit like the stud we thought he’d be coming out of college. Looks like Arizona got a real steal there.

22 – Jets (0-1)

I said it earlier with Pittsburgh: that didn’t look anything like what I expected it to, but I still loved it. Justin Fields blew us all away, Breece Hall looked explosive and Garrett Wilson was a dog. I’m disappointed in what I saw out of this defense, but I’m not sure how long that’ll continue for. Maybe, just maybe, this Jets team is better than we thought they’d be. Or, this might just be another Fields flash in the pan. I’m sincerely hoping for the former.

23 – Seahawks (0-1)

Like their counterparts in Week 1, I feel like I’m being a little harsh to Seattle here. Sam Darnold wasn’t awful by any means, Jaxon Smith-Njigba was a monster and the defense held their own… until they didn’t. And that’s what bothers me. Riq Woolen has turned into an absolute liability at corner and now Nick Emmanwori could be headed to the injured reserve. I don’t know if either side of the ball in Seattle is good enough to lift up the other, which means these first few weeks could go awry, especially with some solid teams looming on the schedule.

24 – Patriots (0-1)

Boring? Underwhelming? All of the above. I do like what I saw out of Drake Maye, but that was about it. I was expecting a lot more out of the run game, which was way too quiet for my liking. The defense held up as best as they could with Christian Gonzalez being out, but it wasn’t enough. But this was never going to be an overnight thing, as I said. We’ll see how this group continues to gel in the weeks to come.

25 – Jaguars (1-0)

Was that a good-looking win for the Jags? Yeah, I guess so. But let’s see it again. And against a better team, please. I think Trevor Lawrence looked good, but certainly not great, so I think this offense still has some work to do. And they’re not going to play many defenses as bad as Carolina’s for the rest of the year. So, show it to me again before I put the respect on you that a lot of folks in the media are.

26 – Bears (0-1)

Thank you for one of the best hatewatches I’ve had in years. Game one under Ben Johnson with Caleb Williams looked like so much of what I expected: some scripted success to start followed by abysmal offense, horrendous inaccuracy, bad body language and general feelings of giving up en route to blowing a double-digit fourth quarter lead at home to a division rival. It might be too early to take my victory lap and gloat, but this one is a feather in my cap. Now, Chicago is on the verge of facing some uncomfortable questions if this keeps up. But we’ll cross those bridges when we get there.

27 – Panthers (0-1)

After a summer’s worth of hype following the way Bryce Young ended 2024, he goes out there and does that? Not great. This defense is still awful and Bryce looked overwhelmed against a Jags defense that’s nothing amazing. At least Tetairoa McMillan looked awesome!

28 – Browns (0-1)

The Browns managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in ways that truly only they can. They moved the ball effectively against Cincinnati while their own defense absolutely suffocated what’s supposed to be one of the best offenses in the league. And it didn’t matter because their kicker can’t kick. Only Cleveland. But, at least we can see that this defense will still hold its weight while the offense flails around for a few weeks until Quinshon Judkins provides a boost in the run game.

29 – Titans (0-1)

Just an abject disaster. Brian Callahan was the worst head coach of Week 1 for a CVS receipt’s worth of reasons and nobody lining up to catch passes could do that. Cam Ward’s tape vastly outshines his numbers, which is about what I expected this season. But man, I didn’t know it’d be this bad. So, I simultaneously have hope because of Ward, but no hope because of coaching and the rest of the offense. It’s going to be a weird year in Tennessee.

30 – Giants (0-1)

Just bleh. Russell Wilson doesn’t have much time left in this league, the run game was absolutely smothered, and while the defensive front looked good at times, this Giants team was simply outmatched and buried on Sunday. Never a good sign when you don’t score a touchdown and are the lowest-scoring team of the slate. This team really just isn’t worth talking about until Jaxson Dart starts playing.

31 – Saints (0-1)

If Spencer Rattler is truly better than Tyler Shough, then I fear the Saints completely wasted that draft selection. I do think New Orleans looked better than the dumpster fire we expected, but I told you guys the game would be close. This offense is just an unwatchable product — much like those disgraceful alternate uniforms — although Kelvin Banks had a nice debut at the tackle spot. And the defense isn’t good enough to make up for any of it.

32 – Dolphins (0-1)

Our expectations for you were low, but holy cow. I wasn’t expecting this level of a dumpster fire. Everyone in Miami should be ashamed. But, none of them will be there in a few months’ time, so maybe they just don’t care. It certainly looks like they don’t. Nobody respects Tua, nobody respects Mike McDaniel and nobody wants to be there. What a mess. This might get blown up sooner than I anticipated.

Week 1 Picks

The 2025 NFL season is finally upon us with a Week 1 slate that promises to be equal parts exciting and dramatic. Here’s how I see the opening slate playing out.

Cover photo taken from CNN.

Eagles 30-17 Cowboys

Thursday, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC

The Eagles were never going to lose on the night that they drop a second banner at the Linc. They certainly aren’t going to lose now that Dallas’ already awful defense just lost its best player. Could Kenny Clark’s presence in the middle slow down Saquon Barkley? Probably not. Regardless, no one in the Cowboys secondary is going to be stopping AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith anytime soon. Philadelphia could run away with this one — hence this spread ballooning by nearly two points in recent days.

Chiefs 20-17 Chargers

Friday, 8 p.m. ET, YouTube

Oh, São Paulo. Why we keep sending games there is kind of beyond me. But, at least the NFL has had the decency to give the Brazilians good matchups. Philly-Green Bay last year was a blast, and I think this one will be too. It’ll be a lot more defensive than that game was, but it’ll be a good one. Both times these two faced off last year, it was a defensive slugfest with neither team eclipsing the 20-point mark. So I’m expecting more of the same here, particularly with Rashee Rice being out for the Chiefs. But, they’ll still come out on top — probably on another last-second field goal — because they’re the Chiefs and the Chargers always lose like this. We’ve seen this film before.

Falcons 26-23 Buccaneers

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX

In Week 1 divisional games, anything goes. I know the Bucs are a slight favorite here, but I think you can throw so much stuff out the window. If Tristan Wirfs can’t go, it’d be a major loss for Tampa, even with Atlanta’s pass rush being as unproven as it is. But, in any case, I see this as a spot where Michael Penix Jr. goes out there and slings it for four quarters, putting up big numbers against a so-so secondary and leading the Falcons to a win. Just a vibes play.

Bengals 26-17 Browns

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX

The Bengals can’t possibly start slow and lose to the Browns again… right? They certainly hope so. Cincy played their starters in the preseason for a reason. I don’t know if that strategy will bear fruit, but in any case, they have no business losing this game. Just like they had no business losing to the Patriots the year prior, and so on and so forth. Don’t let me down again, please!

Dolphins 27-24 Colts

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS

For what it’s worth, the Dolphins love to start hot in September. The weather is pleasant — hell, this game is indoors — the expectations are low, and Tua is free. Combine that with the Colts being in a sticky QB situation and this feels like a winnable game for Miami on the road.

Raiders 27-20 Patriots

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS

I feel like this game is flying under the radar as one of the better matchups of Week 1. The return of both Mike Vrabel and Pete Carroll, the Vegas debuts of Geno Smith and Ashton Jeanty, Drake Maye’s first game in the new-look Patriots offense and so much more. I’m going to miss it due to being at the Commanders game, but I gladly would’ve put this one on the second monitor in the early window. I lean Raiders simply because of their superior offensive talent, but with both defenses being unknowns, this one could really go either way. It’s also a tough road trip out east for Vegas, but I think they can handle it. They won’t be the undisciplined, sloppy bunch of the past.

Cardinals 22-13 Saints

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS

Yeah, I want nothing to do with this one. The Saints might win this game sheerly because of how much we’re completely disregarding them, but I wouldn’t bet on that to happen. I can’t trust that franchise with anything right now. If Arizona loses after I was so kind to them, I’ll be upset.

Jets 16-13 Steelers

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS

Ah, yes. The Parent Trap game, but for quarterbacks. Aaron Rodgers and Justin Fields each face their old friends from a year ago and are out for revenge. You’d think the opposing team knows their former quarterbacks well, but I don’t know if the new-look Jets are ready for Rodgers the way Tomlin will be for Fields. Regardless, neither quarterback is going to play well. This has defensive slugfest written all over it as both offenses are still a work in progress while the defenses have known talent. I’m taking the Jets to win it sheerly based on vibes — I think Aaron Glenn is going to have them seriously juiced up to win, and all they need is a couple of more trips inside the 30 than Pittsburgh to kick some field goals and come out on top.

Commanders 23-20 Giants

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX

Ah shoot, here we go again. Our arch nemeses are back in town looking to spoil the fun of a season opener that kicks off a year where our expectations have never been higher. Surely this goes well, right? Listen, Russell Wilson has always given us trouble and Brian Daboll just has our number for some reason. Both of our matchups last year were close, though we were in control for most of the second game. And Russ is certainly an upgrade over Daniel Jones. So, it won’t be easy, which is why I’d gladly take the Giants to cover. But, we should be able to handle business in the end. I think our superior talent on offense will get it done, putting up just enough points to eke by.

Jaguars 30-27 Panthers

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX

Another underrated matchup here. Both of these teams are sneaky playoff candidates in the eyes of many, and both of them have some shiny new toys to display. I expect Travis Hunter and Tetairoa McMillan to each make some plays in this game, particularly with neither defense being much to look at. Really, the difference for me comes down to Jacksonville just having a little bit more juice on offense. I think Brian Thomas Jr. is in for a big game, even with Jaycee Horn lining up across from him. In any case, this one should actually be fun, and I’ll be interested to watch it back early next week.

Broncos 28-13 Titans

Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET, FOX

This is my survivor pool pick of the week, which is something I’ve had set in my mind for months now. I like what Tennessee has going on, and I’m a fan of Cam Ward, but to go on the road to play the best defense in the NFL in your first start is a tall task. This just doesn’t feel like a spot where Denver is going to get upset. They’re one of the biggest favorites of Week 1 for a reason. This one should be fairly simple against a Titans team that’s still figuring itself out. But if Ward goes out there and lights it up, it’d be pretty cool to see.

Seahawks 27-24 49ers

Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET, FOX

Only the higher powers know what the 49ers are going to look like in this game. Jauan Jennings should play thanks to his contract being restructured, but there are still so many questions at WR. And that defense will take a minute to figure itself out. Seattle is simply the team with less unknowns, so I’ll trust them to take this one at home. I think JSN and the rest of the Seahawks offense could be in for a big game against a San Francisco defense with a lot of moving parts.

Packers 26-20 Lions

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS

Best game of the week? Some people are saying so. It’s hard to disagree — rivalry game in a national window with the best team from the 2024 regular season and a trendy Super Bowl pick that just made the move of the offseason. It’ll be a fun one. I’m really interested to see how both of these teams look, because there’s a chance that they each shut up the naysayers or prove them right. The Lions could come out sluggish on both sides of the ball due to all they lost in the offseason, or they could look like the same team from a year ago and put those doubts to bed. The Packers could come out and dominate and look like the contender we think they can be, or they can fall flat like they did last year in this matchup at home. I can see it going any which way. But, for Week 1, I think the Packers are in a better spot, and I won’t pick against them at home.

Rams 23-20 Texans

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS

I really wanted to pick the Texans here because of their superior defense. I think these offenses match up well with one another, although I have doubts about Houston’s ability to run the ball. I think CJ Stroud and company will be able to throw it on the Rams’ young secondary while a potentially limited Matt Stafford might struggle against the Texans elite D. But something’s just pulling me towards the Rams pulling this one out late. It’s just a feeling. My mind’s telling me Houston, but my body says LA.

Bills 23-20 Ravens

Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC

As exciting as this matchup is, I haven’t given much thought to the Ravens winning it. It’s obviously a very possible outcome — this game is practically a toss-up, and I’ve said that I like Baltimore’s roster more. It’s more about Buffalo for me; it’s the first game of their final season at the Ralph, and it feels like they’re going to come out with their hair on fire. If their defense can do just enough to make Lamar Jackson a little uncomfortable, I think Josh Allen and the Bills offense will be able to do the rest and pull this one out late. But, there’s also a world where Lamar and Derrick Henry go nuclear and they pull off the mini-upset. I think I’ll stick with my gut.

Vikings 24-17 Bears

Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN

This is unironically the biggest game in Chicago since the 2018 Wild Card game against Philadelphia. The Bears and their fans have been waiting for the Ben Johnson era to begin, hoping that it’s as exciting and fruitful as they think it’s going to be. I think Kevin O’Connell and more particularly Brian Flores have other ideas. I trust Minnesota’s defense even if I’m not big on their talent on the backend. I think their new offensive line will hold up against a stout Bears front. I worry about JJ McCarthy making his first career start, but I have to believe that he’ll be up for the moment. And while I don’t expect Caleb Williams to look bad by any means, I need to see this offense legitimately cook against a worthy defense to buy in. You can bet your bottom dollar that I will be watching Johnson and Caleb with great interest on Monday night.

2025 NFL Playoffs and Super Bowl Predictions

It’s time to be wrong. We’ve previewed each of the league’s 32 teams; now it’s time to see how it’ll all play out in the postseason. Hopefully this isn’t the disaster that I’ve been known to produce in the past.

Cover photo taken from The SportsRush.

It’s time to be wrong. We’ve previewed each of the league’s 32 teams; now it’s time to see how it’ll all play out in the postseason. Last time I did this, I predicted the Super Bowl correctly (Chiefs over 49ers in 2023), so I’ve got a reputation to uphold here. Hopefully this isn’t the disaster that I’ve been known to produce in the past.

First, a look at the playoff picture:

NFC Standings

1 – Philadelphia Eagles (13-4)
2 – Green Bay Packers (12-5)
3 – Los Angeles Rams (12-5)
4 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11-6)
5 – San Francisco 49ers (12-5)
6 – Washington Commanders (11-6)
7 – Detroit Lions (10-7)

AFC Standings

1 – Kansas City Chiefs (15-2)
2 – Buffalo Bills (14-3)
3 – Baltimore Ravens (12-5)
4 – Houston Texans (10-7)
5 – Los Angeles Chargers (12-5)
6 – Denver Broncos (11-6)
7 – Cincinnati Bengals (10-7)

And now, for the playoff prediction:

Wild Card Weekend

Buccaneers over 49ers

Better team wins a real toss-up. Home-field advantage and an offense with more playmakers puts the Bucs over the top in a shootout.

Packers over Lions

Lambeau finally holds its own as a fortress as Green Bay’s defense proves to be the difference-maker in a hard-fought divisional game.

Commanders over Rams

Jayden Daniels’ homecoming is an explosive one against an inexperienced Rams secondary with Washington winning an exciting road playoff game with plenty of burgundy and gold in the stands.

Texans over Chargers

See: last year’s playoff game.

Ravens over Broncos

Denver’s defense keeps Baltimore’s offense in check for a bit, but the Ravens’ overwhelming talent breaks through late for a close, hard-fought win.

Bills over Bengals

The wheels fall off Cincinnati’s defense as Josh Allen and the Bills get revenge for the 2022 Divisional.

Divisional Round

Eagles over Commanders

Sigh. We’ll see if the idea of revenge fires us up, but I still just don’t know if we have what it takes to keep up with the Birds right now. I’d love to be proven wrong.

Packers over Buccaneers

Tampa can’t keep up in the frozen tundra as the Packers offense explodes for a dominant win to get back to the NFC Championship for the first time since 2020.

Chiefs over Texans

See: last year’s playoff game.

Bills over Ravens

See: last year’s playoff game. I think Baltimore is the best team from top to bottom in the league, but until I see them win in January, I’ll trust what my eyes have seen repeatedly before picking them to finally win it all.

Championship Weekend

Packers over Eagles

Someone has to beat them, right? The Micah Parsons trade makes the Packers a bonafide Super Bowl contender, despite some of their shortcomings in the secondary. This feels like a year that it can all come together for them — from Jordan Love’s ascendancy to Micah’s game-wrecking ability off the edge, I think they’re able to go on the road and knock off the team that’s been the class of the NFC in recent years. Or so I hope.

Chiefs over Bills

Like I said with the Ravens, I actually have to see the Bills win this game to predict them to do so. I do think it’s a matter of when, not if, that Buffalo and/or Baltimore finally knocks off Kansas City. But it’s not for me to say that it’ll be now. I need to see it to believe it. If Buffalo winds up hosting this game, they’d almost have to win it — there would be no better way to send off the Ralph than finally getting the Mahomes monkey off their back and get back to the Super Bowl. And the thought of opening the new stadium with a banner dropping gives you chills. I genuinely hope that it happens. But I’ve seen this film before. We know how it ends.

Super Bowl LX Prediction

(you guys are gonna hate me for this)

Chiefs over Packers

I said it when I picked Patrick Mahomes to win MVP: this season screams 2022 for the Chiefs. That season, everyone wrote them off only for them to go on a run where Mahomes took home that award en route to another ring and Super Bowl MVP.

Well, here we are again. Everyone is discarding the Chiefs after they got crushed in Super Bowl LIX against the Eagles and once again pushing their chips towards the center of the table for Baltimore and Buffalo. Well, only one active quarterback has ever beaten Mahomes in the AFC playoffs, and his defense ain’t getting him to a position where he can do it again. So, to pick KC to get back to the big game feels simple enough.

This would be a very tough test against what’s going to be a vaunted defensive front, but we’ve seen the Chiefs get the job done in this spot time and time again. As I always say, it’s simply them until proven otherwise.

2025 NFL Awards Predictions

I give my picks for each of the 2025 NFL season’s year-end awards, with plenty of chalk and surprises to go around.

Cover photo taken from The SportsRush.

Most Valuable Player: Patrick Mahomes

Boring, isn’t it? I know, I know. But, to put it plainly, it just feels like it’s his time again. This season screams 2022 for the Chiefs in my eyes: a year where everyone wrote them off before Mahomes ripped off an MVP season and they won the Super Bowl. More on that later, though. Even with Rashee Rice being suspended for the first six games of the year, I think this Kansas City offense is going to be much improved from a year ago thanks to way better pass protection and a less reckless Mahomes. He’s going to get back to his usual ways and have an efficient and productive season to claim this award for the third time in his illustrious young career.

Offensive Player of the Year: Derrick Henry

As much as I wanted to give OPOY to one of the younger backs in the league like Jahmyr Gibbs or Bijan Robinson, sometimes you’ve gotta trust the vets. Henry has shown no signs of slowing down and is once again going to reap the benefits of playing in the perfect offense for him. He could very easily have another 1,800-plus yard, 15-plus touchdown season because of how dynamic his backfield is with Lamar Jackson at quarterback. Plus, I’ve got this sneaky feeling that the Ravens wind up being the top team in the league this year, in which case Lamar could win MVP again. But, since I’m giving that to Patrick, I’ll give OPOY to the King.

Defensive Player of the Year: Will Anderson Jr.

This feels like the year that Anderson breaks out and emerges as one of the league’s elite pass-rushers. He’s been flirting with greatness ever since he was drafted with seven sacks as rookie followed up by 11 last season. 2025 just feels like where the fun begins. It helps to have another star pass rusher on the other end of the line in Danielle Hunter. I can see a world where Anderson leads the league in sacks with a number close to 20, anchoring what could be the best defense in the league. I can even see this award going to his teammate Derek Stingley Jr. if he winds up being the best player on that side of the ball. In any case, this Texans defense is going to be awesome again, and I think that materializes in someone in Houston taking home some hardware.

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Ashton Jeanty

Again, it’s a little chalky, but it’s hard to say no to Jeanty right now. Cam Ward is in a tricky spot, there’s no clear-cut star WR that can take it and all the other sleepers are sleepers for a reason. It feels like Jeanty’s award to lose. He’s in a perfect situation and an offense that’s going to rely on him a ton. He’ll be an every-down bellcow who will get 20-25 touches a game and likely put up the best numbers we’ve seen from a rookie back since Ezekiel Elliott and Saquon Barkley at the end of the 2010s.

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Mike Green

This award could honestly go an infinite number of ways. The safe pick is Abdul Carter, the flashy pick is Travis Hunter and there’s numerous talented first-rounders that could take it home. For some reason, Green’s name is calling out to me. Maybe it’s the fact that he’s a first-round talent that was an absolute steal for Baltimore in the second round. Maybe it’s the fact that the Ravens will be playing in a number of highly-profiled standalone games where Green will be able to make a name for himself. Maybe it was me blindly throwing a dart at a board. But I think he’ll have a high sack total on a great team, and that’ll be enough to get him the votes.

Comeback Player of the Year: Aidan Hutchinson

Yes, we like quarterbacks. JJ McCarthy and Dak Prescott each have a great shot to win this award because they’re both in positions to put up some really good numbers in elite offenses. But, sometimes the story is what wins this one. And for Hutch to come back from a horribly gruesome leg injury and put up the numbers that we know he can, I feel like it’d have to go to him. Could that injury deter him from being on the crazy run he was on before getting hurt last year? Maybe. But I’ll choose the route of optimism and say that he’ll be close to the league lead in sacks again — a testament to resilience, strength and mental fortitude.

Protector of the Year: Lane Johnson

Oh look, a new award! I’m fond of this one — I think it’s dope that offensive linemen will be recognized with some hardware, because they’ve eternally been the unsung heroes of football. Imagine if this was around when Orlando Pace or Anthony Muñoz were playing. In any case, this one goes to Lane Johnson as a combination of another dominant season at RT in Philadelphia and a bit of a lifetime achievement award for being one of the league’s best tackles for over a decade. Are there better, younger LTs out there? Maybe. If a guy like Tristan Wirfs took this home, you’d hear no argument from me. But this is the type of award that a guy like Johnson deserves for being so damn good for so damn long.

Coach of the Year: Matt LaFleur

I had very high hopes for the Packers this season before they traded for Micah Parsons. Now, those hopes have gone skyward. I think they’re going to make a real push at the 1-seed in the NFC and contend for a Super Bowl. With that being said, I’ll take LaFleur to take this award home as the head coach of the team that feels destined to make the most headlines in 2025. While I’m not the fondest of him, I think his offense is going to be really good this season, and his defense should be vastly improved. If Green Bay winds up as a top-two seed come January, the award should be his.

32 Teams in 32 Days: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers are primed to not just get back to the playoffs, but potentially make a deep postseason push with an elite offense and an improving defense.

Cover photo taken from Getty Images.

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 long-awaited series finale takes us to Tampa, where the Buccaneers are primed to not just get back to the playoffs, but potentially make a deep postseason push with an elite offense and an improving defense.

Considering a number of factors — this team just won the division, is favored to repeat and I’m running behind schedule (sorry!) — I’ll try to keep this one brief. Plus, we pretty much know everything there is to know about this Tampa Bay squad.

It starts with the offense, which was must-see TV a year ago and figures to be the same this season. And that offense starts with Baker Mayfield, who has shut me and many a pundit completely up by completely reviving his career with the Bucs. Behind Mayfield and OC Liam Cohen — who has since infamously departed for Jacksonville — this unit was a wagon in 2024, ranking 5th in EPA/play and 3rd in success rate with a highly efficient and balanced offensive attack. Even with a number of injuries at receiver to guys like Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, this passing attack was a fearsome one, and last year’s rookie stud Bucky Irving made a massive impact as a do-it all back.

Plus, this offensive line was nothing short of elite, ranking fifth in pass block win rate and sixth in run block win rate. Standout blindside blocker Tristan Wirfs led the league in the former and ranked first by PFF in pass blocking among tackles, but is recovering from offseason knee surgery and might not be ready for the start of the season. Still, with guys like Luke Goedeke, Cody Mauch and Graham Barton holding things down, this will be a fantastic OL once again.

There might not be a better left tackle in football. (h/t Pewter Report)

Honestly, this offense could be even better than it was last year with some new juice at receiver. The Bucs took Ohio State legend Emeka Egbuka with in the first round and might be able to squeeze the most out of seventh-rounder Tez Johnson from Oregon. With Evans and Godwin aging and second-year stud Jalen McMillan recovering from a neck injury, keep an eye out for those two youngins.

It was the other side of the ball that led to Tampa’s undoing last season. This defense was just 17th in EPA/play, and although their front was stout against the run at eighth in rushing success rate, their secondary was a major weakness, clocking in at 27th in dropback success rate. The defensive line could get after the passer with the 11th-highest pass rush win rate in the league, but against the run, they were second-worst. It was very Jekyll and Hyde, and when it mattered most, it bit them in a big way.

With guys like Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey in the middle, this figures to be a difficult defense to run on. There isn’t a blue-chip edge rusher, but YaYa Diaby and Logan Hall are some solid young pieces and newcomer Haason Reddick should give them a boost. The backend will hope to get massive contributions from third-round selection Jacob Parrish, who I was really high on coming out of Kansas State. He’s too small to play outside, but he performs above his size and could be a very effective nickel in Todd Bowles’ scheme. Second-round pick Benjamin Morrison — another one of my favorite DBs in this class — is recovering from a preseason hamstring injury, but when he returns, he should help raise the unit as a boundary corner opposite of Jamel Dean. And Antoine Winfield Jr. is solid as always as a free safety.

X-Factor: The Secondary

For some reason, this unit just refuses to gel. They don’t have a clear-cut lockdown CB1 who can go MEG against a guy like AJ Brown or Ja’Marr Chase, which is fine, but can undoubtedly bite them in a big game. Their safeties are better against the pass than the run, but that doesn’t always show up when the corners are getting dusted. If the rookies can provide the juice that Bowles was looking for when drafting them, I think it’ll pay off in a huge way. An improved secondary is genuinely the only thing that stands in the way of the Buccaneers truly contending for the NFC.

Team MVP: QB Baker Mayfield
Bellissimo. (h/t AP Photo)

The Baker renaissance in Tampa has been a delight to watch. He has finally found a place to call home that trusts him and believes in him, and he is excelling because of it. Last season, he was 6th in EPA+CPOE, 5th in success rate, 13th in QBR, third in passing, second in touchdowns and fourth in passer rating. Joe Burrow was the only other QB in football to throw for over 4,500 yards and 40 touchdowns. Pretty good company to keep. This will be Mayfield’s third consecutive season with a new OC as Josh Grizzard gets the promotion from pass game coordinator, but considering the existing relationship there, I expect another really productive and exciting season from the unlikeliest of top-12 quarterbacks.

Breakout Candidate: WR Emeka Egbuka

If you want a sleeper/value pick for Offensive Rookie of the Year, you’re looking at it right now. Obviously, Emeka is my guy, but I think his talent and potential is well-known at this point. Ohio State’s all-time leader in receptions wasn’t drafted in the first round for no reason. The Bucs may have had other needs, but they took the best player available, and I think it’s going to pay dividends. Egbuka is their WR1 in waiting, but he could claim that role as a rookie. He’s smooth and silky with soft hands and underrated physicality that allows him to excel as a true three-level threat. He can do the dirty work underneath, go across the middle in the intermediate or take the top off the defense if you cut him loose. The one thing lacking in this Tampa WR room last year was top-end speed. Now they have it and then some.

Record Prediction: 11-6

Could the Panthers or Falcons make a jump and surprise some people by winning the division? Sure. Anything is possible. But the Bucs feel like a shoe-in to win the NFC South for the fifth year in a row — although it’s oftentimes by the skin of their teeth. This team is too talented from top to bottom, and even though the coaching isn’t amazing by any means, it clears any other team in their division. It’s a manageable schedule by their standards, and I think an improved secondary and some more youth on offense will put them in a position to potentially go on a little bit of a run once the playoffs roll around.

32 Teams in 32 Days: Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons are trying their best to put a contending roster on the field, but still have some deficiencies to overcome, particularly on defense.

Cover photo taken from Imagn Images.

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-to-last venture of the series takes us down to Atlanta where the Falcons are trying their best to put a contending roster on the field, but still have some deficiencies to overcome, particularly on defense.

I feel like the story around the Falcons is that there is no story. Of all the teams entering year two with a 2024 first-round quarterback, Atlanta is the most boring because there’s just nothing to latch onto. I guess that’s not their fault, but as the clear-cut second-best team in their own division with a lack of clear direction, I feel like this franchise has fallen by the wayside.

But, I still think there’s hope in Atlanta. That mostly stems from Michael Penix Jr., who I believe can be a very good — maybe not great, though — quarterback in this league. We hardly got a glimpse of him last year, and he expectedly flashed some epic highs and some concerning lows. I was at his second start in Washington, and every throw was a coinflip between an absolute seed and a horribly inaccurate duck. But, for what it’s worth in those final three games he ranked 11th in EPA+CPOE and 8th in success rate. So the highs outweighed the lows. With a full offseason under his belt as the starting QB surrounded by some great offensive talent, I think he’ll have a very solid season.

It’ll help that he has absolute blue-chip studs at RB and WR. Bijan Robinson has turned into the player we all knew he could be: a top-5 runningback who’s arguably the shiftiest player in the league and an ultimate weapon out of the backfield. And, for my money, Drake London is a top-10 receiver in football. He’s simply a matchup nightmare — a guy of his size should not move as well as he does, and he’s unguardable at the catch point.

I do worry that the rest of this offense is lacking in playmakers, but Bijan and London can clearly carry a big load. And if Kyle Pitts breaks out… you know what, nevermind. But with a hobbled Kirk Cousins at QB for most of last year, this unit was still 13th in EPA/play and a whopping fourth in success rate, including first (!) in rushing success rate. That’s a testament to an offensive line that punches above its weight and a blue-chip back.

What’s in store for this duo in 2025? (h/t Imagn Images)

The defense, on the other hand, is still a concern. Atlanta did their best to finally gain a pass rush by drafting two former stars in the SEC, taking Georgia OLB Jalon Walker with the No. 11 overall pick, then — inexplicably, in my opinion — trading a 2026 first-rounder to the Rams to move up to No. 27 overall to take Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce Jr. Time will tell if that move was a smart one, but I just don’t like it. But, I can see a world where they form the best young edge rush duo in football, which the Falcons are sure hoping for. This defensive line was 27th in pass rush win rate and 26th in run stop win rate a year ago, and Atlanta famously hasn’t had a double-digit sack edge rusher since John Abraham in 2008. Maybe Walker or Pearce finally breaks the curse.

In any case, that side of the ball was the priority this offseason, as the Falcons brought in a whole host of names at every level: Divine Deablo, Leonard Floyd and Jordan Fuller as free agents plus Xavier Watts, Billy Bowman and the aforementioned edge rushers in the draft. And there was already plenty of talent on this defense with AJ Terrell, Jessie Bates, and some young guys like Ruke Orhorhoro and Zach Harrison. The way I see it, if a defensive-minded head coach in Raheem Morris can’t figure it out with these guys, I don’t know when he will. I’m not a huge fan of him as a HC, and his defense being 20th in EPA/play and 24th in success rate last year was pretty baffling. Assuming the offense does its thing — pretty contingent on Penix — this defense could be the difference between making a playoff push and having a redux of 2024.

X-Factor: The Defensive Line

On that note, this DL — particularly the pass rush — will need to be the difference-maker if this team wants to do what they couldn’t last year. The Falcons lost their last two games of the year in overtime to miss out on the playoffs, and in each games, they simply couldn’t get after the quarterback. This team was 31st in sacks last season, but what’s even crazier is that they haven’t ranked in the top-1o in sacks since 2004. That was four presidents ago. Again, Atlanta made the moves they did in order to get after QBs this season. If it was all for nothing, you might as well copy paste last season to this one.

Team MVP: RB Bijan Robinson
Lightning in a bottle. (h/t PFF)

Very few backs that I’ve ever watched have a skillset like Bijan. His shiftiness is on another level and he’s impossible to bring down in the open field or on first contact. You’ve gotta fly to the ball when it’s in his hands, or you’ll be staring at the back of his jersey as he runs to the endzone. Last year was his true breakout, racking up 1,456 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground in addition to 61 receptions, 431 receiving yards and four touchdowns through the air. He’s an ultimate Swiss army knife that’s going first overall in many fantasy drafts for a reason. I think he’ll make a real push at Offensive Player of the Year this season.

Breakout Candidate: DE Jalon Walker

I had to pick one of the first-rounders, and I’m taking Walker simply because I believe in him more. He might not have had the production in college, but he’s got a more natural twitch to him, which is what caused his stock to rise and Pearce’s to fall. At 6-foot-2, 245 pounds, he’s a little small for the edge rusher that the Falcons drafted him to be, but I think his athleticism and burst can help him get the job done in the pros. Besides, he’s more of an outside linebacker, so Morris can use him in a lot of different, unique ways. His length and quickness will undoubtedly help this run defense, and if he plays above his size and fine-tunes his edge rushing, he can be a very productive player for years to come.

Record Prediction: 8-9

I’ve sprinkled it in across this preview, but I just feel like this is going to be 2024 part two for the Falcons. Do I think their defense could be better? Sure. But I need to see it to believe it. Do I think they’re going to get better quarterback play? Probably. But Penix still might have some growing pains (kind of insane to say about a 25-year old, but alas). And I’m just not terribly fond of this coaching staff. Combine that with a tricky schedule against the likes of the NFC West, AFC East and teams like Washington and Minnesota, and finishing above .500 feels like an uphill climb.

Next up: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

32 Teams in 32 Days: New England Patriots

The Patriots rebuild seems to be going swimmingly, but they still might be a year away with some clear strengths and weaknesses on both sides of the ball.

Cover photo taken from PFF.

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 close out the AFC East with arguably its most discussed team this offseason as the Patriots rebuild seems to be going swimmingly, but they still might be a year away with some clear strengths and weaknesses on both sides of the ball.

I’ll start by saying that I think New England has made all the right moves this offseason. Firing Jerod Mayo after finishing 4-13 was a tough call, but when you replace him with a guy like Mike Vrabel, who doesn’t just get Patriot football like few else do, but is also a tremendous head coach, it’s a no-brainer. And when you know you have a stud at quarterback with Drake Maye, beefing up his protection and giving him some more weapons on offense while bolstering the defense behind him certainly helps a ton.

The best news for Maye is that his protection simply can’t be as bad as it was in 2024. This offensive line was 31st in pass block win rate and 32nd in run block in rate while allowing 52 sacks, the fifth-most in football. It’s safe to say this was the single worst OL in the league, which made their selection of LSU OT Will Campbell Jr. an easy one. A lot of people think he has short arms and might be a better guard than tackle, but the tape doesn’t lie; this dude is a straight up animal who abused SEC defensive ends with his raw strength and elite technique. He’s going to be a hell of a blindside blocker for Maye. They also drafted Georgia center Jared Wilson in the third round: an athletic freak who can use his size to push around opposing three-techs all day. He’ll be a guard in the pros, which almost works better for him. Combine those selections with the free agent acquisitions of center Garrett Bradbury and right tackle Morgan Moses, and you’ve got a completely overhauled and much improved offensive line. Thank God for that.

We should be seeing a lot less of this. (h/t Boston.com)

Honestly, last year’s OL being as bad as it was made Drake Maye’s season that much more impressive. The numbers certainly don’t jump off the page, but his tape was extremely promising. And he was still 20th in EPA+CPOE, 17th in success rate and 17th in QBR despite running for his life on every single play. Compare that to a guy like Caleb Williams… I’m just saying.

Still, the rest of the offense needed work. That side of the ball was an eye sore with no real playmakers, finishing 27th in EPA play, 30th in rush EPA, 31st in total offense, 32nd in passing and 30th in scoring. Well, the Pats seemed to have nailed the offseason there, too. Drafting RB TreVeyon Henderson in the second round kills about four birds with one stone, giving Maye a home run threat as a runner and a receiver with elite burst and top-end speed. Third-round pick Kyle Williams is a technician on the outside who gets to learn under free agent acquisition Stefon Diggs, who has a penchant for helping out young QBs. And, for what it’s worth, Pop Douglas had his moments last year, and Mack Hollins is a solid depth piece. New/returning OC Josh McDaniels has some pretty nice toys to play with. All in all, this offense should be infinitely better in 2025. Low bar, I know.

This defense was also pretty awful last year, finishing 30th in EPA/play and 27th in success rate while the defensive line was 23rd in pass rush win rate and 17th in run stop win rate. Well, they put their money where the mouth is to overhaul that side of the ball pretty effectively as well. New DC Terrell Williams brings a ton of juice from his time under Aaron Glenn in Detroit. Massive free agent acquisitions like Milton Williams at DT, Carlton Davis at corner, Harold Landry at OLB and Robert Spillane at ILB improve this defense at every level. The pass rush will be improved from inside and out, the run defense will be better inside the box, and the secondary will get contributions from players not named Christian Gonzalez.

Hell, even the special teams already looks better with rookie kicker Andres Borregales booting kicks in the preseason and a kid like Henderson taking kickoffs to the house.

The pride of Hopwell, Va. (h/t Roto Street Journal)

Are you starting to understand why every time you open ESPN, pundits are predicting the Patriots in the playoffs? It’s not an unfounded take.

X-Factor: The Offensive Line

Again, considering this was by far the worst offensive line in football last year and New England completely overhauled and improved it, they’re going to be a much better unit this season. This is more about their potential. I think these guys have the chance to be one of the top-15 or so offensive lines in the league. I love the new tackle duo, the interior is beefy and thoroughly effective against the run and I think Doug Marrone could be a really solid OL coach. So, if they reach that level, imagine what this offense is going to look like. Drake Maye with time to throw, TreVeyon Henderson with rushing lanes… it just seems beautiful, doesn’t it?

Team MVP: QB Drake Maye
Sophomore jump? (h/t PFF)

In that vein, I think an improved offensive line means a huge 2025 for Drake Maye. I absolutely loved this kid at North Carolina, he was a top-four prospect for me into the league, and I was incredibly impressed with his play last season. Again, it was nothing flashy, but his composure in a horrendous situation really spoke volumes. I was much more impressed with Maye than I was with Williams for that reason. With a full offseason under his belt, an actually competent coaching staff and shiny new weapons surrounding him, Maye could take the leap to being a top-12 or so QB in football this year. With a skillset that perfectly embodies the franchise quarterback in today’s game — from size to mobility to arm strength and the ability to make every play — he has everything he needs to get it done.

Breakout Candidate: RB TreVeyon Henderson

Ah, the pride of Hopewell, Va. I doubt any of you remember me writing about his first game at Ohio State when he burst onto the scene with a massive touchdown against Minnesota way back in 2021. But I do! And ever since then, Tre has been my guy. He’s one of my favorite Buckeyes ever and I can’t wait to see him shine in the pros. I touched on it earlier, but he brings a blend of size, strength, burst and speed that could make him one of the league’s most deadly weapons in 2025. He’s going to catch a ton of passes and he’s going to turn a lot of short gains into massive ones, the same way he did in Columbus for four years. I wanted him in Washington for that reason, but I’ll gladly watch him tear it up for a Patriots team that I’m really excited to watch blossom into a contender in the years to come.

Record Prediction: 8-9

On that note, I don’t think this is a playoff team overnight. I still think they’re going to be vastly improved and a very solid team, but the Patriots are one year away to me, mainly because we need to see all these new pieces gel before placing any real expectations on them. What if the new-look offensive line disappoints? What if the defense still can’t stop a nosebleed? What if Maye takes a step back, not forward? I don’t think any of that will happen, but in a division with the Bills and with teams on the schedule like Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Cincinnati and Tampa Bay, the season could feature some more downs than ups.

But, make no mistake about it, the Patriots will be back in the national spotlight and competing with the Bills for the AFC East for years to come. They’re doing everything right, and we’re going to start to see these moves bear fruit this season. We could be talking about a real Super Bowl contender in the years to come.

Next up: Atlanta Falcons

32 Teams in 32 Days: Green Bay Packers

The Packers have made major headlines this offseason and look primed to return to championship contention behind a boisterous defense and a healthy Jordan Love.

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.

We’ve entered the homestretch, closing out the NFC North with the Packers, who have made major headlines this offseason and look primed to return to championship contention behind a boisterous defense and a healthy Jordan Love.

Until a few days ago, it felt like we knew everything there was to know about this Green Bay team. Last year was better than it felt, Love was really never himself after getting injured in the opener, the season ended with a whimper and they didn’t do a whole lot in the offseason.

That all changed rather quickly. In a process that escalated exponentially, the Packers acquired star linebacker Micah Parsons from the Cowboys, sending two first-round picks and DT Kenny Clark to Dallas before giving their new pass-rusher a record-breaking four-year, $188 million extension. It’s a move that completely changes the landscape of the NFC, making an already (seemingly) good defense one to be feared, and makes the Packers a clear-cut heavyweight in a top-heavy conference.

Green Bay has their new Reggie White. (h/t D Magazine)

It’s also a move that Green Bay pretty much had to make. This defense was very Jekyll and Hyde last year — they were 4th in EPA/play but 21st in success rate, 28th in dropback success rate and 26th in pass rush win rate. They could stop the run effectively, but that was about it. Their numbers looked way better than the tape and analytics would suggest, and it eventually led to their unraveling down the stretch against teams like Detroit, Minnesota and Philadelphia.

To that end, I wish they did something to upgrade the secondary this summer. Moving on from Jaire Alexander felt inevitable, but I don’t know that they have an adequate replacement. Keisean Nixon and Nate Hobbs don’t exactly form the scariest corner duo in the league, even if Xavier McKinney and Javon Bullard are a very solid safety tandem. If anything, this defense is opportunistic, having finished third in turnovers in 2024. I just need them to be more consistent on the backend, because the pass rush is going to be leagues better than it was previously. With Rashan Gary, Edgerrin Cooper and Quay Walker still holding things down, they certainly don’t lack for talent in the front seven.

A lot of people have also clamored about this offense and particularly about Jordan Love, but I’m honestly not concerned. Do I think they’d be much more feared with a true WR1? Absolutely. But, we’ve seen them make it work with their committee of WR2s, especially when Love is healthy and in a groove like late in 2023. We mustn’t forget that this guy hurt his knee in the very first game of the season last year. He was clearly never the same when he got back. His health will be a major point to watch, but as long as he’s at or close to 100%, I expect to see the Jordan Love of December and January 2023.

Besides, Love was fine last year anyways. He was 10th in EPA+CPOE, 15th in success rate and 5th in QBR. If that’s a down year, then this Packers offense should be just fine. The offensive line was 7th in pass block win rate, they resigned Zach Tom at tackle, and they’re getting the most out of RB Josh Jacobs despite subpar run blocking. If one of those WRs can take a leap — more on that later — then they could be feared.

X-Factor: The Secondary

I touched on it earlier, but this secondary needs to be better if the Packers want to reach their championship potential this year. Which means second-year DC Jeff Hafley will need to draw blood from a stone. This unit didn’t get better on paper over the offseason — if anything, this team is just hoping that their young guys step up and turn into key pieces. That doesn’t feel like an effective strategy. Neither does trying to convert WR Bo Melton into a corner. I just have this nagging feeling that the defensive backfield is what’s going to drag this Green Bay team down in the postseason. Even if Love plays like we know he can, even if the receivers show up, even if Parsons is a Defensive Player of the Year candidate and the pass rush improves exponentially. I just need to see these DBs play up to par before believing that they can.

Team MVP: QB Jordan Love
Let’s see a return to form. (h/t Bleacher Report)

What Jordan Love will we see in 2025? I choose to believe it’ll be the best version of him. I hope that doesn’t come back to bite me. If you’ve been reading my stuff through the years, you know I’m pretty fond of this guy, even dating back to the Utah State days. Seeing it all come to fruition in 2023 was everything I had hoped it would be. Last year… not so much. But, again, I almost want to throw it in the bin because of the knee injury he sustained in Week 1 in Brazil. It’s hard to come back from that so quickly and still be effective. Love has the offensive line and run game to allow him to thrive, so I’m hoping that good health allows him to remain on the field and be the quarterback we know he can be.

Breakout Candidate: WR Matthew Golden

If Love is going to have the season I expect, this kid is going to play a big role in it. Ever since trading Davante Adams, the Packers have lacked a WR1. You kind of need one to win a Super Bowl. Now, they hope that Golden can be that guy. The speedster from Texas wasn’t Green Bay’s first WR taken in the first round since 2002 for no reason. With a 4.29 40 and an innate playmaking ability, he was my favorite receiver in the 2025 class — though the bar there is admittedly a little low.

That being said, I wasn’t sure that he could go somewhere and immediately be a WR1; I initially loved the idea of him going to Dallas, because being a two alongside CeeDee Lamb felt like a killer combo. It would be neat to see him shut me up. I don’t know that he has the route tree or technical skillset to develop into the Davante Adams type, but few players do. All he needs to do is prove himself as a go-to target for Love and solidify his spot as the X in this offense. Is that a high bar for a rookie? Maybe. But I think he can do it. It’s what he was drafted for, after all.

Record Prediction: 12-5

Even before the Parsons trade, I had the Packers winning the NFC North. Now, I feel a lot more confident in that pick. This pass rush is going to be so much better, even if the run defense takes a hit (Rashan Gary is arguably the best run-stopping LB in the league, anyways). The offense is going to get a boost from Golden and a healthy Love while Josh Jacobs does his usual thing. The secondary is the only thing that concerns me, but we’ll see how that plays out.

The schedule is undoubtedly tough with the NFC East and AFC North on tap, but Lambeau is obviously an anchor of success, and I think this squad can go win games at Dallas and Pittsburgh. And I sure as heck don’t want to play them in the playoffs, despite their recent track record.

The Super Bowl window is wide open in Green Bay. Let’s see if they finally, finally make that jump.

Next up: New England Patriots

32 Teams in 32 Days: Chicago Bears

The Bears are once again riding a slew of offseason hype — despite having the single biggest disaster of a 2024 season imaginable — thanks to a shiny new head coach and some offensive firepower.

Cover photo taken from PFF.

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’re back in the NFC North with its most polarizing team as the Bears are once again riding a slew of offseason hype despite having the single biggest disaster of a 2024 season imaginable thanks to a shiny new head coach and some offensive firepower.

I couldn’t tell you why. Chicago was horrendous last year. After being billed as the greatest QB prospect of the century who was entering the greatest situation a No. 1 pick has ever been in, Caleb Williams was abysmal. They lost 10 games in a row — the worst mark in franchise history — after losing on a Hail Mary debacle in Washington. They fired their head coach and offensive coordinator in the middle of the season and finished the year with their passing game coordinator as their HC. They had four games where they didn’t score an offensive touchdown.

Don’t mind me, just putting this here. (h/t NBC News)

And yet, here we are. Another preseason of the media insisting that this is the year for Chicago because of X, Y and Z. Sure thing, y’all. I’ll believe it when I see it.

I suppose it’s not for no reason. The big move was hiring Lions OC Ben Johnson to be the new head coach, bringing his supposed offensive genius to Chicago and mold Caleb into the quarterback most people think he can be. I am personally completely out on Johnson for a number of reasons, including his strange falling out with the Commanders’ brass last offseason and his seemingly gigantic ego. This is the guy who was calling trick plays down double digits in a home playoff game, trusting a WR to make a big throw for some reason. This screams Josh McDaniels in Las Vegas to me. I do think Johnson is a good offensive mind, but I also know that he thinks very highly of himself. So I just don’t see it.

Combine that with Caleb, and I think this could go very poorly very quickly. We know the talent that the former Heisman winner has; he was the easy pick at No. 1 and obviously has one of the wildest athletic profiles we’ve ever seen from a college quarterback. But this guy was 27th in EPA+CPOE, 30th in success rate, 28th in QBR and took a league-leading 68 sacks a year ago. Everyone will blame the coaching or playcalling or offensive line or anything else under the sun. But, this offensive line was 15th in pass block win rate. And all I heard last summer was that former OC Shane Waldron was a great playcaller. And Hard Knocks told me to expect massive things out of Williams and the offense. Well, that offense finished 26th in EPA/play, 30th in success rate and 28th in scoring. So don’t give me that revisionist history.

This was an all-too familiar sight in 2024. (h/t AP Photo)

The reality is that Williams was clearly overwhelmed by the speed of the pros, often hanging onto the ball forever and running around in the backfield like he was still playing San Jose State. He was consistently inconsistent, following up great throws with zip and accuracy with floaters that’d land in the stands. The 68-sack number has more to do with his lack of a feel for the pocket and less to do with that offensive line, although I do recognize that it wasn’t ideal. But, neither was a guy like Drake Maye’s, and I felt better about his feel for it than Caleb’s.

Johnson took this job because of Williams. If these two can’t make it work together, I don’t know who the fans and media are going to blame. Because all I hear right now is how nothing is Caleb’s fault.

The good news is that Johnson is clearly going to implement the things that made his Lions offenses so effective. The Bears beefed up the interior by making moves for Joe Thuney, Drew Dalman and Jonah Jackson to create one of the better guard-center-guard combos in the league. I do still worry about the tackles, which isn’t great news for Caleb, but that interior is legit — they also drafted Ozzy Trapilo in the second round for some depth at RT. They added to an already solid corps of pass-catchers by drafting TE Colston Loveland and WR Luther Burden III with their first two picks, with Johnson looking to turn the former into another Sam LaPorta. Rome Odunze and DJ Moore are already solid, so this offense won’t be lacking for weapons. But, that was the case last year, too.

In any case, this defense will still be a strongsuit. They have talent everywhere and finished 13th in EPA/play and 15th in success rate last year. The real strength is the secondary, considering they were 10th in dropback EPA vs. 26th in rush EPA in 2024. And I don’t think they did enough to get better against the run this offseason, though signing Grady Jarrett and drafting Shemar Turner out of Texas A&M should help. The defensive line as a whole simply needs to be better — this unit was 24th in pass rush win rate and 29th in run stop win rate. The secondary will do their job thanks to guys like Kyler Gordon, Jaylon Johnson and Jaquan Brisker, but the front seven needs to button up if they want to lend the offense a hand. New defensive coordinator Dennis Allen should be able to do just that.

X-Factor: QB Caleb Williams
If not now, when? (h/t PFF)

It’s weird to say this for a No. 1 pick in year two, but this feels like a make-or-break year for Caleb. The pressure and expectations on him feel pretty tremendous. I feel bad, because I don’t think they should! He’s just in year two and he clearly has a ton of work to do. But I truly think that if this year looks like last year, this team might make a move off him. Like I said earlier, you can’t blame the coaching staff or offensive line anymore, right? This is now a second straight year of everyone saying that the situation around Caleb is a great one. So if he’s bad again, it’s solely on him.

We know he has the talent, but I really worry about the character. Laying on the ground or bench after sacks, bad body language after picks and incompletions, the weird media fiasco this summer where it seemed like he tried to avoid being drafted by Chicago and so much more. From the neck down, he has everything it takes to be a franchise QB. But from the neck up, I’m just not sure.

If he takes to coaching and learns how to be a pocket passer, use his mobility more effectively, find his accuracy and timing and rhythm and just show some more maturity, then the Bears are in business. But at this point, it feels like a big ask.

Team MVP: N/A

I don’t know. I just don’t know. I wanted to give it to the secondary or the defense at large, but they had their weak points last year and they don’t feel better this year, though I expect improvements under Dennis Allen. I wanted to give it to an individual DB like Jaylon Johnson, but it just didn’t feel right. Someone’s gotta prove to me that they deserve this spot.

Breakout Candidate: TE Colston Loveland

As I said earlier, Loveland was drafted No. 10 overall for a reason. The tight ends are a big part of Ben Johnson’s offenses, and Loveland has been brought to Chicago to fill that role, despite the Bears already having a solid option in Cole Kmet. He was a monster at Michigan thanks to his over-the-top athleticism for a guy with a 6-foot-6, 241-pound frame. He can go up and grab any ball and has some pretty underrated quickness after the catch. I expect him to make an immediate impact as not just a security blanket for Caleb, but a focal point of the passing game — again, very similar to LaPorta in Detroit. I’m not saying he’s going to be Brock Bowers from last year, but he’ll put up some pretty good numbers.

Record Prediction: 4-13

By the overwhelmingly negative tone of this preview, you could probably tell that I don’t have high hopes for the Bears. I don’t like Ben Johnson, I don’t like what I’ve seen from Caleb Williams, and I don’t understand why so many people are falling for this again. Their schedule is ridiculously hard: their division was already a gauntlet littered with elite defenses before Micah Parsons entered the equation, and they have to play the NFC East, AFC North and the 49ers. Seems like a step up from the AFC South and NFC West last season. I don’t know how this gameplan will play out for GM Ryan Poles, but I just think this season is going to be a turbulent one. And there will be some uncomfortable questions to answer come January.

Next up: Green Bay Packers

32 Teams in 32 Days: Las Vegas Raiders

The remade Raiders, who have seemingly overhauled the franchise, are looking to go from the bottom of the barrel to a position of respect after a rough few years.

Cover photo taken from PFSN.

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 West with the remade Raiders, who have seemingly overhauled the franchise and are looking to go from the bottom of the barrel to a position of respect after a rough few years.

And I mean rough. Vegas hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2021, and their offense has been pretty difficult to watch as of late. Last season, they were 31st in EPA/play, 25th in success rate, 28th in dropback EPA, 32nd in rush EPA and 32nd in rush success rate. Since moving on from Derek Carr, juggling between Gardner Minshew, Desmond Ridder, Aidan O’Connell and others hasn’t yielded the most positive results. Shocker, I know.

As such, new general manager John Spytek decided to turn their offense completely upside down. And I loved every move he made.

It started with bringing legendary head coach Pete Carroll out of retirement and trading a third-round pick for QB Geno Smith, then signing him to a two-year, $75 million extension to provide some solid stability under center. I’m a bigger Geno fan than most, but there’s zero denying that he’s a major upgrade for Vegas considering Minshew was 29th in EPA+CPOE and 21st in success rate while Smith was 15th and 16th, respectively. And Carroll will provide some much-needed wisdom and stability at head coach, which the Raiders are desperate for after dealing with the likes of Antonio Pierce and Josh McDaniels.

Then came the draft, where the Raiders knocked it out of the park. The worst rushing offense in the league by a comfortable margin got the biggest boost possible with the selection of generational prospect Ashton Jeanty in the first round. The Heisman runner-up (still think he should’ve won it) who just had 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns at Boise State is arguably the best back to come out of college since Saquon Barkley and will be an instant impact player in a backfield that desperately needed him. Between his size, burst, quickness, toughness and speed, I expect him to have a massive rookie season and immediately be a top-10 RB in the league.

The Silver Surfer. (h/t PFSN)

Vegas also needed some pass-catchers on the outside to complement last year’s first-round TE Brock Bowers, who had a ridiculous rookie season with 112 catches, 1,194 and five touchdowns. Enter two fresh new WRs: TCU’s Jack Bech in the second and Tennessee’s Dont’e Thonrton in the fourth. The former a classic inside-outside receiver with sticky hands and reliable toughness, the latter a 6-foot-5 blur to take the top off of defenses. With Geno under center, Jeanty in the backfield and this set of receivers across the board, this offense should be vastly improved in 2025.

I do still worry about the defense, though. Could it be better? Sure. Will it be good? I don’t know. Maxx Crosby is one of the league’s premier edge rushers — more on that later — Adam Butler is a solid presence in the middle of the line, Jeremy Chinn was a nice addition at safety and I think Darien Porter could be a stud at corner. But that’s about it. I just don’t know if this unit improved enough from last year to be any better. That’s not a bad thing — they were 16th in EPA/play and 11th in success rate. Just an observation.

X-Factor: The Offensive Line

The Raiders didn’t take Jeanty with the No. 6 overall pick for no reason. They’re not necessarily going to be a run-first team, but they sure as hell will need to run the ball effectively to be the offense they want to be. I think Jeanty can make it work in any circumstance, but this offensive line improving from a year ago would go a long way. They were just 22nd in the league in run block win rate in 2024 and didn’t do a lot to bolster that unit. If they do improve in that department, it’ll go a hell of a long way. And even if they get better at pass blocking — they were 17th in that department last year — it’ll definitely help Geno, who had to deal with Seattle’s inept OL in the past several years. Simply put, if this line does its job, this could really be one of the 10-12 best offenses in the league.

Team MVP: EDGE Maxx Crosby
Dog. (h/t Sports Illustrated)

As I said earlier, Crosby is simply one of the best in the biz. An ankle injury derailed his 2024, but he was still 9th in pass rush win rate among edges and racked up 7.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss. In the previous two seasons, he racked up 27 sacks and a league-leading 45 TFLs. He’s simply a machine. And the Raiders paid him as such, rewarding him with a three-year, $106.5 million extension. When healthy, there’s no denying how dominant he is. Let’s hope he stays on the field in 2025.

Breakout Candidate: WR Dont’e Thornton Jr.

If you’ve been paying any attention to the Raiders in the preseason and training camp, you’ve probably heard Thornton’s name. And for good reason. He’s 6-foot-5, 205 pounds, runs a 4.3 40, can take the top off any defense and can Moss any corner you throw his way. His physical attributes have never been a question; he was one of the top WRs in his recruiting class, after all. But the production was just never there to match it in college. But those traits will translate to the NFL, especially with a guy like Geno throwing you the ball. Smith was the second-most accurate quarterbacks on throws of 20-plus yards in 2024, trailing only Joe Burrow. I have a feeling that Thornton will be his favorite downfield target, opening up the ability for massive plays in an offense that really needs them.

Record Prediction: 8-9

The Raiders are doing all the right things right now. But three things remain true. One, this is still the wild, wild AFC West. Two, it’s just year one of this rebuild. Three, the schedule is pretty tough. They’ve got to play the Eagles, Commanders, Texans and Patriots outside of their divisional gauntlet. They’re going to be much improved, but there’s still some work to do, particularly on defense. But I think Geno and Jeanty will be awesome, I think Bowers will have another great year, Thornton and Bech could flash some real potential, and Crosby will once again be a game-wrecker. They’ll be a very fun watch.

Next up: Chicago Bears