Category: Other

My 2023 Mock Draft

The 2023 NFL Draft is upon us with a plethora of remarkably talented players ready to hear their names called. Here’s my one and only Mock Draft.

Cover photo taken from NBC Sports.

The NFL offseason’s Christmas is finally upon us. Tonight, 31 young men will have their dreams come true as their names are called and they become professional football players. The first round of the NFL Draft is truly a magical night that everyone in football lives for. One of the best parts of the Draft is how unpredictable it is, yet we spend all offseason debating mock drafts and prospect rankings. So, for the second consecutive year, I am throwing out my own mock. This will be wildly wrong (which is part of the fun), but this is how I think each and every team picking tonight will go about their selections.

1 – Bryce Young, QB, Alabama

The Panthers have been fixated on Bryce Young since they traded up to the #1 spot back on March 10th. This is clearly the guy they made the move for, and I don’t blame them whatsoever. I think Young is the best player in this class, and it might not be particularly close. While I understand the concerns about his size, his play speaks for itself. He had an unbelievable two year run at Alabama, and anything he lacks in his physical appearance is made up for by his immense poise and playmaking ability. Some of the things he did in Tuscaloosa made my eyeballs fall out of my head. While C.J. Stroud might be the better all around QB prospect on paper, Bryce Young is certainly the better talent, and I have been buying into his hype for a very long time. Clearly Carolina has as well. They may have lost their WR1, but they get the star QB that they’ve desired for years and continue their rebuild with one of the most exciting prospects in recent memory.

2 – Tyree Wilson, EDGE, Texas Tech

It is becoming increasingly obvious that the Texans are going to pass on a QB (likely C.J. Stroud) with this pick and opt to go with an edge rusher. While I understand the principle of that with DeMeco Ryans looking for a star pass rusher to build around, I think it’s a pretty ludicrous move. Houston has a golden opportunity to pair Stroud with a top WR prospect with the 12th overall selection, including but not limited to his college teammate Jaxon Smith-Njigba. I would go that route 100 times out of 100. But the Texans are not going to. Still, they’re getting a fantastic prospect in Tyree Wilson, who has risen up draft boards all offseason long, and for good reason. He’s a physical freak of nature coming off the edge with all of the tools to be a premier pass rusher in this league. His athleticism and physical tools speak for themselves, and I think he can flourish under the tutelage of someone like DeMeco Ryans in this system. Again, it’s not the pick I’d make, but it appears that this is all but written in stone.

3 – Will Anderson Jr., EDGE, Alabama

Will Anderson is this year’s Kayvon Thibodeaux. Both of them were the consensus top overall player in their class for a while, then got reduced to being the top edge rusher in their class before being supplanted by an “athletic freak” who gets taken before them. Tyree Wilson is getting all the hype in the world, and for good reason, but please don’t forget about this guy. Anderson was the top edge rusher in college football for two years in a row and had people seriously considering giving him the Heisman. In fact, I think he should have won the award back in 2021. That’s how dominant he is off the edge. He just might be the best player in this class, so the Cardinals should consider this as highway robbery at 3. They have a lot of holes to fill, and with Kyler Murray’s injury likely sidelining him for the season, I think they will be picking first overall next year. Locking up a franchise pass rusher is a great way to start a rebuild, and it doesn’t get much better than this.

4 – C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State

The Colts should be thanking their lucky stars that the Texans are seemingly passing on a quarterback. To have C.J. Stroud fall to them without having to make any trades or lose any additional assets is by far the best-case scenario. This is a team that has been trying to find its franchise QB since Andrew Luck retired, and they get to snag arguably the best overall QB prospect in the draft. Stroud has everything he needs to be a great signal caller in the NFL; his size, arm, poise, pocket awareness, and playmaking ability took a massive leap last year, and I think that he’ll only get better as he continues to develop as a pro. The Colts also have some solid weapons to surround him, which is more than Houston can say. This is probably the best fit for C.J., and I hope for his sake that this is where he ends up going.

5 – Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois

The Seahawks could go a lot of different ways with this pick, including trading down, which I would not be opposed to. But, it makes perfect sense to stay put and grab a top prospect, especially to help bolster a defense that had some very bad moments last year. I think snagging perhaps the top corner in the draft is a great move to pair him alongside Tariq Woolen and help build a potential Legion of Boom 2.0. Witherspoon is a physical ballhawk that has shot up the drat boards, and for good reason. He is very physical and versatile in the defensive backfield, and I think he can be a great fit in Seattle with the style of defense that they play.

6 – Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia

For a solid portion of this draft process, many people held the belief that Jalen Carter was the best player in this class. Some extraneous factors have seemingly hurt his stock, but there is no denying that he is one of the best prospects on the board that any team should feel delighted to add to their roster. In this case, the Lions, who desperately need help across the board on defense, but especially on the interior, scoop him up courtesy of their pick from the Rams in the Matthew Stafford trade to instantly create one of the best young defensive fronts in the NFL. The unit will still need some more help, but this is the best-case scenario at 6 for Detroit.

7 – Will Levis, QB, Kentucky

There are two facts to keep in mind here. The first is that the Raiders need a QB after letting go of Derek Carr. The second is that the Raiders are arguably the single worst drafting organization in the entire league. So it feels almost inevitable that they take a massive gamble on a QB prospect with a ton of questions that half of evaluators see as a total bust. I personally have zero faith in Will Levis. I would love to be proven wrong, but I have seen him play way too poorly at Kentucky to fall for any “physical traits” or “intangibles”. I believe what my eyes tell me, and my eyes do not like him at all. Placing Levis in an offense with Josh Jacobs and Davante Adams could bring out the best in him, but it’s just not the right move for the Raiders. Which is why I can 100% see them making it.

8 – Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida

I really, REALLY do not think the Falcons should take a QB at 8. This team has so many holes that they could trigger someone’s trypophobia, and taking a QB won’t fix any of them. If they’re smart, they’ll take a tackle or an edge rusher to be the anchor of their rebuild and wait for 2024, where they could be picking first overall, to take their QB of the future. But the Falcons are the antithesis of smart, especially when it comes to drafting, so I say they are going to pick a QB, and it’s the biggest boom-or-bust prospect in the entire draft. Anthony Richardson has been one of the more polarizing prospects in recent memory with several people being enthralled by his raw talent and several others seeing him as a total bust. I’ve been toeing the line for a while, and I can’t say that I love him as a prospect. I think it’s a massive gamble for any team to pick him, especially if that team has absolutely nothing going for them like the Falcons. But if he pans out, then they can say that they proved everyone wrong while snagging their franchise QB.

9 – Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern

I loved the Bears moving down to 9. They got plenty of extra draft capital and finally have their WR1 in D.J. Moore from Carolina. At 9, they sit in a golden position to grab a franchise left tackle to protect Justin Fields, who got absolutely hammered all year by pass rushers in 2022. I think Skoronski and Paris Johnson Jr. are pretty much tied atop the board at their position, but I can see Chicago opting to pick the hometown kid who is used to playing in their conditions. Skoronski is an absolute unit at 6’4″ 315 and will protect Fields for years to come.

10 – Nolan Smith, EDGE, Georgia

It’s not often that a team makes the Super Bowl and picks in the top 10, but the Eagles are doing just that courtesy of a trade with the Saints last year. This roster is one of the best in the league with the only real “holes” being at running back and linebacker, but I don’t think the Birds are going to fill those holes with this pick. There are virtually no prospects at those positions that will go this high. It makes more sense to pick someone to bolster an already solid group in Philly, such as a receiver or a corner, considering how deep those positions are in this draft. But I think the Eagles are going to continue plucking players out of Athens and add an athletic freak to their developing front seven. Last year, they took Jordan Davis to fill the middle and Nakobe Dean to develop into a field general behind him. Adding their old teammate Nolan Smith to haunt QBs off the edge just feels right. Smith is one of the more dynamic defenders in the draft with crazy speed and athleticism for an edge rusher. If he and his old Georgia teammates develop into stars, Philadelphia could boast one of the best defensive cores that this league has seen in a long time.

11 – Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State

Simply put, the Titans are a mess. No one knows what is going on in Tennessee. We have no idea who will be lining up under center in the fall and it feels like Derrick Henry won’t be behind whoever that may be. Maybe they use Henry in a trade to move up or down in the first round and continue to build draft capital or find their next star QB. I’m not entirely opposed to that idea, but I think it makes logical sense to stay put and grab a franchise left tackle to help rebuild an offensive line that was simply embarrassing last year. As I said before, Paris Johnson Jr. is right at the top of his position group in this draft, and will be an immediate impact guy for a team that desperately needs their Taylor Lewan replacement to protect Malik Willis/Ryan Tannehill and help out Derrick Henry… maybe.

12 – Jordan Addison, WR, USC

Houston is sitting pretty with two top 12 picks courtesy of the Browns being the incompetent organization they are. After securing their franchise edge rusher instead of grabbing a top QB, it makes sense for them to take a top offensive weapon to help out whichever signal caller they take in 2024. While I don’t think Jordan Addison is the top WR in this class, I can certainly see him being the first one off the board. A lot of folks have him as WR1 due to his lightning quick play and route-running. Moreover, Addison has a repertoire with USC QB Caleb Williams, who the Texans will surely be vying for in next year’s draft, so this feels like a forward-thinking move that prepares them for the future. Again, this isn’t the direction I’d go in, but I don’t hate it for Houston.

13 – Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State

I could talk about Jaxon Smith-Njigba for hours. Days even. Not only do I believe that he’s by far the best WR in this class, I think he might be the best player in the class. A hamstring injury suffered on just his second catch of the 2022 season (with me in attendance, of course) derailed what could have been a legendary campaign after an otherworldly year in 2021. Considering that we haven’t really seen JSN play since the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2022, a lot of people have forgotten about how truly special this kid is. Just to put this in perspective, every single player who shared the WR room with him at Ohio State said that he is the best receiver they’ve ever seen. That’s a room that includes guys like Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Jameson Williams, and Marvin Harrison Jr. And they’re probably right in terms of WRs at the college level. JSN is an incredibly polished route runner with surefire hands and a catch radius that exceeds his build accompanied by a surprising burst after the catch. He will be any QB’s best friend, especially if that QB is entering a starting role and needs all the help he can get. And that makes the Packers the single best fit for him. Aaron Rodgers is finally gone and the Jordan Love era has officially begun. I have extremely high hopes for him, and this is a pick that not only helps him out, but bolsters the entire offense. All of a sudden, Green Bay will have one of the best young WR groups in the league with JSN alongside Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs. I’m not exaggerating when I say that this pick could be the difference between the Packers making or missing the playoffs. Regardless of that, this is the only pick they can make, and if they pass on JSN, they should consider it to be a catastrophic failure.

14 – Myles Murphy, EDGE, Clemson

The Patriots can go a lot of different ways here. The roster badly needs help in a lot of different spots, especially on the offensive side. I don’t see Bill Belichick opting for a receiver with the top options off the board, and this feels too high for them to reach for a running back. So the most logical play is to snag a great edge rusher to help a front seven that needs a boost. Myles Murphy is an experienced player with the athleticism that is severely lacking in New England’s defensive line. I see this is a very good value pick for the Patriots to immediately fill a position of need.

15 – Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee

The Jets finally acquired Aaron Rodgers and now sit in a position where they can go one of two ways. They can grab a pass-catcher to replace Elijah Moore and go alongside Garrett Wilson to help boost the offense. Or, they can add a key piece to a wonky offensive line that has had a lot of injury woes at the tackle position. With a 39 year old QB entering the fray and the top two WR prospects off the board, the latter makes a lot more sense. They need to protect Rodgers at all costs, and taking the pro-ready Wright is a great way to do that. His 6’5″ 330 frame makes him an absolute rock on the edge, and if Mekhi Becton figures it out, the Jets could have one of the best young tackle duos in the league protecting a veteran QB that desperately needs to stay upright.

16 – Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon

We are in a weird spot. When are we not in a weird spot? There has been speculation about trading back and acquiring some draft capital to prepare for the 2024 draft and potentially bringing Caleb Williams home to DC. While I don’t hate that idea, I think I would rather stay put and lock up a top prospect at one of two major positions of need: tackle or corner. At this spot with the board shaping up the way it is, I think corner is the right move, and I think Christian Gonzalez is a steal at 16. Many people have him as CB1, and it’s easy to see why. He’s incredibly long with fantastic playmaking ability and blazing speed. He will instantly fill a massive gap as an outside corner to help Kendall Fuller as he operates in the slot and help improve the secondary in a major way.

17 – Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State

The Steelers like taking hometown kids. The Steelers like defense. The Steelers don’t have a much better option at 17 than Joey Porter Jr. Not only did his father play for Pittsburgh, but Porter Jr. is a Penn State prospect who will instantly fit in with the Steelers’ defensive philosophy of beating offenses up. He’s very long and has a ton of range and versatility with the playmaking ability that this secondary has lacked for years now. I wouldn’t hate seeing the Steelers invest in the offensive line, but this feels like the best value pick and by far the best fit.

18 – Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland

As I said with their first pick, the Lions need all the help hey can get on defense. After shoring up the interior with Jalen Carter, they sit at 18 in a great spot to help the defensive backfield and replace the recently-traded Jeff Okudah. Deonte Banks is a great prospect that has very quickly risen up draft boards due to his size and speed. Adding him to a secondary that has been rebuilt with newcomers like Cam Sutton, Emmanuel Moseley, and C.J. Gardner Johnson instantly helps Detroit’s defense become a much stronger unit than they were a year ago, greatly improving their playoff chances.

19 – Brian Branch, S, Alabama

The Buccaneers have seemingly fallen off a cliff. After the departure of Tom Brady, the roster suddenly has tons of holes to address. They have a myriad of options in this spot, and I had a hard time deciding which direction to go in. I decided to have them just pick the best player available, since it addresses a position of need. Brian Branch is a fantastic player in the defensive backfield with the athleticism and smarts to make plays all over the field. He would be a tremendous complement to Antoine Winfield Jr. and help out a Tampa secondary that got gashed all season last year.

20 – O’Cyrus Torrence, OG, Florida

After filling their first position of need at 5 with a corner, it makes sense for the Seahawks to help out their offensive interior and snag perhaps the best guard in the draft. Torrence is a huge, physical blocker at 6’5″ 330 with a ton of raw power that Seattle could use in a big way. Adding him to a ragtag offensive line will instantly help both the passing and running games.

21 – Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah

This may feel like a very strange pick, but I think it’s a great one for the Chargers. A lot of people would like to see them take a WR, and I think that’s a very logical way to go with some solid options on the board. But adding the best pass-catching tight end in the draft instantly adds another foil to this very interesting offense. Kincaid catches everything that comes his way and has very good burst and route running for someone at his position. This is just as good as picking a WR and gives a potentially lethal weapon to Justin Herbert to go alongside Austin Ekeler, Mike Williams, and Keenan Allen.

22 – Lukas Van Ness, EDGE, Iowa

Baltimore still has a lot of questions to answer this offseason, particularly regarding some guy named Lamar Jackson. They won’t have those questions answered by draft night, but they sit in an interesting spot to fill one of several needs. I can see them taking any number of players at several positions such as receiver, corner, or safety. With the recent acquisition of Odell Beckham Jr., I think their best route is actually to opt for a pass rusher. For all intents and purposes, this is a steal for the Ravens. Van Ness is one of the more intriguing edge rushers in the draft with his incredible technique and motor. In Baltimore, he can develop into a premiere pass-rusher and create a vaunted rushing group that features Odafe Oweh and Roquan Smith.

23 – Calijah Kancey, DT, Pitt

Like their fellow purple and gold team picking before them, the Vikings have a lot of options at 23. I’ve heard plenty of rumors about a potential move up involving Dalvin Cook with their sights on a corner, receiver, or even a QB. I wouldn’t be opposed to that whatsoever, but it’s difficult to project a trade of that magnitude. So, I’ll keep Minnesota at 23 and give them a fantastic talent to help their defensive interior and pass rush as a whole. Kancey is a remarkably athletic player with a relentless pass-rushing motor who will immediately boost a defensive line that severely lacks in that department. The Vikes will still have plenty of work to do to help out the rest of the defense, but this is a great place to start.

24 – Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Mississippi State

The Jaguars seem to be leaning towards a defensive back in this spot. With most of the top offensive line prospects off the board by this point, I think that makes a ton of sense. But, with most of the best corners also off the board, it’s anyone’s guess as to who the Jags will scoop up. I think Emmanuel Forbes is a good fit for them with his long frame and innate playmaking ability. His size is definitely a concern at a mere 180 pounds, but he makes up for it with his ballhawking nature. I think he’d provide a nice presence to Jacksonville’s developing secondary.

25 – Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU

The Giants need a receiver worse than any other team in the league. With some of the top prospects off the board, they still have some interesting options at 25. I really like the fit of Quentin Johnston in their offense with his size and speed. There are plenty of concerns with his tape, which has led to his stock completely tanking since the end of the college football season, but his talent is undeniable. In New York, he won’t have to be a WR1 and can instead be a high-level threat on the outside as a foil to Darius Slayton. I can see him thriving in that role.

26 – Cam Smith, CB, South Carolina

The way I see it, the Cowboys can go three ways here. The first is making the flashy “Cowboys” pick, which is Bijan Robinson. The second is making the more solid “Cowboys” pick that we’ve come to expect in recent years, which would be an offensive or defensive lineman. The third is the seemingly logical pick, which would be a defensive back. I’m rocking with the third option, but that puts Dallas in a similar position as the Jaguars at 24. They have some options, but none of them are as good as they’d like. However, I think Cam Smith is a very good fit for this defense. He’s a tremendous playmaker with a great feel for anticipating throws coming his way, and pairing him with Trevon Diggs could make for perhaps the best ballhawking corner duo in the league.

27 – Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas

We all know that Bijan Robinson is a top ten talent in this class. He’s one of the best running back prospects in recent years with his otherworldly athleticism and speed. He’s like a stronger Saquon Barkley when he came out of Penn State. His athletic ability and physical gifts make him one of the most coveted prospects on the board. The problem is that he doesn’t seem to fit anywhere until we get to the late first round. Maybe a team like Atlanta, Philadelphia, or New England can scoop him up, but it just wouldn’t make sense to me. It certainly makes sense at 27 for the Bills. They would love to add a star RB to the fold to help out Josh Allen and prevent him from running around as much as he does. Creating a three-headed monster of Allen, Robinson, and Stefon Diggs could provide this offense with the boost they need to get over the hump that has held them back in the postseason for so many years now. It almost feels to good to be true with the 27th overall selection.

28 – Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame

This has felt telegraphed for a while now. It really feels like the only option here for Cincinnati. There aren’t any better offensive line or defensive back prospects on the board, and they get a huge lift at a position that really needs one. Mayer is a huge target that will eat up the middle of the field with his great hands while also clearing up outside lines as a fantastic run blocker on the edge. He is the best all-around tight end in this draft and seemingly a perfect fit in the Bengals offense, giving Joe Burrow another pass-catching threat while helping out the run game.

29 – Steve Avila, OG, TCU

The Saints entered this offseason with some of the worst draft capital in the league, but were able to snag a first from Denver (by way of Miami and San Francisco) when Sean Payton agreed to coach the Broncos. That works out great for them as they desperately need some help on the offensive interior to rebuild the line and protect their new QB Derek Carr. There are a lot of interesting guards in this draft, but I think Steve Avila is the best fit for New Orleans, as he can come in and be an impact starter on day one.

30 – Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama

As I said above, the Eagles would like to leave this draft with a running back, but taking Bijan Robinson at 10 doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Instead, sitting back and waiting on Jahmyr Gibbs to fall to them at 30 is one of the best things they can ask for. Gibbs might not be the talent that Robinson is, but he is still incredibly dynamic with his lightning-quick speed and fantastic pass-catching ability. Pairing him up with Miles Sanders would make for a very intriguing RB duo in this already multi-faceted offense. He can act as a psuedo Alvin Kamara for the Birds on passing downs while providing a spark in the run game, which I think can make the offense even scarier. As if they need to be scarier than they already are.

31 – Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College

The Super Bowl champs are in a pretty good spot with their roster, but there are two positions that I think need some help: receiver and edge rusher. While it might make more sense to opt for the latter here, I think the Chiefs are going to put their faith in George Karlaftis, who they spent a first rounder on just last year. So, they opt to take the best WR on the board who far too many people are sleeping on. Zay Flowers is a slick and twitchy slot receiver who will instantly fill the void left behind by Juju Smith-Schuster’s departure. In fact, he’ll improve that position from last year. He’s undersized, but we’ve seen Kansas City make monsters out of smaller receivers before by utilizing their strengths, especially when it comes to speed. Flowers is certainly not lacking in that department.

2022 NFC Preview and Predictions

The NFC is still as top-heavy as ever, but an offseason full of huge moves and intriguing storylines has brought us to a point where anybody can surprise us in 2022. Here’s my preview of the NFC this season, along with my playoff picks.

Cover photo taken from Sports Illustrated.

Much like last year, the NFC in 2022 is oil and water. Every division has one or two great teams to go alongside some pretty awful ones. The conference is still top-heavy with the likes of Green Bay, Tampa Bay, Los Angeles, and others being contenders, but this season promises to be a bit more balanced than last year. There are some newcomers amongst the elite, and I can’t wait to see who emerges as the next powerhouses in a conference that desperately needs a shakeup. Let’s preview how the NFC will play out this season.

NFC East

1st: Philadelphia Eagles (13-4)

The Eagles overachieved in 2021 en route to a playoff appearance. Their postseason stay may have been brief, but there was no questioning that the future in Philly was bright. All they followed that up with was arguably the best offseason of any team in the league. They nailed free agency, making splash defensive acquisitions like Haason Reddick and Kyzir White to provide a much-needed boost to the linebacking group and picking up James Bradberry to help the secondary. They absolutely nailed the draft, picking monster DT Jordan Davis with their first of two first-round picks, then trading the other to Tennessee for superstar WR A.J. Brown. They then had All-American LB Nakobe Dean inexplicably fall to them in the third round to provide further help to the aforementioned linebacker room. Most recently, they fleeced the Saints for Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, who provides another terrific element of playmaking and lockdown ability to the secondary. After a slow start last year, the Eagles picked things up thanks to the improved play of the defense and especially QB Jalen Hurts, who could continue to develop into a truly elite dual threat QB. After improving drastically on both sides of the ball, it’s hard not to imagine this team as not just a division contender, but a Super Bowl threat as well.

2nd: Dallas Cowboys (11-6)

For once, I’m actually being quite nice to the Cowboys. I think it’s quite generous to be giving this team 11 wins. There are questions all over the place in Dallas. Just look back to 2021 where they were on absolute fire then fizzled out with an embarrassing playoff loss at home. Offensively, they just lost WR Amari Cooper, G La’el Collins, and T Tyron Smith, leaving them with a subpar offensive line and only two serviceable receivers on the outside. I do think CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup are a solid WR duo, but their OL problems will hold them back significantly. They already had trouble running the football with Ezekiel Elliott continuing to regress, and now even more of the load falls on Dak Prescott’s shoulders. Defensively, this team is just weird. There are bonafide stars in the front seven like Demarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons, but other than that, this is a very questionable unit. The secondary is bad, whether you like it or not, and they did nothing to get better this offseason. So, we have a worse offense with a significantly worse line, an equally bad defense, and Mike McCarthy is somehow still the head coach. So, yes, 11 wins is generous. Regardless, this is not a playoff team.

3rd: Washington Commanders (7-10)

Sigh. It truly never ends. The inaugural season as the Commanders isn’t exactly shaping up to be a great one. I thought this team had a decent offseason, but nothing special. The only notable move was bringing in Carson Wentz to take over the QB spot, which was a move I haven’t felt good about since the day it happened. They were able to re-sign WR Terry McLaurin to a huge deal, which is massive for this team and for this franchise as a whole. The offense still has some nice pieces, and I really liked the Jahan Dotson pick in the first round, and trading down seemed to be fruitful in the process. The defense is still awaiting the return of Chase Young, but the rest of the unit still has plenty of talent. The problem is that the talent they have never shows on the field. We can blame it on scheme, coaching, ability, weather, or anything else. For some reason this defense just does not show up. With the offense not being anything special to put the team over the top and the coaching staff still being as incompetent as it is, it just doesn’t feel like Washington is built to win a lot of games, even with one of the NFL’s easiest schedules. It’s just going to be 2021 part two. So, we’re running back the same team from last year. Remind me what their record was again?

4th: New York Giants (2-15)

I don’t think the Giants are the worst team in football. That being said, I’m projecting this team to finish with the NFL’s worst record and have the #1 pick in the draft next April. There is simply nothing to like with this team. For starters, their QB is still Daniel Jones, which inspires less than zero confidence in their offense to do anything. It doesn’t help that they have a WR group full of injury prone bums like Kenny Golladay and Darius Slayton. The offensive line could be solid if the young tackle duo of Andrew Thomas and Evan Neal pans out, but it’s hard to project if they will or not. And while Saquon Barkley used to be one of the most dynamic players in the NFL, he is now a perma-injured liability out of the backfield. The defense isn’t as somber, with some very nice pieces in the front seven like Azeez Ojulari, Leonard Williams, and the first round pick Kayvon Thibodeaux. But the secondary is genuinely putrid, and I don’t see the Giants being able to stop most teams on their schedule. They’re going to lose a lot of games in embarrassing fashion. It won’t be at the fault of new HC Brian Daboll, but this season is already a wash in New York.

NFC North

1st: Green Bay Packers (13-4)

The Packers had one of the most Packers seasons in 2021: dominate the league all year long, get Aaron Rodgers another MVP, lose a home playoff game in embarrassing fashion, have a weird offseason, wash, rinse, repeat. It’s getting a little tiring at this point. Despite all the wackiness and the immense hole left behind by trading away the best WR in football in Davante Adams, Green Bay is still a great football team that will see a lot of success. This team had a very good offseason, highlighted by Aaron Rodgers signing the most lucrative annual deal in NFL history. They did lose Adams but have some promising replacements in Sammy Watkins and rookies Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson. And the defense is still arguably the best in the NFL, boasting an incredible front seven that lost Za’Darius Smith but gained Jarran Reed as well as first-round rookies Devonte Wyatt and Quay Walker. The secondary remains stacked as well with Jaire Alexander leading the way. This team is simply too talented to be anything but great, and I’m pretty sure Aaron Rodgers could put up MVP numbers with me as his WR1. I’m not saying this is the year they finally get over the hump and win another title, but they should have this division in the bag fairly easily.

2nd: Minnesota Vikings (12-5)

Simply put, the Vikings should be of the NFL’s most improved teams heading into this season. Last year should have been far more successful than it was thanks to horrible defense and incompetent coaching. Now, Mike Zimmer is gone, so both of those should be put to bed. Enter Kevin O’Connell, the Sean McVay disciple who could somehow make this offense even better. Whether you like it or not, Kirk Cousins is a very good QB who had perhaps his best season ever in 2021. Dalvin Cook is still one of the NFL’s most dynamic running backs, and Justin Jefferson is a bonafide superstar who could emerge as the best WR in the NFL soon. Defensively, they got a huge boost to the pass rush by signing Za’Darius Smith and Harrison Phillips in free agency and bolstered the secondary by drafting Lewis Cine and Andrew Booth Jr., who were both standouts in college. Other standouts like Harrison Smith and Danielle Hunter are still there as well. This team simply can’t be as unlucky as they were last year. It’s a very, very good unit that should see a lot more success and a lot less dysfunction. They’re a surefire playoff team to me, and I think they could make some noise once they get there.

3rd: Detroit Lions (5-12)

You know, the Lions actually aren’t that bad. I like what Detroit has going on inside the building. I do think Dan Campbell is a great football guy and a coach I’d love to play for, but I just don’t know about him as an Xs and Os guy. Regardless, he has a solid unit to work with. Yes, Jared Goff is still the QB, but the rest of the offense has some legitimate stars in D’Andre Swift, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and T.J. Hockenson. They added DJ Chark in free agency and made a splash for Jameson Williams (who will albeit miss a good chunk of time) in the draft to further strengthen their receiving corps. The offensive line is pretty good as well, especially as 2021 first-rounder Penei Sewell continues to develop and get better. But, anyone who owned some of those players in fantasy last year will tell you that offense wasn’t why the Lions were the second worst team in the league last year. Their defense was horrible on all fronts, and they were able to address it in a pretty big way this offseason. Most notably, they took DE Aidan Hutchinson with the #2 overall pick, and while I’d love to push narratives, I think he’s going to run away with the DROY award. They already have a solid front seven with guys like Michael Brockers, Charles Harris, and Alex Anzalone. Still, secondary is the weakest link of this whole team that will continue to hold them back. Unless former #3 overall pick Jeff Okudah comes back from his achilles tear and dominates, there’s not a lot to love in the defensive backfield. Combine that with the questions surrounding coaching and the general incompetence of the franchise and the ceiling for this team is probably 7 wins. But I promise you I like what they’re doing.

4th: Chicago Bears (3-14)

I hate this team. I genuinely do. The entire reason for that is them setting Justin Fields up to fail, but it doesn’t even feel deliberate anymore. It’s like they just have no idea how to put together a competent football team. The story of last year was a porous offensive line and virtually no playmakers to bail out their rookie QB. Now, the line is somehow worse and they lost their best WR in Allen Robinson. I like Darnell Mooney, but I don’t like Byron Pringle and Equanimeous St. Brown being WRs 2 and 3. While Fields gets no help from his teammates on that side of the ball, the defense will be getting shredded for 60 minutes as well. The only thing to like in the front seven is Roquan Smith, who will have to have an even bigger impact after the team traded Khalil Mack. The secondary is nothing short of dreadful and will be one of the worst in football unless some rookies step up in big ways. There’s just nothing to remotely feel good about with the Bears. It’s a crying shame because Justin Fields could really be something in this league. But in Chicago, I guess we’ll never know.

NFC South

1st: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (12-5)

Tom Brady, man. Just when you thought we were finally free from his shackles, he decides he has unfinished business and comes right back. If I’m being honest, I never believed he’d stay gone, and he proved me right. However, maybe he should have stayed gone for his own good. Because this offseason in Tampa has been rough. The main reason for that is their offensive linemen dropping like flies day in and day out. The interior and left side of the line inspire little to no confidence, which is absolutely brutal for a 45 year old QB. The rest of the team is essentially the same as it has been in the Brady era, with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin (who will miss a long stretch as he recovers from an ACL tear) catching passes and Leonard Fournette running people over out of the backfield. They even brought in Julio Jones for a potential career revival. The defense is still a very good unit that I refuse to believe will be as injured as they were in 2021. The front seven is lethal and the secondary should be back healthy and ready to run back the success of two years ago. This team has the talent to win a subpar division, but it’s hard to have any faith in them to do much more than that. Still, it’s Tom Brady, and you just cannot bet against him.

2nd: New Orleans Saints (11-6)

I have no doubt that the Saints will be back this season. I actually feel more confident in them returning to form than most other teams in the league. Like the Bucs, I just refuse to believe that they’ll be as beat up as they were last year. I mean, having to start Taysom Hill, Ian Book, and Trevor Siemian at QB and still finding a way to finish with a winning record should warrant an award of its own. Sean Payton is no longer the HC, but I think Dennis Allen can have a fruitful tenure in a culture as solid as New Orleans’ is. So, the offense is back healthy led by QB Jameis Winston, who isn’t a world-beater by any means, but can still do plenty of damage with his arm. Alvin Kamara is still one of the NFL’s most dynamic players out of the backfield, and he’s still running behind one of the best offensive lines in the league. Most importantly, the receiving corps will be back to a respectable standard as Michael Thomas finally returns from injury. The Saints also grabbed Jarvis Landry and traded up for Ohio State standout Chris Olave to immediately improve the position group more than any other team improved any single unit this offseason. The defense needs no introduction, as it rarely does, but I do feel slightly worse about the secondary. Losing Marcus Williams and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson isn’t great, and I don’t know how I feel about getting Tyrann Mathieu in today’s day and age. While I liked the acquisition of Marcus Maye, he seems to be dealing with off-the-field issues. Still, the rest of the defense is littered with stars like Cam Jordan, Demario Davis, and Marshon Lattimore. If guys like Marcus Davenport, Pete Werner, and Paulson Adebo continue developing into great players, then this might just be the best defense in football. With a significantly improved offense and an elite defense, this is a bonafide playoff team.

3rd: Carolina Panthers (5-12)

There might not be a rebuild going worse than the Panthers one is. Things have somehow gone from bad to worse in Carolina. There is simply nothing to like. For starters, Matt Rhule is still the HC despite last year being a clear indicator that he can’t be one at this level. Sam Darnold was so bad as the QB that he has already been replaced by Baker Mayfield, which isn’t the world’s greatest upgrade. The receiving group is still DJ Moore and a bunch of scrubs. Christian McCaffrey is the NFL’s ultimate Swiss army knife, but he hasn’t been able to stay healthy in two seasons. It doesn’t help that the offensive line is dreadful, although I did like the decision to draft the big tackle Ikem Ekwonu in the first round. The defense was a decent unit last year, but they’ve since lost Stephon Gilmore and Haason Reddick. The front seven is decent, led by Brian Burns and Derrick Brown, but the secondary is full of questions. I just don’t have a lot of faith in guys like Jaycee Horn and CJ Henderson to lock teams up. This is a bad team from a year ago that didn’t improve in any areas this offseason. They won’t be the worst team in the league, but they’ll surely be blowing more stuff up by the time next winter rolls around.

4th: Atlanta Falcons (2-15)

The Falcons have an argument to be the worst team in the NFL. Like the Panthers, they were very bad last year and are now somehow worse. They let go of the greatest QB in franchise history in Matt Ryan and replaced him with Marcus Mariota, who nobody even thinks has a steady grip on the starting job with rookie Desmond Ridder breathing down his neck. The offense is headlined by young star TE Kyle Pitts, but one tight end is not going to make you a good offense. I thoroughly disliked the Drake London pick in the first round, as this team had so many other areas to improve on. The offensive line is pretty bad, and they don’t even have a real RB starting at RB. The defense is also still dreadful other than A.J. Terrell, who continues to develop into one of the NFL’s best lockdown corners. This is just a rare team that is genuinely good at nothing. They are very much in play for the #1 overall pick.

NFC West

1st: San Francisco 49ers (13-4)

Here it is. The team I’m pushing all of my chips into the center of the table for in 2022. Last year it was the Browns, and that was a complete, unmitigated disaster for me. I feel much better about these 49ers. San Francisco boasts what is perhaps the NFL’s best roster from top to bottom, absolutely loaded at every position with zero holes whatsoever. Playmakers like Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, Elijah Mitchell, and Brandon Aiyuk allow this offense to beat you in a plethora of ways. The offensive line could be better, but any unit with Trent Williams is one to put faith in. The front seven is one of the best in the league, headlined by Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead, and Fred Warner. The secondary struggled at times last year, but they still showed flashes in key moments on their deep playoff run. I know a dropped interception is what kept them from the Super Bowl, but Jaquiski Tartt isn’t on the team anymore, so forget about that. Despite all of this, we all know who this team comes down to. Trey Lance might be the biggest question mark in all of football. The Niners went all in to get him in 2021, and he is still very raw and inexperienced. However, they have the utmost faith in him, and so do I. I compared the Jimmy Garoppolo-Trey Lance situation to what the Chiefs had with Alex Smith and Patrick Mahomes back in 2017-18. After Mahomes sat for a year, he came in and absolutely blew up the league. I just have that same feeling with a young player as talented as Lance is. Just remember that this team should have won a Super Bowl and nearly went to another with Garoppolo at the helm. Even if Lance is not instantly a top 10 QB, all he has to do is give them the level of explosiveness that they’ve been missing, and the 49ers become a true Super Bowl contender. I’m not taking a glass-half-full approach with this team. In my eyes, the glass is overflowing.

2nd: Los Angeles Rams (12-5)

Is putting the defending Super Bowl champions at 2nd in their own division heresy? Well, if we consider that this is a worse team than the one that just won it all, I’d say no. That’s right, the Rams got worse this offseason. The so-called flashy free agent acquisitions were actually downgrades. Allen Robinson is not as good of a WR as Odell Beckham Jr. The offensive line will feel the absence of Andrew Whitworth. Losing Von Miller will take a huge element out of their pass rush. And I hate to break it to you, but signing Bobby Wagner doesn’t mean much in 2022. At least they still have Jalen Ramsey and Aaron Donald. Losing Darious Williams hurts, but guys like Troy Hill and David Long ensure that the secondary will still be elite. I’m not saying that these moves make the Rams a bad team. By no means are they anything but great. But people need to temper their expectations with this team. Not only is it incredibly difficult to continue to be great after winning a title, but it’s even harder when you lose so many key players and don’t make adequate replacements. Still, this team will be a contender for as long as they have Matt Stafford and Sean McVay running the show, and they’ll quite comfortably have a playoff spot.

3rd: Arizona Cardinals (8-9)

The Cardinals are just so puzzling. On paper, this is an incredibly talented roster with seemingly no holes. They have all the right things going for them to be a contender in this league. So, why aren’t they? Well, I think coaching is the biggest issue, as this team always starts hot but goes out with a flicker by January. I just don’t buy Kliff Kingsbury as an NFL head coach, and he continues to prove me right. There is no longer any excuse to be anything but great. Kyler Murray deservedly got a huge payday to continue slinging the ball as one of the NFL’s most dynamic QBs. They traded for Hollywood Brown from the Ravens to help him out. The defensive front isn’t ideal, but any unit with J.J. Watt is one to fear. And the secondary is pretty solid too with guys like Budda Baker and Byron Murphy. But this just feels like such a middle-of-the-pack team to me. DeAndre Hopkins is missing the first 6 games with a suspension, and the schedule in that time is absolutely brutal. If this team collapsed in the second half after starting great last season, what will happen if they have a rough start to the year now? I think it all culminates in a mediocre season that could lead to some big changes in the desert. I think the team could use some if they want to reach their full potential.

4th: Seattle Seahawks (2-15)

Like another formerly-great bird team in the NFC, the Seahawks have a very good argument to be the worst team in the NFL. The demolition has taken place, and the rebuild has finally begun. It started with the enormous package they received from Denver by trading them Russell Wilson which included a load of picks and some solid impact players like Noah Fant. So, that’s a good thing. But that’s about the only one that Seattle has. Geno Smith is their starting QB, meaning they have the worst starting QB in the league. The offensive line is worse than terrible, but I did like their first round selection in tackle Charles Cross, who should be their franchise LT for years to come. The receiving group is incredibly mid led by DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. The front seven has literally nobody of note. Seriously, try to name someone in the Seahawks front seven right now. Got anything? Didn’t think so. The secondary has been pretty bad for a while now, and while it’s still porous, I like what they’ve done to get better. Drafting Coby Bryant and Tariq Woolen were great moves, as those two could be bonafide studs in this league. But for now, they’re just rookies amidst arguably the worst roster in the league. It’s just going to be hilariously bad in Seattle from start to finish this year. I personally cannot wait to watch it.

Playoff Picture

1 – San Francisco 49ers (13-4)

2 – Philadelphia Eagles (13-4)

3 – Green Bay Packers (13-4)

4 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (12-5)

5 – Los Angeles Rams (12-5)

6 – Minnesota Vikings (12-5)

7 – New Orleans Saints (11-6)

Five of the seven teams here were playoff teams in 2021, but that doesn’t mean things are going to play out the same way. Take the decline of the Rams and Buccaneers and the emergence of the Vikings, Saints, and Eagles for example. This could be another fantastic postseason in the NFC. Let’s briefly predict how it’ll play out.

Wild Card Weekend

The 2v7 game sees yet another playoff installment in Eagles-Saints. I think these are two of the most improved teams in football, and I think this would be a tremendous matchup. I’d have to give the edge to Philly in this case, but it could feasibly go either way. I’d have no idea what to expect of either Jalen Hurts or Jameis Winston in the postseason, so I’ll just rock with the team I think is slightly better.

Packers-Vikings in the playoffs sounds like an absolute blast, and that’s what our 3v6 game is. Every time these teams get together, it’s typically a ton of fun. A playoff game in Lambeau would make for quality entertainment, but I just don’t see how the Packers would lose. Yes, playoff exits are their forte, but maybe not this early and to this team. They get at least one playoff win in 2022.

Last year’s Rams-Buccaneers game in the divisional round was one of the best playoff games in recent memory. To run it back in the 4v5 Wild Card round would be a delight. I think that the Bucs would want revenge on the team that led Tom Brady into a brief retirement. If they’re healthy enough, I can see them dominating this game and getting that sweet vengeance, sending the defending champs packing in the first round.

Divisional Round

The 49ers come off their bye and host Buccaneers. In the Bay with a team destined to make amends for the shortcomings of the last few years, I can see the Niners pounding Tampa, but I don’t think that’ll be the case. Tom Brady is never ever an easy out in the playoffs, and this matchup could be an instant classic. Like the Brady-Mahomes playoff games of the past, this could be a passing of the torch moment with Trey Lance. Unlike Mahomes, I see Lance getting over the hump and leading his team to another NFC Championship Game appearance. And the questions about Brady’s future ensue.

Eagles-Packers would be a sensational matchup. These teams led by great defenses and fun offenses matching up with a title game appearance on the line makes for a potential classic. While I love what the Eagles have going for them this season, it’s just so difficult for me to bet against Aaron Rodgers, despite the choking nature of the Packers in years past. Perhaps this is finally the year that they can re-ascend the mountain.

NFC Championship Game

Death. Taxes. 49ers-Packers in the playoffs. Furthermore, the 49ers beating the Packers in the playoffs. The Niners just have the better roster. Moreover, history just repeats itself in this league. Aaron Rodgers cannot beat San Francisco in the postseason, and he can’t win NFC Championships anymore either. I don’t think it’ll be a 2019-level blowout, nor do I think it’ll be a 2021-level slugfest, but I think the 49ers find themselves smoothly making it to Glendale and the Super Bowl.

So, my Super Bowl LVII matchup is the Buffalo Bills against the San Francisco 49ers. They’re my two 1 seeds, and I think they’re probably the two best teams in football. It’d be an awesome game, and I’d probably rock with the Bills to pull it out and finally get their title that they’ve longed for for nearly four decades. But, we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.

NFL football is back and I couldn’t be more excited for this season to finally get underway. Whether or not these predictions come true or not is irrelevant, to me, but for my sake, I hope they do. Regardless, I can’t wait for tomorrow’s kickoff and the months that follow it. I hope it’s as exciting and enjoyable for you.

2022 AFC Preview and Predictions

After a wild season, the AFC is anyone’s game in 2022. The youth movement at the QB position makes this an undeniably exciting conference with storylines galore. Here’s my preview of the AFC this season, along with my playoff picks.

Cover photo taken from NFL.com.

The AFC is undergoing an incredible youth movement. The likes of Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Peyton Manning, and more are all gone. The conference now belongs to names like Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, and more. This was on display last year, where the conference flexed its depth for a tremendous season en route to a sensational playoffs that saw the Bengals of all teams make the Super Bowl. The offseason that followed was one of the most wild and wacky we’ve ever seen, and it makes things even more fascinating in the better of the two NFL conferences. If 2022 is anything like its predecessor, truly anything can happen. Let’s preview how it’ll play out.

AFC East

1st: Buffalo Bills (15-2)

Last year, I picked the Bills to win the AFC East with this exact same record. They accomplished the more important of those two things by winning the division and were 13 short seconds away from hosting the AFC Championship Game. Alas, it was not meant to be. Perhaps now it is. The Bills have a fire lit under them after last year’s shortcomings, where they felt like they were robbed of a shot at the Super Bowl. Josh Allen showed us all that he is a top tier, MVP-caliber QB in this league. The offense remains stacked with the established Stefon Diggs and 2021 breakout Gabe Davis at receiver. The reigning #1 defense is back and ready to silence the doubters after last year’s failure against the Chiefs. Adding Von Miller to the mix definitely helps. Simply put, this team was fantastic last year and are even better on paper this year. They’re the Super Bowl favorite for a reason. The only thing stopping them from getting their hands on the Lombardi Trophy for the first time is themselves.

2nd: Miami Dolphins (9-8)

The Dolphins made all the right moves this offseason. Bringing in the offensive guru Mike McDaniel as the new head coach makes for an admittedly interesting scheme. They kept their great defense intact, especially by extending star CB Xavien Howard. The obvious highlight was trading for WR Tyreek Hill from the Kansas City Chiefs, providing the offense with a bonafide superstar to bring a new level to the unit. Pairing him up with Jaylen Waddle makes for one of the more fascinating, explosive WR duos in all of football. However, the main concern that holds this team back resides with who throws them the ball. Tua Tagovailoa simply hasn’t lived up to the hype in his short NFL career. The clock is ticking, and time is slowly running out on him. It has to work this year for Tua, or he will be replaced with swiftness. He makes or breaks this team, and the way I see it, he’s not good enough to get them over the hump. Unless he figures it out, the Dolphins are restricted by his abilities, or lack thereof, and I don’t see them making the playoffs because of that.

3rd: New England Patriots (8-9)

For the second straight year, I’m not entirely sure what the Patriots are trying to do. This is a team that reached a very high peak last year, but eventually came undone and ended their season with an embarrassing blowout loss in the playoffs. And they haven’t done much to get better. This is essentially the same team as last year minus some key pieces, namely ballhawk CB J.C. Jackson, who left in free agency. Mac Jones had a promising rookie year at QB and is likely going to get better, but the weapons on this team don’t inspire a lot of confidence. The defense is still solid, but nothing special, especially without their INT machine. This is just a run-of-the-mill, middle-of-the-pack football team, through and through. I don’t see how they make the playoffs as the third best team in their own division in a conference as deep as the AFC is.

4th: New York Jets (4-13)

I’ll say this about the Jets. I do think they’re getting better. I like the direction this team is headed in. I thought they had a tremendous draft, adding offensive pieces like WR Garrett Wilson and RB Breece Hall as well as defensive studs in CB Sauce Gardner and DE Jermaine Johnson. The rebuild is seemingly going well, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to be good in the immediate future. Zach Wilson is still a big question mark, and dealing with a bone bruise in his knee from this preseason isn’t a good sign. Whether it’s him or Joe Flacco under center, this team won’t be winning too many games this season. The defense is still below average and the offense is still lacking in several areas, but the aforementioned rookies might help with that. If Wilson comes back and shows a huge leap from his rookie year, then maybe the Jets can win 6-7 games. But I don’t have that level of faith in him or this team.

AFC North

1st: Cincinnati Bengals (13-4)

The Bengals were the surprise team of last year, and my Team Of The Year in my season retrospective. They were awesome all season long en route to a Super Bowl appearance and a near victory. The question on everyone’s mind is, will they be able to run it back? History doesn’t favor young teams who lose Super Bowls. However, Cincinnati can say with confidence that they improved this offseason. You can argue that the offensive line is the reason they couldn’t win a championship, so they bolstered it with guys like Alex Cappa and La’el Collins. The defense remains intact after dominating the postseason. The offense is still stacked with the likes of Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Joe Mixon. And the beloved Joe Burrow is still the QB. By all means, the Bengals are a better team than the one that just won the AFC. At the very minimum, they should find themselves back on top of the division.

2nd: Baltimore Ravens (11-6)

Even with questions circling this team like vultures, the Ravens feel primed to bounce back from a disappointing 2021. It helps that key players aren’t dropping like flies like they were last preseason. J.K. Dobbins is back in the backfield after missing all of last year with an ACL tear, and that gives this offense a massive boost. Even with one of the worse WR groups in football, the load will be taken off Lamar Jackson’s shoulders as he continues to prove to the organization why he deserves a massive payday. He’ll still have a great TE duo to throw to with the established Mark Williams and the blooming rookie Isaiah Likely. The offensive line should be better as well with big time acquisitions like Morgan Moses from the Jets and Tyler Linderbaum in the draft. Perhaps the most important part of the offseason in Baltimore was bolstering their defense. I already liked the front seven a lot. Signing Marcus Williams and drafting Kyle Hamilton is sure to help the defensive backfield. The corners are still a little suspect, but at their best, guys like Kyle Fuller, Marlon Humphrey, and Marcus Peters can lock down anyone. I think the Ravens improved everywhere they needed to, and the pure talent and great coaching should get them to the playoffs. It all comes down to Lamar, as it so often does, but I have a ton of faith in him. The organization, on the other hand, might not.

3rd: Pittsburgh Steelers (9-8)

In the nicest way possible, the Steelers might be the most mid team in the NFL. They finally decided to name a starting QB, and it’s Mitch Trubisky for some reason. I have no doubt that first round pick and hometown kid Kenny Pickett will be starting under center sooner rather than later, but I would’ve given him the reins from the start, especially when you look at how strong of a preseason he had. Regardless, it’s not the QB position that makes this team so average. In fact, from a distance, you might think the rest of the team is actually really good. I wouldn’t fault you for that. Pittsburgh has great skill players, from Najee Harris in the backfield to Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, and emerging rookie George Pickens outside. The defense is also loaded with All-Pros like Minkah Fitzpatrick and Cameron Heyward as well as reigning DPOY T.J. Watt. However, a few stars on each side of the ball is not good enough to be great in this league. The rest of the defense is pretty bad, especially in the secondary. More importantly, the Steelers offensive line might be the worst in football, which has been on display for the last two years now. They cannot run the ball and have to rely on quick passes to ensure that they don’t allow 10 sacks every game. They just refuse to get better in that regard, and I don’t trust any team without a functioning OL. Combine that with a pretty tough schedule, and I don’t see the Steelers returning to the playoffs. I might actually be being a bit generous by giving them a winning record, but I just think they’ll have a little more juice once Pickett is the starter. Hopefully that’s soon, for their sake.

4th: Cleveland Browns (4-13)

Oh, Cleveland. Only you could go from decades of disfunction and turmoil to relevance and being a fan favorite only to throw it all away by becoming a symbol of disgracefulness. Only you would be the only team to not just go near Deshaun Watson, not just trade your future for him, but give him a $230 million contract, fully guaranteed. Only you. It’s safe to say the entire league will be rooting against the Browns this year, even with Watson being suspended for the first 11 games. That bias is not why I have Cleveland finishing with 4 wins. Well, not entirely. I do think this is a solid roster, but without a competent QB for 65% of the season, I refuse to put any faith in them. The offense is still loaded with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt running behind arguably football’s best offensive line as well as Donovan Peoples-Jones and newcomers Amari Cooper and David Bell catching passes. The defense is essentially the same as last year’s, which isn’t a bad thing by any means. Myles Garrett is one of the sport’s premier players, Jadeveon Clowney has found new life in Cleveland, and young guys like Jeremiah Owusu-Koromoah make the front seven a bonafide unit. The secondary is better than you might think, with Denzel Ward, Grant Delpit, and Greedy Williams locking things down. Greg Newsome also showed flashes last year of becoming the player they hoped by drafting him in the first round. On top of all that, signing John Johnson III from the Rams was one of the more underrated moves of the offseason in my opinion. Despite all of this, the Browns are suffering the consequences of selling their souls. I initially gave them a better record than this, but I don’t mind docking them wins at all. They dug themselves this hole. They made their bed, and now they must lay in it.

AFC South

1st: Tennessee Titans (9-8)

Welcome to the NFL’s worst division, where the winner could very feasibly be below .500. I’m giving the defending champs the benefit of the doubt, and for good reason. For starters, the Titans have been consistently viable for several years now, and they always find a way to shock me. They were dominant throughout last year, both with and without Derrick Henry, and that got them the AFC’s 1 seed (yeah, I forgot about that too). It may have ended unceremoniously, but I’m not going to sit here and act like this isn’t a good team. However, there are still questions. The biggest one lies where they made the biggest change this offseason. Trading their elite and best WR in A.J. Brown for the right to draft Treylon Burks as his replacement was a decision that I disliked on draft night. My opinion on that has not changed. Their best bet was to pay Brown instead of investing in a rookie, and their refusal to do so has left them with one of the league’s worst WR groups. I liked the acquisition of Robert Woods, but I just don’t know how effective he can be coming off an ACL tear. The offense should still be fine as long as King Henry is running the ball, but last year was the indicator that they are not a true contender with Ryan Tannehill at QB. That’s why I loved the move to draft Malik Willis, who flashed in the preseason. I would love to see him get a shot this season, but if not, there’s still no doubt that he’s their guy moving forward. Tennessee’s defense is still loaded with one of football’s best defensive lines and an emerging secondary, but again, last year showed that they can’t do it on their own. Seriously, how do you sack a QB nine times in a playoff game and still lose? All in all, I think this is a worse team than last year, but I do believe they’re still the best team in this division. Whether or not they can exceed their potential is entirely up to them.

2nd: Indianapolis Colts (9-8)

It might not be an understatement to say that the Colts were the most disappointing team of 2021. Not in the sense that we expected them to be great and they failed, but more that they were great and then they failed. At a point last year, you could have argued that Indy was the best team in the AFC. Jonathan Taylor was running like an MVP candidate, Carson Wentz was slinging the ball with effectiveness, and the defense was truly elite. Then Wentz did that thing he always does and they lost their last two games including the embarrassment of the decade against the worst team in football in the finale to miss the playoffs entirely. Thus prompted the change at the QB position, as the Colts traded Wentz away to Washington and brought in the solid veteran Matt Ryan from the Falcons. I personally believe this is an upgrade for the Colts, but that doesn’t mean that they’re going to make amends for last year’s failure. Even with an upgrade under center and perhaps the best RB in the league in the backfield, this offense has questions. The WR group is not great outside of Michael Pittman Jr., so they have to be cautious not to run JT into the ground. I do really like this defense, as they boast one of the NFL’s best front sevens and an upgraded secondary, which was already pretty good. Bringing in guys like Yannick Ngakoue and Stephon Gilmore make this a better unit than it was in 2021. Still, it’s hard to put my faith in the Colts after last year. I think they’ll be neck and neck with the Titans for the division title all year long, but I’ll give the edge to the team that proved it last season.

3rd: Jacksonville Jaguars (3-14)

You know, I actually think I’m being a bit mean to the Jaguars. This was football’s worst team in 2021, but I genuinely think they improved a lot this offseason. For starters, it can’t get any worse than it was with Urban Meyer at the helm. I think the move to hire Doug Pederson as head coach was a very good one, especially as they continue to develop Trevor Lawrence into the franchise QB that we all know he can be. They improved the offensive line and receiving corps to help Lawrence out by signing All-Pro guard Brandon Scherff from Washington as well as pass-catchers like Zay Jones and Christian Kirk, who got one of the most puzzling deals I’ve ever seen. Lawrence also gets his college buddy Travis Etienne back in the backfield after missing all of his rookie season with a foot injury, and I think it’ll do wonders for this offense. I have extremely high hopes for Etienne, and if he can remain healthy, then he can truly be a difference maker. The defense still isn’t ideal, but like the offense, they made some nice pickups this summer. Signing tackle machine Foye Aluokun from Atlanta locks down the middle of the defense and bringing in Darious Williams from the Rams gives them their CB1 that has been lacking since they lost Jalen Ramsey. They emphasized that side of the ball further in the draft, most notably by taking Travon Walker with the #1 overall pick and LB Devin Lloyd later in the first round. Walker is an athletic freak with an infinitely high ceiling, and Lloyd is a solid, pro-ready linebacker. These two can make instant impacts in this league, but they could just as easily fizzle out into bust territory. It’s up to this organization to make sure that they, along with all their other young counterparts, become the players that can make the Jaguars an actual football team again.

4th: Houston Texans (3-14)

I’ll give them credit. I said the Texans would be the worst team in football last year, and they were only the third worst. Way to make me eat crow, Houston! It’s not enough to save you from being the worst team in the AFC this year, though. Unlike their division counterparts, I don’t think the Texans got any better this offseason. They’re essentially running back the same offense as last year, which wasn’t great. They were one of the worst passing offenses and the worst rushing offense in 2021, and the only new acquisition in any of those areas is rookie RB Dameon Pierce, a fourth round pick. Davis Mills is still the QB, and while I don’t think he’s horrible, I don’t think he’s going to be anything special in this league. The WR duo of Brandin Cooks and Nico Collins isn’t the worst I’ve ever seen, but it’s not exactly elite. Most importantly, Houston’s defense is genuinely dreadful. It’s unfathomably bad, and will likely be the worst in the NFL this season, statistically speaking. I did like the draft acquisitions of Derek Stingley Jr. and Jalen Pitre to help out the secondary, but it’ll be a while before they’re playing alongside competent players. The only area I can say they truly got better is with draft stock, as they finally traded Deshaun Watson and got three first round picks in the deal. 3 wins might be a stretch for this team. They are firmly set in the #1 overall pick sweepstakes.

AFC West

1st: Los Angeles Chargers (14-3)

Welcome to the NFL’s best division, where every team could very feasibly be above .500. There are storylines galore in the Wild West this year, and it’s going to be a treat to watch them all unfold. We start with the Chargers, who had a very Chargers-like 2021 season that ended with the most insane loss in even more insane circumstances that kept them out of the playoffs. LA knows they have a solid roster with a generational QB, but they also knew had to get better to become a true contender. They did that and then some en route to perhaps the best offseason of any team this year. The offense is largely the same, which is perfectly fine considering Justin Herbert is throwing the ball. Herbert is a top 5 QB in my opinion, and could be in for an MVP season. Austin Ekeler is a bonafide Swiss army knife out of the backfield, and the WR trio of Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Josh Palmer is as good as you could ask for. They found a franchise LT in Rashawn Slater and further bolstered the line by taking guard Zion Johnson with their first round pick. But, the offense isn’t what held them back last season. It was the inexplicable incompetence of the other side of the ball that kept them from greatness. The defensive line was solid, but the linebacking core was awful, so they went out and snagged Khalil Mack from the Bears. The corners couldn’t cover a bed or force turnovers, so they brought in INT machine J.C. Jackson from the Patriots, making for a very interesting duo with Asante Samuel Jr. They gave star safety Derwin James a monster deal to help lock down the defensive backfield alongside the very solid Nasir Adderley. This team improved in every area they needed to, and their Super Bowl potential is at an all time high. It helps that the perennial powerhouse of the Chiefs was hit in a massive way this offseason. In the second year under HC Brandon Staley, I expect the Chargers to finally explode en route to one of the best seasons in the league this year. Anything short of that should be considered a failure.

2nd: Kansas City Chiefs (11-6)

As I just mentioned, Kansas City was weakened in a big way this offseason. Trading Tyreek Hill may have been a necessary move to save cap and ensure solid draft picks for the next few years, but it means losing the most dynamic and irreplaceable WRs in the NFL. It removes the explosive potential of the offense, which is what their identity has been in the Patrick Mahomes era. Yes, Mahomes is still under center and Travis Kelce is still the best tight end in football, but one of the heads has been cut off the three-headed monster. I don’t see two more growing back. FA signings like Juju Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling will ensure this passing offense doesn’t disappear entirely, but it’s going to be a lot more old school and methodical than it was before. However, if the preseason is any indication, then the Chiefs can execute that to perfection. Mahomes is still going to be slinging it and getting his numbers, it just won’t be as flashy as it was before. I still really like this defense outside of some pieces in the secondary, but drafting Trent McDuffie could help that if he develops into a solid player. I just think the Chiefs are still too solid to be anything but a playoff team. I trust Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid more than any other QB-HC duo in the league. As long as they’re in Kansas City, this is a playoff team.

3rd: Denver Broncos (10-7)

I’m not going to say it, I promise. The Broncos had one of the more notable offseasons in the NFL, highlighted by the acquisition of Russell Wilson from the Seahawks for one of the largest packages in history. They’re going all in, and for good reason. This was one of the league’s best, young rosters on both sides of the ball. All they needed was a QB to right the ship and lead them to greatness. Russ is a pretty good guy for the job. I love the fit in Denver, and I love what they have going on around him. Javonte Williams is one of the best young RBs in football, and pass-catchers like Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, KJ Hamler, and Albert Okwuegbunam have been waiting to break out. The defense is probably even better than the offense with a tremendous front seven headlined by Bradley Chubb and newcomer Randy Gregory and a sensational secondary with young stars like Pat Surtain II and the freshly-paid Justin Simmons. From top to bottom, this is one of the best rosters in football. So, why only ten wins? Well, it’s a very tough schedule, and it’s hard to assume that the Broncos will immediately be good with a brand new QB in Russ and HC in Nathaniel Hackett. I don’t know how much I buy Hackett as a head coach, and until he proves that he can get it done, I can’t go all in on this team. However, I still believe this is a playoff squad, and while their floor might be 7 or 8 wins, their ceiling is a Super Bowl.

4th: Las Vegas Raiders (9-8)

Let’s break this down for a second. It may have been by the skin of their teeth, but the Raiders were a playoff team in 2021 despite perhaps the most turmoil and internal dysfunction of any team in the league, nearly won a playoff game, and got better this offseason. So, why are they a last place, non-playoff team now? Well, it doesn’t help that the rest of the division is as good as it is. But it’s always just so hard to put any faith in this team. I do love the offseason they had, highlighted by the acquisition of football’s best WR in Davante Adams from the Packers, reuniting him with his college QB Derek Carr. This offense already had solid weapons like Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow led by a QB that’s better than most people think, but adding Adams gives them one of the best units in the league. I also think the signing of Chandler Jones was one of the more under-the-radar moves of the offseason, as the duo of him and Maxx Crosby coming off the edges makes for one of the best pass rushing tandems in the league. However, like several other teams, a few stars here and there are not enough to make a team great. In the case of the Raiders, most of the rest of the team is straight up bad. This is arguably the worst offensive line in the league that just saw former first-round tackle Alex Leatherwood cut after just 2 seasons. They cannot run the ball, and it doesn’t help that the wheels are seemingly coming off of RB Josh Jacobs. And while I like the front seven, the secondary is laughably bad. In a division and conference as good as this, I don’t see the Raiders being able to compete at a high level. I think their talent is more than good enough to put up numbers and win more games than they’ll lose, but the massive holes in the roster will drag them down and keep them outside of the playoffs.

Playoff Picture

1 – Buffalo Bills (15-2)

2 – Los Angeles Chargers (14-3)

3 – Cincinnati Bengals (13-4)

4 – Tennessee Titans (9-8)

5 – Kansas City Chiefs (11-6)

6 – Baltimore Ravens (11-6)

7 – Denver Broncos (10-7)

There’s always plenty of shakeups in the playoffs from season to season, and I see three newcomers to the dance this year in Los Angeles, Baltimore, and Denver. Teams like Las Vegas, Indianapolis, and Miami have a great chance to sneak in, but I trust the teams I have here much more. A playoff field this stacked should make for some very entertaining games. It’ll be hard to top last postseason, but let’s see how this one will play out.

Wild Card Weekend

With the Bills getting the bye, the 2v7 game is an intriguing division matchup between the Chargers and Broncos. I have the utmost faith in Los Angeles this year, and while I like what Denver has going on, I don’t know if I trust them in a spot like this against a team as solid as the Chargers are. I’d say the Bolts pull away for a late win and finally get Justin Herbert into the deep playoffs.

The 3v6 game is another divisional battle with the Ravens going up to Cincinnati. Last year, the Bengals absolutely shredded Baltimore twice. I think the Ravens have an improved secondary, but it’s hard to imagine that Cincy would find themselves losing this one, especially at home. It might not be a blowout, but I can see a comfortable win for Joe Burrow and company. And the narratives around Lamar Jackson in the playoffs reach their apex.

The 4v5 game shapes up to be a slugfest between two of the more established AFC powers in the Titans and Chiefs. Simply put, I don’t bet against Patrick Mahomes in the playoffs, but I do think this game would be very close. Tennessee always manages to give Kansas City fits, and they could sneak their way to victory in this one. But with Mahomes, it feels impossible to pick against the Chiefs.

Divisional Round

The Bills come off their bye and host the Chiefs in the revenge game of the century. Buffalo feels as though they were robbed in last year’s classic in Kansas City, and it’s hard to believe the fire lit under them won’t be blazing in the frigid cold at Orchard Park in January. This is a team on a mission, and if part of the mission is to dispose of the team that ruined their season a year ago, they should be inspired to do it in a huge way. Even with the greatness of the Chiefs, how can I pick against the Bills?

The second divisional game sees a heavyweight clash of two of the best young QBs in football as Justin Herbert’s Chargers host Joe Burrow’s Bengals. The two 2020 first-round signal callers will be MVP candidates this year, and the teams around them are Super Bowl caliber. So, what’s the difference maker in a game like this? Is it home field advantage? In SoFi Stadium, no such thing exists. If it’s experience, then the edge has to go to Cincinnati, right? The answer is yes, but I just have way higher expectations for the Chargers than a home playoff exit. I think this would be an instant classic that sees LA come out on top, declaring themselves as a power in the league that’s here to stay.

AFC Championship Game

So, it’s a Bills-Chargers title game in Buffalo for the right to go to Arizona and Super Bowl LVII. Just thinking about it gets me excited. However, this game might not live up to the hype. For starters, it is not easy at all for a west coast team to come all the way out east and win a game in what could very well be below 0-degree temperatures. But moreover, I just see the Bills as a team on a mission. I don’t see who or what can stop them from exorcising their demons this season. They blow the Chargers out of the water and return to the Super Bowl for the first time since the “Four Falls”, where they can put the narratives to bed once and for all and finally bring a title home to Buffalo.

This is going to be another truly special in the AFC, and I can’t wait to watch it all unfold. Regardless of what happens, I have no doubt that it will be a blast to watch. If I’m wrong in these predictions, then so be it. But if I’m right, you best bet that I’ll flex that for years to come.

My 2022 Mock Draft

The 2022 NFL Draft is finally upon us with an abundance of incredibly talented players ready to hear their names called. Here’s my one and only Mock Draft.

Cover photo taken from Sports Illustrated.

The NFL offseason’s Christmas is finally upon us. Tonight, 32 young men will have their dreams come true as their names are called and they become professional football players. The first round of the NFL Draft is truly a magical night that everyone in football lives for. One of the best parts of the Draft is how unpredictable it is, yet we spend all offseason debating mock drafts and prospect rankings. So, why not throw out my own mock? Here’s how I see tonight playing out from my own, logical perspective. This will be wildly wrong, but this is how I think each and every team picking tonight should go about their selections.

1 – Evan Neal, OT, Alabama

This is the most sensible pick, which makes me almost certain that the Jaguars won’t do this. After selecting their QB of the future last year at #1, it only makes sense to grab a seemingly generational left tackle to protect him, right? The answer is yes, but my gut is telling me that the Jags will forgo logic and draft a pass rusher instead. While I don’t think that would be a horrible move, I’m just a big believer in protecting your young star under center and centering your rebuild around your QB and your tackles.

2 – Aidan Hutchinson, EDGE, Michigan

Nobody rose up draft boards more over the course of last year’s college football season than Aidan Hutchinson, who dominated the Big Ten all season long en route to being a Heisman finalist. He’s a force off of the edge, but I don’t think he’s the top pass rusher in this draft. However, he is too high on too many draft boards to not believe he’ll be the first one to hear his name called. Detroit has a lot of holes to fill, but the defensive front might just be the biggest one. This is a great way to start filling that hole. Hutch stays home and the Lions continue their rebuild with an extremely solid edge rusher.

3 – Travon Walker, EDGE, Georgia

Every offseason, there’s a player who skyrockets to the top of draft boards for seemingly no reason. Whether it’s their performance at the Combine, prospect fatigue, or any other combination of factors, it is bound to happen every spring. The prospect that fits that description this year is Travon Walker. He was a stud at Georgia, but nobody thought of him as a top 10 pick, even after they won the national championship. But, after a very impressive showing at the Combine, he shot up to the top of boards all across the league. There are many who believe he could be the #1 pick. Again, I hope the Jaguars go the tackle route, but it wouldn’t shock me if Walker is the first player off the board tonight. In this case, I think he “falls” into the laps of the Texans, who boast the NFL’s worst roster and need more help at every single position than any team I have ever seen.

4 – Ahmad Gardner, CB, Cincinnati

The Jets rebuild is not going very well. It’s still early, but this team was embarrassingly bad last year, getting absolutely waxed seemingly every single week. Still, they have some solid young pieces in place, and with a couple more in the right spots, they can see some real improvement. One of those spots is the secondary, which got ripped apart in 2021. Here, they grab the best defensive back in the draft in ‘Sauce’ Gardner to immediately improve at their worst position. Luckily for them, they can fill another hole later in the top 10.

5 – Ikem Okwonu, OT, NC State

The Giants have a solid young roster, but still need some help on the offensive line. Even after drafting Andrew Thomas #4 overall two years ago, tackle is perhaps the biggest need for this team. Here, they nab the prospect who many believe is the best tackle in the draft and get a much-needed lift on their offensive line.

6 – Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State

The Panthers have a lot of needs, but the biggest one is OL. I think they opt for the best player available at that position, grabbing a tank of a tackle in Charles Cross to protect Sam Darnold (or whoever may line up under center for Carolina this season).

7 – Kayvon Thibodeaux, EDGE, Oregon

Like their New York counterparts, the Giants are blessed with two top 10 picks. Offensive line is their biggest need, but the other side of the trenches need help as well. Up until November of last year, Kayvon Thibodeaux was the consensus top player in the draft, but he has seemingly seeped through the cracks ever since. The Giants steal who I think is the best pass rusher and second best player in the draft and get a future star coming off of the edge.

8 – Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame

The Falcons are a mess right now. I think they are embracing that fact. They have arguably the worst roster in the NFL, and they could go a million different ways with this pick. I think they opt to simply draft the best player on the board, and that is undoubtedly Kyle Hamilton, who I think is the third best player in this draft. He’s a stellar ball-hawk safety who can make plays in the box and in the defensive backfield. He is one of this year’s can’t-miss prospects, and I think the Falcons would be blessed to have him fall to 8.

9 – Malik Willis, QB, Liberty

The Seahawks are starting over. That’s evident after trading their franchise QB and probably the greatest player in franchise history, Russell Wilson, for a haul of picks and players to kick off their rebuild. This was one of those picks, courtesy of the Denver Broncos, which is great considering the Jets, who pick right after them, own Seattle’s first round pick thanks to that dreadful Jamal Adams trade. So, the Seahawks are in the top 10 and need a new answer at QB. Why not roll the dice on Malik Willis? He’s QB1 on everyone’s board with some of the biggest upside you’ll see in a QB prospect, especially in today’s game. It’s a huge boom-or-bust pick, and while the Seahawks might not be in a position to make a pick like this, I just feel like they desperately want their next great QB.

10 – Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State

Like their New York counterparts, the Jets are blessed with two top 10 picks. As I said before, they need some help in some key spots. After addressing the secondary with the #4 pick, I think they help out their young QB Zach Wilson with a star WR in Garrett Wilson. He’s an explosive target that can get separation and make tremendous catches. Wilson is the exact type of receiver you want to pair next to your franchise QB in a rebuild like the Jets are in, and I think this could be a massive win for them.

11 – Derek Stingley Jr., CB, LSU

The Commanders are a confusing team. This is a seemingly solid roster, but there are a lot more holes than you’d imagine. Perhaps the biggest one is WR, and while I’d love to see this team pick a receiver, the one I want the most is already off the board in this mock. So, I’ll have this team pick perhaps the best player available for their next biggest need, which is defensive back. Derek Stingley is a very good corner who can make an impact from day one. I think he’d be a very solid addition to this defense, which will look to get back to its dominant ways after a rough 2021.

12 – Andrew Booth Jr., CB, Clemson

The Vikings are a solid team that seemingly always gets held back by something. More often than not, it’s their defense getting shredded. They need secondary help badly, and I’d be shocked if they don’t take a defensive back with this pick. Luckily for them, they get Andrew Booth here, who is my CB2 and a stellar playmaker with incredible ball instincts. He was a monster at Clemson, and I think he can be an INT machine in the NFL. I think he’ll do wonders for this Vikings secondary that needs a lot of help.

13 – Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama

via mock trade with Houston Texans

In trading Tyreek Hill, the Chiefs lost one of the most most irreplaceable players in the NFL. Nobody can do what the Cheetah does, and it’s safe to say Kansas City will be trying to fill the hole he is leaving behind through the draft. They own two first rounders thanks to that trade, and I think they’ll use one or both (trading with Houston, who can use all the picks they can get) to climb all the way up here to 13 and snag the closest thing to Hill in this draft in Jameson Williams. After transferring from Ohio State to Alabama, the man they call “Jamo” tore up college football all year long with his incredible speed and rose to WR1 status before unfortunately tearing his ACL in the title game against Georgia. He’ll still be a top pick in this draft, but he won’t be ready for a bit. Still, I think the Chiefs are more than willing to take this gamble, just like they did for Patrick Mahomes five years ago. And, knowing them, I think it’ll pay off.

14 – Jermaine Johnson, EDGE, Florida State

The Ravens need a lot of help on defense. Their secondary fell off a cliff, and their front seven isn’t as effective as it could be, especially with some nice young talent. While I think taking a defensive back here would probably be a good move, the best corners are already off the board. So, I think Baltimore opts for a terrific pass-rushing talent in Jermaine Johnson. After transferring from Georgia to FSU, he proved to be a force with a ton of upside as a pro. I think the Ravens can get a real gem on the edge here, but I expect them to target the secondary as well.

15 – Drake London, WR, USC

The Eagles have a very nice young roster. That showed in their push to reach the playoffs in 2021. However, they are severely lacking in playmakers on offense, especially at the WR position. That seems counter-intuitive, considering they’ve taken a WR in the first round in back to back years now. While Devonta Smith was a great pick, Jalen Reagor appears to be a bust. So, why not make it three in a row and try to make up for that? Drake London is a guy with tremendous athleticism and perhaps the best ball skills of any receiver in this class. He’s a big body that can go up and snag it; think Michael Pittman Jr. (ironically, they were teammates at USC). London could be a huge gift to Jalen Hurts, who could use all the weapons he can get as he enters a prove-it year at QB.

16 – Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa

There are a lot of ways the Saints could go with this pick. QB? WR? DL? How about OL? All of the best rebuilds start with a good offensive line, and New Orleans could get a huge boost here with an absolute TANK in Trevor Penning. Clocking in at 6’7″ and 322 pounds, Penning is a cornerstone tackle that can protect whoever the Saints might be fielding at QB this year, and for many years to come.

17 – Bernhard Raimann, OT, Central Michigan

I think the Chargers would tell you that they’d ideally get a WR with this pick, but I think the best fits for them are already off the board. You can never go wrong with beefing up the offensive line to protect your star QB. Rashawn Slater was a home run pick last year, and I think LA can get a similar one here in Raimann. At 6’7″ and over 300 pounds, Justin Herbert will have plenty of protection from both of his tackles.

18 – Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia

Philly’s defense is solid, but lacking at the linebacker position, as well as with athleticism. With this pick, both of those issues are solved. Nakobe Dean is a freak of nature at LB, and can move from sideline to sideline better than almost anyone I have ever seen. I think he could have an impact on this defense similar to what we saw in 2021 with Micah Parsons on the Cowboys. With this pick and the 15th pick, the Eagles immediately get better at two positions that desperately need help and absolutely ace the first round.

19 – Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas

As I said at #16, the Saints could go a number of ways with this pick. I truly believe they’ll spend one of their first round picks on a receiver. Here, they grab Burks, who may not be the best available WR, but provides a level of physicality that fits in well with this offense. Burks is a physical WR with a Deebo Samuel build that can contribute to this team in several different ways. With Michael Thomas finally coming back from injury, the Saints will finally be competent at WR again.

20 – Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh

I’m not sure if this is the right pick for the Steelers, but it just feels right. Pickett staying home and playing for this team feels like it has been destined for the last few months now. Pittsburgh needs their new answer at QB, and I don’t think it’s Mitch Trubisky. They could use some OL help, sure, but I think they get their guy here and potentially get their quarterback of the future. Who better than the hometown kid?

21 – Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah

This is the most Patriots pick I can imagine. New England doesn’t have many holes on its roster, but I think they could really use some help at WR, CB, and LB. Here, they opt for the best player available at those positions. Lloyd is a pro-ready, do-it-all linebacker who can rush the passer, stuff the run, and play coverage. He’ll be a phenomenal fit in New England, and will make an impact from day one.

22 – Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State

The Packers trading Davante Adams was one of the stories of the offseason. It had to happen, seeing as though they couldn’t afford him. So, they use this pick that the Raiders gave them for Adams to restart with a new potential star WR. Olave is as pure as they come at the receiver position, being one of the smoothest route runners I’ve ever seen at the college level, getting separation like it’s nothing. He’s got great hands and sneaky speed that can lead to some explosive plays after the catch. With plenty of experience under his belt, he’ll walk into Lambeau and immediately be WR1. Lord knows the Packers need it. Can’t wait for them to not take a receiver again.

23 – Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington

The Cardinals are close to being a truly great team. The roster is pretty solid from top to bottom, but the secondary is definitely the weak spot. I think they have to grab the best available DB here, and that’s Trent McDuffie. He’s a phenomenal coverage back with great speed and quickness that will give this physical defense a new, dynamic level of playmaking ability. There are concerns about his size, but I think he’ll be just fine.

24 – Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia

This is the most Cowboys pick I can imagine. I truly think they should take an offensive lineman with this pick, but I just know it’s not going to happen. Jerry Jones loves picking his seemingly controversial guys with huge boom-or-bust potential. Jordan Davis might be the biggest boom-or-bust player in this draft. Weighing in at a gargantuan 6’6″ and 340 pounds with incredible dominance on the defensive interior, Davis is an absolute force to be reckoned with. However, there are concerns about his in-game longevity and potential fatigue or effort problems late in games. If he can sort his stuff out and realize his huge potential, then Dallas could have their hands on another truly generational talent in their front seven.

25 – Kenyon Green, OG, Texas A&M

via mock trade with Buffalo Bills

The Bengals were the ultimate surprise team of last season. It started by winning the draft with taking Jamarr Chase in the first round, and ended with an AFC title and being mere minutes away from winning the Super Bowl. Anyone who watched a second of Bengals football in 2021 will tell you what position they need to address. The offensive line is a porous weak spot, especially on the interior. I think they want to improve there so badly that they move up a few spots, jumping some other teams that may want to address the same position, to take arguably the best interior lineman in the draft in Kenyon Green. He was projected to go much higher a few months ago, but for some reason has slipped on draft boards. He is still a great talent and will provide Joe Burrow with some much needed protection. Hopefully the Bengals don’t stop the offensive line picks here.

26 – Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa

Does anyone remember the fact that the Titans were the AFC’s 1 seed last season? Me neither. This team could go one of several ways with this pick. Maybe they grab a much-needed offensive weapon, or get even better on defense. I say they beef up the offensive line with arguably the best interior lineman in the draft. I see Tyler Linderbaum as a can’t-miss OL prospect and a guy who can come in and be a quality starter from day one. It may not be the biggest need for this team, but they’re in a position to pick the best player on the board, and that’s just what they do here.

27 – Zion Johnson, OG, Boston College

The Bucs still boast one of the NFL’s most stacked rosters, but they are not without their weak spots. There are three that stand out to me: OL, WR, and DB. They could easily grab another playmaker for Tom Brady or another corner to make up for their lack of depth at the position. But, like the Titans before them, I think they just take the best player available. It’s not the flashy pick, but it’s certainly a helpful one. We saw how they went out last season when the injuries started racking up on the offensive line. With the retirement of Ali Marpet, Tampa needs a new rock on the interior of the offensive line, and I think they get that here.

28 – Tyler Smith, OT, Tulsa

After addressing their biggest need with pick #22, the Packers can go any which way they’d like with this pick. I could see them perhaps taking a linebacker, but with the best ones off the board, I think they take the conservative route and get some OL help. Again, it’s not flashy, but it is certainly helpful.

29 – Daxton Hill, S, Michigan

via mock trade with Kansas City Chiefs

The Texans could certainly stay at 13 and take the best player on the board, but I think a potential trade with Kansas City that sees them getting a bunch more picks is too much of a win-win to pass up. So, they come all the way down to 29 and essentially do the same thing, going BPA and getting a stud for their secondary after adding one to their front seven. Dax Hill is a fantastic safety who can make plays on the ball and be extremely physical. Every secondary needs its rock, and I think he can be just that for the Texans. It’s entirely possible that they go for a QB or WR or even an offensive lineman with this pick, but considering they pick again 6 selections after this, I say they go BPA here and get their guy on the other side of the ball at the start of Round 2.

30 – Lewis Cine, S, Georgia

After trading up to get their playmaker, the Chiefs will need to address their needs in the secondary. Anyone who watched a Georgia game last season will tell you how awesome Lewis Cine is. He is always all over the field, attacking the ball or whoever might be carrying it. He’s a physical safety that can make plays all over the place. With the departure of Tyrann Mathieu, Kansas City is able to get a perfect replacement at a position where they need a ton of help.

31 – Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia

via mock trade with Cincinnati Bengals

The Bills have one of the NFL’s best rosters. The only hole I can say they have is running back, but I don’t think that’s the direction they’ll go in here with so much other talent still on the board. I say Buffalo just goes BPA and honestly gets a steal in Devonte Wyatt, who was one of the most dominant defensive tackles in college football last season. At 6’3″ and 315 pounds, he’s a beast who makes lightwork of centers and guards. The Bills defense is already pretty spooky, and they get a huge lift in their defensive interior here.

32 – Jalen Pitre, CB, Baylor

The Lions’ second pick of the first round comes courtesy of the Matt Stafford trade and the Rams’ Super Bowl victory. After getting their star pass rusher, there are a number of ways they could spend this pick. I think they could use this pick on a QB like Sam Howell or Matt Corral, but I just don’t think that’d be the right move. After all, they could easily nab one of them 2 picks later in the second round. I think they just go BPA and grab a fantastic DB in Jalen Pitre, a tremendous athlete with huge playmaking potential. If former first rounder Jeff Okudah can figure it out, then they can prove to be a truly lockdown duo in the secondary in Detroit.

The 2021 NFL Season, a Retrospective

The 2021 NFL season was one of the best we’ve ever seen. Let’s take a look back at the highs and lows of an incredible campaign.

Cover photo taken from Getty Images.

The longest NFL season of all time is in the books, and it was a joy to watch. From start to finish, this season brought all of the emotions out of football fans. Whether it was wild finishes, crazy storylines, or jaw-dropping performances, the 2021 campaign exceeded to the hype. I thought that I should revisit some of that craziness and give my thoughts on the best and worst of the season. Let’s start with the absolute best of the best.

Player of the Year: WR Cooper Kupp

Honorable Mentions: QB Tom Brady, RB Jonathan Taylor

To put it plainly, Cooper Kupp had the greatest individual season I have ever seen. It’s that simple. The numbers and accolades don’t even make sense. They’d be impressive for a career, let alone a single season. Kupp became the fourth receiver in history to win the proverbial Triple Crown. His total stats (regular season + postseason) are straight out of a video game: 178 catches, 2,425 yards, and 22 TD. Kupp was a unanimous All-Pro selection in addition to winning Offensive Player of the Year. Oh yeah, and he caught 2 TDs in the Super Bowl, including the game-winner, to win Super Bowl MVP. The sheer statistics, the consistency, the reliability, and the pure greatness of Kupp this season was something I’ve never seen before. I have seen some great WR and even QB seasons, but nobody has ever achieved what Cooper Kupp did in 2021. And we might never see it ever again.

Super Bowl 2022: The Rams beat the Bengals : NPR
It only made sense that Cooper Kupp’s historic season ended with catching the game-winning touchdown in the Super Bowl, along with winning SB MVP. (h/t Gregory Shamus, Getty Images)

Team of the Year: Cincinnati Bengals

Honorable Mentions: Los Angeles Rams, Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers

They may not have gotten it done in the end, but the fact that they even got there is more than enough for me to crown the Bengals as the most impressive team of 2021. I picked Cincinnati to go 5-12 and finish last in the AFC North. Most fans and members of the media were in agreement that this team would not be good whatsoever. And they were less than 2 minutes away from winning the franchise’s first ever Super Bowl. They opened all of our eyes from Week 1 all the way until Super Bowl Sunday, and I think it’s safe to say that this team is here to stay. They put up crazy numbers all year long on offense and dispatched of everyone else in the division to win their first title in six years. They pulled off multiple road upsets in the postseason, beating the 1 seed Titans and silencing Arrowhead and Patrick Mahomes in the AFC Championship. Between the emergence of Joe Burrow as a superstar QB, WR Jamarr Chase’s historic rookie campaign, and the complete 180 of the defense, the Bengals proved that they were no longer the perennial underdogs. This team is built to contend, and I can’t wait to see what they do next season. Just get Burrow an offensive line. We’re all begging you.

Joe Burrow Earns All-Time Compliment From Ja'Marr Chase Before the 2022 Super Bowl: 'He's Like a God to Me'
The Bengals have nothing to hang their head over, shattering expectations en route to an AFC title. (h/t Rob Carr, Getty Images)

Game of the Year:Chiefs 42-36 Bills, Divisional Round

Honorable Mentions: Chiefs 34-28 Chargers (Week 15), Raiders 30-27 Chargers (Week 18)

Duh. From before this game even went final, we were all in agreement that it wasn’t just one of the greatest playoff games ever, but perhaps the best NFL game of all time. This divisional showdown had all the hype in the world before it even started, seeing as though it was a rematch of the previous season’s AFC Championship Game and another chapter in the budding Chiefs-Bills and Patrick Mahomes-Josh Allen rivalry. From the jump, this game was a delight to watch, being a pure back-and-forth affair that we knew would come down to whoever had the ball last. In what became the ultimate “did they leave too much time” 4th quarter, Buffalo and Kansas City combined for 28 points, 25 of which came in the final 1:54. First, Allen hit WR Gabriel Davis for a 27-yard laser in the back of the endzone (on 4th and 13!) after he broke Chiefs DB Mike Hughes’ ankles to go up 29-26. KC retaliated when WR Tyreek Hill took a simple drag route and ran past everyone in the stadium for a 62-yard lightning strike to retake the lead at 33-29 with 62 seconds left. The Bills refused to say die, and with just 13 infamous seconds left on the clock, Allen found Davis for the fourth time in the game for a 19-yard touchdown to go up 36-33 and seemingly send Buffalo back to the AFC Championship Game. However, somehow that was too much time for the Chiefs. In just two plays, one throw to Hill and another to TE Travis Kelce, KC got down to the Buffalo 31. From there, K Harrison Butker nailed a field goal to send the game to overtime. The Chiefs won the toss, got the ball, and marched right down the field in a beautiful drive culminating in an 8-yard game-winning touchdown pass from Mahomes to Kelce. Mahomes finished with 378 yards and 3 TDs on 33-44 passing, while Allen had 329 and 4 touchdowns (all of which were caught by Davis, who totaled 8 catches for 201 yards) on 27-37 passing. It was absolutely incredible to watch, and considering the stakes and starpower, I don’t know if I’ll ever see a game as exhilarating as this one ever again. Oh, and if you complained about the overtime rules after this game, you need to grow up.

Chiefs vs. Bills score: Patrick Mahomes edges Josh Allen in OT thriller, returns to AFC Championship - CBSSports.com
Patrick Mahomes had the last word in OT of one of the greatest NFL games ever. (h/t Joshua Bessex, Getty Images)

Story of the Year: Tom Brady Finally Retires

Honorable Mentions: Rams going all-in, Packers collapse again

I remember getting the notification and refusing to believe what I read was true. Tom Brady has been in the NFL longer than I’ve been alive, and yet the thought of him no longer playing football refused to register in my mind. It’s still crazy to think about. After 22 glorious seasons, the GOAT called it a career after the Buccaneers’ 30-27 loss in the Divisional Round to the Rams. Many theorized it after Tampa’s early exit, but it was still a shock to us all. Brady obviously accomplished everything there is to accomplish in this league, and he left on his own terms. The loss stung for sure, but I think that winning 7 Super Bowls, 5 Super Bowl MVPs, 3 MVPs, and being the NFL’s all-time leader in QB wins, completions, touchdowns, and yards is a pretty solid consolation prize. He will always be the GOAT, and trying to imagine an NFL without him seems impossible. Is this how people felt when Michael Jordan retired? Any of the three times?

AP sources: Despite reports, Tom Brady hasn't made up mind | National News | wacotrib.com
Tom Brady ended his legendary career on a rarity: an early playoff exit. (h/t Waco Tribune-Herald)

Most Disappointing Team: Cleveland Browns

Honorable Mentions: Los Angeles Chargers, Washington Football Team, Miami Dolphins

Considering that I picked this team to go to the Super Bowl and they didn’t even make the playoffs, this was an easy choice. An 8-9 season filled with abhorrent offense, COVID problems, injuries, and a plethora of questions placed the Browns in perhaps a worse position than their usual purgatory: mediocrity. This team had real expectations for the first time in decades after the unforeseen success of 2020, and they simply collapsed. The running game was a bright spot as always, but QB Baker Mayfield held the offense back from the start of the season until the very end, posting a horrid 35.1 QBR. The defense had a rough start to the year, but they picked it up eventually, and perhaps they can carry Cleveland in 2022. It’s going to be more of a make-or-break season than this year was, and many eyes will be on the Browns next fall. In summary, I think WR Odell Beckham Jr. forcing his way out of Cleveland, where he was a non-factor, and going to the Rams to be a pivotal contributor en route to winning the Super Bowl is the perfect microcosm of the 2021 Browns.

Baker Mayfield must improve on 3rd and 4th downs in 2022
The Browns let us all down in 2021, and it’s largely thanks to the play of QB Baker Mayfield. (h/t Browns Wire)

Most Disappointing Player: RB Saquon Barkley

Honorable Mentions: QB Sam Darnold, QB Baker Mayfield, WR Kenny Golladay

Anyone who drafted Saquon Barkley in fantasy will tell you how much of a dud he was in 2021. It’s such a shame. We were all ready for Saquon to come back with a vengeance after tearing his ACL last year. It’s safe to say we learned to temper our expectations a bit. Once again, Barkley was plagued by injuries, missing four games and being a non-factor in almost every game that he did play in. He finished the year with just 593 yards (3.7 YPC) and 2 touchdowns on the ground. Saquon wasn’t even the best RB on the Giants, being outperformed by Devontae Booker. It was a rough year all-around in New York (which can be said about both teams), with both Barkley and Kenny Golladay being colossal duds for the Giants. I don’t think we’ll be seeing either of them drafted as early as they were this year in next season’s fantasy drafts.

Former Penn State star Saquon Barkley tests positive for COVID-19 with Giants: report - pennlive.com
Saquon Barkley had very few worthwhile games in 2021, the best of which coming against the Saints in Week 4. (h/t Tyler Kaufman, AP)

Most Disappointing Story: The Urban Meyer Experiment

Honorable Mentions: The Chargers being the Chargers, The Deshaun Watson fiasco

If you didn’t expect Urban Meyer to fail tremendously and hilariously in Jacksonville, were you even paying attention? I remember envisioning the Jaguars going up in flames from the moment I heard that he had been hired as head coach. Just thinking about his track record in college and how he forced his way out of so many programs is enough to make me laugh. And I’m an Ohio State fan. The idea of failure was further emphasized when Meyer brought in all of “his guys” to coach alongside him in Jacksonville, none of which were very good. Combine that with the well-known incompetence of the Jags’ front office, and we have a very loud ticking time bomb. The offseason was filled with wackiness, from the signing and releasing of Tim Tebow (as a TE nonetheless) to the trading of backup QB and fan favorite Gardner Minshew. The Jaguars were blown out in Week 1 by the Texans, who many people thought wouldn’t win a single game in 2021. After a Week 4 loss to the Bengals, Meyer was caught being danced on by a random woman at a local bar (which he owned!). Later in the season, reports came out of Meyer being fought by several coaches and his own rookie QB Trevor Lawrence. On December 16th, about 11 months too late, Urban Meyer was finally fired. We’ll see if Doug Pederson can pick up the pieces as the team’s HC in 2022. If he does, he might deserve a Nobel Prize.

Urban Meyer firing: Incident with Trevor Lawrence, James Robinson led to Jaguars letting go of head coach - CBSSports.com
2021 #1 pick QB Trevor Lawrence couldn’t have asked for much worse of a rookie season thanks to the incompetence of the team that drafted him. (h/t Harry How, Getty Images)

And that’s a wrap on the 2021 NFL season. It was a blast from start to finish, and I already can’t wait for the fall. Next up is obviously the Draft, and I’ll have plenty of coverage of that. Be on the lookout for Mocks and perhaps some Commanders-related (still feels weird to say, doesn’t it?) content as well. See you then!

All stats and info taken from ESPN.

So… it’s the Washington Commanders

The long-awaited Washington Football rebrand is finally upon us after over a year and a half of waiting. Here are my thoughts.

Cover photo taken from NBC4 Washington.

July 13, 2020 was a day that every single fan of this team will never forget. After 87 years filled with history and plenty of ups and downs, the NFL team that resides in the nation’s capital would no longer be called the Redskins. Many saw it as the right move, considering the years of backlash from those who believed the name was derogatory and racist. Some hated it and were very against the very idea of being called anything but that name. But, on that fateful summer day in the middle of a global pandemic, this team was the Washington Football Team, effective immediately, with a proper name to come at a later date.

Say what you want about that “name change”, but I truly believe that over the last two seasons as the WFT, the once wacky placeholder grew on all of us. It got to the point that, by the time that an actual new name was upon us, half of the fanbase wanted to keep the Football Team moniker. Realistically, that was never an option. Just before the end of the regular season, the team announced that its new chapter with a new name, logo, and uniforms would begin on February 2nd. After weeks of mock-ups, speculation, and leaks, the reveal was finally upon us. We are now the Washington Commanders.

I have a lot of thoughts on the new name, logo, unis, and more, but I want to preface all of them by saying one thing. The internet absolutely hates change. Every time a team unveils a new uniform or logo or anything, it is met with nothing but resistance. But, sometimes we lighten up to those things. I’m old enough to remember when everyone hated the new Rams and Bengals uniforms. Now, we can’t wait to see them in next week’s Super Bowl. So, what I am doing is something I advise all of my fellow Washington fans to do. Please just marinate in this for a little bit. This decision has been made and there’s nothing we can do, so the least we can do is lighten up. With that being said, here are some of my initial thoughts on the rebrand.

The Name

Guys, I get it. I promise. This isn’t the ideal name for the team. Fans and players alike will tell you that. But, I don’t think this was the worst option in the world. When the team revealed their shortlist of name candidates, I physically cringed at the idea that I’d be cheering for a team called the “Armada” or “Brigade”. I personally really wanted the Red Hogs, seeing as though it gives a nod to the past of both the team and the fans. Take the Cleveland Guardians rebrand, for example. The name Guardians is very similar to Indians, with just one syllable being changed. Similarly, Red Hogs is just one syllable different than Redskins, and it has a hell of a lot more of a personality than Commanders or most NFL team names for that matter. There’s a lot of potential there for logos and shortened nicknames, and I think it was a missed opportunity. Still, while it wasn’t my top choice, I think one day I’ll fully get behind it. Just remember that it could have been a lot worse.

Washington announces new team name: Washington Commanders
The new Washington logo is a slight upgrade from the WFT logo used for the last two seasons. (h/t NFL.com)

This isn’t bad. While I miss having an actual logo instead of a boring old letter, you have to admit that this W is a lot better than the one we’ve seen since 2020. It’s tighter and has more personality, especially considering the new name. “Commanders” is a nod to the military, as team owner Dan Snyder said himself, and this W just looks a lot more militaristic. I personally don’t care about that, but I do think this is a solid logo. There isn’t a lot of room to make a good logo with a name like the Commanders (which wouldn’t have been a problem with Red Hogs, but I digress), so I can get behind this.

The Uniforms

3 ways the Washington Commanders rebrand was a success
The Commanders unveiled their three uniforms, each of which are very different than the team’s previous looks. (h/t Geoff Burke, USA Today Sports)

Anyone who knows me knows how crazy I am about uniforms. I’ll never be able to explain it, but I care way, way too much. So, this was easily the part of the rebrand that I was most terrified of. The very idea that this team was overhauling their uniform for the first time in history was daunting, and I had a feeling they would screw it up. But, I don’t think they did… entirely.

Let’s start with the home unis. Of the three that were unveiled on Wednesday, these are easily my favorites. I honestly love everything about this uni other than the lines above and below the “Commanders” stitching above the numbers on the front. But, I do recognize that gives these jerseys a bit more personality. I also absolutely love the new helmets. The logo looks perfect on them, and between the finish, the return of a stripe, and the burgundy face masks, the helmet is easily my favorite part of the uniform. I will say that, as an avid hater of our all-burgundy combinations in the past, I’m not a fan of us moving to all-burgundy as a permanent home option. However, I’m confident that we’ll see some mixing and matching with the away whites as well. Let’s see those now.

This is where things get a little interesting. I’m not surprised that the team is choosing all-white as a permanent choice for the road, seeing as though we wore all-white more times in 2021 than any season I can remember. We all love the look, seeing as though it is both classic and ice cold. The new away unis are very interesting, especially in the numbering department. The numbers feature a strange new gradient design, similar to what the Rams unveiled in 2020. The shoulder stripes also feature gradients, but with diamonds instead. This was said to be reflective of DC’s diamond shapes and road designs, so that’s cute. I prefer the home set over these, but I think these unis will look a lot better on the field and in game. Poor Chase couldn’t even put on the bottoms as he continues recovering from his ACL injury. In any case, the true controversy lies with the third and final uniform set.

Image
The Commanders’ alternates are a never-before-seen addition to Washington’s uniform catalog. (h/t @Commanders on Twitter)

So, this is new. For the first time in team history, we are going to be in black. That’s cool and all as a concept, but these uniforms are going to take a while to get used to. I will say that I think the gold numbers look fantastic on these jerseys, and their simplicity on the surface is the best part of this whole set. The Commanders patch over the left shoulder pad is an interesting choice, and also clearly influenced by the Rams rebrand of two years past. I might be in the minority here, but I also am a fan of the shoulder patches. The DC flag being on this uniform is a fantastic choice. During this team’s attempts to gain a more positive image in the public eye, they have put an emphasis on getting the people of this city back in love with their football team. The nods to the District in these jerseys is a fantastic way of keeping that up. There are two parts of this uniform that I am not a fan of, however. The first of which isn’t visible in the above photo of Jonathan Allen, and that’s the lines above and below the names on the back of the jersey. That’s just tacky, and it ruins the simplicity that I referenced on the front of the jersey. The other is the helmet, which is the first alternate helmet revealed in the NFL. Having the numbers on the sides is a cute nod to the WFT, but having the logo smack in the middle and on the front of the helmet is one of the more questionable choices of this entire rebrand. I just can’t get behind it right now, but hopefully it looks better on the field than in pictures.

All in all, I really don’t mind this rebrand. It’s a massive change, and that is naturally going to cause some discomfort among fans and rivals alike. But I truly think that this is going to be the start of a great era for this football team. My optimism with this team has always come back to bite me, and I do recognize that we won’t be good any time soon, but at least now we have something to look forward to. In any case, with any name and any uniform on earth, I will always Hail.

Week 4 in Review

Week 4 fit the bill and matched the precedent set by the young NFL season. Let’s recap what happened.

Tom Brady returned to New England and led the Buccaneers to a hard-fought victory over the Patriots in an emotional homecoming on Sunday night. (h/t Adam Glanzman, Getty Images)

This week in the NFL was no different than the other so far in 2021. Week 4 was filled with plenty of fireworks, exciting finishes, surprising outcomes, and just great football. I’m so happy that this season is continuing to deliver on all fronts, especially with the return to normalcy with fans back and all. It’s been great to see. Let’s recap what happened this week:

Bengals 24-21 Jaguars

I told you this game had the potential to be good. And honestly, it was great. Who didn’t enjoy themselves watching this game? You must hate exciting football. These were two young teams with some of the best, most exciting young QBs in the NFL duking it out on primetime television. I wasn’t expecting the Jags to come out the way they did, jumping out to a 14-0 halftime lead, and I was honestly impressed. Trevor Lawrence was slinging the ball with confidence, and the running game looked very solid. I was also vastly disappointed in the Bengals offense, but they obviously picked it up in the second half. Coming out of the locker room, it was the Joe Burrow show, and I must say, I’ve never been more impressed with him at the pro level. From the methodical opening drive of the half, which included a gorgeous sideline throw to rookie WR Jamarr Chase, to the clutch factor and amazing leadership shown in the 4th quarter when they went down 7, Burrow was everything you could possibly want out of a franchise QB on Thursday night. He took all the hits, made all the right audibles at the line, and delivered every throw on the money to not only tie the game in the 4th, but also lead the game-winning drive, capped off by a 35-yard field goal as time expired. Lawrence looked solid with 204 yards on 71% completion, but it was Burrow’s night. He was sensational with 348 yards and 2 touchdowns on 78% completion, and he looked better than I believe he ever has. Now, Cincinnati is sitting atop the division at 3-1, and they might not be a fraudulent 3-1. I’ll get into that more tomorrow.

Washington 34-30 Falcons

Good lord. I don’t even know where to begin with this one. You could write a book about this game and it would be thicker than a bowl of oatmeal. I suppose we can start at the top. Atlanta dominated this one early thanks to more dreadful incompetence from Washington’s vastly overrated defense. After an opening drive FG and a busted coverage deep shot to Cordarrelle Patterson, it was a quick 10-0 lead for the team in black. Washington responded very well, however, thanks to some really great play from QB Taylor Heinicke, which was the story of the game. He delivered a gorgeous 33-yard touchdown pass to WR Terry McLaurin: a perfectly placed ball in between 2 defenders in the endzone. Another TD drive later, and the WFT led. That would be short-lived sadly, as Patterson victimized the secondary once again for a touchdown with 14 seconds left before the break. The second half started with a bang as DeAndre Carter returned the opening kick 101 yards for a touchdown for yet another lead change. Something important to note is that on this touchdown and the previous one, K Dustin Hopkins missed both extra points. Keep that in mind. This would be yet another short Washington lead as Patterson caught yet another touchdown to go up 4. A WFT FG cut the deficit to 1 thanks to the aforementioned missed extra points. Then, the madness truly began. On the most ridiculous 4th down plays you’ll ever see, Matt Ryan threw an interception, but the referees missed his knee touching the ground, which would have gone down as a sack and gave Washington much better field position. What the refs did see apparently was an egregious “roughing the passer” call on DE Chase Young, who made slight contact with Ryan’s shoulder pads while he hadn’t even thrown the football yet. I don’t even want to talk about the call because of how bad it was, and I still cannot wrap my head around it. This made everything that happened on the play irrelevant as it resulted in a first down, and Atlanta drove the ball for another touchdown to go up 8. By this point, everything seemed to be out of reach. But Heinicke simply doesn’t say die. He connected with McLaurin once again on a ridiculous deep touchdown, but a failed 2-point try left the game at 30-28 with 4 minutes left. After a defensive stop, the ball was in #4’s hands with a chance to create magic once again. Only needing a field goal to take the lead, Washington got chunk play after play to get all the way down to the Atlanta 30-yard line. With 33 seconds left, Heinicke found himself with all day to throw, came back across the field to find RB J.D. McKissic who then maneuvered all the way down the sideline and made an incredible leap for the pylon for what proved to be the game-winning touchdown. It was an incredible play that was truly a microcosm of what this team is. Give them a chance, and they won’t waste it. Granted, this game wasn’t without its plethora of issues, but I’ll get into that more tomorrow. On the bright side, Heinicke was the star of the show with 290 yards and 3 touchdowns on 70% completion, and his favorite target McLaurin feasted with 123 yards and the 2 aforementioned scores on 6 catches. This is an offense that can do damage, but if the defense doesn’t tighten up, then problems will obviously persist. I pray to God that I never have to sit through a game like this again this season.

Bills 40-0 Texans

What was uglier in Buffalo on Sunday, the weather or the Texans’ performance? I’d easily go with the latter. Which is saying something if you saw the conditions during this game. There really isn’t much to say here aside from the obvious. The Bills have continued to impress me in the weeks since their opening upset. This offense is still firing on all cylinders, and the defense is playing some great football as well. I’ll let the numbers speak on this one. Buffalo outgained Houston 450 yards to 109, had 26 first downs compared to 6, and held the ball for 17 more minutes, all while forcing 5 turnovers. Josh Allen continued to shine, WR Stefon Diggs had a classic Diggs game, and TE Dawson Knox put on another great performance with 2 TDs as he continues to emerge into a legit redzone weapon. The Texans were the Texans we expected to see all year long, thanks to the play of 3rd string QB Davis Mills, who had 4 INTs on the game. This was just ugly from start to finish, and everyone knew it would be.

Bears 24-14 Lions

What a strange game. It feels like a lot but also not much happened in this one. There are some definitive takeaways, though. First of all, the Lions are still a trainwreck. I picked them to win this game because they certainly looked like the better team, but they simply could not get out of their way on Sunday. Two turnovers in huge moments derailed them greatly. Those turnovers let the Bears do exactly what they needed to get this win. They ran the ball right down the throat of Detroit’s defense all game long, and that was the key to victory. RB David Montgomery had a very solid showing with 106 yards and 2 touchdowns on 23 carries, but unfortunately he seemed to have suffered a serious knee injury that could derail his season. It was also the first solid outing for rookie QB Justin Fields, who had 209 yards on just 11 completions thanks to some good-looking deep shots. The Lions didn’t play a poor game by any means, as they led time of possession and were only outgained by 25 yards, but again, they continued shooting themselves in the foot. Now, they sit at 0-4 with no real success in sight. Things are somehow sadder than expected.

Cowboys 36-28 Panthers

This was easily the most eye-opening performance of the week. Maybe the biggest one of the season. The Dallas Cowboys are legit, ladies and gents. This is one of the best teams in football. I never thought I’d be saying that, but here we are. This was a compelling game for the first half, as both teams traded blows headlined by the balanced offensive attack of Dallas vs. the surprising brilliance on the ground from Panthers QB Sam Darnold, who had 2 rushing touchdowns in the first 2 quarters. From there on out, however, it was all Cowboys. A 20-0 3rd quarter with 3 passing touchdowns set the tone emphatically, as Dallas carved up Carolina’s #1 statistical defense on the ground and Dak Prescott made them pay through the air. The Panthers got some garbage time scores to make this game look close, but that wasn’t the story at all. The Cowboys dominated and left their mark. Prescott threw for 188 yards and 4 touchdowns on just 14 completions, while the ground game dominated for 245 rushing yards, with 145 coming from Ezekiel Elliott, who also added a score of his own. Dallas’ defense also did their thing, as they kept the dynamic Panthers offense in check for the entire game (outside of garbage time) and CB Trevon Diggs yoinked his 4th and 5th interceptions of the season. If this team can stay this balanced on offense and this aggressive defensively, they will make things very interesting in an already stacked NFC.

Colts 27-17 Dolphins

What a mess of a game. From the play on the field to the fact that I couldn’t see what was happening half of the time because of the awful camera work, this game was just a headache. Simply put, this was another offensive disasterclass from the Dolphins. 203 total yards, 2 turnovers, and some very poor QB play held this team back for the entire game. Indy didn’t play lights out or anything close to it, but they were the better football team by default. They stayed relatively mistake-free, Carson Wentz wasn’t too erratic with the football, and RB Jonathan Taylor finally decided to show up with his best performance of the young season thus far. That was all that was necessary to win this game. Neither of these teams left anything on the field to inspire any confidence or change my opinions on them. It was just so uneventful.

Browns 14-7 Vikings

Whatever I expected to happen in this game did not happen. At all. I never would have predicted this to be the slugfest that it was, but I’ve been wrong before. This was just ugly, run-centric, defensive football from start to finish. The passing attacks that I thought would thrive were remarkably limited, and this game came down to whoever’s defense would step up more. That was Cleveland’s, and it’s reflected on the scoreboard. This is a unit that has had a lot of questions, but was playing great ball coming into this game. In the clutch, it was their strength that allowed them to win. Cleveland’s offense didn’t play great by any means, although the ground game was its usual self. Baker Mayfield only threw for 155 yards on a lousy 15/33 passing. But the constant pressure of Kirk Cousins on the other side of the ball, alongside the surprisingly great play of the secondary is what made the difference. That really meant something to me. The Vikes had every opportunity late, but they refused to cash in, and now sit at an unfortunate 1-3. I still feel pretty bad for them, but a little less so after this one.

Giants 27-21 Saints

I mean what the heck. I can’t remember the last team as confusing as this Saints team. I genuinely have no idea what’s going on down there. How do you blow an 11-point 4th quarter lead to the Giants? The Daniel Jones-led Giants! Explain it to me! The offense wasn’t anything flashy, but they still put together several nice scoring drives to go up 21-10 with 12 minutes left. Jameis Winston was efficient throwing the ball, and Alvin Kamara had a great day on the ground. But as soon as they got that lead, the defense forgot how to play football. With 7 minutes to play, they let Saquon Barkley get free on a wheel route down the sideline, and he proved that he can still be as explosive as anyone in football as he took it the distance to cut the lead to 3 after a 2-point conversion. The Giants then marched down the field once again to tie the game and send it to overtime. And fittingly, on the first drive of the extra period, Barkley punched in a 6-yard score to cap a 9 play, 75-yard drive to win the game and put the Giants in the win column for the first time this season. It was the cherry on top for an inexplicably bad defensive performance in which New Orleans gave up 485 total yards including 402 passing yards. I thought defense was this team’s strong suit? Nothing makes sense right now in the Big Easy.

Jets 27-24 Titans

Pigs are flying. Mountains are crumbling. Oceans are drying up. Deserts are flooding. The impossible has happened. Against all odds, the New York Jets won a football game. I don’t even know how it happened. This was a very uneventful game through 3 quarters, but the 4th was anything but. These teams somehow traded blow after blow, and the Jets were able to take a 7 point lead thanks to an admittedly awesome touchdown throw from rookie Zach Wilson to WR Corey Davis. New York actually got the 4th down stop they needed to win the game, but a pass interference call allowed the Titans to stay alive, and they ended up tying the game on a touchdown with just 16 seconds left. Overtime was a war of attrition, as both teams went on 13 play drives that ate up almost the entire 10 minute period. The Jets were first and got a field goal to go up by 3, and the Titans were unable to match as Randy Bullock missed a 49-yarder that would have made this one end in a tie. I’m thankful that didn’t happen. Thus, the Jets earned their first win of the year, and they honestly deserved it. I couldn’t believe it, but they were the better team. Wilson had the best game of his young career with 297 yards and 2 touchdowns with just 1 interception. The Titans offense amassed 430 yards of offense with over 40 minutes of possession, but they simply refused to put enough points on the board, which is shocking considering they were playing the Jets of all teams. This game told me more about Tennessee than New York, but they have one thing in common. Both teams suck.

Chiefs 42-30 Eagles

That was honestly really fun. What was there not to love about this game? The Eagles got destroyed all while Patrick Mahomes had a field day to pad his stats and help fantasy owners worldwide. America wins! Mahomes and the Chiefs offense were brilliant, as he threw for 5 touchdowns and the team amassed 471 total yards. Tyreek Hill returned to his explosive ways with 186 yards and 3 touchdowns on 11 catches. However, the defense was still extremely questionable. They gave up 461 yards of their own, and even before garbage time, they were playing fairly porous football. They allowed Jalen Hurts to throw for 387 yards on them, which isn’t very… ideal. Their secondary is just nonexistent right now, and they aren’t generating a consistent enough pass rush to make an impact. Week 5’s SNF contest against the Bills is another national TV exposé waiting to happen.

Cardinals 37-20 Rams

What a statement. This was the most impressive win of the week, no doubt, but we might need to cool off a bit. I think the Rams were a bit high coming off of their win against the Buccaneers, and they needed this reality check. That being said, the Cardinals deserve their flowers. They were just awesome from start to finish. From the jump, you could tell that this was their game. Kyler Murray was dishing it out with ease to a plethora of offensive weapons, and Arizona surprisingly had whatever they wanted against a very stout Rams D. A couple of first half turnovers from LA didn’t help their cause, and it helped things get away from them early. After falling behind 10-7 in the 1st quarter, the Cards ripped off a 30-3 run to absolutely sledgehammer their way to victory and a 4-0 record, making them the lone unbeaten team in football. Murray continued his scorching hot MVP campaign with 268 yards and 2 touchdowns on 75% passing, spreading the ball all over the joint. Again, I think the Rams will be fine, and they honestly needed this wakeup call. Now, they’ll come back down to earth, and resemble the team we saw in the first 3 weeks.

Seahawks 28-21 49ers

Kudos to Seattle for bouncing back like this, but I’m taking things with a massive grain of salt here. For one, they were drastically outplayed. They put up points when they were presented with opportunities to, especially after some untimely 49ers turnovers, but I look at 2 big things in this one. Firstly, Jimmy Garoppolo went down with an injury, meaning rookie QB Trey Lance had to come in. Lance didn’t necessarily struggle, but he was never going to do anything special in his first real game action. Secondly, Seattle allowed 457 yards of total offense and was outgained by 223 yards. They might have been efficient, but they didn’t look good as a whole. The defense still got carved up, and I just didn’t see enough to truly impress me. I think they got away with one here.

Ravens 23-7 Broncos

I am so underwhelmed. But more than that, I feel really bad for the Broncos. They looked so good and Teddy Bridgewater was playing so well, and now it’s all falling down. It was rough sledding already for Denver in this game, as a monster 2nd quarter from the Ravens put them behind multiple possessions. But Teddy got walloped on a hit to the helmet and had to leave this game with a concussion, and he’s still in the protocol right now. Naturally, the Broncos stood no chance in this one with Drew Lock under center, but the Ravens still put up their stats against a great defense. Lamar Jackson had a prolific day through the air with 316 yards passing, and WR Hollywood Brown redeemed himself with 91 catches on 4 catches with an incredible diving touchdown. They were also able to continue their 100-yard rushing game streak, although it took them until the final play to do so. Thus, the Broncos are unbeaten no more, and as long as Teddy is out, I’m not very confident in them. I’m hoping for him to have a speedy recovery.

Packers 27-17 Steelers

This game essentially went exactly how I predicted it would. None of Sunday’s events at Lambeau shocked me or moved me at all. I’d say the two things that moved me the most were Ben Roethlisberger actually connecting on a deep shot, a 45-yard touchdown to Diontae Johnson in the 1st quarter, and Packers WR Randall Cobb grabbing 2 touchdowns out of nowhere. I always felt Cobb coming back was more of a formality to please Aaron Rodgers, but if he can actually be productive for this offense, it will do wonders for the Packers. Rodgers was pretty good in this game, and his offensive line was a big reason why. He was only pressured on 18% of snaps against a ferocious front 7, and although he didn’t have his most accurate day at the office, he did more than enough to help his team win. The Steelers were their same old selves on the offensive side outside of the one aforementioned deep ball, and it’s still as ugly as ever. There’s nothing more I can say about that I haven’t been saying for almost a year now.

Buccaneers 19-17 Patriots

What a game. Tom Brady’s return home did not disappoint on any emotional or game-related notes. This really could have gone either way, and if we’re being honest, the Patriots probably should have won this one. But, it doesn’t always roll that way. It felt like they were ahead for a large majority of this game, and that was in large part thanks to the very good play of Mac Jones. The rookie QB played perhaps his best game yet, at one point completing 19 consecutive passes, and I think he was the only reason this game was close. The Patriots’ run game was nonexistent, as you ran for more than they did on Sunday night. Yes, you did. New England finished with -1 rushing yard(s). Thus, it was all on Mac, and he delivered. He had 275 yards and 2 touchdowns on 78% completion, and he spread the ball around the offense nicely. But sometimes, Tom Brady is just too much to overcome. The GOAT didn’t have his best stuff on Sunday night, but when it came down to it, he did what it took to win, setting up 2 late field goal drives to take the lead. On the game’s final possession, the Patriots were moving the ball efficiently and looked as though they were in a position to win the game, but a crucial 3rd down stop left them faced with 4th and 3 on their 40-yard line. For some reason, despite the rainy conditions all night, Bill Belichick opted to kick a 56-yard FG, which Nick Folk pushed and doinked off the upright to seal a Bucs win. It was a questionable decision, and you’ve gotta wonder if the gravity of the moment got to the man in the hoodie, but even if Folk were to have made that kick, they would leave just under a minute for Brady to try and win it himself. It seemed as though no matter what, #12 was leaving Foxboro with a W.

Chargers 28-14 Raiders

The Chargers keep on making statement after statement, and I’m loving every second of it. This team just keeps proving me right and then some, and they have now established themselves as one of the premier teams in football. This was all powder blue all game long, and it was an offensive firework show. The Chargers got it done all night long through the air and on the ground, as both QB Justin Herbert and RB Austin Ekeler had sensational outings. Herbert had 222 yards and 3 touchdowns, all of which coming in a 21-0 first half for LA, and Ekeler had 117 yards on just 15 carries as well as a rushing score and a receiving touchdown. Everyone on offense was getting involved, as Herbert completed passes to 8 different targets. LA’s defense also continued its stellar play, shutting down the NFL’s most prolific statistic passing offense, holding Derek Carr to just 196 yards and making every stop necessary to put a cork in any potential comeback efforts. The Raiders may have been undefeated, but I told you they weren’t flawless. This defense scared me, and it showed big time on Monday night. This is going to be the story of their season, especially against teams as solid and well-rounded as the Chargers are. Meanwhile, the Bolts look like one of the league’s best teams, and my inclination is that they’re only getting better. How much harder can lightning strike?

All stats taken from ESPN.

Week 3 in Review

This past week brought all the fireworks that we have come to expect from the 2021 NFL season, and then some. Let’s recap what happened in Week 3.

Justin Herbert led the Chargers to a huge upset victory over the Chiefs on Sunday to establish his team as a true contender. (h/t Denny Medley, USA TODAY Sports)

For the third week in a row, NFL football was an absolute treat. Week 3 continued to bring the best of everything. From jaw-dropping moments, amazing performances, heart-stopping finishes, and an unforgettable doink, this might have just been the best week of the young season. Let’s recap what happened:

Panthers 24-9 Texans

Thursday Night Football was about as uneventful as it appeared to be on paper. Outside of a 2nd quarter TD pass by rookie QB Davis Mills, the Texans were nothing short of anemic on offense from start to finish. Houston amassed 193 yards, less than half of the Panthers. The rookie QB had a decent game, throwing for 168 yards and a touchdown, but the Texans were simply never in this game. It was another great game for the aforementioned Panthers offense, with Sam Darnold throwing for 304 yards, 126 going to WR D.J. Moore, and committing 0 turnovers, propelling his team to a surprising 3-0 record. However, Carolina did not get out of this game unscathed. Star RB Christian McCaffrey, who looked great coming off of last year’s injury, suffered a hamstring injury and will be out for several weeks. Moreover, rookie CB Jaycee Horn, their first round pick, broke his foot and will be out for a while. It’s two big blows to a team that seemed to be chugging along very well early in the season. It will be interesting to see how they perform in the coming weeks as the schedule gets harder.

Bills 43-21 Washington

This game in a word: embarrassing. That is, if you’re looking at it from the perspective of the WFT. Let’s start with the positives however, all of which falling with the team in blue. This game was exactly what we expected out of Josh Allen and the Bills offense after last year. Even last week’s 35-0 blowout of the Dolphins didn’t show us what we saw on Sunday. Allen was spectacular, throwing for 358 yards and 4 touchdowns on 74% completion, adding another score on the ground as well. Buffalo’s offense moved the ball up and down all day long on Washington’s defense to the tune of 481 total yards, 16 more first downs, and over 11 more minutes of time of possession. They also didn’t commit a single turnover, while the defense forced 3 of their own (2 interceptions and a fumble recovery). Now, you might be asking, “why did the game come so easy to the Bills?” And the answer is the absolutely dreadful performance by the other team. Washington did not even show up to this game. It’s a miracle that they scored 21 points. From the jump, you could tell that they either didn’t want to be there, or they were so unprepared that they didn’t even deserve to be on the field. For the third time in three games, the once-vaunted defense gave up an opening drive touchdown, this time on an 8 play drive that included a 3rd and 15 conversion, the first of 9 conversions on 15 attempts in the game by Buffalo. 2 more easy, seamless touchdown drives later, and it was 21-0. The “best defensive line in football” generated no pass rush, and the secondary was getting torn apart, whether they were in zone or man. How does a front filled with 1st round picks get 0 sacks? I understand Allen is mobile, but come on. What are we doing here. The offense wasn’t much better. Outside of a sensational catch and run for a touchdown by RB Antonio Gibson, who is still somehow being criminally underused, and a subsequent TD after a strange, fluke kickoff, Washington was just as bad with the ball in their hands. QB Taylor Heinicke was nothing short of dreadful, constantly forcing the ball into tight coverages and throwing 2 very poor interceptions (he would have had 3 if it weren’t for a penalty). To make a long story short, this game said a lot about the Bills and their potential, but it said much more about the incompetence of Washington. This team has a plethora of issues: coaching, personnel, effort, etc. It is genuinely embarrassing to watch.

Browns 26-6 Bears

You’ve really gotta feel for Justin Fields. In the rookie QB’s first NFL start, he was given perhaps the worst gameplan I have ever seen, and got absolutely destroyed. The Browns won this game convincingly, that’s apparent just from the score, so let me give you some more numbers that speak for themselves. Cleveland sacked Fields a whopping 9 times, half of them coming from star DE Myles Garrett, thanks to Chicago’s inexplicable dedication to a 5-man protection with one of the worst offensive lines in football. The Bears moved the chains 6, yes, SIX times in the entire game. They amassed 47 (!!!) total yards of offense. Their net passing yardage? 1 yard. One. Single. Yard. Three feet. A single hash. Once again, the majority of these issues stem from the dreadful offensive line play, but the even worse gameplan from HC Matt Nagy. It was so bad that it almost seemed like Nagy was sabotaging Fields, which is not too hard to believe. The kid was thrown out there with the intention of him getting killed, and it was disgraceful to watch. I just feel terrible for him. Cleveland wasn’t even very impressive in this game, they just went out there and played football, and that was more than enough to beat this joke of a Bears team.

Ravens 19-17 Lions

I have seen more than enough instances in several sports in my lifetime to understand that some higher power does not want certain teams to be happy. The Detroit Lions might be the biggest example of that, and Sunday’s loss was just another chapter in a seemingly never-ending book of heartbreak. That being said, I want us to backtrack a bit. The Lions never had any business being in this game late. The Ravens, for all their struggles, were the better team throughout. Lamar Jackson was dialed in throwing and running the football, and if it wasn’t for not one, not two, but three huge drops by WR Hollywood Brown, this game would have been a blowout. However, the NFL is not a “could’ve would’ve should’ve” league. Baltimore made mistakes and very nearly paid for them. In the second half, the Lions staged 3 consecutive scoring drives, getting 2 touchdowns and a late field goal to take a 1 point lead with just 64 seconds on the clock. A couple of stops and penalties later, and all they had to do was stop a Ravens 4th and 19 on their own 16 with 26 seconds left. They gave Lamar all day in the pocket, and he was able to find a receiver with enough separation past the sticks to pick up an improbable first down. Still, they were well out of field goal range, and with just 7 seconds left, a win seemed out of reach. Baltimore ran one play, a simple throw out of bounds to kill some clock, but they got away with an egregious delay of game to still be in position to kick a field goal rather than throwing up a Hail Mary. They rolled out Justin Tucker to at least attempt a game-winning kick from a whopping 66 yards out. Tucker put everything into it, and while it was right down the middle, it looked like it might be a little short. It took a bounce off the crossbar and went end-over-end perfectly into the net, and the Ravens won it. Between the insane kick, the missed delay of game, the inexplicable 4th down conversion, and seemingly supernatural factors, the Lions were never meant to win this game. You can’t help but feel sorry for them.

Titans 25-16 Colts

Amidst a plethora of wild games, this may have been the most uneventful game of Week 3. And it’s hard to believe it went the way it did. I’ll let the numbers do the talking on this one. RB Derrick Henry had another king-like performance on the ground, racking up 113 yards on 28 carries. Ryan Tannehill did his thing as well, throwing 3 touchdowns to go along with 197 yards through the air. However, there is a stat in this game that makes no sense to me. The Titans turned the ball over 3 times in this game. The Colts never committed a turnover. And still, Tennessee had 103 more yards of offense and 8 more minutes of possession. How on earth is that possible? The Colts were spoon-fed chance after chance and did absolutely nothing with it. The struggles have to be attributed to the subpar play of QB Carson Wentz, who had a measly 194 yards passing on 51% completion. I understand that he has been banged up, but against a pretty bad defense like Tennessee’s, that is a poor, poor statline. Indy also still can’t get RB Jonathan Taylor going for some reason, as the second year man only put up 64 yards rushing. The Colts were played into the game, but they played themselves right out of it. I expected a lot more out of this team, but their incompetence on offense has cost them every game they’ve played in, and it has dug them a nearly insurmountable 0-3 hole. I suppose you reap what you sow.

Chargers 30-24 Chiefs

After over a year of making incredible plays and racking up insane stats, Justin Herbert finally has his signature win. The Chargers’ young QB put on a masterpiece on Sunday in Arrowhead in an absolute thriller, but I want to start with the other team first. I dismissed a lot of the questions with the Chiefs after last week’s loss in Baltimore, but now, I’m starting to have questions of my own. Did the offense still do their thing? Absolutely. But, it wasn’t without a lot of problems. The Chiefs turned the ball over 4 times, a stat that is so uncharacteristic of this team that you’d think it was a lie if you didn’t watch the game. Half of those turnovers were interceptions thrown by Patrick Mahomes, and both of them were questionable. The first one came on a patented no-look pass, but it still should have been caught by the receiver. The second one, however, was a screw-it ball that you never see Mahomes throw. It almost seems like this team is getting desperate, and I really don’t understand why. I know their defense has some shortcomings, but there is 0 reason for this offense to be playing this style of offense. Speaking of that defense, let’s get into Herbert’s game. After a slow first quarter, #10 was dialed in for the rest of the game. It was a back and forth affair that saw the Chargers in prime position to win after the second of the two aforementioned Mahomes picks. In a tied game, LA was faced with a crucial 4th down and decided to go for it due to kicking troubles that had plagued them all game long. Even after a false start backed them up 5 more yards, the Chargers still went for it and got it on a huge catch by Mike Williams, who had another massive game. A few plays later, and Herbert found Williams once more, this time for the game-winning touchdown with 32 seconds left. It was the icing on the cake for a masterful game for them both, with Herbert throwing for 281 yards and 4 touchdowns and Williams catching 7 passes for 122 yards and 2 scores. This was a win that seemingly means a great deal, not just in the division, but in the landscape of this season. Not only have the Chargers emerged as a legit threat, but the Chiefs have a lot of questions that need answering very fast in an ultra-competitive division.

Saints 28-13 Patriots

I wouldn’t let the score fool you on this one. The Saints were certainly the better team in this game, but the margin might not have been too massive. The Patriots got a ton of unlucky breaks that were ultimately their downfall. Between an insane touchdown throw by Saints QB Jameis Winston in which he was being tackled backwards, a carom that led to a pick six, and some other bad bounces, New England didn’t have much go their way on Sunday. However, I don’t want to discredit the Saints. Their defense showed up in a massive way, picking off rookie QB Mac Jones 3 times after he hadn’t thrown a single interception in his first two games. While the Patriots outgained the Saints in total yards, it was New Orleans’ defense that locked it down to secure the win. The Patriots offense just raises so many questions. In a seemingly run-first offense, Jones threw the ball 51 times. He was also somehow the team’s leading rusher with just 28 yards. This was never the most talented unit, but it seemed good enough to get the job done, especially against a Saints defense that got gashed just a week ago. But this might be what the Pats are now. New Orleans might be even more confusing, given their extremely inconsistent nature through 3 weeks, but that’s a story for another time.

Falcons 17-14 Giants

What a snoozefest. Approximately nothing of note happened in this game. The biggest thing that happened at MetLife on Sunday was Eli Manning’s halftime ceremony. Here’s all that you need to know: the Falcons were down 7 in the 4th, and on the their final two possessions, they scored a touchdown and a game-winning field goal as time expired to go home with the win. And that’s about all I got for the game itself. The Giants are now in an 0-3 hole and are still in just as poor of a position as they’ve been for the last 5 seasons now. There is seemingly no saving this team from the pit of despair that they’ve dug themselves. On the other side, Atlanta picked up their first win of the year with likely not many to follow, but it was still good for this group to pick up their first W under new HC Arthur Smith.

Bengals 24-10 Steelers

If you weren’t aware that the Steelers have a Ben Roethlisberger problem before Sunday, then surely now you do. Of all of the lethargic, uninspired performances that we’ve seen from the Steelers offense over the last two seasons, this week’s might have been the worst one yet. The statsheet might be a little deceiving on this one, so I’ll just tell you what I saw from Pittsburgh. Big Ben was absolutely dreadful. Not only could he not throw the ball downfield, but even short and intermediate routes looked terrible. The actual Big Ben would be more mobile in the pocket, as the Bengals were able to get 4 sacks on the statue of a QB. Ben also threw 2 picks, one of which being a literal dumpoff to the defender. I understand he’s old and I understand he doesn’t have the best offensive line, but what I saw on Sunday was just inexcusable. The injury-riddled defense was just as bad, allowing the Bengals to carve them up despite having the ball for 11 less minutes. QB Joe Burrow had a nice bounce-back game with 172 yards and 3 touchdowns on 78% completion. 2 of those scores went to Jamarr Chase, who has burst onto the scene early in his career. Any and all questions about him have surely been dropped (see what I did there?). I don’t know if the Bengals will have a better season than the Steelers. But they looked like the significantly better team, and I think that’s an accurate reflection of where these two franchises are right now.

Cardinals 31-19 Jaguars

I’ll give credit to the Jaguars for sticking in this game for a lot longer than I thought they would. Granted, that only came from one of the wildest plays you’ll ever see. The Cardinals, for some reason, wanted to attempt a 68-yard field goal at the end of the first half, and naturally came up short, but Jamal Agnew took it from the back of the endzone all the way back for an amazing 109 yard touchdown to take the lead going into halftime. The Jags might not have a play that good for the rest of the season, but to be fair, they have set a pretty high bar. The second half was all Arizona, however, as you would expect. Kyler put up the numbers once again with 316 yards on 82% completion and a rushing touchdown to continue to bolster his early MVP campaign. It wasn’t as flashy of a game as so many of their others, but they did what they had to do to win this easy one and get to 3-0.

Broncos 26-0 Jets

This game confirmed something I have thought for a while now: the Jets are truly the worst team in football. I thought it after last week, but this atrocious performance confirmed it. I don’t even take much pride beating this dead horse. It’s just painful to watch. The Broncos, on the other hand, are a delight to watch, and even though they’re a bit banged up, they still seem to be running like a well-oiled machine. Everyone was getting involved on offense, and it was really nice to watch. Teddy Bridgewater had another efficient outing with 235 yards on 76% completion. Both Denver RBs, Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams, found the endzone. And the defense ensured that the outcome of the game was never, ever in doubt. I understand that Denver hasn’t really played anyone this year, but I really like what I’m seeing from this team. I’m excited to see what they do when they start playing real football teams.

Raiders 31-28 Dolphins

Please, Vegas, let me breathe every once in a while! Between the need to come back in every game and the undying love for overtime, the Raiders are a walking heart problem. I think most of the credit for the latter part of that goes to the resilience of the Dolphins. Even without Tua, they held their own for the majority of this game. They started up 14-0, and even after giving up 25 unanswered points, they clawed their way back into the game, scoring the game-tying touchdown and 2-point conversion with 2 seconds left. In overtime, needing a field goal to tie and a touchdown to win, they were faced with a 4th and 20 deep in their own territory and somehow converted. They extended the game with a field goal, but the Raiders did their thing to win the game with a field goal as time expired. It was a fun, back and forth affair, but the Raiders should have won this won a lot easier. That being said, they came out with a win to get to 3-0, and they did it in style. QB Derek Carr continued his insane play, throwing for 386 yards to extend his league lead as well as 2 touchdowns. Vegas is a real threat in the AFC West right now, but for some reason, I still have my doubts with the longevity of that. More on that tomorrow.

Rams 34-24 Buccaneers

The Game of the Week/Year didn’t exactly live up to the hype, but the quality of football on display at SoFi on Sunday was sensational. From start to finish, this was a complete masterpiece by the Rams. HC Sean McVay had an outstanding gameplan, and his team executed it to perfection. While the first half was close, LA got a late touchdown to go into halftime up 7, and then came out of the locker room blazing with a long touchdown pass from Matt Stafford to Desean Jackson to assert their dominance in the game. It was another stellar performance from Stafford, who threw for a massive 343 yards and 4 touchdowns. 2 of those scores went to Cooper Kupp, who has emerged as the WR1 on this team and a truly lethal threat. Kupp had 96 yards on 9 catches in addition to the 2 touchdowns. The Rams defense also did their job to make sure the game never got to be too close, although Tampa had themselves quite the day on offense as well. They had 446 offense, 39 more than LA, with 432 of those yards coming from Tom Brady’s arm. However, it was the Bucs’ inability to run the football that would be their downfall. This team is plenty good enough to win games throwing the football, as they demonstrated on opening night, but against a team as stacked as the Rams, it’s a futile effort. I have no doubt that the Bucs will bounce back, but for now, they have been knocked off the mantle. The NFL’s new team to beat resides in the City of Angels.

Vikings 30-17 Seahawks

This game amplified exactly what I thought about both of these teams: the Seahawks are not as good as we thought, and the Vikings are much better than their record would suggest. I’ll start with the winning team. It was a very easy but very strong day at the office for Minnesota’s offense, as they had whatever they wanted on the ground and through the air, even without Dalvin Cook in the lineup. Kirk Cousins had another great game with 323 yards and 3 touchdowns on 79% passing. WR Justin Jefferson continued his star play with 118 yards and a touchdown on 9 catches. And in Cook’s stead, backup RB Alexander Mattison was surprisingly awesome with 112 yards on 26 carries. The Seattle defense was just as porous as ever, and it did their offense no favors whatsoever. It wasn’t the worst day for the Seahawks on that side of the ball, but they simply didn’t do enough to win. The 17 points on the scoreboard should tell the story there. I just don’t know if Seattle has what it takes to overcome their shortcomings. Meanwhile, Minnesota is a lot better than I thought, and I already thought they were good. If Kirk Cousins can continue to play mistake-free football and this offense stays healthy, they will be very competitive, and they could find themselves winning a good amount of games this year.

Packers 30-28 49ers

Aaron Rodgers is back. Drop all the storylines. End all the conspiracy theories. The Bad Man is back and ready to take names. I really thought the 49ers defense had what it took to keep this man in check, and I was very, very wrong. The Packers jumped out to an early 17-0 lead on the back of incredible throw after throw from #12. For the entire first half, the entire Green Bay offense was seemingly unstoppable. The second half, on the other hand, was a different story. The Niners defense actually did make a few stops to put their offense in a position to score points, and they did just that. It wasn’t the prettiest game from Jimmy Garoppolo, but the San Francisco QB did what he had to do, and with just a couple minutes left, he found his team down by 6. Jimmy led the 49ers on an impressive drive right down the field that included several key 3rd down conversions, and was capped by a 12 yard catch and run by FB Kyle Juszczyk to take a 1-point lead with just 37 seconds left. Fans all over the Bay Area were going crazy ready to celebrate their team being 3-0. Little did they remember that any amount of time on the clock is too much time left for Aaron Rodgers to do his thing. With zero timeouts and those 37 seconds left to play, it took just two plays, two throws from Rodgers to Davante Adams, to get the Packers in fringe field goal range. For some reason, the 49ers didn’t feel like covering the most lethal WR in football, and it set up Green Bay perfectly. Masno Crosby lined up to kick the game-winner and nailed it from 51 yards out to complete the upset. It was vintage Rodgers and a moment that the Packers needed not just for themselves, but to shut up all the narratives about them. Rodgers finished with 261 yards passing and 2 touchdowns, but the star of the show was Adams, who had 132 yards and a touchdown on 12 catches. It was awesome to see him make the big catches to set up the winning kick considering he got absolutely walloped on a hit earlier in the game that somehow wasn’t flagged. Ball truly never lies. The moral of this story is simple. It doesn’t matter how good you play for 59 minutes of football. You cannot give the Bad Man even a second.

Cowboys 41-21 Eagles

Relax, Cowboys fans. The Eagles are as bad of a team as you’ll play all year long. Be lucky you face them twice. That being said, I really liked what I saw out of Dallas on Monday Night Football. Their offense played great against a terrible defense, that was more than predictable. Dak Prescott had another very good game, throwing for 238 yards and 3 touchdowns. Dallas’ 2-headed monster on the ground delivered once again as well, as Ezekiel Elliott ran for 95 yards and 2 touchdowns and Tony Pollard added 60 yards on 11 totes of his own. But in my opinion, the story of this game, and this team, continues to be the defense. The Cowboys D has surprised me big time this season. This unit was just dreadful a year ago, but they look like a completely new unit so far in 2021. The stars of the show are the kids on the block: CB Trevon Diggs and LB Micah Parsons. Diggs has been lockdown so far this season, clamping Eagles WRs all night long and adding a pick 6 for the icing on the cake. And Parsons, the team’s first round pick, brings a whole new level of athleticism and dynamic playmaking ability to this defensive line. Maybe Dallas finally has the defense to match the offense. But, like I said, this is the Eagles, so I’ll try not to overreact. While Philly looks the part on the statsheet thanks to some late-game statpadding and catchup football, this team is just unwatchable on both sides of the football. Jalen Hurts is clearly not the answer at QB, and outside of WR, there isn’t a single position that this team has down right now. They might be in a sorrier state than they were last year. What a mess.

All stats taken from ESPN.

Week 1 in Review

The NFL returned last week with fireworks, late thrills, and some incredible games. Let’s review what we saw in Week 1.

QB Matt Stafford lit it up in his Rams debut on Sunday night in one of the better performances of Week 1. (h/t Ronald Martinez, Getty Images)

The NFL returned in incredible fashion this past week. Between some incredible games, amazing atmospheres with fans back in the stadium, standout performances from established stars and newcomers alike, Week 1 was an absolute blast. If all 18 (yes, remember it’s 18 now) weeks of the regular season are like this, I cannot wait to see what else is in store for us. Let’s recap what happened in all 16 games:

Buccaneers 31-29 Cowboys

The kickoff game was unlike anything I expected, but that was perfectly fine. This was still an incredible game, and the Cowboys still lost. Win-win! This should have been an easy one for the Bucs, but no team can be flawless, especially in Week 1. It started out nearly flawless, though, as Tampa took an early 7-0 lead on a picture perfect drive from QB Tom Brady. Dallas would bounce back on an impressive play by WR CeeDee Lamb, who took a nice pass from QB Dak Prescott 22 yards to the endzone to tie it early. Dak looked pretty good in his first game back, but you could tell his shoulder issues were giving him a lot of trouble. In the first half, the teams would trade touchdowns again, and thanks to some fortunate turnovers on mistakes by the Bucs RBs, Dallas led 16-14 late in the first half. But, Brady delivered a beautiful deep ball to WR Antonio Brown for a 47-yard score to take a 21-16 lead into the break. The second half was more of the same back and forth action, with both Dallas WR Amari Cooper and Tampa TE Rob Gronkowski catching their second touchdowns of the game, and the score heading into the 4th was 28-26 in favor of the Buccaneers. The Bucs would go on a long, time-consuming drive that reached the Cowboys’ 10 yard line which was going to all but ice things, but WR Chris Godwin fumbled the ball, and the game was right back on. Prescott led his team right down the field to set up the go-ahead FG with 1:24 left in the game, which Greg Zuerlein nailed from 48 yards out, seemingly redeeming himself for his earlier struggles (2 missed FGs and a missed XP). But, any time on the clock is too much time for Tom Brady, who marched the Bucs down the field with ease to the Cowboys’ 20 yard line, where Ryan Succop hit the game-winner. It was an incredible, back-and-forth affair full of offense and just enough sloppiness to keep things interesting. Both QBs were stellar, as Brady threw for 379 yards and 4 TDs (he also had 2 INTs, but neither of them really count as one was on a dropped screen and the other was on a Hail Mary), and Prescott threw for 403 yards with 3 TD passes and 1 INT. But neither team was without their problems. Tampa was extremely sloppy, with the aforementioned fumbles and drop making this game significantly closer than it ever needed to be. Meanwhile, Dallas could not run the football whatsoever, as RB Ezekiel Elliott only carried the ball 11 times for 33 yards. You simply cannot ask Dak to throw the ball 58 times a game 17 times in a season and expect good results. I’m sure this won’t happen much with either team for the rest of the season, as the Cowboys won’t have to face many defenses this strong, and no team stays as careless with the football as the Buccaneers were on Thursday night. This was a great game between two good football teams, and the better team won in the end. I couldn’t have asked for a better start to the season.

Eagles 32-6 Falcons

Well, this one was a bit shocking. To me, there are two major things that stuck out in this game: the play of Eagles QB Jalen Hurts, and the ineptitude of the Atlanta Falcons. Hurts had a lot of questions coming into this season, between his playing ability to whether or not he could be an effective leader of this team. He looked incredible in both facets on Sunday. Granted, this Falcons defense is one of the worst in football, but I will give credit where credit is due, because Hurts passed the eye test as well by all accounts. In the first quarter, he threw an absolute dime down the sideline to his old college teammate and Eagles first-round selection WR Devonta Smith for an 18-yard touchdown to go up 7-3 on what was Smith’s first NFL catch. In the second, with just 2 seconds left in the half, he escaped very tight pressure and threw an absolute laser to TE Dallas Goedert in the endzone to go up 15-6, and Philly never looked back. Hurts would add another score in the second half, and finished with a statline of 264 yards, 3 TDs, and no turnovers on 77% completion. So many Eagles, Smith, WR Jalen Reagor, RBs Miles Sanders and Kenneth Gainwell just to name a few, really showed up and showed out in Atlanta on Sunday for one of the more impressive wins I saw in Week 1. But, again, this is in large part due to the fact that the Falcons are an absolutely pathetic excuse for a team and a franchise. As I’ve stated time and time again, this team did nothing to address any of their seemingly infinite number of issues, and it showed in a big way on Sunday. The Falcons never reached the endzone, only scoring 2 FGs, both of which coming in the first 15:08 of the game. Their defense was porous as always, and the offense, which is supposed to be the bright spot, was absolutely stymied with only 260 total yards. I always thought this was one of the worst teams in the NFC, but this bad? Good lord.

Steelers 23-16 Bills

The Pittsburgh Steelers pulled out the UNO reverse card on me this week. This game pretty much went the exact opposite of how I predicted it. Well, at least in a way. It was the Bills who got that late score to make this a one-possession final, but I never could have accounted for how we got there. Buffalo took a 10-0 lead into the break, thanks to a 3-yard laser from QB Josh Allen to WR Gabriel Davis in the back of the endzone with 22 seconds left in the first half. The second half, however, was all Steelers, especially on the defensive side of the football. A pair of 3rd quarter FGs made it 10-6, and an early, impressive 4th quarter touchdown catch by WR Diontae Johnson gave Pittsburgh a 13-10 lead. On the ensuing possession, the defense forced a 3-and-out, and the special teams blocked the punt for a touchdown to suddenly go up 20-10. This was one of the definitive turning points of Week 1, and it all but locked up the game for the Steelers. That’s because their defense was absolutely suffocating the potent Bills offense. Even when Buffalo would drive it into Steelers territory, they had to settle for FGs late in the game, and it allowed the Steelers to hold on to win it. Their offense was virtually nonexistent, as they were outgained by Buffalo by 119 yards, but it didn’t matter. It goes to show how valuable a good defense is in this league. And it once again proves my point about how one-dimensional the Bills are. It will be their downfall.

Bengals 27-24 Vikings

This one was a lot of fun. The return of Joe Burrow was awesome to see, and it’s safe to say that the Bengals signal-caller is just fine. It helped that his former college WR1 and Bengals first-round pick Jamarr Chase was able to burst onto the scene in a major way. Chase caught Burrow’s second touchdown of the second quarter: a beautiful 50-yard pass down the near sideline to take a 14-7 lead with 35 seconds left in the half. Burrow would finish the game with 261 yards passing and those two touchdown tosses on 74% completion. He also got a big boost from his running game, as RB Joe Mixon had 127 yards and a TD on 29 carries. Minnesota’s offense did their thing as well, as the story of their day was QB Kirk Cousins and WR Adam Thielen. The two hooked up on two scores of their own, and a late touchdown run by star RB Dalvin Cook made it a 3 point game. Cousins led an impeccable late drive to set up a game-tying field goal, which K Greg Joseph nailed from 53 yards out to send the game to OT. Both teams went back and forth for a while, but a late fumble by Dalvin Cook set the Bengals up perfectly, and as time expired, rookie K Evan McPherson knocked one through the goalposts for a 27-24 victory. It was a very fun game, and I’m honestly really happy that the Bengals won the way they did. This game was everything they could have asked for, and while they won’t be a very good team this year, at least they have some things to look forward to. I hope it stays that way.

49ers 41-33 Lions

It has only been one week, but the 49ers might have already won the title for “Worst Blown Cover” of 2021. This was a blowout, as I expected, right from the jump. The 49ers surpassed my predicted score in the first half alone. They scored 17 points in the last 2:25 of the half to go up 31-10 heading into the break. Coming out of the locker room, WR Deebo Samuel made a remarkable play to adjust to an underthrown football and turn it all the way upfield for a 79 yard score to punctuate a great game (9 catches, 189 yards, and that score). It was just going to be your run-of-the-mill NFL blowout, as with 2 minutes left in the game, San Francisco led 41-17. But, for some reason, only then did the Lions realize how to play football. They needed 3 touchdowns with 3 2-point conversions in 120 seconds to tie the game, and they had no business even coming close to that. They got the first of the three with 1:53 left on a 1-yard scamper by RB Jamaal Williams and a 2-point catch by TE T.J. Hockenson. Then they needed to convert an onside kick, which only happened FOUR (4) times in the entire 2020 season. So, naturally, they did it. Then they marched all the way downfield in the blink of an eye, and WR Quintez Cephus caught a TD and 2-point conversion. Detroit was 2/3 of the way there. They weren’t able to get the next onside kick, but they still had a chance. All the 49ers needed was a first down to end the game. They were able to get one thanks to a first down catch and run by Deebo Samuel, but he fumbled the ball, and of course the Lions recovered. Now, with a minute left and 70 yards to go, they just needed to do it one more time. Detroit would get all the way to the SF 24-yard line, but they ended up turning the ball over on downs with 17 seconds left to finally end the game. It could have been one of the most insane comebacks in NFL history, but instead, it was your average 8-point win (not like the spread was 8.5 or anything). Despite the blown lead, I really loved what I saw from the 49ers, but they were playing one of the worst teams in football, so I’ll wait a little bit to jump to any conclusions on them. And while I loved the fight that the Lions showed late, I don’t like that it took them 58 minutes to find that fight. They better hope they figure it out sooner in the rest of their games.

Cardinals 38-13 Titans

Whew. I think we might have just witnessed the birth of something special on Sunday. This was all Cardinals all day, but moreover, it was the Kyler Murray show. The 3rd year Arizona QB put together one of the most electric, impressive performances I’ve seen in a very long time. Every time I saw the next thing he did, it just shocked me even more. Whether it was his first quarter dime (and I mean DIME) on the run to DeAndre Hopkins in the back of the endzone, his second quarter touchdown sprint, or his two incredible third quarter touchdown throws to Christian Kirk, one of which was a jump throw leaning back, Kyler was a complete highlight factory. Everyone on this offense was getting involved, and it all started with #1. We all know his unique skillset makes him one of the most dynamic players in football, but I don’t remember the last time it was on full display like this. I know it’s only Week 1, but in the early MVP conversations, I’d put Kyler right up there. If he can keep this up for a whole season, this team might be borderline unstoppable. It helped that his defense put together a masterclass, especially up front. DE Chandler Jones had a whopping FIVE sacks, and star Titans RB Derrick Henry, who ran for over 2000 yards in 2020, had only 58 on 17 carries. The Cardinals did what they had to do to improve from last year, and I think they are in prime position to do damage in the NFL’s toughest division. I am so excited to see what this team has in store. Meanwhile, the Titans better hope they sure up their offensive line, because their defense is still an absolute joke. If they can’t get Derrick Henry going, they can’t get anything going. If this is to be the story of their year, it will be a tragedy.

Seahawks 28-16 Colts

There are only a few players in sports that you should never bet against at a certain period of time. One of those is Russell Wilson at the beginning of a football season. Last year was impressive enough, but this early encore was an incredible sight. Russ threw 3 touchdowns in the first half, including a 69-yard BOMB to WR Tyler Lockett, his second of the game, with 41 seconds left in the first half for one of the nicest touchdowns of the week. It was genuinely one of the most impressive deep balls I’ve ever seen, but I suppose I should always expect that with Russ. He’d add a fourth touchdown throw in the fourth quarter, and thanks to a very impressive performance by Seattle’s defense, this one was never in doubt. QB Carson Wentz didn’t look terrible in his Colts debut, but there was nothing he could have done to overcome Russell Wilson’s masterclass on the other side of the ball. The fact that the Seahawks were able to do what they did to a very solid Colts defense should strike fear into the hearts of teams around the league. But I can’t forget what I saw from this team last year. Russ started the season scorching, but the team eventually fell off when his back got tired of carrying them every week. If they can play this balanced for an entire season, not many teams will be able to stop them. If not, we already know how the story plays out.

Chargers 20-16 Washington

Sigh. I still don’t know if I’ve calmed down from this game. I’m still just as infuriated as I was on Sunday afternoon, if not more so. Was this game extremely wacky? Yes. Did each team have every opportunity to win it? Absolutely. But that doesn’t change the fact that what transpired in Landover wasn’t ridiculous. I don’t even know where to start. How about the defense? This Washington D has been hyped up all season to be perhaps the best in the entire NFL. So they naturally gave up a touchdown on the opening drive of the season: a 10 play, 75 yard march from LA that took less than 6 minutes. Like a hot knife through butter. In all fairness, from that point on, the defense was not nearly as porous. But that doesn’t mean they didn’t struggle. It doesn’t help that the WFT offense was not doing their defense any favors whatsoever. 3 first half field goals are never going to cut it against a team as talented as the Chargers are. Moreover, it doesn’t help that QB Ryan Fitzpatrick went down in the second quarter, after taking a really tough hit on a throw that resulted in a hip subluxation. Enter playoff “hero” Taylor Heinicke, who definitely did his job. Heinicke drove the team right down the field on the opening possession of the second half, including a rainbow ball to WR Terry McLaurin, who made the catch of the week and maybe the best catch of his career, to set up an 11-yard touchdown toss to TE Logan Thomas to take a 16-13 lead. The rest of the game was nothing short of an absolute mess. On the ensuing possession, the Chargers marched all the way down the field once again, and on the 12th play of the drive, an incomplete pass by QB Justin Herbert was ruled a fumble that rolled out of the back of the endzone for a touchback. It was a very lucky break for Washington, who proceeded to do nothing with it. They did go on a long drive, but it resulted in a missed FG. The defense was able to step up again, as new CB William Jackson III stepped in front of an overthrown ball by Herbert for the game’s first real turnover. Unfortunately, Washington handed the ball right back to LA on an unlucky fumble by RB Antonio Gibson on the very next play, setting the Chargers up at the 3-yard line. Herbert delivered a gorgeous backshoulder touchdown throw to WR Mike Williams, who made a great catch to take a 20-16 lead. Washington wasn’t able to do much on their next possession, punting the ball away with just under 7 minutes to play. Surely this vaunted defense could get a stop in that time to give their offense a shot to win the game, right? Wrong. Very wrong. When facing a 3rd and 16 from their own 12, the Chargers somehow converted on a Keenan Allen catch and run. 3 plays later, they converted yet another 3rd down. Then, after another 3 plays, they moved the chains once again. And then, stop me if you’ve heard this before, they converted another 3rd down once again 3 plays later, this time to ice the game. It ended up being a 15 play drive that ate up the final 6:43 of the game, which included 4 separate 3rd down conversions. Herbert was making throw after throw after throw, finishing with 337 yards and a touchdown, and the Chargers receivers were making literally every single catch. The only way I can describe what I saw was that it was simply absurd. The Chargers converted 14 of their 18 3rd downs in this game. I don’t even want to think about that stat. They absolutely dominated time of possession, and while they deserved to win, I just can’t get over how pathetic of a performance this was by the WFT. Now, the team has to turn to Heinicke long-term, as Fitzpatrick is out for 6-8 weeks. See what happens when this team has expectations? Their season ends before it even gets to start. Such is life.

Panthers 19-14 Jets

The Sam Darnold Bowl™ didn’t exactly live up to the hype, but it was still interesting to watch. There isn’t a whole lot to talk about here, but the two things I wanted to touch on have to be the two QBs. Sam Darnold looked very sharp in his first game in Carolina, throwing for 279 yards and a touchdown, a beautiful deep ball to his former Jets teammate Robby Anderson. It helped that RB Christian McCaffrey is back in full force, as he was unstoppable. CMC ran for 98 yards on 21 carries to go along with a team-high 89 receiving yards on 9 catches. This will be a fun Panthers offense, but they will only be as good as Darnold is. I think this was a good start. On the other hand, you had Zach Wilson making his NFL debut with the Jets. And, to be honest, he didn’t play too poorly. He got off to a rough start, but thanks to an early 16-0 deficit, he was able to just air it out and get his stats in the second half. He threw a couple very nice TD throws to new WR Corey Davis to go along with 258 yards, but only had a 54% completion rate. I still really don’t know what to make of Wilson yet, but I have to admit, this wasn’t the worst start ever. We’ll see where it goes from here.

Texans 37-21 Jaguars

…What the heck? I really don’t know what to say here. I do know one thing for sure: the Jaguars should be absolutely embarrassed. There is no conceivable way this should have ever happened. Going up against the worst team in the NFL by a longshot, they got absolutely demolished. This game was 27-7 at halftime and 34-7 at one point. How, how, HOW is that possible? Did the Texans play a good game? Yes, they very much did. But how is that possible? This team is dreadful. Are the Jags still just as bad as they were a year ago? Is the Urban Meyer experiment already a colossal failure? It might be too early to tell, but this was the worst sign possible, especially in Week 1. The #1 pick, QB Trevor Lawrence, didn’t look horrible, but he wasn’t without his shortcomings. While he did throw for 332 yards and 3 touchdowns, much of that was just statpadding. What stands out to me is the 3 picks and 55% completion. He wasn’t going up against a very good defense, but still struggled. I know for a fact that he’ll be just fine, but this wasn’t the start I imagined for him. If this is how the season is going to go for Jacksonville, it is going to be one of the ugliest displays we’ve ever seen. I can already sense a lot of impending doom with this team. Do you know how bad you have to be to let the Texans blow you out? The Jaguars are simply the proverbial slow-motion car crash of the NFL.

Chiefs 33-29 Browns

This game was everything I hoped for and then some. It was a game that felt like the stakes were super high, and all of the brightest stars showed out to make the biggest plays. It was all Cleveland to start, thanks to their exceptional running game. The Browns got out to a 22-10 first half lead thanks to a pair of TD runs from RB Nick Chubb and some very solid play from QB Baker Mayfield. Not to mention their defense doing a good job of containing one of the most explosive offenses in NFL history. But, the second half was vintage Kansas City. A Travis Kelce TD and a Harrison Butker FG made it a 2 point game heading into the fourth, but the Browns bounced right back with another rushing TD, this one from former Chief Kareem Hunt, to make it a 2-score game again with 10 minutes to play. Then, the Mahomes Magic was activated. The Chiefs QB launched a “screw it” ball 50 yards downfield while rolling out of the pocket in the direction of WR Tyreek Hill, who somehow lost his defender, adjusted to the football, hauled it in, turned it upfield, and naturally outraced everyone in the state of Missouri for a 1 play, 75-yard lightning strike to cut the lead right back down to 2. It was a vintage Chiefs play, and it gave KC the spark they needed. After getting a defensive stop on the next possession, the Arrowhead crowd was so jazzed up that the Browns punter fumbled the snap and was taken down at his own 17 yard line, setting up the Chiefs perfectly. They naturally took advantage right away, as Mahomes found Kelce once again to take the 33-29 lead. The Browns had the opportunity to win it, but with the game on the line, Baker Mayfield made an errant throw that was picked off to seal the deal. Baker was simply trying to do too much, and paid the price for it. This was a spectacular game that felt like a playoff game, and I truly believe we’ll see these teams play again in January. This was my AFCCG prediction, and I’m not backing down on it at all. What I saw from Kansas City was exactly what I always expect out of them. And, even in defeat, I really loved what I saw out of the Browns. They proved to me just what I wanted them to: they can go toe to toe with anyone. This team will only get better and better, and I think they’re destined for huge things in 2021.

Dolphins 17-16 Patriots

This was the closest thing to a mirror match I think I have ever seen in an NFL game before. I mean, seriously, these teams are virtually exactly the same. They both have great rosters from top to bottom and are led by two young Alabama QBs who are still trying to figure it out in this league. The only difference is, this was the debut for Patriots QB Mac Jones, whereas this was the start of year 2 for Tua Tagovailoa in Miami. Both young signal callers held their own in this game, but it was dominated by the defenses. While the QBs made plays with some help from their playmakers, this game was always going to come down to whoever could get the crucial stops. Up by 1 in the 4th, it had to be Miami’s D to get the job done. With under 8 minutes to play, Jones led New England on an impressive drive down the field to put his team in position to, at the very least, kick a go-ahead FG. They got all the way inside the Miami 10 yard line, but it was not to be. RB Damien Harris had the ball knocked out by LB Jerome Baker on a simple run up the middle, which was recovered by the Dolphins. It didn’t ice the game, but it was pretty damn close. To Tua and the offense’s credit, they were able to keep moving the chains in the final 3:31 of the game to put the game on ice and pull off the upset in Foxboro. It was a classic, defensive battle that we should get used to seeing between these two rivals. Again, the offenses held their own, but for two teams that pride themselves on defense, it had to be that side of the ball to win the game. I have no doubt that both of these teams should have their fair share of success this season, and I’m looking forward to their next matchup.

Saints 38-3 Packers

I have no idea what to say about this one. I am simply too perplexed. I have been watching football for a very, very long time, and I have never seen something like this. Did the Packers have a turbulent offseason? Absolutely. Nobody is disputing that. But they worked out all their kinks. Aaron Rodgers is back, as is the rest of the team. There shouldn’t be any major issues here. But there are glaring issues, and that glare is blinding me. This game was never close. Not even for a second. The Saints had their way with the Packers on both sides of the ball from start to finish. It did not even matter that they were without their legendary starting QB and star WR of yesteryear. This was one of the best performances from New Orleans I have seen in a while. And I still can’t wrap my head around it. QB Jameis Winston was sensational in his first Saints start, putting up one of the funniest statlines I’ve seen. On just 14 completions, Winston threw for 148 yards and 5, yes, FIVE touchdowns against the defending 1 seed in the NFC. Everyone on the Saints offense was doing their thing, and it was honestly awesome to watch. It’s not even like the Packers defense is bad, as it was a top 10 statistical unit in football last season. But the Saints defense was much, much better. On that note, the Packers offense with the defending MVP at QB, the best statistical WR in football, and a RB who they just gave $48 million to, did approximately nothing. Green Bay accumulated a grand total of 229 total yards. Their leading rusher, A.J. Dillon, ran for 29. The aforementioned statsheet-stuffing Davante Adams only caught 5 passes for 56. And Rodgers, after all the offseason drama, only completed 15 passes for 133 yards and 2 very ugly INTs. I genuinely do not understand what I was watching. Is this what the Packers are now? Has all the hoopla and drama ruined this team? Is Aaron Rodgers a cooked product? Are the Saints really just this good? It is way too early to tell what the truth is, but it’s safe to say this is the most confusing game I’ve seen in a long time. Who knows what the future holds for either of these teams.

Broncos 27-13 Giants

As a whole, the Broncos looked like one of the better teams I saw in Week 1. From the jump, this was all Denver in East Rutherford. It was not remotely close. The decision to start Teddy Bridgewater at QB over Drew Lock is already looking like a galaxy brain move by HC Vic Fangio, as he looked extremely solid in his first start for Denver. Teddy Two Gloves threw for 264 yards and 2 touchdowns on a whopping 77% completion. The rest of the team looked just as good, on both sides of the football. RB Melvin Gordon III did his thing, running for 101 yards on 11 carries, punctuated by a 70 yard touchdown run in the 4th quarter. The defense, which is back healthy and ready to suffocate teams, did just that against an albeit weak Giants offense. They held New York to just 7 points, which came 6 minutes into the first quarter, until the game’s final play. They limited star RB Saquon Barkley to just 26 yards on 10 carries in his first game back from last year’s ACL injury. And outside of a first quarter touchdown catch and run by Giants WR Sterling Shepard, the secondary was limiting options for QB Daniel Jones all game long. The only problem for the Broncos in this game was the injury to star WR Jerry Jeudy, who got rolled up on late in the game and sprained his ankle. It looked like a break, so a sprain that will sideline him for 4-6 weeks is definitely dodging a massive bullet, especially since it seems like this team can definitely contend for a playoff spot in the AFC. I’m surprised I doubted them so much, but hindsight is always 20/20. This will be one of the more fun teams in football, and I’m excited to keep watching them. The Giants however, are still an absolute mess, and I have no idea when it’s going to get fixed. I don’t even think Daniel Jones is the main problem anymore. This team just isn’t as good as we thought they were. At least they have 17 more weeks to prove me wrong.

Rams 34-14 Bears

As if the expectations in the City of Angels couldn’t get any higher. The Matt Stafford debut in LA on Sunday night was what every single Rams fan has been waiting for and then some. Right from the get-go, Stafford made his stamp on this team, as his second pass of the game was a gorgeous deep ball to WR Van Jefferson, who stumbled, but got up and ran in for a 67-yard touchdown that immediately set the tone for not just this game, but perhaps this season in LA. Stafford would deliver another gorgeous deep ball right at the start of the second half, this time to WR Cooper Kupp, who was seemingly in his own zip code, for a 56-yard score. The Bears hung around for a while, thanks to an earlier touchdown run by RB David Montgomery and a short, goal-line TD run by rookie QB Justin Fields, who only played a few snaps in this game, but it wasn’t enough to contain the Rams. They were simply too much on both sides of the ball. Even without Cam Akers, the running game thrived thanks to Darrell Henderson, who ran for 70 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. Stafford would deliver one last dame, this time in the back of the endzone to WR Robert Woods, who tapped his toes for the cherry-on-top touchdown. Stafford finished with 321 yards and 3 TDs on 20-26 passing. He delivered on all of the hype that was built all throughout this offseason against a defense that is certainly no joke. As I said, the already high expectations are even higher now. Between his ability to elevate this offense to the next level and this defense’s ability to suffocate opposing teams, the Rams could be one of the forces in football this year. Meanwhile, the Bears have one simple thing to do: start Justin Fields. It’s just the right thing to do. Andy Dalton is a great guy and a solid QB, but he’s not the future, and he’s not right for this team right now. Stick with the guy you traded up for who is going to be your future, who literally showed promise in this game. You have a very good RB, solid WRs, and a great defense. You can win games. You just have to do the right thing.

Raiders 33-27 Ravens

Did we just get the Game of the Year in Week 1? We definitely got a contender. Our first Monday Night Football game of 2021 was a thriller from start to finish, but this one really amped up late. Even with the plethora of RB injuries, the Ravens’ ground game got off to a hot start, with rookie RB Ty’Son Williams opening the scoring on a 35-yard scamper. The Ravens would double the lead thanks to an incredible play extension by QB Lamar Jackson, who then found WR Hollywood Brown for a 10-yard touchdown strike. The Raiders scored 10 quick points to end the half, and after a 3rd quarter FG by Baltimore, it was 17-10 going into the final 15. Vegas leveled for the first time all night on an impressive, weaving touchdown run by RB Josh Jacobs, but the Ravens bounced right back for another TD run of their own, this one coming from Latavius Murray, who was only signed this past Friday. On the ensuing possession, QB Derek Carr led his team right down the field, and after hitting his star TE Darren Waller on his millionth target of the game, he was able to spin and dive his way into the endzone to tie the game once again. With 3:44 left, the Ravens were in prime position to win it. That’s just what Lamar had in mind, driving Baltimore down to the 30 of Vegas, and with just 37 seconds left, K Justin Tucker booted the go-ahead FG right through the uprights to give the Ravens the lead. That was seemingly it, but Derek Carr had other plans. In just 3 throws, he put the Raiders on fringe FG range, and K Daniel Carlson hit his career longest FG from 55 yards out to tie the game and send it to OT. That’s where the craziness hit a new level. Vegas got the ball first, and they were moving down the field with ease. On a crucial 3rd down, Carr lobbed one up to WR Bryan Edwards, who high-pointed the ball, broke away from the DB, and stretched over the goal line for the game-winning touchdown. Or did he? Despite the teams coming out to congratulate each other on a game well-played, the officials determined that Edwards was short by about half a yard. All the Raiders had to do was punch it in from about a foot away. Simple enough, right? Apparently not. A Carr QB sneak on first down wasn’t enough, and after a false start on second down, Carr was forced to throw the ball. His throw to a wide open receiver went off his hands, then off a Ravens DB’s helmet, bouncing sky high, and eventually into the hands of another DB for an interception in the endzone. All of a sudden, a walkoff win became a situation where the Ravens only needed 3 to win it. It wasn’t meant to be for the crows, however, as Lamar Jackson fumbled the ball on a strip sack by Carl Nassib. 2 plays later, HC Jon Gruden sent out the field goal unit to try and kick a game-winning FG, but for some reason, took an intentional delay of game to back them up 5 yards. It ended up being a galaxy brain move beyond our comprehension, as he sent the offense right back out, and Carr found a wide open Zay Jones streaking across the field for the game-winning touchdown (for real this time). It was a great game for Carr, who threw for a league-high 435 yards to go along with 2 touchdown throws. It was a wild, wacky game full of drama and excitement that not only symbolized this week in football, but the NFL as a whole. It’s just a microcosm of what we missed so much in this league. I’m just so happy we’re back.

All stats taken from ESPN.

2021 NFC Preview and Predictions

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the defending Super Bowl champions, are poised to run it back as the NFL’s best team. (h/t Ben Liebenberg/AP Photo)

In my opinion, the NFC can be described perfectly in two succinct words: top-heavy. The teams that are on top of their respective divisions are typically leaps and bounds ahead of each of their 3 counterparts. That’s not to say this conference is completely lacking in depth, as a division like the NFC West is stacked from top to bottom. But I can easily see a lot of second place teams in the NFC struggling to finish above .500. In any case, the great teams in this conference are exceptional, especially the defending champions. It will be another wild year, so let’s get into how I think it’ll all play out.

NFC East

1st: Washington Football Team (11-6)

Starting things off with our good ol’ Football Team, who honestly dominated this offseason. After last year, which was mainly a developmental one, all of the kinks from early in the season had figured themselves out, and this team is now ready to contend. A few aspects needed to be addressed, and they were in a big way. WR Curtis Samuel signed a 3-year deal to reunite with his former college roommate, Terry McLaurin, making for one of the more dynamic WR duos in the NFL. Washington drafted LB Jamin Davis in the first round of this year’s draft, getting better at a position they were already just fine at. Davis is a freak on the football field, and will add another level of athleticism to this already vaunted defense. Returning studs like Chase Young and Montez Sweat on the edges have made themselves household names, and I personally cannot wait ot see what they can do in their second year together. The biggest hole on the roster was the QB position, after last year’s merry go round of injuries and assorted off-the-field issues. While I was an advocate for drafting a QB, the team signed journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick to a 1-year deal. While I’m not entirely opposed to that, it’s not a long term solution, which is what I think this team could use right now. But Fitz is plenty talented, and with all the talent in the world around him on this roster, which is one of the NFL’s best, it shouldn’t be too difficult for him to lead this team to a division title.

2nd: Dallas Cowboys (10-7)

The Cowboys are weird. Then again, when are they not? The biggest story for Dallas for almost an entire year now has been the return of QB Dak Prescott. After last year’s blistering start, his horrible ankle injury has sidelined him up until now. While he is back at training camp, I’d imagine they want to ease him back into things. I’m not sure how eager they are to potentially spoil their new $240 million investment. The rest of this team is virtually the same as last year’s, so I’m expecting to see a lot of the same from Dallas in 2021. The offense will be just fine, and if Dak is able to play the whole year, I expect it to be record setting. The WR duo of Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb is genuinely horrifying to even the best of defenses. The defense, however, is still putrid. Dallas did draft LB Micah Parsons in the first round, who is a very talented player, but every time they do this it just doesn’t seem to pan out for one reason or another. The secondary has absolutely 0 strong points, and I can imagine it will lose the Cowboys more games than it will win them. But, as long as the offense is doing its thing, it will be plenty for Dallas to win a good amount of games. It’s not a terribly difficult schedule, and they should be fit to beat all of the bad teams they face. But it won’t be enough to get them to the postseason.

3rd: New York Giants (7-10)

The story with this team is honestly quite simple: as long as Daniel Jones is the quarterback, they will go nowhere. In the 2 years of Jones as a starter, we have been shown absolutely nothing to inspire any confidence that he can be the guy in New York moving forward. It’s honestly a shame, because this is a pretty good team in every other aspect. They don’t have the best offensive pieces, but they signed star WR Kenny Golladay and drafted speedy WR Kadarius Toney this offseason to help eliminate that problem. Saquon Barkley returning frmo last year’s ACL tear will also be beneficial; we can only hope that he can be the same player coming off of such a serious injury. The defense is a very strong unit, especially at the second level. This team can limit your scoring all day long, but they will refuse to score themselves. I can very easily see this team moving on from Daniel Jones before the season is even over. The sooner it happens, the better.

4th: Philadelphia Eagles (5-12)

The Eagles were a really bad team last year. The Eagles will be a really bad team this year. Nothing significant has changed from then till now, outside of the Carson Wentz trade. But, considering Jalen Hurts was the starting QB at the end of last season, that wasn’t the biggest development in the world. I’d say the biggest move of the offseason for Philly was drafting WR Devonta Smith, last season’s Heisman Trophy winner, in the first round. It was a very good move in my opinion, and will help Hurts quite a bit, as he and Smith were college teammates at Alabama. The fact of the matter is that there just isn’t anything noteworthy going on with this team. Jalen Hurts is an okay-ish QB based on last year’s small sample size, the offense still isn’t very good, the defense is still very average to below average. This is very easily the worst team in the NFC East, and I don’t see that changing any time soon.

NFC North

1st: Green Bay Packers (12-5)

What an offseason in Green Bay. I don’t even think “rollercoaster” is the right word. You know the story by now. After last year’s NFC Championship Game collapse, Aaron Rodgers wanted nothing to do with this team, this coaching staff, or this front office. Between holdouts, public fiascos, interviews, Jeopardy appearances, and everything else imaginable, it was hard to foresee Rodgers playing for this team again. But, something allowed the relationship to mend just enough for ARod to come back for one last ride in Green Bay. Honestly, good for both parties. Aaron gets to go out on his own terms and try to bring one last title to Titletown before throwing them the peace sign and ending his career elsewhere. This is truly the last dance for this team, so they better hope it works out now, because I doubt it works out any time soon after this. It’s virtually the exact same squad as last year’s 1 seed team, especially thanks to resigning star RB Aaron Jones. Again, if it doesn’t happen now, it obviously isn’t happening any time soon. This team has had plenty of chances to get over the hump and win their first championship since 2010, but they refuse to rise to the occasion time and time again. Sadly, I just don’t know if this is the team to do that.

2nd: Minnesota Vikings (6-11)

I want to make something abundantly clear: this is not a bad team by any means. It’s honestly a perfectly above average team. The Vikings have all the star power in the world, but for some reason, they refuse to be good. A lot of people love to blame the QB, but I don’t think Kirk Cousins is the problem at all. He has been… well, he has been Kirk Cousins for his entire tenure in Minnesota. He’ll never be flashy or anything, but he does enough. It helps when you have Dalvin Cook behind you and Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson at your sides. I think the biggest thing holding this team back is their defense. You’d think a Mike Zimmer team would pride themselves on defense, but that was not the case whatsoever last year. This was almost a historically bad unit in 2020, and they didn’t do much to get any better. Minnesota is essentially just a Walmart version of Dallas. Their offense will keep them in games, and win them some here and there, but their defense will be their downfall. It’s a brutal schedule, and I think the Vikings are going to get shelled. Expect a lot of changes soon in the Twin Cities.

3rd: Chicago Bears (6-11)

I truly think this team had a very good offseason. The biggest story was obviously trading up for QB Justin Fields in the draft, which was a very good move in my opinion, but bringing back WR Allen Robinson was imperative. There’s no point in trading up for a quarterback if there’s nobody for him to throw the ball to. I don’t think Fields will start immediately, as the Bears also signed Andy Dalton this offseason, but he’ll get his moment very early. He is simply too dynamic of a playmaker, and a perfect style of QB for today’s NFL, to sit on the bench for too long. Chicago’s defense is still just as good as previous years, and while I don’t think this is the year in which the offense will flourish, the development of Fields will help this team be very solid moving forward. Much like Jacksonville, this is simply a developmental year in the Windy City, and I feel very good about this team’s future.

4th: Detroit Lions (2-15)

It’s the Detroit Lions, what do you want me to say? This team had a decent offseason sure, but a lot of the moves they made were simply to ensure they had a future. The biggest of those moves was moving on from long-term QB Matt Stafford, who they traded to the Rams for Jared Goff and a plethora of draft compensation. It was a good trade, as Goff is just the game-manager they need to lose them enough games to make sure they have the best draft picks possible moving forward. The Lions were also gifted OT Penei Sewell with the 7th overall pick, which was a can’t-miss selection. No matter who is under center for this team, they can sleep easier at night knowing they have a generational blindside blocker. WRs Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones are now gone, making TE T.J. Hockenson the premier offensive weapon on this team. He’s a very good player, but a team’s entire offense can’t revolve around a tight end. Defensively, this team doesn’t have much going for them at all. Oh, and they hired Dan Campbell as their new head coach, who sounds like he’s on Smackdown during every press conference he gives. This is the start of a strange, new era in Detroit, but much like every other era, it will be ugly. This will likely be this era’s ugliest year.

NFC South

1st: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (15-2)

The Buccaneers brought in Tom Brady last year. The Buccaneers won the Super Bowl last year. Just makes perfect sense, doesn’t it? Now, Tampa has become the first team ever to return all 22 starters on offense and defense. It is simply going to be too easy for them. The story of last year was fairly simple: it was a stacked roster with a lot of moving parts and it took a while for it all to make sense. After their bye week, they didn’t lose a single game, and it ended in a title. So now, after a full offseason of work with the exact same team, how can we expect any different of a result? I’ve heard a lot of shouts about a potential undefeated season, but like I said yesterday with the Texans, it’s simply too hard to go undefeated/winless in the NFL. With that being said, I can’t fathom this team losing any more than 2 or 3 games this season. I only gave them 2 losses in anticipation of a potential upset or slip-up, just based on the precedent of the NFL’s parity. But this team will be favored in all of their games, and they really have no excuse to lose any of them. If the Bucs don’t repeat, I personally think it will be a colossal failure. Absolutely nothing stands in their way.

2nd: New Orleans Saints (8-9)

It’s the dawn of a new era in the Big Easy, as legendary QB Drew Brees retired from football this offseason. There is no doubt that he wasn’t himself at all last season, and it’s unfortunate that he had to go out like that, but his time had come and gone. And thus begins a great deal of uncertainty at the QB position for the Saints. Who will be the starter moving forward? The signs seemingly point toward Jameis Winston, last year’s backup to Brees. Although, when Brees went down with injuries last season, it was Taysom Hill who stepped in as the starter for a few weeks, despite not necessarily being a real QB like Winston is. HC Sean Payton just has a very strange obsession with Hill, and I wouldn’t put it past him if he names Hill the starter of this team. In any case, the offense should still thrive as long as Alvin Kamara is in the backfield. Kamara had an OPOY-caliber season last year, and has more than established himself as one of the top backs in football. The WR room isn’t as deep as it has been in years past, especially now that star Michael Thomas will be out for a while with that same nagging ankle problem that kept him off the field last season. On the other side of the ball, things are also a bit shaky. The secondary got burnt consistently by good and bad offenses alike, and the pass rush wasn’t nearly as dominant as usual. The Saints are simply falling from grace at the moment, and while I think they’ll be a solid team this season, I can see it falling apart very soon.

3rd: Carolina Panthers (5-12)

I would like to say that I think this team is a lot better than the record I’m predicting for them would suggest. I like what Carolina has going on, and I thought they had a very nice offseason. I was a huge fan of bringing in QB Sam Darnold, and I think he can finally realize his potential with coaches like Joe Brady in his corner. Despite losing WR Curtis Samuel, this offense still has a lot of great pieces, such as Robby Anderson at receiver. Superstar RB Christian McCaffrey needs no introduction, and we can only hope he stays healthy for the whole season after last year’s injury problems. The Panthers also have some nice young defensive pieces, highlighted by former first round picks Brian Burns and Derrick Brown. I like the direction this team is headed in, but I think it will be a while before it all comes to fruition.

4th: Atlanta Falcons (3-14)

This team is genuinely infuriatingly bad. I think they know how bad they are and they simply do not care about getting better. This really is one of the more cursed franchises in sports, but even still, you can address your problems. Atlanta does not care. Last year, they threw away game after game after game en route to being the fourth worst team in football. Ok, fine, at least we know what the problem is, don’t we? The offense was more than fine, as QB Matt Ryan still had a really good statistical year, and you have all the WR talent in the world, but the defense had enough holes to trigger someone’s trypophobia. It was the reason a lot of those games were lost in such catastrophic fashion. So let’s… trade Julio Jones? And then draft a tight end 4th overall? Make it make sense! Yes, Kyle Pitts is a generational talent, but I still don’t understand the pick at all. And all the glaring issues with this team are still there. The Falcons make moves to become more flashy, not to become a better football team. It has never worked, it isn’t working now, and it will never work.

NFC West

1st: Los Angeles Rams (12-5)

Welcome to the most stacked division in football. The NFC West is going to be an absolute bloodbath for the entire season, and I can’t wait to watch it all unfold. I have the Rams winning this division for a few reasons. The first is that they’ll have tiebreakers over Seattle and San Francisco to finish in 1st place. But I also think this is the best roster in the division. Acquiring QB Matt Stafford is huge for this team that was largely held back by QB play in recent years. This team would have likely won a title a few years ago if they had anyone but Jared Goff under center. Stafford is the guy who can lead them to the promised land, and this is easily the best team he has ever had. It might take a short while to figure things out, but when the Rams are clicking this year, I think it’s going to be a beautiful sight. All of the other key pieces are still in place, outside of RB Cam Akers, who was unfortunately lost for the season with an achilles injury. But, the offense still has its stars, and the defense has even brighter ones. Aaron Donald is still arguably the best player in football, and the secondary has studs galore such as Jalen Ramsey, Jordan Fuller, and Darious Williams. This is simply the best team in this division, but they will be tested consistently, and they need to be up for the challenge if they want to get that home playoff game.

2nd: Seattle Seahawks (12-5)

While I don’t think the Seahawks are the 2nd best team in this division, I can easily see them finishing in 2nd place. I’ll get into that more below when I discuss the 49ers. This is essentially the same as last year’s team, which was a very up and down squad who went out with a whimper in the Wild Card game. The story with Seattle is seemingly the same as it always is: how much of the load can Russell Wilson carry on his back? Russ got no favors from his historically bad defense last year, and it’s not a unit that’s shaping up to be much better. He really did put the entire team on his back in the first half of last season, but you could tell he was getting worn out when the calendar started flipping over to November and December. Having star wideouts like DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett certainly helps, but this offense cannot do it alone. Like I said, this isn’t even the 2nd best team in this division from top to bottom, but they have shown me time and time again that they are capable of getting the job done. But, I get the feeling the window is slowly closing on the Seahawks. They better hope they figure things out soon, or it could be back to the cellar for them quickly.

3rd: San Francisco 49ers (12-5)

Last year’s 49ers team had the worst case of the injury bug I have ever seen in my life. Absolutely nobody on this team was safe from tearing some ligament or breaking some bone. It was honestly really sad to see. But, this team is now back and ready to contend once again. It’s still just as stacked of a roster as the one that won the NFC, and was 7 minutes away from winning a Super Bowl, just two years ago. But there is one big difference with this year’s team, and it’s all about the QB position. San Francisco traded up all the way to the #3 spot in the draft to draft Trey Lance out of NDSU, who is very raw and inexperienced, but could develop into the next Patrick Mahomes. Lance won’t get the keys to the car just yet, as this is still Jimmy Garoppolo’s team, but a lot of folks are saying that might not be the case for long. I think many people are forgetting just how good this team is with a healthy Jimmy G under center. No, he’s not the best QB in the world, but they were the NFL’s best team in his only complete year in this system with HC Kyle Shanahan. I think if he can stay on the field this year, the 49ers can easily be one of the NFL’s best teams. And if Lance develops into who they say he can be, then this will easily be one of the scarier squads in all of football.

4th: Arizona Cardinals (10-7)

Let’s face it, this team should have made the playoffs last year. They refused to play up to their potential, and even when they had a very easy win-and-in scenario in their last game, they floundered and failed. This year has to be different in Arizona. Playoffs are the expectation, and based on all of the talent on this roster, missing the postseason is a complete failure. Even in this ridiculously stacked division, you have to find a way to get it done. All of the highlights of last year are back, and I personally can’t wait to watch yet another year of QB Kyler Murray. He is one of the most dynamic and exciting QBs I’ve had the pleasure of watching, and I still think he’s only scratching the surface of his potential. Having arguably the best receiver in football in DeAndre Hopkins definitely helps. His first year in Arizona was stellar, and a second year in this system with Murray promises to be even better. The Cards also have plenty of bright spots on defense, highlighted by S Budda Baker and the addition of DE J.J. Watt. I’d project a lot more for this team, but this division is simply too tough to finish anywhere but last. But, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, as I still think this team will make the playoffs, making the NFC West the first division to ever send all four teams to the postseason.

Playoff Picture

1 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (15-2)

2 – Green Bay Packers (12-5)

3 – Los Angeles Rams (12-5)

4 – Washington Football Team (11-6)

5 – Seattle Seahawks (12-5)

6 – San Francisco 49ers (12-5)

7 – Arizona Cardinals (10-7)

Much like the AFC, I feel very confident that these will be the 7 playoff teams in this conference. I can maybe see the Cardinals slipping up a bit, allowing Dallas to sneak into the picture. Other than that, these are my surefire playoff teams. Allow me to briefly predict how I think it’ll all play out.

Wild Card Weekend

The 2v7 game is a matchup that has given us several playoff classics in years past: Arizona vs. Green Bay. This would be a very easy game to pick, as it would be Kyler Murray’s first ever playoff game, and he would be in the Frozen Tundra against Aaron Rodgers. Kyler’s time will come, but certainly not here. Packers by a LOT.

The 3v6 game is a classic divisional matchup between the two best teams in the NFC West, in my opinion. The Rams and 49ers have so much talent all across the field, and I think their games this year will be awesome to watch. In a game like this, I like to take the better defense, and while San Francisco’s is no joke, LA’s is simply better. Being at home also helps the Rams case, and I’ll take them to move on.

In the 4v5 game, we have an inevitable NFC Wild Card matchup between the Seahawks and the WFT. Seattle has haunted my nightmares ever since I was 6 years old and they beat us in the Wild Card game that year, and the 2012 playoff game needs no explanation. Unfortunately, I see this game going the same way as those two. I do think Washington is the better team in this game, but there’s something to be said about the QB matchup of Russell Wilson vs. Ryan Fitzpatrick. I feel like that makes this easy. It would be close, but the Seahawks would pull away late and advance.

Divisional Round

Coming off of their bye, the 1 seed and defending champion Buccaneers would host the Seahawks. I do not think this game would be remotely close. The Bucs are too good at literally everything, and I think Brady and company would have a field day against a rather porous Seattle defense. No need to overthink this.

The second divisional game would be a rematch of last years, with the Rams traveling to Lambeau to take on the Packers. However, I think things would go differently than last year’s game. This is just such a better Rams team with Matt Stafford under center, and he has over a decade’s worth of experience playing in Green Bay. With all of the dysfunction of the Packers lately, I think the wheels are bound to fall off at some point. I don’t foresee this fairytale ending that everyone is hoping for. I like the Rams to win this one, likely with either some late game heroics or another patented Packers playoff choke.

NFC Championship game

So, this all sets up for an absolutely star-studded Rams-Buccaneers NFC title game. These two teams play each other in Week 3, so thankfully we get an early preview. I can absolutely see this game being an all-time classic. There is just so much star power all over the field, and plenty of storylines as well. This would certainly be a tight, tight game throughout. I believe the defenses would dominate, making this not necessarily low-scoring, but maybe a 23-20 type of game. In terms of picking a winner, I’d have to go with Tampa, simply based on their previous playoff success and just how good they truly are. I could easily see it going the other way, but if I have to pick a winner today, it’s the Bucs.

So, based on yesterday’s AFC preview, I am predicting a Buccaneers-Browns matchup in Super Bowl LVI. Such a strange game on paper, but I think it would be a ton of fun. I know it’s the cheap answer, but I’d have to pick the Bucs in that game as well. I mean, how does the exact same team that won a title last year not do it again this year? I guess we’ll see.

I can’t wait for the season to finally get underway, and when it does, I’ll be back in full force with several weekly articles (and videos on the Youtube channel). It’s going to be a great season, and I hope you guys enjoy this year’s content just as much as you enjoy the games themselves. I’ll see you all very soon!