Category: Sports

32 Teams in 32 Days: Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens are once again among the favorites to win the Super Bowl after another year of falling short of expectations. But things will be different this time… right?

Cover photo taken from KGET.

Welcome to 32 Teams in 32 Days, a daily series leading up to kickoff of the 2025 NFL season where I preview every team in the league as decided by a wheel spin and project what their season will look like. You can keep up with everything right here.

The wheel is mercifully starting to heat up. We’re headed up I-95 to Baltimore, where the Ravens are once again among the favorites to win the Super Bowl after another year of falling short of expectations. But things will be different this time… right?

I, for one, will not be drinking the black, purple and gold Kool-Aid that so many others do year after year, but I can recognize that this Ravens team is set up to do some real damage and should — should!!! — contend for a title this winter. It’s fairly easy to see why.

Last year, this offense was simply a machine. Not only balanced, but remarkably effective in every aspect: first in EPA/play, second in success rate, first in dropback EPA, second in rush EPA, first in total yards, first in rushing, third in scoring. That’s just insane. With an offensive line that ranked third in both pass block and run block win rates, the floodgates were opened for this Ravens offense to be arguably the best in the league.

Obviously, there were two main catalysts that allowed that to happen: Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry. Lamar was simply brilliant last year and would’ve had my MVP vote if I possessed one, putting together what I considered to be his best season as a passer with 4,172 yards, 41 touchdowns to just four interceptions, the fourth-highest single-season passer rating ever at 119.6, the top QBR the second-highest EPA+CPOE in the league. Oh, and he also rushed for 915 yards and four touchdowns. My God. He deserved MVP far more last year than he did in 2023, but at least he got that one to balance out last year.

Then there’s Derrick Henry, whose acquisition instantly turned this Baltimore offense from feared to nightmarish. Combining him with Lamar almost felt illegal, and the results showed: a monstrous 1,921-yard, 16-touchdown campaign. Any and all questions of the vet slowing down or facing a wall at the end of his career were swiftly vanquished. Now, my only question is how long he can keep it up for. Because at this rate, he’ll be going strong for several more years.

Seriously, who allowed this? (h/t WMAR)

The offense figures to be largely the same in 2025, though versatile lineman Patrick Mekari is now gone. Still, with Lamar and Henry in the backfield and reliable targets Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman out wide, this should once again be one of the league’s most feared and productive units this season.

Baltimore’s defense, however, is a bit of a different story — one that’s more Jekyll and Hyde. They were all over the place a year ago: 11th in EPA/play, third in success rate and rush EPA plus first in rushing yards, but 31st in passing yards. The secondary can be pointed towards as a clear weak spot, but really, I think it was the lack of pass rush that did the unit in. They were a drab 29th in pass rush win rate and lacked a clear blue-chip edge-rushing threat. The secondary’s shortcomings were just the cherry on top, even though there are studs back there like Nate Wiggins and Kyle Hamilton.

As such, the Ravens attacked that side of the ball quite hard this summer. First, through the draft: standout Georgia safety Malaki Starks was their first-round selection, then they chose to ignore some off-the-field concerns and draft Marshall’s star pass rusher Mike Green in the second, who’s undoubtedly a hell of a football player. Later selections like Teddye Buchanan and Aeneas Peebles figure to be solid depth pieces as well, and both have the athletic profile to make an impact when their numbers are called this year. Then, about two months later, they chose to scoop up free agent DB Jaire Alexander, hoping to squeeze some more juice out of him after the Packers deemed themselves done with the former All-Pro. His health will always be a concern, and I don’t know what to expect out of him when he’s on the field (sounds like another veteran corner I know about an hour south of Baltimore). But, if he can stay on the field and play up to a solid level, this secondary will be so much better because of it. Besides, anyone is an upgrade over Brandon Stephens, right Ravens fans?

X-Factor: Playoff Lamar
Not again. (h/t Syracuse.com)

There is no denying that Lamar Jackson is one of the greatest regular season performers we’ve ever seen. There is also no denying that he’s just a different and worse player in the postseason. I don’t know if it’s the pressure of the moment, the increased defensive intensity or even the gosh darn cold, but we’ve now seen two terrible performances in a row in massive playoff games where the Ravens were favored. And this obviously goes way back to 2019 when Baltimore went one-and-done as the 1-seed in his first MVP season.

In eight career playoff games, Lamar is 3-5 with 10 passing touchdowns to 13 turnovers (seven interceptions, six lost fumbles) and a passer rating south of 85. That’s over 17 points lower than his career regular season rating of 102.0. It’s honestly unfathomable.

People love to blame last year’s loss on Mark Andrews’ fumble and/or dropped two-point conversion, but it’s Jackson who had two horrendous first-half turnovers to put the Ravens in a hole to begin with. Despite his late-game heroics, he was to blame for the deficit. Again, if you take it back a year, people point fingers at Zay Flowers for the AFC title game loss to Kansas City when Lamar was straight up putrid with an awful interception into triple coverage and an overall scared and skiddish performance.

I’m not trying to audit Lamar’s whole playoff career here. I’m just saying that this is what needs to change for the Ravens to finally get over the hump and get to a Super Bowl with him under center. Quarterback play is the clear differentiator in today’s NFL, especially in the playoffs. You’ve got to play up to a standard to win games in January. Lamar is yet to reach that standard.

Team MVP: Lamar Jackson

For the sake of being brief, I won’t keep on keeping on about Lamar. But I do wanna take this space to say something. If you’re still doubting Lamar Jackson’s ability as a passer or as a “quarterback,” I’ve got no more words for you. The dude has proven time and time again that he can only get better and better, particularly from the pocket. Yes, so much of his heroics comes from extending plays for seemingly minutes on end before finding his receivers downfield. But from the pocket, he’s gotten substantially better as well. Just because it’s not flashy and showing up in your Twitter feed doesn’t mean it’s not happening. And as long as he continues to improve from the pocket while still being Lamar freaking Jackson from outside it, he’ll be a top-5 player in football for years to come.

Breakout Candidate: CB Nate Wiggins

I had mild concerns with Wiggins in last year’s draft because of his size; he’s long, but he’s wiry, and I still have Emmanuel Forbes PTSD. Well, it turns out Wiggins is actually just a stud. He’s always around the ball, using his length to be a PBU machine and always disrupt plays in the passing game. He’s also shockingly effective against the run for a DB of his size and frame. The Ravens don’t draft you in the first round for no reason, so I guess it’s not a huge shock that he’s developing into a stud. I fully expect Wiggins to turn into a top-10 corner in the league in the next couple of years, and the thought of that combined with the duo of Kyle Hamilton and Malaki Starks at safety is frankly terrifying.

Record Prediction: 12-5

This year’s schedule feels harder than last year’s. I think playing the 2025 NFC North will be tougher than the 2024 NFC East, I think the Steelers could pose more of a threat, and I think playing a one-off against the Rams is tougher than last year’s at Tampa Bay. Plus, having to go to Buffalo, Kansas City and Green Bay is just brutal — those are three of your five losses right there. Still, I have the Ravens winning the AFC North pretty comfortably and getting to the playoffs as the 3-seed behind the Chiefs and Bills, meaning they’ll once again have to go to Buffalo in the Divisional Round. I think I know how that’ll go.

Next up: Pittsburgh Steelers

32 Teams in 32 Days: Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys are coming off a down year — most of it being without Dak Prescott — and seemingly facing an uphill climb to get back into the playoffs. But, with some interesting moves in the offseason, anything is possible.

Cover photo taken from ESPN.

Welcome to 32 Teams in 32 Days, a daily series leading up to kickoff of the 2025 NFL season where I preview every team in the league as decided by a wheel spin and project what their season will look like. You can keep up with everything right here.

Our second dip into the NFC East takes us to the heart of Texas where the Cowboys are coming off a down year — most of it being without Dak Prescott — and seemingly facing an uphill climb to get back into the playoffs. But, with some interesting moves in the offseason, anything is possible.

Despite entering 2024 with Super Bowl sights, the season was over practically before it even began with nothing going on either side of the ball before Dak suffered a season-ending hamstring injury halfway through the year. They were getting embarrassed every other week by teams like New Orleans, Baltimore and Detroit with nonexistent offense and an abysmal defense.

Prescott was on track to have the worst passer rating of his career at 86.0 with 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions, and finished 25th in EPA+CPOE (backup Cooper Rush was even worse, finishing 31st). The offense was 29th in EPA/play while the defense was 28th. It’s honestly surprising that Dallas managed to find seven wins amidst all that horrible football.

Thus, Jerry Jones decided it was time to make a change. Mike McCarthy was shown the door after five years at the helm and replaced by OC Brian Schottenheimer, who isn’t really fit for the job, but was the easy, in-house hire that wouldn’t take any attention away from Jerry. A classic Cowboys call. Parlay that with Zack Martin’s retirement and the departures of Demarcus Lawrence and Rico Dowdle, and it might be easy to say that the Cowboys got worse this offeseason.

I don’t want to diminish the additions, though. The biggest move was undoubtedly trading for WR George Pickens from Pittsburgh to pair alongside superstar CeeDee Lamb — bringing in a true deep threat to open up the middle of the field for No. 88 to go to work. But other solid gains were OG Tyler Booker in the first round and four running backs: Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders in free agency and Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah through the draft. I have a feeling that Blue will emerge as the lead back at some point, but more on that later.

In any case, this roster leaves a lot to be desired. The offensive line — which was 24th in pass block win rate a year ago — will likely feel the absence of Martin, and last year’s first-rounder Tyler Guyton is going to miss some time with a knee injury suffered in camp. There are no difference-making pass-catchers outside of Lamb, Pickens and tight end Jake Ferguson. The front seven can be solid if guys like Mazi Smith, Marshawn Kneeland and Donovan Ezeiruaku develop well; plus, vets like Dante Fowler, Soloman Thomas and Kenneth Murray can bring some oomph.

But those are some big ifs. Plus, the secondary is genuinely abysmal with Trevon Diggs constantly being hurt, Daron Bland falling off a cliff and guys like Malik Hooker and Donovan Wilson just straight up not playing well. The only notable additions to that room are Kaiir Elam — who was awful in Buffalo — and rookie Shavon Revel Jr., who’s already dealing with injuries. Not great!

But honestly, none of that matters if Micah Parsons doesn’t get resigned. It’s baffling to me how Jerry Jones has let this nonsense get to this point. He is the best player on the team, one of the faces of the franchise, one of the league’s premier defensive players at an ultimate premium position. This deal should’ve been done months ago, if not last year. I understand they had to pay Dak and CeeDee, and both of those contracts were deserved. But so is this one. Especially when the rest of the defense is as bad as it is. I fully expect Parsons to resign in Dallas eventually, but if it comes to a trade, it’ll be an abject disaster for the Cowboys, who will be infinitely worse off for it.

Get it done. (h/t Imagn Images)
X-Factor: The Secondary

It’s bad. Really, really bad. I already talked about the personnel, which should be enough of an indication that things are likely going to be rough again. But if — and it’s a huge if — they can find a way to improve under new DC Matt Eberflus, it’ll pay dividends for the rest of the team at large.

I also wanted to put the offensive line here, considering last season did not live up to their standard, but I don’t think they were necessarily the problem. Even if they struggle a bit, it’s really Dak’s health that plays the biggest factor.

I even wanted to put Dak here, but that seemed like too much of a shoe-in. Of course he plays the biggest role of anyone, and he needs to stay healthy, but he’s genuinely the least of my worries right now. Last time we saw him in a full season, he could’ve won MVP. It’s a different set of circumstances now, but I think he’ll be fine.

Team MVP: CeeDee Lamb
Draft him in fantasy. (h/t ESPN)

If you’ve been reading my work since Cedarian’s rookie season — first of all, thank you — you know how much I love him. He’s right next to Ezekiel Elliott as my favorite players to suit up for a division rival, simply because he’s just too damn good to disrespect. Last year wasn’t as productive as his nuclear 2023 campaign, but that’s excused considering the awful QB play he had. Still, 101 catches for 1,194 and six touchdowns is nothing to scoff at. Plus, he was the only real receiver on the roster — now, Pickens will help spread things out a bit. I imagine Lamb will line up in the slot a little more often, creating for some interesting possibilities for Brian Schottenheimer to scheme up. In any case, this season should be another monster one for CeeDee, who is a bonafide top-5 receiver in football and will be a nightmare for defenses no matter who’s at quarterback.

Breakout Candidate: RB Jaydon Blue

The fifth-round rookie out of Texas will fit this offense like a glove. He’s not the craziest north-south runner, but he’s a threat out of the backfield in the passing game, which plays right into the hands of Dak Prescott. When he gets the ball in his hands, he’s shifty and quick with breakaway speed — something that’s thoroughly lacking on this offense, particularly in the RB room. Because of that, I think he’ll find his way into the starting lineup sooner rather than later. He just brings a level of athleticism to the backfield that you won’t find in Javonte Williams, Miles Sanders or Phil Mafah.

Record Prediction: 7-10

I don’t think the Cowboys got worse, but I also don’t think they got much better. I don’t believe in this coaching staff, I certainly don’t believe in the ownership, I worry about the offensive line, I have questions about the front seven and I know the secondary stinks. Not a recipe for a winning season. I think Dak is a wildly over-hated player who will still likely have a good year, and the combo of Lamb and Pickens will be fun to watch. But that’s about it. It’s a gauntlet of a schedule like each of the other NFC East teams have to face, and unlike Philadelphia and Washington, this team is not built to handle it.

Next up: Washington Commanders

(oh my gosh lock in y’all.)

32 Teams in 32 Days: Houston Texans

The Texans remain a shoe-in to win the AFC South. The question, however, remains the same: does the NFL’s brightest collection of young talent have enough to make serious noise in the playoffs?

Cover photo taken from Houston Chronicle.

Welcome to 32 Teams in 32 Days, a daily series leading up to kickoff of the 2025 NFL season where I preview every team in the league as decided by a wheel spin and project what their season will look like. You can keep up with everything right here.

We round out the AFC South with the two-time defending division champion Texans, who feel like a shoe-in to three-peat. The question, however, remains the same: does the NFL’s brightest collection of young talent have enough to make serious noise in the playoffs?

We can get the obvious out of the way early: the Texans have been one of the NFL’s best and most exciting turnaround stories in recent memory, going from the cellar in 2021 and 2022 to one of the best young teams in football after adding HC DeMeco Ryans, GM Nick Caserio and QB CJ Stroud in 2023 to guide the franchise to success. After a drab combined 7-26-1 record in the two years prior to their arrival, Houston has gone 10-7 with upset home playoff wins in back-to-back years. Pretty great story on the surface.

But, there’s more to the picture, particularly as it pertains to last season. It was a struggle bus, especially in the second half of the year, losing six of their final 11 games before being bounced in the Divisional Round again. Practically all fingers can be pointed at the offense, which finished a drab 31st in success rate. The offensive line allowed the fourth-most sacks in the league with 54, clocking in at 22nd in pass block win rate and 31st in run block win rate. OC Bobby Slowik, who was once heralded as a boy genius and future head coach elsewhere in the league, was sent packing after the season’s end.

As such, CJ Stroud suffered a falloff from his historic rookie season, finishing 28th in EPA+CPOE and 27th in success rate — he was 12th and 14th, respectively, in ’23. He threw for nearly 400 less yards, three less touchdowns and tossed seven more INTs, seeing his passer rating drop from 100.8 to 87.0. It wasn’t all his fault — the offensive line was a glaring weakness and he dealt with a number of injuries to his wideouts — but it’s still not what you want to see from your franchise quarterback after such a prolific rookie season.

Still, Stroud is an insanely talented player who will be an elite quarterback for years to come. While the line remains a problem, one thing Houston has in bunches is pass-catching talent, which they need after dealing with so many dings a year ago. Nico Collins has emerged as a top-10 receiver in football, coming off another brilliant season despite missing extended time. Christian Kirk was brought in to provide some juice in the slot. And the Texans spent two high draft picks on Iowa State WRs Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, who bring an added level of athleticism to a receiving corps already littered with freaks of nature. Plus, Dalton Schultz is a proven stud at tight end. If/when Tank Dell returns from his leg injury, Houston could boast one of the league’s best receiver rooms.

But I still don’t know how to feel about that side of the ball because of how the line is shaping up. I don’t know if the way to fix this OL was to trade away its best player in LT Laremy Tunsil, but the Texans did just that. Signing Cam Robinson as his replacement and bringing in Laken Tomlinson to plug and play at guard could help. Houston also spent a second-round pick on Minnesota tackle Aireontae Ersery, who should slot in immediately at RT. Between those additions and trading away former first-round bust Kenyon Green, it’s definitely possible that the OL sees more success this year. It simply remains to be seen.

In any case, the real story of this team is DeMeco’s dogs on defense. Houston has emerged as one of the most dominant defensive teams in football thanks to an embarrassment of riches across the board. Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter — who combined for 23 sacks last year — form the best pass-rushing duo in the league, Azeez Al-Shaair and Henry To’oTo’o have proven themselves to be a solid linebacking couple while Derek Stingley Jr. has finally blossomed into a top-five corner in the NFL. And we can’t forget about guys like Jalen Pitre, Kamari Lassiter and Calen Bullock, who have made this secondary a truly vaunted one.

Just to run through the numbers real quick: in 2024, Houston’s defense was fifth in total yards, sixth in EPA/play, fourth in success rate, first in pass rush win rate and second in run stop win rate. That’s just absurd.

DeMeco’s Dogs. (h/t Houston Chronicle)

If the offense can make up for last year’s shortcomings and catch up even slightly to the defense, Houston will not only win the AFC South again, but they could contend for a conference title. Winning Wild Card games in back-to-back years is great, but we all know that with this quarterback and with this team full of difference-makers on rookie deals, the window is only open for so long to make a Super Bowl. If any core is going to take the Texans to their first conference championship game, it’s this one.

X-Factor: The Offensive Line
Keep him upright. (h/t Imagn Images)

We all know how good CJ Stroud is. Even after last year’s “sophomore slump,” no one doubts his talent. But talent can only lead to production if it’s allowed to. Behind last year’s Texans offensive line, it wasn’t. This year has to be different. Even if this line is a middle-of-the-pack one, it’ll be good enough to let CJ and company do their thing. If it’s a redux of last year, then the ceiling remains as relatively low as it is. And with the rest of the division getting better, the Texans can’t afford to fall behind. In any case, you just don’t want your future-highest-paid-player-in-the-league franchise QB to get sacked 54 times in a season anyways. They need to be better, and if they are, it’ll pay so, so many dividends.

Team MVP: QB CJ Stroud

I honestly wanted to put Nico Collins or Derek Stingley Jr. here, but CJ is my favorite non-Washington player in the league, so it only felt right to give him the nod. Regardless, I think he’s due for a massive bounce-back 2025. The talent and infrastructure around him is better — especially new OC Nick Caley, who should open up the passing game more. And Stroud himself is a dog: one of the league’s best pocket passers with an innate feel for the game and underrated mobility who can make any and every throw on the field. CJ’s ceiling this season is an MVP. If the circumstances around him hold up and he lives up to his enormous potential, I can totally see that happening. And I would love to watch it.

Breakout Candidate: WR Jayden Higgins

I’m not overly fond of putting rookies as breakout candidates, because technically any rookie success story is a breakout, but this one feels different. Higgins is in a position where he could genuinely explode onto the scene and immediately become one of the league’s top WR2s. With Nico Collins demanding so much attention, this kid is going to get a ton of targets. The former Cyclone star is an athletic freak with ridiculous speed for someone at 6-foo4-4 and 217 pounds and a catch radius that pops off the screen. He’s big and strong with soft hands, and he’s a menace after the catch. People are going to learn his name very quickly. The same could be said about fellow rookies Jaylin Noel and Woody Marks, but Higgins is the one I have the highest hopes for.

Record Prediction: 10-7

A third straight 10-7 season would not surprise me at all for a number of reasons. One, like I said earlier, the rest of the division is getting better, and although I didn’t give any of the other three teams more than five wins, I think the divisional games will be split across the board. Two, Houston still has to play a first place schedule — that means the Chiefs, Bills and Ravens are back on the docket. Three, they have to play the rest of the AFC West, which could easily be three more losses. And lastly, two of their NFC opponents are the 49ers and Buccaneers. So, it ain’t exactly easy sledding this season. But, with their overwhelming talent and defensive prowess, a division title is almost a certainty. I just want to see more than that. A Texans Super Bowl run would be very, very pleasing.

Next up: Los Angeles Rams

32 Teams in 32 Days: Jacksonville Jaguars

The wheel insists on keeping us in the AFC South, where the Jaguars are beginning a new era with a first-time HC and GM, but still facing an uphill climb with some questions to be answered.

Cover photo taken from News Herald.

Welcome to 32 Teams in 32 Days, a daily series leading up to kickoff of the 2025 NFL season where I preview every team in the league as decided by a wheel spin and project what their season will look like. You can keep up with everything right here.

The wheel insists on keeping us in the AFC South with this trip taking us to Jacksonville, where the Jaguars are beginning a new era with a shiny new HC and GM, but still facing an uphill climb with some questions to be answered.

Something in the universe changed when the Jaguars got to 8-3 way back in 2023 and were in control of the 1-seed in the AFC. Jacksonville is 5-18 since then, highlighted by a 1-5 finish to that season and a 4-13 campaign last year. Losing QB Trevor Lawrence twice — first due to a shoulder injury, then to a gnarly concussion after a massive hit from Houston’s Azeez Al-Shaair — certainly didn’t help. But the Jags were already doomed well before that with a 2-7 start to the year.

Even without Lawrence, the offense stayed afloat, clocking in at 19th in EPA/play despite Mac Jones being at the helm. It certainly helps when you have a WR1 like Brian Thomas Jr. — more on him later. It was the defense that unraveled completely, finishing second-to-last in EPA/play and dead last in dropback EPA, letting quarterback after quarterback rip them to shreds.

Once primed to lead a new AFC contender, HC Doug Pederson was canned as soon as the season was over, leading to one of the strangest hiring cycles I can remember. Former Buccaneers OC Liam Coen seemed to be the favorite to land the gig, but shockingly backed out of a second interview with Jacksonville to stay in Tampa, seemingly due to friction with GM Trent Baalke. So, plenty late into the offseason, the Jags fired Baalke as well — a move made several years too late, if you ask me — re-opening the door for Coen, who wound up snaking the Bucs and taking the job. Talk about a carousel.

Still, the Jags needed a general manager; in fact, by the time the Super Bowl ended, they still didn’t have one. Enter James Gladstone, who had spent the previous nine seasons with the Rams under Les Snead, primarily in scouting. At 34, he’s now the youngest GM in the league, inheriting a roster that’s kind of a jumbled mess, but has its bright spots.

For all his faults, Lawrence remains under center in Jacksonville, continuing to rake in a contract he got perhaps a little too early. He’s proven himself to be solid, but straight up bad more often than he is great. That’s not a recipe for success to remain a long-term starter in this league. He just hasn’t lived up to his 2022 success since that season ended, finishing 21st in EPA+CPOE and 29th in completion percentage a year ago. That’s not good enough to make up for the rest of this offense’s shortcomings.

I do think that side of the ball got better this offseason, though. Thomas Jr. is obviously a gem, coming off a ridiculous rookie season. Gladstone’s first major move as GM was to trade up from No. 5 to No. 2 for the unicorn Heisman-winning WR/DB Travis Hunter, giving up a first-rounder in the process (not a fan of that one). I expected Hunter to play more corner than receiver, but it appears Jacksonville will do the opposite; regardless, he’s a stud with the athleticism and playmaking ability to provide plenty of juice to either side of the ball. And I’ll get this out of the way: he’s obviously not playing both sides remotely close to full-time.

Unicorn? (h/t A To Z Sports)

Dyami Brown could be a solid WR2/3 after ending his tenure in Washington with a strong playoff run. Running back is a big question mark with Travis Etienne coming off a horrible 2024, potentially opening the door for second-year back Tank Bigsby or rookie Bhayshul Tuten. And the offensive line, which finished 19th in pass block win rate last year, has a couple new additions on the interior. There’s seemingly enough for Coen and new OC Grant Udinski to play with.

The defense remains a giant problem, though. The front seven was a massive disappointment a year ago, finishing dead last in pass rush win rate and 27th in run stop win rate despite having some solid talent. Former No. 1 pick Travon Walker has back-to-back double-digit sack seasons, Josh Hines-Allen has been pretty good for a number of years and Foye Oluokun and Devin Lloyd form one of the better on-ball linebacker duos in football. Maybe new DC Anthony Campanile can figure out what to do with that talent. In any case, the secondary will likely continue to be a giant weakness, seeing as it didn’t get better at all this offseason. I hate to break it to you Jacksonville, but Jourdan Lewis and Eric Murray aren’t going to solve your problems, especially if Travis Hunter is going to be a backup defender. That’s another reason why I think he should play more defense: the team needs it a hell of a lot more than they need a pass-catcher.

I think the Jags have made the right hires to kick off this new rebuild, but this thing will clearly take some time, especially without a first-round pick next year. They better hope Hunter turns into the stud he’s supposed to be. Regardless, this feels like a year to figure things out with a first-time head coach, general manager and coordinators. If all goes to plan, the Jaguars could be a surprising team with a must-see offense that makes a playoff push. But, I think it’s far more likely that we see a team that struggles to win games due to a lack of a clear offensive identity and a porous defense.

X-Factor: QB Trevor Lawrence

2025 is TLaw’s last straw. The Jags are in a position where they can’t really do anything with him due to his contract, but it’s a put up or shut up type of year for Lawrence, who hasn’t shown us anything close to his ceiling in over two years. In his last 25-or-so games, he’s been genuinely bad. People will blame Doug Pederson, but having a bad playcaller doesn’t make you a bad quarterback. The best can overcome that. So, with a seemingly great playcaller, a bonafide star WR1 and a potentially electrifying WR2, are we finally going to see the generational QB we were promised five years ago? I have my doubts. But if we do, this team’s ceiling rises exponentially.

Team MVP: WR Brian Thomas Jr.
Strap up. (h/t PFF)

I’ve only dropped some BTJ bread crumbs until now, but what else do you want me to say about the kid? He’s already a ridiculous receiver who took the league by storm in his first season despite being overshadowed by the likes of Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malik Nabers in the draft process. A whopping 87 catches, 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns in his first year dropped jaws across the league as Thomas Jr. utilized his unique blend of size and speed to become one of the league’s most daunting matchup nightmares out wide. And that was with Lawrence and Macaroni! Imagine what truly good quarterback play will do for his game. In any case, he’ll continue to be the star of the show in Jacksonville, and I expect another massive season out of him in year two.

Breakout Candidate: EDGE Travon Walker

As I mentioned earlier, Walker does have back-to-back seasons with 10-plus sacks. But, those figures are 10 in 2023 and 10.5 in 2024. It’s time to take the big boy jump. Walker needs to prove to us why the Jags spent the top overall pick on him in 2022. I understand that he’s very good in run defense, but that’s not necessarily what he was drafted to do. Jacksonville took him over Aidan Hutchinson for a reason. I think Walker has the skills to get to 15-plus sacks, it’s just a matter of putting it all together. We’ll see if this is the year.

Record Prediction: 4-13

The front half of this schedule is absurd with games against Cincinnati, Kansas City, San Francisco, Seattle and the Rams all before the Jaguars’ bye week. An 0-7 or worse start is genuinely on the table. While I don’t think that’s going to happen, I still think it’ll be slow off the blocks. And though the back half is a lot softer, I just struggle to find wins on this schedule for Jacksonville. I simply don’t know what kind of team we’re going to see out there under Liam Coen. The potential is high, but I need to see it to believe it.

Oh, and one last thing. At this point, I’m convinced the wheel is sentient, because…

Next up: Houston Texans

32 Teams in 32 Days: Indianapolis Colts

Indy plays host to the most riveting training camp quarterback battle across the NFL, but both paths probably lead to the same result: another mediocre Colts season.

Cover photo taken from DraftKings.

Welcome to 32 Teams in 32 Days, a daily series leading up to kickoff of the 2025 NFL season where I preview every team in the league as decided by a wheel spin and project what their season will look like. You can keep up with everything right here.

Because the wheel hates me and doesn’t want me to talk about a team that knows it wants to start the same QB for all 17 games, we head to Indianapolis, where the Colts are hosting arguably the most riveting quarterback battle of the summer.

Now two seasons removed from being drafted fourth overall, it’s make-or-break time for Anthony Richardson. With just 15 starts under his belt headlined by numerous injuries, laughable inaccuracy and tapping out of a game because he was tired, there is no more margin for error. He’s 8-7 in those games, which isn’t bad, but the 50.8% completion and 13 interceptions vs. 11 touchdowns tells the story. In 2024, Richardson ranked dead last in EPA+CPOE and completion percentage (he led the league by a solid margin in ADoT, though, which I find hilarious). Not great.

If you’ve been reading my stuff for a while, you’d know that I was pretty high on Richardson as a rookie. I liked what he flashed before being shut down for the year with a shoulder issue. And we all know the raw talent and ability is there. That’s why he’s the craziest rollercoaster in football; one second it’s a 70 air yard bomb for a touchdown, the next it’s the worst overthrow and interception you’ve ever seen. This was always a matter of whether or not he could have a Josh Allen-like development and turn into a superstar from a hypothetical.

Do you still believe? (h/t Draft Kings)

Head coach Shane Steichen is running out of patience. Moreover, he knows that consistent quarterback play is what’s holding the Colts back from being a playoff team. They damn near won the division in 2023 with Gardner Minshew, and they were in the hunt for all of 2024 with Richardson and Joe Flacco going back and forth — which is nuts considering they were 24th in offensive EPA/play and 27th in success rate. I don’t entirely love the idea of bringing in a guy who could supplant your rookie QB in a pivotal third season, but I was all for it if it’d light a fire under Richardson and accelerate that aforementioned development.

This, however, isn’t what I had in mind. When the Colts signed Daniel Jones — who had just been through the Kevin O’Connell washing machine — way back at the start of the offseason, we all thought, “Well, if AR can’t beat him out, then we have a problem.” Uh, guys. We have a problem. Between injury concerns and continued poor play, Jones appears to be on track to be Indy’s Week 1 starter.

It’s borderline unfathomable. When Jones was released from the Giants in the middle of last season, I thought we’d seen the last of him in the league — especially as a starter. He was 24th in EPA+CPOE, after all. I never could have seen this coming. And as much as I feel bad for Richardson because I really wanted this to pan out — a guy with his skills could’ve been the most dynamic QB in the league — I have to agree with Steichen here. Jones gives them the best chance to win now.

But then I ask, does that really matter? If the ceiling with Minshew and Flacco was eight or nine wins, that probably remains the ceiling with Jones. We know the Colts aren’t going to the Super Bowl with either of these guys, but shouldn’t that mean the tie goes to the young guy who could still develop into a franchise QB? I just don’t see what Indianapolis loses from continuing to trot out AR. If by Week 4 he’s still horrendous, then by all means, pull him. But you never know what could happen. It’s more than likely that he still can’t read a defense or throw with touch and/or timing, but showing some belief in him might help.

The illusion of choice. (h/t New York Times)

The rest of this passing attack is just alright anyways. Jonathan Taylor is a very, very good lead back, and this offensive line ranked fourth in the league in run block win rate a year ago. As such, this will remain a run-first offense, which has been pretty productive. A WR group of Michael Pittman, Alec Pierce, Josh Downs, Adonai Mitchell and Anthony Gould doesn’t move the needle to change that. If anyone will, it’ll be first-round tight end Tyler Warren, who was an absolute force at Penn State and could turn into one of the league’s premier TEs. He can catch, he can run you over, he can block and apparently throw and run the ball, too. Regardless of who starts under center, building a rapport with Warren will certainly go a long way.

In any case, I still think Indy’s strength is the other side of the ball. Between some really solid draft picks and good work in free agency, defense has become a strength for the Colts, who ranked 14th in EPA/play last year and 10th in success rate — including fifth against the run. The front seven is pretty dang good; Kwity Paye has been quietly solid for them off the edge, DeForest Buckner is still an elite DT, Zaire Franklin has turned into a perennial tackles leader. Now, Charvarius Ward and Cam Bynum are brought in to bolster a secondary that was a weakness for this unit a year ago.

This isn’t a team that’s going to win now. It doesn’t feel like they’re even trying to. Considering the QB mid-off of the century, it’s hard to feel like this team is going to be super competitive this year. That’s fine, considering they have the right head coach and the right pieces to be good in the future. This will simply be a nothing year because of the lack of direction under center. I think it’s safe to say that the Colts’ 2026 Week 1 starter isn’t currently in Indianapolis.

X-Factor: QB Anthony Richardson

Not going to beat a dead horse here. It’s make-or-break for AR this season; as much as I want it to all come together, it just feels like a pipe dream. I’d love to be proven wrong. But, in the likely event that I’m not, Richardson will be cut or traded after this season and either be somebody’s backup or the craziest quarterback the UFL has ever seen.

Team MVP: RB Jonathan Taylor

Taylor bounced back from an injury-plagued, down 2023 with an awesome year, going off for over 1,100 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground — by far his best season since breaking out in 2021. Somehow, he was the 47th-ranked RB out of 47 last year by PFF’s grading metrics; not sure how that happens, but chalk that up as another reason why I don’t like that system very much. The dude can clearly still play and has a lot left in the tank. As I mentioned earlier, this will still be a run-first team, and Taylor should have another very productive season.

Breakout Candidate: EDGE Laiatu Latu

Latu was the first defensive player off the board in last year’s draft, and though it wasn’t the flashiest rookie season ever, you could see why. He’s got crazy length and athleticism with some quick twitch and burst off the edge. That only resulted in four sacks last year, but you’ve gotta figure that more production will come with more reps. I think Latu could be in for a massive 2025 and emerge as the defensive anchor for this team’s future — which is what I’m sure the Colts had in mind when they selected him last April.

Record Prediction: 5-12

Tough schedule. Division is getting better. No good quarterback play. It’s all setting up for a subpar 2025 for the Colts. Steichen has faced some QB adversity before, but this one might be too difficult to overcome. Besides, it might behoove the Colts to be this bad and secure a top pick in April’s draft. Who knows, it might just be another QB.

Next up: Detroit Lions

32 Teams in 32 Days: Miami Dolphins

It’s a make-or-break season in South Beach as the Dolphins need to bounce back from a letdown season, or come face-to-face with a full-fledged implosion and rebuild.

Cover photo taken from FOX.

Welcome to 32 Teams in 32 Days, a daily series leading up to kickoff of the 2025 NFL season where I preview every team in the league as decided by a wheel spin and project what their season will look like. You can keep up with everything right here.

We remain in the AFC East and head on down to southern Florida where the Miami Dolphins sit as one of the more polarizing teams in the league in terms of how this season could go. The ceiling is a return to 2023 form, while the floor is as low as a complete overhaul of the roster and/or coaching staff.

A year removed from being a proper Super Bowl contender, Miami was an up and down mess in 2024, starting 2-6 thanks to countless injuries — including another scary concussion for QB Tua Tagovailoa — en route to an underwhelming 8-9 finish. Considering how many resources have been poured into this window, that’s not going to fly. Now, the Dolphins are in a position where another subpar season could lead to plenty of changes to a core they once thought could bring them great success.

Things were messy for a once high-flying offense as the Dolphins finished 22nd in EPA/play, including 31st in rush EPA/play. The offensive line was a disaster, clocking in at 28th in pass block win rate and 26th in run block win rate — can’t blame Tua for that, can you? Tagovailoa was actually pretty solid, going 6-5 in his starts while ranking 7th in EPA/play and EPA+CPOE, despite having the lowest ADOT in the league. I will always contend that Tua is one of the more needlessly overhated players in the league; I understand that a lot of what he does seems simple, but not anyone can be as decisive and accurate as he is, even in that system. He deserves some respect for being elite at what he does. I just wish he was able to stay on the field more consistently.

It was a down year for these two after a scintillating 2023. (h/t FOX)

There just wasn’t much that stood out on that side of the ball. Tyreek Hill had a quiet year with 81 catches, less than 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns. Jaylen Waddle caught just two scores. Jonnu Smith emerged as Tua’s go-to weapon, catching a whopping 88 balls and eight touchdowns, but he got shipped off to Pittsburgh, so Hill and Waddle figure to bounce back in ’25. De’Von Achane had another productive season behind a bad line, rushing for 907 yards and five touchdowns while hauling in 78 passes for 592 yards and six more scores. For reasons I can’t really explain, Miami traded for Darren Waller after he decided to come out of retirement, which feels like one of those stories we forget about when he re-retires after six weeks.

In a shocking turn of events, the defense was actually better than the offense, ranking in the top 10 in EPA/play. They didn’t play many offenses worth a damn, so that plays a role. Losing Jevon Holland hurts the secondary, but Miami has completely remade that unit, trading Jalen Ramsey to Pittsburgh to bring Minkah Fitzpatrick back in addition to signing Mike Hilton, Ifeatu Melifonwu and Kendall Sheffield. There’s still plenty of talent up front as well with the likes of Jaelan Phillips, Bradley Chubb and Jordyn Brooks, and first-round DT Kenneth Grant figures to bolster the interior.

The talent is still in Miami. So, what gives? Well, coaching still might be a weakness. I think Mike McDaniel is definitely an elite offensive innovator, but the ending to 2023 and most of last year proved that he might be in over his head on the big stage as a head coach. I like Anthony Weaver as DC, and last year’s defense proved that he’s going to be a good coordinator in this league. But, more than anything, I think it’s a matter of all the picks and money that has gone into building what’s supposed to be a contender resulting in… nothing. A couple of trips to the playoffs with no wins to show for it. It’s disappointment after disappointment. The next letdown from this regime could prove to be its last.

X-Factor: HC Mike McDaniel/QB Tua Tagovailoa

It’s make-or-break for this tandem. Tua needs to stay healthy for the whole season and deliver a season closer to what we saw in 2023, and McDaniel needs to prove that he can actually be an NFL head coach. If neither of those things happen, the Dolphins likely won’t hesitate to move off both of them. This is a franchise that’s starved and desperate to win, always looking to snap their NFL-leading playoff drought (hard to believe they’re the only team to not win a postseason game in my lifetime). Tua was paid handsomely and McDaniel has been given a long leash, but they’ll only so accept so much mediocrity. The good news for these two is that we’ve seen how successful they can be when they’re clicking. Yes, Hill, Waddle and Achane will each need to do their part as well, but the onus is on McDaniel and Tua to right this ship. Otherwise, they’ll be thrown overboard.

Team MVP: RB De’Von Achane
Lightning in a bottle. (h/t PFF)

Achane has proven himself as one of the league’s most dynamic tailbacks with his quick twitch and ridiculous speed. An absolute weapon on the ground and through the air, he’s shown that as long as he’s able to stay on the field, he’s going to make a difference. I think that’ll continue in a big way this season. And, for reasons I’ll get into shortly, I think he’s going to be the offensive cornerstone that this franchise continues to invest in while some others get sidelined and/or shipped away.

Breakout Candidate: WR Malik Washington

This might be the first time in the series where you’ve read this and gone, “Who the heck is that?” And that’s fair — Washington was a sixth-round pick a year ago who didn’t see a ton of action. But now, he’s the clear WR3 and should see a lot more targets now that Jonnu Smith is out of the picture. He was a catch machine at Virginia, setting the ACC single-season record for receptions in 2023 with 110. He feels like a perfect fit in this offense with its quick hitters. Though speed and quickness are often prioritized with guys like Hill and Achane, Washington can provide a level of technique and sharpness that otherwise might be lacking. And, again, if my vision comes to fruition where the Dolphins blow it up — almost getting there, I promise! — then his role could become much bigger as the season winds down.

Record Prediction: 5-12

Okay, here we go. Of all the teams on the playoff bubble, the Dolphins are my candidate to have the disaster 2025 and blow it up. This schedule isn’t easy, but more than that, I just see things falling apart in Miami this season. That means no one is safe — Tua, McDaniel, Hill and maybe even Waddle could all be elsewhere this time next year.

So, here’s the sitch. I think the Dolphins will enter their Week 12 bye on a four-game losing streak, which will cause all the turmoil. McDaniel gone, Tyreek probably traded, and Tua on the market. I know what you’re thinking: how can they make those last two moves considering the financials? Well, Hill has an out after this season, counting for about $15.5 million in dead money. Tua has one in 2027, which has a whopping $34.8 million in dead cap. It’s not impossible that they both get shipped. I think Hill makes a lot more sense for an in-season trade, whereas Tua would get moved off in the winter. I’m sure there would be a number of suitors for him despite what you might think. Maybe the Colts, Browns or Jaguars come knocking.

With a record like this and a late-season plunge, the Dolphins would be squarely in position to draft a new QB of the future — think LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier or Clemson’s Cade Klubnik, if not Arch Manning if he decides to not return to Texas. I think that’s the direction they’d choose to go in. Build around a new QB with Achane and Waddle, find a new head coach who’s capable of getting results, and start over.

I’m wary of this prediction, because the last time I predicted something of this magnitude was with the Rams in 2023. They wound up making the playoffs that season. So, we’ll see you in January, Miami!

Next up: New York Jets

32 Teams in 32 Days: Buffalo Bills

It’s Super Bowl or bust in Buffalo as Josh Allen and the Bills once again have all the ingredients to win an elusive title — so long as things don’t turn upside down in January again.

Cover photo taken from WROC.

Welcome to 32 Teams in 32 Days, a daily series leading up to kickoff of the 2025 NFL season where I preview every team in the league as decided by a wheel spin and project what their season will look like. You can keep up with everything right here.

It took longer than I expected, but we’ve finally reached a 2024 playoff team with the Buffalo Bills, who still have their sights set on their first Super Bowl after once again experiencing the agony of a playoff exit at the hands of Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.

Honestly, there’s not much to say about the Bills that we don’t already know by heart. Reigning MVP Josh Allen is an absolute unicorn of unicorns at QB who finally got his recognition with that elusive award last season (even though I would’ve given it to Lamar Jackson), ranking first in EPA/play and QBR. They won the AFC East for the fifth season in a row, doing so faster than any team has won any division in league history. They were truly elite across the board last year, finishing second in EPA/play on offense and 12th on defense, along with ranking in the top six in both pass rush and run stop win rates.

This was pretty damn cool. (h/t WROC)

In the end, it wasn’t enough. Despite 2024 being tabbed as the year that Buffalo finally got over the Mahomes hump, a 32-29 loss in the AFC Championship sent the Bills to a drab 0-4 playoff record against the Chiefs. This team is still trying to get back to their first Super Bowl since 1993 and capture that elusive first Lombardi, but the best player of the generation continues to stand in their way.

It’s no one’s fault — Allen now sits atop NFL history in playoff yards per game and TD-INT ratio and these teams are built to keep up with and defeat the Chiefs. It’s not like the 13 seconds or Damar Hamlin fake punt debacles. Blame a fourth down spot if you want, but if you can’t get a yard convincingly enough with the season on the line, maybe you don’t deserve to win. Especially if you get the ball back and can’t get a first down. It’s the little things. It always is with the Bills.

So, is this the year? It certainly might be. The offense essentially remains the exact same, returning a full offensive line that ranked fourth in pass block win rate a year ago while getting some more juice at WR with Josh Palmer replacing Amari Cooper. Khalil Shakir will continue to be a menace in the slot while Keon Coleman hopefully develops into a true WR1. James Cook led the NFL in touchdowns a year ago with 18 out of the backfield; hopefully he’ll be on the field amidst a contract dispute.

All the while, the defense also remains largely similar, just younger — the Bills spent their first five draft picks on that side of the ball. Unc replaces unc as Joey Bosa replaces Von Miller off the edge while Tre’Davious White returns to the secondary. This unit is eventually what unraveled the championship hopes a year ago, giving up 44 to the Rams, 42 to the Lions — albeit in a win — and 32 to the Chiefs in the final six weeks of the year. Seems like something that HC Sean McDermott should have more buttoned up by now, but alas.

So, Josh will still be amazing. The offense should continue to be a well-oiled machine. The defense has the blend of young studs and veteran talent to rank towards the top 10 once again. They’ll sleepwalk to an AFC East title and will be in contention for a 1-seed. That’s the expectation. That’s the standard.

The only remaining question: is it enough to finally get it done?

X-Factor: The Football Gods
Not again… right? (h/t The Playoffs)

The Bills are easily one of the most snakebitten franchises in professional sports. Wide right. The Four Falls. The Music City Miracle. 13 seconds. Jim Kelly, Andre Reed, Thurman Thomas, Bruce Smith, Josh Allen. Nothing to show for it. It’s almost like they pissed off some higher entity that’s constantly punishing them for it. The fact of the matter is this: the Bills are Super Bowl or bust every year. And they seemingly always have the talent to get it done. But something stupid happens in the playoffs, and it ruins everything. If they can play that one clean game — that one game with no supernatural craziness to spoil the season, they can and will win it all. We’ll see if the Football Gods allow it.

Team MVP: QB Josh Allen

There’s not much more I can say about Josh, who’s simply one of the greatest athletes I’ve ever watched. Every single week I sit down and watch the Bills, there’s one or two plays where I go, “Oh, that’s the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.” Between his arm, legs, strength and size, he’s probably the most unique quarterback the league has ever seen. It’s honestly pretty cool to see how he’s completely shattered the ceiling of the potential he had when coming out of Wyoming six years ago. The best and most recent part of that development has been the long-awaited departure of the horrible turnovers. Gone are the days of forcing throws for no reason and trying to make everything into a big play — Allen only threw six picks last year! So, this selection needs no explanation. The only thing to look out for is how much better he can be after a 3,731-yard, 28-touchdown season (with 12 rushing touchdowns to boot!). Despite a subpar receiving core, the sky remains the limit.

Breakout Candidate: WR Keon Coleman

I’ll be the first to admit that I wasn’t big on Coleman coming out of Florida State last year. I’m honestly still not very high on him. I didn’t think he should’ve been a first round pick, and I doubt his ability to become a true WR1 in this league. But, if there was a time to prove me wrong, it’s now. A rookie season with 29 catches, 556 yards and four touchdowns can be a launching pad to a sophomore campaign with closer to 50-60 catches and perhaps even 1,000 yards. Shakir is still probably the main target for Allen — and even Cook catches a ton of balls out of the backfield — but you could argue that if the Bills are finally going to get over the hump, Coleman turning into a stud would be a huge reason why.

Record Prediction: 14-3

The Bills have the ninth-easiest schedule in football based on 2024 winning percentage in large part thanks to the AFC East being an absolute joke. But, it’s also very manageable outside of the division — Buffalo somehow gets Kansas City, Baltimore, Tampa Bay, Cincinnati and Philadelphia all at home. The toughest road trip is probably at Houston, where I have them dropping a game due to how poor Allen played against that elite defense last year. Anything lower than 12 wins would probably feel like a disappointment. Whether or not 14 is good enough for the 1-seed is an irrelevant issue. The Bills’ schedule starts in the postseason, where they need to beat whoever whenever and finally put themselves in a position to bring a title to Buffalo.

Next up: Miami Dolphins

32 Teams in 32 Days: Cincinnati Bengals

As the Bengals continue to prioritize their offense and ignore their defense, they remain in a position that isn’t conducive to winning. Even with Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase setting the league on fire.

Cover photo taken from AP Photo.

Welcome to 32 Teams in 32 Days, a daily series leading up to kickoff of the 2025 NFL season where I preview every team in the league as decided by a wheel spin and project what their season will look like. You can keep up with everything right here.

The wheel has finally taken us to the AFC — and to one of its most fascinating, polarizing teams in the Bengals. And as much as I’d love to do a deep dive into everything going on in Cincinnati, I don’t really need to. You know what there is to know.

The skinny is this: Joe Burrow is amazing. Ja’Marr Chase might be the best receiver in the league. Tee Higgins is probably the best WR2 alongside him. The offensive line isn’t great. And the defense can’t stop a single gosh darn nosebleed.

Burrow probably would have won MVP last year if his defense was anything resembling competent, having the third ever season with over 4,000 yards and 40 touchdowns with less than 10 interceptions. The other two quarterbacks who accomplished that feat — Tom Brady in 2007 and Aaron Rodgers in 2011 — each took home the award and went a combined 30-1 in the regular season. The 2024 Bengals went 9-8.

And they had to struggle to get there. After once again starting the season looking like they were in training camp with an 0-3 start, Cincy had to climb out of 4-8 hole to stay in the playoff race. They were able to do that, winning their final five games, but it wasn’t enough, inexcusably missing the playoffs for the second year in a row.

You can point fingers at anyone but Burrow, Chase — who won the receiving triple crown — and Higgins. Though the Bengals had the second-highest dropback success rate in the league, the offensive line ranked dead last in pass block win rate and 30th in run block win rate while the defense sat at a measly 27th in EPA/play and 30th in success rate. Trey Hendrickson should be absolved from blame as well, considering he ranked second among all edge rushers in win rate while racking up 17.5 sacks for the second season in a row.

But apparently the Bengals front office disagrees. While fully content to pay Chase and Higgins a combined — and deserved — $70 million per year for the next several seasons, Cincy has completely neglected to play ball with Hendrickson, who’s being paid pennies on the dollar compared to the other pass rushers in his class. While Myles Garrett, TJ Watt and Maxx Crosby have each been rewarded with over $30 million AAV deals, Trey is set to make $15.8 million this season before becoming a free agent. It’s obviously in his and the team’s best interest to pay him like he deserves to be, but here we are on August 8, and there’s still no deal.

Pay the man. (h/t Bleacher Report)

It’s impossible to make it make sense. This defense has been so abysmal that they are defying logic; the Bengals lost four games last year in which they scored 30 or more, the most in NFL history. It’s a unit that has held generational QB and WR play back from even getting to the playoffs, let alone back to the Super Bowl. But no, let’s not pay the best player we have on that side of the ball and risk somehow being even worse than we were a year ago, even if we’ve replaced Lou Anarumo with Al Golden at DC. And don’t even get me started on the Shemar Stewart drama from this offseason.

It’s not just Hendrickson. Go look at the Bengals’ defensive depth chart and find me a single player worth recognizing in this preview. BJ Hill is the only one I’d hear out considering the entire second level of the defense is filled with players who are clearly out of their element. But this team made no moves of note to bolster that side of the ball, choosing instead to continue investing in the offense. Cincy better hope that draft picks Stewart, Demetrius Knight and Barrett Carter turn into elite defenders, because they’re otherwise hopeless.

So, it seems like the Bengals are content to have another season of losing games 41-38 and 35-31 while watching other teams with QBs on Burrow’s level aspire to win the Super Bowl. Remember after 2021 and 2022 when we thought this organization was finally free from incompetence and ready to cash in on having generational talent on offense? Those were the days.

X-Factor: The Whole Defense
We can only pray that all hope is not lost for this unit. (h/t New York Times)

I can keep going on and on about this side of the ball, but I won’t. I’ll put a button on it with this — this Bengals team can only go as far as this defense doesn’t prevent them from going. That sounds like word jumble, but what I’m trying to say is that this unit will hold this team back no matter what. It’s just a matter of how much they do so. If they can keep teams to 24 points instead of 28 or 30 instead of 35, Burrow and company might be able to do the rest and get this team to 10 or 11 wins. I’d love to believe that’s going to happen. But I need to see it to believe it. And I don’t have high hopes.

Team MVP: QB Joe Burrow
Pocket God. (h/t AP Photo)

I love Joe Burrow. He’s truly a delight to watch, and it’s a shame that we haven’t seen him in a playoff game in nearly three years. When healthy, he’s arguably the best QB in the entire league — I certainly think that’s true from a pocket perspective. From the pocket, nobody is on his level. It’s the closest thing to Tom Brady I’ve seen in this new generation of quarterbacks. And his deep ball is simply untouchable, delivering the highest percentage of catchable balls on throws over 20 yards in the league. There’s no doubt about how Burrow will perform as long as he’s on the field and Chase and Higgins are lining up on the outside. League MVP is certainly back on the table this year, but with how his defense is set to perform, no amount of individual success is going to be enough. Reminds me of another legendary No. 9 I grew up watching who won a championship in Louisiana.

Breakout Candidate: RB Chase Brown

You can make the argument that Chase Brown already broke out with his awesome sophomore campaign last year, but the casual NFL fan probably still doesn’t know who he is. I think that’ll change this year. Coming off a season with over 1,200 yards and 11 touchdowns from scrimmage, Brown is primed for another season as a Swiss army knife out of the Bengals backfield. He’s reliable in the passing game and has some real juice on the ground — enough to keep defenses honest while still having to worry about Chase and Higgins. A solid run game is paramount in this offense, and Brown has proven that he’s a worthy successor to Joe Mixon. If the new additions to Cincy’s offensive line prove to be true upgrades, then Brown should have his first 1,000-yard rushing season and perhaps cement himself as a top-10 back in football.

Record Prediction: 10-7

I hate to continue beating the deceased horse, but 10 or 11 wins feels like Cincy’s ceiling considering their defense. The schedule is hard, don’t get me wrong, but a better D would mean more wins sheerly based on the Bengals’ offensive output. This team won’t be able to stop the likes of Minnesota, Denver, Buffalo, Baltimore or even Green Bay. Heck, Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers might mess around and beat them once or twice. If Cincinnati can flip some of those into wins, the division title might be within reach. If not, anything but a playoff berth is unacceptable. And if the Bengals are once again on the outside looking in, then it’s time for a massive, massive change.

Next up: Buffalo Bills

32 Teams in 32 Days: New York Giants

Coming off arguably the worst season in franchise history, the Giants are staring down the barrel of another trainwreck, putting jobs everywhere in the building at stake.

Cover photo taken from Pro Football Network.

Welcome to 32 Teams in 32 Days, a daily series leading up to kickoff of the 2025 NFL season where I preview every team in the league as decided by a wheel spin and project what their season will look like. You can keep up with everything right here.

Our first venture outside of the NFC West takes us to the Big Apple with the New York Football Giants. And I’m going to level with you guys here — it will not be easy to be nice to this team.

2024 was one of the worst seasons in Giants history as a franchise record 10-game losing streak led to cutting ties with $60 million QB Daniel Jones and a drab 3-14 record.

Let’s get the ugliness out of the way. As detailed by what’ll likely be the lone version of the offseason’s Hard Knocks, the Giants let their two best players in RB Saquon Barkley and S Xavier McKinney walk in order to uphold the Daniel Jones era only for Barkley to win Offensive Player of the Year and be the best player on the Super Bowl-winning Eagles while McKinney led the league in interceptions in Green Bay. Oh, and GM Joe Schoen couldn’t take his own son’s advice and make a move for a QB in the draft, though I doubt any teams in the top-3 would’ve budged.

So, they already went into the season behind the 8-ball. And boy, did it show. In the EPA/play department, New York finished 28th on offense and 29th on defense. Shuffling between Jones, Tommy DeVito and Drew Lock under center, they finished 31st in dropback success rate and scoring, only in front of the Browns in each department. Not the greatest company to keep.

The worst part? A meaningless win against the Colts in Week 17 threw away their chance at the No. 1 overall pick, dropping them to No. 3 to miss out on QB Cam Ward or the Heisman-winning unicorn Travis Hunter.

That being said, I do think New York made out of the draft with arguably its best player in Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter, who promises to be Micah Parsons 2.0. He rounds out what could be a top-5 defensive line in football, paired up with Brian Burns while Dexter Lawrence holds down the middle. And, for what it’s worth, I liked the Giants’ offseason on defense; Jevon Holland was a great pickup to replace McKinney — albeit a year too late — and Paulson Adebo was brought in to complement Dru Phillips and bolster a secondary that has missed on countless draft picks like Deonte Banks and Tyler Nubin.

Having Abdul Carter in the division for years to come isn’t my idea of fun. (h/t Reuters)

But the real story of the offseason was on the other side of the ball, as it seemingly always is under supposed offensive guru Brian Daboll. With Jones now in Indianapolis, Daboll and Schoen have been given one last shot to figure this out and prove that 2022 wasn’t a fluke. And they have put their faith in… Russell Wilson? Jameis Winston? Maybe not exactly. Russ is in town for one last ride, now on his fourth team in the last five years to be a stopgap for Ole Miss product Jaxson Dart, who the Giants traded back into the first round to select at No. 25 overall. Dart fits the mold for what Daboll wants far more than a 36-year old Wilson, but it’ll be a while before he sees the field. He still has a long way to go as a prospect, and Russ was always going to be the guy to get the ball rolling in the first couple of months.

Regardless of what happens at QB, the rest of the offense isn’t much to look at. Leading the charge is last year’s first-round WR Malik Nabers, who proved his worth with a ridiculous debut campaign, racking up 109 catches — second-highest tally in history for rookies behind Brock Bowers — 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns with horrible QB play. Darius Slayton has proven himself as a solid complement to Nabers as well and decided to run it back in New York this season. And Tyrone Tracy had a solid rookie season of his own to emerge as the lead back, but not exactly a Saquon Barkley replacement (who is, anyways?). Wan’Dale Robinson and Jalin Hyatt have potential, but there’s no clear WR3 in the building. Andrew Thomas has proven himself to be a top-tier left tackle, but the rest of the line leaves a ton to be desired.

With QB play having a low ceiling or and an incredibly low floor and the rest of the roster continuing to lack in clear, blue-chip talent outside of Thomas and Nabers, things aren’t going to get better overnight in New York. Combine that with a brutal schedule, and the Giants could be staring down the barrel of another abysmal season. Daboll and Schoen’s seats are scorching.

X-Factor: QB Jaxson Dart

But not in the way you might think. The reason I list Dart as an X-factor is because a lot of jobs rely on his success this season. Let’s say he takes over the starting job in Week 6. If he performs similar to Drake Maye last season with no eye-popping stats but clear talent and an ability to make plays, that’s a success. If he exceeds expectations and puts together a solid season for himself, that’s even better. He’s not going to be Jayden Daniels or CJ Stroud, but no one is. But for the Giants to have made the deal they did to get Dart, it has to work. It’s the last trick that Daboll can pull before being shipped off to be an offensive coordinator somewhere. I have my doubts about it working sheerly based on the uphill climb facing New York this season, but it’s not impossible.

Team MVP: WR Malik Nabers
This guy is absurd. (h/t northjersey.com)

I already touched on it, but Nabers is truly a remarkable player. I had him as my WR2 in last year’s draft, but I didn’t expect this. For him to have the rookie season he did with the QBs he played with is a testament to his skills. He’s also the only real pass-catching threat on this team, which is proven by leading the NFL in target share last year with a whopping 34.9%. He’s big, long, athletic, ridiculously fast and aggressive at the catch point. There aren’t many corners who can take him one-on-one. When I watch him, I see Ja’Marr Chase 2.0. That speaks for itself. If Dart pants out, they could prove to be a very good duo for years. If not, he’ll still be a great outlet for Russ, who will surely be connecting with him on a number of deep shots this season. In any case, I’m thrilled to watch his sophomore campaign — just maybe not in Weeks 1 and 15.

Breakout Candidate: RB Tyrone Tracy

As I mentioned earlier, Tracy is a pretty solid back who flashed a lot of potential in 2024. With 839 yards and five touchdowns on the ground, he emerged as the lead RB over Devin Singletary by October, and it definitely gave this offense a boost in the run game. Again, he’s no Saquon, but he can definitely be the solidified RB1 in New York for the next several years. Despite the offensive line continuing to be a weakness, Tracy should take a leap this season as the full-time lead back. That being said, rookie Cam Skattebo could eat into that if he proves that he can play in the big leagues, which I still have questions about.

Record Prediction: 2-15

This isn’t an indictment on how poor this roster or coaching staff is. This is more about the absolute gauntlet of a schedule. Just go take a look at it, then come back here and tell me I’m wrong. The NFC East has to play the NFC North and AFC West this season, which is awful news for the Giants in particular as those other two divisions are pretty good at the bottom. Oh, and they have to play San Francisco, who finished fourth last year, but should be much improved. There genuinely might not be a Giants win until the calendar year 2026. Their best chances are at New Orleans in Week 5, at Vegas in Week 17 and the finale against Dallas in Week 18. I gave them the Raiders win, and for some reason I have them beating Minnesota in Week 16 as well. There’s gotta be Ws in there somewhere. But if the Giants become the first team to ever go 0-17, do not color me surprised. Another top draft pick is on the fast track to the Big Apple.

Next up: Cincinnati Bengals

32 Teams in 32 Days: Arizona Cardinals

Despite a disappointing end to last season, the Cardinals have put themselves in a position to break through in 2025. But how far can Kyler Murray and a desperately-needed defensive revamp take them?

Cover photo taken from NBC Sports.

Welcome to 32 Teams in 32 Days, a daily series leading up to kickoff of the 2025 NFL season where I preview every team in the league as decided by a wheel spin and project what their season will look like.

Our second leg of the journey keeps us in the NFC West with the upstart Cardinals, who have flown under the radar for quite some time now and could be poised for a breakthrough season.

I’ll start by saying this: Arizona was as good of a sub-.500 team as you’ll find in the league in 2024, at least offensively. They were 10th in the league in offensive EPA/play, Kyler Murray was 9th in QBR and the team was sixth in dropback success rate — notably above each of the league’s final four teams in Buffalo, Washington, Kansas City and Philadelphia. The team was 6-4 heading into their bye before falling apart, losing five of their next six, including very winnable games against Minnesota and Carolina.

What did the Cards in was their defense, which was 24th in defensive EPA/play and a drab 31st in success rate. Considering the defensive nature of head coach Jonathan Gannon, that won’t fly for the redbirds in ’25.

As such, defense seemed to be the emphasis of the offseason in the desert. While the offense gained no new starters, five of the team’s six draft picks were spent on that side of the ball — notably including DT Walter Nolen in the first round and DB Will Johnson in the second, who could each be franchise cornerstones if they stay healthy and live up to their potential. DB Denzel Burke, LB Cody Simon and LB Jordan Burch could also develop into solid pieces and at least provide some defensive depth.

Josh Sweat was signed away from the Eagles to a lucrative deal to bolster the pass rush which was 28th in win rate a year ago. Calais Campbell was brought back home to provide a veteran presence and maybe give the interior some juice. All things considered, this should be an improved unit this season; at least DC Nick Rallis hopes they’ll be in what’s essentially a make-or-break year for him.

Again, this team is practically the same offense as it was a year ago, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing considering the stats, but I do have some question marks.

For starters, I’m not overly fond of OC Drew Petzing — particularly his lack of emphasis to feed the ball to Marvin Harrison Jr. Yes, it apparently isn’t necessary, but it seems like something that could surely elevate the unit. Critics and TikTokers would have you believe that Harrison’s rookie year was a disappointment; I’ll admit that might be true statistically, but film would tell the story of a kid who simply didn’t see the ball enough.

Throw this guy the ball, please. (h/t AZCentral)

Having a star TE in Trey McBride certainly plays a big factor there, considering led all tight ends in target share with over 29% — good for sixth among all pass catchers. For reference, MHJ ranked 42nd, lower than guys like David Njoku and Michael Pittman Jr.

Call me crazy, but I’m in favor of getting the ball to the generational talent you took fourth overall.

I won’t put the blame on Kyler, because I actually think he’s a pretty solid quarterback who gets a little too much hate. But there were numerous occasions where Marv would be wide open streaking down the field and not even get looked at. It’s the small things like that which prevent this offense from being one of the best in the league — which, considering the solid offensive line and pretty good skill position group, is entirely possible.

This was already a solid roster that improved greatly in the areas it needed to. But the fact remains: I need to see it to believe it. I want to believe in this offense, and I’m excited to see what the defense looks like. But, for now, the glass is neither half-full nor half-empty. It just has some water in it.

X-Factor: QB Kyler Murray

If the Cardinals want to return to the postseason, you’d have to picture Kyler returning to a form like we saw pre-ACL tear. Again, last year wasn’t bad for him by any means — in fact, he posted the highest QBR of his career — but it wasn’t enough to get over the hump. That’s not all his fault. But if he can get just a little closer to the peak of his potential, it’ll be good enough to make up for this team’s shortcomings. We all know he has what it takes to be a top-10 signal caller. It just remains to be seen whether or not he can get there.

Team MVP: TE Trey McBride
Who runs a better corner route than Trey McBride? (h/t Reuters)

To put it plainly, Trey McBride is a damn stud. He has clearly emerged as a top-three tight end in football, and on his best day, he’s probably the best in the league. His route running is wildly polished for his size, he’s almost unguardable at the catch point and fairly effective after the catch. McBride has developed into the ultimate safety blanket for Kyler Murray and one of the biggest ball-demanders in football with 111 receptions last season — good for fourth in the league. Only Brock Bowers was a more productive TE last season, which is pretty good company to keep. For his efforts, McBridge was given a four-year, $76 million extension, making him the highest paid tight end in NFL history. So, this was a pretty easy choice. Entering year four, he’s showing no signs of slowing down and should continue to be the primary weapon in this offense. That is, unless, something in particular happens…

Breakout Candidate: WR Marvin Harrison Jr.

This is the year. There should be a much more conceited effort to get Marv the football, and it’s going to pay dividends. I always thought he was the best receiver in the 2024 class; hell, I thought he was the best player in the draft and one of the most unique talents I’ve ever watched. I still believe that potential is within him, and I still think this is a perfect situation for him to be in. If he consistently sees targets — of which there should be at least 80 or 90 — he should explode this season and become the type of receiver we all expect him to be. He may not eclipse his ’24 draft counterparts in Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. just yet, but it’s only a matter of time before that happens. A player of his skillset and athleticism doesn’t dwell for long.

Record Prediction: 8-9

Like I said with Seattle yesterday, this is a very middle-of-the-pack type of schedule. But with too many unknowns on defense, it’s hard to hand out wins in toss-ups where the tie goes to a clearly better, more well-rounded squad. Road games at Dallas, Tampa Bay, Houston and Cincinnati also stand out as steep hills to climb, and the divisional road games figure to be chalked up as losses as well. A double-digit win season is entirely possible. It just needs to be seen to be believed.

Next up: San Francisco 49ers