Tag: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Post-Week 4 Power Rankings

After a month of football, NFL teams are slowly starting to categorize themselves into distinctive tiers as we get a better idea of who the contenders and pretenders are. Here’s how I stack things up 1-32 after Week 4.

Cover photo taken from Bleacher Report.

1 – Eagles (4-0)

Despite the incredible showing from the team below them, the Eagles retain the top spot this week. After all, they are the NFL’s lone undefeated team now. Even in a downpour, they showed so much of what makes them truly special. They were in an early 14-point hole and erased it with ease on the backs of their balanced offense and dominant defense. They continue to get tremendous contributions from all of their newcomers on both sides of the ball, especially on defense. They forced turnover after turnover and ran the ball down Jacksonville’s throat, and the game was really never in question after they erased the deficit. Not many teams would be able to bounce back like that. Great teams do.

2 – Chiefs (3-1) 2

I had more than half a mind to put Kansas City at 1, but I had to respect the balance and undefeated record of the Eagles. Still, the Chiefs had the most impressive performance of the season on Sunday night, and are likely the NFL’s best team as of right now. I said their offense would get shut down by arguably the best defense in the league, and all they did was rip them apart in every conceivable way. Just to put things in perspective, the Chiefs scored more points in the first half than the Buccaneers had allowed in their first three games… combined. So, yeah, Patrick Mahomes and the rest of this offense are still the scariest sight in the sport. I do think the defense still needs some work, especially in the secondary, but I give them a pass since they’re largely just keeping the offense in front of them after the team goes up by multiple scores. It remains to be seen if that will be an issue in close games.

3 – Bills (3-1)

The Bills had absolutely no business winning on Sunday, but the manner in which they did so speaks to their identity and toughness. Not many teams can go down 17 points to an elite team on the road in a torrential downpour and come all the way back to win it. They rode the arm and legs of Josh Allen all game long and forced a huge turnover late in the game to win it at the buzzer with a walkoff FG. I’ve said I don’t like how much they rely on their QB, but he can clearly handle it (at least early in the season), and he’s good enough to carry them to victory. Their defense is still elite and did just enough against Lamar Jackson to let their offense go down and win the game. It’s a formula that I’m not all too fond of, but it’s working for Buffalo.

4 – Packers (3-1) 2

I do think the Packers still have a ton of room to improve, especially offensively. But, they’re doing exactly what I wanted them to do on that side of the ball, and it’s working. So, I’m giving them plenty of credit. They are clearly getting more cohesive on offense, especially with the emergence of rookie WR Romeo Doubs in the passing game. They are getting fellow rookie WR Christian Watson involved a lot more, which is great to see considering his incredible physical skillset. Aaron Rodgers hasn’t been the flashy MVP we’re accustomed to seeing, but he doesn’t have to be. He has the supporting cast around him to lead his team to victory. It helps that his defense is just ridiculously good at every position. If the offense ever lags behind, you can count on this unit, which might be the best in the league, to make up for any and all shortcomings.

5 – Dolphins (3-1) 3

The Dolphins horribly mismanaged Tua Tagovailoa’s injury situation. That is well-documented by now, and I’m not here to beat a dead horse. I’m here to say that, despite Thursday’s loss, I still think Miami is in a great spot moving forward. For starters, they easily could have won the game despite what happened to Tua. Teddy Bridgewater is a capable QB and as good of a backup as you could possibly ask for. The supporting cast around him is going to make his life easy, and when that was the case for him in New Orleans, it translated to wins. The defense didn’t have their finest game, which was a bit of a concern, but they were going up against a good offense in a tough environment. They’ll be just fine. Regardless of when Tua comes back (if he does at all), I have plenty of faith in this team to still be very good. They may not be the contenders we thought, but they’re still better than most other teams in this league.

6 – Ravens (2-2) 1

The Ravens now have two inexplicable losses. The first one they could blame on their defense, but this one has to be the fault of the coaching staff. I cannot fathom the decision to go for it on 4th and goal from the 1 in a tie game instead of taking the free 3 points. Throwing a pick in that situation is the worst possible outcome, so when that happens and ends up being your last offensive play because the other team takes that and cashes it in with a last second game-winning field goal of their own, it’s quite embarrassing. Despite all of this, I really do think this is an elite team. I don’t think that’s the question. The question is whether or not they have it in them to not lose games in such embarrassing fashion. There’s no excuse for this to continue happening if you’re Baltimore. The team is far too good and the coaching staff is far too experienced to lose games in Cleveland-like fashion. I guess it is still in their DNA.

7 – Buccaneers (2-2)

Let’s pump the brakes with the overreactions please. The Bucs will be fine. Their defense will be okay. They ran into the buzzsaw that is the Chiefs offense, and while nobody saw that poor of a performance coming, we can be rest assured that they won’t look that bad again. If it makes them feel any better, the offense did their thing in the passing game. The only thing is that the run game was completely invisible and any and all efforts were in vain thanks to being way too behind all game long to compete. Sunday night was just a disaster from the start for Tampa, but they are way too good across the board to be that awful in any games moving forward.

8 – Chargers (2-2) 1

The Chargers are still yet to put together a performance that wows us this year, and I don’t know when they will. If you can’t do it against the Texans, then can you do it at all? It’s hard with this team still being as injured as they are, and I don’t know how much faith I have in them to overcome all the injuries. Justin Herbert looks pretty solid as he continues to heal, and Austin Ekeler finally decided to show up this season. They’ll need continued contributions from both if they hope to keep up in this breakneck conference.

9 – Vikings (3-1) 1

The Vikings are coming off back to back wins that took everything they had. They might not be two of the most impressive wins in the world, but I think they’re indicative of what this team is made of. The Vikings always lose these types of games, but they’re finally coming out on top. Maybe it’s a sign that this team is built to win huge games and not suffer the heartbreaking losses they’re so accustomed to. It helps that Justin Jefferson finally got back involved in the offense with a mammoth game and the defense made enough plays to win the game. It was too close for comfort, but it never comes easy in Minnesota.

10 – 49ers (2-2) 5

Something about the Rams brings out the best in the 49ers. Those two games every year are the ones where San Francisco looks the best. Monday night was an incredible showing, especially from the defense and the ultimate weapon known as Deebo Samuel. They made the defending champions look lost and confused on both sides of the ball from start to finish in an impressively dominant win. I knew they’d come out on top, but I wasn’t anticipating them looking so great in doing so. This team still has a clear ceiling with Jimmy Garoppolo under center, but that ceiling is pretty high when his teammates play like this.

11 – Cowboys (3-1) 2

Another week of Dallas beating up on inferior NFC East opponents has them slowly but surely rising. I’m not going to discredit them or say that this is a bad team; their defense is still playing lights out and Cooper Rush deserves his flowers for leading a competent offense. This is a solid team that is making the most of their early cupcake schedule. It’s about to get much tougher, so buckle up.

12 – Bengals (2-2) 2

The Bengals have done what they had to do, getting back to .500 after a nightmare 0-2 start. Thursday’s win was a great one, beating an undefeated Dolphins team with a great defensive performance and doing just enough offensively to win. I still think this team is lacking the juice that made them so special a year ago, but there’s no doubt that they still have the talent to compete at a high level. They need to prove it more consistently against good teams.

13 – Browns (2-2) 3

There’s no excuse to lose to a team that completes 7 passes all game long. The Browns were undoubtedly the better team on Sunday, but their offensive woes bit them a few too many times to come out on top. They simply weren’t getting enough production from their WRs or Kareem Hunt. Jacoby Brissett wasn’t awful by any means, but I expected him and everyone else other than Nick Chubb to be better against the Falcons of all teams. The defense also didn’t have their best day. It was just a slog for a team that’s way better than they appeared. They should be able to button up those mistakes and look much better moving forward.

14 – Jaguars (2-2) 3

The Jags were plagued by the downpour in Philly to the tune of countless fumbles and ruined possessions that eliminated their chances to win. If that game was played on a clear day, they probably could have won. They did get out to a nice lead thanks to great contributions from the offense and defense, but once the rain picked up, it was very rough sailing. Poor ball security is an issue, but you’d have to think this team won’t be in those conditions again anytime soon. I still liked what the Jags flashed against my #1 team on Sunday and I still have high hopes for them moving forward. Luckily for them, they get a great bounce-back game this week against Houston.

15 – Rams (2-2) 7

What even is this team at this point? What is their identity? What do they do well other than force feed Cooper Kupp? They look lifeless, unmotivated, uninspired. They look… bad. They just don’t look like a team that can compete with the best of the best in this league. They look like a shadow of the team that won the Super Bowl. I’m not sticking a fork in them, but man. This is pretty bad.

16 – Cardinals (2-2) 1

This team is the definition of mid, but at least they’re a fun mid team. This is a team with a solid offense that puts up numbers, which is exactly what we expected out of them. I still think their defense needs a ton of work, but that’s not really going to hold them back against the likes of the Panthers. It will hold them back against the better teams on their schedule, however. But that’s fine. The Cards are what we thought they’d be, and while that’s nothing impressive, they’re good enough to compete, which is a lot more than can be said about the teams below them.

17 – Titans (2-2) 6

I’d like to think the Titans are slowly getting themselves figured out again, but I can’t be too sure at this point. For all of the good things they’ve shown us in the last two weeks, they’ve shown us an equal amount to dislike. The most important thing is that Derrick Henry is finally back to being his usual self, which was imperative if this team was to get back on track. The defensive front also continues to dominate, which is necessary against inferior competition. The Titans still need to put together a complete performance, but what’s clear is that they’re trending in the right direction, which is more than I could have asked for after their first two games.

18 – Lions (1-3) 2

At the end of the day, the Lions’ biggest obstacle remains themselves. In each of their losses, they couldn’t get out of their own way and suffered narrow defeats because of it; this was especially the case in the last two weeks. This offense is doing plenty with the highest yardage and points per game in the league, even with injuries across the board, but the defense has just been abhorrent. They are giving up an incomprehensible 444 yards and 35 points per game, both of which are the worst in the NFL by a mile. This was a unit that looked much improved, but is quite frankly just as awful if not worse than years prior. Until that gets buttoned up, the Lions are going nowhere, despite their offensive fireworks. At this rate, it’s not getting fixed anytime soon.

19 – Saints (1-3)

The Saints really did everything they could on Sunday in London. They had to deal with absolutely awful calls going against them and some extremely tough luck. It’s not a good thing to join the exclusive Double Doink club. I still think there’s so much to like with this team, but it’s just not translating on the field. The defense hasn’t been as good as I imagined, Alvin Kamara has been invisible in every game he has played in, Michael Thomas is hurt again, and the QB situation isn’t ideal in any regard. Chris Olave has been a bright spot, but that’s about it. Maybe if they get healthy they can put it together, but it’s hard to have any faith in that happening at this point.

20 – Falcons (2-2) 4

I’ll give some credit to the Falcons. They’ve been pretty solid in the last two weeks. They’ve been solid all year long actually. With some better luck, they could be 4-0. As it stands, they’re at .500 and good enough to stick around there for a while. The offense is solid with their plethora of young pieces, and the defense has played surprisingly well. This isn’t a great team, but they might not be as awful as I projected them to be. They’ll probably be able to beat the bottom feeders on their schedule and give the great teams fits. For a team like this, that’s trending in the right direction.

21 – Patriots (1-3) 1

Nobody really has any idea what’s going on with the Patriots right now. I do want to give them credit for hanging in there against the Packers with their third string QB in a game where they were a near double digit underdog. Still, this team just doesn’t show anyone enough to feel great about. They can run the ball pretty well and their defense played much better than they had before. There’s something to be said about pushing an elite team like Green Bay to the edge on the road, but based on this team’s performances in their first three games, it was probably just a one time thing.

22 – Colts (1-2-1)

The Colts aren’t really a team worth talking about. They are just so painfully average at everything, which almost feels impossible. They have the supposed best running back in football in their backfield, yet he has been a complete ghost in their last three games. Their allegedly elite offensive line is struggling mightily to protect their 37 year old statue of a QB. They have solid pass-catchers, but it doesn’t matter when they can’t get the ball. And their defense has just been poor. It’s so strange to see and I have no idea how they’re going. to fix it. Perhaps they won’t fix it at all.

23 – Raiders (1-3) 3

The Raiders finally got off the schneid on Sunday, just as I expected them to. It was a solid day on both sides of the ball, using a solid offensive output and a huge defensive touchdown to propel them to a comfortable win over their division rival. The Broncos are awful, so I’m not buying too much Raiders stock right now, but it was nice to finally see them put together a performance good enough to win. Sadly for them, next up is a trip to Arrowhead. Good luck with that.

24 – Seahawks (2-2) 6

Did the Seahawks win the Russell Wilson trade? Did the Seahawks upgrade at QB? Are the Seahawks better than the Broncos? All of these are valid questions, and at least one of them can be answered with a “yes”. Geno Smith has been one of the best QBs this year from a statistical standpoint, and the offense looks competent. The defense is a different story, but they got away with it this week. I don’t think the Seahawks are a good team that will win many games, but I have to respect how they’ve looked so far, especially at QB.

25 – Broncos (2-2) 7

No, this isn’t being too harsh. Anyone who has watched any Broncos football knows that this team is horrible. They are an eye sore that fails to do anything well. Their offense is stagnant and incompetent, and that’s now made worse by the season-ending knee injury to star RB Javonte Williams. The defense did not play up to their standards this week against a winless Raiders team. Russell Wilson hasn’t played even close to the level that they expected after giving up a king’s ransom for him. And don’t even get me started on the coaching. A very bad situation is getting worse. It’s slowly but surely spiraling out of control.

26 – Jets (2-2) 3

I don’t even think the Jets know how they got their two wins, but they’re not complaining. They took the gifts given to them by the Browns and Steelers and have run with them. Good for Zach Wilson and this team to do their thing and pick up a hard fought W against a team that has owned them for so long. They have to savor the very few wins they get.

27 – Giants (3-1) 2

I really don’t want to sound like a broken record here. The Giants are just an unimpressive, boring, and straight up bad team that has no business being 3-1. It looks great on paper now, but it’s not going to last whatsoever now that they’ll be playing real teams. No other teams are going to be fooled by Daniel Jones naked bootlegs. Saquon Barkley is playing the best football of any RB in the league right now, but he can only take an offense this bad so far. It is a good thing that nobody outside of this fanbase cares about their record. It deserves no attention whatsoever.

28 – Steelers (1-3) 7

I really didn’t think it could get this bad in Pittsburgh. But, here we are. The reins were finally handed to Kenny Pickett, and all he did was throw 3 interceptions in a half against the Jets en route to a blown lead and a loss. The defense continues to drop like flies and let offenses have their way. Najee Harris is still a complete non-factor. This team is just a disaster across the board with no hopes of getting better. At least Pickett will be getting his reps in.

29 – Panthers (1-3) 1

Can you imagine being the Panthers? The QB you traded for is having one of the worst statistical starts to a season in NFL history, and you’ll have to turn to the other QB you wanted to replace who is probably even worse to try and turn it around. I will say this: Christian McCaffrey is still as dynamic as ever and is putting this offense on his back, and the defense actually isn’t awful. Frankie Luvu is playing like a DPOY candidate right now. None of this is making up for how terrible this team is everywhere else, but a team like this could use every bright spot they can get.

30 – Commanders (1-3) 3

Nope.

31 – Bears (2-2)

The Bears are incompetence and ignorance personified. They do not care. They actively don’t want any of their young players to develop, especially their first-round QB that they traded up for. They don’t want to improve anywhere. They don’t want to do anything well. And they aren’t. They seemingly never will. This might just be the most embarrassing, pathetic team and franchise in the league.

32 – Texans (0-3-1)

The Texans are now the NFL’s lone winless team. Who could have seen that coming? They were competitive down the stretch on Sunday, but it was simply too little too late. This team will be feisty at times, but it will never be enough. The only questions now are when that first win will come and who this team is taking with the first pick in the draft.

All stats taken from ESPN.

Week 4 Picks

My picks have been freezing cold, but the 2022 season is off to a blazing start through three weeks, and this one promises to keep that fire burning. Here’s how I see Week 4 playing out.

Cover photo taken from People.

October is somehow already upon us as we approach the end of the first quarter of the NFL season. The 2022 campaign has been off to a blazing start through three weeks, and this one promises to keep that going. Last week was perhaps my worst of all time, going a putrid 7-9 to bring my season total to 24-23-1. Surely this is the week it gets better. Surely.

Dolphins 21-20 Bengals

Thursday, 8:15 PM EST, Prime Video

Week 4 kicks off with a banger on TNF: a great game with even better uniforms. These are two of the brightest young teams in football, although they’ve had nearly polar opposite starts to their seasons. Miami is the AFC’s lone unbeaten team coming off two mammoth wins over the Bills and Ravens. Meanwhile, the Bengals sit at a measly 1-2, waiting until last week to get their first win over the lowly Jets. Regardless of that, I think this will be a tight game throughout and should be great. Vegas seems to like the Bengals by virtue of being at home, and it’s hard to picture Cincy losing in that white-out environment. But I’ve seen them struggle so hard against great defenses in their first two games. The Dolphins have a defense that just kept Josh Allen and the Bills at bay. While I think the matchup between Miami’s offense and Cincy’s defense is fairly even, I think the flip side will prove to be the difference. I see the Fins defense making enough plays to close things out late in this one.

Vikings 26-21 Saints

Sunday, 9:30 AM EST, NFL Network

Our first London game of the year is one that looks great on paper, but might not be as good as we thought. These are two teams I’ve been pretty confident in, but haven’t given me much to like since their respective opening wins. They are both beat up and now have to deal with the long trip across the pond. So, I have to give the slight edge to the better team, which is clearly Minnesota. They didn’t play their best game last week, but they showed me infinitely more than New Orleans, who was absolutely dead from start to finish in an embarrassing loss. I just trust the Vikings more on both sides of the ball to make the plays necessary to win the game. It would help them (and my fantasy team) quite a lot if Justin Jefferson can get going again, especially with Dalvin Cook nursing an injury.

Browns 23-17 Falcons

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

I actually think this game has some potential to be good. On paper it looks dreadful, but these are fun teams. The Browns are actually good and the Falcons are always feisty. At home, I don’t think it’s impossible for the Falcons to pull an upset. Their offense is competent enough to put points on the board. But I think Cleveland’s defense is too stout, even though they’ll likely be without Myles Garrett. In any case, I think the Browns are too solid offensively to be stopped by Atlanta, whose defense has been gashed all year long.

Cowboys 28-16 Commanders

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

We’re unveiling the all-black alternates in this game. That’s cool. Perhaps it’ll make this somewhat easier to watch (spoiler alert: it won’t). I don’t care who plays or doesn’t play for Dallas because our guys won’t be able to do a thing against them. They can’t do anything against anyone. I just want to get this blowout out of the way so I can enjoy the rest of my Sunday.

Lions 30-20 Seahawks

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

You can bank on there being a good amount of points scored in this game. The Lions are one of three teams in the league averaging over 30 points per game, with the other two being Baltimore and Buffalo. They could easily be 3-0 on the back of their offense. Seattle’s defense is pretty porous, so Detroit should be able to do their usual damage. I don’t think it will be enough for a Geno Smith-led offense to overcome, but the Lions defense has been very hit or miss. I think this is a great opportunity for them to get their feet under them, but it remains to be seen whether or not they’re capable of it.

Colts 23-20 Titans

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

Why does every Colts-Titans game feel exactly the same? It’s always so even, almost as if they’re the exact same team. In a situation like this, I’m busting out ol’ reliable and taking Indy by virtue of being the home team. Yes, I’m unoriginal and boring and basic. They also had a much more impressive win last week than Tennessee, so that helps. Moreover, the Colts should be getting a huge boost with Shaq Leonard returning to the lineup on defense. When they’re fully healthy, they’re a competent team. The Titans have yet to show me that.

Giants 17-14 Bears

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

Nobody wants to watch this game. Nobody is going to watch this game. Alas, it must be picked. By some grace of the football gods, both of these teams are 2-1, which means someone is going to inexplicably be 3-1 by Sunday evening. I’ll take the Giants thanks to Chicago not knowing how to play offense in any capacity. They’re too heavily reliant on their run game, and with David Montgomery potentially being out against a solid Giants front, I don’t know if they’ll be able to ride it to victory. I somehow trust New York to make more plays on offense. That might be the first and last time I say that this year.

Eagles 26-23 Jaguars

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

Do people realize how awesome this game is going to be? Not only is it the Doug Pederson revenge game, but these teams are playing some of the most fun football of anyone in the league right now. This might be my most anticipated game of the week. I think it’ll be much closer than Vegas expects, and if Jacksonville was at home, I’d probably pick them to win it. But on the road, an upset seems a bit too out of reach for such a young squad. Philadelphia is just too great on both sides of the ball to lose a game like this. But, I think it’s going to be highly competitive, and an upset wouldn’t shock me at all.

Steelers 19-17 Jets

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

The Steelers don’t feel like a team worth talking about until Kenny Pickett starts for them. Unfortunately for them, that likely won’t happen this week. You’d have to imagine Mitch Trubisky can get the job done at home against the Jets who will be fielding Zach Wilson on one leg at QB. Their defense is still a question mark with injuries across the board, but I’m putting enough faith in them to stop a team like the Jets.

Ravens 27-24 Bills

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

What a blessing it is to have such a heavyweight fight this early in the season. These are two teams with very real championship aspirations that should give us one of the best games of the week, and perhaps the whole year. While I believe the Bills are the better team, something in my gut is telling me that this will be the week that the Ravens finally put together a complete performance. I’m riding the hot hand of Lamar Jackson and trusting their defense to somehow stop Buffalo’s offense, who is coming off an incredibly exhausting game. On paper, you’d expect the Bills offense to tear Baltimore to shreds. The Ravens are giving up the most total and passing yards per game in all of football with 458 and 353 yards respectively. Moreover, Buffalo has the best total defense (214), second best total offense (441), and the best passing offense (329) in the league. So, the stats all favor Josh Allen and company. But like I said, sometimes you just have to trust your gut.

Chargers 24-19 Texans

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

The Chargers better hope they come out and win this game amidst all their injuries. With them being as beat up as they are, it doesn’t get much easier for them than this. Yes, it’s a road trip, but it’s one against the worst team in the league. If they lose, they’ll be in a 1-3 hole with injuries across the board, and they will be in a whole heap of trouble. I don’t see that happening, but they can’t let it happen under any circumstances. All their offense has to do is score a few touchdowns and they’ll be fine.

Cardinals 27-21 Panthers

Sunday, 4:05 PM EST, FOX

These are two teams that I haven’t been able to read all season long. So, what gives in this matchup? Well, I still don’t really know. The Panthers are favored at home, but I have no doubts that the Cardinals are the better team from top to bottom. Even with Carolina coming off an impressive win, I somehow feel better about Arizona, who hasn’t scored a touchdown in two weeks. I just like their offense too much to pick against them in a game against an inferior opponent.

Packers 28-10 Patriots

Sunday, 4:25 PM EST, CBS

This game was never going to be close. With Brian Hoyer being under center for the Patriots for the foreseeable future, that might be the case more often than not for them. In this game, it just makes the scoring margin even wider. Green Bay boasts one of the NFL’s best defense that will make scoring impossible for New England. Their offense should also be able to have their way against a Pats D that got sliced and diced last week. This is a perfect opportunity for the Packers’ new offensive pieces to continue coalescing and getting better.

Raiders 21-17 Broncos

Sunday, 4:25 PM EST, CBS

This game is an unmitigated disaster on paper. The Broncos have been a mess all year long, and the Raiders have somehow been an even bigger one. This is the NFL’s lone 0-3 team going up against a Denver squad that hasn’t scored more than 16 points in a game this year. So, avert your eyes when this one is on TV. Still, we must pick a winner, so once again, give me the home team. The Raiders have to get off the schneid eventually, and although the Broncos defense is very sharp, this seems like a great opportunity for them to do so.

Buccaneers 24-20 Chiefs

Sunday, 8:20 PM EST, NBC

This fantastic Super Bowl LV rematch on SNF isn’t even close to the biggest story in Tampa this weekend. We can only hope that it will be safe and that the city is ok. I thought the game would be moved, but the NFL is toughing it out amidst the hurricane. They say it should be out of town by Sunday night, but it still feels a bit weird. I don’t know how much the conditions are going to affect this game, but it wasn’t going to change my pick anyways. The Buccaneers defense is simply incredible, giving up an NFL-best 9 (nine!) points per game through three weeks. Against a Chiefs offense, whose number they clearly have dating back to February 2021, that doesn’t have much big play potential, I think they can limit Patrick Mahomes enough to let their offense win the game. Tom Brady gets his WR1 back as Mike Evans returns from suspension, and Chris Godwin and Julio Jones might be on their way back as well. With enough weapons on offense, I trust the Bucs to put up enough points to win any game that their defense dominates. I’m not saying it’ll be a shutdown performance like the Super Bowl was, but it’ll be enough to win.

49ers 24-17 Rams

Monday, 8:15 PM EST, ESPN

Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers simply have Sean McVay and the Rams’ number. They always have, and they probably always will. Yes, LA got the best of San Francisco in their last matchup in the NFC Championship Game, but we all know the Niners should have won. So, at home in primetime in a massive divisional showdown coming off a tough primetime loss, I think the 49ers are going to bring it. I think they’ll give the defending champs everything they have and win this game. More than anything, I believe their defense, which is 2nd in total yards (227) and third in points (12.3) is going to continue playing excellent football and shut down a Rams offense that is lacking in the juice they had a year ago. Even with Jimmy Garoppolo under center on offense, that’s just how this rivalry game always goes (in the regular season, at least).

All stats taken from ESPN.

Post-Week 3 Power Rankings

A week littered with upsets and continued craziness has caused plenty more shakeups in the rankings. Here’s how I stack things up 1-32 as we head into October.

Cover photo taken from Philadelphia Inquirer.

1 – Eagles (3-0) 4

While I don’t think the Eagles are the best team in the league, they are certainly playing the best football of anyone right now. We all knew they had the potential to be a true contender this season, and they have lived up to it and then some through three weeks. Jalen Hurts is continuing to play like an MVP candidate. The WR corps is seemingly unstoppable as any given Sunday anyone can dominate a secondary; this week it was 2021 first-rounder Devonta Smith. The defense continues to suffocate opponents, racking up 9 sacks this week without even breaking a sweat. Against a cupcake schedule, I’m confident in Philly’s ability to keep up this level of play and stay in the upper echelon of the power rankings all year long.

2 – Dolphins (3-0) 4

Like the team above them, I don’t believe the Dolphins are the second best team in football. I don’t believe they’re better than the team they beat on Sunday, which is slotted one spot below them. But I have to respect their win and the way they’ve been playing to start this season. Miami has two wins over two of my top 5 teams, both of which coming in very clutch fashion. For all the crap I’ve given him in the past, Tua Tagovailoa has seemingly figured it out, in large part thanks to his incredible receivers and extremely bright young head coach in Mike McDaniel. This defense continues to play lights out, doing what they had to do to beat Josh Allen and the vaunted Bills who people were already crowning after just two games. This is an outstanding young team that plays a beautiful brand of football. They’ll need to keep that brand up in the coming weeks before the schedule gets absolutely brutal.

3 – Bills (2-1) 2

The Bills lost, everyone run for your lives! It was bound to happen. Many people thought it would happen this week. I had a sneaking suspicion, but I gave them the benefit of the doubt. I didn’t anticipate the weather in Miami being as big of a factor as it was, but I also forgot to take Buffalo’s incompetence in the run game into account. This team won’t lose many games between now and January, but when they do, that will be a common theme. They are far too reliant on Josh Allen to carry them to greatness when the going gets tough, and while he’s talented enough to do so, nobody can do it on their own.

4 – Chiefs (2-1) 2

I had a feeling that would happen. I’m not shocked at Kansas City’s loss on Sunday, nor am I appalled or bothered by it. Everyone loses tough road games, and I had an inclination that they were susceptible to a loss. They would have won if it wasn’t for disastrous and unlucky kicking and some unfortunate offensive plays as well as an inexplicable “unsportsmanlike conduct” penalty on Chris Jones to keep the game alive for the Colts. In short, everything that could have gone wrong for the Chiefs on Sunday did go wrong. That likely won’t happen again.

5 – Ravens (2-1) 4

While Baltimore’s defense still needs to figure itself out, their offense has been unbelievable. They sit 4th in yards per game and 1st in points per game, and it’s all thanks to their incredible QB play. Lamar Jackson is my MVP through three weeks as he continues to play better than I’ve ever seen him do so before. He leads the league in passing touchdowns with 10 and has over 200 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns to boot. He has been an absolute nightmare for opposing defenses even with subpar receivers and runningbacks. It helps to have Mark Andrews at TE, who might be the most productive pass-catcher in the league so far this year. Like I said, the other side of the ball still has endless questions, but I have a good feeling that they’ll figure it out. In any case, they excel at taking the ball away. Even if they get gashed, they have it in them to make the plays necessary to win the game. That’s good enough for me.

6 – Packers (2-1) 2

Green Bay continues to prove that their defense is one of the best in their football while their offense still tries to figure out its identity. However, the offense looked a lot more promising on Sunday despite the low point total and rough second half. I mainly liked how rookie WR Romeo Doubs stepped up in the absence of Sammy Watkins. The Packers will need him to continue to produce while Aaron Rodgers still gels with his other targets. They can take as long as they need while the defense keeps winning them games with their incredible pass rush and a secondary that puts opposing receivers in jail.

7 – Buccaneers (2-1) 4

I don’t want to fault the Buccaneers too hard for losing by two points without their top two WRs and a meddling offensive line against a great team. However, those are problems that can’t be ignored. Mike Evans’ suspension is over, but the Bucs are still lacking in pass-catching weapons. The OL is still porous thanks to seemingly endless injuries. Tom Brady needs all the help he can get at this point, and without it, this team won’t be able to go too far. I still trust in their defense, which did their thing for the most part on Sunday. As I’ve said before, it is good enough to win them most of their games, but this team needs to be complete to contend.

8 – Rams (2-1) 3

I really never have any idea what to make of this team, but I really liked the way they looked this week in a game I picked them to lose. The important thing is that they’re running like a well-oiled machine. Both sides of the ball are doing their thing after a disastrous opening game. Cooper Kupp can’t stop scoring touchdowns and the defense has their mojo back after a tough first two weeks. The Rams have to keep this going against an absolutely brutal schedule, and I think I actually have faith in them to do just that.

9 – Chargers (1-2) 5

It only took three weeks for the Chargers to start Chargering… Charging? I don’t know. Whatever it is, it’s bad. I’m not even talking about the near 30-point loss to the Jaguars, although that was tough enough. LA is battered and beat up across the board to the tune of being the most injury-riddled team in the league. And it’s not just the fact that their injury list is as long as a Costco receipt, but it’s who has been hurt. Rashawn Slater is likely going to miss the entire season with a torn bicep. JC Jackson can’t figure out his ankle problem. Joey Bosa’s groin is torn to shreds. Corey Linsley continues to miss time with his knee issues. Keenan Allen’s hammy won’t heal. Justin Herbert’s ribs are falling off. Jalen Guyton tore his ACL! It’s just absurd at this point. With this team coming off back to back brutal losses and filling up every hospital in Los Angeles, it’s hard to see them bouncing back and living up to their incredible potential this season. Just another year for this franchise.

10 – Vikings (2-1) 3

The Vikings refuse to be a normal team, but they won’t complain about the nature in which they win games. The Lions gave them absolutely everything they could handle and they were still able to storm back and win the game in the final moments. There’s a lot of positive in that. I always say I hate when teams get off to horrible starts like that, but the ability to come back and beat a good division rival says a lot. In any case, I still really like this team and have a lot of faith in them, but I need to see them replicate a performance like their first of the year before having any more faith. It doesn’t help that Dalvin Cook is a bit banged up and Justin Jefferson can’t get open anymore for some reason. The schedule isn’t getting any easier, so Minnesota better hope they fix their kinks if they want to keep up with the league’s elite.

11 – Browns (2-1) 3

It’s time to accept that Jacoby Brissett is a competent, effective starting QB for this team. It helps that his supporting cast is spectacular with arguably the best RB in football behind him in Nick Chubb and Amari Cooper finally starting to emerge. The offensive line is dominant and the defense was able to bounce back from a rough finish in Week 2. I really like this roster from top to bottom, and I think they have what it takes to stay alive in the AFC playoff race until their QB1 returns from suspension. It’s a brutal schedule, but they play winning football.

12 – Jaguars (2-1) 7

Let’s be honest. None of us saw this coming. Not after this offseason, not after training camp, and certainly not after Week 1. But, here we are. The Jaguars a legitimate playoff contender. HC Doug Pederson deserves all the credit in the world for helping his young QB develop and getting his new offensive weapons involved in huge ways. Trevor Lawrence is finally playing like the star QB we all knew he could be, Christian Kirk and Zay Jones are emerging as fantastic WRs to support him, and James Robinson is back to his old ways out of the backfield. Even the defense is playing much better, allowing just 10 points in the last two games. In an awful division, the Jags are suddenly a clear-cut favorite thanks to a young roster that’s finally figuring it out thanks to competent coaching. How fun!

13 – Cowboys (2-1) 2

Cooper Rush wins games for some reason. I don’t believe that he’s the reason the Cowboys win when he plays at all, but he’s still 3-0 as their starter dating back to last year. On that note, I don’t think Dallas should be rushing Dak Prescott back from his hand injury at all. The schedule is about to ramp up, but I’d wait until the wheels fall off the Cooper Rush train to bring Dak back. As long as their defense keeps doing their thing, they’ll be fine. They continue to play at an elite level, and it’s good enough to carry them to victory against teams struggling offensively. It remains to be seen whether or not it can fly against elite offenses.

14 – Bengals (1-2) 1

Cincinnati is finally off the schneid in 2022. All it took was playing the Jets. They didn’t look great in doing so, but a win is a win. This team needed it badly. I still wasn’t really moved by their offensive performance, but their defense continued to make plays and keep the opposing team at arm’s length. I still have faith in the offense to work itself out, but it’s hard to see them returning to last year’s form at this point. They have their toughest test yet this Thursday against the undefeated Dolphins, so they’ll have to be back at that level if they want to get to .500.

15 – 49ers (1-2) 3

I really can’t help but laugh at everyone who said this team would be better with Jimmy Garoppolo at the helm than Trey Lance. Seriously, what went into that thought process? This is a guy who can’t get it done when it matters most, and it showed in a massive way on Sunday night. The 49ers have an otherworldy defense but it doesn’t matter when #10 is running out of the back of the endzone and throwing a pick six on the same play! San Francisco under Jimmy will be what they always were: a good team who feasts on inferior competition that can’t get over the hump against anyone worth a damn. It’s such a shame.

16 – Lions (1-2) 1

Sunday was a perfect indicator of what this team is: better than they’ve been in a very long time by being super fun and full of guts, but still the same old Lions. By all accounts, this team could be 3-0 and very well should be 2-1. But luck doesn’t exist in Detroit. The only thing that exists is the opposite. That being said, this team is sure to see a lot more wins than we may have anticipated this season. The D’Andre Swift injury isn’t promising, but the rest of their offense certainly is, and Jamaal Williams is as good of a backup as you could ask for. The defense is better than you may think, but they still have a lot to figure out. The emergence of Jeff Okudah as a lockdown CB1 is great to see as they keep working on that side of the ball.

17 – Cardinals (1-2) 4

I expected so much more out of this team on Sunday. They didn’t even play poorly, they just couldn’t put points on the board, which typically isn’t the case for this team. They put up huge numbers, but finishing drives was seemingly impossible. That won’t be the case in most games. Their defense still looks solid, but like the offense, they just couldn’t step up when they needed to. I don’t think the Cardinals are a bad team by any means, I just think they lack a certain element to be anything but mediocre.

18 – Broncos (2-1) 5

The Broncos being above .500 feels wrong. Despite their record, I still don’t feel good about this team at all. They only won on Sunday because the opposing QB literally walked out of his own endzone. The offense is still dreadful, the defense is good enough but hasn’t played a competent offense all year long, and they are the most penalized team in football. There really is just nothing to like here. Denver will start getting walloped when they finally start playing real teams. I’m just patiently waiting for it to happen.

19 – Saints (1-2) 9

I may have been wrong about the Saints. At least for the time being, I’ll say I was. I never could have foreseen this team laying such a dud against a team as bad as Carolina. I recognize that there are injury problems offensively, but they just look lost on that side of the ball. Guys like Jameis Winston and Chris Olave are putting up numbers, but it means nothing when you can’t put points on the board and continue carelessly giving the ball away. Fumbles are plaguing this team, which is always a sign of poor preparation. It’s hard to buy into the coaching staff and the weird amalgamation of parts offensively. I’m not sure how much I trust them to figure it out in a week where they’re traveling across the pond.

20 – Patriots (1-2)

I learned absolutely nothing about the Patriots this week other than the fact that their defense might be even worse than I thought. It doesn’t help when you’re facing Lamar Jackson, but it’s just uncharacteristic of this franchise. The bigger problem with New England is the ankle injury suffered by Mac Jones that’s sure to sideline him for a long time. Ankle sprains like that do nothing but linger and hold players back, and I don’t see him coming back any time soon. So, it’s the Brian Hoyer show in Foxboro for the time being. In an offense with no great weapons, that’s sure to be a disaster. We might have to stick a fork in the Patriots early.

21 – Steelers (1-2)

Stop taking the high road. It’s time to start Kenny Pickett. There is quite literally nothing to lose. Moreover, there is absolutely nothing to be gained with Trubisky continuing to start. He’s below average at best and does nothing to help win games. Just get the guy you spent a first round pick on the reps so you can actually be competitive. He’s ready to go and is being kept from doing anything. It just makes no sense. It doesn’t help that the defense is borderline ineffective with TJ Watt out of the lineup, and things are only going to get worse with Minkah Fitzpatrick nursing a concussion. For your sake, just do what you have to do to make things salvageable.

22 – Colts (1-1-1) 9

Tie with the Texans. Get shut out by the Jaguars. Beat the Chiefs. What a fascinating way to get to 1-1-1. I still don’t buy this team in the slightest, but I have to respect their ability to pull out a huge upset win against an elite team. They were the beneficiary of everything going their way, but a win is a win. This team desperately needed one. I don’t really trust them to keep beating good teams, but the good news for them is that the schedule is only getting easier. So maybe, just maybe, they can bounce back from their horrendous start.

23 – Titans (1-2) 2

The Titans were able to emerge victorious in the mid-off of the century despite trying their absolute hardest to blow it. What was learned from this experience? Absolutely nothing. Other than the fact that Derrick Henry finally decided to show up, the Titans did nothing to change my mind. I still think this team is falling face first into a rebuild, and beating the only 0-3 team in the league isn’t going to move me. One look at their schedule will reassure anyone that this is nowhere close to a playoff team.

24 – Falcons (1-2) 3

The Falcons got their much-deserved first win in hard-fought fashion on Sunday. Good for them. The best thing about games like that is seeing your young stars make plays. Drake London and Kyle Pitts had huge games, and it was pretty cool to see. Regardless of whether or not Atlanta is able to build an actual roster in the coming years, they should be confident that they have their franchise stars on offense.

25 – Giants (2-1) 1

The Giants are a very simple team to assess. Their offense is torrid thanks to their QB being Daniel Jones, one of the worst WR groups in football (made worse thanks to Sterling Shepard’s ACL tear on Monday night), and a porous offensive line. However, Saquon Barkley is back in full force to help ease the pain. Defensively, they are pretty solid, but not good enough to contain any elite teams. So, they will lose a lot of games. This was the first of many.

26 – Raiders (0-3) 4

I really thought it couldn’t get any worse. But, it got worse. Because this is the Raiders. This isn’t a franchise has stars that turn them into contenders or builds competent rosters. Their stars are ineffective and overshadowed. Their team is always incompetent and one of the biggest messes in all of football. Their coaching is always a joke and they refuse to be anything worth a damn. I genuinely don’t know how Raiders fans do it. This is exhausting from an outside perspective.

27 – Commanders (1-2) 9

This team does not exist to me. Carry on.

28 – Panthers (1-2) 2

I know I picked the Panthers to get crushed and they shut me up by beating one of my top 10 teams from a week ago. But, I’m still not very moved. Sunday’s game told me a lot more about New Orleans than Carolina. I still don’t believe in anything this team is doing at all. I will say that their defense looked very solid against a great on-paper offense. That’s a positive, which are very hard to come by with this team.

29 – Jets (1-2) 1

Welcome back to Earth. The Jets looked a lot more like the Jets on Sunday, doing approximately nothing for 60 minutes en route to another loss. That’s exactly what we expect. The good thing for New York is that Garrett Wilson keeps on putting up huge numbers, but he’s also gotten beat up a lot in the last two weeks. For his and my sake, please stop throwing him hospital balls.

30 – Seahawks (1-2) 1

Even in a loss, I don’t think the Seahawks were too embarrassing on Sunday. Geno Smith made some nice plays and the offense put up some points. They were competitive and could have come away with a win. By all means, they should have, but this team isn’t good enough for that, especially defensively. When you can’t pull it out at home against another bad team, you’re probably really bad.

31 – Bears (2-1) 5

This might just be the most heartbreaking scenario in the league for me. Justin Fields just can’t get it going as a QB in this league. While I continue to cite the horrible situation he’s in, there’s no excuse for playing so dreadfully and nearly throwing the game away against the worst team in football. His pitiful stats back up his poor play on the field, and it really breaks my heart. The Bears may be above .500, but it means nothing, especially if their first-round QB keeps playing like this. I’m hoping and praying that it turns around.

32 – Texans (0-2-1)

Can I just go ahead and pencil the Texans in here for the rest of the season? This team is just dreadful. I have no idea when they’ll get that first win, but I doubt it’ll be anytime soon. Yes they have some nice pieces and Dameon Pierce is finally emerging as a RB1. But that’s about it. It’s ok Houston, you’re well on your way to the #1 pick in the draft and a future franchise QB. Just keep doing your thing by losing. I don’t think you’ll need any help in doing so.

All stats taken from ESPN.

Week 3 Picks

Last week was quite brutal for my picks, but we can only go up from here with another great slate of games on tap.

Cover photo taken from Sporting News.

Another week is upon us as the young season continues to grow, and this might just be the best one yet. We have some exciting games on tap this weekend, and I can’t wait to get into it. Last week was another fun one to watch, but it was a brutal one for the Picks. Outside of getting my second ever perfect prediction, things were pretty rough. I had another awful performance in Week 2, going a mediocre 8-8 to bring my season total to 17-14-1. Surely we can only go up from here… right?

Browns 20-17 Steelers

Thursday, 8:15 PM EST, Prime Video

Week 3 opens on one of the most mid primetime matchups you could possibly imagine. Not all of us would be spending our Thursday night with Jacoby Brissett and Mitch Trubisky if we had anything else to do. Moreover, both of these teams are beat up and coming off tough losses. It should be close and could be fun, but in no situation do I see Pittsburgh coming out of here with a win. Cleveland has the far better roster from top to bottom, and with the Steelers run defense being as poor as it has been through two weeks, I think the Browns will just ride Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt to victory.

Bears 19-13 Texans

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

As if you thought it couldn’t get any worse, we have this game on the schedule. Both of these teams are awful, we know that. But we also all know the Bears are slightly less awful. While the Texans have been more competitive in each game, they’ve played two awful teams. At least we’ve seen Chicago do thinks against competent opponents. This team could use a pick-me-up win. It’s going to be ugly, but the Bears should back above .500.

Raiders 26-23 Titans

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

This is probably the only game this week in which both teams are virtually cooked with a loss. These two 2021 playoff teams are sitting at 0-2 after two brutal losses, and history isn’t kind to teams that start their seasons with three losses in a row. I really want to pick the Titans here, seeing as though they are at home and Vegas has to come out east for a 1pm kick. But they have shown me absolutely nothing to like this season. At least the Raiders were competitive against the Chargers and should have beaten the Cardinals. They’ve shown me more, and for that, I have to trust them to get the job done.

Chiefs 28-24 Colts

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

Does this game feel… off for anyone else? Or is it just me? Yes, the Colts just got embarrassed in Jacksonville and couldn’t even beat the Texans. But this is a good home team that knows it needs to show up in a huge game like this. It won’t be enough to win, but I really think that Indy is going to give Kansas City all they can handle in this one. I definitely like them to cover the spread. Still, it’s virtually impossible to beat Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in September, and their superior roster will prove to be the difference. Just don’t be shocked if it’s in question for a while.

Bills 29-21 Dolphins

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

I really wanted to pick the Dolphins here. Everything is pointing towards them pulling off this upset. They had the game of their lives last week and now come back home to host the best team in football in an environment that isn’t easy for any road team to win in. I don’t think any extraneous factors will be in play though. I just think these are two great teams that are going to play a great game, and the better one will find a way to win. It’s that simple. I trust Josh Allen way more than I trust Tua Tagovailoa, and I trust the rest of the Bills roster infinitely more than the Dolphins’, especially defensively. Considering what Lamar Jackson did to Miami last week, this is likely going to be another huge day for Buffalo’s offense.

Vikings 30-27 Lions

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

This is going to be fun. The Lions have been a very exciting team through two weeks, using their star-studded offense to light up the scoreboard. This is the highest scoring team in football, averaging 34.5 points per game, and their defense has been surprisingly good as well. Meanwhile, the Vikings are coming off an embarrassing loss on MNF. I think that teams who suffer tough losses usually bounce back the following week, especially if they’re as good as Minnesota is, and I trust this team to win a close divisional game. They know they’re not as bad as they looked on Monday, and they’ll be out to prove it. This could very well be the game of the week, and I’m very excited to watch it.

Ravens 20-17 Patriots

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

While I think the Ravens are a far better team than the Patriots are, everything about this screams close game and a potential upset. New England just isn’t a team that’s going to continue to look as bad as they have in the first two games of the season. Lamar Jackson is also nursing an elbow injury that could limit Baltimore’s now-explosive pass attack. They could be getting JK Dobbins back in this game, which would be huge. Regardless, they should be able to ride their run game to victory. It’s going to be a hard-fought battle, and the better team is going to win it.

Bengals 27-20 Jets

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

The Jets pulled off a miracle last week, but it’s time to return to Earth. This is a very bad team that was down 13 with 90 seconds left last week thanks to a porous defense. The offense has actually been solid with Joe Flacco at the helm thanks to the emergence of rookie WR Garrett Wilson, but now they face a stout Bengals defense. Cincinnati is desperate to get their first win, and this is the perfect opportunity for them to do so. The offense should be able to feast on a horrible Jets secondary en route to a victory. New York could stick around for a bit, but I just don’t think they have it in them to win this one.

Eagles 31-19 Commanders

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

We all saw the Eagles on Monday night. We all saw the Commanders on Sunday. Does anything else really need to be said? Philadelphia is dominant on both sides of the ball with their dynamic offense and lockdown defense. Washington has an offense that picks and chooses when they want to function properly and one of the worst defenses in football with the worst DC in the league. This one really shouldn’t be close. I know divisional games are usually scrappy fights, but not when one team is as overmatched as the Commanders are here. This will be over by halftime, but the offense will do that thing where they put up some numbers in the second half to make it look respectable. Typical.

Saints 24-10 Panthers

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

Even in a loss, the Saints showed us what they’re made of last week. This is a very solid team with a fantastic defense and an offense full of playmakers. The Panthers, meanwhile, are an absolute joke on both sides of the ball that simply doesn’t know how to win games. Like the divisional game above, this one should not be close at all. New Orleans is the far better team across the board and shouldn’t break a sweat in pulling off this victory.

Chargers 24-20 Jaguars

Sunday, 4:05 PM EST, CBS

This one should be fun. The Chargers have proven themselves as one of the NFL’s elite contenders, and the Jaguars are finally looking like the team they want to be thanks to the impacts of their new signings and draftees and the development of Trevor Lawrence. Los Angeles is definitely the better team, but I have concerns about Justin Herbert’s health after getting beat up last week. I think it could affect how dangerous the Chargers offense can be, and it’ll be enough to let Jacksonville hang around for a while. It’ll be back and forth, but the better team will come out on top. Look for LA’s defense to make some of the game-changing plays.

Cardinals 31-27 Rams

Sunday, 4:25 PM EST, FOX

This is as big as it gets for a division matchup this early in the season. Both of these teams have been roller coasters through two weeks, and the winner of this game will be feeling much better about themselves than the loser. In an NFC West with a ton of questions, a win is imperative to separate yourself early in the season. Quite frankly, I don’t trust either of these teams to do so. Not only are they playing very questionable football, but I just don’t really think much of either squad. They’re on essentially the same level in my mind. So, I’ll rock with the home team, which has honestly shown me more to like. The Cardinals’ comeback win was more inspiring than anything the Rams have done this season. I think they can carry that momentum into this matchup in a huge way and come away with a much-needed win.

Seahawks 21-20 Falcons

Sunday, 4:25 PM EST, FOX

Once again, these two teams are exactly the same in my head. I actually think the Falcons are slightly better, but it is very hard to win in Seattle, and I think that’ll make the difference here. While Atlanta has been much more competitive this season, the Seahawks are simply different when they play at home. Even though the team is awful, their home field advantage is real. It will be the only thing separating these two teams on Sunday.

Buccaneers 23-16 Packers

Sunday, 4:25 PM EST, FOX

Simply put, the Buccaneers have the Packers’ number, and it’s largely thanks to their incredible defense. That defense is what’s carrying the team at this point, and it will need to continue to do so this week with WR Mike Evans serving a one-game suspension. Considering how Green Bay’s offense has looked through two weeks, I think they will be able to keep things under wraps and let Tom Brady and the offense win the game. To me, the key piece in this one is Leonard Fournette. We all saw the Packers get gashed on the ground by the Bears last week, and Fournette has been racking up yards like crazy in his first two games. I think Tampa can score enough by relying on their run game, and their defense will do the rest against a Green Bay offense still struggling to find its identity.

49ers 22-17 Broncos

Sunday, 8:20 PM EST, NBC

This game was a lot more appealing three weeks ago. Now it just feels like a big pile of nothing. The Broncos have been one of football’s most unwatchable teams this year, and the 49ers have Jimmy Garoppolo back at the helm. I think it’s safe to say this won’t be the most entertaining primetime game in the world. I actually feel like the Broncos have the edge in this game with being at home, but that didn’t do much for them last week against the worst team in football. So, I’ll roll with the much better team and roster in the Niners, despite the fact that they’re dealing with a plethora of offensive injuries. San Francisco’s defense could prove to be the difference, which wouldn’t shock me considering the incompetent offense they’re going up against.

Cowboys 20-13 Giants

Monday, 8:15 PM EST, ESPN

It took three weeks, but we have our first NFC East primetime game of the year! Football fans everywhere rejoice! Cooper Rush vs. Daniel Jones is probably going to be as brutal as it sounds, but this could still be fun. At the very least, it’ll be close, as so many of these games tend to be. The only exceptional unit in this game is the Cowboys defense, which has been more impressive than I could have imagined against two very good offenses. The Giants have scraped by with two close wins that don’t move me, and against an actually good team, they won’t have much going for them. It’ll be scrappy, but Dallas should win this game with relative ease.

All stats taken from ESPN.

Post-Week 2 Power Rankings

In another wild week of football, the NFL’s elite strutted their stuff while the rest of the league caused a ton of shuffling in the rankings. Here’s how I stack the teams up 1-32 after another fun week.

Cover photo taken from Getty Images.

1 – Bills (2-0)

The Bills reassured everyone of their dominance on Monday night and their worthiness of this #1 spot. They somehow managed to look even better than they did on opening night, absolutely walloping the Titans in front of a national audience thanks to Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs being the best QB-WR duo in the league and their defense continuing to make life hell for opposing offenses. They’ve been the best team in the NFL by a longshot through two weeks and it’s not even close. The scariest part? It looks like they haven’t even broken a sweat in doing so.

2 – Chiefs (2-0)

Kansas City had perhaps the best win of Week 2, coming back to beat the Chargers on Thursday night thanks to the greatness of Patrick Mahomes and their defense stepping up in a massive way. Yes, Mahomes had some poor throws that should have gone the other way. Yes, he had an inferior game to Justin Herbert. Yes, the defense got away with a lot and may have gotten lucky with their game-winning pick six. But, the breaks went their way, and they came away with a win. That’s all that matters. Divisional games are always wonky like that. Don’t lie to yourself, you know the Chiefs are a top two team in this league regardless of how lucky they may have gotten. They showed how great they are at their best, and considering they’ll be the better team in nearly all of their games, they’ll be playing at that level all year long.

3 – Buccaneers (2-0)

I recognize that this may be a bit high for Tampa, but I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt for two reasons. The first is that they have the best defense in the NFC and perhaps the entire league. They look as dominant as they’ve ever been at every level. The front seven is absolutely ferocious and the secondary has been the best in football through two weeks. The other reason is Tom Brady, who may not be playing his best football, but he’s making it work. When the run game wasn’t working, he was able to put points on the board with his arm against a very good defense. This team’s ability to go on the road to a raucous environment in NOLA and win a highly emotional game featuring an all out brawl shows their toughness, which is what they need if they want to get back to a Super Bowl.

4 – Chargers (1-1) 1

The Chargers may have lost on Thursday night, but that was one hell of a loss. Justin Herbert looked phenomenal yet again, despite getting absolutely rocked in the fourth quarter. The pick six that lost LA the game was not his fault, but I know he wants that one back. The defense looked solid until they eventually succumbed to Patrick Mahomes. Under better circumstances, the Chargers probably would have blown Kansas City out. I have no doubts about this team moving forward other than concerns surrounding Herbert’s health. But considering the way he was throwing the ball with one functioning side of his ribs, those concerns should be put to bed.

5 – Eagles (2-0) 4

No team in football is living up to the hype more than the Eagles, and it’s honestly pretty awesome to watch. I hate this team more than almost any other in football, but it’s just too fun watching Jalen Hurts and this offense make plays. They’ve improved everywhere and it’s showing in a huge way. The offense is both explosive and methodical, Hurts has a plethora of playmaking options with his receivers and his arm, the pass rush is dominant, the linebackers fly all over the field, and the secondary has been lockdown. Not many defenses can put Justin Jefferson in a straitjacket like this one did. Darius Slay might cement himself as a top 5 CB by the time this season is over. With a remarkably easy schedule, Philly can play themselves into 1 seed contention if they continue to excel at this level.

6 – Dolphins (2-0) 2

Well, that was a lot. Miami detonated the NFL’s equivalent of a nuclear bomb on Sunday afternoon. Down 21 in the 4th quarter, the high-powered offense finally took flight and proved just how incredibly deadly they can be. Tua Tagovailoa was slinging the ball all over the yard, especially to the WR duo of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, which I’m already willing to call the best in football and one of the scariest I’ve ever seen. Just to put things in perspective for you, Hill and Waddle are first and third in receiving yards, respectively, through two games. Their speed and quickness left Baltimore’s defense lost and confused en route to an incredible comeback win which saw Tua throw 4 TDs in the 4th quarter and both Waddle and Hill eclipse 10 catches and nearly 200 yards each(!). The defense was getting carved up by Lamar Jackson for three quarters, but when they needed to step up and make plays, they did so with flying colors. The lesson to be learned from that game is that you do not want to see this team when they are clicking like that. They will run right past you and throw up the deuces before you can even turn your head around.

7 – Vikings (1-1) 3

This team got shelled on Monday night, but I’m giving them a pass. For starters, it’s Kirk Cousins on MNF. We all knew what was going to happen. They lost to a better team, plain and simple. It doesn’t change the fact that they had a dominant win over a good team in Week 1 and still have all the talent in the world to be an elite team. I still love what this team has on both sides of the ball, although I think their front seven needs to do a better job of containing the run. Their offense is more than equipped to bounce back as well. When they’re not playing perhaps the best team in their conference on Monday Night Football, they will be more than fine.

8 – Packers (1-1) 2

I’m not entirely moved by the Packers dominating the Bears on Sunday Night Football the week after getting smacked for the trillionth straight year, and you shouldn’t be either. That being said, we all know Green Bay is a more than capable team. I still have a ton of questions about their receiving core, but they get fantastic contributions from their backfield of Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon to help offset that. This defense is still one of the best in the league, although them locking up the Chicago offense doesn’t stick in my head as much as when they got diced up by the Vikings. This week’s matchup with the Buccaneers will be the best indicator of where this team truly lies.

9 – Ravens (1-1) 3

The Ravens had a really, really poor fourth quarter on Sunday. It was inexplicable and I’m still trying to wrap my head around it. It makes a lot more sense when you consider how young and inexperienced their secondary is with three rookies who were tasked with stopping the fastest WR duo we’ve ever seen. I’m honestly just sick for Lamar Jackson, who had one of the best games of his career in a loss that wasn’t on him. There’s no excuse for blowing a three score lead in a single quarter, and I’m sure Baltimore will tighten up as the season progresses. This is still a great team, which was on display for three quarters, and as their secondary continues to develop and improve, they will be even better.

10- Saints (1-1) 3

Is this a bit high for the Saints? Maybe. Did they fall apart in the clutch against a great team? Yes. Do I still think this is a great roster that’s more than capable of doing big things? Absolutely. Sunday’s game was highly emotional, and without their star RB in Alvin Kamara against perhaps the best defense in the NFL, I’m giving them a pass for struggling to put points on the board. We know what they’re capable of, and if they can’t produce against their division rival with a suffocating defense, so be it. Let’s not forget how great their own defense was playing for most of the game. That is still a great unit, as is their offense. We can make all the jokes we want about Jameis Winston, but I think he’s going to be just fine as long as his receivers continue to dominate. I have no doubt in their ability to bounce back from a tough loss like this one.

11 – Rams (1-1)

Yeah, I still don’t feel it with this team. Nearly blowing a 28-3 lead at home to the Falcons should really warrant a bump down in the rankings, but I’ll be nice to the defending champs. Their offense was able to bounce back from a brutal opener, putting up big numbers against a porous defense. But, that’s what they should be doing. I’m not moved by Matt Stafford and Cooper Kupp feasting on one of the worst secondaries in football. I am still worried about their nonexistent run game and poor offensive line. The defense also bounced back from a bad first game until they nearly let the game slip away from them. Although they locked it down in the end, I still have a plethora of concerns about this team. I just don’t feel anything positive about them.

12 – 49ers (1-1) 1

Sunday evening was heartbreaking. I feel absolutely awful for Trey Lance, who was ready to take the league by storm this year. He was the reason I felt so strongly about the 49ers this season and had them going to the Super Bowl. I hope he is able to make a speedy recovery and do big things next year. In the meantime, the reins are handed back to Jimmy Garoppolo, which honestly isn’t as bad as it sounds. This team loves him, and he wins games. You can’t ask for much more out of your QB. The defense looked like the dominant unit they are and the offense looked much more dynamic and effective. But, of course that’s going to happen against the Seahawks. I still feel good about this team with Jimmy at QB, and I hope they can continue to prove their worth as the schedule ramps up.

13 – Cardinals (1-1) 7

I’m not sure how any of that happened, but good for you, Arizona. The Cardinals had an incredible comeback win of their own on Sunday, storming back from a 20-0 deficit thanks to the heroics of Kyler Murray, who might be the least containable QB I’ve ever seen, and the incompetence of the Raiders. Their defense had a poor start, but they ramped it up in the second half and OT, eventually winning the game with a scoop and score. The story of the game was Murray’s incredible playmaking ability, and while it was very fun to watch, I have my reservations about him doing that against better teams. The Cards get the Rams in a huge divisional matchup this week, and their performance in that game will give me a much better idea of where this team stands.

14 – Browns (1-1) 2

Don’t get caught up in this team being bumped up this week. A lot of other teams just laid duds. The Browns may have laid the biggest dud of the week, throwing their game by inexplicably allowing the Joe Flacco-led Jets to score two touchdowns in ninety seconds. The glaring issues in the secondary showed in a massive way. That’s the biggest weakness of this team, which otherwise doesn’t really have any. I still like their front seven and their offense, even with Jacoby Brissett at the helm. Nick Chubb has been the best RB in football through two weeks; their ground game is still unstoppable. But that’s as bad of a way to lose a game as you could ask for. This team should be 2-0, and they need as many wins as they can get until… that QB they traded for… returns from suspension.

15 – Cowboys (1-1) 10

As much as it pains me, the Cowboys are the biggest leapers this week. But, the question is this: are they actually good? Or are the Bengals just bad? Time will tell, but in the meantime, I think it’s the former. More specifically, I think Dallas’ defense is for real. Their secondary still raises questions, but their pass rush is legit thanks to Micah Parsons continuing to be the NFL’s most impressive wrecking ball. His DPOY campaign is off to a fantastic start with 4 sacks in just two games. The offense wasn’t necessarily firing on all cylinders under Cooper Rush, but they looked competent enough to be winning games. We’ll see if they can continue that competence on Monday night against the Giants.

16 – Bengals (0-2) 4

I’ve taken the liberty of compiling a list of needs for the winless Bengals: carbohydrates, pain relievers, coffee, tea, and lots of water. Those are helpful cures for a hangover. Because Cincy’s is as real as it gets. Through two games, this team looks worse than they did at any point during their magical 2021 season, and it’s largely thanks to Joe Burrow of all people. You can complain all you want about his supposedly improved offensive line still giving up sacks left and right, but have we taken the time to consider Burrow’s negative pocket presence? Perhaps in an effort to always be making plays, so many of the sacks this team allows are at the fault of their star QB. Their defense is honestly fine to me, but their offense is suddenly the problem. Until Burrow both improves in the pocket and their offensive scheme improves to actually get their WRs open, that side of the ball is going to hold this team back. Imagine telling that to yourself three weeks ago.

17 – Lions (1-1) 9

Yes, this is pretty high for the Lions. But I just really like what this team has going on. Their offense is great, but we already knew that. Jared Goff is a competent QB whether you like it or not, Amon-Ra St. Brown is a bonafide WR1, and D’Andre Swift kills defenses out of the backfield. The offensive line is also much improved and might be one of the best in the league. The defense is still a huge question, but they have found themselves a star in Aidan Hutchinson. The #2 overall pick had 3 sacks in his second career game against a solid Washington OL. He was my pick for DROY for good reason. This is a scrappy, gritty, and flat out fun team that might be able to make some noise. It’s early, but watch out for Detroit.

18 – Commanders (1-1) 3

Until this team fires DC Jack Del Rio, they are genuinely not worth talking about. This defense has been abhorrent for over a year now, and we know exactly who is at fault, yet he is still employed. There is no reason. I don’t know how many games of us getting sliced and diced it will take for someone in the front office to open their eyes and cut ties with the man who is an awful coach and a worse person. He should have been fired long ago. I want to talk about how much I like the offensive production and the performance of Carson Wentz, but I can’t do that much when you can’t muster up 60 yards of offense and multiple first downs in a half against a bad Lions defense. Sunday’s game left as bad of a taste in my mouth as any game in recent memory. It was a comedy of errors. Fitting for this franchise.

19 – Jaguars (1-1) 8

The Jaguars and the Lions are in the same category in my mind. These are young teams with very bright futures thanks to shockingly good personnel decisions. Trevor Lawrence is finally budding into a young star thanks to being surrounded with competent weapons; Doug Pederson is proving to be the perfect HC for him. Christian Kirk is emerging as a true WR1 and the backfield tandem of James Robinson and Travis Etienne continues to produce. And against an albeit awful Colts team, Jacksonville’s defense showed up and showed out to put up the season’s first shutout. This is just a fun young team with a ton of nice pieces that are gelling into a solid squad. In the NFL’s worst division, look out for the Jags of all teams to perhaps be in the playoff mix.

20 – Patriots (1-1) 9

New England shut me up on Sunday, but not in the most emphatic fashion. Their offense looked fine, and their defense played a great game, but it was against Mitch Trubisky. I still don’t feel very confident in this team to do anything worth a damn in games against actually good opponents. Considering the division and conference they play in, I still have little to no faith in the Patriots.

21 – Steelers (1-1) 7

Sunday’s performance was about as poor as any in football for the Steelers. They did approximately nothing from start to finish thanks to a horrible outing from their offense. I will say that I still think this defense is a great unit even without TJ Watt, but they alone cannot overcome the incompetence of Mitch Trubisky and the offensive line that protects him. They still cannot run the ball whatsoever, and their receivers aren’t good enough to bail out poor QB play. I think Kenny Pickett time is fast approaching in Pittsburgh. Not soon enough for their fans.

22 – Raiders (0-2) 4

What a joke. What an embarrassment. Just another week for the Raiders at this point. There really aren’t enough words to describe my disdain for this team. They finally think they have a good thing going, almost beating the Chargers in Week 1 and dismantling the Cardinals for most of the game on Sunday. That is, until they blow a 20-0 lead by allowing two fourth quarter TDs and 2-point conversions and quite literally fumbling the game away in OT. Their splash WR acquisition and supposed best friend of Derek Carr in Davante Adams was held to a whopping 2 catches for 12 yards against a defense that got annihilated the previous week. It’s just a mess all over the place with this team, as it always has been and always will be. Yet somehow, they aren’t even the biggest mess in their own division.

23 – Broncos (1-1) 4

Good lord. What do the Broncos even have to say for themselves at this point? This team was gassed up all offseason long after acquiring a legend at QB and a supposed offensive guru at HC. All they’ve done through two weeks is show nothing but incompetence and a complete lack of any offensive substance. Russell Wilson and the rest of the offense have been dreadful against two very bad teams, and Nathaniel Hackett continues to prove that he is in way over his head as a coach. The defense has done their job, but nobody else has. Until they do, this team is going absolutely nowhere fast.

24 – Giants (2-0)

I’m pretty sure this is the worst 2-0 team in NFL history, but they are 2-0 nonetheless. Two wins in two weeks against two putrid opponents has this team feeling good about themselves. Good for you, New York. I’m sure that feels nice after nearly a decade of incompetence. Don’t get too full of yourselves, though. I know you think Daniel Jones is finally coming into his own and that your defense is incredible after locking up Ryan Tannehill and Baker Mayfield. It’s only a matter of time before it all comes crashing down. Enjoy it while it lasts!

25 – Titans (0-2) 8

Blow it up. Seriously. It’s time to start over. You had your few years of success, but now you have to hit the reset button. All of a sudden, there’s nothing redeemable about the Titans. The offense quite literally cannot move the football. The defense, which is supposed to be elite, is falling apart. Even Derrick Henry, arguably the best RB in the sport, has been invisible through two weeks. It’s an absolute mess that I never could have seen coming. You have your head coach and QB of the future, a solid young WR1 in the making, and a talented defense. The pieces are there for a rebuild to be short, but productive. This season is over and it’s time to accept that. Just build for the future.

26 – Bears (1-1) 5

The Bears got their annual blowout loss to the Packers on SNF out of the way early this year. I don’t think they looked as horrible as they could have, but it was still ugly. I was thoroughly impressed with David Montgomery, who was undoubtedly their bright spot, running through a great defense all night long with over six yards per carry and nearly 150 yards on the ground. Justin Fields struggled, but got no help from his receivers or his offensive scheme. I guess that’s what happens when you hire a defensive HC and bring in no offensive weapons in the offseason. It’s going to be a struggle every week for the Bears, but they knew that would be the case. The important thing is that the team continues to improve through better defensive play and more reps for their young QB.

27 – Falcons (0-2) 1

The Falcons exorcising the demons of 28-3 would have been one of the cuter stories of the season. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be. Yes, this team made a furious fourth quarter comeback, but it doesn’t change the fact that they were getting smacked around in the first place. This is a pretty poor team on both sides of the ball, but they have to like what they’ve seen out of their first round WR Drake London. Marcus Mariota has also been as solid as you could ask for. If they can get Kyle Pitts more involved offensively (it’s incredible that he’s not the most involved player), they will be a tough out.

28 – Jets (1-1) 4

How about the Jets pulling off a miraculous win? You do not see that very often. Hell, you don’t see them pulling off any wins very often. Good for them. This is a team that deserved to have something like that happen to them. They let the game slip away late, but somehow pulled off two touchdowns and an onside kick in the final ninety seconds to win it. I personally got great enjoyment out of it thanks to the heroics of their first round WR Garrett Wilson, who is already proving his worth after just two games. Wilson had a monster game with 102 yards and two touchdowns on eight catches, including the game-winner in the final seconds. There aren’t many positives with this team, but they can take solace in the fact that they’ve found a stud WR1.

29 – Seahawks (1-1) 7

That was the Seahawks I expected to see this season. Sunday’s game in Santa Clara was just horrible all across the board. The offense was nonexistent, the defense was lost and confused, and nothing went right. Geno Smith looked like the Geno Smith we’re accustomed to seeing. Seattle got their cute little win out of the way in Week 1, and the majority of their games moving forward will look a lot more like this.

30 – Panthers (0-2)

Our expectations for you were low, but come on now. Losing in embarrassing fashion to the Giants? Really? The defense honestly held their own, but the offense’s refusal to hold onto the football cost them the game against a team that’s probably worse than they are. That’s a sign of bad coaching and just bad personnel. The Panthers really should be 2-0 by all accounts, but they have screwed themselves out of both wins and dug themselves an 0-2 hole. If that’s not a sign of what this team has become under Matt Rhule, then I don’t know what is.

31 – Colts (0-1-1) 8

Wow. Just wow. I picked this team to lose and I’m still embarrassed by what they did on Sunday. Zero points and not showing up on either side of the ball against last year’s worst team. It’s just shocking. I know the Colts forget how to play football every time they go to Jacksonville, but there’s just no excuse to play like that. Matt Ryan looks genuinely awful, they only have two real offensive weapons, and the defense looks surprisingly poor through two games. This team should be 0-2 with losses to the Jaguars and Texans. That statement alone is enough to warrant them being this low.

32 – Texans (0-1-1) 1

Welcome to the #32 spot, Houston. Please make yourselves comfortable. You’ll probably be staying here for a long time.

All stats taken from ESPN.

Week 2 Picks

After a remarkably fun first week of football, Week 2 promises to continue the excitement of the young season. Here are my picks for this week’s slate of games.

Cover photo taken from NFL.com.

The first week of the NFL season is in the books, and it was a doozy. So many crazy things have already happened in just 17 games, and we could be in for some more drama this week. This is a great slate of games that should provide some more great moments as the young season continues to get underway. Amidst all the chaos, I went a measly 9-6-1 in Week 1. Let’s try to have a bounce back week, shall we?

Chiefs 27-24 Chargers

Thursday, 8:15 PM EST, Prime Video

Even against a team as good as the Chargers, picking against the Chiefs in September is sacrilegious, especially in Arrowhead. I think this game is going to be a blast, and it’s always fun to have the week’s best game as its first. Every time Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert face off, fireworks ensue. The promise of this game speaks for itself and is even further amplified by how great both of these teams looked in Week 1. The matchup I’m most interested in is LA’s defense trying to contain the Chiefs offense, which looked as dominant as ever last Sunday. If they can, then it’ll be up to the Chargers without their top WR in Keenan Allen to muster up enough offense to win the game. In Kansas City, with #15 doing what he does, it’s just too hard to visualize that coming to fruition.

Browns 26-16 Jets

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

The Browns looked much better than I thought they would last week, and the Jets somehow looked worse than I imagined. That makes this pick rather easy. New York is easily football’s worst team right now, and continuing to start Joe Flacco at QB doesn’t help that situation whatsoever. I have infinitely more faith in Jacoby Brissett, who looked solid last week for the Browns. Most importantly, Cleveland’s rushing attack and defense are good enough to beat most other opponents on their own, and they should ride both of those to a very easy victory.

Commanders 28-27 Lions

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

This might be the biggest tossup of the week. The Commanders had a nice game last week in their comeback win while the Lions’ furious attempt at one failed. Both of these teams showed some flashes in Week 1, but their weaknesses were also on full display. The common thread was offensive explosiveness at times but incompetence at others as well as some porous defense sprinkled in. With Washington playing a much more complete game last week, it’s hard to pick against them here. Detroit’s defense was nonexistent whereas the Commanders were able to get consistent pressure and stops to win the game. And while the Lions offense might be a bit spookier, Washington’s playmakers showed out in a huge way last week. Against another weak defense, I can see a repeat performance with them squeaking out another close win.

Saints 23-20 Buccaneers

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

I am done making the same mistake. I have picked the Bucs to beat the Saints every time since Tom Brady arrived in Tampa, and every time New Orleans manages to pull off a win. So, if the Buccaneers actually manage to win this game, you’ll know why! And if you’re curious, yes, that is the only reason I’m picking the Saints here. I like Tampa better on both sides of the ball, even with Chris Godwin out with yet another injury. That being said, I do think very highly of New Orleans, and their offense showed what they’re capable of last week. If their defense tightens up from how they began that game, then they could very easily give a battered Bucs offense trouble and allow their offense to win the game. That has to be the formula, as it has been every other time they’ve beaten this team in the last two seasons.

Panthers 20-17 Giants

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

This game admittedly looks awful on paper, but perhaps it won’t be the worst game ever. The Panthers showed some flashes at the end of their game last week and arguably should have won, and the Giants actually did pull away with a win thanks to their offensive ability although they arguably should have lost. So, while this game might not look interesting, there’s actually quite a lot going on underneath the surface. While I think New York looked like the better team in Week 1, I just don’t like this matchup for them. They got cut up by Dontrell Hilliard out of the backfield last week, so who knows what Christian McCaffrey has in store for them. While the Panthers run defense was dreadful and Saquon Barkley likely sees food against them, I don’t think the Giants will be able to do enough offensively to make up for their defensive shortcomings. In all honesty, this game comes down to which QB will make the game-losing decision. And though it’s very close, I trust Baker Mayfield just a tad more than Daniel Jones.

Steelers 24-19 Patriots

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

Remember when this game used to mean something? Yeah, those were good times. Now it’s just an absolute eye sore. At least the Steelers put on a very fun show in their Week 1 win and have enough players to enjoy watching them play. The Patriots, on the other hand, looked like one of the worst teams in the league last week, and I have no faith in them to do anything at this point. Against another tremendous defense, Mac Jones and the offense will once again be stifled, even with the Steelers missing TJ Watt. I do think New England’s defense can limit Mitch Trubisky and keep them lingering around in this game, but it won’t be enough to win this game. If there’s any week for the Patriots to fix their image, it’s this one, but I don’t see it happening.

Jaguars 25-22 Colts

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

Though the Jaguars lost and the Colts tied last week, Jacksonville showed me more than Indianapolis did. Combine that with the fact that the Colts seem to forget how to play football every time they travel to Jacksonville and you have the perfect recipe for an “upset” on Sunday. I like what the Jags are doing, as their revamped offense looked pretty solid last week despite some mistakes and redzone woes. Their defense still isn’t there, but Travon Walker had a stellar debut fitting for a #1 overall pick. While the Colts came closer to a win, they struggled mightily for three quarters against an awful Texans team. Their offense figured themselves out and the defense was able to take the ball away, but it was all too little too late. If Indy can do that more consistently across the course of this game, they should be able to win with ease. But I just have a feeling about the Jaguars this week.

Ravens 23-17 Dolphins

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

This is one of the better games of the week on paper, but be wary of it not exactly living up to the hype. Both of these teams feasted on vastly inferior opponents in Week 1, so their first games against real teams might be a bit sluggish. Still, the stars will be out for this one, and it should be a fun one. Both Miami and Baltimore won in the exact same fashion last week, using a dominant defense to shut down the other team while the offense did just enough for it to be out of reach. If that’s the formula, then the better offense should be the one to overcome the opposing defense win this game. While the Dolphins probably have the more high-powered offense, I can’t trust Tua Tagovailoa to win a game with his arm. I can, however, trust Lamar Jackson, especially at home. The massive gap between these two QBs is the differentiator in this game.

Rams 29-19 Falcons

Sunday, 4:05 PM EST, FOX

The Rams need a bounce-back win more than any other team in football after being humiliated in the opener. Luckily for them, the football gods have gifted them the Atlanta Falcons on their schedule. We might not see Atlanta play three quarters better than the first three of their season. I expect most of the rest of their season to be like that fourth quarter, filled with mistakes and incompetence. LA is an angry team right now, and while I still don’t rate them too highly, they can certainly capitalize on playing an awful opponent and grab what should be one of the easier wins of the season.

49ers 24-17 Seahawks

Sunday, 4:05 PM EST, FOX

San Francisco is another team that could definitely use the boost of a win after a subpar Week 1. While the Seahawks might be a tougher out this year than I imagined, I also recognize that there was a level of juice and emotion to their game last week that won’t be present for the rest of the season. This will likely be a tougher game for them, and I trust the Niners to bounce back with an imperative win. The world will once again be watching to see if Trey Lance can live up to the expectations placed on his shoulders. This is a great chance for him to prove the doubters wrong, but if he lays another dud, then there will be a lot of questions to be answered in the Bay.

Bengals 31-13 Cowboys

Sunday, 4:25 PM EST, CBS

The Cowboys didn’t have a chance to win this game when Dak Prescott was still healthy. With Cooper Rush as their QB, this one will probably be over at halftime. The Bengals played far from their best game last week, especially with Joe Burrow committing a whopping five turnovers, but they still should have come away with a win. Their offense finally buttoned up and got back to their dominant ways. Going up against a secondary as weak as Dallas’ means that everyone in black is in for a huge game. The question here isn’t whether or not Cincinnati will win, but how much they will win by and what kind of stats they can put up.

Broncos 20-10 Texans

Sunday, 4:25 PM EST, CBS

Considering the performance of both of these teams from last week, this might just be Week 2’s worst game. It should be a boring slog from start to finish on Sunday evening in Denver. No matter what the game itself looks like, I don’t see any outcome other than a Broncos win. Like so many other teams this week, they need a win to feel good about themselves after a poor first game. Playing one of the worst teams in football is always a good way to get that win. Russell Wilson and the offense should be able to bounce back, and when the defense shuts things down for Houston, the Broncos can ride to victory with ease.

Raiders 31-27 Cardinals

Sunday, 4:25 PM EST, CBS

If you like shootouts, this is your game of the week. There are going to be points all over the place in this one. Neither of these teams possess a very good defense, which was on full display in Week 1. So, this comes down to whichever offense can make more fireworks go off to win the game. To me, the Raiders have the edge there, and it’s in large part thanks to Davante Adams. The best WR in football had a huge debut in the silver and black last week against a secondary much better than the one he’s facing this week. I expect another huge game out of him, and as long as he keeps getting fed the ball, Las Vegas will put up more than enough points to overcome Arizona.

Packers 26-17 Bears

Sunday, 8:20 PM EST, NBC

Death. Taxes. The Packers beating the Bears on Sunday Night Football. The annual tradition returns this week and football fans everywhere are thrilled! Despite the counter-intuitive records of both of these teams, the Packers are the much better team and should win this game with ease. I was very impressed with the Bears ability to win last week, but going up to Lambeau and replicating that performance will be a challenge. While they were simply the team that made more plays in a monsoon in Week 1, they now have to overcome their nemesis Aaron Rodgers in his own home. Even though Green Bay’s offense isn’t what it once was, that’s not going to happen. I think they’ll be much more polished offensively on Sunday night, especially in the passing game. In any case, their defense should be able to contain Justin Fields and Chicago pretty easily.

Bills 30-14 Titans

Monday, 7:15 PM EST, ESPN

Though the Titans always seem to give the Bills fits, this game feels as lopsided as any in Week 2. It helps that Buffalo looks like the scariest team in football that’s seemingly unstoppable. But Tennessee also lost to the Giants of all teams last week, and though they should have won, I don’t like the way they played at all. Derrick Henry was a non-factor for them, so it’s hard to imagine he’ll be any better against a defense as good as the Bills’. Moreover, if the Titans defense got torched by Daniel Jones, then I can’t imagine what Josh Allen has in store for them. If history repeats itself and this game is much closer, then I won’t be surprised. But this just feels like another blowout in the making for football’s best team.

Eagles 27-24 Vikings

Monday, 8:30 PM EST, ABC

Week 2 concludes with another tremendous heavyweight fight in primetime. These are two of my most hyped teams of this season, and they both did their thing last week. Minnesota may have been much more dominant and impressive than Philadelphia was, but there’s no doubt that the Eagles still have what it takes to compete with the best teams in the league. They’re going to need to play a much tighter game on Monday night if they want to beat a Vikings team that looks as good as any on both sides of the ball. Luckily for them, I think they’ll do just that. Their defense played a great game outside of garbage time where they let up just enough to let the Lions back into the game. Their offense was firing on all cylinders both on the ground and through the air, especially with AJ Brown playing a dominant game. The Vikings looked even better on both sides of the ball, with their defense suffocating Green Bay all day long while Justin Jefferson went bonkers on offense, but it will be hard to replicate that performance in a raucous environment in Philly on Monday night. I think they are the better team in this game, but the circumstance might be too hard to overcome.

All stats taken from ESPN.

Post-Week 1 Power Rankings

The 2022 NFL season kicked off with a wild, wacky weekend filled with drama and plenty of questions. Let’s stack up the league 1-32 after a thrilling Week 1.

Cover photo taken from ESPN.

1 – Bills (1-0)

My Super Bowl pick took the stage in the opening game of the season and seized it with full force, living up to the hype and proving to everyone how elite they truly are. Despite some errant turnovers, the Bills absolutely thrashed the defending champions in their own backyard on the backs of Josh Allen and their incredible defense. The MVP favorite wowed from start to finish with both his arm and his legs, making play after play and creating endless highlights. Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis were giving the opposing secondary fits all game long. Newcomer Von Miller led the charge defensively with two sacks against his former team. The secondary took the ball away when they weren’t keeping things on lock. The Rams had no answers on either side of the ball for this freight train of a football team. It’s hard to imagine any team will this season.

2 – Chiefs (1-0)

Any and all questions about how the Chiefs would look, especially offensively, after an offseason which saw them lose Tyreek Hill were quickly put to bed on Sunday. Patrick Mahomes was absolutely surgical, as I said he would be, to the tune of five touchdown passes. The offense didn’t miss a beat without the NFL’s most explosive player. They looked just as meticulous as they did in the preseason, going on long drives and putting touchdowns on the board. They might not have the same lightning strike threat on that side of the ball, but I promise you they do not need it. It was just a luxury. The defense also came to play against a solid Cardinals team. The defensive line gave Kyler Murray fits all game long as Chris Jones remains one of the premier defensive tackles in the sport. But Sunday evening was all about the offense. A lot changed in the last few months in Kansas City, but one thing remains the same. Defenses will still lose sleep over Mahomes and company.

3 – Buccaneers (1-0)

Some of you may think this is a bit high, but I was thoroughly impressed with the Bucs on Sunday night. Their defense looked like the incredible, dominant unit from 2020. They were the only team to not allow a touchdown in Week 1. Yes, Dallas’ offense was as incompetent as it could have been, but we have to recognize how elite Tampa is when they’re healthy. The offense looked pretty solid too, despite settling for four field goals. Tom Brady looked like a man who never retired, Mike Evans made huge catches, Leonard Fournette ran hard, and even Julio Jones got in on the action. Chris Godwin getting hurt again isn’t a shock, but is still unfortunate. But, if Sunday night was any indication, the Buccaneers will be just fine without him.

4 – Vikings (1-0)

There might not have been a team with more hype in the NFC than the Vikings coming into Week 1, and they delivered in a huge way. They had their way with the defending 1 seed Packers all game long, starting with an offensive blitz and closing it out with suffocating defense. Justin Jefferson, my OPOY pick, was predictably the star of the show with a whopping 184 yards and 2 touchdowns on 9 catches. Kirk Cousins played a clean game, and Dalvin Cook contributed in huge ways out of the backfield. The defense feasted on a stagnant Green Bay offense from start to finish, dominating up front and locking things down in the secondary. Sunday’s performance was exactly what we knew Minnesota was capable of coming into this season. If they can keep up this level of play, then they are a true contender.

5 – Chargers (1-0)

Like the Vikings, the Chargers have been hyped up to no end. While they weren’t as dominant as the team above them, they still put together a remarkably impressive, complete performance to warrant a top 5 spot. They controlled their game on Sunday evening from start to finish and clutched up defensively when the game was on the line. Their shiny new defense came to play, highlighted by the frightening edge duo of Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack as well as their lockdown secondary. But, I have to most of the love to Justin Herbert for this week. My MVP pick looked absolutely incredible, making otherworldly throws with insane velocity and accuracy and looking like the truly generational QB that he is. The injury to Keenan Allen is a bit of a concern, but the Chargers were able to get by despite that and a lackluster performance from Austin Ekeler. They can finally say that even if their offense falters, their defense can win them football games. That’s what makes them one of football’s scariest teams.

6 – Ravens (1-0)

It may have been against the Jets, but the Ravens put together one of the more impressive performances of Week 1. The most important thing is that their offense looked great through the air despite the lack of weapons on paper. Lamar Jackson aired it out all game long and had a huge game thanks to Rashod Bateman finally bursting onto the scene and Devin Duvernay having a shockingly great performance. The run game wasn’t anything flashy, but it doesn’t need to be anything special if Baltimore can continue getting that type of production out of their wide receivers. Their defense also put together a promising performance, but again, it was the Jets. I’d love to see how they play against real football teams before making any bold proclamations.

7 – Saints (1-0)

Go ahead and call me crazy. The Saints may have needed some fourth quarter heroics to pull victory from the jaws of defeat in Atlanta, but that means a lot to me. After being stifled for 50 minutes, the entire team flipped a switch and turned into the Saints team that we all expected them to be. Jameis Winston was slinging the ball with confidence and accuracy, Chris Olave made an impact in his debut, and Michael Thomas silenced all of the doubters with a monster return to action. Their stellar defense went ahead and did the rest. I don’t love how badly they were being beaten, but I absolutely love their response and how they were able to pull away with a victory. Everyone needs that grace period in Week 1 to get their bearings set. New Orleans now has that, and I’m thrilled to see what the future holds for them.

8 – Dolphins (1-0)

The Dolphins were arguably the most dominant team of Week 1, even if their opponent was as bad as the Patriots are. Like so many other teams, we were eager to see how they’d look after such a huge offseason. The offense was pretty predictable, using short passes to chop up the defense. Tyreek Hill put up great numbers in his Miami debut, and Jaylen Waddle finally showcased how explosive he can be. All Tua needs to do is get the ball to his playmakers and let them do the rest. The defense was as stout as advertised, especially in the secondary, which had a massive day. Like Baltimore, I’d like to see what the Dolphins do against a better team, but I can’t say I wasn’t thoroughly impressed with them.

9 – Eagles (1-0)

If this feels low, it’s because it is. The Eagles should be much higher. But, I very much disliked how they closed things out on Sunday in Detroit. The first three quarters were absolutely dominant on both sides of the ball as Philly looked like the team we billed them to be. The run game was unstoppable, Jalen Hurts made some impressive throws, and AJ Brown made a gargantuan impact in his Eagles debut. The defense was off and on, but when they were on, they were awesome, even snagging a pick six thanks to the efforts of newcomer James Bradberry. But, they gave up two touchdown in the fourth quarter to make it a nail-biter. They were able to close it out, but I always hate when a game has to come to that after a team has been dominating for three quarters. I loved what I saw from Sunday on Philly, but it needs to be sharpened a bit before they move up.

10 – Packers (0-1)

The Packers are a very easy team to assess. They needed Davante Adams infinitely more than Davante Adams needed them. Their first offensive play was all you needed to see for that to reign true, as rookie Christian Watson dropped an easy touchdown, and the offense was never able to recover. Aaron Rodgers did what he could with a weak supporting cast, but it wasn’t enough to overcome an aggressive Vikings defense that had their way all game long. The offensive line struggled mightily, the run game couldn’t do enough, and the pass-catchers simply weren’t reliable. The defense got absolutely gashed early, and while they cleaned things up in the second half, it wasn’t enough to make up for their earlier shortcomings. I have no doubt that the Packers will iron out these issues as the season progresses, but they might not have the room to take their time in doing so with the division no longer being a cakewalk.

11 – Rams (0-1)

Told you so. I tried to warn you that the Rams got worse and weren’t as good as their Super Bowl-winning team from yesteryear. However, even I couldn’t have predicted them looking as dreadful as they did on opening night. Outside of a few nice plays by Cooper Kupp, which is a guarantee at this point, LA did nothing right against Buffalo. The defensive front could not contain Josh Allen, the secondary got carved up, and the offense was one-dimensional and stagnant. Their noticeably worse offensive line was porous, allowing seven sacks and making the run game a non-factor. Matthew Stafford had a very subpar game thanks to no WRs other than Kupp even showing up to the game. It was just a sham from start to finish in what should have been a night where the Rams showed us that they have what it takes to run it back. It’s going to take a while to get anyone to believe that now.

12 – Bengals (0-1)

Another year, another ridiculous OT game lost by the Bengals amidst hilarity and kicking disasters. I’m excited to see who it happens against next year! In all seriousness, Cincinnati lost to themselves on Sunday. The fact that they should have won despite Joe Burrow committing a whopping five turnovers shows you that this team is just fine. Burrow was able to bounce back from his horrible start with his patented poised play which eventually culminated in what should have been to the game-winning touchdown pass to Ja’Marr Chase, who had a monster game himself. But, a blocked extra point thanks to a long snapper injury sent us to overtime, where nobody wanted to make a kick until the Steelers did on the game’s final play. So, yes, the Bengals lost, but there was still plenty to like. I thought their defense was very solid, especially after going down 17-3 early. The offense figured themselves out eventually, and they deserved to win the game. If anything, this loss for the Bengals is proof that starters need to get action in the preseason. Just do it guys.

13 – 49ers (0-1)

Yes, the 49ers looked pretty abhorrent on Sunday in Chicago. But you know what else looked awful? Everything else on Sunday in Chicago. An utter monsoon is not an easy environment to win in for a west coast team, especially at the dumpster known as Soldier Field. I’m not here to make a bunch of excuses for this team, though. Weather aside, I was thoroughly disappointed with their performance. More specifically, I’m disappointed with Trey Lance. He just didn’t do anything of note in his first start as the guy for this team. Yes, it was very tough to do so in that situation, but you have to show me something. Justin Fields did! There’s simply no excuse; you cannot be the inferior QB in that game. Their defense held up for the first three quarters, but they forgot how to play football once the rain started coming down hard. Overall, the Niners showed me nothing to work with going into Week 2. I’m hoping next Sunday goes better, otherwise I’m going to look really, really stupid sooner than I’d like to.

14 – Steelers (1-0)

It has been two days and the Steelers are still wondering how they’re sitting at 1-0. They should have lost on the last play of regulation and instead found themselves victorious on the last play of overtime. Football is wonky like that sometimes. Despite the wackiness, Pittsburgh found a way to win, and I have to give them credit for that. They blitzed the Bengals early with a defense that refused to let them keep the ball and an offense that moved the ball surprisingly well. Mitch Trubisky was solid in his Steelers debut, and Diontae Johnson had himself a very nice game on the outside. Minkah Fitzpatrick was undeniably the player of the game with a pick six and the blocked extra point to send the game to OT. Without him, this team would be sitting at 0-1 and much lower in the rankings. Perhaps the Steelers can run with this and shock me this year. I doubt it, but their win on Sunday is proof that truly anything can happen in this league.

15 – Commanders (1-0)

Trust me, I’m just as shocked as you are. Not just at the fact that this team emerged victorious on Sunday, but at the manner in which they did so. The difference in this game was the first two and last two offensive possessions for Washington: the four touchdown drives. The team got off to a blistering start thanks to some pretty fantastic QB play by Carson Wentz and the incredible playmaking ability of Curtis Samuel and Antonio Gibson that we’ve been longing to see. The middle of the game was filled with nothing but weirdness, as the Jaguars seemingly had their way offensively but couldn’t put points on the board. The Commanders also struggled to do so, but stayed in the lead until they eventually gave the ball to Jacksonville on back to back interceptions by Wentz to seemingly bury the team. But, he was able to bounce back in a huge way, throwing two consecutive sensational TD passes to win the game, with the first coming on a beautiful deep ball to Terry McLaurin (who has been waiting for passes like that for the last three years) and the second coming on a perfect pitch and catch to the first rounder Jahan Dotson to win the game. Dotson was a massive contributor with two touchdowns including the game-winner, showcasing his great hands and impeccable route-running all game long. And Wentz’s final statline was more eye-popping than I ever could have foreseen with over 300 yards and 4 touchdowns. The defense also stepped up when necessary, and despite letting the Jags move the ball, I was pleased with their performance. The defensive line ate all game long, getting consistent pressure thanks to huge games from Montez Sweat, Jonathan Allen, and Daron Payne. Who knew that sending blitzes was so fruitful? The secondary made plays when necessary, highlighted by a breakout game from second year man Darrick Forrest, who nabbed the game-sealing INT. I don’t know how much of this performance can be replicated against teams better than Jacksonville, but I didn’t think we were capable of everything I saw this team do on Sunday. That gives me hope that maybe we won’t be as horrible as I may have presumed.

16 – Browns (1-0)

The Browns proved me wrong by winning on Sunday, but that’s about the only area that they did so. I wasn’t too moved by them squeaking out a win with a 58-yard field goal against one of the worst teams in the league. Jacoby Brissett held things down on offense, but it was nothing eye-opening. I did like what I saw out of their elite RB tandem of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, but it’s pretty much a guarantee that they’re going to do their thing in every game they play. The defense looked okay, but only Myles Garrett put up a noteworthy performance. The secondary nearly lost them the game, which is pretty embarrassing considering they were playing Baker Mayfield. So yes, the Browns found a way to win, and it was cool. But I’m still not moved. And I don’t think I will be anytime soon.

17 – Titans (0-1)

For all intents and purposes, the Titans should have won on Sunday. They did everything they had to do, including setting up a very manageable game-winning field goal that was simply shanked. However, that doesn’t mean they get a pass. They were just an uninspired team who wasn’t doing anything great on either side of the ball. It’s kind of embarrassing to get pieced up by the Giants of all teams. Offensively, Derrick Henry was stifled so bad that the offense flowed through Dontrell Hilliard of all people. I thought Ryan Tannehill did his thing, but this team was about as boring as you’d imagine. That was a game they should have won and have to win. Let’s hope they clean it up as the season progresses.

18 – Raiders (0-1)

Outside of the stellar debut of Davante Adams, the Raiders were extremely underwhelming in LA on Sunday. They were completely shut down on offense outside of #17’s 141 yards, and while I thought they played better than expected on defense, they had no answer for the heroics of Justin Herbert. Their glaring holes showed in huge ways, especially with the woes of their offensive line. Derek Carr was in hell from start to finish, being pressured, sacked, or hit on nearly half of all dropbacks. That OL will be the death of them this season, just as I said it would be. Their secondary was gashed by the Chargers even with their offense struggling at times. It just wasn’t a promising day at all for the Raiders. At least Davante Adams fantasy owners are smiling.

19 – Broncos (0-1)

The Denver Broncos laid the biggest dud of Week 1, plain and simple. Their utter incompetence was on display all game long on national television and they deserve all the scrutiny that they’ll be receiving this week. Still, it’s one thing to lose a game on the boneheadedness of Nathaniel Hackett’s late game clock management gaffe. It’s another to be in that position against the Seahawks in the first place. Russell Wilson had a boring, mediocre debut highlighted by a long touchdown pass on a wildly underthrown ball. The rest of the offense showed nothing to like other than Jerry Jeudy making a lot of play out of nothing. And the defense, the supposed strong suit of the team, was rather shocking, letting Geno Smith carve them up all game long. Between the impotence of the offense, the defense’s effort, and the mind-numbing coaching, the hype has completely died with the Broncos. They have plenty of time to make amends, but they have a lot to prove to us.

20 – Cardinals (0-1)

The Cardinals unfortunately had to start their season by running into the buzzsaw that is Patrick Mahomes in the month of September. I don’t want to fault them too much for that. I do, however, want to fault them for not even showing up on Sunday. The dysfunction in this franchise is palpable, and there is a clear disconnect between Kliff Kingsbury and Kyler Murray, despite the huge contract extension for the young QB. The offense did nothing of note outside of garbage time, and the defense… well they stayed home. I didn’t like this team much to begin with, and I like them even less now. The schedule isn’t getting any easier either. We might be burying the Cardinals very, very soon.

21 – Bears (1-0)

You can’t imagine how happy I am for Justin Fields and the Bears after Sunday’s awesome win in the monsoon. Not only did they have a tremendous fourth quarter on both sides of the ball, but they looked like a competent team and had so much fun winning that game. Everyone was eating offensively despite the conditions thanks to Fields’ tremendous playmaking ability. And the defense finally made some plays, none more important than Eddie Jackson’s INT of Trey Lance which essentially sealed the game. Chicago has to feel good about themselves after pulling off the biggest upset of Week 1. I know I do. It’s just a matter of whether or not they can keep the momentum going. Heading to Lambeau for a primetime clash with the Packers doesn’t inspire a ton of confidence, but we’ll see what the Bears can muster up as huge underdogs once again.

22 – Seahawks (1-0)

It took one game for the Seahawks to hit half of the wins I projected them to get this season. Good for them! Seriously though, good for them. Seattle was absolutely rocking on Monday night for the Russell Wilson return, and the 12th man was the real MVP of the game. I haven’t seen the crowd impact a game like that in nearly a decade. The team played a very good game, especially offensively, as Geno Smith had a shockingly efficient and effective performance. Even the defense, which I ripped to shreds less than a week ago, came to play. It’s hard to believe the team will put together that complete of a performance again this year considering the stage and the emotion of the game, but maybe the Seahawks won’t be as bad as I thought.

23 – Colts (0-0-1)

This feels a little harsh for the Colts, but I think it’s warranted. There really isn’t any excuse to tie with the Texans. There is even less of an excuse to find yourself down 20-3 like they did. I respect the ability to come back and force OT, and I recognize the monster games from Jonathan Taylor and Michael Pittman Jr., but this team is too good to be in that position in the first place. I wasn’t inspired by their defense performance, and I need to see a lot more from the offense in the first three quarters to feel better about this team. At least they didn’t lose!

24 – Giants (1-0)

I don’t even think the Giants knew how they won on Sunday. But you have to feel good about it. They showed their stuff and had a pretty inspiring comeback to win, even if they should have lost. The story of the game was undoubtedly Saquon Barkley looking like his former self, showing incredible explosiveness and running harder than he has in years. I was shocked to see his level of play on Sunday, and if he can keep it up, it makes this team actually hard to stop. Even Daniel Jones looked solid, especially on a deep ball touchdown to Sterling Shepard. The defense had a solid showing, containing Derrick Henry and not allowing Tennessee’s offense to do much. I still don’t think this season will amount to much for the Giants, but they showed more promise in one game than they have in several seasons. That has to mean something.

25 – Cowboys (0-1)

I used to pray for times like this. The Cowboys are dead and buried after just one game. And it’s not because of the injury to Dak Prescott, although that certainly makes them much worse. It’s because, even with Dak at QB, this team looked absolutely atrocious on Sunday night. While the defense may have done their thing in spurts, highlighted by the brilliance of Micah Parsons, the offense was absolutely dreadful, unable to do a damn thing with the ball in their hands. CeeDee Lamb was invisible, Ezekiel Elliott is what you’d expect him to be in his seventh season, and the offensive line was predictably poor. The Cowboys were the only team in football to not score a touchdown this week, and who no one knows when they might even come close to reaching the endzone. Now, Cooper Rush takes the reins for the next month or so. Have fun at the bottom of the standings, Dallas!

26 – Lions (0-1)

The 2022 Lions opened the season the exact same way the 2021 Lions did: getting blown out for three quarters before putting together a furious comeback attempt in the fourth that falls just short. The only difference is that Detroit didn’t look completely incompetent for the most part in this game. They got consistent production offensively, especially from D’Andre Swift, who had a huge performance. Their defense was predictably Swiss cheese, but they still almost made enough stops to win the game. So, while the Lions once again got gashed en route to a loss, there’s plenty to like about what this team has. to offer. As I’ve said so many times, it won’t translate to a lot of wins, but this team has some grit to them and will be a tough out all year long.

27 – Jaguars (0-1)

The Jaguars are still just not there yet. They showed plenty to like on Sunday, but they also showed plenty to laugh at. The new acquisitions poured in big contributions, with Christian Kirk and Zay Jones getting involved in the passing game and the #1 overall pick Travon Walker having a monster debut. Travis Etienne’s NFL debut in his second season also proved to be a solid one, despite not getting nearly as much playing time as he should. Trevor Lawrence was on and off, but for the most part, he too had a decent showing. At the end of the day, this team really beat themselves. Ineffectiveness in the red zone, drops, and porous late-game defense proved to be their downfall. But for the most part, I liked what this team showed me, much like the Lions above them. They won’t be nearly as bad this year.

28 – Falcons (0-1)

New year, same Falcons. After dominating the Saints for 50 minutes thanks to a great game from new QB Marcus Mariota to the tune of a 16 point lead, Atlanta put on their choking caps, laid down, and died. Who could have seen it coming? Despite yet another disastrous collapse, the Falcons weren’t awful by any means on Sunday. As I said, Mariota had a productive debut and their defense was able to stifle New Orleans for most of the game. But, when it fell apart, it absolutely crumbled down. I have a feeling more games than not will feel that way for this team.

29 – Patriots (0-1)

After Sunday’s drubbing in Miami, I have a very interesting and important question to pose: can you name a single thing the Patriots do well? Because I cannot. The offense is stuck in both mud and the 1970s. The defense is lacking in playmaking with JC Jackson gone and also moves at the speed of an old minivan. Mac Jones can’t produce if there’s any adversity, and considering how bad New England’s offensive line was on Sunday, there will be plenty of adversity to be faced this season. The weapons are either invisible or lackluster, so it doesn’t help that the scheme is as poor as it is. I know this placement seems harsh for a team that has been so good for so long, but I think New England was arguably the worst team I watched this week. This could be a very long season for them.

30 – Panthers (0-1)

The Panthers got screwed pretty hard on Sunday, and there is definitely an argument to be made that they should have won. Their comeback in the fourth quarter was admirable, and I’ll give them credit for that. But, they lost, and I still don’t like anything about this team. Baker Mayfield wasn’t completely awful in his Panthers debut, but he still made those Baker-type plays to keep them out of the game. The rest of the offense was average despite some nice contributions from Christian McCaffrey and Robbie Anderson. Their defense was got ran through by Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt which eventually proved to be their downfall. I’m being a bit mean to the this team but I just don’t have a lot of faith in them in general, so this is more of a reflection of that than their performance on Sunday.

31 – Texans (0-0-1)

The Texans did not lose on Sunday. That is progress! In fact, they should have won comfortably, but a blown 20-3 fourth quarter lead let them settle for a tie after a stalemate in OT. I have no idea how they even found themselves up by 17 to begin with, considering they didn’t do anything special in the course of the game. Their defense just showed up and kept things under wraps for three quarters. The offense played a solid game, highlighted by two touchdown catches by OJ Howard in his Houston debut. So, maybe the Texans won’t be as bad as I may have thought. Still, they’re one of the worst teams in the league as it currently stands, and they’ll likely be in the cellar for 17 more weeks. However, they’re saved from the #32 spot for now.

32 – Jets (0-1)

Did you expect anything else? Led by Joe Flacco, the Jets were absolutely putrid in Week 1, doing absolutely nothing of note en route to a huge loss. That will likely be the theme of most of their games as this season progresses. They put up some numbers in garbage time, but nobody cares. Their defense was ripped apart by a subpar Ravens passing attack, and their offense was nonexistent while the game was still in question. I don’t think it would have been any different with Zach Wilson at QB, but with Flacco under center, this is by far the worst team in the league. I don’t see that changing any time soon.

All stats taken from ESPN.

Week 1 Picks

The 2022 NFL season finally kicks off tonight, followed by a fascinating slate of games this weekend. Here are my picks for Week 1.

Cover photo taken from Yahoo Sports.

Welcome to kickoff. Our waiting has finally come to an end as the 2022 NFL season gets underway tonight. Week 1 is always a blast, and the opening slate of games this year promise to be no different. It’s time for teams to put all the questions to bed and finally go out and play. And we, the fans, are oh so lucky to watch it all unfold. Let’s get into my picks for the opening week of the season.

Bills 31-23 Rams

Thursday, 8:20 PM EST, NBC

The 2022 season kicks off with a potential Super Bowl preview between the defending champion Rams and the title favorite Bills in Los Angeles. I can think of no better way to start the season than with a game like this. We’re getting all the starpower in the world on full display as the first regular action of the season. These teams match up quite well with one another on paper, but as I said yesterday, I don’t like the moves the Rams made in free agency coming off of their Super Bowl win. I think they’re worse defensively, especially up front. It’s quite poetic that they lost Von Miller to Buffalo and now he’s lining up against them in the first game of their title defense. It’s just going to be too hard for LA to stop Josh Allen and company in their very first game with this downgraded unit. Their offense is good enough to keep them in this game, but I think the superior defense of the Bills will prove to be the difference in the clutch. Buffalo opens their potential season of dreams with a win.

Saints 24-10 Falcons

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

The Saints are destined to bounce back from last season’s misery in a huge way. Luckily, the schedule-makers gifted them a free win to start their season. The Falcons are arguably football’s worst team. With New Orleans having one of the best overall rosters in football, this one shouldn’t be close. I’m personally very excited to see their offense back at full strength with Jameis Winston, Alvin Kamara, and especially Michael Thomas and Chris Olave. Look for the rookie to make a huge impact in his NFL debut. Defensively, the Saints should shut down whoever the Falcons throw out on offense all game long en route to one of their easier victories of the year.

49ers 27-13 Bears

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

Like the game directly above, this one is a total mismatch. The 49ers boast perhaps the best roster in the NFL, while the Bears might have the saddest one. The biggest question in this game will be Trey Lance, and everyone’s eyes will be fixated on him as he makes his first start as the guy for San Francisco. I think he should thrive in their offense all year long, and it doesn’t get much easier than this for him to settle in. Meanwhile, the Niners defense should feast on a horrible Chicago offensive line and make life hell for Justin Fields, although he had a pretty nice game against them last year. While I’d love for the Bears to make some noise in this game, logic is pulling me in the exact opposite direction.

Bengals 24-19 Steelers

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

Everyone is wondering whether or not the Bengals can run back their improbable success from 2021 and build a new powerhouse in the AFC. It all starts with this game against their bitter rival with plenty of questions of their own. The Steelers have made the decision to rock with Mitch Trubisky as their starting QB, and while I think that’s the wrong decision, I don’t think it makes them that much worse. However, Cincinnati might prove to be too tall of a task to open the season. The Bengals have too much firepower offensively, and if the last few weeks of last season was any indication, their defense is pretty stout as well. These AFC North games typically prove to be slugfests, and while I like Pittsburgh’s defense, I’m taking the unit that shows me more to like. And if this one comes down to the wire, it’s no question that I’d rather have Joe Burrow.

Eagles 30-14 Lions

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

I really like the direction both of these teams are heading in, but it’s no secret that the Eagles are a far better squad as of right now. The Lions have a good thing going, but it’ll still be a while before it all comes to fruition. Meanwhile, Philly is ready to seize the moment and show the league what they’re made of this year. I think they’re going to come out with their new-look offense and revamped defense and absolutely thwart Detroit from start to finish in a dominant win. I can’t wait to see what Jalen Hurts, Devonta Smith, and A.J. Brown do in their first game together. The the other side of the ball should be a delight to watch as well. I wouldn’t doubt the Lions’ ability to move the ball with their offense, but I think points will be too hard to come by for them to keep up for four quarters.

Dolphins 21-16 Patriots

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

Even with their flashy new offense, it’s hard to believe this game won’t be a grind for the Dolphins. New England always plays them close and hard, and this game should be no different despite the overwhelmingly new circumstances in Miami. However, I have no doubt that their superior offensive talent will put them over the top in this game. The Patriots are just a weird team on both sides of the ball, and I have no idea what their identity is coming into this game. At least I know what I’m going to get with the Dolphins, and they might shock me offensively. I’m very intrigued to see what their offense looks like with Tyreek Hill, who always seems to pop off against the Patriots. Even if he’s stifled, Miami should be able to make enough plays to win this one.

Ravens 31-17 Jets

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

Joe Flacco facing his former team for the first time has to be the most underrated storyline of Week 1, right? Why is nobody talking about this? Well, perhaps because the Jets are awful and this is a pretty terrible game on paper. The Ravens are the much better team and should handle this game with ease. I am excited to see how their offense looks, and especially interested to see how their defense performs with so many exciting new pieces. But other than that, there’s nothing really to see here. Just a good team beating up on a bad one.

Jaguars 23-20 Commanders

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX

Oh brother. Can you think of any better way for the Commanders era of Washington football to start than a home loss to the worst team in football from the year before? Because I can’t! As much as I’d love to be optimistic about this game and this season, I just know what lies ahead: more embarrassment and sadness. This is how it begins. But, it’s not just the depression that comes with the Commanders. As I outlined the other day, I think the Jaguars had a very good offseason and will bring a level of energy to this game that Washington simply lacks. Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne will likely have their way with a porous defense from a year ago. I can’t put any faith in Carson Wentz to do the same thing considering that the last game he played was the embarrassing loss to Jacksonville. If he led his team to victory in that game, he wouldn’t be my QB today. So, what better way to start his tenure in DC than by kicking it off with the same result as the reason he’s here?

Panthers 20-17 Browns

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

If I’m being completely honest, there’s really no reason for the Browns to lose this game. But, I have agendas to push, and I’d really like to see Baker Mayfield exact his revenge on the team in his first game outside of Cleveland. Carolina does not match up well in this game at all, but it’s a bit hard to put any faith in a Browns team led by Jacoby Brissett. I do think their defense can carry them to victory, but I just don’t want to pick them. If the Browns can ignore logic and sense when making moves for a rapist QB, then I can also ignore logic and sense when it comes to picking their games!

Colts 28-13 Texans

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS

The Colts are one of the most puzzling teams in the league heading into this season, but this should not be a challenge at all for them. Houston is arguably the worst team in the league with absolutely nothing to play for. Indy is in the midst of a new era with Matt Ryan at QB, but he is more than serviceable, and this team will see a good deal of success in 2022. There’s no easier way to start than being spoon-fed a win against your division rival. Look for Jonathan Taylor to kick off another potential MVP campaign with a massive game while the Colts defense flexes their colors against a putrid Texans offense.

Titans 22-10 Giants

Sunday, 4:25 PM EST, FOX

Why do we have so many lopsided matchups in Week 1? This might be the worst one of them all. It’s not necessarily because the Titans are that good, despite being last year’s 1 seed in the AFC. It has more to do with how dreadful the Giants are. New York is a team already looking ahead to who they’ll draft with a top 3 selection next April. Tennessee should crush them, especially with their dominant defensive front. The offense won’t need to do too much, which is good news for Derrick Henry, who should have an even heavier load to carry this season.

Vikings 29-27 Packers

Sunday, 4:25 PM EST, FOX

What a great game this is going to be. I have such high hopes for the Vikings in 2022, and there’s no better way for them to show everyone else their potential than by opening with a victory over their division rival and defending 1 seed. If this game was at Lambeau, I’d easily pick Green Bay, but I just have a feeling about Sunday evening in Minneapolis. I think their star-studded offense is built to overcome great defenses like the Packers have, and their improved defense can certainly shut down an offense with Allen Lazard as its WR1. You can never count out Aaron Rodgers no matter who he’s throwing the ball to, but something tells me this first game without Davante Adams will be a learning curve. The Packers won’t lose many games in 2022, but I can see this being one of them.

Chiefs 33-27 Cardinals

Sunday, 4:25 PM EST, CBS

If you like offense, tune into CBS on Sunday evening. It may be the first game without Tyreek Hill in Kansas City, but I have the utmost faith in Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs to still be an elite offensive threat. The Cardinals should also be exciting on that side of the ball, even without DeAndre Hopkins. While you can make the argument that both of these teams are good enough on defense to prevent this from being a shootout, this game just has a back-and-forth feel to it. So, take the over. It’s virtually to bet against Mahomes and KC in the month of September, so I’ll rock with them. In any case, I think this could end up being one of the most entertaining games of the week.

Chargers 31-21 Raiders

Sunday, 4:25 PM EST, CBS

There likely isn’t a Week 1 game featuring two teams that people want to see more than this one. The Chargers are the sneaky Super Bowl pick in the AFC after a terrific offseason, and the Raiders made a huge splash in getting WR Davante Adams to help them out in their division push. Every time these teams get together, it’s an absolute blast, and I don’t see this one going any different. However, I do think LA should have a comfortable grip on this game from start to finish. Their defense is much better than Vegas’, and they should feast on an absolutely porous offensive line. I do think the Raiders offense will put up their numbers, but points will be a commodity for them. Meanwhile, I can’t wait to see what Justin Herbert, my personal pick for MVP, does in his season debut. I have extremely high hopes for him and his team, and I’d hate for them to let me down in Week 1. All things considered, that would actually be the most Chargers outcome here.

Buccaneers 27-24 Cowboys

Sunday, 8:20 PM EST, NBC

It doesn’t get much bigger than a Sunday Night Football clash between Tom Brady and the Cowboys in Week 1. Even with an injury-riddled offense to start the year, I find it far too difficult to bet against Tom Brady. In his first game since his non-retirement, he should be able to feast against a terrible Cowboys secondary as long as his now-subpar offensive line gives him enough time to get throws off. Meanwhile, the Dallas offense, which is worse just about everywhere compared to 2021, won’t have much room to work against a fantastic Bucs defense. However, this is primetime, and you have to imagine that this game will remain close for its entirety. Just think back to last year’s season opener in Tampa. Regardless, I see the exact same result here, with the Buccaneers walking it off with a FG and leaving more Cowboys fans in misery.

Broncos 28-10 Seahawks

Monday, 8:15 PM EST, ESPN

Russell Wilson’s return to Seattle in his Broncos debut makes for one of the most fascinating storylines of the entire season. However, that’s the only interesting thing going on in this game. This should be an absolute wash for Denver. They’re infinitely better than the Seahawks at just about everything. I don’t even know if Seattle has it in them to score a single touchdown in this game. 10 points might be the most generous total I give them all year long. Meanwhile, I’m very excited to see how Russ and the Broncos offense performs in their first game of the year. My biggest question is, who will emerge as the true WR1 in this offense? And will they be effective enough to compete with the other great offenses of the AFC? Monday night’s game won’t give us all the answers, but it will definitely be a good indicator of how the Broncos are riding into this season.

All stats taken from ESPN.

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.

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.