Month: September 2023

The western conference is in euphoria. Ever since the 2021 embarrassment of no team from the central or pacific divisions going to the Stanley Cup Finals, the past two champions have been from the west. Many viewers wonder if the Golden Knights can become the third team to win back-to-back titles in the last ten years. Unlike the Avalanche last season, Vegas isn’t dealing with waves of injuries, especially to their captain. Yet there will be competition and pushback from teams such as Minnesota, Colorado and Seattle. The Edmonton Oilers and Dallas Stars have a lot to prove after their embarrassing playoff exits. Outside of these six teams, it’s a race to clinch the bottom two seeds in the conference. A team like Nashville could break out and do damage to whoever clinches the first or second seed, possibly throwing the playoffs into doubt. It’s time to break down which four teams in each division can make the push to the postseason for 2023-24.

Pacific

Vegas Golden Knights

The current Stanley Cup champions have one of the best rosters, coaching staffs, wills, and management in the league. They also added some skill players like Max Comtois in free agency. Don’t be surprised if they come close to a back-to-back title run.

Edmonton Oilers

Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl will drag this corpse of a team into the postseason as long as there are eight spots open. What happens next is anyone’s guess.

Seattle Kraken

The difference between the Kraken’s playoff run last year and New Jersey’s are the number of older, skilled postseason veterans who compose the core of either team. Ron Francis’ construction of the youngest franchise in the league will be more fun to watch once younger players like Matty Beniers grow more comfortable into leadership roles. For now, Seattle must return to playing better defense while retaining their offensive scoring barrages.

Los Angeles Kings

I’m not truly sold on Los Angeles returning to the postseason but the remaining four teams in the division are either re-building or have no idea what to do with their available talent. The Kings adding Cam Talbot and Pierre-Luc Dubois while retaining Kevin Fiala, Vladislav Gavrikov and Viktor Arvidsson assure them a lower seed come May.

Central

Minnesota Wild

A goalie controversy is brewing but the roster is getting closer to a deep postseason run. One of the few western teams that has everything in their favor and no excuses.

Colorado Avalanche

Colorado was plagued by injuries last season and somehow won the division. Good luck to the rest of the central.

Dallas Stars

Keep an eye on how well the defense does the first half of the season especially goalie Jake Oettinger. They won’t replicate last season’s success but players such as Joe Pavelski, Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen make the Stars a popular third option behind the Avalanche and Wild.

Nashville Predators

It’s hard to choose the fourth team. Arizona and Chicago are absolute non-factors while St. Louis doesn’t have the depth and Winnipeg could be sellers by the trade deadline. The default option is the Nashville Predators.

The signings of Ryan O’Reilly and Gustav Nyquist should elevate the top two lines’ performances on offense and special teams. Despite these positive additions and determined mindsets, new general manager Barry Trotz will have a lot to figure out throughout the season.

2022-2023 Western conference playoff predictions record: 4-4

What a fun offseason. The Atlantic and Metropolitan divisions are back after another summer of free agency. The eastern conference hasn’t had a Stanley Cup champion since Tampa Bay’s back-to-back title run in 2021. No one outside the Sunshine State has even won the conference finals since the decade started. Most teams out west look a bit weaker while Metropolitan teams like the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins made trades to bolster their rosters and re-signed important depth players. The Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes are more determined to finish what they started in last year’s postseason. Then there are new teams such as Detroit and New Jersey with long-term playoff potential that will cause havoc while their young cores learn what it takes to win.

It’s time to break down which four teams in each division can make the push back to or surprise a lot of people in making the 2022-23 playoffs.

Atlantic

Toronto Maple Leafs

Take the drama and whining out of the offseason, the Leafs finally won a playoff series and continued improving the roster this summer. The additions of Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi and Ryan Reeves while re-signing Auston Matthews brings Toronto a lot more grit and physical play while retaining top scorers. Questions on goaltending will arise most of the season but the Leafs will make the playoffs.

Florida Panthers

Another team with question marks on goaltending and team defense but loaded with physical play and scoring depth. The Panthers have better coaching and will be targeted after their Cinderella run to the championship round. There could be a slow start but Paul Maurice-led teams usually find rhythm when the calendar year changes. Florida will be one of the toughest teams to eliminate. Many would like a fun sequel to last year’s title run.

Tampa Bay Lightning

There are many questions and concerns about Tampa Bay’s depth from defense, goalie and forward after last year’s first round exit. Captain Steven Stamkos opened an uncomfortable chapter with wanting a contract extension and now Andrei Vasilevskiy will miss two months with a lower body injury. While Buffalo and Ottawa could step up and steal a playoff spot if the Lightning falter or fall apart this season, don’t count on it. Coach Jon Cooper is a top three leader behind the bench and will find solutions barring an avalanche of injuries.

Detroit Red Wings

It’s possible Boston learns from last year’s first round implosion after having the best regular season ever in NHL history. However, the roster depth (five centers, eleven forwards and eight defensemen) says that could be a difficult process in addition to Brad Marchand being the new captain.

Detroit is in the best position with a bastion of first round picks still in the minor leagues if the roster succumbs to injuries. General manager Steve Yzerman realized last season that scoring and veteran presence alone wasn’t enough to contend for the playoffs. Additional premier defensemen, a solid goalie tandem and the right veterans for third line depth while complimenting the younger stars were the needed and right moves. The Red Wings took last season’s lessons against the Ottawa Senators well and now have the upgrades necessary to clinch a lower playoff seed.

Metropolitan

Carolina Hurricanes

Unless the Pittsburgh Penguins have a franchise record breaking season, there’s no excuse for Carolina to not win the Metropolitan nor conference title. They have everything an NHL team covets for a deep postseason run.

New York Rangers

The Rangers retained almost all of last year’s championship caliber roster but swapped out coach Gerard Gallant for Peter Laviolette after an embarrassing first round exit to New Jersey. The offense should overwhelm opponents early and often while the defense holds firm. This will be a hard team to eliminate once the postseason starts.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh did a hard evaluation after two embarrassing losses to Columbus and Chicago knocked them out of the playoffs and drastically changed the NHL playoff picture. After firing the general manager duo of Ron Hextall and Brian Burke, the Penguins signed needed depth players Rem Pitlick, Lars Eller and Vinnie Hinostroza. Then the franchise went for the biggest name of the summer, acquiring Erik Karlsson from the San Jose Sharks in a three team trade. Swapping out Casey DeSmith for Alex Nedeljkovic is a risky move given Tristan Jarry’s injuries the past few seasons, but one that might pay off once the new additions bolster the offense and special teams.

New York Islanders

Philadelphia and Columbus won’t be anywhere near the playoff race once the 2024 calendar year starts. Washington is on the decline and New Jersey will have a rude awakening from the rest of the league after last year’s unexpected success. The Islanders stand out as the most competent of the five teams remaining and should clinch a bottom seed minimum.

A big plus for New York is the full health of the roster to start October. Last year the slow start forced general manager Lou Lamoriello to trade for additional talent before January 2023. Bo Horvat, Julien Gauthier and Pierre Engvall should start the regular season strong and with little pressure compared to last year.

2022-2023 Eastern conference playoff predictions record: 5-3

The last Sunday of September featured a number of pivotal games. Most divisions are slowly showing which teams will stand out as playoff favorites before Halloween. While a lot of wins and plays stood out, some were more eye-opening than others. Here are this weeks winners and losers.

Winners: The runningback duo of De’Von Achane and Raheem Mostert

The Dolphins posted the second highest offensive yards total in NFL history and the most in the 21st century. 375 of the 726 yards and eight of Miami’s ten touchdowns came from the duo De’Von Achane and Raheem Mostert.

The rookie Achane played two snaps in two games heading into Sunday. In the third round pick’s debut start, he averaged 11.3 yards per carry, ran for 200 yards and two scores. He also caught four passes for 30 yards and two additional touchdowns in Miami’s highest scoring game in franchise history and the first 70 point game for the NFL in the 21st century. The rookie could be a big part of head coach Mike McDaniel’s game plan further into the regular season and gives the Dolphins another weapon on offense.

Former 49er runningback Raheem Mostert had one of his best games since heading to the east coast. While Mostert didn’t have 100 yards rushing, he scored four straight touchdowns in two quarters. He’s proven to be an every down playmaker who needs to be accounted for and makes opposing defenses question what to do next.

There were valid concerns about Miami’s running game heading into 2023. McDaniel loves when the receivers put up high numbers on opposing defenses but adding another dimension of attack makes the Dolphins one of, if not the best team in the NFL. This will be a hard team to beat all four quarters any weekend.

Indianapolis Colts

The AFC South is the NFL’s worst division after September and that’s a sigh of relief for Indianapolis. New head coach Shane Steichen didn’t have top five overall pick Anthony Richardson start in Baltimore Sunday and many assumed this would result in a double digit loss. Instead, Steichen got his second NFL win and the Colts are in sole possession of first place and over .500 in the south.

Indianapolis’ defense played what could be one of their best games of the season. After giving up an opening drive rushing score to Lamar Jackson, the Colts defense gave up only one more touchdown (ironically to Jackson later in the second quarter) while forcing less than 200 passing yards. On offense, the Colts did just enough to steal a win in overtime. Backup quarterback Gardner Minshew II threw a touchdown to Zach Moss and kicker Matt Gay made all five of his field goal attempts including the game winning kick.

It’s a big victory considering all four AFC South teams have at least one win after September. Many viewers still believe Indianapolis is one of the worst teams in the league, but they could give the division fits if they play simple and pick up a few wins the next two months.

DeShaun Watson

Cleveland entered Sunday at .500 with constant questions about the regression of their new franchise quarterback. DeShaun Watson hadn’t played a great game in almost three years. The $230 million playmaker needed to carry the offense to a win.

Watson finally stepped up and completed 27 of his 33 passes for 289 yards and two touchdowns. The first one gave Cleveland their second and last lead change of the day.

He’s been criticized for mediocre play (especially the previous Monday night) after having so much time not on the field and having to learn head coach Kevin Stefanski’s playbook with his teammates. The Browns didn’t pay him a lot of money to game manage and take a backseat to a featured runningback. He took command Sunday and got the major receivers involved. Watson should’ve had a third touchdown pass if the referee didn’t rule Amari Cooper out-of-bounds incorrectly. Hopefully this continues for most of October.

DeMeco Ryans and C.J. Stroud

Indianapolis wasn’t the only winner in the AFC South Sunday. The rookie head coach and quarterback duo of DeMeco Ryans and C.J. Stroud got a big win against their division rivals in Jacksonville.

Houston started hot and never trailed. The Jaguars didn’t score until the third quarter and while they came close multiple times, Ryans kept the team focused and Stroud led the offense on a 68 yard touchdown drive to seal up their first win of the season.

The Texans are surprisingly a top five passing team in the NFL. This is an eye opening stat most analysts aren’t talking about heading into October. While it will be harder for them to win more than one game the next few months, there’s a bright future in Houston with the new head coach and franchise quarterback duo.

Losers: Sam Howell

The fifth round sophomore quarterback began the season with two miraculous wins. Sunday he faced the veteran Buffalo Bills defense and it got ugly fast.

Every time Washington’s offense had a deep drive, Sam Howell found a way to turn the ball over. He threw four interceptions and posted a 41.5 quarterback rating. The Commanders didn’t score until Joey Slye’s 51 yard field goal with 50 seconds remaining in the game. Buffalo won 37-3.

There are plenty of games left for Howell to continue his growth versus hard opponents, but Sunday was a reminder for the young starter it’s not an easy league.

New Orleans Saints

At the end of the third quarter, New Orleans led Green Bay in Lambeau Field 17-0. New starting quarterback Derek Carr had a solid first half but had to leave due to a shoulder injury middle of the third quarter. While that demoralized the offense, the defense cratered and the Saints lost their first game of the season.

New Orleans’ offense has started slow in all three games despite improvements made, and while they’ve won two of three games, it shouldn’t be a struggle. The loss showed audiences how thin the margin of victory is week-to-week for Dennis Allen’s team. Minus Green Bay downing the ball the last possession, the Saints’ defense was stuck on the field for over 12 minutes in the last quarter. It’s not a surprise the Packers came back to score 18 unanswered points. The final sign of New Orleans’ defeat was a missed field goal on their last possession. There were enough mistakes on all three sides of the ball to cost the Saints a win.

Sean Payton and Russell Wilson

History will remember everything Miami did right in their 70-20 win versus Denver. Yet many should keep in mind the Dolphins’ success was mostly due to the Broncos quitting after an early double digit deficit.

Two defensive neutral zone infraction penalties on two separate Miami scoring drives, an offensive pass interference penalty to wipe out a touchdown and an illegal shift penalty that wiped away another score (in the same quarter!) were big reasons why Denver lost by 50. The Broncos are the second most penalized team in the NFL (26, Green Bay has the most with 27) and have a team captain making reckless head-to-head tackles on at least one receiver each game.

Considering Sean Payton said former head coach Nathaniel Hackett had, “One of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL.” last year, one would think the offense would be better. The team’s best receiver lost two fumbles that led to 14 Dolphin points. Quarterback Russell Wilson was intercepted at the line of scrimmage by linebacker Emmanuel Ogbah. That led to another Miami touchdown. The offense converted three of their twelve third downs and special teams had all but six of Denver’s points.

If there’s ever a defining moment in the Russell Wilson era it was Sunday. While Wilson and the Broncos were in the final minutes of the most embarrassing game of the 21st century, the Seattle Seahawks celebrated the ten year anniversary of their championship season. Most of the 2013 Seahawks roster was in attendance to celebrate, mingle with fans, raise the 12th Man flag and give proper tributes to former starting quarterback and backup to Wilson, Tarvaris Jackson. When most of the former offensive line that protected Russell Wilson for years got to reminisce career highlights, 31 year old starting left tackle Garrett Bowles (who infamously told Wilson he’d never be hit again in Denver), made national headlines after the lopsided loss by saying, “I feel like <redacted>. I’m tired of losing man. I’ve been here for seven years and all I’ve done is lost. It’s frustrating.”

The NFL for not flexing terrible primetime games

When the NFL finally made flexing games in the first half of the regular season a reality, one would have thought they’d start implementing the change by week three or four. They have yet to do so.

It would’ve helped since America didn’t want the Chicago Bears v. Kansas City Chiefs as the game of the week. Many would’ve been spared watching the Josh McDaniels-led Raiders disappoint on Sunday night. Almost every viewer of the sport would love to see NBC flex the Chiefs-Jets showdown this upcoming Sunday night due to the lopsided differences in offensive talent (after Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles).

The NFL can be slow implementing new rules and for good reasons. This is one rule that if not acted on quick can show a massive difference in viewership and revenue. Here’s hoping we get more flexing for competitive games featuring playoff favorite teams.

Usually the first week of the NFL regular season is mild. It was anything but mild on Sunday. Week one is seen by some as a fluke week, while some see it as prelude on what’s to come when teams settle in. Here are the winners and losers from Sunday’s games.

Winners: Calvin Ridley

It was almost two years since receiver Calvin Ridley played in the NFL. After Atlanta traded him to Jacksonville, Ridley was suspended over gambling charges. The Jaguars were without one of their upgrades all of 2022. Not only will Jacksonville’s offense take a few steps forward, but Ridley’s picked up where he left off before the hiatus.

Ridley led the Jaguars with eight catches for 101 yards and the first touchdown of the game. His 29 yard catch and run deep into Colts territory with under six minutes remaining in the first half set up Zay Jones’ acrobatic touchdown grab, giving Jacksonville a 14-7 lead.

Quarterback Trevor Lawrence targeted Jones, Christian Kirk and Evan Engram a lot last season. While many thought Kirk would be the favorite option heading into 2023, he doesn’t have the same skills as Calvin Ridley. It’ll be hard for any opposing defenses in the AFC South to stop or slow down all four receivers in one game, let alone two.

Green Bay Packers

Most analysts predicted with quarterback Aaron Rodgers traded to the Jets that Green Bay would struggle scoring in the NFC North. While it’s a valid concern, that wasn’t an issue week one in Chicago.

28 of the 38 points the Packers put up on the Bears came in the second half. New starting quarterback Jordan Love had a near perfect day completing 15 of 27 passes for 245 yards for a 123.2 quarterback rating and three touchdowns. Three players including Love averaged four yards per rush. Aaron Jones’ touchdown run added to the offensive barrage.

Green Bay played better whenever Chicago’s offense tried to put scoring drives together. Linebacker Quay Walker intercepted Bears quarterback Justin Fields and returned it for a touchdown. The Packers defense forced and recovered a Fields fumble and sacked the quarterback once.

While preseason doesn’t mean much, Green Bay came ready to play all three games and brutalized their opponents. The players have quickly bought into head coach Matt LaFleur’s changes, tactics and will to win. Hopefully this isn’t the last aggressive performance from the 2023 roster.

Brandon Aiyuk

San Francisco has a few All-Pro offensive players, yet receiver and specialist Brandon Aiyuk is one of the underrated names when it comes to his roles and physical advantages. He let Pittsburgh know who was in charge Sunday.

In a one-sided game against the Steelers, Aiyuk caught every pass thrown his way for 129 yards and two touchdowns. According to ESPN’s Sportscenter, he’s San Francisco’s third receiver in the last 30 years to have 100 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in a season opener (the other two being Jerry Rice in 1994 and J.J. Stokes in 1998) and the first to do it for the team this century. His stats would’ve been larger had it not been for the lopsided score.

Pittsburgh’s defense was top five in the NFL last season. He steamrolled over veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson (more on him later) and couldn’t be covered when the game was close. Upcoming opponents might have worse luck trying to snuff out his contributions and tackling him.

Standard broadcast network television

The NFL decided to pivot away from their decades long DirecTV’s Sunday Ticket this offseason by moving it online to YouTube. It doesn’t matter what kind of viewer you are to U.S. football: no one knows how this will work out. Due to the writer’s strike in Los Angeles, standard broadcast network television is in a rare position to air as many games as possible. After one week, it seems this is a great decision.

Many viewers were or will be treated to at least seven week one games. Thursday night featured the reigning champion Chiefs (which resulted in a 24% increase in viewership compared to last year’s regular season opener), two double-headers on CBS and FOX, the headline Sunday night matchup, and the debut of Aaron Rodgers against the Buffalo Bills (this game has yet to be played but will be aired on ABC) on Monday night. Depending on the viewer’s location, there was a chance whoever tuned into three of the four networks watched at least one game where the victor won by one score.

Ongoing questions with Sunday Ticket’s debut season on YouTube (many readers know the agony of online buffering when streaming), Hollywood’s probable deadlock in the on-going strikes and the NFL finally approving game flexibility in the first half of the regular season, standard broadcast network television could air at least seven games a week until one or two obstacles clear up. There’s a lot of money for whoever airs U.S. football games weekly even if some aren’t popular options. It will make viewing, profits and breaking news easier for the nationwide audience.

Losers: Patrick Peterson

The 13 year defensive back will no doubt be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame one day for his elite, lockdown play. He’s spent a decade being one of the premier cornerbacks who sadly hasn’t gone to a Super Bowl. Unfortunately his best days are behind him and it showed during San Francisco’s rout in Pittsburgh.

Peterson unfortunately had to cover Brandon Aiyuk. As one can read above, the receiver had a fantastic day and would have done better if the score was closer. However, Patrick Peterson is probably a reason why the 49ers offense was unrelenting to start the game. Earlier in the week, the veteran corner talked trash towards San Francisco and declared he’d have an interception against them. Aiyuk’s first touchdown came when he faked Peterson on a route and the old man fell. It was an easy play that broke the scoreless tie. He then gave up another touchdown to Aiyuk the following quarter.

Patrick Peterson finished the day with two passes defensed, two assisted tackles and zero interceptions. Ouch.

Ryan Tannehill

The quarterback class of 2012 is coming to an abysmal and saddening end. Many are targeting Russell Wilson for his decline in play, but the performances of Ryan Tannehill have been worse.

On Tennessee’s last drive of the game, head coach Mike Vrabel opted for kicker Nick Folk to attempt his fifth field goal of the afternoon despite trailing by four points. Many will complain about Vrabel’s decision but he didn’t have a better option. Starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill completed 16 of 34 passes for 198 yards, threw three interceptions, posted a 28.8 rating and couldn’t produce a touchdown on any of the Titans’ offensive possessions. They couldn’t capitalize against a Saints offense that struggled most of the afternoon with a new quarterback.

Tannehill is on the last year of his contract and if he continues poor play heading into October, this could be the last year we see him in the NFL.

Seattle Seahawks

Seattle had an offseason to address their exposed defense, play-calling and game management. In the first round of the draft they selected a cornerback and an undersized receiver. Clint Hurtt is still the defensive coordinator and nothing was thoroughly addressed on the defensive line. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that while the cornerback didn’t start the home opener and the undersized receiver had only 13 yards on three catches, the Rams offense racked up over 400 yards. Two mid-tier receivers had 100 yard performances.

The Seahawks defense again couldn’t get off the field on third down and were worn out by the play-action passes from quarterback Matthew Stafford. Seattle’s offense started well, but injuries to starting tackles Abraham Lucas and Charles Cross combined with receiver and offensive captain Tyler Lockett leaving because of concussion protocol deflated any confidence of entering week two undefeated.

One major issue I touched on in my NFC playoff predictions was the Seahawks’ difficult 2023 schedule. Los Angeles always plays Seattle tough for many reasons but due to how this year the Rams have a roster lacking depth and quality players in certain positions, the Seahawks had to win their opening game at home. Seattle faces Detroit in Ford Field next Sunday. The Lions stunned and captivated national audiences in their upset win at Kansas City last Thursday. A winless hole after two weeks could damage the Seahawks’ chances at clinching a postseason berth. It could get worse if injuries and an ineffective defense become a constant.

J.K. Dobbins

One of the worst things and feelings to have is when an athlete with so much potential can’t live up to the hype due to major injuries. Runningback J.K. Dobbins was touted as the next phenom headed to the NFL when he declared for the 2020 draft. While he’s had some highlights and good games, Dobbins has never lived up to the hype due to multiple major leg injuries three of the last four seasons.

J.K. Dobbins gave Baltimore an early lead and might have finished with a strong performance against Houston. Unfortunately he tore his achilles, abruptly concluding his 2023 season. Leg injuries ended one half of his 2022 season and forced him out of action all of 2021. The Ravens missed the energy and versatility he brings to the Lamar Jackson-led offense.

Despite the win and contributions from runningback Justice Hill, one wonders what might be if Dobbins’ legs held up this and the last two years.

Note: NFL’s Winners and Losers will not be published next Monday due to the writer, editor and publisher having the weekend off for personal reasons.

The 2022 season was a success for the American Football Conference. From the close four team AFC East race to Cincinnati’s two straight north division titles for the first time this century, the biggest takeaway was the continued conference depth of playoff contenders. Half the divisions could have any team come out on top and no one would be surprised. The six teams that don’t win either division have a great chance to make the postseason this year. 2022 featured three solid Super Bowl contenders in both those divisions. Now it’s six. Reigning champion Kansas City has a lot of pressure to repeat their title run with a conference that’s improved every part of their roster. Last but not least, expect the same kind of playoff race both the Jaguars and Titans had in the south to heat up again, this time with a more balanced roster in Jacksonville and a more desperate team in Tennessee.

Due to the depth, it’s possible not every team listed below makes the playoffs, but it’s a sure thing the franchises listed have the best chance and present solid arguments. Time to break down which seven teams in the AFC have the best chance of reaching the playoffs for 2024.

AFC West: Kansas City Chiefs

Despite offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy going to the Washington Commanders, Kansas City still has the tandem of Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes II. It’s possible the Chiefs not just win the AFC West but also represent the division as the only playoff team in January. Las Vegas won’t be competitive past October. Denver again faces a plague of injuries before the regular season starts, and there’s no guarantee Russell Wilson or Sean Payton can turn things around. As for Los Angeles, the organization wasted an opportunity to shove out a coach who blew a 27 point lead to the Jacksonville Jaguars and hire a Super Bowl winning coach in Sean Payton. Then, they re-signed inexperienced postseason franchise quarterback Justin Herbert to a massive contract extension. The Chargers want to win now but won’t be able to with the poor decisions made by ownership and the front office.

Kansas City also has a drive to win back-to-back championships, something not done in the NFL since 2004. While defensive tackle Chris Jones continues to hold out, it might not matter until later in the season when the Chiefs lock up the AFC West division title.

AFC South: Jacksonville Jaguars

The Indianapolis Colts are a growing hot mess that will take years to fix. Houston has a chance of improving in every position despite how far behind they are in both the division and conference. Tennessee is still struggling with their offensive line’s health and there aren’t many receiving options for whoever is under center outside of an aging De’Andre Hopkins.

Like Kansas City, the Jaguars stand out in a division facing many questions in almost every position. Doug Pederson isn’t the coach Mike Vrabel is but he has better talent, depth and a higher ceiling for development to work with on all sides of the ball. Pederson and Jacksonville don’t have the added pressure of getting back to the conference championship compared to Vrabel and the Titans. Calvin Ridley returning after two years out of the league combined with expected growth in both offensive and defensive redzone plays make the Jaguars an easy pick.

AFC East: Miami Dolphins, New York Jets

Similar to last season, the east will be one of the most competitive divisions in the NFL. At least three of the four teams will stay close in the playoff race most of autumn. The longer the season goes, the more New England will sputter due to lack of depth on offense and rumors of Stefon Diggs leaving Buffalo (whether true or not) might amplify if Josh Allen’s inaccuracy continues after last year’s postseason. The Bills are more fragile and still lack a quality running game outside of Allen’s scrambles. This puts both Miami and New York in favorable positions.

Miami is the favorite to win the division for their offensive depth and smart offseason moves to revamp the defense. Adding Vic Fangio as defensive coordinator will tighten any leaks opponents exposed in 2022. Jalen Ramsey will solidify a top cornerback duo when he returns by November (right now most are saying six weeks, but the degree of injury could linger into December. Thus, November is a good timetable to see if and when he plays in the regular season). The Dolphins’ front seven, is highlighted by the linebacker quartet of Bradley Chubb, Jaelan Phillips, David Long Jr. and Jerome Baker. Two of the four weren’t on the roster a year ago. While left tackle Terron Armstead will return sometime this month, the offensive line is still a top concern after what happened to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s health last year. Miami must balance the offensive passing and running games to keep their top play makers healthy. Expect Dolphins management to trade for a star runningback by midseason if Salvon Ahmed, Raheem Mostert or rookie Davon Achane aren’t consistently productive.

New York should return to the postseason for the first time in 13 years. The last time they reached the playoffs, quarterback Aaron Rodgers won the Super Bowl with the Packers. Now Rodgers bolsters the Jets offense and helps everyone raise expectations and performances. Head coach Robert Saleh did a masterful job building up the defense and added the right pieces to the team just before Rodgers was traded. New receivers Mecole Hardman Jr., Randall Cobb, Allen Lazard and running back Dalvin Cook will give opposing defenses fits.

Staying consistent from previous years (and in multiple sports) make it too risky to rank the Jets at the top of the division and even the conference. Valid questions about the offensive line’s health (especially the tackles) arise. This is also the second Packers quarterback New York traded for once Green Bay moved on. When Rodgers’ predecessor Brett Favre was traded in 2008, the Jets started as one of the best teams before a rapid November spiral ended their season at .500. Due to an 18 week regular season change, New York will probably finish one game over .500. Their schedule hints this could be a similar run. We’ll find out by early December if Rodgers has the almost identical season Favre did.

AFC North: Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers

The east won’t be the only competitive division in the AFC. The north may not have a clear leader until December. Baltimore might be the first team out of contention due to regression by coaching the last three years and injuries plaguing the roster. Lamar Jackson won the contract battle with the organization but his health is a valid concern on how far the Ravens go this season. Last but not least, New England learned in 2020 you don’t sign and slap together former first round rejects at wide receiver and call it progress. Nelson Agholor was one of the rejects Baltimore signed this offseason who didn’t pan out well in Boston.

Prior assessment might confuse readers as to why Cleveland is the division winning pick. First, the defense will show improvement. Jim Schwartz was hired to fix the pass defense while maintaining an aggressive scheme for the front seven. This will make a difference at middle linebacker, which has been a blah unit of play the last few years. Za’Darius Smith lining up opposite Myles Garrett will give opposing offenses in or outside the division problems. The added pass rush and better linebacker play gives the secondary extra time to cover holes receivers may find.

On offense there are no excuses for DeShaun Watson. Last season his play was mediocre due to off-field issues and not spending needed time with teammates. Cleveland’s front office has gradually let Watson know they’re all in from not re-signing runningbacks Kareem Hunt and D’Ernest Johnson to adding Marquise Goodwin in free agency. How the Browns fare early against their schedule will show analysts how good they are and can consistently be. Three of their first four games are against division rivals before an early bye week. Late September should be filled with talk about DeShaun Watson returning to the play many remember from his time in Houston.

On to Cincinnati. The Bengals have gone to a Super Bowl and two straight conference championships, meaning there’s a target on their backs this and next season. The north is harder and deeper at a lot of positions, and while the Bengals are still one of the best teams in the league, it may become more stressful to stay on top as their rivals play them harder.

While Cincinnati doesn’t have as hard a start to the season as some other teams, they won’t have many weekends to disengage. Many viewers don’t understand the constant mental focus can wear down teams especially after two long postseason runs. The offensive line is better but the defense is filled with question marks on the front seven. Opponents in Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Cleveland have offensive lines that dominate play. There’s enough film on quarterback Joe Burrow and who he favors throwing to the past few years, so the Bengals have to switch schemes and create new plays the deeper they venture into the season.

The Steelers are similar to this year’s Detroit Lions. Many expect a more dangerous team led by a coach who can lead well and not accept excuses. Pittsburgh has been one of the worst teams to watch the past two years but it seems coach Mike Tomlin has figured out how to improve the nagging problems on offense. It starts with better quarterback play and the continued development for Kenny Pickett. Pickett had a rough time in his first few games last season but improved around New Year’s. The addition of Allen Robinson II gives the sophomore quarterback another option to stretch the field and create better plays. The addition takes less pressure off runningback Najee Harris and brings a better balance to sustain long offensive possessions.

The defense is still a top five unit in the league. What will help this unit more is the offense scoring more than 17 points a game. The Steelers defense had to play perfect to keep the team in games over the last three years and it takes a toll. That should change after the trade deadline expires. Pittsburgh will be a hard out for any division winner with aspirations of a deep postseason run.

2022 Regular Season AFC Playoff Predictions Record: 3-4