Tag: football

NFL Week 13 Winners and Losers

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The last Sunday of November had fewer games but just as much entertainment compared to prior weeks. Upsets, injuries and comebacks led headlines and will be the focus as December begins. The playoff picture has never looked more crowded. It’s time to break down who or what stood out most; positively or negatively.

Winners: Davante Adams

A stunning loss in Carolina said a lot of things about Los Angeles. It appeared head coach Sean McVay and most of the Rams didn’t take the Panthers seriously. One player who did and played well all four quarters was wide receiver Davante Adams.

Adams had four catches on five targets for 58 yards and two touchdowns. His first score gave Los Angeles their first lead of the game and his second tied the game at 14. According to NFL Network’s GameDay Watch, Davante Adams became the fourth player in NFL history with 13+ reception touchdowns in at least four career seasons (the other three are Hall of Famers Jerry Rice, Terrell Owens and Randy Moss).

Davante Adams left Sunday tied sixth with San Diego Chargers tight-end Antonio Gates for all-time receiving touchdowns with 116. Adams will end up alone in sixth place some time this season. It’s cool to see that even in some down years, Davante Adams is still one of the best and most dangerous receiving threats a defense can face.

New York Jets

Not many people expected New York to go on a winning streak or have a span of winning football a month ago. The Jets end week 13 with three wins in their last four games. Their recent victory against Atlanta may be their best of the season.

New York battled hard against the Falcons. The Jets defense struggled against quarterback Kirk Cousins and runningback Bijan Robinson. However, New York’s offense kept the game close and even had a few leads. Receiver Adonai Mitchell stood out with eight catches for 102 yards and a touchdown. 52 of those went on the touchdown run he had in the first half to tie the game at 14.

Many viewers wondered if the Jets were the worst NFL team heading into November. Rookie head coach Aaron Glenn didn’t have a lot of talent to work with on the defense, and the offense struggled to dominate games and control the game clock. Glenn has turned things around from fiasco and hopeless to competent and optimistic. This time New York may have found their head coach of the future and are a team to keep an eye on the last month of the regular season.

Kimani Vidal

The Chargers have been battered at the running back position most of the season. They have needed someone to step up the last few weeks who can give quarterback Justin Herbert some relief when he isn’t throwing the ball and leading the offense. Los Angeles might have found a new gem Sunday in Kimani Vidal.

The sophomore back was the Chargers’ best player. Vidal ran 25 times for 126 yards and a touchdown. He also had a catch for eleven yards. Kimani Vidal made the game clock a constant issue for Las Vegas’ defense and helped Los Angeles keep the ball for nearly 36 minutes.

Head coach Jim Harbaugh promoted Vidal at the best time. After the Chargers win, news broke Sunday night that team star Justin Herbert will need surgery for a fractured hand. The surgery likely sidelines Herbert at least one week. Los Angeles must now rely on their running game to dominate offensive tempo and do most of the work against their next opponent, the Philadelphia Eagles. Get familiar with Kimani Vidal the next few games.

Losers: The second half Cleveland Browns

The 49ers and Browns played a slugfest first half Sunday afternoon. The score at halftime was 10-8. Both defenses were phenomenal, but both offenses made a lot of great plays. San Francisco pulled away in the second half because Cleveland committed a lot of blunders.

Offense and special teams kept turning the ball over. The Browns’ second possession ended in their territory after tight-end Harold Fannin Jr. fumbled a fourth down pass and 49ers linebacker Luke Gifford recovered. San Francisco had a short field to work with and scored a touchdown five and a half minutes later. The second major gaffe was a punt return fumble by returner Gage Larvadain at his own 18 yard line. The 49ers recovered the fumble and scored an easier touchdown minutes later (their two point conversion after the touchdown failed). The third and last major blunder was a turnover on downs by the offense next possession. San Francisco took enough time off the clock and added three more points from a 31 yard Matt Gay field goal. Cleveland officially lost when the offense committed another turnover on downs their last possession.

It’s torturous to watch the Browns take a step forward after finally finding a quarterback who can make the right plays in rookie Shadeur Sanders, but then take two steps back because of special teams and offensive errors and turnovers. Cleveland’s defense is Super Bowl caliber and will miss the playoffs again because the offense and special teams are among the NFL’s worst. What a shame.

Tyler Shough’s two point conversion attempt

New Orleans rookie quarterback Tyler Shough may be a great quarterback in the future. Shough has mostly kept the Saints competitive since he was named starter early November. For now, Tyler Shough still has a lot to learn and it showed Sunday in Miami.

The Saints rallied late Sunday afternoon and were two points away from tying the Dolphins at 19 and taking the game to overtime. Shough attempted a two point conversion pass, and it epically failed. Not only was the pass bad, it was easily picked off by veteran cornerback Minkah Fitzpatrick and returned for a Miami two point score. The final was 21-17.

In Tyler Shough’s defense, he is a rookie gaining more hands-on experience, and every quarterback learns the hard way not to force a bad throw in heavy defensive pass coverage to a competent receiver. Still, the loss stings and keeps the Dolphins in the playoff race.

Pittsburgh Steelers offense, especially Aaron Rodgers

Buffalo versus Pittsburgh was important for both teams Sunday. Although to many that’s obvious, both the Bills and Steelers are in tight division races and have been behind at least one opponent at some point this season. A game this important meant both offenses would have to play at a high level. Buffalo found offensive rhythm the longer the game went. Pittsburgh? Not so much.

The Steelers offense did nothing after runningback Jaylen Warren scored their only touchdown a few plays after linebacker Patrick Queen recovered a fumble from Bills quarterback Josh Allen. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed ten of 21 passes for 117 yards. Rodgers shouldn’t have played this game because he has three fractures in his left wrist. Both Rodgers and Pittsburgh knew this before Sunday, yet he still played. After a sack fumble from Joey Bosa in the second quarter, Buffalo got the lead and never trailed again.

The Steelers offense played even worse once backup Mason Rudolph replaced Rodgers. Rudolph completed one of his three passes–to the Bills defense. Aaron Rodgers had to close out a game with no hope of winning down by nine, and then by 16 points.

It’s another season where Pittsburgh goes through multiples crises on offense, while the defense and special teams are expected to keep games close. At some point, there must be massive changes because no one likes the offense the Steelers put on the field each week.

NFL Week Eleven Winners and Losers

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The eleventh week of the NFL season was both chaotic and fun by various turns. The upsets rocked not just the football world but the expected playoff pictures in both conferences. There is still a lot to process and breakdown because most fans and analysts didn’t expect so many storylines. It is time to break down the best and worst of week eleven.

Winners: Davis Mills

After C.J. Stroud IV was injured two weeks ago, many wondered if Houston could salvage their playoff chances with veteran backup quarterback Davis Mills named starter. Mills is now undefeated after both his starts. Those wins were both against divisional opponents.

Davis Mills completed 26 of 41 passes for 274 yards, a touchdown and a 90.9 quarterback rating. His scoring pass to receiver Nico Collins gave the Texans their first lead of the game. Mills also led two critical scoring drives in the fourth quarter to tie and then take Houston’s second and last lead.

The AFC South now has an opportunity to have two teams make the playoffs. The Texans winning two important division games without their starting quarterback keeps them in the postseason picture before December.

Sean Tucker

Tampa Bay’s controversial loss in Buffalo (more on that later) dampened a lot of positive talk on the Buccaneers’ running game. Since Bucky Irving’s absence for a few weeks, Tampa Bay couldn’t afford a one dimensional performance in a pivotal road game at Buffalo. A runningback like Sean Tucker had to step up and play well.

That is exactly what Tucker did. The sophomore had 19 carries for 106 yards and two touchdowns. He also had two catches for 34 yards and another score. Sean Tucker had 18 of the Buccaneers 32 points before the Bills pulled ahead and forced Tampa to commit more mistakes.

If the Buccaneers are going to have a solid playoff run, they need the running game to step up more. Sean Tucker brings a lot of skill and grit many teams covet in a starting back. Once Bucky Irving returns, Tampa Bay should use both to throw more teams off balance.

Pittsburgh Steelers

It has been a rough last four weeks for Pittsburgh. The Steelers were able to beat the NFL-best Colts, but lost to Cincinnati, Green Bay and Los Angeles. In all three losses, Pittsburgh’s defense gave up at least 25 points and the offense was either great or terrible. On Sunday, the good Steelers showed up.

Both quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph combined for 243 yards, two touchdowns and a 112 quarterback rating. Runningback Kenneth Gainwell had seven catches on eight targets for 81 yards and both scores. The offense played well against a historically bad Bengals defense.

Pittsburgh’s defense played their best game of the season. While they sacked veteran quarterback Joe Flacco once, the Steelers gave up less than 200 passing yards. Safety Kyle Dugger sealed a win with an interception return for a touchdown late in the third quarter. Cornerback James Pierre also returned a Noah Fant fumble for a touchdown.

Many wonder if Pittsburgh can keep both their division lead and win the AFC North late in the season. If the Steelers heat up or play like they did Sunday, there is no doubt they win the division.

Mark Andrews

Baltimore’s second game against Cleveland was almost unwatchable. Any updates that appeared showed the Browns and Ravens in a slugfest. No matter which team won, it was a big deal if Baltimore tight-end Mark Andrews either scored or set the franchise record in receiving yards. He did both on Sunday.

Andrews broke former Raven great Derrick Mason’s receiving yards record with three catches for 32 yards. Given how tough Cleveland’s pass defense is, Mark Andrews wasn’t going to have a breakout performance. Yet he did clinch the record five plays into the game. Andrews also had the play of the game when he lined up for a Tush Push play, but faked the run up the middle, and ran for a 35 yard touchdown. It shocked audiences and sealed the Ravens fourth straight win.

Losers: Washington Commanders

Watching Washington play American gridiron football the past two weeks heading into week eleven was awful. Two playoff favorite teams went into the DMV and pummeled the Commanders. Washington dealt with serious injuries and ejections from fighting. Sunday’s loss in Madrid was another low, but in different ways.

Commissioner Roger Goodell decided audiences in Spain should be treated to a lowly Washington versus Miami matchup. In the first NFL game played in Iberia, the Commanders played the Dolphins to a deadlock until a breakout third quarter. Backup quarterback Marcus Mariota’s 20 yard touchdown pass to Deebo Samuels finally gave the team some hope and their first lead of the game.

Washington’s defense had a better game, but they gave up a tying touchdown to start the fourth quarter. Despite some breakout plays by Mariota the next two possessions, the Commanders couldn’t score because of a turnover on downs and a missed field goal attempt. That meant overtime. Miami intercepted Marcus Mariota the first play of overtime, and finished their only drive of the quarter with a field goal.

It’s one thing to get blown out two straight weeks in the worst ways possible. To go overseas and lose an unwatchable, close game against another bad team in overtime feels worse.

NFL referees, beginning with Alex Moore and his crew

Here it is. Overall officiating was a hot mess in most of Sunday’s games, but there was none worse than referee Alex Moore and his crew in Buffalo. Most pundits will laud Bills quarterback Josh Allen for his six touchdown performance and conveniently ignore certain parts of the game that led to some of those scoring opportunities.

The errors and bad calls started late in the second quarter. A questionable roughing the passer penalty on Tampa Bay gave Buffalo a fresh set of downs a minute left in the half. The Bills offense capitalized with a 52 yard touchdown three plays after. On the Buccaneers first drive of the second half, tight-end Cade Otton had a nine yard gain that was close to the first down marker. CBS’s J.J. Watt said it looked like a first down to him, and audiences saw the side and overhead views. It looked like a first down. Not only did the referees not look into the play past a digital camera measurement, head coach Todd Bowles let them off the hook by not challenging the play.

The most egregious call came late in the fourth quarter when the Buccaneers defense finally stopped a crucial Buffalo drive. On a third and four, Tampa Bay held the Bills to what should have been a field goal attempt. However, Alex Moore threw a flag for a facemask penalty, and that led to an automatic first down and 15 yards for Buffalo. Everyone who saw the replay all said the same thing: there was no penalty because the hands never went inside the mask. The defender’s hand hit the helmet screw on the side. Two plays later, Allen and the Bills scored another touchdown.

Yes, there are always calls with which viewers, refs and fans in the stands will disagree. Loudly. NBC and NFL broadcasters disagreed on referee Alex Kemp’s pass interference call on Detroit cornerback Rock Ya-Sin against Philadelphia receiver A.J. Brown late Sunday night that sealed an Eagles win. The call was considered so bad that Yahoo!’s Jay Busbee wrote an article on how receivers drawing pass interference calls is their revenge for the NFL’s complicated catch rules. John Hussey’s crew missed several holding calls in Los Angeles could have impacted Seattle’s last field goal attempt. When sports outlets like ProFootballNetwork show disproval over calls like Otton’s failed first down conversion, it can only make the audience’s distrust of the officials grow.

Jonathan Gannon

One would think after November ninth’s brutal loss in Seattle, head coach Jonathan Gannon may have found ways to inspire confidence against a division rival Arizona tends to play their hardest and best games against the following week. Apparently, Gannon did nothing to inspire confidence with his roster, since the Cardinals were blown out again in another embarrassing loss to San Francisco. This time it was at home.

The 49ers had a double digit lead for almost three quarters. While the score was terrible, the worst part for Arizona was the number of penalties. The Cardinals committed 17 penalties for 130 yards. According to Theo Mackie of the Arizona Republic, it was a new record in over a century of the team’s franchise history. Broadcaster Kevin Kugler said close to half-time that the Cardinals committed 13 in one half. The mistakes gave San Francisco more scoring opportunities and nullified touchdowns and positive plays for Arizona.

Two blowouts against division rivals certainly should have Jonathan Gannon on the hot seat and fighting for his job the remainder of the season. If the Cardinals can’t improve and continue playing like this heading into Christmas, there will be no doubt about Gannon’s job status.

Klint Kubiak

The same people who heaped praise on Bills quarterback Josh Allen for a six touchdown game and did not consider the officiating issues sound like same ones dumping vicious criticism on Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold for a four interception game without considering it wasn’t all on him. It is most certainly true Darnold’s four turnovers were a headache and held Seattle back in what may have been the most important NFC west divisional game all season. However, a lot of Seattle’s game plan should not have involved him throwing the ball on five step drop-backs or in shotgun formation.

Serious analysts said prior to Sunday’s game that the Seahawks dual running game and offensive line would determine which team won. Both areas have been serious concerns every time Seattle has played Sean McVay’s Rams. Backup center Olu Oluwatimi’s first start of the season was in the most important NFC West game this year. Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak should have emphasized that runningbacks Zach Charbonnet and Kenneth Walker III get the ball two of every three downs. The running game is great for offensive linemen because they go into attack mode and lead with pushes against the defense. Two quality running backs make the ground game harder to stop. It also leads to play action passes (where the quarterback fakes the hand-off to runningbacks and then settles in to pass), which could have and should have been encouraged.

Kubiak also casually ignored high risk throws. Sam Darnold has thrown in triple and quadruple coverage a few times the last few games, and while accuracy and luck have bailed him out, that should have been stressed weeks ago. It wasn’t until the third quarter and the last two drives of the game that Darnold was more careful with the ball. Coincidentally, that’s when the running game got going and gave Los Angeles issues.

Seattle will regret not winning Sunday’s game for a lot of reasons. The possibility of rookie offensive guard Grey Zabel landing on injured reserve is season altering. If there had been a better offensive game plan from the offensive coordinator, a lot of upcoming issues would be non-existent.

Note: NFL’s Winners and Losers will not be published next week due to writer, editor and publisher personal reasons and necessary time off. Publications will resume around the conclusion of week 13.

NFL Week Nine Winners and Losers

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We are now officially in the second half of the NFL 2024-2025 regular season. Some teams are rising in draft position while others inch closer to the playoffs. Postseason hopefuls want higher seeding further into November. Here are the winners and losers after week nine.

Winners: Drake London

It’s rare someone on a losing team gets featured in the winners section, but Atlanta wide receiver Drake London deserves this spot after a career day in New England. London also doesn’t share blame for the Falcons taking a loss.

Drake London was most of Atlanta’s offense on Sunday. He had nine catches for 118 yards and all three touchdowns. No matter which Patriot defender covered London, he found a way to get open and keep the Falcons in the game. New England only won because John Parker Romo missed the game-tying extra point after London’s third touchdown.

Atlanta’s playoff chances hinge on their star wide receiver. The more offensive coordinator Zac Robinson utilizes Drake London and makes him the focal point each possession and game, the better chances the Falcons have of winning.

Carolina Panthers

Anytime a team wins a low-scoring game, it’s due either to both teams playing great defense or they’re bad. Carolina played the 5-1-1 Packers in Lambeau Field and did the impossible; won a low-scoring defensive game.

The Panthers offense used everything they had to pull out a win. Runningback Rico Dowdle ran 25 times for 130 yards and both touchdowns. Dowdle’s four carries for 21 yards on Carolina’s last offensive possession got kicker Ryan Fitzgerald into position for the game winning 49 yard field goal. Fitzgerald did miss an extra point earlier in the game, but when his team needed three winning points, he delivered.

Carolina’s defense had one of their best games of the season. Although Green Bay lost dominant tight-end Tucker Kraft to a torn ACL, the Panthers frustrated quarterback Jordan Love throughout the game. They recorded one sack and four passes knocked down. Safety Tre’von Moehrig intercepted Love and returned the ball 36 yards midway through the third quarter. Eight plays later, Dowdle ran for Carolina’s second touchdown.

Many viewers don’t want to watch a barebones Panthers roster stack hard-fought wins. They should, because head coach Dave Canales has the team bought in and playing hard every game. Do not be surprised to see the Panthers as a dark-horse playoff candidate throughout November.

Cam Little

Jacksonville’s Cam Little might be the first kicker who’s ever made the winners and losers section on this website at separate times during an NFL season. Although Little cost the Jaguars a home win earlier in the season against Seattle, he was dialed in and a reason Jacksonville won Sunday in Las Vegas.

Cam Little now holds the NFL record of longest field goal completed in a regular or postseason game. His booming 68 yard make helped the Jaguars earn their fifth win of the year. Guess everything worked out.

Seattle Seahawks

In too many previous years, Seattle came off the bye week slow, with sloppy and sluggish play. This was a road game in Washington where a desperate Commanders team had to win. Simultaneously, they retired the number of a beloved Hall of Fame wide receiver. It felt like a trap game for Seattle. Instead the Seahawks dominated all 60 minutes.

After a fast first possession from Washington, Seattle’s offense went 12 plays, 90 yards and eight minutes for the game’s first score. The Seahawks then scored two touchdowns a minute apart in the second quarter after the Commanders committed a special teams blunder.

Star receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba had over 100 yards receiving at halftime. Starting quarterback Sam Darnold completed all 16 of his passes for over 250 yards and four touchdowns before half-time (his 17th straight completion tied a franchise record with Warren Moon). Darnold finished with over 325 passing yards, four scores, three incompletions and was never sacked. According to NFL Network’s Dante Koplowitz-Fleming, the only other quarterback to do this in the Super Bowl era was Johnny Unitas against the Atlanta Falcons in 1967.

Seattle also enjoyed a stellar defensive performance. The Seahawks sacked Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels four times and pressured him each snap. Daniels threw an interception to safety Ty Okada on the Commanders second possession of the game, which led to Seattle’s second touchdown and quickly put the game out of reach. Even when Daniels tried running for a late touchdown in the fourth quarter, Seattle stood firm and accidentally ended the sophomore’s season by dislocating his left elbow on a goal-line tackle.

There has been constant criticism by serious fans that the Seahawks need to be talked about more for how hard, physical and dominant their play is on every side of the ball. It’s safe to say everyone within the NFL world will be hearing about them this whole week.

Losers: Tennessee Titans offense

Anyone who watched Los Angeles play in Tennessee knew the only reason the Chargers squeaked out a win was because the Titans have the NFL’s worst offense. Halfway into the season, Tennessee has proven it and left no doubt.

Two of the Titans three sides of the ball scored a touchdown Sunday. The defense recorded an interception returned for a touchdown to grab an early lead, and the special teams returned a punt for a touchdown to get the lead back. The offense needed to score one and gain some confidence. After a four down series at Los Angeles’ goal-line resulted in a turnover on downs, it became apparent the best Tennessee could hope for was multiple field goals. The Titans made one field goal before the Chargers closed the game out with 4:19 left.

Tennessee is approaching territory no team should be in. They’re tied with the 1975-76 New York Jets for fewest touchdowns in a season with 14. Defunct or rebranded teams like the Dayton Triangles, 0-14 1976-77 Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the 1942-45 Chicago Cardinals somehow scored more touchdowns than the 2025 Titans. One has to think there is nowhere to go but up.

Detroit Lions

No team has dominated the NFL the last few years like Detroit. Head coach Dan Campbell knows how to get the best out of his team almost every week. Sunday was a rare day where almost everything the Lions did looked bad, sloppy and unprepared.

Detroit’s offense was dominated against the line of scrimmage. Quarterback Jared Goff was sacked five times and star offensive tackle Penei Sewell left at one point because of an eye injury in the second quarter. Runningbacks David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs were held to 65 yards. While Montgomery did score a touchdown, he also lost a fumble that led to a Minnesota touchdown. Two receivers almost had 100 yards, but that was because the Vikings led by double digits most of the game and didn’t play as hard.

The Lions defense did the best it could without starters in the secondary. They sacked quarterback J.J. McCarthy five times and intercepted him once. They also gave up three touchdowns including a wide- open rushing score to the sophomore passer that gave Minnesota another double-digit lead. McCarthy and runningback Aaron Jones Sr. found ways to get critical first downs when it mattered most.

Still, Detroit battled and came close to taking the game to overtime. Their special teams also committed a blunder. Kicker Jake Bates missed a pivotal field goal that could have taken the Lions to overtime and a shot for a win. A second loss to a divisional rival is worrying in a tight NFC North race. The Lions will look back at this home loss and wish they had played better.

Stephen Ross

As bad as Sunday’s loss was for Detroit, it was worse for anyone who doubted Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, past and present. Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross is easily the biggest name that comes to mind.

If we compared Miami in the seasons after Flores was fired as Dolphins head coach to how Minnesota’s defense has fared since last year, it’s obvious which team is better. Yes, a few one-and-done playoff appearances for Miami stands out, but the Vikings play hard enough that even well-seasoned division rivals struggle to fare them off. Minnesota should be out of the playoff race and a non-factor in the NFC North. Yet the Vikings’ defense is the main strength that keeps them in the postseason conversation.

It’s clearer each week that Brian Flores is and should be the most coveted head coaching candidate for any team both this year and next. Owners like Stephen Ross are too impatient to recognize true talent when it stares them in the face. Whichever team hires Flores and whichever head coach Miami hires next, should remind audiences once again who will succeed.

The NFL rule on not challenging intentional grounding

The NFL has odd rules on what can or cannot be challenged, especially when penalties are involved. Over the years, some rules have changed on what can be challenged (one example is 12 men on the field). One that many audiences learned about Sunday afternoon was the penalty of intentional grounding.

Intentional grounding is a complicated penalty that is worded in many ways (seriously, read the whole definition on the NFL’s official website to learn more), but not many players or even coaches like Kansas City’s long-tenured Andy Reid knew it couldn’t be challenged, especially in pivotal moments.

The case to make the rule challengeable came in the Chiefs-Bills game late in the third quarter. Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes II threw an odd pass that made the refs call a penalty. Even in replays, the ball looked like it was tipped. Commentators, coaches and even former head referee Gene Steratore concluded the ball was tipped. That should take away an intentional grounding call because of something (a finger for instance) interfering with the ball’s natural motion. Audiences then learned the officials cannot consider nor accept a challenge because it’s based off the on-field call.

Since the ruling could not be challenged, the Chiefs dealt with a longer third down. That led to Buffalo’s Greg Rousseau and Michael Hoecht sacking Mahomes for a nine yard loss. The Bills scored a touchdown the next possession. Buffalo won by seven.

Best believe the NFL will take a look at and review the protocol for challenging intentional grounding plays in the offseason. Like the reforms to overtime rules over the years, this could be the difference in which team advances in the playoffs.

Note: NFL’s Winners and Losers will not be published next week due to writer, editor and publisher personal reasons and necessary time off. Publications will resume around the conclusion of week eleven.

NFL Week Eight Winners and Losers

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Week eight was a fun and wild end to October. There are some surprising teams in first place while some playoff-seasoned teams continue to fade. The first two months of this season were anything but dull. It’s time to break down the week eight winners and losers before Halloween.

Winners: Mike McDaniel

Miami head coach Mike McDaniel has received a lot of deserved criticism almost all of 2025. The Dolphins have been more sloppy, soft and terrible at every end of the field. So when Miami dominated in Atlanta Sunday, it was a reminder the head coach isn’t finished yet.

The Dolphins offense was close to perfect. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa played his best game of the season. He completed 20 of 26 passes for 205 yards, four touchdowns and a 138.6 passer rating. The best part for Tagovailoa was his focus and determination. He didn’t turn the ball over and he completed a pass to nine different receivers. An active running game helped. Three runningbacks, led by Devon Achane, ran for 131 total yards.

The defense also had their best game of the season. Although the Dolphins sacked quarterback Kirk Cousins once, they snuffed out the Falcons’ running game. Miami has been last in stopping the run all season. They gave up less than 50 rushing yards and forced Atlanta to beat them throwing the ball downfield. The Falcons couldn’t do much but score a garbage time touchdown at the end and punt the ball away almost every possession.

Sunday’s win gives Mike McDaniel some time and helps him retain control of the locker room. A head coaching change at the end of October would show the Dolphins giving up on the regular season. A dominant road win the last Sunday of October changes that view and gives Miami some hope for November.

New England Patriots defense

Many raved about Cleveland’s Myles Garrett having a five sack day, but New England had the better all-around performance Sunday afternoon. The Patriot defense is quietly one of the NFL’s best.

Although New England played a middling Browns offense, they didn’t play down to competition and dominated most of the game. The Patriots forced a safety, intercepted quarterback Dillon Gabriel twice, and sacked Gabriel once. New England gave up less than 70 yards rushing, forcing Cleveland’s offense to throw most of the second half.

Head coach Mike Vrabel was hired to make sure the Patriot defense kept playing at a high level while getting better offensive production. That defense is a big reason New England ends October at first place in the AFC East.

Tucker Kraft

Week eight is usually seen as National Tight-End Week. No tight-end had a better Sunday than Green Bay’s Tucker Kraft.

The Packers double digit win in Pittsburgh wouldn’t have been possible without Kraft. He had seven catches on nine targets for 143 yards, five first downs and two touchdowns. Both of Kraft’s scores gave Green Bay leads, and the second was the final lead change of the game.

Tucker Kraft’s physical play specifically stood out in the second half. The Packers scored on all but one possession and every time quarterback Jordan Love needed to complete a critical pass, Kraft delivered. There are a good number of offensive pieces Green Bay can rely on, but Tucker Kraft is the easy go-to option for both Love and and the passing game.

Losers: San Francisco 49ers defense

Despite injuries to captains and star players, San Francisco’s defense played well the last few weeks. Viewers knew at some point the injuries and lack of pass rush would catch up to the 49ers. It finally and spectacularly happened Sunday.

Houston’s offense was embarrassed last Monday night in Seattle. With receiver Nico Collins out, quarterback C.J. Stroud IV had to complete passes to different receivers trying to win their coverage matchups. Stroud shredded San Francisco’s secondary for 318 yards, two touchdowns and a 106.6 passer rating. The 49ers pass rush couldn’t sack Stroud and were dominated in first half time of possession. At one point in the second quarter, NFL Redzone reported that of the 23 minutes played, San Francisco was on offense for five and a half minutes.

The 49ers offense scored a few times to narrow Houston’s lead, but the damage was done. The Texans’ offense found a way to get their double digit lead back every time San Francisco came close. Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh has done a great job and should be a head coaching candidate for next season, but this is something even he cannot fix.

All the late afternoon games

There were six teams on a bye this weekend. That meant fewer games, and it also meant a lot more objective fanbases could check in on a lot more conference matchups. Anyone who chose the opposite and skipped the late afternoon trio of games won the weekend.

The early 3:05 p.m. central time game between Tampa Bay v. New Orleans was painful to watch. The Buccaneers defense led a one-sided win and the Saints were unwatchable on offense. Dallas v. Denver was a one-sided, high-scoring game. The Cowboys had not beaten the Broncos in 30 years. That record was unbroken with a 20 point loss keeping the streak going. Tennessee v. Indianapolis ended how everyone thought it would: a double digit Colt win.

This is also the time of year many complain that the NFL has to start flexing games. After watching a few clips of yesterday’s late afternoon games, one cannot argue that commissioner Roger Goodell again lacked foresight in flexing a few matchups.

Terry Bradshaw

When will the NFL on FOX decide to move on and force former Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw to retire? There is no way a decent sports commentator has either a mental lapse or breakdown while talking about a sports matchup or head coach without getting some form of public blowback. The fact that both former Hall of Fame commentators Howie Long and Michael Strahan were also stunned by Bradshaw’s incoherent sentences shows how awkward and out-of-touch pre-game commentary has gotten on FOX. The network should be glad no one filed a lawsuit.

NFL Week Seven Winners and Losers

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As we near the end of October, more teams separate from being playoff contenders to having high draft picks. Coaching plays a part in which team advances or goes home. It’s time to break down the weekends winners and losers.

Winners: Philadelphia Eagles

Philadelphia hasn’t lost three straight games in over two years. That streak remains after a dominant Sunday win.

The Eagles played one of their best, complete games of the season. Quarterback Jalen Hurts completed 19 of 23 passes for 326 yards, three touchdowns and the perfect 158.3 passer rating. Hurts overcame his lull by utilizing the best players around him and made sure to put both his star receivers in position to constantly beat the Vikings secondary.

Philadelphia’s defense had a good game too. Linebacker Jalyx Hunt intercepted Minnesota quarterback Carson Wentz and returned the ball 42 yards for a touchdown. Hunt’s score gave the Eagles their first double digit lead of the afternoon and forced the Vikings to play aggressive and take more risks early. The defense also sacked Wentz twice and forced two fumbles.

Philadelphia’s day got better when Washington and New York (more on them later) lost later in the afternoon. The Eagles are easily the best team in the NFC East and should remain atop the division at least another month.

Quinshon Judkins

Cleveland’s offense has been anemic the first half of this season, but one bright spot has been rookie runningback Quinshon Judkins. Whenever the second round pick has played major minutes, opposing defenses have had to second guess how to defend against the Browns offense.

Miami is last in the NFL against the run, and Cleveland made sure to establish the ground game early. The Browns also didn’t have to throw the ball much because of how the Dolphins offense kept turning the ball over, so Judkins almost single-handedly put the game away before the fourth quarter. His three rushing touchdowns was the first for any Cleveland runningback since 2000.

The Browns desperately needed offensive sparks to both give their elite defense a rest and to put pressure on opposing defenses to stop blitzing the quarterback each possession. While rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel gets more time to develop, read the field and build trust with his receivers, Quinshon Judkins should be the main player in the Browns offense and continue building off a solid rookie season.

Chicago Bears defense

It’s simple for any viewer to look at a sports team and say they’re easy to beat when those people never played a professional sport. When the team mentioned is thought to be one of the worst, it still takes effort to both play and win against them. This is why several teams have struggled against the 2025 New Orleans Saints. Anyone who follows the NFL knows they lack a lot of talent, but it doesn’t always show because of how hard they play. The Bears were not the team that overlooked New Orleans.

While the Saints defense kept the score close most of Sunday afternoon, Chicago’s defense was the most dominant unit all game. They had three interceptions off New Orleans starting quarterback Spencer Rattler. The Bears defense also forced Rattler to fumble the ball on the Saints first drive of the game. Chicago recovered it and got the games first points after six plays.

Turnovers weren’t the only issue for Spencer Rattler and New Orleans’ offense. The Bears defense sacked him four times and forced a turnover on downs situation. Chicago’s defense has improved the last few weeks, and this was a game more analysts should seriously re-watch given how many playoff contending teams haven’t taken their less talented opponents seriously.

Jim Bob Cooter

It’s a matter of time before both casual NFL viewers and serious analysts start to throw out offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter as a 2026 head coaching candidate. Cooter has led what many believe to be the league’s best offense the first-half of 2025 and the most efficient offense by points per drive this century. This is the same offense many believed was filled with underwhelming talent before the season started.

Sunday was another buzzsaw performance by Indianapolis. The Chargers defense didn’t know who to stop in Cooter’s Daniel Jones-led offense. The Colts had one of the best balanced attacks that showed on the stat-sheet and scoreboard. If Jones didn’t complete well-thrown passes to his easily open receivers, then running back Jonathan Taylor gashed Los Angeles’ front seven for a touchdown. The Chargers defense has multiple All-Pro and Pro Bowl players who cause chaos for almost any team they play. Indianapolis broke them down each possession no matter how long they were off the field.

Jim Bob Cooter has done something no other NFL coach could do: get Daniel Jones to play better each week behind center and get every Colts offensive player to improve and continue development each week. Many don’t know or believe Indianapolis can keep this up near or in 2026, but there’s a lot to like with how Cooter’s coaching has improved and how he’s learned valuable lessons over the years with different offenses.

Losers: Pete Carroll

To show just how bad Las Vegas is this year, here’s a stat that should stun readers: in Pete Carroll’s 14 years with Seattle, the Seahawks weren’t shutout until a primetime game against Green Bay in 2021. It took 11 years to shut out a Pete Carroll coached team in his NFL return. Carroll was shutout in his seventh game with the Raiders.

Pete Carroll is known for his, “always compete” mindset. The philosophy has landed him four NFL jobs and changed the sport on how to critique certain styles, draft better players and what to look for in building a defense. Before Carroll went to both USC and Seattle, he had built solid, playoff rosters in both New York and New England before getting fired.

Sunday’s whooping in Kansas City may be the worst moment of his professional coaching career. Not only was this the first regular season shutout win in Andy Reid’s head coaching career, it was so lopsided that Las Vegas obviously quit early in the second half. According to ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt, the Chiefs became the second NFL team since 1950 to have as many first downs as opponents offensive plays run. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes II sat the entire fourth quarter and backup Gardner Minshew II downed the ball multiple times before the final two minute warning.

When Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider decided not to bring Pete Carroll back after the 2023-24 season, many thought the executive was unfair and the franchise didn’t appreciate what the elderly coach brought to the team. Every week it looks like Schneider was right and Carroll should have retired for good.

Washington Commanders

This site does a good job of reinforcing certain sports beliefs many people tend to gloss over. One is how losing teams in a conference finals can return the following season with either unrealistic or over bloated expectations. Washington is a great example of both this year.

The Commanders were throttled against their weaker division rivals in Dallas late Sunday afternoon. Every team has bad days and weekends, but this Washington loss worries analysts in numerous ways. They lost sophomore and former second overall pick Jayden Daniels to a hamstring injury in the second half of a blowout loss. The Cowboys offense did any and everything they wanted to with the Commanders defense. Head coach Dan Quinn was hired to shore up and solidify a rising defense that needed more pass-rush and secondary talent. Dallas torched Quinn’s tattered defense for over 400 yards and won by 22 points.

Sunday’s ugly loss bumps Washington to third place, and that might not last long with the Giants’ steady improvement since Jaxson Dart was named starting quarterback. It’s now time for the Commanders’ coaches to start second guessing everything.

Brian Daboll’s fourth quarter gameplan

After a few weeks of escaping the loser’s column, head coach Brian Daboll returns. Give him credit though, for getting better with holding a lead and getting his team to play better in the third quarter. However, the fourth quarter remains an obstacle.

New York gave up a whopping 33 points in a wild loss in Denver late Sunday afternoon. ESPN reported several times that teams trailing by 18+ points in the final six minutes had lost 1,605 straight games. According to NFL Network’s GameDay Highlights, the Broncos were the first team to score 30+ points in the fourth quarter after being shutout through the previous three. Denver made it a record surpassing the Atlanta Falcons 31 point week two performance at Green Bay in 1981. Those are the only times it has happened.

There are equal amounts of blame all around for the Giants in that debacle, but all the coaches are at the forefront because a team up 19-0 beginning the fourth quarter, and leading 26-8 with almost five and a half minutes remaining should close out the game with a comfortable lead.

Anyone who thinks the Atlanta Falcons will find consistency

Say what you want about Sunday night’s game, Atlanta continues to stump anyone who watches American football. One week the Falcons are unstoppable, the next they’re the worst team to take the field.

After pummeling conference and Super Bowl hopeful Buffalo, Atlanta played an unbelievably lousy game in San Francisco. The running game was non-existent and sophomore star quarterback Michael Penix Jr. took a beating against a 49ers defense missing their captains and best players. The Falcons defense held out a long time before San Francisco’s offense put a few scoring drives together and the game out of reach.

Head coach Raheem Morris must be frustrated like everyone else watching his team each week. Not only is Atlanta’s play inconsistent, if Penix Jr. suffered a serious leg injury, that could present a lot more problems the second half of this season.

NFL Week Six Winners and Losers

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Week six was full of eye-opening play and revealed who is closer to the playoffs. Conversely, some teams are close to preparing for the offseason. It’s time to break down the weekend’s winners and losers.

Winners: Bryce Young

Another slow regular season start for former number one overall pick Bryce Young had a lot of people wondering if head coach Dave Canales would bench him at some point. Those questions are shelved for the rest of October.

The third year quarterback had a rare, shootout win against the favored Cowboys. Every time Dallas’ offense scored, Bryce Young answered back with a scoring drive. Young completed 17 of 25 passes for three touchdowns and a 114.8 quarterback rating. His most impressive drive was the game’s last possession as he led Carolina’s offense down the field the remaining six minutes and seven seconds for kicker Ryan Fitzgerald to attempt a game winning field goal. Bryce Young completed three passes for 25 yards and used his intangibles and game intelligence to both position the spot for Fitzgerald’s game winning field goal and take maximum time off the clock each play.

This game is big for Young’s confidence as the first half of the season is nearly over. The Panthers are at .500 and are in position to be a dark-horse wild card team. More NFC teams are faltering and losing quality players to season ending injuries. As Bryce Young showed us last season, the more he plays, the better he gets. Carolina’s offense could be hard to stop by Thanksgiving.

The number one seeded Tampa Bay Buccaneers

If someone said Tampa Bay would be the NFC’s best team at the end of week six a week ago, many would have called it crazy. The Buccaneers sit atop their division and conference as the only team with one loss after six weeks.

Tampa played their most complete game Sunday in a dominant home win against another team with only one loss, San Francisco. After quarterback Mac Jones threw an interception to cornerback Kindle Vildor on the 49ers first possession of the game, the Buccaneers scored a touchdown on two plays. After San Francisco got their first lead in the second quarter, Tampa’s offense scored two straight touchdowns and went into half-time up four.

Head coach Todd Bowles called a great game for the defense. Besides the Vildor interception that helped the offense get in position for an easier opening game score, the defense inflicted nightmares on the 49ers offense. The Buccaneers sacked Jones five times and intercepted him once more. The blitzes Bowles threw at Jones and San Francisco’s offensive line showed audiences who controlled the game start to finish. Head coach Kyle Shanahan had no answers and at one point, offensive captain and tackle Trent Williams was so frustrated he picked a fight with Tampa Bay safety Tykee Smith and drew a personal foul.

The Buccaneers didn’t need a fourth quarter rally after quarterback Baker Mayfield found rookie Tez Johnson for a 45 yard touchdown to close out the third. Both the fans and analysts believe Mayfield is an MVP candidate given how poised, tough and bold Tampa Bay plays every game. As David Carr said on NFL Network’s Game Day Final, “There isn’t a team in the NFC that Tampa Bay thinks they can’t beat.”

Patrick Mahomes II

Baker Mayfield isn’t the only MVP favorite after Sunday night. Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes II had a good game against Detroit. The aggressive Lions defense played like rookies against the NFL’s most dangerous quarterback.

Mahomes completed 22 of 30 passes for 257 yards, three touchdowns and a 132.2 passer rating. He also ran ten times for 32 yards and another score. Patrick Mahomes found a way to complete at least one pass to eight different receivers, even when the Lions applied more pressure. The Chiefs last two offensive drives were the most important. Both went over 4:40 and ended any chance of a Detroit comeback. Mahomes found Hollywood Brown for the final touchdown of the game and made sure Harrison Butker was in position to make a 33 yard field goal before the two minute warning.

Viewers love the big plays Mahomes makes, but former NFL quarterback Tim Hasselbeck’s segment on ESPN’s Sportscenter with Scott Van Pelt shows why he’s the NFL’s best passer, especially against the league’s best teams. Kansas City had no penalties on offense or turnovers. Hasselbeck broke down Mahomes’ wits, throwing speed, reading the field and redzone decision making late Sunday night (for those who want to watch the analysis and fast forward past the game recap, start around the 1:30 mark). This offense will also get better each week.

Losers: Cam Little

Anyone who reads Winners and Losers knows at some point a kicker will be featured for the wrong reasons during the year (minus last week because of the odd injuries so close together). This year’s annual first kicker in the losers column award goes to Cam Little.

Little cost Jacksonville a home win Sunday against Seattle. He missed an extra point after the Jaguars scored the game’s first touchdown. The Seahawks scored 10 straight points and took the lead, but Jacksonville had a chance to close the deficit to one with a 50 yard field goal and one minute left before halftime. Since Cam Little’s in the losers section, you know how this went. Seattle then went down the field in 51 seconds and kicker Jason Myers made his field goal attempt.

Four points may not be a lot for new viewers, but when a team trails 20-6 to start the fourth quarter, it’s a problem. The Jaguars scored on a Trevor Lawrence 26 yard pass to Tim Patrick, but because Little missed important kicks earlier, Jacksonville went for two…and failed.

The difference between 20-12 and 20-17 came down to critical errors. Instead of a 52 yard field goal with under six minutes left in the game, the Jaguars punted. That was their best scoring chance before Seattle closed out the game a few possessions later. Even if Cam Little made one of his attempts, having an additional point or three would’ve helped Jacksonville’s patience and not play scattered near the end.

Baltimore’s last possession of the first half against Los Angeles

Baltimore suffered an awful home loss against the Rams Sunday. The turnovers, sloppy play and quarterback change showed how bad the Ravens are this season. However, one drive crystalized how bad it’s been not even two months into the season.

Baltimore’s offense was gifted a starting drive deep in Los Angeles territory late in the second quarter. The Ravens offense had to go 32 yards and score a touchdown for their first lead of the game. Baltimore got a first and goal at the Rams four yard line. The first and goal play wasn’t bad. Derrick Henry ran for three yards. One would think the next play or two would give the Ravens the touchdown.

But no. Instead, Baltimore decided to do two tush-push plays (when the ball is snapped to the primary ball carrier at a very close distance and an offensive player or two push the carrier forward through both offensive and defensive lines) with tight-end Mark Andrews. On paper, this should work. This season though, Baltimore hasn’t been good so of course, neither attempts worked.

That meant head coach John Harbaugh had to rely on his strengths as a former special teams coach and go for a…who am I kidding, he went for it on fourth down. This time the offense decided to hand the ball to their best player and runner Derrick Henry for the score. Henry was pancaked for a two yard loss by Los Angeles’ defense. The Ravens did not score the rest of the game.

Marvin Harrison Jr.

It has been a cruel start for wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.’s Arizona Cardinals career. He wasn’t utilized well his rookie year in head coach Jonathan Gannon’s offense. His struggles continue this season.

Harrison Jr. left in the second quarter of Sunday’s game in Indianapolis due to a concussion. Backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett had a hard time finding open receivers and Indianapolis took advantage of the mistakes until Marvin Harrison Jr. got dinged up. After Harrison Jr. left the game, the Cardinals offense broke out. Arizona’s offense scored 17 of their 27 points in the second half.

Maybe Brissett and the offense found out what to fix at half-time. There was a late, controversial no-call on the Colts for defensive pass interference that led to a turnover on downs and sealed an Indianapolis win. One has to wonder if Harrison Jr. had been in for the play and final drive if it would have led to an easier decision and scoring play for the Cardinals offense. No matter what viewers think, almost everyone can agree Marvin Harrison Jr. has had one of the unluckiest timelines since Arizona drafted him.

NFL Week Five Winners and Losers

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Week five in the NFL had a lot of thrills, jaw-dropping surprises and hair-pulling moments. Some of the best games of 2025 were played yesterday. Audiences found out which teams may be legitimate contenders and which ones could be one and done if they reach the playoffs. Here are this weeks’ winners and losers.

Winners: C.J. Stroud IV

Houston’s offense was unwatchable most of September. The Texans lone win entering Sunday was a shutout against what many considered the worst team in Tennessee. If Houston wanted to turn the tide on their season, they needed a win and for the offense to play well. Both happened Sunday.

Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud IV had a great game against one of the league’s worst defenses. Stroud completed 23 of 27 passes for 244 yards, four touchdowns and a 143.9 passer rating. His third touchdown pass gave Houston a 21 point lead and put the game out of reach late in the second quarter.

There were growing worries about C.J. Stroud’s regression. The last two weeks showed that if Houston’s offensive line can beat opposing defensive fronts, Stroud is still one of the league’s best quarterbacks. It’s not surprising that the Texans’ two wins are when C.J. Stroud IV plays like the franchise quarterback many saw when he won Rookie of the Year.

Denver Broncos

While last week’s Winners and Losers admitted the AFC west as an overhyped division, many believed Denver was still a quality wildcard choice. After a stunning road win in Philadelphia, more people believe the Broncos are a serious division title and playoff contender.

Denver’s 18 point fourth quarter is a top performance for any team this season. The reigning champion Eagles dominated the first three quarters and there was no chance they would ease up entering the final 15 minutes. Not only did the Broncos turn the game around, they dominated Philadelphia on every side of the ball. Denver sacked quarterback Jalen Hurts six times throughout the game and forced four punts on six second half possessions.

The Broncos offense had three fourth quarter possessions that went over 3:30. Two had ten or more plays for at least 3:50. Head coach Sean Payton knew what quarterback Bo Nix and runningback J.K. Dobbins had to do and made sure the right plays were called each set of downs.

Not many teams can or have the talent to beat the Eagles in a 60 minute game. Fewer can do it in Philadelphia. Both of Denver’s losses now look like bad luck considering how well they have played the last two games.

Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Any attention analysts gave Washington in their matchup against Los Angeles either went to the return of sophomore quarterback Jayden Daniels or how head coach Dan Quinn needed to make some tweaks to the defense. Nobody considered how the running game could help the Commanders get a pivotal win.

Seventh round rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt almost single handedly won Washington a pivotal game against the Chargers. He ran 14 times for 111 yards and two touchdowns. Croskey-Merritt’s first score cut Los Angeles’ lead to three, and his second gave the Commanders their first lead of the day. He was such an issue that the Chargers defense started blitzing the run and eventually caused a fumble, (though Los Angeles didn’t get any points off the turnover).

Washington could have another offensive playmaker the rest of 2025. With Austin Ekeler on injured reserve and Chris Rodriguez Jr. a non-factor in almost every game since, the starting running back position is Jacory Croskey-Merritt’s to lose the rest of this season. He’ll be an interesting player to watch in offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury’s system.

The insane touchdown fumble recovery made by Tyler Lockett

In now what is the leading candidate for play of the year and most insane American football play you’ll see for 2025, veteran receiver Tyler Lockett scored his first touchdown as a Titan in what may be the most memorable of his career. There aren’t enough words to type what happened. Just watch it for yourself here.

Many viewers, including the CBS broadcasting crew, couldn’t believe what happened. Sports pundits throughout the country had a variety of reactions after the play, and many believe the series of errors was a big reason Arizona lost. It will be hard to find a stranger play this regular season.

Losers: AJ Cole and Spencer Shrader

Indianapolis dominated Las Vegas almost the entire game early afternoon Sunday, but there was a scare for both the Raiders punter and the Colts kicker when they both got whacked and had to leave the game.

Las Vegas punter AJ Cole faced a defensive onslaught after he punted at the end of a drive midway through the second quarter. Ian Thomas recovered the fumble, but Indianapolis got possession of the ball in the Raiders redzone. Cole wound up getting injured on the block and that was his only punt of the game.

After the Colts scored on an easy three yard touchdown from Jonathan Taylor, kicker Spencer Shrader made the extra point. A Vegas defender ran into Shrader’s kicking leg long after the extra point was in the air. While the Raiders took a penalty, that was the end of the game for Spencer Shrader. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported early Monday afternoon that Shrader suffered a season-ending knee injury on the play.

Both teams had kicking issues the rest of the afternoon. Las Vegas’ were worse since they had to try and convert a lot of two point conversions and fourth downs. Thankfully it didn’t seriously impact the game since Indianapolis won by double digits.

Brian Daboll

The Giants and their fans entered week five on a wave of optimism many hadn’t felt since last decade. Many believe rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart will be the franchise quarterback for a long time. Viewers should have been more objective about Dart and the team given how there are a lot of positions lacking talent and proper coaching. Reality hit hard in a brutal loss Sunday.

New York started well and even led by double digits at one point in the first half. While New Orleans climbed back and took a two point lead at halftime, the Giants still looked the better team. Head coach Brian Daboll should have emphasized certain changes and how drives cannot end because of turnovers. Neither happened in the second half.

The Saints defense forced a turnover on every New York second half possession. The first two Giants possessions ended in fumbles recovered by New Orleans. One was returned by defensive back Jordan Howden for an 86 yard touchdown. Jaxson Dart threw two interceptions the next two possessions and threw a catchable ball through receiver Wan’Dale Robinson’s hands for a turnover on downs to end the game.

New York’s offense should get better the next few months but that was an ugly game offensive minded head coach Brian Daboll will want back if that winds up costing the Giants a playoff spot.

Seattle Seahawks defense

Sunday’s best game could have been the one that featured twin teams celebrating their 50th anniversary of playing in the league while wearing throwback uniforms. On one hand, the offensive shootout was entertaining, exhilarating and must-watch T.V. On the other, whichever team lost would have to take a serious look at the defensive lapses.

Seattle’s defense has been lauded by many analysts to be one of the league’s best this season. Despite how well the front four defensive linemen have played, more viewers are aware the Seahawks secondary is one of the league’s deepest. Although linebacker DeMarcus Lawrence and cornerback Devon Weatherspoon did not play Sunday, there was a lot of optimism the defense could make a lot of stops given how battered Tampa Bay’s offense was. That didn’t happen.

Seattle’s secondary allowed 29 of 33 completions and was shredded by rookie receiver Emeka Egbuka and veteran tight-end Cade Otton for a combined 244 yards. The front seven didn’t fare better. Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield was sacked once and although the runningbacks mustered 70 yards, the Seahawks defense gave up their first two rushing touchdowns of the season.

Cornerback Tariq Woolen was also concussed after he played well most of the first half. It didn’t help Seattle’s secondary had to be on the field more after the offense committed a few turnovers and gave Tampa’s offense favorable field position. Almost every elite defense has bad games, but this was a performance analysts could be talking about near the end of the season if the Seahawks playoff position and division-winning chances falters.

Buffalo Bills

Many believed Sunday night’s divisional matchup against Buffalo and New England would be great. While most believed the Patriots would make the game difficult for the Bills, almost no one thought the road team would win.

Buffalo was out-played almost the whole game. Outside of a Curtis Samuel touchdown where the Bills led by four, New England bullied Buffalo on every side of the ball. Head coach Mike Vrabel emulated his predecessor Bill Belichick and quarterback Drake Maye mirrored the play of franchise legend Tom Brady. The defense clouded quarterback Josh Allen’s downfield reads and didn’t give him any big plays. The Patriots’ game winning field goal and clock management caught Bills head coach Sean McDermott off-guard.

It’s not a terrible loss given how many viewers believe New England is a playoff candidate, but the standings are not in Buffalo’s favor. Indianapolis now has control of the AFC’s one seed and probably won’t lose another game for at least a month. Pittsburgh is a game behind but benefitted off a bye week and should look better the next few weeks. The Bills have to win almost every game in order to get the one seed and home field advantage. With Kansas City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, New England (at Foxborough) and Tampa Bay on the schedule, that might not happen after a surprising Sunday night loss.

NFL Week Four Winners and Losers

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What an exciting week four! There were more blocked kicks, a rookie runningback had a three touchdown day, the Giants got their first win of the season against the undefeated Chargers and two other teams remain undefeated after four games. The last Sunday of September delivered surprising results and some exciting divisional matchups. So, let’s take a look at what stood out at the end of the month.

Winners: Drake Maye and the New England Patriots Offense

Anyone who watched New England’s offense this month, knows they mostly played well. Some attribute the good play to the Patriots playing worse defenses. Regardless of the takes, the dominant home win against Carolina was the third straight week New England’s offense has played well.

The Patriots started their offensive barrage in the second quarter. Drake Maye’s five yard touchdown run turned out to be the game winning score. Maye also completed 14 of 17 passes for 203 yards and two touchdowns. His two scoring passes were New England’s last two of the game.

Maye is playing better because the running game has improved. While four running backs combined for over 100 yards, none of them, including Rhamondre Stevenson, fumbled the ball. TreVeyon Henderson and Antonio Gibson had two rushing touchdowns before halftime and solidified an easy win.

Many believe the Patriots are still a dark horse playoff team. An offense playing better combined with a solid defense and good special teams makes New England interesting to watch the next two months.

Matthew Stafford and Puka Nacua

This site predicted Los Angeles would be a serious playoff contender to start the regular season. After September, it’s safe to say the Rams could be a Super Bowl pick if quarterback Matthew Stafford and star wide receiver Puka Nacua stay healthy.

Stafford had a classic Sunday performance against the undefeated Colts. He completed 29 of 41 passes for 375 yards, three touchdowns and a 123.5 passer rating. All three of Stafford’s touchdowns either gave Los Angeles a lead or tied the game at some point. While Indianapolis sacked the veteran quarterback three times, the defense struggled to rattle him and couldn’t disrupt Stafford’s reads.

The receiver Matthew Stafford trusts most is three year star Puka Nacua. Rams general manager Les Snead knew in the offseason that Nacua was more valuable than former phenom Cooper Kupp. After trading Kupp to Seattle, Nacua became the de facto number one receiver, and has been on a roll to start the season. Sunday he had 13 catches (on 15 targets) for 170 yards and the game tying touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

Los Angeles could be the hardest team to play against this season. Matthew Stafford plays better each year under center and it’s possible Puka Nacua breaks some league receiving records this season.

Chicago Bears

Many believed that Chicago was in another cycle of agony after week two. A blowout win against Dallas in week three was nice, but a road game in Las Vegas was the litmus test on where the Bears were in both confidence and progress.

Chicago succeeded where they failed in week one. The defense set the tone early with first half interceptions by Kevin Byard III against Raiders quarterback Geno Smith. While there is still room for improvement on all sides of the ball, the Bears offense had another good game. Sophomore quarterback Caleb Williams threw a second half touchdown to Rome Odunze and runningback D’Andre Swift had the game winning score. There were some trick plays called by rookie head coach Ben Johnson and the receiver trio of Cole Kmet, Olamide Zaccheaus and DJ Moore combined for 125 yards.

The best part for Chicago is their record. After a quick 0-2 hole, two straight wins gets the bears to 2-2 before their bye week. The Bears also have an easier schedule than most teams before Thanksgiving. They could be a fun watch the next few months.

Travis Etienne Jr.

It’s been a while since Travis Etienne Jr. was in the winners column. He earned that Sunday after he ran all over the 49er’s defense.

Etienne Jr. ran 19 times for 124 yards and a touchdown in a surprise road win in San Francisco. His one score gave Jacksonville their first lead of the game. The Jaguars never trailed after.

Many analysts believe head coach Liam Coen was hired to stabilize the passing game and further develop struggling franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Coen’s specialty is providing a balanced offense that creates a strong running game. Travis Etienne Jr. is the most important offensive player for Coen after September. The Jaguars offense will go as far as he can throughout the regular season.

Losers: Brandin Cooks

New Orleans put up a valiant effort in Buffalo and came close to winning the game several times. The closest was on a pivotal fourth quarter drive where Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler found receiver Brandin Cooks wide open in the end zone between two defenders.

Cooks couldn’t catch Rattler’s pass in open coverage despite the odd review angles and the referees ruling it a touchdown. The referees quickly revised that Brandin Cooks didn’t maintain control and the touchdown was called back. New Orleans had to settle for a field goal and cut the deficit to two.

That play changed the game. Buffalo went four plays the next possession and scored a touchdown. The Bills added a field goal their next possession, and the Saints last possession ended in a lost fumble.

Cooks has been a solid veteran receiver for a while on different teams. It stings the game got away after a reverse call on an almost game changing touchdown.

Whoever believed the AFC west was the best and most competitive division in the NFL

Before week one, many viewers believed the whole AFC west division could and would make the entire postseason. Even yours truly wrote in great detail how all four teams were superior to the other teams that could finish in second and third place in the other three divisions. After Sunday, it’s clear the AFC west could have two teams make the playoffs. It also appears Kansas City is on their way to win another division title.

Las Vegas currently is a mess with one win after four games. The offensive line is porous and quarterback Geno Smith has thrown seven interceptions compared with three touchdowns. His aggressive play cost the Raiders two wins after a solid week one performance. Veteran head coach Pete Carroll is known for improving defenses, but so far Las Vegas looks worse in the secondary and has been out-played in all but one game. There is little hope both the offense and defense can improve with the number of quality opponents they play the next two months.

Los Angeles is in a worse position. After the Chargers won all but one game before October, their reward is the loss of several star players to injured reserve. Multiple linebackers including pass rusher Khalil Mack won’t play the rest of the year. Los Angeles lost their second starting tackle Joe Alt in a brutal road loss to New York Sunday. Runningback Najee Harris is done for the year with an Achilles injury. The Chargers had some season ending injuries before the regular season began, and the number of bodies on IR keeps growing. It won’t surprise anyone when the offense stagnates and the defense plays worse because of the losses to important starters and star playmakers.

We don’t know how Denver will fare against Cincinnati to close out week four, but the Broncos have been underwhelming the first month of the season. Yes, two close losses aren’t cause for concern, but sophomore quarterback Bo Nix has seemingly been in a daze. Head coach Sean Payton’s confused about the early season issues after last season’s second half successes. One has to think Denver will be the one team outside of Kansas City that will improve.

As for the Chiefs, the return of receiver Xavier Worthy instantly makes Kansas City the best team in the AFC west. In two weeks, Rashee Rice will be back from suspension. Head coach Andy Reid can then call the plays he’s held on to since pre-season since the offense isn’t lacking playmakers at receiver. Not many people thought this division would look finished before October. Funny how the NFL works.

Baltimore Ravens

Head coach John Harbaugh continues to gloss over game planning against serious opponents. Sunday was a loss for everyone involved with the Ravens organization for not addressing the Harbaugh messes throughout the previous years.

Kansas City dominated the Ravens for three out of four quarters. The Chiefs hadn’t played well most of the 2025 calendar year, and yet one wouldn’t have known that if they watched Sunday’s blowout. Baltimore gave up 35+ points in three of their four September games. They might have the NFL’s worst defense after posting the worst defensive stats in franchise history.

The offense also feels it. Since the defense can’t stop anyone (outside of Cleveland), the Ravens are pressured to score each possession. That leads to odd errors like runningback Derrick Henry averaging one fumble per game, questionable interceptions in certain coverages, and the offensive line giving up a few sacks per game.

Anyone who’s watched game film knows that while Baltimore has a lot of All-Pro talent, the coaching staff is awful and the players keep regressing. Injuries to offensive captain (and former league MVP) Lamar Jackson, defensive captain Roquan Smith, and anchor defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike make this a day and week to forget for many…unless the organization is serious about making long-term changes.

Matthew Golden

Sunday night’s game in Dallas ended in a stunning tie and probably a doctor’s visit for Green Bay special teams returner Matthew Golden. Golden had a first half punt return where he got drilled at the Packer 40 yard line by Dallas linebacker Marist Liufau.

Matthew Golden should be good this week but he must remember not to spin right after catching the ball on a return. Otherwise he’ll be the victim of another early-2000s era tackle.

NFL Week One Winners and Losers

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Except for the inevitable injury or two, the first week of the NFL regular season is usually mild. It was anything but mild on Sunday. Week one is seen by some as a fluke week, while others see it as a prelude of what will come once teams settle in. Here are my winners and losers from Sunday’s games.

Winners: Aaron Rodgers

The 21 year veteran quarterback had an abysmal two years in New York. In what many consider his last gasp at both a championship run and starting job at quarterback, Aaron Rodgers signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the offseason. Week one was a revenge game against his previous team–the New York Jets, and Rodgers gave his viewers a vintage performance.

Aaron Rodgers completed 22 of 30 passes for 244 yards, four touchdowns and a 136.7 passer rating. Two of Rodgers’ scores were lead changes, and two came a minute apart to start the fourth quarter. His control of the two minute offense gave the Steelers an extra 39 yards before Chris Boswell kicked the game winning 60 yard field goal.

Many analysts still believe Pittsburgh will have a hard time scoring more than 24 points a game given the lack of offensive talent around Aaron Rodgers, but a 34 point performance against what is considered one of the league’s better defenses in New York should make some question the Steelers ceiling.

The Pete Carroll and Geno Smith-led Las Vegas Raiders

The reunion for head coach Pete Carroll and quarterback Geno Smith was big news in the offseason. Las Vegas’ first game to start the 2025 season was on the road against a re-booted New England. Many viewers believed the game would be close, but the Raiders would find a way to pull out the win. Those were correct predictions.

Geno Smith found Tre Tucker for the first touchdown of the game. Smith finished 24 of 34 for 362 yards and a 102.8 passer rating. The new Raiders quarterback posted a franchise debut record in yards and passer rating. Smith also led a balanced attack and Las Vegas won the time of possession battle.

Defense is Carroll’s specialty. Vegas held the Patriot running backs to under three yards a carry and New England’s passing game to under 300 yards. Sophomore quarterback Drake Maye threw one interception and was sacked four times. The Patriots offense was suffocated after the first quarter.

Pete Carroll became the oldest head coach in league history to coach a game (73 years and 357 days) and the first head coach in NFL history to win all four of his team debuts (via Sportscenter with Scott Van Pelt). Carroll’s defense is predicted to continue improvement. If the offense stays as balanced and the defense continues to fluster opposing offenses, this could be the start of something special in Sin City.

Daniel Jones

Analysts will and have judged Indianapolis’ win against Miami as an all-around disaster for the Dolphins. That take ignores how historical the Colts offense was in a dominant performance. Led by new starting quarterback Daniel Jones, Indianapolis became the first team to score on every offensive possession since 1978.

Jones completed 22 of 29 passes for 272 yards, a touchdown and a 115.9 passer rating. He also ran seven times for 26 yards and two scores. Jones’ two consecutive touchdowns in the second quarter sealed an easy win.

NFL Network panelists discussed how Daniel Jones’ time in Minnesota wound up helping and re-programming some of the stability and basics under center. The newfound confidence seems to have paid off.

Los Angeles Rams defense

If one were told Los Angeles’ offense would score just 14 points against Houston, the assumption would be the Rams lost. Not only would that be wrong, but the result wound up a resounding Los Angeles win.

The Rams’ defense feasted on Houston’s offense. Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud IV completed 19 passes for 188 yards and an interception. Los Angeles’ front seven sacked Stroud three times while the secondary confused him and messed up reads to his receivers. Outside of three field goals in the first half, the Texans couldn’t do anything right.

While Houston’s defense mostly stifled the Rams’ offense, it was the Los Angeles defense that won the game. The Rams’ offense could be slow to start a lot of games this year, but now they know the defense will show up and play hard.

Losers: Tennessee Titans second half offense

For some reason, Tennessee kept offensive coordinator Nick Holz after last season’s failures. Someone should have informed the Titans front office that a team usually relieves coordinators after they end up with the number one pick. Otherwise, there are results like Sunday’s in Denver.

Tennessee’s rookie quarterback and first overall pick Cam Ward was ok in his regular season debut. He didn’t make many mistakes but he definitely didn’t do anything special. Ward’s conservative play did give the Titans a lead most of the game, but Holz didn’t put him in better positions or utilize offensive strengths when the Broncos faltered.

After Denver took a 13-12 lead, Tennessee had two good chances to get a scoring drive before the Broncos could extend their lead. On the first, two penalties forced a punt. The second resulted in Denver fumbling a punt return and the Titans were gifted with an extended possession at the Bronco 24 yard line. A two yard run by Tony Pollard would be the only play with positive yardage. Ward was sacked twice for 27 yard losses after Pollard’s two yard run. Tennessee punted, and Denver went on to score the last touchdown of the game.

The Titans will have a rough season and few weeks when they’ll be favored to win any games. Sunday was one of the best opportunities to leave with a victory. It could have been done if there was a better run offense.

Cleveland Browns

For anyone who has read Winners and Losers before, or are familiar with the NFL for any reasonable length of time, it’s well known that with rare exceptions, the Cleveland Browns are losers. They lose in ways that defy belief and expectations. While the in-state loss to division rival Cincinnati felt familiar, it doesn’t excuse how sloppy, unprepared and deflating it was for Cleveland.

The Bengals did everything possible to lose the game. The only reason Cincinnati didn’t lose, was because the Browns made worse mistakes. Undrafted kicker Andre Szmyt missed an extra point and a potential game winning field goal. Veteran quarterback Joe Flacco had an interception after a pass intended for Jerry Jeudy bounced off another receiver’s hands deep in Cleveland territory. Flacco’s second interception doomed any chance for the Browns to get the last score of the game.

Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski’s issues this year range from who will be quarterback every week to if the kicker can make an extra point. It could be a long, rough year for Browns fans…again.

John Morton

Anyone who has watched the NFL the last few years knew the hottest offensive coordinator and assistant coach was Detroit’s Ben Johnson. When the Chicago Bears hired Johnson to be their next head coach this offseason, many expected the Lions offense would have some drop-off, especially to begin the regular season. Few expected a week one crater.

Detroit was overwhelmed almost the whole game in Green Bay. While new defensive addition Micah Parsons played less than half of the defense’s snaps, the Packers bullied the Lions in every way possible. Goff was sacked four times, intercepted once, and constantly hit until near the end. Detroit’s lone touchdown came in garbage time when Green Bay led by 21 points.

The most concerning part might be the Lions offensive line. They missed Frank Ragnow and Kevin Zeitler. The Packers took advantage of those losses and applied constant pressure. There was a point at which the NFL Network and beat reporters said Green Bay’s defensive front didn’t look like four men…it looked like seven.

There is no need yet to panic over Detroit. This is the Lions first road loss since the 2024 NFC championship game. Many knew the Packers would improve this season, and this was before getting Micah Parsons from Dallas. Offensive coordinator John Morton has a lot of work to do, but the Lions schedule is brutal. It may take a longer time for the offense to look anywhere near elite this season.

John Harbaugh

Spring has Groundhog Day, October third has Mean Girls, and these articles bring in the new NFL year with John Harbaugh in the Losers section. It’s a tradition unlike any other.

U.S. audiences were treated to Baltimore demolishing Buffalo Sunday night–they thought. After Ravens running back Derrick Henry ran for a 46 yard touchdown, Baltimore’s 15 point lead with 11:50 remaining all but assured a decisive week one win. While Bills receiver Keon Coleman scored a touchdown the following possession, the Ravens had an eight point lead with four minutes remaining. Enter coach Harbaugh.

One might think in a close scoring game where the result would matter further into the season, Harbaugh would have a better game plan than running the football the remaining four minutes. Quarterback Lamar Jackson ran for a first down the first play after Coleman’s touchdown. Buffalo expected another run the following possession. Henry also needed some rest and should’ve sat out a few more possessions. Harbaugh decided Henry should carry the ball next. That led to a nine yard loss and a fumble recovered by Bills defensive lineman Ed Oliver.

After Buffalo scored a touchdown (and missed the two point conversion), all Baltimore had to do was run down the remaining 1:51 in the game. But no. The Ravens ran two run plays and a pass for seven yards that took 25 seconds off the clock. The Bills got the ball back and won with a last second field goal.

Harbaugh’s continuous blunders, time mismanagement and inability to make the hard decisions somehow remain accepted and overlooked. The second most tenured coach in the league with one team somehow defies expectations by blowing double digit leads and leaving with losses. Given how Harbaugh has yet to learn from his mistakes, expect Baltimore to make the same errors with little to no accountability. Another head coach could never get away with this if they tried.

2025 NFC Playoff Picks

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The future looks bright in the NFC. Philadelphia had a resounding Super Bowl win this past February against the AFC best Chiefs. At one point, they led 40-6 in the title game. The Eagles weren’t just the best team in the Super Bowl, they were the best team in a stacked, resurgent conference. Detroit had their franchise best record in 2024. The Commanders hype is real. Tampa Bay, Los Angeles, and Green Bay will be more dangerous this year. Playoff hopefuls Atlanta, Chicago, Arizona and Seattle have the talent and coaching to take on and beat some serious title contenders. Every division race will be a slugfest and have a lot of drama.

Sadly, not all the teams mentioned above will make the playoffs since there are seven spots. It’s time to break down which seven teams in the conference have the best chance to reach the playoffs this season. There are a lot of quality teams, so expect a thrilling journey to the end of the season and some surprises based on this years draft and last years film.

East: Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders

Jalen Hurts is one of six current starting quarterbacks to have won the Super Bowl.

What a statement 2024-2025 season from Philadelphia. Serious analysts didn’t have the Eagles making the playoffs unless they were a lower seed after the late, 2023-2024 falloff. Owner Jeffrey Lurie, general manager Howie Roseman and head coach Nick Sirianni responded with the franchise’s best season this century, adding a second Super Bowl trophy in a decisive win against Kansas City. Since the Eagles’ most important players are signed through the next few seasons and Roseman added more roster depth in the offseason, Philadelphia will remain the top name in their division, conference, and the league.

“Scary Terry” McLaurin was finally re-signed to a favorable three year, $96 million extension Monday. That’s bad news for opposing defenses facing the Commanders this year.

The Eagles won’t have it easy with the young, determined Commanders team behind them. Washington had a great chance to win the east last year but didn’t have the experience compared to the Super Bowl champions. Year two of sophomore quarterback Jayden Daniels, defensive captain Bobby Wagner and head coach Dan Quinn should close the gap with their division rivals. Both teams will have their share of struggles after making the conference championship last season, but Philadelphia has more depth to counter serious contenders. Washington did extend franchise receiver Terry McLaurin Monday, so the offensive production shouldn’t drop or disappoint…unlike some teams in this article.

South: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Another year, another season Tampa Bay’s offense will overwhelm opposing defenses.

While Carolina should continue building off of late 2024’s progress, New Orleans will be one of the NFL’s worst teams this year. Just like last year’s prediction, the division will be a two team race between Atlanta and Tampa Bay.

There is a lot to love with the Falcons. Michael Penix Jr. was fantastic and Atlanta barely missed the division title last year. Head coach Raheem Morris has a lot more to work with and knows which players to push for better production.

However, Tampa Bay stays ahead top to bottom.

Head coach Todd Bowles finds ways to get the best out of every Buccaneers player. Tampa has the superior offense, defense and special teams. The Buccaneers do have the harder schedule all but one month of the regular season, but that’s expected for one of the NFC’s best veteran teams. There’s also more game film of Penix Jr., so teams will find weaknesses this year. Count on Tampa Bay’s Bowles to find some.

North: Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions

This will be the most important season of quarterback Jordan Love’s career.

Minnesota doesn’t inspire confidence with quarterbacks J.J. McCarthy and Carson Wentz behind center. Letting Sam Darnold walk in free agency was a big mistake. The Vikings could go from losing to two teams all of 2024, to a fall to the bottom of the north.

Chicago has a good case to sneak into the playoff discussion. The Bears could very well steal a playoff spot from a deserving contender like Atlanta or any of the west teams not in first place. Chicago’s first half of the season is more likely to be marred by mistakes, forcing them to play catch up and just miss out. Still, there should be a lot of optimism and good games for the Bears.

For the serious contenders, there are big expectations for Green Bay this year. Yes, wide receiver Christian Watson will be out most of the season with last year’s torn ACL, but it’s up to head coach Matt LaFleur and quarterback Jordan Love to show why they’re paid big money and get touted as offensive gurus and leaders. While the Packers have a brutal schedule, there are some weeks or months they could go on a hot run and leave the other three teams behind. If that happens, LaFleur and Love must stay determined and not hold back.

The biggest question for the NFC is how deadly Detroit’s offense will be without offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.

Despite drawing the NFL’s hardest and worst schedule, Detroit is in the conversation for the 2026 playoffs. The Lions will have nine road games, and all but one will be against playoff favorites. Detroit went undefeated on the road last year, but no one believes it can happen again this season. The Lions also lost their top coordinators to head coaching jobs in the offseason. There will be an obvious drop in offensive production, but both general manager Brad Holmes’ bullseye drafting and nearly the whole defense returning from injured reserve will keep Detroit in the playoff conversation all year. Don’t be surprised if the Lions follow the old, Tom Coughlin-led New York Giants route and get hot the second half of the season. Should that happen, there might not be a team that could stop Detroit from going all the way.

West: Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks

It should be another great season for Rams running back Kyren Williams (23).

Easily the hardest division to decide which teams make the playoffs, the west could have just one team (the division winner) or three teams play in the postseason. All but one made necessary roster changes and all coaches have evolved in their schemes. It also helps the west that all four teams have some of, if not the easiest schedules this season. It will be disappointing if somehow only one of the four teams makes the playoffs.

San Francisco is probably the weakest due to their roster turnover, lack of offensive talent and lack of depth on the defensive line. Arizona could have success, but questions remain about the offense and head coach Jonathan Gannon’s coaching after two inconsistent seasons.

While Los Angeles has some similar issues as the Cardinals, the differences are at head coach, quarterback and offensive line. The trio of Matthew Stafford, Jimmy Garoppolo and Stetson Bennett IV gives the Rams more room to adapt to any offensive system. General manager Les Snead again delivered in the draft and coach Sean McVay is a former Super Bowl champion who still finds ways to get the most out of unexpected and underrated players. The division race will be close, but Los Angeles gets the nod because they have better coaching and a more veteran roster than do the other three teams.

There’s irony in Sam Darnold going to Seattle after franchise star cornerback Devon Witherspoon spooked him last year.

Seattle can make it a close race all season. Mike MacDonald’s defense will be a top five unit in the league with star-studded names and depth on the defensive line and secondary. Offensive improvement starts with the offensive line. It appears general manager John Schneider doubled down on that in the draft, and with MacDonald’s philosophy of running the football to establish dominance and time of possession advantages, the Seahawks are poised to be a pain for more than just their division rivals.

Total 2024-2025 regular and postseason NFC picks: 8-5