Tag: news

December 2025 NHL Power Rankings: The Avalanche Show Yet Again Why Expansion is a Good Thing

jminx94Leave a comment
Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon would be the NHL’s MVP if the season ended today.

On November 29th, the Colorado Avalanche hosted a home game against the Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens have been in a defensive slump and the Avalanche made it worse. The 7-2 thrashing Colorado put on Montreal was talked about the rest of the weekend. However, unlike previous matchups between both teams, one thing stood out: the Avalanche wore their throwback uniforms.

For those who don’t know, the then-Nordiques moved from Quebec City, Quebec to Denver, Colorado in 1995. The Nordiques were one of four teams that joined the NHL after the World Hockey Association (WHA) folded in 1979, and did well holding onto and developing talented players. Unfortunately, Quebec City wasn’t able to keep its team in the mid-90s because of financial issues and the smaller market not being enough to sustain the team compared to other larger cities in the U.S. The cherry on top of a painful move was the Avalanche winning their first Stanley Cup championship after relocating to Denver.

You may ask what’s the relevance to this story compared to where Colorado is today and what’s going on in the league? Well, articles in The Athletic and New York Times went viral discussing how drastically different things have been for the now-Utah Mammoth compared to when they were the Arizona Coyotes. There were a lot of crazy things mentioned in these articles, but when a current general manager says how one T.V. in the locker room is worth more than an entire facility back in Tempe, AZ, that doesn’t go away. Not to mention last offseason was filled with so many rumors and conversations of where the next expansion teams would be that commissioner Gary Bettman went on record saying there won’t be any discussion on that with the owners anytime soon.

Which is why we turn our focus to the present day Avalanche. Like Colorado, several teams have changed destinations throughout the decades. Atlanta (which for some reason is being considered by serious hockey analysts for yet another professional team) was home to both the Flames and Jets. The return of the Winnipeg Jets has brought all kinds of fortune and success. Not only has the city returned to relevance, multiple players still love and call the team their favorite. The Flames move to Calgary is regarded as one of the best because of the golden age of hockey played in the 1980s. The Battle of Alberta brought the best (and worst) out of everyone. Many still despise the Whalers moving to Carolina and becoming the Hurricanes. However, the NHL is well regarded and talked well about in the south and beloved in North Carolina. The Stars success in Dallas brought both another team to Minnesota and serious discussions of adding a team to Houston.

Some teams will never have to move or relocate because of the money, location and large fanbases they attract. But some should either consider or do it because a fresh start is necessary. Expansion is another great option because many people in North America love ice hockey and want to watch a team closer to home. Some large cities have been crying for a better team or championship for so long, a second team must be considered. It’s why both the league and owners should seriously discuss adding four more teams within the next decade. Quebec City finally has both the money and infrastructure to maintain a professional team. Houston and Kansas City are great cities to expand the game to geographically different areas. Two teams in Texas or Missouri would add a quick, fierce rivalry to immediately grab viewers’ attention and make history in each matchup. Toronto or Vancouver having a second team would make both older franchises more desperate to win a title and stop acting like the world revolves around them. Inner city rivalry games are also a big draw, especially opening night and on holidays.

There is irony in New Jersey, Las Vegas and Colorado being long-term hockey attractions but not Phoenix, Oakland or Atlanta. Last year the Winnipeg Jets were the best team start to finish in the regular season. The talented core put together may have never happened if they were still the Thrashers. The Avalanche are on pace to have as many points if not surpass Boston’s record three seasons ago. It’s doubtful Colorado would have both this team, coaching staff, success and run if they stayed in Quebec. There are dozens of cities lobbying and planning for success like the Golden Knights and Predators have had. It’s time the NHL gives them a chance.

Colorado players celebrate one of their seven goals in a dominant home win against Montreal. Audiences love the alternate Nordiques uniforms so much, the Avalanche could wear them again on January 29th when the Canadiens wear red.

Time for the first power rankings of the season. These show where all 32 teams objectively stand going back to the rankings from last season. Some teams will have tiebreakers based off of how they’d perform on a neutral site.

#32 Nashville Predators (last ranking: 29)

While many viewers wonder if Barry Trotz can be a competent, long-term general manager, it has flown under the radar how much goaltender Juuse Saros has regressed in not even a full calendar year. Remember, Trotz floated the idea of trading Saros near last season’s trade deadline because of how much he liked Justus Annunen. Something is wrong in Nashville and that could be more than the general manager.

#31 Calgary Flames (last ranking: 21)

This season’s Flames team is what many expected to see last year. The only surprise is how sophomore starting goaltender Dustin Wolf is giving up one goal more per game compared to last year. On the plus side, all Calgary needs is more top end talent to compliment the roster assembled.

#30 Buffalo Sabres (last ranking: 30)

If there was ever a game that’s defined where the Sabres are, it was last December third’s 5-2 loss in Philadelphia. When captain Rasmus Dahlin cross checked Trevor Zegras into the glass, he did so out of impulse without thinking of the consequences. That’s a dumb decision for any player, let alone a captain. Coach Lindy Ruff is one of the NHL’s all-time best, but even he can’t help Buffalo from sinking. If there was ever a team in prime position to move and start over in a new city or country, it would be the Sabres.

#29 Seattle Kraken (last ranking: 28)

During Seattle’s four game losing streak, the Kraken were shut out twice and scored four goals once in a 9-4 loss to Edmonton. Seattle’s dreadful on offense and it is hard to see how they stay in the playoff race as more teams in the western conference start to pull away.

#28 Chicago Blackhawks (last ranking: 31)

A lot of what makes the first rankings of the year difficult to make is how teams that start well won’t be placed higher because of how they performed the previous season. Same applies with teams that were championship contenders and have fallen by the way side for any number of reasons. I understand people won’t like this placement for Chicago. The roster is better, Connor Bedard is playing as the elite center many believed he would, and Jeff Blashill’s having a great year behind the bench.

That said, the amount of inexperience the Blackhawks have will show the later the regular season progresses. Edmonton, St. Louis and Winnipeg will be better than what we’ve seen, and it is one of the biggest lessons Chicago must learn.

#27 San Jose Sharks (last ranking: 32)

Wow! Was Macklin Celebrini a slam-dunk pick (even though he went first overall). The 19 year old was the second player to get 40 points into the season. A teenager is on pace for 121 points and trails only Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon. San Jose will be fun to watch the next few years.

#26 Vancouver Canucks (last ranking: 16)

It was clear once Rick Tocchet left, things would go south in Vancouver. Things are so bad the Canucks went from worshipping the ice captain Quinn Hughes skates on to trade discussions with New Jersey. Vancouver is a hot mess because they let a great coach go and dealt the leader of the locker room in the span of months earlier in 2025. Those two decisions will haunt the franchise for years to come.

#25 St. Louis Blues (last ranking: 15)

At first it was strange to see St. Louis start the season slower than expected, but stats help. The Blues have one of the worst offenses and that shouldn’t be a surprise. General manager Doug Armstrong needs to add a center or forward that makes opposing defenses worry about breakaway chances and two-on-one scoring opportunities. That would also take a lot of pressure off the defense to create shot attempts on offense.

#24 Columbus Blue Jackets (last ranking: 19)

Columbus is fortunate they have several games at hand against some of their divisional opponents, so there’s nowhere to go but up. To everyone’s surprise, Jet Greaves looks like a franchise starting goaltender who could take the Blue Jackets far should they invest in more defense. Don’t be surprised if Columbus moves a spiraling Elvis Merzlikins at the trade deadline.

#23 Ottawa Senators (last ranking: 14)

Many expected Ottawa to have some struggles to start the season after a breakout year, a fun return to the playoffs, and a tough first round exit. But this defense? Absolutely atrocious. Prime Martin Brodeur could be in net and struggle almost every night with how bad it’s been this season. The Senators gave up 20+ goals four games into October. Every team has injuries at some point but the sloppy play is on the coaching staff.

#22 Utah Mammoth (last ranking: 20)

At first I was expecting more people would be upset with this ranking. However, center Logan Cooley being out indefinitely gives this spot more merit. Add in a streaky first two months of play and Karel Vejmelka playing close to 90% of Utah’s games, the Mammoth earned this placement.

#21 New York Rangers (last ranking: 18)

It’s been a blooper-filled start to the season for the Rangers. I still believe New York will miss the playoffs and start trading talent next calendar year, but the Rangers remain competitive after a wonky first month in which they kept getting shut out at home, but looked like a playoff team on the road.

#20 Detroit Red Wings (last ranking: 22)

There are no easy wins in the NHL and it’s harder to have a shutout. That’s why goaltender John Gibson getting his first shutout win as a Red Wing against Vancouver Monday night is big. It’s his best game of the season. If Gibson and the defense in front of him build off that shutout win, Detroit will be hard to beat almost every week.

#19 New York Islanders (last ranking: 24)

Despite a flood of injuries the last two months, New York has hung in there because of coach Patrick Roy, center Bo Horvat and rookie phenom defenseman Matthew Schaefer. Schaefer has single handedly won some games for the Islanders and has made sure they stay relevant in the division race.

#18 Anaheim Ducks (last ranking: 25)

This was another ranking many would see as controversial given how well Anaheim’s played this season. However the recent losses of goaltenders Lucas Dostal and Petr Mrazek to IR are big concerns and the biggest test for the Ducks. If Anaheim is a top three team in the Pacific by next month’s rankings, we’ll know for sure if they’re the real deal.

#17 Philadelphia Flyers (last ranking: 27)

Rick Tocchet was a perfect coaching hire. He is a rare coach who keeps a lot of the John Tortorella discipline and hardline stances while getting the team to evolve, play smarter and clamp down on defense. Most importantly, Tocchet gets along well with top-tier talent. I’m not sure the goaltending situation stays solid the whole season, but the Flyers are a fringe playoff threat the rest of the year.

#16 Pittsburgh Penguins (last ranking: 26)

This is the biggest team surprise of the year so far. Sidney Crosby has matched Wayne Gretzky’s goal total from his age 38 season in 56 less games. Crosby may be a dark-horse MVP candidate should Pittsburgh grab a high playoff seed. A new coach helps but with Sidney Crosby playing similar to when he first came into the league, many teams will see the Penguins as a hard out.

#15 Toronto Maple Leafs (last ranking: 8)

I’m still willing to give Toronto more breaks with their slump given who their coach is and the deep scoring talent. However, the losses of both goaltenders Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz are huge blows and present several problems for general manager Brad Treliving. An ugly start to the season could get worse if Dennis Hildeby isn’t the answer in net.

#14 Boston Bruins (last ranking: 23)

If someone told you at the beginning of the season that one of the top three goal scorers in the NHL would be a Boston Bruin, they would assume it would be David Pastrnak. Turns out it’s Morgan Geekie. What should be a re-build or re-tool season for Boston has been a year many see them in the playoffs. It would be comedic if after last season’s results, the Bruins somehow make the playoffs but the Maple Leafs or Panthers do not.

#13 New Jersey Devils (last ranking: 13)

Think of the Mammoth but with more hype and located on the east coast. That’s New Jersey. A bit shocking the Devils are inconsistent after general manager Tom Fitzgerald added more defensive depth in the offseason. New Jersey sports media is pressuring Fitzgerald to make another big trade but that could make things worse. Here’s hoping coach Sheldon Keefe can fix the issues.

#12 Edmonton Oilers (last ranking: 10)

Many analysts, friends and commenters told me in the last two Stanley Cup playoffs that I was much too harsh on Edmonton’s defense and goaltenders. Anyone who has seriously watched the Oilers play not even two months into the season knows that the goaltending is so bad, even the broadcasting crews make jokes at their expense. Trading Stuart Skinner for Pittsburgh’s Tristan Jarry, who’s buried on the depth chart because of poor play, is unlikely to solve anything. From Elliotte Friedman to Paul Bissonette, analysts can tell this start to the season has a much different feel in Edmonton than the last few. This might be the last dance for the Oilers core talent.

#11 Montreal Canadiens (last ranking: 17)

Something many sports fans forget is how one decision can impact a lot of lives. The most drastic example is the NBA’s Luka Doncic getting traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. Countless lives were changed overnight. A much smaller example is goaltender Samuel Montembeault. Some analysts had him going to Seattle in the expansion draft back in 2022. Given how Montembeault’s game has been uneven at times while the Kraken have one of the better goaltending duos in the league, one wonders what would’ve happened if he never went to the Canadiens. It’s a small thought many will dismiss, but it might have made Montreal take a more serious look at their goaltending situation and not just sign players they see as temporary solutions.

#10 Winnipeg Jets (last ranking: 1)

Much like Calgary, Winnipeg is playing like many expected last season. The difference is injuries and a continual slump in offensive production could un-do a lot of progress the Jets made in Scott Arniel’s first year. It makes Eric Comrie’s time as starter in net more important given where Winnipeg could be by March’s trade deadline.

#9 Los Angeles Kings (last ranking: 12)

Los Angeles has a fantastic defense. The offense and power-play? Absolute garbage. Coach Jim Hiller has to find some answers by the New Year. It’s baffling that a veteran team this talented struggles to score when they have the puck.

#8 Florida Panthers (last ranking: 3)

Let’s not be too critical of this placement. We know when fully healthy, Florida is a top five NHL team. We also know that no Matthew Tkachuk or Aleksander Barkov for most of the season changes everything. Other injuries such as a five month loss of defenseman Dmitry Kulikov doesn’t help. The Panthers have earned enough grace to take a slower tumble in these standings than most other teams.

#7 Minnesota Wild (last ranking: 11)

I’d love to have Minnesota up higher if they can fix their offensive struggles. A bottom ten offense holds them back from a top five ranking. Regardless, the Wild are amazing audiences during every game goaltender Jesper Wallstedt plays. Wallstedt was shockingly 8-0-2 in his first ten starts, and half of those wins were shutouts. Not only is the sophomore net-minder leading the league in every important goaltending category, but he also had sports pages in and outside of Minnesota wonder if he’d have more season shutouts than Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy will have touchdown passes by May. It’s super early to call Jesper Wallstedt the next Martin Brodeur but wow, talk about potential.

#6 Carolina Hurricanes (last ranking: 6)

The next three teams are all in the same position: a top tier championship contender with some serious glares that could de-rail their title dreams. Most of Carolina’s inconsistencies come from goaltending and defensive injuries. While Minnesota’s Jesper Wallstedt has been getting most of the attention, Hurricanes third string goaltender Brandon Bussi has been a lifeline. His 1-0 OT shutout win November 30th against Calgary was a season highlight.

#5 Vegas Golden Knights (last ranking: 4)

If someone said before the regular season that Mitch Marner would excel in Vegas, many would’ve agreed because Toronto is notorious for bungling star players and their talents. Yet if someone added that Marner could have been the glue that held the Leafs locker room together, that would’ve stunned almost everyone. Mitch Marner’s growth and presence almost cancels out the goaltending and defensive issues the Golden Knights have dealt with the last two months.

#4 Tampa Bay Lightning (last ranking: 9)

Without captain Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay got back to what made them successful and now the Lightning are one of the best teams in the NHL. The defense led by net-minder Andrei Vasilevskiy is top five, the penalty kill is the league’s second best and the offense is top ten with Brandon Hagel, Nikita Kucherov and Jake Guentzel. Now if center Brayden Point can get out of his slump, this could be the best team in the eastern conference.

#3 Washington Capitals (last ranking: 2)

Not only does this Washington team look nearly identical to the teams coached by Barry Trotz, the most stand-out player is Tom Wilson. Wilson is more focused and critical to coach Spencer Carberry’s offense. He leads the the Capitals in points (32), goals (17), and hits (83). He’s progressed to a team leader opposing defenses have to prepare for (and not just for the cheap shots and fighting).

#2 Dallas Stars (last ranking: 5)

If Colorado were not a factor, Dallas would be the easy pick for best team. Not only are the Stars playing some of their best hockey, they’ve played well despite several players entering and returning from IR. While the loss of assistant captain and former champion Tyler Seguin for the rest of the regular season is damaging, it might not matter with how Dallas is playing now until late in the season.

#1 Colorado Avalanche (last ranking: 7)

Even if Colorado’s season was in the mainstream news 24/7, it wouldn’t be enough to highlight how impressive the first two months have been for the former-Nordiques. Two regular season losses in almost two months of play. At one point all the starters had a positive plus/minus differential in the double digits (only ONE player has a negative differential. That is almost unheard of). Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood are playing the best goaltending they have in their careers. I don’t know how any team in the west could take this juggernaut out in a seven game series unless injuries plague the whole roster. Ils sont magnifiques!

The NHL’s best player Nathan MacKinnon (29) scored two goals in a 3-2 overtime win in New York December 6th.

NFL Week Ten Winners and Losers

jminx948 Comments

It was a fun-filled and memorable week ten. There was a game in Germany, coaches and players shed tears, a roller coaster matchup in Washington D.C. and a wild Sunday night game. Then there’s playoff implications for a lot of teams struggling to stay above .500. In an eventful weekend, here are the winners and losers.

Winners: Minnesota Vikings defense

Minnesota’s win in Jacksonville was brutal. Both offenses were awful and struggled to score. The Vikings stole a win thanks to their defense.

Defensive coordinator Brian Flores had the defense ready to confuse backup quarterback Mac Jones (more on him later) and shut down the Jaguars running game. The Viking defense had three sacks and two interceptions against Jones while running back Travis Etienne Jr.’s afternoon highlight was an 18 yard gain in the first quarter.

Minnesota has to fix the offense after a few ugly games, but the defense is getting head coach Kevin O’Connell needed wins to stay alive in the playoff race.

Russell Wilson

It’s been a long time since Russell Wilson was in the winners column. The 13 year veteran quarterback has been through a lot of challenges the last three years but is almost back to his elite form.

Sunday’s win in Washington gave viewers a taste of how coveted Wilson was in previous offseasons. He completed 14 of 28 passes for 195 yards, three touchdowns, one interception and a 93.6 passer rating. All three of his scores gave Pittsburgh a lead at some point in the game. His last passing touchdown went to new trade acquisition Mike Williams for 32 yards with two and a half minutes left in the game.

Wilson playing better football with an improving offensive line makes Pittsburgh one of the more dangerous teams in the AFC. They’ll be fun to watch the rest of the month if the offense keeps playing like they did against the Commanders.

Philadelphia Eagles offense

Any team playing Dallas the second half of the season is probably going to put up a lot of points and yards. However, Sunday’s win in Texas gives the Eagles offense more confidence heading into Thursday’s first divisional matchup against Washington.

Quarterback Jalen Hurts was the star of Sunday’s divisional beatdown. He completed 14 of 20 passes for 202 yards, two touchdowns, an interception and a 115 passer rating. Hurts also ran seven times for 56 yards and two scores. Philadelphia would’ve hit 40 points if head coach Nick Sirianni didn’t pull him in the fourth quarter.

Runningback Saquon Barkley didn’t have to do much with Hurts getting most of the points. He ran 14 times for 66 yards and caught a 12 yard pass. Sirianni also let him rest in the fourth quarter to make sure he gets more usage Thursday. Top receiver A.J. Brown had 109 yards on five catches and former first round pick Jahan Dotson is getting more game reps. The offense gets better and more dangerous every week. It’s quietly made Philadelphia the second best team in the NFC.

Sunday Night Football

The Lions and Texans might have played the best Sunday night football game anyone’s watched in the last year. Unlike other slotted primetime games (more on those later), Detroit versus Houston lived up to and surpassed expectations.

The Texans roared out to a 23-7 first half lead, catching the Lions off-guard. Star receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown was held to two catches on three targets at halftime. Both quarterbacks threw seven combined interceptions, with Jared Goff throwing five (Goff threw a total of four the first nine weeks of the season). Defensive backs Carlton Davis and Kamari Lassiter had two interceptions each and the opposing defenses found ways to neutralize each offenses go-to receivers.

Detroit’s comeback started before Goff’s fourth interception. After getting their second touchdown of the game, the Lions missed the two point conversion. The defense made sure Houston’s offense never found rhythm in the second half and flustered sophomore quarterback C.J. Stroud IV. Detroit kicker Jake Bates had a game-tying and game-winning field goal that almost bounced off the goal uprights. Audiences won’t forget this game anytime soon.

Losers: Whoever is Jacksonville’s starting quarterback

There’s been a lot of criticism of Jaguars starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence for years. No matter what you think of how average he (at best) plays, Lawrence could have gotten Jacksonville their third win of the season if he started Sunday.

That honor went to fellow 2018 first round pick Mac Jones since Trevor Lawrence was out with what could be a season ending shoulder injury. Jones had a good start, giving the Jaguars a lead with a one yard touchdown run in the first quarter. It went downhill from there.

Jones barely threw over 100 yards and his two interceptions came at the worst time after Minnesota took the lead midway through the fourth quarter. He had a hard time finding open receivers and completed only one pass longer than 20 yards. Mac Jones isn’t a mobile threat either as he ran four other times for seven yards (outside of his touchdown run).

A lot of viewers wondered how Trevor Lawrence regressed after an epic playoff collapse against Los Angeles in early 2023. Watching Jacksonville play offense for four quarters yesterday showed it might be everything quarterback related and not just the injured starter.

Indianapolis Colts offense

Indianapolis is in the middle of the playoff race after getting back to .500. A big part of why was due to the offense playing better and the receivers improving each game with Joe Flacco at quarterback. Those days could be a distant memory after Sunday.

Flacco completed 26 of 35 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns, but he also threw three interceptions. His second touchdown was a meaningless ten yarder to Alec Pierce with eight seconds left in the game. Joe Flacco was a big reason the Colts lost against a better coached Bills team. Buffalo was more aggressive after cornerback Taron Johnson returned a 23 yard interception for a touchdown early in the game. After Indianapolis got their first lead in the second quarter, the offense couldn’t run out the clock to end the half. That meant Buffalo’s offense had one more chance to score. The Bills got a field goal as time expired.

Joe Flacco led the offense to three straight turnovers in the second half: a sack fumble, turnover on downs, and an interception. Buffalo got ten points off those turnovers and put the game out of reach before Indianapolis’ last score. Many will blame Joe Flacco for the loss, but offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter and head coach Shane Steichen should’ve made more changes after one of those second half turnovers.

Todd Bowles

It’s rare a veteran, Super Bowl winning coach gets unlucky twice in one week. Head coach Todd Bowles and the Buccaneers were dealt another deflating loss Sunday after playing for a tie.

Bowles probably had the right plan, but Chase McLaughlin’s 26 yard field goal on fourth and goal at San Francisco’s eight yard line left too much time on the clock for the 49ers offense. Quarterback Brock Purdy had a great game and San Francisco’s offense got a lot of yards throughout the afternoon. There was a good chance the 49ers could get a game winning score with 44 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

Purdy did his best, throwing four passes for 39 yards in 34 seconds. Kicker Jake Moody made his only kick of the game for 44 yards. Tampa took their second loss in a row.

It’s worse knowing NFC south-leading Atlanta lost to a Saints team that fired their head coach last week. The Buccaneers have battled injuries throughout the season and now bad luck decisions from their head coach. Their bye week came at the best time.

Whoever scheduled the late afternoon games

There were complaints before the season began that Germany would be stuck with the worst game of the year in Giants versus Panthers. That matchup turned out to be decent compared to what U.S. audiences got late Sunday afternoon on CBS and FOX.

The most competitive game of the later afternoon trio was Tennessee at Los Angeles. The Titans offense had little chance of scoring more than ten points against one of the league’s best defenses, but it was close. Arizona and Philadelphia obliterated their opponents by halftime. While the Jets have quit on the season and their interim head coach, the Cowboys are one of the most inept teams to the point AT&T stadium blinds their own receivers when trying to score. The media made this a trending topic and several quotes from receiver CeeDee Lamb and owner Jerry Jones went viral.

After ten weeks of regular season action, one ponders why the league hasn’t flexed better games into the late afternoon spot. Denver v. Kansas City would’ve been a more thrilling matchup than watching gaffe-prone Will Levis and backup quarterback Cooper Rush get slapped around for three hours.

NFL Week Three Winners and Losers

jminx941 Comment

Week three of the NFL regular season featured many pivotal games. Most divisions are slowly showing which teams will stand out as playoff favorites before Halloween. While a lot of wins and plays stood out, some were more eye-opening than others. Here are this weeks winners and losers.

Winners: Malik Willis

Packers starting quarterback Jordan Love wasn’t ready to return Sunday, so backup Malik Willis got the start against the team that drafted him, Tennessee. Willis wasn’t utilized well with the Titans. Despite his week two win against Indianapolis, many believed if Green Bay won, it would have to be Willis creating more big plays.

He did more than expected in a 30-14 win over Tennessee. Willis completed 13 of 19 passes for 202 yards, a touchdown and a 120.9 quarterback rating. He also ran six times for 73 yards and an additional score. Green Bay’s double digit lead made the win inevitable, but Malik Willis’ 30 yard touchdown pass to runningback Emanuel Wilson in the third quarter sealed it.

There’s been many complaints about quarterback play the first month of the season, and coaching is part of the problem. The Packers are again unaffected due to how head coach Matt LaFleur has done well with a young roster and helped young passers like Malik Willis learn more of the playbook while playing to their strengths. Willis helped his team pick up two wins without their starting passer and will be a talking point this week and October.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Last week Steelers quarterback Justin Fields made the winners column because of how he’s gradually improved and made his new team trust him more to score at important times. This week the whole team deserves a spot because of how dominant they were in a home win against the undefeated Chargers.

Pittsburgh’s defense is a big reason they’re undefeated. Although they sealed a win by knocking out Los Angeles franchise star quarterback Justin Herbert midway through the third quarter, it’s possible the Steelers still would’ve won if Herbert played the whole game. Pittsburgh had five sacks on both quarterbacks and held Jim Harbaugh’s offense to under 250 yards. After two weeks of running the ball at will, J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards had 18 combined touches for 53 yards. The Steelers front seven never let Los Angeles get going on the ground.

Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith saw another week of improvement. Fields was impressive, but so was everyone else. The offensive line pushed the running game to another 100 yard week and third year receiver Calvin Austin III led receivers with four catches for 95 yards and their lone touchdown catch.

Pittsburgh’s one of two teams in the AFC who have won all three games played to start the season (Buffalo’s 2-0, but plays later tonight), the other being defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City. The Steelers have a two game lead on the AFC north. It’ll take time for the division to try and catch up.

Andy Dalton

The Panthers offense hadn’t put up more than 27 points in a game since December 2023. Carolina also hadn’t held a lead past 10 seconds in that timespan. They put all that to rest Sunday with Andy Dalton’s first start in a full calendar year.

The Panthers made a bold move to bench 2023 number one overall pick Bryce Young because of his struggles to read defenses, find open receivers, and score more than ten points a game. Head coach Dave Canales made the switch to see if Dalton could still lead an offense and score more points.

Andy Dalton completed 26 of 37 passes for 319 yards, three touchdowns and a 123.6 passer rating. All three of his scores were thrown in the first half of a dominant win in Las Vegas. The Panthers shredded the Raiders defense in every facet (more on them later) and won 36-22. Carolina had as many passing touchdowns Sunday as Bryce Young’s last ten starts, and led Vegas for 49:17.

It’s possible the Panthers offense rallied around the 14 year veteran quarterback. It’s also unlikely due to how Dalton led Carolina to a previous high scoring game last season. Dalton might not lose the starting job for the rest of 2024 due to how he can read a field better and make the most of a solid receiving core.

Detroit Lions defense

Most weeks you’ll hear how Detroit’s offense stole the show and had a combination of a dominant game-winning drive, highlight reel play, and a fourth down conversion. On Sunday it was the Lions defense that deserved accolades.

Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn struggled calling the right plays two weeks into the regular season. Yesterday his defense held the Cardinals offense to under 300 yards for the first time this month. Safety Kerby Joseph intercepted Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray once and defensive end Aidan Hutchinson had a sack. The defense swarmed runningback James Conner whenever he had the ball and made sure receivers like Michael Wilson didn’t gain many yards after their catches.

In previous years, many viewers would’ve said this would be rare due to how Detroit’s defense was inconsistent. General manager Brad Holmes keeps adding talent to the secondary and depth on the front seven. It’s possible this was the first of many games the Lions defense dominates this season.

Losers: Will Levis

As wonderful of a win former Titan quarterback Malik Willis had against his former team, it was as deflating a loss for current Tennessee quarterback Will Levis.

Each Titans regular season game this season, Willis has committed at least one major gaffe on offense that’s led to a touchdown for the opposing defense. This week, Green Bay’s ten point lead in the first quarter came from a Jaire Alexander interception that led to a 35 yard touchdown (the first touchdown scored in Alexander’s NFL career). Levis forcing passes to receivers in contested coverage led to another interception late when the game was out of reach.

Tennessee head coach Brian Callahan didn’t hold back criticism on Will Levis’ mistakes after the first two losses. This was their first double digit loss of the season. The blowout would’ve been more tolerable if it was against a playoff contender like Baltimore or division rival Houston. Losing to a former almost-franchise-now-backup quarterback by double digits means Levis could get benched by next month.

Ryan Poles

If a general manager is in the losers column the first month of the season, then the team is in trouble. General manager Ryan Poles should be on the hot seat after Chicago’s brutal loss in Indianapolis.

One might find it harsh due to how Poles used the number one pick on a new quarterback and also executed a bunch of signings and trades the last few years. The problem is the Bears look awful top to bottom despite early season injuries at wide receiver. For clarity, this was a Chicago red zone play late in the second quarter.

The offensive line wouldn’t have been a problem if the Bears traded the number one pick for other top round picks (like they have the last few seasons) or drafted more offensive linemen in previous years. To add injury to insult, starting left tackle Braxton Jones left in the first quarter due to a knee injury. Current first overall pick Caleb Williams threw his first touchdown in the fourth quarter of his third game of the season and Chicago lost after 15th overall pick Laiatu Latu strip-sacked Williams and recovered the ball. If Latu was picked by Poles, the Bears might not have given up 140 rushing yards.

It doesn’t help Ryan Poles decided to retain current head coach Matt Eberflus after last year’s horrible season. The defensive minded Eberflus staying to help the number one overall pick learn and develop his talents on offense is going as many expected: poorly. The Bears are notorious for letting previous regimes stay around after drafting a quarterback, and Poles is no different from his predecessors.

This years NFC north is one of the league’s better divisions. Three of the four teams are well coached, well balanced on all sides of the ball, and had great drafts last offseason. Chicago is once again on the outside looking in and their general manager is a big reason.

Las Vegas Raiders

Despite one win in three games, the Raiders look awful. Their win in Baltimore came on a 13 point fourth quarter rally (the Ravens are becoming known for blowing double digit leads the last few seasons). Vegas’ two losses have been by 14 or more points.

Earlier it was mentioned how Carolina struggled to even hold a lead in the fourth quarter heading into yesterday. They thrashed the Raiders after the first quarter. Dalton’s veteran experience and adjustments against a young secondary was part of it, but the Panthers also ran the ball well. Chuba Hubbard ran 21 times for 114 yards.

Kicker Eddy Pineiro added 12 points on special teams. Meanwhile, 15 of Vegas’ 22 points came in the fourth quarter when the game was out of reach. The Gardner Minshew II experiment looks more miss than hit and the Raiders are dead last in running the football. Head coach Antonio Pierce was brought back because he’s a smart yet tough leader. One could say the team’s execution week-to-week is on him and his coaching staff. While that could be true, upper management is still making the same old mistakes under owner Mark Davis.

Stephen Ross for somehow wanting Mike McDaniel as head coach

For new fans and readers wondering why Miami’s struggling, you have to go back to February 2022 when then-head coach Brian Flores was surprisingly fired after getting the Dolphins over .500 with a 9-8 record. He was then replaced by a younger, offensive “guru” coach from San Francisco named Mike McDaniel. McDaniel was ok his first season before Miami started hot last year and erupted for an infamous 70-20 home win over Denver. Since that landslide victory, the Dolphins are 9-9 (including playoffs).

What makes this situation completely hilarious is how the now-extended franchise starting quarterback (when not concussed and twitching) Tua Tagovailoa ripped the former head coach in the offseason for, “being a bully” and how Flores said many mean things to him. Well…Brian Flores is well respected on the teams he’s coached and has improved every defense since his firing. Two of the current undefeated teams this month had Flores on their staff at some point since 2022. Meanwhile Miami’s injured star quarterback who’s addicted to throwing deep-field passes to star wide receivers, doesn’t want to learn how to read different defensive coverages, and can’t play winning football by utilizing other offensive talent when opposing coordinators confuse him with mixed defensive schemes. Tagovailoa doesn’t even know how to slide safely to protect his head, a key move professional quarterbacks implement by their fourth year in the league.

Then there’s McDaniel in his nightmare third season as head coach. Miami was throttled on the road in Seattle. Rookie head coach Mike Macdonald embarrassed every quarterback McDaniel put on the field and the Seahawks offense torched a subpar Dolphins defense. The cherry on top of an absolute beatdown came when Miami failed to score a fourth and goal play at Seattle’s two yard line, then Geno Smith and the Seahawks led a 12 play, 98 yard touchdown drive that lasted five and a half minutes. It was Seattle’s first and only score of the second half. The Seahawks beat Miami so thoroughly, they didn’t need to score more than ten points.

One error many owners and general managers keep making is firing a head coach because a new, flashy coordinator (who can barely manage every bit of their side of the ball) becomes popular in the media. Mike McDaniel is not a head coach who should oversee a 53 man roster. He enjoys drawing up creative trick plays on offense and stutters to answer simple questions. His predecessor by contrast wasn’t afraid of being honest with the media and frequently called out an overhyped, 2020 seventh overall pick for consistently playing garbage football.

There aren’t any excuses or counters for this team. Keep in mind Miami now has the longest playoff win drought in the NFL. Flashy, fantasy football stats and highlight plays don’t buy you wins in the postseason.