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: John Harbaugh
The Giants had as bad a week that any a team could have in week two. They were blown out on primetime last Monday night and lost their starting quarterback to a season-ending injury. Most teams would have caved in on a short week and played a similar type of game the following weekend. Big Blue was the opposite on Sunday.
Head coach John Harbaugh united the locker room on a short week and the Giants played a stellar defensive home game against Tennessee. While backup quarterback Jameis Winston completed 14 of 22 passes for a paltry 118 yards, he led the now-anemic offense to four scoring drives. New York’s defense held the Titans to seven points, less than 175 total yards and intercepted quarterback Malik Willis at the end of the game to seal a win.
The most impressive part of the Giants’ win Sunday afternoon was their special teams. Harbaugh is a former special teams coach and does his best work with kickers and returners. Kicker Dominic Zvada made all four of his field goal attempts and scored all of New York’s points. Punter Jordan Stout averaged 50 yards per punt, including a whopping 74 yarder early in the second quarter.
Not all of the Giants’ wins will be pretty this season under John Harbaugh, but New York desperately needed a response after last Monday night’s disaster. A solid performance by any side of the ball would have meant a lot. All three sides did more than enough for a win and to put the Giants back over .500.
Washington Commanders
Like their division rival New York, Washington was soundly embarrassed on primetime last week and lost their young, franchise star quarterback to injury. No one gave the Commanders a chance to beat the defending Super Bowl champions at home. The Seahawks were on a 12 game winning streak and had starting quarterback Sam Darnold back. Washington did not care.
The Commanders never trailed Sunday. After forcing a Jadarian Price fumble on the Seahawks’ second possession of the game, Washington ran through Seattle’s battered defense on four plays to score a touchdown. The Seahawks came back to tie the game early in the second quarter, but Washington’s offense then responded with a long scoring drive of their own.
It did not matter how well the Seahawks played. The Commanders capitalized off every mistake and didn’t let up. Washington forced three turnovers and got touchdowns after all of them. The Commanders converted 20 points from turnovers. This was the first game they scored 20 or more points off turnovers since Week 17 of the 2005 regular season. Washington also forced the Seahawks to commit a turnover on downs late in the second quarter.
Commanders head coach Dan Quinn is unfairly on the hot seat this season and an 0-2 start after week two made it warmer. Quinn, backup quarterback Marcus Mariota (who’s now 3-0 against Seattle) and an older Commanders defense had what could (or should be) their best game of their season. There is a lot to build off after Sunday’s win that will keep Washington relevant in the NFC East.
Talanoa Hufanga
Denver’s epic, comeback win on Sunday night will be one of the top games of the regular season, even if it was in week three. Although the Broncos offense had a sluggish start, they woke up in the second half and delivered. However, the offense would not have gotten the win if it wasn’t for the outstanding play of the defense led by safety Talanoa Hufanga.
Hufanga was on another level Sunday night. Signed by Denver last season, Talanoa Hufanga is one of the most underrated NFL safeties. If he stays healthy, he can go toe-to-toe with the best offenses. In a Sunday night home win versus Los Angeles, Hufanga recorded five tackles, one sack and two interceptions. His first one was returned for a touchdown and gave the Broncos their first lead of the game. His second pick was the last play of the game that sealed the stunning win.
The Denver defense has not been at the same elite level many have watched the last few seasons, but there are still valuable players who can turn a game around instantly. Talanoa Hufanga is one, and if the Broncos have aspirations to go back to the AFC championship game, they will need him at full health. Hufanga is more than capable of playing like this more often.
Losers: Joe Burrow
Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow is mostly an elite NFL passer. He has endured a lot of losses and lows despite reaching the Super Bowl and other meaningful highs in his six year career. There are also times when he’s the reason the Bengals have come up short and lost. Sunday was one of those times.
Burrow played a great road game Sunday. He completed 28 of 37 passes for 282 yards and three touchdowns. Joe Burrow kept Cincinnati in a divisional shootout game and did everything he was supposed to…except he committed a costly error on Cincinnati’s last possession of the game. Burrow fumbled the ball at mid-field and Pittsburgh recovered. Instead of the Bengals going for a game-winning score and cementing themselves as the best team in the AFC North, they lost and now every team in the division is tied at 2-1.
Joe Burrow is the Bengals best player, and he deserves heaps of praise. He also deserves a rightful amount of criticism. PFWA sports writer Scott Kacsmar found a fascinating statistic after the loss: Joe Burrow is 1-34 when (he and) the Bengals trail in the last eight minutes of an NFL game. We could say that’s on Cincinnati’s usually terrible defense, but 35 games seems an objective sample-size. Burrow’s supposed to be a clutch passer and franchise star under pressure. He is anything but when his team trails, and that’s an issue the team must address this season.
Houston Texans (specifically the defense)
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell gave us one of the best sports quotes this decade after his team lost to San Francisco back in the 2024 NFC championship game. After leading by double digits, San Francisco came back to win. Campbell knew the loss made the team look bad and told the media and players, “This might have been our only shot”. Everyone knows Campbell meant that one shot was to go to and win the Super Bowl. That’s the most accurate thing to think and talk about with this year’s Houston Texans.
Houston has never played well on the road in Indianapolis, but the Colts had not won a game in over ten months despite playing hard. The Texans had a wakeup call in a resounding loss against the Bengals in week two. One would expect more urgency in week three. That was not the case Sunday.
This is Houston’s second season starting 0-3 under head coach DeMeco Ryans. Last year, the defense played at a level many had not seen in the conference in almost a decade. This year feels different. The defense is not the same elite unit and struggles to create turnovers, shut down star receivers and keep opponents out of the endzone. Houston’s defense ended September with no interceptions, gave up 252.5 passing yards a game, 338 total yards a game and 37.5 points per game. That’s not an elite defense. That’s a defense teams like Chicago, Dallas and Detroit would covet and feel playoff hopes with.
There’s still a lot of time for the Texans to fix a lot of things on every side of the ball, but there are serious questions after a second straight sloppy start to the season for Houston. The defense should not have to fix a lot of the team’s issues, and the offensive line has to play better at the line of scrimmage. That might not happen given how a lot of teams were repeatedly told the Texans were Super Bowl caliber this season.
Tyler Shough
New Orleans has again enamored audiences by how competitive they play and how close they keep games no matter the opponent. At some point, the Saints offense must learn how to put opponents away late in the second half. That starts with sophomore starting quarterback Tyler Shough.
Shough completed 29 of 42 passes for 255 yards and four touchdowns. He looked like the best player on the field and was close to unstoppable. The undefeated Raiders’ defense struggled to get a read on Shough and couldn’t shake him mentally…until the fourth quarter.
A turnover-plagued fourth quarter allowed Las Vegas to get back into the game and steal a win in New Orleans. All of New Orleans’ possessions in the last quarter ended in turnovers. Three of those were on Tyler Shough.
The first one was a strip sack and recovery by defensive end Malcolm Koonce. The Raiders scored a touchdown and never trailed again after the turnover. The next possession, Shough was intercepted by cornerback Hezekiah Masses. Las Vegas scored another touchdown three plays later.
Tyler Shough wasn’t done though. This time it was safety Jeremy Chinn who forced a fumble the following possession and ended a four and a half minute drive. The recovery by cornerback Taron Johnson gave the Raiders the ball back for a minute, but the damage was done.
The NFC South will be a tight race all season and one or two wins could determine how early the division is won. If New Orleans doesn’t win the south, they can point to this game for why. Their offense, especially their starting quarterback, turned the ball over too many times instead of sealing an important home win.
It’s hard to have a spectacular follow-up week of games after the NFL’s regular season premiere, but week two didn’t disappoint. There were comebacks and interesting stories that will dominate headlines and progress the following months. Here is who and what stood out most after this season’s week two.
Winners: Green Bay Packers
Green Bay had not won a game in 286 days before Sunday. They had given up consecutive double digit leads to division rivals in back-to-back games. Head coach Matt LaFleur and starting quarterback Jordan Love faced constant criticism throughout all of 2026. The Packers needed a win to get back to .500.
Not only did Green Bay get a win Sunday, they won after trailing by ten points midway through the fourth quarter. Love found Christian Watson for a three yard touchdown the possession after the Jets extended their 17-7 lead. The Packers got the ball back after forcing another punt from New York and tied the game their following possession.
LaFleur and the offense could have mentally checked out after the Jets took a ten point lead. Instead, Green Bay rallied to win an overtime, road thriller. New York will be a better team this season, but they went through some growing pains against a veteran Packers team that is now tied for second in the NFC North.
Kyle Shanahan
Matt LaFleur wasn’t the only head coach who impressed in a win against an AFC East opponent Sunday. San Francisco dominated Miami in their first game back in the United States this season.
Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers left no doubt which team was superior start to finish. San Francisco jumped out to an early 14-6 lead to end the first half. The 49ers dominated the first two quarters so they could take as much time off the clock as possible. However, the undermanned Dolphins played hard and tried to keep the game close.
Shanahan made the necessary changes and San Francisco made it a rout in the second half. The 49ers scored three third quarter touchdowns and sealed an easy win before the fourth. Brock Purdy threw two touchdowns that quarter; one to tight-end George Kittle and the other to fullback Kyle Juszczyk. The second scoring pass capped off a five minute drive that exhausted all of Miami’s defensive players.
Many viewers did not think San Francisco would be undefeated after two games because of the mounting injury concerns. Free agent wide receiver addition Mike Evans left because of a hip injury in the dominant win yesterday. It is increasingly difficult to ignore the mounting injury concerns with the 49ers wide receiving room. They are even more thin after another game. Despite this serious analysis, head coach Kyle Shanahan guided San Francisco to another winning record that again seems next to impossible because of how competitive the NFC West is. It will be hard to beat the 49ers each week because of how the roster, no matter the replacements, is well-coached.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Few wide receivers can claim to be the NFL’s best. Fewer can dominate every facet on offense. When all is said and done, Seattle’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba could easily be the best wide receiver and offensive player the NFL sees every week.
After a week and a half off, the Seahawks played their first road and division game late Sunday afternoon. Arizona impressed many with a dominant road win in Los Angeles last week. Anyone who has paid attention to the NFL for a few years knows the Cardinals last beat Seattle almost five years ago. Jaxon Smith-Njigba made sure Arizona came up empty-handed again and even surpassed the Cardinals offense in total yards by himself.
Smith-Njigba dominated from the second snap of the Seahawks first offensive possession. He started the game with an 82 yard catch and run for a touchdown. Jaxon Smith-Njigba had 100+ yards before halftime despite a tie. The reigning Offensive Player of the Year came out the second half and gave Seattle their second lead of the afternoon the first possession. Smith-Njigba then added to the Seahawks lead to begin the fourth quarter and seal up another road win. Yesterday’s win was also Seattle’s 12th straight, their longest in franchise history.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is one of the hardest players to cover and get a read on. As FOX’s Tom Brady analyzed in last year’s playoffs, Smith-Njigba always hides what routes he’s running by keeping his body parallel, head and shoulders stiff, and not giving away any movements pre-snap. Arizona’s secondary struggled to cover him all afternoon and even franchise great safety Budda Baker had no solutions on how to eliminate Smith-Njigba one-on-one. The nine catch, 155 yard, three touchdown performance is an impressive stat-line, but the Seahawks’ best receiver plays a complete game whenever one watches him. It’s not a surprise he has all of Seattle’s receiving touchdowns two weeks into the season (He is the first receiver to have scored his team’s first four receiving touchdowns in a season since Minnesota’s Ahmad Rashad did in 1979).
Sunday Night Football
Indianapolis usually plays Kansas City well. The Colts are one of the few teams that give Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes II, Steve Spagnuolo and Travis Kelce heart palpitations no matter who is on their roster. Despite a devastating loss last season, Indianapolis came out swinging early Sunday night and didn’t let up.
Although the Chiefs have played two games this season, Sunday night’s home win could go down as their most impressive so far. Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo threw everything he could at Mahomes who still found a way to throw for over 300 yards and three touchdowns. Kenneth Walker III had another 100 yard night and the offense was elite in the redzone.
Despite Kansas City’s big stars playing well, the Colts either tied or took the lead several times. In overtime, Indianapolis nearly won the game on their only possession. Their decision to kick a field goal on fourth and eight after Spagnuolo’s defense smothered the previous three plays was smart. However, Mahomes is just different. He and Walker III led the offense the final possession in overtime and got enough yards for kicker Harrison Butker to attempt and make a 40 yard field goal.
Patrick Mahomes is undefeated in his eight, regular season overtime games. Sunday Night Football on NBC gave viewers one of, if not the best game in September. There have been valid criticisms of what games the NFL gives for the U.S.’ top country program early in the season, but there are none after week two. If anything, we should watch these two teams on primetime more often.
Losers: Jason Licht
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers ended their 50th season in franchise history on a dismal note. They bottomed out of the NFC South division race and gave up countless leads. The worst may have been the week 15 Thursday night loss to Atlanta when Kirk Cousins led a double digit comeback. Anyone with working eyes knew a head coaching change and a roster overhaul was inevitable. Yet, Tampa Bay’s front office and upper management decided to delay the inevitable and keep head coach Todd Bowles and most of the roster intact. Two weeks into the regular season, those delays have cost the team in many ways.
Cleveland came into Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium Sunday off a humiliating 34-10 loss to Jacksonville. Everything that could have gone wrong for the Browns off and on the field, did. The Buccaneers had nothing to worry about after losing a tight game to Cincinnati. All they had to do was handle business and make Cleveland’s offense uncomfortable. That worked for one half.
The second half was almost all about the Browns. Tampa Bay went up by ten after quarterback Baker Mayfield threw a five yard touchdown to sophomore star receiver Emeka Egbuka. The Buccaneers then lost control and made Deshaun Watson look like his old Houston self the rest of the game. Even with a two hour lightning storm delay, Tampa Bay could not complete a two-minute drive. They bumbled around on offense and gave up big chunk plays to less experienced playmakers on defense.
One could say this is all on head coach Todd Bowles for not having the Buccaneers ready to play better. This is on management, especially the Glazer family and general manager Jason Licht for delaying more serious moves in the offseason and not understanding this would carry over to begin the regular season. When Tampa’s all-time best receiver decided to move on and play for another NFC team, Licht should have recognized it was time for necessary, massive changes. Instead the Buccaneers top brass decided to sit on their hands, cross their fingers and hope last season was a mirage. Last season was a warning. Now it’s a nightmare.
The 2024 quarterback draft class
We are in the third season of the 2024 draft class leaving their mark on the NFL and while there have been highlights, it has mostly been a mess for the quarterback position. Usually there aren’t too many memorable weeks where a specific quarterback class makes headlines, but this one did Sunday. Almost none were for good reasons.
The 2024 quarterback class includes number one overall pick Caleb Williams, second overall pick Jayden Daniels, third overall pick Drake Maye, eighth overall pick Michael Penix Jr., tenth overall pick J.J. McCarthy, twelfth overall pick Bo Nix, and late rounders Spencer Rattler, Jordan Travis, Joe Milton, Devin Leary, and Michael Pratt. Clearly the late rounders are not starting on any of the 32 teams. Fine. Rattler did start for New Orleans last year, but couldn’t prove he was the guy who could keep the Saints competitive. The first round quarterbacks though were all supposed to be both good and starting worthy. Well, most are starting worthy, but all have faced unfortunate fates.
Sunday was bad luck for most of the starters. Both Williams and Daniels left their divisional bouts after suffering serious injuries. While Caleb Williams injured his hamstring running on a play deep in Minnesota territory, Jayden Daniels dislocated the same left elbow he injured last season. This time it was in Dallas before the first half ended. The injury was so outlandishly bad, it made FOX’s Tom Brady swear live on-air during the call re-play. While Williams and Daniels won’t be out the rest of the season, they will miss time and their teams will play more low-scoring games.
The other two quarterbacks who played Sunday also struggled. Defenses are adapting to Drake Maye and Pittsburgh became the newest team to halt the potent Josh McDaniels offense, limiting it to 13 points. Maye threw an interception and was sacked three times. Bo Nix again played a great half of a game, but he still struggles to play a full four quarters and dazzle both his coaches and audiences. One never knows when or which Nix will show up each game.
At least the previous four got to play. Michael Penix Jr. remains out with multiple leg injuries and his team plays like they miss him…or any good quarterback with a pulse. Finally, there’s J.J. McCarthy. By all appearance, he is an all-time bust up there with JaMarcus Russell, Ryan Leaf, Brodie Croyle, Johnny Manziel and Nathan Peterman in the Super Bowl-era.
All the quarterbacks (minus McCarthy) are all talented and can in theory lead their teams far into the playoffs if given the chance. The problem is none of them can stay healthy long enough for that to happen. This could become the most cursed quarterback class in a long time.
Baltimore Ravens defense
Baltimore has one of the most talented defenses in the NFL. They have a deep linebacker core, a fantastic secondary, and generate a lot of pressure on opposing quarterbacks and offenses. When head coach Jesse Minter was hired this offseason, the hope was he’d turn it back into a fearsome unit similar to the Ray Lewis-led days or what previous coordinator Mike Macdonald had three years ago. That could still happen, but the defensive issues stand out after an unexpected week two loss.
The Ravens led by eight points twice in their home game against New Orleans. Although the Saints kicked field goals to trim Baltimore’s lead multiple times, there was no threat of a lead change…until the fourth quarter. The Ravens defense forgot how to cover New Orleans’ receivers, gave up big plays, and played sloppy in their own redzone.
Baltimore’s defense gave up both a touchdown and a tying two-point conversion after a five and a half minute drive in the fourth quarter. What was worse was how the Saints didn’t get the conversion the first time. The Ravens committed a holding penalty that gave New Orleans a second attempt and the successful conversion after.
The most controversial play in the game was Tyler Shough’s one yard touchdown run on fourth-and-goal. There is an angle where Shough broke past the goal-line for the score, but many believed the touchdown didn’t count. The problem is if the play was reversed, defensive captain and middle linebacker Roquan Smith would have been flagged for a blatant face-mask penalty that would have been an automatic first and goal and a fresh new set of downs inside the one yard line. That would have been a probable touchdown for New Orleans anyway.
It was a sloppy sequence at the end and a mess of a second half for the Ravens defense. Baltimore’s defense should improve during the season, but that was a game that could keep the Ravens lower in the playoff seeding later in the year.
Second half Jacksonville Jaguars
Denver had a great, comeback home win against Jacksonville after Kansas City thumped them last Monday Night in Kansas City. Since the Broncos needed everything to go right in order to win, that meant everything that could go wrong for the Jaguars, did.
Both teams had four possessions each in the second half. Both got field goals their first possession. Denver still needed to get at least a touchdown against the hottest team in their conference. They got two.
The two touchdowns were only possible because Jacksonville’s offense gave the Broncos hope. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence was intercepted by cornerback Riley Moss. Denver tied the game after a five minute drive the following possession.
Yet, the Jaguars still had a chance to take a lead and shut down the Broncos offense after. However, kicker Cam Little missed a 54 yard field goal attempt and gave Denver the ball back at mid-field. The Broncos predictably went downfield and scored another touchdown to take a seven point lead. Jacksonville’s last gasp was a five play final drive that resulted in a punt.
The Jaguars could still be one of the AFC’s best teams this season, but by not closing out a winnable game on either side of the ball, Jacksonville showed why many viewers still don’t believe they are a serious championship contending team. Denver was humiliated by a division rival not even a full week ago and somehow the Jaguars could not capitalize off that. It will eat at them most of the season.
Except for the inevitable injury or two, the first week of the NFL regular season is typically mild. Not this week. 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 as teams settle in. Here are the winners and losers from Sunday’s games.
Winners: Aaron Glenn
New York has been terrible for a long time. The last time the Jets won a week one Sunday game was 2015 against Cleveland. A lot has changed since then.
After Sunday, Aaron Glenn finally has a winning record in the regular season. The Jets won a one-sided road game in Tennessee. They capitalized on the game’s first possession after Titans kicker Joey Slye kicked the ball out of bounds on the kickoff. Kenyon Sadiq’s three yard touchdown run put Tennessee in an early hole and let the Jets cruise to an easy win.
New York’s offense looked good. In Geno Smith’s second stint as starter with the team, he completed 19 of 24 passes for 215 yards and a 104 quarterback rating. Breece Hall had 22 carries for 102 yards and a touchdown. The offensive line dominated Tennessee’s defensive line.
On defense, the Jets sacked sophomore quarterback Cam Ward three times. While New York’s defense didn’t force a turnover, they suffocated the Titans offense. Tennessee had a total of 200 offensive yards and scored their lone touchdown when the game was decided late in the fourth quarter.
Last year was a miserable season for head coach Aaron Glenn. Despite some positives, management traded away valuable players and the team lost more confidence. Glenn needed a strong, opening week to show there has been progress since last season’s messes. He left no doubt about the positive changes Sunday.
Cincinnati Bengals defense
If Cincinnati is going to win the AFC North, the defense has to have to step up and improve in something. Well, the Bengals defense started the regular season with a solid performance against a talented Tampa Bay offense.
Cincinnati got their first lead of the game when defensive end Myles Murphy and linebacker Barrett Carter strip sacked Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield. Linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. recovered the ball and ran for a 27 yard touchdown.
Tampa Bay never recovered and was in panic mode most of the game. Their next possession, runningback Bucky Irving fumbled a catch and new Bengals defensive end and former Super Bowl champion Boye Mafe recovered the ball. Cincinnati capitalized on offense with another touchdown, taking a double digit lead.
The Bengals didn’t let up in the second half. Despite Cincinnati’s offense giving up an interception return touchdown in the third quarter, the defense forced another turnover when Mafe strip sacked Mayfield and defensive tackle T.J. Slayton Jr. recovered the ball. The Bengals gave up a late touchdown when the game was all but won. While the Buccaneers have more issues to address, Cincinnati can build off the week one progress.
Carson Wentz
Once Kyler Murray was named starting quarterback in Minnesota, the main question became who would back Murray up if things went downhill. Head coach Kevin O’Connell picked Carson Wentz at the last second and thankfully bumped J.J. McCarthy and Max Brosmer to the practice squad. That decision looks genius after Wentz led the Vikings to a stunning, double digit home opening win against division rival Green Bay.
Carson Wentz played most of the game after Murray left during the first possession because of a concussion. Wentz completed 12 of 19 passes for 133 yards and three touchdowns. Two of his scores came after the Packers took a 12 point lead early in the third quarter.
Minnesota doesn’t need a Pro-Bowl caliber quarterback. They need someone who can get the ball to a fantastic receiving core, balance the run-pass game, and not make mistakes or turn the ball over. Carson Wentz took three sacks in a physical divisional game, but he didn’t turn the ball over or do anything that could harm the team. The long-time veteran needed some confidence after the constant lows suffered from previous seasons. This comeback win should make both Wentz and Minnesota interesting to watch the rest of September.
Philadelphia Eagles offense
There is a lot of pressure on Philadelphia’s offense to be better than they were last season. With A.J. Brown traded to New England (and now out for at least a month with an ankle injury), the Eagles offense needed a convincing performance and to not be a punching bag for both local and national sports media. Philadelphia will delay those conversations for at least another week.
The Eagles offense played well Sunday afternoon against division rival Washington. Quarterback Jalen Hurts completed 14 of 25 passes for 203 yards and three touchdowns. The receiving trio of Dallas Goedert, Dontayvion Wicks and Devonta Smith combined for nine catches for 203 yards and three touchdowns. Wicks and Smith had some great catches and plays near the sidelines that dazzled Commanders defenders.
What might be a relief and the most positive news was how great runningback Saquon Barkley looked. The former rushing champion had 15 rushes for 83 yards. While it wasn’t an all-time great performance, Barkley looked like the elite runner everyone remembered before 2025. If the Eagles get this version of Barkley moving ahead and the receiving core continues to play well, Philadelphia will be hard to beat.
Losers: Ian-Yates Cunningham
It will be agonizing to keep up with the NFC South division race most of this season. As was written in the 2026 NFC playoff picks, there is a lot to like for each of the four teams, but there is as much that will drag all four down the rest of the calendar year. Atlanta may have the fewest roster weaknesses, but they have the biggest one of any four teams: no quarterback. That issue goes up to the Falcons front office and general manager Ian-Yates Cunningham.
To re-cap the current quarterback issues, Atlanta let go of Kirk Cousins because they wanted Michael Penix Jr. to be the franchise starting quarterback. That’s a nice idea, but it turns out Penix can’t stay healthy. Then Cunningham went out and signed Tua Tagovailoa in free agency, brought in Cooper Rush as a third option and added undrafted rookie Jack Strand to the practice squad. Someone had to emerge as the de facto starter.
Turns out, the starter picked was Cooper Rush. Since this is the Falcons, it’s fitting Rush was also dealing with injuries before Sunday’s kickoff. Atlanta could have promoted the undrafted rookie Strand to start his first NFL game, but the Falcons fear that if Strand’s good, that would de-rail any chance of Michael Penix Jr./Tua Tagovailoa getting their chance to be franchise stars. While that sounds bizarre for readers not used to watching the NFL, both latter players were high, first round picks that have stood out over the last two years. Yet, neither can stay healthy. And that showed how not having a competent starting quarterback doomed any chance for Atlanta to play well.
Pittsburgh took advantage of that deficiency and won an ugly, low-scoring home game. Viewers who watched that mess all agreed Atlanta is a wreck and their lack of quarterback talent is going to doom any chance the team has of winning the division. Those issues start with management flailing about while adding any washed up, injury prone passer they could find.
Carolina Panthers defense
In many ways, Cincinnati and Carolina are in the same boat when it comes to their atrocious defenses. The Panthers had the worst defense in 2024 and things have barely improved since. While the Bengals added players in the offseason, they haven’t been hit with injuries yet. Carolina did in pre-season and in on-field practices, and it showed in a wild, shootout home loss against Chicago.
In the Panthers’ first game of the regular season, they gave up more than 500 yards of offense. The Bears scored 50+ points for the first time since 2012. Their 59 points were the most in an NFL season opener. Chicago’s six rushing touchdowns were the most in a season opener for the franchise and the first for a team since the 1922 Canton Bulldogs. Two runningbacks had 100+ yard performances. Carolina’s defense was a sieve start to finish.
Injuries may play a factor for how bad the Panthers defense could be for a few months this season, but no team should be giving up multiple NFL records on an opening day game. If Carolina’s defense is this bad in their next two games (Atlanta and Cleveland), we could witness the worst defense in league history.
C.J. Stroud IV
This website does a great job at objectivity when it comes to a player and team’s total play. It’s rare to find a player on here (not a kicker) be blamed for one or two specific plays and wind up right in the loser’s column. Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud IV unfortunately deserves to be here.
Believe it or not, Stroud had a good game against Buffalo. The Bills and Texans went blow for blow, and he stepped up almost every time. The key word here is almost. This is what has gotten C.J. Stroud a lot of deserved criticism: he cannot get the job done when it matters most. Houston’s last possession of the game was a great example.
Stroud’s last two plays before Buffalo won will be talked about all week, if not all month. A third down incompletion was thrown too hard and fast for number one receiver Nico Collins. His fourth down blunder stands out most. C.J. Stroud was about to be sacked by defensive end Greg Rousseau. However, Stroud fumbled the ball and Buffalo’s Terrell Bernard recovered it. The Bills ran out the clock and won.
Many will say Houston’s defense is another main reason Buffalo won. The Texans defense does not appear to be the same elite unit we watched last year. When Houston could have gone to the Super Bowl with that defense, Stroud played awful in a forgettable divisional round loss in New England. C.J. Stroud wants to get paid a lot of money in an upcoming contract extension. Houston general manager Nick Caserio and the front office won’t budge until Stroud proves he is worth the money. That final drive in a grueling week one loss is ammunition for Caserio’s case and a big reason why Stroud may not get that lavish extension.
Los Angeles Chargers
There were a few week one games many analysts believed would be easy decisions. Arizona versus Los Angeles was one of them. The Cardinals have one of the hardest schedules this season and were predicted to win three games max because of it. The Chargers are supposed to be a playoff team that can get to at least the divisional round. Neither team played like it Sunday.
Los Angeles didn’t just lose to Arizona. They were spanked start to finish. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Cardinals rookie head coach Mike LaFleur became the first Arizona full-time coach to win his debut since Don Coryell in 1973. Many believed new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel would make the Chargers one of the NFL’s best offenses each week. LaFleur’s Cardinals overwhelmed them on all but two possessions. Franchise star quarterback Justin Herbert threw a frantic interception and was sacked three times. Arizona’s defense rattled Herbert every chance they got and stifled what used to be a strong running game.
The Chargers defense kept the game close, but special teams were the key in Arizona pulling away for a double digit win. JK Scott’s punt was blocked by both Arizona and Los Angeles players. The Cardinals scored a touchdown two plays after, and the Chargers never scored again.
If Los Angeles wants to be a serious contender in both their division and conference, they must beat teams not favored to reach the playoffs. The Chargers have the talent, but they look disorganized or uncommitted to winning like several teams in the AFC are. Los Angeles will regret this loss the closer we get to January.
The NFC didn’t just win two straight championships, they demolished their AFC opponents. Philadelphia crushed the AFC best Chiefs two years ago. At one point, they led 40-6 in their game. Then Seattle whooped New England. The Patriots didn’t score until the fourth quarter, and the Seahawks sacked regular season MVP candidate Drake Maye six times. Seattle lost three games last season by a total of nine points. Head coach Mike Macdonald became the eighth head coach in NFL history to win a Super Bowl in his first postseason appearance. The Seahawks and Eagles are the undoubted favorites in the NFC to go far in the playoffs this year.
However, the conference isn’t just a two team race. Many see the Los Angeles Rams as the Super Bowl representative this year. The entire NFC North will be up for grabs and at least one team won’t make the postseason. Dallas, Carolina and Tampa Bay are seen as playoff contenders. Every division race will be a slugfest and have a lot of drama.
Unfortunately, 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.
NFC West: Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams
The reigning Super Bowl champion Seahawks brought most of last year’s roster back, including Leonard Williams (left, contract extension) and DeMarcus Lawrence (who announced this is his last season).
There is no doubt two teams make the playoffs in the NFC West. Unlike last season, there won’t be a three team race for first place. Arizona will be a bottom three team in the league and San Francisco’s long mess of a calendar year will continue. Seattle and Los Angeles are two of the three titans in the conference that eyes will lock onto and the NFL will push to the forefront. While both teams play each other twice in the last three weeks of the regular season, pressure will mount each month and both team philosophies will constantly clash in sports media.
East: Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys
Head coach Nick Sirianni surprisingly has a lot of pressure on him to do well this season despite getting Philadelphia into the playoffs every year since his hiring and a Super Bowl championship. Despite the harsh criticisms, the offense and defense must play better this year.
Philadelphia is the other juggernaut in this conference and will be a favorite to advance past wild-card weekend. The Eagles traded receiver A.J. Brown after a drama-filled 2025-26 season, replaced their offensive and defensive coordinators, and revamped the offensive line. Better play-calling and play from the offense and secondary should erase speculation of how good head coach Nick Sirianni is at his job.
It is tempting to go with a more talked about team this offseason like New York or if Washington can climb back to where they left off two years ago, but neither seems favorable. The Giants still have a messy roster and the older, more decrepit unit the Commanders trot out won’t be enough to sniff the postseason. That leaves Dallas as a good wildcard pick.
Former Eagles defensive backs coach Christian Parker should have some success this year after Dallas’ defense set franchise and league worst records last season.
The Cowboys wound up surprising viewers last year after the offense and special teams dragged them to a sub-.500 record. Quarterback Dak Prescott was in MVP conversations for half the season and kicker Brandon Aubrey cemented himself as one of the league’s best kickers. The defense was dreadful, but more talent was added this offseason. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer has his players fully committed into practices and games. Though the offense and special teams might not be as stellar this season, the defense should improve and make sure there are some easier wins. That would be good enough to get Dallas back into the postseason.
South: New Orleans Saints
New Orleans is a playoff contender because of head coach Kellen Moore’s optimism and thoroughness.
Yet again, the NFC south will be awful. Do not be surprised if another sub-.500 team makes it out with a home game next wildcard weekend. The true headache is figuring out which team will win this division. All four teams have plenty of weaknesses, but some are too much to look past. Atlanta has no starting caliber quarterback to make a difference, which is a shame because the current roster would give many teams fits in the playoffs if any of the NFL’s top 20 quarterbacks were on the Falcons. Tampa Bay is already fractured because of last year’s dismal end to the regular season and a worse offseason. Carolina will be most analysts’ pick, but season ending injuries to most of their incoming draft class and defensive talent means this could be another year of dreadful play from the Panthers. There is one team that stands out though.
That would be New Orleans. Yes, the Saints are not fully stable at quarterback yet, but they play hard and are coached well. Kellen Moore made the most out of a terrible situation last year and New Orleans almost made the playoffs in the last two weeks of the regular season. Tyler Shough is a work in progress but proved to viewers he can win crucial games, especially in the division. That might be enough to squeak into the fourth conference seed if the defense and offensive talent around Shough keep improving.
NFC North: Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears
Kyler Murray (with ball) is back to full health and on a new, more competitive team. Thankfully, that means audiences don’t have to watch J.J. McCarthy or Max Brosmer anymore.
At first glance, the North seems the most competitive division in this conference. A closer look shows it’s a two team race. Green Bay is in serious trouble over the Micah Parsons trade and a regressing offense. Detroit’s defense is already banged up and a regular season game hasn’t been played yet. The Lions can’t beat teams by outscoring them with outrageous numbers every week. That leaves Minnesota and Chicago as the two competent teams.
The Vikings already have an elite defense thanks to coordinator Brian Flores. They also have a good special teams unit. What they needed was a quarterback who didn’t play blind, untalented or as the common civilian like J.J. McCarthy or Max Brosmer do. Minnesota signed Kyler Murray, Arizona’s former 2019 number one overall pick. Murray is debatably the best running/scrambling quarterback on an NFL roster. With Kyler Murray out of the west and with a more competent head coach in Kevin O’Connell, he could put up career best numbers this season. There is a lot of pressure on the Vikings to make a deep playoff run, and the players feel and want it. Minnesota could surprise many throughout the year.
Chicago’s Ben Johnson could have the last laugh on which teams face each other in the playoffs.
Then there is Chicago. The Bears had a whole lot of luck last season and were at least a DJ Moore catch away against Los Angeles from making the conference championship. A number of analysts believe the Bears will come back down to earth and have some regression. There are valid reasons: the pass rush and run defense look to be among the lower half of the league, and it doesn’t help that Chicago lost a good amount of talent in their secondary. Still, the offense should make progress and play consistently for all four quarters more than they did last season. Special teams and scheduling will be questioned each week. Since the Bears wound up first in the north last year, it will take a lot more skill to repeat as division champions. Chicago has more going for it than Green Bay and Detroit, and there isn’t another NFC team able to step up or close the gap even if the Bears are in a slump. A wildcard spot is just right in Johnson’s second season as head coach.
Total 2025-2026 regular and postseason NFC picks: 7-6
The last two years have been tough for the American Football Conference. Despite more competition with Kansas City, the AFC is much weaker compared to the NFC. That weakness has led all 16 teams in this conference to re-think and approach roster construction differently. While the Chiefs, Bills, Ravens and Texans are favorites to reach the Super Bowl, at least a half dozen other teams are playoff hopefuls, and two plan to defend their conference championship appearance. Of the four divisions, the west is the strongest. Meanwhile, the other three divisions could have any team come up on top and no wild card team make the postseason.
As all 16 AFC teams prepare for another season, the conference must continue to address their management issues, roster construction/adjustments, and how to win another Super Bowl. It’s time to break down which seven teams in the AFC have the best chance of reaching the playoffs in 2027.
AFC North: Baltimore Ravens
A fully healthy Lamar Jackson (8) and new head coach with better game-planning makes Baltimore the easiest choice to win the north.
No team was sicker Seattle’s head coach Mike Macdonald won Super Bowl 60 last season than the Baltimore Ravens. Macdonald was the architect of an elite, shut-down defense before the Seahawks hired him (after letting go of their all-time winningest head coach Pete Carroll) in 2024 and the Ravens continued to support John Harbaugh. Owner Steve Bisciotti quickly fired Harbaugh and brought in the closest coach/person to Mike Macdonald they could find: Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. Minter was also on Baltimore’s staff when Macdonald ran the defense.
This season, Baltimore should return to what many were used to seeing from them before the last two seasons. Jesse Minter will have some rough patches, but the veteran, exceptionally talented roster will make his first year as a head coach smoother than what most first year hires will have. What helps Minter more now will be how the other three north teams won’t be much of a factor toward their division winning paths. Any positive gains Cleveland and Pittsburgh make on offense this season will be erased by their depleted or older defenses. Cincinnati is elite on offense and special teams, but they have no linebacker or secondary depth. That will be exposed as the season goes on and injuries become a factor.
East: Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots
Buffalo is taking a chance with their Super Bowl window after they hired a new, inexperienced head coach take over. Former head coach Sean McDermott got the Bills close to multiple championship appearances.
The east could be the hardest division to figure out in the conference this season. Yes, Buffalo and New England are the front runners to win the division. However, both teams could face a series of setbacks this season. While the Bills have a new head coach and more importantly, a season long experiment switching from a 4-3 defensive scheme to a 3-4 one, they are more poised to win the east.
Buffalo’s Joe Brady will have a lot to prove this season. Like New England, the Bills will have a rough first half to their schedule. One positive they have over the Patriots is the lack of off-field distractions. Buffalo also addressed their position needs in the offseason, adding receiver DJ Moore, linebacker Bradley Chubb, center Lloyd Cushenberry and safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson. The Bills could have a slow start, but watch out the closer we get to 2027.
A.J. Brown was the most coveted player by New England’s front office, coaching staff and…Diana Russini? What a season this will be for the Patriots.
While Buffalo will be scrutinized for their play, New England will be criticized and watched closely on and off the field. General manager Eliot Wolf had a great off-season, adding more talent at wide receiver with the signing of Romeo Doubs and trading for disgruntled Philadelphia star A.J. Brown. Wolf also bulked up the defense by signing turnover magnet safety Kevin Byard III and linebacker Dre’Mont Jones. In many ways, the Patriots have a better roster than they did last season.
Despite New England’s active offseason, they will have a rough time this year. The Diana Russini scandal that almost every major sports outlet, journalist and reporter tried to downplay and cover up in the offseason will be in front of every NFL fandoms’ mind, especially with fanbases of teams New England plays this year. Speaking of schedule, the Patriots one is just as vicious as Buffalo’s. New England may not have won the Super Bowl last season, but they still went to the championship round and won a conference championship. They have just as large a target on their back as Seattle, Los Angeles and Denver. This could be a great season for the Patriots, but it could also be a hellacious year that won’t ease up on or off the field. As Mike Vrabel could learn from his predecessor, sometimes less is more.
South: Houston Texans
Houston made a smart move this season extending defensive end Will Anderson Jr. He’s a reason the Texans have one of the NFL’s best defenses.
On paper, the South is the second best division in the AFC. On the field, there are both a lot of inexperience and question marks. Tennessee will have more growing pains on the offensive line, defense and special teams. Indianapolis has a decaying roster and Jacksonville will face regression on both offense and defense.
That means Houston is the de facto best team. The Texans beefed up depth on the offensive line and wide receiver after last year’s season ending injuries to Nico Collins and Dalton Schultz. On defense, Houston retains almost all their star playmakers in the secondary and even added more talent like former Philadelphia safety and defensive captain Reed Blankenship. Starting quarterback C.J. Stroud IV now has no excuses heading into his fourth season. If he plays poorly this year and the Texans don’t have a deep playoff run, Houston will look for another quarterback to compliment a Super Bowl worthy roster.
West: Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Denver Broncos
Kansas City’s odds to return to the Super Bowl improved when they signed Super Bowl 60 MVP Kenneth Walker III in free agency.
Great news everybody! No prediction in the AFC West this year about every team making the playoffs! Las Vegas should have a bold and educational first season with Klint Kubiak as head coach, but the other three teams will capitalize on the Raiders’ early season mistakes to keep them at the bottom for now. The other three teams are serious contenders to at least make it to the divisional round.
Kansas City will again lead the way. Until head coach Andy Reid’s brain stops working, quarterback Patrick Mahomes II can’t throw a ball anymore or defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo forgets what a defense is, the Chiefs will remain the favorites to go all the way in the conference. Love it or hate it, that is how all 15 teams in the AFC see it every season. Mahomes back to full health is the deciding factor for which team takes the division.
Could this be the season six year veteran Justin Herbert finally wins a playoff game?
Kansas City will have two teams in the division nipping at their heels. Throughout most of the Reid-Mahomes era, Denver and Los Angeles have played them close, and this year will be no different. The Chargers look to at least be second best in the west with the addition of former head coach Mike McDaniel at offensive coordinator. Los Angeles should have one of the best offenses in the NFL…if they can get past a brutal seven game schedule that has them facing Buffalo, reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle, Denver, Kansas City, the Rams, Houston, and Baltimore. If the Chargers leave that seven game stretch over .500, they will coast into the playoffs.
Los Angeles could lose out on the division title because of the defense and special teams. New defensive coordinator Chris O’Leary has his hands full with an aging defense that features solid depth but no standout players outside of safety Derwin James Jr. and tackle Teair Tart. Jesse Minter made Los Angeles’ defense one of the more appreciated units in the NFL. O’Leary’s defense may not feature a lot of the same creativity and precision. As for the special teams, kicker Cameron Dicker had one of his best years last season. Those who have followed the NFL for a while are aware the Chargers have been plagued by special teams problems when everything else goes well and no one expects it. Given how great they were last year, a regression is likely.
Expect this look on Sean Payton’s face for a good part of the 2026-27 season!
It was hard to pick which NFL team would round out the top seven in this conference. Any of the south teams (after Houston) have a good case to be playoff bound. The Jets are a great dark horse pick, but they don’t have the talent to enter this conversation. That leaves Denver, which will be an interesting team to watch throughout the season.
Like New England, the Broncos will face more resistance just for playing in the conference championship. While Denver played an ugly game outside of their first score, they took out the Super Bowl favorite Bills and upended the franchise’s title aspirations with Sean McDermott as head coach. The Broncos will also face similar offensive issues much like they did last season with quarterback play. Inconsistent starter Bo Nix returns after he broke his leg earlier in January.
The biggest issue Denver could face is with play-calling. Offensive coordinator Davis Webb will call plays instead of head coach Sean Payton because Payton desperately wanted him to stay on staff. Sean Payton will have to give Webb a good amount of autonomy throughout the season since the promotion, but many wonder if that will be the case the longer the season goes and Denver plays to secure a high playoff seed, much less a playoff game. Expect a lot of Broncos drama this season, but enough determination from them to clinch one of the lower two wildcard seeds.
Total 2025-2026 regular and postseason AFC picks: 7-6
This article contains multiple opinions that have been supported and given the green light by the editor, promoter and owner of this website. These views contain the true thoughts and happiness of the writer regarding one of America’s top sports teams.
The 2025-2026 NFL season was unlike any other. Every week was wild and there were few consistencies. Both Super Bowl participants from the prior season struggled almost every week they played. Three of the eight divisions had at three teams that could make a deep run in the playoffs. The number of comebacks defied expectations.
Yet one consistency remained: Seattle played like the best team even in a loss. In the game that wound up being the Seahawks worst loss and lowest moment of the year, the offense turned the ball over five times against Los Angeles on November 16th. Still, Seattle was yards away from sweeping the Rams despite kicker Jason Myers missing a 61 yard field goal attempt. Every franchise painfully longs for that consistency in a landmark Super Bowl year.
So what made the Seahawks second Super Bowl championship a contender for the best or most special moment in franchise history? Was it the dominant defense in a second year head coach’s tenure? How about playing almost every important game in the NFL’s most feared stadium? Maybe it was beating almost a dozen teams that won at least eight games during the season, with at least eight of them against teams with double digit wins? Could it have been because Seattle was in the top ten of almost every major statistic on all three sides of the ball?
The Seahawks got to claim division rival San Francisco’s home locker room as their own throughout Super Bowl week. Just another reason Seattle had the best and most special season in franchise history.
All of those are a yes, but there was a lot more to appreciate. The Seahawks dominated/won every game they were supposed to. Quarterback Sam Darnold exorcised his “ghosts” against pivotal teams from Minnesota, San Francisco, Los Angeles and New England. The offensive line was the best since the 2005 Super Bowl run. Two thorough beatdowns of the 49ers wounded the northern California franchise…which had to host and watch their pacific northwest division rivals win a Super Bowl in their home stadium. For all the traveling Seattle does each season, it was poetic that the furthest they had to travel in the last month of the season was to Santa Clara, California (twice).
The other two division rivals fared no better. Arizona was the only NFC West team the Seahawks swept. Los Angeles went from thinking Seattle would be easy to beat to having two postgame meltdowns in their losses at the Emerald City. Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald not only out dueled Rams head coach Sean McVay when it mattered most, but he made Los Angeles spiral mentally top to bottom. There’s a chance star receiver Puka Nacua is in a similar situation as former receiver Antonio Brown with his rapidly deteriorating mental acuity. Outside linebacker Jared Verse admitted once the Seahawks got the edge early in the conference championship, the Rams defense had no idea how to flip things around. Now the Rams must figure out what has to be fixed on every side of the ball compared to how things were in mid-January.
When it came to Super Bowl hopefuls, Seattle played some of their best football of the season. A closer game than many expected against Jacksonville ended as a double digit win because of turnovers and Jaguar special teams mistakes. The Seahawks defense treated Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud IV like a punching bag in a dominant October 20th Monday night 27-19 win. A run heavy, one-sided performance in San Francisco lit up the final week of the regular season. If any team wanted to beat the Seahawks, they needed every one dialed in with some luck and maybe bad officiating to get a close win. That almost never happened.
Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald created a helmet tree at the beginning of the 2025-26 season to create more winning motivation. More teams could try and replicate something like this next year.
Maybe the sweetest thing about this Super Bowl win is that unlike 2013-14, it was completely unexpected. Unlike the Super Bowl 48 season, every serious sports analyst (including the ones here on jdsportscorner) had Mike Macdonald’s team as a wild card team at best. Most believed the defense and special teams were great, but the offense was a big question mark with a rookie left guard as the highlight new player. “Everyone” knew Sam Darnold may have won 14 games with the Vikings the year before, but he didn’t show up in games where the stakes were raised. The losses of talented pass catchers D.K. Metcalf, Noah Fant and offensive captain Tyler Lockett meant third year wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba would be the main receiver. Outside of Smith-Njigba and maybe second year tight-end AJ Barner, who could step up at wide receiver or tight-end and put opposing secondaries on their heels? This was an objective, reasonable and well-thought out take and question many analysts had.
This is why general manager John Schneider earned the Executive of the Year award. Drafting receiver Tory Horton (even though he was on injured reserve half the season) was an underrated, perfect pick. The trade for receiver and returner Rashid Shaheed changed the season’s trajectory. The signing of veteran, division rival Cooper Kupp did wonders for everyone on the roster who could catch a pass. Kupp played his best in every important game. Then the running game finally broke out with Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet splitting carries and responsibilities throughout the season. When one faltered, the other came in and put the offense back on track.
There were franchise and league records set in this dominant Super Bowl run. Seattle’s average playoff win margin was 18.3, the highest since their twin Buccaneers in 2003. The Seahawks had the most road wins for any team in Levi’s Stadium history with nine. They trailed for only 95 seconds the entire postseason, the best since 1991 Washington and easily the best this century. Seattle became the first Super Bowl champion to not have a turnover the entire playoffs. Defensive coordinator Aden Durde became the first British coach to win a Super Bowl. Head coach Mike Macdonald became the first head coach to win a Super Bowl as the primary defensive play-caller. Macdonald won a championship in dominant fashion on his first trip to the playoffs as a head coach like another NFC west rival head coach did. That coach was Bill Walsh. Mike Macdonald is also the third head coach to lead a number one scoring defense as a coordinator, lead a number one scoring defense as a coach and win the Super Bowl as a head coach. The other two? Bill Belichick and Chuck Noll.
Even before the season ended, teams like Baltimore and Las Vegas were trying to find the next Mike Macdonald
All of this speaks volumes to how much care and consideration have been put into the Seahawks under current owner Jody Allen. Personally, my favorite thing with Seattle this year is how all the players don’t just like, love and care about each other, but they also like, love and care about the whole fanbase. When I was in Nashville for Seattle’s 30-24 win against the Titans on November 23rd, I saw firsthand how the players and coaches love and enjoy interacting with regular people. A guy next to me was promised by cornerback Tariq Woolen he’d sign his hat and shirt. Woolen, jokingly hoping to not get caught, was more than thrilled to talk with us and interact with those around us. I found out live that AJ Barner purposely loves finding fans after games just to interact with them. The first thing Barner did after exiting Nissan Stadium was to head over and say hello to fans, sign things and chat with those in nearest proximity to him. Defensive tackle Leonard Williams, punter Michael Dickson and kicker Jason Myers instantly lit up seeing the fans near the locked gate near the team buses. There were even parents of players like tight end Elijah Arroyo who took pictures with fans even before leaving for the airport. Then there’s me, the person writing this article, and fan-guy for the day who chanted for Mike Macdonald to be coach of the year. We saw Macdonald smile and fight temptation to turn around and say something. Unfortunately, he kept his composure. Macdonald probably got a lot of that this season in King County, Washington. He probably never expected that in Nashville, Tennessee.
From easier, regular season wins to the Super Bowl parade, star players like Jaxon Smith-Njigba to rookies like Grey Zabel didn’t think for a second they were better than anyone else outside the field or inside the building. In fact, when Zabel struck a conversation with Williams during a game late in the regular season on how to improve against an opposing guard, the veteran listened to his teammate. Many learned after that moment that both players helped and talked with each other throughout the season, suggesting how they could improve and what to keep in mind. The coaches, higher management, personnel and security turned words to actions on practicing what they preach, and it showed with the players every day.
Speaking of higher management, Seattle’s ownership could change by the end of the 2026-2027 season. If that is the case and say, things don’t improve (I knocked on wood after writing this), it makes this dominant Super Bowl win even more special. The Allens turned an afterthought team into one of the NFL’s most coveted organizations, continually changing how the game is played. The NFL also has made the Seahawks a team to promote on at least three different continents both in and outside the U.S. If you don’t believe ownership has changed much, then check out the image below.
Paul Allen’s ownership turned the Seahawks into a bona fide winner after the NFL re-aligned divisions in 2002. Seattle has only had one last place season in their 24 year history as an NFC team. Their stadium is fully paid off and generates surplus revenue for the public. That stadium is also the envy of the NFL, and several owners have tried to replicate the designs. The Seahawks also have one thing few teams claim in the sport: a total monopoly over their region and nearby out-of-state markets. That doesn’t happen if Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen didn’t buy the team in 1997.
It wouldn’t be a memorable, unforgettable season without a few cherries on top. Seattle dominating, winning and being the NFL’s face of the season means more on a special anniversary. This year, both the Buccaneers and Seahawks celebrated their 50th NFL anniversary. While both teams have many differences, they both won two titles each in their first 50 years of existence. Most teams can only dream of just playing in one Super Bowl. It’s incredible both franchises have accomplished this much after a rough few decades last century.
More milestones stand out for Seattle more than for Tampa Bay. On the 20th anniversary of a painful, controversial Super Bowl 40 loss, the Seahawks soared back and won their second title. Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Steelers, who won that controversial Super Bowl 20 years ago, lost one of their best head coaches in franchise history, imploded in the wildcard round, face a major roster re-build over the next few seasons, and had the lowest grade and worst rated owner in what’s likely the final release of the NFLPA’s franchise report cards. Over a decade ago in what many still consider the best Super Bowl played, Seattle lost after an agonizing set of plays to New England. Not only did the Seahawks get to settle the score, but they capped off an odd season for the Patriots. New England started their season with a week one loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, led by former Seattle head coach Pete Carroll and quarterback Geno Smith. They ended their season with a Super Bowl loss to the Seahawks. When retired Patriot and Buccaneer great Tom Brady enjoyed calling national games in Seattle to the point he didn’t want to pick a Super Bowl winner, it should have shown more viewers how much he respects and to a degree, appreciates the franchise.
Finally, while many don’t know this, another factor making this a particularly special season, especially for those in the organization, was how many beloved people were lost throughout the year. For anyone who either didn’t have the chance to watch the victory parade or didn’t know, a lot of players and front office staff lost their fathers throughout the season. While it is saddening that a good number of parents didn’t get to see their sons become world champions, best believe they would be proud of how dominant, relentless and determined they were throughout the year. Maybe Seattle can do what they have not done before and follow up with a repeat championship. Perhaps there are a lot more moments for that victory than this one. Still, it will never take away how great this second Super Bowl win was and the plethora of once-in-a-lifetime moments and memories.
Be honest, you know you expected a goal-line reference at some point while reading the article. One does not simply lie on this website.
The Super Bowl features the best team in each conference. Seattle and New England mirror each other in their running games, solid quarterback play and total defense. Both offensive and defensive lines play better each week and the secondaries know when to shut down receivers. It is now time to reveal which team has the best chance of winning the Vince Lombardi trophy and why.
#1 Seattle Seahawks v. #2 New England Patriots
The NFC’s top seed and the AFC’s second seed both excel in running the ball, executing deep-ball plays and have a lot of speedy playmakers. These combinations may result in one of the best games of the year. It is an unexpected sequel to the championship matchup from 11 years ago. Although both head coaches have defensive-first philosophies (the first since Super Bowl 51), the names in this re-match are different.
Like the last time these teams met in Super Bowl 49, both the winner of this game and the champion of the 2025-26 season will be determined by which team’s defense makes the bigger plays and forces the quarterback to make more mistakes. Pass rush is the most important factor because of how well both teams run the ball. Seattle has better depth at the edge-rusher positions and at defensive tackle. One big disadvantage could be veteran linebacker DeMarcus Lawrence against left tackle Will Campbell. Lawrence is one of the best and smartest outside linebackers who is feared by several tackles. He finds ways to beat and get past them. Campbell was surprisingly the fourth overall pick in this year’s draft. He was picked higher than many predicted despite his shorter arms and wingspan. The Patriots have had a drop-back success rate of 39.8% and a rushing success rate of 31.7% in their three playoff games. That would have ranked second-to-last and last if it were during the regular season. Seattle’s front wall of Lawrence, Byron Murphy II, Jarran Reed, Brandon Pili, Uchenna Nwosu, Boye Mafe, Derick Hall and Leonard Williams ranked eighth in sacks and were third against the run. Any pass rush where the front four can generate tons of pressure without assistance is dangerous for any opposing offense. Believe they will take advantage of New England’s weaknesses almost every snap.
If Patriots quarterback Drake Maye finds open receivers and hangs in the pocket long enough to read the field, he’ll have to beat a deep Seahawks secondary. Receivers Stefon Diggs, Kayshon Boutte and Mack Hollins, and tight-ends Austin Hooper and Hunter Henry give most secondaries problems. They bring a lot of experience and precise route running. Seattle can easily counter with their defensive back depth that features Devon Witherspoon, Quandre Diggs, Coby Bryant, Josh Jobe, Julian Love, Ty Okada, Tariq Woolen, Shaquill Griffin, and defensive rookie of the year Nick Emmanwori. It will be hard for Maye to find a receiver who isn’t in double coverage every passing play.
On the opposite end, the Patriots front seven struggled to sack opposing quarterbacks throughout the season, but stepped up and averaged four in their last three playoff games. They’re sixth best against the run. However, New England hasn’t faced an offensive line like the Seahawks. Seattle’s whole line is healthy and has received high ratings against end rushers. The runningback tandem of Kenneth Walker III and George Holani will be a problem since the Patriots face a mismatch at the line of scrimmage.
The Seahawks passing attack has been one of the NFL’s best this season. Tight-ends A.J. Barner, Eric Saubert and Elijah Arroyo could dominate the middle of the field against the Patriots linebackers. Receivers like the 2026 Offensive Player of the Year and league leader in yards Jaxon Smith-Njigba, former Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp and deep-field threat Rashid Shaheed could be too much for New England’s Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis III and Marcus Jones. Smith-Njigba got the better of Gonzalez the last time they played and both Smith-Njigba and Kupp don’t give away routes or hints at the line of scrimmage. Quarterback Sam Darnold has had brutal games against the Patriots in the past, and with head coach Mike Vrabel having a similar playbook as his predecessor, there are valid reasons to believe Darnold could have a turnover filled game. Despite the valid takes, there is no doubt Vrabel will have his hands full against these receivers when he calls defensive plays.
As in every Super Bowl, coaching will determine who wins this game. Both Mike Vrabel and Mike Macdonald know how to make adjustments, listen to their players and get creative with play-calling. Although Vrabel is one of the best head coaches to come from the Bill Belichick tree, Macdonald gets the nod here. New England had the easiest schedule (via every NFL schedule predictor) in the regular and postseason. A season split versus the Buffalo Bills were the hardest games the Patriots played. Seattle played 12 teams that won eight games or more. Of those wins, three were against division winners and two versus division rivals with at least 12 wins in three attempts (each). The Seahawks maintained some of the NFL’s best stats despite playing some of the most complete teams start to finish.
Even the special teams units favor Seattle. The veteran, All-Pro caliber trio of kicker Jason Myers, punter Michael Dickson and returner Rashid Shaheed could tilt the game towards the Seahawks favor or get them a win in the final seconds. New England’s rookie kicker Andy Borregales will have more pressure to play perfect against one of the NFL’s best special teams.
Finally, Seattle’s stats after a bye week are resounding. Mike Macdonald is undefeated and the Seahawks have outscored opponents 99-37. They have never allowed more than 17 points as a defense or scored fewer than 20 points as an offense in those games. New England simply does not have enough talent or firepower to win this game.
Super Bowl 60 Winning Prediction: Seahawks win Super Bowl 31-17 and take home their second Vince Lombardi Trophy
Three games remain. Four teams with two in each conference. The remaining two in the NFC are the west wildcard Los Angeles Rams and the west division winning and conference leading Seattle Seahawks. Both teams have potent offenses, solid quarterbacks, hard-hitting defenses, and intelligent coaches. It is time to determine who will advance to the Super Bowl.
#5 Los Angeles Rams v. #1 Seattle Seahawks
Another division rivalry in the conference finals will make this one of the best and most memorable games of the 2025-26 season.
Conference championship games featuring division rivalries are some of the best and most memorable playoff games in NFL history. Casual viewers can remember which year a team won a Super Bowl because of a rare, divisional matchup in this round. It’s also more fun if the teams split their regular season series.
Los Angeles hasn’t played well throughout the playoffs. Chicago struggled to get pressure and sack opposing quarterbacks during the regular season, but had success against the Rams. Los Angeles’ defense has faltered since Thanksgiving weekend, giving up 20+ points in five of their last seven games. Poor defensive performances put a lot of pressure on the offense to win a lot of shootouts. That’s not a winning formula.
Coincidentally, Seattle has solidified their claim as the NFL’s best team. Head coach Mike Macdonald is undefeated when his team faces an opponent they have already played that season. The Seahawks depth on the defensive line and secondary will keep this a lower scoring game than the last matchup in Lumen Field. An almost fully healthy offensive line and the return of running back George Holani off injured reserve makes Seattle’s offense more dangerous and adds more pressure on defensive coordinator Chris Shula’s predictable defense.
Better play from quarterback Sam Darnold (14) and runningback Kenneth Walker III (9) has Seattle one win away from the Super Bowl.
The Seahawks have more advantages than the Rams. Los Angeles will again play in a colder, outdoor climate. Seattle’s offense has taken better care of the football, posting an NFL best plus seven turnover ratio since their first game against the Rams in week eleven. More importantly, the Seahawks are more fresh and rested compared to a battle-weary Los Angeles roster. This will stand out in the second half, especially if the game is close. Seattle has also played a division rival their last two games. That means the Seahawks are dialed in to play physical and nasty on every side of the ball. Los Angeles hasn’t played a mean opponent in a month. A fresher, nastier and more physical team on every side of the ball may be too much for the Rams to handle.
Finally, this conference finals game will be in Seattle. One could argue that while the Seahawks are undefeated in conference finals games played at home, Los Angeles head coach Sean McVay is also undefeated in conference championship matchups. However, McVay has never had to coach the Rams in a sold out Lumen Field in the postseason. This is also the ninth game since 1970 in the conference championship or later to feature the NFL’s top offense versus the NFL’s top defense. The top defensive team is 7-1 in the first eight matchups. Both Seattle and quarterback Sam Darnold have been plagued by Los Angeles getting the last laugh too many times. This is the weekend head coach Mike Macdonald flips the narrative, reclaims the Seahawks dominance of the West and wins the NFC George Halas trophy.
Prediction: Seahawks win the NFC championship 30-24 and advance to Super Bowl LX
John Gibson might be the NHL’s best goaltender since December 2025
When former team captain Steve Yzerman was hired to be Detroit’s general manager back in 2019, Red Wings fans were ecstatic. It had been three years since Detroit made the Stanley Cup playoffs. The roster wasn’t good and the minor league systems had no pro-level talent. Yzerman went from building up a roster in what many consider the best team of the 21st century in Tampa Bay, to figuring out how the Red Wings could become relevant again. As many expected, it has been rough.
Unlike many viewers, this website and those affiliated don’t see Steve Yzerman as the problem holding back Detroit. Many fans and pundits firmly believed the former captain would have instant success after the COVID-19 pandemic was lifted. After all, current captain Dylan Larkin finally had some help on the first and second lines. Goaltending was fine, but nowhere close to being the best in the NHL. Defensemen pairings were a problem, and depth scoring was non-existent. That meant more changes in both free agency and the draft. Yzerman stayed the course.
Three years after the pandemic lifted, the Red Wings came within a few games of clinching their first postseason spot of the 2020s. Injuries, lack of defensive depth and average goaltending were reasons Detroit missed out. Add in division losses, especially a sweep by Ottawa in their regular season series, and that made a lot more viewers frustrated. Questions ranged from what was the front office and ownership doing, to hometown fans wanting more people out the door because the amount of offensive production was being wasted on plug-in acquisitions.
After a disappointing 2024-25 season where the Red Wings plunged in the standings after Larkin missed a month with an illness, upper and lower body injuries, the noise reached a tipping point against the front office. It’s important to highlight that when Steve Yzerman first came back as general manager, Detroit had almost no workable talent in both their minor and major league levels. Former general manager Ken Holland traded those players away in order to keep the Red Wings playoff streak alive and maybe get close to the conference finals. That meant whoever came in had to build everything back up. Former number one overall pick and the former Lightning general manager Brian Laughton (hilariously, he was their GM before Yzerman took his job) once said in an NHL Network off-season segment that if a team commits to a full re-build, the process takes about a decade to complete. This is year six of Steve Yzerman’s tenure.
That brings us to this year. Like four other U.S. original six teams, it is Detroit’s centennial season. Unlike Boston and Chicago, there were expectations for the Red Wings. It might not be the Stanley Cup finals expectations the Rangers had, but a playoff berth was objective. Detroit traded for Anaheim’s prized goaltender John Gibson and kept backup Cam Talbot. They signed Travis Hamonic in the offseason and brought up Emmitt Finnie from the minor leagues. Due to how the talent Yzerman drafted and acquired in trades needed time for development, the Red Wings added more veterans the last few off-seasons. Centers and forwards Andrew Copp, J.T. Compher, Patrick Kane, Mason Appleton, and James Van Riemsdyk were great for scoring depth, the power-play and five-on-five offense. Detroit’s defense got boosts with Hamonic and Ben Chiarot playing a lot of minutes and helping the younger players develop and ease into starting roles. The defense is easily the biggest issue Yzerman still must to work on long-term. Though, with one of the league’s best offenses and special teams consistently scoring, that won’t matter for a while.
If you wonder how well the Red Wings development minor league affiliates are doing, here’s an update on their American Hockey League affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins. The Griffins have six losses in 37 games. Steve Yzerman’s first phase of the Detroit’s re-build is almost complete since the farm system is brimming with up and coming talent. The biggest name to watch for will be Grand Rapids starting goaltender Sebastian Cossa. A behemoth at 6’7, Cossa has lost one game this season and is bound to make a start at some point this NHL season after he became the first Griffins goalie to make consecutive AHL All-Star selections. Forwards Dominik Shine and John Leonard are going to the All-Star game with Cossa and are considered two of the AHL’s best players. Even coach Dan Watson has made an impression. Watson is the second coach in Grand Rapids history to attend multiple All-Star games (the other being Vegas’ Bruce Cassidy).
Even the most ardent optimist didn’t have Detroit as one of the NHL’s best teams this year. Coach Todd McLellan has the Red Wings tied for first with Carolina and Tampa Bay in the eastern conference with 66 points. Detroit is a top five team with a lot of young players, a captain who’s been through a whole rebuild, and veteran players wanting the franchise moving toward a postseason return. Part of their success has to do with Florida’s injuries, Boston’s and Ottawa’s fall and Toronto’s inconsistent play. Even if all those teams get hot at some point the second half of the season, it will be hard to keep Detroit out of the playoffs. Audiences of all walks of life have waited hungrily for almost a decade to see America’s hockey team return to relevance. There’s no louder statement the Red Wings are back than in their 100th year of existence.
Defenseman Simon Edvinsson (77) tries to make a play on the puck in Detroit’s 4-3 OT home win versus Carolina. Edvinsson is one of the European standout players general manager Steve Yzerman drafted almost five years ago.
Time for the first power rankings of 2026. These show where all 32 teams objectively stand going back to December. Some teams will have tiebreakers based off how they’d perform on a neutral site.
#32 Vancouver Canucks (last ranking: 26)
Vancouver had an eleven game losing streak and they’re main concern was about <checks notes> trading for Jesperi Kotkaniemi? Former captain Quinn Hughes got out at the best time. Management and ownership seemingly have no concept of priorities.
#31 St. Louis Blues (last ranking: 25)
Only one player has 30+ points after 50 games: Robert Thomas. It’s hard to win games when the roster can’t score. The defense has issues too but the Blues offense might be one of the worst this decade. General manager Doug Armstrong has to do something.
#30 Calgary Flames (last ranking: 31)
Forward Blake Coleman was placed on long-term injured reserve January 13th after he was injured in Boston on the eighth. There are rumors general manager Craig Conroy could trade Nazem Kadri and Rasmus Andersson by next month. If the Flames didn’t have bad luck, they’d have no luck at all.
#29 Chicago Blackhawks (last ranking: 28)
Without face of the franchise Connor Bedard, Chicago is a solid team without anything special. While that does show how valuable Bedard is to the franchise, it also shows how the Blackhawks are a big work in progress. They are where Detroit was five years ago.
#28 New York Rangers (last ranking: 21)
The only team to have fewer home wins than New York this season is Vancouver. As I said in the article above, there were championship expectations for the Rangers this year when Mike Sullivan was hired. Last week, general manager Chris Drury told star forward Artemi Panarin he won’t play for New York after this year. Everyone except goaltender Igor Shesterkin and maybe defenseman Adam Fox are on the trade block. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Sullivan is fired after the season. This is not why Igor Shesterkin signed that massive extension.
#27 Columbus Blue Jackets (last ranking: 24)
Firing Dean Evason and assistant Steve McCarthy is one of the weirdest moves this season. Evason’s not only a good coach, but he did a great job almost getting Columbus into the playoffs last year despite all the chaos that happened. The Blue Jackets are one of the more dysfunctional franchises since coach John Tortorella left.
#26 Nashville Predators (last ranking: 32)
Much better month for Nashville. We’re starting to slowly see how good this Predators team is when everyone is on the same page and not injured. They might be 5-5 to begin 2026, but there’s a lot more hope Nashville can make a playoff run two months from now.
#25 Ottawa Senators (last ranking: 23)
It has been a wild week for Ottawa’s goaltenders. Linus Ullmark’s mental health concerns after what he saw as an abrupt trade to Canada are valid. Then defenseman teammate Jake Sanderson torched backup Leevi Merilainen for blowing a two goal lead with under four minutes left against Montreal last Saturday. Although Sanderson is not wrong and had to apologize, the Senators defensive struggles are straining most of the roster and NHL analysts’ patience. General manager Steve Staios’ biggest test right now is how he can fix and improve the defense by next season.
#24 Anaheim Ducks (last ranking: 18)
Do you see why the ten spot max up or down in the rankings works well? Anaheim wasn’t a top ten team by the time December’s power rankings were published, and they definitely aren’t a top 20 this month. Like Peter DeBoer, Joel Quenneville is seen by many as goaltender killer and wants all offense, all the time. A nine game losing streak followed by a five game winning streak also screams inconsistent.
#23 New Jersey Devils (last ranking: 13)
This about sums up New Jersey’s season
The cherry on top is the Devils crushing Minnesota 5-2 on the 13th and instead of good energies, news outlets broke out that the organization is looking to move veteran defenseman Dougie Hamilton. What a nightmare season!
#22 Utah Mammoth (last ranking: 22)
Utah is a year or two away from a breakout, dominant season. Before that happens, they might need to get a new coach. I like Andre Tourigny, but he’s not getting most out of the young talent put together. Yes, injuries are a part of why things have slowed down. Yet Tourigny is one of the most tenured coaches in the NHL. He should have more solutions for the Mammoth than what they have shown almost every week.
#21 Seattle Kraken (last ranking: 29)
Defense is all the rave in Seattle these days. The Seahawks are the crowned jewel in the NFL and the Kraken are a true playoff threat. Having former Vezina finalist Philipp Grubauer return to top form should give Seattle a massive edge when the playoff race heats up.
#20 Winnipeg Jets (last ranking: 10)
If someone were told in January of 2025 that a year later Winnipeg would be tied as the second worst team in the NHL despite a healthy Connor Hellebuyck in net, they might suggest you see a therapist. Perhaps it’s bad luck to cancel out last year’s phenomenal season. Still, it would be a disappointment if the Jets implosion led to a lot more permanent moves.
#19 San Jose Sharks (last ranking: 27)
NHL media and pundits have the Hart Trophy (MVP) race winner either as Nathan MacKinnon or Connor McDavid. Both names are worthy of the award. Real NHL analysts should look closely and consider picking San Jose sophomore Macklin Celebrini instead. He is third in the league with 72 points at the time of this publishing. The player with the second most points on the Sharks? Alexander Wennberg with THIRTY FOUR. If San Jose somehow clinches one of the two lower seeds, Celebrini may have the best case to win the Hart Trophy.
#18 Buffalo Sabres (last ranking: 30)
Someone in Buffalo must have read December’s rankings because the Sabres were on a mission to win every game possible after. A bad loss in Columbus could have brought Buffalo back down to earth. Instead they won three straight and lost a close game to the two time defending champion Panthers. The Sabres are 17-4 since December ninth. They earned this jump.
#17 Los Angeles Kings (last ranking: 9)
There are discussions on which coach could be next to get fired. Jim Hiller has to be at or near the top of the list. Los Angeles has underperformed in Anze Kopitar’s final season and we should best believe ownership and the front office will make moves to make sure he doesn’t miss the playoffs. That starts with fixing an almost unwatchable offense that can’t fall back on Darcy Kuemper in net for a few games.
#16 Philadelphia Flyers (last ranking: 17)
If there was a Comeback Player of the Year award in the NHL, it would easily go to Philadelphia forward Trevor Zegras. After Anaheim did their best to destroy any shot at a stellar career, they traded him to the Flyers. Philadelphia easily won that trade. Zegras leads the team in points (44), goals, (19), and assists (25). He’s the Flyers offensive engine.
#15 Pittsburgh Penguins (last ranking: 16)
It had been a while since former Norris trophy winning defenseman Erik Karlsson was placed on injured reserve. His absence after Pittsburgh is now in the thick of a muddled eastern conference could have serious effects on every team involved in the playoff race. Odd to think no one would have batted an eye about that five years ago.
#14 Boston Bruins (last ranking: 14)
Forward Morgan Geekie scored 50 goals in the 83 games he played in 2025. Every NHL viewer who tuned into a Bruins game knew that if Boston had any chance of making the playoffs, they needed more scoring from players not named David Pastrnak. Geekie could be a long-term option or a valuable trade piece.
#13 Toronto Maple Leafs (last ranking: 15)
Toronto is another example of why teams need a ten spot limit on these rankings. The Maple Leafs beat a number of playoff and Stanley Cup championship contenders this month and held their own most of December. Toronto is trying to stay well positioned for the playoffs like other veteran teams, and that means the type of hockey they play every week won’t be pretty. This is why the Fire Craig Berube takes were stupid.
#12 Florida Panthers (last ranking: 8)
TNT play-by-play broadcaster Kenny Albert gave a great stat in the third period of the Winter Classic January second: Sergei Bobrovsky had the most wins AND shutouts in the 2025 calendar year. Think of how great Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger and Darcy Kuemper were all of last year. None of them came close to Bobrovsky’s stellar play. He is easily the best goaltender in the NHL with Marc-Andre Fleury retired and a major reason Florida has a chance of sneaking into the playoffs.
#11 Edmonton Oilers (last ranking: 12)
It took the third full week of January to have a goaltender not named Stuart Skinner be number one in both goals against average and save percentage. Skinner was traded over a month ago to Pittsburgh. Hilariously, he’s keeping the Penguins close in as tight a playoff race as possible in the east. The Oilers however wonder how long Tristan Jarry will stay hot with no Leon Draisaitl in the lineup.
#10 Detroit Red Wings (last ranking: 20)
At one point this month, Detroit had the second highest point percentage at .762 (second only to Colorado’s .800). General manager Steve Yzerman has assembled a temporary juggernaut on offense that will get better once the minor league talent gets to play in the NHL.
#9 New York Islanders (last ranking: 19)
The NHL Muse twitter account raised an interesting point two weeks ago. What could have happened if San Jose won the draft lottery instead of New York? A Macklin Celebrini-Matthew Schaefer tandem would have the Sharks on a terror spree throughout the western conference, with the possibility of only the top three teams in the central division shutting the duo down. Thankfully, greed like that only exists in the Bible. The Islanders have to be relieved that the last three years of struggle gifted them a generational player.
#8 Washington Capitals (last ranking: 3)
Remember how valuable I said Tom Wilson was in the last rankings? The last four weeks have shown how important Wilson is to both this Washington roster and coach Spencer Carberry. Without Tom Wilson in the lineup, the Capitals are easier to defend against and opposing offenses chip away at Washington’s defense. Wilson’s return comes at the most critical point in the season as the Capitals have a slate of playoff favorites the next few weeks.
#7 Vegas Golden Knights (last ranking: 5)
It’s wild how getting Carter Hart did little for Vegas except land Hart on injured reserve. Goaltending was a serious issue until Adin Hill came back. Hill might have been the NHL’s most missed player after the Golden Knights became a sieve in net.
#6 Montreal Canadiens (last ranking: 11)
Montreal could be the most underrated team this season. They’re a good team in the east that hasn’t stood out too much because of Detroit’s success, Tampa Bay’s resurgence and Carolina’s consistency. At the moment, they don’t look like a team that will do much damage in the playoffs. That’s why general manager Kent Hughes re-signed most of the young talent to long-term deals. They will be fearsome to see every regular and postseason within the next decade.
#5 Dallas Stars (last ranking: 3)
Dallas has cooled off after a red-hot two first months. The weird thing is how the roster is also getting healthier. Whether it’s a slump or everyone finally playing together under coach Glen Gulutzan, the Stars have to snap out of it if they don’t want Minnesota to surpass them.
#4 Carolina Hurricanes (last ranking: 6)
Goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov missing the rest of the season makes the Brandon Bussi story more special, and it was already a fun one. It will also make Carolina question what to do with 36 year old veteran Frederik Andersen once the season ends. Kochetkov was expected to be the future starter in net, but if Bussi steals that from him, the Hurricanes will need to decide who to trade.
#3 Minnesota Wild (last ranking: 7)
No one laughed harder than I did after Minnesota stole Canucks captain Quinn Hughes in a lopsided trade. Hours after I wrote, edited and published that the Wild would be taken more seriously by everyone if they added or traded for a veteran scoring threat, that’s what Minnesota did. Hughes wasted no time and scored in his third game with the Wild in a 6-2 beatdown of Boston. Minnesota has some things to clean up this month, but they deserved this ranking.
#2 Tampa Bay Lightning (last ranking: 4)
The NHL on TNT dropped some interesting numbers on Tampa Bay on Tuesday night’s double-header. Since December 20th, the Lightning have the NHL’s best record (13-0-1), the most goals per game (4.36), goals allowed (2.14) and the sixth best power play at 29.6%. What makes this fascinating is how most of this has been when captain Victor Hedman was placed on IR. Tampa Bay’s dominance has returned with little resistance in the eastern conference, and goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy looks almost unbeatable.
#1 Colorado Avalanche (last ranking: 1)
The Wild, Lighting, Stars, Golden Knights or Hurricanes will probably switch each rankings between which team is the NHL’s second best. No matter. Right now, Colorado is the de facto one. The Avalanche have 77 points and five regulation losses this season. Beating Colorado without them getting a point is starting to feel like a Stanley Cup winning moment. They had their first home loss of the season without overtime last week. I don’t know how Jared Bednar doesn’t win coach of the year.
Hurricanes forward Shayne Gostisbehere flails in vain before MVP favorite Nathan MacKinnon (29) shoots the puck into an empty net in a January third 5-3 Avalanche win.
The NFC wildcard weekend had everything audiences wanted. History was made when San Francisco won their 40th playoff game, the most in NFL history. Chicago won their first playoff game in 15 years, and their first against a team with a winning record since their Super Bowl 41 run. Los Angeles eked out a close win in Carolina. The remaining four (the Seattle Seahawks had a week off) teams have a great shot at getting to both the conference championship and the Super Bowl. Even with the injury plagued 49ers remaining, no team is an easy out. It’s time to analyze which two teams have the best chance at making the next round.
#6 San Francisco 49ers v. #1 Seattle Seahawks
Elijah Arroyo’s return from injured reserve means fellow tight-end A.J. Barner (88) will be a bigger threat than he was in week 18.
If there was any game that could be a decisive blowout, this would be it. San Francisco lost star tight-end and team co-captain George Kittle to a torn achilles the rest of the year. That means the 49ers have to rely on runningback Christian McCaffrey and receivers Ricky Pearsall (who still has an injured knee), Jauan Jennings and Kendrick Bourne to consistently beat Seattle’s deep secondary. That won’t happen.
The Seahawks are ecstatic to face a battered and depleted 49ers team they whooped in Santa Clara, CA. week 18. Both teams get their starting left tackles back, but only one offense has the fire power to score consistently. Quarterback Brock Purdy has never played in Seattle when it’s either a playoff game or near full capacity for the hometown fans. He will learn why nobody in the NFL wants to travel to the pacific northwest during the postseason.
Prediction: Seahawks win 37-7
#5 Los Angeles Rams v. #2 Chicago Bears
A Bears win depends on how well quarterback Caleb Williams (18) plays all four quarters.
This could be the best game in either conference. Every NFC team this round is in the western division except for Chicago. Head coach Ben Johnson is very familiar with Los Angeles head coach Sean McVay. Anyone thinking this will be a blowout is mistaken.
The Bears have multiple advantages against the Rams. Johnson has consistently beaten McVay with a dual threat running game and an offensive line that leads from the interior. Runningbacks coach Eric Bienemy remains one of the NFL’s best offensive minds. Left guard Joe Thuney has won Super Bowls with multiple teams. A younger, less experienced Los Angeles defensive line will be on their heels most of this game having to deal with Chicago’s offensive line and the runningback duo of D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai.
A major factor many have forgotten since the Rams won last Saturday was the hand injury veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford suffered in Carolina. That will be tested early and often against a Bears defense that is the NFL’s best in forcing turnovers. Since this will be a Sunday night game, temperatures are predicted to be at four degrees (fahrenheit). Stafford has not played in many frozen temperature games over the last five years. The Rams are also 2-7 in games that are under 50 degrees since Stafford arrived in 2021. Los Angeles is in for a long game despite having an almost fully healthy roster.
