We’re officially in the second half of the NFL 2024-2025 regular season. Some teams are rising in draft position while others inch closer to the playoffs. Postseason hopefuls want higher seeding further into November. Without further delay here are the winners and losers after week nine.
Winners: Josh Allen
Buffalo’s starting quarterback Josh Allen is an MVP candidate this year. Another good game and home win against a division rival increased his chances for the award.
Josh Allen completed 25 of 39 passes for 235 yards, three touchdowns and a 95.6 passer rating. Allen played his best in the second half, throwing two of his three touchdowns for 64 yards in the third quarter. His third score was a two yard touchdown to Quintin Morris to give the Bills another lead with six minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Josh Allen’s lauded for his mobility, toughness and improved accuracy the last two years. This season is his career best and division wins like the one yesterday show it.
Baltimore Ravens offense
Most who follow the NFL had a feeling Denver wouldn’t get a road win in Baltimore due to their lack of offensive talent. However, many viewers did expect the Broncos to keep the score closer. The Ravens offense made sure that never happened.
Baltimore’s offense started hot and didn’t let up. The league’s best runningback Derrick Henry began the scoring barrage with a seven yard touchdown run. It was the 100th rushing touchdown of Henry’s NFL career. He also ran for a six yard score midway through the third quarter.
Franchise star quarterback Lamar Jackson made it look easy against Denver’s secondary, throwing the same number of touchdowns as he did incompletions (three). Two of his scores went to Zay Flowers in the second quarter, sealing an early double digit win. Jackson set a record for most games with a perfect passer rating (four) and recorded his 37th game with a passer rating of 100 or above (via StatMuse).
Denver has one of the league’s best defenses and got crushed. Baltimore’s scored more than 40 points for the third time in five games. It’s hard for any opposing defense to keep the Ravens offense off the scoreboard all four quarters with a fully healthy Henry and Jackson on the field.
Bryce Young and Chuba Hubbard
The former 2023 number one overall pick struggled every start heading into Sunday. Quarterback Bryce Young is constantly criticized for not scoring more than ten points a game unless it’s garbage time. Sunday could be a turning point in his young career.
Young led Carolina to a divisional home win against New Orleans. He completed 16 of 26 passes for 171 yards, a touchdown and a 77.6 passer rating. His passing score gave the Panthers their first lead of the game.
Once Young grew more confident, it opened up more big play opportunities for runningback Chuba Hubbard. Hubbard got both of Carolina’s second half touchdowns including the game-winner. His 72 yards on 15 carries took a lot of time off the clock and the Panthers offensive line wore out the Saints defensive front.
There aren’t many highlights for Carolina’s season, but there could be something to build from if the young team can win another game like this in Germany next weekend.
Arizona Cardinals
Not many people had Arizona with a one game first place lead in the NFC west after week nine. The Cardinals finished Sunday on a three game winning streak and still have tiebreakers over the Rams and 49ers.
Arizona cruised to a 20 point victory against Chicago. Most would assume star quarterback Kyler Murray put up big numbers in the win. Instead it was the runningback quartet of James Conner, Emari Demercado, Trey Benson and Trey McBride combining for 211 yards and three touchdowns. It didn’t matter that no receiver had more than 35 yards when their defense snuffed out the Bears offense.
The Cardinal defense sacked rookie quarterback Caleb Williams six times and gave up less than 200 passing yards. Chicago also had less than 70 rushing yards. Any time the Bears offense tried to find rhythm, Arizona’s secondary shut down their star receivers and put more pressure on Chicago’s offensive line. This was the Cardinals most complete game outside their division and it sets up a smoother second half schedule after their week ten bye. It’s possible the Cardinals keep their division lead heading into December.
Losers: Gardner Minshew II
For years, many wondered if Gardner Minshew II could be an NFL starting quarterback. In Minshew’s defense, he played for multiple, unstable teams where ownership wanted quick changes. This meant most viewers didn’t know if he could be a long-term starter.
After Vegas’ road loss to Cincinnati, it’s clear Gardner Minshew II isn’t a long-term starting quarterback for any NFL team. Although Minshew helped the Raiders get a fast seven point lead and later tie the game at ten, he struggled to find open receivers and couldn’t create any game-changing plays in the second and third quarter. Gardner Minshew completed ten of 17 passes for 124 yards before head coach Antonio Pierce benched him midway through the third quarter in another double digit loss.
The Raiders have a talented receiving core and need to run the football. Minshew doesn’t utilize offensive talent well and can’t scramble in the pocket or help run the ball. He lacks creativity on a struggling offense. Minshew’s also been benched in almost half his starts this season. It’s time Vegas goes another direction at quarterback.
Dallas Cowboys
Everything went wrong for Dallas Sunday. The Cowboys had one of their most embarrassing performances of the season. The road loss was so bad, it could determine whether owner and general manager Jerry Jones fires head coach Mike McCarthy at the end of November.
This year’s Cowboys team was the first in 24 years to have four turnovers on downs. The plays called on each failed fourth down attempt were read well by Atlanta’s defense and picked apart by FOX color commentator Greg Olson. Outside of fourth down, the Dallas offense was decimated with injuries to starting quarterback Dak Prescott and star receiver CeeDee Lamb. Backup quarterback Cooper Rush did little outside of a meaningless touchdown pass with the Cowboys down 14 late in the fourth quarter.
Most analysts knew Dallas’ defense wasn’t going to be as good as last years, but it’s shocking to watch how much it’s regressed. Starting quarterback Kirk Cousins was 19 of 24 for 222 yards, three touchdowns and a 144.8 passer rating. Runningbacks Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier combined 104 yards and another touchdown. The Cowboys are awful on every side of the ball and probably won’t improve with the number of playoff-bound opponents on their schedule the next three weeks. It’s possible the whole coaching staff will be jobless by January if Dallas looks as bad, if not worse than they were Sunday.
Matt LaFleur
Many will laud Detroit for another dominant road win against a divisional opponent this week. The Lions deserve praise for proving they’re again the best team in both their division and conference. That said, Green Bay’s head coach made a lot of errors that sealed Detroit’s win.
It starts with not pulling starting quarterback Jordan Love after the first half. Love’s 41 yard completion to Jayden Reed was a great play. However, Love limped off the field after the second quarter ended. There were heavy rains throughout the game in Green Bay and playing Jordan Love the second half was a danger to the young quarterback’s legs. Backup Malik Willis has won every game he’s played this season. His mobility in wet weather would’ve added more creativity to a stagnant offense.
There were more mistakes in the second half. After a nine yard run by Chris Brooks early in the fourth quarter, LaFleur insisted the Packers get the remaining yard by throwing two straight incompletions. On fourth-and-one, Green Bay finally ran it for no gain. The Lions got the ball back at their own nine yard line.
A hobbled starting quarterback who should’ve been pulled after one half led an inept offense that converted only three of 12 third downs. Sportscenter with Scott Van Pelt revealed Matt LaFleur is also 1-5 in his last six home games against divisional opponents. LaFleur’s got to prepare better against the NFC north if Green Bay wants to make the playoffs and not have his team worry about Detroit running up the score.
Geno Smith’s two red zone interceptions
You won’t find many instances where starting quarterbacks play like they’re blind, but there are exceptions. Seattle’s starting quarterback Geno Smith had the unique ability to commit two of these plays deep in a division rivals territory in one quarter.
The first one is awful because runningback Kenneth Walker III was wide open and near the opponent’s goalline, something rarely seen in a divisional matchup. Smith might not have peripheral vision because Walker didn’t get the ball on the play. That honor went to Rams defensive-back Kamren Kinchens. His 103 yard interception return for a touchdown is the longest defensive play in franchise history.
The second might’ve been worse since the Seahawks blocked a Rams punt and should’ve gotten points the following possession. Kinchens again intercepted Smith at Los Angeles’ four yard line. Those two interceptions are a big reason Seattle lost and is at the bottom of the NFC west.
Week eight was a fun and wild end to October. There are some surprising teams in first place while some playoff seasoned teams are getting worse. The first two months of the season were anything but dull. It’s time to break down the week eight winners and losers before Halloween.
Winners: Jameis Winston
Cleveland had one of the league’s worst offenses when Deshaun Watson was the starting quarterback. After Jameis Winston started yesterday, there might be hope for the Browns offense in November.
Winston completed 27 of 41 passes for 334 yards, three touchdowns and a 115.3 passer rating in an upset home win over Baltimore. All three of his scores were in the second half. Every time the Ravens tied or took the lead, Jameis Winston responded with a scoring drive. The Browns last possession of the game was a 38 yard touchdown to receiver Cedric Tillman (however he couldn’t convert the two point conversion).
The end of October divisional win keeps Cleveland’s faint playoff hopes alive. It wouldn’t be surprising if Winston replicates Sunday’s performance the next few weeks and the Browns win more games.
Houston Texans
It was easy to overlook an AFC south divisional matchup Sunday due to other headline games and bigger storylines. While Indianapolis and Houston wasn’t seen by many to be an attractive matchup, the game wound up as one of Sunday’s best.
The Colts scored ten of the 13 first quarter points and slowed down the Texans offense. Head coach DeMeco Ryans made the necessary changes and the defense tightened up in the second quarter. The secondary made sure starting quarterback Anthony Richardson grew frustrated and tired of throwing incomplete passes. Houston’s offense scored two touchdowns to take a seven point lead late in the first half.
Indianapolis almost took the lead multiple times in the second half but the Texans defense stepped up and kept the Colts offense out of the endzone for all but one possession. Houston forced two turnovers and sacked Richardson five times. It wasn’t perfect, but the Texans got enough from every side of the ball to seal a needed win and retain their division lead by two games.
Ladd McConkey
The Chargers entered the 2024 season thin at wide receiver. Head coach Jim Harbaugh and starting quarterback Justin Herbert had to find new targets who could play well and improve each game. Two months into the regular season, it’s safe to say Ladd McConkey has been a great find for Los Angeles.
In an easy home win against New Orleans Sunday, the second round rookie had six catches on six targets for 111 yards and two touchdowns. McConkey scored two incredible touchdowns for a combined 69 yards against a solid Saints secondary. He still averaged ten yards a catch when he didn’t score.
Los Angeles loves to run the ball and use at least two tight-ends. A rising star in Ladd McConkey will keep Harbaugh’s offense multi-faceted. McConkey’s been a top three name in team receiving stats every game the Chargers played this month. He’ll be fun to watch the second half of the season.
Bo Nix
While one could say the Panthers defense is the league’s worst, Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix had a great game Sunday and keeps showing audiences why head coach Sean Payton was right to draft him.
Nix was responsible for all four Denver touchdowns Sunday. He completed 28 of 37 passes for 284 yards and three touchdowns and a 124.2 passer rating. He also ran for an additional score that sealed a double digit win in the third quarter.
There will be moments when Bo Nix plays like a rookie and gets overwhelmed, but not many analysts believed the Broncos would have a winning record after October. Denver finally looks like a playoff team with a competent offense and quarterback.
Losers: Everyone who thought Drake Maye should’ve been New England’s starting quarterback
It’s funny when audiences watch a terrible team and demand that team start a promising rookie to generate a spark and lift team spirits. When it comes to the NFL, most of the time it’s a dumb idea. One player can make a difference but there are 52 others who can nullify the confidence.
The latest example of this is Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye. There’s a lot to like with Maye and many can see why he should start. However, many football fans knew even if Drake Maye played, New England would still be a bad team. He didn’t have to start at any point the first two months of the season.
Although there were highlights and good signs in his first October starts, Maye was concussed early against the Jets Sunday. He did get the Patriots an early lead, but New York came back and got the lead next quarter. It was up to veteran Jacoby Brissett to play the rest of the game.
Ironically, Brissett led a final drive that resulted in a game-winning touchdown and threw a two point conversion that sealed a three point win. He has both of New England’s wins this season, and they’re against opponents many viewed as playoff favorites. There’s no reason to force a rookie quarterback to start especially if the offense lacks talent. The concussion was avoidable and the Patriots would be wise to let Maye learn offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt’s schemes the rest of the season. It’s not like New England has playoff hopes. They shouldn’t bother damaging a franchise player to build around.
Miami Dolphins defense
Miami won’t make the playoffs even if the offense is one of the league’s best because of their awful defense. Starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was a needed spark for an offense that couldn’t score or put up yards. After multiple double digit leads, the Dolphins lost because their defense failed to keep Arizona’s offense off the field.
After Miami got another ten point lead, the Cardinals found ways to keep the score close. The Dolphins offense didn’t help themselves giving Arizona’s defense an easy two point score off a Tagovailoa fumble. The safety made it an eight point game. The Cardinals offense worked fast and got a Marvin Harrison Jr. touchdown the following possession (though they didn’t get the two point conversion), cutting Miami’s lead to two.
After both offenses scored additional touchdowns, the Dolphins defense had to hold the two point lead. One would think with five minutes left, defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver would call his best plays and seal up Miami’s third win of the season. Arizona went 73 yards on 13 plays and kicked a game winning field goal as time expired.
The Dolphins ended October stuck at two wins. The defense struggles to stop the run. They can’t get opponents off the field on third down, pressure opposing quarterbacks or force turnovers. It doesn’t matter how good head coach Mike McDaniel’s offense is if the defense gives up a minimum of 22 points per game.
Seattle Seahawks offense
In hindsight, it should’ve concerned more analysts Seahawks receiver D.K. Metcalf wouldn’t play Sunday against Buffalo. While the Bills defense isn’t spectacular, Metcalf’s presence gives Seattle’s receiving core more advantages against opposing secondaries.
The Seahawks offense was dreadful. Not only did starting quarterback Geno Smith have his worst game of the season, everything that could go wrong, did. From Smith having his foot stepped on and messing up multiple passes, to an Austin Johnson interception leading to a third quarter Buffalo touchdown, Seattle’s offense struggled to get anything right.
The worst possessions were in the first half when Seattle kept the score close. The first ended in a field goal after center Connor Williams fumbled the ball and runningback Kenneth Walker III recovered it for a 28 yard loss. The Seahawks then took a five yard delay of game penalty before the next play. The second possession started after cornerback Josh Jobe became the first player to intercept Buffalo’s starting quarterback Josh Allen all season and returned it 33 yards to the Bills seven yard line. Seattle’s four plays to start what should’ve been a scoring possession were:
three yard run from Kenneth Walker III
three yard run from Zach Charbonnet
no gain run from Walker III
Geno Smith self-sacked for a six yard loss due to Williams stepping on his foot snapping the ball.
The Seahawks lone touchdown came midway through the fourth quarter when the Bills sealed the win. A one yard run from Charbonnet wasn’t enough to give Seattle hope. Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb assumed a high octane offense would steamroll Buffalo’s veteran defense at home. That game-plan put Seattle into a three-way tie for first place in the NFC west instead of alone in first.
Tyrique Stevenson
If you haven’t seen the Jayden Daniels game-winning, 52 yard Hail Mary touchdown pass to Noah Brown, please watch it. Everyone will laud Daniels for his timing, scrambling, accuracy and the deflection into Brown’s arms for the win. Many will miss how Bears defensive back Tyrique Stevenson put Brown in position to catch the pass because he was taunting the Washington fans in Northwest Stadium as Jayden Daniels snapped the ball. After Bears fans screamed at Stevenson to pay attention, he quickly rushed to the ball and deflected the pass high to Noah Brown. The deflection was perfectly placed backwards where Brown wasn’t covered by any Chicago defender. The Commanders became the first team in 20 years to score their only touchdown in a game as time expired since the 2004 Jaguars against the Buffalo Bills (via Sportscenter with Scott Van Pelt). Don’t expect Tyrique Stevenson to play meaningful minutes the next few weeks.
As we near the end of October, more teams are separating from playoff contender to having a high draft pick. Coaching plays a part in which team advances or goes home. It’s time to break down the weekends winners and losers.
Winners: Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia has dominated their division rival Giants the last few years. Sunday didn’t change.
The Eagles played their most complete game of the season. Quarterback Jalen Hurts completed ten of 14 passes for 114 yards, a touchdown and a 119.3 passer rating. He also ran seven times for 22 yards and two scores. Former New York franchise star runningback Saquon Barkley ran 17 times for 176 yards and a touchdown. Wide receiver A.J. Brown had five catches for 89 yards and the only touchdown thrown by Hurts. The Giants defense is good, but the Eagles offensive line dominated game pace and time of possession.
On defense, Philadelphia shut down New York’s offense. Giants starting quarterback Daniel Jones threw 99 yards in three quarters. Jones was sacked eight times and struggled to find open receivers without a defender in his face. Defensive linemen Jalen Carter and Nakobe Dean each had two sacks.
Head coach Nick Sirianni is under pressure to close the gap with division leader Washington. The defense got better this month and the offense improved against the best defense in their division. That’s a good sign this late in October.
Marcus Mariota
The only thing the Eagles didn’t get on an almost perfect Sunday was a Commanders home loss. After jumping to a quick ten point lead, Washington lost their starting quarterback Jayden Daniel to a rib injury. That meant backup quarterback Marcus Mariota played the rest of the game.
While Mariota’s inconsistency and injury history made him a backup, he played like a starter Sunday. Mariota completed 18 of 23 passes for 205 yards, two touchdowns and a 132.8 passer rating. He also ran eleven times for 34 yards. A nine year NFL veteran, Marcus Mariota plays well when scrambling outside the pocket.
Washington didn’t need a high octane offense to beat Carolina (more on them later), but they needed offensive depth to step up. The Commanders now know they have a good backup to run offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury’s plays if their starting quarterback gets injured again.
Los Angeles Rams defense
The Rams defense has been one of the worst this year. Reasons vary from offseason transactions, young talent adjusting to playing in the NFL, and lack of roster depth. Sunday was a boost for the learning unit.
Vegas’ offense struggled to move the ball downfield against Los Angeles. After starting quarterback Aidan O’Connell left with a hand injury, Gardner Minshew II completed 15 of 34 passes for 154 yards, three interceptions and a 21 quarterback rating. The defense’s best play of the game was defensive-back Cobie Durant sacking Minshew for eleven yards and forcing a fumble. Fellow defensive-back Kam Curl recovered the fumble and ran it back for a 33 yard touchdown. That score was the difference in Los Angeles’ second win of the season.
The Rams might be stuck at the bottom of the NFC west but it’s more important the defense develops and plays better the second half of the season. Sunday was a good starting point.
Patrick Mahomes’ 33 yard scramble against San Francisco
Every time viewers think they’ve seen Patrick Mahomes II do it all, he does something new. Kansas City’s dominant win against San Francisco had many fun plays, but the best was a 33 yard run by Mahomes with 1:08 remaining in the third quarter. His agility and improv behind the line of scrimmage show he’s the best in the league.
Losers: Bill Callahan
Every rookie head coach has highs and lows their first season. However, new Titans coach Bill Callahan continues having the worst luck after week seven.
Callahan decided to bench gaffe-prone starting quarterback Will Levis before Tennessee played the Bills. Backup Mason Rudolph got the start for multiple reasons and helped the Titans get a ten point lead at one point in the first half. Tennessee went into halftime at Buffalo leading by three.
Unfortunately, Callahan forgot how to make second half adjustments while leading against a veteran, playoff caliber team. A 10-7 lead wouldn’t stay for another half with how the Bills played better the last few minutes of the second quarter. While the Titans offense was shut out the second half, Buffalo scored ten points in the third quarter and 17 in the fourth.
The offensive-minded Callahan was brought in to further develop talent at runningback and wide receiver. That’s been a struggle most of the season. It’s harder when Rudolph was chosen to play a conservative game. Bad luck is a factor in each Titans loss, but viewers have seen both quarterbacks struggle to adjust with second half gameplans. This could be a long, remaining two months of the regular season for Tennessee.
Atlanta Falcons offense
Atlanta was on a three game winning streak with the tiebreaker for first place in the NFC south before Sunday. The Falcons ended yesterday with questions on offense. It didn’t help starting quarterback Kirk Cousins talked trash about Seattle “walking into their trap” last week. Cousins had to back it up and play well against a younger, battered defense. That didn’t happen.
While Atlanta dominated the first half against the Seahawks in time of possession, they had seven points and trailed by ten at halftime. Kirk Cousins did throw a five yard touchdown to receiver Drake London to start the third quarter, but Seattle’s defense sealed a win late in the fourth when linebacker Boye Mafe forced a fumble and linebacker Derick Hall recovered and returned the ball 64 yards for a touchdown. The Seahawks secondary intercepted Cousins twice and limited top receivers London and Kyle Pitts to 63 and 65 yards.
The Falcons are 1-3 outside the NFC south. The one win was from a last minute score in Philadelphia. Atlanta hasn’t “walked into anyone’s trap” and played a dominant game this season despite the amount of talent on offense.
Andy Dalton
It looks like the offensive spark Carolina needed with Andy Dalton at quarterback is gone. Sunday was one of the worst games he’s had in his long career.
Dalton was overwhelmed early by Washington’s defense. On the Panthers first offensive possession of the game, he threw an interception to linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. that was returned 67 yards for a touchdown. That return covered 67% of the yards he threw the entire game. Andy Dalton threw 93 yards and another interception before benched former number one overall pick Bryce Young played late in the fourth quarter.
Ever since Carolina got a surprise win in Vegas, the offensive struggles have gradually returned to where injury-prone backup Marcus Mariota is better than the playoff experienced Dalton. It’s time Bryce Young starts again. Head coach Dave Canales needs to see if he’s progressed and can try to finish the Panthers long season.
San Francisco 49ers
The Chiefs know how to beat San Francisco. Every franchise has that one team they usually struggle and lose against no matter the talent level or what changes take place. While it’s understandable to lose every matchup to an opponent, having every bad thing happen hits harder for the losing team.
The 49ers loss yesterday went past stats. Starting quarterback Brock Purdy had one of his worst NFL performances with three interceptions. Injuries to Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk depletes an already anemic receiving core. The running game barely had 100 yards (from four players) and backup kicker Anders Carlson missed a critical extra point in the third quarter.
San Francisco’s defense intercepted Patrick Mahomes II twice, but gave up a highlight reel 33 yard run and 150 combined rushing yards to Mahomes, runningback Kareem Hunt, receiver Mecole Hardman and fullback Carson Steele. Kansas City got four rushing touchdowns from three of the aforementioned players. The defense also shares a league worst record: since 2017, the 49ers are 0-40 when trailing by eight or more points in the fourth quarter, including playoff games (via NFL Network).
The lowest part of San Francisco’s loss was offensive left tackle and captain Trent Williams sucker punching Chiefs defensive lineman Bryan Cook late in the fourth quarter. Cook openly agitated the veteran and Williams snapped. One could say that’s a snapshot moment of how Kansas City keeps beating San Francisco.
Week six was full of eye-opening play and revealed who is closer to the playoffs. On the opposite end, some teams are close to preparing for the offseason. Time to break down the weekends winners and losers.
Winners: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It’s been a hard, emotional week for anyone affiliated with the Tampa area. While they weren’t at home yesterday, the Buccaneers played to keep the divisional tie with Atlanta and for hometown pride.
Tampa Bay started hot with a 17 point first quarter. Starting quarterback Baker Mayfield threw his first of two touchdowns to Chris Godwin for an early lead. Less than two minutes later, safety Antoine Winfield Jr. recovered a Chris Olave fumble and returned it 58 yards for another touchdown.
New Orleans took the lead after a 27 point second quarter, but the Buccaneers got the lead back in the third with Godwin’s second score of the game. Tampa’s offense had a three touchdown, 20 point fourth quarter while the defense shut out the Saints offense in the second half.
The Buccaneers had to rebound after a wild, Thursday night loss almost two weeks ago. A strong second half against another divisional rival was important to stay in their first place tie with Atlanta. Tampa Bay’s schedule gets harder and they have to win more divisional games by playing well on all sides of the ball. That’s why the road win in New Orleans was important for the Buccaneers playoff chances.
Joe Flacco
What a wild chapter in Colts backup quarterback Joe Flacco’s career. He’s led Indianapolis to two wins in their last three games after sophomore starter Anthony Richardson’s been out with an oblique injury.
The Colts played a close game to divisional rival Tennessee. Late in the third quarter, Titans runningback Tony Pollard gave Tennessee the lead after a 23 yard touchdown run. Joe Flacco led a scoring drive the next possession and Indianapolis cut the deficit by four. Halfway through the quarter, the former Super Bowl champion quarterback threw the eventual game winning touchdown to Michael Pittman Jr. The Colts struggled last month to score in the fourth quarter of close games. The veteran quarterback completed a comeback win the second Sunday of October.
It’s hard to admit, but Indianapolis is a playoff contending team when Flacco’s under center. Receivers Pittman Jr., Josh Downs and Mo Alie-Cox play harder and run better routes when he leads the offense. Joe Flacco’s performances give the Colts a hard choice in who starts at quarterback when Richardson’s fully healthy.
Detroit Lions offense
The last game Detroit played before Sunday was a shootout home win over Seattle without an incomplete pass. What the Lions offense did Sunday against the Cowboys was almost better.
Detroit didn’t punt once in a dominant road win in Dallas. Quarterback Jared Goff wasn’t perfect (unlike his last Monday night performance), but he completed 18 of 25 passes for 315 yards, three touchdowns and a 153.8 passer rating. Goff was rewarded with rest late in the game as the Lions led by 38 points.
While Detroit’s passing attack shredded the Cowboys secondary, the runningback tandem of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs combined for 24 touches, 143 yards and two touchdowns. Montgomery and Gibbs cut through the Dallas front seven for at least five yards a carry.
Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson’s creativity was the highlight of the game. Goff threw a flea flicker touchdown to tight-end Sam LaPorta early in the second quarter. Starting right tackle Penei Sewell would’ve had his first career touchdown if it wasn’t for two offensive linemen drawing an illegal downfield penalty (offensive linemen can’t go past one yard of the line of scrimmage unless the ball-carrier is further ahead). Left tackle Taylor Decker almost caught a few passes. Backup tackle Dan Skipper lined up as a wide receiver against the Cowboys secondary. Detroit preferred turning the ball over on downs late in the game than punting it back to Dallas. The Lions let backups at multiple positions seal the win. No team has a hotter offense than Detroit. The NFC north might be the league’s best division, but it’ll be hard for any of the three teams to get an edge over the Lions offense.
Losers: Bo Nix
Denver’s rookie quarterback has improved since the first two weeks of the season, but there will be games where he both looks like a rookie and part of an offense needing more offensive talent.
The Broncos offense was smacked around by the Chargers defense yesterday. Midway through the third quarter, Nix completed four of 14 passes for 27 yards. Los Angeles had a 23 point shutout lead before the fourth quarter and only sacked Bo Nix twice.
Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minster had a great game plan to confuse the rookie quarterback, but Nix could’ve ran the ball more instead of throwing forced passes off his back foot. Head coach Sean Payton will emphasize that throughout the week.
Johnny Hekker’s 15 yard punt
This is the first and should be one of the few times a punt makes the losers section. If there was a play to summarize the Panthers season, it would be this one.
Late in the second quarter, former All-Pro punter Johnny Hekker punted back to Atlanta when defensive lineman Zach Harrison partially deflected it. The punt went 15 yards. Falcons cornerback Clark Phillips III returned it for 15 yards. However, Atlanta was gifted more yardage after a holding penalty was called on Carolina. The Falcons offensive possession started at the Panthers 27 yard line. As one can guess, Atlanta scored a touchdown their last possession of the first half.
The NFL’s primetime scheduling
At least a few times a year, the NFL decides not to flex their primetime games. This leads to audiences complaining about terrible teams and match-ups shown on national broadcast t.v.
Thankfully, most people weren’t subjected to the horror that is the Jacksonville Jaguars in the early morning. That was cancelled out by the Sunday night atrocity that is the Cincinnati Bengals and New York Giants. The Bengals offense and Giants defense are fun to watch, but Cincinnati’s defense and New York’s offense are awful. It’s hard to have a good game when at least one side of the ball stinks.
It didn’t matter which team won Sunday night, the league should’ve flexed for the Washington-Baltimore matchup. Unlike the teams in the night game, both the Ravens and Commanders are near the top in their divisions. The NFL pushed to flex primetime games earlier in the season and somehow doesn’t act on this change despite having the power. It would be fun if the league could somehow flex next week’s game or the week nine matchup with Jacksonville before news outlets complain.
Week five in the NFL had a lot of thrills, surprises and hair-pulling moments. Some of the best games of 2024 were yesterday. Audiences are finding out which teams could be contenders and which ones could be one and done if they reach the playoffs. Here are this weeks winners and losers.
Winners: Shane Waldron
Chicago entered week five lucky to be at .500. The defense kept them in close games while the offense struggled to score. Part of that is because there’s a new offensive coordinator in Shane Waldron, number one overall pick quarterback Caleb Williams and a battered receiving core trying to improve every week. Sunday’s dominant home win against Carolina could be a turning point for Waldron’s offense.
Chicago dominated a lackluster Panthers defense. At one point the Bears scored four touchdowns on five first half drives. Williams threw two touchdowns to wide receiver D.J. Moore while running backs Roschon Johnson and D’Andre Swift ran for a touchdown (each). Chicago had a 20 point second quarter, almost securing a win before Carolina scored ten points.
The Bears offense is fortunate they play a few more easier defenses the next few months (and have a bye week soon). The NFC north is the best division so far and Chicago needs consistent scoring to keep up with their three rivals. That dominant win could be the start of something special for Shane Waldron’s offense.
Houston Texans
The best game Sunday was Houston’s home win versus Buffalo. It looked and felt like a playoff game. The Texans dominated until the third quarter. Buffalo then came back with two straight touchdowns and tied it late in the fourth quarter.
Houston didn’t panic. After the defense forced Bills quarterback Josh Allen to throw three straight incompletions at his own two yard line, sophomore quarterback C.J. Stroud IV led a quick game winning drive. Texans kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn drilled a 59 yard field goal as time expired and Houston got their fourth win of the season.
The Texans struggled at the end of September despite winning three of four games. Beating Buffalo at home after the Bills were embarrassed in Baltimore last Sunday night showed Houston’s maturity on every side of the ball. Head coach DeMeco Ryans had them prepared even if the Bills had a second half surge.
Brian Daboll and the New York Giants offense
New York went into Seattle without leading playmaker rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers and the offense gave up a 101 yard fumble return touchdown to Seahawks strong safety Rayshawn Jenkins their first drive of the game. The Giants could’ve let that affect their play and mentally given up after trailing, but the offense rebounded the next possession and tied it back at seven. New York didn’t trail the rest of the afternoon.
Head coach Brian Daboll’s had a lot of pressure to succeed after getting the Giants to the divisional round of the playoffs his first season. It hasn’t helped that New York’s front office fails to acquire and retain top roster talent. Daboll knows his team won’t be favored most Sundays and he’s used that to his advantage.
The Giants didn’t have starting runningback Devin Singletary, so Daboll decided Tyrone Tracy Jr. should start and be the main focus of the offense. Tracy Jr. ran 18 times for 127 yards, the offensive line played better and quarterback Daniel Jones played with more confidence. Jones’ two passing touchdowns gave the Giants a double digit lead until late in the fourth quarter.
New York has to scrape for every win this season, but they can feel good knowing their coach does his best each week.
Arizona Cardinals
Arizona was competitive in all but one of their September games. It was important they saw more progress under head coach Jonathan Gannon Sunday. The Cardinals always play San Francisco hard, even in blowout losses. Getting a late win in Santa Clara is big for both the team and the division.
At one point Arizona trailed by 13 after one half. They were down ten to start the fourth quarter, but a quick touchdown and two point conversion made it a two point game. After a late Chad Ryland 35 yard field goal, the Cardinals needed a defensive stand to get their second win of the season. Linebacker Kyzir White intercepted quarterback Brock Purdy and sealed Arizona’s victory.
The Cardinals win is big in the NFC west as they have the second place tiebreaker over San Francisco. Both Arizona’s wins are against division opponents. It got better as Los Angeles and Seattle lost their late afternoon games. Management has to feel optimistic after this weekend.
Losers: Cincinnati for playing conservative with a three point lead in the fourth quarter
Cincinnati’s most important game of the season might have been the overtime loss to Baltimore Sunday. The Bengals led by ten points multiple times and somehow couldn’t get the win. There were two critical possessions the Ravens offense scored while Cincinnati didn’t score on their last two. Many will blame the Bengals defense, but the offense came up short when it mattered most.
Cincinnati’s last possession of the fourth quarter was a quick, three-and-out series where franchise starting quarterback Joe Burrow was sacked and threw an incomplete pass. A nine yard run by Chase Brown got some yards back, but the Bengals had to punt the ball to Baltimore as time expired, forcing overtime. The Bengals wasted a minute and a half trying to end regulation instead of going down the field and getting a last second score.
After Cincinnati’s defense recovered a Lamar Jackson fumble in overtime, the Bengals decided to play conservative again and give kicker Evan McPherson a chance at a game winning field goal. That idea might have worked if the Bengals weren’t near mid-field. Three run plays went to Brown, who got three yards. McPherson missed a 53 yard field goal partly because his holder (the holder snaps and holds the ball in a way the kicker can attempt his best kick to score) botched the snap. Perhaps there would be no missed field goal attempt or botched snap if Cincinnati’s head coach Zac Taylor decided Burrow stay aggressive and play to win. The former number one overall pick threw five touchdowns and almost 400 yards. He could’ve gotten more than three yards on three plays.
Baltimore took advantage of the missed kick, did what the Bengals couldn’t and went down the field playing to their strengths. Ravens kicker Justin Tucker got the game winning field goal and again put Cincinnati three games under .500.
The Jerod Mayo experiment
It seemed the Patriots head coaching hire of former champion linebacker Jerod Mayo was good the first two weeks of the regular season. New England played hard those first two weeks and got an upset win over Cincinnati. After week two, the Patriots scored 26 points the last three games. All three were losses.
Sunday was a low-point for Mayo. The anemic Miami Dolphins offense couldn’t do anything right until late in the fourth quarter. After Alec Ingold’s three yard touchdown run (Miami didn’t convert their two point attempt), New England had two possessions to get a touchdown and win the game. The Patriots ran 14 plays for 99 yards in under seven minutes. They didn’t score a point.
The Dolphins are one of the league’s worst teams with or without starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. New England couldn’t beat them at home despite leading most of the game. This is going to be an ugly rest of the season for the Patriots.
Las Vegas Raiders
Anyone who’s kept up with the AFC west knew Denver would snap their almost-five year losing streak against divisional opponent Las Vegas at some point. Many believed that when the Broncos beat the Raiders, it wouldn’t be lopsided. They were wrong.
Vegas started strong and led by ten after the first quarter. The game flipped when Denver cornerback Pat Surtain II intercepted Gardner Minshew II and ran for a 100 yard touchdown. The Broncos stayed aggressive after that score and the Raiders had no answers. Head coach Antonio Pierce’s frustration with the offense led to Minshew’s fourth quarter benching for backup Aidan O’Connell.
The loss wouldn’t be as bad if it weren’t for the rising drama the last few weeks. From Pierce calling out his coaches and players in the media to Davante Adams publicly asking for a trade to a playoff contending team, the franchise is a mess top to bottom and it’s impacting on-field decisions. The Raiders getting crushed to a divisional opponent they’d swept almost five straight years is another deflating time for the franchise.
That awful interception Jordan Love threw to Jaylen McCollough
Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love had a great road win in Los Angeles, but it wasn’t perfect. Love threw an interception seconds before the two minute warning that gave the Rams optimism. At first, it appeared Love would take a safety, which is bad enough because Los Angeles quickly pressured him. However, Love threw an interception to Rams safety Jaylen McCollough. McCollough easily toe-tapped his way into the endzone. The defensive scoring play is a quarterback’s worst nightmare. Hopefully Jordan Love doesn’t recreate this moment the rest of the year.
What an exciting week four. An All-Pro linebacker scored his first NFL touchdown, Cincinnati got their first win of the season and two teams remain undefeated after four games. The last Sunday of September delivered surprising results and some exciting divisional matchups. Here’s what stood out at the end of the month.
Winners: Sean Payton
Denver had the ugliest win but it wasn’t possible without head coach Sean Payton keeping the team focused. At one point rookie quarterback Bo Nix had seven completed passes for minus seven yards in the first half. Thankfully the Broncos trailed by six points and played better the second half.
The 12th overall pick threw his first career touchdown to wide receiver Courtland Sutton in the third quarter, taking a brief one point lead. On defense, Denver’s front seven dominated and the secondary was perfect. Jets kicker Greg Zuerlein missed a 50 yard field goal to end the game after the Broncos special teams goaded New York’s long snapper into messing up the snap before the kick. It was the first loss of quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ career where he didn’t throw a touchdown.
This is where having a head coach who’s been in the league for decades became a positive. Payton had the Broncos ready to play even if the rookie quarterback and offense had few bright spots. Denver’s still building and finding what identities they want on all sides of the ball, but it’s easier to find and work with after winning two straight games against quality playoff opponents.
Fred Warner
Until he left the game with an ankle injury, San Francisco’s star middle linebacker and defensive captain Fred Warner was an early candidate for league MVP. This was one of Warner’s best months of his career, and that’s saying how great he’s been since leading head coach Kyle Shanahan’s defense to the Super Bowl five years ago.
The 49ers all but sealed a win in a dominant first half against New England. Fred Warner intercepted a tipped Jacoby Brissett pass and ran it back 45 yards for the first touchdown of the game. It was Warners first score of his professional career. He also had an important pass deflection that could’ve been intercepted and recorded seven tackles in one half.
San Francisco’s banged up on offense with a lot of injuries to star players, but the team is at .500 because Warner and the defense kept them in one score games or held double digit leads. Let’s hope he’s not out long.
The Washington Commanders offense
The 2024 Washington offense might be one of the best in the NFL. The Commanders ended September scoring at least 20 points a game. At one point they scored on 16 straight drives (excluding game ending kneeldowns) and continue to set league scoring records without giveaways.
It starts with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. The former Cardinals coach wanted revenge for getting fired less than two years ago. He made sure Washington never let up whether by pass or run. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels completed 26 of 30 passes for 233 yards, a touchdown and a 96.3 quarterback rating. His 82.1 completion percentage is the best through four games of a season (minimum 40 attempts) and his 218 rushing yards is the second-most by a quarterback through four games of a season (via NBC’s Football Night in America). Daniels played almost two perfect football games in six days and is a big reason Washington has first place in the NFC east.
It’s not just the Kingsbury-Daniels tandem looking stellar. Brian Robinson had another 100 yard performance in Arizona and a touchdown. The receiving duo of Olamide Zaccheaus and Terry McLaurin could be one of the NFL’s best. Veteran tight-end Zach Ertz remains one of the league’s best red zone threats. Opposing defenses will struggle to stop this offense all four quarters the rest of this season.
Losers: Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia was hard to gauge this month. They either won close games, or found ways to lose at the worst times. Sunday they were beaten in the same way the Buccaneers eliminated them last postseason. Tampa Bay’s offense racked up over 400 yards and four touchdowns. At one point the Eagles were down 24-0 before a late, Parris Campbell one yard touchdown in the second quarter.
Philadelphia’s inconsistency is mostly on the coaching staff and offense. While right tackle Lane Johnson and receivers A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith have missed time due to injuries, the regression continues for quarterback Jalen Hurts since the Super Bowl loss to Kansas City. Linebacker Lavonte David forced Hurts to commit another fumble on a promising third quarter drive. It didn’t help that new starting center Landon Dickerson watched the fumble happen and didn’t do anything to recover the ball. Still, Jalen Hurts led an offense that had zero yards six minutes left into the second quarter. Tight end Dallas Goedert and receiver Jahan Dotson are great targets Hurts hasn’t built more chemistry with in Brown and Smith’s absences. Finally, head coach Nick Sirianni didn’t use his running backs as much as he should’ve after the first possession and the Eagles never had a chance.
Thankfully Philadelphia gets their bye week and has more time to get healthy and fix the offensive issues. The Eagles better fix their mistakes on every side of the ball and find ways to get back to their 2022-2023 Super Bowl form or the season will be over before Thanksgiving.
Cleveland Browns offense
There’s no worse disaster after September than the Browns offense. Not only is franchise quarterback DeShaun Watson losing the off-field reputation battle (he’s now being sued by multiple women yet again for sexual assault), he’s definitely lost the top value talent he had before his 2021 Houston hiatus. They’re third worst in yards per game and lead the league in drops. It’s been a nightmare start for a team picked by many to make the playoffs.
Cleveland went to Vegas a week after backup quarterback Andy Dalton shredded the Raider defense. Watson and the offense started fast, scoring ten points on their first two possessions. The Browns ran 21 plays for 87 yards in 12:44. The last three quarters? Nothing. Cleveland’s defense had their lone second half score after Vegas runningback Zahir White fumbled the ball and safety Rodney McLeod Jr. returned it for a touchdown. The Browns thought they had a lead on Amari Cooper’s 82 yard touchdown, but that was called back due to a holding call on center Nick Harris. Cleveland’s offense mustered 98 yards before their last possession of the game. They lost when Watson was sacked on fourth down trying to find one of his receivers double covered in the Raiders endzone.
It’s not like Watson and head coach Kevin Stefanski don’t have talented players to help out. Receivers Jerry Jeudy and Cooper are almost non-existent. Runningback Jerome Ford isn’t a starting runningback who can handle a constant workload, and Elijah Moore isn’t a deep field threat.
There’s a lot of blame to go around from the organization to the offensive coaches. Head coach Kevin Stefanski isn’t getting the most out of the available talent. Not only is the Browns offense worse than last year’s, they make opposing defenses like Vegas’ (without defensive captain and star pass rusher Maxx Crosby) look great. It might be time to start trading players before the week nine deadline.
Any team in the AFC that thinks they’ll get past Kansas City
You’d think a Chiefs team dealing with all kinds of offensive injuries would get smacked around by opposing defenses each Sunday. Somehow head coach Andy Reid finds ways for his offense to score more than expected.
Starting quarterback and face of the franchise Patrick Mahomes II accidentally injured go-to receiver Rashee Rice’s knee with his elbow (in what could be a season ending injury) and it didn’t matter. Tight end Travis Kelce and rookie receiver Xavier Worthy combined for ten catches and 162 yards. The runningback duo of Kareem Hunt and Samaje Perine had 19 touches for 83 yards. Both will get better with more playing time and running behind the interior offensive line.
The other 15 teams in their conference can’t get out of their own way. Baltimore and Los Angeles are two teams that could end Kansas City’s Super Bowl three peat run, but they’ve both lost to them a month into the season. The Chiefs are the lone undefeated team in the AFC after September.
There’s a lot of football left to be played and anything could happen the next three months. Injuries usually factor who goes up or down in the standings. Yet it must be deflating for a lot of teams to realize they can’t beat Kansas City no matter the circumstances.
Week three of the NFL regular season featured many pivotal games. Most divisions are slowly showing which teams will stand out as playoff favorites before Halloween. While a lot of wins and plays stood out, some were more eye-opening than others. Here are this weeks winners and losers.
Winners: Malik Willis
Packers starting quarterback Jordan Love wasn’t ready to return Sunday, so backup Malik Willis got the start against the team that drafted him, Tennessee. Willis wasn’t utilized well with the Titans. Despite his week two win against Indianapolis, many believed if Green Bay won, it would have to be Willis creating more big plays.
He did more than expected in a 30-14 win over Tennessee. Willis completed 13 of 19 passes for 202 yards, a touchdown and a 120.9 quarterback rating. He also ran six times for 73 yards and an additional score. Green Bay’s double digit lead made the win inevitable, but Malik Willis’ 30 yard touchdown pass to runningback Emanuel Wilson in the third quarter sealed it.
There’s been many complaints about quarterback play the first month of the season, and coaching is part of the problem. The Packers are again unaffected due to how head coach Matt LaFleur has done well with a young roster and helped young passers like Malik Willis learn more of the playbook while playing to their strengths. Willis helped his team pick up two wins without their starting passer and will be a talking point this week and October.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Last week Steelers quarterback Justin Fields made the winners column because of how he’s gradually improved and made his new team trust him more to score at important times. This week the whole team deserves a spot because of how dominant they were in a home win against the undefeated Chargers.
Pittsburgh’s defense is a big reason they’re undefeated. Although they sealed a win by knocking out Los Angeles franchise star quarterback Justin Herbert midway through the third quarter, it’s possible the Steelers still would’ve won if Herbert played the whole game. Pittsburgh had five sacks on both quarterbacks and held Jim Harbaugh’s offense to under 250 yards. After two weeks of running the ball at will, J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards had 18 combined touches for 53 yards. The Steelers front seven never let Los Angeles get going on the ground.
Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith saw another week of improvement. Fields was impressive, but so was everyone else. The offensive line pushed the running game to another 100 yard week and third year receiver Calvin Austin III led receivers with four catches for 95 yards and their lone touchdown catch.
Pittsburgh’s one of two teams in the AFC who have won all three games played to start the season (Buffalo’s 2-0, but plays later tonight), the other being defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City. The Steelers have a two game lead on the AFC north. It’ll take time for the division to try and catch up.
Andy Dalton
The Panthers offense hadn’t put up more than 27 points in a game since December 2023. Carolina also hadn’t held a lead past 10 seconds in that timespan. They put all that to rest Sunday with Andy Dalton’s first start in a full calendar year.
The Panthers made a bold move to bench 2023 number one overall pick Bryce Young because of his struggles to read defenses, find open receivers, and score more than ten points a game. Head coach Dave Canales made the switch to see if Dalton could still lead an offense and score more points.
Andy Dalton completed 26 of 37 passes for 319 yards, three touchdowns and a 123.6 passer rating. All three of his scores were thrown in the first half of a dominant win in Las Vegas. The Panthers shredded the Raiders defense in every facet (more on them later) and won 36-22. Carolina had as many passing touchdowns Sunday as Bryce Young’s last ten starts, and led Vegas for 49:17.
It’s possible the Panthers offense rallied around the 14 year veteran quarterback. It’s also unlikely due to how Dalton led Carolina to a previous high scoring game last season. Dalton might not lose the starting job for the rest of 2024 due to how he can read a field better and make the most of a solid receiving core.
Detroit Lions defense
Most weeks you’ll hear how Detroit’s offense stole the show and had a combination of a dominant game-winning drive, highlight reel play, and a fourth down conversion. On Sunday it was the Lions defense that deserved accolades.
Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn struggled calling the right plays two weeks into the regular season. Yesterday his defense held the Cardinals offense to under 300 yards for the first time this month. Safety Kerby Joseph intercepted Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray once and defensive end Aidan Hutchinson had a sack. The defense swarmed runningback James Conner whenever he had the ball and made sure receivers like Michael Wilson didn’t gain many yards after their catches.
In previous years, many viewers would’ve said this would be rare due to how Detroit’s defense was inconsistent. General manager Brad Holmes keeps adding talent to the secondary and depth on the front seven. It’s possible this was the first of many games the Lions defense dominates this season.
Losers: Will Levis
As wonderful of a win former Titan quarterback Malik Willis had against his former team, it was as deflating a loss for current Tennessee quarterback Will Levis.
Each Titans regular season game this season, Willis has committed at least one major gaffe on offense that’s led to a touchdown for the opposing defense. This week, Green Bay’s ten point lead in the first quarter came from a Jaire Alexander interception that led to a 35 yard touchdown (the first touchdown scored in Alexander’s NFL career). Levis forcing passes to receivers in contested coverage led to another interception late when the game was out of reach.
Tennessee head coach Brian Callahan didn’t hold back criticism on Will Levis’ mistakes after the first two losses. This was their first double digit loss of the season. The blowout would’ve been more tolerable if it was against a playoff contender like Baltimore or division rival Houston. Losing to a former almost-franchise-now-backup quarterback by double digits means Levis could get benched by next month.
Ryan Poles
If a general manager is in the losers column the first month of the season, then the team is in trouble. General manager Ryan Poles should be on the hot seat after Chicago’s brutal loss in Indianapolis.
One might find it harsh due to how Poles used the number one pick on a new quarterback and also executed a bunch of signings and trades the last few years. The problem is the Bears look awful top to bottom despite early season injuries at wide receiver. For clarity, this was a Chicago red zone play late in the second quarter.
The offensive line wouldn’t have been a problem if the Bears traded the number one pick for other top round picks (like they have the last few seasons) or drafted more offensive linemen in previous years. To add injury to insult, starting left tackle Braxton Jones left in the first quarter due to a knee injury. Current first overall pick Caleb Williams threw his first touchdown in the fourth quarter of his third game of the season and Chicago lost after 15th overall pick Laiatu Latu strip-sacked Williams and recovered the ball. If Latu was picked by Poles, the Bears might not have given up 140 rushing yards.
It doesn’t help Ryan Poles decided to retain current head coach Matt Eberflus after last year’s horrible season. The defensive minded Eberflus staying to help the number one overall pick learn and develop his talents on offense is going as many expected: poorly. The Bears are notorious for letting previous regimes stay around after drafting a quarterback, and Poles is no different from his predecessors.
This years NFC north is one of the league’s better divisions. Three of the four teams are well coached, well balanced on all sides of the ball, and had great drafts last offseason. Chicago is once again on the outside looking in and their general manager is a big reason.
Las Vegas Raiders
Despite one win in three games, the Raiders look awful. Their win in Baltimore came on a 13 point fourth quarter rally (the Ravens are becoming known for blowing double digit leads the last few seasons). Vegas’ two losses have been by 14 or more points.
Earlier it was mentioned how Carolina struggled to even hold a lead in the fourth quarter heading into yesterday. They thrashed the Raiders after the first quarter. Dalton’s veteran experience and adjustments against a young secondary was part of it, but the Panthers also ran the ball well. Chuba Hubbard ran 21 times for 114 yards.
Kicker Eddy Pineiro added 12 points on special teams. Meanwhile, 15 of Vegas’ 22 points came in the fourth quarter when the game was out of reach. The Gardner Minshew II experiment looks more miss than hit and the Raiders are dead last in running the football. Head coach Antonio Pierce was brought back because he’s a smart yet tough leader. One could say the team’s execution week-to-week is on him and his coaching staff. While that could be true, upper management is still making the same old mistakes under owner Mark Davis.
Stephen Ross for somehow wanting Mike McDaniel as head coach
For new fans and readers wondering why Miami’s struggling, you have to go back to February 2022 when then-head coach Brian Flores was surprisingly fired after getting the Dolphins over .500 with a 9-8 record. He was then replaced by a younger, offensive “guru” coach from San Francisco named Mike McDaniel. McDaniel was ok his first season before Miami started hot last year and erupted for an infamous 70-20 home win over Denver. Since that landslide victory, the Dolphins are 9-9 (including playoffs).
What makes this situation completely hilarious is how the now-extended franchise starting quarterback (when not concussed and twitching) Tua Tagovailoa ripped the former head coach in the offseason for, “being a bully” and how Flores said many mean things to him. Well…Brian Flores is well respected on the teams he’s coached and has improved every defense since his firing. Two of the current undefeated teams this month had Flores on their staff at some point since 2022. Meanwhile Miami’s injured star quarterback who’s addicted to throwing deep-field passes to star wide receivers, doesn’t want to learn how to read different defensive coverages, and can’t play winning football by utilizing other offensive talent when opposing coordinators confuse him with mixed defensive schemes. Tagovailoa doesn’t even know how to slide safely to protect his head, a key move professional quarterbacks implement by their fourth year in the league.
Then there’s McDaniel in his nightmare third season as head coach. Miami was throttled on the road in Seattle. Rookie head coach Mike Macdonald embarrassed every quarterback McDaniel put on the field and the Seahawks offense torched a subpar Dolphins defense. The cherry on top of an absolute beatdown came when Miami failed to score a fourth and goal play at Seattle’s two yard line, then Geno Smith and the Seahawks led a 12 play, 98 yard touchdown drive that lasted five and a half minutes. It was Seattle’s first and only score of the second half. The Seahawks beat Miami so thoroughly, they didn’t need to score more than ten points.
One error many owners and general managers keep making is firing a head coach because a new, flashy coordinator (who can barely manage every bit of their side of the ball) becomes popular in the media. Mike McDaniel is not a head coach who should oversee a 53 man roster. He enjoys drawing up creative trick plays on offense and stutters to answer simple questions. His predecessor by contrast wasn’t afraid of being honest with the media and frequently called out an overhyped, 2020 seventh overall pick for consistently playing garbage football.
There aren’t any excuses or counters for this team. Keep in mind Miami now has the longest playoff win drought in the NFL. Flashy, fantasy football stats and highlight plays don’t buy you wins in the postseason.
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 storylines to keep in mind that will play out and progress the following months. Here’s who and what stood out most after the second week of the season.
Winners: Baker Mayfield
Many viewers wondered if Buccaneers starting quarterback Baker Mayfield would follow up last year’s division winning success with progress and a new offensive coordinator. Mayfield and the offense looked great in a dominant week one win against Washington, but there was a challenge to perform just as well on the road in Detroit.
Baker Mayfield looked good in a rematch of their divisional round playoff loss against the Lions. The former 2018 number one overall pick completed 12 passes on 19 attempts for a touchdown and a 90.9 quarterback rating. Mayfield also ran five times for 34 yards and an additional score. His two, eleven yard scrambles late in the third quarter gave the Buccaneers their second lead, and his touchdown was the final score of the game.
Many believe Tampa Bay will win the NFC south due to how well they’re coached and the amount of talent on every side of the ball. Quarterback won’t be a question mark that will plague head coach Todd Bowles’ offense throughout the season. That should worry the other three teams competing in the division.
New Orleans Saints offense
One of the other three NFC south teams challenging the Buccaneers is New Orleans. Two weeks into the regular season, the Saints undoubtedly have the best offense in the NFL.
Week three hasn’t started and New Orleans scored 91 points in two games. They crushed a solid Dallas defense that played well against Cleveland week one. The Cowboys got their first stop Sunday when they intercepted quarterback Derek Carr to start the fourth quarter. The Saints scored six straight touchdowns before that giveaway and weren’t in danger of giving up the lead after three quarters. Their first punt of the season was late in the fourth quarter.
While many will point out Alvin Kamara as the star of the game with four touchdowns on 180 all-purpose (rushing and receiving) yards, New Orleans looks different on offense due to new coordinator Klint Kubiak implementing a rapid pace scheme. Former offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael was stuck in slow paced styles that were easy to defend against. A much faster version with the talented starting eleven players featuring a deep receiving core has caught opponents off-guard. It’ll take a while for opponents to figure out how to slow down Kubiak’s success.
General manager John Schneider
Many analysts had Seattle winning their first two games of the season against Denver and New England. More viewers believed the Seahawks wouldn’t be on top of the NFC west after two weeks. Seattle is the only undefeated team in their division and have fixed a lot of last year’s defensive mistakes.
Many would say the current head coach is the main reason for the early season success. Part of that is true, but the early season optimism wouldn’t happen if general manager John Schneider didn’t move on from winningest head coach in franchise history, Pete Carroll.
Carroll will always have the franchise’s respect and appreciation for many reasons, but it was clear a change needed to be made and Schneider was willing to make the hard decisions. His hiring of former Raven defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald after interviewing a lot of potential head coaching candidates has led to a team revamp and further development of a talented roster.
The Seahawks made the necessary adjustments in both games to pull out (albeit close) wins. Macdonald’s got the players buying in to his philosophy while making necessary changes. The hiring also hurt the Baltimore Ravens (more on them later) coaching staff and personnel decisions in close games. Don’t be surprised if Seattle stays in the division race most of the season because of Schneider’s offseason moves.
Justin Fields
Readers might be perplexed a quarterback making his second start on a new team and completed 13 of 20 passes for 117 yards and one touchdown would be in the winners column. The readers would have a good point, except it’s former Bears starting quarterback Justin Fields. Fields didn’t have the stable coaching and development in Chicago that he does in Pittsburgh. It’s shown after two weeks.
While the Steelers defense hasn’t given up a touchdown to start the season, Justin Fields has faced two good defenses after winning the contested starting job. He isn’t running half the time because the offensive line is much better and he’s gaining more trust with a talented receiving core. Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is more content with a more balanced running and passing game plan than favoring a lopsided passing attack. This ensures Pittsburgh will have a more interesting season and stay relevant in the AFC north race.
Losers: Doug Pederson
Jacksonville’s suffered two agonizing losses to start the season and while one might believe quarterback and face of the franchise Trevor Lawrence is a main reason why the Jaguars are winless, the biggest culprits are the coaching staff.
In week one, Jacksonville got too conservative and let a stagnant Miami offense pull out a win at the end. In week two, Pederson’s inept decisions led the Jaguars to rely on the passing game often and it was a main reason Cleveland hung on for a win. Lawrence entered the second half with 16 yards on 12 passing attempts while runningback Travis Etienne was forgotten about despite running for 29 yards on six carries.
Despite many offensive mistakes, Jacksonville trailed by six late in the fourth. The Jaguars drew up a brilliant play to start a potential game-winning drive: let your franchise quarterback get sacked in his own endzone, giving the Browns two points and increasing the deficit.
General manager Trent Baalke made sure to pay a lot of key players like Lawrence and receiver Christian Kirk good money and these are the results. It starts with coaching, game preparation and continued development blunders that were evident in the second half of last season with Pederson on the sideline. Either Doug Pederson finds solutions or it’s another early lost season for the franchise.
Brian Daboll and the bad luck New York Giants
If it wasn’t for bad luck, the Giants would have no luck at all. Despite a solid offensive performance led by quarterback Daniel Jones, kicker Graham Gano injuring his right hamstring the opening play of the game meant special teams would play a factor in which team won.
Only New York could score three touchdowns, not get an extra point or two due to Gano’s injury, and still lose by three. Per ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt, it’s the second time an NFL team has scored three or more touchdowns and lost to a team that scored zero (teams with three or more touchdowns scored and zero touchdowns allowed are 1,294-2. The last team to lose this way was in 1989). Washington couldn’t get the ball into the Giants endzone and somehow won in overtime. Seven field goals cancelled any good feelings head coach Brian Daboll had with his offense.
It’ll be hard for New York to put a winning streak together this season with their unusually harder schedule. To lose against a division rival only because a kicker got injured to start the game and not score a few more points is bitter to sit on for a week.
Baltimore Ravens
Seattle and Baltimore are on two different paths to start the season. As mentioned above, general manager John Schneider’s made the right moves top to bottom. The Ravens have not and the result are two close losses.
If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you’re aware there’s little sympathy for head coach John Harbaugh. He’s put Baltimore in many uphill positions with his terrible decision making and unnecessary approaches to overuse reigning league MVP Lamar Jackson in order to hide serious issues plaguing the team. While Harbaugh’s failures show against champion caliber teams like Kansas City, errors showing in home games against the Raiders is a surprise.
After Derrick Henry’s three yard touchdown run gave the Ravens a ten point lead early in the fourth quarter, things went downhill. Baltimore’s conservative offensive play-calling led Las Vegas to three scoring drives that averaged two minutes (each). Harbaugh knows his defense hasn’t and won’t lock down opposing receivers the same ways they did last season with former coordinator Mike Macdonald coaching a team in another conference. General manager Eric DeCosta knew this before Macdonald left for Seattle but decided he’d keep the gaffe prone Harbaugh around (despite how unprepared the team’s offensive game plan was in last year’s AFC championship game), and wanted to invest more at runningback and receiver.
The neglected offensive line is a weak link in the Ravens offense. The interior was beaten against two vicious defensive fronts in two weeks. The defense can’t stop second half offensive drives and already looks tired. Per Bill Barnwell to Scott Van Pelt on SportsCenter, Baltimore’s allowed eight plays of at least 25 yards after two weeks. That’s the most in the NFL. Five of those were against the Raiders yesterday.
DeCosta had a golden opportunity to keep a well coveted coach on staff and elevate him to the head position, but decided it was best to stay comfortable and play it safe. That decision could cost the Ravens a deep postseason run and grant another team a championship window.
Los Angeles Rams
It’s one thing to lose against a division rival early in the season. It’s another to get blown out by more than 30 points, especially when you’ve dominated said rival for years.
Los Angeles looked awful before receiver Cooper Kupp left due to an ankle injury in Sunday’s loss at Arizona. Defensive coordinator Chris Shula had no answer for Detroit in week one when it mattered most, but many expected that due to how the Lions have a lot of veteran offensive talent. The Cardinals have a lot of younger, inexperienced offensive talent that veteran defensive coaches like Shula can exploit and take advantage of each possession.
None of that happened. Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray finished with a perfect passer rating and runningback James Conner shredded the Rams defense while Los Angeles’ offense did almost nothing outside of a late third quarter touchdown.
It’s possible head coach Sean McVay didn’t take the Cardinals seriously due to how well the Rams played against Detroit the previous Sunday and how he’s won all but (now) three games against Arizona since becoming head coach in 2017 (including nine straight games in Glendale, where Los Angeles lost yesterday). There’s no reason to panic but the increasing number of injuries aren’t a good sign.
All the factors that will determine LeBron James’ future in the NBANOW PLAYING Will an early playoff exit to the Timberwolves tarnish Jokic’s 2024 MVP award? What’s at stake for the legacy of Luka Doncic in latest playoff run? Nikola Jokic wins third NBA MVP award, joins exclusive club Lakers need a new coach, but there’s still other areas to address Must-watch WNBA games to circle on your calendar as season kicks off Blake Corum to the Rams Series to watch in the second-round of the NBA playoffs Here is story that is a pleasant little blast from the past, of sorts.
The Seattle Seahawks focused their draft almost exclusively on building up both their offensive and defensive fronts. Their first pick was defensive tackle Byron Murphy, and essentially their second round pick was Leonard Williams. When it came time for their third round pick, they decided to beef up their interior offensive line.
Seattle managed to get one of the best guards available in Christian Haynes, but it was a bit of a process. Having such a long wait between picks can be an eternity in the NFL. It takes patience and a little bit of luck, but it also takes some consulting.
When it came to Haynes, general manager John Schneider got some key advice from an old friend in the form of Steve Hutchinson, per John Boyle at Seahawks.com:
“The Cowboys take Kansas State’s Cooper Beebe with the 73rd pick, one of the two interior linemen still high on Seattle’s board, meaning it’s going to be a long, nervous wait to see if the Seahawks are going to get Christian Haynes. In the back of the room, Hall of Fame guard Steve Hutchinson, who works for the team as a football consultant, a role that consists largely of helping evaluate offensive linemen, quietly chats with Schneider. In particular, Schneider wants Hutch’s opinion on Haynes. I think he’s going to be a really good (expletive) player,” Hutchinson tells Schneider…”
Hutchinson was originally a first round draft choice by the Seahawks all the way back in 2001, and was a stalwart along their offensive line for years. Paired with Walter Jones, Hutchinson helped create the best offensive line Seattle has ever seen, and it paved the way for Shaun Alexander’s 2005 MVP campaign.
Hutchinson would go on to play with the Minnesota Vikings and the Tennessee Titans, before retiring in 2013 and eventually being elevated to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Now, he is back in the fold with the Seahawks.
From left to right: T.J. Oshie, Max Pacioretty and John Carlson celebrating after a goal in Florida February eighth.
A new month begins and one can see which teams will clinch playoff seeds and which ones could make a championship run. NHL Network analyst Brian Laughton said three years ago most teams are usually a few plays to a few players away from being postseason contenders each year. Four out of five times, that’s the correct analysis. Anything can happen on the ice. Viewers have seen so many upsets and what-if scenarios on who even makes the playoffs (we’re looking at you 2022-2023 Pittsburgh Penguins and Florida Panthers) that an entire series can change in the blink of an eye.
The remaining one fifth is easy to predict and at times unanimous. The 2021-2022 eastern conference comes to mind. Once the all-star weekend started, everyone knew which eight teams in the conference were going to make the playoffs. There was no pushback from any of the bottom eight teams once the second half began. The 2022 regular season ended with the eighth seeded Capitals finishing ahead of the ninth ranked Islanders by 16 points. Both teams were in no shape to win a first round series, but the points margin was eye opening even to a casual viewer.
The NHL’s 2023-2024 eastern conference is starting to mirror that result. If one looks at the eastern conference standings today, it’s a given the top five teams (all have 76 points or more) will make the playoffs. All five have good coaches, at least three quality goal scorers and solid roster depth. The bottom three trio of Philadelphia, Detroit and Tampa Bay have faced multiple issues this season and despite slumps, trade talks or not enough veteran presence are still in a good position to clinch a playoff spot a week or two after the trade deadline.
This is why it’s important to watch how every team plays once the calendar year begins. The remaining five teams on the outside (Columbus, Ottawa and Montreal are pretty much eliminated from contention) will have a hard time getting one of the top eight spots. The Capitals, Devils, Penguins and Islanders are the closest teams that could upset one of the three under 76 points. Washington’s defense is surprisingly better than previous years and captain Alex Ovechkin is heating up at the best time. However they also lost T.J. Oshie and still don’t have Nicklas Backstrom. The Capitals have the third worst scoring offense in the league and not enough depth to average three goals a game against quality contenders. They have a brutal schedule this month with almost every game against a top team close to clinching a playoff spot or a western conference team trying to stay relevant and jump past other rivals in the postseason standings.
New Jersey is on the opposite end. Forward Jack Hughes is back and the offense looks great but the defense is one of the league’s worst. Many believe the Devils will trade for a star netminder by the March eighth deadline. If the plan is to get a goalie such as John Gibson, Juuse Saros, Elvis Merzlikins or Anton Forsberg, then New Jersey has to give up at least one important player on offense. The Devils aren’t the only team wanting to get into the playoffs that would like goalie help and there’s also no guarantee any of the four names would fix the nagging defensive issues many teams have exploited all season.
Pittsburgh could be the most threatening of the four on paper. They’ve played only 57 games and can add more offensive-minded pieces with tradable players such as Erik Karlsson, Brian Rust and Rickard Rakell. The Penguins will have to contend with a heavy March schedule that features eleven games against playoff hopefuls (including two against Edmonton). Their “easier” games against Ottawa and Columbus will also be hard. There’s no guarantee they’ll find a trade partner who will exchange offensive talent without wanting more in return, and Pittsburgh isn’t in a position to trade away draft picks or any of their core three players.
The Islanders might be the worst of the four. They’re historically bad on the penalty-kill, have only two twenty goal scorers and are in the bottom half of the league in both total offense and defense. Like Washington and Pittsburgh, New York has a rough schedule the last four weeks of the regular season. They didn’t even score their first empty net goal of the season until Leap Day.
Keep in mind that if any of these four wind up getting the eighth or seventh seed, it means one or two of the Tampa Bay-Detroit-Philadelphia trio has to implode their nine point lead. This presents other problems. Despite Pittsburgh having the extra games to play compared to Washington, could the general managers of both franchises decide to give up more assets at the trade deadline instead of coming up short of a playoff spot and a few extra weeks of play?
Many teams believe the trade deadline is the last chance to make necessary changes and want to head into April as postseason favorites. Florida had that mindset last year and wound up representing the conference in the Stanley Cup finals. However the Panthers had more than just luck heading into that championship appearance. Unless any of the Lightning, Red Wings or Flyers trio believes they can’t go any further, we should assume the only serious issues in the east will be seeding for the top eight teams.
The Devils have won some important games since 2024 began but are too inconsistent to make the postseason. They might be sellers at the trade deadline and not buyers.
Here are the power rankings for March.
#32 Chicago Blackhawks (last ranking: 32)
Former players Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane scoring the game tying and winning goals on former Hall of Fame defenseman Chris Chelios’ jersey retirement night is another stain on the franchise. Chicago didn’t retain the necessary players after winning their third championship this century and the front office blunders continue to show in meaningful games. One has to wonder how much of the rebuild around franchise star Connor Bedard gets botched after this season.
#31 San Jose Sharks (last ranking: 31)
Until he got hurt, Tomas Hertl was considered the big name San Jose could move by the trade deadline. A team last in goals for and against won’t have many attractive assets available to postseason contending teams unless it’s solidifying depth or fleecing a franchise trying to clinch a lower playoff spot. The Sharks might be stuck with this whole roster another two months.
#30 Anaheim Ducks (last ranking: 30)
The past month was a net positive for the Ducks despite having four wins to show for it. However three of the four came against the Sabres, Senators and Devils. Those eastern conference teams needed the two points for a better position in the wildcard race. Anaheim also has better trade options than San Jose while their younger core players get better.
#29 Columbus Blue Jackets (last ranking: 29)
The firing of the league’s longest tenured general manager Jarmo Kekalainen has ripple effects. February hadn’t ended and Emil Bemstrom was traded to Pittsburgh on the 22nd. This means Columbus will have multiple purges next week and the following months.
#28 Arizona Coyotes (last ranking: 25)
What a tailspin. Analysts went from watching Arizona’s potential to wondering if they’ll deal a lot of the core roster. What a disastrous February for the Coyotes and at the worst possible time.
#27 Montreal Canadiens (last ranking: 27)
It was brought up by Jamison Coyle and Bruce Boudreau on the NHL Network this past week that Martin St. Louis could be relieved as head coach at the end of the season if Montreal doesn’t feel there’s enough progress with the current young core. That’s an impulsive move. Anyone watching the NHL knows the Canadiens are re-building a roster that doesn’t have a top tier goalie or a dangerous goal scorer. St. Louis would be a coveted coaching name should he be fired.
On a positive, it’s good to see someone showed the power rankings to Juraj Slafkovsky. He had the best month of his young, professional career.
#26 Ottawa Senators (last ranking: 28)
Ottawa’s progress depends on how well they improve on total defense. Their struggle this week (starting at Washington) was due to a return of the run-and-gun offensive style of play they were used to under former coach D.J. Smith. That cost them needed points. It’s too late for the Senators to make a playoff run but new management should have a good idea of who’s worth keeping and who should be traded by the March eighth deadline.
#25 Buffalo Sabres (last ranking: 24)
Buffalo is capable of beating quality playoff teams but not two or three times a week the next month and a half. The Sabres don’t have a 20+ goal scorer on the team and have already played 60 games. There couldn’t be more pressure on general manager Kevyn Adams to determine how closer the team is in their rebuild and a new coach after this month.
#24 New York Islanders (last ranking: 20)
After one month of Patrick Roy’s return to coaching New York has:
Retained a historically bad penalty kill at 71%.
Been shutout against a mediocre Blues team that scored three goals in 32 seconds February 22nd.
The fourth worst win percentage when leading after the second period at .720 (ahead of only Chicago, San Jose and Columbus).
You know who wouldn’t have the Islanders playing some of the worst defense in franchise (and at times league) history? Barry Trotz. Someone has to pick general manager Lou Lamoriello’s brain into why firing him was a bright idea.
#23 Seattle Kraken (last ranking: 18)
What a breakout year for Jared McCann. He leads the team in goals and points while being third in assists and second on power-play points. He’s on the first line with Matty Beniers, so it’s important Seattle keeps him around not just for Beniers to keep growing into his star role, but for depth if both end up in a scoring slump.
#22 Washington Capitals (last ranking: 22)
Just as I predicted, Alex Ovechkin is back to where we thought he’d be on offense once other players either returned from personal matters, injuries or stepping into their needed roles. Yes Pittsburgh has more games to play and could sneak up on the current eighth seed, but if any of the eight teams had to pick which one on the outside they don’t want to see get hot this month, I assure you at least six teams would pick the Capitals. Washington would threaten many postseason dreams if they somehow get a top eight spot in the east.
#21 New Jersey Devils (last ranking: 21)
After their Sunday thrashing against Tampa Bay, TNT’s Paul Bissonnette dropped an interesting stat: the Devils give up the first goal in 72% of their games. That means not only is New Jersey playing rush offense hockey most of the time, they’re not improving on defense due to how they’re not used to playing from behind. The studio panel mostly agreed with me that coach Lindy Ruff and upper management should be more concerned about developing the defense the rest of this season instead of making a playoff push.
#20 Calgary Flames (last ranking: 23)
Who knew trading away players like Elias Lindholm would result in the best month of the season? Outside of one winless week, Calgary won all their games and dominated against Boston, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Los Angeles. The Flames have nothing to lose and for the first time this season, that makes them a threat to veteran teams trying to play their best.
#19 St. Louis Blues (last ranking: 19)
St. Louis is ahead of Calgary due to how much more talent they have but that could evaporate next week. Their defense gave up four goals or more in all but one of their losses in February. The Blues more than likely end the season with fire sale cap shedding from general manager Doug Armstrong.
#18 Pittsburgh Penguins (last ranking: 19)
To follow up on last month’s commentary with Pittsburgh, more rumors are saying defenseman Erik Karlsson could be traded back to Ottawa. This is a great idea for both teams. Karlsson would balance out and add needed veteran leadership back to the Senators now that Daniel Alfredsson is an assistant coach, but more importantly the Penguins need high scoring offensive players who can open up the power-play. Vladimir Tarasenko is a possibility since he’s won a championship within the last five years and was rumored to be on the trading bloc. Be on the lookout for how this develops.
#17 Minnesota Wild (last ranking: 26)
That’s more like it. Minnesota is finally playing like the team we expected to see this year. In their last eleven games, they averaged four goals on offense, had a 30% power play and a 79% penalty kill. If the defense allows fewer than three goals a game this month, they’ll definitely make the playoffs and give fits to whoever becomes the one or two seed.
#16 Los Angeles Kings (last ranking: 15)
Anything was an improvement over January. Interim coach Jim Hiller is off to a solid start after taking over. There are still serious concerns about how this team plays and how bad some of the February losses are, but there’s stability and veteran players aren’t disgruntled. Los Angeles needs all the wins it can get on and off the ice.
#15 Nashville Predators (last ranking: 16)
General manager Barry Trotz is the man of the hour in Nashville and no one would want to be in his position right now. After giving up nine goals to division rival Dallas, the Predators have surged for a seven game winning streak. Yet the Juuse Saros trade (and contract extension) talks, what direction this team wants to go in and how much roster talent will be retained brings uncertainty. Serious hockey analysts are aware that whatever happens, the team is in good hands with Trotz’s decisions.
#14 Tampa Bay Lightning (last ranking: 11)
Another general manager to keep an eye on at the trade deadline is Julien BriseBois. The Lightning’s defensive struggles were exposed every week in February, peaking in an embarrassing 6-2 loss in Philadelphia that shocked many in the hockey world. BriseBois has to find at least one quality defenseman who can take the pressure off Victor Hedman and Erik Cernak. Without a pivotal trade, Tampa Bay’s path to the playoffs gets harder.
#13 Philadelphia Flyers (last ranking: 17)
I believe Philadelphia isn’t just ahead of their roster rebuild, but they’re in a position where they could seriously threaten to, or eliminate whoever is the one or two seed in the east should they stay at their current points pace. The question then becomes how much do both coach John Tortorella and general manager Daniel Briere improve both the roster and the power-play while retaining the deadliest penalty kill in the league? The Flyers have added a good number of players the last year and a half who fit the organization’s attitude almost perfectly, so this will be interesting to watch.
#12 Edmonton Oilers (last ranking: 12)
One of the best things I did when creating these power rankings was how to evaluate a team’s overall, season performance. This is not a power rankings constantly swayed by in-the-now mindsets and hot takes due to flashy stats.
Many analysts had Edmonton as the best team in the league due to their winning streak. As many read last month, it was more important to see what team showed up once the streak snapped. The Oilers are 6-5 since their loss to Vegas and captain Connor McDavid scored his first goal after an eleven game drought. We’ll have a better idea of which Edmonton team we’ll get for the playoffs throughout the month.
#11 Vegas Golden Knights (last ranking: 6)
The championship luster has worn off for the reigning champions. After ending Edmonton’s historical winning streak, Vegas went 3-6 the rest of February. Two of those wins were against Arizona and San Jose. Not having captain Mark Stone is part of it but the defense is mediocre at best. It’s possible the Golden Knights become an active trade partner at the deadline.
#10 Detroit Red Wings (last ranking: 13)
If one was in a coma for the last 20 years and woke up this month and didn’t see the numbers nor names on the jerseys of the active players, they would think the Russian Five were still on ice. During Detroit’s impressive six game winning streak they outscored opponents 28-10. The goalies averaged a .947 save percentage, while the power-play is at 31% and the penalty kill at 80%. The scariest part of the Red Wings improvement is how general manager Steve Yzerman will probably be active at the trade deadline.
#9 Toronto Maple Leafs (last ranking: 10)
The Leafs had a great February highlighted by a seven game winning streak. All they have to show for it is a four point lead over Detroit for the third playoff spot in the atlantic. Toronto still deserves credit for playing well in close games and getting better defense and goaltending presence.
#8 Dallas Stars (last ranking: 7)
We’re in the serious part of the power rankings now and Dallas has to be kicking themselves again after another month of mediocre play. Instead of a sizable first place lead in the central division, they’re only two points ahead of Colorado, who spanked them 5-1 on Tuesday. The Stars have to play more seriously and consistently against quality playoff teams. The trade for Flames defenseman Chris Tanev could help determine how much of a division lead they retain.
#7 Carolina Hurricanes (last ranking: 8)
While the franchise should feel good Jacob Slavin is tied for first in franchise history with most points by a defenseman, it’s gone under the radar how the Hurricanes have the league’s second lowest team save percentage at .890 (ahead of only Ottawa’s .885). This is worrying when they also allow the second fewest shots per game with 25.5. Carolina’s a really good team but when they aren’t scoring three goals a game, defensive errors show. The Hurricanes could benefit with a trade or two at the deadline for an extra goaltender wanting to prove themselves.
#6 Colorado Avalanche (last ranking: 2)
Most analysts are enamored with Nathan MacKinnon’s point streak and for good reasons. What should be the main conversation is Colorado’s 5-7 February record. They desperately miss their scoring depth and captain. The Avalanche need help by the trade deadline if they want to make a deep playoff run. There’s no reason for panic yet. The Avalanche are two points out of first place in the central and Valeri Nichushkin is close to returning.
#5 New York Rangers (last ranking: 9)
Igor Shesterkin is 100% back and that’s not good for the east. He’s undefeated in his last seven starts giving up 1.72 goals a game with a .953 save percentage. He also recorded a shutout on national t.v. and allowed one goal or fewer in five of those seven starts. Shesterkin’s a big reason the Rangers won every game he started in February and why New York has one of the league’s best records.
#4 Boston Bruins (last ranking: 5)
A good number of hockey fans (especially Rangers fans) will be perplexed with Boston’s ranking especially with the analysis that will be provided. Keep in mind New York had a great month, but anything can happen in March with how they’ll play a lot more games. Fatigue could set in early, so it’s better to be consistent as I have been with other teams the past few months.
Boston has to figure some things out. They got bullied by more physical teams touting larger defensemen. It’s one thing to split games with Vancouver, but getting shutout at home to Washington and losing both games to Seattle and Calgary have to be addressed. It also doesn’t help that the Bruins have the sixth worst win percentage when leading after the second period (.758). General manager Don Sweeney might want to acquire an extra defenseman or two at the trade deadline.
#3 Winnipeg Jets (last ranking: 3)
I won’t address the surprising financial issues because that’s beyond any of us. For now, the on-ice play is what matters most.
Connor Hellebuyck tied Martin Brodeur for fifth in most consecutive games with three goals or fewer with 31. After the streak snapped he’s mostly continued like nothing happened. It would be stunning if Hellebuyck doesn’t win the Vezina this season.
#2 Vancouver Canucks (last ranking: 1)
Again, a good number of readers might be surprised by this ranking when Vancouver went under .500 for February. It also didn’t help that strong rumors of Elias Pettersson being traded at the deadline due to an impasse over contract negotiations flared up again. Despite the subpar play, the Canucks are ten points ahead of the next challenger in the pacific and they haven’t slipped out of first in the west despite the slump. While coach Rick Tocchet has to make sure the defense fixes their mistakes, Vancouver will keep the one spot in the west until Winnipeg, Dallas or Colorado go on another major winning streak.
#1 Florida Panthers (last ranking: 4)
Florida being the top team shouldn’t surprise anyone. From an eleven road game winning streak (tied for NHL second best all-time), to Matthew Tkachuk being the NHL point leader most of the calendar year, to throttling almost every opponent faced in February, there’s no doubt the Panthers are the hottest and scariest team to start March. Sam Reinhart wasn’t a goal-scoring threat and the team still averaged three goals in each of their wins while losing two games with a combined score of 3-1. Good luck to whoever draws this team in the first round.
Florida’s 9-2 beatdown of Tampa Bay is one of many reasons they’re the best team to start March.
