Tag: philadelphia-eagles

NFL Week One Winners and Losers

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Except for the inevitable injury or two, the first week of the NFL regular season is typically mild. Not this week. It was anything but mild on Sunday. Week one is seen by some as a fluke week, while others see it as a prelude of what will come as teams settle in. Here are the winners and losers from Sunday’s games.

Winners: Aaron Glenn

New York has been terrible for a long time. The last time the Jets won a week one Sunday game was 2015 against Cleveland. A lot has changed since then.

After Sunday, Aaron Glenn finally has a winning record in the regular season. The Jets won a one-sided road game in Tennessee. They capitalized on the game’s first possession after Titans kicker Joey Slye kicked the ball out of bounds on the kickoff. Kenyon Sadiq’s three yard touchdown run put Tennessee in an early hole and let the Jets cruise to an easy win.

New York’s offense looked good. In Geno Smith’s second stint as starter with the team, he completed 19 of 24 passes for 215 yards and a 104 quarterback rating. Breece Hall had 22 carries for 102 yards and a touchdown. The offensive line dominated Tennessee’s defensive line.

On defense, the Jets sacked sophomore quarterback Cam Ward three times. While New York’s defense didn’t force a turnover, they suffocated the Titans offense. Tennessee had a total of 200 offensive yards and scored their lone touchdown when the game was decided late in the fourth quarter.

Last year was a miserable season for head coach Aaron Glenn. Despite some positives, management traded away valuable players and the team lost more confidence. Glenn needed a strong, opening week to show there has been progress since last season’s messes. He left no doubt about the positive changes Sunday.

Cincinnati Bengals defense

If Cincinnati is going to win the AFC North, the defense has to have to step up and improve in something. Well, the Bengals defense started the regular season with a solid performance against a talented Tampa Bay offense.

Cincinnati got their first lead of the game when defensive end Myles Murphy and linebacker Barrett Carter strip sacked Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield. Linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. recovered the ball and ran for a 27 yard touchdown.

Tampa Bay never recovered and was in panic mode most of the game. Their next possession, runningback Bucky Irving fumbled a catch and new Bengals defensive end and former Super Bowl champion Boye Mafe recovered the ball. Cincinnati capitalized on offense with another touchdown, taking a double digit lead.

The Bengals didn’t let up in the second half. Despite Cincinnati’s offense giving up an interception return touchdown in the third quarter, the defense forced another turnover when Mafe strip sacked Mayfield and defensive tackle T.J. Slayton Jr. recovered the ball. The Bengals gave up a late touchdown when the game was all but won. While the Buccaneers have more issues to address, Cincinnati can build off the week one progress.

Carson Wentz

Once Kyler Murray was named starting quarterback in Minnesota, the main question became who would back Murray up if things went downhill. Head coach Kevin O’Connell picked Carson Wentz at the last second and thankfully bumped J.J. McCarthy and Max Brosmer to the practice squad. That decision looks genius after Wentz led the Vikings to a stunning, double digit home opening win against division rival Green Bay.

Carson Wentz played most of the game after Murray left during the first possession because of a concussion. Wentz completed 12 of 19 passes for 133 yards and three touchdowns. Two of his scores came after the Packers took a 12 point lead early in the third quarter.

Minnesota doesn’t need a Pro-Bowl caliber quarterback. They need someone who can get the ball to a fantastic receiving core, balance the run-pass game, and not make mistakes or turn the ball over. Carson Wentz took three sacks in a physical divisional game, but he didn’t turn the ball over or do anything that could harm the team. The long-time veteran needed some confidence after the constant lows suffered from previous seasons. This comeback win should make both Wentz and Minnesota interesting to watch the rest of September.

Philadelphia Eagles offense

There is a lot of pressure on Philadelphia’s offense to be better than they were last season. With A.J. Brown traded to New England (and now out for at least a month with an ankle injury), the Eagles offense needed a convincing performance and to not be a punching bag for both local and national sports media. Philadelphia will delay those conversations for at least another week.

The Eagles offense played well Sunday afternoon against division rival Washington. Quarterback Jalen Hurts completed 14 of 25 passes for 203 yards and three touchdowns. The receiving trio of Dallas Goedert, Dontayvion Wicks and Devonta Smith combined for nine catches for 203 yards and three touchdowns. Wicks and Smith had some great catches and plays near the sidelines that dazzled Commanders defenders.

What might be a relief and the most positive news was how great runningback Saquon Barkley looked. The former rushing champion had 15 rushes for 83 yards. While it wasn’t an all-time great performance, Barkley looked like the elite runner everyone remembered before 2025. If the Eagles get this version of Barkley moving ahead and the receiving core continues to play well, Philadelphia will be hard to beat.

Losers: Ian-Yates Cunningham

It will be agonizing to keep up with the NFC South division race most of this season. As was written in the 2026 NFC playoff picks, there is a lot to like for each of the four teams, but there is as much that will drag all four down the rest of the calendar year. Atlanta may have the fewest roster weaknesses, but they have the biggest one of any four teams: no quarterback. That issue goes up to the Falcons front office and general manager Ian-Yates Cunningham.

To re-cap the current quarterback issues, Atlanta let go of Kirk Cousins because they wanted Michael Penix Jr. to be the franchise starting quarterback. That’s a nice idea, but it turns out Penix can’t stay healthy. Then Cunningham went out and signed Tua Tagovailoa in free agency, brought in Cooper Rush as a third option and added undrafted rookie Jack Strand to the practice squad. Someone had to emerge as the de facto starter.

Turns out, the starter picked was Cooper Rush. Since this is the Falcons, it’s fitting Rush was also dealing with injuries before Sunday’s kickoff. Atlanta could have promoted the undrafted rookie Strand to start his first NFL game, but the Falcons fear that if Strand’s good, that would de-rail any chance of Michael Penix Jr./Tua Tagovailoa getting their chance to be franchise stars. While that sounds bizarre for readers not used to watching the NFL, both latter players were high, first round picks that have stood out over the last two years. Yet, neither can stay healthy. And that showed how not having a competent starting quarterback doomed any chance for Atlanta to play well.

Pittsburgh took advantage of that deficiency and won an ugly, low-scoring home game. Viewers who watched that mess all agreed Atlanta is a wreck and their lack of quarterback talent is going to doom any chance the team has of winning the division. Those issues start with management flailing about while adding any washed up, injury prone passer they could find.

Carolina Panthers defense

In many ways, Cincinnati and Carolina are in the same boat when it comes to their atrocious defenses. The Panthers had the worst defense in 2024 and things have barely improved since. While the Bengals added players in the offseason, they haven’t been hit with injuries yet. Carolina did in pre-season and in on-field practices, and it showed in a wild, shootout home loss against Chicago.

In the Panthers’ first game of the regular season, they gave up more than 500 yards of offense. The Bears scored 50+ points for the first time since 2012. Their 59 points were the most in an NFL season opener. Chicago’s six rushing touchdowns were the most in a season opener for the franchise and the first for a team since the 1922 Canton Bulldogs. Two runningbacks had 100+ yard performances. Carolina’s defense was a sieve start to finish.

Injuries may play a factor for how bad the Panthers defense could be for a few months this season, but no team should be giving up multiple NFL records on an opening day game. If Carolina’s defense is this bad in their next two games (Atlanta and Cleveland), we could witness the worst defense in league history.

C.J. Stroud IV

This website does a great job at objectivity when it comes to a player and team’s total play. It’s rare to find a player on here (not a kicker) be blamed for one or two specific plays and wind up right in the loser’s column. Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud IV unfortunately deserves to be here.

Believe it or not, Stroud had a good game against Buffalo. The Bills and Texans went blow for blow, and he stepped up almost every time. The key word here is almost. This is what has gotten C.J. Stroud a lot of deserved criticism: he cannot get the job done when it matters most. Houston’s last possession of the game was a great example.

Stroud’s last two plays before Buffalo won will be talked about all week, if not all month. A third down incompletion was thrown too hard and fast for number one receiver Nico Collins. His fourth down blunder stands out most. C.J. Stroud was about to be sacked by defensive end Greg Rousseau. However, Stroud fumbled the ball and Buffalo’s Terrell Bernard recovered it. The Bills ran out the clock and won.

Many will say Houston’s defense is another main reason Buffalo won. The Texans defense does not appear to be the same elite unit we watched last year. When Houston could have gone to the Super Bowl with that defense, Stroud played awful in a forgettable divisional round loss in New England. C.J. Stroud wants to get paid a lot of money in an upcoming contract extension. Houston general manager Nick Caserio and the front office won’t budge until Stroud proves he is worth the money. That final drive in a grueling week one loss is ammunition for Caserio’s case and a big reason why Stroud may not get that lavish extension.

Los Angeles Chargers

There were a few week one games many analysts believed would be easy decisions. Arizona versus Los Angeles was one of them. The Cardinals have one of the hardest schedules this season and were predicted to win three games max because of it. The Chargers are supposed to be a playoff team that can get to at least the divisional round. Neither team played like it Sunday.

Los Angeles didn’t just lose to Arizona. They were spanked start to finish. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Cardinals rookie head coach Mike LaFleur became the first Arizona full-time coach to win his debut since Don Coryell in 1973. Many believed new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel would make the Chargers one of the NFL’s best offenses each week. LaFleur’s Cardinals overwhelmed them on all but two possessions. Franchise star quarterback Justin Herbert threw a frantic interception and was sacked three times. Arizona’s defense rattled Herbert every chance they got and stifled what used to be a strong running game.

The Chargers defense kept the game close, but special teams were the key in Arizona pulling away for a double digit win. JK Scott’s punt was blocked by both Arizona and Los Angeles players. The Cardinals scored a touchdown two plays after, and the Chargers never scored again.

If Los Angeles wants to be a serious contender in both their division and conference, they must beat teams not favored to reach the playoffs. The Chargers have the talent, but they look disorganized or uncommitted to winning like several teams in the AFC are. Los Angeles will regret this loss the closer we get to January.

2026 NFC Playoff Picks

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The NFC didn’t just win two straight championships, they demolished their AFC opponents. Philadelphia crushed the AFC best Chiefs two years ago. At one point, they led 40-6 in their game. Then Seattle whooped New England. The Patriots didn’t score until the fourth quarter, and the Seahawks sacked regular season MVP candidate Drake Maye six times. Seattle lost three games last season by a total of nine points. Head coach Mike Macdonald became the eighth head coach in NFL history to win a Super Bowl in his first postseason appearance. The Seahawks and Eagles are the undoubted favorites in the NFC to go far in the playoffs this year.

However, the conference isn’t just a two team race. Many see the Los Angeles Rams as the Super Bowl representative this year. The entire NFC North will be up for grabs and at least one team won’t make the postseason. Dallas, Carolina and Tampa Bay are seen as playoff contenders. Every division race will be a slugfest and have a lot of drama.

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

NFC West: Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams

The reigning Super Bowl champion Seahawks brought most of last year’s roster back, including Leonard Williams (left, contract extension) and DeMarcus Lawrence (who announced this is his last season).

There is no doubt two teams make the playoffs in the NFC West. Unlike last season, there won’t be a three team race for first place. Arizona will be a bottom three team in the league and San Francisco’s long mess of a calendar year will continue. Seattle and Los Angeles are two of the three titans in the conference that eyes will lock onto and the NFL will push to the forefront. While both teams play each other twice in the last three weeks of the regular season, pressure will mount each month and both team philosophies will constantly clash in sports media.

East: Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys

Head coach Nick Sirianni surprisingly has a lot of pressure on him to do well this season despite getting Philadelphia into the playoffs every year since his hiring and a Super Bowl championship. Despite the harsh criticisms, the offense and defense must play better this year.

Philadelphia is the other juggernaut in this conference and will be a favorite to advance past wild-card weekend. The Eagles traded receiver A.J. Brown after a drama-filled 2025-26 season, replaced their offensive and defensive coordinators, and revamped the offensive line. Better play-calling and play from the offense and secondary should erase speculation of how good head coach Nick Sirianni is at his job.

It is tempting to go with a more talked about team this offseason like New York or if Washington can climb back to where they left off two years ago, but neither seems favorable. The Giants still have a messy roster and the older, more decrepit unit the Commanders trot out won’t be enough to sniff the postseason. That leaves Dallas as a good wildcard pick.

Former Eagles defensive backs coach Christian Parker should have some success this year after Dallas’ defense set franchise and league worst records last season.

The Cowboys wound up surprising viewers last year after the offense and special teams dragged them to a sub-.500 record. Quarterback Dak Prescott was in MVP conversations for half the season and kicker Brandon Aubrey cemented himself as one of the league’s best kickers. The defense was dreadful, but more talent was added this offseason. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer has his players fully committed into practices and games. Though the offense and special teams might not be as stellar this season, the defense should improve and make sure there are some easier wins. That would be good enough to get Dallas back into the postseason.

South: New Orleans Saints

New Orleans is a playoff contender because of head coach Kellen Moore’s optimism and thoroughness.

Yet again, the NFC south will be awful. Do not be surprised if another sub-.500 team makes it out with a home game next wildcard weekend. The true headache is figuring out which team will win this division. All four teams have plenty of weaknesses, but some are too much to look past. Atlanta has no starting caliber quarterback to make a difference, which is a shame because the current roster would give many teams fits in the playoffs if any of the NFL’s top 20 quarterbacks were on the Falcons. Tampa Bay is already fractured because of last year’s dismal end to the regular season and a worse offseason. Carolina will be most analysts’ pick, but season ending injuries to most of their incoming draft class and defensive talent means this could be another year of dreadful play from the Panthers. There is one team that stands out though.

That would be New Orleans. Yes, the Saints are not fully stable at quarterback yet, but they play hard and are coached well. Kellen Moore made the most out of a terrible situation last year and New Orleans almost made the playoffs in the last two weeks of the regular season. Tyler Shough is a work in progress but proved to viewers he can win crucial games, especially in the division. That might be enough to squeak into the fourth conference seed if the defense and offensive talent around Shough keep improving.

NFC North: Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears

Kyler Murray (with ball) is back to full health and on a new, more competitive team. Thankfully, that means audiences don’t have to watch J.J. McCarthy or Max Brosmer anymore.

At first glance, the North seems the most competitive division in this conference. A closer look shows it’s a two team race. Green Bay is in serious trouble over the Micah Parsons trade and a regressing offense. Detroit’s defense is already banged up and a regular season game hasn’t been played yet. The Lions can’t beat teams by outscoring them with outrageous numbers every week. That leaves Minnesota and Chicago as the two competent teams.

The Vikings already have an elite defense thanks to coordinator Brian Flores. They also have a good special teams unit. What they needed was a quarterback who didn’t play blind, untalented or as the common civilian like J.J. McCarthy or Max Brosmer do. Minnesota signed Kyler Murray, Arizona’s former 2019 number one overall pick. Murray is debatably the best running/scrambling quarterback on an NFL roster. With Kyler Murray out of the west and with a more competent head coach in Kevin O’Connell, he could put up career best numbers this season. There is a lot of pressure on the Vikings to make a deep playoff run, and the players feel and want it. Minnesota could surprise many throughout the year.

Chicago’s Ben Johnson could have the last laugh on which teams face each other in the playoffs.

Then there is Chicago. The Bears had a whole lot of luck last season and were at least a DJ Moore catch away against Los Angeles from making the conference championship. A number of analysts believe the Bears will come back down to earth and have some regression. There are valid reasons: the pass rush and run defense look to be among the lower half of the league, and it doesn’t help that Chicago lost a good amount of talent in their secondary. Still, the offense should make progress and play consistently for all four quarters more than they did last season. Special teams and scheduling will be questioned each week. Since the Bears wound up first in the north last year, it will take a lot more skill to repeat as division champions. Chicago has more going for it than Green Bay and Detroit, and there isn’t another NFC team able to step up or close the gap even if the Bears are in a slump. A wildcard spot is just right in Johnson’s second season as head coach.

Total 2025-2026 regular and postseason NFC picks: 7-6

NFL Week Nine Winners and Losers

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

Winners: Drake London

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

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

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

Carolina Panthers

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

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

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

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

Cam Little

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

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

Seattle Seahawks

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

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

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

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

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

Losers: Tennessee Titans offense

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

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

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

Detroit Lions

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

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

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

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

Stephen Ross

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

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

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

The NFL rule on not challenging intentional grounding

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

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

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

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

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

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

NFL Week Seven Winners and Losers

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

Winners: Philadelphia Eagles

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

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

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

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

Quinshon Judkins

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

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

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

Chicago Bears defense

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

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

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

Jim Bob Cooter

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

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

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

Losers: Pete Carroll

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

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

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

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

Washington Commanders

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

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

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

Brian Daboll’s fourth quarter gameplan

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

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

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

Anyone who thinks the Atlanta Falcons will find consistency

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

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

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

NFL Super Bowl LIX Prediction

jminx9410 Comments

The Super Bowl features the best team in each conference. Kansas City and Philadelphia mirror each other in their running games, solid quarterback play and total defense. Both offensive and defensive lines play better each week and the secondaries know when to shut down receivers. It’s time to reveal which team has the best chance of winning the Vince Lombardi trophy and why.

#1 Kansas City Chiefs v. #2 Philadelphia Eagles

The AFC’s top seed and the NFC’s second seed excel in running the ball, executing deep-ball plays and have a lot of speedy playmakers. These combinations could result in the best game of the year. A sequel to the championship matchup two years ago, Andy Reid and Nick Sirianni have been coaches on both teams and know what they want in star players. Both quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes II and Jalen Hurts struggled at times this year but always found ways to play their best and win when it mattered most. Just as last round proved, this is where depth decides the champion.

Like the last time these teams met in Super Bowl 57, both the winner of this game and the champion of the 2024-25 season will be determined by each team’s offensive and defensive lines. Philadelphia retooled their offensive line after center Jason Kelce retired. Cam Jergens comfortably took over at center and the Eagles added right guard (formerly tackle) Mekhi Becton in free agency. Left guard Landon Dickerson and tackle Jordan Mailata should have a better game than two years ago when both were young and struggled to handle Kansas City’s blitzes.

This line is tasked with stopping the defensive line trio of Tershawn Wharton, George Karlaftis and Chris Jones. Wharton is exceptional in stopping the run and has improved on rushing the passer while Jones and Karlaftis are closer to their prime and give opposing tackles headaches. Jones will have more difficulty getting pressure on Philadelphia starting quarterback Jalen Hurts this time since he’ll face off against a healthy Lane Johnson at right tackle. This re-match could alter the blitz schemes from Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and give Jalen Hurts more time to find open receivers.

On the other end, the Eagles defensive interior doesn’t have the depth it did two years ago. Josh Sweat, Nolan Smith Jr., Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter are pretty good. However, they’re at a disadvantage against Joe Thuney, Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith. Kansas City’s interior offensive, line led by Humphrey and Smith, will have an easier time (after a week of rest) against a younger defensive front that’s not as deep or experienced. That will show late in the second half.

Finally, coaching will determine who wins. Two years ago, many thought Philadelphia would get their second Super Bowl trophy because Kansas City’s Andy Reid was well known for blunders such as timeout mismanagement and choking leads away. These views switched after Reid’s offense led the Chiefs to a second Super Bowl title (in his tenure). While Philadelphia’s head coach Nick Sirianni is great at finding opponents weaknesses and doesn’t let up, he doesn’t have answers for the gritty, physical style Kansas City plays. The Chiefs offense makes better adjustments and has one of the best scoring defenses in NFL history. It wouldn’t be surprising for Kansas City to have one of their best second half performances and a comeback win thanks to Andy Reid’s second half changes.

Super Bowl 59 Winning Prediction: Chiefs win a league record third straight Super Bowl 33-28 and take home their fifth Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Conference finals predictions record: 2-0

2025 overall playoffs record: 8-4

2025 NFC Conference Championship Playoff Pick

jminx942 Comments

Three games remain. Four teams with two in each conference. The remaining two in the NFC are the east wildcard Washington Commanders and their division winning rival Philadelphia Eagles. Both teams have potent offenses, solid quarterbacks, hard-hitting defenses, and intelligent coaches. Time to determine who will advance to the Super Bowl.

#6 Washington Commanders v. #3 Philadelphia Eagles

In a thrilling divisional conference finals matchup, the winner could be determined by which starting quarterback has the better game.

Conference championship games featuring division rivalries are some of the best and most memorable playoff games in NFL history. Casual viewers can remember which year a team won a Super Bowl because of a rare, divisional matchup in this round. It’s also more fun if the teams split their regular season series.

Washington has nothing to lose since no one expected they’d reach the conference finals with first year head coach Dan Quinn re-vamping the roster. Philadelphia has to protect starting quarterback Jalen Hurts as much as possible after he suffered a knee injury last weekend. That means the winner of this game will be determined by two factors: the better receiving core and which offensive and defensive lines plays best.

Both teams have great receiving cores and tight-end depth. The Commanders great play-calling and complimentary slot receivers will be a reason the game stays close. However, the Eagles have better receiver depth with Jahan Dotson and Parris Campbell. Philadelphia’s receiving core should have another big game against a mediocre secondary.

Philadelphia’s receiving core features one of the league’s best wideouts in A.J. Brown (11). Brown was great against Washington’s secondary in both regular season games.

There’s no offensive and defensive line comparisons. The Eagles dominate both sides of the line of scrimmage and overwhelmed the Commanders with their pass rush and running game in both matchups. The offensive line cleared paths for starting runningback Saquon Barkley in both high scoring divisional games. Washington doesn’t have the same number of highly skilled players on both sides of the ball the Eagles do. That will show in the second half.

Finally, all five previous rookie quarterbacks who went to a conference championship game lost. Second overall pick Jayden Daniels might not play like a rookie, but his team’s not where they want to be yet. Philadelphia has more roster depth at their disposal to tire out the Commanders.

Prediction: Eagles win the NFC championship 34-28 and advance to Super Bowl LIX

NFC divisional round playoff picks record: 1-1

2025 NFC playoff picks record: 3-2