50 NFL Observations

We are big into the “take” world in sports media these days. You have shows such as First Take, First Things First. You HAD Undisputed until that got cancelled. Its just the way of the world. With Week 9 officially over, the season is halfway done. Now while we aren’t into the “take” industry, it is ok to make smart observations about what we’ve seen so far during the year. Each season has their surprises and disappointments, and this season is like no other. The worst to first is alive and well in multiple scenarios. The MVP conversation is hot. So much to discuss. In no particular order, here we go…

1. Getting Rid of Stefon Diggs was the perfect medicine for the Buffalo Bills - Who knew that getting rid of a guy who demanded the football would lead to Josh Allen having the fewest turnovers since he’s been in the NFL?

2. Turns out Coaching Matters for Rookie QBs - the proof is in pudding. Look at Jayden Daniels. Then look at Caleb Williams. Bo Nix has had more “moments” so far in the NFL than Williams. The difference is clear. Matt Eberflus is a waste of space while Quinn and Payton know what they’re doing.

3. The Kansas City Chiefs three-peat will run through their defense - It truly doesn’t matter that the Chiefs got Hopkins. It doesn’t matter that Pacheco is coming back. Unless your blind, you will understand that the Chiefs offense is missing something. And I don’t think the fix is coming this season. And that’s ok. Their defense has been their rock this year. And that’s after losing Sneed.

4. The Arizona Cardinals are dangerous - This is the team that can come up from behind and knock teams off the horse. The Cardinals were expected to be awful this year, and they are currently in the NFC West lead through nine weeks. Who saw that coming? The best part. The offense hasn’t lit the world on fire yet. Kyler hasn’t been amazing, and MHJ is still finding his way. Wait for December…

5. Jayden Daniels is more Lamar Jackson than RG3 - Yes. You are watching Lamar lite in Washington. Daniels has been electric from Week 2 on, and the Commanders are 7-2! He made another brilliant pass to ice the game against the Giants last week. I can’t wait for this team to play Philadelphia. Speaking of…

6. The Eagles record is good, but something is missing - Yes, they’ve won 4 in a row now. Hurts has been way better the last 4 games than the first four games. But if you watch this team consistently, they just don’t have the it factor that some of these other teams have. Don’t be surprised if the Eagles make a splash at the trade deadline.

7. Zac Taylor is on the hot seat - No one is talking about it. Not yet anyway. But the Bengals are 4-5. This is a make or break year for them. Joe Burrow is having his best season since their Super Bowl year. If Cincinnati doesn’t capitalize on this, Taylor might be the surprise fire at the end of the season.

8. The Atlanta Falcons are the second best team in the NFC - Have you noticed the Falcons are 6-3? Many people may not have. They just got done dismantling the Cowboys and are in firm position in the NFC South with two wins over Tampa Bay already. Kirk Cousins has remedied the offense. Bijan is being used properly. London has taken a step. After Detroit, there is a mosh pit for the best challengers are. Don’t look now but…

9. Don’t let TNF fool you; The New York Jets season is over - does anyone really believe the Jets are going to run the table with an interim head coach? Their remaining schedule includes Arizona, Miami (2x), the LA Rams and Buffalo. You’re telling me you don’t see two losses there. Sure, Miami is 2-6, but they just took Buffalo to the final seconds in Buffalo. The Rams are healthy, Arizona is good. I didn’t mention Indy and Seattle who can screw around and decide they wanna be good on a Sunday. Its not happening folks.

10. The Texans are only 6-3 because of the division they play in - Look at the numbers. Houston has not played up to snuff this year. This team was exciting and fun last year. They seem very tight this year. The AFC South is a dumpster fire. They’re taking advantage of it. They are 3-0 in the division and haven’t played Tennessee yet! I wouldn’t be surprised if they got walloped in the Wild Card Round this year.

11. Zero Offensive Creativity is getting Coaches Fired - Look what’s happened already; Robert Saleh and Dennis Allen have been let go. Two of the lamest offenses in the NFL. The Raiders fired their offensive staff. Lame. Who else runs some truly pathetic offensive schemes. The Jaguars, for one. Bears another. And the Dallas Cowboys. Thus, to my next point…

12. Mike McCarthy has lost the Cowboy locker room - This isn’t hard to tell. Dak Prescott was caught saying “we suck” Sunday in Atlanta. The clock is ticking, but make no mistake; McCarthy will be fired at seasons end. Are we taking bets on how much money Jerry throws Belichick’s way?

13. Drafting Project Rookies in Round 1 of the NFL Draft continues to be a heinous decision - The latest culprit - Anthony Richardson. He was recently benched in favor of Joe Flacco. Other project QBs who have flamed out include Trey Lance, Kenny Pickett, and soon to be Daniel Jones. Will Levis was taken at the top of the second round and has already been benched. When will these GMs learn?

14. Sam Darnold has started the regression - Darnold lit the world on fire. And everyone is rooting for him. But, the poor decision making is starting to creep back up. Now the Vikings won’t turn anywhere else (they’re 6-2), but there where early conversations in Minnesota about what to do next season if this continued. There is no discussion. Go to JJ.

15. The discourse around Mike Tomlin needs to end - I don’t care that Pittsburgh hasn’t won a playoff game in half a decade or so. This man has never had a losing season. He continues to take middling rosters and put them in contention every year. He knew exactly what he was doing when he traded for Russ. When everyone was screaming at him for benching Fields (except for me of course), Russ came in and the offense was noticeably better. The Steelers are the dark horse in the AFC.

16. Derrick Henry will challenge the rushing touchdown record - I said it before the season began as a bold prediction. Right now, Henry has 11. If he gets one every game the rest of the year that’s 19. But you know that Henry will have one monster game where he goes for 4 scores. He won’t beat the record, but him finishing with 21-23 is absolutely in play.

17. Jacksonville loves hiding behind the mask of their NFL counterpart - If it wasn’t for the Panthers and David Tepper, the spotlight would be on how horribly run the Jaguars are. Trent Baalke and Doug Peterson have gone from 9-8 (and were 2-6 at one point that season) to 9-8 again (no improvement) and now 2-7 through 9 games. The players brought in this offseason haven’t contributed at all (Gabe Davis, Ronald Darby, Darnell Savage, Erik Armstead) amongst others. Shad Khan said this was the “best Jaguars team ever assembled.” Go figure.

18. There’s nothing wrong with Patrick Mahomes - It doesn’t matter that he isn’t throwing TD passes. He will make amazing plays in December and January and we will forget.

19. This Baker Mayfield is here to stay - what else needs to be said? Baker is laser focused and before his two stud receivers got hurt, he was playing at a top five level. The Bucs found a hidden gem and the Bake show will live on in Tampa for some time.

20. Seattle is wasting time with Geno - I’m penciling in the Seahawks to cash in their remaining chips from the Russ trade this off-season to get into the top 5 of the NFL Draft. Geno was a nice story, but its run its course. The INT in the end zone Sunday was horrendous. Seattle isn’t going anywhere with him. Watch out for them this off-season.

21. The Dolphins need to be blown the F*** up - This team isn’t going anywhere currently constructed. They just aren’t. Miami is just playing house NFL style right now. This team was supposed to challenge not only Buffalo, but KC for an AFC crown. Even with Tua back, they lost to Arizona at home and Buffalo AGAIN. Massive, sweeping changes need to be done in Miami if they want to truly compete.

22. Lamar becomes a Top 10 All-Time QB with a 3rd MVP - Do you know how many people have won the MVP award three times? Do you? I’ll tell you. Four. Those names? Jim Brown, Johnny Unitas, Brett Favre and Tom Brady. That’s it. That’s the list. Jackson would go into uncharted waters with a 3rd MVP, which is COMPLETELY in play.

23. Dan Campbell might be a unanimous COTY winner - We do understand what the DETROIT LIONS are doing is amazing right? They’ve scored 28 touchdowns the last six weeks and have 24 incompletions. Let that sink in. They run, they pass, they sack, they create turnovers. They go for it on 4th down. Unanimous.

24. NFL Officiating continues to be a disaster - Nothing really needs to be said here. Every week its something else.

25. The NY Giants are officially in “QB Away” territory - The pieces are there. Nabers is a stud. Tracy is very good. The defensive line is a problem. If the Giants can get a QB and fix their secondary, I think they may be the next team to come up.

26. The Titans are in the worst position of any team in the NFL - They put their bags into Will Levis and that failed. The offensive line is dreadful. Their prized acquisition of the off-season L’Jarius Sneed has been a disaster. Calvin Ridley has been…not good. Hopkins is gone. The offensive is still a mess. They’re going to be starting over again next season. Not good at all.

27. The Rams can run the table - When healthy, the Rams are still a good team. The defense is super underrated, and they can strike at any time on offense. The spark from the Super Bowl team is still there…

28. I haven’t mentioned the 49ers yet - And there’s a reason. They haven’t been good. They haven’t been bad. Are they that reliant on CMC? We will find out.

29. TJ Watt is in the conversation for the best player in the sport - Is there a player more valuable? Seriously. This dude is just it. Wrecks every game and does what’s needed to win. He should be in the top 3 when the NFL releases their Top 100 next offseason.

30. Brian Thomas Jr. is the next big WR - Talk about always open? I didn’t see this coming, and I don’t think anyone else did either. BTJ is fast, runs great routes, and catches damn near everything. Jags got a star on their hands.

31. And Quinyon Mitchell is the next Jalen Ramsey - Mitchell was highly touted out of Toledo. He’s been everything and then some since been drafted. He gets put on the top receivers every week and just does damage. Excellent rookie.

32. DeShaun Watson may never play again - And he really doesn’t deserve too, but color me shocked if at some point in the off-season the Browns and Watson mutually agree to part ways and void most of the contract and maybe pay it under the table. Cleveland doesn’t want him back. And the NFL always gets their way.

33. The Green Bay Packers are overrated - Yes, I said it. The Pack are severely overrated. They had an opportunity Sunday to tell the Lions that they weren’t all that. At home. In bad weather. In Detroits first non-dome game. And they got stomped. Jordan Love hasn’t been good this season. Bad turnovers. They may miss the playoffs entirely.

34. Jim Harbaugh - Yes, Jim Harbaugh. Just ask yourself one question. Have the Chargers “Chargered” once this season?

35. The Commanders are an EDGE rusher away - I expect Washington to be active come deadline time. They need another pass rusher.  You can’t squander opportunities when they come. There’s a realistic possibility this team can make a run to the NFC title game. Need to pounce.

36. Alvin Kamara should be traded, but won’t be - This is the easiest thing to decipher. Kamara has no business being in NOLA this year. The Saints are non competitive and Kamara is playing at a high level. They just fired Dennis Allen. But Kamara is the face of the Saints. If they really want to pursue the overhaul, they would trade him. But they won’t.

37. There may be up to 10 HC openings come “Black Monday” in January - We already have the Jets and the Saints. Add in the following guarantees; Jaguars, Bears, Raiders, Cowboys. That’s six. I can also see the following team moving on if things don’t swing their way: Bengals, Eagles, Browns and Patriots. I think Mayo and Pierce have downright horrible this year.

38. There will be six new playoff team this season - Mark em down: Bengals (yup!), Chargers, Commanders, Vikings, Falcons and Cardinals!

39. The 49ers will miss the playoffs - This will be the shocker of 2024.

40. Josh Allen will lead the Bills to the Number 1 seed and get his first MVP - it is written.

41. The NFL has had a decrease in quality this year - its ok to say it. The play this year in the league has been subpar. And they need to figure it out. The lack of practices in July and August, coupled with no one playing int he preseason has brought this on. The product isn’t as good. Listen to Tom Brady.

42. And the ratings in the Playoffs will reflect that - Call this a hunch.

43. The AFC Playoff teams will be: (1) Bills, (2) Chiefs, (3) Ravens, (4) Texans, (5) Steelers, (6) Chargers, (7) Bengals

44. The NFC Playoff Teams will be: (1) Lions, (2) Falcons, (3) Eagles, (4) Rams, (5) Commanders, (6) Vikings, (7) Cardinals

45. Going into the Playoffs, the Lions will be the consensus favorites to win the Super Bowl - I never thought I’d type those words when I was 18.

46. Cincinnati will be the hottest team going into the playoffs and take out the Chiefs on wild card weekend; which sets up a Burrow and Allen showdown in Buffalo - We need some fresh blood in the AFC. Lets talk it into existence!

47. AFC Title Game: (3) Ravens @ (1) Bills - The top two QBs in the MVP conversation will square off. It will be both Allen and Jackson’s second time in the title game, with both of their losses the first time coming from Mahomes.

48. NFC Title Game: (2) Falcons @ (1) Lions - I think these two teams are pound for pound the best in the NFC. I almost put Philly here, but they have too much inconsistency for me.

49. Super Bowl 59 will feature two franchises that have never hoisted a Lombardi Trophy - As good as the Falcons are, the Lions are the clear favorites in the NFC. Hell they might even coast to the Super Bowl. Detroit learns from their mistakes in last years title game, and this one is at home. In the AFC, you need to be able to withstand four quarters. I don’t think Baltimore did enough in the off-season, and their defense has been suspect. Allen and the Bills have been a complete team this year. And the fact they got embarrassed by Baltimore in the regular season is in the back of their heads. Bills and Lions Super Bowl!

50. The long, long wait is over…for the Lions.

Observations From Divisional Weekend

1. Stefon Diggs is no longer an Elite NFL Receiver.

Did you know that since October 15th Diggs hasn’t recorded a 100 yard game? There was a lot of chatter before the season that Diggs was unhappy in Buffalo, and while he got off to a solid start this season personally, he has been a shell of himself for 3/4 of the season. It all culminated on Sunday when Diggs caught 3 balls for 21 yards in the divisional loss to Kansas City. He had the biggest drop of the game, a beautiful throw by Josh Allen in the most critical point in the game slipped through his fingers. Now it has been reported that Diggs does not want out of Buffalo and is happy with his role, but I think there is something more important to decipher here. The days of Stefon Diggs being an elite receiver are over. He will continue to have nice games, sure, but the dominant performances? I think they are gone. Next season Dalton Kincaid will be this teams leading receiver. You can book that. Diggs may want Buffalo, but I wouldn’t be shocked if Buffalo doesn’t want Diggs.

2. Isiah Pacheco is the most important player on the Chiefs

If Sunday wasn’t an indicator, I don’t know if you will ever get on board. The Chiefs can’t operate any longer as a pass, pass, pass team. They don’t have the horses on the outside (although Rice is coming along nicely). Mahomes only attempted 23 passes Sunday. Pacheco had 16 touches and averaged 6.5 YPC. He is the engine. I whole heartedly believe that if Pacheco was held in check Sunday, the Bills would’ve won. And the same will go for the AFC title game. It will be interesting to see, as Andy Reid has never really leaned on the run during his head coaching career, but if Sunday was any indication, he may be wavering a little. I also love the way Pacheco runs more than I think any other back I’ve ever seen.

3. The Lions will miss their home field advantage on Sunday.

If you were in the camp that home field advantage didn’t matter in the NFL, then you must’ve not watched the Lions two home playoff games. I can’t even begin to count how many pre-snap penalties the Bucs had during this game, but it killed them multiple times. And how many free runners did the Lions defense have? You think that was all Baker? I’m sure communicating during the game was tough. The Lions definitely got some help from their fans, and rightly so, but Sunday will present an even bigger test - doing it away from Ford Field. It has been a storybook season so far, but now the stadium will be against Detroit on Sunday - I will really be paying attention as to how that affects Detroit early on.

4. The Buccaneers do not need to re-sign Baker Mayfield if the price is too steep; their roster is good.

We easily forget how good the Bucs roster was when Brady got their three years ago. That was a “win-now” team. When Brady left last season, the Bucs brought back most of their players, but everyone (myself included) thought they were going to be one of the worst teams in football because Brady was gone. Mayfield came in and had a wonderful season, but lets not pretend the talent on this team is dire - Rachaad White, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Trey Palmer and Cade Otton on offense is nothing to sneeze. And the defense isn’t bad either. There are some lifers on that defense including Shaw Barrett and Lavonte David. Now I will put some stock into Dave Canales possibly leaving, but if returns, I say vehemently - The Bucs do not need to overpay for Baker Mayfield. If you don’t think that the Bucs can do this with a Tyrod Taylor, a Gardner Minshew or even maybe grab Russell Wilson and/or Daniel Jones via trade, then I think you’re kidding yourself. If Baker is in the right range, then yes, sign him. But if he’s asking for obscene money, move on.

5. The Packers will be better next season simply because Joe Barry is gone.

Jordan Love was good this year. He was very good this year. Sure, his last throw was ridiculous and very Brett Favre-esque, but this Packers team is on the right track. Matt LaFleur is a good coach. We got to see what life is with Aaron Jones being the featured guy (and its really good!) And I like the collection of receivers they have. But this team was 9-8 because their defensive scheme was garbage. Now they have the ability to go out and get a young, modern defensive mind to mold these guys. Its seems like Jaire Alexander will be gone, and he will be replaced, but its bad news for the Vikings and Bears. The Pack is here to stay, and so is Love. If the defense can get better, which it will, this team will battle for a division crown next year.

6. The 49ers are a machine…literally.

Hear me out. When you use a machine and everything works, its intended use is always exactly what its supposed to be. However, when there is a malfunction, everything goes awry. This is exactly what happened on Saturday night after Deebo Samuel got hurt. San Francisco looked like a different team. The Niners put this team together very particularly and it shows. This team isn’t super deep, so any big injuries I feel like will derail their season. Brock Purdy was pedestrian AT BEST on Saturday, and he will need to be much better this weekend. Lets not forget when this team was missing Samuel and Trent Williams in the middle of the season they went 0-3. If Samuel is forced to miss Sunday’s game, I think San Francisco will struggle. If Samuel plays, I think they win.

7. The Ravens are the most complete team in the field.

This shouldn’t shock anyone, but it was just confirmed this weekend. The Ravens can beat you a multitude of ways. They have the most dynamic quarterback in the league, they run the ball effectively, their defense is fantastic, and they have the best kicker to ever live. Where is the weakness? The only touchdown they gave up Saturday was on a punt return, and if you think John Harbaugh won’t have that cleaned up you’re crazy. This team made CJ Stroud - the Offensive ROY a wet blanket. It was maybe the most blah Stroud has looked all year. Its funny how these things work out - if the Ravens want to win the Super Bowl, they will have to dethrone the king, who always seems to find ways to win. Sunday will be an excellent matchup.

8. CJ Stroud is fantastic, but the Texans will be the latest worst to first team to miss the playoffs the following year.

I know this will get me in a lot of trouble, but here me out. Dating back to 2019, there have been four teams that went from either worst to first or first to worst in back to back season. Those teams are the Washington Commanders (2020-2021), the Jacksonville Jaguars (2022-2023) the Minnesota Vikings (2022-2023), and the Cincinnati Bengals (2022-2023). The Texans had the benefit of playing a last place schedule and the NFC South. Next year, things aren’t so easy. Next year, they have to play the Bills, Chiefs and Ravens along with the Dallas Cowboys the NFC North (Lions, Packers) and the AFC East (Jets, Dolphins). That schedule alone is a gauntlet. It was proven Saturday the Texans are a young team. And it is imperative that Bobby Slowik stays in Houston. But we have seen too many times how the schedule is meant for parity, and this is the latest example. The Jaguars and Colts will have significantly easier schedules than Houston, so we will find out what his team really is next season.

The Chicago Bears Are On The Clock

The Chicago Bears find themselves in familiar, yet unfamiliar territory. After finishing 3-14 in the 2022 season, they claimed the right to the first overall pick in the draft. And with Justin Fields at the helm, the “presumed” franchise quarterback, they had some wiggle room to deal with. Quarterback needy teams were destined to come calling for that pick - with the right to draft either Bryce Young or CJ Stroud. We all know what happened afterwards. David Tepper and the Panthers gladly took that pick in the process. They swapped picks, added the 61st overall pick, a first round pick in 2024, a second round pick in 2025 and wideout DJ Moore. Carolina then selected Bryce Young over CJ Stroud…and we all know how that turned out. The key part of this is that first round pick in 2024, which ended up culminating in the number one pick for this years draft. More on that in a bit.

In the heads of the Bears and Ryan Poles this was a no brainer. Stockpile picks and pair a Pro Bowl wide receiver with your promising young dual-threat quarterback. We’ve seen it done in other places like Buffalo and Miami. And while it did translate to big numbers from DJ Moore this year, the questions about Fields remain. A 7-10 finish this year, while an improvement, is still not good enough. Fields found himself still searching for that “jump” that we see with year three guys. His somewhat subpar QB play was concerning, and heading into year four with contract talks looming, that’s not the ideal place Chicago wants to be. But with all this uncertainty, the first overall pick has again fallen into their lap. Now we all know the prized possession of this draft is generational talent USC QB Caleb Williams. The Bears have themselves in one of the most interesting draft conundrums in quite some time. 

I want to highlight some of the avenues the Bears can take leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft; what kind of offers could be on the table and what looms for Justin Fields. Who’s gonna offer a king’s ransom for the first overall pick? 

Trade Scenario 1

- The Bears keep the Pick, Trade Fields to ATL and select USC QB Caleb Williams

(Trade Terms: Chicago receives Falcons 2024 2nd, 2026 4th and Cordarelle Patterson)

I feel like this is the most likely situation that occurs. It’s really hard to pass up on a guy like Williams who comes out every once in a blue moon. And from recent comments and actions via Ryan Poles, this seems the most likely situation. They like Fields but don’t think he’s good enough and they want to rebuild the offense around the next franchise QB in Williams. The addition of Patterson here is a nice wrinkle, as the Falcons will give the bulk of the load to Bijan Robinson in his second year. With Tyler Allgeier backing him up, Patterson’s spot becomes expendable. He fits in as a gadget player for Chicago who can do multiple things. For Atlanta, they get a quarterback who can finally play the position, and get the ball to his backs and receivers. While you may think the 2024 2nd rounder is too high, remember that the Falcons will receive either the Jaguars 2nd or 3rd round pick this draft, depending on what happens with Calvin Ridley. So its not a total loss for Atlanta.

Trade Scenario 2

- The Bears keep Fields and trade back with the Patriots. Chicago selects Marvin Harrison Jr. 

(Trade Terms: NE sends 2024 1st, 2024 2nd, 2025 1st, 2025 4th & Matthew Judon) 

This one also really intrigues me. The idea of pairing DJ Moore with a big time talent like Harrison could be a deadly combo. With Luke Getsy fired, they can bring in a new offensive coordinator, who can maximize the talent of Fields and use what works for him while adding an incredibly talented skill player. They’d get big time assets from a rebuilding team like New England and a pass rusher to pair with recently acquired Montez Sweat. 

Trade Scenario 3

-The Bears trade with the Commanders, keep Fields.

(Trade Terms: WAS trades 2024 1st, 2024 2nd, 2025 1st, 2025 3rd, Curtis Samuel & Emmanuel Forbes)  

This one I love. These two teams already have a real relationship after the Montez Sweat deal, and both teams are looking to shake things up. Joe Harris isn’t afraid to swing big as he’s done a bunch of times during his time as 76ers owner, and this time would be no different. The Bears would move back one spot and could still take Harrison. In this scenario, they’d add Samuel whose a multi-gadget offensive weapon and a second year corner in Forbes, who struggled and may need a change of scenery. win-win for both teams.

Trade Scenario 4 

-The Bears trade with the Minnesota Vikings, keep Fields 

(Trade Terms: 2024 1st, 2024 2nd, 2025 1st, 2026 1st, & Danielle Hunter) 

As a lifelong Vikings fan, I’d be perfectly fine doing this for the chance to draft Williams. Hunter was shopped various time over the last two years, so including him in this deal feels like a no brainer. He’d add a presence on the other side of Sweat, coming off a career best season. Chicago could take best available in this spot - maybe Rome Odunze.

Now I do feel like there are other teams that could make a move for this pick; the Broncos and the Raiders being two of them. But I’m not entirely sure they have enough assets to move up that far to take Williams.

However, when it’s all set and done, I believe that there will be a new signal caller under center in 2024 for the Chicago Bears. It’s been a longtime coming for Bears fans - a true franchise quarterback.

Playoff Predictions - Whose Going to Vegas!

The time is now! The 2024 NFL playoffs are among us and this crazy season is only getting crazier. The Bills completed the comeback; the Jaguars completed the collapse. Joe Flacco and Mason Rudolph are starting playoff games. The Lions are in the playoffs. It will be -30 in Kansas City Saturday Night. Have I said enough? It really is SUPER wildcard weekend. The guys (myself included) took the week to think about who they think could hoist the Lombardi trophy in Las Vegas next month. I wouldn’t say we all went chalk across the board, but the winners may not surprise a bunch. I’m going to give all of our original predictions as well and see how well we landed (it’s not pretty). Without further ado, let’s see whose going to Vegas!

John McCarthy

Original Pick - Jaguars defeat Eagles

If you asked this to John in Week 10 how he felt about this, he probably would’ve went to the casino and cashed a futures bet. Fast forward to today, and these two teams were the worst teams down the stretch. The Jaguars completely bottomed out, losing 5/6 and missing the playoffs in the last week of the season. The Eagles, after starting off 10-1, finished the year at 11-6, lost the NFC East and have to travel to Tampa Bay to take on Baker Mayfield and the resurgent Buccaneers. Maybe the big guy will do better in his playoff prediction…

NFC

WildCard Weekend

(2) Cowboys defeat (7) Packers 31-14

(6) Rams defeat (3) Lions 38-31

(4) Bucs defeat (5) Eagles 20-17

NFC Divisional

(1) 49ers defeat (6) Rams 31-17

(2) Cowboys defeat (4) Bucs 38-10

NFC Championship

(1) 49ers defeat (2) Cowboys 21-17

AFC

Wildcard Weekend

(2) Bills defeat (7) Steelers 31-10

(4) Texans defeat (5) Browns 17-10

(3) Chiefs defeat (6) Dolphins 28-14

Divisional

(1) Ravens defeat (4) Texans 21-14

(2) Bills defeat (3) Chiefs 17-14

AFC Championship

(2) Bills defeat (1) Ravens 21-16

SUPER BOWL

Bills defeat 49ers 34-31

Super Bowl MVP - Josh Allen

Rich Jones

Original Pick - Chiefs defeat 49ers

This is the only pick of the bunch that is still in play! And there is a scenario where both teams get back to Vegas this February. The Chiefs are looking to become the first back to back Champs since the 03-04 Patriots, but in order to get out of the AFC, they will need to find an answer to their offense. The 49ers have looked like a juggernaut all year, so them getting to the big dance would surprise no one.

NFC

Wildcard Weekend

(2) Cowboys defeat (7) Packers 41-13

(3) Lions defeat (6) Rams 34-21

(5) Eagles defeat (4) Bucs 21-18

Divisional

(1) 49ers defeat (5) Eagles 31-30

(2) Cowboys defeat (3) Lions 27-21

NFC Championship

(1) 49ers defeat (2) Cowboys 38-17

AFC

Wildcard Weekend

(2) Bills defeat (7) Steelers 24-21

(3) Chiefs defeat (6) Dolphins 21-14

(4) Texans defeat (5) Browns 27-21

Divisional

(1) Ravens defeat (4) Texans 30-10

(3) Chiefs defeat (2) Bills 21-14

AFC Championship

(1) Ravens defeat (3) Chiefs 31-21

SUPER BOWL

Ravens defeat 49ers 30-27

Super Bowl MVP - Lamar Jackson

Joe Miglio

Original Pick - Bengals defeat 49ers

This pick is more of an incomplete as Joe Burrow’s season never quite felt right. He eventually got hurt and missed the season after wrist surgery, and the Bengals season crumbled with it. The 49ers have already been discussed so no need to go back to that well.

NFC

Wildcard Weekend

(2) Cowboys defeat (7) Packers 41-17

(3) Lions defeat (6) Rams 35-24

(5) Eagles defeat (4) Bucs 23-21

Divisional

(1) 49ers defeat (5) Eagles 27-16

(3) Lions defeat (2) Cowboys 34-28

NFC Championship

(3) Lions defeat (1) 49ers 28-27

AFC

Wildcard Weekend

(2) Bills defeat (7) Steelers 24-6

(3) Chiefs defeat (6) Dolphins 16-13

(5) Browns defeat (4) Texans 23-14

Divisional

(1) Ravens defeat (5) Browns 17-14

(3) Chiefs defeat (2) Bills 26-22

AFC Championship

(1) Ravens defeat (3) Chiefs 20-17

SUPER BOWL

Ravens defeat Lions 29-27

Super Bowl MVP - Zay Flowers

The year of Harbaugh.

Why Giving the Jacksonville Jaguars a new Stadium is Great for the NFL

Photo via The Athletic

We have roughly had this website for three months and I have yet to write any story about my beloved Jaguars. You can all thank the city of Jacksonville for that, as the release of that new stadium design got the juices flowing again. The initial reaction was one of hope, shock and awe by those who are “in the know” and saw the designs. And like with any Jaguars post, it was also met with jokes and venom of people who mention “that’s not London” or “for your twelve fans”.

Those people are ignorant, and just have absolutely no idea what’s going on farther than they can see. As NFL fans, we see how constantly the shift is from being good to bad and vice versa. Other than Hockey, Football has the biggest year to year turnover, which is great for the league. It’s not often that players or coaches come along that can stabilize a franchise for years to come. Those types of things don’t happen everyday. In today’s NFL, the names that come to mind are Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Jalen Hurts, Josh Allen - all those players have stabilized their teams into being perennial playoff and Super Bowl contenders. As of a couple of weeks ago, the Buffalo Bills broke ground on their new NFL stadium, which will make its debut in 2026. And we typically love watching all these players play.

But the Jaguars? They aren’t allowed to be good. They aren’t allowed to be great. They are the butt of every joke, so if we can’t make fun of them, then who will we, as a collective fan base make fun of? The Lions, Browns and Jets all have playoff aspirations this year. The perennial bottom feeders aren’t “fun” anymore because they can actually complete. So we are supposed to make fun of who…The Patriots, Colts, Raiders, Packers? teams with rich histories and Hall of Fame players in the rafters. No, that’s not allowed. The bad teams always need to be bad to maintain the status quo.

So why is it “great” for the NFL for the Jaguars to get a new stadium? What does that mean for their long term future in Jacksonville? I’m glad you asked. Let’s switch sports for a second. I wanna travel to the NBA for a second. Back in time to 2009 and 2013 - when the Warriors and Bucks respectively drafted Stephen Curry and Giannis Antetokoumpo. The Warriors were playing in Oakland, and the Bucks in Milwaukee - and neither team was taken seriously. Small market teams with little no chance every year because no one wanted to play in those cities. They didn’t have the bright lights of New York or Los Angeles; or the beaches of sun that Miami has; or the undying loyalty that cities like Boston, Philadelphia and Houston have. Milwaukee…Oakland. No one cared. But players come along and transform the game. No one has more than Steph since Michael Jordan.

We fast forward to today and the Golden State Warriors franchise is now one of the top organizations in NBA history. They also got a new arena - now closer to San Francisco, and they are a top attraction in the league for players and fans alike. Steph did that. Over in Milwaukee, Giannis led the Bucks to the title just two years ago and the small city of Milwaukee is now revered as one of, not if the toughest place to play in all of the NBA. Players want to go play there. Giannis did that.

Parity is good for a league. Players wanting to go to small cities is good for the sport. It keeps teams, fans and cities engaged. It gives other cities hope that it can one day happen to their city. Their team. Their player. If the cities of Milwaukee and Oakland can achieve greatness, then there is no reason that Jacksonville can as well. The plans for this new stadium comes on the heels of the Jags going from 4-7 to winning the division at 9-8 and pulling off one of the top three comebacks in NFL postseason history. It wasn’t a coincidence that the city released the plans after this season.

The NFL needs a new “New England Patriots”. It needs a new “Kansas City Chiefs”. Teams that had little to no history of success before those iconic players got there. We as a society thrive on seeing new teams rise up and take the mantle. We want the engine that never could to take down the Mad Titans. But we only want them to do it for a few years and then hand it off for another team. As the famous Harvey Dent said:

“You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”

— Harvey Dent, The Dark Knight (2008)

Jaguars fans have been waiting since 1996 to find a franchise quarterback. A guy that can put the team on his back and go win a game if every one of his teammates was subpar that day. We liked Mark Brunell, but we fell in love with people who would never be considered franchise guys; David Garrard, Byron Leftwich, Blake Bortles - all three of these have mild success with this franchise and the fanbase thought they were the second coming because they just had a taste of it. And the same thing has happened this off-season. Trevor Lawrence rose from the dead last season after fans had given up on him, analysts and experts gave up on him. And like a phoenix he rose from the ashes after his return from London and led the Jags to the playoffs. He just clocked in at number six on Chris Simms QB rankings for this season (if you’re into that sort of thing). This was the same “expert” who ranked Zach Wilson ahead of Lawrence when the 2021 NFL Draft was coming up. Stood by it and shouted it to the rafters after their rookie seasons. Wilson wasn’t on Simms 2023 Top 40, for those wondering.

This one seems like it’s gonna stick though because of the talent and the drive this kid house. He has the right coach as well, as Doug Pederson has transformed a franchise who was thought of as the gum on your shoe after the Urban Meyer debacle, into a well-respected franchise who even has made Trent Baalke look good. This is a franchise where its fans wore clown outfits to the last game of the 2021 season in protest to the owner, and now the GM has a clown toy on his desk to remind him and where he was before (courtesy of The Hunt on Youtube).

It seems like a truly phenomenal turnaround, almost too good to be true. And time will tell if the Jaguars are for real and will become perennial playoff contenders. But this new stadium signifies that the NFL is ready for the Jaguars to have a seat at the table. The lowly Jaguars getting their opportunity. Everyone who's a fan of the NFL should be rooting for the Jags, because it is truly a symbol that any team can overcome the highest of adversities. If the same franchises won consistently, then what’s the point? Where is the return on the investment? That’s where all the “this is rigged” comes from. We want the little engine that could to get to the top. This stadium proposal seems like a doorway for Jacksonville - and if they are able to walk through it, then good things will happen for this franchise.

And they absolutely deserve it. Every single fanbase deserves to climb the mountain and experience what it’s like to be on top. Personally, I never have. Between the Mets, Knicks and Jaguars, it seems like I may be doomed forever. But there is a hope that comes with a new stadium. A hope that you belong and that something, even if it seems insignificant, is aligned for once. We all see what’s going on in MLB with the Oakland Athletics. It’s not something that any commissioner, fan or player want to be a part of. It’s hard to watch and it’s a disgraceful scene to be completely honest. But I do feel that’s what is on the horizon for the city of Jacksonville if this plan doesn’t get approved. This is it. This is the moment where the tide can turn, and the city of Jacksonville has the fate of the Jaguars in their hands.

Trevor Lawrence, Doug Pederson, Calvin Ridley, Tyson Campbell, Christian Kirk, Travis Etienne, Josh Allen, Travon Walker - those are a few names of a young core that is ready to thrive. And these players are excited about this. Do yourself a favor and go check out the Jaguars Twitter retweets from the announcement video, and you will see what they players think. Those guys want to be in Jacksonville. They want to be a part of something special. The same way that the players in Golden State and Milwaukee did. Those teams built for a few years before they broke through. And now…well, I don’t think those franchises will have any problems for a long time, even post Steph and Giannis. The Jaguars have that opportunity in front of them now. Trevor Lawrence, Doug Pederson and Shad Khan have that opportunity in front of them right now. The city of Jacksonville has that opportunity in front of them right now…

They just need to go and take it.

Video created by Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jets and Aaron Rodgers - A Love Story

March 17th. Yes, today is St. Patrick’s Day. And while those who celebrate will pack the bars and pubs and sing and dance, other individuals, those who are in lockstep with the football community, may remember this an as anniversary of some sorts. Five years ago today, the New York Jets traded up for the number three draft selection in the 2018 NFL Draft where they selected Sam Darnold. There is no reason to revisit those tumultuous years for the sake of Jets fans reading this, but it is important to note for the rest this love story. Fast forward to now, and the Jets organization are on their third head coach (Bowles, Case, Saleh), their second general manager (Maccagnan, Douglas) and have been through a litany of starting quarterbacks (too many to name).

This past season saw gang green finish 7-10, but also had the rookie of the year on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. How rare is that? It has only happened twice since the Super Bowl era (1967 Detroit Lions, 2017 New Orleans Saints). One would think that two rookies of the year, coupled with players like Quinnen Williams, CJ Mosley, and DJ Reed amongst some others would have finished above .500. Alas, the Jets did not, and their playoff-less streak extended to a league leading twelve years. And the only saving grace for the Jets fan was that they did not have the longest playoff drought within the four major sports. Well, that is going to end - the NBA’s Sacramento Kings are currently 42-27 and will end their sixteen year long playoff drought. Once that officially happens, the Jets (and the Buffalo Sabres) will own the longest droughts in sports.

The AFC is currently loaded with quarterback talent. Led by two time Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes, the conference also boasts Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, Trevor Lawrence, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. How in the world would the Jets be able to compete with that? Even the legendary Mike White only lasted two games before his ribs seemed to burst through his chest. But all love stories aren’t so black and white, right? It’s not like the Jets have been chasing for their franchise QB since Joe Namath retired, right? I digress, but seriously, HOW WOULD THEY BE ABLE TO COMPETE? Simple - four walls and no lights.

Last off-season the NFL went through this whole charade with Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers, the two lynchpins or our sport for the better part of the past 15 years. Brady retired, then unretired, and Rodgers seemed to do everything under the sun before coming back. Both of these icons struggled this past season with Rodgers Green Bay Packers being eliminated from playoff contention in front of the entire country, at home, in Week 18 against the already eliminated Detroit Lions. Brady won another division title, although it was at an embarrassing 8-9 record, and the Bucs promptly got stomped on by the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card round. Brady retired (again) and seemingly for good, while Rodgers noted he would take his time and talk to whoever he needed to, and take whatever drugs he needed to put him in the right “mental space”. But the Jets had been linked as a destination for a while if A-Rod would actually leave Green Bay. Things only grew when owner Woody Johnson said he would take whatever it took to get a QB to win some games. Even Douglas and Saleh admitted that a veteran presence was needed at the position - and no, not Joe Flacco.

The Jets had links though - to other free agent quarterbacks. Jimmy G for instance, played with Saleh while he was the defensive coordinator for San Francisco. Then the Jets brought Derek Carr in for a visit, where they told him he would be a hall of famer if he won in New York. The entire time though, Rodgers to the Jets had some sort of hope, some sort of glimmer. Kind of the like the girl or boy you watch from a distance and they have no idea how you really feel. And then the Jets hired the former disgraced Denver Broncos head coach Nathanial Hackett as their new offensive coordinator. His connection to Rodgers? Only the fact that he was his OC in Green Bay for a couple of NFC Championship appearances. He was also the OC for the Jacksonville Jaguars for their run in 2017 with Blake Bortles. But would that really lure Rodgers over to NYC?

Over the past couple of weeks, you couldn’t turn on a radio station in the city without the hosts talking about Rodgers and the Jets. It had already happened. They fell in love with the idea that this guy could come in and save them. But how many times have the Jets been burned before? The last time they got an aging Green Bay quarterback, he started off 9-2 only to get hurt and lose his last five games and miss the playoffs altogether. He then went to Minnesota the next year and took the Vikings to the NFC title game. His name shall remain nameless because we don’t want to take away the spotlight from Aaron.

His darkness retreat couldn’t have come at a better time (sarcasm, folks) as the other quarterbacks who would even sniff starting this year landed in other qb needy locations. So it’s Rodgers or bust for the Jets. They put their eggs all in one basket. He hadn’t said anything for more than a week after he came out of the box (literally), and then finally broke his silence where he said he had some things to say on the Pat McAfee show. He spoke about before going into the retreat, he was 90% retired. After he came out, his mind had changed. He stated his intentions to play for the Jets this upcoming season. Aaron Rodgers, who is a top ten QB of all-time, seemingly came out of retirement to come play for the New York Jets. But a trade still needed to happen between the two clubs, which as of this article has still not occurred yet.

The news of Rodgers wanting to play for the Jets nearly broke the internet, but in a very peculiar way. There are people who think it’s a bad move. There are Jets fans who want no part of Aaron Rodgers - because he may be a weird guy, because he’s going on his age 39 season, or because he can only give the Jets 1-2 years at the max. Let's go through a couple of things really quick here. First, and I can’t overstate this: Aaron Rodgers WANTS to play for the New York Jets. Can anyone reading this please tell me the last time a superstar player, specifically at the quarterback position, said publicly they want to play for the Jets? I can't. Second, who absolutely cares if he is only here for 1-2 years? When healthy, he very well may be the most talented thrower of the football I’ve ever seen. I say when healthy because he wasn’t fully healthy last season. Lastly, the Jets are ready to win right now.

With Rodgers at the helm, put the Jets in the same boat as the Bills, Dolphins, Jaguars and Chargers. We have to leave the Bengals and Chiefs in their own category for right now until one of these other teams proves they can beat them. But think about that. The J-E-T-S are in the conversation now. With a defense that finished in the top five last year, and not one, but two rookies of the year, this team is poised to end their playoff drought.

Now, can the Jets not make the playoffs? Yes. I counted seven teams in that last paragraph, but we did not mention the Ravens (assuming Lamar returns), the Browns - with a full year of DeShaun Watson, and the Broncos - with Sean Payton seemingly there to “fix” Russell Wilson. That’s ten teams potentially vying for seven spots. So can the Jets get unlucky and can guys get hurt? Of course. Can the Rodgers decline last year be absolutely real? Sure. But we aren’t here for that today. Every single Jets fan should be excited about this upcoming season. Aaron Rodgers will be your quarterback. He will be throwing the ball to Garrett Wilson. Breece Hall will be back. Sauce Gardner will be locking down the opponent’s number one receiver. Quinnen Williams will be saying “bless me” when he sacks the quarterback. The New York Jets will have as good as a chance as any team in the AFC to dethrone the Chiefs.

So on the five year anniversary of a trade that completely backfired, take your victory lap, Jets fans. Because in a love story, the guy always gets the girl in the end. And well, the Jets got the girl. Yea, you can say it again - The Jets got the girl.