Quick tidbits:

I think Drew Lock is going to have a very good season this year. The Broncos will have a much better offense, obviously and I think they finish 2nd in the division over the Raiders and you know I love me some RAIDAHZ. I just think the Broncos are very overlooked and this team can easily be a wildcard team this year.

I don't even want to talk about Cleveland, ugh. What a fucking disappointment last season. I called them winning their division and I was even hesitant comparing them to that failure of a 'DREAM TEAM' that Philadelphia put together a decade ago. I don't know what to expect from them this season. Probably nothing good. Another new HC for Baker Mayfield and this organization is just failing this kid. The LSU duo had Landry outshine OBJ last season which was annoying for fantasy purposes. I guess you can say they'll be average. 9-7 at best, but I think they're in a tough division and I don't see them finishing ahead of Pitt or Baltimore.

Atlanta's offense is going to be great this year. Calvin Ridley is going to have a monster season (IMO) and I think Hayden Hurst is going to be much more valuable to ATL then Austin Hooper was from a football perspective. His blocking will do good for them. Obviously the health of Julio will be a big deal. Gurley is not the ol Gurley who dominated. He's old Gurley and they're already saying he's walking around with a limp. The Falcons will be the same Falcons as last season, IMO. Not awful, but not a playoff team. They have the misfortune of playing in the same division as Brees/Brady right now. They will be an excellent team for fantasy football, though as I am trying to get my hands on Ridley EVERYWHERE.

@admin and UT pretty much nailed the Patriots on the head here. I had the same conversation with my cousin about Cam having no weapons his whole career and he still made it to the Super Bowl. Now he has Evil Bill as his HC and I honestly would not be surprised if they still somehow make the fucking playoffs. I have my money on Buffalo winning the division, but I can't count out Bill. On the negative flip side, the Patriots have a really tough opening schedule. Yeah they might beat Miami to open the season, but then they follow that up against Seattle, the Raiders, the Chiefs, the Broncos and the 49ers. If they can manage to get through those first 6 games at 3-3, I'd call that a win. Their D will not be as dominant as last season so if I had to make a more serious prediction, I'd say the Patriots finish 5-11 and Bill completely nails the next draft and a new dynasty is built.

As for the Texans, the only reason anyone has faith in them is Deshaun Watson. Bill O'Brien made a trade that might go down as the dumbest trade of the decade by sending Nuk out for a washed up David Johnson. The funny thing about David Johnson is that even though he might be washed up and injury prone as a mofo, I would not be surprised if he finishes as a Top 10 RB this season ONLY BECAUSE Bill O'Brien will do everything in his power to make sure that his trade doesn't look awful. I think he'll have be a better Lamar Miller and finish with 1150 yards and 11 TDs. I wouldn't be surprised. There is also a lot of Duke-truthers in the fantasy world, but he's not my cup of tea. Just looking at the Houston Texans is like walking into an Emergency Room, though. The amount of injury prone players has me thinking that Watson is going to have to go straight MJ this season for them to have a chance. I don't have Houston making the playoffs this season.

14. Indianapolis Colts

I called Rivers to the Colts early on, it just felt like the perfect fit, but I'm just going to need to see a little bit of success before I completely commit. Rivers had a pretty terrible season in his last with the Chargers, but he shifts from playing behind a pretty terrible offensive line (which he has had to endure for a number of seasons) to one of the league's best, and that should make an enormous difference to a 38 year old who is clearly on the final stretch of his career. The entire Colts starting o-line return this season, with four of the five ranking inside the top ten at their position via PFF, led by Quentin Nelson who is in the conversation as the best lineman in the league.

While Rivers will certainly benefit from better protection, he may not have quite as many weapons with which to target with his high-risk high-reward approach. TY Hilton was compromised with injury last season, and started training camp late with his dodgy hamstring. He's complemented now by second round draft pick Michael Pitman whose size and contested catch ability looks like a good fit for Rivers. Last years second rounder Parris Campbell was also restricted because of injury during his rookie season, but he has received a lot of buzz, and appears to move into the slot role. The Colts look very strong at running back with Marlon Mack strong after contact and an underrated big play threat, joined by college record setter Jonathan Taylor.

DeForest Buckner was the big acquisition for the defence, with the Colts choosing his proven pedigree over the potential of a rookie. He will provide a reliability up front to complement Justin Houston who remains an effective pass rusher but now operates on a significantly reduced snap count. While the defensive line is a little bit thin, it's backed up very capably by captain Darius Leonard who is undoubtedly one of the best linebackers in football. Leonard is an elite tackler who can cover as well as anyone, leading all linebackers in interceptions and passer rating allowed as the nearest defender in 2019. Rock Ya Sin and Kenny Moore played well in the secondary last season, and they are now joined by the conundrum that is Xavier Rhodes. Rhodes was once an all-pro with the Vikings, but was absolutely awful last season, allowing a ridiculous 84% completion rate when targeted. TJ Carrie was another veteran acquired this offseason, as the Colts play six DBs more than most teams.

Indianapolis couldn't be swinging from one side of the quarterback pendulum to the other more. Rivers had 7.2 ypa last season compared to Jacoby Brissett's 6.6 (which was only higher than Mason Rudolph and Mitch Trubisky) but threw 14 more interceptions. If better protection results in Rivers cutting down on the mistakes, his playmaking ability should be able to spark the Colts offence into a much more dynamic proposition. With the Titans and Texans losing key pieces in the offseason it wouldn't be a huge surprise to see the Colts win the AFC South.

Man I really REALLY like this Colts team this season. I think their defense is EXCELLENT and obviously their O-Line is damn near perfect.

I agree with basically everything you said regarding Rivers. I’m very high on Indy winning the division and possibly making the Super Bowl and I think Rivers history against KC is a big reason why. He knows how to beat them. This Indy D is going to be really good this season. They’ll have their practice against the speedy receivers in Houston twice this season and their scheduled first 6 games before the BYE seem very easy.

Jacksonville- Win
Minnesota- Win
Jets- Win
Bears- Win
Chargers- Win
Bengals- Win
BYE

I mean, realistically the Vikings and/or Bears could win a tight one but in my eyes, they’re guaranteed at least 4 wins to open up the season. Their biggest competition is Tennessee and they play them Weeks 10 and 12 with GB as the gap game.

I know you didn’t touch on Tennessee yet but their schedule is very top heavy. Tennessee is going to need to be legit good to win.

Denver- Underdogs as of now
Jacksonville- Win
Minnesota- Toss up
Pittsburgh- Loss
Buffalo- Toss up
Houston- Win

That’s their first 6 games before the BYE. I think Indy goes into that BYE week with a very comfortable 2 game lead in their division. The gap game in between their match ups with Indy is against Baltimore which is a much tougher match up then Green Bay. Realistically both teams could lose their Week 11 games against GB/BAL before having their second show down. I can see them splitting the season series so winning the other 14 games will be the deciding factor of who wins this division.

Back to Indy. Pittman is going to be a red zone target for Rivers. Campbell is going to need to be as good as advertised because I don’t see TY Hilton playing a full season this year. The Mack/Taylor RBBC thing should be great for the football team but I wouldn’t touch either in fantasy. Maybe Mack because he’s going at a comfortable ADP. I wouldn’t be thrilled though.

Realistically, I see Indy going 12-4 at best, 10-6 at worst. They are definitely a playoff team and IMO the division winners.

13. Philadelphia Eagles

I heard Gregg Rosenthal recently say that the Eagles top 12 players match up pretty well with any other team in the league and thought it was an interesting point, and one hard to argue with. Despite the horrendous injury bug that crippled the team down the stretch they still beat the Cowboys to the division win last season. If they can avoid fielding a reserve set of skill position players in the final months of this season, then I think this is absolutely a team that has conference championship upside.

Carson Wentz has had an incredibly volatile career, but on paper it looks like he has a supporting cast here that should absolutely see him playing in the playoffs for the first time. Miles Sanders somehow went a little bit under the radar last season despite really shouldering a big load for the Eagles, especially after the bye. He's been limited in training camp however, alongside backup Boston Scott, which is a sneaky big concern.  Wide receiver should obviously be a much improved situation from last year. Philly should have significantly more speed, drafting Jalen Reagor as well as regaining veteran DeSean Jackson from injury. They'll be hoping for more out of JJ Arcega-Whiteside who was fairly embarrassingly jumped on the depth chart by converted QB Greg Ward Jr during the Eagles' next man up period. The fantastic tight end duo of Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert were the real heroes keeping Philly alive during that period though, Goedert has improved each season while Ertz remains one of the biggest mismatch problems for any opposition to cover. The injury bug has already started to bite the offensive line, threatening to derail one of the league's best groups. Elite guard Brandon Brooks is out for the season, as is Andre Dillard. Veteran Jason Peters will fill one of the two vacated positions, but it's obviously far from an ideal situation. On the positive side, they still retain two more elite linemen in Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson.

The defensive line looks just as strong, if not better. Fletcher Cox is the 1B to Aaron Donald among interior defenders, and he's now joined by Javon Hargrave who is coming off an impressive season with the Steelers. Brandon Graham is getting older but he's still a productive pass rusher, and they'll be looking for more from Josh Sweat in his third season, especially with Derek Barnett under an injury cloud. The linebacking corps is completely absent of any name brand players, a mix of undrafted guys and journeymen, plus a couple of speedy late round rookies - clearly a focus of this years draft class. Cornerback has been a long term issue for Philadelphia, and they look to have finally addressed it by trading for Darius Slay. They also acquired reliable Nickell Roby-Coleman to play the slot, leaving the rest of the incumbents to fight it out for the #2 boundary position. Rodney McLeod is also a decent coverage safety on the back end.

Health obviously derailed the Eagles last season, and is already causing problems with their offensive line, which should be a league-leading group. If losing two starters up front prior to the season has all the bad luck out of the way, I think Philly can be an under the radar contender. They have the coaching staff, they have the star players, and they have a fairly soft schedule. We know this is a team that can get the job done.

The Andre Diliard injury blows, their OLine is going to kill them this year. Brooks and Dillard out man.

Aug 28, 2020 1:57:09 GMT Blindy said:

The Andre Diliard injury blows, their OLine is going to kill them this year. Brooks and Dillard out man.

It's a stretch to believe Peters will last the full season too given his recent history, and they have absolutely nothing in reserve with Vaitai gone to the Lions.

Aug 28, 2020 2:10:27 GMT @admin said:

Aug 28, 2020 1:57:09 GMT Blindy said:

The Andre Diliard injury blows, their OLine is going to kill them this year. Brooks and Dillard out man.

It's a stretch to believe Peters will last the full season too given his recent history, and they have absolutely nothing in reserve with Vaitai gone to the Lions.

On the flipside, this just means Jordan Mailata will be the starting LT in due time. 

Aug 28, 2020 3:13:57 GMT Blindy said:

Aug 28, 2020 2:10:27 GMT @admin said:

It's a stretch to believe Peters will last the full season too given his recent history, and they have absolutely nothing in reserve with Vaitai gone to the Lions.

On the flipside, this just means Jordan Mailata will be the starting LT in due time. 

Exciting times for Big Pete! We need a non-punting Aussie to follow with Adam Gotsis no guarantee to make the Jacksonville 53.

12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The only things stopping me from putting Tampa higher is the fact that they haven't reached the playoffs since 2007, and we've seen how offseason champion teams can fail to live up to the hype. Everything else about this Bucs team looks locked and loaded for success.

I've said a few times that I believe that Brady's regression last season was largely due to the lack of weapons around him, and while I'm perfectly content with the idea that at 43 he's no longer a quarterback capable of elevating an offence, he no longer needs to. He could hardly be pivoting from last years Patriots skill position group to one more diametrically opposed. The Bucs have my choice for the best wide receiver duo in the league, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin rank in the top ten in a wide variety of statistical categories. There is an opportunity for a third receiver to emerge based on the attention that Evans and Godwin will command, Breshard Perriman had 69 targets last season and has moved on to the Jets. While there are a couple of duos that you could argue for at WR, no one is holding a candle to the depth the Bucs have at tight end. OJ Howard and Cameron Brate were already a good pair, but they now add the greatest to ever play the position. Even if Rob Gronkowski is the physically compromised version we saw in his final season with the Patriots he will be valuable for his relationship with Brady. If the year off has revived his body, then he will once again be a true difference maker. The running backs aren't quite in the same calibre, Ronald Jones has been inconsistent and hasn't really nailed down the starting role despite a lack of competition across his first two seasons. LeSean McCoy is in the mix after disappearing down the stretch for the Chiefs last season, and I wouldn't be surprised to see rookie Ke'Shawn Vaughn involved as the pass catching back which Brady obviously utilised to great effect in recent seasons with New England. Brady should also get better protection than he received in his final Patriots campaign, with Ali Marpet and Ryan Jensen strong starters, while Donovan Smith has improved throughout his career at left tackle.

While the star-studded offensive acquisitions have received all of the hype, it's actually the defence that I am probably more confident in as there are very few areas of weakness. Vita Vea is starting to live up to his draft position, and while Ndamukong Suh is another player in the twilight of his career, he's still a reliable contributor. Shaq Barrett led the league in sacks last season, and Jason Pierre-Paul is a consistent pressure manufacturer. Lavonte David has been one of the most underrated players in football his entire career, an absolute elite linebacker who has never received the attention he deserved because of Tampa's large irrelevance. The Bucs will be expecting a second year improvement from Devin White who was generally regarded as a great prospect only to deliver a disappointing rookie season with plenty of missed tackles. In contrast to a lot of the roster, the Bucs secondary is super young, none of the starters with over three years of NFL experience. Corners Jamal Dean and Carlton Davis performed impressively late in the season, showcased by Tampa being ranked third in weighted DVOA defence. Todd Bowles didn't leave the Jets with a great deal of credibility, but he's now on his second successful stint as a DC.

The coaching staff is one reason why we shouldn't let the failure of previous hype teams cloud our judgement of the Bucs. Unlike last seasons Browns, who I've heard the Bucs compared to, they have an experienced head coach in Bruce Arians who has been in a similar position before, like with his 2015 Cardinals. That team fell at the NFC Championship game, but was a powerhouse, recording a point differential that's only been topped four times in the seasons since. Tampa have gone from being an afterthought to a team with five prime time games, and I have a feeling they're going to be must watch.

The Bucs baffle me , I mean I want to pick them because I think Brady and Gronk going to Tampa and having success would be a fun story , and Arians has a history with veteran quarterbacks and extending their career. Yet it's just as conceivable to me that Brady is middle of the pack , Gronk misses 9 games and the defense is filled with a whole lot of questions.

Smart money would just be putting them at 8-8 , the gambler in me wants to see 10 wins.

Never trust a Todd Bowles ran defense, it has limitations and he in unable to coach up talent on that side of the ball despite numerous 1st round stabs at it. No matter how good the Bucs offense might be. The blitzing can only get you so far. 

Aug 28, 2020 3:22:01 GMT @admin said:

Aug 28, 2020 3:13:57 GMT Blindy said:

On the flipside, this just means Jordan Mailata will be the starting LT in due time. 

Exciting times for Big Pete ! We need a non-punting Aussie to follow with Adam Gotsis no guarantee to make the Jacksonville 53.

That should at least give us a chance to see him on the field. The Eagles coaching staff haven't filled me with a ton of confidence, but even to make it onto the field is an amazing achievement in itself.

11. Dallas Cowboys

Dallas are similar to Tampa in my eyes, they have a very solid roster with really only one position group to be concerned about. If this group of players were playing for a more functional franchise, then I'd be ticketing them for Super Bowl contention. But these are the Cowboys who always seem to underachieve - they haven't made the NFC Championship game since 1996 - even the Jets have done that three times during that period!

Dak Prescott is coming off his best season as a pro, he thrived in Kellen Moore's offence completing more deep passes and making less mistakes. It's very likely that the Cowboys will live to regret not tying Dak down to a long term contract earlier, as he's set up even better this season with the addition of CeeDee Lamb to the already impressive pairing of Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup to form a trio that is the envy of many teams. It will be interesting to see if Lamb takes over the slot role vacated by Randall Cobb, as that was a significant role in last season's offense, and the Cowboys are still without a particularly viable starter at tight end. Ezekiel Elliott remains one of the league's preeminent backs, recording his career best season mark for yards after contact in 2019, and Tony Pollard has proven to be a handy addition as his backup. Both obviously have the advantage of running behind a line that has consistently been amongst the best in the league for many years now. Dallas have three strong starters up front in Smith, Collins and Martin, but do have an issue replacing the retired Travis Frederick at center. Joe Looney, who played the 2018 season Frederick missed, is pencilled in, but didn't exactly set the world on fire then.

Defensive line is the area that the Cowboys will be hoping for major improvement this season. They made an astute signing to grab Everson Griffen to be the bookend to Demarcus Lawrence, and Aldon Smith's redemption story has continued to gather momentum throughout training camp. It's in the middle though which has some boom or bust potential, particularly after Gerald McCoy's injury leaving Dontari Poe as the sole veteran, with increased pressure for Neville Gallimore and Trysten Hill to live up to their draft positions. At linebacker, both Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch took a step back last season after very 2018 campaigns. Vander Esch's tackling dropped off, potentially linked to his neck injury, so if he is back to full health you'd expect a rebound. The outlook of the secondary is really linked to how well Trevon Diggs can adapt to the NFL and take over the #1 corner mantle vacated by Byron Jones. The rest of the group are all solid if unspectacular players, but there will be concern over the leg injury that slot corner Jourdan Lewis has suffered, as he's likely to miss at least the start of the season.

I haven't talked about the special teams for many (if any) teams, but it's worth noting for the Cowboys who have had one of the worst ST units in the league in recent seasons should see a significant improvement now with coaching guru John Fassel pinched from the Rams, and a new kicker in Greg "The Leg" Zuerlein who Bones brought over with him.

Dallas had a great offseason, they finally moved on from the interminable Jason Garrett era and acquired a fantastic draft class on paper. Under a new head coach with proven ability to take a team to the Super Bowl, they should win the NFC East, and be a genuine contender in the playoffs. 

I keep checking this thread, waiting for the Stillers to be heartbreakingly low. Now I'm getting my hopes up they crack the top ten!

10. Buffalo Bills

The Bills are the best placed team there's been to finally end New England's reign of terror over the AFC East. With Tom Brady's departure they have acquired division favouritism, and if Josh Allen can take a step forward, this is a team very capable of winning playoff games. The key for Allen in his third season is to improve his downfield passing, as despite his arm strength he's ranked near the bottom of the league in uncatchable passes over 20 yards. Acquiring a receiver to help achieve this was obviously a priority for the Bills, and they did so by trading for Stefon Diggs. Diggs is an elite receiver who is amongst the best in the league at the contested catch, and his presence should complete the receiver group which returns John Brown's quick twitch and Cole Beasley's ability to get open in the slot. Allen operates behind an offensive line which is solid but doesn't have any real stars. They'll be hoping for improvement from RT Cody Ford in his second season. That group receives a real boost from the Bills trio of tight ends who are not a threat in the passing game, but are all impressive blockers. That bodes well for the suddenly youthful backfield which moves on from Frank Gore. Devin Singletary is now joined by a similar hard to tackle runner in Zack Moss. Only Chicago's David Montgomery has forced more broken tackles in college football than the Bills duo.

As the offence has been slowly rebuilt over the past couple of seasons, it's Buffalo's defence that has been the identity of the team. Jerry Hughes has been a fixture up front for them, and he's now joined by reliable Mario Addison and rookie AJ Epenesa. Similar to Cody Ford on the other side of the ball, the Bills will be hoping for more from second year Ed Oliver in the middle after he started to emerge late last season. Tremaine Edmunds and Mario Milano are an athletic pair of linebackers but need to cut down on their missed tackles to back up their respective run-stopping and coverage abilities. The strength of the defence obviously lies in the secondary, with three really great starters in corner Tre'Davious White and safeties Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer. Across from White, the Bills have turned to two veterans, the once excellent Josh Norman and former player EJ Gaines to support the incumbent Levi Wallace.

There aren't many holes in this Buffalo roster top to bottom, and it really seems like the ceiling for this team depends on Josh Allen. His athleticism and running ability create a reasonably high floor, but his decision making, accuracy and footwork all need to improve. There was a significant development in his second season, but the quarterback still ranked near the bottom of the league in most passing categories (26th in ANY/A, 28th in DYAR) and will need a similar size jump in season three to take this team where it could go. 

Aug 31, 2020 2:39:00 GMT 🤯 said:

I keep checking this thread, waiting for the Stillers to be heartbreakingly low. Now I'm getting my hopes up they crack the top ten!

Clearly top ten. Arguably league-best in defense and now Roethlisberger is back. Running the ball is the issue with that team (along with Ben coming back from injury obviously). But they've got to have Superbowl aspirations.

Aug 6, 2020 14:47:02 GMT Blindy said:

Jacksonville seems like the #32 to me.

- Lame duck head coach in Marrone who has a legit shot of being fired by October if the wheels fully fall off, players have alienated him and he carries the Coughlin stench that has him there just because.
- Gardner Minshew has a full tape now that scouts and pick apart and if he does not take the next step up, they are in deep trouble. Their backup is Dobbs I think still?
- No more Calais Campbell, Jalen Ramsey long gone, Yannick N. sounds like he refuses to play for them. So it's Josh Allen, Myles Jack and who else on defense? They took a CB in Henderson who had some red flags but if he doesn't workout from the get go, they're gonna be thrown on early and often.
- DJ Chalk is their best target............Dede Westbrook is good but who are they throwing to? Laviska Shenault who has so many medical issues but when on the field is electric? 
- If the team is down big, Leonard Fournette becomes essentially useless and he has 1 foot out the door with his 5th year option declined. And their O-Line is pretty mediocre too.


This team is a walking 3-13 team IMHO. Set up beautifully for Lawrence to step on in. They can recruit whoever at HC with Lawrence as the selling point, can be Bienemy or whoever. Maybe Josh McDaniels if the ship does sink in NE or if he isn't given the verbal that he takes over Belichick in NE.


The saving grace for the Jaguars is no London games in this pandemic, this team would shoot themselves in the foot out of sheer Khan foolishness to travel all the way to London for 2 games a year(I think now?) so the mileage will be limited for the very first time in years for this side.


This is set up beautifully for Randy Orton or whoever to bash on "Jacksonville Dixie" sometime this fall or winter. They'll have Trevor Lawrence vs Cody for the TV Title by next May.

Jags gotta be no.32.

9. Pittsburgh Steelers

Mike Tomlin really pulled off one of the great coaching jobs last season, almost getting a team without a quarterback to the playoffs (and they would have qualified under the new seventh seed system this year). Rudolph and Hodges managed to pass for over 250 yards once all season which is outrageous in today's NFL, yet thanks to the Steelers defence finally reaching an elite level, they managed to achieve a creditable 8-8. With (skinny!) Roethlisberger back after his elbow surgery they should be right back in true contendership. It will be interesting to see how Ben fares this season, he showed some small signs of regression back in 2018, is coming off an injury, and is now 38. He'll obviously be a huge upgrade on what the Steelers had last season, but can he still be a top-10 type quarterback?

Ben's return projects for some bounce back seasons for numerous players on the offence. James Conner meant that Steelers fans didn't miss Le'Veon Bell too much when he sat out the 2018 season, but Connor struggled much more last year, dropping from 4.5 ypc down to 4. JuJu Smith Schuster found life very difficult without Ben (and Antonio Brown) seeing his production drop dramatically but has shown enough quality that you'd expect him to return to being a 1000 yard guy with a functional quarterback. The Steelers receiving group does have more questions than answers though, James Washington, Diontae Johnson and newly drafted Chase Claypool are all intriguing talents that have flashed or suggested they could be viable players but are yet to shown the consistency or reliability to be banked upon. TE Vance McDonald's numbers also went off a cliff without Roethlisberger, and you'd expect that to balance out, but he'll now be splitting time with Eric Ebron who has developed into a strong red zone target. This all operates behind a strong offensive line, returning four starters, replacing retired Ramon Foster with Super Bowl champion Stefen Wisniewski.

Pittsburgh had invested heavily in their defence for a number of years, but had always got solid if not spectacular results. That changed last season, when the team really needed them to compensate for the offensive struggles, with the unit ranking #1 in weighted DVOA and #3 overall. They are strongest up front, TJ Watt now a DPOTY candidate, Cameron Heyward staking claim to the best interior defender not named Aaron Donald title, and Bud Dupree and Stephon Tuitt valuable contributors. Devin Bush took to the pros faster than his namesake linebacker in Tampa, and should get better in year two. That development will be important as there isn't a lot of experience surrounding him, except for Vince Williams who has found a real niche as a blitzing backer. There are plenty of solid starters in the secondary like Steven Nelson, Joe Haden and Terrell Edmunds, but the trade for Minkah Fitzpatrick gave them a true bluechipper on the back end. He took to the Steelers uniform like a duck to water, going on a playmaking spree after escaping Miami. He has the ability to establish himself amongst the best safeties in the league with a consistent season with a defined role.

It'll be tough for the Steelers to overhaul the Ravens in their division, but the six game gap from last season will certainly be reduced. How close they can run them really depends on Big Ben's durability, and whether a second receiving option can emerge to take the pressure off from JuJu. 

Fucking rat birds, we coming for you!!! :@ :@ :@

8. Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings have been one of the most steady teams in the NFL during the Mike Zimmer era, so this season looks to be an exciting one given the amount of turnover on their roster. They still have enough pieces to be in the mix but will the considerable (by their standards) shake up push them any closer to championship contention? Kirk Cousins went through the ringer early last season, he was called out publicly by his receivers for his slow start, but rebounded to put together a very decent campaign. Cousins is often unfairly targeted for relatively meaningless reasons like not winning in prime time, but he claimed a big scalp in the playoffs driving down the field to knock out the heavily fancied Saints. It will be interesting to see how Cousins fares without Stefon Diggs, who never saw eye to eye with the quarterback but was always a big producer. Justin Jefferson was drafted in the first round to replace Diggs, and the Vikings will be hoping Adam Thielen's injuries are behind him. The Vikings play a lot of 12 personnel which means the absence of a real third receiver doesn't matter so much, while they do have two impressive tight ends. Irv Smith Jr. would be one of my red hot picks for a breakout season, he looks like a fantastic mismatch weapon. Dalvin Cook has established himself as one of the leagues best backs, and will be playing to convince Minnesota to give him an improved contract. He's backed up by two impressive reserves in Alex Mattison and Mike Boone who have flashed in limited action.

The offensive line was a major factor in their humiliating exit in the playoffs against San Francisco, and still looks like a potential hamstring for the team. There are rumours that starting LT Riley Reiff may be cut which would be a big surprise this close to the start of the season. That would presumably mean rookie Ezra Cleveland will start, but leaves right tackle Brian O'Neill as the only reliable spot with any experience. Gary Kubiak's offence is all about the outside zone scheme, and athletic linemen like Garrett Bradbury suit that well, but they also have to be able to hold up in obvious passing situations when the team falls behind.

Zimmer's defence will have a significantly different look this season with focal points Linval Joseph and Everson Griffen moving on. Michael Pierce was a big ticket free agent to fill Joseph's void, and I think the Vikings will really suffer without him. I think they might have been prepared to run with Ifeadi Odenigbo as Griffen's replacement had Pierce not opted out - but that decision increased the need to make a move, and trading for Yannick Ngakoue was a smart move to acquire a second proven pass rusher. Eric Kendricks ascended to elite linebacker status, he's fantastic in coverage, can generate pressure, and also contributes strong run defence. There's a lot of change on the back end as well, with all three starting corners from last season gone. Minnesota will be hoping for an uptick from 2018 first rounder Mike Hughes, while Cameron Dantzler and Jeff Gladney will get plenty of playing time as rookies. This uncertain group is assisted by the Vikings boasting the best safety tandem in the league in Anthony Harris and the evergreen Harrison Smith. Both are right at the top of their position for coverage, Smith especially one of the NFL's best players for a long time now.

The Vikings had a bumper draft class, and we'll see a lot of them playing straight away. How quickly their rookies can develop and adjust to the pros could make or break their season. In Zimmer and Kubiak they have two experienced coaches who I have faith in finding the answers. 

Hey, wait... Weren't Stillers #10 last night?

-_-

Not complaining about them moving up in ranking!

Sept 1, 2020 15:18:45 GMT 🤯 said:

Hey, wait... Weren't Stillers #10 last night?

-_-

Not complaining about them moving up in ranking!

I went to write out my top ten and realised I had two #13s.

7. Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks made some acquisitions this offseason that were clearly designed to try and reestablish the identity that Pete Carroll and John Schneider created at the beginning of their tenure, and tip them back into Super Bowl contention rather than the Divisional round exits that have become common in recent seasons.

In Russell Wilson they have an elite quarterback who is playing better now than he was in his early career, creating big plays at an incredibly high rate despite a relatively low number of passing attempts. The addition of DK Metcalf certainly helped in that area (15th in the league on receiving yards from deep passes), and I expect him to have an even better second season. Tyler Lockett remains a hugely reliable weapon through his ability to get open (#1 in the NFL with a wide open rate of 22.7%). There is a variety of receiving options at tight end as well, Will Dissly storming out of the gates (4 TDs in 6 games) before getting injured, Jacob Hollister taking his place to record over 400 yards, and they're now joined by veteran Greg Olsen who has been slowed by injuries late in his career but is still productive when on the field. Seattle have also added a veteran presence to it's backfield after injuries wreaked havoc for them late last season. Carlos Hyde has gone around the league but was surprisingly good for the Texans last season, and he'll back up Chris Carson who's performed admirably well running behind a poor offensive line for the past couple of seasons. Rashaad Penny could be in the mix later in the season as he covers from his ACL tear. As mentioned, the offensive line has been an issue for Seattle and there are no signs of that changing soon. Veteran Duane Brown has been the one strong performer since he was acquired from Houston, but there is nothing to get excited about at the other four spots.

There are similar questions on the defensive line, with no immediately obvious solution to the lack of pass rush, including currently not bringing back Jadeveon Clowney. They will be relying on a group of players: Benson Mayowa, LJ Collier, Bruce Irvin and Rasheem Green to achieve, but I'm feeling suitably reticent about that. More positively, the back half of the defence is a real strength. Bobby Wagner is the league's most complete linebacker, and they looked to add strength to strength in the draft choosing run stopper Jordyn Brooks in the first round. Shaquem Griffen is nominally a linebacker, but was used often as a pass rusher last season as a result of the lack of production up front. His brother Shaquill has established himself as a viable starting corner, and while the other boundary corner spot was an issue last season, the signing of Quinton Dunbar looks to be a great solution there. The biggest acquisition though was obviously Jamal Adams, one of the league's most unique and talented defenders. Adams showed with the Jets that he can impact the game in a variety of ways, and should revitalise the Seahawks secondary which was once the focal point of the team. Seattle obviously has to contend with some elite talent in the NFC West, and I'm sure they have Adams onboard specifically to try and help do so.

Having a true top-3 quarterback means you're going to be in the mix. Whether the reinforcements to the secondary are enough to compensate for largely ignoring the weaknesses on both lines we will have to wait and see. 

6. Green Bay Packers

Among the teams that are genuine Super Bowl contenders, the Packers feel like they did the least to improve their chances of success. The shift towards a run oriented offence seems at odds with the direction of the league, and surprised everyone by choosing to invest in the future rather than furnishing Aaron Rodgers with talent to win now. With that said, this is still a team that went 13-3 and shouldn't be discounted. We speculated that by drafting Jordan Love (whether intentional or not) might well light a fire under Rodgers' ass and see him rediscover his best form. He's still a quality quarterback and capable of pulling of the seemingly impossible, but there are some worrying signs like his reduced accuracy on short passes, and he delivered a couple of clunker games late in the season that would have previously been considered very uncharacteristic. He'll have to play better himself after the front office went against popular opinion and didn't acquire a marquee wide receiver during the offseason. 

Davante Adams remains Rodgers' lone upper echelon target, the two with one of the most reliable connections in the league for a number of years now. The Packers have a lot of big bodied receivers behind Adams on the depth chart. Allan Lazard, MVS, ESB, Jake Kumerow and free agent Devin Funchess are all over 6'4. They need at least one, if not two, from this group to elevate this season and become a reliable second option for #12. Aaron Jones was finally handed the opportunity to be the lead back, and he delivered in a big way. AJ Dillon is added to the mix this season, and as more of a two-down back, might be an indication that the coaching staff endeavours to run the ball even more this season. Jamaal Williams is also still in the mix and is a strong receiver out of the backfield. They'll be running behind the Packers strong and consistent line, albeit with one significant change this season with Rick Wagner moving over from division-rivals the Lions to replace long time right tackle Bryan Bulaga.

While the Packers didn't make huge moves this offseason, their big investments prior to last season paid off in a big way. There aren't too many better FA signings that I can remember than Za'Darius Smith who had a truly fantastic first season in Green Bay, leading the league in pressures. His name sake Preston wasn't quite as prolific but is still a very valuable starter, and Kenny Clark is one of the best pass rushing defensive tackles around. Behind those three there isn't a great deal of depth, so Rashan Gary is someone they'll be hoping for more from after a very quiet rookie season. Linebacker looks like an area of concern, with tackle machine Blake Martinez moving on, the only starter with significant experience is Christian Kirksey. Kirksey's upside is that he can provide better coverage than Martinez, but he's failed to finish the previous two seasons with injury, and only played two games before tearing his pec last year. The Packers secondary is a lot better than it once was, but there's still room for improvement. Jaire Alexander has played some absolutely fantastic games but has also had some stinkers, while his classmate Josh Jackson hasn't really delivered and only played 100 snaps last season. Neither he nor Kevin King nailing down the #2 spot caused the Packers to play as many different CBs as any team, they could use some consistency there this season.

The Packers are definite zigging while everyone else is zagging, and it's hard to see that the decisions they made during the draft made them better for right now (and will cause problems down the track as well). But it's important to look past that and recognise that they are still a team with a legendary quarterback, a good young coach, a top receiver, running back, left tackle and pass rusher. That was enough for them to win a lot of games in 2019, and it'll be enough to do so again this season.

Pretty spot on by HR , I was waiting to pick a fight but can’t really argue too much.

Look for a leap by Savage though.

5. Tennessee Titans

The Titans feel like the least stable team in the top ten, but you simply can't ignore the upside that they showed from when Ryan Tannehill took over as the starter. Tannehill and Derrick Henry are easy targets for suspicion of regression, but we shouldn't expect Tannehill to do that simply because last season was a remarkable outlier in his age 31 season. It might be unrealistic to expect him to repeat a top-5 quarterback this season, but above average play would be perfectly acceptable. All of his supporting cast returns, led by AJ Brown who put together one of the best rookie seasons in recent memory. Brown smashed the all time (since 2006) record for YAC+ on his way to recording over 20 yards per reception. Cory Davis hasn't lived up to his #5 overall draft spot but he's a solid contributor, while Adam Humphries is a proven slot receiver who was slightly disappointing in his first season in Tennessee, albeit hampered by injury. We might see some more of Kalif Raymond after he delivered some explosive plays during the playoffs. The Titans have another YAC monster in tight end Jonnu Smith, only slightly edged out as the #1 TE in that category. Smith's counting stats will likely rise now that Delanie Walker is completely out of the equation. The Titans have an above average offensive line with three reliable starters in Taylor Lewan, Rodger Saffold and Ben Jones. Whether they can remain a top-10 type group depends on how well rookie Isaiah Wilson can replace Jack Conklin. Wilson is a huge tackle but his draft profile had some doubts about his ability to handle speed rushes off the edge. His strength in the run game projects as a great fit for Derrick Henry's one cut power running style. Henry led all running backs in yards after contact and while there's always some doubt about a back coming off a 300 carry season, his physique seems as likely as any to weather the burden.

It's unlikely that Tannehill will register a YPA a full yard higher than the second place quarterback, so if the Titans are to replicate last season's Championship game appearance, they will need their defence to improve. The good news is that they have plenty of young players with the potential to do exactly that. Jeffrey Simmons is the first name on that list, as he flashed moments of real dominance during his rookie season, but needs to exhibit that more consistently in year two, especially after veteran Jurrell Casey was traded away to Denver. Harold Landry is another one with room to improve on the defensive line. His pressure numbers increased significantly in his second season, but that was as much to do with volume rather than actual performance. Rashaan Evans is a good run stopping linebacker but needs to improve his coverage closer to the level of his teammate Jayon Brown. There are strong starters in the secondary, Kevin Byard at safety and Malcolm Butler at corner. Tennessee will be hoping that Kristian Fulton delivers on what appeared to be great value in the second round of this year's draft and not make them regret letting Logan Ryan walk.

Finally, if you're worried about Tannehill and Henry regressing, let me point to the Titans kicking game last year that went an abysmal 8-18, registering the lowest field goals made ever in a 16 game season. I'll admit that part of me wanted to drop the Titans down this list, but the other part said that simply wasn't an option considering how they absolutely handled the previously dominant Ravens in Baltimore.

4. Baltimore Ravens

Fans of my posts will remember that I was defending Lamar Jackson when the general consensus was very negative on him, and believed that he could flourish in a Greg Roman offence. I'm interested to see where they go to in year two, after steamrolling their way to the most dominant regular seasons since the 07 Patriots, and whether they can get over the hump that has seen them exit in the first round of the playoffs in back to back seasons. A key factor in achieving that will be Jackson's ability to reduce his mistakes when forced to play from behind. Lamar obviously had an unbelievable campaign on route to winning MVP with his running ability resulting in a ridiculously high touchdown percentage, but he significantly improved his accuracy as a passer. The Ravens have given Jackson a trio of speedy receivers, we saw the chemistry with Hollywood Brown straight off the bat, and you could tell they had that in mind drafting sub 4.4 40 runner Devin Duvernay. Miles Boykin and Willie Snead are still in the mix, but expect a lot of targets to continue to go the way of the Ravens tight ends despite the departure of Hayden Hurst. Mark Andrews established himself as perhaps the closest contender to the elite two at the position, and Nick Boyle is a productive #2. 

The run first approach won't be going anywhere, evidence by the drafting of JK Dobbins to a backfield still containing Mark Ingram, Gus Edwards and Justice Hill. Baltimore called nearly 37 rushing plays per game last season, so there's plenty of carries to go around. They'll run behind a strong offensive line albeit one that is replacing future Hall of Famer Marshal Yanda. Ronnie Stanley was PFF's top rated tackle last season, Orlando Brown is a good pass protector on the other side, and center Ben Skura is back after tearing his ACL in Week 12. 

Eric DeCosta clearly hadn't got the loss to the Titans out of his head by the time free agency rolled around, as his new signings were direct responses to the way Derrick Henry rampaged his way through their defence. It won't be a great surprise if Calais Campbell is looked back on as the best acquisition of the offence, the ex-Jaguar is one of the best run defenders in the league with an average depth of tackle only 1.1 yards downfield. While nose tackle Michael Pierce moved on (and opted out anyway) the Ravens definitely got stronger up front, also acquiring veteran Derek Wolfe from the Broncos to pair with Brandon Williams. Expect to see more linebackers on the field this season after using a lot of dime and nickel in 2019, as a result of first and third round draft picks being used to obtain Patrick Queen and Malik Harrison. DC Wink Martindale called one of the best blitz heavy defences in the league last season to manufacture pass rush, and that will likely remain the same, with really only Matt Judon providing much in the way of pressure. Safety Chuck Clark blitzed the most among all DBs last season, and it will be interesting to see if his role remains the same after Earl Thomas was unceremoniously cut. DeShon Elliot barely played in his rookie season due to a broken arm but is set to take over that position. Despite Thomas' removal, there's still plenty of quality in the secondary with Marlon Humphrey, Jimmy Smith and Marcus Peters comprising one of the best cornerback groups around. 

Having to replace two HOF level players can't be disregarded, but there's so much talent on this team it's almost impossible to see them finishing with less than 10 wins. The quarterback is spectacular, there are enough playmakers, the defensive front is fortified, and the secondary is strong. Mahomes won MVP in his first season as starter and won the Super Bowl in his second - could the same thing happen here with Lamar and the Ravens?

Fucking rat birds. :@

Yeah I don't know about the Titans that high , they are a fun team to follow finally and last season was a perfect storm in a lot of ways but I don't trust them in the Top 5. Maybe towards to bottom of the Top Ten. I do hope I'm wrong though and Tannehill and Henry can continue their momentum from the end of last year.

You could switch the Cowboys and Titans for me and I’d feel like it was closer.