Aug 27, 2021 14:26:19 GMT UT said:

The difference between Wentz behind a bad line and good one is night and day. There was a stat out there somewhere for it and as bad as he was last year - he had arguably the worst situation in the league so I’m willing to give him some leeway with the Colts with a running game and great offensive line.

I also don’t think Rivers was that great , there were stretches where he was right there with Wentz as worst starter in the league.

I think Indy will be fine. I think they can win the division if Wentz is even a Top 16 quarterback.

I honestly wouldn't be surprised if you were right also. 

The problem this whole division faces this season is that they have to play the NFC West. One could argue that the Colts might match up better against the NFC West because they have a stronger defense and potentially a better O-Line. One could also argue that the Titans will match up better because they have the offensive power to keep up with those teams.

Both teams start off with the NFC West. They both get the Seahawks in the first 2 weeks, but the Titans get the Cards whereas the Colts get the Rams. It will definitely be interesting to see where the standings are after Week 3 and how both teams play down the stretch.

This division can absolutely be the worst in the NFL this year record wise and it is clearly a 2 horse race. It just matters what side you're on. I can't see both teams making the playoffs though. Titans 10-7, Colts 9-8 is my prediction.

12. Tennessee Titans

The Titans are the second AFC South team that are acting like they are in a Super Bowl window but have plenty to prove to be considered a true contender. Their big splash towards advancing further in the playoffs this time was to trade for future Hall of Famer Julio Jones. Jones was limited last season with injury but prior to that had six straight seasons of 1300+ yards and is still playing at a high level. Together with AJ Brown who has consecutive 1000 yard seasons of his own since entering the league, they should form one of the elite wide receiver duos in the league for Ryan Tannehill to throw to. The major question mark is whether the offence shows any signs of regression without the presence of Arthur Smith, but with the inhouse promotion of Todd Downing to OC, the scheme should look very similar. That obviously means another steady dose of Derrick Henry who has emerged as the premier running back in the league, and just the eighth man to rush for 2000 yards in a season. He'll have the benefit of again running behind LT Taylor Lewan who returns from his ACL injury, next to Rodger Saffold at guard who has been a great blocker for a number of seasons now. 

There was a big free agent signing on defence too, attempting to address their fatal flaw, a lack of pass rush where they recorded up 19 sacks. Last offseason saw two big whiffs with Clowney and Beasley, so they'll be hoping that Bud Dupree, coming off an ACL tear of his own, doesn't fair similarly. Dupree has 19.5 sacks over his past two seasons so the pedigree is definitely there, and alongside Jeffery Simmons who is one of the league's best young interior defenders - there's a definite upside to this front. Starting linebackers Rashaan Evans and Jayon Brown are both on one year deals and will need to play better to earn new contracts. The secondary is led by Kevin Byard who should receive some more help this season with first rounder Caleb Farley joining an excting group of young corners with Kristian Fulton and Elijah Molden, backed up with some experience in the form of Janoris Jenkins.

Tennessee had a nightmare of a time in the kicking game last season, the formerly reliable Stephen Gostkowski missing 7 field goals from inside 50 yards. Fomer Jet Sam Ficken will take over the job.

The Titans are clearly the most settled team in their division and it would be a surprise if they don't defend their title successfully. The health of their two big acquisitions will go a long way to determining if they can improve on last season's one and done effort in the playoffs.

 

I hope the Titans are still as fun to watch on offense sans Smith , because they are becoming one of the more boring offseason teams out there. Even with the addition of Julio - the Titans just aren't a ton of fun to talk about because they still feel like the exact same team as last year.

Derrick Henry is bound to take a step back eventually. You can't carry the load he has and continue to carry an offense , especially if their offensive line takes a small step back like I except it to do. The Julio addition with be nice but in that offense can he really be more than Davis was last year? I don't know.

Defensively they have a massive jump to make. I see them being in the division race and playoffs but don't think they are going to go that far unless something changes in their front seven.

I will be rooting for Farley to make an impact as a rookie , the little I've seen of him in the preseason he seems pretty up and down.

The thing that has Derrick Henry falling out of the Top 3-4 in drafts (went 4th in mine) is his lack of catches. Most importantly, it’s a historical trend of how guys do the season AFTER a 2000 yard rushing season. They all drop drastically. I don’t know if he will have a drastic drop as there is an additional game now. I also don’t know if he’s as similar as other RBs because the dude is an actual MONSTAR. It’s crazy to think people were ready to label him a bust at the beginning of his career and then he became this fucking machine. Him standing next to Dion Lewis is a legendary meme photo too.

I love the possibilities of this offense. I also wouldn’t be surprised if Ryan Tannehill had a career year this season. Julio and AJ could easily both go for over 1200 yards. I think 1000 each is a given. Like y’all said it comes down to health.

Firsker could be a sleeper TE but it’s risky to pick him in a team with all those other weapons.

We all know I bet on them to win the Super Bowl because it was a free bet and high odds. I don’t really believe they can win it all, but I’ll wait for a division title settlement. Go Titans!

11. Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins are by far the biggest movers in my rankings compared to this time last season - and interestingly most of the players I talked about barely factored into their success! I did talk about Brian Flores and he's a big reason I have considerable confidence about the transfer of their offseason moves into wins. The big question mark is whether Tua Tagovailoa can take a step forward in his second season now that he is the unquestioned starter - assuming a rumoured trade doesn't happen after I post this! He had plenty working against him least season; his limited preseason due to his injury, the coaching staff going back to Ryan Fitzpatrick numerous times. He has plenty going for him this time, a couple of solid preseason performances, the public backing of his coaching staff, and an improved group of weapons. Chief among them is Will Fuller, one of the league's premier deep threat receivers who on a one year contract has plenty of motivation to stay out on the field and first round draft pick Jaylen Waddle who played with Tua at Alabama, and is an excellent separator, exactly what the quarterback thrives on. They join with incumbents Parker and Williams to form what looks like a really good group, especially when you add in Mike Gesicki who was fourth among tight ends in receiving yards last season. The offensive line remains an issue, with the development of their young players being the reason for optimism, three of the starters (LT Austin Jackson, RT Robert Hunt and LG Solomon Kindley) enter their second season. The two Miami quarterbacks got rid of the ball faster than any other team last season, Tua will have to be given more time in the pocket to best utilise the field stretching ability of Fuller.

Miami's defence tends to give up yards but is a big play waiting to happen - they led the league with 29 takeaways last season. That's not something you can rely upon replicating, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see Xavien Howard near the top of the interception list again after his phenomenal 10 in 2020. He leads a deep secondary, high payed Byron Jones is the CB2 when he'd be the #1 guy on a lot of other teams, and they have former first rounder Noah Igbinoghene who should be improved in his second season. Flores exercised some of his old Patriots connections to bring over veteran Jason McCourty who will reunite with former teammate safety Eric Rowe, while linebacker Kyle Van Noy went back the other way leaving Jerome Baker and Andrew Van Ginkel as the starters there. Up front Emmanuel Ogbah really made the most of his increased playing time after leaving the Chiefs, recording 9 sacks, while the Dolphins are hoping that their first round draft pick Jaelen Phillips can be their second pass rusher.

Flores recorded 5 wins in his first season as coach when many predicted Miami would be one of the worst teams in NFL history, and he doubled that in his second season. Third time around he looks to have an even stronger group of players, the job that he and GM Chris Grier have done has been nothing short of fantastic. If they've ridden out the somewhat expected slow start to Tua's pro career through his recovery from the injury that dropped him from the #1 overall pick, they should hopefully now be looking at enjoying the fruits of a back to back national championship winning quarterback.

10. Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers got off to a flying start last season going a slightly misleading 11-0 before completely hitting a wall at the crunch time, losing four of their last five before getting bounced in the first round of the playoffs following a completely disastrous first quarter against the Browns. That losing streak came about when opposing defences completely came to terms with the limited abilities of the Steelers offence, and shut down the already small range of what they were able to do. Ben Roethlisberger was a big reason why, his playing style the complete inverse of what made him famous, getting the ball out of his hands super quickly - leading to a miniscule 6.3 yards per attempt, only higher than Darnold and Wentz among QBs to start more than half the season. The reason for optimism that things might be a little better this season comes in two forms - Matt Canada takes over as OC from Randy Fichtner and promises a slightly more adaptable offence, and the updated offensive line which struggled so badly. Familiar faces Villaneuva, DeCastro and Pouncey are all gone, replaced by Okorafor, Truner and Hassenhauer. How this new group fares is yet to be seen, but they can't be much worse than the broken down group of veterans. The Steelers became so predictable last season because they couldn't run the ball, ranking last in the league for rushing yards. Najee Harris was their solution to the problem, the first running back taken in the draft, and he presents as a true bellcow type back, as well as a receiving threat which we know Ben loves dating back to his combination with Leveon Bell. Big Ben's four receivers all return, Juju, Claypool, Dionte Johnson & James Washington - a great group of dangerous weapons but each with some consistency issues.

The Steelers offence carried the team for last stretches of 2020 and should be a good group again - although there are more question marks than there was heading into last season. Cornerback depth looks like their biggest issue now, with veterans Steven Nelson and Mike Hilton departing, leaving Joe Haden and Cameron Sutton as the two experienced guys left. Fortunately, they are set inside of them with Minkah Fitzpatrick and Terrell Edmunds forming an excellent safety duo. The other big departure due to salary issues was Bud Dupree, so Pittsburgh will look to a combination of second year Alex Highsmith and former Charger Melvin Ingram to fill the position opposite DPOY contender TJ Watt who led the league in sacks with 15 last season. They have the advantage of working around one of the best defensive lines around; Heyward, Tuitt and Alulu all return. Devin Bush will be back in the middle of the field after missing the majority of the season, although they didn't struggle too much without him thanks to the emergence of undrafted Robert Spillane - those two should make a dynamic combination at the linebacker position.

Despite how poorly the Steelers played towards the end of last season, it would be foolish to count them out, despite some concerning signs and Ben's age. Mike Tomlin is still one of the best coaches around (he's still never had a losing season) and they have plenty of great players. They might not be the favourites to win their division anymore, but they're still going to be right in the mix.

I’ve grow to hate Juju. He’s one of these young people I just dislike. More obsessed with internet fame then anything. Dude did the fucking cart challenge a week before the season starts. Yes he succeeded but you’re a professional football player. Grow the fuck up already. #BoomerSchool

Dionte Johnson is going to be the best player on this team this year. I’m convinced he has worked on his drop problems and will produce career highs if he matches his targets from last season. Chase Claypool says that he will score 14 touchdowns this season but he already got hurt in the preseason. He needs to slow down.

Najee will be fine for a rookie. The Steelers still have a solid D and even better news for them is that the Ravens are dealing with injury after injury and have a literal retard at QB.

I was down on the Steelers all off season until this week. The Browns look the most complete on paper, but they’re still the Browns.

Sept 1, 2021 0:59:03 GMT KING KID said:

I’ve grow to hate Juju. He’s one of these young people I just dislike. More obsessed with internet fame then anything. Dude did the fucking cart challenge a week before the season starts. Yes he succeeded but you’re a professional football player. Grow the fuck up already. #BoomerSchool

Dionte Johnson is going to be the best player on this team this year. I’m convinced he has worked on his drop problems and will produce career highs if he matches his targets from last season. Chase Claypool says that he will score 14 touchdowns this season but he already got hurt in the preseason. He needs to slow down.

Najee will be fine for a rookie. The Steelers still have a solid D and even better news for them is that the Ravens are dealing with injury after injury and have a literal retard at QB.

I was down on the Steelers all off season until this week. The Browns look the most complete on paper, but they’re still the Browns.

Loved @admin's writeup. KING KID nails my personal take. At least through my cautious optimism lens. The rest of the Stillers fan in me is chicken little panicked this is the season where the wheels fall completely off the wagon.

So before I get into the Dolphins; I want to say that I totally changed my mind. The Bills are winning the AFC East again. The Patriots changed everything for me today. Not just Cam but the Gilmore conclusion also.

The Dolphins running game was great last season. Every RB they trot out there was having solid games. That made everyone love Gaskin coming into this years fantasy draft. The last week or two changed everything. Flores said that the ‘hot hand’ will stay on the field and that’s not good for someone you’re drafting at Gaskins ADP. I’ll pass on this running game during the draft every single time.

I ended up snatching Waddle in the draft so I’m hopeful he can have a productive rookie season somewhere near what Lamb and Jefferson did last year. It all comes down to if Tua got better then last year. If he did and he returns to “Tank for Tua” form then this whole team succeeds. If he can survive these Watson Whispers and play great this year then the Dolphins are set for years. I don’t know if I buy it without seeing it first.

I don’t want anything to do with Fuller. If Watson is not throwing him the ball, he’s trash. The stats prove it. Davante Parker and Tua don’t really click so I’m avoiding Parker on this team as well. Gesicki is not a sexy pick when you’re drafting a TE, but if you waited this long then you get what you get from him.

I’m only okay with getting Waddle from this team. I’m not excited to have him, but it’s a lottery ticket so fuck it.

Flores seems like a great coach so let’s see what he can get out of this team. 2nd place should belong to them and if Tua improved then they could steal the division.

9. San Francisco 49ers

For the neutral, the 49ers being decimated by injuries preventing them from being contenders in 2020 was probably the disappointment of the season. But the good news is that all their stars are back, ready to avenge the lost year, and they might well have a future superstar QB to boot. Trey Lance is going to miss at least the first game of the season with a minor finger injury which means Jimmy Garoppolo holds the starting berth for now, but Lance showed his explosive talent in preseason action and it figures to only be a matter of time before he takes over the job. Whoever plays under centre has a diverse cast to work with, chief among those aforementioned returns from injury is the best all around tight end in the league, George Kittle. Dynamic and versatile wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel can line up all over the field, but if you're looking for a weakness, the depth behind those two could be an issue. There's more optimism regarding the depth in the backfield, with rookies Trey Sermon and Elijah Mitchell joining incumbent Raheem Mostert. They'll run behind a fantastic offensive line led by the new highest paid o-lineman in the league Trent Williams, and the newly acquired rock solid center Alex Mack.

San Francisco's defence ranked in the top 5 despite losing numerous starters, but they now have to cope with losing arguably their best asset, coordinator Robert Saleh. DeMeco Ryans, former linebackers coach, and linebacker in his own right, takes over to steer the ship. He has plenty to work with - a defensive line featuring four first round draft picks, Joey Bosa and Dee Ford both returning from season ending injuries, Arik Armstead and second year man Javon Kinlaw. Along with Williams, the other big contract handed out was to Fred Warner who has quickly elevated himself to being considered one of, if not the best linebacker in the league. Combined with Dre Greenlaw they make a super combination, reflected in the 49ers allowing the fewest catches and yards to opposing tight ends. With Richard Sherman out of the picture, the secondary is now led by Jason Verrett who proved to be an inspired free agent signing last offseason. Emmanuel Moseley and K'Waun Williams man the other two starting CB spots, but given the injury history of those three, we might be seeing plenty of rookies Lenoir and Thomas. Jacquiski Tartt and Jimmie Ward are solid at safety.

The 49ers have been led by their defence in recent seasons, but we might be on the verge of that switching as it feels like Kyle Shanahan now has all the pieces he needs to realise his fully formed offence - particularly if and when Lance debuts. They have an offensive line that could be a real strength, and a trio of pass catchers that can do it all and are YAC machines. This could be a very fun team to watch.

I don't trust the Steelers. Was doing some research for bets and over/unders a week or so ago and they continue to jump out as a team that was more fluky than legitimate last year.

Ben's troubles have been documented but also their defense. They had the 4th easiest schedule in the NFL against passing offenses and their defenses was one of the least tested. I do like the additions of Ingram and Schobert (he's going to be a starter and possibly better than Bush)but I don't truly trust their corners and pass rushers outside of Watt. They'll get tested early though.

Add to that their running game hasn't been great this preseason as expected , Najee might not make the huge difference they were hoping. It's early but it's certainly not something I am happy to bet on.

10th seems too high. They have playmakers and their defense could be solid but they just seem like more of a middle of the pack team to me than Top 10.

I'm really down on the AFC North because Baltimore doesn't impress me either. I think Cleveland runs away with the division and is the only playoff team of the bunch.

Sept 1, 2021 14:35:51 GMT UT said:

I don't trust the Steelers. Was doing some research for bets and over/unders a week or so ago and they continue to jump out as a team that was more fluky than legitimate last year.

Ben's troubles have been documented but also their defense. They had the 4th easiest schedule in the NFL against passing offenses and their defenses was one of the least tested. I do like the additions of Ingram and Schobert (he's going to be a starter and possibly better than Bush)but I don't truly trust their corners and pass rushers outside of Watt. They'll get tested early though.

Add to that their running game hasn't been great this preseason as expected , Najee might not make the huge difference they were hoping. It's early but it's certainly not something I am happy to bet on.

10th seems too high. They have playmakers and their defense could be solid but they just seem like more of a middle of the pack team to me than Top 10.

I'm really down on the AFC North because Baltimore doesn't impress me either. I think Cleveland runs away with the division and is the only playoff team of the bunch.

Great shout on trust issues. Last season was absolutely fluky, not legit at all.

I could tell which friends and colleagues were following loosely vs. watching the actual games. On paper, 11-0. But watching most of those 11 games, it felt like it was a paper record based more on coin flip luck than anything.

Feel like the end of the season and postseason blowout restored the coin flip averages and proved Stiller were a 500 team at best last year.

All in all, it's left me really not knowing how to feel about them with any level of confidence this year. Been following this thread feeling surprised how high they were going to land. I'm hoping @admin knows something I don't know and/or his optimism manifests on the field.

@admin, seems to be pretty spot on with his predictions more often then not so I wouldn't be surprised if he sees something in the Steelers that most don't.

Onto a team I have been super high on all off season and that's the 49ers! pduh TEAM~!

I already went over 100 times how in love I am with owning pieces of this team this year and I went over how the SOS of the 49ers is super exciting for fantasy purposes. They were plagued by injuries all season last year so a bounce back HAS to happen.

I'm super high on George Kittle finishing as the TE2. I think Deebo finishes the season higher then Aiyuk does this year also.

The running game will be beast as usual. Thunder & Lightning with Sermon and Mostert looks like a real possibility especially after they released Gallman. I heard a Sermon interview and I'm pretty sure he's gay, but still. He hits hard!

I wouldn't be surprised if Jimmy G throws for 4 TDs Week 1 just to shut up the naysayers either. The Lions are going to get REKT by the 49ers Week 1 and I can't wait to see it. I also can't wait to see IF Trey Lance plays and how he looks. He seems to start off games slow, but pick it up and that would make for some exciting games for SF. I'm also intrigued how they look when they swap QBs in the middle of drives and what kind of plan Shanahan has for this offense this year.

Sept 1, 2021 0:59:03 GMT KING KID said:

I’ve grow to hate Juju. He’s one of these young people I just dislike. More obsessed with internet fame than anything. The dude did the fucking cart challenge a week before the season starts. Yes, he succeeded but you’re a professional football player. Grow the fuck up already. #BoomerSchool

Dionte Johnson is going to be the best player on this team this year. I’m convinced he has worked on his drop problems and will produce career highs if he matches his targets from last season. Chase Claypool says that he will score 14 touchdowns this season but he already got hurt in the preseason. He needs to slow down.

Najee will be fine for a rookie. The Steelers still have a solid D and even better news for them is that the Ravens are dealing with injury after injury and have a literal retard at QB.

I was down on the Steelers all off-season until this week. The Browns look the most complete on paper, but they’re still the Browns.

I'm not sold on Juju but, I don't care about what he does off the field. You're not that old, are you? :lol:

8. Seattle Seahawks

Russell Wilson was cooking on gas early on in the season, right in the MVP conversation, but boy did he splutter down the stretch. I don't think enough was made of how poorly (for his standards) he played, and he cleverly shifted the narrative in the offseason blaming the team and indicating a preference to be traded. Any thoughts of him moving on were put to bed, for now, and to appease their superstar, Seattle installed a new OC Shane Waldron who previously worked with division rivals the Rams, resigned Chris Carson, and addressed their biggest weakness by acquiring veteran guard Gabe Jackson. The long time poor offensive line has been Wilson's biggest grievance, but they should be better this season with the addition of the former Raider slotting in next to reliable LT Duane Brown. Damien Lewis had a strong rookie season, particularly as a run blocker, and will man the right guard position. One area that Wilson can't complain about is his receivers, DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are a brilliant pairing, both going over 1000 yards and recording 10 touchdowns last season. They're joined now by rookie speed demon D'Wayne Eskridge who projects as a great fit for Wilson's deep passing. Pete Carroll loves to stay committed to the run despite his high powered passing offence, and in the aforementioned Carson and Rashaad Penny he has two backs who can get the job done, when they're out on the field. Both have injury histories, with Penny in particular missing the majority of the season while Carson was clearly playing limited.

If pass protection has been the Seahawks offensive Achilles heel, then the lack of pass rush is clearly the biggest issue for the defence. They've rotated through numerous players in the front four in recent seasons, and that group is no more inspiring now. Carlos Dunlap provided a little bit of a spark late in the season when he was acquired from the Bengals but at his age he can't be relied upon to shoulder the load. The pass rush is manufactured through the blitzing of Jamal Adams who recently put pen to paper on a contract extension that Seattle really had no choice in handing out following what they gave up to acquire the star safety. Adams led the team in sacks, QB hits and tackles for loss despite missing a few games - hugely unusual numbers for a safety. The rest of the secondary is made up of aggressive playmakers, Quandre Diggs, and newly acquired corners Witherspoon and Desir. The strength though is their anchor linebackers Bobby Wagner and KJ Wright who are both aging but still very good. Jordyn Brooks is the young blood at the position and will probably see the field more and more this season.

Seattle got great special teams play last season from electric Aussie punter Michael Dickson who led the league in punts downed inside the 20, and kicker Jason Myers who didn't miss a single field goal including the NFL's season long make of 61 yards.

The Seahawks will be in the mix again in the super competitive NFC West but I wonder if they have improved enough to be considered likely to do any better than losing in the first round of the playoffs. Gabe Jackson should improve the protection for Wilson a little bit, but the offence needs more than that to be more well rounded and functional. Defensively, they still look to have issues with the same weaknesses, manufacturing pass rush through Adams, and compromising the back end as a result, because of a lack of talent at EDGE.

7. Los Angeles Rams

The one thing you can't accuse the Rams of doing is doing things by half. There isn't a team in the NFL who has come close to the amount of swing for the fence moves they have during the McVay/Snead era - and in arguably the biggest transaction of the offseason, they did it again, upgrading their quarterback from Jared Goff to Matthew Stafford. Stafford, a perennial stats compiler but largely irrelevant in the broader scheme of the league during his 12 seasons in Detroit - now gets thrust right into the heart of the narrative when he kicks off his Rams career opening up SoFi Stadium on Sunday Night Football in Week 1. Stafford's big arm looks like a great fit for McVay's offence and he has a number of weapons at his disposal - YAC machines Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp, and the newly acquired deep threat veteran DeSean Jackson. Jackson has struggled mightily to stay on the field in recent years, so in drafting Tutu Atwell the Rams acquired an insurance policy to ensure they have a field stretcher available. The Rams suffered the biggest loss of the preseason when starting running back Cam Akers tore his Achilles - a brutal blow for a player who really emerged as a potential elite player. To address the loss, they acquired Sony Michel from the Patriots and he'll form a tandem with Darrell Henderson. They'll run behind an offensive line that they didn't address, former starting center Austin Blythe has departed and will be replaced by Brian Allen who missed all of last season with a knee injury, while 40 year old Andrew Whitworth also returns after the same injury to again start at left tackle.

The Rams won eleven games including one in the playoffs last season, largely because of their league leading defence - but with that success inevitably came the feeding frenzy. Coordinator Brandon Staley was poached to be the Chargers head coach after just one season, Josh Johnson and Troy Hill both signed with the Browns, and three d-linemen who played significant snaps also left. But there's still plenty of talent here - three time DPOY Aaron Donald is the best player in the league regardless of position, and Jalen Ramsey is arguably the most dominant cornerback around. LA invested heavily to keep Leonard Floyd to clean up the havoc that Donald creates, as he did to the tune of 10.5 sacks in 2020. Darious Williams was in the top 10 for lowest passer rating allowed, and he'll man the opposite corner to Ramsey. Elsewhere they will be relying on some younger players at safety and linebacker to step up and replace the snaps of those departed.

Trading for Stafford was a true statement by the Rams - and now it's up to them to live up to the gauntlet they threw down. They clearly weren't content by holding a potential Super Bowl team back with mediocre quarterback play, and now with a passer that can pull the trailer rather than needing to be dragged, they should be a more explosive and entertaining prospect. LA won't want it any other way.

I think Seattle finishes last in their division this season.

The Rams will play the Buccaneers in the NFC Championship game and Stafford will beat Rodgers to get there.

I don't trust the Steelers' offensive line.

Sept 2, 2021 20:38:33 GMT Ed said:

I don't trust the Steelers' offensive line.

Is there anything about the Steelers coming into this season that you'd trust?

Sept 2, 2021 23:56:16 GMT 🤯 said:

Sept 2, 2021 20:38:33 GMT Ed said:

I don't trust the Steelers' offensive line.

Is there anything about the Steelers coming into this season that you'd trust?

I trust that TJ Watt is the man.

Sept 3, 2021 0:44:10 GMT UT said:

Sept 2, 2021 23:56:16 GMT 🤯 said:

Is there anything about the Steelers coming into this season that you'd trust?

I trust that TJ Watt is the man.

Touchę.

6. Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens know they need to develop their offence to become more well rounded, their multiheaded rushing attack has been profitable (and record breaking) but hasn't been enough to get them to the big dance. Lamar Jackson has been one of the most unique players in NFL history, accounting for two of the three all time seasons a quarterback has rushed for over 1000 yards. But last season he regressed as a passer throwing 10 fewer touchdowns than in his 2019 MVP campaign. Baltimore made some personnel moves to address this weakness and improve the passing attack, but there's still reasons to be concerned heading into Week 1- Hollywood Brown and FA acquisition Sammy Watkins have missed most of the preseason, Miles Boykin and first round draft pick Rashod Bateman are both on IR. Even the one aspect you could previously rely on is now compromised with starting running back JK Dobbins out for the season, leaving a huge load on the shoulders of Gus Edwards considering the third member of last season's committee Mark Ingram is also out of the picture. Edwards does have the advantage of running behind a strong offensive line that gets Ronnie Stanley back at left tackle, and adds veterans Kevin Zeitler and Alejandro Villaneuva to grade the road for The Bus.

Baltimore's veteran defensive front of Calais Campbell, Brandon Williams and Derek Wolfe all return this season, but there'll be a fresh look at the EDGE positions with Matt Judon and Yannick Ngakoue gone. First round draft pick Jayson Oweh didn't record a sack last season in college but is a rangy athletic pass rusher, and he'll be joined by veterans Justin Houston and Pernell McPhee in an attempt to put more pressure on opposing QBs. In the heart of the defence Patrick Queen will likely be better following the lessons learnt in his rookie season. The back end of the defence has a familiar look like the front, Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters at corner, Jimmy Smith playing a hybrid DB role, and Chuck Clark at safety.

Justin Tucker is the best kicker in the league, and possibly history, but it's worth noting he has a new long snapper this season in Nick Moore.

The Ravens are 30-7 during the regular season with Lamar as their starter, they'll win plenty of games again this season, but it remains to be seen whether the passing offence can take a step forward. Quite simply that is what they need to make a run through the playoffs.

5. Cleveland Browns

2020 was a pretty special season for the Browns - they made the playoffs for the first time since 2002, and then proceeded to vanquish the team that eliminated them that season and have routinely beat up on them ever since - staking a real claim to be the top dogs in the AFC North despite their 11 wins only leading to a third place finish. This season they look like favourites to win the division for the very first time since realignment, and a genuine title contender. Their roster returns completely intact, highlighted by the league's best running back tandem of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt carrying the rock behind arguably the league's best offensive line, which is rock solid across all five positions. The passing offence has some upside if they can figure out a way to get the best out of Odell Beckham who returns from his torn ACL. That injury actually seemed to help Baker Mayfield, as he was able to target receivers he apparently has better chemistry with like Rashad Higgins and Donovan Peoples-Jones, but OBJ's incredible talent hasn't disappeared and he will surely be motivated to prove some of his doubters wrong. 

It's a much different story when it comes to the defence in terms of continuity, as the group that struggled to get off the field on third down last season has been completely overhauled. Myles Garrett is one of the few holdovers, and this feels like it could be the year when he puts it all together and stakes a claim to DPOTY. He'll be joined up front by Jadeveon Clowney and Takk McKinley on the edges, while Malik Jackson, Andrew Billings, and rookie Tommy Togiai man the middle - a group that definitely appears improved. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah might be pressed into earlier action at linebacker than expected after they unfortunately lost Jacob Phillips for the season. The secondary looks like it could be a fantastic unit. Denzel Ward now backed up by a far better cast including former Rams duo John Johnson and Troy Hill. Grant Delpit will get out on the field after missing his entire rookie season to backup Ronnie Harrison, while this season's first rounder Greg Newsome will push Greedy Williams for the second outside corner spot. 

On paper this looks like a excellent roster, a few proven name brand players acquired on defence to reinforce their home grown superstars and elevate that group to above average, and a powerful offence that is built to close out games in the clutch. Kevin Stefanski was a thoroughly deserved coach of the year, and he really seemed to create an enviroment where Baker could finally feel comfortable and in control down the stretch. I really love the look of this team, and think if they can avoid injuries, they are the team that can stop a repeat of last years AFC Championship game. 

I like the Browns a ton , I think they have one of the best rosters in the NFL 1-21 and Baker is competent but he is the only thing that slightly worries me from going all in on them taking that next step. Their defense could be legit though and mixing that with a competent running game and offensive line with a quarterback who can make plays is a great place to start. Sort of remind me of a better version (QB Wise) of the Keenum Viking a few years back which makes sense given Stefanski's background.

Plus I'm not in love with their division.

4. Green Bay Packers

Is this the season that the Packers finally get over the stumbling block of the NFC Championship game where they've been eliminated the past two seasons, and three out of the past six? With Aaron Rodgers presumably in his last season in Green Bay, it's now or never. The Rodgers saga dominated the offseason, but he is back, problems with the front office satiated for now by the resigning of running back Aaron Jones who averages a touchdown a game over the past two seasons, and the return of a familiar target in veteran receiver Randall Cobb. Rodgers has elevated secondary receivers like Lazard and Valdes-Scantling to relevance, and found a great redzone target in tight end Robert Tonyan, but the passing offence is all about his connection with elite weapon Davante Adams who had an astonishing 1374/18 season in 2020. The one area the Packers might struggle with, particularly early on, is their offensive line, with rookie Josh Myers starting at center replacing the departed Corey Linsley, while Elgton Jenkins will kick out from left guard to tackle to cover David Bakhtiari for at least the first six games as he finishes his rehab from a torn ACL.

Green Bay never quite got the defence they were perhaps hoping with with Mike Pettine, but it was still a bit of a surprise to see him canned in favour of Joe Barry who has bounced around the league and doesn't really have an accomplishment to hang his hat on. One of his major tasks will be to get the big names up front impacting games again. Nose tackle Kenny Clark and edge rushers Zadarius and Preston Smith all saw their production drop in 2020 - the Smith brothers recording only 77 pressures compared to 148 in 2019. Preston accepted a paycut to return to the team, and the Packers will be hoping that continued improvement from third year former first round pick Rashan Gary will push him to maintain his starting spot. In the secondary Jaire Alexander was simply superb, locking down his side of the field, but they'll need better play from Kevin King at CB2, and hopefully an instant impact from first round pick Eric Stokes out of Georgia.

The Packers have one of the toughest schedules in the league (with the Chiefs added as their 17th game) but they still seem reliable for 13 wins an a return to the Championship game. It just remains to be seen whether Rodgers can cap his "last dance" with a ring.

#4 is offensive. I’ll have to write an essay soon.

The Packers offense got better at the skill positions , but you are right with the questions on the offensive line. I have faith as do most Packers "experts" that Jenkins can and will be fine filling in at LT by everything they've seen in training camp and scrimmages. Elite probably not but definitely shouldn't be a liability. The biggest concern for me would be the two rookies but I have faith in Campen to get those guys ready and Rodgers has a way of making his line better. Not just blowing smoke either - there were metrics they were talking about on The Athletic (maybe?) about how Rodgers has historically made his offensive lines better by simply being there. Not even sure how it works. Also Royce Newman I believe was the #1 rated OL in the preseason for what it's worth. And he was playing starters.

Anyways adding Cobb may not be a huge move in terms of the numbers he would put up but it does at least give us depth and someone who can work the slot. I'd be shocked if in a healthy receiver year for us if he topped 400 yards but he can be the guy utilized in the right matchups and like I said... depth. Don't forget there was a game last year where we went into without our Top 3 guys and planned an entire pass game around Aaron Jones and Bobby Tonyan. That shouldn't happen this year.


Defensively I am more concerned over Barry. The guys seem to like him and says he brings an energy to the team that Pettine just never had. Both Smith brothers , Jaire and a few others have been outspoken about how they came out flat in games and Barry isn't going to allow that. Our biggest concern is the CB2 spot - I don't think it'll be King and most accounts think Stokes will be the full time starter from the word go. I bitched about the pick but at least he has the athletic ability to make up for his mental mistakes. King is dumb and slow and that's a bad combination.

Zadarius needs to get healthy , honestly that's the biggest concern with the defense. I don't love our depth after #3 for pass rushers. Gary is due a breakout year and is going to take the majority of Preston's snaps. No way he doesn't start this year if healthy and I think he could get to 12 sacks. Just a prediction. Kenny Clark has lost weight to fit the defense more and admitted he was a bit out of shape last year. We'll see , the kid can be dominant when he's right and if he is - that's a game changer for the defense. Keke is another guy who just has terrible injury luck but as @admin has pointed out in the past - makes a ton of splash plays when he's actually in the game. I like our depth here with Heflin coming in as an UDFA. Safeties are probably Top 3-4 in the league as a tandem but the depth behind them is really tough. At least Blackman is gone and Henry Black seems remotely competent. It's a unit with a ton of talent but they need the right guy to put them in the right places and allow them to succeed - I have serious doubts that guy will be Barry but we will see.

The biggest of the big red flags on this team , as it is every year it seems is special teams. Our coverage units but most accounts still suck and we finally got rid of 60/30 JK Scott for Boroquez so that's nice. I just fear Hunter Bradley costing us a game (or more!) because of his snaps.


Overall I think we are at least a 12 win team because of the tough schedule. I could see 11 or 13 depending on how the ball bounces.

I really don't understand a metric or reason in the world why Buffalo would be ahead of Green Bay in the preseason rankings though. And I love Buffalo and Josh Allen this year but just looking at the rosters it doesn't make sense.


QB - I'll call it a wash. Generously. Allen is still young and can easily take that final leap but Rodgers is Rodgers. It's Rodgers but for the sake of this experiment - PUSH

RB - Aaron Jones is better than any back on Buffalo and AJ Dillon and Kylin Hill might be as well. Not even close. PACKERS

OL - Both have issues on the right side but when Bahk gets back I don't think it's that close. Elgton moves to RT or LG and shores up that spot and the line will be fine with an elite player at two spots. Something the Bills don't have at this point. PACKERS

WR - Davante > Diggs is a fact at this point. I'll give the depth to the Bills because they have a ton of horses but I do like the Jack of All Trades aspects the Packers have. Though the Packers have a much better tight end to even the scales. PUSH

DL/EDGE - Not even sure how to compare this one. Kenny Clark , Smith's and Gary against Buffalo and their stable of pass rushers they drafted and underachieving Ed Oliver. Hard to really sway towards the Packers given the pass rushing lulls last year but Buffalo has a ton of unproven guys. PUSH possibly.

LB - The greatest edge the Bills have with Edmunds and Milano. I think the Packers upgraded here but still are unproven. BILLS

CB - Jaire > White. Facts. And we still have #2 corner questions and depth issues. I'm sorry I'll take the side with the best player. PACKERS

S - Both really good duos. Amos is the best of the bunch and Savage is on a great trajectory. Hyde and Poyer are really good and as reliable as they come but aren't as good as the Packers at this point - especially if/when Savage takes that leap. PACKERS


The Bills are definitively better at one position and the Packers are probably in better shape at most. Even with my generous push of Allen vs Rodgers. Buffalo also plays in a tougher division. No way do they deserve to be ahead of the Packers at this point.

3. Buffalo Bills

Plenty has been written about Josh Allen's 2020 season where he improved at such an unbelievable level, his completion percentage rising over 10 points - and he is now in the conversation amongst the elite quarterbacks in the league. Reason for his success is plenty - chiefly the excellent job the Bills have done roster building. Their bold trade for Stefon Diggs last offseason paid off in spades, previously considered an engimatic talent in Minnesota, Diggs led the league in both reception and yards thanks to his instantaneous chemistry with Allen. The receiver depth is also there, Cole Beasley was brilliant in the slot, Gabriel Davis provides a deep threat, and Emmanuel Sanders comes in as the replacement for the experience role vacated by Smoke Brown. Tight end is an area for improvement, Dawson Knox has joined the list of frustratingly talented TEs out of Ole Miss, so Buffalo signed Jacob Hollister, Allen's college teammate at Wyoming to push him. The running game could also be a little better, the Singletary-Moss committee is fine but seems to exist largely because neither has played well enough to demand becoming the 1A. They run behind a very settled offensive line that returns all five starters.

Buffalo's defence slipped slightly from their lofty standards under HC Sean McDermott and DC Leslie Frazier, but they're still a very reliable unit and should be better again this season regaining a couple of key losses. Star Lotulelei returns after his opt out to man the middle, between veterans Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison. The Bills have invested heavily in recent drafts to get younger at DE - they'll look for a bigger contribution from second year AJ Epenesa, and spent two high picks this time around on rangy Greg Rousseau and explosive Boogie Basham. The second big return is at linebacker where Mario Milano is healthy again to resume his combination with athlete extraordinaire Tremaine Edmunds - who still has room to grow despite his lofty reputation. The Bills secondary is one of the best around with elite corner Tre White, steady CB2 Levi Wallace, and strong veteran safety tandem of Poyer and Hyde.

Making the AFC Championship game last season was probably more than even the most optimistic Bills fan could have expected heading into the season, but the result in that game showed that they still have ground to make up in order to make up on the Chiefs. But with continuity on offence and a couple of key returns on defence, they are realistically targeting going a step or two further this season.

2. Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs felt like the strongest chance to repeat a Super Bowl champions in a long time, and they may well have done just that had they not played the Bucs with a patchwork offensive line. Mahomes did everything humanly possible to try and overcome it himself, but improving his protection was the number one goal for KC - and they did that by paying Joe Thuney some big bucks and trading a first round pick away to acquire Orlando Brown Jr to man the left side of the line. The rest of the line will feature rookies Creed Humphrey at center, Trey Smith who has somewhat surprisingly held off the returning Duvernay-Tardif at RG, and another effective rookie Lucas Niang at RT. Kyle Long who starts the season on the PUP list, and former Ram Austin Blythe mean the depth is much better this season. The running back depth is also better with Jerick McKinnon offering another option with Darrel Williams behind Clyde Edwards-Helaire - whose 1100 yards last season only felt like a disappointment such was the level of preseason hype. Mahomes has two of the best receivers in the league in Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce, they combined for nearly 200 catches and have proven to be a simply unstoppable duo. But behind Hill the Chiefs have one of the thinnest wide receiver groups - Hardman, Robinson and Pringle unpredictable at the very best.

The Chiefs will be hoping for better seasons out of Chris Jones and Frank Clark, the latter in particular hasn't lived up to the trade value and big contract he was given. They need to play well because depth at pass rusher is not a strength. The main change on the defence is a clear move to get more athletic at linebacker, Damien Wilson moved on to Jacksonville to open up more playing time for Willie Gay Jr, but he'll miss the first few games with an injury picked up in the final preseason game. That means second round pick Nick Bolton, a very instinctual player, will start alongside veteran Anthony Hitchens. The secondary is obviously led by Tyrann Mathieu alongside big hitter Daniel Sorenson at safety, and they playmaker Juan Thornhill back at full speed. L'Jarius Sneed had one of the best rookie seasons for a corner in a while, and there's better looking depth with the acquisition of Mike Hughes and the return of DeAndre Baker to join incumbents Ward and Fenton.

Patrick Mahomes is quite simply the best young quarterback the sport has ever seen - but the Chiefs need to try and avoid further accumulation of injuries - an ankle sprain and dislocated patella in 2019, a concussion and turf toe in last season's playoffs. They look like they've done their due diligence to reinforce his protection, and if that turns out to be the case, he will likely win his second MVP and Super Bowl trophies.

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Never forget that your fearless admin was on the Bucs bandwagon before most! I had a feeling Brady was going to solve many of Tampa's issues and vice versa, and so it proved. This time around, they'll provide a fascinating look as a defending champion that returns all their starters and coaching staff, and has added a few intriguing pieces to the mix. Brady and Bruce Arians took a little time to get things humming on all cylinders but with the familiarity process out of the way, I expect them to fly out of the blocks in season two. Brady is literally defying time itself, he's four years older than any other player in the league, yet looks to have more arm strength than ever. He has all the weapons, Mike Evans is the first receiver ever to record 1000 yards in his first seven seasons in the league, Antonio Brown might be even more impactful having only joined halfway through last season, Chris Godwin and Scotty Miller both have their big moments. At tight end, OJ Howard returns from his Achilles injury to complete the trio with Cameron Brate and Rob Gronkowski. They've also got a trio at running back now, Ronald Jones and playoff hero Leonard Fournette joined by Gio Bernard who adds a new dimension to the offence, the pass catcher out of the backfield that we know Brady loves from his New England run. All this operates behind a top-5 offensive line, highlighted by Tristan Wirfs who had a brilliant rookie season.

The "trio" theme continues at edge rusher, where Jason Pierre-Paul and Shaq Barrett who really peaked during the playoffs, are now joined by Joe Tryon-Shoyinka the first round rookie out of Washington. JPP and Barrett cleaned up with five sacks of Aaron Rodgers in the NFC Championship game, largely due to the return of Vita Vea who missed the majority of the season with a broken leg. Vea and veteran Ndamukong Suh cause chaos with their push up the middle. Most expected Lavonte David to move on, but he accepted a hometown discount to return alongside his protégé Devin White who made two key interceptions in the playoffs. Antoine Winfield was a revelation as a rookie, and created two turnovers of his own in the playoffs - alongside Jordan Whitehead, Carlton Davis and Sean Murphy-Bunting who are all just 24 themselves, the Bucs have the youngest secondary around.

It's absurd that the rest of the league allowed Arians to return Bowles and Leftwich to defend their title - the latter didn't even get a single head coaching interview - on top of all their players. Arians was talking about going for two even before they topped the Chiefs, and with Brady, the last quarterback to win back to back titles, that doesn't seem unrealistic in the slightest