Category Archives: Sports

NFL Power Rankings: Week 12

Posted by henpunk2 on
#1 PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (8-2)

Last Week: #1, won vs #8 Detroit, 16-9

Philly’s defense is in championship form, if the offense gets there… good luck.

This Week: at #21 Dallas

#2 LOS ANGELES RAMS (8-2)

Last Week: #2, won vs #4 Seattle, 21-19

Rams are legit challengers for Philly’s crown.

This Week: vs #13 Tampa Bay

#3 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (9-2)

Last Week: #3, won vs #25 NY Jets, 27-14

Starting to believe the Patriots can make a deep postseason run.

This Week: at #26 Cincinnati

#4 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (8-2) +1

Last Week: #5, BYE

Colts are still in control of their division, but things are tightening up.

This Week: at #8 Kansas City

#5 SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (7-3) -1

Last Week: #4, lost at #2 LA Rams, 21-19

Big game Darnold reared his ugly head, but the Seahawks still nearly pulled it off.

This Week: at #32 Tennessee

#6 DENVER BRONCOS (9-2) +1

Last Week: #7, won vs #6 Kansas City, 22-19

Broncos may have KO’d the Chiefs and taken a stranglehold on the division.

This Week: BYE

#7 BALTIMORE RAVENS (5-5) +4

Last Week: #11, won at #31 Cleveland, 23-16

Ravens are putting all kinds of heat on Pittsburgh for the division lead.

This Week: vs #25 NY Jets

#8 KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (5-5) -2

Last Week: #6, lost at #7 Denver, 22-19

Starting to wonder if the Chiefs could actually miss the postseason.

This Week: vs #4 Indianapolis

#9 CHICAGO BEARS (7-3) +3

Last Week: #12, won at #20 Minnesota, 19-17

It hasn’t been pretty, but the Bears have surged into the division lead.

This Week: vs #15 Pittsburgh

#10 BUFFALO BILLS (7-3) +3

Last Week: #13, won vs #10 Tampa Bay, 44-32

I may be alone on this island, but I have no faith in this Bills team.

This Week: at #17 Houston

#11 DETROIT LIONS (6-4) -3

Last Week: #8

I expect Detroit to right this ship, but they’re scuffling a bit right now.

This Week: vs #28 NY Giants

#12 GREEN BAY PACKERS (6-3-1) +2

Last Week: #14, won at #28 NY Giants, 27-20

Packers broke their two game losing streak, but may have lost Josh Jacobs.

This Week: vs #22 Minnesota

#13 TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (6-4) -3

Last Week: #10, lost at #13 Buffalo, 44-32

Bucs hold on the division is suddenly very tenuous.

This Week: at #2 LA Rams

#14 LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (7-4) -5

Last Week: #9, lost at #18 Jacksonville, 35-6

Ugly loss by the Chargers raises questions about how they’ll fare down the stretch.

This Week: BYE

#15 PITTSBURGH STEELERS (6-4)

Last Week: #15, won vs #26 Cincinnati, 34-12

Steelers had to have that one, now the question is how is Aaron Rodgers’ health?

This Week: at #9 Chicago

#16 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (7-4)

Last Week: #16, won at #21 Arizona, 41-22

Niners made a statement in a rout of Arizona, they will be in the hunt until the end.

This Week: vs #19 Carolina

#17 HOUSTON TEXANS (5-5)

Last Week: #17, won at #32 Tennessee, 16-13

Texans have climbed back to .500 and in contention.

This Week: vs #10 Buffalo

#18 JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (6-4)

Last Week: #18, won vs #9 LA Chargers, 35-6

Jaguars won big and kept themselves in the hunt.

This Week: at #23 Arizona

#19 CAROLINA PANTHERS (6-5)

Last Week: #19, won at #24 Atlanta, 30-27

Panthers inching closer to the Buccaneers for division lead.

This Week: at #16 San Francisco

#20 MIAMI DOLPHINS (4-7) +2

Last Week: #22, won vs #27 Washington, 16-13, in Madrid

Miami might be saving Mike McDaniel’s job.

This Week: BYE

#21 DALLAS COWBOYS (3-5-1) +2

Last Week: #23, won at #29 Las Vegas, 33-16

Most competent the Cowboys defense has looked this season.

This Week: vs #1 Philadelphia

#22 MINNESOTA VIKINGS (4-6) -2

Last Week: #20, lost vs #12 Chicago, 19-17

Vikings need to figure out if JJ McCarthy is the answer.

This Week: at #12 Green Bay

#23 ARIZONA CARDINALS (3-7) -2

Last Week: #21, lost vs #16 San Francisco, 41-22

Cardinals season is just about over.

This Week: vs #18 Jacksonville

#24 ATLANTA FALCONS (3-7)

Last Week: #24, lost vs #19 Carolina, 30-27

Kirk Cousins time as Penix is done for the year.

This Week: at #30 New Orleans

#25 NEW YORK JETS (2-8)

Last Week: #25, lost at #3 New England, 27-14

Jets are making a quarterback switch as they play out the season.

This Week: at #7 Baltimore

#26 CINCINNATI BENGALS (3-7)

Last Week: #26, lost at #15 Pittsburgh, 34-12

Bengals should probably not bring back Burrow with season effectively over.

This Week: vs #3 New England

#27 WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (3-8)

Last Week: #27, lost vs #22 Miami, 16-13, in Madrid

Washington’s nightmare season continues.

This Week: BYE

#28 NEW YORK GIANTS (2–9)

Last Week: #28, lost vs #14 Green Bay, 27-20

Giants showed fight in the first game since firing Daboll, but the result was the same.

This Week: at #11 Detroit

#29 LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (2-7)

Last Week: #29, lost vs #23 Dallas, 33-16

Raiders are an absolute mess.

This Week: vs #31 Cleveland

# 30 NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (2-8)

Last Week: #30, BYE

Rest of the year is about assessing the roster for the Saints.

This Week: vs #24 Atlanta

#31 CLEVELAND BROWNS (2-8)

Last Week: #31, lost vs #11 Baltimore, 23-16

Shedeur Sanders finally played, but will Cleveland stick with him.

This Week: at #29 Las Vegas

#32 TENNESSEE TITANS (1-9)

Last Week: #32, lost vs #17 Houston, 16-13

Tennessee seems destined for the first overall pick again.

This Week: vs #5 Seattle

NFL Power Rankings: Week 11

Posted by henpunk2 on

Not much change this week. We’re starting to know what teams are legit contenders and which are pretenders. Couple big matchups this week that’ll shake things up.

#1 PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (7-2)

Last Week: #1, won at Green Bay, 10-7

It wasn’t pretty, but Philly pulled out the win in Lambeau.

This Week: vs #8 Detroit

#2 LOS ANGELES RAMS (7-2)

Last Week: #2, won at #15 San Francisco, 42-26

The Rams might have the best offense in the NFL. Huge matchup this week.

This Week: vs #4 Seattle

#3 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (8-2)

Last Week: #3, won at #7 Tampa Bay, 28-23

With each passing week, the Patriots look like legit contenders.

This Week: vs #25 NY Jets

#4 SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (7-2)

Last Week: #4, won vs #20 Arizona, 44-22

Seattle is looking like the most complete team in the NFL. Huge matchup this week.

This Week: at #2 LA Rams

#5 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (8-2)

Last Week: #5, won vs #22 Atlanta, 31-25, in Berlin

Colts have a stranglehold on the AFC South.

This Week: BYE

#6 KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (5-4)

Last Week: #6, BYE

This is a must win game coming off a bye if the Chiefs want to defend their AFC West crown.

This Week: at #7 Denver

#7 DENVER BRONCOS (8-2) +1

Last Week: #8, won vs #28 Las Vegas, 10-7

Denver has a chance to prove they’re legit this week. I have my doubts.

This Week: vs #6 Kansas City

#8 DETROIT LIONS (6-3) +3

Last Week: #11, won at #25 Washington, 44-22

When the Lions are clicking, they are a juggernaut.

This Week: at #1 Philadelphia

#9 LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (7-3) +3

Last Week: #12, won vs #13 Pittsburgh, 25-10

Chargers keep winning and Justin Herbert might be a dark horse MVP candidate.

This Week: at #18 Jacksonville

#10 TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (6-3) -3

Last Week: #7, lost vs #3 New England, 28-23

Buccaneers are in control of the NFC South, but they’re reeling.

This Week: at #13 Buffalo

#11 BALTIMORE RAVENS (4-5) +3

Last Week: #14, won at #19 Minnesota, 27-19

Ravens are suddenly just a game back in the AFC North.

This Week: at #31 Cleveland

#12 CHICAGO BEARS (6-3) +4

Last Week: #16, won vs #27 NY Giants, 24-20

Bears are the cardiac kids, but they’re tied for first in the NFC North.

This Week: at #20 Minnesota

#13 BUFFALO BILLS (6-3) -4

Last Week: #9, lost at #29 Miami, 30-13

I’m completely out on this Bills team, they’ll make the playoffs but that’s it.

This Week: vs #10 Tampa Bay

#14 GREEN BAY PACKERS (5-3-1) -4

Last Week: #10, lost vs #1 Philadelphia, 10-7

I’m not sure Green Bay has the offense to make any noise in the NFC.

This Week: at #28 NY Giants

#15 PITTSBURGH STEELERS (5-4) -2

Last Week: #13, lost at #12 LA Chargers, 25-10

Steelers are teetering on the brink of collapse.

This Week: vs #26 Cincinnati

#16 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (6-4) -1

Last Week: #15, lost vs #2 LA Rams, 42-26

Niners are slipping out of the NFC West race.

This Week: at #21 Arizona

#17 HOUSTON TEXANS (4-5) +4

Last Week: #21, won vs #17 Jacksonville, 36-29

Epic comeback for the Texans, but they might already be out of the playoff race.

This Week: at #32 Tennessee

#18 JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (5-4) -1

Last Week: #17, lost at #21 Houston, 36-29

Jags now have a steep climb to make the postseason.

This Week: vs #9 Jacksonville

#19 CAROLINA PANTHERS (5-5) -1

Last Week: #18, lost vs #29 New Orleans, 17-7

Brutal home loss might have sunk any postseason hopes Carolina had.

This Week: at #24 Atlanta

#20 MINNESOTA VIKINGS (4-5) -1

Last Week: #19, lost vs #14 Baltimore, 27-19

Vikings face a must win this week if they have any hope of making the playoffs.

This Week: vs #12 Chicago

#21 ARIZONA CARDINALS (3-6) -1

Last Week: #20, lost at #4 Seattle, 44-22

Cardinals ran into a buzz saw in Seattle.

This Week: vs #16 San Francisco

#22 MIAMI DOLPHINS (3-7) +7

Last Week: #29, won vs #9 Buffalo, 30-13

Miami showed more heart this week than they had all season.

This Week: vs #27 Washington in Madrid

#23 DALLAS COWBOYS (3-5-1)

Last Week: #23, BYE

Dallas made moves at the trade deadline to bolster their defense. Is it too little, too late?

This Week: at #29 Las Vegas

#24 ATLANTA FALCONS (3-6) -2

Last Week: #22, lost vs #5 Indianapolis, 31-25 in Berlin

Falcons season is circling the drain.

This Week: vs #19 Carolina

#25 NEW YORK JETS (2-7) +5

Last Week: #30, won vs #24 Cleveland, 27-20

Jets rode their special teams to a second straight victory.

This Week: at #3 New England

#26 CINCINNATI BENGALS (3-6)

Last Week: #26, BYE

Well, Joe Burrow may be back soon. Is it too late?

This Week: at #15 Pittsburgh

#27 WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (3-7) -2

Last Week: #25, lost vs #11 Detroit, 44-22

Washington heads overseas on a five game skid.

This Week: vs #22 Miami in Madrid

#28 NEW YORK GIANTS (2-8) -1

Last Week: #27, lost at #16 Chicago, 24-20

Giants fired their head coach after their latest collapse.

This Week: vs #14 Green Bay

#29 LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (2-7) -1

Last Week: #28, lost at #8 Denver, 10-7

Raiders are a team with no identity.

This Week: vs #23 Dallas

# 30 NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (2-8) +1

Last Week: #31, won at #18 Carolina, 17-7

Saints have been playing hard all season, they just lack talent.

This Week: BYE

#31 CLEVELAND BROWNS (2-7)

Last Week: #24, lost at #30 NY Jets, 27-20

It’s about time to see what Shedeur Sanders can bring.

This Week: vs #11 Baltimore

#32 TENNESSEE TITANS (1-8)

Last Week: #32, BYE

This season can’t end soon enough for the Titans.

This Week: vs #17 Houston

NFL Power Rankings: Week 10

Posted by henpunk2 on

Back where we started, Philly reclaims the top spot. Four of the top six lost! Patriots & Seahawks surge into the top five.

#1 PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (6-2) +2

Last Week: #3, BYE

Philly takes back the top spot while on bye.

This Week: at #10 Green Bay

#2 LOS ANGELES RAMS (6-2) +2

Last Week: #4, won vs #31 New Orleans, 34-10

Rams are looking like the biggest threat to Philly repeating.

This Week: at #15 San Francisco

#3 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (7-2) +8

Last Week: #11, won vs #21 Atlanta, 24-23

Patriots earned a big jump up the rankings, is any team hotter?

This Week: at #7 Tampa Bay

#4 SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (6-2) +5

Last Week: #9, won at #18 Washington, 38-14

Seattle looks super impressive, they’ll be in a dogfight with LA for the NFC West crown.

This Week: vs #20 Arizona

#5 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (7-2) -3

Last Week: #2, lost at #13 Pittsburgh, 27-20

Colts had been flying high, they are still in total control of the AFC South.

This Week: vs #22 Atlanta in Berlin

#6 KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (5-4) -1

Last Week: #5, lost at #10 Buffalo, 28-21

That loss means nothing except it’s a harder road to capture the AFC West.

This Week: BYE

#7 TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (6-2)

Last Week: #7, BYE

Tampa needed the week off to get healthier.

This Week: vs #3 New England

#8 DENVER BRONCOS (7-2)

Last Week: #8, won at #20 Houston, 18-15

Denver can beat anyone with their defense, if the offense gets a rhythm, they could be serious contenders.

This Week: vs #28 Las Vegas

#9 BUFFALO BILLS (6-2) +1

Last Week: #10, won vs #5 Kansas City, 28-21

Buffalo can beat KC in the regular season, can they do it when it really matters?

This Week: at #29 Miami

#10 GREEN BAY PACKERS (5-2-1) -4

Last Week: #6, lost vs #19 Carolina, 16-13

Packers have looked great a couple of times, pedestrian more often.

This Week: vs #1 Philadelphia

#11 DETROIT LIONS (5-3) -10

Last Week: #1, lost vs #23 Minnesota

I hate dropping Detroit so far, but that was a really bad loss.

This Week: at #25 Washington

#12 LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (6-3)

Last Week: #12, won at #32 Tennessee, 27-20

Chargers are now down both of their bookend offensive tackles.

This Week: vs #13 Pittsburgh

#13 PITTSBURGH STEELERS (5-3)

Last Week: #13, won vs #2 Indianapolis, 27-20

Steelers defense had their best game of the season.

This Week: at #12 LA Chargers

#14 BALTIMORE RAVENS (3-5) +2

Last Week: #16, won at #28 Miami, 28-6

Ravens are looking like they might go on a run.

This Week: at #19 Minnesota

#15 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (6-3)

Last Week: #15, won at #26 NY Giants, 34-24

Niners are hanging in there despite a rash of injuries.

This Week: vs #2 LA Rams

#16 CHICAGO BEARS (5-3) -2

Last Week: #14, won at #24 Cincinnati, 47-42

Bears nearly blew it, but they got a crucial victory.

This Week: vs #27 NY Giants

#17 JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (5-3)

Last Week: #17, won at #29 Las Vegas, 30-29

Jaguars eked out a win, but they have an uphill battle to make the playoffs.

This Week: at #21 Houston

#18 CAROLINA PANTHERS (5-4)

Last Week: #19, won at #6 Green Bay, 16-13

Any win in Lambeau is impressive. Panthers are in the hunt.

This Week: vs #29 New Orleans

#19 MINNESOTA VIKINGS (4-4) +4

Last Week: #23, won at #1 Detroit, 27-24

Minnesota saved their season with a huge division win on the road.

This Week: vs #14 Baltimore

#20 ARIZONA CARDINALS (3-5) +7

Last Week: #27, won at #22 Dallas, 27-17

All of Arizona’s losses are by four points or less. They also have a QB controversy.

This Week: at #4 Seattle

#21 HOUSTON TEXANS (3-5) -1

Last Week: #20, lost vs #8 Denver, 18-15

Texans have no margin for error and now might be without CJ Stroud.

This Week: vs #17 Jacksonville

#22 ATLANTA FALCONS (3-5) -1

Last Week: #21, lost at #11 New England, 24-23

Falcons are on the verge of another lost season.

This Week: vs #5 Indianapolis in Berlin

#23 DALLAS COWBOYS (3-5-1) -1

Last Week: #22, lost vs #27 Arizona, 27-17

Dallas might be ready to throw in the towel.

This Week: BYE

#24 CLEVELAND BROWNS (2-6) +1

Last Week: #25, BYE

Can Cleveland muster any offense coming out of the bye?

This Week: at #30 NY Jets

#25 WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (3-6) -7

Last Week: #18, lost vs #9 Seattle, 38-14

Washington’s season was already going down the drain, now they’ve lost Jayden Daniels.

This Week: vs #11 Detroit

#26 CINCINNATI BENGALS (3-6) -2

Last Week: #24, lost vs #14 Chicago, 47-42

This Bengals defense is historically bad.

This Week: BYE

#27 NEW YORK GIANTS (2-7) -1

Last Week: #26, lost vs #15 San Francisco, 34-24

Brian Daboll might be coaching for his job down the stretch.

This Week: at #16 Chicago

#28 LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (2-6) +1

Last Week: #29, lost vs #17 Jacksonville, 30-29

The Raiders get props for going for two and the win. Brock Bowers return makes them more competitive.

This Week: at #8 Denver

#29 MIAMI DOLPHINS (2-7) -1

Last Week: #28, lost vs #16 Baltimore, 28-6

Miami has already started selling off assets.

This Week: vs #9 Buffalo

#30 NEW YORK JETS (1-7)

Last Week: #30, BYE

Jets have a decent chance to get another win coming out of the bye.

This Week: vs #24 Cleveland

# 31 NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (1-8)

Last Week: #31, lost at #4 LA Rams, 34-10

It’s all about seeing what they have in Tyler Shough for the Saints.

This Week: at #18 Carolina

#32 TENNESSEE TITANS (1-8)

Last Week: #32, lost vs #12 LA Chargers, 27-20

Tennessee just needs to get Cam Ward through the season healthy.

This Week: BYE

NFL Power Rankings: Week 9

Posted by henpunk2 on

The Jets got a win! Baltimore back on track, maybe? But not a single change in the top ten.

#1 DETROIT LIONS (5-2)

Last Week: #1, BYE

Lions hold the top spot through their bye week

This Week: vs #23 Minnesota

#2 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (7-1)

Last Week: #2, won vs #31 Tennessee, 38-14

Colts are rolling & Jonathan Taylor should be in the MVP conversation.

This Week: at #13 Pittsburgh

#3 PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (6-2)

Last Week: #3, won vs #26 NY Giants, 38-20

Philly is looking like the team to beat again.

This Week: BYE

#4 LOS ANGELES RAMS (5-2)

Last Week: #4, BYE

Rams come out of their bye looking to take control of the NFC West.

This Week: vs #31 New Orleans

#5 KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (5-3)

Last Week: #5, won vs #16 Washington, 28-7

KC may, once again, be the team to beat in the AFC.

This Week: at #10 Buffalo

#6 GREEN BAY PACKERS (5-1-1)

Last Week: #6, won at #11 Pittsburgh, 35-25

Packers played their best game since week two.

This Week: vs #19 Carolina

#7 TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (6-2)

Last Week: #7, won at #28 New Orleans, 23-3

Bucs reach their bye with a chance to get healthy for the stretch drive.

This Week: BYE

#8 DENVER BRONCOS (6-2)

Last Week: #8, won vs #21 Dallas, 44-24

That might have been Denver’s most complete & impressive victory yet.

This Week: at #20 Houston

#9 SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (5-2)

Last Week: #9, BYE

Seattle comes out of their bye looking to fight for the NFC West crown.

This Week: at #18 Washington

#10 BUFFALO BILLS (5-2)

Last Week: #10, won at #18 Carolina, 40-9

Buffalo dominated Carolina and a back up QB, now they get KC & Mahomes.

This Week: vs #5 Kansas City

#11 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (6-2) +1

Last Week: #12, won vs #25 Cleveland, 32-13

The Patriots are for real.

This Week: vs #21 Atlanta

#12 LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (5-3) +3

Last Week: #15, won vs #20 Minnesota, 37-10

Chargers got Joe Alt back and they looked like their early season form.

This Week: at #32 Tennessee

#13 PITTSBURGH STEELERS (4-3) -2

Last Week: #11, lost vs #6 Green Bay, 35-25

Steelers are starting to stumble just as Baltimore is getting healthy.

This Week: vs #2 Indianapolis

#14 CHICAGO BEARS (4-3) -1

Last Week: #13, lost at #23 Baltimore, 30-16

The loss to Baltimore exposed some deficiencies on the Bears.

This Week: at #24 Cincinnati

#15 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (5-3) -1

Last Week: #14, lost at #22 Houston, 26-15

The road doesn’t get any easier for the Niners in a tough NFC West.

This Week: at #26 NY Giants

#16 BALTIMORE RAVENS (2-5) +7

Last Week: #23, won vs #13 Chicago, 30-16

Ravens are getting healthy and the rest of the AFC North are coming back to them.

This Week: at #28 Miami

#17 JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (4-3)

Last Week: #17, BYE

Does Jacksonville come out of the bye ready for a playoff push or ready to fade away?

This Week: at #29 Las Vegas

#18 WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (3-5) -2

Last Week: #16, lost at #5 Kansas City, 28-7

Washington’s season seems on the brink of collapse.

This Week: vs #9 Seattle

#19 CAROLINA PANTHERS (4-4) -1

Last Week: #18, lost vs #10 Buffalo, 40-9

Carolina wasn’t competitive without Bryce Young.

This Week: at #6 Green Bay

#20 HOUSTON TEXANS (3-4) +2

Last Week: #22, won vs #14 San Francisco, 26-15

Houston had its best offensive showing of the season.

This Week: vs #8 Denver

#21 ATLANTA FALCONS (3-4) -2

Last Week: #19, lost vs #30 Miami, 34-10

Just can’t trust this Falcons team.

This Week: at #11 New England

#22 DALLAS COWBOYS (3-4-1) -1

Last Week: #21, lost at #8 Denver, 44-24

Dallas is a completely different team on the road.

This Week: vs #27 Arizona

#23 MINNESOTA VIKINGS (3-4) -3

Last Week: #20, lost at #15 LA Chargers, 37-10

The Vikings are quickly falling out of the playoff hunt.

This Week: at #1 Detroit

#24 CINCINNATI BENGALS (3-5)

Last Week: #24, lost vs #32 NY Jets, 39-38

This might have been the loss that completely sunk the Bengals season.

This Week: vs #14 Chicago

#25 CLEVELAND BROWNS (2-5)

Last Week: #25, lost at #12 New England, 32-13

Browns may want to get Shedeur Sanders some action because I don’t think Gabriel is the answer.

This Week: BYE

#26 NEW YORK GIANTS (2-5)

Last Week: #26, lost at #3 Philadelphia, 38-20

Losing a game is one thing, losing Skattebo is another.

This Week: vs #15 San Francisco

#27 ARIZONA CARDINALS (2-5)

Last Week: #27, BYE

Coming out of their bye, the question is how long until the Cardinals fire their head coach?

This Week: at #22 Dallas

#28 MIAMI DOLPHINS (2-6) +2

Last Week: #30, won at #19 Atlanta, 34-10

The Dolphins saved McDaniel’s job for another week at least.

This Week: vs #16 Baltimore

#29 LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (2-5)

Last Week: #29, BYE

Do the Raiders have any fight coming out of their bye?

This Week: vs #17 Jacksonville

#30 NEW YORK JETS (1-7) +2

Last Week: #32, won at #24 Cincinnati, 39-38

Jets finally won a game, but the season is still lost.

This Week: BYE

# 31 NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (1-6) -3

Last Week: #28, lost vs 7 Tampa Bay, 23-3

Did we see a QB changing of the guard in New Orleans?

This Week: at #4 LA Rams

#32 TENNESSEE TITANS (1-6) -1

Last Week: #31, lost at #2 Indianapolis, 38-14

Tennessee is just not a competitive team right now.

This Week: vs #12 LA Chargers

The Hot Seat

Posted by henpunk2 on

Now that the Tennessee Titans have become the first team to fire their head coach this season, I thought I’d take a look at some other coaches on the hot seat. Listed in order of most likely to be out of a job come January:

White Hot

Photo Credit- John Kuntz/ Cleveland.com
  • Mike McDaniel, Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins are a mess. They have issues on both sides of the ball and in the locker room. They were not even competitive against the Cleveland Browns, not exactly a juggernaut. McDaniel’s seat is nuclear hot. I wouldn’t be shocked if he’s gone before Thanksgiving. Side Note- I think Miami will be breaking in a new coach and quarterback in 2026.
Photo Credit- Norm Hall/ Getty Images
  • Jonathan Gannon, Arizona Cardinals: When the Cardinals organization imposed a fine on Gannon for his altercation with running back Emari Demercado on the sideline during the game against the Tennessee Titans, Gannon’s seat became hot. With each mounting loss, the seat gets hotter. To be honest, Gannon is an example of a guy who probably rushed into being a head coach without fully looking into the situation he was getting into. The Cardinals, and Gannon, are tied to Kyler Murray and, sadly, that was never going to work. Murray has never shown a consistent ability to be a top tier quarterback and the Cardinals investment in him had hamstrung them in other areas. The offense has actually looked better without him the last two weeks. Gannon’s best hope to make it through the season may be to stick with Jacoby Brissett at quarterback and maybe, just maybe, they win a game or two along the way.

Smoldering

Photo Credit- Kai River Kanzer/ New York Post
  • Brian Daboll, New York Giants: Not only do I think Daboll is safe for the rest of this season, I think there’s a chance he returns in 2026. The reason? Jaxson Dart. Dart was Daboll’s hand picked quarterback and he’s looked the part. If he continues to grow, Daboll could be retained. BUT… Meltdowns like Sunday’s against Denver don’t help his cause. Sure, coaches aren’t making the plays on the field, it was the players that made the mistakes that allowed that improbable comeback, but Daboll made questionable decisions. He should never have put Dart in the position to throw that critical interception. There is such a fine line in this sport. Had the Giants won that game that would have been two big time upsets in a row and Daboll wouldn’t even be on this list, but here we are.
Photo Credit- Ken Blaze/ Imagn Images
  • Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns: Personally, I think Cleveland would be stupid to move on from a two time coach of the year, but the Browns have a habit of making stupid decisions. Cleveland’s troubles are a direct result of the stupid decision to jettison Baker Mayfield in favor of Deshaun Watson, and give Watson an enormous contract, fully guaranteed, that he’s come nowhere close to living up to and Cleveland has no way to get out of. Stefanski could end up being the fall guy, deserved or not. He’d be a top candidate for any opening if he is let go.

Waiting on a Spark

Photo Credit- Sam Greene/ The Enquirer/ USA Today Network via Imagn Images
  • Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals: Joe Burrow’s injury may have given Taylor a pass on this season, especially if he can keep the Bengals in contention until Burrow’s return. However, there’s a couple scenarios that could ignite the hot seat. 1) If the Bengals completely fall out of contention, even after acquiring Joe Flacco, perhaps Cincinnati’s front office will see it a justification for moving on from a coach who seems to be squandering some world class offensive talent in their prime. 2) Even worse would be keeping them in contention yet still falling short upon Burrow’s return. You have to wonder if the front office is not just a little frustrated with not living up to expectations.
Photo Credit- Bryan Bennett/ Getty Images
  • Sean McDermott, Buffalo Bills: Don’t get me wrong, I find this to be highly unlikely. I think the Bills will eventually win the AFC East and make a deep playoff run, but Buffalo’s last two games opens the possibility. The Bills are vulnerable, especially defensively, and that is McDermott’s specialty. If Buffalo should stumble down the stretch and miss the playoffs, I think the axe could fall. The inability to get over the hump in the postseason and wasting some prime Josh Allen years could weigh in as well.
Photo Credit- Eric Christian Smith/ Associated Press
  • Demeco Ryans: I’m listing Ryans simply because Houston has a history of making rash coaching decisions. Ryans has made the playoffs every year he’s been head coach, but they have an uphill climb to get there this season. The regression of CJ Stroud and stagnation of the offense may be all the justification the Texans’ ownership would need.

Short Leash

Photo Credit- Robert Deutsch/ Imagn Images
  • Aaron Glenn, New York Jets: I never thought we’d get here, but the Jets are an absolute embarrassment this season. They are undisciplined and make way too many mental mistakes. That’s coaching, and they’ve gotten worse as the season has progressed. Maybe Glenn will be able to scapegoat Justin Fields and not having his quarterback, but the problems are deeper. The Jets franchise has proven to be impatient in the past, so a one and done for Glenn isn’t out of the question.
Photo Credit- Jeffrey McWhorter/ Associated Press
  • Brian Schottenheimer, Dallas Cowboys: Jerry Jones certainly does things his own way, and he’s proven to be impulsive and impatient before. Schottenheimer was a surprise hire and he’s been decent. The Cowboys’ issues have been defensive, not Schottenheimer’s forte, and he had nothing to do with trading away their best defensive player. Still, it wouldn’t surprise me if Jones moves on if Dallas misses the playoffs.
Photo Credit- Charlie Riedel/ Associated Press
  • Pete Carroll, Las Vegas Raiders: Pete Carroll’s career resume should earn him a longer leash, but this is the Raiders. Whether in Vegas, Oakland or Los Angeles, the Raiders have a long history of quickly moving on from head coaches. Make no mistake, the Raiders are very bad and much worse than many expected. It wouldn’t be a total shock to see Carroll gone after one season.

No Heat, but…

Photo Credit- Albert Cesare/ The Enquirer/ USA Today Network via Imagn Images
  • Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers: Let me be clear, Tomlin won’t get fired unless Pittsburgh doesn’t win another game this season. However, I think a mutual decision to part ways is certainly in the cards if Tomlin can’t lead Pittsburgh to at least the second round of the playoffs.
Photo Credit- Ric Tapia/ Getty Images
  • John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens: Even if Baltimore’s season continues on its downward spiral, there is no way Harbaugh would get fired. But, maybe he’d get moved up to the front office. Some kind of mutual agreement type thing. Highly unlikely, nearly impossible in my mind.

NFL Power Rankings: Week 8

Posted by henpunk2 on

#1 DETROIT LIONS (5-2) +2

Last Week: #3, won vs #1 Tampa Bay, 24-9

The Lions earned a return to the top spot with a dominant performance against Tampa Bay.

This Week: BYE

#2 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (6-1)

Last Week: #2, won at #13 LA Chargers, 38-24

Indy is knocking on the door of being number one, I just can’t put them there, yet.

This Week: vs #31 Tennessee

#3 PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (5-2) +5

Last Week: #8, won at #17 Minnesota, 28-22

Philly found some rhythm on offense and ended their two game skid. I still think they’re the team to beat.

This Week: vs #26 NY Giants

#4 LOS ANGELES RAMS (5-2)

Last Week: #4, won vs #14 Jacksonville, 35-7 (in London)

Rams were utterly dominant across the pond.

This Week: BYE

#5 KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (4-3) +4

Last Week: #9, won vs #26 Las Vegas, 31-0

Don’t look now, but the Chiefs offense is looking as dangerous as ever in the Mahomes era.

This Week: vs #16 Washington

#6 GREEN BAY PACKERS (4-1-1) -1

Last Week: #5, won at #25 Arizona, 27-23

The Packers won, but they were hardly dominant trailing most of the way in the desert.

This Week: at #11 Pittsburgh

#7 TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (5-2) -6

Last Week: #1, lost at #3 Detroit, 24-9

I hate dropping the Bucs this far, but they were dominated and the injuries continue to mount.

This Week: at #28 New Orleans

#8 DENVER BRONCOS (5-2)

Last Week: #7, won vs #22 NY Giants, 33-32

I’m not sure if I should focus on Denver’s amazing comeback or the fact that they were being humiliated through 3 1/2 quarters.

This Week: vs #21 Dallas

#9 SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (5-2) +2

Last Week: #11, won vs #21 Houston, 27-19

Seattle has the defense to contend, they need to protect the ball better on offense.

This Week: BYE

#10 BUFFALO BILLS (4-2)

Last Week: #10, BYE

Did the Bills come up with any answers for their defensive woes during the bye week?

This Week: at #18 Carolina

#11 PITTSBURGH STEELERS (4-2) -5

Last Week: #6, lost at #30 Cincinnati, 33-31

Bad loss for the Steelers, worse it exposed some defensive deficiencies.

This Week: vs #6 Green Bay

#12 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (5-2) +4

Last Week: #16, won at #31 Tennessee, 31-13

The Patriots are well ahead of schedule, can they sustain it through the rest of the season?

This Week: vs #25 Cleveland

#13 CHICAGO BEARS (4-2) +2

Last Week: #15, won vs #28 New Orleans, 26-14

The Bears have won 4 in a row. This week should tell us if they’re real contenders or not.

This Week: at #23 Baltimore

#14 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (5-2) +5

Last Week: #19, won vs #17 Atlanta, 20-10

With all the injuries, I’m not sure how the Niners keep winning, but they do.

This Week: at #22 Houston

#15 LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (4-3) -2

Last Week: #13, lost vs #2 Indianapolis, 38-24

The Chargers looked like one of the best teams in the NFL through 3 weeks. Now, they have a fight to get into the postseason.

This Week: vs #20 Minnesota

#16 WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (3-4) -4

Last Week: #12, lost at #24 Dallas, 44-22

Injuries have hampered Washington, and now they may be without Jayden Daniels for a bit.

This Week: at #5 Kansas City

#17 JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (4-3) -3

Last Week: #14, lost vs #4 LA Rams, 35-7 (in London)

Two weeks after knocking off the Chiefs, Jacksonville looks very much like last season’s version.

This Week: BYE

#18 CAROLINA PANTHERS (4-3) +2

Last Week: #20, won at #32 NY Jets, 13-6

Carolina hasn’t been above .500 this late in a season in six years.

This Week: vs #10 Buffalo

#19 ATLANTA FALCONS (3-3) -2

Last Week: #17, lost at #19 San Francisco, 20-10

The Falcons continue their Jekyll & Hyde ways. Looking like world beaters one week, also rans the next.

This Week: vs #30 Miami

#20 MINNESOTA VIKINGS (3-3) -2

Last Week: #18, lost vs #8 Philadelphia, 28-22

The Vikings suddenly find themselves in the basement of the very tough NFC North.

This Week: at #15 LA Chargers

#21 DALLAS COWBOYS (3-3-1) +3

Last Week: #24, won vs #12 Washington, 44-22

Dallas can hang with anyone at home, on the road their defense usually does them in.

This Week: at #8 Denver

#22 HOUSTON TEXANS (2-4) -1

Last Week: #21, lost at #11 Seattle, 27-19

Houston has serious issues on offense, starting with the offensive line.

This Week: vs #14 San Francisco

#23 BALTIMORE RAVENS (1-5)

Last Week: #23, BYE

Have the Ravens gotten healthy over the break? Have they figured out the problems with their defense?

This Week: vs #13 Chicago

#24 CINCINNATI BENGALS (3-4) +6

Last Week: #30, won vs #6 Pittsburgh, 33-31

Big division win for Cincinnati, keeping their season alive, for now.

This Week: vs #32 NY Jets

#25 CLEVELAND BROWNS (2-5) +2

Last Week: #27, won vs #29 Miami, 31-6

The Browns in Cleveland is a tough matchup for anyone.

This Week: at #12 New England

#26 NEW YORK GIANTS (2-5) -4

Last Week: #22, lost at #7 Denver, 33-32

All time collapse by the Giants, but they have something in Jaxson Dart.

This Week: at #3 Philadelphia

#27 ARIZONA CARDINALS (2-5) -2

Last Week: #25, lost vs #5 Green Bay, 27-23

Cardinals have been in every game during this five game skid, but they can’t seem to finish.

This Week: BYE

#28 NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (1-6)

Last Week: #28, lost at #15 Chicago, 26-14

Saints should probably turn the reins over to Tyler Shough soon, to see what they have.

This Week: vs #7 Tampa Bay

#29 LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (2-5) -3

Last Week: #26, lost at #9 Kansas City, 31-0

Have the Raiders hit rock bottom? What happened to Geno Smith?

This Week: BYE

#30 MIAMI DOLPHINS (1-6) -1

Miami is awful. Mike McDaniel is on the hottest seat now that Tennessee fired Brian Callahan.

Last Week: #29, lost at #27 Cleveland, 31-6

This Week: at #19 Atlanta

#31 TENNESSEE TITANS (1-6)

Last Week: #31, lost vs #16 New England, 31-13

New coach, same result. Cam Ward looks way in over his head and the Titans aren’t helping him at all.

This Week: at #2 Indianapolis

#32 NEW YORK JETS (0-7)

Last Week: #32, lost vs #20 Carolina, 13-6

I hate to say this, but the Jets may need to bench Justin Fields to salvage something from this season.

This Week: at #24 Cincinnati

Chicago Bears 7 Round Mock Draft 1.0 (No trades)

Posted by henpunk2 on

So, Carson Wentz will not be a Chicago Bear. I, like many Bears fans breathed a sigh of relief. Look, Wentz may revert to his near MVP form, but it wasn’t worth the risk for me. It would have taken more than Indy gave up to land him and there was no guarantee he’d ever stick around. If he failed in Chicago it would have meant the end of the Pace/Nagy era. I’m fine with Pace being gone, he’s found some late round gems and some rather cheap free agent wins, but his big swings have mostly been misses. Roquan Smith has been his only first round success and Allen Robinson was his only real big ticket free agent win, and now he may have alienated his best offensive player.

On the other hand, I differ from a lot of Bears fans (at least the ones that I read online) in that I like Matt Nagy. Maybe it’s because I live in Nagy’s hometown. Maybe it’s because with an imperfect QB he’s led us to the playoffs twice and hasn’t had a losing season. Remember when we jettisoned Lovie Smith after a winning season that fell short of the playoffs? It took nearly a decade to get back there. Nagy can win, with the right QB.

And that bring us to the crux of the issue. The Chicago Bears need a QB. They should and probably will move on from Mitchell Trubisky. Can they be a playoff team with Trubisky? Absolutely, he’s proven that much, but he’s also proven his limitations and the fact that he is not a franchise QB. The only reason to bring him back is if you think there’s another level he can reach. Nagy benched him this past season because he knows that other level isn’t there.

So, where does that leave us? Trade for a QB? Possibly. Is Deshaun Watson truly available? Are we willing to part with the picks it will take to land him? We should be, but the real question is will we be able to put the best package together? That’s a pretty definitive no. Derek Carr? Personally, this is the option I like best, as far as trades go. He’ll cost at least one first round pick, and we’d have to find a way to unload salary (Nick Foles, especially) to get under the cap. Carr isn’t an elite QB, but he’s solid and he can win games for you. With our D, we don’t really need elite QB play, above average puts us in the playoffs. Does it get us above Green Bay? No, but honestly nothing will until Aaron Rodgers moves on. Adding Carr, though, keeps us in the game, within striking distance.

But, alas, I’m not speculating trades at this point. Nor am I hypothetically considering free agent acquisitions, which to be honest don’t offer a real upgrade at the QB position, only stop gaps. One such stop gap I would like to mention, however, is Alex Smith. Smith has injury concerns to be sure, but when healthy he is the very definition of steady and capable. He could be had relatively cheap, and he’s capable of holding the reins while Nagy and company develop a rookie. We can make the playoffs with a healthy Alex Smith. Of course, to follow this path means finding a way out of Nick Foles contract.

Which brings me to the most likely scenario, right now. Nick Foles will the Chicago Bears starting QB for 2021. This may make you cringe, it makes me cringe a little, but consider this: Nick Foles played behind a terrible offensive line last year, and with his mobility issues that’s less than ideal. The Bears found some stability on the line during the latter half of the season and they’ll welcome back James Daniels from injury. The solid run game the Bears showed down the stretch will help Foles as well. Foles being the QB1 isn’t as terrifying as you might think. It would mean drafting a QB is a must, and preferably trading up in the first round to do so (Trey Lance, I’m looking at you).

I’ll reiterate that I’m not considering trades in this mock, and I’m going with the assumption that Nick Foles is our QB1. I used http://thedraftnetwork.com for this mock, so actual pick numbers may be skewed. Without further ado, my first Chicago Bears 7 round mock draft of 2021:

First Round, Pick #20- Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech: Without trading up, the top 4 QBs are off the board. Mac Jones is available but I’m not sold on his fit with Chicago. I prefer a more athletic QB for our offense. Jones would be okay for us, but not in the first round. Tackle is our second most pressing need. Bobby Massie is a likely cap casualty, even still the Bears need to upgrade at tackle. I mocked Darrisaw to us in my full first round mock and he’s sitting there for me here. Plug and play tackle upgrades our line.

Round Two, Pick #52- Trevon Moehrig, S, TCU: Mac Jones is off the board when we reach the Bears pick in round two. No other QB is worth a second round nod. Bears have two pressing needs on a solid defense, a complimentary Edge rusher for Khalil Mack and a safety. Tashaun Gipson was good last year, but he was on a one year deal and will cost more to retain. Chicago is a bit cap strapped, so it’s likely to let him walk. Moehrig is a day one starter and with Eddie Jackson’s return to All-Pro form would give the Bears a formidable back end of the D.

Round Three, Pick #83- Kyle Trask, QB, Florida: Without trading up, this is the best case scenario for the Chicago Bears. Trask isn’t a perfect fit, as I said earlier I’d prefer a more athletic QB, but this is round 3 not round 1, and of the QBs left, Trask has the best shot of developing into a solid starter.

Round Five, Pick #165– Bryce Thompson, CB, Tennessee: Buster Skrine is a likely cap casualty so the Bears have a need for a nickel corner. Thompson is best suited for the outside, but corner depth is welcome. His ball hawking skills cannot be overlooked.

Round Six, Pick #205- Khalil Herbert, RB, Virginia Tech: Ryan Pace has had draft success in later rounds and this pick would continue that trend. Herbert would provide a nice one-two punch with David Montgomery and could carry the load should injury strike.

Round Six, Pick #219- Austin Watkins, WR, UAB: If the Bears let Allen Robinson walk (big mistake) they’d need to address WR earlier, but here Ryan Pace finds another late round gem. Watkins has some serious upside and many other mock drafts have him coming off the board much earlier. He’s here and I’ll disregard offensive line depth and a developmental Edge rusher for a possible late round home run.

As I said, I’m not one hundred percent sure the picks are accurate- for example, I’m pretty sure the Bears have a seventh round pick from the Adam Shaheen deal, but it’s not listed here. No matter, this is an early preliminary mock draft and much will change between now and April 30.

BEAR DOWN, CHICAGO!

Henry’s NFL Mock Draft 1.0

Posted by henpunk2 on

1. Cleveland Browns– Sam Darnold, QB, USC– For the longest time I professed the wisdom of taking Barkley here and getting the QB at 4. The premise being that Barkley wouldn’t be there at 4. Moves by the Jets and pending moves by the Bills have changed that. Cleveland has to get their QB now and they’ll go the safe route in Darnold.
2. New York Giants– Josh Rosen, QB, UCLA– The Jets’ trade up to 3 tells me the Giants are staying at 2 and there’s only two reasons to do that- a QB or Saquon Barkley. It isn’t Barkley. Rosen is the perfect cerebral QB to learn from Manning for a year or two.
3. New York Jets– Baker Mayfield, QB, Oklahoma– The Jets made the move to get their franchise QB, would have liked to get up to 2, but will settle for 3. Mayfield isn’t my choice, but something about the Jets tells me he’s theirs.
4. Buffalo Bills *– Josh Allen, QB, Wyoming– Bills have been positioning themselves to make this move and then the Jets beat them to the punch. Cleveland will extract a BIG price to move down, but Buffalo gets what I think could be the best QB in the draft.
5. Denver Broncos– Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame– Jets and Bills leapfrog them in the QB derby, but I think Elway is okay with Keenum and not ready to give up on Lynch yet. Protecting the QB is more important and Nelson is one of the two best players in the draft.
6. Indianapolis Colts– Bradley Chubb, EDGE, NC State– Indy trades down and still gets the guy most mocks had them getting at 3. This is how it’s done.
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers– Saquon Barkley, RB, Penn State– Tampa benefits from the run on QB’s and gets what I believe is the best player in the draft. The Tampa O could be electric with him in the fold.
8. Chicago Bears– Tremaine Edmunds, LB, Virginia Tech– Nelson or Chubb would be nice if they fell. Fitzpatrick is good, if not a great fit, but I’ve fallen in love with the athleticism and potential of Edmunds and I think Ryan Pace and Vic Fangio will as well.
9. San Francisco 49ers– Minkah Fitzpatrick, S, Alabama– Another beneficiary of the QB run, San Fran gets a top 4 player to spearhead their secondary.
10. Oakland Raiders– Roquan Smith, LB, Georgia– One of the safer picks in the draft. Gruden gets a solid LB to help bolster the D,
11. Miami Dolphins– Derwin James, S, Florida State– There’s been speculation that Miami could be in the QB market, but I’m not sold. Who knows what they’re doing? I gave them the BPA and moved on.
12. Cleveland Browns*– Denzel Ward, CB, Ohio State– I expect the Browns to extract a king’s ransom from Buffalo to move down and they’ll still get the best CB in the draft.
13. Washington Redskins– Harold Landry, EDGE, Boston College– Edge rushers are the defensive equivalent of QB’s, teams tend to overvalue them. Might be a little early for Landry but he is the second best EDGE in the draft.
14. Green Bay Packers– Joshua Jackson, CB, Iowa– GB needed secondary help before the entire NFC North upgraded their passing games. BPA meets needs here.
15. Arizona Cardinals– Lamar Jackson, QB, Louisville– Arizona is the odd team out in the QB derby and they panic. I think Jackson can be a good pro in the right system, but I’m not sold on him being top half of the first round worthy.
16. Baltimore Ravens– Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama– Even with the Crabtree signing, Baltimore needs to upgrade the WR. Ridley is the safest pick at that position, will be a solid pro.
17. Los Angeles Chargers– Connor Williams, T, Texas– Chargers are close to contending and the Philip Rivers window is still wide open, protecting him is paramount especially in the sack happy AFC West,
18. Seattle Seahawks– Isaiah Wynn, G, Georgia– Seahawks blew up their once vaunted D, lost their TE and continue their search for a feature back since Beast Mode left. O-Line has always been a problem area for them. They reach a little for the best (non-injured) lineman left.
19. Dallas Cowboys– Rashaan Evans, LB, Alabama– Sean Lee is a stud, an oft-injured stud. Dallas adds a solid complement.
20. Detroit Lions– Vita Vea, DL, Washington– Perfect replacement for the departed Haloti Ngata.
21. Cincinnati Bengals– Mike McGlinchey, T, Notre Dame– They added Cordy Glenn in the trade down with Buffalo, they’ll still go tackle here.
22. Buffalo Bills– Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU– Buffalo got their QB, now they get him a weapon. Best WR in the class in my opinion.
23. Los Angeles Rams– Leighton Vander Esch, LB, Boise State– No offensive lineman or receivers worthy of this spot. Rams get a replacement for Alec Ogletree.
24. Carolina Panthers– Jaire Alexander, CB, Louisville– The Bashaud Breeland signing fell through, leaving a need at CB. More weapons for Cam is a possibility, but none worthy of this spot.
25. Tennessee Titans– Marcus Davenport, EDGE, UTSA– When the best player available is an EDGE rusher, you take him.
26. Atlanta Falcons– Da’Ron Payne, DL, Alabama– Position of need from a proven system. No brainer.
27. New Orleans Saints– Dallas Goedert, TE, South Dakota State– I thought about them getting Drew Brees’ successor here, but I think they add a weapon instead.
28. Pittsburgh Steelers– Mason Rudolph, QB, Oklahoma State– I had three teams with aging QB’s that might add the sixth QB to the first round (NO, Pittsburgh & NE), Pittsburgh is the one that pulls the trigger. The planning for life after Ben starts now.
29. Jacksonville Jaguars– Malik Jefferson, LB, Texas– Jags are a solid, ascending team with only a few holes. LB is one and they take the best available.
30. Minnesota Vikings– Mike Hughes, CB, Central Florida– Can never have enough corners.
31. New England Patriots– Derrius Guice, RB, LSU– You will watch him carve up AFC East defenses in the fall and think, Belichick did it again. This is a steal.
32. Philadelphia Eagles– Isaiah Oliver, CB, Colorado– The Super Bowl Champs go best player available while also following the never enough corners mantra.

* Speculated trade between Cleveland and Buffalo