2022-3 NFL Pro Football (Pls, no other sports - thx!)

Who will be your NFL team’s MVP in 2022? The Athletic’s writers make 32 picks
The Athletic NFL Staff Jul 20, 2022, Pt 2 of 3

Detroit Lions
D’Andre Swift. The Lions will gain national attention in training camp with the arrival of “Hard Knocks” — and that could be a springboard for the rest of the country to find out about Detroit’s best playmaker. It’d be foolish to suggest Swift’s talent is an unknown commodity in the league, but inconsistency (and durability) has plagued him a bit. Swift paired 617 rushing yds and five TDs with 62 catches for 452 yds and two more scores last year. After Swift’s up-and-down rookie season sprinkled with injuries, Detroit brought in Jamaal Williams ahead of 2021 and did a nice job of managing Swift’s workload early. He still wore down, though, playing in parts of 12 games — with just 16 combined snaps in his final three outings. Swift arrived for OTAs in the best shape of his life and is clearly looking to prove a point/make a case for a contract. If this OL stays healthy, Swift could do both those things in 2022.

GBay Packers
Call this a cop out, but I think it’s wise to think the Packers’ team MVP will be the guy who’s been the league MVP in each of the last two seasons. Aaron Rodgers can make an average receiving corps look great, and I think that’s what he’ll do this season. There have been no signs of his play declining, and I have a hunch he’ll want to prove he can still play at an elite level without his top two receivers from last season.

Houston Texans
After signing a contract extension this offseason that keeps him tied to the team through 2024, Brandin Cooks returns to once again be perhaps the Texans’ only above-average skill position player. Last season, he recorded his sixth 1,000-yard season with his fifth different QB, functioning as a safety blanket for then-rookie Davis Mills while averaging a career-worst 7.7 yds per target — a sign the Texans had little choice but to force-feed him. Though the team hopes to see improvement from second-year receiver Nico Collins and its last-ranked rushing attack, Cooks should occupy a similar role in 2022.

Indianapolis Colts
The strange thing about this Colts offseason is how little the conversation has been about Jonathan Taylor. All he did last year was lead the league in rushing by over 500 yds, and darn near carry the Colts to the playoffs by himself. But with big-name additions at QB, pass rusher and CB, Taylor’s been a bit of an afterthought. That won’t be the case when the Colts hit the field again. The third-year RB is primed to build off his record-setting 2021 season, and once again will be among the most formidable offensive weapons in the league. With Matt Ryan under center, defenses won’t be able to key in on Taylor as much as they did late last season. Look out. Twenty-eight’s back for more.

Jacksonville Jaguars
If you draft a QB No. 1 overall, you need him to be your best player and an obvious team MVP, and Trevor Lawrence should be that in his second NFL season. After only 12 TD passes his rookie year, he could double that easily in 2022, thanks to new receivers Christian Kirk and Zay Jones and TE Evan Engram. If there’s a dark horse to trump him, it could be second-year back Travis Etienne, who missed last year with injury but could be heavily involved in the running and passing game. The safe bet is Lawrence, who had just two multi-TD games last year after totaling 28 at Clemson.

KC Chiefs
The Chiefs are in the midst of rebuilding their roster around Patrick Mahomes, who is entering the second phase of his career. Mahomes, though, is still the NFL’s most talented QB, an accurate gunslinger who can create magic from adverse situations. If Mahomes guides the Chiefs through another strong regular season — while being presented a brutal, historically difficult schedule — he will be the team’s expected MVP. And if Mahomes is excellent without Tyreek Hill and a new revamped group of receivers, he could be the league’s MVP once again.

LVegas Raiders
If it’s not Derek Carr, then something went really wrong. The Raiders traded for Davante Adams, Carr’s old college teammate and arguably the best receiver in the game, and gave a big extension to slot receiver Hunter Renfrow. They also still have Darren Waller, one of the top five TEs in the NFL, as well as a talented RB corps that now includes rookie Zamir White. The OL is a question mark but new coach Josh McDaniels isn’t terribly worried about it as Carr will be getting rid of the ball quickly. Carr was fourth in the league’s MVP voting in 2016 and this group is more talented than that one. Carr is better as well, as he started taking more shots downfield and can extend plays with his feet now.

LA Chargers
This one is obvious. The Chargers’ MVP — and possibly the league’s MVP, too — will be QB Justin Herbert. He was the team’s MVP last season, throwing for over 5,000 yds and 38 TDs while cementing himself as one of the best QBs in football. Herbert will be in the same offensive system this year, surrounded by largely the same coaches and personnel, and that continuity should lead to even more improvement from the superstar. Yes, Herbert is going to be even better in 2022. The next step for Herbert is leading the Chargers to the postseason.

LA Rams
It would be tempting to predict a huge year for QB Matthew Stafford, in his second season with head coach Sean McVay and an arsenal of receivers. But I have to go with reigning Offensive Player of the Year Cooper Kupp here, after he won the historic triple crown in 2021. Kupp has stayed healthy into the offseason, unlike in previous years, and hopes to build off what he accomplished last season; plus, the Rams will play him all over the field as they did last season, which increases his impact.

Miami Dolphins
Tyreek Hill. If you’re a Dolphins fan, you’re rooting for Tua Tagovailoa to take such a step forward that he’s the obvious choice after a breakout third NFL season, but it’s more likely that he improves as a function of the upgraded talent around him. That starts with Hill, who drew a steep price to acquire from the Chiefs, but should give the Dolphins their first player with 10 TD catches in a season since Mike Wallace in 2014. Last time someone had more than 10? Chris Chambers, with 11 in 2005. The team record is probably safe — Mark Clayton had 18 in Dan Marino’s monster 1984 season.
 

Who will be your NFL team’s MVP in 2022? The Athletic’s writers make 32 picks
The Athletic NFL Staff Jul 20, 2022, Pt 3 of 3

Minnesota Vikings
If we ignore the obvious positional value of the QB, we can look at the other potential stars on the roster and take a stab at who might have the biggest impact: Justin Jefferson, Danielle Hunter, Dalvin Cook, Harrison Smith, Eric Kendricks and possibly Za’Darius Smith. Of those six, it very much seems like Jefferson could be the one who carries the team with his performances and stand out more at his position than the others in theirs, especially given his age and the new, pass-friendly offense.

NE Patriots
The Patriots will be asking a lot of Mac Jones, especially if the defense takes a step back as expected, but he’s put in the work to absorb that burden. Jones won’t have to do it all himself — the run game should remain strong — but the Patriots won’t get back to the playoffs unless Jones takes a major step forward. It might be an unfair request of a second-year QB with an overhauled offensive coaching staff, but the Patriots have universally admitted this is now Jones’ team. He looks ready for a jump. It’s just way too early to know if it’ll be enough with a younger defense and vastly improved AFC competition.

New Orleans Saints
QB Jameis Winston. Obviously Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas are candidates here considering their respective importance to the team, but there are availability questions about both. While Winston is still recovering from his ACL tear, he’s been determined to progress as quickly as possible. There won’t be any excuses this season since he’s entering the offseason as the No. 1 QB and has been in the system several years now. If injuries aren’t a concern, the Saints will go as far as Winston can take them.

NY Giants
In the Giants’ ideal world, this answer will be QB Daniel Jones. But I’m not convinced the sixth pick in the 2019 draft is suddenly going to morph into a franchise QB in his fourth season. So I’ll turn to the other side of the ball where third-year safety Xavier McKinney is knocking on the door of becoming a Pro Bowler. The Giants need McKinney to emerge as the leader of an unproven secondary, and the 2020 second-round pick has shown signs that he’s up to the task. This should be his breakout season.

NY Jets
It has to be Zach Wilson. The Jets have a problem if it’s not. Their defense can be good, but their offense has the playmakers and potential to be really, really good … assuming they get solid play out of the QB position. It’s difficult to put so much pressure on a second-year player, but the Jets desperately need Wilson to take a major step forward in 2022.

Philadelphia Eagles
Lane Johnson. This could have been newcomers A.J. Brown or Haason Reddick, who will upgrade the passing game and pass rush, respectively. But if Johnson is healthy and on the field, the OL plays at a different level and the offense is significantly better. The Eagles lost three of four games without Johnson last season; they were 8-5 with him, including the postseason loss. From 2016-2020, the Eagles were 38-21-1 when Johnson plays right tackle compared to 8-18 when he’s out of the lineup. Johnson is not the only reason for this, but the differences have been apparent when he’s absent. Plus, the Eagles have better depth at other positions than at right tackle, so they’re less equipped to withstand a Johnson injury (it might require them moving Jordan Mailata to the right side or starting Jack Driscoll at right tackle, when he might be superior at guard). The Eagles have important players throughout the roster, although there might not be anyone as valuable as Johnson.

Pittsburgh Steelers
T.J. Watt was the Defensive Player of the Year in 2021 with 22 1/2 sacks, so it’s easy to go that route again. Thinking differently, Najee Harris might be even more important to the success or failure of the 2022 Steelers. With a new QB under center for the first time since 2004, the Steelers not only want to establish the run but need to establish the run with Harris. The RB has gotten bigger and especially stronger after a rookie season that saw him play better down the stretch without much help from his OL. The Steelers upgraded their guys up front and wouldn’t be against another 381-touch season like he had a year ago. They have openly talked about limiting some of his snaps but no mention of scaling back his touches.

SF 49ers
Nick Bosa. He would have been the team’s MVP last year if not for Deebo Samuel’s supernova season. Bosa posted a career-high 15 1/2 sacks despite one of the highest double-team rates in the league. This year? The 49ers used their top draft pick on an edge rusher, Drake Jackson, who ought to make life a little easier for his bookend pass rusher. Having Arik Armstead at defensive tackle full time and Javon Kinlaw healthier than he’s been in two seasons also ought to relieve the pressure on Bosa.

Seattle Seahawks
Free safety Quandre Diggs. With Russell Wilson in Denver and Bobby Wagner in LA, the 29-year-old Diggs is the only current Seahawks player to make the Pro Bowl in each of the past two seasons (though Jamal Adams made it three straight years from 2018-20). Diggs is Seattle’s best defensive player and one of the best players at his position. Diggs, Adams and DK Metcalf would all be fine picks here but I’ll go with Diggs because he’s not only consistent, his individual success isn’t reliant on QB talent.

TBay Buccaneers
Tom Brady. As long as he’s healthy, it’s hard to imagine him not getting the nod here, especially at age 45, in his 23rd NFL season. There would have to be a pronounced shift to the run game for Leonard Fournette to rush enough and score enough to outperform Brady. Within the passing game, Mike Evans is a good bet for double-digit TDs, but he’d have to really make highlight-reel catches to be seen as the MVP over his QB. Defensively, Shaq Barrett is only three years removed from leading the NFL in sacks with a team-record 19 1/2, but it would take that or more for this to go to a defensive player, even with Todd Bowles now as the head coach.

Tennessee Titans
Jeffery Simmons. Derrick Henry is a strong runner-up who will again be asked to carry an offense and has again been putting together an offseason to make that possible, but the Titans’ questions on the OL and at receiver put a huge season for Henry in doubt. A huge season for Simmons is in very little doubt. He’s surrounded by pieces that make up one of the fiercest defensive fronts in the league, he’s entering his prime and he’s as disruptive an interior presence as you can find east of Aaron Donald.

Washington Commanders
Terry McLaurin. There’s some risk with this designation considering the receiver skipped most of Washington’s offseason program because of lagging contract extension talk (finally resolved in late June) and the uncertainty with new QB Carson Wentz, but McLaurin’s talent is undeniable. The fourth-year player also has the best supporting cast — QB and fellow receivers — since entering the league.
 
Wow, hard to believe Nobis, Ken Anderson, and Sterling Sharpe are not in Canton. Disgraceful, IMHO.

Falcons legend Tommy Nobis is one step closer to Canton
This is long past due.
SB Nation by Evan Birchfield Jul 28, 2022

One of the biggest snubs in the history of the Pro Football Hall of Fame is Atlanta Falcons linebacker Tommy Nobis. Nobis, appropriately nicknamed “Mr. Falcon,” was the first NFL Draft selection for the Falcons in franchise history. Year-after-year, Falcons fans hope to see Nobis get the recognition he deserves on a national level, and be honored with football immortality in Canton, Ohio. It’s taken quite some time, but it appears it could finally be happening.

On Wednesday evening, it was announced that Nobis has been named a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame through the Seniors category. The full list of finalists includes Ken Anderson, Maxie Baughan, Randy Gradishar, Chuck Howley, Cecil Isbell, Joe Klecko, Bob Kuechenberg, Eddie Meador, Ken Riley, Sterling Sharpe, Everson Walls and of course — Tommy Nobis. The 12-person Seniors Committee will meet Aug. 16, and each committee member will discuss one Finalist in detail. The committee’s final vote will send three Seniors to the full 49-person Selection Committee for consideration at its annual meeting in early 2023; each of those three could be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame at that meeting.

Nobis certainly has the accolades to make it to Canton. He won NFL Rookie of the Year, played in five Pro Bowls, selected first-team All-Pro (1967) and is a member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1960s.

The late Claude Humphrey spoke with The Falcoholic in 2020, where he shared his thoughts on former teammate Tommy Nobis and his hope that he would one day join him in Canton.

“I think he was just as good as some of the guys who are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame right now,” Humphrey told The Falcoholic. “I don’t know how, other than the fact that he played during the time of those guys like Ray Nitschke and Dick Butkus, who played on better overall football teams than Tommy Nobis. But as far as comparing talent, I don’t see a whole lot of difference between his talent and the talent of some of those guys who are already in.”

It’s certainly not a guarantee that Nobis will make it this year. The Pro Football Hall of Fame often overlooks deserving Falcons’ players, as Mike Kenn, Jessie Tuggle, John Abraham and Jeff Van Note join Nobis in hoping to get in one day. Sadly, Nobis is no longer with us, as he passed away in 2017. Even though he wouldn’t be there in person, his legacy deserves to be enshrined with the rest of the NFL’s legends in Canton.
 

The 10 most important people of the upcoming NFL season
Training camp is upon us once again. Here’s a look at the 10 most important figures heading into the 2022 NFL season
London Guardian U.S. 02Aug2022

The pads are thudding. The sprinklers are sprinkling. Training camp is here. And with that, we look at the 10 most important figures for the 2022 NFL season, in no particular order.

1) Trey Lance, QB, SF 49ers
It’s Lance Time in SF. Everybody loves the idea of a young QB watching and learning the game from the sideline, taking his time, cultivating his craft away from the spotlight and pressure. But, at some point, it’s go time.

The Niners are embracing the uncertainty. Lance was drafted to solve a specific schematic riddle that Jimmy Garoppolo could not. Garoppolo was part of a team that came within a drive of the Super Bowl and returned to an NFC championship game. But his flaws were consistently exposed. Lance might not be as consistent as Garoppolo, but he raises the team’s ceiling.

No team in the league has as wide a range of outcomes as the Niners in 2022. Sit here at the start of August, you might convince yourself that they will win it all, thanks to the blend of Kyle Shanahan’s re-worked offense, a stacked defensive line, a re-shaped secondary and Lance. It’s just as conceivable that they win six games: That Lance isn’t ready; that the defensive line regresses to the mean. The most decisive factor between the two: the new starting QB.

2) Roger Goodell, NFL commissioner
Two crucial things weigh over Goodell heading into the season. He will serve as the appealer-in-Chief for Deshaun Watson’s impending appeal. Nestled in the fine print of the latest CBA is the ability for the commissioner, or his designee, to appeal any decision from the league’s newly-appointed disciplinary officer, who handed down a six-game suspension on Monday.

Then there’s the small matter of Daniel Snyder and the Washington Commanders. Snyder, the league’s most cartoonishly villainous owner, continues to drag the Washington franchise and the league into a swamp of his own making. Snyder finally answered questions under oath last Thursday to the House oversight committee. The congressional committee continues to probe the Washington franchise and accusations that Snyder presided over a toxic workplace culture.

Other owners are reported to be fed up with Snyder’s act, enough perhaps to force him out of the league. Snyder is notoriously litigious, which has worked as a shield for him and the franchise throughout his sleaze-riddled run. But as the accusations mount – including that he presented a set of phony books to his league partners – Goodell could be forced into taking action to try to remove the owner.

3) Patrick Mahomes, QB, KC Chiefs
A second-half meltdown in the AFC championship game cost the Chiefs a shot at a second title last season. Now there’s a new look in KC: Tyreek Hill and Tyrann Mathieu, stalwarts of the team’s recent success, are out. Hill was a once-in-a-lifetime field tilter that made life easier for his QB and the pass-catchers beside him. He imbued the whole offense with a sense that there was no deficit that was insurmountable.

Mahomes will have to strike up an instant connection with his new supporting cast to lead another postseason push. He has lived a blessed life early in his career – the ideal coach, franchise and supporting cast. The Chiefs’ roster remains one of the most talented in the league, but it’s now over Mahomes to raise the level of those around him.

4) Sean McVay, head coach, LA Rams
McVay is looking to become the first head coach to lead a team to back-to-back Super Bowl titles since Bill Belichick in 2003-04. He’s also set to become the highest paid coach in the league, with reports suggesting his new contract will eclipse Belichick’s.

Yet while the Rams are looking to tie McVay down for the long-term, whispers continue to persist that McVay would be happy to step away from the Rams – be it for another job or TV work – once the cap sins of the past few years start to catch up to the team.

5) Dr Alex Steinforth, NFL Germany
The NFL has entered a new phase of its international expansion. Whereas before there was a heavy focus on London (with nods to games in Canada and Mexico), the league is now going global. The NFL awarded Exclusive International Home Market Areas to 18 teams across 26 markets in eight countries. As the NFL takes its streaming rights under its own umbrella, they’re focusing on securing as many eyes on games as possible, irrespective of the location. Eyeballs are eyeballs; dollars are dollars.

The next key frontier: Germany. For the first time, the NFL is taking a regular season game to Munich. More than three million people entered the queue to secure tickets to the Bucs-Seahawks game in November. The demand for tickets to the inaugural game will inevitably lead to a second game in 2023 with the prospect of future games in different German markets – Frankfurt, Düsseldorf – in future years.

6) Aaron Rodgers, QB, GBay Packers
The Packers were finally able to put an end to the will-he-won’t-he Aaron Rodgers saga over the offseason. Rodgers signed an enormous three-year, $151m deal. Does that mean that Rodgers will play all three years? Who knows? Does it mean he’s happy? Pffft.

What we do know: Rodgers’ new deal made it tough for the Packers to improve over the offseason. The team was able to find enough cash behind the sofa to keep the bulk of its core intact. But the cap crunch meant that GBay had to say goodbye to valuable contributors. The biggest loss: Davante Adams, a one-man offense masquerading as a receiver.

The Packers are still one of the most talented teams in the NFL, but it’s hard to point to more than one area where they decidedly improved this offseason. Rodgers is still at the peak of his powers, gunning for a third straight MVP award, but it’s been proven that he cannot carry a team to a championship alone.

7) Jerry Jones, owner, Dallas Cowboys
Jones has already been talking about the warmth of the seat of his head coach. Mike McCarthy is not in any trouble, he says. But Jones does have options, he’d like to note. Jones will help determine whether or not the Cowboys can make a serious championship push – something that could mean making an in-season change from McCarthy to one of his ready-to-go coordinators.

As one of the power-centers of the league, Jones will also be heavily involved in any decision as it relates to Daniel Snyder’s ownership of the Commanders and approving the Walton family’s takeover of the Broncos.

8) Josh McDaniels, head coach, LVegas Raiders
Drop the Raiders into any other division in the NFL and they’d be a surefire contender. More often than not, they’d be the preseason favorite. Plop them in the AFC West, however, and you’re looking at a team that could conceivably finish first or last.

In his second go-round as a head coach, McDaniels has walked into a team with perhaps the finest skill position group anywhere in football. In Adams, he has the game’s top receiver. In Darren Waller, he has one of the upper-tier TEs. In Hunter Renfrow, the duo has an overqualified third banana. Locking in Derek Carr into a new contract gives the Raiders assurance at QB – and with a QB who continues to improve.

The Raiders should be good. The other AFC West teams look more complete. McDaniels and co. will likely be forced to play the role of spoilers: halting the Chargers’ momentum; making life uncomfortable for Mahomes and the Chiefs; knee-capping the start of the Walton-Wilson-Hackett era in Denver.

9) Ken Dorsey, offensive coordinator, Buffalo Bills
The Bills have no obvious flaw. They have the deepest and most talented roster in the NFL. They have an elite QB. They have playmakers all over the field. They have a good OL. Their defensive front is loaded. Their secondary features the best safety tandem in the league. They are deep at corner. The only plausible cause for concern: Moving from Brian Daboll as offensive coordinator to Ken Dorsey. Daboll ran a specific system with Allen. And while Dorsey will likely look to replicate that success, it’s possible (though unlikely) that there could be some teething problems.

10) Tom Brady, QB, TBay Buccaneers
Brady’s retirement-unretirement was the dominant story of the offseason. One trip to Salford, and Brady decided he wasn’t quite ready to give up on this whole football thing after all. Whether or not this is his final season, before he takes up a lucrative job with FOX, remains to be seen. He is still at the apex of his powers, even at 44 years old. At this point, another MVP-caliber season is more of an expectation than a projection. And with reinforcements along the offense – on the line and at the skill positions – the Bucs enter the year as neck-a-neck favorites with the Rams to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.
 
As for the[NFC East] it may not be as cut a dried as some seem to think, I hate the[Dirty dallas cowboys] so if[Philly ]wins I'm cool and who knows, maybe my hometeam[ The Commanders] might get off the scrapheap and actually try to win too, why not...TEE IT UP!!
 
I don't have too many high hopes for the Cards. I'm still not convinced that Murray is the quality QB everyone seems to think he is and I sure don't think Kingsbury should be a head coach in the NFL. But they should be entertaining. If they were in a couple of other divisions then they might have a chance to sneak into the playoffs but with the Rams and 49's in the same division I think the Cards will be around 7-10 or so.
 
Although I am a New Yorker (upstate, although I used to be a resident of NYC) I am a longtime Dallas Cowboys fan. Too many questions about this years team, so I'm not expecting the playoffs. But will be happy if they do make them.
 
Russell Wilson is getting paid $245 million over five years. The Broncos are now primarily owned by the richest family in America: the Waltons (owners of Walmart). Bleh.

It's all about the money.
 
SeniorBen said:
Russell Wilson is getting paid $245 million over five years. The Broncos are now primarily owned by the richest family in America: the Waltons (owners of Walmart). Bleh.

It's all about the money.
Click to expand...
The Waltons huh? I can imagine what it's like at bed time.
"Goodnight John Boy!"
"Goodnight Mary Ellen."
"Goodnight Russell."
"Goodnight Grandma."
" Goodnight Grandpa."
 
Season starts this Thursday!

NFL Division Winner predictions: The Athletic’s experts make their picks
Aug 31, 2022 by The Athletic NFL Staff Pt 1 of 2
The NFL season starts in less than 10 days, and teams have made their final cuts. Soon, we’ll be tuning into Rams vs. Bills on the night of Thursday Sept. 8.

The Athletic asked its group of NFL beat writers, editors and national reporters to make their predictions for this season. It’s a preseason look at the NFL and how things will play out this season. Today, we look at The Athletic’s experts’ picks for each division.

AFC East
x1 afceast.jpg
It’s no surprise that all of our experts think the Bills will win the AFC East. The Patriots dominated the division for almost two decades with Tom Brady leading the way, and now it seems like it is Josh Allen’s turn. Since 2001, the only times the Patriots or Bills didn’t win the division were the Jets in 2002 and Dolphins in 2008. The Bills have won the last two years, and it is Super Bowl or bust for Buffalo after losing in heartbreaking fashion to the Chiefs last year in the playoffs.

The Athletic’s NFL model gives the Bills a 72.9% chance of winning the division.

AFC North
x2 afc north.jpg
The defending AFC champions aren’t getting a whole lot of respect in their own division. Injuries ravaged the Ravens last season, and The Athletic’s experts think there will be a big bounce back from Lamar Jackson and crew this season. On the other hand, it seems surprising to see the Bengals not get that much love after their run to the Super Bowl that saw them upset the Titans and Chiefs.

Joe Burrow is entering his third season in Cincinnati, and the Bengals’ young core of players is only getting better, led by Ja’Marr Chase, who finished with 1,455 yards and 13 touchdowns in his rookie season.

The Athletic’s NFL model gives the Ravens the best chance to win the division (38.6%) while the Bengals come in at 32.4%. The Browns are at 23.2%, and that is with Deshaun Watson being suspended for 11 of the 17 games this season.

AFC South
x3 afc south.jpg
Our experts are big believers in Matt Ryan and Indianapolis’ ability to revive itself after losing to the Jaguars in the last game of the regular season and missing out on a playoff spot. The Colts were one of the most unlucky teams last year in the NFL. They had the seventh-best point differential but somehow only won nine games. That could be explained by losing five of their seven one-score games in 2021.

Tennessee went 6-2 in one-score games last year, and that’s after finishing 7-2 in one-score games in 2020. That’s an impressive record, but will it keep up? Teams usually regress to the mean in one-score games, and this might be the year the Titans’ luck runs out.

The Athletic’s NFL model gives the Colts a 64.1% chance to win the division while the Titans sit at 30.1. The Jaguars and Texans combine for less than a 6% chance.

AFC West
x4 afc west.jpg
Welcome to the Wild, Wild West. Is there a more stacked division in all of the NFL? Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, Russell Wilson and Derek Carr make up the best collection of quarterbacks.

There’s no surprise that our experts favor the Chiefs to again win the AFC West. Since Peyton Manning retired after Super Bowl 50, the Chiefs have won six consecutive AFC West titles under Andy Reid. Not only has Kansas City won every title, but the Chiefs are 32-4 against the Chargers, Raiders and Broncos head-to-head since 2015, including a 5-1 record last season.

It’s a little surprising only two experts picked the Broncos to win the division. The Athletic’s NFL model gives Denver a 20.4% chance to win the division.

(Sorry, I can only attach 5 jpgs - post continues with NFC teams, in Pt 2, below)
 
NFL Division Winner predictions: The Athletic’s experts make their picks
Aug 31, 2022 by The Athletic NFL Staff Pt 2 of 2

NFC East
x5 nfc east.jpg
The NFC East comes down to the Cowboys and Eagles. It’s interesting to see our experts so divided on who wins the division. Our experts seem to think the Eagles had a great offseason and draft in addition to the arrivals of wide receiver A.J. Brown and pass rusher Haason Reddick. The Eagles weren’t very good in one-score games last season, going 2-4. Philadelphia also gets one of the easiest schedules this season.

Dallas forced the most turnovers last year in the NFL and had great injury luck, fumble recovery luck and won 63% of their one-score games. It seems our experts think the Cowboys are due for regression this season. The Athletic’s NFL model is more bullish on the Cowboys and gives them a 59.4% chance to win the NFC East while the Eagles only have a 23.3% chance.

NFC North
x6 nfc north.jpg
Green Bay continues to be elite on offense with Aaron Rodgers leading the way. The Packers have won three consecutive NFC North titles, and our experts expect them to make it four in a row. Rodgers continues to make Green Bay one of the best teams in the NFL in one-score games. Green Bay added defensive players at the top of the draft and hopes having an elite quarterback with a better defensive unit can lead to another Super Bowl run.

The Athletic’s NFL model gives the Packers a 70.3% chance to win the division. Our experts don’t expect the Lions to be able to win the division in their second year under Dan Campbell.

It’s interesting that some experts picked the Vikings to win the North. Minnesota played in 14 close games last year and lost eight of them. It makes sense because Minnesota is still loaded on offense with Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen and Dalvin Cook. New coach Kevin O’Connell comes from the Rams offense and should be able to make the most out of the talent on the offensive side of the ball.

NFC South
x7 nfc south.jpg
Tom Brady is back, and every expert thinks the Buccaneers will win the NFC South again after winning it in 2021. The Saints won four consecutive division titles before the Bucs took it last year. Tampa Bay lost guard Ali Marpet to retirement, and center Ryan Jensen is hurt. That could spell trouble for Brady with his offensive line.

The Athletic’s NFL model only gives the Bucs a 58.7% chance to win the NFC South. The Saints have the second-best chance at 31.3%.

NFC West
x8 nfc west.jpg
The NFC West can put up a good battle with the AFC West for best division in football. It’s not surprising to see the defending Super Bowl champion Rams get the majority of the votes here.

San Francisco is transitioning from Jimmy Garoppolo to Trey Lance at starting quarterback, and that will create some intrigue, especially after the news this week that Jimmy G is sticking around San Francisco for this season. The 49ers had some of the most injuries in the NFL last season and could be in for a strong 2022 if they stay healthy and Lance performs at quarterback.

The Athletic’s NFL model gives the Rams a 44.4% chance to win the division, the 49ers a 34.9% chance and the Cardinals a 19.1% chance.
 
And the season starts! Many have predicted it will be the Bills' year to win the SB, and they certainly looked it last night:

Josh Allen leads Buffalo Bills to victory over LA Rams in NFL season opener
  • Buffalo Bills 31-10 Los Angeles Rams
  • Bills quarterback throws three TDs and rushes for one
  • Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen was responsible for four touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams
Associated Press 08 Sep 2022

Josh Allen passed for 297 yards while accounting for four touchdowns, Von Miller had two of Buffalo’s seven sacks, and the Bills stamped themselves as a clear contender for the Rams’ Super Bowl crown with a 31-10 victory over Los Angeles on Thursday night.

Gabe Davis, Isaiah McKenzie and Stefon Diggs caught touchdown passes as the two-time defending AFC East champion Bills opened the NFL’s 103rd season by overcoming four turnovers and running away with a blowout win in the same stadium where the Rams won the Super Bowl nearly seven months ago.

Allen went 26 for 31 despite two interceptions. He also rushed for 56 yards, scrambling for a four-yard TD when he stretched the ball over the line with 13:27 to play. The quarterback took his share of hits, but he also dished them out and showed off a mean stiff-arm while Buffalo’s offense under new coordinator Ken Dorsey largely dominated the champs.

Matthew Stafford passed for 240 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions on a bruising night for the Rams, who lost a season opener and fell below .500 for the first time in coach Sean McVay’s six seasons in charge.

The Bills’ seven sacks were the most allowed in McVay’s tenure with the Rams, who lost two starters from last year’s offensive line and attempted to replace them internally.

Diggs punctuated the domination with a 53-yard TD catch with 9:25 to play, talking trash to Rams All-Pro defensive back Jalen Ramsey afterward.

Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp had 13 catches for 128 yards and a touchdown, but the Rams’ night went quickly downhill after they unveiled their championship banner in a pregame ceremony. Los Angeles could not keep up with Allen’s creative playmaking or the Bills’ pass rush, and their only major offseason addition on offense — receiver Allen Robinson — had one catch on two targets. The Rams even got shut out in the second half, ending a streak of 89 consecutive halves with a point since November 2019.

Miller made an immediate impact in his debut for the Bills, who signed him away from the Rams after he won a ring in his half-season in LA. But he was just one part of a defense that yielded only 177 yards before Los Angeles’ final, meaningless drive.

Aaron Donald made his 99th career sack in the first half, but the seven-time All-Pro had just two tackles as the Rams became only the second defending champions in the last 10 years to lose the following season opener. Los Angeles trailed 17-10 after three quarters, but Buffalo ran away with two lengthy TD drives early in the fourth quarter.

With Dorsey taking over from Brian Daboll, the Bills went nine for 10 on third downs and racked up 413 total yards, but three first-half turnovers kept it close early. Allen set a career high to start a game by completing his first 10 passes, but linebacker Terrell Lewis’s interception stopped Buffalo’s second drive in Rams territory. Rookie James Cook fumbled away his first touch for Buffalo moments later, but Dane Jackson made an interception two snaps after that.

Los Angeles finally scored on their fourth drive when Kupp made an exceptional toe-tapping catch in the back of the end zone on a precise throw three minutes before halftime. The Rams got the ball back on Troy Hill‘s interception, and Matt Gay hit a 57-yard field goal to pull the Rams even at the halftime gun.
 
What We Learned From Week 1 of the NFL Season (Pt 1 of 2)
The Steelers defense returned to form and A.J. Brown gave the Eagles the receiving target it has lacked as the NFL wobbled in the first week of the regular season.
NY Times Sept. 12, 2022

The first week of the NFL’s regular season never fails to make a mess. Upsets, mistakes, miracles and everything in between come pouring out as the season starts anew. Week 1’s false starts may have been a wake-up call to teams and their fans that the games count again - and that even a shaky start can offer firm takeaways.

Mahomes-to-Kelce defines KC’s offense.
The Cardinals, like most everyone else, figured that Patrick Mahomes might struggle to create big plays without Tyreek Hill, the three-time All-Pro receiver KC traded to Miami this off-season.

Throughout his career, Mahomes has been magical against blitzes, often beating them with his vision, quick trigger before defenders penetrate or using his athletic ability and creativity to break the pocket. Still, Arizona’s defensive coordinator Vance Joseph bet Hill’s departure would leave Mahomes in the lurch: He sent at least five rushers at Mahomes on over half the QB’s drop-backs on Sunday, an approach that seemed doomed to fail from the start. It did and Arizona lost, 44-21.

According to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, Mahomes had 137 yds on 15 of 21 passing and four TDs just against the blitz. Mahomes shined against standard defensive rushes, too. It helps that the QB’s go-to safety valve, TE Travis Kelce is still a stabilizing option. Coach Andy Reid made sure Kelce could get open for middle-distance throws that repeatedly burned the Cardinals and the TE caught 8 of 9 targets for 121 yds and one TD, leading all receivers.

On one third-quarter play, KC came out in a 13 personnel (three TEs) tight bunch formation with Kelce as the outside player in the bunch. He ran a deep over route, cutting just behind the middle player, who ran a deep corner route in front of him. Mahomes nailed him with a pass over the middle that zipped just over a linebacker’s outstretched arms for a first down.

Mahomes still has third-year receiver Mecole Hardman and KC added JuJu Smith-Schuster to the roster in the off-season to help plug the whole left by Hill’s departure. But the Mahomes-to-Kelce connection is still the most important one to the KC offense.

The Steelers’ defense is back.
Some things in the NFL feel inevitable. Pittsburgh featuring an elite defense is one of those givens, which is why their 2021 finish ranked 20th in the league in points allowed was such a shock.

On Sunday, however, the Steeler defense was a slot machine for explosive plays. Pull the lever on one play and you get safety Minkah Fitzpatrick jumping a corner route thrown too far inside for a pick-6. Pull the lever again and you get a blitz package that frees up linebacker Alex Highsmith to beat an offensive tackle one-on-one for a strip sack. Go back for a third pull and, would you look at that, T.J. Watt forces a tackle for loss and grabs an interception on back-to-back plays.

Sending pressure at Bengals QB Joe Burrow was key for most of the game. The Steelers bullied the rookie left guard Cordell Volson, who gave up a sack to Cameron Heyward on Cincinnati’s first offensive play, then targeted Volson’s side of the line for Highsmith’s first sack of the day. (He finished with three.)

Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin and the defensive coordinator Teryl Austin never took their feet off the gas, belittling Burrow for six sacks and four interceptions before the game went to OT (and recording one more sack in OT).

The Steelers offense is still an embarrassment beyond comprehension and couldn’t score more than 20 points in regulation despite being gifted an endless stream of possessions. Pittsburgh’s defense looked to be back but Watt, the reigning defensive player of the year, left the game in the Q4 with what is feared to be a torn pectoral muscle. (Update: It is, and he's probably out for the season)

Justin Herbert is capable of perfection.
The Raiders added an all-world receiver (Davante Adams) and a sack-monster (Chandler Jones) in the off-season. But their addition wasn’t enough to slow Justin Herbert or keep pace with the Chargers offense.

Herbert looked unflappable throwing three TDs through the first three quarters, with almost all of his best plays coming under pressure, outside the pocket, into a tight window, or some combination of all three.

Late in the second quarter, on second-and-2 from deep in Raiders’ territory, Herbert drilled a 23-yard TD pass down the left hash to DeAndre Carter that put the Chargers up, 17-3. The Raiders were in Tampa 2 coverage, which is Cover 2 with the middle linebacker running up the hashes to serve as a third “deep” player. Trying to throw underneath and inside the deep-half safety, yet away from and over the linebacker is no easy feat, yet Herbert made it look as routine as brushing his teeth or making the bed.

Midway through the third, Herbert extended the Chargers lead to 24-10 on a play where was forced outside of the pocket to his left, with his only receiving option pinned to that sideline in tight coverage. Herbert rifled the throw to Garrett Everett in the only spot where his defender did not have a shot at it. Everett pulled the pass in and stumbled four or five yds into the end zone for an 18-yard TD.

Even more promising: Herbert did not take any sacks in the 24-19 win, thanks in part to great work on the edge from left tackle Rashawn Slater, and did not throw an interception. The AFC West is on notice.

A.J. Brown is exactly who the Eagles thought he was.
Nobody has to declare one way or the other if QB Jalen Hurts is “the guy” for Philadelphia just yet. But it’s not the regular-season version of Hurts that the Eagles are worried about. The team knows it can get to double-digit wins and a playoff berth with him in the NFC East, where the Cowboys are a broken bone away from disaster, there’s an impending Carson Wentz meltdown ahead of the Commanders, and the Giants are working through the kinks of a first-year regime.

A.J. Brown just might make sure Hurts takes a step beyond reasonable expectations. The Eagles traded for the former Titans receiver in April and promptly signed him to a four-year, $100 million contract extension that paid off Sunday with dunks all over the Lions’ secondary.

The Eagles offense was a little slow off the block, getting out to a 7-point deficit in the first quarter, but Brown’s shoelace grab on an underthrown ball seemed to spark Philadelphia, which finally has what it has lacked among its receivers: a ball-getter. Late in the first half, Brown boxed out a Lions CB on a go ball, earning a 54-yard gain to set up a FG. Brown had over 100 yds in the first half.

Brown hasn’t solved anything as far as Hurts’s hesitancy to throw over the middle, a tendency that showed as Philadelphia eked out a 38-35 win over Detroit. But the Eagles offense has 17 more weeks to work that all out now that the team can count on the kind of ball-winner they needed on the outside.

It’s Week 1 for everybody.
NFL teams continue to build new stadiums to usher in the modern era. Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., and Allegiant Stadium for the LVegas Raiders all opened in the past five years and have set a new standard for the live NFL experience. Other teams and fan bases aren’t so fortunate.

The Chicago Bears are still holding onto Soldier Field for dear life, even at the potential cost of player safety. Rain fell all over Chicago’s poorly kept pitch for hours before the team hosted the 49ers, soaking the field beyond what should be acceptable for an NFL game. Puddles formed everywhere, and players struggled to find their footing pregame and early in the match. Even the painted sidelines started to lose their form in a way that made it seem like the ground crew was drunk when they put them on there.

Washington’s stadium didn’t fare any better. The overhang above a concourse at FedEx leaked as a result of a busted pipe, in what is becoming a ritual of building failures. Just last season, a failing guard rail caused fans to fall onto Eagles QB Jalen Hurts as he left the field. The Commanders’ stadium isn’t as ancient as 98-year-old Soldier Field, but having opened in 1997, it’s probably due for some proper renovations.
 
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What I learned from week 1 is that it is going to be a long season for Arizona Cardinals fans. Actually, I kind of suspected it would be.
 
What We Learned From Week 1 of the NFL Season (Pt 2 of 2)
NY Times Sept. 12, 2022

Around the NFL:

Buccaneers 19, Cowboys 3: The Bucs’ offense picked up where it left off Sunday night. Tom Brady pushed the ball beyond 10 yds all night long while still getting the ball off in a hurry, a combination only he can pull off consistently. Dallas, on the other hand, looked nothing like the team that set the league ablaze early last season. Dak Prescott completed fewer than half his passes, threw an interception and couldn’t lead the offense to a single TD, thanks in part to the reserve Noah Brown and the rookie undrafted free agent Dennis Houston being forced into significant roles at WR. Prescott also left the game late in the Q4 with a hand injury. It’s unclear for now if he needs surgery - the team owner Jerry Jones said he would, but Coach Mike McCarthy said Prescott had yet to see a doctor - but he is likely to miss some time. If Prescott misses longer than even a week or two, Dallas’s season could start to spiral out of control.

Chargers 24, Raiders 19: Davante Adams caught 10 of his 17 targets for 141 yds and a score, but TE Darren Waller was the only other Raiders pass-catcher with more than three catches or 21 yds. The Chargers pulled ahead early in the game behind Justin Herbert’s three TD throws and LA got a look at their new edge pairing of Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa, who combined for 4.5 sacks.

KC 44, Cardinals 21: Playing without DeAndre Hopkins, the Cardinals trotted out multiple receivers who are 5-foot-9 or shorter, save for A.J. Green, and asked Kyler Murray to find them. It didn’t work. Patrick Mahomes finished with five passing TDs, the eighth time he has done so since 2018. No other QB has more than three such performances over that span.

Giants 21, Titans 20: Daniel Jones was under relentless pressure all day, taking five sacks, and turning the ball over via fumble and interception. But jones was exceptionally accurate (17 of 21 passing for 188 yds and two TDs) when not having to pick grass out of his face mask and Saquon Barkley looked as explosive as he has in years, finishing with 164 yds on 18 carries thanks in part to some creative gap scheme runs out from Coach Brian Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka. With about a minute to go, Daboll’s gutsy two-point conversion call was the difference.

Vikings 23, Packers 7: Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson connected on 9 of his 11 targets, for 184 yds. Jefferson kicked off the game’s scoring with a simple slide route across the formation on fourth-and-goal. In the second quarter, Jefferson split GBay’s safeties on a deep post for an explosive play, before ripping a crossing route for a 36-yard TD just before the end of the half. The Packers? Well, they’re going to need some time to figure things out.

Saints 27, Falcons 26: The Saints salvaged an otherwise brutal showing with a monster Q4. Through most of the game, QB Jameis Winston got beat up every which way while the Falcons offense found ways into the end zone thanks to Marcus Mariota’s athleticism, a strong debut from Drake London (five catches for 74 yds and 1 TD), and a surprising effort between the tackles from Cordarrelle Patterson. But, y’know, the Falcons are going to Falcon.

Bears 19, 49ers 10: The torrential downpour before the game dictated that this game would be a run-heavy brawl, which in theory should have benefited a Kyle Shanahan team. But the Bears persisted, coming alive in the second half after laying an egg early. QB Justin Fields finally got a few chances to rip it down the field, finding the end zone twice, and the Bears new-look defense completely shut out SF’s new starter, Trey Lance, when he needed to drop back and throw the 49ers back into the game.

Steelers 23, Bengals 20 (OT): This was a tale of two Steelers units. On defense, Pittsburgh looked as suffocating as it ever has in the Mike Tomlin era. On the other side of the ball, the offense completely ran out of steam after finding some success with screens, flea flickers, and other cheap nonsense despite being gifted the ball time and time again. Joe Burrow’s late-game magic fell short of 2021’s standard through no fault of his own as kicker Evan McPherson whiffed a potential game-winner in OT.

Eagles 38, Lions 35: It took the Lions a long time to make this a game. QB Jared Goff was 3-for-10 with 6 yds passing and a pick-6 early, but got a boost in the second half from D’Andre Swift, who ripped off a number of chunk gains to keep the offense ahead of the sticks. It wasn’t enough, though, as the Eagles rode A.J. Brown’s 155 receiving yds to a win.

Dolphins 20, Patriots 7: Both offenses came into this game with questions about their new schemes and young QBs. Only the Dolphins left it feeling optimistic about their makeover. Even with a useless Miami running game, Tua Tagovailoa rattled off 23-of-33 passing for 270 yds, a TD, and no picks, finding Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle for 163 of those yds. NE’s Mac Jones wasn’t so fortunate as he was constantly under siege, making it difficult to do anything but get the ball out quickly to the flat or throw up hope-and-a-prayer go balls.

Ravens 24, Jets 9: The Jets decided that making backup QB Joe Flacco throw 59 passes was the way to win a game. In the year two thousand twenty two. Against Lamar Jackson. The Ravens QB found his stride on vertical passes, connecting with Rashod Bateman and Devin Duvernay for TDs of more than 25 yds. Jackson’s contract campaign is off to an excellent start.

Commanders 28, Jaguars 22: Carson Wentz had an extremely Carson Wentz game, tossing four TDs (a couple of which required excellent touch) and appearing to try to throw the game away in the second half. His two interceptions led to 10 Jaguars points and jolted Trevor Lawrence back to life. In the end, Wentz led Washington on a 13-play TD drive to put this one away.

Browns 26, Panthers 24: Baker Mayfield led a valiant 17-point Q4, but the shock was how much the Carolina offense struggled to run against Cleveland’s unproven interior defensive line. Christian McCaffrey earned just 33 yds on 10 carries and watched as the Browns’ Nick Chubb trucked along through the Panthers front for 141 yds on 22 carries. With the team playing behind backup QB Jacoby Brissett, Chubb’s output gave the Browns’ offense just enough stability for a win.

Colts 20, Texans 20 (OT): It took the Colts’ defense three quarters to stop Davis Mills from putting up M.V.P. numbers. For a good portion of the game, Mills had over eight yds per attempt, regularly finding his TEs down the seams for explosive plays. Jonathan Taylor wore down the Texans defense, plowing through for 161 yds and a score on 31 carries, but Indianapolis still left with a tie thanks to a 42-yard missed FG attempt from Rodrigo Blankenship, with two minutes remaining in OT.

Monday Night Football: begins 8:30p ET
It's the Russell Wilson vs Pete Carroll grudge match, as the Broncos visit the Seahawks. The Hawks are a leading candidate for the chance to draft a future QB in the first round of next year's draft class, which is considered to have multiple good candidates. Being in the NFC West it will take a miracle for Seattle not to end up on the bottom.

OTOH, that miracle may happen after what happened on week 1 above. The SB Champs Rams sure didn't look like it against the Bills on Thursday Night Football, losing 31-10 in a nasty Josh Allen-led whupping. The SF Niners may also stumble around with a leaky OL and a rookie QB with only 29 total games counting high school and college! The assumption is even the aging AZ Cardinals, who are desperately missing the suspended DeAndre Hopkins to give erratic Kyler Murray a target to throw to, will still be better than the Hawks....maybe.

Nobody knows what to expect from the Broncos, either, as it's not only a new QB but a new HC/OC with a different system than before (but one Wilson is familiar with, at least). But the Broncs still have a good D, despite having lost future HoF'er Von Miller two years ago, who wrecked absolute havoc on the LA Rams last Thursday. Poor Joe Noteboom, who might ultimately be a fine replacement for Andrew Whitworth, was hapless against Miller’s combination of speed, bending and bull rushing moves. Miller had two sacks, two QB hits and three tackles for loss vs LAR.
 
And the injuries start: not just TJ Watt of the Steelers.

Cowboys' Dak Prescott reportedly out 6-8 weeks, has surgery after suffering hand injury
Yahoo Sports September 12, 2022
Dak Prescott will miss multiple weeks after suffering a hand injury that required surgery, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Sunday night after his team suffered a 19-3 defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

ESPN's Todd Archer later reported Prescott will miss 6-8 weeks. He underwent surgery on Monday, according to multiple reports. Jones told reporters postgame that Prescott needed surgery on a joint above the thumb on his throwing hand. "Dak will be out for awhile," Jones said.
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There is also some gossip that LARams QB Stafford has some lingering elbow soreness. He threw a lot more passes last year for LAR than he ever had done with Detroit.

One sportswriter posited that was why the Niners did their last-minute deal with Jimmy Garoppolo. Supposedly Niner mgmt heard that LAR's HC Sean McVay was just waiting for the Niners to cut JG loose and they could swoop in to pick up a solid back-up. When with the Niners, JG never lost a game to LAR. He has a perfect 6-0 record vs McVay.

So the Niners swallowed their pride and cut a deal with JG to keep him from being grabbed by their historic, long-time, most-hated divisional opponent.

Might be true, might not be; but it makes a lot of sense the Rams would want a solid back-up if they want to repeat as SB champs.
 
Russell Wilson has a $296 million, seven year deal with the Broncos. :eek:

He had a pretty good game and it wasn't his fault they lost. It was due more to fumbles in the red zone and penalties.

But considering who the new owners of the Broncos are, I can't help but feel a bit of schadenfreude over their loss. :cool:
 
The Steelers-Bengals game played on Sunday may be one of the best games to be seen on TV this season.
 
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MarkinPhx said:
What I learned from week 1 is that it is going to be a long season for Arizona Cardinals fans. Actually, I kind of suspected it would be.
Click to expand...

Didn't catch that game, but have a question for you @MarkinPhx ... is JJ Watt still playing for the Cardinals?
I was wondering if he has decided to hang it up yet? ... he really should after all the continuous injuries.
 
Bonnie said:
Didn't catch that game, but have a question for you @MarkinPhx ... is JJ Watt still playing for the Cardinals?
I was wondering if he has decided to hang it up yet? ... he really should after all the continuous injuries.
Click to expand...
He is still in the roster but he did not play Sunday due to a calf injury. I agree.. he's great for morale but probably should retire due to do his injuries. His brother too !
 
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