FOOTBALL NFL ARTICLES

Prior to last season the New York Jets stripped their roster and still were able to win five games. With the addition of some better talent, added depth and the possible quarterback of the future, it’s time for them to show some tangible progress in their rebuild. The Jets haven’t had a franchise quarterback since Joe Willie Namath was slinging the ball around old Shea Stadium some 30 years ago. The Jets were ecstatic when Sam Darnold was available with the No. 3 pick in the draft and the club f... 

Moving on from several veterans in an effort to change the culture around the team, the Miami Dolphins enter 2018 with a number of question marks. The biggest is in regards to a player the Fins didn’t part with, but rather one that returns after missing all of last season. Can Ryan Tannehill continue his upward trajectory that started in 2016 under Adam Gase, or will the knee injury that forced him to sit last season linger? Tannehill and Gase had a strong connection two years ago leading the Do... 

All the New England Patriots do under Tom Brady is win football games. With a NFL-high tying 13 victories last year, the Pats have won at least 12 games in eight consecutive seasons and hit the 10-win mark every year since 2003. There was the typical amount of turmoil following the loss to Philadelphia in the Super Bowl, and once again the roster had some significant turnover. But no coach is better at putting players in a position to win than Bill Belichick and no quarterback is as good as Brad... 

The Atlanta Falcons made it to the playoffs last year after the Super Bowl run of two seasons ago, but never reached the same epic heights. The core of the offense remains intact as Atlanta hopes to become an elite scoring unit once again. The Falcons may not be quite be in the stratosphere of top NFC teams, but they are right in the tier below and have the capability to beat anyone on a given night. ... 

The NFC South is stacked this season, with three teams capable of making deep playoff runs. That’s not good news for the hapless fourth-best team in the division. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will try to stay afloat in 2018, but there are many things working against them.
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The New Orleans Saints have boasted one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL for the last several years, and now they have a great team around him. Drew Brees got a bunch of help in 2017 as the Saints made the playoffs, and the team is looking for another deep run in 2018. ... 

The Carolina Panthers have been an enigma in recent seasons. They were dominant in 2015, making it to the Super Bowl, and then followed that up with a six-win season in 2016 before bouncing back with an 11-5 campaign last year. ... 

A little luck will make Frank Reich and the Indianapolis Colts a better team in 2018. A lot of Luck could make them a playoff contender. Playing for the first time since the end of the 2016 regular season, Andrew Luck looked strong in the preseason opener, leading the Colts to a win. With Luck sitting out the 2017 season with a shoulder injury, the Colts stumbled to a 4-12 record, just their third losing season since 1999 and the second-fewest wins in that stretch. Indy’s two wins in 2011 gave t... 

The championship window is wide open and the Minnesota Vikings are doing all they can to take advantage of the opportunity. The Vikings won 13 games last season, tying for the most in the NFL, and advanced to the NFC Championship Game behind a career backup quarterback and the league’s best defense. They replaced the quarterback with the elite arm of Kirk Cousins and the defense returns virtually intact, making the Vikings a serious threat to surpass their projected win total and contend for a Super Bowl title. ... 

The Detroit Lions won nine games in each of the last two seasons and had three winning years and two playoff appearances in Jim Caldwell’s four years, but it wasn’t enough to for him to keep his job. Former New England executive and current GM Bob Quinn hired his buddy Matt Patricia away from the Pats to become the head coach to try and instill the “Patriot Way” on a team that hasn’t won a division title since 1993 and has gone two years longer without a playoff victory. For a team that averaged nine wins over the past four seasons, expectations are low. ... 

Just in case anyone was questioning the credentials of Aaron Rodgers as an MVP, look no further than last season. A two-time winner, Rodgers had the Green Bay Packers sitting at 4-1 heading into a key divisional matchup with the Vikings. I think we all know what happened next. Rodgers was knocked out of that game with a broken collarbone and the season was lost. The Packers went 3-7 the rest of the way, ending their streak of eight straight playoff appearances with a 7-9 mark. If you think Rodgers is worth three victories, the Pack are the over pick. ... 

The Chicago Bears approach to the 2018 season is very Rams-like, but can they have the same success? Like the 2017 Rams, the Bears hired a young, offensive-minded coach to mentor a strong-armed second-year quarterback. After four straight double-digit loss seasons, the last three under John Fox, who turned a once rabid fan base apathetic toward the club with his boring style, at least the Bears should be exciting, even if they don’t win a lot of games. ... 

It may be a year late, but the Cincinnati Bengals are counting on their top two picks from the 2017 draft class to transform the offense. The Bengals were dead last in total yards last season and the hope is that John Ross and Joe Mixon are ready to be a bigger part of the equation. Ross, the ninth overall selection, missed most of last season dealing with injuries and is close to being labeled a bust. Mixon led the team in rushing in 2017, but Cincy is looking for more than the 626 yards he ama... 

After finally agreeing to terms with first-round pick Roquan Smith, the Chicago Bears are whole. But is that enough to make noise in the NFC North this year? It’s been a rough preseason so far for rookie coach Matt Nagy, who has yet to generate the offensive buzz that came along with his hiring. In what is their third preseason game of the year, the Bears will take a longer look at Mitchell Trubisky and the offense when they visit the Denver Broncos in Week 2 of the preseason.... 

Team rosters during training camp and the preseason are large, but after a flurry of minor injuries ravaged the San Francisco 49ers, they could be a little thin for their Week 2 preseason matchup with the Houston Texans. Six players left last week’s game against Dallas and didn’t return and several others were hurt in practice earlier this week. The good news for the Niners is that none of the injuries are considered serious and everyone should be available for the regular season. In the meantim... 

The Minnesota Vikings were a win away from becoming the first team to play a Super Bowl in its home venue. But that dream was squashed in Philadelphia last January. That would have been a memorable game for the Vikings, but their last encounter at US Bank Stadium was pretty exciting. The last time the Vikes played a home game they pulled off the Minnesota Miracle, beating New Orleans in the divisional round. The Vikes will tee it up in Week 2 of the preseason against the Jacksonville Jaguars.... 

For the second straight week we’ll see the top two picks from a recent NFL Draft go against each other. Last week it was the 2018 draft class that took center stage when Baker Mayfield and Saquon Barkley made their NFL debuts. We go back to the 2015 draft for this Week 2 preseason matchup between quarterbacks Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, who will be facing each other for the second time in their careers. The two started their NFL journey with a much anticipated game to open their rookie re... 

These teams will meet on Monday night in the regular season opener, so don’t expect many fireworks when the Oakland Raiders and Los Angeles Rams hook up in Week 2 of the preseason. It’s rare to see teams that play during the regular season have a preseason matchup, but that’s the case here. The Raiders will be playing their first game in the Coliseum since leaving Los Angeles and returning to the Bay Area following the 1994 campaign.... 

The Los Angeles Chargers might want to stop scheduling the Seattle Seahawks during the preseason. The teams have met 12 times for an exhibition game since 2002 and Seattle has won nine of those matchups, including the last six. We probably won’t see anything too exotic from these clubs when they meet in Week 2 of the preseason since they are scheduled to face each other in early November in the Pacific Northwest. We will get our first glimpse of Philip Rivers this year as he is set to make his s... 

Recent happenings in Columbus have shaken the college football world. But despite the uncertainty surrounding Urban Meyer, the Ohio State Buckeyes remain the favorite to capture another Big Ten title. The East Division is loaded with four of the five favorites playing on that side. Should the Buckeyes wilt under the pressure, Michigan, Penn State and Michigan State are all there to claim the division and reach the title game. ... 

Both teams showed they still have plenty of work to do if they want to enter the playoff conversation for the upcoming season. For the New York Giants it was much of the same for an offense that scored more points than only winless Cleveland last year. In a matchup with the Browns last week, the G-Men produced 10 points while dropping their preseason opener. After dropping a game in Oakland last week, rookie coach Matt Patricia will make his Detroit Lions home debut when his club entertains Big Blue in Week 2 preseason action. ... 

The Miami Dolphins are hoping the return of Ryan Tannehill and a remade roster can get them back to the postseason. Finally healthy and recovered from injuries, Tannehill played his first game since near the end of the 2016 season when he was behind center in the Fins preseason opener last week. He looked confident, mobile and excited to be back on the field. Now he needs to transfer those emotions to the rest of the team as they look to recover from a 6-win last season. Tannehill takes another step when the Fins visit the Carolina Panthers in Week 2 of the preseason. ... 

There have been plenty of issues with the Cleveland Browns over the years, but the biggest has to be their sad history with quarterbacks. However, it looks like they may have gotten one right for a change. After years of whiffs in the draft, the Brownies landed Baker Mayfield with the first overall pick in 2018. Making his NFL debut last week, Mayfield had a firm grasp of the offense, tossing a pair of touchdown passes in a Browns victory. Tyrod Taylor remains the team’s starter, according to Hue Jackson, but Mayfield will continue to get reps against the Buffalo Bills in Week 2 of the preseason. ... 

There is plenty of hype surrounding the New Orleans Saints entering the 2018 season. Several monster draft classes have restored the team to a version closely resembling the Super Bowl champs from several years ago rather than the club that won seven games in three consecutive years. One player who’s been around for it all is Drew Brees, but he’ll give way to a trio of players vying for the backup job when the Saints host the Arizona Cardinals in Week 2 of the preseason. ... 

It’s a rematch of the last Super Bowl in name only. Most of the players who made that a memorable contest will play very little if at all when the Philadelphia Eagles visit the New England Patriots in Week 2 of the preseason. Philly is being cautious with its quarterbacks having sat Carson Wentz and Nick Foles last week. Tom Brady has played sparingly in the preseason over the past several years, but could see his first action if his back is feeling better. And he’d love to get another crack at ...