FOOTBALL NFL ARTICLES

Dan Quinn knows what he has on his Atlanta Falcons roster, but he would certainly like to see more than what the group accomplished in its preseason opener. With Matt Ryan playing one series, and Julio Jones and Devonta Freeman not playing at all, the Falcons were shutout in a loss to the Jets. Quinn and Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid are more concerned with getting reps in specific situations rather than the outcome of the game, but the way both teams lost is unsettling. They will try to ge... 

If the Washington Redskins thought their injury woes from last season were behind them, they were sorely mistaken. It’s hard to say just how much they lost when Derrius Guice went down in last week’s game with an ACL injury since he hadn’t played a game. But a promising training camp was expected to translate into on-field production that would revamp the Skins running game. Now it’s back to the drawing board for Jay Gruden, who will search for answers beginning with the Skins Week 2 preseason g... 

If the Washington Redskins thought their injury woes from last season were behind them, they were sorely mistaken. It’s hard to say just how much they lost when Derrius Guice went down in last week’s game with an ACL injury since he hadn’t played a game. But a promising training camp was expected to translate into on-field production that would revamp the Skins running game. Now it’s back to the drawing board for Jay Gruden, who will search for answers beginning with the Skins Week 2 preseason game against the New York Jets. ... 

The Arizona Cardinals have only been under .500 once in the past five seasons but the oddsmakers believe a rebuilding year is on the horizon. The team’s coach, Bruce Arians, and its quarterback, Carson Palmer, both retired in January which has ushered in a new era. ... 

The Los Angeles Rams sneaked up on the NFL a year ago, making the playoffs despite low expectations. That won’t be the case this year as they are among the projected contenders in the NFC and have an over-under win total set in the double digits. ... 

The Seattle Seahawks have been one of the best teams in the NFL for several years but had a rough offseason, losing many key players either through injury or free agency. Star quarterback Russell Wilson is still around to lead the way but expectations are much lower this season than in the past. ... 

The San Francisco 49ers have been rebuilding for a few years but believe this season will show the fruits of that labor. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was fantastic down the stretch of 2017 after being acquired via trade and is a big reason why there is so much optimism in San Francisco. ... 

No team was struck with the injury stick more than the Washington Redskins last season, and that played a major part in them winning just seven games. Still, the fact that they won that many games with a decimated roster is promising as they look to eclipse that total in 2018. The team didn’t make many roster moves this offseason, but the big one involves the most important position on the field. After years of roster haggling with Kirk Cousins, the two parted ways and the Skins will look to Alex Smith to lead them back to the postseason. ... 

The Philadelphia Eagles snuck up on everybody last season to post a NFL-high 13 regular season victories, claim the NFC East title and win the ultimate prize, their first Super Bowl title. Repeating that glorious run will be difficult now that the target is on their back. Coming off a 7-win season and last place division finish in 2016, expectations weren’t exactly high. But the Eagles started to piece together a talented roster led by Carson Wentz. The QB wasn’t on the field during Philly’s memorable playoff run and that should make him hungry to win his own Lombardi Trophy. ... 

There’s always optimism when a team brings in a new coach and addresses one if its most crucial needs with a top draft pick. And that’s exactly the case with the New York Giants. But can Pat Shurmur clean up the mess left by former coach Ben McAdoo, and is Eli Manning still an elite quarterback at his advanced age? The G-Men are coming off a franchise record 13 losses last season and winning eight games might be too much to ask in 2018. ... 

There is good news and there is bad news for the Dallas Cowboys as they look to get back to the postseason after sitting out the festivities last year. The good news is that Ezekiel Elliott should be around for a full season, and that makes the offense much better. The bad news is that the passing game took a big hit with the retirement of Jason Witten and the release of Dez Bryant. The Boys won nine games last season, and if they get the 2016 Dak Prescott instead of the 2017 version, that number is well within reach this year. ... 

It’s easy to see why Dallas’ Ezekiel Elliott is the favorite to lead the NFL in rushing in 2018. As a rookie two years ago, Zeke exploded on the scene and topped the circuit with a Cowboys rookie record 1,631 yards, a total that was more than 300 yards better than what second place Jordan Howard amassed.... 

The evolution of the passing game in the NFL has led to some massive numbers. Last season six players had over 1,200 receiving yards and 15 topped the 1K plateau. More of the same is expected in 2018 and there are a number of talented pass-catchers who have the ability and play in a system that will allow them to record a league-high number.... 

The Arizona Cardinals didn’t go through a rebuild, but they will look a lot different than what we saw last season. The retirement of Bruce Arians and Carson Palmer reshaped the franchise and expectations have plummeted. But it’s not like the Cards were world beaters the past two years, failing to produce a winning record. In steps Steve Wilks as one of seven new head coaches this season, and Sam Bradford is the expected starter, though top pick Josh Rosen will push for playing time. The new-loo... 

Phase II of the New York Jets rebuild was complete when the team got its quarterback of the future in the recent draft. Many thought Sam Darnold would be the No. 1 overall pick back in April, but the Jets had their sights on the USC slinger and got him at third. Darnold is competing to be the Jets quarterback of the present and will get plenty of opportunities to show he’s the guy when the Jets take on the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1 of the preseason.... 

The Oakland Raiders dipped into their past to guide them into the future. The most successful coach the team has had since they returned to the Bay Area in 1995, Jon Gruden is back on the sideline after a nine-year stint in the broadcast booth. During his four seasons from 1998 to 2001, the Raiders never had a losing record and twice won the AFC West. In the 16 years in between stints, the Raiders have two winning seasons and one division title. Some fear Gruden’s old-school coaching tactics won... 

Talk about irony, Saturday’s preseason opener between the Minnesota Vikings and Denver Broncos is lathered in it. After taking the Vikes to the NFC Championship last season, Case Keenum was allowed to walk as the team looked to upgrade the position by signing Kirk Cousins. Keenum agreed to terms with Denver and will be facing his former team in his first game in a Broncos uniform. Keenum resurrected his career to become a starter for the first time and will be looked on by the Broncos to help th... 

Meaningless preseason games aren’t meaningless for players returning from injury. And the Houston Texans have several that can use some reps to get in game-shape. It was a season of what-ifs in 2017. What if Deshaun Watson didn’t get hurt? What if J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus were able to play a full season? And what if the Texans had a capable backup quarterback? We’ll never know the answers, but the Texans should be competitive in the AFC this season, as will the Kansas City Chiefs, who are breaking in a new quarterback. ... 

A classic rivalry from the 1990s may have some of its intrigue back now that both teams are actually considered playoff contenders. The San Francisco 49ers won only six games last season, but it was how the year ended that gives optimism to a beleaguered fan base. The Niners were gifted Jimmy Garoppolo halfway through last season, and once inserted as the starter, the former Tom Brady protégé led the team to five straight wins. For the first time in 15 years the Dallas Cowboys opened camp without Jason Witten and the tight end will be missed when the Boys travel to Santa Clara for Week 1 of the NFL preseason. ... 

The Indianapolis Colts are banking on the return of Andrew Luck to get them back to respectability. Frank Reich became a better coach when Luck was cleared to resume football activities after a lengthy absence due to a shoulder injury. Without Luck the Colts limped to a 4-12 record in 2017, costing Chuck Pagano his job. One of seven new coaches around the NFL this season, Reich brings a Super Bowl ring from his time with the Eagles, and he isn’t concerned that he was the team’s second choice. Reich’s debut takes place on Thursday against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1 of the preseason. ... 

The Los Angeles Rams accomplished plenty last season, posting their first winning record, playoff appearance and division title in over a decade. Sean McVay earned coach of the year honors by leading a remarkable turnaround, taking a franchise that was last in scoring the year before he arrived and making them first in 2017. But the price of success is steep. Offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur left and Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald is holding out. Still, the Rams had a busy offseason... 

The more things change the more they stay the same. Like last season and the season before, the roster turnover for the New England Patriots is high. But just like those seasons, and a whole bunch before that, the Pats are the team to beat in the AFC because of one guy – Tom Brady. There’s a good chance Brady doesn’t play in the Week 1 preseason opener against the Washington Redskins, and with no Jimmy Garoppolo as the backup, expect veteran Brian Hoyer to get plenty of reps.... 

Winning nine games and ending an eight-year playoff drought wasn’t enough for the Tennessee Titans to hang onto Mike Mularkey. Instead, they went a different direction with Mike Vrabel becoming the team’s fifth coach since 2010. The Green Bay Packers saw their streak of eight straight postseason appearances snapped last season, but there is reason for optimism with Aaron Rodgers back. We probably won’t see the two-time MVP in Week 1 of the preseason, but the Pack is looking for bigger things onc... 

For the first time in their history the Philadelphia Eagles enter a season as defending Super Bowl champions. They won the title last season with a backup quarterback and return most of the key pieces that led them to a win over New England in February. The biggest piece is Carson Wentz, who wasn’t around for Philly’s playoff run after tearing up his knee toward the end of last regular season. Doug Pederson said the team will be cautious with their QB during the preseason and it’s unlikely he plays against the Pittsburgh Steelers when the teams go at it in Week 1 of the exhibition slate. ... 

With expectations soaring around the New Orleans Saints ahead of the 2018 campaign, Sean Payton has elected to embrace what the prognosticators are saying by adopting the slogan ‘Prove Them Right’. The excitement for the Jacksonville Jaguars remains a bit tempered heading into the new season. That seems odd for a team that advanced to the AFC Championship last season and came within nine minutes of playing for a Super Bowl title. The teams will square off in Week 1 of the preseason on Thursday in an interconference tussle. ...