Here we look at a sample of the offensive players you should know who could make a splash in year one and walk away with the coveted title of Offensive Rookie of the Year. (Sorry offensive linemen, while you are crucial and underappreciated, we are not including you since the last time someone at your position won the award was, well, never.)

Kenny Pickett, QB. Pitt: Pickett is a co-favorite to win rookie of the year because he’s the most pro-ready of the available quarterbacks. Pickett comes off a spectacular senior season in which he produced 4,319 yards and 42 touchdowns. The mobile prospect could be snagged by a team like Carolina or Pittsburgh or Seattle and have a chance to be a Week 1 starter.

Malik Willis, QB, Liberty: A lot of folks are pegging Willis to the Steelers at no. 20 and with good reason. Willis has the highest ceiling of any quarterback. He’s a scary rushing weapon with a canon of an arm but is far from a polished prospect. Willis would be well positioned to sit behind Mitch Trubisky for a while and learn the ropes before jumping in mid-season or in 2023 and enjoying the Steelers crop of weapons.

Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State: As the best yards after the catch prosect in this draft, Wilson could be highly targeted if he lands on a team like Atlanta who lost Calvin Ridley. Or like Ja’Marr Chase last season, Wilson could also breakout on a high-powered offense that already boosts a nice slate of complementary players.

Drake London, WR, USC: The 6’4” athletic specimen is well set up for mismatches, especially given how well he uses his body (being a former basketball is a huge help). London may be the most complete receiver in the draft. 

Jameson Williams WR, Alabama: Yes, Williams is recovering from an ACL tear. But assuming he fully recovers, his speed and route running is going to help some lucky team improve its vertical threat game in a major way. 

Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State: Another Buckeye (it’s like they grow on tress in Columbus!). Olave has elite separation and should be an immediate deep threat at the next level. 

Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas: Burks could be Deebo Samuel 2.0. He comes off a senior season in which he put up over 1100 receiving yards and averaged 8.9 yards per rushing attempt. 

Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State: Oh hey, running backs are people too. And Hall might be the more versatile back in the class and would alleviate a lot of pressure from a quarterback. 

Kenneth Walker III, RB, Michigan State: Another complete back, Walker will make an immediate impact with his speed, agility and blocking abilities. 

The post NFL Draft 2022: OROY Contenders To Know appeared first on The Football Girl.

All four teams are also in the advantageous position of deep familiarity. The Bengals knocked off the Chiefs in Week 17, and the 49ers erased a 17-point deficit to topple the Rams in Week 18. As the final four games near, here’s a look at the matchups and intangibles that will go into deciding the slate for Super Bowl 56.

AFC Championship: Bengals at Chiefs, 3PM ET on CBS

While the latest odds for Super Bowl 56 put the Chiefs as favorites to hoist Lombardi, the Bengals have an air of destiny. It’s safe to say that Cincinnati made the right move by passing on offensive lineman Penei Sewell and instead selecting Ja’Marr Chase with the no. 5 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.   

Chase and Joe Burrow absolutely smoked the Chiefs in Week 17. Chase accounted for 266 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns out of Burrow’s 446 yard-4 TD total. These two have remained hot in the playoffs. 

The Chiefs will need to adjust but also need to provide answers for Burrow’s other weapons like Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd and C.J. Uzomah. The Chiefs defense, which evolved from one of the league’s worst to one of the best after acquired Melvin Ingram mid-season, has struggled in the past four weeks (granted two of those weeks were against the Bills and Bengals). But Tyrann Mathieu (concussion) is tracking to play which should help.

The Bengals offensive line was smoked last week by the Titans’ defensive front. Through a variety of stunts, Burrow was sacked a remarkable nine times (and they still won!). The Chiefs like to utilize the straight up blitz, which Burrow is a master at exploiting. Will the Chiefs study the Titans film and add a few more stunts?

There are no more adjectives left to describe what Patrick Mahomes can do with a football in his hands. He’s ridiculous. However, the Bengals figured out a way to hold Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce to 65 yards in Week 17. Obviously holding those two to anything in that ballpark would be a massive boost for the Bengals. 

Crowd noise at Arrowhead is a real x factor. The Bengals will need to watch for false starts and make sure their communication is tight.

NFC Championship: 49ers at Rams, 6:30ET on FOX 

Kyle Shanahan certainly has bragging right over his former assistant Sean McVay. The 49ers have beat the Rams a whopping six straight but none of the will matter if the Rams win at home on Sunday and host the Super Bowl in two weeks.

Cooper Kupp is going to have a day. Despite San Francisco’s impressive track record against the Rams, Kupp has feasted on the 49ers secondary, topping 100 yards every meeting against their nemesis this season. The 49ers have a top notch run defense (Sony Michel eked out just 43 yards on 21 carries in Week 18) so stopping the other Rams receivers like Odell Beckham Jr. and Tyler Higbee will be key.

Will the Rams be able to do the impossible and stop Deebo Samuel. Ever since Shanahan starting utilized Samuel as a multi-layer threat, he’s become arguably the most dangerous weapon in the game. The Rams couldn’t contain Samuel in Week 18 – he had 45 rushing yards, 85 receiving yards and a score. 

QB play: Matthew Stafford is the more respected quarterback in terms of ceiling goes but both of these quarterbacks are prone to at least one major mistake a game. But they both have proven to be clutch. Stafford made some aggressive, picture-perfect throws to seal the Rams’ win over Tampa, avoiding overtime. And Garoppolo, for all the heat he takes, led the 49ers on their game-winning drive last week as well.

Trent Williams’ health could be a major factor. The All-Pro left tackle has missed practice all week with a tweaked ankle but could suit up on Sunday. When Williams missed Week 18, Garoppolo was sacked three times. When he returned against Dallas, Garoppolo wasn’t sacked at all.

San Francisco likes to call SoFi Stadium, Levi’s South, a reference to the fact that the Rams’ home stadium turned into a sea of red in Week 18. The Rams tried to avoid a repeat by restricting ticket sales to Los Angeles zip codes for the NFC Championship early in the week but they were shamed into opening up sales to all. Given how well the 49ers travel, it’s doubtful SoFi will feel like the Rams House it strives to be. A repeat of red could be quite demoralizing to the home team. 

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The Fab Five

Simply put, this year’s rookie quarterback class is one of the most talented we’ve seen since RG3 and Andrew Luck took the league by storm, but even deeper. Trevor Lawrence has already shown flashes of being that unicorn that lives up to the “generational talent” label though he’ll have to muddle through some losing in Jacksonville first. Zach Wilson has impressed teammates. The Jets star is hoping to upset the Week 1 odds, as +6 point spread underdogs against The Panthers. Mac Jones, who could be his own category, looked like Mr. Accurate in the preseason. And Trey Lance and Justin Fields are dynamic playmakers waiting in the wings, probably not for long in Fields’ case. Collectively, this class has the makings of something very special to watch.

Can Tampa Bay repeat?

Tom Brady ages backwards and the Bucs did a masterful job retaining its key talent from last year’s Super Bowl. But repeating is nearly impossible. Of course the last team to do it was Brady’s Pats in 2004-2005. It also took Brady about half of last season to get acclimated to Byron Leftwich’s offense. Now with a mastery of the playbook, a few of his own touches to be sure, and a normal offseason to further coalesce, the Bucs may actually just be getting started. 

Aaron Rodgers’ swan song in Green Bay?

We are coming off one of the most explosive offseasons in recent memory thanks to Rodgers’ very public dissatisfaction with Packers’ brass. Rodgers was open and honest about not being consulted when it came to Mike McCarthy’s replacement and other major organizational decisions. He also felt disrespected when the Packers drafted Jordan Love in the 2020 draft. There was a lot of speculation that Rodgers might retire or just sit out the year but eventually the two sides came together. Rodgers was gifted a restructured deal that allows him to leave Green Bay after this season, and the team gave him other concessions including signing security blanket Randall Cobb. But the drama continues to simmer in Green Bay and Rodgers usually plays lights out when there is drama. 

NFC Wild West

This division is going to be so much fun. A strong case wrapped in positivity for any of these teams winning the division can be made, which is why it’s the NFL’s best division. Second place is not particularly close. The 49ers are healthy and have so much depth. The Rams got a major boost at quarterback. Reigning champ Seattle has an a top flight receiving corps and Russell Wilson, and the Cards are dynamic on both sides of the ball. The NFC West also has the gift of playing both the AFC South and NFC North. Don’t be surprised to see two wildcard teams emerge from this division. 

Covid-19. Ugh. 

Covid is still rearing its dangerous head and the NFL has stepped up to create a tiered system between the vaccinated and unvaccinated. Unlike last season when they rescheduled 18 games due to Covid outbreaks, Roger Goodell has said the league will not reschedule and teams will have to forfeit. Many clubs are close to full vaccination (the Bucs are at 100%) but too many have key players unwilling to be vaxxed. And even the vaccinated are susceptible to breakthrough infections. We’ve already seen an outbreak among the Titans this preseason, and the Cowboys will likely be without Pro Bowl guard Zack Martin in the season opener. Covid will have an impact this season, and as Tom Brady is predicting, it may be much more severe than last season. 

Drama in Minnesota

Continuing with the lovely subject of Covid, Vikes head coach Mike Zimmer has absolutely had it with known anti-vaxxer Kirk Cousins and his “oh, I’ll just chill behind plexiglass and be fine” nonsense. Cousins has alienated his head coach and a large chunk of his teammates, most of whom are vaxxed.  Cousins will play this season, and quite possibly very well, but is almost certainly a goner in the offseason.

The 17^th game has arrived

When the 17^th game rolls around for the first, it could seem like business as usual. Or it could riddled with a litany of injuries. Or it could be mostly meaningless because most divisions will have been clinched. Or it could be filled with final week drama that will feel even more intense because an extra game equates to a deeper narrative to get there. The uncertainty is circling with intrigue. 

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Yet here we are on Schedule Release Day (capitalized to honor the NFL’s ability to make this a thing). ESPN celebrated the day with THREE primetime specials, piggybacking on Good Morning America’s announcement of the Monday Night Football opener. Ravens at Raiders! NFL Network had wall-to-wall coverage with reporters galore. 

All of the coverage is a signal that even though smug observers like me scoff at the idea of release day being anything more than concocted fluff, enough of us were glued. I was. You probably were. Maybe it’s not the mere announcement of the games themselves that makes our football hearts sing but the idea that we can deeper visualize the season ahead. So with thoughts of 75-year-old Tom Brady kicking off the season against the possibly improved defense of the Dallas Cowboys dancing in my head, and the schedule grid fully filled out, let’s take a stab athwart will be the most anticipated game in all 18 weeks.

Week 1 : (Five-way tie ) Jacksonville at Houston, New York Jets at Carolina, San Francisco at Detroit, Miami at New England, Chicago at Los Angeles Rams 

There are juicier matchups from a football schematic standpoint but the debuts of the Fab Five (Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, Justin Fields and Mac Jones) – or some combination because all five may not be Week 1 starters – will be take center stage.  How will “generational” god Lawrence thrive in a system that’s not yet a machine? What about Lance, who has only played in one game since 2019? Will Fields finally be that Bears quarterback who doesn’t make the fanbase want to hurl a baseball at the televisions? We’ll get some semblance of a preview in the first week. 

Week 2: Kansas City at Baltimore, 8:20PM NBC

The Ravens are always in the AFC conversation but they’ll never reach the promised land if they can’t contain Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. That fiery Ravens defense will be looking to avenge for the four touchdowns they allowed Mahomes last season. And the Ravens defensive front will be an intriguing test for the Chiefs’ revamped offensive line which includes left tackle Orlando Brown (traded from Baltimore to Kansas City this offseason). But the big draw here is Mahomes vs. Lamar Jackson. It’s a must watch.

Week 3: Cincinnati at Pittsburgh, 1PM ET, CBS

When these teams faced off last December, the Bengals stunned the Steelers, stifling Ben Roethlisberger in the second half, and walking away with a 27-17 win and one of the most badass troll tweets of the season. 

That game was minus Joe Burrow who was on IR. Burrow will be back, this time with former LSU Tiger buddy Ja’Marr Chase.            

Week 4: Tampa Bay at New England, 8:20 ET, NBC

The AFC East and NFC South don’t play often so it’s fun that the world gets to see Brady’s return to New England before he walks into the sunset. The actual game itself may not be as entertaining as the hype unless Mac Jones already looks like Brady 2.0 but all the reminiscing about Brady’s 20-year domination in New England should be fascinating, or deeply painful, depending on your perspective. 

Week 5: Buffalo at Kansas City, 8:20 ET, NBC

If anyone is going to catch the Chiefs, there’s a decent shot it will be the Bills.  Buffalo saw its early lead in the AFC Championship evaporate before getting pounded 38-24. Still, Josh Allen vs. Mahomes is as good as it gets from a marquee quarterback perspective. 

Week 6: Green Bay at Chicago, 1PM ET, FOX

Ah, so many scenarios here! Perhaps Andy Dalton is struggling and Matt Nagy has to decide whether to try and save his job by inserting a not-quite-ready Fields. Perhaps Fields has already established himself as the most dominant rookie quarterback. Or perhaps Packers’ brass will be searching every corner of Chico, CA prepared to beg Rodgers for forgiveness and a return to action. Still, the NFL’s oldest rivalry has been so one-sided for what seems like 20 years now that any shift will be intriguing.  

Week 7: Detroit at Los Angeles Rams 4:05 ET, FOX

Normally a Jared Goff-Matthew Stafford matchup would be as thrilling as an overused default Zoom background. But now the the two quarterbacks swapped teams and the Rams parted with two first round draft picks for Stafford’s services. Goff must want to win this one soooooo badly. LA better win.

Week 8: Pittsburgh at Cleveland, 1PM ET, CBS

The tide has shifted in this rivalry that had no firepower during the 25 years the Browns were NFL bottomfeeders. Now Cleveland is potent with a great top-to-bottom roster and a quarterback they believe in, plus they are still dripping with swagger after dismantling Pittsburgh in last season’s wildcard round. 

Week 9: Green Bay at Kansas City, 4:25 ET, FOX

This will be the first regular season matchup featuring the star-studded quarterbacks assuming Rodgers is still a Packer. Rodgers is unhappy with the organization’s lack of fortitude in stacking the team, especially on offense. This is the type of loss that could really annoy no. 12.

Week 10: Seattle at Green Bay, 4:25 ET, FOX

A lot of Green Bay so far and a matchup against the Seahawks is no exception. These two have played some dramatic games over the years from the “Fail Mary” to the Packers’ epic collapse in the 2015 NFC Championship. No reason to think this game will be any different.

Week 11: Indianapolis at Buffalo, 1PM ET, CBS

The Bills have become a must watch and the Colts carry some intrigue of their own. They are handing the reins under center to Carson Wentz who is looking for a resurrection. But the Colts have also improved by filling several other team needs including pass rusher Kwitty Paye in the draft and left tackle and former no. 1 overall pick Eric Fisher. Both of these two teams are built to occupy the upper echelons of the AFC for many years.

Week 12: Cleveland at Baltimore, 8:20 ET, NBC

Excuse me while I kick back and watch highlights of last season’s Browns-Raves classic on a loop for the next 40 minutes. Jackson’s return from the locker to lead the Ravens to a 47-42 win was pure magic.

Week 13: Dallas at New Orleans, TNF, 8:20ET, FOX/NFLN/AMAZON

Come for the Sean Payton-to-Dallas rumors, stay for whatever drama is happening with Dallas at the time. (Or come ride the wave of a Cowboys turnaround, finally.)

Week 14: Buffalo at Tampa Bay, 4:25PM ET, CBS

Brady has tormented the Bills throughout his career racking up more wins (32) than against any other franchise. But now the Bills have some runway in the AFC East thanks to Brady’s departure. The Bucs’ stacked Super Bowl-winning defense should prove a formidable task for Josh Allen.

Week 15: New Orleans at Tampa Bay, 8:20 ET, NBC

NBC was awarded this game for a reason. IF James Winston has solidified himself as the Saints’ starter, this one is dripping with revenge.

Week 16: Jacksonville at New York Jets, 1PM ET, CBS

The Jags should be interesting either way because a) Trevor Lawrence is actually god and has already turned around the franchise or b) Lawrence has had trouble adjusting to losing. Either way, this is our first look at the Lawrence and Zach Wilson on the same field.

Week 17: Minnesota at Green Bay, 8:20ET, NBC

This has the making of a game with playoff implications, especially in year two of the expanded postseason berths. Who knows what Rodgers’ status and mindset will be at this point but at the very least Davante Adams and Justin Jefferson should be on the field.

Week 18: San Francisco at Los Angeles Rams, 4:25PM ET, FOX

Another one that theoretically could have playoff predictions. Kyle Shanahan always brings some extra offensive playbook mojo when he faces Sean McVay. The result has been four straight wins fro San Francisco, the last three of which were decided by less than a touchdown.

The post NFL Schedule Release: The Most Intriguing Game For Every Week appeared first on The Football Girl.

Let us begin in Chicago, a team former wideout Muhsin Muhammed once called “the place where receivers go to die.” Could their cavalcade of starting quarterbacks, which in the past 15 years include Rex Grossman, Kyle Orton, Jay Cutler, Josh McCown and Mitch Trubisky have anything to do with it? 

More of the Same in Chicago

The Chicago Bears continued their sorry history at QB by signing … nope, not Deshaun Watson, not Russell Wilson. They signed Andy “Red Rifle” Dalton. 

Former Bears linebacker Lance Briggs summed it up best. 

Dalton filled in admirably for Dak Prescott in Dallas last season but this is a team that desperately needs to get it right under center for like the first time in l40 years.  Dalton is not the answer; heck, he’s hardly an upgrade over Mitchell Trubisky. Perhaps Chicago adds to the quarterback room in next month’s draft but given that five quarterbacks are projected to go before the Bears at no. 20, it’s hard to see the position solidified this season. 

Just to pour salt on the wound of so many Bears fans, many that denounced their fanhood today, are multiple reports that Chicago made aggressive offers to the Seahawks for Wilson. Once they realized Seattle brass wasn’t budging, they moved on and signed Dalton. 

New England Not Standing Pat

Historically stingy Bill Belichick has been a man possessed in free agency thus far. It’s like he’s operating as if his quarterback room is going to be clogged with players on rookie deals. 

Where to begin. Well, newly extended Cam Newton might be the biggest winner of them all (assuming he’s the starter) because the Pats LOADED up on badly needed offensive weapons or at least who have the potential to be weapons. New England signed the top two tight ends on the market on the market: Former Titan Jonnu Smith (4 years, $50 million) and former Charger Hunter Henry (3 years, $27.5 million). They also added wideouts Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne. 

The Pats’ biggest defensive signing thus far is linebacker Matthew Judon who will pair nicely with D’onta Hightower who is returning after opting out of last season. Other players added include safety Jalen Mills, defensive tackle Devon Godchaux, defensive tackle Henry Anderson. 

This flurry of activity goes against Belichick precedent but given that last season’s Pats were pedestrian across the board, it was clear a roster shake up was in order. Can’t wait to see what Belichick does in the draft. 

Jags are Roarin’ 

Do Jaguars roar? I guess they do, right? Well, Lions definitely do and former Lion Marvin Jones joined Jacksonville after five seasons in Detroit. The always productive Jones put up 978 yards and nine touchdowns last season.

The rebuilding Jags added more veteran leadership when they acquired defensive lineman Malcolm Brown via trade with the New Orleans Saints. 

Another Life for Fitz

Quick. Name a team Ryan Fitzpatrick hasn’t played for. It’s gets harder by the year as team after team bow at the feet of the magical one. The Washington Football Team will be Fitzpatrick’s NINTH team. They signed the 38-year-old to a one-year deal worth $10 million. Fitzpatrick found success in Miami last season before being benched for Tua Tagovailoa. This go around he’ll be in a scintillating quarterback competition trying to fend off Kyle Allen and Taylor Heinicke. Earlier this month WFT released Alex Smith. I’m still not entirely sure why. 

Awkward…

A month after the Rams and Lions swapped quarterbacks, the teams are at it again, this time with the Rams sending veteran defensive lineman Michael Brockers to Detroit. 

In theory, it should be a sweet reunion with former Rams quarterback Jared Goff except Brockers, presuming he would stay with the Rams, recently burned Goff with this comment to Good Morning Football about LA acquiring Matthew Stafford: “We feel like with his move, this will be the turning point to where we can just win the big game.”

The post Free Agency 2021: Bears QB Saga Rolls On appeared first on The Football Girl.

THE BASICS

How to Watch Super Bowl LV on Television

Super Bowl LV, featuring the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will kickoff at approximately 6:30 PM ET and will air on CBS.  Jim Nantz and Tony Romo will have the call in the booth and be joined by sideline reporters Tracy Wolfson and Evan Washburn, special teams analyst Jay Feely, and rules analyst Gene Steratore. 

CBS will have a full slate of pregame coverage starting with That Other Pregame Show (TOPS) at 11:30 AM ET. CBS’s The Super Bowl Today pregame show will begin at 2 PM ET. Every other sports network will have wall-to-wall Super Bowl coverage.

How to Listen to Super Bowl LV on Radio

Westwood One (Sirius XM 88) will feature Kevin Harlan and Kurt Warner calling the game with Laura Okmin and Tony Boselli serving as sideline reporters. 

Nickelodeon on Super Bowl Weekend

While we didn’t get our wish of a big game simulcast comparable to the wildcard showstopper, Viacom was smart enough to incorporate some Nick into its Super Bowl programming. Nickelodeon is airing a pregame special all weekend long starring Gabrielle Nevaeh Green and Lex Lumpkin, who were also part of the playoff broadcast. At 5:31 ET. CBS’s pregame show will feature a Nick special segment of Unfiltered with Nevaeh Green, Lumpkin, Jay Pharaoh, and a few surprise NFL stars. Plus there will be Nickafied aspects to the broadcast.

The Performances!

The NFL is trotting out a stellar lineup of artists. As is pandemic was going to dampen the NFL’s pageantry.

• Miley Cyrus will headline the NFL’s TikTok tailgate show.
• Youth poet laureate Amanda Gorman will be reciting an original poem honoring the three community heroes chosen as honorary captains.
• Jazmine Sullivan and Eric Church will be performing the National Anthem
• The anthem will be proceeded by a performance of America The Beautiful from Grammy-winner H.E.R
• The Weeknd will headline the Super Bowl halftime show

SBLV By the Numbers 

3: Number of TOTAL points Tom Brady-led Super Bowl teams have scored in the first quarter in the Super Bowl

5: Patrick Mahomes’s age when Tom Brady was drafted

6: Interceptions by Tyrann Mathieu. The most by an NFL safety this season

10: Number of times it’s taken Shaq Barrett two or less seconds to beat his block. This is the most in a single playoff run.

12: Number of games in a row Kansas City has won with Patrick Mahomes starting

7500: Number of vaccinated health care workers thew NFL has invited to watch the Super Bowl live from Raymond James Stadium

Tampa Bay’s Best Chance to Win

The Bucs’ pass rush – led by Jason Pierre-Paul, Shaq Barrett, and Ndamukong Suh – has been a force as of late. In the NFC Championship, the blitzmeisters were able to pressure Aaron Rodgers on a third of his drop-backs. Like Rodgers, Mahomes is a master at extending plays and making magic happen. But…that’s going to be a bit harder due to the monumental loss of Pro Bowl left tackle Eric Fisher who tore his ACL in the NFC Championship. Fill in Mike Remmers is a fine enough player but still a big downgrade from Fisher. Right tackle Mitchell Schwartz will also miss the game due to injury

Oh, also there’s that Tom Brady guy who has a history of catching fire in the second half of Super Bowls.

Kansas City’s Best Chance to Win

Put up points early and often and also late. The Chiefs scorched the Bucs in the first quarter of their Week 12 matchup. In what felt like a blink of an eye, Tyreek Hill has amassed 200 receiving yards and the Chiefs scored 17 points. Given the start, it’s bonkers to think they only won 27-24. Then Tampa made adjustments and the Chiefs offense went quiet. Still, the Chiefs know they have the offensive personnel to stymie the Bucs’ secondary. Figuring out how to cover Hill or Travis Kelce is a painful Figuring out how to cover both is a nightmare. 

Score Prediction

In Tom We Trust Bucs 29 Chiefs 27 

The post Complete Guide to Super Bowl LV appeared first on The Football Girl.

Odds for all Conference Championship games are tight, with the home teams having a slight edge. That’s because all four feature elite quarterbacks and a plethora of stars. Both the AFC and NFC Championship are rematches of Week 6 when the Chiefs topped the Bills 26-17 and Tampa Bay blew out Green Bay 38-10.

Below is a snapshot at both matchups and why we should ignore what happened in mid-October. 

AFC Championship: Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs

6:40 ET CBS

When these two teams met earlier this season, it was take three. The game was rescheduled multiple times due to COVID. But the most significance difference between then and now is then Patrick Mahomes was healthy, now he is not. Mahomes will play on Sunday. He already practiced this week, is likely to be more tentative given how woozy he was when concussed last weekend, not to mention his lingering toe injury from the Cleveland game which had an impact in the divisional round. 

Wait a sec…this is Patrick freakin’ Mahomes we’re taking about, and even at 65% his talent towers over everyone. It also helps to have Tyreek Hill, the possible return of Clyde Edwards-Helaire, and Travis Kelce who might be the NFL’s toughest player to cover. That said, the Bills defense was the top unit out of last week’s divisional round, the pass rush and safety play was especially top notch effectively eliminating any semblance of an air game for Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. 

Josh Allen, evolved beyond belief this season, didn’t have his finest outing last week. But he’s already a proven commodity when it comes to patience, locating second and third reads, and using his physicality to his advantage. It all adds up to eliminating the mistakes that plagued him in the first two years in the NFL. Of course, the addition of Stefon Diggs has been immeasurable.  Talk about a matchup problem. 

There are plenty of stars in this game but the outcome’s really going to come down to whether or not Allen and the Bills can keep drives alive and keep the Chiefs’ powerful offense off the field. 

The home crowd of appx 22,000 sounding like 100,000 helps the Chiefs a lot, as does the precedence of home field domination in the championship round – the home team has won six out of the last seven games. But this has been a strange season and not much has gone according to plan. It’s hard to bet against Mahomes and the brilliance of Andy Reid but there’s something magical about the Bills this season and because Mahomes is just a little gimpy, I’ll take Buffalo.

Bills 37 Chiefs 31

NFC Championship: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Green Bay Packers

3:05 ET FOX

The Bucs will not blow out Green Bay again for two obvious reasons. 1) Davante Adams was dealing with an injury in their first matchup. A healthy Adams is a complete gamechanger. 2) More Importantly, Aaron Rodgers threw two interceptions within ninety seconds. The interceptions happened but are unlikely to be repeated considering Rodgers only threw five picks the entire season.

43-year-old Tom Brady is still very much alive and the Bucs finally found their offensive grove. His offensive line has been quite effective ,though keeping Za’Darius Smith away is going to pose a huge challenge. The attention will be on Brady and his trove of receivers but it’s going to be up to the line, plus Ronald Jones and Leonard Fournette to control the clock and keep Rodgers sidelined. 

As for Rodgers and company, his connection with Davante Adams has been as good as any in the league this season. The Bucs will likely double-team Adams, leaving Allen Lazard and Marques Valdez-Scantling available for a few massive plays. Rodgers has been a top 3 quarterback for a decade now but this season he’s been otherworldly. What separates Rodgers this year is consistently. Rodgers has been in the MVP conversation in several seasons only to go on a frustrating mistake-prone streak. There are no negative narratives about Rodgers this season. Aided by a stellar offensive line, his ability to not only read a field faster and in more depth than anyone and drop perfects dimes as if it’s easy has been remarkable. It’s been a while, but this is Rodgers year to return to the Super Bowl.

Packers 45 Bucs 35

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Yet there are plenty of players and storylines that emerged and are worth following in Week 2 and beyond. Week 2 NFL point spreads are live, with the Bears & Titans heavy favorites. With the action soon approaching let’s look a few of those intriguing storylines to keep an eye on.

Is Tom Brady 43 going on 43?

Brady looked a 43-year-old quarterback in his much-awaited debut with Bucs – slow, immobile, and lacking zip on the ball. Brady threw two interceptions in the game, one a miscommunication with Mike Evans, the other a wrong decision that led to a pick six. Quite frankly, the performance itself wasn’t shocking given that Brady was not exactly a juggernaut under center last year. NFL training camps were tightened and more restrictive, and this was Brady’s first go with a new team and head coach in 20 years. But still, the Bucs signed Brady and paired him with an explosive offense to play for a Super Bowl now. Head coach Bruce Arians publicly and oddly expressed his displeasure with Brady’s Bucs debut. Whether Brady still has the tools and situation to add to his ring collection is already in doubt. 

Minshew the Magnificent

So why did we question the Jaguars’ decision to roll with Gardner Minshew as their starting quarterback again? Minshew put on a quarterback clinic against the Colts, throwing three touchdowns and racking up only one incompletion (which was a drop by rookie WR Laviska Shenault, who was also sensational). Keeping up the efficiency against the Titans may be a more difficult task. Tennessee has owned Jacksonville in recent years, winning four of the last five matchups. 

No Golden Touch for the 49ers

Week 1’s loss to Arizona was an utter disaster for the reigning NFC Champions. CB Emmanuel Moseley was smoked by DeAndre Hopkins all game, DeForest Buckner was heavily missed up front, and Jimmy Garoppolo looked as if he had regressed. To be fair, San Francisco was and is dealing with a plethora of injuries including to Richard Sherman, who was placed on IR this week and its entire receiver corp. But Garoppolo’s poor decision making and sheer inaccuracy, coupled with the defense’s inability to adjust to Kyler Murray on the run, should be worrisome for a team that is trying to defend the best division in football. A loss to the Jets and an 0-2 record would be a massive blow.

The Return of Cam

The Patriots on the decline? Yeah right. Cam Newton’s Pats debut went as well as could be expected. He showed no signs of lingering health issues coming off shoulder and foot surgeries, acting as another running back for New England with 75 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground. Newton was efficient and not overly flashy in the passing game, letting the Pats top notch defense control the action. A healthy Newton making smart decisions and moving with ease is the ideal gift for Bill Belichick in the post-Brady era. Now that Newton appears comfortable in the starter role, let’s focus on the far most important question: Will Newton and Belichick dress up like each other for Halloween? 

Will Kicking Improve? 

After an exhilarating but exhausting weekend of NFL action, Titans’ Stephen Gostkowski gave his team and the whole NFL world heart palpations Monday night as he trotted out to attempt a 25-yard game-winner after missing FOUR field goals. Gostkowski made it, the Titans won and he kept his job, but the journey to victory was not pleasant. 

More misery was rooted in the state of miserable professional football known as Ohio. The Bengals’ Randy Bullock missed a 31-yd game-tying kick and then grabbed his leg insisting he had a cramp. Not everyone bought that excuse. Meanwhile in Cleveland, Austin Seibert missed all of kicks in Week 1 and quickly released. The Bengals picked up Seibert in case Bullock isn’t a go on Thursdays night and the Browns signed a familiar name who still brings a tear to another Midwest franchise – Cody Parkey. 

The aforementioned kickers were not alone – all told there were 19 missed kicks in Week 1. It marked the worst collective performance by kickers in a decade.  

The post Top Storylines to Watch in Week 2 and Beyond appeared first on The Football Girl.

What we do know is that the NFL plans to play this season and that 32 teams are slotted to play 16 regular season games. That means that it’s never an inappropriate time to consider how all the teams shape up. 

SportsBettingDime’s Week 1 odds provide a nice glimpse into the NFL’s hierarchy as the season begins. We’re taking the baton and taking a stab at how the NFL will stack up at season’s end. 

Disclaimer: These early power rankings are definitely not wrong. 

32) Cincinnati Bengals

Joe Burrow, the quarterback prospect with the best odds for changing the Bengals’ trajectory, was the obvious choice at no. 1. A.J. Green gracing the field also helps. But the lack of crucial in person offseason work for the rookie is going to hinder his immediate impact.

31) Jacksonville Jaguars

Starting quarterback Gardner Minshew and a coach who enters the season on the hot seat. No thank you. 

30) Carolina Panthers

These Panthers have a new feel with Teddy Bridgewater under center and Matt Rhule gracing the sidelines. The team invested heavily in its defense during the draft but a turnaround still feels at least a year away.

29) New York Jets

The offensive line should receive a boost after the Jets drafted Mekhi Becton but the Jets offense really needed some upgrades this offseason. 

28) Washington Redskins

Love the addition of Chase Young who can single-handedly disrupt an offense. Ron Rivera’s presence will only fortify a talented defense and improve the whole organization’s culture. But Dwayne Haskins has a ways to go before this team starts collecting wins en masse. 

27) Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons lost more this offseason (Desmond Trufant, Devonta Freeman, Vic Beasley, Auston Hooper) than it gained (Todd Gurley and his mysterious knee, Dante Fowler, Hayden Hurst). Add in a presumably much improved Bucs team on the schedule twice plus the Saints and the number of winnable games begin to shrink.  

26) Miami Dolphins

Judging by last year the organization has bought into Brian Flores, and if Tua Tagovailoa in anywhere near the QB they expect, the Dolphins will take a nice leap. But like Burrow, the rookie will likely be hampered by a mostly virtual offseason.

25) Detroit Lions

With offensive line issues remaining and Matthew Stafford’s shaky back, there’s little reason to believe this team makes a drastic leap from its dismal 3-win season a year ago. 

24) Los Angeles Chargers 

Per usual, the Chargers were burned by injuries during last season’s 5-11 campaign. They should be healthier (how can they not?) but their success or failure ultimately boils down to Tyrod Taylor under center. 

23) New York Giants

The G-Men have a solid foundation in Daniel Jones and the electrifying Saquon Barkley. New rookie tackle Andrew Thomas is a gift to them both. But many questions abound elsewhere from corner Deandre Baker’s armed robbery case to the qualifications of rookie head coach Joe Judge. 

22) Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders got more dynamic and explosive on offense, using the 12^th overall pick on WR Henry Ruggs III, drafting RB Lynn Bowden in the third round and adding wideout Bryan Edwards in the third. Unfortunately the same boost can’t be said about the defensive line.  

21) Los Angeles Rams

Having Aaron Donald on your roster is always positive not to mention Jalen Ramsey. But issues remain on the offensive line – LT Andrew Whitworth isn’t getting younger – and it’s hard to be fully sold on Jared Goff at this point.      

20) Cleveland Browns

Kevin Stefanski is a coaching upgrade. The Browns solidified the offensive line by drafting Jedrick Wills, and they have an excess of talent (Odell Beckham, Myles Garrett, etc). But they’re the Browns, something will go awry.

19) Chicago Bears

The Bears should be a juggernaut on defense and signing Germain Ifedi will bolster the offensive line but the Trubisky-Foles battle doesn’t inspire much confidence.

18) Denver Broncos

John Elway believes in Drew Lock so much he bought him a litany of toys this offseason. Melvin Gordon in free agency, Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler in the draft. If Elway finally got his quarterback choice right, the Broncos will hold their own in an explosive division.  

17) Houston Texans

Hard to argue with ESPN’s Bill Barwell who named the Texans’ offseason as the NFL’s worst. You don’t trade away the NFL’s best wideout in DeAndre Hopkins and not even get a first-rounder to show for it.  And you don’t overpay for a bunch of players of average impact. But that’s exactly what Bill O’Brien did. 

16) Arizona Cardinals

With DeAndre Hopkins and Isaiah Simmons in the desert, and Kyler Murray with a season under his belt, the Cardinals should automatically improve on their 5-10-1 record from last season.

15) New England Patriots

A toughie as the Patriots enter a new era without Tom Brady.  In a bit of a surprise, the Pats are content rolling with Jarrett Stidham. They’ll also be stung by the loss of three of their starting front seven on defense, But they still play in a weak AFC East and still master coaching technician Belichick running the show. 

14)  Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings drafted well and added Justin Jefferson and Jeff Gladney to replace Stefon Diggs and a triumvirate of corners, respectively. But those are big shoes to fill across the board. 

13) Tennessee Titans

Last year was a combination of great coaching and happenstance. Mike Vrabel knew when to turn to Ryan Tannehill, and Derrick Henry developed into the most dangerous and prolific non-QB in the league. The loss of Jurrell Casey will sting but the Titans have improved in others area, notably beefing up their offensive line. 

12) Indianapolis Colts

Terrific offseason for Chris Ballard who traded for interior weapon DeForest Buckner, signed Philip Rovers and drafted intriguing skills players in Michael Pittman and Jonathan Taylor. Indy is as set up as any team in the AFC to occupy the top of the second tier behind Kansas City and Baltimore. 

11) Tampa Bay Buccaneers

One of the more intriguing teams of 2020, Brady and Gronk will provide a boost and an expectation of success. But Devin White, Vita Vea and company are also poised to carry this team to a respectable season. 

10) Green Bay Packers

Jordan Love? WHY???? The Packers really needed defensive help in the draft. But they still have Aaron Rodgers and enough talent in a non-juggernaut division to win a lot of games.

9) Seattle Seahawks

Pass rush. Pass rush. Pass rush. Boy, do the Seahawks need one. 28 sacks in 2019. Yikes. Jadeveon Clowney remains a free agent but reportedly hasn’t talked to Seahawks brass in months. Despite some defensive issues, ss long as Russell Wilson’s under center, Seattle is always a playoff contender. 

8) Buffalo Bills

Love the addition of Stefon Diggs and bolstering the defensive line. If Josh Allen continues to take even incremental steps, Buffalo might finally snatch the AFC East from the Patriots, a title New England has owned since 2008. 

7) Dallas Cowboys

Dallas impressed during the draft getting great value in WR CeeDee Lamb in the first round, CB Trevon Diggs in the second and DE Neville Gallimore in the third. Mike McCarthy replacing Jason Garrett could prove a massive impact as well. 

6) Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles took care of their biggest hole by trading for talented corner Darius Slay. They also added more weapons for Carson Wentz in the draft. But why did they take Jalen Hurts in the second round? 

5) Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers won 8 games in 2019 with Ben Roethlisberger sidelined. A healthy Big Ben is back and the teams added more weapons including rookie wideout Chase Claypool. 

4) New Orleans Saints

Drew Brees is returning and made amends with his teammates after ill-conceived comments about not supporting those who kneel for the anthem. Brees could always meet a sharp decline but here’s guessing he doesn’t. Add in the most complete roster in football , which now includes Emmanuel Sanders as the second receiver, and the Saints are sitting pretty. 

3) San Francisco 49ers

A few questions remain under center about Jimmy Garoppolo but the 49ers have elite coaching (except in Super Bowls). They also nicely filled the holes of retired Joe Staley (Trent Williams) and traded DeForest Buckner (Javon Kinlaw). They might be a slot higher with a proven elite wideout. 

2) Baltimore Ravens

Rookie Patrick Queen could help fortify a defense that already has a lot of strength including new Raven Calais Campbell who was acquired via trade. [We would drop some doting adjectives for Lamar Jackson in this space but there are none left.)

1) Kansas City Chiefs

With a Super Bowl-winning roster kept largely intact, the Chiefs should be the least impacted by Coronavirus-shortened workout programs. As long as Patrick Mahomes is under center, this team should always be the favorite. 

The post NFL Power Rankings: Chiefs, Ravens Battle For AFC Supremacy appeared first on The Football Girl.

But the reasons this is the best Super Bowl matchup in years delve deeper than good offense vs. good defense. Welcome to football heaven!

Advantage: No one

All this week you’ve seen positional comparisons like Travis Kelce vs. George Kittle, Frank Clark vs. Nick Bosa and of course Mahomes vs. Garoppolo. This stuff makes for great television promos and network fodder but has little to do with the game outcome. Mahomes doesn’t face Garoppolo; he faces the 49ers front. Deebo Samuel and Emmanuel Sanders face the Chiefs, not Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins. 

While Mahomes over Garoppolo seems like a big advantage (more on that in a moment), no position groups actually facing off in this Super Bowl hold a sizable advantage. The Chiefs are inherently well-positioned when they trot out Mahomes with his unique talents but San Francisco’s speedy, savvy front four will be his biggest test this season. If Dee Ford, Nick Bosa (9 sacks), Arik Armstead (10 sacks) and DeForest Buckner can neutralize Mahomes without extra help, the Chiefs electric pass game may also be slowed. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, 16 of Mahomes’s 17 NFL interceptions have come with 4 or less rushers. Players from both sides have touted their speed all week, knowing the winner in that department is primed to be hoisting Lombardi.

And there’s so much more! The 49ers running attack is powerful, most recently highlighted by Raheem Mostert’s 220 yards and 4 touchdowns in the NFC Championship. But the Chiefs have significantly improved their run defense, and remarkably held Derrick Henry to 69 yards rushing in the AFC Championship (that’s equivalent to holding Mahomes to 100 passing yards). The 49ers run game which features misdirections and motion vs. Henry’s up the gut style poses a problem for any defense. The Chiefs are motivated by this notion of an advantage for San Francisco.

“That’s what gives me an edge, and what keeps me going,” Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones told USA Today. “The doubters. The naysayers. The people who don’t believe. The critics. The analysts who say the Chiefs don’t have enough — that’s what keeps me going.

A coaching masterclass

Worthy of its own category, these teams are helmed by two of the most inventive, respected head coaches in the NFL.  Reid has long been an offensive innovator, bred from the West Coast Offense, but always incorporating modern ideas. Reid’s 207-128-1 career record, sixth all-time in the win department, is rooted in his ability to be malleable. Mahomes is a generational talent, of course, but it was Reid re-catering his offense to Mahomes’s strengths that helped the young quarterback soar quickly.  The fruits of Reid’s success as a strategist can be seem in a successful coaching tree featuring John Harbaugh, Brad Childress, Ron Rivers and Doug Pederson.

After bombing with Jim Tomsula and Chip Kelly in the post Jim Harbaugh era, 49ers owner Jed York finally got it right when he hired Kyle Shanahan. Shanahan is not only a brilliant playcaller, he’s meticulous and cunning about taking every advantage be it an angle or a positional shift. Like Reid, Shanahan has installed a top notch culture in San Francisco rooted in mutual respect. 49ers players have continuously sung his praises this week. 

“You can see how much he cares about you.”

49ers players have been describing Kyle Shanahan’s greatness all week. Here’s @mmcglinch68: pic.twitter.com/Ad5koaDvDP

— Melissa Jacobs (@thefootballgirl) January 30, 2020

The Jimmy question

 Garoppolo doesn’t care that he only threw 77 yards in the NFC Championship, no reason to start lobbing up passes when your defense is racking up a gashing 6.8 yards per rush. But his numbers, while irrelevant, have amplified the conversation around just how good he is.  49ers teammates get chippy when the question is asked as they believe it’s absurd and have upmost confidence in their quarterback. 

Garoppolo is not Mahomes (who is?) but he’s displayed a command of the pocket more times than not this season. He also grew into a gamer as the regular season wore on, playing his best game against the Saints to help solidify the number one overall seed.

But the fact is Garoppolo only has 26 career starts (24 with San Francisco) which is hardly enough time to draw absolutes on what he’ll bring Sunday.

The No Hater Bowl

If there’s a thorn missing from this year’s Super Bowl, it’s the absence of the New England Patriots. Four of the past five Super Bowls, Bill Belichick and his band have clogged half of football’s biggest spectacle. Most of the football zeitgeist found this foregone conclusion anywhere from frustrating to annoying. Having fresh blood in the AFC led by a lovable coach a young all-world quarterback who has the ability to bring in new fans is a major win-win for the NFL. 

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