:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25833999/Screenshot_2025_01_15_at_4.25.41_PM.png?w=1200&resize=1200,677&ssl=1 "Eagles-Rams playoff preview: 18 things to watch in Sunday’s Divisional Round game")
Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Predicting the winners of this week’s football matchups. The 2024 NFL season is HERE! Football is back and so are the Bleeding Green Nation writers’ picks. Every week, we’ll predict the winners of every game on the schedule. We’ll tally the results along the way and see who comes out on top at the end of the season. Feel free to post your own predictions or discuss the writer predictions in the comments. You, the reader, can also join in on the fun by voting for who you think will win the games (scroll down for polls). I’ll tally those results in a “BGN Community” section under our picks table generated by Tallysight. The community finished in second place again last year. That was behind John Stolnis as the overall winner. John prevented my threepeat … just like I had previously prevented his. Let’s see if there’s finally a non-BLG or non-Stolnis winner for the first time in a long time! When it comes to this week’s Philadelphia Eagles game, the Birds were three-point favorites earlier this week but that line has since shrunk to two points on FanDuel. Uh oh. For the Eagles’ sake, I don’t like the line moving in Green Bay’s favor. For my sake, I was already taking the Packers to win, so … MAKE YOUR PICKS Vote for your picks below. (If you can’t see the polls, click here and open the article from the front page.)
NFL Week 1 Game Picks
3 bold predictions for Rams season opener against the Lions
Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports Rams get immediate help from their rookie defensive linemen, Jared Verse and Braden Fiske Will the Los Angeles Rams be able to take down the team that took them out of the Super Bowl race or will they fall short like last time? With a new season upon us and plenty of new and some familiar faces on both teams only time will tell. For now though, here are some bold predictions for the Rams season opener against the Lions on Sunday Night Football to get your mind racing on what is to come. Jared Verse and Braden Fiske get their first sacks of their career The Rams reconfigured defensive line has been a question mark all offseason long after Aaron Donald’s retirement from the game—on Sunday the questions will be answered. Both Jared Verse and Braden Fiske have gotten their flowers in the offseason sessions but none of that will matter this Sunday when the real action starts. Physical. Explosive. Fast. Matthew Stafford gives his thoughts on rookie DT Braden Fiske. pic.twitter.com/bPSYrB32AM — Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) August 2, 2024 There will not be any “gimmes” in Week 1 for the Rams young rushers because the Detroit Lions have one of the best offensive lines in football. They will of course miss Jonah Jackson, LA’s newest center, but their fortress is guarded by two of the best linemen in Penei Sewell and Frank Ragnow. Last year Sewell was PFF’s highest ranked lineman regardless of position and Ragnow was the highest rated center in the league. In 2023 the unit has a whole ranked fourth in sacks given with just 31. The Rams defense did have some success against Detroit’s offensive line in last year’s NFC Wild Card game with three total sacks, however, two of those sacks did come from Ernest Jones who is no longer with the team. Jared Verse man… has All-Pro written all over him. He’s been DOMINATING for the Rams in the late offseason. Can’t wait to see him wreak havoc as preseason begins. pic.twitter.com/925SAHRSii — NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) August 9, 2024 Verse and Fiske are both eager to get on the field and both have something to prove. Verse was LA’s only first round pick since Jared Goff was taken in 2016 and General Manager Les Snead used a package of draft picks to move up in the second round to pick up Fiske in a move that many claim to be one of the most expensive second round transactions in recent memory. None of that will matter if the former FSU teammates hit their mark on Sunday which I believe they will. My Prediction: Both Fiske and Verse get their first sack of their careers against the Lions O-Line. Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff combine for 15 or fewer incompletions In last year’s playoff game Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff combined for 644 passing yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions with a combined passing rating of 121.3 and between the two only contributed 16 incompletions on 63 attempts. I did the math—that’s a 74.6% completion rate. Could we see a similar stat line on Sunday? Neither Stafford or Goff played any snaps in the preseason and may need to shake some rust off in Week 1 but it shouldn’t take too long for them to find their groove. Last year Stafford had 14 incompletions on 38 attempts but threw for 334 yards in a opening win against the Seattle Seahawks without Cooper Kupp in the lineup. Goff was 23 of 35 with 253 yards passing in Detroit’s surprising upset in their road opener against the Kansas City Chiefs with Jahmyr Gibbs seeing limited playing time in his first game as a rookie. Both quarterbacks had strong starts to the season despite limited playing time in the offseason. Rust may not matter too much with both QBs going against an unproven secondary. We are one week away from #Rams vs #Lions rematch. Let’s highlight Puka just beautifully tearing up the Lion’s backs! pic.twitter.com/JVBTEUYYst — East Coast Rams Pod (@EastCoastRams) September 1, 2024 The Rams did a complete overhaul of their secondary with the additions of Tre’Davious White, Darious Williams, and Kameron Curl but the groups have had little playing time together and may need a few games to get rolling. The same goes for the Lions who have had some injuries in their secondary in the offseason that kept the group from developing with each other in camp. Some of those injuries will continue in the regular season with Ifeatu Melifonwu still dealing with an undisclosed ailment. Despite swapping teams just three years ago both quarterbacks have proven that they are two of the best at their position in the NFC and can carve a defense with lethal accuracy, which is why I am predicting that they throw 15 or fewer incompletions combined in Week 1. Kyren Williams takes a punt return to the house McVay said in his press conference on Tuesday that Kyren Williams will be the team’s primary punt returner to start the season. “It’s another opportunity for him to get touches and impact the game,” McVay said. “And you feel comfortable with that because of the confidence in… pic.twitter.com/zsh7WzwJyD — RambLAng Man (@RambLAngMan) August 28, 2024 Sean McVay has a proven record as a young head coach and has given the fan base no reason not to trust his decisions, but man, does he make it hard sometimes. It was originally predicted that punt returner duties would go to either free agent signing Boston Scott or standout preseason receiver Xavier Smith but with neither of them on the 53-man roster the responsibility has fallen on LA’s star running back, Kyren Williams. “Anytime you can put the ball in a playmaker’s hand you’re going to be happy about it. If [Kyren Williams] is touching the ball it is good for the Rams,” Mike LaFleur explained. #Rams OC Mike LaFleur on Kyren Williams returning punts: “Any
5 players who will make the Ravens more explosive in 2024
5 players who will make the Baltimore Ravens more explosive in 2024 5 players who will make the Ravens more explosive in 2024 glenn erby With the start of the NFL season just hours away, the Baltimore Ravens are set to take the field with a powerful combination of elite athleticism and power at Key positions. The Ravens added explosive depth on both sides of the football and added dynamic speed in the draft via Nate Wiggins. With the season opener just hours away, we’re looking at five players who will make Baltimore even more explosive. RB Derrick Henry GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN – AUGUST 24: Derrick Henry #22 of the Baltimore Ravens leaves the field following a preseason game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on August 24, 2024 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) Last year, Henry ranked first in rushing attempts and second in rushing yards, but he showed little drop-off in the essential metrics. Last season, among 68 qualifying NFL backs, Henry ranked ninth in explosive run rate and 11th in yards after contact per attempt (per Fantasy Points Data). TE Isaiah Likely Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely (80) catches a pass during a joint practice with the Green Bay Packers on Thursday, August 22, 2024, at Ray Nitschke Field in Ashwaubenon, Wis. Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin In the eight games after he stepped in for the injured Andrews, Likely caught 25 passes for 372 yards and six touchdowns. Baltimore will work to get elite production out of Likely, even with Andrews on the roster. WR Devontez Walker Aug 9, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Devontez Walker (81) and teammates take the field before the start of a preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports The rookie has battled injuries, but Walker exited the ACC with a career average of 16.8 yards per catch over his college career, and he offers quarterback Lamar Jackson big play potential. 2nd year Zay Flowers Oct 22, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers (4) catches punt during warms ups prior to the game against the Detroit Lions at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images The rookie led the team with 77 receptions for 858 receiving yards, developing into Lamar Jackson’s most reliable playmaker on the outside. Among other NFL rookie receivers last season, Flowers finished fifth in yards, fourth in receptions, fourth in yards per game (53.6), and seventh in touchdowns (5) while playing in an offense that led the NFL in rush attempts (541). Deonte Harty Aug 17, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Deonte Harty (3) returns a kickoff during the first half against the Atlanta Falcons at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports Harty offers a big-play pedigree. He spent the first four years of his career with the New Orleans Saints as a wide receiver and special teams performer before signing with Buffalo for the 2023 season. Harty logged 15 catches for 150 yards and a touchdown and returned a punt for a 96-yard touchdown in Week 18. Harty has also averaged 25.2 yards per kickoff return throughout his career.
Colts Reacts Survey: Week 1 Opener
Robert Scheer-USA TODAY Sports It’s a pivotal early divisional clash between two AFC South rivals to kick off the 2024 regular season. How are you feeling, Colts fans? Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Indianapolis Colts fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys. The Indianapolis Colts (0-0) pick off right where they off last season, hosting the Houston Texans (0-0) (-2.5), to kick off the 2024 regular season. Of course, with 2nd-year starting quarterback Anthony Richardson behind center again, the Colts look a lot different offensively than the past time these two teams’ faced off against one another in early January of this past year—when the Texans narrowly won 23-19 and effectively ended Indianapolis’s season. More pressure may be on the Colts here, given it’s a pivotal home divisional game against the reigning AFC South Champions, and that the franchise hasn’t won a regular season opener in over a decade, dating back to September 8, 2023, against the Oakland Raiders (when Indy closely won 21-17)—the longest such standing streak in the entire NFL. Among the biggest questions facing this year’s Colts is whether their largely young, unproven secondary—which general manager Chris Ballard ran back from last year, can effectively hold up against last year’s NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (and Pro Bowler) C.J. Stroud? It should be a fun divisional rivalry game between two exciting young 2nd-year quarterbacks. Who do you think will win and best the other, Colts fans? Please take our survey
Week 1 picks: Raiders-Chargers prediction, S&BP’s Pick’em competition begins!
Maxx Crosby vs Chargers 2023 | Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images Let the competition begin! Are you ready for some football?! Week 1 in the NFL is finally here as the Kansas City Chiefs kick off the season by hosting the Baltimore Ravens, and the Las Vegas Raiders hit the road to take on the Los Angeles Chargers. This also marks the first week of Silver and Black Pride’s Pick’em competition which is one of our favorite annual traditions. To get things started, let’s take a look at the lines for the Raiders-Chargers matchup, courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook, and make some picks. Raiders vs. Chargers [Lines below are as of September 4 at 12:00 p.m. PST] Spread: LAC -3 O/U: 40.5 LAC ML: -176 LVR ML: +148 Picks: LVR +3, Under 40.5, LVR ML While both teams are hard to predict heading into the campaign given all the offseason changes, Justin Herbert missed a significant portion of training camp with an injury that could cause the Chargers to start slow seeing as they’re implementing a new offense. That’s a big reason why I like the Raiders to pull off the upset and the under as Las Vegas has plenty of question marks on offense as well. I could see this being a low-scoring 13-10 type of affair. Pick’em Competition Moving onto S&BP’s Pick’em competition, below is a look at how our writers finished last season. Bill Williamson 188-96 (66%) Matt Holder 179-105 (63%) Ray Aspuria 167-103 (62%) Bill ran away with the competition last year as he gained the lead near midseason and never looked back. So, it’s up to Ray and me to make sure Bill doesn’t three-peat. Hopefully, we’ve figured it out and can at least make this a competitive contest throughout the season. Community Standings 1. Sci-Town MA Raiders 189-95 t2. Dirty Harry 185-99 t2. Chrome&Onyx 185-99 t4. 21Lefty21 183-101 t4. dafe2cat 183-101 t4. Edgaredm08 183-101 7. Alaskan Raida 182-102 t8. torindorn4life 181-103 t8. Mooniac 181-103 t10. Bull City Raider 180-104 t10. Duckman82 180-104 Sci-Town MA Raiders and Chrome&Onyx battled back and forth for the majority of last season while Dirty Harry snuck in there toward the end. So, who’s going to step up and take down Sci-Town this year? On an administrative note, our group (run by my good friend Mooniac) is completely full heading into the season. However, Mooniac will be removing people from the group if they aren’t making picks at the beginning of the season, so make sure to stay on top of your picks every week if you want to compete. Otherwise, you’ll get the boot and we’ll give your spot to someone else. As a reminder, get your picks in for this week. Remember that there’s a Friday night game during Week 1 this year; Philadelphia Eagles vs Green Bay Packers. You don’t want to forget about it and then lose the competition by one pick! Best of luck with your picks and I look forward to competing against you all again!
Bills teammates not surprised Josh Allen is a captain: ‘He earned it’
Keon and Dion on Josh as a captain: Bills teammates not surprised Josh Allen is a captain: ‘He earned it’ Nick Wojton Considering his position, quarterback Josh Allen being named a team captain for the Buffalo Bills ahead of the 2024 NFL season might be thought of as obvious. Not so fast. Allen’s teammates were quick to say it’s no gimmick. Allen, who was given that honor alongside linebacker Terrel Bernard, earned it according to a few Bills players on offense. Top rookie draft pick Keon Coleman has only known Allen a few months. That’s all it took for the wide receiver to be convinced. Coleman even referred to his QB as “big brother” while speaking to reporters. “He ain’t get named the captain, he earned that,” Coleman said. “He’s a very vocal guy, he leads by example, he leads by communicating.” On the flip side of Coleman is offensive lineman Dion Dawkins. He has been teammates with Allen since 2018. In a natural-Dion way, he called Allen a unique captain and a lot of it has nothing to do with football. Allen is not a guy that just leaves a relationship at the office, he’s willing to put in the work outside of it. “Some people would leave the building, ‘Alright, I’ll see my team tomorrow,’” Dawkins said. “Josh is one of those guys that’s like, ‘Come over, let’s play pickleball, let me show you a magic trick.’” A trademark Dawkins analogy, but he added that he was “serious” about all of it. Dawkins’ full Allen breakdown can be found in the WROC-TV clip below: Read all the best Bills coverage at the Democrat and Chronicle and Bills Wire.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25604604/1867509763.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,0&ssl=1 "Fantasy Football ‘24: Week 1 Fantasy preview — start/sit, and more")
Fantasy Football ‘24: Week 1 Fantasy preview — start/sit, and more
Welcome to Week 1 of the NFL season, and to the first edition of my Rides, Fades and Sleepers for 2024. Yes, NFL Football is back! U.S. Open Tennis? Baseball pennant races? College football? Step aside, all of you. The NFL is once again going to dominate the sports landscape for the next 5-plus months. I’m here for it, and I hope you are too. For the first time in many months, we all get to scream at our TVs and curse our worst draft-day decisions. But there’s also the fun side—watching your hero running back break off a long TD run, or your quarterback hitting your stacked wide receiver for a TD pass. Buckle up, friends. This season is sure to be full of highs, lows, and surprises. It always is. I’m excited to be writing my weekly fantasy previews again this season. For those who followed me the last few seasons on my Pigskin Papers website, thank you, and welcome back. For those who are new here, welcome aboard. The column has a new look this season here at Big Blue View, but will cover most of the same information. Week 1 is different than all other weeks of the season. On one hand, almost everyone is healthy and there are no byes, so fantasy managers have their full firepower at their disposal. On the other, we’ve got less information. We haven’t seen how certain offenses are going to look, how new acquisitions are going to fit in, or how teams are going to divide up touches and targets. On the other side of the ball, we don’t know which defenses are improved, worse, or just about the same. That all takes a few weeks to sort out (at least), but those unknowns will never be as big as they are on the first weekend in September. So for this week especially, we’re forced to rely more on what we saw last season and in the lead-up to this one. As for having your full roster available, that’s great, but it can lead to some difficult start/sit dilemmas and especially in shallower leagues. My general advice is to just play your best players (the guys you drafted with the role “fantasy starter” in mind), and don’t get too cute. That said, it’s not always so straightforward and you’ve probably got some close calls on your roster. Let’s say you took Terry McLaurin in thesixth round, Xavier Worthy in the seventh, and Diontae Johnson in the eighth, and you can’t start all of them this week. Not so easy, right? McLaurin has a rookie QB (but less competition for targets), Worthy has never played an NFL game (but Hollywood Brown is out), and Johnson is on a new team. Having multiple good options is nice, but be prepared to leave points on the bench this week. It’s OK if that comes to pass. It’s hard to not be angry when it happens, but trust me, you actually want your players to do well even when they’re not in your lineup. Bye Weeks: None Injury Watch: It’s Week 1, so players are pretty healthy. I’ll generally avoid talking about guys who are on IR, by the way. As noted above, Hollywood Brown is OUT. Higher-level players to monitor include Jaylen Warren, Ja’Marr Chase and his hold-in situation, Jordan Addison, DeAndre Hopkins, Tyler Lockett, Romeo Doubs, and Kyle Pitts. For Week 1, all you need is LovePhoto by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images Week 1 Rides, Fades and Sleepers For those who are familiar with this column, you know the drill. For everyone else: The Rides, Fades, and Sleepers is an analysis of players that I think are primed for an especially strong or poor performance, in many cases, as compared to consensus expectations. This isn’t a straight-up Start/Sit exercise, and as a general rule, always start your studs. I’ll rarely list the very top options at a position as “Rides” because those players are matchup-proof and are almost always expected to have strong performances, plus you don’t need me or anyone else telling you to start Josh Allen, Breece Hall, Tyreek Hill, or Travis Kelce. While this analysis is intended for season-long play, it works for DFS formats too. Half PPR scoring and Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR) are used for the column. Each week, I’m picking a Ride of the Week, a Fade of the Week, and a Sleeper of the Week. The rules are simple. The Ride of the Week can’t be a truly elite option, the Fade of the Week can’t be someone who almost nobody is starting anyway, and the Sleeper of the Week must be an actual sleeper, from down in the rankings. Ride of the Week: Jordan Love (@PHI, in Brazil). Love is ranked as the QB10 this week and I think that’s too low. He finished last season hot (he was the QB2 over the final seven weeks of the season, and with his talented young receiving weapons and now Josh Jacobs in tow, this is going to be a very hard offense to deal with. The Eagles used their top two draft picks on defensive backs, which makes sense when you consider how atrocious their pass defense was last season. They allowed the second most fantasy points per game (FPPG) and TD passes (35) to opposing QBs last season, and were especially terrible during the Eagles’ second half swoon. Their record-breaking pass rush from two seasons ago is a thing of the past. The Packers also catch a break in that this road game is outside the country. I love Love this week. That’s a real sentence. Fade of the Week: Brandon Aiyuk (vs. Jets). Do holdouts matter? Yeah, I think missing all of camp and the preseason, and being distracted by negotiations and trade rumors, has its drawbacks. Plus, missing all that time raises the injury risk upon return. When you combine all the off-the-field stuff with this week’s opponent, Aiyuk is a
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73565775/1500696438.0.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,0&ssl=1 "Minnesota Vikings News and Links: Let The Games Begin!")
Minnesota Vikings News and Links: Let The Games Begin!
Photo by Anthony Souffle/Star Tribune via Getty Images It’s time! Ready or not we are off! I do not do season predictions because I’m lazy and I spend too much time “predicting” mock drafts. I think I will do one game at a time this season. It would be nice to start off with a win but it is going to be tough. The Giants are kind of in the same boat as the Vikings as far as getting respect is concerned. Neither team is predicted to do very well. They will be just as hungry as the Vikings to start the season off good. I think Dexter Lawrence is going to be a huge problem and it will be a good test for the interior offensive linemen. If they can hold up then Darnold should complete passes. If not, then Darnold is running around for his life. They have a couple of Edge rushers now too in Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux plus they have Azeez Ojulari. It is going to be tough for the offensive line. Their offense is not as formidable as they are ranked 28th by PFF right now. Can they provide enough protection against the Vikings pass rushers? Can the Vikings get any defensive tackle to pressure up the middle? I have to see it to believe it. I think that the Vikings offensive skill position players (Jets, Addison, Jones) should provide just enough to squeak out a close victory. Minnesota Vikings News and Links Ahead of Week 1 vs. Giants, Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell talks Dexter Lawrence, Brian Burns “They go out and add another premier edge player. I got a ton of respect for [Brian] Burns and then knowing [Kayvon] Thibodeaux on the other side has been a player that’s really just continues to ascend, and you can see it all over the tape of his first-round ability and what he’s kind of grown into, there’s no question. Their defense is very strong on the front. When you mention those two guys, you have to mention [Dexter] Lawrence in the middle. Going back a couple years ago, just remember how much of an impact he was, and I think their linebackers are really good. I think they have a really versatile secondary to play a lot of different ways and coverages. So, it really all works together.” “I think it starts with Dexter Lawrence. You’ve got to figure out a way to corral him in the middle. And he’s not your traditional style nose tackle. He gets a lot of pressure on the quarterback. I think last year he ended up with an astounding like 50 pressures from the 0T/1T spot and they move him all around the interior of that defensive line.” “We got a chance to practice against Tennessee when they came in here when Shane [Bowen] was their defensive coordinator for Vrabs [Mike Vrabel] and just thought they were really well coached, really tough, ran to the ball, did all the little things that make it hard to play against defenses that do those things in this league. I think he’s really good from a scheme standpoint. We have our work cut out for us for sure of going on the road with the obvious element of noise and all those things. We’ve got to practice and prepare for it and then make a lot of the things that we’ve worked on come to life.” Vikings-Giants matchup pits Darnold vs. Jones to open prove-it season for once-heralded QBs Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones were swiftly dumped into the deep end of NFL debuts, shouldering heavy pressure as young quarterback in the country’s largest media market. As is often the case in this sink-or-swim league for players at the sport’s most demanding position, the results have failed to match the high hopes raised by their heralded arrival. In what could well be their last chance to convince the league they can still be capable starters for years to come, Darnold and Jones will lead their teams into the same season opener Sunday when the Vikings visit the New York Giants. Whatever the outcome, it likely won’t bode well for the loser. Though he has found first-string status again with the Vikings, Darnold was clearly signed (for one year and $10 million) to be a temporary bridge from the departed Kirk Cousins to the rookie J.J. McCarthy. He has only been assured of keeping the job because of McCarthy’s season-ending knee injury last month. “As a young player you can definitely get excited about what the future might hold or what things might look like, but at the end of the day you’ve got to be where your feet are,” Darnold said. “This sport, this position, it’s hard enough as it is. If you start worrying about the wrong things, it’ll come back to bite you.” Can Vikings QB Sam Darnold finally find recipe for NFL success after years of dysfunction? https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5734446/2024/09/05/sam-darnold-vikings-jets-panthers/ Minnesota’s skill players are exceptional. The play-action, rhythm-and-timing-oriented offense suits Darnold well. Throw in the deep bond between Darnold and Vikings quarterbacks coach Josh McCown, and the optimism sweeping the TCO Performance Center hallways makes sense. “Even the highly drafted guys need the perfect cocktail a lot of times for them to shine,” said former Jets center Jonotthan Harrison, “and very few of them get a sip of it.” Sam Darnold among Vikings’ eight captains for 2024 season * Sam Darnold * Justin Jefferson * Brian O’Neill * Harrison Smith * Harrison Phillips * Josh Metellus * C.J. Ham * Andrew DePaola Matthew Coller: Aaron Jones is running from the running back age curve It has always felt funny to talk to a 29-year-old man like he’s on the brink of being put into a nursing home. But that’s what it was like peppering Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones with questions about the vaunted running back age curve inside the locker room on Monday. Not that Jones is
VIDEO: Dan Campbell’s new Applebee’s commercial is even better than the first
Sign up for Season 2 of PODD Big things are in store for our newsletter, Pride of Detroit Direct. I’m excited to announce we’ve added Ty Schalter this season. Listen to exclusive podcasts sent directly to your inbox and read more voices from our team at Pride of Detroit by clicking below to sign up for a 7-day free trial today!
Anonymous NFL exec ranks Detroit Lions in bottom half of NFC
Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images One current NFL executive thinks the Detroit Lions rank in the bottom half of the NFC. No, for real. With all the positive predictions surrounding the Detroit Lions this offseason—including a non-insignificant amount of Super Bowl picks—I figured it’s worth pointing out one of the few detractors out there. The latest actually comes from a current NFL executive in a survey from The Athletic’s Mike Sando. Sando polled five different, unnamed executives to rank every single team in the NFC. Two has the Lions second, one had the Lions atop the conference, one had the Lions fifth. And then there was the other NFL executive, who wildly had the Lions NINTH in the conference. Team they had ranked above the Lions include the Packers, Eagles, Cowboys, Bears, Falcons, and Seahawks. Per Sando, one of the NFL executive’s biggest argument for this bold prediction was that Detroit’s offense was one of the most largely studied this offseason, and he believes teams will catch up. “They treat third down like second down, and that was something that became very public as they went deeper,” this exec said. “Teams are going to pick up on that, and they play a tougher schedule, and there’s more (pressure) on them and we’ll see what it looks like.” While this person is certainly welcomed to their own opinion, the biggest flaw in this argument is assuming that offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and coach Dan Campbell will move forward unchanged. In fact, quarterback Jared Goff said this week how good at evolving Johnson has been since becoming Detroit’s play caller. “I think that’s where Ben’s done a great job every year now, is innovating, being creative, doing things maybe that haven’t necessarily been done before or we haven’t seen on film,” Goff said Tuesday. “But trying it just for sake of trying it and for the sake of he thinks it’s a good idea. Sometimes it works at practice. Sometimes it doesn’t, we shelf it, and try it again later, but that creativity and that innovation is so important to stay on the cutting edge.” And the notion that he Lions may buckle under the pressure is a silly one. Detroit had plenty of attention and pressure last year to win the division and they went out and did it decisively—then took it a step further by nearly making it to the Super Bowl. Obviously, no one knows the future, and it’s certainly possible Detroit fails to meet their extremely high expectations in 2024. However, the argument laid out by this executive is pretty unconvincing and reeks of sour grapes.
