Cowboys make a big trade for Joey Porter Jr. Do you like the move, Don?

So far it seems like Kubiak has turned the Raiders around. It’s not just being 3-0, but the way the team has played, especially on offense. They’re executing, playing clean, and have reduced boneheaded mistakes. They look way better on ST as well. The defense has looked OK, but I feel like they will be exposed, especially against the run.

Having said that, if they can contain the Chiefs run game, I think they have a legitimate shot to beat the Chiefs. The Chiefs aren’t and haven’t been a team that will dominate a lot of opponents. On the contrary, I think a lot of teams can play the Chiefs close. The Raiders could be one of those teams tomorrow.

The Chargers have looked awful, but their defense did generate 5 turnovers against the Bills offense. If the defensive improvement is real, this might be more of a game than I first assumed. The Chargers really have to turn things around on offense, though, and while that’s possible, it would be kind of surprising. (I think they should lean heavily on the run game, instead of leaning on Herbert.)

Will have some power rankings soon.

With regard to the ATL-GB game, what happened to the Packers defense, especially their run defense. That was not good.

This a thread to discuss discuss general NFL topics, not necessarily specific to this season.

I thought this discussion on Mike Sando’s article on Special Teams (ST) was really interesting, especially regarding the reasons some teams are better at this than others.

Continue reading “2026-2027 NFL Regular Season”

Lions@Bills

The Bills have a good offense, possibly one of the best NFL offenses, but they made it look a little too easy too often. If the Lions defense doesn’t improve significantly, I don’t think they have a defense good enough to win the Super Bowl.

I have similar feelings about the Bills defense.

Two other observations:

1. The Lions OL seems a little shaky. Against the pass rush, they looked a little overwhelmed at times. (The LG stood out a bit in this regard.)
2. Josh Allen is an incredible talent. His arm strength, size and running ability are on par with Cam Newton in my view. But there are still times where he’ll do something questionable that can get him in trouble, or out of sorts. With regard to the latter, I’m thinking of the few possessions at the end, where he and the offense just seemed a little sloppy.

Patriots@Seahawks

Darnold getting hurt on the first series and not coming back in was sickening. I have zero faith in Drew Lock, although he made enough plays to give them a chance. Still, if the Maye didn’t have 3 INTS, the Hawks probably lose this game. (The last two INTs were really bad.)

The Seahawks penalties were frustrating, especially since their offense seemed pretty vanilla. Also, they had trouble getting in the play. My feeling is that this is on Brian Fleury, the new OC. Last year, the offense did a good job of playing clean and getting to the line of scrimmage quickly. I’m hoping it’s just growing pains for Fleury.

I feel very fortunate that the Hawks came away with the win.

Thoughts on the 2026 NFL draft. What does your team need?

Raiders: RT, OG, DT, edge, CB, S, WR

Seahawks: OG, edge, DT, CB

How do you like the moves your team has made so far?

Wildcard round

• Rams@Panthers
• Packers@Bears
• Bills@Jaguars
• 49ers@Eagles
• Chargers@Patriots
• Texans@Steelers

After the Darnold threw 4 INTS against the Rams in their first meeting, my interest went off a cliff. I don’t know if Darnold’s performance is the reason for this, but it’s the best explanation I have. I’ve still watched the Seahawks, Raiders, and some of the other teams, but I don’t watch most of the games as I did earlier.

Anyway, here’s a thread to discuss all the games and happenings after week 11, the last thread that I posted for this season. Here are some general thoughts since that time:

Continue reading “2025-2026 NFL weeks 12-18”

Seahawks@Rams is the game I’ve been waiting to see. The game could reveal that one team is for real, while the other is not; or that both teams are for legitimate contenders.

Power rankings:

1st tier: Chiefs and Rams

2nd tier: Seahawks, Eagles, Lions, Colts, Bills, Packers

I would put the Seahawks in the first tier, but I need to see them against better teams–like the Rams and Colts. (Actually, they should probably be lower as I don’t trust Darnold’s ball security. I’m just hoping he can change that.) I’m sticking with the Eagles for now just because I think their roster is strong, although maybe it’s not as strong as I think. (Their lackluster run-game is worrisome.) I’m keeping the Lions here for now. I’m not entirely confident about Daniel Jones, but the Colts have a run game that can keep them in almost any game. I would think their defense should get better with Sauce Gardner as well. I didn’t see the Bills game, but I’m keeping the Bills in here for now. Packers OL/DL don’t look as good, but I’ll keep them in here.

3rd tier: Buccaneers, Broncos, Chargers

The Bucs need to get healthy; I don’t really like the Broncos offense; the Chargers have a strong defense, but I’m skeptical they have enough on offense.