2019 NFL Mock Draft: Who Takes the QB of Their Future?

April 21, 2019 Andrew Roberts NFL 2019 NFL Mock Draft, A.J. Brown, A.J. McCarron, AB, Adam Butler, Adrian Clayborn, Alejandro Villanueva, Alex Tanney, Andy Dalton, Antonio Brown, ASJ, Austin Bryant, Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Braxton Berrios, Brian Burns, Byron Murphy, C.J. Mosley, Case Keenum, Chase Winovich, Chase Young, Chris Moore, Christian Wilkins, Clelin Ferrell, Cody Ford, Corey Liuget, D.K. Metcalf, DaMarkus Lodge, Damien Harris, Daniel Jones, Daryl Worley, Davante Adams, DeAndre Baker, Deatrich Wise Jr., Dee Ford, Deionte Thompson, DeMaryius Thomas, Deone Bucannon, Derwin Gray, Devin Bush, Devin White, Dexter Lawrence, Dillon Mitchell, Dont'a Hightower, Doug Martin, Dre'Mont Jones, Drew Lock, Dwayne Haskins, Earl Thomas, Ed Oliver, Elandon Roberts, Eli Manning, Ereck Flowers, Fitzy, Gareon Conley, Garrett Bradbury, Greedy Williams, Gronk, Harrison Phillips, Hollywood Brown, Irv Smith Jr., Isaiah Wynn, Jalen Jelks, Jawaan Taylor, Jeffery Simmons, Jerry Tillery, Joe Flacco, Joe Thuney, Jonah Williams, Jordan Akins, Jordan Thomas, Josh Allen, Josh Jacobs, Josh Rosen, Julian Edelman, Kelvin Harmon, Kendell Beckwith, Khalen Saunders, Kliff Kingsbury, Kwon Alexander, Kyle Lauletta, Kyler Murray, Lawrence Guy, Mack Wilson, Malcom Brown, Marcus Cannon, Marcus Gilbert, Marcus Mariota, Marquise Brown, Marquise Copeland, Matt Kalil, Matt Slater, Matthew Slater, Maurice Hurst, Mecole Hardman, Michael Bennett, Mike Pennel, Minitron, Mock Draft, Montez Sweat, N'Keal Harry, Ndamukong Suh, NFL, NFL Mock Draft, Nick Bosa, Nick Nelson, Noah Fant, Phillip Dorsett, Quinnen Williams, Rashan Gary, Rob Gronkowski, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Ryan Tannehill, Scott Frantz, Seth Roberts, Shaq Mason, Shaquill Griffin, Sylvester Williams, T.J. Hockenson, Ted Karras, Trent Brown, Trevor Siemian, Trey Flowers, Tyrell Williams, Vic Beasley, Willie Snead IV, Zach Brown

Welcome to my 2019 NFL Mock Draft! Today, I’ll be sharing a one-round NFL mock draft with trades. I have also predicted what the rest of the New England Patriots’ draft will look like (Rounds 2-7). There’s always a handful a QB prospects who are lined up to be future starters. But while there’s a lot of teams that could use a young QB on the roster, most teams would do alright without one. Even the Giants, who have been rumored to replace Eli Manning since the start of 2018 could make do with just Manning, Kyle Lauletta (drafted later last year), and Alex Tanney. But I do see a few teams making their move this year, some in the first round, and some waiting till later rounds. Who will they be? Keep reading to find out what I think.

Let’s begin with the Arizona Cardinals. They own this year’s first overall pick and are likely close to making a decision. But I cannot see them trading down.

1. With the 1st overall pick, the Arizona Cardinals select…

Kyler Murray

Oklahoma

I don’t typically predict something in a mock draft solely based on rumors, but all signs have pointed to Arizona taking Kyler Murray #1 after Kliff Kingsbury’s statement a year ago about taking Murray #1 if he ever had the chance. If they do decide to stick with Josh Rosen at QB (who they drafted last year), they can take edge rusher Nick Bosa #1, who could definitely help this defense. I have them trading Rosen to the Giants for a second or third round pick. This will allow the Giants to use their first rounder to improve the team around Rosen while Arizona moves on to Kyler.

2. With the 2nd overall pick, the San Francisco 49ers select…

Nick Bosa

DE/OLB

Ohio State

The 49ers could use Bosa as an OLB or a DE. At whichever position they don’t put Bosa at, they can start the recently acquired Dee Ford. The Niners definitely improved their front seven this off-season, but they could still benefit from more depth on the outside. They can wait on a wide receiver, their biggest need, thanks to the deep WR class.

3. With the 3rd overall pick, the New York Jets select

Josh Allen

OLB

Kentucky

New York signed ILB C.J. Mosley this off-season, but after a failed attempt to add OLB Anthony Barr, the Jets are left with a gaping hole at outside linebacker. Their 3-4 scheme is a perfect fit for Allen, who will fill a need and significantly boost the pass rush. Allen totaled 17 sacks in his senior year at Kentucky, which nearly tops Nick Bosa’s college career total of 17.5. The Jets have been rumored to trade down, but the outside linebacker class isn’t very deep. They should take advantage of the 3rd overall pick here.

4. With the 4th overall pick, the Oakland Raiders select…

Quinnen Williams

Alabama

The Raiders have been linked to Ed Oliver frequently, and if Williams is taken Top 3, the Raiders should consider taking Oliver. But if Williams is available, this pick is a no-brainer. The Raiders still have a gaping hole at defensive tackle despite drafting Maurice Hurst in 2018. Williams is one of the best prospects in this draft and should definitely fill that hole playing next to Hurst. The Raiders could also snag ILB Devin White or CB Greedy Williams, but it would be smart to take Quinnen while he’s still available, and who knows, Greedy might still be available at #24.

5. With the 5th overall pick, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select…

Rashan Gary

Michigan

Though the Bucs drafted Noah Spence a couple years back at this position, they would still benefit from drafting another edge rusher. They have been linked frequently to Devin White since Kwon Alexander’s departure, but I don’t see it happening and trust Kendell Beckwith as the starting middle linebacker in his 3rd NFL season. The Bucs also added Deone Bucannon, who can play on the outside or inside. So rather than drafting a linebacker, they’ll draft Rashan Gary for additional d-line depth.

6. With the 6th overall pick, the New York Giants select…

Jonah Williams

Alabama

There has been a lot of Top 10 buzz surrounding T Jawaan Taylor, but I still think Williams, the Alabama product is the best o-lineman in this draft class. The Giants finally released T Ereck Flowers in 2018, so Williams can start on the right side in Flowers’ former spot.. The G-men will stick with Nate Solder at left tackle for now.

7. With the 7th overall pick, the Jacksonville Jaguars select…

Noah Fant

Iowa

A lot of people have projected TE T.J. Hockenson in the Top 10, but the Jags are the only team I could see drafting a tight end in this Top 10. My personal belief is that Fant is the better of the two Iowa TEs, and I have the Jags taking him over Jawaan Taylor or T.J. Hockenson. The Jags don’t really need Jawaan Taylor even though they’ve been linked to him. Though Hockenson outperformed Fant at the Combine, Fant has scored double the TDs Hockenson has scored in their final two years at Iowa. With Fant off the board, Hockenson may fall to the latter portion of Round 1.

8. With the 8th overall pick, the Detroit Lions select…

Montez Sweat

OLB

Mississippi State

If I were Detroit’s GM, I would be concerned about Sweat’s heart condition and consider Brian Burns instead. But the Lions seem to like Sweat, who could fit in as a defensive end next to Trey Flowers or fill a gaping hole at outside linebacker. Also, Sweat’s heart condition is not as concerning as DT Maurice Hurst’s. Sweat’s was just noticed at the Combine, while Hurst couldn’t participate in the Combine at all.

9. With the 9th overall pick, the Buffalo Bills select…

Brian Burns

OLB

Florida State

The Bills may like Ed Oliver as a prospect, but it’s too early to give up on 2018 2nd round pick Harrison Phillips at DT. Instead, I have the Bills drafting someone on the outside in this defense-heavy draft. This draft is flooded with elite edge rushers, and the Bills need help at both outside linebacker and defensive end. Burns can help fill both of those needs, but they’ll need some pass rushers in the later rounds or free agents to support Burns.

10. With the 10th overall pick, the Denver Broncos select…

Ed Oliver

Houston

The Broncos could still use a QB despite upgrading in consecutive off-seasons. Denver went from starting Trevor Siemian to starting Case Keenum to starting Joe Flacco in the span of two seasons. But the Broncos don’t need a rookie QB in Round 1 as they should be able to trust Flacco as this year’s starter. Plus, waiting will allow them to take advantage of the elite d-line class. The Broncos have needed d-line help ever since Sylvester Williams left in free agency. They could reunite with Williams, who is once again a free agent. But if DT Ed Oliver is available at #10, it would be a no-brainer for Denver to take him. In general, I feel that Denver should wait and see how the draft goes before making a move on any more free agents.

11. With the 11th overall pick, the Cincinnati Bengals select…

Dwayne Haskins

Ohio State

Andy Dalton has definitely declined in the last few years, and he has been inconsistent throughout his career. It’s a shame that the Bengals couldn’t hold onto A.J. McCarron as a backup. But it’s time to move on and draft another QB. They’ll have plenty of options here with Haskins, Drew Lock, and Daniel Jones all available. But Haskins would be the best QB left on the board. It’s easy to forget that he threw 50 TDs in 2018 alone at Ohio State, and he could learn a few things backing up Dalton.
12. With the 12th overall pick, the Green Bay Packers select…

D.K. Metcalf

Ole Miss

After dominance at the Combine, Metcalf has proven himself as the best receiver in this draft class. People have overrated his Combine performance, but it’s not too crazy to mock him at #12. This would be a smart pick for Green Bay, who would add a solid WR2 with WR1 potential. Metcalf would not have as much pressure on him in Green Bay as he plays next to star WR Davante Adams.
13. With the 13th overall pick, the Miami Dolphins select…

Drew Lock

Missouri

The Dolphins weren’t smart to trade away Ryan Tannehill so soon, especially to the Titans, who didn’t need a starting QB. Tannehill will be forced to battle with Marcus Mariota for a starting job. Meanwhile, in Miami, Ryan Fitzpatrick is the best QB left on the roster. He’s a respectable bridge QB, but he is not meant for a full time starting job. The Dolphins should draft Lock behind Fitzy if Murray and Haskins are off the board.

14. With the 14th overall pick, the Atlanta Falcons select…

Devin Bush

OLB

Michigan

With Vic Beasley in the 4-3 defensive end slot, Atlanta has a big hole at outside linebacker. They don’t really need another edge rusher, but Bush is a quality outside linebacker who recorded 161 tackles and 10 sacks in his last two seasons combined at Michigan. He can add depth to Atlanta’s defense, allowing Beasley to play defensive end full time.
15. With the 15th overall pick, the Washington Redskins select…

Devin White

ILB

LSU

White falls to #15 since there are very few teams with a gaping hole at inside linebacker like Washington’s. It’s very rare that linebackers of White’s ability level enter the draft, but unfortunately, there aren’t many teams in the Top 10 that need to draft someone like White. He falls to the Redskins, who look to replace the released Zach Brown. It’s a steal for the Redskins, who fill their #1 need in the 1st round.
16. With the 16th overall pick, the Carolina Panthers select…

N’Keal Harry

Arizona State

The Panthers may miss out on Metcalf if Green Bay or Washington drafts him. But I think their need at WR is desperate enough for them to snag N’Keal Harry if Metcalf is drafted and Harry is still available. They could also draft a tackle to replace Matt Kalil, and Cody Ford would be available. But I think it’s more important for them to have a top line receiver than a top line tackle.

17. With the 17th overall pick, the New York Giants select…

Clelin Ferrell

Clemson

Ferrell doesn’t fit the Giants’ defensive scheme as well as some other prospects, but would fill a huge hole for New York and would be the best d-line prospect remaining by far. Ferrell recorded 11.5 sacks last season, leading a stacked Clemson defense. Hopefully, New York can adapt their defense to be favorable for prospects of different backgrounds, because they may need to start a lot of rookies on defense this season.

18. With the 18th overall pick, the Minnesota Vikings select…

Christian Wilkins

Clemson

Wilkins has been targeted by Tennessee aggressively. Though the Vikings do need a defensive tackle to replace Sheldon Richardson, the Titans haven’t even thought about trying to trade up and could be left shocked if the Vikings snagged Wilkins one pick before them. Defensive tackle is Minnesota’s top need in my eyes, so I’d have them taking Wilkins regardless of who was up next. But preventing Tennessee from snagging him is an added bonus.

19. With the 19th overall pick, the Tennessee Titans select…

Greedy Williams

LSU

With Wilkins off the board, I have the Titans signing free agent DT Ndamukong Suh rather than reaching for a defensive tackle. They will think about their other positional needs with this pick. They could use another WR, and Kelvin Harmon would be available. But if Greedy Williams is still available at #19, the Titans cannot pass up on him. The Titans are deep at corner, but don’t really have a true #1 CB. Greedy wouldn’t be their #1 right away. He may even start on the bench as the #4 CB. But he has the upside to eventually fill that #1 slot, which is what the Titans are looking for.

20. With the 20th overall pick, the Pittsburgh Steelers select…

Cody Ford

Oklahoma

Nothing against Alejandro Villanueva, but it’s a problem if Villanueva’s the only viable starting tackle on a roster. If the Steelers add Ford to the mix, they should be able to trust Ford and Villanueva as starters. The Steelers will have to figure out which of the two pays left tackle, but with this pick, they at least fill the hole Marcus Gilbert left them with and draft their 2nd viable starting tackle.

21. With the 21st overall pick, the Seattle Seahawks select…

Byron Murphy

Washington

With S Earl Thomas out of Seattle, the Legion of Boom’s entire core has left Seattle’s active roster. It’s time to begin rebuilding this secondary. They already added Shaquill Griffin in the 2017 NFL Draft, but they still have a huge hole at safety and could use another CB. There’s no safety in this draft class I would take #21, but Murphy would be a steal at #21. Murphy caught 4 interceptions in his final year at Washington, which is more than any Seahawks current corner has caught in their entire career.

22. With the 22nd overall pick, the Baltimore Ravens select…

Kelvin Harmon

North Carolina State

The Ravens don’t really have a #1 receiver right now, so wide receiver is by far their biggest need. Harmon posted back-to-back 1000 yard seasons at NC State. He should quickly obtain the WR1 role playing alongside Willie Snead IV, Seth Roberts, Chris Moore, and others. The Ravens may need to add another receiver later in the draft for depth, but the NC State product will at least help make the WR corps look respectable.

23. With the 23rd overall pick, the Houston Texans select…

T.J. Hockenson

Iowa

Houston has plenty of tight ends on the roster after adding Jordan Thomas and Jordan Akins in 2018. But there is no clear #1 TE, so tight end is still one of Houston’s biggest needs. Hockenson should be better than any tight end on this Texans roster from Day 1, so it would be smart for Houston to draft him, especially at #23.

24. With the 24th overall pick, the Oakland Raiders select…

DeAndre Baker

Georgia

With Devin White off the board, Mack Wilson would be the top inside linebacker available here, and Wilson is not Round 1 material in my eyes. It would be smarter for Oakland to take a corner here. There are plenty of corners who are Round 1 material. I’m not ready to trust Nick Nelson or Daryl Worley (who has off the field issues) as Oakland’s #2 corner. Even Gareon Conley, Oakland’s #1 CB has off the field issues of his own. Baker will provide stability to this secondary, and should eventually become the reliable #1 corner they have needed for a while.

25. TRADE ALERT (see details after pick #32): With the 25th overall pick, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select…

Josh Jacobs

Alabama

Tampa reportedly has significant interest in making Jacobs their starting RB, but with the Raiders interested in drafting Jacobs at #27, there’s no guarantee the Bucs can draft Jacobs unless they trade up and leapfrog the Raiders. It might be smarter to trade with a team who picks before Oakland’s #24 pick, but I can’t see them taking a RB until #27, so I don’t know if that’s necessary. If the Bucs miss out on Jacobs, they could always sign Jay Ajayi to be their new RB1, but Jacobs wouldn’t just give them a 2019 RB1. Jacobs gives them long term stability at running back, where Tampa has had issues since Doug Martin (now a free agent) began to decline. Jacobs rushed for 640 yards and 11 TD in just 120 attempts during his junior year at Alabama, where he played as a part of a committee alongside fellow draft prospect Damien Harris. Imagine what Jacobs could do as a full time NFL starter.

26. With the 26th overall pick, the Indianapolis Colts select…

Dexter Lawrence

Clemson

The Colts will take another Clemson d-lineman here. Cornerback is probably their #1 need this year, but the CB class is pretty deep, and they should be able to wait until the #34 pick they acquired from the Jets to draft a corner. Their current d-line is made up of washed-up, borderline starters, so Lawrence will bring some livelihood to Indy’s front seven if they draft him.

27. With the 27th overall pick, the Oakland Raiders select…

A.J. Brown

Ole Miss

With Jacobs off the board, I have Oakland drafting A.J. Brown, a teammate of D.K. Metcalf who actually outperformed Metcalf at Ole Miss. Even with Metcalf healthy all season in 2017, Brown totaled 1252 yards while Metcalf, then a redshirt freshman totaled just 646. Metcalf will be drafted before Brown as his Combine performance and play style boost his draft stock. The stats aren’t everything when it comes to NFL scouting. But don’t discount Brown’s back to back 1000 yard seasons at Ole Miss. He should still be a top 5 receiver off this draft board, and the Raiders could still use another WR for depth despite adding Antonio Brown and Tyrell Williams.

28. With the 28th overall pick, the Los Angeles Chargers select…

Jerry Tillery

Notre Dame

The Chargers finally released injury prone DT Corey Liuget this off-season, but it would be smart to draft a young, healthy DT in Round 1, filling the hole Liuget left behind. Tillery was a big contributor to Notre Dame’s dominant defense in 2018 as he led the team in sacks (7). He would make a strong Chargers defense even stronger as he competes for a starting d-line job.

29. With the 29th overall pick, the Kansas City Chiefs select…

Garrett Bradbury

North Carolina State

Kansas City would have also benefitted from drafting Jacobs here, but there is no other RB I see as first round material, and they have a bigger hole at center anyway. Bradbury should be able to fill this hole if they draft him. Bradbury played parts of his college career at other positions (tight end, guard), but should fit in as a center in Kansas City. If he wanted to go back to playing guard, the Chiefs could use some depth there as well.

30. With the 30th overall pick, the Green Bay Packers select…

Deionte Thompson

Alabama

This year’s safety class wasn’t the greatest even before Thompson’s draft stock began to fall after an underwhelming Combine. But I still see Thompson as the best safety in a weak class; the best of the worst. I wouldn’t have a problem with safety-needy teams like Green Bay drafting Thompson later into Round 1. The Alabama product caught 2 interceptions in his senior year.

31. With the 31st overall pick, the Los Angeles Rams select…

Dre’Mont Jones

Ohio State

With Ndamukong Suh on the open market, the Rams will need a new defensive tackle to play next to Aaron Donald. They could draft an interior offensive lineman here, but Bradbury is the only interior lineman I’d feel comfortable drafting in the first round. Defensive tackle is LA’s next biggest need after Suh’s departure. Only sophomore DE Chase Young had more tackles for a loss and sacks for Ohio State than Jones in 2018. He could be a quality supplement to Donald in a strong Rams d-line.

32. With the 32nd overall pick, the New England Patriots select…

Irv Smith Jr.

Alabama

Fant and Hockenson may be off the board at #32, and Austin Seferian-Jenkins can fill in as New England’s starting tight end. But I still think the Pats should draft their TE of the future in Round 1 after Rob Gronkowski’s retirement. They could also go for WR Marquise Brown or DT Jeffery Simmons here, but the TE class is not as deep as the WR and d-line classes in this draft, so it’s important they draft one early. Smith caught 44 balls for 710 yards and 7 TD in his final season at Alabama and in my eyes, he’s the best tight end on the board that wasn’t an Iowa Hawkeye.

TRADES:

TB acquires: 2019 1st rounder (#25)

PHI acquires: 2019 2nd rounder (#39), 2019 5th rounder (#145)

NYG acquires: QB Josh Rosen

ARZ acquires: 2019 2nd rounder (#37), 2020 4th rounder

(FOR PATRIOTS MOCK DRAFT BELOW)

NE acquires: 2019 2nd rounder (#60)

LAC acquires: 2019 2nd rounder (#64), 2019 6th rounder (#205)

Patriots Mock Draft (Rounds 2-7)

I will not be a sharing a full seven round NFL Mock Draft, but as a Patriots fan, I figured I’d share my later round Pats’ predictions. I have them drafting TE Irv Smith Jr. at #32 (as seen above), but what will they do after that? Read below to find out what I think:

I have the Pats drafting the QB of their future on Day 2 so he’s ready to start by the time Brady retires. It will be easier to find viable starters at WR and in the d-line than at QB, and the WRs the Pats would be willing to draft here will probably already be off the board.

Winovich led the Wolverines in tackles for a loss (15.5) in 2018. He should boost the New England pass rush and fit in New England’s 4-3 scheme after the release of Adrian Clayborn.

Jelks’ draft stock has fallen of late, but he is still a good third round investment for the Pats, who could seek an upgrade over Elandon Roberts and another linebacker in the mix in case the injury prone Dont’a Hightower misses time in 2019. The Ducks installed a 4-3 defense in 2018, so Jelks should be used to New England’s 4-3 schemes.

Copeland will replace Malcom Brown, who left for the Saints via free agency. He should be able to compete for the starting job next to fellow DT Lawrence Guy.

Though he will be the last of the four Clemson 2018 starting d-lineman to be drafted, Bryant will add more depth to the Patriots d-line. He will join Michael Bennett, Winovich, and Deatrich Wise Jr. on the Pats defensive end depth chart.

So long as he is healthy, Demaryius Thomas should serve in the WR2 role for the Pats. But if Thomas is hurt and Josh Gordon remains suspended, the Pats are left with Julian Edelman, Phillip Dorsett, and who else? That’s why they should still draft a receiver at some point. However, they should be okay to wait till Day 3 due to the deep WR class. Guys like Mitchell and DaMarkus Lodge should still be available come Round 4.

New England owns one of the best interior o-line trios in the league, but it wouldn’t hurt to add another guard for additional depth. Ted Karras is their best backup at guard, but injuries are frequent in this league, and if Joe Thuney and Shaq Mason both get hurt, there could be a slot open for Gray.

A lot of times, Round 7 is solely about taking some of the better available options and adding depth to shallow positions. Saunders would be drafted to add more depth at DT in case Copeland or Guy struggles.

One of New England’s biggest questions headed into 2019 is whether Isaiah Wynn can be trusted as Trent Brown’s replacement, especially after missing all of 2018 with an injury. Frantz will provide New England with another option at tackle in case Wynn or Marcus Cannon isn’t doing his job.

This pick will add more depth to the WR corps if they keep Hardman on the roster. Hardman will likely compete with 2018 late round pick Braxton Berrios for the #6 or #7 WR slot. Matthew Slater will most likely remain on the roster for his special teams abilities though.

That’s all for my 2019 NFL Mock Draft. Stay tuned for Patriots draft grades and possibly other teams’ draft grades after the draft! On a side note, New England’s schedule has come out. I will be posting NFL Predictions and Pats Game-by-Game Predictions sometime before the season.

2019 NFL Free Agency Predictions: Part 1: Offensive Skill Positions

March 4, 2019March 6, 2019 Andrew Roberts NFL, NFL 2019 Free Agency 2019 NFL Free Agency Predictions, Aaron Jones, AB, Adam Humphries, Adrian Peterson, Alex Collins, Alex Smith, Alshon Jeffery, Antonio Brown, Antonio Callaway, Blake Bortles, Brock Osweiler, C.J. Anderson, Chris Conley, Chris Herndon, Chris Herndon IV, Cole Beasley, Colt McCoy, D.K. Metcalf, Davante Adams, Devin Funchess, Dez Bryant, Donte Moncrief, Doug Martin, Dwayne Haskins, Ezekiel Elliott, Free Agency, Golden Tate, Jamaal Williams, Jared Cook, Jay Ajayi, Jerick McKinnon, Jesse James, John Brown, Jordan Matthews, Josh Allen, Josh Hill, Josh McCown, JuJu, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Kareem Hunt, Kelvin Benjamin, Kenny Golladay, Kyler Murray, Lance Kendricks, Latavius Murray, Le'Veon Bell, LeGarrette Blount, Luke Willson, Marcedes Lewis, Mark Ingram, Marshawn Lynch, Marvin Jones, Matt Breida, Matthew Stafford, Mike Wallace, Nelson Agholor, NFL, NFL Free Agency Predictions, Nick Foles, Noah Fant, Phillip Dorsett, Randall Cobb, Richard Rodgers, Robby Anderson, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Ryan Tannehill, Sam Darnold, Sammy Watkins, Spencer Ware, T. J. Yeldon, T.J. Hockenson, T.Y. Hilton, Teddy Bridgewater, Tevin Coleman, Tyler Eifert, Tyler Kroft, Tyreek Hill, Tyrell Williams, Tyrod Taylor, Vance McDonald

Welcome to the first article of my 2019 NFL free agency prediction series! Today, I’ll be sharing my predictions for where offensive skill position players (QBs, RBs, WRs, TEs) end up signing. Where will Le’Veon Bell be headed after a year away from football? Where will Nick Foles find himself a starting job? Keep reading to find out what I think, and you check out my tentative schedule for the entire series below. In later articles, I will include links to the previously posted articles:

2019 NFL Free Agency Predictions

Series Schedule

Monday, March 4: NFL Free Agency Predictions: Part 1: Offensive Skill Positions

Wednesday, March 6: NFL Free Agency Predictions: Part 2: Linemen

Saturday, March 9: NFL Free Agency Predictions: Part 3: Linebackers and Defensive Backs

QB

In my eyes, Foles is the only viable starter that’s currently on the free agent market. Blake Bortles or Ryan Tannehill could eventually be released/traded, but for now, the choice is targeting Foles or waiting for the draft. Unlike other QB needy teams, the Jags could easily return to the playoffs with the right QB leading them. That being said, a veteran QB makes sense. The Giants, Redskins, and others will go for a combo of a rookie and a veteran mentor.

For Washington, Alex Smith will not be able to serve as a veteran mentor considering his severe knee injury in 2018. Colt McCoy isn’t a viable starter in my eyes either. However, Teddy Bridgewater is a free agent who has experience starting, so he could serve as Washington’s bridge starter (no pun intended) until their young QB, whether it be Kyler Murray, Dwayne Haskins, or someone else, has time to develop.

The Bucs and Dolphins will also be on the lookout for veteran backups. Look for them to resign their 2018 backup QBs, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Brock Osweiler. The Bills could also use some depth at QB behind Josh Allen, so bringing back their former QB, Tyrod Taylor, could be smart.

That would leave Josh McCown as the best free agent QB left. I have him going to LA to backup Philip Rivers until they draft Rivers’ successor.

RB

Viable Starters

Bell might be the best player on the open market in a long time. The Steelers refused to pay him what he wanted. But who will be up to pay him? He reportedly wants $25 million annually. I don’t think anyone will give him that, but I think he’d settle for $20 million/year if he ever wants to play again. If the Eagles free up enough cap between Foles’ departure and a release or two, they will be willing to pay for him for some answers at RB. Right now, they have a surplus of RBs, but no clear cut starter.

I see Ajayi, Philly’s last starting RB, leading a refined RB committee in Tampa. Expect an aging Adrian Peterson to do the same in Indianapolis. On the contrary, Ingram and Coleman will leave RB committees to become full time starters on RB needy teams. Coleman will replace Kareem Hunt, while Ingram will replace Marshawn Lynch (I see him retiring). The Ravens’ backfield is getting pretty crowded after the emergence of Gus Edwards, but I think Alex Collins will wind up back in Baltimore.

RB2 Options

The 49ers may have Jerick McKinnon and Matt Breida at RB, but a veteran mentor like 3-time Super Bowl champion LeGarrette Blount could be helpful if they resort to an RB committee. Yeldon will serve a similar role in Green Bay, playing alongside young RBs Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams. The Steelers could also use a veteran in their backfield behind new starter James Conner, and I think Martin could be a good fit. Despite leading the Rams in the playoffs, Anderson may have to settle for a backup/committee role as well. He could be a good replacement for Coleman in Atlanta. Murray was successful in Minnesota, and there’s room for him in the backfield, so I see him coming back. With Coleman headed to Kansas City, the Chiefs will move on from Spencer Ware as he heads to Dallas to backup Ezekiel Elliott.

WR/TE

Top Tier WRs

Sam Darnold showed flashes of talent in his rookie year. I think a better RB and a #1 receiver could make all the difference for him. They should chase after Tate aggressively if they cannot land Antonio Brown (I have him going to San Fran). Bryant barely played last year, but he still could serve as a WR1. The Bills could be a fit, but if they pass up on Bryant, they could also take D.K. Metcalf in Round 1 of the draft.

Cobb looks to be leaving Green Bay, and the Steelers may seek depth options at receiver after Antonio Brown leaves. Cobb could be a fit to play across from JuJu Smith-Schuster. The Lions have no clear cut WR1 after Tate’s departure, but if they sign a lower tier option like John Brown, Matthew Stafford could look evenly split targets among Brown, Marvin Jones, and Kenny Golladay.

Moncrief and Wallace aren’t viable #1 receivers at this point, but they could still be a big help for WR needy teams. Moncrief could be a good option for the Pats, rather than overspending for Golden Tate. I have Wallace returning to the Eagles to play alongside Alshon Jeffery and Nelson Agholor. This trio never played together despite being lined up as Philly’s top 3 receivers on the depth chart in 2018 training camp.

WR Depth Options

The Bills need more than just Bryant or Metcalf – maybe they can pair up Bryant with Beasley, his former teammate. The Ravens could also use some more depth at WR. Funchess isn’t a top tier option, but if they cannot land or draft someone top tier, he will have to do. Maybe they can pair Funchess with a rookie WR1. The Chiefs may not bring in anyone new, but they could bring back Conley to play behind Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins.

The Colts could use some more experienced options across from T.Y. Hilton – Matthews could be a good choice. They could always draft someone to split time as the #2 receiver with him. Williams upped his value this season, but I still cannot see many teams paying him WR1 money. The Jets could use another depth option behind Tate, especially if Robby Anderson leaves. The Patriots need all the quality WRs they can afford, so Dorsett could be a good option to bring back considering his developing chemistry with Tom Brady.

Top Tier TEs

Eifert has a concerning injury history, and I think it’s time for Cincinnati to move on. But Detroit could pair him with a drafted TE to ensure security at the position. Kroft will return to Cincy with Eifert on his way out. Kroft will return to Cincy with Eifert on his way out. The Saints could also use a veteran TE alongside the young Dan Arnold, and Cook might be the most consistent veteran on the market. It would be smart for the Texans to target Noah Fant or T.J. Hockenson in the draft, but signing a veteran in the meantime couldn’t hurt, and James could be a good mentor for their new TE.

Lewis and Rodgers are not cut out to be a team’s #1 tight end at this point. But they can provide depth as a TE2, with Lewis backing up Vance McDonald and Rodgers backing up Chris Herndon IV.

WR/TE Depth Options

Darnold needs more consistent receivers, so I could see the Jets moving on from Robby Anderson. Anderson could be a good depth piece in Cleveland, serving as the WR2 over Antonio Callaway. Humphries is also going into free agency expecting WR2 money. But I think he will have to settle for a little less, and if his price drops, the Pats may be willing to pay for him for additional depth. He is a good fit in New England. Despite a disappointing 2018, I could still see Benjamin contributing behind Davante Adams in Green Bay. They’ll need to draft a younger receiver to play alongside them though.

If the Lions sign anyone else at TE besides Eifert, I don’t think it will be their 2018 tight end Luke Willson. Josh Hill has a slightly better track record and could be a good bargain for the Lions. I see Willson returning to Seattle to compete for playing time with Will Dissly, Ed Dickson, and others. Kendricks was the most consistent of Green Bay’s tight ends this year, so look for them to retain him alongside Jimmy Graham.

Wow, that’s a lot of quality free agents. The madness will begin in a little over a week. Stay tuned for more predictions later in the week.

2018 NFL Week 8 Picks & Previews: Could be Exciting Sunday with Many Close Games

October 28, 2018October 28, 2018 Andrew Roberts NFL, Patriots, Picks & Previews Aaron Rodgers, Amari Cooper, Andrew Luck, Andy Dalton, Antonio Brown, Bilal Powell, Bills, Blake Bortles, Brock Osweiler, Buffalo, Buffalo Bills, C.J. Beathard, Cam Newton, Cameron Brate, CBS Sports, Cooper Kupp, D-Hop, David Johnson, DeAndre Hopkins, Dolphins, Eagles, Eli Apple, Eli Manning, ESPN, G-Men, Houston, Houston Texans, Jacksonville, Jacksonville Jaguars, Jags, Jaguars, Jameis Winston, Jimmy Garoppolo, Josh Allen, Josh Norman, Josh Rosen, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Kyle Lauletta, Le'Veon Bell, London, Marshawn Lynch, MatPat, Matt Patricia, Matt Stafford, Matthew Stafford, Miami, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota, Minnesota Vikings, Mitch Trubisky, Mitchell Trubisky, New England, New England Patriots, New Orleans, New Orleans Saints, NFL, NFL Picks, O.J. Howard, Odell Beckham Jr., Patriots, Pats, Philadelphia, Philadelphia Eagles, Philly, Picks, Ryan Tannehill, Sacksonville, Saints, Saquon Barkley, T.Y. Hilton, Texans, Tom Brady, Travis Kelce, Vikes, Vikings

Welcome to my NFL Week 8 Picks and Previews. Last week I went 8-6, putting my overall record at 61-44-2 (62-44-2 including Week 8 TNF). I’m hoping for at least 9 or 10 wins this week to get ahead of the ESPN and CBS Sports experts I am trying to compete with. I am ahead of just 1 expert from each website. This week, expect a lot of close, exciting games. Even Vegas is predicting this, as many of their NFL point spreads this week are under 4. But with lots of close games comes lots of surprises. Who will pull a shocking upset? Who will stand strong and win as expected? Read below to find out what I think.

Lock of the Week (MNF)

Stay tuned for a potential video preview closer to the game!

There are not many locks this week, but the Patriots should be able to take down the QB Josh Allen-less Bills with ease. It doesn’t matter if it’s in Buffalo, and it doesn’t matter that it’s Monday Night Football. Expect QB Tom Brady and the Pats to dominate here, taking an early lead and running with it. The Patriots defense isn’t going to go from shaky to shut down in a week, but it should hold a struggling, banged-up Bills offense to 20 or less points. One thing this offense does have on the New England is a strong run game. New England has continued to struggle against strong run games this year. But I don’t expect much else from the Bills offense, and the Pats should end up winning by 10 or more.

Upset of the Week

This would be a shocker given Kansas City’s performance in Denver and Denver’s tendency to perform far better at home. But it’s hard to beat the same team twice, especially when they are riding the momentum of a 45-10 victory including a spectacular defensive game. I understand that it was the Cardinals, but momentum is momentum. Thanks to this momentum, I think Denver’s D will do surprisingly well in stopping Kansas City’s dominant offense. This all-offense Chiefs team will struggle against a Broncos offense that has improved from 2017. TE Travis Kelce will catch Kansas City’s lone TD as the rest of the offense is overwhelmed by the Denver D in an upsetting loss.

The Other Games

TNF (Posted to Twitter Thursday Night)	Expect a low scoring game as the Texans shut down defense overwhelms QB Brock Osweiler and the young Miami pass offense. Expect the Dolphins backfield to struggle as well, with Houston’s defense holding them under 50 yards combined. I don’t see the Texans dominating on offense, but it will be enough thanks to a strong game by WR DeAndre Hopkins and the front seven’s performance.
Sunday, 9:30 AM EST (Posted to Twitter before the game)	I don’t think Jacksonville’s defense will look as sharp as usual in London, especially after 4 Jaguars defenders were arrested last night. But they will improve from the surprising struggles of the last couple weeks. Look for QB Blake Bortles to regroup and rebound after being replaced last week, leading the Jags to a surprising London victory. But Philly should keep it close with strong run defense against the troubled Jags run game.
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST	In this battle of two of the league’s rising defenses, don’t expect much from either young QB. QB Mitch Trubisky and his receivers will put up a dud against New York’s amazing secondary. But the Jets offense won’t be looking any better with RB Bilal Powell and most of their best receivers hurt. Chicago’s defense should come up clutch, holding the Jets under 10 and saving Chicago the game.
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST	The Browns tied the Steelers in Cleveland, but don’t expect as close a game in Pittsburgh. The Steelers will make up for RB Le’Veon Bell’s continued absence with a dominant day by WRs Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster. Pittsburgh’s D should also appear surprisingly better, holding the Browns young offense under 20.
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST	Look for QB Jameis Winston and his TE duo to lead Tampa to victory against a Bengals defense left with holes after losses in free agency. QB Andy Dalton and his receivers should make this close, but the defensive problems will begin to stab them in the back. The Bucs will win on the road thanks to another big day on offense.
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST	Expect a strong game out of QB Cam Newton and the Panthers offense. But the Ravens versatile defense should slow them down significantly. However, Baltimore’s receivers will still struggle to keep up as Newton’s multi-TD game is enough to lead Carolina to victory.
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST	I know most people would call me crazy for expecting 34 points out of the Giants. But this is a team that beat the 5-3 Houston Texans. I don’t think the G-Men are really as bad as they seem. Even the GM has given up. But I think the Giants will turn it around and win a few games before the season ends. They have a talented, star-studded offense. All they need is a QB who can manage that. If QB Eli Manning cannot, maybe another QB on the roster is the answer. WR Odell Beckham Jr. will be kept busy against CB Josh Norman, but you can expect strong games out of RB Saquon Barkley and New York’s other offensive weapons. The Redskins will make this close with a clutch offensive performance, but I have them falling just short.
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST	Look for Matt Patricia’s Lions to win another one on home turf as they begin to look like legitimate contenders. The Seahawks should be able to overwhelm the Lions D, one of Detroit’s biggest flaws this year. But QB Matthew Stafford’s 3 TD game should be enough for a Lions home victory.
Sunday, 4:05 PM EST	The Colts should make this close with a surprisingly strong offensive performance led by QB Andrew Luck and WR T.Y. Hilton. They will take advantage of a weak, rebuilding Raiders D. But expect Oakland to shine on offense against Indy, who has one of the worst defenses in the league. It doesn’t matter if WR Amari Cooper is here or not. The Raiders will miss Cooper and injured RB Marshawn Lynch, but should still manage to win. If they can beat the Browns in Oakland, they can do the same to Indy.
Sunday, 4:25 PM EST	I was tempted to pick the Packers in an upset as the Rams offense struggles without injured WR Cooper Kupp. But this versatile Rams defense is just too good to allow 20+ points to a Packers offense that lacks WR depth despite an amazing QB in Aaron Rodgers. Defense will win the Rams this game as they remain undefeated.
Sunday, 4:25 PM EST	Arizona’s only win so far this year was in San Francisco. I think they can beat the QB Jimmy Garoppolo-less 49ers again in Arizona. They will be led by strong games out of young QB Josh Rosen and RB David Johnson. The Niners should look decent on offense and make this close. But I think the Cardinals will hold on on home turf.
Sunday, 8:20 PM EST	I think Minnesota’s offense will be slowed by a young Saints D that just added CB Eli Apple. But the Vikings defense should look even better, holding the Saints under 20 points and to just 1 TD. This shut down defensive performance should lead the Vikes to victory.

That’s all for my picks and previews this week. Stay tuned for more NFL posts soon, including my midseason report next week.

2018 NFL Week 3 Picks & Previews: Lots of Upsets as Contenders Rise

September 23, 2018 Andrew Roberts NFL, Patriots, Picks & Previews, Uncategorized 49ers, Aaron Rodgers, Alshon Jeffery, Alvin Kamara, Antonio Brown, Baltimore, Baltimore Ravens, Bengals, Bills, Blaine Gabbert, Broncos, Browns, Buffalo, Buffalo Bills, Cam Newton, Captain Kirk, Carson Wentz, Case Keenum, Chiefs, Cincinnati, Cincinnati Bengals, Cincy, Cleveland, Cleveland Browns, Dak Prescott, Dalvin Cook, David Njoku, Denver, Denver Broncos, Derek Carr, Deshaun Watson, Detroit, Detroit Lions, Dolphins, Doug Baldwin, Jared Goff, Jay Ajayi, Jets, Jimmy Garoppolo, Joe Flacco, Joe Mixon, Josh Gordon, Josh Rosen, Kansas City, Kansas City Chiefs, Kareem Hunt, KC, Kirk Cousins, Le'Veon Bell, Lions, Matt Stafford, Matthew Stafford, Miami, Miami Dolphins, Michael Thomas, Mike Wallace, Minnesota, Minnesota Vikings, New England, New England Patriots, New York, New York Jets, NFL, NFL Week 3 Picks, No-Fly Zone, NY, NY Jets, Pat Mahomes, Pat Mahomes II, Patrick Mahomes, Patrick Mahomes II, Patriots, Pats, Pete Prisco, Picks, Ravens, Ryan Tannehill, Sam Bradford, San Francisco, San Francisco 49ers, Tom Brady, Vikes, Vikings

Welcome to my NFL Week 3 picks and previews. I had a great week last week, finishing 12-3-1, That brings my overall record to 21-9-2, better than any ESPN or CBS Sports expert besides Pete Prisco. If I told you who the current 2-0 teams were before the season started, most of you would be shocked. The Dolphins? The Bengals? The Chiefs?

According to NFL Network, 2-0 teams make the playoffs 64% of the time. But those odds go up to 75% if they become 3-0. So as NFL Network put it, this is a big week for those 2-0 teams. Which of them are contenders, and which are pretenders? We will likely get a glimpse at that this week.

Lock of the Week

I know a lot of you think the Vikings are going to blow out the Bills, but it’s hard to imagine any team blowing out another without their star running back (still see the Vikes winning though). With RB Dalvin Cook out, this becomes the biggest lock in my eyes. The Chiefs defense isn’t anything special, but I think they’ll keep QB Jimmy Garoppolo’s young receivers covered, leaving Garoppolo scrambling to find an open man. Meanwhile, I cannot see the 49ers defense stopping QB Patrick Mahomes II. Expect Mahomes to toss a few more touchdowns and lead the Chiefs offense to dominate. RB Kareem Hunt will also have a strong game.

Upset of the Week

The Ravens were topped easily by the Bengals last week, and I see Cincy as a pretender who’s just riding an easy schedule to a winning record. So, I don’t think the Ravens will be able to do much against this shut down Denver D, even at home. I think the No-Fly Zone will be back up to full speed this week against QB Joe Flacco’s mediocre receivers. I think the Ravens defense will have a strong game as well, leaving QB Case Keenum with less open men and less TD opportunities than he had in the last two games. But I do think Keenum and the Broncos will find a way to pull off the upset in Baltimore.

The Other Games

TNF (Posted to Twitter on Thursday Night; Actual Score: 21-17 Browns)	The Browns might be without WR Josh Gordon, but they’ll find creative ways to score as their running backs lead the way. Expect the Jets defense to shut down Cleveland’s receivers for a good portion of the game. But look for TE David Njoku to shine. The Jets will make it close with strong offense of their own, but I don’t see it being enough as the Browns young offense finds a way.
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST	I’m a little worried about the Raider defense in this game, but I think QB Derek Carr will find open men, taking advantage of Miami’s weakness, their defense. Look for QB Ryan Tannehill to have a strong game as well, but I don’t think the Dolphins are as good as advertised, and Carr will lead the Raiders to pull the upset.
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST	This Bills offense has not been able to get into a groove yet this year, and you can expect more of the same in Minnesota. QB Kirk Cousins and his receivers will lead the way for Minnesota with the help of dominant defense.
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST	The Bengals defense will play a factor here, minimalizing what the Panthers offense can put up. Carolina’s run game will struggle, and Cam Newton will be held to one TD as his receivers are well covered. Meanwhile, I expect QB Andy Dalton and his receivers to have a pretty strong game. But I see the Panthers defense completely shutting down the Joe Mixon-less Bengals run game and leading Carolina to victory.
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST	Expect a stellar performance by Houston’s receivers against a banged up New York secondary and a dominant game by QB Deshaun Watson against a below average Giants defensive front. I think the Giants will take the early lead, but the Texans dominant D will shut them down as Houston comes back.
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST	Look for the Jaguars offense to be limited by a somewhat strong Titans D. But this is Sacksonville, and QB Blaine Gabbert will be their next victim. Expect the Jags D to dominate, holding Tennessee under 10.
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST	QB Carson Wentz is back, but with RB Jay Ajayi and WRs Alshon Jeffery and Mike Wallace hurt, he doesn’t have much left around him. So I don’t expect an all out domination. Expect the Colts to have a decent offensive day against the young Eagles secondary. But I think Wentz and the Eagles will be able to squeeze by.
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST	Look for the Redskins to have a strong offensive day, but I think strong red zone D by Green Bay will hold them up here. Meanwhile, expect the Packers to hold the lead for most of the game as Aaron Rodgers tosses multiple TDs and looks a little more mobile in recovery from his knee injury.
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST (OT)	Look for the Saints to grab an early lead here, led by RB Alvin Kamara and WR Michael Thomas. But I think they’ll slow down, and strong WR play by Atlanta plus sloppy defense by New Orleans will lead to a Falcons comeback in overtime.
Sunday, 4:05 PM EST	Look for a spot-on game by the Rams entire defense, as they will shut down a high-powered Chargers offense. I don’t think QB Jared Goff and his offense will look all that great, but they’ll come out victorious thanks to the defense stepping it up.
Sunday, 4:25 PM EST	I think Seattle’s offense will look alright here, but they’ll begin to miss WR Doug Baldwin. Meanwhile, their declining defense will blow it as QB Dak Prescott and his receivers dominate.
Sunday, 4:25 PM EST (OT)	The hollers for QB Josh Rosen to take over will just get louder this week as QB Sam Bradford blows it in overtime. I honestly think the Cardinals would be so much better off right now if they had started Rosen. Chicago’s defense, receivers, and backs will all show promise as Arizona looks better, but can’t pull off a victory at home.
Sunday, 8:30 PM EST Check back for a video preview closer to game time!	Expect an offensive shootout here, as both QB Tom Brady and QB Matthew Stafford toss multiple TD. Meanwhile, the Lions defense will struggle regressively as the Pats score 5 TD. However, New England’s defense will be overwhelmed by Detroit’s offensive depth, and they won’t look much better despite a New England victory.
Monday, 8:30 PM EST	Look for the Bucs to have another strong offensive game and get creative in scoring situations as Pittsburgh’s D tries to limit them. But I think the Steelers will fall short again without RB Le’Veon Bell, making WR Antonio Brown more fed up with this team.

That’s all for my picks for this week. Comment with your thoughts, and stay tuned for more posts soon.

2018 NFL Week 1 Picks and Previews: Every Win Counts

September 9, 2018September 9, 2018 Andrew Roberts NFL, NHL, Patriots, Uncategorized A.J. Green, Aaron Rodgers, Adam Thielen, Adrian Peterson, Alex Smith, Alshon Jeffery, Ameer Abdullah, Antonio Brown, Blake Bortles, Calvin Ridley, Cam Newton, Carson Wentz, Case Keenum, Corey Davis, Courtland Sutton, D'Onta Foreman, Dak Prescott, Dalvin Cook, David Johnson, David Njoku, DeAndre Hopkins, Delanie Walker, DeMaryius Thomas, Deshaun Watson, DeVante Parker, Drew Brees, Emmanuel Sanders, Ezekiel Elliott, George Iloka, Golden Tate, Isaiah Crowell, Jalen Ramsey, Jameis Winston, James Conner, James Washington, Jamison Crowder, Jared Goff, Jarvis Landry, Jimmy Garoppolo, Jimmy Graham, Joe Flacco, John Brown, Julian Edelman, Julio Jones, Kareem Hunt, Kenny Golladay, Khalil Mack, Lamar Miller, Laquon Treadwell, Latavius Murray, Le'Veon Bell, Marcus Mariota, Matt Ryan, Matthew Stafford, Melvin Gordon, Michael Crabtree, Michael Thomas, Mike Wallace, Mike Williams, Nathan Peterman, Nelson Agholor, New England, New England Patriots, NFL, Nick Foles, Odell Beckham Jr., Patrick Mahomes II, Patrick Peterson, Patriots, Pats, Philip Rivers, Picks, Quincy Enunwa, Reshad Jones, Ryan Tannehill, Sam Bradford, Saquon Barkley, Stevan Ridley, T.Y. Hilton, Terrelle Pryor Jr., Tom Brady, Travis Ke;ce, Tyreek Hill, Tyrod Taylor, Will Fuller V, Zach Ertz

It’s that time of year again. Football is finally back! Today, I will share my predictions for each of the Week 1 games, and I have included a video preview for the Patriots game. In the future, I may include 2-3 other game previews in addition to a Patriots preview. I think the NFL is going to be especially competitive this year, so every win counts, even if it’s against a below average team. Comment with your thoughts and I hope you’re all as excited as I am to watch some regular season football.

Lock of the Week

The Broncos are coming off a really strong draft that helped revamp their offense alongside the signing of QB Case Keenum. I think the Broncos young pair of running backs will flourish against a declining Seahawks defense. I don’t think Case Keenum will ever repeat his spectacular 2017, but I do see him having a strong game and taking advantage of the newfound WR depth in Denver. In the 2017 draft, Denver finally found a third receiver to play alongside Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, Courtland Sutton, and I see him playing a significant role right off the bat.

This Broncos defense is also nearly as strong as it was last year. Considering Seattle’s 2017 offensive struggles, I think Denver could easily hold the Seahawks under 20 points. This will allow Denver to blow Seattle out and get revenge on Seattle for routing the Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII.

Upset of the Week (MNF)

I think this will be a close call, but I can’t see this stacked Raiders offense losing to the Rams in Oakland. They have a trio of talented receivers, a good mix of long-time veterans and younger guys in the backfield, and a decent QB and tight end group. They also have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL. The Rams are one of my two overrated teams of the year. Sure, they made some exciting moves this off-season, but they lost a lot to free agency in the process.

The Raiders defense may not be looking so good after losing DE Khalil Mack, but their secondary isn’t as bad as it seems. I see the secondary keeping QB Jared Goff’s receivers well covered, leaving Goff struggling to find open men. Meanwhile, I don’t see the Raiders offense putting up 30+ points against a relatively strong Rams defense. But I do see them getting by with just enough to pull off the upset in this one.

TNF (Posted on Twitter on Thursday – Actual Score: 18-12 Eagles)

QB Carson Wentz may be out, but backup QB Nick Foles can still lead teams to victory when it matters. I don’t see Foles playing quite at Super Bowl level in this one, but competition motivates him. I think Foles will throw for 2 touchdowns despite being slowed down by the Falcons front seven. Look out for a big game out of WR Mike Wallace as well. With WR Alshon Jeffery injured, coverage will be drawn towards TE Zach Ertz and WR Nelson Agholor, Philly’s next two best pass-catchers. For the Falcons, I think veteran WR Julio Jones and rookie WR Calvin Ridley will have a strong week. But it won’t be enough for a victory with QB Matt Ryan and Atlanta’s RB duo struggling against the Eagles defensive front.

Sunday’s Games

It’s sure to be an intense game with two of the NFL’s best quarterbacks facing off. I think both QBs, Tom Brady and Deshaun Watson, will have strong games. But they will be held back by their lack of wide receiver depth, especially Houston, who will be without WR Will Fuller (hamstring). However, this opens up an opportunity for a strong game by WR DeAndre Hopkins. I also see RB Lamar Miller having a strong game with sophomore RB D’Onta Foreman injured. Meanwhile, as the Patriots typically do, expect Tom Brady to find creative ways to score despite the lack of WR depth with Julian Edelman suspended, and that will lead them to a Week 1 victory.

The Ravens have one of the stronger defensive fronts in the league, and I can’t see QB Nathan Peterman having a strong game against Baltimore after his regular season struggles in 2017. I don’t see Joe Flacco doing much better, but I think veteran WR Michael Crabtree will find a way to produce against the strong Buffalo secondary, and I think WR John Brown will begin to look like his old self, leading the Ravens in receiving while Crabtree is facing heavier coverage. I don’t think the Bills stellar run game will be enough to outdo the Ravens, but I do think they will force overtime. From there Baltimore will secure the victory with strong defense and a well-crafted winning drive.

This will be an interesting game. We have a match-up between two younger quarterbacks looking to take it to the next level. I think both Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill and Titans QB Marcus Mariota will have promising showings in a close one. Even without WR DeVante Parker, I think the Dolphins wide receivers will step it up in this game to make it close. But I think the Titans receivers are ready to tear apart Miami’s secondary. Expect a big game from veteran TE Delanie Walker, even against S Reshad Jones. You also could see a very strong game out of WR Corey Davis. This is only the beginning of what I think will be Corey Davis’ breakout year. Walker and Davis will lead the Titans past Miami in a close one.

I think the Steelers will manage a victory here. But the Browns will make it closer than we’ve seen in a game between these two teams in a long time, with a strong offensive showing. I don’t think QB Tyrod Taylor will look that good against the Steelers D. But I think he’ll manage to find open receivers such as WR Jarvis Landry and TE David Njoku for portions of the game. With RB Le’Veon Bell likely out, expect RB James Conner and RB Stevan Ridley to step it up against the Browns D in Bell’s place. I think the Steelers offense will just be too much for Cleveland’s rebuilding D, especially with a strong game from WR Antonio Brown and a strong debut from rookie WR James Washington.

Andrew Luck is finally back. I think he’ll look like his old self, but I see him struggling to find reliable receivers. Besides T.Y. Hilton, Luck doesn’t have many of them. Meanwhile, I think the Bengals offense, led by WR A.J. Green will dominate a Colts defense that isn’t looking great. I think Cincy’s defensive front will look good and shut down the Colts’ young run game. But I don’t think the Bengals secondary will look much better than Indy’s without S George Iloka. That will at least allow T.Y. Hilton to have a strong game and make this a little closer.

I don’t think Jaguars QB Blake Bortles will be especially strong against the Giants D, but he’ll find enough open receivers to edge out a victory. Meanwhile, the Jaguars stellar defense will help secure Jacksonville’s lead by holding the Giants under 20 points and 2 touchdowns. However, I see WR Odell Beckham Jr. outplaying Jaguars CB Jalen Ramsey and scoring New York’s only TD in an epic WR-CB match-up. But I think rookie RB Saquon Barkley and the Giants run game will be shut down by the strong Jacksonville front seven.

I think QB Jimmy Garoppolo and the 49ers receivers will have a decent game here. But the Vikings defense will limit them significantly, allowing the Vikes to blowout the Niners with Minnesota’s offense outplaying a mediocre 49ers D. I think QB Kirk Cousins will find plenty of open men to throw to in the end zone, and I expect a strong game out of the Vikings RB duo (Dalvin Cook and Latavius Murray) with Cook healthy. I think the one Vikings receiver that will struggle is Adam Thielen, who will likely be matched up against star corner Richard Sherman. But Vikings WR Laquon Treadwell will show promise after a slow start to his NFL career and play a role in Minnesota’s victory.

This Buccaneers front seven is extremely underrated, and I don’t see the Saints run game thriving against them with RB Mark Ingram suspended. But with Bucs QB Jameis Winston also suspended, I don’t think Tampa Bay will put up enough points to outdo the Saints in New Orleans. The Saints are the other team I see as overrated, but I still cannot see them losing to a Winston-less Bucs offense at home. I think the Saints defense will play well enough. Offensively, Drew Brees and Michael Thomas will work together to secure the Saints a victory.

With QB Patrick Mahomes II starting for the Chiefs, I don’t think the offense will look as good as it did last year. But I do think RB Kareem Hunt, WR Tyreek Hill, and TE Travis Kelce will help Mahomes and the Chiefs keep this game close. However, I see the Chargers offense looking pretty good in this game. WR Mike Williams will look strong at full health, and QB Philip Rivers and RB Melvin Gordon will also put up strong performances, leading the Chargers to victory despite sloppy defense by both teams.

The Panthers had a very strong pre-season, and I think they can carry the momentum into the regular season against the Cowboys. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Panthers QB Cam Newton throw 3-4 touchdowns in this one. Cowboys QB Dak Prescott will keep this interesting as I expect him to throw at least 2 touchdowns. However, I think RB Ezekiel Elliott will have a tough time against a really strong Panthers front seven.

I don’t think Cardinals QB Sam Bradford will quite look like his old self. But I see him staying healthy and tossing a couple touchdowns in his first start since early last season. I expect QB Alex Smith and RB Adrian Peterson to have strong days as well, making this close. But I think the Cardinals win in the end, led by a dominant day for RB David Johnson in his return, and a strong performance by CB Patrick Peterson in man-to-man coverage against Redskins WR Jamison Crowder.

SNF

With QB Aaron Rodgers back at full speed, expect a strong game by the Packers offense. I see Rodgers tossing at least 2 touchdowns, and TE Jimmy Graham having an especially strong day. Graham was a great signing, and Rodgers and Graham will make for an amazing QB-TE combo. Rodgers hasn’t had that for a long time. The Bears offense will look strong in this game as well. But I cannot see them putting up as many points as Green Bay does with Rodgers at full health, making the Pack victorious in Rodgers’ return.

MNF

I expect QB Matthew Stafford to look sharp in prime time against a mediocre Jets D. His receivers should have a strong showing as well, with WR Kenny Golladay showing flashes of dominance, and veteran WR Golden Tate looking better than he was last year. I also think RB Ameer Abdullah will step up his game this season, starting with this prime time match-up. Meanwhile, the Jets offense will look revamped with WR Quincy Enunwa healthy and RB Isaiah Crowell and WR Terrelle Pryor Jr. on board. But I still don’t think it is going to be enough.

That’s all for my NFL Week 1 picks and previews. Be sure to comment with your thoughts, and enjoy the first Football Sunday of 2018.

Pats Stun Pittsburgh and Steal Win

December 17, 2017 Andrew Roberts Game Recaps, NFL, Patriots, Uncategorized Antonio Brown, Ben Roethlisberger, Big Ben, Brandin Cooks, Dion Lewis, Duron Harmon, Gronk, Jesse James, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Le'Veon Bell, New England, New England Patriots, NFL, Patriots, Pats, Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Steelers, Rex Burkhead, Rob Gronkowski, Steelers, TB12, Tom Brady

With 8 minutes left in the game, the Pats were down by eight points, and I was losing hope. I don’t know how they won. They had a nice drive going, but Pats QB Tom Brady was sacked, and they were held to a field goal. Then they took a 27-24 lead in a 2-minute drill by scoring a TD and a 2-point conversion. But they left 1-minute for the Steelers. They almost blew it. On the first play with 52 seconds left, the Pats couldn’t get their hands on Steelers WR Juju Smith-Schuster on a short pass over the middle as he escaped tacklers and scurried down the field for 69 yards. On the next play, TE Jesse James scored a TD on a pass up the middle diving into the end zone. But video replay reversed the call. 2 plays later with no timeouts left and about 15 seconds left, Big Ben faked the spike and then tried to force a pass up the middle. Eric Rowe deflected it right into the hands of Harmon, stunning the Steelers, and stealing the win

The Patriots won in comeback fashion in what was arguably the game of the year, as the Pats beat Pittsburgh 27-24. You could argue that there was no tangible evidence to overturn the Steelers last-minute touchdown but the resilience the Pats showed leading up to the play, they deserved a call in their favor. It all started on New England’s first drive.

QB Tom Brady and WR Brandin Cooks tried to set the tone early as Brady threw Cooks a 43-yard pass that brought the Patriots into the red zone within the first five minutes of the game. RB Rex Burkhead ran in for the TD and the Pats took the early 7-0 lead.

But the Steelers weren’t about to let New England win easy. Using the Patriots’ defensive weaknesses to their advantage, they marched down the field and responded with an 18 yard TD of their own, tying the game at 7.

The Steelers didn’t stop there. In the next drive, their defense thrived, sacking Tom Brady and forcing them to punt. Led by a 39-yard Martavis Bryant reception, they had another big drive following that. But after Bryant’s nice catch, the Pats were at least able to hold Pittsburgh to a field goal. It was now 10-7 Steelers as Chris Boswell made a 51-yard field goal. But Steelers superstar WR Antonio Brown had hurt his calf, and he was taken to the hospital.

The Pats countered with another big play drive, this time a 31-yard catch by Pats TE Rob Gronkowski and the Pats were able to tie it up again at 10. This was just one of two catches Gronk made in the 1st half, but he made a huge impact in the 2nd half. But before the half, the Steelers were able to score 1 more TD, while also preventing a Patriots double score opportunity as their drive burned most of the 2nd quarter clock. The Steelers clock-eating drives were led by star RB Le’Veon Bell, who dominated against the depleted Pats front seven. They did not slow down even with Brown out of the game. The Pats would get the ball in the 2nd half but would have to do so without RB Rex Burkhead who was knocked out of the game with a knee injury.

The Pats began the 2^nd half with a strong drive as Brandin Cooks scored a touchdown after Gronk began to make a bigger impact. But they missed the extra point which put them down by one 17-16. After they shut the Steelers down, the Pats were ready to score again. But Tom Brady was intercepted early in the drive. Le’Veon Bell led the Steelers into the end zone quickly, and the Pats were now down by eight, 24-16.

As the 4th quarter began, the Steelers had the ball, and they began to eat up a lot of time as they tried to hold off the Patriots. They held onto the ball for the first 7 minutes of the 4th quarter, leaving the Pats down by eight with just 8 minutes to come back. In their first drive of the 4th quarter, they started off strong. Gronk almost caught a 23-yard pass and the Steelers were penalized for clear pass interference. However, Brady got sacked on third down after a pair of incompletions, and they were held to a field goal.

It wasn’t over though. The Pats shut down the Steelers on the next drive with the only 3 and out for either team and got the ball back with a little over two minutes to go. If they could successfully complete this 2-minute drill for a TD, they could secure a victory. They marched down the field, as Gronk caught three straight passes for a total of 69 yards. You could argue that his final catch was almost as good as WR Julian Edelman’s catch in Super Bowl LI. Gronk just barely saved the ball before it hit the ground.

RB Dion Lewis ran it in for the touchdown, but New England scored too fast going 77 yards in 1:10. They needed to go for the 2-point conversion to take a 3-point lead and at the very least hold Pittsburgh to a field goal and head into overtime. Brady tossed it to Gronk for the conversion. Gronk finished the 2nd half with 7 receptions for 135 yards, making a huge impact. The Steelers had a little under a minute to respond.

The Steelers were confident that they could still win it, and Big Ben completed one 69-yard pass to WR JuJu Smith-Schuster. As the Pats couldn’t get their hands on Smith-Schuster, the Steelers were able to do what the Pats did in three passes in just one big play. The Steelers then scored with what was ruled a touchdown by TE Jesse James. But the call was reversed, giving hope to all the Patriots fans out there, including me. Two plays later, Big Ben tried to throw a TD again, but this time, he was picked off by Duron Harmon! The Pats had done it again!

A couple minutes earlier, I had thought the Pats were done, and I was hoping they could hold on to the 3rd seed. But now they lead the AFC after a stunning comeback victory.

There were two huge plays that secured the Pats their current #1 seed edge showing #1 seed confidence under tough road pressure in Pittsburgh. Without the 2-point conversion, Pittsburgh would’ve likely won on a field goal after Smith-Schuster’s catch and run play. The Pats held on with a great goal-line interception by Harmon. The Pats lead the league in goal-line stops and today’s play was arguably the most clutch of the year.

This game reminded me of Super Bowl XLIX. The Pats won in a comeback, a lot of points were scored late in the game, and the Pats secured victory with an interception after the opposing team almost scored. The one major difference was the time left on the clock. Super Bowl XLIX ended with a bad coaching decision, but in this game, Big Ben made the mistake forcing a pass instead of throwing it away to give his team a shot in overtime with a short field goal.

With this win, the Pats clinch the division and take the AFC lead. They control their own destiny and will secure the #1 seed with 2 division wins at home. Can they do it?

NFL Week 3 Picks

September 24, 2016September 24, 2016 Andrew Roberts NFL, Picks & Previews, Uncategorized 49ers, Aaron Rodgers, Amari Cooper, Ameer Abdullah, Andrew Luck, Antonio Brown, Arian Foster, Brandin Cooks, Brandon Marshall, Brock Osweiler, Carson Wentz, Clay Matthews, Clay Matthews III, Coby Fleener, Dak Prescott, DeAndre Hopkins, Derek Carr, DeVante Parker, Dez Bryant, Drew Brees, Eagles, Eddie Lacy, Eric Decker, Ezekiel Elliott, Glover Quin, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Haloti Ngata, Jacoby Brissett, Jameis Winston, Jarvis Landry, Jason Witten, Jay Ajayi, Jordan Cameron, Jordy Nelson, Josh Norman, Julius Peppers, Kenny Stills, Kirk Cousins, Lamar Miller, Marcus Mariota, Mark Ingram, Matt Forte, Matt Ryan, Mike Wallace, NFL, Odell Beckham Jr., Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, Randall Cobb, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Ryan Tannehill, Sam Bradford, San Francisco 49ers, Seahawks, Seattle Seahawks, Steelers, Sterling Shepard, Trevor Siemian, Victor Cruz, Vontaze Burfict

The last two weeks have been big disappointments for me, in picks at least. I have been limited to just an 18-14 record in the last two weeks. I’m hoping this week is at least a 12-4 week, and so far I’m 1-0. Will this week be different? Read my picks to see how I’ll do in your mind. You can share your opinions in the comments.

Me vs. The Pros

Lock Of The Week

The 49ers did show promise the last couple of weeks, but they were up against defenses that were good in one area, and weak in another. Both the Panthers and Rams have a great pass rush, but their secondaries struggle. The Seahawks overpowered defense has no known weakness for the Niners to go at. The Seahawks will continue a low scoring trend and only score 20 against the Niners decent D, but this will be an all out shutdown game, as the Seahawks overwhelm the 49ers offense. The Seahawks will also continue their trend of being nearly impossible to beat at home. Quick win for the Seahawks.

Upset Of The Week

At the start of the season, I had been saying that the Eagles will be terrible, but Carson Wentz has really impressed me these first two weeks and I have grown to like this 2016 Eagles offense. Sure, the defense still isn’t great, but they have something going on the offensive side of the ball. Personally, if everyone gives it their all, I think thy have enough willpower to shock the Steelers. I started the season thinking the Steelers were overrated, but right now the Steelers are just in a big pickle without many good receiving weapons besides Antonio Brown. The Steelers were already lacking depth on offense, now the problem has gotten out of hand. I say the Eagles pick up the win in an offensive shootout. Down with the Steelers!

The Other Games

I originally thought the Bills revamped defense was going to win them this game, but no way in a million years will that happen! These Cardinals aren’t going anywhere. They are arguably the best all-around team in the league, and I thought the Bills were going to beat them. This week, I see the Cardinals scoring a good amount of points and the Bills offense not scoring quite enough to challenge the Cards. Yes, the Bills may look impressive early in the game like they sometimes do. But if they do, don’t expect them to hold the lead very long. The Bills haven’t made the playoffs since the 1990s. I don’t know what made me think they’d go back this year.

You may be wondering why I predicted such a low scoring game when the Vikings could just throw the ball and take advantage of Carolina’s weak secondary if the Panthers offense doesn’t score as much as expected. But, you can’t throw the ball when your QB is being overwhelmed by a league-best pass rush. Sam Bradford will not have the chance to throw. He will be stuffed, over and over again. Without Sam Bradford at his best, the Vikings won’t have a chance in this game. Unless Bradford really is back to normal health and Philly was just a bad fit for him, I don’t see that happening. The Panthers pass rush saves their butts in this game.

The Broncos defense will be good in this game against a weakened Cincinnati offense, but I think the most underrated unit in this match-up is the Bengals defense. They don’t have Vontaze Burfict back yet, but they have some great pass rush guys who are going to take care of Trevor Siemian. The Broncos offense will flop in this game after being pressured by the Bengals defense. Without Siemian playing well, this whole offense goes down the drain. That’s why a good QB was so important for this team. But Siemian has proved us wrong. In the last two weeks, he has proved to be a good QB. But this week, his lack of experience will just lash out against a tough D, and the Broncos will drop this game, especially since they’re on the road for the first time this season. As you know, the Broncos are a very different team at home, and it is hard to win at their stadium if your team is not named the Denver Broncos.

The Lions offense will be a lot better in this game, but in Green Bay, the Packers will just be too tough to beat. The Packers offense is even better than the Lions offense. This game should be fun to watch. I see a very high scoring game where good defense is nowhere to be found. Especially without Ameer Abdullah though, the Lions offense won’t have nearly enough in them to compete with this Packers team. Eddie Lacy, Jordy Nelson, Aaron Rodgers, Randall Cobb, what a great offense. They won’t let Packers fans down at Lambeau. In addition, the Packers defense is at least mildly better than the Lions D. Clay Matthews and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix are a lot better than Haloti Ngata and Glover Quin in today’s NFL.

The Ravens have really bounced back this season. Mike Wallace has been straight-up awesome, and this offense looks like it belongs to a playoff contender again. But what, you think they’ll go so far that they go undefeated? No way! The Jaguars were robbed in the first two weeks of the season, and I expected a lot better. I also expect that the young offense will bounce back this week, and earn themselves a big win. Look, the Jaguars beat the Ravens a year ago, when both of these teams were bad. This year, they’re both revamped, and in Jacksonville, the Jags should win again. They have revamped defense, young offense, and at least at the start of the season were spectated as as much of playoff contenders as the Ravens are. Expect the Jags to pull off a lot of upsets in the coming weeks, even with a tough schedule.

Okay, the Dolphins aren’t typically this good, in any game. But this is the Browns, down to their third string QB, with a defense terrible as always. The Dolphins will rout the Browns, the defense will look better than usual, and the Dolphins offense that’s full of potential will take advantage of the Browns weak defense. I think this week we will see a very different Dolphins team than usual. Ryan Tannehill will look better, DeVante Parker will have a breakout-leading game, and Jarvis Landry, Kenny Stills and Jordan Cameron will also be on their best. I know Arian Foster is out, and they’re down to Jay Ajayi at running back. But the Dolphins offense, especially Tannehill and his receivers and tight ends will do strongly against the weak Browns D.

This is going to be a very interesting game. For the first of two times this season, Josh Norman and Odell Beckham Jr. are going to be going at it again. I think the Giants will try and use the rest of their offense to power past the Redskins. OBJ will have a very tough match-up, but Sterling Shepard and Victor Cruz will get some receptions and possibly a TD as well. The running game will also be strong, and the defense should still be good. Kirk Cousins and the Redskins offense will have success, but not enough to top the Giants. Towards the end of the game, the Giants offense will lash out and the defense will shut down the ‘Skins for the remainder of the game.

Yes, the Titans offense has shown improvement. But the Raiders are shaping into a decent all around team. The Titans defense is still an absolute joke. Derek Carr and his offense will dominate the Titans D, and while the Titans offense tries to do the same to the Raiders and make this a shootout, the Raiders defense will take charge, overpower the Titans, and hold them to one TD. The Raiders are highly underrated, and will take a win here, earning them a winning record once again. Marcus Mariota and the Titans will try, but the all-around revamped Raiders will be too much for them. Amari Cooper should have a huge game against a weak Titans D, and Derek Carr and the Raiders will get a big win.

The Buccaneers had a rough week last week, but they enter a much easier match-up. I see Jameis Winston and the offense bouncing back, making fans remember what Winston did in Week 1. The only reason the Rams did win last week is that the Seahawks offense is not great on the road. The Rams are not that great a team, especially if they’re not even going to start the 1st overall pick. Look at what Carson Wentz has done in Philly! For now, the underrated Buccaneers defense should beat the Rams down, and Jameis Winston will bounce back completely against a much easier NFC West opponent this week. That should lead to a big win for the Bucs.

The Chargers offense has been brilliant the last two weeks. But even with Andrew Luck struggling last week, Andrew Luck will be on his best this week, and lead the Colts to a big win over the Chargers. The Colts defense should be able to hold up the Chargers, and prove their big push faulty. I actually think the Colts defense has improved in the last 2 years. Andrew Luck and the offense will also be a lot better against the weak Chargers D, and the Colts should get an easy win here. I don’t know why so many people think otherwise, or even think about picking the Chargers.

This is a very intriguing match-up. The Jets offense is pretty good, and Matt Forte has looked awesome. Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker have a good connection with Ryan Fitzpatrick too. The Chiefs defense is also really good, and the Chiefs are really a great all around team this year. I think the Chiefs pass rush and the rest of their strong defense will overpower the Jets decent offense, and the Chiefs powerful offense will be too much for the Jets defense. Basically, this game is good against decent, and the Jets will compete, but the Chiefs should grab the win in the end.

Dak Prescott was really impressive in the preseason. But in regular season, he hasn’t been quite as good. This week will be an easy match-up for him, but the Bears offense is good, and upset hungry. This will be a pretty high scoring game, but in the end the Cowboys will win. Dak Prescott will show signs of bringing back preseason glory. Dez Bryant, Ezekiel Elliott and Jason Witten could be dominant with a good QB. The Bears offense will take advantage of the easy Cowboys D, but they don’t have the Cowboys’ dominance, and that will be the difference in the game.

The Saints defense will give up some points, but the offense is still really good, and I still trust them after a disappointment last week. The Falcons defense honestly isn’t great either, and this Saints offense still looks great at its best. Mark Ingram, Brandin Cooks, Coby Fleener and Drew Brees all have it in them. This one should be a high scoring game, and the Saints offense will make up for a terrible defensive performance against Matt Ryan and the Falcons. This will be a good game for all fantasy players, even Matt Ryan owners this week.

TNF

I was right that Jacoby Brissett actually would lead the Pats to a victory, but I was wrong about Brock Osweiler’s offense. The Texans defense is really good, despite weak spots. I didn’t expect Brock Osweiler, Lamar Miller and DeAndre Hopkins to do so badly against the Pats defense. One thing I did know is this would be a watchable game that is a preview of the playoffs. The Texans were doing well with Osweiler, and I think they still will, but the Patriots were too tough for them. Nobody messes with the Pats. They’re 3-0 already, and I’m sure they’ll continue to do well.

This week is full of good games, surprises and upsets in my opinion, but what do you think of this week’s games? Comment your picks below!

NFL 2016 Preview: Crazy Season Is Ahead

August 2, 2016August 2, 2016 Andrew Roberts NFL, Picks & Previews, Uncategorized Aaron Rodgers, Adrian Peterson, Amari Cooper, Andrew Luck, Andy Dalton, Antonio Brown, Ben Roethlisberger, Bene' Benikwere, Bill Belichick, Blaine Gabbert, Blake Bortles, Brock Osweiler, Cam Newton, Chip Kelly, Colin Kaepernick, Damon Harrison, DeMarco Murray, Derek Carr, Devonta Freeman, Doug Baldwin, Drew Brees, Eddie Lacy, Eric Weddle, Ezekiel Elliott, Frank Gore, Howie Roseman, J.J Watt, Jamaal Charles, Jameis Winston, Jared Goff, Jason Pierre-Paul, Jimmy Garoppolo, Jimmy Graham, Jordy Nelson, Josh Norman, JPP, Justin Houston, Kelvin Benjamin, Kirk Cousins, Lamar Miller, Laquon Treadwell, Le'Veon Bell, Marcus Mariota, Marcus Peters, Mark Sanchez, Martavis Bryant, Martellus Bennett, Marvin Jones, Melvin Gordon, Mike Wallace, Mohamed Sanu, NFL, Olivier Vernon, Paxton Lynch, Reggie Nelson, Rob Gronkowski, Ronnie Stanley, Russell Wilson, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Stefon Diggs, Tevin Coleman, Thomas Rawls, Todd Gurley, Tom Brady, Tyler Eifert, Vernon Hargreaves III

It’s that time of year again. Training camp’s here, and the draft is in the books. It’s time for this year’s NFL predictions. Get ready for some big shockers, this year will be very different from recent ones. Some of the NFL’s once horrible teams will rise from the bottom, and some of its top teams will finally slide. A crazy NFL season is about to begin.

AFC East

New England Patriots 12-4 (1)
Buffalo Bills 10-6 (6)
New York Jets 6-10
Miami Dolphins 4-12

Patriots

After a 2015 disappointment when they lost in Denver twice, 2016 is looking good for the Pats. The first few games could be tough if Brady is out, but I’m sure he’ll find a way out of this nonsense for good. Even if he does remain suspended, they’ll sign a veteran QB, and when Brady returns, him and his new weapons in Martellus Bennett, Chris Hogan and Nate Washington plus his old targets like Gronk, Edelman and Amendola will bounce back and finish off well. This team has an improved offensive line and front seven and if they can keep healthy, and Jimmy Garoppolo can lead a loaded receiving group to victory in the first four games, they will be dominant.

Bills

The Bills had a rough free agency season, but they didn’t need that much. They knew they had many players on the rise that could work towards a rebuild. It’s a lot more likely after the Bills just came out of their best draft in years in my opinion. They have a dramatically improved pass rush, added to a blooming offense, and overall, improved. The Bills filled almost all their major holes. After all that, this roster is outstanding on paper. As long as this young team meets its expectations, it will be good for real too, and the Bills could be headed for playoff town.

Jets

What a disappointment. The one year they had a chance to return to playoff form, they blew it in Week 17. Ryan Fitzpatrick did resign after a lot of melodrama, but the defense lost Antonio Cromartie and is a little out of shape. They have the right pieces, they just need to put them together, make up for the losses on defense, piece together a better offensive line, and they can thrive in the league.

Dolphins

What the heck is this team doing?!! They had an ugly draft, completely ignored their backfield woes, and have done nothing to bring themselves in an upward direction. The offense is declining, the defense is declining, and keeping the team like this is not going to make it easy for a bounce back season. Personally, I think the Dolphins will finish even lower this year. This is getting pathetic. Make some moves that actually will help your team next time.

AFC North

Pittsburgh Steelers 10-6 (4)
Baltimore Ravens 9-7
Cincinnati Bengals 9-7
Cleveland Browns 3-13

Steelers

The Steelers have been called Super Bowl LI Winner by many. I still think the Steelers have what it takes to win the division (just barely), but the Steelers are not winning the Super Bowl, especially without Martavis Bryant, and Le’ Veon Bell for the first four games! The defense just isn’t there yet and they a don’t have enough receiver depth to help out Big Ben. Did I mention injuries? How do you know that won’t interfere? They do have a lot of amazing, league-best stars, but the holes they have are too big to call them a Super Bowl threat or contender. Looking for a contender in the AFC besides the Patriots? Call up the Texans, they have a better idea of what they’re doing than the Steelers.

Ravens
The Ravens had an ugly 2015 campaign, caused by some injuries and some roster holes. But the Ravens really stocked up this off season, and they probably won’t have that many health issues two years in a row. Between the draft and free agency, they filled most of their major roster holes, and they look like a division competitor. However, after all that last season, some of it had to be roster holes, and the holes they didn’t fill could cause this team to lose some games, and will keep them out of the playoffs this year. Sure, Eric Weddle, Ronnie Stanley and Mike Wallace are game changers, but they can’t address all the Ravens’ issues. That’s management’s job, and right now is a little too late.
Bengals

The Bengals are still relevant now, but little by little, they are on the decline and nobody has noticed. Andy Dalton is on the decline and Tyler Eifert was already at his best last season. The loss of Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu has also caused lack of wide receiver depth. They lost Reggie Nelson and have a hole at safety, and Vontaze Burfict´s 3 game suspension creates a hole at linebacker, despite signing Karlos Dansby. The Bengals are losing more and more pieces, and if they do not take action in the next few off-seasons, they could fall apart, they could eventually fall below the young Cleveland Browns even. They seem to have more and more holes every season, and it´s not leading them in the right direction.

Browns

The Bengals may be in a bad direction, but this team has already lost hope. If they make the playoffs, I will have no idea how. Unless they become the 2016 Orioles of football, you can rule out the Browns. They may have had a league best draft, but that will take a while to kick in. For now, they are an old washed up team that needs to keep going younger. The draft definitely helped, and Corey Coleman should definitely make a big impact, but is it enough to change a franchise completely, even with such an overpowered draft class? Two words. No. way. What they have done the past few off-seasons is not enough. They need to go full rebuild, or they are not going anywhere.

AFC South

Houston Texans 10-6 (3)
Jacksonville Jaguars 9-7
Tennessee Titans 6-10
Indianapolis Colts 5-11

Texans

In recent years, the Texans have had one of the best defenses in the league. Last year and likely this year, the ferocious front seven combined with a quality secondary has led to league best defense. But good offense helps good defense, and that’s the one thing the Texans had lacked, until this off-season. After star receiver DeAndre Hopkins’ breakout a season ago, the Texans added elite RB Lamar Miller and rising QB Brock Osweiler, who is finally out of Peyton Manning’s shadow. They drafted a WR2 and WR3 to add to it, and now their offense looks much better, despite lacking tight end depth. Good offense plus good defense equals good team, and that’s what the Texans appear to be.

Jaguars

The Jaguars were showing signs of a breakout last year, but they just didn’t have the defense. This off-season, they have boosted a young team with veterans to support the defense and offense, and push towards a full breakthrough. I especially like the moves they made on defense. They upgraded a once weak defense with quality starters in the front seven and secondary. In addition to the big defensive upgrade, the offense has a ton of rising talent. Blake Bortles, Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns all just keep getting better. Julius Thomas should be better too. He wants to win after all those years on such a good Broncos team and a better Jaguars team will help him. The Jags are a changed team, and they will be able to contend in 2016.

Titans

The Titans have a lot of developing talent that could lead to a better 2016. Marcus Mariota is feeling more comfortable at the NFL level, especially with better protection in front of him. The Titans added RBs DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry to additionally support him. He now has some good offensive depth and plenty of weapons to throw to after this off-season. Although they may see some improvement, I don’t expect them to contend for one reason. Their defense still has many issues of its own. Despite a defense centered draft, the Titans still have big problems at linebacker and the front seven in general. They boosted their secondary big time with Rashad Johnson, but the draft just won’t do enough to fix all of the front seven’s problems. Expect a jump in 2016 but I don’t think the Titans will be anything near playoff material.

Colts

What did the Colts do to lead to improvement? Not very much. They did ink Dwayne Allen to a new contract. But they are leaning too much on luck. Speaking of which, one of the main things they’re leaning on is the comeback of quarterback Andrew Luck. They also are relying on Frank Gore to stay in shape, Donte Moncrief and Phillip Dorsett taking the next step and the defense to carry on without Jerrell Freeman and Greg Toler. I just don’t see how the Colts are going to do all that, especially after an 8-8 season. If they don’t act fast, they won’t do better, but they’ll slide even further in 2016. They need to either try and trade for game changers, dig through the bottom of the barrel of free agency, or find another way to make all these questionable aspects of the team work out. The Colts need a miracle to make that happen. The next time you want to say the Colts are going to be back to business next year, think before you speak.

AFC West

Kansas City Chiefs 11-5 (2)
Oakland Raiders 10-6 (5)
Denver Broncos 8-8
San Diego Chargers 6-10

Chiefs

Please don’t criticize me for this prediction. This is just my opinion. I know how much grief the Chiefs have gotten in many people’s predictions, but I think this team will rise in 2016. Alex Smith looked great last year and I think he could put up a strong performance again this year. The now healthy Jamaal Charles rejoins a young backfield in good condition, and wide receiver Jeremy Maclin plus star tight end Travis Kelce could bring in a lot of receptions. The offensive line has two new tackles, and the Chiefs pass rush should be unstoppable, especially when Justin Houston comes back. Despite a quiet off-season, the Chiefs even have rising young talent in corner Marcus Peters, linebacker Dee Ford, wide receiver Albert Wilson and running backs Spencer Ware and Charcandrick West. I’m liking this new era of the Chiefs between unstoppable defense and better offensive depth.

Raiders

I love what the Raiders have done in their rebuild. This off-season they added to young talent with some veterans to upgrade a defense that lost Justin Tuck and Charles Woodson to retirement. Going for dirty players might be an issue, last off-season they signed Aldon Smith, who’s suspended yet again. This off-season, they signed Bruce Irvin. Yes, it’s Mr. I Started A Fight After The Game Was Practically Over In Super Bowl XLIX And Got Ejected himself. They also signed deals with safer options to rebuild the secondary, Reggie Nelson and Sean Smith. The offensive line is revamped as well. The Raiders already had young stars in Derek Carr, Amari Cooper and Latavius Murray. Now, with a revamped defense and o-line to ad to it, they’re ready to break through this season.

Broncos

Four words. What did Denver do? They let Brock Osweiler, their five year development float in free agency after Peyton Manning retired. Then they were down to their third string QB, and have since only put Paxton Lynch and Mark Sanchez ahead of him in the pecking order. Due to free agency and other problems, they also had holes at third receiver, tight end and inside linebacker. Their offensive line is highly questionable as well. They did resign C.J. Anderson and Ronnie Hillman and draft DeVontae Booker to fix the RB problem, but they only have Garrett Graham, Virgil Green and Jeff Heuerman at tight end and desperately need a third receiver. All they have is two elite ones, not three! Shane Ray can move to inside linebacker, and the defense is still strong, but major holes across the offense will bring this team down to .500, especially the issue at quarterback.

Chargers

Alright, I have to give the Chargers credit for some things. They filled some of their holes on defense. Brandon Mebane and Casey Hayward help make up for the lack of veterans Eric Weddle left behind. They still won’t be playoff material, but they will make some improvements. Melvin Gordon definitely has room to do better and carry the team. Hunter Henry can make up for Antonio Gates’ decline, and a full season from Keenan Allen will help the receiving corps, along with depth behind him in Travis Benjamin, recently signed James Jones and Stevie Johnson (depending on Johnson’s health). However, the offensive line still has holes, and across the team there are still risks of injuries and bust seasons. Guys like Brandon Flowers and Melvin Gordon have make or break seasons ahead of them. I don’t feel comfortable saying that the Chargers will definitely go back to their form from a few years ago. I do see small improvement happening, but nothing major.

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys 11-5 (4)
New York Giants 10-6
Washington Redskins 7-9
Philadelphia Eagles 4-12

Cowboys

Last season was just unlucky. That won’t happen again. Especially with big name rookie RB Ezekiel Elliott entering the backfield, a 4-12 season won’t happen again if the Cowboys can stay healthy. When healthy, this offense is just plain out ferocious. Tony Romo, Dez Bryant, Jason Witten and Ezekiel Elliott stand behind a league best offensive line. The offense has depth, plenty of stars, and is very well protected. The defense may be some of an issue, but after the first four games, what’s the big issue? All they’ll be missing is Rolando McClain, and Dwight Freeney is still available. I think the secondary is extremely underrated and the front seven isn’t that bad when you throw in McClain, Randy Gregory and DeMarcus Lawrence. In such a weak, crazed division, an 11-5 or 10-6 season will make the cut for the playoffs, and I think that they are highly capable of that.

Giants

The Giants had a really strong off season, and it should pay off. They made some major upgrades to the front seven, by hauling in Olivier Vernon and Damon Harrison and resigning JPP, who will play a full season this year. They also signed big name corner Janoris Jenkins, and drafted Eli Apple. The Giants also added to an already powerful offense, especially in the draft. They selected running back Paul Perkins and wide receiver Sterling Shepard. They also have Larry Donnell coming back healthy this season in addition to Will Tye at tight end, and they signed Bobby Rainey at RB. The only thing preventing the Giants from playoff contention is a weak offensive line. There’s no point in having a growing offense if they have no protection. If they don’t have protection, their weak spot at starting running back could also factor in. If they do, that issue might not show up.

Redskins

I feel like Kirk Cousins’ breakthrough season will end up being a fluke. The kind of sudden rise Cousins went through is not a permanent breakthrough. Kirk Cousins will be known as a one year wonder. It doesn’t help when you have an empty backfield to add to it. The Redskins won’t be able to lean on Matt Jones, Chris Thompson and Keith Marshall. The defense may have made improvements, and the receiving corps may have grown stronger, but without a quarterback, running back and even a consistent offensive line to protect them, a season above .500 will not happen. They did sign Josh Norman in the off season and upgraded the defense, but will it be enough? I’m expecting the Redskins to fall a few wins this year. They won’t be as bad as the 2013-14 version of themselves, but the Redskins won’t even come close to matching last year.

Eagles

The Eagles are looking so bad right now that they’ll miss Chip Kelly. This team is rebuilding from a rebuild, there’s no way they’ll compete this year! It’s bad enough what Kelly did. What’s worse is how Howie Roseman attempted to fix it. They were in a decent spot with Kelly; I could’ve seen them easily return to contention, but they’ve made the team look foolish. Ryan Mathews is not an RB1 at this point in his career, and the Eagles are in desperate need of a wide receiver and are in such a bad situation with Sam Bradford that they traded up a total of 11 spots (between two trades) to draft Carson Wentz! In the process, they gave up DeMarco Murray, Kiko Alonso and Byron Maxwell. I don’t know what the heck the Eagles are doing, but whatever their plan is, it isn’t helping, especially for the current team.

NFC North

Green Bay Packers 12-4 (2)
Detroit Lions 10-6 (6)
Minnesota Vikings 10-6
Chicago Bears 4-12

Packers

This dominant team won’t lose the division two years straight. Aaron Rodgers is arguably the best QB in the league, and he along with wide receiver Jordy Nelson, who missed all of last season, are ready to strike back. This offense just looks a lot better. Eddie Lacy slimmed up a bit, Jordy Nelson has returned to health, even Aaron Rodgers took part in some serious off-season workouts. Jared Cook joins Richard Rodgers at tight end, and this offense is suddenly looking dominant again. The defense may have lost B.J. Raji and Casey Hayward, but still have plenty of key players to run the team, including Julius Peppers, Damarious Randall, Morgan Burnett, Sam Shields, Sam Barrington, Mike Daniels, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Clay Matthews, who’s back to his natural position, outside linebacker. He was actually a lot better as an OLB than he was in a couple years at middle linebacker.

Lions

You may think that the Lions are in some rough times without Calvin Johnson, but really, if they buff up on depth with guys like Anquan Boldin and Andre Roberts, who both worked out and signed with the Lions, they’ll be fine. Golden Tate should breakthrough without Megatron limiting his targets. Marvin Jones is a big sleeper ready to breakout. Ameer Abdullah and Eric Ebron have plenty of room for improvement, and Matthew Stafford can still play at an average QB level. You can’t discredit all that. You may say the defense isn’t doing enough, but really, they’re not in too bad of shape. The addition of A’Shawn Robinson should help. They still have Haloti Ngata and Ezekiel Ansah too. I don’t think DeAndre Levy is too bad, and I don’t know why Stephen Tulloch was released. The secondary has some breakout candidates too. Darius Slay has been underrated all his career, and Glover Quin is still playing well. I don’t see the problem with a few holes considering the stars they already have, especially if it’s just for a 6th seed.

Vikings

The Vikings 2015 season was no fluke, but it was a high point for them. They’ll still be in contention, but they’re going down the mountain now. They were going up until last year. Why is that? Well, for one, the Vikings don’t have depth behind Adrian Peterson! Peterson is not at his peak anymore, and this may be his final elite season. Laquon Treadwell may help, but the receiving game is still thin, with just him and Stefon Diggs worth throwing to frequently for wide receivers. The Vikings may have fierce defense and some stars on offense, but they don’t have the depth at running back, wide receiver and offensive lineman to match last year’s performance.

Bears

I know a lot of people are predicting the Bears at higher records, I’m rating them a lot lower than I have in recent years. The Bears may have some serious talent developing but they’re rebuilding, let them rebuild. They aren’t ready to return to contention quite yet. They don’t even have many other options besides the young guns. In the past two off-seasons, they’ve let Brandon Marshall, Matt Forte and Martellus Bennett go. Kevin White, Zach Miller, Jordan Howard and Jeremy Langford should build up the skill to replace them eventually, but for now, they can’t run the team by themselves! Besides Alshon Jeffery and Eddie Royal at receiver and Ka’ Deem Carey at running back, the Bears have no impactful backups for these players. Don’t even get me started on the defense. The defensive line has practically no significant players. They do have some decent veterans at LB and on the secondary, but they don’t have any stars, and despite an underrated secondary and linebacker corps, the defense is in pretty bad overall shape.

NFC South

Carolina Panthers 13-3 (1)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 10-6
New Orleans Saints 4-12
Atlanta Falcons 3-13

Panthers

Especially with Kelvin Benjamin back, I think the Panthers can have another strong year, but it won’t be flawless. The Panthers either just got lucky to be able to carry on with slim receiving depth in 2015, or Cam Newton was just an absolute monster. Probably the Cam Newton thing. There will be rough weeks for Cam Newton and the Panthers offense. But still, the defense is monstrous, even though it lacks corner depth beyond Bene’ Benikwere. The o-line has some weak spots, but is dominant in other ways, and the offensive players at the top of the depth chart are beastly, including Cam Newton, Jonathan Stewart, Kelvin Benjamin and Greg Olsen. The Panthers will never match last year’s numbers, but they will be dominant, and they could come close.

Buccaneers

The Bucs have a lot of talent developing, and a defensive boost this off season helps. One thing the Bucs never had before was a legitimate secondary. They now have a pair of powerful corners in Brent Grimes and Vernon Hargreaves III. They also added to an already fierce pass rush. The signings of Daryl Smith and Robert Ayers along with the draft selection of Noah Spence put some of the pressure off just Gerald McCoy and Lavonte David. They also have some serious stars developing, especially on offense. Jameis Winston has the potential to be great, especially with rising receivers Mike Evans and Austin Seferian-Jenkins, possibly even Cameron Brate in his receiving scheme. Although ASJ has looked lousy this off-season, he could be a TE2 for the Bucs, considering the fact that the Bucs only have two receivers worth noting (Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson). They even have a developing star on defense, Kwon Alexander. He was in the race for the DPOY award Marcus Peters won. It looks like the Bucs’ rebuild could finally pay off this season.

Saints

The Saints’ offense may be in shape, but the defense is just too broken down for this team to function. They have serious problems in their pass rush, and lack depth at corner. Drew Brees isn’t even in full condition anymore. He’s only going to get older and weaker, and that could additionally hurt the Saints. He may have a good receiving staff to throw to, but if he can’t complete passes as often, he’ll have to rely on a weak and overrated running game. It doesn’t help that the offensive line has holes and is inconsistent and overrated. So, the offense is in declining in condition and the pass rush is just pathetic. The only pass rusher that the Saints really have contributing is Cameron Jordan. Really, what backup do the Saints have to support a good season? Until they find that out, they’ll have no chance of bouncing back.

Falcons

Everyone thinks this team will be the closest to dethroning Carolina, but really, this team has some serious problems. First of all, Julio Jones is a great player, but do they have any quality pass catchers besides him? The next best option is MOHAMED SANU. He’s more of a WR3 than a WR2, which the Falcons desperately need. The Falcons are also counting too much on Devonta Freeman. He had one good season, and just like that he’s considered a star? Not in my book. He needs to earn back his job, especially with Tevin Coleman developing. Speaking of which, they need to give that guy a chance. I also think the secondary is very slim besides Desmond Trufaunt. They need more quality corners and safeties. Really, even with some all stars leading the offense, this team has no offensive depth. Depth is a problem all over this team, and they won’t do anything without some insurance for their best players. Even a mediocre defense has depth problems. The pass rush is revamped, but the secondary has nothing. How does lack of depth affect a team? The Falcons will find out this season from a rough ride.

NFC West

Seattle Seahawks 12-4
Arizona Cardinals 12-4
Los Angeles Rams 3-13
San Francisco 49ers 3-13

Seahawks

The Seahawks are back and better than ever. The offense has gotten younger, as Thomas Rawls steps into Marshawn Lynch’s shoes. Jimmy Graham should be back fresh, and Russell Wilson and Doug Baldwin also look to be in great shape for this season. The offense may have lacked depth, but the last two drafts have helped. They now have Trevone Boykin at QB, Luke Willson at tight end, C.J. Prosise, Christine Michael and Alex Collins at running back, and Tyler Lockett and Jermaine Kearse at receiver. The defense is still powerful as well. The secondary got boosted even further with the resigning of Brandon Browner, and the front seven may have some holes, but is still ferocious. This team is ready to climb back to the top of the division and dominate, and a quiet but active off season has helped.

Cardinals

Alright, last year the Cardinals were at their absolute peak. If they stay healthy, they can do well again, but they won’t match last year. Last year, the Cardinals had a magical season. Everything worked out. The defense made a big jump, and the offense’s best players stayed healthy, and did well. You can’t guarantee that things will work out again. the defense is still very fierce, but it has some missing pieces, and if Carson Palmer, David Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald or Michael Floyd gets hurt, the Cards could be in big trouble. Still, I don’t expect them to slide too significantly, they have one of the best coaches in the league, they have a Top 10 defense in the league, and the offense has reformed in to a dominant force. There are problems that could hold them back, but they’re looking good overall.

Rams

Recent news about Jared Goff being nowhere near ready to start in Week 1 makes things even worse for this team. If he can’t step in and produce, how will this team be any better, let alone as good as they were last year? Todd Gurley could step up big time, but that’s not good enough. The Rams need a dependable QB to thrive. They may have some ferocious pass rushing, but without a QB, and even an elite pass catcher, this team is going nowhere. The Rams have a tough schedule. They can’t count on running the ball every game, especially against other teams with a powerful pass rush, who they will face plenty of this year, including the Dolphins, Giants, Bucs, Panthers, Cardinals and Seahawks. Unless Jared Goff and his receivers can make the leap, the Rams won’t be going anywhere.

49ers

Don’t even get me started here. Look, I’ll tell you broad and clear. The 49ers are terrible! Their QB job is a battle between Blaine Gabbert and Colin Kaepernick (remember him?), they have no backup if Carlos Hyde goes down again, and Torrey Smith and Quinton Patton (who’s he?) are their starting wide receivers. The defense is in even worse shape!! Their secondary depends on Kenneth Acker, Tramaine Brock and Antoine Bethea to perform, and the pass rush has some serious holes next to NaVorro Bowman, Arik Armstead, Glenn Dorsey and DeForest Buckner. Look, this team won’t be a contender in a million years without some sort of unimaginable miracle! They have nothing!!!!!!!!!

2016 NFL Playoffs

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My playoff bracket may look crazy, and it’s full of upsets, surprises, blowouts and underdogs, but here I will breakdown every match up.

Wild Card Weekend

Bills @ Texans

Young, but powerful defense and a strong backfield despite a lack of weapons for Tyrod Taylor got the Bills into the playoffs, but against the Texans, it won’t pass for a even a chance at winning. This team’s defense has been some of the best over the last few years, led by sack king and legendary edge rusher J.J. Watt. With a healthy weapon in the backfield (Lamar Miller), and a better QB in Brock Osweiler, a much improved offense will be the deciding factor in the Texans winning this game. I say the Texans offense may have some troubles with the Bills D, but they’ll edge them slightly, and the Texans pass rush will annihilate the Bills backfield full of depth.

Prediction: Texans win, 34-17

Raiders @ Steelers

The Steelers offensive force may be dominant and full of stars on the outside, but especially without Martavis Bryant, the Steelers don’t have too much depth. The defense doesn’t seem to belong to a contender either, although it is mediocre. The newly upgraded Raiders defense may be trampled, but young Derek Carr and his superior target Amari Cooper will be all over the defense, and the Raiders will shock the Steelers. In a huge upset, Big Ben, Le’ Veon Bell and Antonio Brown get topped by a revamped Raiders team, simple as that.

Prediction: Raiders win, 24-16

Lions @ Seahawks

I said the Lions would make the playoffs, with some clear defensive holes and lack of a true star on offense. They do have a lot of potential breakout players, especially on offense, but against the Seahawks and their mighty defense, do you expect this riddled team to win? In the playoffs?!! Not happening. The Seahawks defense will win them this game, with a thin but powerful offense with plenty of star power edging out the Lions D. I doubt the dark horse of the NFL will beat out the #1 defense in the league. Barely anyone else expects the Lions to even be playoff contenders! This one’s an easy pick.

Prediction: Seahawks win, 27-13

Cardinals @ Cowboys

Yes, at this point in the season (as long as Ezekiel Elliott isn’t suspended through the playoffs), the Cowboys should be at full strength. But the Cardinals will be relentless and win hungry in this game. This team’s offense is dominant with a strong QB/RB/WR combo, even with the lack of an offensive line and an true starter at tight end. The defense also has plenty of talent scattered across the different positions. There may be a slight lack of star power in the front seven especially, but this team has few defensive holes, and the ones they do have are small. Even with a revamped pass rush and underrated secondary, I think the Cardinals offense will be all over the Cowboys, and Dallas’ superior offense won’t get a chance. It will be a tough competition, but the Cards should win in the end.

Prediction: Cardinals win, 33-27

Divisional Round

Raiders @ Patriots

With Brady most likely back at full speed by this point, the Patriots will crush the Raiders. Oakland does have revamped defense and rising offense, but this 10-6 wild card surprise will be no match for Bill Belichick’s Patriots. Hey, the Pats had defensive upgrades too, and the offense is better than ever, with tight end Martellus Bennett playing across from Gronk. The Patriots will rout the Raiders, I can guarantee you that. Even against the Steelers they’d win. At full power, the Patriots are by far the best AFC team. The Steelers are overrated and dirty, and this game is only the start of the Patriots’ path to victory.

My Prediction: Patriots win, 37-23

Texans @ Chiefs

The Chiefs will go all this way, having an awesome regular season, Jamaal Charles completely bouncing back to revamp the offense, Justin Houston coming back better than ever, to lose to Houston. Sounds like a terrible note to end on, but actually not. Houston’s a strong team. The Chiefs are pretty darn good, but in Houston, you have youth, new signings in Brock Osweiler and Lamar Miller, a star receiver, and the best defense in the league led by J.J. Watt, who should return from injury sometime around October. The Chiefs don’t have anything close to a guy like Watt. The Texans defense is even better than the mighty Chiefs D. That plus the diverse, but strong offense will be the difference in this game as the Texans head to the AFC Championship Game, in hopes of dethroning the almighty Pats.

My Prediction: Texans win, 24-13

Cardinals @ Panthers

We saw this game in the NFC Championship last year, Carolina won. We saw the same match-up in 2014’s Wild Card Weekend. Carolina won both. With the Seahawks winning the division, the Cardinals would fall to the 5th seed, making this a Divisional Round match-up. I think the Panthers will take the cake again. The Panthers may have lost a ton of key secondary guys, but the front seven is still going to be on to David Johnson. They don’t have much to rely on besides Bene’ Benikwere and rookies James Bradberry, Daryl Worley and Zack Sanchez for receiver coverage. However, Arizona’s stars are scattered. I think things will be a little easier for the run game in Carolina. That’s good for Cam Newton, who loves to run the football. Personally, I think Carolina’s slightly better defense will make the difference in this game. They have a superior defensive line, some star pass rushers behind them, and even some possible future big names at corner. The Cardinals may have Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu in the secondary, but have some holes and weak spots in the front seven, and even some playing across from Peterson and Honey Badger.

My Prediction: Panthers win, 33-28

Seahawks @ Packers

Seattle will be good again this season, especially if everyone’s healthy. They have the offense now, Jimmy Graham will be back, Thomas Rawls and Doug Baldwin should help. But Green Bay’s offense could be unstoppable. With Jordy Nelson back, the Packers have yet another weapon for Aaron Rodgers. The only reason they lost to the Vikings in the NFC North is because of Nelson’s absence! The Packers offense will be a challenge for Seattle’s Big D. This should be a high scoring back and forth game, but in the end, the Packers have the better roster, I like Mike McCarthy as head coach, and they will edge the Seahawks.

My Prediction: Packers win, 34-20

AFC Championship

Texans @ Patriots

This is an awesome match-up. The Brock Osweiler and Lamar Miller led Texans are extremely underrated, and a league best defense leads them to be a great team this year, even dark horse Super Bowl contenders, because if they make it there, they’re sure to win in their home stadium, but this is the New England Patriots we’re talking about. Yes, the same New England Patriots with Tom Brady and Gronk who won 4 Super Bowls, their only Super Bowls since Brady joined the team. Brady is easily the greatest to play the game, all time. He truly has defined himself as the G.O.A.T. If he gets a fifth ring, that would be true dominance. Bill Belichick should be at his old tricks again and the powerful Patriots offense and underrated defense will work their way through the great wall of Houston, AKA: the Texans pass rush, and the defense should be able to hold the strong QB/RB/WR combo up while the offense does its thing. This is a Patriots team hungry for revenge, and they will be motivated to rout the Texans, and they will go out there and do their job.

My Prediction: Patriots win, 34-27

NFC Championship

Packers @ Panthers

The Panthers will have another strong season. At 13-3, they should earn the #1 seed. But the Packers will have more challenges on the 2016 schedule, and they still will go 12-4 and get the 2nd seed. The Packers are a dominant team, especially in these clutch playoff situations. With Josh Norman, Charles Tillman and Roman Harper off the secondary’s depth charts, Carolina’s much less likely to reach the Super Bowl, especially in a tough, straight forward NFC. Aaron Rodgers will take advantage of Carolina’s holes, and throw to underrated receivers Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb. Eddie Lacy could also be successful against an aging defensive line, and the Packers offense will edge out Carolina’s D. I think Cam Newton and Co. should be about evenly matched with the Packers defense, even lacking receiver depth, but the new holes in the secondary will be the sole deciding factor in the game.

My Prediction: Packers win, 37-31 in OT

Super Bowl 51

Patriots (AFC) vs. Packers (NFC)

This may be one of the toughest Super Bowl matches ever. the 2016 Patriots and Packers are two of the most well crafted teams of their era. Part of this will be based on the performance of the two star QBs, Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers. Both these offenses are also very strong. The Packers may have more dependable wide receivers but Gronk and Bennett act like receivers, so the Pats have a lot of edge at tight end. the defenses are very similar as well. There are holes in each pass rush, but also stars. Green Bay may have more big names, but this young Patriots group was led and mentored by veteran Jerod Mayo. Mayo retired, but now in comes Terrance Knighton. Malcolm Butler and crew should cover the Packers receivers better, where as the young, still developing Packers secondary may struggle to keep up with the best Pats receivers, especially Gronk. Tom Brady and his bunch plus excellent coaching from Bill Belichick that I think is slightly better than Mike McCarthy’s should boost the Patriots to edge out the Packers.

My Prediction: Patriots win, 34-30

Awards:

MVP: Aaron Rodgers, QB, GB

Offensive Player of The Year: Le’Veon Bell, RB, PIT

Defensive Player of the Year: J.J. Watt, DE, HOU

Offensive Rookie of The Year: Ezekiel Elliott, RB, DAL

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Vernon Hargreaves III, CB, TB

Comeback Player Of The Year: Jordy Nelson, WR, GB

Super Bowl MVP: Tom Brady

Between the shocks, blowouts, amazing plays and more, the NFL 2016 season is going to be great, and I can’t wait for it to come back. For now, I’m following training camp and you guys can look at my season previews by team. I have a couple up and more are coming soon.

Gronk Shows Up Strong, Pats Defeat Steelers

September 12, 2015September 12, 2015 Andrew Roberts Game Recaps, NFL, Patriots Antonio Brown, Bradley Fletcher, DeAngelo Williams, Dion Lewis, Duron Harmon, Gronk, Heath Miller, Josh Scobee, Le' Veon Bell, LeGarrette Blount, Malcolm Butler, Markus Wheaton, Martavis Bryant, New England, New England Patriots, NFL, Nick Novak, Patriots, Pats, Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Steelers, Rob Gronkowski, Scott Chandler, Shayne Graham, Steelers

The Patriots beat the Steelers 28-21 on opening night Thursday. Rob Gronkowski scored a whopping three touchdowns while Scott Chandler scored the 4th. The first quarter was quiet. No scoring, lots of defense. But one thing I saw right away was the Pats’s extensive usage of running back Dion Lewis, who hadn’t played since the 2013 season. With Le’Veon Bell and Martavis Bryant suspended along with starter Blount, backup RB Cadet was inactive, Markus Wheaton and DeAngelo Williams also got to see the ball a lot, plus Heath Miller, Steelers tight end.

In the 2nd quarter, the Pats offense dominated. Rob Gronkowski scored two touchdowns, and had some great additional catches this quarter. He makes it look easy. Meanwhile, the Steelers hadn’t scored TDs, and kicker Josh Scobee isn’t helping by missing the first two field goal attempts. He could get cut for Nick Novak or Shayne Graham this week! I wouldn’t be shocked if they picked up Novak and dropped Scobee, who could return to the Jags, Saints or Chargers, or remain a free agent because of developing replacement kickers better. However, Scobee scored a field goal late in the quarter. At halftime, it was 14-3 Patriots.

In the 3rd, the Pats marched down the field on their first drive, and Scott Chandler got the TD on 2nd and goal. But some very long plays by DeAngelo Williams, Markus Wheaton and Antonio Brown led to a Williams touchdown. Wheaton got a 2 point conversion to help catch up. 21-11. The Steelers almost did it again after the Pats punted away. Slowly, the Steelers moved along, reaching the 4th quarter on the way. When they reached 4th & goal near the end zone, Josh Scobee kicked the field goal. 21-14.

For the first drive of the 4th, the Pats scored again. A Gronk 52 yard reception led them to the Steelers’ side of the field. Then a crazy play happened. Dion Lewis caught a pass, fumbled, and Rob Gronkowski made it a touchdown, but it got reversed. On third down, they passed to Gronk wide open for TD 3, technically TD 4. Two drives later, the Steelers had the ball, and Duron Harmon intercepted it, even with Fletcher there. Harmon took the glory. On the Steelers next drive, they marched down the field, passing to Brown, eventually for a touchdown. Butler almost intercepted it again, but it didn’t matter. Either way, the Pats won, 28-21.

They are 1-0 on the season, Brady has most QB wins for a team, passing Brett Favre in the rankings tonight. They are also 4-0 on opening night. As Belichick would say, “We’re on to Buffalo.” Nice win. Follow my picks from my last post this Sunday, and read my recap of next Sunday’s game. GO PATS!!!

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