By: Lucas Kochevar

         The Tampa Bay Buccaneers unveiled their championship banner on Thursday night's season opener against the Dallas Cowboys. The passing offenses were humming out of the gate and never seemed to slow down. Both quarterbacks threw the ball fifty-plus times and eclipsed 350 yards. Both defense still forced turnovers and had strong stretches. Overall, this game was a great way to open up the season. There are a couple of takeaways that you can gather from these teams

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 
       The Buccaneers offense is more dangerous than ever. I understand that they were playing one of the worst defenses in the league from last season, however, the Buccaneers still seem like a well-oiled machine. The rushing game wasn't exceptionally strong, but they only rushed the ball 14 times. The passing attack was unreal. The ball was spread out to Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown, and Rob Gronkowski. Those three guys were huge, especially Brown, who provided a big time catch that had a 2015 Steelers AB feeling to it. Tom Brady looked sharp despite throwing two picks, where one was a Hail Mary heave. Watching Tom Brady do this at 44-years old seems absolutely absurd. The Mike Evans' disappearing act was a bit concerning, but there's only so many people that can catch the ball.

     I think Tampa Bay was especially sloppy on the offensive line. They seemed undisciplined, but that's an easier fix. The defense did lose CB Sean Murphy-Bunting to an elbow injury caused by a fellow Buccaneers player. I think the linebackers for Tampa had a great showing as Devin White and Lavonte David both recorded double-digit sacks. Vita Vea was an absolute wrecking ball in the middle of that defense and might make his first pro bowl if he stays healthy. The secondary couldn't contain Amari Cooper whatsoever and Dallas was moving the ball with ease. If Murphy-Bunting has to miss an extended period of time, then this secondary could be in trouble if they play like they did tonight. 

Dallas Cowboys
      The Dallas Cowboys should win the NFC East. This was an impressive performance for a team entering a year full of high expectations with Dak Prescott back. Prescott actually outplayed Brady and drove the Cowboys downfield time after time with Amari Cooper leading the way. Cooper was a monster and solidified himself as a primary receiver. Ceedee Lamb played well and was a nice change of pace for them. The offensive line kept holding towards the end of the game, but overall they played well. The run game was a bunch of nothing with Zeke. I think this offense is finally moving off the need for Zeke to be a focal point. The offense rides and dies with Dak. They should try to incorporate Zeke in order to take the pressure off Prescott. 

        The Cowboys defense was not very great for the entire night as Brady had all the time in the world to throw. Something I did notice was Trevon Diggs playing all over the place. He managed to be the best CB on the field and made an excellent play on the ball. CB Anthony Brown was tied for leading the team in tackles, the only issue is it happened because they kept throwing at him. I thought Micah Parsons played the game fast and showed off his raw talent. He needs more time to really shine, but it was still very encouraging from him. This defense has a long way to go in order to be effective, especially under DC Dan Quinn. 

        As I stated earlier, this game was a perfect start to the season with some back and forth offense and late game heroics from the best quarterback to play the game. Dallas will travel to Los Angeles to play the Chargers next week, meanwhile, Tampa Bay will stay at home to face the Falcons. 

By: Lucas Kochevar 

        I'm back after missing last week, but if we're being honest, there wasn't a ton of intriguing match-ups to highlight besides the primetime game on Sunday night. The difference between this week and last week is that we can actually see what teams are looking to contend and we can put to rest some of the week one anomalies. A handful of teams look to stay undefeated, while a number of teams look to find their first win. Kyler Murray continues his breakout tour in Jacksonville. Justin Fields may start in his first game against Cleveland. We also get to see what could be a fun division rivalry for the next decade with Mahomes and Herbert. Those are a few stories to watch and now I'll give you my five games to watch this week.

New Orleans Saints vs New England Patriots 
         In the early slate of games, we get this game between two 1-1 teams from different conferences. Both teams are in the new era of quarterbacks for their teams. The Saints came out of the gate hot and looked like they found the best replacement possible for Drew Brees with Jameis Winston. They throttled the Packers much to everyone's surprise. The next week, they came out and put up a dud against the Panthers. Their team is in a precarious position with their team identity. The Patriots had a slightly different road to 1-1 with a heartbreaking loss in week one to the Dolphins. Last week, they put on a defensive clinic and made Zach Wilson look like a bust with four interceptions. Mac Jones has impressed compared to his peers in the rookie class, but he hasn't really done anything noteworthy. Essentially, the game plan is to not let Mac make any crucial turnovers as he hardly makes big throws down the field. It's a formidable strategy, however, if they want to compete in the AFC, they'll have let the leash off. 

           In this game, I would imagine that the New Orleans passing attack against the New England secondary is the biggest battle. This could very well determine the tone of the game. The Saints rank dead last in Yards per Game, which is extremely uncharacteristic of a Sean Payton-led team. The Patriots, meanwhile, have lead the league in interceptions since 2019. JC Jackson is a stud on that defense and was tied for the lead league in interceptions last season. Jameis is the number one guy for throwing backbreaking interceptions. If he makes too many of those mistakes, Bill Belichick and co. will make him pay. If I had to guess, this won't be the Mac Jones breakout game. The Patriots offense has come from Damien Harris on the ground and I don't see that changing here. The Patriots will rely on the Alabama running back to keep up his stellar play and keep improving. This game is a major test for both teams and I think the Patriots keep their solid play rolling  and get the win here. 

New England Patriots 28, New Orleans Saints 24

Seattle Seahawks vs Minnesota Vikings
        The Seattle Seahawks will take on the Minnesota Vikings in Minneapolis in the afternoon. Russell Wilson looks to bounce back after a disappointing home opening loss against the Titans last week. The Seahawks started off the season on a strong note against the Colts and then the first half of the Titans game. Suddenly, Derrick Henry took over and the offense went cold. The Vikings have started 0-2 and have suffered back-to-back crushing losses. The first one in an overtime comeback effort against the Bengals and then a blown lead over the Cardinals, where kicker Greg Joseph missed the game winning kick by a few inches. Minnesota's offense has been strong with Kirk Cousins playing well. The defense has struggled mightily as the entire unit, besides Eric Kendricks, has been pretty horrid. I'm curious to see if the Vikings can earn their first win at home over Russell Wilson. 

         Like I said, Kirk Cousins has been brilliant so far this season. He's tossed for nearly 600 yards and 5 touchdowns with 0 interceptions. Dalvin Cook has been impressive as well, but he is dealing with a slight injury. Something that has plagued Cousins his entire career is his ability to win the big one. Most of these 'big one' games end up coming against the best of the best franchises. One that stands out to me is Kirk Cousins and the Vikings travelling to to Seattle for Sunday Night Football. The Vikings jumped out ahead 13-0 and ended up blowing the game. Cousins played well, but threw a pick. Those little mistakes like that are why he gets a bad rep among many fans. Cousins needs to attack the Seattle secondary. On the other side, Russell Wilson has played great on the road, especially in domes. Wilson has a knack for playing well in domes and should be able to air it out on a swiss cheese defense. This game has the potential for a fantastic shootout, but don't be surprised if Seattle runs away with this one.

Seattle Seahawks 41, Minnesota Vikings 31

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Los Angeles Rams
        The game of the week will be happening in beautiful and sunny Los Angeles. The Rams and Bucs are both undefeated and look like the cream of the crop in the NFC. Tampa Bay went out and the offense looked as good as it did last year. Tom Brady looks like he can play at 50 years old and Rob Gronkowski looks like he found the fountain of youth. This is the first big test for them to see of they can really be Super Bowl contenders once again. The Rams are embracing the new era with brand new QB Matthew Stafford from Detroit. Stafford has looked really sharp and has been every bit of good as advertised. The defense continues to look dominate as well. They need games like this in order to separate themselves from the rest of their tough division. This also seems to be the first big challenge for them as well. The Rams need to win a big game like this to push themselves past the Jared Goff-era. 

          The key of this game to me will be the trenches. The Rams offensive line is held together by some average guys and older guys like future Hall of Famer LT Andrew Whitworth. The Bucs defensive line is one of the most ferocious fronts in all of football, especially with Vita Vea in the middle. The Rams will need to slow these guys down to give Stafford some time in the pocket. Part of me believes they can do it because Atlanta was moving the ball against this front. The secondary for Tampa is banged up so that also opens the door for the Rams' receivers to run free. On the other side, Tampa has one of the best offensive lines in football and give Tom Brady an eternity in the pocket. The Rams have the best defensive player from the past twenty years with Aaron Donald. The Rams have to get creative in pressuring Brady in order to move him off his spot. If the Rams can do that, I think the LA offense can generate enough points to win. For that reason, I will pick the Rams to win at home and solidify themselves as the NFC frontrunners. 

Los Angeles Rams 31, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27

By: Lucas Kochevar 

      Football season is officially back. College football starts this week with UGA and Clemson as the big draw. Shortly after that, the NFL season finally starts with Tampa Bay taking on Dallas on September 9th. This season has many storylines to follow with Tom Brady trying to repeat, Patrick Mahomes getting back on top, and Aaron Rodgers last dance with the Packers. The slate will be full of games worthwhile but, these are the five to keep an eye for. 

LA Chargers @ Washington Football Team
      One of the first games of the day kicks off in Washington between WFT and the Chargers. New HC Brandon Staley and Justin Herbert have to make an extensive trip for this week one match-up. That bodes well for Washington as they enter their second year under HC Ron Rivera. The biggest challenge will be WFT's D-Line going up against LA's O-Line, especially DE Chase Young against the Chargers first round pick OT Rashawn Slater. These two faced each other in 2019 in college and Slater was one of the guys that managed to contain Young. That will be fun to highlight. On the other side, Washington named Ryan Fitzpatrick the starter last week and he faces the genius, young defensive mind, Brandon Staley. Staley did fantastic things with the Rams last year and now he inherits gifted players like Derwin James and Joey Bosa. WFT has some of the most underrated players in the league on the perimeter with Terry McLaurin and newly signed weapon Curtis Samuel. Both of these guys should play a big role of WFT wants to win.

       Vegas has this game as a toss-up with LA being the -1 favorite and I tend to agree. The Chargers are one of those teams that I have taking a good jump with Herbert, however, them being the favorite seems interesting simply because of the new head coach element and the travel. If I had to predict this game, I have to go with Washington. In week one, the trend seems to be that the defense is not ready. Last season, a little over half of the league managed to score over 21 points in week one. The question would then be: If defense is the issue, then shouldn't the better offense win with LA? Typically, yes. The difference here is that LA is the less experienced defense and they're implementing an entirely different scheme. Washington should be able to come out and run their typical defense under Riverboat Ron and get stops when needed on LA's offense. The pass rush is fierce and forces the offense to rush their decisions. I believe Fitz magic will be able to lean on RB Antonio Gibson and his two WRs. Look for Washington to win in a sloppy game as both teams go through a feeling out process for week one here. 

Washington Football Team 27, Los Angeles Chargers 20

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Buffalo Bills
       The Buffalo Bills are coming off one of the best seasons they've had in the last twenty years and they face the Steelers, who look to improve on what was a very disappointing ending to their season. The Steelers started their season 11-0 and fell flat on their faces, meanwhile, Buffalo advanced to the AFC Championship and lost to Kansas City. The most intriguing story here is that this could be legendary QB Ben Roethlisberger's last season opener. Nothing has been reported about a retirement, but for a player that has notoriously taken a ton of damage, Big Ben might be towards the end of his road. The prospect of Buffalo's surging offense against the Steelers stifling defense should showcase some premier football. The Bills offense was the story last year, and similar to that, they should be the story this year. For some unknown reason OC Brian Daboll didn't get a head coaching job and he returns to run the offense. With another year under Daboll, don't be surprised if Josh Allen makes a run at MVP. His odds sit at +1400 to win the award and that would likely be where I would place my money for pure value. 

        As previously said, the Bills offense vs Steelers defense will be the headliner here but let’s look at the other side of it. The Steelers offense last season was aggressively inconsistent when they hit their wall last season and dropped a majority of their last couple games. The biggest issue was balance between the passing attack and rushing attack. Their running backs last season, James Conner and Benny Snell, were never able to put together competent games to help Big Ben and his arm isn't like it used to be. Part of the problem has to do with the O-Line but, with a new group and Najee Harris, they look to improve the overall balance of their team. Vegas has the Bills as a touchdown favorite at -6.5 here. Once again, I agree with the oddsmakers here. The Bills offense is a well-oiled machine and the defense is sneaky good. The Bills are coached exceptionally well under HC Sean McDermott and I expect them to be more than ready for anything the Steelers might throw at them on offense. This game will set the tone for the Steelers' and Bills' season and I am really looking forward to it.

Buffalo Bills 31, Pittsburgh Steelers 16

Cleveland Browns @ Kansas City Chiefs
        Kansas City has been the team to beat in the AFC for three years now, but Cleveland is coming into the year with something they haven't in a long time: hope. The Browns seem to be playoff contenders for the foreseeable future and they look to make a push with Baker Mayfield. The Chiefs look to make another Super Bowl run after a really disappointing loss to the Buccaneers. The Chiefs offense should be better than ever with the new additions to their offensive line. KC will desperately need these guys to pan out with the Myles Garrett coming off the edge for the Browns. The rest of Cleveland's defense will be a unit to watch, specifically the secondary. Denzel Ward should be coming into his own as a star young cornerback. My biggest curiosity will be how the Chiefs defend Tyreek Hill. Guarding Hill is a challenge for so many teams due to his ridiculous speed. Then, you also have Travis Kelce, the best TE in the league. The Browns second level will be challenged for sure. 

        The Chiefs are the Super Bowl favorites at +450 and they will have huge expectations here to make a statement at home. That leads me into thinking the Browns might be sneaky in this season opener. When Cleveland travelled to KC for their playoff game, they competed the entire game. Mahomes wasn't 100% healthy but, the Browns still were in the game and had a real chance at winning. I remain skeptical about the Chiefs defense, especially the D-Line outside of Chris Jones. I think Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt are primed for huge games. The spread sits with the Chiefs as the obvious favorite at -6.5 and I personally think it will be closer than that. This game gives me the feeling of last year’s Browns-Ravens matchup on Monday Night Football. The most dangerous coach in sports with a bye week is Andy Reid and the off-season is just the longest bye week there is. This leads me to thinking the Chiefs win in a week one shootout but, both teams prove to be legit in the AFC. 

Kansas City Chiefs 38, Cleveland Browns 34

Green Bay Packers @ New Orleans Saints 
       Packers fans have been through the ringer this off-season with the entire Aaron Rodgers problem. He finally came back from his hiatus and the team was right to call him on his bluff that he wouldn't sit out the season. The Saints, on the other hand, did lose their QB, but that was because of retirement. The Saints have announced Jameis Winston as the week one starter to no one’s surprise after the preseason he was having. This game provides a ton of intrigue for me because the Packers are a premier team in the NFC and should compete for a Super Bowl berth and then New Orleans will look totally different without Brees. The Saints and Packers also had a really fun game last season where Green Bay ended up winning 37-30 and Alvin Kamara had a monster run. This game should be another shootout for the slate as both defenses aren't really known for being lockdown. The Packers O-Line is something to keep note of mainly due to them losing their all-pro C Corey Linsley. I think that loss is being underplayed for the Packers and it could hurt them for the long haul.

         Seeing the Saints offense with a QB who can throw more than 25 yards will be a change for sure. The Packers secondary got torched by Tom Brady and the Bucs in the NFC Championship, so you have to think that was an area they wanted to improve on. CB Jaire Alexander should have his side on lock but, it’s the other guys that may be in trouble with Jameis throwing the ball everywhere. On the flip side, the reigning MVP should keep his great streak going. He showed no signs of slowing down last season and I don't foresee him falling off a cliff. This game will be decided with the offenses. The Vegas guys have this game as a field goal difference in favor of Green Bay -3. I think that's generous with the Saints and it might have factored in home field advantage. With Hurricane Ida, New Orleans won't be playing in NOLA for the next month. That might shift the line some in favor of Green Bay. I would expect these NFC contenders to have a fun game, but don't be surprised if one team pulls away from the other. 

Green Bay Packers 37, New Orleans Saints 27

Miami Dolphins @ New England Patriots
       Two teams that missed out on the playoffs last year look to make it back in this week one division match-up. The Dolphins had a strange end to last season but, with Tua Tagovailoa, they look to make some noise. The Patriots finally missed out on the playoffs last season with Cam Newton under center. They hope to recapture some magic with rookie QB Mac Jones. The Patriots surprisingly cut QB Cam Newton today and named Mac Jones the official starter. The move was quite shocking as the Patriots just don't seem like the team to trust a rookie QB, but after a strong showing in preseason, they made the judgement that he was ready for week one. The Dolphins really did the exact opposite last season with Tua and Ryan Fitzpatrick. With Fitz in Washington now, the job is all up to Tagovailoa. Miami was in the wild card mix last season but just couldn't put together a strong finish to take that spot. They did win with their head coach hire from last year, former New England assistant Brian Flores. 

        This game will be an Alabama fan's dream with both Jones and Tua playing. It might provide a tiny bit of insight on the debate in regard to who’s better. Both defenses should perform with some energy. Flores had them playing above their skill level with last year. I am really curious to see what he throws at Jones and how Mac will respond to it. Bill Belichick has never lost to a rookie QB. Ever. Tagovailoa will essentially be a rookie QB and Belichick should be able to scheme against him. Tua looked good in preseason, but he never played any first teamers. I have no doubts about the defense for Miami, but the Miami offense is still very questionable. Even if you don't believe in Tua, they still have a spotty O-Line and a journeyman at RB. Both of these teams are nearly playoff contenders but, they have ways to go. Something that surprises me is that Miami is +2.5 underdog. I understand that going on the road is always a challenge, especially in Foxborough, but the team was better overall last season. In the end, I believe the better overall roster will win, therefore, the Dolphins should take this game with the help of their defense. Out of the two division match-ups, this is definitely the more intriguing one, especially now that we will see Mac Jones

Miami Dolphins 24, New England Patriots 13

By: Lucas Kochevar

       The New Orleans Saints are a team entering a crucial year in their franchise's history. It'll be the first time they will start with out QB Drew Brees in over a decade.  Brees was the most accomplished Saints player to ever put on the uniform. The biggest challenge this off-season, however, was the cap. The Saints have been ducking and dodging the salary cap for several years now. This year, it seemed to catch-up with them. They had to make many tough decisions with free agents and they had to restructure a dozen players' contracts. They managed to do it but, it costs them some good players. 

      The Saints will look vastly different without number nine under center but, they look to survive with the in-house options they currently have on the roster. Jameis Winston is coming into his second year with the Saints and Taysom Hill has been an important offensive chess piece for HC Sean Payton. These two have been battling it out over camp and it's hard to get a pulse on who might win the battle. On one hand, Hill played in Brees' place last season when he was hurt. Hill was effective and put the Saints in the position to be in the playoffs. On the other hand, Winston has much more experience playing QB at the NFL level. Winston would be the clear choice if it wasn't for Payton's weird love affair with Hill. Winston is getting a ton of buzz after a spirited performance Monday night against the Jaguars. He looked comfortable and ready. This doesn't mean the end for Hill but, I would imagine he has an uphill battle for QB1. 

         As for the rest of the Saints offense, they bring back many of their starters. They still have a solid group on the O-Line with OTs Terron Armstead and Ryan Ramczyk. They did lose some solid weapons in the passing attack with WR Emmanuel Sanders and TE Jared Cook. They cut Cook for cap reasons. The veteren TE will be missed as he was a great security blanket as standout WR Michael Thomas missed most of last season. The Saints TEs will be a position to monitor as TEs Adam Trautman and Nick Vannett both went down with preseason injuries. Thomas will also be missed at the beginning of the year. The Thomas situation was weird because the star WR seemed to not trust the team doctors and wanted to go outside of the team for his rehab. Thomas is a weird diva, like most receivers around the league. Luckily for them, they seemed to figured out the issues but, only time will tell. Lastly, Alvin Kamara is coming back off of the best year of his career. As a Falcons fan, I hate the Saints with all my heart but, I can concede the fact that Kamara is a top three RB in the league. He will be the engine of this team and whichever QB finds themselves starting will need to rely on the star RB. 

         I think the offense will be an above average unit because Sean Payton is very talented at keeping that side of the ball relevant. The struggles will likely come with the defense. The defense has been, typically, reliable for the past couple of seasons as they hit on late draft picks made by GM Mickey Loomis. The difference, in my eyes, is that they won't pack the same punch like they have in years past. DE Cameron Jordan is coming up on the later years of his career. They lost DE Trey Hendrickson to the Bengals and DT Sheldon Rankins to the Jets. Those are three very vital players to the Saints success on the D-Line. The Saints first round pick was a DE from Houston, Payton Turner. This pick was an aggressive reach for a player. He was slotted at around the third round and New Orleans took him at 28th. The Saints LB core will rely heavily on leader Demario Davis. The secondary is the same group that they have had with Marshon Lattimore as the lead CB. Lattimore has some personal trouble with the law. He was arrested and charged in Ohio so his future could be a bit foggy. Overall, this group has names and can be solid. The issue I'm having is the consistency. I think this defense will hit a ceiling at some point in the season and that will be the issue with this team.

          Through all my hatred for this team, I can say that they have been impressive in their successes over the years. I see the Saints run as division winners coming to an end. I see them as a team that will hover around .500 but, I cannot see them sniffing the playoffs. They would have to leapfrog over multiple teams, that I believe are better, in order to grab a wild card spot. Simply put, I do not see that happening. Winston was never able to find a winning style of football in Tampa Bay as the starter. Hill won games but, I think defenses weren't exactly sure what the Saints would look like. Now they have film and Hill is not an established QB in the league. The defense should be average for the league standard and that won't be able to carry this team, especially if Hill or Winston fail. This franchise will be truly tested this year and will face some adversity without the future Hall of Famer calling the shots on offense. 

By: Lucas Kochevar 

       The New York Giants haven't sniffed the playoffs since 2016 but, with third year QB Daniel Jones and HC Joe Judge, people are wondering if they can climb back into the mix. The Giants have been a hot topic recently with intriguing training camp stories coming out. First off, they had a major brawl happen with Jones sitting at the bottom of it. Judge was irate and made the players run sprints due to their actions. Then, they had several players sign and immediately retire. These are not typical stories and with Judge's reputation as being a hard-ass, it really makes you think if the culture being established is a good one that can last years. The typical argument would be 'Look at the Patriots. They have a strict structure and they're the greatest dynasty in NFL history,' I agree they are easily the greatest, but I also believe that their sustained run is an anomaly. It also helps when you have the greatest QB of all-time in Tom Brady. The Belichick coaching tree holds a poor record with very few of them panning out when they leave NE. 

         It truly is hard to see them turning into a playoff team after one season with Judge in charge. There is one major unit that has to make noise in order for New York to compete. The offense last year ranked 31st in both points averaged and yards per game. They were absolutely putrid on paper and film. Even in the previous losing seasons, they managed to be in the middle of the league. Daniel Jones has to be more consistent for this team to work. Jones is the key to the puzzle. He struggled with turnovers mightily in his rookie season, but in his sophomore year he managed to convert on more opportunities. Something that is concerning is the lack in improvement in accuracy. Many QBs see the percentage rise over the years as the game comes to them, however, in year one to two, Jones saw his percentage go down slightly from 62% to 61%. I should cut him some slack due to the fact that his offensive coordinator is Jason Garrett. The former Cowboys HC calls a very vanilla game and seems to be stuck in the past compared to the new age pace and space offense. If they come out of the gate slow, don't be surprised if a change is made rather quickly at OC. 

       The Giants are getting star RB Saquon Barkley back from his torn ACL. The offensive line should show growth, especially with OT Andrew Thomas playing his second year. They signed Kenny Golladay to an already loaded receiver room. With all this talent, the Giants should be at least in the top half of the league for offensive stats. The defense was actually surprisingly effective last season. With James Bradberry being a stud, the Giants held strong and kept them in games. They re-signed DL Leonard Williams and signed CB Adoree' Jackson. Those two are key factors in this unit improving upon their success last season. The team has to get more pressure on the QB, whether it's in creative ways with the blitzes or the D-Line winning their 1-on-1's. 
 
           In my honest opinion, I think the Giants spent recklessly on talent they didn't need for skill positions. They should have invested far more in the trenches. Spending $72 million on Kenny Golladay was a huge risk and they already have talent with WRs Sterling Shepherd and Darius Slayton. Do I think they have the makings of a playoff team? Yes. Do I think they will make it? No. The consistency week in and week out terrifies me with this team. The Cowboys get Dak back and the WFT is still a better team on paper, despite not having a true QB1. The road is a very difficult one, even for a wild card spot. Daniel Jones is a player to keep a major eye on this year. Seeing strong improvement from him is just as important as a playoff berth for Giants fans. 

By: Lucas Kochevar

         It's been quite awhile since I wrote my last article, but I'm glad to come back with a fresh new energy. I took the month off to focus on myself and my work. Super happy to start my first semester at UGA as well. Essentially, a lot of grown up stuff has come up for this past month and I've put this on the back burner until school started back. Luckily, the school year is coming up and I can focus on school and writing more. I'm glad to be back and look forward to the NFL season. I have still been working on The Backfield Boys and we'll have a new show up on Wednesday. For this site, I want to finish my draft review/outlook for all the NFC teams. Those four divisions should be covered here in the next month. I won't put an exact date on these articles, but be on the lookout. Once again, I'm really excited to keep talking football. Thanks for all the support!

By: Lucas Kochevar

       The AFC North is debatably the best division in all of football, even with the Bengals. The Steelers managed to win the division last year, but were bounced from the playoffs by the Browns. Pittsburgh jumped out of the gate and went 11-0, but the wheels fell off. Lets see if Big Ben can run it back one more time before his clock expires. After the Steelers, the Browns would go on to play the Chiefs hard, but ultimately lost it. Cleveland's resurgence was a big storyline last year under first year HC Kevin Stefanski. The biggest question will be whether or not they can build upon their success or will they return to the old Browns? The Ravens advanced past the Titans in the Wild Card round, but bowed out after losing a tough one in Buffalo. This year is a crucial one for former MVP Lamar Jackson. If the Ravens want to take the next step, Lamar has to take that next step as a passer. The Bengals went on to have a losing season for the fifth season in a row. Joe Burrow looks to bounce back after an ugly ACL injury. This division could be a bloodbath as they fight for that spot as the division winner. 

Cincinnati Bengals 
Notable Players: WR Ja'Marr Chase, OT Jackson Carman, DE Joseph Ossai, DE Cameron Sample, DT Tyler Shelvin
         The Bengals went into last year with the number one overall pick, Joe Burrow, and there were plenty of encouraging signs from the young QB. That was until he tore his ACL after getting folded into. Luckily, he underwent successful surgery and has been showing solid mobility in minicamp. The big question for Cincy was whether or not they would add a lineman or a receiver for Burrow to work with. Personally, I thought they would be best served to go for the trenches and get one of the generational pass protectors in Sewell or Slater. It doesn't matter who is catching the ball if you can't protect the QB. The team decided to do the opposite of my thinking and went with LSU standout WR Ja'Marr Chase. Even though I disagree, I still love Chase and I thought he was the best WR on the board from an all-around standpoint. Chase adds to a dangerous trio of WRs with Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins. I am super curious to see what HC Zac Taylor can cook up with these weapons. He seems to be on the hot seat, so he better figure it out quickly. Carman is a big, physical lineman that has the tools, but is raw from a skill standpoint. Hopefully, he provides the much needed protection for Burrow. Ossai and Sample are big, but surprisingly athletic for coming off the edge. Ossai is the more gifted out of the two players, but they can both make an impact down the road. Shelvin simply provides more depth for the trenches. Cincinnati shouldn't be a contender for this upcoming year, but they should work to get their young players on the field for experience. 

Baltimore Ravens
Notable Players: WR Rashod Bateman, DE Odafe Oweh, OG Ben Cleveland, WR Tylan Wallace, CB Shaun Wade
        Baltimore has an incredible draft history full of steals and great value picks. I think they did another sneaky great job at adding talent while addressing certain needs they have. They managed to have two first round picks after trading Orlando Brown Jr. to the Chiefs. With their first original pick, they drafted Minnesota WR Rashod Bateman. He's a receiver that has a great catch radius and goes to the opposite side of Marquise Brown. Another weapon for Lamar to work with. Odafe Oweh is an edge that could have been drafted earlier, but the Ravens find themselves taking him at the end of the first  round. The Ravens defensive line is getting older so Oweh comes in as a fresh young guy that can learn in a great position. Ben Cleveland is an absolute unit and can be a game-changer in the run game as a crazy athletic lineman. Tylan Wallace is another receiver and was a stud throughout the draft process. Wallace finds himself in a great situation and can provide upside when he gets the shot. I think his best spot would be in the slot. Two years ago, Shaun Wade was an integral part of Ohio State's defense, but due to a down year, he fell way down the draft boards. Wade could return to form and become one of the best steals, but for now, he's likely a special teams guy. The Ravens have a big year ahead of them and I could see them rising to the occasion. 

Pittsburgh Steelers
Notable Players: RB Najee Harris, TE Pat Freiermuth, OG Kendrick Green, OT Dan Moore Jr., LB Buddy Johnson
         The Steelers flamed out in the Wild Card round as they couldn't build any sort of momentum after starting 11-0. In the most Pittsburgh way possible, they selected a hard nose RB and TE. I will, gladly, go on record when saying that I strongly dislike these first two picks. It's not because of the players themselves, but I felt the Steelers were in great position to take really solid linemen. They addressed those positions, but it's risky to bet on middle rounds to find starters. Anyways, Harris was an Alabama standout and was super versatile in his role with Bama. He fills a hole left by James Conner. Harris is likely better today, even as a rookie. Harris was the best RB in this class and should be a foundation piece for the Steelers success on offense this year. Freiermuth is a pure tight end. He can catch just as good as he can block. He likely won't be a big contributor in his first year, but he can be a solid starter for a long time in the league. Green and Moore are athletic freaks for their size. They hope to take over some starting spots for players leaving. The offensive line will be huge for the Steelers successes and offense. These two could be the key to unlocking their potential. Buddy Johnson plays with power and could fill the void where Bud Dupree was. Big Ben has about one or two more runs left in his body so the Steeles have a small window to win before they have to commit to finding a long-term option. This team is fascinating and I want to see if they can bounce back after being fraudulent last year. 

Cleveland Browns
Notable Players: CB Greg Newsome II, LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, WR Anthony Schwartz, OT James Hudson III
       The Browns killed this draft. The Cleveland hype train is going to be leaving the station soon and I might be on it. Baker Mayfield will be the key to the Browns if they want to elevate to Super Bowl contenders. However, the defense will be the overall unit that needs to improve from last year. With a squad that includes Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward, they should be better than what they were. They decided to load up on that side of the ball with this draft. Greg Newsome is one of the more physical CBs in the draft and he adds on to a solid secondary group. Owusu-Koamoah fell down the boards and it was really confusing on draft night. Sadly, it was found out that he has some heart condition that got flagged. I sincerely hope that this isn't an issue moving forward. He's one of the better playmakers on defense when he's at full strength. JOK could be a versatile chess piece for the Browns. Anthony Schwartz is the one pick that is slightly confusing because the Browns WR room is very busy, but he has track speed. He could be the fastest player on that offense now. Hudson is a mammoth of a man and provides depth. He could slide into a starting role someday. The Browns ascension will be a major storyline this year. They have a long road ahead of them that includes Pittsburgh and Baltimore. 

By: Lucas Kochevar

       I am super excited to finally share the news of my new podcast on here: The Backfield Boys. This new project involves me and a couple of buddies talking football from NFL to college. We've recorded a couple of episodes already so if you would like to go listen, I'll post the links below. I want to thank my co-hosts, Brendan Willoughby-Ray and Jackson Kelly, for being great guys and I look forward to keep working with them. I took the week off to just relax and get my mind right so, I am back to continue the draft review series as I look back on each team and their situations. Once again, any support to the podcast would be greatly appreciated! Make sure to tell your friends to tell their friends, and so on. Here's to a great summer!

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By: Lucas Kochevar

        The AFC West was a division that was dominated by Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs for the third straight year, but with some additions to the Broncos and Chargers, the division might be slightly more competitive. The Chiefs still run the division with their superstar quarterback and a totally revamped offensive line. The Chargers found their franchise QB in Justin Herbert and hired defensive guru Brandon Staley to be the HC. If  that defense can stay healthy with Derwin James and Joey Bosa, I project the Chargers as a surprise team. The Broncos are a team to look out for in regards to Aaron Rodgers, but in the meantime, newly hired GM George Paton made the most of his first draft. The Raiders are gonna be a wild card team. Things will break right for them some games, but then they'll look like the worst team in the league. The Wild West will be a good battle between some underrated teams.

Kansas City Chiefs
Notable Players: LB Nick Bolton, OL Creed Humphrey, DE Joshua Kaindoh, OG Trey Smith
​        The Chiefs surrendered their first round pick to the Ravens when they acquired rising star OT Orlando Brown Jr. The Chiefs went ahead and snatched up LB Nick Bolton from Mizzou. Bolton was an SEC standout and a smart player. I had a first round grade on Bolton for the last first round, but he managed to fall into a perfect situation with Kansas City. Bolton plays with great fundamentals with tackling and is surprisingly good in zone coverage. The Chiefs sole purpose this off-season was to make the offensive line great. They built it in free agency, trades, and now the draft. They took Creed Humphrey from Oklahoma as a center and guard combo. Creed plays with an edge to him and is great at run blocking. His arm length could hold him back, but he should be in the Chiefs future plans on the line. Kaindoh is a raw edge rusher with upside. OG Trey Smith was the number one recruit for a lineman a couple years ago. Health issues dropped him severely, but if he can turn that around then he might be one of the biggest steals in the draft. With limited picks, Brett Veach and co. made solid work out of what they had. 

Denver Broncos
Notable Picks: CB Patrick Surtain II, RB Javonte Williams, LB Baron Browning, S Caden Sterns, S Jamar Johnson, WR Seth Williams
         Denver is in a tricky spot as a franchise. Since the John Elway days, Denver has made a name for themselves as a marquee franchise. Since HOFer Peyton Manning's retirement in 2016, they have been looking for a QB to lead them. Many thought that Drew Lock was the answer, until he had a rough year last year. Teddy Bridgewater was brought in from a trade with Carolina and Denver has been listed as a potential Aaron Rodgers suitor. People thought that Denver might go QB in this draft, but they took a left turn and went with the best player available strategy for their draft. First year GM George Paton spent his first ever pick on Patrick Surtain II, who I believe was the best all around CB in this draft. RB Javonte Williams was the second round pick and he runs like a bull in a china shop. Browning is a gifted athlete that should provide an impact on special teams while he gains more experience at LB. Picking two safeties here is interesting considering the fact that they made FS Justin Simmons one of the highest paid safeties in the league. Regardless, they got great value in both players and one of them should pan out. Lastly, Seth Williams is a speedster and deep threat from Auburn. I don't know if Denver increased their overall roster, but I love the players they drafted.

Los Angeles Chargers 
Notable Picks: OT Rashawn Slater, CB Asante Samuel Jr., WR Josh Palmer, TE Tre McKitty, DE Chris Rumph II, 
          The Chargers are my big sleeper team with second year QB Justin Herbert. Herbert was a star last year and showed the league that he has all the talent in the world to compete with the best of them. They drafted Rashawn Slater to protect Herbert and he should be a foundation piece for that offensive line for years to come. Slater was projected as the best OT in this draft over Sewell from many analysts. Ultimately, he fell to 13 and finds himself in an ideal scenario. He earned his high draft status when he handled star DE Chase Young, the year before. He adds strong pass blocking technique, but could work on his footwork. Asante Samuel Jr. comes from a football family as his dad was a prominent CB a couple years ago. He has a nose for the football and plays a lot like his dad. After moving on from Casey Heyward, Samuel Jr. should get a shot at starting CB. Palmer was brought in as another weapon on the outside. McKitty was an excellent blocker for UGA last season. Tell me if you've read this before, they took a raw defensive end that could work his way into being a solid player in Chris Rumph II. This defensive line class was simply not good, therefore, a lot of guys like Rumph can project to be rotation pieces, but they won't be starting day one. The Chargers were another team that I circled when I saw their draft class. I think they filled needs and helped out Justin Herbert along the way. I'm curious to see if first year HC Brandon Staley will be the answer to take LA to the next level. 

Las Vegas Raiders
Notable Players: OT Alex Leatherwood, S Tre'von Moehrig, DE Malcom Koonce, S Tyree Gilespie
         The Raiders had a funky draft. I don't like it, but I don't absolutely despise it like many draft analysts. I think Alex Leatherwood was a big reach, but that doesn't mean he can't turn out to be a good player. Moehrig fell down the draft board and there has to be a reason, but the Raiders went with him anyway. Leatherwood played OG in college for Alabama, but has the size to play tackle. Leatherwood is a good player and I'm sure he is a really nice guy, but he screams bust. Coming from a big name program, switching positions, and expectations of a first rounder all are reasons for concern. Frankly, he wasn't even that impressive on tape. I would be weary of this guy. Moerhig could fill the hole in the back end of the secondary as he was considered one of the better safeties in the draft. Koonce is a large and physical defensive end. Gilespie shows promise, but will likely be a special teams player. GM Mike Mayock has been at the helm for a couple years now and has very little to show for it. If the Raiders don't perform, I don't think they will, Vegas could be ditching the TV analyst-turned-GM real quick. HC John Gruden is getting paid for six more years, so don't expect him to go anytime soon. I am curious to see what the Raiders do with Derek Carr. The friction has been there for a couple years now and with Marcus Mariota breathing down his neck, look out for a possible QB change in Sin City.