This Season's Super Bowl Winner Will Be 1 Of These 7 NFL Teams

The NFL is a league built on parity and the idea that, in any given season, any team can rise from the bottom of the standings and compete for a championship. The 2025 season proved this concept, with the Patriots going from AFC East bottom-feeder to Super Bowl participant. As we head into the 2026 season, every team’s fanbase is asking the same question: Why not us? It’s a nice thought. But here, in reality, stories like last year’s Pats come along maybe once or twice a decade. Typically, we can whittle down the true Super Bowl contenders with reasonable accuracy before the season even begins. And that’s what I’ll be doing here. I’ve considered the title cases for all 32 teams and narrowed them down to a group of seven that can realistically win a Lombardi Trophy next February. So let’s look at what makes these teams title contenders before examining the group of fringe contenders who just missed the cut, along with why they were left out. One of these seven teams will win the Super Bowl: The Rams were one unlucky two-point conversion away from earning home-field advantage in the playoffs, which may have been enough to get Sean McVay’s team to the Super Bowl. It would have been easy – and maybe even sensible – for the Rams to just run it back and hope for better luck. Instead, they traded for Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, added a lockdown cornerback in Trent McDuffie, and then lured Aaron Donald out of retirement. They were already one of the favorites to hoist the Lombardi trophy before those additions. Now, they’re the clear favorites. They check all the boxes you look for in a title contender: The acquisition of Garrett commanded a lot of the offseason attention, but adding McDuffie and Jaylen Watson to the cornerback room could be the moves that propel L.A. over the championship hump. The Rams secondary could be pushed around and picked on last season. That’s not happening with two physical corners like McDuffie and Watson on the field. Even if opposing quarterbacks can stay upright long enough to get a pass off with Garrett and Donald collapsing the pocket, finding open receivers will be a challenge. More concerns exist on the offensive side of the ball, where an injury to Davante Adams or Puka Nacua could leave the team lacking in big-play ability. The offensive line is thin, as well, and reigning MVP Matthew Stafford needs all the protection he can get now that he’s entering his age-38 season. Still, this is the NFL's most talented roster that's led by one of the NFL’s best coaches in Sean McVay. This is a Super Bowl-or-bust season for Los Angeles. The defending champs took a few hits in the offseason, losing running back Kenneth Walker and a handful of second-tier starters along the defense. They almost took another during Wednesday night's season-opening win, but it sounds like quarterback Sam Darnold avoided a serious hip injury after leaving the win over the Patriots in the first half. Outside of losing Walker, this is largely the same team that won a title in February, and they’d be the title favorites once again if not for L.A.’s busy offseason. One thing we can bank on: Head coach Mike MacDonald will have his defense playing at an elite level once again. The defensive line has been the key to the unit’s success, and all of its key pieces return in 2026. The Seahawks are light at cornerback but will play with three safeties more often than not, so that’s more of a minor concern than it would be for other teams. There’s no reason to expect any falloff from this bunch. If safety/slot defender Nick Emmanwori, an All-Rookie selection a year ago, makes the leap and plays at an All-Pro level, the Seahawks' defense may even improve over last season. There are some offensive concerns with coordinator Klint Kubiak becoming the Raiders' head coach. MacDonald went outside the building to find his replacement but went back to Kyle Shanahan’s coaching tree to poach 49ers assistant Brian Fleury. Big plays powered the Seahawks' offense – and offset some of Darnold’s turnover issues – so his primary task will be keeping Seattle’s explosive play rate up. If the first-time offensive coordinator can do that and help Darnold cut down on the turnovers, Seattle will be just as formidable as the Rams. The Ravens have not been a well-coached team the past two seasons. If new head coach Jesse Minter can clean up penalties and coverage busts on defense, it will go a long way. And if new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle, who comes over from Ben Johnson’s staff in Chicago, can get Lamar Jackson back to his MVP form, Baltimore can regain its place among the AFC's contenders after last year’s disappointment. The defense will almost certainly be better. Minter, one of the sharpest defensive minds in the sport, got top-10 results out of a Chargers' defense with far less talent than what he’ll be working with in Baltimore. The pass rush gets two major boosts with Nnamdi Madibuike returning from injury and Trey Hendrickson joining from the rival Bengals. Depth is a concern, but if this unit is healthy and Minter lives up to the hype, this will be a championship-level defense. Jackson’s play will determine if the offense can keep up. The two-time MVP battled injuries throughout 2026 and didn’t play his best ball when he was on the field. Jackson took far too many sacks last season, but he says he wasn’t as eager to leave the pocket last season because of the injuries and vowed to run more now that he’s healthy. That should help the two-time MVP get his groove back and elevate this offense back into the top-10. The 2025 Chiefs showed us that rostering an elite quarterback isn’t enough to keep a team in title contention. So, while it feels like Josh Allen is capable of carrying the Bills to a Super Bowl, only one or two things have to go wrong for them to experience their own season from hell. Buffalo has just enough quality around Allen to make this shortlist of contenders.  The offensive line, which powered one of the league’s best run games a season ago, lost left guard David Edwards to free agency, but everybody else is back. Running back James Cook is primed for another monster season, and the receiving corps added the perimeter threat it so desperately needed with the trade for D.J. Moore. No more relying on Keon Coleman for downfield targets. The Bills' offense won’t change much, but with Sean McDermott out as head coach, Buffalo’s defense is getting a makeover. First-year defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard has been a favorite among football nerds for years thanks to his work in the college ranks. McDermott ran a structurally sound defense, but smart quarterbacks had no trouble picking it apart. Leonhard’s scheme will give them more to think about. Denver’s Super Bowl aspirations still hinge on quarterback Bo Nix. A fractured ankle robbed him of a chance to prove he could lead the Broncos to a Super Bowl, but he’ll get another crack at it with another strong roster. Denver did lose a stout run defender in John Franklin-Myers and starting safety P.J. Locke, but the defense is stacked, and the front office used the money saved from those departures to add some firepower to the passing game in the form of receiver Jaylen Waddle. Everything is in place for a Super Bowl run … if the quarterback play is sufficient. There will be a new voice in Nix’s ear this season, with head coach Sean Payton relinquishing play-calling duties to Davis Webb. The first-time offensive coordinator is just three years into his coaching career and has never called plays in a game that counts. It’s impossible to know how he’ll handle the monumental task; but even if he falters, having a Hall of Fame play-caller as a "break glass in case of emergency" option lowers the concern. If you’re wondering how the Eagles managed to win 11 games and another NFC East title while the offense was imploding on and off the field, just look to the other side of the ball. Philadelphia’s defense finished as a top-three unit for a second year in a row and carried the team back to the playoffs. The ceiling could be even higher in 2026. The Eagles patched up the biggest hole in their defense by adding cornerback Riq Woolen to play opposite of star Quinyon Mitchell. Philly’s pass defense was solid last season but struggled to get off the field on third down. Coordinator Vic Fangio prefers man coverage in third-and-medium situations, but with Adoree Jackson or Kelee Ringo getting torched, it wasn’t an effective strategy. While Woolen isn’t an elite cover corner by any means, he is a ball-hawk who can create turnovers if teams repeatedly try him. A secondary is as strong as its weakest link, and Philly’s weakest link will be sturdier this season. On the defensive line, the Eagles are banking on development from young players like Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith Jr. to make up for their numerous offseason losses. They also added veteran edge rusher Jonathan Greenard, who comes over after a down season in Minnesota. If Philadelphia can get just average pass rush production from its defensive ends, this could be the NFL’s best defense, which will keep the defending NFC East champs in contention even if the offensive issues persist. The Texans are included here solely out of respect for Demeco Ryans' defense, which would have been good enough to drag Houston’s frustrating offense through the AFC playoffs if not for C.J. Stroud picking the worst time to play his worst-ever game. The Texans quarterback averaged 4.5 yards per attempt and threw four interceptions in the season-ending loss to the Patriots. Three of those picks were thrown over a nine-play stretch that staked New England to a double-digit lead that felt insurmountable based on how the Houston offense was playing. So, why should we expect a different outcome next January? For starters, Stroud is a much better quarterback than he showed last postseason. He may not be the franchise savior he appeared to be after his rookie season, but he’s capable of producing top-10 play for long stretches. With a truly elite defense, that’s good enough to make a run. Houston also improved its offensive line, which has been the root cause of its problems over the past few seasons. And with Stroud entering his second season in coordinator Nick Caley’s offense, there should be fewer growing pains for the offense early on. If this offense can be just mediocre, the Texans should run up another double-digit season. If Stroud can avoid another postseason stinker, the ceiling is much higher. These teams could sneak into the Super Bowl — but they aren’t winning it. The Patriots have a better roster than they did a year ago, and new WR1 A.J. Brown is a perfect match for Drake Maye’s game. Obviously, Brown's ankle injury against the Seahawks isn't a great way to start the season. The defense entered the season due to regress against a tougher slate of quarterbacks than in 2025, and the offensive line remains a work in progress. This offense has the potential to reach some serious highs, but we’ve been saying that for years now, and Joe Burrow and Co. have yet to produce a truly elite season. While the defense has improved, it still looks like a mediocre group at best. The Lions still haven’t filled the Graham Glasgow-sized hole in the middle of its offensive line and are banking on a Dolphins castoff or a rookie to hold down the fort at right tackle with Penei Sewell swinging over to the left side. Detroit needs its offensive line to return to elite status to get this team back on track for title contention. I’m not sure it can. The Jaguars are an organization on the rise, but they’re still another strong offseason – and another leap from Trevor Lawrence – away from being a true title threat. If the defense avoids regression and Lawrence finds consistency, they’re capable of a deep postseason run. Even then, it’s difficult to imagine them going toe-to-toe with the NFL’s top contenders. The roster is old and already injured. If this were Madden, and we could turn off injuries, the 49ers would have enough talent to challenge Seattle and Los Angeles in the NFC West. But we can’t, and they probably won’t. Even Ben Johnson knows that the regression gods are out to get Chicago this season after riding last year’s devil magic to a divisional title and an impressive playoff run. The Bears are headed in the right direction, but progress isn’t linear, and the division will be tougher, with Detroit and Minnesota likely to improve. Patrick Mahomes is coming off a late-season ACL tear, and the Chiefs made no meaningful improvements to the roster outside of adding running back Kenneth Walker. It will be another uphill climb just to make the playoffs. If not for Mahomes, they’d be nowhere near this list.

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West Coast Read: Mike McDaniel Is Embracing Best QB He's Coached, Justin Herbert

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Welcome to West Coast Read, a weekly spin around what’s happening in the NFL on the Left Coast. And to kick things off, we start with a conversation I had with new Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel and his plans for Justin Herbert. McDaniel displayed flashes of excellence as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, but things ultimately fizzled in four seasons on South Beach. However, McDaniel was highly sought after this offseason by several teams, both as a head coach and offensive coordinator, because of his reputation for innovation as a playcaller. With plenty of options on the table, McDaniel chose the Chargers because of the vast array of skills Justin Herbert has at his disposal, providing a stark contrast to the limited skill set his previous quarterback in Miami had in Tua Tagovailoa, taken one spot above Herbert at No. 5 overall in the 2020 draft. McDaniel told me his 20 years of coaching in the NFL prepared him for this crossroads moment of his career in coaching the most talented quarterback he’s ever worked with in the league. "It’s as simple as I’m not sure there are many players in my entire career that are more talented to play the quarterback position than Justin," McDaniel told me in a conversation after practice during training camp. "And so, with those talents, I learned and built offensive systems around players who are not as talented, so it forces you to try and get really high-level play from guys that don’t have those supreme skill sets. "Your offense and problem-solving are at its best, where maybe you don’t have to solve those problems from a coaching perspective [with Herbert]. There’s a certain coverage or a certain defensive issue that’s presented, and your quarterback can scramble and go get the first down. And you don’t have to solve the problem as a coach. That’s the greatest blessing of bouncing around NFL teams as you evolve as a coach, because you get exposed to so many types of talents. So, you’re not pigeonholed." McDaniel provided this example: if he had landed in New England early in his coaching career working with someone like Tom Brady back in 2007, he would have benefited from one of the best quarterbacks ever at solving pre-snap issues, changing plays and protections that put his offense in the best situations. And maybe that would have stunted his growth as a play designer. "And then, when you don’t have him, what type of coach can you be?" McDaniel told me. "I think as a young coach, I would have really screwed it up. I would have asked for Justin as young as possible, but I’m very much glad I’m finally getting the opportunity to coach him now, after solving problems with guys that can’t throw it as far or overcome a poorly designed play where things are gloved and just scramble for the first down." McDaniel said he maintained discipline installing the offense, making sure to focus on Herbert’s footwork and improving his ability to get the ball out quick on short completions before getting to the good stuff — how to take advantage of the Oregon product’s otherworldly arm strength. That occurred midway through training camp, and the results of that were evident when Herbert connected a long touchdown pass to Quentin Johnston during a preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams. McDaniel will fix L.A.’s offense, so Herbert plays at an MVP level by making sure he doesn’t get bored with short completions that help move the chains and providing a more consistent running attack led by a healthy Omarion Hampton. But McDaniel needs to accomplish two things to be deemed a successful season for himself and Herbert: No. 1, his quarterback can’t continuously get belted like a piñata, leading the league in sacks and quarterback hits. And second, Herbert’s postseason stat line must improve from a career 54.7 completion percentage, with two touchdowns and five interceptions for a 64.7 passer rating. Herbert is 0-3 in the playoffs and under his direction in the postseason, L.A.’s offenses have averaged 15 points per game. McDaniel believes good things are in store for Herbert and the Bolts, but that must translate into some postseason wins. "It’s been an interesting, very cool process — bucketing all the stuff we’re getting him to work on and then taking some of the stuff that he’s done at a very high level and making sure that isn’t lost in this offense," McDaniel told me. "That’s why I was front-loaded in watching all the film from his career so that I could build an install that both incorporated the stuff I wanted to work on but allowed for the field to distribute so that later in plays he can make off-schedule stuff happen like he always has. "There’s different parts of the field that he can access that most throwers can’t. So, there’s been some work on just making sure that skill set is utilized. Which, from an offensive perspective, is even a more powerful way to make the defense defend the entire field. Balancing that stuff out — we didn’t work on anything that was big arm down the field until probably the last week — so, really focused on small ball, getting the ball out on plant throws and quick-timing plays. I knew that was the biggest jump he needed to make. I was very proud of myself because I put off all the fun, down-the-field stuff until just recently." Speaking of the Chargers, they have a chance to pair up with their crosstown rival Rams and achieve something unprecedented in the NFL. Former Raiders CEO and Los Angeles native Amy Trask served as an intern when the Los Angeles Raiders won the Super Bowl after the team’s 1983 season after relocating from Oakland. So, Trask understands what an all-Los Angeles Super Bowl would mean for the city. "I’ve heard a number of discussions about this," Trask told me. "Some have suggested that would be disappointing for tourism and for the hotels industry because arguably you’d have far less people traveling to the game if neither of the teams were located outside of Los Angeles. "But I have a different view. While I understand the point that is made, I think it could be a tremendous opportunity for the region to showcase itself. The Los Angeles area and the region itself did a spectacular job during the World Cup. We of course have the Olympics coming in a couple years. But with the Super Bowl coming in February, if it is the Los Angeles Chargers vs. Los Angeles Rams, think about what the region can do to showcase itself." The Rams are a heavy favorite to win the Super Bowl after executing blockbuster trades for Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie, along with the return of All-Pro Aaron Donald from a two-year retirement. After back-to-back 11-6 seasons under Harbaugh and quick exits from the postseason, the Chargers have the sixth-best odds to win the Super Bowl at +1700. This year’s Super Bowl is set to take place at SoFi Stadium on Feb. 14. The last time the Super Bowl was played in Los Angeles was in 2022, when the Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 on their home field. The first Super Bowl in L.A. took place at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 1967, with the Green Bay Packers defeating the Kansas City Chiefs, 35-10. In all, nine Super Bowls have been played in Los Angeles. Only Miami (11) and New Orleans (11) have hosted more. The Chargers won their only championship in 1963, a 55-10 victory over the Boston Patriots for the American Football League title at Balboa Stadium in San Diego. Along with winning it all four years ago, the Rams also lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers at the Coliseum in 1980 in Super Bowl XIV. Rams CEO Kevin Demoff recently recognized it’s been 10 years since the Rams moved back to Los Angeles. It’s been nine years since the Chargers relocated from San Diego to Los Angeles. During that time, the two teams have combined for 11 playoff appearances and a Super Bowl victory for the Rams after the 2021 season in the stadium that Rams owner Stan Kroenke built. Yes, the same Kroenke who just bought the Los Angeles Angels. A Rams-Chargers Super Bowl could be kismet. "Having grown up in Los Angeles and living in Los Angeles, you’ve got everything here," Trask said. "It’s a very reasonable drive from the mountains, which will have snow on them, the desert, which will be very beautiful, and the beaches, which are always beautiful. Exploit the region. Show off the region. That’s what I think can be done if it ended up Chargers-Rams." Jeremiyah Love, whom the Arizona Cardinals took with the third overall pick in this year's draft, flashed electric playmaking ability in his first and only action during the preseason, totaling 58 yards on 11 carries in a Week 1 contest against the Raiders. But Love suffered a high-ankle sprain and hasn’t practiced since, making his availability in his team’s season opener on the road against the Chargers a question mark. While most NFL observers consider Love the most talented running back in this year’s draft class, a longtime NFL talent evaluator believes Love’s backup at Norte Dame, Jadarian Price, might be the better player. Scott McCloughan served as San Francisco’s top personnel man for four seasons and Seahawks general manager John Schneider’s right-hand man as senior personnel executive from 2010 to 2013. McCloughan also worked in personnel for the Cleveland Browns and Washington Commanders and currently serves as a draft consultant for teams and agents that hire him to evaluate NFL prospects. "I think he’s Nick Chubb," McCloughan told me about Price. McCloughan was in Cleveland when they drafted Chubb. "He’s a big guy who can run downhill. He’s got some speed. He’s got some elusiveness and ball skills. I told Johnny [Schneider] when they drafted him, ‘You just got a hell of a player dude.’" At 5-foot-11 and 210 pounds, Price ran a 4.49-second, 40-yard time at the NFL Scouting Combine. And while he doesn’t possess the elusiveness or pass-catching ability of Love, he has a clearer path to a workhorse role for the Seahawks, with Kenneth Walker signing with the Chiefs in free agency and Zach Charbonnet working his way back from season-ending knee surgery, Along with Love’s injury concerns, he’s also in a stacked running back room that includes experienced veterans Tyler Allgeier and James Conner. Love is actually listed as the No. 2 running back on Arizona's depth chart. But McCloughan believes Price will be a more productive back than Love in their NFL careers. "You know what, it was very close," McCloughan told me. "I mean, it wasn’t a slam dunk. And don’t get me wrong, Love’s really good. And of course, Love was the starter. But Jadarian, I think he’s going to be a really good NFL running back. I know Nick just recently retired, but when he was in his prime, he was kicking ass. "He’s got a lot of power, but he also has speed." Rams head coach Sean McVay predominantly used three-receiver sets during his time with the Rams, usually leading the league in that personnel grouping. However, due to injuries and effectiveness, McVay’s Rams led the league by using three tight end personnel groupings on 331 snaps in 2025, averaging 6.2 yards per play. It’s by far the most a team has used that formation over the past decade in a single season. The second-most was 183 by the Cleveland Browns in 2021. League-wide, teams used three tight ends 5% of the time in 2025, up from 3.5% in 2024. Moreover, 21 tight ends were selected in this year’s draft, the most since 2002 (24). The Rams drafted another tight end this year in Max Klare and are carrying five on the active roster, so McVay could be planning to lean on three TE sets again. However, new Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Brian Fleury, who served as the San Francisco 49ers tight ends coach before taking his new job, does not expect the Rams to use three tight end sets as often this season. "Last year, I think they caught a lot of people off guard by doing that, especially in those first few weeks," Fleury said. "When you get into bigger groupings, usually it simplifies the defensive menu. But as they continue to put it on the field, the defensive menu continues to grow as people become more prepared. "Going into this season, while that might seem like an advantageous trend for an offense to do, the entire league has had the entire offseason to come up with their plan for defending their team personnel. So, I don’t think you’re going to see quite the same advantages. We will have some of it available and deploy it when we feel appropriate. But I don’t know that you are going to get quite the level of production that the Rams had out of it league-wide." A weekly look at the top five teams among the NFC and AFC West: 5. Kansas City Chiefs I’m tempted to put the Chargers here, but even though he’s recovering from a knee injury, I trust Patrick Mahomes more than Herbert. 4. San Francisco 49ers They’re a M*A*S*H unit on both sides of the ball, but Shanahan will figure out how to cobble together enough healthy bodies to play winning football. 3. Denver Broncos They have one of the best defenses in the league and one of the most underrated QBs in Bo Nix. 2. Los Angeles Rams In Sean McVay we trust, unless it’s booking travel arrangements. 1. Seattle Seahawks To be the best, you must beat the best. Showing the defending champs some respect here, unlike the rest of the country. "There’s only three players that I would stand up and watch play: LT (Lawrence Taylor), Reggie White and Aaron Donald. Those are three guys where I would watch every play because I’ve never seen nothing like it. And I think Myles [Garrett] could be that same type of player here, for sure." Eric Dickerson to me on the impact Myles Garrett could have on the Los Angeles Rams.

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Who's The Next Sam Darnold? 5 QBs That Fit The Bill For 2026 And Beyond

When the Seattle Seahawks take the field against the New England Patriots on Wednesday, it'll mark the culmination of Sam Darnold's comeback. The team Darnold quarterbacked to a Super Bowl title will be celebrated one last time, with the banner commemorating the victory being unveiled ahead of the season-opening matchup. Can we see another quarterback have such an epic turnaround soon? That's the question being asked by any NFL team that doesn't already have a great quarterback in place. Who, of all the brutal disappointments at football's most important position, is actually a Pro Bowl passer capable of leading your team to a Super Bowl and winning it? The most honest answer is that there isn't another Darnold this year; such a delayed arrival in the NFL is just too rare. Baker Mayfield enjoyed a similar career renaissance a year earlier in 2023 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, Mayfield wasn't nearly as bad as Darnold was before his emergence. And before you go ruling anyone out as just too crappy to become a great quarterback, let's remember who Darnold was two years ago. He was 27, a former top-five pick of the New York Jets, having flamed out there and bounced to the Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers. His only start in 2023 was a Week 18 rest-your-starters game, in which he threw one touchdown pass and lost to Carson Wentz. If you ranked all 39 quarterbacks who threw at least 1,000 passes from 2018-23, Darnold ranks dead last in passer rating at 78.3. He's 21-35 as a starter at that point, with 63 career touchdown passes and 56 interceptions. With all that, Darnold still got a $10 million deal from the Minnesota Vikings in 2024, but only really got the opportunity he got for a breakout year because first-round pick J.J. McCarthy sustained a season-ending injury in preseason. Then boom, 14-3 as a starter, 35 touchdown passes against 12 picks, good enough to land a three-year, $100 million deal from the Seattle Seahawks. Another 14-3 season, this time with 25 touchdown passes and 14 picks, but played enough to win a Super Bowl. So that's what you're looking for. Looking around the league, we've identified five quarterbacks who have dealt with similar struggles to Darnold, either already discarded or trending toward being let go by teams that drafted them with high picks. You might not even be aware of where they're playing now, but their résumé today looks better than Darnold's did two years ago. Like Darnold, Mac Jones was a first-round pick in the AFC East, and arguably did more with his first team, making the Pro Bowl as a rookie with the New England Patriots in 2021. He went 10-7 as a rookie, helped New England to the playoffs and threw 22 touchdowns. Then he and his team got worse, going 2-9 in Bill Belichick's last season. He got traded to the Jaguars, then signed a two-year, $8 million deal with the 49ers in 2025. Jones played well last year, going 5-3 filling in for an injured Brock Purdy, throwing 13 touchdowns against six interceptions. Had he not signed a two-year deal, he would have been coveted as a free agent, but the 49ers resisted the temptation to trade him, wanting the same security of a solid backup in case Purdy got injured again. He totally fits the Darnold profile: 27 years old, high draft pick, initial struggles, 25-32 as a starter and bounced to two other teams. He just needs an injury to get on the field this season, but if that happened, he has the talent around him to have a Darnold-level breakout. If that doesn't happen, he should be a top choice among the veteran options in free agency in spring 2027. Same profile: former first-round pick (Chicago Bears), discarded for a late-round pick (Pittsburgh Steelers), did well to get a $40 million contract from the New York Jets and again traded for a sixth-round pick to Kansas City. His overall numbers are better than Darnold's were two years ago: 52 touchdowns against 32 interceptions, and he rushed for 1,143 yards as a quarterback in Chicago in 2022. He is 16-37 as a starter — and that's with a 4-2 record in Pittsburgh — but now finds himself the top backup to Patrick Mahomes, who is coming back from a torn ACL. So it would take another Mahomes injury for Fields to get any real opportunity to show what he can do this year. But even a small window could help him, with better coaching and a stronger supporting cast than what he's had. Fields has 12 touchdowns against two interceptions in the last two seasons, with another nine rushing touchdowns, so him finding success as a dual-threat passer is something you can't exactly rule out. I'm including Malik Willis here because he's a good answer if you're simply looking for an unexpected breakout star at quarterback, but otherwise he doesn't fit the profile. Willis is 27, yes, but he's barely played at all in four NFL seasons — 3-3 as a starter between the Tennessee Titans and Green Bay Packers, with all of 155 career pass attempts. For perspective, Darnold has 131 in his four playoff games alone. But Willis represents unrealized potential — without the bad body of work to overcome — so he got a three-year, $68 million deal from the Miami Dolphins with $45 million guaranteed. He was with Jeff Hafley in Green Bay and now joins him in Miami, albeit with a depleted roster that many think will be the worst in the NFL. Wide receiver Tyreek Hill is gone and fellow standout pass-catcher Jaylen Waddle was traded to the Denver Broncos, so the challenge for Willis in 2026 is to cobble together enough success that the Dolphins don't feel compelled to use what will be a very high draft pick in 2027 on a quarterback to replace him in their long-term plans. Speaking of quarterbacks who could pass as the next Darnold, we should mention Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson, who is a high draft pick who has struggled early on, much like Darnold. He's still only 24 and has only 15 career starts with an 8-7 record, but if he were to get a fresh start and play well, you'd hear him compared to Darnold. McCarthy went 6-4 as a starter last year, so you might wonder: Is he bad enough right now to be the next Darnold? Yes, he is. McCarthy has more interceptions (12) than touchdown passes (11) in his NFL career, and if you look at the 49 quarterbacks with 200-plus pass attempts over the last two seasons, he ranks 47th in passer rating, ahead of only Shedeur Sanders and Anthony Richardson. His completion percentage — 58% — is also 47th, and in interception percentage, he leads the way at 4.9%. That Minnesota would so quickly hand the franchise over to Kyler Murray shows what they think of McCarthy. He still has two years on his rookie contract, but you'd think he's either traded for a late-round pick or cut at some point unless Murray struggles so much that McCarthy gets another shot in Minnesota. Did you even know Zach Wilson was in New Orleans? Or that he spent a full season in Denver? Before you immediately think that Wilson is too bad to be the next Darnold, just remember that he lines up very closely with who Darnold was two years ago. Top-three pick of the Jets, went 12-21 as a starter, traded in a pick swap to the Broncos (where he didn't play a snap), signed with the Dolphins and couldn't beat out seventh-rounder Quinn Ewers for the look-see when Tua Tagovailoa was done. If you rank the 36 quarterbacks in passer rating with 1,000 career pass attempts since 2021, he's dead last at 36th. Wilson has just 23 career touchdown passes against 25 interceptions, and yet he lands in New Orleans, where Tyler Shough is set as the starter but still capable of injury or ineffectiveness. He's on a $1.4 million deal, within $200,000 of the league minimum for veterans, but he's young (he turns 27 in August) and would have a chance to reset himself if he could get on the field and play well, two decently big ifs given what he's been in five NFL seasons. If it seems incredible or impossible, No. 35 on that list of 36 quarterbacks is Bryce Young, who could easily get a huge contract to stay with the Carolina Panthers with any kind of success in 2026.

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Vikings Name Carson Wentz QB2, Sliding J.J. McCarthy To Third String vs. Packers

From national champion to top-10 pick, J.J. McCarthy was supposed to usher in a new era of Minnesota football. Instead, he now finds himself sitting third on the Vikings' depth chart with his future with the organization up in the air. Head coach Kevin O’Connell announced Wednesday morning that J.J. McCarthy will move down the depth chart. Veteran Carson Wentz will serve as the primary backup to starter Kyler Murray for this weekend's matchup against the Green Bay Packers. Even though Wentz gets the backup nod for Week 1, O'Connell made it clear that the depth chart behind Murray will be evaluated on a "week-to-week" basis. Selected No. 10 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, McCarthy’s time in Minnesota has been defined by adversity. A torn meniscus during his rookie preseason sidelined him for the entire year before his career could even take off. Not only did he miss his entire rookie season, but he had to watch Sam Darnold lead the Vikings to a 14-3 record and a playoff berth. When Minnesota decided to let Darnold walk in free agency to join the Seattle Seahawks, the franchise was officially handed over to McCarthy. McCarthy’s first year as the starter didn’t go as planned for him or the Vikings, compounded by the fact that Darnold went on to win the Super Bowl in his very first season with the Seahawks. Injuries and on-field struggles limited McCarthy to just 10 starts last season. Even though he posted a 6-4 winning record, his stats reflected the growing pains after he completed 57.6% of his passes for 1,632 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. McCarthy’s career is far from over, but with his inconsistent play and the addition of Murray in the quarterback room this offseason, his future in Minnesota is truly up in the air.

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Roll The Tape: 5 Potential Title-Tilting Developments To Watch In Week 1

The 2026 NFL season is here, and I cannot wait to see how some of the trends that emerged in the spring and summer manifest on the field this fall and winter. Each week, I'll be diving into the All-22 coaches' film before offering five insights to watch. My first set of takeaways covers potential Super Bowl-shifting developments from the offseason. In 2025, the Los Angeles Rams’ success with their 13 personnel package (1 RB, 3 TE, and 1 WR) captivated offensive coordinators looking for a creative way to combat two-high shells and light boxes that limit explosive plays in the passing game. By using heavy personnel typically associated with the running game, offensive playcallers are forcing defensive coordinators to run their base package or short-yardage/goal-line personnel in normal down-and-distance situations from anywhere on the field. The clever package features three "bigs" on the perimeter with the versatility to block effectively at the point, while also flashing the route-running ability to run vertical routes down the seam or crossers at intermediate range. The individual and collective talent of the Rams’ tight ends (Tyler Higbee, Colby Parkinson, Terrance Ferguson and Davis Allen) enabled head coach Sean McVay to dictate the terms to the defense, while creating more big-play chances for Matthew Stafford by using max protection and play-action passes to attack down the field. As a result, the league MVP completed almost 70% of his passes and produced 20 touchdowns out of the grouping last year, per ESPN. With the Rams also using an assortment of bunch and clustered formations to create an unbalanced offensive line with extra gaps to defend in the running game, and "snug" alignments to test the discipline and communication skills of linebackers and safeties who are not accustomed to dealing with the switch calls needed to handle pick and rub routes, McVay discovered a cheat code that helped his offense light up scoreboards around the league. Given the Rams’ success as the league’s trendsetter in 13 personnel deployment, teams spent the offseason studying the package and made roster decisions with run-heavy packages in mind. A whopping 22 tight ends were taken in the 2026 NFL Draft, including nine in the top 100 overall. Five teams (the Broncos, Browns, Dolphins, Jaguars, Ravens) picked multiple tight ends to give them the flexibility to dabble with "13" personnel this season. Jacksonville, which took Nate Boerkircher in the second round and Tanner Koziol in the fifth, is coached by McVay disciple Liam Coen. As more teams tap into multiple tight-end sets to create and exploit mismatches on the ground and through the air, the increased use of 13 personnel across the league is the No. 1 trend to watch early this season. The reunion between former Titans A.J. Brown and Mike Vrabel should produce fireworks in New England. The acquisition of an All-Pro with six 1,000-yard seasons, including a pair of seasons with 1,400-plus yards, gives the Patriots a legitimate No. 1 receiver to build the passing game around. Brown’s size, strength, and physicality make him a natural fit at "X," where he can overpower defenders bold enough to press him at the line of scrimmage. As one of only four players in NFL history to average 75-plus receiving yards per game and 15-plus yards per reception, per Next Gen Stats, Brown consistently whips bump-and-run coverage on the perimeter. Last season, he earned a 34.7% target rate against press coverage and a 2.6 yards-per-route average, which was fifth-highest in the league. During his Eagles career (2022-2025), he led the league with a 3.4 yards-per-route average against press, the most of any receiver with 100 such routes during that span. Interestingly, Patriots’ offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels likened the veteran Brown to vaunted tight end Rob Gronkowski over the summer because of his superior physical dimensions and dominant playmaking ability on the perimeter. If that is any indication of how he will use Brown, we will likely see the big-bodied wideout on the backside of various 3x1 and empty formations, in turn forcing opponents to declare their coverage and telegraph possible double teams on his side. With the isolation alignment also allowing the Patriots to create and exploit potential mismatches, the presence of the three-time Pro Bowler should help third-year QB Drake Maye take his game up a notch with easier throws available on the perimeter. Considering he led the league in completion percentage and passer rating without a true WR1 at his disposal in 2025, the addition of Brown should add a dimension to an offense that sputtered in the NFL’s championship rounds (AFC Championship Game and Super Bowl LX). McDaniels will enhance big-play potential by moving the veteran around within the formation to prevent teams from using simplistic schemes to minimize his impact. By putting Brown inside at slot receiver, the Pats can take advantage of his speed and quickness against nickel backs and linebackers in the passing game, while also utilizing his blocking skills to create room for runners on the edges. Given that New England's passing game also features various hot routes and sight adjustments that instruct the receiver to alter his route based on coverage, Brown becomes a valuable chess piece who can counter the aggressive pressure tactics some opponents use to disrupt the quarterback's rhythm. His route-running skills and scheme mastery will be tested, though, in Wednesday's season opener against a Seattle Seahawks defense that will challenge the outside receivers with aggressive bump-and-run tactics. A defensive player has not won the NFL’s MVP award since Lawrence Taylor took home the hardware in 1986 after a spectacular campaign in which he totaled 20.5 sacks while leading the New York Giants to a 14-2 record and eventual Super Bowl XXI win. This year, all-world edge defender Myles Garrett is well-positioned to make a run at the illustrious honor as the Rams’ new "face of the franchise" on defense. Despite the return of fellow future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald, the football world is paying closer attention to how the two-time Defensive Player of the Year makes his mark on a team with "Super Bowl-or-bust" aspirations. Over the past three years with the Cleveland Browns, former defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz moved Garrett around to prevent opponents from honing in on his whereabouts before the snap. The five-time All-Pro can win with basic maneuvers out of a three-point stance or get into his bag with a collection of NBA-like moves that showcase his athleticism and agility. While most teams send a second and sometimes third blocker in his direction, Garrett is playing with a group of blue-chip pass-rushers who will punish opponents for overcommitting to the NFL's all-time single-season sack holder. Kobie Turner, Byron Young and Donald are all capable of registering double-digit sacks with their respective array of one-on-one moves that will expose a blocker who lacks the talent and/or technique to win at the point of attack without help. The trio’s individual and collective dominance will force opponents to make tough decisions about when and how to double Garrett. Moreover, the group’s diverse talent will require defensive coordinator Chris Shula to create a playbook and call sheet that functions like organized chaos, with Garrett allowed to freelance without compromising the defense's overall structure. Given that Los Angeles has played a 3-4 scheme with various iterations of nickel and dime sub-packages as complements, Shula must delicately balance the desire to play to his superstar's strengths while keeping the scheme simple and consistent for the rest of the lineup. It's a nice problem to have if you're the Rams, and a potential nightmare if you're the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1. Kevin O’Connell is regarded as one of the NFL's quarterback whisperers due to his track record of coaxing Pro Bowl-caliber performance from the likes of Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold. And remember, the Vikings even got passable production when Nick Mullens and Josh Dobbs were rotating in and out as emergency subs under center. Although the offense sputtered under J.J. McCarthy in 2025, the acquisition of Kyler Murray gives Minnesota an electric QB1 with the potential to light up the scoreboard as a runner and thrower from the pocket. The veteran is the most talented player KOC has worked with in Minnesota and his dynamic skill set will enable the creative play designer to utilize the back pages of the playbook. Before the Vikings get to the sexy stuff with their new starter, they might initially simplify their offensive approach to allow the two-time Pro Bowler to play "pitch-and-catch" to a talented collection of receivers, including All-Pro Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. By encouraging Murray to string together completions on high-percentage passes, the Vikings are hoping to build out a quick-rhythm offense that overwhelms opponents with execution and efficiency. While skeptics question whether Murray can play within a highly structured offense after spending most of his time in Arizona freelancing and big-play hunting, a basic approach better suits his skills as a pinpoint passer with outstanding accuracy and range. With Murray expected to target the entire field with an assortment of rhythm throws that would stretch the defense from sideline-to-sideline and end line to end line, defensive coordinators must decide whether to play soft, umbrella coverage with defenders paying close attention to Jefferson and Addison while leaving cracks and creases available to Murray and the running backs on scrambles and designed runs. If defensive coordinators opt to load the box or ratchet up the pressure to attack Murray, the veteran’s explosiveness as a runner and range as a passer could make it a big-play bonanza for the Vikings. In a league where explosive plays routinely decide games, Murray’s big-play potential in a carefully crafted offense could be the storyline to watch this weekend as Minnesota hosts Green Bay. If you have not been paying attention to "America’s Team" this summer, the Cowboys are quietly emerging as title contenders behind an explosive offense and retooled defense that could surprise opponents this fall. Under the direction of first-year defensive coordinator Christian Parker, a Vic Fangio disciple who spent the past two seasons with the Eagles, the Cowboys have assembled a unit that is perfectly suited to throttle opponents forced to chase points against a high-powered offense. The 34-year-old defensive playcaller not only has a talented collection of pass-rushers with Pro Bowl experience (see: Von Miller, Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark and Rashan Gary), he has ball-hawking, high-IQ defenders in the secondary. That combination of rush and coverage should challenge the patience and discipline of passers lacking the patience to "dink-and-dunk" against a defensive backfield that will be committed to taking away deep throws and explosive plays. Additionally, the Cowboys want to stuff the run from two-high structures and light boxes that make it difficult for opponents to know where the extra defenders are coming from to plug their designated run gaps. By showing an umbrella structure before moving into airtight zones with single-high, weak-side rotations, the Cowboys want to frustrate opponents with a disciplined approach that condenses the field with a group of players who are playing fast and free in the back end. If the ultra-talented pass rush plays to its talent and potential with a mix of newcomers and veterans making key contributions, the Cowboys’ defense could grow into a suffocating unit that wins with simplicity and structure from a young coach who understands how to build a system that allows players to thrive as "see ball, get ball" defenders.

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Upon Further Review: What To Make Of New OCs, And Other Things To Know In Week 1

Tuesday, in a traditional NFL game week, is a day off. We're here to help you through that, as the last word wrapping up the weekend was and the first look at what's still ahead. Each week, we'll take you inside the league, making the extra call, researching a wild stat and introducing the names and faces that will shape the 2026 season in success and struggle. And while we're introducing things, the NFL will have 21 new offensive coordinators this season, a testament to the boom-or-bust nature of the job, where you're either hot enough to become a head coach or ordinary enough to get fired. The middle ground is a thin strip of land, such that every NFL team will play more than half its schedule against new offensive coordinators. As if starting a season in Australia weren't challenge enough, the San Francisco 49ers will play 15 of 17 games against new offensive coordinators: their first eight opponents and their final seven. The Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Chargers and New England Patriots have 14 such games as well, and especially early in the season, it's that much harder to prepare, not knowing exactly what an opponent's offense will actually look like. To appreciate the full range of which way a new offensive coordinator can go, consider the Seattle Seahawks. Their new offensive coordinator in 2024, Ryan Grubb, got fired and is now back in college football at Alabama. His replacement, Klint Kubiak, parlayed a Super Bowl championship into becoming head coach of the Raiders. The new offensive coordinator you're perhaps least likely to have heard of before is Seattle's Brian Fleury, a defensive assistant as recently as 2019 and the 49ers' tight ends coach the last four years. Game prep for Week 1 games can often mean pulling tape from a coach's previous stops, sometimes even in college, to better anticipate what's coming. Then you have games like Cardinals-Chargers, where Arizona has a new head coach in Mike LaFleur and a new offensive coordinator in Nathaniel Hackett going up against a first-time defensive coordinator in Los Angeles' Chris O'Leary, who spent 2024 as the Chargers' safety coach and was defensive coordinator at Western Michigan last year. "With a lot of new faces calling plays in the league, you approach it like early games on your schedule," O'Leary told me. "You use old film in the early parts of the year to see what they've done historically and also see what those teams have done in the past to make their current roster of players successful. "As the season goes on, you have film from earlier in the season that you put a heavier emphasis on, but still watch that old tape to have a big picture of what those playcallers like to do and their tendencies." Want an underdog to root for in 2026? Try nearly any defending division champ. Finishing in first place means a first-place schedule, and while that's only three games out of 17, it sets up a default expectation of regression for the best teams of last season. Of eight defending division champs, just one is the oddsmakers' favorite to repeat: the Philadelphia Eagles, who are still predicted to finish a game ahead of the Dallas Cowboys (via projected win totals). But four other division champs — the Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears, Pittsburgh Steelers and Carolina Panthers — face the third-best odds out of four teams to win their divisions, so even finishing second is seen as overachieving. If it seems like overreaction, it really isn't. Of the eight 2024 division champs, only one (Eagles) pulled off the repeat, and only two out of eight (Houston Texans and Los Angeles Rams) improved on their 2024 record. Add up the win totals for the 2024 division champs, and those teams combined to win 21 fewer games in 2025, an average drop of 2.6 wins. The idea that the NFC East is the lone source of continuity is amusing in itself, in that the Eagles' repeat last year ended a run of different teams winning the division every year from 2005 to 2024. I've had international datelines as an NFL writer, but none of them across the International Date Line, as the 49ers and Rams are in Australia this week. You can get jet lag just from doing the math on what time it is there. Their game will be broadcast from Melbourne with an 8:35 p.m. ET kickoff Thursday, but will go in the history books as a Friday game because local time for kickoff is 10:35 a.m. Friday. "I feel like I'm in the future," 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday, trying to understand calling home to talk to his family, which is somehow the day before. Stranger still: Even though the game will be kicked off in the morning down under, it will qualify officially as a "prime time game," according to the Elias Sports Bureau, which recognizes a prime time game as any that has its kickoff at 7 p.m. ET or later. The NFL generally avoids Friday games except for recent forays into Black Friday as an expansion of Thanksgiving games. It's the first time either the 49ers or Rams have played on a Friday in nearly 40 years, and both of their last two Friday games were against each other, with Joe Montana leading San Francisco to wins over Los Angeles in pre-Christmas regular-season finales in 1984 and 1986. Which NFL head coaches have the best record in Week 1 games? Only 11 out of 32 have a winning record as head coaches in Week 1 — another 11 have never won an opener as head coach, though six of those are guys making their debut this week. The best? The Chargers' Jim Harbaugh is 6-0 and the Eagles' Nick Sirianni is 5-0, with the Rams' Sean McVay close behind with a 7-2 record in Week 1. After those, the coach whose Week 1 record is most improved from their overall record is Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles, who has a .452 winning percentage for his career, but a 6-2 (.750) mark in season openers. Most curiously bad Week 1 coach? That might be the Patriots' Mike Vrabel, who has a .586 win percentage overall but is 2-5 for his career in Week 1 and has to go across the country to face the Seahawks on Wednesday. And temper your expectations for new head coaches in their first year on the job. Last year, those coaches went 1-6 in Week 1, with the Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen getting the lone win. This year's rookie coaches are good for at least one win, unless the Raiders and Miami Dolphins manage to tie with Kubiak and Jeff Hafley squaring off in their first games as head coaches. Of the rest, only the Baltimore Ravens' Jesse Minter, opening against the Indianapolis Colts, is favored to win. One of the more obscure but fun streaks you can keep an eye on this week: The Bucs have gotten a touchdown from a rookie receiver in Week 1 in each of the last three seasons: Trey Palmer in 2023, Jalen McMillan in 2024 and two from Emeka Egbuka last year. Can Ted Hurst, a third-round pick from Georgia State with a promising mix of size and speed, keep that streak going this week as they face the Bengals in Cincinnati? Just remember that nobody gets touchdowns from rookie receivers in Week 1 wins like the Bucs do. Since 2023, they have four, and the rest of the NFL has ... three of them, total.

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Rams? Seahawks? Bengals? The NFL's Best Teams Heading Into Week 1

Making it to Super Bowl LX isn't enough to reserve a spot in Colin Cowherd's top 10 – the first Herd Hierarchy before Week 1 of the 2026 regular season, shared on Tuesday's edition of "The Herd with Colin Cowherd," revealed as much. The New England Patriots aren't the only team missing, however: Cowherd made a point of saying that the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens were both close to making this inaugural list… but not close enough. There's plenty of season left for the teams missing from it now to play their way into the Hierarchy. But for now, here is Cowherd's actual top 10 before Week 1 kicks off – which includes Super Bowl LX's champions, at least. Cowherd’s thoughts: "One of the most improved teams, and one of the teams that I thought made real moves, the Cincinnati Bengals. They’ve won the division the two times they’ve given Joe Burrow a top-20 defense. And by adding Dexter Lawrence, Jonathan Allen, Kyle Dugger, Cashius Howell and Boye Mafe, I think they’re going to have a top-20 defense. You also look in their division: old Aaron Rodgers twice, the Browns’ quarterback situation twice, I think when Burrow doesn’t have to only win by track meet, is a playoff quarterback." Cowherd’s thoughts: "Best defense in the league by a margin. Listen, they’ve won 10 of their last 11 games, I’m a fan of C.J. Stroud — though the last two years, too many mistakes — they return 10 of the 11 starters that made their defense and shut down the L.A. Rams. The Seahawks couldn’t even do that. I like the Texans a lot: Danielle Hunter, Will Anderson Jr., Derek Stingley Jr. are about as good as anybody in the league at their positions, and I love head coach DeMeco Ryans and their GM — they just can’t stay healthy at wide receiver." Cowherd’s thoughts: "Listen: 10-1 when they won the turnover battle. And here’s the good news: Caleb Williams doesn’t turn the ball over. He does not throw interceptions. He didn’t at USC, he doesn’t in the NFL, he didn’t in high school. And I think Colston Loveland, Luther Burden and Rome Odunze, as they now age, are going to become an elite, top of the league trio. Rome Odunze had a nice camp, he’s finally healthy. Do I worry about a lack of a consistent pass rush? Yes, that’s why I have the bears at No. 8. Cowherd’s thoughts: "I think we’re overselling the fact that they trailed in a lot of games last year. Well, adding Jaylen Waddle, there’s a chance that will rejuvenate the passing game a little bit. They gave up the fewest sacks, and for two years in a row have led the NFL in sacks. They have an elite coach and returned 41 of their 43 offensive touchdowns. Yes, their schedule’s hard, yes, it’s a great coaching division, but I think Bo Nix is — and I think a lot of people are struggling to acknowledge — pretty good! He may not be great, but he’s pretty good." Cowherd’s thoughts: "Worry about the interior O-line again, but I’m going to put the Chargers in — 11-6 last year, with the lowest-rated offensive line. They got an upgrade at offensive coordinator in Mike McDaniel, I think their weapons are good enough, they’ve added a rookie edge rusher with their first-round pick, Omario Hampton now healthy at running back — only team in the league top-five in third down and third down defense. Now they have the perfect coordinator for Justin Herbert." Cowherd’s thoughts: "It gets real close now. Philadelphia, Week 1, big favorites against Washington. No. 2-ranked O-line, and you know what I say about O-lines. Hard not to make the playoffs when you have  a top-5 or -6 O-line in the league. DeVonta Smith, is he a great No. 1 receiver with A.J. Brown gone? Well, they added Dontayvion Wicks and Hollywood Brown and Makai Lemon from USC (who had a spotty camp)... they’re good enough at wide receiver, great at running back, good at quarterback. Easy schedule, by NFC standards." Cowherd’s thoughts: "I think the Lions will battle for the Super Bowl. Easiest schedule in the league, they have a new offensive coordinator that’s viewed in-house as an upgrade, their skill positions — Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam Laporta and Jameson Williams are really, really electric playmakers. That matters in the long NFL season, you can’t have 13-play drives, week after week. You need some over the top home runs by Jahmyr Gibbs or Williams. Great teams get occasional easy touchdowns; not everything are perfect long drives. Cowherd’s thoughts: "I like Buffalo more than most, largest favorites to win their division. Josh Allen is 28-8 against his division — it’s got a Tom Brady feel. They traded for D.J. Moore — because he’s not flashy and not terribly demonstrative, people don’t understand how good he is. Durable, professional, open — I love D.J. Moore, a real serious No. 1 receiver. We gotta be honest about this: their rush defense was bad. But the last two years, they’ve spent more draft picks on defensive capital than any other team. I think some of those start to pay off." Cowherd’s thoughts: "The Rams are the most talented team in football. I put them No. 2 because I worry about being hunted, week after week after week. I also think if you look at their schedule, when you’re a heavy favorite it’s hard to stay motivated. They’ve also got some age in a couple of spots. Will DaVante Adams stay healthy? Will Puka Nacua always be available? I love their tight ends, running back, coach and quarterback, but he’s what, 38 years old? I have them at No. 2. Cowherd’s thoughts: "What I like about the Seahawks is all their best players are either all going into their athletic prime — Sam Darnold, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Devon Witherspoon — or they’re in their prime. They have no egos. It’s not like the other Seahawks with Pete Carroll, where Marshawn Lynch was a star and Richard Sherman was a star and Russell Wilson was and Pete Carroll was. In his own division, Mike Macdonald is the third-most talked about head coach. Sam Darnold still has that perfect chip on his shoulder. JSN doesn’t get nearly the pub that he should. I think Seattle doesn’t have the brand stars, so they’re still sort of undervalued in the market."

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