2026 NFL, College Football Odds: Best Bets For Bama-UK, Packers-Vikings

Last Monday night in Tallahassee, Florida State created four turnovers and still didn’t cover as a 3-point underdog. The Seminoles lost 27-24 to SMU, so it’s a push for this column but hopefully a win for any of you that were able to grab +3.5 closer to kickoff. Boy, did it feel good to sweat football bets again. We know you’re here for informed wagers and I assure you I vet everything through multiple handicappers, oddsmakers and betting buddies who know what they’re doing. Those that do well in this racket know the "How, what and why," and that’s always my goal. Also, this will never be the place for a million picks or five-team parlays. These will always be the wagers I love the most and ones that I’m betting with my own money. Let’s go to work. (2026 Record: 1-2-1, -1.2 units) This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. The Owls were demolished by Florida last week, 66-21. So, why are you betting them Well, they moved the ball surprisingly well against an SEC defense — 396 yards ain’t too shabby. Life will be a lot easier against Navy, a program that doesn’t sniff the type of athleticism and speed that Florida brought to the table. I like veteran FAU quarterback Caden Veltkamp a ton and think the Owls are ripe to pull an upset at home. My love for this year’s Minnesota team is well-documented. I enjoy betting on teams that return their starting head coach, both coordinators and starting quarterback. And oh, by the way, they return Anthony Smith, the guy who led the Big Ten in sacks last year. Miss State quarterback Kamario Taylor wowed last week against Louisiana-Monroe with 354 yards and four touchdowns, but now he has to face a real defense, headlined by Smith. After bulldozing East Carolina last weekend, Alabama heads to Lexington for a very early SEC tilt. It’s the first collegiate road start for freshman quarterback Keelon Russell, who improvised a ton against the Pirates to the tune of 6.6 yards per rush. I’m sorry, but that’s not gonna happen against Kentucky. If the Wildcats can limit Russell’s escapability and keep him in the pocket, they’ll have every chance to hang inside this big number. I hope my bosses at FOX Chicago aren’t reading this. Simply put, the Bears are one of the most overvalued teams in the betting market. Their prices to win the conference and Super Bowl are insane given all the question marks on the defensive side of the ball. There’s a lot to like about the Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams partnership, but this line is too fishy. I’ll take Carolina off a playoff berth, catching a full field goal in its home opener. Speaking of overvalued, meet the Green Bay Packers. Defensive superstar Micah Parsons isn’t walking through that door for weeks, and I’ve never been a big Jordan Love believer. Meanwhile, Minnesota brings back most pieces from a top-10 defense and now Kyler Murray is orchestrating the offense with a loaded receiver room and a veteran backfield. People forget the Vikings won nine games last year. And now they have a quarterback.

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Chris 'The Bear' Fallica's College Football Week 2 Expert Picks, Best Bets

We're off to a hot start to the season. Let's keep it going. Here are my best bets for Week 2 of the college football season, along with my weekly Bear Bytes. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. Last Week: 5-2Season: 5-2 I'm having flashbacks to Ohio State’s final two games last year, when its offensive line — mainly the tackles — got abused by Indiana and Miami. Will that be the case here against Colin Simmons and Rasheem Biles? I think Texas is much better than the team that nearly won last year at the Shoe. I’m not sure this Ohio State team is as good — still an excellent side — and it seems like this is a game Texas has had circled for quite some time. And while Steve Sarkisian has lost more of these types of games than he’s won, it is interesting that a few years ago the Horns lost a close game to Alabama at home and then won relatively comfortably in the rematch the following year. I'm a huge fan of Kamario Taylor and I think the Bulldogs could surprise a few teams this season in SEC play. Both teams routed overmatched foes last week, so we’ll get a truer indication this week as to where both teams might land in their conference pecking order. I need to see the Gophers' offense do it against a Power 4 opponent. I thought about laying the 10.5 with FIU as well, but given how the Golden Panthers turned the ball over last week vs. USF — along with a very strong defensive effort — led me to going Under here. Buffalo needed a goal line stand to hold on 21-17 against Albany last week, and I’m not sure the Bulls' OL is going to have much success against the FIU D. Duke’s offense was totally one dimensional in the opener vs. Tulane. It was Nate Sheppard on the ground for over 200 yards. I’d expect more of the same this week against an Illinois team that Duke really should have beaten last year. It’s not like Illinois did much offensively against UAB. It had just 332 yards and about a third of that total came on two long scoring plays. The Nittany Lions just dominated Marshall in the opener and now head to Philadelphia to take on Temple. Now, I’m not thinking Temple wins this game, but I do think 24.5 is a tad too many for K.C. Keeler’s bunch. I expected the USF offense to have trouble last week with FIU, and the Bulls did indeed. But what surprised me was how well the USF defense played. I’d expect the offense to improve quite a bit this week. If the D plays that well again vs. the Army run game, USF will have a great chance to win outright. We expected QB Byrum Brown to be a bit of a turnover machine, and he didn’t disappoint last week. However, USM is one of the worst teams in the country after Charles Huff’s departure and this should result in a big win for Alex Golesh in his home opener. Last Week: 1-2, -0.86 South Florida +145 No. 1 Ohio State @ No. 4 Texas The last three regular-season top-five matchups have been won by Ohio State — Ohio State over Texas last year, and Ohio State over Indiana and Penn State in 2024. At Texas, Steve Sarkisian is 4-8 when facing a top-10 opponent as a ranked team (2-6 in top-10 matchups). Iowa State @ No. 21 Iowa Seventeen of the last 20 CyHawk showdowns have gone Under the total. No. 18 Tennessee @ Georgia Tech Josh Heupel has been a double-digit road favorite three times at Tennessee. The Vols have lost outright twice — in 2024 at Arkansas as a 14.5-point favorite and in 2022 at South Carolina as a 22.5-point favorite. No. 12 Alabama @ Kentucky Alabama’s four regular-season SEC road games last year were decided by 7, 7, 3 and 3 points. No. 11 Oklahoma @ Michigan Dating back to 2009, Michigan has been a home underdog 14 times. The Wolverines have pulled just three upsets in that span and their last seven losses have come by 18, 21, 19, 38, 29, 11 and 29 (23.4 points per game). Southern Miss @ Auburn Southern Miss has lost 26 straight games as a double-digit dog against Power 4 opponents, the last 11 coming by an average of 30.7 PPG. Mississippi St. @ Minnesota Since 2018, Minnesota has been involved in 10 home games in which the spread was within three points either way. The Gophers won only two of them.

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Just Like He Drew It Up: Drew Lock Shows He Can Be Capable Fill-In For Sam Darnold

Lumen Field (Seattle) — Don’t screw it up. That’s the mindset of backup quarterback Drew Lock, taking over for Sam Darnold after the Seattle Seahawks starting quarterback suffered a hip injury in the first quarter that forced him to miss the rest of Wednesday's season-opening win over the New England Patriots. Lock completed 72.7% of his passes for 187 yards and a touchdown without an interception on Wednesday, leading the Seahawks to a comeback 13-10 victory. With Darnold expected to miss Week 2, Lock said he's ready to take on the starting mantle if Seattle's QB1 is out for an extended period of time. In fact, he said he was ready for Wednesday's moment as well, thanks to an unconventional method. "My biggest thing is always drawing every play that I possibly can on a whiteboard," Lock said at the podium on Wednesday. "I’ve got one next to my bed. I’ll do it at night; I do it in the morning. That’s just always been my thing, being able to visualize, so whenever I read it out, it’s just there in my head. "Because of the lack of reps, you don’t get to physically do it. So, I’ve got to be able to draw it from somewhere. And — no pun intended — but drawing it helps me draw it somewhere." That sort of thinking has helped Lock grow in his career as he's become a dependable veteran. Known as a gunslinger in his early seasons with the Denver Broncos, the 29-year-old showed his progression on Wednesday by playing reliable, mistake-free football. "I’ve definitely grown," Lock said at the podium on Wednesday. "I’ve learned a lot about football. But having an opportunity on a team like this can shift your mindset. Knowing the type of defense we have, there’s no rush to push the ball down the field. Let’s find ways to get the ball in our guys’ hands. "Now when the ones downfield are there, I’ve never been one to be afraid to throw those. But it’s having the mindset of taking care of the football and getting it in our guys’ hands because you’ve got the best defense in the world, in my opinion.  Let’s keep the ball moving forward and see what the scoreboard looks like at the end of this." Lock's first half of action on Wednesday wasn't great, with Seattle going scoreless in the first half. New offensive coordinator Brian Fleury had a rough debut early on, as the Seahawks finished 2 of 11 on third downs and had totaled seven pre-snap penalties. Seattle also finished with 10 accepted penalties for 98 yards. However, Fleury and Lock did a nice job of making halftime adjustments, with the offense getting into more of a flow in the second half. "It was great to get into here at the end of the half, talk about our openers and put the plays on the board," Lock said. "It’s also a little bit of just feeling the flow of the game, getting back into this and finding ways in the future of being into snap into this quicker. That’s just the life of a backup. But he did a fantastic job all night. We need to be better on some procedural things. Obviously, that’s apparent." Macdonald said Darnold’s hip is intact and he suffered no fractures, but he has an injury to a muscle in the hip area. Macdonald did not provide a timetable for his return, stating the team will have a full picture when they return to the facility on Monday to begin practice for Week 2. But Darnold is expected to miss the game against Arizona. Lock is still young for a quarterback. He’s in the second year of a two-year, $5 million contract that makes him a free agent at the end of the year. And if he plays well during the handful of games he receives an NFL addition, perhaps he can earn the chance to start somewhere else next season, as Baker Mayfield, Geno Smith and Darnold have done before him. In fact, Lock talked about it during Super Bowl week. "I think every quarterback in the NFL would look you in the eyes and say they believe they can be a starter," Lock said in February. "It’s just about the team you’re on, the opportunity you are given, and you have to be ready to pounce on it. You have to be ready to go out there and play." Seattle players believe Lock can get the job done. "Drew played great," Uchenna Nwosu told me. "When it matters most, that’s what he does. I’m happy for him." "We fully trust in Drew Lock to come in and do his thing," said star wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who had a big touchdown grab from Lock in the win. "He’s done it time and time again." And so does Lock's coach. "He’s been tremendous," Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said. "He operates like a starter does in terms of preparation, but I think the chemistry and personality of our quarterback room is one that is very supportive of each other and tries to bring out the best of one another. Drew provides a cool confidence, a loose but focused [approach] to the whole equation, which you need. "And on top of that, since he’s got here, I just feel like he’s played really great football in practice and in the preseason. We saw what he can do last night, and if he has to play again, we expect the same thing moving forward."

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Unexpected Match: John Harbaugh & Jaxson Dart's Obsession Could Be Enough To Fix Giants

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — In the hours after he was fired by the Baltimore Ravens, John Harbaugh knew he’d have options to coach again. He also knew not all of those options would be good. So, he had a shopping list of things he would need from his next NFL organization. One item was clearly at the top. Harbaugh would not take any job if the team did not have a franchise quarterback in place — one he believed could help him win another Super Bowl championship. And it didn’t take Harbaugh long to be sold on the promise of Jaxson Dart. "I liked the way he played the game, but I feel like we think the same way, generally speaking, about football," Harbaugh told me on a recent visit to his first training camp with the New York Giants. "I like the way he thinks. I like how competitive he is. "And probably more than anything, I love how important football is to him. The word I would use is probably ‘obsession.' I think he’s obsessed with football, and being the best he can be and all the things he wants to accomplish. That’s his obsession." That’s good because the Giants are obsessed, too, with fixing a franchise that has been mostly broken for more than a decade. They traded back into the first round to land Dart in the 2025 draft, then spent $100 million and upended their organizational structure to land Harbaugh back in January. They see the Harbaugh-Dart duo as their salvation, the way Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning were 22 years ago. They’ve invested everything they could in this pairing they believe is the future of their franchise. So yes, this better work. ‘That’s Not His Main Thing. Football Is.' On paper, it’s a mismatch. The 63-year-old coach with a somewhat stoic, all-football demeanor and the flashy 23-year-old who seems to love everything that comes with being a celebrity in New York. Dart is a showman, whether it’s on Instagram, at parties or on celebrity row. Harbaugh, on the other hand, seems more at home in a film room with the lights down low. But what Harbaugh quickly learned was that Dart’s appearance was deceiving. The old coach spent hours talking with the young quarterback before he took the Giants job. That’s where he first learned of Dart’s "obsession" with the details, with becoming a better quarterback, and with the hard work he knew he had to put in to get there. And just in case he wasn’t convinced, he took calls from former Giants coach Brian Daboll, Eli Manning, and several others raving about Dart’s football acumen and work ethic, too. And that’s really what Harbaugh cared about most. All the flash and trappings of celebrity are fine with him, as long as the substance is there. "Right. That’s how I see it with him," Harbaugh told me. "And he’s great about it. That’s not his main thing. Football is." Dart’s teammates saw that clearly when they reported for Harbaugh’s first practices in the spring. There was a learning curve for all of them as they got their first real look at Harbaugh’s plan and the offensive system he’d be running with new offensive coordinator Matt Nagy. They had to decipher a new language and adopt a new philosophy. Of course, there were going to be early mistakes. But the learning curve for Dart seemed smaller. He had spent months preparing, learning, and getting ready to become the leader Harbaugh needed him to be. So he was ready for everything when training camp opened in West Virginia. And when his teammates were still making those mistakes in the first few days, Dart’s tolerance was extremely low. "I would say he was pretty pissed off with a couple of things at the beginning," Giants receiver Darnell Mooney said about two weeks into training camp. "A lot of guys were trying to figure out everything. We were trying to learn the playbook. Now that the guys know the playbook, everything's running a little bit smoother.  He's calming down more so that he can just play quarterback. He doesn't have to help out everybody so much." ‘He Has All Those Kinds of Tools.’ Harbaugh didn’t know a lot about Dart’s leadership when he was still coaching in Baltimore, but he was familiar with his game. He liked his skills, his toughness, and his moxie. He was impressed by what Dart did last season, when he started 12 games in his rookie year. "I liked his talent," Harbaugh told me. "I liked the way he played. I thought he had good feel for the game, good pocket presence, could move a little bit. I thought he made throws off-schedule as well. All the things I think most of the great quarterbacks are doing nowadays, he has all those kinds of tools." Harbaugh had a quarterback like that in Baltimore, too. He spent eight years with Lamar Jackson and helped him win two NFL MVP awards and finish second in the voting for a third. Together, they went 76-31 and went to the playoffs five times, though they never got past the AFC Championship Game. They had a good relationship by all accounts, despite reports of a growing rift near the end of last season. Harbaugh built his entire approach around Jackson’s unique, dual-threat skills. One big thing Harbaugh learned during his years with Jackson, though, was this: The franchise quarterback can’t help if he’s hurt. Jackson hurt his hamstring in Week 4 last season, missed three games and clearly wasn’t the same player when he returned. In his first three starts, even though the Ravens were 1-2, Jackson had thrown for 722 yards with nine touchdowns and no interceptions, and ran for 118 yards and a touchdown too. He never played close to that again. It’s possible that had he stayed healthy and on the field, the Ravens would have won the AFC North, which they ended up losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers on a missed 44-yard field goal by Tyler Loop with no time remaining in the final game of the season. A healthy Jackson could have changed history for Harbaugh, who might be preparing for Year 19 in Baltimore right now instead of taking on a new job. So yes, Harbaugh and the Giants are well aware that Dart displayed a somewhat reckless style when he scrambled last season, showing in his 86 runs for 487 yards and nine touchdowns that he’s unafraid to put his body in harm’s way. In some ways that’s good. As Giants quarterbacks coach Brian Callahan said, "He proved to all his teammates and everybody in this league that he’s a really tough player." But the flip side is Dart was pulled off the field five times for concussion checks during his 14 starts. He actually suffered a diagnosed concussion in an early November game in Chicago and missed the next two weeks. He was even pulled out for a concussion check once during this preseason, even though he only played two drives all summer long. The result of all that has been an endless, nearly year-long debate in New York about whether the Giants coaches should rein Dart in or ride him like the unbroken thoroughbred he is. It’s been a debate inside the organization and the meeting rooms, too. "Guys that can use their feet in this league are weapons," Callahan said. "His running ability is something that makes him unique, makes him hard to prepare for, makes him hard to defend. That’s always going to be a part of his game. I think there’s an awareness of when to put yourself at risk, when to get out of bounds, when to get down on the ground and not take a hit, and when to be smart with the football too. "But I never want to take away that ability to affect the game with his legs, because it’s something that makes him a really dangerous player in the league." The Giants and Harbaugh are counting on that. ‘He Wants To Be Perfect Every Play.’ If Dart can stay on the field, there will be unavoidable comparisons. Harbaugh had Jackson for eight years, and offensive coordinator Matt Nagy put in five years with Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City — two of the best mobile quarterbacks in this generation in the league. Dart’s résumé is obviously far shorter than both, but the similarities of style and multi-dimensional skill set are clearly there. "He's Jaxson Dart. He's not Patrick Mahomes," Nagy said. "But we can use that [comparison] for routines and maybe how we did things. I know how much respect that Jaxson has for Patrick. We've talked a little bit about the process and what he's been through. But we've also made it clear: ‘You have to be Jaxson Dart.’" Which also means he can’t be Eli Manning, who is still the standard by which every quarterback for the Giants is judged. Just ask Daniel Jones, who was Manning’s direct successor and — at least when it came to his stoic, business-like demeanor — something of a Manning clone. It’s not just that Manning won two Super Bowls that made him the franchise’s model quarterback. It’s the way he became the perfect face of the franchise — a true professional who never courted any kind of trouble, an Iron Man who never let injuries stop him, and a polished corporate spokesman who sounded like he was all-football all the time. It’s an unfair bar for anyone to be measured against. It’s also clearly not Dart’s style. He already feels like more of a disciple of the way Joe Namath once took on New York and became one of the city’s biggest stars, with flash and fashion and a desire to be seen. That’s never been the Giants way. But it could be, because there is at least one trait that Harbaugh sees that Dart absolutely shares with Manning. "He wants to be perfect every play," Harbaugh said. Harbaugh needed to see that desire from Dart before he took the Giants job. That’s part of what those get-to-know-you calls were all about. And that’s where Dart learned Harbaugh had the same desire — or obsession — to be perfect, too. "I love Harbs," Dart said at the start of camp. "Just his intensity, his love for the game, his leadership. There are a lot of things that stand out as to why he's been so successful in this league." ‘He’s Got A Chip On His Shoulder.' It’s still very early in the Dart-Harbaugh era, of course, and it’s important to remember that. Coughlin went 6-10 in his first season with the Giants, including 1-6 with Manning, then a rookie, at quarterback. In Year 4, Coughlin was about to be fired and fans were burning Manning jerseys in the parking lot in late November, before they turned everything around and went on a Super Bowl run that New York will never forget. For Harbaugh, that kind of run isn’t just the goal, it’s the expectation. And he’s not the only one who has set his expectations high. "I don’t hope we win this year," Giants co-owner Chris Mara said in a recent radio interview. "I expect it. I think everybody else does too." That’s because the Giants remember what it’s like to have the right coach and the right quarterback in place, staring at a future that looks and feels like it’ll be so much better than their recent past. It’s a feeling they haven’t had in a very long time. "Heck yeah. People want to win," Harbaugh told me. "People want to win everywhere. Every single team, every single city is desperate to win. So I don’t think it’s unusual to feel that way. But I do think these players are determined to do what is required to become good enough, to earn the right to have a chance to win a football game." "Ultimately, he just wants to win," Dart said. "He's got a chip on his shoulder." So does the quarterback. But that isn’t the only weight they’re carrying. Harbaugh and Dart hold the hopes of this once-great franchise sitting square on their shoulders, too.

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Packers RB Josh Jacobs Pleads No Contest To 2 Misdemeanors, Including Battery

Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs pleaded no contest Thursday to misdemeanor charges of battery and criminal damage to property stemming from a May altercation with his girlfriend during which she said he threw her to the ground. Jacobs must pay a $1,000 fine plus court costs for the battery charge. Under an agreement with prosecutors, the criminal damage charge can be dismissed in a year if he fulfills terms that include staying out of trouble, avoiding the victim in this case, submitting to supervision, completing counseling and paying restitution to the victim. "I fully understand the seriousness of the situation, and I take full responsibility," Jacobs said during an appearance in a Brown County court. Jacobs was arrested on May 26, three days after Hobart-Lawrence police officers came to his Wisconsin home to investigate a disturbance. According to police, the woman told them that Jacobs grabbed her and threw her to the ground as she was trying to exit a garage door, causing her to hit her head. Police said Jacobs also took her phone from her while she was on the ground. Police said they noticed redness on her face and neck and could feel a bump on the back of her head. According to a criminal complaint, the woman’s statement was corroborated by surveillance footage from the camera system in the garage where the incident occurred. Jacobs was charged in late August and the NFL subsequently placed him on the commissioner’s exempt list, which prevents the three-time Pro Bowl running back from playing or practicing but allows him to keep receiving a paycheck. Players on the commissioner’s exempt list may be allowed at team facilities for meetings, individual workouts, therapy and rehabilitation and other non-football activities. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said Thursday that the league is monitoring the case, which is being reviewed under the league personal conduct policy, and Jacobs remains on the exempt list. The Packers had no immediate comment. Jacobs could face a league suspension. David Chesnoff, one of the lawyers representing Jacobs, said the running back already has begun counseling. "This plea reflects Josh’s acknowledgement of his actions and his acceptance of responsibility for these actions," Chesnoff said. "There are significant consequences for Josh, and he intends to meet all the requirements the court imposes under these negotiations." According to the criminal complaint, Jacobs’ girlfriend told police she had been looking through Jacobs’ phone and saw he was talking to other women, and that she threw his phone in anger without breaking it. She told police that Jacobs had her phone and she told him he could look through it. Police said the woman indicated she tried to retrieve her phone from Jacobs, but he grabbed her arm. They left the home in separate vehicles but eventually returned, and the woman later grabbed a second phone from a duffle bag. That led to the events in which she was trying to exit a garage door. Jacobs entered his plea three days before the Packers open the season at Minnesota. He is coming off a 2025 season during which he rushed for 929 yards and 13 touchdowns. That followed a 2024 season in which he ran for 1,329 yards and 15 touchdowns while earning his third Pro Bowl selection. Green Bay has no other running backs who rushed for more than 106 yards last season. The only other running backs currently on Green Bay’s 53-man roster are MarShawn Lloyd, Chris Brooks and Kaleb Johnson. The Packers acquired Johnson from the Pittsburgh Steelers the day that Jacobs was placed on the commissioner's exempt list. Lloyd is a 2024 third-round pick who has played just one game over the last two seasons due to a variety of injuries, but he is healthy now. Reporting by The Associated Press.

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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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