Now that I’ve briefly recovered from the hysteria surrounding Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce and the Tush Push and All Issues Aaron Rodgers, that is pretty much as good a time to debate how I seen the NFL in the summertime and the way I view it now at Week 7.
First off, if you’re nonetheless alive in your knockout pool, extra energy to you.
Should you haven’t gone bankrupt wagering on NFL video games, extra energy to you.
With every passing yr, former commissioner Pete Rozelle’s parity dream retains hope alive for nearly each one of many 32 NFL precincts. “On any given Sunday,” one other former commissioner, Bert Bell, was quoted as saying, “any crew can beat one other.”
Ask the 49ers and Eagles about Any Given Sunday. Or Monday night time. Or Thursday night time. The 49ers can lose to the PJ Walker Browns. The Eagles can lose to the Zach Wilson Jets. The Cowboys can lose to the Joshua Dobbs Cardinals. Somebody will lose to the Bryce Younger Panthers. I believe.
Heading into Week 18 of the 2022 season, solely seven groups had been eradicated from the NFC playoff image, and solely six groups had been eradicated from the AFC playoff image.
The playoff derby this yr is not going to embody the Panthers or Bears, however can we be 100% certain that any of the 30 different groups received’t nonetheless be within the hunt with one sport to play? Invoice Belichick will consider one thing to revive the Patriots, proper? Proper? Proper, Mr. Kraft? The Giants will rating a landing, proper? Proper? Proper, Mr. Mara?
It’s simpler to determine the Haves just because the league is suffering from so many Have-Nots. There are old-timers who mourn the rarity of the dynasty (they’re cheering on Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid), however many of the overpaying public is all for widespread mediocrity so long as their crew remains to be within the hunt after Thanksgiving.
Which brings us to the primary …
Serby Says: Belichick stands out as the GOAT, however he’s not one of the best coach within the NFL. That honor goes to Reid, the proper accomplice for Mahomes. Tyreek Hill leaves and the present goes on. Eric Bienemy leaves and the present goes on. Elite play-caller Kyle Shanahan will get the silver medal. He may need received the Tremendous Bowl final yr if Brock Purdy hadn’t been knocked out of the NFC Championship sport in opposition to the Eagles within the first quarter. I picked the 49ers this preseason to win all of it and I’ve seen nothing to alter my thoughts. Sean McVay’s intelligence, creativity, power and relatability will get him the bronze medal. Belichick is available in no higher than fourth. He hasn’t forgotten learn how to coach; normal supervisor Invoice Belichick has completed him soiled in recent times within the personnel division, and nobody round Foxborough refers to Mac Jones as MJ, or MJ10. Drafting receiver Ok’Neal Harry as a substitute of A.J. Brown or Deebo Samuel was a grievous mistake, as was drafting tight ends Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene within the third spherical in 2020.
Belichick received’t be squeezing his approach into any Fox sales space alongside Tom Brady and Kevin Burkhardt. However given his love for what he does, and given his love for elite franchise quarterbacks, the Chargers and Justin Herbert would make for an interesting Final Hurrah, with Brandon Staley’s sizzling seat remaining sizzling.
As a result of it’s time for him to go, it’s time for him and the Patriots to “mutually” half methods on the finish of the season. The Commanders, Bears and Chargers are among the many betting favorites to lure The Goat as their 2024 head coach. HC of the NYJ? Off the board.
Serby Says: The Lions are for actual. I’m sticking with them as NFC North champs and Dan Campbell as Coach of the 12 months. The Packers’ Jordan Love isn’t the younger Aaron Rodgers — who’s? — and the Vikings had been paper tigers final yr and misplaced Justin Jefferson. The Bears? They need to draft Caleb Williams in the event that they seize the first-overall decide (similar goes for the Broncos, the Cardinals, the Giants and the Patriots), transfer on from Justin Fields and reset the QB clock.
Serby Says: Extra energy to Rodgers if he’s in some way in a position to write an elongated, inspirational Willis Reed soccer story and limp again into the huddle in time for a would-be playoffs berth. Name me skeptical, or Mr. Pfizer (Mr. Moderna, truly), knock your self out.
“He ought to add Reiki to his protocol to hurry up the therapeutic course of by weeks and take away any trauma from the damage and surgical procedure,” says Reiki grasp and former Put up reporter Karen Lazarovic, who has carried out greater than 6,000 Reiki therapies over 10 years at an area New Jersey hospital. Reiki accelerates the restoration time by rebalancing and enhancing the power circulate all through the physique.
I’m backing off my AFC Championship sport prediction for the Jets, however with Breece Corridor and that protection, they’ll be becoming a member of the Payments and Dolphins within the playoffs. Yup, the 12-year drought ends. A mea culpa: My uncertainty over whether or not Tua Tagovailoa might keep wholesome led me to miss Miami. Hill promised a 2,000-yard season, however not a future as a porn star, and he’s unguardable. Best Workforce on Surf, I heard somebody say. Tagovailoa is my MVP proper now.
Serby Says: It has been painful watching the Giants, particularly their watching-paint-dry offense, however I can’t pronounce them lifeless after the best way their protection received after Josh Allen. However with that offensive line, and the obtrusive absence of a No. 1 receiver, Daniel Jones will proceed to have Giants followers grumbling about his $40 Million Man contract, and I’ll rescind my playoff prediction. Can Seinfeld bulk up and assistance on the O-line? Brian Daboll nonetheless will turn into the primary Giants head coach to begin a 3rd season since Tom Coughlin left.
Serby Says: The Eagles misplaced their offensive and defensive coordinators to head-coaching jobs, and it’s at all times simpler to attain than it’s to keep up, however in a giant spot, I’ll belief Jalen Hurts greater than Dak Prescott. Micah Parsons isn’t Lawrence Taylor but, however he’ll assistance will the Cowboys into the postseason.
Serby Says: Lamar Jackson hasn’t been as dominant as I predicted he can be once I tapped him for MVP, however he has solely had six video games beneath new OC Todd Monken. Prepare for him to take off, so I received’t change my thoughts concerning the Ravens reaching the Tremendous Bowl earlier than dropping to the 49ers. Don’t sleep on John Harbaugh, Justin Tucker and that ornery protection. Diontae Johnson’s return shall be a godsend for Kenny Pickett, who has underwhelmed sufficient for me to second-guess my hunch name that Mike Tomlin’s Steelers would nostril out the Bengals for a playoff berth. The Browns? Love the Jim Schwartz protection, however that unconscionable Deshaun Watson contract doesn’t look any higher now than it did then.
Serby Says: Bryce Younger shall be NFL quarterback if he can keep wholesome, however C.J. Stroud has an opportunity to be an incredible NFL quarterback. Anthony Richardson might want to be taught that simply since you are 6-foot-4, 244 kilos, it doesn’t imply you’ll be able to’t get injured once you go away the pocket and attempt to make like Jim Brown.
Serby Says: The Chiefs haven’t any critical challengers within the AFC West. Sean Payton will want extra time than I assumed he would in Denver. A considerably higher Russell Wilson nonetheless isn’t adequate, and Jerry Jeudy seems on his approach out earlier than the commerce deadline. Davante Adams would do something for a reunion with Rodgers after the season (Are you listening, Joe Douglas?) now that he’s saddled with catching passes from Jimmy Garoppolo, Brian Hoyer and Aidan O’Connell. The Chargers merely don’t know learn how to recover from the hump.
Serby Says: The Saints will win the godawful NFC South with a 9-8 file, however Derek Carr is not going to win a playoff sport for the primary time. The Falcons have loaded up on offensive first-round picks (TE Kyle Pitts, WR Drake London, RB Bijan Robinson), however they’d be a crew to be reckoned with had they not handed on Hurts in favor of defensive deal with Marlon Davidson within the second spherical of the 2020 NFL Draft. Desmond Ridder shouldn’t be Him.
Serby Says: If the Giants (1-5) don’t beat the Commanders on Sunday, the Oct. 29 sport in opposition to the Jets will turn into their Military-Navy sport.
