We are now about a week away from Week 1 as the exciting start to the NFL regular season nears closer. For most teams, this final preseason matchup is nothing more than the last rehearsal before final roster cuts, as the 2018 kickoff is just on the horizon.
Opening day is approaching in the NFL and every team can look at it with the same amount of optimism. For teams in the NFC North, that optimism needs to be taken with the same amount of concern as many of them hope the young players mature quickly and the injury bug doesn’t sink their season. Such are the hopes for the Green Bay Packers.
As opening day gets ever closer, we want to continue to look at what can be expected by teams for the upcoming season. The NFC North has plenty of potential to be a tough division, but there are many question marks, namely with the health and development of young players and players returning from injury. The Chicago Bears are hoping everything clicks for them in 2018, so they can, at least, put up a good fight.
Last year the NFC South was easily the toughest division in football, will that trend continue into this year? Will the Panthers be able to continue their dominance and make another playoff run? Can Cam Newton get back to MVP Form? Find out my thoughts below.
The Houston Texans needed a quarterback because it was their only Achilles heel going into the 2017-2018 season as they knew Brian Hoyer wasn’t going to help them long-term. So in the 2017 NFL Draft the Houston Texans worked out a trade for the No.12 pick with the Cleveland Browns by giving them the pick No.25 and a 2018 1st-rounder so they could select Deshaun Watson, who impressed them by leading the Clemson Tigers to a National Title over Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide, the nation’s No.1 defense. Will Watson lead them to the playoffs?
One week down and five left to go. As you can tell there is already a decent shakeup to the middle of this list. If you want a more detailed look at last week, this list will give you just that. Let’s dive right into it.
The Kansas City Chiefs were a streaky team last year. Although they finished 10-6, they were bounced out of the playoffs in a tough loss to the Titans. Can they find some stability this season with all the new faces in town?
With the preseason well underway and the opening kickoff not far away, we continue to take a look at teams in the NFC, which is always competitive. But after a bizarre 2017 (see Case Keenum leading the Vikings almost to the Super Bowl), teams may return to playing more according to their mean, which might not be good news for the team in today’s column, the Detroit Lions.
In recent NBA drafts, a select number of players dominated the media before and after draft night. Whether it was the risky pick of Ben Simmons, or the birthday conspiracy of Thon Maker in 2016, the Lonzo/Lavar Ball tirade of 2017, or the hype surrounding which big man was better, Deandre Ayton or Marvin Bagley, and even the draft stock of Trae Young in 2018’s draft. In any of these situations, these specific players dominated the NBA media outlets before and after draft night.
The Pittsburgh Steelers look to rebound after a disappointing end to an otherwise successful campaign in 2017 after being bounced in the AFC Divisional Round by the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Steelers offensive core remains in tact, but the problematic defensive woes may not be remedied just yet. The clock is ticking on franchise QB Ben Roethlisberger, and the Steelers need to utilize the time remaining in his deteriorating body before possibly falling back into the cellar of the league.
It feels great to finally type this: football season is back. And with the return of the NFL season comes the return of fantasy football drafts (read: one of the best times of year). Now, every year drafters are looking for any kind of edge–values, busts, sleepers, etc.–to help bring in their respective titles. While grabbing the right value at the right time might not guarantee a championship, it certainly doesn’t hurt.
Last year, there was only one NFC team that was in the playoffs who also were in the 2016 playoffs. The Saints were one of the teams that made it last year but failed to do so the three consecutive years before that. Will they repeat last season’s success or return to previous outcomes?
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