|
Curious.
The NFL seems determined to give the Super Bowl 60 to a site that underwhelmed 10 years previously. Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com:
At the NFL league meetings in March, the San Francisco 49ers were confident they would be bringing the Super Bowl back to Levi’s Stadium.
Barring a sudden change of direction, that confidence will be rewarded at the spring owners meetings in Minneapolis next week. There, the 49ers’ bid for Super Bowl 60 in 2026 is slated to be approved by the NFL, a league source said, confirming a report by Sports Business Journal.
“If the Bay Area has the opportunity, we would be honored to host Super Bowl LX,” 49ers president Al Guido said in a statement.
Should the Bay Area bid be accepted, it would bring the Super Bowl back to Levi’s Stadium for the first time since the Denver Broncos beat the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50 and be the third Super Bowl played in the Bay Area. The Niners beat the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl XIX, a game that was played at Stanford Stadium in 1985.
Niners executives have been confident about bringing the Super Bowl back to Levi’s for the past few months. At the March league meetings in Phoenix, the Niners sought a $120 million loan from the NFL’s stadium fund to make improvements to Levi’s Stadium.
That money is slated to go toward premium seating and scoreboard upgrades at Levi’s with an eye toward the 2026 World Cup and bolstering their position for future Super Bowls.
Niners chief executive officer Jed York was enthusiastic about the chances of another successful Super Bowl bid.
“My optimism is very high,” York said on March 28. “I feel very confident that we’re going to get a Super Bowl in the near future. And it would be great to get Super Bowl 60 after hosting Super Bowl 50. … It would be fantastic to be able to bring that game, certainly after bringing the World Cup to Levi’s Stadium and having the Super Bowl to follow that. Those are two truly the largest sporting events in the world, and having those back-to-back would be fantastic.”
One of the complaints about the site was the vast distance between the host city and the venue. But Tim Kawakami of The Athletic hears the game’s events will be even more prominent in San Francisco, despite the near universal belief that the once proud City on the Bay has seen a substantial decline in safety, appeal and quality of life in the last decade.
@timkawakami
What I’ve heard is that the proposals for future Levi’s Super Bowls involve a larger emphasis on San Francisco events likely involving Chase Center.
Here are the host cities since San Francisco/Santa Clara last held sway:
Feb 9, 2025 LIX New Orleans
Feb 11, 2024 LVIII Las Vegas
Feb 12, 2023 LVII Arizona
Feb 13, 2022 LVI Los Angeles
Feb 7, 2021 LV Tampa
Feb 2, 2020 LIV Miami-Ft. Lauderdale
Feb 3, 2019 LIII Atlanta
Feb 4, 2018 LII Minneapolis
Feb 5, 2017 LI Houston
Feb 7, 2016 L Santa Clara/San Francisco
In addition to any new venues, Santa Clara/San Francisco is jumping ahead of Dallas (SB45), New Jersey (SB47) and Indianapolis (SB46).
NFC NORTH
GREEN BAY
The Packers are talking up QB JORDAN LOVE. Myles Simmons of ProFootballTalk.com:
Tom Clements returned to the Packers organization last year to be the club’s quarterbacks coach, primarily to work with Aaron Rodgers.
But while Rodgers is gone, Clements remains. Head coach Matt LaFleur said recently credited Clements for some of the “huge strides” Love made over the last year.
Skip
On Thursday, Clements told reporters that he feels like Love has the traits to be a franchise QB.
“He can throw the ball, number one,” Clements said, via Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. “Which he needs to do in the NFL. He’s good athletic. He can move around, buy time. And he’s intelligent.
“He generally makes good decisions, and at this point just needs to play, work on processing information, making good decisions, and getting it to the right guy. He has all the qualities you’re looking for in a guy to be successful.”
Love has received limited regular-season playing time over the last two years, starting one game in 2021. In all, he’s completed 50-of-83 passes for 606 yards with three touchdowns.
Clements said Love “did some very good things” in his appearance against Philadelphia last year in particular.
“I’m sure that helped his confidence,” Clements said. “It helped the confidence of guys around him, and he’s just got to build on that.”
But Clements also tempered expectations when he was asked how much time it may take to know if Love can truly be successful.
“I don’t think you can put a time on it,” Clements said.
NFC WEST
SAN FRANCISCO
QB TREY LANCE has been hanging out with QB PATRICK MAHOMES. Matt Barrows of The Athletic:
When Trey Lance takes the field for OTAs next week he’ll look different — and throw more efficiently — than the version of Lance who began last year’s spring practices.
So say Kyle Shanahan, John Lynch and Jeff Christensen, the private quarterbacks coach who analyzed Lance’s throwing motion and worked with him earlier in the offseason. In a phone interview with The Athletic this week, Christensen said Lance’s biggest breakthrough came when he stood behind his most famous client, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and watched him throw.
“I said, ‘Watch this. Watch what he does here,’” Christensen recounted. “It was something I was telling him to do that he wasn’t quite doing. And then he saw Patrick apply it perfectly. And I think that visual buy-in, that mental buy-in, helped him past that mental hump.”
“And to his credit he just kept getting better,” he continued. “(Over) the last seven days, every day was a substantial jump.”
Accuracy has been an issue for Lance since the 49ers drafted him No. 3 in 2021. He’s completed just 54.9 percent of his passes over his first two seasons, albeit with one of his four starts occurring in uncommonly wet and sloppy conditions in Chicago. Still, that percentage was close to his 54.7 percent mark during the 2022 training camp, which trailed Brock Purdy (69.3 percent) and Nate Sudfeld (73.5 percent).
Purdy is expected to be the team’s starter in 2023. But he’s currently recovering from elbow surgery and the spring practices will be led by Lance, Sam Darnold and newcomer Brandon Allen.
Shanahan noted that injuries have played a big role in Lance’s delivery. He broke his right index finger in the 49ers’ preseason finale in 2021, which affected him the rest of his rookie season and which bled into the spring period last year. He was making progress as a thrower when the regular season began, but then suffered a broken ankle in the first quarter of Week 2, ending his season.
The finger and ankle are no longer issues.
“He was able to get such a better base in these last two months that I think Trey is the best that we’ve (seen) him right now,” Shanahan said earlier this month. “Yeah, we’ve got to get into OTAs and practice, but when you watch his feet, his timing, how he’s throwing the ball, he’s in such a better place now than he was last year at this time.”
Christensen said Lance’s retooled motion also has addressed another long-running issue: arm soreness.
When they first started working together in early March, Lance’s arm would become tender after three days of intense work and he’d need to take a day off for rest and treatment. That doesn’t happen to quarterbacks who have the right technique, Christensen said. For example, he’s been working with Raiders rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell since O’Connell was 12 and he’s never had to ice his arm.
By the end of their time together, the problem had improved. Christensen said his lessons with Lance, which were held in the Dallas area, wrapped up with a particularly vigorous session, one in which Lance threw 150 balls. The quarterback left for the Bay Area that night certain he was going to be in pain the next day.
“And I called him in ’Frisco on Saturday at noon,” he said. “And he thought for sure his arm would be killing him. And I said, ‘OK, how’s your arm?’ He said, ‘I cannot believe I woke up and it was not sore at all.’”
Asked if Lance has had any soreness issues since the 49ers offseason program began in mid-April, Christensen said, “zero.”
The issues with Lance’s throwing motion initially were substantial. Christensen said it usually takes him a day to diagnose what’s wrong with a quarterback’s delivery. With Lance, it took four days. But once he figured out the root cause, there was steady progress. Lance’s accuracy improved, the spin on the ball increased and the delivery time became shorter.
Trey Lance has worked to improve his delivery and accuracy this offseason. (Kyle Terada / USA Today)
Christensen credited Lance with being eager to learn and to push himself through the awkward phase every passer experiences when he’s trying something new.
“It’s a different feeling and it can be kind of weird,” he said. “And it can be kind of scary. And so it’s a whole different feeling when the ball leaves your finger. To his credit, he slowly kept applying and kept believing.”
Christensen has coached nearly 200 college and NFL quarterbacks over his career, including Jimmy Garoppolo, Kirk Cousins and Ryan Tannehill. He said Lance reminded him of his most well-known client, Mahomes, in terms of competitiveness and demeanor. It’s one of the reasons he had Lance and Mahomes train together during some of the sessions.
“He really fit right in,” he said. “Pat really thinks the world of him. He’s just a really good person, conscientious. He wants to be great. And he’s one of the few kids whose actions match his words. He backs it up. He shows up every day and he wants to learn. And that’s why I teach him.”
Christensen said the two quarterbacks spent time on the field together, but that it didn’t go much beyond that.
“Not yet,” he said. “I mean, Patrick’s got two babies now. He’s changing diapers and burping babies and chasing dogs and hitting golf balls and trying to keep up with Travis Kelce. So he’s a little busy.”
He cautioned that his work with Lance isn’t a one-time fix. All quarterbacks, including Mahomes, are constantly working on and tweaking their technique. Christensen considers it a positive if he resumes working with a quarterback early in the offseason and there’s only been a 15 percent dropoff in efficiency.
“It’s a constant battle,” he said.
Still, he said Lance’s progress was encouraging.
“Where he wound up on the last day — he was 25 percent ahead of where I thought he’d be,” he said.
He also said he thinks Shanahan is in the same category as Chiefs’ head coach Andy Reid when it comes to play calling, which makes the pairing with Lance especially intriguing.
“With his play calling and this kid’s upside and ability, I think he can be incredible,” he said.
AFC WEST
DENVER
The Broncos are talking up RB SAMAJE PERINE. Nick Kosmider of The Athletic:
How will Samaje Perine fit into Payton’s offense?
Perhaps Javonte Williams will be ready to return from his major knee injury by the time training camp starts. Maybe he’s not ready until Week 1 — or even until some time after that. But no matter when the presumed starter at running back returns, his top backup, free-agent addition Semaje Perine, figures to have a significant role in Denver’s offense. It might be the most sizable workload opportunity for the 27-year-old Perine since his rookie year with Washington in 2017, when he had a career-high 175 carries for 603 yards.
Advertisement
“When we signed Samaje, this is a guy that gave us flexibility,” Payton said. “We signed him because we knew he was durable and reliable. … We felt like we got another solid runner who’s built in a strong way. There are a lot of things he does well. When we signed him, there was still uncertainty (with Williams). I was taught a long time ago to stack them up at that position. It’s a tough position in our league.”
go-deeper
GO DEEPER
Broncos’ Sean Payton provides ‘good news’ on timeline of RB Javonte Williams (knee)
Perine averaged an efficient 4.4 yards per carry and also caught 76 passes during the past three seasons with the Bengals. But with lead back Joe Mixon returning, Perine believed he could find a higher usage rate somewhere else as he entered free agency. He is playing for a coach, Payton, who has routinely worked multiple running backs heavily into his game plans. In 2022, Perine played in all 16 games and had 95 carries as the No. 2 running back. During Payton’s 15 seasons as the coach in New Orleans, the Saints’ second-leading rusher had more than 95 carries 11 times. During the Saints’ run to the Super Bowl in 2009, Pierre Thomas had 147 rush attempts as the No. 2 behind Mike Bell (172). In 2008, three Saints rushers — Thomas (129), Deuce McAllister (107) and Reggie Bush (106) — had more than 100 carries.
The bottom line is Perine should be a fixture of Denver’s offense, regardless of when Williams returns, and OTAs offer an intriguing first look at how he fits within Payton’s scheme and Denver’s personnel.
AFC SOUTH
HOUSTON
TEXANS SCHEDULE THOUGHTS
The most generic schedule in the league, with 15 early games on Sunday and a 4:05 home tilt with Denver in Week 13 the only break in the monotony…Away-Home for the 1st 10 games, then a 3-game homestand that starts with the early candidate for worst game of the year with Arizona…The Texans are shuffled off to FOX for 5 of the first 7 games, the CBS for 8 straight….Final count is CBS 10, FOX 6, other networks 0…The Titans come late in Weeks 15 and 17…Not a particularly hard schedule, so 7-10 or 8-9 might be feasible with some improvement.
WK
1 Sun, Sep 10 @ Baltimore 1:00 PM CBS
2 Sun, Sep 17 Indianapolis 1:00 PM FOX
3 Sun, Sep 24 @ Jacksonville 1:00 PM FOX
4 Sun, Oct 1 Pittsburgh 1:00 PM CBS
5 Sun, Oct 8 @ Atlanta 1:00 PM FOX
6 Sun, Oct 15 New Orleans 1:00 PM FOX
7 BYE
8 Sun, Oct 29 @ Carolina 1:00 PM FOX
9 Sun, Nov 5 Tampa Bay 1:00 PM CBS
10 Sun, Nov 12 @ Cincinnati 1:00 PM CBS
11 Sun, Nov 19 Arizona 1:00 PM CBS
12 Sun, Nov 26 Jacksonville 1:00 PM CBS
13 Sun, Dec 3 Denver 4:05 PM CBS
14 Sun, Dec 10 @ NY Jets 1:00 PM CBS
15 Sun, Dec 17 @ Tennessee 1:00 PM CBS
16 Sun, Dec 24 Cleveland 1:00 PM CBS
17 Sun, Dec 31 Tennessee 1:00 PM FOX
18 Sun, Jan 7 @ Indianapolis TBD
INDIANAPOLIS
COLTS SCHEDULE THOUGHTS
Two of the teams denied primetime exposure are in the AFC South, but the Colts (unlike the Texans) have a standalone morning game in Week 10 from Germany and they could earn a Saturday game in Week 15 with Pittsburgh…3 of the last 4 at home…3 of the first 4 on FOX with a final total of CBS 9, FOX 5…Like any schedule for either South division, it’s not especially difficult.
WK
1 Sun, Sep 10 Jacksonville 1:00 PM FOX
2 Sun, Sep 17 @ Houston 1:00 PM FOX
3 Sun, Sep 24 @ Baltimore 1:00 PM CBS
4 Sun, Oct 1 LA Chargers 1:00 PM FOX
5 Sun, Oct 8 Tennessee 1:00 PM CBS
6 Sun, Oct 15 @ Jacksonville 1:00 PM CBS
7 Sun, Oct 22 Cleveland 1:00 PM CBS
8 Sun, Oct 29 New Orleans 1:00 PM FOX
9 Sun, Nov 5 @ Carolina 4:05 PM CBS
10 Sun, Nov 12 New England (Germany) 9:30 AM NFL NET
11 BYE
12 Sun, Nov 26 Tampa Bay 1:00 PM CBS
13 Sun, Dec 3 @ Tennessee 1:00 PM CBS
14 Sun, Dec 10 @ Cincinnati 1:00 PM CBS
15 Dec 16-17 Pittsburgh TBD
16 Sun, Dec 24 @ Atlanta 1:00 PM FOX
17 Sun, Dec 31 Las Vegas 1:00 PM CBS
18 Sun, Jan 7 Houston TBD
JACKSONVILLE
JAGUARS SCHEDULE THOUGHTS
The Jaguars are the first team to play two of their games outside the country with back-to-back London games in October (the game with the Falcons is an Atlanta home game)…But they still manage to play in Duval in three of the first six weeks with no bye after getting back from England…..In addition to the London excitement, they get three primetime games, including two in December against AFC North powers Cincinnati and Baltimore…They have 8 on CBS, 3 on FOX…Alternating home and away for the last 8 weeks…Only one division game (the required Week 18 match at Titans) in the last 66 weeks…The Colts are done by Week 6.
WK
1 Sun, Sep 10 @ Indianapolis 1:00 PM FOX
2 Sun, Sep 17 Kansas City 1:00 PM CBS
3 Sun, Sep 24 Houston 1:00 PM FOX
4 Sun, Oct 1 Atlanta (London) 9:30 AM ESPN+
5 Sun, Oct 8 Buffalo (London) 9:30 AM NFL NET
6 Sun, Oct 15 Indianapolis 1:00 PM CBS
7 Thu, Oct 19 @ New Orleans 8:15 PM PRIME
8 Sun, Oct 29 @ Pittsburgh 1:00 PM CBS
9 BYE
10 Sun, Nov 12 San Francisco 1:00 PM FOX
11 Sun, Nov 19 Tennessee 1:00 PM CBS
12 Sun, Nov 26 @ Houston 1:00 PM CBS
13 Mon, Dec 4 Cincinnati 8:15 PM ESPN
14 Sun, Dec 10 @ Cleveland 1:00 PM CBS
15 Sun, Dec 17 Baltimore 8:20 PM NBC
16 Sun, Dec 24 @ Tampa Bay 4:05 PM CBS
17 Sun, Dec 31 Carolina 1:00 PM CBS
18 Sun, Jan 7 @ Tennessee TBD
TENNESSEE
TITANS SCHEDULE THOUGHTS
The Titans cling to some primetime accessibility with a Thursday at PITT and a Monday at Miami – but all seven scheduled home games are early on Sunday…They farm out a home game against the Ravens to London…10 on CBS, 3 on FOX including the big Bengals game…There are 3 straight on the road in early November, then 4 of the next 5 at home – that’s 3 games in Nashville before Thanksgiving and 5 afterwards.
WK
1 Sun, Sep 10 @ New Orleans 1:00 PM CBS
2 Sun, Sep 17 LA Chargers 1:00 PM CBS
3 Sun, Sep 24 @ Cleveland 1:00 PM CBS
4 Sun, Oct 1 Cincinnati 1:00 PM FOX
5 Sun, Oct 8 @ Indianapolis 1:00 PM CBS
6 Sun, Oct 15 Baltimore (London) 9:30 AM NFL NET
7 BYE
8 Sun, Oct 29 Atlanta 1:00 PM CBS
9 Thu, Nov 2 @ Pittsburgh 8:15 PM PRIME
10 Sun, Nov 12 @ Tampa Bay 1:00 PM CBS
11 Sun, Nov 19 @ Jacksonville 1:00 PM CBS
12 Sun, Nov 26 Carolina 1:00 PM FOX
13 Sun, Dec 3 Indianapolis 1:00 PM CBS
14 Mon, Dec 11 @ Miami 8:15 PM ESPN
15 Sun, Dec 17 Houston 1:00 PM CBS
16 Sun, Dec 24 Seattle 1:00 PM CBS
17 Sun, Dec 31 @ Houston 1:00 PM FOX
18 Sun, Jan 7 Jacksonville TBD
AFC EAST
BUFFALO
BILLS SCHEDULE THOUGHTS
The Bills home schedule starts with 2 1 pm Sunday games (the kind Buffalo used to play all the time), then 3 night games (in all of which they should be substantial favorites), then a pair of 4:25 doubleheader games and finally a 1 pm game on New Years Eve…They also have a “home” game in London against the Jags…So 6 primetime games (if a Peacock game at 5 local time in LA on 12/23 is “prime”), a London morning game and then 4 straight doubleheader feature games (3 on CBS) – so 11 national games…Some of the four CBS early games, particularly Miami in Week 4, will get wide distribution…so 8 CBS, just one on FOX (but a big one with Dallas at 4:25 in Week 15)…In the division, the Jets are done by Week 11 but they finish with New England, then at Miami.
WK
1 Mon, Sep 11 @ NY Jets 8:15 PM ABC
2 Sun, Sep 17 Las Vegas 1:00 PM CBS
3 Sun, Sep 24 @ Washington 1:00 PM CBS
4 Sun, Oct 1 Miami 1:00 PM CBS
5 Sun, Oct 8 Jacksonville (London) 9:30 AM NFL NET
6 Sun, Oct 15 NY Giants 8:20 PM NBC
7 Sun, Oct 22 @ New England 1:00 PM CBS
8 Thu, Oct 26 Tampa Bay 8:15 PM PRIME
9 Sun, Nov 5 @ Cincinnati 8:20 PM NBC
10 Mon, Nov 13 Denver 8:15 PM ESPN
11 Sun, Nov 19 NY Jets 4:25 PM CBS
12 Sun, Nov 26 @ Philadelphia 4:25 PM CBS
13 BYE
14 Sun, Dec 10 @ Kansas City 4:25 PM CBS
15 Sun, Dec 17 Dallas 4:25 PM FOX
16 Sat, Dec 23 @ LA Chargers 8:00 PM Peacock
17 Sun, Dec 31 New England 1:00 PM CBS
18 Sun, Jan 7 @ Miami TBD
MIAMI
DOLPHINS SCHEDULE THOUGHTS
The Dolphins are well-represented on the national front starting with the historic Black Friday game at the Jets on PRIME…They also have two Sunday nighters (both away) on NBC, a Monday night home game with Tennessee and a tasty Christmas Eve 4:25 doubleheader game on FOX with Dallas…And, they get to play the Chiefs in Germany in Week 9…The Sunday breakdown is CBS 7, FOX 3 (all against NFC East teams)…None of the four games against NFC East teams are on CBS…3 of the first 4 on the road, with 4 of the last 5 at home, including a 3-game December homestand with each game on a different network at a different time…In the division, the Patriots are done by Week 8, prior to the first game with the Jets in Week 12.
WK
1 Sun, Sep 10 @ LA Chargers 4:25 PM CBS
2 Sun, Sep 17 @ New England 8:20 PM NBC
3 Sun, Sep 24 Denver 1:00 PM CBS
4 Sun, Oct 1 @ Buffalo 1:00 PM CBS
5 Sun, Oct 8 NY Giants 1:00 PM FOX
6 Sun, Oct 15 Carolina 1:00 PM CBS
7 Sun, Oct 22 @ Philadelphia 8:20 PM NBC
8 Sun, Oct 29 New England 1:00 PM CBS
9 Sun, Nov 5 Kansas City (Germany) 9:30 AM NFL NET
10 BYE
11 Sun, Nov 19 Las Vegas 1:00 PM CBS
12 Fri, Nov 24 @ NY Jets 3:00 PM PRIME
13 Sun, Dec 3 @ Washington 1:00 PM FOX
14 Mon, Dec 11 Tennessee 8:15 PM ESPN
15 Sun, Dec 17 NY Jets 1:00 PM CBS
16 Sun, Dec 24 Dallas 4:25 PM FOX
17 Sun, Dec 31 @ Baltimore 1:00 PM CBS
18 Sun, Jan 7 Buffalo TBD
NEW ENGLAND
PATRIOTS SCHEDULE THOUGHTS
For a team that seems destined for a middling record with a bland QB, the Patriots and their history get a lot of love from the NFL…4 games in primetime, two big doubleheader games and a Sunday morning game from Germany…Remember this – 3 of the primetime games show up on consecutive weeks in December (and, if the Patriots falter, none can be flexed away)…After a Christmas Eve primetime game at Denver, they get to do a semi redeye home when only Saint Nicholas is usually in the air…They are done with Miami by Week 8, finishing up with at Buffalo and the Jets in Foxborough.
WK
1 Sun, Sep 10 Philadelphia 4:25 PM CBS
2 Sun, Sep 17 Miami 8:20 PM NBC
3 Sun, Sep 24 @ NY Jets 1:00 PM CBS
4 Sun, Oct 1 @ Dallas 4:25 PM FOX
5 Sun, Oct 8 New Orleans 1:00 PM CBS
6 Sun, Oct 15 @ Las Vegas 4:05 PM CBS
7 Sun, Oct 22 Buffalo 1:00 PM CBS
8 Sun, Oct 29 @ Miami 1:00 PM CBS
9 Sun, Nov 5 Washington 1:00 PM FOX
10 Sun, Nov 12 Indianapolis (Germany) 9:30 AM NFL NET
11 BYE
12 Sun, Nov 26 @ NY Giants 1:00 PM FOX
13 Sun, Dec 3 LA Chargers 1:00 PM CBS
14 Thu, Dec 7 @ Pittsburgh 8:15 PM PRIME
15 Mon, Dec 18 Kansas City 8:15 PM ESPN
16 Sun, Dec 24 @ Denver 8:15 PM NFL NET
17 Sun, Dec 31 @ Buffalo 1:00 PM CBS
18 Sun, Jan 7 NY Jets TBD
NEW YORK JETS
JETS SCHEDULE THOUGHTS
The NFL thinks America wants a heavy dose of Aaron Rodgers and New York…The Jets would seem to have 5 primetime games, but we are seeing the 3 pm Black Friday game at 3 pm counted as a 6th…Counting that one, the Jets play four of them at home…The Jets did play five primetime games in 2010 and 2011 (which we found surprising)…They also show up in four doubleheader windows (although Week 5 is opposite the Chiefs at Minnesota which should go further)…The Sunday fare is 8 on CBS and 2 on FOX…There is a 3-game homestand starting with the Black Friday game, then four of five on the road.
WK
1 Mon, Sep 11 Buffalo 8:15 PM ESPN
2 Sun, Sep 17 @ Dallas 4:25 PM CBS
3 Sun, Sep 24 New England 1:00 PM CBS
4 Sun, Oct 1 Kansas City 8:20 PM NBC
5 Sun, Oct 8 @ Denver 4:25 PM CBS
6 Sun, Oct 15 Philadelphia 4:25 PM FOX
7 BYE
8 Sun, Oct 29 @ NY Giants 1:00 PM CBS
9 Mon, Nov 6 LA Chargers 8:15 PM ESPN
10 Sun, Nov 12 @ Las Vegas 8:20 PM NBC
11 Sun, Nov 19 @ Buffalo 4:25 PM CBS
12 Fri, Nov 24 Miami 3:00 PM PRIME
13 Sun, Dec 3 Atlanta 1:00 PM FOX
14 Sun, Dec 10 Houston 1:00 PM CBS
15 Sun, Dec 17 @ Miami 1:00 PM CBS
16 Sun, Dec 24 Washington 1:00 PM CBS
17 Thu, Dec 28 @ Cleveland 8:15 PM PRIME
18 Sun, Jan 7 @ New England TBD
THIS AND THAT
VULNERABLE DIVISON CHAMPS
NFL.com asks its writers which of the eight division defenders is most likely to fail:
The Jacksonville Jaguars went from worst to first in the AFC South last season, claiming their first division title since 2017. Meanwhile, three NFC divisions had a different champion in 2022 than in ’21: the East (Philadelphia Eagles), North (Minnesota Vikings) and West (San Francisco 49ers).
However, four divisions did feature repeat champs: the AFC East (Buffalo Bills), AFC North (Cincinnati Bengals), AFC West (Kansas City Chiefs) and NFC South (Tampa Bay Buccaneers).
With all of that in mind, we ask a simple question about the coming campaign:
Which reigning division champ is most vulnerable heading into the 2023 NFL season?
Judy Battista
PICK: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bucs barely won the NFC South at 8-9 last season, just one game better than the rest of the division, and the biggest reason for their success — Tom Brady — is now retired. Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask will compete to replace the G.O.A.T. (good luck), but the Saints have upgraded their QB situation with Derek Carr, the Panthers have the top draft pick in QB Bryce Young, and the Falcons, who were better than expected last season, drafted dynamic weapon Bijan Robinson. This division is wide open.
Emmanuel Sanders
PICK: Buffalo Bills
It’s not about the Bills taking a step back this offseason — it’s about everyone else in the division taking a step forward. The Jets scored an infusion of talent, including four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers, while the Dolphins made some big additions of their own, including trading for Jalen Ramsey, one of the best cornerbacks in the league. The Patriots made significant changes, too, with the major one being hiring back offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien. Plus, I’m never counting out Bill Belichick.
Kevin Patra
PICK: Minnesota Vikings
After winning 11 games by eight or fewer points in 2022, including five by three, Minnesota could organically see regression in close games. Then there are the roster questions, with a defense sporting holes, particularly in a young secondary. The Vikes are counting on new coordinator Brian Flores to work magic on one of the league’s worst units from last season. The uncertain Dalvin Cook situation could take a chunk out of the offense if the club ultimately moves on. Minnesota boasts offensive weapons and a solid O-line that should put up points in a weaker division, but duplicating last season’s performance appears iffy at best.
Headshot_Author_Jeffri_Chadiha_1400x1000
Jeffri Chadiha
PICK: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers’ first problem is at quarterback. Tom Brady finally has called it a career, which opens the door for every other NFC South team to make a run at the title. Carolina and Atlanta upgraded their rosters through free agency and the draft, while the Saints signed quarterback Derek Carr. Let’s also not forget the Bucs won the division with an 8-9 record last year. With Baker Mayfield as their best option at quarterback, they won’t be so lucky this time around.
Who’s rising and falling in NFC hierarchy entering 2023? | ‘NFL Total Access’
Maurice Jones-Drew
PICK: San Francisco 49ers
It’s hard to deny Kyle Shanahan’s brilliance, given what he can do with an offense, no matter who is under center. But the 49ers have real concerns at the quarterback position. Brock Purdy is coming off elbow surgery, Trey Lance has played in just eight NFL games, and Sam Darnold is on his third team since he was drafted in 2018. This uncertainty at the game’s most important position keeps the door open for the rest of the division.
David Carr
PICK: Buffalo Bills
The Jets were a quarterback away from being a playoff contender last season. Now they have Aaron Rodgers spearheading the charge. A playoff team in 2022, the Dolphins enter the upcoming season with a healthy Tua Tagovailoa and an upgraded defense. Not to be outdone are the Patriots, who have a guy named Bill Belichick running the show. This will be one of the most competitive divisions in the NFL this fall, and I’m here for it.
Eric Edholm
PICK: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I’ll take the low-hanging fruit and go with the Tom Brady-less Bucs, as they frankly weren’t that good with him last season. Perhaps the Panthers are a year (or more) away, but the Saints and Falcons look like better contender candidates right now to me. The Saints are hardly perfect, but the upgrade at QB to Derek Carr can’t be overlooked. He’s arguably the best passer in the division right now. Consider me a bit underwhelmed by the Bucs’ QB choices, along with their flawed roster. They’re more likely to finish last than first in the division.
So no votes for Jacksonville, Kansas City, Cincinnati or Philadelphia.
|
