By: Sam Moores

Last week saw Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the Miami Dolphins for a few joint practices before they faced off in Saturday night’s preseason game. As always with the pre-season, the football wasn’t the best of quality, and the game had the vast majority of starters rested. Even so, we still learned little bits about both teams. Here’s what we learned if you were unable to catch the game.

Miami has a QB problem, a good one

Neither of the team’s top two quarterbacks on the depth chart took a snap in Saturday’s game, meaning that Skylar Thompson played the entire game. He’s had a good training camp, backing that up on the field. The 7th-round pick out of Kansas State went 20/28 for 218 yards and a touchdown. 

Thompson has an impressive arm, the best of the three quarterbacks on the roster, but is raw. That being said, he’s been so impressive that some of those reporting on the team are beginning to wonder what this means for Teddy Bridgewater. Although you’ve got the veteran experience that Bridgewater has, he has a cost. On the contrary, you do have to bear in mind that Skylar is an unknown entity, whilst Teddy is a reliable backup who can step right in.

Both teams are stacked at receiver

Even without Chris Godwin, Mike Evans, Julio Jones, Russell Gage, Tyreek Hill, and Jaylen Waddle, both the Bucs and Dolphins WR units look good. Strength in depth. All of these guys are fighting for a roster spot, which with the strength both teams have at the position is difficult to get. Performances in these pre-season games don’t go unnoticed. 

Tyler Johnson and Jerreth Sterns looked particularly good for Tampa Bay, whilst Lynn Bowden Jr put on a show on his return from injury. Both Bowden and teammate Preston Williams are believed to have been made available for trade. He’s playing for his future right now, and it got off to a good start, with 55 yards and a touchdown from his three receptions. 

Johnson was active too, with 6 grabs for 73 yards. After the acquisition of Julio Jones, he too had something to play for. There’s one less roster spot now, this is the time when you have to show that you’re worthy. Also competing for that spot is Sterns, another who was particularly impressed. The rookie out of Western Kentucky had a nice TD grab from Kyle Trask, the play of the game. Mo Sanu Jr, and Kaylon Geiger also had success towards the end of the game. Cedrick Wilson had a couple of grabs to start it.

Who else performed well? Any injuries?

Dolphins defensive back, Keion Crossen, had a strong game with a pass breakup. His teammate Elijah Campbell’s was even stronger, with an interception on top of a PBU. It’s a good job they impressed too, as Trill Williams went down with an ACL injury. Expect Miami to look to bring in a veteran DB, because, beyond these guys, there’s no real DB depth. Campbell was PFF’s highest-graded defensive player from the game (92.3). 

Anthony Nelson looked like a threat off of the edge for the Buccaneers, he produced three pressures, two hurries and a sack. His teammate Kyle Trask got an extensive period of play at QB, he looked impressive too, earning a 77.7 grade in his 258 yard, 1 TD, 1 INT game. The 5th highest (with min 50% snaps) from a QB this preseason.

Olakunle Fatukasi was Tampa’s highest-graded player. His six tackles, four being run stuffs, as well as a PBU earned the linebacker a 90.8 grade. His teammate Gio Bernard sadly sustained an ankle injury, hopefully, it’s not too serious.

Miami hosts Las Vegas for another pre-season matchup next Saturday, whilst Tampa travels to Nashville to play the Tennessee Titans. These games should feature more starters

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By: Sam Moores

Mike McDaniel’s Miami Dolphins have a totally revamped wide receiver corps this season, with Jaylen Waddle being the only pass catcher who really played a part in 2021 still with the team. DeVante Parker was traded to New England after another injury-plagued season, whilst Mack Hollins, Albert Wilson, and Isaiah Ford are also no longer in Miami.

Cedrick Wilson was added from Dallas in Free Agency before GM Chris Grier made the blockbuster move for Tyreek Hill. Erik Ezunkama was then picked in the fourth round of April’s draft. He’s impressed in training camp, probably earning the fourth receiver spot on the roster.

Preston Williams, Lynn Bowden, Braylon Sanders, Mo Sanu, and Trent Sherfield will compete for the final spot or two. The first of those names are currently unhappy with the number of reps he’s getting in camp so far. Williams showed promise early in his career but has struggled to stay healthy. The emergence of Ezunkama, a similar player, is limiting his time with the first team.

The trio of Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and Cedrick Wilson has to be one of the fastest in the league. Hill runs a 4.29 40-yard dash, whilst Waddle’s 4.37 is pretty close behind. Wilson only ran a 4.55 at the combine but plays quicker than that. He’s faster than most on the field. He’ll be your primary slot guy this year, but expect Hill, Waddle, and Mike Gesicki to line up there a lot too.

Wilson being in the slot frees up Jaylen Waddle to be the outside receiver he was drafted to be. He’s another who’s had a standout camp, already having one practice in the orange jersey that’s awarded to the player of the previous day.

I get the feeling from McDaniel and Hill that Tyreek is going to touch the ball as much as humanly possible this year. Expect him to be used in a similar way to in Kansas City last year. If San Francisco’s offense from Shanahan’s time there tells us anything, he and Waddle in particular will have their own different package of plays in every game.

If I was to compare the trio to the rest of the league, there are only a few receiving groups that are on their level.

The Top 5 WR Groups in the NFL

5. Buffalo Bills

Stefon Diggs is one of the league’s best, he has been since his time in Minnesota. The ex-Maryland wideout has helped turn Josh Allen elite. Gabriel Davis has got a great chance to shine in the absence of Cole Beasley and Emmanuel Sanders. He put up an 81.5 PFF grade last year, ranking him 10th of all WRs, two higher than Diggs! Finally, Jamison Crowder is a very underrated receiver, and an excellent slot option, he was the Jets most reliable target in his time there, whilst Isaiah McKenzie has always had a good relationship with Allen, so expect him to play a role this year too.

4. Los Angeles Rams

Cooper Kupp had an unreal season last time out, by far the best of any receiver, with his 1947 yards and 16 touchdowns in the regular season. Add in a further 478 yards and 6 TD’s in the regular season, and a 93.0 PFF grade ( #1 ranked), and it’s pretty hard to do much better. He’s now got Allen Robinson alongside him to play the role that Odell Beckham Jr. did down the stretch. Robinson finally gets the chance to flourish in an elite offense, having spent the first 8 seasons of his career in Jacksonville and Chicago. Injuries have been a bit of an issue, but the last full season he played (2020), Robinson was the 5th ranked receiver, with a 88.3 grade. Van Jefferson is now heading into his third year, look for him to make a further step up this year.

3. Miami Dolphins

The Fins receiver room makes it all the way to 3, but it’s not quite the level of the Bengals and the Bucs. Tyreek Hill is a big addition, he’s certainly the fastest receiver, and up there as one of the best, even after a bit of a down year. When grouped with Jaylen Waddle and Cedrick Wilson, they’re not the most talented group, but are probably the hardest to stop. From what we’ve seen in camp this year, the deep ball, especially off of play action, is prominent, and Tua has been making those throws. With Wilson in the slot we’ll see more from Waddle on the outside, expect him to have a big year, with the attention off of him and on to Hill.

2. Cincinnati Bengals

Jamarr Chase had an outstanding rookie season, breaking Justin Jefferson’s rookie recieving yard record (1455 yards) and reaching the Super Bowl. Chase’s elite yards after catch ability, being so difficult to tackle, especially at his speed won the team games last year. Tee Higgins’ play went under the radar in 2021 with Chase’s breakout campaign. He looked great in his rookie year in 2020, and backed it up a year later. His play earned an 85.4 grade from PFF, 9th of all WR’s, after a 1091 yard and 6 TD season. Then there’s Tyler Boyd, who had yet another productive year in the slot. All in all, a very talented receiver room.

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa has a loaded receiver room, and while it’s not got a Tyreek or a Jamarr, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin have been good for years, and Julio, although in the twilight of his career, has the experience that a third or fourth receiver just doesn’t have. You then have Russell Gage, who’s had two productive years in Atlanta coming over. Behind those four, Scotty Miller’s had a connection with Tom, and Jaelon Darden is no longer a rookie, he’ll be looking to have a better sophomore season. The Buccaneers are the only team in the league to have four of PFF’s top 50 receivers from last year on their roster. It’s a deep group.

Denver’s group of Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick, and KJ Hamler would have been on the list too before Patrick went down for the year. The Eagles, Vikings, Raiders, 49ers, Chargers, Seahawks, and Steelers all come close too but only have two quality players, whilst everyone else has three.

The post Where does the Dolphins WR group rank in the league? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Samuel Moores

The Las Vegas Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars are in Canton, Ohio on Thursday night to play in the annual Hall of Fame game at the Tom Benson HOF Stadium. As always it serves as not only the start of the NFL pre-season but also a celebration of those inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

It’s the fourth time that the Raiders have played in the game, the last one being in 2006, as for the Jags, it’s their second time, the first since their inaugural season in 1995. Both teams were picked to play in the prestigious game because of their former players that are being inducted this year. 

Tony Boselli (JAX), Cliff Branch (LV) and Richard Seymour (NE, LV) headline this year’s class. Boselli becomes the first Jaguars player to enter the Hall of Fame, whilst the Raiders had 19 before 2022.

Five more names make up this year’s class of inductees, one that’s very heavy on defense, with Boselli being the only offensive player in the group. Former Saints and Panthers linebacker Sam Mills and ex-Packers safety LeRoy Butler join 49ers defensive lineman, Bryant Young in a strong defensive contingent. Dick Vermeil, the Rams Super Bowl XXXIV winning coach, and legendary official Art McNally make up the eight players receiving a gold jacket.

I for one cannot wait to see some live football, our first instalment in six months, even though it will be backups and practice squad candidates on the field. It’s the first game for both teams’ head coaches too, as Josh McDaniels and Doug Pederson both embark on their second spells in charge of a franchise. The latter’s time in Philadelphia was far more successful than the former’s in Denver. They’ll be hoping that their players get through the game without suffering any injuries.

If you like your bets, you may like to know that the Raiders are two-point favourites currently, as of Sunday. Expect it to be a low-scoring game too, the last five HOF games have had an average of just 31.2 total points, the line is set at 33.5 heading into the game. History suggests the under may be your best bet.

You can watch the game on NBC and Peacock in the US, and NFL Gamepass in Europe. Kickoff is at 8 ET, which is 1 AM GMT. Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth and Melissa Stark are on the call, whilst the full Football Night in America crew have a pre-game show from 7 ET.

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By: Samuel Moores

Every NFL season seems to have a couple of teams who fly under the radar and achieve things that aren’t expected in September. The Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers last year are great examples of this. Nobody expected them to be miserable, but did we expect them to be playing in the Super Bowl, and in the Niners’ case, the NFC Championship game? No. But the ultimate question is: who can do that this year? Here are three teams to look out for this season. 

1. Miami Dolphins 

Miami has a new coach, better weapons, and the same defense they had last year, a season where they went 9-8, finishing 3rd in the AFC East. Mike McDaniel was brought in as head coach to get the best out of their quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa. He worked with a similar QB in Jimmy Garoppolo in SF last year, if anyone was to do it, it’ll be him. Josh Boyer didn’t lose a single starter on his unit, one that perhaps got even better with the addition of Melvin Ingram as a rotational pass rusher. 

On the offensive side of the ball, there were three major issues last season. The biggest of all was the abysmal line, then came the lack of run game and the fact the receiver unit couldn’t stay healthy. All three were addressed this offseason. Both the WR and RB units went under an overhaul, acquiring Tyreek Hill and signing Cedrick Wilson, Raheem Mostert, Chase Edmonds, and Sony Michel. As for the line, Terron Armstead and versatile lineman Connor Williams were then brought in to fix the team’s issues upfront. 

The emphasis on speed and YAC should suit Tua to the ground, it already worked with Jaylen Waddle last year, now you’ve got the guy who’s the best in the league at it. If Miami has anything close to a functioning offense, they’ll be playing meaningful games in December and January.

2. Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders are another team with a new head coach and better offensive weapons for their quarterback. They’ve also improved the defense. If the rest of the AFC West hadn’t also made splash moves, the Raiders would be talked about way more often. The only player of significance that they lost was Casey Hayward, who was replaced by Rock Ya-Sin, and then they added to the defense with Chandler Jones who now lines up next to Maxx Crosby to create a pass rush double threat.

Oh and don’t forget the blockbuster trade for Davantae Adams, the best receiver in football, who’s now reunited with his Fresno State teammate, Derek Carr. Watch out for Carr this year, I’m expecting a season on par if not better than his last. Adams should be a big help, he’ll allow the likes of Waller and Renfrow to get open easier. Then there’s Josh McDaniels. His second and probably final chance at being a head coach, we know how talented of a play caller he is, this is his chance to shoiw everyone he can be a HC.

The Raiders went through a lot last year, and stuck together throughout it, proving a lot of people wrong and getting to the wildcard round under interim HC Rich Bisaccia. I feel that this year will be just as, if not more successful, going under the radar once again. 

3. New Orleans Saints

The vibe I get from a lot of people is that the Saints are set to regress without Sean Payton. And while that may be possible, you take a look at the NFC, and they’re one of the best teams in it. I like the new safety tandem of Marcus Maye and Tyrann Mathieu. Marcus Williams will be tough to replace, but Maye is a decent player – I like his chances. Their defense as a whole is stacked, and the continuity with new head coach Dennis Allen will be good for the unit. 

If Michael Thomas is back to anywhere near his best on his return this year then that’s huge for a team that struggled without him last year. And if not, the receiver room has been upgraded, after trading up for Chris Olave and signing Jarvis Landry recently. That’s a big improvement on what they went out with last season. Hopefully, the fact that Mark Ingram is with the team all season means that they’re less reliant on Alvin Kamara. He was overworked last year, touching the ball just short of 50 times more than he has before in a season that he missed 4 games. His production was down slightly because of that. 

Jameis Winston was looking pretty good before getting hurt last year, but this is his first season without Payton since his famous 30-30 campaign with Tampa Bay. His OC and QB Coach, Pete Carmichael and Ronald Curry remain the same. If his play remains around the same, the Saints will be a wildcard team who can win games in the playoffs come January.

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By: Sam Moores

The Miami Dolphins on paper seem to have their best roster in years. It’s one that you’d expect to compete with anyone. Over the past two years, they have been competitive, but fairly dysfunctional from top to bottom. Although, there appears to be a new energy with Mike McDaniels. So, how did the Dolphins come to the point of placing their hope on McDaniel and how successful can the new-look Dolphins be?

Miami’s two back-to-back winning seasons under Brian Flores were the best since the ’02 and ’03 seasons, but midway through the 2020 season, we started to see the start of a bit of chaos brew. Or was it like that from the start?

From the get-go of the ‘tank job’ by the Dolphins organization, we knew Stephen Ross wanted an elite quarterback. And with what’s come out since, that’s definitely the case. That wasn’t fair on Flores and his staff. It caused friction from the start. Plenty of Miami’s valuable assets were moved to try and create a championship roster from the bottom, something that the Browns and the Raiders tried before them. One more successful than the other. 

Two extra first-round picks were accumulated before the trade deadline of the 2019 season, but they played themselves out of the number 1 pick contention with some excellent coaching from Flo. As tough as they were to watch at times, you felt that the team that won 5 of its last 9 games, having started 0-7, was getting somewhere.

When it started, everyone presumed they were all in on Tua Tagovailoa, who at the time looked like the obvious number one overall pick. His unfortunate major hip injury took place in November, which was around the same time that Joe Burrow and the LSU Tigers were emerging as the powerhouse they really were that season.

Burrow went to the Bengals at #1, one of the teams that Miami beat down the stretch, whilst Tua was still there for them at 5, falling due to injury concerns. The Dolphins took Tua at 5, hoping to sit him the entire year behind Ryan Fitzpatrick, the veteran QB who you could tell the team loved, in order for the hip to fully heal. QB, Justin Herbert was drafted by the Chargers at 6, someone he’ll be compared to for the rest of his NFL career. Tua was medically cleared to play in the Summer, but it was still clear that the team was still Fitzpatrick’s for the year.

That wasn’t the case though, as in Week 6 of the 2020 season we saw the Alabama QB make his debut, throwing two passes in relief of Fitzpatrick in a 24-0 win at home to the Jets. Their bye week followed, and with the team sitting at 3-3 Tagovailoa was announced as the starter for the Week 8 tie at home to the Rams. The news shocked the league, it seemed forced, and very premature. It was the moment where it all changed, and the dysfunction got more and more evident. 

You’d have to assume Tua was thrown into the starting job, by the owner, rather than the coaching staff partly because of just how good Herbert looked after being rushed into the starting lineup minutes after the Tyrod Taylor incident before the Chiefs game. He took the opportunity and ran with it. They didn’t want everyone to think they took the wrong guy before their QB even started a game. In reality, that was totally the wrong thing to do.

Tagovailoa didn’t do what Herbert did, he looked like a rookie, and wasn’t of the same build as in 2019, as the focus was rightly focused on rehab. You could tell that the team didn’t trust him, pulling him late in games when the offense wasn’t flowing, putting Fitzpatrick in, then acting as if everything was normal. Even with how well the kid had dealt with all the troubles he’s been through with the injuries in college, that had to dent his confidence. 

The defense was elite towards the end of that season, and with a bit of Fitzmagic, the team got to 10 wins, narrowly missing out on a playoff win. 

That was something to build on, and after the 2021 draft it was looking promising, three impressive early-round rookies in Jaylen Waddle, Jaelan Phillips, and Jevon Holland weren’t the projects they drafted in 2020, they seemed ready to play right away. Bar Raekwon Davis, that class was looking like potential busts. That’s a way to waste 3 first-round picks, and Davis wasn’t even one of those.

Back to the 2021 class though, and ready to play they were, Grier smashed this draft. You’d have thought those guys adding to an impressive 2020 team, would make their 2021 counterparts even better. But as you know, in 2021 things got worse. From the hiring of co-offensive coordinators, and then Charlie Frye as QB coach, meaning there were three guys to talk to Tagovailoa in the headset, with no clear primary play-caller, to the Deshaun Watson situation which hovered over the team from the offseason all the way to the trade deadline. Oh and don’t forget having the worst offensive line in football.

Injuries plagued the team’s start to the season, losing multiple key players for games at the start of the year, Tua was one of them, going down with a rib injury in Week 2 against Buffalo. He missed 3 games, with the disaster that was Jacoby Brissett coming in to replace him. The team started 1-0 and was quickly 1-7 before winning against the Houston Texans in Week 8.

Week 9 saw one of the strangest things I’d ever seen in my time watching football. Tua sustained a finger injury on his throwing hand during the Bills game in Week 7 that ruled him out for the Week 8 game at home to Houston. The Ravens game on TNF followed a couple of days later, one that the QB was expected to be good to go for. He was active, but not starting, just in case he was needed, but Brissett got the nod to ‘protect’ Tua. How strange.

It got stranger though, as when Brissett hurt his knee midway through that game, with the score sitting at 6-3 to Miami, Tua came into the game and gave the offense a boost, eventually winning 22-10. Jacoby was good to go back into the game, but Flores kept him back on the sideline with Tagovailoa playing as well as he was. That’s when you know something wasn’t right. That wasn’t normal.

That started a 7 game win streak that saw the defense go back to the 2020 form, and the O doing just enough to grind through games. Something fishy went on behind the scenes with the defense. From that masterpiece of a game plan to shut down the Ravens’ offense, they suddenly started doing the difficult-to-stop zero blitz concept again. It saw them double the a gap to create an all-out blitz look, but sometimes players dropped into coverage. Many believe that one half of the season was mainly called by Josh Boyer, the other half by Brian Flores and Gerald Alexander. Either way, something changed.

Sitting at 8-7 in Week 17 they needed a win in the rain in Tennessee to control their destiny in the AFC wildcard race. That game was a disaster, losing 34-3, and with that, all hope of a playoff berth was gone. They finished 9-8 in the end after winning in New England, sweeping the Pats, but that wasn’t enough for Brian Flores to keep his job. He’d done an unbelievable coaching job, it was a shock to the league, but looking back at it now, it was probably right to make a change, especially when you look at how positive things are looking at the moment. It just wasn’t the right fit.

San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel was hired to be Flores’ successor, a run game guru. He kept the majority of the key defensive members of staff, except the popular defensive back coach Gerald Alexander. Interesting. In came former Dolphins players Sam Madison and Patrick Surtain to cover that position group, whilst Josh Boyer was kept as DC, which again, should be interesting. We’ll learn if it was him in charge of the unit, or whether it was Flo and GA towards the end of the season.

The offensive line was the number one issue last season, so straight away, even before free agency and the draft, they began addressing the problem. Frank Smith the Chargers’ offensive line coach and run game coordinator came in as McDaniel’s OC, whilst Matt Applebaum is the new man in charge of the unit. They then went out and signed three-time pro-bowler Terron Armstead who worked with Smith in New Orleans at the start of his career. Connor Williams from Dallas came in during free agency as well. Two veteran lineman, something last year’s unit was lacking.

From the get-go, the coaching staff and Chris Grier made it clear that Tua is the guy, which I still don’t believe with all the Brady stuff out there at the moment, but that’s not happening right now he’s a Buc, so I’ll take their word. They’ve been super aggressive in surrounding their quarterback to make sure he’s the guy, and then if not move on with the multiple picks Grier accumulated for next year. It sounds like a great plan, but then again, so did the last one.

Cedrick Wilson was added to the receiver core, as was Tyreek Hill about a week later. When grouped with Jaylen Waddle, those three together are a scary, speedy group of wideouts. Devante Parker was traded to New England as he wasn’t seen as a scheme fit, whilst there are three new running backs in Chase Edmonds, Raheem Mostert, and Sony Michel. The team finally invested in the running back position!

Wes Welker became the third former Dolphin to join the staff to coach the receivers, what a unit he’s got on his hands, but also what a guy to learn from. He was in San Francisco with McDaniel, as was his assistant head, and TE coach Jon Embree. Darrell Bevell took up the role of QB coach, whilst Eric Studdesville remained in charge of the running backs. 

Melvin Ingram as a rotational pass rusher is the latest move to show their commitment to winning with Tua. Most importantly, they didn’t lose anyone of significance. Everyone is back. The team is in a much better place than it was a year ago. They’re in a position to win.

But you have to question whether they actually will or not. To achieve anything, first, they have to compete with Buffalo in the division. The Dolphins have lost seven straight to the Bills. Seven straight.

There’s no guarantees that the defense will be good either, was the success over the two years anything to do with Boyer? There’s talent, but the unit was underperforming massively at the start of last season. What was behind the turn in fortunes? Something must have changed. 

As I mentioned earlier, another thing that I think will help is the fact that the vibe seems totally different in the building. Tua looks the happiest we’ve ever seen him and we’re seeing players speaking more freely. That’s got to be down to Mike McDaniel. His demeanor is totally different from that of Flores, and that’s not a criticism on Flo’s part either, he could certainly command a room, but I think Mike relates to the modern player more. The Belichick, Parcells way of doing things doesn’t tend to work nowadays.

But as for the Dolphins ceiling? All in all, I think they are better than the Patriots and Jets in the AFC East, and on paper, I can see the team achieving 9 or 10 wins. But that’s not including Buffalo. If the team can compete with the Bills, then they can reach 11-12 wins in my opinion. If McDaniel can do what Flores couldn’t, then this is a playoff team, probably still through the wildcard seeds though.

I can’t see them going any further than perhaps the divisional round in the playoffs, and that’s because from what we’ve seen so far in his career, Tua’s not in the same category as the Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes’ of this world. At some point, he’s going to have to win by himself. I believe he’s got top 10-15 potential if McDaniel, Smith, and Bevell can do with him what they tell us they can, but I don’t think he can be those two.

The post What is the ceiling for the Dolphins with Mike McDaniel? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Sam Moores

Last Thursday (12th May) evening saw the 2022 NFL schedule released in its entirety to fans of all 32 franchises. This day on the calendar is always a special one as it gives you something football to look forward to in the space of time between the draft, and the start of training camp.

The NFL doing what the NFL does turned this year’s release into an 8-day event, releasing a select few games over that time period. It started with the announcement of the 2022 International Series matchups on May 4th, before television broadcasters revealed a selct few of their given games throughout the week leading up to the May 12th, 8PM ET, league-wide full schedule release. Today I’m going to take a look at two games from each week that you should definitely look out for.

Week 1 – Bills @ Rams (TNF season opener, 8:20PM ET, NBC), Broncos @ Seahawks (MNF, 8:15PM ET, ESPN)

The 2022 season is kicked off in style as two of last year’s most exciting teams meet in the reigning Super Bowl champion, Los Angeles Rams’ home opener. They welcome Sean McDermott’s Bills to So-Fi Stadium. This will be our first chance to see Von Miller suit up for Buffalo, it’s fitting how it’s against the team he won the Lombardi trophy with just 9 months previous.

Joe Buck and Troy Aikman’s Monday Night gig at ESPN gets off to an interesting start as it sees Russell Wilson return to Seattle to make his Denver Broncos debut. How brutal for those 12’s. Speaking of the Seahawks, they’re one of the most interesting teams heading into the new season. Will it really be Drew Lock at QB?

Week 2 – Chargers @ Chiefs (TNF, 8:15PM ET, Amazon Prime), Buccaneers @ Saints ( 1PM ET, FOX)

TNF in Week 2 is the first-ever game on its new home of Amazon Prime Video. A division game is a great choice to start with too, especially within the stacked AFC West. This is our first primetime showing of a Chiefs offense without Tyreek Hill, whilst the same can be said for the Chargers with their new defensive additions, JC Jackson and Khalil Mack.

FOX has got a great one in the early Sunday slot, as Tom Brady and the Bucs’ go to New Orleans for the first of their two games with the Saints. Brady is 0-4 against NO in the regular season over his two years in Tampa, but this is the first without Sean Payton and Bruce Arians on the sidelines. Both retired from coaching in the offseason, one more surprising than the other, with their former DCs Dennis Allen and Todd Bowles getting second chances at a head coaching job in better-run organizations. This will tell us a lot about the two teams.

Week 3 – Bills @ Dolphins (1PM ET, CBS), Packers @ Buccaneers ( 4:25PM ET, FOX)

CBS’ first mention in the list is a battle with two AFC East rivals. Miami has had back to back winning seasons for the first time since 2002-2003, but has sustained 4 losses to Buffalo in that time period, and seven straight.

The Dolphins haven’t been able to keep up with the Bills offensively, but that could change with the hiring of Mike McDaniel as head coach, and the multiple big splash moves they’ve made to help Tua Tagovailoa. Something they failed at in the Brian Flores era.

FOX has another cracker in Week 3 as we get what could be the last regular-season meeting between Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers. The two future HOF quarterbacks face off at Raymond James Stadium. They met twice in the 2020 season, with the Bucs winning both the regular and postseason fixtures en route to the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Will the Packers improved defense be able to assist their QB in what will be an important game when it comes to playoff seeding.

Week 4 – Chiefs @ Buccaneers (SNF, 8:20PM ET, NBC), Rams @ 49ers ( MNF, 8:15PM ET, ESPN)

The Buccanneers became the first team to win a ‘home’ Super Bowl in 2021, beating Kansas City 31-9 and embarrassing their offensive line. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs return to Tampa to play the Bucs in a rematch of Super Bowl 55 in Week 4 on Sunday Night Football. This is the end of an incredibly difficult 4 game stretch to open the year for TB12 and co.

Monday night sees another awesome rematch, as the Rams and 49ers play for the first time since last season’s NFC Championship game. It’s always chaos when these sides meet, so expect nothing less. Will it be Trey Lance at QB for the Niners? Or will it be Jimmy G? Who knows. I also wonder if it will be a different guy when they meet again in Week 8.

Week 5 – Giants @ Packers (London Game, 9:30AM ET, NFL Network), Bengals @ Ravens ( SNF, 8:20PM ET, NBC)

Green Bay becomes the 32nd and last team to have played a game in London, a massive milestone for all at NFL UK. This one should sell out incredibly quickly as these two sides are two of the most popular in Europe. This game features four first-round picks from April’s draft.

Sunday night sees the new generation of superstar QB’s in the AFC North duel once more as Joe Burrow and the Bengals travel to Baltimore to face Lamar Jackson’s Ravens. The result of this one will be crucial come the end of the season with how close the division is expected to be this year. Cinci scored 82 points in two victories over the Ravens last season.

Week 6 – Bills @ Chiefs (4:25PM ET, CBS), Broncos @ Chargers (MNF, 8:15PM ET, ESPN)

Possibly the most anticipated game of the 2022 season falls on Week 6 as the Buffalo Bills return to Arrowhead, the home of the Chiefs and the host of the greatest 2 minutes of playoff football you’ll ever see. Buffalo will be out for revenge with the world watching. They were incredibly unfortunate to lose out in that divisional-round game in January, which encouraged the playoff overtime rule change.

The other game to look out for sees two of the most aggressive teams in the offseason meet for their first of two division games, this one being on Monday Night Football. Russell Wilson vs Justin Herbert, two great defenses, stacked receiving cores, and decent offensive lines. This is football. 

Week 7 – Browns @ Ravens (1PM ET, CBS), Chiefs @ 49ers (4:25PM ET, FOX )

Another inter-AFC North affair is the highlight of Week 7. Will Deshaun Watson be playing by then? Who knows, but if he is then this is 100% a must-watch. If it’s a six-game suspension, then this could be his first game as a Brown. Kyle Hamilton should be embedded in the Ravens’ defense by this point, he was one of my favourite prospects in this year’s draft.

The late window on that Sunday sees a rematch of Super Bowl 54, the first time the two teams have met since. Two similar west coast offenses with different philosophies collide here as run-heavy Kyle Shanahan faces off against Andy Reid’s pass focused offense. I’m interested to see what the two defenses do to stop them.

Week 8 – Broncos @ Jaguars (London Game, 9:30AM ET, ESPN+), Packers @ Bills (SNF, 8:20PM ET, NBC)

Jacksonville returns to their London home of Wembley Stadium for the first time since 2019. They will play Denver in the first-ever game to be exclusively streamed on ESPN+. By then we’ll start to have an idea of how good Trevor Lawrence is. Russell Wilson put on a show at Wembley in 2018, will he do the same again? We’ll also see the Number 1 overall pick, Travon Walker, on a ‘primetime’ game for the first time.

Sunday night sees Josh Allen and Aaron Rodgers do their thing at Orchard Park. These two were the best two quarterbacks in football last season, whilst both of their teams were in the last 8 of the playoffs, winning 24 games in the regular season between them. This is going to be one hell of a football game with a load of superstars on show.

Week 9 – Rams @ Buccaneers (4:25PM ET, CBS), Titans @ Chiefs (SNF, 8:20PM ET, NBC)

The past two Super Bowl champions meet in Tampa in a rare NFC game on CBS. The last time the sides met was in the divisional round of last year’s playoffs where LA almost blew a 27”“3 lead by fumbling four times. They managed to get it together right in the last seconds of the game though, marching down the field to allow Matt Gay to hit a last-second field goal from 30 yards to win 30-27.

Later that Sunday we see the 2021 top two seeds in the AFC meet on SNF. When these two met in Week 7 last year it was in the midst of Mahomes’ and the offense’s run of poor games last season, scoring only 3 points in a 27-3 defeat at Nissan Stadium. This time it’s at Arrowhead. I wonder how good the Chiefs will be by Week 9. They certainly face a lot more competition in the AFC West, and appear to have slightly less talent on the roster.

Week 10 – Seahawks @ Buccaneers (Munich Game, 9:30AM ET, NFL Network), Cowboys @ Packers (4:25PM ET, FOX)

Germany becomes the third country to host a regular-season NFL game in Week 10, as Allianz Arena in Munich hosts Seattle @ Tampa Bay. Tickets for this one will sell out in minutes, as not only is it a chance for so many German fans to watch one of the fastest-growing sports in Europe live for the first time, but it’s also a chance to see Tom Brady play before his retirement.

FOX has the best game in Week 10, one that will probably go down as the most viewed in the regular season as well, except Thanksgiving, as two of the most popular teams in America face off. Mike McCarthy and his Dallas Cowboys travel to Lambeau Field to play the Packers. This will be Green Bay’s Super Bowl winning coach’s first time back to the iconic stadium since he was fired in 2019.

Week 11 – Browns @ Bills (1PM ET, CBS), 49ers @ Cardinals (Mexico Game, 8:15PM ET, ESPN)

What looks like Week 11’s best game comes in the early window on Sunday as we see the Bills host the Browns. This will be the first time the franchises have met since the 2019 season. Cleveland romped away 19-16 winners. It’ll probably be a Deshaun Watson vs Josh Allen QB battle, which could have been an AFC East matchup had Brian Flores remained as Dolphins HC.

ESPN broadcast their second international game of the season in Week 11, this one from Mexico City. It’s an NFC West matchup between two teams expected to be challenging for spots in the postseason. This is the first time the sides meet this season, if the 49ers win this one on a neutral site then things could be looking good for them by the time they play at Levi’s Stadium in Week 18. Arizona swept them last year. 

Week 12 – Giants @ Cowboys (Thanksgiving, 4:30PM ET, FOX), Rams @ Chiefs (4:25PM ET, ESPN)

Thanksgiving Thursday sees the Cowboys’ NFC East rival New York Giants become their opponents for this year’s middle game. The G-Men have only beaten Dallas once in their last 10 meetings. Hopefully, the Schoen, Daboll era goes better than the last couple regimes  have.

The last time the Rams and Chiefs met they were one point short of a record for the most points in a game ever and became the first two teams to score 50+ in the same game, at the Colosseum in 2018. Things are a little different now, but both teams have won a Lombardi since then and the last time either of them had a losing season was the Rams in 2016. They’ve been must-watch TV for ages and will remain to be in 2022.

Week 13 – Bills @ Patriots (TNF, 8:20PM ET, Amazon Prime), Chiefs @ Bengals (4:25PM ET, CBS)

The last time the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots met, Sean McDermott’s Bills embarrassed Belichick’s Pats in the postseason. Week 13 sees them meet for the first time since then, on TNF. Buffalo appears to have got stronger, whilst New England has lost the majority of their offensive staff and looks weaker. Will the same thing happen again?

CBS has got one hell of a game in the late window that week, a rematch of the AFC Championship Game they showed back in January. Kansas City got out to a hot start at home but offensively were absent in the second half, allowing the Bengals to get back into, and then go on to win the game in OT. This time it is in Cincinnati, meaning they’ll probably be the favourites. Will Kansas City pull off the upset?

Week 14 – Dolphins @ Chargers (4:05PM ET, CBS), Chiefs @ Broncos (4:25PM ET, CBS)

Justin Herbert and Tua Tagovailoa face off again for the first time since their rookie year. The latter’s Dolphins team came out on top in that game, but neither looked great. The better defense won a sloppy game with two rookie QBs. This time both have absolutely stacked rosters, if Tua makes the jump many hope he will, then we could have a shootout on our hands.

I feel like this list is full of matchups with at least one AFC West team, and spoiler alert there’s more. Week 14 sees Russell Wilson and Patrick Mahomes meet for just the second time ever. A QB matchup that we’ll see a lot of over the next few years, but one I’m certain we’ll never get tired of. A win could put Denver closer to their first division title since 2015.

Week 15 – Bengals @ Buccaneers (4:25PM ET, CBS), Patriots @ Raiders (SNF, 8:20PM ET, NBC)

You’d expect Nantz and Romo to get the assignment for the Bengals, Bucs game, providing both teams live up to the expectation many have of them. If they do then I just know the ex-Cowboys QB is going to love calling this one. Joe Burrow and Tom Brady face off for the first time, what’s not to like?

Sunday night in Week 15 sees Bill Belichick face off against his former offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels’ Las Vegas Raiders team. McDaniels and new Raiders GM Dave Ziegler have brought a fair few members of staff over from their former place of work, putting together an interesting primetime matchup. We’ve got two coaching staffs that know each other very well, and two teams who could be challenging for the postseason come Week 15.

Week 16 – Packers @ Dolphins (Christmas Day, 1PM ET, FOX), Broncos @ Rams (Christmas Day, 4:25PM ET, CBS)

2022 sees the NFL play 3 games on Christmas Day for the first time ever. Both of these games are to be nationally televised on the 25th of December. The rest of the games, bar TNF and MNF, will be played on Saturday, the 24th. Aaron Rodgers and the Packers take their talents to South Beach in the early window, whilst the Broncos make the trip west to LA to play the Rams at 4:25.

As games to be played on Christmas go, these two have to be up there. Not only are they AFC-NFC Matchups, but they also include four offenses that we expect to rack up a tonne of points in 2022. On top of that, these four teams also have some of the most talented defensive units out there, especially at the cornerback position.

Week 17 – Rams @ Chargers (SNF, 8:20PM ET, NBC), Bills @ Bengals (MNF, 8:15PM ET, ESPN)

Providing that nothing is flexed into this spot, SNF sees the two Los Angeles teams face off for only the second time since both relocated. This could be a Super Bowl matchup within the next few years. I certainly wouldn’t be surprised by that. Imagine how awesome that would be. I wonder which team will have the most fans in the stadium, which is essentially a tenth Rams home game.

Week 17 comes to a close with a bang as the Bills and the Bengals clash on Monday Night Football. This game could have huge playoff-seeding implications by the time it comes around, it could maybe even decide the one seed in the AFC. Burrow v Allen in primetime? Yes, please.

Week 18 – Chargers @ Broncos (TBD), Raiders @ Chiefs (TBD)

Predicting which games will be the best ones for Week 18 is virtually impossible. That’s not only because it’s a full slate of division games, but also because we have no idea how good these teams will be, which ones will be in what window, or what each team is playing for.

My best guess is that the AFC West will be the division that is the closest, so I believe these games will be the ones that you should look out for. Imagine if one was for the division title and the other the final wildcard spot, that would be epic!

The post NFL Schedule Release: Previewing the best NFL match-ups next season appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Sam Moores

Mike McDaniel’s Miami Dolphins added another offensive weapon in former Patriots and Rams running back Sony Michel, on Monday evening. The addition of Michel comes after the Fins went through a massive offensive overhaul in the offseason.

Michel brings a unique style of strong running in-between the tackles for McDaniel’s offense. March’s free agency saw the Fins acquire their typical Shanahan style outside-zone back in Raheem Mostert, as well as Chase Edmonds, who not only is a scheme fit, but also a big asset in the passing game. Expect all three of those guys to get the ball in a running back by committee-style rushing attack, like the one we see in San Francisco.

The two-time Super Bowl champion signed a one-year, $2.1 million deal and is no stranger to the AFC East, having spent three seasons in New England before being traded to the Rams before the 2021 season. Michel went for 845 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns, with 128 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown on top of that in the regular season.

As I mentioned previously, this isn’t the first big offensive move the Dolphins have made this offseason. On top of the three running backs, Miami made headlines with the surprise trade for Tyreek Hill in the second week of free agency. General Manager Chris Grier gave up a 2022 first-round pick (29th overall), a 2022 second, two fourth-rounders, and a 2023 sixth to Kansas City for their star wideout. The six-time Pro-Bowler alongside Jaylen Waddle, new free-agent acquisition Cedrick Wilson, Preston Williams, Rookie Erik Ezunkama, and the versatile Lynn Bowden Jr is a pretty strong receiving core.

They also protected Tua Tagovailoa, their quarterback, by adding two pieces to one of the worst offensive lines in NFL history in free agency. The Pro Bowl LT Terron Armstead came over from New Orleans to play left tackle, whilst Connor Williams will slot next to him at left guard. Let’s hope the problem was the coaching last season because one of Austin Jackson and Liam Eichenberg will probably start at a spot on the right side of the offensive line (as those two OL were liabilities last season).

An interesting question arises with Michel in the RB room: what does the arrival of Michel mean for Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed? Both of these guys have had their moments for Miami over the past two years, but face an uphill battle to remain on the 53-man roster. I can see Gaskin being retained as a fourth back for his pass-catching ability, or potentially Ahmed instead, in case Mostert goes down. As it stands though, one of these ball carriers is unlikely to make the team.

All in all, I believe the shiny acquisition of Michel confirms that Mike McDaniel’s O will be similar to what Kyle Shanahan runs in San Fran. Expect a lot of outside-zone, a little bit inside, executed by 3 or 4 running backs, as the bell-cow RB should vary per matchup.

The post What does Sony Michel bring to the Dolphins? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.