Buffalo Bills: This is the Bills team we all know and love. Josh Allen to Stefon Diggs and a defense that makes enough stops to keep the other team at bay. Miami had a chance to make a statement but they just couldn’t stop Allen.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Is this Baker Mayfield‘s resurgence with an NFL team. He has proven that he wants to stay and has the Bucs at an impressive 3-1 record.

San Francisco 49ers: 49ers are arguably the best coached team and have the best defense in the league. They also have Christian McCaffrey who ran for three touchdowns on Sunday. They face a tough Dallas D this weekend.

Dallas Cowboys: The Cowboys D has been very formidable this year only second to the 49ers. Once there offense starts clicking, which starts with Prescott, they will be tough to beat.

Stock Down

New York Giants: Brian Daboll might be on the hot seat already. After a very good 2022 season where he took them to the playoffs, they look the complete opposite this year. Daniel Jones is struggling and not having Barkley in the backfield definitely hurts.

New England Patriots: What is wrong with the Patriots? Mac Jones is struggling and their defense is doing much better. This is Bill Belichick’s biggest challenge so far. Right now there is no way they make the playoffs.

Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals were favored to go to the Super Bowl if not win it this year. Something is wrong and it starts with Joe Burrow. There offense has been non-extinct. They also are not a playoff team with the Bills and Chiefs surging ahead. If the Bengals don’t turn it around with a W this weekend, it could be a long season.

Chicago Bears: Matt Eberflus is clearly not the answer at coach. He had some questionable calls on Sunday. Justin Fields hasn’t looked himself which is why I have them trending down.

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The Good

In today’s NFL, you have to be able to get after the quarterback. For instance, the 2022 Eagles had a whopping 70 team sacks and it was one of the reasons they made a Super Bowl run. Like the Eagles, the Giants have invested in their defensive line and it’s now one of the strengths of the team.

One of those investments was linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux who they drafted with the 5th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Thibodeaux had an impressive rookie season where he had 4 sacks and 49 combined tackles. His impact could be seen almost immediately as he was able to free up space for Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams on the inside. Thibodeaux will only continue to get better and could get close to the double-digit sack mark this season.

One of the more underrated signings this offseason was Bobby Okereke. The Giants signed Okereke to a 4-year $40 million dollar contract back in March. Somehow Okereke has flown under that radar but he is a top-tier linebacker. He is coming off of his best season in Indy where he totaled 151 combined tackles and 6 TFLs. Okereke will help bolster the Giants impressive front seven and the defense will finish in the top 10.

The Bad

Daniel Jones looks to be more than comfortable in Brian Daboll’s system. So it would make sense to surround Jones with more weapons. The Giants did bring in Darren Waller this offseason and if he stays healthy that will certainly help. Outside of Waller though there are questions at the receiver position.

Isaiah Hodgins has shown flashes but needs to be more consistent. Darius Slayton has also had his moments but injuries have hampered his production. The Giants brought in Parris Campbell and drafted Jalin Hyatt this offseason. I could see Hyatt making an impact but I would’ve liked to see the Giants sign a veteran receiver for Jones.

The Prediction

I see the Giants taking a slight step backward this year. I have concerns about the Saquon Barkley situation spilling into the season. Even though the Giants were able to bump up incentives for the star RB, it’s not the contract he ultimately wants. Their schedule is tough and the NFC East is always a gauntlet.

2023 Record: (7-10 4th in the Division)

The post New York Giants Record Prediction for 2023 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Jones’ Case for a Big Payday

Daniel Jones has had his ups and downs during his time with the Giants, but he has also shown flashes of potential that have caught the attention of fans and analysts alike. In his rookie year, he threw for 3,027 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He also showed impressive mobility, rushing for 279 yards and two touchdowns. Jones’ second year was marred by injuries, but he still managed to throw for 2,943 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions in just 14 games. He also improved his completion percentage and passer rating, both of which are key metrics for evaluating quarterbacks.

Furthermore, Jones has been dealing with a less than ideal supporting cast. The Giants offensive line has been one of the worst in the league until recently, and the team has struggled to find consistent weapons for Jones to throw to. Despite these challenges, Jones has managed to put up respectable numbers and has shown the potential to be a franchise quarterback. Jones took great strides forward this past season under the tutelage of Brian Daboll as he led the Giants to a playoff upset over the Vikings. His poise and mobility were on full display during the game and it’s something that cannot be ignored.

Another argument for paying Jones a big contract is the current state of the quarterback market. In recent years, quarterbacks have been signing massive deals, with players like Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and Deshaun Watson all signing contracts worth over $40 million per year. The salary cap is also expected to increase in the coming years, which means that quarterback salaries will likely continue to rise. With that in mind it may not be that far fetched to pay Jones in the 40 million range.

Against Paying Jones $45 Million Per Year

While Jones has shown potential, there are also several reasons why he may not be worth $45 million per year. For one, he has struggled with consistency, both in terms of his performance from game to game, and his ability to stay healthy. Jones missed significant time due to injuries in his first three seasons, and his turnover-prone play has also been a cause for concern. In fact, Jones has thrown many untimely interceptions and has had fumbling issues.

Another argument against paying Jones $45 million per year is the opportunity cost. The Giants have several other areas of need, including the offensive line, wide receiver, and of course free agent to be Saquon Barkley. If the team were to invest so much money in Jones, they may not be able to address these other needs, which could hurt the team in the long run.

At the end of the day it’s hard to justify paying Daniel Jones that much money if you’re the Giants. Ownership may well view Jones as the next Eli Manning and there are some similarities there but the price tag is just too high. If I am the Giants I am paying Barkley what he’s worth and letting Jones test the free agent market.

The post Is Daniel Jones Worth 45 Million Per Year? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

They shocked everyone when they beat the New England Patriots to Super Bowl 42 and 46, the latter being the last time they had won a playoff game until their win over the Minnesota Vikings last weekend.

Facing the number one seed is never easy, but the Giants will go into this game confident they can cause an upset.

Can they do it again?

Taking Their Chances

If the Giants are to advance, they have to capitalize and make the most of any opponent flaws.

Philadelphia’s quarterback Jalen Hurts and offensive lineman Lane Johnson have been injury doubts and will likely go into this game not 100% healthy.

This is where the Giants can capitalize, between the trenches. With a defensive line featuring studs such as Dexter Lawrence, Leonard Williams, Jaylon Smith, and Kayvon Thibodeaux, they can get to the Eagles.

This is not going to be a pretty win, and the Giants are likely going to have to grind out a hard-fought win, but if they can win this battle between the trenches, then they have every chance. If they do this, they will need their offense to also perform lights out.

Is Daniel Jones Eli 2.0?

This was one of the feel-good stories of Wildcard Weekend.

Jones became the first quarterback in playoff history to throw for 300+ passing yards and have over 75 rushing yards during their 31-24 win over Minnesota.

Some players have a clutch gene in them when it comes to playoff football, and there was not a more recent example than Nick Foles as he guided the Eagles to their one and only Super Bowl.

Eli Manning was another player, and like Jones, he was never elite in the regular season. However, in the postseason, he turned into a different animal.

Who can forget his pass to David Tyree in Super Bowl 42 and catch to Mario Manningham in Super Bowl 46. These are not exactly elite receivers who helped these plays happen.

Manningham never had a season with 1,000 yards receiving and only once did he catch more than five touchdowns in a regular season. He only had 51 receptions and one touchdown in the two seasons that followed Super Bowl 46 before retiring.

Tyree never had more than 211 yards in any regular season and had four touchdowns all throughout his career. He had just four receptions from eight targets and one touchdown in their Super Bowl winning postseason run in the 2007 season. He never had a career reception after getting his ring.

There is a sense of familiarity with the current players Jones has around him. Barkley is the one exception, an elite running back, a contender for Comeback Player of the Year and someone with three 1,000-yard seasons in his five years in the league.

Wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins and rookie tight end Daniel Bellinger both scored in Sunday’s win. Bellinger only had 268 yards in 12 games this season and Hodgins has just 392 career yards in three seasons. Darius Slayton also came up big despite never having a season with more than 800 yards. His 88 yards went a long way to helping the Giants beat the Vikings..

In Barkley, Bellinger, and Hodgins, these are three weapons that will be a big help to Jones if they are to beat the Eagles.

If They Were To Win…

A road game against either the San Francisco 49ers or Dallas Cowboys would follow should Brian Daboll’s men advance. Whilst they would once again be underdogs, they will fill confident after beating Philadelphia.

As great as Brock Purdy has been, the rookie QB has yet to be tested at the highest level, with a favorable regular season schedule and a game against the seventh seed Seattle Seahawks. Purdy looked nervous at times in the Wildcard Round.

Earlier, there was discussion about quarterbacks such as Nick Foles and Eli Manning who turn it on in the postseason. Other quarterbacks such as Kyler Murray (2021 season) and Jared Goff (Super Bowl 53) proved to be the other way around. If Purdy struggles, whilst there is an argument that their defense could bail them out. With an offense that scored 31 points on Sunday, there is no guarantee that this 49ers defense will automatically be the same as they have been all season.

If they are to face the Cowboys, this is a Cowboys team that has perennially struggled since their 1995 success. They have choked in recent seasons when it matters, and despite his brilliant performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night Football, Dak Prescott has yet to deliver when it really counts.

It is a longshot that the Giants win one game, let along two or three more, but there have been crazier playoff moments. This is why NFL fans love the playoffs. Anything can happen.

The post Could The Giants Shock The World? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jeremy Trottier

This NFL season has most definitely been a memorable one, to say the least, with some of the best teams completely underperforming, and some of those we thought would be the worst at the top of their game.  The primary reason some of these teams with lower-tier rosters have been able to get to the top of their division or near to it has been their head coaches.  Head coaching is a huge deal at this level of play, hence why the NFL hands out a Coach of the Year award every season.  In this article, I will be detailing the top 5 candidates for this award so far this season and briefly describe why they deserve this award. 

#1 ”“ Nick Sirianni ”“ Philadelphia Eagles

As of right now, it should be a no-brainer who the leading candidate is for Coach of the Year, as winning is a huge factor in this award, and Nick Sirianni of the Philadelphia Eagles is currently 8-0 as of the writing of this article.  After building this roster with young talents through the draft and flashy trades, Sirianni and GM Howie Roseman have brought the Eagles back to a winning culture, which is due to coaching just as much as the players.  Jalen Hurts has been developed into a very quality starting QB in this league under Sirianni,  which has propelled the Eagles from a middle-ranking team to the top of their conference and the only remaining undefeated team for now. 

#2 ”“ Robert Saleh ”“ New York Jets

Second place is tough, as there are a lot of underwhelming rosters outperforming their skill due to great coaching, but the New York Jets have been able to do it against premier teams in the NFL, which is what I took into consideration here.  Just last week the Jets took on the Buffalo Bills, who are one of the if not the most well-rounded roster in the NFL, and beat them 20-17 on the back of a phenomenal defensive performance.  Know who was responsible?  Head coach Robert Saleh has found his footing in his second season as the Jets head coach and led them to a 6-3 record as of the writing of this article. 

#3 ”“ Kevin O’Connell ”“ Minnesota Vikings

Next up we have a rookie head coach and one of the youngest head coaches in the league, Kevin O’Connell of the Minnesota Vikings.  While they may have some of the top premier talents in the league, such as Justin Jefferson and Dalvin Cook, they have also been coached up to a 7-1 record after struggling with a very similar roster last season under Mike Zimmer.  While their schedule has been slightly weak to start off the season, they have also performed well enough on the field to warrant this record, and seem to be a shoo-in as NFC North division winners this season as long as they do not fold under the pressure down the stretch.

#4 ”“ Brian Daboll ”“ New York Giants

It feels almost wrong putting Daboll so low on this list, but that just goes to show how great the head coaches have been this season.  Another rookie head coach, Daboll has led the New York Giants, one of the lesser rosters in the NFL entering the season, to a 6-2 record, and straight into the dogfight for the NFC East division title.  The giants have had 3 statement wins so far this season, against the Tennessee Titans (21-20), the Baltimore Ravens (24-20), and the Green Bay Packers (27-22).  Overall, Daboll has done a great job utilizing the run game with Saquon Barkley correctly and has turned this franchise back into its winning ways in only half a season.

#5 ”“ Mike McDaniel ”“ Miami Dolphins

Another AFC East head coach coming from the San Francisco 49ers previously would be Mike McDaniel, who has been able to handle the turmoil of losing Tua Tagovailoa mid-season relatively well and has coached this offense into something teams fear now.  Just 3-4 years ago this team was at the bottom of the league scraping up losses to try and tank for Tua, and now they sit only a half-game back of the AFC East title and are doing everything in their power to take this division away from the Jets, Bills, and Patriots.  McDaniel has the assets to work with, hence why he is lower on this list slightly but is absolutely deserving of this award if he can keep this team on track going the distance. 

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