The Good

Like many rookies coming into the NFL, Trevor Lawrence struggled through his first year. The former #1 pick from Clemson was tied for the lead league in interceptions during his debut season in Jacksonville with 17. While the interceptions were troubling Lawrence showed the ability to quickly move on from his mistakes and move to the next play. This trait is especially important for young quarterbacks as they continue their development.

Flash forward to the 2023 playoffs can you can see tremendous growth from Lawrence. He was able to rally his team from a 27-point deficit to the Chargers despite 4 first-half interceptions. Lawrence has always had the physical traits of an elite quarterback but this type of mental fortitude bodes well for his future.

The Bad

If you’re looking for a weakness on this Jaguars team, it’s the offensive line. With the suspension of LT Cam Robinson for PED use, Jacksonville will be thin on o-line for the first 4 games. It looks like they will also start rookie RT Anton Harrison who they drafted in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. RG Brandon Scherff is really the only player upfront with no question marks. In order for the Jaguars to be successful they will need to protect Lawrence. Whether they can do so remains to be seen.

The Prediction

Despite the concerns on the offensive line, I still see the Jaguars winning the AFC South. The talent on offense along with the emergence of Trevor Lawrence will push the Jaguars to one of the best teams in the AFC. If Calvin Ridley can return to his old form the Jaguars will be even that much more dangerous.

2023 Record: 12-5 (1st in the Division)

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What is the RPO in Football?

The RPO was developed from the triple option which became successful in college football. The premise is simple, the power is in the quarterbacks hands as he can hand the ball off, pass the ball or even keep it and run depending on how the defense is playing. When you look at this play design it seems simple on the surface but there is a lot going on that makes this play successful.

First, the quarterback needs to be comfortable at reading a defense. Before the ball is snapped he needs to survey the defensive alignment and determine what type of defense they are playing. Is it a man-to-man or zone? The quarterback can get an indication of what type of alignment they are in by running some motion with their receivers and tight ends. If it’s determined that the defense is zone than an RPO play would be an ideal play call to run. Specifically a quick throw slant with the receivers attacking the zone and the quarterback getting the ball out fast.

Let’s now take a look at the running game benefits of the RPO. Once the ball is snapped the quarterback can read the linebackers and decide to hand it off or pass it. If the linebackers are fleeing backwards it opens up space for the zone run game. Jalen Hurts and the Eagles are arguably the best in the NFL today are running the RPO. With that said take a look at how the Commanders utilized this with their rookie Sam Howell.

As you can see in the highlighted play the Cowboys linebackers immediately retreat expecting pass and this opens up a huge hole for the running back. Like Hurts, Howell has the mobility to run which makes this an ideal offense to build around him. Even though it’s most deadly when the quarterback has mobility it can also be effective for those that lack the ability to run.

Riding the RPO to the Super Bowl

In 2017 the Philadelphia Eagles were riding high with Carson Wentz playing at an MVP level. It all changed when Wentz suffered a serious knee injury against the Rams and Nick Foles took over. Foles lead the Eagles to win the Super Bowl and he himself earned Super Bowl MVP. One of the reasons Foles was so successful was he utilized the RPO in an effective way.

When Foles took over for Carson Wentz then head coach Doug Pederson had to change the offense to accommodate his strengths. He knew that Foles lacked the mobility that Wentz had and needed to adjust. Pederson was one of the early adopters of the RPO and had a firm grasp on how to run it. The main points were to get the ball out of Foles hands quickly to neutralize the pass rush and attack the opposing secondary with the quick pass game. The results speak for themselves as Foles was incredibly accurate in this system and he now has a statue outside of Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

Future of the RPO and can it be stopped?

One can expect that the RPO offense will become more and more popular in the coming years. The NFL is a copy cat league and with the recent success of Jalen Hurts and the Eagles I expect more teams to follow that blueprint. As we pointed out with Nick Foles the quarterback doesn’t necessarily need to be mobile for it to work. Ideally a team would have a mobile quarterback that would give them another option for the QB to run. With that being said many defensive coordinators will be game planning to stop the RPO. How can they counter it?

One option to contain the RPO is utilizing the 3-safety defense. In this system another safety is added to the defense while a defensive lineman is taken off the field. This type of scheme is best used in passing situations. Ideally the added safety provides better coverage ability but also the ability to attack in front of them on short passing situations. The defense will still have its challenges but this type of alignment gives them a better chance to be successful.

At the end of the day the RPO is here to stay and in today’s modern NFL it’s a must have in the offensive play book. The key will be how defenses adapt and try to contain it with different defensive packages. It will be a fascinating cat and mouse game for many years to come.

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Jacksonville Jaguars at Kansas City Chiefs (-9)

I for one did not pick the Jaguars to win last week. And for the most part I was almost right seeing that they were down 27-0. But the Jaguars led by Doug Pederson found a way to win in front of their home crowd. The Jaguars are playing with house money in this game but I think the Chiefs at home, led by Patrick Mahomes will be too much for the surging Jaguars. This game may be close for awhile before the Chiefs step on the gas peddle. For the Jaguars, a very successful season with their bright young stars

Chiefs 37 Jaguars 21

New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles (-7.5)

I really want to pick the Giants in this one, they have all the momentum and they are also playing with house money. Jalen Hurts isn’t 100% and the Eagles are not riding tons of momentum. Giants would need a few turnovers on defense to win this game, but I don’t think they do. This game will be close but the Eagles at home with a great regular season will find a way to win. For the Eagles it’s simple, stop Barkley and force Daniel Jones to step back and pass against a undermanned receiver corps. On offense, the Eagles need to do what they’ve done all year. Miles Sanders and AJ Brown will have big games in this one.

Eagles 28 Giants 23

Cincinnati Bengals at Buffalo Bills (-5.5)

The Bills are riding a high right now of adversity, playing good football and playing at home. The Ravens easily could’ve beat the Bengals last week if it wasn’t for some timely errors. Playing in Buffalo is not easy, and Cincinnati will keep it close but I got the Bills by 10 in this one. Look for Josh Allen to throw 4 TD’s in the game.

Bills 34 Bengals 28

Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers (-4)

Can Brock Purdy win again? There’s no reason to believe he can’t, Kyle Shanahan calls the perfect game for him to succeed. Their defense is unstoppable, and they have multiple weapons on offense. Dallas got over the hump last week and won a playoff game led by Dak Prescott. I know the 49ers is the team to beat, there playing at home, and Dallas is on a short week. I believe Dallas finds a way to win on a last second field goal by Brett Maher. Yes Brett Maher, the guy that missed 4 extra points, will kick a field goal with no time on the clock to give the Cowboys an upset win. Dallas when playing well can be very tough to beat. Let’s not forget about Micah Parsons in this game. He will wreck havoc on the San Fran offensive line, and Brock Purdy. Let’s also not forget Purdy has been playing amazing, but he’s still a rookie. Does the pressure get to him in a tough test? We shall see!

Cowboys 27 49ers 24

Last Week’s Record 4-2

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Seahawks at 49ers – 49ers teased the Seahawks in this first half by thinking they had a chance, but the 49ers are far more superior. They have so many different weapons that can hurt you on offense, and on defense they can stop anybody. They are playing at a very high level right now. In this game we learned that Brock Purdy is for real and there’s no reason to believe he’s going to slow down anytime soon. Next up for them a date with the Cowboys.

Chargers at Jaguars – Its never over until it’s over. When the Jaguars were down 27-0 I still think they believed they could win. They’ve been scrappy all year and give all the credit to Doug Pederson and what he’s done with Trevor Lawrence. Unfortunately, their luck will end this weekend against the high powered Chiefs.

Miami at Buffalo – Miami played Buffalo a little tougher than the Bills thought. Skylar Thompson looked impressive, but it just wasn’t enough to win. This is Buffalo’s year and playing the AFC championship in Atlanta, favors them. They don’t have to go to KC assuming they win.

Giants at Vikings – Contrary to what the haters say, the Giants are for real. This is a reflection of their coach and what he has done with this team. Daniel Jones is playing at a high-level and the defense is formidable. What I took away from this game is that their going to give the Eagles a tough time this weekend. With a 100% healthy Jalen Hurts I don’t have too much confidence but with him being at let’s say 80% I think the Giants have a chance in that game. They will have to get a few turnovers on the defensive side of the ball and convert those into TD’s.

Ravens at Bengals – Most analysts picked the Bengals to win this one but you can never count out the Ravens with their tough D led by Roquan Smith. In the end it just wasn’t enough after Huntley made a costly fumble at the Bengals 1 yard line. The Bengals will be preparing for a shootout this weekend against the Bills where they will have to bring their A game. The Bengals are a good team but unfortunately there’s two other slightly better teams in this conference.

Cowboys at Bucs – After last week’s performance against the Commanders the Cowboys were due for a dominating game. Dak had 5 TD’s and their defense stepped up when they had to led by Micah Parsons. The Cowboys have had disappointing past performances over the last 30 years but this years team is legit. This week’s game against the 49ers will be a huge test for them and if they can overcome that, they have all the momentum rolling into the Super Bowl. Let’s not sleep on them this week!

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By: Jake Rajala

The Jacksonville Jaguars are seeking to return to their old ways of dominance (which was last shown in sacksonville). They have shown improvement from their 2021 version (3-14) in 2022. The former Eagles Super Bowl-winning HC Doug Pederson has lifted the Jags offense from the ashes and jolted Trevor Lawrence’s all-around ability (as T-Lawrence has thrown 1,232 passing yards, 8 passing touchdowns, and 4 interceptions thus far). The sophomore RB Travis Etienne has also been effective alongside James Robinson up to this point (by way of obtaining 339 all-purpose yards).

The Jags haven’t only witnessed growth and production from their young QB-RB duo, but they’ve also been competitive in each contest this season. They lost in Week 1 by a score of 28-22 against the Washington Commanders, but they bounced back and dismantled the Indianapolis Colts by a score of 24-0 in Week 2. They had the most surprising Week 3 victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars with a score of 38-10. They weren’t able to beat the Philadelphia Eagles (aka the last undefeated NFL squad) in Week 4 — as they lost 29-21. I’m confident that I’m not the only NFL die-hard to acknowledge that the Jags had a surprising effort against Philly. Unfortunately, the Jags had a shocking loss against the Houston Texans in their latest battle.

I still feel the utmost confidence in the Jaguars’s direction and chances of reaching the postseason in 2022. The Jags will reap growth from Lawrence (despite his worst game on the season in Week 5), Etienne, and their first overall pick in 2022, Travon Walker.

Their schedule in 2022-2023 is quite tasty, as well. The Jags battle the New York Giants, the Denver Broncos, the Las Vegas Raiders, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Baltimore Ravens, the Detroit Lions, the Tennessee Titans, the Dallas Cowboys, the New York Jets, the Houston Texans, and the Tennessee Titans. I feel that the Jags can edge out the Broncos, Raiders, Lions, Titans each time, Jets, and then not be swept by the Texans.

It may not be sunshine and rainbows for the Jags, but they have certainly taken monster steps from last season. I foresee the team led out by the scrappy HC and motivated QB to continue to improve, defeat the mediocre competition, & punch their ticket to the postseason for the first time since 2017.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence didn’t have a sexy rookie season, to say the least. T-Lawrence unveiled 12 touchdowns to a league-leading 17 interceptions in 2021. PFF awarded Lawrence a 59.6 grade for his rookie performance. He also had a mere three wins — which penciled in the Jags as the first overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

It should be noted that it’s somewhat understandable why Lawrence had growing pains as a rook. He didn’t have a fantastic offensive line, as PFF ranked the Jags OL as the 24th best OL at the eclipse of last season. Furthermore, he did have Urban Meyer (also known as Johnny Manziel with a headset) as his head coach.

On the flip-side, he did have Marvin Jones Jr, James Robinson, and Laviska Shenault Jr. His weaponry wasn’t near porous standards. It’s safe to say that Jared Goff, who threw 19 passing touchdowns to 8 ints last season (while leaning on the rookie Amon-Ra St. Brown), deserves much more credit than Lawrence for his efforts in 2021.

All in all, Lawrence has great tools and he did flash excellence in 2021, but should NFL fans actually expect a significant turnaround from the Jags QB?

Lawrence may be a shiny first overall pick, but his miscues were seriously on another level last season. As previously mentioned, he led the league in interceptions. He also had a 59.6% completion percentage — which was the worst completion percentage among QBs with 12+ interceptions, according to NFL.com. His 6 yards per attempt was ranked as the worst YPA among QBs with 10+ interceptions. It’s clear that he was the opposite of firing on all cylinders last season.

With that said, the Jags new head coach Doug Pederson is a sharp cookie and he did completely turn around the young Carson Wentz from year one into year two. Wentz unveiled 16 touchdowns to 14 Interceptions as a rookie then proceeded to unleash an impressive 33 passing touchdowns and 7 interceptions as a sophomore.

The Jags also did an absolutely amazing job of adding firepower to the Jags offense this off-season. Their GM, Trent Baalke, had a Madden-like FA experience as they brought in Christian Kirk, Evan Engram, and Zay Jones. They also brought in Brandon Scherff, who should really help the OL. Besides the new faces, the young RB Travis Etienne will also return healthy.

I love the outlook for the two x-factors in Engram and Etienne. They will be mismatch nightmares and they should help cut Lawrence’s turnovers.

All in all, I believe that Lawrence isn’t overrated entering 2022. I don’t expect him to have a 2022 outcome similar to Kirk Cousins: where Cousins threw 33 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. Although I could forsee him having a 2022 season that’s similar to Derek Carr’s outing last season: 4,804 passing yards, 23 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. I believe Lawrence will have sky-high passing yards, a modest touchdown figure (around 25 passing TDs), and some growing pains (around a dozen interceptions). He isn’t ready to garner comparisons to fellow first overall pick Peyton Manning, but he should make a positive leap forward in 2022.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Jacksonville Jaguars inked the utterly athletic, slightly butter-fingers Evan Engram this off-season to a one-year deal worth $9 million deal. Engram has been criticized for not quite living up to the standards of a first-round draft pick. Although, I believe the future is actually bright (hopefully, not the stadium lights) for the 27-year-old TE. With that said, I’m going to untwine three reasons why Evan Engram is underrated.

Doug Pederson

Engram is out of the Big Apple and Daniel Jones paradise. He will be playing under a head coach/offensive mind that has had great success with tight ends. Per Mike Garafolo of NFL.com, Pederson could use him in that TE/WR role that Pederson used with Zach Ertz. The former Eagles TE Zach Ertz made the Pro Bowl in 2017, 2018, and 2019. I expect Pederson to dial-up excellent match-ups for Engram, as teams will focus on WR Marvin Jones Jr and WR Christian Kirk.

Trevor Lawrence

I feel comfortable that a wiser Trevor Lawrence can be more productive than Danny Dimes. The Giants QB1 hasn’t thrown more than 11 touchdowns in each of the past two seasons. Lawrence has a lot more arm talent than Jones (to say the least) and I expect him to nicely the clean route running from Engram down the middle of the field.

Strength of schedule

The Jags have the 26th most difficult schedule in 2022 and they feast in an AFC South that showcases the Texans (27th in PPG allowed last season). I also expect the Titans to noticeably be less competitive and slowly inch towards giving the dual-threat QB Malik Willis the keys to the team. I expect the Jags to be able to score a lot of points with a very involved Engram in their division and against non-divisional teams.

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By: Menachem Ickovitz

We have previously mentioned current offensive and defensive coordinators who would be good fits for head coaching vacancies this off-season. In this article, we will take a look at three former NFL head coaches who are currently not coaching who could return to coaching in 2022.

Marvin Lewis

Marvin Lewis is currently a special advisor at Arizona State, working alongside former NFL coach Herm Edwards. Prior to Lewis’ tenure at Arizona State, he was the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals from 2003 ”“ 2018.

His career record of 131 ”“ 122 ”“ 3 is good for a .518 winning percentage, but his 0 ”“ 7 playoff record is a big reason why the Bengals let him go after the 2018 season. Lewis’ was the last coach for the Bengals since Bill Johnson in 1978 to leave the team with a winning record.

Lewis is a defensive-minded coach, which some teams might be looking for. There is an ebb and flow to how coaching hires typically go and with the emergence of coaches like Robert Saleh of the New York Jets and Brandon Staley of the Los Angeles Chargers, there is a recent trend towards defensive coaches.

Doug Pederson

Doug Pederson is a Super Bowl-winning head coach. After a career as a backup quarterback, Pederson got into coaching. He worked for Andy Reid with both the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs before getting the opportunity to be a head coach for the Eagles from 2016 ”“ 2020.

A recent trend is for a fired coach to take a season off and “relearn” the NFL. Mike McCarthy did it and is currently the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. Jason Garrett did not do that and now, after getting fired as the Offensive Coordinator of the New York Giants, it will take him some time to get back as a head coach.

Of the known/presumed options, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Las Vegas Raiders would both be excellent landing spots for Pederson. In both situations, he could bring his offensive coaching to teams with quality offensive players.

Jim Caldwell

Jim Caldwell is one of the best coaching candidates that doesn’t get talked about enough. He is an offensive-minded coach and has had success in the NFL with both the Indianapolis Colts and Detroit Lions. After going 9 ”“ 7 for the Lions in 2017, he was fired and the Lions have been much worse since he left.

Caldwell started his coaching career in 1977 and besides his NFL head coaching experience, he was head coach at Wake Forest for eight seasons from 1993 ”“ 2000.

Caldwell coached Kerry Collins at Penn State, Peyton Manning with the Colts and Matthew Stafford while with the Lions. With that track record with quarterbacks, a team like the Jacksonville Jaguars or Chicago Bears, who will be going into 2022 with second-year quarterbacks, would be a good fit for Jim Caldwell.

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By: Menachem Ickovitz

To say the 2021 season has been tumultuous for the Las Vegas Raiders is an understatement. From Jon Gruden’s resignation to receiver Henry Ruggs’ DUI resulting in death, there have been plenty of bad headlines coming out of Las Vegas.

While interim Head Coach Rich Bisaccia has stabilized some of the issues, it is likely that Owner Mark Davis and GM Mike Mayock will be looking to clean the house from the “Gruden guys” and start the search for a new head coach.

The Raiders have some pieces in place that could make the head coaching job appealing to many. Quarterback Derek Carr has thrown for over 4,000 yards for the 4^th consecutive season. Tight end Darren Waller, while currently injured, has been a bright spot over the past few seasons and their defense played well against the Cleveland Browns in Monday’s game.

Whenever an article comes out about a team’s options for a new head coach the same group of names gets bandied about. The truth is it’s important to look at a team’s hiring history. The Raiders often hire coaches who have head coaching experience and have historically been at the forefront of minority hiring. They have also have given up-and-comers opportunities.

Todd Bowles

Bowles is currently the defensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and if he’s interested in being a head coach again, he would be a great fit for the Raiders. Bowles has won a Super Bowl as a player, an executive with the Green Bay Packers in the mid-’90s and as an assistant to the Buccaneers last season.

He is smart and disciplined; something the Raiders would like in a new head coach. Also, with pass rushers like Maxx Crosby and Yannick Ngakoue, Bowles’ aggressive playstyle will fit perfectly.

While his first stint as a head coach ended with a 26 ”“ 41 record with the New York Jets, this Raiders team has a lot more talent than those Jets teams did.

Doug Pederson

Doug Pederson was most recently the head coach for the Philadelphia Eagles. He compiled a regular-season record of 42 ”“ 37 ”“ 1 and won Super Bowl LII against the New England Patriots. Prior to being named head coach of the Eagles, he was an assistant to Andy Reid in both Philadelphia and Kansas City.

Much like Mike McCarthy did a few seasons back; Pederson has taken the year away from the game. This not only makes Pederson a coach that teams will want, but it also doesn’t tie him to how a team is currently doing. For example, Jason Garrett will not be amongst the potential head coaches this off-season because he was fired by the New York Giants midseason. Pederson doesn’t have to deal with explaining a bad showing by his team, as he has no team to worry about. Just as Mike McCarthy’s past faded away.

He has gotten the best out of quarterbacks Carson Wentz and Nick Foles, so he should do well with Derek Carr. Also, Pederson offenses always highlight the tight end, which is great for Darren Waller.

Kellen Moore

Kellen Moore is one of the hot young names on the coaching market. He is currently the offensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys. In just four seasons as an assistant coach, third as OC, Moore has already positioned himself as a quality head coach candidate.

His ability to bring out the best offensively from his quarterback will be very appealing to the Raiders and Derek Carr. He will also get more out of the running game and Josh Jacobs than the Raiders currently are getting from that position.

The biggest question mark about Kellen Moore is who he can fill his staff with. He has only coached for four years and only with the Dallas Cowboys. While he has been under two different head coaches, he might not have the infrastructure that other potential coaches might have.

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By: Andy Davies

Plenty of uncertainty surrounds the Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, and Houston Texans going into the 2021 season. Their quarterback situations are far from clear and their overall rosters are mediocre at best.

The same goes for their head coaches, with all three going into their first seasons at the franchise. Neither of Dan Campbell, Nick Sirianni, or David Culley has been a full-time head coach in the NFL. Campbell is the only one to have some experience, with his spell as interim head coach of the Miami Dolphins in 2015.

Here is why you should be expecting the Lions, Eagles, and Texans to have the three worst records in the league in 2021.

Saying Goodbye To A Franchise Legend In Detroit. Struggles For The Replacement

Matthew Stafford was the number one overall pick in 2009, with the entire city of Detroit hoping he would be the man to turn around the fortunes of the franchise. Despite three seasons of making the playoffs, the Lions and Stafford never won a single postseason game as the wait continues. The Lions remain the team with the second-longest period without a playoff win, their last taking place on January 5th, 1992.

Stafford had some great individual moments as a Lion, most notably his Mic’d up moment during his 2009 rookie season. In a week eleven game against the Cleveland Browns, he overcame injury to produce a moment of pure heroism. He played with a separated shoulder despite the efforts of the medical staff to keep him off the field, leading the Lions to a touchdown-winning drive.

Jim Caldwell guided the Lions to these playoff appearances but was not seen as good enough to take them to the next step. New England Patriots assistant head coach Matt Patricia was brought in but never took to life as head coach. The Lions had three consecutive losing seasons under the coaching of Patricia. They will hope that they have found their guy in Dan Campbell. His press conference was certainly not dull, with Campbell referring to “biting kneecaps”. As a former Lions player, he knows what it takes to play in the league. He also knows about the city of Detroit and his intentions are both positive and clear. If he is given time, he has the desire to bring the good times back to Detroit. However, he is inexperienced as a head coach and the roster is below average.

New quarterback Jared Goff has the potential to struggle. This is despite the drafting of offensive lineman Penei Sewell at seventh overall, a selection that had Campbell and new General Manager Brad Holmes very excited.

Despite his brilliant 2018 season that saw the Rams reach Super Bowl 53, Goff had a poor game and struggled in 2020 as he and head coach Sean McVay’s relationship deteriorated.

Goff struggled despite a plethora of offensive talent around him. Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp form one of the best wide receiver duos in the NFL. He is going to a franchise that let go of their two best wide receivers and failed to replace them.

The Lions have a schedule that features the San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, and Cleveland Browns. There are also two games against their division rivals, the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, and Chicago Bears. The Lions do not have it easy.

Prediction: 3-14

Trouble In Philadelphia; Reason For Hope?

The Eagles have seen three years of gradual decline after winning Super Bowl 52. The 2017 season saw the Eagles lift the Lombardi Trophy for the first time after two previous attempts.

Doug Pederson was the head coach to guide the Eagles to a Super Bowl but was fired after the conclusion of the 2020 season. His decision to bench rookie quarterback Jalen Hurts in order to lose and gain a higher draft pick appeared to be the final nail in the coffin.

Carson Wentz had an MVP caliber season before an injury derailed hopes of winning the award. Backup Nick Foles stepped in and guided the Eagles to the Super Bowl 52 win. He also stepped in a year later and guided the Eagles to a shock Wildcard Round win against the Chicago Bears, with thanks also going to a Cody Parkey missed field goal.

Both Foles and Wentz are no longer Eagles players. Out of the starters in that Super Bowl 52 win, only seven remain with the franchise. Their decision to draft Jalen Reagor over Justin Jefferson continues to be mocked by rival fans and nobody knows how new head coach Nick Sirianni will do in the role.

The schedule is mixed for Philadelphia. Whilst they face the New York Jets, Lions, and twice play the New York Giants, they also have to face the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs.. This is as well as facing a rising Washington Football Team twice as well as playing the Dallas Cowboys both home and away.

Reports have surfaced in recent days of the Philadelphia Eagles being the favourites for Deshaun, with talks said to be “heating up”.

This could be a move that transforms the franchise. However, Deshaun Watson had his best statistical season yet the Texans only managed four wins all year. This proves that whilst it is very important to have a good quarterback, you need more around to be successful.

Unless the Eagles do something in what remains of the offseason, they will continue to be mediocre if their roster continues to be this poor. If they get offensive or defensive talent in the next one or two offseasons, then they are a team that will compete for years to come. Otherwise, the Eagles will fail to be a threat to both the NFC and NFC East.

This is why Deshaun should avoid the Eagles at this present time. He will be going into a situation no different to what he experienced in Houston.

Prediction: 4-13

What A Difference A Year Makes

Where do we start with the Houston Texans? The 2019 season saw them take a 24-0 lead against the Chiefs in the Divisional Round. However, they allowed 41 unanswered points as they lost 51-31. What has unfolded since in the following nineteen months has been reminiscent of a Greek tragedy.

Head coach Bill O’Brien, who also was general manager, made the unusual decision to trade star wide receiver, Deandre Hopkins. In exchange, the Texans received a running back past his sell-by date in David Johnson, one second-rounder and one fourth-round pick. O’Brien only lasted four games in the 2020 season as they finished the campaign with just four wins.

Since the conclusion of the 2020 season, franchise legend J.J Watt has left and there continues to be an uncertain future surrounding quarterback Deshaun Watson. Houston’s quarterback requested a trade in January before allegations of sexual assault arose. These have lingered throughout the remainder of the offseason. It is unclear if Watson will play in the NFL at all in 2021 but even if he does, it is unlikely that he will be wearing a Texans jersey.

Houston has said they would listen to trade offers for Watson, with the franchise said to be wanting three first-round picks. They have also acquired Tyrod Taylor via Free Agency and used their first pick in the draft on Davis Mills in the third round. Even if the Eagles stick with Hurts, there will be plenty of other suitors.

Even with Watson, the Texans are light on the ground when it comes to elite talent. Linebacker Zach Cunningham and Laremy Tunsil are talents and despite adding Phillip Lindsay and Mark Ingram to the running back room, the roster is one of the league’s worst.

David Culley has developed somewhat of a worrying reputation after his time with the Eagles, Chiefs, and Baltimore Ravens. During his fourteen-season spell with the Eagles, his four seasons with the Chiefs, and two years with the Ravens, he had 0 wide receivers earn a PFF grade of 80 or above.

The Chiefs wideouts went an entire season without a touchdown under Culley. With a wide receiver room featuring Brandin Cooks, Nico Collins and Anthony Miller, this is not exactly a position of strength for the Texans. Culley is unlikely to see any of these receivers score high PFF grades.

Whilst the Texans might be playing the Jacksonville Jaguars twice and the Jets, they have a tough schedule. They will face the Cleveland Browns, Buffalo Bills, Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins and Seattle Seahawks. Houston will also play the Los Angeles Chargers and the San Francisco 49ers as well as the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans twice.

They are unlikely to win many of these games. Fans should be expecting a difficult season.

Prediction: 2-15

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