This is a very interesting matchup when we dive into the X’s and O’s. It’s very easy to say Seattle will run away with this one. They have a very good balanced offense with Kenneth Walker and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. They have two great blocking tight-ends who provide a huge impact in the running game. On defense they don’t blitz much, but they seem to get the quarterback with ease. On paper, their the better team. But wait a minute, does the better team always win? It’s about execution, it’s about timely plays at timely moments. It’s about field goals in pressure moments. All of these things play a factor in the outcome of the biggest game of the year. For the Patriots, they’ve been winning all year with smart QB play, a solid run game and tough hard nosed defense. There defense is a reflection of their tough hard nosed coach and Mike Vrabel. He has these guys believing, and why not the Patriots this year, why not?

What do the underdog (-4.5) Patriots have to do to win this game? I think first and foremost they must keep Seattle’s offense off the field. Seattle is way too dangerous, and they can score points very quickly. A couple mid-range passes to JSN and before you know it there on the 10 yard line. They should and will have a plan for JSN, because as he goes the rest of the team goes. He’s there #1 target and if they can shut him down They need to run the ball and control the clock as much as they can. They need to mix in some play action and throw short to intermediate throws. But most important be smart with the ball. Their margin for error in this game is very slim. They need to take advantage of certain opportunities and score touchdowns, not field goals when they have a chance. Also, they will need one if not two turnovers and create a short field for themselves. It’s important to remember, Sam Darnold has had his issues, and has made his mistakes in big games. I don’t think he just forgets about that, and maybe even thinks about it during this game. There is a lot of pressure in the biggest game of the season. But if he stays mistake free and lights it up, it could be a long game for the Patriots.

What do the favorites Seattle have to do? Well, that’s fairly simple. They need to play their game with a balanced offensive attack, play good defense and minimize turnovers. They cannot give the Patriots a short field. They need to “run up the score” and just keep the pedal on the gas. If they get up by 14 or 21 I think the game is over. They cannot let the Pats linger in this game and stay close. On the defensive side of the ball, they need to come after Maye early and often. He has been sacked 15 times in the 3 playoff games he’s played. If this continues, they will have no chance in this game. With all that said, my prediction is soley on the fact that whoever the critics thought would win and whatever they thought the score would be, either the opposite would happen or most of them were clearly wrong. Everybody is on that Seattle Train as they should be, there the better team, but slow your role!! I like the Patriots in a game where they frustrate Seattle with their potent D and create turnovers. In this game, Darnold may struggle, so how does he overcome that adversity. Everybody sit back on your couch and watch this, as it may be a different game then we all think it might be.

Patriots 21 Seattle 20

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Kenneth Walker III (@ DET) – Walker was sidelined last week with an oblique injury. This was the second game in a row Walker missed due to this injury. Zach Charbonnet filled in quite well for Walker as he racked up 2 rushing touchdowns. There is some optimism by the Seahawks staff that Walker will play this week but this one will need to be watched closely.

Austin Ekeler (@ ARI) – Ekeler suffered a concussion in the Commanders big-time win at Cincinnati Monday night. Before his injury, Ekeler was rolling and picked up a 24-yard rushing score. He has been a big part of the Washington offense early on so this injury could impact the Commanders offense overall.

Sam Darnold (@ GB) – Has there been a bigger surprise this season than Darnold? He has been outstanding in this Vikings offense and is coming off back-to-back top 10 finishes. Darnold suffered an injury to his knee Sunday but as of now, it looks to just be a knee bruise. It looks like he will be good to go Sunday in Green Bay.

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Vikings Move Up for J.J. McCarthy

The Minnesota Vikings have the draft capital and need to find their quarterback of the future. In comes J.J. McCarthy who has shot up draft boards this offseason. Whether you think McCarthy is worthy of a top 5 pick doesn’t matter at this point. Its become clear that many NFL execs are enamored with his ability to run a pro-style offense. Head coach Kevin O’Connell knows how to run an offense and if he likes McCarthy the Vikings will go all in.

Minnesota also brought in Sam Darnold this offseason but I see him more as a backup who can mentor the young QB. The Vikings have weapons and a strong o-line that can protect McCarthy.

Michael Penix Jr. to the Seahawks

Another quarterback to keep an eye on in this year’s draft is Michael Penix Jr. Penix is starting to climb up draft boards with some having him as 5th quarterback taken. The Seahawks seem like a perfect destination for the former Washington QB.

Penix can learn behind Geno Smith and compete with Sam Howell who Seattle traded for this offseason. Although he is not known as a runner Penix is sneaky athletic and can escape pressure if needed.

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QB DAWG Of The Week: Sam Darnold 21.90 FP

250 Passing Yards, 1 Passing TD, 1 6 Carries, 19 Rushing Yards, 1 Rushing TD (Projected: 12.26 FP)

Sam Darnold put in a solid performance to lead the Panthers to an upset victory over the Detroit Lions. The Panthers QB played his best game of the year when he threw for 250 yards and a TD to D.J. Moore. He also rushed in for a TD. The run game helped set the pace for the Panthers and made Darnold comfortable. Carolina is just a game back from the division lead as they face Tampa Bay in Week 17.

RB DAWG Of The Week: Cam Akers 34.70 FP

23 Carries, 118 Rushing Yards, 3 Rushing TDs, 2 Receptions, 29 Receiving Yards (Projected: 8.99 FP)

Cam Akers saved his fantasy owners with a performance for the ages. The Rams RB ran for 118 yards and three rushing TDs in a blowout victory over the Broncos. The LA Rams have interesting pieces for next year and Cam Akers looks to be the RB 1 next year.

WR DAWG Of The Week: Kendrick Bourne 24.90 FP

6 Receptions, 100 Receiving Yards, 1 Receiving TD, 1 Carry, 29 Rushing Yards (Projected: 2.87 FP)

Kendrick Bourne shocked everyone as he was the best WR in terms of overcoming fantasy projections this week. Bourne caught six passes 100 yards and a TD. He also had a run for 29 yards. Injuries to DeVante Parker and Hunter Henry gave him an opportunity to shine. He will need a repeat performance to help the Patriots against the Dolphins next week.

TE DAWG Of The Week: T.J. Hockenson 35.90 FP

13 Receptions, 109 Receiving Yards, 2 Receiving TDs (Projected: 12.43 FP)

T.J. Hockenson led all fantasy players this week with an amazing performance against the New York Giants. The big trade deadline acquisition caught 13 balls for 109 yards and two TDs. His move to the Vikings has been a blessing, especially with Kirk Cousins passing the rock around. He has a date with the Packers in Week 17.

DEF/ST DAWG Of The Week: Los Angeles Rams 21 FP

14-20 Points Allowed, 1 Defense TD, 4 Interceptions, 6 Sacks (Projected: 8.11 FP)

On Christmas, the Los Angeles Rams sent Nathaniel Hackett home with a dominating performance that shocked the NFL world. Cobie Durant took a pick-6 to the house as the final score. Larrell Murchison led the way with two sacks. Jalen Ramsey and Bobby Wagner each had a sack. Wagner’s interception even made Patrick Star laugh at Russell Wilson. This win basically ended the Denver Broncos season.

Thanks for reading! You can look forward to this series until the end of the season. You can check out the last installment of DAWGS Of Week 15.

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Trouble in South Beach: Is Miami going to be ok? They just dropped their second straight game to the LA Chargers. Have teams figured out Tua, and his high-powered offense? Defenses are playing two deep safeties and forcing them to play in the intermediary zone. We’ll see what happens but Miami might of lost their mojo.

AFC North: Both the Bengals and Ravens won games to stay solidified in the AFC playoff race. Ravens winners with a backup quarterback with the hopes of Lamar coming back in a few weeks. Now with Tyler Huntley down they will turn to their third string QB. I think this is the Bengals division to have. They are the hotter team with a healthy quarterback while the Ravens seem to be going in the opposite direction.

NFC Underdogs: Uh oh guess who’s climbing their way up the NFC playoff race. The Lions, yes the Detroit Lions! This isn’t a huge surprise, as Dan Campbell has this team playing inspired football. Jared Goff is playing confidently and the defense is all over the place flying around playing good ball. Detroit’s last four games, Jets, Panthers, Bears and Packers. This is a fairly easy schedule “on paper”. If I’m the Commanders, Giants and Seahawks I’m looking over my shoulder saying, “uh oh look who’s coming”. I wouldn’t be surprised if they somehow sneak in the playoffs as the #7 seed.

Carolina in my mind: How many had the Panthers going to Seattle and beating a formidable Seattle team. I know I didn’t. Shame on me though, Steve Wilkes has this team playing a confident brand of football. They are running the ball well and Sam Darnold is managing this team to key wins. Oh and by the way the Panthers are still in the NFC playoff hunt.

Trouble in Tampa: I’m hearing a lot of folks still giving the Bucs a chance, even after the way they’ve played this year. This team stinks, they’re slow, the defense isn’t what it was, and Brady just looks off. This team although atop the division is a bad team that will lose it’s first round playoff game, if they make the playoffs.

Buffalo Disrespect: Buffalo hasn’t looked like the same dominant Buffalo team we know and love. I still have the as one of the top 3 teams in the AFC, and with Josh Allen at the helm you can never count them out. The loss of Von Miller was huge for many reasons but they still are one of the teams to beat. This is a long 17 game season where good teams won’t look great every week. Look at the Cowboys who came very close to losing to the Texans. Buffalo will be just fine, and can compete with any of the top AFC teams.

Tough year for Arizona: Arizona had already been struggling this year with a record of 4-8. Their season took a turn for the worse, as not only did they lose to the Patriots, but they have appeared to lose Kyler Murray for the season. Although Colt McCoy is a viable backup, this loss puts them behind the eight ball and little hope to make the playoffs.

TY is back: Dallas Cowboys strengthened their lineup by adding a very talented TY Hilton. Dallas already has a decent WR corps, and maybe by adding TY this puts them over the top. I don’t think it does, as TY is very talented, but in order for them to keep winning there are other factors. When Dallas is rolling they’re playing suffocating D, and their run game is running on all cylinders, with some play-action sprinkled in. I’m curious how this works out and in order to get to the promised land they’ll have to overcome the mighty Eagles, most likely in Philly!

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By: Jake Rajala

The Carolina Panthers might have failed in the bachelor QB room this off-season, but they will still anticipate modest talent from Sam Darnold or their rookie QB Matt Corral. The 2022 QB1 will witness a resurrection from Christian McCaffrey, a superb WR (D.J. Moore, Robby Anderson) duo at his disposal, and an OL unit that should improve after the arrival of Austin Corbett and Bradley Bozeman.

I expect the Panthers young, hungry defense to continue to be another dangerous defense in the NFC South. The CAR defense lost Haason Reddick (11 sacks in 2021), but they will expect Yetur Gross-Matos to ascend opposite Brian Burns (Pro Bowler last season).

With that enunciated, the ultimate question is: what is the ceiling of the 2022 Panthers team? The Panthers won 5 games last season and it’s clear that it won’t be easy for the Panthers to be a playoff squad in a division with the loaded Tampa Bay Buccaneers and shiny New Orleans Saints.

Outside of the NFC South, the Panthers will face more brutal opponents. In fact, the Panthers will have the 12th most difficult schedule in 2022. The Panthers will face the following fierce opponents (excluding TB and NO): Los Angeles, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Arizona, Baltimore, and Denver. The Panthers will also face scrappy teams like Pittsburgh and San Francisco.

It will definitely be a challenge for the CMAC-featured Panthers to be a surprise NFC team with their upcoming schedule. I believe the Panthers will have a hard time going blow for blow with the Saints and Buccaneers in those four show-downs. With McCaffrey, the Panthers could hope to play spoilers against talented teams with less well-rounded defenses, such as Arizona, Baltimore, and even the Steelers. I feel that the Panthers ceiling is an 8-9 record, which is the same record as the 2021 Browns and 2021 Ravens. It won’t be easy for the Panthers to be a wild-card team next season, but they could be “competitive and see exciting growth from their rook QB or the highly motivated Darnold”.

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By: Jake Rajala

There are many NFL fans that believe Carolina Panthers wide receiver D.J. Moore is stuck on Sam Alcatraz Darnold island at this point in time. Moore is a quality football player, but the ultimate question is: how potent will the WR coming off three 1,000+ yard seasons be in the future?

Moore had a career-high 163 targets and he ranked fifth in target share last season with a healthy Robby Anderson and a porous 2021 passing attack. Nonetheless, the Panthers didn’t have Christian McCaffrey for 10 games last season. McCaffrey’s presence (100+ receptions in 2018 and 2019) should have a negative impact on Moore’s receiving game.

I still fully expect the Panthers QB situation to improve from last season. The Panthers gave up the fifth-most sacks last season and they should really benefit from the arrival of RB Austin Corbett and likely LG Bradley Bozeman. These two OL will be sure-fire upgrades over the prior LG/RG that left Darnold out to dry in 2021.

I love the floor of Moore and feel like he’s strongly attached to the hot seat that Matt Rhule is sitting on. I expect the Panthers to lean on Moore and CMAC a lot in 2023. He may not receive 150+ targets, but I still expect the 25-year-old to garner around 130 targets in each of the next few seasons. He signed a 3-year contract extension worth $61 million dollars this offseason.

It’s easy to not be a fan of Darnold with a million other peeps on social media, but I believe it’s honestly unclear if Darnold will be the future QB beyond 2022. He may burn out for the second straight season, but if he can have a “2018 Mitchell Trubisky-like season” with a stout OL, healthy McCaffrey, and his fantastic WR duo, he could be the starter for 1-to 2 more seasons at least. With that enunciated, I still am not the biggest fan of his ceiling. Moore might be underrated and a quality WR, but he will likely remain underrated for a couple of more seasons. The Panthers haven’t had a solid QB since a healthy Cam Newton and I don’t believe they will have a Top 10 QB in the near future. Assuming the Panthers don’t find a QB like Derek Carr in the next couple of seasons, I believe Moore is near the peak of his hype right now.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Carolina Panthers drafted the former Ole Miss signal-caller Matt Corral in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft. The Panthers coach that is on the hot seat entering 2022 stated “We would have taken him high” in reference to Corral. It was clear that Matt Rhule and Ben McAdoo were big fans of Corral’s fit in Charlotte.

Corral doesn’t have a shortage of arm strength, but he did have off-field concerns in the draft process. According to AL.com, Corral slipped in the draft due to his issues with alcohol, depression, and unreliable behavior. Baker Mayfield had similar off-field concerns as Corral, but his overall persona and ability still convinced the Browns to select him first overall.

Rest assured, Corral will have a lot of motivation and confidence on Day 1 as a Panther. He will join a QB room that features a hungry, yet disappointing Sam Darnold. It doesn’t matter if “Sam Darnold is 24” because he has taken steps backward and not forward, to say the least. It’s really a “do or die” season for Darnold in a Panthers uniform.

The ultimate question revolving around the Panthers QB room is: which QB will be the Panthers starting QB in 2022? I honestly expect Corral to recognize the opportunity and seize the starting QB gig. Rhule has been *very* aggressive for a QB this off-season and I expect the Panthers to roll the dice with Corral.

I expect Corral to be effective with CMAC and the play-action opportunities in the McAdoo’s offense. I don’t expect Rhule to be thrilled about handing the keys to the offense to the unfortunate familiar Panthers QB in Darnold. With that said, I believe the outlook for the Panthers QB situation is still scary in the short term. The NFL world witnessed the 2022 rookie Ian Book throw a pick-six on his first series in the NFL and I believe the Panthers could witness growing pains with Corral in 2022. Hopefully, the third-round draft pick can take positive strides and help his team progress from 2021 in the Tom Brady-led NFC South.

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By: Jake Rajala

The star cornerback Stephon Gilmore surprisingly signed with the Indianapolis Colts. The Gilmore signing with the Colts clearly means two things: The Colts are a serious dark horse Super Bowl contender and Sean McVay isn’t living in a Madden-like world. On the outlook, Gilmore is 31 years old and he’s looking to be a key factor in helping his new team win a Super Bowl before he’s washed up.

The 2022 Colts might not be better than the 2016 Atlanta Falcons squad, contrary to Pat McAfee’s recent take on the Gilmore featured Colts. Nonetheless, McAfee should be thrilled and the Colts are truly a popular AFC squad right now.

It’s clear that the Colts will have a positive addition in Gilmore. Well, what exactly is Jim Irsay’s team receiving in the former Patriot Super Bowl champion?

Well, Gilmore was a major factor in the Panthers exhibiting the fourth-ranked pass defense in 2021. Pro Football Focus graded Gilmore as the 14th best CB last season and he was supposed to be highly coveted by CAR. Yet, the “good” quarterback Sam Darnold and his squad couldn’t retain Gilmore or Haason Reddick.

I sincerely believe the late FA signee and introverted Gilmore can absolutely be a Top 10 CB with a Colts team that’s more talented than Matt Alcatraz Rhule island. The Colts don’t only have Deforest Buckner, but they also have Yannick Ngakouye (10 sacks in 2021) on their DL. Furthermore, they have Darius Leonard (PFF’s top-run defender in 2021) in their defense.

Gilmore was an absolute menace and the Defensive Player of the Year on a talented all-around Pats defense in 2019. The Colts CB certainly won’t be a DPOY candidate, but he will be uplifted into a quality contributor. The Colts should really get every penny out of the $23 million dollar man in the next two years.

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The Carolina Panthers have a big question mark at the quarterback position in 2022. The slightly more anxious Matt Rhule and the Panthers just re-signed XFL standout P.J. Walker on Monday. It’s also been reported by the New York Post that Sam Darnold will be in a Panthers uniform next season. 

It seems that the Panthers want to give Darnold a year of growth and allow him to compete with a likely newcomer at the QB position. The question unequivocally is: what will happen at the Panthers QB position? Well, here are a few potential names that would make sense to land in CAR. 

1. Jameis Winston 

This number 1 option might be strange, but it would make a lot of sense. There’s so much buzz surrounding “Russell Wilson landing in NOLA”, but not enough traction revolving around Jameis Winston’s next landing spot. If Wilson takes his talents to the Big Easy, there is a 0% Winston remains in New Orleans. I’d love to see the Panthers sign Winston vs drafting a QB round one in the 2022 draft. The Panthers have a shorter window to pursue the Lombardi trophy off the legs of Christian McCaffrey. They also have the WRs to move the chains at ease. They can insert a mega arm, 27-year-old QB in Winston this offseason. 

It would be a poetic move for Winston to sign with his third NFC South team. At least Winston could grow with talent on offense and the talented, youthful defense (particularly on the front seven). 

2. Sam Howell

Again … I wouldn’t want to see the Panthers notch a QB in round one. They can find a similar value QB with Sam Howell in round two, not to mention that they still carry a QB project in Darnold. Howell would be a beautiful pickup by the Panthers. Howell may have more gasoline on his arm than Darnold and he even he is a few years younger than Darnold. He could utilize deep threat, Robby Anderson, quite well for Rhule. 

Howell had 24 passing touchdowns, 9 interceptions, 3,056 passing yards, and a 76.1 passer rating in 2021. It was below his 2020 season performance truly. Howell recorded 30 touchdowns in 2020 and ousted a 179.1 passer rating. Howell even registered 38 passing touchdowns as a freshman.

Howell really has the arm talent to put up big numbers with Anderson and Moore if he can master the playbook. If he can’t, he could sit and let the Panthers build the roster for a year then he could potentially take the reigns in a soon-to-be Brady-less NFC South. QBs like Matt Ryan and Jameis Winston could also be out of the division in 2022 or 2023, as well.

3. Cam Newton

This option might appear ludicrous for 75% of Panthers nation, but Cam does have a knack to come back from the dead. I also agree that there is less than 10% of Newton being prepped as the QB1 at the start of the training camp. Yet, Darnold routinely faces the injury bug. He’s missed four games in each of the past two seasons. If another injury occurs to Darnold in preseason action and they really need a veteran QB instead of a rookie, it would be ideal that Cam is inserted or gets a phone call. 

There isn’t a single soul that can clock the book on Newton’s work ethic. If he stays in shape and shows that he still has a grasp on the Panthers offense, he can really be a serviceable QB for the familiar offense.

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