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

The post Expect the Lions, Eagles, and Texans to have the worst records in 2021 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The Philadelphia Eagles are strongly considering acquiring Houston Texans star dusted, controversial Deshaun Watson. According to Howard Eskin, who is a sports reporter in Philadelphia, he believes there is a 90% chance Philly reels in the elite Texans QB. There is clearly an ascending belief around Eagles nation that the fit makes too much sense and a deal will most likely be put in place for Nick Sirianni to snag his targeted QB. 

In terms of Watson’s outlook, the QB who is under lots of uncertainty believes there is a “good chance” he suits up in 2021. If a deal is established between Eagles nation and Watson, then Watson proceeds to play in 2021, the question begs to ask: What would the Eagles team look like next season under the new signal-caller? 

The former Eagles team led by Doug Pederson finished dead last in the NFC East a year ago. If Watson is in the building with the new leader Nick Sirianni, it would be at least a three to five game winning difference in 2021. With a generational talent like himself, it is enjoyable and possible to imagine a deep playoff run, but it really would put themselves with a fine, noticeable, yet not an unearthly improvement.

They should boast an extraordinarily strong chance of claiming at least 7 to 9 wins with Watson under the helm. It may not be a superior juggernaut team in the NFC, but they would at least be able to compete for the East title down to the wire. The Washington Football Team under Ryan Fitzpatrick at QB appear as the clear favorites to capture NFC East prominence for the second year in a row, but Watson’s mobility against the fiery Washington pass rush rotation in a head-to-head matchup (Eagles play Washington Week 15 and Week 17) is sure to be a serious a clear x-factor.

The Eagles and Washington are clearly different teams, under new coaching staffs, with a new attitude, but the Eagles did put up a serious fight against Washington in Week 17 of last season. Even with the unpopular benching of Jalen Hurts, the Eagles lost to the WFT by a score of 20-14. The Eagles would have slightly different tweaks around the roster, but a sizable improvement at QB. Meanwhile, the Washington team will still have an average ranked QB in Fitzmagic with largely the same team.

Throughout the season, If the Eagles defense plays average at least, it should be enough for Watson to get enough victories with his utmost prominent playmaking ability himself. Some may question why Watson could carry the hopeful Eagles if he could not bring the Texans to playoff royalty with an MVP-like season, he flexed in 2020. Well, the Texans defense didn’t just do a poor job at complementing Watson, they did a flat-out horrific job. The Eagles total defense was 19^th in the total YPG allowed, while the Texans defensive unit was 30^th in the league. The Texans just gave up three fewer yards than the 32^nd ranked Lions defense that played Aaron Rodgers twice a season.

It is also important to note that the Texans had two teams in their own division that made the playoffs: Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans. The Texans flashed a combined 0-4 record against those opponents. In the East, there was not a true playoff-like talent, but rather a team that won the “least” NFL division with six wins. The rule that every division must send a team to the playoff dance is certainly questionable, especially during NFL seasons like last year.

On the horizon, Watson has been working relentlessly this offseason, as the former Clemson star has a massive chip on his shoulder. If he heads up north, he should have very strong weaponry to utilize. The Eagles currently possess the top TE duo in the league (Zach Ertz, Dallas Goedert), a young talented wideout in Jalen Reagor, and all of this explosion will be taking place behind an offensive line led by the well reputable Lane Johnson, a unit that could be stout if it can stay healthy. Expect Watson to show another elite season of play with a more talented supporting cast, amid a weaker division.

The post Would the Eagles be NFC East favorites with Deshaun Watson? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Andy Davies

What a difference a year makes. In January 2020, Houston Texans let a 24-0 lead slip against the Kansas City Chiefs. Just over a year later and star quarterback Deshaun Watson officially wants out.

Legal troubles have surrounded Watson these past few months, leaving a massive amount of uncertainty over the status of their QB come week 1.

Davis Mills was taken in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft, with the Texans’ first selection. Has this signalled the end of the Deshaun Watson Houston Texans Era?

The Demise Of The Texans

Ever since the aforementioned loss to Kansas City, the franchise has seen a domino effect decline. There was the infamous trading of wide receiver Deandre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals, a player considered by many as the best in the league in his position.

Head coach Bill O’Brien, who executed the trade, was immediately on the hot seat and was fired after just four games in the 2020 season.

Romeo Crennel was brought in as interim head coach but could only guide the Texans to a 4-12 record.

Whether or not Deshaun Watson stays put in Houston or not, this is likely to last just one more year. Legal punishment or a ban from the NFL could see Watson miss part of the season, if not the whole campaign. Watson could also sit out in order to earn a trade.

A Complete Overhaul

The Texans finished 4-12 with Watson having his best season statistically. Imagine how they would perform without their quarterback?  This is likely to see the Texans amongst the top three picks in the next NFL Draft.

This is a bleak thought for Texans, who failed to address their defensive issues whilst also resigning to the fact that they may have to prepare for life without Watson.

The quarterback class in the 2022 NFL Draft is said to be one of the weakest in recent years. Oklahoma’s Spencer Rattler and Carolina’s Sam Howell are seen as the best two quarterback prospects.

With Tyrod Taylor arriving in the offseason, the Texans may not feel the need to draft a QB high in the draft. This is a solid quarterback but not one to take a franchise to a Super Bowl.

With the Watson situation, J.J. Watt having departed this offseason and Hopkins doing the same last year, it is likely that the three lynchpins of what was a promising team will all be gone by 2022.

This is a really unfortunate state of affairs for this Texans team. Except for a few players such as Zach Cunningham, Laremy Tunsil Philip Lindsay, Christian Kirksey, Shaq Lawson along with an ageing Mark Ingram and Randall Cobb, the Texans franchise are bereft of quality and star players.

There is a very good chance that the Texans have the worst record in 2022.

These players may need to be traded to obtain draft capital. Watson will be someone to attract the best draft picks but the longer he stays in Houston, the more his value diminishes.

The defense would need to be the Texans’ biggest priority considering the issues they had in 2020. They could also do with some dynamism in offense at both the tight end and wide receiver position.

Take a look at how the Miami Dolphins have gone about their business these past two years. They have traded players away to earn picks.

Gaining multiple draft picks can help Houston rebuild and get this franchise back to where they once were.

The post How do the Houston Texans rebuild? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Zac Alfers

Superstar quarterback Deshaun Watson is very angry with his current team the Houston Texans and has requested to be traded. So how did we get here? 

Last offseason the team shipped out DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals in a laughable trade that saw Houston bring in oft-injured running back David Johnson. This led to Watson voicing his frustrations with owner Cal McNair who assured the young signal caller he would be involved in future negotiations. Right on cue, McNair doubled-back on his word and hired Nick Caserio as general manager without consulting Watson. The Texans continue to deny any interest in trading their quarterback. Watson has stated he will not play for the team next season if they refuse to trade him. Eventually, something has to give.

“File:Seanryan18.jpg” by Yeppers212 is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

My feeling is, because of the bad blood brewing, Watson will be suiting up in a different uniform next season. CBS Sports NFL Insider Jonathon Jones thinks a realistic trade package for Watson could command at least three first-round picks. Given these numbers, there are only a handful of teams that have enough capital to put together an enticing deal. Here are five options for the Houston Texans to consider in order to replace their disgruntled quarterback.

The Miami Dolphins are one such team that has what it takes to pull off a mega-deal of this caliber. Here’s what the hypothetical trade package would look like.

TEXANS RECEIVE

• 2021 first-round pick (No. 3)
• 2021 first-round pick (No. 18)
• 2022 first-round pick
• 2023 second-round pick
• Tua Tagovailoa

OPTION #1 TUA TAGOVAILOA

My top option to fix Houston’s QB debacle is by trading for Tagovailoa. I was huge on him coming out of Alabama a year ago and I still think he has potential to develop into a franchise player. Tua was serviceable last year as a rookie, posting a 6-3 record as a starter while tossing for 1,814 and 11 TDs. The best part about this trade for Houston, is they restock their draft capital. Two first-rounders this year in a loaded draft class is a HUGE asset and allows the Texans to start building for the future.

OPTION #2 ZACH WILSON

Another route management could decide to take is using the No. 3 overall pick on a QB prospect. If McNair elects this route, the Texans would be in prime position to bring in Zach Wilson out of BYU. Wilson is a tall, athletic pocket passer whose biggest strength is his accuracy. He will provide Houston with a promising young signal caller to mold their team around. The potential of trading Tua for more picks also remains and could help expedite the team’s inevitable rebuild phase.

The New York Jets are another interesting trade candidate and is reportedly one of Watson’s top destinations. If the Jets want to get Watson in New York they will most likely have to offer up something along these lines.

TEXANS RECEIVE

• 2021 first-round pick (No.2)
• 2022 first-round pick 
• 2023 first-round pick
• 2021 second-round pick (No. 34)
• 2022 third-round pick
• Sam Darnold

OPTION #3 JUSTIN FIELDS

Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields is my favorite in the class and I’m not afraid to admit that. This trade allows the Texans to select Fields No. 2 overall in the 2021 draft while providing the team with some future first-round picks. Fields is an elite athlete with outstanding arm strength and is an underrated leader in the locker room. The team should also flip Darnold for extra picks however, I don’t expect the return to be as big as what Tua will command. 

OPTION #4 SAM DARNOLD/ANDY DALTON

Darnold, at just 23-years-old, can still potentially develop into a starting QB in his own right. If the Texans believe in the former USC product enough, they could decide to rock with Darnold next season. In turn they can use the No. 2 pick on Penei Sewell (Oregon, OT) or Ja’Marr Chase (LSU, WR) to initiate the rebuild. They could also trade down if the Texans feel that will bring in a surplus of draft capital. If Darnold is the best option at starter, a cheap veteran like Andy Dalton could be brought in to increase the level of competition in the QB room.

The Carolina Panthers are the last team who can reasonably trade for Watson next season. 

TEXANS RECEIVE

• 2021 first-round pick (No. 8)
• 2022 first-round pick
• 2021 second-round pick (No. 40)
• 2022 second-round pick
• Kawann Short 
• Shaq Thompson
• Teddy Bridgewater

OPTION #5 TEDDY BRIDGEWATER

In my opinion, this is the fastest way back to building a competitive team for the Texans. Houston will get two proven defensive starters in Kawann Short (DT) and Shaq Thomson (LB) while also landing a top-15 QB in Teddy Bridgewater to sweeten the deal. Even though this draft class is very talented, I’m going to take the established veteran every time. Still, the Texans have two solid picks in this year’s draft to bring in some youth onto the roster.

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