Cleveland Browns @ Houston Texans +2.5 (Saturday 4:30 PM EST on NBC)

Our first matchup of the weekend features two teams that many of us didn’t think would be here. The Browns have shuffled through 5 starting quarterbacks this season yet managed to finish an impressive 11-6. That is in large part due to their dominating defense which finished #1 in total team defense allowing just 270.2 yards per game.

The Texans meanwhile are playing with house money and are led by their star rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud. Stroud continues his strong rookie campaign where threw for 4000+ yards, 23 touchdowns and just 5 interceptions. The lack of turnovers was the most glaring stat as Stroud plays with the poise of a seasoned vet.

This game will come down to the wire and will be low-scoring. Expect Stroud to do just enough to pull off the upset at home and continue the Texans surprising season.

Game Pick: Texans 21 – Browns 14

Miami Dolphins @ Kansas City Chiefs -4.5 (Saturday 8:00 PM EST on Peacock)

Next up on Saturday night, we have a banged-up Dolphins team taking on the Chiefs in chilly Arrowhead. The weather will absolutely play a part in this matchup as temperatures as expected to be in the single digits come kickoff. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs are somewhat flying under the radar but you can’t count out Andy Reid and Mahomes in the playoffs.

Miami has been struggling lately as they come in losers of 2 straight. The Dolphins offense has come back down to earth a bit and is hoping star receiver Jaylen Waddle can return as he has been missed.

It’s hard to see the Dolphins coming out victorious in this one. Miami hasn’t been a good cold-weather team as Tua Tagovailoa has struggled in these types of games. Mahomes and the Chiefs move on setting up an intriguing Divisional round matchup.

Game Pick: Chiefs 24- Dolphins 16

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Buffalo Bills -10 (Sunday 1:00 PM EST on CBS/Paramount+)

Our first Sunday game features the red-hot Bills vs. the Steelers. The Bills wrapped up the AFC East title last week in Miami and are starting to look dangerous. This will also be a cold weather game with temperatures expected to be in the low 20s.

Pittsburgh is a heavy underdog in this matchup and rightfully so. They will be without their defensive star T.J. Watt who went down last week with a knee injury. Quarterback Mason Rudolph is set to start and he will have his hands full with this Buffalo defense.

This is a tough matchup for Mike Tomlin and the Steelers. They certainly weren’t expected to be here but just don’t have enough firepower to hang with the Bills. Look for a late backdoor cover for the Steelers in this one.

Game Pick: Bills 27 – Steelers 20

Green Bay Packers @ Dallas Cowboys -7.5 (Sunday 4:30 PM EST on FOX)

The first NFC matchup of the weekend will be in Dallas where the NFC East champions take on the surprising Packers. Dallas has been dominant at home where they posted a perfect 8-0 record. Most of those games haven’t been close with the exception of the Lions game that featured the controversial 2-point conversion.

Jordan Love and the Packers will be playing with nothing to lose as they were expected to have a down year in Love’s first year under center. It has been anything but that and Love has shown he can be the quarterback of the future in Green Bay.

The playoff atmosphere is different and with the lights on I think the Cowboys come out flat. They will eventually find their groove but expect the Packers to hang around until the end.

Game Pick: Cowboys 31 – Packers 24

Los Angeles Rams @ Detroit Lions -3 (Sunday 8:00 PM EST on NBC)

In the Sunday nightcap, we have the Matthew Stafford Bowl in Detroit. To me, this is the best game of the weekend with so many storylines to explore. Along with Stafford coming back to Detroit you also have Jared Goff looking for revenge against the team that gave up on him.

You have to be impressed with what Dan Campbell did for the Lions this season. Not only did they capture their first-ever NFC North title but they have turned this once lowly franchise into one of the best teams in the league. The Lions also feature one of the most coveted head coaching candidates in Ben Johnson. Johnson is the next great offensive mind and it looks like this is the year he becomes a head coach.

The Rams come into Detroit with confidence as they are winners of 4 straight. They are led by impressive rookie Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams who both look to be late-round steals. While I do think the Rams will hang around for most of the game Detroit will be too much at home in this one.

Game Pick: Lions 28 – Rams 21

Philadelphia Eagles @ Tampa Bay Bucs +3 (Monday 8:15 PM EST on ABC/ESPN)

Finally, we end Wild Card weekend with a Monday night showdown in Tampa Bay. The Eagles, who were once favorites to win the NFC come in losing 5 of their last 6 games. They have key injuries on both sides of the ball but their defense has let this team down all year.

The Bucs are another one of the surprising teams to make the playoffs. It was supposed to be a rebuilding year in Tampa but they were able to sneak into the playoffs thanks to the lowly NFC South. They now get a home playoff game and will look to avenge a week 3 loss against the Eagles.

This game comes down to who is the healthier team and right now that’s Tampa Bay. A.J. Brown has a knee injury and is not practicing while quarterback Jalen Hurts has a sprained middle finger on his throwing hand. Philadelphia is reeling and this game will put an end to a season that had so much promise.

Game Pick: Bucs 24 – Eagles 14

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Not the Same Old Cowboys

This year feels different in Dallas as they have found a winning formula on both sides of the ball. On defense, they are tied for second in takeaways with 21 on the year. Led by rising star DaRon Bland who leads the league with 8 interceptions and a league-high 5 pick sixes, the Cowboys defense is allowing just 17.9 points per game.

On offense it’s all about Dak Prescott and he is thriving with head coach Mike McCarthy now calling the plays. Many including myself questioned why the Cowboys would let Kellen Moore walk this past offseason. It’s safe to say that gamble paid off as Prescott looks much more comfortable this year.

Last season Prescott led the league in interceptions with 15 in just 12 games. This year he only has 6 in 13 games and more importantly, he’s cut down on the number of bad throws. In 2022 his percentage of poor throws was 17.3% and this year it’s down to just 11%. McCarthy has emphasized to not force the deep shots if they’re not there and instead check down to the higher percentage throw.

The Road Ahead

The next two weeks will go a long way in not only deciding the MVP race but also the top seed in the NFC. Dallas has back-to-back road games at @Buffalo and @Miami on deck. If they want to show the world they are for real they will need to win at least one of these games and look competitive in both. The biggest knock on the previous Cowboys teams was their inability to win road playoff games. Now is their chance to show they are a legit contender as the next 2 games will have playoff-like atmospheres.

NFL MVP Odds

As you can see above, Prescott currently leads the odds for NFL MVP with Brock Purdy not far behind. It certainly seems like a two-man race but don’t discount Tua Tagovailoa yet. If Tua and the Dolphins can continue their winning ways and take down the Cowboys in Miami things could get really interesting.

The post Is Dak Prescott the Frontrunner for MVP? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

For the most part, quarterbacks who have more pocket time are more successful but that’s not always the case. If an offense is designed to get the ball out quickly the pocket time will obviously be shorter than the average. With that said let’s take a look at the pocket time for quarterbacks so far and point out some interesting facts.

In the chart above I took out quarterbacks who played less than 7 games. This way we get a good sample size of games played and can focus in on starting quarterbacks. I also kept in sacks, hurries and knockdowns to analyze if a reduced pocket time led to more quarterback pressures. Finally, I kept in passer rating to see if more pocket time led to a better overall rating. Let’s now focus on the quarterbacks that stick out to me.

Tua Tagovailoa and Trevor Lawrence

Tua Tagovailoa and Trevor Lawrence headline the bottom of this list with the least amount of pocket time. These two quarterbacks have their teams at the top of the AFC despite the least amount of pocket time. How are they so successful? Well for one the Dolphins offense is built on motion, misdirection and getting the ball out quickly. These play designs are built perfectly for Tagovailoa who doesn’t have to sit back in the pocket and absorb pressure.

In the case of Trevor Lawrence he is one the best at getting the ball out quickly and to his playmakers. Like Tagovailoa the Jaguars run a lot of RPO plays but their ADOT (Average Depth of Target) for wide receivers is 6.9 yards which is towards the bottom of the league.

Sam Howell and Patrick Mahomes

Next, let’s look at sacks and the two quarterbacks who are at the top and bottom of this category. Commanders quarterback Sam Howell has been sacked a massive 41 times so far this season but how many of those sacks are on him? Howell has an average pocket time of 2.4 seconds which is towards the top of the league. The problem with Howell is he at times holds on to the ball too long looking for the big play.

In contrast, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has only been sacked 10 times this season and has the 2nd highest pocket time at 2.6 seconds. Does that mean the Chiefs offensive line is that much better? Not necessarily as Mahomes is the best in the NFL at pocket movement and buying time with his legs. It will be fascinating to watch how these pocket times change in the 2nd half of the season for these quarterbacks and the ones that make the playoffs.

The post Analyzing Pocket Time for Quarterbacks So Far appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Things to look for: After struggling Week 1 against the Jets, the Bills seems to be running on all their cylinders as they battle the Dolphins this week. Granted they played the Commanders who seems to have issues on both sides of the ball. Miami is an offensive juggernaut right now who seem unstoppable. They have all the weapons and even without Jaylen Waddle they will be hard to beat. I think in this game they come back to earth, with Tua Tagovailoa under a lot of pressure.

Who has the edge: Many people will overreact after last weeks dominant win and say Dolphins all the way. Let’s pump the brakes on that one as playing in Buffalo, even in the Fall is very difficult. This game has 34-31 in OT written all over it as both teams can put up a lot of points. What do the Bills plan to do with Tyreek Hill who they have experience playing against both with the Dolphins and Chiefs. They can’t give up the big play and somehow force Miami to run with Raheem Mostert. This will play into their strength of a solid run defense. For Buffalo, they will need to put up points and force a few turnovers from Tua.

Prediction: Buffalo 34 Miami 31 in OT

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Last Weeks Record 11-4

Tennessee Titans at Cleveland Browns

Cleveland had the worse possible thing happen last week in losing their star RB in Nick Chubb. To replace him, they picked up Kareem Hunt who has familiarity with this offense. Look for the Titans defense to shut down Deshaun Watson and Hunt at home.

PREDICTION: Tennessee 24 Cleveland 17

Atlanta Falcons at Detroit Lions

Detroit will have no David Montgomery in this game, and are coming off a tough loss to the Seahawks. Look for them to bounce back in this game although Atlanta is playing well at 2-0. I think Detroit’s D will be too much for Atlanta in this game, as they will force a few turnovers.

PREDICTION: Detroit 27 Atlanta 23

New Orleans Saints at Green Bay Packers

These teams are pretty even with the Saints undefeated so far. Green Bay is a tough place to play and if they can get Aaron Jones going they’ll win this game. Jordan Love needs to minimize any mistakes and the defense needs to step up.

PREDICTION: Green Bay 24 Saints 20

Denver Broncos at Miami Dolphins

Denver is coming off a tough loss to the Commanders after being in control the first half. Russell Wilson has played well at times but is also still struggling. These two teams are trending in opposite directions and Miami looks awfully tough to beat. They have too many weapons and Tua Tagovailoa is playing exceptional. Denver falls to 0-3 after a dominant win by the Dolphins

PREDICTION: Dolphins 31 Broncos 17

Los Angeles Chargers at Minnesota Vikings

I don’t think the Vikings are going to the Super Bowl, but I also think there better than their record. This is why I see them bouncing back in this game. They can’t just rely on Justin Jefferson, they need to get the run game going which will help set up the pass.

PREDICTION: Vikings 30 Rams 23

New England Patriots at New York Jets

New England will bounce back in this game and get their first win on the road. Zach Wilson is clearly not the answer at QB and unless the Jets defense scores 21 points, they will not win this game.

PREDICTION: Patriots 23 Jets 13

Buffalo Bills at Washington Commanders

Washington is coming off an impressive come from behind road win against the Russell Wilson led Broncos. Their defense has struggled at time especially with giving up the big play. Washington will try and take away that big play threat against Buffalo and most likely force them to run and keep things in front of them. Eric Bieniemy has experience against the Bills which should help them with play calling. I’m gonna take Washington at home by a field goal.

PREDICTION: Washington 23 Bills 20

Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars

Jacksonville bounces back this week against a young Texans team. Houston is rebuilding and trying to figure out how good CJ Stroud is.

PREDICTION: Jaguars 28 Texans 10

Indianapolis Colts at Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore is on a roll and Lamar Jackson appears to be playing at a high level two games in. Gus Edwards has stepped up in JK Dobbins’ absence and hasn’t skipped a beat. Baltimore’s D will be too much for the Colts and so the Ravens will remain undefeated.

PREDICTION: Ravens 23 Colts 10

Carolina Panthers at Seattle Seahawks

Similar to the Texans/Jaguars game, Seattle is playing a young inexperienced QB who they will try to make life difficult for. Seattle is a tough place to play for an offense. Look for the Seahawks to create turnovers and hold the Panthers to around 10 points.

PREDICTION: Seattle 24 Panthers 10

Chicago Bears at Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs haven’t looked like themselves the last few weeks and stand at 1-1. Folks are wondering if there offense is so different after their OC left this year. I think they’ll start running on all cylinders in a few games, especially when you have Patrick Mahomes at QB.

PREDICTION: Chiefs 31 Bears 13

Dallas Cowboys at Arizona Cardinals

This game could be really, really bad for the Cards who will go up against the #1 ranked defense. Even with Trevon Diggs out for the season, the pass rush is way too good. Cards need to run the ball to have any success, but even that will be tough. The Cowboys win big in this one.

PREDICTION: Cowboys 38 Cards 7

Pittsburgh Steelers at Las Vegas Raiders

When will Najee Harris break out? Will their offense take a step foward this week? These are the questions I’m asking coming into week 3 with the Raiders playing against the Steelers. The Steelers D will keep them in this game the question will be can their offense score at least two TD’s. I like the Steelers in a close one.

PREDICTION: Steelers 24 Raiders 21

Philadelphia Eagles at Tampa Bay Bucanneers

The Eagles are 2-0 but if you dig deeper they haven’t played their best football. Tampa is playing well with Baker Mayfield but he could struggle in this game. The Eagles D-line is too good and will make Baker’s life miserable. I’ll take Eagles in a close one.

PREDICTION: Eagles 30 Tampa 27

LA Rams at Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals are struggling but as a team where too good to go to 0-3. Especially at home they should win this game. Pay attention to Joe Burrow‘s ankle as he’s battling through that. The Bengals need to get Ja’Marr Chase involved more and mix in more Joe Mixon.

PREDICTION: Bengals 28 Rams 24

The post 2023 Week 3 NFL Picks appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

NFL Week 2 Game Recap: Seattle Seahawks 37, Detroit Lions 31

The Seattle Seahawks won 37-31 in walk-off fashion on the road in Detroit as Geno Smith found Tyler Lockett, who reached out for the pylon. Smith led Seattle to a turnover-free victory, going 32-for-41 with 328 yards and two touchdowns. Both passing touchdowns were to Lockett, who racked up eight catches for 59 yards. Seattle also found success on the ground, rushing for 82 yards and two touchdowns.

Seahawks receiver D.K. Metcalf left the game in the first quarter with a rib injury, and headed to to the locker room. He returned shortly after, finishing the game with six receptions for 75 yards, as Geno Smith spread the targets around all game. Turnovers proved to be the downfall for Detroit. The Lions fumbled the ball away twice in a row, one to end the first half and another to begin the second half. Jared Goff then threw a pick-six to Seattle cornerback Tre Brown, who ran it back 40 yards to the house. Late in the fourth quarter, Goff led the Lions down the field for a game-tying field goal, forcing overtime with a score of 31-31. However it was not enough for the Lions, who fall to 1-1 after the loss. Meanwhile, Seattle also moves to 1-1 with the victory.

NFL Week 2 Game Recap: Buffalo Bills 38, Las Vegas Raiders 10

Josh Allen led the Buffalo Bills to a stress-free victory at home, going 31-for-37 with 274 yards and three touchdowns. Both the Bills and the Las Vegas Raiders move to 1-1 on the season.

The ball seemed to be in the hands of the Bills all game, as the Buffalo defense forced three turnovers. Linebackers Matt Milano and Terrel Bernard both intercepted Jimmy Garoppolo, and Taylor Rapp recovered a Zamir White fumble. Josh Allen spread the touches throughout the offense, finding Gabe Davis, Khalil Shakir, and Dawson Knox for touchdowns. The run game was unstoppable for the Bills, led by James Cook who ran for 123 yards, as Damien Harris and Latavius Murray ran in a touchdown each. Allen had no turnovers and looked comfortable in a bounce-back victory.

NFL Week 2 Game Recap: Baltimore Ravens 27, Cincinnati Bengals 24

Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens went on the road to Cincinnati and avoided a Bengals second half comeback, winning the game 27-24. The Ravens move to 2-0 on the year, as the Bengals fall to 0-2.

Jackson completed 24 passes on 33 attempts for 237 yards and two touchdowns. He added 54 yards on the ground, as the Ravens ran for 178 yards as a team, including a Gus Edwards touchdown. Safety Geno Stone intercepted Joe Burrow to begin the second half, and the Ravens turned it into a touchdown on the next drive.

Burrow and the Bengals made a late push in the second half, with a final drive consisting of 16 plays for 80 yards and a touchdown, making the score 27-24. The Cincinnati offense struggled, rushing for just 66 total yards as Burrow went 27-for-41 with 222 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

NFL Week 2 Game Recap: Kansas City Chiefs 17, Jacksonville Jaguars 9

In a low scoring affair, the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars by a score of 17-9. Both teams move to 1-1 on the season.

The first five possessions resulted in punts, before Jacksonville finally took a 3-0 lead on a field goal. The Chiefs fumbled the ball away on the following possession, before Patrick Mahomes was picked off by Jaguars safety Andre Cisco. Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars offense struggled to move the ball all day, as the third year quarterback went 22-for-41 for 216 yards and no touchdowns. The ground game was no better, producing just 74 yards as the Jaguars failed to find the endzone. Kicker Brandon McManus was the lone scorer for Jacksonville, going 3-for-3. Mahomes finished the game 29-for-41 with 305 yards and two touchdowns, finding Travis Kelce on one of them.

NFL Week 2 Game Recap: Tennessee Titans 27, Los Angeles Chargers 24

The Tennessee Titans beat the Los Angeles Chargers 27-24 in an overtime thriller, as Nick Folk kicked the game-winning 41 yard field goal. The Titans move to 1-1 on the season, as the Chargers fall to 0-2.

Los Angeles got out to an early 11-0 lead after a Keenan Allen touchdown and a converted two-point conversion. Ryan Tannehill came back with a 70-yard pass to Treylon Burks, as Derrick Henry finished the drive with a touchdown, making the score 11-7. Both teams went back and forth all game, with impressive outings from both quarterbacks. Justin Herbert found Keenan Allen and Mike Williams consistently, with both receivers finishing the game with 8 receptions and a combined 194 yards. Allen brought in two touchdown passes, as the Chargers marched down the field for a field goal to send the game to overtime with a score of 24-24. The Chargers won the coin toss and got the ball first in overtime, but went three and out and punted the ball back to the Titans offense. Tannehill led them down the field for an 8 play, 37 yard drive to give Nick Folk a 41 yard field goal for the win, which he put down the middle.

NFL Week 2 Game Recap: Atlanta Falcons 25, Green Bay Packers 24

The Atlanta Falcons squeaked by the Green Bay Packers by a score of 25-24, including an electric fourth quarter comeback by the Falcons. Green Bay falls to 1-1 on the season as Atlanta goes to 2-0.

The Packers got out to a 24-12 lead in the third quarter after Jordan Love found Jayden Reed in the endzone for his second touchdown of the game. Desmond Ridder and the Falcons ground-and-pound offense put together an eight play, 75 yard drive for a touchdown of their own, as Ridder ran it in himself to make the score 24-19. The Falcons defense forced a punt and drove down the field for a field goal, cutting the deficit to 24-22. After forcing yet another punt, Atlanta went 12 plays for 66 yards, setting up a 25 yard field goal for Younghoe Koo. The made field goal put the Falcons ahead 25-24, ultimately winning them the game. Jordan Love finished the game 14-for-25 with 151 yards and three touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough to hold off the Falcons.

NFL Week 2 Game Recap: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27, Chicago Bears 17

Baker Mayfield shined, leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 27-17 victory over the Chicago Bears. The Buccaneers move to 2-0 on the season, as the Bears fall to 0-2.

Although the Bears scored on their first possession, it was all Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers for the rest of the afternoon. Mayfield found Mike Evans wide open on a deep pass that Evans took 70 yards downfield, inside the 10 yard line. The big play setup for a Rachaad White touchdown run, giving the Buccaneers a 10-7 lead. Mayfield connected with Evans again in the third quarter for a 32 yard touchdown, making the score 20-10.

The Buccaneers defense gave Justin Fields fits all game, sacking him six times. In the fourth quarter, Fields connected with Chase Claypool for a 20 yard touchdown, making the score 20-17. The bears got the ball back after forcing a punt, beginning the drive on their own seven yard line. After a couple penalties, Justin Fields dropped back and had his pass tipped and intercepted by Shaquil Barrett, who brought it just a few steps into the endzone, giving the Buccaneers a convincing 27-17 victory at home.

NFL Week 2 Game Recap: Indianapolis Colts 31, Houston Texans 20

The Indianapolis Colts stole a game on the road in a divisional matchup as they beat the Houston Texans 31-20. The Colts move to 1-1 on the season as the Texans fall to 0-2.

Anthony Richardson ran it in for a touchdown on the Colts’ first two drives of the game, making it 14-0. On the second touchdown, he took a shot causing his head to bounce off the turf, forcing the fourth overall draft pick to be evaluated for a concussion. The rookie quarterback was ruled out for the rest of the game, leaving the Colts with backup quarterback Gardner Minshew. Minshew took over and went 19-of-23 for 171 yards and a touchdown, maintaining the lead. The new acquisition at running back Zack Moss contributed 18 carries for 88 yards and a touchdown, as the Texans couldn’t stop the Indianapolis offense.

Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud had an impressive outing in the loss, going 30-for-47 with 384 yards and two touchdowns. Stroud connected with Nico Collins and fellow rookie Tank Dell seven times each, for a combined 218 yards. Each of the receivers brought in a touchdown, as the Colts bounced back from their week one home loss.

NFL Week 2 Recap: New York Giants 31, Arizona Cardinals 28

The New York Giants rallied for a 21 point comeback on the road against the Arizona Cardinals, the third comeback that size in Giants history. With a 20-0 lead at halftime, and a 28-7 lead in the third quarter, Arizona allowed 24 unanswered points to fall to 0-2 on the season. Meanwhile, the Giants move to 1-1 on the season following the rollercoaster of a week two game.

The Giants went scoreless for the first six quarters of the season, the first time since 1934. Cardinals quarterback Joshua Dobbs showed his athleticism all first half, using his legs to gain yards along with scrambling out of the pocket to make throws on the run. On Arizona’s third possession, Dobbs dropped back to pass and found an opening up the middle, taking it 23 yards for a touchdown, trucking a giants defender just before falling into the endzone. The play gave Arizona an early 14-0 lead, which would quickly grow before the half ended. 

Daniel Jones and the Giants offense came storming back in the third quarter, with help from Saquon Barkley, who scored both a receiving and rushing touchdown before leaving the field with an ankle injury towards the end of the game. The injury took away from the stunning comeback, as the Giants await the information on his ankle.

NFL Week 2 Game Recap: San Francisco 49ers 30, Los Angeles Rams 23

The San Francisco 49ers went on the road to SoFi Stadium, pulling away with a 30-23 win over the Los Angeles Rams. San Francisco elevates to 2-0 on the season as Los Angeles falls to 1-1 following the divisional matchup.

Two interceptions thrown by Matt Stafford proved to be the difference Sunday afternoon. With just under five minutes remaining in the game and the Rams trailing 27-20, Stafford looked across the middle for Van Jefferson but was picked off by Deommodore Lenoir.

Christian McCaffrey was in mid-season form, rushing for 116 yards on 20 carries to go with a touchdown. Brock Purdy missed some throws on big plays throughout the game, but was sufficient, going 17-for-25 for 206 yards, along with a rushing touchdown of his own. All three of the 49ers touchdowns came on the ground and the Rams defense had no answer. 

With Cooper Kupp sidelined, Puka Nacua was the focus once again for the Rams offense. He racked up 15 receptions for 147 yards, making him the first player in NFL history to record at least 10 receptions and 100 receiving yards in his first two games of his career. Meanwhile running back Kyren Williams got 20 total touches with both a receiving and rushing touchdown, proving why he should replace Cam Akers in the backfield.

NFL Week 2 Recap: Washington Commanders 35, Denver Broncos 33

The Washington Commanders completed the thriller comeback on the Denver Broncos, holding off a late game hail mary to win by a score of 35-33. Denver completed a hail mary as time expired, but couldn’t convert the two point conversion to force overtime. The Commanders move to 2-0 on the season as the Broncos fall to 0-2.

The Broncos jumped out to a 21-3 lead early into the first half, including a Marvin Mims Jr. one-play, 60 yard touchdown pass from Russel Wilson. The Commanders cut the lead to 21-14 before halftime, and continued into the second half as the defense immediately forced a punt. The offense took over and scored a touchdown on its first drive as Sam Howell found Terry McLaurin in the middle of the endzone for a 30 yard touchdown, tying the game 21-21.

Denver eventually got the ball back with a chance to tie the game. After moving the ball to midfield, Russel Wilson and company had one last chance to force overtime. The deep hail mary pass was tipped around before being brought in by Brandon Johnson for his second touchdown of the game, making the score 35-33. The two point conversion, a pass intended for Courtland Sutton was incomplete as the Broncos looked for a pass-interference call but didn’t get it.

Sam Howell finished the game with an impressive 27 completions on 39 attempts for 299 yards and two touchdown passes. Running back Brian Robinson Jr. also ran in for a pair of touchdowns himself.

NFL Week 2 Game Recap: Dallas Cowboys 30, New York Jets 10

The Dallas Cowboys beat the New York Jets handedly by a score of 30-10 as the Cowboys defense dominated for the second week in a row. Dallas moves to 2-0 on the season as the Jets fall to 1-1.

Micah Parsons and the Cowboys defense looked unstoppable in week two, intercepting Jets quarterback Zach Wilson three times. Parsons recorded two sacks and four hits on Wilson, as Jayron Kearse, Malik Hooker, and Trevon Diggs each intercepted a pass.

Ceedee Lamb showed he didn’t need the help of Brandin Cooks, who missed the game due to a sprained knee. Lamb recorded 11 catches for 143 yards, with big plays setting up for multiple scores for Dallas. Kicker Brandon Aubrey went five-for-five on field goals, as Dak Prescott found tight ends Jake Ferguson and Luke Schoonmaker for a touchdown each. 

The lone touchdown for the Jets came from star receiver Garret Wilson, who caught a pass across the middle and took it 68 yards to the house, marking his longest touchdown of his career thus far. Other than that, there wasn’t much going for Zach Wilson and the Jets offense, who recorded 215 total yards. Parsons along with the rest of the ruthless Dallas front four pressured Wilson all game, showing why they are one of the best defenses in the NFL.

NFL Week 2 Game Recap: Miami Dolphins 24, New England Patriots 17

The Miami Dolphins held off a late comeback by the New England Patriots, winning the game 24-17 as a lateral to Cole Strange came up short on fourth down. 

Tua Tagovailoa took what the defense gave him for most of the night, finding Jaylen Waddle five times for 86 yards. The Dolphins had plenty of success on the ground as well, as Raheem Mostert took 18 carries for 121 yards and two touchdowns.

Rookie Cornerback Christian Gonzalez kept Tyreek Hill in check for the most part, holding the star receiver to four receptions for 56 yards and a touchdown, with the touchdown coming on a play where Gonzalez was not covering Hill.

Mac Jones finished the game 31-for-42 with 231 yards, one touchdown and one interception. The interception came at the end of the third quarter after the Patriots drove down the field into the redzone. Xavien Howard picked off the pass intended for DeVante Parker on the sideline at the Miami three yard line, putting an end to New Englands’ drive and keeping the score at 17-3.

The Patriots cut the lead down in the fourth quarter following a Mac Jones scramble for 18 yards, the longest run of the night for New England. Jones found Hunter Henry on the run for a six yard touchdown pass, making the score 17-10.

On the next Miami possession, Tagovailoa threw it deep down the left side of the field to Tyreek Hill as the pass was intercepted by Christian Gonzalez. The rookie first round pick made a leaping catch over Hill, giving the Patriots the ball back.

The Dolphins forced a three and out, getting the ball back on the New England 43 yard line. On the first play of the drive, Raheem Mostert took a handoff up the middle 43 yards untouched to the endzone, extending the lead to 24-10.

Mac Jones led the Patriots to a 9 play 75 yard drive ending with a Rhamondre Stevenson touchdown run to cut the lead down to 24-17.

The Dolphins took the ball and drove it into Patriots territory, before the snap was fumbled on third and one. Tua recovered the fumble, but the mistake forced Miami to kick a 55 yard field goal. With concern for Brenden Schooler, who blocked the previous field goal, Jason Sanders missed the field goal, giving the Patriots an opportunity to tie or win the game.

After finding Kendrick Bourne for a pair of completions, Mac Jones was sacked by Bradley Chubb for a loss of 8 yards. New England was faced with a fourth and four, where Mac Jones completed a pass to Mike Gesicki short of the first down line. Gesicki threw a lateral to offensive lineman Cole Strange, who was stopped short of the marker, ending the comeback for the Patriots.

The win brings the Dolphins to 2-0 on the season, as the Patriots fall to 0-2.

The post NFL Game Recaps Week 2 (2023) appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Las Vegas Raiders at Buffalo Bills

Raiders eked out a good win in Denver but will place way stiffer test in Buffalo. Look for Josh Allen to bounce back with a huge day just like last year after he had a rough game. The Buffalo D will force a few turnovers in this game and Allen will throw for over 300 yards.

PREDICTION: Buffalo 40 Las Vegas 24

Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals

Just like Buffalo Cincinnati is coming off a bad loss. Expect them to bounce back the problem is there facing a very good Baltimore defense. This will be a close fairly high scoring game with the Bengals eking out the close win.

PREDICTION: Bengals 34 Ravens 31

Kansas City Chiefs at Jacksonville Jaguars

What will the Chiefs look like with Kelce and Chris Jones back? Well way more formidable. Jacksonville will put up a fight but KC is too good to go 0-2. Take the Chiefs in this one.

PREDICTION: Chiefs 28 Jaguars 24

LA Chargers at Tennessee Titans

We got the high flying Chargers playing against the well coached Titans. The Chargers put up 34 pts last week and the Titans struggled. The Titans need Henry and Ryan Tannehill to play better this week but it won’t be easy. I don’t think the Titans can put up enough points to stay with the Chargers. Their only hope is to force turnovers. Also it will be interesting to see if Austin Ekeler will be playing this week, as he is a game changer when playing.

PREDICTION: Chargers 28 Titans 20

Green Bay Packers at Atlanta Falcons

I like Atlanta in this one at home. Green Bay did look sharp in their first game but look for them to come down to Earth in this game. I think Jordan Love will struggle, and Desmond Ridder will play efficiently

PREDICTION: Atlanta 21 Green Bay 17

Seattle Seahawks at Detroit Lions

Detroit is coming off a huge win in KC. There defense comes to play each game, they just need their offense to keep up. Detroit will need to lock up DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, and with their pass rush should make this difficult for the Seahawks. With that said, Seattle will play well in this game and win by 3.

PREDICTION: Seattle 17 Detroit 14

Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans

Battle of the rookie Qb’s! CJ Stroud struggled in his first game for a rookie but to no surprise. Houston will have a tough time handling the Colts this weekend who have a stout running game. Look for the Colts D to take over in this one.

PREDICTION: Colts 21 Houston 17

Chicago Bears at Tampa Bay Bucanneers

The Justin Fields led Bears stroll into Tampa Bay coming off a loss to the Packers. Tampa Bay is coming off a big win against the Vikings in Minnesota. What Baker Mayfield will we see? If he can manage the game and Tampa’s D can stay dominant they should win. This will be a close one with the Bears winning.

PREDICTION: Bears 24 Tampa 23

NY Giants Giants at Arizona Cardinals

The Giants laid a big egg against Dallas last week. Luckily they face the Cardinals this week who looked tough in Week 1 but are still a bad team. The Giants need to run Saquon Barkley, mix in some Darren Waller and have Daniel Jones play well against a decent Arizona defense.

PREDICTION: Giants 24 Arizona 10

Washington Commanders at Denver Broncos

Washington didn’t look the best in Week 1 against a weak Arizona team. Denver almost won at home and looked efficient at times but had issues also. It’s always tough to play in Denver but I think Washington does enough to get this win. Look for Sam Howell to be more efficient in his third game starting for Washington.

PREDICTION: Washington 21 Broncos 13

San Francisco 49ers at LA Rams

For all the doubters who doubted Brock Purdy in year 2 he looked mighty sharp in Week 1. Along with the tough defense 49ers will give many teams trouble this year. This will include the Kuppless Rams this week. Look for SF’s offense to have a big day!

PREDICTION: 49ers 24 Rams 7

New York Jets at Dallas Cowboys

These two teams have very good defenses and one of these teams offenses is way more superior. Look for Dallas to win big riding their defense against the Jets. Zach Wilson is not the answer and the Jets will struggle with him as their leader.

PREDICTION: Dallas 27 Jets 13

Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots

This will be a good one as the red hot dolphins play the well coached Patriots. The Pats will look to rebound this week but it won’t be easy. I believe Bill Belichick will have a plan for Tua Tagovailoa and the Patriots will make life difficult for them. I like the Patriots in this one.

PREDICTION: Patriots 24 Dolphins 20

New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers

These two NFC south rivals face off in Carolina. I gauge teams on the proficiency of their QB and the Saints have a far more experiences and skilled QB in Derek Carr. Bryce Young will struggle against a Saints pass rush led by Cameron Jordan.

PREDICTION: Saints 31 Carolina 17

Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers

Is Cleveland for real? Are the Steelers the weakest team in the division? The answer to both of those questions is NO. Yes Deshaun Watson is back and the Browns looked good, but the Steelers will slow them down this week. Pittsburgh is always a tough place to play. Look for Najee Harris to have a big game along with Pickett.

PREDICTION: Steelers 19 Browns 14

The post 2023-24 Week 2 NFL Game Picks appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Studs

Tua Tagovailoa/Tyreek Hill – We knew the Dolphins and Chargers had the potential to be high scoring and that’s just what we got. This dynamic duo could not be stopped as Hill hauled in 11 receptions for 215 yards and totaled 39 FP in Half PPR. Tagovailoa had a league high 466 yards including 3 passing touchdowns for a total of 28.1 FP. If Tagovailoa can stay healthy this offense will hum all season long.

Dallas Cowboys D/ST – The Cowboys absolutely dismantled the New York Giants on Sunday night. If you started the Cowboys defense you are likely winning your matchup as they finished with 37 FP. The Giants offense never had a chance to get going as their o-line failed to protect Daniel Jones all night long. This could be a long season for Jones and the Giants if they don’t fix their protection issues.

Brandon Aiyuk – The San Francisco 49ers had another dominating performance this time in Pittsburgh. Aiyuk led the way with 8 receptions on 8 targets. He hauled in 2 receiving touchdowns and had 129 receiving yards on the day. Aiyuk very much looks to be the #1 WR for the 49ers as he had a 28.6% target share. If he can stay consistent and healthy he is in for a big year.

Aaron Jones – Jones was one of our recommended starts in our week 1 start ’em, sit ’em column. He finished as RB1 on the day before he left the game with an apparent hamstring issue. We will have to monitor the hamstring but Jones remains a must-start for the foreseeable future.

Duds

Drake London – We expected London to take the next step in his trajectory for year 2 but he was non-existent on Sunday. London finished with 0 catches on only one target. Don’t bail just yet on him but this opening game dud is not ideal.

Tee Higgins – The entire Bengals offense was stuck in the mud for much of the game vs. Cleveland on Sunday. Credit the Browns defense but these stats don’t look good. Somehow Higgins finished with 0 receptions despite having 8 targets. That is one crazy stat.

Antonio Gibson – Gibson had a day to forget for the Washington Commanders. There was a lot of hype surrounding how Gibson would be utilized in Eric Bieniemy’s offense this year. A costly fumble limited Gibson to just 4 touches on the day. Again don’t bail on Gibson just yet but I wouldn’t be starting him.

Monday Night Football Preview

We have a juicy matchup on tap when the Buffalo Bills visit the New York Jets tonight. For the Bills, you’re obviously starting Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs. Beyond that, I am not yet ready to start James Cook or Dalton Kincaid. The Jets defense is once again loaded and it will be tough sledding for the Bills offense.

On the Jets side of the ball, I am starting Garrett Wilson but sitting Aaron Rodgers. I need to see how this offensive line protects before starting Rodgers. Also, I am staying away from the Jets running backs until I see how they are utilized.

The post 2023-24 Week 1 Fantasy Football Recap appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

The Good

When the Dolphins traded for Tyreek Hill they gave up a boatload of draft picks. It was a bit of a risk for Miami as they mortgaged their future to win now. The aggressiveness of the Dolphins front office makes sense. They are looking to capitalize on Tagovailoa’s rookie contract and surround him with weapons. Hill pretty much exceeded all expectations in his first season for Miami. He racked up 1,710 receiving yards and 8 total touchdowns. Hill and fellow WR Jaylen Waddle have quickly become one of the best receiving duos in the NFL. You can expect similar numbers in 2023 for Hill and Waddle as they continue to grow together.

The Bad

If you’re looking for a weakness on this Dolphins roster it has to be at the tight end position. Mike Gesicki is no longer with the team as Miami has decided to invest in other positions on offense. It makes sense for the most part. Head coach Mike McDainel has stated in the past that the TE position is not a big part of their offense. While I agree to a point, having an elite TE can open up an offense even more. Think of what Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews have done to their offensive units. Teams will focus their defense more on the outside instead of having to cover the middle which a good TE would occupy.

To no fault of their own, the Dolphins will be thin at the cornerback position until Jalen Ramsey returns. The aggressiveness I touched on earlier by the front office landed the Dolphins Ramsey this offseason. Having Ramsey opposite Xavien Howard will give Miami two lock-down cornerbacks. The hope is for Ramsey to return from injury later this year and hopefully in time for the playoffs. In the meantime, CB Kader Kohou will need to step up for Miami but there are concerns there.

The Prediction

I’m expecting the Miami Dolphins to battle it out with the Buffalo Bills for the AFC East title. In the end, the Dolphins will fall just short of the Division but will secure a wild-card berth. This is a big year for Tua Tagovailoa. If he does well, expect a contract extension. If not the Dolphins will likely be looking for a new quarterback next year.

2023 Record: 10-7 (2nd in the Division)

The post Miami Dolphins Record Prediction for 2023 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Before we look at next season, let’s take a look at the NFL target leaders from 2022. In the table below are the top 5 leaders in targets from last year. The first four finished in the same exact order in terms of total fantasy points amongst wide receivers (Half PPR). The only anomaly was A.J. Brown who jumped CeeDee Lamb and finished 5th in total fantasy points. Brown finished with 2 more touchdowns and 137 more yards.

2022 NFL Target Leaders

Predicting the Target Leaders for 2023-2024

Looking ahead to next season we can almost guarantee the top 5 target leaders will look different. For instance, in 2021 Cooper Kupp was the NFL target leader by a large margin +22. As we know Kupp suffered a serious ankle injury that cut his 2022 season short. Injuries aren’t the only factor to consider. Quarterback changes, coaching changes, free agency and the NFL Draft are all factors. Let’s now look at who I predict will be the NFL target leaders for next season.

2023 NFL Target Leaders (Projected)

Justin Jefferson will once again be the king of targets. I slotted his targets down but only slightly. This is due to the Minnesota Vikings adding Jordan Addison in the draft. It will take some time to get Addison up to speed but once he’s ready he should be productive in this offense. Also, keep in mind that Adam Thielen is no longer with the team.

Stefon Diggs will make the jump from #4 to #2 overall in targets. I am predicting 14 more targets for Diggs as he and Josh Allen continue to develop their chemistry. If somehow the Buffalo Bills end up grabbing DeAndre Hopkins I may re-adjust Diggs’ total targets.

Tyreek Hill‘s targets will drop but not by much. He will once again be the focal point in the Miami Dolphins offense. One major thing to keep an eye on is the health of Tua Tagovailoa. Can he stay healthy the entire season?

Next up it’s our first newcomer on the list. Garrett Wilson finished just outside the top 5 last year in total targets. Now with the addition of Aaron Rodgers, I expect his numbers to climb. I am not worried about Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb taking targets away. Wilson is the Jets #1 WR and they will continue to lean on him.

Last on the list is the always reliable Travis Kelce. Kelce finished 6th last season in total targets with 152. I expect him to hover around this range again in 2023-2024. The Chiefs no longer have JuJu Smith-Schuster and still lack a true #1 receiver. All that means is more target share for the great tight end.

The post Predicting the NFL Target Leaders for Next Season appeared first on Pro Football Mania.