Analysis: Arod, Zstvr, & Fallen
1. Los Angeles Rams (0-0): I don’t know what’s more impressive- winning back to back PML Super Bowls, or doing it with a virtual ‘rebuild’ Rams roster in season 1 and 2. Cook is cementing himself as one of the GOAT’s of all-time PML. It’s hard to argue against that after what he’s accomplished so far this cycle.
2. New England Patriots (0-0): Back to back Super Bowl appearances for the Patriots has them sitting atop the AFC in our power rankings. New England has fallen short twice on the grandest stage in PML, but that hasn’t deterred their spirit. SP has revamped an aging roster and second year quarterback Riley Leonard wants to prove that he is better than his four interceptions in the Super Bowl.
3. Cleveland Browns (0-0): KMFO was debuted as the Super Bowl Champion before evening playing his first PML game as the Cleveland Browns. He dominated throughout the regular season averaging almost 50 points per game and putting up 70 points in two games last season. Deshaun Watson was investigated for points shaving in the off-season because he all but threw the game away against New England. Cleveland has since parted ways with Deshaun Watson and are hoping that Daniel Jones can rejuvenate his career and lead them to a Super Bowl appearance.
4. Green Bay Packers: A busted coverage was the difference between the Packers finally hoisting up a Lombardi, and watching the super bowl from home. Hypemike displayed his talent all season long, earning the 1 seed and taking the defending super bowl champions to the wire. I wonder how he will respond to being so close and if this setback is what it takes for him to ascend to the level he’s capable of reaching.
5. New Orleans Saints (0-0): JC is surely a regular season warrior as many are labeling him as for a 2nd consecutive season, he failed to get into the NFC championship game. We expect rookie Maalik Murphy to take over under center this season as the front office elected not to resign veteran Derek Carr. With the speed on Murphy, a top 5 offense may become even more dangerous as the threat to run is now injected into the offensive gameplan.
6. Kansas City Chiefs (0-0): The Chiefs season unfortunately ended in disappointment in the divisional round. With a 10 point lead in the 4th quarter, the Chiefs caught several bad breaks and unfortunately were not able to sustain said lead. With a litany of young talent on the roster, and the greatest quarterback of all time leading the offense, the Chiefs looked primed to make another deep playoff run.
7. Los Angeles Chargers (0-0): The end of season 2 for the Chargers was a head scratcher. While prioritizing health over playoff seeding led to a wildcard win over the Tennessee Titans, it all but ensured they would travel to Cleveland for a second round matchup with KMFO, where they unfortunately fell to the Browns. While we know Codes doesn’t fear any opponent, hosting a home playoff game is always better than going on the road (although they would have to be on the road for the divisional round regardless of seeding) and I’m intrigued to see how the Chargers respond and if winning the division is now priority number one.
8. Denver Broncos (0-0): The Broncos, fresh off a wildcard appearance, are primed to make some noise in the AFC west. They will unfortunately be without superstar corner Pat Surtain II for a few weeks, but that shouldn’t stop them from playing their brand of football and pushing towards the postseason once again on the back of Nick Chubb. DK has a penchant for producing with whoever is in the backfield, and it just so happens to be a superstar X-factor toting the rock.
9. Detroit Lions: After getting blown out at home in the Wildcard round, the Lions are looking for revenge. They kick the year off with a scrappy Steelers team that will show us just how on track they are to repeat their playoff appearance from last season.
10. Arizona Cardinals (0-0): As we approach the mid-way point of the cycle, the Cardinals look as ready as ever to finally put forth a roster that allows them to compete with the rest of the NFC. Rookie Will Campbell should be something special at LT as he joins D.J. Humphries and Will Hernandez to solidify the offensive line that should further boost an already dangerous rushing attack.
11. Seattle Seahawks (0-0): I’m not quite certain I’ve seen Zstar miss the playoffs in my entire time involved with the PML. The obvious issue in season 2 was the offense that ranked in the mid-low tier compared to a defense that fell into the top 5 statistically. They will continue to put their trust into either Bo Nix or Sam Howell as they chose not to draft a quarterback in the recent draft. The Seahawks will surely be a team to watch this season as many expect them to bounce back and right the ship season 3 if they could improve the play at quarterback.
12. Dallas Cowboys (0-0): The league’s most notorious frontrunner. When the Cowboys are winning, I can guarantee everyone will hear about it. However, when they’re losing, it’s radio silence in Dallas. With another first place schedule (thanks NFC East), the AFC West, and NFC North (as well as matchups with the Rams and the Saints), Drama’s skill level will be put to the test. We will also see how well he can build a roster as there was defensive regression and the retirement of key offensive cogs Zach Martin and Tyron Smith.
13. Atlanta Falcons (0-0): The Falcons surely overachieved last season with a nearly depleted roster all year as many of their star players spent several weeks on the injured list. Fighting through adversity, they made their first playoff appearance of the cycle which was impressive given the circumstances. They enter season 3 relatively healthy- aside from a 5 week injury to an aging Khalil Mack. In a perfect world, the Falcons remain healthy and we are able to see what Nef’s ceiling truly is with his roster intact.
14. Tennessee Titans (0-0): Will Levis wasn’t the answer, Malik Willis wasn’t the answer, so the Tennessee Titans drafted Cade Klubnik out of Clemson in the 4th round. Levis and Willis are 26 and will need new contracts between one to two years respectively. Klubnik has the raw potential to be a starting caliber quarterback, but his accuracy is going to need some work. Levis 96 throw power is unmatched, so he should get the nod this season but the Titans offense is going to go through Troy Franklin, who is coming off a 1,500 yard season with 9 touchdowns through the air.
15. New York Jets (0-0): Caleb Williams was worth every penny that the New York Jets invested into him because he led them to a playoff berth. Despite beating New England twice last season, they couldn’t pull off a three peat. The Jets traded away their first round pick to double down on the defensive tackle position. The addition of Jonathan Allen gives New York one, if not, the most formidable defensive front in the league. It’s going to be tough to run on their front seven and hopefully that will translate to a ferocious pass rush because their secondary on paper doesn’t appear to be able to cover dominant offenses for very long.
16. New York Giants (0-0): Burn and the Giants might be the toughest team to get a read on. On one hand when they’re playing well, they’re able to compete and pull off wins like their win over the Rams last season. On the other hand, when they’re struggling, they struggle mightily, with an erratic offense that’s pick prone. If the Giants can get their consistency in line, they have a chance to win the division with a weakened Cowboys roster.
17. Minnesota Vikings (0-0): The Vikings were a quarter away from making their first playoff appearance of the cycle. Wimmy has added to this roster since then, with perhaps his best move being the replacing of QB Joe Milton with Tua. I fully expect them to make another strong push towards the postseason and look forward to seeing what Minnesota cooks up this season.
18. Miami Dolphins (0-0): Drew Allar was questionably the second best quarterback in the draft and he fell to the Dolphins at pick 15. Miami hasn’t had a very successful cycle so far, but it was refreshing to see the Dolphins shine in the draft. Tyreek Hill eclipsed just over 1,000 receiving yards last season with his longest catch going for 60 yards. You have to believe with 95 throwpower, Drew Allar is going to connect for a 80 yard touchdown more often than not this season.
19. Houston Texans (0-0): Houston had to revamp their injury staff in the off-season because they had players getting injured left and right last season, in fact, they were one of the few teams with more than three players injured for multiple weeks of the season. Houston’s preseason didn’t favor them in that department either, but CJ Stroud is healthy and the Texans are ready to get back to playing winning football.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers (0-0): Zach Wilson is one of the highest paid quarterbacks in the league and he threw for 43 touchdowns last season and had a positive touchdown-interception ratio. The Steelers ended the season off with a win over Dallas and they will have to play sound football across the season in order to compete with their division mates this season.
21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-0): It is officially Jalen Milroe time in Tampa as they finally land their franchise signal caller heading into the 3rd season. With 92 speed and 94 acceleration, this will add another dimension to an offense that we already know could do damage through the air. Tampa is officially a team to watch for one of the final wildcard spots in the NFC.
22. Buffalo Bills (0-0): Josh Allen is still one of the best quarterbacks in the league, but without his abilities, especially the fearless ability, the Bills are going to feel the pressure on every throw. Allen still has the ability to extend plays with his legs, but expect a more balanced offensive scheme this season with James Cook being the focal point of the offense.
23. Chicago Bears (0-0): Spending a good portion of time in Brazil last season led to Coach Jefe and the Bears being in too deep a hole to climb out of. I know for certain Jefe isn’t happy with a 6-11 finish. Although some of his marquee additions from the previous offseason have regressed (Bosa and Hunter), the Bears will continue to be a tough out and should bounce back this season.
24. Indianapolis Colts (0-0): I think the Colts are going to be the odd man out this season. They had some moments where they appeared to be competitive last season, but fell down the rabbit hole quickly. Indy has a solid team on paper, but coach CB has to play to their strengths in order to move the needle.
25. Las Vegas Raiders (0-0): The Raiders are a tough team to gauge. When they’re clicking, they can compete and beat d*** near anyone. However, when they turn the ball over, their offense loses its methodical nature, and they find themselves playing from behind more often than not. Mike has built the team up how he desired, and I believe this is the year the Raiders take the step towards the playoffs.
26. Philadelphia Eagles (0-0): Much like the Commanders, the Eagles had a disappointing season. Nothing is more telling of how their season panned out than acknowledging that they were swept by both the Giants and Cowboys. I’m not sure what the plan in Philadelphia is (no one is buying the “rebuild”), but this is perhaps again, their best shot to win the division as the Cowboys lost key pieces to retirement and the Giants are inconsistent.
27. Washington Commanders (0-0): It’s a tough time to be a fan of the Washington Commanders. Year 1 of the Drake Maye reign was a disaster, resulting in him losing his superstar development trait as the team cruised to a 5-12 record. The ensuing offseason also saw them trade their best defensive player, Jonathan Allen, to the Jets. The trade winds also forecasted a Chase Young trade to the 49ers that seems to have wisely been halted. There are more questions than answers as the Commanders look to bounce back this season.
28. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-0): We have some new blood in the AFC South this season. You can’t get any worse than how the Jaguars cycle has been going, right? Sitting at an 82 overall, the Jaguars are behind the curve, but Trevor Lawrence, Travis Etienne, and new rookie receiver Luther Burden can put some points on the board if schemed correctly.
29. Carolina Panthers (0-0): The Panthers selected RB Henry Parish Jr. with the 12th pick of the 1st round. He joins what already seemed to be a crowded running back room that features Shenault Jr., Allen, Crews, and Adams II. Parrish’s skill set closely resembles that of Adams II which leads us to the question, could the Panthers have looked to fill another void on the roster? I guess we’ll put our faith in PML’s mad scientist as I am sure he has to have some sort of plan for all these running backs.
30. Cincinnati Bengals (0-0): Another new face in the AFC and he’s going to be fighting for his life this season. His division is full of playoff caliber opponents and then a team that has the number one overall pick in back to back seasons. Joe Burrow should have the best season of the cycle, considering we’ve heard positive reviews of the Bengals new owner.
31. San Francisco 49ers: The Brock Purdy era in San Francisco officially comes to an end as they grab Shedeur Sanders with the 2nd pick of the draft. He is almost certain to be an ability quarterback. Do we finally see the CEO step up and compete with one of the most well-rounded rosters in the league?
32. Baltimore Ravens (0-0): Is it fitting for the Ravens to be starting out as the worst team in the league? Probably. On paper, Baltimore is an 87 overall team that should deflate and dominate their competition. Their defensive backs are likely one of the best cores in the league and some basic defensive approaches should help Arod eclipse a minimum of four winning games this season.
