FAVORITE TEAMS

Will Deshaun Watson play the entire season for the Browns?

The Browns have had some major quarterback adjustments for decades since the Super Bowl era. There’s a long list of quarterbacks that have started for the organization. Most have flopped while others had temporary success before they wore out their welcome. After Baker Mayfield got them out of a stinky, rusty, musty NFL cellar to get to the postseason, and almost come back to defeat the Chiefs, they gave Mayfield the boot in favor of Deshaun Watson. What has he done? Ride the bench while making over $200 million!!!! After being out for about two seasons, he’s going to try leading Cleveland. With so many questions in that organization and the quarterback debates between him and Shedeur Sanders…and maybe Dillon Gabriel, Taylen Green, or maybe a free agent quarterback, it’s really hard to guarantee Watson will make it.

Who wins the NFC South?

That question’s a reach. It’s like trying to push a stubborn horse to the river and make it drink the water. Same can be said about the NFC South after last season. It seems like no one except the Saints and Falcons wanted the division title, but the only problem was that both the Saints and Falcons were eliminated prior to Week 18. The Bucs and Panthers seemed like they didn’t want it, but someone had to fall over into a division title to play the Rams last season. Maybe this season will be different, but it’s still unknown who will win despite the Bucs being favored. The Bucs have some issues, the Panthers are young with still more questions, the Saints have a shot with just a question about their QB in Year 2 and the health of their skills positions, and the Falcons have a quarterback problem.

Is new Steelers coach Mike McCarthy the answer?

Pittsburgh’s offense was poor for the past few seasons. The last time they were any good was 2020 I guess, but I don’t like counting stats in that year, so let’s go with 2018. In comes Mike McCarthy, who tends to turn offenses around within a season. This could be a bigger task turning Pittsburgh’s offense around, but they have Aaron Rodgers in Year 2 with a few added pieces that included Michael Pittman, Rico Dowdle, and rookies Germie Bernard and FB/TE Riley Nowakowski. We’ll learn how the offense gets up to speed during the season and see if they can weather the storm that is the AFC North.

Will the 49ers ever stay healthy?

As a Niner fan, that’s been the question for what has to be about a decade now because someone ALWAYS GETS HURT!!! Listen, the whole spiel about the substation thing is whatever people wanna come up with. The Niners’ injuries have been a consistent thing for almost a decade. San Fran’s the most injured team as of recent but finding a way to overcome them and finishing the season strong is all that matters. If they’re not out for the season and returns at the right time, there’s still a chance. It’s a 17-game season with international games with only one bye week. All it takes is strategy and managing it. George Kittle and Nick Bosa are set to return for the Rams matchup, so anything’s possible.

Can Kyler Murray get the Vikings’ offense going again?

The Vikings had a pretty poor offensive production last season, and plenty had to do with the quarterback position. Funny how that came about after letting Sam Darnold walk right into the Seahawks’ arms and win a Super Bowl ring instead of paying him his money. It’s on Minnesota for that decision and now must figure out if Kyler Murray can be the answer for the time being since JJ McCarthy’s still not ready to start just yet. They have weapons on the outside, but can Murray deliver for the offense?

Can the Raiders’ offense finally take a step?

There were some positives during the preseason. For a team that was one of the worst offenses in the NFL last season while also not scoring 30 points for two seasons, they have nowhere to go but up. If Maxximum Crosby still sticks around in Vegas, maybe this gives the offense some hope for improvement. Can Kirk Cousins last long enough for Fernando Mendoza to get acclimated before taking over the offense? Can the offense also stay healthy the entire season too?

Can the Bears run it back this season?

It’s possible, but Caleb Williams has a tall task on his hands. It’s not just repeating in the NFC North and competing for the Super Bowl. He’s on the Madden cover and must stave off the Madden curse as long as possible. Nearly every player on the Madden cover suffered, whether it’s them directly or their team as a whole. Tom Brady’s one of the very few that avoided the Madden curse once, but he eventually suffered alongside Pat Mahomes in their respective conference championships to the Bengals and Rams. With the Bears going through some stuff with a potential move out of Chicago, the curse could be lingering on the Bears team. Can Williams overcome it? Let’s find out this season together!

Can the Patriots or Seahawks make another Super Bowl run?

Either can run it back, but this season could be difficult. The Seahawks have a better chance to repeat while the Patriots have a difficult schedule this season unlike last season. The Seahawks have enough weapons on both sides to compete for the postseason, but a Super Bowl return is difficult. They lost key players on defense that impacted their Super Bowl run while the offense lost their OC and Kenneth Walker to the AFC West. Most importantly, they still have the Rams and Niners to deal with. Meanwhile, the Patriots’ offensive line must improve after a lackluster postseason performance. They acquired AJ Brown for help and maybe the offensive line will improve, but the running backs must stay healthy to back up Drake Maye. Despite winning the division last season, the Bills won’t let that slide this season.

Are the Chiefs The Chiefs again?

I’m not sure if they are at this point. They lost both of their cornerbacks to the Rams, their defense is getting older, the offensive line’s questionable, Patrick Mahomes is set to return soon but doubtful that he’s fully healthy, Travis Kelce’s declining, and the receivers are still one of the weakest positions on the Chiefs’ overall roster. They’re only left with Kenneth Walker, but will he be enough after they moved on from Isiah Pacheco (Detroit Lions)? For the first time in a few seasons, the Chiefs have more questions than answers.

Can the Rams win it all?

They have a shot. They have literally put together the majority of their pieces at each level on offense and defense and have a chance to win it all. They must manage their roster as health during the season because depth behind their starting roster isn’t that promising. The Rams are experienced but older in some areas and keeping Matt Stafford upright is a huge priority. Can Myles Garrett stay healthy too? Also, their schedule is more difficult in the second half than it is in the first half. After the bye, they face the Packers, Chiefs, Niners, Cowboys, Bucs, and the Seahawks twice in the last three weeks of the season. Was this schedule a setup to see if the Rams can really do this? Not sure, but I’ll grab some popcorn and we’ll all see how it plays out.