NFL Classics - 1983 Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins

Titans and Jaguars Spice 2017 Wildcard

So now the 2017 playoffs are upon us and the wildcard round offers the most interesting slate in years as the Titans, Jaguars, and Bills all return to the playoffs after lengthy absences.    The Bills drought is of course the longest, dating to the 1999 season, while the Jaguars last made the playoffs in 2007 and the Titans in 2008, while the Titans look for their first win since Steve McNair upset the Ravens in 2003.

The Buffalo Bills look for their first playoff win since 1995 when they owned Don Shula and Dan Marino. 

The Bills bring some swag into this playoffs after this brawl in the season finale at Miami.



A quick comment on the slate of NFL coach firings - the most fascinating and bizarre is the story that Jon Gruden will get not only the head coaching job with the Raiders but also part-ownership.   With the firing of Jack Del Rio that rumor becomes more credible - with Mark Davis reportedly in heavy debt - a figure indicated by Boomer Esiason is $125 million - it makes sense to bring in ownership help, plus it's a selling point for the move to Vegas.

Titans over Chiefs -    This is the matchup Andy Reid didn't want because the Titans have won six of the seven career meetings they've had with Andy Reid teams.........

Tennessee Titans vs Andy Reid teams -

2000 @ Eagles - W 15-13
2002 vs Eagles - W 27-24
2006 @ Eagles - W 31-13
2010 vs Eagles - W 37-19
2013 vs Chiefs - L 26-17
2014 @ Chiefs - W 26-10
2016 @ Chiefs - W 19-17

.....and the last time the Titans traveled to Arrowhead they clawed out a clutch win.    The Titans have now beaten nine playoff contenders (the Jaguars twice this season, making ten such wins) in the eighteen wins they've clawed out the last two seasons.    Mike Mularkey may still not last into 2018 with the story Titans ownership is frustrated at seeming slowness at developing Marcus Mariota (an interesting matchup here per John Glennon is when Mariota was blitzed he was deadly accurate in completions); certainly the targeting of Patriots coordinator Josh McDaniels makes sense and the Titans are a good fit, but give Mularkey credit for reestablishing a culture with accountability in the Titans locker room.

The last Rams playoff game was 2004 at the Falcons.


Falcons over Rams -    The Rams enter unfamiliar territory - not only the playoffs for the first time since 2004 but also a playoff game at home, and in LA.   The Rams' last playoff win was at Seattle in 2004, so for the Rams this is something new, while for the Falcons it's become old hat.   While not necessarily as good as in 2016 the Falcons enter with momentum, and Matt Ryan is unbeaten against the Rams - but then this is not the same old Rams.

The only other playoff meeting between the Bills and Jaguars was Jacksonville's first ever playoff game.

The last time the Jaguars hosted a playoff game against someone other than the Patriots or Titans, it went swimmingly - and against another AFC East team


Jaguars over Bills -     Tom Coughlin's rebuild of the Jaguars has paid off in their first division title of the AFC South era  and their first division title since the AFC Central.    They face a Bills team that played well enough to make it but hasn't shown they've really taken the next step.    A key matchup - per John Glennon, when Blake Bortles was blitzed, he was abysmal.   So this game could be closer than the reputations of the two teams may suggest.

Where was this out of the Buccaneers all season? Maybe being home dogs helped.


Panthers over Saints -    Beating one team three times in a season is rare, and New Orleans' loss to the Bucs when they had to win to secure the NFC South (Atlanta's win over Carolina backed the Saints into the division title) raises a red flag; the Saints have gone just 3-3 entering the playoffs even with the season sweep of the Panthers, who won four of their last six and committed fewer turnovers in that span than the Saints.    The comeback of both teams has been remarkable, New Orleans from going 7-9 four of the last five seasons and Carolina from slumping to 6-10 in 2016.    The memory of back-to-back 41-38 games hangs over this matchup.


So the playoffs commence.

Week 15 Goes For The Kill

And all of a sudden the NFL's 2017 playoff race has turned ugly.  

Steeler fans and a lot of people on social media were furious that a Steelers touchdown got erased (it followed the worst effort against a pick route ever seen by New England's defense, and that gaffe came after one of the worst gameplans and execution ever seen by the Patriots) on the league's preposterously tight definition of a catch; the result was disaster for the Steelers on an endzone interception that won the game for the Patriots.    Being the top rivalry in the AFC right now this finish will earn more controversy than usual, and one has to ask why the league fears letting receivers get benefit of the doubt on catches.

It also got worse for the Steelers with ankle injury to Antonio Brown, which reportedly has cost him the season and maybe the playoffs.

Brady's former backup meanwhile pulled off a clutch last-second win in a game where both he and Marcus Mariota displayed clutch delivery.   Garoppolo's turnaround of the Niners shows anew the reality that quarterbacking is what wins.    The Titans offense went to a no-huddle attack and it clearly works.   Tennessee can still make the playoffs by beating the Rams and Jaguars at home.  

One of the wildest games of the weekend came amid media eruption about investigation of Panthers owner Jerry Richardson, now putting the team up for sale, for reputed sexual harassment and use of a racial slur against a former scout with monetary settlements in at least four cases reported.   For what it's worth Cam Newton and other players vouched for Richardson's character after the game, and one should disabuse the notion that selling the team is any kind of lark based on a league investigation - it's way too big an investment for that.   The Panthers are a worthwhile purchase for a new Carolina owner with a quality team, fanbase, etc. and a playoff run pending.  

Carolina's win all but ends the forlorn playoff hopes of the Green Bay Packers.   Aaron Rodgers' return from injury - surprising in and of itself - ended with a lot of yards and two touchdowns but also three picks and his 33rd loss (to just six career wins) when trailing by at least two scores.  

Games between the Eagles and NY Giants at East Rutherford, NJ have shown a habit of bringing out the barrel of laughs from Joe Pisarcik to 1988's blocked field goal score to 2008's playoff grinder to Michael Vick's preposterous comeback in 2010.   2017 was the most competitive running of this series in years and the Eagles are in the NFC's first-round bye and still alive for the top seed and beyond.   For Eli Manning his NY Giants career looks to be ending, and struggle against the Eagles continues.


The playoffs thus are on the line for this coming week's games -


Ravens over Colts -   The Ravens are fighting for their playoff lives with the Bills and face a team that has haunted them since their 1996 debut, the ghost of the team that quit its city in late-March 1984.     The Ravens got the Colts at Indianapolis in their 1996 debut season and the rivalry has been woefully one-sided, a combined score 316-243 - an average of  22-17 per game.   That doesn't matter this year with the collapse of the Colts, reaching a new low with the loss to the Broncos.  


Vikings over Packers -   The Vikings are NFC North champs and the Packers are effectively out of the playoffs.   That's all one needs to know going into this game.   Aaron Rodgers is back, and looks ready to witness a fall to 8-8 or 7-9.   The question now is how far the Vikings can go; they've wrapped up the NFC North and can still get at least a bye.


Bears over Browns -  0-16 now beckons for the Browns after another rough outing for Mitch Trubisky of the Bears last week.   DeShone Kizer's rookie season will go down as a failure, leaving one to wonder if there is anything even here with him; a presumptive coaching change - just the latest such with the ever-perplexed Browns - also looms.


Panthers over Buccaneers -  Carolina's spectacular season rolls on; Tampa Bay's lost season stumbles to its conclusion.  The regression of Jameis Winston has been disturbing, but his effort against the Falcons showed reason to believe he is improving.


Titans over Rams -  There remains reason for optimism for the Titans after a dismal West Coast swing, with the switch to a no-huddle offense showing effectiveness at San Francisco.    Certainly the Rams' attack has become the most destructive since the Greatest Show On Astroturf and winning the division is a cinch, but the Titans have fought back from behind all season and need this game more than the Rams do, especially as.............


Falcons over Saints -  .......we expect the Falcons to finish the sweep of the Saints and thus end any hope of a playoff bye.   It's clear now the Falcons have worked in their new offensive coordinator's schemes well, and they've won the last three meetings with New Orleans.   Despite being plus-four in overall differential the Saints' turnover problems resurfaced against the NY Jets as well.   We expect the Rams and Saints' playoff seeds to stay the same.


Broncos over Redskins -  The Redskins, despite the win over the Cardinals, have transmuted back into the Deadskins, while the Broncos are on a two-game roll.


Chargers over NY Jets -  The Jets once again stand for Just End The Season.  San Diego's playoff hopes are gone so they need worry only about winning games, especially after their ugly no-show at Kansas City.    One also has to wonder if San Diego will try to draft one of the hotshot quarterback prospects entering the 2018 Draft, for Philip Rivers has been in slow-motion erosion all decade, failing to reach ten wins even once.

 
Chiefs over Dolphins - The Chiefs have their swag back and the Dolphins are fried fish for Lamar Hunt's powwow.


Patriots over Bills -  New England's stunner at Pittsburgh raised eyebrows for the struggle of the defense and also for the continuing inability - or unwillingness by Brady - to permanently engage other pass-catchers in the offense - Gronkowski had nine catches and Cooks had four; Amendola and James White were the only others targeted more than twice.    This binky approach has always ground the offense to a halt and the need for Brady to engage the likes of Kenny Britt (one catch for seven yards in his Patriots debut) into the offense becomes ever greater with playoff seedings on the line.   Buffalo's only chance at the playoffs is to win out, an unlikely prospect with a scuffling Patriots team looking to fix issues before the postseason arrives.


Forty-Niners over Jaguars -  The Jaguars are for real again, but so are the 49ers (they've won four of their last five), and Jimmy Garoppolo is clearly better than Blake Bortles, though Bortles' 3,174 yards and nineteen touchdowns aren't anything to sneeze at.   That edge is what will decide this outcome and put the AFC South into a one-game showdown on New Years Eve.

Cowboys over Seahawks - The Seahawks now appear to be in freefall.   They still own the tiebreaker for the playoffs, but a loss will cancel that out, and where the Cowboys have won three straight the Seahawks have lost four of their last seven, three of them at home.   Seattle's abandonment of discipline was in evidence again after last week's Jacksonville brouhaha as rookie Delano Hill attacked two Rams players and got ejected for it - it's a sign Pete Carroll's ethic increasingly doesn't work or he's not disciplining players.


NY Giants over Cardinals -  The Cardinals are now 6-8 and falling to their worst record since 2012.   The Giants have struggled to beat anyone but this looks like a morale-booster of a game.


Steelers over Texans -  Overmatched - that is the word for the Texans.   


Eagles over Raiders - The Eagles are flying to the top seed in the NFC, while the Raiders lament yet another lost opportunity.


The other big story percolating is that eleven and up to fourteen head coaches may be fired; one such domino has already fallen with Marvin Lewis of the Bengals retiring, presumably to Cincinnati's front office.   The hot coaching prospect is Josh McDaniels of the Patriots, but Jon Gruden amazingly may actually return to the league as a head coach.   A slew of coordinators will certainly be promoted to head jobs, and such turnover happens because - to use an old Ralph Kramdein-ism, one of these days, Morton, POW! Right in the kisser! - of finally finding the right coach.


With improvement in numerous teams the last two seasons, that's a chance teams should take.

What The NFL Ate For Week Eight

The NFL has gone through Week Seven and now wants to feast on Week Eight.   Our picks below........

The Atlanta Falcons were outclassed in every sense by the Patriots on an inexplicable Color Rush Sunday.   The Patriots' reputation for improving their weaknesses as the season goes on continued with a return to fundamentals and with an ever-improving defense while Steve Sarkisian of the Falcons is coming under fire for playcalling.

Dolphins over Ravens -  The Sports Business Journal's recent reportage suggests TV networks have lost interest in the NFL's Thursday Night concept, interesting as Thursday Night games have finally begun to erupt in competitive power.  For this Thursday Night the Dolphins travel to Baltimore.  They surprised the NY Jets with a dramatic comeback win, and in Matt Moore they have a quarterback who isn't long-term starter material but is better than the inept Jay Cutler.   The Dolphins now face a Ravens team that is faltering - four losses in their last five games, just 310 yards from Joe Flacco in the last two games.

Vikings over Browns, Twickenham, UK -  Here is all you need to know about the Browns - DeShone Kizer blew off curfew to bar-hop before the Titans game and coach Hue Jackson was surprised to learn this.   Following two INTs against the Titans Kizer's career already looks like yet another Browns failure. 

Something else you need to know - this new Twickenham Stadium was built with some financing from the NFL - indicating the NFL is serious about forming a team in England despite little evidence of fan support and also with Sports Business Journal reportage suggesting the networks don't particularly like the England games, either.


Bengals over Colts -  Neither team looks to impress going into this game - the Colts already have five losses (and are 0-3 on the road) and Jacoby Brissett has played decently but that's it; Indy's only wins so far have come against two winless teams.  The Bengals come in with just one home win and eight INTs by Andy Dalton - reflective of the downfall of the AFC North.


Saints over Bears -   The NFC South now looks to be becoming the Saints' playground again, though at 1-1 their home record isn't exactly home cooking.  Both are midpack on defense but the Saints have the positive turnover differential at plus-5; the caveat here though is they've coughed up five turnovers in their last two games.   The Bears come in having won three of their last five and Mitchell Trubisky is 2-1 as starter despite an alarmingly poor 50% completion. 

The last time the Falcons faced the NY Jets was on Monday Night in 2013 and it turned into one of the wildest games of that season

NY Jets over Falcons -  The Falcons' only win over an AFC East team in their last seven such games was Week 13 of 2013, a 34-31 overtime win over the Bills.   They thus take a 1-6 record against AFC East teams to MetLife Stadium and a Jets team that isn't the Same Old Jets - these Jets have proven to be fighters even with a streaky 3-4 record, two losses then three straight wins and now losses in their last two games.   The Falcons in contrast are proving not to be fighters - Julio Jones curled up against the Patriots secondary until garbage time and there was even some sniping claiming the Patriots artificially pumped in fog (?!?!).   

Buccaneers over Panthers -  The Bucs come off a bitterly fought loss at Buffalo in which they put up 27 points on the defense fourth in fewest points allowed.   The Bucs' recent problem has been gagging up five turnovers their last two games; in contrast the Bills have turned the ball over just three times all season.   The Panthers meanwhile have clawed to a 4-3 start but have gagged up eleven turnovers led by Cam Newton's ten INTs.   The Bucs need this win to get back into what is still a logjam of an NFC South race.

The Raiders-Chiefs shootout will go down as one of the most astonishing games anyone has ever seen.

Raiders over Bills -   The O/U for this game is 45; we think the Over will prevail; both teams have shown genuine fight.   Buffalo is 3-0 at home vs. Oakland's 1-2 road record.  The wildcard is Oakland's spectacular and bizarre comeback win over the Chiefs, who'd beaten them seven of the previous eight meetings including five straight; wins like that tend to spark a rally.   The last four meetings between the two have been competitive affairs highlighted by 2011's spectacular comeback win by the Bills.   The return of Derek Carr has been key to the Raiders.

Marshawn Lynch won't be available for this game against the team that drafted him, and it's an indication of his irrelevance to the Raiders that Oakland pulled off the comeback after he was ejected. 

The irony is the ejection harkened back to old-school Al Davis muggery and the old school of the Raiders and Chiefs rivalry.

Patriots over Chargers  -  A curious stat in this rivalry is eighteen of forty career meetings have been won by the road team.   It is worth mentioning because the Chargers are not the same old Chargers that lost twenty-three games in 2015-16.  The Chargers have won three straight and forced seven turnovers in that span, and they haven't faced the Patriots since 2014.   The Patriots, though, continue to adapt to the season and win accordingly with Johnson Bademosi becoming the latest out-of-nowhere star to emerge in the New England defensive backfield. 

Carson Wentz exploded against the Redskins

Eagles over 49ers -  The Eagles take on a winless Niners team that showed fight most of the season before getting obliterated by the Cowboys.   The Niners are bottom-seven in scoring and points allowed, minus-Two in turnover differential (the Eagles in contrast are plus-Four), and now have put rookie CJ Beathard into the breech; his rawness is obvious at just 55% completion.   San Francisco's rebuild will drone on for awhile here.

Texans over Seahawks -   The Seahawks pulled off a stunner in a rare road win at the NY Giants - even more stunning is they have won back-to-back road games, their history the last two decades being that of a dominant home team (their last home lass was 2015 vs the Rams) and a weak road team - but now host a Texans team rejuvenated as no one expected by rookie sensation Deshaun Watson.   The Texans are third in scoring as they face Seattle's top-ranked defense, but the Seahawks even with the back-to-back road wins still have issues of breakdown in discipline after Doug Baldwin's bitchfest against the Seahawks' O-line coach and then with Russell Wilson, plus of their two AFC South opponents so far they beat the collapsing Colts and got shot down by a surging Titans team.   We don't think this Texans team will be the pushover the Colts were.


Cowboys over Redskins -  It's Cowboys vs Redskins again.  Of Washington's sixty-eight career losses to the Cowboys twenty-eight of them have come the last twenty seasons, and they're presently 0-2 against Dak Prescott.   The margin of those two games, though, leaves no room for complacency for the Cowboys as neither team is all that hot on defense (both in the bottom twelve in points allowed) while the Skins are noticeably behind the Boys in scoring (eleventh to Dallas' sixth).   


Steelers over Lions - Against quality opponents the Lions simply don't elevate their game and the last time they beat the Steelers was the controversial Thanksgiving Day affair of 1998.   At present the 3-3 Lions are eighth in scoring and 28th in points allowed despite a helluva rally at New Orleans last time out.   The Steelers have won their last two and put up over 400 yards in both. 

Tiki Barber puts Trevor Siemian's struggle on playcalling

Chiefs over Broncos - The Chiefs have lost back-to-back affairs but get a Broncos team that has now lost three of its last four games despite still being ninth in points allowed.   More and more it appears Trevor Langan of the TV series Law and Order: Special Victims Unit would be a better quarterback than Trevor Siemian and his seven INTs, part of twelve turnovers gagged up by the Broncos (and presently minus-Eight in turnover differential).  The Chiefs are plus-Seven in turnover differential, haven't gagged up the ball since Week One, and are still second in scoring led by Alex Smith's fifteen touchdowns and completion percentage at 72%.


We thus await Week Eight.

September 1989 Buffalo Bills vs Houston Oilers

NFL Classics - 1989 Buffalo Bills at Houston Oilers 

NFL Week Three Heightens Expectations

All of Week 2's touchdowns as we count down to Week 3

The NFL enters Week Three amid some genuine shockers but also amid a surprising - and surprisingly sharp - drop in TV ratings; explanations for why have varied between boycotting of Colin Kaepernick, boycotting of Roger Goodell, the absence of Tom Brady, the retirement of Peyton Manning.   Certainly there is likely some element of all involved.   A correction was probably overdue so right now one should not be excessively worried. 

Certainly it's not for lack of competitive games; the first two weeks have been strikingly well-played and competitive, and expectations have thus been heightened for Week Three.   Picks for the week -





Patriots over Texans -  Jacoby Brissett has to start with the out-of-left-field shoulder injury to Jimmy Garappolo and his unplanned foray into the NFL against the Dolphins showed his rawness but also showed there is legitimate ability there.   He will certainly have better preparation knowing he's going onto the field so leading more than two scoring drives should be a given, though one should keep an eye on Stephen Gostkowski after his stunning gag of a makeable late FGA.   They face a Houston team that's clearly on its way to a strong season with Brock Osweiler, a guy clearly not intimidated by facing the Patriots, but with a defensive front led by JJ Watt that isn't any better than the Cardinals and Dolphins fronts the Patriots O-line has manhandled already, plus Watt has been decidedly quiet against the Patriots in the past, notably last season in his own house.  


Cardinals over Bills - The Cardinals showed they mean business by laying 40 on the Bucs and they go to New Era Stadium for a Bills opponent that fired their offensive coordinator but that put up 31 points last time out. The Ryan brothers are buffoons, though, so they will find a way to lose.


Panthers over Vikings - The Vikings are onto something this year after stunning the Packers, but they go to a Panthers team that was stewing over the lost opportunity at Denver and responded by breaking out of a competitive game against the Niners and turning it into a massacre. A key matchup to keep an eye on is Sam Bradford to Stefon Diggs, who exploded against the Packers.     


Broncos over Bengals - This one I think will be tighter than some may expect. Clearly there is no collapse for the Broncos as Trevor Siemian has already proven doubters wrong with poised play, but this is his first road trip and he goes to a Bengals team hitting its home opener. The Bengals got embarrassed last week at Pittsburgh and have the talent to fight back given the opponent, the defending champs, and one recalls the last time the Broncos visited Cincinnati. The matchup to watch is AJ Green vs Aqib Talib.


Lions over Packers - This is an upset pick for me; both teams are 1-1 and both are coming off losses. The Lions, though, face a Packers team that has now lost four of its last five division meetings and hasn't won a home game against the division since 2014. The Packers also have signs of locker room dissension with one of Aaron Rodgers' O-linemen calling him out publically after the loss at Minnesota. Rodgers' inability to lead a comeback when he has to erase a gap of at least two scores showed up again at Minnesota.   


Ravens over Jaguars - Suddenly the Baltimore Ravens are stringing together wins again after a head-shaking 2015, while the Jaguars still have not taken that next step, and looked awful at San Diego last week.  


Dolphins over Browns - Only the Browns.   They go to a shellshocked Dolphins team hitting its home opener with a revamped Joe Robbie Stadium - now sporting sponsorship from Hard Rock - and with a quarterback in Ryan Tannehill playing his way out of the NFL.   But the Browns have bigger problems - they fell apart against the hated Ravens and such collapses usually bode ill for the season. 


NY Giants over Redskins - They didn't do it against the Cowboys and now the Redskins face a 2-0 Giants squad that's eking out grinders of wins.  

Andre Johnson's game-winner at Detroit

Titans over Raiders - This could be the highest-scoring game on this week's slate as Marcos Mariota and Derek Carr lit it up in their preseason matchup and their teams are 1-1; Carr has exploded the Raiders to 63 points scored while Mariota staged a memorable comeback from down two scores to beat the Lions; his touchdown to Andre Johnson was an absolute thing of beauty.   Anyone for a Titans-Raiders playoff meet?


Seahawks over Forty-Niners -  The Seahawks are struggling out of the gate having lost on the road again to the Rams, and they face a Niners squad that Blaine Gabbert has made into a team that's not the joke their backup quarterback has become.   The Seahawks did win their home opener and the Niners come back from the East Coast and Russell Wilson is the kind of quarterback who can start turning things around fast.


Buccaneers over Rams - Tampa Bay's obliteration by the Cardinals was the punch in the face that should motivate them to lash it out against a Rams team traveling from the West Coast to the East and which has shown zero offense.  


Chargers over Colts - There is an ominous sign for the Colts. The opinion has been expressed that the Colts made a fatal mistake signing Chuck Pagano instead of Bruce Arians, but the real warning sign is Andrew Luck may have plateaued in 2012-13 and simply can never be the transcendent quarterback his talent promised he'd be. He lit up the scoreboard at home against the Lions and still lost, then struggled against a Broncos team he'd dominated. San Diego has won six of the last seven meetings with the Colts, and Philip Rivers is 1-0 against Andrew Luck so far.


Chiefs over NY Jets - The Chiefs are smarting after losing to the Houston Texans, and they face a high-scoring NY Jets team that's looking like a team going for the playoffs.   I doubt Andy Reid will let the loss in Houston carry over to this meeting with the Jets, a team Reid has yet to lose to. 


Eagles over Steelers - The Steelers have a potent offense and a proven championship quarterback, but in the Eagles they face a team that's well ahead of expectations and has a quarterback in Carson Wentz who's looking like the real deal.


Cowboys over Bears - Why John Fox keeps Jay Cutler remains baffling as he is a failure, as Dak Prescott steadily proves himself to be one to watch down the road. 


Saints over Falcons - Neither team has proven they're up to a playoff bid, and one should start to be concerned that Drew Brees is no longer the elite competitor.   Matt Ryan certainly is not an elite anything even with a strong win at Oakland.  


So we await Week Three.

NFL 2016 Preseason Thoughts

Jimmy Garoppolo of the Patriots has shown credible moxie in the 2016 preseason, notably on AJ Derby's touchdown, while the Patriots defense has made scoring plays as well

The NFL preseason has now gone two weeks and some thoughts have developed so far -


The New England Patriots remain the machine of the NFL -  Concern Garoppolo might be in over his head in the NFL for the first four weeks is fading as his poise has steadily improved after a raw start against the Saints.   Several young players for the Patriots have shown promising form, perhaps none more than AJ Derby, a tight end and converted quarterback who looks to make New England's two-TE set a three-TE set.   It has gotten to where rampant media speculation about Tom Brady and whether absences from camp are something other than personal has replaced concern about whether the Patriots are still up to winning.

New England's win over the Saints also indicated the Saints have improved on defense a year after being abysmal there.

The Bills may be better than advertised - Not that the Bills have been expected to be any kind of playoff team, but Tyrod Taylor has shown better-than expected fight and the Bills' shutout of the NY Giants may not be a true "quality" win but it looks more like such than the other way around.

The game also illustrated a less-than-inspiring performance from the Giants' starters with a new head coach, and it is starting to look like the common first-year-coaching blues for Big Blue.

Dak Prescott looks like a Cowboys starter sooner rather than later - while the Dolphins look like a last-place team - Dallas' 41-14 slaughter of the Dolphins showcased striking acumen by Dak Prescott, to where suddenly it's no longer implausible to think the ever-overrated Tony Romo may wind up finally getting benched. The Miami Dolphins meanwhile have been mediocre under Ryan Tannehill and looked a lot worse in this game, with no sign of improvement anywhere.

The Panthers are still kings of the NFC South; the Titans aren't a playoff team - yet - Cam Newton looked like Cam Newton again, while Marcus Mariota continues to look like the real deal but nonetheless not ready for a big playoff run. The Titans nonetheless are building something that can become really good much as the Panthers were heading in that direction five years ago. Tajae Sharpe already looks like he'll become the real deal and Tennessee's run game has overall shown genuine promise.

The Bucs have had some struggles in preseason but as seen here also some muscle. The Jaguars likewise began trending upward in 2015 and look to continue trending upward in 2016

The AFC South looks to be stronger top to bottom than last year; the Ravens should not be as weak as in 2015 - Andrew Luck has been the real deal from Jump Street but has feasted on a weak AFC South; that may not be quite the case in 2016.

The Rams the sleeper of 2016? - A dismal performance in Week One by Jared Goff was followed by clear improvement in Week Two against a competitive Chiefs team. While the Rams have to face the Cardinals and Seahawks they look like more than a 7-9 team in their first year back in LA.

Mark Sanchez plays his way out of Denver - His underhand throw of a fumble may have ended the quarterback controversy in Denver, this atop his second fumble with 22 seconds to go in the half against a Niners team with little expectation.   Trevor Siemen may have played his way to start at least the first half of 2016 for the defending Superbowl champs.


So it goes with preseason continuing.