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NFL Thread: 2026-27 Season

I just have no words for the Cowboys right now. The Arizona game tying (should've been game winning) drive was just difficult to watch. After you see them march it halfway down the field how do you not take your last timeout in regulation. Even if it lets Arizona also get a beat clearly your defense isn't watching who they're suppose to. After 26 years on this planet I am indeed tired of this team :psycry: . You'd think we'd actually have a GOTI, but even if we score 30+ its not enough as pointed out in the broadcast yesterday, I believe the state line was 0-4 if we didn't score 34+ and guess what, we didn't hit the mark. I give this team some grace first year DC, new faces on defense, I just hope as we turn the corner to the 2nd half of the season we do some serious winning. NFC East is still for the taking thankfully.

Seems like both divisions my teams are in TX Rangers and Cowboys didn't feel like doing JACK this past and current year
 
RetroSquad said:
I just have no words for the Cowboys right now. The Arizona game tying (should've been game winning) drive was just difficult to watch. After you see them march it halfway down the field how do you not take your last timeout in regulation. Even if it lets Arizona also get a beat clearly your defense isn't watching who they're suppose to. After 26 years on this planet I am indeed tired of this team :psycry: . You'd think we'd actually have a GOTI, but even if we score 30+ its not enough as pointed out in the broadcast yesterday, I believe the state line was 0-4 if we didn't score 34+ and guess what, we didn't hit the mark. I give this team some grace first year DC, new faces on defense, I just hope as we turn the corner to the 2nd half of the season we do some serious winning. NFC East is still for the taking thankfully.

Seems like both divisions my teams are in TX Rangers and Cowboys didn't feel like doing JACK this past and current year
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Speaking as someone who was college roommates and friends with multiple Cowboys fans, I’ve gotten most of my information about your team from them, and from what I’ve gathered, this defensive rebuild is just that- a rebuild. I want to say your team only returned and is starting a small handful of 2025’s defensive starters, and growing pains are to be expected with a first-year DC as well. It sucks, but it is to expected. I’ll also say this about Arizona- I don’t think they’re a playoff team or anything but I would say they look better right now than Philly or Washington, especially the latter. Washington’s only “success” this season has come from my Seahawks having a 10 AM road game in a different time zone where Darnold sold us and that tie game against the Giants. And Philadelphia? Yeesh.

The whole “this is our year” thing does largely feel like a meme at this point but I do genuinely think the team has a bright future ahead of them. Prescott’s one of the few starting QBs above age 30 I can still trust to win games consistently and you guys have also just had really crappy matchup luck this season anyway, which generally balances out over time.
 
Monday Night Football Wrap-Up

Chicago takes care of business against us in a solid 34-17 win for themselves. Newly acquired Jeffrey Simmons (Titans trade) played really well for his first game in a Bears uniform and that college connection he had with Montez Sweat is definitely still there. However, I think what this game came down to for us was the offensive line and the lack of receiving production outside of JSN who had a good game as usual. Something you might not have known going into this (neither did I, actually) is that a certain Grey Zabel had never started any games on the right side of the offensive line. I’m interested to see how things could change should Quenton Nelson and Zabel ever decide to swap guard positions (left and right). Who knows?

This loss taking us out of the #8 seed in the NFC playoff race is unfortunate, but I think there was a lot the team can learn from this game and considering how different the offensive line looked between our last game and this game, I can say that I’ve seen worse. Chicago definitely had the better playcalling offensively and defensively throughout most of this game, though. Most of Sam Darnold’s struggles have come against four-man rushes and various lighter-box looks from the defense, and it seems like when he’s not able to keep up with the increasing speed and coverage of modern defensive playcalling, that’s when he tends to panic and make poorer choices with the football. The offensive line’s growing pains with the new setup admittedly didn’t help him, but it wasn’t all them by any means.
 
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Dead by Daylight said:
The Raiders are 4-4.

Never did I expect us to be .500 eight games in. I don't know what to say. I'll just thank my mother, I guess.
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What makes this even funnier is that Klint Kubiak’s new team and his old team are now both 4-4 on the season so far. Just last season the Raiders finished 3-14 and the Seahawks finished 14-3 with a Super Bowl win. They literally went from having the opposite record to having the same record.
 
That was almost a brutal trap game for the Lions. They looked totally unprepared for the Dolphins defense and took most of the game to lock in on that side of the ball. Luckily, the Dolphins have very little offense, but I'm still not a fan of that performance. Still, 6-2 is 6-2. The Dolphins could be very, very good in a couple seasons, but they've got a ton of work to do on offense.
 
POST-WEEK 9 OVERREACTION PLAYOFF PICKS AND DRAFT ORDER - This time with writeups!

AFC:
1: Bills - The Bills have an easy division and schedule and should have an easy path to the first seed.
2: Jaguars - Jacksonville is uber talented at pretty much every level. The question is how deep can Trevor Lawrence take them come December.
3: Chiefs - You can't count out the Chiefs. The AFC West is unexpectedly weak this year, so I think the Chiefs will cruise to the three seed.
4: Bengals - Speaking of unexpectedly weak divisions, the Bengals have been gifted a golden opportunity to win the AFC North. This should be a fairly safe lock for them.
5: Broncos - I don't have much confidence in any of the AFC Wild Card teams. The Broncos have some good wins, but Bo Nix looks like he's regressed.
6: Texans - I think the Texans can surprise some people down the stretch. I wouldn't be shocked if they win out.
7: Patriots - In a fairly weak AFC, the Patriots look like the 7 seed to me. They can play anyone close, but consistency is the issue here.

NFC:
1: 49ers - No news here, the 49ers have looked more complete than any other team.
2: Bears - Chicago is going all in on this year. As long as the injury bug leaves them relatively alone, they have a very strong team capable of a deep run.
3: Buccaneers - The 3 and 4 seeds in the NFC are jokes this year, as both the South and the East are extremely weak. Tampa Bay has a decent defense (which is more than can be said for the rest of the NFC South) and Bucky Irving is having a career year.
4: Commanders - It's really anyone's guess as to who will win the East this year. I have more faith in Jayden Daniels, which is not a lot, than the rest of the teams to make it.
5: Rams - L.A. finally seems to be clicking a bit. I think it is likely they win a ton on the back half of the season.
6: Seahawks - Seattle is definitely a weaker team this year than they were a year prior, but I don't think they will miss the playoffs.
7: Lions - Detroit showed a couple cracks against Miami, but overall the offense is just so good still that I don't see them missing the playoffs.

Draft Order:

1: Chargers - I will be baffled if the Chargers go 0-17, but they just look so bad. This is a team with a respectable amount of talent, and yet they just don't perform well. It's a strange year for football.
2: Eagles - The Eagles just got wrecked by injuries. They would've easily won the East if they weren't so banged up. Alas, Tanner McKee probably isn't leading them to many victories.
3: Colts - The Colts have entered the full tank, and they will probably be in the tank for the next three years at least considering they don't even have their first round pick this year.
4: Dolphins - At least Miami plays hard. They seem well coached, they just have... very little to work with.
5: Titans - The more I watch Cam Ward, the more I feel like he may not work out. The Titans have holes all over the roster, and a surprise career year from Tony Pollard will not be saving them.
6: Cardinals - We are all going to witness some prime Carson Beck gameplay soon. That will probably spell the end for the Cardinals season when it does happen.
7: Jets - Another team that is just held back by the QB position. Their defense also needs work.
8: Saints - The Saints are incredibly talent-poor. I could see this team improving to .500, but a playoff appearance is unlikely to me.
9: Browns - The Browns are just too inept offensively to make a surprise run.
10: Raiders - The 3-0 start was fun, but the Raiders should be making the move to Fernando Mendoza sooner rather than later.
11: Falcons - This team essentially has no QB as far as I'm concerned. They're trading away pieces too, so I think Atlanta is calling it already.
12: Panthers - Another team that could probably sneak into the division lead. The Panthers are entirely reliant on whether or not Bryce Young is hot that day (not a good place to be in).
13: Cowboys - The Cowboys are such a wasted team. They have lots of talent but terrible coaching, and I don't see that changing.
14: Giants - Now there is definitely a chance the Giants win their division (which is not saying much), but the QB deal is too much.
15: Steelers - I don't know what to make of the Steelers. I think the back half of their schedule is going to be very tough.
16: Ravens - Maybe Jacoby Brissett can get the Ravens to the 7 seed, but I think it's unlikely.
17: Vikings - I sort of think the Vikings are the opposite of the Packers. This is a team that is on the downswing a bit and I just don't have any faith in the QB situation.
18: Packers - The Packers are very much on the upswing, and they are definitely capable of a playoff run if they can get in over Detroit.
 
Can the Patriots play anyone close? They lost 35-6 to the Jaguars, and the Packers ended the game 42-14 in the third in Foxborough, eventually bringing out Tyrod Taylor at QB. Frankly, I don't think they're very good. They can play the Jets (at home) and Dolphins close, though, with one-possession wins over each. *wink*

Despite all that, I agree with projecting the Patriots at 7th. The AFC might be in rough shape, like last year too! Who would I project instead? The 3-5 Texans, who has 2 of its 3 wins over the 1-15 Los Nashville Chargatitans? The Huntley Ravens? The Browns?

Maybe I'm too pessimistic, though. I traditionally rate the Chiefs and Bengals very high when they appear to be viable and not injury-choked, and that seems to be true this year. I evaluated the Broncos highly last year until Nix's nightmare injury timing, so they could make some noise. We will get a look to see if the coaching change helped out Buffalo in the playoffs, too. Maybe this AFC is just top-heavy versus bad.

The NFC may not be all that better, and it might be worse. We'll see if a late contender emerges, but the East and South could be black holes. The Wild Card looks vile, but in the good way: 5 genuine competitors (3 NFC North losers; 2 NFC East losers) could compete for three spots.

The Packers are making me hope again, but the success of everyone else in the division is checking that hope. Like the past three years, the Packers will have all the peaks to be real SB competitors. And bagging both gritty and dominant wins this year could hint at a better mental than the collapses of last year, and maybe we have already braved the worst of our injury bug, with the OL stabilizing and Parsons coming soon. But it's a measured hope, given the shallowness of the 2 most recent playoff runs.

For the Lions to hold onto that type of offense valuation, they'll have to pick up the pace. Sure, not clearing 20 against Minnesota is fair. But they probably did not deserve to clear 20 against Green Bay (in Detroit), and not clearing 20 against Miami is not great! 3 games is only 3 games, but they definitely want to tune up against middling opponents in New England and Atlanta before the Bears come to town.

Looking through several teams, I'm surprised that many teams are struggling for impressive wins, despite how many games we have played. We have a lot of data to learn on the contenders going forward! For example:

The Packers had two great wins over OK teams, thrashing New England on the road, and beating the Cowboys 23-7 before garbage time, but an OK team is still not a great team. The Bears win was without Caleb.

The Lions' wins against Green Bay and Minnesota are impregnable on paper, but they are two very close wins, at home, against one team under dubious circumstances, and another that may have been on the downswing.

The Bears are really banking on the Seattle road win... where Darnold cracked his rib on the second play. If we ignore that and the Caleb-less Green Bay loss, they have 4 straight wins... 3 against poor teams (1 OK), 3 at home, all by 1 score.

Lots to tune into in the coming weeks!
 
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Broncos got profoundly lucky with that interception bounce, especially since they committed DPI. IMO that play flipped who was winning the game, matters a ton for the Broncos in a loaded AFC.

I disagree with the 49ers looking the most complete, I think with that monster defense that Jaguars are the best team on both sides of the ball. But 49ers presumably will get some back from that pile of injured players for the playoffs.

Burrow has been my fave current QB since his crazy 2024 season, and it was a delight watching that first half. Penix had a pathetic game, so it did get pretty boring there by Q4.
 
Adeleine said:
For the Lions to hold onto that type of offense valuation, they'll have to pick up the pace. Sure, not clearing 20 against Minnesota is fair. But they probably did not deserve to clear 20 against Green Bay (in Detroit), and not clearing 20 against Miami is not great!
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In fairness, the Lions' offense did not need to look that ass against the Dolphins. Christian Mahogany was benched for the entirety of the game for reasons that Campbell has been evasive about, and Miles Frazier was terrible as his replacement. Goff was imperiled all game. If whatever issue led to the benching is sorted out, that performance should go down as an anomaly.

My cope for the Packers game is that some sort of old god was clearly meddling with the game all afternoon.
 
Halfway Through The Season Superlatives

  • Most Surprising Dropoffs: Chargers, Eagles, Rams
  • Most Improved (so far): Giants, Raiders
  • Most likely to gain the 1 Seed but doesn't have one right now: Jaguars, Bears
  • Most likely to lose the 1 Seed after currently having it: 49ers
  • Most likely to sneak into the playoffs but isn't in currently: Seahawks, Rams
  • Most likely to choke away their currently held playoff spot: Panthers, Panthers, whoever wins the NFC South, Panthers
  • Most likely to fire their head coach before the end of the season: Jets, Dolphins, Titans, Chargers, Eagles
  • Most likely to spark discussions of Super Bowl conspiracy theories: Bears, Jaguars
  • Most likely to name a rookie the starter because of the trade deadline: Raiders
  • Most likely to screw your fantasy team: Chargers, Falcons
 
I have a lot of Vikings love in my family and so many are so excited thinking Kirko will be the difference and he's deffo an upgrade but I caution them like "Remember why y'all wanted him gone?" one game he'll look like a top tier QB next it's "wtf happened?"
 
yureion said:
I have a lot of Vikings love in my family and so many are so excited thinking Kirko will be the difference and he's deffo an upgrade but I caution them like "Remember why y'all wanted him gone?" one game he'll look like a top tier QB next it's "wtf happened?"
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They got rid of Sam Darnold, and where did that lead them? Back to older, slightly worse Sam Darnold.
 
Time for some trade grades!

Ravens acquire C Ryan Neuzil from Falcons for G Andrew Vorhees and a 6th round pick

I give the Ravens a B+ for this. Unfortunately, it seems the Cam Jurgens trade was a super bust. Neuzil is actually quite good despite not being a household name, and with Lamar confirmed to be available towards the end of the season, the Ravens are doing anything they can to steady the ship until he returns. For the Falcons, I give them a C. Neuzil was good, and potentially could've signed for some decent money, netting Atlanta a higher comp pick than a 6th rounder. Andrew Vorhees is decidedly meh and is not a starting quality lineman.

Chiefs acquire WR Josh Downs and a 2027 7th round pick from Colts for 2027 4th and 5th round picks

I have the Chiefs at a B- for this one. Josh Downs is a fine player, but he is also extremely equivalent to Rashee Rice. I don't think he brings anything particularly new to KC's offense. I have the Colts at an A+ here. Getting both a 4th and a 5th is probably above mark for Josh Downs, and the Colts will need every resource they can get for the multi-year rebuild ahead.

Broncos acquire LB Daiyan Henley from Chargers for a 2027 4th round pick and a 2028 5th round pick

I give the Broncos a D for this trade. I don't see why they felt the need to do this. Their LBs are pretty mediocre, but so is Henley. The Chargers made out like bandits here, getting two decent selections, giving them an easy A+ grade.

Vikings acquire QB Kirk Cousins from Raiders for a 2027 3rd round pick

The Vikings have a special defense and an offense that has Justin Jefferson on it. Kirk Cousins is the best conceivable QB the Vikings could've gotten, and I think they can make a potential Super Bowl run with him. A 3rd rounder is high for what is likely a single season rental, but giving it all for your window is what you're supposed to do. I give the Vikings an A. As for the Raiders, I think they've correctly identified that their team just isn't talented enough to be a contender this year and rightly got what they could for Cousins. Definitely an A+.

Bills acquire Amani Hooker, 2027 5th round pick from Titans for 2027 2nd round pick

I think this trade is sort of whatever for the Bills. I think they were right to try and upgrade their defense, but this is a lot to give up for a non-premium position (QB, WR, OT, CB, Edge, DT). I grade them at a B overall. As for Tennessee, I think this is a great move for an aging player at a non premium position. A second rounder is an excellent haul, earning them an A+.

49ers acquire WR Keenan Allen from Colts for 2027 6th round pick

I don't think Keenan Allen really pushes the needle for SF. They didn't really give up much, but it also likely was not necessary. I give them a B-. The Colts did well to get value from an aged player they did not need. Easy A+.

Jaguars acquire Jordan Davis from Eagles for 2027 1st round pick, 2029 2nd round pick

I'm a huge fan of this trade for Jacksonville. Jordan Davis has star potential and has been playing like it. This is a lot to give up, but I think Davis is worth it. I give them an A-. I'm surprised the Eagles moved Jordan Davis given that he is pretty young and very talented. To me, this makes it seem like Jalen Hurts's situation is worse than has been reported, and Philadelphia is expecting to undergo a full rebuild. With that in mind, I think this is an A grade for them. I think they may have been able to get more on the offseason than this, but it's certainly an acceptable haul.
 
dex said:
Time for some trade grades!

Ravens acquire C Ryan Neuzil from Falcons for G Andrew Vorhees and a 6th round pick

I give the Ravens a B+ for this. Unfortunately, it seems the Cam Jurgens trade was a super bust. Neuzil is actually quite good despite not being a household name, and with Lamar confirmed to be available towards the end of the season, the Ravens are doing anything they can to steady the ship until he returns. For the Falcons, I give them a C. Neuzil was good, and potentially could've signed for some decent money, netting Atlanta a higher comp pick than a 6th rounder. Andrew Vorhees is decidedly meh and is not a starting quality lineman.

Chiefs acquire WR Josh Downs and a 2027 7th round pick from Colts for 2027 4th and 5th round picks

I have the Chiefs at a B- for this one. Josh Downs is a fine player, but he is also extremely equivalent to Rashee Rice. I don't think he brings anything particularly new to KC's offense. I have the Colts at an A+ here. Getting both a 4th and a 5th is probably above mark for Josh Downs, and the Colts will need every resource they can get for the multi-year rebuild ahead.

Broncos acquire LB Daiyan Henley from Chargers for a 2027 4th round pick and a 2028 5th round pick

I give the Broncos a D for this trade. I don't see why they felt the need to do this. Their LBs are pretty mediocre, but so is Henley. The Chargers made out like bandits here, getting two decent selections, giving them an easy A+ grade.

Vikings acquire QB Kirk Cousins from Raiders for a 2027 3rd round pick

The Vikings have a special defense and an offense that has Justin Jefferson on it. Kirk Cousins is the best conceivable QB the Vikings could've gotten, and I think they can make a potential Super Bowl run with him. A 3rd rounder is high for what is likely a single season rental, but giving it all for your window is what you're supposed to do. I give the Vikings an A. As for the Raiders, I think they've correctly identified that their team just isn't talented enough to be a contender this year and rightly got what they could for Cousins. Definitely an A+.

Bills acquire Amani Hooker, 2027 5th round pick from Titans for 2027 2nd round pick

I think this trade is sort of whatever for the Bills. I think they were right to try and upgrade their defense, but this is a lot to give up for a non-premium position (QB, WR, OT, CB, Edge, DT). I grade them at a B overall. As for Tennessee, I think this is a great move for an aging player at a non premium position. A second rounder is an excellent haul, earning them an A+.

49ers acquire WR Keenan Allen from Colts for 2027 6th round pick

I don't think Keenan Allen really pushes the needle for SF. They didn't really give up much, but it also likely was not necessary. I give them a B-. The Colts did well to get value from an aged player they did not need. Easy A+.

Jaguars acquire Jordan Davis from Eagles for 2027 1st round pick, 2029 2nd round pick

I'm a huge fan of this trade for Jacksonville. Jordan Davis has star potential and has been playing like it. This is a lot to give up, but I think Davis is worth it. I give them an A-. I'm surprised the Eagles moved Jordan Davis given that he is pretty young and very talented. To me, this makes it seem like Jalen Hurts's situation is worse than has been reported, and Philadelphia is expecting to undergo a full rebuild. With that in mind, I think this is an A grade for them. I think they may have been able to get more on the offseason than this, but it's certainly an acceptable haul.
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Chargers acquire LB Daiyan Henley from Broncos for a 2027 4th round pick and a 2028 5th round pick
I give the Chargers a D for this trade. I don't see why the Broncos felt the need to have Daiyan Henley in the first place. Their LBs are pretty mediocre, but so is Henley. The Broncos made out like bandits here, getting two decent selections, giving them an easy A+ grade.
 
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Ascension Evermore said:
Chargers acquire LB Daiyan Henley from Broncos for a 2027 4th round pick and a 2028 5th round pick
I give the Chargers a D for this trade. I don't see why the Broncos felt the need to have Daiyan Henley in the first place. Their LBs are pretty mediocre, but so is Henley. The Broncos made out like bandits here, getting two decent selections, giving them an easy A+ grade.
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Hey, the Chargers are just adding ammunition for their playoff push. I don't think you can blame them for mortgaging a piece of their future for some depth at linebacker. I give this a B, leaning to a B+.
 
Dead by Daylight said:
Hey, the Chargers are just adding ammunition for their playoff push. I don't think you can blame them for mortgaging a piece of their future for some depth at linebacker. I give this a B, leaning to a B+.
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Respectfully what playoff push? If you're being facetious, well played -bows-
but they damn sure ain't making the playoffs this year lol.

Edit* if they literally went on to win every game still wont make it lol

if you meant upcoming years then yes I get your point - that's what most flailing teams do -- look at the colts lol.
the chargers will still find a way to Eff it up like always.
 
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