FOOTBALL NFL ARTICLES

The New York Jets and Buffalo Bills are both in rebuilding mode, and wins may be hard to come by this season. However, they face off with each other in Week 1 of the regular season, so somebody is going to start the season off on a high note.... 

While the Jacksonville Jaguars weren’t expected to win it all last season, they were expected to build upon a 5-11 season the prior year. That unfortunately didn’t occur. When the dust cleared on 2016-17, the Jags brought up the rear of the AFC South standings with a 3-13 record. The team actually closed as one of the favorites to win the division before the season started. That’s not the case this season with it expected to once again finish last in the division. So if there ever was a time to buy low on what Shahid Khan is trying to get done with this fledgling franchise, now is the time to do it.... 

The Indianapolis Colts have failed to return to the playoffs since the “Deflategate Scandal” went down a couple years back. It’d been back-to-back 8-8 campaigns since Chuck Strong went 11-5 and reached the AFC title game where it was ripped apart by the New England Patriots. The natives are starting to get restless. It goes without saying that this is a big season for Chuck Pagano and his staff. A slow start out of the gates, and it’s definitely within the realm of possibility that he’s handed his walking papers. The chips are stacked against him with the availability of Andrew Luck still to be determined with the regular season set to kick off in a week.... 

The AFC South has been ruled by the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts this decade, but the Tennessee Titans are the favorites to win the division coming into the 2017 season. There are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about Tennessee coming into the season. They have the most settled quarterback position due to a lingering shoulder injury that’s hindering Andrew Luck’s recovery and have mostly made the right moves in their rebuilding phase. If Marcus Mariota can take the step forward the Titans think he can, this team could go very far in the postseason.... 

It’s a little bit of a surprise to see such high odds on the Cincinnati Bengals to win the AFC. They are much better than many of the also-rans in the conference and have an abundance of talent at the skill positions. While they do have to deal with a burgeoning juggernaut in the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Browns are the Browns and the Baltimore Ravens are falling apart in front of our eyes. This seems like a great opportunity to find value in a team like the Bengals.... 

Defense has been the cornerstone of the Baltimore Ravens for what seems like forever, and the group better be strong again in 2017 to hold up an offense that will rely on Joe Flacco for production. Not that the 10-year veteran signal caller can’t do the job, but his numbers slipped drastically last season and he isn’t getting any younger. The devastating knee injury suffered in 2015 may have led to the decline and if recovered from that and missing the entire preseason, the Ravens might be able to get nine victories.... 

The Tennessee Titans came from out of nowhere a season ago to triple their win total from the previous season and compete for a playoff spot. Though they ultimately fell short, there were a ton of memorable moments that have many of the belief that Mike Mularkey’s squad just might be the team to beat in the AFC South. With a win total just under nine wins, linemakers have set the bar and it’s up to this young up and coming squad to prove the hype is for real.... 

It’s been no fun being a Baltimore Ravens fan the last couple years with John Harbaugh’s squad unable to produce a winning record in either. He was just given a vote of confidence by the owners with an extension. Maybe some more job security lets him loosen up a bit since he’s looked all choked up on those sidelines of late. Baltimore won four of its six games in the division last season, but lost at both Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. It’s going to have to hold serve at home and at the very least split with those two to have a shot of winning the AFC North this season.... 

After back-to-back 8-8 seasons, the Indianapolis Colts are ready to be a playoff team again. The team has a new general manager in Chris Ballard and signed a ton of free agents this offseason.... 

Blake Bortles was bad last season and was so inconsistent this preseason that coach Doug Marrone briefly opener up the competition for the starting spot. Chad Henne was the other option, but it will be Bortles who heads into the season leading the team. Jacksonville has been one of the worst teams in the NFL for more than a decade.They are hoping to turn that around, and it’s a possibility if Bortles can somehow reach the potential that so many saw in him when he was the No. 3 overall pick in the draft a few years ago. That is easier said than done, and his performance will play a huge role in if the Jaguars hit their projected win total in 2017.... 

The Baltimore Ravens have long been one of the steadiest teams in the AFC, as a smart front office has kept the team in contention on a regular basis. Baltimore has a pair of Super Bowls and 10 playoff appearances since 2000, but the more recent history hasn’t been as pretty.... 

The Cincinnati Bengals haven’t been to the Super Bowl since the 80’s. While they’ve reached the playoffs seven times since the turn of the century, the Marvin Lewis coached Bengals are yet to advance a single round. It’s been back-to-back missed postseasons for Andy Dalton and company, but the team looks to be at full strength heading into the regular season. With a win total of 8.5 and predicted to finish second in the AFC North to the Steelers, the Bengals are currently 75-1 dogs to win the big game.... 

The Jacksonville Jaguars have been a laughing stock for far too long. Gus Bradley was finally fired after four awful years following his worst performance yet in 2016. He had the second-lowest winning percentage of any coach who was on the sidelines for at least 50 games and posted a 14-48 record. Things should be better under Doug Marrone, but for real improvement to happen, the offense must be better. Jacksonville hasn’t had an offense finish among the top ten in total yards since 2007 and that was the last time the franchise reached the postseason too.... 

Andrew Luck has spent all offseason rehabbing from a shoulder injury and may not be able to play for the first couple games of the season. Luck underwent surgery for a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder this offseason and has yet to recover. He is currently on the PUP list and his status seems more and more dubious by the day. Keep that in mind when determining what side of the Colts over/under to bet this season.... 

Since winning the Super Bowl five years ago, the Baltimore Ravens have had their fair share of woes. In the afterglow of the victory, the front office gave Joe Flacco a mammoth six-year extension and that contract has been a killer. The team has been in salary cap purgatory since that point and that has kept them from both keeping productive players and having quality depth.... 

The pieces keep changing around him, but the one man the Jacksonville Jaguars keep bringing back is Blake Bortles. Taken with the third overall pick in 2014, Bortles has never led the Jags to more than five wins in a season or higher than a third place finish in the division, yet the expectations continue to remain high. Former Jags coach and two-time Super Bowl champ with the Giants Tom Coughlin was brought back to lead the football ops. He coached the team during their only division winning seasons, but does he still have the magic?... 

It was a sudden turnaround for the Tennessee Titans, who tripled their win total from the previous season and surprised many by tying Houston for the AFC South title in 2016. They lost the tie-breaker, extending their string of playoff-less seasons to eight. However, there is reason for optimism in the Music City. Their franchise quarterback has recovered from a busted leg and they added some talented receivers in the draft to make the offense more explosive. Now, the Titans are ready to challenge the big boys in the AFC.... 

The New York Jets aren’t expected to do much in 2017 after the roster was gutted of veteran talent in a complete rebuild. So that puts all the pressure on the Buffalo Bills to win the Week 1 opener. The Bills’ roster isn’t exactly spilling over with talent either and the two teams are expected to finish at the bottom of the AFC East. That’s not very good news for the Bills, who own the league’s longest postseason drought, now at 17 seasons after failing to qualify last season.Don't miss any of the NFL Week 1 action on Sunday, September 10, 2017 at 1 p.m. ET. This duel from New Era Field will be televised on CBS.... 

There is still a long way to go for the Cleveland Browns to become playoff contenders in the AFC, but they are headed in the right direction with their draft haul ready to make an immediate impact. The top four picks from the recent draft will likely start the Week 1 season opener against the division rival Pittsburgh Steelers as the franchise rebuild continues. For the first time in a long time the Browns have done something right, now they just can’t blow it.Don't miss any of the NFL Week 1 action on Sunday, September 10, 2017 at 1 p.m. ET. This duel from FirstEnergy Stadium will be televised on CBS... 

With both teams expected to do some damage this season, could we see a playoff preview in Week 1? The Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers are odds on favorites to represent the NFC in Super Bowl 52 and they’ll get a crack at one another in the opener. Seattle will look to end a seven-game losing streak on the road in the series and slow down Aaron Rodgers and the Pack offense. Green Bay has scored at least 27 points in each of the last four meetings at Lambeau and they should be strong again in 2017.Don't miss any of the NFL Week 1 action on Sunday, September 10, 2017 at 4:25 p.m. ET. This matchup from Lambeau Field will be televised on FOX.... 

It seems like Adrian Peterson just left and now he’s coming back. The Minnesota Vikings all-time leading rusher, who was not signed after an injury-filled last season, will lead his current team, the New Orleans Saints, into the Twin Cities for the first Monday Night Football matchup of the year. The Vikings wanted to improve their ground game so why not let a man with over 11,700 yards walk. The Saints are glad to have him and AP is eager to show he still has something left when the teams meet in Week 1.Don't miss any of the NFL Week 1 action on Monday, September 11, 2017 at 7:10 p.m. ET. This duel from U.S. Bank Stadium will be televised on ESPN.... 

Marvin Lewis was given a mulligan after his Cincinnati Bengals struggled last season, missing the playoffs for the first time in six seasons. And they weren’t even close as the win total from the previous year was halved. Lewis returns to try and get Cincy back to the top of the division and he has pieces remaining from teams that won at least 10 games in four consecutive seasons. The Bengals have won six of the last seven meetings with the Baltimore Ravens and a win in Week 1 will give Lewis some job security, at least until the next game.Don't miss any of the NFL Week 1 action on Sunday, September 10, 2017 at 1 p.m. ET. This duel from Paul Brown Stadium will be televised on CBS.... 

The San Francisco 49ers are working on their fourth head coach in the last four seasons and the once stable franchise that employed two coaches during an 18-year run the 1980s and 90s is looking to calm things down. The good news is that each of the previous three coaches won their season opening game. The bad news is that they went a combined 12-33 over the remaining 45 games. The Niners look to continue their season-opening trend against the Carolina Panthers in Week 1.Don't miss any of the NFL Week 1 action on Sunday, September 10, 2017 at 4:25 p.m. ET. This duel from Levi’s Stadium will be televised on FOX.... 

Dak Prescott did plenty right last season leading the Dallas Cowboys to a franchise record-tying 13 victories. However he didn’t beat the New York Giants in two tries and was a quick out in the playoffs after the Boys earned the top seed in the NFC. Prescott will likely be without his backfield running mate with Zeke Elliott looking at a suspension, and that will make it tougher for the Cowboys to dent Big Blue’s stingy defense. They’ll give it their best shot though in the Week 1 opener.Don't miss any of the NFL Week 1 action on Sunday, September 10, 2017 at 8:30 p.m. ET. This duel from ATT Stadium will be televised on NBC.... 

The Los Angeles Rams went with a youth movement to try and get back to respectability and that extended to the head coach. Former Washington offensive coordinator Sean McVay is the guy in charge and after developing Kirk Cousins into one of the best, he’ll attempt to do the same with Jared Goff. At the very least the two can hang out together. McVay is the youngest coach in NFL history and is just nine years older than his quarterback. Their relationship will be tested in Week 1 when the Rams host the Indianapolis Colts, who could be without their QB for the opener.Don't miss any of the NFL Week 1 action on Sunday, September 10, 2017 at 4:05 p.m. ET. This duel from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum will be televised on CBS....