Repo, how are you feeling about New England? Don't take this the wrong way but I feel like they overachieved last year. Easy schedule, plus other teams weren't sure how to prepare for them. I feel like they're gonna slide back from a 14-win team to 10 or 11. They'll still make the playoffs, and they'll be a contender if AJ Brown opens up the offense for them.
Honestly so much of this depends on Drake Maye - as last Wednesday just proved. If he takes another step forward, we'll challenge Josh Allen and the Bills for the AFC East. If he regresses (like he did last Wednesday and perhaps in last year's post-season) we won't make the playoffs. After Wednesday's game, I'm kind of bummed that we traded wide -receiver Kayshon Boutte to the Texans. He had good chemistry with Maye last year.
Our O-line looked much better last Wednesday so just hoping it was an off game for Drake.
I think Maye will remain a fine QB but the overall team will regress. Much more difficult schedule this year, starting with the defending champs. Might have been an off game, but this was Seattle's secondary we're talking. Furthermore, it doesn't help Brown got injured and will miss the next four games (which include 2 tough away games). I remember Boutte, had him on my fantasy team last year. But I know what you mean. No more Diggs, no more Boutte, Brown out for a few games...Maye suddenly finds himself thin on WR targets. They'll be in early season trouble if they lose to Pittsburgh next week.
End of the 1st quarter on the season already, some thoughts on each division:
NFC East - The NY Giants have been very unlucky. Looked like a promising rebuild was starting last year, but then they lost Cam Skattebo for the season. He returned this year, but then 2nd year QB Jaxson Dart gets injured and lost for the year. Nevertheless, they lead the East at 3-1, and unless one of the other three teams change course, NY may continue to lead. The Cowboys are looking the same as they have the past two years...they score a ton of points, but their defense is weak. My Eagles looked flawed in their 2-0 start, and now those flaws have caught up with them, along with a few key injuries. I'm cautiously optimistic they'll turn things around. The Commanders, who the heck knows?
NFC North - The North is still probably the strongest division in the NFL. Minnesota may be the undefeated team here, but Chicago is the team to watch out for. The Bears are clicking on both sides of the ball, their lone loss came in the game Caleb Williams went down. Still their offense has looked fine with the back-ups. And recall they scored 59 points the one game Williams did play. We'll see what happens when he returns. As for the Vikings, they look solid through 4 games, but their schedule hasn't been impressive (they beat two winless teams by one score). The Lions and Packers are behind in the standings but certainly not out of it. They have the talent and recent track record to get over .500.
NFC South - It appears the Bucs grasp on this division is gone. They blew the lead last year on the final week, and now are 0-4. But that clears the way for the re-building teams to make a splash. The Saints, Falcons, and Panthers have all looked better this year. They're all young teams with exciting talent. I'd say Carolina is the looking the best of the bunch overall. Atlanta looked great yesterday. I drafted Bijan first overall in my fantasy draft and I don't regret that at all!
NFC West - The Rams came into 2026 projected to be the SB frontrunner when they got Garrett and Donald to strengthen their defense. And yet, they've struggled a little bit. A disaster week 1, an injury, plus a tough schedule, and they're 2-2 and sit in third place. They can turn it around though. A comeback win against Philly (ugh) should inspire them. After the Bills this week, their schedule lightens up for the next month. Seattle and SF are looking strong again. Maybe Seattle hasn't looked like the SB-winning juggernaut they were last year, but it's still early. As for Arizona, they're the unfortunate odd man out.
AFC East - Buffalo and New England were the top teams last year with NE winning it. This year, Buffalo exploded out the gate while New England looked vulnerable. But a Pats win in Buffalo Sunday demonstrated they have some of last year's fight. Those two teams are expected to contend for the East while the Jets and Dolphins rebuild.
AFC North - Is Deshaun Watson in Cleveland finally working out? 3-1, atop the division, nobody would have thought that. Let's see how long that lasts. Baltimore is looking good, not great. I think Pittsburgh is gonna fall apart at some point. The Bengals are hanging in there, and can go on a run. Their schedule isn't too difficult.
AFC South - The Texans must be the biggest disappointment in the NFL so far. 5 losses all of last year, 4 already this year. When their defense looks good, they don't score points; when they score points, their defense falters. I don't know what the problem is but it sounds like coaching and game management. If they don't beat the other 0-4 team in the South, the Titans, this week, kiss the Texans season goodbye. That leaves Indy and Jacksonville. Indy looks as average as it gets. Jacksonville should run away with this division and be a contender for #1 seed in the AFC.
AFC West - The Chiefs are back. The NFL and its fans sometimes have a short memory. Many people weren't predicting KC to have a bounceback year. Last year was a disaster for them. They still won 5 of the previous 6 AFC championships; they still have arguably the best coaching staff, and of course Mahomes, back from his 2025-ending injury. Then again, the West has become more competitive in recent years. The Chargers were a consistent 2nd-best team, although they have big problems now. Then came the Broncos, who ended KC's division-winning streak. Denver is off to a slow start, but no reason to rule them out. And now, the Raiders believe it or not. Getting veteran Kirk Cousins has been working out so far. They lost to KC Sunday, but it was a valiant effort, and their fans must be excited. They play a tough schedule though so we'll see.
cestuneblagueOtana, but No HitoProfile Straight Outta Ballard
Even after a tough loss a couple of weeks ago, the Seahawks are adjusting remarkably well considering they had a quarterback injury and are relying on rookie running backs. While I think a Super Bowl repeat is unlikely, they still definitely look good enough for a playoff run (although lol the Chargers).
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Repo
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