Well as we go into season three early on. There’s a lot of new teams on the rise

1. Raven 4-0

A qb battle looking like McDonald took the job. As the super bowl runner up last season, other than that last loss this team is 22-1. Easily why they are number 1. 

2. Lions 4-0 

Quite a turnaround from last season yed by 2 rookies Hennings has 24 touchdowns and tod Knapp is having a season

3. Bengals 4-0

Derrick Henry is carrying this team, and looks to add an mvp to his belt

4. Chargers 4-0

New coaching changes and Herbert playing well enough to win games 

5. Cardinals 4-0 

Murray looks like he is in peak from and wants to win the nfc west yet again

6. Kanas city 4-0

This offense puts up numbers only point to me made

7. Football team 4-0 

Well this defense has came back again this year and Haskins is finally turning into the qb eveybody wanted him to be

8. Seattle 3-1

New coaching changes = back to winning ways can Russ add another bowl to his belt before he retires 

9. Titians 3-1 

Joe burrow leading this team to success as eveybody thought he would when he was drafted by the bengals but 2 years later he is a Titian

10. Dolphins 3-1 

This offense is a tough one to stop with quick wide receievers and a shifty back in Kamara. They should keep pace leading this division.

As the season goes on in season 2 we’ve seen crazy things happen. Ravens on a roll putting up seems like 60-70 point games at ease , Mitch leads the number one offense in every stat besides ppg. Jets are legit contenders in the afc, Seahawks and cowboys having very down years. Well as we are about to head into the playoffs things are getting tight.  jets lead the afc east, at this point who knows what’s going to go down. For all we know we could see a jets vs football team super bowl. That we never hear that one. 

1. Ravens 13-0

Lamar Jackson and this defense just crazy Lamar is a front runner for mvp, and that defense just crazy, always causing turnovers and good luck if you have to play them. 

2. Jets 10-3 

Sam darnold and this jets defense as came a long way since last season, they are getting better and better each week and prove they can win in close games 

3. Bears 9-4

Carson wentz might have been the puzzle peice they needed it to bring a chip to Chicago, they proven to win games with thier defense or win it behind wentz. 

4. Football team 10-3 

2 things , scary terry and that defense. They keys to this team. If that defense gets you down, don’t be surprised if you find yourself down a lot more fast, this defense likes to get to you and cause havoc 

5. Texans 9-4

Watson has carried this team yet again while getting help from will fuller. This duo looks deadly and can be a serious problem for anybody who has to play them. 

6. Eagles 9-4 

5 game win streak and mvp candidate Mitch leads this high scoring offense, defense causing turnovers and that’s it. They play team football 

7. Bucs 9-3 

Well Tom Brady has yet to slow down and this team has a crazy amount of weapons still. Don’t be surprised if they find a way to sneak out the nfc into the chip as Brady wins 7th ring and then retires 

8. Cardinals 8-4

Kyler Murray has speed and his weapons has speed. Moore, Kirk and Isabella, scary sight to line up against, for opposing defenses, led by Murray this team is great 

9. Bills 7-5 

Defense = championships this defense is crazy, they cause havoc and we shall see what they can do in the playoff if they make it. 

10. Chiefs 7-5

Tbh this is a let down, 7-5 with the best offense in madden but hey it’s madden, patty is doing his thing and no stopping this offense with its weapons 

Mid season Power Rankings

A lot of changes have been made since last season. Who thought we see wentz in a bears uniform, who thought we see Jamal Adams in a Buffalo uniform, Hopkins and Miller get traded, Jacob Eason a giant. This season has been eventful and quite interesting. Mitch number 2 in passing, Barkley quietly leading the giants to the top of the nfc east. Texans leading afc south, the jets leading afc east. Another down season for Wilson and the Seahawks, New Yorkcity might have 2 playoffs teams this year. Oakland  struggling after having a amazing season. Coach hermon Boone leaving pats after a super bowl going to power house ravens team. We’ve had new users come.  Stating that here’s the power rankings through 9 weeks 

1. Ravens 

We all saw this coming , coach Boone has this team toying with teams. Putting up video game numbers, making teams not even showing up to the games. Lamar Jackson putting up videos game numbers while that stingy defense plays a role into putting on shut outs. Right now the favorite to win bowl. 

2. Texans 

Well they started off slow last year but this year, red hot, riding Watson’s back to a 6-1 start. This team is the early favorite to be the afc south representative for the playoffs. They keep this up could be ravens vs Texans afc championship game. 

3. Bears. 

Trading for wentz was the key for this team. They play stingy defense and wentz is getting the job done as Mitch couldn’t in Chicago, this defense is nothing to play with. But 6-2 after a blowout game vs nfc north rival packers, states that they are ready for any task 

4. Jets 

Welp to be honest, I don’t fucking know how they are 6-2 but they are. Sam daronld leading this team after a couple of stuggling years. A new coach means new beginnings and this team playing fir their jobs and afc east favorite as of now and we will see how this team is. 

5. Bucs

Well this was expected. The amount of weapons they have nobody should be stopping this team. They are loaded on offense and defense. Devin white is leading this defense and has his mindset on a bowl. Can they keep up as they are 6-2 or will they fall apart , we shall see 

6. Giants 

Well after last season you said they would lead the nfc east, I would say you on drugs but Barkley and Eason is leading this team to a 5-2 start and looks to Keep it red hot into the back half of the season. Barkley is on fire and is unstoppable. 

7. Chargers 

5-3 led behind Austin ekler and that stingy defense who loves to makes turnovers and can cause havoc on any team. This team is a black horse contender if they can keep up this production watch out . Anything is possible. 

8. Football Team

5-2 and defense and Haskins. This team has an amazing pass rush and you can’t stop them. When they are on a role. Nothing can stop them. Chase young loves qb’s and nothing can stop him from getting to them 

9. Panthers

Cmc is that man. He is carrying this team and nobody can stop him prolly the best back in the lg and you can argue that. At the end of the day look at the stats 

10. Bills 

Tre white and they defense just got scarier, with the addition of Adams, it looks like nobody is gonna want to play that d. Evans is carrying this team along with that defense and its looks crazy on paper how good that team is. 

Colts vs Ravens

Colts

Colts coming off a blow out win vs chargers led by the dominate back field of Jacob Eason and Jonathan Taylor who combined for 5 touchdowns and 300 yards, colts won 40-6 and looks the carry that performance over to a tougher matchup with the ravens. Keys to this game is not turn the ball over for colts and not let Lamar get loose. As we know. Colts have a great pass rush behind Mack and bunckner, that defense made rookie standout Justin Herbert  throw 3 ints and a qb rating 33.3 %. 

Keys for Colts

If the colts can keep the ball away from ravens and not leave points otb the colts could easily be in the super bowl 

Ravens 

Led my Lamar Jackson who came off a stifling win vs a scrappy jets team. Lamar struggled as he threw 2 ints and only threw for 59 yards but this ravens team showed that they can be led by the defence as causing Sam daronld to throw 4ints and the rushing attack carried the offense behind rookie running back , j.k dobbins. 

Keys for Ravens

Stop the run and cause Jacob Eason To get into third and long. And led that defense do its work on the young qb of Eason. Confuse him and cause havoc for that offense. If the ravens can do that. Well put f in the chat because ravens will win. 

Final Score

Ravens 33

Colts 22

Week 13 Playoff Seed Predictions

AFC

1 Ravens

They look unstoppable, at 10-1 they could honestly go 15-1 they will most likely get first round bye , and play at home for the whole playoffs lamar Jackson keeps leading this team to wins and that’s all that matters

2 Patriots vs 7 Raiders

Patriots

Pats has a really good defense 12 defense touchdowns and play really good offense to compliment it 

Raiders 

It’s the rugs and car show. They’ve shown to be unstoppable , can that patriots shut that down will be an air attack from this high flying offense. 

Pats 27

Raiders 24

3 Texans vs 6 Dolphins

Texans

Texans led by Watson , they played some tough teams and look to continue to win going into the playoffs, they have a Great attack on offense even tho with a lack of weapons 

Dolphins 

Led by tua. Looks to end a losing streak and have a good chance to sitting at 6-6 this team is young and wouldn’t surprise me if they edge out the Texans in a close game 

Fins 24

Texans 21

4 Jaguars vs 5 Chiefs

Chiefs

Chiefs, led by the goat himself at qb he has a shit ton of weapons, and can do deep at will, so them being at 5 is a surprise, Patrick continues to amaze us and this team is a contender for it all

Jaguars 

Well, I didn’t think I would be saying this, but they are looking to make the playoffs, they fought their way through the szn to get to this spot, now can they hold on to the playoff spot? We will see 

Chiefs 42

Jags 21

NFC
 

1 Bears 

Bears

Sitting at 10-1 Mitch looks to be the man In Chicago and that defense is looking stingy, can they keep this up and hold on or could they fall out the one spot. I think they will cruise to the one seed in the playoffs 

2 Eagles vs 7 49ers

Eagles

Eagles. Offense offense offense and Brandon Wilson.Goodwin looks great and Brandon Wilson is easily the most improved player of the year. Can they go to the chip, we will see 

49ers 

They started off so badly but have picked up the play, carried by cam Newton and that stellar defense, can cause many problems if given the opportunity too. 

Eagles 28

49ers 24

3 Buccaneers vs 6 Cardinals

Buccaneers

Tampa bay as all the experience needed at the qb position to make a run in the playoffs, all the weapons on offense but can Brady carry all that to help out that defence we will see

Cardinals

Kyler Murray is the key factor to get this offense going, they have all the weapons, some key parts on defence, but Kyler Murray’s play will be key to this. Arizona will need him to get the ball to all the plays maker they have 

Tampa 35

Arizona 38

4 Falcons vs 5 Packers

Falcons

Atlanta, given off they don’t blow a lead could easily be the best team that clear out everybody and be a surprise to everybody. No Julio or MattRyan, but Tyree Jackson can handle the duties as shown. 

Packers

Led by Aaron Rogers, he will be key plus that ground attack to lead them in deep. This team very underrated , and could see Aaron getting a 2nd ring

Altana 21

Green Bay 24

POWER RANKINGS WEEK 4 3 weeks in and these teams early look like the best teams to win the chip in season

1. 1.Packers 3-0

Aaron Rogers is leading the way with 10 passing touchdowns , throwing to his favorite target I. Adams who has account for 7 of those touchdowns. This offense early turns the ball over, and likes to get extra possessions for its team while having a total difference of plus 5. Packers might be one sided in throwing the ball but if they keep this up. Watch out for this team because they seem to be a problem.

2. Chiefs 3-0

Patrick Mahomes. What can I say. Leading the way with. 9 passing playing a bunch of tough teams. Knocked off the ravens in a close game. And proving that their defense is worth it with 12 ints. This is a high powered offense with kelce, hill and hardmen. Hella threats to be concered about.

3.Eagles 3-0

The connection with wentz and Goodwin. Seems dangerous. Wentz is leading this offense 12 total touchdowns with Goodwin having 5 of them but only off 13 receptions. This offense is a high powered offense that’s likes to go deep early and often. A surprise new comer to the defense Brandon Wilson leading the way with 3 ints this team can’t seemed to be stopped and doesn’t give up many points.

4. Bucs .3-0

Tom Brady and a high powered offense with a crazy number of threats. This team looks to air it out. Brady might be 20 years in but as he says. “Their body gets tired, my mind doesn’t” Brady isn’t slowing down in year 21 and looks to win his 7th ring this year and has the opportunity too. If they can keep scoring on offense.

5. Ravens.2-1

Lamar Jackson is a cheat code having 11 total touchdowns. 7 passing 4 rushing. And the connection with Lamar and brown seems to be a problem. Marcus peters with 5 ints on a stingy defenses who loves to get turnovers. This team might be to best team in the league. But a tough loss to the chiefs holds em back. Don’t be surprised to see another ravens vs chiefs for a afc championship game.

6. Falcons 3-0

Tyree Jackson what can we say. He starting off guns out as Loaded. Form a tote rebuild shipping off Julio, gurly and ridly, and Ryan. You would expect a rebuild but this team looks red hot. And looks like they are not slowing down opening the season off with a blow out win. Led by tyree. Could he be the mvp? Looks like he got rookie of the year already in locks. We will see how this team does down the stretch.

7. Cowboys.

2-1 Looks like they haven’t found a true identity. But they still win games. Dak Prescott, zeke and pollard leads the way with a total of 10 touchdowns. Zeke and pollard with get on a roll down the stretch and make daks job way easier so expect big things out of this team, when it comes play off time. Can we see this team in the super bowl? Maybe we will. We will see

8. Pats.

3-0 Who would expect Cole McDonald to be leading this team with the sighing of cam newton. But oh well. This team has an amazing defense. This team looks to get the ball to their playmakers and make extra possessions for their team. This team plays in a semi weak division and don’t be surprised if you see them in the playoffs.

9. Bengals.2-1

Who would’ve thought I would say that in a top 10. Also who would’ve thought mat Ryan would be leading this team but oh well. Joe mixon 6 rushing touchdowns. Is leading this team to a 2-1 start with a high powered offense that cannot be stopped. Can this team take the afc north? Maybe they can but for now. We will see what’s going on.

10. Jets 2-1

Sam Darnold. Most not be seeing ghost. This team is 2-1 and being led by a rushing offense who rides the backs of bell and ballage. Who both having 4 rushing touchdowns and ballage adding one more in the air. After the trade of Jamal Adams you thought this team would be rebuilding we’ll guess what. They are not. They are putting up points and stopping people from scoring. A surprise , easy. Let’s see how the jets do down the stretch.

The Lion’s Den

Winners rarely deviate from year to year, as these individuals are consistently putting in the time and work to be efficient at the game, but sometimes, a couple variables are changed up and things can be thrown into a loop. For the first edition of The Lion’s Den, I will be presenting a couple unexpected scenarios that I think will present themselves to be true in Crossfire this year. 

One Man Show in the AFC:

Predicting that Mason, with the Ravens, will manage to win at least another Super Bowl is anything but a hot take, but I think the way in which he will go about it might surprise people. There are great users in the AFC, particularly in the AFC West and down in the 305 (more on him later), but I predict neither will manage to be competitive with the Baltimore Ravens over the course of the year. I predict the Ravens will be dominant in that conference and represent them damn near every year, barring no injuries, in the Super Bowl. Dolphins, Browns, Chiefs, Chargers, Broncos … doesn’t matter, it will all be futile. 

The 305 Drought:

Elmo was an uber-successful Head Coach in Crossfire last year, so because winners win, it should be no different this year, right? Elmo’s fandom for Miami will prove to be a detriment in Crossfire this year as he took them really early with his team selection. He will have made the playoffs a plethora of times when it’s all said and done, but that ring count will be equivalent to what most cops eat in the morning in all movies and TV shows (hint: ZERO). 

The DEAD Horse of the NFC:

Floyd Mayweather, you either loved him or you hated him, but at the end of the night you were watching him. There is something about big talkers that gets the people’s attention, whether for good or for bad. There is one particular coach in Crossfire that loves getting attention from other coaches, Mr. Dezmin Banyard. He is a perennial playoff coach and proved himself to be a consistent contender for the beloved Lombardi last year in his Crossfire debut. If you ask him, he expects nothing less this year, and why should he? He has one of the most talented teams in the league and is notorious for practicing and staying on top of the current trends of the game. However, I expect different results this year. He finds himself in a really tough division with two good users in the Seahawks and 49ers, but to make matters worse, there is a man down in Dallas that is my personal front runner to be the NFC king this year who might prove himself to be too much for the Mr. Banyard and the Cardinals. I predict something similar for Arizona that I did for Miami, 0 rings. 

Closing Thoughts: 

Crossfire had a great run in Madden 20, and I can only hope to add to the great run it will have in Madden 21. With anticipation for smooth sailing, I expect to revisit these three topics towards the second half of the cycle and see how things played out in comparison with my predictions. Here’s to a great cycle, and hopefully a few more Lion’s Den editions. 

Article Written By XXIMBG:

SURPRISES OF DRAFT

Personally I would say the surprise of the draft is the los angeles charger being taken so high, yes the have a lot of good pieces to build around ft Derwin James, Joey Bosa,Melvin Ingram, Casey Hayward, Austin Elkler (a upcoming running back) Keenan Allen, (under rated wideout) hunter Henry. The key to this team in my opinion is the qb play of Justin Herbert and how coach lambert  develops him for the long term success. 

I say it’s a surprise because it’s in a very tough division, with the chiefs high powered offense, the broncos young core, which could be a problem depending on how drew lock play, which is a key factor, and last the raiders who have a ton of young pieces and personally feel like they are a qb away from being a problem. 

The key thing for this team is how coach Lambert manages it. It looks like he is trying to go for a rebuild, he put a lot of core pieces on the block for trading, but that can also give him a lot of draft value, which can be to his advantage in the long run. Maybe he is thinking about long term success then winning right now. If this team doesn’t do so great I feel like there  will be some regret in choosing them in the long run, but coach lambert was on the verge of being a playoff team last year with the patriots, so maybe he knows what he is doing and will Surprise us and make the playoffs.

STEAL OF THE DRAFT

The steal of the draft is the Miami Dolphins, they are a young team with a lot of speed on the outside, and talent on both ends, now whether they can put all this talent together or not. That’s questionable, but this team looks very promising, the additions of Matt brieda and bryon Jones mean a lot. Has they have a solid running back now, who they can rely on and make Tua's job somewhat easier. The thing that I hate about this team is the lack of depth, they struggle with pass protection. If they can manage to protect tua and not have him run for his life this team looks to be competing in the long run. This team has some work to do and will need to be worked on for the long run. But this team does have promise to it. Devante Parker is showing to prove he is a true number 1 wide out. They have 2 solid corners now. And some pieces on offense.

WORST PICK OF THE DRAFT

Personal opinion worst pick of the draft. Well this is a very hot take and it was the saints at 10. Here’s why I’ll start with the good.  They have talent everywhere. Elite qb, elite wideout, great rb, elite pash rushers and some db’s and taysom hill can play anywhere on the field on offense. This team is built to win now

The bad. The qb situation isn’t so great after year 1 or maybe 2. For the long run. Drew Brees is going to regress. Soon. Taysom hill might take forever to progress to where he can be a starter every game and by that time you might get one or 2 years out of him because of his play style and jameis Winston , isn’t great. Will be getting old. Wth fast and same situation as taysom hill. Micheal Thomas is 27/28 years old so you have 3 years out of him before he starts to regress. Cameron Jordan and Damario Davis. Are both 31. Those are key pieces. They are not long run pieces to your team. Because of their age. So in the next couple of years you are going to have to replace your qb, star wideout, 2 corner stones to your defense. Emmanuel sanders is also getting up there in age , another one in malcom Jenkins who’s 32 years old, who you are going to have to replace. Thus team is going to have to go into a rebuild soon or find a way to find young pieces and win games with them

STRONGEST DIVISION

NFC West

San Francisco 49ers

You have the 49ers who made it to the super bowl last year, with a dominant defense, and run a heavy scheme on offense making Jimmy's job way easier, being controlled by Ryan who is an amazing user , and can cause so many problems on defense. So it will be super hard to score on him especially with this defense. 

Seattle Seahawks 

Led by Russel Wilson who is a amazing qb with a great core around him can make this team into the team to beat in the nfc west Plus the addition of Jamal Adams, and having 2 avalanche X factors on the  field at the same time can definitely cause a lot of turnovers, so playing this defense you are going to have to play very careful or you will pay the price

Arizona Cardinals

Led by Kyler Murray and Hopkins. Those two names alone can scare a defense, Murray has the ability to extend plays and even scramble. Hopkins is a big play threat you can rely on him to make any play at any time. Being handled by jbilla can cause problems, also the addition of Isaiah Simmons who can play any position on defense can be deadly and you are going to have to keep an eye out for him when on offense

Los Angeles Rams

Rams don’t forget 2 years ago this team was in the super bowl with pretty much the same roster. They have the best player in the nfl in Arron Donald, who causes havoc to any offense, Jalen Ramsey who is an amazing lock down corner, Cooper Kupp is a nightmare for any db tryna guard him and an upcoming tight end in Tyler Higbee. This team might have been feel in the draft but this team isn’t a trash team when looked at on paper besides the gate Jared Goff hates 

Three out of four teams were chosen in the top 11 picks of the draft and that says a lot about how these rosters are stacked and this division will definitely be the division that’s going to be the most entertaining division to watch.

WEAKEST DIVISION

AFC East

New England Patriots

The patriots, they are getting older and older and I truly don’t believe they have their qb, yes cam is great but he has been injured for the last 2 years haven’t been the same since 2015 and the loss of Tom Brady doesn’t help them at all but one thing I’ve learned is never count out the pats because they will always surprise you. They have great running backs, a great wideout in Edleman and possibly the best secondary in the nfl so that helps 

Buffalo Bills

 Buffalo has a great defense and good talent on offense, but Josh Allen is the key to the team. They are the team to beat in the division. I’ll give them that. They are exciting to watch on defense and have added a big name wideout in diggs who can cause problems with his shifty routes which can be hard to cover and give josh Allen a true number 1 wideout, devin singletary , it looks like he will take over the starting role and be the Lead guy for them going Into the season. 

Jets 

Come on do I even have to say anything about this team. I’m sorry but besides bell at running back. This team has no pieces to build around. Sam Darnold sees ghosts better than he sees his teammates. They have no true number 1 wideout. They lost their best player in Jamal Adams but they do have a ton of draft value now. And this team is rebuilt right, it might have some success in a weak division, but even if they win the division I don’t see them making it out the wildcard round

Miami Dolphins

They have a ton of young pieces on that team, the addition of Matt brieda is huge, and tua could be the guy for the long run if they can keep him healthy and that defense could be a problem if they add some more pieces but for right now, is just a project team with me and I don’t trust it until they prove me wrong 

CROSSFIRE PRESEASON AWARD PREDICTIONS

MVP
Lamar Jackson With another year under his belt and his dynamic ability it will be very hard to contain Mr. Jackson, i say contain because it will be hard for any defense to stop him.

AFC OROY

Tua Tagovailoa  I see coach Dadecounty developing Tua the same way he developed multiple QBs with the cowboys in M20

NFC OROY

Cam Akers RB Rams I’m really high on Akers and the way their coach will be able to run the ball.

AFC DROY
Kenneth Murray MLB Chargers AJ is one of our best users on defense and i see him balling with the fast rookie from OU

NFC DROY 
Isaiah Simmons MLB Cardinals Maybe the best user on defense in our league, we all saw what he did with Devin White, sky’s the limit with the versatile rookie from Clemson.

AFC OPOY

Lamar Jackson  QB Ravens I think this is a choice we all can agree on, team him up with speedster Hollywood Brown and watch out.

NFC OPOY 
Kyler Murray QB Cardinals Dez and his high powered offense will be a handle full this season

AFC DPOY 
Myles Garrett DE Browns I think Garret matched with coach Bills aggressive style of play will cause a lot of issues upfront 

NFC DPOY 
Jamal Adams SS Seahawks Adams’s has a lot to prove after forcing his way out of NY, Seattle will expect a lot from him after trading away 2 1st round picks for the All-Pro SS, i think he will live up to the hype.

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Article Written By: Ungwe
Graphics By: Arn_Mdk

SURPRISES: 

8. Alpha: 49ers

In an already stacked division headlined by Dez (Cards) and Alldade (Seahawks), Alpha decided to take his talents to San Francisco. The team that was labeled runner-up of the Super Bowl is highlighted by their standout defense that should be sustainable for years to come. Offensively, the 49ers main addition was adding to the offensive line with the addition of Trent Williams, but don’t let that overshadow the overall youth/ talent at each position offensively.  

9. Arn_mdk: Bucs

Arn, known for taking his favorite team in the Bills, took a different approach this time around and took the Tom Brady-led Buccaneers. The Bucs, who seem to be the buzz of the offseason, had a killer draft with steals like Tristan Wirfs and Antoine Winfield Jr. This team is primed for success and is pretty much already built for the cycle with a few holes to fill here and there. 

STEAL OF THE DRAFT:

14. AJ: Chargers

All of the pre draft talk had the Chargers slated as a definite top 10 pick. The fear of having to face Tyreek Hill/ Henry Ruggs 2x a year probably scared some away from the Chargers, but they are sure loaded with talent. With the departure of Phillip Rivers, the Chargers hope to have found their successor and new face of the franchise in Oregon QB Justin Herbert. 

WORST PICK:

11. Hunter: Texans

This isn’t necessarily a bad pick, but they’re here for where they were taken and what teams were still available (Eagles, Chargers, etc.). The driving force for taking the Texans was Deshaun Watson (or either you’re a fan) and you can’t really blame anyone for that, but outside of that the Texans are lacking in developmental pieces, cap room, and draft capital. Minus the trade of Hopkins, the Texans have built up a more formidable offense during the offseason and shouldn’t be overlooked.

SEASON 1 PREDICTIONS:

Article by Falcons/ Graphic by Bills

The Los Angeles Rams could be described as the laughing stock of the league the past couple of years. Through countless numbers of nonsense trades, the league had no idea what the Rams were up to. Fortunately for the Rams, they have been led back on track to a winning culture under first-year Head Coach Mason. Currently standing at 4-3, the Los Angeles Rams are in prime position to make a run at the playoffs. A big factor in this has been simply one thing: their offense. Since training camp, Trevor Drake has shown his worth to the team and it has shown in the win column. As a 2nd round pick out of West Virginia, Drake has exceeded his expectations in his rookie year. The rookie halfback through 6 games has rushed for 575 yards and 8 TDs. It’s evident the Rams knew how much of an asset Drake would be to the team but no one expected him starting off so strong this early in his career. In the passing game, Kendall Lewis has been a game manager and quite efficient. He’s thrown for 12 TDs (4 INTs) and has a QBR of 106.9. That puts him top 10 in the NFL among all starting quarterbacks for QBR. On the other hand, the defense has also much improved. As one of the league's new premier defenses, they've stifled opposing offenses. Although some have doubts about this young Rams team, I’m firmly confident that they will be well on their way to the playoffs.

A year ago, the Cardinals were of the hottest teams in the league with an electrifying offense and suffocating defense. After years of loss and toxic culture in Arizona, the Cardinals were propelled to new heights under Coach Ken. In his first real year as Head Coach, the Cardinals emerged as one of the Super Bowl favorites as they made it all the way to the NFC Conference Championship. Since then, the Cardinals seem to have fallen off and currently stand at 3-4. With a disappointing showing in their first matchup against the Rams, an 0-52 result provides glaring concern for this Cardinals team. The spiraling downfall has provided concerns in all aspects of the team. Coach Ken and his Cardinals have a tough road ahead of them as in the next three games they face the Rams, Raiders, and Chiefs. Could this unexpected start be the spark for a run again at the Super Bowl or could they have a season no one expected? Despite these setbacks, I’m confident that the Cardinals will get it back on track and be on their way back to the playoffs to contend for yet another Super Bowl.

Article by Falcons Graphic by Bills After a heartbreaking loss in the most improbable of plays anyone could imagine, the Buccaneers were once again sent home packing just short of the Super Bowl. Being heartbroken and beaten down, the Bucs have responded resiliently with statements from both sides of the ball. The offense, being led by third year quarterback Tyree Jackson (1168 YDS, 14 TDs), has propelled to new heights under Coach Dez. Coming into this season, the Bucs made a major free agent acquisition when acquiring the dynamic running back in Matt Breida. Breida, suffering from years of loss and toxic culture in San Francisco, is hungry to win here and now in Tampa Bay. He provides speed and an unfamiliarity that the Bucs haven’t seen in quite some time. Moving forward, the Buccaneers hope to continue this early offensive dominance as they currently rank 4th in total yards per game with 344.4 and first in scoring with 44 points per game. On the other side of the ball, the defense has been one thing: game-changing. With newly acquired Geno Atkins and Darius Leonard, the Bucs hope to add a pass rush to their dominant “no fly zone.” These key additions could be the final pieces that the Bucs need to get back to the Super Bowl. To no surprise, the Bucs have gotten off to a hot start being undefeated and are yet one of the Super Bowl contenders again, but do they really have what it takes to win it all? Coach Dez and his Buccaneers have a tough road ahead of them heading forward late in the season as they have a six game stretch where they face the Panthers, Jets, Lions, Dolphins, and none other than the Dallas Cowboys. Despite the back half of the schedule, I’m confident in Tampa Bay this season to come out of the NFC on their road back to redemption.