In the Thursday season opener the Detroit Lions stunned the defending Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead. Jared Goff threw for 253 yards and a touchdown, rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs impressed with a limited amount of touches, and Amon-Ra St.Brown led the way receiving wise with six receptions and a touchdown. David Montgomery scored the game winning touchdown with a little over seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

San Francisco 49ers won on the road and annihilated the Pittsburgh Steelers. Kenny Pickett struggled, throwing two interceptions and was sacked five times.

Leading the way defensively for the 49ers was Drake Jackson who recorded three sacks and Charvarius Ward and Talanoa Hufanga each came up with an interception. Offensively, Brock Purdy was efficient and threw for 220 yards and two touchdowns which were both caught by Brandon Aiyuk.

Justin Jefferson had a huge first half with 138 yards receiving yet went silent in the second half in  the Minnesota Vikings season opening loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Quarterback Baker Mayfield shrugged off a slow start and finished with two touchdown passes. One to Mike Evans and the other to Trey Palmer. Chase McLaughlin won the game with a 57-yard field goal.

Facing one of the best defenses in the NFL, the New England Patriots first three drives against the Philadelphia Eagles resulted in turnovers.

Shockingly Mac Jones by halftime got the Patriots back in the game with two touchdown passes. One that went to tight end Hunter Henry and the other wide receiver Kendrick Bourne. The Eagles ultimately prevailed with a 25-20 victory.

Quite possibly the biggest surprise of week one was the Cleveland Browns dominating the Cincinnati Bengals in a 24-3 win. Joe Burrow looked like he missed the entire preseason and threw for only 82 yards and completed only 14 passes in 31 attempts. Deshaun Watson did not impress though as he also struggled and threw for only 154 yards.

Nick Chubb led the way offensively for the Browns with a relatively low 18 carries, yet he ran for 106 yards and also caught four passes for 21 yards.

This one is right up there with Cleveland’s win over the Bengals. Rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson against the Jacksonville Jaguars held his own in a 31-21 loss. His only blemish was an interception thrown in the fourth quarter. Overall he threw for 223 yards and a touchdown as well.

Jonathan Gannon had the Arizona Cardinals competing against the Washington Commanders. In what many thought would have been a somewhat easy win for the Washington Commanders it was not.

The Cardinals defense sacked Sam Howell six times, forced two fumbles with one returned for a touchdown, and came up with an interception as well.

One of the more hilarious things that happened in week one for the Carolina Panthers. Tight end Hayden Hurst caught a pass from rookie quarterback Bryce Young. Instead of keeping the football he threw it up in the crowd.

What was not realized by Hurst was that it was Young’s first career touchdown pass thrown in the NFL.

Lamar Jackson will likely still need to keep opponents off balance with his running ability as the Baltimore Ravens still lack a running back. Unfortunately JK Dobbins who missed most of 2022 with a knee injury, ended up tearing his achilles ending his season.

Even more interesting is the Ravens decided to promote Melvin Gordon up from the practice squad instead of looking to sign Kareem Hunt who is still a free agent.

Week one saw division rivals face off, the Dallas Cowboys faced the New York Giants on Sunday night. One team showed up, the other did not.

The Cowboys shutout the Giants 40-0. There were also several firsts in NFL history in that game as well, all by New York. One of the biggest issues was the lack of use for Saquon Barkley and the offensive line could not protect quarterback Daniel Jones.

Monday night was a rough start to the Jets season. Aaron Rodgers on his first series with his new franchise went down with what looked like an ankle injury. Turned out it was something much worse, a torn achilles.

Fortunately for New York, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen continued to turn the ball over. He threw three interceptions and lost a fumble. Still the game went to overtime and Jets rookie Xavier Gipson walked it off with a 65 yard punt return touchdown.

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Watson, who served an 11-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy in allegedly sexually assaulting 20-plus Houston-area massage therapists, went 3-3 in six games under center for the Browns.

Now, one full off-season later and almost all cases settled, it is now time for Watson to fulfill his record $230 million fully guaranteed deal.

Thanks to two total touchdowns, highlighted by a 13-yard scramble, Watson began to show signs of his former four-time Pro Bowl version from his time in Houston.

Make no mistake, Cleveland has gone all in by paying Watson his controversial deal and sticking with him thru all the off-field issues, but now, it’s up to Watson to hold up his end of the bargain in producing much better results than 154 yards, one touchdown, one interception and barely completing 55.2 percent of his passes.

Yes, it may sound trivial and not-picking, and even downright petty, but if you’re going to be paid that amount of money to lead a franchise as desperate as Cleveland to overpay for, then your production will come under intense scrutiny every week.

Will Watson deliver? Time will tell.

While many are happy with the win—especially against a bitter rival such as Cincinnati—depending on how Watson fares in primetime vs. the archrival Steelers down on the Confluence, will determine just how much of a proverbial return on investment, Cleveland fans and the Browns front office should expect on their hefty gamble.

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Miami Dolphins: Tua Tagovailoa

There is a certainly a risk when it comes to drafting Tagovailoa and his major concern is his concussion history, which cost him four games in 2022. Also, a quarter of his touchdown passes came in one game against the Baltimore Ravens.

In six games he threw for one touchdown, he did manage to take care of the football throwing only eight in 4,000 attempts.

Tennessee Titans: Ryan Tannehill 

In only 12 games in 2022 the Titans quarterback threw 13 touchdown passes and during the 2021 season Tannehill threw 21 touchdowns. Though DeAndre Hopkins did get signed, expect the Titans to run the football a lot with Derrick Henry and Tyjae Spears.

Carolina Panthers: Bryce Young 

Young a Heisman Trophy winner while at Alabama was announced as the Panthers starting quarterback. Miles Sanders seemingly will get a lot of work running the football. Yet there is not a lot of talent at wide receiver or tight end.

Adam Thielen did get signed to add a veteran presence, yet currently on the roster is no legitimate no.1 receiver.

Indianapolis Colts: Anthony Richardson 

Gardner Minshew has excelled during the preseason, yet Richardson got announced as the Colts starting quarterback. He is the definition of a project and even worse for him is that one of the best running backs in the NFL, Jonathan Taylor has asked for a trade.

Michael Pittman is a good wide receiver yet beyond that the Colts lack talent and there is no safety valve at tight end for Richardson either.

New England Patriots: Mac Jones 

Jones regressed in 2022 and in 14 games he threw for less than 3,000 yards and only 14 touchdowns. At wide receiver beyond Juju Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker has been injury prone, and Kendrick Bourne is a solid third receiver. Seemingly, though Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki at tight end may play a role for a better year yet likely will not come close to his 3,801 yards that he put up in his rookie season.

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Since then general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan, did their best to keep the 49ers roster as a Super Bowl contender, while attempting to develop Lance who did not have much starting experience in college. Also, it is easier to mention who was drafted immediately after. Yet the reality is the pick was always viewed as one that was high risk, high reward and simply put it did not work out.

Injuries played a role, Lance sprained a knee in his rookie season and last year fractured his ankle. Still when a former third overall pick, Sam Darnold got signed to a one-year deal, the writing was on the wall. There was competition for the backup role to Brock Purdy.

This week though Shanahan made his decision, and it did not go Lance’s way and on Friday night he got traded to the Dallas Cowboys for a fourth-round pick in 2024. While the window was not open for long in San Francisco, he got his opportunity to become the face of the franchise. Unfortunately the 49ers were not in rebuilding mode and Purdy excelled when he got the chance to play after injuries.

So even though some fans will bring up how many chances former no.1 overall pick Alex Smith got, it is nowhere near the same. The 49ers currently have a roster that is a legitimately a Super Bowl contender and when Smith played those roster did not have much talent.

Also, noteworthy after Smith suffered a concussion and the 49ers started winning, Colin Kaepernick took over as the starting quarterback in his second season in the NFL. For Lynch though, his track record with first round picks has become even more questionable as Lance gets added to the list of failed selections.

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Consider that since 1960, only two significant quarterbacks who have begun the season prior to their 22^nd birthday have had winning records: David Woodley at 6-5 for the 1980 Miami Dolphins, and Lamar Jackson a 6-1. Other than that, all of the rest have been losers, and most have been terrible. To name a few, Fran Tarkenton made the Hall of Fame, but not because of his 2-8 rookie season at age 21. Some of the better rookie ledgers age at age 21 were posted by Bernie Kosar at 5-7; Drew Bledsoe, 5-7; Jameis Winston, 6-10; and Sam Darnold, 4-9, Josh Rosen, 3-10; Alex Smith, 2-5; and Matthew Stafford, 2-8. Deshone Kizer was in a class by himself at 0-16.

So, what are you teaching a young quarterback to do on a bad offense? If your team has trouble scoring points, the quarterback may well have to take chances to try score touchdowns that a better quarterback might not have to take. If you stay conservative on a bad offense, you may never score any points. Thus, the desperation heave into the end zone might actually be the best available option on a bad team. Similarly, “one read and run” may be all that there is time for on a bad team, but that is not winning football in the NFL. You are training the kid to be a bad quarterback. This is what awaits Anthony Richardson, in all probability.

However, a conservative young quarterback on a good team—say Brock Purdy—has a chance to be quarterbacking in the playoffs. That’s not the Colts. They went 4-12-1 last season, scoring 289 points, the 28^th highest total out of 32 teams. Ouch. How much will they improve by replacing four-time Pro Bowler Matt Ryan with a raw rookie?

Football team owners usually have football IQs just about the same level as the average salamander. All they can think about is their bright shiny new quarterback performing immediately, convinced of box office success if not athletic greatness.

The Cleveland Browns are poster boys talk about Johnny Manziel, the son of a Texas oilman, who was drafted by the Cleveland Browns, a team owned by the son of a Tennessee oilman, who was advised by a homeless man on draft day, who seemed to be a harbinger of good luck. The coaching staff did not want to play Manziel, but the order came from above (ownership? God?) to sit down starter Brian Hoyer and start Manziel while the Browns still had a shot at the playoffs at 7-6.  That disastrous change at quarterback led to a 7-9 record and knocked them out of the playoffs.

Just two years after Manziel was cut, the Browns chose Deshone Kizer, who should have stayed at Notre Dame for at least one more season if not two. However, Kizer made the poor decision to declare for the draft after his sophomore season after redshirting as a freshman. Of course, the Browns decided to start him immediately, just like the Colts plan to do to Anthony Richardson. Perhaps if Kizer had had a full season to learn the offense behind a veteran quarterback he might have had a chance, but the Browns cut all of their veteran quarterbacks to artificially create a sink-or-swim situation for him. Well, he sank. It clearly ruined him. He never un-learned the bad habits he acquired in Cleveland.

This is what awaits Richardson in Indianapolis. There are some brave words that perhaps he will be able to compensate for his inexperience as a passer because he has 4.43 Combine speed, and he is much bigger than Lamar Jackson at six-foot-four and 244 pounds. After all, he gained 1116 yards on the ground in his brief career! Well…Lamar Jackson is the greatest dual threat athlete in NFL history. Not sure that’s what the scouting reports actually said about Richardson after a season and a half at Florida where he had good-but-not-great stats. Jackson, after all, won a Heisman and had three full years as a starter (38 starts for Jackson versus 13 for Richardson).

Thus far in the preseason, Richardson has thrown 12 balls for 67 yards. That ought to be enough, right? We can only hope he has Deshone Kizer’s cell phone number. He will need someone to talk to.

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With both the Colts and the 2021 All-Pro RB, who is in the final year of his rookie deal, with a base salary of $.3 million, have been in a virtual standstill in talks for a new extension. The Colts are seeking a first-round pick, or picks of equal value, per media reports.

Here are the top three teams that would be a perfect fit.

Miami Dolphins ($13.8M in cap space): After missing out on Miami native Dalvin Cook, and the lack of a true home run hitter to help take some offensive pressure off of fragile franchise quarterback Tua, the Dolphins have both the personal and draft capital to acquire his services.

Chicago Bears ($18.7M in cap space): If there is a young quarterback that needs a workhorse running back to help him, it is Justin Fields. Fields, the Bear’s second-year QB out of Ohio State appears to be in a make or break year in the Windy City, and adding a elite runner like Taylor will definitely help his case for being one of the league’s best young signal-callers.

Dallas Cowboys ($19.4M in cap space): Is Tony Pollard the guy? Want to replace Zeke? Want to keep your name in the headlines and give your beleaguered QB in Prescott a reliable safety blanket? What better way to for America’s Team to stay in the news and become the second best threat to the defending conference champions and longtime bitter rival Philadelphia Eagles.

Sleepers to watch: Buffalo ($6.2M in cap space): Is the Bills’ Super Bowl window closing already? Back-to-back crushing playoff losses, lack of a stud at RB and your franchise QB on the cover of Madden? oh boy! The football gods and the ghosts of Wide Right will rise again of the Bills don’t sign Taylor to keep Allen more upright, keep Stefan Diggs happy and that defense fresh for what’s going to be possibly their last hurrah.

The post Jonathan Taylor Trade Rumors: Top Three Teams For The Indianapolis Colts RB appeared first on INSCMagazine.

Richardson, a 6’4 255 pound native of Miami, Florida, redshirted his freshman year down in Gainesville, completing one pass for 27 yards, one touchdown and one interception, before filling in for Emory Jones as a backup. Richardson replaces Jones in completing 10/19 passes for 167 yards, three passing TD’s, two interceptions and a rushing touchdown vs. LSU.

I’m what would be his breakout game, Richardson passed for 453 yards and two touchdowns along with 17 rushes for 67 yards and two TD’s on the ground in a 38-33 loss to Tennessee. That game would ultimately vault him into the NFL Draft, and being selected by the Colts.

Fast forward to now, and with two preseason games under his belt as an NFL quarterback, in passing for 67 yards vs. the Buffalo Bills, highlighted by a head-scratching interception, before officially being named starter is a questionable move to say the least.

While Richardson is still raw and has a lot of untapped upside, naming a prospect such as the former Gator standout starter over a proven NFL quarterback such as Gardener Minshew, could prove to be a fatal mistake by rookie head coach Shane Steichen.

While the former offensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles a great job in developing Jalen Hurts into one of the top QB’s right now, Richardson is going to need a lot more work than Hurts, the Colts are not at the same talent level as the defending NFC champions.

It’s a big gamble to say the least, and while Richardson is a big risk, he could either be a bet that may end up paying off down the road.

The post Anthony Richardson: Did The Indianapolis Colts Make A Mistake By Naming Him Their Starter? appeared first on INSCMagazine.

Can Patrick Mahomes add to his growing modern-day G.O.A.T. resume in winning his third Super Bowl? Will Jalen Hurts and the Eagles soars to new heights? What about Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals? Will they finally get that elusive first Super Bowl title? And let’s not forget the current media darlings in New York in the Jets. Will A-Rod help Gang Green win their franhcise’s first Lombardi since 1969?

What about the Bills? Will Josh Allen help Bills Mafia end their eternal suffering? How much will the Dallas Cowboys rue letting offensive wunderkid Kellen Moore bolt for the Chargers and Justin Herbert? What about the Dolphins? Can Tua manage to stay upright? Will Deshaun Watson finally live up to his controversial $230 million contract in Cleveland?

Which rookie QB will make an impact? 2021 Heisman Trophy winner and top overall pick Bryce Young in Carolina, or C.J. Stroud in Houston? Lastly, will the running back position continue to be devalued due to the recent free agent deals signed by Ezekiel Elliott in New England and Dalvin Cook in New York?

So many story lines and questions that will be answered. Now is the time to put your money behind your team and get that answer!

Per CBS Sports via Ceasar’s Sportsbook, here are the top betting favorites to win Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium out in Las Vegas.

Kansas City Chiefs: +600

Philadelphia Eagles: +750

San Francisco 49ers: +850

Buffalo Bills: +900

Cincinnati Bengals: +1000

New York Jets: +1500

Dallas Cowboys: +1500

Baltimore Ravens: +2200

Jacksonville Jaguars: +2500

Detroit Lions: +2500

Miami Dolphins: +2500

Los Angeles Chargers: +2500

Cleveland Browns: +3500

New Orleans Saints: +3500

Seattle Seahawks: +4000

New York Giants: +4000

Minnesota Vikings: +4000

Denver Broncos: +4000

Las Vegas Raiders: +4500

Green Bay Packers: +5000

Chicago Bears: +5000

New England Patriots: +6000

Pittsburgh Steelers: +6000

Atlanta Falcons: +7000

Carolina Panthers: +7000

Los Angeles Rams: +7000

Washington Commanders: +8000

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: +8000

Tennessee Titans: +10000

Indianapolis Colts: +12500

Arizona Cardinals: +20000

Houston Texans: +20000

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That being said, with the regular season three weeks away, here are my top ten rankings!

1.) Kansas City Chiefs – Mahomes, Kelce, and Reid. Until someone comes and knocks them off, the champs stay number one with a bullet.

2.) Philadelphia Eagles – Arguably the stiffest challenger to the champs, Jalen Hurts is only scratching the surface of his true potential. And that should scare everyone in the NFL!

3.) Cincinnati Bengals – The one team that can say they are the proverbial kryptonite to the defending champions, the Bengals have bigger concerns to deal with in their own Superman straining his calf in QB Joe Burrow.

4.) Buffalo Bills – Yeah, yeah, yeah!!! Bills Mafia is gonna be mad at me for having Buffalo this low, but until they can get over that mental hump in losing to both KC and Cincy in back-to-back postseasons, I’m not sold on them, and honestly, I think Allen and company have peaked.

5.) San Francisco 49ers – Is Brock Purdy the real deal? Time to prove if Mr. Irrelevant is the truth or just a flash in the pan out in the Bay.

6.) Baltimore Ravens – New contract. New offensive coordinator. New playmakers on the outside in OBJ and Zay Flowers, the luxury of excuses is running out for Lamar Jackson.

7.) L.A. Chargers – Much like the Ravens, the ‘Bolts handed franchise QB Justin Herbert a new five-year $262.5 million contract extension and a new offensive coordinator in Kellen Moore. It’s all or nothing for the former Oregon Duck.

8.) Dallas Cowboys – Yes, they may be America’s Team. But until they can prove that they can win when it counts, it makes no difference if Dak throws zero-to-none INTs

9.) N.Y. Jets – Perhaps a bit high on this list, but when you add a generational QB such as Aaron Rodgers to a squad that already has the reigning Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year in WR Garrett Wilson and DB Sauce Gardner, along with a solid run game and tough defensive line, these Jets are primed for takeoff.

10.) Miami Dolphins – I am trusting Tua to stay healthy and arguably the fastest offense in the NFL along with Vic Fangio’s defense to carry the Dolphins until Jalen Ramsey returns from injury. The Fish are out to hunt this season.

Honorable mention: Jacksonville Jaguars, Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints

The post Robert’s Rant! NFL Preseason Top Ten Rankings, Defending SB Champion Chiefs Open At No.1! appeared first on INSCMagazine.

What makes this ironic is I just told them that we have no clue how most of these teams will play based on the preseason. With all the penalties and mental mistakes, the teams make. It’s their first game as a team! Rookies’ first NFL game, and new players in new systems, it happens!

We know teams like the Cardinals will be bad, but we have franchises like the Ravens who haven’t lost one of these preseason games since 2015(at the writing of this article, this will most likely bite me in the rear).

That said, they’ve won their last 23 preseason games, for what? Mediocrity outside of the 2019 season? Sure. Your annual preseason champs, the Baltimore Ravens everybody!

Anyway, here is my first Power Rankings list for the 2023 season. I won’t give explanations until the first week of the season itself. These games don’t matter really, so explanations won’t either. Enjoy! Make sure to tell me how wrong I am!

1. Kansas City Chiefs
2. Philadelphia Eagles
3. Cincinnati Bengals
4. Buffalo Bills
5. San Francisco 49ers
6. Jacksonville Jaguars
7. Baltimore Ravens
8. L.A. Chargers
9. Dallas Cowboys
10.  Miami Dolphins
11. Detroit Lions
12. Seattle Seahawks
13.  Minnesota Vikings
14.  N.Y. Jets
15.  Pittsburgh Steelers 
16.  New Orleans Saints
17.  N.Y. Giants
18.  N.E. Patriots
19.  Cleveland Browns
20.  Denver Broncos
21.  Atlanta Falcons
22.  Green Bay Packers
23.  L.A. Rams
24.  Las Vegas Raiders
25.  Chicago Bears
26.  Tennessee Titans
27.  Carolina Panthers
28.  Tampa Bay Buccaneers
29.  Indianapolis Colts
30.  Washington Commanders
31. Houston Texans
32.  Arizona Cardinals

Let the ridicule begin! Looking at this. I think I might have some teams too high and low, but I’m happy, it’s Preseason. Who cares? Let me know what you think and be sure to read the article from the rest of our team here at INSC Mag!

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