Conference Championship Games

 The AFC side of things is pretty straightforward.  Without Bo Nix it is just too much of a stretch to pick the Broncos.  That said, if Denver's defense can force some turnovers and hold New England reasonably, anything is possible.  The Patriots offense hasn't been great in the post season.  They do have a good defense, and I assume they'll try to make Stidham throw the ball and blitz him when he does.  Stranger things have happened, but I have to go with New England.

The NFC is where it really gets tough.  The Seattle Seahawks have a complete team whereas it's hard to bet against MVP favorite Matthew Stafford.  I think I will go with Seattle even though they are dealing with injuries at running back.  I like their defense more than LA's as well.  This should be a fun game.  That's the hope anyway.

Buffalo Bills Lose 33-30 In OT to the Denver Broncos - AFC Divisional Playoffs

 

Buf 30 - Den 33: Another tough loss for Buffalo yesterday.  That game was so stressful.  I'm fine with the late calls.  It really was turnovers and penalties that did them in.  And it's a shame.  The defense played so well in the second half and most of overtime.  As did the offense.  In the second half, it felt like they would win even though it was so close.  These will continue to hurt.  Year after year it feels like wasted opportunities.  The loss isn't on any one player or group really.  Just came up short.  Again.  Hopefully they can come up with some moves to help the defense and the receiving corps this offseason.  Sorry to hear about Bo Nix being out for the rest of the offseason.  They had a real shot of playing in the Super Bowl.

2025 Buffalo Bills Season Preview

The Buffalo Bills were 13-4 last season and won the AFC East.  But again, they didn't meet expectations.  The offense did really well while the defense struggled at times.  Things looked ripe for them to buck their playoff failures against KC but again lost again to the Chiefs in a heart breaking 32-29 loss in the Conference Championship.

While the team's ground game came to play last season with James Cook leading the league in rushing touchdowns, the receiving corps is struggling to find a true #1.  It's really something that has needed to be addressed since Stefon Diggs left the team.  Plenty of good receivers but I wouldn't say it's a group I have a ton of confidence in.  The defense just wasn't great, especially in pass defense, and it seemed like any close game late in a game was a nail biter.  And you really didn't want to see a great QB like Mahomes across the ball from the defense.  

Buffalo had minimal cap room to maneuver with so I'm not sure what kind of upgrades to expect this year.  I see 12 wins this year as a smart bet.  Josh Allen has been pretty consistent in his abilities, and the addition of a stable run game last year kept him in the pocket more which bodes well for his health.  I do think this team can get to a Super Bowl, but they have to learn to beat Kansas City in the playoffs while also assuming they may have to play teams like Baltimore or Cincy to get there.  Hope isn't a good plan but as good as this team has been for past six seasons I'm not sure what else fans can do.

2025 Atlanta Falcons Preview

The Atlanta Falcons came off a year filled with turmoil after taking Michael Pennix in the first round of the draft and alienating starter Kirk Cousins, whom they had just signed to a big contract.  Cousins went on to a horrible season and was benched.  Somehow Atlanta won 8 games and was very close to winning a very bad division.  But they were not good.  Let's make no mistake.

Their defense, in particular their rushers, were bad and they hopefully addressed that through their offseason free agent pickups and the draft.  Atlanta gave up a lot to draft James Pearce in the second round so a lot is riding on the moves.  It's a lot to ask for but they gave up the 23rd most points per game in the league (31st in touchdowns given up).  I do think they can make a leap forward but I'm not sure how much.

The offense now belongs to Michael Pennix.  We only saw him in three games as a starter and so far I haven't seen anything that makes me think he's the guy to take us to the next level.  I hope I'm wrong.  They still have a great running game, but the receiving corps isn't excellent.  I like Drake London but I'm not sure the rest of the receiving corps is consistent enough to help out the young QB.  The team has made the offensive line a priority which is always a good thing.

Atlanta has to beat bad teams which is something they didn't do consistently last season.  Maybe Pennix can get them to the next level.  That said I don't see them making the playoffs.  Too many teams better than them and I expect the Bucs don't falter this season like they did in 2024.  Looking at the schedule I see 7 wins.  That could really fluctuate based on the play at QB.  It all begins and ends at QB.  If that isn't figured out, they'll struggle.

Eagles Win Super Bowl 40-22

Phi 40 - KC 22:  Not much to say about this one.  I knew the Eagles defense was really good but wow.  They dominated the line of scrimmage and made life a nightmare for Patrick Mahomes.  Good on Philly.  Huge win for the Eagles who get their second Super Bowl victory.  You have to be happy for all these guys.  They had a great year and were pretty dominant when it mattered most - the playoffs.