2022-2023 NFL Season (2 Viewers)

[Robert Crawford]

Today is schedule release day.

My Raiders play in KC on Christmas Day. The first of three games being televised on Christmas. Nice way to ruin my Christmas spirit with a loss in the afternoon.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

OK, with the 2023 schedule being released, here are two things we know right now about the coming NFL season:

1. The Jets and Lions will enter the season as the two most hyped teams. They both get primetime games in the first weekend of the season. The Lions play in the prestigious season opener on Thursday night against the Chiefs. The Jets play the Bills in ESPN's Monday night matchup. No mistake that these two teams have these spots, because they are going to get picked to win their divisions by many and to be playoff teams, and even some will probably pick them to go to the Super Bowl. Don't be surprised if one or more "experts" pick a Jets vs Lions Super Bowl.

2. The AFC is QB stacked. With Rodgers now in the AFC East, it just adds to the bounty of riches. The NFC is much less set with Jalen Hurts now the top QB in that conference, questions around the health of Matthew Stafford, a new face in the conference with Carr being a Saint, Dak Prescott still having to play for the Cowboys, Brady being gone...this actually means that Jared Goff is the second best QB in the NFC coming into 2023. Yes, you read that correctly and that is part of why people expect to see the Lions in the playoffs this season.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Don't be surprised if one or more "experts" pick a Jets vs Lions Super Bowl.

One of the true signs of The Apocalypse!

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

One of the true signs of The Apocalypse!

Yes, it is like while we were sleeping the Earth flipped upside down and we are also orbiting the Sun in the opposite direction.

The hype train for those two teams has already left the station and listening to NFL and sports radio stations this week, the players and experts they have on are all gushing about the Jets and Lions. I heard one of these guys already predicting an AFC Championship game of Jets vs Chiefs and an NFC Championship game of Lions vs Eagles. Plus another guy predicting with Rodgers the Jets are a lock to win the AFC East. He was not high on the Bills so I think there was some bias at play there.

I would probably give the Lions a better shot at winning their division and going to the playoffs than the Jets. Mainly just because the NFC is not a strong conference with way too many question marks. The AFC has several teams that I think all could be good this season and will be tough to beat. Rodgers is going to have to outduel a lot of really good younger QBs to win in the AFC. That seems a much higher mountain to climb.

 

[Jeffrey D]

OK, with the 2023 schedule being released, here are two things we know right now about the coming NFL season:

1. The Jets and Lions will enter the season as the two most hyped teams. They both get primetime games in the first weekend of the season. The Lions play in the prestigious season opener on Thursday night against the Chiefs. The Jets play the Bills in ESPN's Monday night matchup. No mistake that these two teams have these spots, because they are going to get picked to win their divisions by many and to be playoff teams, and even some will probably pick them to go to the Super Bowl. Don't be surprised if one or more "experts" pick a Jets vs Lions Super Bowl.

2. The AFC is QB stacked. With Rodgers now in the AFC East, it just adds to the bounty of riches. The NFC is much less set with Jalen Hurts now the top QB in that conference, questions around the health of Matthew Stafford, a new face in the conference with Carr being a Saint, Dak Prescott still having to play for the Cowboys, Brady being gone...this actually means that Jared Goff is the second best QB in the NFC coming into 2023. Yes, you read that correctly and that is part of why people expect to see the Lions in the playoffs this season.

Funny you say this about NFC QBs- my buddy and I were talking about this topic last night. There is a dearth of quality QBs in the conference.

I still wouldn’t put the Jets in front of Buffalo in the AFC East. The Bills are going to be under increasing pressure to get it done. Let’s see how they respond.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

Funny you say this about NFC QBs- my buddy and I were talking about this topic last night. There is a dearth of quality QBs in the conference.

I still wouldn’t put the Jets in front of Buffalo in the AFC East. The Bills are going to be under increasing pressure to get it done. Let’s see how they respond.

Yes, I will stick with the Bills in the AFC East and as one of the favorites to make the Super Bowl. Rodgers barely had a game last season when he threw for 250 yards. He was not good and now he moves to a Jets team, that does have a better defense than the Packers, and maybe some better offensive weapons than he had in Green Bay but not sure this turns Aaron back into an MVP player. His slide may have really begun in 2022 and not sure the Jets are where you go to end that slump.

I would rate Stafford higher if he were not coming off a bunch of injury problems. He may not be the same QB he was. Murray in Arizona has not proven anything yet, Cousins is alright, Carr will have to show what he can do with the Saints. Really, the three QBs that you pretty much trust to win games in the NFC are Hurts, Goff, and Prescott. Prescott plays for a mess of a Cowboys team though so he has to overcome that. The 49ers have the best overall roster in the conference but their QBs are an injured Purdy, Lance who has been injured and slow to pick-up the offense against NFL competition, and Sam Darnold.

If Goff can play as well as he did last season and the Lions defense can take a big step up, well, they have a shot to maybe go deep in the playoffs. I don't really trust their head coach but he seems to get the team to play for him.

 

[Robert Crawford]

My Raiders play in KC on Christmas Day. The first of three games being televised on Christmas. Nice way to ruin my Christmas spirit with a loss in the afternoon.

Another tough day will be November 5th when the two teams I grew up rooting for since I was a kid before the NFL/AFL merger are playing each other when the Giants travel to Vegas. My rooting interest for that game will depend on which team is a playoff contender. If both of them are playoff contenders which I seriously doubt if either team is a playoff contender, then may the best team win on that particular Sunday.

 

[Jeffrey D]

Giants are not going to have much home cooking to start the season- they host Dallas on the first Sunday night game, then have 7 of their next 9 games on the road. I read that this is a first- no team has played 7 of their first 10 games away from home before, at least since the bye week was created.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

Another tough day will be November 5th when the two teams I grew up rooting for since I was a kid before the NFL/AFL merger are playing each other when the Giants travel to Vegas. My rooting interest for that game will depend on which team is a playoff contender. If both of them are playoff contenders which I seriously doubt if either team is a playoff contender, then may the best team win on that particular Sunday.

At this moment, I give the Giants a shot at the playoffs because they were, if nothing else, a tough team last season and Daboll turned things around. Now, he got the best season out of Jones and worked up an offensive scheme that really helped him and so best case is Jones plays as well or improves. Some see what Daboll did as the same as what he did with Allen in Buffalo, in that, he sort of transitioned Allen from a guy that was running a lot to a guy that threw more and better. Only thing is, Allen has a world class arm. Jones does not but the way he played was similar to the early years of Allen. Also the Giants play in the NFC, where they have a chance to beat, and proved they can beat, the teams in their Conference.

The Raiders will start the season as a mystery. New QB, new pieces, it is going to sort of be like watching McDaniels go through his first season there because this will now be a different team. The big bonus is that Garoppolo knows the offense they are going to run. The tricky aspect is that offense requires everybody to know it and be on the same page. They play in a division with two really tough teams to beat in the Chiefs and Chargers, and a Broncos team with a now much better head coach than what they had. Also, the AFC is kind of stacked so, I don't see the Raiders having an easy time and it looks like there are a lot of better teams. I think they finish third in the division at best, if Russell Wilson stinks again this season. If Wilson gets turned around, the Broncos could be better.

So, my guess is, Giants probably a playoff team, Raiders a longshot.

 

[Robert Crawford]

So, my guess is, Giants probably a playoff team, Raiders a longshot.

I think both teams miss the playoffs. The Giants might be a better team than last year's team, but I think their schedule in 2023, during the first ten games could sink them.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Brady a minority owner of the Raiders. Please, tell me that's not happening.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

I think both teams miss the playoffs. The Giants might be a better team than last year's team, but I think their schedule in 2023, during the first ten games could sink them.

Well, I kind of see their schedule as having a lot of winnable games. To me the tough part is weeks 3-6. Those games are a gauntlet. The start against Dallas and Arizona could be two wins. They are kind of lucky to get the 49ers in week 3 because their QB situation at that point will probably still be shaky. However, you are playing one of the best rosters, with one of the best coaches, in the league so, tough game. Then the Seahawks at home, we'll see how Geno is playing at this point, then two tough road games that could both be losses for them against the Dolphins (if Tua is playing well) and Bills.

If they make it through those first 6 games at 3-3, they have a real shot.

Obviously both Eagles games will be tough and they finish the season against the Eagles, who maybe have the division locked up then and are sitting starters. Washington, I think, are tanking the season, basically, I think new owners are coming in, they don't want Rivera in 2024, they are going to start Howell, that looks like a disaster waiting to happen, but I think the idea is stink this year, sell the team, the new ownership comes in, fires Rivera and has a high pick to begin the rebuild. Cowboys games could swing in either direction depending on how they play. They can be horrid and really good in the same season from game to game.

They get the Packers, who many experts seem to think are going to really stink this season. The Jets and Patriots, both have kind of huge question marks hanging over them. The Raiders, who look shaky to me, the Rams and Saints. The Rams look like they have entered a rebuild and the Saints hopes rest on how much better they are with Carr at QB. Carr tends to run hot or cold so who knows. I think they have a schedule that looks like they will finish second in their division.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Well, you're much more optimistic than I am regarding the Giants. Even if you think Washington is tanking, the Giants could easily split those two games. As to those first two games, they could be losses too.

 

[Malcolm R]

Giants are not going to have much home cooking to start the season- they host Dallas on the first Sunday night game, then have 7 of their next 9 games on the road. I read that this is a first- no team has played 7 of their first 10 games away from home before, at least since the bye week was created.

Interesting. Since they share the stadium with the Jets, that would mean the Jets are on the road for most of the second half.

I think I'd rather have the Giants schedule, home for most of the stretch run.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

Well, you're much more optimistic than I am regarding the Giants. Even if you think Washington is tanking, the Giants could easily split those two games. As to those first two games, they could be losses too.

Agreed, they have to play the games. Washington looks terrible, on paper, and it really looks like they are going to do a major house cleaning after this season. What can I say, Daboll won me over last season. I was shocked the Giants pulled off what they did. So, I have faith in the HC to be able to win games this season with what will probably be a somewhat better roster in a conference that lost both Rodgers and Brady and only gained Carr...well, and Baker Mayfield if we want to count that as a gain.

All the focus in the New York media will be on Rodgers and the Jets. The national media is going to hype the hell out of that situation. So, the Giants can just do their thing and sort of be under the radar. I think the first 6 games will tell the tale on what we will get from the Giants and 3-3 would be a very good way to come out of that. If they do better than that, well, they could have a deeper playoff run. I'm not crazy about Jones, you know that, so we'll see but Daboll seems pleased with him and he knows better than me.

 

[Malcolm R]

They get the Packers, who many experts seem to think are going to really stink this season.

The TV schedulers seem to think the Packers will be a TV draw:

Green Bay is scheduled to play five prime-time games in Jordan Love‘s first season as their starting quarterback. The first of them comes in Week Four when they host the Lions on a Thursday night. (PFT)

In addition, the Packers are in front of a national audience on Thanksgiving at Detroit.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

The TV schedulers seem to think the Packers will be a TV draw:



In addition, the Packers are in front of a national audience on Thanksgiving at Detroit.

Well, the Packers have been a popular team on national TV for years because they have had good QBs for so long. Favre to Rodgers was a great run and I think helped win them fans all around the country. I've seen Love splitting the "experts" so far. Some think he is good and will be ready to step right in, other seem to the think he won't be good, does not have the weapons to help him, and will be horrible.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Brady a minority owner of the Raiders. Please, tell me that's not happening.

That would be like, for me, Urban Meyer becoming the athletic director at Michigan.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

The TV schedulers seem to think the Packers will be a TV draw:

The Packers have a large, dedicated fan base, so they always get their share of national games. It's similar to the Steelers, Raiders and Cowboys.

 

[Jeffrey D]

Interesting. Since they share the stadium with the Jets, that would mean the Jets are on the road for most of the second half.

I think I'd rather have the Giants schedule, home for most of the stretch run.

Good point.