NFL News

[El Axe]

I tend to ignore the drama articles posted about the league, but I gave this a read. To summarize, Jerry Jones is 81. His son, Stephen, has already been taking over most of the franchise. Over the last 5 years, the Cowboys, despite being the most valuable NFL franchise, has spent less cash on players than any other franchise. Basically, Stephen is your typical son of the original owner who is more concerned about pinching pennies than success on the field (penny wise, pound foolish). If they do not re-sign Dak this season, his unusual contract allows him to walk as a true free agent and immediately becomes the best free agent in NFL history.

The roster this year already looks like it's on its last legs. We may see a dramatic fall off of the team this season.

https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2024/9/3/24232254/dallas-cowboys-jerry-jones-stephen-jones-ownership

[El Axe]

Saving everyone a few clicks: Lions' Power rankings week 1:

https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-power-rankings-week-1-2024-nfl-season

NFL.com 4

The 2023 Lions were a few plays away from reaching a Super Bowl with a defense that started out somewhat promisingly last season but really slipped after the early-November bye. Naturally, a lot of the focus has been placed on how much difference a revamped secondary and a beefed-up front can do for this team. Interestingly, the offense didn't really cook until the defense had backslid a bit, so you almost have to marvel at how Detroit got to 12-5 in spite of very few complete performances -- offense, defense and special teams all getting it done -- after about Week 4. Believe it or not, I actually see this as a positive. The Lions were absolutely fearless, which was a big driver of their success, and I don't expect that to change much this season. Now the talent level has risen, if only incrementally, but the biggest gains might be in the secondary and defensive front -- two areas where Detroit arguably had the most room for growth. The NFC North is suddenly a bear, and the journey might not be as gilded at times, but I think the Lions can find a way to forge through with another banner season.

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfl-power-rankings-chiefs-belong-on-top-to-open-2024-season-will-it-last-packers-behind-at-no-2/

CBS 7

They should once again push for a deep playoff run and more. Dan Campbell needs to stop being so reckless with his fourth-down decisions since his team is much better now.

The Athletic 2

Preseason vibes: Wired

These guys were in a good mood when they were 1-6 in 2022. Now, they have won 21 of their last 29 games, and wide receiver Jameson Williams looks like he’s taken a step forward in practice. Add Williams’ dynamic breakaway speed to an offense that finished third in the league in yards per play last year (5.9), and Campbell might not even need that 12th daily cup of coffee.

https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-power-rankings-lions-bills-texans-maybe-well-get-a-first-time-super-bowl-champion-050311554.html

Yahoo 2

The Lions had some injury scares during training camp and preseason but it doesn't seem like any major contributors will miss Week 1. We'll have to see if rookie first-round pick Terrion Arnold gets a starting nod for Week 1 after missing time in August with a pectoral injury.

https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/pfts-week-1-2024-nfl-power-rankings

NBC/PFT 2

They’ve never been the hunted. They will be this year.

https://www.si.com/nfl/preseason-power-rankings-before-week-1-chiefs-lions

Sports Illustrated 2

The Sports Illustrated preseason Super Bowl favorite Lions come in at No. 2 on our power rankings. We can discuss a lot about this roster but, for me, the strength is on the line of scrimmages. This is a decidedly unsexy way of talking about a team with Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs, among many others. But D.J. Reader, Alim McNeill and Aidan Hutchinson as a combination are way more exciting to me. The Lions are going to absolutely wear teams down by forcing them into obvious passing situations which will lessen the stress on their still-developing secondary. They are also going to continue to be one of the most dominant possession teams in the NFL. Last year, the Lions held onto the ball for more than 31 minutes per game. The Browns, for reference, were the only club that broke the 32 minute barrier last year.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10133854-2024-br-nfl-power-rankings-where-does-every-team-stand-entering-week-1

Bleacher Report 2

The Detroit Lions are tomato cans no more.

The Lions enter the season in a position the franchise arguably hasn't inhabited in 50 years or more. The Lions aren't merely expected to compete or win the NFC North. They are expected to win the NFC altogether. Win the Super Bowl.

Head coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes deserve a ton of credit for assembling a talented roster on both sides of the ball. Holmes told reporters it's because they had a shared vision for the franchise and never wavered from it.

"Just going back to Day 1, that we never wavered in our process in terms of roster building," Holmes said. "Dan and myself, we never changed our path or made a pivot in terms of each year. In terms of, 'Well, we won these games, oh so we're in this window.' We've been saying this from Day 1, we want to get better every single year. We've done that. And we plan to continue to do that."

Detroit's offense is stacked with talent. But for Sobleski, what could put the Lions over the top and into the team's first-ever Super Bowl are the improvements the team has made defensively.

"The Lions are no longer a good story," he said. "They've built expectations. Dan Campbell's squad reached the point where it's a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Aside from the Lions being one half away from making their first Super Bowl appearance last season, the current roster has a chance to be even better. The reworked secondary with Carlton Davis III, as well as top draft picks Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. should drastically improve upon last year's bottom-six pass defense. Plus, a healthy DJ Reader can be a difference-maker along the defensive interior."

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/40884348/nfl-power-rankings-preseason-poll-2024-hot-seat-candidates-players-coaches-execs

ESPN 4

Post-draft ranking: 4

Who's on the hot seat: WR Jameson Williams

This upcoming season could likely be a make-or-break year for Williams. As the No. 12 pick of the 2022 NFL draft, Williams has had an abnormal start to his career. After having a shortened rookie campaign as he overcame an ACL injury suffered in college and a suspension for violating the NFL's gambling policy in Year 2, this season gives Williams a chance to show who he is in his first uninterrupted year with the team. Williams could be a huge part of the offense, but he has to step up. -- Eric Woodyard

The Ringer 2

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[froot loops]

The thing to get out of the Cowboys article is they have always tried to play hardball with the star players and in this version of the salary cap, that is a dumb practice. What ends up happening is you handicap your teams ability to manipulate the salary cap. If you plan on extending any valuable player it is better to do it a year early. It's why the people who were cajoling the Lions to play hardball with Goff by using the tag were mistaken.

The way the Cowboys use the salary cap does not give them a competitive advantage. In other words, the way they have dealt with Dak Prescott has no allowed them to save money to spend on other players. It just makes him incredibly to extend by the end of the year or you risk losing him. The Patriots were a other team that was really low on the cash spend. They got by on Brady and Belichick wizardry, but eventually that wore on Brady and the savings they always got was never really spent on great players.

[chemiclord]

The thing to get out of the Cowboys article is they have always tried to play hardball with the star players and in this version of the salary cap, that is a dumb practice. What ends up happening is you handicap your teams ability to manipulate the salary cap. If you plan on extending any valuable player it is better to do it a year early. It's why the people who were cajoling the Lions to play hardball with Goff by using the tag were mistaken.

The way the Cowboys use the salary cap does not give them a competitive advantage. In other words, the way they have dealt with Dak Prescott has no allowed them to save money to spend on other players. It just makes him incredibly to extend by the end of the year or you risk losing him. The Patriots were a other team that was really low on the cash spend. They got by on Brady and Belichick wizardry, but eventually that wore on Brady and the savings they always got was never really spent on great players.

On top of that, as I've noted before, in any given year Brady was in the Top 5 QB contracts (outside of his rookie deal, of course). So any savings the Patriots got playing the games they were playing with Brady's contract probably wasn't even adding up to all that much.

[chemiclord]

And overnight, Goff's extension looks even more team friendly. Dak got paid.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/41176649/sources-dak-prescott-cowboys-agree-record-240m-deal

[Forsh]

It's a bit better but all of them are monstrous. Is what it is

[froot loops]

Goff's contract is going to be the baseline for every decent quarterback. The salary cap is going to balloon to figures much higher than the projections and the projections have it at 320 million by 2027.

[El Axe]

Annie is back :-)

[Mainevent]

That last line was perfection.

[edindetroit]

Joe Burrow not healthy, Joe Burrow not healthy, Joe Burrow not healthy and Browns.

[whatever_gong82]

Joe Burrow not healthy, Joe Burrow not healthy, Joe Burrow not healthy and Browns.

And to think that they could've had Penei Sewell on either the right or left side of their offensive line instead of yet another wide receiver, no matter how talented he is, and he is very good.

But, keeping Mr. Burrow upright is much more important for the long term success of the Bengals than 'More Weaponz!'

[El Axe]

The Athletic's playoff projections. I found the Packers rating very surprising

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I skipped past 9 to 17


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[El Axe]

The Athletic's power rankings

5. Detroit Lions (1-0)


Last week: 2

Sunday: Beat Los Angeles Rams 26-20 (OT)

The Lions won the game with an eight-play, 70-yard touchdown drive in overtime. Seven of those plays were runs that covered 60 yards. It was Dan Campbell’s dream drive. This might be his dream team, too. Jared Goff was fine. David Montgomery had 91 rushing yards. Maybe most importantly, Jameson Williams had his first 100-yard receiving game, finishing with five catches for 121 yards.

Up next: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

I'll include the Packers since it was a precipitous fall

21. Green Bay Packers (0-1)


Last week: 6

Friday: Lost to Philadelphia Eagles 34-29

The ink is barely dry on Jordan Love’s new $220 million contract, and he’s now facing an extended absence because of a knee injury suffered late in the game. As worrisome? Love didn’t look great before the injury, completing only 50 percent of his passes and throwing an interception. Playing in Brazil on a less-than-perfect field certainly contributed to that, but not all of Love’s misses were turf-related. The Packers have Malik Willis behind Love, and it sounds like they might try to ride with him until Love can return.

Up next: vs. Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET

[El Axe]

I just found this Athletic article. It was published 8/26, but it's a ranking of NFL QBs within tiers that makes the most sense to me -- with the exception of Aaron Rodgers who should be tier 3.

The rankings were derived from a poll of 50 NFL executives and Coaches


NFL Quarterback Tiers 2024: Only 2 join Mahomes in Tier 1; Rodgers, Herbert drop out

Mike Sando Aug 26, 2024

The top tier is always exclusive territory when 50 NFL coaches and executives have their say in Quarterback Tiers each summer.

That exclusivity has reached another level this year.

Led by the incomparable Patrick Mahomes, only three players achieved Tier 1 status when balloting for the 11th annual survey was finished. That’s the lowest number since 2016, but with a crop of younger players rising, there’s a potentially bright future for the elite ranks.

The Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson reached new heights. The Green Bay Packers’ Jordan Love and the San Francisco 49ers’ Brock Purdy made massive jumps. The Houston Texans’ C.J. Stroud set a new standard for a second-year QB. You can see the largest risers and fallers in the graphic below.

The 2024 QB Tiers results are here, complete with commentary from the 50 NFL coaches and executives who were granted anonymity to share candid evaluations. The panel consisted of seven general managers, eight head coaches, 12 coordinators, 12 executives, eight assistant coaches and three involved in coaching/analytics.

Each voter placed 30 veteran quarterbacks into five tiers, from best (Tier 1) to worst (Tier 5). Quarterbacks were then ranked by average vote and placed into tiers based on vote distribution, beginning with Mahomes, whose 1.00 average vote reflected his status as the only unanimous Tier 1 selection. No QBs landed in Tier 5, although some received Tier 5 votes. The survey excludes rookies because voters have not seen them play in the NFL.
=================================================

Tier 1
A Tier 1 quarterback can carry his team each week. The team wins because of him. He expertly handles pure-passing situations. He has no real holes in his game.

Rank	Player	2024 Tier	Vote Avg
1	Mahomes	1	1.0
2	Burrow	1	1.1
3	Allen	1	1.2

Tier 2
A Tier 2 quarterback can carry his team sometimes but not as consistently. He can handle pure-passing situations in doses and/or possesses other dimensions that are special enough to elevate him above Tier 3. He has a hole or two in his game.

Rank	Player	2024 Tier	Vote Avg
4	Jackson	2	1.6
5	Stafford	2	1.6
5	Herbert	2	1.6
7	Rodgers	1	1.8
8	Stroud	n/a	1.8
9	Prescott	2	2.1
10	Goff	3	2.2
11	Hurts	2	2.3
12	Purdy	4	2.3
13	Cousins	2	2.4
14	Love	4	2.5

Tier 3
A Tier 3 quarterback is a legitimate starter but needs a heavier running game and/or defensive component to win. A lower-volume dropback passing offense suits him best.

Rank	Player	2024 Tier	Vote Avg
15	Tagovailoa	3	2.5
16	Lawrence	2	2.6
17	Murray	3	2.7
18	Watson	2	2.8
19	Mayfield	4	2.8
20	Carr	3	3.0
20	Geno Smith	3	3.0
22	Wilson	3	3.2

Tier 4
A Tier 4 quarterback could be an unproven player (not enough information for voters to classify) or a veteran who ideally would not start all 17 games.

Rank	Player	2024 Tier	Vote Avg
23	Jones	3	3.6
24	Fields	3	3.6
25	Minshew	4	3.8
26	Richardson	n/a	3.8
26	Levis	n/a	3.8
27	Young	n/a	3.8
29	Darnold	n/a	4.0
30	Brissett	n/a	4.0

[ghandi]

Rodgers hasnt been good for years...Are they still basing these things on what he did 10 years ago?