It’s no coincidence that the trio of quarterbacks — Wilson, Mills, and Lawrence — played for three of the worst teams in the NFL last season. The outlook is grim for all three squads heading into this season, but the public is easily swayed by recency bias.

• Zach Wilson +800
• Trevor Lawrence +1000
• Davis Mills +1000
• Justin Fields +1000
• Jameis Winston +1300
• Matthew Stafford +1400
• Mac Jones +1600
• Tua Tagovailoa +1800
• Baker Mayfield +1800
• Ryan Tannehill +1800
• Jared Goff +2000
• Derek Carr +2000
• Daniel Jones +2000
• Trey Lance +2000
• Sam Darnold +2000
• Lamar Jackson +2000
• Justin Herbert +2000
• Joe Burrow +2000
• Geno Smith +2500
• Carson Wentz +2500
• Drew Lock +2500
• Kyler Murray +2500
• Tom Brady +3000
• Patrick Mahomes +3000
• Josh Allen +5000
• Russell Wilson +8000

Lawrence and Matthew Stafford from the LA Rams were co-leaders with 17 interceptions last season. Stafford is +1400 odds as the sixth-highest player on the prop bet board at DraftKings.

Zach Wilson +800

Let’s get the “Wilson sleeping with his mother’s best friend” drama out of the way first. Wilson’s affinity for older women has nothing to do with his ability to turn the ball over, but as a  die-hard New York Jets fan I cannot pass up a cheap shot at the LOL Jets. There’s been no shortage of cougar memes floating around over the last few weeks, but at least the sporting world and gambling Twitter is talking about something else other than how much the Jets will suck this season.

One of the reasons the Jets drafted Wilson was his decision making in the pocket. In 30 starts at BYU, Wilson threw only 15 interceptions. During his final season at BYU, Wilson tossed just three interceptions in 12 games.

In 13 games with the Jets last season, Wilson threw 11 interceptions. To his credit, he threw four picks against the New England Patriots in Week 2 and tallied nine in his first five games. Wilson threw just two picks the rest of the season including a clean slate in his final five games.

We love to fade the Jets, and the public loves to bash the LOL Jets, but this might be the one time when public perception does not align with the numbers. Wilson is the betting favorite at +800 odds to throw the most interceptions, but we think he’ll stay under one pick per game.

Congrats, Zach Wilson! pic.twitter.com/YMEu2HYcCE

— NFL Memes (@NFL_Memes) July 11, 2022

Trevor Lawrence +1000

Lawrence was doomed to fail during his rookie season with the Jacksonville Jaguars because of Urban Meyer. It does not matter how talented you are, but if you’re not put in a position to succeed with a joke of a head coach and poor leadership without any specific direction, it’s a recipe for disaster.

Lawrence finally has a proper mentor in new head coach Doug Pederson. As a former NFL quarterback, Pederson can take Lawrence under his wing and put him on the right path to success. That’s one of the reasons why the Jaguars hired Pederson, and it’s foolish that they didn’t put more thought into their original hire last season. Meyer was a disaster across the board and even though they fired him after 13 games and a 2-11 record.

Lawrence threw just three interceptions after Meyer got canned, and all three were in a 501-0 blowout by the New England Patriots. He tossed zero interceptions in the other three games without Meyer, so that’s something positive to build upon.

Lawrence got picked off seven times in his first three games as a rookie, but threw only 10 interceptions in his final 14 games. Aside from an ugly four pick game in a shutout against the Tennessee Titans, Lawrence had nine games without an interception. These are promising numbers if you’re a Jaguars fan or rooting for Lawrence to succeed this season. Let’s assume Pederson installs a better playbook and provides actual leadership this season, so Lawrence might not throw the most interceptions in back-to-back seasons.

Kyle Dugger picks off Trevor Lawrence!

It's Lawrence's 3rd INT of the day pic.twitter.com/p0YBXOkF5k

— Ben Brown 🌻 (@BenBrownPL) January 2, 2022

Davis Mills +1000

Mills tossed 10 picks in 13 games last season as a rookie with the Houston Texans, but again, optics is everything. The Texans are projected to lose the most games in the NFL this season, and oddsmakers gave them a paltry win total of 4.5 o/u games. Mills at +100 odds to throw the most interceptions seems like the cool kids picking on the dorky kids sitting at the loser table in the cafeteria. Sure, the Texans will continue their losing ways as the worst franchise in the NFL, but Davis showed a lot of promise last season considering the Texans had a crappy offensive line and he did not have superstar targets to get the ball to.

Matthew Stafford +1400

See kids, you can lead the NFL in interceptions, but still win a Super Bowl. Stafford coughed up the ball 17 times last season and tied Lawrence for most picks, but the Rams had an aggressive offense with plenty of long-range weapons so it was worth the risk.

In four NFL playoff games, Stafford threw three interceptions including two in the Super Bowl against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Stafford was one of six quarterbacks to pass at least 600 times last season. All eight gunslingers had at least double-digit interceptions.

In 182 career games, Stafford threw 161 interceptions. If he plays all 17 games in the regular season, he’d toss 15 picks based on his career averages.

You can expect the Rams to keep airing the ball out, especially with Stafford under center, which is why we like Stafford at +1400 odds to throw the most interceptions in the NFL this season.

The post Most Interceptions Prop Bet: Zach Wilson, Davis Mills, or Trevor Lawrence? appeared first on nrxhb.shop | OG News.

The XFL plans to start its season in February, just after Super Bowl 57. But starting a season has never been the XFL’s problem. Staying solvent during a season, however, has been an unsurmountable challenge.

This will mark the third attempt for the professional spring football league. And its new owners — fronted by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson — are hoping this time could be the charm.

XFL Host Cities Are Texas Heavy

In May, the XFL announced a multi-year broadcast contract with the Walt Disney Company and ESPN. But there will be few XFL teams located in the larger media markets.

When the XFL recently named its eight host cities, there were no teams from New York, New Jersey or California. Likewise, none of the teams are in storied sports cities like Philadelphia, Atlanta or Chicago. But the XFL has Texas covered. Three of the leagues eight teams will reside in the Lone Star State.

San Antonio, Houston and Arlington will all have XFL teams next season. Their Texas locale will be convenient, since the XFL be headquartered in Arlington. Also, since none of the teams have practice fields yet, Arlington is where all the teams will spend preseason. The remaining XFL host cities include, Orlando, St. Louis, Seattle, Washington D.C. and Las Vegas.

Likely XFL Prop Bets

They aren’t out there yet. But the prop bets associated with the success of the XFL are coming. Two we expect to see before long are:

Will the XFL fail before the start of the second season?
Will the USFL and XFL merge?

It’s hard to imagine two spring football leagues will be successful — especially since both leagues have failed multiple times. But this time could be different, for at least one of them.

The latest incarnations of the XFL and USFL have decent bankrolls behind them. The USFL has FOX Sports as a partner. Meanwhile, the XFL has Redbird Capital, the investment firm that owns the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool FC.

Attendance was a problem for the USFL, which played all of last year’s regular season’s games in Birmingham. The XFL is planning to play its regular season games at all its host cities, although a home stadium for Las Vegas has yet to be named. This could help the XFL’s in-person attendance, but it could also be a costly mistake.

In the USFL’s favor, it has players locked into two-year contracts, which may make it harder for the XFL to recruit for its 2023 season. Also, both sportsbooks and bettors have some familiarity with the USFL. Last spring, 15 states offered betting on the USFL. That was good for both television ratings and sportsbooks.

That being said, the XFL was enjoying surprisingly good ratings before COVID help push the league into bankruptcy. And if they play in 2023, sportsbooks and bettors will find them.

The post XFL and Its New Host Cities Hope the Third Time is the Charm appeared first on nrxhb.shop | OG News.

The Broncos had high hopes for Patrick after they acquired Russell Wilson in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks.

An MRI revealed an ACL injury, which means Patrick is dunzo for the season.

“Guys like Tim, it breaks your heart,” said Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett. “The worst part of this game is when things like this happen. Tim’s a guy that’s well respected across this team, across this league.”

The Broncos also lost running back Damarea Crockett to an ACL injury. Team usually have two players blow out their knees over the duration of a season, but the Broncos had lightning strike twice in the same day.

The Broncos entered the preseason as a popular pick to win the Super Bowl after Wilson joined the Broncos. You can back the Broncos at +1600 odds to win Super Bowl 57, according to a recent update by DraftKings.

The Broncos play in a stacked AFC West, but they’re third out of four teams on the NFL futures board at +260 odds to win the division.

Patrick Joins WR Injury Hex

For a third season in a row, the Denver Broncos lost a wide receiver to a serious knee injury after Patrick went down. In 2020, Courtland Sutton suffered an ACL knee injury. Last season, KJ Hamler blew out his knee in a Week 3 victory against the New York Jets. However, the Broncos were definitely rattled by losing Patrick, who is one of the most popular players on the team.

“It hurts,” said Sutton. “To see a guy who works his butt off all offseason, his preparation is second to none. We’re praying for the best.”

Patrick went from a practice player to a starting WR who led the team in receptions (53) and touchdowns (5) last season. He signed a three-year deal worth $30 million in the offseason.

In four seasons with the Broncos, Patrick played 55 games and caught 143 passes for 2,009 yards and 12 touchdowns. He tallied 11 touchdowns in his last two seasons.

The Broncos liked their batch of wideouts which also included speedster Jerry Jeudy and Sutton. With Wilson able to air the ball out, the Broncos looked like they had a proper aerial attack to win shootouts against the high-octane offenses in the AFC West including the Kansas City Chiefs and LA Chargers.

Expect wide receivers Montrell Washington and Kendall Hinton to compete for the open spot. Washington is a rookie and fifth-round pick out of Samford. Hinton is a second-year player out of Wake Forest who caught 15 passes and one touchdown last season in limited action.

The post Denver Broncos Lose WR Tim Patrick to Season-Ending ACL Injury appeared first on nrxhb.shop | OG News.

The fine is a slap on the wrist for the billionaire Ross, but it comes one day after the controversial Deshaun Watson suspension. NFL conspiracy theorists think the league released their findings of a six-month investigation into the Dolphins and Ross — for tampering and tanking allegations — to push Watson’s sexual assault scandal out of the news cycle.

“The investigators found tampering violations of unprecedented scope and severity,” said Commissioner Roger Goodell. “I know of no prior instance of a team violating the prohibition on tampering with both a head coach and star player, to the potential detriment of multiple other clubs, over a period of several years.”

Ross also faces other disciplinary actions for trying to entice Brady to join the Dolphins as early as 2019. He is suspended until October 17, and not allowed to participate in any team activities or attend any games. Dolphins fans are actually thrilled because it means their meddling owner will not be involved in the organization for the first six weeks of the season.

The Dolphins are +4000 odds to win Super Bowl 57, and +2000 odds to win the AFC Championship according to DraftKings. In AFC East odds, the Dolphins are the second-favorite at +450 odds to win the division behind the heavily-favorited Buffalo Bills.

Ross: Obsessed with Brady

The Dolphins qualified for the postseason only twice since Ross purchased a stake of the team in 2008. The Dolphins last won a playoff game in 2000, and have not won a Super Bowl in almost a half-century since the Dolphins won back-to-back championships under Don Shula in 1972 and 1973.

Ross was hell-bent on enticing Brady to leave the New England Patriots and turn around the Miami Dolphins. Ross offered Brady a piece of the team ownership along with building a brand-new facility for his Brazilian witch doctor. However Brady was still under contract with the Patriots at the time. The tampering continued and Ross attempted to court Brady again after he joined the Tampa Bay Bucs and won a Super Bowl two seasons ago.

Ross had a championship vision with Brady as the starting quarterback and Sean Payton as the head coach. Brady and Payton share an agent, which is how the two were initially paired in this hair-brained scheme. Teams talk to players and coaches under contract via intermediaries all the time, but the Dolphins were not slick about their pursuit of Brady and Payton.

This initial investigation stems from the firing of head coach Brian Flores. Ross tried to bribe Flores to tank and lose games on purpose so the Dolphins could get a new quarterback via the NFL Draft. Flores refused to tank, so Ross fired him.

Ross also wanted Flores to have a secret meeting with Deshaun Watson in an attempt to persuade Watson to join the Dolphins. Flores also rejected the request due to its illegal nature. Flores’ actions to play by the rules angered Ross, who fired him as soon as he had the chance even though Flores led the Dolphins to back-to-back winning seasons.

Payton Retirement, Brady Unretires

The dismissal of Flores set for a chain reaction of events, which the NFL investigated. Along the way, they found evidence of Ross tampering with Brady and Payton.

Looking back, it makes sense why Payton abruptly retired from the New Orleans Saints at the end of the season, and Brady’s premature retirement also seemed off.

Perhaps Brady and Payton — via their shared agent — found out that the NFL would come down hard on them for the tampering involvement with the Dolphins, considering both parties had previous run-ins with the NFL. Payton was the head coach of the Saints during the Bountygate scandal between 2009-2011. Brady was a part of two scandals with the Patriots including Spygate (spying on New York Jets coaches) in 2007, and Deflategate (the improper inflation of game balls during the AFC Championship vs Indianapolis Colts) in 2014.

Now, we’re starting to sound like NFL conspiracy theorists. For whatever reason, both Brady and Payton never joined the Dolphins. Fox Sports hired Payton as an analyst, and Brady returned to the Buccaneers. After Brady decided to unretire, Bucs head coach Bruce Arians decided he was dunzo and left the sidelines for the front office. The Bucs promoted defensive coordinator Todd Bowles to head coach, and both Brady and Arians downplayed a rift. Perhaps the Dolphins meddling had something to do with their bad blood/

In the meantime, the Dolphins hired Mike McDaniel as their new head coach to replace Flores. McDaniel spent the previous season as the offensive coordinator under Kyle Shanahan at the San Francisco 49ers. McDaniel was considered another football-nerd wunderkind similar to Sean McVay, and it was his idea to utilize Deebo Samuel at running back when the 49ers ran into personnel issues due to injuries and COVID.

The post NFL Penalizes Miami Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross for Brady/Payton Tampering appeared first on nrxhb.shop | OG News.

Sports franchise ownership is more popular and competitive than ever. Once a playground for the families of billionaire businessmen, sports teams are attracting a tsunami of celebrities, actors, and athletes.

Broncos owned by Walmart heirs, Rice and Hamilton

This is Hamilton’s first financial investment in a professional sports team. But it’s not for lack of trying. In April, he and Serena Williams were part of a group that failed to acquire Chelsea FC. Chelsea ended up selling for more than $5 billion to a group led by Todd Boehly, co-owner of the LA Dodgers.

Hamilton wasn’t part of the initial group bidding for the Broncos. In June, the winning bid actually did go to the family of a billionaire businessman. Robert Walton, heir to the Walmart fortune, spearheaded the winning $4.65 billion bid. Walton’s daughter and her husband were also part of the venture. But the ownership group has grown since then.

Earlier this month, Condoleezza Rice came on board as a minority owner. And now Hamilton, the seven-time world champion F1 driver, has taken a stake.

Supporting the @NFL and showing my passion for the @OfficialBrowns! Can't wait for the season to start! pic.twitter.com/95UenwwL

— Condoleezza Rice (@CondoleezzaRice) August 13, 2012

Maybe Condoleezza Rice isn’t the first person you think of when you think of the NFL. But the former US Secretary of State has been associated with some of the hottest NFL rumors. For years, she’s described the NFL Commissioner as her dream job. Meanwhile, in 2018, Condi was apparently on the short list to coach the Cleveland Browns.

Denver: Improving odds and good value

Hamilton and Rice might have some fun watching the Broncos this season. While most people assume the Kansas City Chiefs are a lock for the AFL West, the Denver Broncos could be a contender. After the Broncos picked up QB Russell Wilson earlier this year, the team’s odds significantly improved. In fact, it looks the Chiefs, the Broncos and the Chargers are in for a tight division race.

Meanwhile, the NFL is a hot commodity. If team valuations continue to grow as they have, Hamilton and Rice could make a sizable profit on their Broncos investment. Sportico estimates the value of the average NLF team increased by 17.9% between 2020 and 2021. Meanwhile, MLB franchises increased by 4.9% while NBA teams increased by 8.9% over the same time period.

The average value of an NFL teams is $4.14 billion, according to Sportico. The highest valued NFL franchise are the Dallas Cowboys, estimated at $7.64 billion. By comparison, the Broncos are valued at $4.65 billion, the team’s 2022 purchase price. That valuation put the Broncos in 10th place, giving them room to grow.

The post F1 Champion Lewis Hamilton Joins Denver Broncos Ownership Group appeared first on nrxhb.shop | OG News.

The Kansas City Chiefs and Green Bay Packers were favorites to meet in last year’s Super bowl, but they’re both +1000 odds to win Super Bowl 57. The Packers are one of three teams we think have overvalued odds, along with the Denver Broncos and Dallas Cowboys.

The defending champion LA Rams are +1100 odds as the fifth-highest team on DraftKings’ NFL futures board. It’s nearly impossible to win the Super Bowl in consecutive seasons in the modern NFL, especially with the season expanded to 17 games.

Bills Mafia Revenge

The NFL is a true war of attrition, and the healthiest team in the playoffs typically wins the Super Bowl. Injuries are impossible to predict, but you can limit your downside by backing teams with depth. The Bills have depth in the important positions including Case Keenum as their backup quarterback behind Josh Allen.

Allen is a Tier 1 quarterback, according to the recent and highly-controversial rankings by The Athletic, but Keenum could be a starter for a handful of team. Teams have won the Super Bowl with a backup quarterback (e.g. Nick Foles and the Philadelphia Eagles), but Allen is the heart and soul of the Bills.

The Bills Mafia also have a salty taste in their mouth after losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC divisional round last postseason. The Chiefs defeated the Bills in overtime in one of the greatest NFL playoff games. However, Allen and the bills did not even get the ball once in overtime because the Chiefs scored a touchdown on their first possession to end the game. The NFL altered the rules to make sure both teams get the ball at least once, but the Bills Mafia felt they were robbed.

The Bills lost four consecutive Super Bowls in the 1990s, and it’s been three decades since the start of the runner-up run, but it’s finally the time of reckoning for the Bills. The public is on the Bills Mafia bandwagon too, which is why the Bills are the consensus betting favorite to win the Super Bowl. We already fired a futures bet on the Bills to win Super Bowl 57 at +600 odds.

Overvalued: Packers, Broncos, Cowboys

The Green Bay Packers won 13 games in the last three seasons, but have zero Super Bowl appearances to show for it. The Packers lost in the NFC Championship twice, and were picked off in the quarterfinals last season when the San Francisco 49ers — with a banged up Jimmy G — upset the Packers at the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field. It was a heartbreaking loss considering the Packers were the favorite to win the Super Bowl for most of the season.

After superstar WR Davante Adams bolted in free agency to the Las Vegas Raiders, we lost faith in the Packers to win the big one. Aaron Rodgers will have to get over his trust issues quickly and find a reliable WR that he trusts in crunch time. The Packers are one of the top four favorites on the board at +1000 odds, but the number is inflated due to all the diehard cheeseheads.

The Denver Broncos have a bright future after they acquired Russell Wilson in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks. Everyone thought the Broncos would land Rodgers in a trade, but he surprised everyone when he signed a $200 million contract to remain with he Packers. Wilson is an exceptional Plan B, but it’s going to take a couple seasons before the Broncos can make a run at a Super Bowl. The Broncos saw a boost in their Super Bowl odds to +1600 after the addition of Wilson, but the bookies are minting money on hopeful fans.

The Dallas Cowboys are +1400 odds to win the Super Bowl, but save your money. So long as Mike McCarthy is the head coach and owner Jerry Jones still meddles in a lot of decisions, the Cowboys are not going anywhere.

Dirty Dozen

It’s weird to see the New England Patriots listed among the bottom 12 teams in the NFL futures board, but this is the new world order in the NFL after Brady left New England. The Patriots are still the best of the bottom dozen at +5000 odds to win Super Bowl 57, but that’s a huge gap considering the Bills are the betting favorite at +600. If the Patriots make the playoffs as an AF Wild Card team, I still wouldn’t want to play them.

There’s always at least one surprise team who qualifies for the postseason but missed the playoffs the year before. Could any of those teams be among these bottom 12? The Cincinnati Bengals were +10000 odds at the start of last season, and then ran the table in the playoffs to secure a berth in the Super bowl. Alas, the Bengals ran out of gas in the Super Bowl and could not beat the Rams on their home turf. Aside from the Patriots, there’s not much value at the bottom of the futures board heading into the season.

The post Super Bowl 57 Odds: Year of Reckoning for the Buffalo Bills? appeared first on nrxhb.shop | OG News.

Washington initially suffered the injury when he landed awkwardly on his foot during seven-on-seven drills on the first day of padded contact. He needed assistance and got carted off the field.

The Cowboys diagnosed Washington with a fractured fifth metatarsal, and the foot injury will keep him out for six to ten weeks while he recovers from surgery. If Washington heals quickly, he could return in mid-September. There’s also a chance he misses the first month of the season.

Unlucky Break for Washington

After spending the first four seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Washington signed with the Dallas Cowboys. In 60 games with the Steelers, he caught 114 passes for 1,629 yards and 11 touchdowns. He averaged 14.3 yards per catch.

Last season, Washington missed two games and appeared in 15 games with the Steelers. He caught only 24 passes for 285 yards and two touchdowns in a lackluster Steelers’ offense.

The Cowboys added Washington as a tertiary wideout option behind Michael Gallup and CeeDee Lamb. However, Gallup was expected to rejoin the squad later in the season while he continues to rehab an ACL injury. Gallup went down in Week 17 last season, and he’s still on the PUP list.

The Cowboys expected Washington would start the season as their WR #2 behind Lamb.

With both Gallup and Washington out, rookie Jalen Tolbert moves up the depth chart. Tolbert impressed the staff already even though he had yet to play a single snap. The highly-touted rookie from South Alabama was a third-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

The Cowboys also have Simi Fehoko and Jake Ferguson on their roster. Fehoko was a fifth-round pick out of the 2021 NFL Draft out of Stanford, but did not crack the lineup last season.

Ferguson had been buried on the depth chart the last four seasons. He caught 16 passes in 13 games last season, but he’s never scored a touchdown in any of his 39 receptions spread out of over 50 games of limited action.

Other WR Options, Betting Numbers

There are several decent NFL free agent wide receivers available like former Cowboys Cole Beasley, Will Fuller, TY Hilton, Emmanuel Sanders, Allen Hurts. Oh, and Antonio Brown is still available, but the Cowboys don’t want any of that smoke. The troublesome Brown was last seen shirtless after a meltdown during a Tampa Bay Bucs/New York Jets game.

If the Cowboys get antsy or the injury to Washington takes longer to heal, they could acquire a wide receiver in a trade. However, with limited cap space, they’ll probably wait and pick up a cut player off the scrap heap.

The Cowboys are +2000 odds to win Super Bowl 57 and listed as the ninth-highest team on DraftKings’ NFL futures board. The Cowboys are also +850 odds to win the NFC Championship as the fifth-highest team on the board. The NFC East is weak once again this season, but the Cowboys are the betting favorite to win the division at +135 odds. The Philadelphia Eagles are the Cowboys only competition in the NFC East at +165 odds.

Oddsmakers think the Cowboys could reach double-digit victories with a win total of 10.0 o/u. The Cowboys can pad their win totals with easy division games, and the lowly AFC South on their schedule.

The Cowboys kick off the season with two home games at the “Jerry Dome” in Arlington, but face a pair of difficult opponents with the Tamp Bay Bucs in Week 1, and Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2.

The post Dallas Cowboys WR James Washington (Fractured Foot) Out 6-10 Weeks appeared first on nrxhb.shop | OG News.

The best way to irk a group of fans is to install a ranking system, or in the case of The Athletic, divide all of the starting quarterbacks in the NFL into a tier system with overall QB rankings.

• Tier 1: Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady, Josh Allen, Justin Herbert, Joe Burrow
• Tier 2: Matt Stafford, Russ Wilson, Deshaun Watson, Lamar Jackson, Dak Prescott, Derek Carr, Kyler Murray, Matt Ryan
• Tier 3: Kirk Cousins, Jimmy Garoppolo, Ryan Tannehill, Mac Jones, Baker Mayfield, Jalen Hurts, Carson Wentz, Jared Goff, Trevor Lawrence, Jameis Winston
• Tier 4: Justin Fields, Tua Tagovailoa, Dais Mills, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, Daniel Jones, Marcus Mariota, Sam Darnold, Mitch Trubisky, Drew Lock
• Tier 5: Geno Smith

Rankings are subjective, but it’s a fascinating article about every starting QB featuring quotes from NFL coaches, scouts, and executives.

Tier 1: Elites, perennial contenders

The Athletic selected six quarterbacks for Tier 1 of its QB rankings, and their list seems fairly accurate. If you asked insiders to rank their top five quarterbacks, it’s safe to say that these Tier-1 QBs would be included in most every ranking.

Brady is 45 years old, yet he’s still considered an elite quarterback. But how will he fare this season without starting center Ryan Jensen? Jensen was Brady’s bodyguard and protector on the field since Brady joined the Bucs.

Rodgers won the MVP for the past two seasons, but can he win a third-straight one without Devante Adams? Adams left Cheeseland and headed to Sin City, where he’ll be Derek Carr’s #1 option.

Mahomes also lost the Chiefs’ biggest deep threat when they traded Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins. But, defenses started clamping down on deep balls, so Mahomes would have to adjust with quick passes and more shallow throws. Perhaps losing Hill isn’t as bad as everything thinks. After all, Mahomes still has Travis Kelce.

Allen and the Buffalo Bills had two exceptional seasons yet they failed to return to the Super Bowl. The Bills Mafia have one mission: a trip to the Super Bowl to exorcise the demons of four-straight losses in the 1990s. It’s Allen or bust, baby.

Tier 2: Super Bowl champs, controversial QBs

Two quarterbacks in the Tier-2 rankings — Russell Wilson and Matthew Stafford — have won a Super Bowl. The Rams hope they can win one more title with Stafford as their quarterback, while the Denver Broncos are gambling that Wilson will be the next franchise quarterback to deliver a Super Bowl to the Mile High City.

Lamar Jackson is one of those controversial quarterbacks because a lot of old-school minds think a mobile QB like Jackson can’t procure a championship. After an auspicious rookie season in which he helped save John Harbaugh’s job, Jackson is only 1-3 in the postseason.

Kyler Murray is getting paid like a Tier-1 quarterback, but based on his Tier-2 ranking, insiders think he’s overpaid. Kudos to Murray’s agent for getting his client a lucrative contract extension. Of course, the only way for Murray to shut up the haters is to win the Super Bowl.

Derek Carr now has a proper head coach in Josh McDaniel, who won multiple Super Bowls as an offensive coordinator. We’ll see if McDaniel can really win in Las Vegas without Tom Brady executing his plays.

Tier 3: Mid-tier, dim future

If you’re an avid fantasy football player, then you’re not that thrilled to have a starting quarterback from Tier 3. You’d be happy if someone on this list was your backup and playing in a bye week, but you’d feel squeamish about winning your fantasy football pool with a Tier-3 QB in your weekly lineup. If fantasy dorks feel that way, how about NGL general managers?

You can feel good about yourself if you have a young and up-and-coming QB in the Tier-3 ranking like Mac Jones, Jalen Hurts, and Trevor Lawrence. However, it’s got to feel weird if you’re championship hopes ride or die on a Tier-3 veteran like Kirk Cousins, Carson Wentz, or Jared Goff.

Then again, there are a couple of injury-prone gunslingers in Tier 3 like Jimmy G and Jameis Winston. Jimmy G has a 4-2 record in the postseason and helped pull off an upset over the top-seeded Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field last January. Yet, the 49ers are trying to trade Jimmy G because he makes too much money and it’s only a matter of time before he gets injured again next season.

I feel bad for my friends who are hardcore Vikings fans. As my buddy Dusty often jokes, “Our motto is: there’s always next season.” So long as Cousins is their quarterback, the Vikings will never be a Super Bowl threat.

Tier 4: Journeymen, up-and-coming noobs

A reliable journeyman quarterback is essential as a backup, but you’re in trouble if he’s your starter. We’re looking at you Mitch Trubisky, who’s getting a second chance with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Speaking of second chances, the Atlanta Falcons are giving Marcus Mariota another shot at being a starter when he’s solid backup material, but iffy as the main guy.

Mariota isn’t the lone Hawaiian in Tier 4. The Miami Dolphins decided to stick with Tua Tagovailoa for another season and hope that new head coach Mike McDaniel can insert him into the proper scheme so he can succeed. However, health has always been Tagovailoa’s main problem. If he’s healthy, he could ascend to Tier 3 next season. For now, he’s clustered with the two quarterbacks from New York: Zach Wilson from the LOL Jets, and Daniel “Danny Dimes” Jones from the New York Giants. Jones is a couple of bad games away from ending up a floater in the East River, while Wilson’s biggest claim to fame is that he got busted sleeping with his mother’s best friend.

Meanwhile, the Seattle Seahawks are doomed with Drew Lock. It’s safe to say the Seahawks will try to tank for the #1 pick by leaving Lock in as the starter. If he truly sucks, there’s always Geno Smith (the lone Tier-5 QB in The Athletic rankings) ready to come in as a relief pitcher.

The San Francisco 49ers leveraged their future on Trey Lance. They didn’t throw him into the fire last season and wisely had him hold the clipboard and wait until this season to take over as the everyday starter. His future is yet to be determined.

The post The Athletic Releases Controversial Quarterback Tiers and Rankings Update appeared first on nrxhb.shop | OG News.

The New Orleans Saints are the closest competition for the Bucs in the NFC South at +310 odds, but the Saints find themselves without Sean Payton on the sidelines for the first time in 15 years after he abruptly retired.

The Carolina Panthers and head coach Matt Rhule are in desperation mode. Rhule is fighting to save his job, but he’s gambling on quarterback Baker Mayfield to help restore a winning attitude in Charlotte.

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers -250
• New Orleans Saints +310
• Carolina Panthers +900
• Atlanta Falcons +3500

Arthur Smith is in his second season as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons and it’s the first time in more than a decade that Matt Ryan won’t be the starting quarterback as the Dirty Birds hand over the keys to the offense to former Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota.

Bucs -250

Bruce Arians said there was never any friction between himself and Brady, but as soon as Brady un-retired, Arians decided to file his retirement papers. Arians moved to the front office after tapping defensive coordinator Todd Bowles to take over as head coach.

Brady couldn’t persuade his BFF Rob Gronkowski to stave off retirement, but the Bucs have a deep pool of wideouts and tight ends. The Bucs even added Julio Jones to the roster and the veteran All-Pro wide receiver is chasing a ring.

Don’t underestimate how vital Ryan Jensen is to the team. Jensen — well-respected as one of the best centers in the NFL — will miss the regular season with a knee injury. The Bucs were already missing two key starters from the offensive line before Jensen’s injury, and now Brady has to break in three linemen.

Oddsmakers installed the Bucs with a win total of 11.5 o/u, which is one of the highest in the NFL. The Bucs seem like a lock to win the NFC South at -250 odds, but we’ll see how much they’ll miss Jensen. You can back the Bucs at +700 odds to win Super Bowl 57 and at +350 odds to win the NFC Championship, but their future will depend on how Jensen’s replacement handles the heat, and if Jensen can return in time for a playoff run.

Saints +310

It’s going to be weird to watch the Saints without Drew Brees and Payton. The Saints struggled last season in the first year after the future Hall of Fame quarterback retired and they incurred a bad beat when Jameis Winston went down with a knee injury.

The franchise hired from within the organization and promoted defensive coordinator Dennis Allen as the new head coach. Allen made a bold, yet wise, decision to nip in the bud any quarterback controversy. He said Taysom Hill will be penciled in as a tight end while Winston gets the nod at quarterback. Payton loved using Hill as his Swiss Army knife who could play multiple positions, but Hill struggled as a full-time signal caller. It’s one thing to use Hill sporadically in the red zone or in wildcat formations, but Hill isn’t a traditional quarterback in the modern NFL. For now, Andy Dalton is the backup behind Winston.

We’ll see how Alvin Kamara responds this season without Payton calling the plays. Kamara is the Saints’ top offensive weapon who can carve up opponents on the ground and as a receiving running back. Michael Thomas returns this season after numerous rumors his time in New Orleans is over, but he claims he’s 100% healthy. The Saints added WR Jarvis Landry this season, so Winston can air the ball out to a pair of studs.

Oddsmakers have the Saints with a win total of 8.0 o/u, but they could surprise a lot of teams this year and backdoor a playoff berth if Winston bounces back from his knee injury. The Saints offer up the only value on the board to win the division at +310 odds, but that’s a far-fetched notion.

Panthers +900

If the Panthers fail to make the postseason, Rhule expects to get fired. His future rides and dies with Mayfield at quarterback. Mayfield has to beat out Sam Darnold for the starting job, which seems highly likely. It’s up to Mayfield to prove all the haters wrong after the Cleveland Browns gave up on the former #1 draft pick. The Panthers’ success will also be determined by the health of Christian McCaffery.

When he’s healthy, McCaffrey is probably the best dual-threat running back in the league. However, he’s been slowed down by injuries the last two seasons. He’s eager to get back to his old form, but the injury-prone McCaffrey could derail another season in Carolina if he suffers another [insert body part here _____] injury.

The bookies don’t have any faith in Mayfield or a healthy outlook on McCaffery, which is why the Panthers have a win total of only 6.5 o/u games. The Panthers are a long shot to win the division at +900 odds, and it looks like Rhule is a dead man walking this season.

Falcons +3500

It’s definitely a transition season for the Atlanta Falcons after they parted ways with Matt Ryan. For now, the Falcons are renting Marcus Mariota for the next two seasons. Mariota and Smith have history together from their time with the Tennessee Titans where Mariota was the starting quarterback under Smith as the OC. The Falcons have the versatile Cordarrelle Patterson at running back, but their offense is rather thin compared to the rest of the division.

The Falcons are projected to barely win five games with a 5.0 o/u win total. They’re the long shot on the board at +3500 odds to win the NFC South, but it’s going to be a long season for the Dirty Birds.

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The Houston Texans are projected to be the worst team in the NFL again next season, but oddsmakers and experts have high hopes for the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars are third-overall on the NFL futures board to win the AFC South at +700 odds, but they finally have a real coach after the Urban Meyer experiment blew up in their face last season.

Doug Pedersen led the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl victory a couple of seasons ago, and he’s tasked with turning the Jags around and mentoring quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

• Indianapolis Colts -125
• Tennessee Titans +170
• Jacksonville Jaguars +700
• Houston Texans +3000

The Titans were the only team from the AFC South to secure a spot in the playoffs last year with a 12-5 record, while the Colts bubbled the AFC wild card with a 9-8 record. Of all the AFC South teams, the Colts have the best odds to win Super Bowl 57 at +2200.

Colts -125

The Colts upgraded their quarterback, which is why they’re the new betting favorite to win their first division title since 2014. The Colts traded Carson Wentz to the Washington Commanders and tapped Matt Ryan to be the starter. Matty Ice had a rapid decline with the Atlanta Falcons, but head coach Frank Reich thinks Ryan still has gas left in the tank and could be a capable game manager for the Colts.

On offense, the Colts are led by running back Jonathan Taylor, who’s ready to have a breakout season after scoring 20 combined touchdowns last season while rushing for 1,811 yards in 17 games.

You can back the Colts at -125 odds to win the AFC South, but it’s really just a two-pony race between them and the Titans. The bookies installed the Colts with a win total of 10.0 o/u.

Jonathan Taylor really was that dude last season:

�?led NFL in TD (20)
�?led NFL in yds from scrimmage (2,171)@JayT23 | @Colts

🎥: @NFL pic.twitter.com/MyKS7usX5G

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) June 14, 2022

Titans +170

The Titans won 12 games last year even though they lost Derrick Henry for seven games due to a foot injury. It was only a matter of time before Henry broke down after the Titans used him heavily. The durable running back had missed just one game in the previous four seasons. He passed 2,000 yards in rushing in 2020 and was on pace to hit that milestone in back-to-back seasons before his injury.

The Titan took a huge hit when they lost AJ Brown, but hope Robert Woods can make an impact even though he’s coming off of ACL surgery.

Aside from four games against the Texans and Jaguars, the Titans have the toughest schedule in the AFC South. They begin the season with five road games in their first eight matchups, including tough contests at the Buffalo Bills, the Indianapolis Colts, the Washington Commanders, the Houston Texans, and the Kansas City Chiefs. The schedule has a difficult four-game stretch in mid-November that includes home games against the Denver Broncos and Cincinnati Bengals, plus road games at the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles.

The Titans are +170 odds to win the AFC South for the third-straight season, but a lot of their success will ride on Henry. If he’s his old self, the Titans can pound their way to another division title and playoffs berth. Oddsmakers set a win total of 9.0 o/u for the Titans this season.

Jaguars +700

Trevor Lawrence had a rookie season he’d like to forget under Urban Meyer. There were times he wondered if he should have stayed in school and led Clemson to another national championship instead of playing for the worst team and worst coach in the NFL. The good news is the Jaguars realized Meyer was a disaster and ditched him after a 2-11 start. The Jaguars hired a quarterback-friendly head coach in Pederson, who played QB in the NFL for more than a decade. Now, Lawrence finally has a proper mentor who will instill confidence and competence with their playbook.

The Jaguars are ready to take a step in the right direction, but they’re still a shaky squad projected to win six or seven games with a 6.5 o/u win total. The Jaguars are a long shot to win the AFC South at +700 odds, but save your money until next season after running back Travis Etienne gets a full season under his belt and Lawrence/Pedersen flesh out an offensive identity.

Texans +3000

If the Jaguars and the Detroit Lions weren’t so bad, the Houston Texans would have won the fewest games in the NFL last season. The Texans hired Lovie Smith as their head coach and hope he can drag the franchise out of the muck. Bookies don’t have any faith in the Texans this season with a win total of 4.5 o/u games, which seems about right.

Quarterback Davis Mills impressed scouts during his rookie season. He got thrown into the fray early in the season when Tyrod Taylor suffered a punctured lung due to an errant painkiller shot into his ribcage that slipped and nicked his lung. That incident encapsulated the Texans last season. Once again, the Texans will be the doormat of the AFC South and the bottom feeder of the AFC.

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