Instant analysis, recap of Bills rebound win vs. Raiders in Week 2

Instant analysis, recap of #Bills rebound win vs. #Raiders in Week 2 (via @jdiloro):

The Buffalo Bills defeated the Las Vegas Raiders 38-10 in Week 2 action.

The Bills (1-0) looked more like the team that many expected leading into the season. The offense moved the ball with ease while the defense smothered the Raiders skill positions.

Here is Bills Wire’s recap and analysis of the game action:

Here’s who Patriots landed in NFL.com’s seven-round win-now mock draft

NFL.com’s recent win-now mock draft leaves a lot to the imagination

New England Patriots training camp begins at the end of the month, and it’s going to be fascinating to see how the team rebounds after a difficult 2022 season. On the subject of rebuilding, NFL.com put together a seven-round, win-now mock draft for each team.

New England’s selections were interesting. The draft featured several familiar faces returning to Foxborough and some much-needed offensive weapons.

These players in New England would make the Patriots a viable force in the AFC and allow them flexibility at each position.

Although not realistic, this is fun to think about, as the Patriots try to avoid the cold possibility of missing the playoffs for a second straight year.

NFL mock draft database: Raiders post-free agency pick makes hard shift to defense

Post-free agency mock draft roundup sees Raiders pick make hard shift to defense

We are now a week into the new league year and the official opening of free agency. Giving us a nice sample size of mock drafts to see how the landscape has changed since free agency began.

The landscape has seen seismic shifts with regard to what the NFL world predicts the Raiders will do with their selection at seven overall.

Most notably the shift has gone from almost entirely offense to majority defense.

Prior to the start of free agency, of the 55 mock drafts I had collected, 52 of them were for offensive players. Just three had the Raiders going defense.

Since free agency, those numbers have flipped.

Date Source Player
Mar 28 CBS Sports (Brinson) Tyree Wilson, ED, Texas Tech
Mar 28 Walter Football (Cherepinsky) Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon
Mar 27 CBS Sports (Wilson) Myles Murphy, DL, Clemson
Mar 27 Draft Countdown (Bosarge) Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon
Mar 27 NFL media (Edholm) Will Levis, QB, Kentucky
Mar 27 Pro Football Focus (Spielberger) Jalen Carter, DL, Georgia
Mar 27 The Draft Network (Sanchez) Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon
Mar 27 Walter Football (Campbell) Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon
Mar 26 Tankathon Will Levis, QB, Kentucky
Mar 25 Pro Football Network (Fragoza) Peter Skoronski, T, Northwestern
Mar 25 With the First Pick (Anderson) Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida
Mar 24 CBS Sports (Fornelli) Paris Johnson Jr, T, Ohio State
Mar 24 College Sports Wire (Conn) Peter Skoronski, T, Northwestern
Mar 24 Drafttek Joey Porter Jr, CB, Penn State
Mar 24 Draft Wire (Risdon) Will Levis, QB, Kentucky
Mar 24 NFL media (Reuter) Tyree Wilson, ED, Texas Tech
Mar 24 Yahoo! Sports (McDonald) Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon
Mar 24 Pro Football Network (Garrett) Jalen Carter, DL, Georgia
Mar 24 Raiders Wire (Mosher) Will Levis, QB, Kentucky
Mar 24 Draft Countdown (Staff) Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois
Mar 23 CBS Sports (Edwards) Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida
Mar 23 NFL media (Davis) Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois
Mar 23 Fox Sports (Auman) Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon
Mar 23 Touchdown Wire (Barbieri) Will Levis, QB, Kentucky
Mar 22 CBS Sports (Trapasso) Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon
Mar 22 Sporting News (Iyer) Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon
Mar 22 The Athletic (Staff) Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois
Mar 22 Pro Football Network (Rudell) Paris Johnson Jr, T, Ohio State
Mar 21 NFL media (Jeremiah) Tyree Wilson, ED, Texas Tech
Mar 21 Pro Football Network (Mellor) Will Levis, QB, Kentucky
Mar 20 33rd Team Broderick Jones, T, Georgia
Mar 20 Draft Countdown (Hallam) Will Levis, QB, Kentucky
Mar 20 The Draft Network (Weissman) Jalen Carter, DL, Georgia
Mar 20 Touchdown Wire (Farrar) Joey Porter Jr, CB, Penn State
Mar 18 Pro Football Network (Cummings) Paris Johnson Jr, T, Ohio State
Mar 17 CBS Sports (Stackpole) Jalen Carter, DL, Georgia
Mar 17 Draftwire (Popejoy) Tyree Wilson, ED, Texas Tech
Mar 16 Pro Football Focus (Sikkema) Will Levis, QB, Kentucky

Most picked players: Christian Gonzalez (8), Will Levis (8), Tyree Wilson (4), Jalen Carter (4), Devon Witherspoon (3), Paris Johnson Jr (3), Joey Porter Jr (2), Anthony Richardson (2*), Peter Skoronski (2).

*Both picks via trade up

Picks by position: Cornerback (13), Quarterback (10), Tackle (6), Defensive interior (5), Edge rusher (4)

Offense: 16

Defense: 22

The two most picked positions for the Raiders prior to free agency were by far quarterback and tackle. The Raiders added QB Jimmy Garoppolo and retained starting right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor. Both moves likely contributed to opinions that they would go with upgrading their bottom five defense.

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6 quick updates for the Commanders in their playoff push

Some thoughts and observations concerning the NFC playoff picture after Sunday’s games.

Sunday’s 20-20 tie was a large opportunity lost. The Commanders had their chances to come out of there with a road win but couldn’t get it done.

  1. The Commanders will now face the Giants in two weeks in a must-win situation if they are to finish higher than the Giants. The Giants still must face the Eagles twice, while the Commanders still must face the Cowboys and 49ers.
  2. Speaking of the 49ers, did you hear that in Sunday’s 49ers win over the visiting Dolphins, 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was injured and will require season-ending foot surgery? This means the Commanders when they travel to San Francisco will not face Garoppolo but new starter Brock Purdy.
  3. Seattle won a road game today against their division rival the Rams. The Seahawks are now 7-5, and their future schedule includes the Rams again without Matthew Stafford, the 49ers without Garoppolo, the Panthers and the Jets who are also unsure at quarterback. They do face the Chiefs as well.
  4. After the Commanders led 10-0, they were outscored by the Giants 20-3 over the second and third quarters. Yet, when Taylor Heinicke and the offense drove 90 yards to tie the game with less than two minutes remaining, teammate Jonathan Allen was impressed. Following the game, regarding that drive, Allen declared, “biggest nuts I’ve ever seen.” I guess its safe to say, Allen still believes in Heinicke.
  5. The Commanders offensive line is in a world of hurt again. Trai Turner was already out today, Chase Roullier was lost early in the season, Samuel Cosmi went down today and did not return, and Tyler Larsen appeared to be rolled up on the inside and was carted off the field. Future games in San Francisco and at home against Dallas feature opposing defensive lines that could potentially make things ugly for the Commanders. You do recall both Dallas games late last year?
  6. Wes Schweitzer and Saahdiq Charles may be forced to come up big for the Commanders down the stretch. Schweitzer was injured against the Eagles in Week 3 and Sunday saw his first return to game action. Charles who had earlier stepped in and played when Turner went down earlier in the season, saw Samuel Cosmi chosen as Turner’s replacement, Sunday.

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7 key NFL games Eagles fans should watch during the bye week

The Chiefs vs. 49ers is among seven key NFL games that Philadelphia Eagles fans should watch during the Week 7 bye

The undefeated Eagles are off on Sunday, taking advantage of an early Week 7 bye that’ll allow the offensive line to regroup after suffering injuries over the past few weeks.

The Birds, Minnesota, Buffalo, and the Rams are also resting and preparing for the stretch run.

With Philadelphia not on the Week 7 schedule and the top team in the NFC, this week offers some intriguing conference matchups, a few AFC showdowns, and several games that could impact seeding as the 2022 postseason looms.

Mac Jones vs Bailey Zappe: Is there a QB controversy brewing in New England?

Is there a QB controversy brewing for the Patriots?

Bailey Zappe has shown true poise over the last two games—true unmeasurable intangibles that no one truly knows until it comes time to show up.

Zappe was drafted in 2022 in the fourth-round to serve as the backup to Mac Jones, and some fans are already calling for him to be the team’s full-time starter for the foreseeable future. But those fans might want to consider pumping the brakes.

Zappe is NOT better than Mac Jones. That is not an indictment on Zappe’s skill, but more of a praise on Jones’. Zappe is doing exactly what the team wanted him to do as a long-term, skilled backup QB that can spot-start a few games and be there for insurance. He has the tools to be a one of the league’s best backups for a long time.

But make no mistake, he will not be taking Jones’ job anytime soon.

Zappe was also drafted to be trade bait for desperate teams when their starters go out for an extended period of time, or if they find themselves hoping he can become the team’s franchise QB.

I get it, it’s fun to see him out there and imagine the “what if’s” and how it’s eerily similar to Tom Brady replacing Drew Bledsoe all those years ago. But the game has changed since then.

Zappe is more in line with the Jacoby Brissetts, Nick Foles, Blake Bortles, Teddy Bridgewaters, or the Tyrod Taylors of the world, and that is not a bad thing at all. Having someone of that caliber is exactly what you need behind a franchise QB. But let’s not get it twisted, Jones is the best QB on the roster. Have we forgotten already how excited we all were when he was drafted, how he performed in Year One, and how he took a leap in the offseason? Or, is our vision clouded from the utter terrible performance of the offensive line through the first three games that we think Jones stinks?

Time mends all, and when Jones is back, it will be comforting that Zappe is behind him, rather than Brian Hoyer, Jarrett Stidham, Garrett Gilbert or current-day Cam Newton.

Think of Zappe as your primary reliver in the bullpen, but Jones is still the ace.

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Eagles 2022 offseason preview: Where does Philadelphia stand at QB?

#Eagles 2022 offseason preview: Where does #Philadelphia stand at quarterback and what will happen with Gardner #Minshew as well?

The NFL’s new league year is quickly approaching and as the Eagles look towards free agency and the draft, the conversation will center around the quarterback position on a daily basis.

Jalen Hurts is entrenched as the starter, but depending on how things shake out this spring and in 2022, that development could quickly change. Philadelphia has three first-round picks, but the laws of team building state that a championship roster must be sculpted around the quarterback, likely forcing Howie Roseman to avoid a huge deal for a veteran passer.

As free agency approaches, we’ll preview every position on the Eagles roster, starting with the most important position in all of the sports.

The Packers’ Sunday Night Football win was about more than Aaron Rodgers

Aaron Rodgers got credit for Sunday’s comeback, but the Packers’ evolution elsewhere could be the key to a Green Bay Super Bowl.

Thirty-seven seconds was too much time to leave Aaron Rodgers.

That stretch — not even two-thirds of a minute — was enough for Green Bay, with no timeouts at its disposal, to move from its own 25-yard line and into Mason Crosby’s field goal range. Forty-two frantic passing yards and one ice-veined kick erased the preceding 59 minutes of questionable officiating to give the Packers a 30-28 win in San Francisco.

Rodgers was a deserving headliner after once again emerging from an ugly dispute to claim dominion over the state of Wisconsin and much of football as a whole. The more important development, however, was how his Packers managed the flaws that threaten to tank what may be his final season in Green Bay. Head coach Matt LaFleur and defensive coordinator Joe Barry have put in considerable work to evolve beyond the team that got boat-raced in Week 1.

Here are the two big ways they’ve got the Pack back atop their division.

Eagles vs. 49ers: 7 takeaways from the first half as Philadelphia trails 7-3

Eagles vs. 49ers: 7 takeaways from the first half as Philadelphia trails 7-3

The Eagles dominated San Francisco early on from a statistical point of view, but the results have been disastrous at best, as Philadelphia trails 7-3 after several wasted scoring chances.

Here are seven takeaways from the first half of the action.