33 MIN | PFT COMMENTER / BIG CAT Shedeur Sanders will replace Deshaun Watson within roughly four to six games. PFT expects Watson to remove himself at the first meaningful sign of injury because his contract is guaranteed and he appears disengaged from Cleveland; Big Cat similarly gives Watson only about a month to a month and a half before the Browns move on. | CONVICTION 🔥🔥🔥🔥 GRADE TBD |
37 MIN | BIG CAT / PFT COMMENTER Big Cat says the Browns will not finish with the NFL’s worst record. PFT agrees strongly enough to bet over Cleveland’s roughly 5.5-win total because of its easy schedule and good defense, though he concedes that a last-place finish remains possible. ⚠️ PFT likes the over but leaves open the possibility that Cleveland could still finish last. | CONVICTION 🔥🔥🔥 GRADE TBD |
1 HR 37 MIN | CHRIS LONG Dontayvion Wicks will significantly help Jalen Hurts and the Eagles’ passing offense. Long thinks the former Packer’s ability to beat man coverage will relieve pressure on Hurts. | CONVICTION 🔥🔥🔥 GRADE TBD |
1 HR 39 MIN | PFT COMMENTER / CHRIS LONG No quarterback acquired through free agency or a major trade will receive another enormous fully guaranteed contract like Deshaun Watson’s. PFT calls Watson the perfect cautionary tale, and Long answers, “No question.” | CONVICTION 🔥🔥🔥🔥 GRADE TBD |
1 HR 46 MIN | CHRIS LONG Maxx Crosby could still be traded during the season. Long thinks Baltimore got cold feet and used the physical to escape the original deal; with Crosby back in an awkward Raiders locker room, the story “is probably not over.” | CONVICTION 🔥🔥🔥🔥 GRADE TBD |
1 HR 48 MIN | CHRIS LONG The Bills will again have a chance to reach the Super Bowl. Long believes Buffalo’s young defenders could produce a rapid improvement; the Bills need only an average-or-better defense that holds up in the playoffs. | CONVICTION 🔥🔥🔥 GRADE TBD |
1 HR 48 MIN | CHRIS LONG Houston will be a major contender, and C.J. Stroud will improve. Long calls the Texans “a machine” with the NFL’s most complete defense; if the revamped offense and running game can merely become league-average, Year 2 in the system, Tank Dell’s return and David Montgomery should help Stroud rebound. | CONVICTION 🔥🔥🔥🔥 GRADE TBD |
1 HR 50 MIN | CHRIS LONG / BIG CAT Dallas will be “pretty good” and return to the playoffs. Big Cat expects a top-three offense and a substantially improved defense if the major offensive players stay healthy; Long agrees that a jump from historically bad to the top half defensively is realistic. | CONVICTION 🔥🔥🔥🔥 GRADE TBD |
1 HR 51 MIN | CHRIS LONG Baltimore’s defense has a chance to be elite. Long also expects Cincinnati to be difficult to play after its young defense became competent under Al Golden during the second half of last season. | CONVICTION 🔥🔥🔥 GRADE TBD |
1 HR 52 MIN | CHRIS LONG / BIG CAT Every NFC North team will be competitive. Long thinks Minnesota can be very good; Big Cat has Chicago making the playoffs and Detroit improving considerably after an unlucky season while retaining an elite offense. | CONVICTION 🔥🔥🔥🔥 GRADE TBD |
1 HR 52 MIN | CHRIS LONG Jalyx Hunt is “going to go off,” and the Eagles will again be very good. Long likes Philadelphia’s ability to stop the run with a light box, though Jonathan Greenard’s health remains an uncertainty. | CONVICTION 🔥🔥🔥🔥 GRADE TBD |
1 HR 53 MIN | PFT COMMENTER vs BIG CAT PFT thinks this might finally be the year Pittsburgh wins a playoff game. Big Cat refuses to go that far and predicts the Steelers will ultimately look exactly the same as usual. Long worries about their ability to continue winning close games all the time. | CONVICTION 🔥🔥🔥 GRADE TBD |
1 HR 57 MIN | CHRIS LONG San Francisco will take a step backward, and Miami and Arizona will be attractive bets against the 49ers immediately after their return from Australia. Long cites the loss of Robert Saleh, a changing defense, injuries, aging stars, the Brandon Aiyuk mess and travel exhaustion. | CONVICTION 🔥🔥🔥🔥 GRADE TBD |
2 HR 4 MIN | CHRIS LONG New England will improve, although a more difficult schedule will produce some regression from last season’s results. Long also believes A.J. Brown has another 1,000-yard receiving season in him “for sure.” | CONVICTION 🔥🔥🔥🔥 GRADE TBD |
2 HR 5 MIN | CHRIS LONG The Chargers could win the AFC West and have a chance to be very good. Long expects Mike McDaniel to transform the stale Greg Roman offense, get the ball out of Justin Herbert’s hands faster and capitalize on two healthy elite tackles—although Los Angeles must overcome its playoff failures. | CONVICTION 🔥🔥🔥🔥 GRADE TBD |
2 HR 6 MIN | PFT COMMENTER / CHRIS LONG Washington will make the playoffs and field a much-improved defense, provided Jayden Daniels remains healthy. Long agrees the offense should be fine and likes several defensive additions, but his optimism cooled after Laremy Tunsil’s injury. | CONVICTION 🔥🔥🔥🔥 GRADE TBD |
2 HR 25 MIN | BIG CAT Roger Goodell will eventually intervene in the Bears’ stadium dispute and direct the team to build in Arlington Heights. Big Cat thinks Chicago’s ownership cannot independently finance a modern stadium, making that the most likely resolution despite the continuing political maneuvering. | CONVICTION 🔥🔥🔥 GRADE TBD |
2 HR 50 MIN | SETH WICKERSHAM Roger Goodell’s remaining legacy priorities will be expanding the NFL to 18 games and continuing its international growth. | CONVICTION 🔥🔥🔥🔥 GRADE TBD |
2 HR 51 MIN | SETH WICKERSHAM College football will eventually adopt an officially professional model. Wickersham thinks the NFL may then explore a more formal relationship with the college game, although he is less certain the league will have sufficient financial incentive to do so. | CONVICTION 🔥🔥🔥🔥 GRADE TBD |
