Alec Pierce:

College: Cincinnati

Projected Position: X or Z

Height: 6’2 6/8”

Weight: 208

Arm Length: 32 ⅝”

His Case for Round One:

Pierce has ideal size for an outside receiver, standing at nearly 6’3” and 210 and can outmatch most cornerbacks with his size alone. He plays with great speed, most notably his impressive foot speed, making me expect him to test well when he does the forty yard dash. To go along with his size and speed, he has great ball skills: 50/50 balls almost always end up in his favor. He still has room to grow as a receiver, but he has a high floor with great upside to go along with it, drawing comparisons to Jordy Nelson, and reminding me of a young Adam Thielen.

Projection:

Pierce is a starting X or Z in a vertical passing offense that’ll utilize him primarily as a deep threat and jump-ball receiver. He wins with his great explosiveness, great acceleration and great play speed to create separation deep, and puts him in a good position to use his great body control and ability to high point the football to make the catch. He has a good release, and a good ability to find seams to help him win in the short-intermediate range. He lacks a consistent ability to separate from defenders at the top of his routes, however, he has the technique and explosiveness to develop that aspect of his game. He’s a great deep threat with a unique ability to high point the football and makes contested catches, with the potential to grow in the short-intermediate game to round out his skillset.

Christian Watson:

College: North Dakota State

Projected Position: X or Z

Height: 6’4”

Weight: 211

Arm Length: 32 6/8”

His Case for Round One:

He has ideal size at 6’4” combined with great play speed, possibly clocking in at 4.3 speed at the combine. Nobody in this class puts more effort on the field than Watson. He’s a “raw” talent at WR who needs to refine his skill set as a receiver, but his upside is crazy, and it’s hard to bet against him with the effort and toughness he shows on the field.

Projection:

Watson is a rotational X or Z receiver in a vertical passing scheme that’ll use him as a situational deep threat, and run blocker. His impressive ability as a deep threat along with his great effort, toughness, and aggressiveness each and every play, he never takes a play off are the tools of a quality starting reciever. He’s someone I’m confident will work hard on and off the field to keep getting better and better and wouldn’t be surprised to see him selected earlier than expected.

Calvin Austin:

College: Memphis

Projected Position: Z or Slot

Height: 5’7 ⅜”

Weight: 173

Arm Length: 30 ⅝”

His Case for Round One:

His size is far from ideal and will scare teams away from him which is justified as it’s rare that players his size develop into star WRs. If someone is going to break that trend, however, it would be Calvin Austin. Despite his size, he wins at the line of scrimmage consistently because of his quickness and ability to attack leverage: if you don’t play him perfectly, you’ll lose the rep. He’ll make an impact immediately as a Punt Returner and on Screens/Gadget plays.

Projection:

Austin is a starting Z or slot receiver in a Spread or Vertical offense that uses their receivers on crossing routes, posts, and screens/gadget plays to allow him to win in space and beat his defender with his athleticism. He’s a smart player who knows how to attack leverage and win against players much bigger than him, including off the line against press coverage. He’s explosive out of breaks and shows a rare ability in college to mix up his stems in his routes. He has impressive hands that are strong through contact, as well as the body control and ability to adjust his frame to make a multitude of tough catches. His size and strength could definitely limit him, and he may be refined to the slot despite his impressive ability to play outside. He has all the skills to be a great player in the NFL besides his smaller frame.

Wan’Dale Robinson:

College: Kentucky

Projected Position: Slot

Height: 5’7 2/8” (not confirmed)

Weight: 185 (not confirmed)

Arm Length: Unknown

His Case for Round One:

While Robinson has a similar frame as Austin, they differentiate in Robinson’s ability to play running back as well as Slot receiver. I’d expect Robinson to be used a lot in the backfield, especially on third downs as a receiving back. He’s a great athlete with great speed with his best trait being his ability after the catch. He has work to do as a receiver, but he shows good traits such as an ability to separate from defenders at the top of routes, and good aggressiveness over the middle of the field, a crucial trait for slot receivers.

Projection:

He has great potential if he develops his game as a receiver, especially vertically, and will thrive if he goes to a team that’ll use his versatility and skillset to its full capabilities. He wins with his athleticism, great acceleration, quickness and agility. He has a good ability to stem, and his great speed and quickness allow him to separate from defenders. His hands are solid, and he can make catches above his frame. He’s best after the catch, gets upfield quickly, is explosive, eludes defenders, breaks tackles, and is always impactful in open space. He has some aspects to clean up, is marginal thru contact off releases, tends to body catch, or catch with his hands the wrong way, had some drops below his frame, and has some issues surviving the ground/contested catches below his frame. He has untapped potential if used correctly, and could take on a “Deebo Samuel” type of hybrid role in the NFL.

Some of these guys are projected as Day Two/Three picks by members of the media, but I doubt that’ll be the case after the combine. Even if they aren’t going to be Round One guys, I’m expecting their names to be called early Day Two. All four of these guys are talented football players and have arguably the most important trait in football, speed, great speed.

The Background

Tyshun “Deebo” Samuel was born on January 15, 1996, in Inman, South Carolina. Samuel played in Chapman High School where he was ranked a three-star recruit and received nine D1 offers, according to 247Sports. He committed to the South Carolina Gamecocks, where he totaled 2076 yards and 16 touchdowns off 148 receptions in 30 games, as well as 154 yards and 7 touchdowns on the ground. With a strong showing at South Carolina, Samuel was drafted 33rd by the San Francisco 49ers in 2019.

Samuel showed promise in his first two years, including a rookie campaign that had him put up 802 yards and 3 touchdowns off 57 receptions, but was held back by injury in a lot of 2020, playing only seven games. However, 2021 would show a side of Deebo Samuel never seen before, thanks to Samuel himself taking a big jump, as well as some genius play calling by Kyle Shanahan.

The Breakout

On September 12, 2021, the 49ers were set to play the Detroit Lions, and Deebo Samuel had a game to remember. Samuel put up 9 receptions and 189 yards, including a 79-yard bomb in the 3rd quarter where he sent Lions cornerback Jeff Okudah flying. This success was just the beginning, though. This success was just the beginning, though. Samuel’s incredible season which consisted of 1770 scrimmage yards and 14 touchdowns led to his first Pro Bowl appearance and first-team All-Pro. However, the way he got these yards was not like any other “wide receiver.”

Samuel ran for 365 yards and 8 touchdowns on 59 carries, and while 59 carries do not sound like a lot, Samuel’s usage really started to go up in the second half of the season. In the first 8 games, Samuel only had 6 carries for 22 yards and one touchdown, but averaged about 5.9 carries per game after that and grew into the “wide back” role that he is known for today. Samuel has multiple elements in his game that not only allow him to do this but makes him the most successful out of anyone to attempt to play this role.

Samuel’s Unique Agility

Not many guys move around the way Deebo Samuel is able to. Samuel has a great combination of having the ability to make someone miss via using his speed and agility, as well as having the strength and toughness to fight through contact, which allows him to play in the backfield so well. Samuel moves like a running back, picking and choosing the gaps he wants to hit well, as demonstrated by the run above. According to Pro Football Focus, Samuel forced 7 missed tackles on receptions and 8 missed tackles on runs in this year’s playoffs alone, leading all receivers and being second to all running backs. Samuel was built to play this role.

Samuel’s 1405-Yard Receiver Skills

Due to the fact that Deebo Samuel attracts a lot of attention with his running ability and his ability to take a screen pass to the house, many teams forget that Deebo Samuel is a great receiver, as well. Samuel is an underrated route runner that can get you looking the wrong way if you aren’t paying close attention to him, as well as someone with reliable hands. While Samuel is not a 50-50 jump ball wide receiver, Samuel can pull in some tough passes as well, making defenses have to keep multiple sets of eyes on him, whether he’s in the backfield or out wide.

Kyle Shanahan’s Perfect Scheme

While Deebo Samuel is an incredible player alone, Kyle Shanahan has designed some incredible plays for his star receiver/running back. Shanahan seems to find new ways to get Samuel the ball every week, such as the lateral play shown below. Shanahan has had a great reputation in regards to his running scheme beforehand as well, making Samuel and Shanahan a match made in heaven. With Shanahan making guys such as Raheem Mostert and Elijah Mitchell 5.7 and 4.7 yards-per-carry rushers in his scheme, Samuel was bound to have success in the backfield as well. It seems like every week, Shanahan finds a new way to get Samuel the ball successfully, like this video here

Jacks Of All Trades, Masters Of None

While Deebo Samuel may not be the first NFL player to play multiple positions on the offensive end, he may have been the most successful so far. There have been others entering the league attempting to play the same role that Deebo Samuel has, such as Denard Robinson, Tavon Austin, Cordarrelle Patterson, Percy Harvin, and others. Out of all of these guys, the only successful guys were maybe Patterson and Harvin, and even then, not to the level of Samuel so far.

The main issue with many of these guys is that they are not particularly great at both receiving and running, as they are usually pure athletes raw in their ability to catch and run the ball. For example, Tavon Austin ran a 4.34-second 40-yard dash, leading him to be picked eighth overall, but lacked the ball carrier vision and had consistent drop problems, limiting his success. Samuel, on the other hand, is much more refined as a wide receiver and a runner, allowing him to successfully play his style.

Altogether, Deebo “Do-It-All” Samuel, as Nickelodeon star Young Dylan called him, is an incredible player with a playstyle quite like no other player in the NFL. While usually, the saying goes “jack of all trades, master of none,” for Deebo Samuel, it might need to be “master of all trades, jack of none.”

In the last two minutes of Sunday’s Chiefs-Bills AFC Divisional Round Playoff game, a combined 25 points were scored resulting in a tie at 36 to end regulation. In what might have been one of the greatest football games of all time, every fan watching knew the game would almost certainly be decided by the winner of the coin toss, and they would be right. Kansas City won the toss, and after a quick bit methodical drive, the Chiefs were headed to the AFC Championship after a 42-36 win.

This isn’t the only instance of such an occurrence. In Super Bowl LI, the Falcons blew a 28-3 lead in the second half to the Patriots to send it to overtime. The Patriots then won the coin toss, leading to a quick touchdown and a Super Bowl victory.

Although these games were some of the most exciting games in recent memory, it’s ending still proved to be controversial. Many fans, media, and even players expressed their frustrations over how a coin toss was one of the determining factors for who won, and believed it was unfair that the losers of a coin toss resulted in no offensive possession. Plus, being that the Bills had found the endzone 3 of their last 4 drives, it feels almost guaranteed that had the coin toss ended in the Bills favor, the end result of the game would be different.

It’s worth mentioning that College Football has an entirely different set of Overtime rules. In the NCAA’s rendition of Overtime, each team get a possession starting from the opponents 25 and take turns trying to score, with no possibility of the game ending in a tie. Not only is there an equal opportunity to score, but a winner will be declared in every single game.

While the NFL has definitely had its memorable overtimes, College Football’s overtime rules guarantee a thriller. If the NFL wants to give a fair opportunity to both teams and create a more entertaining finish that guarantees that a true winner will be declared, then college rules might be the way to go. Regardless, it is childish to allow a coin toss to have such massive influence over the end result of a playoff game.

Broncos general manager George Paton knew this and acted upon it. He pulled the trigger on January 9th, firing head coach Vic Fangio the day after Denver’s 28-24 loss to the Chiefs. 

“I have tremendous respect for Vic and all he’s accomplished in the NFL,” Paton said in a statement following Fangio’s departure. “Over the past year, I appreciate his partnership, friendship, and the tireless work ethic he demonstrated as our head coach. Vic will continue to have great success in this league, and I thank him for everything he did for the Broncos as well as me personally.”

It’s obvious that the staff and players had an immeasurable amount of respect for Vic Fangio, so moving on won’t be that simple. 

While the players mentally process Fangio’s firing, George Paton and his crew are on the hunt to find Denver’s next head coach. Who will it be? The Broncos have interviewed 10 candidates and possibly narrowed it down to less. Today, we will take a look at the top 3 head coaching candidates that the Broncos could hire.

3. Kellen Moore

Coming in at number three on the list is Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. The former standout Boise State quarterback was hired as Dallas’s offensive coordinator in January of 2019. Moore was familiar with the Cowboys organization, as he played as a quarterback for them for a year in 2015. He also served as their quarterbacks coach in 2018. In 2018, the Cowboys fired offensive coordinator Scott Linehan after a playoff loss, elevating Moore to the role in 2019. In the 2019 season, the Dallas Cowboys led the league in yards per game. The Cowboys had a down year in 2020, mainly due to star quarterback Dak Prescott going down with a season-ending injury. However, the Cowboys’ offense still managed to place 8th in passing yards per game that year. 

Moore rose in popularity in NFL circles as the Cowboys’ 2021 campaign progressed. The Cowboys led the league in total yards, yards per game, total points, and points per game. They were also tied for 2nd-most passing yards and 2nd-most passing yards per game. With the insane success of the Cowboys’ offense and defense, coordinators Kellen Moore and Dan Quinn had teams rushing to interview them. The Broncos were one of them, interviewing both. As a bonus to his exceptional play-calling skills, Moore is only 33 years old. If the Broncos were to hire him, he would be tied for the youngest coach in franchise history. The Rams took a similar route when they hired a 31-year old Sean McVay as their head coach in 2017. They would go on to make the playoffs in 3 of the last 4 years, making an appearance in Super Bowl LIII. Perhaps the Broncos need a young offensive mind like Kellen Moore to find success in the future.

2. Kevin O’Connell

Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell was an unexpected interview request, but it’s positive nonetheless. O’Connell was hired as the offensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Rams following the 2019 season, where the Rams missed the playoffs with a record of 9-7. The 2019 season is the only year in Sean McVay’s head coaching tenure with Los Angeles that they have missed the playoffs. The Rams clinched the playoffs at 10-6 in 2020, O’Connell’s first year as offensive coordinator of the Rams. The Rams put themselves in the top 6 in points scored per game in 2020. 

O’Connell is also an intriguing candidate due to his experience at quarterback, both as a player of the position and coach of the position. O’Connell was in the NFL for a short while and spent his four-year career with six different teams. While he was on the practice squad for most of his career, he still got the experience he would need to be a coach. In 2015, the Cleveland Browns hired O’Connell as their quarterbacks coach. He spent three years with what is now known as the Washington Football Team. In 2017, he was their quarterbacks coach. In 2018, he was their quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator and in 2019 was promoted to their offensive coordinator. O’Connell has experience working with Josh McCown and Johnny Manziel on the Browns, Kirk Cousins and Alex Smith with Washington, and Jared Goff and Matthew Stafford with the Rams. 

With Kirk Cousins being a name to watch for a potential trade, Kevin O’Connell could draw him over to Denver if he were hired for the head coaching position because of their Washington connection. O’Connell is certainly one of the stronger candidates on this list and he would be an excellent addition if Denver elects to travel in that direction.

1. Nathaniel Hackett

One of the more intriguing candidates is Nathaniel Hackett, offensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers. Despite the duration of his time as offensive coordinator being spent with future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the implications of hiring Hackett are far greater than any other coaching candidate.

One of the bigger offseason question marks is Aaron Rodgers’s future. If you can remember the 2020 offseason, Rodgers wanted out of Green Bay and wanted to find a new home for the 2021 season. He ended up returning to Green Bay as a ‘last dance’ type of situation. However, following the Packers’ playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers, questions remain about Rodgers’ future in Wisconsin. If the Packers’ offensive coordinator were to be selected as Denver’s next head coach, it might increase the likelihood of a Rodgers acquisition.

It’s also worth noting that Packers quarterbacks coach Luke Getsy is being interviewed for Denver’s head coaching vacancy. Hackett could end up hiring Getsy as offensive coordinator if he is ultimately hired as head coach. Usually, position coaches don’t instantly upgrade to head coach, which is why there could be an ulterior motive for Getsy being interviewed. 

George Paton could have an elaborate plan to grab some of the Packers’ staff with the intent of attracting the legendary Aaron Rodgers to the team. Green Bay’s head coach, Matt LaFleur, states that Hackett is the “glue guy.” 

 “[Hackett is] so intelligent, knows everything that’s going on, whether it’s in the O-line room, quarterback room, tight ends, running backs, doesn’t matter,” LaFleur said. “I know this: we wouldn’t be where we are today without him.”

Denver has currently interviewed 10 intriguing head coach candidates. According to Broncos reporter Mike Klis, they could have possibly narrowed it down to 4 finalists: Dan Quinn, Nathaniel Hackett, Eric Bieniemy, and Kevin O’Connell. A change of culture is what Denver craves right now. Bringing in an offensive mind like Hackett or O’Connell could be just that. In addition, they could bring along with them a top-tier quarterback. Even if Denver doesn’t go in the direction of an offensive mind and decide to bring Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who is currently the betting favorite, George Paton has an elaborate plan and he knows what he’s doing. 

By the season’s halfway point, it was clear that Mayfield wasn’t playing at his best. Fans wondered if he would proceed with season-ending surgery to heal his torn labrum; however, he opted to finish out the season. This proved to be a bad decision, as Mayfield’s second half of the season was the worst stretch of games of his entire career. In his final six games, Mayfield recorded an average of 182 yards per game, a 53% completion percentage, 5.7 yards per attempt, and 1.66 interceptions per game.

While Mayfield did have a fair share of valid excuses for his poor play, including injuries, a below-average receiving core, questionable play-calling, and poor offensive line play, it is difficult to excuse such terrible play. Even when you consider the situation he was in, Mayfield still played poorly. If Mayfield had just played at an average NFL quarterback level, the Browns would currently be in the playoffs and competing for the Superbowl. With it being evident that Baker Mayfield held back the team this season, many fans have suggested that the team replace him this offseason, but just how realistic would it be to replace him?

The Browns are in win-now mode, so drafting a rookie quarterback who would likely need time to develop would not be ideal. This upcoming draft class also has a lack of quarterback talent compared to the classes before, so replacing Baker Mayfield through trade would be the best option. The ultimate goal would be to acquire a high-level quarterback like Deshaun Watson or Russell Wilson. However, it is unlikely that the Browns would be able to match the offers of other QB desperate teams with better draft capital if these quarterbacks were to become available. A more realistic option for the Browns would be to trade for a quarterback like Kirk Cousins. NFL Insider Chris Tomasson reports that it is “uncertain” if Kirk Cousins will be back with the Vikings in 2022. With Kevin Stefanski being Kirk Cousins’ former offensive coordinator with the Vikings, this is something that Stefanski would likely look into. Derek Carr is another quarterback who could become available this offseason. Ian Rapoport reports that “Derek Carr’s future with the Raiders is likely tied to their next head coach.” Carr would be a considerable upgrade over Baker Mayfield and should be someone that the Browns look into acquiring through a trade.

Despite multiple quarterbacks likely becoming available in the offseason, the most likely scenario for next season is the Browns retaining Baker Mayfield and hoping that he can return to 2020 form after getting shoulder labrum surgery. The front office still has hope that Mayfield can be the quarterback of the future for this franchise and would like to give him one more year to prove himself. Mayfield has shown that he can play at an above-average level, and that is all the Browns need him to be to become true AFC contenders.

The Jets lost to the Buffalo Bills 27-10 on a blustery, cold day at Highmark Stadium in Buffalo, N.Y. on Sunday, Jan. 9.

The Jets were shellacked by a strong Buffalo defense, only able to muster a franchise-low 53 total yards of offense.

The offense, fraught with injuries, was unable to sustain long drives. Jets quarterback Zach Wilson was sacked nine times.

The Bills clinched the AFC East with their win. They will be facing either the Los Angeles Chargers or the New England Patriots in a wild card game next week.

The Jets capped off their 2021 season with a record of four wins and thirteen losses. It wasn’t pretty. Not by any means.

But they did double their win total from 2020.

And the organization is trending up.

After a muddy rookie season that involved injuries, interceptions, and incredible plays, Jets quarterback Zach Wilson appears to be the new captain at the helm.

Wilson began his professional football career with an abysmal start, tossing 9 interceptions in his first six games. The Jets went 1-5 in that stretch, their sole win against a Tennessee Titans team with a depleted receiving core. During that game, Wilson threw for two touchdowns and one interception but completed 61.76% of his passes for 297 yards, his highest amount to date. His quarterback rating (QBR) was 97.3.

Then, during a week 7 bout with the division-rival New England Patriots in Foxboro, Mass., Wilson sprained his PCL after taking a hit from Patriots defensive end Matthew Judon. Quarterback Mike White finished the game, a 54-13 loss that sent the Jets to a 1-7 start.

The four-game stretch that Wilson missed was, in a word, chaos. Backup quarterback ‘Magic’ Mike White stunned the Cincinnati Bengals, with fans chanting his name throughout the stadium. “Mike White Mania” slowly transitioned to “Josh Johnson Mania,” with White getting injured in his second career start. Johnson, the epitome of a journeyman quarterback, looked solid in replacement in a primetime game against the Indianapolis Colts (a game that the Jets lost, of course).

White’s return came against the Buffalo Bills, where he promptly threw four interceptions in a blowout loss. Joe Flacco, whom the Jets had traded a sixth-round draft pick for, won the starting job. He lost his game, a home battle against the Miami Dolphins, too.

Wilson returned on the road against the Houston Texans. He played much more conservatively and managed the game, leading the Jets to victory. However, the defense played well, and the team rushed for 157 total yards to Wilson’s 109 passing.

Wilson could only improve from there, and, save a dismal performance against New Orleans, did. He began to look more comfortable in the pocket, cycling through his reads and finding the open man.

His glaring weaknesses that were present during the pre-injury stretch seemed to fade. He made the ‘gimme’ throws that he was missing. He didn’t escape a clean pocket. He took calculated risks with his legs.

As the Jets offense’s production decreased, in no small part due to the injuries to wide receivers Corey Davis and Elijah Moore, who both suffered season-ending injuries, Wilson’s stats suffered. But it was hardly his fault.

Wilson lost Moore, Davis, Jamison Crowder, and standout Braxton Berrios prior to kickoff against the Bills.

His WR5, Keelan Cole, became his WR1. He was throwing to Keelan Cole, Jeff Smith, Denzel Mims, and Tarik Black. While those receivers are good enough to make it to the NFL, there was a reason why they weren’t starting to begin the season.

On several of Wilson’s sacks, the offensive line held up fine.

The receivers just couldn’t get open.

Wilson’s final stat line on the season wasn’t fantastic. Over thirteen games, he completed 55.61% of his passes for 2,334 yards. He tossed nine touchdowns and threw eleven interceptions. His quarterback rating was 69.69.

But stats aren’t always indicative of performance.

Wilson went toe-to-toe with the greatest quarterback of all time in Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady, narrowly losing after Brady led a game-winning drive down the field. He forced Antonio Brown into retirement mid-game. He looked cool, collected, and manufactured long, sustaining drives.

Wilson did not throw an interception during the final five games. He only threw two interceptions in the seven games he played post-injury.

While the jury is still out until the wins start rolling in, Wilson looked like he could be the Jets quarterback for the future.

The Jets are in a very good position to succeed. General manager Joe Douglas has traded in a savvy manner to acquire a plethora of draft picks.

The Jets will have the 4th overall pick, the 10th overall pick (via Seattle), the 35th overall pick, and the 38th overall pick (via Carolina). They are the only team to pick four times inside the top-40.

They also have the ability, with certain cuts, to boost their cap space up to $70 million entering free agency.

They have installed a culture, have stability at the head coaching position, and a quarterback.

They’re set up to succeed, and perhaps make a playoff appearance in 2022.

Now, Joe Douglas has to execute.

Until the Ravens proceeded to lose five straight, falling to 8-8 with marginal chances to make the NFL Playoffs heading into the final week of the season. They have, without a shred of doubt, been one of the worst teams in football over the past month. Some people were shocked that it happened, but the issues that have shown up during the worst losing streak John Harbaugh has endured have been there the entire season. The difference now? They don’t have elite quarterback play to bail them out, and other teams are doing a better job of exploiting huge flaws in the team.

Let’s start with the side of the ball which has received the most criticism, the offense. Ravens fans have made it no secret that they want Greg Roman gone. The offense has been dysfunctional all year with constant miscommunications, poor offensive line play and an underwhelming run game.

The Ravens rush EPA per play from 2018 to 2020 with Lamar Jackson was 0.038, 0.098, and 0.093 respectively, leading the league by a significant margin in 2019 and 2020, which were the first 2 seasons where Lamar Jackson was the full time starter. In 2021, the Ravens EPA per rush is -0.043, easily the worst mark during Greg Roman’s tenure and ranking 12th in the league.

As all things are, the blame doesn’t lie on a single person, but on a lack of cohesiveness from a lot of different people. You can point to coaching, line play or the runningbacks on any handful of plays and you could come up with a reasonable argument for the struggles. But the truth is that the Ravens have had very little explosive plays from the runningbacks and quaterbacks in the run game and the offensive line has been poor, both on the outside and inside. Defenses have done a good job countering a lot of the gap runs that Roman has made a name for himself with by using various forms of scrape exchange with their linebackers.

As of today, the Ravens have not been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, but would need to win as well as a lot of other things to go their way. Even if they were to sneak in, this was not a playoff caliber team at all down the stretch.

Heading into 2022, the Ravens are in a very interesting situation in terms of their roster and coaching staff. First off, Harbaugh and Lamar aren’t going anywhere, despite some fans voicing displeasure. Mark Andrews, who will be a first team All-Pro, also is not going anywhere as he was extended last offseason. The young receiving core that includes Marquise Brown, Rashod Bateman and Devin Duvernay look very promising. However, there are massive questions at tackle. Alejandro Villanueva is a lock to be cut. Mekari, who played well at right tackle and can play anywhere on the offensive line, was extended on a three-year deal worth 15 million. They also signed Ja’Wuan James after he tore his Achilles in the offseason. Ronnie Stanley’s health is the biggest wildcard, as he is over a year removed from his gruesome injury. Inside, the Ravens have an established veteran in Kevin Zeitler, but the starting center Bradley Bozeman is a free agent. Questions remain at left guard with Ben Powers, Tyre Phillips and Ben Cleveland who have struggled for the most part. There’s No doubt the Ravens want to have an elite offensive line, but how the team addresses it given the current state will be very interesting.

Defensively, the Ravens have questions on all three levels. Up front, nose tackle Brandon Williams is set to hit the market, and Calais Campbell has contemplated retirement. Ravens have young pieces at the 3-tech position with Justin Madubuike and Broderick Washington, and should get Derek Wolfe back. However, they could want to add more depth. At middle linebacker, Patrick Queen has played much better. Queen is in a more limited role that requires him to think less and play faster. However, he will need to take another step forward if he wants to be an elite linebacker. Josh Bynes was a nice placeholder, but at this point, he’s not a long term answer. Malik Harrison is an interesting player who was on the bench, and then subsquently hurt, but is someone the Ravens want to become the long term answer at LB. At cornerback, the Ravens are fine on starters, but the depth must be improved. Humphrey is a superstar and Peters is great, but Peters will be 29 next season. At the safety position, they will need to make a decision on Deshon Elliott, who missed most of the season with injury. Elliott is an upcoming free agent. S Brandon Stephens seems like a guy they like going forward but another veteran prescience may be beneficial short term.

There will be a lot of attention on the coaching staff, with an emphasis placed on the coordinators. The Ravens have a decision to make with Greg Roman, who has been the team’s coordinator for quite some time now, and may be someone the Ravens may feel inclined to move on from. I can’t say for sure what they’ll do, but if I had to guess I’d say they will part ways. I’d be surprised if Wink left unless it was to take up a head coaching position, which I think is unlikely. It was clear that this defense was not well coaching this year. The Ravens will have a lot of tough decisions to make in the offseason, but will have more draft capital then they’ve had in a long time, and will be relieved of the contracts of Earl Thomas and Brandon Williams.

However, if we’re getting into what happened in December of 2021, we have to look back at how past Panthers coaches handled adversity, stay competitive, how their teams would finish the season, and Keep Pounding.

The John Fox Panthers

In the first season with Fox as head coach, the team won 4 of last 5, finishing strong at 7-9. They improved upon their prior record of 1-15. In year two, Carolina was on top of the league at 8-2, but lost three in a row, including an overtime loss to the Atlanta Falcons. The “Cardiac Cats” then went on to win the next three games in December to finish 11-5, and won all three games in January, including an iconic divisional round overtime finish and in-route to the franchise’s first Super Bowl appearance.

In 2010, Fox was fired after being unable to fix a struggling second-round rookie quarterback in Jimmy Clausen. Unfortunately for Fox and the Panthers, Clausen wasn’t going to succeed anywhere and has become an infamous bust. He led them to a 2-14 record, with at least one of those wins in December. So a new era was coming to Charlotte, with Coach Ron Rivera and intriguing Heisman-winning quarterback Cam Newton being drafted with the first overall pick. One could be intrigued to wonder what Fox could’ve done with Newton instead of Clausen and potentially not been fired.

Record in December & January: 52 Games: 32-20 (61.5% winning percentage)

The Ron Rivera Panthers

The first season with Rivera on the sidelines and Newton under center got off to an ugly start at 1-5, but close losses with strong performances by Newton gave fans something to cheer about. The team got to the bye week at 2-6, lost two games, and at 2-8 went on to win four of six to finish 6-10. Cam Newton would become the 2011 Offensive Rookie of the Year. After a struggling start to the season, Ron Rivera took chances and led like a general on a mission to keep the motivation in the building. The Panthers finished the season 5-1 and retained Rivera for another year.

In 2013, Carolina started the season 1-3. Then something snapped. All of a sudden came a top 2 defense, solid play from the run game with true leadership, execution, and determination at all levels as everything came together. Carolina was more motivated by their leadership than ever before to get it together and put themselves back on top of the league. The Panthers won the NFC South by winning eleven of their next twelve, four of which divisional games in December. The next year, the Panthers went through a lot of personnel change and had a very rough 2014, falling to 3-8-1 before the ‘Cardiac Cats’ finished strong with a record of 7-8-1, winning every game in December and sneaking into the playoffs as NFC South champions.

The peak year for the Rivera-led Panthers was 2015. The Panthers had a Super Bowl appearance, an MVP quarterback in Cam Newton, a top-ranked defense. Rivera won coach of the year.

Rivera was fired in 2019 after multiple quarterback changes, questionable personnel management decisions, and injury issues plaguing the team.

Record in December & January:

47 Games: 28-19 (59.5% winning percentage)

The Matt Rhule Panthers: In two seasons, Rhule hasn’t kept the motivation level high enough for players throughout the season to improve on the many issues that have impacted the team. As the losses build, so does the lack of effort.

Rhule won 11 games in his final year at Baylor. In two years in the NFL, Rhule still hasn’t surpassed that number.

The Panthers have had four consecutive losing seasons (22-41), the past two under Rhule (10-21), without showing any sign of improvement.

Even when the Panthers couldn’t start off well, Fox and Rivera were able to get the team to be competitive late in seasons and fight for playoff spots that they had no business getting. It didn’t matter if they still had a chance or not. With Rhule, you don’t see any of that. The Cardiac Cats are long gone.

Record in December & January:

8 Games: 1-7 (10% winning percentage)

In total:

Since 2020: 1-7 Rhule

Since 2018: 2-14 Rivera/Fewell/Rhule

Since 2011: 29-30 Rivera

Since 2002: 62-53 Fox

The Carolina Panthers’ 2021 point differential (-76) this season is a full game’s worth less than it was in 2020 (-52) with a game still remaining.

Panthers owner David Tepper brought in Matt Rhule after his success at Baylor to attempt to build a winning culture.

Unfortunately, there’s a lot of evidence to say he’s done the opposite.

For starters, Beasley is one of the better slot receivers in the league, and I’d probably rank him around 10th. He’s been a reliable target for Josh Allen on short routes, and he’s seemingly always open. However, he’s 32 years old now, and he’s limited in the sense that he isn’t a vertical threat whatsoever. Many of the NFL’s best slot machines are younger, faster, and shiftier. Take some guys that primarily line up in the slot like Tyreek Hill, Chris Godwin, Tyler Boyd, CeeDee Lamb, and Cooper Kupp for example (who I all consider better than Beasley). They’re all under the age of 29 and have a lot left in the tank, and some are still developing into even more talented receivers, while Beasley’s best years are likely behind him. He’s only hauled in one TD reception this year and currently has his lowest yards per catch of his career. Additionally, out of 41 players with at least 75 targets, Beasley comes in at 5th lowest with 1.42 yards per route run.

Now let’s look at the money side of things. Cutting Beasley prior to June 1 would save the Bills $6.1M (cap hit of $7.6M, dead cap hit of $1.5M). Considering the Bills are only projected to have $9.4M in cap space this coming offseason (via Spotrac), cutting Beasley and saving over six million dollars could be crucial. The Bills can potentially put that money towards finding a different slot receiver in free agency, or they could use their cap space to bolster other positions of need. If need be, the Bills can just draft a guy to play slot. If Beane decides to turn to free agency, Christian Kirk could be a guy they target. Kirk has a lot of experience in the slot (5th in slot snaps this year) and he’s also a vertical threat as well. Despite spending the majority of his time in the slot, where players traditionally run shorter routes, Kirk has an average depth of target of 11.7, compared to Beasley’s 5.4. Kirk is just 25 years old and is in the midst of the best season of his career. He should continue to progress, and he could be a big part of any offense moving forward. In the event that the Bills fully believe in Isaiah McKenzie, he could also be the guy manning the slot for the Bills. McKenzie is a cheaper option, he knows the playbook already, and he’s shown flashes, however, he lacks the volume that other players have.

With all of that being said, I personally believe moving on from Beasley is the right way to go for the Bills. By no means do I think Beasley is a bad player, I just believe that there are better options to play slot for the Bills moving forward. They can find a younger and more talented option elsewhere, and save some money in doing so.

At approximately 1:20 pm, the Colts placed QB Carson Wentz on the reserve/COVID-19 list following a positive test result. This seemed to be the tipping point for many Colts fans, as the team seemed to be losing everybody to positive coronavirus tests. Backing up a little bit, Indianapolis had been dealing with a COVID crisis which started on December 22nd when the team placed CB Rock Ya-Sin and DE Kemoko Turay on the list from the active roster, in addition to TE Farrod Green from the practice squad. Things began to unravel from there, with OG Mark Glowinski being added the next day. On Christmas Eve, one day before Indianapolis was scheduled to play the Arizona Cardinals in a primetime matchup on Christmas day, the Colts lost their other starting guard and arguably best offensive player, OG Quenton Nelson, when he became the newest addition to the COVID list. With Nelson out of action for Saturday, he made the list as the fifth player to be added to the list since Ya-Sin and Turay’s initial tests. But things did not stop there. On Christmas day, approximately four hours prior to kickoff, the Colts placed three more starters on the COVID list. S Khari Willis, WR Zach Pascal, and defensive and team leader LB Darius Leonard. Not to mention, S Andrew Sendejo had been ruled out with a concussion and C Ryan Kelly did not travel with the team as he dealt with a personal matter.

For a team fresh off a primetime win over their storied rivals, the New England Patriots, and a team that had won five of their last six games, hope that the team could pull out a win became hard to come by. With all the players out of the lineup with COVID, players with little experience were pushed into starting roles. LB EJ Speed, S George Odum, S Jahleel Addae, CB Isaiah Rodgers, C Danny Pinter, OG Will Fries, and OG Chris Reed were all propelled from their backup roles into starters.

During the game, more reinforcements were needed. TE Jack Doyle went down early with an injury, giving more snaps to Mo Alie-Cox and rookie Kylen Granson. LT Eric Fisher also left the game with an injury; Matt Pryor came in to take his place. Fisher’s injury left RT Braden Smith as the only starting offensive lineman left from the Colts’ usual lineup. Despite being down to practice squad offensive lineman and without many starters on defense, Indianapolis miraculously pulled out a Christmas miracle and won the game 22-16, making this win their third in a row. Jonathan Taylor was still able to continue his MVP caliber play behind a mangled offensive line and rushed for over 100 yards for the ninth time this season. Special shoutout to two of the guys in the middle, Chris Reed and Danny Pinter, for stepping up and carving out running lanes for Taylor. 2020 seventh-round pick wide receiver Dezmon Patmon, caught the biggest pass of his life: a touchdown from Carson Wentz to essentially put the game out of Arizona’s reach on just his second career reception. Talk about guys stepping up. Defensively, two of the guys called into action stepped up big time and shared the team lead in tackles with nine: EJ Speed and George Odum.

Fresh of their monumental win despite all the absences, Indianapolis enjoyed one day without any additions to the COVID list. But more positive tests were inevitable. On December 27th, the team placed five more players on the list: S Jahleel Addae, CB TJ Carrie, LB Malik Jefferson, RB Marlon Mack, and RT Braden Smith. (Practice squad CB Chris Wilcox went on the list later in the day) Smith was the big one. With four starting offensive linemen on the COVID list or dealing with personal matters and Eric Fisher’s injury raising questions about his availability, the Colts were in danger of starting an offensive line with five second-stringers against the Raiders. Obviously, this is far from ideal. But the least ideal transaction was yet to come.

The following day on December 28th, the Colts placed QB Carson Wentz on the COVID list. Wentz, like many of the Colts on the list, is unvaccinated. Under the NFL’s COVID protocols at the time, unvaccinated individuals must complete a 10-day quarantine before returning to team activities. Wentz knew this was a potential consequence of not getting vaccinated, as players who are vaccinated are allowed to “test out” given they are fully vaccinated and asymptomatic. Wentz was set to miss Sunday’s clash with Las Vegas, a game in which the Colts could clinch a playoff berth with a win. Like many spots on the roster already, backup quarterback, rookie Sam Ehlinger, was set to start in Wentz’s place. Amongst all the panic from Colts fans about this development emerged a new rumor: the Colts were discussing a potential reunion with future Hall of Fame QB Philip Rivers, who had retired after the 2020 season following his first and only season in Indianapolis. Fans were already picking sides –Ehlinger or Rivers – before reports emerged that the NFL was discussing an update to their protocols to reflect the CDC’s newest guideline changes. Per the CDC, those testing positive for the virus no longer needed to quarantine for ten days, cutting the time in half to five days. Without any specification of whether or not this change would apply to both the vaccinated and unvaccinated, the NFL updated their protocols to say that all players, including the unvaccinated, needed to quarantine for just five days, provided they were asymptomatic.

With these changes, the Colts may have dodged a bullet. Now, Carson Wentz at least has a shot to start on Sunday against the Raiders as long as he completes protocol by Saturday. He may have his starting offensive line back in front of him as well, with Quenton Nelson, Mark Glowinski, and Braden Smith having served their five days and Ryan Kelly potentially returning from his personal leave. Again, Eric Fisher’s status is dependent on his injury. Defensively, the Colts could return their leader, Darius Leonard to the lineup, as well as Khari Willis and Rock Ya-Sin to the secondary. While all players on the COVID list’s returns to action are contingent on the team officially activating them off the list, things are looking positive for Indianapolis to field a near full starting lineup for a game in which they can lock up a spot in the postseason. Who would’ve thought that the Center for Disease Control and Prevention would be responsible for reviving a football team’s roster? Only in 2021, I guess…