NFL (2024 Season)

[JayhawkCO]

Now that we've got several people in this, I'll make a table to keep track, which I'll update at the end of every points period. Anyone else reading this, feel free to join whenever.
jayhawkco

Give me:
Giants
Panthers
Seahawks
Jets
Falcons
Browns
Jaguars
Lions
Bears
Commanders

[webny99]

I've also started my list of preseason forks and I've got some spicy ones in the AFC, but I'm finding the NFC weirdly hard to pick teams knowing there will be some bad teams in the mix because of the overall weakness of the conference.

Trying for at least 5 per conference since the preseason forks have the highest point value.

[thspfc]

Now that we've got several people in this, I'll make a table to keep track, which I'll update at the end of every points period. Anyone else reading this, feel free to join whenever.
jayhawkco

Give me:
Giants
Panthers
Seahawks
Jets
Falcons
Browns
Jaguars
Lions
Bears
Commanders

Updated.

Now that we have the Watson news, I'll be making my record and playoff predictions soon.

[CoreySamson]

Watson should've been suspended for at least 10 games, if not the whole season, IMO. I'll probably unfork the Browns for now as I expected him to get a longer suspension.

[JayhawkCO]

Watson should've been suspended for at least 10 games, if not the whole season, IMO. I'll probably unfork the Browns for now as I expected him to get a longer suspension.

I happily forked them even with only 6 games, which, I agree, is a travesty.

[webny99]

I've also started my list of preseason forks and I've got some spicy ones in the AFC, but I'm finding the NFC weirdly hard to pick teams knowing there will be some bad teams in the mix because of the overall weakness of the conference.

Trying for at least 5 per conference since the preseason forks have the highest point value.

Alright, I settled on 12 teams. That leaves only 6 more to fork, but I'd much rather get the full 20 points if I'm right
Here goes:

Steelers
Browns
Jets
Patriots
Texans
Titans

Falcons
Giants
Commanders
Seahawks
Lions
Bears

[thspfc]

I've also started my list of preseason forks and I've got some spicy ones in the AFC, but I'm finding the NFC weirdly hard to pick teams knowing there will be some bad teams in the mix because of the overall weakness of the conference.

Trying for at least 5 per conference since the preseason forks have the highest point value.

Alright, I settled on 12 teams. That leaves only 6 more to fork, but I'd much rather get the full 20 points if I'm right
Here goes:

Steelers
Browns
Jets
Patriots
Texans
Titans

Falcons
Giants
Commanders
Seahawks
Lions
Bears

Got it. Seeing everyone else's picks, I should probably add a few teams to my list.

[hobsini2]

So if I am reading this right for the Forking Game, pick as many teams that will not make the playoffs. Right? Here's my preseason list of who will not make the playoffs with the predicted record:
NY Jets 4-13
Houston 3-14
Jacksonville 7-10
Pittsburgh 8-9
Denver 9-8

Washington 6-11
NY Giants 6-11
Carolina 2-15
Atlanta 5-12
New Orleans 8-9
Detroit 7-10
Chicago 6-11
Seattle 3-14

[JayhawkCO]

Denver 9-8

Another on my anti-Russ team! Welcome!

[hobsini2]

My NFL Predictions for 2022 (* Playoff team):
AFC East
Buffalo 13-4*
Miami 11-6*
New England 10-7
NY Jets 4-13

South
Indianapolis 12-5*
Tennessee 9-8
Jacksonville 7-10
Houston 3-14

North
Cincinnati 11-6*
Baltimore 11-6
Cleveland 9-8
Pittsburgh 8-9

West
Las Vegas 13-4*
Kansas City 12-5*
LA Chargers 12-5*
Denver 9-8

NFC East
Dallas 10-7*
Philadelphia 10-7
Washington 6-11
NY Giants 6-11

South
Tampa Bay 12-5*
New Orleans 8-9
Atlanta 5-12
Carolina 2-15

North
Green Bay 13-4*
Minnesota 11-6*
Detroit 7-10
Chicago 6-11

West
San Francisco 12-5*
LA Rams 11-6*
Arizona 11-6*
Seattle 3-14

AFC Playoffs
1 Buffalo
2 Las Vegas
3 Indianapolis
4 Cincinnati
5 Kansas City
6 LA Chargers
7 Miami

2 Las Vegas over 7 Miami
3 Indianapolis over 6 LA Chargers
5 Kansas City over 4 Cincinnati

1 Buffalo over 5 Kansas City
3 Indianapolis over 2 Las Vegas

Buffalo over Indianapolis

NFC Playoffs
1 Green Bay
2 San Francisco
3 Tampa Bay
4 Dallas
5 LA Rams
6 Minnesota
7 Arizona

2 San Francisco over 7 Arizona
3 Tampa Bay over 6 Minnesota
5 LA Rams over 4 Dallas

1 Green Bay over 5 LA Rams
3 Tampa Bay over 2 San Francisco

Green Bay over Tampa Bay

Super Bowl
Buffalo over Green Bay 26-23

[hobsini2]

Denver 9-8

Another on my anti-Russ team! Welcome!

I like Russell Wilson but that is too tough a division and the Broncos don't have the weapons on offense to keep up.

[triplemultiplex]

Well it's not like Watson did something serious like gambling.   
This league is so screwed up in its priorities.

This is one area where I part ways from the NFLPA.  Usually I'm on their side about most issues, but when it comes to suspensions for off-field issues, they are too protective of their people.  Especially in cases of domestic violence and sexual assault.

[JayhawkCO]

Alright, time for my picks.

AFC East
Buffalo 14-3*
New England 9-8*
Miami 8-9
NY Jets 4-13

AFC South
Indianapolis 11-6*
Houston 10-7*
Tennessee 9-8
Jacksonville 6-11

AFC North
Baltimore 12-5*
Cincinnati 9-8
Pittsburgh 8-9
Cleveland 6-11

AFC West
LA Chargers 12-5*
Kansas City 11-6*
Las Vegas 8-9
Denver 8-9

NFC East
Philadelphia 11-6*
Dallas 11-6*
Washington 7-10
NY Giants 4-13

NFC South
Tampa Bay 13-4*
New Orleans 8-9
Atlanta 4-13
Carolina 3-14

NFC North
Minnesota 12-5*
Green Bay 11-6*
Detroit 6-11
Chicago 4-13

NFC West
LA Rams 12-5*
San Francisco 10-7*
Arizona 7-10
Seattle 3-14

AFC Playoffs
1. Buffalo
2. LA Chargers
3. Baltimore
4. Indianapolis
5. Kansas City
6. Houston
7. New England

2. Chargers over 7. Patriots
3. Ravens over 6. Texans
5. Chiefs over 4. Colts

1. Bills over 5. Chiefs
2. Chargers over 3. Ravens

2. Chargers over 1. Bills

NFL Playoffs
1. Tampa Bay
2. LA Rams
3. Minnesota
4. Philadelphia
5. Green Bay
6. Dallas
7. San Francisco

2. Rams over 7. 49ers
3. Vikings over 6. Cowboys
5. Packers over 4. Eagles

1. Bucs over 5. Packers
2. Rams over 3. Vikings

1. Bucs over 2. Rams

Super Bowl
Chargers over Bucs 31-28

[thspfc]

Starting with the AFC.

AFC East

1. Bills (13-4): a streaky team last year that I think is slightly overrated entering this season. They're #1 in just about every power rankings list I've read, which I think is aggressive considering they didn't make the AFC title game and their most notable offseason addition was an aging linebacker on a huge contract. Allen was hot and cold last year - more hot than cold, no doubt, but when he was cold, Buffalo really struggled.

The stretch of games that is most influencing Buffalo's sky-high expectations is the second half at Tampa through the divisional loss to the Chiefs. 1), I don't think it's smart to zone in on 6.5 games out of 19, and 2), both of their best games were against the Patriots. While destroying Belichick twice is very impressive, there are plenty of other good coaches and plenty of better teams.

All that said, when they're on their game, they're near unstoppable on offense and excellent on defense. There are also many teams in the conference capable of clearing out achilles heel Mahomes this year.

2. Dolphins (11-6): it's now or never for Tua. They're built to his strengths at WR with Waddle and Hill - both excellent volume receivers who can pick up big yardage after the catch. Cedrick Wilson is a criminally underrated WR3 who was overshadowed by Cooper, Lamb, and Gallup in Dallas. The offensive line is much improved. Chase Edmonds and Raheem Mostert, health permitting, is a more than serviceable RB duo.

For the second straight year I'm convincing myself to believe in this team. They really do have the right pieces.

3. Patriots (9-8): one of the only AFC teams that didn't get much, or any, better this offseason. Last year they were lucky to catch the Titans when they were destroyed by injuries and the Bills when weather killed their offense and their defense couldn't stop a run up the middle when they knew for certain it was coming. Jones should take a second-year jump, perhaps to the fringe of the top 10, but I don't have utmost confidence in their defense, especially against a more difficult schedule than what they faced last year.

4. Jets (6-11): at some point drafting well has to result in winning games, or else you're not actually drafting well. Expectations aren't too high this season in the loaded AFC. Rising out of the bottom feeder group would make this season a success.

AFC North

1. Ravens (11-6): with how battered they were from the beginning, it's remarkable that they were 8-3 at one point last year. Turned out Lamar was the duct tape holding the team together. A brutal schedule to end the year didn't help. But minus those last six games, they're a ridiculous 39-10 in the regular season since Lamar took over in 2018. The roster is not what it was in 2019, but provided the injury bug doesn't bite again, they're still good enough to be in the thick of things.

2. Bengals (9-8): I don't entirely know why, but I'm just not sold. They were an unconvincing and inconsistent 8-6 at Christmas last year. Then, a field day on the decimated Ravens secondary, an upset of the Chiefs who had been on a tear, and all of a sudden they're title contenders. They narrowly beat an average Raiders team, narrowly beat a fraudulent 1 seed Titans team whose best player wasn't at full strength. Credit where credit is due for beating the Chiefs and holding it close against the Rams.

The patchwork defense was solid down the stretch, but that feels like a one-hit wonder. The offensive line was bolstered in the offseason, but Burrow still isn't totally safe, especially with one ACL tear already. We don't know if Zac Taylor is the right coach.

3. Browns (9-8): I hate almost everything about this team. I hope this disgusting group goes 0-17 and pushes away all the fans they still somehow have. But, sadly, they're good at football. That defensive front can shut teams down and bash them with helmets. Offensively, they've got some offenders. 3-3 when Watson gets back, then they hit the ground running.

4. Steelers (7-10): this HAS to be the year the Tomlin .500 or better streak ends. They're the only team in the division that doesn't have it figured out at quarterback. The conference is passing them by. The defense benefitted last year by facing the Seahawks without Wilson, injured Baker twice, Ravens twice late in the season when they were most depleted, and Titans when they were most depleted. Against better offenses they weren't all that good. TJ Watt and Najee Harris are units, but they're not enough.

AFC South

1. Colts (12-5): the 2021 Colts missing the playoffs is one of the disasters of the modern era. Matt Ryan should provide some stability at QB, and that's really all this team needs. He's not an MVP-caliber player anymore, but he doesn't need to be. Four free wins (right? RIGHT?) against the Texans and Jags will help.

2. Titans (8-9): first-place schedules are brutal this year, and especially so for the Titans, because to me they were the worst first-place team in 2021. It is seriously a mystery how they stumbled into a #1 seed while the Rams were a #4. Without AJ Brown and Julio, they're deficient at WR - a lot is resting on rookie Treylon Burks. They swept Indy last year, that's not happening again.

3. Jaguars (6-11): with a real NFL coach and some more experience, they should be better than last year. They're solid at WR, though they broke the market in the process. Defense is still a problem at every position.

4. Texans (4-13): to a lot of teams Houston will be a relief game from the AFC gauntlet. Might well be underdogs in all 17 games. But they are still professionals, getting paid to play football. They'll steal a few wins here and there. We'll find out about Davis Mills.

AFC West

1. Chargers (11-6): there's no reason why that defense should have been as bad as it was last year. Fixing that - which Khalil Mack will help with - will go a long way in ensuring the Chargers don't randomly lay an egg once every three weeks like they did last season. Their receiving corps are kind of lacking for a team with an elite quarterback.

It might be surprising that I have 11-6 winning the best division in the league. My logic is that the four teams are going to beat up on each other, with nobody finishing better than 4-2 or worse than 2-4 against divisional opponents.

2. Broncos (11-6): having finished 4th in the AFCW in 2021, Denver has the easiest schedule in the division, an advantage that shouldn't be underestimated in such a tight race. Their skill group might be the best Wilson has had in his career. Patrick Surtain and Justin Simmons will be a dominant pair in the secondary, crucial in slowing down the AFCW's prolific passing offenses.

3. Chiefs (10-7): in my week-by-week picks I had them winning all 20 games they played last year. I still think they were the best team in the AFC, and just melted down in the second half against Cincy. But they lost so many guys in free agency. Hill, Austin Blythe, Darrell Williams, Byron Pringle, DeMarcus Robinson, Tyrann Mathieu, Charvarius Ward, Melvin Ingram, Jarran Reed, Mike Hughes, Daniel Sorensen. They were able to backfill some of those holes on offense - and of course they still have Mahomes and Kelce - but the defense is what concerns me. KC's defense was swiss cheese for the first 7 games and last 5 games of 2021, wrapped around a dominant stretch through November and December. Having lost so many pieces, it could be rough, especially early on. The schedule is brutal. Ultimately this team will live and die with Mahomes, even more so than the past couple seasons.

4. Raiders (7-10): somebody has to come last in the division of death. It's not so simple as "10-7 plus Adams" . They were 4-0 in overtime games last year, including three of the most bizarre games any of us have ever seen (against the Ravens, Cowboys, and Chargers). That won't happen again. Offensively they're talented, but not any more so than the other teams in the AFCW. Defensively they don't stack up with many of the offenses they're going to have to stop.


AFC Playoffs
1. Bills   
2. Colts
3. Chargers
4. Ravens
5. Broncos
6. Dolphins
7. Chiefs

Wild Card
2) Colts defeat 7) Chiefs
3) Chargers defeat 6) Dolphins
4) Ravens defeat 5) Broncos

Divisional
1) Bills defeat 4) Ravens
2) Colts defeat 3) Chargers

AFC Championship
2) Colts defeat 1) Bills

[Alps]

Starting with the AFC.

way too formulaic at the end, you have all the top seeds winning until the very end

[thspfc]

Starting with the AFC.

way too formulaic at the end, you have all the top seeds winning until the very end

Well, I also have 5 of the 7 playoff teams being different from last year . . .

[JayhawkCO]

Starting with the AFC.

way too formulaic at the end, you have all the top seeds winning until the very end

Well, I also have 5 of the 7 playoff teams being different from last year . . .

You're right. I didn't go that drastic originally (and still didn't), but I changed my AFC up to be a little more volatile. I'm probably the only one that sees a path for the Texans to make the playoffs, but I might as well take a shot.

[thspfc]

I slightly edited my AFC predictions to get everything where I want it to be (and at a total record of 272-272). If Watson's suspension is lengthened then I'll make further changes.

Now for the NFC.

NFC East

1. Cowboys (11-6): the NFC Least will have a repeat champion for the first time in nearly two decades. Losing Amari Cooper and Cedrick Wilson hurts, but I often think back to Thanksgiving last year against the Raiders. Dallas was missing Cooper, missing Lamb, and having an absolute meltdown on defense, yet Dak kept the team in the game throwing to Gallup, Wilson, Noah Brown, and Dalton Schultz the whole time. If overtime went differently that game would be viewed as the defining moment of Dak's career to this point.

Lost in Zeke's massive contract is the fact that he was 7th in rushing yards last year. Overpaid? Yes. Useless? No. And with Pollard also in the backfield, Zeke might not even be the best RB on the team. With even an average offensive line, there's no reason why Dallas shouldn't be top 5-10 in rushing this year.

Defensively they still lack depth and were ripped apart by speedy teams last year, but Parsons and Diggs is an excellent 1-2 punch.

2. Eagles (10-7): I don't think this team is anything special but they should be able to feast on a fairly weak schedule. AJ Brown and Devonta Smith could be one of the best receiving duos in the league, and their skillsets complement each other's. Jalen Hurts is an interesting situation but to me it looks unlikely that he's not Philly's starter through at least 2023.

3. Football Redskin Commanders (10-7): I feel Wentz will have a better season than people think, especially if Jahan Dotson plays up to expectations. Dotson should provide an actual receiving threat besides McLaurin, something that offense severely lacked last year. Health permitting, that defensive front is dominant.

4. Giants (4-13): Kadarius Toney could be really, really good. After the catch he's unlike just about anyone I've ever seen. Other than that this team is a trainwreck.

NFC North

1. Packers (12-5): by now we all know how this goes. It's been basically the same thing with this team for 8 of the last 11 years. Adams is a big loss, albeit not quite as big as the one they're going to take in the postseason again.

2. Vikings (8-9): feels like the exact same team as last year and the year before. Defense still needs improvement, especially when it comes to getting stops on big drives. Offense is solid but not good enough to make up for highly unreliable defense and special teams.

3. Bears (5-12): I can't even pretend to care about this team. There's the funny kind of bad (Urban's Jaguars), the entertaining kind of bad (Campbell's Lions), and then there's just bad. Fields has a LONG way to go.

4. Lions (5-12): after rigorous analysis of literally 0 NFL snaps, I hereby announce that the Detroit Lions have won the 2022 NFL Draft.

I don't doubt that the players love Campbell. But last year there were no expectations at all. This year, rightfully so or not, people are expecting the Lions to be competitive. The team is still bad. Biting kneecaps is all fun and games until the team is 3-9 and everyone is getting sick of your bizarre press conferences.

NFC South

1. Buccaneers (13-4): similar to last year, they're just loaded everywhere. Injuries and the AB circus contributed heavily to their divisional round exit last season. It's also really hard to repeat as Super Bowl champions. But this offseason feels like a reset and return to what the team was during the championship season. A very weak division might help Brady avoid the wild card round for the first time since 2018.

2. Saints (7-10): there's a lot of question marks with this Saints offense. Their top three WRs have played a combined 9 games for the team in the last two seasons. Their starting quarterback has only played 8. Their top RB joined the long list of running backs with major off-field issues.

Jameis was not as good last year as people give him credit for. Look past 14 TDs/3 INTs and you'll see that the rest of his stats were highly questionable. With a new head coach and a lot of new pieces on the field, I think this will be the Saints' first losing season since 2016.

3. Panthers (4-13): Rhule isn't the right coach, McCaffrey can't stay healthy, and Baker isn't good enough to drag a below average squad to the playoffs. Simple as that.

4. Falcons (3-14): deficient everywhere. Except tight end, and tight ends don't carry teams. Falcons players can confidently bet under 4.5 wins.

NFC West

1. Rams (13-4): with all the retirement rumors after the Super Bowl (and Andrew Whitworth actually retiring), it feels like this team isn't as motivated. And it's only natural to be less motivated to achieve more after reaching a goal you've worked towards your entire career. They're still really good. But unlike how I was last year with Tampa, I'm not at all confident that this Rams team will repeat as NFC or SB champions. Though maybe this year people won't prematurely abandon them if they lose a couple games in November. Don't think I forgot  .

2. Cardinals (9-8): the offseason in Arizona did not lack for drama, and I wonder how a young team with an unproven coach will respond. Hopkins' suspension hurts. My critical reaction to the JJ Watt signing is aging like wine - Arizona paid him $1 million per tackle last year, and $15 million per sack. They're also a dismal 7-16 from week 11 onwards during the Kingsbury/Kyler era.

3. 49ers (8-9): Garoppolo played better than people gave him credit for last year, and it's not at all a given that Lance is an upgrade. Their playoff victories were just as much or more about opposing teams imploding than they were about the Niners playing well. Schedule is tough, especially later on in the season.

4. Seahawks (6-11): they're actually quite good at the skill positions and not too bad on defense. I don't believe that any Pete Carroll team is going to be totally awful. They have big problems at quarterback which will hold them back from the playoffs, but I think this team will be better than most expect.


NFC Playoffs
1. Buccaneers
2. Rams
3. Packers
4. Cowboys
5. Eagles
6. Commanders
7. Cardinals

Wild Card
2) Rams defeat 7) Cardinals
3) Packers defeat 6) Commanders
4) Cowboys defeat 5) Eagles

Divisional
4) Cowboys defeat 1) Buccaneers
2) Rams defeat 3) Packers

NFC Championship
4) Cowboys defeat 2) Rams

[thspfc]

And finally:

Super Bowl
Colts defeat Cowboys 27-20

MVP
Josh Allen

OPOY
Travis Kelce

DPOY
TJ Watt

OROY
Garrett Wilson

DROY
Travon Walker

Biggest upset
Panthers over Rams, week 6

Biggest blowout
Cowboys over Giants, week 3

Game most likely to end in a tie
Jets at Steelers, week 4

Fired coaches
Dan Campbell (DET)
Lovie Smith (HOU)
Matt Rhule (CAR)
Arthur Smith (ATL)
Kliff Kingsbury (AZ)
Bill Belichick (NE)

[JayhawkCO]

I don't have too much to complain about your picks, but I find it funny that your Super Bowl teams are the ones that you and I disagreed the most about last season.

[thspfc]

I don't have too much to complain about your picks, but I find it funny that your Super Bowl teams are the ones that you and I disagreed the most about last season.

True, haha.

[webny99]

I disagree pretty strongly with hobsini and jayhawkco about the Seahawks (both had them at 3-14 as I recall). I'm more in line with thspfc on that, and might even go higher than 6-11 record-wise. A scrappy, run heavy, 9-8 wild card team led by Drew Lock seems like a Pete Carroll dream come true and I can kind of see it.

But I disagree with thspfc about basically the entire NFC South. I don't see the Bucs as quite the same juggernaut as the last few years (especially given recent O-line injuries) and think the Saints could easily win the division. I also think the Panthers could be a lot better than they were last year and could see them going 8-9 or 9-8 if things go well. However, I can see the Falcons going 3-14, as they easily could have last year.

I would also be surprised if the Commanders go 10-7. It just seems like Indy was Wentz's last chance to save his career and we all know how terribly that turned out. He was serviceable at times but they seemed to always play around him and he was not a true difference maker, so there's no reason to think he will be in Washington.

[hobsini2]

I disagree pretty strongly with hobsini and jayhawkco about the Seahawks (both had them at 3-14 as I recall). I'm more in line with thspfc on that, and might even go higher than 6-11 record-wise. A scrappy, run heavy, 9-8 wild card team led by Drew Lock seems like a Pete Carroll dream come true and I can kind of see it.

But I disagree with thspfc about basically the entire NFC South. I don't see the Bucs as quite the same juggernaut as the last few years (especially given recent O-line injuries) and think the Saints could easily win the division. I also think the Panthers could be a lot better than they were last year and could see them going 8-9 or 9-8 if things go well. However, I can see the Falcons going 3-14, as they easily could have last year.

I would also be surprised if the Commanders go 10-7. It just seems like Indy was Wentz's last chance to save his career and we all know how terribly that turned out. He was serviceable at times but they seemed to always play around him and he was not a true difference maker, so there's no reason to think he will be in Washington.

At best, Seattle is going be 2-4 at best in the division. Vs the NFC South, maybe 2-2 at best. I don't see them beating anyone in the AFC West (0-4). That leaves @ Detroit, vs NYJ and vs NYG.  They could win 2 of those. So the ceiling in my mind for Seattle is 6-11.

[JayhawkCO]

It looks like my outliers compared to the conventional wisdom are Cleveland (I think much worse than others, especially with no Watson), Minnesota (I think they win the division), Denver (I don't think Russ adds as much as people think), and Houston (Mills isn't half bad and their D played well at the end of last season).

[CoreySamson]

It looks like my outliers compared to the conventional wisdom are Cleveland (I think much worse than others, especially with no Watson), Minnesota (I think they win the division), Denver (I don't think Russ adds as much as people think), and Houston (Mills isn't half bad and their D played well at the end of last season).

I think a lot of people are selling Houston short this year. I would be surprised, but not shocked, if they make the playoffs as you predict. The real problem the Texans had last year was the absolutely putrid offensive play calling behind an offensive line that couldn't work with it. Possessions usually went something like this:

2 yard run inside
-3 yard run outside
2 yard check down pass
Punt

The guy who called those plays is gone, and Pep Hamilton (the former QB coach who helped Mills play as well as he did when he was unhampered by the play calling) is now the OC. Mills to me plays a lot like Tom Brady. He likes throwing (and completing) short high percentage passes and doesn't scramble very much, especially in this era of quarterbacks (not suggesting here that he is on Brady's level. They are not even close). The Texans will probably score more than you'd think. The defense, though, is kinda suspect. They played great for their talent level last year, but they lost Justin Reid and they can't generate a pass rush. They have a great future, however.

I feel like my biggest hot take would be that I expect the Chiefs to miss or barely make the playoffs. If Mahomes gets hurt for a long period of time I can't see the rest of the team picking up the slack. Especially now that the defense is average and the division is extremely difficult.