Over the last seven or eight years, Week 1 has been a mixed bag for the Patriots, but no matter who has headed the sidelines, been the top dog under center, or played on defense, home openers have been a major struggle for this team during the same timeframe. Going into Mike Vrabel's first-ever regular season game coaching the team he played eight seasons for, New England has dropped their last four home openers, as well as five of their previous eight.

The sacred art of professional sports uniforms/uniform design is something near and dear to my heart, so I was a bit nervous when the NFL announced their new "Rivalries" sets alongside Nike back at the NFL Draft in Green Bay.

The phrase, "taking advantage of bad football," was something everyone gravitated towards in Vrabel's opening presser, and simply looking at the Patriots' schedule, those opportunities should be there.

Hard to put into words how insane that is. Patriots left guard Cole Strange tore his patellar tendon in December of 2023 (ironically enough, against these Chiefs) and didn't take a snap for close to a full calendar year, and Simmons, barring any setback, feels set to make Week 1 with plenty of time to spare—superhuman stuff from the Ohio State product.

Despite recent injury concerns and a tumultuous end in Green Bay, Alexander’s pedigree as a two-time Pro Bowler brings much-needed elite coverage to Baltimore’s secondary. Jackson’s vocal advocacy— “Go get him, Eric,” he told Eric DeCosta, Ravens General Manager— was the final nudge in what has become a statement acquisition for a Ravens defense intent on Super Bowl contention.

A mix of the Tavai injury situation and the "Mapu position switch" should be the catalyst that gets second-year safety Dell Pettus on this roster. I know some people are intrigued by new safety, Marcus Epps, but Pettus was legitimately good for this team a year ago as a defender and special-teams contributor.

In a long, prestigious line of "shifty and scrappy" white wide receivers who are < 6'0" in Patriots history, Eastern Washington's Efton Chism III appears to be in line to take up that mantle for this team in 2025.

The Chicago Bears entered another vital draft, trying to return to relevance in the second year of the Caleb Williams era and the start...

The one stretch that would worry me somewhat would be from late October through November, where the Panthers draw the Bills, Packers, Saints, Falcons, 49ers, and Rams in succession, but that stretch last year where they gave the Chiefs, Bucs, and Eagles all they could handle in consecutive weeks, then that season finale in Atlanta, gives me hope they can answer the bell against some tougher competition.

George Pickens could have eclipsed a thousand yards for the second season in a row last season. But that quest was halted by a three-game absence in December due to being listed on the injury reserve list. He became one hundred yards short of that goal by the end of the regular season.

The Chargers are making it clear to the rest of the league that they are trying to be the Detroit Lions of the AFC

Just two more sleeps separate us from the 2025 NFL Draft, and now feels as good a time as any to drop my annual big board. And to get a judge on where I differentiate from everyone else, we have prospect consensus rankings courtesy of Arif Hasan and Wide Left Football

The Bills and Allen agreed to a massive six-year, $330 million contract extension.

Rather than say where I think guys will go, here are what I believe are the ideal landing spots for this year's big movers.

Is this team close to a Super Bowl as of right now? Absolutely not, but they didn't build Rome in a day, either.

The Eagles have a Super Bowl Rematch ahead of them taking on the Kansas City Chiefs looking to avenge their 2022 loss.

The Eagle made quick work of the Commanders in the NFC Championship Game, making them the fifth team to lose to the Eagles twice this season

With Ben Johnson going to the Bears and Aaron Glenn off to New York, the Lions will need to start scouting for new coordinators...

The Eagles made easy work of the Rams the first time they played, now they face each other again with the stakes being even higher.

With Montgomery more than likely returning for this game against the Commanders, that two-punch combo returns in time for when every game...