Talk about blowing it.  For most of the season, it looked like the NFC East had a real shot at being the worst division ever in all of NFL history.  That distinction still belongs to the 2008 NFC West with a combined record of 22-42).  Sadly, the NFC East finished with a combined record of 23-40-1 missing out on their chance in the record books.  Still for a good while it looked like Red’s decades long dream (since the 2002 realignment if you’re keeping track) of a 6-10 team making the playoffs was going to finally come true. But after Week 16, that dream died as either Washington or Philadelphia had to win the Week 17 matchup (Red discounts the possibility of tie here but a 6-9-1 team making the playoffs would have been almost as good). It was really the Eagles improbable 24-21 win over the Saints in Week 14 that probably sunk the deal.  The Cowboys did their part losing to the mediocre Giants in Week 17 to finish 6-10 in a tie with said Giants for the runner-up spot.  Alas, hope springs eternal.  With the new 17 game schedule, Red now hopes for a 6-11 team to make the playoffs and still submits that it is statistically possible (although highly improbable) for a 5-12 team to sneak in. 

Dallas Cowboys (7-10)  Following the long-overdue departure of Jason Garret, new head coach Mike McCarthy had a rough introduction to start his tenure as the latest pawn in the Jerry Jones Game of Coaching Thrones. That he wasn’t fired mid-season was something of a surprise, but when the ship is sinking that quickly, maybe the Captain has other problems to deal with.  Mike Mac is capable and certainly smart enough to know that everything he does will be second-guessed and that his input on decisions will be minimal. Everyone laughed at JJ signing Amari Cooper to a $100,000,000 5-year deal, but AC lived up to his end of the bargain with 92 catches, 1114 yards and 5 TDs for the season.  All that while the Red Rifle was in charge for most of 11 games.   The Cowboys were all but left for dead at 3-9 after 13 weeks, but a remarkable 3 game win stretch against some bad teams left them with some hope, but as noted above the Giants squashed those hopes in Week 17.  With the return of Dak Prescott as even a mid-level presence under center, the Cowboys should be better.  A lot falls on the steady shoulders of Zeke Elliott. But he is entering that crucial 6^th season where an NFL RB either shows that he is an unstoppable force (ala Emmitt Smith, Adrian Peterson, Walter Payton or LT) or enters that slow or fast decline due to overwork (ala Earl Campbell and too many others to name).  Who knows?  In any event, the Week 1 Thursday night matchup with the reigning Champs shall give us an early clue – are the Boys contenders or pretenders?   As for the images on this page, there is a common theme.

Washington Football Team (fka OTNAs) (7-10).  Maya make a prediction for Ute to consider.  The FTs will still be Yuki, but won’t Sauk as much as last year  There’s nothing to Crow about, but Yamasee some improvement with venerable Ryan Fitzpatrick at QB. Unfortunately, a winning record is too much to Hopi for. He’s not a Mobile QB and easy to Sac.  If you think the FTs will win a playoff game, Red warns you to stop taking the drugs Huron.  But if you want to make that bet, Shoshone the money and get ready to Paiute.  That’s not to say it’s a lost Coos.  What can you say about the teams in this division other than Tesuque.  Canarsee the FTs making the playoffs if there is three-way tie in this division?   Red has to Callum like he sees ‘em.  Eno of this. Red has Spokan.   Miwok here is done.   (Red apologizes in advance but this was his last chance to make fun of a team that used an Offensive Term for Native Americans as its mascot for almost 90 years).

New York Giants (7-10)   Are you sensing a trend here? There are some things to like about the Giants. It’s easy to forget that as a rookie, Saquon Barkley covered 2028 total yards from the line of scrimmage. Scrimmage – that’s a funny word. Every hear of someone scrimming? But Red digresses. But instead, Red will throw in a little quiz here. Who are the two modern era (we’ll call that since 1950) Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterbacks to have never started and won a playoff game? See above for hints.  

Philadelphia Eagles (5-12) Red has finally figured out what is wrong with the Eagles.  They suck.  The only real question may be will they suck more or less than the Texans.  Red thinks just a bit less.  Some prognosticators are giving the Eagles a chance to win this flaming bag of dog doo of a division left on Pete Rozelle’s front porch. Red used to smoke the stuff these guys are huffing but quit when the Oilers lost to the Bills in 1993 playoffs. As for the quiz – Yeah, he played for the Eagles too.

Red was shocked, frankly shocked, when this division produced its first NFL Champion since the Saints back in 2007.  Don’t expect a repeat. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (12-5).  The Bucs had a decent season at 11-5 and then had all the cards fall into place to be the first team to both play in and win a Superb Owl in their home stadium.  In the regular season, it’s hard to pick out more than one quality win (Note: Red defines a quality win as one over a playoff team or a team with at least 9-10 wins depending on the schedule).   In the regular season, the Bucs beat exactly one team with a winning record – with a rousing 38-10 home win over the Packers in Week 6.  The only other teams with winning records (Saints, Chiefs and Rams) dispatched them.  A weak season ending schedule, however, had the Bucs coasting into the playoffs as a wild card.  There they drew the easiest possible Wild Card game against the winner (Washington FT) of the pathetic excuse for a professional football division that was the NFC East.  It got harder from there.  The Saints lost by coughing up the ball 4 times including an uncharacteristic for INTs for Drew Brees.  Green Bay had plenty of opportunity to beat the Bucs but made a mess of their last series allowing TB to run out the clock.  And Red need not say anything about the Superb Owl.  Ugh.  The Bucs have a greased skid to the playoffs again in 2021 with the 4^th easiest schedule on the pre-season books.  The toughest games are likely to be against the Colts, Rams, Bills and Saints.  Other than that they get to play the weak sisters in the NFC East and the rather shallow AFC East.  Plus they return every starter on the Championship team.  Don’t expect the Bucs to beat a single decent team in the regular season. But you know what – it won’t matter.  Crawl don’t run to put your money down on the Bucs to win this division.  

New Orleans Saints (11-6). The Saints were probably the best team in the NFL last season but couldn’t get past division rival Tampa Bay in a rather pathetic showing in the playoffs.  The big question following Drew Brees’ retirement is of course the situation at quarterback.  Do they go with the error-prone but potentially explosive Jameis Winston or the multi-talented Tayson Hill.  Red says go with both.  Under guidance Winston plays good like a quarterback should and Hill can provide the spark when needed.  And they can use multiple formations with both players in the game.  Alvin Kamara likely has another outstanding season in his pocket.  Put him down for at least 1700 total yards in a 17-game season.  The other big question concerns the status of all-world wideout Michael Thomas.  Marquez Callaway may be able to fill that gaping void for a few weeks, but if Thomas’ injury lingers the Saints could be in serious trouble.  Like the Bucs, the Saints have a favorable schedule and with “all of us” could well snatch the division crown from Tampa Bay with a season sweep. 

Atlanta Falcons (6-11).  It’s unlikely the Falcons start off 0-5  or close the season 0-5 as they did in 2020 putting a premature end to any hopes for the playoffs and Dan Quinn’s head coaching career.  There was a middling stretch (4-2 record from Weeks 6 to 12)  where the Falcons were a simulacrum of a professional football team.  You just kind of knew that it wasn’t going to be the Falcons year after the Cowboys game in Week 2.  The Falcons had a 39-24 lead with less than 9 minutes left.  The Cowboys cut that to 39-30 – foolishly going for 2 after an impressive TD drive.  With less than two minutes left and no timeouts the Cowboys successfully convert what should have been an easily handled on-side kick. Maybe they just needed a big red arrow to show them where the ball was. Anyhow, the Cowboys recover and win the game on a Greg Zuerlein field goal as time runs out.  It was pretty much all downhill from there for the Falcons. This year Arthur Smith has decamped from Tennessee where his excellent work in turning Ryan Tannehill into a respectable NFL quarterback earned him a spot as the Falcons head coach.  Unfortunately, AS has an over-the-hill and never quite up to snuff QB in Matt Ryan, what could be the worst running game in the NFC – if not the NFL and a defense that  gave up more than 30 points 6 times last year.  That said Calvin Ridley is a Top 5 wideout, the addition of Kyle Pitts at TE will help and Matt Ryan is at still serviceable.  The Falcons will score enough points to win some games against the lesser competition and as noted above – there is plenty of that for the NFC South teams this season. 

Carolina Panthers (2-15).  Repeat after Red.  Darn Old Sam, Darn Old Sam, Darn Old Sam.  Darn Old Sam.  Not even the perhaps premier running back in the league (C. McCaffery) can help this train wreck.  The Panthers definitely have a shot at being the worst team in the NFL if the Texans get lucky. And believe him, if Red could find another spot to sneak this picture in he definitely would.

If you bet the over on the win total on the Chiefs (11.5) and Raiders (7.5) last season you won.  If you bet the under on the Broncos (7) and the Chargers (7.5) you won again!  This season the bookies have high expectations for this division with these win total O/U’s:  Chiefs (12.5), Chargers (9.5), Broncos (8.5) and Raiders (7).  Red doesn’t get the higher rating on the Broncos and the discount on the Raiders.  So in the only pre-season betting advice Red is likely to give take the Over for the Raiders and the Under for the Broncos.  Of course, factoring in a 17 game season on such matters is a bit difficult.  Full disclosure:  Red is an amateur prognosticator and does not bet on sporting events.

Kansas City Chiefs  (13-4).  Humiliating, emasculating, devastating, ass-whomping, embarrassing and debilitating all apply to describe the pathetic show the Chiefs put on in the Superb Owl.  Red really did not believe that Andy Reid was so unable to adapt to the Bucs defensive scheme of rushing 5-6 guys on every play and leaving the short middle of the field wide open.  Pat Mahomes was forced make a miracle throw for the Chiefs only touchdown that no other NFL QB can probably make. See above. If the Chiefs had put this kind of pressure on Brady, he would have been carried off the field in a basket. But don’t expect the Chiefs to do the Falcons Fold and stink in 2021.  Immediate attention was given to rebuilding a credible offensive line with the additions of former Patriots guard Joe Thuney, trading for Orlando Brown, Jr. and bringing Kyle Long out of retirement as a likely super-backup.  Mahomes is the scariest QB in the league when he is not running for his life.  And no one has more talent around him.  If the defense improves even marginally, the Chiefs will be in every game and wining most of them. 

Los Angeles Chargers (10-7).  Some forget that the Chargers started life in the Los Angeles Coliseum, but decamped to San Diego after failing to draw anywhere close to a respectable home crowd. See above. The more things change . . . Last season wasn’t one to get the Chargers’ fans’ butts back in the seats of even a multi-billion dollar stadium. The Chargers had to really struggle to pull defeat from the jaws of victory multiple times last season. After a “rousing” road win against the Bengals, the Chargers went on to drop 9 of their next 11 games with two overtime losses to the playoff bound Chiefs and Saints and 5 other one score losses thrown in.  The nadir of the season was a 45-0 pasting by the Patriots in front of the “home crowd” in LA.  But after that, the Chargers closed with 4 wins (impressive even with discounting the final game win against the Chiefs second string).  NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Justin Herbert was the best looking rookie QB since Dak Prescott in 2016 – even if the results weren’t there.   The Chargers come out of the box hot this season with wins over the Football Team and the Cowboys.  Then comes a tough stretch with the Chiefs, Raiders Browns and Ravens.  Expect 2-2 from that run at best.  After that the rack up a 5-1 record against some of the weak sisters before coming back to earth against the surging Chiefs.  The Texans provide a palate cleanser and if they split with the Broncos and Raiders in Weeks 17 and 18 – they just might have a shot at a wild card spot. 

Las Vegas Raiders  (9-8).  The Raiders have not won a playoff game since the 2002 season when they beat the Titans in the AFC Championship game in what will be the last playoff game ever played at Oakland-Alameda Coliseum before losing to the Buccaneers in one of the weirdest Superb Owls ever.  See above. That almost two-decade drought probably doesn’t end this season. That’s not saying the Raiders did not do their best to plug some holes.  The defense should be better with DC Gus Bradley taking over and getting some help from free agent picks like Yannick Ngakoue, Quinton Jefferson and Casey Howard, Jr. On offense despite much moaning and groaning there is absolutely nothing wrong with having David Carr as your quarterback if you put enough talent around him. In that regard, top target and putative TE Darren Waller (Red has never seen a TE more averse to actually hitting someone than Waller) is back and the hope is that second-year WR Henry Ruggs, III steps up with his seeming big-play potential.  Running back by committee may be a problem as no true No. 1 back appears to be in the stable.  

Denver Broncos (6-11).  Some prognosticators are picking the Broncos to finish second and earn a Wild Card slot. Red disagrees. Red likes Teddy Bridgewater – always has.  He was a steal for a sixth round draft pick even if he doesn’t win the starting job. But how long can a guy bounce around, moving from system to system and keep fighting for a starting job?  Apparently a long time in this league.  Unfortunately, the Broncos will not be a very competitive squad this season.    

Red always struggles a bit to remember exactly who is in this division.  As a young boy, the Baltimore Colts were in the NFL West conference and for years Red thought Baltimore was somewhere between LA and San Francisco.  And to continue on the Baltimore theme, the first time Red actually drove through Baltimore in the 70’s he was convinced it was the worst looking place he had ever seen in his life – and Red had been to Nuevo Laredo.  

Cleveland Browns (12-5).  The Browns had their best season in this millennium last year.  Yet, an 11-5 record was only good enough for a third place finish in this the Light Heavyweight Division of the NFL.  Otto Graham sneers at the thought of making the playoffs with a third-place finish.  See above.     This once proud franchise who was the NFL Champion in the year of Red’s birth (Red will leave you to guess) has been a laughing stock for too long.  Knocking off the Stealers in the Wild Card round was nice and there wasn’t much shame in losing to the defending champion Chiefs the next week.  Adding a real TE in Austin Hooper will add to the arsenal at the disposal of B. Mayfield who makes a legitimate bid for league MVP – depending on the breaks and a timely snowmageddon.    Their reward for a good season – getting to face the Chiefs at Arrowhead in the featured late game on opening Sunday.  After that it gets easier for a few games.  The make or break point of the season comes in Weeks 12-14 with the anomaly of playing the Ravens – followed by the off week  – followed by the Ravens.  If the Browns split with the Ravens, they still face a tough closing stretch with the Raiders, Packers and Stealers.  If the division is still up for grabs in Week 18 , the Browns have the luxury of facing the likely to be hapless Bengals.   

Baltimore Ravens (11-6)  “No football matter in Baltimore is more urgent than the state of the Ravens’ offensive line” according to Jonas Shaffer of the Baltimore Sun.  Hopefully, the unit that takes the field in Las Vegas on the first Monday of the season will include several starters that are currently sidelined because of injuries.  Bozeman, Zeitler and Stanley better be ready or else Lamar Jackson’s obsession with winning  the Superb Owl (and Jazz Hands! – see above) will be as much of a pipe dream as his ranking last season as the No. 1 talent in the league.  Note to LJ:  You are now rated No. 24 – the biggest drop of any player.  And lest ye forget, the Ravens are the biggest post-season floppers of the past two seasons.  The mighty 12 points they put up against the Titans in the Divisional Round against the Titans in 2019 was only exceeded in infamy by the incredible 3 points they managed to score against the Bills in the Divisional Round after wrecking revenge on the Titans in the Wildcard game. In 2019 regular season the Ravens only scored less than 23 points once (a 20-17 win against the Niners).  2020 was much more up and down with 3 games scoring 20 or fewer points and 8 games with more than 30 points on the board.  Who know which Ravens team shows up this year.  Red sure doesn’t.  The targets are in place for LJ with Watkins, Brown and Andrews, but the running game is sketchy.  The defense was similarly inconsistent last season.  The Ravens are good enough to make the playoffs as a wild card entry, but beyond that . . .    

Pittsburgh Stealers (10-7).  One discounts the Stealers at one’s peril.  Red has made that mistake more than once.  But it really seems the window behind the Steel Curtain is closing on the Big Ben era who will be moving on to star in the remake of The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams [JB1] (get out of the way Dan Haggerty).  And in his own version of 5 Bold Predictions Red offers up this:

1. Ben Roethlisberger is old
2. Hines Ward is retired.
3. Dwayne Haskins sucks.
4. Mike Tomlin gets the boot.
5. The Steelers miss the playoffs.

Cincinnati Bengals (6-11).  Red has no ill will towards the hapless NFL franchise in southern Ohio.  The Bengals really don’t need any help in that department.  They remain in a dogfight with the Lions for the current longest playoff win drought having last had the sweet taste of playoff victory in 1991 (The Lions won a playoff game in 1992).  That’s 30 years for the math challenged out there.  Red actually does have some shoes that are older than that – a pair of cowboy boots that he purchased at Allens Boots in Austin in 1989. They have been resoled at least twice but Red thinks that those well-crafted canoes just might outlive the Bengals playoff win drought.  He will leave them in his last will and testament to Red, Jr. just in case.  To understand exactly how pathetic this 30 year streak is – all you have to do is accept the unbelievable fact that the Jaguars won a playoff game in 2018. 

 [JB1]

For nigh onto two decades, Red professed that it was spineless and cowardly to continue to pick the Patriots to win this division – and then did just that.  Since the 2002 realignment, the Pats have failed to win this division all of 3 times.  First in 2002, again in 2008 and then last season when the Bills took charge.  Throw in a bunch of NFL Championships and you have the story line for 20 years.  Conversely to real life, the more things change in the NFL the more they don’t stay the same.  Change is afoot.  It is now spineless and cowardly to pick some team other than the Patriots to win this division.

Buffalo Bills (13-4).  The latest rumors have the Bills considering a move to Austin, Texas in the event that the Greater Buffalo area does not cave in and pony up for a new stadium.  Red for one is very tired of the blackmail routinely pursued by NFL owners.  Say what you will about the Cowboys, but when they sought a home away from the Cotton Bowl in the 70s – they figured out a way to pay for it themselves and Texas Stadium was built.  Of course, Jerry Jones regressed to the norm and now sucks mightily on the taxpayers’ teats in Arlington – a city desperate to find relevance in the hinterlands between Dallas  and Fort Worth.  Red finds the idea of an NFL franchise in Austin almost laughable.  Red for one cannot see UT – Austin, Jerry Jones or professional walrus imitator Cal McNair letting an NFL team encroach upon their hallowed turf.  But enough about politics.  Red sees the Bills as a dominant franchise for at least a few more seasons.  Josh Allen is securely in the building with a new record-setting contract.   As for the schedule, it could be a lot tougher given that the Bills are a division champ.  All of the AFC East has a favorable draw in getting to play the NFC South  with potential walk-overs against Atlanta and Carolina and the AFC South which features two weak sisters in Houston and Jacksonville.   Plus Red thinks the Bills will go 5-1 in division and at least split the games against the other divisions.  That means the Bills have to pick up three wins from among Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Tennessee, Indianapolis, New Orleans, Washington and Tampa Bay.  It’s easy to see that happening and Bills fans celebrating another division title and a first round bye. 

Roster Moves: Dolphins Sign LS Rex Sunahara

Aug 06, 2021 at 11:17 AM

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The Miami Dolphins today announced that they have signed long snapper Rex Sunahara.

Sunahara joined Miami’s practice squad on Nov. 16, 2020 but was waived on July 23, 2021. He originally entered the NFL as an undrafted college free agent with Miami on Aug. 1, 2020. Sunahara was a three-year letterman (2017-19) at West Virginia, where he played in 25 career games.

Roster Moves: Dolphins Waive LS Rex Sunahara

Aug 09, 2021 at 06:02 PM

• MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The Miami Dolphins today announced that they have waived long snapper Rex Sunahara. 

Sunahara spent part of last season with the Dolphins practice squad and had multiple stints on the active roster this offseason. He originally entered the NFL as an undrafted college free agent with Miami on Aug. 1, 2020. Sunahara was a three-year letterman (2017-19) at West Virginia, where he played in 25 career games.

Miami Dolphins (9-8)   Full disclosure – Red is a Brian Flores fan.  He has basically taken a rag-tag squad often led by the redoubtable bearded one (aka Ryan Fitzpatrick) and turned them into an almost viable contender. But with Fitz decamped to the nation’s capital to play for the “Football Team”, BF will have to choose between unproven Tua Tagovailoa, Jacoby Brissett and some guy named Reid Sinnett to run the offense. Such dilemmas are why being an NFL head coach is almost worse than managing your average local Little League team.  That and having things like what is shown above  on your webpage.  It gives the average fan such a sense of confidence that the team knows what it is doing.   

New England Patriots (8-9)  If anyone thought that Bill Bellichek was going to make a graceful exit stage right, think again. With success comes hubris.  With hubris comes self-delusion. And with self-delusion comes a fall from grace.  If BB needs a lesson in how this works, Red can think of a disgraced former president to observe as he sinks deeper into the throes of denial and mendacity.  In any event, it has been clear for many seasons that the key to the Patriots dynasty was outstanding defense and special teams and a guy named Brady.  Apparently all 3 parts of the equation were needed and last season one had headed for sunny southern climes and the others were not up to par.  Well that and a dismal 2-6 record on the road – the nadir being a shocking loss to a truly pathetic Texans team in Week 11.  Combine that with a 1-3 record in non-conference play against the NFC West (beating only the Cardinals) and you get the Pats first losing season in oh-so-many years.  Sadly for Pats fans about all you can expect is to break even in 2021.  Maybe they switch places with the Dolphins for the runner-up spot and a long shot at the playoffs – but probably not.  See above photo from tryouts for new punter. Red admires the excellent form.    

New Jersey Jets  (5-12).  It is with some trepidation that Red declares – “The Jets cannot be worse than they were last season.” ESPN has ranked the Jets as the No. 2 “most improved team” behind the Jags.  That’s kind of like saying the aesthetic appeal of a turd has improved. With apologies to Mel Brooks, Red asks,  “What could possibly be worse?”  “Could be raining.”  And cue the lightning, thunder and pouring rain.  To be fair, the Jets are trying.  Seeing Darn Old Sam hit the bricks is probably a plus.  But losing at least competent WR Breshad Perriman,  tired old RB Frank Gore, 6 of the top 10 defenders (in terms of snaps played) and some others is a wash at best.  Of course all eyes are upon QB Zach Wilson, the second overall pick in the 2021 draft.  If he doesn’t get hauled off in a basket or  killed first (ala David Carr –just pick a season any old season or Patrick Mahomes in the Superb Owl), Wilson hopefully will have some time to develop into a respectable NFL QB.  He has at least one target in newly acquired WR Corey Davis.  The Jets are better but no one is going to write home about a 4-12 record. 

This person either has an interesting sense of humor or the Texas authorities are unintentionally cruel.

No. 7 See Oregon

Exhibit 1 in the Walt Disney Corp v. University of Oregon lawsuit.

No. 3 Seed Texas

Ovary and Fallopian Tubes.

No. 14 Seed Abilene Christian

They beat Red’s Longhorns and thus, get a pass.