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Red’s 2026 NFL Picks – NFC North

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Red’s 2026 NFL Picks – NFC North

The old black and blue division is not so black and mostly blue these days.  Red hates picking this division more than he hates tuna salad.  These teams would do well to move to the CFL.

Green Bay –  Red goes against the majority of the pundits with this pick.  Red has lots of love for Mr. Love coming off a career year.  He has good targets in Watson, Reed and rookie Matthew Golden.  Josh Jacobs is a good workhorse back.  The defense will be challenged with Micah Parsons out for the first part of the season and what may be a somewhat shaky secondary.  Why is Red picking the Pack?  Your guess is as good as his.  Games against the Lions in late October and to close out the season could determine the Packers fate.  Red goes out on a limb to call it a 12-5 season for the Packers.

Detroit  – The Lions are the betting line favorite to win the North yet again despite tanking it last year.  Red was unimpressed with just about everything this team did last season.  After winning the division in 2023 and 2024, the Lions finished dead last in 2025.  Yeah, behind the Vikings.   Okay, the Lions were a bit more than decimated (look up the actual definition) by injuries last season.  They still have offensive standouts in Gibbs (now backed up by Isiah Pacheco), and St. Brown.  TE is a question mark.  And who could not like defense with names like DJ Wonnum and Rock Ya-Sin. The last place finish does afford the Lions a relatively easy schedule.  No other team gets to play the dregs like the Titans, Saints, Jets,  Dolphins, Giants and Cardinals. It’s easy to see six wins right there.  With a bit of luck in the division, the Lions could be looking at ten wins or more.  Red goes all in for the Lions to get a Wild Card spot at 10-7.

Chicago  – The Bears had seven 4th Quarter comebacks in 2025 – some of them being fairly wild.  The Bears also were plus 22 in the turnover department.  The odds of both of those things happening again in 2026 are pretty slim.  The Bears are also going to be overly dependent on their very strong rookie class.  That bodes well for the future, but maybe not just yet.  The Bears defense will remain the core of the team and keep them in a lot of games.  Thieneman and Elliott are on track to be very good players. Red just doesn’t see the Bears repeating.  They will fight with the Lions for the last Wild Card spot.  Bears go 10-7.

Minnesota – Red has already given the Vikings the boo bird for letting Darn Old Sam slip away and win an NFL Championship.  What is the fix?  Bringing in Kyler Murray to compete with JJ McCarthy for the starting job?  Red wonders what went into that decision.  There is no doubt that the Vikings have one of the best receiving corps in the business with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jauan Jennings and TJ Hockenson (that’s a lot of J’s).  Fantasy players have to scroll down pretty far to find Jordan Mason and Aaron Jones (yet more J’s) on the RB list.  The Vikings look like a throw to set up the run team.  That requires some to make throws.  Red doesn’t see it.  Vikings miss out at 7-10.

P.S.  If you haven’t watched a CFL game you are missing out. 

Red’s 2026 NFL Picks – NFC South

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Red’s 2025 NFL Picks – NFC South

Talk about a meaningless chore to pick what some call the NFL’s most mediocre division.  That was incorrect because last season it was the NFL’s worst division. The best thing you can say about the NFC South is that all of the teams play in the city (or state) they are named for. Red keeps this one short and not so sweet. Well here goes nothing -literally – because any team could win this division with a 7-10 record.  You laugh, but last year three teams finished with 8-9 records and Red isn’t exactly sure how many tiebreakers they had to run through to declare the Panthers as the “winner.”  Turns out it was one.  Turns out under the current format for this exercise Red must pick a division winner.  Drum roll.  Dice roll.

Carolina –  The Panthers ended 2025 with the “distinction” of being the first NFL team to twice make the playoffs with a losing record, but nonetheless acquitted themselves quite nicely in the playoffs taking the Rams down to the wire in a 34-31 loss.   The reward for winning the division is of course the first place schedule which gets the Cats matchups with the 2024 and 2025 NFL Champions in the Eagles and Seahawks.  That may be the key to not repeating as division champs.  Bryce Young is ensconced under center and his O line is good enough to give him time.  Unfortunately, Mr. Young just does not have much in the way of a supporting cast.  Defense and special teams will have to win a few games this season for the Panthers to be competitive.  Panthers wind up 7-10 and win the division once again with a losing record. 

Atlanta –  The Falcons were definitely the team no one wanted to face at the end of 2025 winning their last four in a row.  Some solace for a team that has not registered a winning season in 8 long years.  Unfortunately, it will be 9 come January 2027.  Do the Falcons have a quarterback.  Michael Penix can’t stay on the field and wasn’t very good when he was playing. So who do the Falcons turn to? – None other than Red’s 2025 Deadman of the Year – Tua Tagovailoa.  Bijan Robinson is great – no one questions that, but he cannot carry an offense by his lonesome although he certainly tried last season with 366 touches.  Drake London and Kyle Pitts are no slouches but someone has to get the rock to them.  One might feel better with a steady hand on the sidelines – but Shaky Kevin Stefanski does seem to be the answer.  Falcons are 7-10.  Are you sensing a trend here?

Tampa Bay –  The popular pick of the pundits and who is Red to disagree.  Red wonders why given the late season collapse.  The Bucs will rise and fall with Baker Mayfield.  The loss of Mike Evans is tough – he made Johnny Football look like the real deal. Red refuses to waste any more brain cells on this franchise.  Buccaneers go 7-10.  Sound familiar?

New Orleans –  The Saints also had a nice finish to the 2025 season until running into the Falcons buzz saw in Week 18.  Some view the Saints as ascendent – not exactly a tough call coming off of a sad 6-11 campaign.  Was Tyler Shough the best rookie quarterback in the league last season?  Was there another rookie quarterback worth mentioning?  Red is drawing a blank.  Pick ups of Travis Etienne and draft pick Jordyn Tyson should help with an offense that was overly dependent on Chris Olave.  The defense is hardly improved with several starters departing. On paper the Saints have the second easiest schedule in 2026 – but we know how that can turn out.   If you haven’t been to a Saints home game, you are missing out. Saints are 7-10.   Oh heck yeah!

Red’s 2026 NFL Picks – NFC West

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Red’s 2026 NFL Picks – NFC West

Red was just in San Francisco this summer.  It’s an amazing place in many respects and may have influenced his decision making. 

San Francisco –  Despite some troubles in the owner’s box, Red thinks that Niners (who play in Santa Clara) get off to a fast tart.  Red is not letting the Niners owner off the hooker anything like that for his bad boy behavior. And Red’s female readers should know that Red would never make let such stupidity influence his call girls.  This team has done a lot to vamp up the offense.  They have brought in a harlot of new players who just might not be bawd.  If Red thinks the Niners have a shot to win the whore thing, I’m not madam I?   Red is not one to make these picks and blow his strumpet for no good reason.  If you moll it over, you just might agree.   Niners cocotte a bunch of wins and finish 12-5.

Seattle – Your NFL Champions had a great 2025 and joined the multiple SB winners club.   But those champions typically fall off a bit in their subsequent seasons.  The Seahawks are no different in 2026.  There is still a lot to like about the Falconos Marinos.  The Champions have one of the youngest rosters in the league, but suffered some notable losses at running back and in the secondary.  Darn Old Sam still has reliable targets in Rashid Shaheed and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.  The defense will not be as good as the unit that had 47 sacks and caused 25 turnovers, but still should be a top-5 unit.  The Seahawks are in at 11-6.

Los Angeles –   Red has never liked the Rams and never will. Red loves LA as a city, but not its sports teams.  Let’s leave it at that. Oh yeah, and they play in Inglewood – wherever the hell that is. Adding Myles Garrett on defense is a big plus. There is nothing special about the Rams rushing attack.  Stafford seems ageless with his 46 TDs and 4707 passing yards last season, but he is entering his 18th season. Opening in Melbourne is weird and it doesn’t get much easier after that as the Rams play the Broncos Eagles and Bills in Weeks 3-5.  They get a break mid-season, but have a tough haul after their bye week with the Packers, Chiefs, Niners, Cowboys and then with two out of the last three with the Seahawks – which games will likely determine the Rams fate.   Rams miss out at 9-8.

Arizona –  Dry times in the desert are not about to change – there is no rain in sight.  As noted, every year one team rises from the ashes of the dumpster fire that was the previous season and makes the playoffs.  This is not that year for the Cardinals.  The team needed a new direction and maybe new HC Mike LaFleur can steer a new course.  No offense, but a quarterbacking corps of Jacoby Brissett, Carson Beck and Gardner Minshew probably means “no offense” – at least through the air.  This team will depend heavily on its decent set of RBs perhaps led by rookie Jeremiyah Love finding holes punched by a sub-par offensive line.  And don’t get Red started on the Cards defense.  Cardinals show some slight improvement under less incompetent leadership at 5-12. 

Red 2026 NFL Picks – AFC East

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Red’s 2026 NFL Picks –  AFC East

Red marches on to the American Football Conference – not to be confused with Lake America or the Gulf of America or any other stupidity coming out of the White House. 

Buffalo –   The Bills (who play in Orchard Park) have been a reasonably safe bet to make the playoffs for many years now.  Winning 12 games last season despite a depleted receiving corps, a lackluster defense and some turmoil at the top.  But they now have a Brady (a Joe Brady) at the helm and a new DC and a new stadium to boot.   Josh Allen is still the man until proven otherwise.  DJ Moore will help as WR.  The defense is definitely shored up with new defense backs, an edge rusher and linebacker.  On the downside, the Bills do have to play their fellow second place brethren (Rams and Texans) on the road and have relatively tough matchups playing the NFC North and less so with the AFC West.  The first game in Houston may tell a lot about how the season goes.  Fortunately for the Bills it looks like this may be the easiest division in the NFL to win in 2026.  Bills take the crown with a mediocre 10-7 record.

New England – The most overperforming team (other than the Bears) last season overperformed their way into about the most pathetic Superb Owl performance since the Vikings sad run in the olden days.  Only a late TD kept it from being a total wipeout.  Drake Maye looked overmatched and outwitted in throwing 2 INTs and being sacked 6 times.  The Pats face a much tougher road back to the playoffs this season.  In 2025, the Pats beat exactly one count ‘em one team with a winning record.  And that team – Buffalo – avenged the early season loss in week 14.  Beating the hapless Chargers, perennial second-round loser Texans and the depleted Broncos in the playoffs only led to humiliation in Santa Clara.  This season the Pats will play ten games against teams that have real playoff potential.  Of course there are 2 games against the Bills, but they also face the Stealers, Jaguars, Bears, Packers, Lions, Chiefs and Broncos.  Red calls it 9-8 for the Pats and a very narrow path to a wildcard at best.

New York  – Meet the Jets, greet the Jets, step right up and beat the Jets.  It’s 1973 and Red’s big brother Johnny “Rag Arm” Serruto is singing this at breakfast and it still holds true today.  Red really likes Geno Smith but he did lead the league in interceptions last season and has the distinct disadvantage of playing in New Jersey.  Jets are a run of the mill 8-9.

Miami  – “I’ve seen teams suck before, but they were the suckiest bunch of sucks that ever sucked.”  H. Simpson.  Red just has to quote Homer every year at some point.  Why not get it out of the way early on? It’s true that the Dophins (who do not play in Miami proper)  look like a basket case and will be lucky to eke out a 5-12 record.

Red’s 2026 NFL Picks – AFC South

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Red NFL Picks 2026 – AFC South

This is not the toughest division to call this year.  It seems  only two teams have a legitimate shot at winning this division. 

Houston – The Texans who proudly play in Houston are the favorite but not by much.  Oddsmakers have the Texans as favorites in 12 games which seems rather bold.  The Texans did have a remarkable finish to the regular season winning 9 in a row.  It looked nobody wanted to see the red hot Texans on the  opposing sideline. When the Texans handily dispatched the Chiefs on Christmas day and then annihilated the Stealers in the Wild Card game, Red though maybe just maybe.  But then came CJ Stroud’s sad showing against the Pats in Foxborough and the Texans remained a two and done playoff team at best.  The Texans benefitted from a favorable warm weather/indoor close to the regular season.  In 2026, they face a much tougher and possibly colder stretch drive with December/January games in Pittsburgh, Landover, MD, Philly and Green Bay.  Fortunately, the running game looks solid with veteran David Montgomery and Woody Marks coming off of a very nice rookie season. Receiving corps is serviceable and could be much better if deep threat speedster Tank Dell can stay on the field – or maybe even get on the field.  However, defense remains the strength of this team and HC Demeco Ryans’ core philosophy of putting together a winner.  Adding Jadeveon Clowney as a spot rusher to an already fearsome front 4 on the D line should be interesting.  The secondary is the weaker link but pressure on opposing QBs will help.  Red wishes he could be at Wembley in Week 6 to see the Jags game.  Texans are 13-4 and get to play a second round playoff game at home.

 Jacksonville – The Jags were the second hottest team to finish the 2025 season with 8 straight wins.  But a grain of salt is required as many of the 8 victims were the dregs of the league. The schedule is not quite so favorable in 2026.  The Jags play only 3 home games through Week 11 (not counting being “home” at Tottenham and Wembly) and have the unusual task of facing 3 straight road games.  This is a team with a lot of youngish playmakers and improving defense and a franchise quarterback entering what should be the prime of his career.  A tougher road probably keeps the division crown out of reach, but the Jags will be in the playoffs going 11-7.

Indianapolis –  The Colts on the other hand finished on the worst note of any team that didn’t completely suck – tanking to a 1-8 record to close out a miserable year in Hoosierville.  Daniel Jones is a perfectly capable quarterback when facing mediocre to poor defenses.  The question is can he step up against competition like the Ravens, Chiefs and Texans at the beginning of the season.  If the Colts win 2 out of those 3, the rest of the division will need to take heed.  J. Taylor is outstanding but was a bit overused with a league leading 323 carries last season out of strict necessity.  But the biggest question will be the availability of QB Daniel Jones.  The oddsmakers have the Colts win total at 7.5.  Sounds about right to Red.  He will bet on the come and call it 8-9 for the Colts.

 Tennessee – “I’ve seen teams suck before . . .”  Oh crap,  Red already used that one, but it could also be appropriate here.  But stranger things.  Red thinks the lowly Titans just might make some noise towards the end of the season.   Can Ward will be better in year two and has a new OC who may know how to use him.  The Titans defense can only get better after giving up 28 PPG in 2025.  HC Robert Saleh has worked to rebuild that sad sack outfit.  A better defense will keep the Titans in a lot of games.  Things are looking up in Nashville but almost everything is up when you have been so close to the bottom.  Titans are 6-11 and maybe just a bit better.    

Red’s 2026 NFL Picks – AFC West

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AFC West

Let’s just get on with it.  The AFC West –  Last but certainly not least.

Denver – Red really likes the Broncos chances here.  This was a team that should have been in the Superb Owl last season, but for missing Bo Nix and lackluster running game. The Broncos looked out of sync in the snowy conditions.  All the pieces are back this season.  Nix is developing behind center and the backfield is solid if certainly not spectacular.  Jaylen Waddle is a key addition to the receiving corps.  The Broncos defense was top tier and probably the main reason the team went 14-3 and surprisingly secured the top spot in the AFC – not that it did them much good in the AFC Championship game.  Yet somehow, the Broncos are not the favorite on the road in the Monday night kickoff against the Chiefs.   That game will tell a lot about both teams.  Stay tuned for Red’s Week 1 predictions.  The best team in the NFL looks likely to repeat as division champs.  Broncos are down a bit but still finish 12-5.

Los Angeles – Red has been overly solicitous of the Chargers over the years.  And they have pretty much disappointed him.  Justin Herbert is back for the 3rd season of the so far lagging Jim Harbaugh era.  New offensive and defensive coordinators could spell trouble out of the box with new schemes, but the good news is the first two games are against the Cardinals and Raiders at home in southern California.  Then comes a tough 7 week stretch traveling across the 3-time zone hex to face the Bills, up the coast to Seattle, followed by the Broncos, Chiefs, Rams, Texans and Ravens.  Even after that there are not just a whole lot of obvious wins on the schedule.  The Jets at home, then another triple time zone game in Tampa Bay, and the Raiders again.  Chargers will have to bring it and win some games against playoff teams, but 9-8 looks pretty good and maybe a peek at the playoffs.

Kansas City – All dynasties have some dips (ask any Roman emperor).  The Chiefs took a big dive last season missing the playoffs with a pathetic 6-11 campaign ending an 11 year playoff run while losing 8 of 9 down the stretch.  Mahomes was out after Week 15 and Gardner Minshew also went down, but by that point the season was practically over for the Chiefs.  Mind you, the Chiefs were 1-9 in one possession games after setting an NFL record 12 wins in such games in 2024.  But the Chiefs never really seemed that close to breaking out after an 0-2 start despite being 5-3 near the turn.  The disappointing running game will get a boost with Kenneth Walker III leaving the Seahawks and the receiving corps is adequate with perhaps a budding star in X. Worthy. The defense will benefit from some new young players like Peter Woods, but defense does not win games in KC.  Still it is hard to see too much improvement.  Red bags the Chiefs for a 9-8 finish and a close call on the tiebreaker for the last AFC playoff spot, but you just never know when Andy Reid is in charge.

Las Vegas – Vegas Baby, Vegas!  Truth be told, Red has never had much use for Las Vegas.  Everyone should see it once, but once is enough and Red has had much more than enough.  The worst team in the league last season is looking to rebuild behind Heisman Trophy winner and national champion Fernando Mendoza.  New HC Klint Kubiak also fresh of a championship season in Seattle is a good start as well. Backup QB Kirk Cousins should steady the ship. But the big question is: Can the Raiders sad sack O line keep Mendoza from having his career killed before it ever gets started? – Think David Carr in the Texans first couple of seasons.  Look for the Raiders to be the most improved team in the league in 2026, but that does not translate to much more than a mediocre 7-10 ending.

Red’s 2024 Weekly NFL Rankings – Week 17

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RED  Week 17

Red missed a lot of action last week what with the holidays, multiple family visits, overeating, and general EOY listlessness.  But he springs back into action for your final 2024 weekly ranking because after this week it’s the playoffs and none of this will matter. 

  1. Kansas City Chiefs (15-1).  Not quite as dramatic this week.  Who will sit for the meaningless game against the Broncos?
  2. Minnesota Vikings (14-2).  Turns out Darn Old Sam has the Vikings on the verge of a top finish in the NFC and a 1st round bye.  The Lions may have something to say about that.
  3. Buffalo Bills (13-3).  Nobody wants to play the Bills in the playoffs – well, except for maybe the Chiefs.
  4. Detroit Lions (14-2).  Did not look impressive in eking out a win over the more or less hapless 49ers on Monday.  The defense has to play better or it could be one and done for the Cats. This week against the Vikings is a must win heading into the playoffs for the Lions to prove they’ve got the stuff. (with apologies to Cheech and Chong).
  5. Philadelphia Eagles (13-3).  Who needs Jalen Hurts against the hapless Cowboys?  Certainly not the Eagles.  But they may need Kenny Pickett this week.  Eagles fans should be pleading “please, please, please do not let Saquon Barkly play even if the single season rushing record is within reach.”
  6. Baltimore Ravens (11-5).  Outscoring their opponents by a 3 to 1 mark over the last 3 games is something you might call an indication of the havoc the Ravens could wreak as a lower seed in the playoffs.  The Texans are the likely first fodder on the route to an AFC championship game.
  7. Washington Commanders (11-5).  The Commanders could win 12 games.  The Commanders could win 12 games.  The Commanders  could win . . .  No matter how many times he says it, Red still can’t believe it.
  8. Los Angeles Chargers (10-6).  Chargers could make some noise, but realistically they are the 4th best team in the AFC.  But it’s a funny game with an oddly shaped ball.
  9. Green Bay Packers (11-5).  Red sees the Packers, packing it in, packing their bags and heading home in the first round.
  10. Pittsburgh Stealers (10-6).  Hopefully, the Stealers are happy just to be in the playoffs because not much else has gone right lately with three losses in a row against the better competition. And there is only better competition in the playoffs.
  11. Los Angeles Rams (10-6).  It looked very unlikely at the mid point of the season and even less so after a 1-4 start, but the Rams are in.  The offense has not been clicking for 3 weeks, but that could change.  
  12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7).  Maybe?
  13. Denver Broncos (9-7).  The Broncos may catch the Chiefs during a bye week for the big stars which could put the Broncos into the playoffs just in time to get stomped by a real team.
  14. Cincinnati Bengals (8-8).  A hard luck season deserves a fairy tale ending.  But fairy tales are just that.
  15. Houston Texans (9-7).  When Tank Dell went out, the lights went out in Houston.  C.J. Stroud has struggled down the stretch. Among the many ugly losses in franchise history, the utter ass-whomping the Ravens gave them on Christmas day has to rank way up there. A playoff win would be miraculous at this point.  
  16. Seattle Seahawks (9-7).  Are better than some teams playing in the postseason.  The inexplicable loss to the Giants early on has the Hawks at home for the new year.
  17. Miami Dolphins (8-8).  It just doesn’t appear that Tua will ever stay healthy enough to pull this team through.
  18. Atlanta Falcons (8-8).  They’re not dead yet!
  19. Arizona Cardinals (7-9)  Is anyone really surprised the Cards tanked?
  20. San Francisco 49ers (6-10).  Game until the end, but the end is nigh. Well about half past nigh anyway.
  21. Indianapolis Colts (7-9).  Defense let them down time and time again this season. And for the last time against the Giants?  Ugh. Oh wait, there is another game in which the Colts D can still suck.
  22. New Orleans Saints (5-11).  Will get to watch the Superb Owl from the comfort of Bourbon St. Drink up boys!
  23. Dallas Cowboys (7-9).  If you think having Dak back is going to lead this team out of the wilderness next season, well you have another think coming.  Red just wishes he could rank the Cowboys lower than this, but he is a fair man.  Not a good man, but a fair man.
  24. Carolina Panthers (4-12).  Are you still reading? What is your problem?
  25. Las Vegas Raiders (4-12).  The parade of 4-12 teams continues.
  26. Chicago Bears (4-12).  Not the worst of the 4-12 teams is damning with faint praise.
  27. New York Jets (4-12).  Aaron Rodgers is not the most sacked QB of all time.  So the Jets have that going for them.
  28. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-12).  The only way is up from this season.  There are some reasons for hope in Brian Thomas, Jr. and the return of Trevor Lawrence. And they play in a shit division.
  29. New York Giants (3-13).  Red would really have liked to rank the Giants last, but they are such a disappointment to him – what with winning a game and all.
  30. Cleveland Browns (3-13).  Another year, another shitty Browns season.
  31. Tennessee Titans (3-13).  If you don’t have anything nice to say – you probably should be apply to be a bloviator on ESPN.
  32. New England Patriots (3-13).  Even Red is surprised that the Pats are the laughing stock of the league. But he’s still laughing.

Red’s 2024 Weekly NFL Rankings – Week 15

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There is a lot of complaining about the MNF double-headers this season. To be fair, no one complained much when there was only one double-header on opening weekend. But this year, there will be four – capped off in week 15 starting with the Bears at the Vikings and followed 30 minutes later by the Falcons at the Raiders. Red doesn’t know about you, but maybe one of these two games might actually offer some excitement. Red isn’t holding his breath.

On to more important things.

  1. Detroit Lions (12-1) – It took a lot to beat the Packers, but beat them they did.
  2. Kansas City Chiefs (12-1) Running out of different ways to win games on the last play.
  3. Philadelphia Eagles (11-2) Beating all comers right now. That is, if the Panthers rate as a “comer.”
  4. Minnesota Vikings (11-2) Red hasn’t believed. Red may be wrong.
  5. Pittsburgh Stealers (10-3) Stealers have not won in Philadelphia since 1965. LBJ was president and the Vietnam War was heating up. LBJ is dead. Vietnam is more or less an ally and the Stealers will have to wait another 8 years.
  6. Buffalo Bills (10-3) Josh Allen is the first player in NFL history to rush for 3 touchdowns and throw for 3 touchdowns in a single game – and yet it wasn’t enough. Bills defense is cratering.
  7. Green Bay Packers (9-4) Losing the close games to good teams does not bode well for a playoff run.
  8. Baltimore Ravens (8-5) Oh how the mighty have fallen. Edgar, Allan and Poe are ready to shout “Nevermore.”
  9. Los Angeles Chargers (8-5) Ignore the Chargers at your peril.
  10. Seattle Seahawks (8-5) Four wins in a row. The hottest team not named the Lions, Chiefs or Eagles.
  11. Denver Broncos (8-5) Continuing to surprise Red – and most of the league.
  12. Washington Commanders (8-5) Favorable schedule down the stretch has this team on the inside track for a wild card spot.
  13. Los Angeles Rams (7-6) Matthew Stafford is 11-1 in December since moving to the west coast.
  14. Houston Texans (8-5) Since stomping the Cowboys, the Texans have been decidedly mediocre.
  15. Tampa Buccaneers (7-6) Control their fate in the weak NFC South.
  16. Arizona Cardinals (6-7) What has happened to Marvin Jr.?
  17. San Francisco 49ers (6-7) Their injury list would make a grown man weep.
  18. Indianapolis Colts (6-7) Every game is now a playoff game for the Colts.
  19. Atlanta Falcons (6-7) Every other game is now a playoff game for the Falcons.
  20. Cincinnati Bengals (5-8) “If I only had a defense” – a new verse for the Wizard of Oz classic song.
  21. Miami Dolphins (6-7) Maybe?
  22. New Orleans Saints (5-8) Maybe not.
  23. Chicago Bears (4-9) Definitely not.
  24. Dallas Cowboys (5-8) Red predicts a 1-3 finish for the team in Arlington. Will they ever win a home game?
  25. Carolina Panthers (3-10) Red can say this, the Panthers are the best 3-10 team in the NFL.
  26. Cleveland Browns (3-10) At least they are entertaining.
  27. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-10) The Jaguars have won 3 games? Was Red asleep?
  28. Tennesee Titans (3-10) The AFC South has more than its fair share of 3-10 teams.
  29. New York Jets (3-10) Maybe 3-10 is the new parity?
  30. New England Patriots (3-10) Yep.
  31. New York Giants (2-11) Sad times in the Big A.
  32. Las Vegas Raiders (2-11) Red is not betting on the come.

Red’s 2024 NFL Preseason Picks Returns and the Dead Man of the Year Award

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Red has been missing in action for quite some time now.  Normally the season recap goes here, but it is hard to recap a season that you sat out.  However, a hurricane and a bout of COVID have convinced Red to get off of his duff and start embarrassing himself with NFL predictions yet again. 

But first, the Annual (sort of) version of Red’s NFL Deadman of the Year Award.  As readers may (or may not) remember, this award goes to the NFL player who contributed about as much to his team’s success as would have a Dead Man.

Drum Roll please.

Readers should first note, however,  that  injury does not factor in to the official Dead Man rankings.  Thus for example, as much as you might want Red to consider the utterly miserable season of – say – Aaron Rodgers – the fact that he finished the season with one pass attempt, no completions, no yardage and one sack would otherwise qualify him for consideration. But the fact that this was all due to injury puts A-Rodg out of contention.   See also, JK Dobbins,  Nick Chubb, Deshaun Watson,  Jack Conklin and others.

There were some worthy candidates.  Players like Michael Gallup (Cowboys), Dameon Pierce (Texans), Bryce Young (Panthers), Jerry Jeudy (Broncos) and Derek Carr (Saints) come to mind, but they all did something that barely contributed to the success of their team.  So we look elsewhere.

And where else to look but to the franchise that was in very recent memory the standard by which all others were judged.  That of course means the New England Patriots.  After leading the Pats to a 10-7 season in his rookie year and then falling off considerably in 2022, Quarterback Mac Jones was nothing short of dreadful last season.  He was benched in week 4 in a 38-3 loss to the Cowboys.  Given another chance in week 5 he was benched in a 34-0 loss to the mediocre Saints.  He would get yanked again in week 10 in a slightly more respectable 10-6 loss to the Colts, before his season finally ended a week 11 loss to the Giants (10-7) with redoubtable Bailey Zappe taking the helm.  Jones would not play in another game and was inactive for the season finale. The high point Mac’s season was a rather inexplicable 29-25 win against the Bills.  Overall, Jones lost 9 of his 11 starts, ended with 12 INTs and 10 TDs, had one 300 yard passing game (week 1) and passed for under 200 yards 5 times.  After week one, he had a meager 7 more TD tosses in the next 10 games.  On the bright side he only fumbled 3 times. How all of this added up to a 77.0 QB rating is something of a mystery to Red.  

CONGRATULATIONS (or condolences) – Mac Jones you are Red’s 2023 NFL Deadman of the Year.

P.S.  I hear that Jacksonville is lovely in the Fall.   

Paxton Declares Daily Fantasy Football to be Illegal Gambling

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Embattled Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton threw down the gauntlet on another front on Tuesday when he issued a non-binding opinion declaring daily fantasy football to be illegal gambling as defined under Texas law.  Paxton’s office issued an opinion in response to a request from Rep. Myra Crownover asking whether daily fantasy leagues such as DraftKings and FanDuel were illegal, and whether fantasy sports leagues where the house does not take a rake and the participants wager only among themselves are legal.

The issue turns on the application of Chapter 47 of the Texas Penal Code which prohibits betting on the outcome of sports games or contests or the performance of a participant in a game or contest.  The crux of Paxton’s opinions revolves around the question of whether participating in a commercial daily fantasy league constitutes a bet.   Paxton concludes that because there is an element of chance in those games, then regardless of the skill level involved in picking particular players, participants are placing a bet when they participate in fantasy football.  Therefore, Paxton concludes that commercial daily fantasy football is illegal gambling in Texas.

With respect to the more traditional season-long fantasy leagues where the participants are betting against each other and the house does not take a rake, Paxton concludes that such leagues fall under an exception to the illegal gambling laws.

“Under this statutory framework, odds are favorable that a court would conclude that participation in paid daily fantasy sports leagues constitutes illegal gambling, but that participation in traditional fantasy sport leagues that occurs in a private place where no person receives any economic benefit other than personal winnings and the risks of winning or losing are the same for all participants does not involve illegal gambling.”

In other words, Paxton is going long on the courts finding that your friendly workplace fantasy football league is okay.  Red predicts that this non-binding decision – more than his other well-documented legal problems – will hurt Paxton’s chances for re-election.