Someone not named CJ Stroud will win OROY
CJ Stroud is having an amazing rookie campaign. And I predicted he’d be the best QB to come out of this year’s class. He looked like a slam-dunk rookie of the year, but he’s been out with an injury, and other candidates have emerged.
For the season, Stroud has an impressive statline of 3,631 passing YDs, 20-5 TD/INT, and a 98.7 QB rating. He was well on his way to a 4,000 YD season but he had an awful game against the Jets and was out last week and will be out again this weekend.
In the meantime, two other players continue to excel: a WR and a TE.
TE, Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions
LaPorta’s numbers aren’t just good compared to other rookies or TEs, they are solid against all receivers. He has caught 71 passes, with a chance to hit triple digits with three games to go. He has 758 receiving YDs with a shot to get to 1,000 YDs, and he has nine TDs, getting three last week alone. He’s currently sitting as a long shot at 80/1
WR, Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams
With Cooper Kupp out at the beginning of the season, Nacua saved the Rams. With Kupp out, Nacua was leading the league in snaps, targets and receptions. With Kupp’s return, Nacua is still in the top 10. He has 87 catches and will realistically reach 100. He has 1,163 receiving YDs which is sixth among all receivers. Although he only has four TDs and hasn’t found the endzone as much as Bijan Robinson or LaPorta, it’s still been an amazing rookie campaign. His odds are currently second behind Stroud, at 6/1.
Nobody circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills
With their convincing win last week against the Cowboys, the Bills moved up from the 11th seed to the ninth seed, in their quest to move into the playoffs. Not only are they going to make the playoffs, they are going to win the AFC East.
They are currently two games behind the Dolphins with only three games yet to play in the season. However, the face each other in Week 18. If Buffalo wins the next two games, and the Dolphins have just one hiccup in the next two weeks, that last week will be for the division. The Dolphins next two games are against the Cowboys and the Ravens…with the Baltimore game on the road. It is more than reasonable to think the Dolphins will lose at least one of the next two weeks. If that scenario plays out, all Buffalo has to do is beat Miami and they are division champs. Over a four week stretch they would have gone from the 11 seed to AFC East Champions and one of the top four seeds in the AFC.
If the Bengals miss Kansas City, they’ll be in the AFC Championship
When Joe Burrow went down everyone believed the Bengals’ season was over. They are one of the hottest teams in the league, and currently in the playoffs with the no.6 seed. If the season ended today, they would head to Kansas City to play the Chiefs. And I think that would lead to an early exit for the Bengals. However, the league is so up in the air with three weeks left in the season and these seedings are fluid. The Bengals could find themselves higher, lower or even out of the playoffs. I believe this team is for real and will hold onto one of the seven playoff spots. I also believe that other than the Chiefs, any team and any stadium they play in will result in a victory for Cincinnati. And as long as they avoid the Chiefs they will keep winning.
The Rams are going back to the Super Bowl
The Rams won Superbowl LVI. They were in Superbowl LIII, losing to the Patriots. They are one of the hottest teams in the league. Matthew Stafford is one of the hottest QBs in the league…and he’s the ONLY active QB in the NFC who has won a Super Bowl. He and the team has playoff and Super Bowl mettle. It’s hard to believe that Sean McVay is still the youngest HC in the league, but he is.
The team is healthy, with Kyren Williams and Cooper Kupp back. They have one of the hottest young WRs in rookie Puka Nacua. And they still have Aaron Donald and a strong defense. Other then the 49ers, the NFC is wide open, and I believe that the Niners can be beat. If the season ended today, the Rams would head to Detroit to play the Lions, Stafford’s former team. Would anyone be surprised if they left Detroit with a win? From there they would realistically play the Niners, and then go onto the NFC Championship. It is so important to peak at the right time in the NFL and the Rams just may be doing it. They are currently 60/1 to win it all.
The Chiefs officially have a dynasty
With that being said, despite the Chiefs issues this season I think they are championship-driven, led by their maniacal QB Patrick Mahomes, who has the same looks and drive that Tom Brady had for 20-plus seasons. It has been over two decades since a team repeated, and Mahomes is obsessed with doing it. He understands that to be considered a dynasty, they need to win two in a row, as well as give them three overall.
The NFL is wide open and especially in the AFC there isn’t a great team. The Chiefs are currently the no.3 seed which is probably where they’ll stay, although moving up isn’t out of the question. Getting into at least the second spot would assure a home game until the AFC Championship game, a place where Mahomes has been for each of the last five seasons. Can this Chiefs team be beaten on any given Sunday? Absolutely, but can they go into any AFC stadium and prevail, the answer is the same.
This Super Bowl matchup is going to be the Kansas City Chiefs vs. the Los Angeles Rams…btw, the odds of this matchup are 110/1 if you wanted to throw a few bucks on it.
