New York Jets left tackle Mekhi Becton is expected to miss four-to-six weeks after injuring his knee in Week 1, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.Becton will undergo arthroscopic surgery to clean up damaged cartilage, according to Schefter. The 22-year-old also dislocated his kneecap, sources told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.The blindside protector was carted off the field during the third quarter versus the Carolina Panthers. He appeared emotional while riding off, prompting fear Becton may have suffered a season-ending injury.Becton was a bright spot for the lowly Jets last year as a rookie, though there were concerns about his fitness level throughout the offseason and into training camp prior to the 2021 campaign.Jets safety Lamarcus Joyner also suffered an injury during the club's opener. He's expected to miss the rest of the season with a torn tendon in his arm that requires surgery, reports SNY's Ralph Vacchiano.The Jets will take an 0-1 record into Week 2 after they fell to the Panthers.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

NFL Sundays are back, giving us the opportunity to ritualistically cover ourselves in combinations of Cheeto dust, pizza sauce, and beverage splatter after reacting to officiating injustices.Before we turn the page to Week 2 and our next ritual - overreacting to one game - let's see which squads actually deserve a bump up or down in our team ratings.The Browns deserved betterBaker Mayfield and his crew came out hot, stayed hot, and for the second straight game dating back to the playoffs last January, the Browns almost pulled off the upset at Arrowhead against the Chiefs.Based on some of the advanced metrics and a pair of 12-point leads, Cleveland should have won this game by double digits. As a result, I'm moving the Browns up from 70 to 75 (out of 100) in my ratings even after a loss. I have them as 12.8 points better than the Texans next week.The Saints' demise was greatly exaggeratedHere's a two-birds-with-one-stone situation after we were all over this one last week, calling Packers-Saints the upset of Week 1.I'm leaving the Packers at 65/100 because they weren't high to begin with. Meanwhile, the Saints' 38-3 win showed Jameis Winston is in a better system for him, but that's only if the team's rushing offense dominates, and New Orleans rushed for 171 yards on Sunday. Since my hunch was correct for one day, I'll move the Saints up to 65, too.Saying these teams should be a pick 'em on a neutral field is more palatable now for the public than it was last week. However, even with the upgrade, I only have the Saints at -1.6 in Carolina for Week 2.Kyler Murray does Kyler Murray thingsThe Cardinals quarterback reminded us how electric he can be while leading an offense that averaged 6.2 yards per play, but how well Arizona's defense handled the Titans surprised me more.Generating three turnovers, six sacks, and allowing only 3.9 yards per play was better than I expected from the Cardinals defensively. Moving them up to 63/100 might not be high enough, but I'll need to see Arizona perform well for one more week at least before losing my mind. That's why they're only 3.2 points better than Minnesota at home in Week 2.Like the Packers, I was low on the Titans to start the season, so there's not a big adjustment to be made.Break up the Texans!Houston's front office has been trying to break up the Texans, and I'll be darned if the club's executives didn't go out and make this team functional.Tyrod Taylor showed what a veteran quarterback can do while making mostly simple plays against the Jaguars, and Brandin Cooks was able to secure the ball when the passer occasionally went for something big. The Jaguars as 3.5-point road favorites was never a sensible idea, so we're not going wild here following Houston's 37-21 win. But even "meh" is a pretty big upgrade after how most people rated the Texans rated prior to Week 1. Let's bump them up to 30/100 alongside the likes of the Lions, Jets, and, yes, the Jags.The apple doesn't fall far from Anthony LynnOr Mike McCoy, or Norv Turner. A new head coach in Brandon Staley hasn't fixed the sloppy, silly, and lazy plays that have plagued the Chargers for years, causing potentially easy wins to get super weird. A nondescript game against the Washington Football Team should have been simple, but although they still won, the Chargers did things like not jump on loose fumbles, take drive-extending defensive penalties, and other mistakes not shown in the box score.Lynn deserves lots of blame for the club's recent bad record in one-score games, but there's still plenty of work ahead for Staley. Escaping the DMV with a one-score win was more impressive than getting out of your local DMV in under an hour.If it weren't for their trademark miscues, the Chargers would be worthy of a bump up from 65/100 because Justin Herbert is still awesome. But I have them 2.2 points better than Dallas for Week 2.Oh, the Falcons are baaaaad, badEagles fans won't like hearing this, but their team's comfy 32-6 win was more so a product of the Falcons' sheer ineptitude. That's why the Eagles stay at 45/100, even after impressive play along both lines.Many excuses are made for Matt Ryan, but how many coaches must we blame for the Falcons' red-zone incompetence before putting it on Ryan's shoulders? Of course, the dirtiest of birds eventually just didn't even get to the red zone, which was a bigger issue for apparent offensive guru Arthur Smith.Atlanta is heading toward a league-bottom rating at a generous 38/100. I have the Falcons 12.1 points worse than the Buccaneers next week.Matt Russell is a betting writer for theScore. If there’s a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on twitter @mrussauthentic.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Sunday Rundown recaps the most important developments from the day's action and examines the significance of them moving forward.Cardinals fly out of the chute Wesley Hitt / Getty Images Sport / GettyThe Arizona Cardinals' front seven absolutely destroyed the Tennessee Titans' offensive line. The Cardinals pressured quarterback Ryan Tannehill on 41.5% of his dropbacks, per Next Gen Stats, with edge rusher Chandler Jones totaling seven pressures and five sacks on 28 pass rushes. Two of Jones' pressures caused lost fumbles. Defensive ends Zach Allen and J.J. Watt also chipped in with four pressures.Quarterback Kyler Murray looked a lot like he did before injuring his shoulder in Week 11 last season. On throws of 10 or more air yards, he was 8 of 16 for 151 yards and three touchdowns. The Cardinals were 7-for-13 on third down. They had three TD drives covering 75 yards or more.The NFC West is the league's best division. It's true the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers, and Los Angeles Rams all have recent playoff pedigrees, but the Cardinals just served notice that perhaps they shouldn't be overlooked, either.What happened to the Titans’ offense?With Ryan Tannehill, Derrick Henry, and A.J. Brown already in the fold, the Titans traded for Julio Jones this offseason, setting themselves up to have one of the league’s most prolific offenses. Then came Sunday’s season-opening face-plant against the Cardinals.The Titans couldn’t run the ball - Henry averaged just 3.4 yards on 17 carries - and couldn’t protect Tannehill. They averaged 3.9 yards per play. By the time Tennessee orchestrated its first scoring drive, it was down 17-0.If there's one reason to doubt this offense, it's the presence of offensive coordinator Todd Downing, who was promoted from tight ends coach after Arthur Smith got the head coaching gig in Atlanta. Smith was credited with cooking up a creative scheme that revived Tannehill's career and finally got the most out of Henry. Downing's only experience as a coordinator came in 2017 with the Raiders, when the unit he ran slipped from seventh in offensive DVOA to 13th, with the passing offense falling from sixth to 13th.There are still 16 games to play, so there’s no reason to write off Downing. Given all the skillful personnel at his disposal, there’s every reason to expect things will get better. If that doesn’t happen, though, it will certainly be a tremendous disappointment and wasted opportunity.Jameis Winston did what? James Gilbert / Getty Images Sport / GettyThe New Orleans Saints dismantled the Green Bay Packers 38-3. Jameis Winston posted a sterling EPA/dropback of 0.85 and five TD passes, while Aaron Rodgers lumbered to an EPA/dropback of minus-0.43 without reaching the end zone. Just as everyone expected.Winston's high-risk/high-reward style figured to be quite the contrast from the conservative, efficient approach Drew Brees played with in recent years. But under Sean Payton's tutelage, Winston played within himself and attempted just two deep throws, per Next Gen Stats. He also led scoring drives on six of New Orleans' first seven possessions, with two of them stretching on for 15 plays. The Winston we last saw tossing 30 interceptions two years ago also didn't throw a single pick in this one. That's exactly the kind of style the Saints want him to play.Not the best debut for Josh AllenJosh Allen wasn't awful in the Buffalo Bills' loss to the Steelers, but his play more closely resembled what he produced earlier in his career rather than the 2020 version of himself. It's because of that one year, when he propelled the Bills to the AFC title game, that he earned himself a ginormous contract.Allen didn't turn the ball over, but his EPA/dropback was minus-0.12. Perhaps more worryingly, his completion percentage over expected - a Next Gen stat that measures accuracy - was minus-7.1. For comparison's sake, Allen's xCOMP differential in 2019 was minus-3.7. His rookie year, it was minus-7.7.On the bright side, Allen was facing one of the league's best defenses, including a Steelers pass rush that generated lots of pressure without blitzing (T.J. Watt is worth every penny, and the Steelers may have found a steal by landing Melvin Ingram). The Bills also had a punt blocked for a TD and called a bizarre option pitch that got blown up on fourth-and-1 near midfield. None of that was Allen's fault.Long story short, please don't panic about Josh Allen yet.Welcome to L.A., Matthew Stafford Ronald Martinez / Getty Images Sport / GettyIf anyone's still wondering why the Los Angeles Rams traded for Matthew Stafford, Sunday night's bashing of the Chicago Bears tells you all you need to know.Freed from a decade-plus purgatory in Detroit and operating in Sean McVay's whizbang scheme while surrounded by gobs of talent, Stafford was dang-near perfect: 20 of 26 for 321 yards, three touchdown passes, zero interceptions, and a sizzling 0.61 EPA/dropback.Stafford was pressured just four times on 27 dropbacks, and his xCOMP differential was a robust 9.7%, per Next Gen Stats. Stafford did a lot with designed rollouts and used play-action on 29.6% of his throws - a marked change, since he had only play-faked 23.7% of the time last season with the Lions, per PFF. Stafford's 56-yard touchdown pass to Cooper Kupp was schemed so open that no defender was within 11 yards of the wideout when he caught the ball. Things were that easy.It's only one game, naturally, but by all indications, Stafford is exactly the kind of quarterback McVay and the Rams needed to get this offense humming again.Cam Newton to Washington, maybe?With Ryan Fitzpatrick's hip injury appearing to be "serious," according to NFL Media's Ian Rapaport, the Newton-to-Washington rumors ought to kick into overdrive.Washington let Taylor Heinicke finish the loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, and it also has Kyle Allen on the roster. Even at 32 with all that wear and tear on his body, Newton has to be a better option. There's also the connection Newton has to Washington head coach Ron Rivera, who coached the quarterback for nine seasons with the Carolina Panthers.Then again, even after Newton was released by the Panthers last year, Washington made no effort to sign him. Nor did Washington bring in Newton after the New England Patriots cut him two weeks ago. But if the losses start piling up - starting with Thursday night's home date against the New York Giants - Washington might have to do something. That defense is too good to have to work around such a huge hole at the game's most important position.How the rookie QBs fared Carmen Mandato / Getty Images Sport / GettyHere are the stat lines for Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, and Mac Jones, who all made their first career start in their first career NFL games. Yes, Trey Lance got into the contest for the San Francisco 49ers and even threw a TD pass on his lone attempt, and Justin Fields ran for a score in the Bears' loss to the Rams, but both quarterbacks were used sparingly in situational spot duty. So let's just stick with the dudes who started on this one.Lawrence: 28-for-51, 332 yards, 3 TDs, 3 INTs, 6.5 yards per attempt, minus-0.07 EPA/dropbackWilson: 20-for-37, 258 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT, 7.0 YPA, minus-0.14 EPA/dropbackJones: 29-for-39, 281 yards, 1 TD, 7.2 YPA, 0.15 EPA/dropbackAll three rookies lost.Lawrence's Jacksonville Jaguars looked completely wayward while getting blown out by the lowly Houston Texans, while Wilson began to find a bit of a groove after getting knocked around early and dealing with multiple drops. Jones marched the Patriots into the red zone with a little more than three minutes to play, only to have running back Damien Harris fumble.Next week, Lawrence faces off against the Denver Broncos and their solid defense, while Wilson and Jones go at it for the first time in the New York Jets' home opener.Oh, BakerJust as he always is, Patrick Mahomes was sensational in bringing the Kansas City Chiefs back to defeat the Cleveland Browns, even if Browns punter Jamie Gillan gift-wrapped what became the game-winning drive by muffing a punt deep in the Browns' own territory.But this game was a chance for Baker Mayfield, who has yet to sign a second contract with two years remaining on his rookie deal, to prove he's worth the $40-million annual price tag the league's top quarterbacks are getting.And he came close! All game long, Mayfield was fantastic. He staked the Browns to leads of 15-3 and 29-20, and he finished with a robust EPA/dropback of 0.31. Cleveland also was stung by Nick Chubb's third-quarter fumble after the Chiefs pulled within 22-17.But when he had a chance to orchestrate his own game-winning drive once Cleveland got the ball back at its own 17 with 2:49 to play, Mayfield maneuvered the Browns to midfield before tossing a backbreaking interception on first-and-10.There's no shame in losing a close game on the road to the Chiefs, of course, and the Browns figure to be contenders in the AFC. But if they're going to win the AFC North and get to the Super Bowl, they're going to need Mayfield to make enough plays to lift the offense. Sunday was his first chance and it didn't work out, but it won't be his last - and Mayfield's got a lot of money potentially riding on that.The Lions are what Dan Campbell said they were NurPhoto / NurPhoto / GettyCampbell, the overexcited new Lions coach, has a rebuilding team with a long way to go.But Campbell promised they'd be motivated and they'd compete, and in Sunday's loss to the 49ers, the team demonstrated exactly that. Detroit trailed 38-10 but got back to within one score and even had the ball just outside the red zone when their final drive stalled out.Campbell's Lions didn't bite off anyone's kneecaps, but for one week, the metaphor did make a certain kind of sense.Jalen Hurts has a dazzling startOK, so the Philadelphia Eagles had a junior varsity tuneup against the Atlanta Falcons. And, OK, the Eagles are another team in the midst of a rebuild that likely won't get finished this year. But this season does offer a chance for second-year quarterback Jalen Hurts to prove he's capable of leading the franchise, and Sunday went about as well as the Eagles could have hoped.Hurts flashed a lot of legit two-way ability. He threw for 264 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions. He also rushed for 62 yards on seven carries. He completed passes to seven different receivers, with Devonta Smith and Jalen Reagor combining for 12 catches, 120 yards, and two touchdowns. Hurts' EPA/dropback was a rock-solid 0.30.Tougher times are yet to come, but this was an ideal way to start the post-Carson Wentz era.Dom Cosentino is a senior features writer at theScore.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New Orleans Saints scored one of the more shocking outcomes of the NFL's opening weekend, blowing out the Green Bay Packers 38-3 in a home game held in Jacksonville after Hurricane Ida hit Louisiana in late August.The Saints dedicated their performance to their hometown supporters."That was for the city. Shoutout to the city of New Orleans. We did that for them," Saints quarterback Jameis Winston said postgame. "We knew how much it would mean to get a great victory for that region, they've been through so much."Hurricane Ida has resulted in 26 deaths as of last week. The storm left more than 1 million people without power, including all of New Orleans, when it made landfall Aug. 29. Many area residents still don't have water and/or electricity.Though the Saints couldn't play their season opener at the Caesars Superdome, they hoped to make those in New Orleans proud with their Week 1 win."For us to be able to celebrate this victory with them, it's just hats off to them for their resilience," Winston said of the fans. "Because they motivated us, they inspired us to (go) out there and ball."The Saints' next two games will come on the road against the Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots. They're scheduled to return home to face the New York Giants on Oct. 3.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

After an offseason of drama surrounding Aaron Rodgers, the Green Bay Packers' 2021 campaign got off to a nightmare start Sunday.The Packers were blown out by the New Orleans Saints 38-3, with Rodgers throwing two interceptions for the first time since Week 5 of last season and zero touchdowns.The reigning MVP admitted Green Bay was overconfident going into the Week 1 matchup."We probably felt like we were going to go up and down the field today on whoever was out there, and that didn't happen," said Rodgers, according to Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.He added: "We played bad. I played bad," according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic.Rodgers completed just 15 of 28 passes for 133 yards and posted a 36.8 passer rating. Meanwhile, Jameis Winston starred in his first start for the Saints, throwing five touchdown passes with no turnovers.Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur echoed his quarterback, saying New Orleans "absolutely embarrassed us today.""The positive is it's a long season," said LaFleur.The Packers, who went 13-3 in 2020 and lost in the NFC Championship Game for the second straight year, entered the season as one of the Super Bowl favorites in what could be Rodgers' final campaign in Green Bay.The quarterback's frustrations with the front office and questions about his future dominated the NFL's offseason. Rodgers stayed away from the team during mandatory OTAs before agreeing to a reworked deal on the eve of training camp.The Packers promised to evaluate the veteran's situation after the campaign. Rodgers will reportedly be a trade candidate next offseason, with the Denver Broncos again a prime candidate to acquire the future Hall of Famer.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New Orleans Saints and cornerback Marshon Lattimore agreed to a five-year, $97.6-million extension that could be worth up to $100 million, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.The deal contains $68.3 million in total guarantees and a cornerback-record $44 million in guarantees at signing, sources told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.Lattimore's new-money average of $19.52 million ranks second among cornerbacks in the NFL. Los Angeles Rams star Jalen Ramsey tops the position after signing a five-year, $100-million contract last year.The 25-year-old Lattimore was in the final season of his rookie contract. He was set to earn $10.244 million.The cornerback suffered a thumb injury in Sunday's win over the Green Bay Packers and will undergo surgery, a source told Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio. He is considered week-to-week, according to Rapoport.Lattimore has established himself as one of the cornerstones of New Orleans' defense since being selected with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. He won Defensive Rookie of the Year and has been named to three Pro Bowls, including the last two seasons.The defender racked up two interceptions, 11 pass defenses, and 62 total tackles in 2020.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Jerry Jeudy was carted off the field with an ankle injury during the third quarter of Sunday's 27-13 victory against the New York Giants and didn't return.Head coach Vic Fangio said postgame Jeudy suffered a high ankle sprain, adding the wideout will miss time but is expected to return at some point this season, according to Zac Stevens of DNVR.The 22-year-old pass-catcher sustained the injury after a big catch that set up a touchdown moments later.

Washington Football Team quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick suffered a right hip injury in the second quarter of Sunday's 20-16 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers and didn't return to the game.It's believed Fitzpatrick sustained a hip subluxation, sources told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. He'll reportedly have an MRI on Monday to determine the severity of the ailment.The veteran passer sustained the injury when he took a hit from Chargers linebacker Uchenna Nwosu.

Chandler Jones asked the Arizona Cardinals for a new contract in the offseason, and he showed them why in Week 1.The former All-Pro edge rusher recorded five sacks and two forced fumbles Sunday, helping Arizona coast to a 38-13 victory over the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.Jones reportedly requested a trade from the Cardinals after they refused his contract requests, and Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill was the apparent victim of his frustrations in the season opener.The 31-year-old posted his second career game of four or more sacks and two-plus forced fumbles, becoming the only player to accomplish the feat multiple times within the last 20 years, per NFL Research.Jones had the home crowd booing Titans left tackle Taylor Lewan at one point when the star lineman returned from a brief bout with cramps.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said he fears cornerback Jason Verrett suffered a torn ACL in Sunday's 41-33 win over the Detroit Lions, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN."It's crushing," said Shanahan.Verrett has dealt with injuries throughout his career, finishing five of his seven previous seasons on injured reserve. But the veteran was able to stay healthy all of last year and became a key piece of the 49ers' secondary.Shanahan suggested San Francisco will explore a reunion with cornerback Richard Sherman, who is a free agent after spending the last three campaigns with the NFC West club."We've discussed it," said Shanahan, according to Chris Biderman of the Sacramento Bee. "I've talked to Sherman, too. It's always a possibility."Shanahan also said the team believes running back Raheem Mostert, who also left the Week 1 game with a knee injury, didn't suffer a torn ACL, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. Mostert will undergo an MRI later Sunday.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. won't be active Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs, according to Nate Ulrich of Akron Beacon Journal.Beckham, who suffered a torn ACL last October, was considered a game-time decision prior to Cleveland's season opener. He didn't participate in any preseason games and has been limited at practice.The 28-year-old is entering his third season in Cleveland after spending his first five NFL campaigns with the New York Giants. He topped 70 catches and 1,000 receiving yards in his first year with the Browns but was limited to 23 receptions for 319 yards and three scores through seven appearances in 2020.Wide receivers Jarvis Landry, Donovan Peoples-Jones, and Rashard Higgins, and tight end Austin Hooper will be quarterback Baker Mayfield's main passing weapons in Beckham's absence against the Chiefs.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Two of the league's best quarterbacks could be changing addresses next season.Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Seattle Seahawks signal-caller Russell Wilson could both be playing their last seasons with their respective teams in 2021, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.Both players recently mended fences with their respective franchises, but there reportedly remains potential for their ousters.In renegotiating Rodgers' contract to get him to attend training camp this summer, the Packers agreed to explore trade options for the 37-year-old after the season, Rapoport notes."I am told the Denver Broncos - who would have been interested this past offseason - remain interested and could try to trade for Rodgers and make a substantial offer after this season," Rapoport said on "NFL GameDay" on Sunday. "They have not yet committed to a long-term quarterback."The Broncos traded for passer Teddy Bridgewater before April's draft and will start the veteran over Drew Lock. Bridgewater is signed for $11.499 million for the 2021 season.Rodgers said in August he had thought the 2020 season would be his last with Green Bay and that he considered retiring if the Packers didn't trade him before the 2021 campaign.Wilson, meanwhile, had a turbulent offseason with the Seahawks. He publicly voiced his frustration with the franchise and the number of hits he's taken throughout his eight-year tenure with Seattle. His agent later revealed four teams for which Wilson would waive his no-trade clause.The 32-year-old has since raved about his growing rapport with new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, but Rapoport reports nothing is settled yet."It is clear it is a make-or-break year for Seattle ... if things go well, Wilson could end up finishing his career in Seattle," Rapoport said. "If not, they could look to trade him after the season."Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Cleveland Browns receiver Odell Beckham Jr. will be a game-time decision for his team's Week 1 matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs."We'll let you know 90 minutes before the game," Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said of Beckham's Week 1 status Friday, according to ESPN's Jake Trotter.The 28-year-old wideout suffered a torn ACL last October. He's been limited in practice all week, and the Browns will wait to see how he feels during pregame warmups before determining his availability, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.Beckham hasn't had any contact all summer, according to Schefter, and didn't participate in any preseason games.Beckham is entering his third season with the Browns. He recorded 74 catches for 1,035 yards and four touchdowns in 2019, and he had 23 grabs for 319 yards and three scores in seven games before his injury last year.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The San Francisco 49ers may have had their eyes on Mac Jones at some point this offseason, after all.Concern that the New England Patriots could move up for Jones was one of the many factors that prompted the 49ers to trade up to the No. 3 spot in this year's draft, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports.The 49ers were reportedly wary about the relationship between Bill Belichick and Jones' former college coach Nick Saban. San Francisco also apparently knew New England was scouting quarterbacks and believed Jones was the passer the team had in its sights.San Francisco aimed to find a franchise quarterback in this year's draft and eyed multiple candidates. The club eventually traded three first-round picks to the Miami Dolphins to climb to No. 3 and secure the quarterback of its liking.Speculation about the 49ers' interest in Jones was rampant ahead of the draft, but the club ultimately selected quarterback Trey Lance. Jones, meanwhile, slid to the Patriots at No. 15.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Carolina Panthers nearly had a deal in place to acquire Matthew Stafford from the Detroit Lions before the quarterback stepped in and told his former team he wanted to join the Los Angeles Rams, sources told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.The Panthers reportedly moved aggressively to land Stafford in late January, offering the Lions a first-round pick and quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. Many involved in trade talks assumed the Panthers would eventually acquire Stafford, Rapoport adds.Stafford's initial choices for a new team reportedly included the Rams, Indianapolis Colts, and San Francisco 49ers. But after consulting with his family, he apparently made clear to the Lions he wanted to play for the Rams once talks with the Panthers heated up.The veteran's veto of a deal with the Panthers reportedly caused the Rams to up their offer. Los Angeles eventually sent Jared Goff and two first-round picks to Detroit.Other offers for Stafford reportedly included multiple high picks from teams including the Colts, Denver Broncos, and the Washington Football Team. The Chicago Bears and the 49ers were also in the mix, though the latter never made a formal offer, Rapoport notes.Stafford likely would have blocked any deal that didn't send him to the Rams, a source told Rapoport.The 33-year-old is set to make his first start for Los Angeles on Sunday night against the Bears.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Houston Texans' asking price for quarterback Deshaun Watson is a hefty one.The Texans asked teams for a six-piece package of players and draft picks to deal their franchise star during the offseason, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports, citing league sources. A package could reportedly include one player and five picks or two players and four draft selections, but the Texans were not interested in moving off that stance, Schefter adds.Watson currently faces 22 lawsuits from women alleging sexual assault and inappropriate behavior, and 10 women have also filed criminal complaints against him.No team has interest in meeting the Texans' asking price without attaching conditions to draft picks included in a deal due to Watson's legal issues, according to Schefter.Watson asked for a trade from Houston in January. He remains on the Texans' roster, but the team intends to make the 25-year-old a healthy inactive each week and start veteran quarterback Tyrod Taylor instead.Watson led the league in passing last season with 4,823 yards and 33 touchdowns against just seven interceptions. The three-time Pro Bowler signed a four-year, $156-million extension last September and is scheduled to make $10.5 million in salary this season even if he doesn't play a down for the Texans.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find positional rankings, additional analysis, and subscribe to push notifications in the NFL Fantasy News section.theScore's Justin Boone was first overall in FantasyPros' Most Accurate Expert Competition in 2019 and has finished among the top seven each of the last seven years. Follow the links below to see his rankings for Week 1.Half PPR

New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley was medically cleared Saturday to play against the Denver Broncos in Week 1, reports ESPN's Jordan Raanan.The Giants have yet to announce Barkley's status for Sunday's game, but the 2018 Offensive Rookie of the Year is expected to make his return from a torn ACL. The 24-year-old hasn't played since suffering the injury in September 2020.Barkley took the NFL by storm after being drafted second overall in 2018. The Penn State product led the league with 2,028 scrimmage yards and scored 15 touchdowns during his freshman campaign. He then missed three games due to injury in 2019 but was still able to top 1,000 rushing yards.New York's offense struggled in Barkley's absence last year, ranking 19th in rushing yards and scoring only 17.5 points per game, second fewest in the league. Wayne Gallman led the club with 682 yards on the ground and six touchdowns in 2020.The Giants bolstered their offensive unit this past offseason, signing free-agent receiver Kenny Golladay and drafting wideout Kadarius Toney in the first round.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Sunday nights hit different with Al Michaels and Carrie Underwood.Andy Dalton and Matthew Stafford debut their new colors in the first Sunday night showdown of the season - and perhaps Justin Fields? - as the Chicago Bears head west to take on the Super Bowl hopeful Los Angeles Rams.Here are our best bets for Bears-Rams:Bears under 19 points (-115)I loved both of these teams coming into the season, mostly on the strength of their elite defenses. I also have supreme confidence in the Rams' offense in its first year with Stafford, my MVP pick.The lingering question in this matchup is the Bears' offense, which averaged 23.3 points per game in 2020 and brings back largely the same unit in 2021. The key difference is at quarterback, where Dalton appears to be an upgrade over beleaguered starter Mitchell Trubisky.How much of an upgrade? The Cowboys scored fewer than 20 points in five of Dalton's nine starts in 2020; the Bengals fell below that mark in eight of his 13 starts in 2019. Expect more of the same in Dalton's first game in Matt Nagy's offense - especially against a defense that ranked No. 1 in points and yards allowed a year ago.- C Jackson CowartRams -7.5Patience is understandably low in the Windy City given the Bears haven't won a playoff game since 2010. The fan base was utterly despondent entering the offseason after Chicago lost eight of 11 to end last season, but expectations quickly skyrocketed after drafting Fields No. 11 overall. Five months later, Bears fans are getting ready to watch Dalton start in prime time.The decision to start Dalton Week 1 was an easy one for Matt Nagy, but I'm struggling to find a reason for Bears fans to be excited for Sunday night. We know by now what to expect from a Dalton-run offense, while the Bears' once-vaunted defense is really thinning in talent. The unit is especially vulnerable in the secondary, where Los Angeles' impressive stable of pass-catchers will give them fits.The Rams don't have the same issue on defense, and it's hard to see how Chicago will block Aaron Donald and Leonard Floyd. My only concern is it could take Stafford a half or so to get rolling with this offense in his debut - especially with the starters sitting all preseason - but Sean McVay having an entire summer to game plan helps remove a lot of doubt. I give it less than a half before Bears fans are clamoring for Fields.- Alex MorettoOver 46.5It's time to take the car out of the garage and get it on the highway. McVay finally has a high-performance vehicle to run his offense in Stafford.The under cashed in the previous three meetings between these teams, but each of those games involved Jared Goff. As such, McVay took minimal risks offensively. The Rams' win last season saw them take an early lead and then kick back in cruise control.With Stafford, the tempo will be improved and scoring drives should be quicker, resulting in more possessions for each team. Los Angeles can take an early lead and not feel the need to get ultra-conservative. The Rams are much more likely to put up an easy 30 points against a Bears defense whose reputation flatters them, which will set the scene for Dalton to pile points in garbage time against soft Rams coverages.- Matt RussellCopyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Philadelphia Eagles and left tackle Jordan Mailata have agreed to a four-year extension worth a maximum of $80 million, his agents told ESPN's Adam Schefter.The deal contains a base value of $64 million and includes $40.85 million guaranteed.Mailata, 24, solidified himself as the Eagles' left tackle of the future after outperforming 2019 first-round pick Andre Dillard throughout the preseason.Philadelphia drafted Mailata - a former rugby player in Australia - in the seventh round in 2018, though he never played football in high school or college. He drew into the lineup for the first time last season, playing in 15 games and making 10 starts.The Eagles are set to begin the 2021 campaign with Mailata, Isaac Seumalo, Jason Kelce, Brandon Brooks, and Lane Johnson on the offensive line.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Before you make your NFL bets this weekend, it's worth knowing which side other bettors are backing - especially on games drawing sharp action.We talked to Jay Rood, Bet.Works' chief risk officer and theScore Bet's head trader, to see how sharps and public bettors are playing this week's slate.Browns @ Chiefs (-5.5, 54.5), 4:25 p.m. ETWhile none of the games Sunday have drawn significant sharp action so far, this contest is one that public bettors have targeted for straight bets and parlay slips alike.As of Friday night, the Chiefs were the most-parlayed team on the board, drawing four times as many bet slips as the Browns with 13 times as much money wagered. The margins on straight bets aren't as staggering, but it's clear the public is expecting a strong start from the reigning AFC champs."Nothing big on the Browns from the sharps yet, but it's definitely lining up to be a key game from a parlay liability perspective for us," Rood said.Vikings (-3, 47) @ Bengals, 1 p.m.The biggest game from a straight-bet perspective is a seemingly ho-hum contest between two teams coming off sub-.500 seasons. Many bettors don't see it that way.The Vikings have pulled three times as many tickets with a 10-to-1 advantage in money wagered, nudging this line up to 3.5 at times before settling back at 3. It's even more convincing in the parlay market, where Minnesota is drawing 20 times as much money as the Bengals."That's definitely going to be a key game for us," Rood said.Broncos (-3, 41.5) @ Giants, 4:25 p.m.Another target for public bettors is the Broncos, who've been a darling all summer and are drawing early money in their Week 1 clash with the Giants.The parlay activity on this game has seen solid two-way action so far, with a 3-to-1 edge in tickets on Denver but a near-even split on money. That isn't the case in straight bets, where the Broncos are seeing twice as much money wagered and five times as many bet slips."The public looks to be lining up on quite a few of these road favorites in Week 1," Rood said.C Jackson Cowart is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on Twitter (@CJacksonCowart) or email him at cjackson.cowart@thescore.com.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Indianapolis Colts and running back Nyheim Hines agreed to a three-year, $18.6-million extension Friday, his agents told ESPN's Field Yates.Hines' new deal contains $12 million guaranteed and will keep him in Indianapolis through 2024.The 24-year-old's average salary of $6.2 million would currently rank 11th in the NFL, according to Over The Cap.Hines has developed into one of the league's best receiving backs in his three seasons, catching 170 passes for 1,227 yards and four touchdowns.He is set to once again back up sophomore Jonathan Taylor after the most productive season of his career in 2020.Hines set career highs in catches (63), receiving yards (482), receiving touchdowns (four), rushing yards (380), and rushing scores (three).The 2018 fourth-round pick has also averaged an NFL-best 14.9 yards per punt return since entering the league.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NFL returned with the bang Thursday. The game between the reigning champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Dallas Cowboys earned the largest audience for a season opener since 2015, NBC Sports announced Friday, according to The Washington Post's Mark Maske.The matchup had an average total audience delivery of 26 million viewers across NBC and its other platforms. It was also the most-watched TV show since Super Bowl LV in February.Tom Brady and the Bucs started their title defense on a perfect note. The veteran quarterback engineered a game-winning drive to edge Dallas 31-29 as Ryan Succop kicked a 36-yard field goal with 2 seconds remaining.Brady and Dak Prescott, who returned from an ankle injury that ended his 2020 season, both put up impressive numbers in their season debuts.The seven-time Super Bowl champ threw for 379 yards and four touchdowns against two interceptions, while the Cowboys passer had 403 yards and three scores with one interception.Brady also starred in the 2015 opener, which saw the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers 28-21.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Dallas Cowboys right tackle La'el Collins received a five-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy, the Cowboys told NFL Network's Jane Slater.Collins reportedly missed drug tests, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.The 28-year-old Collins, who played in Thursday's season-opening loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, will be eligible to return for Dallas' Week 8 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. The Cowboys have a bye in Week 7.Collins, a former undrafted free agent, missed all of the 2020 season with a hip injury.Terence Steele or Ty Nsekhe could step into the right tackle spot during Collins' suspension.The Cowboys will reportedly also be missing wide receiver Michael Gallup for three-to-five weeks due to a calf strain sustained against the Bucs.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Houston Texans ruled out quarterback Deshaun Watson for Week 1, citing non-injury reasons on the injury report.The Texans previously named Tyrod Taylor their opening-day starter and are reportedly prepared to make Watson a healthy scratch throughout the season.Watson is facing lawsuits from 22 women who say he sexually assaulted them or committed sexual misconduct during massage sessions. Ten women have also filed criminal complaints against him. Watson requested a trade at the beginning of the offseason, but Houston's high asking price combined with the off-field matters have complicated talks with other teams.The 25-year-old led the NFL with 4,823 passing yards last season and threw a career-high 33 touchdowns. He didn't play in the 2021 preseason, nor has he been active in practice sessions, though he has attended team meetings.The Texans kick off their 2021 campaign Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Actionable content is the name of the game.To celebrate the return of NFL Sundays, let's find one prop bet per game you can feel overjoyed to bet - pun intended:Najee Harris over 59.5 rushing yardsThe Steelers drafted the Alabama product in the first round to gain more balance on offense. Volume is key here as Harris will get his carries, so it comes down to the offensive line's ability to create lanes. The Bills gave up the third-most rushing yards per game of the 14 playoff teams, which is concerning given how often they led their contests last season.Donovan Peoples-Jones over 25.5 receiving yardsCall him a late-bloomer, but Peoples-Jones is ready for a bigger roll on the Browns, and he's flying under the radar here. This game could be a shootout, so whether it's 3- or 4-wide sets, there will be targets for Peoples-Jones in a back-and-forth affair.Austin Ekeler over 20.5 receiving yardsFear tore through the land when hamstring issues kept Ekeler out of practice this week, and if he can't go, then we'll get this bet refunded. If he can play, look for Ekeler to be the perfect outlet for Justin Herbert against Washington's aggressive pass rush.Michael Pittman over 48.5 receiving yardsPittman has a big role with T.Y. Hilton injured, and in a likely high-scoring game, his ability to produce yards after the catch will allow him to shed some tackles from a Seahawks defense on the downturn. The wideout's capable of some deep target jump balls as well, so there are multiple ways for this to cash.Raheem Mostert over 68.5 rushing yardsIf Mostert is healthy, bet on him to do well. That's the rule. Mostert will get first crack at 15-plus carries in the 49ers' run game ballet, and I expect him to break one or two big rushes. Mostert should cruise to five yards per carry against a bad Lions defense, which the math tells us is comfortably over 68.5 yards.A.J. Green over 36.5 receiving yardsOut of sight, out of mind. After playing through various injuries over the last two campaigns, A.J. Green has a chance to match up against the opponent's worst corner for the first time in his career. Let's buy low on the former Pro Bowler to revive his reputation against a sketchy Titans secondary.Laviska Shenault over 1.5 rushing yardsI couldn't decide whether to make Tyrod Taylor over 17.5 rushing yards or Trevor Lawrence over 15.5 rushing yards my best prop bet for this game, but when I saw this one available, I shifted gears. Urban Meyer loves hybrid receiver/running backs, dating back to his days with Percy Harvin or Curtis Samuel. Meyer will bust out a run play or two for Shenault here, with this bet likely cashing on his first attempt.Robby Anderson over 50.5 receiving yardsI wrote about the season-long receiving yards market, and to my surprise, I found Anderson has some metrics indicators to contend there at 50-1. As a result, I'll see if he can start the campaign well with D.J. Moore getting some big-time attention on the other side from a shallow Jets secondary.Courtland Sutton over 48.5 receiving yardsPeople may have forgotten just how good Sutton was before his ACL surgery. He doesn't even need to be awesome to beat this number, so I'm happy to take the risk on him still being a little rusty here.Kyle Pitts over 47.5 receiving yardsI'm driving the Pitts bandwagon and am willing to make this prediction: This is the lowest yards-prop number we'll see on him all season. Pitts goes over here, and we'll never see a number shorter than 50 again.Damien Harris over 69.5 rushing yardsSony Michel is gone, Cam Newton carries are a thing of the past, and Rhamondre Stevenson is coming off a dislocated thumb. The Patriots will give it to Harris a ton, and he'll flirt with 100 yards.Adam Thielen Anytime TD +125Justin Jefferson gets all the attention, especially in your fantasy draft. However, with the Vikings losing both Kyle Rudolph and Irv Smith, Kirk Cousins' red zone security blanket is Thielen. With twice as many touchdowns last year as Jefferson despite playing one fewer game, look for Thielen to score against a shoddy Bengals secondary.Alvin Kamara over 46.5 receiving yardsI'm on record saying we're all too worried about the Saints' offense. Alvin Kamara had 13 receptions for 139 yards against the Packers last campaign, so I don't see why he wouldn't get at least half that this time around.Matthew Stafford over 23.5 pass completionsSean McVay has to be like a kid in a toy store after replacing Jared Goff with Matthew Stafford. Since the Rams' coach doesn't play his stars in the preseason, this is his first chance to take his new toy out for a spin. Using a short-passing attack, Stafford clears this completion total easily on Sunday night.Matt Russell is a betting writer for theScore. If there’s a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Gallup will miss three-to-five weeks with a calf strain he incurred in the season opener, a source told Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News.Gallup spent much of the second half on the sidelines against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who beat the Cowboys on a game-winning field goal in the dying seconds. The 25-year-old had four receptions for 36 yards before leaving Thursday's contest.Gallup is in his fourth season with the Cowboys. He enjoyed a breakout sophomore campaign in 2019 with 1,107 yards and six touchdowns, but his production regressed to 843 yards and five touchdowns in 2020.The Cowboys could give Cedrick Wilson more snaps alongside Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb in three-receiver sets while Gallup is on the shelf.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Carson Wentz will start Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks after recovering from preseason foot surgery, the team announced Friday.Cornerback Xavier Rhodes and linebacker Kemoko Turay were ruled out due to injuries, as was offensive tackle Eric Fisher, who's recovering from a torn Achilles.Wentz will debut for the Colts after missing all three preseason games. He returned to practice three weeks before the opener, but Indianapolis said it wouldn't rush him back.The 28-year-old will take to the field looking to rebound from a nightmarish 2020 season with the Philadelphia Eagles. Wentz co-led the NFL in interceptions and ranked 34th in passer rating before the Eagles benched him for Jalen Hurts.Indianapolis acquired Wentz in an offseason trade after Philip Rivers retired on the heels of an 11-win season. The Colts have been searching for a long-term answer at quarterback since Andrew Luck stunningly retired during the 2019 preseason.Wentz was an MVP candidate in 2017, but a torn ACL late that season forced him to miss the Eagles' championship run. The North Dakota State product struggled with injuries throughout his career in Philadelphia.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Baltimore Ravens are down, but head coach John Harbaugh emphasized Friday his team isn't out after losing two more key players to season-ending injuries."We mourn for a day and we fight today," he said. "We're disappointed for those guys, our hearts go out to those guys, because it's just tough for the guys, that's who you hurt for."We got a really good team with a lot of great players. We brought some really good players in - you can see that - and we can move forward, the train's moving fast."The Ravens placed Pro Bowl cornerback Marcus Peters and running back Gus Edwards on the injured reserve after they both tore an ACL on Thursday during practice. Baltimore previously lost J.K. Dobbins to the same injury and Justice Hill to a torn Achilles, leaving the club without its top three tailbacks entering Week 1.The Ravens signed Latavius Murray and added Devonta Freeman to the practice squad following their latest losses. They also inked Trenton Cannon and gave Le'Veon Bell a practice squad spot after Dobbins and Hill went down. Undrafted running back Ty'Son Williams is on Baltimore's active roster too."We're excited to go play Monday night," Harbaugh said. "The game's gonna go off at 5:00 pacific time and we're going to be there right on time, we won't be late."Our whole team will be there, ready to go. We've been preparing for this for a long time as a team. The thing we're disappointed (in) is there will be a couple of guys who won't be on the train."Harbaugh said the Ravens will spend the next couple of days assessing what their new tailbacks can do in the season opener against the Las Vegas Raiders with limited time to learn the playbook.He also said tight end Nick Boyle will begin the campaign on the injured reserve because of a knee injury, but he should return by Week 4 or Week 5.The Ravens enter 2021 with championship hopes after winning 10-plus games and reaching the playoffs in each of the previous three seasons.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With the 2021 season getting underway this week, let's take a look at the most pressing on-field question facing every team in the AFC. The NFC questions can be found here.Baltimore RavensWill conventional wisdom finally accept that Lamar Jackson is legit?Jackson has been a league MVP. He's 30-7 as a starter. He's guided Baltimore to the playoffs three times. He won a playoff game last season. Yet there's somehow still so much doubt about whether he can thrive as an NFL quarterback.He did slip to 13th in EPA/play and 22nd in DYAR last season after having led the league in EPA/play and Total QBR and finishing fifth in DYAR during his 2019 MVP campaign. Jackson generally thrives in a Ravens system that relies heavily on running the ball - although the team may need to adjust after losing three of its top four running backs to season-ending injuries - and takes advantage of his dual-threat ability.Jackson arguably does struggle with sideline throws from the pocket; Baltimore attempted a league-low 25.4% of such passes last year, well below the league average of 35%, per the Football Outsiders Almanac. But how much of that was by design in offensive coordinator Greg Roman's run-heavy system? How much is on the receivers? These are the sort of nuanced questions worth considering instead of piling on a quarterback who's already had a fair amount of success as an NFL starter.Buffalo BillsCan Josh Allen sustain this?Let's compare Allen's career arc to Jackson's. At this time last year, Allen had two seasons under his belt, largely characterized by what he couldn't do. Now, after just one outstanding season of unprecedented progress - Allen raised his completion rate by more than 10 percentage points and played like an MVP - the consensus is that Allen is a slam-dunk, no-holds-barred franchise quarterback for years to come.And he probably will be! The Bills have developed a foundation for Allen that's as hospitable as any in the league. They also rewarded him with a market-level second contract that all but yokes him to Buffalo for several years, no matter how he performs.By all indications, Buffalo is set up to succeed with Allen for a long time. But past performance is no guarantee of future success, particularly when it's just one season of excellent play. Let's see whether Allen can keep it up.Cincinnati Bengals Patrick McDermott / Getty ImagesCan they protect Joe Burrow?Since 2016, the Bengals have not ranked better than 19th in adjusted sack rate, per Football Outsiders. They finished 24th last year, and their offensive line ranked 29th in pass-block win rate.Burrow, last year's No. 1 pick, was on pace to get sacked more than 50 times when he was lost for the season with an ACL injury. At the draft, Cincinnati passed on selecting tackle Penei Sewell with the fifth overall pick, opting instead for Burrow's ex-LSU teammate, wideout Ja'Marr Chase.The Bengals didn't ignore the O-line this offseason. Cincinnati signed Riley Reiff away from the Minnesota Vikings, but he's switching from left to right tackle. The Bengals also took three offensive linemen after the first round, though none are expected to start. Protecting the passer has been a problem in Cincinnati for some time. If Burrow isn't able to make a big leap in Year 2, it will be a big part of the reason why.Cleveland BrownsAre they - dare anyone suggest it - Super Bowl contenders?The Browns went to great lengths to shore up their defensive backfield this offseason, signing safety John Johnson and cornerback Troy Hill away from the Los Angeles Rams and grabbing cornerback Greg Newsome and jackknife linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah with their first two draft picks.That group will play behind a pass rush anchored by Myles Garrett, who ranked third in pass-rush win rate. On offense, Odell Beckham Jr. should be back from injury, which ought to give quarterback Baker Mayfield a full arsenal of weapons behind an offensive line that ranked second in pass-block win rate.The Browns, in short, have as complete a roster as any team in the NFL. They also exorcised their demons by thumping the rival Pittsburgh Steelers in the playoffs. Yes, the Cleveland Browns really should be Super Bowl contenders. The rest of us will just have to get used to it.Denver Broncos Steph Chambers / Getty ImagesHow long will they remain stuck in QB purgatory?Since winning the Super Bowl in 2015, the Broncos haven't made the playoffs, and only the New York Jets have a longer postseason drought. With Vic Fangio in charge, Von Miller back from injury, and Patrick Surtain II on board at cornerback, the Broncos potentially have one of the league's best defenses. As for the other side of the ball …It's pretty safe to say the Drew Lock experiment is over. Instead, Denver will roll with Teddy Bridgewater, whom it acquired for a sixth-round pick. Bridgewater's low-risk style wasn't a good fit in his lone season with the Carolina Panthers, but it might be better suited to a Broncos system that will rely on its defense.There's obviously a ceiling here, however. The best-case scenario for the Broncos seems to be sneaking into the playoffs while continuing their search for a quality starting quarterback.Houston TexansIs there any light at the end of the tunnel?There's not much to analyze here. The Texans have the league's worst roster. It's going to take time - and lots of it - to clean up this mess. The best outcome for 2021 is being bad enough to land the No. 1 pick in the 2022 draft. Anything less would be a tremendous disappointment. The end.Indianapolis Colts Justin Casterline / Getty ImagesCan Frank Reich fix Carson Wentz?The Colts are still trying to overcome Andrew Luck's sudden retirement just before the start of the 2019 season - understandably so, since the only thing rarer than a legit franchise quarterback is a legit franchise quarterback who walks away from the game in the prime of his career.Indy has done all it can to keep its otherwise solid roster intact, preventing the team from mortgaging too much to leap into the sort of draft position necessary to select a top quarterback prospect. The results: rolling out Jacoby Brissett, riding out the last of Philip Rivers, and now taking a chance on Wentz, last seen devolving from a surefire franchise signal-caller into one of the NFL's worst quarterbacks.The Colts are betting that reuniting Wentz with head coach Frank Reich will generate some of that old magic. If it works, they've got themselves a relative bargain at an average cap hit of $24 million per year for the next two seasons. If it doesn't …Jacksonville JaguarsCan Urban Meyer actually coach in the NFL?The Jags have a long way to go with their rebuild, and Trevor Lawrence is the right quarterback to get it started. Preseason is preseason, but he has already flashed plenty of raw potential. The larger issue is whether head coach Urban Meyer is cut out for this.Meyer had plenty of success at the college level, but it remains to be seen whether his control-freak style will translate to the NFL. Tim Tebow's short-lived stay on the roster - on the grounds that Tebow is an impressive competitor, as Meyer explained to Cris Collinsworth in May - was a prime example: Pro athletes don't need lessons on competitiveness from inferior players. That's what makes them professionals.Perhaps Meyer will learn from this. He'll certainly be given the time and opportunity to get things right. But the Tebow bit wasn't an encouraging sign.Kansas City Chiefs Peter Aiken / Getty ImagesDid they make the right upgrades along the offensive line?The Chiefs appeared in the last two Super Bowls and were one Tom Brady overtime drive from making it three in a row. It seems nitpicky to identify a flaw, but a big blemish was on full display in Super Bowl LV, when Mahomes was left to run for his life behind a makeshift offensive line.Left tackle Eric Fisher and right tackle Mitchell Schwartz both missed the Super Bowl due to injuries. That created a nightmare scenario against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' ferocious pass rush, which pressured Mahomes on 31 of his 56 dropbacks, per PFF. Fisher and Schwartz have both since been released. To make up for it, the Chiefs traded for Ravens left tackle Orlando Brown Jr., signed Joe Thuney from the New England Patriots in free agency, persuaded Kyle Long to come out of retirement, and drafted center Creed Humphrey in the second round. Also, right guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and right tackle Lucas Niang have both returned after being COVID-19 opt-outs last season.That's a complete makeover of a line that just appeared in the Super Bowl. At full strength, the Chiefs seem unstoppable. And now they've fixed their one glaring flaw.Las Vegas RaidersWill Jon Gruden's seat heat up?In his three seasons as head coach, Gruden has a 19-29 record and zero playoff appearances. In 2019, the Raiders started 6-4 but finished 7-9. Last season, they were 6-3 before winding up 8-8. Gruden signed a 10-year deal with the Raiders, but if he misses the playoffs again, his seat has to start getting warm. Same with general manager Mike Mayock.The odd thing about the Gruden-Mayock Raiders is their scattershot approach to roster construction. They reached in the first round by drafting defensive end Clelin Ferrell in 2019 and cornerback Damon Arnette in 2020; neither one is now a projected starter. They reached again to select right tackle Alex Leatherwood this year. They sought to retool a defense that's been 31st, 31st, and 28th in DVOA during Gruden's tenure by using five of their seven draft picks this year on defense. Yet they also traded away three starters from an offensive line that was 10th in pass-block win rate, and they handed running back Kenyan Drake $11 million guaranteed even though Josh Jacobs is right there.Quarterback Derek Carr has been a bright spot. He was ninth in EPA/play last year and 11th in Total QBR. Gruden has shown he can still coach offense, even after all those years in the broadcast booth. The rest? Maybe not so much.Los Angeles Chargers Joe Scarnici / Getty ImagesIs this the year they live up to the hype?On paper, the Chargers frequently look like contenders. Then stuff just … happens, and they eventually slink back to mediocrity - or worse. After bottoming out and drafting quarterback Justin Herbert with the sixth pick in 2020, he put together the sixth-best rookie season in the history of Football Outsiders' DYAR metric. So L.A.'s got big expectations again. What could possibly go wrong?The Chargers did right by Herbert by prioritizing getting him some protection. Last year, their O-line ranked 31st in pass-block win rate, and only Russell Wilson saw pressure on more dropbacks, per PFF. Herbert nonetheless posted a league-best passer rating of 99.4 when pressured. To aid Herbert, the Chargers signed center Corey Linsley and left guard Matt Feiler before using their first-round draft choice on left tackle Rashawn Slater.If there's something to worry about, it's the defense.Miami DolphinsIs Tua Tagovailoa cut out to be a franchise QB?Tagovailoa's 2020 rookie campaign can best be described as incomplete. He made nine starts and wasn't outright terrible, but he was frequently benched so Ryan Fitzpatrick could spot him as a kind of closer. With Fitzpatrick off to Washington (his ninth NFL team), it's Tua Time all the time in South Florida.Tagovailoa had the fifth-best passing DVOA of the 10 quarterbacks drafted in the top five since 2015, according to the Football Outsiders Almanac. That's just fine for a rookie who didn't receive a full opportunity to sink or swim once he got a chance to be the starter.Spending a full offseason knowing he's QB1 and getting the chance to work on the field with the offense can benefit Tagovailoa in Year 2. But there's no safety valve for him now.New England Patriots Mitchell Leff / Getty ImagesWhat's Bill Belichick got up his sleeve?Belichick and the Patriots took their medicine in 2020, first by watching Tom Brady leave, then by stammering to a 7-9 finish, and then by having Brady win a Super Bowl without them. Now that Belichick's had a chance to restock his roster with an uncharacteristic spending spree, we'll see whether he still has enough genius to keep the Patriots contending in an AFC East that no longer belongs to them.If there's one thing Belichick proved across New England's 20-year run of dominance, it's that he can put good players in positions to succeed - provided he has good players. New England's roster is much better than it was in 2020, but it's was rebuilt with expensive replacements, the very sort of approach Belichick avoided for so long.He's the GOAT and there's no need to pretend otherwise, but it will be fascinating to see if he can make this work - with a rookie quarterback, to boot.New York JetsWhere are the cornerbacks?GM Joe Douglas is taking the right approach toward this latest Jets rebuild by developing lots of infrastructure (i.e., investing in the offensive line and pass-catchers) around rookie quarterback Zach Wilson, whom he drafted No. 2 overall.The Jets' roster was pretty barren, however, so there's a lot more work to be done. While the Jets certainly ought to be better than last year's 2-14 Gaseplant, if they're going to struggle in any one area, it'll likely be defending the pass. Rookie sixth-round pick Brandin Echols and 2020 fifth-rounder Bryce Hall are manning the two starting corner spots, and losing edge rusher Carl Lawson to a torn Achilles won't help.That said, what matters for the Jets in 2021 is progress - especially at quarterback. And everything is set up to give Wilson a chance to succeed in ways Sam Darnold couldn't.Pittsburgh Steelers Mitchell Leff / Getty ImagesWho's on this offensive line, and can they block anyone?Ben Roethlisberger's (possible) farewell tour at age 39 presents one set of questions. But the completely overhauled and inexperienced offensive line he'll play behind presents another.The Steelers went into camp thinking Chukwuma Okorafor would be their starting left tackle. But with Zach Banner still recovering from an ACL tear and opening the season on IR, Okorafor moves back to right tackle, where he played all of last year. That leaves rookie fourth-round pick Dan Moore Jr. at left tackle, rookie third-rounder Kendrick Green at center, and 2020 fourth-rounder Kevin Dotson (who has all of four starts) at left guard. Free-agent pickup Trai Turner, the right guard, is the only Steelers offensive lineman with any significant experience.Last season, Roethlisberger used a short, quick passing game to stay upright. This year, he's got a new, forward-thinking coordinator in Matt Canada, and do-everything rookie running back Najee Harris figures to line up all over the formation. But if the Steelers can't block anyone, there's no telling how any of their plans will pan out.Tennessee TitansCan the defense improve?With A.J. Brown, Julio Jones, and Derrick Henry at Ryan Tannehill's disposal, the Titans figure to score points, though the loss of offensive coordinator Arthur Smith (now the Falcons' head coach) creates a whiff of uncertainty. But can they stop anybody?Tennessee's defense was flat-out bad last year. It finished 29th in DVOA - including 30th against the pass - along with 30th in the red zone and last in stopping opponents on third down. The Titans added pass rusher Bud Dupree, defensive end Denico Autry, and cornerback Janoris Jenkins in free agency. They also hope to get more from cornerback Kristian Fulton, a 2020 second-round pick who played just 18% of the snaps due to injury but earned the starting job over Caleb Farley, this year's first-rounder. Linebacker Jayon Brown returns from injury as well.Head coach Mike Vrabel designated Shane Bowen, last year's outside linebackers coach, as defensive coordinator after no one held that title last season. Vrabel also brought in veteran coordinator Jim Schwartz as a defensive assistant. Whatever it takes.Dom Cosentino is a senior features writer at theScore.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Each week, we'll try to pinpoint an NFL game that should come with a warning label - perhaps a matchup where the betting public all lines up on the favorite thinking there's no way they'll lose.Before we land on our game of choice, we have to set some boundaries. Of the 16 games in Week 1, eight of them are lined inside of 3.5 points. I hate to break this to you, but a 3-point 'dog winning an NFL football game isn't an upset.Packers (-3.5) @ SaintsI never would have thought this would require a sell-job after Aaron Rodgers basically announced he wasn't interested in rejoining the Packers, but here we are.Why don't we like the Saints? It comes down to Jameis Winston and his comically high interception total the last time he started under center. However, we are talking about a Heisman Trophy-winning top draft pick who threw those picks in his first (and only) season in an offense conducted by a guy whose mantra is literally "risk it to get the biscuit." Are we going to beat Winston up because Tom Brady - and the guys he brought with him - were a better fit?Winston gets his shot now with Sean Payton, who made it work the last two campaigns with Drew Brees' weakened arm and whatever we're calling the position Taysom Hill plays. Let's not worry about Michael Thomas' absence after he amassed a whopping 438 yards last season. With a top-five offensive line, Payton is capable of plotting routes for a group of no-name pass catchers. But that doesn't mean the Saints are devoid of talent at the skill positions.Alvin Kamara had 13 receptions for 139 yards in New Orleans' meeting with Green Bay last year and sprinkled in 58 yards on just six carries. Green Bay's run defense was its Achilles' heel last season, and if it doesn't show any improvement under a new regime, Kamara should get more than half a dozen rush attempts and do some series damage with them.On the defensive side for the Saints, they'll take advantage of a Packers offensive line starting two rookies, including one at center in place of the departed Corey Linsley. The squad will also be without the injured David Bakhtiari protecting Rodgers' blindside. You know who's aware of that? Rodgers. We've spent more than enough time trying to figure why he could want out of football's Mecca, and we've landed on Green Bay drafting his replacement as the main culprit. Maybe he sees what's in front of him and has some major concerns.Big picture: New Orleans' veteran defense might have trouble staying healthy over the course of the campaign but will be fresh and ready to accept the short-term challenge of dealing with the reigning league MVP. The Saints get the emotional bump and win one for New Orleans - even while playing in Jacksonville.Pick: Saints ML (+170)Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Washington Football Team will place wide receiver Curtis Samuel on injured reserve due to a groin injury, head coach Ron Rivera announced Friday, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo.Samuel will be forced to miss at least the next three games.Rivera ruled out surgery for Samuel and is confident rest should be enough to warrant the receiver's return, according to NBC Washington's JP Finlay.Samuel signed a three-year, $34.5-million deal with Washington this offseason after spending the first four campaigns of his career with the Carolina Panthers.The 25-year-old wideout was expected to be the No. 2 receiving option behind Terry McLaurin for Washington, but he has struggled to take the field since the deal. Samuel spent a duration of training camp on the COVID-19 list and suffered a setback with his groin after returning to practice this week.Samuel has recorded 185 receptions for 2,087 yards since entering the league as a second-round pick in 2017. He put up a career-high 77 receptions for 851 yards last season.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Baltimore Ravens aren't done adding veteran running backs.Baltimore signed former New Orleans Saints tailback Latavius Murray, the club announced Friday. Murray's deal is for one year, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.Injuries have devastated the Ravens' backfield this year, with the team losing its projected top three running backs - J.K Dobbins, Gus Edwards, and Justice Hill - to season-ending ailments. Edwards reportedly sustained a torn ACL during practice Thursday along with star cornerback Marcus Peters.If the two sides reach an agreement, Murray will be the fourth veteran running back to join Baltimore over the last week. The team also signed Le'Veon Bell and Devonta Freeman to its practice squad and Trenton Cannon to the active roster.Ty'Son Williams, an undrafted prospect last year, is currently the top running back on the Ravens' depth chart.Murray spent the past two seasons with the Saints as the No. 2 runner behind Alvin Kamara. The 31-year-old, released by New Orleans on Tuesday after refusing a salary reduction, rushed for 656 yards (4.5 per carry) and four touchdowns over 15 appearances last year. He also caught 23 passes for 176 yards and one score.The former Pro Bowler also spent time with the then-Oakland Raiders (2014-16) and Minnesota Vikings (2017-18).The Ravens averaged a league-high 191.9 rushing yards per game in 2020. Quarterback Lamar Jackson has led the club in yards on the ground in each of the last two seasons, topping the 1,000-mark in both campaigns.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Former New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton believes he wasn't kept as a backup because it would have been uncomfortable for rookie signal-caller Mac Jones."The reason that they released me is because indirectly, I was going to be a distraction without being the starter," Newton said Friday on a video streamed to his YouTube channel, according to NESN's Zack Cox. "Just my aura. That’s my gift and my curse.""I would have said, ‘Absolutely (to being Jones' backup).’ But listen, the truth of the matter is this: He would have been uncomfortable,” he added.Newton said his presence as a backup would be distracting if the Patriots struggled. However, he expressed confidence that New England will win with Jones under center.The 2015 MVP's release was shocking to the rest of the NFL. Newton said he should have seen it coming based on practice reps."I look back at it, I was probably getting two reps to his 10 reps, and that’s why it was starting to make sense," Newton said, according to Ben Volin of The Boston Globe. "Even though I was starting, that doesn’t necessarily mean nothing, and that’s where they did a good job of disguising it."Jones took command of the Patriots' practices leading up to Newton's release after the veteran was forced to miss five days due to COVID-19 protocols following a team-approved medical appointment. Newton believes he would have been released even without missing time."Do I think this would have happened without me being away from the team for five days? Honestly, yes. It was going to happen," Newton said. "Did it help ease the decision? Yes."The 32-year-old said he doesn't plan to retire and has a lot of football left in him."I said it once, and I’ll say it again: There’s not 32 guys that’s better than me," Newton said.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

How's that for a triumphant return? Thursday's NFL season opener between the Buccaneers and Cowboys set the stage for what should be a thrilling Week 1, which features 11 of 16 games with a line of -4 or shorter.We finished last campaign with a 24-17-1 record against the spread through 17 weeks, including a 13-5 ATS mark to end the year. Can we carry that momentum into this season's opening weekend?Jets @ Panthers (-4, 44), 1 p.m. ETCall me a fool for buying into Sam Darnold - who struggled in three years with the Jets - and maybe it's deserved. But I love what the Panthers have built around the former top-three pick, who will play in the most stable situation of his career with easily the best surrounding cast.Joe Brady's offense averaged 36.9 yards per drive in 2020, which ranked eighth in the league despite missing star Christian McCaffrey for all but three games. Now McCaffrey's back, joining electric wideouts D.J. Moore and Robby Anderson and dynamic rookie Terrace Marshall, who finished the preseason as the NFL's highest-graded first-year receiver.The bigger question is whether Carolina can stop anybody. The Panthers' defense is littered with former first-round picks and breakout candidates - namely Derrick Brown and Brian Burns up front. So if those two can put pressure on Zach Wilson in his pro debut, it'll be another long day for New York bettors.Pick: Panthers -4Chargers @ Washington (-1, 44.5), 1 p.m.I've been waiting all summer for this line to flip from Chargers -1 to Washington -1, as it predictably did on Thursday. That's still not enough to keep me from backing the home side, which finished last season on a 6-2 ATS run behind elite defense and stable (but not great) quarterback play.Washington's defense ranked in the top five of nearly every metric in 2020, and the team returns the core of that group this year, led by a dominant defensive line featuring four former first-rounders. The real leap will come on offense. Washington cycled through four signal-callers a year ago, none of whom had the arm to unlock standout wide receiver Terry McLaurin or create breathing room for rising star Antonio Gibson.That changes with veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick stepping in as the $10 million man. Don't be surprised if he outduels Justin Herbert, who will trot out behind an offensive line replacing four of five starters this season. Even if that unit gels quickly, a Week 1 meeting with Washington's front seven isn't the kindest test for Los Angeles' high-upside but unproven offense.Pick: Washington -1Dolphins @ Patriots (-3, 43.5), 4:25 p.m.This is my favorite bet on the board, mostly because of my bullish optimism in the Dolphins this campaign. Brian Flores' defense showed elite upside a year ago, ranking fifth in points allowed per drive (1.8) and first in turnovers forced (0.16) behind a chaotic blitz scheme and lockdown secondary.That's a nightmare combo for rookie Mac Jones to face in his first NFL start, especially within a complex Patriots offense that emphasizes quick reads and sharp decision-making. Jones showed those skills at Alabama, but he benefitted from a stellar O-line and uber-athletic wideouts - neither of which he has in New England.Conversely, Miami has surrounded former Bama star Tua Tagovailoa with an explosive receiving corps to augment his progression in Year 2 - his first with a full offseason to prepare as the starter. Tagovailoa should be able to pick apart a Patriots defense that quietly ranked 26th in DVOA a year ago and lacks the athleticism up front to threaten the Dolphins' shaky line.Pick: Dolphins +3C Jackson Cowart is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on Twitter (@CJacksonCowart) or email him at cjackson.cowart@thescore.com.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Dak Prescott picked up where he left off.In his first appearance since suffering a serious ankle injury last October, the Dallas Cowboys quarterback completed 42 of 58 passes for 403 yards and three touchdowns against one interception during Thursday's 31-29 loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.Prescott was only seconds away from being victorious in his return. He led an 11-play drive that finished with Greg Zuerlein kicking a 48-yard field goal to give Dallas the lead with 1:29 left in the fourth quarter. However, on the ensuing drive, Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady put kicker Ryan Succop in a position to nail the game-winning 36-yard field goal."It's a shame he had to play Brady," Bucs head coach Bruce Arians said of Prescott after praising the Cowboys passer, according to Jon Ledyard of Pewter Report.Brady finished the night with 379 yards and four touchdowns against two interceptions.Prescott, who didn't play during the preseason after battling a shoulder ailment, looked comfortable inside the pocket against the Buccaneers. The 28-year-old attempted a couple of deep throws in the first half that appeared off, but overall he managed to make plays all over the field.The two-time Pro Bowler set career highs in 2019 with 4,902 yards and 30 touchdowns over 16 appearances. He was on pace for a career year before his ankle injury in 2020, completing 68% of his passes for 1,856 yards and nine touchdowns across five games. Prescott signed a four-year, $160-million extension in March.

SSSQ is a weekly look at under-the-radar fantasy players to consider starting and potential busts you should leave on your bench. We also identify breakout candidates to stash on your roster and players you can safely cut.For the rest of your lineup decisions, consult our Week 1 rankings. You can also listen to the Week 1 preview episode of theScore Fantasy Football Podcast.StartRyan Tannehill, Titansvs. Cardinals Frederick Breedon / Getty ImagesThe arrival of Julio Jones guarantees Tannehill will produce another solid year from an efficiency standpoint, and he's done that regularly since becoming the Titans' starting quarterback.Jones and A.J. Brown are healthy and ready to go to work against the Cardinals' subpar cornerbacks. With all due respect to safety Budda Baker and some who are in Arizona's front seven, the team's corners are a fatal flaw that will be picked on all season.This game has been given the second-highest projected point total of the weekend (52), and Tannehill and his elite weaponry will thrive in a shootout against Kyler Murray.Boone's projection: 267 passing yards, 3 passing TDs, 23 rushing yardsOther QBs to start

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Tom Brady threw for 379 yards and four touchdowns, helping the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers kick off the NFL season with a mistake-filled 31-29 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night.With seats in a NFL stadium filled to full capacity for the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Ryan Succop won it with a 36-yard field goal with 2 seconds remaining. Brady set it up with a last-minute drive directed on the same field where the Bucs became the first team to play and win a Super Bowl in its home stadium seven months ago.For Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl winner, it was the 300th regular-season start in a sparkling 22-year career — a record for a quarterback. The 44-year-old also joined Drew Brees as the only players to throw for 300-plus yards in a game 100 times.Chris Godwin, Rob Gronkowski and Antonio Brown caught first-half touchdown passes for the Bucs, who extended their winning streak to nine games dating to last December. Brady’s second TD pass of the night to Gronkowski put the champs up 28-19. Succop’s field goal came after Greg Zuerlein put the Cowboys ahead with a 48-yarder with 1:24 to go.Dak Prescott threw for 403 yards and three TDs for Dallas in his first game since suffering a severe injury ankle that ended his 2020 season after just five games. The sixth-year pro didn’t play in the preseason after straining his right shoulder early in training camp, and limitations on his throwing weren’t lifted until about two weeks before the opener.The Cowboys have never beaten Brady, who improved to 6-0 against them, with five of the victories coming during his historic 20-year run with the New England Patriots.But Prescott, with help from a revamped Dallas defense that forced a fumble and intercepted a pass that glanced off Leonard Fournette’s hands to set up a touchdown and field goal, pushed the defending champs to the limit before 65,566.Ultimately, though, Brady made the Cowboys pay for kicking woes that contributed to Dallas only scoring 16 points in the opening half. In addition to missing a 31-yard field goal, Zuerlein had an extra point clank off the left upright in the second quarter.Seven of the Cowboys’ first eight possessions either started or ended in Tampa Bay territory, yet Prescott still faced a nine-point deficit before Dallas pulled within 28-26 on Amari Cooper’s 21-yard scoring reception with less than a minute remaining in the third quarter.Cooper finished with 13 catches for 139 yards, including a 5-yard TD catch in the second quarter. CeeDee Lamb had a 22-yard scoring reception for the Cowboys, who finished 6-10 with Prescott missing the final 11 games of last season.Brady completed 32 of 50 passes and was intercepted twice, one on a desperation pass at the end of the first half. Ronald Jones and Chris Godwin also lost fumbles, with the latter's mistake preventing the Bucs from putting away the game in the closing minutes.Brown had five receptions for 121 yards, including a 43-yard TD before halftime. Godwin had nine catches for 105 yards, but fumbled at the Cowboys 1 to stop a potential clinching drive before Prescott drove Dallas to Zuerlein's go-ahead field goal.FANS ON HANDDue to attendance restrictions imposed because of the pandemic, the largest crowd for any NFL game last season was 24,845 for the Super Bowl played at Raymond James Stadium in February.Fans arrived early Thursday night for a brief pregame ceremony celebrating Tampa Bay’s second championship — first in nearly two decades. They roared when co-owner Bryan Glazer stepped to the microphone and reminded them that the Bucs are the only franchise that’s claimed a crown on its home turf.“There was one thing missing,” Glazer said. “All of you.”Earlier, the teams stood on their respective goal lines for the playing of Alicia Keys’ version of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” the national Black anthem.INJURIESCowboys: Played without RG Zack Martin, who tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week.Buccaneers: CB Sean Murphy-Bunting left with an elbow injury suffered trying to stop Lamb from scoring in the first quarter. The secondary was already playing without starting S Jordan Whitehead (hamstring).UP NEXTCowboys: at Los Angeles Chargers on Sept. 19.Buccaneers: Remain home against NFC South rival Atlanta on Sept. 19___More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFLCopyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marcus Peters and running back Gus Edwards will miss the 2021 season after suffering torn ACLs at practice Thursday, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.The Ravens cut their session short after the two starters suffered the knee injuries on back-to-back plays, according to Rapoport.Peters, a three-time Pro Bowler, has been part of an elite cornerback tandem with Marlon Humphrey since the Los Angeles Rams traded him to Baltimore in 2019. He had four interceptions a year ago, and has seven picks in 24 outings with the Ravens.Edwards would be the third Ravens running back to suffer a season-ending injury before Week 1. J.K. Dobbins tore his ACL in the preseason finale, while Justice Hill tore an Achilles days later during practice. Ty'Son Williams, an undrafted running back in 2020, is the next rusher on the depth chart.Baltimore looked to add veteran options in the wake of Edwards' injury.The Ravens are reportedly finalizing a deal with Latavius Murray, who was cut by the New Orleans Saints this week after apparently refusing to take a pay cut. They'll also sign veteran Devonta Freeman to the practice squad, agent Drew Rosenhaus told ESPN's Adam Schefter.The club previously signed Le'Veon Bell to the practice squad and Trenton Cannon to the active roster after losing Dobbins and Hill.Freeman spent the preseason with the New Orleans Saints but didn't make their final roster. The two-time Pro Bowler played five games for the New York Giants last season, averaging 3.2 yards on 54 carries. He starred for the Atlanta Falcons earlier in his career.Meanwhile, Murray produced the second-best yards per carry of his career (4.5) last season while acting as Alvin Kamara's backup. The veteran, who has also played for the then-Oakland Raiders and Minnesota Vikings, finished the year with 656 yards and four touchdowns.Baltimore opens the regular season against the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday Night Football.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and star pass-rusher T.J. Watt agreed to a four-year extension worth more than $112 million, sources told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.The deal reportedly includes $80 million in guaranteed money and makes Watt the highest-paid defender in NFL history.Watt's new $28-million average annual salary tops the $27-million average earned by Los Angeles Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa, per Spotrac.Watt was a full participant at practice for the first time Wednesday after he skipped team drills during camp while seeking a long-term extension. Watt's agents believed he could get more money on the new pact, but Watt overruled them by walking into the office of Steelers president Art Rooney II on Thursday to say he accepted the proposed contract, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.The three-time Pro Bowler quickly established himself as one of the NFL's top outside linebackers after the Steelers drafted him 30th overall in 2017. The Wisconsin product led the league with 15 sacks and 23 tackles for loss last season while also amassing 53 tackles, two forced fumbles, and one interception. He was the runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year in 2020 to Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald.The 26-year-old Watt, who also topped the NFL with eight forced fumbles in 2019, has racked up 49.5 sacks and 17 forced fumbles through 62 career appearances.Watt's older brother, J.J., was once also football's highest-paid defender. The Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman inked a then-record six-year, $100-million extension in 2014 while playing for the Houston Texans.The Steelers have topped 50 regular-season sacks each year since drafting Watt, leading all teams in that category in three of the last four seasons. Pittsburgh kicks off its 2021 campaign against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The first game of the NFL season is finally here, ending a busy preseason for bettors and bookmakers alike. Which teams are drawing the most activity in the market? Are sharps buying any dark-horse contenders?We caught up with Jay Rood, theScore Bet's head trader, to discuss the biggest liabilities and betting favorites entering the 2021 season.49ers, Bills earn preseason loveAs expected, preseason bettors hammered the two Super Bowl favorites and reigning conference champion. The Chiefs (+430) and Buccaneers (+600) rank first and second in cash wagered, respectively, despite the relatively small payoff.The third-most bet team? That would be the 49ers (+1300), who finished 6-10 a year ago but reached the Super Bowl in 2019. Those early to the window are expecting a similar result in 2021 despite questions about whether rookie Trey Lance will replace starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo at some point during the season.“Early on, going back to the draft, the public has really backed hard the 49ers to bounce back," Rood said. "There's some uncertainty there, but that's a team that the public has been all over.”Another preseason darling is the Bills (+1000), who were priced as high as 33-1 to win the Super Bowl a year ago but enter this season as the third-favorites behind the Chiefs and Bucs. It's not just in the Super Bowl market - Buffalo is also drawing heavy action to win the AFC and to repeat in the AFC East."A lot of people are looking toward the Bills to solidify the change in the guard (in the AFC)," Rood said. "They're getting a lot of play to be the main rival to the Chiefs."QB questions shaping futures marketsWhile the Super Bowl favorites drew the most early money, those teams aren't the ones that bookmakers are most worried about.Rood says his book's biggest liability is the Broncos (+3300), who drew speculation wagers this summer as trade rumors swirled around reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers. Denver was dealing as short as 15-1 this summer before settling near the middle of the oddsboard, though a Super Bowl run isn't out of the question if its talented defense can bounce back.The Broncos aren't the only team affected by quarterback rumors and moves. Washington (+3700) opened at 60-1 but is now theScore Bet's second-biggest liability after signing Ryan Fitzpatrick in the offseason. The Colts (+3800) drew sharp action after acquiring former Eagles starter Carson Wentz in March. The Panthers (+8000) attracted some speculative wagers before eventually dealing for former Jets quarterback Sam Darnold.And, naturally, the Packers' price yo-yoed this summer while Rodgers pondered his future with the club. They've since settled at 14-1, though there haven't been as many tickets written to them as predicted for such a public team."The Rodgers saga dragged on, and I think that defused some of the play that we would have normally seen to the Packers," Rood said. "Nobody was willing to take a shot on the Jordan Love-led Packers early on.”Stafford an early MVP darlingThe MVP market doesn't normally heat up until a few weeks into the season, Rood said, but that hasn't stopped bettors from targeting former Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (+1700) in his first season with the Rams.Stafford has been among bettors' favorites to win the award after Los Angeles dealt Jared Goff and three draft picks for the former No. 1 pick, who is also our favorite play to win MVP this season. The rest of the activity has mostly centered around the three betting favorites - Patrick Mahomes (+450), Rodgers (+900), and Josh Allen (+1100) - though last year's winner hasn't gotten as much love as you might expect."You'd think Rodgers would get more action considering he's the defending MVP," Rood said, "but I think there's a little bit of hesitation on what that team's going to look like."That's been a theme in all futures markets, Rood says. Many big bettors took a "wait and see" approach, though he anticipates sizable wagers in the coming weeks as sharps get a sense for certain teams after a busy summer. That's when we'll see significant movement in the futures market."Last week was probably the strongest week from a handle perspective that theScore Bet has had in its existence," he said, "so that bodes well coming into the first full week of NFL.”C Jackson Cowart is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on Twitter (@CJacksonCowart) or email him at cjackson.cowart@thescore.com.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With the 2021 season getting underway this week, let's take a look at the most pressing on-field question facing every team in the NFC. Look for the AFC questions on Friday.Arizona CardinalsCan Kliff Kingsbury scheme his way out of trouble?What happened to the Cardinals at the end of last season? After a 6-3 start that had them tied for first in the NFC West, they stumbled to a 2-5 finish and missed the playoffs. In a nutshell, defenses figured out Arizona's Air Raid passing attack and Kyler Murray's run options, and head coach Kliff Kingsbury failed to adjust.Beginning with a Week 12 loss to the New England Patriots, the Cardinals' offense never posted a positive DVOA again after doing so eight times in their first 10 games, according to the Football Outsiders Almanac. The Patriots deployed five or more defensive backs on 69 of 70 snaps while also using two or fewer defensive linemen48 times (68.5%). That additional speed neutralized Arizona's attack and provided a blueprint for the Cardinals' opponents the rest of the way.Football Outsiders drilled down on Kingsbury's inability to counter this approach: The Cardinals played at the league's fastest pace, but they used pre-snap motion less frequently than any other team. They also deployed the league's lowest rate of dig and post routes, which could have countered all the zone defenses that blanketed their receivers and took away Murray's running lanes. The Murray-Kingsbury combo has to progress in Year 3, and a lot of that depends on Kingsbury's ability to adapt. This ain't the Big 12.Atlanta FalconsCan Dean Pees get something out of this defense?Pees had a solid track record coordinating defenses for the Patriots, Baltimore Ravens, and Tennessee Titans. He came out of retirement at 72 to take over an Atlanta unit that ranked 14th in DVOA last season despite the team's 4-12 record.Last year's Falcons defense faced the league's toughest schedule by offensive DVOA and was 2-8 in one-score games. This year, the offensive DVOA of Atlanta's opponents ranks 21st, according to analyst Warren Sharp's preview.Pees' ability to scheme things up is worth watching. Four of his six defenses with the Ravens ranked in the top 10 in DVOA. Although his two Titans defenses both ranked 18th, he developed the game plans to beat both Tom Brady and Lamar Jackson on the road in the 2019 playoffs.Carolina Panthers Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesCan they salvage Sam Darnold?The Panthers dealt for Darnold after swinging and missing on attempted trades for Matthew Stafford and Deshaun Watson. Darnold's struggles in his three seasons with the New York Jets are well known: Only Carson Wentz ranked worse in DYAR in 2020, and Josh Rosen is the only QB with a lower EPA/play since the start of Darnold's career. But how much of that was on Darnold, and how much of that was simply the stink of former Jets head coach Adam Gase?Carolina is betting it was more of the latter. Darnold certainly had a crummy support system with the Jets, from Gase's clown-shoe coaching operation to an offensive line that ranked 29th in pass-block win rate last year to a group of pass-catchers best known for their anonymity.Panthers head coach Matt Rhule and offensive coordinator Joe Brady are gambling that a better support system, including the return of running back Christian McCaffrey, can pry something better out of Darnold. The franchise was even willing to pass on drafting Justin Fields and Mac Jones to give it a go. Ryan Tannehill is an obvious example of what Darnold can perhaps become in a new setting, but Tannehill's improvement is much more the exception than the rule.Chicago BearsHow long will Andy Dalton start ahead of Justin Fields?In March, Chicago agreed to pay Dalton $10 million to take over for Mitchell Trubisky, a move that provoked all the excitement of a puddle evaporating. Six weeks later, the franchise traded up nine spots to land Fields, which changed the outlook just a little. Head coach Matt Nagy intends to start Dalton in Sunday night's opener at the Los Angeles Rams, but come on.Nagy was the Kansas City Chiefs' offensive coordinator in 2017, the year Patrick Mahomes sat for 15 games as a rookie behind Alex Smith. But those Chiefs had head coach Andy Reid's credibility and a forward-thinking scheme that squeezed a season ranked eighth in EPA/play out of Smith. Dalton won't be doing that for Chicago this season.There's no right or wrong time to hand the wheel to a first-round QB, but Bears fans have been waiting something like 70 years for a bona fide franchise quarterback. Nagy and GM Ryan Pace already whiffed on Trubisky. The instant Dalton whizzes a throw behind Allen Robinson, the clamor for Fields to take over will become deafening. When will Nagy pull the trigger?Dallas Cowboys Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesHow much will the defense hinder this team?After a disastrous 2020 lowlighted by quarterback Dak Prescott's ankle injury, the Cowboys invested heavily in trying to improve their defense. First, they hired Dan Quinn as coordinator. They then used their first six draft picks - and eight of 11 overall - on defensive players, starting with inside linebacker Micah Parsons, whose versatility could be a huge plus.Quinn made his bones as a defensive coach, but his defenses in Atlanta never once ranked in the top half of the league in DVOA. Dallas' defense under Mike Nolan last season ranked 23rd in DVOA despite facing the second-easiest schedule (based on the offensive DVOA of its opponents). The Cowboys' secondary could be a problem. And according to Warren Sharp's data, the Cowboys are scheduled to face six of last year's top 10 quarterbacks in EPA/play.A healthy Prescott complemented by Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup, and Ezekiel Elliott ought to score lots of points. They might need to, depending on how quickly Dallas' inexperienced defenders come along.Detroit LionsIs Dan Campbell cut out for this?Since being hired as Detroit's head coach in January, Campbell has been a one-man meme generator because of his over-the-top enthusiasm. He's tasked with rebuilding a franchise that always seems to be rebuilding, but now the Lions will do it with a quarterback other than Matthew Stafford for the first time in 13 years.Campbell is trying to create a culture of openness and communication - a complete 180 from his predecessor, Matt Patricia, whose approach was to behave like Bill Belichick without any of the substance.Campbell's never been a coordinator, and he went 5-7 as an interim head coach with the Miami Dolphins after Joe Philbin was fired four games into the 2015 season. Not much will be expected this year - this Lions rebuild is going to take a while - but it will be fascinating to see whether Detroit can eventually do more than bite opponents' kneecaps this season.Green Bay Packers Stacy Revere / Getty ImagesWill the Aaron Rodgers drama spill into the season?On paper, there's no reason to think the Packers can't contend for the Super Bowl, just as they did in head coach Matt LaFleur's first two seasons. And while it's tempting to wonder whether Rodgers' long offseason tiff with management will have knock-on effects, it's important to remember what resulted from it all.Rodgers secured a revised contract that basically sets things up for Green Bay to trade him next offseason. This is important because it gives both him and the Packers every reason to get along swimmingly this season - and to succeed, since another terrific year would enhance his trade value.If this indeed is Rodgers' last season in Green Bay, it ought to be a good one.Los Angeles RamsCan Matthew Stafford lift Sean McVay's offense back to an elite level?Stafford had long been a big-armed talent stuck in dire circumstances. McVay traded Jared Goff for him - and swallowed a mammoth cap hit from Goff's contract - in the hopes that Stafford would benefit from a change of scenery and the Rams might execute better on offense.L.A. looked unstoppable with Goff piloting McVay's creation in 2018, but then his performance waned. Last year, Goff's passer rating under pressure (45.6) was the fourth-worst in the league, per PFF, while Stafford's (91.8) was second only to Justin Herbert's. Only Philip Rivers and Jameis Winston threw more picks in 2019 and 2020 than Goff's 29. The Rams finished 10th in offensive DVOA last year, but their passing offense ranked just 19th.It's tricky to suss out exactly how McVay intends to tailor his offense to Stafford. Warren Sharp's data shows that the Rams used 11 personnel (one running back, one tight end, three receivers) on 89% of their plays in 2018 before dropping down to 73% in 2019 and just 65% last year. There's no telling what McVay might be ready to cook up.Minnesota Vikings Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesCan the defense get it back together?The 2020 Vikings defense underwent a roster purge, losing seven key contributors - and nearly 4,200 snap counts from the previous year - to free agency or cap-related releases. Then defensive tackle Michael Pierce opted out due to COVID-19 and defensive end Danielle Hunter sustained a neck injury that sidelined him for the season. Then linebacker Anthony Barr and cornerbacks Holton Hill and Mike Hughes got hurt, and then ...The Vikes still managed to win five of six after a 1-5 start, but they couldn't overcome a rash of additional injuries after Week 12, including a calf issue that kept linebacker Eric Kendricks out. Only the San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets had worse injury luck on defense than Minnesota, as determined by Football Outsiders. And yet the Vikings managed to finish a middling 18th in defensive DVOA anyway.Ends Everson Griffen and Stephen Weatherly are back, and Minnesota added tackles Dalvin Tomlinson and Sheldon Richardson, plus cornerback Patrick Peterson. As The Athletic's Sheil Kapadia noted, the Vikings finished fourth, third, and first in defensive DVOA in the three seasons before 2020. There's little reason to think head coach Mike Zimmer can't coax a better showing from them this year.New Orleans SaintsHow will Jameis Winston fare as Drew Brees' replacement?Going from Brees to Winston represents a major philosophical change for the Saints.Brees, particularly in his later seasons, largely preferred to play it safe and efficient; in his final two seasons combined, he attempted just 57 deep passes of 20 or more air yards. Winston, by contrast, is a high-risk, high-reward type of quarterback: In 2019, his last season as a starter with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Winston attempted a league-high 99 deep throws. Winston connected on 33 touchdowns but also threw 30 interceptions - more than Brees threw in his last four seasons combined.Sean Payton will definitely have to calibrate Winston's gunslinger mentality, and a lot seems to depend on the head coach's tolerance for risk.New York Giants Mike Stobe / Getty ImagesCan Daniel Jones succeed behind that offensive line?Entering Year 3, Jones has a full stable of weapons surrounding him. The Giants spent big to bring in receiver Kenny Golladay and drafted speedster Kadarius Toney to go along with Sterling Shepard, Evan Engram, and Darius Slayton. Saquon Barkley is also back from injury.But the O-line remains a reason to doubt that this can work. The Giants ranked last in pass-block win rate a year ago, and their best lineman - guard Kevin Zeitler - signed with the Ravens. Left tackle Andrew Thomas, last year's first-round pick, had 42 blown blocks in 2020, per the Football Outsiders Almanac, but just 13 in his final eight games. However, he was alarmingly bad in the preseason finale against the Patriots.Jones has a lot to clean up - he's thrown 22 interceptions and fumbled 29 times in his two seasons - and he needs better help up front to make it happen.Philadelphia EaglesIs Jalen Hurts the answer at quarterback?With Carson Wentz gone to Indianapolis, Hurts will get his chance. The Eagles, who had the league's worst injury luck on offense last year, are clearly in rebuild/transition/whatever-they-want-to-call-it mode. But they can still begin to figure out what Hurts can and can't do.In a small sample, Hurts did elevate the offense somewhat. Philly's offense had been 28th in EPA through its first 12 games; as Warren Sharp noted, they improved to 17th in Hurts' three starts, excluding the Week 17 fiasco in which Doug Pederson pulled a troll job by yanking him.That said, Hurts still ranked last among qualifiers in completion percentage (52.7%), which was roughly 7 percentage points lower than his expected completion percentage, via Football Outsiders. Hurts also held the ball for a league-high 3.11 seconds, and Sharp calculated his in-pocket on-target rate as fourth-worst among qualifiers. How he performs within the structure of the offense this season will go a long way toward determining his future.San Francisco 49ers Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesWhat does Kyle Shanahan have in store for his QBs?On paper, the Niners have a Super Bowl-caliber roster. Their 2020 was marred by the league's worst overall injury luck by more than 30 games. Yet even after trading up to draft Trey Lance third overall, they decided to keep Jimmy Garoppolo and his $26.4-million cap number.Shanahan is a renowned offensive innovator, and he's indicated he will use Garoppolo and Lance interchangeably this season, which sets up all sorts of tantalizing possibilities.Here's one possibility worth watching: Garoppolo at the controls for most of the field, with the more mobile Lance taking over in the red zone. There's a precedent for this, as The Athletic's David Lombardi points out: It's what Bill Walsh did once upon a time when Steve DeBerg was his starter. It was Walsh's way of easing in a rookie named Joe Montana.Seattle SeahawksWill Russ still be allowed to cook?Quarterback Russell Wilson made his frustrations with the team's offensive approach known early in the offseason, and the Seahawks obliged by bringing in Shane Waldron to run a more modern offense than Brian Schottenheimer's. They also traded for right guard Gabe Jackson in an attempt to boost an offensive line that finished 30th in adjusted sack rate, per Football Outsiders, and brought in tight end Gerald Everett.Schottenheimer did let Russ cook last season. Seattle passed on 68% of its plays in the first eight games, per the Football Outsiders Almanac, and a league-high 62.8% on early downs, according to Ben Baldwin's database. Wilson looked like a runaway MVP candidate. Then Wilson turned it over a bunch, and things began to level off - but only slightly. Seattle still passed on first and second down 58.9% of the time from Weeks 11-17. And the Seahawks lost just once in that stretch before the Rams upset them in the playoffs. Tim Nwachukwu / Getty ImagesWilson has been sacked 189 times in the last four seasons - 15 more than any other quarterback. A lot of that is on him for holding the ball and trying to make a hero play. But he's often at his best when he's granted the chance to throw it a lot.Tampa Bay BuccaneersHow long can Tom Brady keep doing this?It feels like this question has been asked every year for 10 years, but at some point, the realities of age have to catch up with the guy, right? Right?!The Bucs are set to run it back with all 22 of their starters returning, which makes them obvious favorites to repeat as Super Bowl champions. But here's something to consider: Tampa Bay led the league in injury luck by roughly 15 adjusted games lost last season. Is that sustainable?Here's something else: All QBs play worse when pressured, but this is especially true for Brady. Per the Football Outsiders Almanac, only Goff and Joe Burrow had a worse passing DVOA differential when pressured than Brady did last year. And only Ben Roethlisberger, who was busy flinging the ball as soon as it was snapped to him, saw less pressure than Brady did. What would happen to Brady if that changed this year?Washington Football Team Scott Taetsch / Getty ImagesHow far can the Fitzcoaster take them?After 16 seasons, Ryan Fitzpatrick's unique mediocrity is well established. He ought to be an improvement over the minimal contributions of Alex Smith/Dwayne Haskins/Kyle Allen/Taylor Heinicke to the passing game last year, particularly with the addition of wideouts Curtis Samuel and rookie Dyami Brown, though Samuel could miss Week 1 with an injury. But then what?Washington has a terrific young defense that finished third in DVOA a year ago. But the team also played the league's fourth-easiest schedule of DVOA offense, and this year Warren Sharp's data indicates it will be facing the sixth-hardest schedule.Whether Fitzpatrick can elevate that remains to be seen, though playing in the NFC East ought to help.Dom Cosentino is a senior features writer at theScore.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. 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Get ready for your season with theScore's 2021 Fantasy Football Draft Kit and subscribe to push notifications in the NFL Fantasy News section.Welcome to theScore Fantasy Football Podcast, hosted by Justin Boone.Find the show on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and Anchor.In this episode, John Paulsen of 4for4.com joins Boone to discuss the biggest fantasy questions heading into Week 1.

Find positional rankings, additional analysis, and subscribe to push notifications in the NFL Fantasy News section.In an effort to help you find trades that could improve your fantasy team, we present the Trade Value Chart.You can use this chart to compare players and build realistic trade offers. Values are based on 12-team leagues.Follow the links below to see the trade values and rest of season rankings for each position.Trade Values

Find positional rankings, additional analysis, and subscribe to push notifications in the NFL Fantasy News section.theScore's Justin Boone was first overall in FantasyPros' Most Accurate Expert Competition in 2019 and has finished among the top seven each of the last seven years. Follow the links below to see his rankings for Week 1.The final rankings will be released Sunday morning.Half PPR

The New York Giants believe running back Saquon Barkley's knee is fully recovered with their 2021 season opener just days away.The star rusher was brought along slowly this offseason after he tore his ACL last September. He only saw limited time at practice Wednesday, but Giants offensive coordinator Jason Garrett was confident in Barkley's availability for Sunday's game against the Denver Broncos."A lot of confidence in him as a player. I think he's done a great job to get himself back healthy and 100 percent," Garrett said after Thursday morning's session, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post.The Giants' offensive catalyst is expected to be on a snap count, according to Schwartz."We have a lot of confidence in the guys we have, but obviously Saquon's a special player. He'll certainly get his opportunities," Garrett said.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Dak Prescott and Tom Brady will meet Thursday night when the Dallas Cowboys visit the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2021 NFL season opener.Prescott grew up watching his opposite number, but he wasn't a Brady fan."I actually wasn't," Prescott said in an interview with NBC's Maria Taylor, according to Jon Machota of The Athletic. "I was a Peyton Manning fan, and because of that, you dislike Tom Brady."But it wasn't until I got into college and realized what Tom was doing, the discipline, the focus, everything that it takes for him to be the champion that he is, then I became a huge fan of him."Brady and his New England Patriots were a thorn in the side of Manning's Indianapolis Colts for years. Brady went 11-6 in head-to-head meetings with Manning, and the Patriots eliminated the Colts from the playoffs twice.But, as much as the football world has seen Brady in a new light in recent years, Prescott has, too."Then obviously over the past few years of him switching teams and his personality coming out and seeing how much of a great teammate he is, it allows me to idolize somebody and to idolize one of the best to ever do it," Prescott said. "So it's great to start the season off and have a chance to go beat him and his team."Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's been way too long since we've put together a Thursday Night Football best bets roundtable, and we're thrilled to have finally made it to the start of the 2021 NFL season.Here are our best bets for Cowboys-Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium:Buccaneers -8We've never seen a defending Super Bowl champion quite like these Buccaneers, who return all 22 starters from last year's title group. We've also rarely seen one fail in this spot — the last 20 reigning champs went 14-6 ATS in Week 1, with the previous two winning by a combined 44 points.We know the Cowboys' offense is dangerous when healthy, but their defense is still a major question after ranking 28th in points allowed (29.6 PPG) a year ago. Dallas rebuilt that unit over the offseason but still has lingering concerns in the secondary, where the team will likely trot out second-year corner Trevon Diggs alongside a cast of rookies and disappointing veterans.Don't expect that to fly against Tom Brady and Tampa Bay's quartet of All-Pro pass-catchers in Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown, and Rob Gronkowski. The Bucs are the better squad in nearly every facet of this game, and their continuity comes in stark contrast to the Cowboys' rebuilt roster - especially in this season opener.- C Jackson CowartOver 52Who wants to cheer for an under on opening night? This stacked Tampa offense will still overmatch Dallas' improved - but still bad - defense. However, it's not enough for me to lay the current price with the Bucs after a -6.5 open.The Cowboys' offensive line issues aren't ideal up against a ferocious Tampa front, but Dak Prescott's mobility helps to alleviate those concerns - as does the impressive skill group of Ezekiel Elliott, Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, and Michael Gallup. Prescott was on a record-breaking pace before going down last season, and this offense is equipped to turn this contest into a track meet and keep things interesting.This total is discounted thanks to concerns over Prescott's ankle and shoulder injuries, but he said he's definitely ready. Head coach Mike McCarthy echoed those sentiments, calling him a full go for Thursday's opener. This high-powered Dallas offense made a habit of fourth-quarter comebacks early last year before Prescott went down, so instead of sweating a possible backdoor cover here, I feel much more comfortable backing these dynamic offenses to push the opener comfortably over the total.- Alex MorettoRob Gronkowski under 30.5 receiving yards (-115)The Cowboys' defense will have a new look under defensive coordinator and former Falcons head coach Dan Quinn. Atlanta was No. 9 in blitz frequency last season at 62.06%, a number that actually brought down their 68.69% average under Quinn the three campaigns prior. What changed? Well, Quinn actually fired himself and handed play-calling duties to Raheem Morris, who stopped blitzing as much.Why is this important? If Quinn can't keep himself from blitzing to the point where he has to remove himself from play-calling, what's he going to do in his new gig in Dallas? Blitz! When teams pressure the Bucs, Gronkowski stays in to block instead of running routes, leaving Brady to use one of his numerous other receiving outlets.Furthermore, since Brown arrived in Tampa, Gronk has gone over 30.5 receiving yards just four times in 11 games. Of those seven unders, two of them came against ... wait for it ... Quinn's Falcons.- Matt RussellCopyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

If you've followed this column over the past couple of years, you know there are a few rules I try to use: Avoid road teams, don't save teams for future use, and most importantly, never pick divisional games.It's likely the first two will be broken this season (spoiler: we're already breaking the first one). But spam me on all platforms if you catch me breaking the third.There's a reason I never break the third rule. In 2008, I co-entered a fairly large survivor pool with my dad, and while I don't remember all the details, by Week 12 we were still standing alongside the final 23 entries, down from a starting field of close to 5,000.We picked the Denver Broncos, who were 8.5-point favorites over the Oakland Raiders at home. Jay Cutler crumbled, Darren McFadden and Justin Fargas ran wild for the Raiders, and JaMarcus Russell threw the game's only touchdown pass during a 31-10 upset.I was devastated.I'm ashamed to admit that wasn't the last time I've been eliminated after picking a divisional game, but I've been clean for a while now with no intention of breaking.Now let's get this season started.Week 1 confidence rankingConfidence rankings (CR) are out of 10 based on the author's picks.AwayHome (Spread)Pick (CR)49ersLions (+7.5)SF (9)BearsRams (-7.5)LAR (9)CowboysBuccaneers (-8)TB (7)JetsPanthers (-5)CAR (6)SteelersBills (-6.5)BUF (5)BrownsChiefs (-6)KC (5)RavensRaiders (+4.5)BAL (5)BroncosGiants (+3)DEN (4)PackersSaints (+4.5)GB (3)JaguarsTexans (+3)JAC (3)VikingsBengals (+3.5)MIN (3)CardinalsTitans (-3)TEN (2)EaglesFalcons (-3.5)ATL (2)ChargersWashington (+1)WFT (1)SeahawksColts (+2.5)SEA (1)DolphinsPatriots (-3)MIA (1)Top pick: San Francisco 49ersWeek 1 marks the beginning of our season-long plan to fade a Lions team that will do well to win more than a few games. While it's possible head coach Dan Campbell is tricking us all into underestimating him, it's going to take a lot of time to fix the mess the previous regime left.The Lions' defense ranked last in yards and points allowed in 2020, and it could be even worse this campaign following a mass exodus, with Everson Griffen, Jarrad Davis, Reggie Ragland, Desmond Trufant, Justin Coleman, and Darryl Roberts all leaving. Offensively, the Lions downgraded from Matthew Stafford, Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones, and Danny Amendola to Jared Goff, Tyrell Williams, and Amon-Ra St. Brown. They also lost kicker Matt Prater and signed his replacement off waivers a week ago.The team's offensive line should be a bright spot, but will it matter? Goff was set up for success in Sean McVay's scheme with talent surrounding him, and he still looked absolutely lost when his first read was covered. The signal-caller could be in for a nightmarish season in the Motor City while playing in a worse scheme and with downgraded talent.His first test with Detroit comes against a 49ers club he's lost four straight starts against, and Goff failed to eclipse 200 passing yards in either game against them last season while completing just 55% of his throws with a 2:3 touchdown-to-interception ratio. That all occurred when facing a severely banged-up San Francisco defense that was without Nick Bosa and Dee Ford for the majority of the season, along with several other notable contributors.The 49ers were hurting overall. It was a lost season in the Bay Area, as San Francisco started three different quarterbacks, and the franchise was without the likes of Deebo Samuel, Raheem Mostert, and George Kittle for more than half the season. With everyone back, rookies Trey Lance and Trey Sermon arriving, and the signings of Alex Mack and Samson Ebukam to shore up the offensive and defensive lines, San Francisco is primed to contend for the NFC West title.The team has also developed a reputation as road warriors under Kyle Shanahan. Despite injuries leading to a 6-10 record last season, the 49ers still finished 5-3 on the road, following up a 7-1 road record the prior campaign. Detroit was a paltry 1-7 at home in 2020.Against a Lions team lacking talent and needing time to acclimate to a new regime, the 49ers will ride a suffocating defense and relentless rushing attack to a straightforward win at Ford Field. That's why they're the safest pick of the week ahead of a Rams club dealing with a tougher test in the Bears defense, in addition to a new quarterback and backfield injuries.Avoid: Jacksonville JaguarsPeople aren't exactly lining up to pick the Jaguars, but they're rushing to fade the Texans.We will be too several times this season, but not in Week 1. The three-point spread is about right here, but safety is key in survivor pools - it's all about minimizing risk and living to fight another week. Jacksonville is anything but safe in Week 1 unless you feel good about relying on a rookie quarterback who's leading a bad team during his first NFL start, and he's doing it on the road in a divisional matchup.The Jaguars did well to surround Trevor Lawrence with talent at the skill positions, but they lack the infrastructure to put him in a position to succeed. A bad offensive line is a legitimate concern, and it could result in disaster on any play. Pressure and inexperience lead to mistakes, and those are the two biggest areas of concern with Jacksonville.Inexperience isn't nearly as much of a worry for the Texans, and it could work in their favor during Week 1. Their roster is underwhelming, but it features plenty of veterans who know how to achieve NFL success. Houston might just have enough to pull off the upset and put a miserable offseason behind it while at home against an overhyped and inexperienced division rival.Alex Moretto is theScore's supervising editor of sports betting. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.Copyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The 2021 NFL season is almost upon us, and we've already broken down our best bets to win the Super Bowl, MVP, and every award you can imagine. But which are our absolute favorite bets?Here are the best values to target before Thursday's opener.Brian Burns to win Defensive Player of the Year (+12500)There are many tantalizing values in the player futures market - from Tua Tagovailoa winning MVP (+6000) to the Rookie of the Year odds for Joe Tryon (+2800) and Michael Carter (+10000), respectively. But I can't stop thinking about Burns as a dark-horse candidate to be named DPOY, which tends to reward pass-rushers with high sack totals.The Panthers' third-year edge rusher finished with 7.5 sacks as a rookie and added nine sacks and three forced fumbles as a sophomore. He also ranked fourth in ESPN's pass-rush win rate (25%) and seventh in PFF's pass-rush grade (86.9) and pass-rush productivity (8.5) among players with at least 400 pass-rushing snaps in 2020. Translation: More sacks are coming.Burns is a star in the making with his elite spin moves along the edge, and as he continues to build out his frame, the power will follow. He should be dealing closer to 50-1, and he'd be a steal at that price, too. At this one? He's a must-bet.- C Jackson CowartJared Goff to throw the most INTs (+800)Traded from a Super Bowl contender in sunny Los Angeles to a bottom-feeder in snowy Detroit, things already looked bad for Goff without me piling on, but I really can't get enough of this bet.For the first time in his pro career, Goff is learning a new offense, and that's especially significant because he's used to Sean McVay scheming receivers wide-open. Historically, he's struggled when he has to look beyond his first read, which will be a regular occurrence with the Lions given the downgrade in both scheme and talent at the skill positions.Volume is also key for this bet, and as much as new head coach Dan Campbell wants to establish a ground-and-pound identity, the Lions will be playing from behind in most of their games. Goff faces zero threat of losing his job to backup David Blough, while the offensive line is good enough to keep his likelihood of injury low. He should attempt north of 600 passes, and the last time Goff did that, he threw a career-high 16 interceptions for a good Rams team. His 13 total interceptions last season fell just two shy of the league lead.- Alex Moretto49ers to win NFC championship (+600)The last time we saw the 49ers fully healthy, they were one defensive stop away from winning the Super Bowl. In 2020, they were ravaged by the injury bug to an almost impossible extent. A partial list: They started three different quarterbacks; Deebo Samuel, Raheem Mostert, and George Kittle missed half the season; and star defensive ends Nick Bosa and Dee Ford appeared in just three combined games. San Francisco simply couldn't get the sort of heroic quarterback play needed to recover.The 49ers addressed that by drafting exciting prospect Trey Lance No. 3 overall. Whether it's the talented Lance or a comeback season for Jimmy Garoppolo, the team's signal-caller will have the pleasure of working in a Kyle Shanahan offense with an abundance of weapons.The reason I'm backing the 49ers to win the NFC is two-fold. First, there's the divisional element. Rather than bet the 49ers to top the NFC West, which will likely require them to post a very good record, let's instead see if that record is enough to secure the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Sure, the defending champion Buccaneers will have something to say about that, but even if the 49ers fall short of the top seed, I like their chances on the road in the playoffs. As they say: Defense and a strong running game travel well.- Matt RussellCopyright © 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.