Antonio Brown wasn't available to the New England Patriots during their season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but the defending champions are looking forward to adding the four-time All-Pro.Ahead of New England's Sunday night matchup, NBC broadcaster Al Michaels shared a conversation he had with Patriots owner Robert Kraft about the signing."Kraft told me that when he broke the news to Tom Brady, Brady initially said, 'I'm a hundred percent in.' Two minutes later, Tom came back and said to Kraft, 'I'm a thousand percent in.' Then he came back two minutes later and said, 'I'm a million percent in,'" Michaels said, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.The Patriots didn't need the extra help while dismantling the Steelers 33-3. Brown should be available to the team for its Week 2 game against the Miami Dolphins."I think everybody's excited to add great players," Brady said postgame on Sunday. "It helps everybody when you have great players that are sharing the burden of a tough football season."I think, like anything else, whether it was Josh (Gordon) last year or Phillip (Dorsett) when he got here a few years ago late, and then this year Antonio, how much can you learn and process and get in here? And we're all going to work hard and try to get up to speed as fast as possible. ... We're all excited to have him."Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Nick Foles suffered a broken left clavicle in his Jacksonville Jaguars debut against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, the team confirmed following the loss.The quarterback is out indefinitely, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Foles said postgame that he'll undergo surgery Monday, per team insider John Oehser.Foles was accompanied to the X-ray room by a trainer after getting hurt on a hit he took while tossing a 35-yard touchdown to DJ Chark in the first quarter. The veteran was replaced by rookie sixth-round pick Gardner Minshew.The Jaguars signed Foles to a four-year, $88-million contract in free agency, confident that he'd push them back into contention in the AFC. The Super Bowl LII MVP spent the previous two seasons backing up Carson Wentz with the Philadelphia Eagles.Minshew was impressive in mop-up duty, completing 22 of his 25 passes for 275 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception despite the Jaguars losing 40-26. The rookie is likely to assume starting duties for the foreseeable future.Chase Litton is the only other quarterback on Jacksonville's roster but currently resides on the practice squad.Copyright © 2019 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 their significance moving forward.Lamar dazzlesThe Dolphins couldn't possibly be doing a better job of tanking, so perhaps the NFL world shouldn't get too carried away with Ravens hype after a 59-10 thrashing to open the season. But where's the fun in that? There's just so much to like about this offense.Not only does Lamar Jackson look much more polished as a passer, but the unit is masterfully constructed around his dual-threat skill set. With a Mark Ingram-led power ground game complementing Jackson's own talent as a runner - arguably the most explosive we've ever seen from a quarterback - opponents can't afford to not stack the box.Jackson's improvements as a passer, combined with some dynamic pass-catching talents, put the Ravens in position to shred the one-on-one matchups they get as a result. That's what we saw with rookie Marquise Brown, who looks every bit as uncoverable as he was in college, and just wait until they start using the size-speed mismatch that fellow first-year pass-catcher Miles Boykin presents on the outside. It's a pick-your-poison nightmare for defenses that will be difficult, if not impossible, to stop so long as Jackson continues to progress.Rinse, repeatThere couldn't have been many football fans surprised when, just an hour after being officially released by the Raiders, Antonio Brown reached a deal to join the Patriots. With countless past examples of elite players ending up in New England in unconventional ways and/or on below-market deals, most probably expected it.Watching Tom Brady pick apart the Steelers in prime time before Brown's official arrival makes his addition that much more frightening. The defending champs are adding one of the best receivers of his generation to an offense that already features Julian Edelman, last year's Super Bowl MVP, and Josh Gordon, an unstoppable talent when on the field and at the top of his game.Doesn't it just feel like the Patriots are going to run roughshod over the NFL once again? Maybe Gronk will even come out of retirement for the playoffs to chase and capture another ring. Would you really be surprised? The increasingly large faction of the football world waiting on the Patriots' demise is going to have to be patient. This probably isn't the year. At this rate, you probably shouldn't get your hopes up about 2020, either.Cancel the paradeIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyIn a totally new storyline that has never once happened before, the NFL's offseason darlings wasted no time reminding us that Super Bowls aren't won in the summer. As is the case with all these Week 1 observations, it's early. One bad game could prove to mean nothing, and the Browns could very well use this awful start, a 43-13 home(!) loss to the Titans, as motivation to get it together. It's happened before, and it's not as if they don't have the roster to do some great things.But the embarrassing showing confirms, once again, that building a contender is about so much more than accumulating talent. And if the Browns can't soon get on track with this collection of players - arguably a top-five roster in the NFL - it'll be fair to ask what they were thinking in January.Fantasy football analysts everywhere rejoiced when the Browns promoted Freddie Kitchens after a promising end to the season for his offense, so it was widely seen as a good hire. But that vaunted offense, now featuring Odell Beckham Jr., got run off the field, and an undisciplined effort saw the team rack up an obscene 18 penalties for 182 yards. All eyes will be on the head coach to clean things up in those areas - fast.Winston and Mariota on different pathsIn a make-or-break season for the former first and second overall picks, Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota will enter Week 2 on opposite trajectories.Bruce Arians’ return from retirement to coach Winston’s Bucs appeared to be a perfect marriage. Under Arians' tutelage, the big-armed but once erratic Carson Palmer turned in MVP-caliber seasons. Winston, it seemed, was similarly ripe for fine-tuning. Instead, Week 1 revealed the same error-prone passer we've seen for years; one who is slow to make reads (even with wide-open receivers right in front of his face), too quick to scramble even when no running lane presents itself, and, above all, far too loose with the football. Of his three touchdown tosses Sunday, only one was thrown to a Buccaneers player.Conversely, Mariota played measured, efficient, and highly productive football in his first game under new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, who assumed new Packers head coach Matt LaFleur's former duties. On a mere 24 pass attempts, Mariota threw for 248 yards and three touchdowns. Most importantly, behind a depleted offensive line, Mariota avoided the injury-causing hits that have derailed much of his career. In a suddenly very winnable AFC South, following Andrew Luck's retirement and Nick Foles' long-term injury, the Titans are trending in the right direction.Growing pains and glimpsesIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyAll we heard throughout the preseason was that the Cardinals couldn't wait to open up the offense when the regular season kicked off. The optimists in us took this as a sign that Kliff Kingsbury and Kyler Murray were about to unleash a new-look attack that would take the league by storm. For the vast majority of Sunday's opener, they seemed headed for a letdown.The Lions ran Kingsbury's offense off the field for three quarters, despite being far and away the most beatable opponents scheduled for the first month of the season, as Murray took numerous sacks and had trouble connecting with his receivers. But with the game on the line late, the light started to come on. Three fourth-quarter scoring drives sent the contest to overtime, where the two teams would trade field goals before settling for a tie. Not ideal, and certainly not the fireworks we expected, but things got better.Bottom line: This is going to be a process. The Cardinals won't set the league on fire in Year 1 of this new era, but Murray's talent is unmistakable and Kingsbury's offense is as modern as it gets. The potential for a potent scoring unit is there.They are who we thought they wereRemember when everyone and their mother was picking the Vikings to make a trip to the Super Bowl in 2018? Well, maybe we were all just a year early. Considering they're returning largely the same team that experts were so excited about just one season ago, it's a wonder people seemed to be sleeping on Minnesota heading into the campaign. That shouldn't last long.The Vikings put in arguably the most impressive performance of the week in dismantling a Falcons team that many expect to be in the mix in a loaded NFC. And it all came with Kirk Cousins attempting just 10 passes. That's because a stacked defense held Matt Ryan in check all day, racking up four sacks and two interceptions, while the offense rode the kind of dominant ground game they sought all of last year. And who can blame them for looking to establish that kind of offense? A healthy Dalvin Cook is one of the most dynamic playmakers in football, and rookie Alexander Mattison has earned himself a role for a reason.With one of the league's premier receiver tandems, we know the Vikings will be able to throw it when they have to. A running game like the one we saw Sunday will help set Cousins up for success, and vice versa. There's talent all over this roster, and it's going to take this team deep into the postseason.Eagles' one big weaknessMitchell Leff / Getty Images Sport / GettyThe Eagles were a little slow to take on the look of a Super Bowl contender, falling behind the division-rival Redskins 17-0 in what was supposed to be a cupcake opener. Carson Wentz and Co. eventually woke up and would ultimately cruise to a relatively easy win, but the initial struggles did shine a light on the biggest concerns surrounding Philadelphia this year - the secondary.For all the talent on this team, stacked at nearly position group, the collection of defensive backs is still mediocre, at best. Early as it may be, that deficiency showing up against Case Keenum and a cast of young receivers makes you wonder how this group matches up with some of the top passing attacks that'll be waiting later in the schedule and, eventually, in the NFC playoffs.Howie Roseman is one of the most aggressive general managers in the league. He's certainly aware of this problem area, so it would be no surprise to see him working the phones in the early part of the season leading up to the trade deadline. Jalen Ramsey will be the biggest name mentioned to trade talk, but given the presumed cost, perhaps a better name to keep an eye on is Patrick Peterson, who will rejoin the Cardinals in October after serving a six-game suspension.Gordon's holdout should drag onFor any player extending a holdout into the regular season, the hope is that their team immediately feels their absence on the field. Unfortunately for Melvin Gordon, that's not even remotely the case.Not only does the Chargers' offense look perfectly fine without him, but one could make the argument that Austin Ekeler is the more dynamic player anyway. Ekeler was the star of Sunday's road win over the Colts, taking 12 carries for 58 yards and a touchdown (including the overtime game-winner), while also adding six catches for 96 yards and two scores.Unless Gordon caves or another team steps up to offer a mid-round pick in a trade, this feels like a holdout that will last deep into the season. The Chargers have no reason to even approach his rumored demands of $13 million per season, and given the limited value he'd add, one could argue that their reported offer of $10 million was too generous.No Luck, no problemIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyOne game into the post-Andrew Luck era, the sky is decidedly not falling in Indianapolis.Jacoby Brissett looked very much like he did when filling in after Luck's 2017 season-ending injury - not quite the perfect quarterback specimen Luck was hailed as before injuries derailed and eventually ended his career, but more than capable of leading an NFL team to the playoffs.The stats - 21 of 27 pass attempts for 190 yards, two touchdowns, and a 120.7 passer rating - were there. So was the comeback drive, with Brissett finding T.Y. Hilton for a last-minute, game-tying touchdown. The win wasn't there, with the defense surrendering an overtime touchdown, but this looked nothing like a team lost at sea after the shocking departure of its captain. This looked like the beginnings of a new, but not altogether different, identity.Welcome to the Jacoby Brissett era.Pay the manEzekiel Elliott held out of the Cowboys' entire summer program and was rewarded with the largest contract ever given to a running back. Dak Prescott is also seeking a record deal, but he's taken a different approach. For reasons that make sense only to those employed in the NFL (or maybe just to nobody at all), quarterbacks don't hold out for new deals. As leaders of the team, it's beneath them ... or something.So, Prescott dutifully reported for training camp and preseason, and he took the field Sunday under a rookie contract that will pay him a shade over $2 million in 2019 - less than many backups will take home. Sixty minutes of game time later, the Cowboys might wish they had prioritized Prescott’s extension over Elliott's. The fourth-year pro was clinical against the Giants, throwing for 405 yards, four touchdowns, and a perfect passer rating.An extension is coming - and probably soon. But any hope the Cowboys may have had of signing their passer at a discount has vanished. Jared Goff's $110 million guaranteed will look like chump change next to Dak's upcoming deal.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The first Sunday of the 2019 NFL season had no shortage of great outings from players across the league.Here are the top performances from Sunday's Week 1 contests:Sammy Watkins, WR, Chiefs9 receptions, 198 receiving yards, 3 TDsWith Tyreek Hill sidelined early against the Jaguars, Watkins stepped up as the primary weapon in the Chiefs' high-powered offense and set a new career-high in receiving yards on 11 targets. Watkins' 68-yard score, Kansas City's first of the season, showcased his burst as the 26-year-old slipped past Jacksonville defenders en route to the end zone.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Devin Funchess suffered a broken collarbone in his team's Week 1 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, a source told NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.Funchess appeared to injure his shoulder going up for a jump ball in the fourth quarter. He'll get a second opinion on the injury but will likely need surgery, Pelissero added.A timetable for the wideout's return has yet to be determined.The 25-year-old signed as a free agent from the Carolina Panthers this offseason and was set to earn a significant share of targets as the Colts' No. 2 receiver.Funchess caught three passes for 32 yards against the Chargers before exiting.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Joe Mixon appears to have avoided a significant injury after exiting the Cincinnati Bengals' Week 1 contest against the Seattle Seahawks.Mixon is believed to have suffered an ankle sprain while attempting a tackle during the third quarter, sources told NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. He'll undergo tests to confirm the injury.The 23-year-old was seen walking into the Bengals' locker room shortly after the play but joined his teammates on the sideline in the fourth quarter, according to Tyler Dragon of the Cincinnati Enquirer.He rushed for 10 yards on six carries behind a Bengals offensive line that struggled against Seattle. He added two receptions for 7 yards.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Detroit Lions tight end T.J. Hockenson set an NFL record in his pro debut Sunday.The 22-year-old finished with 131 receiving yards against the Arizona Cardinals, the most for any tight end in a league debut in NFL history, according to ESPN's Field Yates.The Iowa product also caught six of his nine targets as the Lions tied the Cardinals 27-27.Hockenson achieved the feat while catching his first career touchdown on a 23-yard pass from Matthew Stafford in the fourth quarter.

Multiple Miami Dolphins players reportedly instructed their agents to seek out trades after the team's 59-10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, a source told ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio.Players believe the coaching staff isn't serious about competing and is instead attempting to secure high draft capital with an eye on the future, Florio reports.The Dolphins, however, told Florio that they haven't received requests from any players.Miami made numerous moves during the offseason, most recently shipping off left tackle Laremy Tunsil and receiver Kenny Stills for a haul of draft picks.The Dolphins also traded away Kiko Alonso and Ryan Tannehill, as well as released or declined to re-sign numerous veterans, including Cameron Wake, T.J. McDonald, Ja'Wuan James, Danny Amendola, and Frank Gore.Before the start of the season, head coach Brian Flores denied that the Dolphins were attempting to tank.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Kansas City Chiefs receiver Tyreek Hill injured his collarbone in the first quarter of the team's season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars, a source told ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio.Hill will not require surgery but will miss "a few weeks," a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.The 25-year-old appeared to suffer the injury when he was tackled in the first quarter.

Lamar Jackson silenced his doubters in unbelievable style on Sunday, tossing five touchdown passes - including two bombs to rookie Marquise "Hollywood" Brown - to help give the Baltimore Ravens a 59-10 win over the Miami Dolphins.Many wondered about the sophomore quarterback's viability as a passer entering the 2019 campaign. But he was nearly flawless when throwing on Sunday, ending the game with a perfect passer rating of 158.3.After the dominant victory, Jackson couldn't resist a dig at those who believed he's just an athlete playing quarterback."Not bad for a running back," he quipped.

The Cleveland Browns were stunned Sunday by the Tennessee Titans after an offseason of hype, losing their season opener 43-13 at home.Baker Mayfield put in arguably his worst performance as a pro, throwing three interceptions and taking five sacks.More to come.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Los Angeles Rams are going into the season "blind" in regards to how running back Todd Gurley's knee will respond to live action, Jay Glazer of FOX Sports reports."The Rams are kinda going into this blind. They have no idea how the knee's going to respond today or any week this season," Glazer said on the pregame broadcast.A knee injury limited Gurley's effectiveness toward the end of the 2018 regular season and during the Rams' run to Super Bowl LIII. He recorded one 100-plus-yard game from Week 14 onward.Head coach Sean McVay announced this week that Gurley won't be limited during the team's Week 1 contest against the Carolina Panthers.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Antonio Brown garnered significant interest as a free agent after being released from the Oakland Raiders on Saturday.Brown's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said there was a robust market for the four-time All-Pro receiver, despite his erratic behavior during a six-month stint with the Raiders, ESPN's Chris Mortensen reports.Among the teams showing interest were the Cleveland Browns and Seattle Seahawks, according to Mortensen. Though teams confirmed interest in the star receiver, other clubs ultimately believed a Brown-New England Patriots union was a "fait accompli."The Patriots reportedly agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $15 million with Brown, which includes a $9-million signing bonus.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

theScore's Justin Boone is coming off his sixth top-10 finish in FantasyPros' Most Accurate Expert Competition. Follow the links below to see his updated rankings for Week 1.You can also listen to the Week 1 preview episode of theScore Fantasy Football Podcast.Half PPR

Antonio Brown is heading to New England with a full understanding of "The Patriot Way" and is willing to follow it, according to his agent."I'll just tell you that the Patriots are obviously a very solid, strong organization," Drew Rosenhaus said on ESPN. "They do things the Patriots' Way. They expect everyone to be accountable. They don't make any exceptions. I've discussed this with Antonio. And he wants to be a Patriot. He's prepared to go there, fit in, work hard, be like every other player on the team, do what's asked of him, do his job, and make it work. He's honored with the opportunity and he's looking forward to taking advantage of it."Brown agreed to a one-year contract worth up to $15 million with New England on Saturday, shortly after he was released by the Oakland Raiders. The wideout was involved in a boatload of drama over his six-month stay in the Bay Area, continuing a trend that developed toward the end of his tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers."Antonio had a robust free-agent market and certainly had a lot of options," said Rosenhaus, who also represents retired Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski. "But it was hard to compete with New England and that amazing opportunity, that great franchise, and play with one of the all-time greats, Tom Brady, and Bill Belichick."Brown won't be eligible to play against the Steelers in Week 1 because he wasn't on the roster as of 4 p.m. E.T. on Saturday. The Patriots still haven't announced his signing, but he's expected to be on the roster and in the lineup by Week 2."He wants to win a Super Bowl," Rosenhaus said. "It's a great opportunity for him to sign with a team that has dominated the football league for the past decade. It's a dynasty. The future is now for Antonio. This is an opportunity for him to do something that he hasn't been able to do in his illustrious career, which is win a championship. That's what he's looking forward to. That's immediately the goal. That's all he's thinking about right now."Brown compiled a Hall of Fame-caliber resume over nine seasons with the Steelers before he was shipped to Oakland in March.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Washington Redskins plan to make veteran running back Adrian Peterson inactive for Sunday's season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles, according to Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.Washington signed the 13-year pro to a two-year deal in March.While discouraging news for the 34-year-old, it shows the team has confidence in second-year back Derrius Guice's return to health from a torn ACL last year. Guice is expected to be the lead back entering the season."I think the offense, carries wise, will probably go through him, pretty much," head coach Jay Gruden said this week.Guice carried the ball 11 times for 44 yards, averaging four yards per carry, during the preseason.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Melvin Gordon plans to end his holdout between Week 6 and Week 8 and report to the Los Angeles Chargers at that time, sources told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.The running back has already incurred about $1 million in fines during his holdout. He's received permission from the Chargers to seek a trade, but such a deal hasn't yet come to fruition.Gordon turned down a contract extension from Los Angeles that would've netted him $10 million annually and has instead been on the prowl for $13 million per year. The Chargers announced at the end of the preseason that they were breaking off negotiations with Gordon until the end of the campaign.Gordon, 26, is in the fifth and final year of his rookie deal and is on track to hit free agency in March 2020. The Wisconsin product ran for 885 yards and 10 touchdowns over 12 games last year and averaged a career-high 5.1 yards per carry. He added 490 yards and four touchdowns in the passing game.The Chargers are expected to feature the combination of Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson in the backfield during Gordon's absence.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It didn't take long for Antonio Brown to find a new home.Mere hours after he orchestrated a release from the Oakland Raiders, Brown agreed to terms with the defending champion New England Patriots, his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, confirmed to ESPN's Adam Schefter.It's a one-year deal worth up to $15 million with a $9-million signing bonus, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.The Patriots open their season Sunday night against Brown's first team, the Pittsburgh Steelers. The receiver is ineligible to play, however, because he wasn't on the roster at 4 p.m. Saturday, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo.The Patriots swooping in to land the four-time All-Pro is similar to their acquisition of Randy Moss in 2007 following the wideout's short stint with the Raiders. The duo of Moss and Tom Brady went on to set offensive records in a magical 16-0 season that would ultimately end in Super Bowl heartbreak.Brown's six-month stint with the Raiders was littered with social media posts that eventually led to his release. Belichick and the Patriots are notorious for being against such behavior.His on-field production is unquestionable. Brown has put together six consecutive seasons of more than 1,284 receiving yards and at least eight touchdowns. He led the league in scores in 2018 with 15 and added 1,297 yards on 104 receptions.Brown now joins a receiving corps that lost Rob Gronkowski to retirement but still boasts Julian Edelman, Phillip Dorsett, and Josh Gordon.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Antonio Brown concluded his summer-long saga with the Oakland Raiders on Saturday, but his former teammates are focusing their attention on players still in the locker room."I've got to worry about the guys that are here, the guys that are invested in the team and the guys that want to go on this journey with us," Raiders linebacker Tahir Whitehead said, according to ESPN's Paul Gutierrez. "We tried to be there for him and support (Brown), but at the end of the day, the most we can do is focus on the guys that want to be here and just roll with that."He didn't want to be here and we tried to support him, but at the end of the day, the rest of the guys in here were thinking team first and if, obviously, you didn't possess that type of mentality, then it's not going to work out."Mere hours after he orchestrated his release from Oakland, the star wide receiver agreed to terms with the defending champion New England Patriots."I understand his point of view. At the same time, I understand (the Raiders') point of view," rookie running back Josh Jacobs said. "At the end of the day, it's not my business, so I just stay in my lane, focus, and control what I can control. ... (Brown's saga) wasn't nothing to me.""AB was our teammate - hate to see him gone, praying for him," linebacker Vontaze Burfict added. "Hopefully he gets everything cleaned up. He's a great football player ... we're worried about Monday."Raiders quarterback Derek Carr declined to speak with the media.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Oakland Raiders have released receiver Antonio Brown, the team announced Saturday.Brown's release comes a day after the wideout was fined $215,073 for conduct detrimental to the team, which reportedly voided his $29.125 million in guarantees.Brown celebrated his release in a video he posted on his YouTube page:

Antonio Brown's tenure with the Oakland Raiders came to an end Saturday before the mercurial receiver ever played a game for the franchise.The potential future Hall of Famer spent only six months in the Bay Area, though he was involved in enough drama to last six years. Here is the path AB traveled from sweet marriage with the Raiders to a bitter divorce:March 9: Traded to RaidersThe Raiders acquired Brown from the Pittsburgh Steelers for a pair of draft picks. They immediately signed him to a three-year, $50-million contract that included $30 million guaranteed. Brown, head coach Jon Gruden, and general manager Mike Mayock were all smiles at the wide receiver's introductory press conference."He's as good of a practice football player and works as hard as any football player I've ever seen in my life," Mayock said. "And when we came here, Jon and I talked about finding passionate football players that love the game, that practice hard and play hard, and all I am going to tell you is Raider Nation, we got a little better today and it's all because of the way this guy plays football, Antonio Brown."July 26: Arrival at training campA jovial Brown took a hot-air balloon to training camp in Napa, California. Optimism reigned over Raider Nation as the team began preparations for the new campaign. Oakland was coming off a busy offseason highlighted by the addition of its new star wideout.

The Oakland Raiders-Antonio Brown saga is finally over.After six turbulent months, the Raiders released Brown after he requested his dismissal via a social media post Saturday morning."We just have exhausted everything, we tried every way possible to make it work," head coach Jon Gruden said Saturday afternoon. "All I'm going to say is it's disappointing. I'm really proud of our players, our coaches, our owner, our front office. We did everything we could to make this work. I'm sorry it didn't."Gruden wouldn't pinpoint what exactly was the final straw for the franchise, but he said he holds no ill will toward the receiver."I apologize but I will tell you I'm very proud of what we did as an organization. I wish Antonio nothing but the best. I'm sorry that we never got the chance to see him in the Silver and Black. Very disappointing," Gruden said."I really looked forward to coaching him, but it's not going to happen," he added.Gruden also defended Brown, who missed much of training camp and the entire preseason with a litany of issues, including frostbitten feet, a helmet grievance, and a dispute with the team's general manager over a fine."I tell you, he's a good guy. Misunderstood by a lot of people but he's a good guy, he's a great player. I hope he gets what he's looking for," Gruden said of Brown.As for Gruden's voice being heard in a YouTube video that Brown shared, the head coach was happy to laugh off the entire situation."Might have been Frank Caliendo," he said with a laugh.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Antonio Brown's days as an Oakland Raider may be over, but the drama surrounding the star receiver is far from done.On Saturday, the Raiders granted Brown's wish and released him after voiding nearly $30 million of his guaranteed money on Friday. Brown is eligible to sign with any team starting at 4:01 p.m ET.Oddsmakers didn't waste time posting odds for which team will employ Brown next, with no surprise at the top of the board. Here are the odds for Brown's next team with analysis on the clubs that stand out:TEAMODDSNew England Patriots2-1Washington Redskins3-1Dallas Cowboys6-1Buffalo Bills7-1Houston Texans10-1Denver Broncos10-1Arizona Cardinals10-1San Francisco 49ers10-1Tampa Bay Buccaneers10-1New England Patriots (2-1)Brown hadn't even hit free agency before rumors circulated of the Patriots potentially making a play to acquire the enigmatic receiver. This move makes sense on the surface because Bill Belichick has a history of acquiring star receivers who come with off-the-field risks, such as Randy Moss and Josh Gordon.Is Brown worth the headache? Maybe for New England, but not for bettors. Laying 2-1 odds against the field is hefty, especially since Brown showed his preference for dysfunction (Oakland) over stability (Pittsburgh) by demanding a trade this offseason.He also may not want to subdue his outspoken nature in New England.Houston Texans (10-1)This is actually solid value on the Texans, a team that's shown a relentless approach while adding talent in recent weeks. The only complicating factor here is money, as Houston shipped star Jadeveon Clowney to Seattle for financial reasons.If Brown is content with a cheaper "prove it" deal, head coach Bill O'Brien will likely welcome him with open arms. The Texans already field a star wideout in DeAndre Hopkins, but they've struggled to find a consistent No. 2 receiver. If Brown is willing to share the limelight - and he wasn't with former teammate JuJu Smith-Schuster - this is a great value for both Houston and bettors.Arizona Cardinals (10-1)The Cardinals made a concerted effort to provide new head coach Kliff Kingsbury with offensive firepower this offseason, drafting Kyler Murray and four pass-catchers in April, and signing wideout Michael Crabtree and tight end Charles Clay as free agents.Adding Brown would be the ultimate trump card for Kingsbury's aerial assault, and the move would likely please Arizona's young QB, too. Murray worked out with Brown in January, and the two exchanged friendly banter after facing off in Week 2 of the preseason. The signs are there to take a long shot on the Cards.C Jackson Cowart is a betting writer for theScore. He's an award-winning journalist with stops at The Charlotte Observer, The San Diego Union-Tribune, The Times Herald-Record, and BetChicago. He's also a proud graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, and his love of sweet tea is rivaled only by that of a juicy prop bet. Find him on Twitter @CJacksonCowart.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Atlanta Falcons and Julio Jones have agreed to terms on a contract extension, the team announced Saturday.Jones' new deal is reportedly a three-year, $66-million extension that includes $64 million guaranteed due at signing, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter. The receiver is now under contract with the Falcons for the next five seasons.The reported annual average of $22 million makes Jones the highest-paid receiver in the league, eclipsing Michael Thomas' five-year, $96-million deal from earlier this offseason.Jones was noncommittal this week as to whether he'd suit up for the team's Week 1 game against the Minnesota Vikings without a new contract in place.The 30-year-old has been with the team throughout training camp, however, despite his request for a new contract.Jones' previous deal kept him under contract through the 2020 campaign. He threatened to hold out prior to the 2018 season but the Falcons assured Jones they would renegotiate his contract and satisfied him with a temporary pay raise.The six-time Pro Bowler has failed to surpass 1,000 receiving yards only twice during his eight-year career. Since being drafted sixth overall by the Falcons in the 2011 draft, he's averaged 96.7 yards per game, leading the league in that statistic in three seasons.Jones recorded eight touchdowns and 113 receptions in 2018 while accumulating a league-leading 1,677 receiving yards.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The player prop market is a hot one for bettors. While standard spread and total bets account for an entire game, individual props focus on specific matchups. With a full slate on the horizon Sunday, here are five bets to consider for Week 1.Kenny Golladay Over 65.5 receiving yardsGolladay should play a huge role in the Detroit Lions' offense this season. He's coming off a 2018 sophomore campaign in which he recorded more than 1,000 yards, and he shouldn't find it too hard racking up the targets in this game. With the Lions matching up against the Arizona Cardinals this weekend, nobody benefits more from the Patrick Peterson suspension than Golladay does, as he'll face 2018 undrafted free-agent corner Chris Jones, who's spent most of his time on practice squads.The wideout surpassed 65 yards in half of his games last season and should be more of a go-to target in 2019. He has a great matchup on his hands to start.Corey Davis Under 49.5 receiving yardsThe Tennessee Titans have been allergic to the passing game in recent years. The switch from Matt LaFleur to Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator doesn't inspire confidence, either, considering rumblings over the offseason suggested Tennessee will continue to focus on the run. We're not ready (yet) to buy into the Titans' passing game, especially not with Davis' matchup this week against the Cleveland Browns.He'll draw Denzel Ward, who graded out as the top cornerback in the AFC North last season as a rookie. Davis also closed last year on a low note, compiling fewer than 50 yards in each of his final five games.Carson Wentz Over 1.5 passing touchdownsWe'd pay something in the -175 range for Wentz to throw two or more touchdowns against the Washington Redskins, who allowed multiple passing scores in nine games a season ago. The Philadelphia Eagles' have a loaded skill corps, and Wentz gets an ideal home game to kick off the season on the right foot.Dalvin Cook Over 3.5 receptionsGet used to fading the Atlanta Falcons' defense at the running back position. Last season, it allowed at least four receptions to tailbacks in all but three games; in three contests, it allowed double-digit catches.Cook certainly has untapped potential as a receiver. During yet another injury-riddled year, he caught at least three passes in eight of nine games last season. He should have plenty of opportunities to surpass that number against a defense that has struggled to cover running backs in the passing game for the last few years.Tyler Boyd Under 5.5 receptionsThe Cincinnati Bengals will likely morph into a more balanced team under head coach Zac Taylor, but who knows how long they can stick to that game plan when the offense will often be playing from behind in 2019.That'll likely start Sunday when the Bengals go to Seattle as 9.5-point underdogs. Quarterback Andy Dalton will have no other choice but to air it out, and Boyd becomes the go-to guy on the outside without the injured A.J. Green. However, Boyd actually benefited from Green being on the field last year.Boyd saw an average of 8.3 targets in eight games with Green on the field and only seven once his teammate was sidelined with an injury to close out the second half of the season. He might not have a particularly bad matchup on Sunday as the No. 1 receiver in an offense that should have to throw, but we'd be willing to take the "under" in this spot.Alex Kolodziej is a betting writer for theScore. He's a graduate of Eastern Illinois who has been involved in the sports betting industry for 12 years. He can quote every line from "Rounders" and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AlexKoIodziej.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Antonio Brown has asked in an Instagram caption for the Oakland Raiders to release him.The wide receiver has also vowed to not play because the team voided the guaranteed money in his contract."No way I play after they took that and made my contract week-to-week," he told ESPN's Jeff Darlington via email.Brown posted his Instagram message Saturday morning, hours after publishing a YouTube video that included audio from a phone conversation with Raiders head coach Jon Gruden."And that's fine! I have worked my whole life to prove that the system is blind to see talent like mines," Brown wrote. "Now that everyone sees it, they want me to conform to that same system that has failed me all those years. 'I'm not mad at anyone. I'm just asking for the freedom to prove them all wrong.' Release me @raiders #NOMore #theyputblindersonahorseforareason #NoMoreFake."

Warning: Story/video contains coarse languageAmid reports he's unhappy with the fine handed down by the Oakland Raiders for his recent altercation with general manager Mike Mayock, Antonio Brown posted a video on his YouTube channel Friday containing audio from what seemed to be a phone call with head coach Jon Gruden."I've been trying to be a Raider since Day 1, I've been fucking working my ass off harder than anyone," Brown told Gruden in the audio clip. "I don't know why it's a question of me being a Raider. It's like, do you guys want me to be a Raider?"An apparent reply from Gruden followed."Please stop this shit and just play football," he said. "How hard is that?"The Raiders have yet to comment on the video. It's currently unclear when the conversation took place and who recorded the audio. If Brown recorded it, the question will be whether he had Gruden's permission to do so.A team source told ESPN's Chris Mortensen the head coach was amused by the video and thought it was "awesome.""You're not a villain," Gruden said in the recording. "You're the most misunderstood fucking human being in my entire life that I've ever met ... I don't know where you are in your life right now off the field. All I know is you got a lot of things going. There's a lot of people that have an opinion about you, and whether it'd be good or bad, you're in the spotlight all the time."The conversation could refer to a number of incidents, including Brown's helmet issue, his frostbitten feet, or his decision to post an earlier fine letter from the Raiders to social media."I'm more than just a football player, man," Brown said near the end of the clip. "I'm a real person. It ain't about the football, I know I can do that."Gruden announced earlier Friday the star wideout had been cleared to play in Oakland's season opener after apologizing to Mayock and the team.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Instead of suspending Antonio Brown for his recent altercation with general manager Mike Mayock, the Oakland Raiders opted to fine the star receiver an unspecified amount, a source told ESPN's Ed Werder.Werder's source claims Brown is "not happy" with his punishment despite being cleared to play in Week 1.Alongside the club's captains, Brown gave an "emotional apology" at a team meeting earlier Friday following the reported altercation. Head coach Jon Gruden announced his intention to play him versus the Denver Broncos shortly after.The 31-year-old previously voiced his displeasure after the Raiders fined him for his absence at training camp.Brown also downplayed the severity of the argument between he and Mayock that stemmed from the fines and claimed he spoke to the general manager "one-on-one, man-to-man" to clear the air.Oakland reportedly was considering suspending the wideout, but Gruden said the team was "ready to move on."Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Though the 2019 season opener saw the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears combine for just 13 points, the contest was the NFL's most-viewed kickoff game since 2016.Green Bay's 10-3 triumph attracted an average of 22.7 million viewers on NBC along with other related digital platforms, according to The Associated Press. The number marks a 16% jump in viewership from last year's season-opening tilt between the Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons, which drew 19.6 million.Audience volume peaked between 9:15-9:30 p.m. ET, swelling to 23.9 million. Nielsen and Adobe Analytics compiled the viewership figures released by NBC.The ratings increase is a positive sign for the NFL, which has dealt with declining viewership in recent years.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NFL's 100th season got off to a bit of a slow start Thursday night, with the Green Bay Packers getting the better of the Chicago Bears in a 10-3 contest. The low-scoring game didn't come without its share of intrigue, though.Highlighted by a particularly troubling performance from one quarterback, and some impressive play from both defenses, here are five takeaways from the 2019 opener:1. Trubisky ain't itThe Bears have a problem on their hands, and it's at the most important position on the field. Granted, it was only one game - perhaps we see a completely different player in the weeks and months ahead - but the reservations about Mitch Trubisky's long-term outlook aren't new. Thursday night's disappointing performance did nothing to ease concerns that, if anything, he's going to be what keeps this talented team from going where it's capable of going.The box score production Trubisky enjoyed last year was largely a product of a fantastic situation in Chicago. Matt Nagy gets his talented playmakers open in space as well as any play designer in football, and the defense is constantly getting the ball back into Trubisky's hands. But the ball placement, decision-making, and composure in the pocket - all issues dating back to his time at North Carolina - aren't getting any better. That was reflected in a 26-for-45 (228 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT) outing that led to a mere three points. At a certain point, sooner rather than later, it'll be fair to wonder how long the Bears are willing to hinge their Super Bowl aspirations to such a limited passer. For now, they'll hope Thursday night was just an early-season hiccup, and that a third-year breakout is still in the cards. We're not so optimistic.2. Big moves, big results Unhappy with their 18th-ranked defense a year ago, the Packers and general manager Brian Gutekunst added a number of new faces to Mike Pettine’s unit this offseason.The additions paid huge dividends against Chicago as the defense outplayed one of the NFL’s best. Edge rushers Preston Smith and Za’Darius Smith outmatched Chicago’s offensive tackles early and often. Preston, signed as a free agent from the Washington Redskins, excelled in run defense and recorded 1.5 sacks; Za’Darius, who previously played for the Baltimore Ravens, was a constant presence in the Bears’ backfield and added a sack of his own.Green Bay also fielded two new starting safeties in Darnell Savage and Adrian Amos. Savage was selected in the first round (No. 21 overall) in April’s draft and was all over the field in pass coverage. Amos, meanwhile, made his presence felt by hauling in a clutch fourth-quarter interception in the end zone. Gutekunst deserves a ton of credit for his team’s Week 1 performance.3. No Fangio, no problemVic Fangio may have bolted to the Denver Broncos, but Chicago's front seven appeared as relentless as they were a season ago. Blessed with several talented players, Chuck Pagano's unit recorded five sacks, allowed just 25 yards rushing, and consistently emerged victorious in one-on-one matchups. The front seven maintained their patented aggression that made them the third-ranked defense in 2018.Outside of usual suspects Khalil Mack and Akiem Hicks, three youngsters stood out for the Bears. Second-year linebacker Roquan Smith was all over the field, showcasing his elite speed and ability to shoot gaps with ease; Roy Robertson-Harris, a relatively unknown player coming into the contest, recorded a sack and two tackles for loss while dominating Green Bay's interior blockers; Leonard Floyd, meanwhile, got the better of All-Pro David Bakhtiari on a handful of snaps en route to a two-sack performance.4. Lackluster debut for Rodgers-LaFleur duoOne of the offseason's top storylines was the partnership between Aaron Rodgers and new Packers head coach Matt LaFleur. Green Bay won the game, but the duo must improve to contend in a competitive NFC North. There were certainly flashes, particularly from Rodgers and his improvisation skills, but Green Bay's scoring unit failed to consistently move the ball or convert key third downs.LaFleur's offense averaged less than four yards per play, totaled just 213 yards, and failed to give its star quarterback enough time to throw on deep passing concepts. While fans hoped for an efficient, fast-paced scoring attack, the first-year coach often opted for a conservative play call. Green Bay converted just 16% of its third-down plays thanks in large part to an offensive line that struggled with consistency. Luckily for LaFleur, his defense came to play and stifled its opponent.5. More replays, y'allThe good news: The new ability for coaches to challenge pass interference penalties, or the absence of which, did not lead to a ticky-tack call deciding Thursday night's opener. Fear not, though, that's absolutely coming at some point in the near future.The bad news: The first game of the NFL season gave us confirmation that coaches will be using this new rule to challenge anything that even comes close to pass interference. Matt LaFleur's unsuccessful challenge in hopes of an offensive pass interference call when a Bears receiver slightly extended his arm at the top of his route in the fourth quarter is all the evidence we need to conclude that pace of play will be heading in the wrong direction this season. Avoiding disastrous missed calls like the one that decided last year's NFC title game is great, everything else about this rule is not so exciting.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Oakland Raiders receiver Antonio Brown will play in Week 1, head coach Jon Gruden announced Friday."Antonio is back today. We're really excited about that," said Gruden. "Ready to move on ... we're happy to have him back."When asked about Brown playing against the Denver Broncos, Gruden said, "That's the plan, yes."

New England Patriots wide receiver Josh Gordon is moving forward following his return to the NFL.Gordon hasn't addressed the media since his reinstatement to the NFL in August, but he wrote a statement Friday in which he explained his late-season departure from New England in 2018 and that he's no longer revisiting his past."Before the 2019 season starts, I would like to address an issue that arose toward the end of last season," Gordon said. "It's been well-documented that I have battled substance abuse for quite some time."Unfortunately, I did not take the time to focus on a solution to my problem until this past year. I am eternally grateful for the constant support from the NFL, NFLPA, and the Patriots organization. I also want to thank my family, friends, and all the fans who supported me while I addressed this issue."Going forward, I will not be discussing the details of my past. I plan to focus on the present and getting better every day. I hope people will judge me on what I do now and in the future. I look forward to being a member of the Patriots once again this season and doing my part by contributing on and off the field."Gordon suited up for the Patriots' preseason finale and caught two passes for 30 yards.The 28-year-old, who led the league in receiving yards in 2013 before missing multiple years due to suspension, is set to play in New England's regular-season opener Sunday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

SSSQ is a weekly look at under-the-radar fantasy players you should 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.StartJameis Winston, QB, Buccaneersvs. 49ersIcon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyWe'll finally get our first glimpse at the new and improved version of Winston under Bruce Arians' tutelage, and, fortunately, the matchup is a good one against a San Francisco defense that ranked 27th in pass-defense DVOA in 2018. The 49ers-Bucs game has one of the highest projected point totals of the week and a shootout is definitely possible with offensive weapons on both sidelines. Winston was also much better at home last season, posting a 3-2 record with 10 touchdowns to four interceptions. He went winless in six road appearances while throwing nine scores and 10 picks. Make no mistake, there's plenty of pressure on Winston this season with his future as an NFL starter perhaps hanging in the balance, but with a supporting cast that features Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and O.J. Howard, you can allow yourself to get excited about his fantasy outlook, especially in Week 1.Boone's projection: 332 passing yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT, 18 rushing yardsOther QBs to start

Cleveland Browns star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is "ready to go" for the team's season opener Sunday despite a hip injury, head coach Freddie Kitchens announced Friday, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal.Kitchens said Beckham won't be on a snap count against the Tennessee Titans, according to Scott Petrak of The Chronicle-Telegram, who added that the pass-catcher was again a full participant in Friday's practice.Beckham revealed Thursday that his hip injury is preventing him "from opening up and sprinting," though he, too, said he was still set to play in Week 1."It's like an extremely fast car with the alignment off,'' Beckham said. "The car can still go, but it's dangerous.''Beckham sat out the entire preseason due to the lingering ailment but it appears his Browns debut will go ahead as planned following his blockbuster move from the New York Giants.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Every Friday during the NFL season, theScore's sports betting writers will release their best bets for the week. Each member has been given an imaginary $1,000 bankroll to manage throughout the season. If you decide to follow any of the picks, please gamble responsibly.Odds courtesy of theScoreBet.Thomas Casale (0-0, $1,000)Baltimore Ravens at Miami DolphinsLine: Ravens -7I'm riding with the public on the most popular bet of Week 1. I got this number early at 4.5 but advise betting it up to a touchdown. While it's only the first week and anything can happen, we know the Dolphins will be bad in 2019. The thing that sticks out to me is that the Ravens' defense feasts on below-average quarterbacks. Last season, Baltimore went 5-1 versus bottom-15 passing offenses, outscoring those opponents 176-89. Sorry, but Ryan Fitzpatrick qualifies as a below-average quarterback.Lamar Jackson and the Ravens' offense will be much better this season than some are predicting. Look for him to get off to a fast start against an undermanned Miami unit. And if you're worried about the public being on Baltimore, remember the Ravens were the most popular pick last year in Week 1 and blew out the Bills by a score of 47-3.Pick: Ravens -7 ($50)Indianapolis Colts at Los Angeles ChargersLine: Chargers -7Andrew Luck is a great player and the Colts certainly aren't better without him. Having said that, Jacoby Brissett is a quality quarterback in his own right, and the Colts have quietly put together one of the most talented rosters in the AFC over the last two years. Brissett went 4-12 as a starter in 2017 when he filled in for an injured Luck, but he was traded to the Colts just one week before the season started. Indy now provides him with a much better offensive line and is stronger on defense, too.After Luck announced his retirement, the line for this game moved from Chargers -3 to -7. I grabbed it at seven and so did sharp betters because it moved a half-point off that important number of a touchdown at some books, though you can still get the Colts +7 at theScoreBet in New Jersey.Indianapolis won't have Luck, but the Chargers are playing without stud safety Derwin James and starting running back Melvin Gordon. The Colts are just 1-10 ATS in their last 11 openers, yet I'm taking Indy to buck the trend on Sunday and cover the seven points.Pick: Colts +7 ($50)Alex Kolodziej (0-0, $1,000)Buffalo Bills at New York JetsTotal: 41I hit this one back in the summer at 38.5 and would play up to 41. On paper, this game doesn't look like it'll be fun, but don't automatically assume these two teams are going to slug it out in a defensive battle. Both are drastically different than they were last year, especially on offense where there are actual playmakers this season. This total was my biggest disagreement at the opening number, and I'd still play it now.Pick: Over 41 ($35)Cincinnati Bengals at Seattle SeahawksTotal: 44This comes down to a belief that one team - Seattle - can do whatever it wants offensively, while its pass-happy opponent - Cincinnati - has to rack up yards through the air to keep up. I hit this one before the A.J. Green injury and would have liked another offensive weapon for a road team in hostile territory, but there’s enough still intact for the Bengals to help get this game over the total.Pick: Over 44 ($30)San Francisco 49ers at Tampa Bay BuccaneersTotal: 50There are certain teams that go through transitions and it generally takes a while for the market to catch up, but I feel like we're going to get another year of Tampa Bay shootouts. The defense didn't do much to upgrade a unit that was weak last season and new head coach Bruce Arians is known for getting the most out of his offense. This should be a wide-open, fast-paced game with a ton of throwing, and I'll pay for the defenses to beat me here.Pick: Over 50 ($30)C Jackson Cowart (0-0, $1,000)Denver Broncos at Oakland RaidersLine: Broncos -1.5When this game opened in the summer, I loved the Broncos as 2.5-point 'dogs. I loved them at +1 earlier this week; I loved them at pick 'em; I love them at -1.5. If Antonio Brown is indeed suspended for this contest, I love Denver at anything short of -3.Look, the Broncos are the better team in every facet of the game - especially if Brown is out - and new head coach Vic Fangio was an ATS hero when he coached up the Bears' defense. Give me the Broncos all day in this matchup, and hit the Raiders' team total under while you're at it.Pick: Broncos -1.5 ($75)Detroit Lions at Arizona CardinalsTotal: 47.5The Cardinals' offense struggled during the preseason and that could continue into Week 1. Arizona had the worst pass-blocking line in the league last year and opens with both a new coach and quarterback against a nasty Lions defensive front. The Cards' team total under is the golden play here, but the game should fall short of 47, too, thanks to Detroit's commitment to the run game.Pick: Under 47.5 ($35)Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota VikingsLine: Vikings -4This is what they call a "prove it" game to open the season. Last year's disappointing campaign still resulted in a winning record for the Vikings despite crippling injuries along the offensive line, which the team helped remedy in the first round of this year's draft. Don't forget, too, that Minnesota is two years removed from winning 13 games and is now armed with a better quarterback and better skill position players around him.I'm not sold on the idea that all of Atlanta's defensive woes in 2018 were injury-related, and regardless of Julio Jones' status on Sunday, Minnesota's defense has enough elite talent on all three levels to make it hard on the Falcons' attack. If the Vikings are real Super Bowl contenders - and I'm convinced they are - this is a game they win handily.Pick: Vikings -4 ($15)Alex Moretto (0-0, $1,000)Kansas City Chiefs at Jacksonville JaguarsLine: Chiefs -4It's the Chris Conley revenge game. Everyone and their mother is on Kansas City this week, but the Jags are on the precipice of what could be a special season. Offensive coordinator John DeFilippo and quarterback Nick Foles will give this team an above-average offense for the first time in years to go along with one of the NFL's best defenses. People are quick to dismiss the guys catching the ball in Jacksonville, but Conley can fly and DeFilippo called Dede Westbrook the best route-runner he's ever seen. This line has dropped since opening Chiefs -5, despite more bettors backing Kansas City.Patrick Mahomes failed to throw a touchdown pass in only one game last year, and it was against Jacksonville He did throw two interceptions, though. Who knows, maybe I'm just drinking the Kool-Aid, but I love the Jags this week.Picks: Jaguars +4 ($40), Jaguars ML ($10 to win $17)Cincinnati Bengals at Seattle SeahawksLine: Seahawks -9.5Cincinnati was 4-1 last season before being struck down by the injury bug. New head coach Zac Taylor has implemented a "take what you can get" offense, moving up the field in small chunks, which should provide for plenty of success against a Seattle defense that likes to keep everything in front of it. On the other side, Seahawks offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer is going to have Seattle running early and often - hardly the recipe for a blowout win.Seattle has covered just one of its last seven games in September and is in for a tougher test than most expect at CenturyLink Field. Take the points with the biggest underdog in Week 1.Pick: Bengals +9.5 ($50)Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Kansas City Chiefs rewarded star receiver Tyreek Hill with a new extension, the team announced Friday.The deal is worth $54 million over three years, sources told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Hill's contract also contains $35 million in guaranteed money, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN.The 25-year-old was entering the final year of his rookie contract. The new-money average of $18 million per season ties Hill for second among receivers with Odell Beckham Jr., according to Over the Cap. Michael Thomas' annual salary of $19.25 million tops the position.Hill's status for the 2019 campaign was in doubt throughout much of the offseason due to allegations of child abuse involving his son. Hill also threatened his ex-fiancee in a recorded phone call.The NFL decided not to punish the pass-catcher in July after completing "a comprehensive investigation.""Local law enforcement ... publicly advised that the available evidence does not permit them to determine who caused the child's injuries. Similarly, based on the evidence presently available, the NFL cannot conclude that Mr. Hill violated the Personal Conduct Policy," the league said in a statement.Hill is a vital cog in Kansas City's prolific passing attack. In 2018, he helped get the Chiefs to the AFC Championship Game with a 1,479-yard, 12-touchdown campaign that earned him first-team All-Pro honors.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

On a Sunday about a month into Tony Romo's NFL broadcasting career, Derek Carr lined up under center against the Denver Broncos to orchestrate an unusual play. Deep in his own end with just four seconds to go before halftime, all the Oakland Raiders quarterback wanted to do was burn clock and hurl a pass out of bounds."It's gonna look weird," Romo told viewers on CBS as he articulated Carr's intentions before the snap."Rolling right, launching out of bounds, and Tony stealing the signals once again," broadcast partner Jim Nantz said moments later with a chuckle. "Well done, my friend."Practically from the moment that Romo swapped his Dallas Cowboys jersey and helmet for a microphone, the retired four-time Pro Bowler has distinguished himself as one of football's most respected color analysts - in no small part because of his knack for knowing what's about to unfold on any given down, and for his willingness to flex this gift on live TV on a near-weekly basis.The wonder Romo elicited from Nantz back on that day in October 2017 showed how quickly he made a habit of spoiling the designs of offenses around the league to his national audience. There was Romo in Tampa Bay that month, predicting, eight seconds in advance, the exact second that Buccaneers QB Jameis Winston would spike the ball on a hurry-up drive. There he was in Kansas City this past January, foretelling in real time the enthralling end to the Patriots-Chiefs AFC Championship Game.Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesIn the weeks between that instant classic and Super Bowl LIII, an exhaustive Wall Street Journal review of CBS game tape found that Romo had guessed a play call on air 72 times in the 2018-19 season. He'd been correct on 49 occasions (68%), including 11 down the stretch of the AFC title game alone.As Romo enters his third season paired with Nantz as CBS's lead analyst - a role from which he dislodged Phil Simms as a rookie, pushing his fellow former NFL pivot to the studio - his prowess as a prognosticator figures to be a continuing storyline. Will he maintain such a high success rate? What about the frequency with which he puts himself out there?If Romo answers those questions in the affirmative, a third query will come to mind: What makes him so damn good at forecasting the future?Romo addressed this matter head-on during his very first game on the mic, when he summarized to Nantz how he'd known a certain Tennessee Titans play call would be a run to the left: "I've seen football in the NFL for 14 years." The implication was clear - one doesn't readily forget a career's worth of experience memorizing playbooks and scanning opposing defenses in the taut seconds before a snap.It makes sense that Romo's powers derive from his mental acuity and his devotion to the quarterbacking craft. But there may also be another important, complementary factor at play: the close proximity in time to his playing days. Fewer than three years since he retired, Romo can still think and anticipate the game like an active superstar.Rich Schultz / Getty ImagesIn 2008, neuroscientific researchers in Italy showed a group of professional basketball players video of a teammate shooting free throws. They paused each clip at the moment the shooter released the ball, asking the players - as well as a sample of coaches, scouts, and sportswriters - to predict if the attempt would be successful or not.How does free-throw shooting contribute to our understanding of Romo's genius? In the study, the pro players' predictions were correct a Romoesque 66.7% of the time, while the other group guessed wrong more often than right. The researchers detected greater excitability in the players' neurons when they saw a shot was about to miss, suggesting that their brains were processing the event differently - and more astutely - than those of other experienced basketball watchers.When journalist Zach Schonbrun reflected on the study in his 2018 book, "The Performance Cortex: How Neuroscience is Redefining Athletic Genius," he wrote that the results, along with those of similar analyses designed around volleyball serves and soccer penalty kicks, testified to the significance in sports of "active expertise." Players who operate at an elite level - or, by extension, who recently played their last NFL down - receive different cognitive cues than the rest of us amid the pressure cooker of competition, sharpening their perception of the action."These are the types of things that experts rely on to give them an advantage," Schonbrun told theScore earlier this year. "That's why they're so good at what they do, and I think that's why Tony Romo is so good at what he does."Time will tell if Romo, as he gets further removed from his Cowboys career, will stay on the same wavelength as current and future NFL QBs. For as long as he's able to read their minds, the viewer, too, will be privy to what the player is thinking.Back in that AFC title game, with the Chiefs leading by four points in the last minute of regulation, Romo and Nantz watched from above as Tom Brady assembled the Patriots' offense for a crucial third down. Romo pleaded with New England to station tight end Rob Gronkowski out wide by the sideline, and to target him with a pass in the event he wasn't doubled."They've finally got him. There he is," Romo said, circling Gronkowski and a lone defender, Kansas City safety Eric Berry, on the telestrator. "You just look up there and pick him." From there, he left the rest of the call to Nantz."Here they come after Brady. He goes down the field to Gronk! Turns around, makes the catch!" Nantz exclaimed, as the camera panned to Brady trotting upfield. "He saw what you saw, Tony."Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Green Bay Packers won Thursday's season opener in a manner rarely seen during the Aaron Rodgers era, riding their new-look defense to an important 10-3 win over the NFC North rival Chicago Bears.The star quarterback believes the performance sent a clear message to the rest of the NFL."What we did on defense, I think we showed the league and folks watching that we're not just an offensive football team anymore," Rodgers said, according to Mike Spofford of Packers.com. "We've got a defense."The Packers terrorized Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky throughout the game. Trubisky was sacked five times and hit another 11; Green Bay also broke up nine of his passes.Rodgers said he hadn't seen a defensive display on that level from the Packers for "a long time." The two-time MVP's appreciation for defensive coordinator Mike Pettine's efforts was clear on the sideline:

The Green Bay Packers had Mitch Trubisky's number throughout Thursday's season opener, and cornerback Tramon Williams rubbed salt in the young passer's wounds after Green Bay's 10-3 victory."We wanted to make Mitch play quarterback," Williams said, according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. "We knew they had a lot of weapons, we knew they were dangerous, we knew all of those things. But we knew if we could make Mitch play quarterback, that we'd have a chance."Trubisky completed 26 of 45 passes, the third-most attempts of his career, for 228 yards and a late fourth-quarter interception that was picked off by former Bears safety Adrian Amos in the end zone to all but seal the game for the Packers.Chicago's offense struggled to find a rhythm all night long and rarely threatened Green Bay territory:

Kicking off the NFL's 100th season, the Chicago Bears mustered just three points in a 10-3 loss to the Green Bay Packers.Following the game, head coach Matt Nagy was quick to voice his frustration but shouldered the blame for his team's lackluster offensive performance."Obviously, (our level of play was) unacceptable," Nagy told reporters, according to 670 The Score's David Haugh. "It starts with me. I told the guys this is not who we were. I told the defense they played their ass off tonight."Every fan that showed up that was a Chicago Bears fan, they should be upset," he added, via The Athletic's Mark Lazerus. "Because that's not who we are. We're better than that. And it starts with me."Chicago's scoring unit totaled 254 yards on the night, converting 20% of its third downs while accumulating just 46 rushing yards. Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky largely disappointed in his 2019 debut, struggling with accuracy and decision-making.Despite the poor performance, Nagy claimed he was "in zero panic mode," per Lazerus."We don't hold on to this stuff," he said. "Losers hold on to this stuff."The Bears head to Mile High Stadium in Week 2 to take on the Denver Broncos.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

As Antonio Brown's ongoing beef with the Oakland Raiders hit full stride Thursday, the wide receiver's agent attempted to diffuse the situation following reports the Raiders could potentially suspend Brown after an altercation with general manager Mayock."Not a lot is clear yet, other than the Raiders said AB should stay home today," Drew Rosenhaus told Stacey Dales on NFL Network, according to Ian Rapoport. "We haven't heard anything about a potential decision yet ... We're trying to work through this. The goal is to work everything out."He added: "Our goal is to salvage this relationship ... There is two sides to every story. My job is to bring everything back, try and get things worked out. That's what I'm working on right now."Whether or not they suspend Brown, the Raiders reportedly plan to hold their No. 1 receiver out of their Week 1 matchup with the Denver Broncos.Rosenhaus told ProFootballTalk he's "not optimistic" his client will suit up Monday night but had earlier said Oakland has yet to reach a final verdict regarding the seven-time Pro Bowler's official status."If it were up to me, if it were up to Antonio, he would play," he said. "But there's a lot of people involved who have to make that decision."Brown voiced his displeasure with fines from the team Tuesday, posting a letter he received from the Raiders on social media. The post reportedly led to the exchange with Mayock, but Rosenhaus insisted the situation is far from unfixable."I'm confident we can get back to doing all the right things that the Raiders signed him for," he said, according to Rapoport. "My hope is there isn't a suspension and I'm not aware of any as of yet. I'm working with them to try to and avoid this scenario."Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

AB's summer of drama is continuing.The Oakland Raiders are planning to suspend Antonio Brown after the star receiver and general manager Mike Mayock "got into it" Wednesday, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.The Raiders aren't planning to have Brown for Monday night's opener against the Denver Broncos, sources subsequently told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, though it's unclear whether Brown will be suspended or made inactive. Either way, he's reportedly likely to stay away from the team.On Tuesday, Brown voiced his displeasure with fines from the team, posting a letter he received from the Raiders on social media. That led to the exchange with Mayock, Schefter added.Brown was apparently held back by several teammates during the argument, sources told The Athletic's Vic Tafur.While the altercation didn't get physical, Brown threatened to punch Mayock in the face, according to Rapoport. Brown then punted a ball and invited Mayock to fine him.The wideout was listed on Thursday's injury report as not participating in practice due to "conduct." Mayock refused to go into detail on the situation in a brief statement."Antonio Brown is not in the building today. He won't be practicing," said Mayock, per NBC Sports' Scott Bair." I don't have any more information for you right now."The pass-catcher was fined $13,950 for missing Oakland's walk-through on Aug. 22 and $40,000 for missing a training-camp practice on Aug. 18."When your own team want to hate but there's no stopping me now," Brown wrote when posting the letter containing the fines. "Devil is a lie. Everyone got to pay this year so we clear."After the first absence, Mayock issued a statement saying the Raiders needed to know if Brown was "all-in or all-out" after an offseason of issues.Brown signed a three-year deal with the Raiders this offseason following a trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers. The extension contained $30.125 million in guaranteed money - $1 million of which has already been paid to Brown in the form of a signing bonus, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.The remaining $29.125 million could now be at risk as a suspension could void the guaranteed money in Brown's extension, which some around the league believe is Oakland's intention, according to Schefter.Since joining Oakland, Brown has dealt with frostbitten feet stemming from a cryotherapy chamber mishap and had a public fight with the NFL over his desire to wear his old helmet, which is now banned.Brown reportedly threatened to retire over the helmet issue, though he later denied doing so. After losing his second helmet grievance against the league, Brown decided to move forward with a newer model.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It looks like the Dallas Cowboys are letting bygones be bygones.After a lengthy holdout from Ezekiel Elliott, the team held a press conference Thursday to officially announce the running back's six-year, $90-million contract extension. During the presser, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones praised his All-Pro tailback."It goes without saying that he's a cornerstone player for the Dallas Cowboys," Jones said, according to Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News. "We're all proud to have him."Jones also shut down the notion the team would have let Elliott sit out regular-season games, emphasizing the importance his team placed on reaching an agreement before the campaign began."We did put a big ol' circle around (it)," he said of Dallas' Week 1 matchup with the New York Giants, according to Jon Machota of The Athletic.Elliott sat with Jones and his son Stephen, the team's CEO, during the noticeably upbeat presser. The elder Jones cracked jokes and even did an impression of Ron Washington:

Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley will not be limited during Sunday's season-opening contest against the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte, head coach Sean McVay said Thursday, according to Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.There has been much debate concerning Gurley's workload for this upcoming campaign after the 25-year-old struggled to stay on the field down the stretch last season due to an arthritic knee.Gurley's status as a bell-cow back was brought further into question when the Rams selected Memphis running back Darrell Henderson in the third round of this year's draft.Despite missing the last two regular-season games of the 2018 campaign with his knee issue, Gurley put up 1,831 yards from scrimmage and 21 total touchdowns before adding 165 yards and two touchdowns in three playoff contests.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones refused to commit to playing in Sunday's season opener without a new contract."I don’t know," Jones said Thursday when asked if he'll definitely suit up against the Minnesota Vikings, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "What I'm trying to do is be ready. You know what I mean. It's not if I'm going to play or if I'm not going to play. I'm trying to be out there regardless."I'm coming back from injuries and things like that, but the ultimate thing is being ready when my number is called."Jones later clarified he "plans on playing" against the Vikings when asked a follow-up question about his status by Jason Butt of The Athletic.Atlanta and Jones have been negotiating an extension, which is widely expected to be a record for a receiver, for most of the summer.On Tuesday, Falcons owner Arthur Blank said both parties are "very, very close" to a new deal.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

San Francisco 49ers rookie defensive end Nick Bosa is on track to suit up for Sunday's season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after dealing with an ankle sprain."He's going (to play) ... He should be (ready)," said defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic.The 2019 second overall pick has been out since early August and shed his walking boot Aug. 14.While it's possible the 49ers limit the 21-year-old's snaps in his NFL debut, Bosa's surprisingly quick return to health is a major boost for a defense looking to rebound from a poor 2018 season.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. revealed Thursday that his ongoing hip injury is preventing him "from opening up and sprinting" ahead of the team's season opener, according to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com."It's like an extremely fast car with the alignment off,'' Beckham said. "The car can still go, but it's dangerous.''Beckham said he's still set to play Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, according to Tom Reed of The Athletic.The star pass-catcher didn't suit up in any of Cleveland's preseason games and sat out most of training camp as the team took a cautious approach to what was categorized as a minor injury.Beckham added that he's hoping the adrenaline of game day will help him play through the ailment.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

theScore's Justin Boone is coming off his sixth top-10 finish in FantasyPros' Most Accurate Expert Competition. Follow the links below to see his updated rankings for Week 1.The final rankings will be released Sunday morning.Half PPR

You're sitting in your friend's basement watching football on Sunday, and the room erupts when Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Josh Lambo drills a game-winning field goal as time expires to beat the Kansas City Chiefs.Everyone's caught with their jaws on the floor and losing tickets in their hands, while Mr. Know-It-All in the back shouts, "I told you so!"Who do you want to be?Deep down, we all want to be Mr. Know-It-All. So, here's your guide to calling Week 1's upsets, and impressing your friends in the process:Kansas City Chiefs at Jacksonville JaguarsLine: Chiefs -3When the Super Bowl favorite is laying a field goal against a team that won five games last season, you take it, right? Not so fast (Lee Corso voice). This line opened at -4.5 and has dropped all the way down to -3 even with money pouring in on the Chiefs. The public love Kansas City this week, but the books obviously don't agree.The Jaguars are just a year removed from being on the brink of a Super Bowl berth despite being haunted by bad quarterback play. Having finally seen enough of Blake Bortles, they went out and signed 2018 Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles, reuniting him with new offensive coordinator John DeFilippo. With competent quarterback play - and that's all Foles needs to produce - DeFilippo should be able to ignite an offense that averaged 15.3 points per game last season (only Arizona scored fewer). Armed with an underrated group of skill position players, DeFilippo should be able to get the best out of Foles and this offense, as he did with the quarterback in Philadelphia. A date with a paltry Chiefs secondary that ranked 31st against the pass last season is a good place to start.Kansas City allowed an average of 34.25 points on the road last season, and as good as the offense is, that's a lot of points to put up against a Jags defense that ranked second against the pass last season, and first the year prior. In the meeting between these teams last season, Patrick Mahomes was intercepted twice by the Jags' secondary at Arrowhead and managed just 313 passing yards. It was also the only game all season in which he failed to throw a touchdown pass.Pick: Jaguars +3, Jaguars ML (+155)James Gilbert / Getty Images Sport / GettyIndianapolis Colts at Los Angeles ChargersLine: Chargers -6.5Jacoby Brissett might not be Andrew Luck, but people are acting as though the Colts have a backup defensive lineman under center this week. This line took a massive leap from -3 to -7 following Luck's retirement, but has since dropped to -6.5 with sharp money backing the Colts - and rightfully so.The Colts are a well-rounded team that should not be written off just because of the quarterback change. Indy still has a balanced offense that should run the ball well behind one of the league's best offensive lines, and a top-10 defense that will be even better this season following the additions of draft picks Rock Ya-Sin and Ben Banogu, and free-agent signing Justin Houston.Indy is way too good to be getting this many points against a Chargers team that, let's not forget, will be without Melvin Gordon, Derwin James, and Russell Okung. The Bolts were 2-6 ATS as home favorites last season, with their only covers coming against Arizona and Oakland. Give me the points, please.Pick: Colts +6.5, Colts ML +230Pittsburgh Steelers at New England PatriotsLine: Patriots -5.5There are few teams the public loves more than the Patriots. Despite bets flooding in on the Super Bowl champs, the line has shifted from a -6.5 open down to -5.5, and even at -5 in some spots. Books are expecting a big liability on the Pats this week, as the betting split should be even more lopsided by kickoff. There's nothing more predictive in betting than people chasing their Sunday losses with the prime-time favorite. Don't fall into the trap this week.Ask anyone in the Steelers organization how excited they are to get this season underway, and you'll probably see a massive smile creep onto their face. The Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown drama is behind them, and they're a better team without those distractions. Ben Roethlisberger's toughness, James Conner's fighting spirit, and Juju Smith-Schuster's infectious personality define this team now. Pittsburgh can score with just about anyone, and an already underrated defense will be that much better after trading up to draft Michigan linebacker Devin Bush 10th overall in April. He's my pick for Defensive Rookie of the Year.Bill Belichick has been known to use September to evaluate his roster, and his offense has been hit by a couple of injuries. New England will struggle to move the ball here, and the line is more about public perception than the actual gap between these two teams.Pick: Steelers +5.5Alex is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

You probably didn't expect the storylines leading up to the 2019 NFL season to include Andrew Luck's sudden retirement, or Antonio Brown flirting with his own permanent exit from football simply because he couldn't wear his favorite helmet, did you?But the unending parade of the unexpected is what makes the NFL so great, from the slightly weird to the OMG is that headline real?As the league begins its 100th season, here are 100 bold predictions for what will transpire next. We bet you won't see some of these coming:Best of the best1. The Eagles become the second team to go undefeated in a 16-game season.2. Aaron Donald wins his third straight Defensive Player of the Year award.3. Odell Beckham Jr. leads the league in touchdown catches.4. Carson Wentz plays all 16 games for the first time since his rookie year and earns First-Team All-Pro honors.5. JuJu Smith-Schuster leads the NFL in receptions.6. Christian McCaffrey becomes the third player to record 1,000-plus rushing and receiving yards in one season.7. Cam Newton sets career highs in passing yards and TDs while leading the Panthers to a playoff berth.8. The Browns lead the league in sacks.Worst of the worst9. Miami executes a flawless tank job, becoming the third team to go 0-16 and earning the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.10. The Raiders finish last in sacks for a second straight year.11. The Dolphins allow the most sacks after trading Laremy Tunsil.12. The Giants' Pat Shurmur is the first, and only, coach fired during the season, but ...13. ... Jay Gruden and Matt Patricia are axed hours after the campaign ends.14. The Redskins bench Case Keenum and replace him with rookie Dwayne Haskins after Week 1.15. Marcus Mariota is benched for Ryan Tannehill before Week 6.16. Andy Dalton is benched for rookie Ryan Finley prior to Week 10.17. The Chiefs cut LeSean McCoy before the end of September.18. The Broncos' Joe Flacco loses his starting job. Not to second-round pick Drew Lock, but to Rams cast-off Brandon Allen.19. The Bears finish with a losing record, and fans sour on Mitchell Trubisky as a franchise passer.20. Jason Witten doesn't record more than four catches or 40 receiving yards in any game.21. After another season of paltry attendance, the Chargers begin exploring a move back to San Diego.Not what you expected22. Patrick Mahomes throws "only" 35 TD passes.23. Tom Brady records less than 4,000 passing yards and 25 TDs.24. Todd Gurley makes it through the season without injury issues, but he splits time with rookie Darrell Henderson and finishes with less than 1,000 rushing yards.25. The Packers miss the playoffs for the third straight season.26. Olivier Vernon notches more sacks than Myles Garrett.27. Ryan Fitzpatrick starts twice as many games as Josh Rosen.28. Eric Ebron is held without a touchdown over the first eight weeks after scoring 14 times in 2018.29. Josh Allen completes less than 50% of his pass attempts, but he still leads the Bills to a winning record.30. Michael Gallup, not Amari Cooper, leads the Cowboys in receiving.31. Josh Gordon earns his first Pro Bowl nod since 2013 after dominating as Tom Brady's No. 1 receiver.32. A rusty Ezekiel Elliott fails to top 100 rushing yards in a game until the second half of the season.33. The 49ers double their win total from a season ago ...34. ... But still finish last in the NFC West.35. For the first time this century, no running back finishes the season with 300-plus carries.High-flying offenses continue to soar36. Saints-Rams in Week 2 is the highest-scoring game in NFL history.37. The record for league-wide scoring in a week is broken ... twice.38. Deshaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins shatter the single-season fantasy scoring records for their respective positions.39. Matt Ryan breaks Peyton Manning's single-season passing yards record (5,477).40. Kirk Cousins tops Drew Brees' single-season completion-percentage record (74.4%), but ...41. ... Brees also breaks his own completion-percentage mark for the second straight season, leapfrogging Cousins and retaining the record.42. The Chiefs and Eagles meet in Super Bowl LIV and combine to score 80 points.Player movement43. The Browns go all-in and trade for Trent Williams at the deadline.44. The Chargers trade Melvin Gordon to the Buccaneers.45. A.J. Green gets traded to the Packers after returning from his ankle injury.46. The Jaguars turn down the Eagles' offer of a first-round pick for Jalen Ramsey.47. Jacksonville also rejects the Chiefs' offer of Tyreek Hill for Ramsey.48. Adrian Peterson requests his release from the Redskins and the team grants it, and then ...49. ... He signs with the Texans.50. Dez Bryant rejoins the Saints for the stretch run and makes several clutch catches.Breakout stars51. Lamar Jackson breaks Michael Vick's single-season quarterback rushing record and finishes among the top five overall in rushing yards.52. Jacoby Brissett leads the Colts to the playoffs following Andrew Luck's retirement.53. Sony Michel breaks LeGarrette Blount's Patriots record for single-season rushing TDs (18).54. Chris Godwin outproduces Mike Evans in Tampa Bay's offense.55. Frank Clark posts 20 sacks in his first season with the Chiefs.56. Bradley Chubb matches Broncos teammate Von Miller's sack total.57. The Bosa brothers, Joey and Nick, combine for 25 sacks.58. Nick Chubb leads the NFL in rushing. His emergence as an elite tailback makes Kareem Hunt's return from a suspension irrelevant.Stars in new colors59. Antonio Brown breaks the single-season Raiders records for catches (104) and yards (1,408).60. After being traded to Seattle, Jadeveon Clowney records his first season with double-digit sacks.61. Nick Foles throws more INTs than TDs during his first season as the Jaguars' starting pivot.62. Blake Bortles starts and wins a game for the Rams.63. Le'Veon Bell leads the Jets in rushing, catches, and targets.64. Ndamukong Suh posts a career single-season low three sacks in Tampa Bay.65. Jared Cook leads all Saints pass-catchers in touchdowns.66. Mark Ingram easily tops his career single-season high of 12 rushing TDs as the Ravens' lead back.Dazzling rookies67. Kyler Murray is named Offensive Rookie of the Year after dominating his first NFL season.68. Daniel Jones starts and wins more games than Eli Manning.69. T.J. Hockenson becomes only the second rookie tight end to exceed 900 receiving yards.70. Deebo Samuel leads all rookies in receiving yards and touchdowns.71. Patriots third-rounder Chase Winovich leads all rookies in sacks.72. Nasir Adderley paces the league in interceptions.73. Devin Bush leads the league in tackles.74. Chiefs sixth-rounder Darwin Thompson leads the team's crowded backfield in touches.The return of parity?75. The Patriots fail to reach the AFC Championship Game for the first time since 2010.76. The Rams go from Super Bowl runner-up to out of the playoffs.77. There are fewer than three undefeated teams left by the end of Week 3.78. An 8-8 team earns an AFC wild-card spot.79. Six playoff teams from 2018 miss the postseason this year.80. Since 2010, only three teams haven't played on Wild Card Weekend (Browns, Buccaneers, Patriots). All three play and lose on that weekend this year.Coaching matters81. Vic Fangio helps Denver field a top-10 defense ...82. ... And the Bears fall out of the top 10 with Chuck Pagano taking over as their DC.83. Kliff Kingsbury becomes an instant star as the Cardinals score 30-plus points in each of their first three games.84. Aaron Rodgers finishes with 40 passing TDs for the third time as Matt LaFleur reinvigorates the Packers' offense.85. The Falcons reemerge as Super Bowl contenders, with returning OC Dirk Koetter revitalizing their passing attack.86. Dallas finishes 8-8 despite possessing one of the league's most talented rosters.87. Bill Belichick, the NFL's best coach, is once again passed over for Coach of the Year honors.Odds and ends88. Football fans grow sick of pass interference challenges by the end of the Thursday Night Football opener ...89. ... And the league emphasizing holding penalties gets old even sooner.90. The NFL considers measures to prevent tanking after Miami's disastrous season.91. Baker Mayfield and Odell Beckham Jr. mock Eli Manning and the Giants after hooking up for their first TD celebration.92. After losing the starting quarterback job to Daniel Jones, Manning announces he'll retire at the end of the season.93. Kirk Cousins finally wins a game on Monday Night Football after losing his first seven.94. A GM getting fired sets the stage for NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah to follow in Mike Mayock's footsteps and make the jump from broadcasting to running a team.95. After Jon Gruden fit perfectly on HBO's "Hard Knocks," Amazon Prime selects the Raiders for its "All or Nothing" series this season.96. Al Michaels hangs up his headset at the end of the year, handing NBC play-by-play duties over to Mike Tirico.97. Jennifer Lopez and Pitbull team up for the Super Bowl LIV halftime show.98. The NFL announces London as the host of Super Bowl LIX in 2025.99. Video of Rob Gronkowski working out fuels speculation he's nearing a return to the Patriots, but instead he announces a deal for a match at WrestleMania.100. Most of these bold predictions will be wrong. In many cases, the actual outcomes will be even more surprising.Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.