Edge Rusher and Defensive Lineman Rankings

Having a star edge rusher or interior defensive lineman who can wreak havoc is one of the most sought after weapons teams look for. Thankfully, there has never been more talent at these positions than there is now. Below is my ranking of these players:

1. TJ Watt EDGE, Pittsburgh Steelers

2. Myles Garret EDGE, Cleveland Browns

3. Micah Parsons EDGE, Dallas Cowboys

4. Aaron Donald, IDL, Los Angeles Rams

5. Nick Bosa EDGE, San Francisco 49ers

6. Chris Jones, IDL, Kansas City Chiefs

7. Maxx Crosby, EDGE, Las Vegas Raiders

8. Khalil Mack, EDGE, Los Angeles Chargers

9. Trey Hendrickson EDGE, Cincinnati Bengals

10. Aidan Hutchinson EDGE, Detroit Lions

End of Season Top 10 QBs

Below are my top 10 QBs in the NFL. I am not solely basing it off this year, but instead the last couple of years plus how I think they’ll perform moving forward.

1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

Do I even have to explain?

2. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

Burrow had a tough year, first dealing with a nagging calf injury that hampered him the first 4 games, then going on IR after the 10th game of the year. During the 5.5 games he was healthy, he threw for 13 TDs and showed how good he is.

3. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

Allen is the modern day Brett Favre. He is an absurd athlete who routinely makes jaw dropping plays. He will also go rouge every now and then and make you ask yourself what the hell he is doing. His 173 total TDs the past 4 years make up for those mistakes.

4. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

Lamar balled out and won his 2nd league MVP this year. He is one of the most athletic players we’ve ever seen and can do things at QB that no one else in the league can. He needs to play better in the playoffs though.

5. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

Herbert is insanely talented, but has struggled to win. The lack of coaching and injuries around him in the past is reasonable enough to blame. However, with Jim Harbaugh now his coach, there are no more excuses. He needs to start winning games and making runs in the postseason.

6. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

Hurts is a special QB and a great duel threat. He had some up and down moments this year, but the season ended on a bad note. He will need to shake it off next year.

7. Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets

This season did not go as he wanted it to, however, I am still a believer that this all-time great will come back with a splash next year.

8. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

Dak played great at times this year, but does not always bring it during big games.

9. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars

Lawrence struggled this year, especially when his team needed him down the stretch. He’ll need to work out some kinks this offseason to return to the player he was last year.

10. Brock Purdy, San Franciso 49ers

He is definitely aided by his coach and playmakers around him, but he still gets them the ball and plays great. My only concern is that he struggles to bring his team back if they get too far behind.

On the Bubble:

Jared Goff, Detroit Lions

He’s a solid starting QB, but is limited.

CJ Stroud, Houston Texans

Stroud established himself as one of the best young QBs in the league this year. Should he continue to develop, he could easily enter the top 10 next year.

Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings

Kirk’s absence shows the Vikings and the world how good he really is. He just doesn’t get it done in the playoffs.

Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins

He’s a very similar QB to Brock Purdy. I give Purdy the slight edge, because I trust him more in big games.

Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos

I still am a Russ believer. He played well this year despite the fact that he did not have that much talent around him. I think Sean Payton scapegoating him for all of Denver’s woes is laughable. He may not be at his peak anymore, but is still a good starting quarterback.

Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

He rebounded well this year and led a young team to the playoffs. I still think he’s slightly overrated.

Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals

Kyler has all the talent in the world and he played well in limited action this season. I’m excited to see him back to full strength next year for an entire season.

End of Regular Season Top 10 QBs

Below are my top 10 QBs in the NFL. I am not solely basing it off this year, but instead the last couple of years plus how I think they’ll perform in the postseason (if applicable) and next year.

1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

He had his worst season as a pro this year and still led his team to the AFC West title, won 11 games, and threw for 27 TDs. He would be the consensus pick if you were starting an NFL team right now and is dangerous in the postseason.

2. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

Burrow had a tough year, first dealing with a nagging calf injury that hampered him the first 4 games, then going on IR after the 10th game of the year. During the 5.5 games he was healthy, he threw for 13 TDs and showed how good he is when healthy.

3. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

Allen is the modern day Brett Favre. He is an absurd athlete who routinely makes jaw dropping plays. He will also go rouge every now and then and make you ask yourself what the hell he is doing. His 173 total TDs the past 4 years, make up for those mistakes.

4. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

Lamar balled out and will be the league MVP this year. He is one of the most athletic players we’ve ever seen and can do things at QB that no one else in the league can. He needs to prove himself in the playoffs, but if he does, he will move up this list.

5. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

Herbert is insanely talented, but cannot win. I know he’s had horrible coaching his first 4 years, but the hope now is that he can get a coach who knows what they’re doing and starting winning big games. If that happens, the sky is the limit for him.

6. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

Hurts is a special QB and a great duel threat. He had some up and down moments this year, but a great postseason run will launch him up this list.

7. Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets

This season did not go as he wanted it to, however, I am still a believer that this all-time great will come back with a splash next year.

8. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

Dak played great at times this year, but does not always bring it during big games.

9. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars

Lawrence struggled this year, especially when his team needed him down the stretch. He’ll need to work out some kinks this offseason to return to the player he was last year.

10. Brock Purdy, San Franciso 49ers

He is definitely aided by his coach and playmakers around him, but he still gets them the ball and plays great. My only concern is that he struggles to bring his team back if they get too far behind.

On the Bubble:

Jared Goff, Detroit Lions

He’s a solid starting QB, but is limited. We’ll see how he plays in the playoffs.

CJ Stroud, Houston Texans

Stroud established himself as one of the best young QBs in the league this year. Should he continue to develop, he could easily enter the top 10 next year.

Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings

Kirk’s absence shows the Vikings and the world how good he really is. He just doesn’t get it done in the playoffs.

Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins

He’s a very similar QB to Brock Purdy. I give Purdy the slight edge, because I trust him more in big games.

Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos

I still am a Russ believer. He played well this year despite the fact that he did not have that much talent around him. I think Sean Payton scapegoating him for all of Denver’s woes is laughable. He may not be at his peak anymore, but is still a good starting quarterback.

Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

He rebounded well this year and led a young team to the playoffs. I still think he’s slightly overrated.

Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals

Kyler has all the talent in the world and he played well in limited action this season. I’m excited to see him back to full strength next year for an entire season.

Week 11 Reaction

Cincinnati Bengals (5-5) @ Baltimore Ravens (8-3)

What a brutal game injury-wise for both teams, but especially the Bengals. They lose Joe Burrow for the rest of the season with a wrist injury. It always sucks to see great players get hurt, especially with Burrow who is so fun to watch and just started being himself after the calf injury he dealt with earlier this year. The Bengals fall to .500 and their season is likely over.

The Ravens got a huge win, but lose their star TE Mark Andrews for the rest of the year. He is their best weapon and this really hurts for a team who is 20th in the league in passing yards.

Philadelphia Eagles (9-1) @ Kansas City Chiefs (7-3)

The rain and bad weather helped lead to a sloppy game from both teams. For the Eagles, they continue to win games even when they don’t play well. Even without Dallas Godert and AJ Brown only having one catch, the Eagles have enough firepower to comeback from down 10 to win the game.

The Chiefs are going to be competitive every single game, but their WRs problems will continue to be a thorn in their side. Mahomes will put the ball right in these guys hands and they will drop it like MVS did on what should have been a go ahead TD with under 2 minutes in the game. The AFC is wide open and the Chiefs are the clear favorite, but WR issues could easily cost the Chiefs a close playoff game.

Game/Betting Picks Results

Game: 1-1 (27-10 Overall)

Spread: 1-1 (28-9)

O/U: 2-0 (21-15-1)

Week 11 Thursday Night

Cincinnati Bengals (5-4) @ Baltimore Ravens (7-3)

Unlike most Thursday night games, this is a huge game for two great teams. The Bengals need this to stay alive in the division race and the Ravens need it to keep their lead in the division. I think the Bengals win, cover (+4), and the over (46) hits.

Midseason Top 10 QBs

Below are my top 10 QBs right now. I am not solely basing it off this year, but instead both the last couple of years plus how I think they’ll perform the rest of this year. Only active QBs are included (i.e. Aaron Rodgers was not considered).

1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

He has not looked like his usual self, but is still playing good football. I expect him to only get better and kick it into full gear by the time the playoffs start.

2. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

Herbert has once again been great despite lackluster coaching. He will need to continue to play this way if the Chargers have a shot at making the playoffs.

3. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

Burrow was not healthy the first four games this year and it showed with just 2 TDs. The past 4 games, he has been healthy and showed why he is one of the best QBs in the league with 10 TDs.

4. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

Allen is the most physically gifted QB on this list and routinely makes jaw dropping plays. His one downside is he will throw awful interceptions from time to time that make you question his judgement.

5. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

Hurts has continued to show he is one of the best QBs in the league this season. His play the past 3 games has been spectacular, as he has put up 10 total TDs in that span and should continue to play this way for the remainder of the year.

6. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

Lamar has been playing his best football since his MVP season in 2019 and the Ravens are buzzing. If he stays healthy and the Ravens continue to win, he could win MVP again this year.

7. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars

Lawrence and the Jags have looked shaky on offense at times this year. Despite that, his talent is evident and he should improve the remainder of the year.

8. Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos

A QB always bears some responsibility when his team is not playing well, but Russ is getting way too much hate. Everyone seems to just assume the Denver roster is filled with good players – it isn’t. Russ has played well despite everything going on around him. Talk of him being the main problem there is ridiculous.

9. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins

Tua is doing a great job of getting the ball to the speedsters around him and he and the Miami offense are putting up big numbers.

10. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions

What a comeback story. Goff was cast aside by the Rams and just looked like a bridge QB for a rebuilding Lions team. Now he looks like a legitimate franchise QB again for a great Lions team.

On the Bubble:

Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

He still needs to be carried by a great team to be effective and has not been the main reason his team is winning.

CJ Stroud, Houston Texans

I did not expect Stroud to be this good, much less this soon. He is playing great football and has led a team that had 3 wins last year to 4 wins already. If he keeps this up he, will crack the top 10 by end of year.

NFL Week 9 Prediction

Miami Dolphins (6-2) @ Kansas City Chiefs (6-2)

The top two seeds in the AFC face off in a huge matchup in Germany. The Dolphins have played well this year, but are 0-2 vs teams that have winning records. The Chiefs have only lost twice in a row three times ever in Mahomes’s career and will be motivated coming off a loss to the Broncos. The Chiefs will win, cover (-1.5), and the over (50.5) hits.

Washington Commanders (3-5) @ New England Patriots (2-6)

The Commander basically announced to the world that they are giving up on the year after trading away two great players who accounted for nearly half of the team’s sacks. While their morale may be low, the Pats probably feel even worse as injuries and poor play have made this a year from hell. The Commanders are still better than the Pats and I think they win, cover (+3), and the under (40.5) hits.

Dallas Cowboys (5-2) @ Philadelphia Eagles (7-1)

The Cowboys Cycle continues as they demolished the Rams last week. I think the Eagles have a lot of room to improve, and that they will win, cover (-3), and the under (46) hits.

Buffalo Bills (5-3) @ Cincinnati Bengals (4-3)

The Bengals announced resoundingly that they were back last week vs the 49ers. The Bills have had a weird last 4 weeks, but are being written off more than they should. I think the Bills end up catching fire at the end of the season, but not starting this week. I think the Bengals win, cover (-2), and the over (49.5) hits.

NFL Week 9 Reaction

Miami Dolphins (6-3) @ Kansas City Chiefs (7-2)

The Chiefs win a big game that could have important implications for home field in the AFC playoffs. The Chiefs don’t always look pretty but they keep finding a way to win. The Dolphins fall to 0-3 vs teams with winning records.

Washington Commanders (4-5) @ New England Patriots (2-7)

The Commanders stay alive in the playoff race and the Pats stay alive in the Caleb Williams sweepstakes.

Sam Howell looks like a potential franchise QB. He makes mistakes, but is basically still a rookie and has a spark to him.

Dallas Cowboys (5-3) @ Philadelphia Eagles (8-1)

A very entertaining game where both teams nearly blew it. It ends with the better team winning.

Buffalo Bills (5-4) @ Cincinnati Bengals (5-3)

The Bills and Bengals are in 3rd and 4th places, respectively, in their division but I still feel like they a better suited to make a playoff run then every other team in their division. The Bengals have been back to their usual selves and I think their good play continues. The Bills have struggled lately but I think will start to rattle off some wins too. They are both better than their record indicates.

Game/Betting Picks Results

Game: 4-0 (24-9 Overall)

Spread: 4-0 (25-8)

O/U: 1-3 (17-15-1)

NFL Week 8 Reaction

New England Patriots (2-6) @ Miami Dolphins (6-2)

Nothing that shocking here. The Dolphins are a better team and they showed it. It’s still a little bitter because the Pats had chances to stay in the game and didn’t execute. Tua is now 6-0 vs Bill, which is pretty wild.

Cincinnati Bengals (4-3) @ San Francisco 49ers (5-3)

As predicted, the Bengals were fully healthy coming off a bye and played their best game of the season. Both of these teams are great and I think both will finish out the rest of the season strong.

Betting Picks Results

Moneyline: 2-0 (20-9 Overall)

Spread: 1-1 (21-8)

O/U: 1-1 (16-12-1)

NFL Week 8 Preview

New England Patriots (2-5) @ Miami Dolphins (5-2)

The Pats are coming off a surprising win, while the Dolphins are looking to rebound after losing to the Eagles. The Pats historically do not play well in Miami and the Dolphins are the best they have looked in years. I think the Dolphins win, the Pats cover (+9.5), and the over (47) hits.

Cincinnati Bengals (3-3) @ San Francisco 49ers (5-2)

This is the best game of the week, so I’m not sure how the NFL can justify the Bears-Chargers and Raiders-Lions games getting primetime slots over this one. Regardless, the 49ers have lost two close games they could’ve won, while dealing with injuries to key players. The Bengals have gotten healthier and started to look like themselves their past two games. They come off a bye week that came at the perfect time and are looking to get over .500. I think the refreshed Bengals win, cover (+5), and the under (43.5) hits.