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Who’s the team to beat in 2026…here’s a look see at the NFL roadmap.

NFC EAST:

COWBOYS..A surprise year coming.? Dak Prescott, the explosive wide outs, and running backs, and a rebuilt defense of veterans plus the addition of the top defensive player in the draft Caleb Downs.  Big season coming?

EAGLES..Been good but not good last year.  AJ Brown, big plays and big distractions gone.  New coordinator in Sean Mannion and a mandate to make Jalen Hurts a complete quarterback, and make everything fit.  May take time.  Could be good, but who knows?

GIANTS..Big challenge for John Harbaugh.  Make Jaxson Dart a more complete QB, and work under center.  Hope they can get the WRs healthy.  Fix a battered offensive line.  Is Cam Skattebo the real deal?  Make the defensive front great again.

WASHINGTON..QB-Jaylen Daniels is back, but a bad preseason (injuries) and what looks like a disjointed roster could lead to a bad season.  Have upgraded the wide receiver group but can they protect Daniels?  And the defense was not good.

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NFC NORTH:

BEARS..A great matchup last year, Coach Ben Johnson and QB-Caleb Williams…Do have to keep WR group healthy.  Should they be a run first or throw first team?  Is there enough in the defensive front seven?  None-the-less-looks like a strong team-arrow up.

DETROIT..Two years of injuries have taken the star off Dan Campbell’s team.  It’s not so much  on Jared Goff, as to what is not around the QB, his star RB-Jahmyr Gibbs, and the oft injured wide out group.  They need health in both OL-DL line.  Not what they used to be.

GREEN BAY..The growth of QB-Jordan Love has been offset by injuries and erosion at the skill positions.  And there is still no Mich Parsons on the field.  And by the way-a tough decision.

MINNESOTA..Kevin O’Connell’s next project, refine QB-Kyler Murray and reinvent all the skill receivers-running backs into big play guys.  Who knows what becomes of QB-JJ McCarthy?

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NFC SOUTH:

TAMPA BAY…Baker Mayfield is playing for his next contract and playing to save Todd Bowles coaching job.  Legendary WR-Mike Evans is gone and the defense needs to respond this year.  Proven depth a real issue.

ATLANTA..Kevin Stefanski, with a good resume, has everything, but an established quarterback.  Tua Tagovailoa becomes a project.  Michael Penix has to stay healthy.  But you have to love Bijan Robinson-Drake London-Kyle Pitts and an improving defense.

CAROLINA…A year of progress for Dave Canales, a year of growth for Bryce Young but they have to keep their skill people healthy and fix a struggling defense.

NEW ORLEANS..Tyler Shough won the QB job and competed.  But age and injuries have taken a toll on Chris Olave-Alvin Kamara.  Maybe free agent signings will make a difference.  Anything above a (.500) mark would be a successful season.

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NFC WEST:

LA RAMS…Some off season…Myles Garrett..Trent McDuffie..Aaron Donald.  The team could set an NFL record for sacks and pressures.  Matthews Stafford is coming off a spectacular offensive season and there is firepower across the board.

SEATTLE…They have their Super Bowl rings, but it is not the same team.  Yes, Sam Darnold and his WRs are back, but his star RBs are not, Kenneth Walker left as a free agent, Zac Charbonnet is not healthy.  And they lost 4-key other free agents on defense too.  Also gone is Off Coord-Klint Kubiak.  They will be good but they will be different.

49ERS…Two years of injuries and still question marks about Nick Bosa, Fred Warner and George Kittle.  Depth is a problem.  Can Brock Purdy do this by himself?  And the division is so tough.

ARIZONA…See me a year from now.  They really need all their young skill guys, Marvin Harrison, Jeremyiah Love, James Connors to stay healthy.  And do they go very far with Jacoby Brissett, do they try and play rookie Carson Beck, or wait till next year’s draft?  Matt Lafleur comes with credentials, but does not have enough players.

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AFC EAST:

BUFFALO..So close for so many years, so many times Josh Allen has been asked to carry it all.  They fixed the run game, need consistency at wide receiver.  You wonder if the old Sean McDermott defense will be different under a new coordinator and new head coach Joe Brady?

PATRIOTS..What a season.  And you add WR-AJ Brown to the mix for QB-Drake Maye.  The run game is still a question mark.  The haul of veterans imported last year by Mike Vrabel will be a year older.  And they don’t play the easiest schedule they had last year.

NY JETS…Aaron Glenn’s first season was a disaster.  Geno Smith is a one year rental.  Their best QB will be on someone’s college campus this year.  They have 3-first round picks next spring.  On to next year.

MIAMI..Odd to think the Dolphins had a (17-0) season under Don Shula but could be (0-17) this year.  They have an unproven QB-Malik Willis.  They have moved virtually all their veteran talent off the roster.  They have (166M), an all time high, in dead cap space money.

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AFC NORTH:

CINCINNATI…Joe Burrow beefed about leadership, old school ownerMike Brown spent a chunk of money to rent some veterans on defense, and they may have enough to win in a bad division.  Burrow-Chase and the skill people will be fun to watch.

PITTSBURGH..Can Mike McCarthy’s resume make a difference in Aaron Rodgers final year, teaming with DK Metcalf-Michael Pittman and a running game?  The defense has hi priced stars lots of places, but the secondary has not been good.  Life after Mike Tomlin will be different

BALTIMORE..So many new things around QB-Lamar Jackson, from new head coach Jesse Minter to new coordinators.  They have the big back Derrick Henry and young skill guys.  Can Minter return the defense great?

CLEVELAND…Can Todd Monken fix this mess?  The Browns have had 41-different starting QBs in 26-years and this year is no better.  Is it Watson-Sanders-Gabriel?  Is the QB coming next year in the draft?  They drafted alot of wide receiver skill.  They signed a bunch of free agent OL.  But they lost defense.  You cannot fix in one year the multiple years of bad decisions.

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AFC SOUTH:

HOUSTON..Hard to think this team would be outside the playoff window.  Fabulous defense led by Will Anderson.  A young explosive QB in CJ Stroud.  But there are buts.  His poor play in the post season.  Chronic injuries at wide out.  And a mixed bag of always hurt RBs.

COLTS…Alot of money to often-injured QB-Daniel Jones.  A ton of money to veteran RB-Jonathon Taylor.  Can they get WR-Alex Pierce back to what he was pre-injury.  The offensive line, the defense, do they have enough?

JACKSONVILLE..Liam Coen brought a wild set of formations and got Trevor Lawrence to put together a good season.  They need to keep their WR-group healthy.  The defensive front could be a stone wall strength.  Let’s see if year two can be as good as year one.

TENNESSEE…Cam Ward had to do it alone last year.  Robert Saleh comes in to fix the underperforming defense.  Big question, is there enough talent around the second year QB?

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AFC WEST:

KANSAS CITY..Question marks everywhere, at every stop in this fierce division.  Patrick Mahomes comes off knee surgery.  RB-Kenneth Walker comes from Seattle to give them a real dimension of toughness.  TE-Travis Kelce seems possessed for one more year:  They drafted defense too after shedding the secondary.  Might the return of Eric Bienemy as Off Coord be a critical upgrade too?

CHARGERS..Fascinating to see the linkage between the mad scientist Off Coord-Mike McDaniel and veteran QB-Justin Herbert.  The skill people around Herbert are superb.  But the questions inside in that OL still exist and we won’t know whether LT-Rashawn Slater can hold up till we see him hold up. The defense won’t have Jesse Minter and has skilled LBs but possibly shortcomings upfront and at the back end.  And look at the schedule, weeks 3-thru-10.

DENVER..Really good on offense and now they add WR-Jaylen Waddle to Bo Nix, the wideouts and the running backs.  And of course they have the !-ranked defense and more draft picks added to it.  Sean Payton has a well constructed roster.

RAIDERS..Yes you can be excited about having a future with QB-Fernando Mendoza, the RB-Ashton Jeanty and the TE-Brock Bowers.  But they have huge issues still in the  offensive front, and you tell me who these guys are are playing next to Maxx Crosby?  Spent a ton of money on defense-none of them Pro Bowlers.  Long season again for the Silver & Bleak.

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