2022-23 NFL

MDS has opened up a narrow one-game lead, through 11 weeks. In the eleventh week of the regular season, MDS hit on two of our three disagreements. I went 9-6, and he went 10-5. For the year, I’m now at 101-63-1. MDS is now 102-62-1. For the third straight week, we disagree on three games. For all our picks, keep scrolling. Bears (-3.5) at Lions MDS’s take: It appears that the Bears will turn to Andy Dalton with Justin Fields injured, and Dalton’s steady hand probably gives them a better chance of winning against a bad Lions team. MDS’s pick: Bears 24, Lions 17. Florio’s take: When the Bears and Lions play, who’ll win? No one who actually watches the game, that’s for sure. Florio’s pick: Bears 27, Lions 20. Raiders (+7) at Cowboys MDS’s take: The Cowboys will shake off a disappointing performance on Sunday and win against a Raiders team that is circling the drain. MDS’s pick: Cowboys 27, Raiders 14. Florio’s take: The Cowboys aren’t as good as they think they are. The Raiders are worse ...

  A long day in the film room is on tap for the Jets defense . The Colts offensive line brutalized the Jets' front seven, ripping open cavernous holes for the running game. Play after play, Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines got to the second level of the defense barely touched, if touched at all, as the Jets defensive linemen offered all the resistance of a practice sled. The Colts posted the highest single-game rushing total in the NFL this season (260), and the offensive line made that largely easy work. Wentz looks great, but who wouldn’t? Carson Wentz played his best game as a Colt, carving up the Jets secondary for three touchdowns on 22-of-30 passing. It was a praise-worthy performance, to be sure, but the Jets’ horrific defensive showing demands a lowered ceiling on Wentz acclaim. He had the benefit of the aforementioned dominant running game and strong pass protection to go with it, most notably on a deep 31-yard completion to Zach Pascal on which Wentz rolled out to his ri...

 Less than a week away from the Nov. 2 NFL trade deadline, general managers must assess the status of their teams. Is it time to buy in an attempt at a playoff run or sell for 2022 draft capital?  While the phone lines heat up over the next few days, some players should prepare to suit up elsewhere. Others may receive the news as a surprise. Either way, expect some movement as front offices make moves for the short- and long-term future.  Before last year's deadline, three notable pass-rushers, Yannick Ngakoue, Carlos Dunlap and Everson Griffen, had to clear out their lockers and report to new teams, though we didn't see any blockbuster deals. For a more lively discussion about trades, let's go through some bold predictions for the 2021 deadline. What high-profile names should we keep an eye on, and where's the next stop for them? Bears Deal WR Allen Robinson to the Patriots Justin Fields hasn't clicked with Allen Robinson. Since the rookie quarterback took over the...

 The 32 things we learned from Week 7 of the 2021 NFL season: 1. Another valiant effort by the Detroit Lions, who hung tough against the Los Angeles Rams and ex-Lions QB Matthew Stafford before succumbing 28-19. Detroit led after three quarters, recovering an onside kick and successfully executing a pair of fake punts. But it was all for naught, Stafford (334 yards, 3 TDs passing) continuing to resemble an MVP in his new threads, while former Rams QB Jared Goff threw a killer interception to ex-teammate Jalen Ramsey in the end. 2. Goff (2 INTs, sacked twice Sunday) still hasn't won a game when not wearing a Rams uniform – he's also winless in his past 10 starts – nor without Sean McVay as his coach. 2a. The Lions still haven't won a game sans Stafford since 2010. 2b. Detroit, the first team to go 0-16 – a 2008 "effort" that led to the drafting of Stafford No. 1 overall in 2009 – is 0-7 for the fourth time in franchise history and the only team still in danger o...

 Thursday Night Football Denver Broncos at Cleveland Browns, 5:20 p.m., Fox, NFL Network, Amazon The Browns are hurting as injuries have plagued the team. We think they still have enough talent to get past a struggling Broncos team. Prediction: Browns 21, Broncos 17 Sunday early games Carolina Panthers at New York Giants, 10 a.m., Fox The Panthers have not looked good over the past few weeks, but the Giants have looked really bad.  Prediction: Panthers 27, Giants 16 New York Jets at New England Patriots, 10 a.m., CBS Both Zach Wilson and Mac Jones are going through some growing pains and both have shown glimpses of potential greatness. The Patriots are the better team. Prediction: Patriots 24, Jets 14 Kansas City Chiefs at Tennessee Titans, 10 a.m., CBS The Chiefs appeared to get back on track in their Week 6 win. The Titans seem to always play them tough, but Kansas City will keep its momentum rolling. Prediction: Chiefs 34, Titans 26 Washington Football Team at Green Bay Pac...

Joe Thomas : Though some might not expect it, it's a low-scoring affair between the Browns and Cardinals on Sunday. Baker Mayfield has modest numbers, but authors that signature come-from-behind moment. Trailing late in the fourth quarter, Mayfield leads the Browns down the field for the winning score as time expires. James Jones: The Detroit Lions have been thisclose to winning two games this season. They would already be in the win column if not for a pair of last-second field goals: a record-setting boot from Baltimore's Justin Tucker in Week 3 and a 54-yarder from Minnesota's Greg Joseph in Week 5. Detroit won't have to wait any longer for its first victory of the season, as the Lions take down the 3-2 Bengals in Ford Field. DeAngelo Hall : Until now, the Buffalo Bills' defense has suffocated opposing rushers. The unit has not allowed 50 or more ground yards to a running back this season -- the most it allowed was 61 to QB Patrick Mahomes last week. But against...

 When is the 2021 NFL trade deadline? The 2021 trade deadline is set ahead of Week 9 at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Nov. 2. When do trade discussions begin ahead of the trade deadline? Trade discussions, a key part of roster-building that I wrote about in August, happen year-round. They can even linger after the trade deadline -- discussions that went dormant over the latter portion of the regular season can pick up again in January or February, whether between the same teams, a new partner or with a partner who is now working for a new team. That said, once rosters have been constructed prior to Week 1, most teams are focused on the regular season. At most (if not all) of my stops as a general manager, we always listened to potential trade opportunities but didn't let ourselves get distracted from the task at hand. And while we believed in in-season player acquisitions, they tended to come through the waiver wire, not necessarily via trades. There aren't a ton of players made availa...