Sports Krunch w/DKROM

1. Week 6 Takeaways

Me: 

-Officiating in the NFL (or in any sport) will NEVER be perfect, but it IS perfectible, and the NFL is ruining its product by not taking drastic steps to make it so. It is time for the so-called “Sky Judge” recommended by the coaches and for MUCH harsher penalties for officials with a habit of repeatedly blowing calls. 

Matt: Defenses rule in the NFL right now. Patriots and 49ers, the two lone undefeated teams, are winning with defense.

2. Truth/Exaggeration

-The Rams will regret trading two first-round picks for Jalen Ramsey in the long term

-Jameis Winston is beyond repair, even for Bruce Arians

-Freddie Kitchens should give up the play-calling duties to OC Todd Monken

-With a healthy Sam Darnold, and the league’s easiest remaining schedule, the Jets are a team we shouldn’t be sleeping on in the playoff race

-The Cowboys should NOT break the bank for Dak Prescott this offseason and make him play 2020 on the franchise tag instead

-The Panthers, if they continue winning, should keep Kyle Allen as the starting QB even if Cam Newton is 100% healthy

3. GAME OF THE WEEK: Texans at Colts

-Both of these teams are in the top five in rushing offense (the Colts at number four at 142 rushing YPG, the Texans at number five at 139.8 yards per game). Do you think whichever running game has the better day likely wins this game?

-This Colts defense is coming off an IMPRESSIVE performance against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs and this week, they get Darius Leonard back and maybe Malik Hooker as well. How difficult of a test will they be for Deshaun Watson and company?

-Game deciding matchups: J.J. Watt versus Quenton Nelson and Colts iOL, Darius Leonard versus Deshaun Watson

-Game Predictions

4. Fantasy Football: Buy Low, Sell High

-Chris Godwin (Sell High)

-Mike Evans (Buy Low)

-Nick Chubb (Sell High)

-George Kittle (Buy Low)

5. Waiver Wire: Gem or Garbage?

-Sam Darnold

-Latavius Murray

-Jamaal Williams

-Benny Snell

-Jamison Crowder

-Dawson Knox

6. Game Predictions

-Chiefs at Broncos

-Raiders at Packers

-Vikings at Lions

-Dolphins at Bills

-Jaguars at Bengals

-49ers at Redskins

-Cardinals at Giants

-Rams at Falcons

-Saints at Bears

-Chargers at Titans

-Ravens at Seahawks

-Eagles at Cowboys

-Patriots at Jets

7. BOLD PREDICTIONS

ME: Kyler Murray and Daniel Jones combine for 800 passing yards

MATT: Leonard Fournette runs for 200+ yards and 2 TD's

8. Challenge Flags

ME: Chargers. FEED Austin Ekeler. According to acclaimed fantasy football analyst Evan Silva, since Melvin Gordon’s return, 15 of his 20 carries have netted 3 yards or less. 8 of his 11 targets have netted three yards or less. That’s just a 2.77 yards per touch average…and to top it off…only ONE of those touches gained a first down. Austin Ekeler has been the FAR superior player this season….and you better be giving him at LEAST more than 50% of the touches going forward.

MATT: Patriots and 49ers: DO NOT FALL VICTIM TO A TRAP GAME

1. Week 5 Takeaways

Me: 

-The NFL may not be the passing league many think it is. Per Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News, in Week 5, there were nine 300-yard passers and nine 100-yard rushers. The combined record of those passers last week? 4-5. The combined record of those runners? 8-1. Yes, passing is still king in the modern NFL, but running the ball is no less essential than it was in 1991. Just ask the 49ers, Colts, and Raiders who are off to excellent starts in large part due to their ground games.

Hal: 10 games where we had teams within one score in the 4th quarter!!!!!

2. Truth/Exaggeration

-The Raiders will finish 2019 with a better record than the Chargers

-Vontaze Burfict should never play another down in the NFL

-Freddie Kitchens and Adam Gase are more likely than not to be one and done head coaches barring dramatic improvement from their teams

-Russell Wilson is now tied with (or even ahead of) Patrick Mahomes in the race for 2019 NFL MVP

-The AFC North is the worst division in the NFL right now

-The Cowboys should fire Jason Garrett and hire Lincoln Riley (who has his eyes on the Cowboy HC position) if they fail to reach the NFC Championship game

3. GAME OF THE WEEK: 49ers at Rams

-Should the 49ers be willing to air it out more than the Seahawks did last week?

-Does Aaron Donald need to have his best game of the 2019 season in order for the Rams to get back on track with a win on Sunday?

-Game deciding matchups: Aaron Donald vs. George Kittle in run game, Nick Bosa and DeForest Buckner vs. Rams iOL

-Game Predictions

4. Fantasy Football: Cut or Keep?

-Baker Mayfield

-David Montgomery

-Miles Sanders

-Sammy Watkins

-O.J. Howard

5. Waiver Wire: Gem or Garbage?

-Chase Edmonds

-Byron Pringle

-Auden Tate

-Gerald Everett

6. Game Predictions

-Giants at Patriots

-Panthers at Buccaneers

-Saints at Jaguars

-Texans at Chiefs

-Seahawks at Browns

-Bengals at Ravens

-Redskins at Dolphins

-Eagles at Vikings

-Falcons at Cardinals

-Titans at Broncos

-Cowboys at Jets

-Steelers at Chargers

-Lions at Packers

7. BOLD PREDICTIONS

ME: Cody Parkey wins the game for the Titans on a 60+ yard FG in overtime

HAL: Saints take late 21-20 lead….but Minshew gets Jacksonville into FG range and Jags win 23-21

8. Challenge Flags

ME: 49ers. Make an even bigger statement on Sunday and shut the remaining doubters up. Stay true to who you are. Pound the ball and harass Jared Goff.

HAL: Bills. Keep carrying this team Bills D!!!!! Make it a battle for the AFC East in December! 

1. Week 4 Takeaways

Me: 

-So much for the regression of the Bears defense. They neutralized Dalvin Cook, easily the NFL’s most dynamic RB through the first three weeks MINUS Akiem Hicks AND Roquan Smith. Moreover, Chuck Pagano helped get career days out of their respective replacements in Nick Williams and Nick Kwiatkowski.

-2019 hasn’t been kind to the blue chip prospects of the 2018 NFL Draft. Saquon Barkley (high ankle sprain), Denzel Ward (hamstring issue), Bradley Chubb (torn ACL), Roquan Smith (away from team indefinitely due to mysterious personal reasons), Josh Rosen (set up to fail…again).

Hal:

2. Quarter Pole Awards

Honor David Hal

MVP Patrick Mahomes Patrick Mahomes

Offensive POY Christian McCaffrey Keeenan Allen

Defensive POY Shaq Barrett Shaq Barrett

Offensive ROY Gardner Minshew Daniel Jones

Defensive ROY Nick Bosa Brian Burns

Comeback POY Dalvin Cook Dalvin Cook

Coach Of The Year Matt Patricia Bruce Arians

Assistant Coach Of The Year Todd Bowles (Bucs DC) Mike Pettine (Packers DC)

3. Truth/Exaggeration

-Both the Dolphins AND the Broncos will finish 2019 0-16

-Jaguars OC John DeFilippo will be a head coach in 2020

-Jameis Winston will sign the next biggest NFL QB contract some time this season if he keeps playing the way he has the past two weeks

-Vikings should fire Mike Zimmer AND Rick Spielman if they fail to make the playoffs

-Falcons head coach Dan Quinn’s seat is now RED hot, maybe even WHITE hot

4. GAME OF THE WEEK: Packers at Cowboys

-With Davante Adams unlikely to play in this game with a toe injury, which Packers pass catcher needs to step up the most?

-The Cowboys clearly missed Michael Gallup in Sunday night’s loss in New Orleans. With that stingy Packers secondary coming to town, which of their pass catchers outside of Amari Cooper needs to step up the most?

-Game-deciding matchups: Jaire Alexander vs. Amari Cooper. Preston/Za’Darius Smith vs. Cameron Fleming, Kenny Clark vs. Travis Frederick/Cowboys iOL, Bakhtiari/Bulaga versus Demarcus Lawrence/Robert Quinn

-Game Predictions

5. Waiver Wire: Gem or Garbage?

-Courtland Sutton

-Golden Tate

-Darrel Williams

-Chris Herndon

6. Game Predictions

-Rams at Seahawks

-Cardinals at Bengals

-Ravens at Steelers

-Jaguars at Panthers

-Falcons at Texans

-Buccaneers at Saints

-Bills at Titans

-Jets at Eagles

-Patriots at Redskins

-Vikings at Giants

-Bears at Raiders (London)

-Broncos at Chargers

-Colts at Chiefs

-Browns at 49ers

7. BOLD PREDICTIONS

ME: Austin Ekeler and Melvin Gordon run for 350 rushing yards against the Broncos 

HAL: Jacoby Brissett throws for 4 TD’s and runs for two…and Mahomes throws for six and Chiefs win 55-45

8. Challenge Flags

ME: John Elway. Acknowledge the Broncos are rebuilding…which they are. Be patient. No more cutting corners by bringing in overpriced veterans and playing them ahead of young talent. Stick with Fangio for at least two more seasons and continue to focus on rebuilding through the DRAFT.

HAL: Broncos, Bengals, Jets, Redskins, Cardinals, and Dolphins: KEEP FIGHTING EACH WEEK

1. Week 2 Takeaways

-Me: The NFL MUST make its officials full-time employees after a lot of disastrous missed calls on Sunday. Here are a few that stood out. Even though it didn’t make the difference in the game, Jared Goff’s arm clearly wasn’t going forward and Cameron Jordan should’ve had a fumble-six. And while most of the attention in that wild Bears/Broncos game is going to be on the roughing the passer call on Bradley Chubb that shouldn’t have been (and rightfully so), the game shouldn’t have been still in play late as a careless, inadvertent whistle robbed the Bears of a Kyle Fuller pick-six. Are officials mainly to blame for the final outcome in that thrilling finish at Mile High? Of course not. But the NFL clearly needs people willing to devote every second to improving their officiating craft so we don’t have as many of these mistakes in the future

-Hal: Patrick Mahomes just keeps IMPROVING!!!!

2. 2-0 teams (Contender or Imposter)

-Bills

-Ravens

-Packers

-Seahawks

-49ers

3. This or That

-Which of these two NFC teams would you be more scared to face: Cowboys or Rams?

-Which of these two teams should send the Jaguars two first-round picks for Jalen Ramsey: Eagles or Cowboys?

-Who is more likely to win the NFC South: Bucs or Falcons?

-Who would you rather have as your team’s head coach: Adam Gase or Eric Bieniemy?

-Now that the Dolphins have the Steelers 2020 first-round pick courtesy of the Minkah Fitzpatrick trade, which QB-needy team should they fear the most in the #TankForTua sweepstakes: Bengals or Broncos?

-Which QB would you rather have long-term: Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen?

4. GAME OF THE WEEK: Ravens at Chiefs

-Last week, Kyler Murray and the Cardinals found some holes in the Ravens defense, particularly in the vertical passing game. How ominous of a sign is that for Baltimore going into Arrowhead and facing arguably the best QB in the NFL right now? What adjustments do the Ravens need to make from last week’s outing?

-The Chiefs D had a much improved showing last week in Oakland compared to Week 1, but now they face the red hot Lamar Jackson and this explosive Ravens offense. What will they have to do defensively to slow down Lamar and company…and do they have the personnel to do it?

-Game deciding matchups

-Prediction

-STAT OF THE WEEK: Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes are the only QB’s in the Super Bowl era to have a 70+ completion percentage, 7+ passing TD’s and 0 INT through the first two games of a season (via NFL Research)

5. Set My Lineup (Will, 0.5 PPR)

-QB: Lamar

-RB: Damien Williams, Mack, Singletary, Jackson, Chris Thompson

-WR: Davante Adams, Amari Cooper, Michael Thomas, DJax, ARob

-Flex:

-TE: Delanie Walker, Mark Andrews

6. Waiver Wire: Gem or Garbage?

-Deebo Samuel

-Demarcus Robinson

-Mecole Hardman

-A.J. Brown

-Darren Waller

-Ito Smith

7. Game Predictions

-Titans at Jaguars

-Lions at Eagles

-Dolphins at Cowboys

-Broncos at Packers

-Raiders at Vikings

-Bengals at Bills

-Falcons at Colts

-Jets at Patriots

-Panthers at Cardinals

-Giants at Buccaneers

-Texans at Chargers

-Steelers at 49ers

-Saints at Seahawks

-Rams at Browns

-Bears at Redskins

8. BOLD PREDICTIONS

ME: Gardner Minshew leads a 90-yard GW TD drive in the final two minutes

HAL: Daniel Jones 300 yards passing 3 TD’s

9. Challenge Flags

ME: Kirk Cousins. Make more plays, but DON’T TRY TO PLAY HERO BALL!!

HAL:Steelers, Colts, Saints, Panthers, Jets….find that balance on offense without your star QB, step up on D and special teams. Make it happen!!!

1. Week 1 Takeaways

Me: 

-Smaller (6’0” or under), faster wide receivers are the newest trend in the NFL….and Sunday showed you why, In recent years, the NFL seems to have preferred speed over size in the draft when it comes to WR. See John Ross in 2017, and Marquise “Hollywood” Brown this year. Both combined for 11 receptions, 305 yards and 4 TD’s in Week 1. Also, DeSean Jackson, in his return to Philly, went 8/154/2 and Redskins rookie Terry McLaurin went 5/125/1 in the same game, and could’ve had another long TD if not for a Case Keenum overthrow.

-Titans D could be the NFL’s best this season

Hal:

2. Truth/Exaggeration

-If the Dallas Cowboys offense maintains the level of play they showed against the Giants all season long, Kellen Moore will be a head coach in 2020

-Dalvin Cook will be a serious contender for the 2019 NFL rushing title if he stays healthy

-Gardner Minshew will steal the starting job away from Nick Foles in Jacksonville if he continues to play the way he did on Sunday and helps the Jaguars to 5-6 wins by Week 11

-The Bears drafting Mitchell Trubisky ahead of Patrick Mahomes AND Deshaun Watson will go down as one of the biggest mistakes in the history of that franchise

3. Saints at Rams

-How concerning was the Saints defensive performance in the first half and on the final Texans drive of the game? What adjustments need to be made on that side of the ball for the Saints on Sunday?

-Jared Goff posted a measly 4.8 YPA last Sunday against the Panthers. What do the Rams need to do in order to get the explosiveness back into the passing game?

-Game-deciding matchups: Aaron Donald vs. Saints iOL, P.J. Williams vs. Cooper Kupp

-Prediction

4. Set My Lineup

Andrew (full-point PPR w/Bonus points for 40+ or 50+ plays and return yardage points)

QB: Cam

RB: Mixon, Ingram, Cohen, Burkhead

WR: JuJu, Crowder, DJax, Cooks, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Jakeem Grant,  McLaurin

Flex: TBD

TE: Hooper

Alex (0.5 Point PPR)

QB: Watson, Rivers, Stafford

RB: Johnson, Michel, Guice (OUT)

WR: Michael Thomas, Keenan Allen, Gallup, James Washington, D.J. Chark

Flex: TBD

TE: Mark Andrews, Vance McDonald, Kyle Rudolph

5. Waiver Wire This or That

-Derek Carr or Jacoby Brissett?

-Raheem Mostert or Ronald Jones?

-Terry McLaurin or Tyrell Williams?

-T.J. Hockenson or Darren Waller?

-Titans D or Packers D?

6. Rapid Fire Predictions

-Bucs at Panthers

-Vikings at Packers

-Chargers at Lions

-49ers at Bengals

-Seahawks at Steelers

-Cardinals at Ravens

-Bills at Giants

-Cowboys at Redskins

-Patriots at Dolphins

-Colts at Titans

-Jaguars at Texans

-Chiefs at Raiders

-Bears at Broncos

-Eagles at Falcons

-Browns at Jets

7. BOLD PREDICTIONS

Me: Patriots lay a fifty-burger on the Dolphins (52-7), Bears sack Joe Flacco 12 TIMES (7 from Khalil Mack)

Hal: Bills blow 16-0 halftime lead. Daniel Jones replaces Eli in second half to throw three TD’s

8. Challenge Flags

Me: Mitchell Trubisky…restore the Bears confidence in you by playing as good or better than Derek Carr did against the Broncos

Hal: Mike Zimmer and Vikings….you found a blueprint to maximize Cousins by minimizing him and riding Dalvin Cook. Stick to it!!!

1. Truth/Exaggeration

  -Given the Seahawks acquisition of Jadeveon Clowney, nobody should be surprised if the Seahawks either give the Rams a season-long run for their money in the NFC West or win that division altogether

 -Regardless of how far the Dallas Cowboys go in 2019, they will regret in the long run not extending Dak Prescott before Zeke Elliott

-With the Dolphins trading away Laremy Tunsil, one of the NFL’s rising young stars at a premium position, it screams to you that not only are they tanking 2019, they are tanking for a QB in the 2020 draft whether that be Tua Tagavoiloa or Justin Herbert

-Houston Texans ownership must fire Bill O’Brien if the Texans don’t make it to the AFC Championship game this season

2. Packers at Bears

-While most people are eager to see how Aaron Rodgers looks in this Matt LaFleur offense tonight (and rightfully so), I am even more eager to see how this Packers defense looks. Brian Gutekunst has quietly built a unit that I believe has the potential to surprise and take the league by storm this year. Up front, you have the UNDERRATED Kenny Clark on the inside hunting QB’s with new companions in Preston and Za’Darius Smith coming off the edge. And in the secondary, you have a rising young star at corner in Jaire Alexander, former Bear Adrian Amos, and freakish athletic rookie safety Darnell Savage. While flaws remain at ILB (especially in pass coverage), I think this can be a top-10 scoring defense this season. Do you?

-The Bears made one of the best picks in the 2019 NFL Draft by potentially stealing RB David Montgomery in the third round. I foolishly lambasted them for trading Jordan Howard before the draft. Looking at Montgomery’s college tape and minimal, albeit VERY impressive preseason outing, this guy is already a better football player than Jordan Howard. Howard is just a two-down grinder who doesn’t offer anything in the passing game. Montgomery is PHENOMENAL in the passing game, both in receiving and in blitz pickup. It certaintly seems the Bears are counting on the rookie from Iowa State BIG TIME to help ease the burden off of Mitchell Trubisky. Do you think the Bears have found their new Matt Forte, and if so, would you be willing to give him a heavier workload than Jordan Howard ever had in his three seasons as a Bear? 

-Game-deciding matchups

-Prediction

3. Steelers at Patriots

-There is a bit of a concern on the Patriots when it comes to the OL. C David Andrews is likely out for the entire 2019 season after being hospitalized with blood clots. To fill the void, the Patriots acquired C Russell Bodine from Buffalo in a rare in-division trade. Bodine’s past tape has been below average at best. And in Week 1, he faces a STOUT Steelers interior front (Cameron Heyward and Stephon Tuitt) plus the guy who I predicted to win NFL DROY in 2019, LB Devin Bush. Could this mismatch lead to a Steelers upset in a close game?

-Last season, James Conner made Le’Veon Bell expendable, but little did we know at this time last season that Bell wouldn’t be the only major Steeler offensive weapon leaving town. The Steelers were fed up with Antonio Brown’s off-the-field antics (and he showed you why almost daily this summer) and thus shipped him to the Raiders. That said, shipping away a likely future Hall of Fame WR likely doesn’t improve your offense, but JuJu Smith-Schuster is a star in the making, Conner is back healthy, and Vance McDonald looks primed for a breakout season at TE. Do you think this Steelers offense still has more than enough firepower to keep up with the Patriots?

-Game-deciding matchups

-Prediction

1. If the Bucs 2019 season can be summed in two words, those words are clearly Jameis Winston. This is the final year of his rookie contract and to give him his last best chance, the Bucs lured the QB whisperer himself Bruce Arians out of retirement to be their new head coach. Arians track record speaks for itself and if he can’t get the best out of Jameis, nobody can. If Jameis underwhelms this season, do you see the Bucs doing all they can to get the QB they want in the 2020 draft?

2. The fantasy appeal for this Bucs passing attack under Arians is mouth-watering. You obviously have Mike Evans (20.2 ADP) but Chris Godwin (43.4 ADP) is somebody the fantasy community and the Bucs are equally high on. Evans himself said he and Godwin are competing for that WR1 role. Would it surprise you if Godwin had as many or more receptions, receiving yards and TD’s as Evans? 

3. Last year, the Bucs had one of the worst defenses in the NFL. While they may have added Todd Bowles, who is a fantastic DC, as well a potential DROY candidate in Devin White, still a lot of holes and question marks remain on this side of the ball. Jason Pierre Paul is likely out until November at the earliest, meaning their best pass rusher is Carl Nassib, a very solid, but not great player. Their much-maligned secondary is also young and unproven. Does this look like another bottom-five defense to you?

4. In 2018, Matt Ryan had the best season of his career outside his 2016 MVP campaign. He became just the fifth QB in NFL history to throw for 35 TD’s AND miss the playoffs. One of the two biggest reasons the Falcons missed the playoffs was their OL struggles. Outside of re-signing Grady Jarrett, the Falcons poured most of their offseason resources into upgrading the OL, signing guards James Carpenter and Jamon Brown in free agency, and drafting G Chris Lindstrom and OT Kaleb McGary in the first round. How much better can we realistically expect this Falcons OL to be?

5. Last season, on 92 targets, Calvin Ridley caught 64 passes for 821 yards and 10 TD. His current ADP is 55.3, per FFC. Now with pass-first OC Dirk Koetter returning to Atlanta, do you see any room for statistical growth from Ridley this season even amidst a deep receiving corps? Keep in mind, Ridley was not 100% last season.

6. The other biggest reason the Falcons squandered an historically great season from Matt Ryan was injuries to key players on defense. Keanu Neal went down with a torn ACL early in the season and Deion Jones missed most of the season with a foot injury. If their defense is able to stay healthy and the offense continues to click, should we expect a return to the playoffs for the Falcons? How much does Dan Quinn calling the plays now help, if at all?

7. Cam Newton, coming off his second shoulder surgery in three years, told Peter King at the beginning of training camp that he is embracing a new play style. What kind of adjustments to Cam Newton’s game should we expect given his twice-repaired shoulder?

8. Which Panthers WR would you prefer to own in fantasy: D.J. Moore (64.1 ADP) or Curtis Samuel (79.6 ADP)?

9. This Panthers defensive front seven, even with Thomas Davis now gone, looks as scary as ever. You bring in Pro Bowl DT Gerald McCoy on a one-year deal to team up with KK Short inside. You also have a top-10 LB duo in Luke Kuechly and Shaq Thompson. AND…you draft the freakish athletic Brian Burns to replace Julius Peppers at DE. You had Burns as your sixth overall prospect in the 2019 NFL Draft. What kind of dimension does Burns add to this intriguing front and is he a dark-horse DROY candidate this season? Panthers also have some outstanding depth at edge?

1. No pick in the 2019 NFL Draft was panned by the media more than the Giants selection of Daniel Jones at six overall. And this preseason, Jones has looked like a man on a mission to prove all the doubters wrong as through three games, he is 25/30 (83.3% completion rate), 369 yards, 2 TD’s and 0 INT. Eli Manning will begin the year under center, but if the Giants offense struggles badly the first two weeks, should Jones be starting in Week 3 or sooner?

2. Outside Saquon Barkley, no player on this Giants offense has more fantasy appeal than Evan Engram. Per Fantasy Football Calculator, his ADP is currently around 58 overall, slightly behind O.J. Howard. Would you be comfortable taking Engram as your starting TE at that juncture, or would you wait a round or two to take Jared Cook (72.2) or Vance McDonald (77.9)?

3. On paper, this Giants pass rush is one of the most uncertain units in the league. They are counting on second-year player Lorenzo Carter (a 2018 third-round pick) to supply the pressure off the edge and rookie NT Dexter Lawrence, who moves exceptionally smooth for a 342-lb. man, to supply pressure from the interior. Do you think the Giants pass rush can be a pleasant surprise in 2019…or is it a tall order?

4. The Redskins are in a very similar situation at QB as the Giants are. They selected a potential franchise QB in Dwayne Haskins at 15 overall, yet journeyman Case Keenum will be starting Week 1 against the Eagles. If Keenum fails to get anything going the first two weeks, should Haskins be starting in Week 3?

5. In the preseason dress rehearsal, Derrius Guice (74.3 ADP) showed he’s almost (or already) fully recovered from the torn ACL he suffered last year. However, future Hall of Famer Adrian Peterson (110.4 ADP) showed he still has more than enough juice left this preseason. Which Redskins RB would you prefer to own in fantasy…or would you avoid this backfield altogether?

6. This Redskins defensive front looks VERY promising. You have the ‘Bama boys on the DL in Jonathan Allen and Da’Ron Payne, both capable of stopping the run and getting after the QB. And coming off the edge, you have the underrated Pro Bowl vet Ryan Kerrigan and freakish athletic rookie Montez Sweat. But the back end leaves much to be desired as Reuben Foster will miss the entire season with a torn ACL and the secondary is a mess outside of Landon Collins. Can this Washington front four be elite more often than not this season in order to mask the deficiencies they have at LB and DB?

7. With Carson Wentz more than a full year removed from that multi-ligament knee injury he suffered in his MVP-like 2017 season, is it reasonable to expect him to play close to that 2017 level this season if health permits?

8. The Eagles have a crowded backfield, but rookie Miles Sanders has been the star of training camp. His current ADP is 54.4 per FFC. Would you be comfortable taking Sanders at that spot as the third or fourth RB on your roster in a 10-team league?

9. This offseason, the Eagles parted ways with Michael Bennett via trade and Chris Long retired. The two accounted for 15.5 of the Eagles 44 sacks last season and had 121 of the teams 337 total QB pressures, per PFF. How do you see the Eagles replacing not only that production, but that efficiency as well?

10. This is like a “now or never” year for the Cowboys. Dak Prescott is on the final year of his rookie deal and the Cowboys have assembled one of the league’s most talented rosters. Jerry Jones is also 76 years old and Jason Garrett is also in the final year of his contract. Would you consider anything less than an image of the Cowboys hoisting that Lombardi Trophy at Hard Rock Stadium in February a failure? Who should the Cowboys pay first: Dak Prescott or Ezekiel Elliott?

Is Rob Gronkowski going to come back out of retirement? Does Sam Darnold have the supporting cast he needs for a breakout season? Is Brian Flores the right guy for the Dolphins? How good is this Bills defense? Our right-hand man Hal Bent joined us to answer these questions and a lot more about the 2019 AFC East!! Lots of great fantasy advice in here too!!!!

Good morning, afternoon, or evening wherever (or whenever) you are ladies and gentlemen! This is Sports Krunch with DKrom, I’m your host David Kromelow. Just three weeks from the moment of this recording, the centennial season of the National Football League will kick off. And in that spirit, we continue with the sixth round of our 2019 NFL division-by-division preview series with a look at the AFC North. And to help us analyze all things Bengals, Browns, Ravens, and Steelers it is a pleasure to welcome back Pete Smith back to the program. He currently is the editor for Browns Maven, a source all Browns fans should check out. How are you Pete, it’s great to have you back!

1. The Bengals hired Zac Taylor mainly because he worked with Sean McVay. And when you look at this Bengals offense…the pieces just might be there to replicate what the Rams have done on offense the past two seasons. You have a legitimate bellcow RB in Joe Mixon who can play the Todd Gurley role. And you have a trio of WR’s in A.J. Green, Tyler Boyd and John Ross that (as a group) have the potential to be as good or better than the collective of Brandin Cooks, Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp. However, the issues the Bengals have on the offensive line may put a damper on the potential of their skill players this season. Despite their efforts in the offseason to revamp the OL, 2019 first-round pick Jonah Williams is likely out for the season with a shoulder injury and G Clint Boling retired. Without those two, just how bad is this Bengals OL? Is it like one of the five worst OL units in the league?

2. Joe Mixon’s current ADP is around 15th overall according to Fantasy Football Calculator. The talent, volume and the potential are there to finish 2019 as a top-three fantasy RB, which makes it totally understandable to take him at that point in your draft, or even earlier. However, given the fact the floor for the Bengals this season is very low, they could find themselves in a lot of lopsided games in which the game script won’t favor the running game. Thus, there’s a good argument NOT to take Joe Mixon at his current ADP. Where would you be comfortable taking Mixon in your fantasy draft?

3. Last season, the Bengals defense was just god-awful. They ended the year as the NFL’s lowest ranked total defense. But the Bengals apparently believe bad luck on the injury front was to blame last season, especially in terms of the pass rush where the underrated Carl Lawson suffered a torn ACL. With Lawson expected to be healthy and ready to go by Week 1 or shortly thereafter, how much does his presence improve that Bengals pass rush and the defense as a whole? 

4. This is by far THE best Browns roster on paper since the franchise was reinstated 20 years ago. Offensively, you have Baker Mayfield, who clearly looks like the face of the franchise for the next decade-plus. You have an incredible one-two punch at RB with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, and now you bring in arguably the most talented WR in football in Odell Beckham, Jr. to go along with a solid receiving corps. However, the OL, in its second season post-Joe Thomas, looks like a glaring weakness. The Browns also traded away their best OL Kevin Zeitler in order to land OBJ. If you were John Dorsey, would you be willing to part with your 2020 first-round pick in order to acquire disgruntled Redskins Pro Bowl OT Trent Williams?

5. With Kareem Hunt suspended for the first eight games of the season, Nick Chubb is one of THE most attractive options for fantasy owners as far as RB’s go. Chubb’s current ADP is around 11 overall, per Fantasy Football Calculator. Would you grab him at that juncture, or would you pass and select somebody like Dalvin Cook or Kerryon Johnson instead?