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OJ Simpson Not On The Wall of Fame in The New Stadium is B.S.

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The announcement omitting OJ Simpson from Buffalo’s Ring of Honor has been brewing for some time. For one who writes on the vast history of this game (over 750 articles) regarding players who shoud be in the PFHoF, great teams who won the NFL Championship or Super Bowl along with commemorating great players so they’re not forgotten, it would be impossible for me to sit this out.

Pro Football Hall of Fame President David Baker

I had been a Bills fan since 1975 due to following OJ Simpson. My love for the Pro Football Hall of Fame came from watching his induction in 1985. The 1st I watched live. The truth of the matter is you can’t cover the history of the NFL without the inclusion of OJ Simpson let alone the Bills franchise. Do you realize NFL Films named him Hero of the Decade for the 1970’s? Not Roger Staubach who started in 4 Super Bowls that decade, not Terry Bradshaw who won 4 in the 70s or Fran Tarkenton who started 3 Super Bowls.

The issue is securing and sharing history of the greatest players for their onfiled contributions however MAGA fans everywhere are using thiis as a chance for racial grievance for what came of his life with the murders of Niclole Brown Simpson & Ronald Goldman even with his acquittal. We’re seeing this black erasure with racist Secretary of War Pete Hegseth with black war heroes and now the culture Donald Trump has ushered in has made it to the NFL and the Bills align with that thinking. Fuck them I will never cheer for this team again and no I don’t stand for black erasure of historic figures.

With Kevin Greene after the Induction ceremony.

Nor did I stand for it when I believed Kevin Greene was beling overlooked as a white OLB nor did I for Tom Flores being Hispanic, when it came to Pro Football Hall of Fame consideration!

What next? Well Terrell Owens didn’t get along with the media so we’re going to remove him?? Its a slippery slope to the book bans right wing lunatics have initiated when they can whitewash history. Not on my watch as long as I have a historic website to teach and share information.

My divorce from the Bills has been a long time coming from the racist tweets and comments from Bills fans when it came to signing Michael Vick back in 2011, conversation and treatment of Marshawn Lynch before being traded to Seattle. I heard rancor from more redneck Bills fans I even left the groups on Facebook. I’m now a fan of the LA Rams as they have worked to mend the broken feelings of black Angelinos harboring resentment they had abandoned black Los Angeles for Orange County back in 1980. I’ve actually spoken to Ram’s Owner Stan Kronke on this matter and I am done with small town America and support diverse cities where black contributions count.

OJ Simpson, the greatest player in franchise history not being included on the Team’s Wall of Fame when he was the FIRST person up in the old stadium is bullshit!

For his onfield exploits I’m adding this to an article I wrote on him in 2014 fearing he would be erased eventually. See below:

Reissue 9/23/20214

There is no more polarizing name in the history of the NFL than that of OJ Simpson. Once upon a time he was the greatest halfback in the history of professional football. A former Heisman Trophy winner from USC who was drafted #1 by the AFL’s Buffalo Bills in 1969. He restored respectability to a once great franchise.

Yet he is known now more for the events that transpired June 12, 1994 and the subsequent trial of the century. Simpson’s was a tragic fall and one we’ll get into later. Right now we want to focus on his previous life as the most electrifying running back the NFL had ever seen.

One interesting  note is he finished his career with 11,236 yards rushing, or 1,076 yards short of then all time rushing champion Jim Brown. Head coach John Rauch, who had been fired by Al Davis in Oakland, wanted to prove his genius and played OJ at wingback. So for his first three years he played in a position he was primarily misused until Rauch was replaced by incoming Bills coach Lou Saban.

Finally freed to play tailback as he had at USC, Simpson grabbed the imagination of NFL fans everywhere. He broke breath taking runs. His impromptu style brought shoulder fakes and make ’em miss moves that the casual fan could identify with. To watch him battle against defenses that feared the big play element he brought to bare was a thing of beauty. He was the prototype to the bigger half back at 220lbs that had the speed to break the big play.

Although he burst into the nation’s consciousness with 1,251 yards in 1972, it was his legendary 1973 season that he became an all time classic. His 2,003 yard season was marveled at, lionized, and written about ad nauseum for eclipsing a number no one thought possible. He did this in a 14 game season and raised the bar in an era where great backs got the ball 30 times a game.

Simpson was a superstar of the highest magnitude as he led the NFL in rushing 4 times in a 5 year span. It was his 1975 season that propelled Simpson to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as he broke numerous records including the most TDs in a season with 23. As for rushing for 2,000 yards?? He didn’t do that but he did gain 2,243 yards from scrimmage… Take a look

For the most part, Simpson’s work was condensed in the 5 years from 1972-1976. In these 5 years he rushed for 7,699 of his 11,236 yards or 68.5% of his overall total. He put in work against some great defenses too. He had several 100 yard performances against Miami’s “No Name Defense.”

Against the Steel Curtain in 1975, by the way #9 on our list of Greatest Ever Defenses, Simpson crushed ’em for 227 yards in Three Rivers Stadium no less. This was great considering he was within 24 yards of the all time single game rushing record. By the way he held that record also with a 250 yard rushing performance against the Patriots in 1973. Then he broke that record with a 273 yard performance against Detroit Thanksgiving 1976.

By this time the wear and tear began to erode his skill and ability to cut and change direction. Multiple knee surgeries followed an injury plagued 1977 where “The Juice” played in only 7 regular season games. He was dealt to his hometown San Francisco 49ers where he finished out his career. As the 1979 season came to it’s conclusion, it was time for OJ to say goodbye to the game.

NFL Films named Simpson pro football’s hero of the decade. Think about that a second.  Not Roger Staubach…not Terry Bradshaw… OJ was their choice and it was a logical one. His feats scaled the record books and he had gone where no other runner had gone before. He only played in one playoff game during his career, yet Pete Rozelle made sure he had primetime games to showcase his talents.

OJ Simpson….one of the best runners and greatest players in NFL history.

OJ Simpson…an all time great runner.

Epilogue: Once the events that took place on June 12, 1994, with the murder of Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson, it threw every Bills fan in a weird place. To see his descent into this tragic figure ripped our hearts out. It happened right after the Bills had lost our 4th straight Super Bowl in which he was a part of each NBC telecast.

The Chancellor of Football's pilgrimage to Buffalo. Bills v Cowboys 9 22 1996

The Chancellor of Football’s pilgrimage to Buffalo. Bills v Cowboys 9 22 1996

Regardless what you think of him now, I wanted to put up an article featuring what he once was. He left an impression on me as a young fan and why I’m still a Buffalo Bill fan to this day. I can remember going to Rich Stadium, named after the late Ralph Wilson now, and asking where his name was on the ring of fame. That was Sept. 22, 1996 when Buffalo was hosting the Dallas Cowboys, so the emotions were still raw. Especially among the season ticket holders where I sat.

So here it is, 18 years to the day later and as The Chancellor of Football thinking back to that day. Which had a mixed set of emotions as it always does now when OJ’s name is brought up. I remember when the late Tim Russert of Meet The Press fame, spoke of seeing his bust at the Pro Football Hall of Fame the first time after the double murders. His expression was much the same as I would suspect with every other Bills fan.

Many people remember it as the murder and court case of the 20th century. No one outside of Bills fans think of it as the fall of a franchise’s greatest player. We live with that more than the 4 Super Bowl losses in the 1990s. Don’t forget…they happened at the same time.

hof-oj-simpson

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Top Ten QBs For 2026! Countdown 5 Down to #1!

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Its time to finish this off an get ready to predict the NFL divisions and this year there is more to cover than usual. My Top Ten has started off with a bang with #10. San Darnold #9. Caleb Williams, #8. Joe Burrow, #7. Dak Prescott, & #6. Jalen Hurts. Its important to offer nuance as to why certain players are ahead of others and for these 5, that was in the last article.

Now we’re going to hit the final 5 and include honorable mentions so lets get going:

#5 – Drake Maye: Had a remarkable run to Super Bowl LX with a very surprising ang gaudy 8.9 ypa. The singular stat from a QB that translates to team success. His 2025 was 354  of 492 for 4,394 yards 31 TDs to only 8 interceptions. Where many will remind me this is just about going into the 2026 season and not a lifetime ranking, take a look at how last season ended for Maye. Not just the Super Bowl drubbing but his statistical drop off from the regular season through the playoffs. Did you know Maye had the largest passer rating drop off in the last 30 years between regular and postseason?

Oh and Taylor Blitz told you the only stat equating QB success with team success is yards per attempt. That trailed off from a gaudy 8.9 yards per attempt to 6.9. Or in essence would have him behind Dak Prescott (9th) and Mac Jones who was (10th) at the time of last December’s article.

You’ll note both missed the playoffs.

He did receive a boost with the trade for former All Pro Receiver AJ Brown and some will question why have Maye this low going into 2026?

Keep in mind his Patriots will have a 1st place schedule vs last year’s 4th place schedule. Instead of the Las Vegas Raiders, Cleveland Browns, & Tennessee Titans. They now have the likes of Denver (held them to 60 yards passing in the AFC Championship), Seattle Seahawks (blew them out in SB LX 29-13, LA Chargers, and Jacksonville Jaguars. A total of 8 teams with 10 or more wins last year with 3 others with 9. Maye will struggle mightily all season and will face 4 of last year’s Top Ten defenses. Can he hold on to the 5th spot?? He throws a great ball but will be up against it in 2026.

#4 – Patrick Mahomes: The real question is will he be ready for the start of the season. His receiving corps seems in flux with Rashee Rice’s latest off season legal setback. Eventually Chiefs brass is going to grow to distrust Rice as a player. With a repaired knee will #15 be able to move to create time or duplicate last year’s 64 carries 422 yards 5TDs. Last year he had a down year with 315 of 502 3,584 yards 22 TDs and 11 interceptions. His yards per attempt plummeted to 6.6 yards and hopefully signing Kenneth Walker III from Seattle will take pressure off a less mobile Mahomes.

It’s not a must year for Mahomes in terms of who he is and based on 5 Super Bowl trips in 7 years looks to be headed to a few down years and this ranking will change. Yet his great years put him in position where we have to see it happen first. I really hope he isn’t slowed by his knee injury but that was a nasty take down he suffered last December. We just don’t know how he will move around once he comes back.

#3 – Lamar Jackson: With this being his 1st year without HC Jim Harbaugh in Baltimore will he be able to flourish?? Which sounds ridiculous when he had 2 NFL MVP seasons playing for him. However I warned you before he was drafted in ’18 the challenge is to develop Jackson totally as a passer. The offensive approach in Baltimore hasn’t changed from the read option game where the passing offense has sputtered in curcial playoff losses. Nuance and timing in the passing game has rendered receivers ineffective as none have really established themselves with the Ravens from a league wide perspective.

Jackson still has time but this is going to be a year he has to show his growth from the pocket from play call passing specifics. Not just throw to TE Mark Andrews or from scrambling around. In ’25 he threw for 2,549 yards 21 TDs while rushing 62 times for 349 yards with 2 scores. He did have a gaudy 8.4 yards per attempt which is Super Bowl level but he has to show up with complete games in the playoffs. He can’t afford to miss 4 games again due to injury & with Harbaugh’s dismissal it will all come down on #8 if they falter in the playoffs again.

#2. Josh Allen: Speaking of playing under the tutelage of a new Head Coach, Allen comes into ’26 with former OC Joe Brady elevated to the big seat. On the heels of winning league MVP he followed up ’24 completing 319 of 460 3,668 yds with 25TDs. However he threw 10 interceptions having to squeeze throws in to receivers who couldn’t get separation. Bills brass is hoping the trade for WR DJ Moore will cure some of that.

Allen is in his 9th season. Not a kid anymore

Allen had 579 yards and a whopping 14 TDs on the ground but he’s taken 12 years worth of hits in his 8 seasons. One issue is while playing Superman he can be wreckless with the football evidenced by his 7 fumbles last year. None more costly before the half in the AFC Divsional loss to Denver that had the Bills fighting uphill. A back-breaking turnover. Turning 30 he has to take less hits and become a distributor and lean more on James Cook, Moore, Dawson Knox & Dalton Kincaid.

He still has a cannon for a right arm but the hits he’s taken will send him down the Cam Newton path of a big body having the throwing prowess beaten out of it. I warned of this as last year was concluding & they couldnt chase down the new AFC East bully in New England. Now they have gone to the Super Bowl Josh hasn’t been able to achieve. This year will be interesting now he and Buffalo are now the hunters…

#1. Matthew Stafford: This year’s reigning MVP is gearing up for a ride off into the sunset Super Bowl triumph at Sofi. A 2nd Lombardi Trophy cements a Hall of Fame legacy as last year he had his best season. In completing 388 of 597 for 4,707 yds with a career best 46 TDs and just 8 interceptions, he was the best in pro football by a mile last year. He had his tenth 4,000 yard season at 37 years of age… yikes

His yards per attempt was a Super Bowl worthy 7.9 last year & he put up 374 yds & 3TDs in an NFC Championship loss up in Seattle. He put up 27 points but the defense let them down. Hence the trade for Myles Garrett & both KC Chiefs starting cornerbacks. Although he is headed into his 18th season, he’s entered a quarterback mastery phase where his body isn’t betraying him. Not like other great contemporaries. Think about it a second…

2018-2020 Drew Brees struggled to complete passes more than 15 yards downfield. Peyton Manning in his final two seasons, with his neck and foot injuries had him a shell of himself. In fact he was hobbled in his final season 2015 throwing 9TDs to 17 interceptions while only starting 9 games. It seemed Stafford might have been going that route when Rams brass kept alluding to a back injury that could sideline him to start ’25.

Now he’s at full strength with Puka Nacua (129 rec/1,715 yds/ 10TDs), a full offseason with Davante Adams (60 rec/ 789yds / 14 TDs) & ’25 NFL Defensive Player of the Year in Myles Garrett?? Before his trade The Chancellor of Football already had the Rams picked to win Super Bowl LXI going away. How many short fields can Myles Garrett create for him. Stafford will go for Peyton Manning’s record of 55TDs (2013) and reignite the conversation of the Bob Waterfield/ Norm Van Brocklin team that won it all in 1951 with the highest scoring team in league history…well up to that point.

How big will the next ring be??

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DeShaun Watson or Shedeur Sanders As Starting QB in Cleveland??

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Let’s start this off with a few questions: If DeShaun Watson has a good 2026 with 4,000 yards and 30TDs would you re-sign him to another large contract?? You do realize this is the 5th and final year of his $230 million contract that has embarrassed the brass of this organization. If your answer is no you wouldn’t why would you start him? What is the upside??

The desire to end their status as a laughingstock of an organization alone should have them start Sanders. The other reason is the status and stature announcing Sanders is the starter will infuse confidence in him that he has a chance to grow into the position without totally looking over his shoulder.

Once you get past the stats its about where can a player grow to from where we are. We still have the preseason and a chance for Sanders to grow off the field with the projected starters in a complete season of rebuild out on Lake Erie. How much can he improve the rest of the preseason as a starter and over the season with a 24 year old player?

Allow him the chance to flourish from a leadership perspective with the youth movement happening among offensive players in their 1st & 2nd year. His voice in the locker room will have weight and he should be able to play more free without fearing every mistake will cause him to be replaced.

Once we’re in season and Sanders play isn’t going well or you’re not seeing the progression expected, then you can pull him for an experienced Watson.

Just a thought…

SUPER BOWL XIV RUNNER UP 1979 LOS ANGELES RAMS: HEAVEN CAN WAIT

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Article Reissue

If you ever wanted to look up the definition of unfulfilled promise, look up the 1970’s Los Angeles Rams. From 1973-1979 the Rams had won 6  straight NFC West titles but hadn’t made it to the Super Bowl. Of all the teams that dominated their respective divisions, the Rams couldn’t duplicate their regular season once the playof14conf2fs began.

Los Angeles had ruled their division with a great suffocating defense and a solid running game. However they never had a top flight quarterback to push themselves over the top. From an aged John Hadl to James Harris to Ron Jaworski and finally settling on Pat Haden, the pedestrian quarterbacking failed them in the postseason repeatedly. They lost defensive battles with the Minnesota Vikings but it was against the Dallas Cowboys the worst losses were afflicted.

In ’75 the 12-2 Rams were gearing up for an NFC Championship against the Minnesota Vikings. No one expected the rebuilding (12 rookies) wild card 10-4 Dallas Cowboys to upset them with The Hail Mary. Los Angeles had finished on a 6 game winning streak, which included a 10-3 win over the defending and eventual Super Bowl champion Steelers.

sbxiv2Once Pittsburgh vanquished the Raiders over in the AFC Title Game, all they had to do was beat the “lucky to be there” Cowboys for the NFC and punch their ticket to Super Bowl X. Staubach sliced them up with a 37-7 defeat at home. They lost in an epic rout where their great defense let them down. It was a defense that had only given up 3 touchdowns in their last 30 quarters and held 5 of those 6 opponents to less than 10 points per game. They weren’t ready for Staubach and their new “Shotgun formation”.

After two more losses to the Vikings in the ’76 and ’77 playoffs, Head Coach Chuck Knox moved on to coach the Bills. Defensive Coordinator Ray Malavasi was promoted and the reigns of the offense were placed in Pat Haden’s hands as the full time starter. The consensus was he could gain experience in time to win it all within the next couple years with an aging but still formidable defense.

The 1978 season saw the Rams go 12-4 and become the first team to earn homefield throughout the playoffs. They had the #1 defense which registered wins in regular season games against the Steelers 13-10, and 27-14 over Dallas. Back in the NFC Championship, they hosted the defending champion Cowboys but were shut out 28-0. Dallas wrecked another trip to the big game and it seemed the window had closed for the Rams.

super-bowl-logo-1979A tumultuous off-season ensued, concluding with the drowning death of Owner Carroll Rosenbloom. Then the controversial ownership transfer to his wife Georgia and not his son Steve.

The tumult in the front office mimicked what was happening on the field once the season began. The defense was a step slow as the team began 5-6 and the playoffs were in jeopardy. They had just lost 4 of those last 5 and had given up 29.25 points in those including a 30-6 loss to the hated Cowboys. Now they lost starting QB Pat Haden for the year. Where was this group headed??

They turned to 3rd year runner Wendell Tyler as they eased backup QB Vince Ferragamo into the lineup. Tyler got the hot hand rushing for 520 of his 1,109 yards on the season in the final 5 weeks. Ferragamo finished with less than 50% completion rate and threw 5TDs to 10 interceptions. So these unlikely players were going to lead the 9-7 Rams into the playoffs where every game would be on the road.

Most had buried the Rams as a team that didn’t have heart. The Dallas Cowboys had ripped it out in 2 championship games already. Dating back to the ’78 NFC Championship Game, they were 0-2 with a combined losing score of 58-6. Worse, 3 of their last 6 seasons ended with playoff defeats at the hands of the Cowboys including a combined score of 55-7 in those conference championship games. So now with Vince Ferragamo and Wendell Tyler (new ’79 midseason starters) they were supposed to go to Dallas and win in the divisional round??

Revenge is best served cold and on this day the Rams defense had totally confused Staubach & Tom Landry’s offense. They ushered in the 7 defensive backfield which would become a staple in the NFL moving forward. Staubach was out of rhythm all day completing 12 of 28 for 124 yards 1TD and an interception. Not bad when you consider he threw for 6TDs combined in the NFC Championship Games previously facing LA. They made him look inept in his last NFL game and the last pass he completed was the Illegal Touching throw to G Herb Scott #68. Yikes…

LA was in uncharted territory after dancing out of Texas Stadium with a huge upset: Another  look

 

Inspired by Jack Youngblood who was playing with a lower leg fracture from the Cowboy game on, the Rams exhibited all the toughness, heart, and desire they hadn’t shown during past playoff performances. Not rising above the moment to make the game winning touchdown. They usually wore you down with physical domination not electrifying plays.

One of the reasons they believed they could stand toe to toe in Super Bowl XIV the Rams were a mirror image of the Steelers. In fact Defensive Coordinator Bud Carson and Dan Radakovich were Steelers coaches when they won IX & X in ’74 & ’75. Then in ’76 coached what many experts feel was the greatest defense in NFL history. In ’78 LA was the last to beat the Steelers in a Monday Night battle 13-10 between teams 9-1 v 8-2 and odds on favorites to meet in XIII. Only to have Dallas upset the apple cart 28-0 in the conference title game. That game in ’78 had been a defensive blood bath and Carson’s charges held Terry Bradshaw to 11 of 25 125 yards 1 TD and picked him off 3 times. They felt they were ready…

Falling to Pittsburgh 31-19 in Super Bowl XIV kept the Rams from final glory. However they set the precedent that a team can get hot right as the playoffs near and ride that momentum to the Super Bowl. Even in that game, the lead changed hands 6 times as they wouldn’t give in to the established champion Steelers. Only a late game interception by an inexperienced Ferragamo kept the game from a 7th.

Ironically Super Bowl XIV and the death of Carroll Rosenbloom before this season mirrored 1978’s classic movie Heaven Can Wait. Where Warren Beatty was a Ram QB that came back to play the Steelers in the Super Bowl. Life imitated art where it was Vince Ferragamo mixed with Rosenbloom…yet I digress

They couldn’t replicate this post season performance once they moved to Anaheim the following year. Many black fans felt the team abandoned LA for Orange County which the team is working to overcome with a new generation of fans. However, several players moved on to reach the Super Bowl with other teams.

  • ILB Hacksaw Reynolds won rings as a starter in San Francisco in XVI & XIX.
  • TE Charle Young was his teammate with the 1981 49res in XVI.
  • Dwayne O’Steen won the following year with the Raiders in XV.
  • RB Wendell Tyler won with the 49ers in XIX
  • OLB Bub Brudzinski didn’t win it all but started for the Dolphins in XVII & across from old teammates in XIX

It was their great run in 1979, they had a truly Herculean effort that just came up short.

Dedicated to the memories of Ray Malavasi, Jack Faulkner, Carroll Rosenbloom, Charle Young & Bud Carson.

Prologue: Interestingly they concluded the 70s with a berth in the Super Bowl practically playing at home in Pasadena. What is it with the Rams having great runs in the last year of a decade? Here this team played for it all in 1979 (XIV), almost in 1989 (XXIV) when they made it to the NFC Championship with Fritz Shurmer’s 2-5 Eagle Defense, then won it all in 1999 (XXXIV) with The Greatest Show on Turf. Its a rich legacy where they were able to win LVI at home in Sofi Stadium, they’re Taylor Blitz’s favorite to win LXI here in 7 months.

Looking back this championship ring story needed to be freshened up. It was owed to Rams past & present.

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Taylor Blitz Favorite To Win Super Bowl LXI- Post Myles Garrett Trade

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…and NBA fans are saying OKC can’t trade Chet Holmgren for not showing up in a championship series. Enter Jared Verse! Now this is a seismic trade sending shockwaves through the league: Myles Garrett for Jared Verse to bolster the pass rush! In my article before the draft I had outlined they bolstered their secondary with 2 new corners traded for with Kansas City in Trent McDuffie & Jaylen Watson. This is annexed below.

Now they add a closer to bolster their championship run who has only been to the playoffs 3 times in his career. Garrett’s hunger will be needed to bolster a defense that only had 5 sacks in 3 postseason games. They had 47 on the year but heat on QBs dissipated in the playoffs with Sam Darnold throwing for 346 yards and only sacked him once in the NFC Championship Game.They’re giving up a young pass rusher in DE Jared Verse and what sucks is he was in the “Friday” remake promo right before the draft. Now he is being banished to the brown water of Lake Erie in Cleveland vs the blue ocean right outside Los Angeles. That is a painful pill to swallow. However the trajectory of the Rams putting the pieces together to win Super Bowl LXI can’t be underscored.

Garrett is a 2 time NFL DPoY, 1 time Taylor Blitz DPoY and the ink just dried in the NFL record books with last season’s 23 sacks. Keep in mind Verse only recorded 7.5 sacks in 2025. *sucks teeth*…upon further review Verse only had 1 sack in 3 postseason games combined last year. The truth is Myles Garrett is a Reggie White level future Pro Football Hall of Famer not just another good player. With the Eagles trading away WR AJ Brown today to the Patriots the NFC runway is clear barring any injuries…When the clock struck :00 to conclude last year’s NFC Championship Game, the Rams were the 2nd best team. Once the confetti fell on their division rivals in Levi Stadium it was time to dissect what was needed to beat the champion Seahawks. With the ink drying on Seahawk receiver Jaxson Smith-Njigba’s 4 year $156 million contract the Rams needed to upgrade at corner and didn’t wait for the draft. In 3 games Smith-Njigba scorched Ram corners for 27 rec. 349 yards and 2 TDs. He led the NFL with 119 rec. and an NFL leading 1,793 yards with 10 scores and will be a problem for years to come. Yet the Rams pulled off the move of the offseason (up until Garrett) trading for 2 time All Pro Chiefs CB Trent McDuffie. Then brought in his teammate Jaylen Watson to man the corner on the other side.

These two were fresh off playing in 3 straight Super Bowls and faced the AFC’s best receivers during that run. No 1st round corner the Rams could draft would grant anywhere near that success so that “f*ck them picks” mantra has reared its head again. Brilliant move and these new corners were unsung heroes on last year’s 10th ranked defense which was 12th against the pass. They should immediately improve the Rams who were 17th & 19th respectively. This is the blanket LA expects to throw over the rest of the NFC West:

 

McDuffie & Watson had 58 passes defensed with 6 interceptions behind one of the weakest pass rushes in the NFL in Kansas City. Notice how many plays Watson made in the video blitzing? Now these two will be able to jump routes as Jared Verse (7.5 sacks) ooops scratch that….. Myles Garrett (23 sacks), Byron Young (12 sacks) & Kobie Turner (7 sacks) spearheaded a rush that had 47 sacks in ’25 compared to just 35 garnered in KC. Their leading sack artist was Chris Jones with just 7 sacks. This is what they have to counter Smith-Njigba and Kupp in Seattle.

The front seven needs a boost at Linebacker. This has been the weakest position over the last 3 years and has to be shored up for this defense to make the final leap. We’re talking no more than a top 10 to 12th ranking in defense with Stafford and the firepower on offense. Reigning MVP QB Matt Stafford (4,707 yds/ 46TDs) is hoping Puka Nacua (129 rec. 1,715 yds 10TDs) returns from rehab ready to go. Once he and DeVante Adams (60 rec. 789 yds 14TDs) can get a full season together should easily repeat as the NFL’s #1 offense. Barring injury this looks like a full sprint to Super Bowl LXI on their homefield in Sofi. Lets see who and what is addressed in this year’s draft:

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Top Ten QBs For 2026! Countdown 10 – 6!

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As we assess what we expect to see in the upcoming NFL season, everyone is ranking players on where they stand. Here this is a moving target as several players are coming down from career years while others have begun to make names for themselves. At least in NFL circles. This is not an all time standing for these men, its time to offer Taylor Blitz Times Top Ten for the upcoming season:

#10 – Sam Darnold: Achieved for winning Super Bowl LX for the Seattle Seahawks after reviving his career the season before in Minnesota. He resurrected his career with big games down the stretch where in ’24 he stumbled. In microcosm:

  • ’24 Vikings season: 361 of 545 – 4,319 yds 35TDs 12 ints. (7.92 yds per att.)
  • ’25 Seahawks season: 323 of 477 – 4,048 yds 25TDs 14ints. (8.48 yds per att.)

The truth of the matter is that gaudy 8.48 yards per attempt is 2nd in the league to Drake Maye. If you’re new here I wrote out on Dec 9th “The Lie Behind Passer Rating & Several Useless Statistics” where I told you yards per attempt is the statistic that equates to team success not passer rating… well #1 and #2 in yards per attempt faced off in LX or 1st vs 11th in passer rating. He’s elite now after a Phil Simms-esque season. Keep in mind he outdueled League MVP Matt Stafford in the NFC Championship Game to get there. He is returning with his receiving corps intact for ’26 too.

#9 Caleb Williams: No one grew more during the ’25 season than the former Heisman Trophy winner from Southern Cal. Williams with 5 – 4th quarter comebacks came of age similar to John Elway back in 1986. In his 1st playoff he had to make it happen on 4th and 8 and made a legendary throw for the 1st down.  Make that 6-4th quarter come from behind wins as they vanquished the Packers 31-27 in the Wild Card to cement a changing of the guard in the NFC North between the 2 teams.

He almost had a 7th when he had the biggest moment in the playoffs with his 4th down scramble throw to Cole Kmet to tie the game with :18 seconds left to force overtime against the LA Rams. Williams had the Rams on the ropes going to overtime tied 17-17.

For the season Williams was 330 of 568 3,942 yards 27 scores with 7 interceptions or 6.9 yards per attempt. He needs to improve on YPA and his 58% completion percentage in his 2nd full season under Ben Johnson. Keep in mind back in Detroit when Johnson was working with Jared Goff as his OC he improved by 1,193 yds and 10TDs than the season before. Don’t underestimate the value of great offensive coaching. Goff was in his 7th year where Caleb with a greater arm is entering just his 3rd. If last year he was 1 overtime interception from the NFC Championship Game, where would improvement of this magnitude put him in 2026?? Winning in the playoffs and magic moments for an improving QB and the skies the limit…

#8. Joe Burrow: Its been 4 years since Burrow led the Bengals to Super Bowl LVI and he has missed a total of 17 games in the last 3 years and coincidentally they haven’t made the playoffs all 3 years. This includes his spectacular ’24 when he was 460 of 652 for 4,918 yards and 43TDs. So which guy will we see? The MVP level ’24 Burrow or the Joe that missed at least 7 games in both ’23 & ’25?? The injuries are mounting up and if we have a 3rd season in 4 years where he’s missed significant time, we may have already seen the best of Burrow and he won’t be in the Top Ten. This doesn’t include the calf strain where he sat out the entire ’23 preseason.

He isn’t here for his ’25 season where his stats slipped to 1,809 yards 17TDs and 5 interceptions. He is about to turn 30 and journeyman Joe Flacco nearly equaled his stats (1,664 yds 13TDs/ 4ints) in relief. He still has the incomparable Ja’Marr Chase (125 rec/ 1,412 yds / 8TDs) and Tee Higgins as his active targets, Burrow can finish anywhere from #1 to outside the Top Ten. Which Burrow will we get??  Again, that Super Bowl visit was a long time ago and Burrow turns 30 this season….

#7. Dak Prescott: Sigh… now listen, I’ve been critical of Dak in previous articles and the tic where he comes up short in meaningful regular season games and playoffs still remain. I thought Dak never looked better than last year’s 404 of 600 attempts for 4,552 yds and 30 touchdowns. Number 4 gave you the feeling the Cowboys were never out of the ball game. Now they’ve re-signed George Pickens (93 rec. 1,429 yds 9TDs) to a 1 year “do it again” franchise tag. He is going to go all out to secure a long term deal. With CeeDee Lamb (1077 yds 3TDs) Jake Ferguson (82 rec 600yds/8 TDs) and Javonte Williams (1,201 yds rushing 11TDs) #4 can stand back and orchestrate and the Cowboys are capable of 40 points per game easy.

They’ve landed some players on defense and he won’t be asked to do as much if they start forcing some turnovers. If there is 1 quarterback who has the tools in place to alter the way history will think of him, its Dak’s 2026 season. Now come January…*sucks teeth*  your mission, should you choose to accept it…

#6. Jalen Hurts: Now with his Super Bowl LIX championship & MVP shining on the mantle, Hurts has to have a bounce back year to remain on the trajectory of the last 4 years & 2 Super Bowl appearances or he can slide right out of the elite. In year’s past he beat you with his arm and legs but threw the ball scared in 2026, failing to throw AJ Brown & Smitty open. His anticipation wasn’t there and he kept playing scared to turn the football over. This led to a fractured relationship with his best wideout and speculation is he can be traded any day now. But take a look at something:

  • ’24: 248 of 361- 2,903 yds 18 TDs 5ints / 150 car. 640 yds 14 TDs
  • ’25: 294 of 454- 3,224 yds 25Tds 6 ints / 105 car. 421 yds 8 TDs

Hurts was brilliant both running and passing leading the Eagles to the championship in ’04 with the NFL’s 2nd ranked rushing attack. They plummeted to 18th illustrated by Saquon Barkley falling from 2,005 yards to 1,140 yards. Once in obvious passing situations their opponents could clog the intermediate routes and Jalen was too cautious to take shots. Now that he is the $252 million dollar man he has to get over that and changing OCs for the 5th straight season. Another season of turmoil in ’26 could result in barely making the playoffs and slipping in the quarterback hierarchy possibly out of the Top Ten.

You can’t go entire halves of football with ZERO completions and Hurts did so twice. The Eagles punted on 72 drives in ’25 where they only had to 54 times in 2024.Third down percentage dropped from 40.28% to 36.73%. Hurts is making the big bucks to convert these to 1st and sustain drives. He has a ton of equity having been to the Super Bowl twice in the last 4 seasons but like Joe Burrow time starts to eat away at those memories. Less since he has won it all but things in the rear view mirror start fading…

The Eagles have lost a lot of pieces on the defensive side and may be forced to score more. Tactically this will lead to more interceptions but Hurts will have to take more chances.

Thanks for reading who is the bottom half of your Top Ten?