What is and isn't a catch around the league have been more clearly defined. A catch takes place when a player has two feet down or any body part other than the hands, and they have control of the ball. To go along with that, they must make a "football move" such as making a 3rd step, reaching/extending to the line to gain, tucking the ball away, warding off defensive players, or have the ability to perform such an act. Finally, the rule for receivers who were going to the ground during the catch process has been deleted. Then there's the rule of hitting with the helmet. Can't lead with the crown of the helmet or its a personal foul penalty.
The 2017 season saw the end of some pretty good careers. Kam Chancellor, Antonio Cromartie, Dwight Freeney, Devin Hester, Nick Mangold, Carson Palmer, Darrelle Revis, Jason Witten, Martellus Bennett, Matt Forte, DeMarco Murray, Victor Cruz, Eric Decker, and Brent Celek have all called it a career. We've also got some new faces in new places around the league. First the trades. Cleveland reloaded by adding Jarvis Landry and Tyrod Taylor in separate deals, then sent DeShone Kizer away to Green Bay. Kansas City dumped off some talent by trading away both Alex Smith (to Washington) and Marcus Peters (to Rams). Denver got rid of some talent as well by trading Aqib Talib (to Rams) and Trevor Siemian (to Minnesota). Los Angeles made a splash by getting Brandin Cooks from the Patriots, while the Giants also made moves by acquiring Alec Ogletree from the Rams and dealing away Jason Pierre-Paul to the Bucs.
Some big names switched uniforms during the offseason. Sam Bradford (Minnesota to Arizona), Teddy Bridgewater (Minnesota to Jets (traded to saints)), Kirk Cousins (Washington to Minnesota), Case Keenum (Minnesota to Denver), Isaiah Crowell (Cleveland to Jets), Carlos Hyde (San Francisco to Cleveland), Dion Lewis (New England to Tennessee), Danny Amendola (New England to Miami), Allen Hurns (Jacksonville to Dallas), Jordy Nelson (Green Bay to Oakland), Allen Robinson (Jacksonville to Chicago), and Sammy Watkins (Rams to Kansas City), Jimmy Graham (Seattle to Green Bay), Austin Seferian-Jenkins (Jets to Jacksonville), Marcedes Lewis (Jacksonville to Green Bay), Mike Pouncey (Miami to Chargers), Justin Pugh ( Giants to Arizona), Weston Richburg (Giants to San Francisco), Nate Solder (New England to Giants), Josh Sitton (Chicago to Miami), and Travis Swanson (Detroit to Jets) were all on the move. That was just offense.
On defense, Vinny Curry (Philadelphia to Tampa Bay), Sheldon Richardson (Seattle to Minnesota), Ndamukong Suh (Miami to Rams), Muhammad Wilkerson (Jets to Green Bay), Demario Davis (Jets to New Orleans), Trent Murphy (Washington to Buffalo), Tahir Whitehead (Detroit to Oakland), Avery Williamson (Tennessee to Jets), Malcolm Butler (New England to Tennessee), Morgan Burnett (Green Bay to Pittsburgh), T. J. Carrie (Oakland to Cleveland), Marcus Gilchrist (Houston to Oakland), Trumaine Johnson (Rams to Jets), Tyrann Mathieu (Arizona to Houston), Rashaan Melvin (Indianapolis to Oakland), Patrick Robinson (Philadelphia to New Orleans), and Richard Sherman (Seattle to San Francisco) all changed cities during the offseason.
So now that we got that all caught up, here's how things go down. This is how we see the divisions playing out for the 2018 NFL Season.
NFC:
NFC East:
1. Philadelphia Eagles (12-4)*
The defending Super Bowl Champions look to defend their title and get it off on the right foot by winning the NFC East. Carson Wentz is still on the mend, and won't be ready by the beginning of the season. Nick Foles is no slouch, he did just win MVP of the Super Bowl. he's still got plenty of weapons to throw to, so putting points up on the board, at least on paper, doesn't seem like its going to be much of a problem for the champs. They have one of the best lines in the game, on both sides of the ball, so that shouldn't be much of an issue. They leave a little weakness, in terms of depth, at the linebacker position. Should everybody stay healthy this year, and Wentz come back as strong as he did before the injury, then the Eagles should have no problem showing that last year's title win wasn't a fluke.
2. New York Giants (9-7)
There's no way this team is going to be as bad as the 3-13 finish they had last season right? On paper, they shouldn't. Not with the offseason they had. Nate Solder was signed as a free agent and they drafted Will Hernandez, both of whom will be a huge boost to that weak offensive line. Still question marks with the other three spots on the line, but they should be solid enough. They locked up Odell for five more years and they added another weapon in the backfield in Saquon Barkley. Barkley could add stability to a position that has been lacking for some time now with the Ginats in that they haven't had a good running game in who knows how long. It not just the improvements that have been made on the offense, because the defense has get their new additions to be effective. Oliver Vernon and Alec Olegtree have to come in and make a big impact right away to get the Giants defense off the floor. Big Blues has the pieces, but can they all click to make a big push? We shall see.
3. Dallas Cowboys (8-8)
This will seem like a bit of a step back for the Boys but they will still be a solid football team. Dak is still gun slinging behind the best offensive line in the entire league. It going to be a little different for Dak, not having reliable targets to throw to in Dez Bryant and Jason Witten. Fear not Dallas fans, the Boys reloaded the receiving core. Tavon Austin was brought in via trade and Allen Hurns was brought in via free agency. Oh yeah, they also have a full season of Zek Elliott. Defensively, Demarcus Lawrence is going to be causing problems for opposing passers off the edge. Combine him with the ability of Sean Lee at linebacker, this Cowboy's defensive unit is capable of creating big takeaways. This team has a lot of potential going for it, but for some reason I just got a feeling Dallas may slip a little this season. They may even be outpaced by the Giants.
4. Washington Redskins (5-11)
There's a great mix of veterans and young blood in Washington. Alex Smith has taken over under center, replacing Kirk Cousins. He's got a nice mix to get the ball to, with Jordan Reed and Jamison Crowder leading the pass catching core. Adrian Peterson was just signed near the end of camp, showing that he wants to try and prove that he's still got something left in the tank. But the line is meh at best in D.C. and there are still some holes to try and be filled but there just doesn't seem to be an answer for right now. Meanwhile, on defense, Washington has something to look forward to. The Redskins are solid in their defensive front seven, and Orlando Scandrick was added to start opposite Josh Norman at cornerback. Looking at the Redskins roster makes me realize that there's too many holes and uncertainties to make me think that the Skins are going to have a winning record.
NFC North:
1. Minnesota Vikings (12-4)*
Minnesota came within a game of playing in the Super Bowl a season ago and are looking to go back with another deep playoff run this year. A few changes have been made to that offense. All three quarterbacks they had on the roster from last year, Sam Bradford, Case Keenum and Teddy Bridgewater are in new cities. So enter Kirk Cousins to take over under center, which gives new offensive coordinator John DeFilippo something different to work with. Dalvin Cook was also brought in to help bolster a weak spot in the run game for the Vikings this year. The core group that lead the charge last year on offense is still here, so putting points up on that board might not really be a problem. Sheldon Richardson was brought in to bolster the pass rush. Minnesota has the horses to be able to come away with this division, but its going to be close.
2. Green Bay Packers (11-5)(WC)*
Bounce back year on the market right now for Green Bay. Last seasons 7-9 mark was a down year for the Pack, the injury to Aaron Rodgers hasn't helped things. Now Rodgers is healthy and ready to rock and roll and prove to the rest of the league that he's back and worth every single cent that the Pack are going to be paying him. It feels weird not having Jordy Nelson be one of the top targets for Rodgers to go to, but adding Jimmy Graham to the lineup will pick up that slack. Throw him in with Davante Adams and Randall Cobb as Rodgers targets, with Ty Montgomery running the ball, scoring won't be all that hard for Green Bay. On the other side of the ball, Muhammad Wilkerson is going to help the Pack cause havoc to the opposing QB and mess with the run game. Green Bay is going to be fighting with Minnesota for the division all year long and will be a playoff team.
3. Detroit Lions (9-7)
New head coach Matt Patricia has some new pieces to work with in Detroit. Matthew Stafford lost Eric Ebron as his go to tight end but still has Golden Tate as his favorite target over the top in the pass game. The biggest thing that Detroit needed to address from last season was the run game. They did that this offseason by adding LeGarrette Blount in free agency and Kerryon Johnson through the draft. What cost the Lions last year was where the defense finished a season ago. They had the 27th ranked defense in the league, something which a defensive guru like Patricia is going to have to try and fix immediately. That defense could be what holds Detroit back from a playoff spot this season.
4. Chicago Bears (6-10)
New coach Matt Nagy is looking at a team to try and rebuild. Adding Khalil Mack and locking him up long term are huge for loading up what has been a hallmark in Chicago for a long time. The Bears have been known for their defensive play and adding a guy like Mack is a huge boost to that. The offense still has some catching up to do with the rest of the division, but they've made steps in the right direction. Mitchell Trubisky started showing signs of being the coveted franchise quarterback he was in last year's draft, so its something for the Bears to build off of. That, and the fact that they shelled out heavy for Allen Robinson and Trey Burton in the offseason. They have added talent, but the Bears are still playing catch-up with the rest of the division.
NFC South:
1. New Orleans Saints (13-3)*
New Orleans could quite possibly be the team to take out the Eagles in the NFC this year. They're one of the more balanced teams in the game. Sure, they're going to be without the services of Mark Ingram, who's suspended for the first four games of the year. Alvin Kamara should have no problem coming in there to pick up the slack. Michael Thomas and Ted Ginn Jr. are going to get the bulk of the touches from Drew Brees in the passing game. No telling how much more the future hall of famer has left in his arm but its at least two more years. Coach Sean Payton got the team set up to rock and roll this year on offense. Hell the defense got better when the team traded up for defensive end Marcus Davenport in the first round of this year's draft. This could be the best team in the division and can only really go up this year.
2. Atlanta Falcons (12-4)(WC)*
Expect the Falcons to be making noise in the NFC last year. Matt Ryan played at a higher level two years ago when he won the MVP, but last year seemed to bring him back down to earth a little bit. This year, he got a new weapon to play with in the form of Calvin Ridley, who the Falcons took in the first round. Put him with Mohamed Sanu and Julio Jones, it can make for a scary proposition for the opposing secondary to have to try and defend against. To help balance that out will be Tevin Coleman and Devonta Freeman in the run game. They've got a young and hungry defense that's going to be tough to try and stop. With Vic Beasley and De'Vondre Campbell leading that defensive charge, it going to be a tough draw. With both sides of the ball operating at the level they could be this year, Atlanta is going to be a major threat in the NFC this season.
3. Carolina Panthers (7-9)
Things seem to be changing all the time down in Carolina. Eric Washington is the third different defensive coordinator that the Panthers have had in the last three years. Washington has to try and get more out of his three biggest defensive stars in Julius Peppers, Dontari Poe and Luke Kuechly. On paper, this defense has enough talent to keep the Panthers in a few games.; The question remains how well can the offense hold up? New Offensive Coordinator Norv Turner has a lot on his plate this year. He's gotta try and get Cam Newton back to an MVP level. Newton has Christian McCaffrey and Greg Olsen to work with as weapons but not much else. Sometimes that might be enough but not in this top heavy division.
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-10)
Jameis Winston is going to miss the first three games of the regular season due to a suspension, which means that Ryan Fitzpatrick gets the starting nod to kick off the year for the Bucs. Once Winston comes back, coach Dirk Koetter has to try and get his team going in the right direction. Winston is the future under center and he's got some weapons to work with in Mike Evans, DeSean Jackson and Cameron Brate to catch the ball and a decent running game to complement it. Ronald Jones is going to be counted on to have a big year in order for Tampa to compete. The newest draftee to Tampa, Vita Vea, is expected to team up with Jason Pierre-Paul to cause some trouble for the opposition. Otherwise the Bucs defense looks suspect. Don't expect a lot of noise to really be made in Tampa this year.
NFC West:
1. Los Angeles Rams (12-4)*
Los Angeles won the division with 11 wins a season ago and they actually got a little bit better in the offseason. Head coach Sean McVay has some new toys to play with on the offensive side of the ball. Yes Sammy Watkins is now in Kansas City, but Brandin Cooks was brought in to take some pressure off Jared Goff, Todd Gurley, Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp. It gives the Rams another added element to work with for this explosive attack. Aside from having lack of depth at the linebacker position. Still, defensive coordinator Wade Phillips has plenty to work with. Ndamukong Suh, Marcus Peters, Aqib Taiib and Aaron Donald? That's going to be tough to face off with. Sure the holes in the Rams armor are there, but they aren't big enough to really be stopped. The greatest show on turf is going to be a heavy hitter in the NFC this year.
2. San Francisco 49ers (10-6)
This year, the Jimmy G show will be on full display. Jimmy Garoppolo has some pressure on him to prove that not only he can start, but that last year was no fluke. To help out, Jimmy has weapons to work with in the form of Pierre Garcon, Alfred Morris, Jerick McKinnon and George Kittle. Couple that with a solid O-Line and the 49ers might be in pretty good shape down the road. On the other side of the ball, adding Richard Sherman makes things interesting. Sherman is trying to get his game back and prove he still one of the elite defenders in the game of football.
3. Seattle Seahawks (8-8)
There's no denying that the Seahawks are carried by Russell Wilson. He going to have to do a lot for Seattle this year. He lost Jimmy Graham and Thomas Rawls. Rashaad Penny was selected in the first round of the draft, which should help the running game. Brandon Marshall was also brought in to help stabilize the receiving game and to try and get his career back on track. On the other side of the ball, the Legion of Boom is no more. Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor are gone. leaving Earl Thomas unhappy. Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril are gone from their front, as well. Coach Pete Carroll can boast some promising youth on defense, but there won't be true contention as Seattle tries to forge a new identity.
4. Arizona Cardinals (4-12)
This may not be the best year for new head coach Steve Wilks to be coming into. Carson Palmer called it a career, so Sam Bradford takes over under center. Given the past history of Bradford though, rookie Josh Rosen could see plenty of snaps during the regular season. Arizona still has one of the best all around backs in David Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald is still out to prove he got something left in the tank. While the offense maybe able to provide some hope, I'm not sold on the defense in the desert. It going to be a long season for the Cardinals because of a run down defense and an offense that's holding together. In order to build a team back up, you need to tear down first and that's what the Cardinals are starting to do.
AFC
AFC East:
1. New England Patriots (12-4)*
This is going to be business as usual for the Patriots. Plenty of turnover for the Pats. Danny Amendola, Bradin Cooks, Malcolm Butler, Dion Lewis, Nate Soilder are all gone to other teams and David Harris, Martellus Bennett and James Harrison retired. Tom Brady, even at 41, can still find a way to do things that are beyond description. To go along with that, they still have the best tight end in the game in Rob Gronkowski. Chris Hogan will be the top target, while Rex Burkit and James White will be doing the bulk of the rushing duties for the AFC Champs. New England's defensive line leaves something to be desired. They have the linebacker core and the secondary that should be enough to power them to a division title. Its going to be business as usual in New England as the Patriots should be able to wrap up another division title.
2. New York Jets (9-7)
The Sam Darnold Era has begun in New York. The Jets took him 3rd overall and after making a move to send away Teddy Bridgewater at the end of camp, it was all set for Darnold to take over as the starter for Gang Green. Isaiah Crowell and Bilal Powell will be taking the carries in the backfield, while Terrelle Pryor, Jermaine Kerse, Robbie Anderson and Quincy Enunwa will be handling pass catching duties. There still a few questions for me on the offensive line, so it will be interesting to see how the offense can adjust. The defensive front, lead by Lenoard Williams, could be something as could the secondary. It might be enough for the Jets to bounce back from back to back 5-11 seasons and actually post a winning record for the first time in three years.
3. Miami Dolphins (7-9)
Miami depleted their roster this offseason, which is going to make it tough to compete in the division this year. Ryan Tanahill is coming off a knee injury, so who knows with his health, or with the play of Brock Osweiler as his backup. Jarvis Landry and Jay Ajayi both got traded, taking away a couple of the biggerst weapons that Miami had. Frank Gore will be handling the rushing duties, while Danny Amendola and Kenny Stills will be the top targets. The defense leaves a lot to be desired, which is going to be hurting the Dolphins. Don't get your hopes up Miami, this could be a rough year.
4. Buffalo Bills (6-10)
Congratulations Buffalo, you made the playoffs last year. This year won't go so well. Nathan Petermen is the opening day starter and will soon give way to Josh Allen, who might have a good career ahead of him. Chris Ivory and LeSean McCoy will handle the rushing attack, with Kelvin Benjamin being the primary passing target. The defense got an overhaul, something that MIGHT keep games close. Buffalo took a step back in the offseason and will fall in the standings this year.
AFC North
1. Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4)*
Pittsburgh has a new offensive coordinator in Randy Fichtner, and he got a little bit of work ahead of him this year. Ben Roethlisberger isn't getting any young and has only a few good years left. He still has the other killer B's with him in Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell. What is slowing me down on Bell being effective is the rfact he's on the exempt list and is going to miss playing time, so Stevan Ridley is going to pick up the slack. And Brown is going to get a bulk of the targets, but he's got help in the receiving game in Darrius Heyward-Bey and JuJu Smith-Schuster. Then you got Cameron Heyward, who's going to be counted on to lead the pass rush. Pittsburgh doesn't exactly have the steel curtain that they had in the 70's, but this defense could be good. Very good. This defens could actually surprise a few people and really be able to do more then hold its own. The Steelers could be one of the heavy favorites to come out of the AFC this year, they're that good.
2. Baltimore Ravens (8-8)
Baltimore looks like they could be moving up. They have a possible future replacement in place for Joe Flacco, who is getting up there in age and doesn't have much left in the tank. Bringing in Robert Griffin III as a backup might not be a bad idea, but with his health injury past who knows. They have the future of the franchise behind both guys in Lamar Jackson, the former Heisman winner. Jackson is going to be waiting a while to start though. As far as this year goes, Michael Crabtree and Willie Snead are going to be counted on a lot to help Flacco in the pass game. There's a lack of trust from my point of view in the run game, which is going to put more pressure on Flacco to throw, which over the long term could hurt. C. J. Mosley is going to be counted on to lead a defense that could be average at best.
3. Cincinnati Bengals (7-9)
The more things change the more they stay the same. Marvin Lewis starts his 16th year as Bengals head coach and is looking to try and change the culture in Cincy. A little hard to do that if Vontaze Burfict starting the season on a suspension. The defense is meh at best even with Burfict here, but he's been a problem since he got into the league. Andy Dalton remains the franchise quarterback, and A.J. Green remains one of the best receivers in the game. The Bengals may have something in the run game in Joe Mixon. It always seems like the Bengals have that potential to be right there with the Ravens and Steelers but I just have his feeling that Cincy comes up short.
4. Cleveland Browns (4-12)
Can't believe I'm about to say what I'm going to say but here goes. The Cleveland Browns will win two games this year. They've won one game in the last two seasons. Lot of turnover in Cleveland. Tyrod Taylor will try and show Baker Mayfield how to play in this league. Jarvis Landry can play a big impact in this Browns offense. Cleveland might have a defense that could be decent at best. Could be a long way up for the Browns, but they can't get any lower then what they did last year. This will be a small step in the right direction for the Browns but they will eventually get there.
AFC South:
1. Jacksonville Jaguars (12-4)*
Doug Marrone and company are going to be back at the top of the division. There really isn't much turnover for the Jags, who went all the way to the divisional round last year. Blake Bortles still calls the plays under center, while Leonard Fournette will be handling all or most of the touches in Jacksonville. There has been turnover at tight end and wide receiver, with Austin Seferian-Jenkins leading the tight end crop. Allen Hurns and Allen Robinson are both gone, meaning that Jaydon Mickens, Donte Moncrief, and Dede Westbrook are going to have to pick up the slack in the receiving department. Lets not forget about the Jags defense. Michael Bennett, Calais Campbell and Jalen Ramsey are just some of the playmakers that can lead this explosive defense. Jacksonville's D can hang with the best of them around the NFL and if the offense can come close to matching the level it's D can potentially play at, then watch out. Jacksonville is going to be a major force to be reckoned with, not only in the AFC, but the entire NFL.
2. Tennessee Titans (10-6)(WC)*
New coach Mike Vrabel has some new toys to work with in Tennessee. Dion Lewis has been added to join Derrick Henry to what could be a lethal run game, while Darius Jennings and Rishard Matthews are going to be counted on bigtime with Marcus Mariota in the passing game. Lewis and Henry can only do so much so Mariota is going to have to be good in the air attack, which is something he showed last year that he can do. Then on the other side of the ball, Malcolm Butler was brought in to help out the secondary. Adding him brings in another level of depth and can add more looks for packages that can throw off the opposition. Tennessee is going to be a tough challenge to play against this year and are going to be in it, for the most part, with the Jaguars.
3. Houston Texans (9-7)(WC)*
It was pretty easy to see the difference in the Texans last year when Deshaun Watson was playing compared to when he got hurt. DeAndre Hopkins has been saying all training camp long that he feels he's underrated in this league, so now he got a chance to back up the talk and prove he can be that guy who can hang with the big boy receivers in this league. Oh yeah the Texans have a pretty good defense, lead by J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney, Bringing in Tyrann Mathieu was a nice addition for the Texans. They have the potential to sneak into a playoff spot this year. Should everybody be able to stay healthy, the sky could be the limit for a team that was in the playoffs just two years ago.
4. Indianapolis Colts (6-10)
New head coach Frank Reich heads into this season with a lot on his mind. Namely, can his starting quarterback stay healthy? Andrew Luck has been dealing with shoulder issues over the past couple of seasons and can't seem to stay on the field. here's also no telling how bad the Colts would be if Luck were to suffer another setback in his year-long recovery from shoulder surgery. Expect Indianapolis to be competitive with Luck; he's that good. T.Y. Hilton and Eric Ebron are going to be key. Defense in Indy is OK at best, but if everything goes right for the offense, then the Colts can be able to hang around for a little while in this AFC South race.
AFC West:
1. Los Angeles Chargers (11-5)*
Anthony Lynn is back for his second year as head coach of the Chargers. This year will go better then last year, when the Chargers got off to a dreadful 0-4 start and couldn't recover. Not much has changed on the offense this year. Phillip Rivers is back for another year, Charger fans better hope he can stay healthy because Geno Smith is the backup and that's a whole different argument we won't get into now. Rivers has solid targets to work with in the form of Melvin Gordon running the ball, while Keenan Allen and Travis Benjamin will be hauling in the passes. On the other side of the ball, Los Angeles looks to be in good shape. When you have guys the talent level of Joey Bosa, Melvin Ingram and Casey Hayward, it makes for a scary field to go up against. The Chargers won't have the same problem in close games this year, not with how well they played at the end of last season. Los Angeles takes the division this year.
2 Kansas City Chiefs (9-7)
New era to begin in Kansas City as Patrick Mahomes takes over for Alex Smith as the full time starter. He needs to have a big year if the Chiefs are going to try and stay in the race in the West. Mahomes has the weapons around him to work with. He got Travice Kelce, Tyreek Hill and Kareem Hunt. Hunt is also a bit of a question to see if he can find his grove again like he had at the start of last season. Defensively, Kansas City gets a returning and healthy Eric Berry, which is good. But Marcus Peters and Derrick Johnson are both gone. This defense feels like it could take a step backwards as does the whole team for that matter. It feels like it might be the start of a rebuild in KC.
3. Oakland Raiders (8-8)
Chucky is back on the sidelines. Jon Gruden is back to coaching and trying to get the Raiders back to their 2016 wild card form. There's a few changes to this Raiders club. Khail Mack is now a Bear and Michael Crabtree is now in Baltimore. Jordy Nelson and Doug Martin were brought in on offense to try and help out Marshawn Lynch, Amari Cooper and Derek Carr. This defense looks decent at best, so its something that Gruden is going to have to work on. Oakland has a mix of veterans and young guns in the lineup, which will make for an interesting mix. This team isn't a contender right now, but it will be interesting to see if Gruden can get the Raiders going in the right direction by the time they move to Las Vegas.
4. Denver Broncos (5-11)
If Denver wants to be anywhere close to a playoff team, or even look like a playoff team, Case Keenum needs to be good. Or he has to at least be better then the mess that was the quarterback situation we saw there a year ago in Denver. Vance Joseph's team will lean heavily on defense and the running game to get back on track after the coach got a reprieve after a disaster of a season. Bradley Chubb and Von Miller will keep Denver competitive, but the offensive limitations will keep it from reaching John Elway's Mile-High standards.
Super Bowl: Saints vs Steelers!
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