2025-26 NHL Season Preview

The time has arrived for the puck to drop. That's right, Hockey is back! The National Hockey League season is here. And we got quite a few interesting storylines going into this season.

Can the Panthers run it back for a third straight year? Can Buffalo finally end their playoff drought? Did Toronto lose too much in the offseason to really contend again? Will the youth movement take hold fast on Long Island? Will the new coaches around the league have a positive impact on their teams?

We got some big debuts set up as well for the start of this season, as well as one final swan song out in LA. All that being said, here's how we see the 2025-26 NHL season going down.

Western Conference:
Central Division:
1. Dallas Stars 115 Points*
2. Colorado Avalanche 111 Points*
3. Winnipeg Jets 109 Points*
4. Utah Mammoth 100 Points*
5. Minnesota Wild 97 Points
6. St Louis Blues 90 Points
7. Nashville Predators 90 Points
8. Chicago Blackhawks 79 points

This will once again prove to be a very tough division to play in this season, but the top spot is going to go to the Stars by the time all is said and done. Dallas had the 2nd best record in the division last year, and this year expect it to go higher. Sure, there a few pieces from last season missing. Guys like Mason Marchment, Evgenii Dadonov, and most notably, Mikael Granlund are all elsewhere. But you still got Matt Duchene and Jason Robertson leading a solid offensive charge. It also still helps that you have a stud like Jake Oettinger between the pipes. When called upon, Jake can still deliver in net and will be a big reason the Stars are going to be good this year. Right behind them are going to be the Avalanche, who retooled a little this summer. When you have a top six that looks like Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Necas, Brock Nelson, and Valeri Nichushkin, and a fully returning Gabriel Landeskog, its going to be really tough to play against this year. They even bolstered a solid blueline by adding Brent Burns and Victor Olofsson. But what might be the only thing that even remotely hold Colorado from a division title is between the pipes. Is Mackenzie Blackwood really going to be the guy to get them over the hump? We know one thing for sure, the Jets do in fact have the goaltending to be good, or at least a playoff team this year. A year ago they were the best in the league, and Connor Hellybuck proved that by winning MVP. This year will be a step back year for Winnipeg, even with new faces on the team such as Cole Koepke, Gustav Nyquist, Luke Schenn and some guy named Jonathan Toews. But all that coming at the cost of losing Nikolaj Ehlers, who's now in the East. There's still plenty of talent here, it just won't be enough to get them anywhere near the spot it was last year. A surprise team that's going to get into the playoffs this season is going to be the Mammoth. The core in Utah is hungry to make the playoffs, something they haven't done since well back in their Arizona days. Adding in a guy like JJ Peterka to the back end will be a solid help, as will bringing in Brandon Tanev and  Nate Schmit. They have a good mix of scoring talent and tough, gritty players to build on something there in Utah, and it might just be enough to make a big jump and get into the post season.

Now for a team that's going to be on the outside looking are the Wild. There wasn't much, if anything at all, during the offseason to improve this team. They did bring in Vladimir Tarasenko from Detroit so that adds a little more depth to this club. That's only if he looks anything close to what he did when he was in his prime. Look they may have enough of a punch to score to possibly hang on to a playoff race. But what really might keep them in it would be Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt in net. That tandom might keep them close to challenging for a playoff spot. Then you have a team like the Blues, who are going to be a very interesting case this season. They are a solid team that just so happens to be stuck in a very tough division this season. For one thing, the play of Jordan Binnengton could go a long way. He has to carry this team to stand a chance, at least in net. They have top end talent in the scoring department, in the form of guys like Robert Thomas, Pavel Buchnevich, and Jordan Kyrou. Defense seems to be a bit of a question mark which might be keeping them out. Now, we got a Predators team who had a season last year that was way below expectation. They brought in Stamkos, Marchessault, and Skjei. And it all went south. Now it looks like older stars who don't have it anymore. They do have two budding stars still on this team in Jusse Saros and Filip Forsberg. But if they don't have a youth movement around them to truly build around, then what good is it going to do anybody around Nashville. Finally, bringing up the rear is a rebuilding team in the Blackhawks. Sure, you got a super stud in Conor Bedard to build around. You may have something to center around in net as well in the form of Spencer Knight. Otherwise it going to have to be a waiting game in Chicago for the rest of the youth movement to come along and join in for the Hawks to really be contenders again.

Pacific Division:
1. Vegas Golden Knights 112 Points*
2. Los Angeles Kings 109 Points*
3. Edmonton Oilers 107 Points*
4. Vancouver Canucks 103 Points*
5. Calgary Flames 97 Points
6. Seattle Kraken 96 Points
7. Anaheim Ducks 87 Points
8. San Jose Sharks 79 Points

This could seem like a recurring theme for the Golden Knights. Twice in the last three years, and four times in their eight year history they have won the division. And this year will be no different. Vegas has only missed the playoffs once in their history, and have even been to the Finals twice. And they got even better. How? They added Mitch Marner in the offseason and signed him to a big deal. That's yet another high power weapon to an already solid hockey club. That's adding to the talent with Eichel, Stone, Hertl. Its the strongest group of forwards in the entire division. Adin Hill has solidified things in net. Even with Alex Pietrangelo missing most of the season, there's still Brayden McNabb and Noah Hanifin to anchor that defense. The only team that can even remotely come close to knocking Vegas off in the division is going to be the Kings. It what will be the final season of Anze Kopitar career out in Los Angeles, it going to be a good year for the team. Sure they took a bit of a hit on the back end, losing both Jordan Spence and Vladislav Gavrikov.They still solid with Ceci, Doughty and Dumoulin. They have balance on the offensive side of things. This team isn't quite a cup contender yet, but they still good enough to be a playoff team out in LA. Right behind them is going to be the team that's knocked them out in the playoffs the last two seasons, the Oilers. You still have two of the best players on planet earth in your lineup in Draisaitl and McDavid. Problem is, the window with this team is closing and fast. McDavid due to hit the market at the end of the season. With Edmonton having gone to the finals the last two years and come up empty, they had better find a way to get over that final hump quickly. The team that's here is still a very good one. Again the big question that Edmonton still has to face is, can goaltending hold up enough to finally take them all the way? Now another question to bring up is how far can a team like the Canucks go? Depends on depth at center. Behind Elias Petterson, there's not much depth down the middle, which is going to be key for Vancouver this year. IF they want to go far during the season, centers have got to step up.  Defense is solid on this team. But what is going to be another big question is how well, and healthy can Thatcher Demko play in net? He couldn't stay healthy last season. If he finally does, and can look like his old self, then Vancouver should have enough talent to get into the playoffs.

On the outside looking in are going to be the Flames. To say that Calgary was an overachiever last year would be an understatement. A large part of that was due to the play of Dustin Wolf. He played at a level that went above and beyond. In order for Calgary to even sniff that again, Wolf is going to have to repeat his performance. Why? Because Calgary did nothing else to change the product on the ice. The lineup is almost the exact same as last year. While a good team, its not good enough to really compete with the rest of the heavy hitters in the West. Then we have the Kraken, who haven't taken quite that leap to the next level in their early years in the league. There is still a solid mix of young talent and veterans. Problem is they don't have a big centerpiece that they can truly build around. As for the talent that's here in Seattle, there's not much there in the way of really being competitive. Sure they got some good young pieces, but nothing worthy really writing home about. Not much further behind them are the Ducks. Mason McTavish finally signed a long term deal, ending his holdout. Which is a good thing. but Trevor Zegras is no longer running with him, making things a bit tougher in Anaheim. They do have some good young talent here, but they are also saddled with a lot of older talent who aren't producing anywhere near what needs to be done to be a success. Going to be a long year in Anaheim. The only team that's going to be worse off is the Sharks. San Jose has it's young core working for it, the guys like Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, and William Eklund. They added plenty of veteran presence on the blueline. But what's going to be a sticking point is all the young talent that's going to take the time to develop. Not quite where it needs to be out in San Jose, with a long way to go before this team is really ready to challenge for anything of substance in the league, other than high draft picks.

Eastern Conference:
Atlantic Division:
1. Tampa Bay Lightning 112 Points*
2. Florida Panthers 102 Points*
3. Toronto Maple Leafs 99 Points*
4. Ottawa Senators 97 Points*
5. Buffalo Sabres 94 Points
6. Montreal Canadiens 88 Points
7. Detroit Red Wings 86 Points
8. Boston Bruins 82 Points

This will be another good year for the Lightning and a division crown. With the talent that's here in Tampa, its going to be hard to stop. Vasilevski is still an elite netminder that's going to be tough to beat when he's on his game. Here's hoping its a more balanced workload this year so Vasey can be ready to go come playoff time. The forward group can attack you in waves. Kucherov, Gentzel, Point, Hagel, Cerelli, the list goes on. It going to be a tough task to beat these guys. The only thing that might hold the Bolts back is the depth on defense. If they can find a way to keep the balance on the back line, what's to stop them from going on a deep run. The state of Florida is well represented with talent, and the Panthers are no exception. The two time defending Cup champions are going to have a bit of an uphill battle in defense of their titles. Why? Matthew Tkachuk is out until at least December with a lower body injury. To make matters worse, Alexandre Barkov is out the entire season with a knee injury picked up during camp. Still a ton of talent here with Reinhart, Bennett, Verhaege, Rodrigues, Ekblad. And Sergei Bobrovski is still a stud in net that's going to carry this team again. How far it will go come the playoffs, we will see as we get closer to springtime. Then we have the Maple Leafs, who are going to take a bit of a step backwards this season. Mitch Marner is no longer a part of this group. He's in Vegas. The rest are still there, Tavares, Matthews and Nylander. Mathew Knies is also expected to have a good year. Toronto is solid on the blueline, so there isn't too much to worry about there. What is going to be a problem is going to be in net. Goaltending has been an issue for a long time, and doesn't look like it has gotten any better. Playoffs? Yes but not a deep run. A surprise team that's going to make the post season is the Senators. They getting full seasons out of Cozens and Zetterlund up front is going to be a big help to that young core in Ottawa. Defense is solid with Chabot and Sanderson. Depending on the play of Ullmark in the nets will really be a factor as to how far the Sens could possibly go as far as being a playoff team. But this year might just be enough to get them in.

On the outside looking in will be the Sabres. It's been a rough going for Buffalo, a team that hasn't made the postseason since 2011. They have plenty of talent with Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch, Rasmus Dalhin and Bowen Bryam. But there's not too much in terms of real depth around those guys. IF they can actually get some support, when UPL gets healthy, Buffalo might be able to make a push. But it won't really be enough to get them into the post season. Next is going to be the Canadiens. They surprised a lot of people last season by making the playoffs. The biggest move Montreal made was adding Noah Dobson in a huge sign and trade. Combine him with Hutson and Matheson, you really got something to build on the back end. Then you got Juraj Slafkovsky, Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki leading a pretty good young core. They might come close to making it back into the playoffs again, but it feels like they come up a little short this season. Now on to the motor city, the Red Wings are in a bit of an interesting spot. They've been waiting nine long years to get back into the playoffs, and that doesn't look like its going to change this season. Detroit has some good young talent here in the form of Moritz Seider, Ben Chiarot, Andrew Copp and Lucas Raymond, just to name a few. Problem is, there's too many deep teams ahead of them for Detroit to really make an impact. Finally, we got ourselves the Bruins, who are going to take a big fall this season. Morgan Geekie and David Pastrnak will be relied on heavily for production because the high-end talent disappears after those two. Charlie McAvoy and Mason Lohrei have the potential to really carry the blueline, but they can't do it all. Jeremy Swayman a solid goalie, but you could just tell he isn't the same when he's not paired up with Ullmark. Going to be a long season in Boston this season.

Metropolitan Division
1. Carolina Hurricanes 108 Points*
2. New Jersey Devils 107 Points*
3. New York Rangers 99 Points*
4. Washington Capitals 96 Points*
5. Columbus Blue Jackets 92 Points
6. New York Islanders 88 Points
7. Philadelphia Flyers 82 Points
8. Pittsburgh Penguins 80 Points

It seems like its becoming a regular thing now that the Hurricanes are staking claim to the division title. Carolina managed to get better with big moves, bringing in guys like Nikolaj Ehlers and K’Andre Miller to bolster an already very talented lineup. They can score, they can defend/ Oh and they got a pretty good goalie tandem in Fredrik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov. This team is so well built, it should be no surprise that they will take the division and have a shot a very deep playoff run. Behind them are going to be the Devils. What is of some level of concern in New Jersey is the fact that it took this long to get Luke Hughes signed to a deal. They are hoping to add a little more depth with the bottom six in scoring. But they should be good enough to provide some help for the big guns. if they can find their consistent touch. If everything goes according to plan, what's to stop the Devils from being a top three team this year. A team that's expecting to have a big bounce back season this year is going to be the Rangers. With all the talent that New York has, missing the playoffs las year was a disappointment. This year seems different. JT Miller is the new captain, and Mike Sullivan takes over as the new head coach. They los K'Andre Miller on the back end, and replaced him with Vladislav Gavrikov. They have plenty of talent on this team to be right in the thick of it for the top spot in this division, New York just needs to be able to put all together and make it happen to finisher higher than projected. A team that could slip a little but is going to be the Capitals. This was a team that overachieved big time a season ago, getting career years from guys like Tom Wilson. This year will be more of a slap back to reality in Washington. The team is basically running it back again this time not having Andrew Mangiapane and Lars Eller in their lineup. If somehow the players on this team can have a repeat of monster production from last year, expect a big step back this year. Washington won't fall all the way out of playoff contention, cause they will be there. Don't expect them to be fighting at the top for the division crown either.

Just on the outside looking in are going to be the Blue Jackets. They took a huge step forward last year in Columbus, just missing the playoffs by a mere two points. Goal scoring wasn't an issue last season as they had talented forwards. They got deeper by adding Charlie Coyle. What ended up costing Columbus on a playoff spot last year was poor defensive play. nothing was really done to try and improve the defensive depth and make them better. Between that and the average play of Elvis Merzlikins. IF they want to even get close to making the playoffs again this season, the play between the pipes has to get better. Same thing can be said about the Islanders as well. While having a good year in the New York nets last season, Ilya Sorokin played below the standard he had set for himself. If he returns to his true form, then the Islanders might have a chance to contend for a playoff spot. The future on this team looks bright with drafting talent like Matthew Schaefer, Victor Eklund and Kashawn Aitcheson. But what's holding New York back is, outside of Bo Horvat and Mat Barzal, the Isles are light in scoring. There's not going to be enough talent here to really get them into contention this season. Playing hockey in the state of Pennsylvania hasn't been much fun lately. Don't believe us? Ask Flyers fans. Look, Philadelphia did a little to get bette rin the offseason, bringing in Trevor Zegras and Christian Devorak. Sam Ersson needs to show real improvement in the Flyers nets if they want to go anywhere close to sniffing playoff contention again. It's going to be a long season in Philadelphia. Same exact thing can be said for the Penguins as well, who are getting long in the tooth. The winning window seems to be all but closed Pittsburgh right now. Yes Crosby, Malkin and Letang are all still there but are getting close to the end. Now would be the best time to really start to plan for a post Sidney Crosby world. They need to really focus on getting high draft picks to start rebuilding. This year is nowhere close to being the year.

Conference Finals: Lightning vs Hurricanes, Stars vs Kings

Cup Finals: Hurricanes vs Stars

MLB Divisional Round Predictions

The Division Series are here around Major League Baseball. We got some heavy hitters left standing in a season that started with thirty two teams and are now down to eight. So lets not waste anymore time, here's what we got for the divisional round.

ALDS: Detroit Tigers vs Seattle Mariners
Look, the Tigers were a good team most of the year, they were. But they ended up blowing it down the stretch and backed into the playoffs. Then dispatched the Guardians in the Wild Card round. They can hit and they can pitch. What's going to end up killing them is the fact that they stumbled badly down the stretch. Now they come up against a deeper and more balanced Seattle team who's got one of the best hitters right now in Cal Raleigh. Yes, there is more to the Seattle game than just Cal, but he's the straw that stirs that drink. It's going to be maybe a win if that for Detroit against a superior team.

Pick: Seattle in 4!

ALDS: New York Yankees vs Toronto Blue Jays
A battle of AL East teams in this round and its going to be an entertaining series. This was no fluke that the Blue Jays managed to win the division as a 94-win team. They are a balanced team, even if the pitching staff has been a bit inconsistent and Bo Baciette has missed time. But they are going up against a very tough and balanced divisional foe in the New York Yankees. With the amount of talent that's come on this year in the Bronx, they may be a very hard team to take down in this playoffs.

Pick: Yankees in 5'

NLDS: Los Angeles Dodgers vs Philadelphia Phillies
A battle of two teams that seemed to be hitting their stride at just the right time this year. This is going to be a slugfest and it fells like it could be more the way of the year for Philly. Why? Because the Dodgers feel like they've had it most of the year. Meanwhile the Phillies had to fight and claw their way back (Mets collapse aside) to overtake the division and then pull away with it late in the season. Both teams are good and balanced throughout, but it just has that feeling to it that this could be a Philly season.

Pick: Phillies in 5

NLDS: Chicago Cubs vs Milwaukee Brewers
Another interdivisional matchup to make up a series in this divisional round. This is going to be the most even matchup of the divisional round because of how well these two teams really know each other. What gives the edge to the Brewers in this one is a combination of great hitting, solid defense and just as great pitching.

Pick: Brewers in 5

Best & Worst NFL Week Four

That's the beautiful thing about the National Football League. Anything can happen week to week. That's why the old saying goes that it's Any Given Sunday! Look at what happened at Metlife Stadium: A rookie gets a start and upsets an unbeaten team. We had a couple of big days from rookie running backs, and there's only two teams left with a perfect record after the first month of the season in Buffalo and Philadelphia. Still a lot more to dive into from the week that was, so let's get right into it. Here's the best, and worst, from week four around the NFL!

Best: Puka Nacua, Wide Receiver, Los Angeles Rams
There's dominating performances and then there's what Puka did on Sunday. The Rams handed Indianapolis their first loss of the season, a 27-20 win by LA. Try going for 13 catches for 170 yards and a touchdown in the win Sunday afternoon. Puka not only should grab offensive player of the week, he making a vert early case for offensive player of the year, and we only a month into the season. He's already got 42 catches for 503 yards. If somehow he can keep this up, he's on pace to finish with over 2,300 receiving yards. The record is 1,964 yards in a single season set by Calvin Johnson in 2012. Puka has been that good for the first month. 

Worst: Bryce Young, Quarterback, Carolina Panthers
It seems to slowly be getting worse for the former top overall pick. They got blown out, at home, on Sunday, to the tune of a 42-13 blowout against the Patriots. Young only threw for 150 yards. He's had one game all season where he's thrown for over 200 yards, that was in week two when he threw for 324. He can't find much mojo to work off  of and it is not looking like its going to get much easier. He has got to be able to find some sort of confidence to let the ball fly more. If he doesn't I'm not sure how much longer a leash he's going to have.

Best: Rookie Running Backs
It's safe to say that week four was a bigtime coming out party for the first two running backs taken back in April's draft. First, there's the day Ashton Jeanty had for the Raiders. The 6th overall pick went off in the Vegas 25-24 loss to the Bears, Jeanty had 21 carries for 138 yards and a touchdown. he almost got the Raiders the win all by himself. Oh and not to be outdone, there's Omarion Hampton, the 22nd overall pick by the Chargers. In a 21-18 loss to the Giants, Hampton had 12 carries for 128 yards and a touchdown. Those two guys had the top two rushing performances in the NFL this week. Pretty good for a couple first year guys.

Worst: Adonai Mitchell, Wide Receiver Indianapolis Colts
There had been some flashes of hope that things are going to get better for the Colts this season. Indy now sits at 3-1 on the season following the loss to the Rams, which we touched on earlier. Mitchell had a decent day with three catches for 96 yards. He had a chance to make an insane 75 yard touchdown catch but instead dropped the ball through the endzone, turning it into a touchback. Oh and he cost the Colts again late in the game. With the scored tied at 20 it looked like Jonathan Taylor ripped off a 53 yard score. What happened? Play was called back cause Mitchell got flagged for holding. Colts punted and Rams scored the go ahead touchdown on the insuring drive.

Best: Jaxson Dart, Quarterback New York Giants
At least one New York metro area team managed to get a win. The Giants walked away with a 21-18 win over the Chargers, which was the first loss of the year for the Chargers. Dart wasn't the flashiest in his first game, but he was good enough to get himself a win. He went 13 of 20 for 111 yards and a touchdown. Only downside was he was sacked five ti4mes on the day, but that's more of an indication of his offensive line than it was him. Still, you get your first start in the NFL, you get a win, and you do it against a previously unbeaten team. This is a good starting point. Lets hope the kid can build off of it.

Worst: New York Jets Discipline
Things were supposed to be better for the Jets this season. That's not to say that they'd be competing for a Super Bowl or anything, but they were supposed to be a bit more competitive. That hasn't happened. The Jets are now 0-4 following a 27-21 loss to the Dolphins on Monday Night Football. Gang Green took 13 penalties for 101 yards and fumbled the football three times on the day, which killed any chances they might have had. This was supposed to be a team that was going to play a more disciplined game and limit the turnovers. Neither has happened over the first month.

Best & Worst NFL Week Three

Week three has come and gone in the National Football League. To call it a wild week around the league would be an understatement. There was last minute heroics, teams that are starting to slip fast, and others that are looking fantastic right out of the gates. Lots to dive into and a whole lot more, so lets not waste anymore time. Here's some of the best, and worst, of the week that was in the NFL!

Best: Isiah Rogers, Cornerback Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota handed the Bengals their first loss of the season, and it happened in a big way. Sunday the Vikings slapped around the Bengals to the tune of a 48-10 mauling, and doing it at home made it all the sweeter. Isiah Rogers was a huge reason for that performance. First, he stepped in front of a pass heading for Ja'Mar Chase and returned it 87 yards for a score. He wasn't done yet. He followed that up by stripping Noah Fant and taking that for 66 yards for his second defensive score on the day. He had more yards by himself then the Bengals did all day through the air. More on that coming up.

Worst: Jake Browning, Quarterback Cincinnati Bengals
Go back to the end of training camp in 2021 and Jake Browning was let go by the Minnesota Vikings, having never taken a snap for them. He joins on with the Bengals as the backup to Joe Burrow, and when he did get playing time he took advantage of it. He had a chance to do that on Sunday, against his former team no less. And he totally laid an egg. Browning was horrible on the day. 19 of 27 for 140 yards a touchdown and a pair of picks. One of those picks was a pick six early on, from which the Bengals could never recover from.

Best: Jonathan Taylor, Running Back Indianapolis Colts
A big day came around for the Colts on Sunday, to the tune of a 41-20 win on the road in Tennessee. Daniel Jones had himself a good day, throwing for 228 yards. That's good enough to help add to the lure of his redemption story that is the 2025 season, so far. But another story on the day was the play of Jonathan Taylor. Because of what Jones did through the air, it opened up the ground game for Taylor. He finished with 17 carries for 102 yards and, just as importantly, three touchdowns. Oh and I almost forgot to mention. That performance upped his season total to 338 yards on the ground, the most by any running back in the league so far this season.

Worst: New England Patriots Ball Security
The goal of the game of football is to hang onto the ball. When you have it, your not supposed to be giving it up. And you would think that a team coached by a guy the talent of Mike Vrable, would be able to hang onto the ball. But that didn't happen to New England on Sunday in a 21-14 loss at home to the Steelers. New England turned the ball over five times on the day, four of which came via the fumble. Rhamondre Stevenson had two himself while Antonio Gibson and Drake Maye had the other two. To make matters worse, two of those fumbles happened inside the Steelers five yard line. And those turnovers cost the Pats the game.

Best: Jordan Davis, Defensive Tackle Philadelphia Eagles
Things looked like they might be getting away from the Eagles on Sunday against the Rams. The Rams were up 26-7 before the Eagles found their game and fought back. But it was two major plays from Jordan Davis that we just as huge if not bigger than what the Eagles offense did. First Davis had a huge chase down and sack of Matthew Stafford late in the football game. Then, as the Eagles were attempting to kick a game winning field goal, which was from 61 yards out, was blocked by Davis. After the block, he had the ware withal to grab the ball and rumble all the way into the endzone for what was the game winning touchdown. Thanks to that play the Eagles walked away with a 33-26 win and remain unbeaten on this young season.

Worst: Michael Penix Jr, Quarterback Atlanta Falcons
There had been such high expectations on Penix when he was taken 8th overall by the Falcons in the 2024 Draft. But in six career starts, Penix has just two wins, one last year over the Giants and last week over Minnesota. Then he turns it around this week in a not so good way, as the Falcons got blanked 30-0 by the Panthers in Carolina. 18 of 36 for 172 yards and a pair of picks got him pulled for Kirk Cousins. He's looked rattled all day long, and those two picks showed the signs of that. He can't seem to get it figured out and unless he does fast, it could be a quick hook for him in Atlanta, a job he took over from a bad throwing Cousins last season.

Best & Worst NFL Week Two

What a week we had in the National Football League. By the time all was said and done, ten teams remain unbeaten, while another ten teams are still searching for their first win on the season. Last Sunday saw four games with former number one overall picks squaring off. We had some big games from offensive weapons, and other games saw some lack luster offensive outputs. So lets not waste anymore time and dive right into it. Here's some of the best, and worst, of week two in the NFL.

Best: Brandon Aubrey, Kicker Dallas Cowboys
You talk about a wild game on Sunday, look no further than this one. It wasn't pretty football but man was it fun. Dallas pulled out a 40-37 overtime win over the New York Giants. When the game went into OT, the teams tied at 37, we saw leads change hands five times in the 34th quarter alone. But the insanity of all of it was saved for the Cowboys thanks to the leg of Brandon Aubrey leg. He drilled the game winner from 64 yards out, a kick that might well have been good from 70. His heroics save the day in Dallas and sent the Giants to 0-2.

Worst: Kaleb Johnson, Running Back Pittsburgh Steelers
There had been some hope going into the season in Pittsburgh that Johnson might be a good back to run the ball with in their backfield. He was a factor in this game, just not the way the Steelers wanted. It's bad enough they got blown out, losing 31-17 to Seattle (at home no loess). Johnson had one rush for one yard on the day. That's bad enough. It was made worse when he let a kickoff bounce through his hands early in the fourth quarter and simply did not go try and recover it. The Seahawks recovered the ball in the end zone for a touchdown to extend their lead from three points to 10. Yikes.

Best: Detroit Lions Offense
If beating the Packers in week one was good, what they did against the Bears was even better last week. They followed that up with a big win over the Bears, a really big win. Try a 52-21 win at home over Chicago. They rang up 511 yards of offense allowing those 52 points. Amon Ra St Brown (115 yards and three TDs) and Jameson Williams (108 yards and a touchdown) each had massive days. Oh yeah, and they managed to really get something out of the run game this week, which racked up 177 yards among six different ball carriers.

Worst: New York Jets
Now which team is the real New York Jets? The team that almost pulled out a win against the Steelers in the opener, or the team that showed up against Buffalo at home on Sunday? They got the doors blown off 30-10 at home by Buffalo, a game that was never even close. The D couldn't stop the Bills run game, while the offense couldn't get anything right. Justin Fields is out for at least next week, going down with a concussion. Things have to get better for the Jets right? Right?

Best: Daniel Jones, Quarterback Indianapolis Colts
There had been some question marks for Daniel Jones going into this season, taking over in Indy. He hadn't done good when he was with the Giants. Looks like it was the Giants system that failed, because he looks like a totally different quarterback in Indy. He went into Denver, which is a tough place to play, and di a fine job. Indy beat Denver 29-28 at home, and Jones game was a big part of it. He finished 23 of 34 for 316 yards and a touchdown. That's become a sign of things that its not the quarterback, its the system. look at what happened with Sam Darnold and Geno Smith leaving New York and becoming at least serviceable to good at this level. Sure, Jones has less time in his new city so he hasn't been able to really establish it yet. But after the first couple of games, the return on investment looks really good.

Worst: Joe Burrow, Quarterback Cincinnati Bengals
I really do feel bad for Joe Burrow. He looked like he might be able to get the Bengals back on track. until injury struck. Cincinnati got a win over Jacksonville on Sunday, beating the Jags 31-27 at home. Burrow left the game with injury. Turned out to not only be turf toe but it will cost him most of the season. He had to have surgery on it to be able to correct the problem. Just when it looks like things might be going in a great direction for Cincy, they now have to rely on Jake Browning to get them through the next stretch until Burrow comes back this season.

Best & Worst NFL Week One

And with that, the first week of games in the National Football League is in the books. And a wild one it was. Spitting circus in Philly, wild night cap in Buffalo, bigtime rookie debut of sorts for Minnesota. We also saw some decisions that made ones scratch your heads. There's a lot to take in from the opening week around the league. So let's not waste anymore of your time. Here's the best, and worst, from week one in the NFL.

Best: Aaron Rogers, Quarterback Pittsburgh Steelers
If there was ever a time and place to stick it to an old team, Sunday afternoon in Metlife Stadium was the spot. Arron Rogers, the 41 year old gunslinger for the Steelers, went in against his old team and showed flashes of his old self. Rogers helped lead the Steelers to a 34-32 win over the Jets with an almost vintage performance. Sure the mobility isn't there quite like it used to be. But what he did do was make quick decisions and go 22 of 33 for 244 yards and four touchdowns. Is this Aaron Rogers here to stay? We will find out in the coming weeks. But if it does, then Pittsburgh could be a big threat in the AFC North.

Worst: New York Giants Front Office
I'm almost not totally sure who to put the blame on here for the Giants. Yes, you are playing a very good team in Washington in the opener. Yes you lost 21-6 to said Washington team, who is in the opinion of most a playoff bound team this year (possibly). But what the Giants did was destroy whatever good hopes they might have had coming out of training camp and the preseason games. Going with Russel Wilson over rookie Jackson Dart is making that hot seat even hotter for Brian Daboll. The Giants couldn't seem to do anything right in the opener, which makes me wonder. Who's going to get canned first for the Giants. The head coach or general manger.

Best: Derreck Henry, Running Back Baltimore Ravens
Credit has to be given where its due in Baltimore. Derreck Henry did everything he possibly could to try and win the Ravens the game Sunday night in Buffalo. Henry finished the day with 18 carries, two of which went for touchdowns, and 169 yards on the ground. Those yard totals were the most amongst NFL runners in the opening week. He did almost everything he possibly could to help the Ravens win that game. Its the rest of the tea that failed to show up. Why? See below.

Worst: Rest Of The Baltimore Ravens
You score 40 points and have a three score lead late in the football game......and still manage to lose 41-40 to the Buffalo Bills. In Buffalo. How does that happen? A total meltdown over the final five minutes is what happened. Derreck Henry had a monster day. You had a 15 point lead with four minutes left, and became the first team in NFL history to score 40 points and rush for over 235 yards and lose. It was a total meltdown in a big game. Yes, it's week one. but losing a game like this to a team that, let's be honest here, is a favorite in the AFC in the Bills. That going to make things just that much harder for the Ravens as the season rolls along.

Best: Rookie Tight Ends
There's two guys in particular who stick out from the tight end class in the 2025 NFL Draft. Tyler Warren of the Colts (taken 14th overall) and Harrold Fanning Jr of Cleveland (taken 63rd overall). Warren had 7 catches for 78 yards in he debut win over Miami. Only guy in the Colts lineup who had more yards was Michael Pittamn with 80. As for Fanning, he also had 7 catches on the day, for 63 yards. That was good for 3rd on the Browns that day (even though it was a 17-16 loss to the Bengals). Both guys were able to find openings in the opposing defense and give their quarterbacks some solid options. If both guys can keep this up as the season wears along, they could have massive impacts on their teams and the playoff pictures.

Worst: Mike McDaniel, Head Coach Miami Dolphins
We talked earlier about the Giants management being on the hot seat earlier on. Well you can make the same argument for Mike McDaniel in Miami. The Dolphins went into Indy and got steamrolled by the Colts, to the tune of a 33-8 loss. Judging by some of went down on the field on Sunday, the Dolphins seem to be getting tired of the schtick from McDaniel. If they quitting on him in week one, who knows how long he's going to stick around.

Best: Green Bay Packers Defense
There had been high expectations on the Green bay Packers before camps even opened this year. They got even higher when Micah Parsons was added into the mix. So what did they do to show that off? They opened up at home against old friends the Detroit Lions. And held said Lions team to just 13 points in a 27-13 Green Bay win. That Packers defense sacked Jared Goff four times on the day. They also held them to just 62 total yards of offense in the 2nd half and 246 total yards. It was a big statement early on by Green Bay.

Worst: Younghoe Koo, Kicker Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons were supposed to be the team to challenge the Tamp Bay Buccaneers for the top spot in the NFC South this season. But after one week, the Falcons are already possibly exploring options for a new kicker. Younghoe Koo missed a huge kick late in the game that would have tied it for the Falcons at home, but ended up missing the kick. Atlanta's coaching staff said, at this point, he is still the teams starting kicker. But if he keeps missing big kicks like this, it could be sooner rather than later if the plug gets pulled.

Baseball Legend Passes

When the late 80s New York Mets come up in conversation, one of the names that gets brough up is Davey Johnson. The man at the helm of one of the most fun baseball teams every, and a stretch for the best teams in Mets franchise history, Davey had a lot to handle. And handle it well he did. Word has come down that, at the age of 82, Davey has passed away.

He was more than just a great manager, he was a pretty good ballplayer in his own rights.

Davey played for 13 years in the Majors, eight of which were with the Baltimore Orioles, where he was best known. He also played three years in Atlanta, two in Philadelphia and one with the Chicago Cubs. He was a lifetime .261 hitter, with 136 home runs  and 609 driven in. Solid enough numbers for a playing career. Once his playing career ended, his really great work in the game took off.

In 1984, Davey was given the helm to manage the New York Mets, a position he held until getting fired 42 games into the 1990 season. From there, he managed the Cincinnati Reds from 1993-95, then Baltimore for 1996 and 1997, then the Dodgers for 1999 and 2000, and finally the Nationals 2011 to 2013. During those 17 years as a manager, Davey had a record of 1,372-1,071. His best work was with the Mets, going 595-417 in his seven season in New York. During that time he lead the Mets to the 1986 World Series title, and another division title again in 1988. His career .562 winning percentage is the sixth highest among managers with at least 1,300 wins.

Davey was a great baseball mind, he knew how to get the best out of his players. He pushed the right buttons and knew how to handle the personalities he had. Need proof? Look at what he was able to do with the wild bunch he had with the Mets in the mid to late 80s. He was able to stay around the game for another two decades, but his best work was with those 80s Mets teams.

His impact on the game will never be forgotten!