Iggles Blitz

by Tommy Lawlor

Lots of Questions

Posted September 10th, 2026 | No Comments »

Every NFL season is a bit of a mystery. We think we know who the good teams are, but there are always X-factors that change things, both good and bad. That’s part of what makes the NFL so fun.

The season opened last night with Seattle coming from behind to beat New England 13-10 in a sloppy game where neither team looked like Super Bowl material. QB Drake Maye threw 3 INTs, including an awful pick in the final minute with his team in FG range. AJ Brown hurt his ankle and only played half the game. We’ll have to see how serious that is. Sam Darnold suffered a hip injury and missed most of the game. That could turn out to be a serious injury. Both teams could be fine in the long run, but it is hard to feel good about them after the season opener.

The Rams are the obvious favorites this year. They have multiple Hall of Fame players in their lineup. It would take multiple key injuries for them to miss the playoffs. That said, even the Rams have some potential issues. The Niners have a lot of talent and experience. They get hit by injuries every year so it is hard to trust them. Detroit was a juggernaut in 2024 and then missed the playoffs last year. I think they will be one of the best offenses in the league, but I’m worried about their defense. The Bears and Packers both have a lot of potential, but also key questions that make them mystery teams.

I don’t think anyone in the NFC South is a legit SB contender. The NFC East is likely a two-team race between the Eagles and Cowboys. Dallas should be vastly improved, but SB contender feels like an awfully big jump. They still have holes in he lineup and will face one of the toughest schedules in the league. Opinions on Dallas and Philly are all over the place.

Spoiler alert…Bill picked the Chiefs to beat the Eagles in the SB. He’s not the only one who sees them getting back to the title game.

So the experts have the Eagles missing the playoffs, as a wild card team or making it back to the Super Bowl. That’s quite a range of outcomes. The lack of faith in the Eagles is all about the offense. AJ Brown is out and a new scheme is in. People have doubts about how good Jalen Hurts will be in the new scheme. It is absolutely fair to have concerns about the offense. I’m buying the Eagles as a contender because of Saquon Barkley, better OL play and an elite defense. That is a winning formula. Hurts should have time to grow into the new offense and for his receivers to work into their roles.

The AFC has plenty of questions as well. Buffalo is probably the best team, but they have a new coach and defensive coordinator. Will those changes put them over the top? Denver won 14 games last year and almost made the SB. They had some crazy comeback wins to get that record. I think they’ll be good, but I don’t see them repeating that level of success. The Chargers added Mike McDaniel as OC and think he can help their offense become more explosive. Justin Herbert has yet to win a playoff game in his career so it seems fair to have doubts on him. How many people realize KC went 6-11 last year? Losing Patrick Mahomes to a torn ACL really hurt them, but they also had issues before his injury. This will be a huge season for the Chiefs. Will offseason changes help them bounce back or are we seeing the end of a dynasty?

The AFC North is as confusing as ever. The Steelers were division champs last year, but Mike Tomlin is gone and Aaron Rodgers is back. They feel like a 9-win team. The Bengals revamped their defense. If the changes work well enough they could become a SB contender. Joe Burrow and that offense are special. The Ravens went 8-9 and fire John Harbaugh. A new coach could be just what the doctor ordered. They do have a lot of talent, but also some key questions. They certainly aren’t a sure thing.

The Jaguars and Texans are the two good teams in the AFC South. Houston has an elite defense. That unit could be good enough to get them to the SB. But CJ Stroud has been erratic and their OL is a work in progress, to put it mildly. Jacksonville had an odd offseason and you just don’t know if they did enough to make themselves a legit contender.

It will be interesting to see how things play out for the Eagles and the rest of the league. This feels like it could be a weird, wild season.

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In case you want some hard-hitting football news.

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