BRYAN KNOWLES grew up watching Joe Montana and Steve Young ply their trade at quarterback, so he has somewhat overly-inflated expectations of how quarterbacks should perform. This has certainly done him no favors over the past decade or so of watching the San Francisco 49ers. A graduate of UC Davis and San Jose State University, he has opted to eschew all the useful advice those august institutions have supplied him with and become a sportswriter instead. He’s been published at Bleacher Report and Fansided, and currently lives in Chicago with a wife who for some reason puts up with him.
Pittsburgh, Arizona, and Denver all made significant personnel changes in the secondary this offseason, and there's reason to believe all three of those defenses will get better this fall.
Bryan and Andrew head to the AFC West, home of the young superstar passer and then also Drew Lock for some reason. Can anything slow down the Chiefs? Is Justin Herbert for real or just a mirage? And why are the Raiders, exactly?
Our look at slot and wide splits moves on to the running backs and tight ends! Travis Kelce laps the field in slot DYAR, J.D. McKissic is a receiver in running back's clothing, and Nyheim Hines had one really good month.
Bryan and Andrew turn their attentions to the NFC West, where first-round picks are as fleeting as a summer squall. Is Trey Lance ready for prime time? Is Matthew Stafford actually an upgrade over Jared Goff? And can the Seahawks get out of their own way?
Our look at slot versus wide performance in the passing game continues. NFL quarterbacks are throwing to the slot more often than ever before, led by the Rams and Raiders. For Jared Goff, this makes some sense. For Derek Carr, not so much.
Bryan and Andrew come back for their second Scramble in two days, looking at the over/under lines in the AFC East. They are of Tua minds on Tagovailoa and the Dolphins, but also spare time to talk about Josh Allen and getting caught in sudden New York rain showers.
Bryan and Andrew are back for a sixth year of Scramble, looking at the over/under lines in the NFC East. Will Ryan Fitzpatrick give Washington sturdy quarterback play? Will Dak Prescott give the Cowboys a sturdy quarterback ankle? And can anyone, anyone at all, get above .500 this year, please?
Our annual look at receiving performance in and of the slot kicks off with the receivers. Did Cole Beasley earn his All-Pro vote? Was Stefon Diggs able to be stopped anywhere? And will Sean McVay finally learn what the "wide" means in wide receiver?
Our annual look at defensive personnel asks where the Patriots' base defense was, if Matt Milano and the Bills will ever stop playing nickel, and if the Packers can spare a dime.
Our annual look at offensive personnel asks if the league has reached a three-receiver equilibrium, and looks at the few teams that still use fullbacks, including the Minnesota Vikings and C.J. Ham.
