The NFL season is finally almost here! Here are 11 hot takes for this season, each getting progressively hotter.

 

0/10: Rams win the Super Bowl

Obvious pick here. The reigning MVP Matthew Stafford at quarterback. Arguably the best receiver in the league with Puka Nacua. Just added Myles Garrett to the defense. I think Kyren Williams is going to have a career year as well. Overall the Rams are just better in every aspect than the rest of the NFL is. Obviously not a hot take at all, but that's why it's a 0/10.

1/10: Jeremiyah Love wins Offensive Rookie of the Year

Love is just such a talented running back. The Cardinals have a ton of uncertainty at quarterback, and even at the wide receiver position. I do think Marvin Harrison Jr will be great this year, but that's far from a guarantee, and you can't bank on Michael Wilson having another incredibly productive year. Love is going to be a huge part of this Cardinals offense if he's given the opportunity-which he should be.

2/10: Kyler Murray has the best year of his career.

Kyler Murray has never had a receiver anywhere close to the talent of Justin Jefferson in his NFL career. Last year made a lot of people forget just how good Jefferson is. Talent wise, he is the best receiver in the NFL. He unfortunately had JJ McCarthy and Max Brosmer throwing to him. Kyler's shown flashes, now in a new system with Kevin O'Connell, who has proven he can get a lot out of quarterbacks, Kyler is in the best situation of his career.

 

3/10: Cardinals win 3 games or less

This Cardinals team is bad. Like I said, I think Jeremiyah Love and Marvin Harrison Jr will be good this year. But Harrison's production also depends on the quarterback. And they don't have a good one. Jacoby Brissett is a decent veteran but he's nothing special. Carson Beck doesn't have the talent to succeed in the NFL. And that defense. Yikes. Budda Baker is old and will start to decline and aside from him there really isn't anyone good on that Cardinals defense. Sure, the offense will show flashes of success with Love, Harrison, and McBride, but with no reliable quarterback and a defense that is bound to get torched every game, I don't see them having any success at all.

4/10: DeVonta Smith ends up top 6 in receiving yards

He is finally now the #1 pass catching target on this team with AJ Brown gone. And he has the talent to be that #1 guy. Sure, Jalen Hurts has struggled recently, but he's also shown he can step up when the Eagles need him to. DeVonta Smith will now also need to do some stepping up. And it's not like he's the only target on this team and defenses have to completely gameplan around him. No, Dallas Goedert is a good pass catcher. Saquon Barkley can get catches out of the backfield. The Eagles added Makai Lemon, Dontayvion Wicks, and Hollywood Brown this offseason. It's going to be a very good offense and the biggest part of it will be top 6 receiver DeVonta Smith.

 

5/10: Dak Prescott leads the NFL in Passing Yards and Touchdowns

In the regular season, Dak Prescott is elite when healthy. This season, he's got the best wide receiver duo in the NFL. The Cowboys also don't have a very good run game. Their offense is going to entirely rely on the passing game. And with Dak Prescott throwing to CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, they will find a ton of success. Lamb and Pickens will both eclipse 1,000 yards and I honestly wouldn't be surprised if Dak Prescott threw for 5,000 yards.

6/10: CJ Stroud surpasses his rookie season form

The talent is there. But over the 3 seasons of his career, he's gotten progressively worse. I want to give Stroud his flowers though. Not many quarterbacks win a playoff game in each of their first 3 seasons in the NFL. He's got a new running back in David Montgomery who's also proven he can get 2 or 3 solid receptions per game out of the backfield. Nico Collins is a great wide receiver and if Tank Dell can come back healthy, he'll have his core from his rookie season including Dalton Schultz at tight end. Oh, and don't forget the additions they made to the offensive line, one of the main reasons Stroud has been struggling. They added Wyatt Teller at left guard and Braden Smith at right tackle, drafted Keylan Rutledge at center, and Aireontae Ersery will continue to develop. This is the best offensive line Stroud has had so far and he'll take full advantage of it.

7/10: Bijan Robinson Breaks Chris Johnson's Record of 2,509 Scrimmage Yards

Bijan Robinson is the most talented player in the NFL. And the Falcons need him. He can both catch the ball out of the backfield and run it. And boy does Tua Tagovailoa love his checkdowns. Their offense will entirely revolve around Bijan Robinson. Especially with Tyler Allgeier gone, who they insisted on taking touches from Bijan, he'll get even more carries and even more receptions this season, and he will be an efficiency monster.

 

8/10: Joe Burrow stays healthy all year and the Bengals still miss the playoffs

STOP PUTTING JOE BURROW IN ELITE CONVERSATIONS. HE IS NOT A TOP 5 QUARTERBACK. Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Matthew Stafford, Drake Maye. Those are the top 5 quarterbacks in the NFL. Joe Burrow hasn't won a playoff game since January 2023. I get he's been hurt but even when he's been healthy it just hasn't been there with him. Combine that with the fact that the Bengals defense only got worse this summer, it's just not a team that's primed for success. Sure, Joe Burrow's a great quarterback. 6th best in the league even. But he is not a top tier quarterback. Stop calling him a top tier quarterback and riding that Super Bowl appearance that he lost 5 YEARS AGO!!!!!

9/10: A healthy New York Giants team wins a playoff game

When you look at this offense, there's just nothing but promise. The thing that isn't promised? These guys staying healthy. Cam Skattebo rams his head into everything and everyone he sees. He is just a concussion in the shape of a human being. That Malik Nabers injury is no joke. Even Jaxson Dart runs very recklessly. If those three stay healthy, they'll be a top 10 QB-RB-WR duo in the NFL this season. On the defensive end, I see a big leap incoming from Abdul Carter, a defensive Rookie of the Year from Arvell Reese, a great year from Brian Burns, and some career years from the secondary from guys like Tyler Nubin, Jevon Holland, and Greg Newsome. On paper, the Giants look really good. The question is, can they do it on the field, and can they even stay on the field?

10/10: Raiders win the AFC West and reach the AFC Championship

Let's end this off with a bang. And this includes Fernando Mendoza. The Raiders are going to start 1-3. The fans will call for Mendoza. And the team will cave in. Week 5 Mendoza begins the turnaround. Ashton Jeanty will become an elite running back. Wide receivers like Tre Tucker and Jack Bech will have to step up big team and I believe they will, and of course, Brock Bowers will be the best tight end in the NFL. They made a ton of additions on defense. By some weird way, they kept Maxx Crosby, and they also added Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean, who, as a Georgia fan, I have a ton of experience watching and I can assure you they are studs. Kwity Paye, Taron Johnson, Eric Stokes, and Jeremy Chinn were all great additions as well. This Raiders team has talent on it, and if Fernando Mendoza takes over as the quarterback early on, they can be this year's equivalent of what the Patriots were last year. Of course, Mendoza will be called a schedule merchant, unless that's just an anti-Patriots bias thing, but a last place schedule and an AFC West I don't think will be at its best this year-that's a situation the Raiders can thrive in.