Riker Report: Regular season report cards for 2024 playoff teams (and a couple extra AFC squads)

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Last week, I assessed the 2024 seasons of the bottom half of the NFL, the 16 teams with dashed playoff hopes and unrealized potential. I’m shifting my focus to the top half this week and taking a look at the 14 playoff entrants, along with the two contestants for the last AFC wild card spot … Continue reading Riker Report: Regular season report cards for 2024 playoff teams (and a couple extra AFC squads)

Riker Report: Report cards for the 16 teams on the outside of the playoff picture

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When NFL teams make an early-round draft selection or a headline-grabbing free agency signing, experts are quick to assess the transaction and slap on a grade. Those grades may not take into account the team’s decision-making process, the fit with the team or the player’s potential for growth, and they can become fodder for some … Continue reading Riker Report: Report cards for the 16 teams on the outside of the playoff picture

Riker Report Week 16: Commanders punch playoff ticket with thrilling divisional win

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Welcome to the Riker Report, where I open up my game day files each week and share a quick-hitter observation or development from each of the eight NFL divisions. Divisional battles in Baltimore and Landover, Maryland brought clarity to the playoff picture this weekend, headlined by masterful performances by award hopefuls in Lamar Jackson and … Continue reading Riker Report Week 16: Commanders punch playoff ticket with thrilling divisional win

Riker Report Week 15: Atlanta’s quarterback swap, Broncos’ defensive romp headline eventful Week 15

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Welcome to the Riker Report, where I open up my game day files each week and share a quick-hitter observation or development from each of the eight NFL divisions. Quarterback benchings have transformed both playoff contenders and afterthoughts alike, while a couple of divisional battles have shaped playoff races. These are the developments you need … Continue reading Riker Report Week 15: Atlanta’s quarterback swap, Broncos’ defensive romp headline eventful Week 15

Riker Report Week 13: Pennsylvania’s NFL teams are getting hot at the right time

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Welcome to the Riker Report, where I open up my game day files each week and share a quick-hitter observation or development from each of the eight NFL divisions. A third NFL head coach has been fired, while the league’s first playoff bids have been clinched. Here’s a closer look at eight meaningful storylines from … Continue reading Riker Report Week 13: Pennsylvania’s NFL teams are getting hot at the right time

Riker Report Week 12: Flurry of fourth-quarter touchdowns lift Cowboys over Commanders

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Welcome to the Riker Report, where I open up my game day files each week and share a quick-hitter observation or development from each of the eight NFL divisions. A week after taking a bye week from the column to cover the Broncos’ rout of the Falcons, I’m back and ready to delve into the … Continue reading Riker Report Week 12: Flurry of fourth-quarter touchdowns lift Cowboys over Commanders

Riker Report: The Saints halt seven-game losing streak in style with 20-17 win over Atlanta

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Welcome to the Riker Report, where I open up my game day files each week and share a quick-hitter observation or development from each of the eight NFL divisions. Kansas City pulled off another Mission Impossible-level escape in surviving division rival Denver, while the drama of the second Baltimore-Cincinnati matchup surpassed the first. Let’s check … Continue reading Riker Report: The Saints halt seven-game losing streak in style with 20-17 win over Atlanta

Riker Report Midseason Edition: Where all 32 teams stand at regular season’s halfway mark

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We’re halfway through the 2024 NFL season, and let me tell you, I did not foresee the Sam Darnold-led Minnesota Vikings emerging as a Super Bowl contender when the offseason began. The Chiefs’ undefeated start (and Patrick Mahomes’ turnover woes), the 49ers’ .500 record and the precipitous declines of the Cowboys, Jets and Dolphins also … Continue reading Riker Report Midseason Edition: Where all 32 teams stand at regular season’s halfway mark

Riker Report Week 8: Daniels’ Hail Mary heave adds another charmed chapter to Commanders’ 2024 season

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Welcome to the Riker Report, where I open up my game day files each week and share a quick-hitter observation or development from each of the eight NFL divisions. Though the Kansas City Chiefs maintained their undefeated record in a convincing divisional victory over the Raiders, the rest of the NFL had an abundance of … Continue reading Riker Report Week 8: Daniels’ Hail Mary heave adds another charmed chapter to Commanders’ 2024 season