The most interesting storyline heading into the 2025 NFL season was whether one of the AFC’s elite quarterbacks could finally sneak past Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. The Eagles demolished the Chiefs 40-22 in Super Bowl LIX, and Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson, Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow and Buffalo’s Josh Allen appeared primed to take advantage … Continue reading 2026 NFL Preview: Projecting Super Bowl LXI!
In the unlikeliest Super Bowl matchup in NFL history by the preseason odds, the Seattle Seahawks throttled the New England Patriots in Santa Clara, Calif. to capture their second Lombardi trophy and first since the 2013 season. Running back (and impending free agent) Kenneth Walker III led the way for the ‘Hawks with 27 carries … Continue reading My End-of-Season NFL Thoughts: Seahawks prove me dead-wrong with dominant season and Super Bowl win
Three-peat denied. The Kansas City Chiefs’ impressive bid at three consecutive Super Bowl titles culminated in a thrashing at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles, 40-22, exposing the mortality of the de facto dynasty of the 2020s. The Chiefs aren’t going anywhere as long as head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes are in … Continue reading 2025 NFL Preview: Projecting the league’s best teams, players, stories and more, and my Super Bowl LX prediction
Nothing differentiates the NFL’s haves and have-nots quite like elite quarterbacks — and the NFL media doesn’t shy away from that narrative. Everywhere fans look, the importance of a great quarterback is drilled in. The second season of the Netflix docuseries Quarterback followed passers Joe Burrow, Jared Goff and Kirk Cousins, who had three wildly … Continue reading NFL Preview 2025: 10 quarterbacks that will make or break their teams’ playoff aspirations
What better way to dive into the 2025 NFL regular season schedule, released earlier this week, than to plan the ultimate 18-week NFL road (and plane) trip?
The stage is set for Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, but the action around the NFL isn’t limited to the Big Easy. From the teams that nearly missed out on the Super Bowl to those who missed the playoffs entirely but are making waves in the offseason, the last month has felt like an … Continue reading Riker Report: 10 NFL storylines with staying power leading into Super Bowl LIX
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
We’ve reached the stretch run of the NFL regular season. Though four playoff tickets have been punched already and seven teams have been eliminated from playoff contention, intrigue is building for what promises to be a fascinating finish to the regular season. What should you be paying attention to, aside from your fantasy football team’s … Continue reading Riker Report: Stretch Run Preview
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
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. Week 5 was a terrific week for teams breaking out their throwback uniforms, with the Falcons, Jaguars and Broncos sealing crucial wins while harkening back to … Continue reading Riker Report Week 5: Surtain’s 100-yard pick-six and Jackson’s heroics lead Week 5 highlights
