Half of the NFC playoff field was decided in the final two weeks of the 2023 regular season.The top three teams in the conference finished with matching 12-5 records and a .706 winning percentage, but not all division champions are created equal.Envisioning Super Bowl bridesmaids and the West champion 49ers return to the top perch isn’t all that challenging, but the Philadelphia Eagles (11-6 last season) know a thing or two about Super Bowl runner-up hangover.In the AFC, four non-playoff teams entered the final two weeks with a more than realistic shot at the postseason and, among them, the Cincinnati Bengals, Jacksonville Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts all have enough to flip 9-8 records to 11- or 12-win campaigns this season.Here’s a look at three playoff teams who are set to take a step back: Follow us for a moment: Deshaun Watson might be the best he’s been since being acquired from the Houston Texans, but he’s four seasons removed from a 4,800-yard, 33-TD campaign and has played 12 total games since that 2020 season ended. In a division built to devour quarterbacks, Watson might be facing a more difficult revival than most understand. The Browns were the No. 5 seed in the 2024 playoffs before being blitzed by C.J. Stroud and the Texans in Houston.If Cleveland is going to compete in the AFC North, it will be on the back on the Jim Schwartz defense that dominated most of the first half of last season. Baltimore (13 wins, No. 1 seed in the AFC last season) and Pittsburgh (wildcard berth last season) made improvements at key positions and have staying power in a tightly packed conference. We should know a lot about the Browns by mid-October following four road trips (Jaguars, Raiders, Commanders, Eagles) and a home date with the Cowboys in the first six games.Los Angeles Rams (10-7, NFC Wildcard in 2023)The Rams had two major subtractions on defense with the retirement of All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald and the Falcons hiring Raheem Morris as head coach. Not all of the pieces are absent from a strong second half of the season when the Rams measured up with the best in the league, including an overtime loss at Baltimore that was the lone blemish on eight post-bye week games.But the Rams fire out of the chute this season with three games against 2024 playoff teams – at Detroit Week 1, vs. 49ers Week 3 and vs. Green Bay Week 5 – with trips to face the improved Cardinals and Chicago Bears intermixed. Depth and discovery were buzzwords for the Rams last season when rookies emerged as linchpins on either side of the ball. Wide receiver Puka Nacua set rookie records with consistent production, linebacker Ernest Jones IV had 145 total tackles in his second season and interior pass rusher Kobie Turner had a team-best 9.0 sacks as Donald’s sidekick.If the Rams find another handful of gems from the 2024 draft class, Los Angeles can stay in the playoff chase. But the Seahawks are improved and Arizona finished the 2023 regular season with confidence. All are chasing the 49ers in a division that should be among the NFL’s best.Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-8, NFC South champions in 2023) In the rock fight to stand tallest in the South division last season, Tampa Bay outlasted the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons, then made a surprisingly strong showing in the playoffs by ousting the Eagles and taking the Lions late into the fourth quarter in the divisional round.By any reasonable measure, the South competition should be improved. The Panthers won two games and plucked QB soothsayer Dave Canales, whose recent hits include Geno Smith’s “Still Standing” effort with the Seahawks and the 2023 double-bird to doubters delivered by Baker Mayfield with the Bucs.Will Tampa be mostly the same without Canales after paying up to keep most of its key free agents? Mayfield, wide receiver Mike Evans, safety Antoine Winfield Jr., and linebacker Lavonte David all reupped to run it back under Todd Bowles in 2024.But David is 34 and Mayfield has been banged up every season he’s been a starter. Thus far, Evans (31 this season) has outrun Father Time and tied for the NFL lead with 13 TD catches last season. The question is whether the Saints and Falcons have done enough to close the gap while Carolina recalibrates under Canales.Atlanta stands as the biggest threat. Relatedbetting payout calculatorparlay calculator oddsmoneyline bet calculationshalf points in nflcalculate kelly criterionhow to hedge a bet calculatorbetting against the spreadexplain over under bettingwhats a parlay in bettinground robin betsplus ev bettinghow hedging works in sports betting
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Former Manchester United winger Wilfried Zaha has revealed that he was forced to keep his trickery to a minimum during his time at Old Trafford as then-manager David Moyes wanted him to keep things simple.
Zaha joined United from Crystal Palace in 2013, but failed to secure regular first-team football and was shipped out on loan to Cardiff City halfway through his first season.
He eventually left the club on a permanent basis for Palace again and has now taken aim at Moyes following his unsuccessful spell with United.
Under Moyes I had to adjust my game, Zaha told Soccer AM.
Certain managers want a trustworthy player, someone that will always keep the ball.
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Sergio Aguero believes Manchester City have what it takes to mount a Champions League challenge as they look forward to a third consecutive last-16 tie.
City are already assured of a spot in the round of 16 ahead of Wednesday s trip to last season s finalists Juventus.
Aguero and Co. secured qualification with two matches to spare in Group D.
City have bad memories of the last 16, and Barcelona in particular, following back-to-back exits at the hands of the Champions League holders in 2013-14 and 2014-15.
However, Aguero feels City who will be looking to cement top spot in the group now have sufficient experience not to fear Europe s best.
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Chelsea are one of the three teams topping the Premier League table with 10 points after four matchdays, though Everton could still join them as a fourth on Monday evening.
Here s what manager Thomas Tuchel had to say after his men dispatched Aston Villa by 3-0 on Saturday.
Nothing is quite like winning. When you take that step it changes something inside. We are hungry for more though, it’s like an addiction.”
Thomas Tuchel demands hunger and desire from himself and the team
— Football Daily (@footballdaily)
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Brazil s Richarlison has urged for strong punishments to be issued to those found guilty of racial abuse, after having a banana thrown at him while on international duty.
The Tottenham forward scored the second of the game in Brazil s 5-1 victory over Tunisia in Paris but a comfortable win, the last international game before Brazil s World Cup campaign commences, was marred by the incident.
A banana was thrown as Richarlison celebrated his goal, his ninth in 20 appearances for the national side, which became the latest racist incident to impact Brazilian footballers.
Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr had suffered abuse from Atletico Madrid fans in his side s recent derby triumph, following on from quotes from a Spanish agent who told him to stop playing the monkey …
Crystal Palace have announced the signing of midfielder Barry Bannan from Aston Villa for an undisclosed fee.
The Scot, who played under Palace manager Ian Holloway at Blackpool, has signed a three-year deal with the Premier League new-boys after ending his lengthy association with Villa, which began when he joined the club s youth academy as a 14-year-old.
Bannan has since made 83 appearances, but has moved on after struggling for regular first-team football since the arrival of Paul Lambert.
And he has expressed delight after being handed a new opportunity by Palace.
I went back home to Scotland over the weekend ahead of meeting up with the international squad so I ve had to travel back down but it s a great bit of news for me, he told the club s official websi…
Real Madrid winger Cristiano Ronaldo says he can t bear to watch the Champions League since his side was eliminated from the competition at the last 16 stage for the sixth successive season.
I don t like to watch the Champions League matches because it leaves me a bit annoyed because I know that our team was good enough to remain in the competition and we are not because of our own fault, he said Friday during an interview with public television TVE.
We made mistakes, me, the other players, we have to learn our lessons from this. We lost, now we have to raise our heads and think that we have to do better next year, which is possible, the Portuguese international added.
I consider myself to be a winner, I try to always move ahead. I know it is very difficult, …
Borussia Dortmund have handed midfielder Gonzalo Castro a new three-year contract that will keep him at the club until 2020.
The 29-year-old joined Dortmund from Bayer Leverkusen for €11million in 2015 and has become a key part of head coach Thomas Tuchel s plans at Signal Iduna Park.
Castro has made 31 appearances across all competitions this season and follows star duo Julian Weigl and Christian Pulisic in signing new deals.
I m really happy about the trust the club has placed in me and I can honestly say that it makes me proud to pull on the Black and Yellow jersey and play football in front of such amazing fans, Castro told the club s official website.
— Borussia Dortmund (@BVB)
The renewal of Castro, whose previous deal ran u…
Adrian Mutu s latest appeal against a ruling he must pay former club Chelsea £15.2million in compensation has been rejected.
Mutu took his case to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in a bid to overturn a previous decision made by FIFA and supported by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
But the ECHR confirmed on Tuesday that Mutu s appeal has been rejected with the £15.2m sum therefore still owed to Chelsea.
The Premier League side cancelled Mutu s contract in 2004 after he tested positive for traces of cocaine and was given a seven-month ban.
Former Romania international Mutu signed for Juventus on his return from suspension. He later played for clubs including Fiorentina, Cesena and Ajaccio before his retirement in 2016.
…
Alex Morgan has slammed the National Women s Soccer League for its handling of sexual harassment allegations which have rocked the league.
An independent investigation into the scandal found sexual misconduct was systematic across the league, according to a report released on Monday.
Morgan, a former team-mate of Mana Shim, one of the whistleblowers at the heart of the scandal, has criticised the NWSL and believes the league failed Shim, who lodged her complaints against former Portland Thorns coach Paul Riley.
The 198-cap United States star helped to encourage Shim to come forward with her allegations, but the league s lack of effective protocols left her frustrated.
She went through all the right steps, and she was failed. She was failed by the system,…
Manchester United will host Liverpool in a rearranged clash on Thursday, May 13, meaning a run of three Premier League games in five days for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer s side.
Last Sunday s scheduled clash between the two most decorated sides in English football was called off after United fans protesting the ownership of the Glazer family prevented their players from leaving the Lowry Hotel pre-match and also stormed the stadium.
The limited wriggle room left in the schedule means the game will now come after United travel to Aston Villa on May 9 and host Leicester City on May 11.
Liverpool could argue they have been dealt a similarly punishing hand, with three games in six days – all of which are away from home – as they battle to snatch a top-four spot.