The teams that pick in the top 20 are updated based on current records and tiebreakers. The final dozen picks are reflective of current playoff-positioned teams and a projected playoff order of finish. The Raiders still have three picks, and for now, the Packers are the only team with two picks. The Bears and Cowboys essentially made their first-round picks early in the form of trades for Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper, respecitvely....

From a few injury updates, the Patriots moving on from a key player, and the Redskins possibly starting yet another quarterback — we cover it all in this edition of NFL news and notes. Three things that matter Redskins’ Trent Williams reveals he had cancer Trent Williams, who just ended his season-long holdout, revealed he was diagnosed with cancer this offseason and had a piece of a tumor removed....

“Do not be surprised if this is like it was after Sandy Hook a couple years ago, where players will not be fined for showing support,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said on air Sunday morning, citing league sources (via SB Nation). MORE: Sports world reacts to Paris attacks | College football world unites The NFL has faced criticism this season for its fining of players like DeAngelo Williams, William Gay, Cameron Heyward and Josh Norman, who have used modified equipment to either raise awareness for a cause or serve as a tribute to a fallen loved one(s)....

Since the public tends to overreact to results early in the season, Week 4 again presents some interesting opportunities to go against popular picks with the odds on your side. This analysis is brought to you by PoolGenius – the only site that provides customized picks that maximize your edge in football pools. Check out their Football Pick ’em Picks, NFL Survivor Picks, and NFL Betting Picks. For a limited time, PoolGenius is also offering a free trial to Sporting News readers....

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There were a few swing games that went in our favor last week and a few others that did not. There are four double-digit spreads to consider this week, balanced out by seven games for which the separation is fewer than four points. Without further ado, here’s our latest fearless forecast for upcoming NFL results. All odds are courtesy of SportsInsider.com. MORE: Get the latest NFL odds & betting trends from Sports Insider...

At first glance, the numbers for Week 10 seem a little more normal and manageable, but there are several more essential “pick ’em” matchups on the slate with slight favorites on one side. There are 14 more chances to get things right after surviving and batting around .500 last week. So what are our pigskin prognostications for this week? It’s time dive headfirst into the latest fearless NFL forecast:...

It wasn’t that long ago that the Seahawks and 49ers were considered two of the most dangerous teams in the NFC. But headed into this week’s “Thursday Night Football” matchup, the former NFC West powers find themselves in a struggle to avoid the moniker of worst in the conference. MORE: NFL’s best 25 under 25 | Seahawks intoxicated by Marshawn-Lynch product On one end you have the Seahawks, coming off close losses to the undefeated Bengals and Panthers....

With teams seeded No. 1-7 in both conferences, now only one team gets a bye along with home-field advantage in each conference. Another twist is the fact hosting the game doesn’t come with the same advantage with teams varying from limited to no in-person attendance. While weather will be a factor, in the end, there should be a lot more even matchups than usual, setting up one of the most exciting NFL playoffs ever....

Here is what the seeding would look like if the playoff were to start today, including analysis of where every team stands in the race for the eight division titles and four wild-card berths. MORE: NFL standings | Week 11 scoreboard NFL playoff picture AFC Who would be in: Chiefs (9-2), first in AFC West The Chiefs can’t rest easy in the quest for home-field advantage with the Steelers winning again and their having lost to the Patriots....

Based on the standings and taking into account tiebreakers, here are how things are looking in the AFC and NFC. WEEK 12: NFL scores, highlights NFL playoff picture AFC No. 1 seed — Steelers (9-2): First place, AFC North. Pittsburgh stills hold the conference record tiebreaker for the No. 1 seed after its win over Green Bay on Sunday night, which followed New England’s win over Miami earlier in the day....

Week 12 saw more reshuffling at the two most wide-open spots in each conference. The Steelers slid out of position in the AFC, while the Giants and Falcons faded from the NFC. Here’s where every team stands with just over a month left in the regular season. MORE: Shockers of the NFL season | LINEMAKERS: Week 12 bad beats AFC Who’s in: Patriots (10-1), first place, AFC East — New England got handed its first defeat in Denver, so it can focus on making sure it doesn’t also cede this seed to Denver or Cincinnati, rather than thinking about perfection....

Cleveland has put together a roster good enough to reach the playoffs, while the Pittsburgh Steelers look to rebuild after Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell departed. The Baltimore Ravens will again put faith in Lamar Jackson and a long season ahead looms for the Cincinnati Bengals. Here’s what to expect from the AFC North this time around. Cleveland Browns According to Oddschecker, the Browns are 6/4 favorite to win the division, fractionally ahead of the Steelers....

The calendar has turned 2023 making it feel like the playoffs are already here. Five playoff berths are filled in the AFC, with one division and one wild card still up for grabs. There’s only one more opening left in the NFC, the last wild card. Based on the NFL’s updated playoff picture, here’s the final regular-season edition of Sporting News NFL power rankings, from No. 1 down to No....

Going into Week 9, four teams have emerged as favorites to get to the NFC and AFC championship games. They take their rightful places at the top of our power rankings. Here’s a look at the complete NFL pecking order from 1-32 with a midseason edition of Sporting News’ NFL power rankings: MORE: Tank for Trevor tracker: Updated 2021 NFL Draft order NFL power rankings Kansas City Chiefs 7-1 (last week: 1) The Chiefs had a free Bingo space against the Jets at home, but they used it to rev up Patrick Mahomes and their big-play passing offense....

Here’s what to expect from the NFC North ahead of the upcoming NFL season. All odds are courtesy of DraftKings. Minnesota Vikings The Vikings offseason began disappointingly with the loss of star wideout Stefon Diggs to the Buffalo Bills, but general manager Rick Spielman bid his time brilliantly to land Yannick Ngakoue in a trade from the Jacksonville Jaguars. Pairing Ngakoue with star defensive end Danielle Hunter should give Minnesota’s defensive line a huge boost, while in Kirk Cousins Minnesota has the only quarterback to throw at least 25 touchdowns in the last five straight seasons....

This also makes the NFC South the NFL’s biggest pain to predict. Defending-champion New Orleans is the favorite to win what would be its third consecutive title, but Carolina and Atlanta are a sniff of Saints blood away from chomping at the bit. Three things factored into the Falcons and Panthers both falling to 7-9 last year and allowing the Saints to run away with the division: injuries, injuries and injuries....

So predictions regarding how all teams including the defending NFC champion 49ers will finish in the 2020 NFL standings and beyond are more of a crap shoot than usual. We have no choice but to operate with the roster and schedule knowledge we have of all 32 teams heading into what will be a strange season. Based on NFL senior writer Vinnie Iyer’s game picks for the entire 2020 season, SN is projecting a bit of a drop-off for San Francisco after it tore through the NFC playoff field last season on the heels of a 13-3 regular season....

Now we’re ready for more. MORE: Must-watch games in 2015 | Each Week’s Top 3 | “Hard Knocks” schedule The Week 1 preseason slate should feature plenty more rookie debuts, as well as some early answers to training camp position battle questions. Here are the story lines we’ll have an eye on this weekend. Thursday, Aug. 13 — Jimmy Garopollo enters fill-in mode for Patriots (7:30 p.m. vs. Packers)...

This year’s game eliminated kickoffs entirely and replaced them with “spot-and-choose” decisions to begin halves. After that, following each score, the scoring team could retain possession of the ball at their own 25 and be faced with fourth-and-15 or give the ball to the opposing team and try to stop it. More often than not, the two sides opted for the former and very rarely converted, and even threw several interceptions on those attempts....