So predictions regarding how all teams including the Saints 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 slight slip in New Orleans after the Saints went 13-3 in each of the last two seasons....

Having lost to the Atlanta Falcons in the Hall of Fame Game, the Broncos tasted defeat again in their second preseason game, going down 22-14 to the Seattle Seahawks in front of their fans. If losing in preseason isn’t necessarily worrying, the number of penalties the Broncos have given away in the first two games will certainly be cause of concern for coach Vic Fangio. Denver was flagged eight times against the Falcons and 15 times against the Seahawks, with 11 of those penalties being accepted....

The NFL preseason will look slightly different this year as the league has eliminated one week of games to expand the regular season to 17 games per team. That means every team bar the Dallas Cowboys and the Pittsburgh Steelers, who featured in the Hall of Fame Game last week, will play three games each. Rookie quarterback Mac Jones could make his first start in New England Patriots colors when the six-time Super Bowl champions host the Washington Football Team on Thursday, while Jared Goff could make his debut for the Detroit Lions on Friday against the Buffalo Bills....

Regardless of these passers’ previous bodies of work, this is look at how all current No. 1s in Week 11 are performing this season. The top is stacked with MVP candidates, while the middle is packed with rising young guns — including the three first-round rookies. From the best to the worst, here’s how SN breaks down the league’s pecking order at the game’s most important position: More NFL Week 11: Latest power rankings | Updated playoff picture...

Gruden sent the e-mail July 21, 2011, to Bruce Allen, who worked with Gruden during the coach’s first stint with the Raiders, the Journal reported. At the time, Allen was president of the Washington Football Team and Gruden was the lead analyst for ESPN’s “Monday Night Football.” Gruden, frustrated with Smith and the players for being reluctant to ratify a new collective bargaining agreement and end the owners’ lockout of the players, wrote to Allen, “Dumboriss Smith has lips the size of michellin (sic) tires....

What looks like a strong or weak slate can be deceptive, because the level of opponents won’t stay the same as what it was last season. Likewise, given that every season has ebbs and flows, when and where a team plays at various points in its schedule can have a huge effect on overall results. Here’s looking at five notable teams that benefited most from the NFL’s permutations and five notable teams that can’t be thrilled by how their combinations of games went down:...

Trump has been strongly criticized for his handling of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. and Thomas added his voice to the chorus. “Y’all fell for that MAGA, [emoji] joke’s on you now,” the three-time Pro Bowl selection tweeted. Earlier, Thomas had retweeted a clip from Vox journalist Aaron Rupar, which shows the president dismiss criticism of his handling of coronavirus. In the video, which Rupar captioned “63 million people voted for this”, Trump is asked what he made of the perceptions among some Americans that he wasn’t taking the pandemic seriously enough and that his statements contradict advice from health experts....

There wasn’t a ton of mystery surrounding the games. After all, we knew that the Lions and Cowboys would be playing. But seeing their opponents is always exciting, as is seeing the marquee Thursday night game that has become a staple in the Thanksgiving rotation. Here’s an in-depth look at the 2021 Thanksgiving Day NFL games as well as a brief history of the holiday tradition. Thanksgiving football schedule 2021 As always, the Lions and the Cowboys will be in action on Thanksgiving with the Lions playing the earlier of the two afternoon games....

There were LOL moments such as Pittsburgh’s Chris Boswell whiffing on a fancy onside kick attempt in horrific fashion, Oakland punter Marquette King imitating the dance moves of Denver all-star linebacker Von Miller and Lambeau Field being invaded by a squirrel that delayed action in the Indianapolis-Green Bay game. MORE: Poor play has put the ‘No’ in AFC, NFC North Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce turned the tables on the referees in absurd fashion — and was subsequently ejected — by throwing his towel at an official after being flagged....

In the background of all that was running back Le’Veon Bell, who still has not reported to the Steelers. Despite trade rumors around him all season, he was not dealt before the trade deadline. Same goes for Bills running back LeSean McCoy, as Buffalo made no trades Tuesday. MORE: Demaryius Thomas trade grades Of course, big NFL trades in general are rare for several reasons. Last year’s action at the trade deadline was a bit of an exception, although at least one report suggested the movement at the 2018 trade deadline would be just as interesting....

Andrew Luck, who struggled with injuries throughout his career, shockingly announced his retirement Saturday after seven years with Indianapolis. The top pick in the 2012 draft was a four-time Pro Bowl player and was named the Comeback Player of the Year last season. “I’ve been stuck in this process,” Luck said at a press conference. “I haven’t been able to live the life I want to live. It’s taken the joy out of this game....

The Steelers’ Joshua Dobbs “could be a name of interest” for Indianapolis, according to ESPN. Dobbs, 24, is competing with Mason Rudolph for the second spot on Pittsburgh’s depth chart behind Ben Roethlisberger. Dobbs was originally selected by the Steelers out of Tennessee in the fourth round of the 2017 draft and has played in five career regular-season games. He has completed 53.6% of his passes and thrown two interceptions in three preseason appearances in 2019....

MORE: Follow SN’s live trade tracker for 2019 deadline updates The Rams got cornerback Jalen Ramsey after shipping cornerback Marcus Peters to the Ravens. Another two defensive backs, Gareon Conley (Raiders to Texans) and Quandre Diggs (Lions to Seahawks) also got dealt. At wide receiver, the Patriots acquired Mohamed Sanu from the Falcons, and the 49ers brought in Emmanuel Sanders from the Broncos. There still are a slew of big-name and useful players rumored to be targeted in trades....

The Seahawks waived the former first-round pick Saturday. He had been vying with Geno Smith for Seattle’s backup job behind starter Russell Wilson. Lynch, the No. 26 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, spent his first two seasons in Denver but was released before the 2018 season. He did not play last year. Cooper Rush has served as the backup QB to Dak Prescott the past two seasons, and has seen limited action, throwing only three passes in three games....

Before we break down the Week 10 forecast, here’s a reminder that if you have any questions about sports weather or how weather could impact play (and, potentially, your fantasy, DFS, and gambling decisions), don’t hesitate to reach out on Twitter @KevinRothWx or check our hourly NFL weather forecasts on RotoGrinders. To take your game to the next level, subscribe to RotoGrinders’ exclusive WeatherEdge tool and see how different weather conditions have impacted historical scoring....

WEEK 16 FANTASY FOOTBALL RANKINGS: QB | RB | WR | TE | DEF | K Danger! QB Tony Romo, Cowboys (Ranked No. 8 at position) vs. Colts: Tony Romo could put forth an efficient day, but I see a run-heavy script against Indy, akin to the Pats’ attack last month. Romo has topped 280 yards passing just once this season as a result of the Cowboys’ current (and very successful) ethos, so you’re relying heavily on touchdowns to produce QB1 numbers each week....

You can check updated lines on our live odds board. Thursday, September 11 Steelers vs. Ravens (-3 even) We’ve often called this matchup the easiest in the NFL for oddsmakers to post a number on – provided the QBs are healthy, simply make the home team the 3-point favorite (although the line is down to -2.5 at CG Technologies). Neither team was particularly impressive on Sunday, although Pittsburgh at least came out with a win....