Mike Gianakos Articles - Page 22

The Kansas City Chiefs enjoyed an almost effortlessly dominant season in 2024. Even after essentially conceding the season finale against the Denver Broncos by resting their starters, the Chiefs finished with a 15-2 record and the top seed in the AFC. The 15 wins are the most in franchise history and the number one seed […]

The Philadelphia Eagles dispatched the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card round. Philly’s defense dominated Green Bay, intercepting quarterback Jordan Love three times and holding the Packers to 10 points. However, the Eagles suffered a significant loss as star defender Nakobe Dean will miss the remainder of the playoffs due to a knee injury. […]

The Pittsburgh Steelers were served an ice cold dose of reality by the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card round. Pittsburgh fell to Baltimore 28-14 in Saturday’s matchup, marking the fifth straight time the Steelers were one-and-done in the playoffs. The team’s lack of success has naturally led to calls for change entering the offseason. […]

The Los Angeles Rams are dominating the Minnesota Vikings 27-9 at the start of the fourth quarter of their wild card round matchup. The Rams have been in control throughout the contest despite being forced to play their home game in Arizona due to massive wildfires in Southern California. LA leaned on Tyler Higbee early […]

It’s been a nightmare first half for the Minnesota Vikings as the Los Angeles Rams are dominating their Wild Card round matchup. The Rams came out swinging despite the game moving from LA to Arizona due to wildfires in Southern California. Los Angeles built a 24-3 lead at the half with a little help from […]

The Detroit Lions earned the top seed in the NFC with a 15-2 regular season record. The Lions are considered the top Super Bowl contender. But before Detroit heads to New Orleans the team must take care of business against a hungry, young Washington Commanders squad in the Divisional round. Given the Lions’ dominant season, […]

Despite an ugly blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card round, it’s impossible to view the Denver Broncos’ season as anything but a rousing success. Rookie passer Bo Nix proved to be the franchise quarterback Denver had been searching for since Peyton Manning retired and the team reached the postseason for the […]

Despite a massively disappointing season the New Orleans Saints seem content to retain GM Mickey Loomis. The Saints finished 5-12 in 2024, their worst record since going 3-13 in the 2005 season. However the team clearly values continuity as Loomis is the NFL’s longest tenured general manager, holding the position with New Orleans since 2002. […]

Baltimore Ravens’ running back Derrick Henry loves humiliating the Pittsburgh Steelers. In Week 16, Henry set the record for the most rushing yards by a Ravens player against the Steelers when he racked up 162 yards on the ground. As it turns out, that performance was just the warm up for the main event. When […]

Washington Commanders’ quarterback Jayden Daniels has had a remarkable first season in the NFL. His efforts helped turn around a team that finished 4-13 in 2023, leading the Commanders to a 12-5 record and the sixth seed in the NFC. Daniels is a shoo-in for Offensive Rookie of the Year. But how does his debut […]

Well, that didn’t go well. The Los Angeles Chargers were 2.5 point favorites for a road matchup against the Houston Texans. Rex Ryan suggested the game was essentially a bye week for the Chargers, who would easily roll the AFC South champs. But that’s why they play the games. Houston took Los Angeles behind the […]

The Houston Texans easily won the eminently winnable AFC South with a 10-7 record. Yet despite earning the right to host a playoff game in the Wild Card round, former coach turned commentator Rex Ryan equated the matchup to a bye for the visiting Los Angeles Chargers. In the first half of Saturday afternoon’s game […]

The Pittsburgh Steelers limped into the playoffs, losing four straight games to fall to 10-7 on the season. The offense struggled immensely during that four-game stretch, averaging less than 14.3 points per game. The Steelers desperately need a spark as they prepare to take on their division rivals, the Baltimore Ravens, in the Wild Card […]

The Green Bay Packers finished third in the highly competitive NFC North. The team produced an 11-6 record but back-to-back losses to close out the regular season dropped the Packers to the seventh seed in the NFC, setting up a road matchup with the second seed Philadelphia Eagles. While the first round draw isn’t ideal, […]

With Southern California engulfed by wildfires, the NFL was forced to move the upcoming playoff game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Minnesota Vikings. The Rams clinched the NFC West, earning the right to host a playoff game during Wild Card weekend. However, with smoke visible from SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, the contest […]

The Detroit Lions dominated the Minnesota Vikings 31-9 in Week 18. The victory in the season finale clinched the NFC North for the Lions as well as the top seed in the conference. Detroit looked every bit the team sending seven players to the Pro Bowl this season. But one notable exception is standout safety […]

After murky updates about his status following a 4-13 season, the Las Vegas Raiders finally fired Antonio Pierce on Tuesday. Pierce had just finished his first season as the Raiders’ head coach after being given the job on an interim basis midway through the 2023 campaign. However, the disappointing season in Las Vegas this year […]

The Detroit Lions offense continues to impress, closing out the season with a 31-9 victory over their division rival Minnesota Vikings in Week 18. In doing so, they secured the top seed in the NFC, along with a first-round bye in the playoffs. Yet despite all the success, wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown couldn’t help himself from […]

The Denver Broncos beat up on the Kansas City Chiefs’ backups in Week 18 to clinch the final Wild Card berth. The Broncos’ efforts to reach the postseason will be rewarded with a trip to Buffalo to take on the 13-4 Bills in the first round. It’s the first time Denver has made the playoffs […]

After appearing in the Super Bowl last season the San Francisco 49ers failed to make the playoffs in 2024. The 49ers finished the disappointing year with a 6-11 record, good for last place in the NFC West, and the team was eliminated from the postseason back in Week 16. Now San Francisco is making changes […]

The Buffalo Bills earned the second seed in the AFC with a 13-4 record thanks in large part to an MVP-caliber season from quarterback Josh Allen and a balanced offensive attack that made NFL history in 2024. The Bills became the first team to ever record 30 passing touchdowns and 30 rushing touchdowns in a […]

As winners of the AFC South, the Houston Texans will host the Los Angeles Chargers in the Wild Card round this weekend. While a 31-2 Week 16 blowout loss to the Baltimore Ravens has left Houston’s Super Bowl aspirations on life support, one commentator doesn’t even think the team stands a chance against Los Angeles. […]

The Cleveland Browns will miss the playoffs for the 20th time in the last 22 years. After an impressive 11-6 finish last season, the Browns regressed in 2024, dropping to a miserable 3-14. Cleveland lost six straight games to close out the season, including Week 18’s demolition at the hands of the playoff-bound Baltimore Ravens. […]

The Los Angeles Chargers won three straight games to close out the 2024 regular season, wrapping up the top Wild Card berth in head coach Jim Harbaugh’s first season in LA. Harbaugh’s effect on the franchise cannot be understated has he’s helped the team rebound from an ugly 5-12 season in 2023 to finish with […]

The Los Angeles Rams opted to rest their starters against the Seattle Seahawks in the season finale. While LA secured the NFC West title thanks to a strength of victory tiebreaker over Seattle, the team lost to the Seahawks in Week 18. The defeat dropped the Rams from the third seed to the fourth seed […]

The Baltimore Ravens locked up the AFC North with a win over the Cleveland Browns in Week 18. The team improved to 12-5 and secured the third seed in the conference with the victory on Saturday. However, Ravens’ wideout Zay Flowers injured his knee in the contest, leaving his availability for the Wild Card round […]

The Denver Broncos defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 18 to clinch a playoff berth for the first time since the 2015 season. While things looked bleak for the Broncos due to a late season skid, Denver earned the third Wild Card spot after finishing with a 10-7 record. As the team prepares to […]

One week after the Seattle Seahawks exposed a national audience to the grimmest victory imaginable when they beat the Chicago Bears 6-3, the team closed out the regular season with a more aesthetically pleasing victory over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 18. Geno Smith threw four touchdowns and the Seahawks capped off the 2024 […]

The New England Patriots finished with a 4-13 record for the second straight season. And for the second-straight season the Patriots will have a new head coach after the team fired Jerod Mayo following a rough first year in charge. While Patriots’ owner Robert Kraft takes full responsibility for the failure, he took popular opinion […]

The Chicago Bears beat the Green Bay Packers in Week 18. The team sealed the victory with a field goal as time expired, snapping a 10-game losing streak and winning in Green Bay for the first time since 2015. The Bears hope the good vibes carry over to next season, as the team immediately began […]

Las Vegas Raiders’ head coach Antonio Pierce was on the hottest of hot seats as the team plummeted to 2-12. Then, the Raiders won two straight games. While the meaningless late-season victories cost Las Vegas the top overall pick in the 2025 draft, they may have saved Pierce’s job. The Raiders may not fire the […]

The Cincinnati Bengals took on the Pittsburgh Steelers in a must-win Week 18 matchup. Cincinnati kept its playoff hopes alive with a huge win over the Denver Broncos last week. On Saturday, the Bengals beat the Steelers. Now all the team can do is hope. Cincinnati will make the playoffs if the Miami Dolphins lose […]

The Baltimore Ravens easily defeated the Cleveland Browns in Week 18, clinching the AFC North title and the third seed in the conference. However, the Ravens lost an important offensive weapon in the first half of Saturday’s game when wideout Zay Flowers exited with a knee injury. Tests revealed that Flowers suffered a knee sprain […]

The Kansas City Chiefs locked up the top seed in the AFC and a first-round bye in the playoffs after overcoming a difficult December schedule. The Chiefs won three games in 11 days, culminating in Week 17’s victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Kansas City put up 29 points in the game as Travis Kelce and […]

The New York Jets will wrap up yet another dismal season with Sunday’s home game against the Miami Dolphins. While Week 18 will mark the official end of the Jets’ 2024 campaign, cornerback Sauce Gardner believes some of his teammates are already checked out following a brutal loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 17. […]

The Miami Dolphins kept their playoff hopes alive with a win against the Cleveland Browns in Week 17. Now the Dolphins can reach the postseason with a victory over the New York Jets and a Denver Broncos loss in Week 18. However, the team will likely enter this must-win matchup without starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. […]

Mike Vrabel is expected to be a hot commodity as the head coach hiring cycle begins in earnest. Vrabel kicked things off on Friday, interviewing with the New York Jets. While the former Tennessee Titans coach brings proven leadership skills and a solid track record to the table, his candidacy could be bolstered by successful […]

The San Francisco 49ers came out swinging against the Detroit Lions in Week 17, taking a 21-13 lead into halftime. However, the Lions pounced in the second half, putting up 27 points to complete a comeback victory over San Francisco. Long since eliminated from the playoffs, the 49ers will finish up a lost season with […]

The Dallas Cowboys will finish with a losing record for the second time under head coach Mike McCarthy after Week 17’s humbling 41-7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. While McCarthy’s contract expires at the end of the season, Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones is not in a hurry to make any coaching decisions. Still, the coaching […]