How Off-Field Bonding Ignited 1990s Bills' On-Field Domination of AFC

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USA Today
17 minutes ago
- USA Today
Ranking every NFL team based on their Super Bowl odds
The Rams are one of the top 10 favorites to win it all this season It was just four seasons ago that the Los Angeles Rams won their second Super Bowl title in franchise history. While they haven't gotten back to the pinnacle of the sport since, they're poised to contend for another ring this season. With Matthew Stafford back as the starting quarterback, Davante Adams coming over in free agency and a young defense that could be one of the best in the NFL, the Rams look like one of the best teams on paper in 2025. That doesn't mean they're the favorites to win it all, but there aren't many teams with better outlooks than Los Angeles. With the start of the regular season rapidly approaching, it's a good time to look at where each team stands in terms of its Super Bowl odds. There's a clear top four with the Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs, but several other teams have the makings of championship squads. Here's a look at the Super Bowl LX odds (via DraftKings Sportsbook) for each team in the NFL, including the Rams: Super Bowl LX odds Buffalo Bills: +600 Baltimore Ravens: +600 Philadelphia Eagles: +700 Kansas City Chiefs: +850 Detroit Lions: +1100 Washington Commanders: +2000 San Francisco 49ers: +2000 Green Bay Packers: +2000 Los Angeles Rams: +2200 Cincinnati Bengals: +2200 Minnesota Vikings: +2500 Denver Broncos: +2500 Tampa Bay Buccaneers: +2800 Los Angeles Chargers: +2800 Pittsburgh Steelers: +3500 Houston Texans: +3500 Chicago Bears: +4500 Dallas Cowboys: +5000 Arizona Cardinals: +5500 New England Patriots: +6000 Seattle Seahawks: +6500 Atlanta Falcons: +7000 Jacksonville Jaguars: +8000 Miami Dolphins: +9000 Las Vegas Raiders: +12000 Indianapolis Colts: +12000 New York Giants: +15000 Carolina Panthers: +15000 Tennessee Titans: +20000 New York Jets: +25000 Cleveland Browns: +30000 New Orleans Saints: +40000 The Rams are tied for the ninth-best odds in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals. That's a reasonable position for them to be in, especially given the questions surrounding Stafford's back and Alaric Jackson's blood clots. At +2200, a $100 bet would win $2,200. So for any Rams fan feeling good about the team this year, that's a pretty good return on a $100 wager. If the Rams can manage to stay healthy, they'll be a team no one wants to play in the postseason – just as they were in 2024 when they nearly upset the Eagles in the divisional round. See more game predictions and betting picks at Sportsbook Wire.


USA Today
17 minutes ago
- USA Today
Fantasy football 2025: What are the top D/STs to draft this year?
Defense may win championships in real life, but that's rarely true in fantasy football. More likely, it's nothing more than a thorn in your side. However, if you happen to be someone who celebrates tradition and enjoys the defensive mayhem that can occur on a football field, we're here for you. And there's ample evidence that picking the right defense/special teams for your fantasy squad can certainly help win a title. In 2024, the top-scoring defense in fantasy football - the Denver Broncos - would've been a top-25 wide receiver in half-PPR formats.. Defensive success can be hard to predict year-over-year. No D/ST in Fantasy Pros data dating back to 2002 has repeated as the top-scoring team. Will that remain the case in 2025? Here's a look at USA TODAY's preseason fantasy D/ST rankings. 2025 POSITION RANKINGS: QB | RB | WR | TE | K | D/ST | Overall 2025 fantasy football D/ST rankings Despite a difficult division and a middle-of-the-road schedule, the Broncos maintain their hold on the top spot until proven otherwise. They were fantasy's best unit in 2024 and added talent in the offseason. With the Titans and Colts on tap to start the season, Denver can get out to a hot start. Couple that with a favorable schedule for the fantasy playoffs, including two matchups at home, and there is recipe for success. The Texans benefit from playing in a division that will feature a rookie quarterback in Tennessee and a situation in Indianapolis that will have defensive coordinators salivating. An aggressive DeMeco Ryans defense should only make life more difficult, especially after adding C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the fold. They can challenge for the best fantasy D/ST of 2025. Philly lost Milton Williams, Josh Sweat and Darius Slay, but is littered with talent across the board. After a dominant Super Bowl performance, there is more than enough here to continue their strong play. The Ravens are the fast food of the fantasy D/ST realm. It's consistent and you know exactly what you're getting. Sometimes they're better than expected, but it's never bad enough to prevent you from coming back. That counts for something. Another fantasy staple, Pittsburgh has gone all-in for 2025. T.J. Watt's contract dispute ended before it became an issue and the secondary got an upgrade in Jalen Ramsey. Coming off another top-five finish in 2024, this remains one of the more consistent units to trust in fantasy. Brian Flores runs an aggressive defense, but J.J. McCarthy being an unknown could put this unit in some tough spots this season. Some key departures mean they're likely to take a step back, but not by much. Still, this isn't a D/ST for the risk averse. The Bills are favored in every game of the 2025 season, meaning they should have plenty of positive game scripts to work with. After forcing 32 turnovers last season, there is no reason to believe a repeat isn't in store, especially since the Bills are no stranger to repeating history. This team is almost unrecognizable, resembling a group thrown together by the computer in the fifth season of a Madden franchise mode. Yet that is more on the offensive side of the ball as Mike Macdonald's team finished as DST7 in 2024. Having added even more pieces this offseason, things are looking up on young Macdonald's farm. The Jets defense took a step back in 2024, but should benefit from the return of Jermaine Johnson and the addition of Aaron Glenn as head coach. With a team that projects to run the ball and control the clock, their defense should be on the field a lot less in 2025 – creating an all-around more effective unit, even with the question mark that is their offense. Despite a lengthy list of injuries in 2024, the Lions still managed a DST10 finish to the season. With new coordinators on both sides of the ball, however, there are some concerns. The reinforcements on the way, especially the return of Aidan Hutchinson, should make the transition smoother though.


Fox Sports
17 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
Bills' Dion Dawkins on Keon Coleman Improvement: 'The League Better Get Ready'
National Football League Bills' Dion Dawkins on Keon Coleman Improvement: 'The League Better Get Ready' Published Aug. 21, 2025 11:23 a.m. ET share facebook x reddit link The Buffalo Bills could use an emergence on the outside, and in the eyes of left tackle Dion Dawkins, that player will be second-year wide receiver Keon Coleman. "It is night and day, or a sunny day and a storm," Dawkins said on Wednesday about the difference in Coleman from last year to this year, according to 13WHAM. "Keon is not the same player from last year, so the league better get ready. He is not the same guy, and as a teammate, I am so glad that he picked it up so early because he is not the same player. And I'm just glad that Josh [Allen] has him, as well as the Buffalo Bills. Keon has showed up from training camp to being on time, to checking into dinner, to checking into lunch, to being available. "He's been a fully changed Keon, and I'm happy to be his teammate and for him to just keep learning, because he is going to be special, and he already is. This is Keon's time, and you'll see it." Buffalo selected Coleman with the No. 33 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft out of Florida State, with whom he led the ACC with 11 receiving touchdowns in 2023. In his rookie season (2024), Coleman totaled 29 receptions for 556 yards (19.2 yards per reception) and four touchdowns. He then had three receptions for 22 yards in the playoffs. The 6-foot-4 Coleman ranked 60th among wide receivers with a 68.8 overall grade, according to Pro Football Focus. The Bills averaged 227.9 passing yards per game, good for ninth in the NFL, in a season that saw Allen win the NFL MVP Award. That said, Allen also threw for just 3,731 yards, his lowest output since 2019. The 2024 season was the Bills' first without star wide receiver Stefon Diggs, whom they traded to the Houston Texans in the 2024 offseason and was a Pro Bowler in each of his four years with the franchise (2020-23). ADVERTISEMENT On the wide receiver front, 2024 mid-season pickup Amari Cooper remains a free agent, while Mack Hollins signed with the New England Patriots. Buffalo signed receivers Josh Palmer (three-year, $29 million deal), Elijah Moore (one-year, $2.5 million deal) and Laviska Shenault (one-year, $1.2 million deal), while selecting Maryland receiver Kaden Prather with the No. 240 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Bills extended wide receiver Khalil Shakir, who led Buffalo with both 76 receptions and 821 receiving yards last season, on a four-year, $53 million deal. Meanwhile, Dawkins, a Pro Bowler in each of the past four seasons, is one of the best left tackles in the sport. Last season, Dawkins ranked 16th among offensive tackles with an 81.2 pass-blocking grade, 33rd with a 72.9 overall grade and 44th with a 68.7 run-blocking grade, per PFF. Coleman, Dawkins and the Bills close out their 2025 preseason on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday night and host the Baltimore Ravens on Sept. 7 to kick off their regular season. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience Buffalo Bills Keon Coleman Dion Dawkins What did you think of this story? share