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NFL 2025: Looking Through the Prism

  • Writer: Joshua U.
    Joshua U.
  • Sep 30
  • 16 min read

prism (n)

  • a transparent glass or plastic object that usually has three sides and that separates the light that passes through it into different colors — often used figuratively to describe a way of looking at or thinking about something that causes you to see or understand it in a different way


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A demonstration of a prism separating input of light into a color spectrum. CREATIVE COMMONS CC0 1.0


KEY:

  1. A Giant Momentum Shift: Jaxson Dart's debut

  2. Surviving Judgement Day: Jeanty's Breakout Game

  3. Tale of the Tie: The Packers/Cowboys Spectacle

  4. It's Levels: Chiefs beat Ravens, Rams best Colts

  5. Tier Rankings of all 32 teams!



A Giant Momentum Shift


THE NEW YORK GIANTS, before recent years, had long been regarded as one of the NFL's most hallowed, esteemed, and prestigious franchises. Following their most recent Super Bowl victory in 2011, they entered into a three-way tie for the third-most Super Bowl titles in NFL history with 4.


The New York Giants' 4 Lombardi trophies.
JIM O'CONNOR / USA-TODAY SPORTS

The past decade-and-a-half for the Giants has not even come close to sniffing the same level of prosperity. You can point to a great multitude of reasons and causes for their falloff over this time period, but I don't feel like writing a whole book today. Let's just focus on the simplest explanation for why any NFL team would be a garbage product for an extended period of time: not having the right quarterback.


The last years of Eli Manning were an unmitigated disaster. The Daniel Jones years peaked with one singular playoff victory and plateaued with a litter of lifeless, flat performances that resulted in Jones' infamous mid-season ouster from the organization last year.


Brian Daboll and Daniel Jones
The Daniel Jones/Giants era had some highs, but ended in disgrace at mid-season last year. USATSI

This offseason, they brought in potential future Hall-of-Fame quarterback and famous celebrity husband Russell Wilson to steady a long-shaky ship. That move resulted in an 0-3 start that placed every prominent decision-maker in the organization -- most notably head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen -- on high alert.


Following a hapless loss in primetime to the Kansas City Chiefs last Sunday night, everyone associated with the franchise knew that the team had to produce a spirited performance in the following week, or else heads would begin to roll.


So -- Daboll slammed the red button on what seemed to many to be a panic move. After Sunday's events, it turned out to be his ace in the hole.


In search of a long-term answer to their quarterback woes, New York selected Jaxson Dart with the 25th overall pick in May's NFL Draft. Dart, while quarterbacking the Ole Miss Rebels, showed himself to be a big, strong, athletic quarterback with plenty of moxie & fire -- similar traits to Buffalo's Josh Allen, who Daboll had a major hand in developing during his tenure as Bills offensive coordinator.


From left to right: Giants owner John Mara, general manager Joe Schoen, quarterback Jaxson Dart, head coach Brian Daboll. THOMAS SALUS / IMAGN IMAGES
From left to right: Giants owner John Mara, general manager Joe Schoen, quarterback Jaxson Dart, head coach Brian Daboll. THOMAS SALUS / IMAGN IMAGES

The G-Men may not have wanted to turn to the inexperienced Dart quite this early into the season. After all, Daboll firmly committed to Wilson being the team's starter throughout training camp and the preseason. But getting out to an 0-3 start certainly has a way of making you impatient. Thus, Dart was named the Giants' starting QB for the remainder of the season.


New York's opponent on Sunday, the Los Angeles Chargers, didn't profile as a soft landing spot for Dart to make his big-league debut. The Bolts entered MetLife Stadium as a brutish, physical, 3-0 football team. They exited with their first loss of the young season, largely thanks to Dart's play.


Dart was really impressive vs LA, though his stats don't quite jump off the page (111 yds passing, 1 pass TD, 54 yds rushing, 1 rush TD). Dart added two new dimensions to New York's QB play that they desperately needed -- his rushing ability being first and foremost. And he added some swagger into the mix as well! (People still say swag, right? Or is it aura? I can't keep up.)



Professional football can be a complex sport at times, but I promise you it's much more simple than what most claim. Under ideal circumstances, a team's offense and defense are supposed to take care of one another.


In two out of the first three Giants games this season (excluding that Week 2 anomaly in Dallas), Russell Wilson's offense left his defense to hang out to dry way too often. I believe the Giants have a good defense; their best in years. And you saw the difference in their play with Dart and rookie RB/fan favorite Cam Skattebo moving the chains with much more regularity than in weeks past.


Giants RB Cam Skattebo doing a backflip following a touchdown vs the Los Angeles Chargers in the 2025 NFL season.
Through 4 weeks, rookie running back Cam Skattebo certainly has Giants fans joyfully flipping out. ISHIKA SAMANT / GETTY IMAGES

New York did get gashed on the ground by Chargers rookie running back Omarion Hampton, who turned in the best performance of his career (124 yards, 2 TD).


But the Giants' hold of the lead throughout the game allowed their much-improved pass rush AND secondary play to shine bright. They placed Justin Herbert under duress throughout the game, forcing what was by far Herbert's worst performance of the season (season-low 56% comp., season-high 2 INT, 2 sacks).



I think the Giants have a top-10 defensive front 7 in the game. We knew their pass rush was going to be potent with Dexter Lawrence, Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux and rookie sensation Abdul Carter. And they've got an improving secondary led by breakout slot corner Andru Phillips.


Giants edge rusher Brian Burns and his Spiderman celebration.
Giants' Brian Burns' Spiderman celebration following his league-leading 5th sack of the season.

Am I really penning words of positivity about the New York Football Giants? I must be tripping. Or not! With that being said, though: it unfortunately wasn't all good for the Big Blue Wrecking Crew on Sunday. Their star on offense, Malik Nabers, became the latest victim of the cursed MetLife Stadium turf, suffering a season-ending torn ACL.


Giants WR Malik Nabers suffers torn ACL.
Malik Nabers' ACL tear signals a heartbreaking early close to the season for one of the NFL's brightest stars.

A wicked ending to the season for one of the NFL's most electrifying stars, as well as a wicked feeling of deja-vu for Giants fans who remember when their former superstar WR, Odell Beckham Jr., suffered a season-ending injury at MetLife trying to help his team overcome an 0-3 start in 2017.



But, yes, Giants fans; the Jaxson Dart era is officially here. And what a way to kick it off! It still seems very unlikely that the Giants can turn their entire season around and sneak into the playoffs, given how tough their schedule is for the remainder of the year. Let's state the obvious, though: they've got an infinitely better chance now with Dart's dual-threat ability at sustaining good offensive play often enough to allow their defense -- specifically that pass rush -- to take over games.


Looking at the New York Giants through the prism after four weeks, one might see another disappointing season abound under the Daboll/Schoen regime due to the aforementioned difficulty of their schedule and 1-3 record.


But if you look at this team from a different angle of the prism, you might not just see a season turnaround inspired by Dart -- you may be seeing the beginning of a franchise turnaround due of the Giants finally landing their quarterback; their franchise savior.


Awfully optimistic, I know -- Dart is just one game in, of course. Even Daniel Jones had a show-stopping NFL debut. Time will ultimately tell.




Surviving 'Judgement Day' -- Three Jeanty Jaunts


Remember when everyone on TikTok was certain that the rapture was going down last week? That was pretty damn random, right? Well, I'm happy (or crushed) to report that we're all still here. For now. Judgement Day hasn't arrived quite yet.


And maybe the man that should be happiest about that is Las Vegas Raiders rookie running back Ashton Jeanty. No, that isn't because he hasn't yet repented for his sins to avoid being doomed to eternal damnation had the rapture actually occurred last week.


It would be because Jeanty finally had his day to shine on Sunday.


Raiders RB Ashton Jeanty.
Raiders' Ashton Jeanty enjoyed quite the breakout game on Sunday with three rushing touchdowns vs Chicago. CHRIS UNGER / GETTY IMAGES

After taking the college football world by storm by rushing for a remarkable 2600 yards and 29 (!!) touchdowns as a Junior at Boise State, Jeanty was selected by the Raiders 6th overall in the draft.


Despite the fanfare, Jeanty's first three NFL games were a struggle, totaling just 181 rush yards through 3 games -- hardly the level of production that Raiders fans (and fantasy footballers) were looking forward to from Jeanty out of the gate.


Predictably, in today's hot take culture & climate throughout sports media, three unspectacular games were enough for analysts like ESPN's Ryan Clark to call Jeanty's talents into question:



Clark hasn't had the greatest season to this point, by the way. But, in fairness: neither had Jeanty at the time of those comments, even with the Raiders' offensive line struggles. Yes, saying one of the greatest running backs in collegiate history doesn't have the "it factor" just three games into his NFL career is a little much. But Jeanty wasn't playing up to his standard either; I'm sure he'd agree.


Which angle of the prism were you looking at Jeanty's first few NFL games through? Did you see another Raiders draft bust in the making? Or did you see a young player in the middle of a tough adjustment to the big leagues?


It would seem like the latter narrative was the more accurate narrative following Sunday's events. Jeanty overcame an early fumble and was outstanding for the remainder of the Raiders' tough loss versus the Chicago Bears.


Jeanty rushed for 135 yards and THREE total touchdowns; the best of all being a 64-yard beauty that must have given Raiders head coach Pete Carroll "Beast Mode" flashbacks on the sideline.



Week 4 was a huge week for rookies in general. Mention was already made of Omarion Hampton's big day for the Chargers and Cam Skattebo's highlights for the Giants. The Browns' Quinshon Judkins (115 total yds, 2nd career TD) turned in a third consecutive impressive performance to open his NFL career, and Judkins' Ohio State backfield-mate Treveyon Henderson also scored his first career touchdown for his New England Patriots. Another Ohio State standout, Emeka Egbuka, has emerged as an immediate superstar for the Buccaneers (101 rec yds, 4th career TD on Sunday).


Ohio State stars Quinshon Judkins, Treveyon Henderson and Emeka Egbuka all helped lead Ohio State to a National Championship last year. They're now all making their respective marks in the NFL as rookies this year.

Colts rookie tight end Tyler Warren recorded his first NFL touchdown (on a rushing play!), and Broncos rookie RJ Harvey scored his first NFL TD as well. Tetairoa McMillian, Matthew Golden, Elic Ayomanor and Travis Hunter all turned in solid performances at the wide receiver position as well.



Tale of The Tie


Millions upon millions of NFL fans treated the Green Bay Packers/Dallas Cowboys "Micah Bowl" on NBC's Sunday Night Football like appointment television following the highly-publicized preseason trade of Micah Parsons from the Cowboys to the Packers. And why wouldn't they? The matchup was rich with star power, storylines and, of course, drama (as will be expected any time Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is in the mix).


Following a lengthy offseason contract dispute, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones stunned the sports world by shipping 26-year-old, 4x Pro Bowl pass rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers.

Like I said, the game had tens of millions of viewers, and yet I can guarantee that not one person saw a tie coming.


A tie? A tie?? Yes; after 925 combined total yards of offense, 58 combined first downs, 11 combined touchdowns and 80 combined points -- the Packers and Cowboys marquee finished at a 40-40 deadlock, marking the 151st tied final score in NFL history.



It was an incredible game that rivals Week 1's Ravens/Bills extravaganza as early candidates for this season's Game of the Year. The two quarterbacks were outstanding, as Jordan Love (337 pass yds, 3 TD) and Dak Prescott (319 pass yds, 3 TD, rush TD) battled all the way to the finish. RB Josh Jacobs (157 total yds, 2 TD) and WR Romeo Doubs (3 rec TD) had monster games for the Packers. And with star wideout CeeDee Lamb (ankle) out for Dallas, newcomer George Pickens had himself his "welcome to the Star" moment with a big-time performance (134 rec yds, 2 TD) in primetime.


It was a thoroughly enjoyable game to watch, especially with the added story of Micah Parsons' return to AT&T Stadium serving as a juicy backdrop. Parsons had a quiet game for the duration of the night, but he did come up with a crucial stop of Dak Prescott as Prescott was sprinting toward the goal line in OT for a potential touchdown.


Micah Parsons chasing down Dak Prescott.
It took a while, but Micah Parsons indeed made a big play on Sunday night, corralling Dak Prescott from behind to prevent a Dallas touchdown in OT. JEFFREY MCWHORTER / AP

But I have to admit: Packers/Cowboys ending in a tie after ALL OF THAT is incredibly bittersweet & anti-climatic.


The Packers were extremely fortunate to escape with just a tie, too. In an inexplicable time-management mistake, Jordan Love fired an incompletion to the back of the end zone down a field goal with just 1 second left on the clock in OT. That one measly second was the difference between a tie and a loss to an inferior team to the second consecutive week.


Using the prism to look at the Green Bay Packers: did the NFL media crown this team too early? Are they legitimate Super Bowl contenders? Or is this a team that just wrapped their "September preseason" period and is ready to go on a run reflective of their talent level?


It may take a while until we get to figure that out for good. The Packers' schedule softens a bit over the next two weeks (CIN, @ AZ) before they face the 3-1 Pittsburgh Steelers on October 26th. Two weeks following that game, they host the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles on the second Sunday in November. Odds are that we'll have a much better gauge on just how good the Cheeseheads are by that point.


As for Dallas -- it says a lot that Dak and that offense (even without CeeDee) can compete in games with how abhorrent their defense has shown itself to be through the first 4 games of the year (420 yds allowed per game -- LAST in NFL). Seems like a defense that could use a generational pass rusher -- although Micah would only be able to do so much with his talents. The Cowboys secondary has been gotten gashed to this point, with no signs that it'll improve over the course of the season.


Is there anything in sports quite like a Jerry Jones postgame presser? Hey, Jerry -- is a tie really like kissing your sister?




It's Levels To This


The story of the young NFL season heading into Week 4 was undeniably the Indianapolis Colts.


Following long-time owner Jim Irsay's death in the offseason and the drama following head coach Shane Steichen's decision to roll with Daniel Jones over Indy's former #4 overall pick Anthony Richardson as the team's starting QB (and how some members of the Colts' locker room reacted to that decision), things seemed a bit shaky around the organization.



Yo, where's my prism at? As you're already aware at this point, when you peek through a prism, you're reminded that things aren't always what they appear to be on the surface.


The Colts' 3-0 start very much speaks to that. I could write a whole prism-based dissertation on Daniel Jones' NFL career, but, again -- just don't feel like writing a novel today!


Here's all I'll say on that subject for now: Daniel Jones going from getting booted out of MetLife Stadium and the Giants organization to enjoying the best 3-game start by a quarterback in Colts history -- an organization that has employed the likes of Johnny Unitas, Peyton Manning, and Andrew Luck, mind you -- is quite wild.


Colts QB Daniel Jones
Indiana Jones: Daniel led the NFL in passer rating through 3 weeks of play.

Unsurprisingly, most NFL fans are screaming the question: is this Daniel Jones reclamation project actually for real? Is this truly Sam Darnold 2.0? Are the COLTS for real?


Week 4's game in LA vs the Rams offered Indy a golden opportunity to make a statement to the pro football world.


And the Colts came to play! Unfortunately for them, a series of brutal self-inflicted wounds cost them the game in what turned out to be an electrifying affair.



Second-year wideout Adonai Mitchell made the play of his career in the 3rd quarter, but much like his teammate, star running back Jonathan Taylor last year, unfathomably dropped the ball before crossing the goal line in order to celebrate prematurely.


The Colts regained their composure as a team following Mitchell's mistake & possessed the ball in a 20-20 tie with 2 1/2 minutes remaining. On a 1st and 10 from their own 47 yard line, Taylor took the handoff, spun away from multiple Rams defenders and proceeded to sprint to the end zone for an incredible go-ahead touchdown...


...only for a holding penalty to negate the play...


…with Adonai Mitchell committing the hold.



Yeah. Tough game for Adonai.


The Rams got the ball back and IMMEDIATELY struck, as Matthew Stafford found Tutu Atwell for an 88-yard go-ahead score. The score was aided by YET ANOTHER brutal Colts blunder.



The Rams took a lead they would not relinquish over the final minute & a half. Los Angeles 27, Indianapolis 20.


Remember back to the offseason, when the health of Matthew Stafford's back was eerily unclear? Reports of Stafford's demise appear to have been greatly exaggerated, as he has played like an MVP candidate through the first 4 weeks. With Puka Nacua, Kyren Williams, Davante Adams and an immensely-talented young defense at Stafford and head coach Sean McVay's disposal, the 2021 Super Bowl champs look as potent as ever.


The Colts may be a good team; a very good team, even. But the Rams showed them on Sunday that it's levels to this. Teams with the pedigree of being great don't make the boneheaded mistakes that Indy made to lose winnable games like that. And when teams leave the door open through their mistakes, great teams figure out ways to capitalize, much like the Rams did here to move to 3-1.


Rams HC Sean McVay and QB Matthew Stafford
The Rams' Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford are already a Super Bowl-winning tandem; and they seem hungry for more success in 2025.

Speaking of showing someone that "it's levels": the Ravens lost to the Chiefs yet again -- their 6th loss in 7 games vs Kansas City in the Lamar Jackson/Patrick Mahomes era. In a matchup featuring two massively talented 1-2 teams, the Chiefs won going away, taking advantage of a battered, bruised, beleaguered & just flat-out bad Baltimore defense to win by the score of 37-20.


Making matters worse for the Ravens, Lamar left the game in the 3rd quarter with a hamstring injury. The Ravens, now 1-3, are the third preseason Super Bowl favorite to lose 3 out of their first 4 games. The previous 2 missed the postseason entirely (ESPN Stats and Info).


Are you aware that a significant portion of Ravens fans have been calling for head coach John Harbaugh's head for a while now? Despite winning the Super Bowl in 2012, Harbaugh has come under fire in the years since due to questionable late-game management (a prime example being what took place in Baltimore's collapse at Buffalo in Week 1.)



They'll obviously need Lamar to be healthy, but time is already running out for the Ravens to make a run to contention this year. If they don't, then Ravens fans may finally get their wish: John Harbaugh's removal.


Ravens HC John Harbaugh in Kansas City vs the Chiefs
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh departs the field following the Ravens' 37-20 defeat in Kansas City to drop to 1-3.



2025 NFL Tier Rankings!


If you read my words all the way to this point:


#1, I'm proud of you. I feel like nobody reads anymore --especially not most sports fans. Shout out to you!


#2, I've got a treat for you. Through meticulous statistical review (and vibes), I have come up with rankings for all 32 teams in the first iteration of my 2025 NFL Season Tier Rankings.


Thanks for reading and make sure to keep up with TRB Sports moving forward!


Contenders: Tier 1

  • Buffalo Bills (4-0)

    • They're going to have to stop the run at some point (second-last in NFL in rush defense) but it hasn't mattered thus far with Josh Allen and James Cook playing at an all-world level.


  • Philadelphia Eagles (4-0)

    • The Eagles are winning, but WRs AJ Brown & Devonta Smith were reduced to non-factors in the offense for the third time in 4 weeks. QB Jalen Hurts didn't complete a pass in the entire second half in Sunday's win at Tampa. It may not be a big deal now, but that situation is one to monitor as we move deeper into 2025.


  • Detroit Lions (3-1)

    • Since Detroit's meager performance in Week 1 @ GB, the Lions have averaged 41.3 PPG over the last 3 games, including 34 points vs the Browns' top-rated defense.


  • Los Angeles Rams (3-1)

    • The Rams are two miraculous Philly field goal blocks away from being a 4-0 football team.


Contenders: Tier 2

  • Seattle Seahawks (3-1)

    • I don't think Mike MacDonald's Seahawks are that far away from the Rams. They host Tampa Bay next week in what should be a fascinating early season game.


  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-1)

    • The Bucs are never truly out of a game. They may just be a few more healthy players away from being a Tier 1 contender.


  • Los Angeles Chargers (3-1)

    • I had them as a Tier 1 before their egg-laying vs the Giants. I'd like to see a quality bounce-back victory next week before I put them back up there again.


  • Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1)

    • Aaron Rodgers is 41-years-old and is still the best Steelers QB since prime Roethlisberger. Pittsburgh has always been a really good QB away from true Super Bowl contention.


  • Green Bay Packers (2-1-1)

    • An extremely talented team that is fully capable of putting up a stinker at any time: the Matt LaFleur experience.


  • Indianapolis Colts (3-1)

    • Their performance this past week was enough to avoid the "fraud" label.


  • Kansas City Chiefs (2-2)

    • Xavier Worthy is clearly this team's X-Factor. KC's offense immediately ascended with him back in the fold.


Pretenders

  • Jacksonville Jaguars (3-1)

    • I like Liam Coen and this team more than most. I'm just not all-in yet. A win vs KC on Monday might change that, though.


  • San Francisco 49ers (3-1)

    • Impressive to be 3-1 with a skeleton crew. However, those 3 wins came by a combined 9 points.


  • Denver Broncos (2-2)

    • Wins vs the Titans and Burrow-less Bengals, losses vs the Chargers & Colts.


  • Baltimore Ravens (1-3)

    • Unless the Ravens magically learn how to get a stop again (second-last in total defense), it's looking like another wasted year of Lamar Jackson's prime.


  • Washington Commanders (2-2)

    • I heard that there's a group of Commanders fans saying that they don't need their MCLs and that Jayden Daniels can have them.


  • Atlanta Falcons (2-2)

    • Wins vs J.J. McCarthy and Marcus Mariota don't make for the most impressive resume.



Bottom Feeders

  • Minnesota Vikings (2-2)

    • There's a team every year with a really good roster but a black hole at quarterback. The Vikings are that team in 2025. Congrats!


  • New England Patriots (2-2)

    • Drake Maye will play his first Sunday Night game in Buffalo this coming weekend.


  • Arizona Cardinals (2-2)

    • I would be stunned if this team doesn't finish 7-10. They've got talent, though.


  • Cincinnati Bengals (2-2)

    • Anybody still pretending that Jake Browning can be a good quarterback? These guys are in trouble.


  • Dallas Cowboys (1-2-1)

    • If Dak Prescott drags this team to 8-9 wins, he deserves all the credit in the world.


  • New York Giants (1-3)

    • Need to see more good things from Dart. If he shows himself to be the real deal, a tier ascent is surely in the Giants' future.


  • Houston Texans (1-3)

    • What the hell happened to C.J. Stroud??


  • Carolina Panthers (1-3)

    • Panthers/Dolphins next Sunday = oddly fascinating game.


  • Miami Dolphins (1-3)

    • Regarding Tyreek Hill's MNF injury: a human leg is not supposed to bend like that.


  • Las Vegas Raiders (1-3)

    • Bring me liberty! Bring me fire! Bring me an Ashton Jeanty OROY season or I retire!


Mock Draft Ready

  • Cleveland Browns (1-3)

    • Joe Flacco: it's time. Your pension awaits.


  • New York Jets (0-4)

    • I still believe in Aaron Glenn. Build the culture, figure out the "winning" thing next year.


  • Tennessee Titans (0-4)

    • Brian Callahan: count your days.


  • New Orleans Saints (0-4)

    • No doubt in my mind: this is the worst team in the NFL. The Bills literally got bored with them on Sunday and only won by 12 points.


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