Preseason is over, thankfully.
Next stop: Week 1.
There will be so many things to preview for the first week of the season, especially the 2026 NFL opener — a Super Bowl rematch between the Patriots and Seahawks on Sept. 9. But I want to take this last week of the offseason to write about the vibes and the processes around the league — just to honor training camp and its conclusion.
Let’s talk Chiefs. Let’s talk Rams and Aaron Donald. Let’s talk choice routes. Let’s talk Myles Garrett vs. Micah Parsons.
This is Sound Smart, where I try to spin forward, dive deeper, think outside the box and read between the lines.
The Los Angeles Rams are a Dream Team. And no, not in the same way that the 2011 Eagles were Vince Young’s “dream team.” That team was talented. But this Rams team is something we haven’t seen since the ‘07 Patriots, the ‘92 Cowboys and the ‘72 Dolphins.
It’s really not hyperbolic. Matthew Stafford is fresh off an MVP season. Puka Nacua led the league in receptions and finished second in receiving yards. Davante Adams is the best WR2 in football. Myles Garrett is the best defensive player in the NFL and, debatably, the best football player on the planet. Sean McVay is the best coach in the NFL.
And the team just welcomed back defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who’s returning at age 35 after two years in retirement. He is a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
It’s an L.A. team, so let’s make a Hollywood comparison. This is a cast so stacked that only “The Odyssey” can compare. And that’s why this might be McVay’s most difficult task to date.
He must win a Super Bowl.
This isn’t like the Lions or the Bills or the Ravens — who feel it’s their time. No, this is different. The Rams basically have no choice but to win.
If they start the season with, say, three victories, we’ll start talking about a perfect season. And the chatter won’t be premature, even in the NFC West, with the defending Super Bowl champions. If the Rams make the Super Bowl, it will be a question of how badly they beat their opponent — not if they can. And the Rams might have three candidates at the top of the Super Bowl MVP odds — Stafford, Nacua and Garrett — before the opponent’s top option.
I think that’s why McVay deflected every question about the partnership between Garrett and Donald in the press conference on Sunday to announce Donald’s return. I think the pressure to win — everything — is why McVay said this. He’s handling his Dream Team with care.
“Just because we have great individuals, it doesn’t do s— for us,” McVay said. “We’ve got to be able to put it together. [Donald] understands that as a lot as anyone.”
I spent the weekend at a pal’s wedding ceremony. It was particular to see the way in which the ceremony introduced the bride and groom a lot happiness. And why shouldn’t they be exuberant: They’re excellent for one another. The glad couple determined to not do a honeymoon. The bride is headed proper again to high school to show center schoolers, and the groom will most likely be portray boats by Tuesday. And later this week, they’ll be exhausted they usually’ll make that pasta dish that they each love a lot, partially as a result of they will do it with their eyes closed. And it’ll be enterprise — and work, work, work — as typical.
In some methods, that’s what comes subsequent for McVay and Donald. We noticed the union on Sunday. We will see there will likely be no honeymoon. We will see what comes subsequent: work — and the expectation of success.
2.
Depend me as somebody skeptical concerning the building of the 2026 Kansas Metropolis Chiefs. When the NFL schedule got here out, I didn’t think they’d make the playoffs.
Lately … I don’t know what to suppose.
In fact, I do know that it’s harmful to doubt Patrick Mahomes, at the same time as he makes his method again from an ACL harm. The identical is true of Andy Reid, at the same time as he faces criticism for his playcalling rising stale. It’ll burn you to doubt the Chiefs, even within the wake of a season when their offense sputtered and their protection lacked flash.
This summer time, there haven’t been many hopeful headlines round Kansas Metropolis. However for essentially the most half, there was an actual silence across the Chiefs. It’s quiet.
That is the silence in a horror film, proper earlier than the villain strikes. You understand it’s coming. Nonetheless, you soar out of your chair.
Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL in mid-December however expects to start out the season below middle for the Chiefs. (Picture by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Photos)
With the Chiefs, there was this prevailing thought that their 2024 season, with all its narrow victories, was a little bit of a fluke (significantly after the Eagles routed Okay.C. within the Tremendous Bowl). And so it was a equally common concept that the 2025 season was the 12 months when the Chiefs’ luck ran out — and it was additionally fluky, with dangerous breaks that made them appear worse than they have been.
If this have been Goldilocks, this season could be excellent.
However come on — the NFL is just not a youngsters’s guide. And the small quantity of headlines which might be popping out of camp are, typically, destructive. Veteran tight finish Travis Kelce doesn’t look youthful. Chiefs left sort out Josh Simmons has a again harm. Chiefs operating again Kenneth Walker III, their massive splash from free company, has a foot harm.
And receiver Rashee Rice, who is meant to be the WR1 regardless of his knee surgical procedure and suspension final season, isn’t precisely getting rave critiques.
“His total résumé speaks for itself. The factor I’m nonetheless engaged on is attending to know the individual — seeing the issues that make him click on. What are the issues that encourage him?” Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy stated final week. “The factor that I like about Rashee is that he’s robust. The opposite factor that’s — and I’m not saying this in a foul method — he’s hardheaded. You understand what I imply? And he’s cussed. As a result of he feels that he’s adequate at sure issues. … Now, it’s nearly ensuring we will get the continual reps to get him again on monitor, to get him in sport form.”
Holy pink flags, Batman! Whether or not Bieniemy meant to or not, the OC dropped quite a lot of backhanded compliments about Rice. Bieniemy clarified that “stubbornness” actually isn’t a foul factor for gamers. He stated Walker can be cussed.
“He doesn’t prefer to be fallacious,” Bieniemy stated of Walker. “You don’t thoughts that for participant, as a result of it presents a problem.”
Nonetheless not precisely a fawning description. However there’s extra.
“You’ve received to get them to see it from a special viewpoint,” Bieniemy stated. “And once they can see it from a coach’s viewpoint, now it simply opens them up and will get them to comprehend: ‘There’s a higher method of doing this.’”
Rashee Rice had proper knee surgical procedure in Could that sidelined him for 2 months. Final 12 months, he served a six-game suspension initially of the season for an off-the-field incident. (Picture by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Photos)
Bieniemy was requested if there’s one other stage for Rice.
“I consider there’s one other stage,” he stated. “And, in fact, he would let you know there’s loads of ranges for him to get to.”
This is a coach pushing a participant’s buttons. This is a coach who senses the staff is not getting sufficient from a participant who ought to be a star. And so this is a staff that has a disquieting variety of questions surrounding its roster.
Every little thing is logically telling me the Chiefs will not make the playoffs. They can not probably!
Actually, I am telling you to not be afr—.
*soar scare*
3.
Within the early part of my profession protecting soccer, I used to be on the New England Patriots’ beat, protecting Tom Brady and Invoice Belichick.
That’s once I discovered all concerning the “choice route.” The receiver and quarterback take a look at what the protection is giving them and let that decide which route the WR will run. Typically the receiver will resolve a full second into the play. It requires distinctive rapport between QB and WR.
It’s, basically, the route that the Patriots used to beat the Rams in Tremendous Bowl LIII. It was Julian Edelman’s route. He racked up 10 catches, 141 yards and eight first downs, largely by operating the choice route to search out slivers of area in a protection that refused to permit any.
Tom Brady and Julian Edleman of the Patriots have a good time after profitable Tremendous Bowl LIII over the Rams in 2019. (Picture by Simon Bruty/Anychance/Getty Photos)
So it feels one way or the other becoming that Jared Goff is among the caretakers of that route in immediately’s NFL. Again then, he was a younger Rams quarterback (on the shedding staff in that Tremendous Bowl). However he’s now coming into his mental prime as a veteran Lions QB with lots of the similar solutions Brady had. And star receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown is the man who runs Edelman’s choice route.
In Detroit, they gave it a special identify, “the selection route.” And in response to St. Brown, it’s the route that has produced essentially the most receptions for him and Goff since they joined the Lions in 2021.
“It will get us out of loads of conditions,” St. Brown advised me. “I can break loads of alternative ways. I can do loads of various things. So it provides us loads of choices.”
Break it down in depth?
“It is like round a five-yard route. You possibly can both break in, you may escape, or you may simply hook it up. So, relying on the protection — whether or not it is man, if it is within you, you may launch out and you’ll escape. If [the defender is] already sitting inside, you wish to escape, get the ball on a fast out-route. If it is zone, any cover-2 sort, you sit proper in between the flat participant [covering the quarter of the field nearest the sideline] and the hook defender [covering the inside quarter of the field over the offensive and defensive line]. The QB can dart you proper there, and you’ll catch a knife for about 10 or so yards. Get fortunate, perhaps get 15.
“If [the defensive back is] enjoying any sort of different man they usually blitz, the house run shot is normally the in-breaking route. It does not occur on a regular basis, however when it does come, it normally goes for like 15-, 20-yards, if not a landing. However you bought to be affected person for that one.”
Jared Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown have a good time a landing towards the Chicago Bears at Ford Subject final season. (Picture by Nic Antaya/Getty Photos)
This route isn’t for everybody.
It’s reserved for an excellent slot receiver and pocket passer — with a uncommon connection, like Goff and St. Brown have.
“I feel we have constructed the chemistry to the place, once we snap the ball, like a second into the play, he already is aware of what I am doing. I do know what I am gonna do. It’s timing and rhythm. He’s not even excited about what I’m going to do. He already is aware of what I’m going to do.”
You’d suppose that this was St. Brown’s favourite route. However — no.
“My favourite route is the one which’s going to work,” St. Brown advised me.
4.
The Buffalo Payments are transparently not the identical staff as final 12 months. However how a lot have the brand new items made an affect on the tradition? And the way a lot will these new items make an affect on the sector?
Josh Allen continues to be Josh Allen. Joe Brady continues to be Joe Brady. They usually’re the important thing pillars that GM Brandon Beane is intent upon constructing round. They’re extra of the identical from final 12 months.
That’s the outdated. The brand new?
Beane and Brady traded for Bears receiver DJ Moore, a deal that hasn’t gotten a lot fanfare when in comparison with the trades for Jaylen Waddle and A.J. Brown. For all of the criticism surrounding Moore’s worth on the commerce market (and I used to be a type of skeptical voices), the receiver has been a very good match with Allen and in Brady’s offense. The schematic match, in fact, isn’t any shock provided that Moore broke out in Brady’s offense in Carolina. However the match with the quarterback — that’s a brand new and noteworthy growth. Moore’s contributions have been common and speedy in coaching camp and preseason.
His first catch? 33 yards.
That’s new. However it’s additionally a conglomeration of outdated.
The really new component for Buffalo is on protection.
Brady employed defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard, who was on the Denver Broncos’ workers final season. He’s of the Rex Ryan and Mike Pettine faculties of protection, operating a 3-4 base. That’ll maintain all the Payments’ greatest gamers on the sector, from pass-rusher Gregory Rousseau to defensive sort out Ed Oliver to cornerback Christian Benford. However it’ll be a change from former head coach Sean McDermott’s 4-3 protection (that largely scrapped that third LB for a nickel nook, Taron Johnson, who left this offseason).
It may be laborious to make that transition.
I even have some questions on how edge Bradley Chubb (seen as a free-agency overpay) and security C.J. Gardner-Johnson will maintain up — now that they seem like previous their primes. But when this unit appears to be like something remotely near the Broncos’ protection from final 12 months, then there will likely be rather a lot to love.
Edge rusher Bradley Chubb performed a full season final 12 months and had 8.5 sacks after lacking 2024 with an ACL tear. (Picture by Nick Cammett/Diamond Photos by way of Getty Photos)
I’m simply unsure the roster appears to be like fairly as spectacular from a expertise standpoint when in comparison with Denver’s. And Leonhard stays comparatively unproven, rising shortly within the execs. Although he is a former 10-year NFL security, his first job within the league was as a defensive backs coach and pass-game specialist — in 2024!
The Payments landed in the course of the street at 20 turnovers in 2025. They have been nineteenth in sacks. They’re hoping to see each numbers go up.
“We will assault the soccer,” Leonhard stated. “The largest stat in soccer is turnovers, so we’ll be aggressive, we’ll fly round, we’ll talk, we’ll play properly collectively, however we’ll trigger points for offense, and we’ll pressure them to react to us.”
It’s a pleasant idea. And perhaps the defensive management shift — and the schematic shift that comes with it — will likely be sufficient to place this staff excessive.
However I’m nonetheless unsure concerning the query I questioned when the staff promoted Brady and retained Beane. Did they modify sufficient? Will these alterations land Buffalo within the Tremendous Bowl? That’s actually all that issues to the Payments — and to Allen.
5. 
Peeling Again The Curtain: Micah Parsons And Myles Garrett Argue Like Brothers About Who Will get Extra Double Groups.
Two of the league’s largest game-wreckers, Micah Parsons and Myles Garrett, spent the offseason collectively. And that made for some fairly enjoyable conversations — together with: Who will get extra double groups on protection?
Within the video beneath, you may see their pleasant however tense trade.
Listed here are the numbers:
Double groups, per Subsequent Gen Stats:
Parsons: 88 (21.9% of rushes)
Garrett: 60 (12.8%)
Offensive consideration (doubles and chips), per NGS:
Garrett: 39.5%
Parsons: 37.4%
It’s not simple being both man — even when they make it look simple. However Garrett ought to have a extra nice expertise in 2026 now that Aaron Donald has come out of retirement.
