The Sports Insanity Network

WHAT NOW?

BY Mike Rifkin

If you’re a hockey fan one of the best days of the year is July 1st. July 1st is the beginning of free agency. The 2026 free agent class was stacked. Kirill Kaprizov, Connor McDavid, and Jack Eichel were the headliners of the class. But, as we get the season going all three players have signed extensions with their respective teams.

One of the teams that was rumored to have interest in the three players was the New York Rangers. With the cap continuing to rise, the Rangers will have approximately 29 million dollars in cap space. So with the news of the three top guys re-signing what does that mean for Chris Drury and company. Now remember they don’t have to use all 29 million, since they’re compliant with the cap, but here’s how I would look at Drury’s summer.

Re-sign Artemi Panarin to a short term deal – This could be a fluent situation, if the Rangers don’t have a Panarin deal done by the trade deadline would they consider moving him? Obviously, they wouldn’t if they’re in the playoff race, but it is a thought. Panarin has been the best Ranger player not named Shesterkin the last few seasons, but at his age you don’t want to commit to a long term deal. So, a high AAV (average annual value) on a short term deal could work.

Extending Braden Schneider- Schneider has taken big leaps in his game. The former first round pick has been excellent since coming up. With the trade of K’Andre Miller, Schneider has the potential to be an anchor on the top four of the Blue Line.

Look at the RFA market – With the Rangers having multiple first round picks in 2026, they could use one or both to add an impending Restricted free agent and then work out a deal. Marty Necas, Shane Pinto, Cole Perfetti, and Jason Robertson are all names that are intriguing to me.

Let’s be honest for a second, the worst place in sports to be is in the middle. The Rangers right now kind of feel like an in the middle team. They’re not as good as the team that won the President’s trophy two years ago, and they’re not as bad as the team we witnessed last season. Yes, we are one game into the season, but this team needs to figure out the direction soon.

2025-26 NHL PREDICTIONS

BY MIKE RIFKIN

As we prepare for the NHL Season, here is how I see the season playing out. *PLAYOFF TEAMS ARE TOP THREE IN EACH DIVISION PLUS TWO WILDCARDS.

DIVISION STANDINGS

EASTERN CONFERENCE

METRO

HURRICANES – Carolina has been one of the elite teams in the NHL over the years and they just need to get over the hump.
DEVILS – Health was the big issue last season. They have Jack Hughes healthy and Nico Hischier is coming off a great season, the Devils will be a problem again.
RANGERS – Maybe I’m drinking too much Kool-Aid, but everything that went wrong last season can’t go wrong again. Having Igor Shesterkin in net is an advantage most teams don’t have.
CAPS – I love the mix of youth and veterans on this team. I wonder how much the Ovi chase took out of them, but can the goaltending do it again?
ISLES – They have some great talent, and will have a healthy Matt Barzal. Ilya Sorokin should bounce back, but I still have some questions regarding their blue line, they definitely have the skill.
BLUE JACKETS – Can their young players continue to take steps forward? They were so close last season, but the goaltending let them down and didn’t really address it. They also need Zach Werenski to be healthy all season.
FLYERS – Still in the midst of a rebuild, Rick Tocchet gets to evaluate the talent going forward.
PENGUINS – The rebuild has started in Pittsburgh, and now what are the next steps that take place. Will Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, and Evgeni Malkin last the season in Pittsburgh?

ATLANTIC

LIGHTNING – I just have a feeling about them this season. They have great depth and a winning pedigree, the Lightning are going to be a tough matchup.
PANTHERS – They’ve played a ton of hockey over the last three seasons. No Matt Tkachuk until December and Barkov even longer, but they can withstand the regular season that way, that’s how deep they are.
LEAFS – They’ll miss Mitch Marner, but they are a deeper team than they were. Still have questions regarding the goaltending. Most important the regular season doesn’t matter they’ll be judged in April.
SENATORS – This is the sleeper team in the Eastern Conference. They have a tremendous forward group, solid Blue line and Linus Ullmark. I have high expectations for the Sens.
CANADIENS – They might be the envy of the league with their young talent. If those guys stay healthy and get the goaltending they can compete for a Wild Card spot.
RED WINGS – At this point they have to prove they can get in. John Gibson is an upgrade in net, but I have questions about him staying healthy. Steve Yzerman needs this team to step up or he’ll be out.
BRUINS – Jeremy Swayman should bounce back, but outside of David Pastrnak I am not sure where they’ll get consistent offense.
SABRES – Great nucleus, but massive questions about pieces. This is also a year they have to prove something, otherwise they’ll tear it down again.

EAST PLAYOFFS

HURRICANES, DEVILS, RANGERS, LIGHTNING, PANTHERS, LEAFS. WC : SENS AND CAPS

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL : LIGHTNING DEF HURRICANES IN 6

WESTERN CONFERENCE

CENTRAL

STARS – Top to bottom this might be the most complete roster in the league. They have a great mix of vets and young guys, and they should have a chip on their shoulder. Oh and they have Mikko Rantanen for a full season.
AVS – The captain is back and that’s big for the AVS. Again another loaded lineup, Mackenzie Blackwood played fine in goal last season.
JETS – Yeah, losing Nikolaj Ehlers hurts, but they got Jonathan Toews to come back. He brings great leadership to a team that has the ability to win it all.
WILD – The Kaprizov contract is no longer a distraction, the Wild are solid everywhere. Brock Faber could be a darkhorse Norris candidate.
PREDS – The Preds were the toast of the town July 1st, 2024 and their season was not good. I think they bounce back, there’s too much talent, but if they start slow I wonder if Barry Trotz breaks it down.
BLUES – They got hot at the end of last year, led by Jordan Binnington. I still don’t trust Binnington, and the Blues have talent but this division is hard.
MAMMOTH – They’ve done a lot of good this offseason, but as I said on the Blues this division is awesome and deep. I like their future but I still question the goaltending.
BLACKHAWKS – Does anyone have a brighter future? A lot of their success will hinge on Spencer Knight in goal. A lot of young players will get valuable time.

PACIFIC

GOLDEN KNIGHTS – The addition of Mitch Marner will boost their offense, and make them deeper. They have a winning pedigree.
OILERS – McDavid’s contract no longer a distraction, and they have two of the four best players in the league. Like the Leafs I don’t care until April as they look to go to their third straight final.
DUCKS – Whether you think Joel Quenneville should be behind the bench or not isn’t the question (even though I don’t think he should) but he wins. The Ducks made a lot of moves and got better. I am buying the hype.
CANUCKS – They had a ton of distractions last season, now they need some bounce back guys including Elias Pettersson and Thatcher Demko, if they bounce back Vancouver is in a great spot.
KINGS – Anze Kopitar’s final season, should be met with the playoffs, I don’t think it will. I think the Kings need to figure some things out, they’re still dangerous but they also need reinforcements.
FLAMES – Kind of like the Flyers, they’re in a rebuild and overachieved last season. They’re still evaluating talent, but Dustin Wolf is their cornerstone.
KRAKEN – They disappointed last season, and I’m not sure they’re that much better. I need them to prove a lot this season, because their offseason left a lot to be desired.
SHARKS – They’re on the rise, they have a lot of skill up front led by Macklin Celebrini. We’ll see some growth from this group this season. Don’t be shocked if they don’t finish last.

WEST PLAYOFFS : STARS, AVS, JETS, GOLDEN KNIGHTS, OILERS, DUCKS : WC WILD AND PREDS

WESTERN CONFERENCE FINAL : STARS DEF GOLDEN KNIGHTS IN 7

AWARDS

HART : CONNOR MCDAVID

VEZINA : ANDREI VASILEVSKIY

NORRIS : CALE MAKAR

JACK ADAMS : TRAVIS GREEN

SELKE : ANZE KOPITAR

STANLEY CUP FINAL : STARS DEF LIGHTNING 6 GAMES

DONE

BY MIKE RIFKIN

On Sunday the Dolphins squandered a 17 point lead against the lowly Carolina Panthers and lost 27-24. At 1-4 the Dolphins most likely will miss the playoffs for a second consecutive season, and that leaves a fork in the road for the organization. Chris Grier and the front office have two choices : choice one would be to keep things status quo and just say this is a bad year. Choice two : tear parts of this team down and stockpile draft picks.

I would choose choice two and here’s why: As long as Josh Allen is in the AFC East, the Dolphins aren’t beating the Bills currently constructed, that’s been proven time and time again. The other reason is in the Mike Mcdaniel/Tua Tagovailoa era the Dolphins struggle with good football teams, especially late in the season. If you want to eventually hoist the Lombardi you have to beat good teams. So how would I fix the Dolphins if I was Chris Grier? Let’s do it

The first key date is November fourth, that’s the trade deadline in the NFL. Prior to his injury it was safe to assume Tyreek Hill was going to be traded, his name had already surfaced in trade rumors. Other names I would include would be Edges Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips. Now, if it were up to me I wouldn’t move Phillips, despite a few injury plagued seasons there is still a lot of upside in my opinion. Matt Judon, who is on a one year deal could also be expendable. Two guys I wouldn’t move but you might hear about are Linebacker Jordyn Brooks and Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, both of whom are under contract through next season, and one thing this team needs is leadership.

The ultimate decisions are going to come this offseason. Let’s start with Mike McDaniel. Unless this team turns it around and shows some fight McDaniel will be gone at the end of the year. Is it warranted, that’s debatable but he really hasn’t grown in game and his offense isn’t fooling anyone at the moment. Now is that McDaniel or limitations on Tua? That’s got to be something to think about. Speaking of Tua, he’s going to make 39 million next season. He hasn’t played like the franchise Quarterback some think of him as. Let’s be honest he is not in the class of Allen, Mahomes, Lamar, and Burrow. Part of that might be injuries and part of that is he is not a big guy. The Dolphins created a speed offense with his accurate arm and now there has been no adjustment. Tua has to be on the team next year because nobody is taking on the contract, but that shouldn’t stop the team from potentially drafting a Quarterback.

Not sure what names will be out there this offseason, and when the time comes I’ll break it down. But Sunday’s loss for the Dolphins means that there needs to be changes made, because this roster isn’t it and this team hasn’t won a playoff game in 25 years, that needs to change. But after Sunday the 2025 season is done.

WEEK 5 NFL PREVIEW

BY SIN BLITZERS

CIN VS DET : The Lions and Bengals are going in two different directions so far this season. Not having Joe Burrow has really impacted the Bengals, they’ve scored 13 points over their last two games. They need to get Higgins and Chase involved offensively. On the other side the Lions are roaring, they’ve scored over 30 points in the last three weeks. And is there a better connection right now than Jared Goff to Amon-ra St. Brown. Detroit has too much firepower for Cincy to contain, and the Bengal offense right now is on life support. – Bill Murphy and Mark Halpern.

DAL AT NYJ : Cowboys will take aim against the New York Jets this Sunday at the Meadowlands. The Cowboys are no stranger to this stadium as they visit to play the Giants every year. The Jets are a new look football team with a stronger offense led by Justin Fields. He won’t need to be at his 100% best to beat this Dallas Defense but, if the line breaks down like it has it could make it difficult for Fields. Dallas is coming off an impressive TIE last week against the Packers in which Dak was at his best throwing over 300 yards and 3 Touchdowns plus a running one. For Dallas to beat the Jets they have to score and keep pace as the Defense hasn’t been able to stop anyone lately. Look for Javonte Williams to lead the way with over 20 carries and 100 yards with at least one score. On the Defensive side it will be up to Tre’von Diggs to stop Garrett Wilson and make Fields throw into tighter spots hoping to create turnovers. Dallas’s defense needs to force someone other than Wilson to beat them. – Mark

MIA AT CAR : The Dolphins are coming off their first win of the season over the Jets, and now they look to make it two in a row against the Panthers. The Dolphins will be without Tyreek Hill, who injured his knee Monday night. Darren Waller made his return and Dolphin debut on Monday night and had two touchdowns. The key is going to be the Dolphin defense. Can they get pressure on Bryce Young, who was pulled last week. Also the Panthers will be without Chuba Hubbard. – Mike

HOU AT BAL : The Texans and Ravens are both off to slow starts this season. But they’re off to slow starts for different reasons, the Texans offense has struggled, while the Raven defense has been god awful. The Ravens will be without Lamar Jackson this week, which means Cooper Rush against a really good Texan defense. CJ Stroud needs his line to protect him this week because the Ravens’ secondary is injured and vulnerable.

DEN AT PHI : Yeah, the Broncos whooped the Bengals, but are they back? We’ll see when they travel to Philly and play the Eagles. Philly is one of two unbeatens left and are flying on all cylinders. Denver needs Bo Nix to get the ball out early before the lethal rush comes to play. I’m interested to see how Denver uses Pat Surtain, whether it’s on AJ Brown or Devonta Smith.

TB AT SEA : Two NFC hopefuls meet in Seattle. Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold (Panther fans look away) have both had nice starts to the season. The Bucs are going to be without Mike Evans and Bucky Irving this week, but did get Chris Godwin back last week. Him and Egbuka should have some chances against a really good Seahawk defense. Seattle at home is a tough place to play. We have a lot of talent at the receiver position between Godwin and Egbuka for Tampa and Jaxson Smith-Njiga and Cooper Kupp for the Hawks. This should be a fun one.

MET FOR LIFE

BY : MIKE RIFKIN

The Mets lost to the Marlins on Sunday and their playoff hopes for this season went up in smoke. And while fans should expect changes to the roster, there is one change that most fans don’t want.

Last Winter, Pete Alonso was on the market for a long time before signing a two year contract with the Mets. Alonso said postgame Sunday he does intend to opt out of the contract. Alonso has every right to opt out as he had a phenomenal season with 38 homers and 126 RBI’S along with a slash line of .272/.347/.524. You could also make the case that Alonso was the most consistent Met all season long. Since his debut in 2019 Alonso became a fan favorite, and already has broken several team records including most homers in franchise history. Let’s be honest the Mets haven’t had a homegrown star like Alonso since David Wright.

Alonso said postgame about his future “ Playing for this organization, this city they’ve continued to believe in me. I love playing here. There’s some great guys in the clubhouse, some great people on the staff. Every single day, it’s been a pleasure coming to work and putting on the orange and blue. I’ve really appreciated it and have nothing but full of gratitude every single day. Nothing is guaranteed, but we’ll see what happens. I’ve loved being a Met. Hopefully, they’ve appreciated me the same.” I think most fans appreciate what Pete brought to this team. It’s not just the numbers, it’s about availability too and Pete on Sunday became the first Met ever to play 162 games in back to back seasons.

Yes, the fans appreciate everything Steve Cohen has done. And Cohen has done a lot for the Met fan and that includes opening up his checkbook and signing Juan Soto. But, now you’re talking about a fan favorite and a guy who can go down as the greatest homegrown player in franchise history, but definitely down as the greatest power hitter in team history. There is no reason why Pete Alonso shouldn’t be a Met for life, and there doesn’t have to be a middle man just let Cohen and Alonso take care of this for the fans, because the end to the 2025 season was hard enough.

Bengals Vs Broncos : preview

By Bill Murphy

Last week , The Bengals got absolutely thrashed by the Minnesota Vikings 48-10. In their first Burrowless game , Jake Browning went 19/27 ,140 yds, one touchdown and two interceptions . The Bengals offense was just not good to watch and they got stomped . When it comes to this week they are taking on the Denver Broncos who are also coming off of a loss against the Chargers by a score of 23-20. Bo Nix went 14/25 , 153 yards and one touchdown , JK Dobbins went for 11 carries 83 yds and one touchdown , Cortland Sutton went for six receptions ,118 yards and one touchdown .

Keys To The Game

Bengals

Offense: The Bengals are really going to have to rely on the run game, since the Broncos pass rush is going to give Browning a hard time.Ja’marr Chase and Tee Higgins might not get as many targets. Samaje Peline ran for 20 yards last week and Chase Brown ran .3 yards per carry. So far the Bengals have not run over 55 yards in a game, they need it to happen this week.

Defense

The pass defense is going to be a big factor in this game , they have only allowed five touchdowns in the last two games and last week they only allowed Carson Wentz 173 yards . They are going to have to put the same pressure on Bo Nix, who has struggled to start the season.

Broncos

Offense : A huge part of the Broncos offense that is going to be utilized this week is wide receiver Cortland Sutton . Last week, Sutton had six receptions 118 yards and one touchdown. Nix has to hit Sutton if he wants to get something going .Defense: The crucial part of the Broncos defense for this game is the pass rush . Last week they sacked Herbet five times and picked him off once. Now the Broncos have to go against a weaker quarterback with Jake Browning who was sacked three times and picked off twice .

WEEK FOUR PREVIEW

BY SIN BLITZERS

PHI AT TB : One of the premier games of the day will take place in Tampa as the Bucs and Eagles meet with one of them going to 4-0. Both teams survived last week, as the Bucs were able to withstand a Jets comeback and the Eagles were able to come from behind and beat the Rams. Last season the Bucs beat the Eagles 33-16 behind 347 yards passing and two touchdowns. This time will be a little different; the Bucs will be without Mike Evans, who has a hamstring injury. In last season’s matchup Evans had eight catches for 94 yards and a touchdown.

IND AT LAR : Speaking of undefeated teams, how about the Colts and Daniel Jones at 3-0, but now they will be tested as they head to LA and play the Rams. The Colts are coming off a 41-20 beatdown of the Titans. Jonathan Taylor posted 102 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries. The bigger story for Indy is Daniel Jones has yet to throw an interception through three games. For the Rams they will try to rebound after blowing a game to the Eagles. The Rams were up 26-7, before losing 33-26.

BAL AT KC : Two of the best Quarterbacks in today’s game go head to head both looking to avoid going 1-3. The Ravens’ issue has been their defense. The Ravens are last in the league in yards allowed. The Defense will be without Defensive Tackle Nnamdi Madubuike, who is out with a neck injury. Offensively Baltimore needs to get Derrick Henry going again. Henry has struggled since his big week one, and has fumbled three times. For the Chiefs they will get back Xavier Worthy, we’ll have to see if that sparks the offense. Two teams that desperately need a win. Can Lamar improve his 1-4 record against the Chiefs, and win his first game at Arrowhead?

GB AT DAL : Something big is going on here, oh yeah Micah Parsons returns to Dallas. For some reason Cowboys owner Jerry Jones keeps poking the bear when he said it’s not like the Cowboys won any Superbowls with Parsons. Well Dallas is coming off a dismal performance against the Bears. A game that saw them lose Ceedee Lamb for multiple weeks with an ankle injury. As for the Packers they’re coming off a stunning 13-10 loss to the Browns. They need Jordan Love to be really good against a Dallas secondary that is extremely banged up.

NYJ AT MIA : Two division rivals that are still winless meet Monday night when the Jets play the Dolphins. Both teams have really struggled defensively, so this could be a shootout or it could be a penalty filled night. The Jets will get Justin Fields back and his dual threat skills, could be a major factor. For the Dolphins they’re going to have to run the ball and rely on some short passes to avoid the Jets pass rush.

THE GREAT DEBATE : AL MVP

BY MIKE RIFKIN

As we enter the final weekend of the MLB season, there is a lot to be determined including who is the American League MVP. There will be three finalists at the end, but everyone knows that this is a two horse race between Mariners Catcher Cal Raleigh and Yankees Outfielder Aaron Judge.

Judge is the reigning MVP and has had an outstanding season, going into the final weekend Judge has 51 homers and 109 RBI’s along with a slash line of .328/.455/.681. Judge most likely will be a batting champion for the first time. My biggest question for managers across baseball is why they kept pitching to Judge?

Raleigh is having a historic season. Entering the final weekend he has 60 home runs ( two shy of tying Judge’s record) and 125 RBI’s. Raleigh’s slash line is .241/.361/.598. So, Raleigh has the better power numbers and not by much and Judge has the better slashline. Ironically enough the Yankees and Mariners are the top two home run hitting teams this season.

So offensively both guys have been studs and defensively both do their thing. But there’s a number that sticks out to me and that number is 11. The Seattle Mariners are 11th in MLB in team ERA at 3.87. We have never seen this offensive outburst from a catcher before. Now, is it fair to penalize Aaron Judge for not playing a particular position? No, but Raleigh is also at a sort of disadvantage with the Mariners not being on a similar scale to the Yankees.

Aaron Judge is one of the faces of baseball, while Cal Raleigh is a really good player. But we’ve never seen this kinda season from a catcher and the Mariners have clinched the AL West. Now, while the Yankees don’t know whether they won the AL East or will enter the playoffs as a wild card, what Aaron Judge has done over the years is absolutely insane. I’ve heard people say we might take it for granted. I disagree we haven’t seen something like what Judge is doing since Barry Bonds.

This is going to be close to call, except for one part whoever the third finalist is they’ll be a distant third. Either way in the race between Judge and Raleigh I lean towards Cal Raleigh. 60 homers doesn’t happen every year and especially from a catcher.

MEET THE MELTDOWN

BY MIKE RIFKIN

Since April 5th the Mets held a playoff spot, on Sunday that evaporated. By virtue of the Mets losing to the Nationals and the Reds beating the Cubs, Cincinnati now controls the final wild card spot in the National League entering the final week of the season. If you had said the Mets would have a chance to miss the playoffs during spring training, I’d ask you what happened? This was not supposed to happen when the Mets signed Juan Soto, the goal is to win the World Series, so what has happened?

Well, there’s a lot of blame to go around. People will blame Soto for his slow start, but at the end of the year he has put up his MVP like numbers including a career high in home runs. Pete Alonso also has had an MVP-esque season, and has probably been the most consistent Met all season. Francisco Lindor, the team MVP last season has had a good year, but it’s hard to put the blame on him. So if the stars were the stars, what happened? Well, Mark Vientos who a lot of people thought would take another step in his development, didn’t realize the season started until after the All-Star break, and has been marred with inconsistencies. Francisco Alvarez has had an injury plagued season. Those two were guys the Mets were hoping took the next step.

Where the Mets really failed this season was in the pitching department. Yes, Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong, and Brandon Sproat have all made their debuts in the second half, but that’s because the guys the Mets were counting on have not done their job. Kodai Senga has not been the same since he injured his hamstring in June, Sean Manea has also struggled mightily. Now we don’t know how much the loose bodies in his elbow are bothering him, but he’s not the guy who helped lead this team to the NLCS last season. David Peterson has struggled since the break as well. So the top three in the rotation have struggled, Griffin Canning, who was a massive surprise early, tore his Achilles. Clay Holmes made 30 plus starts, in his first season starting after spending years in the bullpen. The biggest problem with the Mets pitching, which shockingly was awesome in the first half, is that they don’t go deep into games and they’ve worn out the bullpen. The Mets have used a record 46 pitchers this season, not a recipe for success. Now, while I like David Stearns and how he utilizes his “pitching lab” the Mets need a true number one this Winter (more on that later).

But what’s most unacceptable is this, they play down to their competition, very similar to their collapse in 2022. The Mets are currently 5-5 against the Marlins (one series left), 7-6 vs the Nationals, 5-8 against the Braves, 2-4 against the Pirates, and 1-2 against the Orioles. Good teams beat bad teams, well the Mets struggled with that this season.

Steve Cohen challenged the fans to come support the team before the season, well the Mets’ fans did by breaking the Citi Field attendance record this season. This is how the fans get repaid, by having another late season meltdown, like 2007,08 and 2022. This isn’t on Cohen or David Stearns, even though his trade deadline didn’t work out. This is on the players, Carlos Mendoza and Jeremy Hefner. If the Mets miss the playoffs, there will be something going down, because Steve Cohen and the fans will not tolerate this.

Will Pack Rock In Cleveland?

By Lawrence Lang

The Green Bay Packers will hit the road for the first time this season as they head to Cleveland to face the Cleveland Browns. The Packers are coming off a Thursday Night Football win after beating the Washington Commanders 27-18.

Packers quarterback Jordan Love led the commanding victory by going 19/31 on passing attempts, 292 passing yards, and two touchdowns. Tight End Tucker Kraft and Wide Receiver Romeo Doubs were the recipients of those touchdowns.

The main star was once again the Packers’ defence, which got four sacks on Commanders Quarterback Jayden Daniels and held him to only 200 yards passing. In the run game, they held the Commanders to just 51 yards rushing and did not allow a rushing touchdown.

Deference End Micha Parson made his presence known again, a half of sack in the game getting to one and a half sacks on the season. Parson’s presence on the Packers has lit a fire on the defence in two games; they have held opponents.

Zero points in the first quarter
Six points in the 2nd quarter ( one field goal each by the Commanders and the Detroit Lions)
Three third-quarter points
22 fourth-quarter points

The Packers also rank 2nd in sacks with eight only the New England Patriots have more with nine through two games.

The Browns are seeking their first win of the season. They are coming off a blowout loss on the road to the Baltimore Ravens, a 41-17 loss. Quarterback Joe Flacco was 25/45 with 199 yards passing, one touchdown, and one interception, and Rookie quarterback out of Oregon Dillon Gabriel saw a little play time, going three of three for 19 yards and getting his first career touchdown pass to running back Dylan Sampson. The Browns seem to get anything going, they have only been able to put up 33 points through two games, to allowing 58 points thru two games.

A major question for the Browns heading into this game is whether it’s time to let the rookie Sampson and let Flacco take the backup role? If things get out of hand quick, especially the way the Packers have been putting up points, we could see the change real quick.

Heading into Sunday’s game, here are three key factors for the Packers and Browns.

The Packers

Can the Packers keep the first half shut down going?
Will Jordan Love continue putting up points and get the offense going?
Will Micah Parsons get his first Interception as a Packer?

The Browns

How do the Browns get it going early against the Packers?
Is this Flacco’s last chance at a starting role in the NFL?
Who will be the one to step up for the Browns?