How does it feel when you prove someone wrong who doubted you? How about when some bozo doesn’t take your advice, and you were proved right?! Do you gloat a little when you see an ex has a little misfortune or finds someone who can’t measure up to you…

Are you Mr. Highroad? Please, I know you’ve felt satisfaction in seeing a showboating athlete get dominated. C’mon, swing that leg down from the high horse bud. One of the great poets of our generation once said, “revenge is like the sweetest joy, next to getting cookies!” (or something like that from Mr. Shakur).

Maybe you’re one of those that is cringing at the above level of pettiness… please, spare us all don’t act like you don’t think a little thing called KARMA makes the world a better and more fair place!

We know you like it revel in it for a hot second. Let the tiniest of smirks slowly creep across your lips for three beats. Apparently, some of you agree.

The matchups below are no mere “player faces his former team”… OHHH NO!! We need better than that. MUCH better.

The Harbaugh Bowl doesn’t cut it. That’s going to be a brotherly love fest. Rams against Lions will not make this list. Stafford and Detroit have respect for each other. I can’t say the same for Goff, but it doesn’t scratch that itch quite enough.

Even after some of these players get paid a king’s ransom, a few will be driven by the powerful thirst for revenge.

These games are the ones packed with the most acrimony, and each figure will have malice in their hearts when they get a chance to enact some long-awaited vengeance on gameday.

Remember Baltimore Steve Smith Sr. promising blood and guts, then eviscerating the team that gave up on him, in the Panthers? One of the most dramatic revenge games I’ve ever seen was Seattle and the 12’s vs. Broncos QB, Russell Wilson. The DJ was playing an all-Future playlist before the game all to get in the head of a player that forced his way out, complaining about teammates, head coach, general manager, and trying to get the latter two fired.

There were many candidates for this list… but as I said, only the most toxic will do

10. Bears, D’Andre Swift @ Lions, David Montgomery (Week 13) – This man Swift chose Chicago so he could tear the Lions a NEW ONE for not letting him join the Detroit ascent, after all he sacrificed! Let’s not forget that Montgomery always looks angry, and his successor in Chicago (Khalil Herbert) has not lived up to his contributions. These two are in position to deliver some literal body blows to their former employers.

9. Texans vs. Titans (Week 12) – The Titans sure riled up the division rival Texans last year by wearing the Oilers throwbacks. Controversial because Tennessee owns the rights to the Houston throwbacks due to the move. (That’s terrible. I’m so relieved that Seattle retained the rights to the Sonics’ team colors, logo and history). You think owner, Cal McNair is just itching to use the new baby blue accent jerseys against Amy Adams Strunk’s team?

8. 49ers, K.J. Wright @ Seahawks (Week 6) – Our beloved legend, Kenneth Bernard Wright Jr. accepted a job with the hated Niners when the Seahawks declined to hire him. He said, this isn’t some revenge thing… yes, it is K.J. we can see right through the high-road talk so go on and try to prove what you need to prove big fella. May the Niners do terribly as a team (so Seattle can avenge a season sweep last year), but Wright’s coaching job allow him to get hired in a few years as a coach for SEATTLE (where he belongs).

7. Seahawks, Geno Smith / Leonard Williams / Tariq Woolen vs. Jets, D.J. Reed / Sauce Gardner (Week 13) – Geno and Williams both face former teams that got rid of them, while D.J. Reed is in the very same position on the other side. He absolutely is out to prove something against the Seahawks each and every time out. Meanwhile, the real battle may be centered around the ongoing debate about if Riq the Freak should’ve won DROY over Sauce after the 2022 season. There’s probably also still a little residual hate for the Hawks in the heart of Aaron Rodgers, marinating from his epic battles with the L.O.B. when he was with the Packers.

6. Chiefs, Hollywood Brown vs. Ravens (Week 1) – The very first game of the season is going to hit like processed sugar at an 8-year old’s birthday party. Baltimore was having a magical season, with DC, Mike Macdonald leading the top defense in the league, and Lamar tearing it up on offense to win a 2nd MVP title. The Chiefs knocked them off in an upset in the AFC ‘ship, and Kansas City went on to win the title that matters most: a Lombardi trophy Brown is happy about his escape from Baltimore, but the Ravens now have a Derrick Henry.

5. Chiefs @ 49ers (Week 7) – The team in Santa Clara lost two Super Bowls in four years to the same team… Youch! This includes the first ever Super Bowl to go to OT, just 3 months ago! Talk about heartbreak. This is a new season, and a chance to get up off the mat and exorcise some demons.

4. Lions @ 49ers (Week 17) – The Lions get to face the team that killed the wave of feverish, boundless optimism in Detroit. It was a bitter defeat at the hands of the 49ers after Detroit took a 24-7 lead in an NFC Championship game that had them dreaming of the Super Bowl (a place no Lions has ever been). You should’ve heard the crowd at the draft whenever any Niner stepped to the mic Yeah there’s some scorn in there.

3. Texans, Stefon Diggs @ Vikings (Week 3), vs. Bills (Week 5) – Here’s a 2-for-1 deal for ya’ll! Diggs may have had falling outs with two teams in his career, being traded twice despite his incredible talents. He may still have feelings about Minnesota, but his most recent exit from Buffalo might still be hurting. Look for him to come out with some competitive fire.

2. Eagles, Saquon Barkley @ Giants (Week 7) – Barkley heads back to Pennsylvania by joining a division rival, and everyone (including Tiki Barber) had something to say about it. It all felt a little personal, especially after the Giants repeatedly refused to pay him, choosing instead to pay one Daniel Jones. Saquon’s daughter dealt the most crushing blow, by saying, “Daddy, does this mean we are gonna win now?” HOO BOY, this is gonna get New York fans’ (assuredly the most reasonable fan base… right?) blood boiling.

1. Steelers, Russell Wilson @ Broncos (Week 2) – Now THIS is what we’re talking about people! Denver is deciding to pay Wilson $85M to not play for them, after trading the aforementioned king’s ransom, then subsequently casting him aside like trash. You know Russell will be motivated to show that he isn’t washed, and most of all to save his legacy. Sean Payton embarrassed and wrested control of the organization from RW3. This will be a fascinating game, and possibly one of the most memorable of the season.

Honorable Mention:
Vikings, Dallas Turner & J.J. McCarthy vs. Falcons, Cousins (Week 14) – Look, these are rookies, so they may not have a whole lot of spite in their hearts yet. But how about a chip on the shoulder? Turner was widely being mocked as the pass rusher (and defender, in general) off the board in the 2024 NFL Draft… but he watched as a record, 14 consecutive offensive players were selected. Then a different dude was taken by the Colts at 15. McCarthy may have something to prove for all who doubted him, desiring to get in on the action against a team who surprisingly took Michael Penix Jr. at QB. Of course, Captain Kirk will be motivated to show the Vikings that they should’ve given him a deal that would’ve kept him in purple.

Have playoff hopeful teams seen enough to reach out and make a bold move to improve their fortunes? These 4 need to seriously consider bringing in reinforcements to accomplish their goals (which are slightly different for each).

Philadelphia Eagles – OG. You’re in a putrid division that is the laughing stock of the league, and could incite change to how divisions and playoffs are set up if a team like the Cardinals doesn’t get in because of you. Despite the offensive line being in shambles, Wentz is the best QB in the division. Its not enough to just win the AFC East division though. You have to look to greatly improve before you get there, or that accomplishment will mean nothing. You’d almost rather be the Giants (with a similar record) and get a much higher draft pick if you’re just going to go and get ran in the first round. Trade for a solid guard to help your line. Lane Johnson returned, Jason Peters is coming back, and Jordan Mailata has been a pleasant surprise as a fill-in for all of the injuries. You make a move at guard and all of a sudden the O-line issues could be heavily mitigated in the next few weeks! Brandon Brooks even has a shot to get back in the playoffs, so this could help you really unlock all of those skill position players. Kevin Zeitler may be available for the taking from a lowly Giants roster. If not from a division rival, then you need to find someone who allows Carson to get back to his MVP-caliber ways.

Seattle Seahawks – DE. What a gut-punch of a loss in Arizona. The NFC West always play each other tight, and the Hawks ALWAYS take things down to the wire. You need a marquee pass rusher. The experiments are over. I wanted to trust in Pete Carroll on those. After seeing Kyler drop back 50 times without getting sacked or even hit, its clear that Shaquem Griffin, Benson Mayowa, Bruce Irvin, Alton Robinson, Damontre Moore, Jonathon Bullard, Shaqeem Green, LJ Collier are all solid rotational players, but none of them have put QB’s on notice. See if you can go and get Ryan Kerrigan for cheap. We have legit championship aspirations, and we need to help our entire defense by putting heat on an opponents passing game or we aren’t getting the job done. Period. Don’t waste Russ’ home-cooking.

New England Patriots – WR. The Bills are comfortable and think they have the division within their grasps. Bill… Tom Brady thinks he can make a fool out of you and your system by dominating without you and laughing at the lack of weaponry that Cam Newton has to work with. Go and get Julio Jones or Amari Cooper. Get back on track. The Falcons are looking at a full rebuild, could use assets, and the 31 year old Jones may be expendable with Calvin Ridley and Russell Gage stepping up. With respect to the twilight of Steve Smith’s career, Julio would be far and away the most dominant receiver Cam would have ever played ball with. This all assumes that the Patriots aren’t fulling willing to embrace ‘Tanking for Trey‘.

Tenessee Titans – Slot WR. You need to get space from the Colts, but more importantly, you need to make sure that you can compete with the Steelers, Ravens and Chiefs. You have your deep threats in A.J. Brown and Corey Davis. You have a very good TE in Jonnu Smith. You can get Jamison Crowder to be an upgrade in the slot to keep your offense on schedule when you can’t go deep. He has been shining in the mud for the New York Jets this season. Derrick Henry will also open things up further for Crowder.

*Update* – Three out of these 4 teams did end up making deadline trades… they weren’t my exact reccos, but the Seahawks (Carlos Dunlap), Patriots (Isaiah Ford), and Titans (Desmond King) all made moves to get better down the stretch. When the Eagles get dominated in the wild card round of the playoffs, I’m going to write an article to embarrass them. It’s done.

I was willing to give it another chance when Cleveland got stomped by the Ravens; as Odell Beckham Jr. caught 3 of his 10 targets. In light of that performance, his 4 catch, 74 yard Thursday night is a celebration, right?? Pump all of the brakes and ride slow homie. Most of his production was on one catch for 43 yards. Watching a full Browns game, it still looks like Baker and Beckham Jr. are not in sync. Sorry to kill the vibe ya’ll, but let’s tell it like it is.

Don’t get me wrong. I believe in the talent and ability of OBJ. I also do believe in Baker to be a solid facilitator who can lead an elite team (although my confidence has given way to slight doubt recently). It just doesn’t look like a great fit. Baker had the 3rd highest average time to throw in week 1 (per Next Gen Stats) and was not able to get Odell involved with 10 looks! It seems as if he’s pressing. Did you see the way it seemed like everybody breathed a sigh of relief when OBJ finally caught a deep pass tonight? Bruhhhh these dudes is on edge!! And this was against the Bengals, so we can go ahead and say less.

The Browns don’t need the pressure of taking advantage of an out-of-sync star receiver. They should get back to the ground and pound potential they have with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. Those two MASHED tonight. They also have 3 potentially star tight ends. Their defense may thrive with more ball control. Mayfield was at his best in his rookie season when he wasn’t under pressure to make the offense boom. A change in philosophy (and one that Kevin Stefanski is partial to) should absolutely be in order.

Now, Cleveland may keep OBJ around to see if they can capitalize on the strong run game and make him a play-action deep threat this year. I don’t expect it to be a perfect fit. I watched a replay of the Cardinals @ Niners from week 1, and it was apparent that Kyler had the ability to strike at will to DeAndre Hopkins. That connection had the ability to shine and take over a game. D-Hop is an impact player for that team. That’s not the way this feels with Bake to Beckham. Mayfield was spreading the ball all around in his best game in some time. OBJ is an expensive luxury to have in that case.

With cap space an issue across the league (given the uncertainty of revenue for the league during this time in our world), not many teams will be able to make a bold move for Odell and his $14M. The New England Patriots have the 2nd most cap space after the Browns, and have proven that they may be closer to contenders than tankers. That defense is still looking solid. Cam is playing for $1M for a team that people have written off. He is playing without a care in the world, and pressure is not an issue there. Odell and Cam are already friends. This is the year that Bill gets to tinker, so why not? Buffalo went out and got their Cam clone a similar weapon in Stefon Diggs.

Don’t count out the New York Jets (they need to get Darnold help FAST) who are in the city where OBJ played for his first 5 years in the league as a Giant. They lost Jamal Adams and Le’Veon Bell, and look like a mess. you need to find out if Sam Darnold is your guy, or if the kid sees ghosts. Lastly, wouldn’t it be something if The Football Team made a play for the star receiver? Washington is leading their division (!) and Haskins could use another legit receiver across from Scary Terry. Rivera and company would only take that chance if they truly believe in Dwayne, but it would load up OBJ with shots at revenge on the G-Men.

Either way, I expect a testing period this year to give it one last shot to see if it can work with the Browns. If not, there are teams that would love to make a play for a guy that can do things like this. The Browns need to forge a new identity on the ground. Beckham Jr. was acquired by a different administration in Cleveland. His trade to the Browns was exciting, but always felt awkward and forced. We haven’t heard the last of questions about Odell Beckham Jr.’s fit and chemistry with Baker Mayfield in Cleveland. If he has any shot to stick, it will be as a deep play threat off of play-action. I don’t see it fully happening the way that it could pop off elsewhere. Move him for assets at the trade deadline and get a cheaper alternative who meshes with your team ethos. Let’s see how this one plays out!

Pete said in a recent interview on KJR: “I’ve had the good fortune of coaching some really good safeties over the years and there’s reason to believe that this guy can do just about anything the other guys have ever done”. That list of great safeties includes Polamalu, Chancellor and Thomas III. If that is true… WOW.

I’ve mentioned before that there is generally a 50% hit rate on 1st round draft picks. Half of them work out, and the other half don’t. How many of those become 1st team All-Pros at their position? Even less. Combining this notion with a look back at the track record of the Seattle Seahawks’ recent 1st round draft picks: a bird in the hand. An unfortunate reality that is also part of this whole deal is the instability of next year’s draft due to COVID related college football cancellations. We won’t get the chance to see, scout and evaluate the top prospects in next year’s draft in the same way as usual.

If you can recall, the Jets’ division rival Dolphins wanted their GM fired (Fireland) because of not having the huevos to make big moves. Seattle is the exact opposite. Pete Carroll and John Schneider are going for gold and aggressively reimagining their defense the way they want it. Getting Quinton Dunbar, who was graded as the 2nd best corner in the NFL last season by Pro Football Focus, from the Football Team is another thing to be hyped about. We got a lockdown corner instead of a locked up corner. We’ve now got Quandre Diggs (a pro bowler and former Lions team captain) and Jamal Adams (with his All-Pro talents) at safety. We’ve got Shaquill Griffin (another pro bowler) and Dunbar (with his aforementioned PFF grades) at corner, with Tre Flowers and Ugo Amadi having solid starting experience at outside and slot corner (respectively) coming off the bench. Marquise Blair has been impressing as a 2nd round safety converting to slot. This has transformed into a pretty legit secondary.

I imagined a different route to a defensive resurgence, but hey, this front office has earned my trust. Pete wants to stop deep plays, keep everything in front of them with the safeties, freeing up the corners to jam receivers at the line and make aggressive plays to hit ball carriers immediately and create turnovers. That’s his defensive philosophy. Single-high safety (Quandre) cover 3 scheme allowed for more playmakers in the box (that will be Jamal). This defensive framework has led to unprecedented prosperity in the PNW, so we need to ride with our guy while we still have him. Fingers crossed that the young guys can step up to create a pass rush.

It looks like the Hawks will ride with Rasheem Green + L.J.Collier (last year’s 1st round pick who didn’t play) at strong-side defensive end, and possibly kick inside on pass rushing downs. Across the formation, a combo of Bruce Irvin, Benson Mayowa and rookies Darrell Taylor and Alton Robinson will hold down the fort as Leo Edge Rushers, and double up when the strong-side guys move inside. While I’m nervous about this pass rush rotation and it’s lack of a menacing presence, a la Jadeveon Clowney, let’s not overlook the fact that Adams is cheaper this year than McDougald would’ve been (!). That frees up some space to potentially trade (before the season or during) for a player that may come available or who fits a screaming need. Will that be O-line? Will that be pass rush (DE’s or DT’s such as Snacks Harrison & Marcell Dareus)? We can wait to see if Clowney would take $8-12M to chase a trophy… if not, go get someone else. I hate to say it, but if Jordyn Brooks (this year’s surprise 1st round pick) comes along in his development at linebacker, our guy K.J. Wright could be a trade piece that we move during the season to acquire another player/free up cap space. Pete and John are great at evaluating in-season.

The final piece of this is that we not only prevented the fellow NFC-contending Cowboys from unleashing Jamal Adams, but we also successfully stopped the Niners (who we should have a healthy, begrudging respect for) from getting Adams and creating their own version of a neo-L.O.B. PHEW. When you are as consistently good as the Hawks have been, roster construction isn’t just about your team, but also about how you match up with other good teams in your conference. We now have a player that can confidently match up with George Kittle. Remember when Kam Chancellor struck fear into the hearts of the frontrunning Niners and their beast of a tight end a few years back? That helped to usher in a near decade of Seahawks dominance in the NFC West. When you see a bad dude get punked by an even badder dude, it changes the whole tone of the contest. Guys feed off of that energy. Jamal Adams plays the same position, and has the ability to rival Kam’s exploits… no cap.

Now, there could be an acclimation period, with no rookie camp, team minicamps, OTA’s, preseason or extended training camp this year for our defense to get on the same page. Either way, Pete and John have infused talent and energy into this entire team. No risk-it, no biscuit. Jamal Adams could very well be a culture-shifting game-wrecker all over the field who helps to galvanize this defense. We just brought another serious piece with a dawg mentality to the fight because Pete and John play to win. Is it possible that someday when we look back at Pete Carroll’s legacy in Seattle, that we’ll talk about the old and new testaments of the L.O.B.?? We can only hope that our defense lives up to all of its potential. Pete always gives us a swinging chance to be great. Russ is ready and just hitting his prime. If we can win the division, our team has the swagger and the magic to make it to another Super Bowl. I said it. I’m talkin’ really big rings.