Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season is around the corner. What better way to raise (or temper) expectations than with a complete breakdown of predictions and projections?

Below is a guide of what to expect once the season kicks off Thursday — including power rankings of all 32 teams, a list of teams that will score the most points and defenses that will allow the fewest, and a look at the toughest and easiest schedules. We also make predictions for the playoffs and Super Bowl LX.

If you’re looking for even more in-depth content, check my rankings and assessments of the best and worst positional units across the league, as well as my 80-page projections PDF.

Jump ahead to …
Schedule: Easiest | Toughest
Offense projections: Best | Worst
Defense projections: Best | Worst
Power rankings | Super Bowl pick

Easiest schedule

The 49ers are coming off a last-place finish in the NFC West, but that set them up with the league’s easiest projected 2025 schedule. They do not play any of the league’s eight Super Bowl favorites, per ESPN Bet odds (Ravens, Lions, Eagles, Bills, Chiefs, Packers, Bengals, Commanders), and have many attractive matchups against underwhelming NFC South and AFC South teams.

San Francisco’s unique games are versus the Bears, Giants and Browns — the latter two are projected to finish in the bottom seven of the league, per ESPN’s Football Power Index. The Titans, Colts, Jaguars and Cardinals round out the top-five easiest schedules.

Toughest schedule

No surprise here, as the Lions are the defending champions of the tough NFC North. In addition to the six games against the Vikings, Packers and the improved Bears, the Lions will face NFC East and AFC North teams. Detroit’s trio of unique games is also about as hard as you can get: Buccaneers, Chiefs and Rams.

The good news for Detroit is that the rest of the division (and several No. 1-seed contenders) will also face a tough slate. The Eagles, Vikings, Giants and Browns round out the top-five toughest schedules.

Projected highest-scoring teams

The Bills haven’t led the NFL in scoring since 1990, but they’ve been close during the Josh Allen era, ranking no lower than sixth each of the past five seasons (top-three four times). This season, the reigning NFL MVP is set up with a solid (and perhaps improved) supporting cast, led by RB James Cook, WR Khalil Shakir, second-year WR Keon Coleman, TE Dalton Kincaid and newcomer WR Joshua Palmer.

2. Baltimore Ravens, 473 points
3. Philadelphia Eagles, 452 points

Projected lowest-scoring teams

The Browns were last in scoring in 2024 and haven’t finished better than 10th since 2007. They should be a strong bet to finish at or near the bottom in 2025, especially with so much uncertainty at quarterback (some mix of Joe Flacco, third-round pick Dillon Gabriel and fifth-round pick Shedeur Sanders). Additionally, the once-elite offensive line isn’t as good as years past, and there are no established needle-moving pass catchers behind WR Jerry Jeudy and TE David Njoku.

2. New Orleans Saints, 314 points
3. New York Giants, 332 points

Projected defenses to allow the fewest points

Though the Texans ranked in the middle of the pack in points allowed last season, their defense finished top five in sacks (49) and forced turnovers (29). They were also first in pass rush win rate (48.7%). Thirteen of the unit’s top 14 players who got the most snaps return this season, including standout edge rushers Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr., cornerbacks Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter, safety Jalen Pitre and linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair.

2. Denver Broncos, 357 points
3. Pittsburgh Steelers, 358 points

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Projected defenses to allow the most points

The Cowboys allowed the second-most points last season, and that was with Micah Parsons for 13 games. Parsons was traded to Green Bay on Thursday for defensive tackle Kenny Clark and two first-round picks. Linebacker Eric Kendricks, nickel corner Jourdan Lewis and edge rusher Chauncey Golston are also gone.

Sprinkle in a few lingering injuries (including top linebacker DeMarvion Overshown), and the Cowboys have the shakiest defense in the league. Facing the Eagles and Commanders twice will only boost their points allowed.

2. Las Vegas Raiders, 428 points
3. Carolina Panthers, 427 points

Team-by-team rankings

Asterisks indicate my projected playoff teams.

This team has it all: an elite coach in John Harbaugh, perhaps the league’s best QB in two-time MVP Lamar Jackson, a terrific offensive supporting cast (led by RB Derrick Henry, WR Zay Flowers, TE Mark Andrews, OT Ronnie Stanley and C Tyler Linderbaum) and a terrific defense that returns 10 of its top 11 snap-getters from 2024 (including stars in S Kyle Hamilton, CB Marlon Humphrey, LB Roquan Smith and DT Nnamdi Madubuike). They also strengthened their secondary by signing cornerback Jaire Alexander.

We already discussed Buffalo’s stellar offensive outlook, but Sean McDermott’s defense deserves some love, as well. Led by edge rusher Greg Rousseau, corner Christian Benford, defensive tackle Ed Oliver and new edge rusher Joey Bosa, this should be a solid unit. The Bills are equipped for another run at a title.

Injuries decimated the Lions’ defense in 2024, which led to a quick playoff exit after a dominant 15-2 regular season. The departures of coordinators Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn, as well as new players on the interior offensive line, create notable uncertainties. But Detroit’s roster is still stacked with talent. I expect the Lions to contend for the top NFC seed again despite projecting them to have the toughest schedule.

The reigning Super Bowl champions took a hit on defense during the offseason, losing edge Brandon Graham, cornerback Darius Slay, edge Josh Sweat, defensive tackle Milton Williams and safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson. But at its worst, this team is solid on paper because of its elite offense with RB Saquon Barkley, QB Jalen Hurts and WR A.J. Brown. The Eagles have a legitimate shot to repeat.

Perhaps the Chiefs are headed for some regression after they had so many close wins last season but suffered a shellacking against the Eagles for the title. But it’s hard to doubt a franchise that has reached five of the past six Super Bowls, including three in a row. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes appears to have more offensive support this season, even with wide receiver Rashee Rice being suspended for the first six games. Their strong defense also returns 13 of its top 15 snap-getters from 2024.

Tampa Bay has found its franchise quarterback in Baker Mayfield and he’ll have one of the league’s top supporting casts, which now includes first-round wide receiver Emeka Egbuka. The defense still has concerns at certain positions, but the unit can be good enough to give the Bucs a shot at their fifth consecutive division title and sixth straight trip to the postseason.

Sean Payton turned Denver into a playoff team last season, and he’ll have an even better squad on paper this season. A defense led by cornerback Pat Surtain II, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, and defensive tackle Zach Allen is outstanding, and it added more playmakers in two former 49ers (LB Dre Greenlaw and S Talanoa Hufanga). Second-year QB Bo Nix will benefit from a terrific offensive line and skill-position upgrades like tight end Evan Engram.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford‘s back injury could derail things, but the Rams have constructed one of their best rosters in several years. They struck gold with edge rusher Jared Verse, the 2024 Defensive Rookie of the Year, and we know they’re well-coached under Sean McVay. On offense, they replaced wide receiver Cooper Kupp with Davante Adams, who tied for 15th in ESPN’s open receiver score last season.

The Vikings remain elite in a lot of areas, including offensive line, pass catchers (led by WR Justin Jefferson) and defense (a unit that includes defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave). The big question, of course, is how well quarterback J.J. McCarthy plays after the 2024 first-round pick missed his rookie season because of a knee injury.

The Packers are solid on both sides of the ball, and the offense could be even better with improved targets, including first-round receiver Matthew Golden, and a fully healthy QB in Jordan Love. The blockbuster trade for edge rusher Micah Parsons revamps their defensive line and could be enough to cement Green Bay as a playoff contender.

Second-year quarterback Jayden Daniels appears to be the real deal and can carry this team far, especially with more veterans on offense, such as left tackle Laremy Tunsil and wide receiver Deebo Samuel. The defense remains a major red flag, but defensive mastermind Dan Quinn could again coach it into a competent unit.

The Bengals have missed the playoffs in back-to-back years despite winning nine-plus games in four consecutive seasons. It’s hard to imagine a team that has quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase (both in the top 10 of our top 100 players) missing the postseason again, but giant questions loom along the offensive line and defense.

The Bears are one of the league’s most fascinating teams. New coach/offensive mastermind Ben Johnson will look to get the most out of second-year quarterback Caleb Williams, who will have the benefit of a terrific young group of pass catchers and a much-improved offensive line. The defense is, at worst, solid and helps give Chicago a legit shot at the postseason.

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Losing elite left tackle Rashawn Slater for the season is brutal, and the Chargers’ defense certainly has several concerning areas — the unit ranked in the bottom 10 at linebacker and cornerback in my positional group rankings. Still, the Justin Herbert-led offense looks good, and Jim Harbaugh’s record speaks for itself (55-25-1 in five seasons as an NFL head coach).

A T.J. Watt-led defense that added cornerback Jalen Ramsey this offseason is perhaps the league’s best on paper, but the big question is how much the team will get out of 41-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers couldn’t move the needle for a talented Jets roster last season, and this offensive supporting cast is below average. Mike Tomlin’s leadership should keep this team in the wild-card mix, though.

AFC sleeper alert! The Patriots are much better in nearly all areas compared with last season. After finishing with the fewest sacks in the NFL last season (28), the defense improved by signing DT Milton Williams, edge Harold Landry III, LB Robert Spillane and CB Carlton Davis III. Second-year QB Drake Maye will have wide receiver Stefon Diggs and rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson as options. And Mike Vrabel replaced Jerod Mayo as head coach.

Houston remains the favorite in the AFC South, with an aforementioned terrific defense and a solid offense. There are some lingering offensive line concerns, as the unit could have four new starters this season, but third-year QB C.J. Stroud and standout wideout Nico Collins give this team a higher floor.

NFC sleeper alert! Jonathan Gannon’s defense is much improved after investing heavily up front. The Cardinals signed edge Josh Sweat, along with defensive tackles Dalvin Tomlinson and Calais Campbell in free agency. And in the draft, they took defensive tackle Walter Nolen III in the first round, though he will start the season on the reserve/PUP list because of a calf issue. The Kyler Murray-led offense could also be better if wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. makes a Year 2 leap.

As usual, Kyle Shanahan’s offense figures to be very good, but injuries at wide receiver are already piling up — the 49ers aren’t sure if Jauan Jennings will be available for Week 1. The big red flag here is a defense that had many notable departures, leaving the 49ers with big concerns at defensive tackle, corner and safety. Edge rusher Nick Bosa and new coordinator Robert Saleh will have their work cut out for them.

Quarterback aside, the Colts arguably have a top-10 roster. The defense looks pretty good (cornerback Charvarius Ward and safety Cam Bynum were much-needed upgrades in the secondary), and the offense includes several difference-makers (RB Jonathan Taylor, WR Michael Pittman Jr., G Quenton Nelson, OT Braden Smith and first-round rookie TE Tyler Warren). If new starting QB Daniel Jones can give the team somewhat competent play, the Colts might surprise the league.

Mike McDonald’s defense looks to have the league’s best interior line, including Leonard Williams, second-year Byron Murphy II and Jarran Reed. The offense is more of a wild card, as new quarterback Sam Darnold will need to sustain his improved play from 2024. Wide receiver Cooper Kupp and running back Kenneth Walker III will need to stay healthy, too.

With Tua Tagovailoa under center, the Dolphins’ offense has a ton of upside, but it also struggled to make the most of receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle last season. The offensive line is concerning. The defense is even shakier, especially with all five secondary starters from 2024 gone and little done to replace them. There’s also uncertainty at edge rusher after Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips missed most of the past two seasons. This is a career-defining year for coach Mike McDaniel.

The Falcons’ defense finished with the second-fewest sacks last season (31), but there’s potential for a step forward if first-round edge rushers Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. are the real deal. The offense has a much brighter outlook, but second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr. started only three games last season and threw an interception in each one. He has a good supporting cast, led by WR Drake London, RB Bijan Robinson and a quality line, but Penix will need a Year 2 leap for Atlanta to enter the playoff discussion.

Dallas’ offseason had more headlines than impact additions. A healthy Dak Prescott/CeeDee Lamb duo will be a big boost in the right direction, but an offensive line already battling injuries isn’t what it was a few years ago. The defense also has to figure out its identity without Micah Parsons on the edge.

The Giants have clear weak spots, but there’s potential for them to outperform this ranking. The defense is quietly very good on paper after the additions of cornerback Paulson Adebo, safety Jevon Holland and first-round edge rusher Abdul Carter to a group that already included DT Dexter Lawrence II, edge Brian Burns and LB Bobby Okereke. The offense, led by WR Malik Nabers, has questions along the line, but competent QB play from Russell Wilson or first-round pick Jaxson Dart can get this team into the wild-card discussion.

The Jets fumbled away a stacked roster last season, and the outlook doesn’t appear bright now. A defense that includes DT Quinnen Williams, edge Jermaine Johnson and CB Sauce Gardner should be above average, but an offense led by quarterback Justin Fields and unproven skill players beyond wide receiver Garrett Wilson figures to be very limited.

The Jaguars drafted one of the league’s most interesting players in Travis Hunter, but the rookie will be hard-pressed to make up for the voids this roster has on both sides of the ball. Little (no pun intended, Walker Little) was done to address perhaps the league’s shakiest offensive line, which puts added pressure on quarterback Trevor Lawrence under new coach Liam Coen. The defense should be solid, with edge Josh Hines-Allen, LB Foyesade Oluokun and CB Tyson Campbell among the impact players.

The Titans are entering a new era with No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward at quarterback. Tennessee improved its offensive line, but growing pains are probable and the skill positions are still a work in progress. And besides the great defensive tackle duo of Jeffery Simmons and T’Vondre Sweat, the defense doesn’t have much for opponents to fear.

Quarterback Bryce Young started to show some life late last season and another step forward will be the key to Carolina outproducing this ranking. He’ll have a better supporting cast after the team selected wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan in the first round. But the league’s worst scoring defense in 2024 could still be shaky — the return to health for star defensive tackle Derrick Brown will be a big help.

Perhaps Pete Carroll can coach this team out of the basement, but even with the additions of QB Geno Smith and RB Ashton Jeanty on offense and the presence of edge Maxx Crosby on an otherwise shaky defense, this roster has too many weak points. I had them ranked last at wide receiver and 30th overall in my positional group rankings.

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The Browns’ defense took a giant step back last season and now looks like a bottom-10 unit on paper (even with edge rusher Myles Garrett and cornerback Denzel Ward). The offense is in flux and might not improve until Cleveland takes another flier on a franchise quarterback in the 2026 draft.

Derek Carr’s sudden retirement cemented this one, as Spencer Rattler and rookie Tyler Shough will have to step up at quarterback this season. If that’s not enough, the cornerback group might be shakiest in the NFL, and there are age and/or injury concerns with RB Alvin Kamara, LB Demario Davis, edge Cameron Jordan, WR Chris Olave and TE Taysom Hill.

Super Bowl LX prediction: Ravens over Lions

It’s no secret that the Ravens have yet to register a Super Bowl appearance during the Lamar Jackson era (or since 2012), but that could change this season. Baltimore has perhaps its best roster on paper since it defeated the 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII, sitting at No. 1 in my overall positional group rankings.

The Lions were the best team in the NFL last season before being derailed by a ridiculous stretch of defensive injuries. Now (mostly) healthy, they have a good shot to fend off the defending champion Eagles in the NFC playoffs, reaching their first Super Bowl in franchise history.

Offensive unit grade rankings

Defensive unit grade rankings

For Europe’s biggest clubs and leagues, the time for transfers in 2025 has come and gone, and they won’t be able to do any more business until January. Which is probably a good thing given the overall spending record in the Premier League has been broken again.

Having had two transfer windows this summer — as FIFA allowed an additional registration period, which ran from June 1 to 10, due to the Club World Cup — the second period closed at 7 p.m. BST (2 p.m. ET) in England, Italy, France and Germany on Monday, and a few hours later in Spain.

– Deadline Day: All the action as it happened
– Transfer grades: All men’s summer signings, rated!
– Ogden: How are all the new attackers faring in PL?

Now the clubs, players, managers and agents will sit back and assess. Some got their wishes and some didn’t; some excelled in their movements over the summer, while others will be lamenting missed opportunities.

With that, let’s look back at what happened during the window and sort the results into winners and losers (with a few who sit in between). Here’s who nailed it — and who didn’t.

WINNERS

Liverpool

We’ll start with by far the biggest spenders, Liverpool. Only time will tell if this truly is the greatest transfer window of all time (as some excited individuals have claimed), but it’s certainly an eye-popping haul of players.

The Reds broke the British transfer record twice this summer, first to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen for £100m plus a potential £16m in add-ons, then again on deadline day to sign Alexander Isak from Newcastle United for £130m. Outside of these two monster deals, they also scooped up Hugo Ekitike for £69m, Milos Kerkez for £40m, Jeremie Frimpong for £29m and Giovanni Leoni for £26m. All of this business supplements a title-winning squad that secured Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk to new contracts earlier in the summer.

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As usual, they played the exits game tremendously well too, raising over £200m in proceeds on players like Luis Díaz, Jarell Quansah, Darwin Núñez and more. Now, it’s a case of fitting all the new players together.

There was one hiccup in the form of Marc Guéhi for £35m: His £35m move from Crystal Palace was all agreed to on deadline day, but it fell through late on because the Eagles couldn’t secure his replacement. But it’s still a remarkable body of work on a massive scale.

Too much change in a short space of time can sometimes be a bad thing, and Liverpool’s early-season performances have been pretty ropey, but they’re picking up wins while still finding their feet. It’s ominous.

Arsenal

Sensing an opportunity, or feeling the pressure to simply keep up with their big-spending rivals? Whatever the reason, Arsenal went for it this summer, adding eight first-team players to the squad in an effort to bulk up for another title challenge.

The Gunners stocked up and improved in almost every position. Viktor Gyökeres, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke enhanced the front line; Martín Zubimendi and Christian Nørgaard beefed up the midfield; Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapié bolstered the defense; and Kepa Arrizabalaga will competently back up David Raya in goal.

This is now a tremendously deep squad, capable of covering injuries and absences in a way it simply was not before. We’ve already seen evidence of that, with Madueke impressing in Bukayo Saka‘s stead and Mosquera stepping in valiantly for William Saliba during Sunday’s defeat at Liverpool.

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What makes this haul of players even sweeter is that at least two of them were poached from under the noses of rival interested parties. Zubimendi was a major target for Liverpool in 2024, but held on for a year to move to Arsenal, while archrivals Spurs thought they had Eze wrapped up … only for the Gunners to gazump them in the 11th hour.

Real Madrid

Understandably furious with their 2024-25 performance, Real Madrid acted swiftly and decisively early this summer, setting the tone for what they’ll hope is a significantly better 2025-26 campaign.

Xabi Alonso was selected and installed as manager in time for the Club World Cup. The perfect combination of modern, suave and tactically astute, it signalled that change was afoot.

The club then furnished him with some superb signings: Trent Alexander-Arnold, one of the best right backs in the sport, was secured on the cheap; Dean Huijsen, one of the finest center backs in the game, was brought in to alleviate issues in the heart of defense; Álvaro Carreras, a more defensive-minded left-back, was recruited to balance out Trent’s attacking nature; Franco Mastantuono, the gem of Argentine soccer, arrived despite interest from Paris Saint-Germain.

In terms of exits, only a handful of aging stars — Luka Modrić and Lucas Vázquez — departed, meaning the oft-linked-away Rodrygo stayed put. That makes the Brazilian a depth option for los Blancos — a ridiculous thing to say really, given his talent — and underlines how seriously Madrid are taking the task of dethroning Barcelona this year.

NEUTRAL

Manchester United

The bad bits from United’s window were: Overpaying for Matheus Cunha (£62.5m) and Bryan Mbeumo (£65m) — ESPN’s Ryan O’Hanlon does a good job of explaining why — and not signing a new central midfielder. But there were some good bits, too. Signing striker Benjamin Sesko and goalkeeper Senne Lammens represented a return to their previous strategy of acquiring young talent to develop — considering they are deep into a painful rebuild, it’s the right idea.

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They also cleared out the majority of their unwanted players, most of them permanently. Antony, Alejandro Garnacho are definitely gone; Rasmus Højlund is as good as gone, and the financial burden of Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho has been mostly lifted for another season.

All of that combined leaves them in the neutral zone.

Manchester City

Joining them in that neither good-nor-bad zone are their archrivals Man City, who have done some really good business this summer, but also struck some deals that raise more questions than answers.

Starting with the good, Tijjani Reijnders has already shown flashes of his brilliance and Rayan Aït-Nouri‘s contract was surprisingly cheap to acquire from Wolves. But while Rayan Cherki and Gianluigi Donnarumma are obviously excellent players, they seriously jar with Pep Guardiola’s style — the former does not offer anything from a defensive standpoint, while the latter is one of the poorest goalkeepers with the ball at his feet you’ll see anywhere. Why would Pep want him?

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They’ve also let stalwarts Manuel Akanji and Éderson go for relative peanuts, which seems to be a direct result of simply having so many players, a few were destined to leave.

Off the back of 2025’s transfer work, City certainly look younger and more energized. But are they actually better?

LOSERS

Newcastle United

Newcastle’s entire summer was haunted, and effectively ruined, by the specter of Alexander Isak. He expressed his desire to leave the club in July, sparking a bid from Liverpool that was firmly declined. What followed was a very long, very draining staring contest between the two clubs, with the player continually making it clear he was determined to leave.

This standoff gave the Magpies roughly six weeks to source two strikers as replacements for the towering Sweden international (and the departed Callum Wilson), but every time they entered the market for a player, they seemed to lose out. They tried and failed to sign Hugo Ekitike, Benjamin Sesko, João Pedro, Liam Delap and Jørgen Strand Larsen — and those are just the ones we know about.

Finally, in the last hours of the window, they struck deals for Stuttgart’s Nick Woltemade (£65m) and Yoane Wissa (£50m) and allowed Isak to leave for £130m. That said, it’s an exchange that unfortunately leaves them worse off than they were at the end of last season.

They did at least get some other business done: Jacob Ramsey joined for £39m to bolster the midfield, while center back Malick Thiaw was a good get for £33m from AC Milan. But it’s nowhere near enough to overcome what has been a very sore summer for the Toon army.

Bayer Leverkusen

Leverkusen made a lot of money this summer, but they also lost a lot of talent and experience. Every transfer window is an exercise in balance, and it’s pretty obvious die Werkself have tipped the scales way too far here in the wrong direction.

Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Jonathan Tah, Amine Adli, Granit Xhaka, Lukas Hradecky, Odilon Kossounou and Piero Hincapié — all of whom made 20 or more Bundesliga appearances in 2023-24’s title win — left the club this summer. Former manager Erik ten Hag — yes! Former! He was sacked on deadline day after two league games! — openly complained about the talent drain out of the club this summer, so it’s not as if this all happened in secret.

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Leverkusen have been active with incomings, too — Malik Tillman, Jarell Quansah, Loïc Badé and Eliesse Ben Seghir are all good additions — but they’ve launched themselves backward, into a rebuild and as of Sept. 1, they’re also in search for a new manager.

Bayern Munich

It was a tough summer for Bayern Munich who, for the most part, really struggled to get deals over the line. That led to a lot of questions, a fair amount of panicking, and then two big fees dropped on Premier League players that could go either way.

June began with the signing of Jonathan Tah from Leverkusen, a long-term target. He was celebrated as a free transfer, but reports suggest they paid a substantial signing-on fee and handed him monster wages, despite the fact he does not definitively improve their XI. Then they turned their attention to signing a winger, but missed out on their No. 1 target, Nico Williams, who opted to stay at Athletic Club. They were then linked to Marcus Rashford, but he joined Barcelona.

Meanwhile, Leroy Sané left for Galatasaray, Thomas Müller departed for the Vancouver Whitecaps in Major League Soccer, Kingsley Coman joined Al Nassr and, worst of all, Jamal Musiala suffered a serious injury at the Club World Cup. It left them astonishingly short of attacking bodies, forcing them into action.

Paying €75m for Liverpool’s 28-year-old winger Luis Díaz has been universally scoffed at as an overpay, but after also failing to sign Stuttgart’s Nick Woltemade (who went to Newcastle), it was obvious Bayern were running out of ideas.

On deadline day, they signed Chelsea‘s Nicolas Jackson for a loan fee of €16.5m plus an obligation of a further €65m — another huge commitment to a player who is good, but perhaps not great.

Aston Villa

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A flurry of deadline day activity brought three signings — Victor Lindelöf on a free, Jadon Sancho on loan from Manchester United and Harvey Elliott for an eventual £35m package from Liverpool — but it’s not enough to paper over what was a frustrating and genuinely uncomfortable summer window for Aston Villa.

Operating under extreme cost-cutting measures following a settlement agreement and fine from UEFA, Villa were faced with the task of at least treading water (and of course trying to get better) while reducing their wage bill by 20-25%, or else be banned from European competition in the future. That’s pretty tough to do.

Rumors stalked most of their key players all summer, creating a sense of unease during preseason, and it became clear Villa needed to clear out their squad depth and potentially lose an important asset before they could commit to making signings. They lost their homegrown, boyhood fan of the club Jacob Ramsey to Newcastle.

Entering deadline day, it was expected that Emiliano Martínez would leave for Manchester United, potentially creating more room to spend, but his move fell through. While the fact they haven’t lost a top-class goalkeeper is a positive on paper, it represented yet another zigzag to navigate for Villa’s decision-makers, trying desperately to improve the team while not breaching UEFA’s rules.

Bill Belichick had a “welcome to college football” moment on Monday night, as his North Carolina Tar Heels were blown out by the TCU Horned Frogs, 48-14, to begin the 2025 college football season. 

It was a night filled with expectation, celebrity appearances and pure hype at Kenan Stadium, as Belichick’s first taste of being a college football head coach started on home turf in Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels were hoping to usher in a new era with a victory to not only notch another first under Belichick’s resume, but get the program heading in the right direction from the jump. 

The Horned Frogs had another thing in mind, though, as they were fazed by the screaming crowd of over 50,000, which included the likes of Randy Moss, Michael Jordan, Roy Williams, Lawrence Taylor and many more. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

The Belichick era began with an impressive North Carolina opening-drive touchdown, as the Tar Heels went 83 yards down the field with Caleb Hood capping it with his first score of the season. 

But it was all TCU after that, scoring 41 unanswered points on their way to an easy victory. 

TOM BRADY DISHES ON THE ‘CHALLENGE’ FOR BILL BELICHICK IN 1ST SEASON AT NORTH CAROLINA

Horned Frogs quarterback Josh Hoover was dicing up the Tar Heels’ defense, and it started with a 27-yard strike to Jordan Dwyer, who was a favorite all night long in the pass game, for a touchdown that tied the game at seven apiece following the extra point. 

TCU got more physical on defense, especially at the line of scrimmage, which hindered what UNC wanted to do when they had possession. The Horned Frogs held them to three straight three-and-outs, while taking the lead with a field goal early in the second quarter. 

Josh Hoover #10 of the TCU Horned Frogs drops back to pass during the first half of the game against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Kenan Stadium on Sept. 1, 2025 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

North Carolina seemed to get some momentum back when Hoover’s pass was too high for his intended receiver, and the Tar Heels’ Kaleb Cost made an acrobatic interception to flip the field. 

But UNC quarterback Gio Lopez gave the ball right back to TCU, and it was in the worst way as veteran safety Bud Clark jumped a route and took the interception 25 yards to the house for a pick-six that made it 17-7. The Horned Frogs would end the half with a short field goal, taking a commanding 20-7 lead into the locker room as the crowd was stunned. 

That feeling wouldn’t end, though, as the very first play of the second half was a 75-yard touchdown run by Horned Frogs star running back Kevorian Barnes, who went untouched down the right sideline to break the game open. 

UNC was unable to come back at that point, as the Horned Frogs continued to run up the score with running back Trent Battle rushing for 28 yards to make it 34-7, and Lopez was sacked by Jonathan Bax, leading his Horned Frogs teammate Devean Deal to scoop up the fumbled football and run it back 37 yards for yet another touchdown. 

North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick on the sidelines in the first quarter at Kenan Stadium on Sept. 1, 2025. (Bob Donnan/Imagn Images)

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At that point, Belichick switched quarterbacks, going with Max Johnson, who led a touchdown drive late in the third quarter to add some points for the Tar Heels. But the game was out of reach, and it’s clear the Tar Heels have much to work on heading into next week. 

Meanwhile, Hoover showed out in front of many NFL scouts, going 27-of-36 for 284 yards with two touchdown passes and one interception thrown. Barnes had 11 carries for 113 yards, while Dwyer hauled in nine receptions for a whopping 136 yards to help TCU’s cause.

No one expected Belichick to immediately turn the program around and get them to compete for a national title, but this was a shocking result to be dominated at home to kick off his collegiate coaching career.  

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