Oliver Connolly

Senior Editor, Guardian US at The Guardian

Newsletter-er @ReadOptional | Writer @GuardianUS | Previously: NFL/CFB Scout; recruiting analyst

Articles

The Read Optional Pod: 2025 NFL Draft Cornerback Tiers & Evaluations - Part 1

2 weeks ago | jonledyard.substack.com | Jon Ledyard |Oliver Connolly

Jon & Ollie discuss what matters at the cornerback position in today's NFL, before discussing the tiers and evaluations of Travis Hunter, Will Johnson, Ben Morrison, Shavon Revel and Jahdae Barron in Part 1Travis Hunter - How high is the ceiling for Hunter? Is it higher at CB than at WR?
NFL free agency winners and losers: Bucs’ smarts to questions for Bengals

1 month ago | theguardian.com | Oliver Connolly

Winner: Minnesota VikingsThe Vikings letting Sam Darnold walk was the headline-grabber, but they had more intel on him than any other franchise and were happy to turn the keys over to JJ McCarthy rather than bring back the former Jets quarterback on what would have been a manageable contract. It’s the work elsewhere that’s intriguing, though. The Vikings retained starting cornerback Byron Murphy and fortified both sides of the line of scrimmage with tasty, affordable signings.
From nepotism to staggeringly bad contracts: the NFL’s most hopeless franchises

1 month ago | theguardian.com | Oliver Connolly

Five years ago, we looked at the teams vying for the championship belt of incompetence. If a lesson came from the exercise – the Chargers, Commanders and Texans made the list – it’s that a young franchise quarterback can transform a team’s fortunes pretty quickly. The other lesson is that Woody Johnson is a consistently awful owner. Anyway, here’s our latest list of woe. Cleveland BrownsA single decision can detonate a franchise. At the start of the decade, the Browns were fun upstarts.
NFL offseason storylines to watch: Aaron Rodgers’ next team and trades galore

1 month ago | theguardian.com | Oliver Connolly

Will the Rams trade Matthew Stafford? Stafford and the Rams are in another contractual standoff, with Los Angeles giving their quarterback permission to seek a trade. Stafford is set to earn $27m next season, putting him way behind the highest earners at the position. According to reports, Stafford is looking for a new two-year, $110m deal from the Rams that slices the difference between Dak Prescott (who will earn $60m in 2025) and Trevor Lawrence ($52m).
Patrick Mahomes was chasing Super Bowl history. He left humbled and harassed

2 months ago | msn.com | Oliver Connolly

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Patrick Mahomes was chasing Super Bowl history. He left humbled and harassed

2 months ago | theguardian.com | Oliver Connolly

Some losses sting. Others echo throughout a career. The Philadelphia Eagles pummeled the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 in Super Bowl LIX on Sunday, ending any hope of a historic three-peat. It was a humbling. A humiliation. A beatdown for the ages. Most jarring of all, the Chiefs didn’t threaten for a moment. Even the final score is misleading. Late in the third quarter, the Eagles held a 34-0 lead, the largest lead in a Super Bowl since 2014.
Super Bowl 2025 predictions: Picks for Chiefs v Eagles, MVP, score and winners

2 months ago | theguardian.com | Oliver Connolly |Bryan Armen Graham |Melissa Jacobs |Andrew Lawrence |Graham Searles

What the Kansas City Chiefs need to do to winWin the first downs. The Chiefs need to find a way to turn the Eagles into a dropback passing offense. Philly’s passing game can be boom-or-bust, relying on low-percentage shot plays to AJ Brown to keep the chains moving. If Steve Spagnuolo can scheme up something to win the initial down, his front can take over on second and third downs. Oliver ConnollyKeep Mahomes clean.
Barkley, blitzes, refs and a kickers’ battle

2 months ago | msn.com | Oliver Connolly

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Barkley, blitzes, refs and a kickers’ battle

2 months ago | msn.com | Oliver Connolly

Microsoft Cares About Your PrivacyMicrosoft and our third-party vendors use cookies to store and access information such as unique IDs to deliver, maintain and improve our services and ads. If you agree, MSN and Microsoft Bing will personalise the content and ads that you see. You can select ‘I Accept’ to consent to these uses or click on ‘Manage preferences’ to review your options and exercise your right to object to Legitimate Interest where used.
The factors that will decide the Super Bowl: Barkley, blitzes, refs and a kickers’ battle

2 months ago | theguardian.com | Oliver Connolly

The best roster in the NFL versus the league’s best quarterback. Two defensive wizards. Two offenses that hold on to the ball for a long, loooooong time, prioritizing efficiency and ball security above all else. This year’s Super Bowl will probably be a tight, low-scoring affair. Let’s look at the key questions that will determine the outcome of the big game. Can the Chiefs slow down Barkley? Barkley has put together one of the greatest seasons in NFL history.