Gilberto Manzano

Joined: Feb 14, 2023

Gilberto Manzano is a staff writer covering the NFL for Sports Illustrated. After starting off as a breaking news writer at NFL.com in 2014, he worked as the Raiders beat reporter for the Las Vegas Review-Journal and covered the Chargers and Rams for the Orange County Register and Los Angeles Daily News. During his time as a combat sports reporter, he was awarded best sports spot story of 2018 by the Nevada Press Association for his coverage of the Conor McGregor-Khabib Nurmagomedov post-fight brawl. Manzano, a first-generation Mexican-American with parents from Nayarit, Mexico, is the cohost of Compas on the Beat, a sports and culture show featuring Mexican-American journalists. He has been a member of the Pro Football Writers of America since 2017.

New England head coach Mike Vrabel talks with officials during a game this season. The league wants more accountability from its referees and believes that adding incentives could lead to better officiating.

NFL

It's an offense-driven league. But with so many standout defenses this year, a defensive-minded team is poised to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.

Patriots quarterback Drake Maye is making one final push to win the NFL's MVP award.

NFL

Josh Allen continues to play at a high level, and a few other quarterbacks have improved their play since the last time we did these rankings.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy threw for five touchdowns in Monday's win over the Colts.

NFL

With Brock Purdy having the offense humming, San Francisco has gone from an overachieving squad into a legitimate threat for the Lombardi Trophy.

In his last four games, Lawrence has 14 total touchdowns and no turnovers as the Jaguars have averaged 35.8 points per game during that stretch.

NFL

The 2021 No. 1 pick has had high expectations for his whole career, and now has Jacksonville looking like a serious playoff threat. Plus, the Lions and Bucs could have serious coaching decisions to make this offseason.

Drake Maye threw for a career-high 380 passing yards in Sunday's 28–24 win over the Ravens.

NFL

Behind MVP candidate Drake Maye, New England showed plenty of toughness with a road comeback in Baltimore to keep pace at the top of the AFC.

Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence was outstanding against the Broncos, toss three touchdowns in their victory on Sunday.

NFL

Jacksonville stops Denver’s 11-game winning streak at Mile High. Plus, Carolina is in position to win the NFC South over the next two weeks.

Chase Brown and Joe Burrow helped the Bengals to a 45–21 win over the Dolphins.

NFL

The duo led the Bengals to a blowout win over the Dolphins. Plus, Puka Nacua and Jaxon Smith-Njigba impressed in the thrilling showdown between the Rams and Seahawks.

Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua drew heavy criticism for his actions on a live stream leading up to Thursday's game against the Seahawks.

NFL

The Rams' star wideout displayed poor judgment in the days leading up to Thursday's game, failing his team and his fans despite his typical production on the field.