Daily Briefing

AROUND THE NFL One week ago, the Patriots commanded the AFC as overwhelming favorites to again represent the conference in the Super Bowl and probable choices to again hoist Lombardi.   This morning, they are haunted and hunted by an emerging Ravens team that will have a tiebreaker advantage to kick them out of Foxborough…

AROUND THE NFL NFC NORTH   GREEN BAY WR DAVANTE ADAMS is almost back.   Green Bay Packers receiver Davante Adams, outfitted with a vintage pair of shoes that he says he thinks will accommodate his turf toe injury, practiced Wednesday for the first time since spraining the ligaments in his right big toe on…

AROUND THE NFL NFC NORTH   CHICAGO Kevin Kaduk of YahooSports.com says the bloom is off the rose for Coach Matt Nagy:   Just what is Matt Nagy really made of?   Had you asked this query last Halloween, the answer would have been much different. With the Bears an unexpected 4-3 last Oct. 31,…

AROUND THE NFL Well, it looks like only one trade went down on Deadline Day – the Rams paid a 5th round pick to the Dolphins to get rid of CB AQIB TALIB.  Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com:   The Dolphins are buyers at the trade deadline. Sort of.   The Rams sent Aqib Talib…

AROUND THE NFL If your default in your weekly picking contest is to pick the home team, you’re probably having a bad year (at least the DB is).  Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com:   Something strange is going on in the NFL this season: There’s a road-field advantage.   Through Sunday’s games, road teams are…

AROUND THE NFL NFC NORTH   DETROIT Just when it looked like the Lions were developing some esprit de corps, the team shipped popular S QUANDRE DIGGS to Seattle.   While most of the Detroit Lions locker room had publicly taken an even-keeled approach to the team’s decision to trade starting safety Quandre Diggs this…

AROUND THE NFL Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com points out that Rams QB JARED GOFF is playing about as well as Bills QB JOSH ALLEN:   Player A: 61.8% completion percentage, 7.0 yards per attempt, 7 INTs Player B: 62.4% completion percentage, 7.0 yards per attempt, 7 INTs   Let’s start with a straightforward comparison. Player…

AROUND THE NFL NFC NORTH   MINNESOTA The short week is going to cost the Vikings the services of WR ADAM THIELEN against the Redskins.  Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com:   Wide receiver Adam Thielen was pushing to play against Washington on Thursday night despite the hamstring injury he suffered against the Lions last Sunday, but…

AROUND THE NFL If The Season Ended Today in the AFC:   1          New England  East     7-0       1          5-0       2          Kansas City     West    5-2       1          4-2       3          Baltimore         North   5-2       1          3-2       4          Indianapolis     South   4-2       1          3-2       5          Buffalo            WC      5-1       2          4-1 6          Houston           WC      4-3      2          3-1       7          Oakland          West    3-3     …

AROUND THE NFL If the Season Ended Today in the NFC, the Cardinals would be closer to the playoffs than the Eagles:                                                  Overall        Div           Conf 1          San Francisco   West     6-0                1          3-0 2          New Orleans     South    6-1                1          4-1 3          Green Bay        North    6-1               1           4-1…

AROUND THE NFL Are MATT RYAN and MATTHEW STAFFORD Hall of Famers?  Be careful before you say no.  This Tweet from Scott Kacsmar:   Fewest games to 40,000 passing yards, NFL history   1. Matt Ryan – 151* 2. Drew Brees – 152 3. Dan Marino – 153 4. Peyton Manning – 154 4. Aaron…

AROUND THE NFL With the trade of CB JALEN RAMSEY, teams have already moved six future first round picks.  Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com:   NFL teams value first-round draft picks, but an increasing number of teams are showing that they’re willing to trade away first-round picks in the future to get a player they…