THE DAILY BRIEFING
| NFC NORTH |
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GREEN BAY
The Packers have secured CB JAIRE ALEXANDER. Tom Silverstein of PackersNews.com crunches the numbers:
The four-year, $84 million contract extension cornerback Jaire Alexander signed Wednesday will give the Green Bay Packers $6.218 million in salary-cap relief this year, but his cap number will jump considerably in 2023.
Like most contracts the Packers have done this offseason, Alexander’s deal is structured in a way that costs them far less against the cap than it will in future years. The Packers are doing everything they can to stay competitive this year knowing that quarterback Aaron Rodgers will return, but it has come at the cost of pushing a lot of cap money into the future.
According to a source with access to the contract, Alexander’s cap number will be $7.076 million this year, down from the $13.294 million fifth-year option total he was set to receive. In ’23, Alexander’s cap number jumps to $20 million and then steadily increases to $22 million in ’24, $23.5 million in ’25 and $25.5 million in ’26.
The Packers, like the other 31 NFL teams, are expecting a big increase in the salary-cap limit next year due to the massive new television and gambling sponsorship deals that are set to kick in. The $208.2 million cap in ’22 could jump to $230 million or more in ’23.
Some of the big cap numbers the Packers will have next season belong to Aaron Rodgers ($31.6 million), David Bakhtiari ($29 million), Kenny Clark ($23.97 million), Aaron Jones ($20 million) and Preston Smith ($13.04 million). Those players plus Alexander account for $137 million in cap charges next year.
Alexander’s deal includes a $30 million signing bonus, as was widely reported when the agreement was made. It is the only guaranteed money in the contract, so while Alexander jumps Cleveland’s Denzel Ward ($20.1 million) and the Los Angeles Rams’ Jalen Ramsey ($20 million) for the largest yearly average, he did not receive the same fully guaranteed totals for Ward ($44.5 million) and Ramsey ($43.7 million).
Alexander has a base salary of $1.076 million to go with the $30 million signing bonus in ’22. He’ll have a base salary of $1.2 million, a roster bonus of $11.45 million, a per-game bonus worth a maximum $650,000 and a $700,000 workout bonus in ’23.
Because it would take a career-ending injury for Alexander not to receive the roster bonus in ’23, his likely guarantee is $41.45 million. Ward and Ramsey both have practical guarantees — money which is guaranteed against injury or becomes guaranteed if they are on the roster in March of a given year — of around $71 million. |
|
MINNESOTA
Today’s fun game –
@3RonJohnson
Can you name 10 #NFL QBs you’d rather have over #Vikings current QB Kirk Cousins?
I don’t think you can honestly do that…
@ShannonSharpe
Brady,Burrow, Rodgers,Herbert, Mahomes, Stafford, Wilson, Watson, Allen and Murray. That enough?
Well, the DB isn’t sure they want Watson, with his baggage and likely suspension, for 2022. And Murray, while often brilliant, presents some management challenges that Cousins does not.
Here are more thoughts from Steve Silver:
Replying to @ShannonSharpe
I’d also include Lamar/Dak, and could go either way with Carr/Ryan. Also, if you also factor in how much $ he’s making, guys with cheaper deals and higher upside like Trevor Lawrence, Mac Jones, Jalen Hurts, Justin Fields, Trey Lance, and Zach Wilson would be more appealing.
So, we would say there seven clearly better – Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Justin Herbert, Joe Burrow and Russell Wilson. Probably Matthew Stafford and Dak Prescott as well.
Then the conversation is between Cousins, Deshaun Watson and his baggage, Lamar Jackson, Derek Carr and Kyler Murray. We think Matt Ryan has faded below the line. Can’t think Tannehill after his playoff game. And remember there were times that Jared Goff and Carson Wentz would have been in the top 10. Could Jameis Winston get there?
Some of the young guns – Lawrence, Zach Wilson and Jalen Hurts seem the most likely – could intrude on the conversation by season’s end. Tua? Mac? Sneaky Davis Mills? Justin Fields?
No contenders for top 10 with Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Atlanta, Seattle. Giants and Carolina.
How about the AFC West with three of the top seven – and Carr lurking just outside.
– – –
Can Coach Kevin O’Connell salvage QB KELLEN MOND, who was not a favorite of departed Coach Mike Zimmer? Nick Shook of NFL.com:
Kellen Mond’s 2021 season ended with his coach telling reporters he’d seen enough of him.
Fast-forward to 2022, where Mond has a new coach and a new perspective. Instead of being stuck in the bottom-of-the-depth-chart doghouse under Mike Zimmer, new Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell is giving Mond plenty of opportunities to earn the backup job behind Kirk Cousins.
As of Friday, Mond is doing a solid job in shorts, jerseys and helmets.
“Kellen’s having a good spring so far, working incredibly hard, digesting the system,” O’Connell said Thursday. “He made a couple of checks yesterday at the line of scrimmage that he wasn’t prepared play-by-play for … he just kind of instinctively did that. Those are the little things you look for.”
The description from O’Connell is more important than the actual production at this stage of the offseason, primarily because it’s a significant departure from the tone Zimmer took regarding Mond in the coach’s final days with the Vikings. Instead of essentially leaving behind Mond’s development for more immediate needs — an understandable approach for a coach who was likely feeling his seat get warmer with each day — O’Connell recognizes the potential gains to be made by Mond at this time of the year.
Mond arrived in Minnesota via a 2021 third-round pick and excited Vikings fans looking for a reason to have faith in a future beyond Cousins. But as the season progressed and it became clearer Zimmer might end up out of a job, the long-term work on Mond took a back seat. Instead, it was about being prepared to win the next game with Cousins and veteran backup Sean Mannion.
A new regime means a longer leash, though, which fits with Mond’s developmental timeline. We’re not saying he’s about to take Cousins’ job — he’s not — but it should make Vikings fans feel better about the potential of Mond, who sure seemed like an afterthought for much of 2021. |
| NFC EAST |
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NEW YORK GIANTS
A make or break year for QB DANIEL JONES. Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com:
Giants quarterback Daniel Jones is heading into the final year of his contract after the team declined their option on his deal for the 2023 season, but he said Thursday that the contract situation isn’t weighing too heavily on his mind as he prepares for September.
Jones said “it is what it is” when asked his feelings about a decision that was “out of my control, out of my hands” this offseason. Jones said that his focus is on preparing to play as well as he can because that will set the wheels in motion for another contract with the Giants or someone else.
“I think it’s more about winning games and knowing that if we win games and we have a good season then that’s going to take care of a lot of things for everyone,” Jones said. ”Everything we do is about that goal.”
Jones said that he’s confident that he can accomplish his goals in the months to come. The Giants are taking a more cautious approach that will cost them a bit more if Jones finally cleans up his game and leads them to a winning season, but that will likely be fine with them if it means the end of life in the cellar of the NFL.
What the new Giants coaches are doing about it from Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com:
New York Giants coach Brian Daboll doesn’t want Daniel Jones holding back. Instead, he’s promoting a more aggressive approach that encourages his new quarterback to get out on the field and sling the ball around without hesitation or fear of a mistake.
Especially in practice.
“Yeah, look, we want to make sure we protect the ball,” Daboll said before the Giants’ third on-field OTA practice on Thursday afternoon. “But again, you can’t go out there and play afraid. Be smart, not reckless, if you will. If he’s got a shot on the right read, let it go.
“There’s going to be things that happen in every game. The defense is going to make a good play, there might be a tipped ball. We’re going to have to do a good job of taking care of the football, but I want him to turn it loose.”
It’s a change from the past couple years, when Jones was working tirelessly on eliminating turnovers. That seemed to breed a more conservative approach with fewer turnovers, specifically interceptions. Jones threw 17 interceptions the past two seasons, tied for 20th in the NFL.
Josh Allen, who had Daboll as his offensive coordinator in Buffalo, threw 25 interceptions during that same span, tied for second-most among all quarterbacks. Allen also threw 75 touchdown passes and was an MVP candidate both seasons.
“The facts were we were turning the ball over a lot. I was turning the ball over a lot,” said Jones, who has 49 total turnovers since entering the league in 2019, tied for third-most in the NFL. “But I don’t know. I think as a quarterback you have to be able to do both — you have to be aggressive, take shots, but also protect the ball. It’s finding the balance there and the best guys can do that. So I’m always working to improve that piece of the decision-making process and being smart.”
Daboll, in his first offseason as a head coach, isn’t trying to reprogram his quarterback completely. He’s just looking to find a suitable middle ground that includes some of the aggressiveness that Jones showed in his first professional season under coach Pat Shurmur and the more responsible version that existed the past two years under playcallers Jason Garrett and Freddie Kitchens.
Mike Kafka, who was being groomed (in a good way) by Andy Reid in Kansas City, is a key addition to the Giants staff. Ed Valentine of BigBlueReview.com:
Mike Kafka had a good thing going with the Kansas City Chiefs. He was quarterbacks coach/passing game coordinator for a team with Patrick Mahomes at quarterback. The Chiefs were in the Super Bowl twice, winning once, and made the playoffs all five seasons Kafka was there. He was learning under offensive mastermind Andy Reid.
So, why did the 34-year-old Kakfa leave the Chiefs for the New York Giants? That is a team with five straight double-digit loss seasons. The Giants have a new GM. A new head coach with an offensive background who will have a big say in the offensive design and might call the plays.
So, why, Mike? Why were the Giants the right step on a career path that began as a rarely used backup quarterback who was drafted in the fourth round by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2010?
“Yes,” Kafka said, admitting it was not easy to leave the Chiefs. “It was an awesome experience.
“But this opportunity was something that was special to me and my family. It wasn’t just something I took on a whim. I wasn’t just going to go to any team. It had to be built the right way with the people, the Mara family, Dabes, Joe (Schoen), the players that we had here. So it was all that encompassed.”
Still, though, while he will be offensive coordinator this will not be entirely Kafka’s system. He might not even be the play-caller.
“Right now in Phase 3, we’re just taking it kind of day by day,” Kafka said. “I’m calling the plays for the quarterbacks in practice, and then we’ll let Dabs evaluate that, and he has every right to evaluate how he wants to handle that.”
Kafka admitted that “of course” he would like to be the play caller.
“I think every offensive coordinator aspires to call plays, so yes,” Kafka said.
For now, though, Daboll, Kafka and the rest of the offensive coaching staff are going about melding what they have learned into a system that tries to fit Daniel Jones, Saquon Barkley, Kadarius Toney, Wan’Dale Robinson and the rest of the Giants’ offensive personnel.
“We’re working through that right now. I’d say Mike has contributed very positive in terms of additions and plays. So have the other coaches. Mike Groh has been around some different spots, and DeAndre (Smith) is coming from college and has some unique things, and Bisch (Andy Bischoff) was at Baltimore,” Daboll said. “We’re trying to put together a package that we think our players do best. That’s what we’re trying to find out out here. Obviously there’s no pads, so we’re still a work in progress. But I said it last week, Mike is a really smart guy. He’s done a really good job of leading that room as the offensive coordinator and in the meetings and out here on the practice field, and we’re lucky to have him.”
The success of the Kansas City offense, of course, played a role in Kafka landing with the Giants.
“I would say that we never worked together or had a close relationship but had a lot of respect for what he did with Patrick (Mahomes) and obviously the system they used at Kansas City was an explosive system, spread the field, get your playmakers in space, and that’s the type of offense that I subscribe to,” Daboll said. “He’s had a lot of success where he’s come from. We’ve done some stuff there where I came from. But at the end of the day none of that really matters. We’ve got to figure out who our guys do best, and if that’s a change in philosophy based on what we have or don’t have, that’s what we’ve got to do as a staff.”
Kafka called the process of trying to bring together ideas from highly successful, but different, offensive systems has been “interesting.”
“So when I was in New England [as a player] with him, obviously the grassroots of it are kind of built from that system, but it’s evolved so much since that time,” Kafka said. “Really when I came in here, we were kind of starting to talk about the offense and realized how similar it really was to when we were in Kansas City. Some of the verbiage is different, but that has been a great process. We understand the concepts, we understand how we want to get it done, now it’s just about communicating it and tightening it up and making it simple for the players.”
He never directly answers why he left the Chiefs.
Is “special to me and my family” code for a lot more money? |
| NFC SOUTH |
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TAMPA BAY
Are there any records and milestones left for QB TOM BRADY? Greg Auman of The Athletic finds a few:
You would think, entering his 23rd NFL season and set to turn 45 in August, that Tom Brady would have just about every NFL passing record there is to be had.
And in fairness, he does.
But no need to weep: There are still worlds to conquer, or at least a few more obscure records and milestones within reach. Brady is the NFL’s all-time leader in passing yards, touchdowns, attempts and completions, not to mention the seven Super Bowl championships.
None of these is quite that historic, but here are five to watch.
First to 100,000 total passing yards
This is an incredibly big number by NFL historical standards — consider that when Brady entered the league, Dan Marino had the most career passing yards (including playoffs) at 65,871.
Brady is the league’s regular-season passing leader at 84,520 and easily the playoff leader with another 13,049 yards, so that puts him at 97,569 entering the 2022 season. That means he needs only 2,431 to reach 100,000 for his career. If you use his 2021 stats as a reference point (313 yards per game), he would pass 100,000 in Week 8. The Bucs are home in Week 8 (Ravens) and Week 9 (Rams), so there’s a good chance he’ll get to pass the milestone in his home stadium.
He’d have to average at least 347 yards per game to do it before those two games, and fewer than 270 per game to not hit the mark before Week 10, when the Bucs head to Germany to face the Seahawks in Munich.
If it isn’t clear how enormous 100,000 career passing yards is, here’s more context: If Brady’s 2022 is close to his 2021 season, he’ll finish the year with more career passing yards than John Elway and Joe Montana (six Super Bowl wins between them) had combined (102,762).
Most career fourth-quarter comebacks and game-winning drives
These are pretty cool records to have. Brady is one behind Peyton Manning (43) for the most fourth-quarter comebacks in NFL history. Brady has 42, including three last season, rallying the Bucs from behind in the fourth quarter for wins against the Cowboys, Patriots and Jets.
His dominance with the Patriots made for fewer comeback opportunities, so even if he claims this record, it could be broken in the next five years. Within reasonable range is Matthew Stafford, who has 34 at age 34. We’ll also mention Matt Ryan, who has 33 fourth-quarter comeback wins at age 37.
Brady can also pass Manning for the most career game-winning drives — that’s basically fourth-quarter comebacks plus games in which his team was tied in the fourth quarter and he led the team to the game-winning score. Manning has 54, and Brady is tied for second with the now-retired Drew Brees and Ben Roethlisberger at 53.
Brady has eight game-winning drives in his two years in Tampa, matching the highest two-year total from any point in his NFL career (2002 to 2003). He had as many last season (five) as in his final three seasons with the Patriots combined from 2017 to 2019.
Bucs career passing TD leader, in just three years
Tampa Bay hasn’t had a great quarterback history, yes, but it’s fairly impressive that Brady made his Bucs debut at age 43 and could still become the franchise’s all-time leader in touchdown passes this fall.
That’s what he’ll do if he has a 2022 season close to his first two in Tampa — he had a team-record 40 touchdown passes in his first year and reset that mark with 43 last season. The career franchise record belongs to Jameis Winston, who had his 121 in five years from 2015 to ’19. Brady has 83 regular-season touchdown passes in two years, so he’ll need 39 to break Winston’s record.
Brady also already has 13 touchdown passes in the playoffs, and all other quarterbacks in Bucs history have combined for 10.
Another “Brady good, Bucs QB history bad” note to keep track of: If the Bucs can somehow go 14-3 this season with Brady starting all of the victories, he’ll match the team record for career regular-season wins by a starting quarterback.
He has a 24-9 record, tied for fifth-most wins with Josh Freeman (24-35) and Vinny Testaverde (24-48). As long as he’s healthy, Brady should pass Brad Johnson (26-23), Winston (28-42) and Doug Williams (33-33-1). The record belongs to Trent Dilfer, who went 38-38 as a Bucs starter, and Brady could catch that in just three years.
Most career times sacked
We wrote about the potential for Brady to break this dubious record last year — the career mark entering 2021 was held by Brett Favre, who was sacked 525 times (remembering that sacks weren’t an official statistic until 1982). Brady entered the 2021 season with 521, while Roethlisberger entered with 516.
So Brady passed Favre in Week 3 of last season, but Roethlisberger had a long year and caught up to Brady in Week 10. Roethlisberger was sacked 38 times last year, compared to Brady’s 22, so he has 554 in retirement, while Brady has 543. It would be hard for Brady to stay healthy and not break the record. He was sacked 22 times last season and 21 in 2020, and he needs only 12 to retake the record.
Brady might not keep the record too long, as Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers has been sacked 498 times, so he would likely catch up and pass him if he plays two seasons after Brady retires. And if you include unofficial sacks (pre-1982) since the NFL/AFL merger, Pro Football Reference has Fran Tarkenton with 571 sacks. As long as Brady doesn’t get sacked 28 times, he’ll finish the year below that total.
Also in reach: 250 regular-season wins, 50 playoff games
Brady has the NFL quarterback records for most wins in the regular season (243) and in the playoffs (35), but he can be the first to big milestones. He needs seven wins to hit 250 in the regular season, and as a larger challenge, he needs to play in three playoff games to be the first with 50 in his career.
For sheer longevity, Brady has already played in more games (including playoffs) than any non-specialist in NFL history. He enters 2022 with 365 career games (318 regular season, 47 playoff), and that puts him fourth all time, within reach of kicker Gary Anderson (375) this season. Kicker Morten Andersen is another year away with 393, and Brady’s old Patriots teammate, kicker Adam Vinatieri, has the record with 397, which Brady could catch late in the 2023 season if he is still playing. |
| AFC WEST |
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DENVER
Broncos schedule 2022 (all times Eastern)
Week 1: 9/12 (Mon) at Seahawks 8:15 PM, ESPN/ABC
Week 2: 9/18 Texans 4:25 PM, CBS
Week 3: 9/25 49ers 8:20 PM, NBC
Week 4: 10/2 at Raiders 4:25 PM, CBS
Week 5: 10/6 (Thur) Colts 8:15 PM, Amazon
Week 6: 10/17 (Mon) at Chargers 8:15 PM, ESPN
Week 7: 10/23 Jets 4:05 PM, CBS
Week 8: 10/30 at Jaguars (London) 9:30 AM, ESPN+
Week 9: BYE
Week 10: 11/13 at Titans 1 PM, CBS
Week 11: 11/20 Raiders 4:05 PM, Fox
Week 12: 11/27 at Panthers 1 PM, Fox
Week 13: 12/4 at Ravens 1 PM, CBS
Week 14: 12/11 Chiefs 8:20 PM, NBC
Week 15: 12/18 Cardinals 4:05 PM, Fox
Week 16: 12/25 at Rams 4:30 PM, CBS/Nickelodeon
Week 17: 1/1 at Chiefs 1 PM, CBS
Week 18: 1/7 or 1/8 Chargers TBD
SCHEDULE NOTES: RUSSELL WILSON will make his 81st start in Seattle to start the season…His Week 2 start vs. the Texans will be his 2nd in Denver…National exposure for the Broncos in 5 of their first 8 games…They don’t play the Chiefs for the first time until Week 14…Which is 3 weeks after they are done with the Raiders…They get the Jaguars in London on Halloween weekend…They play Christmas Day at the Rams…Week 12 at Panthers is the “17th game.”
This from Mike Florio:
NFL executive Onnie Bose pointed out that the Broncos appear in seven stand-alone windows in 2022, with five prime-time games, an early-morning game in London, and the ratings-magnet of the middle slot on Christmas Day, at the Rams.
“Kind of an interesting level of exposure for the Broncos this year,” Bose said.
Indeed it is, given that the Broncos last played a postseason game when Peyton Manning limped into the sunset with a Lombardi Trophy under his arm.
The Broncos, contrary to North’s declaration, did not play their way into seven stand-alone windows. The NFL has made a wager that Denver’s trade for Russell Wilson will goose Denver into contender status — even as they find themselves in the toughest division in the NFL, perhaps one of the best collections of four teams the NFL has ever seen.
But the NFL has structured the slate in a way that minimizes the risk. Four of the stand-alone Denver games are in the first six weeks of the season, with two Mondays, a Sunday night, and a Thursday. The Week 14 Sunday night visit from the Chiefs can be flexed out, if necessary.
The only real risk comes from the middle spot on Christmas Day. But even if the Broncos aren’t as good as the league office apparently expects them to be, it’s a captive audience. It will deliver eyeballs and ratings. And if the NFL’s bet on the Broncos pays off, it could deliver those metrics in huge numbers. |
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KANSAS CITY
Chiefs schedule 2022 (all times Eastern)
Week 1: 9/11 at Cardinals 4:25 PM, CBS
Week 2: 9/15 (Thur) Chargers 8:15 PM, Amazon
Week 3: 9/25 at Colts 1 PM, CBS
Week 4: 10/2 (Sun nt) at Buccaneers 8:20 PM, NBC
Week 5: 10/10 (Mon) Raiders 8:15 PM, ESPN
Week 6: 10/16 Bills 4:25 PM, CBS
Week 7: 10/23 at 49ers 4:25 PM, Fox
Week 8: BYE
Week 9: 11/6 (Sun nt) Titans 8:20 PM, NBC
Week 10: 11/13 Jaguars 1 PM, CBS
Week 11: 11/20 at Chargers 4:25 PM, CBS
Week 12: 11/27 Rams 4:25 PM, Fox
Week 13: 12/4 at Bengals 4:25 PM, CBS
Week 14: 12/11 (Sun nt) at Broncos 8:20 PM, NBC
Week 15: 12/18 at Texans 1 PM, CBS
Week 16: 12/24 Seahawks 1 PM, Fox
Week 17: 1/1 Broncos 1 PM, CBS
Week 18: 1/7 or 1/8 at Raiders TBD
SCHEDULE NOTES: The 5 primetime games include 3 on Sunday night…All 6 of the 4:25 games appear destined for wide distribution, including the Week 7 visit to SF that is flexed to FOX from the traditional CBS inventory…The have a 3-game road trip early in December and play 4 of the last 5 on the road…But they also play 3 of the first 4 on the road before a run of 4 of 5 at home…The first meeting with Denver isn’t until Week 14…Only five games currently in the early Sunday window, and 3 are in the final 3 scheduled weeks…The big “17th game” is Kansas City at Tampa Bay in Week 4. |
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LAS VEGAS
Raiders schedule 2022 (all times Eastern)
Week 1: 9/11 at Chargers 4:25 PM, CBS
Week 2: 9/18 Cardinals 4:25 PM, CBS
Week 3: 9/25 at Titans 1 PM, Fox
Week 4: 10/2 Broncos 4:25 PM, CBS
Week 5: 10/10 (Mon) at Chiefs 8:15 PM, ESPN
Week 6: BYE
Week 7: 10/23 Texans 4:05 PM, CBS
Week 8: 10/30 at Saints 1 PM, CBS
Week 9: 11/6 at Jaguars 1 PM, CBS
Week 10: 11/13 Colts 4:05 PM, CBS
Week 11: 11/20 at Broncos 4:05 PM, Fox
Week 12: 11/27 at Seahawks 4:05 PM, CBS
Week 13: 12/4 Chargers 4:25 PM, CBS
Week 14: 12/8 (Thur) at Rams 8:15 PM, Amazon
Week 15: 12/18 (Sun nt) Patriots 8:20 PM, NBC
Week 16: 12/24 at Steelers 8:15 PM, NFL Network
Week 17: 1/1 49ers 4:05 PM, Fox
Week 18: 1/7 or 1/8 Chiefs TBD
SCHEDULE NOTES: The NFL gives the Raiders a mundane schedule until December, then pops them with three straight primetime games including Christmas Eve…The Division games are rather early, first meetings in 3 of the first 4 weeks, then done with the Broncos and Chargers by Week 13…The Saints in Week 8 represent the “17thgame”…There is a Monday Night game in Kansas City in Week 5 before the early bye…4 of 5 on the road starting on Halloween weekend…3 of the last 4 at home…Plenty of CBS games early, then none scheduled after Week 13. |
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LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
Chargers schedule 2022 (all times Eastern)
Week 1: 9/11 Raiders 4:25, CBS
Week 2: 9/15 (Thur) at Chiefs (Thursday) 8:15 PM, Amazon Prime Video
Week 3: 9/25 Jaguars 4:05 PM, CBS
Week 4: 10/2 at Texans 1 PM, CBS
Week 5: 10/9 at Browns 1 PM, CBS
Week 6: 10/17 (Mon) Broncos 8:15 PM, ESPN
Week 7: 10/23 Seahawks 4:25 PM, Fox
Week 8: BYE
Week 9: 11/6 at Falcons 1 PM, Fox
Week 10: 11/13 (Sun nt) at 49ers 8:20 PM, NBC
Week 11: 11/20 Chiefs 4:25 PM, CBS
Week 12: 11/27 at Cardinals 4:05 PM, CBS
Week 13: 12/4 at Raiders 4:25 PM, CBS
Week 14: 12/11 Dolphins 4:05 PM, CBS
Week 15: 12/18 Titans 4:25 PM, CBS
Week 16: 12/26 (Mon) at Colts 8:15 PM, ESPN
Week 17: 1/1 (Sun nt) Rams 8:20 PM, NBC
Week 18: 1/7 or 1/8 at Broncos TBD
SCHEDULE NOTES: The NFL gives the Chargers the maximum 5 primetime games – and they are the team for all seasons with a game in 5 different months (although Weeks 16 and 17 are in consecutive months)….The division games are NOT backloaded with just Week 18 at Denver in the final five…They start with a pair of division foes…The “17thgame” is Week 9 at Atlanta after the mid-year bye…That Falcons game starts a run of 4 of 5 on the road, but the other trips are in the West. |
| AFC NORTH |
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BALTIMORE
P SAM KOCH has retired. The Athletic:
Baltimore Ravens punter Sam Koch announced his retirement from the NFL Thursday.
Baltimore selected Koch in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. Since then, he’s played more games in franchise history than any other Raven, 256, and only missed one game in his entire 16-year career.
He made the Pro Bowl in 2015, and owns nearly all of the Ravens’ punting records, including longest punt (74) and yards per punt (45.3).
Without Koch, Baltimore will turn to rookie Jordan Stout, who the team selected in the fourth-round of the 2022 NFL Draft out of Penn State.
What has Koch meant to the franchise over his career?
Jeff Zrebiec, Ravens beat writer: The Ravens have perennially had one of the best special teams units and kicking batteries in the NFL and Koch was a big part of that. His consistency as a punter and how he contributed to the evolution of punting league wide are well documented. However, what stands out most about Koch is just how reliable he was and that goes beyond punting.
Jerry Rosburg, the well-respected former Ravens special teams coordinator, has long said that Koch is the best holder in the history of the NFL. Koch had a major impact on Justin Tucker’s development into the league’s best kicker. No matter what it was, flipping the field in a key part of the game, getting the ball down for a game-winning field-goal attempt or even completing a pass on a fake punt, Koch came through for the Ravens in big moments.
– – –
Ravens schedule 2022 (all times Eastern)
Week 1: 9/11 at Jets 1 p.m., CBS
Week 2: 9/18 Dolphins 1 p.m., CBS
Week 3: 9/25 at Patriots 1 p.m., Fox
Week 4: 10/2 Bills 1 p.m., CBS
Week 5: 10/9 (Sun nt) Bengals 8:20 p.m., NBC
Week 6: 10/16 at Giants 1 p.m., CBS
Week 7: 10/23 Browns 1 p.m., CBS
Week 8: 10/27 (Thur) at Buccaneers 8:15 p.m., Amazon
Week 9: 11/7 (Mon) at Saints 8:15 p.m., ESPN
Week 10: BYE
Week 11: 11/20 Panthers 1 p.m., Fox
Week 12: 11/27 Jaguars 1 p.m., CBS
Week 13: 12/4 Broncos 1 p.m., CBS
Week 14: 12/11 at Steelers 1 p.m., CBS
Week 15: 12/17 or 18 at Browns TBD
Week 16: 12/24 Falcons 1 p.m., Fox
Week 17: 1/1 Steelers 1 p.m., CBS
Week 18: 1/7 or 8 at Bengals TBD
SCHEDULE NOTES: The Ravens get 3 primetime games, packed into a 5-week span in the early middle of the season – and other than that they play only in the early Sunday window (as now scheduled)…Not a single 4:25 game with CBS or FOX…Baltimore gets a mini-bye (Thursday, then off to the following Monday – and that comes right before the regular Week 10 bye…Their “17th game” is Week 6 with the Giants…Baltimore at Cleveland is a game that can be flexed to Saturday in Week 15 – just like it was last year…They don’t see the Steelers until Week 14 and 4 of their last 5 are division games…They play all 4 teams in the AFC East in the first 4 weeks, before they have played one of their 6 division matchups. |
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CINCINNATI
Bengals schedule 2022 (all times Eastern)
Week 1: 9/11 Steelers 1 p.m., CBS
Week 2: 9/18 at Cowboys 4:25 p.m., CBS
Week 3: 9/25 at Jets 1 p.m., CBS
Week 4: 9/29 (Thur) Dolphins 8:15 p.m., Amazon
Week 5: 10/9 (Sun nt) at Ravens 8:20 p.m., NBC
Week 6: 10/16 at Saints 1 p.m., CBS
Week 7: 10/23 Falcons 1 p.m., Fox
Week 8: 10/31 (Mon) at Browns 8:15 p.m., ESPN
Week 9: 11/6 Panthers 1 p.m., Fox
Week 10: BYE
Week 11: 11/20 at Steelers 8:20 p.m., NBC
Week 12: 11/27 at Titans 1 p.m., CBS
Week 13: 12/4 Chiefs 4:25 p.m., CBS
Week 14: 12/11 Browns 1 p.m., CBS
Week 15: 12/18 at Buccaneers 4:25 p.m., CBS
Week 16: 12/24 at Patriots 1 p.m., CBS
Week 17: 1/2 (Mon) Bills 8:30 p.m., ESPN/ABC
Week 18: 1/7 or 8 Ravens TBD
SCHEDULE NOTES: The NFL treated the Bengals with more respect than they sometimes show for Super Bowl losers. Cincinnati gets 4 primetime games and their three most attractive games of the year show up in CBS’ 4:25 window (at Dallas, Chiefs, at Buccaneers). For example, the 2019 Falcons had 3 primetime games, no games at 4…Bills at Bengals in Week 17 is the final Monday Night game…The division games are well spread out with only Week 18 with the Ravens among the final four…That Week 18 game with Baltimore strikes us a good candidate for the final Sunday night flex. |
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CLEVELAND
Real Sports With HBO is going to give us the faces and words of some of QB DESHAUN WATSON’s accusers. Mike Florio:
As the NFL moves inevitably toward deciding whether to suspend Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson for some or all of the 2022 season, or whether to wait until the 22 civil lawsuits pending against him have resolved, some of his accusers will be speaking out.
“Several” of the women who have accused Watson of sexual misconduct during massage sessions have been interviewed by HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel. Soledad O’Brien serves as the reporter on the story.
Per a press release from HBO, the women “detail the alleged abuse they suffering and share their reactions to” Watson’s $230 million contract with the Browns.
The show debuts Tuesday, May 24, at 10:00 p.m. ET.
As time passes, the contract and trade that acted like Watson’s issues were all in the past seems more problematic.
What about QB BAKER MAYFIELD?
Three weeks after the draft, quarterback Baker Mayfield continues to be on the Cleveland roster. That likely will continue to be the case.
Jeff Howe of TheAthletic.com reports that a “holding pattern” exists as to Mayfield.
Howe reports that the Panthers and Seahawks remain interested in Mayfield. The problem continues to be the amount of Mayfield’s $18.8 million guaranteed salary that Cleveland will pay, and that his next employer will carry.
Mayfield can play, if heathy. He’s currently not healthy, which reduces the urgency to resolve things.
Then there’s the Deshaun Watson situation. If Watson ends up being suspended for a significant piece of the season, the Browns may need Mayfield. Before they can do that, however, they need to rebuild the bridge to Baker.
That may be impossible. But that’s what the Browns should be doing. Both sides ultimately may need each other, and Mayfield’s best option could be to play for the Browns instead of the Seahawks or the Panthers. Mayfield may need some persuading to get there.
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Browns schedule 2022 (all times Eastern)
Week 1: 9/11 at Panthers 1 p.m., CBS
Week 2: 9/18 Jets 1 p.m., CBS
Week 3: 9/22 (Thur) Steelers (Thursday) 8:15 p.m. Amazon
Week 4: 10/2 at Falcons 1 p.m., CBS
Week 5: 10/9 Chargers 1 p.m., CBS
Week 6: 10/16 Patriots 1 p.m., CBS
Week 7: 10/23 at Ravens 1 p.m., CBS
Week 8: 10/31 (Mon) Bengals 8:15 p.m., ESPN
Week 9: BYE
Week 10: 11/13 at Dolphins 1 p.m., CBS
Week 11: 11/20 at Bills 1 p.m. CBS
Week 12: 11/27 Buccaneers 1 p.m., Fox
Week 13: 12/4 at Texans 1 p.m., CBS
Week 14: 12/11 at Bengals 1 p.m., CBS
Week 15: TBD Ravens TBD
Week 16: 12/24 Saints 1 p.m., CBS
Week 17: 1/1 at Commanders 1 p.m., Fox
Week 18: 1/7 or 8 at Steelers TBD,
SCHEDULE NOTES: The NFL upgraded Denver’s schedule significantly for Russell Wilson, but Cleveland’s is pretty bland despite Deshaun Watson being in the program…Their two national games, against division rivals, are in the first 8 weeks (when Watson might still be suspended by NFL Justice)…4 of the 8 home games are in the first 6 weeks, so Watson might only greet his new home fans four times…A potential Watson match with Tom Brady is an early FOX game on Thanksgiving weekend…The Browns are scheduled for 13 (could be up to 2 more) early Sunday games (11 on CBS)…3 of the last 5 are versus division foes…4 of the last 6 are on the road…The “17th game” is Week 17 at Washington. |
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PITTSBURGH
Steelers schedule 2022 (all times Eastern)
Week 1: 9/11 at Bengals 1 p.m., CBS
Week 2: 9/18 Patriots 1 p.m., CBS
Week 3: 9/22 (Thur) at Browns 8:15 p.m., Amazon
Week 4: 10/2 Jets 1 p.m., CBS
Week 5: 10/9 at Bills 1 p.m., CBS
Week 6: 10/16 Buccaneers 1 p.m., Fox
Week 7: 10/23 (Sun) at Dolphins 8:20 p.m., NBC
Week 8: 10/30 at Eagles 1 p.m., CBS
Week 9: BYE
Week 10: 11/13 Saints 1 p.m., Fox
Week 11: 11/20 (Sun nt) Bengals 8:20 p.m., NBC
Week 12: 11/28 (Mon) at Colts 8:15 p.m., ESPN
Week 13: 12/4 at Falcons 1 p.m., CBS
Week 14: 12/11 Ravens 1 p.m., ET
Week 15: 12/18 at Panthers 1 p.m. CBS
Week 16: 12/24 (Sun nt) Raiders 8:15 p.m., NFL Network
Week 17: 1/1 at Ravens 1 p.m., CBS
Week 18: 1/7 or 8 Browns TBD
SCHEDULE NOTES: How would the NFL treat the 2022 Steelers – one of the top brands with a sub-optimal QB situation and an otherwise middle-of-the-road outlook? Well, they treated them like they were the same-old Steelers with a max of 5 primetime games (one is a flexible Sunday game in November)…We wouldn’t think that Christmas Eve with the Raiders is allowed to be flexed…Both games with the rival Ravens are in December…Although they got the full primetime treatment, they don’t show up a single time in the late doubleheader window for CBS…The “17th game” is Week 8 with their Pennsylvania neighbors, the Eagles. |
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THIS AND THAT |
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AFC PRIORITIES
Marc Sessler of NFL.com on what remains on the to-do lists of the AFC teams:
Baltimore Ravens
Top priority: Add proven help at wideout
Trading away Marquise “Hollywood” Brown to Arizona left the Ravens wanting at wideout. The team believes second-year target Rashod Bateman can step into the top spot, especially with star tight end Mark Andrews drawing heavy attention as a chaos-causing red-zone machine. The next guys up, Devin Duvernay and James Proche, combined for sub-500 yards a year ago. Tylan Wallace notched two grabs as a rookie. How about adding Will Fuller to the mix to recapture some of Brown’s deep-threat speed? Baltimore remains a tricky landing spot for wideouts — Hollywood begged out of Greg Roman’s run-heavy system — but the Ravens of today are leaning heavily on potential over proof.
Buffalo Bills
Top priority: Fitting Ken Dorsey into Brian Daboll’s shoes
The Bills do things right. When Brian Daboll left his perch as master play-caller to take over as head coach of the Giants, Buffalo refused to flinch. Instead of bringing in a brain from outside, quarterbacks coach/passing game coordinator Ken Dorsey was handed the reins. It suggests a smooth transition as Dorsey has been joined at the hip with MVP candidate Josh Allen since 2019. Still, unknowns linger. Will Dorsey’s in-game play-calling match Daboll’s stretches of magic? Will he opt for more balance with rookie runner James Cook joining Devin Singletary in the backfield? How will Dorsey respond to nitpicking if the Bills — considered top dogs in the AFC — stumble early on offense? Asked to keep the machine humming, Buffalo’s new play-caller is under pressure to thrive right away.
Cincinnati Bengals
Top priority: Mesh the heavies up front
The Bengals attacked free agency with admirable precision, turning their shaky offensive line into a strength. Now comes the on-field portion of the exercise, where the newly added pieces — center Ted Karras, right guard Alex Cappa and right tackle La’el Collins — must collaborate with returning bookend Jonah Williams and whoever wins the left guard fight between 2021 second-round pick Jackson Carman and fourth-round rookie Cordell Volson. If Volson prevails, you’re looking at five starters with zero shared playing experience. Health, availability and reps become paramount as we forge into the summer. If this unit becomes one, Joe Burrow lives on a cloud.
Cleveland Browns
Top priority: Jadeveon Clowney to Browns — Call Me Maybe?
The Browns overtly lack a fear-inducing pass rusher across from Myles Garrett. Jadeveon Clowney’s return is something of an assumption by fans, but what if he signs elsewhere? That would leave Cleveland with a gaping void on the edge to pair with a distinct lack of juice at defensive tackle. The Browns need a veteran wideout, too — this is another possibility for Will Fuller — but missing on Clowney would leave the team in a bind that Chase Winovich and a scattering of rookie projects aren’t about to solve on their own.
Denver Broncos
Top priority: Russ & Nathaniel sitting in a tree …
Russell Wilson landing in Denver has created one basic assumption among most football-loving humans: The Broncos are zooming to the playoffs. It’s a theory with legs, but there’s another reality where the entire thing flies off the rails. Denver must escape its own monstrous division while battling the NFC West out of conference. In house, you have a first-year coach in Nathaniel Hackett handing Russ a brand new playbook. One trusts Wilson to absorb and attack the newness, but it’s different than Matthew Stafford air-dropping into a well-defined culture and proven system with Sean McVay’s Rams. I certainly dig Hackett’s smarts, weirdness and communication style — so maybe they just glide to 13-4?
Houston Texans
Top priority: Put Davis Mills under the microscope
The Texans are all about tomorrow. With four first-round picks over the next two drafts — two of those acquired from Cleveland via the Deshaun Watson swap — Houston sits in prime territory to find its quarterback of the future in next year’s potentially passer-rich draft. Maybe that’s why the Texans have stayed away from nabbing Baker Mayfield or Jimmy Garoppolo. Why not use 2022 to gain a full appreciation for what Davis Mills brings to the table? Offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton is an ideal tutor for the second-year passer, who looked better as a rookie than quite a few of the QBs drafted ahead of him in 2021. It won’t be a joyride — Houston’s roster remains a shambles — but nobody’s expecting Mills to save the earth.
Indianapolis Colts
Top priority: Explore the concept of Odell Beckham Jr.
Taking Alec Pierce in the second round addressed a tangible need for the Colts. Beyond the rookie, Michael Pittman Jr. is a pleasure to watch, but injuries have limited Parris Campbell to 15 games in three seasons. Depth is a concern. With Matt Ryan at the motherboard, Indy looms as a potential tractor beam for Odell Beckham Jr., who is coming off the knee injury he suffered in the Super Bowl. The Rams are interested in bringing him back, but Beckham went out of his way in March to issue a glowing review of the Ryan acquisition. With more than enough cap space in a winnable AFC South, why not spend the requisite dead presidents to lure in a veteran pass-catcher who can mentor Pierce and add holy fire to Indy’s air attack?
Jacksonville Jaguars
Top priority: CTRL+ALT+DEL on last year’s apocalypse
Urban Meyer left a stink on this team. His bizarre and chaotic foray into pro football wiped out Trevor Lawrence’s rookie campaign and cast a darkness over the Jaguars’ locker room. CUT TO: Doug Pederson, fresh off a one-year sojourn and hired to bring a sense of stability. Developing Lawrence and building a competent operation come next, but Pederson’s first order of business is operating as a change agent. “I do believe there has to be some kind of healing with the situation and everything that transpired last year because it’s just there’s a lack of trust that was broken, I think,” Pederson said last week. “For me, it’s about gaining the trust back and they have to see it through me. They have to see the transparency, the honesty. I’ve always said I’m going to be open with them and I want them to be open with me.”
Kansas City Chiefs
Top priority: Adjust to life after Tyreek Hill
Narratives. We might have one in Kansas City. There’s this notion that Tyreek Hill can be replaced by a committee of lesser players who — when added up like four quarters — equal a dollar. Hill’s physical gifts represent a rare cauldron of athletic DNA, which danced in perfect harmony with the titanic arm of Patrick Mahomes. That chemistry won’t easily be mimicked in Hill’s new home of Miami (more on that below) — or back at Arrowhead. Mecole Hardman, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, JuJu Smith-Schuster and second-round rookie Skyy Moore offer a workable assortment of skill sets. I trust the Chiefs will succeed less because of the foursome and more because Andy Reid has managed deep-cutting transition on offense roughly 777 times in his career. I trust Mahomes to maximize his weapons. The Chiefs, though, can’t be afraid to look different.
Las Vegas Raiders
Top priority: The Carr-McDaniels relationship
Handed a fresh extension through 2025, Derek Carr can waltz into the summer minus chatter and whispers over his future. After years spent with Tom Brady as offensive coordinator in New England, Josh McDaniels’ second head-coaching stint boils down to getting the best out of Carr, a signal-caller who mixes top-shelf leadership and inspired stretches of play with the occasional meltdown. McDaniels and new general manager Dave Ziegler did Carr the biggest solid ever by trading for his BFF Davante Adams. The shocking swap sets Vegas up to attack defenses with Adams, Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow through the air. I’d also expect a heavy dose of the run game if McDaniels sticks to his New England roots. The friendship is off to a good start, but these are the easy days. All eyes on the duo when times get tough.
Los Angeles Chargers
Top priority: Tipping-point time on defense
The Chargers have a chance to be special on offense for years to come with fireball Justin Herbert at the motherboard. His presence takes attention away from L.A.’s defense, a Brandon Staley-led/Vic Fangio-inspired scheme that underwhelmed in Year 1 of the regime. The front office went to work this offseason adding pieces that fit. The Bolts made waves by trading for Khalil Mack, a player Staley knows well — and knows how to unleash. J.C. Jackson was signed as a smart, ball-hawking corner set to create havoc with safety Derwin James. The Chargers also added longtime Fangio pupil Bryce Callahan at corner and ex-Patriots edge rusher Kyle Van Noy. There are plenty of new faces, but also a flock of returning defenders who rolled into this offseason in a state of calm, as linebacker Drue Tranquill told The Athletic: “We all know the install by now and we were really able to dig into the techniques. Where are we aligning here and what are we trying to get the offensive line to do so that we can then make this play? Going into that second and third level, you’re able to do that in the second year of the defense.”
Miami Dolphins
Top priority: Get freaky, Mr. McDaniel
Is Mike McDaniel the real deal? Plucked from the Shanahan tree after his wizardry helped unleash Deebo Samuel’s “wide-back” attack, the 39-year-old head coach now takes over a Miami offense that appears formidable after March’s monster trade for laser-fast wideout Tyreek Hill. Last year’s troubled O-line is now bolstered by Terron Armstead and Connor Williams. The backfield screams Niners-esque committee madness with Raheem Mostert, Chase Edmonds, Sony Michel and Myles Gaskin at the wheel. Mike Gesicki steps into a fortuitous scheme for tight ends. Jaylen Waddle and Hill boast the spice and speed to befuddle opponents. It all looks good on paper in May. By October, though, we might be looking at Teddy Bridgewater bumping Tua Tagovailoa out of the lineup if the latter stumbles. It boils down to McDaniel — huddled away in a basement drawing up mad-scientist schemes — to overcome a grueling schedule with his tantalizing collection of talent. Boy genius? The next Shanahan? Or the ‘Fins flying too close to the sun? TBD.
New England Patriots
Top priority: Who’s calling plays?
Is Bill Belichick simply punking society for giggles?
The Patriots have yet to name an offensive coordinator following Josh McDaniels’ departure for the Raiders. Belichick could have Joe Judge and Matt Patricia battling it out for the role. Patricia, though, hasn’t coached offense since 2005. Judge offers zero offensive experience save for doubling as New England’s special teams coordinator/receivers coach in 2019. “I’d say all of us are working collectively as a coaching unit with the entire offense,” Judge said on Monday. Sounds like a lot of extra work — and a somewhat bizarre handling of quarterback Mac Jones as he heads into a critical second season. Who’s to say it can’t work, but I smell a whiff of hubris out of Foxborough.
New York Jets
Top priority: Pray Mt. Becton arrives in shape
After a rough-and-tumble rookie campaign, Zach Wilson opens Act 2 in a friendlier ecosystem. The Jets used free agency to add a rugged guard in Laken Tomlinson and a proven weapon in tight end in C.J. Uzomah. The receiving corps looks better than it has in eons after drafting Ohio State’s Garrett Wilson at No. 10 overall. It’s strange to type this, but the New York Jets threaten to be watchable. One nagging concern? Getting 17 games out of offensive tackle Mekhi Becton. After a promising start in 2020, the (potentially too) big man suffered a dislocated kneecap and sprained his MCL in the opener last season before vanishing into the void. He reportedly ballooned to 400 pounds during rehab. The Jets, though, looked elsewhere in the draft until Day 3, leaving Becton lodged as a likely starter with little depth behind him. General manager Joe Douglas might not be done adding pieces.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Top priority: Pinpoint pass-rushing help
The Steelers spent their draft reloading on offense, grabbing quarterback Kenny Pickett at No. 20 overall before selecting a pair of wideouts in Georgia’s George Pickens and Calvin Austin III out of Memphis. The overhaul of Pittsburgh’s attack is underway, but roster holes remain on the other side of the ball. The Steelers are paper thin at outside linebacker beyond T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. Were either to miss time, the Steelers can’t count on Genard Avery or Derrek Tuszka to fill the gap. It’s a tough time of year to find help, but camp cuts could bring an answer. The Steelers specialize at filling gaps with chip-on-their-shoulder veterans.
Tennessee Titans
Top priority: Find competition along the O-line
If Ryan Tannehill is piqued, I don’t blame him. The Titans traded away star wideout A.J. Brown, drafted the quarterback’s potential successor in Malik Willis and failed to adequately address an offensive line with issues. It’s the last item that might cause Tannehill immediate headaches. Voids with few clear answers remain at left guard and right tackle. Aaron Brewer and Jamarco Jones (both the opposite of Pro Football Focus darlings) are in line to tussle for the guard spot after the Titans failed to land a rock-solid interior lineman in the draft. Dillon Radunz is another candidate at guard, but last year’s second-round disappointment will also battle it out at right tackle with 2022 third-rounder Nicholas Petit-Frere, described by one AFC scout as “talented but there are a lot of holes to fill.” Same goes for this front five. |
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