| NFC NORTH |
| MINNESOTAThe Vikings are excited about the return of TE T.J. HOCKENSON. Kevin Patra of NFL.com: Tight end T.J. Hockenson is poised to make his season debut Sunday night against the Indianapolis Colts as the Minnesota Vikings seek to end a two-game skid. The playmaking tight end’s return provides Sam Darnold a weapon that can win in the mid-level of the defense, offering an outlet when the quarterback gets pressured. “Just watching it last year and talking to him, it’s his ability to separate versus man [coverage] and find the open spots in zones,” Darnold said Wednesday of Hockenson, via the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “I think he’s just really smart and savvy in the way he can get open that way. I’m just really looking forward to it.” With all the attention paid to Justin Jefferson, the Vikings can benefit from Hockenson’s ability to win one-on-one matchups with safeties and linebackers. Through seven games, Vikings tight ends Johnny Mundt and Josh Oliver have combined for 165 yards and three touchdowns on 21 catches. “It’s kind of a feel thing [against zone],” Hockenson said. “You can weave in and out within the concept. Winning man to man, we have Jets (Jefferson), so … they can’t double everybody. It leaves me one-on-one with a backer, a nickel, a safety. That’s fun for me. I enjoy that.” In 15 games in 2023, Hockenson put up a career-high 960 yards and 95 catches with five touchdowns before suffering a season-ending ACL tear in Week 17. The Vikings have been patient with the tight end’s recovery, ensuring they didn’t rush him back on the field. However, with a pivotal Sunday night bout ahead, his return can help keep the offense on schedule when the big plays dry up. “I think there’s been times when Sam’s been pretty elite throwing the ball down the field, and that’s why we’ve been explosive,” coach Kevin O’Connell said. “But there’s also been times when [because of] his trust level … he takes a hitch or two extra trying to see if he can let things develop. “We can do a better job helping him by how we design things. It might be a play where we’re attacking down the field, but where are the checkdowns? … Where are the five eligibles in regard to where his line of sight is?” Hockenson has proven he can be an elite checkdown option. His presence alone makes the Vikings an even more dangerous offense. |
| NFC EAST |
| PHILADELPHIAAdam Schaatz of ESPN.com says the deal for RB SAQUAN BARKLEY has been a good one: It’s an understatement to say Giants fans were shocked and disappointed when Barkley signed with the rival Eagles. Watching the negotiations with Barkley on “Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants” just made things worse. “I’ll have a tough time sleeping if Saquon goes to Philadelphia, I’ll tell you that,” owner John Mara said on the show. Some writers, including this one, were surprised by the signing given that the analytically oriented Eagles had not spent highly at the running back position in recent seasons. But it has paid off. Barkley is the second-most efficient running back in the NFL, according to my DVOA metric, trailing only Jahmyr Gibbs of the Lions. He has 872 yards and six touchdowns from scrimmage this season. Most knew that life would be easier for Barkley behind the Eagles’ offensive line, but here’s a gigantic surprise: This season, the Eagles offensive line ranks 11th in run block win rate. Last season, the Giants offensive line ranked … you guessed it, 11th in run block win rate. That offensive line is making things a lot easier for Philly quarterback Jalen Hurts than New York’s Daniel Jones, but the run blocking has been similar in Barkley’s old home and his new one. So instead, he’s excelling on his own. Last season, NFL Next Gen Stats listed Barkley with 0.39 average rush yards over expected (RYOE) per attempt. This season, Barkley is third in the league at 1.86 average RYOE per attempt. Barkley is standing out for the Eagles despite facing more defenders in the box, as well. Last season, Next Gen Stats listed Barkley as facing a heavy box of eight or more defenders just 15.0% of the time. That’s up to 25.4% of the time this season. |
| NFC SOUTH |
| CAROLINAThe Athletic’s Dianna Russini does not see the Panthers looking to trade QB BRYCE YOUNG. The Carolina Panthers have turned back to Bryce Young as their starting quarterback in the wake of an injury to Andy Dalton, but that does not necessarily mean the team is committed to him for the long term. The Panthers are at least entertaining the possibility of trading Young ahead of Tuesday’s deadline and are “really just trying to figure out (Young’s) value.” “I know that there are teams around the league right now interested to see if they can be the team to sort of revamp him and give him some life,” Russini added. |
| AFC NORTH |
| BALTIMOREQB LAMAR JACKSON has not been practicing this week. Nick Shook of NFL.com: The leading candidate for NFL Most Valuable Player has missed a second straight day of practice. Lamar Jackson (back/knee) did not participate in Thursday’s session, offensive coordinator Todd Monken confirmed. “I mean, it is what it is,” Monken told reporters. “Josh (Johnson) can use the work. That’s what you do. You get prepared for it, like any other position.” Ravens coach John Harbaugh downplayed the matter Wednesday, attributing Jackson’s absence to a rest day. “He’s been playing great, and we have a lot of football in front of us,” Harbaugh said. “We have a game, a quick game and another big game coming up, so that was warranted today.” After their 29-24 loss to the Cleveland Browns, the Ravens embarked on the typical weeklong schedule between games. However, after their Sunday meeting with Denver, the Ravens host the division-rival Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday, meaning they’ll play two games in five days. If Jackson is hurting at all, the Ravens likely know it’s best to give him the rest he needs to recuperate. There’s no use in trotting him out on the practice field to rep plays when he’s most valuable on game day. If Jackson was unable to play in either game, the veteran journeyman Johnson is available as his backup. |
| AFC SOUTH |
| HOUSTONPK KA’IMI FAIRBAIRN, one of the NFL’s best, missed a 27-yard FG in the 4th quarter of Thursday’s loss at the Jets. He had already made a 54-yarder when his second FG try of the evening doinked off the left upright. Some notes: At 27 yards, it was the shortest miss of Fairbairn’s career. It broke a streak of 38 consecutive made FG attempts of under 40 yards for Fairbairn. He was 107-109 on FG tries of 38 yards or less prior to the miss.- – -The 2023 Texans were a harmonious, cohesive bunch. QB C.J. STROUD implied something has gone astray after Thursday’s game. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.compicks up on the vibe: Generally, Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud said the team was “embarrassed” on Thursday night. More specifically, he implicitly suggested a couple of things that the Texans might be doing, or not doing, that are contributing to the situation. “I would say we just got to honestly play football better, execute better, stop pointing fingers and realize that at the end of the day this is not winning football,” Stroud told reporters after the 21-13 loss. “We can’t keep squeezing our way by every game, we are a really good football team, we have a lot of really good players. Once we buy into the systems and what is being coached, and also we have to have leadership to take over. I believe this isn’t the end, but it’s definitely a great wakeup call for us to tighten up the ship. This is now playoff football, it’s November-December, this is the chunk of our schedule, a lot of great teams we are playing on prime time and we got to be able to find ways to win.” When he says they need to stop pointing fingers, it means that they are. When it says they need to buy into the systems, it means they aren’t. That’s ultimately on the coaching staff, but the players have a role in policing themselves. Stroud said it publicly last night. With a game against the Lions looming, it becomes critical for the Texans to address those issues privately. The Texans are still 6-3 with a 1.5 game lead in the AFC South. But the schedule is getting harder. The eight remaining games include the Lions, Chiefs and Ravens. At this point, those all look like losses for 6-6. The other five are two with the Titans, one each with the Cowboys, Dolphins and Jaguars. 4-1 would be 10-7. Other thoughts from the Twitter/X world: SethCPaynePeople will argue that it’s hard to trade for an offensive lineman in the middle of the season because of scheme, continuity, etc…Exactly what continuity would he be disrupting? Exactly what masterpiece of skill and cohesion will he be unfit to join? And: @LandryLockerTexans are 6-3 but have a total point differential of +1. Other AFC 1st place teams: Bills +84 (8 games)Steelers +68 (8 games)Chiefs +50 (7 games) Teams Inside Playoff Picture: Denver +53 (8 games)Ravens +33 (8 games)Chargers +41 (7 games) |
| AFC EAST |
| NEW ENGLANDMatt Geagan of WBZ with a hopeful update on QB DRAKE MAYE: New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye appears to be progressing through concussion protocol and could be in line to return Sunday against the Tennessee Titans. Maye was on the field again for Thursday’s practice in Foxboro and led quarterbacks drills at the start of the session. Maye was at practice in a limited capacity on Wednesday and did not make any throws while reporters were present. He was limited again on Thursday, but went through his usual warmup and was back to leading the charge for New England as soon as practice kicked off. Maye has been in the NFL’s concussion protocol since leaving Sunday’s win over the New York Jets in the first half. There are five phases a player has to go through in the protocol before being cleared to return for full contact and game-action. Head coach Jerod Mayo wouldn’t get into which phase Maye was in ahead of Wednesday’s practice, but the QB wasn’t on the field for the start of the session and Mayo said that Maye was going to be limited to 30 minutes. That was an indication that Maye was in Phase 3 on Wednesday. It looks like he’s taken a step forward on Thursday, as he was on the field for the start of practice and led drills for New England. Phase 4 is “club based non-contract drills,” which is seemingly what Maye was doing on Thursday. |
| NEW YORK JETS“Flawless” is not usually a word associated with the Jets, but it’s used here by Ryan Benjamin and Grant Podell of CBSSports.com as they recap Thursday night’s win. The New York Jets certainly spoiled the Halloween festivities for the Houston Texans, having one of the surprising wins of the season with a thrilling 21-13 victory. New York debuted the “Legacy Black” helmets and uniform on Halloween night, certainly disguised as a team that looked like the playoff contender the organization thought it had heading into the season. The Jets snapped a five-game losing streak as Aaron Rodgers threw three touchdowns — two to Garrett Wilson — in the shocking win. Wilson gave the Jets the lead for good with a one-handed touchdown catch early in the fourth quarter. The Jets wide receiver finished with nine catches for 90 yards on the night, with the go-ahead touchdown becoming one of the greatest in MetLife Stadium history. Davante Adams also snagged his first touchdown with the Jets late in the fourth quarter, as Rodgers hit him on a 36-yard pass to give New York a 21-10 lead with 2:56 left. Rodgers threw for 211 yards and had an 118.1 passer rating. Adams finished with seven catches for 91 yards, leaving the game in the second half with a concussion only to be cleared and catch a touchdown pass to seal the win. The Texans struggled to move the football throughout the night, as C.J. Stroud threw for only 191 yards and was sacked eight times. Joe Mixon finished with 106 rushing yards and Houston’s lone touchdown, but Stroud finished with a 36.7% completion rate in the loss. There were also a combined 140 penalty yards. The Texans still lead the AFC South despite the loss while the Jets are trying to claw back into playoff contention in the wild card race. Takeaways and a recap of the game can be found below! Why the Jets wonNew York was essentially flawless in the second half, scoring touchdowns on all three possessions (excluding kneel downs). Rodgers decided to target his top two pass catchers in Wilson and Adams, as Wilson scored two touchdowns and Adams finished off the victory with a long touchdown of his own. Rodgers was 10 of 11 for 147 yards and three touchdowns when targeting Wilson and Adams in the second half, a perfect 158.3 passer rating (per CBS Sports Research). He was 4 of 4 for 83 yards and two touchdowns on third and fourth down targeting them in the final 30 minutes. Rodgers targeted his top playmakers and use them to take over the game. The Jets offense in the second half looked the best it’s been in five weeks. Why the Texans lostThe Texans were down their top two receivers, making life already difficult for C.J. Stroud. The lack of Stroud’s top playmakers wasn’t why he finished 11 of 30 for 191 yards with a 59.2 passer rating. The Texans offensive line allowed eight sacks as the Jets pass rush dominated up front. New York had 11 quarterback hits (four by Quinnen Williams) and 19 pressures in the win. Stroud was 2 of 9 for 47 yards when pressured, having a 48.4 passer rating while being sacked seven times. Stroud was certainly spooked on Halloween night. Turning pointEven with the Jets having a 14-10 lead, C.J. Stroud was slowly leading the Texans down the field midway through the fourth quarter. Aided by an unnecessary roughness penalty after a converted Ka’imi Fairbairn field goal, Stroud and the Texans had another opportunity to take the lead. Houston got the ball at the New York 12, as Stroud missed John Metchie on a third-and-7 at the 9-yard line that would have been a touchdown to give the Texans the lead. Fairbairn missed 27-yard field goal on the next play, as the ball hit the post and kept the Texans trailing by four. New York drove down the field for 80 yards on eight plays to put the game away. Perhaps the outcome is different if Stroud converts the touchdown throw or Fairbairn hits the field goal. Play of the gameGarrett Wilson arguably had the greatest catch in MetLife Stadium history, the same stadium where Odell Beckham Jr. had arguably the best catch anyone has ever seen. This is certainly the best touchdown catch in MetLife Stadium history. On third-and-19, Rodgers threw a pass up to the end zone with the Jets trailing 10-7, throwing it only where Wilson can get a hand on it. Wilson got much more than that. Wilson snagged the pass in the back of the end zone with Kamari Lassister having blanket coverage on him, getting the touchdown with one hand to give the Jets their first lead of the game. The play had to be reviewed to see if Wilson got both feet down, much to the joy of Rodgers when it was ruled a touchdown. This was arguably the best catch in the NFL this season. More from Jori Epstein of YahooSports.com on the first win of the Jeff Ulbricht Era, fueled by his astute challenge: Facing third-and-19, down three points early in the fourth quarter, Aaron Rodgers made a decision. If the weak-side safety dropped down, the New York Jets quarterback would give Garrett Wilson a chance. So Rodgers dropped back and sailed a pass 47 air yards to his receiver who would ultimately be just 0.8 yards away from the defender, per Next Gen Stats. Wilson extended his right arm while airborne so spectacularly that his teammates would soon hurry to compare him to Michael Jordan’s Jumpman, or Odell Beckham Jr.’s famous one-handed catch in the same stadium, or both. As Wilson brought his left hand forward to secure the ball, his left foot hit the end zone, his right foot still well above his hips. The Jets’ 2022 first-round pick fell on his left side, hesitant to celebrate as he wondered whether he’d conformed to the sometimes seemingly shifting NFL definition of a catch. Jets interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich challenged the ruling of an incomplete pass. “Just for the sake of posterity, you have to say that is in,” Ulbrich told the official in half-jest. “Just so it goes down in history.” Posterity alone, it turned out, was not needed. Replay confirmed Wilson’s left shin hit the end zone. Rodgers to Wilson, 26 yards, touchdown. “A game-changing play,” Rodgers said. The foibles of the first half faded in their memories as the momentum of a star athlete making a crunch-time play swept through the sideline. For the first time in more than three quarters, the Jets had the lead. The Jets beat the Houston Texans 21-13 on Thursday night to snap a five-game losing streak and secure their first win in four tries during Ulbrich’s tenure. They improved to 3-6 to stay alive in the playoff race, finding an offensive rhythm unlike what the franchise had seen in a season and a half of the Rodgers era. A MetLife Stadium crowd that booed and jeered heavily in the first half erupted in J-E-T-S chants as the night elapsed. A home locker room that had fallen silent after a prime-time loss to the Buffalo Bills earlier this month now cranked up the speakers as they swapped dejected looks for smiles and confusion for confidence. One win over a productive but shaky Texans team is not the Jets’ ultimate goal. But winning needed to start somewhere, and even Rodgers admitted how daunting another loss would have felt. “It was kind of season on the line there in the second half,” Rodgers said. “Obviously, we wouldn’t have been mathematically eliminated. But mentally, to go to 2-7 would have been real, real tough. Hopefully this gives us confidence so we can beat anybody because we feel we could. The way we played on offense in the second half is the way we’ve been waiting for this offense to wake up. “That was close to perfection as I needed to be. That’s the standard I need to play at. There were a lot of really incredible performances.” At halftime, all of that was in doubt. Rodgers didn’t sugarcoat his 7-of-14 pass attempts for 32 yards before halftime. On the first play of the game, Rodgers badly missed his longtime friend and receiver Davante Adams. Rodgers aimed toward Adams on a hitch-and-go, instead sailing the pass out of bounds. Soon after, Rodgers threw to Adams and he wasn’t looking. This wasn’t the chemistry that two players nine years (albeit not consecutively) into their partnership expected. This wasn’t the caliber of play that a four-time MVP quarterback and a six-time Pro Bowl receiver planned to deliver. Rodgers joked with Adams that they were “even” after each wrecking a play. “Although we really weren’t because, God, the first one was so bad,” Rodgers said. “I played about as bad as I could in the first half and knew it had to get better from there. … I mean, I was terrible.” Rodgers was in good company playing badly, as multiple receivers dropped passes from him and running back Breece Hall fumbled (the Jets recovered). Rookie receiver Malachi Corley nearly scored a 19-yard touchdown on a jet sweep before replay review revealed that Corley’s celebratory drop of the ball just before crossing the plane and thus was a touchback rather than a touchdown. Add as Jets defenders were missing tackles and a special teams play gifted the Texans a first down on roughing the snapper, Jets fans had reasons beyond Halloween to be spooked. Thomas Morstead’s 75-yard punt to the 2-yard line was the Jets’ first-half highlight. But the Jets had told themselves: Adversity was going to come. How will we respond? For the first time in six weeks, they found answers. After two quarters featuring five punts and a fumble, the Jets scored touchdowns on three straight drives to close the game out. Hall continued to find rhythm. But this time, Rodgers did, too. That 7-of-14, 32-yard first half turned into a 15-of-18, 179-yard and three-touchdown second half. Wilson’s acrobatic Jumpman was his second integral touchdown, his first a 21-yard touchdown on the initial drive after halftime that the Jets knew could dictate their momentum. Wilson ran a drag route and saw Rodgers spying him “last second.” Texans safety Jalen Pitre jumped for the ball and fell, clearing the path for Wilson to power another one-handed grab 14 more yards to the end zone. The Jets’ defense continued to capitalize on a porous Houston offensive line, holding it to a field goal, and clearing the way to finally take a lead. But then Rodgers and Wilson were 1 yard short on third down. So Rodgers trusted Adams 17 yards down the left sideline and fourth-and-1 melted into the continuation of a drive. This one Adams would finish. And facing third-and-3, up four points with 3:02 to go, Rodgers would find Adams in stride for a 37-yard touchdown. The receiver’s first score as a Jet (after he left for to be evaluated for a concussion, then was cleared to return) gave New York the cushion to win. What’s next for Jets team trying to stop the spiral?The stakes of this Jets win are complicated. There are implications for the team, broadly, five days before the trade deadline. And there are implications for Rodgers, specifically, roughly one month before he turns 41. The Jets’ initial expectations for this season are still far from reach. The 6-2 Buffalo Bills are still 3.5 games ahead of the Jets in the division, the Miami Dolphins only half a game back from New York. The Athletic’s playoff predictor pegs the Jets’ chance to make the postseason at 17%. And yet, only one of the Jets’ eight remaining regular-season opponents enters this weekend above .500. If the Jets do find their stride, and a slew of injured players get healthy over the 10-day rest they have now and the bye two weeks later, it’s not impossible to envision a talented roster rallying. Expect the team’s record, and their approach, to influence Ulbrich’s chance at coaching a group of players that respect him highly into 2025. Rodgers, meanwhile, will need to determine how much longer he wants to play and can. Against the Patriots last week and in the first half Thursday, he looked 40 years old. The cayenne pepper-and-water concoction that he called his “fountain of youth” did not work in quarters one and two. But Rodgers was more spry in the second half, his decision-making and accuracy also sharper. He scrambled emphatically on a red-zone play that was ultimately called back for a penalty but nonetheless energized him. “It was third down, I looked halfway athletic, I didn’t hurt myself in the process,” Rodgers said. Then he got reflective. “I wanted to bring the joy and the passion to the game,” Rodgers said. “This has been a frustrating season at times. But I love this game. This game has done everything for me. And a little perspective, a little gratitude tonight. “A little bit of extra passion in the second half.” Could that extra passion carry through the second half of the season? The Jets will hope so. Rodgers did not expound when asked whether these next eight games could be his last as a pro. Does he think about that? “No,” he said after a pause and smile. For now, as Jets and the quarterback they bet on have edged closer to a lost season, they’ll savor the franchise’s first win in a long time. The high-priced quarterback, receiver and edge rusher New York acquired in the last 18 months contributed meaningfully to this win. Players felt like they were starting to understand the culture they hoped to forge, even if they wish it had materialized sooner. “Bottle up that feeling that we have and take that,” Adams said. “Not the feeling of being high off of a win; the feeling of what it feels like to execute and to be clicking and be on the same page.” Wilson, still processing his highlight-reel catch, agreed. “We definitely just wanted to get back in the win column,” he said. “Losing five straight feels how you would expect. It doesn’t feel good. We’re better than that, most importantly, and it was time to go prove it. “We want to start our run. And the only way to do that is to win one.” |
| THIS AND THAT |
| QB RATINGSNick Shook of NFL.com does QB Ratings every week. Let’s see where he has them after Week 8 (last week’s starters only so we don’t know where say, DEREK CARR, sits): 1 Lamar JacksonBaltimore Ravens Mark Week 8 down as the first instance in which Jackson ran into a truly bumpy road this season. The MVP front-runner missed a few open targets that could have produced game-changing plays and had a few teammates drop on-target passes. He still managed to show off his skills by moving the ball practically effortlessly in stretches to keep the Ravens in a back-and-forth affair in Cleveland. Jackson remained an elusive runner and threw for 289 yards and two touchdowns, doing so without much support from Derrick Henry. He reconnected with Zay Flowers and threw darts to Mark Andrews and Nelson Agholor for scores, but he couldn’t carry the Ravens to victory by himself against a stingy Browns defense that has plenty of experience facing him. It wasn’t a bad day, but it wasn’t a great day, either. 2 Josh AllenBuffalo Bills When the Bills offense is humming, it’s a beautiful sight, especially because it frees Allen to put together the standard Josh Allen game. In Week 8, that included on-target rockets fired to tight ends, a reliance on Khalil Shakir in the middle of the field and the continued development of a connection between Allen and rookie Keon Coleman, who caught five of Allen’s passes for 70 yards and a touchdown. The running game balanced things out and prevented the Bills from leaning too heavily on Allen, leading to a dominant showing in which he was able to take what Seattle gave him defensively and add his own artistry, like he did when he escaped the pocket and ripped a dart to Dalton Kincaid for a score. The Bills made it look easy. If they play that well every week, Allen will force his way into the MVP conversation. 3 Patrick MahomesKansas City Chiefs Week 8 was another instance in which the Chiefs didn’t look spectacular offensively. However, because Mahomes is one of the toughest quarterbacks to contain, they still won. He made a lot of things happen by improvising, both maneuvering in the pocket and scrambling toward the perimeter to throw on the run and keep drives alive. He finished with a passing line of 8 for 12 for 89 yards, one touchdown and a 116.3 passer rating on attempts on the run, per Next Gen Stats. Those who want to point out his interception should be informed that it came as a result of the ball being deflected as it left his hand. Otherwise, Mahomes was once again masterful at finding slight edges to extend drives. His ranking is going to irritate box-score scanners, and that’s fine. Those who are watching closely know he’s having a very good season in an unorthodox fashion. 4 Joe BurrowCincinnati Bengals For two and a half quarters, Burrow was playing nearly perfect football in Week 8. He was firing accurate passes all over the field and propelling two first-half scoring drives, including one that ended in a touchdown pass to Ja’Marr Chase. But the second half brought unfortunate luck to Burrow, who had a pass intended for Chase get batted into the arms of C.J. Gardner-Johnson for an interception. With the Eagles continuing to put points on the board, Burrow couldn’t keep up by himself, finishing with only one TD. He remains one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL this season, but if we’ve learned anything from the last few weeks, it’s that he can’t do it alone. 5 Jared GoffDetroit Lions The NFL’s hottest quarterback had one of the strangest days you’ll see from an upper-tier signal-caller in Week 8. He was under a ton of duress when taking intermediate and deep pass drops, but because the Lions forced turnovers in Tennessee territory and enjoyed an outrageously productive day from their return units, Goff rarely needed to cover much ground through the air. His three touchdown passes all came from inside Tennessee’s 10-yard line, and he finished with 85 yards passing. If nothing else, Goff remained efficient, capitalizing on great scoring opportunities. Even RB David Montgomery threw a TD pass for Detroit. 6 C.J. StroudHouston TexansThe Texans still are not protecting Stroud very well, but they did a mildly better job of it in Week 8. More importantly, Stroud is learning how to thrive amid the chaos of the pass rush, escaping while keeping his eyes downfield more often than he did last season and making quick decisions to get the ball out accurately in a shorter amount of time. It limits the overall potential of what can be accomplished with Stroud, but sometimes you have to make the best of a situation that is less than ideal. Houston will probably call for more rollouts in the weeks ahead, and Stroud has proven he can be quite effective on those plays. He kept his offense afloat well enough to help the offense score 23 points against the Colts and, most importantly, the Texans came away victorious. 7 Jayden DanielsWashington Commanders Daniels played through a rib injury in Week 8, yet he still managed to rack up over 300 passing yards and throw the Hail Mary nobody will forget for decades. Statistically, it was another Daniels game, with the quarterback flirting with 400 scrimmage yards, but Chicago’s defense presented a challenge that truly showed itself on third down (Washington finished 5 for 15). It wasn’t the same romp Daniels has keyed in most weeks for the Commanders, but once again, he proved he’s not your typical rookie. 8 Matthew StaffordLos Angeles Rams For the first time since Week 1, Stafford finally had a chance to play a game with a full arsenal at wide receiver. Rams fans were reminded of just how special their quarterback can be last Thursday, as he rekindled his connections with Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp. Stafford fired rockets from the pocket, completed off-platform passes while on the move and even channeled Houdini when he slipped two sack attempts and ripped a perfect pass through coverage to Kupp for a score. Stafford showed off his cannon of an arm all night, finishing with a highlight reel stuffed with tremendous throws. It was a far cry from the struggles he’d endured in the last month. 9 Jordan LoveGreen Bay PackersIt’s tough to assess Love’s Week 8 outing because he suffered a groin injury on the Packers’ first possession of the day. He tried his best to play through the pain, completing 14 of 22 passes for 196 yards, but it was clear he was limited by the injury and eventually backup Malik Willis entered the game. Love threw an interception, which didn’t hurt the Packers because they got the ball right back via their own interception. He did enough to lead Green Bay on a few scoring drives before he exited, but the concern once again shifts toward his health. 10 Sam DarnoldMinnesota Vikings Darnold connected with Justin Jefferson early and often against the Rams, leading two touchdown marches that ended with passes to Josh Oliver and Trent Sherfield. Despite the 30-20 loss, Darnold continued to show poise, keeping the Vikings in a tight game by capitalizing on opportunities down the sideline to move the chains. He should have received a fresh set of downs for a facemask grab that didn’t draw a penalty flag in the final stages of the painful defeat, but the loss certainly wasn’t on him. 11 Baker MayfieldTampa Bay Buccaneers Now that he’s without his top two receivers, it’s apparent there are two sides to the Mayfield coin. He’ll find ways to keep the offense moving — in Week 8, it was by connecting with tight end Cade Otton nine times for 81 yards and two touchdowns — and he’ll stay aggressive with the hopes of constantly producing positive plays, but his aggression will also cost him. Mayfield threw a flea flicker pass into double coverage, where Jessie Bates was waiting to leap and make a fantastic interception. When Mayfield tried to fire a hole shot down the sideline in the second half, A.J. Terrell swooped in to make a diving interception. Mayfield isn’t necessarily holding the offense back, even if his miss on a throw to Jalen McMillan down the seam might have cost the Bucs a TD. Ultimately, Bucs fans will have to take the good with the bad. When pressed to make magic, there’s no telling which side he’s going to land on. These slightly messy outings might be what we come to expect from the Bucs when they don’t have Mike Evans. 12 Brock PurdySan Francisco 49ersPurdy bounced back in a big way against the Cowboys after a dreadful Week 7 outing, sparking the offense by using his legs. Purdy wasn’t afraid to bail out of the pocket and run when the situation called for it, adding an element of unpredictability to the 49ers’ offense, which was crucial on a night in which they lost Jordan Mason to injury. The second half was filled with sharp throws over the middle to George Kittle for big gains, and by the time the third quarter ended, San Francisco had discovered a new level of production largely unseen this season. Purdy was comfortable, quick to make good decisions, avoided mistakes and lit up the Dallas defense in that third quarter, keying an offense that delivered an emphatic win one week after getting dominated by Kansas City. 13 Kirk CousinsAtlanta Falcons Cousins was slinging it against Todd Bowles’ aggressive defense, dropping perfect passes all afternoon in what turned out to be a bit of a shootout. He started hot, finding Kyle Pitts on fourth down for the game’s first score. Cousins later launched a beautiful pass down the middle of the field for a Darnell Mooney touchdown and hit Pitts again for a (controversial) score. The QB even had enough time to work to his last couple of options in a red-zone progression, scanning the entire field before dumping it off to Bijan Robinson for a score. He accounted for all four of Atlanta’s TDs in one of his best performances since joining the team. Perhaps most importantly, Cousins avoided the crushing mistakes that doomed the Falcons a week earlier, pushing them to 5-3 with an arm that still has plenty of life in it. 14 Geno SmithSeattle Seahawks The first drive in Week 8 — a sequence in which two of Smith’s first three passes were batted down at the line of scrimmage — set the tone for what would be a difficult day. Buffalo did a good job of complicating the picture and winning up front for most of the game and Seattle struggled to generate much of anything, chipping in a grand total of 32 rushing yards while losing the time of possession battle by 16 minutes. Smith still completed 21 of 29 attempts, but it felt as if he was fighting an uphill battle. It wasn’t a matter of pressure but a lack of execution. Smith got caught in that mess, which included dropped passes, a deflected screen pass that resulted in an interception and a failed goal-to-go situation that ended with Smith getting stepped on by a lineman (resulting in a turnover on downs). He didn’t really find a rhythm until they were down 31-3, making for a forgettable day all around. 15 Justin HerbertLos Angeles Chargers Folks, Herbert got his swagger back in Week 8. The strong-armed quarterback was given time to throw and took advantage of it, passing for 279 yards and two touchdowns to Ladd McConkey, his new top target in an offense that could use one, especially on days when the running game isn’t quite rolling. It wasn’t a concern, as Herbert put his chef hat on and started cooking, dropping a perfect pass on McConkey for a 60-yard catch-and-run score before leading another touchdown drive that ended in a 9-yard touchdown toss to the rookie. Herbert is letting it rip without fear like he did a few years ago, and he finally has the benefit of adequate-or-better protection. If the Chargers can find a way to run the ball consistently, this offense might truly get going because their quarterback is dialed in. 16 Kyler MurrayArizona Cardinals The Week 8 win over the Dolphins was the type of game that proved Murray has plenty of guts. He and the Cardinals faced a 10-0 deficit before the end of the first quarter, but that didn’t dismay the franchise signal-caller, who got back to work at the start of the second quarter, leading a nine-play, 70-yard scoring drive that ended with a bit of artistry. Facing third-and-goal, Murray dropped to pass, sensed a free rusher (Jalen Ramsey), avoided him, reset and lofted a pass to a wide-open Michael Wilson for a 6-yard touchdown. He truly thrived in the second half, leading the Cardinals back from a 20-10 deficit by engineering another nine-play scoring drive that ended in a dime from Murray to a diving Marvin Harrison Jr. for a score. He wasn’t finished there, either, keying two more scoring drives in the final quarter, finishing with a strong line in the box score and leaving Miami with a heroic win in his pocket. 17 Jalen HurtsPhiladelphia Eagles The running game has unclogged this offense, and Hurts is benefitting more than anyone. Take Week 8, in which Saquon Barkley averaged 4.9 yards per carry on 22 attempts, balancing out the entire operation and opening up a passing game that had been stagnant for most of the last calendar year. Hurts capitalized, launching a 45-yard touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith on a play that began with a run fake. That play followed an earlier possession in which Hurts kept the ball on a read option and won the race to the end zone. When this balance exists, Hurts can use his full set of tools. Hurts didn’t connect with A.J. Brown for a score, yet they finished with 37 points, sustaining drives with timely, on-target passes from Hurts and an effective ground game that didn’t shy from incorporating its quarterback. If the Eagles can keep this up, you’re going to see Hurts climb up these rankings. 18 Russell WilsonPittsburgh Steelers Mike Tomlin made the right call by swapping out Justin Fields for Wilson. In two starts, the Steelers have finished with 400-plus yards, and much of it is directly related to Wilson’s ability to elevate their passing game. He’s established a great connection with George Pickens, which has opened up the rest of the offense, allowing Calvin Austin III and Van Jefferson to get involved while creating opportunities for Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren to contribute on the ground. Wilson threw a pretty touchdown pass to Austin, connected with Pickens four times for 74 yards and even overcame a late fumble to help the Steelers put away their latest win in prime time. As long as he avoids crucial mistakes, the Steelers are going to continue to improve with Wilson under center. 19 Trevor LawrenceJacksonville Jaguars Lawrence has finally settled into a bit of a groove in the last couple of weeks. It didn’t come without some early difficulties, of course, as Jacksonville didn’t record a first down until the final six minutes of the first half in Week 8, but once it woke up, the offense got rolling. Lawrence led two scoring drives in frantic fashion to close the half, then picked up where he left off early in the third quarter, capping another impressive drive with a touchdown pass to Brian Thomas Jr. to give the Jaguars the lead. Lawrence battled all afternoon, leading another electric scoring drive that ended in a game-tying touchdown pass to Evan Engram. Unfortunately, he couldn’t play defense, too, as he was forced to watch the Packers drive to kick a game-winning field goal. Overall, it’s been an encouraging couple of weeks for Lawrence, who is cutting down on mistakes and misses. We’ll see if he can keep it going in the weeks ahead with a banged-up receiving corps. 20 Dak PrescottDallas Cowboys Week 8’s loss to the 49ers was another microcosm of Prescott’s 2024 season. He has bright moments when he drops absolute dimes on his targets (to varying degrees of success), but he also threw a doomed pass into double coverage that never had a chance considering how Prescott had to step into Nick Bosa to get the throw off. His second pick was more of a great play by Deommodore Lenoir than a bad throw, but there were significant stretches in which Prescott struggled to produce anything positive. He managed to spark some life in the fourth quarter, hooking up with CeeDee Lamb twice for touchdowns, but the successes remain too infrequent. I also struggle to understand why the Cowboys tend to produce only when their backs are forced against the wall by the opposition. That’s not on Prescott, but the turnovers aren’t helping, either. It’s definitely not the same near-MVP campaign he put together last season. 21 Jameis WinstonCleveland Browns Browns fans may have found themselves experiencing some déjà vu when watching Winston engineer the offense in his first start with the team. He looked a lot like Joe Flacco did during Cleveland’s magical run to the playoffs last season. Winston breathed life into an offense that was dormant with Deshaun Watson in the lineup, transforming a unit that ranks last in the NFL on third down. The Browns converted 8 of 15 such attempts against the Ravens while racking up 401 yards. In typical Winston fashion, he let it fly, completing 27 of 41 passes for 334 yards and three touchdowns while avoiding interceptions on a handful of turnover-worthy throws. With Winston at the controls, the full complement of Cleveland’s receiving corps got involved, with Cedric Tillman catching seven passes for 99 yards and two touchdowns (including the go-ahead score late in the fourth quarter), Elijah Moore catching eight passes for 85 yards, David Njoku snagging five balls for 61 yards and a touchdown, and Jerry Jeudy chipping in five for 79 yards. This performance proved the problem was Watson and should serve as proof that he isn’t a viable option. While Winston will make some mistakes (it’s guaranteed to happen eventually), he’s clearly Cleveland’s best option right now. 22 Tua TagovailoaMiami Dolphins The Dolphins played with renewed energy as Tua Tagovailoa returned from a concussion in Week 8. He operated Mike McDaniel’s offense as he’s always intended, finding open targets on time and proving to be a massive upgrade over Skylar Thompson and Tyler Huntley. He still showed some rust, especially with ball security, but it became rather apparent he might be the only Dolphins quarterback equipped to run McDaniel’s offense well enough to produce positive results. I wasn’t a fan of how Miami managed the game late, relying too often on passes to the flats and play-action — Arizona had grown wise by the fourth quarter — but overall, it’s clear Tagovailoa is made for this scheme and belongs in this role as long as he stays healthy. A win would have been better, but at least the Dolphins looked more like themselves with Tagovailoa at the controls. 23 Aaron RodgersNew York Jets Visions of Rodgers leading the Jets to glory seem to be evaporating. It’s not that he’s playing poorly overall. Rodgers can still spin it when he sees windows of opportunity, proving it when he ripped a fireball through shallow coverage into the outstretched arm of tight end Tyler Conklin for a touchdown against the Patriots. It’s just not nearly consistent enough to lift the Jets out of the muck in which they’ve been mired for most of 2024. He looks uncomfortable and because New York has struggled so frequently, it’s almost as if he lacks confidence. He can’t extend plays like he once did, resorts to quick throws and appears handcuffed. The results folks expected from the addition of Davante Adams haven’t materialized, no matter how hard they try to connect. It’s been really difficult for Rodgers to sustain success over four quarters, and the Jets’ 2-6 record reflects that fact. 24 Caleb WilliamsChicago Bears The successes were few and far between against Washington, but when Williams needed to make a play with the game on the line, he did so on a few occasions in the fourth quarter. He showed remarkable courage when he stood in the pocket with Bobby Wagner bearing down on him and lofted an accurate pass for DJ Moore to set up a goal-to-go situation, and after peculiar play-calling cost them possession, he went right back to work, improvising to find Keenan Allen, scrambling to pick up yards and leaving the rest of the work to his running backs. Williams struggled with accuracy through most of this game, which was a slog born out of a defensive battle, but it’s worth noting the moment wasn’t too big for him when things got tight late. 25 Bo NixDenver Broncos The Week 8 win over the Panthers was undoubtedly the best game of Nix’s career. The rookie was spinning it for all four quarters, posting career-high marks in yards and touchdowns while demonstrating a rapport with his entire cast of pass catchers. It’s not hyperbole: Nix completed at least one pass to 10 different targets against Carolina, and unlike previous successes, Nix made a lot of his money from the pocket because he had all day to throw. It’s not often a quarterback is afforded that type of protection and time to survey, but Nix took full advantage of it by firing passes all over the yard at a full range of depth and difficulty. His best throw demonstrated his ability to work through progressions, as he scanned left before shifting right and delivering a perfect pass over a defender to tight end Adam Trautman for a touchdown. In one of the few instances in which he was pressured, he evaded a rusher, scrambled and ripped a rocket to Devaughn Vele along the sideline for an impressive completion. While he’s at his best when rolling out and operating on the perimeter, Nix put together a complete performance against a bad opponent in Week 8. 26 Gardner MinshewLas Vegas Raiders For a guy who lost his job to Aidan O’Connell a couple of weeks ago, Minshew sure didn’t look like someone deserving of being benched against the Chiefs. Perhaps it was the return of Jakobi Meyers that made the difference, as Minshew connected with him early and often, finishing with six completions to Meyers for 52 yards and a touchdown. Overall, Minshew was sharp and didn’t doom the Raiders with risky play. He kept them in the fight and it wasn’t his fault they failed to convert a goal-to-go situation after picking off Patrick Mahomes late in the third quarter. I was pleasantly surprised by the performance. We’ll see if it carries over into the next few weeks. 27 Daniel JonesNew York Giants Jones was pretty good between the 20s on Monday night. In total, he completed 24 of 38 passes for 264 yards, and he did so while relying on a receiver not named Malik Nabers, connecting with Darius Slayton four times for 108 yards. The Giants moved the ball well enough to nearly break 400 yards of offense despite Jones being under constant duress; he faced a pressure percentage north of 50 on the night. Ultimately, though, the same weaknesses we’ve seen from him before sealed his fate. Jones fumbled away possession in Steelers territory when he was strip-sacked by T.J. Watt, and he threw a predictable game-sealing interception on the Giants’ last drive, sailing a pass attempted while under slight pressure. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Giants consider Drew Lock at some point in the near future, even if the results with Lock aren’t likely to be any better. 28 Drake MayeNew England Patriots Maye’s Week 8 outing began on a high note — thanks not to his arm, but to his legs. The rookie ran three times for 46 yards, including a 17-yard sprint to the front pylon for a rushing score to give the Patriots a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. His day ended after just six pass attempts, though, because he suffered a concussion on a scramble. Jacoby Brissett replaced him and led the Patriots to a win over the Jets, but once Maye clears the concussion protocol, he’ll surely resume duties as the team’s starter. I like what I’ve seen from him so far and believe the Patriots will rightfully play out the remainder of 2024 with their chosen quarterback of the future in the lineup. 29 Mason RudolphTennessee Titans Rudolph had a bit of Will Levis in him during the loss to the Lions. On one occasion, Rudolph tried to dump off a pass under pressure that resulted in an interception; on another, he stared down Chig Okonkwo before throwing a telegraphed pass that was picked off by Kerby Joseph. That was the worst of it, though, as Rudolph was surprisingly effective on passes downfield in the first half, especially when targeting Calvin Ridley. In one first-half sequence, it seemed as if he was exclusively looking Ridley’s way, moving the ball efficiently in the process. Rudolph also dropped a really nice pass on Nick Westbrook-Ikhine inside Detroit’s 10 just before the half, setting up a goal-to-go situation. That’s where the wheels started to fall off, as Rudolph had one of his goal-line passes dropped by Tyler Boyd, missed his spot on another and then had Ridley run out of bounds before he was able to reenter and make a catch on fourth down, resulting in a turnover on downs. Because of the second-half scoreboard situation, the Titans became one-dimensional, which is never good for a quarterback like Rudolph. Still, despite throwing the two picks, Rudolph made things interesting — at least for a quarter and a half — for an offense that has struggled to achieve that goal in the past. 30 Bryce YoungCarolina PanthersYes, the Panthers lost. Yes, Young threw two interceptions. But for one week, I saw some proof of progress from the former No. 1 overall pick, who finally went an entire game against a very good defense without looking overwhelmed. Young capitalized on an early Broncos turnover, leading a scoring drive that ended with a nice pass to Xavier Legette for a TD. He showed a surprising connection with Jalen Coker all afternoon and appeared much more comfortable overall. Things started to fall apart when he missed his target and threw his first pick, but he also spent a lot of the day under pressure, with the score differential forcing the Panthers to throw. Young’s best play came when the game was already decided: He dropped back in the fourth quarter, saw Legette breaking open along the left sideline, stepped into the rush and put a perfect pass on his rookie teammate, just as Malcolm Roach blasted Young right in the chops, drawing a flag. Such situations would likely panic many other young quarterbacks. I don’t know what the future holds for him, but I was encouraged by Young’s performance. He might just need to be in a more favorable environment than Carolina currently offers to succeed. 31 Anthony RichardsonIndianapolis ColtsRichardson’s stat line in Week 8 was worse than his actual performance. Sure, he missed a couple of deep shots early, but the interception he threw before halftime was as much the product of poor situational play-calling as it was of Richardson’s decision making. In the second half, Richardson settled in, completing a throw in rhythm over the middle to Michael Pittman, finding Josh Downs underneath and firing a bullet to Alec Pierce to convert a key third down. Tyler Goodson dropped what was nearly a perfect throw from Richardson in the end zone, and the touchdown pass he threw to Downs was exquisite. Now, when trying to unpack why Indianapolis is benching Richardson, consider two key points: 1) It is evident from his play that he needs to work on his mechanics as a thrower, and 2) the Colts need to win football games right now. To my eye, Richardson’s accuracy issues are a product of inconsistent mechanics and sloppy footwork, areas that are usually addressed in the offseason. The Colts presumably don’t have time to work on that at the moment, because they’re in the thick of a division race. They need a reliable, polished quarterback (Joe Flacco) to get the job done for them this weekend and beyond. Sure, tapping out for a quick break might have played a part in the Colts’ decision, but after watching Richardson toss a 300-pound defender off his back, then sprint away and fire a pass to Pierce (which was wiped out by offensive pass interference), I can understand why he was gassed. 32 Spencer RattlerNew Orleans Saints I believe we saw the end of the Rattler experiment in Week 8. Rattler was pressured at a moderate rate (29.6 percent) and never got settled in, completing 50 percent of his passes for 156 yards — and he failed to keep drives going. The results were discouraging enough for Dennis Allen to pull the rookie in favor of Jake Haener, who had a similarly unimpressive game, speaking to the Saints’ general issues on offense. Derek Carr can’t come back soon enough. |
| 2025 DRAFTDane Brugler of The Athletic puts QB CAM WARD of Miami, FL as the first QB off the board in the 2025 draft: Quarterbacks dominated the 2024 NFL Draft cycle, with Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye ultimately landing at Nos. 1, 2 and 3 overall, respectively. This year? There’s far less certainty, and as a result, far more prospects are vying to claim the QB1 spot in the 2025 class. On the “Scoop City” podcast this week, hosts Dianna Russini and Chase Daniel asked The Athletic draft expert Dane Brugler to handicap the quarterback race a bit, as college football heads into the final few weeks of its regular season. Who’s going to emerge atop the board? “If I had to make a bet, right now, on who the first quarterback drafted is gonna be, it would be Cam Ward out of Miami,” Brugler said. Ward, a senior, is on his third college stop. He began his career playing FCS ball at Incarnate Word (Texas) before transferring to Washington State for the 2022 and ’23 seasons. Ward then emerged this past offseason as one of the most highly coveted transfers of the NIL era. He joined the Hurricanes, who are currently 8-0 and No. 5 in the country. Through eight games, he’s thrown for 2,746 yards and 24 touchdowns (both rank second in the FBS, behind North Texas’ Chandler Morris), and he’s added 186 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. That performance has him in third place in The Athletic’s most recent Heisman straw poll, trailing Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty and Colorado CB/WR Travis Hunter. “(Ward’s) 6-foot-2, 225 pounds, electric arm talent, really elusive in the pocket,” Brugler told Russini and Daniel. “He’s a very loose player, and that’s part of what makes him dangerous — but he’s also loose with his decision-making, and that directly leads to negative plays. “The best way I can sum it up is he’s a ‘fireworks’ player. He can create an explosive play on any snap, but fireworks also have that big warning label on them, right? When you’re careless with fireworks, negative results will follow. I’m encouraged by the progress that we’ve seen from Ward. He was a Wing-T quarterback in high school, (played in the) Air Raid at Incarnate Word, then Washington State. He’s still in an Air Raid offense now, but you see a little more variation. “The character reviews I’ve heard from scouts — really smart, great leader, confident kid. I don’t think he’s faced a great defense, that’s kind of the problem with the ACC this year. But this is where the 12-team playoff could come into play, because think about last year with Michael Penix Jr.. If he doesn’t have that 430-yard passing performance against Texas in the semifinals, is he still a top-10 pick? Who knows. “Consciously or subconsciously, scouts and teams, they’re gonna weight these playoff games a little bit more — that big stage. Selfishly, I want to see Miami make the playoff, just so we can see Ward on that stage.” There’s certainly no consensus right now on Ward as the top 2025 QB, however, and the pecking order has shifted almost by the week. Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders also could be in that mix come April — he was the No. 8 pick, by Las Vegas, in Nick Baumgardner’s latest 2025 NFL mock draft. Like Ward, Sanders’ team-to-team evaluations could vary wildly. “I think he probably goes first round,” Brugler said of Sanders, “because he’s poised, he’s tough, he’s accurate. The physical traits don’t wow you. “I’m gonna give a quarterback comparison, but I’m gonna qualify it: In terms of quarterbacking style, I think the comparison is Jordan Love, because they’re very fluid with their throwing motions, they bounce around, backpedal at times, keep the weight on the back foot, use a lot of different platforms. But Shedeur is smaller and has a B-level arm, not an A-level arm — and so that’s the key difference.” Brugler mentioned several other QB1 possibilities, including LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier (whom he compared to former NFL star Tony Romo), Penn State’s Drew Allar, Alabama’s Jalen Milroe and Georgia’s Carson Beck. However, he noted that he hopes Nussmeier “goes back” to school for another season of development, and said the same of Allar. So, how will it all play out come April? “We’re still gonna see, I think, at least one, maybe two (quarterbacks) go in the top 10,” Brugler said. “Maybe one or two more end up in the first round, because this is how this works — they will get overdrafted.” |
