| NFC NORTH |
| GREEN BAYCB JAIRE ALEXANDER prescribes rest for his knee injury. Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com: Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander shed some light on the nature of the knee injury that has been hampering him over the last few weeks. Alexander injured his knee in Week Eight and did not play in Week Nine. The Packers had a bye in Week 10 and Alexander was limited to 10 snaps in last Sunday’s win over the Bears before missing the first two practices this week. On Thursday, Alexander told Matt Schneidman of TheAthletic.com that he has torn PCL. “I just tried to give it a go . . . I went out there and shit, all I could really give was 10 plays and then it — I felt something,” Alexander said. “If you know how [PCLs] work, it don’t just get done in three weeks, so it just needed more time. I reaggravated it going back out there and only doing 10 plays, so now we just trying to get my knee back right.” Alexander said he doesn’t have an idea of when hell feel well enough to play, but knows that he needs “more than 21 days of non-contact” in order to feel back to full health. He thinks he can return to his previous level of play once that happens, but it looks like the Packers are going to have to avail themselves of other options for the time being. |
| NFC EAST |
| DALLASEDGE MICAH PARSONS tries to clarify that he wasn’t taking a shot at Coach Mike McCarthy with his comments last week. Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com: The last time Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons conducted media interviews, his comments went viral as many perceived them as a shot at coach Mike McCarthy. Parsons said Thursday he wishes he had been clearer after the 34-6 loss to the Eagles in Week 10. Parsons apologized to McCarthy personally, and he did so publicly Thursday. “Obviously no disrespect to [McCarthy’s] career and what he’s made for himself as one of the most winningest coaches,” Parsons said, via Todd Archer of ESPN. “I could have done better. I was angry, and I just didn’t finish, and I wasn’t as thoughtful as I usually am. I didn’t think people would take that context the way it was. That’s on me. I lost [the game]. I didn’t want to finish, and I wanted to hurry up out of the locker room. Next time, I will be very careful about what I say. So that’s my apologies.” Parsons intended to show support to veteran players like Zack Martin, who could be in the final year of his decorated career. Instead, his Nov. 10 postgame comments about his coach’s job status came across as criticism of McCarthy. “That’s above my pay grade, if Mike’s coach again next year,” Parsons said at the time. ”All coaching aside, Mike can leave and go where he wants to. Guys I kind of feel bad for is guys like Zack Martin and guys who might be on their last year, on their way out, because that’s who I wanted to hold the trophy for. “You want to win games and do great things with those type of legends who put in more time and work than Mike McCarthy ever did. So, those are the kind of guys that I have so much sympathy and hurt for.” Parsons and McCarthy met the following day. “The most important thing is obviously how much love I have for coach McCarthy,” Parsons said Thursday. “You never want to throw shade or anything on your coach. But I think like anything, him understanding I’m always going to be a players’ guy first, right. I’m always going to think about the guys around me before anyone. That’s who I go to war with. Those are the guys that are leaning on me, and I’m leaning on them. That’s how we feed our families. That’s kind of what I wanted to get across. We hashed it out, it was all good and gravy.” But Parsons repeated that McCarthy’s future in Dallas is “above my pay grade.” McCarthy is in the final year of his contract, and the expectation is the Cowboys will replace him after this season. “Mike McCarthy has always been good to me,” Parsons said. “He’s always been a good coach. He won me a lot of games here and I’ve had a lot of success with him. The coaching stuff, I can’t really control that stuff.” |
| NEW YORK GIANTSQB DANIEL JONES delivered an emotional farewell address to the Giants and their fans after playing DB on the scout team in practice. Chris Licata and Dan Duggan of The Athletic: Giants quarterback Daniel Jones spoke to the media after Thursday’s practice, delivering an apparent farewell address after six seasons with the team. Jones was benched on Monday in favor of Tommy DeVito as the last-place Giants enter Week 12 at 2-8. Jones spent a portion of Thursday’s session wearing a red scout team jersey and afterward took accountability for his part in leading just one winning season since his arrival in 2019. “The opportunity to play for the New York Giants was truly a dream come true. I’m extremely grateful to the Mara and Tisch families for the chance to play here,” Jones said. “No one wanted to win more games worse than me. I gave everything I had on the field and in preparation. Of course, this season has been disappointing for all and of course, I wish I could have done more. I’m 100% accountable for my part. I did not play well enough, consistently enough to help the team get (good) results.” Jones, currently in the second season of the four-year, $160 million contract extension signed in 2022, acknowledged that he’s “still processing” whether he’ll remain with the team for the rest of the season. The 27-year-old did confirm, though, that his $23 million injury guarantee contributed to the team’s decision to sit him. “I want to play. I want to be on the field. I tried to do as much as I could to make that possible and create a situation where we were both comfortable,” Jones said when asked whether he considered waiving the guarantee. “Unfortunate business side of the game.” With the expectation that he has played his final snap in a Giants uniform, Jones expressed excitement over his next opportunity. “I know there’s a lot of good football in front of me,” he said. Still, Jones was visibly emotional at points, particularly when thanking his teammates, coaches, staffers and fans. “To all the fans, I have deep respect and appreciation for your passion and love for the Giants. The fans are a huge part of what makes playing for the Giants so special.” Why the Giants made the moveIt was strange to see Jones in a red scout-team pinnie lining up at safety during a walk-through period early in Thursday’s practice. But that’s the quarterback’s new reality, as he has dropped to fourth on the depth chart after the Giants benched him this week. The Giants are essentially putting Jones in bubble wrap to avoid risking the $23 million injury guarantee in his contract, so he’s not participating in any live periods of practice. But Jones stood in at safety as the offensive line and quarterbacks prepped for the blitzes they’ll see from the Buccaneers on Sunday. Jones was joined on the ragtag scout team defense by practice squad offensive linemen and members of the coaching staff. That figures to be the extent of Jones’ practice participation for the final seven weeks of the season, unless he and the team reach an agreement to send him home. – Dan Duggan, Giants senior writer |
| NFC WEST |
| ARIZONAAustin Mock of ESPN.com sort out the next seven weeks in the cluttered NFC West: It’s wild times in the NFC West. We’re 11 weeks into the NFL regular season, and every division contains at least one team with at least seven wins or seven losses — except the NFC West. The Arizona Cardinals pace the division at 6-4, while the San Francisco 49ers sit in last place (due to tiebreakers) at 5-5. The Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks are squeezed in between them at … 5-5. As you can imagine, with all four teams so tightly packed together and plenty of division games left to be played between them, the chaotic fight to the finish will be fascinating. It will be especially intriguing because the rest of the NFC has been so good that, at this point, it’s highly likely only one team, the division winner, will make the playoffs. So, which team is most likely to win the division title? Will it be the team with the best roster or the one with the easiest schedule? That’s what we’re here to find out. Let’s use my NFL Projection Model to take a deeper dive into why I think each team is still alive to win the NFC West. Arizona CardinalsCurrent odds to win the division: 58% Why they can win the West:The Cardinals don’t project as the best team in the NFC West, according to my model, but they are the most likely to win the division. The primary reasons are pretty simple. First, they have a one-game advantage over every other team in the division. Second, they have the easiest remaining schedule of these four teams, and it’s not particularly close. The Cardinals are currently slated to face the 12th-easiest schedule remaining in the NFL. Meanwhile, the Seahawks face the ninth-hardest remaining schedule, the Rams the fifth-hardest and the 49ers the second-hardest. The Cardinals still have matchups with the lowly New England Patriots (3-8) and Carolina Panthers (3-7). If they take care of business against those teams, that brings them to eight wins, and it might take only 10 to win the division. That means they’d have to win just two more games in a slate that features two matchups against the Seahawks, one at the Vikings, one at the Rams and the season finale at home against the 49ers. That seems pretty doable. However, if there is one area I’m worried about with the Cardinals, it’s the defense. They rank 23rd in EPA/play and 31st in success rate, according to TruMedia. They may luck out with the schedule, but the defense will need to improve and supplement Kyler Murray and a Cardinals offense that has played at a top-10 level this season. Los Angeles RamsCurrent odds to win the division: 22% Why they can win the West:The story of the Rams’ season has been injuries, and they’ve endured quite a few. The offensive line was gutted early in the season, and that’s on top of star wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua missing time. This led to a 1-4 start and sunk their playoff hopes — my projection model had their playoff odds at a season-low 6% on Sept. 22. But with the return of Kupp and Nacua, coupled with the offensive line getting healthier over the last few weeks, the Rams have reversed course and have gone 4-1 since their Week 6 bye. It’s apparent that when you’re able to give quarterback Matthew Stafford time to throw to stars like Kupp and Nacua, this offense is lethal. And that’s without even acknowledging Kyren Williams and a healthy rushing attack. Pair that offense with a defense that is third in the league in pressure percentage while blitzing at only a league-average rate, and you have a legitimate contender. Betting breakoutLos Angeles Rams to win the NFC West +550: I think the Rams have the most value, as they win the division nearly a quarter of the time in my model’s simulations. The defense has some holes — especially in the secondary — but when Stafford, Kupp and Nacua are healthy, they have a shot to win every game. For the record, my model has them as the favorite in four of their final seven games, with the weekend’s home matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles a pick’em. San Francisco 49ersCurrent odds to win the division: 12% Why they can win the West:The 49ers still have the best roster in the division, and if they can just stay healthy (a big ask) in the second half of the season, they’ll likely find themselves in contention to win the West. Their biggest problem has been the inability to close out games. They’re 2-4 in one-score games, and in three of those losses, they blew either a double-digit lead or a fourth-quarter lead. I thought the return of star running back Christian McCaffrey might be the answer to closing out those games, but in two weeks since his return, he hasn’t looked nearly as explosive. There’s no denying it: Things are bleak in San Francisco right now. Their playoff odds have fallen below 25% in my projections. And if they lose the next two weeks, which is very possible at Green Bay and at Buffalo, it would likely spell the end of their postseason dreams. Seattle SeahawksCurrent odds to win the division: 8% Why they can win the West:The Seahawks kept their division hopes alive by beating the 49ers on Sunday. Give them credit: Their front seven on defense was decimated by injury earlier this season, so to still be in the hunt is a testament to coach Mike Macdonald and the rest of this team. While their odds of winning the West are the lowest among the four teams, their schedule does provide some opportunities. They have two games against sub-.500 teams (the Jets and Bears) that are essentially must-win. They also have two games against the division-leading Cardinals, which means they can control their own destiny to a degree. Getting two wins against the Cardinals would obviously pay huge dividends. But even going 1-1 against Arizona and 2-0 against the Jets and Bears would put them right in the thick of things come Week 18. |
| SAN FRANCISCOThe 49ers have said that QB BROCK PURDY should be there Sunday in Green Bay. But they’ve already had an injury go from next-to-nothing to a stint on IR this year with RB CHRISTIAN McCAFFREY and his Achilles problem. Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com: 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy had another limited practice Thursday as he continues to deal with right shoulder soreness. According to beat reporters, Purdy made some light throws to staff members Thursday before leaving for the weight room. Purdy did not speak to reporters Thursday as he usually does, with the team pushing his availability to Friday. That raises a question about whether Purdy will play Sunday. The 49ers will issue their status report with injury designations Friday. “He was still limited today,” coach Kyle Shanahan said on KNBR on Thursday afternoon. “He didn’t do as much yesterday but did a little bit more today. He went out there and did a little bit then went back in about halfway through and rested up. Hopefully, it will be feeling great on Sunday.” Purdy has thrown for 2,613 yards with 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions this season. The 49ers have Brandon Allen and Joshua Dobbs behind him. Purdy appeared to injury the shoulder when his hand hit the arm of Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon as he released a pass early in the fourth quarter, though Purdy remained in the game. Running back Christian McCaffrey (rest/Achilles) returned to limited work Thursday after missing Wednesday. Wide receiver Jacob Cowing (concussion) went from limited Wednesday to out of practice Thursday. The rest of the team’s report remained the same as Wednesday: Defensive lineman Nick Bosa (hip/oblique), linebacker Tatum Bethune (knee), defensive lineman Kevin Givens (groin) and left tackle Trent Williams (ankle) again didn’t practice; and offensive lineman Jon Feliciano (knee), cornerback Charvarius Ward (personal) and tight end George Kittle (hamstring) remained limited. |
| SEATTLEAn update on the Seahawks who are still in the cold and dark after this week’s storm. Eric Edholm of NFL.com: After losing power following a major “bomb cyclone” storm Tuesday night, the Seattle Seahawks’ team facility remains affected by the outage on Thursday. Nearly half a million homes in Washington state lost power with the powerful storm, including the area where the Seahawks are located in Renton, Wash., just outside Seattle. Virginia Mason Athletic Center, the team’s facility, reportedly had limited power on Thursday from generators, but much of it remained in the dark. “The darkness brings us closer together,” Seahawks defensive tackle Jarran Reed said, via team reporter John Boyle. As the Seahawks prepare to host the Arizona Cardinals in Week 12, NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo reported that they’re considering moving Friday’s practice to Lumen Field, the site of Sunday’s big divisional matchup. The Seahawks managed to practice at the facility on Thursday. But the power outage also continued to leave the players without hot water afterward. “It’s cold showers. Gotta man up, take a cold shower,” Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith said Thursday. “There’s no sauna. Some of the things that we’re accustomed to having because there’s no electricity.” Still, Smith said, they’re not using the dim situation as an excuse. “For the most part, man, we’ve got everything we need,” he said, “and we’ll be ready on Sunday.” The power outage hasn’t just affected the players at work, but also at home, where many players and their families also lack power. Smith noted that the situation makes it tougher for players to bring work home with them, so they’re altering their schedules a bit and making the best of it. As anyone who has been to Seattle at this time of the year knows, it gets dark early there in late November. |
| AFC WEST |
| KANSAS CITYThe burglaries at the homes of QB PATRICK MAHOMES and TE TRAVIS KELCE may be part of a larger ring of thieves. The NFL issued a security alert to teams and the players’ union on Thursday following recent burglaries involving the homes of Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. In a memo obtained by The Associated Press and multiple other media outlets, the league says homes of professional athletes across multiple sports have become “increasingly targeted for burglaries by organized and skilled groups.” The NFL and other professional sports leagues received a briefing from the FBI last Friday, a source told ABC News. Law enforcement officials noted these groups target the homes on days the athletes have games. Players were told to take precautions and implement home security measures to reduce the risk of being targeted. Some of the burglary groups have conducted extensive surveillance on targets, including attempted home deliveries and posing as grounds maintenance or joggers in the neighborhood. Burglars have entered through side doors, via balconies or through second-floor windows. They’ve targeted homes in secluded areas and focused on master bedrooms and closet areas. Players were warned to avoid updating any social media with check-ins or daily activities until the end of the day. Posting expensive items on social media is discouraged. The homes of Mahomes and Kelce were broken into within days of each other last month, law enforcement reports show. The break-ins happened just before and the day of Kansas City’s 26-13 home victory over the New Orleans Saints on Oct. 7, where Kelce’s superstar girlfriend Taylor Swift watched from the stands. No injuries were reported in either case. The FBI has used a euphemism for the nature of these criminals that the AP couldn’t bring itself to use. Ryan Glasspiegel of the New York Post dares utter its name: The report also said that the FBI believes that the rash of home break-ins has been the result of “international organized crime.” “It’s legit,” a source told Pelissero. “It’s a transnational crime ring, and over the last three weeks, they’ve focused on NBA and NFL players, and it’s all over the country.” We remember seeing a story about Chileans doing a bunch of break-ins in Southern California. This from Malik Jackson at Fox4KC.com: One week after high end burglaries targeting Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, FOX4 is learning who could be behind them. “This is a sophisticated operation, it’s not some guy that’s going down to the local pawn shop,” said Security expert Mike Barbieri. It appears to be a highly intelligent crime ring. This is related to the video FOX4 showed you last week, where burglars hit another high-end home in the metro and stole more than $500,000 in jewelry. Multiple sources confirmed with FOX4 that police believe the thieves behind these high-end burglaries are members of a South American crime ring. “It doesn’t surprise me at all that this crime spree that is going across the entire country is designed by some very sophisticated people in somewhat of a cartel,” Barbieri said. Barbieri is a security expert who’s worked with the federal government in law enforcement and has run security detail in more than 20 countries. “If you have a particular individual that’s an athlete, a wealthy CEO, you can find out just about anything you need to find out about these people online,” he said. These two Chiefs stars and the third victim FOX4 worked to track down appear to not be alone as targets in this calculated crime spree. Professional athletes have been hit in a suburb of Minneapolis and one in Milwaukee where NBA player Bobby Portis says thieves walked out with most of his prized possessions. Barbieri is clear that the work these South American criminals are getting away with starts well in advance of the burglaries with weeks of intelligence prep and possibly even work inside of these homes. |
| AFC NORTH |
| CLEVELANDIan Rapoport confirms that one bad year won’t cost two-time NFL Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski his job. Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski won’t have to worry about his job status entering Thursday night’s game, in spite of the team’s 2-8 record. Stefanski is expected to remain as Browns head coach in 2025, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Thursday’s edition of The Insiders. Speaking with reporters this week while speculation surrounding his job status was swirling, Stefanski wasn’t fretting about the proverbial hot seat. As he put it, growing up around Philadelphia listening to talk radio made him smart enough “to not worry about outside noise,” even with the Browns coming off an 11-win season and a playoff berth in 2023. “I get that’s part of this gig,” Stefanski said Tuesday when asked if he’s concerned about losing his job, via ESPN. “That’s life in the big city. My sole focus is getting this team ready to get a win on Thursday night. That’s it.” On the upcoming The Insiders Thursday, Rapoport conveyed his surprise that Stefanski was even asked about his job security. “This seems wild to me,” Rapoport said. “He is the reigning Coach of the Year, and not only that, he also had previously won Coach of the Year. He’s a two-time Coach of the Year. “Kevin Stefanski did not forget how to coach football. He just had an unfortunate performance, including the fact that Deshaun Watson had, you know, certainly the worst year of his career and then got injured and obviously the same last year. This is the same Kevin Stefanski that led a team with Joe Flacco as a starting quarterback to the playoffs.” According to what Rapoport is hearing, Stefanski projects to be the Browns’ head coach in 2025. “Kevin Stefanski, to my knowledge, based on everything I know, is not going anywhere,” Rapoport said. “I assume people will still be asking. It has been an unfortunate season. They don’t have the results they wanted. But I would be beyond stunned if Kevin Stefanski was not the Browns’ coach next year.” |
| AFC SOUTH |
| HOUSTONWe discovered this while looking up something else – the Texans lead the NFL with 10 halftime leads. The Commanders, Chargers and the mighty Lions are next with 8. The 9-1 Chiefs only have led at the half five times. |
| AFC EAST |
| NEW ENGLANDRobert Kraft will not make the Hall of Fame in the Class of 2025. Dan Van Natta, Jr. ofESPN.com gets the leak from within the deliberations and the news that the committee chose perhaps the most anonymous HOF selection ever instead of Kraft (or anyone else who might be deserving): Robert Kraft, the six-time Super Bowl-winning New England Patriots owner considered a favorite for the 2025 class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, has been passed over again by the Hall’s contributor committee, sources told ESPN. Instead, the nine-member committee, which each year advances one name for consideration by all 50 Hall voters, chose Ralph Hay, a co-founder of the National Football League and the owner of the Canton Bulldogs from 1918 to 1922, five sources with knowledge of the decision told ESPN this week. The contributor committee’s decision was made Nov. 12 and is expected to be announced by the Hall of Fame next month. Hay, along with one coaching candidate and three candidates from an earlier NFL era whose names still have not been revealed, will be considered by the full selection committee for the Hall in January 2025. In response to questions from ESPN, the Hall of Fame released a statement Thursday, saying the names of all the finalists will be “announced jointly in early December, once all committees have held their selection meetings.” The Patriots’ longtime spokesperson, Stacey James, declined to comment when reached by ESPN. This year marks the 13th year that Kraft, now 83, was considered by a Hall committee but failed to advance out of committee. Eighty percent of the voters must approve the nominated finalists for induction into the Hall in Canton, Ohio. Several voters told ESPN they were surprised that the committee did not make Kraft a finalist this year. After the Hall split the coaches and contributors into separate categories, some voters said they believed Kraft had an easier path to induction. “It’s a huge surprise,” said one source, who insisted on anonymity. “And it’s very disappointing. Unless you are an NFL historian, you don’t know who Ralph Hay is.” Hay is considered the founding father of the NFL. In 1920, he organized the first meeting of teams that became the American Professional Football Association, the precursor to the NFL. Historians say without Hay, there might not have been an NFL. Kraft has had 13 opportunities for Canton, while Hay was passed over since the Hall was founded in 1963. In fact, he has never been a finalist until this year. In 2020, after the Hall convened a specially selected group of voters to choose a centennial class marking the NFL’s 100th anniversary, voters picked three contributors for induction. Hay was not among them. One source who was angry about Hay’s selection over Kraft said, “Hay didn’t believe players should be paid. He sold the team after only four years. I don’t know how he is seen as more deserving than Bob Kraft.” Although Hay does not have a bronze bust in Canton, a Hall of Fame honor is named after him. Established in 1972, the Ralph Hay Pioneer award is given to people who have made “significant and innovative contributions to professional football.” Fernando Von Rossum, a Spanish-language NFL announcer, received the award in August. In 1972, Hall of Fame coach George Halas hailed Hay, saying “he was a pioneer in Canton … and dreamed of bigger, better things in the form of a major league … I emphatically recommend that Ralph Hay be voted into our Pro Football Hall of Fame and be honored just as have others who have followed him as players or owners.” In September, ESPN reported on the long campaign Kraft’s supporters have waged on his behalf to get a bronze bust in Canton. Supporters of Kraft say he is long overdue to be inducted. The lifelong Patriots fan bought the team in 1994 and quickly turned it into one of the most successful franchises in NFL history. He hired Bill Belichick as coach in 2000 and oversaw the Patriots’ six Super Bowl-winning seasons from 2001 to 2018. “There’s no box that Robert Kraft doesn’t check to get into the Hall of Fame,” Hall of Famer Bill Polian, an ardent Kraft supporter, told ESPN earlier this year. Beginning in 2012, an aggressive campaign for Kraft was helmed by James, who pushed his boss’s candidacy in numerous ways, including sending the bestselling 2018 pro-Kraft book, “The Dynasty,” authored by Jeff Benedict, to Hall of Fame voters. One voter said he received the book two years in a row. Several sources said that James did not lobby for Kraft this year. |
