There were five teams that won more than 90 games this year in MLB.  None made the Final Four (TM by another organization).

Those 5 teams  – Atlanta, LA Dodgers, Baltimore, Tampa Bay and Milwaukee – were a collective 1-13 in postseason play.

This from Katie Sharp:

@ktsharp

This is the first time in MLB postseason history (excluding shortened seasons) that all 4 teams in the LCS have 90 or fewer regular season wins.

DALLAS

The Athletic on how the Cowboys will cope with LB LEIGHTON VANDER ESCH going to IR:

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Leighton Vander Esch will land on injured reserve with a neck injury, coach Mike McCarthy said during a Thursday news conference. Here’s what you need to know:

Vander Esch suffered the injury in the Cowboys’ Week 5 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn said Micah Parsons could see more time at linebacker rather than an edge rusher if Vander Esch is out an extended period of time.

Vander Esch started five games this season with 30 total tackles and one fumble recovery he returned for a touchdown.

Who leads Dallas’ defense now?

Behind his play on the field, Vander Esch wears the green dot on his helmet — he’s the communicator on the field for the defense. That responsibility is expected to go to safety Jayron Kearse or safety Malik Hooker.

Both have had reps in that position, but it will require adjustments for the entire defense when the play caller on the field is in the secondary instead of a linebacker on the second level. — Saad Yousuf, Dallas Cowboys writer

Expectations raised for LBs

With Vander Esch out, the Cowboys will need more from several players. Practice squad linebacker Malik Jefferson will be elevated. The Cowboys also signed veteran linebacker Rashaan Evans to their practice squad this week. The 2018 first-round pick had 159 tackles in 17 starts for the Atlanta Falcons last season. Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said Evans “had a really good workout” this week.

NEW YORK GIANTS

QB DANIEL JONES is trending towards out.  Ed Valentine of BigBlueView.com:

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones will not practice again on Thursday, casting doubt on whether or not Jones will be able to play Sunday when the Giants face the Buffalo Bills.

Jones, dealing with a neck injury suffered last Sunday against the Miami Dolphins, also did not practice on Wednesday.

Head coach Brian Daboll is not ruling Jones out for Sunday. Usually, though, players who do not practice do not play.

Tyrod Taylor will start if Jones is unable to play. Tommy DeVito, an undrafted free agent rookie currently on the practice squad, would be the backup.

Jones had said Wednesday that playing Sunday was “certainly my goal.”

The quarterback has said this injury is different than the season-ending one he suffered in 2021, an injury he ultimately had surgery for.

Interestingly, Jones practiced with the team for several weeks after suffering that injury. He was simply never cleared for contact and was eventually placed on injured reserve.

Here, though indications have been this injury is less severe, it is concerning that Jones is being kept out of practice.

CAROLINA

RB MILES SANDERS seems to be trending towards out.  This at FantasyPros:

Carolina Panthers RB Miles Sanders logged his second day of no practice this week, missing Thursday with his shoulder injury. (Steve Reed on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact:

It seems unlikely that Sanders will suit up on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins, setting up RB Chuba Hubbard as the RB1 against one of the league’s most explosive offenses. Hubbard has averaged nine touches per game and 4.5 yards per touch this season and will likely see an increased workload, making him a low-end RB play in PPR formats.

TAMPA BAY

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com with a nice look at QB BAKER MAYFIELD (as well, as OC Dave Canales):

Baker Mayfield stood apart from his Tampa Bay Buccaneers teammates on the Caesars Superdome turf, palms covering the ear holes of his helmet, awaiting the playcall that might provide a much-needed signature moment.

Just about everything about the situation said call a safe play, get the kicker ready: Third-and-goal from the Saints’ 5-yard-line, 3:44 left, the Buccaneers up 17-9, star receiver Mike Evans injured, a journeyman quarterback — on his fourth NFL team in 16 months — at the controls.

But a few plays earlier, Bucs coach Todd Bowles had directed offensive coordinator Dave Canales to be aggressive. So Canales drew up a play Mayfield liked from a few weeks ago, a shotgun look allowing him to survey the field and enter a scramble drill if initial reads weren’t there. The play was designed to beat man coverage, with the ability to check into a different play if the coverage changed.

Mayfield stuck with the play, but once he dropped back there were no obvious reads. The quarterback looked left, right, left, bouncing around, hoping his eyes would locate an open white jersey. “Find someone,” Canales told himself.

Mayfield rolled to his right and after 7.68 seconds — an eternity against NFL pass-rushers — delivered a dime to a leaping Deven Thompkins. Touchdown, game sealed.

Turns out the Bucs almost welcomed the chaos of the play, and the presence of a quarterback who has seen his share of it.

“One thing about Baker, he has great vision and fast eyes, so getting guys moving is a good thing,” Canales said. “Bake will find someone.”

One of the surprises of the early 2023 NFL season, Mayfield — the former No. 1 pick — looks intent on delivering on some of the promise that followed him into the league as the Cleveland Browns’ top draft pick in 2018. He enters a Week 6 meeting against the Lions with a 70.2 QBR that ranks sixth in the NFL. The team that took a chance on him — including a head coach and general manager who were also facing high stakes — might just be riding their canny decision to an unlikely NFC South title and post-Tom Brady relevance.

Mayfield’s five-year career, preceding his 3-1 start to this season, contained multitudes. On-the-brink brilliance followed by stardom, insurance commercials, a historic playoff win, injuries, uneven play, team dysfunction, a trade, a release, a rejuvenating month in Southern California and an eventual one-year deal of modest stature ($4 million and up to $8.5 million with incentives) with a Buccaneers team that would not promise him a starting job.

He escaped the fray humbled yet hungry, those close to him said. And his mini-renaissance in Tampa sits neatly alongside the objectives of a talented team still salty about the national perception it would struggle because Brady retired — and because Mayfield was Brady’s replacement.

“He has an eternal chip on his shoulder,” general manager Jason Licht said. “Now he wants to resurrect his career. Everybody was counting him out and saying he sucks.”

BRADY’S RETIREMENT ON Feb. 1 confirmed a reality for which Bowles and Licht had already begun planning, according to multiple team sources: the Buccaneers would start a new era at quarterback.

The team liked Kyle Trask, the University of Florida product it had used a late-second-round draft choice on in 2021, but Trask was unproven and identifying competition was necessary. Picking 19th in the 2023 draft, Licht knew top rookie options Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson would be off the board.

That left free agency as the most prudent path. Still addressing salary cap issues from Brady’s contract and $35 million cap hit, Tampa Bay was not in position to pay top dollar for Jimmy Garoppolo or Derek Carr, the top two free agent quarterbacks. The Bucs discussed backup Drew Lock, whom Canales coached in Seattle, before zeroing in on Mayfield, according to Licht. Licht saw a high ceiling based on Mayfield’s best days, including a 2020 season when he threw 26 TDs to eight interceptions in leading the Browns to their first playoff win in 26 years.

Bowles had struck a good relationship with Mayfield before the 2018 draft, when he was still coaching the Jets, and says he always liked Mayfield’s game and what he called his “moxie.”

“I knew what I was getting,” said Bowles, who believed Mayfield was an ideal fit for Tampa’s new offensive scheme, with former coordinator Byron Leftwich fired in January. “Sometimes the hottest name isn’t the best name.”

That Mayfield would be a coveted starting quarterback candidate for any NFL team might have seemed unrealistic months before. It was early December when the Carolina Panthers unceremoniously cut Mayfield after a miserable six-game stretch produced a 1-5 record, a career-low 57.8 completion percentage and six touchdown passes versus six interceptions. Mayfield’s QBR of 18.2 at the time of his release ranked 520th out of 521 qualified QB seasons since the statistic was first tracked in 2006. It was reasonable to wonder whether the former No. 1 pick’s days in the league had come to an end.

But a funny thing happened on the way to career oblivion. The Los Angeles Rams, in the midst of a lost season characterized by spiraling injury issues among their quarterbacks, claimed Mayfield on waivers on Dec. 6 — the only team to submit a waiver claim. Two days later, Mayfield orchestrated one of the unlikeliest victories of the year given the circumstances, leading the Rams to a 17-16 win over the Las Vegas Raiders despite little familiarity with either his teammates or the playbook. Later that month, in a Christmas night pummeling of the Denver Broncos, Mayfield had one of the finest games of his career, completing 24 of 28 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns without a turnover. His stint in Sean McVay’s offense had proven to Mayfield — and to the rest of the league — that he could still play.

“I know I’m a starting quarterback,” Mayfield said as he sat at his locker after the Rams’ season finale. “I’m confident in that. And we’ll just see what happens.”

Roughly two months later, finding the right situation was paramount for Mayfield. Tampa made contact, but the Ravens also expressed interest in Mayfield as a Lamar Jackson contingency amid Baltimore’s negotiations with the former MVP. But Mayfield and his agent, Tom Mills, figured Jackson would eventually sign with the Ravens, turning Mayfield into the clear backup. He wanted the chance to start, preferably with a team that could win.

Though the retirement of the most decorated quarterback in NFL history would destabilize any franchise to some extent, Licht and Bowles did not believe they were selling Mayfield on a team in rebuilding mode. Tampa had at least one high-level player at most positions, and many of the pieces that lured Brady to Tampa three years ago were still in place. Mayfield’s desire to play for the Bucs was obvious early in free agency.

“He saw the situation here, some stability, coaching with Todd, having players here and a good roster, and we’re looking for a QB — he thought it was a great fit,” Licht said.

Mayfield signed a team-friendly one-year deal with the club. But big challenges lay ahead.

ON AN OPPRESSIVELY hot and humid Florida day early in training camp, the sound of AC/DC shook the walls within an air conditioned conference room at the team’s One Buc Place headquarters. That was the setting where Licht and his staff could be found reviewing the day’s work of the quarterbacks, accompanied by a heavy metal soundtrack. Members of the staff take turns playing DJ, but when it’s Licht’s day, everyone knows what’s playing. Mayfield and Trask had been put through three drills at a brisk, no-huddle pace, and Licht & Co. intently watched each snap amid the first true quarterback battle of the GM’s 10-year tenure in Tampa.

On this day, Trask had the upper hand — and not for the first time. Trask was showing impressive command, while Mayfield’s play was characterized by errant throws. Some in the building wondered whether Mayfield was starting to press, the self-applied pressure of his last meaningful chance to be an NFL starter palpable.

Quarterbacks coach Thad Lewis, blunt but lighthearted in his messaging, made his point in the quarterback room later that day.

“Hey, I don’t know who that guy is, but leave him home tomorrow,” Lewis told Mayfield with a smile. Mayfield laughed, gave a joking “whatever,” then conceded, “I know.”

Mayfield wasn’t playing poorly as a whole and was still the leader in this competition — as he had been since OTAs in the spring — but he had to respond with his best. Trask was gaining ground.

Canales felt déjà vu. While serving as the quarterbacks coach in Seattle last preseason, Canales had a front-row seat to the battle between Lock and Geno Smith. Smith won that job with consistency and decision-making rather than with flash, points of emphasis Canales worked to get across to Mayfield. No need to wear a cape and don’t get bored with completions, Canales reminded him.

Canales recalls Mayfield “looking sideways” at Trask’s improvements, intuiting the growing threat.

It was then that Mayfield settled in. He got everyone’s attention by uncorking a 67-yard bomb to Mike Evans on a post route at an indoor practice. Canales called it a “whoa” moment. Bowles recalled telling himself, “Yeah, I see that” after Mayfield rattled off four or five impressive completions in a row. He was taking ownership of the job.

And he was excellent in preseason game action, hitting 14 of 15 passes for 105 yards, two touchdowns, no picks and a 135.4 passer rating.

In the days leading up to Bowles announcing Mayfield as the starter on Aug. 22, coaches huddled and debated the merits of the two players, according to Bowles. Everyone agreed Trask “got a whole lot better,” but Mayfield’s total package — command of the offense, leadership and accuracy — prevailed, Bowles said.

The other thing Mayfield possessed, or had regained, was the signature swagger that had been on public display going all the way back to his time as a freshman walk-on at Texas Tech.

“If I can’t beat this guy out, then I don’t deserve the job, or more power to him,” one source close to Mayfield recalled of the quarterback’s thinking.

The confidence had returned, fueled by his battle with Trask. It was the one part of Mayfield’s makeup the Bucs had hoped to see.

“He said, ‘Oh yeah, no problem, we can call it a competition all you want,'” Licht recalls. “You could tell, in the back of his head, he was thinking he was winning this thing.”

SHORTLY AFTER MAYFIELD arrived to sign his contract in March, Canales welcomed his quarterback into his office.

Tell me your story, Canales requested.

Canales had watched Mayfield from afar and loved his game coming out of college at Oklahoma, but he sensed Mayfield’s situation in Cleveland from 2018 to 2021 was something of a roller coaster, and he noticed a frustrated quarterback in his dealings with the media.

“He’s a guy who’s really self-aware,” Canales said. “He started mapping out the changing of the playcallers, where he was at in the middle of it, trying to figure out who he was going to be as a pro quarterback.”

Mayfield’s collection of playbooks could fill a personal library. Bowles is Mayfield’s eighth NFL head coach and Canales his eighth offensive coordinator.

Mayfield’s promise shined in 2020, when he and head coach Kevin Stefanski won the Browns’ first playoff game since 1994. But his play cratered in 2021, due in part to a major shoulder injury that required surgery. The Browns were no longer willing to bank on that early promise, trading for Deshaun Watson before sending Mayfield to Carolina on July 6. Mayfield acknowledged publicly that he was confused by Cleveland’s rejection.

Mayfield found little chemistry with the Panthers and played poorly, though multiple people with that staff said they believe his late start learning the system — the Browns, Panthers and Mayfield’s camp quibbled over the contract, and he didn’t sign until July 2022 — was a factor. The whole thing was messy. Mayfield was surprised at how quickly it unraveled, and the Panthers that he didn’t play better.

Mayfield owned some of his poor play in his meeting with Canales, who sympathized with Mayfield’s lack of stability since entering the league.

Both men had something to prove, after all. Canales spent 13 years on Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll’s staff, never graduating beyond passing-game coordinator. With a playcaller opening in 2021, Carroll bypassed his trusted assistant in favor of outside help, former Rams assistant Shane Waldron. Canales was frustrated but decided to immerse himself in Waldron’s thinking and the Rams-based scheme.

After helping lead Smith to a Pro Bowl in 2022, the Bucs called. Canales has shared this experience with Mayfield, who now has a safe space to make mistakes. Canales wants his quarterbacks to be “vulnerable with their play,” play freely and be willing to fail in practice settings. Mayfield has submitted to the plan.

“Baker was in a place of, ‘I know who I am, what my best stuff is, and I want to see what I can do in your offense,'” Canales said. “Like, ‘I’m just going to grind, have a good time and put it in good hands.'”

That meant Mayfield would be protected, sometimes from himself. While Mayfield has freedom in the offense, the Bucs want to win with a steady running game while limiting turnovers, taking big-play shots when available. Tampa ranks 10th in rushing attempts per game (29.3) despite ranking 25th in rushing yards (87). The Bucs won’t often ask Mayfield to navigate a spread-it-out offense that throws 40-45 times in a game (Mayfield has averaged 31.25 attempts per outing). And, after five-plus seasons of film on him, that’s probably the appropriate approach.

But all his best qualities are coming to life at once, which could expand the possibilities.

“He’s tough, he’s gritty, [and] he’s a very smart football player,” Bowles said. “He’s a competitor, he’s been like that his whole life, it hasn’t changed. He has a lot to prove, he’s having fun out there, he understands the offense, he’s using every piece of [skill-position talent] that we give him, and he’s having a good time.”

WHILE NOT LOOKING too far into the future, Mayfield has expressed the type of contentment in Tampa that he did not experience consistently with the Browns or the Panthers.

“What they tell you is what you’re getting. There’s no behind the scenes drama — it’s all about winning here,” Mayfield told reporters last month. “‘How can we put our guys in the best position to win?’ It’s rare, unfortunately, in the NFL to have an organization like that — that’s why I’m so happy to be here.”

Mayfield has indicated he’s enjoying flying under the radar in Tampa, despite giving fantastic, made-for-TV one-liners at the news conference podium. He turned down participating in the Netflix “Quarterback” series, saying he preferred to remain locked in on football and keep the cameras away.

The anonymity Mayfield seeks is reflected in his desire to be considered an extension of the offensive line, a bond that has tightened through his first seven months on the job.

Left tackle Tristan Wirfs said Mayfield texted offensive linemen early in the offseason to establish a relationship, and since then he has been an unofficial part of the crew, fast friends who crush wings and buckets of Coors Light at Hattricks Sports Bar in Tampa. Mayfield also took the line to the Bahamas after final roster cuts, and he has gone golfing with defensive linemen Vita Vea, Greg Gaines and Patrick O’Connor and cornerback Jamel Dean.

“He’s a dog,” Wirfs said. “He loves football, he loves keeping plays alive. He’s going to fight … to keep plays alive. We love the energy he brings.”

Mayfield’s leadership has been necessary to galvanize a team that was picked near the bottom of the league by many during the preseason. Licht was hopeful Mayfield would embrace and be accepted in that role, but he also needed to see the Mayfield experience firsthand to confirm it.

“When I called him, I thought, probably like everyone else, I didn’t think he was a bad guy, and colleagues speak highly of him, but even dating back to college he’s got that cockiness and flair,” Licht said. “He’s got that, but it’s more of an extreme confidence.”

Mayfield’s resurgence could have a ripple effect in Tampa. Winning the NFC South, where Mayfield and fellow vet Derek Carr (Saints) are joined by unproven quarterbacks Desmond Ridder (Falcons) and Bryce Young (Panthers), is attainable. Continued winning would likely translate to continued stability for Bowles, Canales and the Bucs staff. Could Mayfield’s performance, if sustained, make him the long-team starter in Tampa? Possibly.

The Bucs might be receptive to a Mayfield market if he can find wins in a schedule that includes Detroit (4-1), Buffalo (3-2) and San Francisco (5-0) over the next six weeks. Licht said it’s his job to consider such scenarios, though it’s probably too early for that, and there haven’t been any substantive talks.

The team also has several big-money considerations, from impending free agents Evans and safety Antoine Winfield Jr. to Wirfs, a 2025 free agent considered one of the game’s premier tackles.

If Mayfield is another Geno Smith-type story for Canales, Mayfield could look to Smith’s three-year, $75 million deal with Seattle as a blueprint. The next-closest comp for second-chance quarterbacks is Garoppolo’s three-year, $67.5 million deal with the Raiders.

The three-year Brady era brought Tampa 32 regular-season wins, three postseason berths and a Super Bowl for an organization that hadn’t been to the playoffs since 2007. The fan base wants to keep it going. The Bucs are realistic but hopeful.

“You can’t just pluck a Tom Brady from a tree,” Licht said. “But right now, we’re really excited. [Mayfield has] a lot of people around town, a lot of fans. … He’s not doing it in a fake way. He feels accepted and wanted. And we all just want to win.”

DENVER

Broncos fans had flashbacks to the early Nathaniel Hackett Era on Thursday night.  Sean Payton, to his credit, is quick to admit his error.  Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com:

Broncos coach Sean Payton acknowledged making a big game management mistake late in the first half of Thursday night’s loss to the Chiefs.

Payton called a timeout before a Broncos punt with 22 seconds to go before halftime, at a time when it was the Chiefs who should have been calling timeout. Payton said he thought it was third down and he wanted to get another offensive play called.

“That’s a boneheaded mistake by me. They were calling one as well and I’m off by a down, but that was stupid,” Payton said.

After the punt, the Chiefs’ offense proceeded to get the ball to the Broncos’ 42-yard line, and Harrison Butker nailed a 60-yard field goal before halftime.

It was, indeed a boneheaded mistake. And it was emblematic of a Broncos season that has been full of mistakes. Payton was brought in with high expectations that he’d have the Broncos competing in the AFC West. Instead, with the Broncos at 1-5 and the Chiefs at 1-5, Kansas City remains the class of the division, and Denver is more likely to compete for the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

Before QB RUSSELL WILSON headed to Denver in 2022, the DB would have thought he was either a sure Hall of Fame enshrinee or just about there.

Before Payton headed to Denver in 2023, the DB would have thought he was either a Hall of Fame enshrinee or just about there.

Now…

– – –

It’s probably better if you watch it in person, but WR JERRY JEUDY got on the wrong side of feisty former WR Steve Smith.  Garrett Podell of CBSSports.com:

There aren’t many NFL analysts out there with a better resume to give pointers on how to be a better wide receiver than Steve Smith Sr. The 44-year-old ended up with the eighth-most receiving yards in NFL history (14,731) after 16 NFL seasons seasons with the Carolina Panthers (2001-2013) and the Baltimore Ravens (2014-2016). He is one of only four players since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to lead the NFL in catches, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns in the same season, which he did in 2005 with 103 receptions, 1,563 receiving yards and 12 receiving touchdowns. The others in the receiving triple crown club since 1970 are Jerry Rice (1990), Sterling Sharpe (1992) and Cooper Kupp (2021).

Like many analysts today, Smith has a podcast. On his podcast, “Cut To It,” he recently called current Denver Broncos wide receiver Jerry Jeudy a JAG, or just another guy. On air for NFL Network’s “Thursday Night Football” pregame show ahead of Jeudy and the Broncos playing the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, Smith attempted to apologize for that comment.

However, per Smith, Jeudy wasn’t down to make up as Smith said the 15th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft said “Ninja, I don’t mess with you.” After Jeudy allegedly repeated his comment, Smith became fired up and dropped another apology that wasn’t really an apology.

“I’m sorry I said you were a JAG, just a guy who is an average wide receiver they [the Denver Broncos] used a first-round pick on that isn’t doing anything. I hope today you actually show up in a way that you haven’t shown up in the last couple years since they drafted you. So if you ever got a problem with Agent 89, I’m sorry for saying that you are an average wide receiver that they will eventually move on from. When teams call me to ask if they should trade for you, I will say ‘No, don’t trade for Jerry Jeudy because he is mentally unable to handle constructive criticism who watch specifically if you can be a wide receiver. He’s a tier three.”

Jeudy walked past the sideline where Smith and the rest of NFL Network’s pregame coverage was set up, yelling back at him.

The 24-year-old wideout has 17 catches for 208 receiving yards this season. Unfortunately, Jeudy couldn’t stick it to the former All-Pro wideout on Thursday night as he finished with just 14 receiving yards on three catches in the Broncos’ 19-8 loss to the Chiefs.

We interpreted Smith using “ninja” as a substitute for the inappropriate word Jeudy actually used.

KANSAS CITY

Kansas City’s 19-8 win over the Broncos wasn’t quite a Scoragami.  But the only previous game by that final score came in 1927 (also on October 12!) when the defunct New York Yankees beat the defunct Buffalo Bisons.

– – –

QB PATRICK MAHOMES has never lost to the Broncos.  Can this be true?  ESPN.com:

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs won their 16th straight matchup against the Denver Broncos on Thursday, 19-8. The Kansas City defense almost handed Broncos coach Sean Payton his first career shutout before quarterback Russell Wilson and the Broncos found the end zone in the fourth quarter.

Travis Kelce made another convincing case to be the Chiefs’ MVP.

Kelce was instrumental in the Chiefs winning their 16th straight game against the Broncos, catching 9 passes for 124 yards in a 19-8 victory. Kelce played despite a heavily taped right ankle that he injured in last week’s win over the Minnesota Vikings.

Mahomes was 7-of-7 for 109 yards in the first half throwing to Kelce as the Chiefs built a 13-0 lead. He was 8-of-16 for 53 yards throwing to other receivers in the first two quarters.

The Chiefs took a shutout into the fourth quarter for the second time this season, but lost it on Denver’s only touchdown with six minutes remaining.

Eye-popping Next Gen stat: Kelce was clocked at 17.75 mph on his 19-yard catch and run in the first half. While that’s not blazing for a lot of receivers, it’s not bad for a 260-pound, 34-year-old tight end with a heavily taped right ankle.

Troubling trend: Mahomes threw his fifth interception of the season when he had no one open. He forced a throw into coverage as a defender had him around his legs and Mahomes couldn’t step into the throw. He is on pace for 14 interceptions, which would top his career high of 13 in 2021.

Andy Reid has been the Chiefs coach for all 16 wins.  Sean Payton is the fifth Broncos coach to participate.

Denver’s last win over Kansas City was actually at Arrowhead on 9/7/15.

Eight of the 16 Broncos losses have been by one-score, including an OT setback in the first game of the streak.

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

‘Tis but a flesh wound. Kris Rhim of ESPN.com:

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, speaking to reporters for the first time since fracturing his left middle finger on his non-throwing hand, said he doesn’t expect to be restricted in the Chargers’ Week 6 game against the Dallas Cowboys and that he would “probably not” take any snaps from under center until the game.

“I think that’s one of those things that you don’t really want to put your hand in danger,” Herbert said, adding that the Chargers wouldn’t need to remove plays with him under center out of Monday’s game plan.

Herbert noted that there are a few plays installed for Monday that feature him taking snaps under center but that they would determine the usage during the week as his finger improves. Chargers coach Brandon Staley later said that Herbert’s injury “won’t have any effect” on Monday’s game plan.

Herbert fractured his finger in the third quarter of the Chargers’ Week 4 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. The injury resulted from his finger getting stuck in a helmet after he threw an interception that Raiders cornerback Tre’von Moehrig caught. Herbert briefly left the game before returning with his left hand wrapped and a splint on the injured middle finger.

The Chargers only took one snap for the rest of that game under center, and Herbert threw a 45-yard pass to receiver Joshua Palmer to seal the game.

At practice this week, Herbert has worn a white glove on his left hand, which he said he would likely continue to wear until the injury passes, but he doesn’t think he would have any limitations.

“I think there’s so much going on during the game that you’re probably not going to be worrying about it too much,” he said. “I think you’re just going to be worried about not getting tackled or not taking those hits. Whether it’s a scramble, it’s about being safe and getting down. That’s in the back of your mind.”

BUFFALO

WR STEFON DIGGS thanks QB JOSH ALLEN for his kind words.  Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com:

Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs was seen slamming a tablet down on the sideline during the team’s loss to the Jaguars in London last Sunday and that led to questions for quarterback Josh Allen about his teammate’s behavior this week.

Allen responded by saying that he’s “tired of hearing all this nonsense from people” when it comes to Diggs, who Allen called a leader who was “making sure that we have as much juice as we need” on a day when little was clicking for the Bills. On Thursday, Diggs said his frustration came from feeling “like I wasn’t doing enough” and that he was grateful to have that support from Allen after suggestions that Diggs’ outburst might have been directed at other players.

“Obviously, I’m thankful to have a quarterback who has my back and someone who understands, somebody who is out there, somebody who plays the game of football,” Diggs said, via Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com. “For other people, it’s hard for me to put it in words how much time and effort goes into football and how serious it is out there. When things aren’t going right and you put a lot on yourself and you want more for yourself, you want more for your team.”

Diggs’ response to last season’s playoff loss and a minicamp flare-up that saw him leave practice led to speculation about an uncomfortable fit for the player and team, but everyone seems to be on the same page about what went on in London last week and making sure that it won’t continue to be an issue in the future.

THIS AND THAT

BILL BARNWELL’S TRADES

Interesting reading, but do any of these ever come true?  Bill Barnwell of ESPN.commakes up all kinds of trades.  As usual with Barnwell, we will be editing:

NFL trading season is already in full effect. In the past couple of weeks, we’ve seen cornerback J.C. Jackson, running back Cam Akers, wide receiver Chase Claypool and edge rusher Randy Gregory all change teams. Wideout Van Jefferson joined them on Wednesday. A common thread through each of those moves? Teams willing to give up disappointing veterans for late-round picks.

I’ve gone through every NFL roster, identified weaknesses and found players who could make sense across 15 viable swaps. Some of these moves are player-for-player deals, but most are like those we’ve seen so far this season, in which teams have given up players off the back half of their roster for late-round picks.

The goal here is to be realistic as opposed to putting together the biggest names in a series of trades, so you won’t be seeing Kirk Cousins (who has a no-trade clause) or Matthew Stafford (who would cost the Rams $74 million in dead money). Less notable moves can still be valuable, though

A swap of strengths for Chiefs and Jets

Chiefs get: EDGE Carl Lawson

Jets get: OT Lucas Niang, 2024 sixth-round pick

Once a prized free agency signing for the Jets in 2021, Lawson’s tenure in New York has been marred by a torn left Achilles tendon that cost the former Bengals standout all of that season. He had seven sacks and 24 knockdowns in his return to the lineup last season, but after the Jets used back-to-back first-round picks on defensive linemen over the past two drafts, he has been buried on the depth chart. The team has alluded to a back injury Lawson suffered during camp, but the 28-year-old has played just 52 snaps all season, and he was scratched for Sunday’s win over the Broncos.

– – –

Niang would be a flier on the offensive line for the Jets, who are falling apart up front. Duane Brown is on injured reserve after suffering a hip injury. The Jets moved Mekhi Becton from right tackle back to his usual spot on the left side and pushed Alijah Vera-Tucker out from guard to right tackle. But Vera-Tucker tore his Achilles against the Broncos, and he will miss the remainder of the season.

There aren’t many teams shopping tackles this time of year, but Niang has been buried on the Chiefs’ roster and has played just 10 offensive snaps over the past two seasons.

Instant help for Cowboys’ defense … by giving up a QB

Cowboys get: LB Alex Singleton, 2025 fourth-round pick

Broncos get: QB Trey Lance, 2025 sixth-round pick

There’s a sudden surge of teams needing inside linebackers after Week 5, when Buffalo’s Matt Milano and Dallas’ Leighton Vander Esch were sidelined by serious injuries. Vander Esch is expected to miss four to six weeks with a neck injury, but given his history of neck issues, the Cowboys have to be nervous about a possible recurrence or a lengthier absence. They could move Micah Parsons back to his original position of middle linebacker, but the Defensive Player of the Year hopeful is too valuable as a pass-rusher to move back into a coverage role.

Singleton is one of the many Broncos who have struggled during a frustrating 2023 campaign. The former Eagles linebacker signed a three-year, $18 million extension in March, but Adam Schefter’s report that Denver “would be willing to listen to trade interest in almost any player on the defensive side” suggests the 29-year-old would not be off the table for the right offer. Rookie third-round pick Drew Sanders would step into the lineup if Singleton were traded.

Would the Cowboys be willing to part ways with Lance just weeks after acquiring him for a fourth-round pick? If they could land a linebacker who will help them compete for the top seed in the NFC and get back a chunk of that draft capital, it would make sense.

For the Broncos and Sean Payton, Lance would be a project and a potential long-term quarterback solution if the coach grows weary of Russell Wilson.

Lions go all-in for a star defender

Lions get: EDGE Danielle Hunter, 2024 fifth-round pick

Vikings get: 2024 second-round pick, EDGE James Houston, 2025 third-round pick (conditional)

The Lions should go for it, right? At 4-1, they’re well ahead of the NFC North and just a game back of the 49ers and Eagles at the top of the conference. Aidan Hutchinson is playing like a Defensive Player of the Year contender, but no other Lions defender has more than two sacks. Houston, who surprisingly had eight sacks as a rookie last season, is out indefinitely after fracturing his right ankle in Week 2.

Hunter is probably the best player with a realistic chance of being moved by this deadline. The 28-year-old standout has six sacks and a league-high nine tackles for loss through five games this season. He landed a one-year, $17 million deal after a hold-in this summer, but with free agency looming and the Vikings repeatedly reticent to offer him a new deal, he is likely to leave the organization in the offseason.

Trading Hunter would save the Vikings $8.3 million over the remainder of 2023. They would land Houston — who looks like a promising pass rush prospect with two years of team control remaining through restricted free agency — and a second-round pick in April’s draft. They would also get a third-round pick in 2025 if Hunter re-signs with the Lions in free agency.

Most teams wouldn’t be willing to trade a standout within their own division, but Minnesota general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah seems to relish making deals in the NFC North.

Panthers make a move for a first-round wideout

Panthers get: WR Marquise Brown, 2024 third-round pick

Cardinals get: WR Terrace Marshall, 2024 second-round pick

Rookie quarterback Bryce Young desperately needs a wide receiver who can break away from man coverage and threaten teams vertically. The Panthers could address that need in free agency next March by signing Brown, but getting him on their roster now would allow them to start rebuilding Young’s confidence after an ugly start to the No. 1 overall pick’s career.

Brown is playing out the fifth-year option on his rookie deal, and it doesn’t appear the Cardinals are particularly desperate to hand him a new contract.

The Panthers would need to hand Brown an extension to have this deal make sense, with the 26-year-old likely to command a contract north of $20 million per season on the open market. There’s risk in a struggling team trading for a player from a middling offense (see: Claypool, Chase), and Carolina might prefer to wait until free agency and take its chances in adding speed then. Still, Brown would form the future of the Carolina receiving corps alongside rookie second-rounder Jonathan Mingo.

Rams make a deal for a change-of-pace back

Rams get: RB Rashaad Penny

Eagles get: LB Troy Reeder

The Penny era came and went without much fanfare in Philadelphia. The former Seahawks back averaged 5.7 yards per carry in Seattle and felt like a dream fit in Philadelphia, but he was a healthy scratch in Week 1. In Week 2, he committed a holding penalty that wiped away a touchdown pass to A.J. Brown and played one offensive snap afterward, and he hasn’t seen the field since.

Using Penny to add defensive depth makes sense. Reeder is not going to cause Eagles fans to start climbing lampposts, but he’s a useful special teams player who started at inside linebacker for the Rams in 2020 and 2021.

Penny would land as the Cam Akers replacement in Los Angeles, serving as a change-of-pace player and backup for Kyren Williams. Penny competed under former Rams pass game coordinator Shane Waldron during his time in Seattle, so Penny should already have some familiarity with the McVay offense. Penny was also born and raised in the Los Angeles area, which would make this a homecoming for the San Diego State product.

A running back reunion in Cleveland

Browns get: RB D’Ernest Johnson, 2024 seventh-round pick

Jaguars get: 2024 fifth-round pick

The Browns signed Kareem Hunt to supplement their running back depth chart after losing Nick Chubb to a left knee injury, but I’m not sure they can feel great about what they have in their backfield.

Johnson just finished a four-year tenure with the Browns in 2022, and while he didn’t see much action outside of the 2021 season, he averaged more than 5.0 yards per carry across 147 rushes in Cleveland.

Packers acquire a tantalizing pass-catcher … at a cost

Packers get: WR Jerry Jeudy, 2024 fourth-round pick

Broncos get: WR Romeo Doubs, 2024 second-round pick

The Broncos are expecting to tear down their roster on the defensive side of the ball, but let’s consider a scenario in which they make a significant move on offense. Jeudy has shown tantalizing glimpses of potential since being drafted with the No. 15 overall selection in 2020, but injuries and middling quarterback play have cost him significant developmental time. He still averaged more than 2.0 yards per route run last season and is signed through 2024 for a total of just under $15 million, so the 24-year-old has the possibility to be extremely valuable if things break right over the next year-plus.

Coach Sean Payton would probably prefer to deal Courtland Sutton if trading away a wide receiver, but Jeudy is going to offer a more significant return, given his age and contract situation.

The Broncos also would land a viable wideout in Doubs, who lacks Jeudy’s upside but would add more size to the Denver receiving corps

Jets give up on a disappointing offseason addition

Jets get: 2025 fifth-round pick

Ravens get: RB Dalvin Cook, 2025 fourth-round pick

Let’s clean up one more mistaken offseason addition for general manager Joe Douglas & Co. Cook has been a total nonfactor for the Jets, averaging just 2.7 yards per carry this season. He has averaged a whopping minus-1.5 rush yards over expectation (RYOE), the second-worst mark in the NFL with backs who have had at least 30 carries, trailing only Cam Akers. The Jets turned their backfield over to Breece Hall last week and gave Cook just 17% of the offensive snaps in Sunday’s win over the Broncos, so with Cook’s role diminishing on a team playing out a lost season, there’s no real place for the veteran on New York’s roster.

The Ravens would be buying some additional draft capital and adding a veteran back as a flier to help plug another hole caused by injuries. J.K. Dobbins is out for the year (Achilles), while Justice Hill has been battling a turf toe injury. General manager Eric DeCosta has turned to veterans Kenyan Drake and Melvin Gordon III with limited results, but Cook was a more productive back as recently as last season. Adding Cook into the mix would land Baltimore some upside and limited downside, given the guaranteed victory in terms of draft capital.

Patriots, Raiders swap out-of-favor wide receivers

Patriots get: WR Hunter Renfrow, 2025 seventh-round pick

Raiders get: WR Kendrick Bourne

When Josh McDaniels took over as Raiders coach in 2022, Renfrow seemed like an easy fit. The former Patriots coordinator who had overseen huge years for Wes Welker and Julian Edelman would plug Renfrow into the slot role and reap the benefits. Renfrow was coming off a career year with 103 catches and nine touchdowns, and the Raiders signed him to a two-year, $32.3 million extension, seemingly confirming he would be a significant portion of their offense alongside Davante Adams and Darren Waller.

It hasn’t worked out that way. Renfrow struggled through injuries in a lost 2022 season, and after the Raiders signed Jakobi Meyers in March, they’ve buried Renfrow on the depth chart.

Renfrow appeared like the sort of player the Patriots could target when he entered the league, and after years of whiffing on wide receiver additions, they desperately need someone who can beat man coverage and give quarterback Mac Jones a reliable safety valve. Meyers was that player for the Pats in years past. Bourne, who had a solid season under McDaniels in 2021, would get his own fresh start after losing his role in 2022 and struggling to make a consistent impact this season.

A veteran injury replacement for Buffalo

Bills get: LB Jordan Hicks

Vikings get: 2024 fifth-round pick

Losing cornerback Tre’Davious White and linebacker Matt Milano to season-ending injuries in back-to-back games could sink the Bills, who can’t possibly hope to replace either star with the players available at this trade deadline. Unless the Broncos are willing to trade Pat Surtain — and the Bills are willing to send the multiple first-round picks it would take to get that deal completed — Buffalo is going to need to hope that 2022 first-rounder Kaiir Elam can go from healthy scratch to reliable starter on the fly.

Milano is even more irreplaceable, especially given that the Bills were already starting over next to him at linebacker after losing Tremaine Edmunds in free agency. Terrel Bernard has locked down that role, and third-round rookie Dorian Williams could try to step in for Milano, but the Bills sorely need a veteran in the middle of the field. Buffalo re-signed A.J. Klein earlier this week, but the 32-year-old was out of football before returning to western New York; it’s tough to believe he’ll be an every-down starter over the rest of the season.

The 31-year-old Hicks has bounced around the league while starting for the Eagles, Cardinals and Vikings, giving him experience in a range of systems. He’s no match for Milano in coverage, but he is a sure tackler and an efficient run defender, something the Bills will need in their matchups within the AFC East down the stretch. Hicks is owed about $2.5 million in prorated money over the remainder of the season, but he would be a logical fit for Buffalo, given the paucity of options available.

Cowboys add a proven goal-line back

Cowboys get: RB James Conner

Cardinals get: 2025 sixth-round pick (conditional)

The Cardinals were dealt a bad break when Conner suffered a knee injury in Sunday’s loss to the Bengals. He had looked good to begin 2023 and would have had a more significant trade value approaching the deadline. With Conner hitting the injured reserve list and missing at least four games, the Cardinals can’t expect to get much for the 28-year-old as they rebuild their roster.

Teams can deal players on injured reserve, and Conner would still make sense as a trade candidate, albeit with conditions attached to the package. The compensation here would have to be creative. The Cowboys wouldn’t owe anything until Conner scores a touchdown in a Cowboys uniform, protecting them from scenarios in which he is unable to play at a meaningful level after his injury. They would owe a sixth-round pick if Conner scores one touchdown, a fifth-round pick if he finds paydirt four times or a fourth-round selection if he scores six touchdowns and/or runs for 500 yards over the remainder of the season.

Dallas would be adding Conner to help solve its woes inside the red zone.  Conner is not a superstar, but he has converted 29 touches inside the 5-yard line with the Cardinals into 16 touchdowns while playing behind a middling offensive line

Wide receivers get a change of scenery in Jets-Browns deal

Jets get: WR Donovan Peoples-Jones

Browns get: WR Mecole Hardman Jr.

A change of scenery for these two pending free agents could fit all parties involved.

Seahawks reunite with an edge rusher

Seahawks get: EDGE Frank Clark

Broncos get: 2024 sixth-round pick

The last Broncos-Seahawks trade went pretty well for Seattle, so why not go back to the well? Just about everybody on the Seahawks racked up a sack in the win over the Giants in Week 4, but no playoff team will ever complain about having too many pass-rushers. Uchenna Nwosu, Darrell Taylor and Boye Mafe are going to be regulars when healthy, and safety Jamal Adams will hopefully add something to the rush in his unique role when he returns. However, Seattle could always stand to add another viable edge rusher.

Clark’s résumé is well-known to the Seahawks, who originally selected him in the second round of the 2015 draft.

Chiefs add veteran depth at tight end

Chiefs get: TE Zach Ertz

Cardinals get: 2025 sixth-round pick

There’s just no reason for Ertz to be on the Cardinals. A team that is rebuilding at worst and tanking at best is paying a 32-year-old tight end more than $9.1 million this season, all while he blocks a path to regular work for Trey McBride, a second-round pick from last year’s draft. Ertz doesn’t do much more these days than catch passes and fall down — he’s averaging 6.6 yards per reception — but the former Eagles standout has still drawn a pair of 10-target games this season.

Saying that Ertz is insurance against Travis Kelce getting injured would be foolish, but Ertz would at least give the Chiefs some semblance of a veteran tight end with a feel for finding soft spots in coverage in the case Kelce misses time.

Of course, the Chiefs don’t want to pay $6.3 million in prorated salary to bring on a backup plan at tight end, so the Cardinals would need to pay down virtually all of Ertz’s salary as a bonus to get this deal done.

Eagles acquire depth at corner

Eagles get: CB K’Waun Williams

Broncos get: 2025 seventh-round pick (conditional)

Under the “Everything must go!” defensive philosophy in Denver, there’s not a logical place on the roster for Williams, who is on injured reserve after undergoing ankle surgery in August. The former 49ers defender has struggled to stay healthy as a pro, but he has been a solid slot defender when available. Williams also played for coordinator Ejiro Evero last season in a Vic Fangio-style defense in Denver, so he should be familiar with what coordinator Sean Desai — who worked under Fangio in Chicago — would ask of him in Philadelphia.

The Eagles would send a conditional late-round pick that would only transfer if Williams is healthy enough to play down the stretch and into the postseason. Slot corner has been a problem for them after Avonte Maddox tore a pectoral muscle in September, with the Eagles even rotating James Bradberry into the slot for stretches over the past few weeks. Bradberry is likely best on the outside, and Williams would offer added depth and more familiarity in the slot without the deal costing much (or anything) if things don’t work out.

BROADCAST NEWS

We suspected that QB AARON RODGERS didn’t spend every Tuesday hanging out with Pat McAfee out of the kindness of his heart and desire to raise his public profile.  Now, it is confirmed that there is a quid pro quo.  Andrew Marchand in the New York Post:

“The Pat McAfee Show” has become the place the sports world turns for some of the most important interviews. McAfee has an engaging personality and, as a former All-Pro punter, a certain cachet that makes it easier for him to connect with the biggest names in sports.

“Aaron Rodgers Tuesdays” and “Nick Saban Thursdays” have become staples of the program and the sports media world. But there is a special sauce that makes it all go: McAfee spends millions to procure these interviews, The Post has learned.

Rodgers is receiving more than seven figures per year to come on the show each week, according to sources, while Saban is in that vaunted neighborhood.

McAfee is media savvy. He cuts into his five-year deal for around $85 million from ESPN to pay people that help the business. He confirmed that Rodgers’ spots are paid for but didn’t get into the exact amount per year.

“Aaron has made over $1,000,000 with us, for sure,” McAfee told The Post over direct message.

Rodgers has been central to McAfee’s rise. There was Rodgers’ picking daisies on-air — “Will I play? Or won’t I play?” Then there were the retreat into the darkness and his later pronouncement that he would be a Jet. And then there is Rodgers, the shock jock.

On Tuesday, Rodgers, who is against the COVID-19 vaccine, offered to debate Travis Kelce, who does advertisements for Pfizer, and Dr. Anthony Fauci. In this hypothetical debate, Rodgers said he would partner with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Rodgers is, of course, entitled to his opinions, but it takes some hubris to think that we should really care because he can throw a football better than nearly everyone ever.

Still, ESPN insider Adam Schefter followed up by tweeting, “The Potential Next Great American Debate” as if it were just another “Michael vs. LeBron” verbal throwdown. ESPN pays Schefter around $9 million per year, but he needed to use some of that money to invest in a clue before hitting send on that one.

There was concern among McAfee fans that ESPN would change him. If anything, McAfee is changing ESPN. He can swear on the air, and he is ubiquitous.

He and Stephen A. Smith are probably the two leading personalities on the network. Besides McAfee’s daily show that is licensed to ESPN from noon to 2 p.m., McAfee is now the center attention on ESPN’s iconic “College GameDay,” even raising the stakes in recent weeks during a battle with Washington State after a misunderstanding about what octogenarian GameDay legend Lee Corso said.

It is too early to say if it is all working for ESPN. McAfee is putting up big numbers on YouTube and social channels, such as TikTok. However, his linear numbers on ESPN aren’t off to a hot start at 276,000 the first three weeks, losing a lot of the lead-in from “First Take.”

“It’s been amazing, honestly,” said Mike Foss, ESPN’s senior vice president of studio and digital production. “I think you look at Pat, in the aggregate across YouTube, social, digital — and when you’re on site because Fridays have turned into quite the thing for us. It’s really been exceptional, and I don’t think we could have expected more than what we’ve gotten through the first six weeks.”

What McAfee is doing with Rodgers, et al., is not unusual or new, even if the financial numbers are eye-popping. Baseball managers, from Joe Torre to Joe Girardi and Aaron Boone, have routinely done “exclusive” audio spots in the $250,000 neighborhood — deals with radio stations or, in Boone’s case this year, with Jomboy’s Yankee podcast.

Eli Manning used to make around $125,000 to appear for 15 to 20 minutes on WFAN. McAfee has taken this realm to a new level.

“My company went from a valuation of [$2 million to $5 million] to a company valued over $500 million in just a few years,” McAfee said. “Everybody who helped us get to this point has reaped the benefits of it, that’s how business is supposed to work. To be transparent, Aaron deserves much more than what he’s gotten for the time and effort he has put into ‘Aaron Rodgers’ Tuesdays.’

“I know there’s an old viewpoint that Billion Dollar corporations have tried to make a standard that players and coaches are lucky to get on the platform and talk. Well, as the human who owns my company and sees the value directly associated with these guys sharing their stories and thoughts, I think that’s bulls–t. ‘If somebody’s making money off of this, I’m making money off of this. If nobody’s making any money, and it’s all for good will, I’m making no money as well’ is my mindset for doing stuff and I treat my company the same way. I give rather large bonuses as thank you’s and I genuinely believe it’s the only way to operate.”

McAfee, just 36, is the new age of media. He is a performer and a businessman. He’s omnipresent on ESPN. And he likes where he is at.

“It’s going good,” McAfee said. “Way too much of me on TV, but I’m thankful for everything ESPN has assisted with us so far.”