| NFC EAST |
| DALLASIn the past three games, the Cowboys have scored 34.7 points per game and QB DAK PRESCOTT has thrown 10 TD passes – without WR CEEDEE LAMB. Now, he says he is back. YahooSports.com: Dallas Cowboys wideout CeeDee Lamb sounds like he expects to be back in the starting lineup Sunday against the Washington Commanders. “I feel like I’m moving around, running around being me,” Lamb said, via ESPN on Thursday. “Happy as can be obviously just believing in my ankle. Obviously, I feel like it’s back to where I needed it to be.” Lamb has been sidelined for the past three weeks with a high ankle sprain.– – -Charles Robinson of YahooSports.com looks at the Cowboys calculations as the trade deadline approaches – including EDGE TREY HENDRICKSON of the Bengals: The two first-round draft picks netted in the Micah Parsons deal might not be burning a hole in the pocket of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, but he certainly hasn’t been shy about letting other NFL teams know that draft capital could be in play by the time the league’s trade deadline rolls around on Nov. 4. Jones reiterated this week, as he has multiple times since the Parsons trade, that Dallas has the “ammo” to be a buyer in the market if the right deal presents itself. Speaking at a news conference about his Frisco practice stadium hosting the January East-West Shrine Bowl, Jones essentially sent the message that the phone line is open if someone wants to call. And multiple sources across the league told Yahoo Sports this week they believe Jones will be listening for a plus-sized talent — on the level of the Cincinnati Bengals’ Trey Hendrickson or Tennessee Titans’ Jeffery Simmons — if Dallas is in the playoff hunt at the end of October. “We have thought all along that if we see a way to improve this year with a trade at the deadline, then we’ll take advantage of it,” Jones told reporters this week. “That’s what we positioned for to start this year, was to have ammunition to do things if we have an opportunity … I don’t have a trade in mind right now at all. That comes about right now if someone is on the phone calling.” Translation? The Cowboys are going to be picky about it, but the phone is at the ready for any sellers who want to call. Of course, the inclination to be more aggressive is going to balance on what happens over the next few weeks, too. Sitting at 2-3-1, Dallas has three games prior to the deadline against the Washington Commanders, Denver Broncos and Arizona Cardinals. All will be opportunities to see if defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus can make the necessary tweaks to rally a defense that has been one of the worst in the NFL. And that now includes the run defense after former Cowboy Rico Dowdle absolutely wore out Dallas in a stunning 30-27 loss to the Carolina Panthers last weekend. If Dallas can get to 5-3-1 after the next three games — or even 4-4-1 — the playoffs will still be within reach, particularly with players like wideout CeeDee Lamb and linebacker DeMarvion Overshown coming back to the active roster. Conversely, a 2-6-1 or 3-5-1 record after the next three would put Dallas on the brink of losing the season altogether, likely removing the motivation to make a pivotal deadline move. One NFC personnel source noted that the impending free agency of Cowboys wideout George Pickens could end up being a motivating factor, too. “That [Pickens acquisition in May] has really worked, but they need to push it now,” the source said. “It’s going to be hard to pay Pickens what he’ll command in [free agency]. Even if you set aside the personality risks [the Cowboys] would be so top heavy on offense if they paid him. It becomes the Bengals. That got one-dimensional really fast. I think the Pickens’ [negotiation] starts at the Tee Higgins extension, too. … I’m sure there’s an impulse to [maximize] Pickens while they have him for this run and then tackle the contract bridge at the [NFL scouting] combine [in February].” In Lamb’s absence, Pickens has performed like a No. 1 receiver and caught attention across the league as a significant free-agent target. Even Jones has noted that Pickens has played above expectations the Cowboys had when they acquired him from the Pittsburgh Steelers in the offseason. This has raised the stakes on his extension horizon while making him a top receiver option at a time when he’s still only 24 years old. “As you know, that [extension] even has a competition to it and the very aspect of it,” Jones told reporters this week. “He is doing more than we did expect or that we could’ve expected. And what’s really special is that he’s a real plus to have around the team. He’s a real plus around his teammates. He’s a great plus around those coaches, and those coaches really think highly of him. “He’s not only doing it on the field, he’s doing it as a part of the team concept. That’s very important, and in his particular case it should be noted. But we’ll weigh that. We knew full well that if things really went like we want them to go, certainly we need to think about having some room available if we’re going to pay a second receiver at that level.” The NFC personnel source noted that the Pickens price point factors at the deadline in two ways. On one hand, if the Cowboys commit to paying Pickens a Higgins-level deal ($115 million over four years), it could push Dallas to sit pat the deadline with the sensibility that it needs to use the draft capital to gain talent on cheap rookie contracts to balance out the salary cap issues a Pickens extension will create. Conversely, if Jones feels like Pickens is pricing himself out of an extension with Dallas, it creates space to acquire a veteran in a trade now to maximize the remaining games with Pickens while opening up space to retain that veteran beyond 2025, since Pickens will be let go in free agency. George Pickens’ strong season is a factor in how the Cowboys are approaching this NFL trade deadline. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) (Jared C. Tilton via Getty Images)As the personnel source put it, “It can come down to the conversation where it’s like, ‘Do we keep Pickens and all that comes with that, or do we go the other way for a guy at the deadline and keep him longer term, knowing that Pickens’ salary slot opens when he leaves after the season?’” That conversation will also be shaped by the compensation. As it stands, league sources who spoke with Yahoo Sports put the trade value range of Hendrickson at a second-round pick ceiling, or a more reasonable basement of a third-rounder and another later pick in the fifth or sixth round. As for Simmons, it remains to be seen if he’s available, as the Titans have signaled privately that he’s still written into their long-term plans with an equitable deal (for now) that runs through the 2027 season. Of course, teams also drive the best bargain for a player by suggesting he’s written into the big picture. That said, league sources have pinned a likely first-round pick-plus price tag on Simmons if any trade occurs. With the “plus” being either a mid-round pick or a serviceable starter alongside the first-rounder. Unquestionably, either player would be a valuable addition for Dallas. Whether or not that value drives the Cowboys to make a move depends on what unfolds the next three weeks. |
| NEW YORK GIANTSIan O’Connor of ESPN.com explores the phenomenon that is RB CAM SKATTEBO, who hails from the California community Rush Limbaugh made famous: To understand where Cam Skattebo is going and how he is getting there, you have to understand where he has been. So it was a good time on Thursday to ask him about a hometown that is 2,800 miles away from the home office of the New York Football Giants. Rio Linda, Calif., is a census-designated place without a mayor, and a piece of small-town America that the late radio host, Rush Limbaugh, used to mock all the time. Skattebo was not aware of that, and yet he spoke as someone who is used to defending his home turf. “If you’re not from there and you don’t know about it,” he said, “just don’t talk about it.” New Yorkers know the 5-foot-11, 215-pound Skattebo as an angry and violent ball carrier who hunts would-be tacklers for the purpose of punishing them before they can punish him. They know him as the “other” half of the Giants’ dynamic first-year duo, the perfect partner for a quarterback, Jaxson Dart, who looks like a 15-year keeper at the most important position in professional sports. Though Skattebo is not the biggest or the fastest guy in the world, he is a freakish athlete who entered the league with a 39.5-inch vertical leap, three inches better than Russell Westbrook’s vertical when he entered the NBA. Skattebo scores touchdowns. Skattebo performs backflips. But as much as anything, Skattebo represents the working-class people of Rio Linda, who molded him into this big-market force of nature. “I grew up with a lot of different cultures and with people who taught me a lot of what not to do and what to do,” the rookie said. “Everybody knows everybody there. When you’re in that little town, you know the homeless people’s names and you know they’re not causing any issues. … You know everything about everybody. “There’s crime, but there’s not very much. In our little town, we keep each other safe and try not to bother each other. It’s just the way it’s been while I was growing up.” Skattebo’s mother, Becky, is a longtime professional in the medical field. His father, Leonard III, is a former star athlete at Rio Linda High School who is an operations manager for a pest control service. His big brother, Leonard IV, was an accomplished Rio Linda player himself. They are all fiercely proud of their roots. “But it’s definitely hard,” Cam said, “to come from there and do what I do.” Football was criticalBecky Skattebo worked nights so she could be available for her four children and their pursuits during the day. She recalled that Leonard IV, whom she had as a teenager, broke his femur in ninth grade and yet was on the sideline supporting his team, in a cast, two days after surgery. “You don’t miss anything,” she said, “and that’s something ingrained in our kids. You show up whether you can fully engage or not, or whether you feel 100 percent or not. We didn’t do family vacations. If you’re part of a team, you can’t let that team down because you decided to go to Disneyland.” Becky and her husband divorced during Cam’s high school years, and it was tough on the kid. Very tough. Football was a critical part of the healing process. “It gave Cameron an outlet for his frustration, anger, hurt, whatever he was feeling,” his mother said. “He had a healthy release for that on the field.” Cam’s coach at Rio Linda, Jack Garceau, was a valuable source of support. So were neighbors and friends who acted more like family members in a place where the locals often congregated in one house — the Skattebos’. “People are embedded here,” Becky said. “They grow up here, move away, and then still seem to find their way back. I’m currently living on a piece of property that my grandparents built and my dad was raised on. “And the transplants who move in, they tend to come here without realizing that towns like this still exist … where the whole town comes out for the flea market and Friday night football.” ‘Everybody is tough’The Giants have suited up great players from all kinds of relatively small places. Their first Super Bowl MVP, Phil Simms, was born on his grandfather’s tobacco farm in Springfield, Ky., population of 2,000. Their legendary linebacker, Sam Huff, was born and raised in a coal mining camp in West Virginia. Their greatest player, Lawrence Taylor, was born and raised in historic Williamsburg, Va., a town (population of 9,000 back then) that was smaller than Skattebo’s in Northern California. But the Giants have never dressed anyone who better embodies the ethos of his hometown than Skattebo, who once punctuated a state championship game victory by telling The Sacramento Bee, “I’d do anything for this town. I live and die for this town.” He wasn’t talking about the state capital. He was talking about his humble outpost a dozen miles to the north, where they celebrate Farm and Tractor Days every spring. It’s a place where an honest day’s work is much more than a suggestion. “Where Cam comes from, everybody is tough,” Garceau said. “The men here are usually construction workers, pest control workers, concrete workers, and the moms often work for the county or the state. We try to mirror the football program after the community and be tough like that.” John Todd, the founder of RioLindaonline.com and a member of the chamber of commerce board of directors, said the residents appreciate that Skattebo identifies himself as a product of Rio Linda, and not of Sacramento. Todd, 56, has essentially spent his entire life in Rio Linda. He has served as the official announcer for the annual Christmas Light Parade and for the high school’s football games under those Friday night lights, and as the unofficial head referee to throw flags at every misconception repeated about his hometown. “We are an economically depressed community always on the lookout for some kind of growth,” Todd said. “The majority of people from here scrape for anything they can get.” Very few have ever scraped quite like Cam Skattebo did. And yet the running back didn’t put Rio Linda on the map in 2018 by setting a NorCal record with 3,550 rushing yards and 42 touchdowns and leading his school to its first state championship. Limbaugh, conservative provocateur, did that as a Sacramento radio host in the 1980s, when he used his KFBK show to refer to Rio Linda as “the benighted armpit of Sacramento,” complete with tireless cars on concrete blocks in front yards and washing machines and dryers on front porches. “Any time I say something I think is remotely complicated,” Limbaugh once said on the air, “I will try to translate it for Rio Lindans so that they can understand it.” Becky was only a kid back then. “I was riding in the car with my grandma as she was listening to (Limbaugh) bashing us,” she recalled. Many locals thought the radio man’s criticisms were patently untrue. “But he kept talking about us,” Becky said, “and that says something.” Rio Linda had made its mark on Rush Limbaugh too. Cameron ‘Houdini’At the high school, Garceau was smart enough to build his offense around a back who, as a junior, ran for more yards in a season than did NorCal titans like O.J. Simpson and Marshawn Lynch. “The legend of Cam Skattebo,” Garceau said, “goes all the way back to when he was 3 or 4 years old.” Becky knows because she was there, watching in horror near her kitchen sink when her preschool son did his first successful backflip on the hard tile floor. This was before Cam threw on his brother’s football equipment and charged straight into telephone poles. Becky called him Cameron “Houdini” back then. “That name embodies who he is,” Becky said, “because he pulls off the impossible.” Skattebo was a virtual circus act at Rio Linda High. Down six points in the fourth quarter of the 2018 regional title game against West Valley, Skattebo decided on his own to keep a football he was supposed to hand off on a designed reverse and dropped back to pass. He took his time before scrambling to his left and firing the ball downfield while getting blasted on the release. His quarterback, Tyson Ybarra, came down with it and raced into the end zone before Skattebo sealed the victory on the next possession with a 70-yard touchdown run. Amid the chaos, Garceau asked his running back why it took so long for him to throw the ball on the scrapped reverse. “I was counting our linemen to make sure they were not downfield,” Skattebo replied. He did all this a week after scoring seven touchdowns against Casa Roble. The following week, Skattebo was good for 393 yards and three touchdowns in an epic 38-35 victory over San Gorgonio High of San Bernardino for the state title. He broke nine or ten tackles on one absurd 67-yard touchdown run. Throughout his career, Todd said, “Cam ran over the entire north half of the state.” It was a big deal to deliver that kind of smackdown to an opponent from the southern half. Skattebo was slowed some his senior year by a shoulder injury, but still, he deserved attention from the highest of the high major schools. UCLA, USC and BYU were among the heavyweights that came through, but on further review, everyone took a pass. Not a single FBS program made Skattebo an offer. “It was something different every week,” Garceau said. “It was his height, then they were afraid of his durability, then he wasn’t fast enough, then he wasn’t playing the top-level competition. It was anything you can possibly think of. And I’m like, ‘Man, the kid carried his team to a state championship.’” Skattebo was forced to start his college journey at the FCS level. Garceau knew a coach at Sacramento State and sent him a highlight tape. The coach didn’t need much time in the film room to realize Skattebo belonged in one of the Power 4 conferences. “We feel like we’re stealing him,” he said. “Well,” Garceau said, “you pretty much are.” Inspired by his rootsAfter two years at Sac State, Skattebo entered the portal for a shot at the big time. Shaun Aguano, Arizona State running backs coach, had to determine if this kid was worthy of that shot. “I spent three hours in Cam’s home with his family and I knew he was special,” Aguano said. “You could see his face and eyes light up when we talked about him being the underdog and wanting to prove to everybody that he could play at the highest level. His want-to and love for football were the most intriguing things to me. “You wonder how many people love this game — Cam really loves this game.” He loved it enough to change after the Sun Devils went 3-9 in 2023. Aguano and ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham told the back that he needed to make a greater commitment in the gym, that he needed to reshape his bowling-ball body and become leaner, meaner and faster, if he wanted to play in the NFL. Skattebo returned for his final season as one of the very best players in America. And as one who felt he’d been disrespected his entire life. He finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting and nearly beat Texas in their Peach Bowl Playoff quarterfinal, running for 143 yards and two touchdowns, catching eight passes for 99 yards, and even throwing a 42-yard scoring pass in a breathless comeback that ended in a double-overtime defeat. While Skattebo was giving the Sun Devils a school-record 2,316 yards from scrimmage during his senior season, forcing 102 missed tackles along the way (according to Pro Football Focus), he was inspired by his roots. “You know where I’m from?” Cam would ask Aguano. “Yeah, I know where you’re from,” the coach would reply. “He always had that in his back pocket and used that to his advantage,” Aguano said. “That town was the chip on his shoulder, proving to everybody that he could make it. It was his lifestyle, his belief that nobody could stop him. “I tried to develop him and teach him … when to run out of bounds. But when those lights come on, he’s going to try to hurt somebody. I haven’t seen anyone play with that kind of violence.” The Giants drafted him in the fourth round. Cam Skattebo, the former zero-star recruit out of high school, believes he should have been drafted in the first round. Of course he does. A human headbuttGrown men and women in LT and Eli Manning jerseys loved to chant the rookie’s last name even before he scored three touchdowns against the defending champion Eagles. It has quite a ring to it. According to myheritage.com, the Skattebo surname is believed to have originated in Norway and is “intertwined with the broader narrative of Scandinavian history, including the impact of the Viking Age, the establishment of feudal systems, and the evolution of rural communities.” No mention of the balance of power in the NFC East. But after six games, the Giants have a back who is just ahead of Saquon Barkley and Christian McCaffrey on the NFL’s total rushing yardage list (with far fewer attempts than both), and who has as many or more rushing touchdowns than every man in the league not named Jonathan Taylor or Josh Jacobs. Beyond the numbers, Skattebo has become an instant cult figure as a cross between two ballers from the Eli and Tom Coughlin era. He has Jeremy Shockey’s WWE personality, times two, and he has Brandon Jacobs’ hunger for blasting defenders, minus five inches and 50 pounds. Skattebo is a human headbutt who will scream Ric Flair’s signature woo after pancaking a linebacker or after ripping off his shirt on Amazon Prime. “Carnage creator with a compact frame and elite contact balance,” read the Giants’ scouting report on him. Skattebo has been every bit of that. Now people are questioning how long he can sustain this style of play, especially in an age of heightened awareness around head injuries. “Is it sustainable? I hope so,” Garceau said. “If anybody can do it, it’s him. … He’s not going to change his style of player to last longer, because that’s just not who he is.” Skattebo’s approach long ago earned him a hopelessly devoted fan base back home. According to Todd, Rio Linda used to be 80 percent 49ers fans, 20 percent Raiders fans. “But now you have this little blue dot at the northern edge of Sacramento County,” Todd said. “It’s one of the most amazing things I’ve seen — people around town wearing Giants jerseys and hats. This place has become a New York Giants stronghold in Northern California, and it’s all because of Cam.” Skattebo said his rise to prominence is all about Becky. “My mom raised a great kid,” he said. “She’s the reason I’m at where I’m at.” In turn, Becky Skattebo wants New Yorkers to know that, when he’s off duty, her son is the polar opposite of the character he plays on the field. He loves children. He loves animals. He loves helping an elderly person get groceries out of the car. “He has a very kind heart, and for me, that’s the scariest part of this,” Becky said. “He’s so known out there now, you worry about that changing him. But I don’t think so. That’s inherently who Cameron is. He refuses to let things change him.” So expect the rookie to remain the same person and player on the Broadway stage that he was across the country in Rio Linda. If nothing else, Cam Skattebo will keep attacking opponents the only way he knows how. Face first. What kind of name is Skattebo? Norwegian. According to Google AI: The Skattebo surname is primarily of Norwegian origin. It is thought to come from the Old Norse words “skatta,” meaning tax or tribute, and “bo,” meaning farm or dwelling. This suggests the name may have indicated someone who lived on a farm that was taxed. For instance, a post by MLFootball on X mentions that running back Cam Skattebo has Norwegian heritage and that his last name means “farm or dwelling”. He reportedly also has Portuguese heritage. |
| NFC WEST |
| SAN FRANCISCOAs of Thursday, QB MAC JONES is fully participating in practice, QB BROCK PURDY is not. Andy Backstrom of YahooSports.com: San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones was a full participant in Thursday’s practice after he was limited Wednesday with the oblique and knee injuries he’s been dealing with of late. As for Brock Purdy, the 49ers’ season-opening QB1, he’s still limited with the toe injury that he aggravated in Week 4 and that’s kept him out of four games this year. San Francisco’s top tight end, George Kittle, returned to practice Wednesday for the first time since going on IR for a hamstring injury he suffered in Week 1. Kittle said he plans to play Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons, according to The Athletic’s Vic Tafur. |
| SEATTLENate Tice of YahooSports.com says things are progressing nicely for Seattle’s offense after the acquisition of QB SAM DARNOLD: The Seattle Seahawks’ regime had a plan this offseason. It was bold, featuring complete swaps of some of the most significant faces on offense. Quarterback Geno Smith was traded for a third-round draft pick to the Las Vegas Raiders to rejoin former Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll. Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb and offensive line coach Scott Huff were fired after their first seasons in those roles in the NFL. Wide receiver DK Metcalf was traded to Pittsburgh, leaving a receiver room with Jaxon Smith-Njigba and not much else. The Seahawks knew exactly how they wanted, and who they wanted, to fill those roles. Sam Darnold was signed to a three-year contract after a resurgent year in Minnesota that came crashing to a halt behind a battered Vikings offensive line. Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak was hired to install his traditional Kubiak-Shanahan offense to help lift the floor of one of the league’s worst offensive lines and run games, and help give one of the most inconsistent offenses in the NFL some semblance of competence. Cooper Kupp was brought in at wide receiver, which didn’t seem like a real needle mover considering Kupp’s recent injury history and questions about how he would fit with Smith-Njigba and the rest of the offense. Grey Zabel was drafted in the first round from North Dakota State to start somewhere along the league’s worst offensive lines, which had multiple spots declared as open competition in training camp. Well, we’re a third of the way through the 2025 season, and the bets that the Seahawks made are going so well an online sportsbook would be offering them a lucrative cashout option. Seahawks’ offense is cooking in a way you might not expectThe Seahawks’ offense currently leads the NFL in yards per play (6.3) and is fourth in FTN’s DVOA statistic as well as third in explosive play rate. Now, the easy assumption is that a Kubiak-helmed offense would just be running the ball over and over to have this kind of success, with a zone-heavy run game creating huge plays for Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet on the ground. Instead, this Seahawks offense is being led by one of the NFL’s most explosive aerial assaults, with Darnold playing the best football of his career and forming such a strong mind-meld with Smith-Njigba that they could pilot a Jaeger in Pacific Rim. The Seahawks are currently 27th in yards per rush (3.7) and 24th in rushing success rate (37.7%). The run game has been popping off like wet fireworks to start the year, but Kubiak seldom abandons the run. It’s currently being used as a jab to set up the real driving force of this offense: a downfield attack that rips off chunk plays with ease. The Seahawks rank first in net yards per pass attempt (9.2 yards), second in explosive pass rate (19.9%, which means one out of five Darnold passes goes for 16 or more yards), and fourth in dropback success rate. The best NFL offenses attack all areas of the field — not just inside and outside, but also every level of the defense. The Seahawks use their run game to keep the defenders’ eyes forward, but the passing game is how they get those defensive backs looking like a baseball pitcher who just gave up a home run. Sam Darnold is being optimized by a coach who helped kickstart his careerA whopping 41.6% of Sam Darnold’s throws travel 10 or more air yards this year. It’s the highest rate in the NFL (nearly 10% higher than average) and would be the eighth-highest rate since 2019. Meanwhile, 58.8% of his completions go for 10 or more yards, which would be tied for the third-highest rate since 2013 and the highest rate since Jameis Winston in 2017. Simply put: Darnold is chucking it downfield and he’s staying efficient when doing so. This is a phenomenal way to streamline Darnold’s skills. Darnold has always been a talented thrower, but he could start to unravel when asked to continuously make decisions over and over. The Seahawks have simply removed most of their quick-hitting passes from the offense, instead using the run game to attack underneath and the passing game to create air in the offense. Kubiak was Darnold’s quarterbacks coach in 2023 in San Francisco, a year that helped Darnold reset his career and also a big reason why Kubiak and the Seahawks signed him this offseason. There are other underlying stats that indicate how comfortable Darnold is in this offense. He is a good athlete who can use his legs to create plays, but he is scrambling at the lowest rate of his career. His three scrambles have gone for 11.7 yards per pop (all successful plays), but his 1.8% scramble rate ranks 27th among qualifying quarterbacks this year and is less than half of his career rate of 4.3%. Darnold is constantly making quick decisions with the football, and isn’t holding onto the ball and devolving into creation plays like he has in prior seasons. And even with an OL that’s better but still a work in progress, Darnold is taking sacks at the lowest rate of his career (4.2%, again half of his usual career rate). He’s also getting rid of the ball quicker at 2.61 seconds, compared to a career rate of 2.82 seconds, and continuously putting the ball in play while avoiding mistakes that have doomed him in the past. (I’ll be forgiving of the game-ending interception against Tampa Bay because of the pressure.) Darnold is getting rid of the ball quicker than ever, but he is often doing it down the field and off of play-action. It’s an ideal combination in the passing game, especially when the run game can be inconsistent. Jaxon Smith-Njigba has been a revelationThe Seahawks and Darnold are using a steady diet of play-action shots and a whole heaping of Smith-Njigba to accomplish this big-play bonanza. Smith-Njigba is currently at or near the top of the NFL in *gestures at every receiving stat available:* First in yards (696) First in yards per route run (a hysterical 4.49; anything over 3 is considered an all-time mark, with Tyreek Hill in 2023 having the highest mark since 2013 at 3.85 yards) First in explosive receptions per route (10.3%, which would rank first since at least 2013. League average for qualifying WRs this year is 3.4%) Tied with Puka Nacua in target share (36.1% of the Seahawks’ targets when he runs a route, third-highest for any WR since 2013) Once pigeonholed as a slot-only underneath threat, Smith-Njigba has been a revelation this season as a three-level monster. His air yards per target has jumped from 6.12 his rookie year in 2023 to 13 this season. He caught a pass on six different types of route categories in just one game against the Jaguars, including a deep bomb on a post route off play action. Simply put: Smith-Njigba can do it all as a receiver. Quick-hitters, in-breakers, out-breakers, vs. press, vs. off coverage, vs. man, vs. zone, deep balls, you name it. And Smith-Njigba is doing his work as an outside wide receiver, too. After aligning in the slot on 74% of his plays in 2024, Smith-Njigba has now aligned there just 17% of the time in 2025, with 80% of his snaps coming on the outside per Next Gen Stats. Seahawks’ other pieces are fitting together into a dangerous teamThe Seahawks’ other pass catchers are also being utilized to accentuate their strengths and are executing their auxiliary roles perfectly. Kupp is now being used as a de facto tight end, providing a boost on run plays as a blocker and as an underneath option on pass plays, especially third down. Kupp’s 6.41 air yards per target currently rank 83rd out of 88 qualifying WRs, but he ranks 17th in successful targets per route. He’s been the rug that has tied the room together in Seattle. Other young players are also excelling in their roles as well. Second-year player A.J. Barner is enjoying a mini-breakout right now. Barner is a true “Y” tight end who can align in-line and block, but has also become a productive secondary pass catcher in this offense. He even had a shot play dialed up for him against the Jaguars when the Seahawks got aggressive while milking the clock. Fifth-round draft pick Tory Horton has been used as the third receiver and his role is starting to expand. He provides a speed element to this offense with good hands and a little bit of YAC ability, too. Horton’s punt returning has been a nice cherry on top of what he provides for the Seahawks. (Oh, yeah, the Seahawks rank first in special teams DVOA, too.) Fellow rookie Elijah Arroyo is an excellent athlete at tight end and is starting to get more plays called for him, including getting isolated as a receiver at times. How the Seahawks use their tight ends has been a weapon for them, too. The versatility of Barner, Arroyo and Eric Saubert has allowed them to get to more preferred formation looks, and helped them get to different protections, too. They nearly average half an expected point added (.44) on their plays out of 12 personnel (1 RB, 2 TEs, 2 WRs), a number I had to double-check because it’s so high considering how much the Seahawks use multiple tight ends. While the run game still ranks 21st in DVOA and hasn’t quite put together a strong performance for a full game, there have been stretches of it working. And if the passing game can maintain at least a large chunk of this explosiveness, then the run game needs to be only average for this offense to work. Despite the offensive line’s mediocrity, there are still positive takeaways. Zabel looks like a star at left guard and has been an impact player in the run game and as a pass protector. Charles Cross finally looks healthy again and has teamed with Zabel to form one of the league’s better left sides. Jalen Sundell is a good fit at center for the zone-heavy run scheme the Seahawks use but can get overmatched as a pass protector, and right guard Anthony Bradford is the weak link of the unit (14 of the 21 quick pressures the Seahawks have allowed this year have been by Sundell or Bradford). The zone run game helps lift the floor, but the play-action concepts and ways the Seahawks move the pocket also help shore up any deficiencies that this line has. Those plays not only streamline Darnold’s decision-making, but they give the Seahawks a fighting chance against any mismatches up front. In a wide open NFC and NFL, I feel as good about the Seahawks’ chances to contend as any other team after six weeks. Their offense has consistently generated explosives and really the biggest question mark I have is how consistent and efficient they can make their run game (which is pretty funny, considering the dogma of this offensive system). Darnold is making quick and smart decisions, the offense adds new layers every week, the auxiliary pieces are all fitting in nicely, and Smith-Njigba is a star. The defense also ranks top five in every metric, with a line that’s formidable rushing the passer and also stout against the run, and one of the best game-planners in the sport in head coach Mike Macdonald calling plays. I’m not only buying the Seahawks as NFC West favorites, but I’m buying that they can make a run once the dance starts, too. |
| AFC NORTH |
| CINCINNATIBen Baby of ESPN.com with QB JOE FLACCO in the wake of his amazing performance against the Steelers: Ten days ago, Joe Flacco didn’t know whether he’d get to experience again what he felt Thursday night. Last week, Flacco was a quarterback who had been benched in his 18th NFL season. On Thursday night, he celebrated another comeback win in the AFC North. Nine days after his trade to the Cincinnati Bengals, he led his new club to a 33-31 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paycor Stadium. Needing points on the final drive to win, Flacco propelled the offense down the field, with kicker Evan McPherson’s 36-yard field goal with seven seconds left sealing the victory. Flacco acknowledged the uncertainty he had felt about getting back to the position he was in Thursday night. “It felt like I might not, to be honest with you,” Flacco said. “It’s pretty special.” In the second game following his trade from the Cleveland Browns, the 40-year-old helped Cincinnati snap a four-game losing streak. He was 31-of-47 passing for 342 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. It was the first win for the Bengals (3-4) since starting quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a turf toe injury in Week 2. Burrow watched from the sideline with a walking boot on his left foot as Flacco made plays in the closing minutes to prevent Cincinnati from a devastating collapse. The Bengals trailed by a point after leading for the bulk of the contest when Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth caught a 68-yard touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers with 2:21 left. But in his 23rd regular-season game against the Steelers (4-2), Flacco delivered. With Cincinnati on the cusp of field goal range, he hit wide receiver Tee Higgins for a 28-yard completion down the left sideline that made McPherson’s kick a relatively easy one. McPherson is among those who have enjoyed having the veteran quarterback on their team. “I love his attitude and what he brings to the team,” said McPherson, who now has eight career tying or go-ahead kicks in the final two minutes of a regular-season contest. “He’s done a really good job connecting with guys on a really short notice.” Flacco did most of his connecting with Higgins and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase against the Steelers. Chase set a franchise record with 16 catches for 161 yards and a touchdown. It was his ninth game with more than 150 receiving yards, passing Jerry Rice for the second most in the first five seasons of an NFL career. Chase again praised the franchise’s decision to acquire Flacco to be the starting quarterback. “It’s honestly good having him here for us,” Chase said. “Organization made a big jump on him. We believed in him. We got him. He came in, doing his thing and showing off for us.” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said Flacco’s experience was crucial in a game that Cincinnati “needed to have.” And the veteran almost made it look effortless. “It’s easy for him,” Taylor said. “And it’s not, because he’s putting in the work. He’s so experienced in this situation. You gain a lot of confidence from that because he goes out there [and] it’s not too big.” Last week, Flacco was going down Interstate 75, talking to Taylor on the phone as the coach started explaining as much of the playbook as quickly as possible. Despite his experience, Flacco wanted to make sure he didn’t waste an opportunity. On Thursday night, Flacco talked about the relief his family probably felt to see him complete another game. In his postgame news conference, Flacco said he was eager to hear how that relief morphed into excitement. “I can’t wait to talk to my wife tonight and just hear it in her voice and all those things,” Flacco said. “Talking to [family] reminds you of how special this is.” Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com on the record night of WR JaMARR CHASE: Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase has caught a lot of passes over the course of his career, but he’s never caught as many in one game as he did on Thursday night. Chase set a Bengals record with 16 catches in their 33-31 win over the Steelers. Chase was targeted 23 times overall, which made it feel like the Bengals were looking his way on almost every offensive play but Chase said he wasn’t aware of how busy he was in the moment. “I didn’t even know I had 16,” Chase said, via a transcript from the team. “I thought I had nine, if I’m being honest. It didn’t feel like that many.” Chase picked up 161 yards and a touchdown on his 16 catches and Tee Higgins had six catches for 96 yards and a touchdown in a performance that Chase said “was supposed to happen” when the two players re-signed with the team. He also said it’s a sign of how “prolific” the Bengals can be with Joe Flacco at quarterback and that may mean it is the first of many big days to come for Cincinnati. |
| PITTSBURGHA flicker of discord between QB AARON RODGERS and his coaches. Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com: In the first quarter of Thursday night’s loss to the Bengals, Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers handed the ball off to running back Jaylen Warren, who pitched it back to Rodgers for a flea flicker. But Rodgers didn’t have any receivers open and just threw the ball away, then yelled at Warren after the play. Clearly, the Steelers’ offense was not on the same page. After the game, the Steelers still weren’t on the same page. When Rodgers was asked about it, he said the play call was not a flea flicker. “It wasn’t supposed to be a flea flicker. We weren’t on the same page,” Rodgers said. But Steelers coach Mike Tomlin was also asked after the game if a flea flicker was called, and Tomlin answered, “It was.” So what happened? There was clearly a breakdown in communication somewhere between the play that was called into Rodgers’ helmet and the play that was executed on the field, but unless we get further explanation from the Steelers, no one can be completely sure what exactly went wrong on the broken play. Rodgers also showed a flicker of anger, justifiably, when teammate T BRODERICK JONES interrupted his happy place after a long TD pass to TE PAT FRIERMUTH by tackling the quarterback. Nick Farabaugh of PennLive.com: Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers shoved offensive lineman Broderick Jones after he came from behind and tackled him during the celebration of the team’s go-ahead touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals. The replay showed Rodgers celebrating his 68-yard touchdown pass to Pat Freiermiuth and Jones came from behind and unexpectedly took Rodgers to the ground. Afterwards, Rodgers came up angry and shoved Jones away from him. Jones and Rodgers were separated after the tense exchange. It was not an intentional tackle by Jones, but Rodgers never saw him coming from behind him. Former Steelers offensive lineman Trai Essex says he can never recall this happening between a lineman and the quarterback. “I’ve literally never seen this before. Obviously it wasn’t intentional by 77 but it was just dumb and a lack of awareness,” Essex said. Rodgers finished with a blazing 249 yards passing with four touchdowns and two interceptions. All four touchdowns were thrown to tight ends, and the Steelers became the first team in NFL history to have three tight ends with three or more receptions and a touchdown each. Either way, the Steelers offensive line would be best to not tackle Rodgers during their celebrations moving forward considering he has played well, and any injury to Rodgers could be detrimental to the team. Rodgers also pushed aside former Steelers QB BEN ROETHLISBERGER – on the NFL’s career passing yards list per Grant Gordon of NFL.com: Though he’s in his first season with the storied franchise, Aaron Rodgers has already moved aside the Pittsburgh Steelers’ most prolific passer. Rodgers moved into sole possession of fifth place all time in career passing yards during the team’s 33-31 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, moving past Pittsburgh’s all-time leading passer and longtime contemporary Ben Roethlisberger. Entering Thursday night opposite another career contemporary, Joe Flacco, Rodgers needed 116 passing yards to surpass Roethlisberger (64,088). He got in in the second quarter when he connected with Jaylen Warren for a 15-yard reception. Having indicated that the 2025 season is likely to be his last, it’s also likely Rodgers will remain in fifth place upon his retirement. He’s tops among active passers, with the closest on his heels being the Los Angeles Rams’ Matthew Stafford, who’s ninth all time with 61,493 yards ahead of his Week 7 game in London against the Jacksonville Jaguars. If Rodgers were to play past this season, he would have a shot at possibly catching another familiar name, Brett Favre, in 2026. Favre is fourth with 71,838 yards. Rodgers and Favre were once upon a time teammates with the Green Bay Packers. Earlier this season, Rodgers moved ahead of Favre (508) on the career touchdowns list. Regardless of how Rodgers’ career concludes, he’s already typed up a first-ballot Hall of Fame resume. |
| AFC SOUTH |
| TENNESSEEIan Rapoport of NFL.com drops some names to know in the Titans head coaching search. When prompted for information about the Titans’ head coaching search, Ian Rapoport mentioned two names specifically above all others: Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy and Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Both of these coaches have some familiarity with a part of this franchise. Nagy could be yet another member of the Chiefs that Mike Borgonzi brings over to help him run things, while Smith got the Atlanta Falcons’ head coaching job based on his OC work with the Titans. While both of them certainly have offensive backgrounds and past experience as a head coach, might be it worth it swing a bit more decisively for someone that could elevate Cam Ward? After all both Smith and Nagy were fired in Atlanta and Chicago for poor quarterback play holding them back. Adam Schefter had those two – as well as Mike McCarthy. He’s endorsed by Justin Melo of TitansSized.com: The Titans’ gamble on Callahan backfired. The organization needs an experienced head coach to provide stability. McCarthy is an 18-year coaching veteran who won a Super Bowl in Green Bay. McCarthy has also coached great quarterbacks. His resume includes helping develop Aaron Rodgers and Dak Prescott. With Cam Ward playing an uneven brand of football and regressing weekly, McCarthy would be a terrific choice to help the No. 1 overall quarterback make progress. And perhaps most notably, McCarthy has a key connection to the Titans’ front office that could help make him a legitimate candidate. Titans president of football operations Chad Brinker, who recently entered a keynote position of power within the organization, spent a decade alongside McCarthy in Green Bay. That relationship could play a role. The Titans’ vacancy will be significantly more appealing than the surface indicates. An opportunity to coach Ward will be viewed as a favorable one around the league. The Titans are also on schedule to earn a top-three selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, and they’ll possess a league-leading amount of cap space. They’re also moving into a stunning new stadium in 2027. McCarthy is a terrific candidate who’s searching for his third opportunity. The McCarthy-Brinker relationship could make him a candidate. The Titans should identify the seasoned leader now that their search has officially begun. QB CAM WARD talks about what he wants in a coach. Jordan Dajani of CBSSports.com: Ward hasn’t lit the NFL world on fire just yet, but he has flashed some of the potential that led to him being selected with the top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Ward is hardly the first young quarterback to go through a coaching change, as each of the last four quarterbacks picked No. 1 overall had their coaches fired during their rookie seasons. What does Ward want to see in his new coach? The rookie signal-caller was asked that question on Wednesday. “Somebody who can really do everything from top to bottom, and that’s both sides of the ball — offense, defense,” Ward said. “They know the system in and out, and I think the biggest thing is how is the coach going to be with the players. We have all different types of personalities in our locker room and whoever we get, I know they’ll be the right hire, but that’s not really my main focus right now. I’m with coach [Mike] McCoy right now and we’re going to try to win some games.” It sounds like Ward would appreciate a coach that has served as a lead man before, and that’s something many believe Tennessee will look for as well: Experience. |
| AFC EAST |
| NEW YORK JETSZack Rosenblatt of The Athletic believes there is no way that Coach Aaron Glenn will be one and done: It was Week 5, and the coach couldn’t take it anymore. Week after week, his players were starting slow, fighting back, and falling short. Battle wounds heal and become scars, but that doesn’t make them hurt any less. This game was the hardest one yet. They had kept the score close all day and finally went up with a touchdown in the final minute. His defense just needed a stop. It didn’t happen. The opposing kicker made a field goal as time expired, a fifth straight loss to start the season. Standing in front of reporters after the 19-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, Dan Campbell’s eyes started to well up. “When you see your players give all that they have and you lose that way, it’s tough,” he said. “You know, you don’t want that for them.” Each time the Detroit Lions lost in 2021 — and they lost plenty, 13 times — served as validation for those who doubted Campbell would ever amount to anything as a head coach, especially after his infamous “kneecap-biting” introductory press conference. But Campbell didn’t care much about that, because he felt like the Lions were building something, even if nobody outside of his building could see it. “We haven’t quite got over the hump, but I do think, in the long run, this is going to pay dividends for us,” Campbell said that day. “As ugly as it is right now and hard to swallow, I do think we’re building something special here that’s going to serve us well in the long term.” Aaron Glenn was there. He was Campbell’s defensive coordinator, but more than that, his most trusted confidant, sounding board and friend on staff. Campbell says now that the Lions wouldn’t have crawled their way out of the NFL’s dungeon if not for the way he and Glenn, in tandem, stayed true to their core message, their core values, through those struggles. As involved as he was, Glenn wasn’t the head coach back then. It was Campbell taking it on the chin, defending his players, doing his best to keep them motivated without letting the standings dictate their passion. But Glenn is a head coach now. The Jets are 0-6, like Campbell’s Lions were in 2021, fresh off a 13-11 loss to the Broncos in London. The noise is getting loud — louder than anything Campbell ever dealt with. But Glenn knew (or should’ve known) that was coming when he took the job, returning to the team that drafted him in 1994, for an organization that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2010, the league’s longest drought. With each loss, with each mistake Glenn makes — on the field, at the podium — questions about his ability to do the impossible (bring the Jets back from the abyss) intensify. Some Jets fans are tired of waiting and can’t help but wonder aloud if he should be one-and-done. His name has already started to appear on the “next coach fired” odds lists. The darkness around here can feel all-consuming. But Glenn insists that he still sees the light. “You have to go through these times, you have to figure out exactly how you’re going to end up winning games and continue to press forward on that,” Glenn said Monday. “And I’m not wavering from that. I’ve been through that with Detroit … I’m just not — I’m not going to waver from that at all.” Let’s get this out of the way: Glenn is not getting fired. Not this season, and not in the offseason either. There are a few reasons for that, but let’s start with the most important one: Patience. Owner Woody Johnson, according to multiple team sources, has mostly stayed out of the way so far — he’s letting Glenn build the team, the culture, in his vision. Johnson, as The Athletic has reported over the years, hasn’t always been good about staying out of the way when things have gone poorly. It should also be noted that Johnson is paying Glenn handsomely — multiple league sources say Glenn’s compensation is higher than that of Robert Saleh, who was reportedly making $5 million annually. If Johnson fired Glenn after this season, he would be paying him a significant salary for, reportedly, four more seasons to not coach the Jets. And yet, things have gone poorly through six games, worse than anyone in the organization could have predicted. Glenn shoulders the blame for that, especially in light of some questionable decision-making during the loss to the Broncos. Johnson surely isn’t OK with that 0-6 mark either. But Glenn sold Johnson and the Jets’ search committee on a Lions-esque rebuild — that rebuild started poorly, too. Glenn, at minimum, deserves a shot at seeing it through, certainly beyond just his first season. Glenn said that he and Johnson “have had really good conversations” and that the Jets owner “understands everything that we’re trying to do.” “Listen, obviously everybody wants to make sure they have a winning record, but here’s the thing, a lot of things that were not (said) from the very beginning,” Glenn said. “We’re not talking about the Super Bowl, we’re trying to build a foundation of making sure we win consistently — and how do you do that? You just can’t throw things out there and just have an unstable foundation and expect for things to be just right … Stay in the know by selecting your interests on The Athletic:“I know everybody wants to win, but nobody wants to go through the hard stuff, and that’s what we’re going through right now. We’re going through the hard times to put ourselves in positions to win.” Each time the Jets lose, Glenn has brought up his experience in Detroit. It has worn thin with a segment of the fan base, but it’s not difficult to figure out why he keeps saying it. Put the Jets’ first six games in 2025 and the Lions’ first six games in 2021 side-by-side, and they are eerily similar. • The Lions were 26th in offensive EPA, 28th in defensive EPA and eighth in special teams EPA, according to TruMedia. The Jets: 28th offensive EPA, 28th defensive EPA and ninth special teams EPA. • The Lions were outscored by 85 points in the first three quarters of those six games, while the Jets have been outscored by 65 points in the first three quarters of their games. • The flipside is the same, too: The Lions, playing from behind, outscored their opponents by 22 points in the fourth quarter, while the Jets have outscored theirs by 18 points in the fourth. The Lions were down 38-10 in a 41-33 loss to the 49ers, 13-0 in a 19-17 loss to the Ravens, and 21-0 in a 24-14 loss to the Bears. The Jets trailed 23-6 in a 2-point loss to the Buccaneers and 17-3 in a 6-point loss to the Dolphins. Then there are the differences: The Lions’ defense, led by Glenn, had seven takeaways as their offense turned it over eight times. The Jets have one takeaway — which didn’t come until Week 6 — and eight offensive turnovers. Detroit had a castoff quarterback, too, though Jared Goff — at the time viewed as a throw-in portion of the trade that sent Matthew Stafford to the Rams — was a better fit for the Lions’ timing-based offense. Justin Fields, Glenn’s hand-picked quarterback, has come under fire recently for his propensity to hold onto the ball too long, which led to many of the Broncos’ nine sacks in London. Notably, it’s unclear who the Jets’ quarterback of the future is, just as it was for the Lions six games into the 2021 season. Goff, though, had been to a Super Bowl before joining the Lions; Fields hasn’t quarterbacked a winning team for a full season. It also would be fair to say that this Jets team has more talent — maybe even significantly more — than that 2021 Lions team. In 2021, the Lions only had two players in significant roles who had made a Pro Bowl previously: Goff and tight end T.J. Hockenson. The Jets came into this season with an All-Pro cornerback (Sauce Gardner), star wide receiver (Garrett Wilson), an offensive line featuring four first or second-round draft picks, a Pro Bowl defensive tackle (Quinnen Williams), All-Pro linebacker (Quincy Williams), Pro Bowl defensive end (Jermaine Johnson) and other players — like running back Breece Hall, linebacker Jamien Sherwood, defensive end Will McDonald and cornerback Michael Carter II — considered quality starters. With that level of talent, they should not be 0-6. There are other reasons for skepticism. Just because one team had a turnaround — one that could be considered unprecedented — that doesn’t mean history will repeat itself for the Jets. Other rebuilds have moved much faster: The Patriots (Mike Vrabel), Jaguars (Liam Coen) and Bears (Ben Johnson) all have first-year coaches and all are in the playoff hunt after miserable 2024 seasons — though all three, inarguably, have better quarterback situations. But for those wanting to believe in the prospect of a Lions-esque turnaround, the biggest reason is the man both teams have in common: Glenn. “It’s easy to come to a winning organization where it’s healthy, where you’re thriving, where everybody’s excited,” Kelvin Sheppard, who replaced Glenn as the Lions’ defensive coordinator, told The Athletic in August. “But what they didn’t see was in 2021, where you couldn’t give away tickets to the game, and we had to earn it — to continue to have that same focus, that same mentality, when you’re 0-9, you’re 0-10, you’re 0-10-1. To continue to show back up and be that same person, that isn’t easy. That has to be part of your DNA to be able to push through that.” Sheppard, and Campbell, both said that it is in Glenn’s DNA. Lions players who spoke to The Athletic agreed. “We just worried about what we could control,” Campbell said. “And man, just (trying to) get these guys believing in the fact that if we make this one play from the last game that we didn’t make, we’re going to win the next one. Don’t worry about the ‘Oh, we lost again’. No, no, no. Go back and say, ‘Look, we just gotta clean this one up. We gotta clean up this play.’ And our guys did that. “I never had to worry about what AG was saying in that defensive room, the way he was coaching. I knew that he was saying exactly what I said and what I believed in. Because he believed in it, too. And we did, man. We just went to work, coached our tails off, and these guys —they never gave up.” Campbell calls that experience the “bedrock” for where they are now, legitimate Super Bowl contenders. And yet: Good luck telling Jets fans to stay patient. Without hype, headlines, or a future Hall of Fame QB, the Glenn era begins on Sunday.Glenn has said the last four minutes of each half belong to the head coach — he’s the one making the decisions in-game that define those moments. They haven’t gone according to plan, and there are stats to back that up, especially before halftime: In situations with four minutes or fewer remaining in the first half, the Jets rank 30th in offensive EPA, per TruMedia. The offense, as mentioned, has struggled to produce before the fourth quarter. too. And before the Broncos game, defense was the Jets’ biggest problem, ranking 31st in points allowed, 32nd in takeaways, 25th in sacks, 31st in pressure percentage and tied for 32nd in missed tackles. That unit stepped up in a major way against the Broncos with its best game — just in time for the offense to have its worst week, finishing with minus-10 net passing yards. Before halftime, Glenn had a moment that has been roundly criticized since. The Jets successfully pulled off a fake punt in their own territory, only to let the clock run out a few plays later. A frustrated Wilson threw his arms up and then walked with Glenn toward the locker room, still animated. Wilson, a team captain, had pointed words after the game, too. “I just didn’t know exactly what the plan was,” Wilson said. “And once I figured it out, I was disappointed.” He later described not feeling like his teammates were playing like they had “nothing to lose,” which, at 0-6, he said, is unacceptable. Frustration is mounting. That doesn’t mean the locker room is fracturing, but it’s certainly not a positive sign that a star is questioning the decision-making of his new coach already. It’s a contrast from the summer, when Glenn and players, on more than one occasion, took not-so-subtle potshots at the previous regime. The reason: Training camp was much more physical, and Glenn was doing a better job, they said, of holding them accountable for their mistakes than past coaches had. Glenn, with his experience in Detroit, was getting his players ready to better handle the moments of adversity, when they’d often crumbled in the past. That hasn’t translated to the games, not yet at least. Offseason “vibes don’t really matter at the end of the day,” guard John Simpson said after the Broncos loss. “It’s about winning. I feel like a vibe is not going to get you over that hump. It’s about executing when you get out there. I never get into all that hype; I just focus on what I can do. We just gotta execute better.” Added Johnson: “We just gotta keep being thumb pointers, look in the mirror, see what we can improve on. I know we’re never going to be finger pointers. That’s how it breaks down and breaks apart.” The players say that hasn’t happened yet. If Glenn wants to survive beyond 2025 — it can’t happen. What comes next? The Jets will almost surely miss the playoffs for a 15th straight season. Even if they finish strong, that won’t save Glenn long-term; in 2019, the Jets started 1-7 in Adam Gase’s first year and finished 7-9. Gase was fired after a disastrous 2020 season. If the Jets continue down the path they’re on, there will be questions about whether Glenn is the right coach to steward the selection of the draft’s No. 1 pick, likely a quarterback. The Titans just fired Brian Callahan six weeks into his first season with No. 1 pick Cam Ward; he was the fourth straight head coach fired in-season after selecting a QB with the draft’s first pick. If the Jets do find themselves in that scenario, landing the No. 1 pick — or somewhere close to it — that would mean they finished somewhere in the range of the Lions’ 3-13-1 record in 2021. In the aftermath, Campbell fired veteran offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn and replaced him with Ben Johnson. If the Jets finish with three wins, despite the talent on their roster, Glenn might have to make difficult decisions. If the defense plays more like it did in the first five weeks than it did against the Broncos, then defensive coordinator Steve Wilks — like Lynn, a veteran coach — could be on the hot seat. After that, the pressure will be on. The Lions started 1-6 in 2022, after which Lions owner Sheila Ford Hamp publicly endorsed Campbell. Detroit went on to finish 9-8. There’s no guarantee Johnson will act the same way that Hamp did. It’s fair to wonder if Glenn has what it takes to turn the Jets around. It’s also fair to wonder if he’ll have the opportunity to do so. He is banking on exactly that: time. “Just give him time to cook his meal,” said Glenn’s brother Jason, also a former Jet. “He’s got to shop for these groceries, he’s going to cook a great meal — just give him time to cook it.” |
| THIS AND THAT |
| FROM OUR READERSFirst, from our correspondent in the Bay Area: How come when KC coach shoulder bumped Kelce intentionally was NO fine? This comes in reaction to the $100,000 bomb dropped on Arizona coach Jonathan Gannon. Here’s how Nate Taylor of ESPN.com described the Reid-Kelce incident: For the second consecutive week, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce had a heated sideline exchange with coach Andy Reid, the latest one coming during the team’s 22-9 win over the New York Giants on Sunday night. Reid and Kelce were yelling at each other on the Chiefs’ sideline in the middle of the second quarter. During the exchange, Reid bumped Kelce with his left shoulder. After the Chiefs’ first win of the season, Reid said he wasn’t concerned about Kelce’s attitude or choice of words. “I love Travis’ passion, man,” said Reid, who is in his 13th season coaching the Chiefs. “I’m OK with that. We didn’t have enough of it in the second quarter. It wasn’t where we needed it to be, so, within reason, he knows when to back off the pedal and knows when to push it too. “That’s the part I love about him. The guy is all-in. Sometimes, I have to be the policeman. He’s an emotional guy.” We looked at it, and Reid actually used his shoulder, his shoulder, to bump Kelce not once, but twice. Now we wouldn’t have fined Reid, but we wouldn’t have fined Gannon either. Or, if mandated by a higher power to level $100,000 in fines in total on the two coaches – we would have fined Gannon $70,000 and Reid $30,000. His interaction with RB EMARI DEMERCADO after the running back’s egregious non-contact fumble against Tennessee lasted about 10 seconds. The “fineable” offense was apparently an elbow back into his padded stermum, a gesture apparently about where the ball should have been. Second, the Terp reminds us how awful a kicker Hall of Famer Jan Stenerud would be by today’s standards: FG kicking may be the most evolved skill in all of sports. Jan Stenerud was regarded as one of the best and is in the HOF. In 19 seasons, he made 17 total FG of 50 yards or more at a 26% clip. He was also just 77-for-150 from 40-49 yards (51%) – basically a coin flip – yet Scott Norwood is crucified and mostly known for missing a 47-yard FG in the Super Bowl. In 1971, Stenerud was ALL-PRO when he made 59% of his FGs (26-44). He was 12-for-13 from 10-19 yards and just 14-for-29 (48%) from 20 yards or more. Remember, back in the day the goalposts were on the goal line. But we thought the Terp had mistyped – surely it wasn’t 20 yards or more! But it was. Stenerud was 9-22 (41%) from 30 yards or more. Now it should be mentioned that Stenerud got steadily more accurate during his career and finished up in 1985 with 66.8% career accuracy going over 80% in three of his final five seasons. |
| WATT VS. PRO FOOTBALL FOCUSChristian Arnold of the New York Post notes some criticism of the player grades from Pro Football Focus from J.J. Watt: Some ex-NFL players have had about enough of Pro Football Focus’ player rankings and have gone on the offensive over their use on nationally televised broadcasts. Both J.J. Watt, a former five-time All-Pro defensive end and current analyst for CBS, and Chris Long, who played 11 seasons in the league, have been outspoken about their disdain for the widely cited grading system published by the analytics-focused football news site. It became a topic of conversation on Wednesday by both men after “Sunday Night Football” put PFF’s rankings on the screen during the NBC broadcast of the Chiefs’ win over the Lions. “Get Mahomes quarterback 13 of 32 off my television screen,” Long said on his podcast, “Green Light with Chris Long.” “We’re talking about legislation, what our kids shouldn’t see at school, what they shouldn’t be learning about, should we have political ads on television. I want the PFF scores off the TV as bad as I want political ads off the television.” He added: “God forbid there’s somebody watching the game who doesn’t know who f–king Patrick Mahomes is. They’re going to be badly misguided, brother. Thirteenth best quarterback in the league? If I was [Derrick] Nnadi, and maybe he earned it this year, but I would f–king sue. I would be in Cris Collinsworth’s backyard, dude.” Collinsworth, the NBC NFL analyst, bought a stake in PFF in 2014, and the site has seen massive growth over the years, expanding to college football as well. While Watt had good things to say about the site as a whole, he shared in Long’s feelings for the rankings, saying that the grading system “sucks. He believes that the ranking for each player “is a completely made-up number.” Addressing it on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Watt said he has heard players tell him that Uber drivers claimed to have watched film for PFF and broken it down for the outlet solely based on the television broadcasts of games. “You can’t watch film on TV copy and create a grade,” Watt said. “You can’t break down a person’s grade and know what they’re supposed to do if you don’t now their exact assignment. I know defensive line play unbelievably well. I could not go and grade a game for a player and give him a definitive grade without speaking to him, his coach, the scheme, everything. It’s a fact. PFF has a ton of great stuff. “Player grading sucks. Stop putting it out.” |
