| The NFL does not accept the conventional wisdom that Vikings PK WILL REICHARD missed a field goal in London because it hit a Sky Cam cable – and it doesn’t want its announcers saying that. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com: During the first half of Thursday night’s Vikings-Chargers game, Prime Video’s Al Michaels said the Minnesota kicker Will Reichard’s only missed field goal of the season happened when the ball struck a camera wire during a win over the Browns in London. When Reichard lined up in the second half to attempt a field goal, Michaels offered a clarification. “The league wants to take my lunch away because I said before that Reichard’s only miss was hitting a wire in London,” Michaels said. “They league says, ‘No, no. It was an optical illusion.’ Not what Reichard thinks. Anyway, there you have it.” At the time, the unofficial position was that there was no clear view of the ball striking the cable, not that it was an “optical illusion.” If that was/is the position, it should have been articulated affirmatively and clearly — not in reaction to Al Michaels pointing it out, nearly three weeks later. Transparency is the key. If Michaels hadn’t said what he said, the league never would have said anything more about it. Whether the ball hit the wire or didn’t hit the wire, the NFL needs to be ready, willing, and able to get its version of the truth out there quickly. And not in the form of a knee-jerk reaction when someone dares to mention it well after the fact. Actually, Michaels went on to say: “We cleaned it up. I’m always cleaning up our mess. My mess.” Matt Clapp of Awful Announcing: In the end, this just makes the NFL look worse, and what was essentially a buried story now becomes a big one again. And if Roger Goodell and the NFL expected Al Michaels to handle that explanation differently — or not say anything at all — on live television, they don’t know Al Michaels. The 80-year-old broadcasting legend doesn’t care what anyone thinks and tells it like it is at this stage of his career. |
| NFC NORTH |
| GREEN BAYNow in Pittsburgh, QB AARON RODGERS continues to say nothing but nice things about the Packers. Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com: – Whenever Aaron Rodgers is done playing, and he has said he’s “pretty sure” this season with the Pittsburgh Steelers will be his last, he wants it to end ceremoniously with the Green Bay Packers. In advance of Sunday’s game against his old team in Pittsburgh, Rodgers made it clear Thursday what his retirement will look like. “I was there for 18 years,” Rodgers said of his time in Green Bay. “Regardless of when I hang it up, that’s the bulk of my career. I’ll retire a Packer and see what happens after that. I’ve got a lot of love for the organization [and] my time there. They asked this week is it a revenge game or whatever. What do I got to be avenging here? They made me a ton of money. I grew up there, spent some of the best years of my life there. I’ve got nothing but love for the organization.” The Packers almost certainly will welcome Rodgers back just as they did for Brett Favre. Favre was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 2015, one year before he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and his No. 4 was retired. Rodgers last played for the Packers in 2022. He was traded to the New York Jets in 2023. After two seasons in New York, he signed with the Steelers this past offseason. Sundays’ game is the first for Rodgers against his former team. During a Zoom call Thursday with reporters who cover the Packers, Rodgers spoke fondly about the Packers and without mentioning any bitterness toward not ending his playing career with the team that drafted him in 2005 to eventually replace Favre. “It was such a tight-knit group for so long there,” Rodgers said. “I outlasted most of them, but it’s fun, that’s why I feel so good about my time there because damn near everything great in my life is because of my football career, and my football career starts and will end one day with Green Bay. I’ve got a lot of love for those memories and a lot of great friends that I still carry with me to this day.” While Rodgers said it was “cool” to be able to play his old teams — both the Jets and Packers — this season, “This one would mean a lot more if it was in Lambeau, just because of the affection I have for that place and that hallowed ground of Lambeau Field and all the amazing memories that I have there over the years.” The Lovefest continues with his successor. Bill Huber of SI.com: With Rodgers’ former team, the Green Bay Packers, set to play his current team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, on Sunday night, who will be the target of the postgame jersey swap? “I have been jersey-swapping,” Rodgers said in a Zoom call with Packers beat reporters on Thursday. “I jersey-swapped with Lucas Patrick last week. Lucas was a great player for us for a long time. One of my favorites. You guys know what kind of guy he was – just as tough as they come. “There’s a lot of guys over there that I still have a lot of love for and played with. I’d say at the top of my list would be J-Love. The Packers have always been a little weird about swapping. I don’t know what the policy is these days but, if there was one, it’d probably be Jordan.” Told what Rodgers had just said, Love flashed a big smile. “I want his jersey,” Love said. “I hope I’m on top of his list. I already talked to him about it, so I hope so.” Love would be the obvious choice, because there’s not a lot of obvious jersey-swap candidates. While there are coaches, equipment staffers, trainers and other staff members that he knows in Green Bay, only 14 former teammates are still on the team. Moreover, Rashan Gary, Elgton Jenkins, Love and Isaiah McDuffie are the only players on the team who spent more than one season with Rodgers. “It’s a fun one but the league is so crazy,” Rodgers said. “If you look at the roster, there’s not many guys that I played with still left on the team. That’s the interesting part about the league and the roster turnovers that happen, now being three years separated from the team. Most of the guys that have reached out this week and that I know really well are not on the team. “Obviously excited to see J-Love and Keisean (Nixon) and some of the guys I was with – Rome(o Doubs) and Christian (Watson) – but I’m really excited to see all those guys and, hopefully, they’ll get out early so I can give them some love and catch up.” |
| MINNESOTAAfter Thursday night’s loss to the Chargers, Coach Kevin O’Connell addressed the quarterback position going forward. Josh Alper at ProFootballTalk.com: Thursday night’s blowout loss to the Chargers was the fifth straight game that the Vikings played without quarterback J.J. McCarthy and watching Carson Wentz try to battle through injury throughout the night raised the question of whether it is the right time to go back to McCarthy. McCarthy injured his ankle in a Week 2 loss to the Falcons and the team said it was a 4-6 week injury at the time. We’ve reached the longer end of that window and a point where it feels like the 3-4 Vikings need to figure out what they have in their 2024 first-round pick. McCarthy has been healthy enough to serve as the team’s emergency quarterback the last two weeks and head coach Kevin O’Connell’s comments in his postgame press conference suggested that the team will use their extended break before facing the Lions to finish the process of moving McCarthy back into the starting lineup. “We worked out J.J. and he was close. J.J. and the medical staff kinda didn’t feel like he was there yet, but there was a lot of encouragement. . . . If J.J. is healthy, J.J. will play,” O’Connell said. “That’s been the case since the injury. That’s always been kind of my mindset. I believe we’re right, hopefully, around the corner from seeing him be healthy, have a week of preparation and go compete. That’s what he wants and that’s what he’s been working towards.” A return against the Lions before a closing stretch that will feature a number of challenging opponents isn’t idle for easing a player back into action, but if McCarthy can’t handle that than the Vikings will have some decisions to make in the offseason about the direction they want to go at quarterback. |
| NFC EAST |
| PHILADELPHIAThis: @Jeff_McLane#Eagles WR A.J. Brown didn’t practice with a hamstring injury, but from what I understand, he’s tracking toward playing Sunday vs. the Giants. Just two weeks ago, the defending Super Bowl champs were dismantled by the Giants. In the re-match, the Eagles remain a 7-point favorite – a 24-point difference from the result just two weeks ago with all the main characters returning. More thoughts from Anthony Dabbundo of The Ringer: The Eagles were a 7.5-point road favorite against the Giants two weeks ago without their most important defensive player (Jalen Carter), so there has been a significant market adjustment toward New York for this line to now be Philly –7 at home. The Eagles’ total inability to run the ball this season is one of the most surprising developments of the first seven weeks. Even against bad run defenses like the Giants and Vikings, Philly wasn’t able to reliably keep the chains moving on the ground. As a result, the Eagles went hunting for big plays against Minnesota on Sunday. It worked, as Jalen Hurts had one of his best games of his career, and the Eagles got a pick-six against Carson Wentz to help seal the win. When you zoom out, though, let’s take stock of where these two offenses are thus far. I’m only going to use the Jaxson Dart data for the Giants (Weeks 4-7). EPA/Drive Success Rate Explosive Play Rate Points Per DriveGiants 11th 14th 28th 9thEagles 12th 23rd 18th 18th It’s a small sample, and I’m not saying the Giants are a better offense than the Eagles, but the Eagles offense certainly has real issues to sort out. The first game between these two was a bit weird because Quinyon Mitchell went down early with an injury, and the Giants converted 11 of 16 on third down. |
| NFC SOUTH |
| CAROLINAQB BRYCE YOUNG seems to sit on the south side of questionable for Sunday’s home game with the Bills. Sean Leahy of YahooSports.com: The ankle injury that Bryce Young suffered last week against the New York Jets has kept him out of practice this week and made it likely we see Andy Dalton start against the Buffalo Bills. Young, listed as day-to-day by head coach Dave Canales, tried to remain positive this week about playing in Week 8: “Making progress each day, feeling better,” Young said. “Just trusting the training staff.” |
| AFC WEST |
| LOS ANGELES CHARGERSJohn Breech of CBSSports.com invents the “60-60 Club” – and Jim Harbaugh is now the only living member: For the past 52 years, there has only been one member of the 60-60 club in the NFL, but that changed on Thursday after Jim Harbaugh led his Los Angeles Chargers to a 37-10 win over the Minnesota Vikings. First, if you’re wondering what the 60-60 club is, it’s when a quarterback wins at least 60 games as a starter during his career and then goes on to win at least 60 games as a head coach. Although we’ve seen plenty of quarterbacks eventually land a head coaching gig in the NFL, heading into the 2025 season there had only been one person ever who had pulled off at least 60 wins as a player and then as a coach (Please stop reading right now if you want to try and figure out who that person is on your own before we give you the answer). Before Thursday night, the only member of the 60-60 club was Norm Van Brocklin, but he now has some company. Harbaugh matched him on Thursday night with a win over the Vikings. Van Brocklin got to the milestone by putting together a Hall of Fame career as a quarterback before moving to the sideline. Here’s a brief rehash of his career: Van Brocklin as a QBAfter being taken by the Rams during the fourth round of the 1949 NFL Draft, Van Brocklin went on to play 12 seasons in the NFL. He spent his first nine seasons with the Rams (1949-57) before heading to Philadelphia for his final three seasons (1958-60). During that time, the nine-time Pro Bowler won two NFL titles and amassed a 100-36-4 record as a starter. Even casual NFL fans likely know Van Brocklin’s name and that’s mostly because he holds the single-game passing record. Back in 1951, he threw for 554 yards in a game while playing for the Rams. In the 74 years since then, no NFL quarterback has even thrown for 530 yards. Van Brocklin the head coachAlthough he had a Hall of Fame career on the field, Van Brocklin wasn’t as successful as a head coach. He coached two teams over 13 seasons with six of that in Minnesota (1961-66) and seven in Atlanta (1967-74). During his coaching career, he went 66-100-7. He officially became the first member of the 60-60 club when he picked up his 60th win in 1973. Harbaugh officially joins 60-60 clubOn Harbaugh’s end, he was an NFL quarterback from 1987 through 2000 and during that time, he compiled a record of 66-74. He made the playoffs three times as a player, including a shocking 1995 season when he led the Colts to the AFC Championship, a game they’d lose to the Steelers. After his playing career ended, Harbaugh immediately joined the coaching ranks as the QB coach for the Raiders. From there, he landed two college coaching jobs (San Diego State and Stanford) before getting his first NFL head coaching gig in 2011 when the 49ers hired him. Harbaugh is now in his sixth season as an NFL head coach and going into Thursday’s game, he had a career record of 59-28-1. As a head coach, Harbaugh is a proven winner. In 2010, he led Stanford to an Orange Bowl win and a No. 4 overall ranking in the final AP poll. Starting in 2011, he led the 49ers to three straight NFC title games and one Super Bowl. After leaving San Francisco, he went to Michigan, where he led his alma mater a College Football National Championship in 2023. Harbaugh joined the 60-60 club with a dominant win over the Vikings. The 61-year-old loves to win with defense and the running game and that’s exactly how the Chargers beat Minnesota. The Chargers rushing attack piled up 207 yards while the defense held the Vikings to just 10 points. It was fitting that Harbaugh matched the record with a win over the Vikings since Van Brocklin once coached in Minnesota. Also, to tie the record, Harbaugh had to beat another head coach (Kevin O’Connell) who used to be an NFL quarterback. Over the past 52 years, the only other person who came close to joining the 60-60 club was Bart Starr. The Packers legend went 94-57-6 during his 16 years as the starting quarterback in Green Bay. He also coached the Packers for nine seasons (1975-83) and went 52-76-3, falling just eight wins short of the rare club. |
| AFC NORTH |
| BALTIMOREWith this report, we put QB LAMAR JACKSON on the north side of questionable for Sunday with the Bears. Sean Leahy of YahooSports.com: Lamar Jackson returned to practice this week with the Baltimore Ravens for the first time since suffering a hamstring injury on Sept. 28. He was limited both Wednesday and Thursday, which did not clear up his status for their Week 8 game against the Chicago Bears. Head coach John Harbaugh didn’t have any information to share when asked about the potential of Jackson playing, but they will give the two-time MVP as much time as possible to feel ready to make a return. “If he says he’s ready to go, I’m ready to go,” said Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken. “It’s up to him, and I thought he looked really good today. I thought there were things he did out there today that took another step forward.” |
| CINCINNATILB LOGAN WILSON wants out of the Queen City. Jordan Dajani of CBSSports.com: Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson wants out of Cincinnati, as ESPN reported on Thursday that the 29-year-old has requested a trade. Wilson has started in all seven games played this season, but he has seen his snap count decrease recently. After playing 100% of the team’s defensive snaps in the Week 5 loss to the Detroit Lions, Wilson played just 19.7% in the Week 6 loss to the Green Bay Packers and 45.6% in the Thursday night win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Bengals appear poised to move forward with rookies Barrett Carter and Demetrius Knight Jr. as their starting linebackers. Knight, who was selected by Cincinnati in the second round, has played the majority of defensive snaps in every game this season, and is tied for the team lead in tackles with 50. Carter, who was a fourth-round pick out of Clemson, played just 18.4% of defensive snaps in Week 1, but has played every snap on defense in the last two games. Despite the change in snap count, Carter told ESPN that Wilson has continued to be a great leader. “It hasn’t changed our relationship at all,” Carter said. “I still lean on him heavily with stuff, still ask him questions every single day. He’s been a great leader, just like the man he is since the day I got here.” Wilson was a third-round pick of the Bengals in 2020 out of Wyoming. He became a full-time starter in his second NFL season, which was the year Cincinnati made its run to Super Bowl LVI. In four playoff games that postseason, Wilson recorded 39 tackles, three passes defensed and one interception. That 2021 season marked the first of four straight in which Wilson recorded 100 combined tackles. In 2023, Wilson signed a four-year extension that was worth up to $37.25 million. He responded with a career year, racking up 135 combined tackles, five tackles for loss, one sack, two forced fumbles, nine passes defensed and four interceptions. This kind of rubs the DB the wrong way. He’s still playing quite a bit and making a nice salary with the team still very much alive in the playoffs race. We’re guessing the coaches think his pass coverage is suspect, and we are guessing another team would think so to. Finish out the season and see where things go from there. |
| AFC SOUTH |
| INDIANAPOLISAn interesting press conference with QB CAM WARD on Thursday. Jordy Fee-Platt of The Athletic: With the Titans falling to 1-6 after a 31-13 loss to the New England Patriots, the frustration of a disappointing start to the season is building. However, Ward kept it lighthearted with reporters at the end of a news conference on Wednesday, showing just how difficult it is to be an NFL quarterback. “I want to see if y’all can repeat this play,” Ward asked those in attendance, as seen in a video posted to social media by Associated Press reporter Teresa Walker. Stay in the know by selecting your interests on The Athletic:The University of Miami product then recited a play call, which took him six seconds to relay, hoping for someone to repeat it back to him. He was met with silence and a “no chance” from Titans reporter Paul Kuharsky. “I’ll give you an easier one,” Ward went on. He read a shorter play, which took him three seconds, eagerly awaiting a response. Again, no reporters attempted, and Kuharsky responded with another “no chance.” “Come on, Paul, you’re going to be sacked out there,” Ward joked as he left the podium. A quiz from the 23-year-old is an excellent reminder of the learning curve for young NFL quarterbacks. In college, many signal-callers receive plays by looking at coaches on the sideline and relay signals to their teammates at the line of scrimmage. When they reach the pro level, Ward and other young quarterbacks must memorize an entire playbook full of long play calls like the two he shared with the media. |
| AFC EAST |
| MIAMIAfter his big knee injury, WR TYREEK HILL admits to thinking about retirement. The AP: Miami Dolphins star receiver Tyreek Hill hasn’t yet decided if he’s done playing football after suffering a season-ending knee injury against the New York Jets on Sept 29. In an interview on the podcast of Terron Armstead, Hill’s former Dolphins teammate, Hill said he’ll make up his mind about his career at some point. For now, his focus is on recovering from surgery he had a couple of weeks ago to repair significant damage to his left knee, including a torn anterior cruciate ligament. “At the end of the day, I feel like that decision is based upon how I feel and where my mindset is at the moment,” Hill said on the podcast, which was released Thursday evening. “I’m happy with the career that I’ve had. I love playing football. I love it, but it takes a lot. It takes a lot on you mentally, it takes a lot on you physically. “I’m at the point now where I need to have a conversation with mom, family, everybody. Wherever my mind is at the time, the decision will be made, but I know right now, I haven’t had time to live in the moment.” Hill was injured when he made a catch and was tackled near the Jets’ sideline in the third quarter of Miami’s Week 4 win. He was running toward the sideline and planted his left foot, and his knee twisted as he was being pulled down. The Dolphins put him on season-ending injured reserve on Oct. 1. “When I got tackled, I immediately tried to get up … I’d seen that my leg was crooked,” Hill said. “I immediately started laughing because I’ve been able to play this game for 10 years, really my entire life, and I’ve been blessed with great talents and great gifts. The amount of support I get from my family, it’s amazing. So I really wasn’t even thinking about the injury. I was thinking about the great times I’ve had playing this game.” Hill, 31, has played 10 NFL seasons. He posted consecutive 1,700-yard receiving seasons in his first two years with Miami, including a league-leading 1,799 yards in 2023. The five-time All-Pro entered this season aiming to regain that elite form after a relatively down year in 2024, when he recorded 81 catches for 959 yards — his lowest totals in both categories since 2019. Whether Hill’s decorated career — which includes a Super Bowl title with Kansas City in 2020 — will continue remains uncertain. His contract with the Dolphins runs through next season. “I just want to be in this moment with my family,” he said. “I don’t want to make any rash decisions.” |
| THIS AND THAT |
| NFL STILL AFTER GRUDENThe NFL’s high-priced attorneys now think the trial court in Nevada will dismiss Jon Gruden’s suit against the League – even after the Nevada Supreme Court said the case could go on. The Nevada Supreme Court returned Jon Gruden’s case to the state’s District Court on Thursday, and the NFL filed two motions seeking the prompt dismissal of the claims. Gruden resigned as coach of the Las Vegas Raiders in October 2021 after the publication of emails he sent years earlier that included racist, misogynistic and homophobic language. A month later, he sued the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell, alleging a “malicious and orchestrated campaign” to destroy his career by leaking the emails. In the motion filed Thursday and obtained by The Associated Press, NFL attorneys used aggressive language, saying: “The Complaint — Jon Gruden’s attempt to wrongly blame the NFL and its Commissioner for the consequences of the racist, misogynistic, and homophobic emails Gruden authored and widely distributed — hinges solely on unsupported allegations that fail as a matter of law or fall far short of stating a claim, and should have been promptly dismissed when the NFL Parties first so moved.” Previously, the Nevada Supreme Court had denied the league’s earlier appeal of its ruling Aug. 11 that Gruden can proceed with his lawsuit and not go through the league for arbitration. The league’s attorneys said in the motion: “Gruden does not and cannot dispute that he wrote the emails that led to his resignation. He does not and cannot dispute that he freely sent those emails to multiple parties. He does not and cannot claim that the emails were misleadingly edited or altered in any way, let alone by the NFL Parties, or that the views espoused in them were not in fact expressed by him. Instead, Gruden has concocted a fictional story that attempts to paint himself as the victim of his own conduct.” The motion to dismiss cites Nevada’s anti-SLAPP statute, which protects against lawsuits intended to silence those exercising their First Amendment rights. “Gruden’s false claims are all premised on quintessential First Amendment activity: The NFL Parties’ alleged communication of unaltered emails authored by Gruden, a public figure, to the national media. And because those claims have no basis in law or fact, the complaint cannot survive under the anti-SLAPP statute,” NFL attorneys said. In 2022, the NFL appealed to Nevada’s high court after a judge in Las Vegas rejected league bids to dismiss Gruden’s claim outright or to order out-of-court talks through an arbitration process that could be overseen by Goodell. The high court, in a 5-2 ruling, said that “the arbitration clause in the NFL Constitution is unconscionable and does not apply to Gruden as a former employee.” As we understand it, the NFL says it (or someone) was exerting First Ammendment rights when it leaked Gruden’s private emails to the New York Times. We wondered what SLAPP was that a statute could be anti-SLAPP. SLAPPs are Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation. These damaging suits chill free speech and healthy debate by targeting those who communicate with their government or speak out on issues of public interest. SLAPPs are used to silence and harass critics by forcing them to spend money to defend these baseless suits. SLAPP filers don’t go to court to seek justice. Rather, SLAPPS are intended to intimidate those who disagree with them or their activities by draining the target’s financial resources. SLAPPs are effective because even a meritless lawsuit can take years and many thousands of dollars to defend. To end or prevent a SLAPP, those who speak out on issues of public interest frequently agree to muzzle themselves, apologize, or “correct” statements. |
| QB RANKINGSIn the weekly QB rankings by Nick Shook of NFL.com, Giants rookie QB JAXSON DART has moved ahead of last year’s rookie sensation: TIER 11 Baker Mayfield Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Year 82 Patrick Mahomes Patrick Mahomes Year 93 Dak Prescott Dallas Cowboys · Year 104 Josh Allen Josh Allen Year 8 After a tremendous start to the season, Baker Mayfield experienced a rough Monday night in Detroit. The Lions did a fantastic job of making Mayfield uncomfortable, speeding up the quarterback while limiting his chances to create outside of structure. His accuracy was off, and once he lost Mike Evans to injury, it became clear he wasn’t going to lead Tampa Bay to a stunning comeback this time. It didn’t help that Emeka Egbuka wasn’t playing at 100 percent, either. I’ve seen it coming for a while, but Week 7 made it undeniable: The Chiefs are back, and Patrick Mahomes is driving this Ferrari. He was stellar in Kansas City’s dominant showing against Las Vegas and has already reestablished his connection with Rashee Rice, who returned from suspension last week. The Chiefs are once again an offensive machine and are your new (and familiar) AFC darlings. More of the same from Dak Prescott in Week 7: Fantastic accuracy, improvisation and an undying desire to propel the Cowboys forward. Most importantly to me, he’s established one of the best quarterback-wide receiver connections in the NFL with George Pickens. Dallas games are appointment viewing because of their highlight-producing potential. TIER 25 Drake Maye New England Patriots · Year 2 (up 2 spots from last week)6 Sam Darnold Seattle Seahawks · Year 8 (down 1)7 Matthew Stafford Los Angeles Rams Year 17 (up 2)8 Daniel Jones Indianapolis Colts Year 7 (up 2) Drake Maye is on a white-hot streak that made me consider moving him into Tier 1. He’s unlocked a fantastic connection with Kayshon Boutte and has built a rapport with Stefon Diggs. Oh, and Maye is one of the NFL’s best running quarterbacks, too. He’s cooking and could earn a new legion of believers if he continues his success against the NFL’s top-ranked defense (Cleveland) in Week 8. Sam Darnold’s stat line — and Seattle’s tendency to play with its food — is misleading. In a Monday night game that felt as if it might never end, Darnold gave the ball away twice and allowed the Texans to remain in the fight even when they didn’t deserve to be. Otherwise, Darnold was largely very good, and his connection with Jaxon Smith-Njigba is worth watching every week. The QB is a perfect fit for Klint Kubiak’s offense. Matthew Stafford casually tossed five touchdown passes and shredded the Jaguars in London. Did I mention that he did so without the injured Puka Nacua? Stafford is still pretty darn special when he’s asked to go out and sling it. Daniel Jones and the Colts are an offensive machine firing on all cylinders. They stormed into SoFi Stadium in Week 7 as if they owned the place, scoring three touchdowns in the first half with a level of ease unseen on most NFL fields. The pairing of Jones and Shane Steichen has me convinced the Colts are here to stay — and it isn’t just because of the coach. TIER 39 Justin Herbert Los Angeles Chargers Year 6 (down 1) 10 Jordan Love Green Bay Packers Year 6 (up 1)11 Jared Goff Detroit Lions Year 10 (down 5)12 Jalen Hurts Philadelphia Eagles Year 6 (up 4)13 Aaron Rodgers Pittsburgh Steelers Year 21 Justin Herbert played behind an offensive line that was not only without its two starting tackles but also the backup at right tackle, Trey Pipkins, against the Colts. Herbert ended up facing a pressure rate of 57.4 percent, and while he largely eluded the worst outcomes, these losses — plus, the absence of their top two running backs — have significantly increased the level of difficulty. Herbert is doing his best to overcome the adversity and was asked to throw the Chargers back into a game that was 23-3 in favor of Indianapolis at halftime. He finished with 420 yards and three touchdowns. Still, I wish it didn’t have to be this difficult for him. Like the Packers, Jordan Love hasn’t quite put together a complete game this season, but he came close to it against the Cardinals. It was largely a tale of two halves for Love, who embraced the chaos by choosing to scramble when necessary and dotted the field with sharp passes to help Green Bay to a comeback win in the final two quarters. It won’t show in the box score, but Love’s production was essential to the victory. The Buccaneers mixed up their pressure looks enough to force Jared Goff out of his comfort zone, a reality obscured by Jahmyr Gibbs’ fantastic Monday night. Goff was nowhere near his best against Tampa Bay, accounting for two turnovers, but he still did enough to help the Lions grab an early lead and hold on to it. Jalen Hurts picked a perfect time to fire majestic touchdown passes and post a perfect passer rating in a much-needed road win over the Vikings. He was efficient, much more decisive than he’s typically been this season and was the reason the Eagles ended their losing skid. That fourth-down touchdown pass to A.J. Brown was both a thrill and seemed to be a huge relief to Eagles fans concerned about the locker room dynamic between quarterback and receiver. The Icy Hot Bowl delivered in Week 7. We saw Aaron Rodgers can still fire it with the best of them. The seed he threw to Pat Freiermuth gave the Steelers a late lead over the Bengals and reminded us of the arm talent Rodgers has always possessed. He made a terrible mistake when he threw a 50/50 ball to DK Metcalf that was never there (and was intercepted by Jordan Battle), but otherwise, Rodgers pushed the offense forward, albeit in a loss. TIER 414 Jaxson Dart New York Giants Rookie (up 7)15 Jayden Daniels Washington Commanders Year 2 (down 3)16 Jacoby Brissett Arizona Cardinals Year 10 (up 9)17 Joe Flacco Cincinnati Bengals Year 18 (up 9) The discourse that followed the Giants’ heartbreaking loss to the Broncos largely overlooked Jaxson Dart’s performance over the first three quarters (and discounted Dart’s late-game efforts to regain the lead). Dart was excellent early in the game, making a memorable play by evading the rush, stepping up through the traffic and finding Daniel Bellinger for a 44-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter. He embraced the challenge of the road game at Mile High, putting his body on the line all the way through the end (SEE: the QB keeper up the middle that required a full-extension dive to break the plane for a TD). Had the Giants not collapsed in the fourth quarter, more people would be singing his praises this week. Jayden Daniels found the going more difficult than anticipated against Dallas, but he was largely overcoming the challenges in a wild, back-and-forth affair before a hamstring injury sidelined him. With Washington already ruling him out for Week 8, my evaluations of Daniels have once again encountered a pause. Jacoby Brissett has proven his standing as a plus backup over the last two weeks by keeping the Cardinals in battles against superior opponents (Indianapolis, Green Bay). He hasn’t shied from showing off his arm, doing everything a club would want from a veteran backup and more. It’s a shame both games ended up painful, narrow defeats for Arizona. Joe Flacco notched an upset victory in only his second start with the Bengals by feeding Ja’Marr Chase unapologetically and reaping the rewards. Yes, it was a remarkable outcome, but those who watched Flacco pilot the Browns to the playoffs in 2023 shouldn’t be surprised. Now, the question is: Can he keep doing it? TIER 518 Mac Jones San Francisco 49ers Year 5 (down 4)19 Trevor Lawrence Jacksonville Jaguars Year 5 (down 4)20 Caleb Williams Chicago Bears Year 2 (up 3)21 Bryce Young Carolina Panthers Year 3 (up 1) After a stellar, gutsy showing in a Thursday night win over the Rams, Mac Jones has fallen back to plus backup status in the past couple weeks. Unlike Jacoby Brissett, Jones doesn’t need to elevate his offense for San Francisco to win; he just needs to avoid crushing mistakes. He wisely leaned on Christian McCaffrey against the Falcons and owned his role as a game manager. Caleb Williams and the Bears have won four straight by playing complementary football, a brand that allows Chicago to compensate for Williams’ uneven showings. He’s moving the ball well but also has a blossoming run game to lean on, a luxury other passers wish they were afforded. Most importantly, Williams has largely reined himself in, save for the few chaotic plays that come with each of his starts. This is the right set of circumstances for him to properly develop. Bryce Young is consistently showing off his passing ability while working through a tendency to briefly panic when his first read isn’t instantly open. Fortunately, Young is being afforded time to navigate the pocket and is no longer being suffocated by opposing pass rushes. He’s allowed to work out these kinks, and he’s also permitted to keep feeding Tetairoa McMillan. The latter is slowly starting to open up the rest of this offense, but Young’s status for Week 8 is in question as he deals with an ankle injury. TIER 622 Bo Nix Denver Broncos Year 2 (down 2)23 C.J. Stroud Houston Texans Year 3 (down 6)24 Spencer Rattler New Orleans Saints Year 2 (down 5)25 Michael Penix Jr. Atlanta Falcons Year 2 (down 1)26 Cam Ward Tennessee Titans Rookie (up 3) Broncos fans know Bo Nix’s play is not yet at a consistently quality level. In fact, if there’s reason to be concerned with Denver’s outlook, even at 5-2, Nix ranks right up there with Sean Payton’s play-calling decisions. But Nix still has the clutch gene that allows him to step up when it matters most, as we witnessed during his team’s stunning comeback against the Giants. I know Broncos fans are with me on this: It would be nice if Nix and Co. shifted to playing their best before the fourth quarter. He’s electric when his back is against the wall, though. The Texans simply cannot protect C.J. Stroud consistently enough to enable him to use his talent for their benefit. Spencer Rattler was slowly building a case to enter the parlor reserved only for my favorite quarterbacks most people don’t appreciate, but then Week 7 happened. I filled the air surrounding me with groans when watching his performance against the Bears. Late ball to Mason Tipton, resulting in an interception? Groan. Overly ambitious heave to Rashid Shaheed while rolling left? Groan. An attempt to squeeze the football through a window the size of a needle’s eye? Groan. I liked the way Rattler had been trending, but he needs to take a lesson from Week 7: Sometimes, you don’t need to try to be a superhero. Cam Ward had a very nice first half against the Patriots, tossing a 38-yard touchdown pass to Chimere Dike and pushing the Titans into the lead with less than two minutes remaining in the second quarter. Things unraveled in the second half, a stretch that included another Ward fumble, with the ball slipping out of his hands before being scooped up and returned for a TD by New England. The potential is there, but things are not going to improve overnight, obviously. TIER 727 Carson Wentz Minnesota Vikings Year 10 (up 1)28 Dillon Gabriel Cleveland Browns Rookie (up 2)29 Geno Smith Las Vegas Raiders Year 13 (down 2)30 Tua Tagovailoa Miami Dolphins Year 6 (down 12) Carson Wentz’s performances are guaranteed to include three elements: a dazzling bucket-drop throw or two, a courageous scramble attempted out of desperation and a regrettable throw that will sail over a receiver’s head and/or land in the arms of a defender. Wentz did it all against the Eagles, keeping the Vikings in a close game but eventually sinking them with mistakes. The Raiders were constantly behind the sticks against the Chiefs, and Geno Smith never had a chance to lift them out of the deep, dark hole in which they are mired. Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins own the worst vibes in the NFL. Days after calling out his teammates, citing a lack of commitment (and perhaps his coach for a lack of leadership), Tagovailoa didn’t do anything to help his credibility, delivering an absolute clunker of a game in Cleveland. He threw two ugly interceptions (and an errant pass that was tipped for a pick-six) and sunk his team’s chances of victory. That, my friends and valued readers, is how you drop 12 spots here in one week. TIER 831 Justin Fields New York Jets Year 5 32 Cooper Rush Baltimore Ravens Year 9 The Jets probably would have already announced Tyrod Taylor as their Week 8 starter if he had been fully healthy. This offensive operation has been a disaster under Justin Fields and it’s hard to see things improving without a change at quarterback. |
