The Daily Briefing Friday, October 29, 2021

One of the reasons the NFL got out of its tax-exempt status was so we wouldn’t know how much The Commish and other top execs made.  Well, the cat may be out of the bag.  Ken Belson of the New York Times with a leak, apparently from inside the owner’s meeting:

N.F.L. Commissioner Roger Goodell’s pay for the past two fiscal years totaled almost $128 million, bolstered by bonuses for helping the league’s owners clinch a new 10-year labor deal with the players and secure media contracts worth more than $100 billion over the next decade.

The nine-figure combination of salary, bonuses and other benefits made Goodell one of the highest-paid executives in the country, and the disclosure of the deal comes at a time when he has been criticized for his handling of numerous thorny issues, including the investigation into widespread workplace harassment at the Washington Football Team.

Goodell’s compensation was discussed at a two-day meeting of the league’s owners in Manhattan this week. During a session on Wednesday when only team owners were in attendance, a slide was shown listing the commissioner’s pay: $63,900,050 per year, or just under $128 million for the fiscal years 2019-20 and 2020-21.

The N.F.L.’s calendar year begins in mid-March, and Goodell’s pay each year is determined by several prominent committees made up of owners of the league’s 32 clubs.

The owners on Wednesday were told that Goodell’s recent pay package, about 90 percent of which is bonuses, was so large because he had helped secure such favorable labor and media deals, according to four people who attended the meeting and spoke on the condition of anonymity because it was a private session among about two dozen team owners.

The N.F.L. declined to comment.

In the past, the compensation committee recommended a figure that went to the full ownership for approval. But after a dispute between the Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and the half-dozen team owners who made up the compensation committee, Goodell’s contract was restructured to rely heavily on performance-based bonuses instead of guaranteed salaries.

In 2017 Goodell signed a five-year deal that took effect in 2019 and is worth up to $200 million in total, much of it tied to his meeting financial and nonfinancial goals for the league. The owners on three influential committees, which have a total of about 20 members, decide annually whether the commissioner has met the targets.

The labor deal, which the players narrowly agreed to pass just as the coronavirus pandemic began in March 2020, added a 17th regular season game to the calendar. The stability guaranteed by a new collective bargaining agreement also helped the N.F.L. negotiate far larger television contracts with CBS, Fox, NBC and other outlets. Goodell also steered the league through the pandemic, with no games canceled during the 2020 season.

While Goodell is often criticized by the news media, fans, politicians and supporters of women’s rights, the league’s owners by and large support him, even as they quietly acknowledge that he is hardly the perfect leader for North America’s most successful professional sports league.

His tenure as commissioner, which began in 2006, has been punctuated by controversies and self-inflicted problems, including his handling of cases involving domestic violence, bullying and players’ protesting police brutality and inequality during the national anthem.

Goodell has also angered teams that he has penalized, most notably when he suspended star players like Tom Brady and Ezekiel Elliott. But owners understand that Goodell’s strengths help make them money, and that his institutional knowledge would be hard to replace.

Several owners said in 2017 that Goodell had told them that he would step down after his current contract ends in 2024. He may be willing to stay beyond that date, according to some media reports.

Goodell, 62, has worked at the league for nearly four decades, and has known and is known by many owners, their ancestors and their progeny. He is friendly with the leaders of the league’s broadcast partners, whose rights payments make up about half of the N.F.L.’s annual revenue, which has more than doubled since Goodell took over in 2006.

This from Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

That’s an average, thanks to my well-honed math skills, of $64 million per year.

The period covers the pandemic, which triggered billions of dollars in losses for the NFL. It’s hard not to wonder how much more Goodell would have made over the past two years without the financial struggles created by the pandemic, which among other things caused the NFL to severely restrict spending. In 2020, for example, the NFL implemented furloughs and pay cuts in May 2020, after the draft.

Then again, maybe Goodell’s compensation wasn’t affected at all, given that he secured labor peace extending into the next decade and billions in broadcast revenue.

Belson’s report provides a rare glimpse into the earnings of the Commissioner. After the league decided to pivot from a structure that passed revenue through to the teams, which then paid the taxes, to a structure that pays taxes before distributions, information regarding Goodell’s compensation exited the public domain.

The bottom-line difference wasn’t significant. The move happened primarily due to P.R. considerations, because the league repeatedly was hounded by those who pointed out the tax-exempt status, and who created a false impression with the public that the NFL and its teams weren’t paying taxes at all.

Four years ago, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones opposed Goodell’s latest contract, arguing basically that the NFL was paying him too much money. Starting with the Ray Rice scandal in 2014, questions began to emerge regarding whether the league could pay someone else far less to do what Goodell does.

But what he does isn’t just preside over the generation of significant generational wealth. He’s the public pin cushion for unpopular decisions and policies, allowing the oligarchs to hide behind Big Shield while Goodell suffers the slings and arrows with a straight face.

Most recently, Goodell recited various talking points aimed at keeping the results of the Washington Football Team investigation secret. As NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith recently opined, Goodell won’t decide whether that information becomes public. The oligarchs make the call.

Goodell is simply the messenger. And he’s very well compensated for his efforts to provide cover for those who prefer their wealth and fame without a side of criticism and scrutiny.

NFC NORTH

GREEN BAY

It helps to have a QB like AARON RODGERS, but maybe this Matt LaFleur fellow can coach a little.  Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

Packers coach Matt LaFleur is off to an incredible start to his coaching career.

After beating the Cardinals on Thursday Night Football, LaFleur is now 33-7 through his first 40 regular-season games. That’s the best of any head coach in the Super Bowl era. LaFleur’s regular-season winning percentage of .825 is the best of any coach in NFL history who coached at least 25 games.

Yes, LaFleur inherited a team with a first-ballot Hall of Fame quarterback in Aaron Rodgers, but Rodgers was on the Packers the year before LaFleur arrived, and they went 6-9-1. The Packers had only won more than 12 games in a season once with Rodgers before LaFleur arrived, and now they’ve gone 13-3 in 2019, 13-3 in 2020 and 7-1 to start the 2021 season.

LaFleur’s playoff record is only 2-2, and until he gets the Packers to the Super Bowl, he won’t be recognized as one of the sport’s great coaches. But in the regular season, he’s finding unprecedented success.

Jeff Kerr of CBSSports.com reports that the coaches in 2^nd thru 4^th place all happened in the last century:

He passed Don Shula for the best win percentage by a head coach in the Super Bowl era after 40 games. Shula had an .815 win percentage with the Baltimore Colts from 1966 to 1968 (1966 was the start of the Super Bowl era even though Shula coached from 1963 to 1965) — compiling a record of 31-7-2.

Chuck Knox (Los Angeles Rams) and George Seifert (San Francisco 49ers) each started their careers 32-8, an .800 win percentage. Knox started his head coaching career in 1973 (Rams) and Seifert in 1989 (49ers).

– – –

TE ROBERT TONYAN walked back to the locker room Thursday night, but that does not mean that his knee injury was unserious.  Chase Goodbread of NFL.com:

Green Bay Packers tight end Robert Tonyan exited in the third quarter of Thursday night’s game against the Arizona Cardinals with a knee injury and did not return.

Following the game, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur didn’t offer any detailed update, but LaFleur’s somber tone did not present a hopeful outlook for Tonyan’s status.

“Yeah, I don’t want to speak to much on that right now. I’m sick for Bobby,” LaFleur said. “He means so much to this team. It’s so cool, and I just told him to watch a guy when you first hit your… see the amount of progress that he’s made as a player and just the work that he puts in on a daily basis. It’s really cool when you see that progress, when you see a guy reach their potential and I still think there’s more out there for him, but as far as whether that’s long-term, I don’t know. But I am sick for him, I’m sick for us. My heart goes out to him.”

On a second-and-6 play from the Packers’ 46-yard line, Tonyan pulled in a 32-yard reception — Green Bay’s most explosive offensive play of the night — and clutched his left knee after being tackled by Jalen Thompson.

Tonyan walked off the field under his own power and into the blue tent. After emerging from the blue tent, Tonyan walked to the locker room, but was badly limping and did not return in the Packers’ 24-21 win on Thursday Night Football.

The loss of Tonyan was magnified by Green Bay’s already depleted receiving corps. The injury left Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers even more short-handed for receiving options, as he was already without injured wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling and two more receivers on the reserve/COVID-19 list, Davante Adams and Allen Lazard.

– – –

There was a time that QB AARON RODGERS seemed like a distant observer of the rest of his team as it strove for victory.  Now, under LaFleur, there is a new, intense, almost likeable leader.  Armando Salguero of NFL.com:

Because after the Packers carried their victory celebration from the field into a raucous locker room, where cheering and hollering could be heard through locked doors and thick concrete walls, coach Matt LeFleur asked Rodgers to talk to the team.

The young coach asked his most experienced player to give this victory meaning.

“I told them in the locker room after the game just to savor these moments because these are the kind of things you think about and talk about 20 years from now — the special locker room celebration, the sideline after a big play that seals the game,” Rodgers said.

“There’s nothing like this game. It’s a special game that gives you so many lifelong memories and friendships and I’m so thankful to be playing and be playing at a high level in Year 17. And every year is so different, too.

“You never know how the team is going to come together and the chemistry and the relationships, guys stepping up and dealing with injuries and all the adversity. But we have a good group of guys.

“There’s a different feeling to this team than even the last couple of years. I’m not sure how it’s going to finish up, but I like the energy we have in the locker room.”

Rodgers is 37 years old, and gray is starting to pepper his beard. So he understands now better than ever that a win such as this, followed by three days off afterward, is a grand opportunity for him to rest his bones and brain.

And it’s a grand opportunity for his younger teammates to find every party in sight.

So now that he grabbed everyone’s attention, Rodgers wanted to touch everyone’s conscience.

“I don’t know why Matt keeps calling on me, but I do enjoy it,” Rodgers admitted. “It’s a special opportunity to speak to these guys, give them a little perspective, a little wisdom.

”The one thing I’ll share that I said was, and I thought about this, a guy who’s worked at the stadium a long time and I had a conversation years and years ago: The G that’s on our helmet and on our jersey travels with you.

“I just reminded the guys, because a lot of guys will be leaving town, maybe for a couple of days, kind of getting away. And I just reminded the guys how special it is to wear that G and when you leave you take that G with you. It doesn’t just stay in Green Bay, it travels with you, so represent the team the right way.”

This is the new Aaron Rodgers.

He’s still the face of the franchise and one of the best at his position ever to play the game. He’s still his team’s heart and soul.

But now he’s also a team spokesman. And father figure. And, yes, its willing leader.

So it was Rodgers who set the mood Thursday for the Packers when the news coming from the teams was mostly bad. That news blared that Davante Adams, Allen Lazard and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, the team’s top three receivers, weren’t playing.

Oh, and offensive tackle David Bakhtiari wasn’t coming off the physically unable to perform list in time to play either. And defensive coordinator Joe Barry was going to miss the game because he tested positive for COVID-19.

Pretty rough, were it not for Green Bay’s mood setter.

“I was texting with some friends today and I said, ‘I love when the odds are stacked against us. It takes all the pressure off,’ and we just relaxed and played really loose,” Rodgers said.

And where does such trust that others will step in and step up come from?

“Leadership, I think,” Rodgers said. “The team takes on the attitude and the energy of the leaders of the football team. I think personally and the guys we have leading us, we know how to deal with adversity. We’ve been in pressure situations before and we know how to handle that pressure the right way.”

So no defensive coordinator to call the plays? Jerry Gray, the team’s defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator, did it.

”The way he called the game without Joe Barry here,” Rodgers said, “I think it was fantastic.”

It really was. This game alone may be enough to get Gray, a former NFL defensive back, some defensive coordinator interviews after the season. Because not only did the Packers limit Arizona to nearly 10 fewer points than its scoring average, but one of Gray’s newest players, Rasul Douglas, intercepted a Kyler Murray pass in the end zone with 15 seconds to seal Green Bay’s victory and send Arizona tumbling to its first defeat in eight outings.

Douglas, you should know, is on his sixth team with the Packers. Green Bay signed him off the Arizona practice squad only three weeks ago after he was released by the Raiders and Texans in August and September.

“How special is this game?” Rodgers marveled. “Guy’s on the street, comes in, starts for us, finishes the game out for us. Amazing.”

This is the part where I tell you Rodgers didn’t really win this game for his team. Yes, he completed 22 of 37 passes for 184 yards and threw 2 TDs.

Those are modest numbers for Rodgers.

But that 91-yard drive and the execution of a game plan filled with screens and underneath throws to inexperienced players was masterclass work by the quarterback.

And rather than adding the result to his collection of comebacks and classics as if they were pelts on a wall, Rodgers instead was transparent about what made this one special and why he’s able to see it that way now.

“I enjoy the hell out of them, I really do,” Rodgers said. “I adjusted my perspective last year and did some things off the field that put me in a really good headspace. And I’ve just been really enjoying life and football at a whole new level. I just have a new appreciation for moments like this and great connectedness to my teammates.

“Life, and growing up, and dealing with all the emotions life sends your way — great happiness and great sadness as well, I think, gives you the perspective to cherish the little things and live with a little more gratitude.

“You think more about the things you do have and not worry so much about the things you maybe wish you had. That slight adjustment for me has allowed me to live with so much more joy.”

How much more relatable do the 2021 versions of TOM BRADY and AARON RODGERS seem than the guys we thought we knew just two or three years ago?

NFC EAST

DALLAS

QB DAK PRESCOTT seems to be hinting that he might not play Sunday night in Minneapolis.  Nick Shook of NFL.com:

It’s Thursday, which means Dak Prescott still has time left in the week to prove he’s ready to play Sunday.

Unsurprisingly, Prescott did not reveal whether he’ll be able to take part in Dallas’ prime-time game against the Minnesota Vikings.

“I think that would spoil all the fun,” Prescott said when asked if he’ll suit up Sunday, via the Dallas Morning News’ Michael Gehlken. “We’ll keep going. Obviously, we’ve got to keep progressing.”

There was an interesting note from Prescott, though, who said “I honestly think this calf had something to do” with the significant ankle injury he suffered in 2020.

The injury is not as serious as it might seem, but the Cowboys are treating it with necessary caution. Dallas sits atop the NFC East and looks very much like the team most have expected the Cowboys to be for the last few seasons, meaning they’re setting up for a potentially deep playoff run. That run is not nearly as possible if Prescott is not available.

“It’s not fully my decision because there is a bigger picture. It’s more than just one game,” Prescott said. “I don’t want this to linger past this week.”

The Cowboys can’t win the Super Bowl in Week 8, even if it is in front of a national audience. The risk/reward between playing Prescott when he might not fully be ready, and letting him sit and handing the keys to Cooper Rush isn’t even comparable.

But it is the Cowboys, a trademark franchise in this league with a high-powered offense driven by Prescott.

Prescott has already had the benefit of the bye week to get right, and even if Dallas were to lose to Minnesota on Sunday night, it still might be the safer option to go with Rush. Frankly, the Cowboys could do the same in the two weeks that follow, with a pair of home games against Denver (3-4) and Atlanta (3-3) awaiting them.

Still, a competitor will always want to be out there with a chance to lead his team to victory. Few quarterbacks get more attention than Prescott, who said he feels he can play and would play if it were a playoff game.

“I don’t know if it’s just my decision,” Prescott said.

With $160 million tied up in a new Prescott deal, Dallas has every right to be cautious with its $40 million-per-year man. Saturday will likely determine whether he’ll take the field Sunday. And if he doesn’t, it’s far from the worst outcome for the Cowboys.

NFC SOUTH

NEW ORLEANS

Mike Triplett of ESPN.com takes the pulse of QB JAMEIS WINSTON as his first start against the Buccaneers approaches.

Jameis Winston initially tried to downplay the significance of making his first start against his former team Sunday when the New Orleans Saints host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — calling them “the next opponent.”

But the former No. 1 overall draft pick went on to explain that the main reason for that approach is because he doesn’t need any added emotion or revenge element while he attempts to revive his career in New Orleans.

“This week is big. But I mean every week is big for me. Being out a year, you get a chance to see how much you miss being away from this game,” said Winston, who spent last year as a backup behind Drew Brees after Tampa Bay decided to replace him with Tom Brady and went on to win the Super Bowl.

“Yeah, I’m playing against the old squad. But I love this game, and I’m trying to go out there and beat everybody we play, no matter who it is,” said Winston, who has gone 4-2 as a starter with the Saints — though they are still chasing the 6-1 Buccaneers atop the NFC South standings.

“I’ve always been an emotional football player,” the 27-year-old Winston added. “I think that’s something that I’m trying to work on — being present instead of being stuck in my feelings. As a quarterback, we have to be present all the time and aware of everything that’s going on. Sometimes too much emotion can lead us places that we don’t want to go.

“Obviously I want to beat ’em, I want to beat ’em bad. And in my heart, I’m ready to rock. But at the end of the day they’re another opponent — another opponent that we gotta beat that’s in this division. And they’ve got a good team, they’re coming in here hot. So we’ve gotta stand our ground and represent at our house.”

Saints coach Sean Payton joked that he doesn’t expect Winston to try and wreak havoc on the Buccaneers like Forest Whitaker’s character in the movie “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” after his car was smashed up.

“He’s playing quarterback, so he needs to be precise, on point, and I think he understands that,” Payton said. “I think he’s smart enough and mature enough to focus on the things you need to do to win.”

Winston also insisted that it wasn’t hard for him to watch the Buccaneers win a Super Bowl without him last year because he was happy for so many teammates he had played with from 2015-2019. And he said he never had to battle anger or bitterness after Tampa Bay let him go as a free agent.

“No, everything happens for a reason. And I’m very grateful for that organization and for the Glazer family giving me the opportunity, drafted No. 1 overall to that city,” Winston said. “That city’s done a lot for me, and I know I’ve done a lot for that city. That’s where I stay at now. So I definitely love that city. … This week it’s time to play and all the lovey-dovey stuff is behind.”

Winston said that there aren’t many trash talkers on Tampa’s defense — but he might not have been giving his friend Jason Pierre-Paul enough credit.

“I can’t wait, I can’t wait. I’m actually going to text him and tell him to get ready,” Pierre-Paul said. “I can’t wait to play Jameis. It’s going to be fun. He’s like a brother to me. I remember we were hiking in the offseason in Colorado, but I can’t wait to hunt him down. It’s crazy, Jameis is a different type of breed.”

Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians pointed out that the biggest difference he has seen in Winston with the Saints is his usage after Winston led the NFL with 5,109 passing yards while infamously becoming the first player in league history to throw at least 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in the same season during their one year together in 2019.

“He’s probably throwing it 15 times less a game,” Arians said. “They’re playing with a lead, and we didn’t have that many leads that [season], so we had to throw it. So, yeah, he’s playing very, very well at the position.”

NFC WEST

ARIZONA

Although QB KYLER MURRAY was gimpy in Thursday night’s disastrous last few seconds, he says he is not hurt.  Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com:

Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray appeared to hurt his ankle late in Thursday night’s loss to the Packers, but he said after the game that he’s fine.

Murray limped off the field following the game, but he told reporters afterward that he would be fine.

 “Yeah, I’m good. Guy rolled up on me, but other than that it’s just unfortunate to lose like that,” Murray said.

Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury said after the game that he hadn’t talked to Murray but was “assuming” Murray would be fine because he would have been informed if his quarterback had suffered a significant injury.

It was a brutal Thursday Night Football game filled with injuries on both sides, but Murray appears confident that after three extra days of rest, he’ll be good to go for the Cardinals’ next game, November 7 at San Francisco.

More on the Cardinals – being unable to keep injured WR D’ANDRE HOPKINS on the bench and Murray throwing the decisive pass to a receiver who wasn’t looking for it.  Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com:

Arizona Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury didn’t want wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to continue playing after aggravating the hamstring injury that kept him out of practice all week in the first quarter Thursday night against the Green Bay Packers.

Hopkins had other plans.

After sitting out more than two quarters as he tested his hamstring with sprints on the sideline, Hopkins checked himself back into the game a couple of times, Kingsbury said. And after the Cardinals’ 24-21 loss to the Packers, Kingsbury made it known he wasn’t happy with Hopkins’ decision.

“We wanted him to stay off the field but he’d just run on,” Kingsbury said. “He wants to play, super competitive and made some plays there, and we just want him to be smart, but he was definitely hurting.”

Hopkins grabbed his hamstring after hauling in a 61-yard pass for a touchdown with 8:18 left in the first quarter that was negated because of a face mask penalty on Hopkins. He didn’t return until the 8:15 mark of the third quarter, a span of 30 minutes.

Hopkins played just 13 total snaps but gave the Cardinals a boost when he was on the field. Arizona averaged 10.9 yards per play when Hopkins played compared to 4.6 yards per play when he didn’t.

“He wants to be out there,” Kingsbury said. “He’s competitive as anybody I’ve been around, and he ended up making some plays. But, we also have a lot of games left so we’re trying to be smart with him.”

Hopkins was on the field for the Cardinals’ final offensive play of the game, when Murray threw an interception on a pass from the Packers 5-yard-line with 15 seconds left that was targeted to A.J. Green. The pick was a result of a “miscommunication,” both Murray and Kingsbury said, because Green never knew the pass was coming his way.

The ball flew right by him without Green turning his helmet, and into the arms of Packers cornerback Rasul Douglas, who Green Bay signed off Arizona’s practice squad earlier this month.

“I honestly don’t know,” Murray said about what happened on the play. However, Kingsbury said it was an audible. Arizona got the one-on-one look with Green, who was the lone receiver split wide, that it wanted.

“It wasn’t the route that we thought we had checked,” Kingsbury said. “So, we got to communicate better in those situations.”

During the play, Murray was rolled up on. Murray went down and was attended to by trainers, and cameras showed Murray limping after the play. He said he was “good” after the game but Murray was seen wearing a walking boot on his left leg as he left the stadium.

Shouldn’t all receivers out on a route be looking for a pass?  We are confused.

Jim Trotter of NFL.com with an explanation:

According to one source familiar with the sequence, coach Kliff Kingsbury called for a pass play to the left, but quarterback Kyler Murray saw a more favorable matchup to the right, where veteran A.J. Green was one-on-one with journeyman cornerback Rasul Douglas. Murray then signaled for a back-shoulder fade to Green, but, the source said, Green did not see the change and failed to turn around while the ball was in the air, believing the pass was going to the other side of the formation.

AFC WEST

DENVER

Like most QBs, but perhaps a bit more, QB TEDDY BRIDGEWATER is not as good a performer when pressured.  And pressured he has been.  Aaron Schaatz ofFootballOutsiders.com:

The Broncos are having some problems protecting their quarterback, and it might come back to bite them during the rest of the season. Right now, Teddy Bridgewater is 31st out of 33 qualifying quarterbacks with a 37.5% pressure rate. Pressure rate, like sacks, is a stat that is dependent on both the quarterback himself and his offensive linemen. Often, quarterbacks will switch teams and still maintain a high or low pressure rate because pressure rate is tied to their style of play. But Bridgewater was only 19th in the league in pressure rate on the Panthers last season. He’s definitely feeling more pressure with Denver.

So far this season, Bridgewater has a 49.1 QBR under pressure. That ranks ninth in the league, so the Broncos have somewhat gotten away with allowing so much pressure on Bridgewater. It’s a problem going forward, however, because quarterback performance from a clean pocket is much more consistent than performance under pressure. Bridgewater has a 55.6 QBR without pressure, which ranks 21st in the league. It is more likely that his performance under pressure will drop toward 21st than it is that his performance without pressure will rise toward ninth.

KANSAS CITY

QB PATRICK MAHOMES has told his teammates that he hasn’t been up to par.  Kevin Patra of NFL.com:

Following a three-point outing against the Tennessee Titans in Week 7, Patrick Mahomes said he stood up in front of teammates and blamed himself for the offense’s issues in recent weeks.

“You can just watch the tape and know that I need to play better in order to have success,” Mahomes said Thursday, via ESPN. “There were plays where guys were open. There were plays where we had matchups down the field that I didn’t hit that I usually would give those guys opportunities to make plays.

“I’ve said something to them that I’ve got to be better. At the same time, they have that mindset that they’re going to try to build me up. It’s a thing where you’re not going to play your best game every single game, and that’s when you have to rely on your other guys to kind of step up and make plays for you.”

Outside of last week’s dud, the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense continues to move the ball with seeming ease, but turnovers have killed them. K.C.’s 17 giveaways this season are the most in the NFL and tied for second-most through seven games in franchise history — its only season with more through seven games was 2012 (25), when the Chiefs finished 2-14 and subsequently hired Andy Reid.

Mahomes already has more interceptions (9) and total giveaways (11) in seven games in 2021 than he did in 16 games in either of the last two seasons (2020: 6 INTs, 8 giveaways; 2019: 5 and 7).

Mahomes has at least one INT in six straight games (longest streak of his NFL career). It’s the first time he’s thrown an INT in six consecutive games since Sept. 29-Nov. 5, 2016 at Texas Tech (TTU went 2-4 in those six games). Mahomes has not had seven straight games with an INT in his football career at the high school, college or NFL level.

Some of the INTs have clanged off receivers’ hands. Others, defenders made great plays. And still, some were the product of Mahomes forcing passes into covered areas.

“It’s just stuff that I’ve always got to work on, and I kind of lose sometimes during the season and have to get better with,” Mahomes said of his play against Tennessee. “It’s hanging in the pocket, working on my footwork, staying on time, all that stuff like that.

“You see it kind of get me in certain games every single year, and it’s something I have to go back to and learn from and be better at. There were times where I maybe could have stepped and found a soft spot in the pocket where [instead] I kind of got out of there and tried to make something happen. … Whenever we don’t get going as an offense, it’s usually because I’m doing little things like that.”

With the defense struggling to make plays, the Chiefs’ offense is under pressure to put up points. Knowing that has led to some of Mahomes’ forced passes, which has led to the turnovers.

LAS VEGAS

Fortune favors the bold and as QB DEREK CARR has gotten bolder, his success has risen.  Aaron Schaatz:

QB Derek Carr’s success throwing deep

The biggest change for the Raiders this season? Carr is suddenly throwing the ball much deeper than he ever had in his career. Based on NFL GSIS data, Carr had never had an average depth of target (aDOT) over 8.6 yards in his career. He dipped down really low with 7.0 yards in 2018 and 6.7 yards in 2019. That was the third-lowest aDOT in the league two years ago. Last season, Carr bounced back to an aDOT of 8.5 yards.

But this season, Carr is throwing it even deeper. Through Week 7, Carr’s aDOT of 9.3 yards ranks ninth in the NFL. Carr is succeeding on those deep throws, too. He leads the league with 923 passing yards on passes over 16 yards through the air, and he ranks fifth in DVOA on such passes. The caveat here: Carr is suddenly throwing shorter since Jon Gruden resigned as Raiders head coach and Greg Olson took over the playcalling. Over the past two games, his aDOT is only 8.4 yards. That’s a small sample, but it could show that something has changed with the coaching change in Las Vegas.

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

WR MIKE WILLIAMS thinks the Chargers will only get better.

The last time Mike Williams took the field, he managed just two catches for 27 yards during the Chargers’ worst performance of the 2021 season, a Week 6 loss to the Ravens in which Los Angeles’ previously high-flying offense scored just six points.

But don’t think Williams has lost the plot in what is shaping up to be a career year.

“Every week is a new week,” Williams said on Thursday. “It’s a one-game season every week. We don’t want that to happen again, so we focus on this week. We’re trying to go 1-0 this week, and that’s all we can control is coming out this week and having a good plan, making the plan work and coming out 1-0.”

The task this Sunday, coming out of a Week 7 bye, will be to bounce back against the Patriots — who, notably, handed the Bolts their worst loss in franchise history last season, a 45-0 defeat in Week 13. And it’s a good bet Williams will have a big role to play.

The fifth-year pro has been integrated a lot more into the game plan under first-year Chargers offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, and it shows. The 2017 first-round pick is tied for the fourth-most receiving touchdowns in the NFL with six scores in six games. He’s also recorded 33 receptions, putting him on pace for 93 in 17 games, which would shatter his previous high of 49 in a season.

“We haven’t even scratched the surface yet of where we can be at as an offense,” Williams said.

What’s the secret to his success?

“Practice,” he said. “That’s the main thing. Everything happens in practice; you make plays in practice, you gain the confidence in the coaches, and they’ll trust you in the games. Then you do it in the games, and it builds a lot more confidence and trust in them. I feel like I’ve been making a lot of plays for this team, and the coaches trust me to go out there, whether it’s fourth down or third-and-long. They trust me to go out there and make that play. I just have to continue to make the plays that are coming my way.”

“He brings a lot of talent, size, strong hands,” Lombardi said of Williams. “Good route-runner. Smart player. He’s been making plays for us and getting open. He was the seventh pick in the draft for a reason. We’re glad that we have him. I think it’s just a good player doing the things that good players do, and a quarterback that knows how to find him and deliver him the ball.”

Williams has been one of the league’s most productive receivers when aligned wide this season, ranking in the top six in targets (50, tied for fourth), receiving yards (421, sixth) and touchdowns (five, tied for second) on such targets, according to Next Gen Stats. Taking it one step further, he has recorded four touchdowns when targeted outside of the numbers, tied for most in the NFL.

“I think that he deserves the credit,” Lombardi said. “Justin [Herbert] deserves the credit, and his health deserves the credit. I’ll take it, but I probably don’t deserve it.”

– – –

Injuries have been an issue for Williams in the past. He suffered a season-ending neck injury on Clemson’s opening offensive drive of the year in 2015. As a rookie in 2017, he played in just 10 games due to a herniated disk, and in 2020, he was dealing with (but played through) an AC joint sprain and a hamstring injury. Throughout the ups and downs, the driving force for Williams is his upbringing and his family.

“I feel like there was a lot of people before me who had the same opportunity but fell off,” he said. “I feel like me getting this opportunity, I can be this role model for the kids to show you can make it out where we’re from and chase your dreams.

“That’s a big part of why I do it, for my community and for the people back home. That’s part of my why.”

AFC NORTH

CINCINNATI

It is almost forgotten now, but Ben Baby of ESPN.com recalls how WR Ja’MARR CHASE looked like a bust in a troubled preseason.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow stepped up for his postgame news conference with something on his mind.

Following the team’s season-opening win over the Minnesota Vikings, as he walked up to the microphone, Burrow crossed paths with rookie wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, his former LSU teammate who caught five passes for 101 yards and a touchdown in his NFL debut.

 “I thought he was dropping everything?” Burrow sarcastically quipped to the gathered media as he took his seat.

Burrow was referencing the dominant preseason narrative surrounding Chase that almost felt too bizarre to be true — the fifth overall pick, once the best receiver in college football, suddenly was unable to catch. While some hyperbole took hold on the situation, the facts remained accurate. Chase, who opted out of the 2020 college season to focus on the 2021 draft, had indeed struggled with the transition to the pros.

Fast-forward two months into the season, and the whole ordeal seems like a fever dream. The same guy who was dropping passes against the air in preseason practices is now one of the best receivers in the NFL.

He’s second in the league with 754 receiving yards, the most any player has produced through the first seven games of a career. Chase’s record-setting total is a testament to his growth over the past two months.

“He’s done something that no other receiver has done,” Bengals wide receiver coach Troy Walters said. “Just to see his growth, his progress from when he first got here in May until training camp, preseason, struggled in the preseason and to where he is now, it’s special.”

Chase’s drops weren’t a contrived narrative fueled by local beat writers. They were something that had to be addressed by the Bengals, starting after their preseason game against the Washington Football Team on Aug. 20. In that game, Chase failed to catch any of his three targets, displaying some of the woes that plagued him all training camp.

So, at around 10 o’clock the next morning, Chase met with Walters, who showed the 2019 Biletnikoff winner a highlight reel from his time at LSU.

“This is who you are,” Walters recalled telling Chase. “We gotta get you back to that.”

Walters also had a heart-to-heart conversation with Chase. The coach told the rookie he was there to talk football, life and to keep reminding Chase of his potential.

Then, the two men went downstairs into the team’s weight room and got to work, with Walters bouncing tennis ball after tennis ball to Chase to help with his eye discipline and concentration. It’s a routine they continue to perform before each game and practice.

That preparation with Walters and fellow assistant Brad Kragthorpe, along with the coaching staff’s experience, were among the reasons head coach Zac Taylor said he didn’t overreact to Chase’s early struggles.

“There’s so much confidence there,” Taylor said. “And it’s not just false confidence and bravado of, ‘I’m talented so I go out there and make plays.’ They’re putting in the work behind the scenes.”

Bengals receiver Tyler Boyd said when Chase first arrived, he always had a knack for making plays in practice but seemed to display some nerves in those preseason games. But the confidence Chase has shown since the season started is what has impressed Boyd the most.

Chase has been brilliant to start the season and is a big reason why the Bengals (5-2) are tied for the best record in the AFC North. He leads the NFL in catches of 30 yards or more, with five resulting in touchdowns.

“He’s a grinder,” Burrow said. “He’s a worker that comes to work every day and prepares to play the way that he expects, and he’s just getting better and better.”

Walters said an hour before last week’s 41-17 win over Baltimore, Chase was at his locker studying footage of Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey, who is considered one of the best at the position.

Chase finished the day with eight catches for 201 receiving yards and a touchdown, becoming the first Bengals player to have more than 200 yards in a single game since A.J. Green in 2015.

 “You have to know your opponent like they know you,” Chase said after the game. “I took my time and watched a lot of film on him.”

Walters said he doesn’t have to worry about Chase staying level-headed. But he added that he’s reminded Chase if his work rate doesn’t continue, he could revert back to the version of himself that showed up against Washington in the preseason.

“That motivates him,” Walters said.

As the Bengals prepare for Sunday’s game against the New York Jets (1 p.m. ET, CBS), Chase’s preseason struggles feel like a distant memory. Even at the time, the concern from those around the 21-year-old were minimal.

“It wasn’t nothing that we felt was gonna be a problem, and he knew that as well,” Boyd said.

“He just had to find himself again and play ball.”

David Purdum of ESPN.com on how big-time gamblers are treating the Bengals, particularly one big-money bettor:

The Cincinnati Bengals are soaring up oddsboards, regularly attracting half-a-million-dollar bets in Las Vegas and causing oddsmakers to hang point spreads that haven’t been seen since the early 1980s.

The Bengals kicked off the season at the bottom of the odds to win the Super Bowl, as long as 200-1. Only the Houston Texans had worse odds than the Bengals at most books. At some sportsbooks, the Texans attracted more Super Bowl bets than the Bengals in the preseason.

Two months later, Cincinnati is off to a 5-2 start, sits in first place in the AFC North and has climbed to the top half of the Super Bowl odds. The Bengals were 35-1 to win the Super Bowl this week at Caesars Sportsbook. At DraftKings, 1% of the money wagered on its Super Bowl odds is on Cincinnati.

“They were not popular at all,” Craig Mucklow, vice president of trading for Caesars Sportsbook, said of the betting interest on the Bengals. “They’ve completely gone under the radar.”

One big bettor in Nevada, however, has had his eyes on the Bengals since the opening game. According to Mucklow, a high-level bettor has backed Cincinnati with seven big bets this season, ranging from a $200,000 bet on the Bengals +3.5 against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1 to a $520,000 bet placed this week on the Bengals -9.5 on road against the New York Jets. The bettor is up $795,000 on his Bengals bets with Caesars.

“We pay attention when he bets,” Muckow said of the unidentified customer. “I really respect him when he comes in on the Bengals. He obviously knows that team really well. Interestingly, he actually backed the Ravens last week against the Bengals. Thankfully, he was wrong for once. But he’s on the Bengals again this week.” In the preseason, when sportsbooks posted early lines, the Bengals were listed as 1-point favorites over the Jets. Last week, the line was sitting at Cincinnati -3.5, but after the Bengals’ impressive win over the Baltimore Ravens and Jets’ rookie quarterback Zach Wilson being lost to a knee injury, the line grew to -9.5 and eventually to -10.5.

The Bengals haven’t been double-digits favorites on the road since Week 17 of the strike-shortened 1982 season. Cincinnati has been a double-digit favorite in all games only once in the past five years (vs. Colts, Week 17 of 2017 season).

Despite their early success, six teams have better odds to win the AFC than Cincinnati. The Bengals, at +300, remain the third choice in AFC North odds at Caesars Sportsbook, behind the Ravens (-115) and the Cleveland Browns (+300). Cincinnati was as long as 30-1 to win the division in the offseason. PointsBet said the Bengals have drawn the most bets and the most money wagered on its AFC North odds of any of the teams “by a pretty wide margin.”

“We do get crushed on them in the AFC North pool,” said John Murray, executive director of the SuperBook. “Too many 30-1 bets on them there.”

Big bets on the Bengals: [An unidentified customer has placed big bets on the Bengals with Caesars Sportsbook in six of the first eight weeks this season].

Week 1: $200,000 Bengals +3.5 vs Minnesota Vikings (win)

Week 2: $300,000 on Bengals +3 (-120) at Chicago Bears (push)

Week 3: $300,000 on Bengals +3.5 at Pittsburgh Steelers (win)

Week 5: $500,000 Bengals +3 (+100) vs. Green Bay Packers (push)

Week 5: $205,000 on Bengals money-line +150 Packers (loss)

Week 6: $500,000 on Bengals -3 vs. Detroit Lions (win)

Week 8: $520,000 Bengals -9.5 vs. New York Jets (TBD)

PITTSBURGH

Even with some games at Heinz Field – traditionally among the hardest stadiums in which to kick – the opposition is kicking Pittsburgh into submission.  Aaron Schaatz:

Opposing kicker luck

No opposing kicker has missed a field goal or an extra point against the Steelers so far this season. That’s not something the Steelers have much control over, unless they manage to block the kick. Buffalo is the only other team that hasn’t had an opponent miss a kick this season.

New England, by comparison, has watched opposing kickers miss seven field goals and two extra points. This is the kind of stat that regresses heavily toward the mean over time.

AFC EAST

BUFFALO

Aaron Schaatz of FootballOutsiders.com on the statistical decline of WR STEFON DIGGS:

The Bills are playing very well so far this season — so well, in fact, that they currently rank No. 1 in DVOA ratings. But one player is definitely not playing as well as he did a year ago, and that’s Diggs. In 2020, Diggs led the NFL in both receptions and yards. Football Outsiders’ DYAR (Defense-adjusted Yards Above Replacement) rated him as the second-most valuable wideout in the game behind Davante Adams. He caught 77% of targets for 96 yards per game.

This season, Diggs ranks only 39th among 66 qualifying receivers in the DYAR metric. He has caught just 64% of his targets and has only one 100-yard game so far this season. Diggs is on pace for 105 receptions and 1,312 yards, which would give him excellent numbers by standard stats, but still doesn’t match last season’s 127 receptions and 1,535 yards despite the extra game on this season’s schedule.

The good news for Bills fans is that last season is more in line with Diggs’ recent performances than this season is. Diggs ranked in the top 10 for DYAR in three of the past four seasons. It’s very likely that he picks up his pace and plays a larger role in the Bills’ passing game moving forward. That will make the Bills even better than they’ve been so far, just another reason they’re a major Super Bowl contender.

NEW YORK JETS

The Jets’ hopes for an upset against the Bengals have grown dimmer. Colin Martin ofYahooSports.com:

Jets wide receiver Corey Davis was limited in practice on Thursday with a hip injury, and now his status for Sunday’s Week 8 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals is up in the air.

“Obviously he showed up on that injury report yesterday, it’s not looking good, we’re still holding on for hope, but it’s trending in that direction,” head coach Robert Saleh said on Friday before practice.

The 26-year-old receiver has played in six games for the Jets this season, making 24 receptions for 349 yards with four touchdowns. He’s become a reliable target for rookie QB Zach Wilson, including a 51-yard score in the Jets’ win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 4.

THIS AND THAT

PROPOSED TRADES

With the deadline looming, Cody Benjamin of CBSSports.com offers a trade for each team:

The 2021 NFL trade deadline is fast approaching on Nov. 2. Some teams are already squarely in the “buyers” camp. Others are already confirmed as potential sellers. But all 32 teams could use some degree of tweaking. We decided, with that in mind, to map out 32 different trade possibilities — one for each club.

Buckle up and enjoy!

Arizona Cardinals

Buy: OG Andrew Norwell (Jaguars)

The Cardinals have a deep playoff run set in their sights, so keeping Kyler Murray upright is paramount. With tight end solved via Zach Ertz and Justin Pugh banged up, they could stand to add some depth in the trenches.

Atlanta Falcons

Sell: TE Hayden Hurst

Normally, Cordarrelle Patterson would be the bigger asset, but they won’t deal him right now, with Matt Ryan still angling to compete. Hurst, on the other hand, has no real long-term future here with Kyle Pitts absolutely rolling at tight end.

Baltimore Ravens

Buy: WR Allen Robinson (Bears)

Lamar Jackson is doing just fine with his current crop of wideouts, and Marquise Brown has emerged as a true No. 1. But Robinson would be a premium rental for a title run, bringing size and physicality to a group that should only get better.

Buffalo Bills

Buy: CB Avonte Maddox (Eagles)

They aren’t in dire need of secondary help, but another cover man would be nice for the second half of the season. Maddox wouldn’t replace Taron Johnson necessarily, but rather give Buffalo flexibility in the slot and on the outside.

Carolina Panthers

Buy: OL Will Hernandez (Giants)

If the Panthers intend to protect whichever QB they trot out there for the rest of the year, they’ll probably want to beef up their line. Hernandez is no all-star, but he’d at least give them some flexibility up front.

Chicago Bears

Sell: WR Allen Robinson

He’s clearly their top weapon, and normally, you don’t want to auction off No. 1 wideouts when you’re trying to develop a new quarterback. But he’s had one foot out the door for a while, with 2022 free agency already in his sights.

Cincinnati Bengals

Buy: CB Vernon Hargreaves III (Texans)

Is Hargreaves that much of an upgrade over anything they have at corner opposite Chidobe Awuzie? Probably not. But with Trae Waynes on injured reserve, they could use some depth, especially since they’ve been more competitive than expected.

Cleveland Browns

Sell: WR Odell Beckham Jr.

Is Odell still good? Absolutely. Why has he been so consistently quiet in Cleveland? Your guess is as good as ours, but the injuries haven’t helped. The Browns could use him for a playoff run, but they should at least take calls before his value dips further.

Dallas Cowboys

Buy: DT Grady Jarrett (Falcons)

Jerry Jones knows he’s got a special team this year, so why not make a big-name splash? The Falcons aren’t giving up but might be willing to part with the big man’s big contract. He’d beef up a playmaking Cowboys defense for a run at an NFC title.

Denver Broncos

Sell: RB Melvin Gordon

He’s probably a touch underrated these days, but the Broncos are showing themselves after that mirage of a 3-0 start. It’s time to tear it down. Javonte Williams is already in tow as the back of the future, and Gordon could help a contender.

Detroit Lions

Sell: OLB Trey Flowers

It’s past time for the Lions to get his contract off the books. Living up to that huge payday post-Patriots was always going to be a challenge, but there’s no need for Detroit to hang on to a pricey and unspectacular 28-year-old pass rusher.

Green Bay Packers

Buy: WR Brandin Cooks (Texans)

Let’s assume Allen Robinson is off the table, courtesy of the Bears. Cooks makes all the sense in the world as a proven, nimble outside target to plug in opposite Davante Adams. What better way to show Aaron Rodgers you’re all in on his latest title run?

Houston Texans

Sell: RB David Johnson

Swap in Phillip Lindsay or Mark Ingram or, frankly, any rental veteran on their roster full of free agent scraps. They should be selling any and every older starter and/or role player in order to collect assets for the inevitable 2022 overhaul.

Indianapolis Colts

Buy: WR Allen Robinson (Bears)

We also have the Ravens listed as logical A-Rob suitors, but the Colts could use him even more. No, Chris Ballard shouldn’t be burning through picks, but giving Carson Wentz a huge upgrade at WR would go a long way toward bridging the AFC South gap.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Buy: WR Andy Isabella (Cardinals)

If they do anything at the deadline, it should involve auctioning off older, expensive vets. But Isabella, at 24 and underused in the Cardinals’ crowded offense, would be a nice high-upside addition for Trevor Lawrence out wide.

Kansas City Chiefs

Buy: DE Emmanuel Ogbah (Dolphins)

Not only does Ogbah have familiarity with Kansas City, but he’s actually thriving off the edge right now. That should be music to the Chiefs’ ears, considering their defensive issues this year. Miami shouldn’t have a problem taking the call at 1-6.

Las Vegas Raiders

Buy: CB Joe Haden (Steelers)

Pittsburgh probably won’t bite just because they’re going to tout competition until Ben Roethlisberger is finished, but Haden’s veteran presence on the outside would be a welcome addition for a scrappy Raiders defense that could use more cover men.

Los Angeles Chargers

Buy: RB Marlon Mack (Colts)

Austin Ekeler is the man in the backfield, and Justin Jackson is just fine as RB2, but if this team’s gonna go for a run, why not give Justin Herbert another outlet on the ground? Mack wants a fresh start, and Indy is willing to give it to him.

Los Angeles Rams

Buy: David Johnson (Texans)

They should only do this for pennies, as they already traded for Sony Michel, but if there’s one thing they can bolster for a potential title run, it’s the backfield. Johnson is a bigger back who could complement Darrell Henderson with a limited role.

Miami Dolphins

Sell: CB Xavien Howard

He’s usually been a ballhawk when healthy and motivated, but he’s also been eyeing new destinations for a while. At this point, Miami needs to be thinking about rebuilding, not committing, to its current defense. Howard would still net a decent pick or two.

Minnesota Vikings

Buy: CB Xavien Howard (Dolphins)

They have a real path to the playoffs as a wild card, but it’ll take shoring up the back end of Mike Zimmer’s defense, which is without an injured Patrick Peterson. Before you pull the plug on the Zimmer regime, maybe give him one last shot with a proven cover man?

New England Patriots

Buy: CB Kyle Fuller (Broncos)

The Pats should arguably be selling at the deadline, but at 3-4 and fresh off a huge divisional win, they can still talk themselves into upgrading a position. Fuller is good enough to warrant a flyer, but not too costly to ruin their finances post-2021.

New Orleans Saints

Buy: QB Nick Foles (Bears)

No, Foles is not an upgrade on Jameis Winston, but if the Saints are gonna make a scrappy playoff run, why not secure proven insurance, allowing Taysom Hill to stay in his utility-man role? The cost would be cheap, and Foles is ready to relocate.

New York Giants

Sell: TE Evan Engram

There’s no reason the G-Men need to keep him around ahead of 2022 free agency. The former first-rounder has needed a change of scenery for a while, and maybe a contender seeking offensive depth would take a flyer on his athleticism.

New York Jets

Sell: WR Jamison Crowder

Marcus Maye is the obvious candidate to be moved, but Crowder should also be on the block. He’s still a solid option out wide, but they need to see what they have in Elijah Moore. This season is increasingly more about evaluating 2022 pieces.

Philadelphia Eagles

Sell: DT Fletcher Cox

Howie Roseman probably won’t, because dealing Cox would signal to the locker room that 2021 is basically a lost cause. But how could you not listen to calls considering Javon Hargrave’s emergence and Cox’s massive contract going on 31?

Pittsburgh Steelers

Sell: TE Eric Ebron

They could probably stand to sell bigger names, but as long as Ben Roethlisberger is active and they’re reasonably within reach of a playoff run, they won’t. Ebron, though, has no long-term role here, with Pat Freiermuth locked in as the top tight end.

San Francisco 49ers

Sell: QB Jimmy Garoppolo

A week or two ago, you could’ve made the case they needed Jimmy G to remain in the playoff hunt. Now, with Kyle Shanahan’s offense slumping and a potential division title slipping away, they’d be better off turning completely to Trey Lance-evaluation mode.

Seattle Seahawks

Buy: CB Kyle Fuller (Broncos)

They like some of the young guys at the back end of their secondary, but if they intend to make any kind of run once Russell Wilson is back, they’re gonna need more help on defense. Fuller is just waiting for fresh scenery out in Denver.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Buy: S Marcus Maye (Jets)

The Bucs have been hit repeatedly by injuries on defense, particularly in the secondary. Maye has experience playing under Todd Bowles and would mark a significant upgrade for their inevitable run at a repeat.

Tennessee Titans

Buy: DE Derek Barnett (Eagles)

Look out, AFC South. The Titans have now beaten a number of contenders early in 2021, and if they were to take a flyer on someone like Barnett, who’s ready for a change of scenery, they could beef up an already feisty front.

Washington Football Team

Sell: OG Brandon Scherff

Yes, he’s had a long and successful career, but playing under his second straight tag, he still doesn’t have a long-term future locked up in D.C. Besides, Ron Rivera needs to start thinking about reallocating resources to fix the most important position on the roster.