The Daily Briefing Friday, October 7, 2022

AROUND THE NFL

CHICAGO

OC Luke Getsy challenges the conventional wisdom on the quality, or lack thereof, of play from QB JUSTIN FIELDS so far this season.  Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com:

Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields ranks last in the NFL in completions (34), attempts (67), passer rating (58.7) and interception percentage (6). As a team, Chicago is 32nd in total passing and passing yards per game and is at the bottom of other statistical passing categories, including the fewest first downs earned by passing (17) and tied for the lowest number of touchdown passes (2).

The first four games of Fields’ second season with the Bears have been challenging by any stretch. But that’s not how offensive coordinator Luke Getsy described it on Thursday.

“I don’t think he’s had a rough month,” Getsy said. “I think he’s gotten better each week. I think he’s growing tremendously. And you know, it’s not easy. We’re playing good football teams, and it’s not easy to become the level of quarterback that he wants to become, and I know that he can become.

“The important thing is that we stay focused, keep our eyes on that progress or on that process and we make sure we get better each and every week and I believe that we’re in that phase.”

Fields is completing a league-low 50.7% of his passes and has been critical of his own performances in previous games, notably calling his outing against the Houston Texans in Week 3 “trash.” The quarterback said he felt the passing game operated better in a 20-12 loss to the New York Giants in Week 4 but noted plays he wished he could have done over.

“We gotta take the completions when they’re there,” Getsy said. “I think he passed up a couple you know cheap completions that gets you into that second-and-3, second-and-4, which makes the gold zone a lot more easier to go score. We gotta improve on upon that. We gotta go get those little cheap completions and then we just gotta execute in the run game better too. We had a couple opportunities there.”

Getsy has praised Fields for operating within the Bears’ “process” and how the young quarterback is executing what he’s asked to. That’s where the offensive coordinator says his focus is through four games, not a longer-term evaluation of whether Fields is the answer for the Bears at quarterback.

“We have a lot more than just evaluating Justin Fields going on right now,” Getsy said. “…That’s what everybody wants to evaluate — the quarterback all the time — and I get it. It’s all good. This is a process for all 11. There’s so many factors going into what’s going on around Justin and to just sit here and say, ‘Oh, we’re only focused on is this guy going to be the guy or not?’ that’s literally not even on my mind or I don’t think that’s on anybody’s mind in this building.

“We’re just in the process of getting better. How can we get each guy in this building to get better every and every week? As long as we continue to get better, then we’re going in the right direction.”

Meanwhile, running back David Montgomery returned to practice in limited capacity Thursday after being held out with an ankle injury he suffered in Week 3.

DETROIT

Something to know from ESPN.com:

Jared Goff is tied for the lead in passing touchdowns with 11. That is tied for most through four games in his career (2018).

GREEN BAY

We had some thoughts from QB AARON RODGERS about the trip to London earlier in the week.  This from John Breech of CBSSports.com:

Packers cornerback Rasul Douglas has already played in London once before — with the Eagles in 2018 — and he hated the trip.

“It f—–g sucked,” Douglas said, via PackersNews.com.

So what does Douglas hate about it? 

“You don’t get to do nothing over there,” Douglas said. “You just f—–g get on a plane, get over there and f—–g practice, and then you play a game. You get back on a plane and travel f—–g eight hours somewhere else.”

Based on that complaint, it sounds like Douglas would be on board with Rodgers’ idea of spending the entire week in London. When the Eagles traveled to England in 2018, they did the same thing the Packers are doing this year: They left on Thursday night and landed on Friday morning, which means the players had zero time to go out and sight-see.

One reason teams do that is because coaches hate being thrown out of their routine and it’s almost impossible to keep your routine when you have to take an eight-hour flight and play a game that’s six time zones away.

“Coaches are creatures of habit, even more than players,” Rodgers pointed out Wednesday. “Anytime there’s a minute adjustment to the schedule, it throws them all out of whack.”

From a coaching standpoint. Matt LaFleur said it feels like the team is playing a Thursday game because of how condensed together all the preparation is in the lead up to the game.

“It feels like a Thursday night game for us as coaches just in terms of all the preparation you’ve got to do,” LaFleur said. “But you just do it, so it is what it is.”

If you’re keeping score at home: Douglas hates playing in London, Rodgers would’ve preferred a longer trip and LaFleur compared it to playing a Thursday game, which definitely is not a compliment. Based on those comments, it doesn’t sound like the Packers will be volunteering to play in London anytime soon. That being said, every team has to play at least one international game every eight years, so the Packers will be heading back to London at some point.

PHILADELPHIA

Zach Berman of The Athletic on how EDGE/WEAPON HAASON REDDICK re-invented himself:

The conversations that saved Haason Reddick’s career were born out of desperation. He entered his fourth season with the Arizona Cardinals stuck as an underachieving first-round pick, out of a starting job and at an unnatural position. The Cardinals declined his fifth-year option, which Reddick interpreted to mean the team that drafted him made other plans.

In phone conversations with his father, Raymond Matthew, during the spring before the 2020 season, Reddick reached a simple conclusion that an employee could share in any job at similar crossroads.

“If it’s my last year in the NFL,” Reddick said, “at least I get to do it the way I want to do it.”

As Reddick remembers it, this is how he turned into an edge rusher who became one of the NFL’s top sack artists. Reddick was a standout pass rusher at Temple but was thought to be too small for the position at the next level. The Cardinals drafted him to play inside linebacker, where he spent his first three seasons. He was not delusional. He knew what the Cardinals saw and what the league had come to believe. So Reddick spoke to his father about living on the edge.

“I feel like if I don’t do this, if I don’t ask them to put me back, it’ll be no more NFL, no more football, or I’ll just be (with the) special teamers,” Reddick said.

“If I’m going, I’m going,” Matthew said, replaying Reddick’s sentiment from 2020. “At least let me try to show you what I could really do.”

Reddick expressed his desire to the coaching staff. When star pass rusher Chandler Jones went on injured reserve after Week 5 of that season, Reddick became a starting outside linebacker on “Monday Night Football.” He finished with two sacks that night. From that weekend through the end of 2020, nobody in the NFL had more sacks than Reddick’s 10 1/2. He totaled 11 sacks last year in Carolina before the Eagles signed him to a three-year, $45 million contract to transform a pass rush that ranked No. 31 in the league in sacks in 2021.

Through four games, Philadelphia leads the NFL in sacks. Reddick has had 3 1/2 sacks and three forced fumbles during the past two games and was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week following his performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He returns to Arizona on Sunday with a burgeoning reputation as a game-wrecking player around the edge — even in a sub-250-pound frame. Instead of going to the coaching staff asking to be used a certain way, the Eagles staff now goes to Reddick to determine how to feature him in the game plan. That’s status.

The Cardinals will see what they’re missing, considering they rank No. 32 in the NFL in sacks. For Reddick, facing his original team can also serve as a reminder and validation. It’s a reminder to the league that a player does not need to fit into a prototype, that a player’s skills should matter more than his dimensions. And it’s validation to Reddick about the value of betting on himself.

“It was great, because it’s like this could have been what it could have been the whole time,” Matthew said. “Can you imagine where (his career) would be at now? It was justification, pretty much, for him.”

NFL players are delineated by position. They have designated coaches and meeting rooms. Salaries are weighed by position, and it’s the label next to a player’s name from the moment they’re drafted. There had even been jersey number requirements based on positions.

“The times are different. We ain’t in the ‘70s anymore, ‘80s anymore,” Reddick said. “It’s a new era, new style. Guys have different skill sets, different talents. Look at it across basketball. How many big men now can dribble the basketball, shoot the 3-ball? It’s different. We’re evolving each year as the game continues to be played. You have certain people who are positionless players who are involved in the game.”

This wasn’t the thinking for Reddick as a draft prospect. When he arrived as a 6-foot-1, 237-pound pass rusher from Temple who had 9 1/2 sacks as a senior, it was believed he needed to change positions in the NFL. Defensive ends aren’t 6-foot-1 and 237 pounds. Someone that size who could run like Reddick fits the mold of a linebacker. At the 2017 Senior Bowl, he started practicing as an inside linebacker. Reddick showed enough promise that the Cardinals drafted him No. 13 overall.

And he eventually floundered. Reddick is best when he rushes the quarterback. It’s the skill that could make him special on a football field. Because he did not fit the prototype of the players who are supposed to have that skill, he wasn’t often asked to use it.

“I have so many tools to my advantage that allowed me to be great at what I do,” Reddick said. “Definitely shouldn’t try to put me in a (designated) position.”

Reddick arrived at training camp this summer weighing 247 pounds, and he implored websites to stop listing him at 230 pounds. (He’s officially listed at 240.) He wanted to add weight to build more strength and better utilize his bull rush. But he’s still under 250 pounds, which often carries the “undersized” label. As Reddick said, the game has changed. Reddick was one of four players last year with double-digit sacks listed under 250 pounds. In his rookie year, there was one.

Reddick puts his bio where his bravado is. On players’ social media accounts, they’ll often identify themselves by their positions. Darius Slay’s bio includes “CB.” DeVonta Smith’s includes “WR.” Go to Reddick’s bio, and it says “Weapon for the Philadelphia Eagles.”

“That’s how I feel: I feel I’m a weapon of mass destruction when it comes to being on the football field. I can do a lot (more) things than a lot of guys,” Reddick said. “I move differently than a lot of guys. I’m not a typical edge rusher in the way that I rush. I just feel like I’m different than other guys who play the same position around the league.”

The Eagles technically categorize Reddick as an “overhang” player, which is the term defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon uses for those on the defensive front who line up outside the formation in a hybrid role. But Gannon did not dispute Reddick’s characterization when asked his position.

“A weapon,” Gannon said. “That’s a good quote by him.”

The Eagles entered free agency with Reddick as a priority. On the surface, it was a sensible signing — they needed to bolster their sack production, and Reddick had more sacks during the previous two seasons (23 1/2) than anyone on the market. The fact that he grew up across the river in Camden, N.J., and starred at Temple made the storyline even richer.

Gannon suggested that the Eagles were most drawn to Reddick’s football character. That’s a respectable public statement, although it’s easier to get behind the football character when it’s packaged with the skills of someone who can produce double-digit sacks. There are plenty of available edge rushers who love football but can’t shed a blocker and get to the quarterback.

“He affects the game. He makes big-time plays,” Gannon said. “He has a unique skill set. We use him different ways. Even if he doesn’t show up on the stat sheet, we deploy him in a way that creates good matchups for other people, so he’s always helping us win the game. He’s one that I’m in his ear about different things, and he’s got really good ideas and we use a lot of them.”

The signing made even more sense because it reshaped the way the team could play defense. Gannon wanted his group to be more versatile and play more odd-man fronts. Reddick’s versatility allowed for that type of flexibility. His untraditional profile was actually an asset. The upgrade from Genard Avery to Reddick at strong-side linebacker might represent the most significant delta at any position from the 2021 to 2022 roster.

The Eagles studied the way Arizona and Carolina showcased Reddick in 2020 and 2021, respectively, to pick up clues, but they sought to remain clandestine about the way they planned to use him. It was clear they signed him to affect the quarterback. It would be imprudent to spend $15 million per year on an edge rusher so he can chase tight ends. But the Eagles wanted someone who can at least hold his own in coverage to allow them to use the variety of packages they desired.

“The greatest research tool, in my opinion, when we acquired him was his brain,” Gannon said this summer. “We had a good talk, sat down with him and said, ‘Hey, what are you comfortable with, what are you not, what spots do you want to be in, and what don’t you? Here’s how we see you fitting into the scheme. Here is our vision for you of how we’re going to deploy you and how we’re going to use you. Are you comfortable with that, are you not?’”

It became a source of intrigue during training camp when Reddick would drop into coverage. The Eagles used that time of the year to experiment and learn the player. As an inside linebacker tasked with coverage on the majority of passing downs, Reddick is misused. As an outside linebacker who occasionally drops, Reddick is a fine option.

He has dropped into coverage on 9 percent of his snaps this season. That’s consistent with the way he was used last year in Carolina (8.6 percent). In 2020, he dropped into coverage on 17.2 percent of his snaps. In his first three seasons, he played in coverage on 41.5 percent of his snaps.

“He’s a man of many hats and very valuable with that,” said Jeremiah Washburn, the Eagles’ defensive ends/outside linebackers coach. “He’s been more than we thought, and we thought very highly of him, obviously. His attitude, his energy, his professionalism, much less his physical skill set, has been a big addition for us.”

The 28-year-old is averaging 24.8 pass rushes per game this season. His pressure rate through four games is actually the lowest it’s been since he moved to outside linebacker (10.1 percent, compared to 10.8 percent last season and 14.5 percent in 2020), but that’s mostly the byproduct of a quiet first two games. (The Eagles’ hope for an element of surprise did little to produce the prolific production.)

Coach Nick Sirianni predicted that a big game was coming before Week 3 in Washington, and Reddick responded with 3 1/2 sacks and three forced fumbles during the past two weeks. He has a pressure rate above 14 percent in both games — two of the 14 times he’s been above 14 percent in the 31 games since becoming a starting outside linebacker.

Beyond the sack (and pressure) production, Gannon found that Reddick’s presence helped unlock other parts of the defense. If it takes all 11 on the field for a successful play, as Gannon has said, then having a player who can play in different roles, in different packages, in different spots can benefit the other 10 players. So when Gannon discusses Reddick’s “unique skill set,” it’s his ability to wear those different hats that proves significant.

“For a guy that’s a speed rusher, he’s very powerful. That shows up not only in rushing, (but) in the run game,” Gannon said. “With saying that, so he can rush, he can play the run. We can deploy him different ways where he can play in space. He can play different spots along the line. That’s a really good piece to have for us because one, he can handle it mentally, and two, that gives us a chance to create different matchups that we like. So, he can play right and left. He can stack. He can do it all. … He’s not just a one-trick pony.”

Matthew listened on the other end of those phone conversations, playing the part of both an encouraging and helpless father. He believed in his son, he saw him accumulate the sacks at Temple, but he had no control over how Reddick was used on the field.

“Just how he felt and knowing he couldn’t live up to his full potential,” Matthew said. “You draft him for putting up numbers, doing great at a certain position. It was just hard, man, really hard for him to digest. That conversation, as a parent, you can pretty much do nothing about it. But you tell him to keep trying. That cream rises to the top.”

Reddick thinks often about that crossroads moment. He’s quick to remind himself that “it wasn’t a case” of being unable to play inside linebacker. He had three different defensive coordinators and three defensive schemes during his first three years, and the inside linebacker position comes with more complexities than other spots. He learned a new position while adjusting to new responsibilities and understanding a new scheme, all at the same time.

The residual benefits of playing inside linebacker were a better understanding of coverages and what the other players around him needed to do. It gave him a different perspective of the defensive line and outside linebackers, and he gained football intelligence. But when he finally played edge rusher again, there was a liberation that he had not previously experienced in his career.

“My instincts, my reactions take over on the edge,” Reddick said. “It’s not as much thinking as inside linebacker.”

CAROLINA

Niners QB JIMMY GAROPPOLO seems to confirm that his people had some talks with the Panthers.  Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com:

The 49ers will be in Charlotte to face the Panthers on Sunday and their defense will tangle with quarterback Baker Mayfield, but there was a point this offseason where it looked like a more familiar face had a chance to be running the Carolina offense.

Before Jimmy Garoppolo signed a reworked contract with the Niners late in the summer, the expectation was that they were going to trade him to another team. The Panthers were believed to be a possible landing spot and Garoppolo confirmed that when asked about the Panthers’ level of interest during a Friday media session.

“I think we were advancing with a couple different teams,” Garoppolo said, via 49ersWebzone.com. “Nothing obviously came to fruition. Yeah, they were top of the list I would say — one of the top couple.”

Garoppolo’s shoulder surgery helped dry up the market for a trade and everyone with the 49ers is now happy that it did because it meant they could turn to Garoppolo after Trey Lance‘s season-ending ankle injury. There’s less enthusiasm about how things played out for the Panthers and a loss to the 49ers would push things closer to crisis mode in Carolina.

TAMPA BAY

With the Falcons hitting town, history says QB TOM BRADY and the Bucs, losers of their last two, will win.  Jenna Laine of ESPN.com:

Brady’s only three-game losing streak in his career came from Weeks 4 to 8 in 2002, his second season as a starter.

Brady says not to worry about the shoulder.  Laine:

Despite experiencing some discomfort in his right shoulder and finger that forced him to miss practice Wednesday, quarterback Tom Brady said he will play Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons as the 2-2 Buccaneers try to secure their first home win of the season.

“It feels great,” Brady said Thursday with a smile. “I’ll be there Sunday.”

Brady suffered a shoulder injury on a strip sack by cornerback L’Jarius Sneed in the first half of the Bucs’ 41-31 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night. He did not miss a snap in that game, but appeared to be in discomfort and at one point backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert was warming up on the sidelines.

By this Thursday though, the injury did not appear to bother him. During the portion of practice that was open to the media, Brady went through his usual throwing routine with no problems. And Wednesday has typically been Brady’s day off so far this season, although previously those rest days were preventative, and he did practice that day last week despite dealing with the injury to his right ring finger. He was listed as a full participant on the Buccaneers’ injury report.

Against the Chiefs, the Bucs looked more like the offense that averaged 30 points a game this time last year, scoring four touchdowns after just three offensive touchdowns through the first three regular-season games this season. That was due in large part to Brady having his playmakers back. Seldom has Brady had all his top receivers at his disposal this year in practice and in games.

“That’s important,” Brady said. “I think we are trying to get everyone out there so we can build on certain things and I think that when you have those guys out there, obviously there’s great players that are going to make a lot of plays. So Mike’s going to make a lot of plays, Chris is going to make plays. We just got to keep doing it. I think 2-2 is not where we want to be. Got to do a lot of things a lot better.

“The more you’re doing stuff together and working at things and going through the reps and practices and the games and live competition, the better you’re going to be,” Brady said. “I just played with a lot of guys over a long period of time. Here is only my third year with Mike [Evans] and Chris [Godwin] especially, there’s other players that — Cam [Brate], Leonard [Fournette]. There’s a lot to learn, you know, it’s a tough sport. There’s a lot of coordination that goes into, you know, an offense and defense and special teams and getting everything right.”

SEATTLE

More about QB GENO SMITH:

Geno Smith has a 77.3 completion percentage this season, the highest by any QB through a team’s first four games of a season in NFL history (min. 125 attempts).

This from Bob Condotta in the Seattle Times:

Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith is the NFC Offensive Player of the Week and the leader in the NFL in completion percentage at a whopping 77.3%, the highest for a quarterback through the first four games of a season in NFL history.

But if any of this surprises you, Smith said there’s just one reason.

“It’s because you have never seen me throw,” Smith said during his regular weekly meeting with the media Thursday.

Well, as the questioner had noted, few had over the past eight years. Smith had not been a regular starter since 2014 before winning Seattle’s starting job entering this season.

The gap in opening-day starts was the widest for any NFL quarterback since 1970, and Smith had only five starts in fill-in roles from 2015-21.

And it was Smith’s relative invisibility the previous seven seasons — following a two-year stint with the Jets in 2013-14 in which he had an 11-18 record as a starter — that led to skepticism among many NFL observers about how he would play with the Seahawks.

But Smith has been one of the biggest revelations in the league, with two of the top four passing-yardage totals of his career the past two weeks — 320 against Detroit and 325 against Atlanta — and a six-to-two touchdown-to-interception ratio for the season.

And as Smith has gotten questions about whether this surprises him, he has insisted he expected it all along.

“I’ve made nothing of it,” Smith said Thursday when asked what he makes of his hot start to the season. “I’m just playing ball. I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing.”

But if it comes off as Smith trying to prove anything to anybody, he said that’s not his aim.

“I have no issue with anybody at all,” he said when asked if he took offense at anyone who questioned him.

Instead, he said he just had the confidence all along that if he got another chance to start in the NFL that he would take full advantage.

And if someone wonders if Smith can keep it going, he said Thursday that to the contrary — he can get better, saying that he can improve at “everything.”

He mentioned an overthrow on a deep pass to Tyler Lockett in Sunday’s game that likely would have gone for a touchdown.

“I’m always going to be my own toughest critic, so I always feel like I can play better,” Smith said. “In that game specifically I feel like I left a touchdown out there, the one to Tyler Lockett. Then it’s accuracy and things like that. Those are the things, my reads, my footwork and my accuracy, I’m hard on myself on those things, and I still feel like I’m growing in those areas. I can definitely get better.”

DENVER

This:

ESPN Stats & Info

After that Russell Wilson interception, the Broncos are now 0-3 in the red zone tonight and have scored a TD on just 23% of their red zone drives this season.

That is the worst mark by any team through 5 games since 2010 (Carolina – 22%, Washington – 23%).

With the final series in OT, Denver ended 0-4 for TDs in the Red Zone.

A big injury to go with the loss. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

Thursday night’s game may have had more total injuries than points. One of them will affect the Broncos for weeks to come.

Via Mike Klis of 9News.com, Broncos left tackle Garrett Bolles suffered a broken right leg during the loss to the Colts.

According to Klis, further testing will determine the severity of the fracture. The best-case scenario is that he’ll be back in six weeks. The Broncos, however, fear that he could miss more time than that.

Calvin Anderson is the backup to Bolles. Undrafted in 2019, he has appeared in 31 games with five starts for the Broncos since 2020.

When decisions don’t work out, Florio will pounce on a wounded coach:

Bronco coach Nathaniel Hackett is having a rough first year. At this rate, he won’t get a second.

After adding yet another member of the coaching staff to help Hackett make better decisions in key moments, Hackett made a couple of questionable decisions in two key moments during the 12-9 overtime loss to the Colts.

Let’s start at the end of regulation. The Colts were out of timeouts. There was 2:19 to play. The Broncos led by three. They faced third and four from the Indianapolis 13.

“We wanted to be sure that we were able to get a first down,” Hackett said after the game.

That’s fine. But they didn’t ultimately try to get the first down. Quarterback Russell Wilson went for the knockout, throwing the ball to the end zone, where the ball was intercepted.

If they had simply failed to get the first down, the Bronco could have kicked a field goal, forcing the Colts to do something neither team did all night long — score a touchdown.

The Colts instead drove down the field for a game-tying field goal. In overtime, the Colts took the lead with another field goal.

And then the Broncos, who continue to hit a brick wall in the red zone, faced fourth and one from the Indianapolis five. At one point, the Broncos lined up with Wilson under center. After a pair of timeouts, they opted for shotgun formation — signaling to the defense that a pass play was more likely.

It wasn’t fourth and goal. It was fourth and one. It was a perfect spot for a Melvin Gordon run for a possible first and goal, or maybe a creative play-action design that could have resulted in a walk-off game-winning score.

Instead, the Broncos basically told the Colts a throw was coming. So the Colts defended it. And the Indianapolis defense came through.

“We wanted to have a good pass call,” Hackett told reporters. “We wanted to put it in [Wilson’s] hands to win the game.”

That’s fine, if it works. But it didn’t work. There was reason to think it may not work. Wilson was off, all night long. Whether it was the shoulder injury or something else, there was no reason to believe with a high degree of certainty that Wilson would deliver a touchdown in an all-or-nothing setting like that.

There’s another question to be asked about the final play of the game. Why not kick the field goal, play defense, and try to get the ball back? Even if the game had ended in a tie, a 2-2-1 record would be better than 2-3.

In explaining the decision-making process with the game on the line, Hackett made an interesting — and perhaps telling — comment in his post-game press conference. He said he “got the go to go for it.”

From whom? Isn’t that the head coach’s decision? Whoever gave the head coach the go to go for it is the guy who should apparently should be the head coach, because that person made a decision that is always reserved for the head coach.

What it Jerry Rosburg, who was specifically hired to help Hackett make better decisions in those spots? Was it an analytics person who apparently has final say over whatever Hackett chooses to do?

At the highest levels of any industry, perception is reality. And the perception through five games is that the game is too big for Hackett. Even with another assistant coach added on the fly, he’s not making good decisions in key moments.

That won’t bode well when new ownership decides whether to bring back for a second year a coach they didn’t hire in the first place. The buyout is negligible, relative to the extreme wealth of the Walton-Penner Wal-Mart group. Frankly, if they were making the decision right now, it wouldn’t be a difficult one.

Over the next 12 games, Hackett’s primary challenge will be to change their minds. He has his work cut out for him.

But maybe the fault on the final play was not play design – but QB decision.  Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com:

On the final play of Thursday night’s loss to the Colts, Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson threw an incomplete pass. Wilson never appeared to look to his right, where wide receiver K.J. Hamler was wide open for a game-winning touchdown.

After the game, Hamler acknowledged that he would have scored if Wilson had thrown it to him.

 “I could have walked in,” Hamler told James Palmer of NFL Network.

Hamler also told Palmer that he wasn’t the only Broncos receiver who was open on the play, and that he has no answer for why the Broncos keep missing golden opportunities in the red zone. Hamler also said he didn’t hear the post game speech from Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett because he was still standing on the field “trying to process everything.”

Clearly, Hamler is frustrated. He’s not the only one. The Broncos, who had Super Bowl aspirations, are now 2-3 and keep losing games they have opportunities to win.

INDIANAPOLIS

The new concussion buzzword is “gross motor instability” and it was on full display Thursday night.

The NFL and NFLPA released a joint statement in which they said that changes to the concussion protocol were necessary and that they “anticipate changes to the protocol being made in the coming days based on what has been learned thus far in the review process.”

The league said that “gross motor instability” would play a large factor into the changes, which is what Hines showed on Thursday.

Amir Vera of CNN.com:

Indianapolis Colts running back Nyheim Hines was ruled out for the rest of Thursday’s game against the Denver Broncos and has a concussion, according to Colts head coach Frank Reich in his postgame press conference.

The hit took place during the first quarter when Colts quarterback Matt Ryan completed a pass to Hines for a 5-yard gain. After he was tackled, Hines had trouble getting back to his feet.

Video from the broadcast shows Hines getting hit in the back by another player and then hitting the turf. He was then seen on his feet and stumbling. Whistles were blown by referees to stop play, and Hines was then helped off the field.

CNN has reached out to the Colts for further information.

The incident with Hines comes as the NFL is facing increasing scrutiny of its concussion protocol after Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa had to be taken off the field on a backboard and stretcher during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals on September 29. The 24-year-old quarterback was sacked in the second quarter and laid motionless on the field for several minutes.

Video showed Tagovailoa’s forearms were flexed and his fingers contorted – a sign that CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a neurosurgeon, said is a “fencing response” and can be linked to a brain injury.

JACKSONVILLE

Despite five turnovers from QB TREVOR LAWRENCE, the Jaguars nearly won in Philadelphia Sunday.  Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com on the team’s belief:

Trevor Lawrence committed five turnovers Sunday, and the Jaguars lost an early 14-point lead in a 29-21 loss to the Eagles. Lawrence and the Jaguars, though, haven’t lost faith.

“We really believe in who we are,” Lawrence said, via John Oehser of the team website.

The Jaguars are tied with the Titans atop the AFC South at 2-2. They play the Texans (0-3-1) on Sunday, a team that swept the Jaguars last season.

“We know we’re heading in the right direction; it’s just about consistency,” Lawrence said. “It’s the way we work, our process. We trust that. It has been paying off for us.”

The Jaguars are learning how to win. It’s a process.

They haven’t won more than six games in a season since 2017 and were fourth in the division each of the past four seasons.

“There are always things you can do to be more consistent,” Lawrence said. “It’s managing all the situations. We’re a young team. I feel like we’re getting a lot of great experience. We’re just going to continue to learn.”

Lawrence, the No. 1 overall selection in 2021, threw one interception against the Eagles and lost an NFL-record four fumbles.

“We all know as players what that winning performance looks like,” Lawrence said. “For myself, that wasn’t it on Sunday. You just grow from it and you learn.”

Lawrence, though, has grown since last season when he threw 17 interceptions and 12 touchdowns. He has two interceptions and eight touchdowns this season and has shown signs he’s headed toward being a franchise quarterback.

“I obviously didn’t play well Sunday, so that’s not where I want to be,” Lawrence said. “I’m not letting that affect me at all. I know I have to play better. But if you look at the year as a whole, I know I’ve made a lot of steps in the right direction and I know I’ve improved a lot.

“The quarterback has to play well to win in this league. We all understand it. If I can stay consistent and keep taking those steps, I really believe in this team.”

NEW ENGLAND

QB BRIAN HOYER is out of the picture on IR, so its BAILEY ZAPPE or MAC JONES to face the Lions.  Mike Reiss of ESPN.com:

The New England Patriots placed veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer on injured reserve Thursday because of a concussion, thinning their depth chart behind injured starter Mac Jones.

That thrusts Bailey Zappe, a fourth-round pick out of Western Kentucky, into the No. 2 spot behind Jones.

Zappe is projected to start in Sunday’s home game against the Detroit Lions if Jones — who has been limited in practices on Wednesday and Thursday — isn’t cleared to return.

“If that’s what happens, that happens. That’s a question for Coach Belichick. I’m not going to get into those details,” Zappe said.

Wednesday, and in a reflection of the team’s unsettled picture at the position, he was swarmed by reporters in the locker room Thursday.

Gilbert likes what he has seen from Zappe in recent days.

“I’ve been very impressed,” he said. “I’ve spent a good amount of time with him in extra meetings, and being a young guy thrust into this position he’s done a very good job with it the first couple days. He’s got good command of the offense. He’s been willing to ask questions and learn as we continue to prepare for Sunday.”

Starting in place of Jones on Sunday, Hoyer suffered the concussion on a first-quarter sack in a 27-24 overtime loss to the Green Bay Packers, which put Zappe into the game. He finished 10-of-15 for 99 yards with one touchdown and was sacked three times.

Hoyer, who turns 37 on Oct. 13, will miss at least four games by going on IR.

THIS AND THAT

WOE ARE THE RUNNING BACKS

Field Yates on how drafting running backs early for your Fantasy team isn’t working out in 2022.

Yes, this offseason was, for the most part, the same: If you were to poll 100 people who are passionate about fantasy football, my suspicion is that somewhere between 90-95 of them would have cast a ballot for either Jonathan Taylor (most of them) or Christian McCaffrey (a few) to go No. 1 overall, with a handful opting for the otherworldly producer that is Cooper Kupp.

While it feels today like the dissenters who opted for Kupp were right, the focus of Field Pass this week is the dire state of running backs as things presently stand.

Entering Week 4, much of the direness was related to a simple lack of production. Taylor had a total of 19.4 fantasy points in Weeks 2 and 3, a figure that most managers would expect from their star on any given Sunday.

McCaffrey hadn’t scored even 17 fantasy points in a game in Weeks 1-3, a start that had many CMC managers crying foul. Meanwhile, Alvin Kamara had played in just two games and failed to score even 8.0 points in a game, Derrick Henry had back-to-back games to start the season with 8.5 points or fewer. The list goes on and on.

And then Week 4 happened. Adding injury to insult, we now have three more running backs that are dealing with injuries, including Taylor (we’ll deep dive there in a moment). While we don’t know for certain whether these players will be back or not this week, it feels possible that six of the top 26 running backs will be out because of injury this week: Taylor, Kamara, D’Andre Swift, Javonte Williams, David Montgomery and Cordarrelle Patterson.

Elite running backs are hard to find, especially this year. Let’s look at the next players up in regards to the three new injuries that were suffered in Week 4:

Jonathan Taylor, Colts: One of the realities of having Taylor on your roster is that it alleviates the need to carry another big-bodied power back, particularly given his tremendous durability; Taylor had not missed a practice in his life prior to sitting out Sept. 28 for the Colts. On Wednesday, we found out that Taylor will miss the first game of his career (hopefully it’s just a one-game absence). The next man up on the depth chart for Indy might be a player who is about as stylistically divergent from Taylor as you can find. Nyheim Hines is extremely dynamic with the football in his hands and dangerous in the passing game, but he has had exactly one game in his 69 career appearances with at least 15 carries. He has a total of eight carries for 11 yards this season. I don’t think the Colts will attempt to turn Hines into a Taylor clone, but I do foresee his overall workload increasing. The chance for six to 10 carries plus five or so targets makes Hines a flex consideration in Week 5, while Phillip Lindsay (on the practice squad) figures to handle some rushing duties as well (10 carries would not stun me). It’s a revenge game for Lindsay, but he’d likely need to find the end zone to pay off, with Deon Jackson expected to see a few reps as well.

Javonte Williams, Broncos: Williams is out for the season because of a torn ACL, which is news that just flat stinks. He checks so many of the boxes of a potential star and we wish him the best in a full recovery. Melvin Gordon III may seem like the obvious next man up, but ball security has been a major issue for him, as Gordon has fumbled on five of his last 44 carries. The most recent one against the Raiders was returned for a game-altering touchdown and led to Mike Boone seeing more opportunities following Williams’ injury. My belief is that Gordon will get the shot to be the starter in Week 5, as he was the clear No. 2 back prior to Williams’ injury, but his leash is exceedingly short. He cracks my top 20 for running backs this week, but Boone and recent signee Latavius Murray bear watching. Gordon has to hold onto the football to hold onto the job.

Cordarrelle Patterson, Falcons: Patterson is set to miss at least four games after being placed on injured reserve on Monday, leaving an inexperienced Falcons backfield quite thin. Rookie Tyler Allgeier figures to be the lead back, with first-year man Caleb Huntley also seeing some work (Damien Williams is also on injured reserve right now). While the Bucs didn’t show it in Week 4, they are not a defensive front that I’d like to run against, making Allgeier a flex only and Huntley a stash in deeper leagues, but a stay-away in Week 5. Allgeier should work his way into flex consideration in 10-12 team leagues in future weeks with better matchups.