| If The Season Ended Today in the NFC: NFC W-L Conf Last Week %Detroit North 10-1 6-1 1 99Philadelphia East 9-2 5-2 2 99 (+2%)Seattle West 6-5 3-4 9 44 (+23%)Atlanta South 6-5 6-2 4 71 (-2%)Minnesota WC1 9-2 4-2 WC1 98 (+3%)Green Bay WC2 8-3 4-3 WC2 90 (+10%)Washington WC3 7-5 5-3 WC3 81 (-22%)Arizona 6-5 3-4 3 51 (-13%)Tampa Bay 5-6 5-3 11 52 (+15%)LA Rams 5-6 3-5 8 10 (-4%)San Francisco 5-6 3-5 10 15 (-16%) Four spots are largely secure – although the seeding is at play – as Detroit, Philadelphia, Minnesota and Green Bay all win. The battles for the other three got more muddied in Week 12 with Seattle’s win over the Cardinals and Washington’s loss to Dallas. Arizona and Tampa Bay are currently on the outside, but NFL.com’s playoff probability calculator says the Cardinals should still be favored in the West and the Buccaneers could steal the division from Atlanta or the last Wild Card from Washington.- – -Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com didn’t like the way referee Land Clark let Eagles coach Nick Sirianni change his mind on accepting a penalty after the Rams declared their intentions: In the second half of Sunday night’s game against the Rams, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni played a separate game with his decision on whether to accept or decline a penalty. And referee Land Clark let him. The Rams, operating from the Philly 14, faced third and three with 2:26 left in the third quarter. A pass from quarterback Matthew Stafford to receiver Puka Nacua was incomplete. The Rams also were called for holding. Initially, Sirianni declined it. When he saw that the Rams would be going for it on fourth and three and not kicking a field goal, Sirianni changed his mind and accepted it. Clark allowed it. On third and 13, the Eagles sacked Stafford for a five-yard loss. And then the Rams missed the field goal. On Thursday night, something similar happened. Coach Mike Tomlin went back and forth on whether to accept or decline the illegal touching foul that was called on third and two from the Pittsburgh 25. Tomlin, however, wasn’t trying to play games. “I thought it was a grounding initially,” Tomlin said after the game. “I couldn’t hear the officials. I thought it was a grounding. When I realized that it wasn’t ruled a grounding, I got information from them and made the call that we wanted to make. The distance was more important to us. If it wasn’t grounding, we weren’t moving them five yards back. They were potentially kicking into the wind, so we wanted to stop them and make the field goal a longer one.” Sirianni, in contrast, changed his mind after seeing what the Rams were planning to do, if the penalty had been declined. While there’s nothing wrong with Sirianni taking advantage of the situation, Clark shouldn’t have let him. On Friday, in connection with Tomlin changing his mind, we asked the league whether there’s a standard deadline for making a decision on whether to take or to decline a penalty. Said the league, “The officials do allow the coach to change his mind in terms of whether to accept or decline a penalty within a reasonable period of time, all at the judgement of the referee.” It’s not reasonable to let the coach see what the other team will do if the penalty is accepted or declined before making a final decision. The fact that it’s not a common part of overall coaching strategy during a game shows that it shouldn’t happen. That it doesn’t happen. The coach of the team who has the ability to choose whether to accept or to decline a penalty has to make the decision blind, without declining and then realizing the offense is staying off the field and shouting, “Psych!” Again, Sirianni did nothing wrong. Clark did. And hopefully all referees will be told to not let a coach change his mind once the other coach has declared the plan for proceeding based on whether the penalty was accepted or declined. |
| NFC NORTH |
| CHICAGOThe Bears have some explaining to do after the Vikings followed in the footsteps of the Packers in blocking a field goal on Sunday. Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com: The Packers identified an issue with the Bears’ field goal operation in Week 11 that led to a block on a game-winning try by Cairo Santos and the Bears didn’t eliminate it heading into Sunday’s game against the Vikings. Santos had a kick blocked by Vikings defensive lineman Jerry Tillery in the second quarter of the game and the play wound up looming large over the proceedings because the game went to overtime before the Vikings pulled out a win. Safety Theo Jackson said the Vikings knew they had a chance because Santos kicks with “a low trajectory” and linebacker Pat Jones II said he was surprised to see the team didn’t change their protection scheme after last Sunday’s debacle. “That’s kind of rare, because normally teams will go clean up what they need to clean up . . . You always expect teams to fix stuff, but we knew if they didn’t get it fixed, we’re going to go get us one,” Jones said, via ESPN.com. Santos, who hit a field goal to send the game to overtime, said he takes “the blame in kind of the stink that we have on our field goal unit right now,” but it’s an issue that goes beyond one player and it’s one that should demand immediate attention after playing such a big role in back-to-back losses. |
| DETROITFrank Schwab of YahooSports.com notes that even with the loss of EDGE AIDAN HUTCHINSON, the Lions have played pretty good defense: When Aidan Hutchinson suffered a broken leg in Week 6, there was a concern the Lions’ defense would crater. It’s amazing that the Lions haven’t looked any worse without an NFL Defensive Player of the Year favorite in the lineup. Detroit’s defense had another big day Sunday. Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson got off to a good start but the Lions put the clamps on, and was especially good in the second half. Detroit held Indianapolis to 11 first downs and no touchdowns as the Lions won 24-6 and improved to 10-1. The Lions have the best offense in football, and it was decent on Sunday. But Detroit was never in danger because the Colts rarely moved the ball. The difference between the Lions being a good team and the Super Bowl favorite is the defense, which has been among the NFL’s 10 best all season. There’s a reason Detroit defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn will be in high demand for head-coaching interviews next offseason. |
| NFC EAST |
| NEW YORK GIANTSFrank Schwab of YahooSports.com: Whatever the Giants were doing Sunday, it was not NFL-level football. The fans were right to let the team hear about it. There has to be some backstory for why the Giants chose to start DeVito, bypassing Drew Lock. Not that Lock is anyone’s permanent answer but he has had decent moments in the NFL and was a $5 million signing in the offseason. Maybe the Giants thought DeVito would draw out more fans, though those fans just ended up being angry on Sunday. Perhaps New York just wants to lose to get a better draft pick. Baker Mayfield trolled DeVito’s hand gesture celebration, but no Giants fans were laughing. Frustration is mounting for the Giants. “It ain’t the quarterback,” rookie receiver Malik Nabers said after the game, via Charlotte Carroll of The Athletic. “Same outcome [when] we had D.J. at quarterback. Take a look. Take a look. It ain’t the quarterback.” Nabers was asked what the problem was then. “I don’t know. I don’t know what it is,” Nabers said. “Everybody knows better than me.” Nabers was asked if it was the play-calling. There was a pause. “I don’t know,” Nabers said. “Like I said, I don’t know what it is.” Whoever plays at quarterback, it doesn’t matter. The Giants are going to be awful the rest of the season (and we’re all so lucky to see them play the Cowboys on Thanksgiving). The problem is, they’ll probably be awful next season too. And maybe the season after that. The Giants’ answer at quarterback presumably revolves around a top-five pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. But this isn’t a great class to get a savior. Someone will be overdrafted by the Giants in the top five. It’s probably not worth tanking for. The Giants have to hope that whoever they take at quarterback, perhaps Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders, is an instant star. But either might have been the seventh quarterback taken in this year’s draft. Whoever the answer is, it’ll be far from a sure thing. But what else do the Giants have to pin their hopes on other than hitting an unexpected home run at quarterback in the draft? They have a decent amount of available salary-cap space next season, but it’s not overwhelming. And it’s the same franchise that let Saquon Barkley and Xavier McKinney walk in free agency. Barkley and McKinney might both be first-team All-Pros. (Heck, Barkley might be league MVP, particularly after his show of force on Sunday Night Football against the Rams.) Can the Giants make the right decisions with the cap space they do have? Maybe the Giants follow through on their promise to be patient with general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll, and perhaps the best reason for that is ownership would have a tough time selling those positions to a top candidate. They’re among the worst teams in football for a reason. All you’d have to do is turn on the tape of Sunday’s debacle to see how big of a hole the Giants are in. There are a few good pieces, like Nabers, running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. and a good defensive line led by outstanding tackle Dexter Lawrence, but there are also a lot of holes. Anyone who has watched the Giants lately knows that. There are a lot of bad teams in the NFL. While the Jacksonville Jaguars (2-9) might argue, the Giants (2-9) are the worst of the bunch. That happens. Things can snowball on a bad team. The problem is the next few seasons don’t look much better for them. And the rest of this season is going to be unwatchable. |
| PHILADELPHIARB SAQUAN BARKLEY with his best game yet of a remarkable season – and that puts him up with the QBs in MVP chatter. Tim McManus of ESPN.com: Saquon Barkley ran off the SoFi Stadium field Sunday night with two game balls under one arm and the other hand raised toward the sky as Philadelphia Eagles fans showered him with chants of “MVP!” If he keeps playing like this, he might just be the first running back since Adrian Peterson in 2012 to capture the award. Barkley had a career night in the Eagles’ 37-20 win over the Los Angeles Rams, posting 302 scrimmage yards and a pair of rushing touchdowns, both of which went for 70-plus yards. “He’s a different type of player,” Rams rookie outside linebacker Jared Verse said. “I’ve never seen a running back like that.” Barkley set the franchise record for most single-game rushing yards (255) and yards from scrimmage. It was the ninth-most rushing yards in a game in NFL history and the highest total since 2009. He became just the 12th player in NFL history with 300-plus scrimmage yards in a game. “He’s got the home run ability every time he touches the football, he catches the ball out of the backfield, can run over people. It’s a lot of fun blocking for him, I can tell you that,” Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson said. Added Rams coach Sean McVay: “He’s as good as there is as a slash runner to be able to work edges and then be able to erase angles and be able to finish. And that’s why he had the production that he had, and that’s why he’s had arguably an MVP-type of season so far.” Entering Sunday, Barkley had 60-1 odds to win MVP. That shot up to +550 Sunday night, per ESPN BET, tied with the Detroit Lions’ Jared Goff for the third-best odds to win the award. Only Buffalo’s Josh Allen (+135) and Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson (+300) boast better odds. After his historic night, Barkley is up to a league-leading 1,649 scrimmage yards on the season. He is on pace for 2,151 rushing yards, which would be an NFL record. “He’s a different type of player,” Rams outside linebacker Jared Verse (No. 8) said of Saquon Barkley, above. “I’ve never seen a running back like that.” Ronald Martinez/Getty Images“To be honest, I’m not surprised,” Barkley said of the year he is having. “I didn’t know I would have this much success. I keep thinking God’s been blessing me a lot — a ton, to be honest — but I’m thankful to be here, I’m thankful for the fresh start. “A big reason why I wanted to come here, me and my family, my fiancée, had a conversation of, ‘Hey, I think this is a spot where I can kind of rewrite my story and feel like I can show everyone what type of player I feel like I can be and was meant to be.'” Barkley signed a three-year, $38 million free agent contract with the Eagles following six seasons with the New York Giants. The No. 2 pick in the 2018 draft made a pair of Pro Bowls in New York but has never played behind this caliber of offensive line or with as many playmakers as he has in Philadelphia. He has been quick to credit his teammates for playing a major role in his success. As for the MVP? Barkley said he won’t really start thinking about that until the end of the season. “I love being in that conversation,” he said. “It’s cool and all. But it’s a team sport. And if you told me I can have the year I’m having and win MVP but not win the Super Bowl, or I can have the year I’m having and not win MVP or Offensive Player of the Year and win the Super Bowl, I’m going to take the [second] one.” Will Brinson at CBSSports.com tries to sort out his chances: Two great games for a surging Super Bowl contender in nationally televised windows with less than a handful of other viable MVP candidates is the perfect mix for short-term thinking and sports-radio yelling about an award that won’t be decided for another nearly two months. Even history isn’t kind for Barkley. In 2020, Derrick Henry broke through the 2k mark, finishing with 2,027 rushing yards on 378 carries with 17 rushing touchdowns. He led the league in all three categories. The Titans finished 11-5 and won the AFC South. He received exactly ZERO MVP votes. He won Offensive Player of the Year, but he wasn’t even unanimous, with Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Aaron Rodgers, Travis Kelce and Alvin Kamara all also receiving votes. We see this across all the awards all the time: quarterbacks get preferential treatment because of the importance of the position. Let’s not sleep on the fact the short list of candidates ahead of Barkley are playing great football at that very position. Josh Allen has been sublime this year. He has five picks in his last four games after not throwing one all year before that, but the Bills are on a six-game win streak punctuated by a victory over the Chiefs in Week 11. Allen being on bye this week and Lamar Jackson having not played yet certainly help Saquon. No one else is really in the convo, maybe Justin Herbert and maybe Patrick Mahomes on the one-loss Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes has been decidedly not full-blown Patrick Mahomes for a lot of the season, but has been coming on strong lately and the Chiefs are right there for the one seed and should cruise to another AFC West title. Replace Barkley with Sanders or Swift and the Eagles are probably somewhere close to the same record. Replace Mahomes, Allen or Lamar with whatever league-average quarterback you want to choose and the three best teams in the AFC are struggling to sniff the wild card. Will he actually win MVP? I think the Barkley number is reasonable given the way his candidacy will be discussed over the next month. But a lot of the betting number is the sportsbooks protecting themselves from exposure. And I sure wouldn’t bet it. If you gave me $100 on any MVP candidate, I’d just throw it on Allen, who really shouldn’t be plus money given where the Bills are and how he’s played. They’re going to win the division, might get the overall No. 1 seed in the AFC and he’ll win the MVP if that happens. Barkley’s legitimacy down the stretch will likely be decided in two games over the next three weeks, when the Eagles play the Ravens (an elite run defense) and the Steelers (an elite defense overall). If Barkley dominates in those games, and carries the Eagles to, at worst, 1-1 against tough AFC defensive competition, he’ll be in the mix and he will almost certainly end up on most ballots. Matchups against the Panthers, Commanders, Cowboys and Giants are looming the rest of the way and those could be big-time explosion spots. However, I’d also point out the Eagles defense has been elite since the bye. Three of those four teams might offer next to nothing offensively and even the Commanders, the fourth team, are starting to take Kliff Kingsbury’s traditional late-season offensive swoon. Barkley might not even play a second time against his old team if the Eagles are locked into a division title and a seed going into Week 18. Then there’s the voting. Because the 50 MVP voters now get five selections for MVP instead of just a single choice, it’s much, much easier to “reward” a great running back or wide receiver season by giving them a down-ballot vote and then handing them a first-place pick for Offensive Player of the Year. There’s a reason we don’t see anyone other than quarterbacks win the award. Barkley is an awesome player, he’s been dominant this season, he will deservedly end up with some hardware at the end of the year. I just don’t think it will be the MVP trophy.– – -But the Eagles win came at a cost. Matt Ehalt of the New York Post on the injury to EDGE BRANDON GRAHAM: Brandon Graham’s 15-season career may be over. The Eagles pass rusher revealed that he suffered torn triceps that will end his season during the 37-20 win over the Rams on Sunday night. Graham said before the campaign that he planned for this to be his last season but didn’t definitely close the door on a return after the game. “I don’t want to go out like this but if it’s pointing toward that, hey, we’ll see,” Graham said. “I don’t know what the team is going to be feeling at that time. But I know for me, I don’t want to go out like this. I definitely want to be able to finish a whole season before I’m done. “But if that ain’t in the cards, I’m content with where I’m at too. I’m just not there yet. I’m like, let’s finish this and let’s see how rehab is going and then we’ll go from there.” The Eagles are flying high with seven straight wins, buoyed by a Saquon Barkley-led offense that is thriving and a defense that has found its footing after a rough start. Graham, 36, has aided the Eagles’ pass rush with three sacks, including a strong game Sunday night featuring one sack, two tackles for loss and three quarterback hits. The veteran said the injury happened when he got chipped on a play, with multiple reports noting he exited in the fourth quarter. If Graham has played his final snap, he finishes in franchise history with 76.5 sacks after being drafted No. 13 overall in the 2010 NFL Draft. “If I had to go out like this, I love the way I gave it everything out there on the field,” Graham said. “All I know is they ain’t done with me yet. I’m going to make sure I get out there and be the best leader I can be, like I always do. Keep bringing the energy and let people know how lucky they is that I am out.” |
| WASHINGTONJared Dubin of CBSSports.com on the unique nature of Washington’s loss: For a while, the Commanders-Cowboys game on Sunday afternoon was pretty boring. It was 3-3 at halftime. It was 10-9 at the start of the fourth quarter. It was only 13-9 more than halfway through the fourth. So, how on earth did this game become a classic, 34-26 Cowboys victory — in regulation? Well, mostly because the special-teams units went nuts. KaVontae Turpin got things started with a 99-yard kick return touchdown, just after Jayden Daniels had hit Zach Ertz to cut into Dallas’ lead and seemingly give Washington a chance for a comeback victory. Washington’s ensuing drive resulted in a deep field goal from Austin Seibert (more on him on a minute), which got the Commanders back to within one score. The Cowboys quickly went three-and-out on their next possession just after the two-minute warning, so Washington got the ball back on its own 14-yard line, needing to go 86 yards in 33 seconds — with no timeouts. Naturally, Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin hooked up for an 86-yard touchdown on the very next snap. So, it’s another Washington miracle comeback, right? Tie game, headed to overtime? NOT SO FAST, MY FRIEND! Remember how I said we’d be hearing more about Seibert later? Well, the kicker who was 22 of 22 on extra points coming into this game, proceeded to shank the extra point, meaning instead of heading to overtime, Washington needed to recover an onside kick. What happened on the onside attempt? Well, not only did Washington not recover the ball; Dallas safety Juanyeh Thomas snagged it on the run and took it all the way back to the end zone with just 14 seconds remaining, extending the Cowboys’ lead once again. (Let’s leave aside for the moment that he absolutely should have gone down instead of running into the end zone. It was a super cool play.) According to CBS Sports research, this was the first game in the Super Bowl era with two missed extra points (both by Seibert, who also missed one early in the third quarter) and two kick-return touchdowns. And the Cowboys are the first team in history with two kick-return touchdowns in the fourth quarter of a single game. How’s that for wild? The Commanders have provided plenty of entertainment to their home fans this year, although not always a happy ending. Here are the home games at Northwest Stadium this year: In the September 15 home opener, a walkoff FG win over the Giants, 21-18. In October, 2 satisfying wins over Cleveland, 34-13, and Carolina, 40-7, then the epic Hail Mary that beat the Bears, 18-15. Then in November, the 28-27 loss to the Steelers where Zach Ertz was deemed to have been short of the key late first down and Sunday’s craziness with the Cowboys. So 6 games, two easy wins and 2-2 in nailbiters. Chris Trapasso of CBSSports.com tries to figure out what has gone wrong lately for QB JAYDEN DANIELS. In the span of a month, Jayden Daniels has morphed from superhuman rookie to an ordinary one. In his first six starts, Daniels completed 75.3% of his throws at a large 8.46 yards-per-attempt average with six passing touchdowns, two interceptions, and 322 yards with five more scores on the ground at 5.11 yards per pop. The transformation began after a Week 7 rib injury in Carolina that limited him to two pass attempts. The Hail Mary win over the Bears the following week overshadowed what was otherwise a nondescript performance. Before the ball tipped majestically into the arms of Noah Brown to beat Chicago in Week 8, Daniels went 20 of 37 for 274 yards without a touchdown or interception. Over the past three games, all Commanders losses, Daniels has completed 61.5% of his throws at a relatively low 6.42 yards per attempt with three touchdowns and three interceptions. In the Week 12 loss to the Cowboys at home, 187 of Daniels’ 275 passing yards came in the final 5:04, when Washington trailed 20-9 and all chaos broke loose. Of course, what could’ve been another miraculous comeback for the Commanders fell agonizingly short after a missed extra point, but we have to give Daniels credit for how he rose to the occasion late in that game against the Cowboys. Yet, outside of garbage time, Washington’s offense has plummeted to 29th in football in Expected Points Added per play over the past three weeks from third in the first six contests of Daniels’ NFL career — a striking difference. Maybe Daniels’ injury is the culprit here. Maybe it’s something else. And maybe he’ll rebound down the stretch, leading the Commanders to their first playoff appearance since 2020. But the drastic downturn for a rookie quarterback as immensely talented as Daniels provides another cautionary tale about quarterbacks, especially young ones, being overly reliant on the scheme itself. Through the first six weeks of the season, Washington was 10th in football in YAC per reception at 5.6 yards. He was the only quarterback in football with four receivers in the Top 25 of Separation Score, a metric that tracks varying degrees of separation on a route-by-route basis at FantastyPoints.com. Individually, Daniels posted a 2.9% Big-Time Throw rate in that time frame, which was T23rd among 36 qualifiers. His 2.2% Turnover-Worthy Play rate was eighth-lowest — clearly a positive — and his 80.5% Adjusted Completion rate was third-best in the NFL. His 7.8 yard average depth of target ranked 19th. His pressure-to-sack rate was 19.7%, the 18th-lowest among quarterbacks, which is reasonably low for someone who was leading the league in scramble yards in the first six games. In short, Daniels wasn’t connecting on very many high degree of difficulty throws but was very accurate on mostly underneath routes to typically open receivers. And he took good care of the football. Plus, he ran efficiently when he didn’t like what he saw in the pocket. That play-style description is perfectly acceptable for a rookie quarterback. However, it does not suggest Daniels was carrying the team himself. Eventually, when there’s ample film to study, NFL defenses adjust. And when the receivers aren’t suddenly open at first glance or accumulating yards after the catch routinely, and those quarterback spies appear, the offense needs its quarterback to connect on those challenging, well-covered throws at the intermediate level and downfield. During the three-game losing streak, Daniels’ BTT rate has essentially been unchanged — it’s 2.8%. He’s actually taken better care of the football, with a TWP rate of 1.2%. But his Adjusted Completion rate has dipped to 73.3%, his aDOT is only 6.1 yards, and his pressure-to-sack rate was jumped to 27.3%, the sixth-highest in the NFL. Now, it’s not a steadfast requirement that a quarterback hover near the top of the league in BTT rate to be considered a quality passer. Patrick Mahomes’ BTT rate is 3.0%, which currently ranks 33rd in the NFL. But if that’s how a quarterback is going to operate, the scheme better be ultra creative and/or the skill-position talent needs to be at a clear advantage almost every week. Washington is realizing that its scheme might not be brilliant, and its pass-catching options, while good, are rarely great. And the latter is what we were expecting before the season, right? The Commanders find themselves, with their uber-talented rookie quarterback, at an inflection point. Daniels’ physical skills alone should keep Washington offensively relevant at the bare minimum. But can he elevate those around him, if and when Kliff Kingsbury’s scheme isn’t providing easy, open targets on a regular basis? More than anything else, the answer to that question will tell the story of whether the Commanders’ downward spiral continues or if they surge to the playoffs. |
| NFC SOUTH |
| CAROLINAThe Panthers battled the Chiefs tooth-and-nail on Sunday – and after the game QB BRYCE YOUNG delivered a message. David Newton of ESPN.com: Bryce Young won’t have to wait for Carolina Panthers coach Dave Canales to review film and talk to staff members before learning whether he will remain the starting quarterback. Canales said shortly after Sunday’s 30-27 loss to the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs that Young “absolutely” will start next week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America Stadium. Canales’ change from waiting 24 hours to three days before naming the starter came after Young played arguably his best game since Carolina (3-8) made him the top pick of the 2023 draft. He completed 21 of 35 pass attempts for 263 yards and a touchdown. He was particularly impressive against the blitz, completing 11 of 13 pass attempts for 135 yard and a touchdown. Even three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes was impressed after watching the 23-year-old throw a scare into the Chiefs (10-1), who won on a last-second field goal after being favored by 10.5 points. “He played his tail off,” Mahomes said. “Man throws a really good football. It’s funny, I think Texas Tech was the first one to offer him when he was in eighth grade, and I was at Texas Tech, so I remember watching his highlight tapes then and knew he was going to be a great player. “Obviously, he went to Bama and was the first draft pick, but I think it has been cool to see him bounce back these last few weeks and play some great football. I know he has it because I’ve seen it for a long time, and he gave us a scare today.” As impressive as Young was on the field, he was equally impressive in a rare postgame locker room speech. The only other notable time he addressed the team after a game came last year in an emotion-packed speech following a loss to the Bears in Chicago. “We all were fired up,” said guard Robert Hunt, who was signed to a five-year, $100 million deal during the offseason to help Young take the next step after a rookie season in which he was 2-14. “It was impressive. I wanted to go play again, really. “I’m really happy for the kid. Believe in him, too.” Canales wouldn’t go that far when asked whether Young has proved in the past three games — wins against the New Orleans Saints and New York Giants, and a close loss to the Chiefs — that he can be the team’s franchise quarterback of the future. “That’s really far into the future right now,” the first-year NFL head coach said of Young, 2-4 this season and 4-19 for his career. “I’m looking to just build off of this week.” But Young did take a step forward in that Canales is not debating between Young and Andy Dalton, as has been the case since Dalton lost the starting job in Week 8 when the veteran missed a start with a thumb injury sustained in a minor car accident. “I don’t have to make any statements. He’s making it for himself,” Canales said of Young. “He’s continued to show us the progress we’re looking for, bringing our skill plays to life. “It’s the coaching staff, it’s his teammates, showing us what he can do when he’s out there.” Running back Chuba Hubbard said Young showed leadership with his postgame speech. “I’m going to keep what he said in-house, but Bryce said the right things,” Hubbard said after rushing for 58 yards and a game-tying touchdown and 2-point conversion with 1:46 remaining to quiet a Kansas City fan base that had taken over Carolina’s home field. Young, who has been all smiles the past few weeks in winning consecutive games for the first time in his NFL career, showed little emotion after the loss. “I just want to focus on what I can control,” he said. “I always have the same mindset and preparation. You want to be better. … I’m definitely grateful for the confidence [to name me the starter]. I’m grateful for that.” |
| TAMPA BAYTampa Bay took an injury hit in its big win over the Giants. Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com: The Buccaneers ruled safety Jordan Whitehead out of Sunday’s game with the Giants shortly after he suffered a pectoral injury and it looks like he’ll be ruled out for a much longer period of time as well. Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that the Bucs believe Whitehead tore his pec. If an MRI confirms that diagnosis, Whitehead’s season will be over. Whitehead spent the first four years of his career in Tampa and returned to the team this offseason after two years with the Jets. He started the first 11 games of the year and recorded 76 tackles. The Bucs recently brought back Mike Edwards and he will likely be set for an expanded role with Whitehead on the sidelines. |
| AFC WEST |
| DENVERFrank Schwab on the emerging Rookie of the Year candidacy of Broncos QB BO NIX: Nix still has a bit to go to catch Jayden Daniels in the Offensive Rookie of the Year race. But he has a shot at it. Nix had another solid day and the Denver Broncos inched closer to a playoff spot with a 29-19 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. The Broncos are 7-5, one of the surprises of the NFL, and a big reason is the play of Nix. He has been improving each week and he looked good again on Sunday. Nix had 273 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. That came on a day when Daniels had trouble moving the Commanders consistently in a bad loss to the Cowboys. If Nix finishes strong and the Broncos make the playoffs while the Commanders miss out, maybe he’ll steal the top rookie award. Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com notes that the oddsmakers have noted Nix’s rise: Broncos quarterback Bo Nix is number two with a bullet in the betting odds to be offensive rookie of the year, rapidly gaining on Daniels. After Sunday’s games, Daniels is a -180 favorite for offensive rookie of the year, with Nix at +150 and no one else even close. That’s a significant shift from where the odds were last week, when Daniels was at -400 and Nix at +300. |
| LAS VEGASThe Raiders are down to QB DESMOND RIDDER as QB GARDNER MINSHEW injures his shoulder. Myles Simmons of ProFootballTalk.com: Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew had to exit Sunday’s loss to the Broncos late in the second half and it could be significant time before he’s available again. Via Tashan Reed of TheAthletic.com, head coach Antonio Pierce said after the game that Minshew’s shoulder injury “doesn’t look good.” Minshew then had his left arm in a sling in the locker room. Minshew exited the contest late in the second half after going down hard on his left shoulder. Desmond Ridder came in to replace him for the rest of the contest. Minshew was 25-of-42 passing for 230 yards with a touchdown and an interception on Sunday. Ridder finished 5-of-10 for 64 yards. While Las Vegas also has Aidan O’Connell, he’s on injured reserve after suffering a thumb injury. The Raiders will have to figure out their QB position in short order, as they’re playing the Chiefs on Black Friday in Week 13. |
| AFC SOUTH |
| TENNESSEEWill Brinson of CBSSports.com notes signs of growth with QB WILL LEVIS. Is Will Levis good? Asking for a tiny, tan friend named Pete Prisco. Because he’s played pretty good football the last two weeks, including Sunday’s shocking victory over the Houston Texans, in which we got an unabridged ride on the Levis-coaster. He threw a couple touchdowns, got sacked eight (!) times, threw a back-breaking pick six and showcased his incredible arm. The Titans offensive line has been bad and while Calvin Ridley is coming on really strong the last few weeks, they’re certainly short on playmakers. Levis is a meme machine and gives us some kind of hilarity almost every single week, but laughing about him on X/Twitter for silly stuff probably bypasses the actual progress he’s made in his game since returning from injury. The Titans might be frisky down the stretch. They’ll at least be entertaining with Levis under center. |
| AFC EAST |
| MIAMICoach Mike McDaniel was not willing to give up on the season and the Dolphins, now 5-6, still have DE Calais Campbell: Prior to the NFL trade deadline on Nov. 5, the Ravens went big-game hunting, hoping to solidify their defensive front with a familiar face. Calais Campbell was the target. He had thrived in Baltimore before, and the Ravens hoped he would again. Yet as the deal got closer, sources say, the Dolphins resisted. At various points over a hectic two days before the deadline, sources involved believed a deal was getting done and Campbell would return to Baltimore. That is until Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel stepped in. Sources say McDaniel stopped the deal, believing that Campbell was too valuable to lose. McDaniel told Campbell this to his face in a meeting. McDaniel couldn’t get behind dealing one of their team leaders and defensive stalwarts, even if it would clear some money and bring back a 2026 fifth-rounder for a team that was then 2-6 and without a lot of hope for a turnaround. McDaniel valued the leadership and kept the faith in his team. Perhaps there was a chance the Dolphins could turn it around, and if so Campbell would certainly help. If there was something to play for in late November and December, they’d want him on the field. The Dolphins have since won two contests in a row to claw back to 4-6. Heading into today’s home game against the 3-8 Patriots, they have a chance to draw a game within .500. The 2019 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award winner’s play is a reason why. Miami is home for Campbell, one reason why he took much less money to eventually sign a one-year, $2 million deal with the Dolphins. A trade to the Ravens, who sit second in the AFC North and have Super Bowl aspirations, would have returned him to where he thrived from 2020-22, earning a Pro Bowl nod in his first season there. While the trade hung in the balance, sources say Campbell even believed he would be dealt. Many people did. Instead, thanks to McDaniel, he stayed in Miami and led the charge back. The 38-year-old Campbell made headlines in the Dolphins’ Week 10 win over the Los Angeles Rams, batting down two passes, collecting a sack and helping lead a four-sack effort — then shooting hoops as a celebration. “For us to go where we want to go,” Campbell said after the game, “we’ve got to keep fighting and believe.” He also had a sack in Miami’s win over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 11. While it won’t be an easy road to make a playoff push, there are four combined games against the Patriots, Jets and Browns left on the schedule. If it’s going to happen, Campbell will be there. Frank Schwab of YahooSports.com notes that QB TUA TAGOVIALOA has done just fine since his return from that scary concussion: A couple months ago, the headline everywhere was how many people were suggesting that Tagovailoa retire after another scary concussion. The fears over Tagovailoa’s long-term health still exist. But Tagovailoa wanted to keep playing football, and he has returned to play at his normal high level. The Dolphins aren’t in great shape in the playoff race due to the games Tagovailoa missed and some close losses right after he returned, but the Dolphins are playing well. Tagovailoa had a great Sunday, throwing for 317 yards and four touchdowns in an easy 34-15 win over the New England Patriots. The Dolphins’ offense is completely different when Tagovailoa is in the lineup. The Dolphins are 5-6, on the fringe of the wild-card race. The way the Dolphins have looked the past few weeks, it isn’t out of the question that they could sneak into the field. They’re a completely different team when Tagovailoa is in the lineup. |
| NEW YORK JETSRex Ryan has no doubt the path the Jets should pursue in their re-build. Christian Arnold of the New York Post: One man is already seemingly trying to get his foot in the door to become the next head coach of the Jets. ESPN analyst and former Jets and Bills coach Rex Ryan seemed to be campaigning hard to be considered as a candidate for the position during an appearance on ESPN New York’s “Bart & Hahn.” Ryan argued against blowing up the Jets’ roster when he started to make a point that he would be able to get the team’s current talent pool to win. “I look at it this way, blow it up? We’re going to blow the opponents up,” Ryan told hosts Alan Hahn and Bart Scott, who played for Ryan during his time on the Jets. “There’s way too much talent on this team to play the way we’ve been playing. How hard can you get a guy to play? That’s the thing. Nobody has seen a team that is going to play as hard as this team’s going to play in the future, trust me. If I’m the guy, trust me.” Ryan served as the Jets head coach through one of the franchise’s more successful periods in recent memory, though the vibe quickly shifted. The Jets went 46-50 during Ryan’s run from 2009-14, which included back-to-back trips to the AFC championship game in his first two seasons. However, the success quickly fizzled out, and he finished with losing records in two out of his last three seasons. Ryan argued during Thursday’s radio appearance that there wasn’t another candidate out there that could embrace the Jets culture. “That’s what is going to separate me from all these other guys you’re going to bring in. Your Grudens or whoever. Give me a break,” he continued. “They ain’t New York Jets. I’m all about the Jets. And the great thing is, yeah, you get a second chance at it and that doesn’t happen very often. Well, when it does it’s usually special. We’ll find out if I get that chance or not. If not, I hope they have one hell of a guy in place cause I still want to be a fan of the Jets. I still want to be, but when I look around I know nobody is better than me.” Ryan had used another ESPN New York show earlier this week to suggest that the Jets would be in a better spot than they are now if he was at the helm. The former NFL coach said on “DiPietro & Rothenberg” on Monday that the team would be “probably undefeated” if he had the job. SI.com notes the return of Mike Tannenbaum in the process: The New York Jets fired head coach Robert Saleh back in October after the team got off to a 2-3 start. Things did not get better and last week when general manager Joe Douglas was also sent off as the Jets sit at 3-8 and need to rip off six consecutive victories against long odds to sneak into the playoffs. Serious questions about Aaron Rodgers’s future with the franchise persist as he, like everyone else, is not getting any younger. In short, there’s a tremendous amount of work to be done if the Jets want to compete in 2025, including hiring two people to fill these important vacated positions. To help in that project they’ve retained The 33rd Team to support them in the search. ESPN’s Adam Schefter was first to report their involvement, which will be spearheaded by former Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum and former Minnesota Vikings GM Rick Spielman. The 33rd Team describes itself on its website as “a football think tank” created by Tannenbaum. The 33rd Team will also provide the Jets with their studies of the best hiring practices, data analysis and trends and insights over the past five years, per the New York Post. On one hand Tannenbaum has a lot of institutional knowledge about the franchise. On the other, it’s an interesting move for an organization that’s been thought of as being too online. Albert Breer of SI.com floats two names for the coaching job: Mike Vrabel makes the most sense to me, mostly because he won’t stand down to an owner, and that’s exactly what the New York Jets need. The problem, of course, is what you alluded to, which is that most coaches like that aren’t going to want to work for owner Woody Johnson. I actually think Aaron Glenn, as a former Jet, could fit that bill, even though he doesn’t have head coaching experience. Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores might make some sense, too, as someone from the New York area. Washington Commanders coach Kliff Kingsbury is another option, and a guy that the Jets have kicked tires on in the past. Again, the key with all of those candidates is they’d have the stomach to push back on Johnson and the crew of nonfootball people he has around him. |
| THIS AND THAT |
| THE WORST TEAM IN NEW YORKMike Sando of The Athletic compares and contrasts the plight of New York’s two teams: The New York Jets’ roots as a brash and unapologetic upstart, cemented by Joe Namath’s Super Bowl III bravado, differentiated them from the old-guard New York Giants for decades. When the Jets had bombastic and playful Rex Ryan as their coach, the Giants had stern taskmaster Tom Coughlin. When the Jets were going all-in on the polarizing Aaron Rodgers, the Giants were hoping the fifth and sixth seasons of nice guy Daniel Jones might turn out differently. If the Jets aspired to be cryptocurrency, the Giants hoped to be the S&P 500. What’s the difference when both are competitively bankrupt? 1. What is the difference between the ‘clown show’ Jets and classy Giants again? Do not look for it in the standings.Daniel Jones’ recent farewell speech and the Giants’ decision to grant the quarterback’s request for his release reflected the latest major failure for an organization with two winning records over its past 12 seasons. But, as reaction after reaction after reaction after reaction noted, this latest failure was handled in a “classy” manner. The Jets, meanwhile, give off “clown show” vibes even while having a (slightly) better record this season, and a similar record over the past dozen (Giants are 69-120-1, Jets are 66-124). What’s the difference between the Giants and Jets again? “The difference is, the Giants have won championships and have done so most recently (2007, 2011), so they have the most credibility capital to burn,” a coach from another team said. “That is all. They are burning through it.” If that credibility didn’t run out when DeVito was promoted ahead of Drew Lock, who had been the backup to Jones all season, how about when the Giants fell behind Tampa Bay 23-0 at halftime and 30-0 through three quarters? What about after the game, when rookie Malik Nabers, who wears jersey No. 1 after the Giants got permission from Hall of Famer Ray Flaherty’s heirs to use the long-retired number, called the team “soft as f—“? Or when star nose tackle Dexter Lawrence conceded the Bucs “beat the s—” out of the Giants? These quotes could have been coming from the Jets’ locker room just as easily, except the team had a bye amid reports the relationship between Rodgers and owner Woody Johnson was strained. While the Jets have chased aging legends in Rodgers and Brett Favre, the Giants were slow to move on from highly drafted homegrown quarterbacks in Eli Manning and Jones. Those are differences, but what played out at the position this past week felt similar. Johnson, per The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt and Dianna Russini, suggested to Jets coaches after four games that the team should bench Rodgers. He fired coach Robert Saleh a week later without consulting general manager Joe Douglas, per the report. More recently, the Giants promoted DeVito over $5 million backup Lock as Jones’ replacement, which made zero sense unless DeVito’s popularity among some fans was a factor. “That move made less sense than anything that has happened in the league this season,” one exec said. How could a team make such a move? Well … Giants owner John Mara previously lamented losing star running back Saquon Barkley to the rival Philadelphia Eagles in free agency because, in Mara’s words, Barkley was “the most popular player we have, by far.” To what degree was player popularity a factor in DeVito over Lock? “It has to be the owner trying to drum up some local support playing off of last year’s success,” an offensive coach said. (The Giants’ defense was primarily responsible for the three victories DeVito started in 2023.) If Mara influenced the DeVito decision, it’s bad. If the football people made it on their own, that might be worse. Seven years ago, then-coach Ben McAdoo benched Manning in favor of Geno Smith when the Giants were 2-9, ending Manning’s streak of 210 consecutive regular-season starts (the third-longest streak in NFL history). Mara fired McAdoo and GM Jerry Reese the day after Smith lost his first start. Manning was reinstated as the starter. Smith never again played for the Giants. He later emerged as a productive starter for Seattle — better than any Giants starter since then, for sure. Lock might or might not be another Smith, but the next coach or executive who thinks DeVito has a future as a starter will be the first I’ve encountered. The Giants finished Sunday with 245 yards — 10 fewer than Barkley gained on the ground (and 57 fewer than he gained in total) for Philadelphia on Sunday night — against a Tampa Bay defense that had allowed 425 per game over its previous six. Despite all that, every logical football person would rather work for Mara than for the Jets’ Johnson. As one exec put it, “Mara, I respect. He might make his thoughts known, but I haven’t seen evidence he forces it. I think you could talk to him and make things make sense. Woody and his crew? Who knows? They might just do something on their own. That is scary.” Even so, the Giants’ winning percentage (.457) since John Mara succeeded his late father, Wellington, as owner during the 2005 season ranks 22nd among win rates for all current owners since each took control. The Jets’ Johnson ranks 23rd with a .430 win rate since purchasing his team in 2000. What’s the difference between the Giants and Jets again? Not as much as the Giants’ two Super Bowl victories this century (with two wild-card teams that got hot) suggest. Wellington Mara was the owner of record when the team hired Coughlin and traded for Manning on draft day in 2004. The Giants are 50-91-1 (.356) since Coughlin departed. That ranks 30th in the NFL. “What we are watching (with the Giants) is, Paul Brown passes the Bengals to Mike Brown (in 1991) and all mayhem breaks out,” a veteran coach said. One difference is that the Giants had Coughlin and Manning for roughly a decade after their ownership was passed to the next generation in 2005. In Cincinnati, those early 1990s Bengals teams were already transitioning away from their Super Bowl coach, Sam Wyche, and their Super Bowl quarterback, Boomer Esiason. They fell off faster. The Giants are the ones free-falling now. Only the Jacksonville Jaguars (.338) and Jets (.310) have worse records since Coughlin resigned under pressure following the 2015 season. What’s the difference between the Giants and Jets again? The Giants do not have to worry about Mara landing his helicopter on the practice field and summoning their GM to the office for his firing, as Fox’s Jay Glazer reported Johnson did with Douglas last week (see video below at the one-minute mark). The differences do not show up in how these teams have hired. Mara and Johnson have combined to hire 13 head coaches (including interim coaches). The only one with a winning record during his tenure was Al Groh, who went 9-7 in his lone season with the Jets (2000). Mara’s hires have a combined 50-91-1 (.356) record. Based on this, the team should put Coughlin (.531) in its Ring of Honor a second time. It seems like the Jets are in disarray and the Giants are the prideful heirs to a great legacy,” a defensive coach said. “In reality, neither makes a lot of good decisions.” Nearly a quarter-century after the Jets were rebuffed by Bill Belichick, only to settle for Groh, rumors persist that the Giants could bring back Belichick, their former defensive coordinator under Bill Parcells. Belichick passed up the Jets over what he called at the time “various uncertainties” regarding ownership shortly before Johnson purchased the team in 2000. There can be no uncertainties about Giants ownership now. It needs help. |
| “THAT DESERVES A WOW”Friend of the DB, Chris Myers has a book out that reminds us how he’s been front and center at many of the biggest events in recent sports history – both in the NFL and elsewhere. For NFL fans, Myers was in the booth or on the sidelines for some of the game’s biggest moments in recent years and he provides a lot of perspective on people like Bill Belichick, Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady in moments of triumph and glory. This from Rob Merrill of the AP: As he climbed to a top rung on the TV sports ladder, he followed this adage: “If you don’t jump at unexpected opportunities, you won’t get more than what’s expected.” That’s the tenet that convinced him to leave ESPN for Fox Sports, which was essentially a network start-up in 1998. That decision led to a slew of opportunities that brought Myers face-to-face with a galaxy of sports stars. He recalls some of his most memorable on-camera moments, from Tom Brady after winning Super Bowls to Mike Tyson in his heyday to the Boise State player who proposed to his cheerleader girlfriend live on Fox. Unlike many TV sportscasters, Myers never got pigeonholed into a sport, which explains how he became the voice of NASCAR as stock car racing surged in popularity. Being on TV does have its perks, and Myers’ personal friendships with Bill Murray and Charles Barkley fall into that category. Some of the best chapters recount escapades with each of them, one involving a corned beef sandwich and another Barkley’s prodigious gambling habit. There’s also some real heart here, as most fans will probably have forgotten the personal loss Myers experienced in 2012 when his 19-year-old son Christopher died in a car accident. “Back then I thought, ‘Well, there’ll be other days.’ I didn’t realize that that was the only day,” is a line spoken by actor Burt Lancaster as Archie “Moonlight” Graham in the movie “Field of Dreams,” and Myers uses it to reflect on how it felt (and still feels) to lose a son. The supportive role played by Rick Hendrick, the legendary owner of Hendrick Motorsports, during that tumultuous time in Myers’ life, is a touching revelation. In the end, it’s easy to forgive Myers for not dishing more or burning any bridges in his memoir. He admits he’s lived his dream and perhaps the ultimate lesson readers should take from the book is that, sometimes, nice guys do finish first. |
| THE DEPARTURE OF DANIEL JONESOn Friday, the Giants announced that they would be releasing QB DANIEL JONES and he was put on waivers Saturday. The presumption is no one will claim him and assume his huge contract. But as a free agent, he could be of significant interest. Ian Rapoport: The Daniel Jones era ended this past week in New York, but sources say the veteran quarterback likely won’t have to wait long to find his new home. Jones, who requested and received his release from the Giants on Friday, is expected to clear waivers on Monday at 4 p.m. ET. At that point, when he’s a free agent and allowed to talk to other teams, Jones should sign relatively quickly. Jones is slated to clear waivers because if another team grabs him, it’d owe him $11.83 million left on his contract, plus the $23 million injury guaranteed for next season. Jones will be able to sign with a team immediately once he becomes a free agent. Perhaps he will do what so many veterans have done and sign with a practice squad — meaning his new team would not have to cut a player on the 53-man roster to sign him. Among Jones’ possible options: The San Francisco 49ers are dealing with a shoulder injury to starter Brock Purdy, who will miss Sunday’s game against the Packers. Head coach Kyle Shanahan left open the possibility that Purdy could miss more than Sunday, with Purdy to be re-evaluated on Monday. If Purdy is deemed in danger of missing more time, San Francisco would make a lot of sense and could be very real. A team like the Baltimore Ravens could also make sense, with Jones’ athleticism and speed fitting what Baltimore does on offense. Journeyman Josh Johnson currently is Lamar Jackson’s backup. Jones could sign with the Ravens’ practice squad and work his way up, and general manager Eric DeCosta is always looking to improve the roster. The Raiders are said to like Jones as an organization, and if he’s a free agent, they could emerge as an option. Why? Because Las Vegas expects to be a team in the market for a bridge starter in the 2025 offseason, while simultaneously also looking for its QB of the future. Jones could audition for his future role and maybe earn an even bigger one, while the Raiders get a look at a free agent-to-be. Las Vegas likely won’t make the playoffs, but that might be Jones’ best choice for his future. There will be others, especially if a significant QB injury happens on Sunday or Monday. Meanwhile, we note the defense of Jones against a media assault by longtime Giants PR maven Pat Hanlon. Jimmy Traina of SI.com: On Thursday, quarterback Daniel Jones spoke publicly for the first time since being benched by the Giants, and essentially having his career in New York come to an end as the Giants released Jones, per his request, on Friday. By all accounts, the reaction to Jones’s statement was positive. He put the Giants’ losing ways on his shoulders and seemed to be genuine and honest in his assessment of his play. “There have been some great times, but of course we all wish there had been more of those,” Jones said. “I take full responsibility for my part in not bringing more wins. Nobody wanted to win more games worse than me and I gave everything I had on the field and in my preparation. Of course, this season has been disappointing for all and of course I wish I could have done more. I’m 100% accountable for my part. I did not play well enough consistently enough to help the team get results.” Jones added, “I love the game, I love being part of the team. I’m excited for the next opportunity. I know there is a lot of good football in front of me and I’m excited about that.” Seems like a pretty blunt and heartfelt statement with not much to pick apart. However, SportsCenter’s Elle Duncan did not see it that way. She made it a point to tell everyone watching the show that she was moving up her “Take an Elle” segment just to bash Jones. What followed was nearly a minute of Duncan mocking Jones with a series of unfunny shots. She called Jones giving a statement “inexplicable.” She expressed surprise that Jones had to write down his statement because “he went to Duke.” Then she dropped this zinger: “Do you guys think he had this saved in his Notes since 2020?” And then there was some line about being Brock Purdy’s backup. Just really hacky stuff. However, this would’ve come and gone if it weren’t for the Giants’ senior vice president of communications, Pat Hanlon, who took to Twitter to blast the segment without mentioning Duncan by name. @giantspathanlonThat an #ESPN personality would mock Daniel Jones’ statement today is mind boggling. Given what has happened at that company over past few years, tone deaf. The biggest problem with Duncan’s segment is that it was cringe. The second-biggest problem is that it was a classic “kick ’em while they’re down” scenario. If you want to mock Jones for being an awful quarterback, that’s fair game. If you want to rip Jones for terrible play after a game, that’s all good. But Duncan mocked Jones’s statement about being benched and basically kicked out of the Giants’ organization. He wasn’t even New York’s backup quarterback. The team had made him a fourth-stringer behind such notables as Tommy DeVito, Drew Lock and Tim Boyle before releasing him. Plus, the public had not heard from Jones since the demotion, so he HAD to address the situation. I’m not sure how Duncan thought this would be the jumping-off point to dump all over Jones. Clearly Hanlon did not, either. |
