In some weeks, the change in If The Season Ended Today is tiny.  In Week 9, the Saints jumped from 5^th seed to 1^st as they beat the Buccaneers and the Bears, Cardinals and Seahawks also lost.

New Orleans            South      6-2       5-1

Seattle                      West       6-2       4-1

Green Bay               North      6-2       5-2

Philadelphia              East        3-4-1    3-2

Tampa Bay              WC1       6-3       3-3

Arizona                     WC2       5-3       4-2

LA Rams                  WC3       5-3       5-1

Chicago                                   5-4       5-2

San Francisco                         4-5       2-4

Lurking just off-stage with three wins are 3-5 Minnesota with 2 straight wins and 3-6 Atlanta winners of 3 of the last 4.

It was a big week for the idle Rams in the NFC West as their mighty division rivals went 0-3.

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com sees advantage Packers:

Whether it was scotch or tequila or a little (or a lot) of both, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers surely enjoyed watching football on Sunday.

After re-establishing their footing with a Thursday night win in Santa Clara, the Packers were able to witness three games that went their way in the NFC.

First, and most obviously, the Bears have continued their slide, taking them from a 5-1 contender to win the NFC North to a 5-4 team that could be destined for third place in the division. This makes the Packers the clear-cut favorite in the division.

But with only one bye available this year (unless the playoffs expand to 16 teams), the Packers are aiming higher than the third seed. (The NFC East champion undoubtedly will finish at No. 4.) And Green Bay got a boost in that regard with the Seahawks losing to the Bills and the Buccaneers losing to the Saints.

The Packers prefer a head-to-head tie with the Saints, because Green Bay beat New Orleans. The Packers lost to the Bucs, which would give Tampa the obvious edge in a head-to-head tie.

Given the remaining schedules, the Packers arguably are the favorite to win the top seed. The remaining schedule points to 12-4, with the biggest challenges coming in 13 days at Indianapolis (depending on which Colts team shows up) and Week 16 against the Titans. The Seahawks have the Rams twice, Cardinals, and 49ers again; however, Seattle’s remaining schedule also includes Washington, the Eagles, the Jets, and the Giants.

Still, the arrow for now seems to point toward Green Bay as having the advantage over Seattle. As to the Saints, the final eight consist of games against the 49ers, the Falcons (twice), the Broncos, the Eagles, the Chiefs, the Vikings, and the Panthers.

It currently seems that one of those three teams — Packers, Seahawks, Saints — will get the top seed in the NFC. And Sunday’s game made the Packers’ case for the No. 1 spot more viable than it had been.

We might as well do the AFC today as well since Patriots-Jets is not a factor.

Pittsburgh                 North      8-0       5-0

Kansas City              West       8-1       7-1

Buffalo                     East        7-2       5-2

Tennessee               South      6-2       4-2

Baltimore                  WC1       6-2       4-2

Las Vegas                WC2       5-3       3-2

Miami                       WC3       5-3       2-2

Cleveland                                5-3       3-3

Indianapolis                             5-3       2-3

It looks like nine teams for seven spots in the AFC, with Denver the only team with three wins.

We note that it was a big week for the AFC in interconference play, going 4-1 with only Atlanta over Denver bucking the trend.

– – –

Tony Dungy has a suggestion for NFL replay:

ed

@TonyDungy

I have an idea for NFL replay of catch-no catch. Get a panel of 10 third graders.  Let them look and ask them “Did he catch it or not?”  Give them 5 seconds to respond.  Thumbs up or thumbs down?  I think we would have more consistent results. 😀

And how many cameras are covering the game?  CBS usually doesn’t have as many cameras on a game as FOX.  Sunday, when two AFC teams met in Los Angeles, the game was surprisingly on FOX.  If it had been on CBS, there might not have been the angle that made the Chargers a loser and the Raiders a winner.

Awful Announcing:

@awfulannouncing

Ruled a last second game winning TD on the field, this replay angle ended up reversing the call and outcome of the game.  First handful of angles didn’t have the replay look needed to overturn. Good example of NFL standard in terms of amount cameras making big difference vs cfb

Take a look.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1325594051383603200

NFC NORTH

MINNESOTA

Peter King on how Mike Zimmer is riding RB DALVIN COOK back into playoff contention:

No player in football is hotter than Cook, who has 13 touchdowns in eight games and is averaging 6.0 yards per rush. In the last two weeks, offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak has clearly laid out his plan for the offense of the Vikings: It’s all centered around Cook and similarly physical back Alexander Mattison. Over the past two weeks, Cook and Mattison have rushed 67 times; Cousins has thrown 34 passes. The results have been a six-point win at Green Bay and a 14-point pounding of Detroit. In the win over the Lions, Cook followed his 226-scrimmage-yard performance of last week with 206 rushing yards and 46 more through the air.

NFC EAST

DALLAS

A sign of progress – the Cowboys covered the huge spread against Pittsburgh, the first time Dallas has won against the spread this year.

And QB GARRETT GILBERT did okay.  Patrik Walker of CBSSports.com:

Garrett Gilbert has suddenly made a long and wildly unimpressive Dallas Cowboys quarterback carousel mushroom into a quarterback controversy, loosely stated, and even if it is for the right to lead a 2-7 team into the second half of a 2020 season torpedoed by injury and a myriad of other glaring factors. It’s been an unmitigated disaster following the season-ending injury to Dak Prescott suffered in Week 5, and Andy Dalton has now missed the last two games after suffering a concussion and then having been placed on the COVID-19 list while trying to be cleared from the first injury.

Rookie seventh-round pick Ben DiNucci was a deer in headlights in his first NFL start last week and, as such, was benched in Week 10 for Gilbert, who beat out a re-signed Cooper Rush for the right to face the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers. And in the face of virtually insurmountable odds, Gilbert looked composed, confident and most importantly able to shock the world on Sunday afternoon, against an animalistic defense drooling for a chance to face an offensive line ravaged by injury and poor play at the edges.

For reference, Dalton and DiNucci were sacked a total of 14 times and hit+pressured quite a bit more in their attempts to lead. Gilbert was having none of that, however, and routinely used his escapability to leave Steelers pass rushers chasing ghosts like Pac-Man after having consumed the large dot.

He’d end the first half with a higher passer rating than Ben Roethlisberger and more rushing yards than anyone on either team.

Things weren’t all good for Gilbert, though.

Although he didn’t make a lot of errors, tossing an interception to safety Minkah Fitzpatrick on third-and-5 from the Steelers five-yard line with just a 19-15 lead simply can’t happen, especially considering he threw the ball while wearing two-time All-Pro Cameron Heyward like a wet blanket. The giveaway led to just a field goal for the Steelers, but it shrank the lead to only one point and was ultimately a six-point swing in Pittsburgh’s favor, considering the Cowboys would’ve likely gotten a chip shot field goal after the potential sack to increase their lead to seven points with just under 12 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

In the end, mathematically speaking, it doesn’t appear it would’ve mattered, but that’s not entirely true. Football is a game of a hundred butterfly effects, and so stretching the lead to seven instead of seeing it shrink to one creates a ripple effect that could ultimately change the outcome of the game — by way of forcing the Steelers to change the way they called plays (and their confidence level) going into the final minutes of the game.

All in all, it was still a great showing by a fourth-string quarterback who entered his first NFL start with only 40 career passing yards, but threw for 243 yards and a touchdown — while being sacked only twice, evading at least two others — against a defense predicted to embarrass him. They were as opportunistic as they’ve been all season, yes, but they also found out Gilbert isn’t Dalton or DiNucci.

WASHINGTON

Down goes QB KYLE ALLEN and we will see what QB ALEX SMITH can do.  Nick Shook of NFL.com:

Kyle Allen’s 2020 season is finished.

The Washington quarterback is having surgery on his dislocated ankle and is out for the remainder of the current campaign, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.

As NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported, Allen suffered a dislocated ankle and small fracture in Sunday’s loss to the Giants. Coach Ron Rivera told reporters the team will get a full understanding of what’s ahead for Allen after he meets with doctors.

“He’s gonna see the doctors about his surgery and see exactly what happens,” Rivera said. “Might be a little premature to say he’s out for the year, but again, he’s gonna have to see the doctors and they’re gonna have to do all the decision-making on those things.”

Alex Smith will be the starter for Washington going forward, with the roadmap for the rest of the season still very much unsettled. Smith completed 24 of 32 passes for 325 yards and a touchdown. He had an opportunity to lead a potential game-winning drive in the final stages of Sunday’s game but threw two interceptions to end Washington’s chances.

As the resident veteran with multiple careers’ worth of NFL experience — first-overall pick of the 49ers, castoff-turned-rejuvenated leader in Kansas City, chosen veteran and victim of a gruesome leg injury in Washington, and now this — Smith is the best choice for the job right now, Rivera believes, which has come as part of a learning process for the still-new Washington coach.

“I don’t know if you can say it’s difficult as much as it’s the process of seeing what we have,” Rivera said. “I think that’s the most important thing is to see what we have as we go forward.”

NFC SOUTH

ATLANTA

The Falcons are a team no one wants to play since Raheem Morris took over.  Peter King:

When owner Arthur Blank fired coach Dan Quinn four weeks ago today, Atlanta was 0-5 and fairly hapless. Morris is a bad play by Todd Gurley (scoring instead of going down inside the 5 in the waning minutes against Detroit) from being 4-0 since; that 23-22 loss to Detroit is the only zit on his record. This is still a flawed Atlanta team, with far too generous a defense, but Morris has his players playing better. Does he have a chance at the full-time gig with his 3-1 record, the bye coming up, then seven games left? Well, Atlanta has two with the Saints, two with the Bucs, and a late-December match at mighty KC. I don’t like his odds to get Atlanta to 5-2 down the stretch, but that’s why they play the games.

CAROLINA

RB CHRISTIAN McCAFFERY has another injury.  Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com:

Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey suffered a shoulder injury at the end of Sunday’s game that may force him to miss more time.

McCaffrey’s status for Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers is very much in doubt, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

After signing a contract that made him the highest-paid running back in the NFL this offseason, McCaffrey has had an injury-plagued 2020. The ankle injury he suffered in Week Two caused him to miss six games, and yesterday was his first game back.

On Sunday McCaffrey appeared to be back to full speed, carrying 18 times for 69 yards and a touchdown, and catching 10 passes for 82 yards and another touchdown. But the Panthers now may have to go back to Mike Davis carrying the load.

NEW ORLEANS

Saints WR EMANUEL SANDERS actually had Covid, and not just a positive test.  Peter King:

New Orleans receiver Emmanuel Sanders battled COVID-19 for 12 days and missed two games for the Saints before being activated last week. He had a fever and felt weak for much of his time away. Asked how he spent his down time, Sanders said he binged-watched all the episodes of Schitt’s Creek on Netflix.

That’s 80 shows, at 22 minutes each, of Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara and company.

That means Sanders watched 29 hours and 42 minutes of a TV show while he was laid up.

TAMPA BAY

After a solid afternoon of close games on Sunday, the big one on NBC was a blowout.  Peter King:

A football season teaches you both euphoric truths and bitter ones.

For Tampa Bay, the 38-3 fist to the jaw from New Orleans exposed everything that could short-circuit a dream season ending in a Super Bowl appearance on their home field. Tom Brady, playing his worst football game in more than a decade, was under fire from a rush that encircled and tormented him all night. In 335 regular-season and playoff games, Brady’s 40.4 rating was his third-worst ever, and the beatdown was reminiscent of the 31-0 loss to Buffalo on opening day 2003. His receivers could not save him, not even the energetic Antonio Brown or the redoubtable Mike Evans. The frustrated defense was a step slow—make that two, as the night went on. Did you stay up to see the bizarre last New Orleans touchdown? Tight end Josh Hill, split left, was across from ace linebacker Lavonte David, and just before the ball was snapped, David began clapping his hands and crazily shaking them, looking for some help. It never came, and Hill had the easiest three-yard incut TD catch of his life. Just odd, as the whole night was for Tampa Bay.

Super Bowl? Very back-burner stuff now. The Bucs have a nice 6-3 record, but after surviving with some huge breaks Monday night against the Giants and getting embarrassed Sunday night, well, beating Carolina next week seems Herculean.

“It was a collapse,” said Bucs pass-rusher Shaq Barrett said of this loss. “A total team collapse.”

– – –

This:

@MikeClayNFL

Mike Evans’ last three receiving lines against Marshon Lattimore including tonight:

2 targets, 0 receptions

2 targets, 0 receptions

2 targets, 0 receptions

Marshon Lattimore

@shonrp2

Better luck next year

– – –

This:

@richeisen

Remarkably, the #Saints become the first division opponent to ever sweep Tom Brady.

It NEVER HAPPENED to TB12 in 20 years in the AFC East.

NFC WEST

SEATTLE

A Covid thought from Peter King:

If Russell Wilson has a 16-year career quarterbacking the Seattle Seahawks, he will never play in front of the fans of Buffalo.

This also is true: If Wilson plays for Seattle for at least 17 years, he will be 40 the season he plays his first game in Buffalo.

Teams in the NFL play at teams in the opposite conference once every eight years, under the current scheduling formula. Wilson was drafted in 2012 and began starting immediately for Seattle. The Bills were scheduled to host Seattle in 2012, but the NFL moved the game to Toronto as part of the league’s American Bowl series. The next chance for Buffalo fans to see Wilson in person was Sunday, but because of COVID-19 concerns, no fans were allowed at the game. Which takes us to 2028, the year when Wilson turns 40. I don’t doubt he’ll still be playing football then. But it’s pretty amazing to consider that the first time Bills’ fans might lay eyes on one of the great quarterbacks of this century will be in the season Russell Wilson is 40.

Which also means RUSSELL WILSON will never win a game in Buffalo.  And what if that game in 2028 is played in London?

AFC WEST

KANSAS CITY

People, including the DB, have been looking for someone other than QB PATRICK MAHOMES as the MVP this year.  And RUSSELL WILSON and AARON RODGERS, to name two, have been outstanding.  Still, here are some statistical marks that Mahomes has hit that might make him hard to beat if he can keep it up.

Patrick Mahomes had 372 passing yards, 4 passing touchdowns and 0 interceptions in the Chiefs’ win over the Panthers on Sunday. Coupled with his 416 passing yards, 5 passing touchdowns and 0 interceptions in Week 8 against the Jets, Mahomes became the second quarterback since at least 1950 to have at least 350 passing yards, at least 4 passing touchdowns and 0 interceptions in back-to-back games within a season. The previous QB to do that was Tom Brady in Weeks 6 & 7 of his 2007 MVP season.

Mahomes has 25 passing touchdowns and just 1 interception so far this season. The only player in NFL history to have more passing touchdowns prior to throwing his 2nd interception in a season was Drew Brees, who had 26 passing touchdowns prior to his 2nd interception in 2018.

He is on a pace for 5,374 pass yards, 50 TDs, 2 INTs.

Last year, as MVP, Mahomes was 5,097 yards, 50 TDs, 12 INTs.

Peyton Manning in 2013 (5,477 yards, 55 TDs) is the only other member of the 5,000/50 club.

RUSSELL WILSON (2,541 yards, 28 TDs) is also a 2020 candidate for the club.

AFC NORTH

PITTSBURGH

It wasn’t a masterpiece and needed 15 unanswered points in the 4^th quarter, but Pittsburgh is 8-0 for the first time in history.

Who else but Minkah Fitzpatrick?

For the second week in a row, Fitzpatrick knocked away a pass in the end zone to preserve the Pittsburgh Steelers’ undefeated season.

This time, he kept Garrett Gilbert’s pass from finding CeeDee Lamb to help the Steelers hold on to a 24-19 win against a pesky Dallas Cowboys team (2-7) at AT&T Stadium on Sunday.

The Steelers are 8-0 for the first time in franchise history, surpassing the 7-0 mark set by the 1978 team.

“I’m really proud of our football team, 8-0 for the first time in franchise history,” coach Mike Tomlin said. “We’re humbled and honored to be that group. It’s not without its trials today, obviously. Some of it was created by us. … We’ve got a group that sticks together and a group that’s mentally tough and is able to persevere. I’m thankful for that.

“But obviously we can’t keep having these conversations every week, because one of these weeks, we’re going to be doing it with an L if we’re not careful. But we’re thankful to win today.”

Although the Steelers pulled out the win, the game was far from pretty.

A 14-point favorite, the Steelers trailed by as many as 13, their largest deficit of the season, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. They couldn’t find a rhythm on either side of the ball and faced a 13-0 deficit with four minutes left in the half, continuing the Steelers’ streak of dismal starts.

“Man, we’re just getting hit in the teeth,” Tomlin said of the slow starts. “We’ve got to combat that.”

AFC SOUTH

HOUSTON

Peter King campaigns for a match he thinks is made in heaven in Houston:

I think the match of head coach and quarterback that fascinates me the most entering the coach-hire season (which is less thant two months away, with fact-finding happening now) is Eric Bieniemy and Deshaun Watson. Even with all the cap and personnel disadvantages, it might be the most tempting to consider if I were Bieniemy, and I had a shot at the Houston job. You can find talent down the line in the draft and free agency with a smart personnel staff (just look at New Orleans) and coach who knows exactly what he wants. Watson is playing so well now. I’d love to see the imaginative Bieniemy, plus the knowledge he’d bring from Kansas City, working in concert with Watson.

INDIANAPOLIS

Jim Trotter of ESPN.com finds QB PHILIP RIVERS to be maddening:

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers was flat on his back, arms and legs outstretched as if preparing to make snow angels. Only there was no snow inside Lucas Oil Stadium. There was only disappointment for the Colts and Rivers, who had just endured the ignominy of tripping over his own feet and having Baltimore Ravens safety Chuck Clark hop over the top of him while returning a fumble 65 yards for a touchdown.

The score came late in the first quarter, but in hindsight, it was a sign of how the afternoon would play out for Indy. Furthering a disturbing trend, the Colts were once again unable to meet the challenge against a quality opponent, with the 24-10 defeat to Baltimore raising more questions about their legitimacy as Super Bowl contenders.

Despite being 5-3, it’s getting harder to buy into the Colts because their record has been built on a foundation of Jell-O, with victories over the winless Jets, the two-win Bengals and the three-win Vikings and Lions. Overall, their opponents’ .349 win percentage entering Sunday was the lowest in the league.

I’ve never been one to downgrade a team for beating up on bad opponents because teams have no control over the schedule. But if you consistently fall flat when stepping up in competition — Indianapolis is 1-2 against teams with winning records, losing to Cleveland and Baltimore while beating Chicago — you start sliding across the spectrum from contender to pretender, regardless of how often coach Frank Reich claims to have “more conviction” he possesses the right personnel to compete for a championship.

His words on Sunday are likely to be the backdrop for the franchise over the next three games, as the Colts will sandwich games against AFC South-leading Tennessee (6-2) around a matchup against NFC North-leading Green Bay (6-2). How they come out of those contests will likely depend on the play of the offense, which has been as inconsistent as its quarterback.

Rivers arrived in Indianapolis in the offseason seeking to prove his struggles the last four seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers were less about him and more about the circumstances around him. He threw 63 interceptions and fumbled 27 times, losing 10, during that span. More troubling than the turnovers themselves were the times in the game when some occurred: late in one-score games. The Chargers lost nine games by one score or less last season, and Rivers had a turnover in the final 63 seconds of four of them.

Sunday raised more questions about his ball-security issues, as the interception he threw on Indianapolis’ initial second-half series invigorated the Ravens at a time when doubt could have crept in. Consider, nothing had gone right for Baltimore’s offense in the first half. The unit gained just 55 net yards, and its league-leading ground game was held to 18 yards on 10 carries. The Ravens’ only points were on Clark’s fumble return, and now, to open the second half, the unit had lost a fumble on first-and-goal at the Indianapolis 3-yard line.

Then Good Philip — the guy who was 12 of 19 for 126 yards and no turnovers in the first half; the guy who had thrown for 633 yards and six scores with one interception the previous two games — was replaced by Bad Philip, whose underthrown deep pass to Marcus Johnson was intercepted by Marcus Peters. Ten plays and 54 yards later, the Ravens had their first lead on a 1-yard TD run by Gus Edwards and never looked back.

Baltimore’s final three possessions went touchdown, punt, field goal; Indianapolis’ final four went punt, downs, downs, end of game.

“We took a shot,” Reich said of the pass to Johnson. “You’re going to hit some and you’re going to miss some.”

“Poorly thrown,” said Rivers, who has been on the minus side in turnover differential in each of Indianapolis’ losses, throwing one touchdown and five interceptions in the defeats.

The Good Philip/Bad Philip conundrum makes the Colts the league’s most frustrating team. They have one of the league’s top defenses, bolstered by the offseason trade for tackle DeForest Buckner, and one of the game’s top offensive lines. The thought entering the season was that they were a quality quarterback from making a run, so expectations soared when Rivers joined them after 16 seasons with the Chargers.

And yet the only thing they’ve shown so far is that they beat the teams they’re supposed to beat and struggle against those that are on equal footing. Sunday was particularly confounding because everything appeared to be trending in their direction: They were coming off two of their best games, tallying a season-high 41 points in one and averaging a season-high 7.2 yards per play in the other. They also were coming off two of their top three passing performances in terms of yards and facing a team that had every excuse to be off its game.

TENNESSEE

Even good GMs have horrible decisions.  Peter King:

I think there is a lesson to the sordid signing of pass-rusher Vic Beasley by the Titans, who are run by a smart GM, Jon Robinson, and smart coach, Mike Vrabel. I was glad to see Robinson take the fall for the $9.5 million Tennessee ended up wasting on Beasley, who the Falcons let walk after last season, in part, because some in the organization didn’t think he loved football. Robinson probably should have known that. When you’re getting ready to spend 5 percent of your salary cap on a player whose own team didn’t seem all that eager to keep, alarm bells should go off. “The blame falls on me,” Robinson told the Tennessean. “Not every decision we make works out.” These things happen; it’s football, and you make mistakes. Knowing Robinson, he’ll use it as a learning tool, and he won’t make the same mistake again.

I think, not to harp on the Titans, but they made two big signings to fix their pass-rush, Beasley and Jadeveon Clowney. For the $22.5 million it cost the franchise to sign them, the production has been stunning. Beasley got fired after getting no sacks in seven games. Clowney also has zero; he sat with a knee injury Sunday against Chicago. This factoid is stunning too about Clowney: His last regular-season sack occurred a year ago Wednesday, on Nov. 11, 2019, for Seattle.

AFC EAST

MIAMI

Peter King makes QB TUA TAGOVAILOA a Player of the Week in just his second start:

The numbers were good (20 of 28, 248 yards, three touchdowns, no picks) but Tagovailoa is here because of his presence and playmaking in the fourth quarter of a narrow win at Arizona. His finest moment came in the fourth quarter, with Miami trailing 31-24. He led a 93-yard drive to tie the game at 31, and shorter one to lead to the winning field goal. You can see why Nick Saban loved Tua so much, and why the Dolphins picked him last April.

THIS AND THAT

MINORITY HIRING

The original plan was to reward teams for hiring minority decision makers.  When that failed, the new plan is to reward the teams that lose the minority decision makers when hired by other teams.  Advocate Peter King preps the battlefield:

On Tuesday, league owners will try to get something done on the eyesore-of-the-NFL minority coach issue that continues to plague pro football. In a virtual league meeting, owners are expected to vote on the controversial issue of compensation for teams in the hiring of minority coaches. Only this time, the reward won’t go to the hiring team—an idea that was widely criticized and tabled by owners in the spring. This time, owners will vote on a plan to give a draft pick or picks to teams that develop a minority coach or GM who gets hired. Although I’m skeptical that the measure will appreciably increase the number of minority coaches and GMs, some high-placed NFL figures are confident the measure, 2020 Resolution JC-2A, will pass.

The details:

• A team losing an assistant coach who gets hired as a head coach, or a team losing a personnel executive to be a GM or primary football executive, will receive third-round Compensatory Picks in the following two drafts.

• A team losing both a minority personnel person to be a GM and an assistant coach to be a head coach—in the same year—would get three third-round picks, if they both last two years with their teams. A rarity, of course.

• This proposal has been vetted by three significant NFL committees, including the Workplace Diversity Committee and the Competition Committee, with widespread support that I’ve heard is close to unanimous.

• Roger Goodell very much wants to see something done on this issue, so he’s likely to push come Tuesday. (I doubt he’ll need to push hard.)

The upshot: Let’s say Kansas City offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, who is Black, is hired to be a head coach by one of the other 31 teams early in 2021. Kansas City would receive Compensatory Picks at the end of the third rounds of the 2021 and 2022 drafts, per the draft of the resolution, which reads: “The employer-club [losing a minority coach or GM] shall be eligible to receive this draft-choice compensation if the minority employee hired as a head coach or primary football executive has been employed by the [original team] for a minimum of two years.”

When the idea of the hiring team getting rewarded with a draft pick was broached earlier this year, it was criticized by minorities like Louis Riddick, who interviewed for the Giants GM job that went to Dave Gettleman three years ago. “If these policies are implemented,” Riddick told me in May, “the first day I walk into the building, I know people with that organization would wonder, Did he get this job because he’s the best man for the job, or Did he get it at least in part because it gives us a big break in the draft? On the first day of the job, that team would be undermining its own hire by injecting doubt in the minds of the people who work in the building.” So that idea died.

But Goodell and NFL executive vice president Troy Vincent still wanted to make teams work to reward the development of minority candidates. This 2020 Resolution JC-2A “establishes a system that incentivizes clubs to, and rewards them for, developing minority employees who move on to the primary football executive or head coach with other clubs.”

The intention of the rule is good, obviously. But, in 2021 parlance, rewarding the Chiefs for developing Bieniemy wouldn’t motivate the Jets to hire Bieniemy over, say, New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. So I’m not sure if it’ll have any impact on increasing minority coaches. The push for minority coaches should theoretically be boosted come January when each team will be required to interview two minority candidates for a head-coaching job instead of one—and also a mandatory minority interview for each coordinator opening.

After I tweeted this story Saturday evening, I got two major reactions. One: Why would a team hire someone from a rival when the rival would get two good draft choices in return? Couldn’t that work both ways? If the Jets, say, hire Josh McDaniels, that would be wounding a hated rival by forcing Bill Belichick to find an offensive mind he trusts after employing McDaniels for 17 years. That would certainly be worth two late third-round picks. Plus, when you’re hiring the most important person (non-quarterback, at least) in your organization, the positivity of your next franchise leader certainly is worth more than the negativity of some other team getting two middling draft picks out of it. Two: Dumb idea. Teams should hire best man for the job, period, regardless of race. Well, of course. But the players in the NFL this year are approximately 75 percent minority (mostly Black); at the start of this year, Black head coaches comprised 9 percent of the league’s ranks (three of 32). It’s a big problem. The league continues to search for ways to fix it.

The Buccaneers would seem to have two candidates for head coaching positions on their staff in OC Byron Leftwich and DC Todd Bowles.  Would they qualify for four picks?

MIDSEASON ROOKIE AWARDS

Dane Brugler of The Athletic offers his Midseason All-Rookie Team, starting with a close call at QB:

It is halftime of the 2020 NFL season, giving us a larger sample size to evaluate the league’s rookies.

Quarterback

Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers (1st round, No. 6 overall)

Through eight weeks, we have been treated to outstanding rookie performances by a pair of rookie passers. The Bengals’ Joe Burrow has been as advertised as the No. 1 overall pick and is on pace to break Andrew Luck’s rookie passing yards record (4,374). However, Herbert gets the slight edge based on his play since becoming the Chargers’ starter.

Despite attempting 68 fewer passes, Herbert has more passing touchdowns (15) than Burrow (11), holding the edge in completion percentage (67.4) and passing yards per game (303.3). He has also been more impressive when it comes to pushing the ball downfield, accounting for 23 passing plays of 20-plus yards, compared to 20 for Burrow. With his three touchdown passes against Denver on Sunday, Herbert joined Deshaun Watson as the only rookie quarterbacks in NFL history with three-plus touchdown passes in four straight games.

Runner-up: Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals (1st round, No. 1 overall)

In any other season, Burrow would be the easy choice as the top quarterback – he looks like the real deal. He is completing 67.0 percent of his passes for 2,272 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions and his 130 pass completions resulting in a first down leads the NFL (all players, not just rookies). Herbert has proven himself to be a legitimate NFL starter, but if I had the choice between the two for the long term, I’m still giving Burrow the edge because his composure and poise are special.

Honorable Mentions: Tua Tagovailoa (Miami Dolphins)

Running Back

Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Kansas City Chiefs (1st round, No. 32 overall)

Although he hasn’t quite matched the enormous preseason hype, Edwards-Helaire has been the most reliable and productive rookie running back halfway through the season. He leads all first-year players in rushing yards (572), rushing yards per game (71.5), rushing yards per carry (4.7), rushing first downs (27) and rushes of 10-plus yards (15).

The one drawback to his rookie season has been the lack of touchdown production. On 146 offensive touches this season, Edwards-Helaire has scored only twice, including only one touchdown the past seven weeks. And with the addition of Le’Veon Bell, it might be tougher for the rookie to pile up the touchdowns over the second half of the season.

Runner-up: James Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars (Undrafted)

This choice wasn’t without competition, especially with Antonio Gibson and J.K. Dobbins playing well as of late. But Robinson is the only rookie running back with more than five touchdowns so far this season (four rushing, two receiving). He is second behind Edwards-Helaire in several categories, including rushing yards (481), but he also leads all first-year backs in catches (27) and receiving yards (225).

Honorable Mentions: Antonio Gibson (Washington Football Team), J.K. Dobbins (Baltimore Ravens), D’Andre Swift (Detroit Lions), Jonathan Taylor (Indianapolis Colts), DeeJay Dallas (Seattle Seahawks), Joshua Kelley (Los Angeles Chargers), Zack Moss (Buffalo Bills)

Wide Receiver

Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings (1st round, No. 22 overall)

Analysts like me labeled this past wide receiver draft class as historic and they haven’t disappointed as rookies. Cincinnati’s Tee Higgins has emerged as Burrow’s top target and leads all rookies in first-down catches (27). The Steelers’ Chase Claypool leads all first-year players in touchdowns and has yet to record a drop. The 49ers’ Brandon Aiyuk is on his way to becoming a star in San Francisco. And if Dak Prescott were healthy, CeeDee Lamb might be the easy choice. But Jefferson has been the most impactful and productive of the group.

The fifth receiver drafted, Jefferson leads all rookies in receiving yards (563), yards after the catch (199) and yards per catch (18.2), accounting for 25 percent of the Vikings’ receptions (no other rookie is better than 17.6 percent). On 40 targets, he has just one drop and has squashed any concern about him thriving as an outside receiver (only 32.5 percent of his snaps have come from the slot).

Runner-up: Chase Claypool, Pittsburgh Steelers (2nd round, No. 49 overall)

I understand those who would go Higgins here for his move-the-chains consistency or Aiyuk for his big-play production. But I went with Claypool because the most impactful stat for a receiver (or any offensive skill player) is touchdowns. And the Canadian native leads all rookie receivers with seven touchdowns (five receiving, two rushing), which is three more than Aiyuk, who ranks second with four scores (two receiving, two rushing).

Honorable Mentions: Tee Higgins (Cincinnati Bengals), Brandon Aiyuk (San Francisco 49ers), CeeDee Lamb (Dallas Cowboys), Laviska Shenault (Jacksonville Jaguars), Jerry Jeudy (Denver Broncos), Darnell Mooney (Chicago Bears), Gabriel Davis (Buffalo Bills), Henry Ruggs (Las Vegas Raiders), Devin Duvernay (Baltimore Ravens), Donovan Peoples-Jones (Cleveland Browns), Tyler Johnson (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Tight End

Harrison Bryant, Cleveland Browns (4th round, No. 115 overall)

No surprise that an unimpressive tight end draft class has produced so few impact rookies at the position. But Bryant has been one of the few bright spots, playing well as Browns veterans Austin Hooper and David Njoku have dealt with injuries.

Through eight games, Bryant leads all first-year tight ends in catches (15), receiving yards (151) and touchdowns (three). And despite a costly fumble in Sunday’s loss to the Raiders, he has been a productive target for Baker Mayfield, accounting for a first down on 10 of his 15 receptions.

Runner-up: Albert Okwuegbunam, Denver Broncos (4th round, No. 118 overall)

Drafted three spots after Bryant, Okwuegbunam is the only other rookie tight end with double-digit catches (10) this season. Despite missing the first month of 2020, his chemistry with quarterback Drew Lock from their time at Missouri has equated to immediate production over the past three games. Okwuegbunam scored his first NFL touchdown on Sunday, and he ranks second among rookie tight ends in receiving yards (114).

Honorable Mentions: Cole Kmet (Chicago Bears), Adam Trautman (New Orleans Saints)

Offensive Tackle

Tristan Wirfs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1st round, No. 13 overall)

Forget qualifying this to only rookies, Wirfs has been one of the best offensive tackles in all of football over the first half of the season. He has been equally impressive in pass protection and as a run blocker, quickly turning right tackle from a weakness into a strength for the Buccaneers.

With five offensive tackles drafted in the top 20 picks, it was a uniquely strong class at the position. And despite being the fourth tackle drafted, Wirfs has been the most consistent and dominant of the group thus far. He has committed only three penalties on 550 offensive snaps, which is the third-most snaps among all rookies (behind only Joe Burrow and Jaylon Johnson).

Runner-up: Mekhi Becton, New York Jets (1st round, No. 11 overall)

I wanted to go Jedrick Wills here because he has been really impressive in pass protection at a position he never played before (his 484 snaps at left tackle rank fourth most among offensive rookies). But he must improve his consistency as a run blocker and clean up the seven penalties. Although Wirfs and Wills have been slightly better in pass pro, Becton has been a close third, and his steady play as a run blocker (and only two penalties) over six games makes him the choice here.

Honorable Mentions: Jedrick Wills (Cleveland Browns), Andrew Thomas (New York Giants), Austin Jackson (Miami Dolphins), Robert Hunt (Miami Dolphins), Matt Peart (New York Giants), Justin Herron (New England Patriots)

Interior Offensive Line

Michael Onwenu, New England Patriots (6th round, No. 182 overall)

Onwenu has been the steal of the 2020 NFL Draft through half the season. Not only has he spent time at multiple positions (left guard, right guard and right tackle), but he has shown his versatility with the way he wins, displaying outstanding point-of-attack power and movement skills on pulls to execute in motion.

He has also kept the mistakes to a minimum. Among the 15 rookies with at least 360 offensive snaps so far in 2020, only Onwenu has yet to commit a penalty. Each week, he continues to prove himself as one of the best young linemen in the NFL, far outplaying what everyone thought of him as a college prospect at Michigan.

Runner-up: Solomon Kindley, Miami Dolphins (4th round, No. 111 overall)

It is still early, but I’m ready to take the “L” on Kindley, who has played much better than most have expected as Miami’s starting right guard. Over seven starts, he has done a nice job keeping his pad level low to stay underneath defenders, working well in tandem to create running lanes. I thought he spent too much time on the ground on his Georgia tape, but Kindley has done a nice job dropping his hips to improve his balance at contact.

Honorable Mentions: Damien Lewis (Seattle Seahawks), Jonah Jackson (Detroit Lions), Tyler Biadasz (Dallas Cowboys), Lloyd Cushenberry (Denver Broncos), Cesar Ruiz (New Orleans Saints), Tyre Phillips (Baltimore Ravens), Kevin Dotson (Pittsburgh Steelers)

Edge Rusher

Chase Young, Washington Football Team (1st Round, No. 2 overall)

Despite missing most of two games with a groin injury, Young has lived up to the hype of being the No. 2 overall pick. He has been productive, leading all rookies in sacks (2.5) and pressures while ranking second in tackles for loss (5.0). But more than just the stats, Young has been commanding double-teams and helping to free up other defenders in Washington’s front-seven.

Though Young deserves this spot, it hasn’t been an impressive rookie class so far at the pass rush position. The Jaguars’ K’Lavon Chaisson and Panthers’ Yetur Gross-Matos (the two pass rushers drafted after Young) have combined for only nine defensive tackles and two sacks so far in the NFL.

Runner-up: D.J. Wonnum, Minnesota Vikings (4th round, No. 117 overall)

Tied for second among rookies with a pair of sacks, Wonnum has been a valuable role player for the Vikings off the bench. Three of his eight total tackles have been for loss, and he made the best play of his young career on Sunday with a strip sack of Aaron Rodgers late in the fourth quarter to put an exclamation point on Minnesota’s upset win in Green Bay.

Honorable Mentions: Tershawn Wharton (Chiefs), Alton Robinson (Seattle Seahawks), K’Lavon Chaisson (Jacksonville Jaguars), Michael Danna (Kansas City Chiefs), Yetur Gross-Matos (Carolina Panthers), A.J. Epenesa (Buffalo Bills), Bryce Huff (New York Jets), Khalid Kareem (Cincinnati Bengals)

Defensive Tackle

Derrick Brown, Carolina Panthers (1st round, No. 7 overall)

It can be tough for rookie defensive tackles to make an immediate impact, especially with the expectations of being a top-10 pick. But Brown has been productive for the Panthers since Day 1, using his grown-man strength to reset the line of scrimmage and be disruptive.

Starting every game so far this season, Brown leads all rookies with six tackles for loss, accounting for 18 total tackles and two passes defended. His presence in the middle of the line has drawn praise from his coaches and opposing coaches, putting Brown in the conversation for defensive rookie of the year.

Runner-up: Davon Hamilton, Jacksonville Jaguars (3rd round, No. 73 overall)

This was a close call between Hamilton and Javon Kinlaw. Though both have the same number of pressures (and several other plays that don’t show up in the stat sheet), Hamilton has been the more active tackler despite playing fewer snaps. He is coming off his best performance last week against the Chargers, posting eight tackles and his first NFL tackle for loss.

Honorable Mentions: Javon Kinlaw (San Francisco 49ers), John Penisini (Detroit Lions), Malcolm Roach (New Orleans Saints), Raekwon Davis (Miami Dolphins), Jordan Elliott (Cleveland Browns), Leki Fotu (Arizona Cardinals)

Linebacker

Patrick Queen, Baltimore Ravens (1st round, No. 28 overall)

Disclaimer: It has not been an impressive group of rookie linebackers so far. Many around the league thought Queen would be the second linebacker drafted, almost assuredly in the top 25 picks. Instead, he was the fourth linebacker drafted and fell into the Ravens’ laps. Queen has started all seven games thus far and has “brought a different edge to the middle of the field” that the Ravens have been missing in recent years, according to his teammate Matthew Judon.

It hasn’t all been pretty from the LSU rookie, who has had his missteps in coverage and versus the run, leading all first-year players with 11 missed tackles. But the impact plays have outweighed the negative ones. Queen leads all rookie linebackers with 48 tackles, four tackles for loss and two forced fumbles.

Runner-up: Willie Gay, Kansas City Chiefs (2nd round, No. 63 overall)

The Chargers’ Kenneth Murray has been solid against the run, but very unreliable in coverage (26 completions allowed on 32 targets). The Packers’ Krys Barnes has played well for an undrafted player, but his inconsistent run fits have been an issue. Gay is starting to see more and more playing time in Kansas City, and his consistency when on the field makes him the pick here.

Honorable Mentions: Kenneth Murray (Los Angeles Chargers), Krys Barnes (Green Bay Packers), Kamal Martin (Green Bay Packers), Mykal Walker (Atlanta Falcons), Logan Wilson (Cincinnati Bengals), Jordyn Brooks (Seattle Seahawks), Akeem Davis-Gaither (Cincinnati Bengals), Tae Crowder (New York Giants)

Cornerback

Jaylon Johnson, Chicago Bears (2nd round, No. 50 overall)

Although he is still searching for his first NFL interception, Johnson is tied for the rookie lead with 10 passes defended, and he has one of the best burn rates (50.0 percent) among all first-year players. He also rarely leaves the field, ranking top five among all NFL players in defensive snaps.

If he wants to hold onto this top spot, he will need to cut down on the penalties (four) and turn the break-ups into turnovers in the second half of the season. Regardless, he has proven to be reliable versus the run and one of the highest-graded man-to-man corners through eight games.

Runner-up: Trevon Diggs, Dallas Cowboys (2nd round, No. 51 overall)

Drafted one spot after Johnson, Diggs has been highly inconsistent this season, but is coming off his best performance of his young NFL career, posting a pair of interceptions against the Eagles. He hasn’t been as consistent as Johnson, giving up more completions, including four touchdowns. But Diggs has forced three turnovers and is the only other rookie with double-digit passes defended this season.

Honorable Mentions: C.J. Henderson (Jacksonville Jaguars), Jeff Okudah (Detroit Lions), A.J. Terrell (Atlanta Falcons), Jeff Gladney (Minnesota Vikings), Cameron Dantzler (Minnesota Vikings), Damon Arnette (Las Vegas Raiders), Michael Ojemudia (Denver Broncos), Troy Pride (Carolina Panthers), Noah Igbinoghene (Miami Dolphins), Kristian Fulton (Tennessee Titans), Chris Claybrooks (Jacksonville Jaguars), L’Jarius Sneed (Kansas City Chiefs), Darnay Holmes (New York Giants), Dane Jackson (Buffalo Bills)

Safety

Antoine Winfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2nd round, No. 45 overall)

Pegged as a competitive ballhawk out of college, Winfield has lived up to those expectations with his play recognition, range and toughness. Just like Tristan Wirfs has proven to be a stabilizing presence for the Buccaneers’ offensive line, Winfield has had a similar effect as a rookie starter in the secondary.

Winfield has started all eight games this season and posted 44 tackles, four passes defended, one forced fumble and one interception. His inexperience has shown at times in coverage, giving up 12 completions on 18 targets, but he has only two missed tackles with zero penalties so far as an NFL player.

Runner-up: Julian Blackmon, Indianapolis Colts (3rd round, No. 85 overall)

Jeremy Chinn has been a productive performer for the Panthers and he has a bright future, but the missteps (30 completions allowed, 10 missed tackles) hurt his candidacy here. Meanwhile, Blackmon has been one of the most consistent rookie defenders in the league. In six games, he allowed only seven completions, while collecting six passes defended and two interceptions.

Honorable Mentions: Jeremy Chinn (Carolina Panthers), Jordan Fuller (Los Angeles Rams), Brandon Jones (Miami Dolphins), Kamren Curl (Washington Football Team), Kyle Dugger (New England Patriots), Sam Franklin (Carolina Panthers), Ashtyn Davis (New York Jets)

Special Teams

Kicker

Rodrigo Blankenship, Indianapolis Colts (Undrafted)

Although he went undrafted, Blankenship has been the top rookie kicker through the first half of the season. He has yet to attempt a field goal try beyond 50 yards, but Blankenship has converted 16 of his 18 attempts and his 88.9 percent success rate on field goals is easily the best among this year’s rookie class (Tyler Bass: 72.2%; Sam Sloman: 72.7%).

Runner-ups: Tyler Bass (Buffalo Bills), Sam Sloman (Free Agent)

Punter

Tommy Townsend, Kansas City Chiefs (Undrafted)

The Jets’ Braden Mann leads the NFL in punts (44) and gross punt yardage (1,992), but Townsend has been the most impressive rookie punter thus far. He is averaging 47.6 yards per punt and leads all first-year players with nine punts inside the 20-yard line.

Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com on similar ground:

DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

3. Jaylon Johnson, CB, Chicago Bears

I’m still really impressed with what I’m seeing from Johnson, who has been the best rookie cornerback in the league this season. The second-round pick was allowing a passer rating of 90.9 in coverage heading into Sunday’s game with Tennessee. He has broken up 12 passes, which is tied for second in the league behind Bucs star Carlton Davis.

Johnson has committed four pass interference penalties, which is … also second in the league behind Davis. He doesn’t have any interceptions, although two of his breakups created picks for other players. He hasn’t been perfect, but he has immediately stepped in and looked like he belongs on one of the league’s better defenses, which is a victory for a Bears team that looked awfully thin at corner after Artie Burns tore his ACL in August.

2. Patrick Queen, LB, Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens weren’t exactly lacking defensive playmakers with the likes of Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters in their secondary, but Queen has stepped in and become yet another difference-maker on one of the league’s best defenses. He was already in the top three before Week 5, when he forced and recovered a fumble from college teammate Joe Burrow in the first half before returning another fumble to the house in the fourth quarter, earning him Defensive Player of the Week honors.

There are plays in which Queen still looks like a player learning his craft. He can be susceptible to play fakes as a coverage defender or misdirection against the run, which is true of just about every rookie linebacker. The difference is that Queen has the athleticism to catch up and cover for his few mistakes. He wasn’t quite an every-down player before Week 8, but he played 100% of the snaps in the narrow loss to the Steelers. Despite being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list and spending the week out of practice, he played 86% of the snaps in Sunday’s win over the Colts. I’d like to see him in place to make a few more tackles, but Queen is an exciting young player for a defense full of exciting young players.

1. Antoine Winfield Jr., S, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

I thought about dropping Winfield after Sunday night’s brutal loss at the hands of the Saints, but I went back a week and remembered that it was the rookie who broke up what would have been the game-tying 2-point conversion by the Giants last Monday. One week earlier, he finally got his first career interception on a tipped pass by Derek Carr after weeks of coming close to a pick.

With two sacks, a forced fumble and four pass deflections over the first nine games, Winfield is filling the stat sheet the way Jamal Adams has in his career. I’m not sure defensive coordinator Todd Bowles uses Winfield in the exact same way he used Adams when he was coaching the Jets in 2018, but Winfield is a player offenses already have to worry about on every single snap. There aren’t many NFL defenders at any level of experience who flash on the tape more than Winfield does right now. Not bad for a guy the Bucs chose in the middle of the second round.

Offensive Rookie of the Year

This award, on the other hand, is a brutal fight. I have two quarterbacks as locks, which means there are approximately eight players competing for one spot, including one undrafted free agent in Jaguars running back James Robinson. As much as I think they deserve recognition, I had to leave out a pair of impressive tackles in Mekhi Becton (New York Jets) and Tristan Wirfs (Tampa Bay). Receivers CeeDee Lamb (Dallas) and Brandon Aiyuk (San Francisco) might be on the list if their quarterback situations were settled.

In the end, I landed on two receivers for the third spot:

3. Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings

Jefferson beats out Chase Claypool, who has become arguably the most important receiver on the league’s only undefeated team. Claypool’s four-touchdown game against the Eagles last month instantly put the Notre Dame product on national radars, and his touchdown against the Ravens last week turned out to be the game winner.

At the same time, don’t sleep on what Jefferson has done. Since he entered the starting lineup in Week 3, the only players who are averaging more receiving yards per game than the rookie are Davante Adams and DK Metcalf. Nobody in the NFL has averaged more yards per route run than Jefferson, who tops Adams and George Kittle by averaging 3.62 yards per route over that time frame.

Jefferson is the first rookie since the merger with two 150-plus-yard games in the first half of his debut season, and while I don’t want to be mean, he’s doing this with Kirk Cousins as his quarterback. The trade that essentially sent Stefon Diggs to the Bills for the rights to draft Jefferson is turning out to be the most significant win-win swap in recent memory. A Buffalo team that needed a receiver to put it over the top got Diggs, who has been a reliable target for Josh Allen. The cap-strapped Vikings appear to have found a devastating deep threat in the 21-year-old Jefferson.

2. Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals

The No. 1 overall pick continues to get better as the season goes along. He was overmatched behind a porous offensive line in the blowout loss to the Ravens, but in the three games since, he has posted a Total QBR of 81.7, coming in just ahead of Russell Wilson and Ryan Tannehill. Nobody completed more passes between Week 6 and Week 8 than Burrow, who has had to shoulder a significant workload in Cincinnati.

While the Bengals haven’t been able to hold on to leads, he continues to put the team in a position to win or extend games. Go week by week:

In Week 1, Burrow drove the team 82 yards and threw a game-winning touchdown to A.J. Green, only for the play to be called back for offensive pass interference. Randy Bullock then missed what would have been a game-tying field goal on the next play with 7 seconds left.

In Week 3, he set up short field goals to push the Bengals up 23-16 with 3:08 to go, only for the defense to allow a Carson Wentz rushing touchdown in what ended up as a tie.

In Week 6, he drove the Bengals into position for a lead-taking field goal in the fourth quarter by competing five passes for 56 yards. They then failed to convert with runs on second-and-3 and third-and-1, and Bullock missed a 48-yard try.

In Week 7, he led an 80-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter to take the lead, and when his defense gave up a score, he led a 75-yard drive for a second touchdown. The Cincinnati defense blew that lead when Baker Mayfield threw a game-winning touchdown with 16 seconds left.

The Bengals are 2-5-1, but they could easily have a winning record with slightly more help around Burrow.

1. Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers

Of course, we could say the same thing about Herbert, whose Chargers apparently used all their luck in overcoming the Bengals in Week 1. Herbert was installed as the starter on an emergency basis the following week and took the job by the horns. He has mostly been brilliant since taking over, although hard luck, defensive collapses, special-teams fiascos and ill-timed drops have seen the Chargers drop six of his first seven starts.

Herbert is 12th in the league in Total QBR since taking over, with his 76.4 mark coming in between Tom Brady and Deshaun Watson over that same time frame. He’s doing that behind an offensive line that has been without star guard Trai Turner for most of the season and key tackle Bryan Bulaga for four games. On the final drive of the game Sunday against the Raiders, Herbert threw nine straight passes to running backs Joshua Kelley and Kalen Ballage, who are respectively the third- and fifth-choice options at the position. His final pass of the game was a fade to backup tight end Donald Parham, who dropped a would-be game winner.

What’s incredible with Herbert is just how easy he makes incredibly difficult plays seem. With the game on the line in the fourth quarter, he successfully executed a fourth-and-1 speed option with a Raiders defender coming down at full speed to keep the game alive. After checking down and in desperate need of a big play, the No. 6 overall pick found Mike Williams for a big catch, just as he did with a perfectly thrown ball against the Saints. Then, the Chargers missed a game-winning field goal at the end of regulation. Here, the Chargers called two goal-line fades, got two excellent throws from Herbert and didn’t bring in either. My first thought after watching most Chargers games is how their fans deserve better. My second is that their young quarterback does, too.