| NFC NORTH |
| CHICAGOAfter a slow start, QB CALEB WILLIAMS is finding his game. Albert Breer of SI.com: Caleb Williams looked like the first pick in the NFL draft on Sunday. Tucked into that fact is this—the Chicago Bears had a good enough team over the first month of the season to allow him the time to get there. In Week 1, it was a pick-six and a score on a blocked punt doing the job for Chicago. In dropping their next two games, the coaching staff never panicked or asked too much of its quarterback. Instead, Williams got to play, make his mistakes, and learn. And Sunday, he was 20-of-29 for 304 yards, two touchdowns, and no picks as the Bears blew out the Carolina Panthers, 36–10. “It’s just about us being able to have him grow every week,” coach Matt Eberflus told me during his commute home. “He’s learned about the game up here every single week. It’s the noise in Houston and taking that into Indianapolis and operating in the noise way better there. Being able to fit the ball into his skill [players], he did that also in Indy. Then, just worked every single week to get better. Then, just playing clean football. “I think what he learned most was, I do have a good team around me. If I play clean football in that position, we can win some games. He said that last week, and I think he’s spot on.” This is a different Bears team, for sure. Eberflus told me the turning point came this week last year—when Chicago won in Washington, 40–20, on a Thursday night in Week 5 to stem the tide of an 0–4 start. Since then, the Bears are 10–8, with three different quarterbacks (Justin Fields and Tyson Bagent) registering multiple wins as through that 18-game stretch. So where usually being the first pick means going to an objectively bad team, Williams found a soft landing with a team in that draft slot via the Bryce Young trade of the year before. Which gave him the freedom, through the first regular-season month of his NFL career, to figure out what he could get away with, and what he couldn’t, in pro football, and also get his footing in operating the offense as prescribed. “He’s done a really good job, especially the last couple of weeks with that, knowing that our defense is playing at a high level,” OC Shane Waldron told me Sunday night. “Our special teams are really good. That’s the complimentary football that we can play.” And with that consistent growth, he positioned himself this week to look a little more like the Superman the Bears drafted him to be, even if they didn’t necessarily need that from him with Carolina in town. The interesting thing, though, is how most of the progress was shown in the stuff he isn’t known for—operating on schedule and in rhythm within the offense. Both of his touchdown throws to DJ Moore were examples of it—downfield throws from the pocket, the first one a 34-yarder in the first quarter, and the second a 30-yarder in the second quarter. • The 34-yarder was on second-and-6 less than 10 minutes into the game, with the Panthers bringing pressure, and Cole Kmet and D’Andre Swift picking up the blitz. What the coaches loved was how Williams calmly and quickly identified it, and then reacted to the job the tight end and back were doing in pass protection. “That understanding of—If there is pressure, is the pocket collapsing and I got to find a check down, or is the pocket firm and I can go ahead and take a shot down the field?” Waldron says. “That was one of those instances up front where the o-line and then those two guys in the blitz pickup did such a good job keeping a firm pocket. And DJ’s able to run away from the corner on that look on the crossing route on the deep cross.” In other words, he recognized the rush was picked up, saw Moore running free underneath the three-deep coverage, and 34 yards later, the Bears tied the score at 7. • The 30-yarder also highlighted a more patient Williams in the pocket. The difference with this one was how quickly he got to Moore in reading the coverage, with Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze, in Waldron’s words “1A and 1B” on the front side of Williams’s progression. “The number one option’s to the right side unless the safety plays over the top, which he did,” Waldron says. “Caleb’s ability to instantly progress to the second part of the read and find DJ on the post for a touchdown based on the look, I thought those were really good feels, natural quarterback play, where he could feel everything that was happening and not having to go slowly through everything, but just feeling it happen in the moment, so he could progress quickly.” And the throw itself was a dime. Then, there were examples where Williams did the safe, smart thing. One was on a call that had go routes up each sideline, with Kmet running a crosser. Reading a backed-up defensive look, the quarterback prudently checked it down to Moore for a two-yard gain, which helped to position the offense for a 26-yard, Williams-to-Kmet chunk play on the next snap. “Last week, had a couple of shot plays called where the coverage didn’t play out perfect or maybe there was an edge rush or something like that,” Waldron says. “He did a really good job of taking the check-downs. The flip side of that is you want to get the ball down the field. What he did a really good job of in this game was letting those plays naturally occur. When he did have a chance, they were in rhythm and in-the-pocket downfield throws. “He was able to hang in there and the big plays came to him.” The final result on Sunday was a 126.2 passer rating, his second consecutive triple-digit rating—which was significant to Eberflus—in that being over 100 in that category means a quarterback is playing clean, efficient football. And after those early bumps, Williams is. That, in turn, has set the foundation, or floor, for a player with a sky-high ceiling. “I told the guys after the game, and Caleb’s no different, that we have to learn from this game,” Eberfus says. “We can get better from every performance. It doesn’t matter if you win by three lose by seven or win by a wide margin. That doesn’t matter. We have to get better from this game right here.” Based on a month of evidence, it’s a good bet Williams is on a good track. |
| DETROITDan Campbell has “only” won half his games as Lions, which is an amazing feat as Mike Sando of The Athletic points out: Dan Campbell insisted he knew how close the Lions were. Did you believe him?The Detroit Lions’ Week 5 bye should let fans and the organization savor one of the more remarkable achievements in the league recently. Dan Campbell, 4-19-1 in his first 24 games as the Lions’ coach, has made it all the way back, evening his record at 27-27-1 in Detroit’s victory over Seattle before the bye. His record through 24 games was worse — much worse — than the 9-14-1 opening mark posted by his predecessor, Matt Patricia. But it’s not how you start, right? It’s how you finish. The Lions own a 23-8 record since then. Only the Kansas City Chiefs (24-7) have a better record over that span. |
| NFC EAST |
| WASHINGTONQB JAYDEN DANIELS had “human” passing stats Sunday (just 56% completed) as the Commanders still rolled to 4-1. John Keim of ESPN.com: Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels wore a diamond-studded No. 5 on a chain around his neck as he addressed the media. For the past four weeks, teammates say he has also worn an “S” on his chest as he helped build a four-game winning streak. “He came in like Superman,” safety Jeremy Reaves said. And even on a day when that cape was tugged, Daniels still managed to make plays that caused teammates to go “Wow” as he helped the Commanders continue an improbable start. After a 34-13 win over Cleveland on Sunday, Washington improved to 4-1 for the first time since 2008. “We can be a really scary team,” linebacker Bobby Wagner said. The Commanders have already matched their win total from last season and have won consecutive games by a combined 49 points entering their Week 6 game at Baltimore. “The vibes in here are really high,” receiver Terry McLaurin said. It has led to some players — who have endured one storm after another during their Washington tenure — to almost pinch themselves to make sure it’s real. Many were here during the turbulent period in which there were multiple investigations into owner Dan Snyder and the culture he created. Washington hasn’t had a winning season since 2016 — only one current player, punter Tress Way, was on the roster that season. Fans abandoned hope. It’s coming back. In droves. Reaves, with the organization since 2018, said he told teammate Jeremy Chinn, who signed with Washington in the offseason, “I don’t even know how to process this. It’s never been like this here. I was still in middle school [in 2008].” Or as defensive tackle Jon Allen, in his eighth season here, said of the overnight change in the organization, “It’s night and day.” A good chunk of that difference stems from Daniels and what he has done in his first five games. He became the first player in NFL history to throw for more than 1,000 yards and rush for at least 250 in his first five games. He also set an NFL record for completion percentage in the first four games of a season (82.1). And even when he had his least accurate day — he completed 14 of 25 passes — Daniels still made big plays. On at least three occasions, he left a Browns player pounding the ground in frustration after allowing him to turn the corner for a big run or throw. One time, Daniels eluded a blitz from safety Grant Delpit and linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah by rushing to the outside — and then connecting with receiver McLaurin for a 66-yard gain. Another time defensive end Za’Darius Smith grabbed a piece of Daniels’ jersey as he ran to the right. It was nearly a sack; instead Daniels ran away from Smith for a 2-yard again on third-and-1. Daniels ultimately ran 11 times for 82 yards, including a 34-yarder. He connected with receiver Dyami Brown for a 41-yard touchdown. “He’s a competitor,” running back Austin Ekeler said. “He is going to show us stuff all year that we’re going to be like, ‘Wow.'” But one reason Washington is more excited is because on Sunday, Daniels also showed that he’s still a rookie. He tossed an interception at the goal line on one drive and was less accurate than in his first four games. However, the defense dominated a struggling Browns offense, recording seven sacks, holding them to 212 yards and one-of-13 on third downs. In the past two weeks the defense has allowed just 27 combined points. It adds up to a team having fun again for the first time in a long time. Players have talked about how much fun they have going to work and playing with one another. After defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. recorded a sack, center Tyler Biadasz was on the sideline mimicking his “sweeper” celebration. “I haven’t been a part of a quote, ‘good culture,'” said Washington right guard Sam Cosmi, who’s in his fourth season with the Commanders. “Slowly but surely I see it. It’s really cool to see, to be a part of talking and acting on it. I’m excited about that.” That energy filtered into the stands at a stadium known for often having thousands of opposing fans. Any Browns fans were drowned out Sunday. “I can’t give any regard for the past,” Quinn said. “What I can say, I thought there was a home-field advantage created.” Allen credited Quinn for creating an energetic atmosphere. “There’s a reason guys always follow him around the league,” he said. But, in the end, Daniels’ performance has been almost as invigorating. Linebacker Frankie Luvu, who recovered a fumble and had 2.5 sacks Sunday, said Daniels is already at the facility when he and Wagner arrive around “5 or 6 [a.m.].” “To see that and what he does on Sundays, it’s not shocking,” Luvu said. The second overall pick has captivated the fans in Washington — and beyond. “I’ve got people back home [in Florida] who never watch the Commanders that are blowing up my phone,” Reaves said. “I get more texts about him than about myself. That’s crazy. I’ve never turned on my TV and seen anything Commanders or I’m on Twitter and Commanders is trending in a good way.” But Daniels remains unimpressed. As someone close to him said recently: He didn’t come to Washington to win games early in the season. “I’m just excited for those guys to have this feeling,” Daniels said of the players who have been here a while. “It’s exciting times. But we have to get back to work. We’re on to the next week now.” Beyond being ROY, Mike Florio says Daniels could be MVP: No rookie has won the NFL’s MVP award since Jim Brown in 1957. Through five weeks of the 2024 season, Commanders rookie quarterbaclk Jayden Daniels is an MVP candidate. It doesn’t matter that he’s a rookie. Recent history shows that the quarterbacks of the teams that earn a bye week in each conference become the finalists for the award. It’s happened every year since a late run at the single-season rushing record secured the 2012 MVP for Vikings running back Adrian Peterson. And so, if the Commanders end up being the No. 1 seed in the NFC, either he or the quarterback of the No. 1 seed in the AFC will be the MVP. We say it from time to time, because it’s true. After Thursday night’s game, Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins entered the conversation. Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold is in it. So is Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, and Bills quarterback Josh Allen. Win the top seed in your conference, and you’ve got a great chance to win the MVP. So, yes, Daniels is in the mix. What he does over the next 12 games will determine whether he prevails. |
| NFC SOUTH |
| NEW ORLEANSKatherine Terrell of ESPN.com on the evolution of WR CHRIS OLAVE: Chris Olave didn’t always know what it meant to be a No. 1 receiver. He knew how to make plays in key moments and rack up stats, compiling back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons for the New Orleans Saints in his first two years. But Olave also spent those years in the shadow of veteran Michael Thomas, the 2019 NFC Offensive Player of the Year whose last four seasons were derailed by injuries. Olave had Thomas’ experience to lean on at the beginning of his career, But after the veteran’s release in March, it was clear the team would rely heavily on Olave going forward. Now 24 years old and getting into the heart of his third season — his first without Thomas — Olave wants to be trusted in every aspect of his game. He spent the offseason working on his deficiencies with the intention of becoming a true No. 1 receiver. Olave wanted to become a more durable and a reliable blocker. He prepared for those responsibilities by working on his strength in the weight room and also watched clips of his blocking to find ways to improve after admitting he looked “weak” in that area. “I just want to be an every-down receiver,” Olave said. ” … I feel like the first few years, I came out on run plays. Everybody knew it was going to be a run. So I just want to be in there. Even on the run plays, be relied on to be able to make blocks. Just taking the next step in my game.” The Saints (2-2) will be looking to Olave to make big plays when they attempt to end a two-game skid against the Kansas City Chiefs (4-0) on Monday night (8:15 ET, ESPN). “When Mike was here … it was that transition of Chris was starting to get the No. 1 targets, all that kind of stuff. It was different,” quarterback Derek Carr said in training camp. “But coming into this year, he knows. … In his head, ‘Every ball is mine.’ Every play that is called, he should feel like, ‘I’m getting that thing.'” Olave showed his ability to make those big catches with a little more than two minutes left in a Week 3 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. He streaked across the corner of the end zone, stutter-stepped and dragged his toes down to secure a go-ahead touchdown before the Eagles came back to win in the game’s final minute. Those were the kinds of moments Olave envisioned when he was selected No. 11 in the 2022 draft out of Ohio State. But he didn’t consider much beyond that when he entered the league at age 21. “That’s how I was at first, ” Olave said. “… I thought it was just be able to catch passes, catch touchdowns.” There have already been signs of Olave making a leap. He caught a season-high eight passes for 87 yards and converted two late third downs to give the Saints a chance in a 26-24 loss to the Atlanta Falcons last week. Olave, who leads the team with 20 catches for 265 yards and a touchdown, has deemed these types of performances “the standard” dating back to his days as a Buckeye. But his new standard also includes what he displayed against the Falcons: a block that allowed running back Alvin Kamara to gain 7 yards and a 33-yard contested catch that was called back because of a teammate’s penalty. Olave did all of those things while playing 58 snaps with an injured hamstring. “There’s no moral victories, but that’s definitely a positive going forward for sure for us,” Carr said after the loss. “His grit and his toughness. That’s what we need from our No. 1, and he gave that to us.” |
| TAMPA BAYThe Buccaneers are beating Milton out of Dodge, heading to another city that knows a thing or two about a destructive hurricane. Jenna Laine of ESPN.com: In advance of Hurricane Milton, the Buccaneers are leaving the Tampa area early this week and heading to New Orleans on Tuesday, ahead of their Week 6 game at the Saints. The team was able to secure the necessary hotel rooms in New Orleans to avoid another flight Saturday. According to the National Hurricane Center’s 8:05 a.m. advisory, Milton has rapidly strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph over the southern Gulf of Mexico. Its exact track is still to be determined, but Hillsborough County, which includes Tampa, has begun issuing mandatory evacuations for Zones A and B and all manufactured/mobile homes. It could make landfall Wednesday in the Tampa Bay area. “We are preparing for the highest evacuations we have ever seen, most likely since 2017,” Kevin Guthrie, the Florida director of emergency management, said in a news conference. Forecasters have warned of a possible 8- to 12-foot storm surge in Tampa. The area has already seen damage from Hurricane Helene, which made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend area as a Category 4 hurricane Sept. 26, with the storm’s sheer size impacting much of the state. The last time the team evacuated the area for a major hurricane was in 2022, where they headed to Miami before Hurricane Ian. They also did so in advance of Hurricane Irma in 2017, chartering four planes to Charlotte, North Carolina. |
| NFC WEST |
| SAN FRANCISCOOn a day the Seahawks lost at home to a team with a lesser record, so did the 49ers, leaving Kyle Shanahan frustrated. Kevin Patra of NFL.com: The San Francisco 49ers suffered a disastrous fourth-quarter collapse for the second time in three weeks. Sunday, Kyle Shanahan’s club saw a 13-point second-half lead evaporate, including a 10-point fourth-quarter lead in a 24-23 loss to Arizona. The flop came two weeks after watching Sean McVay’s Rams storm back from down 14 points in the third quarter. The dual division defeats put the Niners in a 2-3 hole to open the season “Extremely frustrated,” Shanahan said of his team’s inability to hold leads. “By no means should we be able to give that away. Always will come back to turnovers, in my opinion. There are other things you can do to overcome them. Talked about it last night, how we thought a key in this game would be turnovers, and that’s exactly what the first half was. Gave us a huge advantage and then it flipped in the second half. And when you do that stuff to win.” Sunday’s loss had the same hallmarks as the Rams’ breakdown. Turnovers, defensive mistakes, missed tackles and missed opportunities to slam the door shut. Kicker Jake Moody suffering an ankle injury during the contest wiped out a few chances for the Niners to add to their lead with long field goals, but didn’t change the red zone woes. San Francisco went 1-of-6, converting red zone chances into TDs on Sunday. Missing running back Christian McCaffrey, one of the best red-zone threats in the NFL, hurts but doesn’t account for all the Niners’ struggles to open the season. “Same thing I said all last week, not very good,” Shanahan said of his club’s red zone struggles. “We were middle of the pack before today started and we got a lot worse today.” On Sunday, the Niners were shut out in the second half, the first scoreless second half in any game Brock Purdy has started in his career. A blocked field goal returned for a touchdown, and a Nick Bosa interception turned into a chip shot-field goal gave a 23-10 halftime lead that then never built upon. Late, the Niners D couldn’t slow James Conner, Kyler Murray and a surging Cardinals offense. “It’s pretty simple. In the NFL, having turnovers and not playing complementary football will cost you,” Bosa said. “Since Kyle’s taken over, this organization has found ways to win. It’s not about how good your players are, how explosive an offensive is or how good a defense is. If you’re turning the ball over and you’re not making those plays on defense in crucial moments, you’re going to lose in the NFL. I haven’t lost any confidence in this team. It’s early. It’s a long year. We’ve been through worse and I think we’ll respond well.” With both the Niners and Seattle Seahawks (3-2) falling on Sunday, it sets up a short-week Thursday night battle with the top spot in the NFC West on the line. “I think we need to turn the page on this one,” Bosa said. “It’s pretty clear what happened and why we lost. I think it’s kind of a blessing in disguise that we’re playing this Thursday.” |
| AFC WEST |
| DENVERBroncos coach Sean Payton saw more in QB BO NIX than most before the draft, now he sees “Ferris Buehler.” Travis Wakeman of The Sporting News: While the Denver Broncos were putting an end to their long-standing losing streak to the Las Vegas Raiders, head coach Sean Payton and quarterback Bo Nix were caught in a verbal spat on the sideline. Though the win was terrific, you knew both men would have to address that situation with the media following the game. When asked about the incident, Payton compared his rookie QB to Ferris Beuhler, the main character of the 1986 film Ferris Bueller’s Day Off played by Matthew Broderick. Do you get the reference? Me either. Still, it makes for a funny discussion. Nix was asked about the incident and his coach referring to him as Bueller and, despite saying the movie was “kinda old”, the 24-year-old said that he has seen the movie a “handful of times”. Payton may be saying that Nix still likes to do things his own way, much like Bueller, a rebellious high school kid who cuts class and explains his way of doing it throughout the film. The sideline altercation likely brought fans back to the one Payton had with Russell Wilson last season during a game against the Detroit Lions. In that one, it was Payton screaming in the face of his quarterback, who took it all in stride. That seemed to be a negative and it came during a blowout loss. With the one between Payton and Nix coming during a win, it will likely be turned into a positive, where Nix shows his competitive spirit. Tom Brady used to get away with that and that was mostly because he was on the winning side more often than not. As long as the Broncos keep winning, Payton will probably be just fine with Nix reminding him of Ferris Bueller. |
| AFC NORTH |
| CINCINNATIQB JOE BURROW is frustrated after a close loss to Baltimore. Ben Baby of ESPN.com: Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow sat at his locker for several minutes, arms folded, one leg crossed over the other, assessing the aftermath of Sunday’s 41-38 overtime loss to the Baltimore Ravens. For most of the day, the Bengals led and seemed poised to open play in the AFC North with a victory — their second straight. But on multiple occasions, Cincinnati saw that lead slip away before the Ravens eventually sealed the deal with Justin Tucker’s 24-yard field goal. As Burrow reflected on the outcome, one thing was evident: After the fourth loss in five games to start the season, Burrow said it was frustrating that a team that started the year with title aspirations is nowhere close. “We’re not a championship-level team right now,” Burrow said. “We’re not. I like to think that we’ll come back and improve throughout the season to get to that point, but right now we are not and we have to get better.” It seemed like there was little more the offense could do after another productive outing. Cincinnati scored 30 points for the third straight game. Burrow threw for a career-high five touchdowns on 30-of-39 passing for five touchdowns, though he did also throw a costly interception in the fourth quarter. Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase had 10 catches for 193 yards and two touchdowns. But it was not enough. The defense allowed more than 38 points for the second straight game. After Cincinnati led 38-28 with 8:54 left in regulation, the Ravens scored 13 unanswered points. For Chase, that amplified the disappointment felt after Sunday’s loss. “I think that’s what’s causing us to be mad, for the most part,” Chase said at his locker after the game. “Just putting up 30 points and losing right there. “That’s what we want to do as an offense — put up 30 points and take over the game. Put the ball in our hands last drive and take over. That’s what we want, and we didn’t do it.” Chase and fellow wide receiver Tee Higgins lamented the lack of aggressiveness during a wacky overtime period. Baltimore won the toss to start the extra period and was driving down the field for a potential game-winning touchdown. However, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson fumbled a snap while in the shotgun, and Cincinnati linebacker Germaine Pratt recovered the ball and took it to Baltimore’s 38-yard line. Cincinnati ran the ball on three straight plays to set up a field goal attempt for kicker Evan McPherson. Since he was drafted in 2021, McPherson has hit nine game-tying or go-ahead field goals in the last two minutes of regulation or in overtime, according to ESPN Research. But a poor hold by rookie punter Ryan Rehkow played a role in the 53-yarder that missed wide left. When asked about the conservative approach on that drive, Bengals coach Zac Taylor said he didn’t want to risk a sack or holding penalty in that situation. He said that there was a pass called on that series of plays but that Burrow did a good job of checking into a run play that was more favorable given the defensive look. “When you’re in field goal range and you believe in your kicker, it really is as simple as that,” Taylor said. But instead of back-to-back victories, the Bengals are now trying to overcome the odds to reach the postseason. According to ESPN Research, only 5.6% of teams that have started the year with a 1-4 record in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) have reached the postseason. The 2020 Washington Commanders were the most recent team to accomplish the feat. Burrow said there were no illusions about where the Bengals find themselves after their fourth loss of the year by just a combined 15 points. “I know exactly how we are 1-4,” Burrow said. “We’re not making plays at the end of the game to go and win it. Definitely not in disbelief. I know exactly what’s happening.” Despite what Burrow said postgame about the team not being a championship-level squad, Taylor said he still believes in that. Cincinnati went to the Super Bowl in the 2021 season, losing to the Los Angeles Rams, and reached the AFC Championship Game the following year before losing in a rematch to the Kansas City Chiefs. Taylor said there is still a lot of belief that the team can rebound despite what happened on Sunday against Baltimore. “People can write us off if they really want to,” Taylor said. “I’m not dumb enough to do that.” |
| CLEVELANDNo matter how bad Cleveland’s passing attack might be, Kevin Stefanski says QB DESHAUN WATSON will remain the starting quarterback. Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com: The Cleveland Browns plan to stick with Deshaun Watson as starting quarterback despite starting 1-4 and fielding the only offense in the NFL that has failed to total 300 yards in a game this season. “We’re not changing quarterbacks,” coach Kevin Stefanski said Sunday after the Browns’ 34-13 loss to the Washington Commanders. “We need to play better. I need to coach better.” The Browns gained just 212 total yards and were 1-of-13 on third down as they lost their third straight game Sunday. Watson completed 15 of 28 passes for 125 yards and one touchdown before being replaced by backup Jameis Winston for the final drive of the game. Watson was also sacked seven times — he has been sacked a league-high 26 times — and lost a fumble. This season, Watson has completed 60.2% of his passes for 852 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. He has posted a 23.9 total QBR, the lowest of any qualified passer this season. “The offense is going to go as far as I go,” Watson said. “So, at the end of the day, we’re not doing enough offensively. As a quarterback, you take all the pressure. You take all the heat. You take all the blame. I’ve got to find ways to bring everybody else along with each other, [find out] how we can go out here on Sundays and eliminate all the mistakes that are going to cause us to get behind the eight ball and put ourselves in situations that we don’t want to be in.” The Browns have scored under 20 points in all five games this season, their longest streak to start a season since 1999, according to ESPN Research. The 1-4 start is the worst since Stefanski became head coach in 2020, but Stefanski has given no indication that sweeping changes are imminent. In the leadup to Sunday’s game, he said there have not been discussions about relinquishing his playcalling duties. “This is not a one-person issue on offense,” Stefanski said. “We have the guys. We have the coaches. We will get it fixed.” Let’s pile on Watson’s badness. Seth Walder of ESPN.com, the patriarch of QBR: @SethWalderDeshaun Watson recorded a QBR of 8.5 today. It’s the fourth single-digit QBR game of the season by any QB, and second by Watson. Bryce Young, Week 2 (5.8)Skylar Thompson, Week 3 (7.2)Watson, Week 1 (7.6)Watson, Week 5 (8.5) Watson has a passer rating of 74.8 for the season. It’s only 5th-worst – behind Anthony Richardson of the Colts, Bo Nix of the Broncos, Will Levis of the Titans and Jacoby Brissett of the Patriots. This is Austin Gayle with EPA (Expected Points Added) which we guess is like WAR in baseball. @austingayle_Deshaun Watson is averaging -0.30 EPA per dropback, the lowest number for any Browns QB in Weeks 1-5 since at least 2000. The second-worst performance? Deshaun Watson last season (-0.20). An explanation of sorts: EPA quantifies how many points a team added to their expected point total. A team can add expected points by getting the ball closer to the goal line, getting a first down or crossing the goal line itself. EPA measures the difference between a team’s expected points before the snap and after the play ends. It is staggered for how many points a team is expected to score in a specific down-and-distance scenario: a team that scores on third and long from their side of the field is rewarded more for that play than if they scored on first and goal from the one-yard line. But on a larger scale, the metric also rewards teams that often get the ball close to their opponents’ goal lines and punishes those that do not. This helps us distinguish teams that have been getting lucky from those that can replicate their success. You can rest assured that Browns fans are completely aware of the greatness of JOE FLACCO (see INDIANAPOLIS) whom the team had and allowed to walk in favor of the hapless and unlovable Watson. More from Mike Sando of The Athletic: The Browns’ marriage between coach Kevin Stefanski, new offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey and quarterback Deshaun Watson feels forced, awkward and increasingly hopeless. Watson ranks 31st in EPA per pass play for an offense averaging 14.2 points per game. Cleveland feels stuck. “Problem is, what do they do to spark the team?” an exec from another team said. “Their hands are tied.” Watson’s contract makes it so, for now. “We’re not changing quarterbacks,” Stefanski said. Watson’s EPA per pass play ranks 618th out of 621 quarterbacks who started the first five games of a season since 2000. The table below shows where all qualifying Browns quarterbacks rank among the 621. Brian Hoyer never knew how much he’d be missed. (Not pictured, 2023 Browns alum Joe Flacco, who now has five touchdown passes, no interceptions and a 115.6 passer rating for Indianapolis.) For years, Stefanski fielded run-oriented offenses shielding quarterback exposure to difficult situations. From 2018 through 2023, his offenses in Minnesota and Cleveland passed 51 percent of the time on early downs in the first 28 minutes of games, before time and score differential exert more influence on play calling. The Browns’ rate is 63 percent this season, good for a No. 3 ranking on the Cook Index through five games. “It’s like they want to be Kansas City and they are just forcing it,” a defensive coordinator from another team said. Cleveland has been heading this way with Watson in the lineup. The pass rate in these situations was 46 percent with Watson in the lineup for six games in 2022 and 53 percent for the six games he started last season. From afar, it feels as though the Browns are making an organizational decision to open up their offense with Watson to justify the $230 million they committed to him. “You were trying to protect Joe Flacco by handing it off last year,” an offensive coach from another team said. “With this quarterback (Watson), you can do whatever you want, supposedly, so you try to, but it’s not in your DNA. It’s cool if it is working, but if it is not working, guys are standing around looking at each other saying, ‘Wait a minute, why are we doing this?’” Running back Nick Chubb’s absence is part of the equation. Cleveland also added Dorsey, the former Bills coordinator who enjoyed success in Buffalo but also leaned toward the pass (Buffalo has become more run-oriented since his departure). The Browns, whose offensive line has been battered by injuries for the second consecutive year, also lost acclaimed line coach Bill Callahan to Tennessee. His voice could have been a strong one. “I don’t know what they are doing,” another exec said. “No identity. Maybe it is Chubb not being there. They cannot help but have taken a step back without Callahan. It doesn’t seem like this is Stefanski’s offense.” Chubb returned to practice this week as he recovers from a serious knee injury. We’ll see if anything changes once he’s back in the lineup. |
| AFC SOUTH |
| INDIANAPOLISThe greatest passer in the NFL thru Week 54 (as passer rating defines it) is the great QB JOE FLACCO. Doug Farrar of AthlonSports.com: Most quarterbacks not named Tom Brady approaching or exceeding the age 40 barrier are either considering alternate careers, or having those decisions made for them. What we’re seeing from Aaron Rodgers this season is just the latest example of how the NFL will roll over you as you get older, no matter how good you may have been. And then, there’s Joe Flacco, who at 39 years and 264 days old on Sunday, tore the Jacksonville Jaguars’ defense to bits in a 37-34 loss. Sadly, Flacco can’t cover receivers (nobody else on the Colts’ roster seems to be able to either right now), but the 17-year veteran, who was selected by the Baltimore Ravens with the 18th overall pick in the 2008 NFL draft, did everything he possibly could to keep his team in the game as Anthony Richardson’s injury replacement. As the Colts held Richardson out with an oblique strain, Flacco completed 33 passes on 44 attempts for 359 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions, and a passer rating of 121.3. Combine that with Flacco’s outstanding performance in last week’s 27-24 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, and all of a sudden, Joseph Vincent Flacco leads the National Football League in passer rating at 115.6. Overall, he’s completed 49 of 70 passes for 527 yards, five touchdowns, and no interceptions. Not at all bad for a guy that the NFL hasn’t really seen as a true starting quarterback since Flacco was with the Ravens in 2017 — the year before the Ravens selected one Lamar Jackson. Flacco has shuttled through stints with the Denver Broncos, New York Jets, Cleveland Browns, and now the Colts, and he hasn’t had a credible home in a long while. But like Clint Eastwood coming out of the dark like the Man With No Name, Flacco still has talent to burn in the right situation. The Jaguars played an unusual amount of two-high coverage to prevent big plays in the passing game, and Flacco didn’t care. That’s why he hit Alec Pierce, sneakily one of the NFL’s best deep receivers, with downfield passes on a no-matter-what basis. “It was awesome,” Flacco said postgame of his connection with Pierce, who caught three passes for 134 yards and a touchdown. “I was actually excited to get the ball to him because you could see, he’s coming up to me and he has ideas as to how we can get him the ball, and he’s good. Man, he’s done such a good job this year, I think he’s a hell of a player. So I was actually kind of feeling bad, like man, we’ve got to get him involved in this game, we got to start getting him involved in these games, like how can we do that, and then boom, he makes an awesome catch on the sideline, and then things just start rolling. “So, a lot of credit to him to kind of keep his head in the game, stay focused, because I don’t really think he had anything before that. And then you could probably look at a couple of plays and he’s like, oh, man, Joe could have gotten me here. You could kind of think like that and even if he did, like it didn’t show. So a lot of credit to him, like I said, for keeping his head in it and like showing up big for us at the end.” And that, folks, is what you want in a veteran quarterback. Plus, he’s still sneaky athletic! |
| JACKSONVILLEThe media is in a tizzy over QB TREVOR LAWRENCE actually showing some fire in a rare impressive performance. Cody Benjamin of CBSSports.com: Bo Nix and Sean Payton weren’t the only ones to endure a sideline spat Sunday. During their 37-34 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 5, the Jacksonville Jaguars had to hold wide receiver Gabe Davis back from quarterback Trevor Lawrence after a heated exchange between the two, per the CBS broadcast, in which Lawrence was also seen throwing a tablet out of frustration. Reported by Aditi Kinkhabwala, the incident followed an early third-down sequence in which Lawrence threw incomplete after seemingly failing to see an open Davis. Other Jaguars players helped keep Davis from escalating a subsequent confrontation with Lawrence, per the report. Lawrence threw a separate pass to the former Buffalo Bills wide receiver not long afterward, though Davis fumbled and lost the ball. The quarterback laughed when asked after the game about throwing a tablet, offering his own perspective. “I sat it down,” he said with a smile. “Firmly.” Pressed to clarify what occurred between he and Davis, Lawrence downplayed the matter. “That happens in this game,” he said. “People that have played it know. People that haven’t probably don’t really understand all the emotions that go into it. There was some frustration and we had a little back-and-forth, and cleared it up. That’s all it is. Stuff like that’s important. And I love when stuff like that happens. You confront issues, and if I’m pissed about something, he’s pissed about something, let’s talk about it and move on. And we did a great job of that. Gabe’s always good at communicating, so we got on the same page quick, and it was good.” Davis, who signed a three-year contract with the Jaguars this offseason, finished Sunday’s game with three catches for 38 yards. Lawrence, meanwhile, threw for a season-high 371 yards and two touchdowns, including an 85-yard bomb to rookie Brian Thomas Jr., to help lead the AFC South victory. |
| AFC EAST |
| BUFFALOBills coach Sean McDermott acted like his team was behind at the end of regulation rather than tied. As a result, instead of ending the game with the ball, he punted to the Texans in favorable field position. Charles McDonald of YahooSports.com lets him have it. Sean, Sean, Sean. Come on, what was that? The questions about Sean McDermott’s ability to lead the Buffalo Bills as their head coach toward their first Super Bowl championship will only continue after a loss like Sunday’s. The Bills clawed their way back on the road against the Houston Texans after falling behind by multiple scores … just to have a baffling sequence end the game. With 30 seconds left in a 20-20 game, and the ball on their own 3-yard line, the Bills opted to … throw? Three times in a row? And all three passes were incomplete, stopping the clock each time? After a 56-yard punt and 13-yard return, the Texans didn’t have to gain much yardage for a game-winning field-goal attempt, which they hit, to triumph 23-20. There’s no way to know if the Bills would have won this game in overtime, but to not even get there is absolutely coaching malpractice from McDermott. After the game, McDermott at least had the wherewithal to blame himself for the end of the game. “That’s on me.” McDermott said, after saying that the correct move would have been running the clock and just getting to overtime. Look, anyone can see why it would be tempting to try and make something happen when Josh Allen is your quarterback. There have been plenty of moments when Allen has had Herculean feats of athleticism on the field, but this was a laughably unnecessary risk. Throwing the ball from your own end zone is hard enough, especially when the risk of getting a safety would end the game with a loss. These plays have such a small margin for error even before the throw is made. Trying it in such a tight circumstance was nonsensical. As positive an influence that McDermott is on the Bills in a general sense, his game management gaffes should have people unsure if he’s capable of leading the Bills to the big game. Who knows if McDermott was having flashbacks to the Bills’ goal-line fumble against the Vikings a few seasons ago that caused them to lose, but this is a decision that’s going to stoke the fires on that specific topic. It was so obvious that was the wrong thing to do that the doubters are going to be deafeningly loud this week. Rookie QB Jayden Daniels isn’t the NFL MVP favorite yet, but he’s getting closerIt was also curious that he decided to pull this move when the passing game hadn’t worked all game. Prior to the three incomplete passes, Allen completed only 9 of 27 passes Sunday, unable to get anything going through the air outside of a 49-yard touchdown to rookie Keon Coleman on a fourth-down conversion attempt. Leaning on a part of the offense that wasn’t working in a spot where they didn’t need to be used anyway is coaching malpractice and directly led to the Bills losing this game. Luckily for the Bills (3-2), the rest of the AFC East has been so incompetent this season that they should still cruise to a division title, but they need to stop doing silly stuff like this, immediately. Winning games in the NFL is hard enough and they dropped a game to the Ravens last week by a score of 35-10 — don’t shoot yourself in the foot against the other top teams in the conference with a chance to at least get to overtime. The Texans (4-1) now hold a tiebreaker over the Bills, which may matter later in the season when it comes to playoff seeding. The season isn’t over for Buffalo or anything after this loss to the Texans, but they need to start acting with some sense before they blow any more games that they don’t need to. That starts with the head coach who allowed his team to act with complete and total incompetence. Mike Sando defends McDermott: Game management overreaction: The Bills lost in regulation despite taking over possession with 32 seconds remaining in a game tied 20-20. It seemed calamitous. It was certainly painful. But it wasn’t felonious. Houston holding all three timeouts when Buffalo took over possession was the key variable exonerating McDermott. Yes, the Bills had quarterback Josh Allen throw deep on all three plays from Buffalo’s 2-yard line before punting, at which point Houston took over at the plus-46 with seven seconds left. Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud completed a 5-yard pass, Houston called timeout and kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn made the winning 59-yard field goal. Crushing for Buffalo. But if the Bills had run the ball three times instead of passing, we could estimate six seconds coming off the clock for each running play, with Houston calling a timeout to stop the clock after each one. Take away another seven seconds for a punt and Houston would emerge with the same seven seconds the Texans wound up with anyway. The Texans would have exhausted all three timeouts in the process, so they would have needed to complete a pass to the sideline instead of toward the middle of the field in setting up the winning kick. Teams do that all the time. Houston also likely would have needed to gain more yards to get in position for the field goal, assuming Buffalo had gained some yardage on the ground. But the tradeoff for the Bills would have been depriving Allen of chances to make big plays. Allen’s first pass, thrown 16 yards past the line of scrimmage, produced contact between the receiver and defensive back, resulting in a flag for offensive pass interference. Sometimes those go the other way. The second pass, thrown 42 yards downfield, had an outside shot at connecting. On third-and-10, Curtis Samuel was wide open over the middle 18 yards downfield and Allen saw him, but pressure forced the throw to come up short. “If McDermott didn’t have a Tier 1 QB, he would have done an alternative approach,” a coach from another team said. |
| MIAMIThe Dolphins were the only team in the AFC East to win in Week 5. They are 2-3. Even if you throw out the Bills, five of the next six after the bye are winnable. Oct. 20 at IndianapolisOct. 27 ArizonaNov. 3 at Buffalo Nov. 11 at LA RamsNov. 17 Las VegasNov. 24 New England If Miami goes 4-2, they would be 6-5 and at or near playoff line. The final six games include the currently woeful Browns and two games with the Jets, plus three tough ones. |
| NEW ENGLANDAfter Sunday’s loss to Miami, Coach Jarod Mayo may be signaling a shift at QB. Tyler Sullivan of CBSSports.com: The New England Patriots have fallen to 1-4 on the season after dropping their fourth consecutive game on Sunday in a 15-10 defeat at the hands of the Miami Dolphins. As has been the case for the past few weeks following these defeats, first-year head coach Jerod Mayo was peppered with questions regarding his quarterback situation as folks wonder if/when he’ll make the change from veteran Jacoby Brissett to rookie Drake Maye. Unlike in previous weeks, Mayo did seem to strike a different tone when speaking to reporters on Monday. “Every single day, we are all being evaluated, and it’s no different now,” Mayo said when asked about his quarterback room and a possible change. This is quite a stark difference from previous answers. For instance, this time last week, when Mayo was asked about a possible quarterback change, he said, “Jacoby is 100% our starter.” While it’s unclear if a change is imminent, it could be an early indication that Maye’s ascension could be on the horizon, particularly if the offense continues to struggle with Brissett under center. In the loss to Miami on Sunday, New England mustered just 10 points while Brissett completed 18 of his 34 passes for 160 yards. “It just wasn’t good enough,” Mayo said when asked about Brissett’s performance against Miami. “I thought we played well enough defensively and on special teams to win the football game. Look, as the quarterback — and he understands this — he touches the ball on every single play, and we didn’t win the game or score enough points to win the game. I think he would echo that same sentiment that it wasn’t good enough.” Of course, seeing other rookie quarterbacks excel across the league, like Jayden Daniels in Washington and Caleb Williams in Chicago, does apply more external pressure on the Patriots to see what they have in their young signal-caller, but Mayo did echo that each circumstance is different. “I would say each situation is unique,” Mayo said. “It’s natural for fans and for the media to say, ‘Well, we have a good quarterback waiting in the wings as well.’ But at the same time, our mentality is how do we develop [Maye], how do we get the guys on the field around him to develop, and move forward from there.”– – -This doesn’t look good for Patriots CB JABRILL PEPPERS. Mike Reiss of ESPN.com: New England Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers pleaded not guilty Monday after he was arrested Saturday. He will face charges that include strangulation and drug possession, according to police in Braintree, Massachusetts. Police announced Peppers’ arrest Monday, saying they responded to a disturbance at a residential address early Saturday morning when a caller indicated there was an altercation between two people. Police said Peppers, who turned 29 on Friday, will be charged with “assault and battery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, strangulation, and possession of a Class B substance believed to be cocaine.” According to Braintree police, Peppers shoved a woman to the ground, shoved her head into a wall and put his hands around her neck to strangle her. Police said she was treated at home for injuries to her face and knees. Peppers pleaded not guilty during his arraignment in Quincy (Massachusetts) District Court on Monday morning. He posted $2,500 bail and was ordered to stay away from the woman. Peppers’ attorney, Marc Brofsky, told the court that evidence in the case “sheds real doubt on the allegations, including videotaped evidence.” He said Peppers agreed not to have contact with the woman. The next hearing is scheduled for Nov. 22, but Peppers was allowed to waive his appearance. In a statement, the Patriots said they were “aware of an incident involving Jabrill Peppers over the weekend in which the police are currently investigating.” The NFL said it was “aware of the matter” and would have no further comment. Peppers, a team captain, didn’t play in the Patriots’ 15-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. He had been limited in practice last week because of a shoulder injury, and the team officially ruled him out Saturday. “He called me that morning. I knew what was going on,” Patriots coach Jerod Mayo told sports radio WEEI on Monday. “We’ve informed the NFL what was going on and we’re still gathering information. … I don’t think anyone knows the facts or anything like that. It’s a process.” Mayo told reporters that he informed the team about the situation and that Peppers will be allowed at the team’s facilities for now. “We don’t know enough to say he shouldn’t be in the building,” Mayo said. Peppers signed a three-year, $24 million extension in July, |
| NEW YORK JETSAn update on QB AARON RODGERS. Ciao Miari of TheScore.com: New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers believes the injury he sustained Sunday during a 23-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in London is a low ankle sprain. “I’m definitely banged up,” Rodgers said postgame, according to SNY. “I got my foot caught in the pile there. Just seems to be a low ankle sprain.” Rodgers sustained the injury in the third quarter. He was headed into the medical tent to be looked at following the third-down attempt but returned to the field after a roughing the kicker penalty gave New York an automatic first down. The 40-year-old didn’t miss any plays and finished the day with 29 completions on 54 attempts for 244 yards and two touchdowns against three interceptions. Rodgers and the Jets had a chance to take the lead in the final minute, but the four-time NFL MVP was intercepted by Vikings corner Stephon Gilmore at Minnesota’s 9-yard line. “There’s always positives to take,” Rodgers said of the Week 5 loss, which dropped New York to 2-3. “It was good to get (Garrett Wilson) involved. Moved him around a lot, gave him a lot of different routes.” He added, “The most important positive to take with us is if we stick together – there will be a lot of people outside the building who won’t be sticking with the Jets. … I’m confident we’ll get this thing straightened out.” Rodgers missed all but four plays in 2023 after sustaining an Achilles injury in his debut with the Jets, who acquired him in a trade from the Green Bay Packers. The Jets play the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football in Week 6. Jeff Kerr of CBSSports.com proclaims that it is not a stretch to say that Rodgers is washed up. Aaron Rodgers is washed upOverreaction or reality: Reality Playing a Brian Flores defense doesn’t do a quarterback any favors (ask C.J. Stroud how that went in Week 3), but Aaron Rodgers looks like a 40-year-old quarterback coming off a ruptured Achilles. Rodgers was a putrid 29 of 54 for 244 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions (54.9 rating) in the Jets’ loss to the Vikings. He averaged 4.5 yards per attempt and was 6 of 14 for 81 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions on third and fourth down. Rodgers and the Jets are 2-3 and have as many points scored in 2024 as they do in 2023 (93). Rodgers has just 1,093 passing yards, 6.0 yards per attempt, and a passer rating of 81.6 — all the worst through the first five games of his career. Perhaps “Father Time” has caught up with Rodgers. This certainly isn’t the Rodgers we are accustomed to seeing. Conor Orr of SI.com makes the case that WR DAVANTE ADAMS can rejuvenate Rodgers if the Jets trade for him: Twice on the New York Jets’ final offensive drive Sunday, Aaron Rodgers and his wide receivers appeared to be on different pages. While this is not uncommon—in an NFL game where a team is attempting 25 to 35 passes, seeing a coverage or interpreting a hand gesture or signal differently is understandable—it becomes less tolerable as the season wears on. This is especially true when your roster came pre-baked full of veterans and is quarterbacked by a talented but notoriously mercurial quadragenarian with a famous impatience for people not understanding his every gesture. Rodgers took a frustrated swing at the air when he skied a ball over the head of Garrett Wilson after Wilson had cooked Stephon Gilmore on a double move. Like nearly all of the snaps Sunday, Rodgers was under pressure, but this looked like the combination of coverage, call and receiver the Jets had been searching for to punch in a game-winning touchdown. Rodgers and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, who worked together in Green Bay, often view game plans as a developing story. The plays they run at all points of the game have the intent of eventually prying open and setting up knockout blows. In this way, Rodgers punching thin air was an appropriate metaphor for a missed opportunity. On the final play of the game, Rodgers lofted a ball to Mike Williams that was intercepted by Gilmore, sealing a 23–17 Vikings win. Rodgers let go of the ball quickly, giving Williams time and space to use his body and clear out room for a catch (in the postgame press conference, Rodgers called it an underthrow and placed the blame squarely on his shoulders). But as disaffected Green Bay Packers fans almost surely, instantly recognized, Williams never turned around for the ball. Gilmore had time to adjust, position himself and secure the game-ending pick. Williams, at the least, missed an opportunity to dive for a pass interference. To be clear, this is not to suggest Wilson or Williams were wrong by any stretch. Rodgers was as self-critical after this loss at the podium as we’ve heard him be all season and admitted that he was playing the game with a low-ankle sprain after momentarily leaving the field to get checked out by the medical staff. The way they understood both of these moments may have been perfectly reasonable. Adams reportedly requested a trade from the Raiders. / Reggie Hildred-Imagn ImagesBut, with the Las Vegas Raiders’ Davante Adams available for trade, the Jets’ season slowly veering toward a classic New York market meltdown told through tabloid headlines and the proliferation of disgruntled, oft-dissected press conferences, there is no more time for this team to wait. The Jets need to trade for Rodgers’s former favorite target now, and failing to do so will only cement the disaster scenario every Jets fan quietly feared when Rodgers signed in the first place. Again, this is not passing blame to the wide receiving corps or saying they are not good enough. We all know that playing for Rodgers is like learning Mandarin after being dropped off via helicopter in mainland China. And a quarterback with two decades of experience will inevitably see and interpret coverages and situations differently than wide receivers who came up through a far more streamlined and simplistic age of offense, where a lot of the thinking has been removed from the equation. Like any relationship, this one is going to take time and patience. Unfortunately for the Jets, the terms of this relationship are more like the ones outlined in 90 Day Fiancé or Married at First Sight instead of a traditional marriage where there is time and space to grow. My guess is that the last thing GM Joe Douglas wants to do is simply smash more veterans into the fold, potentially causing Wilson to become disillusioned and the offense to turn into a two-man show. That said, Douglas knew exactly what he was getting himself into when he signed Rodgers. He also knew that Adams had signed a long-term deal with the perpetually nonsensical Las Vegas Raiders and it was only a matter of time before Adams’s desperation to abscond met the Jets’ desperation to make the Rodgers experiment seem like a success. There is no getting off the ride now. There is only what makes sense amid this frantic blur. Common sense was hurled out the window long ago, and at this point, the Jets had better enjoy—and master—the feeling of flying down a mountain road with their brake lines cut. Adams is not the salve that will fix all wounds and, certainly, sacrificing mid-round picks and possible valued members of the roster is not something done in the best interest of the roster’s long-term health. Of course, all of the health the Jets imagined would blossom from the Rodgers experiment—the simultaneous development of Zach Wilson, the bolstering of Wilson and Breece Hall and the removal of day-to-day chaos from the notoriously batty Florham Park—have long been abandoned. The decision now becomes what is less unhealthy: allowing Rodgers to carry on, missing receivers and hoping that at some point everyone magically gets on the same page before the season slips away? Or, pacifying the man you signed up to pacify regardless of circumstance; keeping Rodgers from having any reason to punch the air in frustration, and keeping your fan base from giving up before you do. |
