The oddly-time games prompted by Covid might not be so odd in the future.  Or so wonders Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

Today doesn’t feel like a Wednesday.

It doesn’t feel like a Wednesday because an NFL game was played last night. And some in NFL circles would like that feeling to be felt more frequently.

There’s an notion, ricocheting around in the upper reaches of the league’s ownership ranks, to explore the possibility of expanding the weekly windows to include Tuesday and/or Wednesday night games on a regular basis. It’s part of a broader conversation regarding increasing the total number of windows during which games can be watched — and on which a wide array of in-game wagers can be placed.

As technology solves the issue of latency between live events and living rooms, and as more states legalize sports wagering, in-game betting will become a reality. As in-game betting arrives and expands, an incentive will arise to have as few games as possible on TV at once and, in turn, to find more places in the pizza to stuff with cheese.

London games starting at 9:30 a.m. ET? That’s a fourth Sunday window. Late-night West Coast games at midnight on Sunday? There’s a fifth Sunday window.

The pandemic has resulted in multiple Monday night doubleheaders. People like them. The pandemic has resulted in multiple Tuesday night games. People like them, too. The pandemic has given us a late Wednesday afternoon game. And no one complained.

Of course, the NFL wouldn’t be expanding the windows because fans like being able to focus on more games, instead of having seven, eight, or nine being played simultaneously at 1:00 p.m. ET. The league would be doing it because the wagering angle would make it an even better business model.

We certainly think a Monday doubleheader with the first game at 5 or so in the East has proven to be interesting.

NFC NORTH

CHICAGO

Bears GM Ryan Pace still has a job, but that doesn’t mean he is not haunted by his decision to draft QB MITCH TRUBISKY – and even trading up to do so.  An alternative route, QB DESHAUN WATSON, is coming to town.  Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times:

Seconds after sitting down Wednesday, Deshaun Watson was asked the same question Chicago has wondered about for almost four years: Why weren’t the Bears more interested in talking to him before the 2017 draft?

“I have no idea,” the Texans quarterback said. “I was just going with the flow in the process. That’s pretty much it, honestly. I don’t even know, honestly.

“I wish I had more answers to that, but I don’t.”

The answer is the difference between Bears general manager Ryan Pace making a mistake and committing malpractice.

In spring 2017, the Bears liked North Carolina quarterback Mitch Trubisky’s accuracy and were concerned Watson presented an injury risk. They researched Watson but never gave him the sit-down steakhouse treatment afforded Trubisky, who booked his reservation under “James McMahon.” Watson didn’t even get a lengthy interview.

Watson Tweeted in May the Bears “NEVER ONCE talked to me” during the lead-up to the draft. Pressed Wednesday, Watson said he didn’t recall whether he spoke to the Bears, who sent Pace, then-coach John Fox, player personnel director Josh Lucas and offensive coaches to his pro day at Clemson.

“All 32 teams were at the pro day, so it was like a blur, honestly,” Watson said.

He said he didn’t remember “too much interaction” with the Bears. Maybe, he conceded, he chatted with them briefly at the NFL Scouting Combine.

“But nothing too crazy,” he said.

If that drives him now Watson wouldn’t say. But a smile might have given him away.

“It’s no motivation — it’s what the organization went with,” he said, cracking a quick grin. “I have no ties, nothing against the Chicago Bears or the organization. I mean, of course the media is going to make stories and . . . the fans are of course going to say something about it.

“For me, personally, there’s no motivation [against the Bears]. Nothing like that. They did what they did. . . . They thought that was the best situation for themselves at that time.”

It has haunted the Bears, and Pace, ever since. Rather than draft Watson or Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes, the rifle-armed son of a baseball player, Pace traded up to draft Trubisky second overall.

The Chiefs took Mahomes 10th and the Texans got Watson at No. 12. Mahomes is the reigning MVP and Super Bowl MVP. Watson has the third-greatest passer rating in the history of the sport. His 103.2 career mark trails only Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers.

This past offseason, Mahomes signed a 10-year, $450 million contract, while Watson signed a four-year, $156 million deal. Trubisky had his fifth-year option declined by the Bears, and will play for someone else next year.

We would quibble with Finley’s last sentence on two counts –

One, Trubisky could make his way back to the Bears, but at a pittance.

Two, we would think the odds are against Trubisky “playing” for someone else next year.  He might be rostered, and he might start if the starter goes down, but “playing” is certainly not assured.

NFC EAST

NEW YORK GIANTS

It looks like the Giants will get QB DANIEL JONES back this week.  NFL.com:

Giants offensive coordinator Jason Garrett told reporters that Jones (hamstring), who sat out last week’s win over the Seahawks, “looked good” during a workout following the team’s walk-through on Wednesday. Coach Joe Judge cautioned there are “a lot of things we still have to see” before making a determination on the young QB’s status for Sunday versus the Cardinals.

That begins with Thursday’s afternoon practice, where the plan is for Jones to split first-team reps with Colt McCoy. The Giants (5-7) have won four straight to catapult to first place in the NFC East.

NFC WEST

ARIZONA

QB KYLER MURRAY thinks he can get the Cardinals offense back on track by simplifying things.  Kevin Patra of NFL.com:

Since the miraculous ‘Hail Murray,’ the Arizona Cardinals have stumbled, losing three straight games and falling out of a playoff spot.

The most surprising issue during the skid has been the lack of offensive consistency. Over the last three losses, quarterback Kyler Murray is averaging 59.9 fewer pass yards per game and 46.8 fewer rush YPG than in the first nine games of the season.

Murray has consistently said his Week 11 shoulder injury has had nothing to do with the nosedive in production. Whatever the reason, the Cardinals’ QB hasn’t produced like earlier in the season.

Weeks 1-10: 263.9 pass YPG, 7.6 pass yards per attempt, 67.1 rush YPG, 10 rush TDs

Weeks 11-13: 204.0 pass YPG, 5.3 pass yards per attempt, 20.3 rush YPG, 0 rush TDs

Perhaps much of the credit for the Cardinals’ struggles can be attributed to defenses adjusting to Murray’s dynamic running ability. Keeping the second-year QB in the pocket and making him throw into tight windows has proven to discombobulate Kliff Kingsbury’s offense.

Even with the recent struggles, Murray believes the offense is “not far off” from clicking.

“We make it harder than it has to be,” Murray said, via the team’s official website. “If we just simplify these games, it’s pretty simple in itself, but at the same time it’s hard to execute at this level.

“I’m not worried about the pressure or anything like that. We’ve got four games left, and each game is crucial. We know that; everyone knows that. We understand that it’s a 1-0 mentality, and we’ve got to win.”

Defenses have adjusted to Murray. Now it’s on the QB and his coach to adapt for the home stretch.

“I don’t think we’ve really scratched the surface from where he can be as a player and he really hasn’t spent a lot of time on task at the NFL level — I don’t know the total number of games, I guess it’s about 28 at this point, and so the room for growth is tremendous,” Kingsbury said of Murray. “How he really has progressed from year one to year two and what we see happening moving forward. He’s attacked it. There was nobody who was kind of keeping it warm for him or showing him how to do it, he’s kind of had to learn on the fly and has done a tremendous job of picking things up. I’m excited to watch his development as we move forward.”

The Cardinals need Murray’s development to come in a hurry.

With four games left, Arizona sits on the outside of the playoffs looking in. Sunday’s game against a New York Giants defense that just shut down Russell Wilson will be a big test for Murray. If the Cards struggle to score once again, they could watch their postseason hopes drift away as well.

AFC NORTH

CLEVELAND

Back-to-back primetime games?  No big deal for Browns Coach Kevin Stefanski:

The Browns are on their way to their first winning record since 2007 and that’s part of what led the NFL to flex their Week 15 game against the Giants to Sunday night.

It will be the team’s second primetime game in a row as they’ll face the Ravens next Monday night, which provides a rare opportunity for the team to bask in the national spotlight. Head coach Kevin Stefanski isn’t playing up the significance of that change in circumstances.

Stefanski said his “mind does not really go there” when asked if he’s happy about the team getting to play in higher profile games.

“The second game of the year was in primetime and under the lights — still a 60-minute game,” Stefanski said, via Cleveland.com. “I think the guys understand we have a big game coming up, a really good opponent and well-coached. We have plenty to concern ourselves with, and really, the time of the game is not of our concern.”

Internal reaction to the Browns winning streak came up in other questions during his press conferences, but Stefanski downplayed any concern that players are losing focus on the task at hand. He said he believes players “understand what is so important about our preparation” and that they’ll continue grinding through the rest of the season.

– – –

A comment we would characterize as cautiously favorable from Coach Kevin Stefanski on CB DENZEL WARD.  NFL.com:

Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said cornerback Denzel Ward (calf) and wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge (hamstring) will remain out of practice Thursday. Stefanski said he “wouldn’t call it a long shot” that Ward plays versus the Ravens on Monday. “I’m hopeful. But I can’t peg it with a percentage,” he said. Stefanski said guard Wyatt Teller is still on track to come off the reserve/COVID-19 list this week and play Monday.

PITTSBURGH

The Steelers floundering running game might be boosted by the return of RB JAMES CONNOR.  Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com:

The Steelers’ run game will get a badly needed boost against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday with the return of starting running back James Conner.

Conner, 25, was removed from the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday after testing positive for the coronavirus and going on the list Nov. 28. Conner was at Monday’s game against Washington and was spotted on the field during warm-ups but did not play.

The Steelers’ run game has struggled without Conner, averaging 2.6 yards per rush in his absence.

Against Washington, the Steelers managed only 21 rushing yards, and Benny Snell, who played 46% of the offensive snaps, managed five yards on eight carries. A week earlier against the Baltimore Ravens, Snell had 60 yards on 16 carries, including crucial runs late in the game to preserve the win.

During Conner’s last game, a Week 11 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, he rushed for 89 yards on 13 carries. Even with Conner, the Steelers’ run game has struggled to maintain consistency, but the performance in Jacksonville was a sign the unit was getting on the right track.

Conner has 645 yards and five touchdowns on 145 carries this season.

Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey remains on the reserve/COVID-19 list after he was placed on it just hours before the Steelers’ Wednesday game against the Ravens, but coach Mike Tomlin was optimistic he could return this week.

With Pouncey and Conner out, Tomlin has lamented his team’s lack of fluidity and grown frustrated that they were not able to absorb their absences.

AFC EAST

NEW ENGLAND

Greg Couch of Outkick.com ponders who has come out ahead to this point in the parting of the ways between QB TOM BRADY and Bill Belichick:

On second thought. . .maybe Bill Belichick is winning this divorce with Tom Brady after all.

Brady might get Tampa Bay into the playoffs and Belichick might not get New England there, but which one is having the better season? Whose legacy is improving?

The Patriots will play the Los Angeles Rams tonight, and if they win, they’ll be firmly back in the playoff race. Belichick thought he had a quarterback in Cam Newton, but it turns out Newton can’t throw straight anymore. So it took a few weeks, but Belichick has figured out how to win with what he has. The Patriots have won four of their past five games. They beat the Chargers 45-0 last week, even though Newton threw for just 69 yards.

That seems impossible.

Brady, meanwhile, has lost three of four. He left Belichick and New England to prove he could stand on his own, which should’ve been warning enough for us. Brady has been universally accepted as the greatest player of all time, yet he still felt underappreciated. We should have been able to figure out that he would come off as a whiny prima donna, blaming everything on everyone else, not shaking hands with opposing quarterbacks who beat him if he doesn’t think they’re at his level.

I mean, Tampa gave him everything he asked for, including Antonio Brown and Rob Gronkowski.

And it’s true that Brady and coach Bruce Arians are not a good fit. Arians likes to push the ball downfield, and Brady isn’t accurate enough throwing deep. Belichick and the Patriot Way protected Brady from that and kept him from having to move much in the pocket.

Still, I get why Arians has been so critical of Brady. Brady is like a cocky kid who gets everything he wants and then still isn’t happy.

At least Belichick never bothered to pretend to be likable.

To be fair, he has done his share of whining this year, too. A few weeks ago when Brady was crushing him in this divorce, Belichick said on WEEI radio in Boston: “We sold out and won three Super Bowls, played in a fourth and played in an AFC Championship Game. This year, we have less to work with. It’s not an excuse.’’

It was an excuse. His point was that the Patriots, by going for it every year, would inevitably have a comeuppance under the salary cap. That day, he whined, had come. His implication: This isn’t my fault.

But now, Belichick is figuring out how to win with Newton. The Patriot Way is suddenly working again, this time with a quarterback who can run but can’t throw.

The Patriots were 2-5, having lost the GOAT and several defensive players who opted out in fear of COVID. Now they’re 6-6. By contrast, I sit here in Chicago where the Bears started 5-1 and are now 5-7. Matt Nagy, Coach of the Year in 2018, keeps stubbornly sticking to his style and ideas even though they don’t fit his personnel.

That is the coach’s job, to make the most of his players.

A few weeks ago, FoxSports’ Colin Cowherd said Belichick should leave New England, that jobs would be available for him. Of course they would with all those Super Bowls on his resume. But I don’t know. I never even thought of that. It just seems like Belichick is the Patriots, and the Patriots are Belichick.

But if he’s actually willing to leave. . .Chicago is a great town. Of course, we’d take a GOAT in his mid-40s, too.

– – –

Jason Whitlock offers a suggestion for QB CAM NEWTON in 2021:

Cam is painful to watch, even during a 45-0 rout of the Los Angeles Chargers. It’s not all Cam’s fault. Clearly, the Patriots lack the outside weapons for any quarterback to excel consistently.

But for two straight weeks, Cam has failed to throw for 100 yards. He completed 12 passes for 69 yards on Sunday. He’s now thrown five TDs and nine INTs for the season.

On the plus side, Cam has rushed for 11 TDs. He’s a wishbone quarterback. He’s the perfect backup for Lamar Jackson and Baltimore’s wishbone offense.

I don’t see any other fit for Cam across the league. I can’t see Bill Belichick bringing him back to New England. The NFL wishbone offense isn’t spreading. The shine is off Lamar and the Ravens. It’s Patrick Mahomes’ league.  The wishbone is dead.

THIS AND THAT

THE AFC WILD CARD RACE

A long look from Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com as he goes Worst to Browns:

In the AFC, things are a little clearer. Four teams have been eliminated from the playoff picture, and the 4-8 Texans and Broncos have chances below 0.1% in the ESPN Football Power Index’s simulations. The Bills, Steelers, Titans and Chiefs are atop their respective decisions, leaving six candidates for three wild-card spots. Let’s run through their chances, what’s going on with them, and what each team will need to do to make it into January:

6. New England Patriots (6-6)

FPI chances to make the playoffs: 13.1%

Since I wrote that the 2-5 start to the season for the Patriots might be the end of their dynasty, they’ve clawed their way back into the playoff picture. Bill Belichick’s team has won four out of its past five games. While the 45-0 victory over the Chargers was a rout of monumental proportions, the three other victories came down to the final possession. The Pats were 0-3 in one-score games during the ugly start to the season; they’re 3-1 in those games since.

What has changed? There’s one extremely simple explanation: they’ve stopped turning the ball over on offense.

– – –

The biggest problem now is their remaining schedule. New England still has a game remaining against the Jets, but its three other tilts are Thursday night’s road game against the Rams and divisional matchups against the Dolphins and Bills. Those teams are a combined 27-11 this season. The Upshot’s model has the Patriots as near-locks if they win out. Simple enough.

5. Miami Dolphins (8-4)

FPI chances to make the playoffs: 40.9%

The Pats might have a difficult schedule ahead, but it doesn’t compare to what the Dolphins have to do. FPI suggests that they have played the NFL’s second-easiest slate so far, but they are projected to face the second-toughest schedule over the final four weeks of the season. In addition to the Patriots, Brian Flores’ team will face the Chiefs, Raiders and Bills. FPI projects Miami to win 1.4 games the rest of the way, which is why its playoff chances aren’t as promising as its record might seem.

If you look back through Miami’s season and how it has done against the league’s better teams, there might be more cause for concern. The Dolphins have feasted on subpar competition, going 5-0 against teams ranked in the bottom 10 of the league by FPI. They have only one win over a team with a winning record — a blowout victory over the Rams — and the 6-6 Cardinals would have qualified as a second such victory before losing this past week.

Unlike many of the other teams in this mix, the Dolphins are adding to the uncertainty by building around an inexperienced quarterback. I think they are smart to start evaluating rookie Tua Tagovailoa as early as possible, although the idea that they would consider drafting a quarterback in 2021 if he struggles seems more like interesting column fodder than a thing they would actually do.

– – –

I don’t think they are confident in their offensive line, and Flores’ game management only adds to that belief. The former Patriots defensive coordinator has done brilliant work with the team this season, but despite possessing a significant analytics department, the Dolphins have been markedly conservative in short yardage. Heading into Week 13, they were the least aggressive fourth-down team in the league.

4. Las Vegas Raiders (7-5)

FPI chances to make the playoffs: 49.7%

Speaking of those Raiders, their last-second win over the Jets led to a million takes and kept their playoff hopes in healthy shape. A loss to the league’s worst team would have been catastrophic for the Raiders, who are already down the head-to-head tiebreaker to the Patriots. They peaked with odds of 73.2% after they beat the Broncos in Week 10 to get to 6-3, but what looked to be a three-game losing streak would have dropped them below New England and probably required them to win out.

As it is now, though, Las Vegas has three of its final four games at home. If it can hold its own in divisional games where it will be favored against the Chargers and Broncos, Jon Gruden’s team should be able to make it to the playoffs with a split against the Colts and Dolphins. The Raiders should be able to handle their AFC West brethren, but then again, they needed a last-second miracle to beat the Jets.

There are also reasons to be concerned that the offense’s impressive start to the season might be difficult to sustain. Offenses that struggle on first and second down but are excellent on third down have a habit of fading in larger samples, and that fits the Raiders. Gruden’s offense is 25th in the league in offensive EPA per play on first and second down, only to then morph into the Chiefs and become the league’s best offense by EPA on third down. They do face the league’s second-shortest third downs on average, but the team just ahead of them is the Dolphins, who convert 37.3% of the time. Vegas is picking up 48.7% of their third downs, the third-highest mark in football.

The Raiders’ final four games come against teams that rank in the top half of the league in getting off the field on third down, including their matchup with those Dolphins, who have allowed opposing offenses to convert just 32.2% of the time on third downs, the best mark in the league. That matchup is one of the most important games left on the schedule when it comes to playoff leverage, and third downs might end up being what decides a wild-card spot.

3. Indianapolis Colts (8-4)

FPI chances to make the playoffs: 61.4%

The Colts trail only the 8-4 Titans in the AFC South by virtue of their divisional record; the two teams split their head-to-head games, but Tennessee is otherwise 2-0 in the South, and the Colts beat the Texans on Sunday but blew a fourth-quarter lead against the Jaguars all the way back in Week 1. Each team has a game left against both the Texans and Jags, but unless they can pick up an extra win the rest of the way, the Colts will lose the division by virtue of handing Jacksonville what is currently their only victory of the campaign.

Blowing a late lead in Week 1 and throwing a fourth-quarter interception led some (OK, me) to worry that the Colts had adopted the Chargers’ knack of losing close games after acquiring Philip Rivers, but that hasn’t really been the case. Indy hasn’t blown a late lead across the rest of the season, and Rivers’ interception rate has fallen from 3.4% to 2.1%. Coach Frank Reich has the veteran quarterback completing more than 68% of his passes, in part because he is making safer throws.

– – –

My biggest concern right now with the Colts is with two key contributors on either side of the line of scrimmage. Star left tackle Anthony Castonzo left the Week 12 loss to the Titans because of a knee injury and didn’t play against the Texans; in a small sample, Rivers’ QBR has dropped 20 points without his blindside protector, from 68.3 on 334 snaps with Castonzo to 48.3 without him.

Likewise, the Colts weren’t the same on defense when DeForest Buckner missed the Titans game because he was on the reserve/COVID-19 list. They gave up a season-high 45 points, with Derrick Henry running for 178 yards and three touchdowns. Buckner is back and healthy, but I’m always going to be worried about a defense that seems as dependent on a pair of stars as they are on Buckner and Darius Leonard. With both Buckner and Leonard on the field this season, Indy has given up a QBR of 28.0. In 187 dropbacks without either Buckner or Leonard on the field, that number rises to 76.6.

As long as their two top defenders are around, the Colts should continue to rank among the league’s better defenses. They have one game left against a fellow wild-card competitor, Sunday’s matchup with the Raiders. Win that one and the Upshot’s model suggests Indy has an 83% chance of making it to the postseason. The Colts still have to play the Steelers, but the effectiveness of their offensive line and their pass defense makes me think that Indy might have a good shot at upsetting the Steelers. Even if they lose, wins over the Raiders and Jaguars probably would be enough to get them into the postseason for the second time in three years.

2. Baltimore Ravens (7-5)

FPI chances to make the playoffs: 67.5%

The Ravens finally brought a halt to their three-game losing streak by beating the Cowboys on Tuesday night, and while there has been talk about how John Harbaugh’s team had been underachieving before that game, it had really just been going up against a tough schedule. After starting 6-2, Baltimore went 1-4 against teams that are a combined 46-16 this season. (That figure counts the Steelers’ 11-1 record twice, since Baltimore played Pittsburgh twice over that span.)

Good news for Ravens fans: things are getting easier. After beating the 3-9 Cowboys, they will have a tougher matchup against the surging 9-3 Browns on Monday night. After that, though, they finish with the Jaguars, Giants and Bengals, three teams that are a combined 8-27-1. The Upshot’s model isn’t as sanguine about Baltimore’s chances as FPI, but even if it loses to the Browns, the Upshot predicts it would still have a 50/50 shot to make the postseason by sweeping those three final games.

– – –

If the Ravens can get hot in the red zone, they should be able to make a run.

1. Cleveland Browns (9-3)

FPI chances to make the playoffs: 86.4%

Browns fans, you can almost exhale. At 9-3, your team is virtually all of the way there. Beating the Ravens on Monday night would all but lock the Browns into a wild-card spot; it would take three straight losses and about a dozen other games not going their way to keep them out at 10-6. Likewise, even if the Browns lose to the Ravens, a sweep of the Giants and Jets on a two-game New York road trip would lock them in. They would still have a 5% chance or so if they lose out.

Advanced metrics aren’t as excited about Cleveland. It is 23rd in DVOA and 20th by FPI. It has a point differential of minus-15, something we would typically associate with a team that would have 5.7 wins now, not nine. Those wins are banked, and Browns fans might not care about the advanced metrics, but they suggest that the team isn’t anywhere near as good as its record indicates.

Look a little closer at their record. Sunday’s victory over the Titans was unquestionably impressive, but it’s not indicative of their typical wins. The Browns are 3-0 against the NFC East. They’re 2-0 against the Bengals. They beat the Jaguars and Texans by a combined five points. They have two wins by more than a touchdown against meaningful competition; a nine-point win over the Colts in which they kicked a field goal in the final minute to put away the game, and Sunday’s blowout win over Tennessee, which admittedly was much more impressive than the final score indicated.

– – –

All of this leads to Monday’s game with the Ravens, which will be the best measure of where the Browns are right now. They will be at home against a team that is likely to pressure their starting quarterback. The Ravens have the fourth-best rush defense DVOA in football, meaning that more of the load is likely to fall on Mayfield. Last season, under the weight of legitimate expectations, Mayfield and the Browns collapsed.

Now, on the verge of the playoffs and after the most impressive victory of the Mayfield era, the expectations are back. They might end up favored against their archrivals when the Ravens have their starting quarterback for the first time since 2008. Browns fans think that it’s time to get on the Cleveland bandwagon. If they can deliver a repeat performance of what we saw from them against the Titans last week against another playoff-caliber team this Monday, I’ll be more inclined to hop on.

DIVERSITY UPDATE

The NFL office leads the league in diversity as promulgated by Aaron Beard of the AP:

A diversity report in the NFL assigned high grades for the league office but lagging scores at team levels for racial and gender hiring.

Wednesday’s report card from The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) at Central Florida assigned an overall B-minus grade for the league, with a B-plus for racial hiring and a C for gender hiring. The report examined a range of positions at the league headquarters and within franchises using data for the 2020 season.

The league headquarters received an A-plus in racial hiring and a B in gender hiring. Richard Lapchick, TIDES director and lead report author, also praised the NFL for steps such as expanding the Rooney Rule with a resolution calling for draft picks to reward organizations which develop minority coaches and front-office executives to fill leadership positions at other teams.

“The big notable in this report is the league office has set a really good example, particularly on racial hiring but also on gender hiring,” Lapchick said in an interview with The Associated Press, adding: “I give a lot of credit to the league office this year for trying to move the needle.”

The overall racial score of 85.2 points climbed from 82.3 last year. Lapchick said that gain would have been greater if not for TIDES’ recent methodology change to add categories for team chief executive officers or presidents as well as team vice presidents.

That also attributed to the overall gender score sliding from 76 points in 2019 to 73 points.

Grades were lower in top positions at team levels, including for head coaches and leadership roles for a sport in which the study reported 69.4% of players are people of color.

In racial hiring, league teams received a D-plus for head coaches with four minorities in Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin, Washington’s Ron Rivera, Los Angeles Chargers coach Anthony Lynn and Miami’s coach Brian Flores, joined later by interim coaches Romeo Crennel in Houston and Raheem Morris in Atlanta. Team racial-hiring grades also included a D for team CEOs or presidents and an F for GMs or the principal person in charge, with Miami general manager Chris Grier and Cleveland general manager Andrew Berry as the only GMs of color to start the season.

Gender-hiring grades also lagged, with teams receiving an F for CEOs or presidents and team senior administration.

“I think that teams haven’t been as progressive as the league office has in terms of their hiring,” Lapchick said.

In a statement, the NFL said the study highlighted areas of improvement as well as “where we have fallen short and where we must do more.” The league said it continues to pursue diversity initiatives to benefit women and minorities.

“Diversity, equity, and inclusion are core values of our league; to ensure that we present a leadership at all levels that reflects and supports the extraordinary work that our players and coaches do every day,” the league said.

“We will not accomplish our goals in one season, and progress will not always be even and steady,” the league continued. “But our commitment is unwavering and the progress we have made since last year only strengthens our determination to continue to work every day to instill these values throughout all aspects of the league.”

PETE PRISCO’s RANKINGS

Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com moves the Chiefs to the top spot, but he’s not impressed with any team at the moment:

Is any NFL team really that good this season?

That is said in all sincerity. The Kansas City Chiefs are the new No. 1 team in my Power Rankings this week, but they were pushed to the limit in two of their last three games, including Sunday night against a so-so Denver Broncos team. At home, no less.

The Pittsburgh Steelers came into Monday undefeated at 11-0 and left with a bad home loss to the Washington Football Team. That’s two straight bad showings for the Steelers.

We also had the Seattle Seahawks and Tennessee Titans with bad homes losses last week, meaning three of the top 10 teams in my Power Rankings heading into the weekend lost.

Even the New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers, the two top teams in the NFC, found themselves in games late after early leads on Sunday.

So again I ask the question: Who is good, as in dominant good?

For now, it’s nobody. The Chiefs are the best team because of Patrick Mahomes, which is why they are the favorite to win it all for a reason. Mahomes is the great equalizer, even when things don’t go well. Like the rest, they have questions,

The team that fixes its issues in the next four games will be the team to beat come playoff time.

For now, it’s wide open — and you have to think the NFL loves it that way.

1          CHIEFS           

It wasn’t pretty against the Broncos, but they got it done. That moves them up to the top spot with the Steelers losing.        +1        11-1-0

2           STEELERS     

The perfect season is done. But they haven’t played well the past two weeks. They need to learn how to run the ball.         -1         11-1-0

3           SAINTS          

Taysom Hill went 3-0 in his three starts and did some good things. But it should be back to Drew Brees this week.            —          10-2-0

4           PACKERS       

They made it interesting late against the Eagles, but the game wasn’t that close. Their offense is potent.  —          9-3-0

5           BILLS 

Josh Allen is at his best when the team plays fast and loose. He was outstanding against the 49ers. Will they play fast this week against the Steelers? +1        9-3-0

6           BROWNS        

They have nine victories, which puts Kevin Stefanski in the Coach of the Year conversation. Now they face a real prove-it game with the Ravens.    +2        9-3-0

7           SEAHAWKS    

That was a bad loss to the Giants at home. They just couldn’t get the offense going, which could cost them the division title.         -2         8-4-0

8            COLTS          

That was a good road victory against the Texans, even if it wasn’t always pretty – especially for the defense. Now they face a tough road trip to Vegas to play the Raiders.      +1        8-4-0

9             RAMS           

Sean McVay did a nice job getting his team to bounce back against Arizona after a bad loss last week. They lead the NFC West.        +1  8-4-0

10           DOLPHINS    

It was back to Tua Tagovailoa in the victory over the Bengals. He was OK, but they will need more this week against the Chiefs.      +2        8-4-0

11           BUCCANEERS          

They have to hope their bye, which came at a good time, helped wipe away some of the stink of their recent games. They need to get back on track on defense.    —          7-5-0

12            TITANS        

That was a terrible showing against the Browns. The defense is awful right now and it could cost them a playoff spot.       -5         8-4-0

13              RAIDERS    

It was far from pretty against the Jets, but they found a way. Now comes a big one with the Colts in terms of playoff hopes.           —          7-5-0

14              RAVENS    

They looked dominant in beating the Cowboys, but the Cowboys aren’t very good. Now they have a huge game at Cleveland against the Browns.       —          7-5-0

15             CARDINALS

The offense has struggled the past three weeks in three straight losses. Can they get it back on track against an improved Giants team?  —          6-6-0

16              PATRIOTS 

Bill Belichick’s coaching showed up in a big way in the blowout victory over the Chargers. Now he faces another tough challenge against the Rams in the same stadium.       —          6-6-0

17               TEXANS    

The loss to the Colts pretty much ends their playoff chances. Now it’s time to get to work on finding a general manager and coach.      —          4-8-0

18             VIKINGS      

It wasn’t pretty against the Jaguars, but a win is a win. They are still alive in the playoff chase.            —          6-6-0

19              49ERS       

The attrition caught up with them against the Bills. All of the issues and injuries have just been way too much for the 49ers.  —          5-7-0

20              GIANTS      

Joe Judge has done an outstanding job with this young group. The defense is getting better by the week as they ready to face Kyler Murray. +5        5-7-0

21               WASHINGTON

That defense is for real. That was an impressive victory at Pittsburgh, but now they face a tough trip to play the 49ers.          +5   5-7-0

22               FALCONS 

They competed against the Saints, but is that loss the one that ends the chances for Raheem Morris getting the job on a full-time basis? He’s done a good job.          -2      4-8-0

23                 PANTHERS         

They come off their bye playing the final four games to get better for the future. There is a lot to like going forward.          -2         4-8-0

24              BRONCOS 

They showed well on defense against the Chiefs and had a chance to win it. Drew Lock has to be better, but he is progressing.       -2         4-8-0

25                CHARGERS          

That was a disaster against the Patriots. Does that mean it’s the end for Anthony Lynn? They were out-coached in a big way.               -2     3-9-0

26                  BEARS  

They have lost six straight games, which means the end could be coming for Matt Nagy. It’s hard to believe they were once 5-1.     -2         5-7-0

27                LIONS     

So the coaching change gave them a little juice after all. That was a nice comeback against the Bears.   —          5-7-0

28                 EAGLES  

They just can’t seem to win a game. That begs this question: Is this the end for Doug Pederson? It’s Jalen Hurts time at quarterback.        —          3-8-1

29                 COWBOYS          

This season gets worse by the week. The defense is atrocious. At least the offense showed some life against the Ravens.             —           3-9-0

30                 BENGALS

Without Joe Burrow, they just can’t compete. It’s all about next year. Getting Burrow healthy this offseason is priority No. 1.          —          2-9-1

31                JAGUARS

They are battling and showing life, which is a good thing for the next coach. They almost had the first pick, but the Jets just couldn’t give it to them.           —          1-11-0

32                JETS        

Whoever told Lamar Jackson to let Henry Ruggs get behind him should be given a bonus. I am kidding. Yes, kidding. Then again, it’s the Trevor Lawrence blown coverage.           —          0-12-0