AROUND THE NFL
Daily Briefing
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This from Michael David Smith:
@MichaelDavSmith
It’s stupid that we still measure first downs with two sticks and a chain but the stupidest part of it is when it’s close, the referees aren’t even consistent about what constitutes the nose of the football reaching the stick.
Yet Gene Steratore was chastised when he tried to improve the process with the index card to determine if there was distance between the tip of the ball and the metal pole.
– – –
Will there be a playoff bubble? Kevin Patra of NFL.com:
With the COVID-19 pandemic raging across the country, the NFL continues to consider options if cases rise as January playoffs approach.
Speaking on a conference call Wednesday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the NFL is “considering a number of alternatives to meet those challenges,” per Lindsay Jones of The Athletic.
“All options are on the table,” Goodell said without specifically mentioning the possibility of a postseason bubble.
When asked explicitly about the league employing a postseason “bubble,” Goodell’s response suggested it wouldn’t be similar to the style the NBA employed earlier in the year in Orlando.
A bubble, he said, is not likely “in the sense that a lot in the media focuses on it.”
“We feel strongly that our protocols are working,” he added.
It’s possible the league could sequester playoff teams in hotels in their respective cities for postseason runs. But Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer, has in the past suggested there were even concerns with such a plan given that an outbreak could then overtake an entire team.
With the rise in COVID-19 cases across the country, the NFL is also seeing an uptick in positives, as evidenced by the outbreak in Baltimore that caused the Ravens-Steelers game to be postponed three times. The league’s medical personnel insists the protocols in place are working when followed.
“Our protocols are not failing,” Sills noted, adding that compliance is a place where the league clubs can improve.
Goodell said the NFL is committed to finishing up the season as scheduled and will follow the science while sticking to the implemented protocols.
“Let me be crystal clear: Health decisions will take precedence over competitive and business interests,” he said. “We follow the facts. We follow the science and the recommendations of our medical experts are first and foremost, the bedrock of our scheduling decision.”
Finishing the campaign is something Goodell is confident can be done and can be done with the players’ safety in mind, something he reiterated in an interview that aired at halftime of the Ravens-Steelers game on Wednesday.
“We do think it’s safe to continue,” Goodell said. “Listen, there’s challenges. We’re seeing virus spread and increase in our communities and so that’s a challenge for us. We believe that the protocols that we’ve established are working. We’re gonna continue to evaluate and see what improvements we can continue to make as we did just last week. And we’ll do that. Obviously, our objective is to finish 256 games safely.”
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NFC NORTH
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GREEN BAY
QB AARON RODGERS says he hopes this was not his last birthday in Green Bay. Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com:
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers turned 37 on Wednesday and getting a year older led to some reflection during his press conference.
Rodgers noted that he arrived in Green Bay when he was 21 and said that the younger version of himself would have been “pretty happy” to know that he was still with the Packers. He said his time with the team has “been a dream come true” and that he hasn’t had thoughts about doing anything else for a long time.
Others have given thought to that prospect, especially after the Packers drafted Jordan Love in the first round earlier this year. While Rodgers was reminiscing, he did take a moment to look to a future that he hopes involves more birthday celebrations in Wisconsin.
“I’ve really enjoyed all the special moments here, so many of them,” Rodgers said, via Jason Wilde of the Wisconsin State Journal. “I just feel really fortunate to have grown up here and just have a lot of great memories that I’ve made here that I’ll take with me one day. Hopefully, that day isn’t too soon.”
Rodgers is having one of his best seasons and that makes it hard to conjure up thoughts of the end of his time in Green Bay even as the calendar provided a reminder that time marches on for all of us.
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MINNESOTA
WR ADAM THIELEN has survived his battle with Covid (or survived knowing someone who had it). He was activated on Wednesday from the reserve/COVID-19 list where he had languished since November 23, sitting out the Vikings’ victory over the Panthers on Sunday. Thielen has 49 receptions for 646 yards and 11 touchdowns this season.
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NFC EAST
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PHILADELPHIA
TE ZACH ERTZ is back for the final five games. Tim McManus of ESPN.com:
Carson Wentz could have his favorite target back for Sunday’s game at the Green Bay Packers, as the Philadelphia Eagles activated tight end Zach Ertz off injured reserve Wednesday.
Ertz has been sidelined since Week 6 after suffering a high ankle sprain against the Baltimore Ravens.
In a corresponding move, the Eagles put offensive tackle Lane Johnson (ankle) on injured reserve while activating receiver J.J. Arcega-Whiteside from the reserve/COVID-19 list.
A three-time Pro Bowler, Ertz had an unusually slow start to this season, catching 24 balls for 178 yards and a touchdown in six games.
Ertz admitted this summer that he was frustrated with the lack of progress on a new deal, saying while he wants to be in Philadelphia for the rest of his career, he was unsure “whether the feeling is mutual.” He acknowledged he let the situation get the better of him for a portion of training camp but said he put that behind him when the season started.
Ertz, 30, entered the year with more catches through the first seven seasons of his career (525) than any other tight end in NFL history, and is the only tight end in the league who has led his team in both catches and receiving yards in each of the past four seasons.
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NFC SOUTH
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TAMPA BAY
On the digital pages of The Athletic, veteran NFL operative Michael Lombardi looks at the much-discussed relationship between QB TOM BRADY and Coach Bruce Arians.
Former Los Angeles Rams and Washington coach George Allen coined the phrase “The Future is Now” in the early 1970s, when coaching in our nation’s capital. Allen then proceeded to sign older players, forgoing the future and casting away draft picks as if they were meaningless. For a moment, his plan worked until Washington ran into the undefeated Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VII and lost 14-7. After that season, Washington never won the NFC East again until the arrival of Joe Gibbs in 1981.
When the Tampa Bay Bucs signed 43-year-old quarterback Tom Brady, they didn’t declare the future was now — they didn’t have to be so bold. They already had a 68-year-old head coach in Bruce Arians, who retired once over medical concerns, so it was clear and obvious that the Bucs were in “win now” mode. The two most important positions in any football organization are the head coach and the quarterback. In Tampa, the Glazer family, who own the Bucs, allowed their team to become old at two of the most vital spots because they thought it would help them add another Lombardi Trophy to their team facility lobby now, rather than later. What has become clear after 12 games is that the Bucs can win games against lesser opponents, they can be over .500 and make the playoffs, but they are not a Super Bowl team. Not now, and not next week.
Why? When you examine the Bucs’ numbers and talent level, they appear to be on par with the best teams in the NFL. So what is lacking? What makes them look so bad against the quality teams? Why have the Saints pounded them twice? Why have they lost three home games to playoff-caliber teams in the last four weeks? Why will they make the playoffs only as a wild card team? The answer is not as simple as Brady cannot throw the deep ball, or after 20 years in the league, he is getting confused with coverage. The Bucs are proof of what NBA Legend Michael Jordan once said: Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.
The Bucs’ problems start with the offense and the philosophical differences between Arians and Brady. The teamwork between the two is not intentionally lacking. Yet their view of how to win games week after week does differ significantly. Those differences lie in moving the ball, winning games, and, most importantly, playing complementary football in all three phases to give the team the best chance to win the game on that specific Sunday against that specific opponent. Brady learned winning football on a week to week basis. His philosophical education of the game started each week with one question: What must we do this week to give us the best chance to win the game this Sunday? And those answers varied from running it 50 times to passing every down. The offense was always adjusted based on the weakness of the defense.
Whereas Arians’ philosophy centers on his offense, his quest for big plays, striking down the field, and leaving the defense and special teams alone as they operate independently toward the ultimate goal. Bruce is not changing what he does — he will alter the plays, alter the routes, but he is looking to make big plays down the field and attack. His call sheet is set up to find biscuits as the reward for throwing it down the field and if sacks or interceptions occur, then the next series, Arians will double down on looking for more big plays.
The best example of this vast difference occurred last Monday night against the Rams. The Bucs had the ball at their 41-yard line, with slightly over two minutes left in the first half, with the game tied at 14. The Bucs faced a third-and-5, on which Brady completed a short pass to Antonio Brown for the first down and the two-minute warning. The Bucs had the ball at midfield, seemingly in control of the half. Coming out of the two-minute warning, Brady philosophically knows he has two objectives. The first would be to score either a touchdown or a field goal. And the second is to not allow the Rams to get the ball back with much time, as they would get the ball to start the second half. Brady has been schooled over the last 19 years on the importance of winning the middle eight (the last four minutes of the first half and first four of the second half).
Each call after the two-minute warning is critical to playing complementary football. However, not all coaches take the clock into account with their end of the half planning and rely on their defense to stop their opponent. Arians, at this point, had one objective: he wanted to score, and he figured his defense would prevent the Rams from scoring. Arians’ belief is classic football thinking and it works—at times. Brady would want to run the ball, get the clock moving, take his time, not be in two-minute or hurry-up offense, because he knows he has plenty of time to put the ball in the end zone. He wants the clock to start, to force the Rams to decide how they want to proceed, then take the play clock as far down as he can and run another control pass to continue moving the clock. Once the first down is gained and the game clock goes under one minute, Brady begins his two-minute “hurry the hell up” offense.
Arians called for a deep pass along the right sideline (remember, no risk, no biscuit), which fell incomplete and stopped the clock, thus giving the Rams another free timeout. The next play, Brady threw a one-yard pass, which got the clock moving, and then on third-and-7 threw another incompletion, which gave the Rams their second free timeout before the Bucs had to punt. The Rams got the ball back with one minute on the clock and two timeouts. They went 61 yards in that minute and kicked a field goal to go up at the half, 17-14. No big deal, right? Wrong: a huge deal. The Bucs lost the game by three, and because of their indifference to the middle eight, they allowed those preventable three points. After the game, the discussion centered on Brady’s confusion with coverage, lack of great deep ball accuracy, and wide open receivers in the passing game. No one viewed the end of the half debacle as an actual debacle, except those who understood the essence of complementary football.
And there lies the philosophical problem between Arians and Brady. Both men have been successful, both men have their way of operating, yet both are different in their approach to the game plan, how to call a game and how all three facets of the team intersect with one another. When Brady signed in Tampa, Arians made it abundantly clear he was not changing his offense. After all, he is the quarterback whisperer, or so his book says so; therefore, why would he ever consider changing at the tender age of 68? He is in his last coaching job; why change now?
And Brady, at the age of 43, is not able to change either. He has never been the best deep-ball thrower, as that is not his game. His game is being quick with the ball, being in the right play, the right protection, carving up defenses, and controlling the ball. Brady is all about winning on first down, gaining positive yards, and this year the Bucs rank 30th overall in first down efficiency. It’s hard to be great on first down when you are always looking for a big play. Brady and Arians are not a match — neither is right or wrong; they are just wrong together.
Albert Einstein once said, “I never think of the future; it comes soon enough.” And the future for the Bucs is coming sooner, rather than later. The Glazer family must make a decision. They cannot rely on general manager Jason Licht for advice, as I am sure Licht believes that over time the partnership between Brady and Arians will pay dividends. Licht is too close to both parties. He talked Arians out of retirement to take the Bucs job, and he signed Brady. He passionately wants their partnership to work, but because he doesn’t truly understand Brady and how he approaches football, time and slight compromise will never be enough to bridge the gap.
The Bucs have an easy schedule to finish out the year, and they have enough talent on both sides of the ball that they could very well make a run in the playoffs. But we all know Arians is not about compromise, nor is Brady at age 43 best suited to play outside his comfort zone. The plan was for the Glazers to win a Super Bowl now, and if it doesn’t happen this year, neither Brady nor Arians offer any sustainable long-term franchise solutions, nor do they philosophically understand the game the same way. The Glazers must decide their future alone. If this partnership isn’t sustainable, what move might put the Bucs in the best position to draft and sign the young players who will help them win in the future? Do they continue with a 68-year-old coach and forgo a $25 million dollar investment in Brady next season? Or do they remove Arians, costing them significant money (although not $25 million), and hire a Brady-friendly coach for next year, with the emphasis on finding his eventual replacement?
No one was worried about the future when Brady signed or when Arians was talked out of the television booth to return to the sideline. Now, after 12 games, someone needs to think of the future and plan with a long-term lens. The number one job of any NFL owner is to exhibit common sense, which is not often common for many owners. And common sense tells us in this situation that being old at the two most important positions is never good.
Some may say the future is now for the Bucs, but in terms of a long-term view of sustained success, 2022 is ultimately what will matter most for the franchise. The Glazers must plan today for tomorrow and ask themselves one hard question: What move could we make that best allows us to win in 2022? And when they find the answer to that question, once the season ends for 2020, the Bucs, with the Glazers’ blessing, need to make those specific moves. They cannot view 2021 as their next chance to win a title because 2020 has already proven one thing: Under this current setup, with an old coach and an old quarterback holding tight onto different philosophical approaches, the Bucs will not be adding that trophy to the lobby.
We read this with interest, but some wonder. He says Arians called the first down play for the deep pass, but wait – we thought OC Byron Leftwich was the play caller. We also are not sure why Brady was compelled by the “play call” to make the long throw. Were there other receivers on shorter patterns? After the incompletion, Brady threw for one, then threw incomplete. Was a 2nd-and-10 so difficult to overcome and couldn’t a run been stuffed or a short pass gain nothing?
So not the ideal situation, but is it really worth pinning the whole thing as a “debacle?”
We don’t contest the general theme, Brady certainly seems to be heaving the ball wildly down the field at times, but we’re not sure this specific example is as illustrative as Lombardi claims.
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NFC WEST
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SAN FRANCISCO
Clay Travis is surprised that the 49ers so meekly allowed Dr. Jack Smith, the MD and JD who runs Santa Clara County, to kick them out.
@ClayTravis
I am absolutely stunned that the San Francisco 49ers & Stanford University aren’t suing Santa Clara County over the county forcing them to leave their home to play football. Why are they meekly acquiescing to this unconstitutional insanity? Battle the county in court!
Is there a biblical illusion to the Niners being sent to the desert for 40 days?
Jason Schwartz points this out:
@JasonSchwartz
Element of the absurd: Santa Clara county is averaging 26.8 cases per 100,000, Maricopa County in AZ is averaging nearly twice that, 48.6.
Is this a hidden benefit for the 49ers (or will California still try to claim the 49ers are doing business in the Golden State)?
@SloopyTexas
If they play the games out of state, the players will be able to leave that share of their salary off their CA tax return. If they play in TX, that’ll be like getting a 13% raise on that money. So the players are probably all for it.
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AFC WEST
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DENVER
With Denver languishing on the field (perhaps through some bad injury luck), one of those trying to take over the team claims she has unique ownership capabilities. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:
The Denver Broncos continue to have no specific owner, as trustees carrying out the wishes of the late Pat Bowlen wait to anoint one of his children as the person in charge of the team. One of his children, Beth Bowlen Wallace, believes the time has come for the status quo to change.
“My sister Amie, my uncle John Bowlen and I have had the privilege, along with all fans that bleed orange and blue, of seeing what a winning team looks like,” Wallace said in a statement issued on Wednesday. “Watching these past few seasons has been extremely painful and we continue to see no other way to restore the franchise for our fans but through a transition of ownership of the Denver Broncos.
“My father Pat Bowlen would never have accepted the team’s current state. Fortunately, my father’s legacy as one of the NFL’s greatest owners has been solidified at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton. We will forever reflect on the over 30 years of ownership that got him there with great pride. Our desire is for this team to be restored to its winning ways and to see more Super Bowl championships for Broncos Country. We have been committed to and will continue to pursue resolutions on all issues in order to ensure a smooth and timely transition.
“We are hopeful that the current leadership agrees that this is in the best interests of the Denver Broncos and most importantly, it is in the best interests of our incredibly loyal fans, my father’s legacy and the Bowlen family.”
Wallace has pending litigation aimed at dismantling the trust. Presumably, she’d like to serve as the controlling owner.
Regardless of whether the trust does or doesn’t finish its work in identifying and appointing a successor to Bowlen from his family of seven children, a transition of ownership via a sale of the team may be inevitable. The NFL recently beefed up the penalties for teams that don’t have an owner with the minimum percentage of ownership and final say over all franchise matters. Last year, Broncos CEO Joe Ellis acknowledged that, if the seven children can’t agree to permanently delegate power over the team to one person, the team will have to be sold.
It’s indeed starting to feel like the team eventually will be sold.
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Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com on how the Broncos are putting the QB snafu behind them:
Denver Broncos coach Vic Fangio said Wednesday that the team has fined all four of its quarterbacks for violations of COVOD-19 protocols, including not wearing masks.
Two of the quarterbacks, Drew Lock and Brett Rypien, returned to practice Wednesday. Lock, Rypien and Blake Bortles, who is on the practice squad, were not eligible to play in Sunday’s 31-3 loss to the New Orleans Saints after being deemed high-risk close contacts of quarterback Jeff Driskel, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday. Fangio had said earlier this week that all forms of discipline were “on the table” for the four.
More discipline, including a fine to the organization as well as the loss of a draft pick, could come from the NFL in the days and weeks ahead.
Fangio also said Wednesday that Bortles would not practice with the team to “limit his exposure here.” In addition, the Broncos have Kyle Shurmur, who spent last season with the Kansas City Chiefs and is Broncos offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur’s son, going through COVID-19 testing in case the team wants to add him to the practice squad.
Driskel remains on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Lock, who has tested negative throughout the past week, was throwing with the starters in Wednesday’s practice and is expected to start Sunday against the Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium.
“We came in on that Tuesday and got some extra work in when no one was here, and we got too lackadaisical with [the protocols],” he said Wednesday. “It ended up hurting us and it hurt this program and I apologize for letting that happen. We could have been better. That’s the point of the matter here. We needed to be perfect and we weren’t perfect. That’s something that we’ve got to be better at.”
The Broncos used running backs Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman at quarterback at times in the loss to the Saints. Practice squad wide receiver Kendall Hinton, who played quarterback in three of his seasons at Wake Forest, played just over half of the team’s snaps at quarterback.
Hinton finished 1-of-9 passing for 13 yards with two interceptions as the Broncos gained just 112 yards overall, their lowest output in a game since a 1992 loss in Washington.
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KANSAS CITY
With the Chiefs preparing for a Pat Schurmur-coached offense, Jeff Legwold ofESPN.com ruminates on the Andy Reid coaching tree.
The Ravens’ John Harbaugh, Bills’ Sean McDermott, Washington’s Ron Rivera, Bears’ Matt Nagy, Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and Shurmur were all on Reid’s first staff with the Eagles in 1999. All have been NFL head coaches, and though Harbaugh has won a Super Bowl and Rivera was the Panthers head coach against the Broncos in Super Bowl 50, it hasn’t been easy for any of them to replicate Reid’s offensive prowess, playcalling feel and 217 regular-season wins. Nagy and Pederson, in particular, have had a pile of struggles this season.
Teams have found that the branches of the coaching tree can be different than the trunk.
“It’s like what Steve Young says about quarterbacks: The great ones are artists, and that’s borne out over time. It develops over time,” said ESPN’s Monday Night Football analyst Louis Riddick, who spent six seasons, including four as director of pro personnel for the Eagles, in Reid’s tenure. “That was the first time [Reid] called plays when he was with the Eagles. He’s a much different playcaller now than he was in 1999 or even a few seasons ago. A lot of that Andy has developed over a long period of time. The other guys are not to that point in their careers.
“Generally speaking … football is so nuanced. A lot of times, there are so many things that go into success and failure with coaches. When new coaches are hired, a lot of times they’re going into situations that aren’t ideal right off the bat, like the situations they just left. If the situation they just left wasn’t so good, owners and coaches wouldn’t go and poach these guys out of those situations.”
It is easy to forget Reid’s clock management issues and — as odd as it might sound when he has unleashed quarterback Patrick Mahomes onto the football world — his unwillingness to have his team run the ball. Those criticisms were in place as recently as the 2017 season — the year before Mahomes became the full-time starter — when the Chiefs lost a wild-card playoff game to the Titans and then-Kansas City running back Kareem Hunt had five carries in the final three quarters, resulting in a second-half collapse after the Chiefs held a 21-3 halftime lead.
By contrast, this season the Chiefs won a game against the Bills in which they ran the ball 46 times, and they won Sunday against the Buccaneers throwing the ball 50 times.
“Our playcalling is basically a collaboration on what we study for the particular week,” Bieniemy said. “On top of that, we’ll use our analytics [and] making sure that we’re on top of it by collectively putting our guys in the right positions so they can go play. Is it a gut feel? Yes. On top of that, it’s study and preparing and making sure that collectively we’re all on the same page as we come out of that meeting room.”
1999 Eagles-turned-head coaches
Here’s a look at the members of Andy Reid’s 1999 Philadelphia Eagles team who went on to become NFL head coaches. For comparison, Reid has 217 regular-season wins and a .627 winning percentage in 22 seasons.
COACH YRS. REC. WIN%
John Harbaugh 13 124-78 .614
Matt Nagy 3 25-18 .581
*Doug Pederson 5 41-32-1 .561
Sean McDermott 4 33-26 .559
Ron Rivera 10 80-70-1 .533
Leslie Frazier 4 21-32-1 .398
Pat Shurmur 5 19-46 .292
Steve Spagnuolo 4 11-41 .212
*-was a player
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AFC NORTH
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BALTIMORE
John Harbaugh looks at Wednesday’s odd game and the circumstances that created it. Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com:
The Ravens have just been through one of the weirdest weeks in NFL history, seeing their game postponed three times because of a COVID-19 outbreak. But coach John Harbaugh thinks it was handled as well as those circumstances could have been handled.
Harbaugh said after the Ravens lost to the Steelers that everyone did everything they could to play the game and play it safely.
“I just feel like the league did their best. We did our best,” Harbaugh said, via ESPN. “We didn’t bat 1.000. Nobody did. The league didn’t. Nobody did. You can’t bat 1.000 against this thing. But I think our response, in terms of our effort, was a perfect effort.”
The Ravens were obviously shorthanded against the Steelers, with star quarterback Lamar Jackson heading a long list of players who missed the game because of COVID-19. But they managed to get the game played, and to Harbaugh, that in and of itself is an accomplishment
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PITTSBURGH
A note from NFL Research:
@NFLResearch
Ben Roethlisberger was 13-0 as a starter in 2004, and now he’s 11-0
He joins Peyton Manning (2005 and 2009) as the only QBs since at least 1950 to win each of their 1st 11 starts in a season, twice @steelers
But the win cost the Steelers one of their best defenders. Grant Gordon of NFL.com:
Steelers pass rusher Bud Dupree was injured in the second half of the Steelers’ 19-14 win on Wednesday against the Ravens and it’s likely to be the last game played for the standout linebacker this season — and perhaps with Pittsburgh.
Initial tests on Dupree indicate a torn ACL, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo and Aditi Kinkhabwala reported following the game.
Tests are coming to confirm the injury, but the team expects Dupree to be lost for the remainder of the season.
In his postgame press conference, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin stated that Dupree was injured, being evaluated and that Tomlin would likely have an update on Thursday, but nothing more.
Coming into Wednesday, Dupree, a 2015 first-rounder, had eight sacks (second on the team) and left Wednesday with five tackles.
Dupree is set to be a free agent in 2021 as he’s playing on the franchise tag.
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AFC SOUTH
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INDIANAPOLIS
RB JONATHAN TAYLOR is off the Covid list to which he was dispatched when his girlfriend was afflicted. Luke Schultheis at SBNation.com:
The Indianapolis Colts announced on Wednesday that the team has activated rookie running back Jonathan Taylor from the team’s Reserve/COVID-19 list, and there’s reports that he’s already back practicing with his teammates.
Having had a personal close contact exposure, Taylor was required to be placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list last week, and he subsequently missed this past Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans.
It’s positive news for the Colts backfield, as the 5’10”, 226 pound big bodied back—with a second gear, had arguably the best game of his career two weeks ago against the Green Bay Packers, where he rushed for 90 total rushing yards on 22 carries (4.1 ypc. avg.).
He’ll look to keep that momentum going in a divisional clash this weekend against the Houston Texans, who have the NFL’s 2nd worst run defense (allowing 154.7 rushing yards per game). Taylor leads the Colts with 518 total rushing yards in his debut campaign.
While Taylor will presumably split some of the backfield reps with fellow running backs Nyheim Hines and Jordan Wilkins, he could still be poised for a big day between the tackles (as long as the Colts can get some adequate blocking from injured left tackle Anthony Castonzo’s replacement).
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AFC EAST
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MIAMI
The Dolphins won’t be announcing a starting QB this week. Michael David Smith ofProFootballTalk.com:
The Dolphins aren’t tipping their hands about their starting quarterback.
Dolphins head coach Brian Flores said today that Tua Tagovailoa, who is limited in practice with a thumb injury, is the starter if 100 percent healthy, but the Dolphins won’t decide until Sunday whether they’re confident Tagovailoa can go, or whether Ryan Fitzpatrick will start.
“He was limited in practice. We’ll take it one day at a time. Both quarterbacks practiced yesterday. We’ll see how he progresses throughout the week and make a decision on Sunday,” Flores said, via Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald.
Fitzpatrick started the first six games of the season and was playing well before Flores made the surprising decision to bench him for Tagovailoa. Flores then benched Tagovailoa for Fitzpatrick in Week 11, and Tagovailoa injured his thumb in practice in Week 12, forcing Fitzpatrick to start again. Now the Dolphins will wait and see who’s going to go on Sunday against the Bengals, when the Dolphins will be heavily favored to win no matter who their starting quarterback is.
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NEW YORK JETS
Adam Gase doesn’t mince words on the lack of progress by QB SAM DARNOLD – and Gase’s role in it. Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com:
In Sam Darnold‘s three seasons as the Jets’ franchise quarterback, there’s been little sign of improvement. Jets coach Adam Gase is willing to take some blame for that.
Gase said today that he recognizes that he was hired in large part because Jets ownership saw him as the coach who could get the most out of Darnold, and it hasn’t worked out the way anyone hoped.
“I came here to help him and help him develop his career and we haven’t been able to do that. That’s why these games are so important, to help him continue to grow,” Gase said, via Ralph Vacchiano of SNY. “I haven’t done a good enough job.”
Gase also indicated, however, that he thinks the personnel around Darnold has been a problem.
“At the same time, that’s what’s frustrating about the quarterback position, you do need 10 other guys to do their job as well,” Gase said. “When he throws one of those really good balls and it’s dropped, that’s frustrating.”
Much has been frustrating about the Gase-Darnold experience. But it’s likely to be over after five more games.
Did you know that the Jets were 7-9 last year, winning 6 of their last 8? If we did, we forgot it.
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THIS AND THAT
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AIKMAN RATINGS thru Week 12
The teams with the best record in each conference, the Steelers and Saints, sit 1-2 atop the Aikman Combined Ratings.
It is the 3rd straight week that Pittsburgh has been 1st in the Aikman Combined. The Saints jump up from 6th with their win over the out-manned Broncos last Sunday. New Orleans is the only team in the top 5 in both Aikman Offense and Aikman Defense.
The Steelers continue to lead in Aikman Defense, while ranking 12th Aikman Offense (they are only 22nd in the NFL’s total yards calculation).
The Chiefs are just 0.1 ahead of Green Bay and 0.2 in front of Tennessee in a tight bunch in the Aikman Offense Ratings. Kansas City has only been okay in Aikman Defense, ranking 18th.
Aikman Ratings NFL Rankings
Off Def Comb Off Def Comb
1 11-0 Steelers 88.5 78.5 167.0 22 3 25
2 9-2 Saints 94.2 70.4 164.6 13 1 14
3 6-5 Cardinals 96.2 65.9 162.1 2 15 17
4 7-5 Buccaneers 91.3 70.2 161.5 15 7 22
5 7-4 Rams 87.3 74.2 161.5 6 2 8
6 10-1 Chiefs 97.7 62.9 160.6 1 18 19
7 5-6 Vikings 93.3 65.1 158.4 7 23 30
8 8-3 Packers 97.6 60.4 158.0 4 13 17
9 8-3 Titans 97.5 57.4 154.9 8 25 33
10 7-4 Colts 85.9 68.8 154.7 12 5 17
11 7-4 Dolphins 83.6 71.1 154.7 30 20 50
12 8-3 Browns 88.8 64.4 153.2 18 17 35
13 6-5 Ravens 83.6 69.5 153.1 23 8 31
14 8-3 Seahawks 94.2 58.6 152.8 5 32 37
15 8-3 Bills 90.3 61.7 152.0 11 21 32
16 5-6 49ers 84.2 67.4 151.6 14 6 20
17 4-7 Washington 79.5 71.1 150.6 26 4 30
18 3-8 Chargers 86.7 61.7 148.4 3 12 15
19 4-7 Falcons 86.8 61.2 148.0 10 27 37
20 5-6 Patriots 83.6 63.4 147.0 20 16 36
21 6-5 Raiders 89.9 56.9 146.8 17 22 39
22 4-7 Giants 77.0 68.5 145.5 29 10 39
23 4-8 Panthers 84.9 59.7 144.6 19 19 38
24 3-7-1 Eagles 78.7 65.2 143.9 28 9 37
25 5-6 Bears 75.0 68.4 143.4 31 13 44
26 4-7 Texans 87.4 55.4 142.8 16 30 46
27 4-7 Lions 84.3 56.5 140.8 20 29 49
28 1-10 Jaguars 81.9 55.7 137.6 25 31 56
29 4-7 Broncos 71.1 65.6 136.7 27 11 38
30 2-8-1 Bengals 78.4 57.1 135.5 24 26 50
31 3-8 Cowboys 79.1 53.6 132.7 9 23 32
32 0-11 Jets 66.4 62.6 129.0 32 28 60
NFL Average 85.8 64.0 149.8 NFL Ranks Net Yards
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FITTING COACHES
Five ESPN.com experts slot in one coach for a team with a vacancy:
You get to make one of the open head-coaching hires. Who are you hiring, and for which team?
Fowler: Eric Bieniemy for the Texans. I’m not overthinking this one. Go with the top candidate and throw him enough money and years on the contract to secure him. Then give him ample time to figure it all out. For all Deshaun Watson’s brilliance, there’s untapped potential there. He could navigate the pocket better and avoid sacks with quicker decisions. Bieniemy can use his eight years of experience with Andy Reid to get the Texans’ offense organized. Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is a tempting choice because of how he manufactures points with a run-heavy offense, but I see Bieniemy and Watson connecting in a big way for years to come.
Graziano: Raheem Morris for the Falcons. Take the interim tag off and give him the job full time. He is 4-2 since taking over for the fired Dan Quinn, and Morris would be 5-1 if Todd Gurley II had done what the coaches told him to do at the end of the Lions game. Morris has been on the staff for six years and has been a position coach on offense as well as defense. The players know him and appear to be playing hard for him. He has previous head-coaching experience. If you’re the Falcons, you’ve spent more than a half-decade developing Morris as a coaching prospect; and in the short time he has had the job, he has shown himself to be capable. I guess you have to look around, but if the Falcons finish strong, why not stick with what’s working and pick the guy you groomed?
Kimes: Robert Saleh for the Lions. Despite losing their best pass-rusher and best cornerback for most of the season, the San Francisco 49ers’ defense ranks in the top 10 in Football Outsiders’ defense-adjusted value over average (DVOA) metric. Saleh is, by all accounts, beloved by his players. He could turn around a culture in Detroit that has been suffering in recent years and do the same with a defense that has ranked near the bottom of the league ever since former head coach Matt Patricia took over in 2018.
Walder: Joe Brady for the Texans. Yes, he is 31. And yes, he was a grad assistant just four years ago. But an edge gained in passing offense is the most important advantage a team can acquire. A year after Joe Burrow became vastly improved when Brady was LSU’s passing game coordinator, Teddy Bridgewater has recorded a career-best QBR by a mile. The upside of what Brady could do with Deshaun Watson makes it worth taking a risk on his lack of experience.
Yates: Eric Bieniemy for the Texans. We’ll see how many jobs wind up opening, but the Texans’ gig will be among the most appealing from a roster standpoint for one reason: Deshaun Watson. Make no mistake, there is a ton of work to be done on this roster and within the organizational structure; but Watson is a prized quarterback with whom Bieniemy — who has been remarkable with the Chiefs — would have all sorts of fun working. Bieniemy seems to be the closest thing to a lock to earn a head-coaching gig this offseason, and he might have multiple suitors.
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TOP 10 PLAYERS ON LOSING TEAMS
Nick Shook of NFL.com offers this list:
Through the first three months of the 2020 NFL season, 17 teams — 10 in the NFC, seven in the AFC — sit below .500. But losing operations still have winning individual efforts. And those players — the resilient guys who keep excelling on flawed rosters — deserve some love. With Next Gen Stats guiding his way, Nick Shook identifies the 10 best players on losing teams in 2020.
NOTE: All statistical rankings were current as of Dec. 1.
1 Deshaun Watson
Houston Texans · QB
Houston isn’t in the playoff hunt thanks to a dreadful start that saw Bill O’Brien fired, but the Texans are still worth watching on a weekly basis because of the exploits of Watson. The quarterback is a magician with the ball in his hands and has helped his top two receivers (Brandin Cooks and Will Fuller) put together quality campaigns, while also getting three tight ends (Jordan Akins, Pharaoh Brown and Darren Fells) involved fairly frequently. Partially due to Houston’s lack of a viable rushing attack, Watson puts up gaudy numbers on a near-weekly basis, currently ranking fourth in passing yards (3,201) and fifth in touchdown passes (24). But even when defenses know the ball is going to end up in Watson’s control, they still aren’t stopping him. Watson owns a 5:0 touchdown-to-interception ratio in empty formations, and his passer rating is even better in such scenarios (127.1) than his third-best rating on all attempts (112.5), which is built on his 24:5 TD-to-INT ratio. Only Ben Roethlisberger has a higher passer rating out of empty formations, and no one is gaining more yards per attempt in this environment than Watson at 10.2.
Fuller’s departure via season-ending suspension will force Watson to adjust on the fly, but as we all know, he’s excellent at improvising. And when he’s had Fuller available, he’s used his speed and the burner ability of Cooks to post the highest passer rating outside the numbers at 134.4, while also gaining an average of 10.1 yards on such attempts, which is also the best mark in the NFL.
2 Justin Herbert
Los Angeles Chargers · QB
Herbert’s rookie season has been one for the ages, which is crazy to think about when you remember that he was stuck on the bench before a mistake on the part of a trainer forced him into action. The Chargers lucked out with the quarterback widely seen simply as the next-best option after Tua Tagovailoa, and Los Angeles clearly has its man under center for the foreseeable future.
Herbert ranks ninth in the NFL in passing yards through 11 games with 3,015, and his touchdown-to-interception ratio (23:7) and resulting passer rating (100.9) are at the level of a seasoned veteran, not a rookie. It sounds unbelievable, but it’s true: Herbert is a top-10 quarterback in his first NFL season, and he’s excelled in a variety of ways.
A typical defense might try to frazzle an inexperienced quarterback by blitzing plenty, but that won’t work against Herbert, who is tied for the fifth-best touchdown-to-interception ratio against the blitz at 10:1. He’s excellent going deep, throwing nine touchdown passes on attempts of 20-plus air yards (tied for third-best in the league), and he’s just as effective when threading the needle, throwing six touchdown passes when targeting a receiver in a tight window (tied for second-most in the NFL). He’s productive on such attempts beyond touchdowns, too, gaining 7.2 yards per attempt in tight-window targets, the third-best figure in the league.
No matter the circumstances, the quiet kid from Eugene has proven he is more than capable of guiding an NFL offense. The Chargers struck gold with the sixth overall pick and found their guy, even in a season most will want to forget once it’s finished.
3 Terry McLaurin
Washington Football Team · WR
If McLaurin played in a bigger market, we might be hearing about him on a weekly basis. Sometimes, though, his absurd exploits just force their way into the national consciousness. Like back in Week 9, with his incredibly improbable touchdown against New York. According to Next Gen Stats, McLaurin was expected to gain just 1 additional yard following his reception … but ended up racking up 48 yards after the catch en route to a touchdown. The score was good for +47 in YAC over expected, and also completed the most implausible touchdown we’ll likely see for some time, with his probability of scoring at the time of reception below 1 percent.
That’s the highlight, but it’s the work in between that makes McLaurin one of the NFL’s best young receivers. McLaurin is averaging +2.2 YAC over expected per reception, the third-highest rate of all NFL wideouts (minimum 20 receptions), and he’s doing so while accounting for 45.6 percent of Washington’s total air yards this season. (Meaning he’s seeing plenty of targets and still making the most of such opportunities.)
Defenses can key on McLaurin, but he’s proven they can’t shut him down. And when Washington needs him to step outside of his skill set, he can do that, too, as evidenced by his touchdown-saving chase-down tackle of Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith last week, which preserved Washington’s lead and allowed it to run away with a win on Thanksgiving.
McLaurin does more than your typical receiver, and for that and many more reasons, he belongs on this list. He also belongs in your thoughts when considering the league’s best going forward.
4 Keenan Allen
Los Angeles Chargers · WR
We’re not in charge of Madden ratings, so Allen doesn’t have a gripe with us. He should be proud to be on this list, though, even as his Chargers struggle to stack wins.
Allen is a major reason for Justin Herbert‘s place on this list, and together, they’ve created one of the most prolific connections in the NFL in 2020. Herbert knows it’s wise to look Allen’s way, targeting him on 30.7 percent of Allen’s routes run this season, the second-highest mark among receivers with at least 100 routes run. Allen’s tight-window percentage is above 22, reflecting the aforementioned point about Herbert’s effectiveness in tight windows — and it helps when the target caught in the tight window is a player of Allen’s caliber. Bolts offensive coordinator Shane Steichen deserves credit for putting Allen in positions to succeed, too. Allen has caught 37 passes for 406 yards on 53 targets when aligned in the slot. Six of his seven touchdown catches also came via slot alignment, tying him with fellow AFC West receiver Tyreek Hill for the most scoring grabs in this capacity.
In total, Allen boasts a league-high 85 catches. It might be a tough year for the Chargers, but No. 13 is still flourishing — even with a new quarterback.
5 Joey Bosa
Los Angeles Chargers · DE
Yes, there are three Chargers on this list, a fact one could take in a number of directions. Los Angeles handsomely rewarded Bosa in the offseason with a lucrative contract extension, and No. 97’s proving he’s worth every penny.
Bosa is tied for ninth in the NFL in sacks with 7.5, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. Bosa is elite when it comes to getting to or near the quarterback, registering 40 pressures (tied for fifth-most in the NFL), and has pressured the quarterback on 15.9 percent of his pass rushes, the second-highest rate in the entire league (minimum 150 pass rushes).
Bosa wins with speed and superior technique, using his 0.78-second get-off time from the edge (seventh-fastest among edge defenders, minimum 150 pass rushes aligned on the edge) to gain an instant advantage before getting his hands into the chest of an opposing blocker, winning the leverage battle and skirting past him to close in on the passer.
Bosa got home three times in Week 12, finding great success amid a losing season and serving as the inspiration for this entire piece. He’s damn good — five years, $135 million good.
6 Dalvin Cook
Minnesota Vikings · RB
Derrick Henry is again the league leader in rushing yards, but just behind him is Cook, who proved with his absence just how valuable he is to the Vikings’ chances of success. Of the top 10 rushers in the NFL, only Nick Chubb (6.3) owns a better yards-per-carry average than Cook’s 5.2 figure, and that’s with 104 fewer carries than Cook due to Chubb’s own extended absence. Cook is shredding defenses and producing loads of points, scoring 13 touchdowns on the ground while racking up 1,130 yards on 219 carries.
A key indicator of effectiveness beyond the norm can be found in yards gained over expectation, and Cook is a stud in that department, racking up +222 rushing yards over expectation and trailing only Chubb (271) for the league lead. Cook’s average of 1.03 rushing yards gained over expectation per carry is the third-highest in the league, and he’s one of only three qualified players to average more than 1 rushing yard over expected this season (Chubb and Ronald Jones are the others).
The wide-zone scheme is again proving fruitful, with seven of Cook’s touchdowns coming on rushes outside the tackles, which is tied for the most among running backs with New Orleans’ Alvin Kamara.
We didn’t even cover his contributions through the air, either. Just pull up the tape from Minnesota’s rematch with Green Bay and fast-forward to his touchdown reception. That will tell you all you need to know about Cook’s impact on the game, no matter his team’s record.
7 Justin Jefferson
Minnesota Vikings · WR
Look, another Viking! Jefferson was initially in the “also considered” category below, but after taking a closer look at his numbers, it’s impossible to leave him off this list.
In his rookie season, Jefferson is in the top eight in receiving yards (918), top 15 in receiving touchdowns (six) and top four in yards per reception (17.7). It would make sense if Jefferson were Minnesota’s only receiving option, but down there on the “also considered” list is teammate Adam Thielen, who also could’ve been in this top 10.
So, how is Jefferson doing it? Well, by taking advantage of his opportunities. Jefferson is averaging 3.0 receiving yards gained per route — not reception, route — this season, which is the second most in the entire league behind only star receiver Davante Adams. Jefferson’s receiving yards per route run is also the most by any rookie who has run at least 100 routes since 2016.
Jefferson isn’t just filling Stefon Diggs‘ shoes in Minnesota — he’s blowing holes through the sides of them. Quick, someone get this man a new pair of cleats! He has more routes to run and yards to gain.
8 James Robinson
Jacksonville Jaguars · RB
The Jaguars sent Leonard Fournette to the temporary unemployment line just before the start of the season and pushed all of their chips into the center of the table on a hand powered by Robinson, an unknown, undrafted player who needed only one game to grab the attention of those not already curious. He’s since served as Jacksonville’s best hope offensively and also given legitimate momentum to his candidacy as a feature back for the seasons ahead.
Robinson’s 890 rushing yards place him third in the NFL, and his yards-per-carry average of 4.6 tells us this isn’t just a case of a guy getting a ton of carries within a bad offense. His rushing yards over expected (+34) aren’t stellar, landing outside the top 20, but the fact it’s still in the positive — when opposing defenses enter games knowing he’s Jacksonville’s best option — is encouraging.
Robinson has also been rather effective in the passing game, gaining 313 yards after catch when aligned in the backfield, which is tied for third-most in the NFL.
And the rookie has done all of this despite the fact that he’s playing for a team that is staring at a top-two pick in April. It’s just the beginning for Mr. Robinson.
9 Jessie Bates
Cincinnati Bengals · FS
Bates has been trending in this direction for a while now, but one key statistic jumped off the screen when viewing defensive backs: ballhawk rate. Of all defensive backs with a minimum of 30 targets in which he was the nearest defender, Bates owns the best ballhawk rate (the percentage of targets where the nearest defender made a play on the football, either via a pass defensed or an interception) by a wide margin, making a play on the ball on 43.3 percent of his 30 targets. The next-closest defender in this category is Jacksonville’s Sidney Jones, at 29 percent on 31 targets. It’s no surprise, then, to see Bates with 13 passes defensed and three interceptions to his name, boasting a lowly passer rating allowed of 61.9. Bates is also allowing a -7.9 completion percentage below expectation, taking away a decent amount of should-be completions with his play. His targeted EPA (expected points added) is also in the negative by double digits at -11.2. The guy essentially takes points off the board.
Bates has been targeted on 8.1 percent of plays, meaning the majority of his snaps aren’t offering him a chance to make an impact. But when he is the nearest defender, he’s changing the game in favor of the Bengals on the back end of Cincinnati’s defense in a significant way.
10 Brian Burns
Carolina Panthers · DE
Burns might be a bit of a surprise, but he lands on this list because of where he stands among some of the game’s elite edge rushers. Burns has quietly made a legitimate impact for Carolina this season, tying for fifth among all defenders in disruptions with 45. His quarterback pressure rate is over 10 percent, and his disruption rate is near that of Myles Garrett, with the two separated by less than one percentage point. Burns also has six sacks and two turnovers caused by pressure to his name, as well as 27 stops, with the latter putting him in the top four among all defensive ends.
Believe it or not, Burns is making a difference for the Panthers. It’s about time we start paying attention to his performance on a weekly basis.
ALSO CONSIDERED: James Bradberry, CB, New York Giants; Zach Cunningham, LB, Houston Texans; Antonio Gibson, RB, Washington Football Team; Allen Robinson, WR, Chicago Bears; Justin Simmons, FS, Denver Broncos; Roquan Smith, LB, Chicago Bears; Adam Thielen, WR, Minnesota Vikings; Fred Warner, LB, San Francisco 49ers.
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PETE PRISCO’s NFL RANKINGS
Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com offers his 1-32, with the Niners up 8 spots after beating the Rams. Not sure why he keeps the Raiders at #13 after being blasted by Atlanta, while dropping the Ravens two spots to #14 after an honorable loss to #1 Pittsburgh.
1 STEELERS
They didn’t look great in beating a depleted Ravens team, but they keep on winning. At some point, they have to run the ball better. — 11-0-0
2 CHIEFS
They continue to roll up big numbers on offense. Can they be stopped? It sure doesn’t look like it. — 10-1-0
3 SAINTS
Taysom Hill is 2-0 as a starter, even if the passing numbers have been pedestrian. The idea is to just keep winning until Drew Brees is back. — 9-2-0
4 PACKERS They are explosive on offense, even lighting up a good Bears defense Sunday night. The defense is also playing better, which is a must. +1 8-3-0
5 SEAHAWKS
The defense has come alive the past two weeks. That makes Seattle a Super Bowl contender again. +2 8-3-0
6 BILLS
It wasn’t pretty against the Chargers, but the defense was better. That’s big going forward. They face a tough road game against the 49ers Monday night. +2 8-3-0
7 TITANS
They are in first place in the division and have done it with two impressive road victories. They face a tough one this week with the Browns. +2 8-3-0
8 BROWNS
They just keep running their way to victories, which is a change from most teams. Now they face a big game against the Titans on the road. +3 8-3-0
9 COLTS
It was amazing to see how different their defense was without DeForest Buckner and Denico Autry on their front. They looked like a different team against the Titans. -5 7-4-0
10 RAMS
That was a bad letdown loss to the 49ers at home. Now they have to regroup on the road against Arizona. -4 7-4-0
11 BUCCANEERS
They head to their bye off two straight losses. It’s amazing how their season has turned so quickly. -1 7-5-0
12 DOLPHINS
Ryan Fitzpatrick to the rescue. Doesn’t that seem like something we’ve heard before. Should he stay in to make a playoff push? +2 7-4-0
13 RAIDERS
What happened in Atlanta? Derek Carr and the offense both struggled in a big way. They can’t afford to lose games like that. — 6-5-0
14 RAVENS
They faced big odds in trying to beat the Steelers without Lamar Jackson and many others. Now the schedule gets a little softer. They can still make a run. -2 6-5-0
15 CARDINALS
Losing consecutive road games has them reeling a bit. Now they have to turn it around quickly with a big division game on tap with the Rams. — 6-5-0
16 PATRIOTS
They keep on scrapping to win games, even if they aren’t pretty in doing so. That’s a testament to Bill Belichick’s coaching. +1 5-6-0
17 TEXANS
Deshaun Watson has been on fire the past five games to keep their small playoff hopes alive. They play an enormous division game at home this week against the Colts. +3 4-7-0
18 VIKINGS
Rallying to beat the Panthers might have saved their season. Their playoff hopes are still alive as Kirk Cousins continues to play well. +2 5-6-0
19 49ERS
Winning at Los Angeles against the Rams speaks volumes about this team. They have fought through a lot of injuries and COVID losses, but they are still alive. +8 5-6-0
20 FALCONS
They are playing so much better under Raheem Morris. They aren’t out of it as they ready to face division-rival New Orleans for the second time in three weeks +2 4-7-0
21 PANTHERS
That was a tough loss at Minnesota, but that defense is starting to come together. That unit will be nasty in a year or so. -3 4-8-0
22 BRONCOS
The COVID-19 quarterback disaster of last week might have cost them any little playoff shot they had. It was their own doing, though. They now head to Kansas City. -3 4-7-0
23 CHARGERS
They can’t win games, even if they have a big-play quarterback. As this season continues to go in the wrong direction, you have to wonder if coach Anthony Lynn will be back. -2 3-8-0
24 BEARS
Does it really matter who plays quarterback? This season has gone to a bad place, whether it’s Nick Foles or Mitch Trubisky. Changes are coming. -1 5-6-0
25 GIANTS
They’ve won three straight to get back into the division race. But now they face a tough road game at Seattle and likely will be without quarterback Daniel Jones. — 4-7-0
26 WASHINGTON
Can you believe they are tied for first place in the division? The schedule gets a little tougher the rest of the way, but that defensive front will keep them in games. +3 4-7-0
27 LIONS
They fired general manager Bob Quinn and coach Matt Patricia after an embarrassing Thanksgiving Day loss. It was only a matter of time. -3 4-7-0
28 EAGLES
The offense just isn’t good enough. The questions about Carson Wentz are real as they continue to go in the wrong direction. -2 3-7-1
29 COWBOYS
That Thanksgiving Day performance against the Washington Football Team was awful. There were a bunch of questionable coaching decisions as well. -1 3-8-0
30 BENGALS
Without Joe Burrow, they showed some fight against the Giants. That’s a good sign for a young team. — 2-8-1
31 JAGUARS
They fired their general manager Dave Caldwell to get a jump on the process. Coach Doug Marrone almost certainly will go after the season. — 1-10-0
32 JETS
With their remaining schedule, it’s hard to believe they will win a game. The progress they seemed to be making went away against the Dolphins.
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