John Breech of CBS Sports on the wave of Covid cases in the NFL.

As cases of COVID-19 continue to rise around the country, the NFL is also dealing with the exact same issue. For the past few weeks, things have been relatively quiet on the COVID-19 front for the league, but that has change heading into Week 9.

It’s not even Friday yet and more than one-third of the league’s 32 teams are dealing with at least one case. As of Thursday afternoon, there have been 11 teams that have either had to place a player on the reserve/COVID-19 list or had to shut down their facility due to a COVID scare.

Two of the teams feeling the most impact will be the two teams that play on Thursday night in the Packers and 49ers. Each team had to put at least three players on their COVID list this week, and none of those players will be eligible to play Thursday night.

As for the other players around the league who have tested positive or have been placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list because they’re viewed as a high-risk close contact, they could potentially still play on Sunday if they record five straight days of negative tests. (This only applies to players who were placed on the list on Monday or Tuesday. Any player who is placed on the list after that will have to sit out Week 9.)

49ers: San Francisco has four players on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel along with starting tackle Trent Williams were deemed close contacts of receiver Kendrick Bourne, who tested positive. None will be allowed to play on Thursday night.

Packers: The Packers have three guys on the reserve/COVID-19 list: Running backs A.J. Dillon and Jamaal Williams along with linebacker Kamal Martin. None of the three will be allowed to play on Thursday night.

Lions: Matthew Stafford was the biggest name to land on the reserve/COVID-19 list for any team this week and he’s one of two Lions players currently on the list, along with linebacker Jarrad Davis. 

Ravens: Not only is Baltimore dealing with a positive test from cornerback Marlon Humphrey, but they also had to place linebackers Matt Judon, Tyus Bowser, Patrick Queen, L.J. Fort and Malik Harrison along with defensive backs Terrell Bonds and DeShon Elliott on the reserve/COVID-19 list. The Ravens play the Colts this week.

Texans: The Texans decided to cancel practice and shut down their facility on Thursday after linebacker Jacob Martin tested positive for COVID-19. The Texans will be traveling to Jacksonville in Week 9.

Cowboys: The Cowboys were hoping that Andy Dalton could play this week, but that won’t be happening, because he’s been placed on the team’s reserve/COVID-19 list. Instead, the Cowboys will be going with either Cooper Rush or Garrett Gilbert to face the undefeated Steelers.

Bears: Offensive tackle Jason Spriggs tested positive for COVID-19, which landed him and guard Germain Ifedi on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Ifedi was placed on the list after the league determined he was a high risk close contact. Offensive lineman Cody Whitehair has also tested positive, according to NFL.com.

Broncos: The Broncos have placed practice squad tackle Darrin Paulo and defensive end Shelby Harris on the COVID-19 list. Several members of the Broncos front office, including GM John Elway and team president Joe Ellis have also tested positive. The Broncos play the Falcons on Sunday.

Cardinals: Arizona had to place two players on the reserve/COVID-19 list this week in linebacker Devon Kennard and cornerback Byron Murphy Jr., who both tested positive. The Cardinals will be hosting the Dolphins on Sunday with a potentially depleted defense if Murphy and Kennard aren’t able to play.

Colts: In Indianapolis, the Colts didn’t have any players test positive, but they did have one team employee who came down with COVID-19. Due to that situation, the Colts will hold practice as normal Thursday, but all in-person meetings have been changed to virtual meetings.

Chiefs: Like the Colts, the Chiefs also had a staff member test positive. The team will hold practice on Thursday morning and then close their facility after that. Team meetings planned for Thursday afternoon will be held virtually.

As for the NFL schedule, it’s unlikely the league will make any changes for Week 9, but if things get any crazier, who knows what will happen. 

We note, for all the talk – we still are not aware of anyone in the NFL who has had more than mild symptoms in the wake of a positive test.

Here, from Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com is the specific 49ers-Packers toll with “close contacts” now being shutdown on both sides.

The latest round of testing for the Packers and 49ers is back and there were no results that will keep Thursday night’s game from being played.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that the game is set to be played as scheduled after both teams dealt with positive COVID-19 test results and contact tracing earlier this week. That will leave both teams without players, but the show will go on without them.

Packers running back AJ Dillon tested positive and will not play. The Packers won’t have running back Jamaal Williams and linebacker Kamal Martin as they were deemed high-risk close contacts of Dillon.

On the 49ers side, wide receiver Kendrick Bourne is out because of a positive test. Left tackle Trent Williams, wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and wide receiver Deebo Samuel were placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list as close contacts, although Samuel was already set to miss the game with a hamstring injury.

NFC NORTH

DETROIT

QB MATTHEW STAFFORD goes on the Covid list – although no positive test as of yet.  Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com:

You could list the entire offense here, but quarterback Matthew Stafford going on the reserve/COVID-19 list as a “high-risk, close contact” with a non-team member, according to Insider Adam Schefter, is the team’s biggest concern. While it’s possible he plays Sunday against Minnesota, he would have to test negative all week and would go into a game against the Vikings with no practice time. If the Lions don’t have Stafford available, Chase Daniel would be the likely starting quarterback — and he’d potentially be playing with a depleted group anyway as receiver Kenny Golladay (hip), tackle Taylor Decker (back) and tackle Hal Vaitai (foot) all missed Wednesday’s practice. –

If Stafford does not test positive, he will be allowed to play, so don’t kick him off your fantasy team just yet.

Stafford was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday, but that reportedly won’t force the team to turn to backup Chase Daniel against the Vikings on Sunday.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports that Stafford will have to miss practice all week because he’s been deemed a high-risk close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. Based on the timing of that contact, he will be able to end his five-day isolation from the team in time to play in Minnesota.

All of that would change if Stafford tests positive or develops COVID-19 symptoms in the coming days.

If things remain clear on those fronts, Pelissero adds that Stafford will take a private flight to Minnesota because he won’t be out of isolation in time to travel with the team on Saturday.

GREEN BAY

What the Covid-related sidelining of RB JAMAAL WILLIAMS and RB AJ DILLON means for the Packers backfield on Thursday.

Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones was officially listed as questionable for Thursday night’s game against the San Francisco 49ers.

At this point, it doesn’t sound likely Jones will play, and if he does, don’t expect a hefty workload from the running back who has been dealing with a calf injury.

NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported on Good Morning Football that he does not hear optimism about Jones’ status.

“Even if he suits up, it’s going to be nowhere near a normal role for him,” Garafolo added.

The Packers are without backup Jamaal Williams and rookie A.J. Dillon due to COVID-19 protocols.

Green Bay has rightfully taken a cautious approach with Jones this season, not wanting to turn an injury that keeps him out a few weeks into one that knocks the stud running back out the entire season.

Jones, in the final year of his contract, has been pushing to play. With Tyler Ervin and Dexter Williams as the only other running backs ready to play, it’s possible Jones talks his way onto the field. If he does, don’t expect Matt LaFleur to give Jones his normal workload in his first game back — i.e., if you’re a Fantasy Football player with Jones on your squad, tread lightly even if he’s active.

NFC EAST

NEW YORK GIANTS

A scare for CB LOGAN RYAN has him grateful for his support system with the Giants:

It’s been a frightening few days for defensive back Logan Ryan and it’s made him all the more thankful to be a member of the New York Giants organization playing under coach Joe Judge.

When asked a question regarding Judge’s philosophies being similar to that of Bill Belichick, who Ryan previously played for and Judge assisted, the eight-year veteran found his way to telling reporters that his wife had been hospitalized and were it not for his head coach and a Giants trainer, “I don’t know if my wife would be here today.”

According to Ryan, his wife Ashley, flew to their home in Florida following Monday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to vote and to check on their house. Ryan’s wife experienced “extreme pain” in her stomach, but wanted to “sleep it off.” But Giants team trainer Justin Maher advised Ashley to instead go to the emergency room, which she did and ultimately avoided a potentially massive medical issue.

“I talked to one of our trainers about the symptoms. He said, ‘No, she needs to go to the ER.’ My wife ended up going to the ER, and they ended up catching, I don’t want to butcher the word, ectopic pregnancy, where the egg was in the wrong place in her fallopian tube and it was about to burst,” Ryan said Wednesday, via team transcript. “She ended up going into emergency surgery, that’s what I’m dealing with right now. They ended up saving her and ended up preventing a lot of what could have been done. That was a trainer on our team, Justin Maher, telling my wife to go to the ER at 1 a.m. and could have saved her life or saved a lot of internal bleeding there. That’s the type of organization we have here.”

Ryan said his wife and their children were “OK” and that the incident happened on Tuesday.

While thankful of Maher’s quick thinking and advice, he was likewise appreciative of Judge’s reaction to the ordeal.

“This happened all of yesterday, and Joe said, ‘if you need to fly to Florida, don’t worry about football.’ That’s who Joe is as a man and as a coach,” Ryan said. “I know we care about X’s and O’s and winning and losing, but there are really good people here. That’s why I came here. There are really good trainers here, there are really a lot of people behind the scenes that are working really hard for us to get wins. I’ll do everything I can to play for a coach like that and play for an organization like this because if that wasn’t the case, I don’t know if my wife would be here today. Honestly, I’m extremely grateful for this organization and for Joe, and for everyone to understand that there are things bigger than football, especially this year.”

Twice a Super Bowl winner with the Patriots, Ryan played four seasons with New England before moving on to the Titans for three years and finding his way to Judge’s Giants for 2020.

New York has struggled to a 1-7 record and Judge and his old-school approach has drawn criticism. However, in anything but a conventional year and football season, a harrowing ordeal that could have been far worse compelled Ryan to let people know how highly he thinks of his coach and the organization he’s playing for, never mind the struggles on the field.

“I just want to talk about something I don’t think people really much know about Joe and this organization. I know we talk a lot about wins and losses,” Ryan began before telling the aforementioned story.

In a season full of losses and a year full of tribulation, Ryan is thankful to be right where he is with the Giants and made sure to let it be known the character of people he’s playing for.

NFC SOUTH

NEW ORLEANS

Here is an update on the health of the Saints with the big re-match with the Buccaneers coming up on Sunday night.  Mike Triplett of ESPN.com:

Quarterback Drew Brees and running back Alvin Kamara joined wide receiver Michael Thomas on the New Orleans Saints’ injury report Wednesday.

Brees and Kamara downplayed their ailments as minor, as the Saints are hoping to finally have their full complement of offensive stars on the field together Sunday night at Tampa Bay for the first time since Week 1.

Brees (shoulder), Kamara (foot) and Thomas (ankle/hamstring) were all listed as limited participants in Wednesday’s practice. Receiver Emmanuel Sanders was also back practicing after missing the past two games on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

Brees, 41, correctly pointed out that he is always limited in Wednesday practices — which has been true for several years. He stopped throwing in Wednesday practices after games so he could get an extra day of rest and recovery.

But Brees is rarely listed on the injury report. And he was spotted wearing Kinesio tape on his right throwing shoulder during New Orleans’ 26-23 overtime victory at Chicago in Week 8.

When asked about the tape, Brees laughed and said, “I’m 41 years old. I’ve got a lot of stuff going on. But I just keep ticking.”

Kamara’s foot injury is also a new ailment that popped up on the injury report for the first time Wednesday. But he said, “Oh, yeah, I’m playing on Sunday” and added he will be back out at practice on Thursday.

“You ever stub your toe like on a corner of a bedpost or something? That’s kind of like what I’m dealing with. It sucks. That s— hurts,” Kamara explained. “I’m fine. It’s just more maintenance than anything.”

Thomas, meanwhile, has not played since he suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 1. He appeared close to returning in Week 5, then he was benched as a team disciplinary action for an altercation in practice that included him punching teammate C.J. Gardner-Johnson.

Then, when Thomas was expected to return after the Week 6 bye, he suffered a new hamstring injury in practice that has sidelined him for the past two games. But Thomas returned to practice on a limited basis last Thursday and Friday. So there is a good chance he could finally return in Sunday’s critical NFC South showdown.

The Buccaneers (6-2) hold a narrow lead over the Saints (5-2). But the Saints beat Tampa Bay in New Orleans in Week 1 the last time they had their full offense intact.

TAMPA BAY

Terez Paylor of YahooSports.com on WR ANTONIO BROWN and the Buccaneers:

Antonio Brown is set to make his debut for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a spotlight game this weekend against the Bucs’ primary NFC South rivals, the New Orleans Saints.

At 6-2, the Bucs can stretch their divisional lead with a win over the Saints (5-2). More important, losing the game will put them behind the 8-ball in the same race since the Saints already won the first head-to-head matchup in Week 1.

Given the way the Bucs’ passing attack struggled in that game — Brady threw two picks, including a horrific pick six — I suspect the looming specter of this matchup was one of the primary reasons Tampa Bay signed Brown, a superb talent with a Hall of Fame resume who nevertheless has proven to be an immense distraction in his past three NFL stops due to his off-field behavior. His return to the NFL comes after serving an eight-game suspension.

So what would make Tampa Bay — a legit Super Bowl contender, even without Brown — roll the dice on this mercurial talent? Well, they’re hoping that Tom Brady’s relationship with Brown, who is reportedly living with Brady, will limit potential problems. And as cynical as it is to say it, again, they need to beat the Saints.

After reviewing the tape of the last time Brady and Brown suited up together as teammates in New England last season, I’m certain the 32-year-old Brown can help them do that.

As explained in the latest edition of the Yahoo Sports original web series “Check the Tape” — which is expertly stitched together by my main man Ron Schiltz — Brady and Brown displayed an immense amount of chemistry in that game, in which Brown caught four passes for 56 yards and a touchdown. Brady himself outlines some examples in the video, so I encourage you to watch.

If you’re still wondering why the Bucs would risk the potential headaches that come with Brown, Bucs coach Bruce Arians basically told you why they did it when asked what makes Brown special, despite his diminutive size (5-foot-10, 185 pounds) and good, but not elite speed (he ran a 4.47 40-yard dash at the 2010 scouting combine).

“He just makes big-man catches,” Arians said. “He has unbelievable hands, great body control, he can separate extremely quickly on anybody that’s trying to cover him and he’s a great run after the catch guy because he can catch really well and you don’t have to think about it. He’ll take short ones and take them deep. He’s got great work habits, and I think when you watch him play, he plays bigger than he is [and] he plays faster than he is.”

The trick, of course, is making sure Brown stays on the field. And when asked what he can do to help Brown succeed on and off the field, Arians — quite sternly, actually — made it clear that the staff won’t hold Brown’s hand.

“He has to handle his own business off the field,” Arians said. “On the field, find your role, embrace it, accept it and make the right plays and we’ll get you the ball.”

NFC WEST

SEATTLE

The Seahawks are expecting to get S JAMAL ADAMS back on Sunday in Buffalo.

@johnpboyle

Jamal Adams “is full-go” today, Pete Carroll said. #Seahawks

Adams has been out since Week 3 with a groin strain.

AFC NORTH

BALTIMORE

WR MARQUISE BROWN has told his Fantasy owners that he can’t catch the ball if they don’t throw it to him.  QB LAMAR JACKSON has addressed the issue.  Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com:

Three days after Marquise “Hollywood” Brown complained on social media about wanting more catches, quarterback Lamar Jackson agreed with the Baltimore Ravens receiver.

Following Sunday’s 28-24 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Brown vented his frustrations for getting a career-low two targeted passes by posting on Twitter: “What’s the point of having souljas when you never use them (Never!!)”

“That’s one of our key players to our offense,” Jackson said Wednesday about the since-deleted tweet. “I want to get him the ball, the easiest way and fastest way we can. I have to do a better job of getting it to him.”

Jackson’s only connection with Brown on Sunday was a 3-yard touchdown pass. Four other Ravens players had more passes thrown in their direction.

Brown, a first-round pick from a year ago, is one of Jackson’s closer friends on the team and leads the Ravens with 27 receptions for 379 yards. But he has been targeted 44 times this season, which ranks 45th in the NFL.

“He’s a big part of our offense. We need him,” Jackson said. “So we got to be better at that, and we’ll be fine.”

Jackson soon could have another wide receiver to target. On Wednesday, he praised Dez Bryant’s route running and hands. It was the fourth practice together for Jackson and Bryant, who joined Baltimore’s practice squad a week ago.

“He’s dialed in to the playbook. He wants to compete,” Jackson said. “I just can’t wait for him to get out there with us on Sundays.”

Jackson is trying to rebound from one of his worst games in the NFL. In the loss to Pittsburgh, he committed a career-high four turnovers, throwing two interceptions (including a pick-six) and fumbling twice.

He’s 3-0 following games in which he has turned the ball over multiple times in the regular season.

“I get over it but it’s always going to be on my mind just because we lost that game and I hate having turnovers,” Jackson said. “But you have to move on.”

AFC SOUTH

HOUSTON

QB JOSH McCOWN leaves the Eagles practice squad to take a spot on the active roster of the Texans.  Grant Gordon of ESPN.com:

Ageless journeyman quarterback Josh McCown is heading home — and to his 12th franchise.

The 41-year-young McCown is signing with the Houston Texans and onto their active roster, McCown’s agent announced.

McCown, a native of Jacksonville, Texas, has been on the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad this year and played for Philly last season in three games.

A winding and much-traveled NFL road has seen McCown play for the Cardinals (who took him in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft), Lions, Raiders, Panthers, Bears, Buccaneers, Browns and Jets before the Eagles; McCown also spent time on the preseason rosters in Miami and San Francisco. While this season saw him essentially confined to Zoom meetings as a practice squad QB, he’s moving on to Houston, where he’ll be at practices, in the team facility and most importantly, as NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported, around his family in Texas during the season. As Garafolo pointed out, the Eagles will miss McCown’s contributions, but the QB had the ability to be near his family, which is something he hasn’t done in roughly a decade as he’s consistently been removed from his family during each season.

McCown will now join star starting quarterback Deshaun Watson and backup AJ McCarron in the Texans QB room.

McCown lived (and coached) last year in Charlotte, but in 2020 he moved his family to Rusk, Texas – which would be a suburb of his hometown of Jacksonville, Texas if Jacksonville had suburbs.

And that still makes him 160 miles from Houston.

This has nothing to do with McCown and Houston, but Rusk in East Texas is closer to Atlanta, in the 4^th state to the East, than it is to El Paso, still in Texas.

And Jacksonville is still nearly 100 miles inside Texas.

This from Jason LaCanfora of CBSSports.com (written earlier this year when McCown was an Eagle):

McCown has seen the game from all sides during a unique career that has spanned 18 years and 10 teams. He has left an indelible imprint on all of those teams and impressed a legion of coaches and executives with his ability to absorb and disseminate information and serve as a trusted leader and beloved teammate. Several teams thought he could have served as a play-caller while still on the sidelines. He has been a vital voice in quarterback rooms as far as installations and game-plan suggestions and is already getting coaching experience at the high school level.

As shocking as it sounds to talk about a current NFL player as a head-coaching candidate in short order, several current and former execs I’ve talked to who have been around McCown believe that he could be an NFL head coach within five years of retiring from the game, perhaps sooner. He could have a job as a quarterback coach right now if he wanted it, some execs told me, and would be on a fast track to quickly move to a coordinator role and, with success there, be a head coach within a year or two.

“Maybe the smartest player I have ever been around,” said one former NFL GM who signed McCown previously. “Head coach in the making.”

McCown’s decades of strong relationships within the industry, the high esteem and respect with which he’s held and his past experience commanding a multitude of offensive schemes all bode well for him, and he has been a part of teams at varying degrees of rebuilds and success. He’s also seen the game from all sides, as a fairly high draft pick (81st overall), to then being deemed a bust, to being waived and released (at one point by the 49ers without even playing a game for them in 2011), to being out of football in 2012, to being traded multiple times, to being a highly coveted back-up/bridge quarterback making $10 million a year, up to now becoming a 40-something practice squad QB participating remotely from Texas.

Besides his high school coaching, McCown’s surely been serving in a coaching role with an under-fire Wentz as well, with the Eagles facing a must-win game of sorts hosting the winless Bengals. Wentz has been holding the ball too long at times, forcing plays and taking sacks, and McCown is someone’s opinion he clearly trusts as the Eagles try to get things right immediately.

TENNESSEE

EDGE JADEVEON CLOWNEY is ailing.  Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

The Titans are struggling to muster a pass rush. One of the lingering reasons for concern comes from the ongoing injury situation involving linebacker Jadeveon Clowney.

Clowney missed practice on Wednesday with a knee injury.

He has appeared on the injury report with a knee problem for the past five games. Last week, he didn’t practice on Wednesday or Thursday before fully participating on Friday and playing on Sunday.

Clowney has zero sacks in seven games, but he has six quarterback hits.

Also not practicing on Wednesday were receiver Adam Humphries (concussion), tackle Dennis Kelly (knee), punter Brett Kern (wrist), cornerback Kareem Orr (illness), and defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons (ankle).

Safety Dane Cruikshank (groin), center Daniel Munyer (hand), and cornerback Tye Smith (shoulder) fully participated.

The 5-2 Titans host the 5-3 Bears on Sunday. Both teams have lost two games in a row.

THIS AND THAT

QB RANKINGS

Here is how Cody Benjamin of CBSSports.com sees the QBs at the moment:

WEEK 7 QB POWER RANKINGS

1 Russell Wilson      SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

He could play, like, three or four more games and already warrant a Pro Bowl nod. Seattle is only close to being undefeated because he, along with some major help from Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf, has been poised and dominant every week.

Last week: 1

2 Patrick Mahomes       KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

With each passing week, it gets harder not to make Mahomes and Russ co-leaders of this list. This guy is seriously on pace for 42 touchdowns and just two picks, and he’s barely even unleashed his arm for a string of consecutive games.

Last week: 2

3 Aaron Rodgers            GREEN BAY PACKERS QB

Rodgers can’t play defense, too, which is the main reason Green Bay isn’t 6-1. It’s kind of astounding, by the way, how quickly we’ve all just accepted the reality of 2020: That A-Rod clearly remains an elite passer with a ton left in the tank.

Last week: 3

4 Kyler Murray                 ARIZONA CARDINALS QB

Murray’s knack for play-making can put Arizona in tough spots sometimes, but it’s also the reason the Cardinals just might cruise to the playoffs. If the game is on the line, you’d unflinchingly take his athleticism over most QBs in the league.

Last week: 4

5  Ben Roethlisberger           PITTSBURGH STEELERS QB

The Steelers are incredibly balanced on both sides of the ball, which is why they’re 7-0. It’s impossible to oversell Big Ben’s importance, though. He should be a Comeback Player of the Year front-runner for his steady hand.

Last week: 5

6  Tom Brady                       TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS QB

As has been true for ages, Brady isn’t perfect when the pocket breaks down. But he’s been mostly money as a point guard for an offense that’s about to get even better with Antonio Brown’s arrival. No. 12 looks very capable of making another title run.

Last week: 9

7   Deshaun Watson             HOUSTON TEXANS QB

His production is spoiled by the general state of the Texans, but as we’ve said for weeks, just imagine what kind of talk he’d be generating on a team like the Bills or Ravens. Watson’s pocket passing remains some of the most dynamic in the game.

Last week: 6

8   Drew Brees                     NEW ORLEANS SAINTS QB

Remember when everyone said his arm was dead? Brees still isn’t lighting it up on downfield shots, but hasn’t his calling card always been the quick, efficient stuff? He’s been genuinely good for weeks now, and that’s without a steady WR corps.

Last week: 12

9  Lamar Jackson                BALTIMORE RAVENS QB

He shares a lot of characteristics with Kyler Murray: Incredibly athletic, always a threat to rip off a big play, and naturally gifted for flicking it through the air. Problem is, he’s been worse as a deep passer, and his mechanics are only getting worse.

Last week: 8

10 Ryan Tannehill                TENNESSEE TITANS QB

Had he started stronger the last two weeks, the Titans might still be undefeated. Still, even his biggest mistakes don’t seem to rattle him, and he’s been a rock-solid operator of a contending offense.

Last week: 10

11 Derek Carr                       LAS VEGAS RAIDERS QB

It’s a bit concerning if Carr’s so-so outing in an ugly win over Cleveland is a sign of things to come, but on the year, you can’t deny his output: The veteran is still making accurate reads while capitalizing on more downfield opportunities.

Last week: 11

12 Josh Allen                          BUFFALO BILLS QB

The early-season MVP talk seems so distant now. Allen remains an every-down threat to extend plays, but he’s regressed in almost every way for weeks. The reality: He’s probably closer to late-2019 than anything — a talented but erratic play-maker.

Last week: 7

13  Justin Herbert                   LOS ANGELES CHARGERS QB

Joe Burrow has been really good, but this kid deserves to be the Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite. Forget him exceeding expectations; he just flat-out throws better balls than most of the NFL. Imagine if L.A. had more reliable defense or health.

Last week: 15

14 Matt Ryan    ATLANTA FALCONS QB

Ryan’s numbers aren’t bad, but they’re a touch inflated by Atlanta’s easy win over Minnesota this season. His TD percentage (3.8) might soon be on pace to be his worst since 2015, when he managed just 21 TDs and 16 INTs in an 8-8 finish.

Last week: 13

15 Teddy Bridgewater    CAROLINA PANTHERS QB

This is where we start to get into a bunch of interchangeable mid-tier QBs. Bridgewater’s ceiling remains relatively low, but he’s exceeded expectations on a scrappy team. His efficiency will keep Carolina feisty until season’s end.

Last week: 18

16  Joe Burrow                 CINCINNATI BENGALS QB

If the Bengals can continue to build around him, this guy is going to make Cincy a legitimate challenger in the North — perhaps even in place of Baltimore, depending on Lamar Jackson’s trajectory. No task is too tall for this rookie.

Last week: 21

17   Carson Wentz              PHILADELPHIA EAGLES QB

We’re now halfway through Year Five, and Wentz seems cemented in boom-or-bust play on a down-by-down basis. Is he really just in his own head? Is longtime aggression finally catching up to him? He needs to cut down on the unnecessary risks.

Last week: 14

18  Jared Goff                LOS ANGELES RAMS QB

If Wentz is forcing too many throws, Goff is just generally uneasy in the pocket, and he has neither the build nor the tools to make something out of nothing like his fellow 2016 first-rounder. Sean McVay needs to dial things down or something.

Last week: 16

19  Philip Rivers                    INDIANAPOLIS COLTS QB

Old Man Rivers has officially caught fire. We can’t let wins over Cincy and Detroit completely reshape our perspective here, but if Philip can at least throw the ball with confidence, that’s a big step forward for a team capable of making noise.

Last week: 23

20 Kirk Cousins                        MINNESOTA VIKINGS QB

The Vikings stuck to their best recipe for success in the upset of Green Bay: Lean on Dalvin Cook, taking the ball out of Cousins’ hands as much as possible. You decide what that says about Kirk. He’s not bad, but he can only lead so much.

Last week: 20

21 Matthew Stafford                   DETROIT LIONS QB

The longer the season goes on, the more it feels like Stafford is nearing the end of the road in Detroit. He’s done just enough at times but been wildly off the mark for much of the year. A change of scenery might do him really well.

Last week: 17

22 Baker Mayfield                        CLEVELAND BROWNS QB

The concerning thing about Mayfield is that Sunday’s ugly six-point showing against Vegas has been pretty much in line with the majority of his career. He can be gutsy and flash big-play ability, but too often, he’s “just a guy” under center.

Last week: 22

23   Tua Tagovailoa                  MIAMI DOLPHINS QB

Tua’s first career start was largely forgettable, but the moment wasn’t too big for him, and he at least successfully maintained the team’s lead for the “W.” More reps will assuredly bring more highlights from the youngster.

Last week: 26

24  Nick Foles                            CHICAGO BEARS QB

Few QBs are stuck in as concerning an offense — is anyone impressed by Matt Nagy’s play-calling at this point? But Foles has been predictably streaky himself, never wavering in confidence but often pressing the ball into unnecessary windows.

Last week: 25

25  Drew Lock                         DENVER BRONCOS QB

Give him credit for guiding Denver to a comeback — another sign that Lock at least has the machismo to be a leader for this young team. But concerns remain about his turnover-worthy plays and slow starts.

Last week: 28

26   Cam Newton                    NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS QB

Cam had some legitimately good moments early this year, but he’s now fully reverted to the form he inhabited for years before leaving Carolina. This is a big, mobile QB who lacks either the health or decision-making to lift the Pats from their slump.

Last week: 24

27  Daniel Jones                   NEW YORK GIANTS QB

Maybe the most frustrating QB in the NFL right now, along with his NFC East counterpart Carson Wentz, Jones pairs every franchise-QB throw or scramble with a back-breaking error. He is a big reason New York fights and comes up short.

Last week: 29

28  Kyle Allen                         WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM QB

As a game manager, he’s been perfectly fine, especially on a team designed to lean on Ron Rivera’s defense. Let’s see how he fares when the season draws to a close and the division title is on the line.

Last week: 30

29 Nick Mullens                        SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS QB

The Niners’ QB job is Mullens’ to lose for the time being, with Jimmy Garoppolo sidelined indefinitely. He may have a tough time keeping the spot considering how banged up the rest of the offense is.

Last week: Unranked

30  Jake Luton                             JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS QB

Should Luton beat the Texans in his first career start, it’s not crazy to think Doug Marrone could stick with the young gun now that he’s softened a bit on Gardner Minshew. Chances are nether guy will be the guy in 2021.

Last week: Unranked

31 Ben DiNucci                            DALLAS COWBOYS QB

With Andy Dalton back on the sidelines thanks to COVID-19 exposure, DiNucci will get a second crack at the starting gig against none other than the Steelers. Yikes.

Last week: 31

32   Sam Darnold                          NEW YORK JETS QB

How much is anyone even giving up for Darnold at this point? The Jets are a mess, but he’s a central part of it.

Last week: 32

Kind of cold to put Luton, unloved in the draft who has never thrown a pass, AND DiNucci, a failure last week in Philly, ahead of Darnold.

2020 DRAFT

Everyone has thought that teams like the Jets are Tanking for Trevor, but Chris Trapasso of CBSSports.com makes the case that they could be Failing for Fields.

Depending on how you look at it, what’s in front of Justin Fields is either a daunting challenge or a fun opportunity: Can he chase down Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence and become the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft?

No way, right? That has to be what you’re thinking. History says the team with the first pick will ultimately select the odds-on favorite. And Lawrence was anointed as the next truly impeccable quarterback prospect when he was the nation’s top overall recruit in 2018. For many, Lawrence evokes glorious scouting memories of Peyton Manning in 1998 and Andrew Luck in 2012, and neither eventual No. 1 choice was caught by their respective competitors, Ryan Leaf or Robert Griffin III.

Of course, the numerical spot in which Lawrence or Fields is picked won’t be directly tied to the amount of NFL success they experience. But there is prestige that comes with being the first player selected in the draft, and while both have other, more immediate goals in mind — like winning a national title — they want to join that exclusive fraternity, even if their agent and PR team advise them to say otherwise after the season concludes.

And now, early in November, I have a two-fold, summarized stance on these quarterbacks as top pick candidates in next April’s draft:

Remember, Fields isn’t a stranger to being an alpha football player. In that high school class of 2018, he was the No. 2 overall recruit per 247 Sports.

Lawrence has more experience and flashier high-profile games on his resume right now. His traits are a tick more impressive than Fields’ yet the two are quite a ways ahead of anyone else at the collegiate level when strictly considering physical capabilities.

Through two games Fields has been nearly flawless. He’s completed 48 of 55 passes for 594 yards with six touchdowns and no interceptions. And he has made a variety of ridiculous throws down the field that have demonstrated his immense arm talent. Much like he did a season ago, when Fields went from University of Georgia transfer who couldn’t beat out Jake Fromm to Big Ten Player of the Year, the junior has been super smooth from inside the pocket and, unlike most quarterbacks, looks incredibly calm when improvising outside the planned structure of the play.

In any other draft, Fields would be the slam dunk consensus top pick. Case closed. He just happened to be born the same year as a quarterback prodigy. And in a massive coincidence, these two rose to national prominence in high school 25 minutes away from each other in Georgia.

Fields probably won’t overtake Lawrence to be the first pick in 2021. But a pathway exists, and its creation is fueled by momentum. Lawrence is currently on the COVID-19 list, and he’ll miss his team’s massive conference game against Notre Dame this weekend. He’ll likely return, and the Tigers should cruise to the College Football Playoff. And there, hopefully we’ll get another Clemson-Ohio State battle. If we do, and Fields outplays Lawrence in that contest — or any CFP game for that matter — the rumblings for a possible “upset” at No. 1 overall will start, especially after a dazzling Big Ten season from the Ohio State quarterback, which is extremely likely. Bowl-game bias is a helluva drug.

Now, I will say this too. The Buckeyes offense — thanks to the scheme itself and perpetual advantages at the skill positions and in the trenches — has yielded many memorably productive quarterback seasons. And one 70% completion, 50-touchdown year in 2018 got Dwayne Haskins picked inside the top half of the first round.

Fields is already a much more impressive prospect than Haskins, or any other quarterback who has stepped foot on campus in Columbus in a long time. And even if the fun opportunity is too much of a daunting challenge for him to ultimately overcome, Fields has shown he’s worthy of being the first pick after Lawrence in April.