@ScottKacsmar

For only the 2nd time since 1994, 9 teams won in the NFL this week without scoring 21 points.

That’s the whole salary cap era.

MINNESOTA

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com calls for a fine for LB JORDAN HICKS for the hit that seems to have put SF QB BROCK PURDY in the concussion protocol.

On Monday night, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy took a significant blow to the head while running a sneak. The blow to the head happened when he was struck by the helmet of Vikings linebacker Jordan Hicks.

The hit from Hicks could result in a fine.

The rules prohibit a player from lowering his head and making forcible contact with an opponent. The provision was added in 2018. It has created confusion and controversy as officials attempt to enforce it and players attempt to comply with it.

Hicks wasn’t flagged, but that’s not a surprise. It often gets missed — especially when the blow is delivered by an offensive player. In this case, the scrum of bodies makes it even harder for officials to notice the lowering of the helmet and/or the making of forcible contact in real time.

The blow was missed by the broadcast, even with the benefit of the overhead view that showed Hicks ramming Purdy with the helmet in the helmet as Purdy tried to secure a first down. On Wednesday, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan announced that Purdy is in the concussion protocol.

The video seems to reflect a textbook violation of the rule. If Hicks is fined, it will be announced by the NFL on Saturday.

See SAN FRANCISCO for more on Purdy’s prognosis.

– – –

This stat from Scott Kacsmar also points out the gauntlet the 3-4 Vikings have run through:

@ScottKacsmar

Kirk Cousins is 0-12 as a starter against teams that reach the Super Bowl.

Lost to the Chiefs & Eagles, beat the 49ers this year.

I guess we can write off the 49ers for SB 58…

Are there 4, maybe 5, wins here in the next 6 games:

October 29      @ Green Bay

November 5    @ Atlanta

November 12  New Orleans

November 19  @ Denver Broncos

November 27  Chicago

Bye Week

December 10  @ Las Vegas Raiders

Let’s say 5 for 8-5.  The last 4 games are at Cincinnati, Detroit, Green Bay, at Detroit.

– – –

Mike Sando of The Athletic ponders the value of signing QB KIRK COUSINS for 2024 and beyond:

Most of the other quarterback signings/acquisitions fit into three buckets: super-cerebral all-time greats available through unusual circumstances; quarterbacks who might benefit from leaving especially bad situations for better ones; and a “buyer beware” group whose new teams might have been overly optimistic.

• Sign the all-time greats: If an all-time great with elite processing ability becomes available through unusual circumstances, teams should sign him, few questions asked. Peyton Manning and Brady were the ultimate examples here. The New York Jets should not regret acquiring Rodgers simply because Rodgers suffered a freak injury. He fit this profile otherwise.

Quarterbacks in this category require no vetting. They raise standards for their new teams. They can implement their own schemes, taking immediate ownership. The upside is worth whatever age-related risk might exist, provided they have played at a high level recently.

“The top guys have a history of success based on traits that were transferable to their new teams,” an exec whose team acquired one of the quarterbacks listed here said. “The others either don’t have that and teams won’t wait for them to develop as they would for rookies, or are big-money quarterbacks who are just too far past their primes. But in looking at the list, I also see lots of singular situations.”

We might include Philip Rivers in this group, as he provided one solid season with the Indianapolis Colts and was known for his quick processing. I would draw a line between Rivers and the next group of upper-echelon quarterbacks, based on the thinking that they were more reliant upon what was around them.

• Consider signing QBs escaping dysfunction: If a talented quarterback has struggled to break through while playing for an especially weak or dysfunctional organization, transporting this QB into a positive environment can make sense.

Stafford falls into this category. He was productive with the Lions through some tough years but struggled to win. The Los Angeles Rams gave him support he seldom enjoyed previously, and he won big.

Cousins might qualify for consideration in this category. Escaping the dysfunctional situation in Washington for a more stable one in Minnesota helped him win more frequently but without the postseason payoff.

• Buyer beware on everyone else: This category should be the default for teams thinking about making significant investments in quarterbacks whose current teams are willing to let them leave.

In some cases, teams felt as though they had no better immediate options. But paying significant money for mid- and lower-tier quarterbacks with known flaws/limitations has backfired almost every time.

Brock Osweiler to Houston. Mike Glennon to Chicago. Case Keenum to Denver. Sam Bradford to Minnesota and Arizona. Nick Foles to Jacksonville. Teddy Bridgewater to Carolina. Joe Flacco to Denver. Carson Wentz to Indianapolis and Washington.

“You are not letting those guys go because they are good players, most of the time,” a GM said.

Three recent upper-tier veteran acquisitions — Matt Ryan to Indianapolis, Russell Wilson to Denver and Deshaun Watson to Houston — either failed or appear more likely to fail than to succeed at this point. More time is needed to assess Watson for sure.

In retrospect, should the line between these quarterbacks and the all-time greats have dissuaded the acquiring teams? At the very least, entering into massive extensions with Wilson and Watson was risky.

“My initial reaction is that teams are expecting results too fast,” the first exec said. “When a team is acquiring a veteran quarterback, it’s usually for current-season results. I’m not sure that’s realistic in most cases.”

Cousins as the next test case

The potential for Cousins to reach free agency after the 2023 season could force teams to make such distinctions. He’s playing better now than Carr and Garoppolo were playing before their teams let them leave last offseason, to the point that re-signing him might become a high priority for the Vikings. If Cousins wants to leave, he can, after Minnesota waived its right to use the franchise tag on him. The odds seem low for the Vikings upgrading.

“You can say Minnesota solved its quarterback problem by signing Cousins, but they haven’t really done anything,” another exec said. “It is one thing to say, ‘OK we’re fine,’ but you are not necessarily taking off as a result of these moves. Derek Carr is a great example. He probably had no support (with the Raiders) for years. That is how you talk yourself into saying, ‘We have a defense, all that.’ At the end, he’s still Derek Carr.”

The Vikings have been much improved on offense in 87 games with Cousins in the lineup.

Eight months ago, before Carr and Garoppolo signed their current deals, an exec speculated that those quarterbacks’ 2023 contracts would set expectations for Cousins in the 2024 market. How Cousins finishes this season could say plenty about that.

Carr signed a four-year, $150 million deal with the New Orleans Saints, of which two years and $60 million are fully guaranteed. Garoppolo’s deal with the Las Vegas Raiders was for three years and $73 million, with nearly $34 million fully guaranteed.

Ryan Tannehill, Jacoby Brissett, Taylor, Marcus Mariota, Sam Darnold, Jameis Winston, Drew Lock, Mayfield and Gardner Minshew are among the less-accomplished veterans without contracts beyond this season. Others could conceivably become available by trade.

Buyer beware.  

NEW YORK GIANTS

We may be getting more QB TYROD TAYLOR.  Kevin Manahan of NJ Advance Media:

Giants quarterback Daniel Jones says he hasn’t been cleared to take hits yet.

Jones, who is dealing with a neck injury, said Tuesday on his weekly spot on the Up & Adams Show that he hasn’t received medical clearance for contact, and without the permission slip, he cannot reclaim his job as the starting quarterback, which means backup Tyrod Taylor likely will start Sunday against the Jets.

There have been calls for the Giants to bench Jones when he’s healthy and stick with Taylor, but that’s unlikely given the $160 million investment in Jones.

“I’m feeling good. Getting better,” Jones said via the New York Post. “Doing everything I can to get back out there. Feeling good, just trying to do everything the doctors and trainers tell me to do. I’m feeling better.

“I’m able to do everything I need to do from a running, throwing, lifting standpoint. It’s mostly a contact thing, like I’ve said, proving that I can handle that.’’

PHILADELPHIA

Mike Florio says the Eagles have created a mystery about the knee injury bugging QB JALEN HURTS:

It became obvious early in Sunday night’s game between the Dolphins and Eagles that something was bothering Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts. He simply didn’t have the burst or acceleration that he usually has. By the second half, he had a brace on his knee.

After the game, coach Nick Sirianni created the impression that the injury happened during the game, by saying that Hurts “played the rest of the game.” In a Wednesday session with reporters, Hurts reiterated that “it didn’t happen in the game.” (He said the same thing on Sunday night.)

So here’s the question. When did it happen? And why was nothing ever disclosed about any injury to Hurts?

There was no disclosure before the game. There was no disclosure during the game. Today, in the first injury report in advance of the Week 8 game against the Eagles, there was no disclosure regarding any injury whatsoever to one of the best quarterbacks in the league.

As explained (repeatedly) in connection with the Falcons’ failure to disclose running back Bijan Robinson’s injury, the current climate of legalized gambling demands greater transparency. Something was clearly up with Hurts. The Eagles disclosed nothing about any knee injury. They still haven’t, even though both Sirianni and Hurts have openly acknowledged its existence.

The situation is further proof of the inadequacy of the league’s current procedures. And the league would be very wise to enhance its procedures before the shit inevitably hits the fan.

Because it eventually will. It’s just a matter of time. The current stewards of the game seem to be content to just keep making maximum money and to let someone else worry about the looming mess.

That mindset prompted me to suggest a new motto for the NFL. Forget about “football is family.” The most accurate message comes from Daffy Duck, who coined this simple approach to a life of wealth and privilege: “Consequences, shmonsequences, as long as I’m rich.”

WASHINGTON

Will the Commanders be sellers at the deadline? Cody Benjamin of CBSSports.com:

At 3-4, the Commanders could be sellers ahead of the 2023 NFL trade deadline on Oct. 31. If that’s the case, they should have takers for pass rushers Chase Young and Montez Sweat, according to CBS Sports HQ Senior NFL insider Josina Anderson.

Several different teams have interest in trading for either Sweat or Young, Anderson reported Wednesday, and not only that, but the clubs are open to extending the veterans with long-term contracts. Both pass rushers are scheduled to be 2024 free agents.

Sweat, who was drafted No. 26 overall in 2019, has been the more productive of the two, totaling 34.5 sacks and 84 quarterback hits in four and a half seasons for Washington. One team has already made an offer for the Mississippi State product, per The Washington Post, though Sweat figures to command a hefty raise beyond 2023 thanks to his steady production off the edge.

Young entered the NFL with a bigger name, going No. 2 overall out of Ohio State in 2020. He won Defensive Rookie of the Year with a 7.5-sack Pro Bowl debut, but lingering knee issues limited him to just 12 games between 2021-22. He’s returned to action this season with five sacks in six game appearances, but Washington declined his fifth-year option prior to the season.

One reason Washington could look to unload one or both of the pass rushers is that the Commanders already have lucrative money tied up to fellow defensive linemen Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne, both of whom landed long-term deals in recent years.

CAROLINA

Frank Reich with his take on the top two QBs, one of which is his QB BRYCE YOUNG.  Another Frank, Frank Schwab of YahooSports.com:

When quarterbacks go in the same first round they’ll be compared forever, and that is supercharged when those quarterbacks go first and second overall.

The Carolina Panthers play the Houston Texans on Sunday, and after seven weeks we’re already wondering if the Panthers got the right guy.

Carolina took Bryce Young, who has been OK. The Texans selected C.J. Stroud and he has been historic.

Stroud looks like a veteran, and started his career by setting a record for most passes to start a career without an interception. The Texans are a surprising 3-3. The Panthers are 0-6.

While it’s easy to compare the two quarterbacks, even a few weeks into what should be long careers, the Panthers aren’t ready to give any hints of buyer’s remorse.

Panthers discuss Bryce Young over C.J. Stroud

Panthers coach Frank Reich was asked if the team still thinks it made the right decision when it picked Young over Stroud.

There’s not much Reich can say in that situation other than back up his quarterback, but his answer was still telling.

“Yeah, we got the guy that we wanted to get,” Reich told the media, via Steve Reed of the Associated Press. “Couldn’t be happier about that, in every way. I’d say this: I am happy for C.J. He’s had six good games and I have no doubt he will have many more good games. But I know this: When it comes to evaluating quarterbacks or any other position it’s years, not weeks.”

That’s fair. Nothing is set in stone after six games, or even a year or two. It does already look like the Panthers gave up way too much in the trade up for the No. 1 pick to take Young, but if Young turns into a top-tier quarterback then it might not matter what they gave up for him. And there’s still time for Young to become that, obviously.

“You can’t put a label on a guy after six weeks, or even a year,” Reich said. “I’ve seen guys have Pro Bowl seasons and then a year later fighting to be a backup somewhere else. It’s a crazy league. What you’re looking for, and what we’re looking for not just from our quarterback but every position, is sustained success at a high level for a very long time. You can’t measure that in weeks.”

It’s also true that through the first glimpses at both quarterbacks, Stroud looks like a future star and we’re not sure yet on Young.

At this very early stage, the story of the 2023 draft class might be how good Stroud has looked. Here’s how he compares to Young:

Young (five games): 967 yards, six TD, four INT, 78.7 passer rating

Stroud (six games): 1,660 yards, nine TD, one INT, 96.4 passer rating

Nobody should be declaring any victories yet, but the Texans surely have to be excited about what they’ve seen so far from Stroud.

Young wasn’t put in a good situation (though, to be fair, neither was Stroud or most top-five picks at quarterbacks who have to play right away), and it will take some time for the Panthers to build around him. Young has not been bad at all, especially considering the team context, he just hasn’t been a rocket ship right away as a rookie. If Stroud wasn’t playing, it wouldn’t be a big deal.

This Sunday, we see both rookie quarterbacks on the field at the same time. It would help the narrative with Young and the Panthers if they can get their first win.

TAMPA BAY

After some early-in-the-week uncertainty, QB BAKER MAYFIELD and WR CHRIS GODWIN will start in Buffalo tonight.  Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com:

All signs from the Buccaneers facility the last couple of days pointed to quarterback Baker Mayfield and wide receiver Chris Godwin playing on Thursday night until the team created a little doubt by listing both players as questionable on their final injury report on Wednesday.

Any questions about their availability don’t appear to be major ones, however. Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports that Mayfield and Godwin will both play against the Bills.

Mayfield is listed with a knee injury that he called “nothing too bad” and a matter of pain tolerance before moving up to full practice participation. Godwin, who has a neck issue, was also a full participant on Wednesday and head coach Todd Bowles indicated he was on track to play.

Defensive tackle Vita Vea was the only other player listed as questionable and he’s set to be a true game-time decision due to a groin injury.

ARIZONA

QB JOSHUA DOBBS did a good job holding down the fort, but it looks like QB KYLER MURRAY is going to return to action.  Darren Urban at AZCardinals.com:

With the return of the franchise quarterback, every little step is worth a headline.

And so it was Wednesday when Kyler Murray was listed as “full” on the injury report for the first time, as he begins his second week of practice during his return window from the PUP list.

Coach Jonathan Gannon had said last week, when Murray was originally designated to return, that the QB was a “full go.” But he was listed as limited all week in his first time on the field since tearing his ACL last December. Three practices in, he has been upgraded.

Gannon, not surprisingly, was providing little information when he met with the media before practice on Wednesday.

“We just keep going about our business and our process,” Gannon said. “We will get him out there today and see where it goes.”

The Cardinals have until Nov. 9 to activate Murray to the roster, although he can be brought back earlier. If he were to be activated earlier, it would make sense he would be ready to play. It will make Saturday’s final roster moves of the week — teams can’t activate players on Sundays — the transactions to watch with Murray.

During the open portion of Wednesday’s practice, Murray still was working mostly with practice-squad pass catchers. The Cardinals host Baltimore at home on Sunday, before a road trip in Cleveland next week.

SAN FRANCISCO

Paging QB SAM DARNOLD.  Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com on QB BROCK PURDY’s appearance in the concussion protocol (after a hit that preceded his two un-Purdylike INTs).

Less than 48 hours after their loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night, the San Francisco 49ers had a surprise and significant addition to their injury report: quarterback Brock Purdy.

Coach Kyle Shanahan announced Wednesday afternoon that Purdy is in the NFL’s concussion protocol after playing all of Monday night’s game, leaving backup Sam Darnold to step in at practice while Purdy recovers. Purdy made it through Monday’s game without any apparent issues but began feeling symptoms as the team was traveling back to the Bay Area and was placed in the protocol Tuesday.

“He started getting symptoms on the plane,” Shanahan said. “We finally found that out when we landed. We were all pretty asleep, but then he got all checked up yesterday and now he’s in the protocol.”

Shanahan and the Niners were unsure when in the game Purdy suffered the injury, but Shanahan said there were no obvious signs when communicating with Purdy or in his performance. Purdy didn’t take many hits, but he did attempt a pair of quarterback sneaks midway through the fourth quarter, and Shanahan acknowledged those plays might have been when it happened.

Video replay of the first of those attempts, which came on a third-and-1 with 7:03 left in the game, shows Purdy attempting to run behind left guard Aaron Banks to pick up the first down as Minnesota linebacker Jordan Hicks runs into the pile and makes helmet-to-helmet contact with Purdy.

After that sneak attempt, Purdy went 2-of-5 (not including a spike to stop the clock) for 20 yards with two interceptions to finish the game.

The concussion diagnosis puts Purdy’s status for Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals in question. Shanahan said that, by the rules of the concussion protocol, Purdy does have enough time to clear it to be able to go against the Bengals.

Defensive end Nick Bosa went through the process in the playoffs after the 2021 season, sustaining a concussion in a wild-card win against Dallas and then returning for the NFC divisional round against Green Bay. He said Wednesday the process can be difficult.

“It definitely can weigh on you emotionally,” Bosa said. “If it’s a severe enough thing it can kind of send you into a bit of a depression if you do have a head injury. But for me it wasn’t too bad. It’s a pretty intense, drawn-out deal, which is good. But I passed all my tests. You have to go to an independent lady to do a bunch of cognitive stuff, and hopefully [Purdy] gets it done.”

It wouldn’t be the first time this season the Niners had a player suffer a concussion one week and play the next. Guard Jon Feliciano did it in Weeks 4 and 5, returning to step in for an injured Aaron Banks at left guard against the Dallas Cowboys after dealing with a concussion against the Arizona Cardinals.

But there’s a smaller window for Purdy to come back because the Niners played on “Monday Night Football” and play again Sunday. Because of the short week, the 49ers had a walk-through on Wednesday afternoon.

According to Shanahan, Purdy was already feeling better Wednesday than Tuesday and would be able to participate in parts of the walk-through as he goes through the protocol. Shanahan added there isn’t a set day in which Purdy must clear the protocol, citing a Thursday night game last December in which Purdy played on short rest without practicing.

“Brock didn’t take a practice rep versus Seattle on ‘Thursday Night Football’ until pregame warmups, and he had to shut those down a little bit, too,” Shanahan said. “So, he didn’t really get a real rep that week until Play 1 and he played pretty good. So, probably stick with that.”

If Purdy is unavailable, the Niners will turn to Darnold, whom they signed as a free agent in March and who beat out Trey Lance for the backup job. Darnold has played only in mop-up duty this season, but Shanahan said he believes Darnold is ready if needed.

“I have as much confidence in Sam as I could have with someone that I haven’t gotten into a real NFL game with,” Shanahan said. “He was great in the offseason. He’s been great here in these seven weeks so far and he’s always ready to go.”

One other injury to monitor this week is left tackle Trent Williams’ sprained right ankle. Williams did not play against the Vikings, in part with an eye toward this week’s game but also because of the artificial surface in Minnesota.

Shanahan said Williams could practice as soon as Thursday, though there’s no definitive timeline on his return.

“He wouldn’t have been out there close to 100%,” Shanahan said. “Hopefully he has a better chance to get there this week.”

EDGE NICK BOSA hasn’t lived up to the big money contract he held out for. Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com:

49ers defensive end Nick Bosa wasn’t happy with how the defense played in last Monday’s loss to the Vikings and that wasn’t the first time that he’s felt like his performance has fallen short of expectations so far this season.

During a session with media from the locker room on Wednesday, Bosa pointed to the team’s loss to the Browns in Week Six and their season-opening win over the Steelers as other games when he didn’t play as well as he expects himself to play. That Steelers game came shortly after Bosa ended his holdout by signing a new contract with the team and he was asked if he felt missing work this summer has factored into the shortcomings he’s identified in his game.

“I think a little bit,” Bosa said. “I think I’m trying to work on stuff on the run this year that I wasn’t able to do in camp. So, those games that I mentioned, the two, I think I was thinking too much because I was trying to add something to my rush plan which is not what I want to be doing during season. I want to be locked in on what I do best and just doing it throughout the whole year. But there’s no excuse at this point for that.”

Bosa has 2.5 sacks through seven games, but he’s near the top of the league in quarterback pressures and hits. That bodes well for the sack total rising and for Bosa continuing to round into the kind of form that has made him one of the NFL’s top defensive players since he entered the league.

LOS ANGELES RAMS

It’s a boy for Coach Sean McVay and his wife, Veronika.  Jordan Rodrigue of The Athletic:

The Los Angeles Rams chose an all-time creative way to announce the birth of Jordan John McVay, coach Sean McVay and his wife Veronika’s first child, on Wednesday.

They released the news on social media as if it were an official NFL transaction:

@RamsNFL

LA Rams Transactions:

• Delivered Jordan John McVay

McVay said both Veronika and their baby boy are healthy and doing well after the Tuesday birth.

DENVER

Would the Broncos part ways with CB PATRICK SURTAIN?  Sam Robinson of ProFootballRumors.com:

The Broncos have a number of veterans who could be of interest in trades. Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, Garett Bolles, Justin Simmons and Josey Jewell reside among them. But Patrick Surtain may sit multiple tiers above his teammates as a potential trade chip.

Although previous reports have indicated the Broncos have no interest in moving their All-Pro cornerback, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes teams have called about the third-year defender. Surtain is signed through 2024, but the former top-10 pick will be locked down through 2025 once the Broncos pick up his fifth-year option by May.

Then-rookie GM George Paton faced criticism after passing on Justin Fields at No. 9 overall in 2021, but the Surtain investment has doubled as the veteran exec’s best move with the Broncos. The second-generation NFL cornerback has been a revelation in Denver, sliding in as one of the league’s best defensive players. Surtain, 23, finished last season as a first-team All-Pro. While both Chris Harris and Aqib Talib earned that distinction in Denver in the years since Champ Bailey‘s retirement, neither was a candidate to become the NFL’s highest-paid corner. Surtain moved into that territory last season and remains the team’s cornerstone piece to start Sean Payton‘s HC tenure.

It is logical for teams to contact the Broncos on Surtain, seeing as they are 2-5 and starting a new era. Paton remains, but Payton is widely viewed as the top power broker in Denver now. Payton was in place when the Saints extended Marshon Lattimore; New Orleans paid Lattimore in September 2021, at the start of his fifth season. Surtain will become extension-eligible in January, though the Broncos having him under team control (via the fifth-year option) may delay a payment until 2025. Regardless of when Surtain is paid, he stands to become one of the NFL’s richest defenders.

Should the Broncos reverse course and consider dealing away their top player, a Jalen Ramsey-like package may be necessary to move the needle. The Rams sent the Jaguars two first-rounders for Ramsey in October 2019, ending a standoff between the fourth-year corner and the Jags. It cost the Buccaneers first- and fourth-rounders to acquire Darrelle Revis in 2013. In a different era (for running back value, at least), Denver needed to send Washington only running back Clinton Portis for Bailey and a second-round pick. That trade occurred in March 2004. Bailey spent 10 seasons in Denver, which added Harris near the end of the Hall of Famer’s run and signed Talib shortly after cutting Bailey. Surtain effectively took the baton soon after Harris’ exit and, barring a trade, should be expected to anchor Payton’s defenses beyond 2023.

KANSAS CITY

The 2023 season is a test of if QB PATRICK MAHOMES can push the Chiefs over the top with a sub-optimal supporting cast.  A couple of stats from Scott Kacsmar:

@ScottKacsmar

In 2023, Patrick Mahomes has the most passes dropped by his receivers (18) and he has been hurried on a league-high 35 passes.

Source:

@FantasyProsNFL

It is the best defense he’s had though.

– – –

Mahomes is glad to have WR MECOLE HARDMAN back in the fold after his desultory stint with the Jets.  Myles Simmons of ProFootballTalk.com:

Kansas City brought back Mecole Hardman last week and he made an immediate impact in the Chiefs’ 31-17 victory over the Chargers on Sunday.

Hardman had a 50-yard punt return in the fourth quarter that helped spark the club’s last touchdown. On that same drive, he had a 6-yard catch to convert on third down and keep the chains moving.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes noted the positive influence Hardman’s had on the team since he’s been back.

“I think he brings another spark of energy,” Mahomes said in his Wednesday press conference. “You all see Mecole, he always has a smile on his face, and for him to be there in that locker room, you can just feel the energy.

“Obviously, the speed and he has familiarity with the offense, so other guys who are younger can learn from him because he’s been here for a couple years now. Even though he left, he’s back quick enough that he can pick up the stuff that we added in pretty quickly.”

Hardman’s return could provide another element for Kansas City to attack Denver’s defense after the two teams played one another just two Thursdays ago. They’ll face off again in Colorado on Sunday.

CLEVELAND

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com is trying to figure out what is going on with QB DESHAUN WATSON.  Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

There’s a strange vibe between the Browns and quarterback Deshaun Watson. And nothing that has happened in recent days has caused it to dissipate.

It started in Week 4. In the days after Watson had perhaps the best game of his Cleveland career in a 27-3 romp over the Titans, Watson appeared on the practice report with a shoulder injury. He was limited in practice. On Friday, he said he’d play against Baltimore.

Then, he didn’t.

At 5:04 p.m. ET on the day of the Ravens-Browns game, a source tipped me off to the existence of confusion among some players about Watson not playing. It was believed he would play. It was perceived he decided not to.

Although the team called it a “collective decision” in response to an inquiry from PFT, coach Kevin Stefanski said the very next day that Watson had been medically cleared to play. That bolstered the perception that Watson could have played against the Ravens.

It was believed he’d be able to go after the Week 5 bye. But he wasn’t able to play against the 49ers, and he returned for Sunday’s game against the Colts.

A big hit in the first quarter prompted a concussion evaluation. After the game, Stefanski said he decided to keep Watson out. Stefanski also spoke as if Watson would play this week at Seattle. Watson, in contrast, offered a more measured assessment. As of yesterday, Watson was scratched for the Week 8 game.

Although some have suggested that Watson simply doesn’t want to play, it’s way too early to come to that conclusion. He played with a torn ACL at Clemson. He took a bus from Houston to Jacksonville and back again so that he could play a game for the Texans when he couldn’t fly due to rib/lung injuries. Why would he not want to play, if he could? The Browns are a contender, and before the shoulder injury Watson seemed to finally be rounding back into his pre-2021 form.

That said, it would be naive to not at least wonder whether Watson has fallen out of love with the Browns. He wanted out of Houston just a few months after signing a big-money extension. Also, the Browns were the first team Watson scratched from his list of four finalists in 2022, before the Browns offered a five-year, fully-guaranteed contract.

So, yes, there’s a weird vibe. Neither the team nor Watson have said or done anything to change the situation. And we’ll continue to monitor things and generally to sniff around about whether the honeymoon has devolved into a standoff that, frankly, leaves both sides with few good options, given that Watson is due to make $46 million in 2023, in 2024, and in 2025, with every penny of it fully guaranteed.

It’s almost enough to make us wonder whether a surprise trade could happen before next Tuesday. At this point, however, who would take on the balance of that contract?

This from a correspondent in Cleveland:

“(Watson)He has a micro tear in his rotator cuff.  He looked so bad on Sunday, I don’t even know why they tried to play him.  I’ve had that injury before, though, when I played baseball and it is a weird injury.  Suddenly you can have no strength or no accuracy.  It could be good 60% of the time and terrible the rest.”

JACKSONVILLE

Bill Barnwell on why the Jaguars are a rising bet to make the playoffs:

Jacksonville Jaguars

Preseason playoff chances: 61.9%

Current playoff chances: 85.8%

Difference: plus-23.9%

Like the Lions, the Jaguars already carved out a comfortable lead in their division. At 5-2, they are a game and a half ahead of the surprising Texans, although Houston holds an early tiebreaker after upsetting the reigning AFC South champs in September. The Colts are 3-4 and are down quarterback Anthony Richardson for the remainder of the season, while the team that expected to give Jacksonville its toughest competition appears to be calling it quits. The 2-4 Titans are going to be without Ryan Tannehill for a stretch of time (ankle) and just traded veteran safety Kevin Byard to the Eagles for Terrell Edmunds and a couple of late-round picks, which could hint at more moves in Nashville.

The Jags are only 5-2 after surviving a late comeback from the Saints and a drop in the end zone by tight end Foster Moreau on a catch that would have pushed the game to overtime. Two weeks before, they held the Bills to seven points through the first three quarters of the game in London before allowing 81- and 75-yard drives in the fourth quarter; it took two touchdowns from Trevor Lawrence and the offense to hold on to what would eventually be a 25-20 victory.

Jacksonville’s defense in the final quarter has been a concern. It ranks fourth in the NFL in EPA per play on defense during the first three quarters of the game, but it has dropped to 26th during the final 15 minutes of contests. One possible reason? A decline in the sack rate. The Jags sack quarterbacks 4.9% of the time through the first three quarters of their games, but they have just two sacks on 98 dropbacks in the fourth quarter.

The decision to draft Travon Walker ahead of Aidan Hutchinson last year is looking more and more like a major misstep. Hutchinson has been a Defensive Player of the Year candidate, but while edge rusher Josh Allen has had a breakout season with seven sacks in seven games, he hasn’t received much help. Walker has 2.5 sacks and six knockdowns in seven games. Walker also has whiffed on 13% of his tackle attempts. It’s too early to give up on him — he can still be a good player without matching the player taken immediately after him — but the Jags would have the league’s best one-two pass-rushing punch if they were getting Allen and the 2023 version of Hutchinson on the field together.

A huge positive for the Jaguars has been the improvements they’ve made addressing their biggest weakness from last season. The 2022 team had the worst defense in football in terms of QBR on throws to tight ends, with Travis Kelce famously picking their coverage apart in the AFC divisional round. This season, even with losing 2022 first-rounder Devin Lloyd to hand surgery for a couple of games, the Jags have the league’s second-best QBR against tight ends. Linebacker Foyesade Oluokun, the team’s big free agent addition, has continued to make his usual dozen tackles per game and has improved his passer rating in coverage by more than 16 points, with a pick-six against the Saints for good measure.

The most likely path to a great season for the Jags was supposed to be through a big season from the offense and Lawrence, who seemed to break through during the second half of 2023. We’re not quite there yet. He is playing better than he did during an indifferent start to last season, but he’s not playing as well as he did to close out that season, at least on a regular basis.

Subpar offensive line play hasn’t helped. The Jaguars rank 29th in pass block win rate, ahead of only the Saints, Bengals and Patriots. Tackle has been a problem, as rookie first-round pick Anton Harrison has struggled for most of the season on the right side, while left tackle Cam Robinson was suspended for the first four games. Walker Little filled in there and was expected to move to guard after Robinson returned, but he suffered a knee injury early in the win over the Bills and has missed the ensuing two games. The Jags prevented Lawrence from being sacked in last Thursday’s win, but the Saints also have one of the league’s worst pass rushes, which makes that a little easier.

The preseason chatter about Calvin Ridley seemed to be with good reason after Week 1, when the former Falcons standout returned and caught eight passes for 101 yards and a touchdown. It hasn’t quite been as smooth since. He had a 122-yard game in London, but his other five starts have produced 12 catches for 145 yards on 29 targets, for an average of 29 yards per game.

He had been banged up throughout that stretch, and Ted Nguyen has noted how coach Doug Pederson and the offensive staff have taken him and moved him into the X receiver spot in Jacksonville when he had been more successful as the Z wideout in Atlanta. That has meant more targets on the sideline as opposed to the middle of the field. In 2020 with the Falcons, about 37% of Ridley’s targets were on passes between the numbers. This season, just eight of his 47 targets have shown up there, which amounts to just over 17%.

Getting Ridley more routes over the middle of the field might help on third down, where the Jags have often fallen apart. They rank 27th in third-down conversion rate, as an offense that ranks seventh in the NFL in EPA per play on first and second down drops to 31st on third and fourth down. Some of that is randomness that will regress toward the mean, but Lawrence doesn’t have an option over the middle right now. He’s averaging 4.1 yards per attempt on 29 third-down throws inside the numbers. Only Josh Allen has been less productive there.

The bright spot on the offense has been the play of running back Travis Etienne, but that’s more a product of added volume than it is of superior performance. Last season, Etienne generated 234 rushing yards over expectation (RYOE) across 220 rush attempts, per NFL Next Gen Stats. This season, he leads the league with 127 carries, but he has generated a total of only 5 RYOE. He posted one first down over expectation (FDOE) last season, but he already has five first downs below expectation this season.

It has been fun to watch Etienne score two touchdowns in each of his past three games — and his receiving workload has increased after he was mysteriously a minor part of the passing game a year ago — but the Jags might be better off taking some of the load off his rushing plate to avoid having him rack up 300 total carries. Rookie Tank Bigsby hasn’t been inspiring so far, but Pederson could find a few touches per game for former Browns standout D’Ernest Johnson, who has just seven carries all season after he was signed in March.

In terms of making it to the playoffs, the Jags are in great shape. They have enough talent on both sides of the ball to win the South, and there are plenty of reasons to believe that a young team should get better as the season goes along, just as they did in 2022.

As for the hopes that they would compete with the Chiefs and the rest of the perennial Super Bowl contenders in the AFC? I’m more skeptical there than I was before the season. The Jags have really played only two complete games this season, and those were wins over the Falcons and Colts. The standouts on this team are good players, but they’re all not at the level where they can single-handedly propel a side of the ball forward like the way Patrick Mahomes does in Kansas City or Hutchinson is doing for Detroit.

I’m willing to believe Walker and Ridley can grow into their expectations more consistently in the second half of the season, but I’m just a little less confident about those possibilities than I was before the season began.

MIAMI

The quest for 2,000 receiving yards may take a hit on Sunday.  Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN.com:

Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill did not practice Wednesday because of a hip injury, casting doubt on whether he will be available for Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots.

Hill hasn’t missed a game since he was traded to the Dolphins in the 2022 offseason and is the NFL’s current leader in receiving yards with 902. He briefly left last week’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles but was able to return, finishing with 88 yards and a touchdown on 11 catches.

He has received veteran days off in previous weeks, but the team’s initial injury report of this week made it clear his absence was injury related.

“It was a little weird not having someone like Tyreek out there,” quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said after Wednesday’s practice. “His leadership, his aura — but it calls for other guys to step up. Jaylen [Waddle] had a really good practice today, [Cedrick Wilson Jr.] had a really good practice. A lot of guys had good practices today, especially being a Wednesday.

“I don’t think anyone can emulate what Tyreek does on the field. His speed, his cuts in and out of breaks. … If we couldn’t have Tyreek, that would be tough, but the show goes on. You’ve got to continue to play, and somewhere down the line we’re going to get Tyreek back. And it has to be one of those things where you never lift your foot off the gas and you don’t lose that rhythm as a team or a unit.”

Waddle, a 2021 first-round pick, is the Dolphins’ second-leading receiver with 30 catches for 359 yards and two touchdowns in six games this season. Asked about the possibility of Hill missing Sunday’s game, Waddle told reporters the decision is “above my pay grade.”

Five Dolphins players in total missed Wednesday’s practice, including Hill, safety Jevon Holland (concussion), fullback Alec Ingold (foot), offensive lineman Robert Jones (personal) and running back Raheem Mostert (ankle).

Cornerbacks Xavien Howard (groin) and Jalen Ramsey (knee) were both limited, as was starting center Connor Williams (groin). None of the three played in last week’s game.

With 902 receiving yards through the first 6 games, Hill is on pace for 2,191 yards.

If he takes a 0 in the 8^th game, his pace is still 2,062.

He is averaging 128.9 yards per game.  With a zero this week, he would need to average 122 per game presuming he played each of the final 9 games.

NEW ENGLAND

Scott Kacsmar:

@ScottKacsmar

Mac Jones was 0-14 when the Patriots allowed 25+ points

Mac Jones was 1-11 at 4th quarter comeback opportunities before Sunday.

#Bills picked a bad time to let him have a rare moment.

THIS AND THAT

RBs in CONTRACT YEARS

Eagles RB D’ANDRE SWIFT is among the running backs who could hit the market next March.  Maurice Jones-Drew at NFL.com:

Running back pay was a hot topic last offseason — and with a plethora of talented running backs set to hit free agency in 2024, it promises to be in the news again.

We don’t know yet how that issue will shake out. But we can preview the crop of ball-carriers who will be on the market, barring future developments like contract extensions and use of the franchise tag. Among them are four players who have claimed a league rushing yards title: Josh Jacobs (2022), Derrick Henry (2019, 2020), Ezekiel Elliott (2016, 2018) and Kareem Hunt (2017). The group also features other high-profile names like Saquon Barkley, Dalvin Cook, Austin Ekeler and Tony Pollard.

Today, I’m ranking the five most valuable running backs whose contracts are currently set to expire after this season, when factoring in age, production and expected compensation.

1   D’Andre Swift

Philadelphia Eagles · Age: 24

D’Andre Swift’s price tag this offseason should be much higher than the $1.774 million base salary he’s receiving in 2023, on the final year of his rookie contract. Shipped from Detroit to Philadelphia in a draft-day trade, Swift has elevated himself in the Eagles’ crowded backfield to become one of the best players at the position in the NFL this season. The 24-year-old is amid a career campaign, putting up 14.4 carries and 73.4 rush yards per game while tacking on three total touchdowns. With that rushing success added to his typically positive contributions in the passing game (3.7 catches and 18.3 yards per contest), Swift ranks seventh in the NFL in scrimmage yards (642), putting him on pace to set a new personal best in that category (1,599) in 2023.

Swift has proven he deserves a long-term deal — I’m thinking Jonathan Taylor-like numbers — in free agency. I get that he’s been a middle-of-the-road back in his three previous pro seasons. He also has dealt with multiple injuries over the years and has yet to play a full season. But he’s young and, with less than 500 carries to his name so far, has plenty left in the tank. Sure, there’s risk, but the upside of signing Swift is that he’ll have more stellar seasons like we’re seeing from him now.

2  Saquon Barkley

New York Giants · Age: 26

Saquon Barkley is off to a slow start in 2023, having missed three of New York’s seven games with an ankle injury so far. But we’ve seen how much of an impact he has when healthy, dramatically improving the Giants’ offense when he’s on the field; everything runs through him, no matter who’s under center. It’s no coincidence that in New York’s best games this season (wins over the Cardinals and Commanders in Weeks 2 and 7 and a close loss to the Bills in Week 6), Barkley logged at least 23 touches.

Anyone signing Barkley next offseason will know his injury history, and that he missed most of 2020 with an ACL tear and was slowed by an ankle injury in 2021. They’ll also know he’s capable of performing like he did in 2022, when he put up 1,650 scrimmage yards and 10 touchdowns, and the Giants reached the playoffs. Barkley inked a one-year, fully guaranteed extension with the Giants in July, but I’d be surprised if he doesn’t receive a long-term deal to his liking in the offseason — whether from the Giants or another team. He’ll turn 27 years old in February and still has the ability to take over games and be productive if healthy. To me, that’s worth investing in.

3  Tony Pollard

Dallas Cowboys · Age: 26

Like the two players above him on this list, Pollard is an explosive playmaker who has proven he can carry the load as an RB1, and at 26 years old, he still has plenty of tread on the tires. While his yards-per-carry mark (which sat at 5.1 entering 2023) has dipped below 4.0 this season, his contribution to the passing attack shouldn’t go without notice. Pollard already has 25 receptions, sixth-most among running backs in 2023, for 176 yards on just 29 targets through six games. His versatile skill set and ability to produce as a runner and receiver should get him paid in 2024 after he played on the franchise tag — which earned him just over $10 million — this season.

4  Austin Ekeler

Los Angeles Chargers · Age: 28

Austin Ekeler is one of the most versatile running backs in the league, having scored 39 scrimmage touchdowns (26 rushing, 13 receiving) since 2021. Don’t be fooled by his lackluster output in 2023 (just one game of 100-plus scrimmage yards so far), which can be blamed on an ankle injury that sidelined him for half of the Chargers’ games. I don’t believe his value has decreased. In fact, his production in the pass game should increase moving forward, with Justin Herbert getting pressured often and needing a reliable check-down option.

Ekeler’s all-around skill set can translate to any offense. He has the ability to run between the tackles, catch out of the backfield and protect the quarterback. He’s quicker than he is fast; even as he nears the dreaded age (30) for running backs, he should continue to be useful as a third-down back, slot receiver or gadget playmaker. I see him as a starter in 2024, perhaps just not with the Chargers, not after last offseason’s dispute over his contract. My guess is he’ll sign a multi-year deal.

5  Derrick Henry

Tennessee Titans · Age: 29

I don’t quite worry about Henry like I do other running backs who are at or near the age of 30. After all, just last season, he had more than 1,500 rushing yards. His production has fallen off a bit in 2023 — but that’s not all his fault, given the poor quarterback and offensive line play in Tennessee. Henry has been a dominant force throughout his career, and he still proves tough to tackle, given his 6-foot-3, 247-pound frame. Even if he begins to slow down as he ages, he promises to be a huge asset on first and second downs and in short-yardage and goal-line situations. His ability to wear defenses down shouldn’t be overlooked.

Some might prefer reigning rushing champion Josh Jacobs at this fifth spot. Both players have been given heavy workloads over their careers, but Henry has ben more reliable over time, never averaging less than 4.2 yards per rush in a given season. Jacobs, on the other hand, has dropped below the 4.0 yards-per-carry mark twice, putting up 3.9 in 2020 and a dreadful 2.9 thus far in 2023. Given the choice, I would take Henry.

Former NFL rushing leader and current NFL Network analyst Maurice Jones-Drew will survey all running backs and rank his top 15 each week of the 2023 season. His rankings are largely based on this season’s efforts. Here is MJD’s list heading into Week 8.

THE FIRST FEMALE GM

Scott Pioli at NFL.com makes the case for the deserving Dawn Aponte and others to be named as the “NFL’s First Female GM”, but we always wonder why Katie Brown Blackburn of the Bengals who negotiates the contracts and does a lot of other important things isn’t considered to be that person just because she is a member of the owning family.

There is one question I have been asked countless times throughout the years:

When do you think there will be a woman in a general manager role in the NFL?

Our league has taken strides to become more diverse and inclusive. Women now hold many roles in the NFL — from the top down, among its 32 teams — but there is still a long way to go.

In my time working in the NFL, I have encountered several women who would have made strong general managers. Unfortunately, I have also seen how women can be sidelined from this career path, with their roles unfairly minimized by titles that diminish their value, even when they are performing jobs that are equivalent to those executed by men with more prestigious titles. Consider Kim Ng, who rose to become the first woman in a general manager role in any of the four major American professional sports leagues (MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL) and built a playoff roster for the Miami Marlins in 2023. The team could have created the conditions for her to continue flourishing. Instead, she apparently was not given the leeway to enact her vision for the organization’s future and chose to part ways with the Marlins.

My answer to the question above is always the same: The NFL already should have had a woman GM. Dawn Aponte has more than three decades of experience and is currently the NFL’s Chief Football Administrative Officer. Her lengthy résumé, work ethic and drive make her more than qualified. Everyone saw Dawn run point and handle an incredibly difficult situation last January in Cincinnati, when Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on the field. Not only did she demonstrate the capability and strength to lead in that critical moment, but she was part of a leadership group that made sound decisions in the worst of circumstances under a prime-time spotlight. She and the leadership team reminded the football world about the importance of judicious decision-making and empathy. There was no one better to handle that situation.

Pursuing her professional goals while having and raising four children with her husband, Kevin, Dawn never took the elevator. She always took the stairs. Just consider this piece of advice she says she received early in her career that has helped guide her journey.

“Your job is 8 to 6. You build your career before 8 a.m. and after 6 p.m.,” she told me in a recent conversation we had about her career path. “I took that to heart, and [that’s] why I spent nights and weekends staying in the facility to do research projects, FedEx or fax paperwork, pick up dinner, type contract language or whatever else needed to be done.”

Dawn began her career with the New York Jets in 1991 as a summer intern, a role she served in until 1993; in 1994, she was hired full time as a staff accountant. Early on in her time with the Jets, she told a team executive that she eventually wanted to work on the football side of the organization. He chuckled while responding, “That’s cute, but you know women working on the football side is just not culturally acceptable.”

In her words, the remark was a “pivotal moment and driving force for the next several decades to follow,” making her realize that no one should place limits on or define what you “can or cannot do.”

“It was one of the primary reasons as to why I got my CPA and then went on to get an MBA and a law degree: to ensure that I was not going to be passed over due to the fact that I didn’t have equivalent or better paper credentials than any other (male) candidate,” said Dawn, whom I first met in 1997 when I was hired by the Jets. “I wanted to be able to distinguish myself in any way possible — which also meant learning and understanding the game of football, the player evaluation process, salary cap, etc. Talking to football folks that were willing to teach me was one of the most valuable ways to do that.”

Dawn continued to rise through the ranks within the Jets organization: She served as staff accountant (1994-2001), manager/salary cap analyst (2001-04), director of football administration (2004-05) and senior director of football administration (2005-06). She then left to work in the league office as director of labor finance before being promoted to a VP position. Dawn then went back to the club level, where she served as VP of football administration for the Cleveland Browns (2009-2010) before joining the Miami Dolphins as SVP of football operations (2010-12) and EVP of football administration (2012-16).

She has no shortage of experience, but you’ll notice that many of Dawn’s titles include the word “administration” rather than “operations.” The one instance where Dawn had “operations” in her title was when she worked for Bill Parcells in Miami. Dawn recalls him telling her, “I identify people I think can help us win, and that’s why I’m hiring you.” After Parcells’ departure from Miami, Dawn was promoted to EVP of football administration.

Aponte still should be considered — and, eventually, hired — for a role as an NFL GM. There are several notable women in high-ranking positions across the league’s 32 teams with whom you are likely familiar, including Catherine Raiche (the Cleveland Browns’ assistant general manager and vice president of football operations who interviewed for the Minnesota Vikings’ GM position in 2022), Kelly Kleine (the Denver Broncos’ executive director of football operations/special advisor to the general manager) and Jacqueline Davidson (the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ vice president of football research).

Which other women in the NFL have the potential to develop into possible GM candidates down the road? Here are three more names to know:

Hannah Burnett, New York Giants college area scout: Burnett is in her fourth season as an area scout with the Giants. Prior to joining New York, Burnett was with the Atlanta Falcons, first serving as a scouting coordinator and then a scouting assistant. I hired her for that entry-level position when I was Atlanta’s assistant GM, and I watched her improve and dedicate herself to learning the evaluation process in order to achieve her goal of becoming a scout. Burnett also spent time as a player personnel assistant at the league office.

Kasia Omilian, Indianapolis Colts NFS scout: Omilian is in her second season as a National Football Scouting scout with the Colts. Prior to that role, she served as a football operations intern with the Colts (2019-2020) and interned in the football operations department with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the summers of 2017 and ’18.

Ameena Soliman, Philadelphia Eagles director of personnel operations/pro scout: Soliman is in her sixth year with the Philadelphia Eagles and her second in her current role. Since originally joining the organization as an intern in 2018, Soliman has worked as a player personnel coordinator (2019-2020) for the team and as a pro scout (2021). Prior to joining the Eagles, Soliman worked as a player personnel assistant with the NFL league office (2017-18) after serving as a football operations and recruiting graduate assistant with Temple University.

Two names surprisingly missing from Pioli’s list –

Catherine Raîche, the assistant general manager for the Cleveland Browns. She previously held the position of vice president of football operations for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL).

Kelly Kleine Van Calligan, now in her 3^rd with the Denver Broncos in 2023 as executive director of football operations/special advisor to the general manager.