NFC NORTH

GREEN BAY

The Packers are said to have interest in Texas WR WILL FULLER.  Mike Florio ofProFootballTalk.com:

With the trade deadline approaching and, as a practical matter, the trade deadline imminent for teams that hope to have any new players on the field in Week Nine, a former first-round receiver is drawing interest.

According to Aaron Reiss of TheAthletic.com, multiple teams have inquired about Texans receiver Will Fuller. One of those teams, per the report, is the Packers.

Fuller was the first of three straight receivers taken in the 2016 draft from picks 21 through 23; the other two (Josh Doctson of Washington and Laquon Treadwell of the Vikings) are out of the league.

Fuller currently is in the option year of his rookie contract, at a salary of $10.162 million.

Reiss explains that the Texans aren’t interested in a fire sale, and that they won’t trade just to trade. That’s what they have to say to maximize leverage, especially if only the Packers have significant interest.

The Texans have been criticized for doing bad deals in recent years. Currently, their interim General Manager is executive V.P. of football operations Jack Easterby, who has limited (if any) qualifications for or experience in matters of this nature. That could cause other teams to try to take advantage of the Texans.

It also could make Easterby leering about doing any deals, for fear of being taken advantage of.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur was the quarterbacks coach at Notre Dame in 2014, one of the three years that Fuller played for college football there.

Fuller’s value could be hard to gauge, given that he’s one half of a season away from becoming a free agent. Last year, the Broncos got a third-round pick for Emmanuel Sanders from the 49ers; Sanders left San Francisco earlier this year, after his contract expired.

For the Texans, the first question is whether they want Fuller beyond 2020. The next question becomes whether they want to try to get value for him now or whether they want to let him leave in free agency, enhancing the team’s potential collection of compensatory draft picks in 2022.

MINNESOTA

Covid-19 in Minnesota?  So far, just one key player.  TheRedZone.org:

The Minnesota Vikings have placed cornerback Cameron Dantzler on the COVID-19 list according to the team’s official website.

The COVID-19 list is for players who have tested positive or come in close contact with someone who has.  The third-round rookie out of Mississippi State is a starting outside corner for the Vikings so this is potentially alarming news with the Vikings defense set to face Davante Adams and the Green Bay Packers this Sunday if he can’t get cleared in time.   Dantzler has appeared in four games, starting all four, and has made 24 tackles, two tackles for loss and no interceptions plus plays special teams.

NFC EAST

DALLAS

The Cowboys say they have no interest in benched Dolphins QB RYAN FITZPATRICK.  This from Heavy.com:

Scratch “Dallas Cowboys Fitzmagic” off your 2020 NFL bingo cards.

Amid persistent speculation that Dallas could trade for benched Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, beat reporter Mike Fisher of Maven Sports reached out to those in the know for the “truth” on the matter.

“False,” a Cowboys source told Fisher on Tuesday. “That doesn’t even make any sense.”

The source here was asked about a recent South Florida Sun-Sentinel article in which the Cowboys were floated as a potential landing spot for the legendary 37-year-old journeyman.

A logical trade partner could be the Dallas Cowboys, who lost quarterback Dak Prescott to a season-ending leg injury and just lost backup Andy Dalton to a concussion last Sunday.

The NFC East is the most abysmal division in football, with the Eagles (2-4-1), Washington (2-5), Cowboys (2-5) and Giants (1-6) all in the mix for a playoff spot.

Perhaps, one of those teams believe Fitzpatrick, who has a 95.0 passer rating, could spark up some FitzMagic for a stretch run at the end of this season.

Nobody will confuse Fitzpatrick for Joe Montana, but he was performing at a solid level in 2020, leading the Dolphins to a surprising 3-3 record. He’s completed 138-of-197 passes (70.1%) for 1,535 yards, 10 touchdowns, and seven interceptions across six starts, adding 135 yards and two scores on the ground.

The former Ram, Bengal, Bill, Titan, Texan, Jet, and Buc has never been a foundational fixture at any point amid his 16 professional campaigns. There’s a reason he’s also nicknamed “Fitztragic.” He’s erratic, inconsistent, turnover prone. When it works, it’s brilliant. But when it doesn’t, it’s capital-B Bad. And no front office is willing to hitch their wagon to his star.

Perhaps another team will offer significant compensation and absorb Fitzpatrick’s $8 million salary-cap number. That team isn’t the Cowboys, who are as likely to be sellers as they are buyers before the Nov. 3 NFL trade deadline. They began the process Tuesday, sending defensive end Everson Griffen to the Lions in exchange for a 2021 sixth-round draft pick.

Ultimately, it won’t matter who’s under center if the injury-wracked offensive line, down four starters in Sunday’s loss to Washington, can’t keep the QB upright. Head coach Mike McCarthy indicated that right guard Zack Martin (concussion) will play in Week 8 and center Joe Looney (knee, injured reserve) has a chance to suit up.

Dalton will remain in concussion protocol as the Cowboys return to practice Wednesday. While there’s a chance he misses the upcoming road tilt against the Eagles, all indications point to it being a short-term absence. Rookie Ben DiNucci will handle first-string reps for as long as needed, but this is Dalton’s offense for the remainder of the Prescott-less season.

“We can get the most out of our team and it could be enough with Andy Dalton,” Dallas owner/general manager Jerry Jones said prior to the Washington game, via USA Today.

– – –

The Cowboys couldn’t get a cup of warm spit for a pair of veteran defenders, including One Who Kneels.  Kevin Patra of NFL.com:

The Dallas Cowboys aren’t done shedding veteran defensive players.

After trading Everson Griffen to Detroit for a conditional sixth-round pick on Tuesday, the Cowboys are moving on from two more defensive players.

Dallas is cutting defensive tackle Dontari Poe and cornerback Daryl Worley after trying to trade both players, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported earlier Wednesday morning that the Cowboys informed the pair that they would be released if they couldn’t trade them Wednesday. Dallas couldn’t, so it cut ties with Poe and Worley.

Poe signed a two-year, $9 million contract in Dallas this season as part of an offseason revamp along the line that has utterly failed. Poe has been dreadful this season against both the run and pass. Despite playing 253 snaps — the most of any Cowboys interior defender this season — the 30-year-old has generated just seven tackles and zero sacks. Pro Football Focus charted Poe with one single hurry in seven games, his only pressure of the season.

Poe also garnered notice as the only Cowboys player to kneel during the “Star-Spangled Banner” ahead of games in a demonstration for racial equality and social justice. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said that did not factor into the decision to cut Poe.

“When you’re 30 pounds overweight and you’re not doing anything about what’s keeping you from performing well on the field, there is no reason to get into the other stuff,” Jones told ESPN. “We have a platform here but the platform on the football field has a high standard, and [Poe] was not up to the standard. He needed to correct that and he did not. I’m going to leave it at that.”

Worley has been no better, giving up chunk plays in the passing game, and has allowed 10 of 12 targets his way to be completed. Worley has played 246 snaps for the Cowboys this season, behind only Jourdan Lewis and rookie Trevon Diggs.

Moving on from the veterans is the start of a needed overhaul for a Cowboys defense that has been historically bad through seven weeks. Dallas ranks last in points per game allowed (34.7 — worst in franchise history), last in offensive TDs per game allowed (3.9), last in rushing yards per game allowed (178.3), and 27th in total yards allowed (27th). The 34.7 points per game would be the second-highest in a single season by a team in the Super Bowl era if Dallas keeps up the pace.

Changes on defense are needed if Dallas is to turn it around and recapture the NFC East lead.

NEW YORK GIANTS

Covid-19 alert!  Covid-19 alert!

Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com:

The Giants’ announcement that a member of their roster tested positive for COVID-19 has been followed by multiple reports about the identity of that player.

It is left guard Will Hernandez and he is set to be placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list as a result. The Giants said they learned of the test late on Wednesday night and began the contact tracing process.

According to a report from NFL Media, that process led to all but four of the team’s offensive linemen being told to stay home and work remotely on Thursday. The rest of the team is set to practice.

The Giants are set to host the Buccaneers on Monday night. The availability of Hernandez’s contacts to play in that game will be determined by whether or not they are deemed high risk contacts. If they are, they’ll need to stay away from the team for five days and that could jeopardize playing as scheduled as teams are required to have eight offensive linemen available.

NFC SOUTH

ATLANTA

The Falcons have signaled a willingness to talk about TAKK.  Nick Shook of NFL.com:

Takkarist McKinley might have a new home before long.

The Falcons have had trade talks involving the former first-round pick, and other teams believe the UCLA product will be moved before Tuesday’s trade deadline, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported. No deal is imminent, Pelissero added. The Falcons ruled McKinley out for Thursday’s game against the Panthers due to a groin injury.

The news isn’t entirely surprising, because when viewing his performance over the course of his first three and a half seasons in the NFL, McKinley simply hasn’t lived up to the first-round expectation. Atlanta declared as much when it declined to pick up McKinley’s fifth-year option before the 2020 season.

After recording six sacks as a rookie and seven in his second season, McKinley’s production fell significantly in 2019. The Next Gen Stats help lift the curtain on McKinley’s impact, which was really looking up in 2018, a campaign in which McKinley recorded a disruption rate of 18.2 percent and a pressure rate of 15.6 percent. The disruption rate was the second-best mark in the entire NFL (minimum 300 pass-rushing snaps), and McKinley’s biggest improvement needed was simply finishing the job by getting to the quarterback for the sack.

He went in the opposite direction in 2019, though, playing 99 less pass-rushing snaps and watching his pressure rate drop below 9 percent, which appeared to sour Atlanta on McKinley’s future.

Interestingly, McKinley’s Pro Football Focus grades have remained in the same range in the pass-rushing department, with the edge rusher breaking 70 just once (in 2017, his rookie season) before leveling off between 63 and 67 in the last three seasons.

McKinley has shown incremental improvement in the aforementioned Next Gen categories and currently owns his best overall defensive grade through seven weeks, perhaps explaining Atlanta’s interest in selling relatively high while still possible.

– – –

For the record, Coach Raheem Morris blames himself for the way the Falcons squandered last week’s game.  Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com:

Falcons running back Todd Gurley was “mad as hell” at himself for scoring a late touchdown on Sunday against the Lions, leading to Detroit’s comeback win at a point in the game when the Falcons could have just kneeled down and kicked a chip-shot game-winning field goal as time expired. But Falcons coach Raheem Morris said it wasn’t Gurley’s fault.

Morris said he feels that he put Gurley in a tough position by asking him to take a handoff and run to the 1-yard line but stop before crossing the goal line.

“I said this before and I’ll say it again, I feel like I made the mistake for putting Todd in that spot,” Morris said, via the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It’s a little harder probably than me and you think to stop from going in. Obviously, it is. . . . I made a bad decision from the 10-yard line to give him the ball thinking he could stop before he got there. Probably should have put the ball in Matt Ryan’s hands and took the knee like I said before. That’s probably the biggest regret from the game. . . . I know I’ve said that clearly to [the media]. I’ve said it clearly to the team. Moving forward, we won’t make that mistake again.”

CAROLINA

What’s Next! is what’s happening for Panthers coach Matt Rhule.  David Newton ofESPN.com:

Coach Matt Rhule was working out his core at Bank of America Stadium on the Saturday before the Carolina Panthers departed for a Week 5 game at Atlanta. He was struggling to the point that he finally yelled, “I can’t do any more!”

In stepped safety Juston Burris with the words, “What’s next, Coach! C’mon!”

The next day, after Burris muffed a first-half strip-sack that could have resulted in a touchdown, Rhule ran onto the field, shouting, “What’s next, Burris! What’s next!”

What’s next happened with 8:49 remaining. The Falcons were on the Carolina 5-yard line needing a touchdown to tie the game when Burris intercepted a pass in the back of the end zone to all but secure the win.

At no point did Burris or Rhule put a question mark at the end of “what’s next.” There was an exclamation point — just as there was next to the same words on the sleeve of Rhule’s smock, which made its NFL game debut last week at New Orleans.

 “The whole point is that we’re not asking what’s next,” Rhule said as he prepared for his prime-time debut as an NFL coach on Thursday (8:20 p.m. ET, Fox) at home against the Falcons. “We’re attacking what’s next. We don’t care what’s next. We’re just looking for the next challenge.”

“What’s next!” is at the core of Rhule’s process that turned around programs at Temple and Baylor. It has carried over to his first year with the Panthers (3-4) as they face Atlanta (1-6), a team that fired coach Dan Quinn after their first meeting.

“What’s next” is what allows Rhule — and, he hopes, his players and staff — to quickly move on from disappointing losses such as Sunday’s 27-24 setback against New Orleans.

“It’s not just a mantra that he preaches or puts up on a poster board,” said wide receivers coach Frisman Jackson, who coached with Rhule at Temple and Baylor. “Every day, when new things get thrown at us, especially with the COVID, you can see that he lives a ‘what’s next’ life.”

TAMPA BAY

He hasn’t run any routes yet, but so far WR ANTONIO BROWN has exuded positivity in Tampa.  Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com:

Wide receiver Antonio Brown can’t start practicing with the Buccaneers until next week, but he was in the building for the first time since signing with the team on Wednesday and made a good first impression on head coach Bruce Arians.

Brown is able to attend meetings and work with the strength and conditioning staff as he acclimates himself to his new surroundings. Arians got a chance to catch up with the wideout and offered a positive review of the interaction to reporters.

“He looks fantastic. I think we had really good conversations today, he and I,” Arians said, via Jenna Laine of ESPN.com. “He was in the meetings and everything. And he’s working with Anthony Piroli and the strength staff. He looks in great shape. Yeah, ready to go next week.”

Arians said that Brown will be “ready to go next week,” which suggests that he’ll be on track to play against the Saints in Week 9 in what will be a highly anticipated debut performance in Tampa.

Tom Brady, Antonio Brown, Rob Gronkowski, Ndamukong Suh, Lesean McCoy – if this was 2015 the Buccaneers would be unstoppable…

– – –

Frank Schwab of YahooSports.com says that, if anything, QB TOM BRADY is underappreciated:

Tom Brady won NFC offensive player of the month. It’s his 11th time winning player of the month, extending his own NFL record.

Maybe that’s why we aren’t making as much of Brady’s season as we should. We’ve become so accustomed to him playing at this level that what he is doing this year floats by us, even if he’s wearing a new Tampa Bay Buccaneers uniform. Brady’s greatness is just an expectation at this point.

What Brady is doing this season is unprecedented and unbelievable. As his Buccaneers get set to face the New York Giants — whose quarterback Daniel Jones was 2 years old when Brady was drafted — in a Monday night game that can be live-streamed on the Yahoo Sports app, Brady will try to keep pushing into the MVP conversation.

We’ve never seen anything like what Brady is doing, and it’s probably not getting the proper respect.

Tom Brady is incredibly in the MVP race

For years, 38 was the normal age quarterbacks retired. Joe Montana, Dan Marino, John Elway, Kurt Warner, Fran Tarkenton and Sammy Baugh are among the Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks who retired after their age 38 season.

Five years beyond that, 43-year-old Brady is one of the NFL’s best players. After changing teams for the first time in his NFL career. During the weirdest offseason ever.

Brady has had a significant reversal of many statistical declines. His yards per game, completion percentage, touchdown rate, yards per attempt and passer rating all have had huge spikes from last season.

Brady has 18 touchdown passes. Through the first 100 seasons of NFL football, quarterbacks who were 43 or older had 22 touchdowns. Combined.

When Brady won an MVP award at the end of the 2017 season, he was 40 years old. He became the oldest MVP in any of the four major American professional sports. If he wins it again at 43 (or 44, or 45), it might be a record that is never challenged.

Brady is the best QB his age, by a mile

Brady still has a way to go to catch Russell Wilson in the MVP race. Brady simply being in the conversation is remarkable.

There was no positive history of a quarterback 43 or older in NFL history before this season. Here’s the entire list of quarterbacks at least 43 years old in the NFL, before 2020 (via Stathead):

Vinny Testaverde: 96 for 175, 981 yards, 6 TD, 6 TD

George Blanda: 68 for 135, 955 yards, 12 TD, 12 INT

Steve DeBerg: 30 of 59, 369 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT

Warren Moon: 16 of 37, 228 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

Doug Flutie: 5 of 10, 29 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT

There was a fun novelty in quarterbacks that old still playing, but none of them were good. And at the same age, Brady just won NFC offensive player of the month.

All quarterbacks 43 or older, combined (before Brady): 215 for 416 (51.7%), 2,562 yards, 22 TD, 22 INT, 66.4 passer rating

Brady at age 43: 176 for 268 (65.7%), 1,910 yards, 18 TD, 4 INT, 102.7 passer rating

It’s not just quarterbacks. No non-kicker beyond age 41 has ever made a Pro Bowl. Only one player, including kickers, has made multiple Pro Bowls in their 40s … that’s Tom Brady, with two.

Brady might throw a few more pick-sixes than he ever has before, and he might forget what down it is sometimes. But let’s be clear: If Brady wins an MVP, or even gets close, it will be one of the most incredible accomplishments in all of sports. Nobody at his age, at any position in any team sport, has had this level of success.

Put your hatred of the Patriots aside. Don’t overlook what Brady’s doing just because he’s been so good for so long. Just enjoy the show. We might never see anything like it again.

– – –

The Buccaneers are #1 in the Aikman Ratings and they are also atop the DVOA calculations of Football Outsiders.  Aaron Schatz:

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were supposed to be a good football team in 2020. They added the greatest quarterback of all time, Tom Brady. It was certainly possible that Brady would turn into a pumpkin at age 43, but it was more likely that he would be an upgrade on Jameis Winston behind center. Those of us who pay attention to advanced analytics also knew that the Buccaneers had a strong defense. So we knew that the Buccaneers were going to be good.

We didn’t think they would be this good.

The Buccaneers are not dominating in the NFL standings because they have two losses so far this year. But they are dominating when you break down the play-by-play for a closer look at how teams are performing overall. Tampa Bay is now No. 1 in the Football Outsiders DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average) ratings. And the Buccaneers are No. 1 by a large margin. The gap between the Bucs and the No. 2 Baltimore Ravens is equal to the gap between the Ravens and the No. 7 Los Angeles Rams.

Tampa Bay lost the first game of the season to a good New Orleans Saints team, but they’ve had a positive rating for each of their games since. That includes the close Week 5 loss to the Chicago Bears, when Tampa outgained Chicago 5.3 yards per play to 4.1 yards per play and primarily lost because of penalties that aren’t necessarily predictive of future performance. Tampa Bay’s five wins have all been solid, especially its domination of a Green Bay Packers offense that had been the best in the league in the early going.

Put all their plays together, and the Buccaneers have now climbed onto a list of the best teams we’ve ever tracked with DVOA through seven games, dating to 1985. So how have they done it, and what does history tell us about teams that are this dominant through this stretch of the season?

Where the Bucs stand through seven weeks

First, here’s a look at the top 12 teams by DVOA through seven weeks, dating to 1985:

Best DVOA Through Seven Weeks, 1985-2020

YEAR   TEAM                W-L     DVOA

2007     Patriots               7-0      69.1%

1991     Washington       7-0        61.8%

2019     Patriots              7-0       54.6%

1996     Packers            6-1        54.0%

1985     Bears                 7-0       49.9%

2007     Colts                  7-0       48.7%

1994     Cowboys           6-1        48.2%

2014     Broncos            6-1        47.6%

2019     49ers                  7-0      46.3%

2020     Buccaneers       5-2        45.0%

2006     Bears                 7-0       44.3%

1999     Rams                 6-1       43.2%

Two losses put the Buccaneers a little behind in the race for the best playoff position, but with such a high rating, our playoff odds simulation is expecting big things from them. In our latest simulation, Tampa Bay is the favorite to get the NFC’s No. 1 seed, doing so in 28.3% of simulations. They make it to Super Bowl LV in 33.2% of simulations and win it all 19.2% of the time, second behind Kansas City. ESPN’s FPI simulation gives Tampa similar chances, at 18.7%.

The Bucs are led by their defense, which is the best in the league this season. But the improvement has come on the offensive side more than the defensive side. That might be seem like a surprise, since the Bucs were third in the league last year in points scored yet 29th in points allowed. Those stats are really misleading, however. The Bucs scored a lot of points last year because they were constantly passing the ball, often losing in games. They were losing because they had so many turnovers that forced their defense to play on short fields where it was easier for the opposing offense to score. That’s how the Bucs could somehow be just eighth in yards allowed per play yet give up so many points.

DVOA ratings give a much more accurate portrayal of last year’s team: 23rd on offense and sixth on defense. This year, the Bucs have improved to sixth on offense and first on defense. Let’s take a look at exactly where the improvement has taken place.

NFC WEST

SAN FRANCISCO

Reinforcements for the 49ers offense are on the way. A Tweet from Matt Maiocco:

@MaioccoNBCS

The #49ers opened the practice windows for RB Tevin Coleman, TE Jordan Reed and CB K’Waun Williams, who are all currently on injured reserve.

All could play on Sunday vs. Seahawks, if they make it through the week OK.

AFC WEST

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

Covid-19 alert.  Covid-19 alert.

The Los Angeles Chargers were already dealing with wildfires. Now Anthony Lynn’s team has a COVID-19 issue to maneuver around.

NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported a Chargers player tested positive for COVID-19, and he and all close contacts were told to stay home and isolate, per sources informed of the situation.

The team confirmed the positive test.

“Late last night, we received notice a Chargers player tested positive for COVID-19,” the Chargers said in a statement. “The player was immediately notified, began self-quarantine and the contact tracing process was initiated. The player’s close contacts have been identified. They will remain home today and participate in meetings remotely.

“Hoag Performance Center remains open, and the team will follow its normal practice and meeting schedule. All meetings will be held virtually. We continue to operate in close consultation with the NFL, as well as our team of independent doctors and specialists, and will follow their guidance.”

“As has been the case since day one of this pandemic, the health and safety of our players, staff and community continue to be our highest priority.”

The positive test comes as several L.A. staffers and players, including rookie quarterback Justin Herbert, were among the thousands of people evacuated from their homes amid the Southern California wildfires this week.

It’s unclear at this stage whether one of the evacuees was the player who tested positive.

The Chargers are set to face the Broncos in Denver on Sunday afternoon.

The positive test in L.A. comes on the same day the Giants are also dealing with a COVID-19 issue across the country in New York.

AFC NORTH

BALTIMORE

In the Not-For-Long league, rival coaches John Harbaugh and Mike Tomlin have been joined together for a football eternity.  Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com:

The Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers have produced vicious hits, dramatic finishes and now a historic matchup of head coaches.

In Sunday’s battle for first place in the AFC North, the Steelers’ Mike Tomlin and the Ravens’ John Harbaugh will become the first pair of head coaches in the Super Bowl era to face off 25 times in the regular season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Before a Ravens-Steelers game not too long ago, Tomlin was talking to Harbaugh about how their place in the lore of one of the NFL’s fiercest rivalries.

“We’ll be tied together forever by this,” Tomlin told Harbaugh.

Tomlin and Harbaugh will break a tie with two other longtime coaching matchups — Tomlin-Marvin Lewis and Sid Gillman-Hank Stram — who met 24 times in the regular season.

Harbaugh holds a 13-11 edge over Tomlin in the regular season since their first meeting in 2008. It’s been a closely contested series which has resulted in two-thirds of the games being decided by four points or less, including four overtime games.

“I think in moments like this or in the offseason and things of that nature, you get an opportunity, maybe, to appreciate it,” Tomlin said of coaching against Harbaugh. “But I think much like him, in the moment, they’re nameless gray faces on the other sideline, man. You’re just so caught up in the strategy or the decisions that need to be made. When you’re playing good people, it’s paramount that you play [well].”

There are only two head coaching matchups in NFL history that eclipse Tomlin-Harbaugh. George Halas and Curly Lambeau met 48 times, and Lambeau and Steve Owen coached against each other 28 times.

Hired in 2008, Tomlin has a 139-74-1 (.652) record in the regular season with one Super Bowl championship and six AFC North titles. A year later, Harbaugh joined the Ravens, totaling a 123-75 (.621) record with one Super Bowl title and four division championships.

“They stay true to themselves, and that’s what they’re all about,” Harbaugh said. “So, that’s a mark of a heck of a coach, and obviously Coach Tomlin is one of the best, and we have great respect for everything they do.”

Harbaugh has joked that he and Tomlin were always destined to be on opposite sides because he was a defensive back in college and Tomlin was a wide receiver. While they are not close friends, they do share a mutual admiration for one another as well as a love of Michigan football.

Tomlin and Harbaugh are among four head coaches who’ve been with the same team for over the past 12 years. Bill Belichick and Sean Payton are the others.

“You know what the Ravens games are about,” Tomlin said. “They are a top-notch organization and football team. They have talent across the board. They’re familiar with us. We’re familiar with them. There’s continuity within schematics and both staffs and core players and things, and I think that’s what adds to the intrigue. We should anticipate it being a physical and rough-and-tumble game because history tells us that, and how the two teams are playing this year also gives you that indication.”

CINCINNATI

Todd McShay of ESPN.com on QB JOE BURROW near the halfway mark:

Burrow is completing 66.6% of his passes — and has an NFL-high 195 completions on an NFL-high 293 attempts. His 2,023 passing yards are third in the league. And he has 12 total touchdowns (nine through the air) and five interceptions.

He has played around the level I expected. I still think if I was promised health for both Tagovailoa and Burrow, I’d call Tagovailoa the better talent and the more dynamic player. But Burrow is as good in the pocket as any quarterback I’ve ever evaluated. He has fast eyes reading the coverage and feeling the pass rush, and he can move so well to buy time.

Entering the year, I was concerned about the protection in Cincinnati, and the Bengals have allowed 28 sacks through seven games, tied for the most in the league (Eagles). That pocket presence ability has allowed him to still put up numbers and still give his team a chance to win despite the constant pressure. His toughness in the pocket stands out, too, and it helps that he is getting the ball out quickly (2.63 seconds before pass is tied for 10th, per ESPN Stats & Information research). He also has a good sense of when to tuck and run, and he’s effective doing so.

His accuracy has been on full display, and he has developed nice chemistry with second-round pick Tee Higgins in the passing game. But the arm strength has never been an elite trait, and it’s showing on the deep outs — some of those throws are floating a bit. Still, Burrow has overall lived up to what the Bengals needed from him.

For him to take the next step, the Bengals need to find more balance in their offense. The run game is one of seven in the league averaging fewer than 100 yards per game. Joe Mixon has just one game with at least 70 rushing yards, and he has averaged 3.0 yards or fewer per carry in four of his six games this season. There’s a reason Burrow ranks No. 1 in pass attempts, but in order for him to find a little more success, Cincinnati needs to figure out a way to get better around him and balance the offense.

AFC SOUTH

JACKSONVILLE

QB GARDNER MINSHEW has been playing since Week 1 with a broken bone in his throwing thumb.  Kevin Patra of NFL.com:

Minshew Mania is on the precipice of potentially being canceled due to a hand injury.

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew is dealing with an injury to his throwing thumb, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport confirmed.

ESPN was first to report the news.

Minshew is dealing with a ligament sprain and a small break. The team was previously not aware of the injury, which explains why Minshew wasn’t on the report before Week 7.

The Jags being on a bye this week should give time for Minshew to heal a bit from an injury that some QBs have played through. His status, however, will be uncertain when the Jags return to practice next week.

Rapoport reported over the weekend that Jacksonville was already considering sitting Minshew if his struggles this season continued. The second-year QB tossed two TDs Sunday but completed just 51.9 percent of 27 attempts for 173 yards as the Jags lost to the Los Angeles Chargers. It was Jacksonville’s sixth straight defeat.

The hand injury could make the decision moot or give coach Doug Marrone the opening to test drive another QB for a week or two but keep the option to go back to Minshew.

Mike Glennon is the current backup. The 30-year-old has reportedly looked good in practice. The book on Glennon is written, however — and it’s not good. One must wonder how his lack of mobility would hold up behind a Jags offensive line that has given up 23 sacks with Minshew under center.

Jake Luton, a sixth-round rookie, could also fit into the equation. The Oregon State product has a stronger arm than Minshew, and the Jags could decide to take another swing at a late-round QB to see what they have.

With their current trajectory, the Jags will be drafting high enough to snag an early first-round QB if they so desire.

If that is the case, however, the coach and front office might get swept out the door come January.

Minshew’s injury, the stacking losses, and a coach on the hot seat will all factor into the equation of who is under center when the Jags return from their bye.

AFC EAST

MIAMI

Todd McShay of ESPN.com no what we can expect from TUA.

It’s officially Tua Time for the Miami Dolphins. Former Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft, will get his first career start when Miami faces the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.

What can we expect from the talented lefty in his first full game? What are his strengths, and how will they impact the offense? Whats areas will be under a close eye?

This was the Dolphins’ plan all along. It’s clear that regardless of how well or how poorly Ryan Fitzpatrick played, Tagovailoa was going to be the guy once the team deemed him ready. And despite some strong play from Fitzpatrick — his 80.6 Total QBR is tied for sixth in the NFL — in the team’s 3-3 start to the season, Tagovailoa is indeed ready.

You have to remember that Fitzpatrick turns 38 years old in less than a month and is a free agent after the season. He isn’t part of the long-term plan here. The Dolphins absolutely need to see what they have in their future, and they’ve seen enough in practice to commit to Tagovailoa as the starter heading into Week 8. They wouldn’t start him if they weren’t 100% positive he was ready and healthy, so in that line of thought, this decision was made on schedule.

So what does Tagovailoa need to do the rest of the way? Play within himself and not press to make plays. Miami has played well, and at 3-3, it is 1.5 games behind the Buffalo Bills in the AFC East. There is even playoff chatter for the Dolphins amid the move to an expanded playoffs. But Tagovailoa needs to forget about that to a degree. This move is about the long-term outlook. Losing in 2020 isn’t the big concern, and what matters more is being ready to take the organization to the next level in years to come.

The biggest thing for me is whether the offensive line can protect him. The supporting cast in general isn’t stacked, but it’s enough to help him compete. But the line is going to have to protect him, as he starts his first football game since he injured his hip last November. Through six games, the offensive line is allowing quarterback pressure on 28.6% of all dropbacks, the 13th-highest rate in the NFL per ESPN Stats & Information research. And according to ESPN metrics, it is sustaining blocks for at least 2.5 seconds just 47.5% of the time — better than only the Giants and Jets league-wide.

Right off the bat, Tagovailoa has Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald to deal with. The Dolphins will have to give the line some help against the talented interior pass-rusher with some double-teams, though that will of course open up lanes elsewhere and leave the door open to blitz. Setting protections will be key Sunday for Tagovailoa. He has to know where the Rams are bringing the heat and set the right protection.

One thing that will certainly help him against pressure is his suddenness. His decision-making and mobility inside the pocket are plus traits that will be key as he adjusts to the NFL tempo. As ESPN Dolphins reporter Cameron Wolfe pointed out, Fitzpatrick was getting the ball out at the third-fastest rate before being replaced (2.41 seconds). That will be important, and it’s one of the things Tagovailoa does best. He has a quick, compact release, along with the instincts, vision and poise to feel pressure and get the ball out on time. At 6-foot, he lacks ideal height, but he has fast eyes to swiftly get through progressions.

You should expect more run-pass options, an area Tagovailoa excelled with at Alabama. Per ESPN Stats & Information research, his 90.8 QBR on RPO plays from 2018 to 2019 was third in the nation over that span among signal-callers with at least 50 such attempts. He processes the defense so well when running a run-pass option play and gets the ball out on a quick throw, often a slant route. His anticipation and timing are on display there.

It isn’t all quick-pass effectiveness, though. Tagovailoa showed elite accuracy and touch on throws to all three levels in college, and his great feel for trajectory and high-end arm strength allow him to deliver fantastic deep balls. Dolphins receiver DeVante Parker is 14th in the NFL since the beginning of last season with six catches of at least 30 air yards, while receiver Preston Williams is fifth over that time frame in air yards per target (14.6 yards). Expect some vertical shots from Tagovailoa.

The moment has never been too big for Tagovailoa, and this shouldn’t be any different. He is a special talent, and there is a reason he was my No. 7 prospect for the 2020 draft even after the devastating injury last year. How he comes back from that injury will be among the biggest questions. Is he still the same player in his suddenness and twitchiness in the pocket? Can he still effectively scramble when he needs to extend plays? Those are some things I’ll be keeping an eye on over the next few weeks. I’m excited to see what he brings.

NEW YORK JETS

The Jets are shopping DT QUINNEN WILLIAMS who just a year ago was the 3^rd overall pick in the draft by the prior regime.  Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News:

Operation Teardown is in full swing.

The Daily News has learned that the Jets are shopping defensive lineman Quinnen Williams with the hope of moving him for a fair price before the Nov. 3 trade deadline.

Although general manager Joe Douglas has repeatedly said that he’s willing to take calls from any team, the Jets have been proactive in attempting to get more draft capital in exchange for the third overall pick of the 2019 draft.

The 0-7 Jets, the only winless team in the league, aren’t asking for the moon. In other words, Gang Green won’t require a first-round pick in return, according to sources.

However, the Jets aren’t willing to give up the 22-year-old Williams for just a second-round pick, either. Douglas & Co. want multiple picks to part with Williams, who has made significant improvement in his second season.

The team will predictably attempt to spin behind the scenes that they’re willing to listen to any offers, but make no mistake: The Jets have made it known that Williams can be had for a reasonable price.

Williams leads all interior defensive linemen with 18 stops, according to Pro Football Focus. He’s tied for fourth among interior defensive linemen with 17 tackles against the run. He’s also third in run-stop percentage (12.2%) among interior defenders, per PFF.

Williams already has more tackles for loss (5) through seven games than he did in 13 games as a rookie. He’s made improvements across the board from his first season that was plagued early by a high ankle sprain that he played through.

It’s curious why the Jets wouldn’t want Williams, who will turn 23 in December, to be a foundation piece. He’s also relatively cheap given that he’s on the second year of his four-year rookie contract that includes a fifth-year team option. Williams’ affordable contract — he’s set to count $9 million against the 2021 cap and $10.6 million against the 2022 cap — also could make him enticing to interested teams.

It would also make sense for the next coaching staff to evaluate whether it wants to keep Williams after the season.

However, Douglas didn’t draft the former Alabama star. He’s bent on piling up draft capital to rebuild the team to his liking. The Jets have nine picks in each of the next two drafts. Gang Green collected additional late-round picks in moving Steve McLendon and Jordan Willis in the past 10 days.

But moving Williams will require premium draft capital.

The Jets are in full-fledged rebuild mode yet again.