The Bears have lost almost all of their lead over the Vikings and Lions, but it may not matter for a playoff berth.  If The Season Ended Today in the NFC:

Green Bay      North               7-2                   5-2

New Orleans   South               7-2                   6-1

Arizona            West                6-3                   4-2

Philadelphia     East                 3-5-1                3-3

Tampa Bay     WC1                7-3                   4-3

LA Rams         WC2                6-3                   6-1

Seattle             WC3                6-3                   4-2

Chicago                                   5-5                   5-3

Minnesota                               4-5                   3-3

Detroit                                     4-5                   3-4

San Francisco                         4-6                   2-5

The big question is if as the NFC West teams play each other, will one fall off the pace enough to bring a surging NFC North team, such as the Vikings, back into play.

@EpKap

It wasn’t pretty but that’s 3 straight wins for the Vikings.

Their next 3 games (all at home):

– vs Cowboys

– vs Panthers

– vs Jaguars

They’ll be right in the middle of the Wild Card race in a few weeks.

Big games this week as the four 3-loss teams meet.  Arizona is at Seattle on Thursday and the Rams visit Tampa Bay on Monday.

Here is what the Consolation Bracket of the NFC East looks like:

Philadelphia     3-5-1    2-2

NY Giants       3-7-0    3-2

Washington     2-7-0    2-2

Dallas              2-7-0    1-2

The 2-7 Cowboys are closer to the playoffs than the 4-5 Vikings or Lions.

NFC NORTH

CHICAGO

Monday night’s game ended with QB NICK FOLES disappearing from view on a cart, but with a bye week coming the Bears hope he can go in the next game. Jelani Scott ofNFL.com:

In a matter of seconds, the Bears went from a team hellbent on avoiding another crushing loss to one hoping it didn’t lose its starting quarterback.

Chicago (5-5) dropped its fourth straight game on Monday night, falling to the division rival Vikings (4-5), 19-13. A potentially serious injury to Nick Foles, who was carted off in the game’s closing moments, made this latest defeat an even tougher pill to swallow as the club heads into its much-needed bye week.

“When I got out there right away, I wasn’t sure what it was,” Bears coach Matt Nagy said after the game. “I didn’t know if it was like his ribs or shoulder or what. And then, when I saw, the amount of pain that he was in on the ground. You know, I hope he’s OK, but he was in a lot of pain and he’s a tough dude. When you see that, you’re down there with him, you feel for him just because you don’t know how good or bad it is. So, that part’s hard.”

Nagy informed the media that Foles’ leg and hip were being evaluated.

NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported Tuesday on Good Morning Football that Foles’ injury isn’t major and initial tests showed no fracture to his hip, per a source. Garafolo adds that Foles will undergo further evaluation

On a night when the offense struggled once again, Chicago still faced the possibility of eking out a victory with less than a minute remaining, thanks to another formidable showing by its stellar defense.

As Foles dropped back and surveyed the field on the first play of the potentially game-winning drive, he was taken down by Vikings defensive end Ifeadi Odenigbo and appeared to land hard on his right hip. The veteran QB laid on the ground for a few moments as the medical staff tended to him before eventually being carted off.

Backup Tyler Bray came on in Foles’ relief with a chance to pull off some heroics. His first pass found its way to running back Ryan Nall for a gain of 18, but Bray’s next four snaps featured a spike and three incompletions, leading to a game-ending turnover on downs.

“I know he’s upset,” Nagy said of Foles. “It’s been frustrating, it’s been hard and that’s the part that’s difficult through all of this because no one wants it more than him to be out there to fight with his teammates. So, we’ll keep an eye on that. This bye is coming at a good time for us. We’re a little bit beat up right now, so we need to be able to get some guys back and get healthy.”

Relying on an inexperienced QB who played four snaps in his eight-year career prior to Week 10 would obviously be far from ideal. It’s important to note that Bray’s sudden time in the spotlight manifested only because Mitch Trubisky remains sidelined by the shoulder injury he sustained in Week 8.

When asked about the likelihood of the former first-rounder returning in Week 12, Nagy was hesitant to reveal his hand.

“I don’t know yet about Mitch. I think there’s a possibility, but I don’t know that for sure,” he said. “I think it’s going to be day-by-day. I don’t know if he knows that. So, we’ll just keep an eye on that. Obviously with Nick’s status, we’ll have to see where that’s at as we go.”

A season-low 106 yards summed up Foles’ rough night statistically, but a quick glance at the two sacks and 11 QB hits he took also highlighted another poor effort by the offensive line. Chicago may need longer than its bye to figure out its glaring offensive problems, especially if yet another QB change ensues.

DETROIT

Michigan’s Governor has no problem ending a holiday tradition as she starts locking things down again.  Even Lions family members will be barred from the Thanksgiving game by her Executive Order.  Chris Thomas of the Detroit Free Press:

The Detroit Lions will not have fans at Ford Field for their annual Thanksgiving game.

On Sunday, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced an extensive emergency order to bat down a spike in COVID-19 cases in Michigan over the next three weeks. And while the restrictions won’t prevent the Lions — or any of the state’s major college programs — from playing out the remainder of their 2020 season, it will prevent the Lions from hosting fans during their Nov. 26 Thanksgiving game against the Houston Texans.

According to Sunday’s emergency order, which goes into effect Wednesday: “Professional and college sports meeting extraordinary standards for risk mitigation may continue without spectators.”

The Lions already adhere to strict testing protocols under NFL guidelines, which require players to undergo daily COVID-19 testing on nongame days.

During their two home games this month, including Sunday against Washington, they have been allowed to host up to 500 friends and family members inside Ford Field.

But that will change when the Lions play at home on Thanksgiving after a trip to Carolina this upcoming Sunday.

“No attendance will mean no attendance,” Robert Gordon, director of the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services, said during a news conference Sunday.

The Lions did not immediately respond to a Free Press request for comment Sunday. 

The silence of the Lions seems to indicate their reaction to the Governor’s Directive.

NFC EAST

DALLAS

The powers that be will allow QB ANDY DALTON to rejoin the Cowboys.  Todd Archer ofESPN.com:

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Andy Dalton cleared the concussion and reserve/COVID-19 protocols and was a full participant in Monday’s short practice, according to coach Mike McCarthy.

Dalton suffered a concussion in the Cowboys’ Oct. 25 loss to the Washington Football Team and was placed on the NFL’s reserve/COVID-19 list on Nov. 3. Because he was on the COVID list and not able to be at the team’s facility, he did not finish the return-to-play rules for the concussion as quickly as anticipated.

The Cowboys are coming off their bye week and since the team was placed under the intensive protocols after their Nov. 8 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers after they had a player test positive, the Cowboys did not practice last week.

McCarthy did not want to say whether Dalton would start Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings, but executive vice president Stephen Jones said last week, if healthy, Dalton would return to the starting role.

“We’ve got to get through the whole week of practice,” McCarthy said. “He hasn’t been involved in a couple of weeks now. He looked good today, so we’ll take it one day at a time.”

In his second start as Dak Prescott’s replacement, Dalton took a vicious hit from linebacker Jon Bostic, who was fined $12,000. He was ruled out of the Nov. 1 game against the Philadelphia Eagles, which rookie Ben DiNucci started, and was on the reserve/COVID list against the Steelers, which Garrett Gilbert started.

Conditioning is something McCarthy will consider, since Dalton’s absence.

WASHINGTON

Ron Rivera loved what he saw from QB ALEX SMITH on Sunday.  Nick Shook ofNFL.com:

Alex Smith nearly led Washington to an improbable comeback win Sunday, and while his team didn’t leave as the victors, the organization experienced a bit of a revelation.

Washington coach Ron Rivera told reporters Monday he thinks Smith has completed his journey from gruesome leg injury, complications from surgery that nearly cost him his limb, grueling rehab and finally, a return to an NFL field as a starting quarterback. Smith’s performance in Washington’s Week 10 loss to Detroit — in which the quarterback completed 38 of 55 passes for 390 yards — proved it to the veteran coach.

“That he’s pretty much back,” Rivera said. “There’s still some things that he still has to work on, and he knows that, and he’ll continue to work on them, but this really was his first full week of work. But I think that he’s proven that he’s back as the player, and again, that’s something that we’re going to most certainly discuss going forward.”

The discussions Rivera mentioned will center on Smith’s viability as Washington’s starter in the years ahead. At 36 years old, Smith has two years remaining on his contract after 2020, with the dead cap money on it dropping by more than $20 million from 2020 to 2021. Releasing Smith is financially feasible next year.

But Smith’s play has made Washington give it a second thought. Presumed future of the franchise Dwayne Haskins has been benched since early this season, and Rivera recently intimated the youngster needs to learn how to better prepare as an NFL quarterback, a skill Smith developed many moons ago in San Francisco and Kansas City. Kyle Allen’s injury essentially forced Rivera to turn to Smith, and it might end up being an incredibly timed blessing in disguise.

Instead of commending Smith for simply taking the field, we’re now looking at him critically — and he’s passing the test. The questions will soon turn to what each of the interested parties wants in the years ahead.

“Possibly,” Rivera said when asked if Smith could be Washington’s man for the relative future. “You’ve got to look at how much longer do you think he can play? How much longer does he want to play? And if so, is he part of your plan? That’s something that we as a coaching staff and as an organization have to talk about, most certainly if this continues, if he continues to play at this high level.”

NFC SOUTH

CAROLINA

QB TEDDY BRIDGEWATER’s knee is okay after a scare against the Buccaneers.  David Newton of ESPN.com:

The Carolina Panthers could be without starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and running back Christian McCaffrey for Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions.

An MRI showed no structural damage in Bridgewater’s right knee, a source told ESPN’s Chris Mortensen. However, Mortensen was told the quarterback is experiencing soreness and swelling, making his status for Sunday uncertain.

The knee is not the same one severely damaged in 2016 when Bridgewater was the starter for the Minnesota Vikings.

Panthers fall apart in second half to lose big, but top concern is Teddy Bridgewater

Panthers coach Matt Rhule had expressed optimism on Friday that McCaffrey would miss only one game after suffering a shoulder injury late in a 33-31 loss to Kansas City on Nov. 8.

However, a league source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter the Panthers (3-7) still are preparing for McCaffrey to miss multiple games.

Rhule said Monday he was hopeful Bridgewater will be available to practice on Wednesday. He said Bridgewater was in meetings on Monday and showing “typical Teddy spirits.”

“He doesn’t have a significant injury,” Rhule said.

Rhule said nothing has changed with McCaffrey that would make him think McCaffrey won’t play on Sunday, but reiterated the Pro Bowl back still is week-to-week.

If Bridgewater can’t play, the Panthers will go with P.J. Walker or Will Grier. Walker, who played for Rhule at Temple and spent time in the XFL before signing with Carolina, was the backup on Sunday. He completed 2 of 4 pass attempts for 12 yards after Bridgewater was injured on a sack by Jason Pierre-Paul with 5:24 remaining.

NEW ORLEANS

The medical report is in and QB DREW BREES was playing with multiple broken ribs on Sunday, when he broke some more and suffered a collapsed lung.  And he still kept playing in an okay manner for a while.  Ed Werder of ESPN.com:

The results of medical evaluations performed Monday on New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees revealed that he has multiple rib fractures on both sides of his chest and a collapsed lung on the right side, according to a source.

Brees is unsure how much time he might be forced to miss before returning to start for the Saints, the source said.

The most optimistic timetable for a return is two to three weeks, but the people involved are prepared for it to be longer, a source told ESPN’s Dan Graziano. It will depend on how long Brees’ injuries take to heal, which varies from patient to patient, and when the Saints are convinced he is able to take a hit without risk of serious reinjury. There is hope that he will return in time for the playoffs.

Brees is suffering from three fractured ribs on his left side and two on the right, possibly more, according to the source. Doctors have cautioned Brees to be especially careful with the damage to his lung.

The two broken ribs on his right side occurred in the first half of the Saints’ victory over the San Francisco 49ers, a game that backup Jameis Winston finished after Brees determined he could not play the second half because he was having difficulty breathing.

The three fractured ribs on the left side are believed to have occurred in the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week. They did not show up as such on the X-ray performed at the time, possibly because of inflammation, but they were clearly seen on the CAT scan performed Monday.

Doctors performing the evaluation believe the right-side fractures might have punctured the quarterback’s lung Sunday, creating a pneumothorax. That is what caused Brees’ difficulty breathing in the game and resulted in him informing head coach Sean Payton that he could not play the second half against the 49ers.

The Saints listed Brees on their injury report last week with a shoulder injury, and that was causing enough pain that Brees was apparently unaware of the rib injury he had suffered against the Bucs. That was believed to have happened in the second quarter.

Payton on Monday declined to offer any updates on Brees’ injury status or who might replace him at quarterback if he misses time.

“Wednesday is our first day that we’re required to [report injuries]. And to be fair to the process, let’s stick with that,” said Payton, who said he wouldn’t announce the starting quarterback until late in the week.

“None of it benefits us by announcing that player earlier than later,” Payton said. “I wouldn’t project or answer that in any way. We’ll see how this week unfolds.”

However, it would stand to reason that the Saints would stick with Winston in the short term, since he was the one who filled in for Brees on Sunday — and since the Saints went with Teddy Bridgewater as their replacement during Brees’ five-game absence last year.

Although the Saints do consider Taysom Hill as a potential long-term option at quarterback, they would have to change their offense more significantly to suit his unique skill set as a runner/passer. And they like to use him as a playmaker in their offense at QB/RB/WR/TE/FB.

Payton reiterated Monday that he thought Winston did “a good job” during the second half of Sunday’s game. Winston completed 6 of 10 passes for 63 yards with zero TDs and zero turnovers. He had a couple of errant throws, including one that was nearly intercepted. However, he did lead the Saints to a field goal and a touchdown in the 27-13 victory over the 49ers.

“Both he and Taysom have a good feel for what we’re trying to do. They pick things up. And I feel like it’s a good room,” Payton said.

– – –

Larry Holder of The Athletic put together a pretty good panel to ponder the question of life for the Saints after Brees:

I surveyed five expert voices on this topic:

Greg Cosell — NFL Films and ESPN’s “NFL Matchup”

Daniel Jeremiah — NFL Network analyst, former scout for the Ravens, Browns and Eagles

Jim Nagy — Senior Bowl executive director, NFL scout for nearly 20 years

Louis Riddick — ESPN “Monday Night Football” analyst, former NFL player and pro personnel director

Kurt Warner — Pro Football Hall of Fame and NFL MVP quarterback, NFL Network analyst

Their responses undoubtedly should make you think about how challenging this question will be for Payton and the Saints.

The Taysom Hill vs. Jameis Winston debate

Riddick: It’s an interesting conversation because I’ve talked with Sean two or three times this year about how he thought about Taysom, not just as the gadget or multi-positional guy but as a quarterback. He consistently has said that he believes in him as a quarterback and that he believes he can be an every-down quarterback and a winning quarterback in the NFL.

Now if Drew would get hurt or they wanted to rest him or whatever, I believe that in a moment’s notice that it would be Jameis that would go in. It wouldn’t be Taysom because Taysom’s practice time is spread all over.

It’s interesting long term after this year what does it mean for Jameis. Do they then just make Taysom a full-time quarterback? Will they go outside the organization to look for a successor? It’s an interesting question. Because knowing that Jameis would go in the game if Drew got hurt, but also knowing that Sean has told me how much he believes in Taysom, what really is the plan long term? I don’t know.

Warner: I don’t think it’s going to be Taysom Hill. That’s just the nature of how I think based on the way the Saints play football, even though they invested in him. Obviously they like him. They just play a completely different way and they have with Payton and Brees. Not that they can’t play a different way and not that they can’t coach a different way. I just think that they’ve had so much success and it’s been built around that passing game and the creativity of it and the uniqueness of Drew Brees. So that becomes the challenge of finding someone else that can play like Drew, if you want to play that way.

Jeremiah: I see Taysom as more of a complementary player than a replacement guy. I’m not one that believes that can sustain as a full-time-guy operation.

It’s a different style of runner. I think Lamar (Jackson) is more natural as a thrower. To try and replicate that would be pretty difficult. And Baltimore with all the tight ends and power backs, they kind of all fit in that whole perfect universe. I don’t think New Orleans necessarily has that. The biggest thing is that I don’t think he throws it as well as Lamar does. That limits you in and of itself.

Warner: I don’t know if there’s any other Lamar Jackson. I don’t know if you’re ever really going to be able to build a system that Baltimore has because their quarterback is so dynamic and talented that it’s different. Taysom is really good at what he does, don’t get me wrong. But Taysom is going to get hit, and sometimes Taysom looks for hits. And that’s the difference. Lamar does a great job of avoiding hits because he’s so dynamic and quick and has such a feel for that, that I just don’t know if any other team is going to be able to truly run that kind of offense on a year-in and year-out basis without their quarterback getting beat up, which is what you can’t have.

You can’t invest in a franchise guy and not have him out there. That’s where I think as unique as Drew is in what he does, Lamar is that unique in what he does. So to try to think that Taysom can be one of these two guys, I just don’t buy that. I don’t believe it.

Jeremiah: Jameis is interesting because he’s a really, really talented thrower. The game has gone more towards a more mobile player. I think that for coaches who have had more pocket guys, there’s almost the intrigue that I really want to take this new car out and drive one of these mobile quarterbacks that I can expand my playbook. Jameis doesn’t really give you that. But with his arm strength, it gives you an opportunity to play move vertically if you want. With him, they’re going to be the only ones that know what kind of strides he’s making on the practice field versus what we see. But that talent, I mean the guy has thrown for 5,000 yards. He’s got a lot of arm talent.

Warner: Jameis is a smart football player in regards to what he sees and the ability to see things and make a lot of throws on a football field. Jameis’ biggest problem is that he hasn’t been able to be judicial with the football and understand which of those throws are good throws and which aren’t good throws, even though he sees a lot of stuff. I’m just intrigued by can he grow and develop? Can Sean Payton take him to that level?

Cosell: I think with Sean, Jameis could be that guy. I think Jameis is a talented thrower. He’s a pretty smart guy. I like Jameis. Clearly his last year under Bruce Arians in Tampa and his interceptions, I went through all the interceptions and you have to go through each individually and can’t just look at a number on a page. My daughter can look at the No. 30 and tell you that’s too many. But you have to evaluate the player and watch the tape. I think Jameis Winston can still be a quality NFL quarterback if he’s well-coached and in a good system. …

The thing about Winston is that he’s very aggressive as a thrower. He likes to push it. Obviously at times when he does that, he forces throws. But because I think Sean is so good at defining reads and throws for the quarterback through the many number of variables, I think he could help Jameis in that regard.

My sense is what you want to do with a quarterback that’s naturally aggressive is that you don’t want to take that aggressiveness away. In this league, you have to turn it loose. You can’t play cautious. You can’t play risk-free. But you want to find a way in which your system and your route concepts and how you coach can channel that. Then it can minimize the somewhat reckless nature of a player like Winston. …

I think someone like Sean can resurrect him.

Jeremiah: I don’t think the book has been written on Jameis. I really don’t. I think he has a second chapter in the right spot. And it could be right there.

NFL options: Is Sam Darnold the perfect fit?

Jeremiah: To me, it’s Sam Darnold. I think Sam Darnold would be a perfect fit in Sean Payton’s offense. You’d have the fifth-year option. Year 4 really wouldn’t cost you that much. I think he would be a perfect fit in that system and gives you a little bit more mobility than Jameis. You’d still have all that upside. He has a strong arm. I’d love to see him play in that system. I haven’t given up on him. He’s just been in a bad spot. It’s bad. …

Maybe you can go full reclamation on Mitchell Trubisky, I guess. I think he’s got a really good skill set, but I just can’t see him and Sean being a really good match. … Darnold would be my pick. … I would (take Darnold) over Jameis because I think his athletic ability and his movement gives you a little bit more to play with.

Riddick: Yeah, (Darnold might work). He’s on a fast track to nowhere, simply because he’s in a train wreck of a situation. I hate to say it like that, but it’s true. There’s too much evidence.

Cosell: I’ve watched a lot of Darnold. I think he’s talented. I think he’s got significant issues that need to be corrected that go beyond scheme. Sean has a great scheme. Drew Brees is a unique guy. I don’t know how much they coach the quarterback in terms of mechanics and fundamentals and all those detailed, nuanced things that we know Drew Brees does on his own. But Darnold has a lot of work to do.

To me at this point in his career, he’s very much a highlight player. He’s capable of making great, second-reaction improvisational plays and capable of the occasional great throw, but I think he needs significant work on his mechanics. He’s very inconsistent with his ball placement. He doesn’t see things real well, so he leaves a lot of throws on the field. But he’s capable. He flashes talent. You get him in the right system with the right coaches, he could be great. I think he’s an open book and a question mark.

Riddick: Guys like Sean, Andy (Reid), Doug Pederson, these are the people that I know, Sean McVay, these are guys that young quarterbacks all need to be around. Steve Young talks about it all the time. You have to be around these guys to see how good you can be as a young quarterback. You have to be in that circle. Otherwise, you’ll never know what you’re going to be.

So in that vein, if there’s one guy who I have personal interest in that I would love to see with any of these guys, it’s without a doubt to try and figure it out once and for all is a guy like Dwayne Haskins. You decide whether this guy is going to be something or not. This might not answer the question, but it shows that Sean is the type of guy I’d send a young quarterback.

2021 NFL draft QB names to watch

Nagy: I think that Sean Payton is a good enough coach that he can build a system for whomever he has at quarterback. I think some coaches are so stringent to their scheme and what they do that it limits them to a certain type of quarterback. I think Sean is innovative enough that the whole draft class is open to him. …

So you take yourself out of the running for a lot of the top guys because we all know teams reach for that quarterback. If at worst they’re drafting in the teens or the middle, that’s the worst-case scenario for a team like New Orleans if you’re looking for a quarterback because the top ones are gone and you’re in no man’s land. You’re going to have to identify one of these guys down the line like a Gardner Minshew late or a Drew Lock in the second round.

The best-case scenario for the Saints would be if teams had hesitation on (North Dakota State’s) Trey Lance because of him being an FCS-level guy and having such a small sample size. If that made enough teams above the Saints pause and whether he fell all the way to the Saints or he got in range where they could do a trade-up like with (Patrick) Mahomes and not mortgage the farm to get him, that might be the best-case scenario because he’s really talented. He’s got all the physical stuff. People at North Dakota State say great things about him.

Jeremiah: The kid that’s creating a lot of buzz in scouting circles who I have not studied yet is the BYU kid (Zach Wilson). … He’s the one I’m hearing a lot about. I’ll be interested in studying him. … (Kyle Trask) is good, but doesn’t strike me as a first-round pick. … The rest of the (Saints) team is win-now. Throwing in a rookie in there, I don’t think they can get one where they would be picking.

Nagy: The things that have stood out this year that I really like about him: He’s really confident in his own accuracy. One of the things that’s hard about evaluating college quarterbacks sometimes is that they’re throwing into these huge vacant windows. And that’s just not the NFL game. I always like evaluating college quarterbacks on the tight window, contested ball throws. Kyle has extreme confidence in his ball placement. And he trusts his guys to make plays.

That’s one area where I’ve compared him a little bit to Joe Burrow. In those two areas, Joe Burrow was extremely confident in where he could throw the football. And he trusted guys like (Ja’Marr) Chase and (Justin) Jefferson. If he put it up to them, he’d make the play. That’s what Kyle has done so far this year. That sounds simple to some people.

Why wouldn’t you trust your people? But a lot of quarterbacks don’t have that. Or it takes some time to develop that. He’s got really nice pocket feel. He does a nice job creating just enough space to get the ball off, which is very Drew Brees-like. Drew’s always had a great way to manipulate the pocket. Kyle has that as well. He does a lot of things that’s hard to coach in terms of feel for the game, poise, toughness, accuracy.

TAMPA BAY

The ticking time bomb that is WR ANTONIO BROWN exploded about a month ago.  Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

After the Buccaneers signed receiver Antonio Brown, Saints defensive end Cam Jordan said regarding a then-looming Week Nine game against Brown and the Buccaneers, “First he has to make it Week Nine.”

Now, Brown has to make it to Week 11.

David Ovalle of the Miami Herald reports that, on October 15, Brown allegedly destroyed a surveillance camera and threw his bicycle at a security-guard shack in his Hollywood, Florida gated community. Police determined that probable cause existed to charge Brown with misdemeanor criminal mischief, but the president of the homeowners’ association declined to press charges. According to the police report, she was concerned that Brown “may retaliate against her employees.”

Brown signed with the Buccaneers roughly two weeks later.

“We are aware of the reported incident involving Antonio Brown prior to his signing,” the Buccaneers said in a statement issued to PFT. “When Antonio joined us, we were clear about what we expected and required of him. Thus far, he has met all the expectations we have in place.”

This strongly implies that no action will be taken by the team. It remains to be seen whether the team asked Brown if there were any other incidents about which they didn’t know before signing him, whether he told them about this incident, or whether he concealed it, if asked.

The NFL separately said it is aware of the incident, but the league declined comment. Brown’s status as a repeat offender under the Personal Conduct Policy could prompt further action to be taken. He recently served an eight-game suspension for multiple prior violations.

Then there’s the fact that Brown remains on probation for felony charges arising from a January dispute with the driver of a moving truck. The authorities could attempt to revoke his probation and put him behind bars if this incident reflects a failure to comply with the clear and plain terms of the arrangement that allows someone who otherwise would be in prison to not be in prison.

A spokesperson for Brown did not deny the allegations, telling Ovalle merely that she has been “assisting Mr. Brown for several months to resolve certain minor disputes with the housing authority.”

It remains to be seen whether this minor dispute becomes a major problem for Brown. For now, it appears that the team won’t be cutting or otherwise punishing him for it. The league, and the authorities, may take a different approach.

NFC WEST

ARIZONA

A note from Ed Werder:

@WerderEdESPN

The teams acquiring WR Stefon Diggs and DeAndre Hopkins are a combined 13-6. The teams trading the two receivers are a combined 5-12.

One of the six losses for the acquiring teams is to each other.  The selling teams are now 6-12, but one of the six wins is to each other as Minnesota beat Houston.

SEATTLE

Good news for the Seahawks.

Even if they lose to Arizona Thursday, their next four games are:

at Philadelphia

Giants

Jets

at Washington

So, somewhat worst case, they lose to the Cardinals, then win three of four – that puts them 9-5 with a finish of home to the Rams, at SF.

AFC WEST

KANSAS CITY

Extensions at the top in Kansas City.  Adam Teicher of ESPN.com:

Less than a year after they teamed to lead the Kansas City Chiefs to their first Super Bowl victory in 50 years, coach Andy Reid and general manager Brett Veach have been rewarded with contract extensions.

Reid, 62, won his 230th career game in Week 9 when the Chiefs beat the Carolina Panthers. That moved him into sole possession of fifth place on the NFL’s all-time coaching wins list counting regular season and playoffs.

Reid joined the Chiefs in 2013 and has an 85-36 record. He also coached 14 seasons for the Philadelphia Eagles.

“Over the last eight seasons here in Kansas City we’ve had the opportunity to witness one of the greatest head coaches of all time lead our franchise to its first Super Bowl title in 50 years,” Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt said in a statement Monday. “He’s a Hall of Fame head coach, but more importantly, an outstanding person who has really changed our team culture. I’d like to congratulate Andy and his family on this well-deserved extension. It is our hope that he can finish his legendary career right here in Kansas City.”

Reid thanked the Hunt family for their support over the past eight years in a statement of his own.

“Aside from winning the Super Bowl, one of my favorite moments last season was being able to be a part of bringing the Lamar Hunt Trophy back to the family,” Reid said. “I’m grateful for our players, my coaching staff, our support staff and our great fans. My family and I love living in Kansas City, and I look forward to continuing my career here.”

Veach, 42, joined the Chiefs as a scout in 2013 and was promoted to general manager in 2017.

“Brett has had a remarkable run as our general manager over the past four years and he certainly deserves this recognition,” Hunt said. “His creativity, along with personal connection to our players and staff, has helped build a championship roster. He has had an impressive start to his career as a GM, and I know he’ll continue his aggressive approach that has consistently improved the talent of the Chiefs.”

Veach also thanked the Hunt family for trusting him to run the team’s personnel department.

“I’m blessed to be surrounded by talented people, including a tremendous staff and a Hall of Fame head coach,” Veach said. “I’m excited and looking forward to continue building upon the foundation we’ve established as a team.”

We have to admit that Reid ranking 5^th on the all-time wins list caught the DB by surprise.

So he’s won more than everyone but Shula, Belichick, Halas and Landry? Let’s find out.

Yep.

NFL COACHES, MOST WINS, PLAYOFFS INCLUDED

Don Shula                     347

George Halas                324

Bill Belichick                  308

Tom Landry                   270

Andy Reid                     230

Curly Lambeau              229

Chuck Noll                     209

After Belichick and Reid, you all the way down to Pete Carroll and Mike Tomlin, both at 150 (22^ndoverall) among active coaches.  Sean Payton is in the conversation at 146.

Bill Cowher (161) and Tony Dungy (150) each made the Hall of Fame recently at around that level.

By that standard, Reid is an easy Hall of Fame choice and Carroll, Tomlin and Payton seem to have entered the conversation with their resume still to be built.  They each have one Super Bowl title, just like Cowher and Dungy.

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

Another cruel Chargers stat from Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com:

@MichaelDavSmith

The Browns are 6-3 with a -28 point differential. The Chargers are 2-7 with a -19 point differential.

AFC SOUTH

HOUSTON

Which is going to take longer – the Washington Football Team’s settling on a new name or the Texans settling on a permanent coach?  Jeff Kerr on how the Texans are creating obstacles for their coaching search.

The Houston Texans appear to like the job Romeo Crennel is doing in his month as the interim head coach, enough that the organization may shed the interim label and give him the job in 2021. Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Texans are debating making Crennel the full-time coach for next season as a “stop-gap” option, which would allow the team to get through next year — one of uncertainty with the COVID-19 pandemic still going on.

In-person interviews aren’t guaranteed in 2021, making the interview process for head coach difficult. With interviews likely to be conducted on Zoom, this may scare franchises away from hiring a head coach to a multi-year contract — making it easier to just go with the interim coach for a year in the hopes the pandemic clears up.

Texans players like Crennel, which significantly helps his chances of landing the job. The oldest head coach in the NFL at 73 years old, Houston is 2-2 in the four games Crennel has coached — with both wins coming against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Houston has averaged 28.3 points and 409.3 yards per game in the four contests Crennel has coached despite having a defense that has given up an astonishing 438.3 yards per game on defense.

Crennel won’t be the long-term answer for the Texans, but may be what the franchise needs to get through 2021 — a year which Houston has no first or second-round picks and have plenty of cap space to clear up. The Texans are still seeking a general manager as well, as Vice President of Football Operations Jack Easterby is making personnel decisions after the team fired Bill O’Brien last month.

Why are interviews likely to be conducted on Zoom?  Why can’t say five tested people meet in a decent-sized room?  Aren’t we over-thinking this?

History will be made Sunday when Crennel meets his old boss.  Michael David Smith ofProFootballTalk.com:

When the Texans face the Patriots on Sunday, the combined ages of the two head coaches will be the oldest in NFL history.

Houston is coached by 73-year-old Romeo Crennel and New England is coached by 68-year-old Bill Belichick. Their combined age of 141 years is the oldest ever for a pair of opposing head coaches.

The previous record was a combined age of 137 years, set two months ago, when 69-year-old Pete Carroll coached the Seahawks against Belichick and the Patriots. Before that the record was set in 1995, when 70-year-old Marv Levy’s Bills played 65-year-old Don Shula’s Dolphins.

Crennel is the oldest coach in NFL history. With talk that Crennel may return next year, it’s worth noting that the Texans are slated to play the Seahawks, when a 74-year-old Crennel vs. 70-year-old Carroll matchup would set a new record.

– – –

Shalise Manza Young of YahooSports.com is no fan of the resume of Jack Easterby, the rising power in Houston.

Let’s put it this way: If you were a Texans fan and saw a report that the team was bringing in as a general manager candidate someone who entered the NFL less than a decade earlier as a team chaplain, and whose professional experience previous to that centered on ministry and character development, would you look up from your screen and think, “Ah, yes, that’s exactly the person we want putting together the roster so we can maximize Deshaun Watson’s talent and finally get to the Super Bowl”?

Probably not. And yet as of this moment, that’s who is running the football side of the Texans.

Those trying to climb the front-office ladders all over the league, Black and white, are confounded and angered by Easterby’s station, and how so many of them who have worked tirelessly for a GM position, have taken nearly every chance and interview that comes their way, only to see a man whose career in the NFL began in earnest nine years ago basically get one by attrition.

A career that began as a team chaplain at that.

This isn’t to disparage the role of team chaplains. They serve a necessary purpose, providing spiritual guidance for those who seek it, and often personal counsel as well, for players and families.

They never go on to become general managers or hire high-powered agents, as Easterby did last year. But as one source with the New England Patriots, for whom Easterby served as director of player development, told Boston Sports Journal in 2019 after Easterby’s departure, “Jack likes power. And maybe even more than that, he likes being around power.”

If you’ve gone from that job to vice president of team development in Houston and then vice president of football operations in roughly 18 months, maneuvers that put you front-and-center with one of the most influential families in one of the largest cities in the country in the McNairs, you’ve not only gotten yourself power, you’re associating with it, too.

One note, in the interest of fairness: O’Brien was fired in October, which is a weird time in terms of bringing in a new GM from outside the organization. But in-house, Houston has director of player personnel Matt Bazirgan and director of pro personnel Rob Kisiel, each of whom have well over a decade of talent evaluation under his respective belt, making either vastly more qualified to be interim GM.

For now, the person in that position is Easterby, and it might be for a while.

Other media members were quick to push back on Sunday’s report, with longtime Houston Chronicle writer John McClain tweeting, “The Texans will hire a new GM and a new coach.”

Yet that doesn’t solve the question of how a man with little relevant experience came to run an NFL franchise.

There is a sizable pool of white men across the league who have the skills to be a general manager, and they all got passed over for Easterby. And for the non-white men who desire such a role, who spend years putting in the work to get to a management level, they’ve had to watch as the NFL came up with another rule to encourage their development and promotion and see Easterby skip past every step they’ve had to climb.

As if we needed another reminder of how much work the NFL has left to do.

AFC EAST

NEW YORK JETS

More QB JOE FLACCO for the winless Jets this week.  Rich Cimini of ESPN.com:

It keeps getting worse for quarterback Sam Darnold and the winless New York Jets.

With his right shoulder still ailing, Darnold won’t play Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers — the fourth time in six games he will sit out in favor of backup Joe Flacco.

Darnold will be out indefinitely, hoping a team-prescribed throwing regimen will allow him to get back on the field in the coming weeks, perhaps as soon as Week 12.

“I think it’s a smart decision not to play,” Darnold said Monday. “I think, giving it thought, it just has to heal. It’s got to have time. That’s kind of our mindset.”

The news is particularly troubling for the Jets (0-9) because they had hoped Darnold would be healthy enough to start after resting over the bye week.

The organization appears to be taking a more conservative approach than it did after the initial injury, a sprained AC joint, which occurred Oct. 1 against the Denver Broncos.

After sitting out two games, Darnold returned to the lineup with the idea that he’d manage the pain, with both him and team saying there was minimal risk. But he aggravated the shoulder late in a Nov. 1 blowout loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, and he hasn’t played since.

The plan was for him to play Nov. 9 against the New England Patriots, but Darnold pulled himself out of practice Nov. 6 after a few throws, complaining of discomfort.

It certainly raises the question of whether he came back too soon. Darnold disputed that notion, saying, “With everything the doctors told me, I thought it was a good decision to come back.”

He said his one regret was not sliding to avoid contact on a scramble against the Chiefs.

“I’m very confident that I’ll play this year,” Darnold said. “It’s making sure that, when I do come back, I’m 100%, so that when I land on it or get hit, it’s not getting reinjured.”

Darnold already has begun an interval throwing program that will focus on volume and depth of throws. He started last week as he continued to rehab his shoulder.

Injured reserve isn’t a consideration at this point, according to coach Adam Gase.

“We want to make sure he’s in a good place the next time he steps on the field to practice,” Gase said.

THIS AND THAT

SUPER BOWL

With a chance to listen to The Weeknd, who wouldn’t want to be at the Super Bowl in Tampa.  Charles Robinson of YahooSports.com:

Despite the United States smashing COVID-19 infection records on nearly a daily basis, the NFL remains undeterred in its plans to host as many fans as it safely can in February’s Super Bowl in Tampa, Florida. Projecting what that will look like in November is a near impossibility, although the current grid appears to be set somewhere between 10,000-20,000 fans spread throughout Raymond James Stadium. But as cloudy as the crystal ball of attendance has become, it’s nothing compared to the total darkness of a Super Bowl ticket market that is virtually nonexistent.

Aside from a handful of suites and full-service “fan experience” packages the NFL and its partners are selling, the unknowns shrouding single tickets have wreaked havoc on a typically robust secondary market for Florida Super Bowls.

“Pre-sales don’t exist because nobody has any clue how to price the market — because nobody knows if there will be a market,” one high-end ticket broker told Yahoo Sports this week. “I honestly couldn’t tell you if I’ll have two tickets, two hundred tickets or two thousand. … I don’t know if all the players will be getting them this year [as part of their agreement with the NFL] or what the numbers of team tickets will be or corporate [NFL] partners or anything else. But I do think that if the seats are limited to 10,000 or 12,000 or whatever that number is, even with how things are [with COVID], so few of those will get to the [secondary] market that prices will be higher than anything we’ve had. Because if it’s 10,000, the vast majority of the capacity will go to sponsors and teams and the networks and people like that.

“In an average season, 15,000 tickets evaporate before you even get close to fans who want to travel to a game.”

The broker paused for a moment and chuckled, adding a shrugging thought: “Or maybe nobody will want to go at all because all this [expletive] could still be just like it is right now. Maybe nobody will even want to pay average Super Bowl ticket prices if it won’t be the same experience. Or [President-elect] Joe Biden decides the day after the inauguration that we’re not doing sports events for a couple months.

“Who really knows? You see what I mean? It’s impossible to call at this point.”

Regular-season NFL ticket prices are high. Will Super Bowl follow suit?

According to industry database TicketIQ, the limited capacity around the league this season has pushed the average secondary market prices for NFL games 53 percent higher than it was last season. The significantly few fans going to NFL games have been willing to pay significantly more money for the tickets that have gone through a very limited spectrum of brokers. With that data in mind, TicketIQ is theorizing that a similar jump could be in line for Super Bowl tickets given the drastic reduction in availability.

From TicketIQ:

“If the Super Bowl ticket market experiences the same sort of trends [as other limited capacity games this season] that could push the cheapest ticket to $10,102, nearly $3,500 more than last year’s get-in price for Super Bowl LIV, and the most expensive get-in price we’ve tracked for the big game. With an increase of 53-percent, the average list price would jump to $12,858 and easily be the most expensive Super Bowl since 2010. The most expensive [Super Bowl] we’ve tracked so far was the 2015 game, which had an average list price of $9,723.”

Other brokers who spoke with Yahoo Sports expressed agreement with the general theory that the lessened capacity could create a Super Bowl ticket desert, where there is nothing to hit the open market in 2020. But some added the typical caveats that always factor into prices as the game approaches, from which two franchises advance, to what the weather will look like in the final week before the game, to whether Tampa and the NFL can pull off a Super Bowl entertainment environment in the middle of a pandemic.

As one mid-level broker said, “If there isn’t a party, that hurts a lot. You want to sell people on being out and eating and drinking and going to the beach. Part of the attraction will hinge on that. Nobody is going to pay a premium to go sit in a hotel.”

Vaccine could dramatically alter outlook for NFL, Super Bowl

Not that the NFL isn’t trying to paint a picture of normalcy. The league has yet to send any signals of a significantly toned down Super Bowl — although it isn’t suggesting it will be a normal event, either. A significant part of that opaque nature comes from the same thing that has made attending any game a crapshoot this season.

The NFL has no idea what the COVID outlook will be in February.

This month has been a stark reminder of that, as some teams have begun altering the number of fans allowed due to the latest spiraling virus infections. The latest vaccine outlooks from Pfizer and Moderna could dramatically impact that, particularly considering the NFL has shown a willingness to pay through the teeth for COVID testing. There’s no telling what the league would be willing to shell out to get a larger capacity Super Bowl crowd if there are massive leaps in testing or even vaccines in the next three months.

While commissioner Roger Goodell didn’t go quite that far in his recent address about the league’s Super Bowl outlook, he did suggest the NFL is moving forward with the same plan it has had since the season started: To fit everything in despite all the headwinds with COVID.

“Our objective is for all teams to safely and responsibly complete the regular season within our 17-week schedule — and have a full postseason, culminating with the Super Bowl with fans in the stands on February 7th in Tampa,” Goodell said last week. “We are committed to completing the season as scheduled.”

The NFL is not just keeping a close eye on potentially expanding the number of fans attending Super Bowl LV, but also looking at the possibility of testing those fans the same way it aggressively tests teams, a league source who spoke with Yahoo Sports said Monday. That could mean every single ticket comes along with a last-minute COVID swab, requiring fans to test negative to get into the event. Or if there are advances in testing over the next three months (which there will likely be), the league could lean into something faster than what is currently on the market. That’s something Goodell appeared to hint at last week.

“If there are potential opportunities, whether there are vaccines, whether there are additional testing [methods] that we think would help make our fans attending the game safer, we are certainly considering that and we are actively considering that,” Goodell said. “But our intent is to have as many fans at the Super Bowl as can be done safely.”