| If The Season Ended Today Thru Week 9: NFC W-L Conf Last WeekDetroit North 7-1 6-1 1Washington East 7-2 5-1 2Atlanta South 6-3 6-1 3Arizona West 5-4 3-3 4Minnesota WC1 6-2 3-2 WC2Philadelphia WC2 6-2 3-2 WC3Green Bay WC3 6-3 2-3 WC1Chicago 4-4 2-2 8LA Rams 4-4 3-4 12San Francisco 4-4 2-3 11Tampa Bay 4-5 4-2 9Seattle 4-5 1-4 10 The division leaders all won. Green Bay falls to the last WC spot, but still in the playoffs by a game and a half. In the AFC: AFC W-L Conf Last WeekKansas City West 8-0 4-0 1Buffalo East 7-2 5-2 4Pittsburgh North 6-2 4-1 3Houston South 6-3 5-1 2Baltimore WC1 6-3 3-3 WC2LA Chargers WC2 5-3 3-2 WC3Denver WC3 5-4 2-3 WC1Indianapolis 4-5 3-3 8Cincinnati 4-5 2-3 9NY Jets 3-6 3-4 x Buffalo and Houston switch places among the division leaders. Denver drops to WC3 and Cincinnati inches closer to the playoff line.- – -At the bottom of the barrel, Mike Florio notes there are 9 teams with two wins: Parity shamarity. Pete Rozelle’s vision of the NFL included no consistently dominant franchises and every team having a chance to win, as long as possible into every season. This year, that’s not the case. Nine of 32 teams have two wins or fewer, through nine weeks. Seven of those teams have played nine games. The nine two-win teams are Miami, New England, Cleveland, Jacksonville, Tennessee, Las Vegas, the Giants, Carolina, and New Orleans. While none are eliminated yet, most will have to run the table or come close to it, since 9-8 has been the minimum to earn a wild-card berth, since the playoff field expanded to 14. It’s bad for the league. Fan bases will check out by Thanksgiving. Seats will be empty. Overpriced (except in Atlanta) food and beer won’t be sold. Kids won’t have jerseys of their favorite player from their favorite NFL team on their Christmas list, right behind Fraggle Stick Car. Actually, every team has won at least two games. Six of the two-win teams are in the AFC, three in the NFC. The AFC East, the AFC South and the NFC South have two of the two-win teams. The NFC North and NFC West have none. – – -This from Johnny Barks on Twitter: @Johnny_BarksI’m voting Alex Smith for President because he was a great Commander and Chief. |
| NFC NORTH |
| DETROITThe 7-1 Lions get stronger. Kevin Patra of NFL.com: The Detroit Lions made a play to bolster their pass rush ahead of Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET trade deadline. The Lions acquired veteran edge rusher Za’Darius Smith from the Cleveland Browns, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Tuesday, per sources informed of the situation. Detroit sent a 2025 fifth-round pick and a 2026 sixth-rounder to Cleveland in exchange for Smith and a 2026 seventh-round selection. The 7-1 Lions desperately needed pass rush help after losing star Aidan Hutchinson to a broken leg last month. Outside of defensive tackle Alim McNeill, Detroit has struggled to generate consistent pressure since Hutchinson went down. In Sunday’s blowout win over Green Bay, McNeill had five QB pressures, per Next Gen Stats. The rest of the defensive line had five combined. The lack of pass rush puts Aaron Glenn’s secondary in tough spots. It’s a testament to the defensive coordinator and a remade secondary that they’ve kept opponents out of the end zone as well as they have since losing Hutchinson. |
| NFC EAST |
| DALLASOwner and Chief Medical Officer Jerry Jones tells a radio audience that the Cowboys will be muddling forward with QB COOPER RUSH or QB TREY LANCE for the next few weeks. Sean Leahy of YahooSports.com: Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott will likely be heading to injured reserve, according to owner Jerry Jones. “Well, it’s iffy but it’s an extended period of time here,” Jones told 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday. “I wouldn’t dare make a prediction when it could be, but it’s likely we’ll IR him and we’ll see how his rehab goes.” Prescott’s placement on IR would mean he would miss at least four games and return at the earliest in Week 14 for the Cowboys’ Monday night game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The injury happened at the end of the third quarter during the Cowboys’ 27-21 defeat to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. Prescott said afterward he “didn’t think much” of the pull in his hamstring despite it being tough to walk at the time. He did not come back to play in the fourth quarter, making way for backup Cooper Rush to finish the game. On Monday, Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy would only say Prescott was definitely out for their Week 10 game against the Philadelphia Eagles as reports came out that the quarterback was set to miss multiple weeks. Through eight games this season the 31-year-old Prescott has 1,978 passing yards with 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions. His 64.7 completion percentage is his lowest since 2017, his second NFL season. This will be the second time in three seasons that Rush will fill in for Prescott. When Prescott injured his thumb in the 2022 season opener, Rush led the Cowboys to a 4-1 record. The Cowboys currently sit at 3-5 and in third place in the NFC East. Three of their next four opponents are division rivals — Eagles, Washington Commanders and New York Giants — before they reach their bye. They are down their starting quarterback and likely their top wide receiver with CeeDee Lamb dealing with a shoulder injury. Despite those obstacles, Jones is remaining hopeful and aggressive as shown by the Cowboys’ acquisition of wide receiver Jonathan Mingo from the Carolina Panthers on Tuesday morning. “We’re not selling. We will make that case,” Jones said. “We’re buying and not selling.” This seems like a high price for WR JONATHAN MINGO. Todd Archer of ESPN.com: The Dallas Cowboys acquired wide receiver Jonathan Mingo and a 2025 seventh-round pick from the Carolina Panthers for a 2025 fourth-round pick, sources told ESPN on Tuesday. Mingo, a second-round pick in 2023 out of Mississippi, has 12 receptions for 121 yards this season. He has one catch in the past four games and has only two games in his career with more than four catches. In Carolina, Mingo was behind 2024 first-round pick Xavier Legette, undrafted rookie Jalen Coker and 2017 seventh-round pick David Moore, despite the hamstring injury sustained by Adam Thielen and the trade of Diontae Johnson. Getting a fourth-round pick for Mingo after sending the Baltimore Ravens a 2025 sixth-round pick and Johnson to Baltimore for a 2025 fifth-rounder last week had to feel like a win for Carolina general manager Dan Morgan, who is trying to rebuild the 2-7 Panthers who appear headed for a seventh straight losing season. After Sunday’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons that dropped Dallas to 3-5, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said the team has “some things in the mill” for a trade but does not expect a blockbuster deal. While not mentioning Mingo by name, Jones said Tuesday on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas that the receiver the Cowboys would acquire was somebody they felt highly about during the draft process. This: @rjochoaThis will shock no one but: The Dallas Cowboys spent more to acquire Jonathan Mingo than they got in exchange for Amari Cooper. |
| WASHINGTONThe Commanders look to bolster their secondary with a trade for longtime Saint CB MARSHAWN LATTIMORE. Full coverage from The Athletic: The Washington Commanders acquired New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore, the team announced Tuesday. The Commanders receive Lattimore and a 2025 fifth-round pick in exchange for a 2025 third, 2025 fourth and 2025 sixth received in the John Ridgeway III trade, a team source confirmed. The Saints drafted Lattimore with the 11th pick in 2017, and the CB has spent each of the last eight seasons in New Orleans. The four-time Pro Bowler posted 88 passes defended since entering the league, the fifth-most over that span. Lattimore, 28, joins a Commanders defense that ranks just 26th in defensive DVOA but is closer to league-average on defensive passing DVOA (17th), according to FTN. Allowing just 6.2 net yards per pass attempt this season, the Commanders now add a cornerback in Lattimore that led the Saints with a team-low 42.9 percent completion percentage allowed. Why the Commanders opted to trade for immediate help at CBFrom the moment the Commanders began overhauling their organization in January, starting with hiring general manager Adam Peters, they approached the roster with a long lens. There were no splashy free-agent signings or trades where coveted draft picks were shipped away. Over the opening nine games, the Commanders became a surprise NFC contender and altered the long-term strategy under Peters. Instead of maintaining tunnel vision toward a future where draft picks will form desired building blocks, Washington moved a third- and fourth-rounder for immediate help at a position where immediate help was necessary. Washington’s cornerback unit is arguably the weakest on the roster. That’s the primary rotation of Benjamin St-Juste, Mike Sainristil and Noah Igbinoghene, and the positional depth. St-Juste, a solid fourth-year player, was overmatched against opposing No. 1 receivers. Sainristil, a feisty but undersized second-round rookie, was drafted to play inside but turned into the other outside corner by default. Emmanuel Forbes, selected in the first round of 2023 by the previous front office, has not improved off a trying rookie campaign. Forbes was a healthy scratch in a Week 6 loss at Baltimore and was the only non-quarterback not to play a single snap in Sunday’s 27-22 victory over the New York Giants. League sources told The Athletic that the Commanders let teams know Forbes, the FBS all-time leader with six interceptions returned for a touchdown, is available for trade. Another cornerback, veteran Michael Davis, fell out of the rotation after a rough performance against the Giants in Week 2. Beyond the Commanders’ rise in the conference hierarchy, the lack of overt contenders midway through the season likely added to Peters’ push. Only the 7-1 Lions have a better record than Washington. The Commanders still control their first- and second-round picks and acquired the Miami Dolphins’ third-round selection in August as part of a trade that sent 2022 first-round wide receiver Jahan Dotson to the Philadelphia Eagles. — Ben Standig, Commanders beat writer Breaking down Lattimore’s costLattimore’s cost includes salaries for 2025 ($16 million) and 2026 ($16 million) from a five-year, $97.6 million contract extension signed in 2021. The lack of guaranteed money on the remaining years means Washington could move on from Lattimore, but that’s not happening after trading away those picks. However, knowing the lack of guaranteed money, his agent will likely seek a revised deal. Doing so would also reduce Lattimore’s salary cap hit from the current $31.66 million in 2025. — Standig Why the Saints dealt LattimoreWhen Lattimore is healthy and engaged, the 28-year-old can certainly be a No. 1 cornerback for an NFL team. There was seemingly a disconnect between Lattimore and the Saints for the better part of a year, so much so where Lattimore’s name was volleyed about throughout the offseason as to whether or not the Saints would cut ties with him. And it’s not because he can’t play. I think his latest hamstring injury will heal all of a sudden, and just in time for him to play for the Commanders fairly quickly. The Saints are already playing without Paulson Adebo after he sustained a season-ending leg injury a couple of weeks ago. New Orleans was used to playing with Lattimore already, so they’ve been riding with Alontae Taylor and Shemar Jean-Charles. — Larry Holder, NFL senior writer Could the move signal a shift in New Orleans?This move will hurt the Saints’ salary cap in 2025 as Lattimore will count $31.7 million in dead money all at once. It could be the first sign that the Saints are admitting it’s time to stop kicking the can on some contracts and rebuild on the heels of Dennis Allen’s firing. — Holder |
| NFC SOUTH |
| TAMPA BAYTodd Bowles faced a decision at the end of Monday night’s game, go for a “winning” two-point conversion or play for OT. Bowles, as he is prone to do, did the conventional/timid thing and kicked the point. Jenna Laine of ESPN.com: Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles defended his decision to kick an extra point and not try a two-point conversion after his team scored a touchdown with 30 seconds remaining in regulation in Monday night’s eventual 30-24 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. “We wanted to get into overtime with the wet conditions on the field, we thought we had to go into overtime instead of going for two. We had our shots. We lost the game,” Bowles said. The Bucs surrendered a 5-yard touchdown to DeAndre Hopkins with 4:20 to go in regulation that, with the point after, gave the Chiefs a 24-17 lead. After the teams traded quick three-and-outs, Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield led an 11-play drive that culminated in a 1-yard touchdown pass to receiver Ryan Miller. But instead of going for two, which could have put Tampa Bay ahead by one point with 27 seconds remaining, out came Bucs kicker Chase McLaughlin. “We went for one,” Bowles said. “We took our shots. We had our chances all game. We just lost the game. It didn’t come down to that.” In Week 9, four teams that scored touchdowns in the last two minutes of regulation decided to kick extra points to tie their games. ESPN Analytics modeling agreed with the decision to kick the extra point in all four instances, but all four of those teams lost. The Miami Dolphins were tied with 1:38 left and then lost on a 61-yard field goal in regulation at the Buffalo Bills. The New England Patriots tied their game with no time left and then lost on a 25-yard field goal in overtime at the Tennessee Titans. The Seattle Seahawks tied with 0:51 left and then lost on a 39-yard touchdown pass in overtime against the Los Angeles Rams. And then the Bucs lost on a 2-yard touchdown by Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt. Asked about putting the ball in the defense’s hands, Bowles said, “We were going to take our punches. We were playing OK defensively. We thought we were moving the ball offensively. We thought we had a good shot in overtime. We didn’t make the plays.” The Chiefs improved to 8-2 in overtime games, including the playoffs, since 2018, when Patrick Mahomes became the full-time starter, which is the best record of any team in that span. For the Bucs, this was their second overtime loss in prime time on the road this season in which the defense surrendered a touchdown on the first possession. The Bucs also lost to the Atlanta Falcons 36-30 in overtime on Thursday night in Week 5. Since 2012, when the NFL adopted the current regular-season overtime rules, there have been only four teams to lose multiple prime-time games in overtime in the same season, according to ESPN Research: the 2015 Cowboys, 2021 Chargers, 2022 Broncos and 2024 Buccaneers (all 0-2). “It’s tough. You don’t take anything from it but a loss,” Bowles said. “And we can’t get used to losing, and that’s the biggest thing. We’re not going to get used to losing. We had some good plays. We took our swings. They connected more than we did. We fought, but it wasn’t good enough, so we got to get ready next week for another one.” The Bucs have won the NFC South title the past three seasons, and prior to that, they defeated the Chiefs in Super Bowl LV as a wild card, but they now have lost three straight games, slipping to 4-5 and below .500 for the first time this season. It started with their 41-31 loss to the Baltimore Ravens two weeks ago in which receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin both were injured. Miller was called up from the practice squad shortly after, and Monday night’s touchdown was the first of his NFL career. However, Mayfield was missing a third receiver against the Chiefs in rookie Jalen McMillan, who was deemed not healthy enough to play because of a hamstring injury. Mayfield showed a bit of frustration when the Bucs lost the coin toss in overtime. “Against a team with an offense like that, you can only give them so many chances,” Mayfield said. “They win the coin toss, and that’s what happens. I’m proud of our guys on offense that stepped up. Coach had a good message … ‘We’re that close. Don’t get used to losing but just turn this thing around. We’ve got a home game next week against an NFC opponent, and we’ve got to find a way to win. That’s it.'” Mayfield said nearly knocking off the NFL’s only unbeaten team on the road was no consolation prize. “Right now, it’s about us,” Mayfield said. “It doesn’t matter who we play. We need to focus on doing our job and finding ways to win. That’s all that matters. We just have to stop the skid. We have to look at the things of why we lost when we look at the tape and go from there.” We thought “analytics” would disapprove of Bowles decision, but Seth Walder ofESPN.com says it was basically a coin flip. Here is his Twitter thread with an explanation that the 27 seconds left on the clock for QB PATRICK MAHOMES and PK HARRISON BUTKER make a difference in the calculation (plus some decent comments from the populous): @SethWalderBucs 2-point decision numbers WP PAT: 42.8%WP Go for 2: 41.2% @SethWalderPart of why this is the case: if you go for 2 and convert, you induce unbridled aggression from your opponent. For example: the Chiefs would not have punted on their next possession if they were down 1. But is it close? Yeah, it’s super close. To determine that we don’t want to look at the WP size but rather the difference between the breakeven % and their expected conversion rate. The Bucs needed a 50% chance of converting the 2-point conversion to justify going for it. We estimated they had a 48% chance. @SethWalderDid not realize this and it’s important to note in this case: our WP model starts OT at 50-50. True number is obviously not 50-50 (though probably closer than one might think) but clearly plays a role here and would nudge toward 2-point attempt. Micah Adams@MAdamsStatGuyThat timeout they called was a MASSIVE mistake too. You run it down properly, that hyper aggression is essentially gone (though don’t ask the Bills). @bocnj1Do you know how much they would’ve had to let the clock run to justify going for 2? Obviously that timeout they took at the 1 saved a lot of time @Srose231These percentages do not account for the team you’re playing. Against the Chiefs you go for the win. As soon as they kicked the PAT the game’s end was predictable. We’re not sure how you determine Tampa Bay’s two-point propensity was exactly 48% and not 50. Scott Kacsmar remembers the first Atlanta game: @ScottKacsmarBucs have played arguably the 2 most dramatic/best games of 2024, and they lost both in OT with the offense never seeing the ball.– – -Steven Cheah points out why the Buccaneers could fall to 4-6 Sunday against SF and still be a threat to go 10-7 or 11-6 The now 4-5 Buccaneers are going to the playoffs vs. SFBYEat NY Giantsat Carolinavs. Las Vegasat. LA Chargersat Dallasvs. Carolinavs. New Orleans |
| NFC WEST |
| SAN FRANCISCOThe 49ers make a late deal for DT KHALIL DAVIS. Michael David Smith ofProFootballTalk.com: Minutes before the NFL trade deadline, the Texans and 49ers made a deal. Houston is sending defensive tackle Khalil Davis to San Francisco for a 2026 seventh-round pick, according to Dianna Russini of TheAthletic.com. Davis hasn’t played a lot in Houston this season, with 172 defensive snaps and 37 special teams snaps, but he’ll provide some defensive line depth in San Francisco. The 28-year-old Davis is in his second year with the Texans and has previously spent time with the Buccaneers, Colts, Steelers and Rams. |
| AFC WEST |
| DENVERAn extension for LB JONATHON COOPER. Mike Klis: @mikeklis9newsSource: Broncos have signed OLB Jonathon Cooper to 4 years, $60 million deal with $33 million in guarantees. Deal done Saturday. |
| LAS VEGASThe Turner family will be running the Raiders offense. Josh Alper ofProFootballTalk.com: The Raiders fired offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and two other offensive assistant coaches after Sunday’s loss to the Bengals and they’re set to add one of their former head coaches to Antonio Pierce’s staff on Tuesday. NFL Media reports that the Raiders will hire Norv Turner as an assistant. Turner’s son Scott is the team’s pass game coordinator and could be calling offensive plays when the team returns to action after their bye week. Pierce said on Monday that the team would discuss who will call plays over the next 24-48 hours. Turner last NFL role was serving as the Panthers’ offensive coordinator in 2018 and 2019. He was 9-23 as the Raiders head coach in 2004 and 2005 and he went 49-59-1 as Washington’s head coach from 1994 until he was let go during the 2000 season. Turner’s final head coaching stint came with the Chargers and he was 56-40 from 2007 to 2012. |
| AFC NORTH |
| BALTIMORECan the Ravens get something out of CB TRA’DAVIOUS WHITE as the playoff-contending Rams deem him expendable. Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com: The Ravens’ 32nd-ranked pass defense is getting some help ahead of the trade deadline. According to multiple reports, the Rams are sending cornerback Tre’Davious White to Baltimore. The Ravens will send a 2026 seventh-round pick to the Rams for White and a 2027 seventh-rounder. White started the first four games of the season for the Rams, but he has been inactive for their last four games. The Rams gave White and his representatives permission to speak to other teams about a trade last week. White, who tore his Achilles while playing for the Bills last season, had 12 tackles and two passes defensed in his four appearances. |
| CINCINNATIThe Bengals bolster their backfield with a late trade. Ben Baby of ESPN.com: The Cincinnati Bengals have made a rare move ahead of the trade deadline. The Bengals acquired Chicago Bears running back Khalil Herbert in exchange for a 2025 seventh-round pick, the Bears announced Tuesday. The move comes hours before the NFL’s trade deadline at 4 p.m. ET. Cincinnati needed a running back after Zack Moss reported he was dealing with a neck injury before the team’s Week 9 game against the Las Vegas Raiders. On Monday, Bengals coach Zac Taylor said more information would be gathered this week and a timetable for Moss’s return was unclear. Herbert, a sixth-round pick in the 2021 draft, was in the final year of his rookie contract. He has had limited usage for the Bears in six games this season. He has just eight carries for 16 yards and a touchdown and has been a healthy scratch in the last two contests for Chicago. The Virginia Tech product adds depth behind Bengals running back Chase Brown, who had 27 carries for 120 yards, both career highs, in Cincinnati’s 41-27 win over the Raiders last weekend. Cincinnati has not historically made midseason trades except for in special situations. The last one came during the 2020 season when disgruntled defensive end Carlos Dunlap was traded to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for offensive lineman B.J. Finney. |
| PITTSBURGHWR MIKE WILLIAMS who did nothing as a Jets is acquired on Deadline Day by the Steelers. Full coverage from The Athletic: The New York Jets traded wide receiver Mike Williams to the Pittsburgh Steelers. New York will receive a 2025 fifth-round pick in the deal, which is pending a physical, the teams announced Tuesday. Since the Jets traded for Davante Adams last month, Williams has seemed like the odd man out in New York. Williams signed a one-year deal worth up to $15 million in March, but never quite jelled with quarterback Aaron Rodgers. In nine games this season, Williams has 12 receptions for 166 yards. The Steelers have seemingly been looking for wide receiver help since the preseason and now have some depth with Williams. The 30-year-old will join a receivers room led by George Pickens for the AFC North division leaders. His 6-foot-4, 218-pound frame should be an inviting target for quarterback Russell Wilson. In eight seasons, the oft-injured Williams has 321 receptions for 4,972 yards and 31 touchdowns. Prior to signing with the Jets, he spent seven seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers. Why the Jets dealt WilliamsWilliams’ fate was probably sealed the moment Rodgers publicly called him out — multiple times — for running the wrong route late in the game against the Bills on Oct. 15, which resulted in a game-ending Rodgers interception. Williams and Rodgers simply never developed chemistry and so all the hype that came when Williams signed, including a viral moment involving a breakfast sandwich, died off pretty quickly. Williams tore his ACL last year with the Chargers and, as a result, missed all of the offseason program and training camp. In recent weeks, Williams has had moments where he lined up in the wrong spot, forcing the Jets to call a timeout, and another instance where he blocked the wrong player on a screen, leading to a loss. His stats don’t exactly signal a great return on investment for general manager Joe Douglas. “He’s had a nice career, and sometimes change of scenery is great for certain guys. … We kind of knew with Davante coming in that there’d be less targets for everybody … so if this gives Mike more opportunities, that’s awesome,” Rodgers said about the trade Tuesday on “The Pat McAfee Show.” — Zack Rosenblatt, Jets beat writer What Williams adds to SteelersFrom the moment Steelers GM Omar Khan dealt Diontae Johnson to Carolina this offseason, the obvious question became: How would the Steelers fill the void at No. 2 receiver? Reports, rumors and speculation have swirled continuously as the Steelers were close on a number of targets. First, they were the team most actively involved in the Aiyuk saga. Then, they inquired about Adams. The speculation continued with Cooper Kupp, Christian Kirk and others. The Steelers were the team that proposed the rule change that pushed the deadline back to Tuesday after Week 9. Well, it took until nearly the 11th hour of the extended deadline, but the Steelers finally added a receiver to the mix. Williams is not the flashy, blockbuster addition that Aiyuk or Adams would have been, and Williams’ Jets tenure ended unceremoniously after he was repeatedly called out by Rodgers. However, he still brings value to a receiver room that could use a boost. At the same time, the trade shows the Steelers have a level of urgency to win their first playoff game since 2016. Williams is a different body type than many of the undersized receivers in the Steelers’ room. Stylistically, he’s known as a great 50-50 ball threat, which marries well with Wilson’s trademark moon ball. Additionally, Williams can perhaps provide a veteran voice to a young and inexperienced Steelers WR room. Because he’s on a one-year deal, this move is likely a rental — at least for now. With Williams now in the fold, the receivers who were working to solidify the Steelers room could see a decline in their usage, especially Van Jefferson and, to a lesser degree, Calvin Austin III. — Mike DeFabo, Steelers beat writer What this means for New YorkNow that Williams is gone, the Jets are light on depth at wide receiver behind Adams and Garrett Wilson. Veteran Allen Lazard is on injured reserve and will miss at least three more games with a chest injury. The other receivers on the active roster are all either unproven or unproductive, and none bring the same skill set as Williams as a big-bodied down-the-field threat. That includes Xavier Gipson, rookie Malachi Corley and Irvin Charles, who is more of a special teams player than a wide receiver. — Rosenblatt How trade affects Williams’ fantasy relevanceIf Williams becomes the No. 2 option in Pittsburgh, he would be an upside/risk weekly WR4. Russell Wilson attempted 28 and 29 passes in his two starts, and given the Steelers’ offense, it’s unlikely Wilson hits 35-plus often, if at all. It will also take a game or two (or three) for Williams to get into the fold, as we’ve seen similar situations with DeAndre Hopkins, Amari Cooper and others. So again, Williams is purely a deep-league stash, and it’s why he’s only mid-pack in this week’s waiver ranks. — Jake Ciely, fantasy senior writer |
| AFC SOUTH |
| TENNESSEEThe Titans will be moving forward without two starts, one on each side of the ball – C LLOYD CUSHENBERRY and S QUANDRE DIGGS. Mike Maihalko of USA Today: The Tennessee Titans pulled out a 20-17 victory over the New England Patriots on Sunday, but the victory came at a heavy price. Hours after news broke that starting center Lloyd Cushenberry would be lost for the season with an Achilles injury, a report has surfaced that the team will be without a second starter moving forward. Safety Quandre Diggs left the game against the Patriots with a foot injury and now will be on the shelf for the remainder of the season after being diagnosed with a season-ending Lisfranc injury that will require surgery. Diggs, who signed a one-year contract earlier in the offseason, now faces a 6-9 month recovery period and may have played his last game with the Titans. Diggs stepped into the defense and played a huge role in the unit’s success. His loss will be a big blow for the Titans moving forward. Against the Patriots, safety Mike Brown stepped in and took over his spot next to Amani Hooker and played well. For the Titans to maintain their momentum, they will need Brown to build upon that performance. The Titans will be back at practice on Wednesday to start preparations for their Week 10 battle with the Los Angeles Chargers. |
