If The Season Ended Today – in the AFC, the Browns are still in the playoffs despite a horrendous beating from the Steelers and New England is the 11^th seed.

 AFC                                      W-L     Conf

Tennessee            South         5-0       4-0

Pittsburgh              North         5-0       3-0

Kansas City           West          5-1       5-1

Buffalo                  East           4-2       3-2

Baltimore               WC1          5-1       3-1

Cleveland              WC2          4-2       2-2

Indianapolis           WC3          4-2       2-2

Las Vegas                               3-2       1-2

Miami                                      3-3       2-2

Denver                                                2-3       2-2

New England                         2-3       2-2

In the NFC, NFC East “leader” Dallas would be below Detroit on a straight standings table.  For both conferences, 4-2 is in, 3-2 is out at the moments.

Seattle                  West           5-0       3-0

Chicago                North          5-1       5-0

Tampa Bay          South          4-2       2-2

Dallas                   East            2-4       2-3                                                      

Green Bay           WC1           4-1       4-1

Arizona                 WC2           4-2       3-2

LA Rams              WC3           4-2       4-1                                                      

New Orleans                          3-2       2-1

Carolina                                  3-3       2-2

San Francisco                        3-3       2-2

Detroit                                     2-3       1-3

This from @506sports:

@506sports

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again – if you “win” a division with an 8-8 or worse record, you shouldn’t get into the playoffs. Add another wild card instead.

Well, we would say an 8-8 division champ should be in.  But under .500, we would agree.  A 7-9 division “champ” in the playoffs while a 9-7 or 10-6 Wild Card sits on the sideline doesn’t seem right.

NFC NORTH

CHICAGO

Armed with what passes for a great defense in the 2020 NFL, the Bears are expecting to get the offense rolling soon.  Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com:

Bears quarterback Nick Foles said after Sunday’s 23-16 win over the Panthers that he’d rather win with the offense looking ugly than lose while putting up big numbers.

Head coach Matt Nagy picked up on that theme during his Monday press conference. Nagy said that Foles’ comment “kind of sums it up” in terms of how the team is feeling and shared his belief that they’re building “something special” in Chicago this season.

Nagy said that the team knows they have to be better “across the board on offense” in the weeks to come, but shared his confidence that things will fall into place and make an enjoyable start to the season even better.

“We’re 5-1 right now and we’re not playing well offensively,” Nagy said. “So when we do get this thing up and running, which we will, it’s going to be fun. It’s going to be a lot of fun. And, so, that’s the goal. We understand where our warts are on offense, we get that and we’re going to keep working on it. We’re going to continue to stay positive as we do this because of where we know we’re at and where we’re going.”

The Bears will be in Los Angeles to face the Rams on Monday night and we’ll see if being near Hollywood will make for a more attractive attack than the one they’ve been employing so far this year.

NFC EAST

PHILADELPHIA

The Eagles continue to suffer injury hits.  Liz Roscher of YahooSports.com:

It has been a miserable, underwhelming season for the Philadelphia Eagles. Their 1-4-1 record makes that obvious, but the misery extends beyond their pitiful record. They’ve dealt with numerous injuries to important players this season, and following their Week 6 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, they’re dealing with two more.

Tight end Zach Ertz, a vitally important player who is due for a major contract extension, reportedly has an ankle injury and will be out three to four weeks. Running back Miles Sanders reportedly hurt his knee on Sunday and won’t play in Week 7, and possibly longer.

Injuries to key players are always terrible, but it’s especially terrible right now. The Eagles face their division rivals the New York Giants on Thursday night. The Giants are bad, but they were expected to be bad this season. The Eagles were supposed to be much better than their 1-4-1 record, and the prospect of losing to the Giants strikes fear into the heart of every Eagles fan. But after weeks and weeks of injuries, that’s a familiar feeling.

NFC WEST

ARIZONA

QB KYLER MURRAY can’t help but win at AT&T Stadium.  Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com:

All Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray does at AT&T Stadium is win.

Murray improved to 7-0 all time at the stadium through high school, college and the NFL after leading the Cardinals to a 38-10 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Monday.

AT&T Stadium is 41 miles from Murray’s hometown of Allen, Texas. He went 5-0 in high school there, including three straight state championships in Texas’ highest level of prep football; 1-0 in college, leading Oklahoma to a Big 12 championship; and 1-0 so far in the NFL.

“It was fun,” Murray said. “It brought back a lot of memories. It felt like I’d been playing there every Sunday, honestly. It was comfortable, felt good.”

Murray made another memory Monday. He threw for 188 yards and two touchdowns on 9-for-24 passing, including an 80-yard touchdown to wide receiver Christian Kirk, the second of two touchdown passes to Kirk, who had 164 yards and six touchdowns in three games at AT&T Stadium while at Texas A&M. Murray also hit DeAndre Hopkins for a 60-yard pass in the fourth quarter.

“It’s special. I’m not gonna lie,” Murray told ESPN’s Lisa Salters after the game. “I tried to not make it about me all week ’cause it’s not about me. It’s about my team. And we came out here and got the job done against a good Cowboys team. But … coming back home, I think anybody wants to get a win when you come back home, so I’m happy we did.

It wasn’t just Murray — who said he knew of about 20 friends and family in the stands — who had a meaningful return to AT&T Stadium. The last time Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury coached in AT&T Stadium was his last game as head coach at Texas Tech, a 35-24 loss to Baylor on Nov. 24, 2018.

“I thought Kyler did a nice job,” Kingsbury said. “That’s not easy when that’s all everybody’s been talking about all week, and he’s probably had this one circled on his calendar since it came out. But I thought he handled himself well. We were close on a couple things early, had some close throws that I think we’ll make in the future. May have been a little too revved up, but I think throughout the game he continued to make plays with his feet that extended drives, and I was proud of the way he handled himself.

“For me, it was just exciting to see our team play on the Monday night stage, and the way they embraced it and the effort and energy was what was meaningful to me.”

Murray said he “felt a little off all night.”

AFC WEST

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

The Chargers are getting a key defensive stalwart back.  Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

As the Chargers emerge from their bye with a looming game against the Jaguars (a/k/a the NFL’s 2020 Slump Tonic), they could be getting back their bookend to Joey Bosa.

Pass rusher Melvin Ingram has been designated for return from injured reserve.

Ingram landed on IR late last month with a knee problem that either emerged or flared up late in the week of practice prior to a game against the Panthers.

The NFL’s ultra-flexible 2020 roster rules allow for an unlimited number of players to be placed on injured reserve and to return after missing only three weeks.

In two games this season, Ingram has an interception but no sacks.

The Chargers won in Week One at Cincinnati, but they have lost four straight games. They seem to be better than 1-4; if they’re going to make their record match their talent, they need to start winning games soon.

AFC NORTH

CLEVELAND

TE DAVID NJOKU would like to be out of Cleveland by Election Day.  Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer has a “league source”:

Tight end David Njoku would still like the Browns to trade him, a league source told cleveland.com on Monday.

Njoku, who initially asked to be traded on July 3 but then rescinded the request on Aug. 1, would like to find a new home by the trade deadline on Nov. 3rd.

To this point, the Browns haven’t been willing to trade him, but they might be open to it if someone makes them an offer they can’t refuse. The Browns need help at linebacker, safety and cornerback, and could possibly pick up a starter to help out down the stretch.

They could also try to secure draft picks in exchange for the 2017 first round pick.

Njoku returned to the field last week agains the Colts and caught his only target for 6 yards. During Sunday’s 38-7 loss to the Steelers, he caught one of three targets for 7 yards. In his three games this season, he has five receptions for 63 yards and one touchdown catch from the opener in Baltimore.

In Pittsburgh, Njoku played 23 snaps for 40% of the offense. No. 1 tight end Austin Hooper played 40 snaps for 70%, and rookie Harrison Bryant played 21 snaps for 37%. Bryant played well when Njoku was out, and reps for the third tight end are hard to come by.

What’s more, with Baker Mayfield struggling in Pittsburgh, there weren’t many passes to go around. He completed 10-of-18 attempts for 119 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions — including a 33-yard pick-six by Minkah Fitzpatrick on his first pass of the game — for a 54.9 rating. The Browns have slipped to 29th in passing offense, with 189.3 yards per game.

The Browns still like Njoku and have vowed to use three tight ends a lot, but there’s just not a lot of production to be had right now from the receivers and tight ends.

“We have three guys that are really good and belong on the field in a variety of roles,” tight end coach Drew Petzing said last week. “May the best man play and continue to play. I think we are going to use all three of them a lot and really rely on them to have success on offense as we have throughout the season.”

The writing was on the wall during training camp that Njoku would wait and see how things went before making a final determination on whether or not he wanted to be here.

“I’m a Cleveland Brown for the time being,” he said then. “For now, I am a Cleveland Brown for the time being, and I am just going to leave it like that. Thank you.”

Asked later during that interview to clarify his remarks, he said, “I was just speaking on today and on now. I am not saying this is my last year here. I am just talking because all we have is the present….I want to be here long term.”

Njoku seemed genuinely excited to return and help the Browns win after spending three weeks on injured reserve with a sprained knee.

“I guess looking back these last few weeks watching [Stefanski] call the plays is that he loves his tight ends,” Njoku said. “That’s something that I can get along with. He likes running the ball. He likes doing what you have to do to take it to the next level.”

But he now apparently would prefer to be a starting tight end for a team that values the position.

“I have been pretty consistent this offseason in terms of we still have a ton of belief in David,” Browns GM Andrew Berry said as he wrapped up the draft in April. “He’s very talented. Obviously, he was not on the field much last year, but he’s a guy with outstanding physical tools, he has proven NFL production and we still think the future is very bright with him here. David has always been and continues to be in our plans, and we’re going to continue to add competition all across the roster.”

Njoku suffered a broken wrist in Week 2 last season against the Jets and ultimately underwent surgery in October after initially planning to let it heal on its own. He did so to get back on the field, but when he returned for the final four games of the season, he landed on Freddie Kitchens’ bad side, and never recovered.

Njoku was a healthy scratch for two of his last four games, and caught only one pass on three targets in the two games he did play. In the season finale at Cincinnati, he wasn’t targeted at all. All told, he was limited to five catches on 10 targets for 41 yards and a TD in his four outings in 2019.

But Berry was here in 2017 when the Browns traded up to No. 29 to draft Njoku out of Miami, and has always seen his potential. In fact, he didn’t hesitate to pick up Njoku’s fifth-year option in May worth about $6.4 million for 2021. If Njoku played well this season, the Browns may have considered an extension.

AFC SOUTH

TENNESSEE

There were those in the Titans headquarters who occasionally did not wear masks.  NFL Medical Justice will issue a punishment, but it is not likely to be overly harsh.  Nick Shook of NFL.com:

The Tennessee Titans will avoid any major discipline beyond a hit to the organization’s pocketbook following the joint review of the Titans’ COVID-19 outbreak.

The NFL and NFLPA notified the club they have completed their review of Tennessee’s outbreak, and while the Titans may face a fine, they won’t be subject to forfeits, lost draft picks or discipline for any individual, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported.

The joint review found instances of failure to comply with requirements to wear masks, as well as insufficient clear communication regarding workouts outside the facility, per Pelissero. That lack of clear communication led to multiple unauthorized workouts while the Titans’ facility was closed at the beginning of the outbreak. Those findings will serve as the basis for any potential league discipline, which would likely amount to fines, Pelissero reported.

Among the violations found were players and staff congregating in hallways without masks, Pelissero reported, per a source informed of the review.

To Tennessee’s credit, the organization was fully cooperative with the review, providing documents and video, and helping facilitate interviews, Pelissero added.

Like most every franchise, the Titans dedicated significant time, energy and resources to update their facility and procedures to fall in line with COVID-19 protocols first introduced in the offseason, and have since made additional changes to the facility, likely providing the league and players’ union reason for encouragement going forward. A final disciplinary decision still awaits Tennessee, but the findings of the joint review have been presented to the team and is officially closed, per Pelissero.

AFC EAST

BUFFALO

QB JOSH ALLEN has tumbled out of the MVP “race.”  Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN.com:

After a 4-0 start to the season during which Josh Allen resembled a possible MVP candidate, the Buffalo Bills have now dropped two games in a row, with their struggling quarterback acknowledging, “This team can’t afford to have me play poorly.”

Playing in his second consecutive prime-time game Monday night, Allen completed just 14 of 27 passes for 122 yards against the Kansas City Chiefs in a performance reminiscent of his 2018 and 2019 seasons. Although he threw two touchdown passes, he also recorded his fourth interception of the season and missed receivers throughout the game, culminating in a 26-17 loss in Orchard Park, New York.

The third-year quarterback took responsibility for his performance, directly tying his team’s success — or lack thereof — to his play.

“We weren’t good enough — I was not good enough. I got to do a better job, it’s plain and simple,” Allen said. “I didn’t play very good tonight. I know that. I understand that. This team can’t afford to have me play poorly.

“Early on just not being as accurate with the ball as I should have been. Making the right reads, making the right throws, and we turned it on a little too late there.”

Through the first four weeks of the season, only Dallas’ Dak Prescott threw for more yards than Allen’s 1,326, and only Seattle’s Russell Wilson and Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers threw for more touchdowns than Allen’s 12. After failing to eclipse 300 passing yards in a game during his first two professional seasons, Allen did so in three consecutive outings to open 2020, including a career-high 415 yards against the Miami Dolphins in Week 2.

However, he looked far from an MVP candidate during a 42-16 loss to the Tennessee Titans in Week 5; he completed 26 of 41 passes for a then-season-low 263 yards, two touchdowns and season-high two interceptions.

Against the Chiefs, Allen’s 122 passing yards marked his lowest total since Week 6 of his rookie season, excluding a Week 17 game against the New York Jets last season when he played only one series.

Allen and the Bills get a bounce-back game against the winless Jets in Week 7 before hosting the New England Patriots in Week 8.

Buffalo has publicly stated its goal of winning the AFC East for the first time since 1995, and in order for the Bills to do so, Allen must return to a level of play comparable to what he showed during the first four weeks of the season.

MIAMI

Interesting.  The Dolphins have won their last two games and are in the thick of the playoff race, just one game out of first.  And they have decided it is TUA time.  Nick Shook of NFL.com:

The Dolphins gave rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa a taste of playing time in Sunday’s blowout win over the Jets. Now they think he’s ready to take over.

Tagovailoa will start for the Dolphins in Week Eight against the Rams, following the Dolphins’ bye this week.

Ryan Fitzpatrick will now be Tagovailoa’s backup. Fitzpatrick has played well enough that he doesn’t really deserve to be benched, but the plan was always to start Tagovailoa when the coaching staff thought he was ready, and now the coaching staff thinks he’s ready.

The Dolphins are 3-3 and could compete for a playoff spot in the AFC, but they’re balancing winning now with building for the future, and they’ve decided that Tua Time is now.

NEW ENGLAND

On the heels of defeat to Denver, QB CAM NEWTON opens up on his battle against Covid-19 – a disease so stealthy it has no symptoms in some. Chris Mason of MassLive.com:

Cam Newton delved into his COVID-19 diagnosis for the first time on Monday morning.

The quarterback was asymptomatic for the virus, and appearing on WEEI’s Greg Hill Show, said he hoped it was a false positive and lobbied with Bill Belichick to play in the Chiefs game.

“Of course. Of course, but I don’t think it was coach’s decision,” Newton said. “I think it was more or less the doctors. I think this whole pandemic has thrown a wrench in a lot of organizations. For us being one of them, it’s an ongoing situation that we do not have any of the slightest idea where it’s coming from. Who has it. Who contracts it. Where you contract it from. How you were to do certain things because I do believe we had the proper precautions with everything that’s taken place and you still cannot understand where it’s stemming from.”

So Newton doesn’t know where he caught the virus?

“Correct. Correct,” he reiterated. “I think the biggest scare here for everybody was just my daily routine of how many hours I put in in the facility… I was more concerned about it because I didn’t want to put nobody else on the team in jeopardy for this. The fact that Steph (Gilmore) contracted it was my worst nightmare being that I would never want to sabotage anything to the slightest degree. Because I know what we have the capability of becoming.”

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Newton and Gilmore were out to dinner together before both their positive tests came back. On Twitter, Gilmore’s wife refuted that report days later, and Newton was asked about it for the first time on Monday morning.

Greg Hill: “Before you go, I have to ask: Was it dinner out or was it dinner in?”

Newton (laughing): “Next question.”

Hill: “Were the entrees vegan? When it comes to Gilmore, did he have any kind of protein in the meal? Just gimme that before you go.”

Newton: “Man. Listen, man. There’s nothing good for me to answer any of these questions. How ’bout that?”

THIS AND THAT

ESPN RANKINGS

Updated through Week 6, here are the ESPN Power Rankings with each team’s most impactful injury commentary (somewhat edited):

1. Seattle Seahawks (5-0)   Week 6 ranking: 1

Most impactful injury: DE/OLB Bruce Irvin

Irvin’s season-ending knee injury in Week 2 was a double whammy for Seattle’s defense because of the dual role he fills as the strongside linebacker on early downs and an edge rusher in passing situations. — Brady Henderson

2. Kansas City Chiefs (5-1)   Week 6 ranking: 3

Most impactful injury: G Kelechi Osemele

Osemele tore tendons in both of his knees in Week 5 against the Raiders, leaving the Chiefs without their most impactful interior offensive lineman. -Adam Teicher

3. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-0)    Week 6 ranking: 6

Most impactful injury: LB Devin Bush

The Steelers’ most recent injury is the one they could least afford. Inside linebacker is the thinnest position on the team, and Bush played every snap before he tore his ACL in the second quarter of Sunday’s win against the Browns. — Brooke Pryor

4. Baltimore Ravens (5-1)      Week 6 ranking: 4

Most impactful injury: CB Tavon Young

Since Young suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 2, the Ravens have replaced their top nickelback with the combination of Jimmy Smith and Anthony Averett. There’s no doubt Baltimore would be stronger if Young were covering the slot receiver. — Jamison Hensley

5. Tennessee Titans (5-0)      Week 6 ranking: 8

Most impactful injury: LT Taylor Lewan

Lewan suffered a torn ACL on Sunday and is out for the season. Losing their starting left tackle is a big blow for the Titans, as Lewan brings energy to the offense. Veteran offensive lineman Ty Sambrailo will be called upon to play left tackle in place of Lewan. Although Sambrailo is a capable player, there’s a considerable drop-off from Lewan, who is Tennessee’s best O-lineman. — Turron Davenport

6. Green Bay Packers (4-1)     Week 6 ranking: 2

Most impactful injury: WR Allen Lazard

Just when Lazard showed he could be a legit No. 2 wideout — with six catches for 146 yards and a touchdown in Week 3 against the Saints — he was gone, lost for several weeks due to core muscle surgery. — Rob Demovsky

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-2)     Week 6 ranking: 12

Most impactful injury: DT Vita Vea

Prior to suffering a broken ankle against the Bears in Week 5, Vea was among the most double-teamed players in the league. Rotational tackle Rakeem Nunez-Roches has stepped up to fill the void, and he helped the Bucs’ defense notch five sacks against the Packers during a 38-10 win on Sunday. They also traded with the New York Jets for Steve McLendon, who played for Bowles previously. — Jenna Laine

8. Buffalo Bills (4-2)                       Week 6 ranking: 5

Most impactful injury: LB Matt Milano

Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and cornerback Tre’Davious White have each missed a game to injury, but Milano has already been lost for three games in the first six weeks. When Milano doesn’t play, the middle of the Bills’ defense is exposed, especially in the passing game. — Marcel Louis-Jacques

9. New Orleans Saints (3-2)          Week 6 ranking: 9

Most impactful injury: WR Michael Thomas

This one is pretty obvious, considering Thomas is the NFL’s reigning Offensive Player of the Year after catching a league-record 149 passes in 2019. Thomas has been out since suffering an ankle injury in Week 1, and the offense missed him while taking several weeks to get in sync. — Mike Triplett

10. Los Angeles Rams (4-2)            Week 6 ranking: 7

Most impactful injury: RB Cam Akers

The Rams have mostly avoided serious injuries, with the exception of left guard Joe Noteboom (calf) and safety Jordan Fuller (shoulder), who were placed on injured reserve but are expected to return after being replaced by experienced starters. So the most significant injury was to Akers, who suffered separated rib cartilage in Week 2 and was sidelined for two games. — Lindsey Thiry

11. Chicago Bears (5-1)                        Week 6 ranking: 13

Most impactful injury: RB Tarik Cohen

Cohen, who suffered a season-ending ACL tear in Week 3, contributed heavily on offense and special teams. The Bears have yet to fill Cohen’s multidimensional role on offense, although veteran Lamar Miller is a strong candidate to do so whenever the Bears elevate him off the practice squad. Cohen provided Chicago with a strong second option in the run game alongside David Montgomery, and Cohen caught 79 passes out of the backfield last season. The Bears also are struggling to fill Cohen’s role on punt returns, where veteran Ted Ginn Jr. has failed to generate much positive yardage in recent weeks. — Jeff Dickerson

12. Indianapolis Colts (4-2)                        Week 6 ranking: 14

Most impactful injury: RB Marlon Mack

Mack suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in the first half of the Week 1 game at Jacksonville. The plan all along was for Mack to be the starter and for rookie Jonathan Taylor to get significant carries behind Mack, but Taylor has been forced to carry the bulk of the load out of the backfield. The rookie out of Wisconsin has shown flashes but doesn’t have Mack’s consistency yet. — Mike Wells

13. Cleveland Browns (4-2)                         Week 6 ranking: 10

Most impactful injury: RB Nick Chubb

Chubb suffered an MCL knee injury in Week 3 against the Cowboys. The Browns continue to boast the league’s leading rushing offense behind Kareem Hunt, but it hasn’t been quite as effective since Chubb went down. Cleveland is hopeful Chubb will be able to return around mid-November. — Jake Trotter

14. New England Patriots (2-3)                      Week 6 ranking: 11

Most impactful injury: C David Andrews

The starting center and captain suffered a hand injury during a Week 2 loss to the Seahawks and missed the past three games, two of which the Patriots lost. That has led to some major shuffling along the offensive line.. — Mike Reiss

15. Las Vegas Raiders (3-2)                            Week 6 ranking: 15

Most impactful injury: RT Trent Brown

Before last week’s signature win at Kansas City, Brown had played just three snaps due to a cranky calf. Once he returned, Las Vegas’ offensive line had a decidedly different look. — Paul Gutierrez

16. Arizona Cardinals (4-2)                            Week 6 ranking: 16

Most impactful injury: OLB Chandler Jones

Jones has been the best pass-rusher in the NFL since entering the league in 2012; his 97 sacks are the most over that stretch. He tore his right biceps in Arizona’s Week 5 win over the Jets and had surgery last week. Losing Jones, who only had one sack this season, will have a domino effect on the defense. — Josh Weinfuss

17. San Francisco 49ers (3-3)                           Week 6 ranking: 17

Most impactful injury: DE Nick Bosa

The Niners have had more impactful injuries than just about every team in the league, but none has hurt more than Bosa’s season-ending torn ACL. — Nick Wagoner

18. Carolina Panthers (3-3)                                Week 6 ranking: 19

Most impactful injury: DT Kawann Short

With Short alongside first-round pick Derrick Brown, this front four had a chance to be something special this year. They had two players who would demand double-teams, get a solid inside push and free up the edge rushers. Without Short, there’s more pressure on Brown and Zach Kerr to step up. It also puts more pressure on the depth at tackle, which could be a factor deep in the season. It might ultimately lead to Carolina playing more three-man fronts, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing with the speed the Panthers have on the edge from players such as Brian Burns. — David Newton

19. Miami Dolphins (3-3)                                Week 6 ranking: 23

Most impactful injury: CB Byron Jones

Jones missed nearly three games with a groin injury suffered in the opening snaps of a Week 2 loss to the Bills, and his absence clearly affected the Dolphins’ pass defense. In the three full games Jones has played, the Dolphins allowed an average of 139 passing yards and 12.7 points per contest, with a record of 2-1. In the nearly three games Jones missed, the Dolphins yielded 333 passing yards and 25 points per contest. More than anything, Jones’ presence is allowing Xavien Howard to feast. Howard is tied for the NFL lead with four interceptions, one in each of the past four games. — Cameron Wolfe

20. Dallas Cowboys (2-4)                           Week 6 ranking: 18

Most impactful injury: QB Dak Prescott

While the Cowboys have expressed faith in Andy Dalton, the full impact of losing Prescott might not be felt for a few weeks. In addition to playing at a high level, Prescott also was the heart and soul of the team as its biggest leader.. — Todd Archer

21. Los Angeles Chargers (1-4)                   Week 6 ranking: 20

Most impactful injury: QB Tyrod Taylor

The Chargers have plenty of injuries to choose from (pick an injury, any injury), but none is more impactful than Taylor’s. He went down just before Game 2 with a punctured lung (from an injection for a rib injury). Up next was Justin Herbert, and a star was born. Anthony Lynn named Herbert the permanent starter just before his Monday Night Football debut — and he was spectacular. It’s impossible not to feel for Taylor and his bad luck in this league. “He’s a competitor,” Lynn said. But so is Herbert, who is also the future — and the player who could guide this team out of its early funk. — Shelley Smith

22. Philadelphia Eagles (1-4-1)                       Week 6 ranking: 22

Most impactful injury: RT Lane Johnson

There are plenty of injuries to choose from, as the Eagles only had two original members of their starting offense — Carson Wentz and Jason Kelce — on the field at the end of Sunday’s loss to the Ravens. But Johnson’s ankle injury has been a big one. He has missed two games and hasn’t been himself when he has played. That has fueled instability along the offensive front and has spelled bad news for Wentz, who has been sacked a league-high 25 times. — Tim McManus

23. Detroit Lions (2-3)                                        Week 6 ranking: 25

Most impactful injury: CB Desmond Trufant

This is largely because it has exposed some of the issues Detroit has in its secondary. The Lions might have played Jeff Okudah early anyway in place of Amani Oruwariye, but Trufant’s hamstring injuries have forced a starting group of Oruwariye and Okudah. — Michael Rothstein

24. Denver Broncos (2-3)                       Week 6 ranking: 28

Most impactful injury: LB Von Miller

Only Dak Prescott’s injury might have the same kind of impact to a player’s franchise. Miller is the Broncos’ hub, the guy who put a third Lombardi in the trophy case in the lobby of the team’s complex. — Jeff Legwold

25. Minnesota Vikings (1-5)                      Week 6 ranking: 21

Most impactful injury: DE Danielle Hunter

No question it’s Hunter, who suffered a herniated disc in practice on Aug. 14 and hasn’t done any football-related activity since. Even though the Vikings were optimistic Hunter’s IR stay would be brief, they knew his injury could keep him out six to eight weeks.. — Courtney Cronin

26. Houston Texans (1-5)                    Week 6 ranking: 24

Most impactful injury: CB Gareon Conley

The Texans have been relatively healthy, but they did start the year without Conley, who had ankle surgery during the offseason. — Sarah Barshop

27. Cincinnati Bengals (1-4-1)               Week 6 ranking: 26

Most impactful injury: DT D.J. Reader

Reader suffered a season-ending quadriceps injury during a Week 5 defeat against the Ravens. Before that, Reader was living up to his $53 million contract and solidified a defensive line that has dealt with injuries and an opt-out. He was everything the Bengals were looking for when they signed him this offseason and was in position to help Cincinnati maximize DT Geno Atkins’ snaps. But with Reader on IR and gone for the year, the patchwork required on the defensive interior becomes increasingly difficult. — Ben Baby

28. Atlanta Falcons (1-5)                      Week 6 ranking: 30

Most impactful injury: WR Julio Jones

The Falcons were without Jones for most of Week 4 and all of Week 5.. — Sarah Barshop

29. Washington Football Team (1-5)           Week 6 ranking: 27

Most impactful injury: DT Matt Ioannidis

Ioannidis tore his biceps in a Week 3 loss at Cleveland, and he will miss the rest of the season. While the defensive line has depth and remains talented, losing Ioannidis was a big blow, especially to the pass rush. — John Keim

30. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-5)                 Week 6 ranking: 29

Most impactful injury: DE Josh Allen

Allen has missed the past two games because of a knee injury, which robs the Jaguars of their best and most experienced pass-rusher. He wasn’t dominating when he was on the field (two sacks, seven QB hits), but he is the Jaguars’ only hope of getting to the passer. — Mike DiRocco

31. New York Giants (1-5)                       Week 6 ranking: 31

Most impactful injury: RB Saquon Barkley

The Giants built their offense around Barkley and had him available for five quarters. His knee injury has put a new coaching staff in a tough spot. — Jordan Raanan

32. New York Jets (0-6)                              Week 6 ranking: 32

Most impactful injury: QB Sam Darnold

Darnold has missed two starts with a sprained AC joint in his throwing shoulder. The offense, struggling even with Darnold, has bottomed out with Joe Flacco. In 25 possessions, Flacco has led the offense to only one touchdown drive. His lack of mobility and general rust have made him a sitting duck behind a leaky offensive line. It looks like Darnold could miss a third start on Sunday against the Bills. — Rich Cimini

COACHING CAROUSEL

Two well-connected ESPN scribes, Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano, look at the upcoming coaching carousel – already spinning with firings in Atlanta and Houston:

NFL coaching carousel news? Already? Week 6 just ended. Can’t we let this season breathe a little bit?

Ahhh … no. In case you haven’t been paying attention, two head coaches (and two general managers) have already been fired. At least three more head coaches appear to be on thin ice. We’re coming up on the midway point of the regular season, and there’s no use pretending this stuff isn’t going to happen, because it has already started.

The two coaches who have been fired so far — Houston’s Bill O’Brien and Atlanta’s Dan Quinn — have a combined 100 wins, including the playoffs. Knowing that, there are very few coaches who have a right to feel completely safe — especially with so much time left in the season.

Which is why, no, it’s not too early for informed coaching buzz, or talk of buyout clauses, interim labels and coach-GM dysfunction. And it’s never too early to look ahead to the next crop of candidates.

So we’ve been calling and texting NFL folks in the know, taking a look around the league at what does and doesn’t make sense, in order to provide you with a list of coaching-related notes to prepare you for the inevitable chaos to come. Enjoy.

The weirdness of the COVID-19 season isn’t going to save any jobs

The 2021 salary cap is going to drop as a result of COVID-19-related revenue losses, but coaches don’t count against the cap. That’s why an industry source gave a simple reply when asked if teams might keep coaches to save costs: “NBA.” If Doc Rivers can get fired after a short, financially strapped season, so can big-name NFL coaches.

Expect up to three more NFL head-coach openings by season’s end and possibly a few more in the offseason. Last year’s total of five head-coaching changes was the fewest since the 2009-10 cycle, when only three teams changed. But that was coming off a historic 2008-09 offseason in which 11 teams changed coaches. And the following cycle, in 2010-11, eight teams changed.

History tells us the fact that there were only five openings last year means the market will overcorrect, and there should be a lot more this year.

Industry sources are certain Eric Bieniemy will get one of these jobs

The Chiefs’ offensive coordinator has been on the head-coach interview circuit the past couple of years but hasn’t managed to get one of the jobs. His contract expires at the end of the season. The Chiefs would love to have him back, but they know he’s probably gone.

Houston definitely has interest, and some believe Bieniemy could already be the front-runner there. The quarterback, overall roster talent and organizational structure will be important to him, and the Texans can offer that, with the willingness to tie a new general manager to the coach. Bieniemy is the marquee Rooney Rule candidate in a year with revamped rules to encourage the hiring of Black coaches. He’s far from the only qualified coordinator or assistant coach. Hiring Bieniemy should be the floor for diversity hiring this year.

Josh McDaniels looms large once again

Former Patriots executive Jack Easterby, who ironically was brought into the Houston organization by O’Brien, has massive influence in that organization right now and is likely to direct both hires. That has fueled some speculation of a Nick Caserio/Josh McDaniels pairing in Houston, but McDaniels still carries some baggage from the Indianapolis fiasco of a couple of years ago.

McDaniels is a guy on whom you’d have to sell ownership if you wanted to hire him, which we aren’t even sure Easterby does. Easterby and McDaniels did have a relationship when in New England together, so the connection is worth watching. And winning with Cam Newton at quarterback the season after Tom Brady left would remind everybody why McDaniels is so well regarded as an offensive mind in the first place.

Is Gase long for New York?

Someone involved in the shaky Adam Gase-Jets marriage says his job has not been considered a “week-to-week thing” internally. That might not matter, as change seems inevitable, but it could happen later than many expect.

One league exec pointed out that the Jets might even be better off letting Gase finish out the misery over 16 games, for a few reasons: This isn’t a roster that will ignite a winning streak anyway, a mini-tank might aid quarterback positioning in the 2021 NFL draft (though players and coaches never go for that), and the only natural interim option would be defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, whose relationship with the current staff appears tenuous.

Williams went 5-3 as Cleveland’s interim coach in 2018, but that team had hope. This team has upheaval. The Jets are hoping to show some semblance of offense with the returns of rookie second-round pick Denzel Mims, third-year quarterback Sam Darnold and free-agent acquisition Breshad Perriman, who played in Week 6 and caught four passes for 62 yards. But that’s all wishful thinking, as many in the league have lost faith in a coach who has well-documented problems with some of his players.

There could be several GM openings, too

As we mentioned, the Texans and Falcons jobs are already open. Industry sources are watching the Panthers and Giants for potential openings, and some believe Washington will hire a general manager at some point as well.

What’s interesting about this is the way teams decide to pair up the two positions. The Giants, for example, have always instituted a strict separation of powers between the GM and the head coach, but they’re in this awful cycle right now in which they always seem to be replacing one or the other. They fired coach Tom Coughlin after the 2015 season but kept GM Jerry Reese. They fired Reese and coach Ben McAdoo during the 2017 season, hired GM Dave Gettleman months before hiring coach Pat Shurmur, fired Shurmur after two years and are widely expected to fire Gettleman after this year.

Do they stick with the “Giant Way?” Or do they think about matching up new coach Joe Judge with a GM they know he can work with? Teams such as the Bills and 49ers are having success in situations in which they picked the coach first and matched him up with a GM with whom he already had a strong relationship. That could become the trend, in which case the coach hires might take on more importance than the GM ones.

As for GM candidates? The names you hear include:

Caserio, the longtime Patriots exec whose new contract, per sources, allows him to leave whenever he wants to.

Eliot Wolf (the son of former NFL GM Ron Wolf), who’s now working with Caserio in New England after stints with the Packers and Browns. He is still on teams’ lists.

Vikings assistant GM George Paton, who some believe would leave Minnesota for the right opportunity. He got a long look from the Browns last year but decided to stay put.

Usual suspects from the Seattle front office, Scott Fitterer and Trent Kirchner. Veteran personnel man Alonzo Highsmith, also with the Seahawks, helped build talented rosters in Green Bay and Cleveland, along with Wolf.

Bills assistant GM Joe Schoen, Chiefs director of football operations Mike Borgonzi, Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds and Bucs director of player personnel John Spytek.

The key here is to watch the winning organizations. Those are the ones from which other teams like to find coaching and GM talent.

The Broncos are a team to watch … maybe

We’ve talked to a few people who believe coach Vic Fangio will get a third year in part due to all the injuries the Broncos have suffered. His team seems to have fight, which is a good sign, though that 29th-ranked total offense needs to improve.

If things were really to go south in Denver, it’s not crazy to imagine a total overhaul, with Broncos legend and general manager John Elway potentially even getting the boot and the team bringing in a new GM/coach combo. But the idea of the Broncos firing John Elway still just seems tough to believe, doesn’t it?

An audition in Atlanta?

The Falcons like interim coach Raheem Morris a great deal. They know he helped the defense rebound late last season, and they believe he has the demeanor for a head-coaching job. They’ve helped re-groom him in a way, as he has coached both sides of the ball since he has been there. And he does have long-ago head-coaching experience from Tampa Bay when he was very young — he went 17-31 from 2009 to 2011. All of that said, he’d need quite the impressive 11-game stretch to win the job, and he knows it. The odds seem stacked against him.

Atlanta is not the appealing job it was two years ago, however. This has the makings of a near-complete teardown, with some people around the league openly wondering whether quarterback Matt Ryan or even wide receiver Julio Jones will be shopped at the Nov. 3 trade deadline (their contracts would make that extremely difficult). Plus, it’s difficult to name five impact players on that defense without Google.

The feeling around the league is that Atlanta probably won’t use a search firm, as Houston is doing with Jed Hughes. Team owner Arthur Blank and president Rich McKay will conduct the coach and GM searches.

Hot seats in Detroit

Detroit is feeling the heat internally. People there know the coaching staff must make a spirited push, with the Week 6 victory over Jacksonville easing tension temporarily. Lions brass wants to see the Matt Patricia era work, but Detroit’s propensity for relinquishing leads has become a big concern.

Patricia and GM Bob Quinn entered this season knowing they likely had to win to keep their jobs, and they’re 2-3 so far. Quinn and Patricia were a promising pair with New England’s championship pedigree. Quinn, the former Patriots director of pro scouting, helped hire Patricia, then the Patriots’ defensive coordinator, in 2018. That synergy has helped both sides stay united on personnel decisions, but synergy doesn’t matter much when the record is 11-25-1 together. Maybe it will start to pay off in the next few weeks.

Is Jacksonville a sneaky-good job?

Many potential coaches look at it as one. The Jaguars’ roster is already stripped down but has young talent in spots, not many bloated contracts and 10 draft picks and counting in 2021, including a shot at the No. 1 pick.

Should Doug Marrone get fired before the season ends — he’s 23-33 over four-plus seasons in Jacksonville — it’s not out of the question that offensive coordinator Jay Gruden could ascend to the interim spot and, depending on how the season goes, get the job full time. But that’s a lot of “if”s and “depending”s.

Saving jobs in Chicago?

The Bears are 5-1, somehow, and a run to the playoffs could spare not only coach Matt Nagy but also GM Ryan Pace, in spite of the disastrous outcome of the Mitchell Trubisky pick. Most people to whom we’ve talked think the Nagy/Pace pairing gets another year at least, which means another shot to try to solve the quarterback situation there.

The way the Bears are playing, they aren’t going to have a very high pick with which to do it.

Is Anthony Lynn safe in L.A.?

While the Chargers appear headed for another disappointing season, the feeling around the league is that Lynn will get more time … for now. The organization loves Lynn, and he hasn’t lost the locker room.

He’s 3-13 the past two years in games decided by seven points or fewer, however. A second consecutive season as a noncontender could force the organization’s hand, especially as it tries to drum up interest from the Los Angeles fan base.

The emergence of rookie quarterback Justin Herbert could buy Lynn time. Herbert has flashed star potential through four starts and has a good rhythm with offensive coordinator Shane Steichen. The Chargers might not want to disrupt that.

Could Joe Burrow be playing for someone else in Cincy?

At 3-18-1 so far, second-year coach Zac Taylor hasn’t impressed, but he came in with little experience and plenty of roster holes, and you have to think the historically patient Bengals were and are willing to live with his growing pains. That said, everything is about rookie quarterback Burrow now. And if the franchise gets to the end of the season and decides Taylor isn’t the guy to shepherd Burrow to long-term NFL success, it absolutely could look elsewhere.

The Bengals seem to be in every game, but they don’t win many of them. Taylor’s offense has helped Burrow put up solid counting stats (1,617 passing yards, sixth in the NFL), but Burrow is on pace to be sacked 64 times and his 50.1 Total QBR ranks 26th in the league. Taylor must get it fixed by season’s end.

There’s always a surprise …

Everybody you talk to about this stuff says that, every year. “There’s always a surprise.” And if we knew where the surprises would come from … well, they wouldn’t be surprises. But look at a situation such as Minnesota, where well-regarded coach Mike Zimmer is in his seventh season, won a road playoff game last season and just had his contract extended through 2023.

There’s no indication from anyone reliable that Zimmer is in any immediate trouble. But he is 1-5 with a team that had playoff aspirations and has a ton of money sunk into its quarterback. If things continue to go this badly, the extension isn’t likely to keep him safe.

Put Minnesota on your back-burner watch list, along with long-shot possibilities such as the Cowboys giving up on Mike McCarthy after only one year, or Bill Belichick retiring in New England. No concrete reason to expect it as of now, other than weird things happen.

Who’s got next? Candidates for head-coach openings

OK, you want to know who the candidates are going to be for these openings. We’ve already addressed Bieniemy, who seems the most likely hire. After that, there’s a good bit of buzz around Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, who’s likely to get multiple interviews. One big reason why? He’s good at what Kyle Shanahan is good at — creating explosive plays without a dominant quarterback. Only Dallas is producing more yards per game than Tennessee’s 422, despite the Titans ranking 11th in passing offense. Should Smith leave, Bill O’Brien, who gave Mike Vrabel his first NFL coaching job, could be a favorite to join Vrabel’s staff as offensive coordinator if that’s what he wants. O’Brien also could turn out to be the head-coach apple of some team’s eye, be it an NFL team or a college team.

Others on the lists you get when you ask about potential head-coach candidates include Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, Seahawks offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer (word is the Seattle culture has been good for him, and convincing Pete Carroll to “Let Russ Cook” has been no small accomplishment), Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman, Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich and, as usual, McDaniels.

It can be tough for defensive coaches to get traction in head-coaching interview circles, but a couple of defensive coordinators to watch include San Francisco’s Robert Saleh and a list of former head coaches: Buffalo’s Leslie Frazier, New Orleans’ Dennis Allen, Tampa Bay’s Todd Bowles and, if the Chiefs were to win again, maybe even Kansas City’s Steve Spagnuolo.

Saints assistant Dan Campbell has some head-coaching experience and would like another shot, and some teams have him on their radar. 49ers offensive assistants Mike LaFleur and Mike McDaniel are names of interest. Guys working behind hot coordinators such as Bieniemy and Roman also could get interviews, which means you look at prospects such as Chiefs assistant (and longtime Andy Reid favorite) Mike Kafka as well as Ravens quarterbacks coach James Urban.

Remember, this is a list made before Week 7. A lot can still happen. Some of the guys whose prospects look good now can fade if their teams struggle. Some we don’t know about could jump into the mix. (Who will be this year’s Joe Judge?) But this should at least give you a taste of whom to watch as this talk continues to heat up.

“Longtime” Andy Reid favorite Mike Kafka, the former Northwestern quarterback, is just 33.  An Eagles draft pick in 2010 who hung around as a player, he has quickly made The Metamorphosis into top candidate in his 5^th season as a coach, his 4^th with Reid.

Is it too early for Kafka’s contemporary, Kevin O’Connell, now the OC of the Rams to be on the list as well?