If The Season Ended Today, the Packers are back on top in the NFC –

                                               W-L                 Conf

Green Bay        North             5-1                   4-1

Seattle               West              5-1                   3-1

Tampa Bay       South             5-2                   2-2

Philadelphia       East               2-4-1                2-2      

Chicago             WC1              5-2                   5-1

Arizona              WC2              5-2                   4-2

LA Rams           WC3              5-2                   5-1      

New Orleans                           4-2                   3-1

San Francisco                         4-3                   2-2

Detroit                                     3-3                   2-3

Carolina                                   3-4                   2-3

Surprising that the 5-2 Rams are the 3^rd Wild Card, even with their win over Chicago, but that’s how the NFL calculates it.

It might look, from a glance at the standings that the NFC is winning the battle with the AFC but actually the conferences are tied at 13-13-1 in the inter-division series.

The big reason is that the AFC North is 6-0-1 against the lowly NFC East.  The other three NFC divisions are 13-7 against the AFC.

NFC NORTH

CHICAGO

Coach Matt Nagy is not happy about being shut down by the Rams.

The Bears lost in ugly fashion last night, scoring only 10 point against the Rams. Making matters worse was that the offense scored only three of those points.

“[W]e’ve got to get stuff figured out,” Bears coach Matt Nagy told reporters after the game regarding the offense. “It’s not good enough and to be outscored by your defense obviously is unacceptable, too. So, that part’s frustrating. . . . I don’t ever remember having our own defense score more than our offense. That’s hard to do. So, that part I don’t like, and that bothers me.”

Nagy clearly is perturbed by the failure of the offense to make things happen.

“I’ve never really, I’ve never been a part of this before, so it’s a situation where it’s for all of us, very frustrating trying to figure out answers,” Nagy said. “The hard part is, is when you care so much and you’re trying so hard to figure out that identity and where we’re at and the ‘Why?’ part. That’s the part that stings. It’s just trying to get that thing right and it hasn’t happened, so we have to look at, across the board, we have to look at everything. We’ve been doing that and you get out here. We’ve got to start fast. When you come out and all of a sudden you get a penalty, it just kills the drive and penalties hurt. You cannot have penalties early on in the game. Then, when you have situational football, you can’t have penalties in fourth-and-one to get a first down and move the sticks. As hard as we’re making it on ourselves right now, you can’t have penalties. That’s the part there that for all of us to figure out, ‘Okay, when is this going to stop?’”

It’s a little amazing to hear a coach of a 5-2 team talk this way, but that’s what happens when a team wins ugly with an offense that has a hard time kicking it into gear. On Monday night, Nagy thought they wouldn’t be blown out.

“I thought our guys had great energy,” Nagy said. “It’s 10-3 at halftime, not scoring many points, they’re not scoring many points. You come out and all of the sudden you get the ball in the one yard line to start the third quarter. It’s run to get some breathing room. It’s another run to get breathing room and then all of the sudden you have them beat on a double move and we just don’t get it. That’s no criticism to any player, Nick [Foles] had a guy coming off to his left free and you saw it was close, but it wasn’t close. And so that was just kind of one of those nights where it just wasn’t our night. So we’ve got to figure out how each and every one of us are going to step our game up to be better.”

If that double move had hit, the game could have been very different. As Nagy said, however, that play was proof that it wasn’t their night.

It also wasn’t their night, and it hasn’t been their season, running the ball.

“It’s not where I want to be, you know?” Nagy said of the running game. “I mean you got to run the ball in this league and you got to be able to run the ball. We’re trying to figure out ways to do it and right now we got to be better there, and it starts with me.”

It also wasn’t their night, and it hasn’t been their season, blocking the Rams.

“It’s hard when you’re in this scenario right now,” Nagy said. “What happens is, just like you said, you start thinking, is it this guy? Is it that guy? The only choice we have right now probably, and I know this for sure, would be that we have to pull together as best as we can and fight through this adversity, as hard as it is. The word frustration is easily exaggerated in these times, and it should be. So, having that happen, we have to understand, what are we doing that’s not working and let’s not do that. What are we doing that is working? And let’s get back to more of that. I wish I had a better answer for you, but again, I’m not going to criticize or challenge any of our guys’ effort, but something is obviously off. So, we have to figure out what that is, because until we start running the ball, you can’t be one dimensional.”

So the running game isn’t getting it done, the line isn’t getting it done, and as a result the passing game can’t get it done and, putting it all together, the offense can’t get it done.

It gets no easier for the Bears, 5-2 notwithstanding. They host the Saints on Sunday before traveling to Tennessee the following week.

Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com says the numbers don’t say the Bears have improved on offense since QB NICK FOLES was inserted:

In Week Three, the Bears benched a struggling Mitchell Trubisky for Nick Foles, and they promptly came back from a 26-10 deficit to beat the Falcons 30-26. It looked like Foles was the right man to lead their offense.

In four games since then, it has looked a lot different.

The Bears’ offense has actually been worse in the four games started by Foles than it was with Trubisky, including last night’s ugly showing in a 24-10 loss to the Rams.

Since Foles became the Bears’ starter in Week Four, the Bears are dead last in the NFL with an average of 263 yards per game. In the three games Trubisky started, the Bears’ offense was never held under 300 yards. The Bears have gained fewer than 300 yards in all four games Foles has started. The Bears averaged 22.0 first downs in Trubisky’s two full games; they’ve averaged 17.5 first downs in Foles’ four full games.

Foles has worse stats than Trubisky across the board, whether judging by passer rating (Trubisky is at 87.4 and Foles at 77.6), ESPN’s QBR metric (Trubisky is at 56.4 and Foles at 46.2) or yards per attempt (Trubisky 6.5, Foles 5.9). Trubisky and Foles have both thrown six touchdown passes this season, but Foles has thrown six interceptions while Trubisky threw three. Trubisky is also a threat as a runner who was averaging 10.9 yards per carry on the season; Foles actually has negative rushing yards this season.

From all appearances, Bears coach Matt Nagy has made his decision and is sticking with Foles as the starter. But there’s little reason to believe Foles is going to turn the Bears’ offense around. He did it briefly against a Falcons team known for allowing fourth-quarter comebacks, but he hasn’t done it since.

NFC EAST

DALLAS

The Cowboys are shopping DE EVERSON GRIFFIN.  Nick Shook of NFL.com:

Everson Griffen’s first season with the Cowboys isn’t going according to how anyone had likely planned.

With Dallas sitting at 2-5 and no clear signs of improvement ahead, the Cowboys have made it known Griffen is available via trade, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Monday, per a source informed of the situation. Any interested team would only have to pick up roughly half of Griffen’s $6 million salary, Rapoport added.

Griffen has recorded 20 tackles, 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble in seven games as a Cowboy this season. He’s in the middle of the pack of defensive ends when it comes to advanced metrics, registering a quarterback pressure on 7.6% of pass-rushing snaps and a total of 12 disruptions as part of the league’s 31st-ranked defense in points allowed and 27th-ranked unit in yards allowed per game.

The 32-year-old Griffen spent 10 seasons in Minnesota, reaching the Pro Bowl four times before opting out of his deal in the offseason and signing with Dallas in August.

– – –

Imagine how bad the Cowboys would be with the wrong coach.  Nick Shook of NFL.com:

The Cowboys lost in ugly fashion once again Sunday, meaning the Jones family was going to be asked about its opinion of its still-new coaching staff.

The question arrived Monday to Cowboys EVP and director of player personnel Stephen Jones, who remained firm in his belief in Mike McCarthy.

“I know we’ve got the right head guy for the job,” Jones said during an appearance on 105.3 The Fan, via Rob Phillips of the team’s official site. “These things just take time. I know our fans are frustrated. We certainly understand the criticism that’s come our way. But we’ve got to go to work.”

There’s a couple of interesting between-the-lines details here to note. First, we’re progressed from questions about the Cowboys assistants — Mike Nolan, coordinator of the league’s 27th-ranked defense in yards allowed and 31st in points allowed, for example — to questions about the man in charge of them, McCarthy. It’s a natural progression for a team that continues to lose by wide margins, most recently to an NFC East rival by 22 points in a division that is still winnable because of its widespread mediocrity.

But if the team doesn’t start to show signs of a turnaround, those questions will only become louder and more prevalent.

The second detail to note is that Jones specified he knows Dallas has the right head guy for the job. Now, Jones went on to defend the entire staff — “It’s the first year with this group,” he said — but if things don’t improve, well, it’s hard to envision this staff remaining the same by Christmas.

WASHINGTON

Ron Rivera seems to have put cancer in the rearview mirror.  John Keim of ESPN.com:

One day after beating the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Football Team coach Ron Rivera took another victory lap Monday. But it was to celebrate a different win: the end of his cancer treatments.

At a northern Virginia hospital Monday, Rivera received his last round of chemotherapy and proton therapy, marking the end of his seven weeks of treatments. He still has several more weeks of follow-up appointments and scans, but Monday marked a milestone for Rivera.

As he left the hospital, he walked through a line of cheering staffers who waved pom-poms, tossed confetti and made noise with rattlers. They all wore black Rivera Strong T-shirts. He then rang the bell, raising his left fist, signaling the end of his treatments.

NFC SOUTH

ATLANTA

Mid-season trades of franchise QBs, especially one who has a Hall of Fame case, don’t happen often.  But they are starting to wonder if it is time for the Falcons to move on from QB MATT RYAN.  D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan does not want to be traded.

With the team off to a 1-6 start for the second consecutive season and looking at a major overhaul after the firing of head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Thomas Dimitroff, some believe the Falcons would be better served by trading their veteran assets to amass draft picks. The NFL trade deadline is Nov. 3.

However, president and CEO Rich McKay said on Oct. 12 that the team did not plan to trade veterans — including Ryan and wide receiver Julio Jones — to get picks. There was an NFL Network report noted that team didn’t plan to trade Ryan or Jones.

“Nah,” Ryan said Monday, when asked if he wanted to be traded. “I don’t worry about that stuff. I don’t think about it. My job is to get dialed in for Thursday night.”

The Falcons (1-6) are set to play the Carolina Panthers (3-4) at 8:20 p.m. Thursday at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.

Jones, like Ryan, made it clear Sunday that he’d like to stay in Atlanta.

Ryan is in his 13th season with the Falcons. He holds all of the franchise’s main passing records and led the team to only its second Super Bowl appearance. He’s also the only player in franchise history to win the league’s most valuable player award.

“So, I’ve said it all along, I love Atlanta and I want to be here,” Ryan said. “I want to be a part of this organization. I don’t worry about noise outside of our building. I try to focus on week to week, getting myself ready to go. I’ve said it, I want to be here and hopefully that will be the case.”

NFC WEST

ARIZONA

RB KENYON DRAKE is ailing.  Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com:

The Arizona Cardinals will likely be without leading rusher Kenyan Drake for the next few weeks.

Drake is expected to miss “a few weeks” with a slight tear in a ligament in his ankle, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The Cardinals are treating the injury like a high ankle sprain, the source said.

Without Drake, the Cardinals will rely on Chase Edmonds to be their primary ball carrier. He had 58 yards on five carries and 87 yards on seven catches in Sunday night’s 37-34 overtime victory over the Seattle Seahawks.

Beyond Edmonds, the Cardinals will go with a group effort between running backs Eno Benjamin, D.J. Foster and Jonathan Ward.

– – –

Brandon Mendoza of NFL.com makes the case that beloved WR LARRY FITZGERALD is actually under-rated:

Larry Fitzgerald should be in conversation for the greatest WR of all time

Watching Larry Fitzgerald grab the football out of his tackled teammate’s hands so he could sprint to the referee, hand over the ball and thus save precious seconds in the Cardinals’ nail-biting overtime victory against the Seahawks was a thing of beauty. Fitzgerald won’t get many headlines for that wily, heads-up play on Sunday night, but his eight-catch, 62-yard performance did make news, because he joined Hall of Famer — and long-standing occupant of the WR throne — Jerry Rice in rarified receiving air.

Fitzgerald and Rice are now the only players in NFL history with 1,400 or more career receptions. They also are the only players in NFL history with 250-plus consecutive games with a reception (Fitzgerald has 250 to Rice’s 274).

Fitzgerald’s second-place spot on the all-time receiving yards list will likely not change by the time he retires (he’s 5,605 yards behind Rice’s insane 22,895 total), but how he got to No. 2 is something that makes the G.O.A.T. receiver debate far less one-sided. The 11-time Pro Bowler has caught a pass from 22 different quarterbacks, the most by any receiver over the last 30 seasons. Of Rice’s 20 seasons, 14 came with a quarterback who made the Pro Bowl that season. In Fitzgerald’s 16 seasons prior to 2020, that’s been the case only twice (Kurt Warner: 2008 & Carson Palmer: 2015).

So while Rice is widely recognized as the wide receiver G.O.A.T., he generated a major chunk of his otherworldly production by catching passes from Hall of Famers Joe Montana and Steve Young, and even Rich Gannon during an MVP season. Sure, Fitzgerald had Kurt Warner for a short but nice run, and Kyler Murray certainly looks like a star, but let’s not forget the games (and there were a lot of them) where guys like John Skelton, Kevin Kolb, John Navarre or Max Hall were throwing Larry Legend the ball.

SEATTLE

Not that he was bad, butQB RUSSELL WILSON’s MVP candidacy took a hit on Sunday night:

Entering Sunday night, Russell Wilson hadn’t thrown multiple interceptions in a regular-season game since the 2018 opener. Only three times in his nine-year career had he thrown more than two.

His uncharacteristic performance led to an uncharacteristic postgame news conference after the Seattle Seahawks’ 37-34 overtime loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Wilson is rarely as down on himself as he was after the Cardinals picked him off three times, the last of which set up their game-winning field goal in the extra period.

“I thought we played a great game except for those three plays, honestly,” Wilson said. “Those are my fault. There’s so much that we can do, and we have so much confidence. Our confidence is not going to waver. They’re a great football team, too. We knew it was going to be a battle. It always is down here and whenever we play. So nothing really changes except for the fact that we just have to tighten up some things. I have to be better, which I’m looking forward to.”

The front-runner for league MVP through the Seahawks’ (5-1) first five games, Wilson had some brilliant moments Sunday while completing 33 of 50 attempts for 388 yards and three touchdowns. He also led Seattle with 84 rushing yards on six attempts.

Wilson’s three touchdowns give him 22 on the season, tying Peyton Manning’s record from 2013 for the most in NFL history through a team’s first six games.

All three TDs were to Tyler Lockett. The second, a 47-yarder in the second quarter, was another display of Wilson’s deep-ball proficiency. Per NFL Next Gen Stats, it had an air distance of 58.8 yards, and Lockett had 0.73 yards of separation when he caught it, making it the longest tight-window touchdown pass (less than 1 yard of separation) in the NFL the past two seasons.

AFC WEST

LAS VEGAS

The Raiders have been tagged as the team that has most been on the edge with NFL Covid protocols, but Covid survivor Jon Gruden thinks the team has a handle on it now.  Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com is unimpressed:

At a time when some political leaders say the nation is rounding the turn on COVID-19, a football leader is making a similar boast that simply isn’t backed up by reality.

“As an organization, we are on the cutting edge of beating the virus,” Raiders coach Jon Gruden claimed on Monday (via Vic Tafur of TheAthletic.com), a day after Jay Glazer of FOX Sports reported that Gruden’s team faces a significant fine and potential loss of a draft pick for its latest COVID-19 protocol breach. Gruden’s boast also comes a day after his team was blown out by the Buccaneers, thanks in part to an expectation that the Raiders proceed with the game as scheduled even though the entire starting offensive line wasn’t available for the three most important practice days prior to the game.

“We’re not the only team in the league, so you know, that’s had people catch the virus,” Gruden said. And he’s right. But the Raiders are the only team to have multiple and various issues, from Gruden blatantly refusing to wear a mask to an unauthorized person in the locker room to a group of players ridiculously attending an indoor event with too many people and not nearly enough masks to last week’s positive test for tackle Trent Brown and the ensuing temporary banishment of those who were in contact with him.

So, yes, the Raiders are among the worst teams when it comes to dealing with COVID-19, and they are even farther from being on the “cutting edge of beating the virus” than the nation is from turning the corner. But as we’ve learned over the past four years, things like cold, hard facts no longer prevent those in positions of power or influence from saying whatever they feel like saying, whenever they feel like saying it.

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

Praise for QB JUSTIN HERBERT from Brandon Mendoza of NFL.com:

Justin Herbert is the best Chargers offensive rookie in franchise history

I know that’s a spicy take after just five starts. Skeptics might argue that Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson’s 1,600-yard, 10-TD rookie season was better. Or that John Jefferson leading the NFL in receiving TDs (with 13 in 1978) in his first season was more impressive.

Here’s what I’ll tell you:

On Sunday, Justin Herbert became the first rookie QB with 300-plus passing yards and 50-plus rushing yards in a win since 1950.

The No. 6 overall pick is one of just two QBs in NFL history with 1,500 passing yards in their first five career games (Cam Newton in 2011).

Speaking of NFL history, Herbert is only the second rookie with at least three passing TDs in three or more games in NFL history (Deshaun Watson in 2017).

Herbert just joined Hall of Famer Dan Marino as the only QBs in the Super Bowl era with an 85-plus passer rating in each of his first five NFL starts.

Oh, and the 22-year-old can hold his own in the run game, too, as he not only set the Chargers’ single-game record for rushing yards by a QB (66), but he also became the first starting passer in Bolts history to lead the team in rushing yards multiple times in a season.

AFC NORTH

BALTIMORE

DE CALAIS CAMPBELL on the addition of EDGE YANNICK NGAKOUE.  Jonas Shaffer of the Baltimore Sun:

Calais Campbell has known Yannick Ngakoue a lot longer than Campbell has been a Raven. But with the former Jacksonville Jaguars teammates now reunited in Baltimore, he has no doubt about the fit.

“What it means to be a Raven, he possesses that,” Campbell, a first-year Raven himself, said Monday. “He loves the game of football.”

The Ravens traded a 2021 third-round draft pick and 2022 conditional fifth-round pick Thursday to Minnesota for Ngakoue, one of the league’s top pass rushers since he was drafted in 2016. The former Maryland standout spent three seasons with Campbell in Jacksonville before the Jaguars traded him to the Vikings before this season.

Coach John Harbaugh said the Ravens will “just plug him in” on their top-ranked scoring defense. If Ngakoue clears COVID-19 protocols, he’s expected to practice Wednesday. Harbaugh said he’s already started learning the Ravens’ game plan for Sunday’s game against the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers.

“Adding a player like Yannick is huge,” Harbaugh said in a video conference call. “It’s a big positive for us.”

AFC SOUTH

JACKSONVILLE

The Khans are keeping Coach Doug Marrone around, for now.  The AP:

Doug Marrone’s job is safe for now.

Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan spared Marrone following the team’s sixth consecutive loss, a 39-29 setback at the Los Angeles Chargers in which the Jaguars tied an NFL record by allowing at least 30 points in six straight games.

The Jaguars (1-6) showed enough fight against the Chargers — they led 29-22 late in the third quarter — for Khan to stick with Marrone into the team’s bye week and quite possibly through the end of the season.

“I think that any time you’re losing like this and you’re not performing well on Sundays, I think it’s naive. It can happen,” Marrone said. “I just work and do the best job I can for the coaches and players. …

“That’s just what this game is: work as hard as you possibly can, and at the end of the day, you have to hold your head up high knowing that you did everything you possibly could to try to win games while at the same time know that you did your best for the coaches and the players.”

Marrone is on the verge of coming up well short of the owner’s winning expectations. And the belief is that changes will ultimately be made if Jacksonville continues on its current path. It won’t help that Marrone has the youngest team in the league and lost valuable offseason work because of the coronavirus pandemic.

He is 24-34 in three-plus seasons in Jacksonville, falling a few plays shy of the franchise’s first Super Bowl in 2017 and then miring mostly in mediocrity since. The Jaguars have dropped 12 of their past 15, including 10 by double digits.

“I can tell you this: we all feel bad,” Marrone said. “The one thing you know, that’s out there on the field, is that they are playing as hard as they can. We’re just not making the plays we need to make. That’s on all of us. That starts with me.”

The past month has been far from ideal. Miami, Cincinnati and Houston got their first wins of the season against the Jags in consecutive weeks. Detroit followed with a lopsided victory in Jacksonville, and then Chargers rookie quarterback Justin Herbert picked up his first win in five starts Sunday.

“It hurts, but I wouldn’t say we’re discouraged,” Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew said. “I think everyone is looking for a solution still and it’s a fight. It’s tough right now, but as long as these guys keep fighting, we’ll figure it out.”

Here is a note from recent Jaguars history:

6 — the number of losing streaks that reached at least six games since Khan bought the Jaguars before the 2012 season. He’s had at least one such skid in six of his nine seasons.

AFC EAST

MIAMI

The Dolphins are projecting “excitement” at the thought of QB TUA TAGOVAILOA on the field Sunday.

It’s Tua Tagovailoa week in Miami.

The Dolphins announced a quarterback change during their bye week and the first-round pick will be taking over from Ryan Fitzpatrick when the Rams come to town on Sunday. With the Dolphins 3-3 and Fitzpatrick coming off two good performances, the timing of the change has been questioned but Dolphins players seem to have little question about the rookie.

Tight end Mike Gesicki said on Monday that “everyone is excited” about Tagovailoa’s debut and that “we all have confidence in Tua to go out and make plays.” Wide receiver Preston Williams said the rookie has “everything you want in a quarterback” and dfensive end Shaq Lawson shared a perspective from the other side of the ball.

“I’ve seen a lot of him in practice, how athletic he is, how incredible of a player he is,” Lawson said, via Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. “You get to see it Sunday this week. It’s going to be incredible. He’s going to lead his team in the right way.”

Sunday’s game will be Tagovailoa’s first start since injuring his hip at Alabama last November and the Dolphins hope it will be the first of many in their uniform.

NEW ENGLAND

Give QB CAM NEWTON credit for realism.  Mike Reiss of ESPN.com:

New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton is approaching this week as if his job is in jeopardy after being pulled early in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 33-6 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

“The first thing I said to myself coming home was, ‘You keep playing games like that, bro, and it’s going to be a permanent change,'” Newton said Monday morning on Boston sports radio WEEI.

“You don’t need to tell me that for me to understand that. I get it loud and clear.”

Coach Bill Belichick had said he took Newton out of the game, with the Patriots trailing by 27 points, to give second-year quarterback Jarrett Stidham more experience. Belichick also said he’s “absolutely” sticking with Newton as his starter.

“For any type of competitor, do you feel embarrassed? Yeah,” Newton said Monday during the radio interview. “I don’t feel offended by what was done. I don’t feel offended having this type of conversation. I’m a realist.

“I don’t fear my position stability more so than controlling the locker room. Performances like yesterday jeopardizes [that]. It’s like, ‘Oh my God!’ Players talk, and that’s what’s most important to me. Knowing you have your coaches’ belief [is good], but my belief is that I want to have the whole facility. … It doesn’t start with no miraculous play. It’s a whole body of work that goes into performing on Sunday.”

Newton finished 9-of-15 for 98 yards with three interceptions, and he said after the game that he felt he was pressing too much. He explained what unfolded when Belichick pulled him from the game, saying he wasn’t surprised.

“I’m coachable,” Newton said. “I didn’t want to put up a [fight]. How bad would that have been? ‘No, I’m not coming [out]!’ He came and said, ‘Stidham is finishing’ and I agreed.

THIS AND THAT

2021 DRAFT

Dan Parr of NFL.com with a look at how the draft order is shaping up:

This is a look at the first-round order for the 2021 NFL Draft heading into Week 8 of the NFL season, along with the top three needs for each team. The order is determined by record, using strength of schedule as the first tiebreaker (click here to see a full list of the draft-order tiebreakers). Keep in mind — teams 19-32 would make the playoffs if the season ended today and are marked as PL (short for playoffs) in the order below. The draft order for playoff teams is determined by the results of postseason play.

1 New York Jets

0-7 · .609 strength of schedule

Biggest needs: QB, WR, edge rusher

The Jets’ failures certainly can’t be pinned to Sam Darnold alone and the team doesn’t intend to move him before the trade deadline, per NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport. However, after a missed opportunity to catch a napping Bills team on Sunday, it’s probably best we stop denying where this marriage appears to be headed and move QB to the front of the needs line.

2 Jacksonville Jaguars

1-6 · .485

Biggest needs: QB, CB, OT

Yes, there are a lot of needs here. Remember, though: The Jaguars hold the Rams’ first-rounder (Jalen Ramsey trade) and the Vikings’ second-rounder (Yannick Ngakoue trade) next year. Jacksonville could end up with four of the draft’s first 40 picks.

3 Atlanta Falcons

1-6 · .533

Biggest needs: Edge rusher, S, CB

Matthew Stafford had his best game of 2020 against a Falcons secondary in need of repair. He completed 80-plus percent of his passes that were thrown 15 or more yards down the field, per PFF, and became the second QB in as many weeks to set a season-high in passing yards against Atlanta.

4 New York Giants

1-6 · .552

Biggest needs: Edge rusher, CB, OT

We held out on replacing WR with OT on the needs list, but no longer. First-round pick Andrew Thomas just isn’t showing the signs of improvement in pass protection that we were expecting by midseason. The Giants could get Nate Solder (opt out) back next season, but counting on him is a gamble given the decline he showed last year.

5 Miami Dolphins  PICK ACQUIRED FROM THE HOUSTON TEXANS

Texans’ record: 1-6 (.659)

This week’s Texans game: On bye

See Pick No. 14 for analysis of the Dolphins’ needs and the bottom of this article for analysis of the Texans’ needs.

6 Minnesota Vikings

1-5 · .553

Biggest needs: OL, DT, QB

The Vikings figure to be back in the market for edge-rushing help now that the Yannick Ngakoue Experiment has come to an end after two months, but the bigger need is on the interior, where Minnesota has only one player ranked in PFF’s top 90 at the position.

7 Cincinnati Bengals

1-5-1 · .533

Biggest needs: OT, WR, CB

Sure, it would have been nice to upset the rival Browns, but a narrow loss was the best outcome for the Bengals. Why? Well, because this team isn’t going to contend for a playoff spot this year and needs offensive line help in the worst way. The more it loses the better its chances of landing an instant difference maker in the draft.

8 Dallas Cowboys

2-5 · .500

Biggest needs: Edge rusher, CB, S

Injuries have decimated the Cowboys on the offensive line and now at quarterback, but the bigger long-term concern (these are draft needs, after all) remains the defense, which has allowed 25 or more points in six straight games (tied with the Jaguars for the longest active streak).

9 Washington Football Team

2-5 · .531

Biggest needs: QB, WR, interior OL

Even in a lopsided win against a historically awful Dallas defense, there was a reminder of what ails the WFT at the wide receiver position. Terry McLaurin had a team-high 11 targets on Sunday. All other Washington WRs combined for one target total.

10 Los Angeles Chargers

2-4 · .500

Biggest needs: Interior OL, TE, WR

The Chargers have spent a first-round pick on an offensive lineman only once in the past 26 drafts (D.J. Fluker, 2013). That’s not a rate they can sustain if they’re going to do right by their red-hot young QB.

11 New England Patriots

2-4 · .605

Biggest needs: Interior OL, DL, WR

The Patriots haven’t drafted inside the top 10 since 2008, when they selected Jerod Mayo 10th overall. Bill Belichick will be holding a higher pick than that next year if he doesn’t find a way to jumpstart a putrid offense.

12 Denver Broncos

2-4 · .615

Biggest needs: OT, CB, S

There are a grand total of zero offensive tackles with a higher grade from PFF than free-agent-to-be Garett Bolles. There’s a lot of season left, but it looks like the man is going to get paid, whether it’s by the Broncos or someone else.

13 Carolina Panthers

3-4 · .543

Biggest needs: OL, CB, WR

Wide receiver deserves to be a priority until the Panthers re-sign pending free agent Curtis Samuel, but ILB is a close fourth on the needs list. Everyone knew replacing Luke Kuechly would be a tough task, but Carolina should be able to find an upgrade over Tahir Whitehead this offseason.

14 Miami Dolphins

3-3 · .425

Biggest needs: WR, ILB, interior OL

Miami entered its Week 7 bye with the league’s worst run defense, per Football Outsiders. A playmaking inside linebacker (or two) could go a long way toward shoring up that weakness.

15  Detroit Lions

3-3 · .525

Biggest needs: WR, DL, LB

Knocking on the door of the top 10 in the draft order just a few weeks ago, Detroit has won two in a row and after the Colts, its next four opponents have a sub-.500 record. The dormant pass rush showed signs of life against the Falcons!

16 Las Vegas Raiders

3-3 · .625

Biggest needs: DT, OL, S

Jon Gruden is coming off an encounter with that nightmarish scenario when your team isn’t pressuring the opposing QB and can’t keep the opposition’s pressure off your own signal-caller. Will he have to relive it in Cleveland next week?

17 San Francisco 49ers

4-3 · .394

Biggest needs: OL, CB, edge rusher

Edge rusher replaces safety on the list this week since depth might be a bigger concern at the former. Kerry Hyder, Dion Jordan, Solomon Thomas, Ezekiel Ansah and Ronald Blair are ticketed for free agency while Dee Ford can’t stay healthy and Nick Bosa will be coming off an ACL tear.

18 New Orleans Saints

4-2 · .553

Biggest needs: QB, S, DL

New Orleans has only one of PFF’s top 70 safeties this season and that player (Marcus Williams) is due to become a free agent this offseason.

19 PL   Philadelphia Eagles

2-4-1 · .521

Biggest needs: OG, LB, CB

CB replaces WR on the needs list this week due to Travis Fulgham’s continued breakout. Philly has one of the league’s lowest-rated coverage units. Plus, CBs Nickell Robey-Coleman and Cre’von LeBlanc are both due to reach free agency this offseason.

20 PL   Indianapolis Colts

4-2 · .329

Biggest needs: CB, edge rusher, OT

Indy should be on the lookout for a blindside protector of the future. Le’Raven Clark struggled filling in at left tackle for starter Anthony Castonzo a couple weeks ago, and Castonzo himself is only signed through 2021.

21 PL   Arizona Cardinals

5-2 · .404

Biggest needs: CB, edge rusher, interior OL

Are the Cardinals going to regret declining Haason Reddick’s fifth-year option? He’s the team’s best pass rusher with Chandler Jones sidelined and already has a career-high five sacks.

22 PL    Jacksonville Jaguars   PICK ACQUIRED FROM THE LOS ANGELES RAMS

Rams’ record: 5-2 (.439)

See Pick No. 2 for analysis of the Jaguars’ needs and the bottom of this article for analysis of the Rams’ needs.

23 PL   Chicago Bears

5-2 · .468

Biggest needs: QB, OG, S

Nick Foles, who has more interceptions than TD passes in his four starts this season, offered yet another reminder on Monday night that he’s best in backup duty. The Bears must find someone who can succeed in the QB1 role to avoid wasting their window to win with a stout defense.

24 PL  Buffalo Bills

5-2 · .478

Biggest needs: Edge rusher, CB, OT

Buffalo’s offensive line struggles are a concern. Josh Allen was pressured a season-high 14 times by a middling pass rush on Sunday and had his second-shortest average time to throw of the season (2.78 seconds), per Next Gen Stats.

25 PL   Cleveland Browns

5-2 · .478

Biggest needs: LB, CB, edge rusher

After allowing 468 yards and 34 points to the Bengals, it seems fair to point out this defense has plenty of room to improve. That’s certainly the case at edge rusher opposite Myles Garrett. The DPOY candidate leads the league with nine sacks, but no other Cleveland edge rusher has registered more than two QB hits (and no, that’s not a different way of saying sacks) this season.

26 PL   Tampa Bay Buccaneers

5-2 · .545

Biggest needs: Edge rusher, DT, WR

Keeping pending free agent Chris Godwin in the fold seems like a no-brainer, but the Bucs could have more than one franchise-tag candidate to choose from this offseason and now we’re waiting to see how Antonio Brown is worked into the offense.

27  PL   New York Jets   PICK ACQUIRED FROM THE SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

Seahawks’ record: 5-1 (.359)

See Pick No. 1 for analysis of the Jets’ needs and the bottom of this article for analysis of the Seahawks’ needs.

28 PL    Green Bay Packers

5-1 · .385

Biggest needs: WR, interior OL, CB

Green Bay’s offensive line bounced back in a big away against Houston, but Corey Linsley, one of the league’s top centers, is due to hit the market this offseason and the same goes for All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari. Can the Packers keep both of them?

29  PL    Tennessee Titans

5-1 · .410

Biggest needs: Edge rusher, TE, WR

This is somewhat mind-blowing so late in the season, but the Titans’ edge rushers have posted just 1.5 sacks this season (all by Harold Landry). Tennessee became the first Steelers opponent to fail to sack Ben Roethlisberger this season, pressuring him on just seven of his 49 dropbacks, per Next Gen Stats.

30  PL   Baltimore Ravens

5-1 · .429

Biggest needs: Interior DL, interior OL, edge rusher

We’re shuffling the needs a bit for Baltimore after the trade to acquire Yannick Ngakoue. He’s not signed beyond 2020, but it would be a surprise if the Ravens gave up a third-round pick and a conditional fifth-rounder for a short-term rental. So, edge rusher moves down the list a couple spots for now.

31 PL   Kansas City Chiefs

6-1 · .455

Biggest needs: Interior OL, WR, S

The Chiefs have won comfortably in the last two weeks without the injured Sammy Watkins, which can’t be a welcome narrative in a contract year.

32 PL      Pittsburgh Steelers

6-0 · .413

Biggest needs: OT, edge rusher, CB

Cameron Sutton did a fine job filling in for injured nickelback Mike Hilton on Sunday. Both players are due to reach free agency this offseason, though. Starters Joe Haden and Steven Nelson are just a year away from being in the same situation.

TEAMS WITHOUT A FIRST-ROUND PICK

Houston Texans

1-6

TRADED FIRST-ROUND PICK TO THE MIAMI DOLPHINS

Biggest needs: WR, CB, edge rusher

A Texans defense searching for answers couldn’t find any on Sunday. It left Davante Adams open and pressured Aaron Rodgers just four times on 34 dropbacks, recording zero sacks.

Los Angeles Rams

5-2

TRADED FIRST-ROUND PICK TO THE JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

Biggest needs: OL, edge rusher, LB

The Rams’ pass rush was ferocious in the Leonard Floyd revenge game, but a tight cap situation means they might be shopping for cheap help off the edge in 2021.

Seattle Seahawks

5-1

TRADED FIRST-ROUND PICK TO THE NEW YORK JETS

Biggest needs: OL, edge rusher, CB

The Seahawks failed to record so much as a QB hit on a night when Kyler Murray dropped back to pass a season-high 52 times. It was the first time all season that he went a full game without being sacked. More pass rush, please.