The Daily Briefing Tuesday, October 29, 2024
THE DAILY BRIEFING
If The Season Ended Today Thru Week 8:
NFC W-L Conf Last Week
Detroit North 6-1 5-1 1
Washington East 6-2 4-1 2
Atlanta South 5-3 5-1 4
Arizona West 4-4 2-3 11
Green Bay WC2 6-2 2-2 WC2
Minnesota WC1 5-2 3-2 WC1
Philadelphia WC3 5-2 3-2 8
Chicago 4-3 2-1 WC3
Tampa Bay 4-4 4-2 9
Seattle 4-4 1-3 3
San Francisco 4-4 2-3 12
LA Rams 3-4 2-4
Dallas 3-4 1-3 10
The Cardinals are the new leaders of the NFC West, tops in a three-way tie, while the Eagles also crash the playoffs. The Bears and Seahawks fall out.
All three Wild Cards have better records than two of the division leaders.
In the AFC:
AFC W-L Conf Last Week
Kansas City West 7-0 4-0 1
Houston South 6-2 5-0 2
Pittsburgh North 6-2 4-1 WC1
Buffalo East 6-2 4-2 4
Denver WC1 5-3 2-2 WC3
Baltimore WC2 5-3 2-3 3
LA Chargers WC3 4-3 2-2 8
Indianapolis 4-4 2-3 WC2
Cincinnati 3-5 1-3 9
The Steelers have displaced the Ravens as AFC North leaders, while the Chargers are in the playoffs and the Colts are out.
Cincinnati still surprisingly close to the playoff line.
– – –
The winningest New York QB since the start of 2023, has been the third-stringer in Denver all of 2024:
@NFLonCBS
Most wins for a Jets/Giants QB since start of last season
Zach Wilson 4
Tommy DeVito 3
Aaron Rodgers 3
Daniel Jones 3
Tyrod Taylor 2
Trevor Siemian 2
The New York teams have 17 wins since the start of 2023, which frankly is a few more than we might have thought.
NFC NORTH
DETROIT
Frank Schwab of YahooSports.com has 10 proposed trades, including this one:
Lions trade for DE Chase Young
Let’s not entertain fantasies of Maxx Crosby or Myles Garrett getting moved. The Raiders and Browns might not be any good, but they’re not trading those franchise players unless someone makes a ridiculous offer. That doesn’t mean the Lions can’t do a lesser deal to help replace Aidan Hutchinson. There are a few options, but Young provides some upside. He’s far from perfect but if he’s healthy and motivated he can be an effective pass rusher for a Super Bowl-contending team, like he was for the 49ers last season. And the Saints … well, let’s talk about them.
NFC EAST
DALLAS
Frank Schwab of YahooSports.com has 10 proposed trades, including this one:
Cowboys trade for Dolphins RB Raheem Mostert
The Cowboys’ season seems like it’s done, but they’re just 3-4. It’s not too late. They aren’t going “all-in” as was famously said months ago, but no team needs a running back more than Dallas. They passed on Derrick Henry, claiming they couldn’t afford him, and their cheapness at the position is showing. The move here should be Alvin Kamara going to the Cowboys, but the Saints gave Kamara a contract extension, a sign they’ll hold him for some foolish reason. Mostert is 32 and cheap enough for Jerry Jones to fit him in, and the Dolphins should be finding reps for rookie Jaylen Wright. And the 2-5 Dolphins shouldn’t be holding onto a 32-year-old running back anyway.
NEW YORK GIANTS
QB DANIEL JONES will be back at QB Sunday per Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:
The 2-6 Giants are not yet making a quarterback change.
Coach Brian Daboll told reporters on Tuesday that Daniel Jones remains the starting quarterback going forward.
The Giants host the Commanders on Sunday. In Week 2, the Giants had a chance to beat them. If the Giants had a kicker, maybe they would have.
If the Giants lose to the Commanders again, they’ll be 2-7.
At some point, the Giants will likely bench Jones in order to avoid his $23 million injury guarantee for 2025. They’re apparently not at that point yet.
PHILADELPHIA
Dan Graziano of ESPN.com thinks the Eagles have hit a sustainable stride on offense:
Thanks in part to Joe Burrow and the Bengals bleeding more than 10 minutes off the clock on their opening touchdown drive, the Eagles once again didn’t score in the first quarter. They haven’t scored in the first quarter all season. And while that is certainly a source of consternation for them, it helps when you can score 37 points in the final three quarters.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts rushed for three touchdowns and threw for another one — a picture-perfect 45-yard rainbow to DeVonta Smith that broke a third-quarter tie and put the Eagles ahead for good. Saquon Barkley had 108 rushing yards, too. Philly dug out of an early hole and sent the Cincy fans home early by dominating the game’s second half. And a hyperefficient Hurts finished 16-of-20 passing on the day.
Verdict: NOT AN OVERREACTION
Please note that the Eagles did all of this without two starting offensive linemen; Jordan Mailata and Mekhi Becton both missed the game with injuries. They also did it on the road against a desperate team and without scoring a touchdown until the final minute of the first half. But there is a track record here, people. When your offense has A.J. Brown, Smith, Barkley and Hurts, you’re going to figure out a way to score points eventually.
Hurts has a new offensive coordinator for the second season in a row and a new center for the first time since he entered the NFL. Inconsistency on offense in the early going shouldn’t have been a surprise. But the Eagles felt good about the way they ran the offense through Barkley last week against the Giants, and with the Bengals locked in on stopping Barkley on Sunday, Hurts found other ways to get it done. Kellen Moore is a good offensive coordinator who knows how to adapt his system to his players’ skill sets, and we saw just that.
The bigger story Sunday may have been the Eagles’ defense and the way it clamped down on Burrow & Co. in the second half. For all of the hand-wringing, this Eagles team is 5-2 and in a pretty good spot the rest of the way.
NFC SOUTH
ATLANTA
Frank Schwab of YahooSports.com has 10 proposed trades, including this one:
Falcons trade for Browns DE Za’Darius Smith
The Falcons traded for Matthew Judon, and still rank near the bottom of the NFL with 15 sacks. Maybe another trade would do the trick. Smith has five sacks this season and the Browns, at 2-6, shouldn’t be talking themselves into being in the playoff race. Smith could help a Falcons team that seems well on its way to winning the NFC South after sweeping the Buccaneers.
CAROLINA
The Panthers part ways with another asset:
AdamSchefter
Trade: Carolina is sending wide receiver Diontae Johnson to the Baltimore Ravens, sources tell ESPN.
The Panthers must have just wished to be rid of Johnson – Kevin Patra of NFL.com:
The trade is a pick-swap, with Baltimore sending a 2025 fifth-round pick to Carolina for Johnson and a sixth-rounder. It’s a surprisingly cheap price to pay for the Ravens to add a receiving weapon.
NFC WEST
SAN FRANCISCO
Frank Schwab of YahooSports.com has 10 proposed trades, including this one:
49ers trade for Jets WR Davante Adams
When the Jets traded for Adams, it was a bad idea. Everyone knew that. They were chasing their losses. And now, with the Jets at an embarrassing 2-6, it’s time to reassess everything. Why not trade Adams to a team that needs him? Maybe a team that just lost its No. 1 receiver, like the 49ers and Brandon Aiyuk. The 49ers aren’t barren at receiver, but Adams could help. As long as Aaron Rodgers allows the Jets to trade his friend, there’s no good reason for the Jets to hold onto him. Realistically, a trade is not going to happen because the Jets are a tire fire of an organization, but it should.
– – –
It looks like the 4-4 49ers will be healthier when they return to action on November 10 in Tampa. Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com:
As the rest of his San Francisco 49ers teammates get some much-needed downtime during this week’s bye, running back Christian McCaffrey has reached an important benchmark in his recovery from Achilles tendinitis.
McCaffrey, who missed the first eight games of the season because of the injury, will remain in the Bay Area this week to do what coach Kyle Shanahan described Monday as “simulated practice stuff” with an eye toward opening his practice window on Nov. 4.
“It depends how this week goes,” Shanahan said. “He’s had no setbacks, so it looks like we’re on track, but he’s going to hit it hard this week while we’re gone … as long as it all goes good, hopefully we’ll get him back in practice next week.”
The 49ers have been eagerly anticipating McCaffrey’s return since Shanahan announced his star running back was dealing with a calf injury on Aug. 6. Shanahan later revealed that McCaffrey was also battling Achilles tendinitis, which has lingered beyond the calf issue and eventually caused the Niners to place McCaffrey on injured reserve on Sept. 14.
That all came after the Niners and McCaffrey originally said he would be available for the Sept. 9 opener against the New York Jets. Upon placing McCaffrey on injured reserve, Shanahan said it needed to be done as a means to get McCaffrey to rest and recover.
A week later, McCaffrey visited with a specialist in Germany while the Niners traveled to Los Angeles to play the Rams on Sept. 22.
“After we decided to put him on IR, I think it’s been pretty easy,” Shanahan said. “That’s why we did decide to do that. We knew it was going to be at least a month and shut him down for a while, and now build him up slowly and things have been going well, so now it’s going to be nice to get him back hopefully.”
Once the 49ers open McCaffrey’s practice window, they will have 21 days to decide whether to activate him to the roster or have him revert back to IR for the rest of the season. But Shanahan has previously expressed optimism that McCaffrey could be available for the Nov. 10 meeting with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after the bye.
Just how much of a workload McCaffrey might be capable of after missing so much time also remains to be seen and will depend on how practice goes once he gets back in the mix.
“The expectation is to see how he is when he gets back and then evaluate him as he goes,” Shanahan said. “Of course, the hope is that everything just goes back to normal and it’s perfect. That’s what we’re all striving for, but you’ve got to play that out smartly and you’ve got to evaluate that each day. What we see with our own eyes, what he tells us. That’ll be something we constantly are working through.”
McCaffrey isn’t the only injured Niner the team will be monitoring throughout the bye and when it gets back to work next week.
Receiver Deebo Samuel (hip and oblique strain), running back Jordan Mason (sprained left shoulder), cornerback Renardo Green (ankle sprain) and receiver Chris Conley (hamstring) came out of Sunday night’s win against the Dallas Cowboys with injuries.
Shanahan said Samuel and Mason will get the bye week off and then be reevaluated on Monday, Green is considered day-to-day and Conley will be week-to-week. Receiver Jauan Jennings, who has missed the past two games with a hip injury, is expected to return against Tampa Bay, according to Shanahan.
Linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who is still recovering from the torn left Achilles he suffered in Super Bowl LVIII, does not yet have a timetable to begin practicing, but Shanahan said that will crystallize a bit after the bye.
“I hate to give a rough timeline for you guys because we’re not exactly sure of it,” Shanahan said. “I think once we get back from this bye week, I think he’s going to be week-to-week deciding whether we should get him back into practice deal or not … I think once it gets past the bye week, then we’ll be looking each week on whether we should bring him back or not because it is getting closer.”
– – –
49ers LB NICK BOSA will probably pay a price for his political hat photo bomb on Sunday. John Breech of CBSSports.com:
After the San Francisco 49ers beat the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night, Nick Bosa decided to crash the postgame interview that was taking place on NBC with three of his teammates.
When Bosa showed up, he was wearing a hat that said “Make America Great Again.”
Although he’s free to wear that hat whenever he wants outside the stadium, he could end up facing a punishment for wearing it inside the stadium.
The saying on the hat is Donald Trump’s political slogan, and the NFL has a rule in place that prohibits players from wearing or displaying political messages while they’re on the job. As noted by the San Francisco Chronicle, the Rule 5, Section 4, Article 8 of the NFL rulebook is pretty clear about what players are allowed to wear and what they’re not allowed to wear once they get to the stadium on game day.
“Throughout the period on game day that a player is visible to the stadium and television audience (including in pregame warm-ups, in the bench area, and during postgame interviews in the locker room or on the field), players are prohibited from wearing, displaying, or otherwise conveying personal messages either in writing or illustration, unless such message has been approved in advance by the League office,” the rule states.
So where does the political part come in?
Things that players are prohibited from wearing include items that “relate to political activities or causes, other non-football events, causes or campaigns, or charitable causes or campaigns.”
It’s a non-partisan rule. If a player wore a Kamala Harris hat on game day, they’d also potentially be subject to an NFL punishment. If Bosa does get punished, it would likely be in the form of a fine.
On the other hand, players ARE allowed to talk about their politics during their press conferences, but Bosa chose not to do that on Sunday. The 49ers star was asked about his hat after San Francisco’s win and he didn’t have much to say about the situation.
“I’m not gonna talk too much about it, but I think it’s an important time,” Bosa said.
The NFL has already fined at least one player this year for violating this section of the rulebook. Steelers wide receiver George Pickens was hit with a $10,000 fine for displaying a personal message in his eye black during a Week 5 game against the Cowboys, and now, Bosa could also be facing a similar fine.
AFC WEST
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
Frank Schwab of YahooSports.com has 10 proposed trades, including this one:
Chargers trade for Panthers WR Adam Thielen
The Chargers are 4-3 and in the playoff mix. They also are one of the thinnest teams in the NFL at receiver. Rookie Ladd McConkey has been good, but Joshua Palmer hasn’t done much and Quentin Johnston has faded after a slow start. Thielen might make sense as a short-term help for Justin Herbert. The Panthers shouldn’t be asking for much for a 34-year-old having a quiet season, and it would give Thielen a chance to be on a decent team near the end of his career.
AFC NORTH
BALTIMORE
The Browns and Raiders have four total wins this season, and two of them are to the Ravens.
The Bills and Commanders have four total losses this season, and two of them are to the Ravens.
– – –
Kevin Patra of NFL.com on the acquisition of WR DIONTAE JOHNSON from the Panthers for just a swap of 5th and 6th round picks:
The move bolsters an already dangerous Baltimore offense, which has shredded defenses through the air and on the ground through eight weeks.
Johnson, a former Pittsburgh Steeler, teams up with Lamar Jackson, Zay Flowers, Derrick Henry, Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely in a pick-your-poison offense. Johnson’s ability on the outside should help open things up for the shifty Flowers and give Jackson a field-stretching and back-shoulder boundary weapon. He’s an immediate upgrade over Rashod Bateman and ensures the Ravens’ depth should injuries strike.
With Johnson in the final year of his contract, he’s a hired weapon for a Ravens team that has leaned on the offense in 2024. The defense still has issues that could be aided in the trade market. But for today, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta decided to double down on the offense. If Baltimore isn’t going to slow opponents, at least they can try to run away from them on offense every week.
PITTSBURGH
This is kind of remarkable. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:
The last time the Steelers lost at home on a Monday night, Russell Wilson was two years old. Most of his teammates weren’t born. Coach Mike Tomlin was a 19-year-old college student at William & Mary.
October 14, 1991. Giants 23, Steelers 20. At Three Rivers Stadium.
Since then, the Steelers have won 22 straight Monday night home games. The most recent came against the Giants last night, 24-16.
Overall, the Steelers have 31 home wins on Monday night, tied for second most in the NFL.
That most recent home Monday night loss, 33 years ago, featured Jeff Hostetler against Bubby Brister, who was replaced by rookie Neil O’Donnell. Down 20-0, the Steelers eventually tied the game up, on an O’Donnell touchdown pass to tight end Eric Green. But the Giants won on a 44-yard field goal from former Steelers kicker Matt Bahr, with four seconds left.
The Steelers have yet to lose a home Monday night game since then.
AFC SOUTH
HOUSTON
WR STEFON DIGGS is done for the year. ESPN.com:
Houston Texans wide receiver Stefon Diggs has a torn ACL and will miss the rest of the season, coach DeMeco Ryans said Tuesday.
The injury to Diggs’ knee happened on a noncontact play in Houston’s 23-20 victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.
Diggs, acquired in an offseason trade with the Buffalo Bills, ranks seventh in the NFL in catches (47) this season and was second on the Texans in yards (496).
Diggs, 30, is a four-time Pro Bowl selection who has had at least 1,000 yards receiving in each of the past six seasons, highlighted by his 2020 season where he led the NFL with a career-high 1,535 yards.
The injury is another blow to a team that is already without leading receiver Nico Collins, who is out at least one more game after being placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury.
With Diggs out, the Texans will need Tank Dell to take on a bigger role in the offense Thursday night when they visit the New York Jets. Dell’s production has dropped off this season after a standout rookie year where he had 709 yards receiving with seven touchdowns in 11 games before breaking his leg.
He has 229 yards receiving this season and scored his second touchdown in Sunday’s win which improved the AFC South-leading Texans to 6-2.
INDIANAPOLIS
This from Dan Orlovsky on QB ANTHONY RICHARDSON:
@danorlovsky7
Richardson’s tape
Significantly better than the stat line/box score
Significantly
That said, Richardson won’t be putting up any more tape this week.
@AdamSchefter
A QB change for the Colts: Indianapolis is benching former first-round pick Anthony Richardson and turning to veteran Joe Flacco, sources tell @FowlerESPN
and me. Coaches met this morning and made the seismic organizational decision to change QBs.
More from Stephan Holder of ESPN.com:
Internally, the Colts maintain that Richardson’s time as their franchise quarterback is not over.
One team source characterized the benching as a “growth opportunity” and also insisted that the Colts “are not quitting on Anthony.”
“That will be the story, but that is not the case,” the source told ESPN.
Richardson, even in Year 2 with the Colts, remained the NFL’s youngest starting quarterback at 22. He was drafted before his 21st birthday and after just 13 starts at the University of Florida.
The Colts had been insistent that Richardson needed to play in order to grow as a player, which fueled their decision to start him as a rookie. He was named the starter over Gardner Minshew in training camp in 2023 after just one preseason game.
The move to bench Richardson, therefore, marks a significant departure from the organization’s previous thinking.
“Taking a step back can be a good thing,” the team source said.
A source close to Richardson described him as being hit hard by the news. But that source also indicated Richardson will handle the demotion professionally and be ready if called upon.
Richardson completed just 10 of 32 passes for 175 yards in Sunday’s loss at Houston. He told Steichen he “needed a break right there” as he left the game in the third quarter, tapping on his helmet.
The No. 4 selection in last year’s draft, Richardson has a 44.4% completion rate this season, which is the fifth worst in a player’s first six games of a season since 2000, according to ESPN Research.
Steichen did not defend Richardson’s decision to leave the game, saying Monday that he had a private conversation with the second-year quarterback and adding that “You can’t take yourself out, and it’s a learned experience for him and he’s got to grow from it.”
Colts center Ryan Kelly, the longest-tenured player on the current roster, said Richardson “knows it’s not the standard that he needs to play up to and the rest of the team holds him to.”
The Colts (4-4) now will turn to Flacco, 39, who replaced the injured Richardson earlier this season and passed for 716 yards, 7 touchdowns and 1 interception in parts of three games.
Richardson is the second quarterback taken in the first round of last year’s draft to be benched this season. The Carolina Panthers benched No. 1 selection Bryce Young last month for veteran Andy Dalton.
AFC EAST
NEW YORK JETS
Frank Schwab of YahooSports.com has 10 proposed trades, including this one:
49ers trade for Jets WR Davante Adams
When the Jets traded for Adams, it was a bad idea. Everyone knew that. They were chasing their losses. And now, with the Jets at an embarrassing 2-6, it’s time to reassess everything. Why not trade Adams to a team that needs him? Maybe a team that just lost its No. 1 receiver, like the 49ers and Brandon Aiyuk. The 49ers aren’t barren at receiver, but Adams could help. As long as Aaron Rodgers allows the Jets to trade his friend, there’s no good reason for the Jets to hold onto him. Realistically, a trade is not going to happen because the Jets are a tire fire of an organization, but it should.
THIS AND THAT
FLEX IN WEEK 11?
From NFL Nerd:
NFL Nerd
@NerdingonNFL
Colts-Jets Week 11 Sunday Night Football could be a flex-out candidate
Chiefs-Bills will be protected by CBS, Packers-Bears should be protected by FOX
Steelers play Week 12 TNF which makes Ravens-Steelers unlikely to be flexed in
Best options remaining:
ATL-DEN
SEA-SF
CIN-LAC
I’d flex in Bengals-Chargers if it were up to me
But my gut says the NFL won’t take the Jets off primetime…
@matt_lozar
Can’t be sea – sf. That game was already primetime. One division game has to be on the home network
NerdingonNFL
To my understanding as of 2023, there is no additional protection on intra-division games when it comes to flexing
The DB’s sources believe Lozar is correct here and that SF-SEA cannot be swiped from the FOX inventory.
It is a Giants bye week, so we would think the Jets home game could be moved to Sunday without a seismic shift.
POWER RANKINGS
With Halloween nigh, here’s how Josh Kendall of The Athletic ranks ‘em 1 (Detroit) to 32 (Carolina):
1. Detroit Lions (6-1)
Last week: 1
Sunday: Beat Tennessee Titans 52-14
Something Scary: They’re peaking too early?
That’s about the only thing we can find to worry the Lions right now. Detroit is averaging 43 points per game since Week 4 and its average margin of victory in that span is 22.8 points. Jared Goff passed for 85 yards Sunday, and the Lions scored 51 points. For the season, the Lions lead the league in rushing success rate (47.5 percent) and are second in expected points added through the run game (.12 per carry), according to TruMedia.
2. Kansas City Chiefs (7-0)
Last week: 4
Sunday: Beat Las Vegas Raiders 27-20
Something Scary: It’s still the wide receivers
DeAndre Hopkins had two catches for 29 yards in his first game as a Chief. He’ll get better as he gets more familiar with Patrick Mahomes’ improvisational style. However, it might only get so good. The 32-year-old Hopkins has topped 750 yards in a season just once in his last four full seasons. He had 202 yards in seven games last year. He’s never had a quarterback like Mahomes, but he will probably never be 2018 DeAndre Hopkins again.
3. Green Bay Packers (6-2)
Last week: 5
Sunday: Beat Jacksonville Jaguars 30-27
Something Scary: Jordan Love under pressure
Green Bay got a win Sunday, but its young quarterback is a bit of an adventure. Love was 14 of 22 for 196 yards and an interception Sunday, finishing with a 73.3 passer rating against the Jaguars. Love is 31st in the league among quarterbacks with more than 100 attempts in EPA when being blitzed this season. That’s worse than Bo Nix, Andy Dalton, Gardner Minshew and barely better than Deshaun Watson. On top of that, Love had to leave Sunday’s game after aggravating a groin injury.
4. Buffalo Bills (6-2)
Last week: 7
Sunday: Beat Seattle Seahawks 31-10
Something Scary: The turnover margin
Right now, it’s great. The Bills lead the league at plus-11. Quarterback Josh Allen, somewhat famous throughout his career for giving the ball away, has thrown only one interception, making him the only quarterback in the league who has more than 200 passing attempts with so few. Buffalo, and particularly Allen, get credit for making these numbers so good, but there’s a lot of evidence that luck plays a role in turnovers. If the Bills’ luck here changes, it could make a difference against the Chiefs and 49ers of the world.
5. Houston Texans (6-2)
Last week: 6
Sunday: Beat Indianapolis Colts 23-20
Something Scary: The second-year jump hasn’t happened
After C.J. Stroud’s debut season, a step forward offensively was baked into the high expectations for the Texans. Instead, Houston’s offense has been basically the same and maybe a little worse. The Texans were 20th in offensive success rate in 2023 (43.6 percent). This year, they are 28th (40.7 percent). Stroud was seventh in the league in EPA per dropback (.11) last season. He has slipped to 19th this year (.04). And yet, this team still leads the AFC South by two games.
6. Baltimore Ravens (5-3)
Last week: 2
Sunday: Lost 29-24 to Cleveland Browns
Something Scary: Defensive slippage
One year after losing defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, the Ravens are 26th in the league in defensive EPA (minus-7.3 per 100 snaps) and 23rd in defensive success rate (57.6 percent) under first-year defensive coordinator Zach Orr. There’s a reason Baltimore brought in 75-year-old Dean Pees as a consultant. The Jameis Winston-led Browns had 401 yards Sunday and handed the Ravens their second loss. Winston had 334 passing yards and three touchdowns.
7. Washington Commanders (6-2)
Last week: 8
Sunday: Beat Chicago Bears 18-15
Something Scary: Jayden Daniels’ ribs
If anything happens to the rookie quarterback, Washington fans might never recover. Daniels clearly was not at full strength late in Sunday’s showdown against Caleb Williams and Chicago, although it didn’t keep him from throwing a 52-yard Hail Mary touchdown as time expired to lift the Commanders to another win. Daniels is second in the league in EPA per dropback (.25) and quarterback rushing yards (424).
8. Minnesota Vikings (5-2)
Last week: 3
Thursday: Lost to Los Angeles Rams 30-20
Something Scary: Dallas Turner’s start
The No. 17 pick in this year’s draft has one sack and three quarterback pressures through seven games. That’s not great but wouldn’t be cause for alarm unless you dug deeper into the numbers. Turner, a 247-pound outside linebacker, has played only eight snaps in the last two games. In fact, his snap count has gone down each week, starting at 35 in Week 1 and going all the way down to three on Thursday night against the Rams. Turner’s only statistical contribution in his last four games is one tackle assist.
9. Philadelphia Eagles (5-2)
Last week: 12
Sunday: Beat Cincinnati Bengals 37-17
Something Scary: The passing game’s ceiling
Jalen Hurts had his best game of the season Sunday against a struggling Bengals defense, completing 16 of 20 passes for 236 yards and registering a .58 EPA per dropback, twice as good as his previous season high. The Eagles might be on to something, but history tells us Philly will get only so much out of its passing game with Hurts, who is 27th in the league in SPLINT percentage (9.9 percent), which measures sacks and interceptions per dropback. That means one of every 10 attempts results in something pretty to really bad.
10. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2)
Last week: 9
Sunday: Beat New York Giants 26-18
Something Scary: The schedule down the stretch
The Steelers have built an impressive record so far, but they still haven’t entered division play. That means they have to play the Ravens, the new-look Browns and the potentially dangerous Bengals twice each down the stretch.
11. San Francisco 49ers (4-4)
Last week: 15
Sunday: Beat Dallas Cowboys 30-24
Something Scary: National Tight Ends Day is only once a yearGeorge Kittle had 128 receiving yards Sunday on the fake holiday that he basically created out of thin air in 2018, and the 49ers looked more like the team we were expecting this season. However, that was Kittle’s first 100-yard game of the season and second since Week 10 of last year. With Brandon Aiyuk out, San Francisco will need more from Kittle. Does the 31-year-old have it to give?
12. Seattle Seahawks (4-4)
Last week: 10
Sunday: Lost to Buffalo Bills 31-10
Something Scary: The run defense
The Seahawks are 23rd in yards allowed before contact per rush (1.78) and 28th in yards per carry allowed (4.9). Although first-year head coach Mike Macdonald got the job based on the play of his Baltimore defense, run defense wasn’t the Ravens’ strength either. Baltimore was 25th in the league last season, giving up 4.5 yards per carry. Buffalo’s James Cook rushed for 111 yards Sunday, and the Bills had 164 overall. Seattle gained only 32 yards on the ground.
13. Atlanta Falcons (5-3)
Last week: 11
Sunday: Beat Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-26
Something Scary: The pass rush curse
Baker Mayfield threw 50 passes Sunday. The Falcons did not register a sack or a quarterback hit. This is not a new-coaching staff problem, though. This apparently is just Atlanta’s destiny. The Falcons are last in the league with six sacks. Since 2020, they are last with 116 sacks. Since 2010, they are last with 420. Since 2000, they are next to last (777) but only because the Texans didn’t start playing until 2002.
14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-4)
Last week: 14
Sunday: Lost to Atlanta Falcons 31-26
Something Scary: The wide receivers room
With Mike Evans out for several more weeks and Chris Godwin out of the season, Tampa Bay ran 72 plays against Atlanta and only 15 of them went to wide receivers. Rakim Jarrett led the way against the Falcons with three catches for 58 yards. They were his first three catches of the season. He had four last year. That’s not a plan for long-term success even if the Bucs did have 432 yards against a struggling Falcons defense.
15. Denver Broncos (5-3)
Last week: 17
Sunday: Beat Carolina Panthers 28-14
Something Scary: The number of short drives
Denver is 20th in the league in scoring (21.63 ppg), but it is 30th in first downs per drive (1.4). That means a lot of short possessions, which is putting a lot of pressure on quarterback Bo Nix. The rookie was good Sunday, completing 28 of 37 passes for 284 yards and three touchdowns as the Broncos had a season-high 400 yards. Denver has scored 61 points in the last two weeks.
16. Los Angeles Chargers (4-3)
Last week: 18
Sunday: Beat New Orleans Saints 26-8
Something Scary: What Jim Harbaugh is doing to Justin Herbert
The No. 6 pick in the 2020 draft, the player who has one of the strongest arms in the NFL, is 22nd in the league in attempts. We knew Harbaugh would play this way, and who’s to argue with Los Angeles in the playoff race, but it still feels like we’re being robbed of something. Four times this season, Herbert has been under 180 yards passing. It gets even worse if you look at air yards per target (7.8), where he ranks 16th. Let the big boy throw the ball and throw it deep!
17. Chicago Bears (4-3)
Last week: 13
Sunday: Lost to Washington Commanders 18-15
Something Scary: Caleb Williams against the blitz
The Bears rookie quarterback is 31st in the league in EPA per dropback when opponents send five or more pass rushers (minus-.23). He’s 21st against four or fewer rushers (.01). Washington must have gotten the memo. Williams was 10 of 24 for 131 yards and had the second-worst EPA per dropback of his season (minus-.23) against the Commanders. Chicago was coming off back-to-back 30-point games and a bye before Sunday’s stinker.
18. Los Angeles Rams (3-4)
Last week: 24
Thursday: Beat Minnesota Vikings 30-20
Something Scary: The defense
The Rams offense looked like itself again Thursday night with Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua both in the lineup, and after the game, Sean McVay essentially said, “What Cooper Kupp trade? Never heard of it.” But the defense may not be good enough to make it matter. The Rams are 28th in defensive success rate (55.1 percent) and near the league’s bottom in both defensive passing EPA and rushing EPA, according to TruMedia.
19. Arizona Cardinals (4-4)
Last week: 21
Sunday: Beat Miami Dolphins 28-27
Something Scary: The scoring defense
Arizona’s opponents are averaging 2.64 points per drive. That’s the second-worst in the league this season and ranks 474th out of 480 since the 2010 season. The Cardinals are 29th in the league in defensive EPA per snap (minus-8.5). They gave up 377 yards to Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins on Sunday but still came away with a win.
20. Cincinnati Bengals (3-5)
Last week: 19
Sunday: Lost to Philadelphia Eagles 37-17
Something Scary: The defense
The Bengals are 30th in defensive success rate (54 percent) and 27th in the league in defensive EPA per play (minus-7.4 per 100 snaps). Since its Super Bowl loss following the 2021 season, Cincinnati is 28th in the success rate (57.3) and 23rd in EPA per play (.3). The Bengals gave up 397 yards and 20 unanswered points in the final 18 minutes Sunday.
21. Indianapolis Colts (4-4)
Last week: 20
Sunday: Lost to Houston Texans 23-20
Something Scary: Anthony Richardson’s completion percentage
Indianapolis’ second-year quarterback has completed 44.4 percent of his passes this year. That ranks 813th out of 814 qualifying quarterbacks, according to TruMedia. Richardson was 10 of 32 for 175 yards Sunday. At halftime, he was 2 of 15 for 81 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Colts backup quarterback Joe Flacco is 71 of 108 for 716 yards, seven touchdowns and one interception while filling in for Richardson this season, which he had to do for one play Sunday after Richardson removed himself from the game because he was tired.
22. Dallas Cowboys (3-4)
Last week: 16
Sunday: Lost to San Francisco 49ers 30-24
Something Scary: The run game
Ezekiel Elliott led the Cowboys with 10 carries for 34 yards on Sunday. Dallas, whose owner Jerry Jones said the team couldn’t afford to pursue Derrick Henry in free agency, is last in the league with 519 rushing yards this season. The Ravens, who did sign Henry, have triple that. Ten individual players have more than that. The Cowboys have lost two straight, and their wins have come over the Browns, Giants and Steelers.
23. Cleveland Browns (2-6)
Last week: 31
Sunday: Beat Baltimore Ravens 29-24
Something Scary: What might have been?
Deshaun Watson did not pass for more than 300 yards in any of his 19 starts for the Browns. Jameis Winston threw for 334 yards and three touchdowns Sunday. Last season, Joe Flacco made five starts for the Browns. He passed for more than 300 yards in four of those games. Cleveland thought Watson was the missing piece. Instead, he was an anchor around the neck of what might have been a good Browns team.
24. New Orleans Saints (2-6)
Last week: 22
Sunday: Lost to Los Angeles Chargers 26-8
Something Scary: The Justin Herbert play
Things have gotten bad in New Orleans, but the Saints made it worse on themselves Sunday with the most questionable play of the day when defensive lineman Nathan Shepherd attempted to twist Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert to the ground using his lower leg. Chargers offensive lineman Bradley Bozeman dove onto Shepherd to stop the play, earning internet fame and a game ball from his head coach.
25. New York Giants (2-6)
Last week: 23
Sunday: Lost to Pittsburgh Steelers 26-18
Something Scary: Their aversion to the end zone
Before Tyrone Tracy scored on a 45-yard run in the fourth quarter, the Giants had gone an NFL-worst 24 consecutive drives without a touchdown. Even with Tracy’s score, the Giants are 31st in the league in scoring (14.63 ppg). Their 10 offensive touchdowns also rank 31st in the league.
26. Las Vegas Raiders (2-6)
Last week: 26
Sunday: Lost to Kansas City Chiefs 27-20
Something Scary: The ground game
The Raiders are averaging 79 rushing yards per game. Since 2000, the only time they have averaged less was in 2014 (77.5 per game). That team went 3-13, and this one might be on the way to that. Alexander Mattison led Las Vegas on Sunday with 14 carries for 15 yards. As a group, the Raiders rushed 26 times for 33 yards. That’s gross.
27. New England Patriots (2-6)
Last week: 29
Sunday: Beat New York Jets 25-22
Something Scary: The Drake Maye injury
The rookie quarterback is about the only bright spot for the Patriots and now he’s in concussion protocol after taking a helmet to the back of the head Sunday. Maye threw only six passes but did rush for a touchdown before leaving the game. Of course, bright spots in this New England season don’t have to be that bright. Maye’s passer rating in his limited action (92.6) is 27th in the league.
28. New York Jets (2-6)
Last week: 25
Sunday: Lost to New England Patriots 25-22
Something Scary: The lack of option
The Jets have tried pulling the “fire the head coach” lever. They’ve tried the “trade for a big-name wide receiver” lever. And still, New York has lost five in a row. Since Week 4, it is 24th in the league in point differential (minus-35). On Sunday, the Jets held New England under 250 yards, scored more than 20 points and didn’t turn the ball over.
29. Miami Dolphins (2-5)
Last week: 27
Sunday: Lost to Arizona Cardinals 28-27
Something Scary: The ultimate payoff to all this
The Dolphins have made headlines throughout the Mike McDaniel era (which is now two and a half seasons long) with a splashy and fun offense, but it’s worth wondering how much long-term success that’s going to yield. Tua Tagovailoa returned Sunday and the Dolphins gained 377 yards and converted 11 of 15 third downs and still lost. Miami has lost in the wild-card round in both full seasons under McDaniel and will be fortunate to make the postseason this year.
30. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-6)
Last week: 28
Sunday: Lost to Green Bay Packers 30-27
Something Scary: It’s going to get worse now
Christian Kirk suffered a broken collarbone after catching two passes for 59 yards. That’s going to leave rookie Brian Thomas Jr., the team’s leading receiver with 573 yards, feeling very lonely. Kirk is second on the team with 379 yards and took some of the pressure off Thomas, who had three catches for 60 yards and his fifth touchdown against Green Bay.
31. Tennessee Titans (1-6)
Last week: 30
Sunday: Lost to Detroit Lions 52-14
Something Scary: The return on investment
Tennessee committed more than $300 million in the offseason to signing free agents and extending players on their existing roster. They added name brands at wide receiver (Calvin Ridley), center (Lloyd Cushenberry), cornerback (Chidobe Awuzie), running back (Tony Pollard) and linebacker (Kenneth Murray). In exchange, they have gotten one win. At least Ridley had his first big game Sunday, catching 10 passes for 143 yards.
32. Carolina Panthers (1-7)
Last week: 32
Sunday: Lost to Denver Broncos 28-14
Something Scary: The point differential
The Panthers are losing games by an average of 18.4 points per game. That’s on pace to be the worst number in the NFL since at least 2000, and it’s not close. The next-worst point differential (the 2009 Rams) is a full two points better. Bryce Young was thrust back into the lineup Sunday because of an Andy Dalton injury and passed for 224 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions as the Panthers lost for the 23rd time in their last 26 games.
Up next: vs. New Orleans Saints, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET