| In the offseason three 2025 playoff coaches relinquished the play-calling responsibility for their area of expertise. This week, two of them – DeMeco Ryans of the Texans and Sean Payton of the Broncos – took it back. Erik Edholm of YahooSports.com on the move by Ryans: Desperate times call for desperate measures. The Houston Texans are 0-4, and head coach DeMeco Ryans announced Wednesday that he’s taking over defensive play-calling duties once more. That’s not a move a team makes at 2-2. Even in a 17-game season, starting 0-4 is usually a death knell for a team’s postseason hopes. Only one 0-4 team has ever made the playoffs: the 1992 Chargers. It’s hard to blame Ryans for pushing this button now. The Texans featured an elite defense last season and returned most of its firepower, yet the results have been highly uneven in the past four weeks. Will this move help? Let’s unpack the Texans’ issues and see if they can make a historic turnaround. Why Ryans is taking over the defense againAfter announcing he’d take over play-calling, Ryans praised defensive coordinator Matt Burke. Ryans’ message was that the scheme wasn’t changing, just the guy who’s calling it. There’s a certain irony and a cyclical quality to the whole thing. A year ago, when the Texans got off to an 0-3 start, the switch went the other way. Ryans, who had been calling the defense to start last season, handed the reins to Burke for the fourth game. The result: A shutout over the Titans. The Texans’ defense was mostly excellent after that. At that time, Ryans said he wanted to oversee the operation and that he trusted Burke, who had called plays in the preseason. That was a delegation issue. Now Ryans is re-seizing control of the defense that he helped construct. Will it help? And if so, how? The biggest statistical problems with the Texans have come in pass coverage. When the rush isn’t getting home or impacting quarterbacks, there have been too many open receivers making plays downfield and not enough plays on the ball from the Houston secondary. The Texans have allowed 17 plays of 20-plus yards — an average of more than four such plays per game — which is tied for second-worst in the NFL, behind only the Lions. Sixteen of those 20-plus plays were passes; the other one was a Josh Allen scramble. The timing also hasn’t been great: Houston held a fourth-quarter lead in three of its four losses, with its defense allowing the go-ahead scoring drives in all of them. If the Texans made a few more stops in the first four games, their defensive worries wouldn’t be zero, but the team’s record might look a heck of a lot better. Ryans and his players have highlighted communication issues on the back end as a big reason for their shortcomings. That’s probably the biggest issue Ryans has to figure out. It’s not a question of scheme. It’s a matter of execution and all 11 Texans defenders being on the same page. Ryans was smart to take the blame and not throw Burke under the bus with the demotion, although it’s hard to take it any other way. Still, this is Ryans’ team, defense is his specialty and he knows how late it’s getting even this early in the season. The schedule may also have played into this moveThe timing of the move makes sense when you consider how desperate a position the Texans are in now, but there’s also a forward-looking element that could help. The Texans head to Nashville to face the Titans, also sitting at 0-4, on Sunday. It’s a must-win game if the Texans harbor any real hopes of pushing the 3-1 Jaguars for the division, or even vying for a wild-card spot. The Titans have struggled offensively, scoring 55 points through four games. Only the Miami Dolphins (46) have scored fewer; the next-lowest after the Texans are the Packers, with 71 points. The Texans held the Titans to zero and 13 points in the two meetings a season ago. If they can’t show improvement defensively in Sunday’s matchup, then it’s fair to wonder what the heck is going on. The stakes raise after that. Houston heads to Wembley Stadium to face the Jaguars in Week 6, and it’s probably another must-win affair — as most games will be from here on out. The Jaguars are the division favorites now, and their offense has been humming. The Texans can use the Titans game as the test run, but the next week will be the real test. Sean Payton couldn’t let Broncos offense continue to flounder with him not calling plays2027 NFL mock draft: First version includes a huge trade that powers Arch Manning to No. 1 spotIf the Texans can somehow make it to 2-4, the schedule is fairly manageable thereafter. Their toughest remaining games after that, as things stand now, would be the second Jaguars game and against the Ravens, both in Houston. The only other remaining opponents with winning records now are the Giants and Browns. Ryans knows this is the time. He can worry about Burke and any hurt feelings or optics later. Right now, the head coach knows he has to get things steady, or the Texans will never have a shot in 2026. There would still be a lot of heavy lifting from that point, and not a lot of room for too many more losses along the way, but it will have justified the switch. Nick Kosmider and Jonathan Jones of The Athletic on Sean Payton’s increased re-involvement in the Broncos play-calling: The Broncos will be making an adjustment to their play-calling operation amid their deep offensive struggles to begin the season. Coach Sean Payton will be more involved in offensive play calling beginning with Sunday’s game at the Los Angeles Chargers, sources who did not have permission to speak publicly told The Athletic. The offense has largely been called during the first four weeks by first-year offensive coordinator Davis Webb, who will continue to have a role in planning and calling the offense. Payton has been asked twice since the 24-14 loss to the 49ers on Sunday whether he would take back the play calling from Webb. Neither answer provided firm clarity on the 31-year-old offensive coordinator’s immediate future in the role. The first address of the topic came in the immediate aftermath of the defeat at Levi’s Stadium. “Yeah, like I said, it’s too early,” Payton said. “It’s a fair question; I appreciate it. It’s tough to discuss any of that right now. But I told those guys, ‘Hey, we’ve played some tough teams, and this is another good football team.’ There were a lot of things we did well defensively for a good portion of the game. I felt like the time of possession began to affect us. We had the big turnover in the kicking game, and that flips the field and all of a sudden you’re back out there on defense. To your original question, we always look at everything in each game and that’s how we’ll approach this one.” On Wednesday, Payton was asked whether four games constituted a large enough sample to consider a change. “Our focus needs to be more on the specifics and the detail of each play regardless (of the play caller),” Payton said. “Davis is very fast and quick and understands what we’re doing. So I appreciate the question, but the most important job I have is really evaluating the whys. Collectively, we all, after a four-game sample size (realize), ‘Alright, certainly this isn’t championship football, what we see. How quickly can we correct those things?” The Broncos offense has struggled significantly to begin the season. Denver ranks 28th in offensive points scored (16.8 per game), 24th in yards per play (4.9) and 26th in rushing (3.6 yards per carry). The Broncos’ 13 first-half points through four games represent the team’s lowest total at this point in a season since at least 2000, according to TruMedia. The Broncos in 2025, with Payton calling the plays, finished 14th in offensive points per game (22.8) and 10th in yards per game (342.6). Quarterback Bo Nix has had the worst four-game stretch of his career in terms of completion rate (60 percent) and he has averaged 5.5 yards per passing attempt or fewer in three of his four games. Top receiver Courtland Sutton has only eight catches for 96 yards and no touchdowns, which qualifies as the worst start to a season of his career. Starting running back J.K. Dobbins has seen a significant drop in his per-carry average (3.5 yards) relative to his career average (5.1). The offensive line is allowing pressure at its highest rate at this stage in a season (40.3 percent) since Payton took over as coach in 2023. The wide scope of the issues suggests that play calling is not the sole culprit. “We all have our hands in this pot,” Sutton said. “We all have an opportunity and an obligation to figure out a way to get this going in the right direction.” Webb is scheduled to address reporters during his weekly availability on Thursday afternoon. But we should note that the decision by Dave Canales in Carolina to have OC Brad Idzik call the plays has been fruitful. Darin Gantt of Panthers.com: Four games into the season, Dave Canales is experiencing the trade-off in real time. Does he miss calling plays? Clearly he does, based on the look on his face alone. But the Panthers head coach is also taking a different role this season, after passing the call sheet to offensive coordinator Brad Idzik, and he’s beginning to realize how useful that can be as well, for him and the team. As tired as he was after a late game the night before and not enough sleep — you could hear it in the rasp of his voice, too — Canales practically glowed when asked if there was something about calling plays he had noticed in four games without it. “I mean, yeah, I do,” Canales admitted Monday. “Really, the part that I miss the most is just how fast it happens live; there’s such a rush in it — 40 seconds is not very long for you to be able to consider what the situation is, who my guys are, what are they doing and all that stuff. It’s really stimulating. “And then, of course, when it works well, you win the game and the payoff for the whole group. We did this. Yeah, I missed that.” That doesn’t mean he wants it back, as he quickly pivoted to talking about how proud he was of the operation as it stands, especially with the offense humming as it has been for four weeks. But the bigger picture is his job now, and there were two moments within Sunday night’s win over the Lions that put that growth on display. Canales talked about his ability to administer, to have conversations you can’t have when that play clock is ticking. And he and his players are realizing the value that has for all of them. “That really allows coach Canales to be the emotional intelligence savant that he is,” linebacker Bobby Okereke said, realizing quickly what his head coach brings beyond his play-calling skill. Sunday’s game provided a couple of specific windows into that ability. The first came after cornerback Akayleb Evans, previously the gunner on the punt team, now a starter after Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson went on injured reserve, was being actively targeted by the Lions. After quarterback Jared Goff hit a 57-yard bomb to wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa in the third quarter, Canales made a point to find Evans at the next break. “He gave up some big plays. He’d be up here telling you, there’s a few opportunities that he would love to have back to play differently,” Canales said. “And I was able to connect with him on the sidelines and just be like, look, this is a great opportunity. You’ve given up a few plays, you know, they’re going to come back here. So just be ready for the next opp because you’re going to get that. There are games where Jaycee is sitting there, and he’s bored because they’re not throwing on that side. “Well, there comes a time when the quarterback’s got to make a decision, and he’s got to go someplace with it. And so that it was about opportunity, and it was also about just letting Akayleb be out there and just play the game, and it’s different. Sometimes when a backup quarterback kind of comes in in the second half and does really well, but then they go to the next game, and they have to start, and the team gets to study them and evaluate them. So there’s a different mindset and mentality that AK had to put himself in. He hadn’t really been in in a while to come out here, play this entire game from that spot. I expect he’ll continue to improve off of this one, and he’ll be ready for the challenge.” That conversation can’t happen if Canales is talking to quarterback Bryce Young with the clock ticking, but it wasn’t even the only instance from Sunday’s game that illustrated the difference. He had the same kind of conversation with outside linebacker Princely Umanmielen, who came back with a critical sack late in the fourth quarter to help seal the win. “There was another moment for Princely,” Canales began. “He had a couple of uncharacteristic mental errors early in the game, and I could tell he was really excited about playing Sunday Night Football against the Lions, and a really good left tackle and all this stuff. And it felt like the moment got him out of his game a little bit. “And I was able to connect with him and be like, hey, just settle in, just do your job, your time is going to come, your moment’s going to come. Then he had that huge sack at the end, because he just kept playing hard. He kept taking the coaching and, and, you know, connecting with AC (Carter, the outside linebackers coach) on the sideline, but those things matter. “To be able to feel, where are my players at, and how are they taking in this moment? Where are they at in their headspace and to be able to try to level with them, and let them borrow whatever presence, calm, encouragement, whatever that is — just to try to help them.” That sounds simple, but it’s not something that every player gets the chance to experience. Veteran safety Nick Scott, whose interest in psychology meshes with the way he thinks about defense, realized mid-conversation that he’s never been in this situation. There are 17 head coaches still calling their own offensive plays, including the Rams’ Sean McVay and the Bengals’ Zac Taylor, his only previous head coaches in the league before coming here. And seeing the way Canales worked before, and seeing him now, Scott recognizes the difference and the value of that 30,000-foot perspective. “I think it does a lot, especially for younger guys; it builds confidence, gives guys a sense of importance when your head coach is able to tell you what he sees,” Scott said. “He can instill his confidence in you and put you in a position. It also is, in my opinion, just a sign of belief. The guys that are out there taking the time to talk to you, giving directions and things like that because he knows what you’re capable of, he wants to help you be successful. “I think it’s just a testament to his knowledge and understanding of the game and being able to communicate to guys in all different areas.” Okereke’s been here a little more than a month, but as a guy who’s in his eighth NFL season and has experienced play-calling head coaches and interims who were from the other side of the ball, he understands how rare that communication can be. “It speaks to the continuity of the team leadership,” Okereke said. “You see a coach on the defensive sideline dapping us off after we come off after a big stop, and just motivating us. And even when I’m on the sideline and when we’re dime personnel with six DBs out there, I see Canales as he’s yelling at guys to have great technique and eyes, and he’s just locked in on the situation of the game. “So it’s, it’s great when you get to have a coach who’s locked in on all three sides of the ball. The engagement that he’s bringing and coming onto the sideline and just dapping us up, talking about keeping up communication. He’s a consistent presence throughout the game, right?” Umanmielen acknowledged that having Canales approach him on the sidelines helped re-center him during the flow of the game. He said those conversations can lean more heavily into motivation than technique, but both have proven helpful in real time. “It’s great, especially when you’re going through the trials and tribulations or difficulties in the game,” Umanmielen said. “When your head coach come up to you and talk to you and give you some words of encouragement or just some advice, it’s amazing to have in the midst of the battle. “It’s great coming from somebody else that’s in a high position on the team.” And Canales is realizing that too, after seeing live examples of how he can use his current position to impact the team in even greater ways than just calling plays — and understanding that both bring their own kind of excitement. – – – Interesting: @BetMGMTeams with defensive-minded head coaches: Dolphins 0-4Titans 0-4Texans 0-4Buccaneers 0-4Jets 1-3Commanders 1-3 Patriots 2-2Seahawks 3-1Ravens 3-1 Combined 10-26 record John Harbaugh (3-1) of the Giants is sort of defensive-minded.- – -As we try to get to the bottom of the rise of penalties (which we think is more complicated than “refs decided to throw more flags to annoy viewers”), we see, that with the exception of two ref/umpire combos, holding is not the culprit: @nflrefstats1OFFENSIVE HOLDING accounts for 20.7% of overall penalties assessed in 2026, slightly above avgs of recent seasons However, the Scott Novak & Alex Moore officiating crews account for an historically disproportionately high % of these calls through 4 weeks The two crews have controlled 8 games total (12.5% of games played so far) yet account for 25% of OFFENSIVE HOLDING penalties assessed in the 2026 #NFL season In raw numbers they have called 49 of the 199 offensive holding penalties In per game avg for offensive holding 1. Scott Novak – 6.502. Alex Moore – 5.75 I cannot find an example this century where two crews account for such a high percentage of the leagues overall OFFENSIVE HOLDING penalties, nor have that high a per game avg over a four game sample size Statistically, it’s impossible this continues for much longer For the time being,whoever gets Novak or Moore assigned to games in upcoming weeks has their work cut out for them unless @NFLOfficiating gives them an ultimatum to ease up on these calls |
| NFC NORTH |
| MINNESOTAWe found this funny: @SkolSmithThis Saints defense is terrible. Will Reichard should easily be able to hit seven field goals next week. |
| NFC EAST |
| PHILADELPHIAThe struggling Eagles offense didn’t need the mid-season retirement of a leader. Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com: Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson was unexpectedly scratched from the lineup on Sunday, with the team citing “personal reasons.” On Tuesday, he announced his retirement. “I have given it my all for 14 years, season after season pushing my body to the max and tirelessly working my craft to not only live up to the legacy of the guys that came before me, but to set a new standard of success for the best franchise in all of sports,” Johnson wrote, in part, in a statement on social media. “I deeply wanted to gut it out for one more year, to take the field with my brothers for one last season. But after a lot of reflection, I’ve realized that my personal and family priorities in my life have changed. Right now, it is critical that I focus on my mental health. I owe it to my teammates, coaches, the organization and the fans to have my head and heart 100 percent in the game. And right now, my heart is telling me that it’s time to say goodbye to football. “At this time, I have made the incredibly difficult decision to retire from the National Football League.” Johnson missed time at the start of training camp and said his mother had been dealing with some health issues when he returned to the team. The Eagles lost on Sunday, dropping their record to 18-30 without Johnson and 122-63-1 with him since drafting him in the first round in 2013. Johnson, 36, is a six-time Pro Bowler and was first-team All-Pro twice. He started 171 career regular-season games and 15 in the postseason, and Johnson won two Super Bowl rings. He missed seven games last season with a Lisfranc foot injury. And then the Eagles trade away C CAM JURGENS (although getting a 2nd round pick back is pretty good future currency): Albert Breer with the short version of the rationale: @AlbertBreerSome logic on the @Ravens/@Eagles trade … • Cam Jurgens wasn’t good at LG. When he moved, second-year man Drew Kendall showed he’s capable at C. • New Ravens O values a heady, vet C. Flier on Ethan Pocic didn’t work. • Jurgens gets to go back to C, is signed long-term. Further explanation from a trio of writers for The Athletic – Zach Berman, Brooks Kubena and Jeff Zrebiec The Philadelphia Eagles have traded center Cam Jurgens to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for a 2028 second-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick, the teams announced Wednesday. The Ravens will also receive a 2027 seventh-round pick. Jurgens, who is in concussion protocol after self-reporting symptoms Monday, has already passed his physical to complete the deal, according to a team source who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. “Cam is a player we have long admired going all the way back to the draft process,” Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said in a statement. “He’s a young foundational piece along our offensive line — a great scheme and cultural fit who will contribute quickly in Baltimore. We are confident that Cam will significantly impact our team and community.” Jurgens, who signed a four-year, $68 million contract extension in April 2025, played the past three games for the Eagles at left guard after Landon Dickerson was placed on injured reserve, but he’s been Philadelphia’s primary center since Jason Kelce retired after the 2023 season. Jurgens, 27, has three years remaining on his contract after this season, including $16 million in guaranteed salary in 2027. The Ravens lost Tyler Linderbaum in free agency to the Las Vegas Raiders in March, and projected starter Danny Pinter suffered a season-ending torn patellar tendon in August. Replacement starter Jovaughn Gwyn (fibula) and fill-in Ethan Pocic (knee) both landed on injured reserve after Week 3, with rookie first-round pick Vega Ioane moving from right guard to center in their absence. Why the Ravens gave so much in trade for Cam Jurgens Jeff Zrebiec“I think it’ll make our team better,” Ravens coach Jesse Minter said of the trade, adding that the hope is for Jurgens to play Week 6 against the Cleveland Browns. “Obviously a position where we’ve had a rash of injuries, so excited about adding him. He’s obviously a very high-caliber player, been in the Pro Bowl the last couple of years. He’s excited to be here, excited to join our team, and so we look forward to that.” The Ravens (3-1) visit the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night this week, with quarterback Lamar Jackson’s status murky after he injured his ankle on Sunday. The trade marks the second major change to the Eagles’ offensive line in two days, after All-Pro right tackle Lane Johnson announced his retirement on Tuesday. Philadelphia is 2-2 after Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams and will visit London to face the Jacksonville Jaguars this week. Why did the Eagles move on from Jurgens now?Jurgens was a key player on the Eagles’ Super Bowl team two seasons ago after replacing Kelce at center. They made him the second-highest paid center in the NFL before last season, but Jurgens struggled while recovering from a back injury last season. NFL quarter-season superlatives: Team and player awards, early lessons and panic buttonsThe 2026 NFL free agents who have made the most (and least) impact through 4 gamesThe first sign of uncertainty about his spot in the team’s plans might have come last month when the Eagles moved Jurgens from center to guard after Dickerson’s injury. The stated explanation was that the Eagles wanted to use their best combination of five linemen, but their willingness to move a player who was considered more of a center than a guard was telling. Jurgens struggled in his new role. Now, the Eagles are moving on from a player who was considered a key part of their future last season. GM Howie Roseman said the Eagles weren’t looking to trade Jurgens, but the Ravens’ interest helped accelerate a deal, and the Eagles felt more comfortable after seeing 2025 fifth-round pick Drew Kendall at center since Jurgens moved to guard. “We felt like it could be a win-win, for them — obviously, getting a player who’s been a two-time Pro Bowl center — and obviously for us, being able to get the picks we’re able to get, and use that money also to sign players,” Roseman said. “Had a chance to watch Drew here play center, (he’s) doing a nice job. … With all these (free agents) that we got coming up, a lot on the defensive side of the ball that we want to re-sign and want to extend, felt like that that was a good situation.” — Zach Berman, Eagles beat writer What does this mean for the Eagles’ offensive line?This is another major change in the post-Jeff Stoutland era. The Eagles moved on from the longtime offensive line coach in their offseason shift to a zone-blocking system under first-time offensive coordinator Sean Mannion. Jurgens, a 2022 second-round pick, was the succession plan to Kelce at center. He was a Pro Bowl selection in his first two seasons at the position within a similar vertical-blocking system that jeopardized Jurgens’ health. He played through a back injury in Super Bowl LIX that required surgery. The pain persisted through the 2025 season, and Jurgens traveled to Colombia in the offseason to undergo stem-cell therapy. This trade is foremost reflective of a schematic shift. But it is also another jarring development for an offensive line room that has long been the locker room’s strongest source of leadership. The old guard is ending. Johnson suddenly retired on Tuesday. The Eagles drafted Jurgens to benefit from the mentorship of Kelce. Now, they are relying on Kendall to carry on at center. Lampkin is presumably next in line at left guard while Dickerson remains on injured reserve, with sixth-round rookie Micah Morris as another option. Lampkin and Morris have been fulfilling small roles in heavy blocking formations. Coach Nick Sirianni said that is a reflection of the trust they’ve earned in practice. It is a significant change to entrust the integrity of the interior to a youth movement. “It’s a great opportunity for some guys here that had good camps,” Roseman said. “Willie and the progress that he’s made and the mentality that he plays with. We drafted Micah. Obviously, Drew’s played. And then hopeful here in the next couple weeks … excited to get Landon back on the field.” — Brooks Kubena, Eagles beat writer Why were the Ravens willing to give so much for Jurgens?The Ravens obviously were desperate. After losing Linderbaum, they brought in three other options at minimal cost. However, Pinter, the leader of the offseason center competition, suffered a season-ending knee injury in mid-August joint practices in Minnesota. Gwyn, who had never started an NFL game before this year, replaced Pinter with the first team and cracked his fibula in a Week 3 game against Dallas in Brazil. Veteran Ethan Pocic entered, and he lasted just 10 plays before suffering a significant knee injury in Brazil. Ioane, the No. 14 pick in the 2026 draft, had never played center extensively before, but he did a solid job in Baltimore’s Week 4 victory over the Tennessee Titans. However, moving him to center also created a hole at right guard, which was made deeper against Tennessee when Andrew Vorhees went down with a foot injury. Ultimately, the Ravens want to move Ioane back to guard, and the Jurgens addition allows them to do it. Ravens offensive line coach and run game coordinator Dwayne Ledford leans heavily on an outside/wide-zone run scheme, which puts a premium on athletic offensive linemen who can block on the move. As long as he’s healthy, Jurgens fits that profile. Though Jurgens has the flexibility to play guard, the Ravens plan to play him at center when he’s healthy. All three of their offseason signings at the position — Pinter, Gwyn and Pocic — are on one-year contracts. — Jeff Zrebiec, Ravens beat writer Looking ahead, the Lane Johnson retirement is not good for the Eagles cap situation next year per Mike Florio: Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson said in August that 2026 will probably be his last year. After three games, he decided to retire now. He has an absolute right to do it. No player should continue to play pro football if he no longer wants to do it — whatever the reason(s). The move nevertheless has financial consequences, for the Eagles and for Johnson. If he had retired after the season, and if the Eagles had waited until after June 1 to process it, Johnson would have counted $15.978 million against the cap in 2027 and $38.8 million in 2028. Now, he’ll count $54.778 million against the cap in 2027. The Eagles also will have the prerogative to seek reimbursement of previously-received payments by Johnson. It gets complicated; they can recover unallocated signing bonus money and a portion of his 2026 option bonus of $21.7 million (only half of it has been paid). And recovery of the amounts they’re entitled to pursue would be credited against the dead-money charges. First, the Eagles have to decide whether they want to try to take money back from a first-ballot Hall of Famer who has meant so much to the team. While the Lions did it with both Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders and Hall of Fame receiver Calvin Johnson, the Eagles may choose not to alienate such an important player by asking him to give money back. Second, there’s a way to finesse the situation to delay the bulk of the cap charge until 2028, in theory. If, for example, they put him on the non-football injury/illness list for the rest of the season and he officially retires after June 1, 2027, the Eagles will avoid taking the $54.778 million charge in 2027. The fact that the Eagles have yet to make a roster move with Johnson suggests that they’re coming up with a good strategy. The best could be to delay his retirement, agree not to seek repayment of money he has earned (while possibly not paying the $10.85 million due on December 1), and finessing the cap consequences to avoid a potential mess in 2027. |
| NFC WEST |
| SAN FRANCISCOA QB BROCK PURDY note: @UnderdogNFLQBs in NFL history with 10+ TD passes and 0 sacks taken through first 4 games of a season: Brock Purdy (2026)Dan Marino (1984) Dolphins went 14-2 and reached the Super Bowl that season. |
| AFC WEST |
| KANSAS CITYEven as rumors circulate that the Chiefs want to re-unite with WR TYREEK HILL, this occurred at his divorce trial. Mike Florio: It’s a strange coincidence, to say the least, that free-agent receiver Tyreek Hill has made multiple headlines about a potential return to the NFL in the same week that his divorce trial commenced. The civil action, which had been mentioned in none of the reports regarding the possibility that he’ll be signing with a new team, began on Tuesday. His ex-wife, Keeta Vaccaro, testified on the first day of the trial regarding her allegation that Hill physically abused her while they were married. Via Jesse Newell of The Athletic, Vaccaro’s testimony included an accusation that Hill tried to punch her in the stomach while she was pregnant in July 2024. She explained, per Newell, that she put her hands on her stomach to block the punch. Vaccaro also said, per Newell, that Hill told her at the time that he didn’t want the baby. Vaccaro called the day “probably the worst of all these abuse times.” She also claimed that, on the same day, Hill pulled her hair and ripped it out. As explained on Monday, the NFL continues to investigate Hill under the Personal Conduct Policy in connection with Vaccaro’s claims. Potentially aggravating circumstances, if a violation is found, include Hill’s 2015 guilty plea to domestic assault and battery by strangulation in an incident involving his then-pregnant girlfriend. The broader question is whether any team would sign Hill before the situation is resolved. His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, has nevertheless said that Hill could potentially sign this week. The Chiefs reportedly are “very interested” in a reunion. As it relates to maneuvering the NFL’s in-house justice system, Hill’s best move would be to negotiate a resolution to the Personal Conduct Policy situation as soon as possible, so that he can begin serving any suspension immediately. Frankly, it’s possible that the sudden emergence of news regarding Hill’s return is aimed at getting Hill credit for any games missed while the process plays out. Hill could argue that, without the allegations made by Vaccaro in court, someone would have signed Hill |
| AFC NORTH |
| CINCINNATIA positive step towards the participation of WR Ja’MARR CHASE. Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com: Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase has taken a step toward clearing the concussion protocol. Pictures and video from the open portion of Thursday’s practice show Chase dressed for and participating in the workout. Chase suffered a concussion last Sunday and did not do any work on Wednesday. Chase’s reaction to the uptick in activity will mark the next box for him to check in the return to play process. If that goes well and he practices again on Friday without any issues, the chances he’ll play against the Dolphins on Sunday will look pretty good. Tee Higgins left the loss to the Jaguars with an adductor injury, but he practiced on Wednesday and Thursday’s development keeps the door open for the Bengals to have both wideouts on the field in Week 5. |
| AFC SOUTH |
| JACKSONVILLEThe once proud and fearsome Eagles are seen here as “weaker” competition – to the Jaguars! @JTFOzThe Jaguars are a 7-point favorite vs the Eagles on Sunday. Jacksonville is 7-0 ATS as favorites of 3+ points since last season began. They just don’t win in this spot, they blow the doors off weaker competition, covering by an average of 15.4 points in these games! CAR -4.5: W 26-10TEN -6: W 25-3NYJ -13.5: W 48-20IND -3.5: W 23-17TEN -12.5: W 41-7CLE -8.5: W 34-10NE -3: W 35-6 |
| THIS AND THAT |
| A TOAST TO SANITYWhen 49ers FB KYLE JUSZCZYK had his fines rescinded (along with one for TE JAKE FERGUSON of the Cowboys) for drinking something in a celebration it was only because the appeals officer showed some common sense. Now, the NFL, after pressure from the NFLPA, has agreed that drinking something is not discipline worthy. Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com: The NFL and NFLPA announced in a joint statement Wednesday that recent player celebrations imitating drinking a beverage will no longer be violations or result in discipline. In Week 2, multiple players, including 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk, Colts guard Matt Goncalves and Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson, were fined after performing celebrations in which they mimicked drinking a beverage of some kind. An appeals officer rescinded the fines for Juszczyk and Ferguson earlier Wednesday as the league and players’ association worked out a solution to solve any future issues on the matter. “The league-wide guidance provides players with greater clarity on how they can celebrate while remaining within the rules,” the statement said. As part of that clarification, the following celebrations remain prohibited and can result in a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty, a fine or both: • Gestures that depict violence, including the use of guns or other weapons or gang-related signs • Gestures that depict smoking or drug use • Gestures that are sexual in nature Also included in the resolved guidelines is a note that when conduct falls into a “gray area,” the league will contact the player before imposing any discipline that may require an appeal. According NFLPA executive director JC Tretter, there were 20 celebration fines in Weeks 2 and 3, which he called “an unusual spike.” Tretter wrote on X that all of those fined players appealed, with some already overturned. “We raised this issue and pushed for greater clarity around what will and won’t result in discipline,” Tretter wrote. “When something falls into a gray area, communication and education should come before punishment. We’re glad the league will seek to educate players before immediately defaulting to a fine.” A league source said the NFL and the NFLPA worked together to address the issue over the past couple of weeks before releasing the joint statement Wednesday. When informed of the changes, Juszczyk and his teammates said they were happy to hear that he will be able to continue what has been his signature celebration. “I guess I’ve got to start thinking of my celebrations for this week pertaining to drinks,” linebacker Fred Warner said Wednesday, laughing. “It is great for Juice because he’s been doing that same celebration for years. But yeah, man, just try to have a little fun out there. That’s what the league’s about.” What happened at NFL Justice in Weeks 2 and 3? Mike Florio: Beyond eliminating the Church Lady-style sensitivity to a drinking-based celebration, the league has adopted a new approach to celebrations that don’t clearly violate the rules. In lieu of a fine, the league will communicate with the player. If the NFL decides that the celebration will not be allowed, the player will be fined only if he thereafter continues to do it. It’s the right result, even if it makes the sudden rash of celebration fines after Week 2 seem even more abrupt, unexpected, and flat-out bizarre. Rick Maese of the Washington Post gets a leak: While several appeals remain pending, most are expected to be overturned, according to a person familiar with the process, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the process. |
