| If The Season Ended Today in the NFC after Week 4. The playoff line is at 2-2 with the Rams the tiebreaker selection for the final playoff spot among 6 teams. 1 Minnesota North 4-0 3-02 San Francisco West 4-0 2-0 3 NY Giants East 3-1 2-1 4 Carolina South 2-2 2-15 Chicago WC1 3-1 2-16 Seattle WC2 3-1 1-17 LA Rams WC3 2-2 2-18 Atlanta 2-2 2-19 Detroit 2-2 1-110 Green Bay 2-2 1-211 Philadelphia 2-2 1-212 Dallas 2-2 1-1 – – -We have plenty of stuff on the suspension of two officials/referees down below. It comes in the wake of plenty of officious behavior. Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com: The flags have been flying throughout the NFL this season. Per ESPN, there have been 983 accepted penalties through the first four weeks of play. That’s the most to this point in any season since play-by-play data became available dating back to the 1978 campaign. Week 4 was a particularly penalty-filled week of action. There were 271 accepted penalties in 16 games, which is the second-most in a single week over the same period of time. Twelve different teams had at least 10 accepted penalties in their Week 4 games with the Chargers and Seahawks combining for 30 of them in Seattle’s 30-23 win. Recent seasons have usually seen penalty totals peak early in the season and then drop off over the course of the year, which is likely because players adjust to points of emphasis that are leading to more fouls than in the past. If that doesn’t happen this season, we could be in for the most-penalized NFL season in history. |
| NFC NORTH |
| CHICAGOThe times, they are achanging: @BFawkes22The Chicago Bears (-2.5) are currently a road favorite against the Green Bay Packers for the first time in 20 years. ➡️Last time Chicago was a favorite in GB was Week 1 of 2006 season (Bears -3.5, won 26-0) Ben Solak of ESPN.com sings the praises of Ben Johnson: I think … Ben Johnson is Coach of the YearHere’s a wild stat. Only three head coaches in NFL history have won three of their first four games in a season with three different starting quarterbacks: Tom Coughlin in 1997, Al Saunders in 1987 and Don Shula in 1980. Johnson would have been the fourth coach on this list … if not for the fact that he got smarmy and made Case Keenum, not Tyson Bagent, the starting quarterback in Week 4 by giving Keenum the first snap from under center … and then played Bagent the rest of the game. Johnson wanted to make a point after it was reported this week that Bagent was the Week 4 starter before Johnson had announced his selection. Still, the Bears’ three wins have come with three different quarterbacks this year, and each win has been more impressive than the last. Caleb Williams’ 59-point outing against the Panthers in Week 1 feels like a distant memory after Keenum’s 27-point outing over the Eagles in Week 3 and Bagent’s 23-12 victory over the Jets in Week 4. We had never seen Johnson work with a backup quarterback before Week 3. Jared Goff never sat out a game with the Lions, and Williams was healthy for the 2025 season. Now we’ve seen Johnson build two custom game plans for two new, imperfect passers in Keenum and Bagent. For Keenum in Week 3, it was all quick game — 58.8% of Keenum’s passes were out in under 2.5 seconds, comfortably the highest rate by a Bears quarterback under Johnson. For Bagent, it was about manageable throws — Bagent’s air yards per attempt (5.8) is the lowest for any Bears quarterback under Johnson save for Williams’ Week 2 game this season, played against the Vikings in the rain. That’s not to say the entire offense was behind the line of scrimmage. It’s that Johnson used Bagent, who has a zippy release but not a ton of distance on his arm, like the 49ers use Brock Purdy or the Dolphins once used Tua Tagovailoa. They kept the play-action concepts closer to the line of scrimmage and quicker-hitting. The Jets wanted to overwhelm Bagent with blitz looks — a reasonable gambit against a quarterback making his fifth start, and first since 2023. Johnson responded by running into the blitz, insulating his quarterback with a 9.3% run rate over expectation, fourth highest of his Bears tenure. Chicago also messed with tempo (10.1% no-huddle rate despite leading all game) while stringing together agonizingly long drives. Johnson has long preached explosives in his offense, and Williams has embraced that philosophy wholly. But with backups Keenum and Bagent, Johnson has shown he can take the air out of the game with a heavy dose of running, short passes and field management. It might not ever go this swimmingly. The Bears’ defense has been dominant through two weeks against two imperfect offenses. Bagent tried to throw four interceptions in this game — only one was not overturned by penalty. But Johnson has squarely put himself in the McVay/Shanahan air of being able to win any game with his backup quarterback in by making both the big and small adjustments necessary to cater the system to the particular skill set he has under center. Chicago now has two road games — always harder for backups on the road — but against beatable opponents in the Packers and Falcons. If they get Williams back with a 5-1 record before a Thursday night clash with New England … what an enormous feather that will be in Johnson’s cap. It will be hard for Johnson to actually win Coach of the Year, as the award historically goes to a coach who presided over a huge turnaround in win/loss record (think Mike Vrabel last year or Klint Kubiak this year). The Bears were 11-6 last season, and Johnson should have won the award then. They might be 11-6 again this season, and I’ll still argue for the cumulative work he has done on this offense. Johnson deserves a trophy in his case. And there is good news about RB KYLE MONANGAI. Myles Simmons ofProFootballTalk.com: While one member of Chicago’s dynamic rushing attack suffered an injury on Sunday, it may not keep him sidelined for long — if at all. Bears head coach Ben Johnson told reporters in his Monday press conference that running back Kyle Monangai’s thumb injury is not serious. “We think he’s going to be OK,” Johnson said, via transcript from the team. “We’ll see what it looks like as we go through the week here, but more of a day-to-day type deal.” While D’Andre Swift is Chicago’s starter, Monangai leads the team with 324 yards rushing, averaging 5.4 yards per carry. Swift has 311 yards, averaging 4.5 yards per carry. The Bears will play the Packers at Lambeau Field on Sunday. |
| DETROITCoach Dan Campbell says he won’t accept “mediocrity” on either side of the ball. The DB would think he should be delighted if his defense can get all the way up to mediocre. The Saints knocked the Lions out of the top spot for points allowed on Monday night, but being anywhere near the top of that list is not where teams want to be four weeks into the season. Detroit has allowed at least 24 points and 355 yards in each of their four games, which led to head coach Dan Campbell’s vote of confidence for defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard after Sunday night’s loss to the Panthers. During an appearance on 97.1 The Ticket on Tuesday, Campbell pointed to a lack of discipline and a lack of trust among players on the unit as reasons why the defense has been so easily torn apart. He added that others will get opportunities as the team looks for the right mix to improve their results. “We’re going to give some other guys an opportunity, and go, man. But we’re not going to accept mediocrity. That’s not what we’re doing here,” Campbell said. “We’ve got too many guys playing at a high level, and we’re going to raise the floor on this team.” The Lions offense ranks fifth in the league in points scored, but some have wondered if the defense’s inability to get stops has an adverse effect on the offense. Campbell was asked about that, but said he thinks the team has been “average” across the board and that the offense has room to improve alongside the defense. “Man, if you want to be great, they should want to score 35 points a game, at a minimum,” Campbell said. “That’s what greatness is. That’s what they’re charged with. We’ve got plenty of weapons on offense and if we’re gonna accept mediocrity, then yeah, we can make all the excuses in the world. If we want to spit and sputter and be average, that’s one thing. We’re not going to be average. We’re going to raise the floor on these guys, man. We’re going to push ‘em. We’ve got too much offensively right now. Our quarterback’s too good, our playmakers are too good, and we’ve got a young, hungry offensive line that’s got a ton of room to grow.” Campbell was adamant this summer that the Lions’ Super Bowl window is not closed, but the first four weeks haven’t done much to support the feeling that big things are in store for the team this season. That will need to change quickly if they want to avoid calls for more sweeping changes to how business is getting done in Detroit. Frank Schwab of YahooSports.com on just how bad the Lions defense has been: The Lions have been in prime time twice. Both times a big audience got to see a team that can still move the ball fine but can’t get a stop. The Carolina Panthers look much better on offense in Bryce Young’s fourth season, but after punting on their first drive here were the Panthers’ next six drives: touchdown, touchdown, field goal, touchdown, touchdown, field goal. The Lions are last in the NFL in yards allowed per game and last in points allowed per game. For those who prefer advanced stats, they’re last in EPA (expected points added) per play allowed, 29th in success rate allowed and 31st in DVOA. The Lions’ offense is top eight in all those stats; that group isn’t the problem. Lions head coach Dan Campbell said he and the Lions knew the Panthers would go to receiver Tetairoa McMillan often with No. 2 receiver Jalen Coker out due to injury. The Lions did nothing to stop him though. He had 14 catches for 192 yards and two touchdowns. At this point the Lions’ defensive issues seem unfixable. A coordinator change can’t turn everything around, but Campbell was asked if replacing Kelvin Sheppard was on the table. “I’m not talking about all that,” Campbell said. “I’m talking about getting better right now with what we’ve got. And that’s what we’re gonna do. We’re going to find a way to get better with what we got.” Cornerback D.J. Reed defended Sheppard, saying after Sunday’s game “It’s not a coaching thing, it’s a players’ thing.” He might be right, and that brings another set of problems. They’re without starting safeties Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch, and also lost defensive back Avonte Maddox to a season-ending injury. Add in the loss of Terrion Arnold, who was cut this offseason after he was arrested, and the Lions secondary is a shell of what it was. At least Branch is “very close” to a return, according to Campbell. Joseph’s return doesn’t seem imminent. Branch is a good player but even if he returns soon it’s not like one safety completely fixes a defense allowing 423.8 yards and 31.8 points per game. |
| MINNESOTAEven at 4-0, some have it in for Head Coach Kevin O’Connell: @LexiHartwell30This stat is absolutely BRUTAL. Mike Zimmer went 8 seasons as Vikings HC and had 4 regular-season games without a touchdown. Kevin O’Connell has already has 9. He hasn’t even finished Year 5. Thought he was an offensive Guru. |
| NFC EAST |
| PHILADELPHIAThe Eagles are expected to lose again this Sunday: @BFawkes22The Philadelphia Eagles are currently 4.5-point underdogs at the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 5. ➡️That would be the biggest regular-season underdog Jalen Hurts has been in five years (Oct. 14, 2021: +6.5 vs. TB) |
| NFC SOUTH |
| ATLANTAAnd just like that, the Falcons have a monstrous offense: @OptaSTATSThe @AtlantaFalcons are the only team in NFL history to have a 2-game span with: 80+ points800+ total yards8+ rushing TDsno more than 1 turnoverno more than 1 sack allowed |
| AFC WEST |
| KANSAS CITYIt’s been a long time since the Chiefs had a 1,000-yard rusher. They now have a back on a pace for 2,000: @ScottKacsmarKenneth Walker already has the 8th-most rushing yards (537) of any RB in the Mahomes era. He’s played 4 games. And this: @SheilKapadiaThe Chiefs have an NFL-best 4 plays of 50+ yards through four games. They had 2 all of last year. |
| LAS VEGASWho knew? @BFawkes22Just as we all predicted before the season: ➡️The Las Vegas Raiders (4-0 ATS) are the lone remaining undefeated team against the spread |
| AFC NORTH |
| BALTIMOREDespite the postgame walking boot, QB LAMAR JACKSON has not been ruled out of Week 5at resurgent Atlanta. Josh Alpler of ProFootballTalk.com: Signs continue to point toward Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson missing Sunday night’s game in Atlanta. PFT reported that Jackson was considered week-to-week after injuring his ankle in Baltimore’s Week 4 win over the Titans with an MRI still to come to determine the extent of the issue. Jackson underwent further evaluation on Monday and Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that there is only an “outside chance” that he will be available against the Falcons. Jackson’s chances of playing in Week 6 will rely on how his sprained ankle responds to treatment. Tyler Huntley will start for the Ravens as long as Jackson is out of action. Huntley was 8-of-9 for 63 yards in the second half of the win over the Titans and he has started 11 times for Baltimore over the years. He also made five starts for the Dolphins in 2024. |
| AFC SOUTH |
| HOUSTONEven though they are 0-4, Ben Solak sees excellence from QB C.J. STROUD: This is the Stroud I remember — an exciting blend of clean pocket management and timing alongside creativity and feel. The comp for Stroud coming out of Ohio State was Jared Goff, but in the NFL, it has been his movement skills and releases from odd platforms that have separated him from that traditional cut of pocket passer. Stroud was nails against the Cowboys. In fact, Stroud has been nails for the entire season. His numbers against the Bengals and Colts are unspectacular, given the lack of Collins and some drop-heavy performances from Collins’ backups. But the film is not just reminiscent of the 2023 season, in which Stroud dawned as a dominant rookie — it is at a higher degree of difficulty. This is the sort of player you pay $55 million. Of course, the Texans didn’t get that contract extension done this offseason, as Stroud looked for a stronger performance (and a fatter contract) out of 2026. The tricky thing now is the Texans’ record: 0-4. Only one 0-4 team has made the playoffs since 1990 — the 1992 Chargers. It’s never great when the historical precedent for a team was set in the same year my parents were married. Can Stroud inflate his potential contract value in the same season in which the Texans go 8-9 and fail to make the postseason? Absolutely he can. The list of quarterbacks playing better ball than Stroud through the first four weeks of the season is not 10 passers long. Were Houston even 2-2, Stroud’s play would be the talk of morning shows. Though a win-loss record might anchor our coverage, it will not anchor how the Texans think about their young passer. That Stroud’s production is so Collins-dependent might feel like a disqualifying limitation. “The $55 million quarterback can’t work without his star receiver?” But this is a greater condemnation of the coaching and front office than it is anything else. With Collins and WR2 Jayden Higgins (out for the season because of an ACL tear) both laid up, the Texans’ bottom-of-the-roster issues glared. Their 2025 third-round pick Jaylin Noel, who has juice every time he touches the football, was outsnapped by Jared Wayne and Xavier Hutchinson. The Texans’ large investment in a deep tight end room (Dalton Schultz, Cade Stover, Brevin Jordan, Foster Moreau and Marlin Klein) was met with above-average rates of … 11 personnel (one RB, one TE, three WRs). Tight end injuries lampooned this offense in 2025, and wide receiver injuries have done it again this year. But welcome to pro football — the job is solving problems. Throw in the continued failure of the running game (for the fourth consecutive year, Stroud is on pace to quarterback an offense with a bottom-10 rushing attack by success rate and EPA), and the buck clearly stops with GM Nick Caserio, coach DeMeco Ryans and offensive coordinator Nick Caley. Stroud is earning his money. He’s ready to quarterback an offense in the top 10 of every metric. The roster and coaching need to rise to meet him if the Texans are to produce an astonishing season turnaround. |
| JACKSONVILLEThis: @LordReebsThe Jaguars have now outscored opponents 61-9 in the first half this season, the largest margin in the league. They have yet to allow a TD on 20 first half possessions by their opponent. Ben Solak of ESPN.com looks at the AFC odds and elaborates on his love of the Jaguars: Teams Current oddsChiefs +400Bills +405Ravens +405Jaguars +600Bengals +950Patriots +1000Broncos +1200Texans +2800Colts +3400Raiders +3500Steelers +4500Chargers +7800Browns +8000Jets +12000Titans +20000Dolphins +20000 The market has the Jaguars (3-1) in a weird spot right now. It doesn’t like them enough to plant them atop the conference with the longstanding big three — that’s the Chiefs (4-0), Bills (3-1) and Ravens (3-1). But it thinks they’re clearly better than the second tier of AFC contenders — the Bengals (2-2), Patriots (2-2) and Broncos (2-2). It’s not entirely sure what to do with the Jaguars. I know what to do. Stick ’em in the top tier. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times: Look at what the Jaguars have been since their Week 9 bye last season. They’re 12-2 over 14 regular-season games, tied with the Seahawks for the best such record. Offensively, they are second in points per drive, and defensively they are third in points per drive. Fourteen games is a pretty big sample, but we can check for easy pitfalls just in case. The Jaguars are third in turnover margin over that time at plus-11 with only 14 giveaways in 14 games — that feels suspicious. But we have a better metric for turnover impact than margin, and its turnover EPA — it helps us put a weight on turnovers, as some interceptions (thrown in the red zone, for example) hurt more than others (thrown on third-and-long 40-plus yards downfield). The Jaguars are 16th in turnover EPA per game over this stretch of games, bang on league average. What about strength of schedule? Have they been treading over cupcakes? That was a legitimate concern throughout the 2025 season. They played a stretch of bad offenses, including the Daniel Jones-less Colts twice, the Cam Ward Titans twice and the Brady Cook Jets. To start 2026, the defense had faced Deshaun Watson’s Browns, the Bo Nix Broncos — a worryingly good game for Nix, if you’re a Jaguars believer — and a disastrous game from the Drake Maye Patriots. Then they played the Bengals and Joe Burrow on Sunday … a stiffer test. It was a solid team 22-17 win across the board. The Jaguars had a 34.5% pressure rate against Burrow. The pass rush, which I had lamented as a potential Achilles’ heel for a contender not two weeks ago, showed up in a huge way. Arik Armstead had more pressures in this one game (six) than the entire Jacksonville defensive tackle room had produced through the first two weeks of the season. Burrow threw two picks on the day, and both were the result of pressure in the pocket. Defensively, the Jaguars accounted for the absence of outside corner Montaric Brown (hamstring) with a full menu of Travis Hunter coverage snaps. He played 71 defensive snaps, not sitting out a single play. He had seven targets in 48 coverage snaps and surrendered only four catches for 30 yards — most of them underneath completions in zone coverage. He had two pass breakups on the day and another interception wiped out by a roughing the passer penalty. On offense, the Jaguars had one of the most impressive rushing days of coach Liam Coen’s tenure. The Jaguars’ running backs averaged 4.7 yards per carry (seventh-best game) with 2.4 of those yards coming before contact (second-best game). Second-year man Bhayshul Tuten had two big runs called back for penalties, and the Jaguars suffered a few stuffs at the hands of the Bengals’ Dexter Lawrence II. But it was a balanced approach. Also, don’t forget about Cam Little’s big leg — he nailed two 50-plus-yard field goals. The Jaguars are a complete team. If you feel as if you’ve noticed a theme in the summary of Jacksonville’s success against Cincinnati … the Jaguars were swimming upstream against their own miscues. Jacksonville ate 125 yards worth of penalties in this game, its worst single-game number in the past six seasons. This scoreboard could have and should have been more lopsided with better discipline across the board. In the Coen tenure, the Jaguars have risen well against AFC contenders. They split with Cincinnati over the past two seasons and split the series with Houston last season in a weird loss to Davis Mills. They took Buffalo to the final bell in the postseason and beat Kansas City in the regular season at a final bell of their own. The only thing this team doesn’t have is a recent, deep postseason run — it hasn’t made the divisional round since 2022 — to give it a sense of tenure and legitimacy. The Ravens and Lamar Jackson were in the divisional round in 2024 and the conference championship in 2023. The Bills were in the divisional round last year and the conference championship in 2024. I don’t need to explain the Chiefs’ experience. We’ve seen all of them there, so it’s easier to imagine seeing them again. We’ve also seen those quarterbacks win MVP trophies. Five of the past eight, to be exact. Continued doubt in the Jaguars is borne only by suspicion in Trevor Lawrence, who didn’t immediately reach his billing as the next generational quarterback when he was selected with the No. 1 pick in 2021. Because he was shaky to start his career (under Urban Meyer and on a dreadful roster, mind you), his blossoming now must be fraudulent, right? If Lawrence is less trustworthy than Jackson, Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes as the difference-making passer on a top-tier contending team because of his lack of MVP trophies and deep postseason experience, then there’s nothing I can say now to change your mind. You have to wait to see what awards he wins this season and how deep his team goes. But if I can convince you that sometimes, gifted quarterbacks don’t land with the right playcaller at first — that sometimes, Matthew Stafford has to sit and toil in Detroit for seasons before he can find his Sean McVay, and Matt Ryan must do the same — then perhaps we can reframe this moment for Lawrence. I wrote it after Week 1 and still believe it after Week 4: The guy looks like an MVP. He doesn’t play like a middling quarterback propped up by an elite playcaller — nor does Coen coach him that way. Too much of this offense is built on his arm, his throws on the move, his pre-snap acumen. He is what we were promised. Not insufficient, just delayed. Don’t buy the Jaguars yet if you don’t want to. I understand your hesitancy. Just don’t forget that you were offered a chance to buy in on the ground floor. |
| THIS AND THAT |
| COACHES ON THE HOT SEATBryan DeArdo looks to see what coaches might be facing an impending dismissal – and one name tops all the others from among 10 candidates: A total of 10 NFL head coaches were fired either during or at the conclusion of the 2025 season. While it’s hard to fathom a similar amount of turnover this year, there are already several coaches who may be on the hot seat. We’ve ranked 10 NFL head coaches whose job security is either already in jeopardy or is on the verge of getting there. The list includes a former Super Bowl champion, a Super Bowl-winning coordinator, two coaches who recently led their teams to conference championship games and one first-year head coach. 10. Robert Saleh, TitansSeat temp. — Cool Saleh knew he was signing up for a rebuild, and so far, the results have followed suit for the winless Titans. Each of Tennessee’s last three losses was a one-score game, so Saleh and Co. appear to be heading in the right direction. Saleh is most likely safe this year, but some wins would make his standing for next year more secure. To do that, the Titans need to get more production from an offense that is currently 31st in the NFL in points scored. If Tennessee’s offense doesn’t improve, it could certainly lead to a change of coordinators this offseason. 9. Matt LaFleur, PackersSeat temp. — Cool LaFleur’s recent contract extension, which extends his deal through the 2029 season, is the biggest reason why he isn’t ranked higher. The Packers are 2-7 in their last nine games and are 2-2 through the first four games of the 2026 season. Sunday’s 17-14 win over the winless Buccaneers came at a cost as linebacker Edgerrin Cooper suffered what is expected to be a season-ending Achilles injury. Because of his contract, the only way LeFleur’s job would actually be in jeopardy at season’s end is if the Packers have an epic collapse and there are rumblings that he’s lost the locker room. 8. DeMeco Ryans, TexansSeat temp. — Cool Unless you’re a new coach or have a Super Bowl on your resume, being 0-4 usually means your seat is starting to get warm. Ryans, however, probably isn’t there yet for several reasons. Ryans’ Texans have reached the AFC divisional round three straight years. He’s the NFL’s only coach to win a playoff game each of the last three years. Houston is 0-4, but it finished last season with a 12-5 record after starting 0-3. The Texans play in the AFC’s most winnable division, although the 3-1 Jaguars look formidable. Similar to LaFleur, Ryans should be safe this offseason, barring a truly horrendous campaign. One thing to consider, though, is the development of CJ Stroud and how much the Texans’ brass will hold Ryans accountable if Stroud doesn’t show enough improvement over the season’s final three months. 7. Dan Quinn, CommandersSeat temp. — Room Quinn’s time in D.C. is starting to mimic his time in Atlanta. He led the Falcons to a Super Bowl berth in his second season before things quickly went downhill. Washington came within a game of the Super Bowl in Quinn’s first season, but it is just 6-15 since. Jayden Daniels’ injury issues have plagued Washington, but it was 2-5 in games that Daniels played in last season. This season, the Commanders’ defense has also been an issue as they are 31st in the league in points allowed. 6. Dan Campbell, LionsSeat temp. — Room There’s no denying Detroit’s downward spiral since the departure of coordinators Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn. The Lions are 11-10 since the start of the 2025 season. Ironically, the Lions’ offense has continued to perform at a high level since Johnson left town. The issue has been Detroit’s defense, or lack thereof. No team has allowed more points this season than the Lions, who are also 32nd in the league in passing yards allowed, third-down efficiency and red zone efficiency. Campbell did a masterful job restoring the roar in Detroit, but it’s safe to wonder if they’ll be able to get back to that point under his watch. 5. Shane Steichen, ColtsSeat temp. — Room Indianapolis has yet to make the playoffs under Steichen, who is in his fourth season as coach. It’s fair to assume his job security will come into question if the Colts miss the playoffs this season. After a 0-2 start, the Colts have rebounded with wins over the Texans and Commanders. Sunday’s game against the Steelers is the type of game Steichen and the Colts need to win if they want to get over the proverbial hump. Last year, Indianapolis came to Pittsburgh with a 7-2 record and lost a winnable game. It finished the season with an 8-9 record. 4. Nick Sirianni, EaglesSeat temp. — Tepid Sirianni’s current situation embodies what it’s like to be an NFL head coach, especially in the City of Brotherly Love. Sirianni has fallen out of favor in Philadelphia less than two years after winning a Super Bowl. Much of Sirianni’s success and letdowns in Philadelphia have been tied to the play of Jalen Hurts. Hurts’ early success led to Sirianni earning a ring and a contract extension after the 2024 season. Hurts and the offense’s struggles, however, may ultimately lead to Sirianni’s demise in Philadelphia. 3. Aaron Glenn, JetsSeat temp. — Tepid If we only went off team performance, Glenn would definitely be on the hot seat. The Jets have lost three straight games and are 4-17 since the start of the 2025 season, Glenn’s first in the Big Apple. Record aside, it appears that the Jets are content to give Glenn more time to turn things around. He’s signed through the 2029 season, and, based on previous comments made by Woody Johnson, it seems that the Jets’ owner wants to exude more patience this time around. A horrible season, however, might compel Johnson to make yet another coaching change. 2. Jim Harbaugh, ChargersSeat temp. — Warm Harbaugh was brought to Los Angeles to help Justin Herbert get to the next level. Instead, the Chargers have had two seasons without a playoff win and are currently 0-4. Herbert has taken a lot of the blame for the Chargers’ current plight. Some of that criticism is warranted, but there’s plenty of blame to go around. Herbert has had shaky pass protection, and his receiving corps is underwhelming. He also isn’t meshing with Mike McDaniel. For those who think that Harbaugh’s previous success might buy him more time, Chargers owner Dean Spanos infamously fired Marty Schottenheimer after a 14-2 season. 1. Todd Bowles, BuccaneersSeat temp. — Hot Following Tampa Bay’s latest loss, Bucs Pro Bowl tackle Tristan Wirfs was asked what message he would relay to ownership regarding Bowles. “No comment,” he said. “I love Coach Bowles. Yeah, I don’t know.” Wirfs’ response basically sums up the situation in Tampa. Players may love Bowles, but the Buccaneers’ ongoing struggles are what they are. The Buccaneers are 2-12 in their last 14 games dating back to last season. That ultimately falls on the head coach. In retrospect, the Buccaneers’ offseason set them up for failure. They lost franchise icon Mike Evans after he signed with the 49ers. The Buccaneers then had to deal with the distraction of Baker Mayfield’s contract extension, which didn’t get done until September. It’s a small sample size, but Mayfield has yet to live up to his new contract. Are all of these issues Bowels’ fault? They aren’t, but as noted above, a head coach is the person most responsible for the team’s record. Heavy lies the crown, after all. |
| OFFICIALS SUSPENDEDThe NFL suspended a pair of officials on Monday, less than 24 hours after the NFLPA complained about their lack of respect towards players. Ryan Young ofYahooSports.com: The NFL suspended a pair of officials on Monday after they were involved in separate incidents with players during games on Sunday. Line judge Jeff Seeman was suspended for two games on Monday, the league announced, and referee Adrian Hill was suspended for a single game. The suspensions, which were issued by the NFL’s vice president of officiating, were due to instances of “unprofessional conduct toward a player.” Seeman got into what appeared to be a heated exchange with Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride on Sunday during their 36-24 loss to the New York Giants. Seeman had some choice words for McBride on the sidelines, which were not picked up by the CBS microphones. The moment came after officials declined to call a pass interference penalty on the defense on a critical third-down attempt to McBride. Jordan Rodrigue of The Athletic with more thoughts, including the probabliity that Seeman is out two game checks because video that went online left little doubt as to what he said: When I saw the video of NFL line judge Jeff Seeman directing what appeared to be an angry profanity toward Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride during Sunday’s game, my first reaction was shock. (Not because of the language; if you’re around football at all, you’re going to hear some language.) Players and coaches argue with officials all the time — some coaches are notorious for it. Coaches and players can be flagged or otherwise penalized at that official’s discretion. How many times have we seen clips of a coach screaming at a sideline judge, headset askew and spittle spraying, before that official, stone-faced, throws a yellow flag into the air? To see an official cursing at a player, though … that virtually never happens. Until it seems like it did. Seeman has been suspended for two games, the NFL said on Monday. Another official, Adrian Hill, was also suspended for one game after a separate incident in Sunday’s Vikings-Dolphins game, during which Minnesota linebacker Eric Wilson appeared to accidentally run into Hill after a play. It looked like Wilson tried to help Hill up, and Hill reacted animatedly in response. A league source, who was granted anonymity because they were not cleared to speak publicly on the matter, specified that both suspensions are without pay. The league said both suspensions were for “an instance of unprofessional conduct,” on which point many would agree. And sure, credit to the NFL for acting swiftly on the matter. But what else was the league going to do? The video created accountability. You know, the thing the league makes sure the players face when it comes to officiating or even touchdown celebrations. My second thought, after seeing the video of McBride and Seeman, was: What if there were no camera around to catch the incident? Would Seeman still be held accountable? Or would this just turn into another story swapped between players, coaches and officials — all of whom can speak to the intense emotions of a game, and the outbursts those emotions yield? That camera forced the NFL to take a genuine look at a moment when the discrepancy between what the league allows for some, but prohibits for others, was on full display. Players and coaches are fined by the NFL when they publicly criticize referees. If an organization disagrees or wants clarity from the league on certain calls, it has to submit them for review and response. That is the only course of action; it’s hardly a soothing one. It might make things worse, as in a notable case last week when Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay said the league told him that, upon review, a controversial pass interference call that held significant weight in a loss to the Denver Broncos was actually incorrect. McVay was responding to a question posed by local reporters. The league’s own response? To share a not-so-subtle memo reminding clubs that such conversations between teams and officials are to remain confidential. I.e., “we may have gotten it wrong, but don’t you dare talk about it.” And had McBride engaged in a hostile manner with the official (either to prompt the incident, or in response), he would likely be the one subject to an in-game or retroactive league penalty. (CBS sideline reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala, who was standing nearby during the entire interaction, said that McBride did not curse at Seeman. The Cardinals declined to comment when asked about the sequence of events.) In Minnesota, all Wilson could do was appear to try, and fail, to explain the innocent nature of the collision to Hill, and then walk away. On to the next play. The NFL’s system working as designed — by the NFL. Officiating is a really difficult and brutally public part-time profession. The people who do it truly love it, because otherwise why subject themselves to the ire of at least one-half of a stadium each week? It is a human craft, and therefore inevitably flawed. And so I do believe there have to be some boundaries in place to protect officials from unnecessary criticism from fans and organizations; however, the players and coaches draw the short straw here when they can’t say anything in disagreement. This is the imbalanced system the league has installed: The referees officiate the games, the players and coaches don’t like some of their calls but can’t say so or change them and the NFL makes decisions for profit that make everyone’s jobs harder. In September, the league fined San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk, Indianapolis Colts guard Matt Goncalves, Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson and Denver Broncos guard Quinn Meinerz, among others, for their celebrations. The NFL’s code of conduct is collectively bargained with the NFL Players Association, but the nature of these supposed infractions stood out. Meinerz said the fine came because he mimicked a dice roll, which the league called an illegal celebration. Juszczyk and Goncalves both celebrated by pretending to drink a beverage. Juszczyk, whose nickname is “Juice” and who has long celebrated by drinking out of an imaginary juice carton, said the league told him he was imitating drinking a beer — which he has denied. Goncalves didn’t deny the nature of his pretend beverage, but aptly noted that the NFL itself is partnered with Bud Light (and has been since 2011). The NFL used words like “offensive demonstration” to categorize some of the gestures. This, despite profiting from its beer partnership. This, despite having commercial agreements with multiple sportsbooks, each of which can say it is an “official sportsbook of the NFL.” The league doesn’t want its players to hint at anything involving beer or gambling but instead to pantomime a perfect game, all while it crawls into bed with imperfect entities. It doesn’t want its officials criticized by players or coaches, even while it directly associates with a gambling industry that incites more pressure from the public than ever on them all. Sunday, that sideline camera gave everyone a look at a small moment of inequity: what an official appeared to do when he thought nobody was looking, involving a player who wouldn’t be allowed to complain about it. But it was just a reminder of the bigger system at work, one that goes beyond referees and fines and eventually broadens to every corner of the NFL. It’s a system that often says it wants to partner with players but can never authentically do so when it assigns them different standards from its own, then actually partners with entities that reduce players to product. Will the NFL ever offer to turn that camera on itself? Will it even care about what it might see? And this from Armando Salguero of Outkick: We all rolled our eyes when commissioner Roger Goodell spoke glowingly about NFL officiating at the Super Bowl a few years ago and continually defended it years afterward, saying officials do great work considering their tough jobs and dismissing theories they favor one team over others, and this offseason even giving them a pay raise. Then Monday happened which, perhaps, helps the league and its executives understand what has only been whispered in closed-door meetings before: NFL officiating is out of control. First a quick reminder about what happened on Monday: The league suspended referee Adrian Hill for one game and line judge Jeff Seeman two games for separate instances of “unprofessional conduct toward a player.” Both officials let their emotions get the better of them. Seeman cursed out Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride and Hill made physical contact with Eric Wilson because he believed the Vikings linebacker knocked him to the turf. (In fact, Wilson was pushed into Hill by a Dolphins player and that’s how the ref ended up on his back). The suspensions were not unprecedented but rare. The last time multiple officials were suspended in the same season, much less on the same day, was in 1968 when six of them got suspended for one game because they all lost track of the downs during a game between the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams. In the 58 seasons between then and Monday, only six other officials were suspended by the NFL. That history tells you the NFL believes what happened over the weekend to be a milestone and perhaps it is. Because, as several NFL sources told OutKick, perhaps it marks the moment the league sends its officiating community the message that everything is most definitely not alright. Coaches, players and fans already knew that. But until Monday the NFL was “publicly in denial,” one source said. Ask Rams coach Sean McVay. He said last week the NFL admitted to him its officials blew a key pass interference call in the Rams’ game against the Denver Broncos. You know what the NFL’s reaction was to McVay being transparent about the officiating mistake? It sent out a memo reminding coaches, executives and staff that “all such conversations are confidential and are not to be discussed publicly and League discipline may be imposed on club personnel for breaching that confidentiality.” So days before the league announced it was disciplining two officials for their mistakes its position about making mistakes public was something akin to, “Say nothing.” The hope is that course does not continue, multiple NFL sources told OutKick, because complaints have been pouring from coaches, executives and even some owners wanting the league to make officials more accountable. Accountability is probably in order because NFL officials are on some kind of heater the first four weeks of this season. Consider there were 14 games on Sunday and NFL officials called 255 penalties in those games combined, according to NFLpenalties.com. That averages out to slightly more than 18 penalties per game. That was the most of any week in over a decade. According to the analytics wiz at SharpFootballAnalysis.com, offensive units are getting flagged at the highest per-snap rate of any first four weeks of a season since 2000. That means the NFL, which has in the past decade installed rules to encourage offense and points, is seeing its officials stall offenses more than ever this millennium. And through Sunday’s games, officials nullified 17 TDs because of penalties. That number was nine the previous two seasons — combined. The handful of executives who spoke with OutKick anonymously on Monday said it behooves players and coaches to play within the rules. They say in most cases, officials are calling what they think they’re seeing. But they also are frustrated by officials being more willing to actively become part of the game. “Some of these guys seem to believe the game is better off in their hands than in the hands of the players and coaches,” one NFC executive said. “It’s ego.” This executive wasn’t pointing to Seeman or Hill. He was pointing to flags thrown in the biggest moments of multiple games. Officials in the past often let the players play through those big moments, but seem more willing to become part of the game’s outcome now. A statistic that backs that is the NFL has seen the most penalties on third- and fourth-downs in the second half of games dating back at least to 2000, per Sharp. The Chargers and Seahawks combined for 30 accepted penalties totaling 280 yards on Sunday. Seattle coach Mike Macdonald took the seven personal foul penalties his team got quite personally. “This is going to be a through, not around, next 24-to-48 hours on how we address the penalties,” Macdonald said. The NFL is expected to do some of the same with its officials. Thoughts from the DB: 1 – We think it funny that many on-line account blames officials, and only officials, for the rise in flags. Like they shouldn’t call obvious false starts. 2 – And, we kind of feel for Adrian Hill who got hit and knocked over, didn’t know that totality of the circumstances, popped off quickly, then settled down. One game seems harsh. 3 – As for Seeman, no sympathy for him firing F bombs at any time, but especially when the once-complaining player is heading away. 4 – Looking online we see, as we always do, innumerable references to McBride having problems with an NFL referee. Jeff Seeman is not an “NFL referee”, he is an NFL line judge. Only the white hat who stands behind the play is a referee. They all are officials, the other six with specific positions. So after that lecture, we find out that the collective bargaining association for the officials bills itself as the NFL Referees Association. And they are mad. The NFL Referees Association believes the league is being over-officious when it comes to the discipline imposed on a pair of officials. Referee Adrian Hill was suspended one game for his interaction with Vikings linebacker Eric Wilson. Line judge Jeff Seeman was suspended two games for the comments he made to Cardinals tight end Trey McBride. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the union representing the NFL’s game officials said this: “The NFL Referees Association believes the suspensions imposed by the NFL on two officials following incidents this past weekend were excessive and inconsistent with past precedent. Given these concerns, the NFLRA will challenge the severity of those suspensions and meet with the NFL Officiating Department to discuss the League’s disciplinary standards. The association also plans to meet with NFL Players Association leadership to address on-field conduct and the growing levels of confrontation between players and officials.” The statement also included a quote from NFLRA executive director Scott Green. “NFL officials have a responsibility to conduct themselves professionally on the field, and the actions in these incidents fell short of that standard,” Green said. “Accountability matters, but that should not result in discipline that is excessive or inconsistent with established precedent. “Officials are routinely subjected to highly charged interactions and, at times, verbal abuse from players and coaches. While that never excuses misconduct by an official, it shouldn’t be dismissed as simply part of the game. The League expects the highest level of professionalism from its officials, and it should demand the same from everyone on the field. “We will defend the principle that discipline must be fair, consistent and proportionate. Holding officials accountable while ignoring or minimizing the conduct directed at them is neither fair nor an effective way to address this issue. We look forward to working with the League and NFLPA toward that shared goal.” Ultimately, it’s a labor-management issue. The league has created a workplace precedent over the years when it comes to discipline. The NFLRA will argue that the punishment exceeds the established pattern and practice. And the arbitration procedures in the collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and the NFLRA will drive the final analysis. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com, like the DB, thinks Hill got a raw deal with an unfortunate linkage to the profane Seeman. And reminds us that Hill has already suffered grievous injury: On Monday, the NFL did what it needed to do, as to a pair of officials who failed to act the way officials should act. Line judge Jeff Seeman was suspended two games for his double-F-bomb directed to Cardinals tight end Trey McBride. Referee Adrian Hill received a one-game suspension for his overreactive interaction with Vikings linebacker Eric Wilson after Wilson accidentally knocked Hill to the ground. Hill may not have been suspended without the Jeff Seeman incident. Hill didn’t know why or how he got knocked down. He reacted to a misimpression of the situation. And for good reason. Last year, Hill suffered a non-contact leg injury during a Thursday night game between the Bills and Texans. He’s surely sensitive to the possibility of getting injured again. The NFL Players Association, which objected to the Seeman incident with a strong statement from executive director JC Tretter, had nothing to say about the Hill-Wilson exchange. Regardless, the league took action as to both Seeman and Hill. The league had no choice. The officials are supposed to be neutral, measured, and detached. They’re the judges in the courtroom that is a football field. And judges typically don’t say “fuck you” to the lawyers or the parties who appear before them. (A judge or two may have wanted to say it to me during my former career, but never did. At least not loud enough for me to hear it.) Appearances matter. How can anyone expect the players and coaches to restrict their behavior if the officials can’t, or won’t? Besides, the NFL has suddenly gone fine-happy over previously acceptable celebrations by players. Also, it’s constantly looking for any type of actual or perceived “taunting” indignity that could increase the on-field temperature between players. That standard should apply to officials — and it should be an even higher bar. The league has proven that it is. And that it will. |
