The trading deadline came and went and the fire sale was in Washington with two premium pass rushers shipped out.

The 49ers made a bold play sending a 3^rd for expiring EDGE CHASE YOUNG.

And the Bears, were surprising buyers, taking DE MONTEZ SWEAT off the Commanders hands for a 2^nd.

The Seahawks, on Monday, gave up a 2^nd and a 5^th for DL LEONARD WILLIAMS.

Of the 10 trades made since October 20, those were the only three that involved a 3^rdround pick or higher.

NFC NORTH

CHICAGO

A tweet from Jeremy Layton:

@JeremyLayt0n

just a quick recap of everything that has happened in the last 96ish hours with the Chicago Bears

– blown out by the Chargers on national TV

– it’s then speculated that Bears brass fed criticism to NBC announcers about Justin Fields, who was injured and didn’t play in that game, which was then repeated on the broadcast

– Matt Eberflus doesn’t rule out Fields for Saints game, but says Tyson Bagent is starting

– Bears “allow Jaylon Johnson to seek a trade” after lowballing their best defensive player on an extension, but don’t end up trading him, and now he won’t listen to extension talks for the rest of season until he’s a free agent

– they trade a high second-round pick for Montez Sweat, who is in the final year of his contract, without the framework for an extension in place, later revealing that the best they can do is “make an effort”

– running backs coach David Walker is fired after repeated HR violations, the second HR-involved firing this season

Alyssa Barbieri of USA TODAY with more on item #2 above:

You would’ve thought Chicago benched Fields for Bagent the way Collinsworth kept piling on during Sunday night’s broadcast.

The most egregious moment came when Collinsworth said the Bears should make Fields “study” Bagent, an undrafted rookie who just made his second NFL start.

“These couple of games, however long Bagent stays the starting quarterback, they’re gonna have Justin Fields study this guy,” Collinsworth said. And you can imagine the collective eye rolling that happened across the country.

Collinsworth’s commentary was frustrating and tiresome, and there are some — including 670 the Score’s Dan Bernstein — who believe this was an inside job.

“They just ignore the fact that he’s hurt,” Bernstein said of Bears coaches. “And the moment that they get their chance, the moment (the Bears) get to national TV, then they start that little back-stabbing whisper campaign. It sucks. It sucks. If you don’t want to coach him, get out. Kevin Warren, Ryan Poles, whatever it is, don’t make this mistake again. Whoever the next guy is … I feel terrible for what happened to Justin Fields in this.”

More on the departure of the running backs coach, David Walker, from Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com:

The Chicago Bears fired running backs coach David Walker, coach Matt Eberflus announced Wednesday morning.

A source told ESPN that Walker’s dismissal was because of his behavior in the workplace. Walker had been previously reprimanded by the Bears’ human resources department for workplace conduct, according to the source, and a second such instance led to his firing.

“As the head coach, we are building a program and have standards to uphold to as a staff and organization both on and off the field, and those standards were not met,” Eberflus said.

Eberflus added that Walker’s dismissal was “disappointing from my vantage point.”

“We have a standard to uphold to,” he said. “When that standard is not met, we act. We act accordingly, and that’s what we did today.”

Walker, 53, is the second Bears assistant coach to leave the staff this season. Former defensive coordinator Alan Williams resigned on Sept. 20, citing the need to “take care of my health and family.”

The Bears’ HR department also was involved in the decision that led to Williams’ resignation, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter, but that instance is not related to Walker’s firing.

Eberflus said the Bears made the decision to fire Walker collectively with the support of general manager Ryan Poles, president/CEO Kevin Warren and team ownership.

Though Eberflus expressed disappointment over the firing, he also doubled down in his belief that the Bears do not have a culture issue despite the abrupt departures of two assistant coaches and other off-field matters that have surfaced throughout the first eight weeks of the season.

“The culture in our building is outstanding,” Eberflus said. “The guys work hard every single day. The relationship piece is there. We care about each other. We’re working diligently to get this thing turned. We’re 2-2 in our last four. One game was real close, we had a chance at that one. We really feel we’re turning the corner there, and we are excited about this week.

“But to answer your question, our culture is awesome.”

When asked to describe the specific “standard” he referenced multiple times, Eberflus pointed to the set of guidelines he says he addressed with the entire team when he was hired.

“It’s really clear, in terms of how we treat each other with respect,” Eberflus said. “Being on time and working hard — that’s the first thing I laid out to everybody in the building. That’s the standard that we operate in. And then we have standards on the field, for operation in terms of performance. Your standard of performance on the field is based on effort, based on focus, based on intensity and we measure every one of those every single day, in practice and in the games relative to the players’ performance. But yeah, it’s very clean-cut.”

Eberflus said there were no red flags with Walker’s behavior and that he takes pride in the process he used when hiring coaches onto his staff.

“I would just say that when you look at things, you’ve got to make sure you look at everything and I think we did that,” Eberflus said. “I know we did that. Again, this is a process where something happened and then we’re taking action on it. We all came together to do it. It was good.”

Bears assistant coach Omar Young, who has been working with wide receivers and quarterbacks, will take over coaching Chicago’s running backs.

MINNESOTA

Kevin O’Connell signals the Vikings will indeed try to get QB KIRK COUSINS to put ink to paper on a Minnesota contract for at least 2024.  Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins won’t play again in 2023. There’s no reason to think he won’t play in 2024.

Even though he’s due to become a free agent and the Vikings have no way to prevent Cousins from entering the open market in March, Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell made it clear on Tuesday that he’d like to see Cousins come back next year.

“Kirk Cousins is going to be healthy again,” O’Connell told reporters. “I know he’s going to be a free agent after this season, but Kirk knows how I feel about him and that will be something, you know, that hopefully will work itself out. . . . You guys know how I feel about Kirk. Kirk knows how I feel about Kirk. I think he was playing as well as anybody in the National Football League.”

Cousins arrived in Minnesota in 2018, as a free agent. The fact that the Vikings had not extended his contract this year created the impression that the Vikings were willing, if not inclined, to move forward without him after 2023.

Now, that all changes. Cousins was thriving under O’Connell this year. The injury could make that a lot easier to yet again continue the relationship, from reducing his options to making him and the Vikings determined to try it again next year.

The Vikings went out and acquired QB JOSH DOBBS from the Cardinals.  Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com:

The Minnesota Vikings solidified their immediate path at quarterback Tuesday following the loss of Kirk Cousins, naming rookie Jaren Hall their starter for at least one week and acquiring veteran Joshua Dobbs from the Arizona Cardinals as his likely backup.

Pending Dobbs passing a physical, the Vikings would acquire him and a conditional seven-round pick in the 2024 draft for a 2024 sixth-round pick. The conditional pick can become a sixth-round selection based on Dobbs’ playing time, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The moves came after a whirlwind 48 hours in which team officials discussed multiple short- and long-term plans at the position in response to Cousins’ season-ending right Achilles injury. Ultimately, they settled on an immediate approach that gives them “multiple guys that we feel we can go out and win with,” coach Kevin O’Connell said.

“The way I really see it as, hopefully, Jaren goes out and plays great on Sunday [against the Atlanta Falcons] and there’s a lot to build off of there,” O’Connell added. “We’re still going to prepare Josh Dobbs like he’s not only one snap away, but just as we move forward, evaluate what gives us the best possible chance to win.”

The timing of Cousins’ injury left the Vikings thin at the position with veteran backup Nick Mullens on injured reserve because of a back ailment. The only other quarterback in the building was Sean Mannion, who was added to the practice squad when Mullens was injured. But the Vikings are still hoping to contend for a playoff spot after pulling their record even at 4-4, and team officials believed they needed a better option behind Hall than Mannion.

Dobbs started the Cardinals’ first eight games, throwing for 1,569 yards with eight touchdowns and five interceptions, while starter Kyler Murray continued his rehabilitation from a knee injury. The Cardinals are 1-7 this season.

“Just want to thank Josh for his contributions. He came in, battled, he’s an ultimate pro,” Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon said Tuesday. “What he did for us and our team, can’t thank him enough. Josh is excited for the opportunity to go to Minnesota and go play. We’re excited for him.”

O’Connell had said Monday that the Vikings would consider adding a more prominent quarterback if they could do it within the “dual worlds” of their competitive rebuild, an approach designed to remain in playoff contention while overhauling the roster. Dobbs would not necessarily figure into their future plans, but his acquisition also did not extract the kind of resources the Vikings hope to use to build their 2024 team and beyond.

NFC SOUTH

ATLANTA

Coach Arthur Smith provides little info beyond an announcement that QB TAYLOR HEINICKE has supplanted DESMOND RIDDER this week.  Michael Rothstein ofESPN.com:

On Sunday, Taylor Heinicke insisted the Atlanta Falcons were still Desmond Ridder’s team. By Wednesday, the Falcons have — at least for now — named Heinicke the team’s starting quarterback.

Falcons coach Arthur Smith, in announcing the move, made it clear it was a decision for this week. He declined to answer multiple questions about whether Heinicke’s role as Atlanta’s starter could last beyond Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings or explain too much about why the team made the decision.

“There’s a lot of variables,” Smith said. “Then, really, considering the last 72 hours and kind of where we’re at right now, going into this week with Minnesota, getting ready to play the Vikings, obviously a really good team coming in here.

“Going with Taylor, and that’s why he’s here right now.”

Smith said that Ridder has cleared the concussion protocol tests and that as long as the week goes well, he will serve as the No. 2 quarterback to Heinicke. This conversation started because Ridder was evaluated for a concussion during the team’s 28-23 loss to the Tennessee Titans, a game in which Heinicke replaced Ridder at halftime.

On Sunday, Smith said the Falcons didn’t pull Ridder for performance but rather because he seemed “off” despite clearing testing and, with the rhythm they were in, they wanted to stick with Heinicke. On Monday, Smith said he was going to lean on the medical experts first in making decisions on who his starting quarterback would be against Minnesota. On Wednesday, Smith said Ridder is “clear, [will] be available, but just right now in the short term, it’ll be Taylor this Sunday.”

Smith said that there is no long-term plan in mind when it comes to Heinicke vs. Ridder at this point in Atlanta and that the Falcons, tied for the NFC South lead at 4-4 with the New Orleans Saints, are focused solely on Minnesota and a Vikings squad that will be starting rookie Jaren Hall, a fifth-round pick this year, at quarterback Sunday.

“There are a lot of variables, just kind of looking at it in the short term,” Smith said. “But really our focus is short term and what gives us the best chance Sunday, everything considered, a lot of variables.”

Smith declined to get into medical conversations about where Ridder is at — Smith had mentioned discussions with medical staffs Sunday and Monday — other than to say he’s cleared. He also didn’t get too far into the decision-making process, other than to continue to say there were “a lot of variables.”

Is this performance-based? “There’s a lot of variables,” Smith said.

Is this a medical decision? “A lot of variables,” Smith said.

Could the Falcons be using this as a reset for Ridder after three turnover-filled starts? Smith: “There’s a lot of variables that go into it.”

From a performance perspective, Ridder completed 65.4% of his passes this season for 1,701 yards, 6 touchdowns and 6 interceptions in his eight starts. He also had seven fumbles — six lost. The past three weeks he combined for seven turnovers — four fumbles lost and three interceptions, with four turnovers coming in the red zone. Atlanta went 1-2 in those games, defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but with losses to the Washington Commanders and Tennessee.

This isn’t the first time Heinicke has been placed in this position. Last season, he replaced Carson Wentz in Washington. In 2021, he started 15 games after the team’s initial starting quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick, was injured in the season opener.

Heinicke, who is from Atlanta, has played in 34 career games with 25 starts — completing 63.7% of his passes for 5,920 yards, 35 touchdowns and 24 interceptions.

Part of the reason Atlanta signed Heinicke was his experience and what Smith called his “spatial awareness, he’s got a unique ability to extend plays,” and also his decision-making in getting the ball out of his hands to a potential pass-catcher. Having faced — and lost to — Heinicke the past two seasons when he was in Washington also helped in the franchise’s evaluation before bringing him in as the backup to Ridder.

“You have moments in the season where things come up,” Smith said. “He’s a legitimate pro and that’s why we like him. He goes in there and that’s not an easy job, I guess, you know, coming out of the bathroom and telling him ‘Hey, here’s the ball, go play.’

“That’s what makes Taylor who he is and why we have such appreciation for him.”

Heinicke found out he was playing Sunday against Tennessee while he was in the bathroom at halftime. He then came out and completed 12 of 21 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown. The offense also moved smoother with Heinicke in the second half.

It’s unclear whether Heinicke will have his top receiver Sunday, either. Drake London left the loss to Tennessee with a groin injury and while he told ESPN on Sunday he’ll be “fine,” he won’t practice Wednesday. Smith said they’ll have to see how the week goes whether or not London, who has 37 catches for 438 yards and two touchdowns, is available against Minnesota.

Smith said they considered “everything” when making the decision to start Heinicke this week as he tried to avoid reactionary thinking. Eventually, this is where he came down. Starting Heinicke over Ridder — at least for one game.

Could it be more? Smith was “not gonna get into hypotheticals,” either, as to whether Heinicke’s performance against Minnesota could alter how the franchise handles the position the rest of the season.

“Every Monday, you know, that’s our job and everything that goes on, you evaluate,” Smith said. “That’s our job to constantly evaluate everything.”

More from Rothstein:

How did we get here? And how permanent might this change be? Let’s explain it all.

Why did the Falcons bench Ridder?

Atlanta has been adamant this is a health issue, rather than Ridder’s performance. The quarterback was evaluated for a concussion in Sunday’s loss to the Tennessee Titans. He was cleared to start the second half, but coach Arthur Smith said Heinicke started in his place out of an abundance of caution.

Smith also floated that perhaps Ridder’s health could have affected his performance.

“Obviously going to listen to the medical experts first, and then we’ve got to evaluate, you know, short term, what’s the best thing for Des,” Smith said. “What’s the best thing for this team to go win one game against Minnesota.”

Ridder has had issues with turnovers the past three weeks with four lost fumbles (three in the red zone) and three interceptions. Critical errors have overshadowed the progress Ridder appeared to make in other areas, including some of his reads and his speed getting the ball out. In three of his last four games, according to ESPN Stats & Information, Ridder was getting the ball out in an average of 2.54 seconds or better. In his first three games this season, his quickest average time before pass was 2.64 seconds.

On Wednesday, Smith said “a lot of variables” went into the decision to start Heinicke.

Why are they turning to Heinicke?

He’s been the backup to Ridder, and a capable one at that. Heinicke came into the game in relief of Ridder on Sunday and completed 12 of 21 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown. That is exactly what to expect from Heinicke, who is a career 63.7% passer and has shown he can come in for this type of role.

After Sunday’s loss, receiver Scott Miller said they were able to get into a rhythm and get first downs, while making clear he believes in both quarterbacks.

“Taylor came in, he was doing his thing,” Miller told ESPN on Sunday. “He was balling, so we just kind of took his energy and took it from there.”

Heinicke made clear after Sunday’s game he still believes this is Ridder’s team, but he’s a veteran of this particular scenario. He started almost all of the 2021 season in place of the injured Ryan Fitzpatrick and then last year replaced Carson Wentz in Washington.

“This isn’t foreign territory to me,” Heinicke said. “I’ve lived this the last two years. They brought me here to back up Des and help in any way. And if he goes down for any reason, to go in there and do that.”

So whether it’s for one week or something more permanent, it’s going to be Heinicke’s show on Sunday. What happens from there might depend on how he does.

“Taylor stepped in and he did a really good job of just keeping the momentum up,” running back Bijan Robinson said. “He’s a veteran, so he’s been in situations like that before, that he was comfortable in and he made it really easy for himself and this offense to adjust with him.

“We practiced with him for so long now. He did a really good job of keeping ourselves on track and putting the ball where it needs to be and getting it out quick. And he just brings that veteran element. He did a good job [Sunday].”

Robinson was quick to say the team is comfortable with both Heinicke and Ridder.

How does Heinicke change the Falcons’ offense?

In one week, probably not much. Smith will adjust, but don’t expect massive changes.

What stood out from how Heinicke played Sunday is that it appeared he was in a fast rhythm and getting the ball out fast and to a specific spot. Atlanta might lean in more on that.

“You want to play to a player’s strengths,” Smith said. “They both have their strengths in certain ways, but we were able to consistently stay on track a little bit better. A lot of the plays that we hit, they weren’t just dropbacks or quick games.

“There were some good play-action shots, too. So it wasn’t like this wholesale change.”

If Heinicke ends up starting for more than one or two weeks, Smith and his staff can use the bye week to implement more of what might work best for Heinicke into the overall game plan.

But for Sunday, a lot will look similar to what Atlanta has done the first half of the season. The Falcons put up over 400 yards of offense for three straight games prior to the loss to the Titans with Ridder at quarterback.

What does this mean for the Falcons’ playoff hopes?

Sunday will tell a lot. The Falcons are tied with the Saints for first place in the NFC South and have won the two division games they’ve played (at Tampa Bay and home against Carolina). Atlanta still has to play the Saints twice.

Minnesota is also playing without its starting quarterback, Kirk Cousins, and should be a beatable team after losing Cousins for the season. Atlanta is a five-point favorite.

With the muddle that is the NFC South, Atlanta should be in it for a while regardless of quarterback. If Heinicke plays well and wins a game (or two, if he were to start against the Arizona Cardinals), then the Falcons would probably have to consider rolling with the hot quarterback.

Ridder kept Atlanta in contention and was showing progress, so for now, everything feels week to week.

NFC WEST

SAN FRANCISCO

Jeff Kerr of CBSSports.com applauds the 49ers for landing EDGE CHASE YOUNG:

With the trade deadline now complete, here are this year’s winners and losers:

Winner: Chase Young, San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers made another huge trade an hour before the deadline, sending a 2024 third-round pick to the Washington Commanders for Young. The 49ers struck gold when they acquired Christian McCaffrey last year, although they gave up significantly more assets for him and his contract than Young, who is a free agent at the end of the year.

The 49ers’ pass rush becomes significantly better with Young joining Nick Bosa on the edge and Javon Hargrave on the interior. They also acquired Randy Gregory earlier in the month and still have Arik Armstead on the defensive front, so there are still big names on that line.

The combination of Bosa and Young is scary, and the 49ers have a bye week to get Young acclimated. Bosa and Young also played together at Ohio State, so the duo is already familiar with one another. Young should work out, but will the run game be better with him there? That’s the 49ers biggest concern going forward.

LOS ANGELES RAMS

With QB MATTHEW STAFFORD ailing, the Rams thought QB JOHN WOLFORD, cooling his heels on Tampa Bay’s practice squad would be thrilled to return to be tutored again by Sean McVay.  He wasn’t.  Diana Russini of The Athletic:

@DMRussini

While the Rams were expecting to sign QB John Wolford off the Bucs practice squad, they were informed tonight that Wolford prefers to stay in Tampa Bay with the Bucs, per sources.

Wolford was added to the Buccaneers active roster as a term of his loyalty.

The guy the Rams did sign sounds like window dressing.  Charean Williams ofESPN.com:

The Rams finally have found a quarterback to add.

After being turned down by John Wolford, who signed to the Buccaneers’ active roster Tuesday, the Rams have agreed to terms with Dresser Winn, Jourdan Rodrigue of TheAthletic.com reports.

Winn is expected to sign with the team’s practice squad.

He spent training camp with the Rams after signing as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Tennessee at Martin in May.

Winn completed 3 of 5 passes for 21 yards in the Rams’ preseason finale.

He threw for 2,928 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2022 for UT Martin. Winn finished his college career with the fifth-most passing yards (5,800), fifth-most touchdown passes (37) and fourth-most completions (492) in team history.

AFC WEST

LAS VEGAS

Josh McDaniels said he might change quarterbacks this week.

But instead, owner Mark Davis changed coaches,

And the GM.

Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com:

The Las Vegas Raiders fired coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler, the team announced Tuesday night.

“After much thought about what the Raiders need to move forward, I have decided to part ways with Josh and Dave,” owner Mark Davis said in a statement. “I want to thank them both for their hard work and wish them and their families nothing but the best.”

Reached by phone and asked to elaborate on the reason for the firings, Davis told ESPN, “No comment at this time.”

The Raiders named linebackers coach Antonio Pierce as their interim head coach. The team also said that current assistant general manager Champ Kelly will serve as interim GM. In announcing those promotions, the organization said it is committed to undergoing “a comprehensive search” for a head coach and general manager “once the season is complete.”

Davis would not say who would take on offensive playcalling duties, as that was McDaniels’ job. Phone calls to McDaniels and Ziegler were not returned.

The move comes one day after the Raiders lost 26-14 at Detroit on “Monday Night Football,” Las Vegas’ second consecutive defeat in which the team’s offense could get no traction. The defeat dropped the Raiders’ record to 3-5.

McDaniels and Ziegler, both hired in January 2022, inherited a 10-7 team that made an unexpected run to the playoffs during the 2021 season — just the organization’s second postseason bid since 2002 — under interim coach Rich Bisaccia and then-GM Mike Mayock, who took over following the in-season resignation of coach Jon Gruden.

Davis said at the time that McDaniels and Ziegler were expected to take the team to the “next step” in its evolution. Instead, the Raiders went a combined 9-16 without a playoff appearance under the new regime.

McDaniels did not last two full seasons in his previous stop as a head coach, either, going a combined 11-17 with the Denver Broncos from 2009-10.

Davis was enamored with McDaniels’ offensive system and his pedigree as a longtime offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots, with whom he won six Super Bowl rings.

But the offensive success did not translate to Las Vegas, and the Raiders suffered some of the most embarrassing defeats in franchise history under the McDaniels-Ziegler duo. That included blowing a 20-0 halftime lead against Arizona for the biggest collapse in franchise history, losing to Indianapolis in the Colts’ first game with Jeff Saturday as interim coach after he had never coached above the high school level, blowing a double-digit lead to Baker Mayfield and the Los Angeles Rams two days after Mayfield joined his new team, and getting shut out in New Orleans when the starting offense failed to cross the 50-yard line.

Two weeks ago, Las Vegas lost 30-12 to Chicago and undrafted rookie former Division II quarterback Tyson Bagent in his first career start.

The Raiders this season moved on from nine-year starter Derek Carr, who was benched and inactive for the final two weeks of 2022. In March, they signed the oft-injured Jimmy Garoppolo — McDaniels’ former pupil in New England — to a three-year, $72.75 million free agent contract. Shortly after signing with Las Vegas, Garoppolo underwent left foot surgery that caused him to miss the entirety of the Raiders’ offseason on-field program and be on a “pitch count” in training camp.

Garoppolo has missed 2½ games this season due to a concussion and back injury and leads the NFL in interceptions with nine. He is coming off one of the worst statistical games of his career in Detroit.

The Raiders currently have just the No. 31-ranked total offense in yards per game, are No. 32 in rushing yards per game and rank No. 30 in points scored per game (15.8). All-Pros Davante Adams and Josh Jacobs have been underutilized at receiver and running back, respectively, for most of the season. Adams had one catch for 11 yards at Detroit and has not caught a TD pass since Week 3, while Jacobs, the NFL’s reigning rushing leader, has yet to record a 100-yard rushing game this season, bottoming out at -2 yards in a Week 2 blowout loss at the Buffalo Bills.

Then there’s former Pro Bowl slot receiver Hunter Renfrow, who caught 103 passes in 2021, but has just 10 receptions on 16 targets this season.

Pierce will be the eighth different coach, interim or regular, for the Raiders since Davis took over control of the team after the death of his father, Al Davis, in October 2011. He follows Hue Jackson, Dennis Allen, Tony Sparano, Jack Del Rio, Gruden, Bisaccia and McDaniels.

Pierce will make his NFL head-coaching debut Sunday against the 2-6 New York Giants, with whom he won a Super Bowl as a player in 2007.

Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, McDaniels received a six-year contract and has over four full years left on his contract that Las Vegas is obligated to pay.

This from Michael David Smith:

New Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce’s first decision may be to bench Jimmy Garoppolo and replace him with rookie Aidan O’Connell.

The Raiders are leaning toward O’Connell as their starting quarterback for Sunday against the Giants, according to Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

O’Connell has already started one game, when Garoppolo was hurt, and he did not play well in a loss to the Chargers. But the Raiders may feel that it makes more sense to start a rookie and see what he can do than to stick with the struggling Garoppolo or turn to their other backup, veteran Brian Hoyer.

The report that the Raiders are leaning toward O’Connell came out before it was even announced that Pierce has replaced the fired Josh McDaniels, which may indicate that owner Mark Davis is the one who wants to see O’Connell start.

Shocking details of the firing are circulating on Twitter – but they are NOT, repeat NOT, true:

Josh McDaniels was fired by the Las Vegas Raiders late last night, midway through his second season as head coach of the franchise.

We don’t have details about how owner Mark Davis notified McDaniels he was being let go, but one thing is clear: the story being circulated on X/Twitter involving a fortune cookie is completely false.

The hoax says that McDaniels dressed up as Davis for Halloween, with the executive ordering food from his his beloved P.F. Chang’s so the embattled coach could complete his costume.

Among the items in the delivery was a fortune cookie telling McDaniels he was being fired.

Sounds funny, but again, not true.

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com offers advice:

Congratulations, Raiders fans. You got rid of your head coach.

Condolences, Raiders fans. You’re stuck with your owner.

As 49ers CEO Jed York once said during a period of pronounced dysfunction within his team, you can’t fire the owner. No, you can’t. Even if the owner needs to be fired.

Mark Davis needs to be fired. His track record as owner of the team, since inheriting it from his father in 2011, has been abysmal. Mark Davus has hired the wrong people at the wrong time. He has fired the right people at the wrong time. The team has been abysmal on his watch. If he had accountability to anyone, he would no longer have a job.

If, as we believe he does, Mark Davis loves the Raiders, he should get out of the way. He could cash out for perhaps $10 billion. If he hopes to still hold the pink slip and to be a glorified fan, he should hire a surrogate owner to do everything that a functional owner would and should do.

Davis, to be sure, isn’t the only owner who is unfit to properly own a multi-billion-dollar NFL franchise. But his firing of coach Josh McDaniels and G.M. Dave Ziegler puts him under the microscope. And the sample being magnified shows a virus. A plague. A person who is simply not fit to own and operate an NFL team.

But, again, there’s no mechanism for making a change. Raiders fans are stuck with him. Unless and until he gets out of the way.

He should get out of the way. He should either sell the team or find someone who can run it for him. It’s been 12 years. It’s not working.

Really, does anyone have any faith that Davis will make a good hire as the team’s next head coach? Does anyone have any faith that, if he were to hire a surrogate owner, he’d hire a good one?

The best outcome for Raiders fans would be for Davis to sell. And to then hope that the next owner, whose only requirement for getting the team will be to make the highest bid, will know how to properly own and operate an NFL franchise.

Meanwhile, Davis’s 31 business partners hope he doesn’t sell. Because they surely love competing with him.

AFC SOUTH

JACKSONVILLE

Jordan Dajani of CBSSports.com on what the Jaguars got in G EZRA CLEVELAND and why the 4-4 Vikings felt him expendable:

The 6-2 Jacksonville Jaguars are adding help on the offensive line at the NFL trade deadline, as they have acquired Ezra Cleveland from the Minnesota Vikings for a 2024 sixth-round pick.

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson was on “The Pat McAfee Show” when the trade was first reported, and he called Cleveland a “starting-type guard” who solidifies their talented offensive line. In Jacksonville, Cleveland is reunited with offensive line coach Phil Rauscher, who spent two seasons with Cleveland in Minnesota.

Cleveland was selected by the Vikings with the No. 58 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft out of Boise State. He has started in 49 of 53 games played over four NFL seasons, and has a 73.8 PFF grade this year, along with just one sack allowed. Cleveland is on an expiring deal, and was viewed as a trade candidate in the weeks leading up to the deadline.

Let’s attempt to grade this trade:

Jaguars: A-

Cleveland was arguably the top guard on the “trade market,” and he aids Jacksonville’s goal of keeping Trevor Lawrence upright. The former second-round pick has played both left and right guard, and figures to fit in on the interior down south as well. However, some believe Cleveland could be a tackle, which is a decision Jacksonville will have to make in the future. Either way, the Jaguars land a legitimate starter on the offensive line that possesses versatility for at least this season.

Vikings: C

It felt like Cleveland was on his way out of Minnesota with his expiring deal and with Dalton Risner having already filled his spot on the line. Cleveland is worth more than a sixth-round pick, but it appears the Vikings weren’t going to go above and beyond to keep him in the fold next offseason.

AFC EAST

BUFFALO

The Bills traded for a cornerback, one RASUL DOUGLAS formerly of the Packers, on Tuesday.  Jordan Dajani of CBSSports.com breaks it down:

The Buffalo Bills have made a much-needed addition in the secondary at the 2023 NFL trade deadline, as general manager Brandon Beane sent a third-round pick to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for cornerback Rasul Douglas and a fifth-round pick, per NFL Media and confirmed by CBS Sports Lead NFL Insider Jonathan Jones.

NFL Media reports that the Bills made as many calls about cornerbacks or defensive backs as anyone over the past week. Ultimately, Buffalo lands the veteran Douglas. The 28 year old has spent the past two and a half seasons in Green Bay, and has recorded 32 combined tackles, six passes defensed and one interception in seven games played this year. In 36 career games for the Packers, Douglas has recorded 10 total interceptions.

Buffalo of course lost star cornerback Tre’Davious White for the season due to a torn Achilles, and then other members of the secondary have been working through various ailments over the past few weeks, such as Kaiir Elam (ankle), Dane Jackson (foot), Cam Lewis (shoulder) and Christian Benford (shoulder). The Bills allow 204.1 passing yards per game, which is above average this season (No. 10), but depth in the secondary was something the Bills wanted to address as they continue to keep pace with the Miami Dolphins in the AFC East.

Let’s attempt to grade this trade:

Bills: B+

Douglas signed a three-year, $21 million extension in March 2022 that was restructured this past offseason, but he’s played well in 2023. PFF listed Douglas as the No. 1 cornerback entering Week 8 with an 85.6 overall rating. A third-round pick for a fifth-round pick isn’t exactly chump change, but this is a deal that makes Buffalo better.

ESPN reports that one cornerback the Bills were interested in was Jaylon Johnson of the Chicago Bears, but one has to imagine Chicago wanted a premier pick for its stud corner. Douglas isn’t a terrible backup plan. He now has a chance to make an impact for a contender, and I imagine he does so in Sean McDermott’s system.

Packers: C-

The Packers secondary has taken some big hits over the past week. Darnell Savage and Eric Stokes were placed on injured reserve, and now, Douglas has been shipped out to Buffalo. Green Bay has struggled since starting the season 2-1, losing four straight contests. Now sitting at 2-5, it appears the Packers are turning their focus to 2024 and beyond.

Packers fans are going to hate this trade since it involves a defensive leader, but it’s … an OK return.

Thoughts from Matt Perrino of Syracuse.com:

Here are five immediate thoughts and a grade on the move.

Douglas in the middle of his prime

Douglas, 28, is in his seventh NFL season and just finished the best stretch of his career in Green Bay. He had 10 interceptions in 28 starts with the Packers since he signed there in 2021. A former third-round pick in 2017 by the Philadelphia Eagles, Douglas didn’t ever catch on with his first team. He started to find his way in Carolina before signing a three-year deal with the Packers worth $21 million in 2021. I wrote during that offseason the Bills should pursue Douglas in free agency before he ultimately landed in Green Bay.

What is Douglas’s contract situation?

Douglas has two years remaining on his current deal and has a $11.6 cap hit next season. The Bills could cut him if things don’t work out and add $6.4 million in cap space before June 1 or make him a post-June 1 cut and add $9 million in cap space.

Why not Jaylon Johnson from the Bears?

Johnson informed the Bears yesterday that he wanted a trade and the team allowed him to talk to teams about a potential new home. He was the top cornerback on the trade market but ultimately a deal didn’t get done. Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz reported that the Bills made an aggressive attempt to land Johnson but it appears either compensation or a new deal for Johnson ultimately held up a deal. Johnson is an emerging young cornerback but he only has a limited amount of elite production. It would be a major gamble for the Bills or any team to give him a big-money extension.

What does this mean for Tre’Davious White?

If the Bills had dealt for Johnson, the Bills might have had a hard decision on their hands with White next offseason. Douglas is a more money-friendly option that may not affect the future situation of White as he rehabs from a torn Achilles. The Bills could move on from White in the offseason, although he’s been one of the team’s leaders since it drafted him in 2017 – the same draft as Douglas.

Can Douglas play?

NFL Next Gen Stats put out a tweet after the trade showing that Douglas has only allowed 6.5 yards per target this season. That’s more than a yard fewer than any healthy cornerback currently on Buffalo’s roster. The Packers played primarily in zone coverage this season and part of the appeal to deal for Douglas is that he’s a seamless scheme fit. According to Pro Football Focus, Douglas ranks 10th among all NFL cornerbacks with at least 100 coverage snaps with a 79.6 coverage grade this season. That’s better than Jackson, Benford and Elam.

GRADE: A-

The Bills needed to add another cornerback to a depleted group that’s become reliant on unproven young players and aging veterans. Douglas is a scheme fit and he has a history of taking the ball away. Since Tre’Davious White, DaQuan Jones, and Matt Milano were injured, the Bills have struggled to pressure the quarterback and have forced just one turnover in three games. Johnson would have been the sexier acquisition but Douglas moves the needle and becomes the Bills’ top cornerback.

NEW YORK JETS

The Jets are on the cusp of the playoffs at the moment and folks are wondering if QB AARON RODGERS can ride in for the rescue soon.  GM Joe Douglas declines to give them a timetable.  Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com:

Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers reiterated on the Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday that his goal is to return this season. The Jets aren’t counting on it, but they also aren’t counting him out.

“Obviously, I’m not going to put words in Aaron’s mouth,” General Manager Joe Douglas said Tuesday, via SNY. “We’re obviously excited to see him progress through his rehab. Look, we’re taking everything day by day. Certainly, we’ll all be excited when he’s back in the fold just as a person and the leader that he is. But I’m not a doctor, so I can’t go into the specifics of the rehab, but yeah, we’re expecting Aaron to be back [with the team].”

Douglas’ comment that the Jets are expecting Rodgers back prompted a follow-up question about whether he meant this season. Douglas clarified that he meant Rodgers would be back with the team, not back playing this season.

“I’m not putting anything out there like that,” Douglas said. “That’s not my place. I’m not a doctor. I don’t have any breaking news for you like that.”

Rodgers has gone through some pregame throws, but he said Tuesday he is not jogging yet. He can put “legitimate” weight on his surgically repaired leg but, in his words, still has a long way to go.

“Look, I’ve never had that injury,” Douglas said. “Again, I’m not a doctor. I can’t speak to it, but everything I’ve heard is that just to see him doing some of the things that he’s doing. . . . Again, it’s not surprising. I think we all know the competitive makeup that Aaron has. I think he’s said it before: He has goals, and he’s going to chase those goals and he’s going to put every ounce of effort into achieving those goals. Nothing surprises me when it comes to Aaron Rodgers.”

Here is more from Rodgers himself, including his conversations with fellow Achilles victim QB KIRK COUSINS of the Vikings:

Aaron Rodgers isn’t just an Achilles patient — he’s an unofficial counselor now, too.

Rodgers, the poster boy for accelerated recovery, said he spoke Monday to Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins and offered advice on how to attack the rehab process for his torn Achilles tendon.

“I have a lot of respect for him and just got to talk to him — hopefully, encourage him a little bit,” Rodgers said Tuesday during his weekly spot on “The Pat McAfee Show.”

“It sucks. It definitely sucks. He was playing really, really well. … So, I’m disappointed for him with that injury but passed on all the information I could and let him know what’s been working for me.”

Rodgers, seven weeks removed from surgery, said he’s ahead of schedule and reiterated his goal to play again this season for the New York Jets (4-3), who have won three straight games to remain in the thick of the AFC playoff hunt.

Rodgers is rehabbing at a facility in the Los Angeles area that he called an “Achilles factory.” Also rehabbing there, Rodgers said, are teammate Alijah Vera-Tucker, Buffalo Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White and Baltimore Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins.

“Because my rehab’s been great, because I feel so good, obviously people have been interested in what I’m doing, and I’ve just been passing along what’s been working for me,” said Rodgers, adding that an Achilles tear no longer is “a death sentence” because of advancements in medicine.

On Sept. 13, Los Angeles-based surgeon Neal ElAttrache repaired Rodgers’ ruptured Achilles by using a “speed bridge” technique, which has become more common in recent years. Experts say this method promotes quicker healing. For rehab, Rodgers is using blood flow restriction, which allows him to build muscle with low-load exercise.

Rodgers said his approach is “not for everybody,” saying he preferred the path that would allow him to get back on the field as soon as possible. He said Cousins, who was injured Sunday and placed on injured reserve Tuesday, might opt for a different route because he can afford to take more time in getting ready for 2024 now that a return this season is out of the question.

Rodgers has progressed to the point that he can take an abbreviated dropback and throw the football, which he displayed in the pregame warmups Sunday. He’s still not jogging, but he said that he’s walking normally and that he started walking without crutches about two weeks ago.

THIS AND THAT

BROADCAST NEWS

Now we know that NFL Officiating can speak to us in real time during a game.  Will it continue?  Kalyn Kahler of The Athletic:

Something weird happened this week during “Monday Night Football.”

The Detroit Lions had the ball on the first drive of the game. On first-and-10 from Detroit’s 43-yard-line, quarterback Jared Goff faked a handoff to running back Jahmyr Gibbs, then turned around to find Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Robert Spillane closing in for a sack. Goff threw the ball away — well over Gibbs’ head and nowhere near any other Lions player.

ESPN analyst Troy Aikman and rules analyst John Parry, a former NFL referee, both agreed that the play looked like intentional grounding, but no penalty was called.

Nine minutes later, after the Lions kicked a 44-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead, ESPN went to a commercial break. When the network came back from the break, it showed a replay of Goff’s incomplete pass, then cut to Walt Anderson, the NFL’s senior vice president of officiating, in the league’s New York command center — a room so dark it looked more like a command cave. Anderson, harshly lit with the camera light reflecting in his glasses, explained why the officiating crew had not flagged Goff.

“The intentional grounding rule allows for a lot of flexibility for the quarterback to get rid of the ball as long as he is doing so in the direction and vicinity,” Anderson said. “Detroit quarterback threw the ball right over the head of the receiver number 26 (Gibbs) — he probably could have reached up and touched it — so we feel this was both in the direction and the vicinity and was properly not called a foul.”

Anderson’s in-game live explanation of the non-call didn’t make for very compelling television, but to me this was groundbreaking. From my living room in Chicago, I started furiously firing off texts to reporters, team sources, agents and others who closely study NFL officiating: Has anyone ever seen the VP of officiating join a live broadcast to discuss a decision?

Nobody could remember another instance. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio called it “unprecedented.”

The league has officiating personnel available during every game to take questions from the broadcast network partners and help inform their analysis. Often, you’ll hear the rules analyst present the point of view of the officiating crew, and that’s because the league asks them to do that. On Monday night, neither Parry nor Aikman presented the officiating crew’s take on things. Could that be why the league chose to crash the broadcast at this otherwise inconsequential moment?

An NFL source said certain league officials can join broadcasts directly if they deem it necessary to speak directly to a viewing audience. The broadcast truck has a direct feed into the command center that can be activated at a moment’s notice. ESPN declined to comment when asked about Anderson’s Monday appearance.

Sunday was a tough day for NFL officiating. One club executive called it, “the worst day I can ever remember,” via text. “Officiating is not in a good state right now,” said a staffer for a different NFL team.

The Steelers-Jaguars game was particularly bad for rookie referee Alan Eck’s crew, which has a replacement down judge after the previous down judge was lost for the season with a Week 1 injury. A rare offsides call on Steelers right guard Isaac Seumalo negated a field goal just before halftime of a 20-10 Pittsburgh loss and drew the ire of  Steelers coach Mike Tomlin after the game.

“I hadn’t seen that called in 17 years of standing on sidelines — offsides, lined up offsides on a guard on a field goal protection,” Tomlin said. “It didn’t matter what they said. I’ve never seen that.”

“They was calling some stupid stuff,” Steelers receiver Diontae Johnson said. “They should get fined for calling bad, making worse, terrible calls and stuff like that. That’s how pissed I am. They cost us the game. I don’t care what nobody says. They cost us the game.”

Another situation from Sunday didn’t make as many headlines because the team that suffered ultimately won the game. On first-and-goal at the end of the second quarter of the Bengals–49ers game, Cincinnati tight end Irv Smith Jr. caught a short pass, then coughed up the ball as he was tackled by several San Francisco defenders. Before the Niners recovered the ball, a whistle signaled the play dead.

“Did somebody blow a whistle?” CBS play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz asked.

The officials huddled to determine if one of them blew an inadvertent whistle, in which case Cincinnati would maintain possession. Here’s what the NFL rulebook says:

When an official sounds the whistle erroneously while the ball is still in play; If the ball is a loose ball resulting from a fumble, backward pass, or illegal forward pass, the team last in possession may elect to put the ball in play at the spot where possession was lost or to replay the down.

“I don’t know if I heard a whistle or not, but (referee) Ron Torbert announced that the ruling was a fumble on the field recovered, which it definitely is,” said CBS rules analyst and former NFL referee Gene Steratore. “You have to take your time on these plays until they are finished.”

“Let’s listen to Gene’s point,” Nantz said. “Was there a whistle? Let’s listen.”

On replay, there it was again, clearly trilling before the 49ers jumped on the loose football. An inadvertent whistle is not a reviewable play, but under the league’s replay assist rules, the replay official could come in to help the crew determine what happened. Instead, Torbert didn’t address the early whistle and gave the ball to San Francisco.

“Well, Gene, you saw that,” Nantz said.

“I’m hearing that little tweet,” Steratore said. “I didn’t know if it was (a whistle) or not, Jim, it was a little faint for me.”

Back to “Monday Night Football.” Of all the poor officiating decisions to chime in on this weekend, this one seemed pretty unimportant. What probably should have been a 10-yard penalty on the first drive of the game wasn’t going to stick with anybody for too long.

If anything, Anderson’s explanation prompted a whole new set of questions. How was the ball in the vicinity of Gibbs when it landed well past him? Sure, Gibbs could have maybe jumped up and tipped the ball, but he was lunging at Spillane, not running a route or looking for a pass.

But ESPN play-by-play announcer Joe Buck declined to point out the contrast between Parry’s take and Anderson’s defense. “OK, thank you, Walt,” Buck said. “And we’ll leave at that.”