| Changes to the Pro Bowl Games, reflecting a distinct down-sizing of the event. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com: When it comes to the Pro Bowl, the only constant is change. The NFL has announced that the event, known officially as the “Pro Bowl Games” in the years since the elimination of the Pro Bowl game, will move to the Super Bowl host city. The centerpiece will be a made-for-TV flag-football game at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, with the live audience consisting only of the players’ “families, friends, and select fans.” The game will be played during Super Bowl week, on Tuesday, February 3, at 8:00 p.m. ET. It will be televised by ESPN. “We are dedicated to making the Pro Bowl Games a prime-time television event that will enhance Super Bowl week,” ESPN president of content Burke Magnus said in a press release announcing the latest revisions to the event. “Our shared vision focuses on using a production approach that spotlights the world’s best players in a manner unique to the Pro Bowl Games format, while highlighting flag football and its emergence on the global sports landscape.” The release makes no mention of the other events that have characterized the Pro Bowl Games of the recent past, including a game of dodgeball. The flag-football game will feature a 7-on-7 format, on a 50-yard field with 10-yard end zones. Touchdowns will be worth six points, with a one-point conversion attempt from the five and a two-pointer from the 10. Full rosters of AFC/NFC Pro Bowlers will be set in the usual way, with fan voting, player voting, and coach voting having equal weight in the final analysis. But it appears that only some of the players will be invited to participate in the flag football game. That will likely limit the stream of news items regarding the players who tap out due to injury (real or embellished) in order to avoid playing in the game. And it likely will result in a smaller group of players who will be in the Bay Area on the Tuesday night of Super Bowl week for the game. |
| NFC EAST |
| NEW YORK GIANTSEDGE BRIAN BURNS circles the wagons. Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com: One of targets for criticism in the wake of the Giants’ collapse against the Broncos in Week 7 was defensive coordinator Shane Bowen. Bowen’s decision to play a prevent defense late in the fourth quarter came under fire after the Broncos completed a pair of passes to set up their game-winning field goal and some thought edge rusher Brian Burns was part of that chorus. A video of Burns heading to the locker room showed him yelling about dropping eight players into coverage, but Burns took to social media on Tuesday to clarify he wasn’t directing any anger at Bowen. “People took that tunnel video all outta context,” Burns wrote. “I wasn’t mad at Shane nor the call.” Burns wrote “smart man” in response to a reply that suggested he was upset that the Broncos were still able to make plays against that defense, which makes sense even if it may not mollify others who think Bowen is the wrong man for the job. |
| PHILADELPHIAEagles legend BRANDON GRAHAM is riding to the rescue after EDGE ZA’DARIUS SMITH abruptly retired. Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com: Brandon Graham is back with the Eagles and the outlook for the veteran edge rusher’s role on the team’s defense was a main topic of defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s press conference on Tuesday. Graham retired after the Eagles won the Super Bowl and Fangio said he would “always tease [Graham] about it to try and light the fire” for a comeback whenever they would cross paths. Za’Darius Smith’s retirement created a more pressing need for help off the edge, which led to this week’s signing and Fangio said they’ll see what condition Graham is in before making plans about an immediate role on the defense. “We’ll see. You see what kind of shape he’s in, what kind of retention he has from last year,” Fangio said, via a transcript from the team. “Shape comes in two forms. One, just your conditioning, but in football shape to contact shape. So hopefully, the sooner the better.” The retention shouldn’t be a big issue since Graham was with the team in 2024, so the next few days of practice should be the major factor in determining if he’s on the field against the Giants. Graham is now 37. A career-long Eagle since being picked 13th overall in 2010, this will now be his 16th season. |
| WASHINGTONDon’t panic about QB JAYDEN DANIELS says Mike Jones of The Athletic: The hearts of Washington Commanders fans jumped into their throats Sunday seeing quarterback Jayden Daniels writhing in pain and grabbing his right leg immediately after being sacked by the Dallas Cowboys. Like a tidal wave, the nearly 13-year-old images of brighter days gone dark flooded many a mind: Prized quarterback Robert Griffin III lying on the mangled FedEx Field turf during a game he had no business playing in, the ligaments of his right knee ruptured, and the hopes of a long-suffering franchise shattered. And Sunday wasn’t the first triggering moment for the burgundy and gold faithful. Despite the growing collection of highlights that Daniels — the No. 2 pick of the 2024 draft and NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year — has delivered in the last season and a half, every stumble, bump and bruise sparks panic in the mind of Washington fans. “No, not again,” they shriek in fear that Daniels is headed down the same path as Griffin, who, after blowing out his knee at the end of his rookie season, never recaptured his superhero form. Sunday’s fan-driven angst over what turned out was a hamstring injury — and nothing believed to be “significant” or “long term” for Daniels — inspired Daniels’ mother to take to social media to plead for understanding. “I wish you would stop manifesting RGIII on my son,” Regina Jackson posted on X. “Words are powerful and that’s all that’s talked about.” Ever the opportunist, Griffin posted on X: “I have always supported Jayden Daniels and want nothing but the best for him. Being QB1 in Washington DC comes with an intense spotlight that I know well. You love your son and the real fans do (too). I want a long healthy career for him. He will always have my support.” Let’s take a breath, shall we? The trauma suffered by this fan base during Daniel Snyder’s 24 years as owner is real. On his way out, the NFL truly should have required Snyder to pay for therapy sessions for every burgundy-and-gold-loving DMV resident. But since they didn’t, and because those bills aren’t cheap, here’s a therapy session on me. It really is time to lay the ghosts of quarterbacks past to rest. Stop looking back and holding your breath. It’s not easy to move on from emotional distress, to let old wounds heal. Born into a burgundy-and-gold family and having spent the bulk of my life in the D.C. area, I get it. But history isn’t repeating itself. Yes, there are similarities: They’re both Black, can run, were Heisman Trophy winners drafted No. 2 overall, have a visible parent and led their teams to the playoffs as rookies after the teams finished last in the NFC East the previous season. But the circumstances surrounding Griffin and Daniels greatly differ as well. Given the dramatic differences between the way Snyder and Josh Harris run football teams, it’s almost like they have played for different organizations. Griffin tried hard to tie himself to Daniels’ success last season, and on Sunday, he jumped at the opportunity to continue a narrative of similar plights. But Daniels isn’t at all Griffin Part 2. The latter isn’t carrying the torch for the former. Stop wasting energy on fearful comparisons. They’re both mobile, both can throw and both infused a franchise with life. But the similarities end there, both in terms of how each goes about his business and the way their bosses handle them. Far more than a bum knee caused the RGIII era to go up in flames, and it’ll take a lot more than a knee sprain, bruised ribs or hamstring strain to disrupt Daniels’ trajectory. In some ways, given his mental makeup as he entered the NFL and all of the dysfunction that plagued the organization, you can make the argument that Griffin may never have truly had a chance. The same doesn’t apply to Daniels. There is no meddlesome owner and team president pressuring the coaching staff into decisions and causing the power struggle that took place between Snyder, crony Bruce Allen and coach Mike Shanahan and his assistants. Harris has entrusted Adam Peters and Dan Quinn with the construction and operation of the team and supports their decisions. There is no Kirk Cousins for Daniels to sneak glances over his shoulder towards, no paranoid father warning of a coaching staff’s ill intentions as RGII did with RGIII. There’s no Snyder urging his star to stand up to his coach and dictate how he would be used. There is no coach acting against his better judgment and playing an injured quarterback rather than protecting the kid from himself because of an intense fear that the empowered QB would run upstairs to the owner to get him fired if he didn’t get his way. Kill off that paranoia, and Griffin probably never tries to rush back from injury after that initial blow he sustained during the regular season. Eliminate the toxicity bred by Snyder and Griffin probably trusts his coaches and trainers’ timeline for recovery entering Year 2 rather than hobbling around in games and jeopardizing his career. Daniels is as fierce a competitor as was Griffin. But he understands that Quinn and Peters have his best interests in mind. That’s why he missed two games with a knee sprain rather than try to force his coaches to keep him in the lineup. It’s why on Sunday, Daniels didn’t evade team doctors who wanted to examine his hamstring and limp back into the game against Dallas before anyone realized what was going on (see RGIII-Shanahan-Dr. James Andrews episode). Unity, patience and professionalism prevail within D.C.’s beloved football team nowadays. The powers that be understand the investment made in Daniels, and that the long term far outweighs the short term. Because of that, Daniels has a chance. Even if he has to miss more games than anyone would prefer and more losses than expected pile up, his future will remain intact. Had adults run the organization back in 2012 and 2013, Griffin’s knee injury may have represented a temporary setback, and not a kiss of death. It truly is a new day in the DMV. Harris, Peters, Quinn and Daniels want to win as badly as anyone. But trust that they’re not going to commit the level of malpractice that Washington’s brain trust did the last time a generational talent graced the city. That chapter of incompetence is closed. That volume is firmly locked, the key thrown away. Jayden Daniels will bounce back, and so too will the Commanders, as long as they can fix their defense and get their receivers healthy. Breathe. Just breathe. |
| AFC WEST |
| KANSAS CITYTE TRAVIS KELCE is investing in roller coasters. Yes, you heard us. Jordy Fee-Platt of The Athletic: Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and JANA Partners announced an investment in Six Flags Entertainment on Tuesday. The investment firm has established a 9% stake in Six Flags worth approximately $200 million, according to a press release from the firm. Kelce announced the news on his Instagram account. “To all my fellow theme park and amusement park lovers,” Kelce wrote. “I have some exciting news!!! Couldn’t pass up the opportunity to continue the tradition and make Cedar Point and Six Flags even more special for the next generation of families! Excited to partner with JANA Partners as an investor in Six Flags. So crazy to even imagine this is real, but you gotta love it when life comes full circle.” The 36-year-old tight end grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, about 65 miles from Cedar Point Amusement Park. USA Today had it listed as one of the top 10 parks in the U.S. in 2024. “I don’t know a single person from Cleveland that doesn’t love Cedar Point,” said Robert Niles, editor of Theme Park Insider. “So, no surprise to me at all that a guy from Cleveland would want to be associated with any effort to make Cedar Point an even better place than it already is.” In 2025, Six Flags’ stock had dropped more than 45%. According to the Wall Street Journal, bad weather, decreasing attendance and an increasing number of competitors have all been key factors in the company’s struggles. “A lot of people in the industry will acknowledge that Six Flags is a mess right now,” Niles said. “The merger of Six Flags and Cedar Fair has not delivered the benefits that people were hoping for. The headwinds that these parks have been fighting have just been too strong for them. Those two companies had to borrow a lot of money to get through the pandemic, and the shrinking buying power of the middle class has really hurt their core market.” Following the purchase announcement by Kelce and JANA Partners, the share price for Six Flags rose over 20 percent. At the close of the market, it was up almost 18 percent. This kind of news that brings excitement is something that Six Flags desperately needs, Niles said. |
| LAS VEGASThe Cowboys put out word they were pursuing EDGE MAXX CROSBY with their haul of picks in the Micah Parsons deal. The Raiders were quick to quash. Mike Florio sort of believes them: A rumor surfaced on Tuesday that the Cowboys have inquired about possibly trading for Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby. It was enough to get the Raiders to mobilize. NFL Media reports that the Raiders met on Tuesday with Crosby to tell him they aren’t shopping him, and they won’t trade him. Other teams, per NFL Media, are interested. The Raiders aren’t interested in moving their best player, and Crosby wants to stay with the Raiders. None of this means a trade won’t happen. Plenty of posturing occurs in the days preceding the trade deadline. It drives up the return. If the Raiders ever would move him, they’d need enough to justify the deal — and to help replenish a roster that still has plenty of holes. From a cap standpoint, a trade would not be much of an issue. In 2026, the Raiders would carry only $5.1 million in dead money for Crosby. His 2026 salary of $30 million is fully guaranteed. His 2027 salary of $29 million becomes fully guaranteed on the third day of the 2026 league year. For a team like the Cowboys, Crosby’s contract would be much more affordable than the deal signed in Green Bay by Micah Parsons, when he was traded by Dallas. A trade at the deadline would translate to $15 million in salary for the rest of 2025, and three years, $86 million. That’s an average of $28.69 million for 2026 through 2028. |
| AFC NORTH |
| BALTIMOREThe Ravens apparently felt they had too many amenities in the locker room at their facility. Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com: The Ravens have reached the “take ping pong tables out of the locker room” stage of their losing streak. At 1-5 and on a four-game losing streak, Baltimore is perhaps the NFL’s most disappointing team this season. And as disappointing teams often do, they’ve decided to buckle down and get to work. According to the Baltimore Sun, the Ravens removed recreation from the locker room, which included getting rid of ping pong tables, a basketball hoop, cornhole boards and video game consoles. The report says the coaches made the decision to make the locker room more businesslike. That’s a common occurrence in the NFL, where teams often swing between viewing fun in the locker room as an important part of team-building, and deciding that players are having too much fun at the expense of winning football games. But while it’s common, it can also be viewed as a desperation tactic on a team that entered the season with Super Bowl aspirations. The Ravens are favored to beat the Bears on Sunday in a game that could turn Baltimore’s fortunes around. But a loss could lead to even more desperation in Baltimore. |
| AFC SOUTH |
| HOUSTONThe Texans are low-to-middle in most offensive metrics and some are calling for a second change of offensive coordinators in 10 months. Charean Williams ofProFootballTalk.com: Though the Texans offense is a mess, head coach DeMeco Ryans isn’t pointing fingers at anyone but himself. Ryans said Tuesday, a day after a 27-19 loss to the Seahawks, that he has no plans to change offensive coordinators. “We’re pressing forward with everybody that we have,” Ryans said, via DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN. “We’re collectively all in this together.” Offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik lost his job after last season when the Texans averaged 21.9 points and 320 yards per game. They are worse this season under Nick Caley, averaging 21.2 points and 304 yards per game. The Texans currently rank 23rd in yards and 21st in points. “It all starts with me,” Ryans said. “So, you guys want to point the finger at somebody, put it on me. That’s my job, and ultimately, it’s my job to get it fixed. So that’s how it’ll be, but we’re rolling on what we have, and we got to just all do better. Got to coach you better. We got to play better. We got to execute better on game day. And look, as bad as it seems, I tell the guys at the end of the day, we’re still one possession from getting that game.” |
| INDIANAPOLISA long take from Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com on why the Colts offense is for real, even with QB DANIEL JONES: What we said in September: “The Daniel Jones-led offense is a flash in the pan.” Nope. After their 38-point shellacking of the Chargers on Sunday afternoon, I’m not sure how you can really poke many holes in what the Colts are doing on offense. They’re the best offense in the league, and it really isn’t particularly close. They’re scoring 3.5 points per possession, and by that metric, the second-placed Chiefs are closer to 13th than they are to the Colts in first. The Colts also lead the league in EPA per play, ahead of the Cowboys, Chiefs, Packers and Lions. It might feel as if that’s going to fade, and there aren’t any guarantees that the Colts will be the best offense in football over the rest of the season, but we’ve now seen them dominate opposing defenses for 419 snaps in 2025. And while seven games isn’t even half of a season of data, it’s usually enough to know that a team isn’t about to suddenly collapse and fall to the bottom half of the league. Going back through 2010, the league leader in EPA per play after seven weeks has generally continued to play well throughout the remainder of the season. They’ve, on average, been the league’s seventh-best offense from Week 8 onward. No EPA leader has been worse than 14th in EPA per play after Week 7 onward. That team, the 2012 Giants, finished the regular season ninth in EPA per play over the entire year. They’re the only leader through seven weeks since 2010 that didn’t finish the regular season in the top five. Barring an injury to Jones, which would leave the Colts with rookie Riley Leonard under center, the Colts don’t have some sort of fatal flaw or underlying metric waiting to hint toward their collapse. They’ve recovered three of four fumbles on offense, but the signal there is fumbling only four times in seven games, which is impressive. They’re third in the league in third down conversion rate and seventh in red zone touchdown rate, which are on the high side but hardly out of whack for an offense that’s rolling on early downs and outside the red zone, too. Will the Colts go 17-for-17 in goal-to-go situations the rest of the year? Probably not, but they don’t need to do that to be a very good offense. Some of the arguments that would have been fair to bring up about the Colts during their hot start in September don’t really apply now. Let’s run through them: They’ve faced an easy schedule. It was certainly one thing when the Colts dropped 33 points on a hapless Dolphins defense in the opener. Even then, it was clear that Miami had punted on building an NFL-caliber secondary and were going to be a target for opposing offenses all season. The Browns, who have been an offensive mess all season, scored 24 points against the Dolphins on offense yesterday. The Panthers ran for 239 yards on Miami. Nobody should be launching their great offensive campaign on beating the Dolphins. Well, in Week 2, the Colts scored 29 points and racked up 473 net yards on the Broncos, who have a great defense. While Indy has enjoyed some of the league’s easier defenses (Titans, Raiders) around a 20-point, three-turnover performance in a loss to the Rams, Sunday was another prove-it game against a Chargers defense that ranked 10th in EPA per play before facing the Colts. Indianapolis had what was arguably its best offensive performance of the season, scoring 38 points and topping 400 yards. The Colts started the game with three touchdown drives, all of which went 70 yards or more, including a 17-play epic in the second quarter. After a punt, they kicked a field goal and drove downfield for two more touchdowns. After another punt, the Colts chewed up the final three-and-a-half minutes of clock to seal a two-TD victory. It’s one thing to spike a couple of big plays or take advantage of a few short fields, but the Colts were consistently explosive and able to create big play opportunities throughout this game. Even facing a Chargers team that has a quarterback and a set of receivers known for their ability to create those big plays, the Colts were easily the more explosive team of the two. After Justin Herbert and the L.A. offense struggled to piece together an 11-play, 76-yard drive to get within two scores in the third quarter, the Colts just hopped on the field and moved the ball with ease. Tyler Warren leaked into the flat, shrugged off a tackle from safety Derwin James Jr. and turned upfield for 29 yards. Michael Pittman Jr. picked up 11 yards. Alec Pierce went for 14. And with the Colts just entering field goal range, Jonathan Taylor made up for an earlier run for no gain on the drive by taking the ball 19 yards to the house. They moved 73 yards on five plays, simply overwhelming a very good Chargers defense along the way. Jones isn’t going to keep making this many big plays. At his best in New York under Brian Daboll, Jones had evolved into a point guard and quick distributor. Daboll dialed up run-pass options, quick-game stuff and one-read concepts that allowed Jones to either get the ball out quickly or get to scrambling. That offense worked in 2022, even as Jones threw the shortest average pass of anybody in the league, but it was less effective in 2023 and 2024. There are no such limitations this time around. Jones is averaging 8.4 air yards per throw, the seventh-highest figure for any quarterback in the NFL. He’s a relatively modest 12th in the league in yards per attempt on deep passes, but Jones doesn’t have to be early-career Mahomes or Philip Rivers in terms of picking teams apart downfield to thrive on offense. He just needs to be good enough to give opposing defenses pause, and Jones has more than met that prerequisite this season. Shane Steichen has helped make life easier for Jones in working off play-action. Jones is taking a play-fake on 33.5% of his dropbacks this season, comfortably the highest rate in the league. (Second, coincidentally, is Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart.) Owing in part to how devastating the Colts’ run game has been, Jones is averaging 9.5 yards per dropback with play-action this season, the fifth-best rate in the league. On Sunday, Jones was 10-of-13 with play-action for 130 yards and a touchdown pass. There’s no shame in saying that the Colts playmakers are helping fuel some of those big plays with what they do after the catch, too. Taylor has been the best back in football (alongside Bijan Robinson), while every one of Indy’s playmakers has leveled up and looks as if they’re a tier above where they were with Anthony Richardson Sr. at quarterback. I’m not sure any offensive player has been more fun to watch from a film perspective this season than Warren, whose role in the offense might as well be Steichen’s Coach of the Year submission. Nobody plays more meaningful roles within the offense and gets the ball from a wider range of places, with Puka Nacua as the only potential competition for that title. Warren has picked up first downs running the triple option and running the famed Nacua Sail route out of the backfield through the offensive line. He has been a lead blocker and a Wildcat quarterback. And against the Cardinals, Warren lined up as the wing tight end and then took the handoff on a counter on third-and-5 for a 6-yard run, setting up his touchdown catch on the ensuing first-and-goal snap. Jones will take too many sacks. The Broncos and Chargers don’t exactly have gentle pass rushes, and Jones has managed to survive. The same quarterback who ran an 8.5% sack rate in New York, including a 15.8% mark in a six-game sample in 2023, is taking sacks on just 2.6% of his dropbacks this season. That’s the best mark in the league, and it might be one of the single biggest improvements any player has made from season-to-season. There has been a little bit of magic where players collide, and Jones somehow manages to avoid the fray and run forward for a first down, but he has legitimately been very good about finding the line between extending plays with the hopes of creating something explosive and giving up on a play at the right time. Jones has held onto the ball for five seconds or more just three times all season. For context, Caleb Williams and Cam Ward are tied for the league lead with 20 such plays. Jones is also less involved in the run game than he has been in past years. Taking kneel-downs out of the equation, Jones has 22 carries for 86 yards through six games. Those numbers aren’t going to look good compared to what the 2019 first-round pick was able to do at his best with the Giants, but it’s also a safer way to live. Jones took hits on nearly 31% of his dropbacks between 2023 and 2024 in New York, a figure topped only by Justin Fields. That figure is down to just over 21% this season. Fewer hits mean fewer opportunities to get injured. Injuries will be a problem. Nobody can predict injuries, but it’s fair to at least note that Jones has played just one full season of football in his pro career as the starter without missing time. That possibility is going to hang over the Colts, especially given that the untested Leonard is one bad Jones hit away from being their starting quarterback. At the same time, adding a veteran with a healthy résumé isn’t a guarantee, either; Kirk Cousins had been healthy for most of the prior decade before tearing an Achilles. And Indianapolis’ O-line has been excellent throughout the season. Outside of losing Taylor or something, the Colts and Jones should be fine. They won’t be able to throw in negative game scripts. This might end up being true. The problem is that nobody is able to get out to a big enough lead to find out. Jones hasn’t taken a single snap trailing by more than one score all season. When they have fallen behind, Jones and Taylor have done a great job of getting the Colts immediately back into the game. And once they’ve gotten ahead, Jones and Taylor have typically done an excellent job of keeping them there. At 6-1, the Colts are suddenly in first place in the entire AFC, let alone the South. Jones has been one of the players of the year so far. It’s quickly becoming more difficult to poke holes in his success with Steichen and Indianapolis. With another impressive win over one of the league’s more imposing defenses, Jones is firmly establishing himself as part of the quarterback reclamation class of 2025. He might even end up being valedictorian. |
| AFC EAST |
| NEW YORK JETSMike Florio finds it stunning that Jets owner Woody Johnson would admit the obvious. In a stunning move, Jets owner Woody Johnson publicly criticized on Tuesday the team’s starting (as of Week 7) quarterback, Justin Fields. “If we can just complete a pass, it would look good,” Johnson told reporters, among other things. They had a guy last year who can complete a pass. They didn’t want him back. But Johnson said he has no regrets about moving on from future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers. “I never look back,” Johnson said, via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. “You have to look forward to football. Even when you cut players, they could be a Hall of Famer. You just never know. But Aaron’s playing great now. He’s in a situation that’s working for him.” Of course, Rodgers seemed to be not interested in a third season with the Jets — even if they wanted him. And, as we hear it, there was a difference of opinion as to who did and who didn’t. G.M. Darren Mougey wanted to keep Rodgers, we’re told. Coach Aaron Glenn wanted to move on. Moving on from Rodgers is only part of the problem. The other part is the guy they picked. By title, that was Mougey’s move. It’s possible, however, that others in the organization had their fingerprints on the move. Up to and including Woody Johnson himself. Hindsight is 20/20 but… The Jets drafted T ARMAND MEMBOU, no needle mover, with the 7th overall pick. They could have drafted WR TETAIROA McMILLAN or TE TYLER WARREN there. And then, how about a trade from 42 to the low 20s to take QB JAXSON DART? Then they would have some buzz. It should be mentioned that Johnson did have nice things to say about Coach Aaron Glenn. Rich Cimini of ESPN.com: The winless New York Jets are planning a quarterback change, sources told ESPN, with owner Woody Johnson weighing in Tuesday with stinging criticism of incumbent Justin Fields. Johnson said the decision is “completely up to” coach Aaron Glenn, who is moving toward naming Tyrod Taylor the new starter, the sources said. But Johnson left little doubt about his view on the matter. He praised Glenn for “turning around parts” of the team, but added, “It’s hard when you have a quarterback with a rating that he’s got. I mean, he has ability, but something just is not jiving. … You have to play consistently at that position, and that’s what we’re going to try to do for the remainder of the season.” Johnson, speaking to reporters at the NFL fall meeting in New York, said improvements on defense and special teams provide hope for a turnaround. Then he delivered this line: “If we can just complete a pass, it would look good.” The Jets gave Fields a two-year, $40 million contract, including $30 million in guarantees. The plan was to give him a full season to see if he could be their long-term answer. After an 0-7 start, the Jets apparently have seen enough. Glenn, who benched Fields at halftime Sunday, is expected to announce his decision Wednesday. The Jets face the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. “The offense is just not clicking, and you can’t run the ball if you can’t pass the ball,” Johnson said. “That’s football 101.” In six starts, Fields has posted a career-low 32.1 Total QBR, ranking 31st out of 33 qualified passers. He played one of the best games of his career against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1, but his performance regressed in recent weeks. The Jets have only seven touchdowns in the past six games, none in the first half.– – –Johnson said he still has total confidence in Glenn, the first coach in franchise history to start his tenure with this many losses. He said he hugs Glenn every day, giving him encouragement. “I do believe in Aaron,” Johnson said. “I’ve known Aaron since 1996 [when] I was a fan. I’ve always been a fan of him. I see the way he handles the room. If I were a player, I’d respond to him because he’s the real deal. No B.S. No second agendas. What you’re hearing is the truth, and a lot of times players don’t get the truth. They get a lot of gobbledygook.” For months, Glenn had been steadfast in his support of Fields, even after minus-10 net passing yards in a Week 6 loss to the Denver Broncos. The first crack in the coach’s confidence came Sunday, when he pulled Fields with the Jets trailing 10-3. Fields completed only 6 of 12 passes for 46 yards in the first half, taking three sacks. The Jets eventually lost 13-6, with Taylor throwing two interceptions in the second half. Afterward, Glenn said he was considering a change and that he’d consult with people inside and outside the organization for input. This is familiar territory for Taylor, 36, who has a 28-29-1 record as a starter. He started Week 3 for the Jets, when Fields was sidelined with a concussion. In seven-plus quarters of action, Taylor is 43-of-69 for 379 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions. Taylor’s two INTs, it should be noted, came on remarkable downfield plays by Panthers CB JAYCEE HORN. |
| THIS AND THAT |
| POWER RANKINGSLet’s take a look at some Power Rankings – this from Chad Graff and Josh Kendall of The Athletic: In a season of parity around the NFL, it takes time to sort out the good teams from the just OK ones. Now that we’re seven weeks into the 2025 season, it feels like we are starting to get a better sense of where everyone belongs. Today, let’s offer a reality check for each team as we dive into our NFL power rankings. 1. Detroit Lions (5-2) Last week: 6 Reality check: They can beat you multiple waysThe job Dan Campbell has done after losing both his offensive and defensive coordinators this offseason is awfully impressive. The defense dominated the Bucs on Monday night. Offensively, the Lions leaned on the running game as Jahmyr Gibbs took 17 carries for 136 yards and two touchdowns. Campbell’s Lions haven’t lost back-to-back games since October 2022. 2. Indianapolis Colts (6-1) Last week: 3 Reality check: They’re actually goodTheir point differential (plus-92) is easily the most in the league. Those waiting for their regression to the norm might be waiting a while. Daniel Jones was efficient and productive again, and Jonathan Taylor remains one of the league’s best running backs. 3. Los Angeles Rams (5-2) Last week: 2 Reality check: Once again, they’re true contendersThe Rams were barely in Europe for 24 hours when they took the field in London and throttled a Jags team we thought was pretty good. Without Puka Nacua in the lineup, Matthew Stafford hit 10 different targets and Davante Adams had three scores. They’re legit. 4. Kansas City Chiefs (4-3) Last week: 5 Reality check: They’re all the way backDon’t look now, but the Chiefs are back to being Super Bowl favorites, per Bet MGM. With their receiver group fully healthy, they cruised to a win as Patrick Mahomes continues to rewrite records. His 93 regular-season wins are the most of any quarterback before turning 31 years old, and Sunday was his 28th game with at least three touchdowns and no interceptions, the most of any QB in his first nine NFL seasons. 5. Philadelphia Eagles (5-2) Last week: 8 Reality check: They can throw the ballJalen Hurts was awesome this week, completing 19 of 23 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns. Both DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown topped 100 receiving yards with a touchdown (Brown had two). The good vibes are back in Philly. 6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-2) Last week: 1 Reality check: Late-game heroics are tougher against good teamsThe Bucs have made a habit of pulling out close games with impressive comebacks. But they dug too deep a hole in Detroit on Monday night, and Baker Mayfield (28-of-50 for 228 yards and one touchdown) wasn’t nearly as efficient as he’d been in the first six games. 7. Green Bay Packers (4-1-1) Last week: 4 Reality check: They can win uglySunday wasn’t a particularly impressive win, but Green Bay got the job done as Micah Parsons was dominant. With three sacks, he notched his 16th career multisack game, tied with T.J. Watt for the fifth most such games since the NFL began counting sacks in 1982. Oh, and Parsons is still just 26. 8. San Francisco 49ers (5-2) Last week: 12 Reality check: CMC can carry themNo team has dealt with more injuries to more important players than the Niners, yet they still keep finding ways to win. The latest came thanks to Christian McCaffrey, who put up 201 total yards of offense and two touchdowns. 9. Seattle Seahawks (5-2) Last week: 9 Reality check: Sam Darnold is playing like a top-five QBDarnold entered Monday night leading the NFL in expected points added per dropback as well as average depth of target. And while his late interception didn’t help, he was solid in another win, validating the belief the Seahawks showed in handing him a $100 million contract this offseason. 10. Denver Broncos (5-2) Last week: 7 Reality check: They’re a fourth-quarter teamIn their crazy comeback win, the Broncos became the first team since 1970 to come back from 18 or more points with six minutes left and win in regulation. Their 33 fourth-quarter points were the second most in NFL history. 11. New England Patriots (5-2) Last week: 14 Reality check: Drake Maye is a starSure, the schedule is full of cupcakes. But Maye isn’t just playing like the league’s best young quarterback — he might be playing like its best quarterback, period. Sunday, he broke Tom Brady’s franchise record for completion percentage in a game, hitting on 21 of 23 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns. He also added 62 rushing yards. 12. Buffalo Bills (4-2) Last week: 16 Reality check: Where’d the running game go?For the first time since 2023, the Bills are not atop the AFC East standings. Their once-dominant ground attack has been bottled up in back-to-back games, both losses. The defense is a liability. Until the running game gets going, they’re once again asking Josh Allen to be Superman. 13. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2) Last week: 11 Reality check: The defense needs to be betterAaron Rodgers has revitalized the offense and has it ranked in the top 10 in expected points added per play and points per drive. But a Pittsburgh defense can’t allow 40-year-old Joe Flacco to carve it up. 14. Chicago Bears (4-2) Last week: 18 Reality check: Ben Johnson’s culture is stickingCaleb Williams wasn’t at his best Sunday, but Johnson got the running game going. Chicago ran for 222 yards (compared to 44 from the Saints) as the Bears dominated the time of possession and cruised to a win. 15. Los Angeles Chargers (4-3) Last week: 13 Reality check: Their defense is a problemAnd not in a good way. “We looked like trash,” safety Derwin James said. They allowed the Colts to average 6.9 yards per play, recorded only one sack and allowed 24 first downs. 16. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-3) Last week: 10 Reality check: Trevor Lawrence is … just OKA blowout loss in London revealed a hard truth about the Jags. They’re just not one of the league’s better teams, which seemed possible after four straight wins earlier this season. They’ve undoubtedly come a long way in Liam Coen’s first season, but the passing game is still lacking. 17. Carolina Panthers (4-3) Last week: 21 Reality check: Do they need one?Surely, we don’t need to point out that the Panthers aren’t as good as their record suggests, especially with Bryce Young suffering a high ankle sprain Sunday that likely will cause him to miss time. But so what? They have a record over .500 for the first time in four years, and that’s worth enjoying. 18. Dallas Cowboys (3-3-1) Last week: 23 Reality check: They have a top-five offenseFor all the skepticism that came with Brian Schottenheimer’s hire, he has the Dallas offense playing like one of the best in the league. Now, the defense on the other hand? Not great. They might have the biggest discrepancy in the NFL between offense and defense. 19. Atlanta Falcons (3-3) Last week: 15 Reality check: They need more offensivelyAtlanta ranks 22nd in expected points added per play offensively, which is not what you’d expect from an unit with Bijan Robinson, Drake London, a promising quarterback and a solid offensive line. 20. Minnesota Vikings (3-3) Last week: 17 Reality check: They may have chosen the wrong QBIt’s not just brutal for Vikings fans having to watch their team figure out its quarterback situation because so much of the rest of the roster is ready to win now. It’s also that the team chose not to re-sign Sam Darnold or Daniel Jones, who have been two of the NFL’s best quarterbacks this season. After Carson Wentz’s disaster on Sunday, perhaps the hope is J.J. McCarthy is ready to roll on a short week. 21. Washington Commanders (3-4) Last week: 19 Reality check: Jayden Daniels should rest upAs our David Aldridge wrote, the Commanders’ No. 1 priority is Daniels, and it’s clear this team isn’t good enough to win big. So after Daniels suffered a hamstring injury Sunday, it’d be wise for Washington to sit him until he’s totally healthy. There’s no sense in rushing him back. 22. Cincinnati Bengals (3-4) Last week: 27 Reality check: They might have something with Joe FlaccoNine days into his tenure with the team, Flacco threw for 342 yards and three touchdowns as the Bengals offense returned to being watchable. Most importantly, he got the ball to Ja’Marr Chase, who had 16 catches on Thursday. That alone can make this offense functional. 23. New York Giants (2-5) Last week: 22 Reality check: They’re fun againYes, that fourth-quarter debacle was rough. But for the first time in a few years, the Giants are no longer a bummer to watch thanks to Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo. The next step is turning those fun games into wins. 24. Houston Texans (2-4) Last week: 20 Reality check: The O-line isn’t giving them a chanceYes, C.J. Stroud needs to be better. He was off target way too much Monday night. And, yes, DeMeco Ryans’ defense needs to be better. But the Houston offensive line is doing nothing for the running game and is making things difficult for Stroud. 25. Arizona Cardinals (2-5) Last week: 24 Reality check: The offense hasn’t looked worse with Jacoby BrissettMaybe that’s a harsh way of putting it for Kyler Murray, but the offense has been fine with Brissett, which isn’t a great sign for what Murray brings when he’s healthy. The Cardinals did a lot of good things Sunday, but they also found a way to lose to a better team. 26. Baltimore Ravens (1-5) Last week: 25 Reality check: A turnaround isn’t coming unless the defense changesOur playoff predictor still gives the Ravens a 40 percent chance of reaching the postseason. The offense will surely be fine once it (namely Lamar Jackson) gets healthy. But unless this defense fixes things, it’s a waste of time to talk playoffs. 27. Cleveland Browns (2-5) Last week: 30 Reality check: Their blowout win over Miami probably says more about the Dolphins than it does about the Browns. But it’s still impressive for this group to win going away, thanks in part to three rushing touchdowns from rookie Quinshon Judkins. 28. Las Vegas Raiders (2-5) Last week: 26 Reality check: They’re in free fallThe Raiders have lost four of five (with the lone win in that stretch coming against the Titans), and the offense is in disarray. They made Chip Kelly the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the league, but Geno Smith looks disjointed, and the offense managed just three first downs (against the Chiefs’ 30) on Sunday. 29. New Orleans Saints (1-6) Last week: 28 Reality check: It’s going to be a long seasonSpencer Rattler cooled off after some impressive play earlier this season, and their leading rusher Sunday was Alvin Kamara with 28 yards on 11 carries. Their next two games are against the Bucs and Rams. 30. Tennessee Titans (1-6) Last week: 31 Reality check: There was no interim-coach bumpThey have the NFL’s worst point differential (minus-96) by a wide margin. Cam Ward had some nice moments in the team’s first game after Brian Callahan’s firing, but he inexplicably fumbled the ball while trying to pass, which went for a touchdown the other way. 31. Miami Dolphins (1-6) Last week: 29 Reality check: Change is neededThat seems obvious to everyone except Dolphins owner Stephen Ross. Last week, Tua Tagovailoa seemed to throw players under the bus. This week, coach Mike McDaniel seemed to. This group just needs a meaningful change. 32. New York Jets (0-7) Last week: 32 Reality check: It’s hard to figure out which QB to go withAnd it might not matter. Aaron Glenn said Monday that he’ll consult with other coaches about the best way to proceed at quarterback. But as Justin Fields struggles, is there really much of a difference between him and backup Tyrod Taylor? |
