The Daily Briefing Wednesday, October 27, 2021

– Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke might be trying to back away from his promise to cover tens of millions of dollars in legal expenses related to his team’s 2016 departure from St. Louis, a revelation that angered many NFL owners when they learned of it Tuesday, sources told ESPN.

The legal update from NFL general counsel Jeff Pash, during the owners’ first in-person meeting since December 2019, stunned many in the room, according to accounts from people who were there and others briefed on the proceedings.

The league, through a spokesperson, declined comment Wednesday. A Rams spokesperson also declined to comment.

The Rams and other owners are embroiled in a fierce, four-year lawsuit from the St. Louis Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority, which argues that the league broke its own relocation guidelines, misled the public on its plans to leave the city and cost the city millions in revenue. The league has lost many of its motions and was denied a hearing in the U.S. Supreme Court.

The case has entangled all 32 teams and cost millions in legal fees, which to this point have been mostly covered by Kroenke under an indemnification agreement he signed as part of the relocation. For some teams, the bills have run to eight figures.

Although Kroenke has been in discussions with the league for some time over the scope of the indemnification agreement, owners first learned of a shift in his position several hours into Tuesday’s meeting at the Intercontinental New York Barclay hotel. Sources told ESPN that executives for each team were asked to leave the room; only owners, representatives for teams that didn’t send owners and senior league executives remained.

Pash delivered a lengthy update on the lawsuit, including the league’s latest argument that the trial set for January should be moved out of St. Louis in order to get an impartial jury.

Sources told ESPN that Kroenke then stood and told the room that he has invested in the league and done everything that the league has asked him to do. He apologized for the ongoing lawsuit but argued that it wasn’t his fault.

Kroenke took a few questions from the room. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, a fierce Kroenke advocate who championed the relocation and helped push it over the finish line during a contentious vote in January 2016, told the room that Kroenke had done a lot for the league.

Then, in an unusual move, Goodell asked Kroenke to leave the room, sources told ESPN. He did.

That’s when Pash told the room that the league was notified by Kroenke’s attorneys that Kroenke is challenging the indemnification agreement that all three teams involved in the L.A. derby in 2016 — the Rams, Chargers and Raiders — signed on the morning of the vote.

Over the years, teams have been required to provide eight years of phone records and emails for discovery. This past summer, St. Louis Circuit Judge Christopher McGraugh ordered Kroenke and five other owners to provide financial records to help a jury determine potential damages. Earlier in October, McGraugh fined Clark Hunt of the Kansas City Chiefs, John Mara of the New York Giants, Robert Kraft of the New England Patriots and the Cowboys’ Jones for failing to provide full records. Kroenke has been footing almost all the bills.

Sources said the room seemed stunned by Pash’s update on Kroenke’s view of the indemnification agreement.

Jones spoke and reminded his colleagues that Kroenke has been a good partner, engineering the league’s return to Los Angeles after 22 years away and building a stadium that some involved in its construction refer to as “our $6 billion stadium.”

Next came Kraft, who sources said seemed to speak for many in the room that Kroenke’s position was unfair. He mentioned all the legal hassle he had gone through. In 2016, he had served on a six-person L.A. committee. He argued that if providing financial records as a result of lawsuits would be a consequence of serving on league committees, it would dissuade other owners from wanting to be on committees and making consequential decisions for the league.

Raiders owner Mark Davis reminded the room that, in 2016, the L.A. committee recommended a rival Raiders-Chargers stadium project in Carson, California, by a 5-1 vote over Kroenke’s project in Inglewood.

Mara spoke next and said that Kroenke’s change in position was ridiculous and that if Kroenke had not agreed to indemnify the league, the owners wouldn’t have voted for him to move. He said anyone who was in the room in Houston when the vote was taken would know that.

The sources said Jones argued that he’s been dealing with the legal issues, too, and indicated that the problems were not the fault of Kroenke or the league but were because one owner’s deposition was shaky. That owner’s name was not mentioned.

But in 2019, an ESPN report on the Rams-Chargers marriage detailed that discovery in the lawsuit had turned up an email from an official affiliated with the competing Carson proposal that outlined to St. Louis authorities all the ways the Rams seemed to be in violation of the league’s relocation policy, providing a blueprint for the city of St. Louis’ lawsuit.

A source close to Kroenke says now that the Rams owner believes that some of the legal issues arise from that email and that after building the stadium and agreeing to house the Chargers as a tenant for $1 a year, he shouldn’t be responsible for all legal fees.

Jones and Pash had a brief back-and-forth, then Jones asked Pash whether Kroenke had tried to settle the lawsuit.

Pash replied that he had, sources told ESPN. Jones indicated that Kroenke’s settlement figure was billions of dollars. Pash refused to confirm the figure — a source with direct knowledge of the situation told ESPN it was less than a billion — but told those in the meeting that it was more than the net worth of some in the room.

Sources then described several owners speaking up.

Jim Irsay of the Indianapolis Colts said the owners should call Kroenke back into the room to answer questions from the membership. Jones argued that Kroenke shouldn’t do so without an attorney.

Art Rooney II of the Pittsburgh Steelers said lawyers should handle all these issues. Mara then reiterated that nobody in the room would have voted for Kroenke to move if not for the full indemnification.

At one point, sources told ESPN, Jones seemed to indicate that Kroenke might sue the league over the indemnification agreement. Jones mentioned that, in 1995, the league sued him over sponsorship deals and he countersued.

The St. Louis lawsuit, currently in discovery phase, is due for trial on Jan. 10 — weeks before Kroenke’s SoFi Stadium hosts the Super Bowl.

Other topics during the owners-only session included a discussion about the emails that have been released recently concerning the Washington Football Team workplace misconduct investigation.

Davis, who accepted Jon Gruden’s resignation after emails from 2011 showed that the coach had used racist, anti-gay and misogynistic language, asked Goodell why he had learned of the emails only right before they were made public.

Although Davis didn’t accuse Goodell of leaking the emails, Goodell told the room that the league wasn’t behind the leak. And Tanya Snyder, wife of WFT owner Dan Snyder, apologized to the room that the league has suffered as a result of the investigation.

For where it could go, see LOS ANGELES RAMS below.

CHICAGO

The Bears will be Mack free for Week 8 – and maybe beyond.  Chase Goodbread of NFL.com:

Khalil Mack isn’t expected to play this week, and the Chicago Bears star pass rusher might be out a few more.

The team intends to rest Mack’s foot injury Sunday as the Bears play host to the San Francisco 49ers, and there are ongoing discussions about whether to place Mack on injured reserve, which would sideline him a minimum of three more games, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo.

Bears head coach Matt Nagy told reporters Wednesday that the team is “working through everything” as it pertains to Mack’s injury and no decision has been made yet on how to proceed.

Mack hasn’t missed a start this season but has been playing through pain over the last several weeks. He first sustained a foot injury in a 26-6 loss to the Cleveland Browns in Week 3. He left the game but returned in the second half to record his second sack of the day.

GREEN BAY

WR DAVANTE ADAMS has COVID.  WR ALLEN LAZARD does not.  Both will miss Thursday’s game.

Allen Lazard joined fellow Packers wideout Davante Adams on the COVID-19 reserve list on Tuesday and he reportedly won’t have a chance to come off the list before Thursday’s game against the Cardinals.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that Lazard went on the list as an unvaccinated close contact of someone who tested positive. That person is presumably Adams.

NFL protocols say Lazard will have to stay away from the team for five days, which means he’s definitely out for the matchup with Arizona.

Vaccinated players do not have to isolate after close contacts. Those who test positive can be activated after two negative tests taken 24 hours apart.

The Packers also got a receiver back from the COVID-19 list on Tuesday. They activated Malik Taylor from the list and he joins Randall Cobb, Amari Rodgers, and Equanimeous St. Brown on the active roster.

Actually, Adams, who has COVID, could return faster than Lazard who does not, as if vaccinated he can test negative (which is a good thing) twice before the game.

WASHINGTON

Roger Goodell claims that some of the women who were interviewed in the WFT investigation asked for anonymity.  They thought their names wouldn’t be spelled out in a written report.  Goodell says that is why there is no written report to release.  Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

Commissioner Roger Goodell usually speaks at the end of the NFL’s quarterly meetings. This time, he spoke at the conclusion of the first day of the two-day session.

Goodell was peppered with several questions about the Washington Football Team investigation, and the NFL’s ongoing refusal to disclose information about the findings made by attorney Beth Wilkinson.

Goodell reiterated the longstanding party line that, because some of the current or former WFT employees who came forward requested anonymity, no information will be provided. That continues to be a nonsensical position. They can easily redact the names of the people who want anonymity.

Also, certain aspects of the investigation don’t compromise those who want anonymity, however many (or few) that may be. For example, the investigation uncovered 650,000 emails, some of which were weaponized to take out Raiders coach Jon Gruden. The league has admitted to PFT that those emails fell outside the scope of the investigation. Thus, to the extent that anonymity promised to some current or former employees became the NFL’s stated concern for hiding all information about the investigation, that reasoning DOES NOT APPLY to the 650,000 emails, by the NFL’s own admission.

Put simply, the explanation from the league was and continues to be BS. There’s no other way to put it. Some employees (they’ve never said how many) wanted anonymity, so they bootstrap that into making everything about the investigation secret. They did that for one reason, in my opinion — if specific facts ever come to light about what happened at the WFT over the last decade, it would become untenable for Daniel Snyder to continue to own the team.

Goodell makes $50 million or so per year to peddle these talking points on behalf of the oligarchs who hide behind Big Shield, making the decisions that Goodell then must defend by talking his way through and around whatever questions he may face on the handful of annual occasions that he actually interacts with the media. On Tuesday night, he more than earned his next paycheck by offering up a buffet line of word salads in response to the various questions he faced, for the first time since May.

Goodell’s comments come at a time when the NFL has not yet officially responded to a letter from the U.S. House Oversight and Reform Committee that seeks a broad array of documents and information about the WFT investigation. Goodell said on Tuesday evening that the league looks forward to working with the Committee. However, neither he nor the league have committed to fully cooperating with the Congressional requests for information.

The league hasn’t committed to full cooperation because the league remains far more committed to doing whatever it can to keep secret any and all information that could take down Snyder, and (more importantly) to ensure that other owners won’t have to worry about workplace allegations morphing into the possible forced sale of the entire workplace.

TAMPA BAY

The DB was witness to a recent discussion about whether QB TOM BRADY’s famous chip on his shoulder would compel him to find a third team to win a Super Bowl with, to abandon Tampa Bay after he becomes the first QB to win multiple Super Bowls with two teams in say 2024 at age 46.  Zach Koons of The Spun:

If he does such a thing, his comments on Monday’s Manningcast would seem to eliminate about half the league.

Tom Brady developed a reputation as a “cold weather” quarterback during his days with the New England Patriots. Other teams were hard-pressed to beat the Pats in Foxboro late in the year when temperatures were dropping, which helped the legendary signal caller reach unparalleled levels of success with the franchise.

Just over a year ago, Brady swapped out the freezing winds of the Northeast for the sun and the warmth of Florida. He then went on to win a Super Bowl in his first season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Now, he never wants to go back to the cold.

In an appearance on the Monday Night Football “Manningcast,” Brady admitted that he has no desire to play any more games in the chilly weather.

“I always considered myself a cold weather quarterback but … I mean, screw that. I never want to deal with that again,” Brady admitted on to Peyton and Eli Manning on Monday, per Ben Voilin of The Boston Globe.

The 44-year-old Buccaneers quarterback even said that he’s already looking ahead to a game against the Washington Football Team in early November to check the forecast.

“I’m already checking the forecast in Washington in November. So it tells you how much I’ve softened up in my time here in Florida,” Brady said.

Brady’s ability to win just about everywhere has turned him into a seven-time Super Bowl champ and the best quarterback to ever play the position. However, it’s fairly obvious that he has an affinity for the warm weather in Tampa Bay.

After ranking in the top five in most major passing categories with the Buccaneers last year, Brady has picked up right where he left off in 2021. Through seven weeks, he’s completed 67 percent of his passes for 2,275 yards, 21 touchdowns and only three interceptions.

Brady will get the chance to stay in the warmth for one more week when he takes on the Saints this Sunday in New Orleans.

So, in this scenario, he would need a warm weather team with a surrounding cast that is Super Bowl possible – just as he found in Tampa Bay and might have had with the Chargers before JUSTIN HERBERT set up shop.

Would he go to the Vikings, if he had to live in cold, but not play in it?  Is Seattle deemed to be cold?

The Saints, Falcons and 49ers would seem to be the most likely teams that have the weather, the possible vacancy and enough coaching and roster to be of interest.  Although two years is a long time in the NFL to make such a projection.

LOS ANGELES RAMS

As the rumblings build that a Missouri jury, steered by a Missouri judge, is likely to find the NFL guilty for a massive judgment in the Rams’ move to the Golden State, owner Stan Kroenke is stirring consternation as he retreats from a pledge to indemnify the NFL owners for such damages (see the top of today’s DB for more).  Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

St. Louis may be moving closer to a potential expansion team, if it wants one.

Earlier this month, we outlined the factors that could result in the league throwing up its hands and accepting defeat in the Rams relocation litigation. One key ingredient to that specific outcome will be Rams owner Stan Kroenke successfully reneging on his promise to foot the full bill for the lawsuit and judgment, if any.

“Although . . . Kroenke has agreed to indemnify the rest of the league for whatever the verdict may be — and although the lawyers have told the other owners that the indemnity commitment is ironclad — there’s a concern that the eventual judgment in the case could be big enough to get Kroenke to try not to honor it,” we wrote on October 9.

As explained by Seth Wickersham of ESPN.com, NFL general counsel Jeff Pash informed the owners on Tuesday (after Kroenke was asked to leave the room) that Kroenke is challenging the indemnity agreement that he signed when receiving permission to move in 2016. Giants co-owner John Mara reportedly called Kroenke’s position “ridiculous,” explaining that the owners never would have voted to authorize the move from St. Louis to L.A. without the indemnity agreement.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who has long supported Kroenke’s L.A. move (and whose Legends Hospitality has profited from the relocation), defended Kroenke. Jones blamed the league’s current legal peril on the fact that the sworn deposition given by an unidentified owner was “shaky.”

Kroenke reportedly blames the current legal issues on the competing proposal to build a Carson stadium for the Raiders and Chargers. The Carson proposal supposedly outlined the various ways that allowing the Rams to move to Inglewood would violate the terms of the league’s relocation policy. Kroenke believes that proposal provided a blueprint for the St. Louis suit.

Jones reportedly said that Kroenke may sue over the indemnification agreement. If Kroenke prevails, the league will be on the hook for the outcome of the St. Louis litigation. And that will raise the chances dramatically of the league offering St. Louis an expansion team as part of a settlement.

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

The Chargers have spun their kicker carousel yet again.  Shelly Smith of ESPN.com:

The Los Angeles Chargers, insistent that they were confident in kicker Tristan Vizcaino despite his league-high five missed PATs this season, cut him on Tuesday and signed former Washington Football Team kicker Dustin Hopkins.

It’s another chapter in the seemingly never-ending kicker saga the Chargers have been going through since Michael Badgley, the self proclaimed “money badger” who was 24 of 33 on field goal attempts last season, lost a competition with Vizcaino before the start of this season.

The Chargers had stuck by Vizcaino through his struggles with coach Brandon Staley trying to work through technical issues he believed were the problem.

Vizcaino was the first kicker since Minnesota’s Fred Cox in 1974 to miss five extra point attempts in a team’s first six games.

Hopkins was released by Washington earlier this month after kicking in 93 total games from 2015 to 2021. Originally a sixth-round pick by the Buffalo Bills in 2013, he converted 12 of 14 attempts for Washington this season with one at 50-plus yards. He also converted 10 of his 12 extra point attempts. Hopkins has made 84% of his field-goal attempts during his career and was Washington’s leader in field goal rate.

Hopkins will be the 11th kicker to suit up for Los Angeles since 2017 when it faces New England on Sunday.

HOUSTON

The Panthers want the Dolphins to know that they are the only team that might be interested in troubled QB DESHAUN WATSON. David Newton of ESPN.com:

The Carolina Panthers will not pursue Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson with the NFL trade deadline approaching on Tuesday, a league source confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday.

ESPN and multiple media outlets reported earlier this week that the Panthers (3-4) had renewed their interest in potentially pursuing a Watson trade, amid the team’s four-game losing streak and the benching of quarterback Sam Darnold in Sunday’s loss to the New York Giants. Carolina reportedly explored the possibility of trading for Watson during the offseason.

“You guys know that wasn’t from me,” coach Matt Rhule said Monday of the report of Carolina’s interest. “I have nothing to add to that. My focus is on this team.”

Darnold remains the Panthers’ starting quarterback for Sunday’s game at the Atlanta Falcons.

Watson is facing 22 lawsuits alleging sexual assault and inappropriate behavior and has not played a down for the Texans this season. He has a no-trade clause in his contract, and the former Clemson star has waived that only for the Miami Dolphins.

The league source would not go into detail on why the Panthers won’t go after Watson, a decision first reported by NFL Network. The Panthers pursued Watson earlier this year before the lawsuits and before they traded with the New York Jets for Darnold.

On the other hand, The Commish says it is still too early for any hammer from NFL Justice to come down.  Dan Graziano of ESPN.com:

The playing status of Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, one of the hottest topics in the NFL ahead of next Tuesday’s trade deadline, does not sound as if it will be altered any time soon.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Tuesday at the league owners meetings that the NFL doesn’t yet have enough information about the 22 civil lawsuits that have been filed alleging sexual assault and inappropriate behavior by Watson to make a decision on potential discipline, and that the information they do have is not enough to convince the league to place him on the commissioner’s exempt list.

“Obviously, the police have been investigating, and we don’t have access to all of that information at this point in time,” Goodell said. “We pride ourselves on not interfering in that and in being as cooperative as we can in order to get all the facts. I think that process is still ongoing.”

Watson, who has a no-trade clause in his contract, has informed the Texans that he wants to be traded and does not plan to play for them again. He’s been showing up at the team facility every day since the start of training camp, but the team has been content to leave him on the inactive list for each of its seven regular-season games so far.

The Texans have been in contact with several teams regarding a potential trade for Watson, but interested teams have been hesitant to meet Houston’s asking price due to the uncertainty around his legal situation and potential discipline from the league.

So it remains unclear whether, if Watson is traded during this season, he’d be eligible to play for his new team or if the commissioner’s office would step in. As of now, there appears to be a mutual agreement between Watson and the Texans that makes any suspension or use of the commissioner’s exempt list unnecessary, even if the league deemed it warranted. Should he be traded, the league would have to decide whether to allow him to play. Based on what Goodell said Tuesday, it sounds as if it would.

NEW ENGLAND

Former Patriots S Patrick Chung has post-career legal troubles.  Mike Reiss of ESPN.com:

Former New England Patriots safety Patrick Chung was charged Monday with assault and battery against a family member and vandalism, according to court records.

Chung appeared in court Tuesday in Quincy, Massachusetts, and pleaded not guilty to charges involving the mother of one of his children. The woman, who represented herself, also obtained a civil restraining order against Chung at the hearing. Chung was released on $10,000 personal surety. His next court hearing is scheduled for Jan. 7.

“Mr. Chung is an upstanding member of the community, wonderful father, and he looks forward to be able to set this straight in respect to what actually occurred. He is the victim in this matter,” said Sandy Pesiridis, Chung’s attorney, according to The Boston Globe.

Chung, 34, played for the Patriots from 2009 to 2012 and then from 2014 to 2019. He was part of three Super Bowl championship teams.

Chung had opted out of the 2020 season because of the coronavirus pandemic and intended to play in 2021 before retiring in March, posting on Instagram that “it’s time to start a new life.”

He later said that breaking the news of his retirement to Patriots coach Bill Belichick “was probably the hardest conversation” he had in a long time.

“I felt like I was letting him down, but it was something I had to do for my family and me,” Chung said at the time.

On Monday afternoon, Chung had tweeted that he was having the “best day of my life.”

In August 2019, Chung was indicted for cocaine possession in New Hampshire but he had the charge conditionally dismissed in January 2020.

THIS AND THAT

AIKMAN RATINGS (PLUS MORE)

This from the 33^rd Team on the latest Aikman Efficiency Ratings:

The 33rd Team is proud to be home for the Aikman Efficiency Ratings — Pro Football Hall of Famer Troy Aikman’s proprietary formula for measuring team offense and team defense in the NFL.

As opposed to just looking at total yards gained and allowed, Aikman combined seven categories, placing more emphasis on some:

Points per game (20%)

Points Per Red-Zone Possession (20%)

Turnovers (20%)

Yards per Rush (10%)

Yards per Pass (10%)

Third-Down Percentage (10%)

First Downs (10%)

Despite jumping out to a 6-1 record and sitting in dominant control of the NFC North division, the Troy Aikman Efficiency Ratings paint Green Bay as a Super Bowl pretender. While Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams have looked like world-beaters on the field, the Packers still rank at No. 19 in the NFL in Aikman’s Efficiency Ratings on both offense and defense.

After soaring into the top spot on offense in last week’s Efficiency Ratings, the undefeated Arizona Cardinals maintained their No. 1 ranking on offense and No. 3 spot on defense. Meanwhile, their NFC West counterpart and fellow NFC contender, the Los Angeles Rams, inched up the rankings to No. 5 on offense and No. 6 on defense. With two of the most well-rounded teams in the NFL in one division, the rival Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers — who each fancied themselves as a Super Bowl contender — will have a daunting task getting back into the race.

Another pair of division rivals from the AFC North find themselves with top 10 rankings on both sides of the ball. The Ravens (No. 6 offense and No. 8 defense) and Bengals (No. 10 offense and No. 9 defense) are fresh off a surprising result when the Bengals trounced Baltimore this past Sunday.

Other serious contenders by Aikman’s metric include the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are No. 4 on offense, No. 7 on defense, and No. 1 in Paul Domowitch’s NFL Power Rankings this week.

While the Chiefs’ last-place defense has been dragging them down for most of the season, the offense has started to lose a bit of luster near the top of the rankings, dropping from No. 3 last week to No. 9 after an abysmal 3 point showing.

Just like the Aikman Combined Ratings above, Dan Hanzus using his eyes, not stats, has five of the top six teams from the NFC:

1 Arizona Cardinals 7-0           Previous rank: No. 1

With their marquee matchup against the Packers days away, the schedule makers did the Cardinals a favor with a nice tune-up against the worst team in football. Arizona took care of business against Houston in a game that showcased the Cards’ newest weapon. Zach Ertz recorded a 47-yard touchdown catch, a career-long score that showed the tight end still has some juice in his legs. Last year, Kliff Kingsbury’s offense too often felt like it was Kyler-to-Nuk or bust. Now, Arizona is getting contributions from Hopkins, yes, but also A.J. Green, Rondale Moore, Christian Kirk … and Ertz, a former Super Bowl hero who looks like a man with something to prove.

2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers   6-1     Previous rank: No. 3

Bucs stars come at you in waves. The Bears were lucky enough to miss Rob Gronkowski (ribs) and Antonio Brown (ankle) on Sunday, but they still had to contend with Mike Evans (three touchdowns), Chris Godwin (111 yards, TD) and the running game (182 yards and a score) in a 38-3 Tampa Bay romp. Tom Brady didn’t even play a particularly good game by his lofty standards, but the G.O.A.T. still tossed four touchdowns without an interception, becoming the first quarterback to throw 600 TD passes in NFL history. The champs are humming, with a key division matchup against the Saints on deck.

3 Buffalo Bills  4-2                           Previous rank: No. 2

When Josh Allen was stuffed on fourth-and-short to clinch a frustrating 34-31 loss to the Titans in Week 6, it put the spotlight on a perplexing issue concerning the AFC East leaders: Why is this loaded offense struggling to tally touchdowns in the red zone? Buffalo is scoring nearly 34 points per game, but the team is 26th in red-zone TD conversion. No team in football made more trips inside the opponent’s 20-yard line in the season’s first six weeks, but the Bills punched it into the end zone only 55.2 percent of the time. That’s down from the 62 percent clip Buffalo posted in its gangbusters 2020 rampage through the league. One can assume this issue was thoroughly investigated during the bye week.

4   Dallas Cowboys    5-1                   Previous rank: No. 4

Life was good for the 5-1 Cowboys as they reached their Week 7 bye, even if Dak Prescott’s calf injury presents an ominous cloud above The Star. Prescott suffered the injury on the final play of Dallas’ Week 6 overtime win over the Patriots, and despite positive reports, ongoing concern is warranted. The Cowboys are essentially playing without a safety net: The team’s backup behind Prescott is none other than … checks notes … Cooper Rush, the 27-year-old undrafted free agent who has completed one pass (for 2 yards) in five professional seasons. Considering the nature of Prescott’s season-ending injury in 2020, should the Cowboys have made a greater effort to retain Andy Dalton in the offseason? Were Prescott to have a setback, could Dalton return before the trade deadline?

5 Los Angeles Rams   6-1              Previous rank: No. 7

Sean McVay was staring down a nightmare postgame press conference — until his biggest defensive stars rode in to save the day. With the Lions driving for the lead late in the fourth quarter, Aaron Donald crashed through the offensive line and forced an early throw from old friend Jared Goff, who was picked off by Jalen Ramsey to seal a 28-19 win at Hollywood Park. Before that play, McVay had watched his Rams struggle to put away a winless Lions team that was completely fearless in its game strategy. Detroit successfully executed a surprise onside kick and two fake punts, but Los Angeles still found a way, thanks to Donald and Ramsey. Having a team of plucky fighters is good … being in possession of superstars is better.

6  Green Bay Packers  6-1                   Previous rank: No. 6

The Packers have now won six straight since their ugly Week 1 defeat to Saints, but this still doesn’t feel like a team firing on all cylinders. Green Bay was badly outgained by a middling Washington squad that could have scored one of the biggest upsets of the season had it executed better in the red zone. The Packers deserve credit for getting those big stops in close, of course, but Matt LaFleur’s group will need to be better when the competition stiffens. That comes Thursday with a road matchup against the undefeated Cardinals — a challenge that becomes far more imposing if Davante Adams (reserve/COVID-19 list) is unable to suit up.

7  Cincinnati Bengals    5-2                 Previous rank: No. 11

That right there was a Statement Win™. The Bengals rolled into Baltimore and sent thousands of once-confident Ravens fans at M&T Bank Stadium streaming to the exits by the fourth quarter of a 41-17 triumph that makes us reconsider everything in the AFC North. Cincinnati has moved into a tie with Baltimore atop the division. and none of this feels unsustainable, with Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase producing at historic levels together.

 From the NFL Research team: Chase (35/754/6) has the most receiving yards by any player through his first seven career games in NFL history. It’s still not too late to delete your “They should have taken Penei Sewell!” takes on social media. Scrub away! Save your Smart Football Internet Person reputation!

8 Baltimore Ravens     5-2                 Previous rank: No. 5

The Ravens hit their bye at 5-2, a strong record good enough for a tie atop the AFC North. Given the injury epidemic in Baltimore, this feels something close to a best-case scenario. But the nature of Sunday’s loss to the Bengals — a 41-17 shellacking at home — is sure to prompt difficult questions at team headquarters. Are the Ravens, with their depth concerns and inconsistencies, quietly vulnerable in a division that suddenly houses a rising power in Western Ohio? The Ravens were badly outscored and outgained by the Bengals — Cincinnati was the more physical team, as well. The off week began with a wake-up call. Or was it a warning siren?

9  Los Angeles Chargers   4-2              Previous rank: No. 8

OK, so Justin Herbert stunk up the joint two Sundays ago in Baltimore, as did the rest of his Chargers teammates in a game to forget. The question becomes this: Was it simply a bad week — or do teams now have a playbook on how to stop the Bolts? The Chargers’ offense could use improvement in early-down situations. More work is needed on the defensive side, which is surprising, considering Brandon Staley’s pedigree upon taking this head-coaching job. Los Angeles ranked 19th in defensive DVOA heading into Monday Night Football and is one of the worst teams in football against the run. The Chargers are good — potentially great — but they remain under construction.

10  Tennessee Titans     5-2                  Previous rank: No. 10

Just over three weeks ago, the Titans were embarrassed by the Jets, and the AFC South looked like a division that would produce a sub-.500 champion. Cut to late Sunday afternoon: Over seven days, Mike Vrabel’s team knocked off the Bills and Chiefs — both participants in January’s AFC Championship Game. Ryan Tannehill, Derrick Henry and A.J. Brown once again paced the offense in Week 7, while Harold Landry led a Tennessee defense that made Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City’s vaunted attack look vulnerable and weak. A win this week in Indianapolis will put the AFC South on lock before the calendar flips to November. Change happens fast in the NFL.

11 Las Vegas Raiders     5-2                  Previous rank: No. 15

The Bisaccia Bump is real! The Raiders improved to 2-0 since Rich Bisaccia took over as interim coach, and you can argue that Las Vegas’ best two games of the season — their most complete efforts, anyway — have come with Jon Gruden sitting on a couch in parts unknown. Derek Carr was simply brilliant against the Eagles, completing 31 of 34 passes for 323 yards and two touchdowns. The quarterback’s dominance was even more impressive considering star tight end Darren Waller was scratched before the game with knee and ankle issues. The MVP field is lousy with superstars having career years, but Carr absolutely deserves to be in the conversation right now. He’s been one of the best players in the league.

12  New Orleans Saints      4-2                 Previous rank: No. 12

Drew Brees sat in with Peyton and Eli on ESPN’s Manningcast on Monday night, and you could tell the Saints legend was struggling to find the words as we watched the ever-erratic Jameis Winston run Brees’ old offense at Lumen Field. Winston wasn’t great, but luckily he had Alvin Kamara to carry the load. Kamara was the best player on the field, finishing with 10 catches, 179 yards of total offense and a touchdown. The Saints have never been so dependent on their superstar running back — take him out of the mix and it all falls apart.

13  Cleveland Browns   4-3                           Previous rank: No. 13

The Browns probably have quality NFL running backs stuck between couch cushions at team headquarters. Third-stringer D’Ernest Johnson stepped up on Thursday night, rushing for 146 yards and a touchdown in a 17-14 win over the Broncos. The shifty back should remain in the mix even when Nick Chubb returns to the lineup. Meanwhile, Case Keenum got the victory in his first start in Cleveland — could Keenum make the, um, case to stay in the lineup if he thrives in another start? Kevin Stefanski is a big fan of the veteran, a fact undoubtedly on Baker Mayfield’s mind as the starter is sidelined with a seriously fouled-up left shoulder.

14  Kansas City Chiefs         3-4                     Previous rank: No. 9

This was a Sunday of red flags … and not the kind team personnel race across the field after touchdowns at Arrowhead. The Chiefs were down 24-0 before a pass rusher sniffed Ryan Tannehill. The Patrick Mahomes-led offense didn’t convert its first third down until 12:46 remained in the game. And then there was the most somber of all scenes for Chiefs fans: Down 27-3, late in the third quarter and facing fourth-and-forever, Andy Reid sent out Harrison Butker to attempt a 57-yard field goal. Butker, like the rest of the Chiefs on Sunday, didn’t come close. There are too many special players involved to count out K.C. — but this is no longer a case of working out the kinks. The Chiefs have reached a crisis point.

15  Minnesota Vikings              3-3                    Previous rank: No. 14

On a recent edition of the Around The NFL Podcast, we probed Vikings beat reporter Arif Hasan on the relationship between Mike Zimmer and Kirk Cousins. The tension between the head coach and starting quarterback seems palpable at times, but Hasan asserted that any frustrations with Cousins as a QB (or teammate) are largely negated by his play. The veteran might not ever inspire lengthy monologues about his leadership abilities, but he stacks numbers, year after year. The production will sneak up on you: In 58 games as Minnesota’s starter, Cousins has completed over 69 percent of his 1,805 attempts for 104 touchdowns and just 31 interceptions. His passer rating of 103.9 over that span represents the production of a star. Why don’t we see him that way?

16   Indianapolis Colts                 3-4                   Previous rank: No. 18

They don’t play a particularly pretty brand of football, but the Colts don’t mind rolling in the mud. We saw that on Sunday night in soggy Santa Clara, where Indianapolis scored a 30-18 win over the 49ers to remain within striking distance of the red-hot Titans in the AFC South. Jonathan Taylor has now gone over 100 scrimmage yards in four straight games, while Carson Wentz made big plays down the stretch — none bigger than the 28-yard fourth-quarter touchdown strike to Michael Pittman that iced the Niners. A Week 8 showdown with the Titans at Lucas Oil Field will have massive implications in the division.

17  Pittsburgh Steelers              3-3                        Previous rank: No. 16

The Steelers reached their bye at 3-3 and look like the epitome of the 8-8 team (or 9-8 or 8-9 whatever) as we creep toward November. Rising above mediocrity will take Herculian performances from their best players: Ben Roethlisberger has to be better than a game manager, while T.J. Watt must continue to play like a Defensive Player Of The Year frontrunner. An X-factor is running back Najee Harris, who’s come on strong in recent weeks. The first-round rookie leads the team in receptions, is in the top 10 in the league in rushing attempts and has handled his blocking assignments. If Pittsburgh’s offensive line gives him more room to operate, he’ll leap into the Offensive Rookie Of The Year conversation.

18  New England Patriots           3-4                      Previous rank: No. 21

He’ll never acknowledge it publicly, but nothing brings Bill Belichick more pure joy than embarrassing the New York Jets. His Patriots did it again on Sunday, pouring it on Robert Saleh’s team in a 54-13 win that ended a four-game losing streak at Gillette Stadium. Led by the already ever-steady Mac Jones, the Patriots scored on nine of their 10 possessions, not counting kneel-downs. “We finally kind of saw a little bit of a result that was good, and we’ve just got to stick to the formula and stick to the process,” said Jones, now a fully programmed and operational soldier of Patriot Way.

19  San Francisco 49ers                2-4                   Previous rank: No. 17

The Kyle Shanahan Defenders Society is always armed with a good excuse or two, and the miserable conditions at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday night qualify as solid cover. But it’s results that ultimately matter most, and the 49ers are 2-4 and 4.5 games behind the NFC West-leading Cardinals before Halloween. How does Shanahan fix this mess? It probably starts with a change at quarterback, a position the 2021 version of Jimmy Garoppolo seems unable to play at a satisfactory level. After the 30-18 setback to the Colts, Shanahan said he would “guess” Garoppolo starts in Week 8, but Jimmy G’s continued first-string status is now completely tied to the health of Trey Lance, currently rehabbing a sprained knee.

20   Atlanta Falcons           3-3                              Previous rank: No. 25

Matt Ryan and Kyle Pitts are officially a thing. The veteran quarterback and rookie phenom connected repeatedly on Sunday, including on two vital completions to set up Younghoe Koo’s game-winner in a 30-28 victory over the Dolphins in Miami. It’s hard to describe how different Pitts is: On the 28-yarder that put Atlanta in field-goal range in the final minutes, Pitts lined up on the outside against Xavien Howard, an All-Pro ballhawk who regularly shuts down No. 1 wideouts. Pitts beat Howard by a half step, then used his size to come down with the catch. Pitts’ performance the last two weeks (16/282/1) backs up the pre-draft hype that positioned the former Florida standout as a generational talent.

21  Denver Broncos              3-4                           Previous rank: No. 20

To quote the late, great Thomas Earl Petty, the Broncos are free fallin’, out into nothin’. The 3-0 start has given way to four consecutive losses and the general sense that Denver is a middling team no closer to serious contention than it was a year ago with Drew Lock behind center. Teddy Bridgewater isn’t the sole reason for the Broncos’ month-long slump, but he’s proving once again that he’s simply not a dynamic presence under center. If all the Broncos needed was a game manager, Teddy Two Gloves would be a perfect fit. But with Denver’s talented defense not living up to expectations, Vic Fangio needs a difference-maker at QB. Teddy ain’t it.

22   Seattle Seahawks              2-5                       Previous rank: No. 22

Geno Smith’s first completion in a pivotal Monday Night Football matchup against the Saints went for 84 yards and a touchdown to DK Metcalf. Every Smith completion thereafter combined for 83 yards. Yes, the GenoCoaster was fully operational in a damaging 13-10 loss that leaves the Seahawks’ season perilously close to careening off the rails. It’s a shame, too, as Seattle’s maligned defense held up well against New Orleans. Now 0-3 at home for the first time since 1992, the Seahawks will need a serious run to make the playoffs for the ninth time in 10 years. Get well soon, DangeRuss.

23    Chicago Bears                    3-4                       Previous rank: No. 23

You have to squint hard to find positives to take out of Sunday’s 38-3 loss to the Bucs. The Bears were outclassed in all facets — unable to slow down Tom Brady and a parade of Tampa Bay playmakers, while the offense couldn’t get out of its own way in a five-turnover showing. Justin Fields was responsible for all five of those giveaways (three INTs and two lost fumbles), but head coach Matt Nagy was right to keep his rookie signal-caller under center for the duration of the blowout. The 2021 Bears are not a Super Bowl contender — they’re not a playoff team, either — so let Fields get the necessary experience and live with the good, the bad and the (very) ugly.

24      New York Giants               2-5                       Previous rank: No. 27

Daniel Jones continues to be an extremely difficult evaluation subject for the Giants. The former first-round pick regularly produces at a mundane level from a counting-stats perspective, but he still passes the eye test as a difference-maker as a passer and runner. Sometimes as a receiver, too: His acrobatic one-handed catch in the third quarter of Sunday’s 25-3 win over the Panthers was the biggest highlight of New York’s only real touchdown drive of the day. The Giants are a team seemingly headed for a hard reboot, but cutting ties with Jones still feels like a move that could backfire.

25       Carolina Panthers             3-4                      Previous rank: No. 19

The Panthers will stick with Sam Darnold for now, because Sam Darnold’s backup is P.J. Walker, and P.J. Walker isn’t playing at Temple anymore. Matt Rhule has boxed himself into a corner: It’s becoming apparent he’s whiffed on his hand-picked starting QB for the second straight year, and the coach has no escape hatch … for now, anyway. After Sunday’s ugly 25-3 loss to the Giants, reports surfaced that the Panthers are “evaluating their pursuit of a franchise quarterback,” and Carolina is expected to be involved in trade discussions for Deshaun Watson. The legal entanglements of Watson will likely keep him out of action no matter where he’s employed at the Nov. 2 trade deadline, but Carolina looks ready to make a major push for another hard-reset QB.

26  Philadelphia Eagles               2-5                       Previous rank: No. 24

Loved this stat from NBC Sports Edge (via John Daigle): Jalen Hurts has scored 43.4 percent of his fantasy points in the fourth quarter this season. Nobody Cares About Your Fantasy Team, but that data gives us an idea of what’s really happening with the Eagles’ offense beneath the solid counting stats for the second-year quarterback. This is an offense that regularly sleepwalks through the first three quarters of games before making it respectable in garbage time. The inconsistency of the attack shouldn’t be put at the feet of Hurts alone, but would it be entirely shocking if Nick Sirianni turned to newly elevated backup Gardner Minshew to juice Philly’s offense when the outcome is still undecided? Hurts doesn’t have the draft pedigree or (seemingly) the organizational support to remain the locked-and-loaded QB1.

27   Washington Football Team        2-5                  Previous rank: No. 26

The Football Team outgained the Packers by 126 yards (430-304) and played — by far — their best defensive game of the season … yet still found themselves on the wrong side of a double-digit defeat thanks to two crushing failures in the third quarter. Taylor Heinicke’s overturned TD was highway robbery that should be addressed by the Common Sense Police (or, at least the Competition Committee in the offseason), but there was no excuse for the back-to-back fourth-down failures near the goal line that spelled doom at Lambeau Field. There were plenty of positives to take out of Sunday, but there hasn’t been a more frustrating loss this season for Ron Rivera’s team.

28       Jacksonville Jaguars                1-5                   Previous rank: No. 28

Trevor Lawrence hasn’t taken the NFL by storm after coming into the league as the most heralded rookie QB since Andrew Luck, but the arrow is definitely pointing up for the No. 1 overall pick. Lawrence made several big plays in leading the Jaguars to their first win of the season two Sundays ago in London, and he has shown steady week-to-week improvement. His gains against an NFL pass rush were evident against the Dolphins: According to Next Gen Stats, Lawrence threw for 117 yards when pressured in Week 6. He had just 276 yards total when under duress in Jacksonville’s first five games. The kid can play.

29   Miami Dolphins                            1-6                     Previous rank: No. 29

The Dolphins suffered another loss in crushing, last-second fashion, and their playoff chances have virtually vanished before the season reaches its midpoint. We now enter Evaluation Time in Miami, and that starts with Tua Tagovailoa. As the uncomfortable Dashuan Watson trade rumors continue to swirl around the organization, Tua put together a solid performance against the Falcons — his second straight promising showing since coming off the injured list. Yes, there were two gnarly turnovers that factored into the loss, but Tagovailoa has flashed since his return. Do the Dolphins really want to cash out now and get into the Watson business?

30    Detroit Lions                              0-7                       Previous rank: No. 31

The Lions aren’t talented, but they are gutsy and they play their hearts out every week for Dan Campbell. Jared Goff’s late interception doomed Detroit to another painful loss on Sunday in Los Angeles, but hanging tough for four quarters against a Super Bowl contender like the Rams counts as progress in Detroit. Campbell’s performance was admirable, as well — the coach called for an early onside kick and two fake punts, with all three trick plays ending with a successful outcome. To have all that go right and still lose is frustrating, but the Lions don’t feel like a hopeless 0-7. The losses continue to mount, but the fight remains strong.

31     New York Jets                         1-5                         Previous rank: No. 30

Getting embarrassed by the Patriots isn’t a new development for the Jets, but it was at least understandable when Tom Brady was the New England quarterback. Getting lit up by a 54-13 score in the Mac Jones era is a level of dysfunction entering into the realm of the indefensible. It was New York’s most lopsided loss since 2010 and the most points the team had allowed in 42 years. To make matters worse, Zach Wilson exited with a knee injury that will keep him on the shelf for several weeks and necessitated the return of Joe Flacco. Robert Saleh was brought in to change a culture of losing that’s permeated the franchise for nearly a decade. So far, no good.

32  Houston Texans                   1-6                         Previous rank: No. 32

Tyrod Taylor returned to practice, but that’s not the quarterback who will garner headlines around the Texans this week. The trade deadline is next Tuesday, and NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Monday morning Deshaun Watson is expected to be moved before that date. There appear to be multiple suitors interested in Watson, which goes to show you just how much some NFL teams are willing to overlook if it means landing a Pro Bowl quarterback in his physical prime. Moving Watson now would represent a best-case scenario for the Texans: They’d acquire a slew of premium draft picks while unloading the toxicity connected to their former franchise star. A win-win at the highest level.