Team Notes Week 11 2023 By Bob Harris NEWS, NOTES, RUMORS AND OTHER GOOD STUFF Directly from the desk of FlashUpdate Editor Bob Harris. The good; the bad; and yes. ... Even the ugly. There is no better way to jump start your weekend than browsing these always educational -- often irreverent -- team-by-team, Fantasy-specific offerings. ... ---- Arizona Cardinals Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 14 November 2023 After Falcons backup quarterback Desmond Ridder ran in a touchdown with 2:33 left in the game to put Atlanta up by one Sunday, Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, playing in his first game since tearing his ACL in December, thought to himself: "Of course, it sets up like this." Then, as ESPN.com's Josh Weinfuss put it, "Murray did what he's done best during his five-year career: Make game-changing plays with his feet and arm." He orchestrated a 70-yard drive that included yet another highlight-worthy scramble and a throw that showcased his arm strength and accuracy. It was capped by a 23-yard field goal from kicker Matt Prater to give Arizona a 25-23 win at the buzzer at State Farm Stadium. The Cardinals had more net yards (63) on that first drive than they had the entire Browns game the week before (58). It had been 335 days -- exactly 11 months to the day -- since Murray tore his right ACL on "Monday Night Football" against the New England Patriots, the first major injury of his career. Murray said he just wanted one thing Sunday afternoon. "I just want to win," he said. "It feels good to win. I mean, that's like the icing on the cake. So, I'm just happy for us and the team, man. I'm just happy." Before Murray took the field to start the final drive, he was told where the line was for Prater's range. Murray responded, saying he was going to get the ball all the way down the field. That's exactly what he did. After a handful of runs throughout the game that proved that his rehabilitated knee wouldn't hamper his play, Murray showed he was back to his old self with 1:50 left in the game. On third-and-10, the play broke down and Murray was forced out of the pocket. First, he broke to his left and then reversed course to come back to his right before taking off straight ahead. He gained 13 yards to move Arizona into Atlanta territory, but he covered 74 yards and reached a top speed of 20.17 seconds, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. "It was like, 'Man that felt good for him to get that and finish it in that way," said wide receiver Marquise Brown after watching his good friend juke his way out of a bind and make something out of nothing. Murray thought the Falcons had done a good job of containing him, but it wasn't good enough. "Had to make my mind up," Murray said. "It may sound cliché or, like, not possible, but for me, it was like, at the end of the day, if it comes down to it being in my hands, I got to make something happen." If he had to take a hit to win the game, Murray said that's what he was willing to do. "Obviously, when you're running like that, everything's kind of blurry," Murray said. "For me, it was just do whatever's necessary to win." Head coach Jonathan Gannon described the run as "wild" and said Murray's ability to make plays like that is "invaluable." Two plays later, Murray hit tight end Trey McBride for a 33-yard pass that traveled 40 yards in the air to move Arizona to the Atlanta 9. Running back James Conner, who returned Sunday after missing four games with a knee injury to run for 73 yards on 16 carries, then bulldozed his way to the 2-yard-line. After two plays of maneuvering to get the ball exactly where Prater wanted it, he gave the Cardinals their second win of the season. "He believes that if you give him the ball, he's going to win the game," Gannon said of Murray. "So, there it is." Sunday was the culmination of Murray's highly anticipated comeback, and he couldn't avoid the emotions of returning no matter how hard he tried. "I thought I did a good job of not letting the emotions and everything get to me throughout this week, obviously, it being a big week," Murray said. "But at the end of the day, man, just trying to come out here and get a win. That was the mindset." Murray hid whatever emotions he was experiencing during the week, even from Gannon. "He doesn't ride the emotional rollercoaster," Gannon said. When Murray walked into the huddle before the first play of the game, he clapped three times, a rare expression of emotion, but his teammates could see what being back meant to him. Murray finished with 249 yards and an interception on 19 of 32 passing to go along with 33 rushing yards and a touchdown on six carries. His rushing touchdown came on a six-yard run in the second quarter and put the Cardinals up 14-12. When Murray dropped back, he saw a hole and took advantage of it. "He gave me a read like my legs didn't work," Murray said. "I haven't had a read like that since like Year 2, but it was good." To Murray, his return "felt normal, felt right." To Conner, Murray's performance Sunday felt like "he's making magic happen." "Obviously, a jolt of energy and belief within our team," Gannon said. "That's why he is who he is. Couldn't be happier for the guy." As Darren Urban of the team's official website pointed out, it wasn't all perfect. Murray just barely overthrew Brown for a potential touchdown in the first half. He had Brown open (and had McBride uncovered 10 yards downfield too). But that's a pass with touch that likely is made in a couple weeks when Murray isn't rusty any longer. Could Murray's return be the spark the Cardinals need to close out the season? "In short," Weinfuss wrote, "yes." The way he reinvigorated the Cardinals' offense against the Falcons on Sunday, despite there being kinks to work out shows that Arizona has what it takes to win a few games down the stretch. The Cardinals have three winnable games against the Texans Rams and Bears coming up. That could be enough to move Arizona down the draft board and off the first overall pick, which is where they sit now. ... One are the team will focus on in advance of Sunday's game against C.J. Stroud and the Texans, is their third down offense. Arizona's offense got to third down just 11 times but only converted three of those, which was below the Cardinals' season rate of 36.5 percent, identifying an immediate area of focus with Murray back under center. ... Worth noting. ... Clayton Tune will have a role, and it's as short-yardage QB. The rookie was in for two plays, pitching the ball to Conner (for a four-yard gain) on fourth-and-inches, and later scoring his first NFL touchdown on the now-famous QB shove play inside the 1. "That's not easy to do coming in a game cold and getting a snap and scoring," Gannon said. "He had a great week of practice. A really good week of practice. He came back the right way after getting beat up a little bit, and that's how coaches and players need to respond when you get beat up a little bit. It shows your true character. ..." By the way. ... The Cardinals cycled through five different quarterbacks over the 14 games Murray missed with his knee injury. Colt McCoy, Trace McSorley, David Blough, Josh Dobbs and Tune were a combined 1-13 Other notes of interest. ... McBride set a new career high with 131 receiving yards -- his first game with over 100 yards -- showing his versatility and ability to make plays after catches, all while becoming one of Murray's favorite targets. ... Conner mostly returned to his usual role, playing most of the snaps on early downs and short-yardage situations. He didn't see a target. Conner started the season as the third-down back but Emari Demercado has taken over that role. Tony Jones Jr. took over as the third down back last week after Demercado last week and kept that role in this game. According to PFF.com's Nathan Jahnke, it wouldn't be surprising if Conner takes a little higher percentage of snaps on early downs once he's closer to 100 percent, but this is basically the role we can expect from him going forward. Another 4-for-4 field-goal day for Prater, including boots from 51 and 56 yards. "Wherever the offense sends me out to kick from, I expect to make them," he said. "Whether it's a 20-yarder or a 50-yarder they're all the same to me. ..." Finally. ... The Cardinals had 11 penalties for 112 yards and that isn't going to work. Urban believes some of the pre-snap issues should fade as the offense gets used to Murray, however. DEPTH CHART QBs: Kyler Murray, Clayton Tune RBs: James Conner, Emari Demercado, Keaontay Ingram WRs: Marquise Brown, Rondale Moore, Michael Wilson, Zach Pascal, Greg Dortch TEs: Trey McBride, Geoff Swaim, Zach Ertz ---- Atlanta Falcons Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 14 November 2023 As Associated Press sports writer Paul Newberry, t's starting to feel like Arthur Smith is coaching for his job with the Atlanta Falcons. After three straight losses, including a final-play setback to the woeful Arizona Cardinals, the Falcons (4-6) head into their bye week with questions all over the field -- and on the sideline. First and foremost: Who is the No. 1 quarterback? According to the team's official website, here's what we know: The Falcons gave Taylor Heinicke the start at quarterback against the Vikings and Cardinals in Weeks 9 and 10 of the 2023 season. Smith attributed the decision to a number of unnamed "variables" when pressed over the last two weeks. Heinicke came in for starter Desmond Ridder in the second half of the Falcons Week 8 loss to the Titans. At the time, Ridder was evaluated for a concussion. He was cleared to return to the game but didn't. Ridder started the first eight games of the season for the Falcons. We also know that Heinicke left Sunday's 25-23 loss with a hamstring injury to begin the fourth quarter. He never returned to the game. Ridder played the remainder of the game at quarterback. Ridder connected on 4-of-6 passes for 39 passing yards as the reliever. He also rushed for 11 yards, one of which was a 9-yard, go-ahead touchdown. So, this is what we know. But here's what we don't know: We don't know where the quarterback conversation in Atlanta goes from here. Smith said in the week leading up to the Falcons game in Arizona that Atlanta would not play "musical chairs" when it came to the quarterback position. The plan was to use the bye week as a way to reassess the plan for the future of the signal caller in Atlanta. Whoever the Falcons planned to play against the Saints in Week 12 is the person they would stick with, barring injury, of course. How much will the Falcons most recent loss to the Cardinals change things? Perhaps more than originally thought upon first look. Smith is right, too, there are a number of variables to consider, even if he chose to keep said variables private. However, there are a couple more variables to consider now than there were before. For starters, the Falcons now have to consider Heinicke's injury and how serious it could or couldn't be. Then, there's what Ridder was able to do in relief. "Des came in and he did a really nice job," Smith said postgame. "He gave us a chance." The head coach said Ridder was "settled" and "confident" for the Falcons when he got the chance to see the field of play again. What Ridder and Heinicke were asked to do in the game was different, though, according to Smith. For Heinicke, the Falcons came into the game with the full intent to run the ball and do so often. Though Heinicke only finished his day 8-of-15 through the air for 55 passing yards and one touchdown, Smith said Heinicke was playing within the game plan set for him. The Falcons didn't go into the Cardinals game wanting to air the ball out all game. Smith commended Heinicke for extending plays when he could. Then, there's Ridder, who Smith praised for coming in and working from behind with the Falcons down 21-17 to start the fourth quarter. Smith said he liked what he saw from Ridder on his touchdown run, a 9-yard zone read that he kept in his own arms for the six points. This is the fourth time Ridder has scored on this specific play call (it would have been five if he wouldn't have fumbled the ball out the end zone against Tampa Bay in Week 7). "If he wasn't (confident), he wouldn't have pulled the ball on the (touchdown) play. I'll tell you that," Smith said of Ridder. "That play will tell you a lot. If you don't want the ball in your hands it would be really easy to hand the ball off. … He wasn't living in his fears because that was the same play the ball popped out in Tampa." When asked if he felt like he did enough to warrant a return to the starting quarterback spot, Ridder was frank. "That's not really my decision," he said. "My job was to come in and be a backup to Taylor and be ready to go. I feel like I did my job in that aspect." Smith did say, though, that Ridder's performance late "definitely" has an effect on the decision moving forward. Just what that decision will be -- Ridder or Heinicke -- is still to be decided as the Falcons regroup during the bye week. If anything, the loss to the Cardinals made the path ahead more convoluted in the short term. All that aside, the Falcons are hardly out of contention in the mediocre NFC South, trailing the first-place Saints by only a game. But they have failed so far to take advantage of a weak schedule. Atlanta's first 10 opponents have a combined record of 41-52. Smith said he'll look into almost everything during the bye week, but there is one area that will not change: his coaching staff. "We're not making staff adjustments," he said. "I know this is what happens when you lose a couple in a row. There's frustration. But we've got the right people in here." The fan base is certainly frustrated. Social media lit up with calls for Smith to be fired after the latest loss. He insisted that's not a concern. "It's pro football," Smith said. "If you don't like that, don't sign up for it. ..." Meanwhile, the Falcons closed out Sunday's game with 184 yards rushing. That marks their fifth consecutive game with at least 100 yards rushing, tying for second most among active streaks in the NFL. It's also Atlanta's second-best mark this season. After multiple weeks questioning his usage, Bijan Robinson once again became the focal point of the Atlanta offense. He led the team in rushing with 22 carries for 95 yards and a touchdown while also catching one pass for 11 yards and even returning a punt for the first time in his career. Those 22 carries are a stark differed considering Robinson ran 14 times or fewer in eight of his first nine games. According to PFF.com's Nathan Jahnke, Robinson's playing time didn't change much from past weeks. The change was mostly Atlanta running the ball on a higher percentage of plays. The Falcons quarterbacks attempted 21 total passes. Typically, Tyler Allgeier is also seeing significant carries. He's run between 7-17 times in every game this season outside of the game Robinson wasn't 100 percent, when he ran 21 times. He only ran nine times in this game. This was the biggest the gap has been between Robinson and Allgeier's carries. The only other time Robinson had a clear lead was Week 4, when Robinson ran 14 times to Allgeier's seven. Allgeier has averaged less than 4.0 yards per carry in every game since Week 1. Ideally, Robinson continues to be the focal point of the Falcons offense. We'll watch for more of that coming off the bye in Week 12. DEPTH CHART QBs: Desmond Ridder, Taylor Heinicke, Logan Woodside RBs: Bijan Robinson, Tyler Allgeier, Cordarrelle Patterson WRs: Drake London, Mack Hollins, KhaDarel Hodge, Van Jefferson, Scott Miller, Jared Bernhardt, Josh Ali TEs: Kyle Pitts, Jonnu Smith, MyCole Pruitt, John FitzPatrick ---- Baltimore Ravens Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 14 November 2023 According to ESPN.com's Jamison Hensley, with the Ravens' lead in the AFC North cut to a half-game, there will be questions about whether this team can close out the second half of the season with a division title. The Ravens' immediate focus is just about finishing games, especially with the Bengals coming to Baltimore on Thursday night. Over the past two seasons, Baltimore has gone from the best closers in the game to among the worst. The Ravens' 33-31 loss to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday was their seventh after leading in the fourth quarter since the start of last season. That's tied with the Indianapolis Colts for most in the NFL over that span. The Ravens (7-3) held a 31-17 lead with 11:34 left in the game, which gave them a win probability of 98 percent and put them in a situation they used to thrive in. From 2008 to 2021 under head coach John Harbaugh, the Ravens were 79-0 when leading by 14 or more points at any point during the second half. Baltimore was the only unbeaten team in the NFL in that particular situation during that span. Now, Sunday's collapse to the Browns was the Ravens' second after leading by 14 or more points in the second half since the start of last season. The only teams with multiple such losses over that span are the Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys. "We talk about putting teams down when they're down [and] we should have done that," tight end Mark Andrews said. "But even if it gets close at the end, it's about doing our job, not making mistakes and playing the best football that we can, because we're a hard team to beat." As Hensley pointed out, Sunday's game came down to the quarterback play. In the fourth quarter, the Browns' Deshaun Watson was 7-of-7 for 88 yards and a touchdown, while the Ravens' Lamar Jackson was 1-of-5 for 11 yards and an interception, which came off a deflected pass and returned 34 yards for a touchdown. Jackson's 6.4 Total QBR in the fourth quarter was the third worst of his career. "We just have to finish the game," Jackson said. Baltimore has typically been resilient in the games following these fourth-quarter meltdowns. In the six previous losses after leading in the fourth, the Ravens have followed with a win five times. A loss on Thursday night would drop them out of first place in the AFC North, behind the Browns (6-3) and Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3). "It's definitely frustrating, but we can't really hang our heads on this one," cornerback Brandon Stephens said. "We have a short week. Our mindset is always [to] improve who we are, so we're going to have that same mindset going into Thursday and be ready to play." It's also fair to wonder how injuries sustained Sunday hurt will Ravens going forward. Two Pro Bowl players -- cornerback Marlon Humphrey and left tackle Ronnie Stanley -- limped into the locker room and didn't return. Humphrey went out with an ankle injury late in the third quarter, and Watson completed all nine passes for 103 yards after he left. Stanley hobbled off the field with a knee injury in the fourth quarter, and he was replaced by Daniel Faalele, who has one career start. It's unknown how long either one will be sidelined, but it will be challenging for both to be back for Thursday night's game. ... Other notes of interest. ... Gus Edwards scored a touchdown in his fourth straight game, but he struggled otherwise. Edwards was held to a season-low 24 yards on 11 carries (2.2-yard average). That said, he now has eight touchdowns this season, tying Mark Ingram (2019) and Ray Rice (2011) for most rushing touchdowns through eight games in franchise history. ... Meanwhile, PFF.com's Nathan Jahnke notes the Ravens' backfield is now officially a murky three-man committee. This week, Keaton Mitchell led the Ravens running backs in rushing yards and receiving yards despite limited playing time. The rookie broke out in a big way last week with over 100 rushing yards and a touchdown, but he appeared on the injury report in the middle of the week due to a hamstring injury. Still, this game began with a two-man rotation between Edwards and Mitchell. Edwards played nine first-quarter snaps while Mitchell played six. Mitchell ran for a 39-yard touchdown and caught a 32-yard pass in those six snaps, which is more rushing yards and more receiving yards than the other Ravens running backs gained all game combined. Mitchell only played in seven of 39 snaps over the rest of the game, presumably due to the hamstring injury he came into the game with. He was playing ahead of Justice Hill to begin this game and very well could the rest of the season. "I don't think we felt probably as an offensive coaching staff we were going to throw the whole game plan on him," Harbaugh said getting Mitchell more involved. "Looking back on it, would we have wanted him out there more? Yeah. I think that'll factor into this game plan." Given his two big plays while Edwards averaged 2.2 yards per carry, Jahnke believes it's possible Mitchell will play ahead of Edwards sooner rather than later. ... Odell Beckham's 40-yard touchdown reception was his second trip to the end zone in two games, and the first time he's scored touchdowns in back-to-back games since 2021. With five catches, Zay Flowers has 50 receptions on the season to tie Torrey Smith (2011) for most catches by a rookie in franchise history. One last note here. ... Beckham did not practice on Tuesday. According to Jonas Shaffer of the Baltimore Banner, Beckham is dealing with a "sore knee." Beckham wasn't listed on the team's estimated practice reports Monday, so it's likely this is a rest day. That said, I'll follow up via Late-Breaking Update in advance of Thursday night's game if needed. DEPTH CHART QBs: Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley, Josh Johnson RBs: Gus Edwards, Justice Hill, Keaton Mitchell, J.K. Dobbins WRs: Zay Flowers, Odell Beckham, Rashod Bateman, Nelson Agholor, Devin Duvernay, Tylan Wallace TEs: Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely, Charlie Kolar ---- Buffalo Bills Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 14 November 2023 The Buffalo Bills fired offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey on Tuesday with the Josh Allen-led attack stagnating over a six-week stretch and the three-time defending AFC East champions falling further out of the playoff picture. The move came a day after a 24-22 loss to the Denver Broncos in an outing where Allen committed three of Buffalo's four turnovers and the offense was held under 26 points for a sixth straight game to match the longest stretch since the quarterback's rookie season in 2018. Second-year quarterbacks coach Joe Brady takes over as interim coordinator. He joined the Bills after spending the previous two seasons as Carolina's offensive coordinator. Buffalo (5-5) has lost four of six and prepares to host the New York Jets (4-5) on Sunday. Dorsey was unable to complete his second season on the job after being Allen's hand-picked successor to take over after Brian Daboll was hired to coach the New York Giants. Daboll spent four seasons in Buffalo, with his hiring coinciding with the Bills trading up five spots to select the raw and erratic but strong-armed Allen with the seventh pick in the 2018 draft. Under Daboll, Allen set numerous single-season franchise records for passing and scoring. Coach Sean McDermott ran out of patience with the offense's struggles and its inability to pick up the slack for an injury-depleted defense that's down three starters because of long-term injuries and was missing two more in the loss to Denver. After spending the past month reiterating his confidence in Dorsey, McDermott altered his message following the loss by saying: "I'm confident, but I believe we can be better at the same time." The drop-off in Buffalo's offensive production has been dramatic since the Bills outscored their opponents by a combined 139-55 to open the season 3-1. In the past six outings, Buffalo has been outscored 129-123. It particularly has struggled in the first half, managing just 42 points. Turnovers have become an issue, with Allen throwing a league-high 11 interceptions, including at least one in a career-worst stretch of six straight outings. His career record dropped to 33-25 when committing a turnover, and 3-5 this season. Allen backed Dorsey a month ago when the coordinator first began generating criticism, and he initially blamed himself for the struggles. He said he began reeling in his emotions after Week 2 by adopting a "low-positive" approach, while acknowledging he might have gone too far. A few weeks later, Allen's support for Dorsey began to fade. He said the Bills were simply following the game plan following a 24-18 loss to Cincinnati on Nov. 5. Allen has struggled to develop a rapport with receivers outside of Stefon Diggs and rookie tight end Dalton Kincaid. The lack of production this season mirrors the struggles the Bills' offense experienced at the close of last season. This marks Buffalo's second change at coordinator this year. McDermott took over the defensive play-calling duties after announcing in February that coordinator Leslie Frazier was taking the year off from coaching with at least one year left on his contract. Adding to all the intrigue, after last night's loss, Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs posted on X an observation that his brother, Stefon, needs to leave Buffalo. The message was not deleted. Instead, Trevon Diggs has added another observation. "Let's not forget, he didn't start going off till bro got there," Trevon Diggs said. The "he" in that message is Allen. And Trevon Diggs is right. Allen's third year with the Bills was Stefon's first. And 2020 was the year in which Allen became widely regarded as an elite quarterback. The narrative has remained, even if the performance has not. ... If you're looking for positives in all this, there might be one: On a night in which Allen was held to a season-low in passing yards, it was the Buffalo running game that came to life and gave them a chance to win. Outside of James Cook's fumble to open the game and the bad handoff in the third quarter, the Bills running backs had a great showing, combining for 189 scrimmage yards. Cook was kept off the field for 16 plays following his fumble, giving way to Latavius Murray who had 32 rushing yards in the first quarter. Cook returned in the second quarter, still with the belief from the coaching staff that he could bounce back. "I told him I believe in him, I can tell you that. Whether that was play 15 or whatever, I told him I believe in him and I thought he came out and ran the ball better," McDermott said. Murray, who had the game-tying TD run against his former team, said Cook's ability to bounce back kept the Bills in contention for a victory. Together, Cook and Murray averaged 8.4 yards per carry. "He was a big reason why we had a chance to win the game at the end," Murray said of his backfield mate. RB Ty Johnson also got his first touch of the season, a two-yard carry. Buffalo gained 192 yards on the ground, its highest total in any game this season. We'll see if they can continue to find success using that avenue -- and if the change of coordinators can jumpstart Allen -- when the Bills host the Jets on Sunday. DEPTH CHART QBs: Josh Allen RBs: James Cook, Latavius Murray, Damien Harris, Reggie Gilliam WRs: Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis, Trent Sherfield, Khalil Shakir, Deonte Harty TEs: Dalton Kincaid, Quintin Morris, Dawson Knox ---- Carolina Panthers Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 14 November 2023 As NFL.com's Kevin Patra put it, "The Carolina Panthers offense is a broken-down jalopy that can't be trusted to make it more than 2.6 miles before stalling. ..." Thursday night's output in the 16-13 loss to the Chicago Bears was dismal. Bryce Young and the offense put up 213 yards and 12 first downs on nine drives. The Panthers offense barely sniffed the red zone, reaching it once and never getting further than Chicago's 15-yard line. "We're just not hitting on all cylinders right now. We're not hitting on any cylinders," receiver Adam Thielen said, via the team's official website. "It's an embarrassing effort. I think everyone's just embarrassed, you know, put up what, six points on offense. "Like, we didn't do anything. That's embarrassing when your defense is playing the way they're playing, especially the way they're playing. It's embarrassing. And like we talked about, we're putting in good practices. We're doing the right things; building the momentum that way, but it's just not translating. That's tough." Thursday night's translation turned out to be gobbledygook. The Panthers went three-and-out three times, netting -15 yards on those drives. Their punt-return team led to more points (7) than the offense (6). And even on drives where they held the ball, they moved like that clunker, puttering by the yard. On their final two drives, the Panthers ate up 10:17 off the clock to move a combined 70 net yards, earn four total first downs and make one field goal. The final drive ended on an ill-fated Eddy Pineiro 59-yard missed field goal attempt. The saying is football is a game of inches. Right now, the Panthers' offense is taking that phrase a bit too literally, Patra contends, "worming its way for every inch of grass instead of taking it by the chunk." The bulk of the blame will be placed on the rookie quarterback Young, who hasn't lifted the offense in ways we've seen other young signal-callers. "First and foremost, I have to be a lot better. We have to be better. It's frustrating, it's very frustrating," Young began. "And that's not me, that's not just me, that's everyone. We're competitors, and losing is frustrating. It's fresh, you feel it, but at the end of the day, you've got to turn the page. Being frustrated, however you feel, it's not going to win you a game, it's not going to help. "You have to turn that and use that in action throughout the week, and then we have to translate it to Sunday or Thursday tonight, whatever. We have to translate it." Young certainly has had his struggles and isn't playing well. The situation he's put in -- with a porous offensive line and receivers who can't separate from defensive backs -- would make any quarterback look bad. Multiple things can be true: The No. 1 overall pick isn't playing like a game-changing talent, AND the offensive situation, from the play-calling to the support system, is broken. With the Panthers stacking troubling losses as the offense can't move the ball and the young quarterback makes rookie mistakes, the risk for Carolina is that the player they mortgaged their future to draft could be crushed by circumstance. "No, I'm not worried about Bryce's confidence," head coach Frank Reich rebutted. "I think he's mentally tougher than a lot of rookie quarterbacks. I mean, for a rookie quarterback, considering the start we've had, I don't think I see any retreat in him. I don't. I see aggressiveness. I see resolve. I see determination, and I feel like he's taking ownership of it and he's taking probably more ownership of it than he should. "Because it's a group effort, but the quarterback and head coach are always going to be at the center. That's just the way it is. And so it's just a credit to him for taking responsibility for the whole offense. When, in fact, it's not just him. "Can he be better? Sure. Can I be better? Absolutely. Can we all be better on offense, 100 percent, for sure." Bryce has to be better. He barely over 100 yards passing through three quarters and only 185 for the game with no touchdowns against a Bears defense that entered the game allowing an NFL-worst +0.12 average pass EPA. It was supposed to be a get-right game for Reich's offense. Instead, it cratered. The Panthers gained a season-low 213 yards and have scored two offensive touchdowns in the last three weeks, so the problem is an acute one. Given all that, will there be changes on offense before they face the Cowboys in Charlotte on Sunday? Reich didn't make any changes before the Thursday night game because it was a short week. He left it open for this week, and ESPN.com's David Newton believes the offensive line is where he'll likely start. The inside rush has disrupted the running and passing game most of the season, even with right guard Austin Corbett back in the lineup. It wouldn't surprise if center Bradley Bozeman was moved to guard and another player inserted at center. Other notes of interest. ... If there was one eye-opening play on offense (in a good way), it was the 45-yard shot to wide receiver Mike Strachan. Reich was in Indianapolis when they drafted the 6-5 wideout from Division II Charleston (West Virginia) in the seventh round. Even at his size, he ran pre-draft 40s in the low-4.5-second range, making him a unique combination of size and speed. "Was encouraged with the big play that he made," Reich said. "He's a big man, and he's fast. He's got good feet, he's a good route-runner, good hands. Drafted him when I was in Indianapolis as a kind of a low-round draft pick developmental player, and really excited about his continued progress. "He has some unique skills as far as his size and speed and certainly flashed. And has looked really good in practice." Strachan played 13 snaps and had only the one catch, but it represented nearly a quarter of the total passing game. ... Miles Sanders signed the biggest contract of any running back on the free agent market this past summer when he got a four-year, $25.4 million deal. The Panthers are getting absolutely no return on their investment. Sanders is a complete non-factor in the offense and had two carries for minus-5 yards against the Bears. ... Chuba Hubbard played half the snaps at running back (30 snaps) while Sanders had slightly fewer (23). ... Seven of the 11 offensive starters played every snap (all the linemen, plus Thielen and Young) and wideout Jonathan Mingo played all but one. Tight end Hayden Hurst (55 percent) got the bulk of the work at his position Thursday. Hauling in six catches, Thielen became the fifth undrafted free agent in NFL history to record 600-or-more catches. ... Wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette returned a punt for 79 yards for the opening score of the game. The 79-yard return is tied for the third-longest punt return for a touchdown in franchise history. It is also the fifth punt return touchdown of the 2023 season and the third-longest punt return touchdown behind Los Angeles Chargers WR Derius Davis (87 yards) and Cincinnati Bengals WR Charlie Jones (81 yards). Smith-Marsette became the seventh Panthers player to return a punt for a touchdown. It was also the 10th punt return for a touchdown in franchise history and the first since Kaelin Clay against the Jets in Week 12 of the 2017 season. ... Finally. ... The Panthers continue to get healthier after their early season rash of injuries left them depleted. The team designated cornerback Jaycee Horn and tight end Ian Thomas to return from injured reserve Monday. That opens the 21-day window for them to practice, though they could be added back to the active roster at any time, including in time for this weekend's game against Dallas. Horn suffered a hamstring injury in the opener, while Thomas has missed the last four games with a calf strain. In what's likely a related note. ... The Panthers opened up a pair of spots on their 53-man roster on Monday. The team announced that they are cutting defensive back Matthias Farley and tight end Jordan Matthews. All players released after the trade deadline are subject to waivers, so both players could be claimed by other teams. Farley has nine tackles in five games for the team this season. Matthews played 19 special teams snaps last Thursday in his first regular season action since he was with the 49ers in 2021. The two spots could be filled by Horn and Thomas. DEPTH CHART QBs: Bryce Young, Andy Dalton RBs: Miles Sanders, Chuba Hubbard, Raheem Blackshear WRs: Adam Thielen, D.J. Chark, Jonathan Mingo, Terrace Marshall Jr., Mike Strachan, Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Laviska Shenault TEs: Hayden Hurst, Tommy Tremble, Giovanni Ricci, Ian Thomas ---- Chicago Bears Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 14 November 2023 Justin Fields missed his fourth consecutive game because of a dislocated right thumb. As for whether he'll be ready to return this week, head coach Matt Eberflus wouldn't say. The Bears (3-7) got a little extra time before their next game after posting a 16-13 win over the Carolina Panthers last Thursday night. Whether their No. 1 quarterback will be ready to go when they visit Detroit wasn't quite clear. "All the guys that are going through the injury deal right now are going to be working with our guys to get back," Eberflus said Friday. "He's no different than anyone else. No other update than that." That didn't change much on Monday. According to multiple reporters on the scene, Fields was on the field for Chicago's initial practice session following the team's mini-bye. But Eberflus did not say whether Fields will return to game action in Week 11 against Detroit. That determination may come on Wednesday. "We just need more time," Eberflus said in his press conference. "We need team [drills] work, we need that and we'll eventually get there. We're just not there right now." Eberflus added that they need those 11-on-11 drills to see Fields "functioning in the game of football." "That's the big part of it and that's really the only update I have," Eberflus said. "Once we see him in the game of football, going against the scout team, taking snaps, and playing full speed, we'll make a determination. But it's not there today." Eberflus did not say whether or not Fields has been medically cleared, pointing to the team releasing its first injury report of the week on Wednesday. But Fields did get through Monday's individual drills, which Eberflus said was all the team did in the day's practice. "I think [his throws] looked good," Eberflus said. "I think he's in a good spot. Again, we'll know exactly where we're going to be probably more on Wednesday. I don't really have any more updates on that, but in terms of him throwing on the ball, it looks good." Fields hasn't played since he exited a Week 6 loss to Minnesota. He returned to practice on a limited basis last week and hasn't been through a full one since then. Tyson Bagent has run the team. Fields had two of his best performances as a passer in the two games prior to his injury, throwing for a career-high 335 yards in a loss to Denver and 282 in a win at Washington. In six games this season, Fields has completed 61.7 percent of his passes for 11 touchdowns with six interceptions. He's also rushed for 237 yards with a touchdown, averaging 5.0 yards per carry. But his future remains murky. The Bears have to decide whether to pick up their fifth-year option for 2025. Drafting a quarterback is also a possibility, particularly if they wind up with the No. 1 pick. Those odds got a boost with the win over Carolina (1-8). That's because Panthers sent their 2024 first-round along with D.J. Moore to Chicago for the No. 1 pick this year. Carolina is tied with Arizona at least until Sunday for the worst record in the league. The Cardinals play Atlanta. The Bears matched their win total from last season when they finished with a league-worst 3-14 record and set a franchise mark for losses. Bagent completed 20 of 33 passes for 162 yards and played turnover-free ball, after throwing three interceptions and losing a fumble in the loss at New Orleans. He has 859 yards with three touchdowns and six interceptions in five appearances since Fields was injured. The Bears are 2-2 in the games he's started. Not bad considering he's an undrafted rookie from a Division II school -- Shepherd University in West Virginia. Whatever the case, Chicago needs more from a passing game that ranks 25th. It didn't help that Moore was flagged twice for offensive interference. The first -- which was declined -- was on a third-and-19 screen to Roschon Johnson that gained only four yards. The second wiped out a 16-yard gain to Trent Taylor. Eberflus said Moore had "good right" to be upset about those calls. The Bears plan to turn in video to the league. Meanwhile, the Bears go for back-to-back wins when they visit Detroit on Nov. 19. Chicago hasn't won two in a row since beating Seattle and the New York Giants in Weeks 16 and 17 of the 2021 season. I'll obviously be keeping a close eye on Fields in coming days. In addition the status of Khalil Herbert, who was designated to return from IR last week but wasn't added to the active roster for Thursday night's game, will be on the radar. Watch the Late-Breaking Updates section for more as the week progresses. ... For the record, Eberflus said the Bears had no new injuries in Thursday's game. ... Other notes of interest. ...D'Onta Foreman continued to be the driving force of the Bears' rushing attack, totaling 80 yards on 21 carries. The veteran running back was also responsible for the Bears' lone touchdown, a 4-yard TD plunge that put Chicago up 16-10 in the third quarter. The Bears are third in the NFL in rushing and eclipsed 100 yards on the ground for the eighth time this season, recording 133 yards against Carolina. There will certainly be a shift in workload upon Herbert's return, but Foreman has earned a role going forward. ... Cairo Santos hit his 200th career field goal. The veteran kicker reached the milestone Thursday night with a 39-yarder as time expired in the first half which brought the Bears within 10-9. After three made field goals Thursday night, Santos made 201 field goals on 235 attempts, an 85 percent success rate. The first of Santos' three field goals against the Panthers was a season-high 54-yarder. The kick marks the second 54-yard FG Santos has attempted and made this season, with the first one coming in the Bears' win versus the Raiders Oct. 22. Receiver/return man Velus Jones Jr. He was called out by special teams coordinator Richard Hightower during the week for a 15-yard facemask penalty on a punt in the loss at New Orleans, then was inactive against Carolina. Jones' two seasons have been marked by mistakes and rough moments on offense and returns. DEPTH CHART QBs: Justin Fields, Tyson Bagent, Nathan Peterman RBs: Khalil Herbert, D'Onta Foreman, Roschon Johnson, Travis Homer, Khari Blasingame WRs: D.J. Moore, Darnell Mooney, Tyler Scott, Velus Jones Jr., Trent Taylor, Equanimeous St. Brown TEs: Cole Kmet, Robert Tonyan, Marcedes Lewis, Jake Tonges ---- Cincinnati Bengals Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 14 November 2023 As Associated Press sports writer Mark Schmetzer pointed out, a fifth straight opening-drive touchdown from the offense. A fifth straight multiple-takeaway game from the defense. Against the Texans on Sunday, the Bengals had many of the ingredients that had produced four straight wins and lifted them into contention in the AFC North. They just didn't do quite enough. Despite forcing three turnovers by the Texans and making a spirited rally from a 20-7, third-quarter deficit to tie the game at 27-all in the final two minutes, the Bengals slipped to 5-4 with a last-second, 30-27 loss. They also fell to 2-7 in their last nine games against Houston. The Bengals are 5-4 for the third straight season. They fell into last place in the NFL's toughest division, a game behind the Steelers and Browns and 1 1/2 behind the Ravens. Cincinnati has come back each of the last two seasons to win the division and reach the AFC Championship. The Bengals play at Baltimore on Thursday night. The Ravens beat the Bengals 27-24 in Week 2, when Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow was limited by a calf injury. Coach Zac Taylor placed no significance on the Bengals' first-half-of-the-season trend. "We're just focused big on Thursday," he said. Injuries were among Cincinnati's problems. Two starters, defensive end Sam Hubbard and wide receiver Tee Higgins, were inactive. After scoring on the opening drive, the Bengals' offense became anemic. They punted on their next five possessions and their sixth ended at halftime. "No rhythm," Taylor said. "Too many three-and-outs. Too many second-and-eights. If we get a first down, we can get some rhythm." Burrow felt the Houston defense deserved some credit. "They have veteran guys," said Burrow, who finished 27 of 40 for 347 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. "They have veteran linebackers. They have good players in the backfield, and they have juice up front." There were plenty of highs and lows for Cincinnati, most notably on its final possession. After connecting with Tyler Boyd on a 64-yard pass to the Houston 7, Burrow found Boyd open in the end zone. But Boyd, dropped the ball and the Bengals had to settle for a tying field goal with 1:33 left. Burrow didn't blame Boyd for the loss. "We wouldn't have even been down there if it wasn't for him," the QB said. "Obviously, you'd like to come down with it, but we were able to go down there and tie it up. [We would have] liked to punch it in, make them go down and score a touchdown in that situation, but we were able to tie it up." Boyd finished with eight catches for 117 yards, taking up the slack in Higgins' absence, with his first 100-yard game of the season. But the drop surely will haunt Boyd. "Yeah, that's a play, [but] it doesn't come down to that play," Taylor said. "There were plenty of plays, of course, in the game that we could have got more points off of. We had some empty drives there, but you know, [we] had a good look at it there." Taylor, though, said he did not talk to Boyd after the game, because there was no need. "No. Everybody knows," Taylor said. "And again, he's going to put a lot [of responsibility] on himself because it's the end of the game, but there were so many opportunities we had over the course of the game. Players and coaches -- all of us -- there's a lot of things all of us could have done better so we weren't in that position." After Sunday's loss, is Thursday's game against the Ravens a must-win for the Bengals? As ESPN.com's Ben Baby notes, Cincinnati's chances of winning the division for the third straight season might be riding on this one. The Bengals entered Week 10 two wins behind Baltimore and missed an opportunity to beat the Texans before the AFC North showdown. A loss to Baltimore (7-3) and Lamar Jackson, who is 7-1 against Cincinnati as a starter, gives the Bengals (5-4, 0-2 in the division) a steep hill to climb. ... Other notes of interest. ... Despite battling a back injury earlier in the week, Ja'Marr Chase had five catches on six targets for 124 yards and a touchdown -- a 64-yard strike from Burrow in the third quarter. The injury kept him limited in practice all week, but it had no impact on his playing time. Meanwhile, with Higgins sidelined by his hamstring issue, Trenton Irwin was the primary replacement in terms of playing time. Irwin took advantage of his increased playing time with two receptions for 54 yards and a touchdown. Boyd's playing time didn't increase, but his target share did. This was Boyd's first 100-yard game since Week 7 of last season. The good news? It looks like Chase's back won't be one of the injury worries for the Bengals during their short week leading up to Thursday's game. The Bengals didn't hold an actual practice on Monday, but estimated that defensive end Trey Hendrickson (knee), Higgins (hamstring), defensive end Sam Hubbard (ankle), and wide receiver Andrei Iosivas (knee) wouldn't have practiced. Higgins, Hubbard and Iosivas sat out again on Tuesday. Word on Monday was that Higgins is likely going to miss Thursday's game as well and Taylor said it will be tough for Hendrickson to play. Defensive tackle D.J. Reader would have rested on Monday. Cornerback Chidobe Awuzie (knee), linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither (knee), and defensive tackle Josh Tupou (shoulder) were listed as limited participants. I'll have more on Higgins via Late-Breaking Update in advance of Thursday night's game. ... The Bengals continued using a heavy rotation at tight end, with Irv Smith Jr., Tanner Hudson and Drew Sample all playing 16-19 offensive snaps out of 11 personnel. Hudson received a high 41.2 percent target rate, so there is at least a chance Hudson starts playing more snaps going forward. Finally. ... Joe Mixon rushed for 46 yards on 11 carries, continuing a frustrating season for him and the Cincinnati offensive line. His season high was 87 yards in a win at San Francisco on Oct. 29. DEPTH CHART QBs: Joe Burrow, Jake Browning RBs: Joe Mixon, Trayveon Williams, Chris Evans, Chase Brown WRs: Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd, Trenton Irwin, Andrei Iosivas, Charlie Jones TEs: Irv Smith Jr., Drew Sample, Mitchell Wilcox ---- Cleveland Browns Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 15 November 2023 The Browns announced that on Wednesday morning that Deshaun Watson's season is over due to a fractured shoulder. Watson underwent magnetic resonance imaging Monday on two injuries sustained on different plays in the first half of Sunday's 33-31 win over the Baltimore Ravens. Imaging on his left ankle revealed a high-ankle sprain. In addition, postgame, Watson notified the medical staff of a new discomfort in his right shoulder that he felt after a hit in the first half. An MRI of his right shoulder revealed a displaced fracture to the glenoid. Despite performing at a high level and finishing the game, after consultation with Browns' Head Physician, James Voos, MD, and industry-leading shoulder specialist, Neal ElAttrache, MD, it was determined that this injury will require immediate surgical repair to avoid further structural damage. Watson will be placed on season-ending injured reserve and a full recovery is expected for the start of the 2024 season. P.J. Walker will move back into the starting lineup in Watson's absence. All this after the Browns rallied from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit Sunday for what they called a "statement" victory against the division-leading Ravens. Dustin Hopkins kicked a 40-yard game-winning field goal as time expired to reinsert the Browns into the AFC North race. Cleveland, which has not won a division title since 1989, now trails 7-3 Baltimore by just a half-game. The Browns -- who had not won a game after trailing by two touchdowns in the fourth quarter in nine years -- became just the fourth team in the Super Bowl era to win after trailing in the first minute and not leading until the final minute of regulation. "We didn't back down," Watson said. "Definitely a big moment for us." A big moment for Watson, especially. Watson threw a pick-six to Kyle Hamilton on the game's opening series and completed just 6 of 20 passes in the first half as the Browns trailed 17-9. But he responded after halftime despite battling a left ankle injury. Watson completed all 14 of his second-half attempts for 134 yards and a touchdown, and guided the Browns down the field on the final possession to set up the winning field goal. On that drive, he completed all three of his passes for 30 yards and rushed 16 yards for a first down. "He's a warrior," head coach Kevin Stefanski said. "Makes plays when they're not there. Makes unbelievable throws. Never a doubt in his mind how this game was going to turn out." The Browns trailed for 59 minutes and 20 seconds. No NFL team this millennium had won while trailing for that long in a game, according to ESPN Stats and Information. As ESPN.com's Jake Trotter reminded readers, the Browns lost their first meeting with the Ravens 28-3 in Cleveland. Watson did not play in that Week 4 matchup as he was recovering from a rotator cuff strain that kept him out of nearly four games (he played one quarter in one of them before exiting). He finally returned last weekend in Cleveland's 27-0 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Watson has largely struggled since being traded to the Browns last year. He entered Sunday's game ranked 23rd in the league in QBR (44.5). The Browns were without injured starting offensive tackles Jedrick Wills Jr. and Dawand Jones against the Ravens. But even with a depleted line, Watson kept the offense moving in the second half against a Baltimore defense that came into the game ranked No. 1 in efficiency. Bitonio acknowledged the victory was a "big statement" for the Browns, who face the 6-3 Pittsburgh Steelers at home in another key divisional matchup next weekend. Now the Browns are 6-3 and only a half-game back of the Ravens. Cleveland also has the far more favorable schedule remaining. The Browns have not won a division title since 1989, but after Sunday's remarkable comeback, Cleveland could be in the driver's seat. The way its defense is playing, the way its offensive line is blocking and the way quarterback Watson is finally coming on bodes well moving forward. ... The question going forward is can Walker and the Browns can put together enough offense to get the job done. We know the defense -- that ranks first in yards allowed (242.7), first in passing yards allowed (151.1), fourth in points allowed (16.9), tied for fourth in sacks (30) and tied for fifth in interceptions (9) -- will help. ... I'll have more on all this via Late-Breaking Update in coming days. ... Other notes of interest. ... Although they had backups at both tackle spots, the Browns picked up 178 yards rushing against a Baltimore defense that came in allowing just 91 per game. In five games since the bye week, Cleveland has gained over 150 yards rushing four times -- all of them without Nick Chubb. Jerome Ford rushed for 107 yards on 17 carries against the Ravens, marking his highest rushing yards of the season. He's regained the role of the Browns lead running back as he worked ahead of Kareem Hunt for a second straight week. As PFF.com's Nathan Jahnke notes, Ford's playing time had been declining for most of October due to injury while Hunt earned more playing time, but that changed last week. Ford has been playing the majority of snaps in both early downs and late downs in the last two games, but Hunt has been playing a little more in short-yardage situations. Neither Ford nor Hunt was on the injury report this week, but Pierre Strong Jr. showed up with a hamstring injury. He was active but didn't take an offensive snap. Jahnke added it's becoming safer to put Ford in fantasy starting lineups going forward, but there will probably be more games where Hunt ends up scoring a touchdown instead of Ford as he did in this game. ... Amari Cooper caught six passes for 98 yards. He now has 715 yards receiving this season. Watson connected with receiver Elijah Moore for a 10-yard touchdown, which is his first of the year. David Njoku has gained at least 50 receiving yards in three of his last four games after not gaining 50 yards in each of his first five games. ... Dustin Hopkins made all four of his field goal attempts on Sunday, including a game-winning 40-yard field goal. ... Finally. ... Punt returner James Proche II's drop on the first play of the fourth quarter put the Browns in a big hole. The Ravens capitalized on his miscue and scored a touchdown -- though it took them seven plays to go 12 yards -- to open a 31-17 lead. Proche only recently moved into the spot as Cleveland's primary returner, and he'll likely stay there despite the unforced error. DEPTH CHART QBs: P.J. Walker, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Deshaun Watson RBs: Jerome Ford, Kareem Hunt, Pierre Strong Jr., Nick Chubb WRs: Amari Cooper, Elijah Moore, Cedric Tillman, Marquise Goodwin, David Bell TEs: David Njoku, Jordan Akins, Harrison Bryant ---- Dallas Cowboys Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 14 November 2023 As ESPN.com's Todd Archer noted, Jerry Jones has seen around 600 regular-season and playoff games as the Dallas Cowboys' owner and general manager. Sunday's 49-17 win against the New York Giants was like nothing he had ever seen. "That's hard to do, to have those kinds of games," Jones said. The level of dominance was mindboggling to Jones. The Cowboys outgained the Giants by 468 yards, the largest margin in franchise history. Dallas racked up 640 yards, their second most in team history, to the Giants' 172. It marked the fourth time in team history the Cowboys outgained an opponent by more than 400 yards, and it was the first time since 1978. The Cowboys' defense did not allow a third-down conversion to a Giants offense led by undrafted quarterback Tommy DeVito in his first career start. It was the fifth time in franchise history the Cowboys did not allow a third-down conversion. In less than three full quarters, Dak Prescott was 25-of-36 for 404 yards with four touchdown passes. He also ran for a touchdown in beating the Giants for the 12th straight time in his career. CeeDee Lamb became the first wide receiver in NFL history to have three straight games with double-digit catches and at least 150 receiving yards. He also scored two touchdowns, one a run, the other a reception. Brandin Cooks entered the game with 165 yards receiving in his first seven games -- he had nine catches for 173 yards and a touchdown Sunday. "This is about us," Prescott said. "This is about us hitting our peak at the right time and just trying to grow and we're going to do that. We're going to make sure that it doesn't stop. We're not satisfied with this, I can promise you that." The Cowboys (6-3) outscored New York 89-17 in two games this season, opening the season with a 40-0 shutout at MetLife Stadium. The two-game 72-point margin of victory is the largest in team history with 66 being the previous best, against the Philadelphia Eagles in 1969. In the NFL's Super Bowl era, it's the sixth-largest margin. "I saw that and that's unfathomable," Jones said. "That should be noted. That's not just a notation. That's this team. We ought to take that into account as we plan on how we play people." The Cowboys entered the game as 17.5-point favorites, and the Giants, now 2-8, were beset with injuries. Starting quarterback Daniel Jones was out. So was tight end Darren Waller. The Giants dealt defensive lineman Leonard Williams at the trade deadline and lost pass-rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux during the game to a concussion. "There's so much that goes into that. I'm sure they don't want to hear me talk about their team. This is a hard league," head coach Mike McCarthy said. "You get in situations, whether it's health and whatever else is going on, that's why I talk about it all the time. When you don't have all your players, nobody cares. I've been on both sides of that. I think you've got to keep your eye on the target. I think our guys did a good job of that this week." "Give credit to Dallas," Giants coach Brian Daboll said. "They played one heck of a game." According to Archer, two things helped. First, it was in Dallas. The Cowboys have now won 12 straight at home, the longest home streak since winning 18 in a row from 1979 to 1981. Second, it came after a loss, a disheartening 28-23 defeat against the Eagles that knocked them down a peg (and two games back in the NFC East). The Cowboys are now 11-1 after a loss the past two seasons. "Most of the time my experience has been when you get that in your head, in that cloud," Jones said, "you're going to have a little setback most every time." This season, the Cowboys are 4-0 at home and have outscored opponents 160-50. After facing the 1-8 Panthers in Charlotte this Sunday, they have a three-game homestand against the Commanders, Seahawks and a rematch with the Eagles. "We're hitting our stride," Lamb said. "This past month, as you can tell, we've been on a roll. We just have to keep it going. Stay consistent. Stay true. Be us and let the rest fall in line. ..." In a related note. ... Lamb now has 68 receptions for 997 yards and four receiving touchdowns this season, with four consecutive 100-yard games. He joined Michael Irvin and Terrell Owens as the only players in team history to accomplish that feat. Only five other receivers in NFL history have three consecutive 150-yard games. "I'm the top receiver in this game, and it's no question about it," said Lamb. "If there is, I'll see you all again next week." Lamb made only 27 receptions for 358 yards and one touchdown in the first five games, prompting him to publicly call for more opportunities. He has 41 receptions for 639 yards and three touchdowns the past four games. "They're definitely trying to double me, but [McCarthy] is doing a great job of moving me around, keeping me in motion, lining me up on the outside, so defenses can't really get a bead," Lamb said. ... Other notes of interest. ... The Cowboys took most star players out in the fourth quarter. Prescott, Tony Pollard and Cooks didn't play at all in the fourth quarter. Lamb took two snaps and Jake Ferguson took one. ... The Cowboys had two rushing touchdowns and had 129 yards on the ground in the first half, which was more than they had in five of their first eight games. The team is still having trouble getting Pollard going in his first season as the lead running back. And for the first time, he was outrushed by Rico Dowdle. The backup had 79 yards on 12 carries (6.6 average) to Pollard's 55 yards on 15 carries (3.7 average). Pollard hasn't scored since the opener. While overall the run game was a positive, the first drive showed a season-long flaw. The Cowboys were stopped inside the Giants' 5-yard line on their first possession with four straight plays from shotgun. It continued a long-standing red zone issue. Go back to last week's loss to Philadelphia when a fourth-down pass was stopped at the Eagles' 1. They just haven't been effective enough running into the end zone. According to PFF.com's Nathan Jahnke, Jalen Tolbert Tolbert's playing time has been rising in recent weeks while Michael Gallup's has declined. Both wide receivers played 19 offensive snaps in the first half. Tolbert pulled ahead of Gallup in the third quarter when Tolbert took 12 snaps to Gallup's six. Again, the Cowboys took most starters out of the fourth quarter, but both Tolbert and Gallup continued to play. Gallup had two big plays in the game including a 41-yard touchdown, but Tolbert received more targets at five. It will be interesting to see if Gallup can keep his job after his big plays, or if Tolbert continues to be more involved. ... Ferguson had a touchdown catch in a third consecutive game. He's the first Dallas tight end to do that since Jason Witten, the franchise leader in catches and yards, in 2011. Rookie TE Luke Schoonmaker had an early drop and wasn't targeted again. This was a week after he cut off a route short of the goal line on a key fourth-down stop for the Eagles. That play was ruled a touchdown, but replay showed his knee down before the ball crossed the goal line. On the injury front. ... WR/KR KaVontae Turpin figures to have a good chance to return after missing a game with a rib injury. He was inactive against the Giants. LB Leighton Vander Esch (neck) is eligible to come off injured reserve, but it's not sounding as if a return is imminent. DEPTH CHART QBs: Dak Prescott, Cooper Rush, Trey Lance RBs: Tony Pollard, Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn, Hunter Luepke WRs: CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, Michael Gallup, Jalen Tolbert, KaVontae Turpin, Jalen Brooks TEs: Jake Ferguson, Luke Schoonmaker, Peyton Hendershot ---- Denver Broncos Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 14 November 2023 As the team's official website framed it, "Another week, another win. "And this one felt a little bit sweeter under the bright lights in Buffalo. ..." Kicker Wil Lutz knocked in a game-winning 36-yard field goal after a penalty on the Bills gave the Broncos another chance at the kick, and Denver earned a 24-22 come-from-behind win over the Bills. Russell Wilson threw a pair of touchdown passes and led a game-winning drive, and the Broncos' defense forced four turnovers to limit Josh Allen and Buffalo's impressive offense. With the win, the Broncos earned their first "Monday Night Football" victory since 2017 and first prime-time road win since 2020. They notched their third consecutive win and moved back within a game of .500 after a 1-5 start to the season. The game wasn't decided until the final moments, as Lutz's second attempt sailed through the uprights for a Denver win. The Broncos' game-winning drive began at the 25-yard line and featured several important plays, but none was as valuable as a 28-yard pass interference penalty that Jerry Jeudy drew on third-and-10 from the Buffalo 45-yard line. The penalty ensured Denver was in field-goal range and allowed the team to run time off the clock to attempt the game-winning kick with no time left on the clock. The Broncos forced four turnovers and won the turnover battle convincingly, as they picked off Allen twice and forced a pair of fumbles for a plus-three turnover margin. Denver recorded just six points off turnovers, but the takeaways helped thwart several Buffalo scoring chances and set the Broncos up with good field position in several cases. Denver has now forced nine turnovers in the last two games. Courtland Sutton made the most improbable reception of the Next Gen Stats era, as his second-quarter touchdown had a completion probability of just 3.2 percent. Sutton had just a sliver of turf between his toe and the sideline, but he found a way to make the grab on a fourth-and-2 play that pushed Denver's lead to 9-0. Wilson was far from spectacular, but he was efficient and gave the Broncos a chance to win. Wilson completed 24 of 29 passes for 192 yards and the aforementioned pair of touchdowns without a turnover, also using his legs to the tune of nine carries for 30 yards. Wilson's numbers were recorded in the face of constant pressure -- he was pressured on 53 percent of his dropbacks Monday, his highest rate in a game since 2018. He was also sacked four times by the Bills, including what could have been a costly sack to take Denver out of field goal range on its final drive. Still, Wilson made several big plays, including the touchdown pass to Sutton and three third-down conversions on Denver's fourth-quarter touchdown drive. Wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. posted three lengthy returns, including a 27-yard punt return to set up Denver's fourth-quarter touchdown drive. Next up, the Broncos host the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night Football looking to extend their three-game winning streak to four in a row. Head coach Sean Payton said learning how to continue a win streak "is a good problem to have," and he noted "there's plenty to clean up" after a game in which the Broncos were penalized 10 times and went four consecutive possessions without points to start the second half. "You know, you get frustrated sometimes," Payton said Tuesday. "You get frustrated with yourself because [you think], 'Did I not cover this well enough? Are we on the same page? Do we need to cover this more?' [It's important to] approach each week understanding that the work week -- when we practice Thursday, Friday and Saturday -- and Saturday's practice this week will be a little longer -- that's where you win the game. That's where your preparation matters, so that when the game comes, you've covered it. I think there's a little bit of a journey to that, and we do have veteran players that, like I said, the attention to detail has been good. The focus has been good, but we still have a long way to go." The Broncos' offense is just one of the units that will look to improve, as they "haven't hit that sweet spot" they're looking for, according to Payton. Denver found itself in too many third-and-long scenarios, and the Broncos will emphasize early down production to create manageable third-down opportunities. The corrections, of course, are easier to make after a win -- and the Broncos have several elements from recent weeks they'll look to replicate as they move forward. ... Javonte Williams rushed the ball 21 times for 79 yards in Buffalo. He added four receptions for 31 yards and a touchdown. As CBSSports.com suggested, Williams wasn't particularly efficient on the ground, but he earned at least 20 carries for the second consecutive week. He supplemented that work as a pass catcher, which helped him surpass 100 total yards from scrimmage for the first time this season. His effort was highlighted by a three-yard touchdown reception late in the fourth quarter that temporarily gave the Broncos the lead. After a slow start to the season, Williams has receiving touchdowns in consecutive games and has at least 75 rushing yards in three consecutive contests. ... Finally. ... Kareem Jackson's two-game suspension officially ended Tuesday. He is cleared to return to practice and game action. "We'll sort through how we're going to implement Kareem in the plan," Payton said Tuesday. "Certainly we view him as a starter, veteran player. He's smart. He's extremely smart." Denver waived nose tackle Keondre Coburn in a corresponding roster move, the team announced. The Broncos also released cornerback Reese Taylor from the practice squad. Jackson started the first seven games and recorded two interceptions, three passes defensed and 42 tackles. The NFL initially suspended Jackson for four games following his second ejection of the season, but appeals officer Derrick Brooks reduced it to two games on appeal. DEPTH CHART QBs: Russell Wilson, Jarrett Stidham RBs: Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin, Samaje Perine WRs: Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, Marvin Mims Jr., Lil'Jordan Humphrey, Brandon Johnson TEs: Adam Trautman, Chris Manhertz, Greg Dulcich ---- Detroit Lions Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 14 November 2023 Dan Campbell wanted to make sure his team had the ball until the last second, even if it meant passing up a chance to take the lead. With 1:47 remaining and the score tied at 38-all against the Chargers on Sunday, the Lions coach went for it on fourth-and-2 from the Los Angeles 26-yard line. A field goal would have given Justin Herbert and the Chargers a chance to win or send the game to overtime. Jared Goff made the move pay off with a 6-yard completion to rookie tight end Sam LaPorta. Goff then kneeled down three times, Riley Patterson kicked a 41-yard field goal as time expired, and the Lions prevailed in a 41-38 shootout over the Chargers. Goff appreciates playing for a coach who's willing to make such gutsy calls. "I'm sure in his head he didn't want to give Justin the ball back with a minute and a half," said Goff. "It's a lot of fun when he puts the ball in our hands to make a play." In a matchup between two of the league's most aggressive coaches, Campbell and the Lions were 4 of 5 on fourth-down conversions while the Chargers converted all three. "One of those things we haven't done a lot of is win the close shootouts. Every time you win and get it done you learn something from it," Campbell said. "The offense really showed up today big time." Goff, playing in SoFi Stadium for the second time since being traded by the Rams to the Lions in 2021, was 23 of 33. David Montgomery had 116 yards on 12 carries, including a 75-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Jahmyr Gibbs added 77 yards and two touchdowns for the NFC North-leading Lions. Amon-Ra St. Brown had a career-high 156 receiving yards on eight catches, including a 20-yard TD to put the Lions ahead 31-24 in the third quarter. The Anaheim Hills native and former Southern California standout is the first Detroit receiver to have six 100-yard games in a seven-game span since Calvin Johnson in 2012. One issue? As ESPN.com's Eric Woodyard notes, the Lions came into Sunday ranking 24th in red zone touchdown percentage (48.4 percent). They missed out on two touchdown opportunities at the goal line in the first half that could've given them a comfortable lead entering halftime. On their opening drive, a penalty nullified a 10-yard Jameson Williams touchdown catch, and they failed to convert on a fourth-and-1 on the goal line to start the second quarter. Still, the longer touchdowns work just as well for fantasy managers. Montgomery's 75-yarder was especially impressive. Montgomery took a handoff from Goff, went up the middle, caused three Chargers defenders to miss at the Detroit 45, and then made a cut and found a lane up the left sideline. There was a replay review to determine if Montgomery stepped out at the LA 16, but the play was upheld. "It was close. I started praying again. Well, luckily it worked out," Montgomery said. It was the Lions' longest touchdown run since Jahvid Best went 88 yards in 2011. Montgomery is also the first Detroit player to have two rushing TDs of at least 40 yards since Barry Sanders in 1998. So who deserves to be Detroit's RB1 going forward? When both guys are rolling, who cares? As PFF.com's Nathan Jahnke notes, Montgomery started this game, but Gibbs ended up with more carries, targets and playing time in all situations except in short yardage. It was especially noteworthy that Gibbs received goal-line work, which helped him to two one-yard touchdown runs. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is trying to find ways to split their workload but described it as "a good problem to have right now." From a fantasy perspective, it should be safer to start Gibbs going forward, but both are clearly worthy of spots in your lineup as things currently stand. ... The Lions have racked up 1,250 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns through the first nine games of a season after rushing for 200 yards and three touchdowns against the Chargers. It's just the sixth time in franchise history they've reached those marks through nine games (1981, 1972, 1956, 1936 and 1934). ... Detroit's offensive success isn't limited to the running game. Goff went 23 for 33 for 333 yards and two touchdowns against the Chargers and has averaged 310.5 yards passing over the past four games. Goff's top playmaker again this season is St. Brown, who is on pace for 130 catches and more than 1,600 yards. Josh Reynolds provides a deep threat and LaPorta is averaging five catches and 52.7 yards per game. Even when the defense accounts for all of them and Gibbs, blocking tight end Brock Wright might pop open on a 25-yard touchdown to help beat the Chargers. After flying home from the West Coast, the Lions have their first two NFC North home games in a five-day span. They play the Bears on Sunday and the Packers on Thanksgiving Day. Two victories would give them a commanding lead in the division even with two games left against the surging Vikings. For the record. ... The Lions cashed in on big plays on offense. They had nine plays that gained 20 yards or more. They were top heavy with big plays, starting with Montgomery's 75-yard TD run. Four other plays had gains of 46, 41, 35 and 33 yards. ... As Associated Press sports writer Dave Hogg notes, no NFL coach goes for it on fourth down as often as Campbell, so after decades of Eddie Murray, Jason Hanson and Matt Prater playing huge roles in Detroit's offense, Patterson often ends up just kicking extra points. Sunday, though, he came off the bench and finished the game with the aforementioned, perfect 41-yard kick on a day when the defensive struggles would have made overtime a scary proposition. ... One last note here. ... The Lions' newest wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones was inactive due to a rib injury. He still hasn't made his debut with the team. DEPTH CHART QBs: Jared Goff, Teddy Bridgewater RBs: David Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs, Craig Reynolds, Zonovan Knight WRs: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Josh Reynolds, Kalif Raymond, Jameson Williams, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Antoine Green TEs: Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright, James Mitchell ---- Green Bay Packers Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 14 November 2023 As ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky reported, when it came time to win Sunday's game against the Steelers, Jordan Love opted to throw to Christian Watson. Twice. When both attempts ended the same way -- with interceptions in or near the end zone -- it left reason to wonder why the quarterback can't seem to find a way to pull out a close game. Demovsky contends that might not be the right thing to ponder. After Sunday's 23-19 loss -- which dropped the Packers (3-6) to 1-4 in games decided by four points or fewer -- perhaps the wonderment should be why Love keeps trying to go to Watson. Love targeted the speedy second-year receiver seven times Sunday. They connected on just two of them for 23 yards. Watson has caught just 42 percent of his passes this season, which at the end of Sunday's game left him with the lowest catch rate among the 126 players who had at least 30 targets this season, according to ESPN Stats and Information. "It's frustrating for sure, just with the expectation I have for myself, the goal that I have for myself," Watson said after the game. "And obviously it's [frustrating] when we're not being as successful as we want to be as a team. Just want to find ways to try to make more of an impact. But at the end of the day, I'm only one out of 11 people on the field, so we just need to find a way to get it done as a team." At first, it appeared last week's deep catch by Watson against the Rams sparked something. He caught Love's first two passes on Sunday: a 9-yard gain on the first play from scrimmage and a 14-yard crosser two plays later. And then, nothing. In one of two third-quarter drives that stalled in the red zone and resulted in field goals, Love and Watson couldn't connect on a deep ball down the left side. The ball was well beyond Watson, who appeared to slow down but said afterward that he had to widen the route more than he wanted in order to avoid a defender in the flat. "I just don't think Jordan expected it and obviously neither did I," Watson said. "I just had to make a decision." It only got worse from there. Love threw into double coverage in the end zone on an out-and-up move by Watson. The underneath defender, Patrick Peterson, tipped the ball right into the hands of safety Keanu Neal with 3:20 left. "That was designed for single-high defense, [but] they played a shell," head coach Matt LaFleur said. "So, I mean, I've got to go back and look at it, but just thought that the ball needed to go backside." Love got another chance, taking over at his own 19-yard line with 59 seconds left. He opened with a well-placed 46-yard completion to Jayden Reed. But a crucial mistake by running back Aaron Jones, who did not get out of bounds after a short pass, cost the Packers nearly 30 seconds of game clock. With one shot left from the 16-yard line and three seconds remaining, Love chose Watson again. The Steelers lined up seven defenders along the goal line to cover the five the Packers sent out. To Love's right, Watson got to the goal line and broke toward the middle, but safety Damontae Kazee jumped it for a walkoff interception. On their own, there are valid explanations for both plays at the end. But on the whole, Love has thrown 10 interceptions this season, and five of them have come while targeting Watson. Six of Love's interceptions have come in the fourth quarter, which is tied for the second-most by a Packers quarterback within the first nine games of a season over the past 45 years, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Brett Favre did it twice (2000, 2005). Randy Wright had the most with nine in 1986. Five of Love's interceptions have come with a chance to tie or take the lead in the fourth quarter. If there's any solace to be taken in that, it's that Aaron Rodgers had similar struggles in his first season as a starter. In 2008, Rodgers threw four interceptions with chances to tie or take the lead in the fourth quarter. Love, however, still has eight games to play. It's not like Love doesn't have other options, although none have more experience or production than Watson. After the game, Demovsky reports the entire receiver group gathered near Reed's locker and engaged in a lengthy-but-calm discussion. There was no obvious solution. "Talking about the things we did good, talking about the things we can get better at," Reed said. "That's just the conversations we have. That's what we've got to do every day, go back to work and be self-critical, watch the film, see what we're good at and keep going on that, see what we can get better at." Demovsky believes Reed, the rookie second-round pick, might be the answer to some of the problems. He caught all five passes thrown his way on Sunday for 84 yards and a touchdown. Romeo Doubs (three catches for 31 yards) had the other touchdown catch. "At the end of the day, I just want to win football games," Watson said. "Obviously, I'd love to be the guy, but if we were winning the football games, I don't think I would have any complaints about anything. That's the No. 1 thing. We've just got to find a way to win, but I'd definitely like to do more." His next chance will come at home this Sunday, when the Chargers head for Green Bay to take on the Packers. ... Worth noting. ... Reed, Luke Musgrave and Dontayvion Wicks combined for 10 catches, 199 yards and a touchdown. Reed currently leads Green Bay with 419 receiving yards on 28 receptions (14.9 yards per catch). Musgrave, Green Bay's other rookie second-round pick, continued to show signs of progress in Pittsburgh. The 6-6, 253-pound tight end hauled in a 36-yard pass on third-and-7 down the seam in the third quarter and then brought down a 28-yard pass on a corner route in the fourth. Musgrave's 29 catches on the season are second on the team behind only Doubs, while his 36-yard catch against the Steelers was one yard shy of his career long. Wicks caught a 23-yard pass to key Green Bay's first scoring drive while also converting a third-and-10 situation in the fourth quarter with a 32-yard catch in the middle of the field. One last note here. ... Jones played around 56 percent of Green Bay's offensive snaps for a second straight week. He and A.J. Dillon were used interchangeably, with Dillon's stats looking more impressive thanks to a 40-yard run. Jones, on the other hand, gained just 35 yards on 13 carries and cost the Packers valuable time on their final drive when he cut inside rather than going out of bounds after making a short catch. DEPTH CHART QBs: Jordan Love, Sean Clifford RBs: Aaron Jones, A.J. Dillon, Emanuel Wilson WRs: Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, Samori Toure, Malik Heath TEs: Luke Musgrave, Tucker Kraft, Josiah Deguara, Tyler Davis, Ben Sims ---- Houston Texans Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 14 November 2023 C.J. Stroud keeps showing he is the most exciting rookie quarterback in the NFL since. ... Well, since Joe Burrow. Stroud, a former Ohio State quarterback and the second overall pick in this year's draft, bested Burrow and ended a four-game win streak by the Bengals on Sunday. The 22-year-old threw for 356 yards and led a drive over the final 93 seconds that put Matt Ammendola in range for a game-winning 38-yard field goal as time ran out, and Houston beat Cincinnati 30-27. Ammendola had just been signed on Tuesday because Ka'imi Fairbairn suffered a quadriceps injury a week earlier. Stroud directed a winning drive in the last minute for the second straight week for the Texans (5-4), who pulled out a wild 39-37 win over Tampa Bay when the rookie put together a 75-yard touchdown drive in the final 40 seconds. "The thing about C.J. is just the calmness in the chaos," head coach DeMeco Ryans said. "He doesn't waver. He's confident he's going to make plays." As Associated Press sports writer Mitch Stacy suggested, that's the kind of thing usually said about Burrow, the fourth-year quarterback known for his decision-making and late-game heroics. Stroud was 23 for 39 passing, including a 6-yard touchdown pass to Tank Dell and an interception. Noah Brown finished with seven catches for a season-high 172 yards, and Devin Singletary rushed for 150 yards and a touchdown on 30 carries. "I took a lot of big hits this game, but my O-line, they fought their tails off," Stroud said. "I think that's where we won the game, our O-line." Stroud became the fourth rookie in NFL history to compile at least 2,500 passing yards in his first nine starts. His 470 yards and five touchdowns in the win over Tampa Bay were rookie single-game records. The Texans host the Cardinals on Sunday in the first of three straight home games where they'll try to win three games in a row for the first time since a nine-game winning streak in 2018. ... Meanwhile, it's fair to ask if Singletary should be the lead back here even after Dameon Pierce returns. The Texans running game has struggled all season, ranking 27th in rushing (87.0). But Singletary became the first Texans running back to rush for over 100 since Week 9 of the 2022 season when Pierce ran for 139 against the Philadelphia Eagles. Ryans said the success in the running game was a team effort. "Our O-line has been playing well for the past couple of weeks," he said. "It was even more evident (Sunday) with how they were moving the defense off the line of scrimmage, and we were able to create lanes for Singletary to hit. ..." Robert Woods was one of the Texans' big free-agent acquisitions, signing a two-year, $15.25 million deal, but only had one catch for 15 yards against the Bengals, the second-lowest output of the season. On the other hand, Brown has had back-to-back games with at least 150 yards, joining Andre Johnson (twice) and DeAndre Hopkins (twice) as the only players in Texans history to record two such games in a row. Brown didn't have a 100-yard performance in his first 69 career games but now has two with the Texans. It seems likely Brown's volume will diminish when Nico Collins, who missed this game with a calf injury, returns to action. As PFF.com's Nathan Jahnke notes, since Week 2, the Texans' top three wide receivers were whichever three of Collins, Dell, Woods and Brown were healthy. Brown missed Weeks 2-5, Dell missed Week 6, the Texans had their bye week in Week 7 and Woods missed Week 8 and 9 with a foot injury. Dell was the Texans' top wide receiver in terms of playing time against the Bengals, but Brown is a viable free-agent candidate for fantasy managers due to the obvious upside. That said, we're likely in store for a heavy rotation among all four receivers once everyone is healthy. Stay tuned. ... I'll have more on Pierce and Collins via Late-Breaking Update in coming days; it's unclear if either will return this week. DEPTH CHART QBs: C.J. Stroud, Davis Mills, Case Keenum RBs: Dameon Pierce, Devin Singletary, Mike Boone, Dare Ogunbowale WRs: Nico Collins, Tank Dell, Robert Woods, Noah Brown, John Metchie III, Xavier Hutchinson TEs: Dalton Schultz, Teagan Quitoriano, Brevin Jordan ---- Indianapolis Colts Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 14 November 2023 As Associated Press sports writer Michael Marot notes, the Indianapolis Colts' defense is in the midst of a midseason makeover. Two weeks ago, it was allowing a league-worst 28.6 points per game and flirting with a historically bad season. During a three-game losing streak, the Colts yielded 114 points -- their highest three-game total since 2011. Since then, the Colts' defense has looked dramatically different. Cornerback Kenny Moore II has scored more touchdowns (two) over the past two weeks than Indy's opponents (one), and the 20 points allowed during that span has Indy (5-5) back at .500 and in position to make a playoff push. "I think you start playing your best football in November and December," head coach Shane Steichen said after Sunday's 10-6 victory over New England in Germany. "You kind of find out about teams in the second half of the season. So to be 2-0 (in November) and finding different ways to win and our defense has obviously stepped up the last two weeks." The two straight wins have rebuilt the Colts' confidence heading into a bye week. They trail AFC South-leading Jacksonville by 1 1/2 games. Yes, Indy has beaten up on two of the league's four lowest-scoring teams and the worst teams in their respective conferences, Carolina and New England. Still, this trend could continue. Indy faces five of the NFL's 10 worst scoring offenses over its final seven games and plays only one team that's currently more than one game above .500. With a defense ranked among the league's top six in strip sacks (six), takeaways (16), sacks (30) and tackles for losses (61), the Colts figure they're in better shape to reach the postseason than many believe. "There was a big emphasis the past two weeks in getting to .500 going into the bye," two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner said. "I'm excited. The guys know we have an actual chance to make a (playoff) push." Meanwhile, Indy's nine-game streak of scoring 20 or more points ended Sunday, though the struggles were evident earlier. The 14 points from Moore's two touchdowns against Carolina exceeded the scoring total from the entire Indy offense (13 points) in that game. The Colts have two offensive TDs in two weeks and three in the last five halves. Can the Colts make a run? Just two of Indianapolis' seven remaining opponents had a winning record coming into Week 10, putting the Colts in position to make a run if they can stabilize their defense and quarterback play. The Colts will now enjoy a bye, which will allow them to address some lingering injuries before meeting the Buccaneers and Titans in their next two games. ... Worth noting. ... Beating New England for the second time in three years not only evened the Colts' record, it gave first-year coach Steichen his fifth win, topping Indy's total from last season (four). ... Other notes of interest heading into the off week. ... Zack Moss began this week as the NFL's No. 2 rusher. But as Jonathan Taylor's workload has increased, Moss' has decreased. Steichen likes to go with the hot hand, which was Taylor early against New England, and the result was Moss got only one carry for 2 yards. But the Taylor uptick isn't only hot-hand related. As PFF.com's Nathan Jahnke notes, Taylor's playing time has increased by at least 8 percent in each game since his return. That streak will likely stop, as Taylor has played over the 88 percent of Indianapolis' offensive snaps he got in Frankfurt just four times in his four-season career. This was his second straight game averaging 3.0 yards per carry or less. If he's able to start playing better, he will be an elite fantasy option given his current usage. It's safe to assume Steichen and his staff will consider how they can make their ground game more consistently effective over the final seven weeks when they come off the bye to face the Buccaneers in Week 12. ... Isaiah McKenzie's numbers haven't been especially impressive, but Indy wouldn't be .500 without him. He's filled in nicely while rookie Josh Downs battles a knee injury. McKenzie caught four passes for 31 yards Sunday and set up the decisive field goal with a 42-yard kickoff return. Downs was a true game-time decision due to a knee injury after being unable to practice all week. Downs didn't play at all in the first quarter with McKenzie taking the snaps in three receiver sets. Downs started to mix in for the second quarter, splitting time with McKenzie. Downs went back to barely playing in the third quarter with just one snap, but then he took four compared to McKenzie's three in the fourth quarter. Expect Downs to go back to his usual role and playing time assuming the bye week is sufficient for him to get close to full speed. ... Elsewhere on the injury front. ... The most significant addition to the injury list is three-time Pro Bowl C Ryan Kelly, who entered the concussion protocol and didn't play in the second half. He's had two concussions this season. McKenzie also appeared to have an ice pack covering his left hand after the game. DEs Kwity Paye (hamstring) and Tyquan Lewis (calf) left briefly Sunday but finished the game. DEPTH CHART QBs: Gardner Minshew, Sam Ehlinger, Kellen Mond, Anthony Richardson RBs: Jonathan Taylor, Zack Moss, Trey Sermon, Evan Hull WRs: Michael Pittman Jr., Alec Pierce, Josh Downs, Isaiah McKenzie TEs: Mo Alie-Cox, Kylen Granson, Will Mallory, Andrew Ogletree, Jelani Woods ---- Jacksonville Jaguars Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 14 November 2023 As ESPN.com's Michael DiRocco characterized it: "The Jaguars' 34-3 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday was ugly, embarrassing and humbling. ..." DiRocco went on to note there are plenty of lessons for the Jaguars (6-3) to learn after they gave up a season-high 437 yards, turned the ball over a season-high four times -- three by quarterback Trevor Lawrence -- and scored the fewest points since a 20-0 loss in Tennessee on Dec. 12, 2021. Lawrence played arguably his worst game of the season. He was sacked five times, threw two interceptions, lost a fumble and said his performance was one of the worst of his career. Lawrence's first lost fumble of the afternoon was the 18th of his career. That's seven more than any other NFL player since 2021 (Lamar Jackson, 11). As expected, the 49ers defense caused problems for Lawrence. He went 1-of-6 with two interceptions when pressured and now has more interceptions when pressured this season (5) than he did all of last season (3). The Jaguars offense as a whole managed just 221 yards, their fewest since Week 4 last season, and failed to score a touchdown for the second time at home this season (Week 2 vs. Kansas City). "I think you have got to feel the pain and embarrassment of today, and that's what it is," Lawrence said. "We couldn't do anything right today, but you've got to flush it, too. That's the thing, it sucks, but the reality is that a 31-point loss is the same as a 3-point loss and we lost today. We have got to move on." The loss could also be considered something else: Somewhat of a good thing -- in a silver lining, lesson-learned, eye-opening kind of way. That's how Jaguars players are looking at the team's third loss in four games at their home stadium this season. They understand what it means: There's still a ways to go before the Jaguars can say they've joined the league's elite teams. Head coach Doug Pederson wants his players to realize that as bad as Sunday was -- he called it a humbling experience -- the Jaguars still lead the AFC South and have back-to-back games against division opponents, so what happened against the 49ers can't linger beyond Monday. If the loss does snowball, a team that looked like it could be a contender for the No. 1 seed in the AFC could find itself fighting just to make the playoffs. "I guess the beauty of everything is we still sit in the driver's seat," Pederson said. "We're 6-3 and still have a lot of football ahead." The Jaguars play host to the Tennessee Titans (3-6) on Sunday and then play at the Houston Texans (5-4) the week after. The Texans upset the Bengals on Sunday and play Arizona (2-8) this weekend, so that matchup against the Jaguars could be for the division lead if things go south for the Jaguars vs. the Titans. The Texans won the first matchup vs. the Jaguars, 37-17, in Week 3. "We can't hit the panic button. We can't make [the 49ers loss] more than it is," Lawrence said. "We played terrible. We laid an egg. Nothing went right. We didn't do anything right and we've got to bounce back "The leaders on this team, we've been talking, we are made of the right stuff. You got to handle a little adversity along the way and that's what this is." While the situation isn't dire, the club will surely want to get this taste out of its collective mouth against the Titans next week. ... It's safe to assume part of that will be figuring out exactly what's wrong with the offense. As Associated Press sports writer Mark Long notes, there are plenty of things that need correcting. Lawrence has more turnovers (10) than touchdown passes (9) and is being sacked at a record rate. Calvin Ridley has been a non-factor way too often. Fellow receiver Zay Jones already has missed twice as many games this season than he did in his previous six years combined. And Jacksonville's offensive line, a unit that's been shuffled almost weekly, has opened few holes between the tackles and has Lawrence under more pressure than he's faced at any level in his lifetime. The result: Jacksonville ranks 19th in total offense and 15th in scoring a few months after Pederson said he believed his team was capable of averaging 30 points a game. Jacksonville is roughly eight points off the mark, two points a game lower than last year. Long acknowledged Pederson's offense is still better than just about anything the Jags have delivered over the last two decades and might be good enough to win the mostly rebuilding AFC South. But no one who's watched this group play this season can feel like it's on the verge of something special. One thing they definitely need to do is play better at home. They're 1-3 at EverBank Stadium and have failed to score a touchdown in games against Super Bowl contenders Kansas City and San Francisco. ... Other notes of interest. ... As Late-Round Fantasy's JJ Zachariason notes, Lawrence has ranked in the top-10 this season in weekly fantasy scoring just twice. He has yet to throw more than two touchdowns in a game, and he has just two games with multiple passing touchdowns. ... Travis Etienne Jr. played in a career-high 89 percent of the 49ers' offensive snaps in their previous game. His playing time came back to Earth in this game. D'Ernest Johnson and Tank Bigsby took six and five snaps respectively in the first half even before the game was out of reach. He's still the clear top running back in Jacksonville despite getting rotated out more frequently. According to both Long and DiRocco, rookie running back Tank Bigsby probably needs to take a seat on the bench for good. The third-round draft pick from Auburn has two fumbles and two dropped passes that resulted in interceptions in just 29 touches. He's also averaging 2.3 yards a carry. On a more positive note. ... Brandon McManus has made 14 consecutive field goals, including four from beyond 50 yards. His 37-yarder against the 49ers was all of Jacksonville's scoring on a dismal day. ... On the injury front. ... Punt/kick returner Jamal Agnew (shoulder) and CB Tyson Campbell (hamstring) were scheduled to have more tests Monday. Jones is expected to miss at least another week with lingering knee soreness -- and that might turn into more. Jones faces a misdemeanor domestic battery charge after being arrested Monday. Jones' first court appearance was scheduled for Tuesday. The Jaguars issued a statement to ESPN on Monday night: "We are aware of the situation and are in the midst of gathering information. We will have no further comment at this time." The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office arrested Jones and booked him into the Duval County Jail at 6:03 p.m. ET on a charge of domestic battery causing bodily harm, a first-degree misdemeanor. Jones, 28, has played only three games this season. He has five catches for 55 yards and a touchdown. Jones is in his second season with the Jaguars after stints with the Bills and Raiders. DEPTH CHART QBs: Trevor Lawrence, C.J. Beathard, Nathan Rourke RBs: Travis Etienne Jr., Tank Bigsby, D'Ernest Johnson WRs: Calvin Ridley, Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, Jamal Agnew, Parker Washington, Tim Jones, Kendric Pryor TEs: Evan Engram, Brenton Strange, Luke Farrell, Elijah Cooks ---- Kansas City Chiefs Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 14 November 2023 As Associated Press sports writer Dave Skretta suggested, the Kansas City Chiefs had every reason to be enjoying their weekend off, whether it was Patrick Mahomes watching the Dallas Mavericks from courtside seats or Travis Kelce jetting to Argentina to watch Taylor Swift resume her Eras Tour. After all, the defending Super Bowl champions are tied atop the AFC with the Baltimore Ravens. They are coming off a win over the championship-contending Miami Dolphins in Frankfurt, Germany. And perhaps most importantly, they have done all of that over the first half of the season despite an offense that, for once, has been more fizzle than sizzle. "It's very fixable. There's not panic. It's there for us to understand," said offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, who returned to the role when Eric Bieniemy left in the offseason for the Washington Commanders. "We know we can be better. It is going back to the drawing board, seeing where we went wrong, not placing blame but also accepting that we have to be better." Imagine that: The Chiefs (7-2) needing to get better on offense rather than defense. They've only scored more than 27 points twice, and that came against the Chargers and the hapless Chicago Bears, while what has traditionally been a high-scoring offense has been held under 20 points on three occasions. Twice those lousy performances came against the Denver Broncos, including a 19-8 loss a couple of weeks ago that snapped a 16-game series win streak. Ever since Mahomes took over at quarterback in 2018, the Chiefs have been sixth or better in scoring and total offense. Yet they are 12th in scoring this season -- thanks largely to 41 points scored against Chicago -- and seventh in total offense. Still good. But far from their usual greatness. One of the biggest problems has been inconsistency, whether that means penalties at inopportune times, an inability to convert red-zone trips into points, or something as simple as wide receivers dropping passes that should have been caught. "We've got some good things we're doing," head coach Andy Reid said, "putting up a lot of yards and so on. But getting into the end zone becomes important. Not turning the ball over. Basic fundamentals. We've got to take care of that." Their game against Miami last weekend was a perfect example. For the first two quarters, the Chiefs looked downright unstoppable on offense. They breezed downfield on the game's opening drive, needing just seven plays and 2:57 on the clock to reach the end zone. And they added two more touchdowns in the second quarter to take a 21-0 lead over the Dolphins -- currently the league's No. 1 offense -- into the locker room. They failed to score at all in the second half, the Chiefs forced to ride their defense with white knuckles to a 21-14 victory. "I think you can see it in spurts," Mahomes said. "You look at the first drive, the 90-yard drive we had -- you can see what we can do. It is just about being consistent every single drive. Obviously penalties, me not connecting on guys deep down the field, hurt us. Luckily for us, our defense is playing their tail off and we got the win." Ah, yes. The defense. They have been good enough to help the Chiefs win two Lombardi Trophies over the past four seasons, but rarely have they been excellent. In fact, in six seasons since Mahomes became the starter, they have never been in the top 10 in total defense, and one year they were the second-worst team in the league. Never have they been better than seventh in points allowed, either. This year? They are second in the league in scoring defense and fourth in total defense. "I knew they were going to be good," Mahomes said. "You look at the end of last year, they played some great football and no one really noticed. I knew they were going to be good. They brought back so many people -- so many young guys that they were going to develop. I mean, the fact they're all developing this fast, I don't know if anyone could have guessed it. I knew they were going to be great as their careers went on. Good to have a lot of young guys that can play like that." They haven't even had everyone on the field yet. Just as the Chiefs got pass rusher Charles Omenihu back from a suspension, they lost playmaking linebacker Nick Bolton to a wrist injury that could keep him out the rest of the regular season. Perhaps by the postseason, the Chiefs' offense won't need to rely on the defense quite so much. This week? They'll need everything they've got when they host the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night football. ... One last note here. ... According to ArrowheadPride.com's Pete Sweeney, Reid more or less confirmed that the Chiefs are being careful when it comes to WR Kadarius Toney, who had knee surgery right at the beginning of training camp. They want to make sure he can make it through the season. As Rotoworld pointed out, the Chiefs are using such caution with Toney that he's surpassed a 40-percent snap rate only once through the Chiefs' first nine games. It's also resulted in Toney seeing 3.1 targets per game, while his 93 routes run rank ninth-most on the team. DEPTH CHART QBs: Patrick Mahomes, Blaine Gabbert RBs: Isiah Pacheco, Jerick McKinnon, Clyde Edwards-Helaire WRs: Rashee Rice, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Skyy Moore, Kadarius Toney, Justin Watson, Mecole Hardman, Justyn Ross, Richie James TEs: Travis Kelce, Noah Gray, Blake Bell, Jody Fortson ---- Las Vegas Raiders Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 14 November 2023 As Associated Press sports writer Mark Anderson noted, the Raiders had just 33 yards rushing at halftime of Sunday night's game against the Jets, averaging 2.8 yards per carry. Many coaches would've been tempted to try to win the game through the air in the second half, but not Las Vegas' Antonio Pierce. He doubled down on the running game in the second half, and it's a major reason the Raiders rallied to beat New York 16-12. Led by Josh Jacobs, the Raiders rushed for 115 yards in the second half, averaging 5.8 yards a pop. Jacobs went from gaining 30 yards on 10 carries in the opening 30 minutes to picking up 86 yards on 17 attempts after halftime. This isn't a one-off, either. In the Raiders' two games since Pierce became the interim coach, he has emphasized the ground game. Jacobs rushed for 98 yards the week before against the New York Giants, giving him, 214 yards in two games with Pierce in control. He averaged 4 yards on 53 combined carries. Jacobs gained 408 yards in his first eight weeks, averaging 3.1 yards. The Raiders' commitment to the running game this season under previous coach Josh McDaniels was nebulous at best. Jacobs -- the NFL's leading rusher last season who had nearly 400 touches running and receiving -- didn't receive the workload the first eight games that he got in the past two. "One of our messages early in the week that (we) told the team was that we needed to start to impose our will," Pierce said. "The only way you can do that is by one of two things -- stopping the run on defense and running the ball on offense. "In the second half, you saw what time it was, right? It was Josh Jacobs' time, it was hammer time. And you saw the energy not only with our offensive line, our running back and our offense, but in our team. It changed our whole mentality in that third quarter, and I think that's where things started to shift in our favor." After beating both lowly New York teams, the Raiders get to show how good they really are with a trip Sunday to AFC-East leading Miami Dolphins. After that, the Raiders return home face the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs. How do the Raiders maintain momentum under Pierce with two tough games on the horizon? ESPN.com's Paul Gutierrez acknowledges that football is an emotional game and riding that wave can carry you to certain heights. But, Gutierrez added, playing solely on that is a recipe for disaster. The Raiders can kick their feet up after beating the New York teams the past two weeks to get back to .500 at 5-5, but executing at a higher level will be their best bet against the Dolphins first. That includes taking better care of the football. Only the Chicago Bears have a worse turnover ratio than the Raiders. The problem holding on to the ball nearly cost Las Vegas. The Raiders were driving in the fourth quarter to potentially put away the Jets when Jacobs fumbled, prompting a stressful final five minutes for Las Vegas. An interception by Aidan O'Connell toward the end of the first quarter turned into a field goal for the Jets and 9-3 lead. On a more positive note, not having LT Kolton Miller available because of a shoulder injury could've been devastating against the Jets' outstanding defense. Pro Football Focus ranks Miller the league's fourth-best tackle. But with Jermaine Eluemunor moving from the right side to replace Miller and Thayer Munford manning right tackle, the line held up. O'Connell was sacked just once in the second half and the run game helped the Raiders win. ... Pierce said he didn't have update on Miller because the players were given Monday off. ... CB Amik Robertson suffered a concussion early in the second quarter, but Pierce said Robertson was in good spirits after the game. Also of interest. ... Earlier in the season, Davante Adams shared his feelings about being more involved in the offense. Adams emphasized that he wasn't demanding the ball, simply stating how much smoother the offense could run if he were more involved. Interim coordinator Bo Hardegree and O'Connell did that on Sunday night, getting Adams the ball early and often, helping ease O'Connell into the flow of the game. O'Connell's first four passes went to Adams. Five out of O'Connell's first seven passes were to Adams, including a 42-yard completion on Las Vegas' second offensive drive. Adams was impressed by O'Connell's performance Sunday night. "It was impressive, man," Adams said. "He's as cool as the other side of the pillow. Dude is not a rookie. By years, he is, but by action, and like you said, that poise that he has in those type of situations, you don't see that often from a rookie quarterback." Meanwhile, the Raiders keep changing which wide receiver receives the third-most snaps with the team after Adams and Jakobi Myers. Last week, it was Tre Tucker and this week, it was Hunter Renfrow. It hasn't mattered all season, as Adams and Meyers are the only Raiders wide receivers with more than four targets in a game this season. ... Rookie tight end Michael Mayer scored his first career NFL touchdown. Mayer has played a clear majority of Las Vegas' offensive snaps the last five weeks and well over 80 percent in the last three. According to PFF.com's Nathan Jahnke, the youngster is among the top-five tight ends in terms of offensive snaps over that time. Most top tight ends will leave the field in mostly running situations. Unfortunately for Mayer, when he's off the field, it's often a passing situation with Austin Hooper on the field. His target rate has been good but not great, so Mayer has been outside of the top-12 fantasy tight ends despite the increased playing time. This means Mayer isn't someone to put in starting lineups yet, but if the Raiders' offense starts relying on Mayer more often late in the season, Jahnke believes he could become a consistent fantasy tight end. ... Finally. ... The Raiders claimed CB Jack Jones off waivers from the Patriots, according to his agent. Jones is reunited with Pierce, his coach in high school and Long Beach Poly and in college at Arizona State. DEPTH CHART QBs: Aidan O'Connell, Jimmy Garoppolo, Brian Hoyer RBs: Josh Jacobs, Zamir White, Ameer Abdullah, Brandon Bolden WRs: Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers, Tre Tucker, Hunter Renfrow, DeAndre Carter, Kristian Wilkerson TEs: Michael Mayer, Austin Hooper, Jesper Horsted ---- Los Angeles Chargers Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 14 November 2023 According to ESPN.com's Kris Rhim, as many Chargers players showered and dressed before quickly leaving the locker room after Sunday's 41-38 loss to the Detroit Lions, quarterback Justin Herbert sat at his locker in full uniform and gazed forward. It was Herbert's 21st one-score loss since he entered the league in 2020, three more than any other quarterback in that span. "I think that's the NFL," said Herbert, who had 323 yards, four touchdowns and an interception Sunday. Herbert has played in 22 games decided by three points or fewer since he entered the league in 2020, four more than any other quarterback over that span, and is 9-13 in those games. (The next closest quarterback is Kirk Cousins, who played in 18 of those games, and is 10-8.) After two blowout victories that sparked joyful locker room celebrations, and claims of the team having a "different swag," Sunday's loss was a return to normal for the Chargers (4-5). This defense, laden with star names, again performed like one of the league's worst units while the offense had its highest scoring game of the season. Still, the Chargers' struggles can't just be blamed on one factor. Herbert has played in 47 games that were within one score in the fourth quarter, second to New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr (49). Herbert has thrown 13 interceptions in those situations, five more than any other quarterback. (Carr has thrown eight, tied with Lamar Jackson, Taylor Heinicke and Tua Tagovailoa). Herbert's latest late-game interception came in Week 6 against the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth quarter, with the Chargers losing by three points, when cornerback Stephon Gilmore intercepted him to effectively end the game. Against the Lions, he threw an interception in the first quarter, the Chargers' only turnover of the game "I can't make mistakes like that," Herbert said, "and expect to just be able to come back and win games like that." Beyond Herbert's late-game turnover struggles in the Chargers' close finishes, much of the reason they end up in these situations in the first place is because of their middling defense. The Chargers hired Brandon Staley in 2021 because of his work as a defensive coordinator with the Los Angeles Rams in 2020, when they allowed the fewest yards and points per game in the NFL. Staley was supposed to turn the Chargers' defense into a top unit, and they have given him the players to do so. The Chargers traded for Khalil Mack, one of the league's top outside linebackers whom Staley coached when he was outside linebackers coach in Chicago, signed cornerback J.C. Jackson, and added defensive tackles Sebastian Joseph-Day and Morgan Fox to go along with Pro Bowlers Derwin James Jr. and Joey Bosa. But in his third season, Staley's defense is still one of the worst in the NFL. Over his three seasons, the Chargers rank 30th in defensive efficiency, 29th in points allowed per game (24.6), 31st in yards per play allowed (5.7), and 29th in third down conversion rate (42 percent). After the Lions game, Staley said that the Chargers would need to return to the "fundamentals" of playing defense: "Playing blocks, leveraging the football, tackling and then staying connected in coverage. "I know the players that we have on this team, I know the group that I've been coaching for nine games, and it is good enough to beat anybody we play." It's a point that Staley has repeated after the five losses this season -- four of which have come within three points -- but one his defense's performances mostly haven't supported, except when playing struggling offenses. They beat up on the Tyson Bagent-led Bears, the Zach Wilson-led Jets and the Aidan O'Connell-led Raiders. The lone exception came against the Cowboys, one of the league's top offenses, where the Chargers allowed just 20 points, the Cowboys' third-lowest total this season (they still gave up seven catches for 117 yards to wide receiver CeeDee Lamb). Sunday felt like a new low for this defense. James called the Lions' willingness to go for a fourth down conversion late in the game "disrespectful." Mack told ESPN that it was the most frustrating game of the year for the defense because of how the Lions beat them. "They didn't physically move us off the ball or do anything special," Mack said. "They just beat us with play-action passes and screens, things you can fix with everybody running to the ball." In the end, the Lions tallied 533 yards and five touchdowns, including 177 rushing yards and three touchdowns in the first half. Staley has shouldered the blame for this defense publicly, often telling reporters, "It's on me," as he did after the Lions loss, citing a need to improve coaching technique. But each week, the Chargers' issues on defense remain. "It's frustrating as hell," James said. "Because like I say, our job, we want to go out and dominate. We want to go out and execute, and we want to go out and get off the field. So for us not to go out there and get it done, it's all a reflection, and [we] just [need to] look in the mirror." Next up, the Chargers will try to get back to .500 when they travel to Green Bay. The Bolts have dropped seven of their last eight against the Packers and have only one win in five trips to Lambeau Field. ... Other notes of interest. ... Herbert's Week 9 game was one of the worst of his career statistically: 136 passing yards, his lowest single-game total ever, and no passing touchdowns for the first time since last season. But Herbert bounced back on Sunday, throwing for 323 yards -- his most since Week 3 -- and four touchdowns. His second touchdown was a strike to Jalen Guyton between two Lions defenders that may have been one of the game's best highlights. Sunday was the 25th 300-yard game of his career. He also bested Peyton Manning for the most passing yards through the first four seasons of a career in NFL history. Herbert has 16,438 yards; Manning had 16,418 from 1998-2001 with the Indianapolis Colts. ... As Associated Press sports writer Joe Reedy, Quentin Johnston and Guyton had big catches after Keenan Allen was sidelined for part of the second half with a shoulder injury. Johnston caught his first NFL touchdown on fourth-and-goal from the Detroit 1 in the fourth quarter and finished with four receptions for 34 yards. Guyton had four catches for 41 yards, including the aforementioned 18-yard TD in the third quarter that was his first score since Week 15 in 2021 against Kansas City. Guyton suffered a knee injury in Week 3 last season and also missed the first seven games this year. Allen, despite spending that stretch on the sideline, had a huge game with 11 catches for 175 yards and two touchdowns. According to Late-Round Fantasy's JJ Zachariason, Allen has seen at least a 30 percent target share in four of his last five games. The one game where he didn't, his target share was 26.3 percent. ... Worth noting, Johnston led the position in snaps for the first time this season, playing 61 snaps and hauling in his first career NFL touchdown early in the fourth quarter. Guyton played 57 snaps. Donald Parham, Jr., led the tight end position playing 32 snaps, while Gerald Everett was second with 24. Stone Smartt was next in line, playing 22 snaps while Nick Vannett, who was playing in his second game for the Bolts, played 11 in Week 10. Everett suffered a back injury and didn't play in the second half. Both Everett and Allen are considered day-to-day; check the Late-Breaking Updates section for more. ... Finally. ... Austin Ekeler had 67 yards on 19 carries, including four attempts that were stopped for no gain or negative yards. Since rushing for a league-high 230 yards in Week 1, the Chargers are averaging 84.3 yards per game on the ground, fourth-lowest in the league. Their 3.44 yards per carry the last eight games is the league's second-worst average in that stretch. DEPTH CHART QBs: Justin Herbert, Easton Stick RBs: Austin Ekeler, Joshua Kelley, Isaiah Spiller, Elijah Dotson WRs: Keenan Allen, Quentin Johnston, Jalen Guyton, Derius Davis, Josh Palmer, Mike Williams TEs: Gerald Everett, Donald Parham, Stone Smartt ---- Los Angeles Rams Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 14 November 2023 As Associated Press sports writer Greg Beacham notes, no receiver has ever started an NFL career as impressively as Puka Nacua, who caught a record 25 passes in his first two games for the Los Angeles Rams and shattered the league's single-game receptions mark for a rookie in September. The fifth-round pick has slowed down only moderately since his spectacular debut month, becoming a household football name and a twin pillar of the Rams' offense with Cooper Kupp. Yet Nacua has kept an upbeat mentality and a clear humbleness amid his burgeoning NFL stardom. Nacua was the 20th receiver drafted last spring, chosen with the very last pick of the fifth round, 177th overall. He was the 34th-fastest receiver at the NFL combine, which clearly played a role in the draft slip of a precise, physical wideout with a knack for getting open in any circumstances. Nacua's selection is also a commendation of the Rams' draft work, which otherwise hasn't produced the results that probably would have been necessary to keep Los Angeles in championship contention for the past two seasons. The Rams are 3-6 coming off their bye week, with a three-game losing streak and an 8-18 overall record since winning the Super Bowl in early 2022. Rams general manager Les Snead has famously used his premium draft capital since the franchise came home to Los Angeles to acquire established superstars from Von Miller and Jalen Ramsey to current quarterback Matthew Stafford. While Snead hasn't made a first-round pick since 2016, he has made plenty of lower-round picks -- but not enough have grown into stars to avoid the franchise reset that the Rams are undergoing this year. In fact, Nacua is looking like the Rams' best choice in the past six drafts since Kupp arrived in 2017. Clearly, Nacua has been the Rams' brightest spot, both in their recent draft history and their season in general. Despite catching just six passes in the past two games while Stafford went down with a thumb injury, Nacua hit the bye week fourth in the NFL with 64 receptions and 827 yards receiving. He has 16 receptions of at least 20 yards, tied for the NFL lead. He was also third with 96 targets, indicating his fundamental importance to the Rams' offense after only nine games. Nacua got 39 of those targets in Los Angeles' first four games before Kupp returned from a training camp injury. "He hasn't reached his peak in terms of comfortability yet, and when he does that, who knows where he could go," offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said. "But not really worried about that. Just keep coming out with that same energy, that same style of play that he plays with. It's awesome for our squad to have a guy like that." Nacua represents the upside in a second disappointing season for a team that had few bad times in Sean McVay's first half-decade in charge. Nacua seems likely to be a key to the Rams' hopes of getting out of this rut, either in this season or the next. "I'm just lucky to be on a team with Matthew and with a guy like Sean calling the plays," Nacua said. "I know that's great for a receiver, and I just want to help them any way I can." And what about Stafford? With a bye week to heal up, the veteran quarterback is ready to return to action. Stafford, who missed L.A.'s last game due to a thumb injury, is expected to play Sunday versus the Seattle Seahawks, McVay announced on Monday. Stafford was able to grip and throw the ball during individual drills at practice on Monday, according to McVay, which is a promising sign that the injury has healed up enough for him to play. The 35-year-old quarterback exited the Rams' Week 8 loss to the Cowboys in the third quarter after his thumb was contacted by a defender on an incomplete pass. It was later announced that Stafford had suffered a sprained UCL in the thumb on his throwing hand, and while the initial estimates had him as day to day, he ended up missing the Rams' Week 9 game with the injury. Stafford's return could not come soon enough for the Rams, who struggled to find a serviceable replacement for their starter while he was out. Brett Rypien came in in relief when Stafford was ruled out after sustaining the injury and started the team's next game against the Packers. The fourth-year pro struggled in the start, throwing for 130 yards with an interception and losing a fumble in the loss to Green Bay. The Rams subsequently waived Rypien and signed free-agent QB Carson Wentz to become the new No. 2 quarterback, but based on McVay's Monday words it appears the Rams will not need Wentz to start in Week 11 versus Seattle. Before missing time with the injury, Stafford had thrown for 2,070 yards and eight touchdowns in eight games, an uptick from his 2022 numbers while battling through injuries. And unlike last year, when the 15-year veteran was shut down with a spinal cord contusion after nine games, Stafford is set to return to the field having missed only one start. The Rams have fallen behind in the NFC West race, but L.A. will hope the return of Stafford can help spark something, starting this Sunday when they face an opponent that's ahead of them in the division standings. DEPTH CHART QBs: Matthew Stafford, Carson Wentz, Stetson Bennett RBs: Darrell Henderson, Royce Freeman, Zach Evans, Ronnie Rivers, Kyren Williams WRs: Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, Tutu Atwell, Ben Skowronek, Demarcus Robinson TEs: Tyler Higbee, Brycen Hopkins, Hunter Long, Davis Allen ---- Miami Dolphins Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 14 November 2023 It's a measure of how dominant the Dolphins' offense has been this season that even after having their bye this week, they lead the NFL in both total points scored and total yards gained -- despite having played only nine games, while a third of the league has played 10 games. The Dolphins have scored 285 points this season, 15 more than the second-place Ravens, and gained 3,918 yards, 260 more than the second-place Lions. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa leads the NFL with 19 touchdown passes, ahead of every other quarterback including the ones who have played 10 games, and Tyreek Hill leads the NFL with 1,076 receiving yards, ahead of every other receiver including the ones who have played 10 games. As a team, the Dolphins have a shot at one of the NFL's most significant offensive records, for yards gained in a season. Miami is on pace to finish this season with 7,401 yards, just short of the record of 7,474 set by New Orleans in 2011. This Dolphins offense has a chance to be remembered among the best ever. And another piece getting close to a return. Running back De'Von Achane returned to practice Monday as his 21-day activation window to return from injured reserve officially opened. Achane rushed for 460 yards and scored seven total touchdowns in four games, establishing himself as one of the league's standout rookies. Despite rushing for 151 yards and a touchdown against the New York Giants in Week 5, the third-round pick injured his knee and was placed on IR the following week. Miami's production has dropped off slightly without Achane. Its offense failed to break 100 rushing yards in two of the four games he's missed. Head coach Mike McDaniel said Achane's injury wasn't necessarily incapacitating, but the Dolphins decided to play it safe with their star rookie. "There wasn't tearing, it was more of a strain-type injury," McDaniel said Monday. "The thing that you do, if you really minimize the time off the field in these situations with players, is you throw a brace on the player and have them go. I just didn't really envision him being one that would really flourish with a brace. "So, we took the time to make sure we could get structurally completely strong. We probably erred on the side of caution with that, but everything seems ready to go for today's practice." Veteran Raheem Mostert has shouldered the majority of the workload in Achane's absence, rushing for 291 yards and five total touchdowns in the Dolphins' past four games. He is currently tied with Christian McCaffrey for the NFL lead in total touchdowns with 13 -- which also represents a career high. In other injury news, Dolphins offensive linemen Rob Hunt and Robert Jones are considered week-to-week with hamstring and knee injuries, respectively. Hunt missed the team's loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 9 and Jones was carted back to the locker room during that game. Miami hosts the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. ... One last item here. ... The Dolphins activated receiver River Cracraft from injured reserve Tuesday, the team announced. He went on injured reserve with a shoulder injury on Sept. 29. Cracraft has six catches for 87 yards and a touchdown in three games this season. He joined the Dolphins in 2022 and has played 14 games with one start since, catching 15 passes for 189 yards and three touchdowns. Cracraft entered the NFL with Denver in 2017 and has appeared in 38 games with two starts over his career. The Dolphins waived cornerback Kelvin Joseph in a corresponding move. He was acquired by Miami in a trade with Dallas on Aug. 29 and played four games for the Dolphins. Joseph had two solo stops. He entered the NFL as a second-round pick of the Cowboys in 2021, playing 26 games and totaling 27 tackles, four passes defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. DEPTH CHART QBs: Tua Tagovailoa, Mike White, Skylar Thompson RBs: Raheem Mostert, De'Von Achane, Jeff Wilson, Salvon Ahmed, Christopher Brooks WRs: Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Braxton Berrios, Cedrick Wilson, Chase Claypool, River Cracraft TEs: Durham Smythe, Julian Hill, Tyler Kroft ---- Minnesota Vikings Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 14 November 2023 As ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert reported, Josh Dobbs picked up Sunday right where he left off last week in Atlanta, accounting for 312 offensive yards and two touchdowns in the Vikings' 27-19 victory over the Saints. In so doing, Dobbs became the first player in NFL history to amass 400 passing yards, 100 rushing yards and no interceptions in his first two games with a team, according to ESPN Stats and Information. Dobbs is the third quarterback in as many weeks to start for the Vikings, following Kirk Cousins' season-ending Achilles tear in Week 8 and Jaren Hall's concussion in Week 9. The Vikings acquired Dobbs from the Cardinals on Oct. 31 to serve as an emergency backup for Hall, and Dobbs went on to account for 224 offensive yards and three touchdowns against the Falcons despite not taking a single practice rep with the team. Heading into Sunday's game, Dobbs had the relative luxury of an entire week to learn the Vikings' offense and their game plan for the Saints, which called for more passing than might have been expected. He guided the Vikings to a 24-3 halftime lead and finished with 23 completions in 34 attempts for 268 yards, including a 28-yard touchdown strike to tight end T.J. Hockenson just before halftime. He also rushed for 44 yards on eight carries, converting two third downs and scoring on a 7-yard run in which he spun out of the pocket and scrambled after the Saints covered all four of his reads on the play. That's the key. As Associated Press sports writer Brian Hall pointed out, Cousins had thrived since Kevin O'Connell's arrival as head coach in Minnesota. He had 2,331 passing yards this season with 18 touchdowns (which still ranks second in the NFL) and a 103.8 quarterback rating, which is fourth in the league. But Cousins has never been a mobile quarterback. Dobbs has changed the outlook for the Vikings' offense in that regard. "It's crazy because with him in the backfield you can't think the play's over," said Hockenson, who caught 11 passes for 134 yards and the aforementioned touchdown against the Saints. "You just try to find an open area and beat your guy. It's a little like street ball, which is fun. So, you just got to continue to play through the whistle because you just never know what's going to happen." In two games with Minnesota, Dobbs has run for 110 yards and two touchdowns. He has 368 rushing yards this season. Cousins' best rushing total in his six seasons with Minnesota was 156 yards in 2020. O'Connell said Dobbs' athleticism allows him to be more aggressive in play-calling. "Dobbs didn't just start doing those things," O'Connell said. "That's been a part of his game since he's been an NFL quarterback and before that. Our job is to continue to allow him to play the position the way he thrives playing it, while continuing to do our jobs." Dobbs has also left defenders bewildered. "He created," Saints defensive tackle Malcolm Roach said. "When we had him in the traps and things like that, he did a great job of getting out the traps and making plays, extending plays. We got to get him down. We can't ask these guys to cover for 30 seconds. When the play's going on for that long, that's not a normal play." The efforts haven't been limited to the field. O'Connell explained: "Last week, I can't emphasize enough what the circumstances were for him in our offense, but what I think was really special this week, even coming off of that performance, was his work, how he prepared. He was essentially living at the facility and going through his normal process while also allowing us to show him how we do things, how we try to enhance his ability to play fast while also giving him really good plays that he can be responsible for getting to one versus the other on the line. "I thought it was a pretty outstanding day from Josh and the best thing about it is we're all still getting to know each other and getting a comfort level where we can continue to apply layers to this thing to try to be as successful as we can be on offense." Indeed, Dobbs said he ate every meal at the facility last week to be certain he spent enough time learning the game plan, joking that "I'm not paid by the hour, so I have nowhere else to be." Turning serious, however, Dobbs said he was driven to make sure that the memorable performance in Atlanta was not lost to history. "Whatever happened," he said, "you have to put that aside and go on to the next one. You show up on Sunday, you don't play well? No one cares what you did last week in Atlanta. They care about what you did this week in Minnesota." Meanwhile, the defense is flourishing under coordinator Brian Flores, particularly against opposing passing attacks. New Orleans finished with 215 passing yards and the Vikings have held seven straight opponents to 266 yards or fewer. Minnesota also had two interceptions on Sunday and has eight over the past five games after securing one interception through the first five weeks. A prime-time game awaits as Minnesota plays at Denver on Sunday night. ... Other notes of interest. ... Dobbs has helped, but Minnesota's running game is still stuck. No Vikings player has rushed for 100 yards in a game this season. Lead running back Alexander Mattison is 24th in the league with 461 yards and is averaging 3.5 yards per carry. As a team, Minnesota is averaging 85.7 rushing yards per game, which ranks 29th in the NFL. As PFF.com's Nathan Jahnke notes, Cam Akers had suffered a season-ending Achilles tear last week, which seemed like it would lead to a larger role for Mattison. Instead, Ty Chandler was very involved in the game. Both running backs received eight carries over the first three quarters. Chandler was more successful in that time with 40 yards and a touchdown, but Mattison averaged more yards after contact per carry. Mattison left Sunday's game late in the third quarter due to a concussion and didn't return. Chandler ran the ball another seven times in the fourth quarter once Mattison was out, but only gained four yards on those carries because the Saints knew the Vikings were running most of the quarter. Kene Nwangwu didn't play on offense until the fourth quarter. He played three snaps in relief of Chandler. Jahnke went on to point out players typically miss a week after suffering a concussion and the Vikings have a good matchup against the Broncos. Chandler will be one of the top waiver wire options for teams looking for a running back for Week 11. It's also possible Chandler mixes in more than expected once Mattison is back. ... Star receiver Justin Jefferson (hamstring) could be ready to return from injured reserve this week after his window to practice was opened last week. WR K.J. Osborn had reportedly cleared concussion testing but was held out of Sunday's game. I'll obviously be watching Jefferson's progress closely in coming days, but he posted the following to his verified X account shortly after Sunday's win: "I can not wait to get on the field with this team again!!!" I'll have more on Jefferson, Osborn and Mattison via Late-Breaking Update as the week progresses. ... Hockenson became only the second NFL tight end since 1978 to catch at least 10 passes for 100 yards and a touchdown in the single half of a game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, despite a rib/oblique injury that has caused him significant pain since he suffered it last week in Atlanta. One last note here. ... The Vikings have placed LB Jordan Hicks on IR on Tuesday. Running back Myles Gaskin has been signed to the practice squad and DL Michael Dogbe has been released from the practice squad. DEPTH CHART QBs: Josh Dobbs, Nick Mullens, Jaren Hall, Kirk Cousins RBs: Alexander Mattison, Ty Chandler, C.J. Ham, Kene Nwangwu, Cam Akers WRs: Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, K.J. Osborn, Brandon Powell, N'Keal Harry, Jalen Nailor TEs: T.J. Hockenson, Josh Oliver, Johnny Mundt, Nick Muse ---- New England Patriots Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 14 November 2023 Quarterback Mac Jones was pulled from Sunday's 10-6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts at Frankfurt Stadium after throwing a fourth-quarter interception, with head coach Bill Belichick turning to backup Bailey Zappe with 1:52 remaining. "I thought it was time for a change," Belichick said after the game. Jones' benching sparks questions on whether he will keep the starting job for the second half of the season. He had already been pulled from two games earlier in the season -- against the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints -- but the outcome was well in hand in those games. But as ESPN.com's Mike Reiss suggests, this was different, as the Patriots took over at their 14-yard line with a chance to drive for a game-winning score. Zappe was ultimately intercepted, extinguishing the team's comeback hopes. Asked about the quarterback position going forward, Belichick said, "We'll worry about next week next week. The game just got over." The Patriots are 2-8 and have a bye this weekend. They visit the New York Giants on Nov. 26. "I've played well in my career before, but not right now," Jones said. "It's peaks and valleys. I'm kind of in a valley right now. I just have to bounce back." New England had been driving for a potential go-ahead touchdown, advancing to the Colts' 15-yard line, when Jones was intercepted by safety Julian Blackmon on a throw well short of his intended receiver with 4:24 remaining. "It was a terrible throw. Hit it in practice, just not a good throw. I knew where to go, just didn't do it right," Jones said. "There were some things I was working through, but it doesn't matter. No excuses." Jones said he was informed on the sideline that he wouldn't be returning to the game after the play. "It's hard, right? It's a difficult situation, but at the end of the day, I want the team to win. I'll always be that person. We didn't win, so it's hard for everybody," said Jones, who finished 15-of-20 for 170 yards with the one pick and was sacked five times. "I have to play better and not even be in that situation." On the season, Jones is 212 of 324 for 2,031 yards, with 10 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Jones became the first quarterback to hit 10 interceptions this season. He has played behind a patchwork offensive line (seven different configurations in 10 games) that has contributed to his struggles, and has one of the NFL's more underwhelming receiving corps. Earlier in the game, Jones drew the wrath of offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien on the sideline. With 8:38 remaining in the third quarter, the Patriots had a drive stall at the Colts' 17-yard line after Jones attempted a dangerous underhand pass to running back Rhamondre Stevenson that fell incomplete. As Jones sat next to O'Brien on the bench and reviewed plays on a computer tablet, O'Brien repeatedly pointed at the tablet as he animatedly spoke to Jones. Asked about the exchange, Jones hinted that O'Brien was pointing out open receivers he wasn't seeing. "I just try to go through my reads and hit the open guy. I have to do a better job at that," Jones said. "It's really hard out there in the NFL -- it's really good defense -- but there were a lot of open guys I could have hit." Asked whether he feels Belichick still believes in him, Jones said: "To make people believe, you have to be better. I'm not sure. I don't know." Jones, who said he still believes in himself, visited the X-ray room after the game. He relayed it was the result of a bruise but added, "I'm good." We'll find out soon enough if Belichick believes. "We'll look at everything," Belichick said Monday. "We'll look at everything across the board." The same scrutiny is squarely on Belichick, whose team is last in the AFC and 2-8 for the first time since finishing his first season in New England 5-11 in 2000. In addition, as Associated Press sports writer Kyle Hightower notes, while Jones' play and injuries haven't helped, the offense has taken massive strides backward under the direction of O'Brien. Points per game (14.1), yards per game (308.4) and third down efficiency (34.9 percent) are all down from a season ago. Slow starts also continue to plague the Patriots, who have yet to score a touchdown on an opening drive this season. "There are things that we can build off of," Belichick said. "We're certainly doing a lot of things better than we did earlier in the year. But, it doesn't take much to stop a drive or to have a bad play." On the injury front. ... Stevenson had treatment for a back injury in the fourth quarter but returned. Defensive tackle Christian Barmore left the field for treatment in the fourth quarter. Offensive tackle Conor McDermott, who was promoted from the practice squad Saturday, also left the field for treatment in the fourth quarter. Davante Parker missed a second-straight game with a concussion. The bye week should serve him well. ... Finally. ... The Patriots claimed running back JaMycal Hasty off waivers from the Jaguars on Monday. The Jaguars cut Hasty on Saturday. New England officially waived cornerback Jack Jones in a corresponding move. After recording 320 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns in 17 games for Jacksonville last year, Hasty had not recorded a touch in three games this season. Hasty, 27, entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2020. He spent two seasons with the 49ers before joining the Jaguars in 2022. In 39 career games, Hasty has 478 snaps on offense and 347 on special teams. He has totaled 101 carries for 410 yards, 50 catches for 316 yards and five total touchdowns. He has averaged 18.7 yards on kickoff returns. The Patriots have Stevenson, Ezekiel Elliott and Ty Montgomery in the running backs room along with practice squad players Kevin Harris and Patrick Taylor. DEPTH CHART QBs: Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe RBs: Rhamondre Stevenson, Ezekiel Elliott, JaMycal Hasty WRs: DeVante Parker, Demario Douglas, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Tyquan Thornton, Kayshon Boutte, Matt Slater, Kendrick Bourne TEs: Hunter Henry, Mike Gesicki, Pharaoh Brown ---- New Orleans Saints Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 14 November 2023 As Associated Press sports writer Brett Martel suggested, one of the best things the Saints have going for them right now is the division in which they play. They left Minnesota disappointed by their mistake- and penalty-filled performance during a 27-19 loss to the Vikings on Sunday that dropped their record to 5-5, but they entered their bye week on Monday still in first place in the NFC South. "That's an average win-loss column for us right now," Saints defensive back Alontae Taylor said Monday. "Everybody's going to take time to really look at themselves in the mirror and see what they can improve on -- players and coaches." In the NFL, making the playoffs is one thing. Appearing to belong is another. The Saints do not have a victory over a team that currently has a winning record. The Indianapolis Colts, who are 5-5, have the best record of any of the five teams New Orleans has beaten this season. Tennessee and Chicago have three victories each. New England has just two and Carolina only one. "We'll evaluate everything that we're doing," head coach Dennis Allen said Monday. "We know we have to do better than what we've done." In a victory over Chicago two weeks ago, the Saints were plus-5 in turnovers and were penalized only once for 5 yards. At Minnesota on Sunday, New Orleans was minus-2 in turnovers and committed nine penalties for 74 yards. Starting quarterback Derek Carr did not turn the ball over, but had led the Saints to just a field goal before being knocked out of the game with concussion symptoms in the third quarter. Jameis Winston led New Orleans to two touchdowns with 2-point conversions to give the Saints hope in the fourth quarter. But he also was intercepted twice on a pair of long, inaccurate throws -- one of which virtually sealed the Saints' fate on third-and-3 with about three minutes left. Meanwhile, New Orleans' defense looked confused and undisciplined in giving up 24 first-half points before holding the Vikings to just three points in the second half. "We've been way too inconsistent," Allen said. Beyond that, wide receiver Michael Thomas and cornerback Marshon Lattimore both sustained "fairly significant" injuries during Sunday's game, Allen said Monday. Allen said that he does not believe either injury is season-ending, but the Saints are still waiting for second opinions from doctors as they head into their bye week. "I'm not going to get into the exact extent, but they'll both be rehabbing throughout the week here," Allen said. Allen said Carr remained in concussion protocol as of Monday. Carr took a helmet to the shoulder and appeared to bang his head on the turf after taking a high-low hit from two Vikings defensive players. Allen said that Carr's shoulder was deemed OK after testing. "That checked out fine today, so that's all good. Obviously, he's in the concussion protocol," Allen said. Thomas sustained a knee injury on the first drive of the game after playing only two snaps. He walked to the medical tent on the sideline and stayed in there for an extended period, then watched the rest of the game from the sideline. "We'll get a little bit more information as we go along, but look, he was awesome on the sideline, he was into the game, he was encouraging guys, so that was good to see," Allen said. Lattimore left the game on a cart in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury and did not return. Lattimore and Thomas both had significant injuries last season. Lattimore played in only seven games last season due to a lacerated kidney and broken ribs sustained in Week 5 last year. Thomas missed part of the 2020 season and all of the 2021 season with an ankle injury and played only three games last season due to a toe injury. He has not played in a full season since 2019. The Saints' next game is against the Atlanta Falcons on Nov. 26. ... Other notes of interest. ... According to Late-Round Fantasy's JJ Zachariason, Alvin Kamara saw a 74 percent snap share in Minnesota. That had dipped below 60 percent in Week 8 and Week 9. His 17.5 percent target share marked a seventh straight game (all of his games) with at least a 12 percent target share. ... Taysom Hill is averaging 5.2 yards per carry when he subs in intermittently for QB runs. He had 6 yards on his lone run in Minnesota, but the Saints went away from that play and started passing more after falling behind on Sunday. ... Rookie receiver A.T. Perry, a sixth-round draft pick out of Wake Forest, had two catches for 38 yards, including a highlight reel-touchdown catch on a throw across the field by Winston. His production came after veteran Michael Thomas left the game with an injury. "I felt calm and comfortable," Perry said. "I told myself to just play football." On his touchdown, Perry had to snatch the ball away from defensive back Byron Murphy, who'd closed on the ball in time to attempt an interception. "Whenever a ball's in the air and it's coming toward me, it's mine," Perry said. "That's the mentality." If Thomas is going to miss an extended period, we'll all get a good look at Perry in coming weeks. ---- DEPTH CHART QBs: Derek Carr, Jameis Winston, Jake Haener RBs: Alvin Kamara, Jamaal Williams, Kendre Miller WRs: Chris Olave, Michael Thomas, Rashid Shaheed, A.T. Perry TEs: Juwan Johnson, Taysom Hill, Foster Moreau, Jimmy Graham New York Giants Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 14 November 2023 As ESPN.com's Jordan Raanan framed it: "So this is what 2-8 looks like. The New York Giants are getting blown out by 30-plus points, players are losing their composure and directing their anger at coaches on the sideline, and head coach Brian Daboll is conducting his postgame news conference as if there isn't a five-alarm fire. ..." The Giants lost 49-17 on Sunday to the Cowboys in Dallas. It was their sixth loss this season by two touchdowns or more. "Embarrassed" was a word that was used by more than one player. "It's definitely tough right now losing like that, getting embarrassed week after week," running back Saquon Barkley said. "But you have to be a man about it. Obviously you can be in your feelings for a short time, but you have to get ready for next week. That's the NFL." What punctuated the embarrassment -- aside from it being at the hands of the rival Cowboys and Jerry Jones -- were the incidents on their sideline. Barkley had a conversation with Daboll after failing to convert a fourth down in the first quarter. Fox sideline reporter Tom Rinaldi called it "animated." Barkley wouldn't say after the game exactly what it was about, and he sidestepped a question about whether it was specifically the play call, but he did admit it was the result of frustration. "We didn't get the fourth-and-3. Was I frustrated we didn't get it? Yes. So maybe that was a sign of frustration, but there was nothing like [it being animated]. It happens. It's football." The cameras also showed wide receivers Darius Slayton and Sterling Shepard yelling angrily on the sideline. It wasn't at each other. Instead, Slayton admitted afterward he let his emotions get the best of him and expressed his frustration in the direction of wide receivers coach Mike Groh. This one was termed a "spirited conversation." "I don't know what the cameras caught," Slayton said. "I'm sure it kind of looked combative to me and [Shepard], but it wasn't in the moment. I was just already worked up. I was just talking emotionally, but at that point, I really don't remember what I was saying. We weren't arguing back and forth. We were talking about the same thing, spiritedly." And are things OK with Groh and his players? "We spoke after the fact," Slayton said. "Like I said, it was me that initiated it. I said that I have to control my emotions better in those moments, and we're good." Daboll and defensive coordinator Wink Martindale had an extended conversation heading into halftime that continued when they came out of the locker room, according to Rinaldi. Again, Daboll downplayed it after the game. "Wink, Sunday?" Daboll said. "There is interaction every game. No different. Standard." This all comes on the heels of safety Xavier McKinney venting his frustration with the coaching staff after last week's 30-6 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. The Giants were blown out by the rival Cowboys for the second time this season, and several veterans on the defense, including McKinney and Dexter Lawrence (both captains), declined to talk after Sunday's game. "Look, I'd say this, we should make no excuses about where we're at," Daboll said Monday. "I own it. So, I've got to do a better job all the way around, and that's what we are going to work towards." The next few weeks might offer the Giants a glimmer of hope. One of their two wins was against Washington, and they face the Commanders (4-6) again, followed by the Patriots (2-8). Then they get their bye week. Still, the Giants head into Washington as 10-point underdogs. ... Nobody is making excuses, but we should acknowledge the issues here. Injuries starting quarterback Daniel Jones (ACL), his backup Tyrod Taylor (ribs) and others have put the Giants in this situation. The team clearly isn't as deep or talented as it appeared after a 9-7-1 season and its first playoff berth since 2016. "Look, everybody's human," Daboll said Monday. "Everybody wants to win; everybody wants to do everything they can do to help achieve that goal. Extra meetings, stay here as late as you need to, good practice habits and I'd say we take pride in doing those things, but the results haven't showed, so I understand that it's a production business and we're working extremely hard to get different results." According to Associated Press sports writer Tom Canavan, the best thing the Giants can do is keep working and hope co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch have the sense not to make Daboll the latest coach to spend two years or fewer in the job. That trend started in 2016 with Ben McAdoo. He was followed by Steve Spagnuolo on an interim basis in December 2017. Pat Shurmur got the 2018 and '19 seasons and Joe Judge the 2020 and '21 seasons. The success of 2022 was followed by the flop this year, which at least will earn New York a good draft pick. ... Positives? Well. ... It's not much, but Tommy DeVito, the undrafted free agent who still lives at home with his family in Cedar Grove, New Jersey, survived his first start. He was 14 of 27 for 86 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He ran seven times for 41 yards. More important, he got the team in and out of the huddle in the very hostile environment in the House That Jerry Built. ... Finally. ... While Jones is out for the year with a torn ACL, Taylor has a rib injury and he said on Thursday that he believes he will be able to return to action. "Not season-ending in my mind," Taylor said, via Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. Last Sunday's game was the first Taylor missed after going on injured reserve, so he will have to miss at least three more before there will be any chance of return. The Giants have a bye in Week 13 and that makes Week 14 the first possible return date, but it remains to be seen if Taylor will be ready to go at that point and if the Giants see a point in playing him in what's shaping up to be a run to the top of the draft order given the franchise's current state of affairs. DEPTH CHART QBs: Tommy DeVito, Tyrod Taylor, Daniel Jones RBs: Saquon Barkley, Matt Breida, Gary Brightwell, Eric Gray WRs: Darius Slayton, Wan'Dale Robinson, Jalin Hyatt, Parris Campbell, Isaiah Hodgins, Sterling Shepard TEs: Daniel Bellinger, Lawrence Cager, Chris Myarick, Darren Waller ---- New York Jets Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 14 November 2023 The New York Jets have gone 11 straight quarters without a touchdown, but they're not blaming the quarterback. In his latest defense of Zach Wilson, head coach Robert Saleh said Wilson "is actually playing pretty good" and that it would be unfair to blame the team's profound struggles on one player or coach. "It's hard to make changes just to make changes, just to pacify something, especially when someone is not deserving of that," Saleh said Monday. "If he was deserving, I gotcha, let's change something. That's always [the case] for every position." Along those lines, Saleh said he's planning to continue with offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett as the playcaller. As ESPN.com's Rich Cimini noted, the Jets (4-5), losers of two straight, failed to reach the end zone for the second straight game in Sunday night's 16-12 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. In the past two games, the Jets have almost as many penalties (17) as points (18). In Vegas, Wilson tied a season-high with 263 passing yards -- he also rushed for a season-high 54 yards -- but he was intercepted with 1:14 left in the fourth quarter at the Raiders' 15-yard line. Since replacing the injured Aaron Rodgers on the first series in Week 1, Wilson has orchestrated only eight touchdown drives. He has only five touchdown passes -- one in the past five games. Cimini went on to explain the fan base is outraged, calling for Saleh to bench Wilson for Tim Boyle or Trevor Siemian (practice squad). Despite mounting pressure, Saleh is standing by the former No. 2 overall pick. With a road game against the Buffalo Bills (5-4) up next, Saleh said he's "looking across the board" for ways to jump-start the offense, including schematic tweaks and potential personnel changes. But Wilson is staying put. "He's much better than he was a year ago," Saleh said. "He's year one in a new system -- a system that was built for Aaron -- let's be real -- and we're trying to make a shift to where everyone is comfortable. "I think [Wilson] is doing a good job. It's not all perfect -- there's been some peaks and valleys -- but [Sunday] we were moving the ball. ... To try to pinpoint it all on one person, with everything that's been happening, I don't see how that's productive." Saleh said he "never felt like making one guy the fall guy is going to make everyone around him better." But that's what he tried to do last season. He benched Wilson twice in 2022, each time in favor of Mike White, who provided energy, if not efficient football. White was 1-3, with three touchdowns and four interceptions, but the offense functioned better with him than Wilson. White signed as a free agent with the Miami Dolphins. Evidently, Saleh doesn't have that kind of confidence in Boyle or Siemian, who signed in late September. With the offense sputtering and the defense holding opponents to 19 points per game, Saleh is risking a locker room fissure by opting for the status quo. The frustration among players is rising. "The main thing is unity," tight end Tyler Conklin said Monday. "We've got to come together as a team and say, 'What the hell do we want? What do we need to do to fix this offense? What do we need to do to go on a run here?'" After the game, wide receiver Garrett Wilson said a players-only meeting might do some good. At 4-5, Conklin believes it's not too late to make the playoff run. "Are we going to sit here and wave the white towel and act like it's the end of the world?" Conklin said. "Or are we going to come together as a team and stop making excuses or whatever the hell is going on from game to game, play to play, and get it fixed? Knowing the type of guys we have in this building, I have a feeling that is something we can do." Whatever the case, at least for another week, the Jets will continue to try to find answers on offense. The Jets have consecutive AFC East games -- at Buffalo on Sunday and at home against Miami in the NFL's first game on Black Friday. Other notes of interest. ... The Jets' offensive struggles have coincided with the inability to efficiently gain yards on the ground. Coming off a 177-yard rushing day against the Denver Broncos in Week 5, running back Breece Hall was riding high as the NFL leader in yards per carry (7.2) average. In the four games since, however, Hall and the Jets' run game has hit the skids. The second-year pro has rushed for 134 yards combined during the recent stretch of troubles that culminated on Sunday Night Football against the Las Vegas Raiders. Hall carried 13 times for 28 yards (2.2 avg) in the 16-12 setback against the Raiders. He did have a three-yard touchdown nullified due to an offensive penalty on what was a frustrating night in the desert. With an 11-yard burst called back due to offensive holding, his longest rush was a seven-yard gain late in the second quarter. It was actually Zach Wilson who led the Jets in rushing with 54 yards on four carries against the Raiders. Hall gained two yards or less on nine of his 13 rush attempts in Las Vegas. He failed to record a first down on the ground. "I think that what's frustrating is that we're not giving ourselves a chance to continue and stay on schedule to see what would happen," said Jets' head coach Robert Saleh, whose team has scored only eight offensive touchdowns through nine games. As SI.com's Ralph Ventre notes, Hall has not averaged more than 3.3 yards per rush in any of his last four outings while registering a long of 10 yards over that sample. His season average is down to 4.9 ypc, which is still good enough for seventh place in the NFL. While he appears back at full strength following ACL surgery, Ventre reports Hall is facing stacked boxes more frequently on defense. His decreasing production may also be a result of the offensive line's lack of continuity. The Jets used their sixth different starting O-line combination of the season of Sunday night in Las Vegas. Despite the rushing struggles, Hall has managed to contribute in the passing game over his last four appearances. He made at least three receptions every game and is averaging 46.5 yards per outing over that span. Hall had a key 35-yard gain on a screen pass against the Raiders. "It's stuff that we'll look at [increasing Hall's involvement in the passing attack]. Usually with his production, it's going to come on check downs, but that is something we definitely need to look at," said Saleh. ... Meanwhile, Garrett Wilson made tough catches and fought through an elbow injury, finishing with nine catches for 93 yards. He was every bit as good as Davante Adams, one of his idols. Tight end C.J. Uzomah has struggled the last few weeks. He dropped a touchdown pass from Zach Wilson when he was wide open in the end zone against the Los Angeles Chargers last week and then had two holding penalties against the Raiders, one of which negated a TD run by Hall. ... Finally. ... The Jets waived running back Michael Carter on Tuesday, the team announced. His release clears the way for rookie Israel Abanikanda, a fifth-round pick who has yet to play. Carter played nine games this season, seeing action on 142 offensive snaps and 11 on special teams. He had eight carries for 38 yards and 15 receptions for 68 yards. The Jets made Carter a fourth-round pick in 2021, and he played 39 games with 21 starts in 2 1/2 seasons in New York. In his career, Carter has 361 touches for 1,760 yards and seven touchdowns. DEPTH CHART QBs: Zach Wilson, Trevor Siemian, Aaron Rodgers RBs: Breece Hall, Dalvin Cook, Israel Abanikanda WRs: Garrett Wilson, Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, Xavier Gipson, Jason Brownlee, Charles Irvin TEs: Tyler Conklin, C.J. Uzomah, Jeremy Ruckert, Kenny Yeboah ---- Philadelphia Eagles Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 14 November 2023 This coming Monday night, Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts will meet for the first time since their Super Bowl LVII matchup in February, when the Chiefs prevailed over the Eagles, 38-35. There has been no Super Bowl hangover for either squad, with both teams sitting atop their respective conferences entering this matchup, fresh off a bye week. The Eagles will make the trip to Arrowhead Stadium for the first time since 2017, a 27-20 win for the Chiefs. The Birds enter this game as underdogs for the first time all season. The line has hovered between 2.5 and three points since the betting lines opened in May during the NFL's schedule release. The Chiefs were three-point favorites during the summer and remain favorites entering this game, despite scoring just two touchdowns over their last two games. Meanwhile, the Eagles are riding the duo of Hurts and A.J. Brown, with the pair connecting for four touchdowns over the last three games. The offense will have to come up big once again as they begin a tough five-game stretch, beginning with the Chiefs, then facing the Bills, 49ers, Cowboys, and Seahawks in consecutive weeks over the next month. If the Eagles want the NFC's No. 1 overall seed for the second year in a row, they will have to win games like this to preserve their one-game lead over the Detroit Lions, who are 7-2 and have a win over the Chiefs themselves. Meanwhile, the week off should have benefited Hurts, who last week showed a rare moment of candor for a player who barely acknowledges he's playing through injury. The effects of a bruised left knee that forced him to hobble to the sideline just before halftime were taking a toll. Yes, even Hurts needs time off. "Selfishly," he said, "I don't think the bye week could have come at a better time." Getting a much-needed respite from the lingering pain in his knee that has plagued him most of the season has be a plus. Hurts keeps brushing off questions about the severity of the injury -- even feigning ignorance when asked about a direct helmet-to-knee hit that briefly staggered him in a win against Dallas -- because that's just the way he's built. "That's who he is," head coach Nick Sirianni said. "Whether his body is feeling 100 percent, whether his body is not feeling 100 percent, which nobody's body is at this particular time, he's a warrior. He's going to play through bumps and bruises and at a high level because he's a big-time player." Meanwhile, the defending NFC champions are in firm control of the NFC East. Their Week 9 win gave them not only a 2 1/2-game lead in the standings, the Eagles can tack on an extra game because they hold the tiebreaker over the Cowboys. Hurts set a franchise QB record with his 33rd career rushing TD and moved to sixth on the Eagles' career list for passing yards. The 25-year-old should have a long career ahead of him to try to set the record. Hurts has never dealt with this level of physical discomfort so early in the season. If Philly loses him, they'll go nowhere with Marcus Mariota. That's obvious. Part of what made the 2022 Eagles so successful was they didn't sustain a ton of injuries. While this is an aspect of the game that cannot be controlled, it more often than not has a bearing on success (and the aforementioned win-loss total). In a related note. ... Cam Jurgens should be ready to return this week when the Eagles get back from their bye week with a Thursday practice. The 21-day window for the offensive lineman to return from IR was opened ahead of the win over Dallas. Others on the IR who could be set to return sooner rather than later include receiver Quez Watkins (hamstring) and safety Justin Evans (knee). Both Watkins and Evans are eligible to return for Monday night's game in Kansas City if they are healthy. If so, and the Eagles are inclined to activate them, that's three players who will be eligible to return this week, currently, no open roster spots to slide into. That is expected to change. Linebacker Nakobe Dean will likely be placed on IR for the second time this season with a Lisfranc sprain, an injury that typically takes four to six weeks to heal. With the season now down to eight games, Dean's absence could even run the remainder of the regular season. Tight end Dallas Goedert fractured his forearm against the Cowboys. There's an outside chance he escapes IR, especially since the bye week gives him more time to potentially return before the required four games which are the minimum number a player must miss when placed on IR. Tight end Grant Calcaterra could also be a candidate for IR after suffering a concussion against the Commanders. For a player like Calcaterra, who retired briefly after leaving the University of Oklahoma but decided to return to play and did so with SMU, his situation is about as up in the air as it gets. "Whatever he needs from me, I'm here to listen," said Goedert about Calcaterra, prior to the game against the Cowboys when Goedert fractured his forearm. "But, you know, that's not really my job to make decisions for him, you know. "And obviously, I love, love the guy, love him in the building and, you know, obviously want the best for him and his health, but that's a decision that he's got to make." Either way, if Dean, Goedert, and Calcaterra go on IR this week, that could open the door for the three waiting in line to return -- Jurgens, Watkins, and Evans. DEPTH CHART QBs: Jalen Hurts, Marcus Mariota, Tanner McKee RBs: D'Andre Swift, Kenneth Gainwell, Boston Scott, Rashaad Penny WRs: A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Julio Jones, Olamide Zaccheaus, Quez Watkins TEs: Dallas Goedert, Jack Stoll, Grant Calcaterra, Albert Okwuegbunam ---- Pittsburgh Steelers Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 14 November 2023 After leaving Green Bay with a 23-19 victory, The Steelers have quieted some of the concerns about their offense with back-to-back wins. But that doesn't mean they've reached the level they want to reach this season. Both wins saw the team's run game lead the way offensively and it's hard to argue with that approach when you roll up 371 yards on the ground. This week brings a date with a strong Browns defense that will likely be focused on making the Steelers beat them in other ways, so head coach Mike Tomlin was asked at a Tuesday press conference if the team needs to see more from quarterback Kenny Pickett. "Certainly. We're gonna need more, particularly as this road narrows," Tomlin said. "But guys like Kenny and myself, we're measured by wins and losses. He and I talk about that often and openly. We know what our jobs are. Our jobs are to win. And so that's where we are, that's where our focus is. I love the fact that he embraces that. Down in and down out, are there some things to work on? Certainly. But it's not like we're going to start on Wednesday working on those things. We've been working on those things and we'll continue until we get the desired result." Why isn't Pickett showing consistent improvement? Nine games into his second season, Pickett hasn't taken the vaunted second-year leap. Against the Packers, he completed just 14 of 23 passes for 126 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. His receivers didn't help him out at times, including a critical drop by Diontae Johnson early in the fourth quarter on Pickett's best thrown ball of the afternoon. Instead of a chunk play and a first down, Pickett threw another incompletion, this time to George Pickens, and the offense stalled out when they badly needed to score. Fortunately, Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren scored consecutive touchdowns to open the game, marking the first time in the Pickett era the Steelers have scored touchdowns on each of their first two series. And in the fourth quarter, Warren and Harris took turns making gains of 20-plus yards. As Associated Press sports writer Will Graves notes, while Tomlin has said repeatedly for most of the past three years that Harris is Pittsburgh's "bell cow," the reality is Warren's ability to be a difference-maker with startling frequency forced Tomlin's hand to the point where Tomlin went to Warren on Friday night and told him he'd run out onto the field as a co-starter with Harris. At the very least, Warren has become 1B to Harris' 1A. Their stats through nine games for the Steelers (6-3) are nearly identical. Warren has 102 touches for 582 yards and two touchdowns, Harris 134 touches for 579 yards and three scores. Their success also highlights the ongoing debate about the value of a running back in today's NFL. Harris is a 2021 first-round selection, while 262 picks came and went at the 2022 draft without Warren hearing his name called. Fast forward 18ish months and Harris and Warren are now essentially equals in production, if not in perception. That's fine by Warren, who has been careful to point out that Harris is RB1. "I motivate him, he motivates me and we just feed off each other and reciprocate each other's energy," Warren said. Good thing, because the Steelers will need both of them if they want to keep pace in the ultra-competitive AFC North. Pittsburgh begins a critical stretch on Sunday when it visits Cleveland (6-3). The Steelers will make the 142-mile trip with momentum and some semblance of an offensive identity after running for 166 yards against Tennessee and 205 against Green Bay, thanks in large part to Harris and his unexpected tag-team partner, an undersized player making an outsized impact. "They're a good one-two punch," center Mason Cole said. "We're starting to see that kind of kick in here as the season goes on. ..." Also of interest. ... Pickens was unhappy with his targets and was vocal about it. Tomlin didn't seem happy with those comments and Pickens was not announced with the starters to begin the game. Pickens started the game anyway and played in all but three offensive snaps while leading the team in receiving yards with 45. Still, as Late-Round Fantasy's JJ Zachariason notes, Pickens has failed to get to a 20 percent target share in each of his last three games. He's also failed to score 10-plus PPR points in each of those contests. Johnson had an 18.2 percent target share against the Packers and scored just 2.7 PPR points. According to Zachariason, that's Johnson's lowest single-game PPR total since Week 8 of 2020. ... Meanwhile, it sounds like the Steelers are planning to have one of their key offensive weapons back when they take on the Browns this weekend. Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin said during his Tuesday press conference that he feels good about tight end Pat Freiermuth's potential return from a hamstring injury. "We'll watch him go through the week and look at the quality of his work and the amount of it and how he feels and let that be a determining factor," Tomlin said. "But, [we] feel good about his potential availability." Freiermuth hasn't played since the Week 4 loss to Houston. After catching 63 passes for 732 yards with two TDs last season, he has only eight catches for 53 yards with a pair of touchdowns in four games this year. The Steelers still have to officially designate Freiermuth to return to begin his 21-day practice window, but with Tomlin's statement, it seems that's likely to happen soon. Tomlin also noted that safety Minkah Fitzpatrick is "battling to come back to us with a hamstring" and the team will see how he does this week. Fitzpatrick has missed the last two games and did not practice last week. Defensive tackle Montravius Adams (ankle) and safety Keanu Neal (rib) are also dealing with injuries that need to be monitored over the course of the week. At some point in the coming days, the team will likely make a roster move with Kwon Alexander, Tomlin said. Alexander reportedly suffered a torn Achilles during Sunday's win over the Packers. DEPTH CHART QBs: Kenny Pickett, Mitchell Trubisky, Mason Rudolph RBs: Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren, Anthony McFarland Jr. WRs: George Pickens, Diontae Johnson, Allen Robinson, Miles Boykin, Gunner Olszewski, Calvin Austin III TEs: Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington ---- San Francisco 49ers Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 14 November 2023 According to ESPN.com's Nick Wagoner, based on how 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey stepped to the podium after Sunday's resounding win over the Jaguars, it would have been difficult to tell that he had just narrowly missed a chance to own the NFL record for consecutive games with a touchdown all to himself. Instead, McCaffrey actually had some material ready for the inevitable questions that followed his 17-game touchdown streak ending on the same day as his team's three-game losing streak with a 34-3 victory against the Jaguars. "I suck," McCaffrey said, a smile creeping across his face. "Everyone else on the team scored. Except me." McCaffrey, of course, was joking, but the Niners didn't treat his touchdown streak as a laughing matter. Even with a big second-half lead, head coach Kyle Shanahan remained resolute in his efforts to get McCaffrey into the end zone for an 18th consecutive game so he could surpass Lenny Moore and own the record alone. With a 31-point lead in the fourth quarter, Shanahan began removing some of his starters, including left tackle Trent Williams, who has been nursing a right ankle injury. He also took McCaffrey out for eight consecutive plays, seven of which were runs by backup Elijah Mitchell. Once the Niners got to Jacksonville's 29, however, McCaffrey went back in. He ripped off a 19-yard run in which he almost shook loose for a touchdown, then got two more carries and two more passes thrown to him. Alas, the final attempt from Jacksonville's 5 -- a throw in the right flat from backup quarterback Sam Darnold on fourth-and-goal -- fell incomplete and was short of the goal line anyway. The Niners got the ball back later, but didn't want to risk injury to McCaffrey any further. "Eighteen games in a row is a big record," Shanahan said. "So, if we had a chance to do that, I was going to try to do it for him. It's a little nerve racking. The last thing I wanted to do is get him hurt. ... I wish we could have done it for him, but I think that was a pretty big accomplishment just to do it for 17 games straight. ..." Entering Sunday, it had been 34 days since the Niners last won a game, a span that included road losses to the Browns and Vikings and a 31-17 home defeat to the Bengals. Those losses and the bye came after a five-game winning streak to open the season that had many believing the Niners were not just a favorite, but the favorite to win the Super Bowl. The string of disappointing defeats brought plenty of scrutiny about what's wrong with the Niners. Various issues such as costly late turnovers from quarterback Brock Purdy (and early ones from McCaffrey), the lack of consistent pass rush and tackling on defense and missed kicks came to the forefront. Just in the past two weeks, the Niners traded a 2023 third-round compensatory pick for defensive end Chase Young, and defensive coordinator Steve Wilks moved from the coach's booth to the field level as part of the team's efforts to right the ship. On Thursday, wideout Deebo Samuel, who returned from a shoulder injury Sunday, said Monday's practice felt like "Day 1 of training camp" with how fresh and fired up the team was about the chance to get its season back on track. It was a big reason why Williams played on his injured ankle despite being at about 75 percent to 80 percent health, per his estimation. "I think it was huge," Williams said. "Losing four straight, I think a lot of people would have wanted to turn the panic lights on or could have had our proverbial back against the wall. I think coming out and getting this win on the road against a really good team that's been rolling, I think is definitely what we needed." While McCaffrey didn't score, he did chip in 142 scrimmage yards. Purdy also had one of his most productive days, going 19-of-26 for 296 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. The defense, meanwhile, held the Jaguars to just 221 yards, sacked quarterback Trevor Lawrence five times and came up with four takeaways. The defense also had a touchdown called back when the sideline was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for going onto the field during cornerback Ambry Thomas' fumble return. Still, nearly everything that went wrong in the three-game losing streak seemed to get fixed over the bye week. Next up, San Francisco hosts Tampa Bay on Sunday before starting a tricky three-game stretch that features two games against Seattle surrounding a trip to Philadelphia. ... Other notes of interest. ... Purdy was especially sharp on deep throws Sunday. He attempted six passes thrown at least 20 yards downfield, according to PFF, and completed all of them for 163 yards and three TDs. Purdy's 20 completions on deep throws this season are one off the NFL lead and his 66.7 percent completion rate leads all QBs with at least 10 deep attempts. Samuel appeared to play without restriction after a two-game (three-week) absence. According to PFF.com's Nathan Jahnke, Samuel played 100 percent of his team's snaps in two-receiver sets and all but one snap in three-receiver sets. They ran 15 plays out of 22 (2-RB, 2-TE, 1-WR) personnel, which was tied for the second-most by a team in a game this season, only behind the 49ers in Week 3 in their 30-12 win over the New York Giants. Samuel didn't take a snap out of 22 personnel. Brandon Aiyuk played most of those snaps. As noted above, the 49ers took out most of their starters at the end of the game. Samuel didn't take a snap in the fourth quarter. In fact, Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings also didn't take a snap in the fourth quarter while George Kittle only played three snaps. Fantasy managers should have no concerns about putting Samuel in their starting lineup going forward. DEPTH CHART QBs: Brock Purdy, Sam Darnold, Brandon Allen RBs: Christian McCaffrey, Elijah Mitchell, Jordan Mason, Tyrion Davis-Price, Kyle Juszczyk WRs: Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, Jauan Jennings, Ray-Ray McCloud, Ronnie Bell, Danny Gray TEs: George Kittle, Charlie Woerner, Brayden Willis, Ross Dwelley, Cameron Latu ---- Seattle Seahawks Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 14 November 2023 As the first half of Sunday's Seahawks-Commanders tilt ended in a 9-9 tie following a Geno Smith intentional grounding penalty to close the second quarter, some of the home fans in Seattle voiced their displeasure by raining down boos for an offense and quarterback who came up short. The Seahawks moved the ball early but settled for three first-half field goals. Smith turned things around in the second half, however, leading two touchdown drives and two more field-goal possessions, including the game-winner after Washington tied the game with less than a minute remaining. "I thought he was almost perfect, all but maybe once perfect," head coach Pete Carroll said of his quarterback, via the team's official website. "The throws he had to come up with, the calls, the poise, the cadence, running the club, the whole thing. He was perfect. I thought he was just exactly what we would hope we can see in him. I'm sure he had great numbers today. Must have had terrific numbers. But more than that, he just came through, just like we're counting on." As NFL.com's Kevin Patra noted, Smith set a career-high with 369 passing yards, going 31 of 47 with two TDs and a 103.9 passer rating. He snapped a four-game streak with at least one INT (longest streak of his career since 2014 with the New York Jets). Smith continuously made the right reads and put the ball in a spot for his targets to do damage after the catch. According to PFF, the Seahawks had 254 receiving yards after the catch in Week 10, the most by any team in a game in 2023 (with Monday Night Football still to play). "He was lights out, bro," receiver DK Metcalf said of Smith's second half. "Geno, he's always gonna bounce back. That's the great thing about him. That's what makes him so great and why he's so good at what he does. He doesn't listen to outside noise. He knows what we have in this locker room, and he knows there are people behind him that got his back." Seattle rebounded from the second-worst loss of Carroll's tenure and the season is far enough along to just accept this is the way it's going to be for the Seahawks. They are the sort of team that will elicit boos walking off the field at halftime and leave those same fans cheering as they leave the field two quarters later. Sometimes the offense is going to be unsightly and looking lost. Sometimes the defense is going to be unable to make stops. Sunday's win kept Seattle in a tie with San Francisco atop the NFC West at 6-3, but the schedule is about to pick up. In Week 11, the Seahawks face the Rams before games against the 49ers, Cowboys, 49ers and Eagles. They'll need a lights-out Geno to get through that stretch. "We have a lot of faith in him. He's a great leader and we trust him," running back Kenneth Walker III said of Smith. "I see it day in and day out. In those situations, I'm glad that we've got Geno." Other notes of interest. ... Associated Press sports writer Tim Booth notes Seattle is still struggling to find a split between runs and passes that suits the kind of offensive game plan Carroll desires. The Seahawks had 26 runs and 47 passes against the Commanders, which isn't where Carroll wants those numbers to be. Seattle had 28 passes and 15 runs against Baltimore. In the win over Cleveland, the split was 37 passes to 17 runs. "I'm still working at it," Carroll said "It's still a work in progress." According to ESPN.com's Brady Henderson, Walker was instrumental. His 64-yard catch-and-run touchdown early in the third quarter gave the Seahawks their first lead of the game, and he helped them ice it with some key runs on their winning touchdown drive. Walker finished with 63 yards on 19 carries and the touchdown catch. That said, rookie Zach Charbonnet outsnapped Walker for the third straight week, but PFF.com's Nathan Jahnke, it was largely game-script-related. Charbonnet has played more the past three weeks because he completely took the passing down role from DeeJay Dallas in addition to the fact that the Seahawks have been in a lot of passing situations recently. The Seahawks have run 34 plays out of two-minute drills over the past two weeks, which is the second-most for all teams. They have also run the fourth-most plays of third-and-11-plus. Walker continues to play the clear majority of early-down snaps, which hasn't changed this season. Jahnke believes there is at least a chance Charbonnet starts cutting into Walker's playing time on early downs, but that hasn't happened yet. ... Jason Myers began the year by going 3 of 6 on field goal attempts. But since Week 3, Myers has been nearly perfect. He's made 12 straight and 17 of his last 18 tries, including a 5-for-5 performance on Sunday against the Commanders. DEPTH CHART QBs: Geno Smith, Drew Lock RBs: Kenneth Walker III, Zach Charbonnet, DeeJay Dallas, Kenny McIntosh WRs: DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jake Bobo, Cody Thompson, Dareke Young TEs: Noah Fant, Will Dissly, Colby Parkinson ---- Tampa Bay Buccaneers Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 14 November 2023 According to Associated Press sports writer Fred Goodall, Tampa Bay's first win in more than a month has the Buccaneers feeling good about their chances of rebounding from a tough stretch to win the NFC South. Sitting at 4-5 -- a half-game behind first place New Orleans in the division standings -- winning the gettable division figures to be the surest path to follow as the Bucs chase a fourth consecutive playoff berth. Tampa Bay currently holds a head-to-head tiebreaker advantage over the Saints (5-5) and will play four of its eight remaining games within the division. "It's kind of like last year. We were in first place for a while, floating around .500, and then we ended up winning (the division) at the end," receiver Mike Evans said. "It's a similar situation this year, but we have more time. Hopefully, we can go on a win streak and separate ourselves." The Bucs stopped a four-game skid with a 20-6 victory over Tennessee, limiting the Titans to a pair of field goals and 209 yards of offense. Sunday's victory came off the heels of the defense yielding game-winning drives in the final minute of losses in two of the previous three weeks. While it won't be easy, the Bucs' chances of winning the NFC South for a third straight year are heightened by the absence of a dominant team in the division. Atlanta (4-6) is just behind second-place Tampa Bay in the standings, while Carolina occupies the cellar at 1-8. The Bucs face the Panthers twice and Falcons and Saints once each down the stretch. "We definitely believe we can be contenders and be a playoff team. This is a good start for us," Evans said after beating the Titans. "It's a one-game-at-a-time mentality for us from here on out. Control our destiny and see where it takes us," quarterback Baker Mayfield said. "We have a group that's really focused. We know what we need to do. Now it's just about continuing to correct (mistakes) and show up on Sundays." Tampa Bay begins a stretch this week in which it will play four of its next five games on the road, beginning with Sunday's matchup against NFC West leader San Francisco. New Orleans and Atlanta have byes, meaning a win over the 49ers would lift the Bucs into first place. A loss would drop them into a tie for second with the Falcons, one game behind the Saints. The Bucs won the division and hosted a playoff game last season, despite finishing with a losing record (8-9). They also were 4-5 through nine games. "It's the same, but it's different. We feel different because we're a different team. Obviously, the record and everything is the same, but we feel like we'll be in it right to the very end. We just have to take care of our business and get on a streak," head coach Todd Bowles said. "November and December football are very important," Bowles added. "This is the third quarter for us. If we can do well in the third quarter and set up the fourth quarter, we feel like we can bring it home." Other notes of interest. ... A week after scoring a season-high 37 points in a loss to C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans, the Bucs only managed two touchdowns and a pair of field goals against the Titans. Evans botched what should have been one of the easiest touchdown catches of his career early in the third quarter. The star wideout was alone in the middle of the end zone, with the nearest Titans defender 3.7 yards away, per Next Gen Stats, but he juggled the ball and missed the chance for seven points. At that stage of the game, it was a costly four-point swing. It was much easier for Evans to joke about after he helped spur the second-half offense that saw the Bucs run away with the victory. "I was wide open, and I dropped it," Evans said postgame of his error. "Got a little cocky thinking about what fan I was going to give the ball to. Can't do that." Asked if he really was thinking about the fans, Evans responded dryly: "I don't want to talk about it. I got what I deserved." Evans responded on the ensuing drive, securing a touchdown on a 22-yard grab from Mayfield, dragging a defender to pay dirt. On the afternoon, Evans put up six grabs for 143 yards and a TD. "Mike's mentally tough. If he drops one, get right back to him because we know he's going to catch it again," Bowles said. "He's going to be open multiple times. If we keep feeding him, we know he's going to come through for us." Since 2014, Evans has 18 games with 120-plus yards and one or more receiving TD, fourth most in the NFL in that span. Evans is one of four players with two-plus games with 140-plus receiving yards and a TD in 2023 (MIA WR Tyreek Hill, DAL WR CeeDee Lamb, HOU WR Nico Collins). ... Cade Otton was considered a tight end on the rise after his two touchdowns last week, but he was held to a season-low 10 yards in this game. According to PFF.com's Nathan Jahnke, Otton's playing time was unchanged. This was his fifth game of the season under 20 receiving yards. ... Second-year running back Rachaad White continues to flourish in an increased role in the passing game. He was only targeted three times against the Titans, but turned a first-quarter screen pass into a 43-yard TD and early Tampa Bay lead. Still, ESPN.com's Jenna Laine notes the Bucs averaged 2.7 yards per carry -- which was below their league-worst 3.1 average entering Sunday. Also according to Jahnke, Chase Edmonds appears to have gained the primary backup running back role over Ke'Shawn Vaughn. Edmonds and Vaughn had split the backup job in recent weeks. This week, Vaughn was a healthy inactive with rookie Sean Tucker taking over as the third-string back, but Tucker was restricted to one snap. This could mean Edmonds would see the majority of snaps and touches if something were to happen to White. ... Finally. ... Mayfield hit his thumb on a helmet in the fourth quarter. "Yeah, Baker's good," Bowles said Monday, reiterating what Mayfield said after Sunday's game. "It feels good," said Mayfield Bowles has been very pleased with the job Mayfield has done from both a performance and leadership standpoint, helping usher in an era post-Tom Brady with a new offense. He's thrown 14 touchdowns with just five interceptions. "It was a great fit for us," Bowles said of Mayfield. "Him coming here, understanding the offense and doing what he's doing right now, we never imagined -- we thought about it, we thought we could see it -- but it's coming true, and it's coming to fruition. I'm glad he's happy here because we're happy with him, and I think it's a great marriage." DEPTH CHART QBs: Baker Mayfield, Kyle Trask RBs: Rachaad White, Chase Edmonds, Sean Tucker, Ke'Shawn Vaughn WRs: Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Trey Palmer, Kaylon Geiger, Deven Thompkins, Rakim Jarrett, Russell Gage TEs: Cade Otton, Ko Kieft, Payne Durham ---- Tennessee Titans Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 14 November 2023 As Associated Press sports writer Teresa M. Walker noted this week, the Titans are running out of time to salvage this season. The Titans (3-6) have lost two straight and four of five after a 20-6 loss in Tampa Bay. They haven't won on the road since Nov. 17, 2022, making Tennessee the AFC's lone winless team away from home at 0-5. Arizona is the NFL's only other team still looking for a road win. They wrap up a three-game road swing Sunday by visiting Jacksonville with the Jaguars (6-3) sitting atop the AFC South poised to repeat as divisional champs. That's where the Titans' bid for a third straight division title came to an end in the 2022 regular-season finale. "We're here to fix problems, and none of us have been good enough at any position, at any level," head coach Mike Vrabel said Monday. "So that's our job. That's what I'm going to do, and I know that's what our team's going to do. So we'll give ourselves a chance. We'll get a plan together and get back to work." One thing that has to be fixed quickly is protecting rookie Will Levis better. Veteran Ryan Tannehill was sacked 19 times in six starts, and the No. 33 pick overall out of Kentucky has been sacked 10 times in three starts, going 1-2. That included four sacks in the loss to Tampa Bay with 21 pressures allowed. "We believe in Will's toughness," Vrabel said, via Jim Wyatt of the team's website, "and we also believe we don't need to challenge it as much as we have." Vrabel added that the Titans have to "continue to protect him, and develop him, and have him help us." Unfortunately, the team's revamped offensive line is worse despite all the offseason moves with the Titans 29th in the NFL in giving up 33 sacks. According to Walker, the exception is Peter Skoronski, the 11th overall pick, with the Titans insisting on keeping him at left guard. Veteran right guard Daniel Brunskill missed the Bucs' loss with an injured ankle. Andre Dillard, another free agent signee, got his left tackle job back briefly after Nicholas Petit-Frere went on injured reserve with an injured shoulder. Then Dillard was knocked out of the game with a concussion. That forced the Titans to move Dillon Radunz, a second-round pick in 2021, from right guard to left tackle. Andrew Rupcich, who played at NAIA Culver-Stockton, made his NFL debut at right guard as the 20th undrafted free agent on the current roster. A bigger issue might be the red-zone offense. Entering the week, the Titans' red zone offense had scored touchdowns on only 34 percent of its visits inside the 20-yard line, and Sunday it didn't get any better. Tennessee drove down to the Buccaneers' 9-yard line twice and only came away with six points. Things don't look like they'll get any better because of the protection issues and the inability to get open in a condensed field. The Titans have now failed to score a touchdown in three games this season. Beyond that, Vrabel said they had too many drops in the loss and left "too much meat on the bone." For the record, Levis was 19 of 39 for 199 yards with one interception against the Bucs. The defense ranks 10th in the NFL, giving up just 20 points a game. The Titans also are the league's second-best unit backed up inside their 20, allowing opponents to score touchdowns on only 34.2 percent of trips. The Titans also have the fewest interceptions in the league, getting their third of the season against Tampa Bay. Roger McCreary, a second-round pick in his second season, got his first interception this season against the Bucs. Next up, the Titans must find a way to score more than 16 points away from home, which they haven't managed yet this season. And start climbing up from the bottom of the AFC with only New England currently below Tennessee. Right now, a possible top-five selection next April seems more realistic than competing in the AFC South. Other notes of interest. ... Derrick Henry was held to 24 yards on 11 carries. As PFF.com's Nathan Jahnke notes, Henry has received double-digit carries in every game this season, but was the second time he was held under 25 yards. Both games occurred when Tennessee was facing top-four defenses at preventing fantasy points to running backs. ... The offense really needs receiver Treylon Burks to clear the concussion protocol soon after he was briefly knocked out late in the Nov. 2 loss at Pittsburgh. The second-year receiver missed his fourth game of the season. He missed a three-game stretch earlier in the year due to a knee injury. The Titans used a three-man rotation for the two spots in two-receiver sets between DeAndre Hopkins, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and Chris Moore. Moore and Hopkins rarely left the field in three-receiver sets personnel while Westbrook-Ikhine took the majority of slot snaps. Kyle Philips also mixed in for 11 personnel. It was a little surprising that Philips only played a little more than half of the 11 personnel snaps after catching four passes for 68 yards last week. That didn't stop Philips from leading the team in receiving with 61 yards off three passes. Neither Westbrook-Ikhine nor Moore has gained more than 58 yards in a game this season. ... In addition, tight end Josh Whyle became more involved in the passing game. The fifth-round rookie basically split playing time with Chigoziem Okonkwo, who played 21 snaps out of 11 personnel compared to Whyle's 14, and Whyle out-snapped Okonkwo in 12 personnel at 10 to eight. Okonkwo's six targets were the second-most for him in a game this season and Whyle's five targets were a career high. It's unlikely either tight end has any fantasy value over the rest of the season in redraft leagues because they are splitting snaps. ... I'll have more on Burks and his possible return this week when Late-Breaking Updates crank up early Thursday. DEPTH CHART QBs: Will Levis, Ryan Tannehill, Malik Willis RBs: Derrick Henry, Tyjae Spears, Julius Chestnut WRs: DeAndre Hopkins, Treylon Burks, Nick Westbrook_Ikhine, Kyle Philips, Colton Dowell, Chris Moore TEs: Chigoziem Okonkwo, Josh Whyle, Trevon Wesco ---- Washington Commanders Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 14 November 2023 Magic Johnson knew where to place the blame after the Washington Commanders' latest loss, which he called heartbreaking. "Defensively, we couldn't come up with a big play to stop Seattle during their last two drives," Johnson posted on social media. The most well-known member of the team's new ownership group won't find any argument from the coaching staff following a 29-26 defeat at Seattle that dropped the Commanders to 4-6 and put another dent in their already fragile playoff hopes. With the last-place New York Giants coming to town Sunday, there's still hope of getting in the race, but that starts with fixing some of the defensive woes that have hurt Washington all season. "Collectively, we have to be better overall," coach Ron Rivera said during a video call with reporters Monday. "We're playing a number of different guys now, especially after (trading pass rushers Chase Young and Montez Sweat), and there's some cohesion that has to come. Guys have got to come together and work together. ... We all have to be better." As Associated Press sports writer Stephen Whyno noted, the Seahawks' 489 yards were the most amassed by an opponent this season, and the Commanders have allowed 400 or more in nine of their 10 games. With the game swinging back and forth late, 125 of those yards came on Seattle's final two scoring drives. "They just executed better than us," defensive end Casey Toohill said. "I just think on all levels we didn't do well enough there." It didn't help the Commanders not to have rookie cornerback Emmanuel Forbes for much of the game after he was ejected for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Seahawks receiver Tyler Lockett. It was the latest dip in the first-round pick's roller-coaster season that also included being benched for his struggling play. Meanwhile, Washington's offense is still pass-heavy after quarterback Sam Howell dropped back to throw 47 times to 14 rushing attempts, but there was more substance to the running game. Brian Robinson Jr., who had a 51-yard touchdown catch, averaged 4.8 yards on eight carries. "Our plan is just to execute our game plan," Robinson said. "Whatever play is called, we've just got to go execute. We aren't banking on passing more or running more. Whatever is called, we've got to go execute." Howell, who now leads the league in passing yards, led the Commanders on back-to-back scoring drives in the final 12 minutes of regulation. After Robinson and Antonio Gibson got the offense to the Seattle 39-yard line, Howell topped off an eight-play with four consecutive pass attempts, including a 19-yard touchdown to Gibson to tie things up at 19. Adding to the difficulty of the throw was that Howell couldn't even put his full body into the throw because of a defender that nearly took him down for a sack. The next drive, which encompasses 10 plays and 71 yards, was almost all on Howell. He completed five of nine passes, the last of which was a shot to Dyami Brown over two defenders and ended with a touchdown. Despite losing a fumble, Howell continues to provide evidence he might be the long-awaited franchise QB. The second-year pro completed 29 of 44 passes for 312 yards and two TDs without an interception, leading a drive that tied the score with a minute left. "Young man played hard, played well," Rivera said. "He gave us an opportunity to win. That's the biggest thing you can ask from the quarterback: Put you in position to win." The game marked Howell's third straight 300-yard passing game -- the most by a Washington quarterback since Kirk Cousins since the 2016 season. Howell still has some work to do before being named the team's long-term future, but he's certainly on his way. Next on the agenda: Beating the woeful Giants. Anything short of that and even the optimism about Howell's development will feel hollow. The Commanders opened as 9 1/2-point favorites on FanDuel Sportsbook despite losing at New York last month, and this is as close to a must-win game as they could get. After this week, things get tougher. The Commanders' final slate of games is among the most daunting in the NFL. They still have to play the Cowboys twice along with the San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins and the New York Jets, who may have Aaron Rodgers back as the starting quarterback by then. ... Other notes of interest. ... In what was undoubtedly Robinson's best performance of his career as a pass-catcher, Robinson grabbed all six of his targets from Howell and recorded 119 yards and the aforementioned touchdown. Robinson only had eight carries on Sunday, but he made the most of his opportunities on the ground. On the Commanders' second touchdown drive of the game, he opened things up with back-to-back runs of 15 and 12 yards that moved Washington into Seattle territory. Robinson led the team in both rushing and receiving yards. It is the first time a Washington player has led both categories in a single game since Adrian Peterson did so on September 9, 2018. ... Curtis Samuel returned from a one-game absence due to a toe injury, but he was still limited in this game. According to PFF.com's Nathan Jahnke, Samuel only played in 29 of a possible 44 snaps in 11 personnel, but he had played 83 percent of 11 personnel snaps from Week 1-7. Byron Pringle, Brown and Jamison Crowder all played single-digit 11 personnel snaps to replace Samuel as well as giving Terry McLaurin a break for a few plays. Samuel was targeted six times, tying him for the second-most targets on the team, but he only caught two passes for six yards. Brown had two catches for 40 yards and that career-long 35-yard touchdown to tie the game inside the final two-minutes. It was his first score of the season. Ideally, Samuel can get closer to 100 percent by next week because the Commanders play Sunday and then again on Thanksgiving. ... Finally. ... Tight End Logan Thomas had five receptions for 40 yards. He eclipsed 200 career receptions. Thomas passed Fred Davis (162) for the sixth-most receptions by a tight end in franchise history. DEPTH CHART QBs: Sam Howell, Jacoby Brissett RBs: Brian Robinson Jr., Antonio Gibson, Chris Rodriguez WRs: Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, Curtis Samuel, Dyami Brown, Jamison Crowder, Byron Pringle, Mitchell Tinsley, Dax Milne TEs: Logan Thomas, Cole Turner, John Bates