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The Arizona Cardinals put together their most complete effort of the season on Monday night, snapping a five-game losing streak with a 27-17 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. The offense continued to play solid football with Jacoby Brissett under center, and Marvin Harrison Jr. embarrassed Daron Bland all night en route to a career-high seven catches for 96 yards and a score. The bigger storyline from Monday night was the Cardinals' defense, which held an opponent to under 20 points for the first time since week three, and just the second time all season. Dallas came into the game averaging over 30 points per game, but could only manage 10 offensive points, with the other seven coming via a blocked punt. Josh Sweat and Calais Campbell continued to dominate upfront for Arizona, but the biggest reason for the defensive ascension is the play of three rookies. 1st-round pick Walter Nolen made his NFL debut after being sidelined with an injury, and it was immediately apparent that, as long as he can stay healthy, he’s going to eat offenses alive. On 10 run defense snaps, Nolen was able to earn an 82.4 PFF grade and tally two stops at or behind the line of scrimmage. His tackle for loss on Javonte Williams halted what looked to be an impressive first drive for Dallas and set the tone for Arizona’s domination up front. Later in the game, he was able to showcase his pass-rush ability, blowing by Pro Bowl guard Tyler Smith and sacking Dak Prescott. Nolen playing this well in his first game against one of the best interior offensive lines in the league means it’s not crazy to project that the Cardinals' pass rush could fully evolve into the top 10 unit that fans were expecting, given the resources put into this group over the last two seasons. In the secondary, Will Johnson has looked like a special player since week one, and he continued his fantastic play against two of the game's best receivers, limiting Ceedee Lamb to 24 yards on two catches and George Pickens to one catch for 19 yards while being the primary coverage defender. Johnson’s PFF coverage grade sits at 74.9 through six games, and he’s yet to allow more than 43 yards in a single game. The most pleasant surprise from Monday has to be Denzel Burke , though. Forced into his second-most coverage snaps of the entire season due to a mid-game injury to Max Melton, Burke posted an elite coverage grade of 90.8. Burke allowed four catches on seven targets for 33 yards, and his clutch pass breakup against Lamb on 4th down early in the fourth quarter proved to be monumental in preventing a Cowboy comeback. Burke was also able to snag an interception on what was effectively a 4th down Hail Mary from Prescott down by 10. It’s unclear if Melton will return against the Seattle Seahawks next week, but Burke’s performance should give the team confidence if they need to start him. This draft class looks like a transformative one for Arizona’s defense, both up front and in the secondary. It’s going to be interesting to see if Cody Simon can earn more snaps after his forced fumble on Monday, because Akeem Davis-Gaither isn’t getting it done as a tackler, or if Arizona invests more at the position during the offseason to really complete the defense. Either way, there's deserved optimism for this unit going forward, and a red-hot Seahawks offense is going to provide another great measuring stick for just how good this group can be.

As the Denver Broncos’ defense rolled onto the field for the first possession of Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans, there was one glaring difference from every other game this season. In place of reigning Defensive Player of the Year Pat Surtain II, the rookie corner Jahdae Barron and the first-round pick were given the task of lining up across from star receiver Nico Collins on the first play of the game. While Denver didn’t have a cornerback truly suited to lock Collins up, and pass coverage was a concern, the Broncos still managed a win over the Texans. By an 18-15 margin, the defense, without Surtain II, did enough to keep the Denver offense in the game once again. On their first defensive possession of the game, Houston was moving the ball, and Denver was struggling to come up with answers, but on a third-and-5 from the Denver 23, Zach Allen sacked Houston’s C.J. Stroud for a nine-yard loss, turning a 42-yard field goal into a 51-yarder. Texans kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn then missed the extended kick and gave Denver the ball back. Denver then had a field goal blocked, and Houston got the ball at their own 41. After four plays that included a 47-yard shot to Texans tight end Dalton Schultz and a defensive holding call on safety Brandon Jones, Houston had the ball at the 1-yard line. The Broncos’ defensive line stood strong and got some help from safety Talanoa Hufanga and linebacker Dre Greenlaw on three straight plays — a false start on fourth down convinced Houston to settle for three points. The defensive front continued covering for the lackluster offense and Surtain II-less secondary. On Houston’s fourth possession of the game, Jonathan Cooper ended the Texans’ drive with a 12-yard sack on third down, another field goal for the Texans. Denver took a short lead after a touchdown drive ending with a Courtland Sutton score, but Houston immediately regained the advantage with another field goal. Despite a short four-play drive on their next offensive drive, the Broncos were given another chance to put points on the board after the defense forced a three-and-out, but receiver Michael Bandy, who was called up from the practice squad, fumbled the punt return, giving Houston the ball at the Denver 30 with 39 seconds left in the half. Davis Mills, who came in for an injured Stroud, picked on the Denver secondary for a couple of plays and had the ball at the 17-yard line, but Dondrea Tillman and Malcolm Roach combined for a sack to keep the Texans out of the end zone once again. Houston had just one more chance to score for the rest of the game. On their first offensive possession out of the half, they scored a field goal. They punted on each of their next six drives and had just two more first downs. If not for Denver’s elite defense, the Broncos would have suffered their third loss of the year. That’s been the story all season, but being without Surtain II revealed how important Denver’s defensive line is to the team’s success. Of course, it’s important to consider the context of Denver’s defensive line success on Sunday. The Texans are one of the worst offensive lines in the league, so the Broncos didn’t have a tough matchup, but they have played like this all season. The Broncos were averaging 23.6 pressures going into Sunday’s game, according to Pro Football Focus , and they notched  25 against Houston . Nik Bonitto had six, Allen had four, John Franklin-Myers had four and Cooper had three. When the defensive line is living in the backfield, opposing offenses haven’t been able to find as much success downfield. To be fair, though, Houston’s receivers played well Sunday, and Denver’s outside cornerbacks struggled. Riley Moss gave up six catches for 65 yards on seven targets, according to PFF . Kris Abrams-Draine failed to break up a target, allowing five catches for 37 yards. Barron generally lives in the slot, but in Sunday’s game, he saw 86.7% of his reps come  at the outside corner position . Denver tried to find ways to limit the Houston passing attack, and keeping the offense in front of them ended up being the key. After they got most of their blips out of the way in the first half, Denver mostly prevented Houston from getting over the top of the defense. Houston drew up a few chances for Collins to match up with Abrams-Draine, but the four completions he allowed to Collins resulted in just 24 yards. The Denver pass rush often got into the backfield, and if Stroud and Mills found a receiver, it generally came on short completions that Denver knew it could bounce back from, and the defensive front held on its bend-don’t-break situations.

Just when you think you know a team. The Pittsburgh Steelers went into Sunday’s game with an offense doing the heavy lifting in terms of team success, a defense that was getting carved up on a weekly basis, and slim odds of beating the supercharged Indianapolis Colts. Naturally, the Steelers’ defense went berserk, their offense struggled, and Acrisure Stadium was defended in a 27-20 Pittsburgh victory. Without much to discuss in terms of offensive production this week, let’s take one of our first opportunities of the season to commend the defense on a great game. In honor of hockey season being underway (go Penguins!), here’s three stars from Sunday. FIRST STAR: KYLE DUGGER Show up Thursday, practice for two days, play 72 snaps, get a game ball from Coach Tomlin. Light work for the Lenoir-Rhyme product in his first few days in black and yellow. Dugger was brought in last week from New England to mitigate the loss of DeShon Eliott, and with Jabrill Peppers and Chuck Clark both unable to suit up for the Colts game, he was immediately given a heavy workload. Outside of Eliott, safety had been a glaring weakness for the Steelers defense throughout the season. Dugger’s presence brought some stability, keeping a lid on Indy’s passing game in his first outing with the game. As he begins to familiarize himself with the Steelers system, expect Dugger to improve as a solo act and form a dangerous tandem with Eliott upon the latter’s return. SECOND STAR: PAYTON WILSON The second-year linebacker from NC State had 14 tackles, two pass deflections, and an interception in a massive solo effort on Sunday. Wilson’s presence in the middle of the defense was a key part of Pittsburgh’s ability to shut down MVP hopeful Johnathan Taylor, holding the league’s most productive rusher to a mere 45 yards on the ground. He also played a huge role in containing Daniel Jones in what was by far his worst game as a Colt. Wilson has been showing improvement week after week, and he has the capability to be a star for this defense sooner rather than later. THIRD STAR: TERYL AUSTIN Arguably nobody is more hated in the Steel City at the moment than Teryl Austin. Pittsburgh’s defensive coordinator has been the public’s scapegoat for all of the team’s defensive struggles, especially given how much talent (and money) is on the field. However, if Austin has to wear the blame for the team’s failures, he should get a piece of the credit for the successes as well. Sure, the defense gave up 342 yards through the air, but they also forced six turnovers and held one of the best teams in the AFC to 20 points. Austin’s 4-3 scheme was incredibly effective at stopping a run game that featured Taylor to little success, allowing only 55 ground yards. Before everyone continues the Austin hate train into this week, show him the respect he deserves for a gritty conference win that comes at a crucial juncture in the season.

Sunday finally brought a 49ers game without much stress, as the team triumphed over the New York Giants in a surprisingly entertaining 34-24 shootout, although in truth, the game felt over long before its final snaps. It’s hard to read too much into the performance, however, as the Giants looked every inch a team that sits at 2-7 on the season, with deficiencies schematically and in personnel (due largely, ironically, to the 49ers usual bugbear, injuries) that the 49ers were able to exploit. Still, in welcoming back Spencer Burford on the offensive line, things did seem to get a little more consistent in blocking for Christian McCaffrey, who had another solid outing, while Brian Robinson Jr. produced his best game as a 49er, picking up 53 yards and an 18-yard touchdown on five explosive carries, as well as making a rare impact play on special teams with a 41-yard kick return. Jauan Jennings also made a nice return to productivity, catching a touchdown and showing his usual spikiness in the run game. Defensively, the team continued to show signs that its constant, year-long attrition has affected its ability to hit a high level on a consistent basis, with very few notable performances to speak of outside of Tatum Bethune’s ludicrous 16-tackle performance in relief of Fred Warner. The team struggled to contain Jaxson Dart through the air and on the ground, although his hero-ball act could only do so much to bail out the diminished talent level around him. Ultimately, though, it’s a win, and it’s an important win in a league where everything must be earned. Now sitting at 6-3, the 49ers victory in the first "hinge point" game of the season turns them into likely buyers rather than sellers at the trade deadline, especially coming into Week 10’s titanic clash with the division rival Los Angeles Rams. Let’s take a look at each of these subjects in turn. Can John Lynch come bearing gifts at the deadline? The 49ers defense badly needs a shot in the arm. While the efforts of youngsters like Tatum Bethune, Dee Winters, and Renardo Green should be commended, and solid efforts from the likes of Sam Okuayinonu and the returning Cle Ferrell warm the heart (again, it’s really hard not to love this team when they put in the effort – they’re a hardworking, never-say-die bunch, and I love that) it’s a unit badly in need of a difference maker, especially along the defensive line. The loss of Nick Bosa has had a pretty big impact on the team’s pass rush, but losing both Fred Warner and Bryce Huff in recent weeks, as well as a pending ACL tear for first-round pick Mykel Williams , is stretching the "next man up" attitude to its very limit. Can John Lynch release some of the pressure in making a blockbuster deal? His additions of Ferrell and former Patriot Keion White certainly patched some holes stemming from last weeks abomination in Houston, but neither are long-term starting pieces, rather good depth options for Kris Kocurek to put in his defensive line packages. Who might Lynch look to in order to accomplish that? Here are some ideas targets, ranging from pie-in-the-sky to possible: Maxx Crosby – I’ll open with him because a) I love riling Raiders fans, and b) those Raiders fans are the same ones who have told me for eons that Crosby is a better pass-rusher than Nick Bosa. Hey, Maxx? Come prove it. Of course, hearing that from Raiders fans isn’t a surprise, as they have Schroedinger’s Roster, simultaneously the best and worst in the league at any given time. I don’t seriously think this would happen in spite of the Raiders’ record, because as stupid as Mark Davis is, he’s smart enough not to deal with the 49ers, which is why we didn’t get Khalil Mack all those years ago. Trey Hendrickson – This is the most popular name on social media, and he’s probably the best rusher who may be available at the deadline. The Bengals’ season doesn’t seem to be going anywhere, so why not? Well, from a 49ers point of view: he’s a one-year rental, in a season where the team’s *unlikely* to make the Super Bowl (making it a different proposition to the pickups of Randy Gregory and Chase Young in 2023). And if he’s not going to be a one-year rental, he’ll need Bosa money ... I don’t see the 49ers committing that to Hendrickson. If you could get him for a low price and bank on a compensatory pick coming back when he signs his inevitable huge free agency deal, maybe, but this feels like the kind of move the 49ers don’t make. Not that they don’t pick up A-listers (see McCaffrey, Christian), but they usually like some long-term certainty on such players. Most of the New York Jets – Jermaine Johnson? Micheal Clemons? Will McDonald? Quinnen Williams? All have been linked to varying degrees, and all would probably love to link up with Robert Saleh again, but price and contracts will be an issue here. Jermaine Johnson would probably be first choice (although Williams on the inside probably upgrades the defensive unit against the run and pass), but the Jets aren’t going to let him go for cheap, at least until Woody Johnson’s son fires up Madden. Clemons feels the likeliest here, and it fits with the 49ers’ "many good players for cheap, not one great player for ridiculous money" trade ethos. Picking something up at the Titans fire-sale – With everyone seemingly knowing a change is coming in Tennessee, they must be the most ripe for picking of all the teams in the NFL. Former 49er Arden Key is here–and had his best season with us in 2021–while young talent T'Vondre Sweat would be an interesting player to develop. This seems more likely to be the 49ers’ market than any other, given the relatively cheap nature of acquiring some of these players. A Massive Week for the 49ers Whatever the combination, it feels as though the 49ers must land at least one, if not two, players from the above list. They’re 6-3, playing well, and about to enter a huge game with the Rams which could see them take divisional supremacy. It’ll be the second home game against the Rams this year (arf, arf), and winning would put the Niners at an excellent 4-0 in the division. Adding some pass rush to get after Matthew Stafford, a frequent thorn in the 49ers side but also someone who can be forced into mistakes, could be crucial in winning this titanic division tie. In general, the defense will need to play better than it has the last two weeks as well–while the 49ers came out with the win on Sunday, their defensive play in coverage left something to be desired. The strange choice of two "box" safeties in Ji’Ayir Brown and Malik Mustapha in the starting lineup has had some role in this, while the holes left in the middle of the field by the absence of Fred Warner have often been exploited too. The 49ers will need to fix this, as the combination of Rams head coach Sean McVay and an excellent quarterback in Stafford will be aiming for blood early and often in their Week 10 matchup. Fortunately, Kyle Shanahan often saves his best games for duels against his compatriots like McVay, so you can probably expect another classic. Come out on the right side of this one, and the season has the potential to go anywhere. On the wrong side, and the 49ers will be 6-4 and likely searching for a little identity going into the back half of the season. I can’t wait. Welcome to the second "hinge point" game of the season, friends–and I’ll be back if a big trade drops, too. Go Niners!

The New York Giants' season continues to slump towards new low points each week, losing 34-24 against the San Francisco 49ers on November 2. It’s an impressive effort by the team given their defense continues to sit in the cellar of every single statistical category; their offensive production seems to be functioning well enough without star wide receiver Malik Nabers or rookie running back Cam Skattebo. New York’s offense can be attributed to one man alone: rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart. The Ole Miss product’s performance since being thrust into the starter spot is what Brian Daboll hoped for. In fact, Dart’s performance has propelled him to a slight favorite to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. Such an accomplishment alone cements him as the team’s future franchise quarterback for at least the duration of his rookie contract. Dart’s Dual Threat Cannot Be Understated Since becoming the starter in Week 4, Dart has over 1,300 yards from scrimmage both in the air and on the ground. That’s also not counting the 15 touchdowns in those five games, while only committing three turnovers on interceptions. Whatever he can’t do in completion percentage, he makes up for with his legs in short-yardage or scrambling situations. This is what the Giants hoped to get out of drafting him in the late first round in 2025. Scouts saw his ability to keep a play alive and make good decisions in the pocket when he was on the run. Having a mobile quarterback is one of the priorities the Giants needed since the departure of Eli Manning, with Daniel Jones being a failure before departing for Indianapolis. One thing we haven’t seen yet is his ability to pass the ball accurately and for long-yardage plays. Dart completed 69.3% of his passes at Ole Miss in 2024 behind a sturdy offensive line and with playmakers Tre Harris and Jordan Watkins going for 1,030 and 906 yards, respectively. It could be since he’s pressured a lot behind a line that has given up the sixth-most sacks in the league this year. When Dart is given a more sturdy offensive line and when Nabers and Skattebo return to the fold, his abilities will likely be unlocked and we could see him bloom. We’ve seen Dart throw the ball very well during his senior year with Ole Miss, with a 42% completion rate on throws of more than 20 yards. Once Nabers comes into the picture, and if the Giants select a wide receiver in 2026, Dart’s value and potential skyrocket if he keeps this up. He’s Doing This Against Really Tough Teams Everyone started turning their heads towards Dart after New York’s convincing 34-17 win against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 6. Don’t forget that the Eagles’ defense is one of the best in the league with Cooper Dejean and Jalen Carter at the helm, but he had to play them twice. While he was only limited to just 388 yards and two touchdowns in the air, he still ran for 75 yards and two touchdowns. It’s a good line for a rookie quarterback facing a defending champion team. Dart also played well against a strong Denver Broncos defense, throwing for three touchdowns and scoring one on the ground. While the team did collapse defensively in the fourth quarter, he’s making statements against good teams. The recent 49ers game is an example, which comes with an asterisk, given San Francisco doesn’t have Nick Bosa or Fred Warner. The Giants’ schedule is ranked as the fourth-hardest schedule remaining throughout the 2026 season. They have dates against the Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, and Chicago Bears in the next three weeks. This stretch will be Dart’s make-or-break moment for his rookie campaign.

At the start of last week, the New York Knicks looked as if they were on the verge of a multi-game losing streak. Consecutive 10-point losses to the Milwaukee Bucks and Chicago Bulls demonstrated their inability to perform well against the Eastern Conference’s best competition. Some can infer that the losses were due to poor shooting from the entire team. For example, the Knicks scored just 42% of their field goals against the Bucks, while their opponents scored 54% of their shots. From long range, New York hit 33% of theirs, 8% lower than Milwaukee’s 41%. It didn't get much better against the Bulls in an NBA Cup game for the Knicks. Mike Brown’s team made just 49% of their field goal attempts. Billy Donovan’s Bulls nailed 54% of theirs. The Knicks' defense was far from good against the Bulls, allowing guard Josh Giddey to score 32 points and center Nikola Vucevic to end with 26. Jalen Brunson tried combating the Bulls' offense by putting up 29 points, which wasn’t enough to outdo Chicago’s duo. As all of us fans thought the Knicks would receive their fourth straight loss, something changed. During Sunday’s rematch with the Bulls, the Knicks were rejuvenated by their home crowd at Madison Square Garden. Brunson recorded 31 points, five rebounds and three assists. Karl-Anthony Towns ended with a 20-point and 15-rebound double-double. Ultimately, the tandem's efforts led the Knicks to a 128-116 victory over the Bulls. The 12-point triumph showcased New York’s ability to make shots, going 45% from the field and 48% from beyond the arc. Therefore, I believe consistent shooting is the Knicks' key to success in Brown’s high-power offense, and there was a way the head coach made it work. Brown Got Everyone More Involved The guard slot was a key area the Knicks' front office focused on building during these past two seasons. Adding Jordan Clarkson, Landry Shamet, Tyler Kolek and Pacome Dadiet gave more depth to that position. Clarkson scored 15 points and made three long-range shots against the Bulls. Shamet had nine points and went a perfect 3-for-3 from long range. Six-man Josh Hart put up 14 points and nine rebounds in 26 minutes of action, as Miles McBride scored eight points in 23 minutes. Brown evenly distributed minutes to each player, with Brunson and Hart earning the most playing time. As the guards played well, forwards OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges combined for 31 points, seven rebounds, 11 assists and five 3-pointers. The one thing I would like to see Brown do is give more minutes to the big men. For example, Mitchell Robinson got 13 minutes, and Guerschon Yabusele received two. On the other hand, Towns played 36 minutes, the most out of the entire team. If Brown can give more minutes to the big men, this will help the offense create more second-chance opportunities due to their rebounding skills. The Knicks will have the chance to execute this plan in Monday night’s game against the Washington Wizards at Madison Square Garden.

For the second time in franchise history, the Thunder have started 6-0. The last time they pulled off the same feat? They won the NBA Finals last year. This is a great omen for fans of the Thunder, who have seen how this team has been off to yet another great start. Only the San Antonio Spurs have managed to stay undefeated, but that’s another topic for another day. In case you missed it, OKC just capped off another promising victory to notch their sixth win of the season. They are yet to lose a game, despite missing time from some of their key players. Chet Holmgren has missed some time due to back soreness, and even star Jalen Williams has yet to make his season debut . There are also certain names for the Thunder who are yet to get started in the season. Nikola Topic, for starters, may miss time longer than expected. Thomas Sorber is a no-go in the season with an injury. Yet somehow, the defending champions are still armed with a promising confidence that will play a huge role in their chances of winning. How is OKC Still Good Despite Missing its Best Players? We all know how Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is still keeping that same killer instinct that he’s had in the playoffs. After being criticized for having more free throws than field goals in his first three games, the reigning MVP has turned it up a notch . He recently logged a 31-point performance in just three quarters while shooting 11-20 from the field in a win against the Washington Wizards. The thing is, he did that in just three quarters and sat the whole fourth quarter. That kind of efficiency is what’s carrying OKC to the finish line in their first six games so far. Then there’s Ajay Mitchell, who has been a promising standout in his first six games as well. The latest BetMGM odds for the Sixth Man of the Year have already seen him enter the fray at +2,000, 12th overall in the list. Sure, that’s not much of a big deal, but have you ever considered the fact that he’s the third-scoring option for OKC right now, with a scoring average of 18.5 points per game? Then there’s the absolute consistency of Aaron Wiggins, who is also a candidate for 6MOTY. He’s been a massive sparkplug off the bench for the Thunder, and there’s no reason to expect him to take a dip in his performances. The return of Isaiah Joe also proved to be a good sign for OKC — he just dropped 20 points in his first game of the season. Everyone stepping up proves just how the “next man up” mentality for the Thunder really works at this point. One can say that the Thunder are really deep when it comes to their rotation, and that their bench can definitely win on its own. The Championship Recipe Remains True As we have seen before, the Thunder are still the best defensive team in the league . If you are not impressed, Cason Wallace – another Oklahoma City player coming off the bench – is leading the league in steals. The last time the steals leader was a guard? Dyson Daniels ended up winning DPOY by the end of the previous season. But that’s just a part of their defense. There’s a whole lot of strong defenders in the Thunder rotation, and it shows just how well they have improved as a team to look out for even with a whole offseason rusting their performances on the court. Now that the Thunder have turned up the volume in their games, it’s safe to say that their defense is still going to anchor them to a whole lot of wins. Sure, they're not winning a whole lot of games by a huge margin as they did last season. However, it’s safe to say that they’re on the same pace. For starters, they have won two of six games by double-digits. The Thunder are also starting to embrace their feel in the clutch, as we have seen in their first two games. The fact that your best players are not in full strength yet still winning a lot of games and are yet to lose is proof that the Thunder are bound for another championship run. What’s Next for OKC? The next five games will be a good test for the Thunder. They will be facing the Pelicans, Clippers, Trail Blazers, and then the Kings in an NBA Cup Group Stage showdown. There’s no sign of early fatigue for OKC just yet, even though they’ve played some tougher opponents. Of course, we are all waiting for the Thunder to return to full strength. This means seeing J-Dub back in the rotation and Chet getting back to his strong start to the season. Considering that OKC has yet to play at its full best, just think of how the 6-0 start can be if they have all their weapons at the ready to take on any team in the league. That’s absolute mayhem. No wonder they are the best team in the league at this point.

Well, this is fun!! The Chicago Bulls move to 5-0 on the young NBA season after a 135-125 victory over the New York Knicks. It is not that the Bulls are winning games, it is how this team answers the challenge every matchup so far. The first three wins of the season were against teams that not only have playoff aspirations but believe they can maybe make a run in the Eastern Conference (Detroit, Orlando and Atlanta). The Bulls took care of the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday at the United Center, and then beat a team that has finals aspirations in the first game of the NBA Cup. How do they do it? The streets are calling it “Billy Ball,” but it honestly just looks like good team basketball to me. The ball is never stagnant in a player's hand, and if someone does not have the ball, they are moving without it to set up the next pass or score. You never know who is going to beat you on a given night, and on Friday it was Josh Giddey , who posted his first 30-point game with the Bulls and poured in 10 rebounds and 8 assists as well. The other night against the Kings, it was the potential future franchise player Matas Buzelis who scored 27 points in a variety of ways and made it look easy against former Bulls DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine . Another factor contributing to this hot start is their new identity on the defensive side of the ball. The Defense According to ESPN, entering action on Saturday, the Bulls are third in defensive efficiency and sixth in opponent points per game. This helps the Bulls set up their offense, where they are ranked second in assists per game at 30.5, only behind the Denver Nuggets. Opponents are shooting a grizzly 25.6% from 3-point land, which is No. 1 in the league by almost 5%. Now, I stated it in my expectations article earlier that this team is going to be fun and win some games. I am not expecting a title, but this is something the Bulls can legitimately build on. I do not expect teams to shoot that porous against us all season, but if that number remains in the high 20s or low 30s, then this team has a chance to be a top-five seed in a wide open Eastern Conference. Did I mention assists? Yeah, I said it earlier, the Bulls are second in the league in assists per game. The combination of Giddey, Tre Jones and Nikola Vucevic operating at all different points of the floor has really kept all scoring lanes open for anyone to set up for a 3-point shot or a back-door cut to the basket. Giddey is averaging 7.8 assists per game, Jones is chipping in with 7.5 assists. Vucevic gets to operate in the high post and has always been an underrated passing big man, but now gets to shine in this new Bulls offense. I do not know if this is sustainable, and I am keeping my expectations tempered, but man! This is so much fun to watch, and I am going to enjoy every Bulls game this season. Coby White and Zach Collins still have to get back on the floor and gel with their teammates too. The Bulls are about to face some teams that will be not only in the playoff hunt but title aspirations as well. The next game for the Bulls is Sunday in New York against these same Knicks. I am curious to see how this team responds!

The Cowboys return home after a challenging defeat on the road against the Denver Broncos, with a score of 44-24. They remain undefeated at home (2-0). Can they maintain this impressive record? Here are three strategies to help them keep this streak going. Generate pressure With the possible return of Kyler Murray after suffering a mild foot sprain in Week 5, the Allen, Texas native will look to continue his success against his hometown Cowboys, holding a 2–0 record against them so far. One of the best ways for Dallas to finally break that streak will be to generate consistent pressure on Murray. The Cowboys’ defense has been terribly inconsistent this season, but they’ve shown flashes of strength in their pressure metrics. According to ESPN, they currently rank 19th in pass rush win rate (37%) and 6th in run stop win rate (32%) — respectable numbers that suggest they can disrupt opposing offenses when everything falls into place. One player who could be a key difference-maker is James Houston. The underrated part-time edge rusher has quietly produced 12 tackles (10 solo), 3.5 sacks and a forced fumble while posting a 14.8% pass rush win rate, which is above the league average. Houston could serve as the designated spy on Murray — a role that plays to his athleticism and discipline. By keeping Murray contained while the interior defensive tackles collapse the pocket, the Cowboys could make life very difficult for the Cardinals’ quarterback. If that formula works, Murray might be in for a long afternoon in Arlington. Getting back to the passing game Outside of their sack leader, Josh Sweat — who has 5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and ranks second in the NFL in that category — the Cardinals don’t have a true standout presence in the trenches. The Cowboys’ offensive line, meanwhile, has been a steady and reliable unit throughout the season. Suppose they can continue to give Dak Prescott a clean pocket. In that case, he’ll have the time to spread the ball around to his talented receiving corps — headlined by the dynamic WR duo of CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, along with reliable tight end Jake Ferguson, who’s proven to be a dependable safety valve in the passing game. A strong performance from the offensive line could tilt the matchup in Dallas’s favor, especially if Prescott can get into rhythm early and neutralize Arizona’s limited pass rush. Run the ball to set up the pass. The Cardinals’ run defense currently ranks 12th in the NFL, allowing an average of 100.9 rushing yards per game. While that’s a respectable mark, it’s worth noting that Arizona has allowed a rushing touchdown in every game since Week 4 — a sign that opponents have been able to finish drives on the ground. That shouldn’t deter the Cowboys from leaning on their top running back, Javonte Williams, who’s been the engine of their ground game. Williams brings a blend of power and physicality, forcing linebackers to stay disciplined against his bruising run style. He currently ranks 4th in the league in rushing yards (633) and 3rd in rushing touchdowns (8). If Dallas can establish the run early and design plays that maximize Williams’ strengths — such as inside zone and power runs — it could open up the play-action game for Prescott. Successfully setting that balance between run and pass would give the Cowboys a much better chance to secure the win.

You can rarely look at a game in Week 8, especially out of conference, and feel that immense “must-win” pressure. This was one of those rare occurrences, and the Los Angeles Chargers treated it as such. Answering the Bell The Chargers were presented with an opportunity Thursday night in a game I called a potential “Get Right Game” in last week’s article . They took the opportunity and used it to do just that, as they beat the Minnesota Vikings by a score of 37-10 on primetime. Despite only being in Week 8 vs an NFC Team, this game felt like a potential turning point for a roster and a coaching staff looking for answers. That suspect run game we had questions about? North of 200 on the ground. The struggling run defense that got exposed in the last month? Held the Vikings to 3.1 YPC. The offensive line that looked lost? Add in one Joe Alt and all of a sudden the unit looks pretty damn good. The Chargers, while only temporary, answered many questions against a well-coached team with a good chunk of talent. In doing so, they drastically aided their potential playoff chances and did enough to keep pace with the big dogs in the AFC. Joe Alt Joe Alt. What a guy! Alt completely transforms this roster, as evidenced by what Chargers beat reporter Daniel Popper calls the “Joe Alt Effect.” The Chargers are also 4-0 in games Joe Alt starts and finishes, and the Chargers' offense balloons from 20.3 PPG to 26.8 PPG with the stud left tackle in the lineup. It’s not an exaggeration to say that Alt is the second-most important player on the team (behind only Justin Herbert) regarding the Bolts' chances to make any serious noise in an AFC that still feels wide open. Alt’s ability to completely shut down an entire side in pass protection, as well as bolster a struggling run game alongside Zion Johnson, who's quietly putting together a good 2025 campaign considering the circumstances around him, almost makes you forget how many times the Chargers' O-line let Justin Herbert get hit while Alt was out. Almost. Déjà Vu “Do you get Déjà Vu?” Well, yes, watching Justin Herbert on Thursday night, I very much did get Déjà Vu. Remember when I went on that whole monologue about why this game was a Get Right game in the first place? Justin Herbert owns Brian Flores. After his historic performance against the highly touted defensive signal caller in 2023, Justin Herbert decided to do it again . Shredding the blitz, utilizing his legs for big gains, and all around being a problem that Flores had no answer for. Once again on the big stage with the primetime lights shining down, Justin Herbert proves why he is a superstar. Looking Ahead Now, a cardinal sin of sports is looking ahead. I made that mistake after Week 3, when I claimed the Chargers were then the favorites to win the AFC West. With all of that said, it’s impossible not to look at what is in front of the Chargers: it's the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Denver Broncos in these upcoming weeks. The Chargers have four straight games where they are in all likelihood to be favored (Tennessee Titans, Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Las Vegas Raiders), while the Chiefs and Broncos will play each other during this stretch, and Kansas City also draws a couple of tough matchups vs the Buffalo Bills and the Indianapolis Colts. Denver has a softer schedule than the Chiefs, but a Demceo Ryans-led Texans defense is liable to give Bo Nix plenty of problems, and if the Washington Commanders get healthy in time for their matchup, that is by no means a gimme for Denver. The main takeaway is that four weeks from now, we could have a lot more clarity of where the AFC West is headed, and where the Chargers stand as far as contender or pretender.

The Titans lost another rough game Sunday to the Indianapolis Colts, 38-14, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The Titans are now 1-7 and tied for the worst record in the league along with the New York Jets and New Orleans Saints. However, the Titans have already gone into full tank mode as they traded Jarvis Brownlee Jr. to the Jets, released Tyler Lockett, and now traded Roger McCreary to the Los Angeles Rams. The Titans got a fifth-round pick in return for McCreary, but they also gave up a sixth-round pick. Let that sink in: the Titans just traded one of their top cornerbacks and got absolutely nothing in return. Management has made another head-scratching move that will not help advance the Titans through this rebuild any quicker. Chig Okonkwo is now the only player left from the 2020-2022 draft classes, which saw the Titans draft 23 players. That is an embarrassing stat considering the Titans failed to develop and keep most of that talent. With the Titans likely to trade more players before the trade deadline, these two players are most likely on the trade block moving forward. Arden Key Arden Key has been a name that Titans fans haven’t heard much from; the linebacker has only played in five games this season and has recorded six total tackles and 1.5 sacks. Key has had a rough season thus far and is in the last year of a three-year, $21 million contract. The Titans getting rid of him would clear up seven million in which they can spend in free agency moving forward. Key is in his eighth NFL season and could be a great addition to a contending team. I could see him going back to San Francisco amid their injuries to Fred Warner and Joey Bosa. The Titans could shed some much-needed cap space in Key’s contract and hopefully get some solid draft picks in return if they ship this veteran off to San Francisco. Chig Okonkwo Okonkwo has grown on me during his time with the Titans, but it simply feels like the Titans are going to move on from him, as he is also in the last year of his contract. Gunner Helm is most likely taking over as the starting tight end next season. Okonkwo has been a decent threat for the Titans in his career. He's totaled 1,700 receiving yards over his career thus far, and is on pace for his best season yet. The Titans could get some solid draft picks for him as his value is at its highest. The Packers have shown interest in Okonkwo, and so have the Rams, amidst their many injuries. Seeing Okonkwo go would be tough, but management doesn’t seem interested in signing him going forward. Titans fans should get ready for another brutal stretch, as key players will be leaving sooner rather than later. This next tough test with the Chargers this Sunday is the least of their concerns.

Sunday’s victory over the Bengals does not erase a rough start to the season for the Jets (1-7), but it did show real, measurable reasons to be optimistic. The Jets generated 502 yards of total offense and staged a 23-point fourth-quarter comeback that showed aggression, creativity, solid game planning, and execution. Here are three key takeaways that fans can be excited about. A Moment of Redemption for QB Justin Fields Fields was taken out at halftime last Sunday and spent the following week uncertain about whether he had lost his starting role. As reported by Yahoo Sports , earlier this week, during league meetings, Jets owner Woody Johnson criticized his quarterback and the team for their 0-7 season start, remarking that it is difficult to win “when you have a quarterback with the rating that we’ve got.” Fields put on a brave face and stepped up during a difficult period for the roster in Sunday’s game, delivering one of his most composed performances in green. The QB finished the game completing 21 of 32 passes for 244 yards, adding a touchdown and a crucial two-point conversion that ultimately made the difference in the final 39-38 win. The Run Game and Offensive Line Working in Harmony Despite months of trade rumors surrounding RB Breece Hall, he’s stayed focused and has continued to shine as one of the few bright spots in an otherwise tumultuous season for the Jets. A free agent after this season, Hall carried the offense on his back, rushing for a season-high of 133 yards . According to ESPN , he became just the fourth non-quarterback since 1950 to throw a game-winning touchdown in the final two minutes of regulation. The offensive line controlled the line of scrimmage, giving up no sacks for the first time this season and the first time since 2023. The NFL reports the Jets finished with roughly 254 rushing yards on the day. With the line opening lanes and Hall capitalizing on every crease, the Jets finally found balance and rhythm on the ground. "We were very aggressive when it came to running the ball and just showing our brand of football," head coach Aaron Glenn said in an interview the next day. The Late Defensive Stops Show Fight Defensive coordinator Steve Wilks caught a break this week thanks to the Jets’ offense, as his unit had a rough night. The defense missed tackles throughout the game, allowing Bengals backup Samaje Perine to rack up 94 yards and a touchdown on just nine carries. Tee Higgins easily beat rookie Azareye’h Thomas for a 44-yard score in the second quarter, and the defensive front generated minimal pressure on Joe Flacco, who even added a rushing touchdown. Aside from a key fourth-quarter sack by Will McDonald, the group struggled to make an impact. The defense did allow big chunks of yardage earlier, but the unit made critical late plays that preserved the comeback. That shows the group can bend and then hold in the moments that count. Yes, the defense still needs to tighten up across four quarters, but showing the ability to get stops in crunch time is an encouraging sign that adjustment and focus are possible. This was more than a single win. After a 0-7 stretch, a 39-38 comeback is a morale lifter. The team now heads into a bye with tangible proof that the script can flip late in games. Momentum is not a statistic, but it changes the team's approach, energy, and how coaches evaluate confidence in personnel. The Jets showed enough that they can plan the bye week from a position of progress rather than desperation.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have reached their Week 9 bye and, although they enter the break sitting atop the NFC South and boasting a 6-2 record, the team is far from a finished product. Tampa has split its last two games—both on the road—but they were both messy, ugly endeavors. The Bucs’ defense, which people thought would likely be the team’s weak spot in 2025, has been a formidable force in both games. So what has been the problem? Though quarterback Baker Mayfield looked like a legitimate NFL MVP candidate through the first six weeks, and the Bucs offense was explosive during that time, both entities have looked increasingly pedestrian over the last two games. In the 24-9 loss at the hands of Detroit, it was a lack of accuracy in the passing game. Mayfield overthrew numerous downfield shots, both medium and deep, and each miscue stripped the offense of confidence. In last week’s 23-3 rout of New Orleans, it was a lack of execution in the redzone, and that forced fans to watch consecutive weeks of an offense that is devoid of exciting plays. Now, Tampa enters its bye week, and it has come at an incredibly fortunate time. The non-divisional schedule only gets more difficult from here, so here are three things Tampa Bay has to hammer home during the two-week break: Get the Ground Game Back on Track In the NFL, in most cases, a successful offense is one that can run the football efficiently. That has not been Tampa Bay this fall. Over the Bucs’ first eight games, they are averaging fewer than 100 yards on the ground per game. Now, you could be thinking, ‘Well of course their running game has sputtered—their lead tailback has been sidelined for half the games.' That is true. Bucky Irving has been hurt, and backups Rachaad White and Sean Tucker have combined to average just over 3.5 yards per carry. So what did Irving average before his injury? 3.3. The fact of the matter is that no matter who is taking the handoffs, the Bucs have not been able to find the chunk plays they were last fall. Their run blocking ranks 29th according to PFF , and while that may not mean a whole lot to a lot of old-school football minds, it also looks terrible when using the eye test. As the ground game has become less of a factor, opposing defensive coordinators have been able to lock their game plans onto controlling Mayfield, and his MVP-caliber season has been largely stymied. During the bye, offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard needs to work with his unit to dial up better gap and zone blocking schemes to spring his backs. If the Bucs get back to being able to threaten 25-yard plays on the ground, Mayfield will probably get better looks when it’s time to uncork downfield. Lock Baker Back In While it’s true that a one-dimensional offense has left a lot of weight on Mayfield’s shoulders, he has not carried it well recently. Early in the season, Mayfield was playing with a chip on his shoulder, throwing with overwhelming confidence and using his legs to extend plays effectively. However, since the rough primetime loss to the Lions, those things have disappeared. He isn’t getting a ton of time from his offensive line, but even when he is given a sufficient pocket, he has been throwing like he is afraid to turn the ball over. Even to relatively open targets, he has floated the ball—kind of like an exaggerated ‘put-it-where-only-my-guy-can-get-it’ mindset. The Bucs exit their bye week to stare down a gauntlet—a three-course meal of New England, Buffalo and the LA Rams (combined record 16-6) between Weeks 10-12. If Tampa has any hope of emerging from that stretch with multiple wins, the Bucs will have to put points on the board. Mayfield needs to get his swagger back and drop any hesitation to let the ball fly. Fans will know whether that has happened by the end of the first quarter against the Patriots. Get Some Players Back on the Field Bye weeks are about rest, relaxation, adjustments and (this is the big one for Tampa) getting healthy. It might be obvious, but one of the pressure points this week should be getting starters back on the field. Since the beginning of the season, the Bucs' injury report has looked like a Jackson Pollock painting—not in a work-of-art way, just in a busy way. The offensive line has been terrorized, which has led to the team’s poor blocking in all facets. The defensive line is down to a skeleton crew, which has made it difficult to rush the passer. If Tampa wants to have success down the stretch and into the playoffs, the team needs its best players.

I love the job that I do, but some games just leave you scratching for things to say that are of relevance. The 49ers' capitulation to the Houston Texans this past Sunday was one of those games. If you are a regular reader of this column, you will know that I’m something of an optimist. I’ve enjoyed watching this team grow, I’ve lived and breathed every down with them, and we’ve all shared in some epic victories, particularly over the Falcons and the Rams. In spite of everything that’s gone against the 49ers this season, they’ve been able to do one thing, make us proud. This is a team that was (and maybe is) still in the playoff reckoning, ground out road wins, and showed progression with its younger players. They were forming a heart, an identity, and had some grit about them. So, what went wrong? It’s Not Just The Rush Beware of predictable narratives. In my 20 years watching the NFL, I’ve heard it proclaimed (among other things), that: The tight end position is dead. This was shortly before Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez joined the Patriots to reinvigorate Bill Belichick’s dynasty. The running back position is dead. This was shortly before Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs made their respective teams Super Bowl winners and cashed in on bigger contracts ... and not long after one of our own in Christian McCaffrey had become one of the NFL’s standout offensive players. It’s a passing league. The most tired and untrue trope of them all, as the game evolves and improves. Those that find success are the ones who find niches in the conventionally chosen thinking. The most successful teams–and the teams that will be successful tomorrow, next week, and into the next decade–are still the teams with the strongest trenches. I mention all this because there’s some very lazy and easy tropes coming into 49ers analysis following Sunday’s defeat. It’s been predictable all season: every loss is down to Nick Bosa and/or Fred Warner not being available, everything the defensive scheme can’t do is because they’re missing, and so on, and so on. This narrative is many things, mostly words I can’t write in this column, but it intensified on Sunday as the 49ers failed to pressure CJ Stroud. With Bosa, Bryce Huff, and other defensive ends out, this led to the usual "the 49ers have no pass rush, therefore they can’t be expected to stop CJ Stroud" opinions bursting forth. There’s some truth in that, of course. But examining some of the bigger plays from Sunday shows other issues that have dogged the 49ers all season. Tatum Bethune and Dee Winters both continually bit on play action, leading to big plays down the field, including in one case a 50-yard play that flipped the field. These aren’t symptoms of a pass-rush issue, nor are the touchdown tosses later in the drive from CJ Stroud. In both of these cases, players were wide open long before any pass-rush, even ones containing Bosa, Charles Haley, Reggie White, and whoever else you want to name, would’ve got to the quarterback. Coverage was a continual issue, and in many cases, Texans receivers ran wide open. It’s the same thing that’s dogged the Niners in all of their losses this season. Fundamental mistakes, like being in the wrong spot or missing a tackle, are killers to defenses. There were and are multiple players who are consistent starters, particularly in the secondary, still playing, despite the loss of senior talent. It simply isn’t good enough from them. To be fair to Shanahan (and I suspect Robert Saleh too), they’re unlikely to hide behind these lazy narratives. Yes, losing great players is an issue. Creating your own issues on top of that by failing to do the basics right is on you, as a player, and on the coaching staff. My bet is that we’ll see less of that moving forward, but it’ll need to come with an improvement from certain players. Trade market talk Some would have the 49ers solve these problems by pulling off a blockbuster trade, a la Christian McCaffrey in previous years, that looked set to fizzle out. I don’t have a huge issue with this line of thinking–adding someone both talented and experienced to the defensive unit, for instance, could elevate it back up a few levels, as well as give the team an emotional shot in the arm it may need following the loss of a couple of defensive leaders. Where, though? Most fans seem to be getting excited over the idea of adding a pass-rusher like the Cincinnati Bengals Trey Hendrickson, but I think the bigger issue may be in the middle of the defensive line. Since the departures of the likes of DeForest Buckner and Arik Armstead, the team has lacked a solid presence in the middle of the line. Rookies Mykel Williams and Alfred Collins are both adding something to the team, but a solid, consistent, disruptive veteran presence would really help the team go up a level, both against the run and pass. To be honest, however, with the rash of injuries going through the 49ers defensive line, perhaps John Lynch should make two moves, and find both an edge and an inside guy. As it stands, the team will be suiting up third-stringers on the defensive line this Sunday, so if something’s going to happen, hopefully its soon. What Next? The schedule supposedly gets easier for the 49ers from here: But it’ll begin this week against the New York Giants. Cam Skattebo’s absence will help the reeling 49ers defense, but given our historical failures against mobile quarterbacks, facing Jaxson Dart–who, in spite of the Giants’ record, has been making some plays–could be interesting. You should also look out for the Giants pass-rush facing off against the 49ers offensive line, although if Ben Bartch does return as rumoured, we will at least be slightly improved. This feels, much like the Rams game a few weeks ago, as the season’s first "hinge point" game. Win, and the team could go to the playoffs this season (and may get its players back in time for the late-season run). Lose? It might be time to think about the draft pick. Which is it going to be? We’ll find out soon …

After losing to the Green Bay Packers 35-25 on Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers are on a two-game losing streak. Panic is starting to set in. The Steelers are no longer favorites to win the AFC North according to BetMGM after being firmly in the driver’s seat following their victory over the Browns. While Mike Tomlin and company work out solutions to the team’s recent struggles, the fanbase is finding plenty of issues to concern themselves with following their most recent loss. Here’s three of the most common concerns that Steelers faithful are dealing with, and how valid they are. DeShon Eliott’s Knee Injury: 7/10 Eliott went down in the third quarter of Sunday’s game after some awkward contact with Packers tight end Tucker Kraft and had to be carted off of the field. While an official timetable for his return has yet to be disclosed, a speedy recovery from Eliott could be crucial to Pittsburgh’s chances of winning the division. Eliott has been an anchor in the secondary, keeping a lid on opposing offenses and bringing consistency to a group that’s been shaky at times. A prolonged absence could leave Pittsburgh vulnerable to teams who excel at airing the ball out, and with the Colts and Chargers coming up, the Steelers could be in serious trouble. If Chuck Clark and Juan Thornhill can rise to the occasion (or if Eliott makes a faster recovery than anticipated), there’s still hope, but we'll find out very quickly if they’re up to it. Aaron Rodgers Sacked Three Times: 3/10 Besides Packers defensive end Rashan Gary having a productive two-sack day, Pittsburgh allowed one sack to superstar Micah Parsons. While three sacks is a rough total for one game, Rodgers has only been sacked 12 times this season, so this isn’t a trend that’s likely to continue. This is the same O-line that held Myles Garrett in check for a full 60 minutes earlier in the season, so there’s plenty of confidence in their ability to keep Rodgers upright. The only problem is that any hit on the 41-year-old quarterback could do some damage, so the unit as a whole will be looking to avoid an outing like this again. Steelers Fanbase Losing Confidence in Coaching Staff: 9/10 Almost any other fanbase would value the consistency that Mike Tomlin has brought to the organization, steering the team through troubled seas on multiple occasions over the last few years. However, many in Pittsburgh are starting to feel trapped between a high floor and a low ceiling. While the team hasn’t been bad, they also haven’t been in the hunt for a Super Bowl recently, and a two-game skid inspires painful memories of seasons past. Are the Steelers’ struggles Tomlin’s fault? Not necessarily. But someone is going to take the fall if the team faces another early playoff exit (or fails to make it there entirely). If not Tomlin, it could end up being defensive coordinator Teryl Austin’s cross to bear. Austin’s defense, the most expensive in the league, has struggled despite immense star power. Pittsburgh is currently allowing 273.3 passing yards per game, good for dead last in the league. The aforementioned loss of Eliott in the secondary is significant–especially given how much talent is around him–and it just goes to show how much trouble the unit has been in so far in 2025. Again, the blame might not necessarily belong with Tomlin or Austin, but if things don’t take a turn for the better, it could be the end of their tenure with the Steelers.

It was only two weeks ago that there was talk that the New York Giants were on the cusp of finally turning their franchise around. They had just knocked off the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles and had an emerging quarterback-running back duo on the rise. Finally, some hope in the Meadowlands appeared to be within reach. Fast forward to Week 8, and all that hope is gone under a wave of injuries, bad reffing, and poor play from the defense. It doesn’t help that their burgeoning duo in the backfield is no longer possible this year, and that there seems to be no purpose for the team to fight in 2025. It’s back to the drawing board for the Giants after a 38-20 loss at Philadelphia, and the road again starts with a potential top-10 draft pick next year. Cam Sakttebo’s Injury Is Worse Than Malik Nabers The injury to fourth-round rookie running back Skattebo might be the most devastating blow to New York in a season marred by injuries. His season came to an end in the second quarter on a check-down pass play when Philadelphia linebacker Zack Baun tackled him from behind. On what appeared to be an illegal hip-drop tackle, Skattebo’s ankle got rolled under Baun and bent awkwardly. Anyone who even looked at the play for a split second knew Skattebo’s season was over. The reaction from rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart said it all, a crushing blow to the swag and personality of the team: The fan-favorite running back underwent a successful surgery shortly after the game at a Philadelphia hospital. His recovery is going to be a top story in New York media during the rest of the season and the offseason, regardless of what the Giants do. What is going to be the most pivotal development is whether he’s the same player post-recovery. It’s the second major lower-body injury to a pivotal offensive weapon for the Giants, with the first being star wideout Malik Nabers in Week 4. The backfield will be spearheaded by Tyrone Tracy Jr., with a potential second back to work on third downs if the team goes in that direction. Brutal. Bad Calls By Referees Complicate Matters The no-call against Baun’s hip-drop tackle wasn’t the only blown call during the game on Sunday. In the second quarter, adding insult to Skattebo’s injury, the Giants not only stopped the “tush push” play against the Eagles but also caused a fumble. The ball appeared to be picked up by New York and would have resulted in a new drive to take the lead, until the referees stepped in. They ruled Hurts was already down past the line, giving the Eagles a first down and an opportunity to score. Later, Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton caught a 68-yard pass from Dart on what would have been the rookie quarterback’s longest touchdown of the season. However, it was called back on what could be one of the most questionable offensive pass interference calls in recent memory. Of course, head coach Brian Daboll acted appropriately to the situation, and so did most of the Giants. Throw in a couple of other penalties, and there’s the reason why everyone wants those referees fired. The Giants somehow mustered up enough courage to tell reporters in an adult-like tone what happened without going ballistic. It’s amazing how that team can keep a straight head when everything is going against them.

Can the Cardinals Jumpstart their Offense Against a Struggling Dallas Defense? Fresh off their week eight bye, the Arizona Cardinals travel to Dallas for a Monday night matchup with the 3-4-1 Cowboys. The Cardinals’ offense showed signs of life in Jacoby Brissett’s two starts, though they’ll give the keys back to Kyler Murray this week. The QB situation has been a hot topic among the fanbase, with a large portion of fans hoping Brissett keeps the starting job due to his willingness to get the ball out on time and hang in the pocket when pressure is closing in. In contrast, Murray is great at escaping from trouble, but he often does so far too soon, which can close off large portions of the passing concepts and leave him with the option of throwing the ball away or scrambling for a short gain. Murray’s playstyle ultimately gives the offense a more boom-or-bust nature, especially against less disciplined defenses like the one they’ll face in week nine. The Cowboys present the perfect opportunity for a confidence-boosting performance from Arizona, as their defense has conceded an average of 31.3 points per game, good for 31st in the NFL. The Dallas defense allows 258.6 passing yards per game and 146 rushing yards per game, ranking 31st and 29th in the league in their respective categories. They’re also among the worst in the NFL at allowing explosive plays, more so on the ground than through the air. Starting with the defensive line, the Cowboys base out of a standard four-man front, the two defensive tackle positions will mostly be occupied by Kenny Clark and Osa Odighizuwa, with Solomon Thomas rotating in behind them. Both Clark and Odighizuwa have been effective pass rushers when given the chance, registering PFF pass rush win rates above 12%, while Thomas has been below average with just an 8.7% win rate. The edge room is much more of a rotation, with six different players seeing snaps since Jadeveon Clowney was signed and suited up in week four. Veteran Dante Fowler Jr. has been the most consistent threat off the edge this season with a 16.7% win rate, but lately, rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku has started to flash the skillset that made him a 2nd round pick out of Boston College, and he could very easily wreck this game for Arizona if he’s isolated 1-on-1 with Jonah Williams. Behind those two, Sam Williams has received quite a bit of playing time, but his play has been so poor that it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Ezeiruaku eat into his snap share. James Houston and Clowney offer spot snaps as pass rushers, and both have been solid in that role, while Marshawn Kneeland is mostly a base down rotational edge for run defense purposes. Speaking of run defense, this unit is downright awful against the run. Of the nine players previously mentioned, just two have run defense grades over 60.0: Thomas at 61.0 and Clowney at 65.4. 146 rushing yards per game doesn’t happen by mistake; these guys get gashed weekly, and in the last month, that number has jumped up to a staggering 168.75 yards per game allowed on the ground. The linebackers aren’t without blame either, as this group looked rough on paper coming into the season and has managed to tank what little optimism fans might have had. Kenneth Murray Jr., in particular, has been a nightmare against the run throughout his entire career , and yet he’s a starter who leads this group in run defense snaps. Lately, Murray Jr.’s running mate has been rookie Shemar James, who has also been a complete liability in run defense, with a 41.7 overall grade. Marist Liufau has been much better, with a grade of 81.7, albeit in only 75 snaps. A large reason for Liufau’s limited snaps is his inability to cover, and we can start to group the secondary into the pass coverage conversation because it’s very similar to the run defense: there aren’t many bright spots. To highlight one, Daron Bland has been a fine corner, but aside from being on the receiving end of a Marcus Mariota grenade toss in week seven, he hasn’t been able to force turnovers at the incredible rate he did in the past. Bland has shifted into the slot recently, and because of this, the outside cornerbacks have been a combination of Kaiir Elam, Reddy Steward and Trikweze Bridges. Elam has been replacement-level but not downright awful, with a coverage grade of 60.6, but he hasn’t been able to make plays on the ball, with only one forced incompletion. Steward has allowed a high percentage of targets his way to be caught, but those catches are generally short gains. Bridges has been the disaster of this group, a rookie seventh-round pick by the Chargers who's already on his second team and had his coverage ability compared to running routes in the air by Tony Romo on Sunday. He allowed seven catches on 13 targets for 102 yards and two touchdowns against the Broncos, good for a 27.4 coverage grade, even taking into account his interception on an errant Bo Nix pass. The Cowboys' defense gives Arizona a really good opportunity to put up a performance they can build upon down the stretch, and maybe that’s just what they need to flip the script in all of these one-score games.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is off to another great start in the 2025-26 season. However, other stars are also making their presence felt, which could make for tougher competition. He won the MVP narrowly in the previous season, but going back-to-back may seem a bigger challenge than ever. Sure, OKC has had its own fantastic start with two consecutive 2OT victories against the Houston Rockets and the Indiana Pacers, and SGA performed well, but then other notable names have been making rounds of their own. From Luka Doncic bringing bigger performances with LeBron James out, Stephen Curry getting back to his scoring groove, and even Victor Wembanyama with otherworldly stat lines, each of these is deserving of early accounts for the MVP. But can Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning MVP and the first guard to win the award since 2018, hold his ground and make a strong case to go back-to-back, as the first guard since Curry in 2014-16 to repeat at the top? Considering the Thunder’s Status, SGA is on Fire Jalen Williams is still recovering from his wrist surgery and isn’t expected to return in a few weeks or months. Nikola Topic is also recovering from a testicular surgery, and Thomas Sorber is redshirting his first season with OKC. There’s even a crop of players missing some time, with Isaiah Joe and Kenrich Williams missing the first two games. And yet, SGA himself has been on a tear. The MVP dropped 35 points in his first game and then set a new career-high 55 points in the second one. Both games had to be decided in the clutch, which says a lot about how Gilgeous-Alexander is definitely making his presence felt in the race for the MVP once more. In the first two games of the season, he’s already averaging 45 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5 assists per game on 45% shooting. OKC has won without some of its best players under SGA’s lead, and it seems that there are high hopes that he will be gunning for a second MVP in a row, all while pushing the Thunder to some impressive wins so far. Now more than ever, it does seem that Gilgeous-Alexander is on the rise with high expectations set before him. Sure, there are some notable names making waves to begin the season, but we all know that consistency matters, and Shai isn’t one to shy away from that kind of banter; his impressive game speaks for itself. SGA’s MVP Chances Gilgeous-Alexander is at the top of the MVP odds to begin the season, according to Bet365. With candidates on the rise so far, it does seem that this will be an interesting year for the MVP race. Now more than ever, there are a lot of expectations set before him, and SGA has to find a way to prove that he’s still one of the best icons the league has to watch out for. Sure, criticize all you want about him making 23 of 26 free throws in that recent win against Indiana. There’s no denying that OKC is getting a lot of heat when it comes to those antics by SGA, but that’s one of his skills, something that cannot be replicated so easily. But if that helps the Thunder come up with needed wins or even push his numbers to a whole new level, then it doesn’t matter at all. As of the time of writing, SGA stands with +175 odds to win the MVP, followed closely by Nikola Jokic at +250. Doncic is making his presence felt and has risen among sportsbooks with +400. Giannis Antetokounmpo follows suit with +1000, while Victor Wembanyama drives into the discussion with +1200. Can SGA Win MVP Again? Barring injuries, SGA can definitely go for the second time in his career, as he’ll be playing 82 games in a season. The most he’s played was last season, with 76 games logged to his name. He even played 75 games in 2023-24 as well. More games for SGA mean that he’ll get to bring the Thunder to bigger heights . If OKC can win 68 games with Gilgeous-Alexander leading the way, imagine what historic feat Oklahoma City would come up with once more. After all, nothing is easy for the Thunder, and everything is earned. That goes the same way for SGA gearing up for an MVP run once more, and this one is definitely his to lose now more than ever.

For the past five seasons, Tom Thibodeau was in charge of the New York Knicks . His coaching strategy relied heavily on a strong defense and for starters to play a good amount of minutes while showcasing a certain level of intensity. This translated into four winning seasons and three consecutive playoff berths. With Thibodeau at the helm, the Knicks reached their first Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years, capping off an impressive 51-31 season. However, the team came up short of their ultimate goal of bringing a championship back to New York. The Knicks haven’t won an NBA title since 1973, and with Thibodeau in control, it seemed they were never able to reach that point. The team’s offense always felt flat, with the only source of constant production coming from Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby and Miles McBride. Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart chipped in a fair amount, but it wasn’t anywhere close to what I would’ve liked to have seen. Since Thibodeau’s scheme focused heavily on the starters receiving most of the playing time, it seemed as if veterans Mitchell Robinson, Landry Shamet and Delon Wright never saw the floor as much as they could’ve. Not to mention, Tyler Kolek and Pacome Dadiet never received many minutes, even though both have a fair amount of talent. But when Thibodeau finally decided to utilize the bench during the playoffs, the Knicks started to build momentum. Until their season ended at the hands of the Indiana Pacers in six hard-fought games. Therefore, when president of basketball operations Leon Rose decided to fire Thibodeau, it felt like the Knicks had finally been freed from his coaching style. To succeed in this current era of basketball, the team needs to focus more on the offense, which is exactly what Rose did when he brought in Mike Brown as their new head coach. Brown, a two-time NBA Coach of the Year, helped the Sacramento Kings snap their 16-season playoff drought. His offensive scheme assisted De’Aaron Fox, Malik Monk, Keegan Murray and Domantas Sabonis in reaching their offensive potential. Given the proven offensive scheme, I had high expectations for Brown. Fast-forward to one week into this season, and I’m pleased with what I’ve seen so far. Knicks Win 1st Two Games The Knicks took down the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers, two perennial playoff contenders. In the game against Cleveland, Brown spread minutes out to 11 players. Even though most of the playing time went to Brunson, Towns, Anunoby and Bridges, Shamet and Kolek got time to show what they’re made of. Five players scored in the double digits, with Anunoby’s 24 and Brunson's 23 leading the way. As a team, the Knicks shot 43% from the field and 35% from 3-point range, which is lower than last season but still good. During the game against Boston, Brown ran a 10-man rotation , with Hart coming off the bench in his season debut, snagging 14 rebounds in 19 minutes. Brunson led the team in scoring with 31 points, while Towns put up a 26-point and 13-rebound double-double. That day, the Knicks shot 38.4% from the field and 37.8% from beyond the arc, another OK showing with room to improve. Knicks Drop 3rd Game to Heat However, the Knicks lost some steam by losing to the Miami Heat 115-107 on the road. Brown’s offensive scheme wasn’t good enough to keep up with the Heat, who were led by Bam Adebayo and Norman Powell. Brunson had 37 points, but the next closest was Bridges with 20. I don’t think this is much of a concern, because losses are bound to happen in an 82-game season. For the Knicks, that meant dropping their third game, and hopefully they will learn from this experience. Therefore, with Brown in control, I have faith the Knicks will succeed this season and play top-notch basketball. New York’s next test will be Tuesday night against Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Milwaukee Bucks.

Charlotte took care of business at home, as they defeated the Brooklyn Nets with a final score of 136-117. The Hornets offense clicked on all cylinders Wednesday night with team percentage totals of 53% from the field and 48% from 3-point range. While the shooting percentages were awesome, the most impressive part of the win was the rebounding advantage they had over Brooklyn, winning the rebounding battle by 23 boards. Charlotte also set a new franchise record by having nine players score over double digits. Here are three of the biggest takeaways from the Hornets’ opening night win at home. The centers aren’t a concern Going into this season, Charlotte had question marks around the center position after trading away Mark Williams and Jusuf Nurkic, leaving fans wondering how they’d fill those spots. It seems they’ve managed to hit the mark by buying in on Moussa Diabaté and drafting Ryan Kalkbrenner out of Creighton. Kalkbrenner got the nod to start on opening night and didn’t disappoint, scoring 10 points and hauling in 11 rebounds. Kalkbrenner showed his double-double potential in the preseason, and he didn’t miss a beat in the regular season opener. Watching him play, he looks a lot like Brook Lopez, finding his spots on the floor offensively and already being a great rebounder. He also blocked two shots last night, which should happen plenty more this season. Then there’s Diabaté, who brings a little more athleticism and energy into the lineup when he’s on the floor. He finished his night with 13 points and 9 rebounds, also adding a steal and a block. Diabaté did a really great job of running the floor in transition and showed off his touch with multiple floaters close to the paint. Buying in on youth at the center position seems to pay off early on, and if it continues, then Charlotte will cause all sorts of problems for opposing teams. Brandon Miller could take over as the No. 1 option Brandon Miller looked the part of a true No. 1 option for this Charlotte team. He scored 25 points and dished out seven assists. His playmaking looked largely improved, as he did a great job finding open players in the paint and on the perimeter. Miller ended the night with only one turnover as well. The scariest part of Miller’s performance was that he could’ve shot more efficiently from the field; he was 8-19 from the field and just 2-8 from 3-point range. Miller should easily shoot better than 2-8 from three for the season, so there’s no telling what his limits are offensively if he stays healthy. The defense will remain a concern While Charlotte did dominate for pretty much the entire game, the Nets still were able to score 117 points by the end of the game. Now, I'm not saying every game is the same, but if the Brooklyn Nets are scoring 117 points on them, then what in the world are teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers, or the New York Knicks, or even the Orlando Magic going to do to them? The Nets had seven players score over double digits in the loss. At this point, we are aware of the defensive limitations of some roster members, especially on the perimeter, with players like LaMelo Ball and Collin Sexton being less than average defenders. The hope is that bringing in young talent like Sion James and Kon Knueppel will give Charlotte a boost on the defensive end of the floor, especially knowing that the paint defense is looking brighter with the two young centers in Charlotte's rotation. The question from now on is, will the Charlotte defense improve over time? Or will Charlotte need to stay hot on offense to really make noise? Only time will tell.

For the first time since 1970, the Green Bay Packers have won a football game in Pittsburgh. To put that in perspective, the last time the Green and Gold left the Steel City with a victory, Bart Starr was still under center. It was a tale of two halves on Sunday night. Green Bay struck first for a 7-3 lead, but the offense went cold the rest of the half. Brandon McManus missed two field goals, and Pittsburgh made them pay, taking a 16-7 lead into the break. In the second half, Green Bay’s offense finally woke up, erupting for 28 points while Pittsburgh managed just nine. The Packers turned a nine-point halftime deficit into a 10-point victory — their largest comeback win from a 9+ point halftime deficit since 1982, according to ESPN Research. The Packers played their most complete second half of the season, and several performances stood out. With that in mind, here are three key takeaways from Green Bay’s triumph in Pittsburgh. 1 – Jordan Love continues to prove he belongs in the conversation among the league’s elite quarterbacks On Sunday, Jordan Love completed over 20 consecutive passes, threw for more than 350 yards, delivered three or more touchdown passes, had zero turnovers and took no sacks. No other quarterback in NFL history has ever accomplished all of that in a single game. Through seven games, Love is putting up elite numbers: 70.7% completion rate for 256.8 yards per game, with 13 touchdowns to just 2 interceptions and a 111.3 passer rating. He ranks in the top three in EPA per play , total EPA and success rate. Among QBs with at least 20 attempts, he leads in passer rating and completion rate on i ntermediate throws (10–19 yards) and ranks second in yards per attempt. For context, in the same category last season, he was 26th in passer rating, 30th in completion rate and 12th in YPA. In primetime this season, Love has been spectacular: 70.6% completion rate, 989 yards, 8 touchdowns with 0 interceptions, 8.9 yards per attempt and a 122.0 passer rating. When the lights are bright, he delivers, and any attempt to downplay his performance says more about certain fans and analysts than it does about how well he’s actually been playing. 2 – Tucker Kraft has become one of the league’s most underrated players Throughout the week, the NFL’s X account shared posters for National Tight Ends Day, highlighting some of the league’s top tight ends — but Tucker Kraft was nowhere to be found. Naturally, he responded by putting on a monster performance in front of the national audience. Kraft hauled in seven of nine targets for 143 yards and two touchdowns. Heading into Monday Night Football, he led all other tight ends by 66 yards in Week 8. Green Bay’s offense clicks when he’s the focal point — and it needs to stay that way. Last year, the Packers averaged over 26 points per game whenever Kraft saw at least six targets. This season, he ranks among the top five tight ends in the league in total yards, yards per catch, receiving grade, yards after the catch, yards after catch per reception, yards per route run and passer rating when targeted. “We’d be crazy not to,” Matt LaFleur said post-game on the potential of building the Packers’ offense around Tucker Kraft. “He was a beast. He was a man possessed. You’ve just got to find ways to get him the ball.” Is Kraft going to get more respect moving forward? Probably. But honestly, I still believe he won’t appear on many top-three tight end lists — a spot where he has clearly earned at least a serious discussion. 3 – Carrington Valentine needs to be a starter Valentine actually opened the season with 76 snaps in Week 1 and 50 in Week 2 while Nate Hobbs was recovering from injury. Since then, however, his playing time has steadily decreased. Keisean Nixon and Hobbs have been starting on the outside, but Valentine is a far more efficient boundary corner than Hobbs. Hobbs has played over 76% of the snaps on the outside, and quarterbacks targeting him have a passer rating over 127.0 with a 65% completion rate. By no means has Valentine been a perfect defensive back. He’s allowed a 115.1 passer rating when targeted and three touchdowns, but he’s also made more plays on the outside when called upon — including a huge one in the end zone against DK Metcalf. "I thought, all in all, he showed physicality,” Matt LaFleur said about Valentine’s performance against the Steelers. “He was challenging guys. There was just no gimmes. I thought that was big time." Week 7 defensive snap count (76 total) saw Hobbs on the field for all 76 snaps, while Valentine played just 2. In Week 8 (63 total), the roles flipped: Hobbs saw only 4 snaps, and Valentine took 62. On Monday, LaFleur said the cornerback position will remain a competition, and the team still has faith in Hobbs despite benching him for Valentine. That competition also includes Nixon. Moreover, he added that he was pleased with how Valentine competed on Sunday. Hobbs was a productive cornerback with the Las Vegas Raiders, primarily playing in the slot, where he spent most of his career. It’s time for Green Bay to let him play to his strengths, which means moving him inside. That also opens the door to move Valentine to the outside, where he’s a more effective player than Hobbs and can make a bigger impact on the defense.

Going into the Denver Broncos’ win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, there was plenty of noise about the lack of production from Denver’s 2025 rookie class. During the game, the noise was even louder, but not because they were absent. After a blip of an interception on the first drive and a subsequent interception, Dallas took its only lead of the game. The Broncos scored on the next drive of the game, and it was all Denver from there. What stood out most during the blowout 44-24 win, though, was how the most recent draft class looked. Throughout the season, the rookies had struggled to make an impact. Before the game, cornerback Jahdae Barron had yet to pick off his opponent, running back RJ Harvey hadn’t found the end zone for a rushing touchdown and receiver Pat Bryant was looking for his first touchdown, but that all changed Sunday. Harvey had three touchdowns in what could be considered his breakout game. While he played well against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 4, he didn’t score a rushing touchdown this week and had easily the best performance of his short NFL career. His first score came on a 40-yard run. The blocking was great, so there was little doubt he was going to score, but he got some help from a fellow rookie on his way to the end zone. Bryant got a piece of the Dallas edge rusher. If he didn’t, Harvey could have been brought down in the backfield, but the block got Harvey in space and allowed the blocks to develop for him. The score gave Denver a lead that they never relinquished, but the win over Dallas was never particularly stressful. With the Broncos ahead for the rest of the game, coach Sean Payton had the opportunity to throw his rookies into action against a bad yet still pro-level defense. Harvey was the next rookie to make another big play. With Denver already ahead 14-10, he got the ball in wildcat formation and punched it in for a one-yard touchdown. His second touchdown of the game wasn’t overly impressive, but it showed Payton feels comfortable simply allowing Harvey to make a play. Harvey has been behind J.K. Dobbins all year, and rightfully so, but it was nice to see Payton believe in Harvey to go and make a play. Then it was Bryant’s turn to get his first game ball. Bryant’s route wasn’t overly elaborate, but it was a great throw and catch between quarterback Bo Nix and Bryant, who haven’t done much together this season. As Harvey’s 40-yard touchdown and the rest of the season proved, Bryant is a great blocker, but seeing him get a ball in the corner of the end zone and make a play was a welcome sight. Payton makes it known that he loves Bryant’s blocking, and he’s seen plenty of chances to run the slant route that he perfected in college, but he showed up when allowed to add something else to his route tree. Bryant’s two catches against Dallas were both 10 or more air yards down the field, according to Pro Football Focus . Bryant’s other five receptions this season were all within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage. This may not be a sign that Bryant’s route tree is expanding in the immediate future, but it is proof that he is capable of more than shallow crossers. Just three plays later, Barron reminded Broncos fans he was the first pick in this year’s draft class. Barron picked off Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott right before halftime to prevent the Cowboys from putting more points on the board before the break. The throw definitely was a poor decision by Prescott, but Barron undoubtedly won the rep against tight end Jake Ferguson, who has had a great season. The interception marked Barron’s only target of the game on just 15 total snaps. Barron hasn’t been on the field much this season, and he often doesn’t need to be, but seeing him make a play was a nice reminder that the first-round pick is a playmaker. By the time Harvey found the end zone again, Denver was up by 20 points. Payton designed a nice play for the rookie to get an easy score that capped the highest-scoring performance of the Broncos’ season. Frankly, the rookies don’t need to be on the field much. Barron is usually behind Ja’Quan McMillian in the depth chart, but if Denver wanted to try him on the outside, he would still be behind Pat Surtain II and Riley Moss. Dobbins is having a stellar season, so Harvey probably should not be taking reps from him, and Courtland Sutton, Troy Franklin and Marvin Mims Jr. have made Bryant a luxury, but it’s nice to see that when the time comes, Payton has trust in the 2025 rookie class to fill in and make plays.

Quarterback: Dak Prescott Grade A+: Dak has been incredibly precise this season so far. In his 10th year with the Dallas Cowboys, he stands second in the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns, boasting 1,881 passing yards and 16 touchdowns, while leading in QB rating. He has achieved a career-best passing completion rate of 71.4%. As reported by Mike Leslie , Dak Prescott is projected to reach 4,610 passing yards, 34 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions in 2025. Running Back: Javonte Williams, Jayden Blue, and Miles Sanders (out for the season) Grade B+: Javonte Williams has exceeded expectations, emerging as the clear lead RB with 592 rushing yards (second in the NFL) and six touchdowns (third). His consistency, vision, physicality, and versatility as a receiver and pass blocker make him a standout performer. However, the RB room earns a B+ grade due to the lack of a consistent RB2—Sanders showed flashes before his injury, and Blue, who’s recently stepped into the role, is still developing despite a promising 4.1 yards per carry last week. WR: CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Kavonte Turpin, Jalen Tolbert, and Ryan Flournoy Grade A: The addition of Pickens has transformed the passing game, forming one of the league’s top receiver duos with Lamb. Pickens ranks fourth in receiving yards (607) and second in touchdowns (six), while Lamb, despite missing three weeks, has 21 catches for 332 yards and a score. Turpin adds versatility as a returner and motion threat, while Flournoy and Tolbert stepped up in his and Lamb’s absence—Flournoy posting 114 yards against the Jets and Tolbert showing improved route running. Overall, Pickens’ arrival has elevated this group into one of the NFL’s premier wide receiver units. TE: Jake Ferguson, Breyvn Spann-Ford, and Luke Schoonmaker Grade B: Ferguson is enjoying an underrated season following last year's struggles with a knee injury that plagued him for most of the time. This year, he has become Dak's reliable safety net and third receiving option. He has already achieved a career-high in touchdowns, reaching six. Currently, he ranks second in the league for both receptions and receiving touchdowns, boasting 51 catches, 334 receiving yards, and six touchdowns. Following him is last year's undrafted free agent from the University of Minnesota, Breyvn Spann-Ford, who has proven to be quite effective as a run blocker, aiding in creating openings for the run game. Meanwhile, Schoonmaker offers a similar level of familiarity as a blocker. OL: Tyler Guyton, Tyler Smith, Cooper Bebe, Tyler Booker, Terence Steele, Nate Thomas, Brock Hoffman, and TJ Bass Grade A: Due to early injuries sustained by Cooper Bebe, Tyler Guyton, and Tyler Booker this season, Nate Thomas, TJ Bass, and Brock Hoffman stepped up to maintain performance under the guidance of OL coach Connor Riley and OC Klayton Adams. The offensive line has proven to be an absolute powerhouse. The offense is generating impressive totals in yards per game and ranks as the second-highest-scoring team in the league. They are also positioned second in passing offense, boasting a completion rate of 71.21% and averaging 268.4 passing yards per game. Additionally, they hold the third spot in rushing offense, with an average of 4.9 yards per attempt. None of this would be possible without the strong presence of the big guys up front.

The Titans once again struggled this week as they lost to the Patriots 31-13 at Nissan Stadium on Sunday Afternoon. The Titans fall to 1-6 on the season, and will face off with the Colts this Sunday in Indianapolis. Cam Ward struggled again, having another backward fumble for a touchdown, which put the game away in the third quarter, and another interception as well. Ward is growing through a lot of growing pains so far this season, and will hopefully improve over time, as interim head coach Mike McCoy can help him turn things around. However, McCoy didn’t impress in his Titans debut, as the Titans failed to score in the second half. McCoy also had to urgency to score at the end of the first half when down 17-13, which got him booed off the field. It was the post-game comments from Patriots wide receiver Keyshon Boutte that sparked a massive debate about the Titans this season. Boutte, in his post-game press conference, stated: “We took advantage of lazy cornerback play and lazy safety play.” This sparked the debate about the players' efforts and desire to play this season. However, Boutte wasn’t the only player who had talked about the Titans' efforts this season. Michael Pittman of the Colts shared his thoughts on the Titans after their win against them earlier this season, saying, “They didn’t look like they wanted to play. No energy.” A member of the Raiders coaching staff also commented about the Titans after their win just a few weeks ago, describing this Titans team as “the worst team we’ve seen in 25 years.” Just keep in mind, this is coming from a Raiders coach. Besides their 20-10 win against Tennessee, in their last two games they have played, they have been outscored 71-6. That shows you just how bad and how little effort this Titans team is giving. They have players getting paid millions of dollars, such as L’Jarius Sneed, to go out there and give half the effort you would hope from a top corner in this league at one point. Tyler Lockett just asked for his release from the team after just seven games, and I don’t think the fire sale will stop there. It is concerning to see where this team is at just seven games into the season. They are already focused on the 2026 draft and onto next season, not even halfway through the year. I don’t know who can save this sinking ship, but at this point, the Titans need to focus on retaining the right players for next season and making good hires to turn this franchise around.

One step forward, two steps backwards. The Los Angeles Chargers are officially not in first place in the AFC West after a throttling at the hands of the now one-seeded Indianapolis Colts. Now what? Jesse Minter’s Unit is a Problem I’m going to be very honest, you won’t find many people who were more excited about the Jesse Minter hire than I was. This makes it so difficult to understand where it's gone wrong. Minter’s unit has played sloppily for about a month now, tackling poorly, failing to maintain an edge constantly, and coverage busts that resemble a high school team. I’m not ready to throw all of this on the shoulders of Minter, but there comes a time when Minter’s trademark 2-high shell has to take a back seat, and when your run defense is creeping towards the bottom of the barrel, I believe we have reached that point. Coming into the game against the Colts, the Bolts allowed 394 rushing yards on designed attempts over the three weeks prior . Then came the league's best rusher, Jonathan Taylor, who dropped a hat trick of touchdowns and over 100 total yards. During the span of that game, we saw the Chargers stick to their 2-high shell as they were carved up. Reinforcements are Coming Khalil Mack returned to the lineup with a sack on Sunday, but as Thursday approaches, the Chargers are expecting the return of starting tackles Joe Alt and Trey Pipkins. Giving us the Week 1 starting offensive line of Joe Alt, Zion Johnson, Bradley Bozeman, Mehki Becton, and Trey Pipkins, that kept Justin Herbert upright all game against the Kansas City Chiefs. If both Alt and Pipkins are active and able to play anywhere close to 100%, it’s very likely the Chargers look more like the team people were crowning future kings of the AFC West (especially with the full-blown emergence of Oronde Gadsden II), and less like the team allowing their QB to be pressured on more than 50% of dropbacks . Off-Season Decisions are Coming Back to Bite the Bolts Actions have consequences. The Chargers' run defense was much better last year as a result of both Poona Ford and Teair Tart manning the middle, allowing Minter’s 2-high shell to eliminate big plays while still being a stout run defense. The Chargers let Poona Ford walk to the Rams for a contract worth less than the one they gave Bradley Bozeman in the off-season, effectively choosing the much-maligned center over one of the best IDL’s in the entire league in Ford. The Bozeman contract has aged unfathomably badly, as he is playing unfathomably badly. Not finding a center when it was a massive need, not retaining their best defensive lineman in Ford, not drafting more O-line depth, not addressing the linebacker room in the slightest, and despite having 90 million in cap space to work with in the offseason, their best signing happened to be 33-year-old Keenan Allen about a month before the season started. In the most important offseason of the Harbaugh/Horwitz rebuild, they missed on much more than was acceptable. Get Right Game Coming Up? Nothing says “Get Right” like a chance to play against a familiar face. The last time Justin Herbert ran into the high-pressure scheme of Brian Flores, Herbert tore Flores apart on a level that can only be described as historic. One of the most impressive displays of quarterbacking in the face of pressure the sport has ever seen. Herbert connected with Keenan Allen 18 times for north of 200 yards in this contest, exposing the many different zone blitz looks Flores can throw at a QB, and making them pay every time they tried to man up on the future Hall-of-Famer. If Herbert and Keenan can find anything close to that level of success on Thursday, along with the return of his tackles, we could be looking at another all-timer from the golden arm of Herbert. As far as the defense is concerned, nothing can help a team and coach out of a funk like going against a struggling, turnover-prone QB, enter Carson Wentz. Fresh off a multi-INT game, Wentz immediately has to try to turn the page on a short week against a unit hungry to bounce back in the Bolts' defense. If the Chargers' defense can’t capitalize this week, it might be time to write the obituary.

Monday night’s loss to the Detroit Lions didn’t just hurt the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the loss column. In the second quarter, while the Bucs’ offense was stalling, Baker Mayfield tried to take a shot up the seam into (illegally) tight coverage, hoping Mike Evans would come down with it. After riding his back for a step and a half, Lions cornerback Rock Ya-Sin lunged and landed forcefully on Evans, briefly knocking him unconscious and rendering him concussed and with a broken clavicle. The odds he will return before the last couple games of the regular season are slim. Evans, a future first-ballot Hall-of-Famer, entered the 2025 campaign with an 11-year streak of 1,000-yard seasons. With this critical injury, that streak will effectively come to an end. A large portion of the fanbase is distraught about that development, but nobody should be. Evans just turned 32 years old, and that streak had to end at some point. It was probably better that injury cut the string, rather than a lack of production. However, there are also many people out there who are not Bucs fans and have expressed that the 1,000-yard streak does not mean anything, citing a few seasons where he hardly hit the mark and the notion that he has never been the best receiver of any season. That is not what the streak was about. What will place Evans among the all-time greats is not the fact that he can rip off 200-yard games. It is not his ability to take 80-yard touchdowns to the crib on bubble screens. It is the fact that for his entire career, since the moment he was drafted, he has been there for this Tampa Bay team, doing whatever it takes to win. He has never been a diva, never complained about his targets and never chastised his quarterback play, even when he was catching passes from a truly atrocious carousel in the mid-2010s. With those bad passers—Josh McKown and Mike Glennon, to name a couple—Evans’ production has never waned. The internet trolls will talk about his 1,001-yard or 1,051-yard seasons, but isn’t a 1,051-yard year with the McKown-Glennon tandem more impressive than 1,500 with someone competent? For a 6-foot-5 catch-in-traffic guy, Evans’ durability to this point has been an incredible anomaly. Now in his 12th season, this snapped collarbone will be the first injury to sideline him for more than four weeks . It is poetic that the year the Bucs use a first-round pick to draft a premier receiver—Emeka Egbuka—and seemingly hit on him, Evans’ streak breaks. Egbuka was the Bucs’ first receiver drafted in the first round since Evans himself in 2014. While Evans’ career is certainly not over yet, it does seem to be a slight changing-of-the-guard year. If his character holds true to what it has been for his entire time as a pro, he will mentor young bucks Egbuka, Tez Johnson, and Jalen McMillan while he recovers, and he will celebrate their wins as they carry the torch for a premier receiving corps. Hopefully for Bucs fans, Evans will be back to 100% around the time they look to make a deep playoff run. With how Egbuka and the other young pass-catchers on the squad have looked, this group will be a problem when the season is on the line.

The Chicago Bulls opened the 2025-26 campaign Wednesday night with a thrilling 115-111 win over the Detroit Pistons — and while the scoreboard tells a tight story, the bigger takeaway is the potential this team showed, especially in a reshaped Eastern Conference that might be more wide open than many expect. What went right On paper, the Bulls got exactly what you’d hope from an opener: a veteran leader stepping up, a young player making noise and a gritty finish when the momentum shifted. Nikola Vucevic dropped 28 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, anchoring the front-court with steady production. Meanwhile, Matas Buzelis chipped in 21 points and flashed the sort of highlight-making plays (including an alley-oop dunk) that hint at upside. The orchestrator, Josh Giddey , added 19 points and 11 assists — exactly the sort of floor-spacing, pass-first guard you hope will elevate the surrounding pieces. Also encouraging: Chicago outrebounded Detroit 50-46, showing commitment on the glass and giving themselves extra chances when turnovers or cold stretches start creeping in. They jumped out to a big lead (as much as 23 points) thanks to sharp ball movement and 3-point looks early on. What you still want to see Of course, it wasn’t all flawless. The Bulls let that 23-point lead shrink to almost nothing late in the game. Detroit tied the game at 105 with under three minutes remaining, forcing Chicago to dig deep to seal the win. That kind of lapse suggests they’ll still need to tighten up closing games and sharpen defensive rotations. Also, consistency from younger players (Buzelis, others) will be critical if this team truly wants to contend rather than just compete. Why the timing could be special Here’s where the real excitement kicks in: The Eastern Conference is in a transitional phase. Some of the traditional heavyweights are retooling, and the Bulls are well positioned to take advantage. With their mix of experience (Vucevic, Giddey) and youth (Buzelis, etc.), Chicago could find itself in that sweet spot of being “good now” and improving. The win over Detroit - while just one game - signals the Bulls believe they can hang. More importantly, they showed belief in themselves. That’s key when you’re in a conference where the margin between “play-in” and “playoffs” is razor thin. With Chicago’s roster saying “we can win,” they put teams on notice. Final takeaways Opening night gave Bulls fans reason for optimism — not because everything was perfect, but because the intent and capability were clearly visible. Vucevic looked durable. Giddey looks like a floor general. Buzelis looks like a spark. And the board work looked serious. If you’re someone who follows this team (and I count myself among them), you walk away thinking: yes — this team might actually be better than many expect . In a down-ish conference, that matters. More than ever, momentum counts, confidence matters, and belief that you can win becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. The Bulls got the “good” out of the opener. Now the test becomes consistency, refinement and exploiting the softness enough to move past “hopeful” and into “threat.” Here’s hoping they keep the pedal down. The Bulls' second game of the season is Saturday night in Orlando against the Magic. Playoff positioning. The win sets the tone that they won’t be just happy to make noise — they want to own their spot. If they finish in the mid-to-upper tier of the East, that changes expectations and trajectory. Breakthrough role players. Buzelis’ performance suggests he’s not just for the future — he’s contributing now. If he and other younger pieces continue to ascend, Chicago gains real depth and versatility. Seizing conference momentum. When rival teams falter or double-down on rebuilds, the Bulls can exploit openings. They might not yet be the class of the East, but they could be the “best of the rest” with upside to challenge higher.

After a three-month offseason, the NBA is back in full swing. The season opener on Tuesday was between the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder and the Kevin Durant-led Houston Rockets. In the Eastern Conference, the New York Knicks will return to Madison Square Garden on Wednesday to face off against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Both teams finished in the conference's top three and are projected to live up to those rankings this season. With the Knicks starting lineup led by Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges, going against the likes of Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, there’s a reason why this can easily be one of the best games of opening week. Furthermore, there is a lot at stake for New York. The team hasn’t won its season opener since 2021-22, losing once to the Memphis Grizzlies and twice to the Boston Celtics. Injuries have also plagued their roster. Guard Josh Hart and center Mitchell Robinson have both been ruled out. Towns is also listed as questionable due to a right quad strain. With the odds stacked against the Knicks, you’d think I’d pick the Cavaliers to win, but I have faith New York will leave their season opener victorious. Therefore, I think the Knicks will start their season in the win column for the first time in four years. Knicks have a Revamped, High Power Offense When the Knicks fired former head coach Tom Thibodeau in early June, many fans wondered who would become their next head coach. Fast-forward to the signing of two-time NBA Coach of the Year Mike Brown. Brown was responsible for helping the Sacramento Kings snap their 16-season playoff drought, but lost his job in December last year. Under Thibodeau’s leadership, the Knicks reached their first Eastern Conference Finals in 25 seasons but couldn’t reach the NBA Finals. Their offense lacked consistent 3-point shooting, halting them from mounting significant leads. So when Brown arrived in New York, he and the president of basketball operations, Leon Rose, had their work cut out for them. In the offseason, they signed Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele, proven role players who can provide extra scoring off the bench. The Knicks also re-signed veteran guard Landry Shamet for a similar purpose. The new additions are on top of their starting lineup, led by Brunson and Towns. If this new-look, loaded offense can perform up to its potential against Cleveland, the Knicks can cruise to victory. They did in the preseason, going 4-1. Brunson scored in the double digits during three of those triumphs. His best performance came in the preseason finale against the Charlotte Hornets, where he put up 31 points, six assists, and seven rebounds. Yabusele scored 11 points, and Clarkson scored 12 that night. Towns didn’t play against Charlotte but still logged 27 total preseason points. As a team, the Knicks shot 44.6 % from the field and 37.5 % from 3-point range. Cavaliers Rank 12th in Scoring Defense The Cavaliers are coming off one of their best seasons in recent memory. Last year, Cleveland finished with the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference at 64-18. Despite the impressive record, they fell to the Indiana Pacers in five games during the playoffs. Cleveland has a similar problem with the Knicks: its defense has trouble stopping high-level scoring. The Cavaliers' scoring defense last season ranked 12th in the league, three spots behind the Knicks at ninth. The Cavaliers averaged 112.4 points per game and allowed 109 points per 100 possessions. Their 3-point defense ranks 13th in the NBA, 13 spots ahead of New York's. If the Knicks' offense can consistently get going from long range, the Cavaliers can be on the receiving end of a loss. Injuries Can Hold Back the Knicks Even though I’m a firm believer that the Knicks will defeat the Cavaliers, the number of injuries the team has accumulated gives me second thoughts. Hart will be out with lumbar spasms, which have been present since the preseason opener against the Philadelphia 76ers. Robinson is sidelined with a left ankle injury, and Towns might be out with a right quad strain. That’s not good luck for a team that relies on rebounding, especially since all three are key contributors to that statistic. Towns and Robinson are also good at scoring, meaning more pressure will fall on Brunson and Bridges’ shoulders. But the injury report hasn’t scared me enough from not choosing the Knicks over the Cavaliers in this opening duel. The game starts at 7:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

Heading into their bye on the heels of five straight losses, the Arizona Cardinals sit at 2-5 with no real path to the playoffs in a loaded NFC. As of today, Arizona holds the 9th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, so it feels appropriate to start familiarizing with some of the high-level prospects that could be on the Cardinals' radar come draft day. Alabama QB Ty Simpson A Junior with just seven career starts, Ty Simpson is a strong candidate to return to Tuscaloosa if all of his team's goals aren’t accomplished. However, it’s difficult to look at the type of run Simpson has been on for the last month and not fall in love with his potential. Standing a solid 6-foot-2 with great arm strength and pinpoint accuracy on his passes, Simpson has thrown 18 touchdowns to just one interception while leading a surging Crimson Tide team back from their upset loss to Florida State University in week one. Alabama has strung together wins against four ranked opponents in a row: Georgia, Vanderbilt, Missouri and Tennessee, all on the back of Simpson. His poise has shown up in these big games, and his ability to hang in muddy pockets and still deliver the ball on time would provide Arizona’s offense with some structure and stability it hasn’t had this season. Simpson doesn’t have incredible athletic ability or an arm on par with the Josh Allens and Matthew Staffords of the world, but he feels like a guy just scratching the surface of what he can be, and if he keeps playing this level or even improves further, the 9th pick likely won’t be high enough to select him. Utah OT’s Caleb Lomu and Spencer Fano Jonah Williams' time at right tackle for Arizona is coming to an end, with a disastrous performance against Micah Parsons and the Packers' pass rush on Sunday adding another chapter to a horrific free agent signing by the Cardinals. Pairing Lomu and Fano makes perfect sense. Both guys have spent the past three seasons at Utah, with Fano having started since his true freshman season in 2023, and Lomu entering the lineup in 2024 after a redshirt season in 2023. Both guys are draft-eligible this season, and both are projected first-round picks. Fano is the more experienced of the two and is the current right tackle for Utah. Fano has developed very nicely in pass protection during his time at Utah, seeing his pressure numbers fall from 21 allowed as a freshman to 14 as a sophomore, despite 131 more pass blocking snaps. This season, he’s seen a minor step back in his pass blocking grade , but still only allowed six pressures in seven starts. Fano isn’t a one-dimensional player either; his athleticism and raw power are a big reason Utah averages 245 rushing yards per game. Lomu is very similar, but his first-year pressure numbers were better than Fano’s, with only 17 pressures allowed, and only seven in seven games this season. He also provides elite athleticism in the run game and may have more overall power than Fano does. Fano would be my choice due to his familiarity playing right tackle, but neither player would be a bad selection, and Arizona should jump on the chance to select one of these guys if they get the chance. Ohio State LB Arvell Reese If you read this and grimaced at the thought of another Cardinals first-round linebacker, I understand, but if you just let the memories of Isaiah Simmons disappear for a moment, you can see that Arvell Reese is a completely different beast. Reese was a rotational player for the Buckeyes in 2024, tallying 309 snaps for the national champions. This year, he’s shifted into a full-time role on a defense that’s allowing less than six points per game, and his multi-faceted skillset is a big reason for their success. There aren’t many linebackers in college football with the ability to stand up offensive tackles with a long arm in the run game who also display elite-level closing speed while spying the QB and the ability to convert speed to power off the edge against Big Ten Tackles. The point is that with the right defensive coordinator, this guy has the length, strength and speed to be a one-man wrecking crew at the next level. With the way he’s played so far, it’s doubtful that Reese even makes it to ninth overall with his skillset, but if Arizona’s struggles continue down the stretch and they earn a pick high enough, I’d love to see what he can add to this defense.

In the offseason, the Green Bay Packers signed former Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Nate Hobbs to a four-year, $48 million contract. It was unreasonable to expect him to carry the secondary on his own, but his addition was meant to bring some stability to a cornerback group that was the defense’s biggest weakness entering the 2025 season. However, six games into his tenure with the Green and Gold, the results have been far from what the Packers had hoped for. Hobbs got off to a promising start, allowing just one catch on four targets in his first two games with the Packers, but since then, things have gone downhill. In Week 4 against the Dallas Cowboys, he gave up four completions on six targets for 55 yards — an average of 13.8 yards per catch — two touchdowns and a passer rating of 135.4. His passer rating allowed was among the top 10 highest for all cornerbacks that week. Dak Prescott repeatedly exploited him in the passing game, and Hobbs had no answers. In Week 6 against the Cincinnati Bengals, Hobbs allowed four catches on five targets. He also committed a penalty and surrendered a passer rating of 92.5. The following week, against the Arizona Cardinals, Jacoby Brissett had a passer rating of 109.7. His performance against Arizona was arguably his worst of the year. He was beaten on both plays that led to the Cardinals’ touchdowns. First, he was beaten by Marvin Harrison on a 3rd-and-14, then he left Trey McBride completely uncovered, allowing him to walk in for the score. After six games, Hobbs has allowed two touchdowns and committed three penalties. He has just one pass breakup and is allowing a passer rating of 120.9. That production is far from ideal, especially considering the investment made by General Manager Brian Gutekunst. There’s still a lot of football left to play, but should Green Bay continue to trust Hobbs with a starting role? If the Packers do continue to trust Hobbs, they might need to rethink how they use him. He’s been playing mostly as a boundary cornerback, but he was at his best in 2024 with the Raiders as a slot corner. That year, he played over 300 snaps in the slot compared to 174 as a wide cornerback. The year before, he played 504 snaps as a slot cornerback, but only 111 wide. Through six games with Green Bay, Hobbs has played over 200 snaps as a wide corner but only 30 in the slot. Javon Bullard has been Green Bay’s primary starter in the slot, allowing over 85% of his targets to be caught. If Hobbs — who was a serviceable slot corner in Vegas — can’t beat Bullard for the job, the Packers should be very worried. Surely, we have to consider the long-term effects that moving Hobbs inside could have on the entire secondary. Would the Packers feel comfortable with Carrington Valentine lining up outside next to Keisean Nixon? For context, entering Week 7, Valentine was PFF’s second-best cornerback in man coverage. By no means is he a perfect defensive back, but he is more naturally suited to playing on the outside than Hobbs. Additionally, would this move mean that Bullard sees a decreased role in the defense? Would he rotate with Evan Williams at the post? These are important questions as the Packers weigh how to optimize their secondary moving forward. One could argue that Green Bay has $48 million reasons not to bench Hobbs after a slow start. That said, some changes might be necessary. He’s simply not holding his own on the outside, and the smart move could be to shift him into the slot — or, if things get worse, to limit him to a rotational role.

Team of destiny or an undisciplined squad that keeps getting bailed out? It’s hard to figure out what to make of the Denver Broncos after another improbable fourth-quarter comeback win. Through three quarters of Sunday’s game against the New York Giants, the game was one of the most frustrating watches of the Sean Payton era. Naturally, the game couldn’t be that simple. The Broncos somehow stormed back and took a 30-26 lead with less than two minutes remaining, just when New York seemed down and out. However, a couple of Denver penalties resulted in a Giants score, and then it was the Broncos who appeared out of answers. A lucky deep shot to Marvin Mims Jr. and a great catch by Courtland Sutton set Wil Lutz up with a game-winning field goal opportunity. Lutz converted the kick, capping a 33-point fourth quarter and pushing Denver into first place in the AFC West. The past three weeks of Denver football have been an odd mix of thrilling endings and horrible gameplay, and this win is the most difficult one to make sense of, but to best understand what this win means, the win should be viewed as separate games: the disastrous first three quarters and then the astonishing fourth. In the first three quarters, Denver couldn’t move the ball at all. The offense was made of screen passes, dig routes and confusing deep shots, and nothing seemed to work. Anyone who watches Broncos games knows Payton’s infatuation with screen passes. In Sunday’s game, Denver utilized the screen play on nearly 20% of its snaps, 11 of 56 dropbacks, according to Pro Football Focus . In total, Bo Nix attempted 30 passes within 10 yards and only 14 more than 10 yards down the field. When he is completing a high percentage of those passes, the offense can look smooth, but it also makes the offense easy to predict. The Broncos had too many plays where New York knew what they were doing. The Giants batted five of Nix’s pass attempts Sunday. Nix also leads the league with 10 batted passes, according to PFF . While the precarious playcalling could be for several reasons, it feels like Payton is limiting the passing attack because he is worried about Nix’s ability to perform, yet he is putting the ball in his hands a lot because he wants him to develop into a top quarterback. Though, when opposing defenses know more than half of Nix’s attempts are coming from screens and slants, it makes it less likely they will respect the deep ball, and those short passes will be less successful. When Denver started its comeback, Payton started to let Nix loose, and the offense started moving the ball. Some of that came from letting Nix use his legs to make a difference. Nix is one of the better rushing quarterbacks in the league, and his two rushing touchdowns were massive plays Sunday. While Payton’s playcalling has been spotty, his call out of the two-minute warning was the perfect decision. He called a quarterback power run from the 18-yard line, and Nix took the ball into the end zone for a go-ahead touchdown. Despite his frustrating calls, Payton has a handful of calls every game that are truly brilliant. Right now, though, he generally calls games too safely. Nix has also been great as the game winds down this season. Some of that could be because of the calls Payton gives Nix, but Nix also could just be better in high-pressure, high-tempo moments. When trailing this season, Nix has 1,044 total yards, 11 touchdowns, no interceptions and a 76.3% adjusted completion rate. “Obviously, we get into two-minute offense — I don’t want to hear about tempo,” Payton said Sunday. “You can’t just have a long two-minute drill touchdown; we had chunks.” Clearly, Payton has no plans to change his schematic approach, but it also seems as though he knows Nix and the offense have been best when they are finding chunk plays and operating quickly. Payton still is one of the best play designers in the league, but he needs to find a way to keep the offense moving.

The 2025 preseason showcased some of the promising highs and recurring lows for the Golden State Warriors heading into the regular season. Some of the good signs included veteran savvy, impactful veteran presence, promising young talent, and a Stephen Curry in midseason form already. There is also room for them to improve in taking care of the ball, remaining healthy, and building more chemistry. Preseason Highs Steph Curry’s Continued Brilliance: At 37, Curry appears to be in peak condition, delivering dominant performances in limited minutes. This was evident in his performance against the Portland Trail Blazers, where he scored 28 points in 27 minutes, and against the Los Angeles Clippers in their preseason finale, proving to be the best player on the floor. Impactful Veteran Additions: Al Horford has fit in seamlessly with his versatile skillset, complementing their team perfectly. Coach Steve Kerr sang his praises, calling him the “perfect modern-day center.” His defensive prowess, shot-making, and experience will be key to their success. Jimmy Butler, who was acquired last season, will now have a full season with the team and provide a complementary force alongside Curry. Promising Young Talent: Rookie guard Will Richard, the 56th pick in the 2025 Draft, has made a strong impression, making valuable contributions on both sides of the floor, like when he ignited the crowd with this three-pointer: Third-year players Brandon Podziemski, Jonathan Kuminga, and Trayce Jackson-Davis are also expected to have more significant roles. Preseason Lows Excessive Turnovers: Sloppy play was a consistent theme throughout the Warriors’ preseason. In the finale against the Clippers, the team committed 23 turnovers, marking the fifth straight preseason game with 20 or more. Al Horford views the problem as carelessness, whereas coach Kerr acknowledges the issue but believes Butler is the answer, stating, “But, you know, I think Jimmy solves a lot of that,” according to Monte Pool of NBC Sports Bay Area . Injury Concerns: The Warriors played the preseason finale without key players Butler, Kuminga, Moses Moody, and De’Anthony Melton. Podziemski also suffered a left hip contusion in the final game, though he eventually returned to the game. Melton is already slated to miss the start of the regular season due to a knee injury. Offensive Disorganization: Outside of Curry’s stellar performances, the Warriors’ offense resorted to the inconsistent and unorganized style that loomed over them last season. Though the lack of consistent lineups in the preseason unquestionably contributed to this issue, they don’t want to overlook it and have it plague them in the regular season. Kenzo Fukuda of Clutch Points stated , “In recent history, Golden State has struggled with maximizing its offensive opportunities.” Regular Season Implications Best-Case Scenario: The most optimistic outlook for the Warriors is a title hunt, with their retooled roster gelling quickly. Curry, Butler, and Draymond Green could form a formidable and experienced trio. The key additions of veterans like Horford and Melton provide great depth and shooting. At the same time, the continued evolution of young players like Kuminga, Podziemski, and Jackson-Davis offers a unique blend of veteran wisdom and youthful energy. If this vision comes to fruition, some analysts project the Warriors to be a top contender, with one ESPN model predicting a 56-win season. Worst Case Scenario: A doubtful outlook suggests the Warriors may struggle to regain the form needed to compete for a championship. The age of their core players makes them prone to injury concerns. Additionally, if they continue to turnover the ball the way they have, they could find themselves in the same boat as last season, fighting for a spot in the play-in tournament. Balanced Perspective: A more realistic scenario for the Warriors positions them as a strong playoff contender, but not a guaranteed championship favorite. Adding good veteran talent and a full season with Butler should give them a boost from last year. However, they still have to consider the tough Western Conference they are in, with formidable teams like the reigning champs, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Denver Nuggets. Their success relies on their health and finding consistent contributions from their younger players. Their preseason challenges and injury issues are problematic, but the talent on the roster is undeniable. The regular season will test Kerr’s ability to make this complex roster gel when it matters the most.

The rollercoaster rolls on. With the 20-10 win on Sunday Night Football over the Atlanta Falcons, the 49ers are 5-2, and realistically, in spite of everything , have only really been comprehensively outplayed in one game: last week’s loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This is a team that remains without its starting quarterback, two starting receivers, and it’s two best defensive players. It’s difficult not to be proud of this team. They’ve shown up in almost every game and played well, and more often than not, I write this column from a position of being on Victory Monday. You can’t ask for much else, can you? Whatever the reasons, this team keeps changing the narrative. Dead after Bosa’s injury? They won the game, and beat the Rams shortly thereafter. Warner’s injury being the final bullet? They come back and beat a Falcons team that the world seemed convinced was contenders for beating the Buffalo Bills. Sellers at the trade deadline? They now might be buyers after all. In a world where Green Bay were crowned Super Bowl champions in September, and Baker Mayfield is being handed the MVP in October, the 49ers lead the NFC West, and barely anyone seems to have noticed. The Unsung Heroes Lead the Way With so many players out, it fell to this ragtag bunch of backups, and their backups, to pull out yet another life-affirming win. Let’s quickly whip through the unsung heroes on the current 49ers team, and what they’ve done for this team: Tatum Bethune : Making the start in the place of Fred Warner, Bethune did a passable impression of the great linebacker, making 10 total tackles , but also being a menace in coverage and on the blitz. Bethune isn’t the athlete Warner is, but it was apparent from his first snaps in the 2024 preseason that what he did have were instincts. They were on full display on Sunday. If he can keep playing at this level, #48 can go far. Bryce Huff : It’d be easy to list the entire defensive line here, as they found a new level on Sunday, consistently generating pressures and reducing Bijan Robinson to a peripheral figure despite the entire SNF broadcast seeming to be about him. Alfred Collins, who recovered a fumble, Mykel Williams and Sam Okuayinonu all played well, but Huff stood out the most, with a sack and numerous other good plays. As his former team, the Eagles, bring Brandon Graham out of retirement to play edge rusher for them, they may actually still be paying a better player to rush the edge in the Bay Area. The interior offensive line, but particularly backup center Matt Hennessy : Hennessy stepped in for the much-maligned Jake Brendel early in the game following the latter’s hamstring injury, and honestly, he may have won the job. Hennessy was consistent and strong in the run game, and made no glaring errors in pass protection either. After a tough few weeks for the middle of San Francisco’s offensive line, he, Connor Colby and Dominick Puni all went up a level to allow Christian McCaffrey to thrive, including throwing him into the endzone late in the fourth quarter. Chase Lucas : A peripheral figure for the most part since his star turn in preseason, Lucas has now been involved in two vital 4th down stops–one to win the recent battle with the Rams, and yesterday, when his excellent coverage on Drake London made a momentum-shifting play in the game. The 49ers had been on their heels a little throughout the second half, not helped by some poor offensive rhythm and playcalling. Lucas’s pass breakup turned the game back in the team’s favor, and the 49ers never looked back. Lucas was also an effective blitzer, and continues to earn the right to more playing time. Eddy Piniero : Perhaps kicker isn’t the sexiest position on the roster, but when you have someone who you can count on to land three points from a good range on a consistent basis, it changes the whole structure of your offense. Not only has San Francisco’s scoring improved, but the fanbase’s blood pressure has dropped too. An honorable mention should also go to Malik Turner, who may not play again this year, but he recorded three excellent special teams plays in his single game elevation from the practice squad. On a team that has consistently struggled for competent special teams play, that was good to see. Christian McCaffrey is Back Now, let’s talk about a star. There’s a narrative that’s formed all season that Christian McCaffrey has "lost a step," largely because his performance running the ball. His paltry 3.0 yards per carry average was indeed worthy of criticism, but it’s also fair to point out that McCaffrey was often raging against the dying of his run blocking, with the aforementioned interior offensive line particularly at fault. He did still find ways to contribute, being a favoured target in the offense and recording some absolutely huge plays, but the Shanahan offense always favours a strong running game. That came back on Sunday, with McCaffrey running for 129 yards (with no-nonsense backup Brian Robinson adding a further 36) and two touchdowns. He continued to impress as a receiver, too, catching seven passes, including a vital third-and-long completion. But the sudden appearance of the team’s rushing attack could’ve actually been down to another player’s return: All-Pro tight end George Kittle. Kittle missed out on the box score, recording no catches, but was clearly impactful in the run game, not just regularly moving his man, but also creating space for others to work in. The statistics bear it out, and hopefully Kittle’s return means the 49ers ground game is finally back on track. Coach(es) of the Year? To return to my original theme in the introduction of this article, the 49ers are 5-2, despite players missing that would cripple most NFL rosters. That ought to put Kyle Shanahan, in my mind, in pole position for the Coach of the Year award from the NFL if the team sustains this down the stretch. Should that be the case, though, he might want to share some of his award and resultant kudos with his defensive coordinator, Robert Saleh. I have, at times, been critical of Saleh, and I do know that there are some things he’s going to do in a game, coverage-wise, that infuriate me. But when he returned to the Bay Area this offseason, he was handed a defense shorn of veteran talent and with a number of rookies and youngsters to build, develop, and introduce into starting roles. Apart from one half against Tampa Bay (when the team was mostly still suffering from the shock of losing its emotional leader in Warner), its been mission accomplished. It’s probably not an exaggeration to say that with Steve Wilks or Nick Sorensen coaching this defense, the team is looking at reversing that 5-2 record, or possibly worse. But then … that’s the 49ers this year. The 2025 team is the anthesis of the 2024 team. Where 2024 was a slog, a hate-watch, particularly at 4am , as the team found ways to lose, the 2025 team is fun, a joyful watch, even at 4am , and the team finds ways to win. It’s Houston up next. I don’t know who’s in the lineup. I don’t know the gameplan. I don’t know if I’d pick us to win. But I’ll be there.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are rumored to be in the market for a new wide receiver after stumbling against the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday Night Football. A rough outing against Joe Flacco and Co. is hardly a reason for drastic change, but the front office (and the fanbase) have identified the need for added talent in order to make a significant playoff push. While it’s tempting to pull the Aaron Rodgers classic and predict a trade for Allen Lazard, we’ll resist the urge and identify four other receivers that the Steelers might make a move for before the trade window closes on November 4. Jakobi Meyers Meyers does not want to be a Raider, having been denied his trade request at the start of the season. Las Vegas is far from being competitive, and Meyers hasn’t been productive with Geno Smith as his quarterback. His expiring contract and comparatively low stats have sunk his trade value, which is great news for potential trade partners. Meyers is a veteran presence with sure hands, making him an ideal complement for any offense. While he may not have the top-end speed the Steelers are looking for, he is still capable of earning a decent share of targets in Pittsburgh’s offense. Rashid Shaheed There’s been a lot of chatter online about New Orleans’ top target Chris Olave, but there could be an even better option for a much smaller price. Shaheed has carved out a name for himself with pure speed, but he’s flown under the radar so far due to his team’s underwhelming performance. With his rookie contract set to expire at the end of this season, the Saints might not have room to pay him as they continue to try and build a contender. Shaheed’s low price tag makes him an appealing asset for the front office, and his ability to get downfield makes him an appealing target for Rodgers, who can still spin it with the best of them at the age of 41. Jahan Dotson If Meyers has been quiet this year, Dotson has been mute. The Philadelphia Eagles don’t throw the ball too much to begin with, and he’s been stuck behind AJ Brown and Devonta Smith in terms of target share. Dotson would love to return to the level of production he had in Washington,but the opportunities are slim considering that even Brown isn’t getting the ball enough .Having spent time in Philly and at Penn State, a trip to the other side of the state could be exactly what he needs. Dotson is a human joystick who’s hard to touch in the open field, and his explosive first step can create plenty of space playing out of the slot. If the Steelers want speed, Dotson is a great choice. Adonai Mitchell A second-round pick in 2024, Mitchell was anticipating having a larger role for the Indianapolis Colts this year. However, his statline (8/145/0) has him looking like the odd man out in an explosive Colts offense. Mitchell’s potential has yet to be realized, but a change of scenery could help the young receiver out a bit. The raw athleticism and massive catch radius is enticing enough to make a deal for the right price if the Steelers are willing to take the risk. There have been questions about his focus and his maturity, but that won’t be anything new for Mike Tomlin and the Steelers.

When a team is up 19-0 at the end of the third quarter, it’s usually a done deal for them, barring an epic collapse. If the team is still up 26-8 halfway through the fourth quarter, it takes a violent defensive failure to turn that into a loss. Somehow, the New York Giants were able to do that in what can only be described as a complete defensive meltdown. Despite controlling most of the game on offense and defense, the Giants’ defense saw a spectacular collapse en route to a 33-32 loss against the Denver Broncos. The team now falls to 2-5 and is in danger of being well behind in any playoff race, thanks to a 33-point fourth-quarter rally by Denver. In fact, the Broncos scored three touchdowns in five minutes, including on a drive set up by a Jaxson Dart turnover. There Is No Excuse For Shane Bowen There had already been questions about defensive coordinator Shane Bowen’s ability to lead the defense, seeing that New York held one of the worst-performing corps in the league. Following yesterday’s loss, the team ranks nearly-last in yards surrendered per game, dead-last in fourth-down conversions allowed, and 26th in yards per play. The secondary is quite possibly the worst in the league, despite holding opposing quarterbacks to a 64% completion rating. They lack a consistent rush at the front and are not able to make a lot of turnovers, even in the wake of their Week 6 win against the Philadelphia Eagles. If there’s one play that sums up Bowen’s poor decision-making in critical situations, look no further than the long completion to Marvin Mims: Needless to say, veteran linebacker Brian Burns wasn’t happy with the playcall, nor was Brian Daboll. A 33-point collapse, which was nearly saved by a Dart touchdown run with 33 seconds remaining in the game, is flat-out unacceptable by any standards. It’s also not the first time Bowen’s been under fire for his questionable play-calling. The same issues arose following an overtime loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2, where Bowen played zone coverage down the field. The Cowboys were able to march down the field for kicker Brandon Aubrey to tie the game at 37. That drive took just 19 seconds. How Bown is still here remains a mystery, but he’s likely going to be out by the end of the season at the latest. However, if the defense continues to collapse in late-game situations like this, a mid-season change to the defensive coaching staff may be considered. Jaxson Dart Quickly Making A Case To Be The Franchise Face The defensive collapse ruined what could have been Dart’s second-straight statement performance against a playoff-ready team. Despite battling the altitude aerodynamics that saw his completion rating dip under 50%, the rookie quarterback threw for over 280 yards and three touchdowns. He also added his rushing touchdown late in the game. His big mistake came late in the fourth quarter, when he threw an interception to Justin Strnad in Giants territory. Dart was quick to take responsibility in the situation, stating “in that situation, you can’t do that.” He didn’t blame anyone outside of himself for the loss, he didn’t throw kicker Jude McAtamney under the bus for missing two extra points, choosing to sound like a seasoned pro rather than someone whose youth and ego get in the way of progress. In his first four games as a starter, Dart has made the most of the opportunity by throwing seven touchdowns and rushing for three more scores. He’s thrown for under 1,000 yards and only has a completion rate above 60%, so there is work that needs to be done. His athleticism and leadership cannot be denied and his immediate impact on the offense can’t be understated. He’s going to be the next staple for the Giants at quarterback, barring any meltdowns or regression in play. Just wait until Malik Nabers comes back next year.

Being a Chicago Bulls fan isn’t for the faint of heart. For the past few years, it’s felt like we’ve been stuck in neutral — not bad enough to bottom out, but not good enough to scare anyone either. Every offseason brings the same question: what direction are we going? But this year feels… different. There’s finally a sense that the front office might be ready to shift gears — leaning into youth, player development and a cleaner identity. The roster looks younger, fresher and maybe even hungrier. So, as we head into another season, here are the three things I’m genuinely looking forward to as a Bulls fan. 1. Watching Matas Buzelis Grow into his Own I can’t remember the last time I was this excited about a Bulls player. Matas Buzelis brings something we’ve been missing for years — real potential. Not just “nice role player” potential, but star-upside potential. At 6-foot-10, he’s smooth, athletic and has that confident Chicago edge to his game. He’s got the skill set every modern NBA team wants — can handle the ball, shoot off the dribble and attack the rim. The G League Ignite experience gave him a head start against pros, but now it’s about adjusting to the physicality and pace of the NBA. What I’ll be watching for most is how he fits in with the rest of the roster. Will Billy Donovan let him grow into his game? Can he continue to develop chemistry with guys like Coby White and Josh Giddey ? Those reps early in the season will matter. He’s still young and raw, so the ups and downs are coming, but that’s part of the fun. Bulls fans haven’t had a true homegrown star in the making since Derrick Rose . And while it’s unfair to put that kind of pressure on Matas, it’s hard not to dream a little. The city loves a kid who plays with confidence, hustle and heart — and Buzelis checks every box. This season isn’t about perfection; it’s about progress. I’m ready to watch him grow game by game. 2. The Future of Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White Two guards. Two homegrown talents. Two different stories that might define the Bulls’ direction for the next few years. White is coming off his breakout season — one that made everyone take notice. He finally put it all together: the scoring, the maturity, the leadership. He’s no longer just a spark plug off the bench; he’s the heartbeat of the offense now. You can tell he’s confident, more patient and more in control. Watching his development from streaky shooter to legitimate starting guard has been one of the most satisfying journeys as a fan. Then there’s Ayo Dosunmu — the Chicago kid who’s all about toughness and defense. He’s never been the flashiest player, but his energy, effort and willingness to guard the other team’s best perimeter player every night make him special. With Alex Caruso gone, Ayo’s defensive presence becomes even more valuable. The question is how the Bulls balance their growth together. Can they both be part of the long-term core? Their chemistry is solid, and both have improved every year, but the front office will have to decide what kind of backcourt they want to build around. Either way, watching two young guards who’ve earned everything through hard work — and done it in Bulls colors — makes this team easier to root for. Whether they end up sharing the backcourt long-term or going different directions, they’ve helped restore some pride to the franchise. 3. Can this Team Finally Find a Defensive Identity? The biggest frustration with recent Bulls teams hasn’t been effort — it’s not like they need to become the 2004 Detroit Pistons, but paired with the potency that this offense brings, any marginal improvement to the defense could result in a significant win increase in 2025-26. This season, that has to change. With Lonzo Ball and Caruso gone, the team’s defensive personality will look different, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It opens the door for a new defensive leader to step up — whether it’s Ayo setting the tone at the perimeter, Patrick Williams (if healthy) taking a leap as a stopper, or even Buzelis learning how to use his length effectively on switches. What the Bulls need is buy-in. The roster isn’t elite defensively on paper, but if they commit to effort, rotations and rebounding, they can be solid. Defense is about attitude more than anything — and this team finally feels like it might have the right mix of players who want to prove something. The other key is scheme. The Bulls have spent years trying to play conservative defense, but maybe it’s time to embrace chaos — push tempo off turnovers, fly around, use athleticism to their advantage. When the United Center crowd gets behind those energy runs, you can feel it. Chicago basketball is supposed to be gritty. Hopefully, this year’s group brings that edge back. Final Thoughts For once, I’m not focused on playoff seeding or trade rumors. I just want to see progress. Buzelis developing into a future cornerstone. White and Dosunmu continuing to grow as a backcourt. A team that actually competes defensively and plays with pride. This might not be a championship season — maybe not even close — but it can be a turning point. After years of being stuck, the Bulls finally have a direction rooted in youth, effort and upside. And as a fan, that’s all I’ve been asking for. Hope. Growth. Identity. It’s been a while since we’ve had all three — but maybe, just maybe, this is the year it starts to come together.

When examining a full NFL career, six weeks is not a terribly long span of time. But nearly all the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ rookies sure have made an impression in these first six games. Back in April, the Bucs’ front office put together an NFL Draft class of six players that it felt best addressed the roster’s needs. The group included a pair of receivers, a pair of cornerbacks and two defensive linemen—one an interior player and the other an edge rusher. Though it’s typically ideal to give rookies an extended period of time to adjust to the league’s game speed, five of these six players have already seen bulk snaps, and with how injured the team has become, they will likely continue to see their playing time increase. That might sound like a downtrodden statement, but there is an easy way to be optimistic about the situation: These rookies have been awesome. A third of the way through the season, all five rookies that have played have shown glimpses that they can be perennial NFL starters if developed correctly. In fact, you can go back to the two draft classes before this one — the hit rate has been astonishing. In those three classes, 17 different players still act as either consistent starters or rotational players for Tampa when they are healthy. This year, the rookie class has been integral on both sides of the ball to the Bucs’ 5-1 start. They found a Rookie of the Year candidate in the mix, and if the others continue to evolve, the front office will have done it again. Here is an early-season progress report: Emeka Egbuka, WR If you follow the NFL, the chances you haven’t heard Emeka Egbuka’s name are wildly slim. Without Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan to start the season, and with Mike Evans pulling a hamstring shortly after, the rookie Egbuka has been the cornerstone of the Tampa Bay offense at 23 years old. Despite suffering an injury Sunday against San Francisco, Egbuka’s versatility and playmaking ability have brought him well on his way to 1,000 yards in his first year. He is averaging over 17 yards per catch and has only played two games in which he did not find the end zone. He currently sits at No. 2 in the Offensive Rookie of the Year odds behind Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart, but before his injury, he was the favorite in some sportsbooks. Benjamin Morrison, CB One of the reasons Notre Dame’s talented corner, Benjamin Morrison, fell in the draft was because of durability concerns. So far as a rookie, those concerns have been valid. After having arguably his best outing of the season against Philadelphia in Week 4, Morrison has not seen the field due to hamstring issues. However, before getting banged up, Morrison was improving steadily. Entering the San Francisco matchup, Morrison ranked fifth of all rookies in lowest passer rating allowed while being targeted. He played a big role in holding Philadelphia’s stud receiver, AJ Brown, to two receptions for only seven yards on nine targets. When he returns, Morrison will be a great depth piece on the outside for the Bucs’ defense. Jacob Parrish, CB Though Jacob Parrish was selected after Morrison, he has arguably been the more impressive of the two defensive backs so far. For one, availability is the best ability, and Parrish has certainly had fewer injury concerns thus far. Furthermore, when he has been on the field, he has freed up 2024 draft pick Tykee Smith to either lurk in the box or sink back into a pure free safety position. With Parrish working largely in the nickel, close to the line of scrimmage, it has given Tampa a trustworthy five-DB set for obvious passing situations. He has also been unafraid to stick his hat in on run plays , notching 15 total tackles in his last two games. David Walker, EDGE David Walker has been the lone player of the 2025 draft class who has not seen the field. It’s unfortunate, but it’s not an indictment of his skill level—he tore his ACL back in July. He had surgery to repair his knee and should be an asset after this season, but he will not play a snap in 2025. Elijah Roberts, DL When Calijah Kancey saw his season cut short, there were a lot of question marks about who was going to step up and be that three-tech ox that Todd Bowles’ defenses often call for. The answer so far has been Elijah Roberts. The fifth-round pick from SMU has not exactly lit up the stat sheet , but many interior defensive linemen are most effective when they aren’t the one making the plays. Working alongside Vita Vea, Roberts has been a great force in a top-5 run defense in the NFL so far. He currently ranks first among rookie interior defensive linemen for pass rush win rate (11%), and his ability to rush the passer will likely only improve as well. Tez Johnson, WR Tez Johnson is the guy at work who just got really important in the blink of an eye. After Egbuka went down with his Week 6 hamstring tweak, the Bucs are now without their top four receivers and their starting running back. If none of them return, Tampa will enter this Monday night’s matchup against the Detroit Lions (4-2) with a receiving corps of Tez Johnson, Kam Johnson, Sterling Shepard and Ryan Miller. Johnson made his first huge play of his rookie season on Sunday, when he caught a 45-yard bomb from Baker Mayfield to give Tampa a 30-19 lead. Against the Lions, Tampa will likely look for him again for his big play ability.

After two hard weeks, the Los Angeles Chargers finally bounced back and overcame a litany of injuries to defeat the Miami Dolphins in thrilling fashion! So what did we learn? Tre Harris Deserves Snaps For weeks, Tre Harris has been used primarily as a blocker in the run game and sparingly as a pass catcher. This past week, he led the Chargers' skill players in offensive snaps with 53 , showing that he took all of the injured Quentin Johnston’s snaps as the full-time X receiver. Tre Harris showed flashes in the pass game and continued to be the best blocker among the WR corps, and it is very hard to imagine a world where he doesn’t carve out a role in this offense going forward. His numbers are not eye-popping by any means, but it’s clear that the Chargers staff views him highly. Ladd McConkey, WR1 Staying local to the WR Room, we bring our attention to Ladd McConkey, the highest-rated Charger in Week 6 according to PFF. McConkey has faced criticism for his slow start out of the gates, but it was only a matter of time before Justin Herbert rekindled his connection with the Georgia product. Herbert has now found McConkey in the endzone each of the last two contests, as well as enabling his first 100-yard performance of the 2025 season this past Sunday against Miami. McConkey has dominated target shares for the Bolts thus far, so his return to form should not be unexpected, especially given the circumstances of the offense with no Quentin Johnston vs Miami and a shoddy O-line. This is an offense where Ladd’s ability to find separation quickly underneath is paramount to success. Even with the return of Q imminent, I expect McConkey to continue to retain his rightful place as WR1 in the eyes of both Herbert and play caller Greg Roman. Benjamin St-Juste Deserves His Flowers It's a signing that was once totally ripped to shreds, but the former Washington Commander has turned heads during this early stretch of the season. St-Juste was forced into action earlier in the year due to an injury to Cam Hart, and has not just been serviceable, but has done enough to cut into a healthy Hart’s playing time. BSJ is all the way up to 37% snap share on defense, his highest of the year when both he and Hart are healthy, contrary to Hart’s 39% which would be his lowest of the year when both he and St-Juste are healthy. Truthfully, it’s not hard to see why. If I were to tell you before the season that St-Juste would be the highest-rated corner on the Chargers, would you believe me? Well, he is! With an 81.2 PFF grade, St-Juste is the eighth-highest ranked corner in the NFL–albeit in limited action–and the highest rated Chargers corner. And while PFF’s word isn’t gospel, the eye test has shown it too; St-Juste has finally gotten to a point where he’s mixing his freakish athleticism with sound ability, making for plays like we saw on Sunday. St-Juste he undercut an in-breaking route, diving in front of Devon Achane and making an impressive INT that put the Chargers in the drivers seat to take home a huge early season W. This play becomes a lot more significant when you take into account Cam Hart had an opportunity to make Tua pay on an extremely late throw to the boundary and couldn’t. For a defense that needs to find a way to force more turnovers, it is important to note who is making them happen and who isn’t. The Tagovalioa Versus Herbert Debate Is Dead and Buried Not long ago, Justin Herbert was a social media quarterback, and Tua Tagovailoa was the guy who “just gets the job done”. Fast forward to today, and there is reason to believe that Tua may be in his last season as the Dolphins’ signal caller. Meanwhile, Justin Herbert has his team in first place of the AFC West after orchestrating a clutch game-winning drive, his 18th since entering the league (behind only Patrick Mahomes’ 19 in that same span). As Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel calls Tua’s postgame comments on Sunday “misguided” , Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh is describing Justin Herbert’s game-winning throw to McConkey on Sunday as something that “will be burned in my brain until they throw dirt on top of me”. These two QBs never were, and never will be in the same stratosphere; their coaches know it, the league knows it, it’s about time the media and fans know it. To quote WWE’s LA Knight, “That’s not an insult, that’s just a fact of life.”

Although the Pittsburgh Steelers offense had a productive day in a 23-9 victory against Cleveland, the defense was the biggest story of the afternoon. With zero touchdowns allowed on the day, the unit looks to be in great shape through five games. With a short week coming up, let’s take a quick look at the state of the defense before we see them against Cincinnati on Thursday. Good: Healthy defense eats rookies for breakfast Dillon Gabriel got the starting nod at quarterback for the second straight week, while the Browns also started Quishon Judkins at running back and using Gage Larvadain, Isaiah Bond, Harold Fannin Jr, and Dylan Sampson throughout the game. With so little experience on the opposing offense, Pittsburgh’s defense feasted all day. Gabriel was sacked six times , including two each for Jalen Ramsey and Nick Herbig. Judkins was held to 36 yards on the ground, and outside of Fannin’s 81 yards on seven receptions, no receiver had more than 45 yards. Alex Highsmith and Joey Porter Jr. both made their season debuts for the Steelers' defense, making an immediate impact with half a sack for Highsmith and two pass breakups for Porter Jr. With Derrick Harmon and DeShon Elliott also joining the lineup somewhat recently, the defense finally had the opportunity to play at full health, and it looked lethal in their sharpest outing so far this year. Bad: Acrisure Stadium’s playing surface All of Pittsburgh’s points in the first half came from the leg of the ever-reliable Chris Boswell, but he missed one badly late in the game to extend a Steelers lead. Upon replay, it was obvious that he lost his footing while stepping into the kick, which means that the Steelers' home field cost them three points. Acrisure Stadium has also hosted several Pittsburgh Panthers home games so far this season, so the grass surface has seen more wear and tear then most NFL fields at this point in the year. The playing surface was in visibly poor condition for much of the game, to such an extent that Aaron Rodgers criticized the field for being a danger to the players. There’s been much debate about playing surfaces in relation to player safety recently, especially with the dangers of artificial turf in terms of knee injuries. With how often the Steelers have been plagued by injuries in the past few seasons, they cannot afford to have their home field be a disadvantage. Ugly: An arm-for-hire who knows the Steelers all too well Gabriel’s new position as QB1 in Cleveland led them to make a rare in-division trade, sending Joe Flacco to Cincinnati. Flacco is in line to make his second start for the Bengals against the Steelers this Thursday night. Most quarterbacks would struggle to adapt to a new team in the middle of the season, but as Mike Tomlin noted on Monda y, it "doesn't appear to be hard for Joe Flacco.” Tomlin is plenty familiar with Flacco by now. Between his decade-long tenure in Baltimore and his stints in Cleveland and now Cincinnati, Pittsburgh is the only AFC North team yet to employ Flacco’s services. In total, this will be Flacco’s 12th year in the Steelers’ division. With Flacco’s veteran presence combining with a lethal Bengals receiving corps, Thursday’s game will determine if Pittsburgh’s defense is truly ready to be elite or if they simply beat up on a young squad on Sunday.

With a 3-0 start to the preseason, the New York Knicks were firing on all cylinders and playing like a true playoff-caliber team. Then came Monday’s game against the Washington Wizards at Madison Square Garden, where none of the starters received minutes. Miles McBride, Pacome Dadiet, Guerschon Yabusele, Jordan Clarkson and Malcolm Brogdon were sent out to defend home court. However, the five backups were no match for the Wizards, who cruised past them to pick up the 120-103 victory. Marvin Bagley III ended the game with an 18-point and 11-rebound double-double, while Tre Johnson and Kyshawn George combined for 21 points. McBride ended with 11 points, but went 2-for-9 from 3-point range. Yabusele and Clarkson scored in the double digits, but Brogdon fell short of that tally with just four points. The Knicks' only source of offense was Tyler Kolek’s 20 points, four rebounds and six assists. The 17-point loss highlighted two key problems among New York’s bench: defense and good 3-point shooting. Knicks were Outscored by 23 in the 1st Half Defense has always been a recurring problem for the Knicks, and it became more apparent on Monday night. By the time there was 5:51 left in the first quarter, the Wizards already held a sizable seven-point lead. Tristan Vukcevic then nailed a 3-pointer at the end of the quarter to put Washington up by 10. It didn’t get much better for the Knicks in the second quarter, as they went down by 23 at the end of the first half. Worst of all, the Wizards made six 3-pointers in the second quarter, while the Knicks only made one. Something needs to change if the bench is getting outscored by this much in the first half. Head coach Mike Brown needs to have his team work more on their 3-point defense and defensive pressure when close to the basket. Furthermore, I want to see Dadiet work more on his defensive prowess because at 6-foot-7 and 210 pounds, he has the size to make plays on defense. The same goes for Yabusele, because if he starts to develop defensively, the Knicks will have a better chance at stopping larger forwards because he will be paired with centers Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson. Shooting 31% from 3-point Range with 1 Week Left in Preseason 3-point shooting has never been the Knicks' strong suit, which became even more evident against the Wizards. Dadiet, Yabusele and Clarkson got two 3-pointers to fall, but missed three to four of their attempts. The rest of the team made five from long range but missed 11. Ultimately, New York ended with a 31% 3-point percentage, falling short of the Wizards' 39%. Washington made 54% of its attempts from the field, while the Knicks ended with 44% from the field. If your team is struggling this much to hit 3-pointers, then some work needs to be done. Brown should have his team spend extra time practicing deep and corner 3-pointers until they become more comfortable shooting threes well. This can specifically benefit McBride , a talented shooter who missed seven 3-pointers against the Wizards. The one good thing about the Knicks' loss to Washington is that they still have a week left until the start of the regular season, meaning there is still time for them to work on their defense and 3-point shooting. They still have one more preseason game on Friday against the Charlotte Hornets, but Brown has to prepare his team for their home and season opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Oct. 22.

Charlotte finally got a preseason win, and did it against one of the most intriguing teams going into this season in the Dallas Mavericks. Charlotte made a noticeable adjustment entering its third preseason game, changing the starting lineup and adding some veteran experience to it. The Hornets elected to start veteran guard Collin Sexton, who they acquired in a trade with the Utah Jazz this offseason. The other change they made to the starting lineup was at center, with Ryan Kalkbrenner starting instead of Moussa Diabaté. Kalkbrenner made an immediate impact, shooting 7-7 from the field, finishing the game with 14 points, 10 rebounds and one block. Kalkbrenner was effective without even showing his full arsenal offensively with his ability to stretch the floor. He found his spots on the court, especially in the paint, and was rewarded by his playmakers for doing so. Another standout was Miles Bridges, showing every facet of his game offensively, from his three-point shooting, his ridiculous athleticism when attacking the basket and catching lobs. He also dominated the glass; he led the team in rebounds with 11, making two Hornets who recorded double-doubles on Saturday night. Bridges finished the night with 20 points; his efficiency wasn’t where it needed to be every night, at just 38% from the field, but he shot 50% from three, which is a significant improvement for him to unlock another level of his game offensively and give opponents another facet to worry about. Offensively, it was a good effort from Charlotte collectively, shooting just under 50% from the field and over 40% from beyond the arc. The most impressive piece of this game from the Hornets was that six players scored over double-digit points, including the entire starting five of LaMelo Ball, Sexton, Bridges, Brandon Miller and Kalkbrenner. The starting unit looked comfortable together, and Charlotte was able to find all sorts of open looks from outside and in the paint. The sixth player to crack double digits was Kon Knueppel, who still looked comfortable on the floor even though he didn’t start for the first time this preseason. Ball also chipped in 20 points. He shot an excellent 61% from the field, and along with Bridges was 4-8 from long distance. Obviously, he won’t shoot 61% for the season, but if he can stay above the 50% mark, then that should catapult his offensive production even higher than it has been in years prior. The only gripe on Charlotte’s 120-116 win over Dallas was the fact the final score was as close as it was. There were multiple points in the first and second half where Charlotte had built a double-digit lead, and each time they did, Dallas was able to respond and bring itself right back into the game. If Charlotte looks to truly improve and make noise in the Eastern Conference, then it'll have to be able to put teams away rather than give teams late opportunities to steal games. Charlotte has two more preseason games left to build on, facing off against the Memphis Grizzlies and the New York Knicks.

The historic OKC defense was a huge factor in the team's success last season. Now everyone is trying to copy the same blueprint coming into 2025-26. Defense wins championships. That’s what the Thunder proved in the 2024-25 season when it campaigned for what has been the best season in franchise history. This eventually led to their first championship in the OKC era, but now a bigger task lies before them: Defending their title. But is it truly an easy thing to copy what they have been doing all season long? We have seen how champions have set the bar. The Golden State Warriors in 2015 introduced the small-ball lineup and an increased volume of threes, and many teams have adopted the same. The Boston Celtics, in 2024, emphasized the importance of depth, and many teams added key role players to their squads. So when the Thunder took pride in its defense, contending teams were quick to join in on the hyp e. Breaking Down the OKC Defense The Oklahoma City Thunder’s identity was established a long time ago, since it became a competitive team in the Western Conference. Thunder GM Sam Presti forged this identity without many people noticing it. They even had a shot at the big trophy in 2012, but youth got the better of them. This was expanded further when they molded the rest of the team to be versatile defenders in their own right. If you take a look at the OKC roster, almost every single one of them is a proven threat on defense. Even Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning MVP, finished with the second-most steals last season. This physical approach to the defense proved that Oklahoma City’s mentality became a testament to how champions should always focus on defense first. Of course, the fabled OKC defense led the league in defensive rating, opponent FG% and forced turnovers in the 2024-25 campaign alone. We have seen how the Thunder turned defense into offense, wreaking havoc with plenty of disruption. Their physical defense is outstanding proof that they can truly take over and control the game. All of these point toward Oklahoma City being the catalyst of a generational defense that hasn’t been seen in a long time. Now more than ever, OKC is the gold standard for a lot of teams heading into the season. But will any team succeed in copying their defensive level of play? You Need Good Defenders Alex Caruso, Luguentz Dort and Cason Wallace. These three players have been causing chaos for opposing teams, and it shows. Caruso and Wallace, known as the “Cookies and Cream” duo, are the latest defensive standouts so far. Caruso is already known for being able to provide the 3-and-D option for OKC, and so is Dort with his impressive on-ball defense that earned him an All-Defense recognition. Wallace, on the other hand, is a young player getting a bigger spotlight and getting mentored by impressive defenders. Then there’s the fact that Chet Holmgren is a rising shot blocker and is even a top-two favorite for the Defensive Player of the Year this coming season. Then you have SGA’s two-way ability, who had 131 steals in 2024-25. Jalen Williams is also a lethal defender who can turn up the energy for OKC, and it’s worth noting that he was named to the All-Defense Second Team last season. When Nikola Jokic commented on the new defensive style by Denver Nuggets head coach David Adelman, it turned many heads and ignited a lot of discussions. “We are trying to be aggressive,” Jokić said last Friday per the Denver Post . “We’re trying to be, like, close to a foul — testing the refs to call the fouls. That’s something that we’re gonna try to do. That was the emphasis of the practice.” Well, that’s a first. The Nuggets made some roster revamps, and while this is a step forward, they don’t have the same defensive-minded players that OKC has, which sets a significant difference to begin with. The Thunder had prepared for this, building up this defensive identity for years, and it paid off. Youth Plays a Critical Role Back then, the OKC defense was often criticized for being too unconventional and unpredictable by NBA standards. Aside from having great defenders, OKC has also relied on a young roster, which makes it tougher to imitate them. The defensive identity that the champs have made says a lot about how unique a team they are. Youth plays a bigger role than most people think. Fresh legs, fresh perspective and an eagerness to lay their bodies on the floor to dive for loose balls, go for steals, deflections and so on. Oklahoma City has been that way for quite some time now, which points to more years of dominance and learning. As we have seen in the previous season, having less experience than other Western Conference teams isn’t much of a bad thing. It allows the Thunder to be themselves, and their youth has become quite a strength rather than a weakness. They aren’t accustomed to the rules in approaching the postseason like many other teams do. They do it in their own way. The mere fact that the OKC defense can revolutionize the modern NBA says a lot about how youth is their main power for the time being. The Thunder Chemistry is Hard to Achieve Overall, replicating the OKC defense can be a hard thing if the copying team doesn’t have the same level of team chemistry. We have seen over the years how the Thunder slowly kept the same core of players and eventually grew close throughout the rebuilding years. It felt longer, but they were only out of playoff contention for a few years, and quickly won a championship after a strong set of seasons. This just says a lot about how the Thunder's chemistry has evolved over the years. With it, the OKC defense also became prominent . They trusted one another to bring the energy on both ends of the floor, and it has paid off with a league title. Their level of trust in each other is quite hard to achieve with many teams. At this point, fans can expect to see a lot of gritty teams doing the same things that OKC does. Running down the floor, hustling for loose balls, doing some full-court presses, and even coming up with huge margins of victories. This is the Thunder brand, and one can say that this is going to take some time before the OKC defense can be truly replicated and turned into a championship recipe for another team.

No one expected the New York Giants to play that well in a primetime game against the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. It wasn’t a close game either, defeating Philly in a convincing 34-17 at home on Thursday night in a game they were widely expected to lose. The team improved to a 2-4 record, winning two out of their last three games, while the Eagles dropped to 4-2 with their second straight loss. The team was firing on all cylinders for the first time this season, showcasing what can be done if there isn’t any parts out of order. Making it sweeter, the rookies all came out to play in some way, especially on offense. Perhaps this might be the week the team finally turns the corner they’ve been stuck on for the last few years. Rookies On Offense Finally Blossom One thing that plagued the Giants the previous week was their five turnovers against the New Orleans Saints in the second half, effectively shutting off their offense. This week, they did not commit a single turnover all game on offense and moved the ball efficiently among an even clock spread. In fact, the team had the most yards from scrimmage in a game this season. Cam Skattebo had a breakout game, earning over 100 yards from scrimmage and scoring three touchdowns on the ground. Averaging five yards per carry, it was his most effective game this season. The 23-year-old rookie had more rushing yards, touchdowns, receptions, and even a more efficient YPC rating than Saquon Barkley. The Giants may have found a perfect fit for their offense after all. Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart rebounded from an awful game in New Orleans to earn his first real statement win of his career. He went 17-for-25 with 195 yards and a touchdown in the air, and nearly 60 yards and another touchdown on the ground. The Ole Miss product now has over 50 rushing yards per game in his first three starts thanks to a seemingly improving offensive line. The offensive line, one of the team’s many areas of concern, all scored above a PFF grade of 60. Andrew Thomas’ return and subsequent performance have given the rookie duo blindside protection and some running lanes to utilize. They did play against an Eagles team without Jalen Carter up front, but there’s reason to be at least hopeful the line can hold for most of the season. Key Fourth Quarter Turnover Seals the Deal Philadelphia did have two opportunities to turn the game into a one-score affair in the fourth quarter. Up 27-12 with just over 11 minutes to go, the Eagles were in the Giants' red zone, Hurts in shotgun formation. A pass to his left was intercepted on a fantastic coverage scheme by Cordale Flott, which he nearly returned for a touchdown. That drive ended in a Skattebo touchdown. Later in the quarter, Philadelphia again found itself deep in Giants territory, only for AJ Dillon to fumble the ball after catching a pass. That ended the game as New York was then able to run down the clock with a 34-17 lead. The team also ended up getting three sacks against Jalen Hurts and limited Barkley to only 58 yards rushing. The Eagles were without Landon Dickerson, but New York performed exceptionally well. This is a team that ranks 27th in overall yards per game, so a defensive game was needed in the worst way. Their two takeaways bring their turnover ratio to negative three, but leave their total turnovers at eight. There’s really not much to complain, except for the fact the team’s schedule is expected to get harder in the next few weeks. They have a challenge ahead of them against the Denver Broncos, Philly again, and the San Francisco 49ers.

It’s very possible that the 49ers just had their King Kong moment. In a year in which they’ve been able to brush off losses of everyone from their starting quarterback to star pass-rusher, yet been able to grind out some incredible wins along the way, the loss of All-World linebacker Fred Warner in the early goings of Sunday’s defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could’ve been the bullet that finally hit the team’s season in the chest. Writing of Warner’s importance to the 49ers would take another article all of its own, but suffice it to say that on a franchise containing linebacking heroes like Patrick Willis, NaVarro Bowman, Charles Haley, and Jack Reynolds, among others, Warner didn’t just put himself in the same company as them, but arguably pushed him into the front of the line. The better player between him and particularly Willis is often debated, something which increased recently when Warner passed Willis in terms of forced fumbles. Yes, I’m Still an Optimist As with Nick Bosa, I will always trend towards the more optimistic bent when it comes to 49ers injuries–I simply believe that no team that has shown the grit, heart, and will to win that this 4-2 49ers team has shown this season can ever truly give up on the year–but Warner’s absence may actually be more destructive. There was an immediate hole in coverage in the middle of the field, something Baker Mayfield exploited ruthlessly, and the 49ers' run defense also suffered with Warner off the field. It will be a huge challenge for Tatum Bethune, Dee Winters, and third-round draft choice Nick Martin to fill the void, and if we’re being entirely honest with ourselves, they won’t. No one can play like Fred Warner. But if the team is able to be passable on defense, there are signs that the team’s offense, youth, and enthusiasm might just be able to carry them through, a la last year’s Detroit Lions. The biggest problems facing the 49ers, however, have nothing to do with injuries. They’re more fundamental. The 49ers are Fundamentally Lacking, No Matter Who is on the Field Missing your two best defensive players is a situation no one wants to be in. I can’t sit here with a straight face and write that "the 49ers don’t need Nick Bosa and Fred Warner to be successful," and it’d be churlish of me to do so. They’re great players, and even someone as optimistic as I can’t tell you they don’t matter to the team’s performance, in spite of Tony Romo’s peculiar screaming of ‘YA THINK FRED WARNER DOESN’T MATTER?!’ following a Tampa Bay touchdown on Sunday. (This continued his Joe DiMaggio-like streak of arguing against points absolutely no one made. He remains the worst analyst in football, but what can you expect from an ex-Cowboy?) That said, I don’t honestly think the absence of Fred Warner was why the 49ers lost on Sunday. On a base level, one could look at the defense failing to make a stop on Tampa Bay almost from the second he went out of the game as a damning indictment of the team’s prospects without its star linebacker ... but things go a little bit deeper than that. I did coach this game, once, many many years ago, and the fundamentals of this sport remain pretty much as they always were: you have to block, you have to tackle, and you have to play what’s in front of you. The 49ers spectacularly failed on all three counts on Sunday. Blocking: The 49ers allowed a staggering 16 pressures on Sunday, with six of them becoming sacks, and the running game once again failed to get going in its stead. The interior line was particularly culpable, with the triplet of Connor Colby, Jake Brendel, and Dominick Puni doing their best imitation of matadors. Puni has the excuse of likely playing injured, whereas Colby is a rookie who’s possibly overmatched, but it’s sad to watch Jake Brendel at this point. He shouldn’t even be on a football team, let alone starting. Tackling: Possibly the most egregious example was Baker Mayfield’s "miracle" 3rd-and-15 play that largely swung the game. With at least four missed tackles on the play, let’s just say Jesus would’ve found miracles much easier if he’d been able to do them against the 49ers defense. But there was an overall malaise with the tackling in general, with many players doing passable interpretations of Fred Warner’s Red Adair-like flying to the ball, but forgetting the part about putting the man on the ground. (Malik Mustapha particularly stands out.) The run defense failed to stuff Tampa as a result, continually putting Mayfield in favourable situations. A game-changing defensive tackle, or the continued development of Alfred Collins and CJ West, would make this defensive unit roughly a million times better. Playing what’s in front of you : Directly after "Baker’s miracle," the team gave up a long touchdown pass, allowing a lead they would never pull back. Safety Marques Sigle was culpable, but there were multiple busts in coverage throughout the day. The fact is, it doesn’t matter if you’re starting Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, or even Reggie White and Derrick Thomas, if you cannot do fundamental things that decide football games effectively, you will not win games. Some things are a function of growth of a young defense, or John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan’s baffling aversion to investing in the offensive line , but as I said before the Rams game, there can be no excuse-making or hiding behind injuries. Sadly, I suspect, after briefly rallying without Bosa, there are certain players on the 49ers who are willing to hide behind "well, Fred’s not here" or something similar to justify poor defensive play. Well, enough is enough. Do the basics right, and you can still win football games. Get them wrong, as the 49ers did against both Tampa and Jacksonville in recent weeks, and, well, you’ll be watching from the couch in January. Where to Next? The 49ers have a chance to right the ship on Sunday Night Football against the Atlanta Falcons, and I wouldn’t have any issues with picking them to do so. That begins a run of games up until their (late) bye that could decide what sort of season the team’s about to have: Falcons @ Texans @ Giants Rams @ Cardinals Panthers @ Browns On paper, they’re all winnable games, particularly as George Kittle and others return to the lineup, but a stumble prior to their second meeting with the Rams could change the trajectory of the year, and see more playing time for rookies and younger players. I’m still not ready to punt on the season. At 4-2, with this young defensive core, a great defensive coordinator, and Kyle Shanahan, I still think this team can win the NFC West. That starts with a win over Atlanta on Sunday. With what we’ve seen this year, in spite of all the complaints, online overreactions and caterwauling, I happen to still believe in this team. I just hope they believe in themselves.

The Cardinals suffered their fourth straight loss on Sunday, falling to the Indianapolis Colts by a score of 31-27. While the Colts are a good team, this marked yet another week of Arizona playing competitive football, but being unable to close out the game. This was supposed to be the easy portion of the schedule, and with the league's second-hardest strength of schedule from week seven on, things look like they’ll only get worse barring a miracle. Jonathan Gannon’s seat feels scorching hot, and the betting market reflects it. He needs a win in the worst way, or he could be shown the door come Monday morning. The Green Bay Packers coming to town could provide the spark that Arizona needs, but they’re an extremely talented team with an offense similar to the Colts and a much scarier defensive front. Let’s take a look at matchups on both sides of the ball and determine how winnable this game is for Arizona. Green Bay Offense vs Arizona Defense The Packers' offense profiles similarly to the Colts in that they both want to lean on their running games with bellcow running backs and strong offensive lines, piggybacking off that success with play action passing that gives their quarterbacks time to work. Jonathan Taylor ran all over the Cardinals last week, totaling 123 yards on 21 carries, good for 5.9 yards per carry. Taylor has been excellent all season, but the Colts' PFF run blocking grade ranks fifth in the league, showcasing that Indianapolis' rushing success is a complete effort. The Packers have a back in Josh Jacobs that is fully capable of doing the same amount of damage Taylor did, if not more, thanks to his punishing running style. Green Bay’s team run blocking grade sits all the way down at 25th in the league, as they’ve been hampered by offensive line injuries, but week six was by far their best performance, albeit against a Cincinnati defense that Ohio State University would find success against. The Packers' passing game has found quite a bit of success this year. While the offensive line injuries have at times held them down, they’ve been able to generate explosive plays through the air at the league's fifth-highest rate over the last month. The Packers can generate chunks of yardage on short throws or deep ones, thanks to a deep group of weapons, including a tackle-breaking machine in tight end Tucker Kraft and multiple burners at receiver, the most exciting(and healthy) of which being rookie Matthew Golden, who has seen his role grow over the last few weeks, and showcased his full skillset against Cincinati. Romeo Doubs is having a great season in a contract year for Green Bay, and Christian Watson could potentially make his season debut on Sunday, giving the Packers yet another deep option. Jordan Love is the offensive X-factor for Green Bay, and now that he’s past the knee injury that bothered him for most of last season, his play resembles a lot more of the late-year breakout that got everyone so excited two years ago. He’s graded out as PFF’s 5th best quarterback overall, and the best QB in the league against the blitz. The best and seemingly only way to get Love off his spot this season is being able to get pressure with three or four rushers while maintaining strong coverage on the backend, as his grade drops all the way to 49.8 in that scenario, ranking 19th among qualified passers. The only team able to do this was Cleveland, and while Josh Sweat has been awesome this season, he isn’t Myles Garrett. The Cardinals' overall grade out as the league’s 25th-rated pass rush, and it doesn’t seem feasible to say that they’ll figure things out against an offensive line that’s now healthy, and one of the most talented that they’ve seen so far. Green Bay Defense VS Arizona Offense The conversation around Arizona’s run game can be told rather quickly: with or without Kyler Murray under center, the run game completely stinks. The run blocking has been bad, grading out as the league's 24th overall group, and the backfield rotation of Michael Carter, Bam Knight and Emari Demercado can’t pick up yardage if the blocking isn’t there. The Cardinals are generating explosive runs on 3.1% of carries over the last month, which ranks 24th in the league as well, and when you pit that against a Packers defense allowing explosive runs on just 1.6% of carries over that same span, the offense is going to be in 2nd/3rd and long situations all day. At the time of writing this article, it’s unclear whether Murray and Marvin Harrison Jr. will be available on Sunday. Jacoby Brissett was awesome last week, but I’ll be seriously concerned if he has to start again. As previously mentioned, it’s doubtful the run game puts whoever is at QB in advantageous spots on 2nd and 3rd down, which was acceptable against an Indy team so desperate for a pass rush they felt the need to use wide receiver Ashton Dulin as part of a blitz package. But Rashan Gary and Micah Parsons are both sensational edge rushers who are going to give the Cardinals' O-line fits. I expect Paris Johnson to hold his own, as he has all season, but Jonah Williams is going to get worked if he doesn’t get help from a running back or tight end. The Packers could be without their best interior rusher in Devonte Wyatt, and are likely to be missing their third edge rusher, Lukas Van Ness, two big breaks for Arizona, as both are playing very well. The Packers defense has ceded big plays through the air at a 21.3% clip over the last month, ranking just 23rd in the league, though a decent amount of that can be attributed to a miserable night in Dallas. Against Washington, Cleveland and Cincinnati, the longest completion they allowed was 20 yards. Game Prediction: Cardinals Lose 24-7 The statistical profiles of both teams paint a rough picture for Arizona. The Cardinals will have either Murray on an injured foot or a backup in Brissett, supplemented by one of the league's worst rushing attacks against one of its best run defenses, which will likely allow the Green Bay pass rush to pin its ears back. On the flipside, an Arizona defense giving up explosive plays at one of the worst rates in the league faces a rushing attack rounding into form and a passing game that already ranks among the league's most explosive. The Packers have had trouble getting up for games against poor competition so far this season, but unless Arizona manages to fluster Love into some turnovers, I think the Gannon era could come to a tough end on Sunday.

Despite being the clearly better team on Sunday morning, the Denver Broncos found themselves desperately trying to hold onto their one-point lead over the New York Jets. Still, with five minutes remaining in the London, England game, Quinn Meinerz held a New York defender in the endzone, awarding the Jets with two points and an 11-10 lead. Denver’s next two drives were three-and-outs. The Broncos finally put together a 12-play, 65-yard drive, which ended in a Wil Lutz field goal, stamped by the only goal-to-go situation for either team. New York had only nine total plays with possession of the ball for the rest of the game, and Denver escaped with an underwhelming win. Even after beating the defending Super Bowl champions in Week 5, though, this kind of performance felt more than possible, and it’s because Denver doesn’t know how to play a clean game six weeks into the season. Meinerz's hold in the end zone was the biggest mistake of the game, and it could have cost Denver the game, but that wasn’t the only time on Sunday that a costly mistake ended a drive and rewarded the Jets. On the Broncos’ third offensive play of the game, receiver Troy Franklin put the ball on the floor, and New York recovered the ball. Despite gaining just three yards following the turnover, New York still scored three points on the possession. Denver ended the game with six penalties for 37 yards, while the Jets committed just two penalties for a total of 15 yards. The 4-2 Broncos nearly lost to the 0-6 Jets, who are six games into the Aaron Glenn era, because of self-inflicted mistakes. To be fair, offensive guard Ben Powers’ absence slotted backup lineman Matt Peart into the lineup, and he was responsible for three penalties, according to Pro Football Focus . Penalties have been a detriment to the Broncos’ season so far. In fact, if they played four quarters of clean football consistently, they very well could have been undefeated. Against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2, Denver led for the entire fourth quarter. The clock even hit zero with the Broncos in the lead, but a leverage penalty on the missed game-winning field goal attempt gave the Colts another try, which they sent down the middle of the uprights. In Week 3 against the Los Angeles Chargers, Denver had a four-point lead and had the ball at the Chargers’ 4-yard line, but a Franklin offensive pass interference set Denver back 10 more yards, forcing them to settle for a field goal and remain up one possession instead of two. After the defense forced a punt, the offense then had a chance to extend the lead, but after offsides and face mask calls, a second-and-6 turned into a second-and-20 and an eventual three-and-out. The Chargers took advantage of the opportunity, scoring a touchdown on the following drive and a game-winning field goal as time expired on the next drive. This season, Denver is tied for the fourth-most penalties in the league with 49. It has 448 penalty yards against the team, which is the second-highest mark in the league. A mix of poorly timed penalties and spotty situational play calling is responsible for the Broncos’ two losses so far this season. Contending teams don’t have this issue, especially not at the end of the season, but Denver’s defense has been elite enough to get the Broncos out of a few of these situations. While the New York offense is far from a juggernaut, Denver racked up nine sacks, driving the Jets 55 yards back, and since Jets quarterback Justin Fields passed for just 45 yards all morning, Denver held New York to -10 net passing yards. If the offense looked like it did in the fourth quarter of the win over the Philadelphia Eagles, Denver would be undoubtedly a contender. The issue is that it more often looks like the unit that couldn’t score on a lackluster Tennessee Titans defense and fell short against the Chargers. A win’s a win, and Denver is still second in the AFC West with a 4-2 record, but this season isn’t just about winning regular-season games; it’s about building toward a postseason run. The Broncos aren’t going to amount to much if they don’t polish their on-field product. In fact, they could miss the playoffs if they continue being as prone to mistakes as they have been through six weeks.

The Chicago Bulls are trapped — not by injuries, not by bad luck, but by their own indecision. This once-proud franchise has spent the better part of a decade chasing quick fixes instead of committing to a real direction. The result? A team that’s too good to tank, too flawed to contend, and far too stubborn to admit it. Let’s call it what it is: the Bulls are stuck in NBA purgatory. And the worst part? They did it to themselves. The downfall didn’t start overnight. It began years ago with the same pattern of overpaying for short-term stability instead of long-term growth. Remember when the Bulls threw big money at Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo in 2016, selling fans on a “Three Alphas” era with Jimmy Butler ? That team lasted one season and flamed out spectacularly. Then came the Jabari Parker contract — two years, $40 million for a player who couldn’t defend a chair. The front office kept chasing name recognition instead of building an actual foundation. Even after finally trading Butler in 2017, a move that should’ve triggered a full rebuild, Chicago refused to commit. They drafted decent players — Lauri Markkanen, Wendell Carter Jr., Coby White — but couldn’t develop them into stars because the organization kept flipping the script every two years. Then, in 2021, the front office made its biggest gamble yet: they doubled down on mediocrity by trading for DeMar DeRozan on a $85 million deal and trading for Nikola Vučević the season before, while sending out valuable picks that could’ve been used to rebuild. The plan was clear — skip the rebuild, jump straight to relevance. It worked… for about half a season. Apr 19, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan (11) dribbles the basketball as Miami Heat forward Haywood Highsmith (24) defends in the first quarter during a play-in game of the 2024 NBA playoffs at Kaseya Center. Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images That 2021–22 team, led by Zach LaVine , DeRozan and Vučević, was fun. They moved the ball, played hard, and briefly held the top seed in the East. But when injuries hit and defenses adjusted, the Bulls were exposed. Since then, they’ve been the NBA’s definition of average — hovering around .500, flirting with the play-in, and pretending it’s progress. The contracts haven’t helped. LaVine’s $215 million extension became one of the league’s most immovable deals before he was even traded. Vučević’s three-year, $60 million extension made even less sense for a team clearly not built to win now. And now, DeRozan’s future looms large again, forcing Chicago to choose between re-signing a 35-year-old scorer or letting another asset walk for nothing. No matter what path they pick, it feels like a lose-lose. Meanwhile, teams that embraced the rebuild — like Indiana, Orlando and Oklahoma City — are thriving. They drafted well, developed young cores and stayed patient. The Bulls, on the other hand, tried to fast-forward through the hard part. They’ve been operating like a franchise scared to be bad, when in reality, being bad for a couple of years might be the only way out of this mess. It’s not just the contracts — it’s the culture. The Bulls haven’t had a clear identity since Derrick Rose’s MVP season. They’re not an offensive powerhouse. They’re not a defensive juggernaut. They’re a team that exists in the middle, night after night, hoping for something to magically click. And it never does. The fans know it, too. Chicago isn’t a market that celebrates mediocrity. The city that watched Michael Jordan dominate the ’90s and saw Derrick Rose rise from Englewood to superstardom deserves better than “play-in potential.” Yet year after year, the Bulls front office feeds the same narrative: stay competitive, keep the seats filled, and maybe sneak into the postseason. It’s basketball without ambition. The Bulls don’t need tweaks — they need transformation. They need to stop handing out loyalty contracts and start stockpiling draft picks. They need to pick a direction, not another patchwork lineup of “solid veterans.” Because right now, Chicago isn’t chasing greatness — they’re clinging to relevance. And in a league built around stars, that’s not just being stuck. That’s being trapped.

The Golden State Warriors look to be back in championship shape after opening their 2025-26 preseason with a perfect record, backed by their strong team chemistry, the seamless integration of veteran additions, and a shockingly productive bench effort. Given their mix of veteran experience and young talent, it may spark nostalgia for the beginning of the Dubs' dynasty. While Stephen Curry and the returning core set the tone, the most impressive takeaway is how well Al Horford has integrated himself into the Warriors’ system. In their preseason-opening victory against the Los Angeles Lakers, Horford’s defensive presence was on full display. The 39-year-old key offseason acquisition showcased his veteran savvy and defensive prowess, plugging in three blocks, three assists, and a steal in only 14 minutes of playing time off the bench. His elite passing and spatial awareness as a big man were also shown, including an accurate pass to a cutting Curry that was a testament to their instant chemistry. Take a look at Curry speaking on Horford’s impact and the play from the Golden State Warriors X account: Coach Steve Kerr raved about Horford, according to Sam Gordon of Yahoo Sports , stating, “He’s an incredible player and fit for us. He just has that presence on the floor. “To see the size and the shooting ability, passing ability, just the flow of the game – yeah, what an addition he is. He just fits any lineup, makes every lineup better. We’re lucky to have him.” Horford’s knack for protecting the rim and spacing the floor should alleviate some of Draymond Green’s on-court responsibilities, allowing for more effective production from the heart and soul of the team. Lineup Experimentation and Stellar Bench Play Kerr has sampled various lineups in the initial exhibition preseason games, using them as an experiment for different potential combinations. In the opener against the Lakers, he started a small-ball unit of Curry, Green, Jimmy Butler, Brandon Podziemski, and Moses Moody. This group had success last season, but against the Portland Trail Blazers, Horford started. Their bench play was also notable, with a resilient performance in their comeback win against the Blazers. The depth of their rotation–featuring players like Quentin Post and Moses Moody–sparked their offense tremendously. Moody, in particular, has taken strides as a continuation from last year, carrying that momentum and playing an essential two-way role. Curry Looks Primed for a Championship-Level Year Even with limited minutes, Curry has proven to be in tip-top shape heading into this season. Against the Lakers, he scored 14 points in just 15 minutes, yet another reminder of his efficiency and range. His quick start and long-range shooting display served as a clear message that the Warriors’ engine is running smoothly and Chef Curry is ready to cook up an excellent season. This is especially true given the new rule against “high-five” defense, as coach Kerr stated, “I think it’ll help Steph every game because of the relaxed rules over the last few years, everybody’s out there just trying to hammer him on the arm,” according to Alex Simon of MSN . While the preseason is more about building team chemistry and testing out different lineups and strategies, the Warriors’ approach is paying off. Since the 2020-21 season, the team has gone 21-4 in exhibition games, which is a testament to its commitment to using October to reinforce winning habits. With key pickups fitting in with ease and the central core of Curry, Green, and Butler, the Warriors look well-equipped for another title run.

Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has taken a more conservative approach in his play calling over the last three games, which is understandable. Injuries along the offensive line have made both pass protection and run blocking suboptimal at best, and anytime you can avoid your $55 million men getting hit, you take it. Still, LaFleur’s conservative play-calling has handcuffed Green Bay’s offense at times. Jordan Love’s average depth of target was just 1.7 yards against the Cleveland Browns and 5.9 against the Dallas Cowboys, whose defense has had a historically poor start. That number improved to 8.1 against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 6, but overall, the offense remains reluctant to let Love sling the ball downfield. As I mentioned previously, pass blocking has not been great. Entering Week 6, Green Bay ranked among the bottom five teams in pass blocking efficiency . Still, LaFleur needed to make adjustments to maximize what was working in the offense — the passing game. That’s where Matthew Golden enters the picture, a player who could be the X-factor for this group if given the proper opportunities. Coming out of the draft, arguably, Golden’s most impressive trait was his hands. Brian Gutekunst, the Packers general manager, even described him as arguably having the best hands in the class — and that’s before even mentioning his 4.29 speed, the fastest at the combine. When you pair those traits, he’s a dynamic playmaker capable of elevating an offense to the next level. Still, the Packers have largely used Golden in a short, quick passing game this year, featuring screens and end-arounds. He had only four targets in the first two games and didn’t top 60 receiving yards until Week 6, when he then delivered his best performance of the season against the Bengals. Against the Bengals, Golden caught 3 of 5 targets for 86 yards. Two of those catches were huge, and they came on plays that actually let him go downfield — a glimpse of what he can do when Green Bay uses him beyond the short-game looks he’s usually stuck in. In the second quarter, Green Bay faced a 3rd-and-10 from their own 30-yard line. Love fired a laser down the sideline to Golden, who made a beautiful, smooth catch for the first down, putting the Packers in Cincinnati territory. The catch was as effortless as it was impressive. Late in the game, Green Bay faced a crucial 3rd-and-9 from their own 39-yard line. Leading 24-18, they needed a first down to move closer to a win. Love dropped back, rolled left and fired a dart to Golden, who made the catch and moved the chains, putting the Packers inside the Bengals' 30-yard line. “We had a concept call, a deep concept and I felt the pocket kind of moving and a lane to get out, so I started moving left,” Love explained in the press conference after the game. “MG was taking it deep and saw me working the scramble, so he was able to put his foot in the ground and come back down. I just threw it up for him, and he made a great play.” In the last three games, Golden has put up 4 targets for 52 yards, 6 targets for 58 yards and 6 targets for 94 yards. His workload should only increase. After the game, Love spoke about his first-round receiver. “He adds another explosive playmaker. I think he made some big-time plays today,” Love said. “Both really explosive plays with the go ball down the sideline and that last play to him." "I think he’s a guy we’re going to keep trying to get going and keep finding ways to get him the ball, because he’s done some really good things," he added. "It’s always about trying to spread it around, but he’s definitely a very explosive playmaker, and we just have to keep finding ways to get to him.” Hopefully, the offensive line continues to get healthier, which should give LaFleur the confidence to call more intermediate and deep concepts to take advantage of Golden’s speed. Sure, his speed is useful on quick, short routes, but how many cornerbacks in the league can keep up with 4.29 speed? Probably not many. His ascension as Green Bay’s potential number one receiver can only benefit the offense in the long term, but first, they need to let him loose.

On Friday morning, 105.3 The Fan Sports radio station in Dallas featured an announcement from the Cowboys' Executive Vice President, Stephen Jones, who confirmed that RB Miles Sanders will miss the remainder of the season due to an ankle and knee injury. Consequently, Jaydon Blue will officially take the position of RB 2, backing up Javonte Williams. Last week, Blue was finally activated to play against the New York Jets, where he had a limited role with four carries for seven yards. He also participated in special teams, making one return for 32 yards. I anticipate that his role will expand from this point, providing him with more opportunities to showcase his skills. Now, let's see what Blue contributes to the RB2 position. Blue's Explosive Playmaking Ability Blue's greatest asset is his ability to burst through openings and his acceleration at the second level. During his time at the University of Texas, he was recognized for transforming short runs into impressive gains of 20-30 yards. Notable highlights from his career include a 77-yard touchdown against Clemson University and a 69-yard run against Texas Tech University. Throughout his time at Texas, he averaged 5.4 yards per carry. The Cowboys have needed a runner like him since Tony Pollard. In this year's draft, the Cowboys selected Blue with the 149th overall pick in the 5th round, hoping to replicate or achieve similar results to what they experienced with Pollard. Reliable RB 2 Option Blue could serve as a change of pace behind Williams, who is currently the NFL's third leading rusher with 447 rushing yards and ranks second in rushing touchdowns with five TDs, according to ESPN. While Williams is known for his physical downhill power running style, Blue offers 4.4 speed as an outside zone runner. I anticipate they will utilize him in Jet Sweeps and motion plays similar to the strategy employed with WR KaVontae Turpin before his injury. Additionally, he will likely be featured in third-down packages and Two-RB sets to disguise play directions. Receiving Threatout of the Backfield Blue is not only a dynamic runner but also proved to be an effective receiver out of the backfield during his tenure at Texas. They utilized him by splitting him out wide and employing option and wheel routes to put pressure on the linebackers. In his last seasons with the Horns, he recorded 42 receptions for 368 receiving yards and six touchdowns. The Cowboys should leverage Dak Prescott's skill set within a short pass rhythm, particularly in third-and-medium situations. Conclusion In summary, Blue significantly contributes to the team as a special teams player (returner/gunner), a big play runner and a dynamic receiver in the backfield. Ultimately, it comes down to him executing what is required to officially secure the RB 2 role.