SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers got a jolt offensively when they made the bold decision in October to trade four draft picks to add Christian McCaffrey to an already deep group of playmakers.
The Philadelphia Eagles made an aggressive trade of their own to supercharge their offense when they added game-breaking receiver A.J. Brown in a draft-day trade.
The two moves by the NFC powerhouses are big reasons why the Niners (15-4) and Eagles (15-3) are set to meet in the conference title game in Philadelphia on Sunday with a spot in the Super Bowl on the line.
“It’s what we expected and he’s only exceeded all our expectations,” 49ers tight end George Kittle said of the trade that brought McCaffrey to San Francisco.
McCaffrey was languishing in last place in Carolina and the Niners were sputtering a bit on offense when they sent four draft picks to the Panthers to add McCaffrey.
McCaffrey got back to performing at the star level that made him one of the league’s most dangerous players and the Niners turned into the NFL’s most diverse offense with versatile players like McCaffrey, Kittle, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and Kyle Juszczyk.
“He’s a guy that if you leave him one-on-one with a linebacker, good luck: He’s going to tear you apart,” Kittle said. “You have to put two guys on him. And then if you pressure at all, you’re bringing a linebacker, and every other guy on the field has a one-on-one. Whether that’s Deebo, Brandon Aiyuk, me, Kyle Juszczyk. Those are a lot of one-on-ones where I’m going to take my guy over anybody else. And if you double anyone else? Good luck on Christian McCaffrey.”
Since inserting McCaffey into the starting lineup in Week 8 against the Los Angeles Rams, the 49ers have won 12 straight games. During that span, the Niners rank second in the NFL in scoring at 30.4 points per game and second in yards per play with 6.10.
“It’s a force multiplier,” general manager John Lynch said at the time of the trade. “It makes everyone around him better.”
McCaffrey leads the NFL with 1,341 yards from scrimmage in the 11 games since he became a starter and is tied for the most touchdowns with 12, including at least one in the last eight games.
But he is far from satisfied.
“What makes it so fun is that constant pursuit for perfection,” he said. “I think everyone on this team has that.”
Brown has had a similar impact on the Eagles after being acquired from Tennessee during the draft for a first and third-round pick and immediately getting a $100 million, four-year deal with $57 million guaranteed.
The move helped Jalen Hurts develop into an MVP finalist and lifted a team that got knocked out in the wild-card round a year ago as the seventh seed into the top team in the NFC.
“I thought we had a lot of pieces to try and make a potential run,” Brown said. “We’ve just got to put it together and execute. I think things are going well, of course. We’ve still got a lot of work to do. It’s not really a time to self reflect.”
Brown had 155 yards receiving in his Eagles debut and kept on rolling all the way to 88 catches for 1,496 yards and 11 touchdowns. He topped Mike Quick’s 1,409 yards in 1983 for most in a season in team history.
Brown’s addition alongside DeVonta Smith has given the Eagles a much more difficult offense to slow down than the one San Francisco faced in Week 2 of the 2021 season.
“The first thing is his size and strength,” Niners defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans said. “That’s the one thing that separates him from a lot of receivers, but not only that, when he catches the ball he turns it to a different gear. His run after catch, it’s been pretty dynamic to watch this year. He’s big where he can go down the field and make plays on the deep balls, but also he’s just catching the 5-yard routes and turning it up field and turning that into an explosive.”
The Eagles see the difference McCaffrey has made on the 49ers offense as well.
“You just add in another really, really good player into your organization, and that shows up,” defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon said. “He can beat you a lot of different ways, and we’ll have to have a plan for all the ways that he’s beating people.”
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AP Sports Writer Dan Gelston in Philadelphia contributed to this report.
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This Saturday kicks off the biggest holiday weekend since New Years: the NFL Playoffs. With the Wild Card round beginning January 14 and streaming acrossing all ESPN platforms, America is about to run on football playoffs.
All 32 teams play 17 regular season games for a chance to get to the Playoffs and win it all. And we’ll be updating you with all of the 2023 NFL Playoff news you’ll need each week. Starting off with this weekend’s Wild Card Round:
The Wild Card Round
Joe Burrow
Jeff Dean/AP/Shutterstock
The NFL splits their 32 teams into two conferences: the American Football Conference and the National Football Conference. During the Wild Card round this weekend, there will be six games: three AFC games and three NFC games.
Since the #1 team from each conference has a bye week, they won’t play until the weekend of the 20th during the Divisional Round. Both the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles will benefit with the rest from the bye, and will face the lowest seed from the winners of the Wild Card Round.
According to the ESPN website, the games will go as follows:
After the Wild Card round, teams will be re-seeded by the NFL. This ultimately becomes more fun if there are upsets. For example, if the New York Giants beat the Minnesota Vikings and Justin Jefferson, the Giants may have a chance to play the Philadelphia Eagles in the Divisional Round. Since both the Giants and the Eagles are in the same division during the regular season, this would be their third time playing each other this year.
The Divisional Round
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Las Vegas Raiders
Jeff Lewis/AP/Shutterstock
Typically throughout the playoffs, the highest seeded teams get home field advantage until the Super Bowl. The Divisional Round games will be played in Kansas City and Philadelphia, as will the AFC and NFC Championships if both teams advance.
Conference Championships
Seattle Seahawks vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Abbie Parr/AP/Shutterstock
On January 29, the final two games before the Super Bowl will commence. The remaining highest-seeded teams will have home field advantage. However, if the Chiefs end up playing the Buffalo Bills, the game will be held at a neutral site in Atlanta.
The neutral location decision was determined after the tragic Damar Hamlin injury during the Bengals-Bills game. Since the game was ruled a “no contest,” the Chiefs automatically became the #1 seed.
Super Bowl LVII
Josh Allen
Joshua Bessex/AP/Shutterstock
The respective winners from the AFC and NFC Championship games will meet in Glendale, Arizona on February 12 for Super Bowl LVII. Get ready for commercials, the Rihanna halftime show, and some of the best football you’ll see all year.
What Makes The Playoffs Fun?
Jalen Hurts
Chris Szagola/AP/Shutterstock
This year, everyone has something to prove in the playoffs. We are potentially seeing Tom Brady’s final year at QB after a 27-year reign in the NFL. Fan favorite Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals is looking for a return to the Super Bowl after losing to the Los Angeles Rams last year – and that’s not all.
The New York Giants are seeing playoff contention for the first time in years, and the San Francisco 49er’s will be led by third-string QB, last pick in the NFL Draft, Brock Purdy. Purdy has 1,374 yards and a pass completion of 67.1%, showing he maybe isn’t Mr. Irrelevant after all.
Young teams like the Los Angeles Chargers and Jacksonville Jaguars will have chances to prove themselves. Lamar Jackson will make his return to the Baltimore Ravens after battling an injury towards the end of the season, while the Buffalo Bills led by a Josh Allen-Stefon Diggs duo will be hard to beat.
The Pittsburgh Steelers had a slow start to the season, but have had a Cinderella story throughout. We have more exciting teams like the Seattle Seahawks, led by potential Comeback Player of the Year, Geno Smith, and the Philadelphia Eagles and KC Chiefs are looking to prove why they’re the #1 seed.
The stakes are high. Playing at the highest level of the game means anything can happen. While you may think the script is written and the best teams on paper will win, I have a feeling the playoffs are going to consist of some major upsets.
LOS ANGELES — Broadcast crews sometimes face the same challenges as the NFL teams they cover. Both adjust to personnel changes, schedule adjustments and study game tapes.
Although NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” featured new faces in the booth and production truck before the season started, the broadcasts continue to deliver at a high level.
“Sunday Night Football” is on pace to be prime time’s top show for the 12th consecutive year. Through last Sunday’s overtime game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Arizona Cardinals, it is averaging 19.8 million viewers, a 2% increase over last season.
“Everybody made a big deal out of all the changes, but I’ve known these guys forever. I’ve worked with them 1,000 different ways,” analyst Cris Collinsworth said. “We all have ideas, but it has been very collaborative from the beginning.”
Collinsworth, NBC’s top analyst since 2009, remained in his role while everything else shuffled around. Mike Tirico took over play-by-play after Al Michaels went to Amazon’s Prime Video. Melissa Stark became sideline reporter after Michele Tafoya moved on and Rob Hyland took over as coordinating producer. Fred Gaudelli remained with NBC and is executive producer for Amazon’s “Thursday Night Football.”
Collinsworth doesn’t do his slide into the frame during the opening segment anymore. That seems to have resonated the most with fans.
“I’ll never get away from that, so I gotta come up with a new gimmick,” Collinsworth said. “I get people that will slide from behind the corner of buildings. It’s just fun.”
Tirico and Collinsworth called 21 games — mostly Thursday nights in 2016 and ’17 — before this season. Tirico and Hyland worked together on Notre Dame , Triple Crown horse racing and Olympics prime-time shows.
“I’ve worked with Rob on probably 75% of the NBC events I have done, and I got to work with (director) Drew (Esocoff) the past couple of years on games. So there were so many answers to any of those questions you would normally have coming into a new situation,” Tirico said. “The familiarity allowed all of us just to start from a far more advanced place than if we would have come in not knowing each other.”
Stark, who returned to the sidelines after a 20-year hiatus, had worked with Esocoff on ABC’s “Monday Night Football” and knew Tirico and Collinsworth.
“It’s been awesome. To join such a talented and well-run group, all I had to do is concentrate on my job because everybody else is doing their jobs at such a high level,” she said.
Esocoff kept intact most of his camera crew and technicians.
WEEKLY PREPARATIONS
With Collinsworth owning Pro Football Focus, the announce and production teams get a PFF scouting report on the upcoming matchup on Monday. Collinsworth then sends a series of four videos, each averaging 30 minutes, on Wednesday and Thursday, looking at each team’s offenses and defenses with keys and tendencies.
After meetings and phone calls with teams, there’s a production meeting on Saturday morning at the hotel where most of the production team meets with Tirico, Collinsworth and Stark to trade final ideas or hone things they might use during the broadcast.
The crew spent part of a production meeting before the Chiefs-Chargers game looking at off-balance throws from former All-Star shortstop Alex Rodriguez because some of Patrick Mahomes’ delivery is similar. During meetings with Mahomes, he mentioned Rodriguez was his favorite baseball player growing up.
The production meeting looked at 10 throws from Rodriguez, with one showing similarities in deliveries even though they are from different sports.
“It’s a broadcast, not a narrowcast. If we can’t make it relatable to fans of other sports or casual fans, we’re not doing our job,” Hyland said.
ROLLING WITH CHANGES
The schedule is the biggest challenge for “Sunday Night Football,” with this season being no exception. Because originally scheduled second-half matchups sometimes fall flat, there have been four times when a game was flexed. Sunday night’s game between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers replaces the Los Angeles Rams against the Chargers.
The four flexes before the regular season’s final week are tied with 2018 for the most in a year.
“It gets to be expected late in the year. We have a group of 200 that is used to it,” Esocoff said of the schedule changes. “It’s a grind sometimes getting mobile units from one place to another, but it usually comes off like expected.”
Flexes can have some benefits. When the game on Nov. 20 between the Kansas City Chiefs and Chargers replaced the Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers, it marked a rare time where “Sunday Night Football” had a team for two straight weeks. The Chargers were at the San Francisco 49ers a week earlier. Meanwhile, the Chiefs were making their second SNF appearance in three weeks.
That meant production crews didn’t have to shoot updated introductions for new players or edit graphics of acquisitions in new uniforms.
When the Miami game against the Chargers was flexed to prime time on Dec. 11, the team had to shoot and tape linebacker Bradley Chubb and running back Jeff Wilson in their Dolphins uniforms after they were involved in midseason trades.
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Tom Brady threw another hissy fit Sunday while losing to “Mr. Irrelevant” and the host San Francisco 49ers.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback was captured in a raging tantrum by Fox Sports cameras as his team trailed 28-0 at halftime, en route to a 35-7 defeat. That leaves the Bucs (6-7) below .500.
49ers rookie quarterback Brock Purdy, making his first NFL start, looked like an old pro in dispatching an idol. Purdy was the last pick of the 2022 NFL draft, earning the annual “Mr. Irrelevant” title.
Brady had never lost to a quarterback making his NFL starting debut — and what made it particularly inglorious was that it happened near where Brady grew up in the Bay Area.
The seven-time Super Bowl winner has previously lashed out at teammates and tablets in a season also dragged down by his divorce. (Despite everything, the Bucs reside in first place in the NFC South.)
But many fans weren’t feeling so sympathetic after witnessing another Brady meltdown.
Brock Purdy outplayed Tom Brady, leaving his dad in tears with a stellar performance in his first career start.
Anthony Brown displayed a veteran’s poise under pressure in his NFL debut.
Third-string quarterbacks had quite the Sunday leading a pair of division leaders to important wins.
Other backups, including former Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco, saw action in Week 14. Purdy stole the show.
The rookie quarterback chosen with the last pick in the draft this year threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score, helping the San Francisco 49ers rout Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 35-7, spoiling the GOAT’s Bay Area homecoming.
“I grew up watching him, seeing him make plays and win Super Bowls, so to be out on the same field and being able to compete against one another, it’s literally a dream come true,” Purdy said. “I’m very blessed and honored to play against him.”
After his second TD pass of the game, Purdy’s father wiped tears from his eyes. Purdy, who played four seasons at Iowa State before the Niners selected him with the 262nd pick, had many family members in the stands.
“It’s everything,” he said about their support. “Being the last pick, my family has always been the rock and the people to tell me ‘you’re good enough,’ especially my dad. To do this and have this kind of performance with them here watching, it means the world to me. I’m thankful.”
The NFC West-leading 49ers (9-4) are relying on Purdy to take them to the Super Bowl after losing Jimmy Garoppolo to a foot injury. Trey Lance, who opened the year as San Francisco’s starter, already went down for the season in Week 1.
Purdy’s teammates are confident he can do the job.
“I’m not surprised,” Niners receiver Ray-Ray McCloud III said. “If you just watch Brock when he first walked in this building, from when he was drafted here, when he practices even in preseason, his personality just reflects on the field hands down. He’s an animal and he’s passionate about his craft. He is going to let you know how, but he is not cocky. He is very confident and as a quarterback that’s all you need back there.”
The Baltimore Ravens had to turn to an undrafted rookie after backup Tyler Huntley, who filling in for Lamar Jackson, entered concussion protocol in the third quarter against Pittsburgh. Brown took his first snap from the Ravens 1 with the team leading 13-7. He tossed a 3-yard pass. Brown finished 3 of 5 for 16 yards and guided the offense on a field-goal drive that ended up being the decisive score in a 16-14 victory over the Steelers.
The AFC North-leading Ravens (9-4) don’t know when Jackson will return so they’ll be counting on Huntley and Brown, if needed.
“He’s kind of calm, cool and collected,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said of Brown. ”(He’s) very much a student of the game, works very hard at it in terms of preparing himself.”
Baker Mayfield got things started for reserve QBs Thursday night, leading the Los Angeles Rams to an improbable comeback 17-16 win over the Las Vegas Raiders just two days after the team claimed him off waivers from Carolina.
The Rams (4-9) are headed nowhere after winning the Super Bowl last season but Mayfield makes them at least interesting to watch.
Other backups had varying results.
Flacco briefly replaced Mike White in the New York Jets’ 20-12 loss at Buffalo. White was battered by the Bills throughout the game and ended up going to a hospital in an ambulance afterward for what the team said was a precautionary trip.
The Houston Texans used a two-QB system with Davis Mills and Jeff Driskel sharing snaps in a 27-23 last-minute loss at Dallas.
Mitchell Trubisky took over for Kenny Pickett after Pittsburgh’s rookie starter entered the concussion protocol in the first quarter. The Denver Broncos turned to Brett Rypien after Russell Wilson slammed his head into the turf at the end of a run. Rypien tossed a TD pass in a 34-28 loss to Kansas City.
With so many QBs going down, backups and reserves must stay ready, especially for teams with playoff hopes down the stretch.
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Going from Mr. Irrelevant in the 2022 NFL Draft to spoiling Tom Brady’s homecoming, San Francisco 49ers rookie quarterback Brock Purdy has almost seen it all following Sunday’s 35-7 blowout win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The 22-year-old Purdy outdueled Brady, throwing for 185 yards and two touchdowns. Purdy also added a rushing touchdown. With his family inside Levi Stadium to witness his first start, the FOX broadcast showed Purdy’s father becoming emotional following his first touchdown pass.
Selected with the last pick of this year’s draft out of Iowa State, Purdy earned himself the nickname “Mr. Irrelevant,” but was thrust into the fray last week against the Miami Dolphins after starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo broke his foot.
After the game, Purdy called it “surreal” to be playing on the same field as Brady.
“Just standing there, like ‘man that’s Tom Brady,’ talking to guys and dapping guys up and stuff,” Purdy told reporters with a huge smile on his face.
“For him to just have respect for what I did today was pretty cool, I’m not going to lie. Being a little kid, watching that guy kill it throughout all these years, win Super Bowls, and then to be able to just even give him a high five or whatever at the end, I thought that was pretty cool.”
Purdy also mentioned the importance of having his family there and their never-ending support.
“Throughout my whole life, the ups and downs of playing quarterback in general, high school and college, they’re the people at home that just believe in you and they always see the best in you. They believed in me when I was the last draft pick and all that stuff.”
Brady struggled to find his rhythm, finishing with 253 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
The 45-year-old Brady complimented Purdy’s performance after the game, saying he played “really well.”
“Threw a lot of good balls,” Brady told reporters. “Hung in there in the blitz and they did a good job, they did a really good job.”
Brady, who is from San Mateo, California, also had his family on hand Sunday but added he wished the team could have done a better job.
“Love having everyone here,” Brady said. “Nice for my family to come close. I think they had a lot of people from the neighborhood come. It’s not going to change the outcome of the game, unfortunately.”
Brady requested 100 tickets for Sunday’s game for friends and family, FOX sideline reporter Erin Andrews said prior to kickoff.
The 49ers improved to 9-4 with the win while the Buccaneers fell to 6-7 on the season.
San Francisco has a quick turnaround as they are scheduled to travel to Seattle to take on the Seahawks on Thursday night. Tampa will host the Cincinnati Bengals next Sunday.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Brock Purdy threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score in his first career start and San Francisco’s vaunted defense spoiled Tom Brady’s Bay Area homecoming with a 35-7 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
Purdy outplaying the NFL’s most accomplished quarterback ever was partially overshadowed by another key injury for the 49ers (9-4).
A week after losing quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to a broken left foot that opened the door for Purdy to start, the Niners lost star receiver Deebo Samuel to an ankle injury that forced him to be taken off the field in tears on a cart.
That was about the only thing that didn’t go right for the 49ers, who thoroughly dominated Brady and the Bucs (6-7) to win their sixth straight game.
Purdy’s first start got off to a painful start when he was flattened on a blitz by Keanu Neal on the first play on a play that was ruled roughing the passer.
The last pick in the 2022 draft got right back up and led the Niners to one of their five touchdown drives on their first seven possessions of the game when Samuel scored on a 13-yard run.
Samuel got hurt on a fumble in the second quarter in an emotional scene that saw dozens of his teammates come on the field to wish him well before he was taken away on a cart with his head in his hands.
San Francisco already led 21-0 at that point with Purdy having scored on a 2-yard run and a 27-yard TD pass to Christian McCaffrey.
He capped a near-perfect first half with a 32-yard TD pass to Brandon Aiyuk, joining Don Strock (1975) as the only players to throw at least two TD passes and run for another in the first half of their first career start, according to Sportradar.
Purdy finished 16 for 21 for 185 yards and two touchdowns.
McCaffrey, who ran for 119 yards, added a TD on the ground with a 38-yard run after Brady was intercepted by Tashaun Gipson on the first drive of the third quarter.
Brady, playing just the second road game against his favorite team while growing up in nearby San Mateo, was intercepted again on the next possession by Dre Greenlaw and didn’t lead the Bucs to a score until a deflected TD pass to Russell Gage late in the third quarter.
Brady finished 34 for 55 for 253 yards with one TD and the two interceptions.
Despite the lackluster performance, the Bucs still have a one-game lead over Atlanta and Carolina in the NFC South and are in line for a home playoff game if they close it out.
FLAG DAY
The Bucs had a couple of big plays negated by penalties in the first half with Brady’s 68-yard TD to Mike Evans wiped out by a holding on tackle Donovan Smith in the first quarter and Anthony Nelson’s interception taken away on a defensive hold against Carlton Davis.
It was the 10th penalty on the season against Smith, with three of those negating touchdowns.
The flag against Davis was followed immediately by Purdy’s TD pass to Aiyuk to make it 28-0 with 15 seconds left in the first half.
REPLAY CONFUSION
Purdy’s long touchdown pass to McCaffrey was originally ruled a catch, then announced as an incompletion before the officials announced they were going to review the play because McCaffrey bobbled the ball.
With no clear evidence of whether McCaffrey’s second foot hit out of bounds before he controlled the ball, referee Brad Allen announced that the initial call of a TD would stand.
INJURIES
Bucs: NT Vita Vea (calf), CB Zyon McCollum (concussion), CB Jamel Dean (toe) and LB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka (hip) all left with injuries.
49ers: San Francisco lost Samuel, DT Kevin Givens (knee), CB Samuel Womack (head), CB Dontae Johnson (knee) and DL Kerry Hyder Jr. (ankle).
UP NEXT
Bucs: Host Cincinnati on Sunday.
49ers: Visit Seattle on Thursday night with a chance to clinch the NFC West with a win.
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Thanksgiving afternoon game between the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys set the mark for the most-watched NFL regular-season game on record.
The Cowboys 28-20 victory on Fox averaged 42 million viewers, according to Nielsen, surpassing the 41.55 million average for the Dec. 3, 1990, Monday night game between the Giants and San Francisco 49ers on ABC. Average viewer record numbers date to 1988.
The average viewership for the three Thanksgiving Day games on Thursday was 33.5 million, surpassing the previous high of 32.9 million in 1993, when two games were aired.
The average was also up 6% over last year’s average of 31.6 million.
The night game between the New England Patriots and Minnesota Vikings averaged 25.9 million, the second-highest audience for a Thanksgiving night contest. The Vikings’ 33-26 victory was surpassed only by the 2015 game between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers (27.8 million).
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LOS ANGELES — The Thanksgiving afternoon game between the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys set the mark for the most-watched NFL regular-season game on record.
The Cowboys 28-20 victory on Fox averaged 42 million viewers, according to Nielsen, surpassing the 41.55 million average for the Dec. 3, 1990, Monday night game between the Giants and San Francisco 49ers on ABC. Average viewer record numbers date to 1988.
The average viewership for the three Thanksgiving Day games on Thursday was 33.5 million, surpassing the previous high of 32.9 million in 1993, when two games were aired.
The average was also up 6% over last year’s average of 31.6 million.
The Buffalo Bills 28-25 win over the Detroit Lions on CBS was the most-watched early Thanksgiving Day game on record with a 31.6 million average.
The night game between the New England Patriots and Minnesota Vikings averaged 25.9 million, the second-highest audience for a Thanksgiving night contest. The Vikings’ 33-26 victory was surpassed only by the 2015 game between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers (27.8 million).
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SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The most precarious lead in the NFL these days might be a double-digit one over Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Mahomes engineered his 12th comeback from a deficit of at least 10 points in the past four seasons on Sunday when the Chiefs rallied for a 44-23 victory over the San Francisco 49ers after falling behind 10-0 in the first quarter.
The Chiefs have won 12 of 17 games since the start of 2019 with Mahomes at quarterback after falling behind by at least 10 points, including all three games in the 2019 postseason.
Kansas City is just as likely to win by double-digits after facing the early deficit like they did against the Niners as the Chiefs are to lose the game.
It’s a far cry from the rest of the NFL. While the Chiefs have a .706 winning percentage in these scenarios, the rest of the league has a mark of just .154. No other QB who has faced at least three double-digit deficits has won even half, with Drew Brees’ 6-7 mark the second best.
In fact, the only other QB besides Mahomes to win more than 70% of his starts since 2019 is Aaron Rodgers, who has a .733 winning percentage in all starts.
Mahomes reached a few more milestones on Sunday when he won for the 55th time, tying Hall of Famer Ken Stabler for the most in a QB’s first 70 starts in the Super Bowl era. Otto Graham is the only quarterback in NFL history with more with 56.
Mahomes also had his eighth career game with at least 400 yards passing and at least three TDs. Only Brees (12), Peyton Manning (11), Dan Marino (11) and Tom Brady (8) have more. Those QBs have all started at least 242 games, while Mahomes has only 70.
STRUGGLING STARS
Two of the most accomplished quarterbacks in NFL history are off to rough starts with Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers both at 3-4 after back-to-back losses.
This marked the second time that Brady and Rodgers both lost in consecutive weeks with the only other coming in the final two weeks of the 2015 season.
Rodgers has a losing record through seven games for the first time as a starter and Brady’s only previous losing record at this juncture came in 2002 — the only healthy season that he failed to make the playoffs.
Their 19 combined TD passes are their fewest at this point in a season when both started, the 19.4 points per game average for their teams are more than six points lower than the previous low of 26 points per game through seven games in 2013, and their 93.7 passer rating is the lowest at this point since 2013 when it was 90.6.
COMEBACK KIDS
The surprising New York Giants had their fifth second-half comeback of the season so far, rallying for a 23-17 win over Jacksonville to improve to 6-1.
The Giants joined the 2015 Falcons and 2007 Titans as the only teams to win at least five of their first seven games after trailing in the second half.
New York also became the first team since the 2016 Lions to win at least four of their first seven games when trailing in the fourth quarter.
The four wins so far this season for the Giants when trailing in the fourth quarter are more than they had in the previous five seasons combined when they went 3-58 in games they trailed in the fourth quarter.
The Giants’ success has helped the NFC East post a 20-7 (.741) combined record for the best for any division through seven weeks since the merger. The previous best winning percentage was .714 for the 1984 AFC West.
ROOKIE WATCH
Pittsburgh rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett is off to a rough start to his career.
Pickett has thrown seven interceptions and only two touchdown passes in his first four career games. The only other QB since 1990 with at least seven interceptions and two or fewer TD passes in his first four games was Ryan Leaf, who had eight interceptions and one TD pass in his first four games in 1998.
FAMILY AFFAIR
The trade that sent Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers linked the McCaffrey and Shanahan families once again.
When McCaffrey took the field Sunday for coach Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers it marked the fourth instance of a father-son duo coaching a father-son duo in NFL history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Christian’s older brother, Max, already played for Kyle Shanahan in 2018 after their father, Ed, played for Mike Shanahan from 1995-03 in Denver
The other times it happened came with coaches Bum and Wade Phillips. Rob Carpenter played for Bum Phillips and Bobby Carpenter playing for Wade Phillips, while Ted Washington Sr. played for Bum Phillips and Ted Washington Jr. played for Wade Phillips.
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The 49ers’ 44-23 loss to the Chiefs on Sunday reinforced both sides of the debate surrounding Thursday’s dramatic trade for Christian McCaffrey. If you loved the deal — which saw San Francisco give up 2023 second-, third- and fourth-round picks plus a fifth-rounder in 2024 — you saw flashes suggesting the running back could be a special talent in the San Francisco offense, as he turned his 10 touches into 62 yards and three first downs. The 49ers didn’t win, but they were much worse on offense after halftime, when McCaffrey played just four snaps. Once he has learned the offense and can be an every-down player, the possibilities for what this offense can do seem endless.
And yet, the Niners lost by 21 points in a game in which the Chiefs picked on their offensive line and secondary, the two weakest parts of their roster. They averaged 5.6 yards per play with McCaffrey on the field and 6.4 yards per play without him. Over in North Carolina, the Panthers upset the Buccaneers in a game in which the combination of Chuba Hubbard and D’Onta Foreman, who were afterthoughts behind the 26-year-old McCaffrey in the offense, combined for 218 yards from scrimmage on 28 touches.
The McCaffrey trade is one of the most fascinating deals we’ve seen in the NFL in recent years, even as the league has gotten more and more trade-friendly. The upside for the 49ers is stratospheric and could give them one of the best sets of playmakers the league has ever seen. The downside is that he is an injury-prone, short-term rental for a team now below .500 and already was without its first-round pick in the 2023 draft. And unlike some trades, where those possibilities are remote, the best- and worst-case scenarios for this deal appear to be entirely plausible for Kyle Shanahan and his 49ers.
Having given the deal a couple of days of thought, I wanted to answer a few of the questions I saw in the immediate conversations after it. Several of the comparisons I’ve seen don’t hold up under much scrutiny. Others are more reasonable. Leaving aside what we saw Sunday, let’s get into the key questions from the McCaffrey trade, starting with the positives:
Is McCaffrey really a perfect fit for this offense?
To the extent that any running back can be that sort of difference-maker, yes. Before the season, when I wrote about quarterback Trey Lance, I mentioned the idea of how Shanahan wanted to fill his offense with playmakers capable of doing just about anything with the ball in their hands on a snap-to-snap basis. (Of course, this was before Lance went down with his fractured right ankle in September.)
Shanahan wants the plausible deniability of being able to line up in any personnel grouping and get to any of his rushing or passing concepts. His offense is the closest thing the NFL has to the sort of positionless basketball we’ve seen the NBA adopt over the past 15 years. Only in a Shanahan offense can his top wide receiver turn into the team’s lead running back at midseason, as Deebo Samuel did a year ago. Only the 49ers have their fullback running wheel routes for big plays up the sideline. (Well, until teams that hired Shanahan assistants started emulating him.) Every eligible receiver in a Shanahan offense should be capable of doing anything in that offense on a given play.
From that perspective, McCaffrey makes total sense. For whatever he offers as a traditional running back, his output as a receiver in Carolina was remarkable. During his five-year run as the lead back for the Panthers, he was the focal point of the passing attack.
With middling quarterback play for most of his tenure, McCaffrey drew targets on nearly 29% of his routes and averaged 2.1 yards per route run. To put that in context, those numbers are right in line with what Chargers wideout Keenan Allen has done over the same time frame on a route-by-route basis, and Allen has had better quarterback play without adding any significant rushing value. Those numbers also haven’t diminished over the past several seasons, when McCaffrey has struggled to stay healthy.
As a receiver, his ability to create mismatches is already obvious. Just as the Saints have done for years with Alvin Kamara, the Panthers loved running McCaffrey out of the backfield and getting him matched up on option routes against slower linebackers in space. The Rams spammed that choice concept with Cooper Kupp to create completions last season.
With the 49ers preferring to use formations with Kyle Juszczyk and George Kittle on the field, teams have to match that sort of blocking ability by playing their base defense. Playing base defense means McCaffrey (or George Kittle) will be up against a linebacker in coverage on passing plays. In an offense that wants to give quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo easy answers and its receivers opportunities to make plays after the catch, it’s easy to envision the 49ers incorporating plays in which McCaffrey is the primary read in a passing progression, let alone whatever else he’ll offer on screens and checkdowns.
Is this McCaffrey the same guy we saw at his peak?
As a runner, I’m not sure McCaffrey is a difference-maker in quite the same way. The 2018-19 superstar model of him exceeded expectations, generating 372 rushing yards over expectation (RYOE) across 497 tracked carries, for an average of 0.8 RYOE per attempt. By that model, which comes from NFL Next Gen Stats, the suggestion is he gained nearly a full yard more per run than what an average back would have gained with the same blocking against the same defenders in the same situations.
Over the ensuing three seasons, though, McCaffrey hasn’t been as productive. With 243 tracked attempts, he has generated minus-14 RYOE, suggesting he’s been about as productive as a league-average back on his carries. He’ll be taking over the lead back role from Jeff Wilson Jr., who has generated 117 RYOE across 88 carries this season, which ranks eighth in the NFL on a per-rush basis.
It’s possible the 49ers actually take a step backward in their running game with McCaffrey in the mix. They also were using regular carries from Samuel, who had generated 42 RYOE on 24 carries. If they use McCaffrey as something close to their every-down back, they’ll be returning Samuel to a role where he’s strictly a wide receiver, which is less valuable than the role Samuel was in before 2021.
It’s likely that we’ll see the 49ers mix and match backs and retain a role for Samuel and Wilson in the offense, but that they’ll use McCaffrey more than they used Wilson as their primary back. There’s nothing wrong with doing so, but it makes the trade harder to justify if he’s touching the ball 12-16 times per game than it would if he was expecting to take 20-24 touches.
During that run in 2018-19, McCaffrey was nearly an every-down presence for the Panthers, playing more than 90% of the offensive snaps in both campaigns. To put that into context, across those two seasons, he played 1,928 offensive snaps. The only other back within 350 snaps of the second-generation back was Ezekiel Elliott, who racked up 1,745 snaps for the Cowboys.
Between the two subsequent seasons of 2020 and 2021, Elliott was the only back to top 1,400 offensive snaps, and Chicago’s David Montgomery the only other one with more than 1,300 snaps. McCaffrey’s workload in terms of snap count was an enormous outlier at the time and only looks even more preposterous with a few years of context. And yet, at the same time, he was playing 85% of the offensive snaps for Carolina before the trade.
It’s impossible to attribute injuries solely to workload — and we know that backs who have smaller workloads can also get injured — but I have to imagine McCaffrey’s best chance of staying healthy for an entire season is playing less often on a week-to-week basis. Shanahan has been forced to rotate backs in and out of the lineup because of injury, but we’ve seen him create opportunities for multiple players on his roster. It’s clear Wilson should still figure into the offense. The Niners brought back Tevin Coleman off the street and gave him meaningful snaps in October. They used a third-round pick on Tyrion Davis-Price and should get back Elijah Mitchell, who was their lead back for most of 2021, from injured reserve later this season.
Even if McCaffrey is the primary back, I’d expect this to be a rotation where plenty of guys get touches. This leads to the next question …
Why does Shanahan keep investing in running backs?
I said I would answer the questions, but I didn’t say the answers would all be satisfying. I don’t know why Shanahan insists on making expensive additions at the position. Going back to his father Mike’s time in Denver, the Shanahan offense has been creating valuable backs out of mid-to-late-round picks and undrafted free agents for 25 years. That list includes Terrell Davis, Mike Anderson, Arian Foster and Devonta Freeman.
Even more notably, we’ve seen this effect during Shanahan’s time as the coach in San Francisco. In 2018, the 49ers signed Jerick McKinnon to a massive, over-market deal in free agency, only for the former Vikings back to lose two seasons to knee injuries before struggling after his return. Coleman, signed to a smaller deal the next year, averaged 3.5 yards per carry during his first stint with the team.
I don’t think we can blame Shanahan for the injuries, of course, but his priority draft picks at the position have been fiascoes. The 49ers traded up in 2017 for fourth-rounder Joe Williams, who never played an NFL snap. They used a third-round pick in 2021 on Trey Sermon, who immediately landed in Shanahan’s doghouse and was dumped after one season. Davis-Price, their 2022 third-rounder, doesn’t have a path to playing time with McCaffrey in the fold.
Over that time frame, Shanahan’s most productive backs all have been acquired on the cheap. Matt Breida was an undrafted free agent. Raheem Mostert was signed off the Chicago practice squad as a special-teamer before Shanahan arrived. Wilson was an undrafted free agent. Mitchell was a sixth-round pick. Even without those 25 years of preceding evidence, if you look at what has actually worked for the 49ers on the field, it’s been the backs who were afterthoughts with something to prove.
This often gets used to suggest running backs are all interchangeable and that teams can plug in anybody and succeed in a Shanahan-style offense. That isn’t fair. What I would say, though, is that there are more good running backs in and around the league than there are opportunities for running backs to get touches.
I think it’s clear that McCaffrey offers a level of receiving aptitude that other backs on San Francisco’s roster simply do not have. I would also argue there are backs who can catch passes available in free agency or on the bottom half of rosters who could also have been acquired for far cheaper and still offered passing-game help. Devontae Booker, who was solid for the Giants last season, is out of the league. Ameer Abdullah, Antonio Gibson and Cam Akers can catch the ball and wouldn’t cost much to acquire, while Duke Johnson is on the Buffalo practice squad.
McCaffrey is better than all of those guys, of course, but is he that much better to justify the four picks the 49ers paid to acquire him? And can the Niners afford to have him on their roster in 2023? The answer might depend on whether they perceive McCaffrey as a running back at all.
What could happen with McCaffrey after the season?
The 49ers had only a few million dollars in cap space when they made this deal, but it was easy to get a trade done and fit McCaffrey under their 2022 salary cap. That’s because the Panthers restructured several deals in March to create short-term cap space, when they were attempting to trade for quarterback Deshaun Watson.
One of the deals they restructured belonged to McCaffrey, who had $7.4 million of his base salary converted into a bonus. He got his money up front, while the Panthers spread the bonus over four years for cap purposes. As a result, he had only a little over $1 million in base salary on his deal in 2022, and with the Panthers paying out the first six weeks of the deal, San Francisco only is on the hook for $690,000 this year.
Next year, that changes. McCaffrey has no guaranteed money left on his contract, but he’s owed $12 million in 2023, $12 million in 2024 and $12.2 million in 2025. After two years of injuries, it’s safe to say he wouldn’t get that much on the open market if he hit free agency. With the 2023 free agent running back class set to include Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, Kareem Hunt, David Montgomery, Miles Sanders and others, it’s unlikely McCaffrey would be in position to get more than $6-7 million per year on a new deal.
The 49ers have flexibility, but they’re left in an awkward position. They’re projected to have about $6 million in cap space with McCaffrey on the books, but that’s without new deals for Garoppolo, safety Jimmie Ward, tackle Mike McGlinchey, kicker Robbie Gould and several other key players, let alone making additions elsewhere. General manager John Lynch might choose to let some of these veterans move on, but they also need cap space to go after replacements.
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Field Yates breaks down why he still has Christian McCaffrey as a top-five fantasy running after a solid 49ers debut.
If McCaffrey looks like a superstar, they’ll happily pay the $12 million and go year-by-year. If he falls anywhere short of that standard, San Francisco would probably want to get him down on a reduced salary, which won’t be a fun negotiation. His representation will know the 49ers won’t want to lose a player months after trading four draft picks to acquire him. The Niners will know he will get less money on the open market and wait for him to change his mind.
Sometimes, this works out in a deal that fits both sides, as it did with Garoppolo and the 49ers this offseason. Stuck in a staring contest while Garoppolo recovered from shoulder surgery and the trade market cratered, the two sides agreed on a pay cut in August that offered Garoppolo the upside to make significant money if he regained his starting job, as he eventually did because of Lance’s injury. With McCaffrey’s long-standing relationship with the Shanahan family dating back to Denver and the possibility of staying out in the Bay Area, it’s possible he will be amenable to a renegotiation. It’s also possible — maybe even likely — that this is a one-and-done deal.
One way to make the financial math work for the 49ers comes to mind. I’ve talked about how significant and valuable McCaffrey’s role is in the passing game. What if the 49ers see him primarily as a receiver as opposed to a running back? They used him more as a traditional back Sunday, but it’s easier to give him those initial touches before he learns the playbook as a runner as opposed to taking snaps as a receiver. I don’t think he will be taking 80% of his touches as a runner for the majority of his time in San Francisco.
In the market for running backs, McCaffrey’s $12 million salary would make him one of the league’s highest-paid backs. As a receiver, though, that’s midtier money. Three years and $36 million is in line what Corey Davis and Curtis Samuel got paid in free agency before the 2021 season, and it wouldn’t even have as many guarantees. If McCaffrey is going to be targeted seven times per game and continues to be as efficient in the passing game, you could make the case he should be treated like a receiver, regardless of what he contributes as a runner.
Even if that happens, can Shanahan afford to pay McCaffrey that much? Samuel’s cap hit is only $8.7 million next year, but that jumps to $28.6 million in 2024. Offensive tackle Trent Williams has the largest contract for an offensive lineman in league history. Kittle is making $15 million per year. Edge rusher Nick Bosa is in his fifth-year option next season and should get a massive new deal, although the Niners will also probably reduce his $17.9 million cap hit as part of that extension. Wideout Brandon Aiyuk is eligible for an extension and a significant raise next offseason. The 49ers can probably squeeze it in if they want to keep McCaffrey, but it’s cash and cap space that could be applied to more vulnerable spots on their roster.
There’s another team that seemed to ignore the cap, added key players last year and won the Super Bowl. Let’s discuss the 49ers’ NFC West rivals …
Aren’t the 49ers just doing what the Rams did?
No. On the most basic level, the Rams added veterans to their roster last year and have traded draft picks for players, both last season and during their run in the Sean McVay era. This isn’t the same sort of deal for the 49ers. We could do a whole other article on the Rams and how they’ve used draft picks to trade for players, but there are a few key differences between what L.A. did and what the 49ers are doing.
For one, some of the additions the Rams have made haven’t been trades at all. Los Angeles signed receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and safety Eric Waddle as free agents last season for the veterans minimum, without having to give up any draft picks.
When the Rams have packaged first- or second-round picks, it always has been to acquire players who play premium positions by the NFL’s salary structure. Those deals have been to go after quarterbacks (Matthew Stafford and, before McVay arrived, Jared Goff), wide receivers (Brandin Cooks and Sammy Watkins), edge rusher (Von Miller) and cornerbacks (Marcus Peters and Jalen Ramsey).
Those are four of the five most valuable positions. All of those players besides Miller and Stafford were acquired while they were on rookie deals, which reduced the financial exposure and made it likely they were acquiring players entering the prime of their respective careers.
Running back is 10th out of the league’s 14 broad positional definitions when it comes to contract value for its top 15 players, ahead of only centers, tight ends, kickers and punters. McCaffrey is in his sixth season in the league and already has nearly 1,300 pro touches under his belt. Given what we know about running back aging curves, it’s more likely he is closer to the end of his career than he is to its beginning.
The Rams also have been in position to get compensatory picks when Watkins, Miller and Beckham left after their contracts expired, although the Miller pick was canceled out by the Allen Robinson signing, and Beckham’s injury prevented the Rams from realizing any sort of compensatory return when he didn’t sign a deal in free agency. As much as the Rams have playfully adopted the mantra of doing something very inappropriate to draft picks, they often stockpile midround selections and use them to supplement their roster.
During McVay’s time with the team, the Rams have had between eight and 11 draft picks in each of their six drafts. After trading away their first-rounder in the Lance deal and their second-, third-, and fourth-round picks for McCaffrey, the 49ers project to have seven picks in next year’s draft, just two of which will come before Round 5. That’s far less draft capital than what the Rams have worked with in the past.
San Francisco will still have two third-round picks by virtue of the compensatory selections they received when assistant coaches Robert Saleh and Mike McDaniel were hired by other teams. I’ve seen it suggested the extra picks mean the 49ers can somehow better afford making this sort of deal because they have extra ammunition in the draft, which doesn’t add up. As former NFL executive Joe Banner once put it, “Once the house money is in your pocket, it’s no longer house money.”
When a team makes a trade like this by giving up unknown draft picks for a player, it’s often too easy to ignore the other effects of the deal. By acquiring McCaffrey, the 49ers are incurring the opportunity cost of possibly paying him $12 million in cap and cash in 2023, which is money that could go to a player at another position.
More notably, by trading away three draft picks, they are missing out on low-cost additions who could supplement their roster at a fraction of their actual market value. A year ago, the Niners got an All-Pro season from Samuel, a second-rounder who was making just $1.1 million. This season, they have seen fifth-rounder Talanoa Hufanga break out at safety while making a mere $825,000. When a team trades away those picks, it misses out on the opportunity to find bargains for three-plus years and then either has to spend more money in free agency to grab replacements and/or use lesser players to fill those roles.
play
1:49
Sam Acho and Ryan Clark discuss how acquiring Christian McCaffrey from the Panthers improves the 49ers’ Super Bowl chances.
Different teams have different ideas of what draft picks are worth, but even if the 49ers just pay McCaffrey the minimum this year and get him to take a pay cut next season, they’re incurring a significant cost by trading away second-, third-, fourth-round picks in 2023. By Chase Stuart’s chart, even if the 49ers finish with the 24th pick in each round, trading those picks is the equivalent of shipping off the 12th overall pick in a typical draft. My estimate based on trades is that those picks would probably be worth about $15-20 million or so if they could deal them for cash.
Even if they wanted to add veterans right now, the Niners could have used those picks to trade for help along their offensive line or bring in a cornerback. They could have traded for an actual wide receiver as opposed to McCaffrey. Would this have been a better deal to make for Pittsburgh’s Chase Claypool? Would the 49ers have been better off with Gibson and William Jackson while likely paying less in draft capital to land the two Commanders? McCaffrey is going to have to be a difference-maker in 2022 to make this worth their while.
Having said that this isn’t really a Rams style of deal, it’s worth noting the closest bidder to the 49ers in these negotiations was reportedly … the Rams, who wanted to add him to replace Cam Akers. I would have these same questions if the Rams made this deal, but I also think they needed a back more than the 49ers, given Akers’ struggles and the presence of Wilson on the San Francisco roster.
About those picks, though …
Could this trade tell us something about another deal to come?
The McCaffrey deal got me thinking about Lance and his future with the team. The reports during Lance’s second training camp were mixed at best, and while he played only five quarters before going down injured, he didn’t look great in the rain at Chicago. We still don’t have enough public information to make any sort of meaningful inferences about Lance’s abilities as a quarterback, but the 49ers have far more reps and private information on which to base their opinion after evaluating him in practice over the past two seasons.
On one hand, trading for McCaffrey makes more sense if Lance is the quarterback, given that he’ll be relatively cheap in 2023 and possibly still in 2024. Lance’s fifth-year option doesn’t come due until 2025, meaning the 49ers can easier surround him with plenty of expensive talent next season, even given the other contracts they have to complete this upcoming offseason.
On the other, one way to get back draft capital back is to trade Lance. If the 49ers think he isn’t the quarterback they believed they were getting in 2021, the haul they sent away to acquire him is a sunk cost. There would still be teams interested in acquiring Lance to be their quarterback of the future, even if he struggled with the 49ers.
In this scenario, which would probably require a deep playoff run and excellent work on the offense, the Niners would re-sign Garoppolo to an extension this offseason. Lance still probably would net a late first-round pick or early second-round pick in return. I will admit the trade I keep coming back to — given Atlanta’s desire to run the ball and Shanahan’s stockpiling of positionless playmakers — is a swap of Lance for tight end Kyle Pitts. I’m not sure that solves the draft capital problem, but it’s fun to argue about.
This is more of a hypothetical than anything else, and the Niners could use a player such as Aiyuk in trade to replenish their draft capital instead. Either way, given how much they’ve shipped off, it’s important for the 49ers to try to get an additional draft pick or two this offseason.
Was this a fair price to pay for the 49ers?
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported last week that the Panthers were asking for a “first-round pick or more” in return for their star back. In the end, the 49ers didn’t have a first-round pick to send the Panthers in 2023, so the deal had to be for the second-, third-, and fourth-round picks. Those selections add up to a first-rounder by most draft charts, so the Panthers ended up getting something close to their initial requests.
Was that too much to pay? Given McCaffrey’s injury history, the time it will take to get him up to full swing on the offense and the uncertainty surrounding what will happen to him in 2023, this would be on the exorbitant end. This is more than the Rams paid for Miller last year (second- and third-rounders), and that was with the Broncos paying down his contract to do the deal. Miller was older and had his own injury issues in the past, but he played a premium position and was likely to yield a compensatory pick.
The most like-for-like comparison stylistically might be Marshall Faulk. Amid a contract dispute in 1999, the Colts sent the 26-year-old Faulk to the Rams for second- and fifth-round picks. The Rams won that deal, as Faulk won three consecutive Offensive Player of the Year awards after arriving in St. Louis and took home league MVP in 2000. Moving to the Greatest Show on Turf, his receiving volume and rushing efficiency spiked.
At the same time, Faulk might not be a great comparison for McCaffrey’s overall value. The Colts dealt Faulk in the offseason, giving the future Hall of Famer an entire offseason to learn the playbook. Faulk didn’t have a significant injury history, missing just three games during his first five seasons. He was coming off a season in which he had made the Pro Bowl, been second-team All-Pro and finished fourth in the Offensive Player of the Year balloting. Faulk was also playing in an era in which backs were regarded as scarcer and more valuable than they are now, and when teams ran the ball more often in neutral situations.
A second-round pick probably would have been about as much as I would have been willing to give to get this deal done. Third-, fourth- and fifth-round picks might not seem like much, but sometimes, those picks turn into stars. The path for this deal to be a success is too narrow given all the factors involved. The Niners would have lost McCaffrey to the Rams or another team in that scenario, but getting the most prominent player available doesn’t always guarantee success. The Rams eventually won a Super Bowl with Ramsey, but when they traded two first-round picks for him in 2019, they dumped Peters for peanuts and eventually missed the postseason.
Naturally, the Rams’ success likely has raised the price of veteran players in the trade market during the season. If the Miller deal didn’t lead to a Super Bowl last season, maybe this trade gets done for a second-round pick and a fifth-rounder, like the Faulk swap. We’ll see if that holds up as more veterans move between now and the trade deadline on Nov. 1.
Should the 49ers have gone all-in for McCaffrey?
All-in is a relative term, but the 49ers traded away most of the assets they had available this offseason. Most of their core players are on deals that would be difficult to trade, and they can’t deal Lance until the offseason. Unless they were willing to give up significant draft capital just to keep McCaffrey from the Rams, this is a deal Shanahan and Lynch made to try to win this season.
While I did pick the 49ers to make it to the Super Bowl before the season, it’s a little weird to see them making that move now. They were 3-3 when they acquired McCaffrey and are now 3-4. ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) loves them, projecting them to have a 63.4% of winning the NFC West before losing to the Chiefs. Now, FPI has dropped them to 52%. When the Rams traded for Miller last season, they were 7-1 and virtual locks to make it to the postseason, although they were in a divisional race with the Cardinals.
Then again, when the Rams made that trade a year ago, the Niners were 3-4, too. They proceeded to sneak into the playoffs by beating the Rams in Week 18 and then came within a drive of beating L.A. again and advancing back to the Super Bowl. The NFC looked like a wide-open mess before Sunday, and the conference looks even more wild after the Buccaneers and Packers lost. Being 3-4 isn’t down and out in a conference where just five of 16 teams have a winning record.
I wouldn’t have made this deal, but selfishly, I’m happy the Niners decided to do it for one reason: It’s fun. Lynch and Shanahan run their roster like people who really wants to see what Shanahan would do with an exciting offensive playmaker, and while that isn’t always the best thing for the organization, it makes for fun tape. Outside of fantasy football considerations, there was no point in having McCaffrey rack up garbage-time targets for a Panthers team heading nowhere. I’m not sure the 49ers will look back and love this trade, but it’s likely we’ll end up seeing very entertaining moments with McCaffrey wearing red and gold.
Our NFL Nation reporters react with the biggest takeaways and lingering questions coming out of this week’s matchups and look ahead to what’s next. Let’s get to it.
What to know:Tua Tagovailoa is back, but he has some rust to knock off before this offense can truly say the same. The Dolphins led the NFL in points per drive through three weeks to start the season, and displayed that same efficiency with a touchdown and two field goals in their first three drives Sunday night. Their offense sputtered from there, and Tagovailoa played like someone who hasn’t played in 24 days. At least four of his passes were dropped by Steelers defenders, and his timing with his receivers was hit or miss throughout the final three quarters. It’s nothing to be overly concerned about — although you have to wonder whether Mike McDaniel will remind him to slide after he finished a couple of runs by lowering his shoulder into a defender. The Lions’ NFL-worst defense seems like an opportune opponent in Week 8.
Will the Dolphins’ pass rush please stand up? The Dolphins have generated the fourth-fewest quarterback pressures in the NFL through 7 weeks — despite owning the NFL’s fifth-best pass rush win rate. Even more concerning is the fact that Miami blitzes at the 10th-highest rate in the league yet ranks 24th in sack rate. Defense is complementary, meaning coverage and rush help one another. But with the injuries the Dolphins’ secondary is facing, their pass rush will have to carry more of the load until their counterparts get healthy. Their nine blitzes Sunday night generated just one pressure — that simply won’t cut it moving forward. — Marcel Louis-Jacques
Next game: at Lions (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Steelers
What to know: After surrendering a big first quarter, the Steelers’ defense dampened Tua Tagovailoa‘s return on Sunday night. The defensive backs just barely missed four would-be picks, and after giving up 13 points in the first quarter, the Steelers held the Dolphins to just three points over the final three — including a shutout in the second half. The defense gave up big plays in spots to Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill, but in the second half, the Steelers held the Dolphins on fourth-and-3 and forced four consecutive punts — including two three-and-outs. While the offense struggled, the defense played soundly in the second half, giving up only 127 yards after surrendering 246 in the first half. It’s the second strong performance — including crucial halftime adjustments — by the defense after beating Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a week earlier. With T.J. Watt nearing his return from a Week 1 pectoral tear, the Steelers’ defense is shaping up to be a much stronger unit than it looked in the first month of the season.
Can the Steelers’ offense find consistency? Rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett was inserted at halftime of the Jets game to give the Steelers’ offense a spark. In two starts since, the offense flickers like the flame of a lighter running out of butane. Occasionally, everything clicks — like the second-quarter drive in which George Pickens hauled in four targets and scored his first NFL touchdown. But other times, it quickly fizzles out, like the two would-be game-winning fourth-quarter drives that ended instead with red zone picks. Pickett’s offense is undeniably a work-in-progress, but the Steelers have struggled to sustain drives more often than not with conservative playcalls and costly, untimely mistakes, and playmakers like Pickens disappear for long stretches. The pieces are there, but the Steelers haven’t been able to consistently put them together. More time together could help the offensive cohesion, but partly because of the midseason quarterback swap, it has been a slow-developing process. — Brooke Pryor
Next game: at Eagles (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Seahawks
What to know: With an offense that’s still rolling and a defense that has finally caught up, the Seahawks look like legitimate contenders, but DK Metcalf‘s knee injury is a cause for concern. The Seahawks are now in sole possession of first place in the NFC West at 4-3 after a complete performance in their win over the Chargers. Their offense got another efficient outing from quarterback Geno Smith and a pair of rushing touchdowns from rookie running back Kenneth Walker III, including a 74-yarder. With three sacks and two takeaways, their defense looks like it has turned itself around after another miserable start.
Can the offense keep this up if Metcalf misses time? Metcalf was carted off the field in the first half and quickly ruled out. The Seahawks have the luxury of essentially having two No. 1 receivers in Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, but Metcalf makes so many things happen with his ability to make contested catches, stretch defenses and free up teammates by taking up double-teams. Marquise Goodwin stepped up in this game with a pair of touchdown catches. Seattle will need Dee Eskridge to do the same if Metcalf’s injury is serious. — Brady Henderson
Next game: vs. Giants (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)
Chargers
What to know: The Chargers managed a couple of ugly wins in a three-game win streak but failed to show up Sunday and suffered one very ugly loss to the Seahawks. Squandering an opportunity to improve to 5-2 and earn their first four-game win streak since 2018, they instead drop to 4-3 and go into a bye week with an urgent need to do some soul searching in regard to who they are and where they want to go.
How do the Chargers manage their injuries? It has been a season marked by injuries, and now they can add two more significant questions after cornerback J.C. Jackson left the field on a cart because of a right knee injury and wide receiver Mike Williams suffered a right ankle injury. — Lindsey Thiry
Next game: at Falcons (Sunday, Nov. 6, 1 p.m. ET)
Jets
What to know: The Jets are 5-2 for the first time since 2010, their last playoff season, and have adopted the same style of play: fantastic defense, low-mistake offense. It’s not pretty, but it’s working for the Jets. They had no turnovers for the third straight game — they hadn’t done that since 2010 — letting their defense win the field-position game. They frustrated Denver backup QB Brett Rypien with excellent pass coverage, highlighted by a Lamarcus Joyner interception and three pass breakups by Sauce Gardner. Say this for the Jets: They now boast a 4-0 road record. They haven’t done that since … you guessed it, 2010.
Can the Jets’ offense manage without Breece Hall? This was a costly game for the Jets, as they lost rookie standout running back Hall to a knee injury in the second quarter. It would be devastating if it’s a long-term injury. Hall, who scored on a 62-yard touchdown run, is the face of the offense. He helps take the pressure off quarterback Zach Wilson, who struggled for the second week in a row. Michael Carter is a solid RB2, but he doesn’t have Hall’s home run speed. — Rich Cimini
Next game: vs. Patriots (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Broncos
What to know: There was optimism in recent days the Broncos could find their rhythm on offense with backup quarterback Brett Rypien in the lineup. File that away because the Broncos had their sixth game of the season with 16 or fewer points and their third with 11 or fewer. Despite Denver’s defense keeping the Jets to under 300 yards, it didn’t matter.
What can the Broncos’ offense do to find some points? The Broncos were better Sunday when they bulked up on offense — formations with two or three tight ends and two backs. They moved the ball better Sunday when they were in those groupings and lost their way, again, when they got in catch-up mode and leaned on their three-wide receiver sets. They simply have to accept that they can’t play how they want to right now and have to play the way they need to. — Jeff Legwold
Next game: at Jaguars (Sunday, 9:30 a.m. ET)
Chiefs
What to know: There is life in the Chiefs’ pass rush beyond defensive tackle Chris Jones, after all. The Chiefs started slowly with their pressure against 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo but got their rush going, and it was productive — particularly in key moments of the game. Their defense will be difficult to deal with if they can continue this kind of pressure.
Can the Chiefs afford to continue using rookie Skyy Moore to return punts? No Super Bowl contender could afford to do that. Moore is learning on the job. He didn’t return punts in college and had his second fumbled return of the season against the 49ers. The first one helped the Chiefs lose a game against the Colts in Week 3. This one didn’t, but the Chiefs need to give him some time to learn his new craft on the practice field instead of in game action. — Adam Teicher
Next game: vs. Titans (Sunday, Nov. 6, 8:20 p.m. ET)
49ers
What to know: Much was made of the 49ers’ addition of running back Christian McCaffrey, but general manager John Lynch warned last week that McCaffrey isn’t a magic cure for what ails the Niners. That was readily apparent Sunday, as the defense got torched by Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the offense failed to keep up, settling for field goals when touchdowns were needed. McCaffrey can and will help, but at 3-4, the Niners are going to need plenty of improvement elsewhere.
What’s wrong with the 49ers’ defense? The Niners’ defense has come crashing back to Earth. That was to be expected as the opponents got better and injuries piled up, but Sunday was a rude awakening. The Niners had Kansas City in third-and-20 and third-and-12 in the second half with a chance to get off the field. They gave up a combined 91 yards on those two plays. Injuries aside, there’s enough talent here to prevent those types of things from happening. — Nick Wagoner
Next game: at Rams (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)
Raiders
What to know: The Raiders are ready to go on a post-bye run. While they were 1-4 coming into Sunday, just 3-16 after the bye since 2003 and had lost their past five such games by an average of 17.8 points, their talent suggested they were better. Much better. And after beating Houston, the schedule lightens up considerably, with none of their next five opponents boasting a winning record entering this weekend. In fact, ESPN’s Football Power Index favors Las Vegas to win nine of its last 11 games.
Is Josh Jacobs the Raiders’ MVP? Yes. Jacobs, who had his fifth-year option declined by the new regime, is playing for a contract. Davante Adams might be more explosive, and Derek Carr is at the controls. But Jacobs — who became the first player in franchise history with three straight games of 100 rushing yards and a rushing TD and joined Marcus Allen with his fifth career game gaining 100 rushing yards and scoring multiple TDs — kept the offense afloat again. He finished with 143 yards and three TDs on 20 carries, becoming just the third back in franchise history with multiple games with three rushing touchdowns, along with Allen and Pete Banaszak. — Paul Gutierrez
Next game: at Saints (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Texans
What to know: Quarterback Davis Mills played his best game of the season. Prior to the bye, Mills looked shaky, completing 62.7% of his passes for five touchdown passes with four interceptions. But against the Raiders, he was much better. He completed 68% of his passes, threw two touchdown passes and logged a season-high 302 yards. Mills was also money on third downs, throwing both of his TD passes on that down. However, he did throw a pick-six late in the fourth quarter, which blew the game open.
What’s going on with the Texans’ run defense? The Texans have allowed the third-most rushing yards in the NFL (989), and their issues stopping the run cost them a potential win in a game they led 20-17 early in the fourth quarter. Jacobs rushed for 143 yards and three touchdowns, two coming in the fourth quarter, against the Texans as Houston’s run woes looked eerily similar to the Week 3 loss to the Bears, when it allowed 281 rushing yards. The Texans have to figure things out — fast. — DJ Bien-Aime
Next game: vs. Titans (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET)
Panthers
What to know: The rest of the NFL might have declared the Panthers (2-5) in tank mode after they traded star running back Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday, but interim coach Steve Wilks and his players aren’t going there, as they promised all week. They put together their most complete game of the season, finally getting enough offense to back yet another solid defensive performance. They showed they still have the fight to remain in the race for the NFC South, moving within a game of Tampa Bay (3-4) and Atlanta (3-4) with the Falcons next on the schedule. And quarterback PJ Walker showed he should remain the starter even when Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold return from ankle injuries. And, oh, that McCaffrey fellow. The Panthers got almost 200 yards rushing out of their new duo of D’Onta Foreman and Chuba Hubbard.
Should PJ Walker remain the starter next week against Atlanta even if Baker Mayfield is ready to return from an ankle injury? Absolutely. Walker was allowed to do what he does best on Sunday in terms of getting the ball downfield, and he responded with two touchdowns on an efficient 16-of-22 passing. He’s now 3-1 as an NFL starter, 1-1 this season. Mayfield won’t like it, but this might signal the end for him at Carolina. It felt like it was the end even before today, given the league-low numbers Mayfield was putting up. — David Newton
Next game: at Falcons (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Buccaneers
What to know: For the second week in a row, Tom Brady and the Bucs were favored by 9.5 points, and once again, they stunk it up, this time against a team that fired its head coach and recently traded away two offensive stars. The Bucs’ offense looked absolutely dreadful with an abundance of dropped passes, miscues, questionable playcalling and, of course, protection issues, mustering three measly points. Perhaps the only positive: The Falcons lost too, meaning that at 3-4, the Bucs are still tied for first place. But what consolation is that when they’ve now lost four of their past five?
What went wrong this time? More like, what didn’t go wrong? Mike Evans dropped what might have been the most wide-open touchdown pass of his career on the opening drive. The Bucs were stonewalled once again in short yardage with Leonard Fournette going nowhere on third-and-1 and fourth-and-1. And Brady failed to connect with Evans, Chris Godwin and Russell Gage in the end zone on three straight incomplete passes from the 8-yard line. Defensively, they couldn’t stop the run — surrendering 173 yards, including a 60-yarder from D’Onta Foreman. Hosting the Baltimore Ravens in four days, they’ll also now likely be without Antoine Winfield Jr., who left Sunday’s game with a concussion. — Jenna Laine
Next game: vs. Ravens (Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET)
play
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D’Onta Foreman breaks free for a 60-yard run, and Chuba Hubbard runs in a 17-yard touchdown on the next play.
Cowboys
What to know: If there was a doubt — and by now there shouldn’t be — the defense will carry the Cowboys to success. Not even quarterback Dak Prescott’s return after a five-game absence could get the Cowboys’ offense rolling. But the defense came through. Again. After allowing two touchdowns last week versus Philadelphia for the first time this season, the defense did not allow a touchdown against a Lions offense that came in averaging 28 points a game. The defense changed the momentum of the game with five takeaways in the second half that the offense turned into 21 points: a Trevon Diggs‘ interception, an Anthony Barr fumble recovery at the Dallas 1, a Jourdan Lewis interception in the fourth quarter, a Sam Williams‘ sack/fumble and a DeMarcus Lawrence fumble recovery to end the game.
Will the Cowboys ever figure out their third-down woes on offense? If they don’t, they will not be a serious threat. They entered the game converting just 32% of their third-down tries, and things were supposed to be better upon Prescott’s return. They were 3-of-9 on third down. Through three quarters, Prescott was 0-for-1 with two sacks on third down. In the opener against Tampa Bay, he was 3-of-9 with an interception on third down. In the fourth quarter, they were stopped on third-and-1 when the Lions snuffed out a toss play to Tony Pollard. — Todd Archer
Next game: vs. Bears (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Lions
What to know: Turnovers absolutely hurt the Lions in critical moments. Quarterback Jared Goff threw two interceptions — and added two fumbles in the fourth. Also, running back Jamaal Williams fumbled twice — including one at the goal line to start the fourth. Detroit was already facing an uphill battle after losing wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown to a concussion during the first quarter. And the Lions were playing without receiver DJ Chark (ankle) — who was recently placed on injured reserve — and running back D’Andre Swift (shoulder/ankle), who has missed the past three games. So those mistakes proved to be costly while Detroit was undermanned.
Will the Lions’ defense improve from this performance moving forward? This season it’s been tough to get the offense and defense on the same page. Entering this game, Detroit’s defense was allowing a league-high 34 points per game, but during the bye, defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn made some changes, notably having No. 2 overall pick Aidan Hutchinson work with both the linebackers and defensive linemen to position him better for success. It worked in Dallas, as he racked up 1.5 sacks. Plus, Texas product Jeff Okudah played inspired football with a career-high 15 total tackles. So, yeah, the Lions certainly can’t do any worse than the first four games, when the defense was horrendous. On a bright note, they allowed a season-low 24 points to the Cowboys — but a loss is a loss. — Eric Woodyard
Next game: vs. Dolphins (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Titans
What to know: The Titans completed a sweep of the Colts to strengthen their lead atop the AFC South. The Titans’ defensive front dominated the trenches, harassing Colts quarterback Matt Ryan for most of the day. Denico Autry continued his revenge tour against his former team with a sack. Bud Dupree and Jeffery Simmons also had sacks. Pressure from Dupree led to two interceptions for the Titans. One of the interceptions was returned 76 yards for a touchdown by safety Andrew Adams. Tennessee has four more games within the division and now has a 4-2 record, thanks to a four-game winning streak.
Can the Titans continue to win games in such an ugly manner? Although it counts as a win, the Titans’ victory wasn’t pretty. Tennessee won primarily on the strength of its defense with two interceptions, including the pick-six by Adams. The Titans don’t deliver many explosive plays, instead relying on long drives to get onto the scoreboard, as evidenced by their 31-minute time of possession on Sunday. Derrick Henry has three 100-yard rushing performances in Tennessee’s four wins. Simply put, this team finds a way to win. However, things will get tough for the Titans over the next five weeks, with matchups against the Chiefs, Packers and Bengals on the docket. — Turron Davenport
Next game: at Texans (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET)
Colts
What to know: The Colts thought they had found a viable path on offense with their best showing in Week 6 against Jacksonville. But the heavy passing attack didn’t work as effectively against Tennessee, as the Titans harassed quarterback Matt Ryan throughout and dominated the Colts’ offensive line. Ryan threw two interceptions — including one that was returned for a TD — and now has 12 turnovers for the season. The return of running backs Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines from injuries didn’t change the outcome for the Colts, who are running out of time to salvage their floundering offense.
Can the Colts fix their offense? Against teams that don’t have dominant defensive fronts, the Colts likely have enough firepower to make things tough on opponents. But when they fail to win up front, as they did on Sunday, it’s easier for a defense to neutralize receivers Michael Pittman Jr., Alec Pierce and Parris Campbell. Their problems are fundamental: an offensive line that is playing at an unacceptable level and a quarterback who is shrinking in the face of the resulting pass rush. How do you fix that? — Stephen Holder
Next game: vs. Commanders (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)
Bengals
What to know: Earlier in the week, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow said a three-game stretch against the Falcons, Browns and Panthers was going to define Cincinnati’s season. It represented three opportunities to bank victories in a tight AFC North race heading into the team’s bye in Week 10. Behind a record-breaking day from Burrow, who became the first player in NFL history to have five games of 400 or more passing yards in his first three seasons, the Bengals started out with a win.
Buy or sell WR Tyler Boyd‘s performance? Buy. Boyd had a career-high 155 receiving yards, with the bulk of that coming in the first quarter. Even with an offense that features Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, Boyd showed why coach Zac Taylor considers him one of the best slot receivers in the league. — Ben Baby
Next game: at Browns (Monday, Oct. 31, 8:15 p.m. ET)
Falcons
What to know: On an ugly day all around, especially for a defense left short-handed by A.J. Terrell‘s hamstring injury, there might yet be good news for the Falcons: Not many offenses are as explosive as that of the Bengals. And with a stretch that includes games against the Bears, Commanders and Steelers and two against the Panthers coming up, the Falcons have to hope this was a bad matchup instead of a sign of problems to come.
Can Atlanta’s offense sustain when it gets into a hole? Based off what we’ve seen this season, it’s still a bit unclear. But Sunday did not provide much confidence. Trailing by 18 points in the fourth quarter, the Falcons appeared to stay in their same run-based offense. It worked in near comebacks against the Buccaneers and Rams, but against a more explosive offense in Cincinnati, and with the team’s secondary decimated by injury, it didn’t work. This is going to be something to pay attention to going forward but isn’t a huge concern. Yet. — Michael Rothstein
Next game: vs. Panthers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
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Ja’Marr Chase goes 41 yards into the end zone for another Bengals touchdown.
Ravens
What to know: The Ravens still have fourth-quarter issues but finally got some good fortune at the end. It looked like Baltimore was about to give away another double-digit lead after running back Justice Hill fumbled with 3:12 left in the game. But Malik Harrison blocked a potential game-tying 61-yard field goal. Then Ravens safety Geno Stone forced a fumble on the Browns’ final possession as the game ended. The Ravens avoided becoming just the third team in the past decade to lose four times in the first seven weeks in games in which they held double-digit leads.
What’s going on with Lamar Jackson throwing the ball? Defenses have turned up the heat with blitzes, and Jackson has not been sharp or decisive with the ball. On Sunday, he finished with 120 yards passing, the sixth fewest of his five-year career. Two completions — a 31-yard pass to Devin Duvernay and a 19-yard dump-off to fullback Patrick Ricard — accounted for 50 of those yards. Jackson said this week that the Ravens need to stop overthinking and just play. But Baltimore’s issues go deeper than that. Over the past four games, Jackson has thrown three TDs and four INTs. — Jamison Hensley
Next game: at Buccaneers (Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET)
Browns
What to know: Cleveland played arguably its best game of the season in Baltimore. But too many errors on a potential game-winning drive sank the Browns, giving them their fourth straight loss. An offensive pass interference call on Amari Cooper negated his go-ahead TD reception. Then a false start on a game-tying field goal forced Cade York to attempt a 60-yard try. The kick was blocked, sealing the victory for Baltimore.
Can Cleveland recover from four straight losses? The Browns desperately needed this victory to hang around in the AFC North race. Now, at 2-5 with arguably the league’s toughest remaining schedule, Cleveland’s season is officially on life support. A loss to Cincinnati next week on “Monday Night Football” would effectively be the death knell — before the Browns even reach their midseason bye. — Jake Trotter
Next game: vs. Bengals (Monday, Oct. 31, 8:15 p.m. ET)
Commanders
What to know: Quarterback Taylor Heinicke‘s game won’t win any beauty pageants, but he excels at ignoring the aesthetics and competes. It’s why he can have a brutal start — with a first-half pick-six and numerous ugly incompletions early — and later lead a win. It helped that Washington ran the ball for 167 yards, and receiver Terry McLaurin came through with a big second half with a touchdown catch and key completions on the final drive. But Heinicke’s grit allows him to ignore plays that could ruin other quarterbacks coming off the bench. It’s why Washington has won two in a row.
Has the defense turned it around? The Commanders have benefited from facing struggling offenses the past two games in Chicago and Green Bay. But they have played better largely because of their ability to stop the run; they’ve allowed only 3.67 yards per carry in the past five games — fourth best in the NFL. Also, with cornerback William Jackson III sidelined, they’ve been more consistent in coverage, especially in zone. With Chase Young possibly back within two weeks, the defense could be the reason for a resurgence. — John Keim
Next game: at Colts (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)
Packers
What to know: If the Packers can’t beat the New York Giants, New York Jets and Washington Commanders, imagine what the Buffalo Bills are going to do to them next Sunday in Orchard Park, New York. The Bills have the most explosive offense in the NFL. They lead the league in yards per game and rank second in points. Their defense leads the league in fewest points allowed and ranks second in yards. Oh, yeah, and the Bills were on their bye this weekend and play the Packers at home in a prime-time game. This was supposed to be a get-back-on-track game after two straight losses. Instead, the Packers have their first three-game losing streak since 2018.
Now will the Packers get another receiver? Yes, it’s the same question as last week after the loss to the Jets. The trade deadline is a little more than a week away, and without a significant addition, it’s hard to see how their passing game will improve. The return of Sammy Watkins, who missed four weeks because of a hamstring injury, didn’t immediately help. Aaron Rodgers had not attempted a pass that traveled more than 10 yards in the air until the final two minutes of the first half on Sunday, and when he finally did, Watkins wasn’t fast enough to run under it. It was so far off that flags for pass interference were picked up because the ball was deemed uncatchable. Their fastest receiver, rookie Christian Watson, missed a second straight game because of a hamstring injury. — Rob Demovsky
Next game: at Bills (Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET)
Giants
What to know: The Giants keep finding ways to win, even if it’s just by 1 yard. Trevor Lawrence and the Jags’ offense were on the doorstep late in the game, but Lawrence’s pass to Christian Kirk was stuffed at the 1-yard line as time expired. The Giants leaned for most of three quarters on the arm — and legs — of quarterback Daniel Jones, with Jacksonville concentrating on limiting Saquon Barkley (72 of his 110 rushing yards came in the fourth quarter). Jones threw for 202 yards and a touchdown and ran for 107 yards and another score. It’s what they needed against a Jaguars defense that has been strong in stopping the run. This was the kind of game that showed Jones (despite five dropped passes) has the ability to not only manage games but win them. He led his fourth fourth-quarter comeback this season.
Just how bad are the injuries? Rookie right tackle Evan Neal (knee), tight end Daniel Bellinger (eye) and left guard Ben Bredeson (knee) all left the game in the first half. Those are three starters. Early indications are Neal and Bredeson avoided serious injury, according to sources. That’s a positive. Bellinger was taken to a local hospital for further evaluation. The Giants’ offense was already limited entering Sunday. It can’t afford for any of these injuries to be long term. The injured trio from Sunday has started every game this season — Jordan Raanan
Next game: at Seahawks (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)
Jaguars
What to know:Travis Etienne Jr. has taken over as the Jaguars’ top back. He started for the second consecutive week and had the breakout game that many have been expecting (114 yards rushing). Etienne averaged 8.1 yards per carry and scored his first NFL touchdown on a 7-yard run. James Robinson, who had started the first five games this season and 32 overall, didn’t have a carry or a reception in a game in which he has played for the first time in his career. He was targeted just once, on a pass that Trevor Lawrence overthrew in the end zone.
Where is the pass rush? The Jaguars’ pass rush looked formidable after putting up seven sacks in the first two games, but it has managed just six since — and only two in the past two games (just one against Daniel Jones). Head coach Doug Pederson said teams are devising game plans to stop No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker by chipping him or double-teaming him. But that means Josh Allen should be getting to the QB more. He did enter the week with 25 QB pressures, per NFL Next Gen Stats, but he hasn’t had a sack since Week 4 and has just three this season. Those two have to be more productive. — Mike DiRocco
Next game: vs. Broncos (Sunday, 9:30 a.m. ET)
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Daniel Jones pushes his way through to the end zone to put the Giants ahead late in the fourth quarter.
Thursday
Cardinals
What to know: The Cardinals’ offense isn’t out of the woods yet. Yes, it played as well as it has played all season during Thursday’s win over the Saints, but Kyler Murray said there’s things that the offense still needs to work on. And he’s not wrong. The Cardinals were saved by the defense, which returned two interceptions for touchdowns. Take those away, and the Cardinals would’ve lost. Next week in Minnesota will be the true gauge for this offense to see if it’s making strides or still stuck in the mud. Having nine days between games will give guys such as DeAndre Hopkins and Robbie Anderson a chance to get acclimated more, and players such as James Conner and Rodney Hudson a chance to get healthy.
Was Thursday night the spark the Cardinals’ needed to turn around the season? It’ll help, no doubt, but the win was somewhat built on false pretenses because the Saints were down to their top two corners and top two receivers. If Arizona plays well and can beat the Vikings convincingly next week, then yes, the Cardinals will be on their way to turning around the season. — Josh Weinfuss
Next game: at Vikings (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Saints
What to know: The Saints are a mess on both sides of the ball, but none of these problems are new. Turnovers, missed tackles and penalties have defined the Saints’ identity this season, and even wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith said self-inflicted wounds are killing the team. Smith said that Alvin Kamara told the team after the game: “We’ve got to really police ourselves, hold our own selves accountable, hold our teammates accountable.”
How does the coaching staff fix the team’s problems with multiple injuries? Saints coach Dennis Allen said the problem starts with him, and when asked how the coaches make changes going forward, he said it’s about “getting the right people in the right spots.” Allen admitted that is a tough thing to do, especially considering the health of the team is his biggest concern. With the Saints down three cornerbacks and several players on offense, there might not be many options for the Saints to turn to. — Katherine Terrell
Jerick McKinnon of the Kansas City Chiefs carries the ball in the third quarter against the San … [+] Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium on Oct. 23, 2022 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
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Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs was billed as a Super Bowl LIV revenge game for the San Francisco 49ers.
But it also represented a grudge match for Chiefs running back Jerick McKinnon.
“Man, you know it did,” McKinnon exclusively shared. “Anytime you get to compete against your former teammates, it’s always something special.”
McKinnon spent three seasons with the 49ers after signing a four-year, $30 million contract with them. He is now in a contract year after signing the second of back-to-back one-year deals with the Chiefs, totaling $2.15 million.
During the Chiefs’ 44-23 win, McKinnon had the back-breaking play late in the third quarter.
Facing a 3rd and 20 from 49ers’ 38-yard-line, the Chiefs ran a screen. As soon as the play call came in, McKinnon knew it would be a huge gain, telling himself, “it’s about to hit,”
The screen went 34 yards, and McKinnon ran behind a convoy to the 49ers’ four-yard-line.
“It opened like the Red Sea,” McKinnon said.
The 49ers tried to keep everything in front, and Nick Bosa went inside, and McKinnon went outside, and each member of the left side of the Chiefs offensive line found a 49ers defender to take out.
“It was a great call. We were able to use Bosa’s aggressiveness against them,” McKinnon said. “It was a great, executed play, man. The O-line got out front, man. They were working like dogs.”
After injuring his knee a second time during the 2019 season, McKinnon was not on the active roster but was at the Super Bowl.
Both teams have several players from that Chiefs’ 31-20 victory.
The Chiefs still have 13 players, including injured Blake Bell, on their roster. Patrick Mahomes, Andrew Wylie, Travis Kelce and Mecole Hardman started on offense, and Chris Jones, Derrick Nnadi and Frank Clark started on defense.
Special teamers Harrison Butker and James Winchester and backups Nick Allegretti and Khalen Saunders and current practice squader Austin Reiter also played in the Super Bowl.
The 49ers have 20 players from that squad, though some are now injured, led by current offensive starters Jimmy Garoppolo, Mike McGlinchey, George Kittle, Kyle Juszczyk, Deebo Samuel, Jeff Wilson and three current defensive starters Bosa, Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw.
“They’ve stayed together,” Mahomes said.
McKinnon noted there was plenty of trash during the game, but none of it he heard referred to that game.
During the week 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan noted that Super Bowl loss would not add more motivation.
Though he emphasized to the media he had a completely different team this year, he did watch film of Super Bowl LIV this week.
“I hadn’t watched it for a while,” Shanahan said. “(I) had to this week for schematic reasons.”
The 49ers, who were victimized by famous WASP play on 3rd and 15 in the Super Bowl, were torched on both 3rd and 20 and 3rd and 11 plays.
On the 3rd and 11 with 12:54 in the fourth quarter, the Chiefs had the ball on their own 19. But Mahomes hit Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who beat former Chiefs cornerback Charvarius Ward for 57 yards.
Both third-and-long plays were symbolic of how the Chiefs, who entered the game with the No. 1 offense in points scored (29.8) demolished a 49ers defense, which entered the game ranked No. 1 in yards allowed (255.8).
On paper it looked like a classic; instead, it was a drubbing.
“It was a great show for the offense today,” McKinnon said.
The Chiefs won by three touchdowns even after spotting the 49ers 10 points in the first quarter.
“We beat their a – – in their stadium,” said Frank Clark, who had 1.5 sacks on Sunday and also sacked Garoppolo with 1:33 left in Super Bowl LIV.
After the Chiefs demolished the 49ers, McKinnon exchanged pleasantries with several of his former teammates, including Juszczyk, Trent Williams and Warner. They told him to “keep pounding” and stay healthy.
“It was a great atmosphere to come back (to),” McKinnon said. “Hopefully, we see those guys again.”
NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport was the first to report Saturday evening that McCaffrey will be on the field for San Francisco’s Week 7 outing against the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday afternoon at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
It was not known whether McCaffrey would debut in Week 7 over wait until San Francisco took on the defending champion Los Angeles Rams in Southern California next Sunday.
Apparently, San Francisco’s brass heeded his call to play in front of the running back’s new home crowd on Sunday. McCaffrey had been campaigning to play despite not getting a full practice in with the 49ers following the trade being made official Thursday night.
How The San Francisco 49ers Plan To Use Christian McCaffrey On Sunday
The 49ers have a package of plays planned for McCaffrey in his debut, sources confirmed. It remains to be seen exactly how many plays McCaffrey will be on the field. But it’s not expected to top 25 or 30.
The fact that McCaffrey has not had a ton of time to learn San Francisco’s playbook complicates things a bit further. But he’s a veteran with a wealth of experience in outside zone-blocking schemes. That should make this a fluid transition from Carolina.
Right now, Jeff Wilson will start and be the featured back in a game San Francisco must win to avoid an ugly 3-4 start to the season. As for McCaffrey, he’s more than excited to be returning him to the Bay Area.
McCaffrey’s father, Ed, played under Shanahan’s father, Mike, with the Denver Broncos from 1995-2003. The older McCaffrey was also a member of the 49ers’ Super Bowl winning team when Shanahan was the offensive coordinator back in 1994. As for Kyle Shanahan, he actually babysat McCaffrey when the running back was a youngster.
The Bay Area ties do not end there. McCaffrey starred for Stanford from 2014-16, finishing second in the Heisman voting as a sophomore in 2015.
McCaffrey, 26, heads to the 49ers after having put up 670 total yards and three touchdowns in six games with the Panthers. From 2018-19, he recorded a combined 4,357 yards with 43 touchdowns while catching a resounding 223 passes.
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey will make his debut with the team on Sundy. … [+] Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
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He appears to be back at pre-injury form after playing in a combined 10 games over the previous two seasons.
San Francisco is banking on that after exhausting four draft picks to acquire the high-priced running back from Carolina. Despite a minimal cap hit this season, McCaffrey will count $12 million against the cap in 2023 and 2024 before that number rises to $12.2 million in 2025.
San Francisco knows full well that McCaffrey is going to be a big part of its future moving forward.
“This is not a rental. So that was something that you think about in this time. And that was something that, at least for me and definitely John (Lynch), that was so much more enticing, knowing if we got him, just contractually and stuff, he’s going to be here. We don’t have to be risking this come February,” Shanahan said after the McCaffrey trade became official.
That starts Sunday against Kansas City in a rematch of Super Bowl LIV from back in February of 2020.
Former manager at a Fortune 100 financial services company, now living my dream creating fantasy and sports betting content about the NFL, NBA, and WNBA for ESPN.
Read ESPN’s fantasy football Daily Notes every weekday to stay caught up on the news you need to know and get a head start on the fantasy football content coming today and tomorrow to ESPN.com and the ESPN Fantasy App. Here are your fantasy headlines for Friday, Oct. 21.
The news: ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Panthers are trading RB Christian McCaffrey to the 49ers for draft picks.
What it means in fantasy: As compensation, the Panthers will receive second-, third- and fourth-round draft picks in the 2023 NFL draft, along with a fifth-round pick in 2024. McCaffrey is now part of Kyle Shanahan’s fantasy-friendly offense in San Francisco that leans heavily on running backs as rushers and receivers out of the backfield. It will be a breath of fresh air for McCaffrey, considering the Panthers ranked last in the league in total yards per game. As soon as he takes the field, he can be considered a high-end RB1 with a shot at finishing as fantasy’s most valuable player for the season.
Going deeper: After playing in all 16 games in each of his first three NFL seasons, McCaffrey was limited by injuries to just 10 combined games in 2020 and 2021. However, he’s been very productive when on the field. McCaffrey has averaged 19.6 touches and 22.2 fantasy points per game in his career.
The news: Panthers RBs D’Onta Foreman and Chuba Hubbard are expected to form a committee after Christian McCaffrey’s departure.
What it means in fantasy: To be candid, I believe Foreman will lead the Panthers’ committee ultimately but Hubbard will be involved as well. Carolina signed Foreman as a free agent from the Titans earlier this year. The Panthers didn’t seem to be completely sold on Hubbard’s 10-game stint as starter last year when McCaffrey missed time. While McCaffrey was out, Hubbard rushed for 514 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games. Additionally, he caught 19 passes for 110 yards and a touchdown. Filling in for Derrick Henry when he suffered a foot injury in Week 8 last season, Foreman had success with the Titans. He finished the season with 133 rushing attempts for 566 yards and three touchdowns, as well as nine receptions for 123 yards. Hubbard (96.5%) and Foreman (95.8%) are available in a high percentage of ESPN leagues. Both are on the flex radar for a Carolina offense that ranks last in the NFL in total yards per game.
The news: ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that WR DJ Moore is viewed as a “foundational piece to the roster.”
What it means in fantasy: Moore is unlikely to be traded as the deadline approaches, despite multiple calls from other teams. Moore has been negatively impacted by the Panthers’ offense, which isn’t a fantasy football bonanza. A trade would significantly improve his fantasy outlook. This season, Moore has averaged 7.3 targets and 8.4 fantasy points. He was the WR15 in our draft trends this summer. Even as a flex option, Moore is difficult to trust.
The news: Cardinals WR Rondale Moore caught one of two targets for 31 yards against the Saints.
What it means in fantasy: As Marquise Brown is out for the immediate future with a foot injury, Moore was expected to play a more prominent role in the Cardinals’ passing game. Over the past two games, Moore has caught 13 of 18 targets for 117 receiving yards. In his first game back after serving his suspension, DeAndre Hopkins halted that positive momentum. He caught 10 of 14 targets for 103 receiving yards. In Week 8 against the Vikings, fantasy managers will have a hard time trusting Moore in their lineups.
Going deeper: This was the second time Hopkins had 10 receptions for 100 or more yards in his first game of a season. Over the past 20 seasons, only Hopkins, Davante Adams, Michael Thomas, Andre Johnson and Anquan Boldin have done that multiple times.
The news: Patriots RB Damien Harris practiced in full Thursday.
What it means in fantasy: Harris is dealing with a hamstring injury. After missing last week’s game against the Browns, he seems on track to play Monday night against the Bears. Depending on how healthy Harris is, he will likely cut into Rhamondre Stevenson‘s snaps and opportunity share. Stevenson can still be inserted into fantasy lineups as an RB2.
The news: Seahawks WR Tyler Lockett missed practice for a second consecutive day as he deals with a hamstring injury.
What it means in fantasy: The Seahawks might be without Lockett for their matchup against the Chargers. The receiver has missed only two games in his career, and one was the final game of 2016 after breaking his leg. Lockett’s status should be monitored by fantasy managers on Friday and likely into the weekend. Should Lockett not be able to go, Dee Eskridge and Marquise Goodwin will step up.
The news: Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins did not practice Thursday with a knee injury.
What it means in fantasy: Dobbins’ knee tightened up against the Giants last week. It is possible that he will miss Sunday’s game against the Browns after two consecutive DNPs. In the event he is inactive, fantasy managers should turn to Kenyan Drake, who filled in for Dobbins last week and finished with 19.7 fantasy points. Drake is still available in 82% of ESPN leagues. Gus Edwards is also close to returning from injured reserve. When he becomes active, he’ll have a role in the backfield.
The news: Raiders TE Darren Waller missed practice for a second consecutive day with a hamstring injury.
What it means in fantasy: This is not good news for Waller, especially coming out of a bye week. There’s a good chance he’ll miss this week’s game against the Texans. Backup tight end Foster Moreau is very capable of filling the void. He’s a great contingency plan for fantasy managers who have Waller on their rosters.
The news: ESPN’s Rich Cimini reports that WR Elijah Moore will be inactive for Week 7 against the Broncos after he requested a trade.
What it means in fantasy: Moore is frustrated by his lack of targets, but the Jets are not considering a trade as the deadline is quickly approaching. Moore has been targeted only 29 times this season. His trade demand “didn’t sit well with the Jets.” Moore’s absence opens the door for Corey Davis to have a high floor against the Broncos since Zach Wilson has a strong rapport with him.
Going deeper: Davis leads the Jets with 351 receiving yards on 19 catches, 17 of which were for first downs or touchdowns.
The news: WR Hunter Renfrow did not practice Thursday with a hip injury.
What it means in fantasy: The report came as a surprise. Fantasy managers should pivot to Mack Hollins if Renfrow is ruled out, since Hollins is still available in 93% of ESPN leagues. In the two games earlier this season when Hollins had eight or more targets, he finished with a combined 41.5 fantasy points.
The news: Ravens TE Mark Andrews missed practice on consecutive days for rest purposes.
What it means in fantasy: Coach John Harbaugh has publicly stated that these are rest days for Andrews, but he’s also dealing with a knee injury. I believe Andrews will play against the Browns on Sunday. However, were Andrews unable to play, Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely would be an intriguing streamer. Cade Otton and Evan Engram should also be considered. WR Rashod Bateman is on track to return this week after dealing with a foot injury. After Week 6’s loss to the Giants, offensive coordinator Greg Roman noted that Devin Duvernay should be more involved; this would be even more likely if Andrews were ruled out.
Today on ESPN.com/Fantasy and in the ESPN Fantasy App
• Fantasy Focus Podcast: Daniel Dopp, Stephania Bell and Mike Clay react to the massive Christian McCaffrey trade before previewing everything you need to know for Week 7 including key injury updates, lineup locks, if you can start Brady & much more! Watch
Sunday:
• The Fantasy Football cheat sheet: the week’s best advice in one place
• Inactives Watch: who’s in, who’s out and what does it mean?
• Matt Bowen and Tristan H. Cockcroft’s fantasy highs and lows
• Fantasy Football Now: Sunday at 10 a.m. ET on ESPN2
• Fantasy Focus podcast: Field Yates, Mike Clay and Daniel Dopp preview a friendlier “Thursday Night Football” for fantasy before dishing out the WRs who have great matchups and the WRs you might need to bench. Then, Adam Schefter joins to talk the storylines to watch in Week 7, including who needs to be on your radar for a late-season push. Listen | Watch
The Carolina Panthers have confirmed running-back Christian McCaffrey will be traded to the San Francisco 49ers, pending a physical exam, in exchange for a host of draft picks.
According to NFL.com, the deal will see the Panthers receive a second, third and fourth-round pick in the 2023 draft, as well as a fifth-round pick in 2024.
It comes at a time when the Panthers are looking to rebuild the roster and center it around a host of emerging young talent.
McCaffrey has enjoyed an impressive and lengthy stay at the Panthers, joining as a first-round pick in 2017.
His best year came in 2019, when he led the league in yards from scrimmage with 2,392 and he ran a career-best of 1,387 yards.
Injuries in 2020 and 2021 have limited his playing time since then but the 26-year-old has remained relatively healthy this year, ranking 12th in the NFL in carries (85), 13th in rushing yards (393), 31st in targets (43) and 19th in receptions (33).
The franchise fired head coach Matt Rhule earlier this month with the team struggling for form, prompting speculation about McCaffrey’s future.
The Panthers thanked the running-back in a tweet on Thursday, writing: “Thank you, Run CMC.”
He will return to the Bay Area where he attended college at Stanford, coming runner-up in the Heisman Trophy in 2015.
McCaffrey may play a minor role for his new team as the 49ers take on the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
I won’t go as far to say that general manager John Lynch and Co. heeded my call. But late Thursday evening, news broke that pretty much shattered the NFL news cycle.
Multiple media reports indicated that San Francisco did indeed acquire McCaffrey from the Carolina Panthers in a blockbuster trade. Both San Francisco and Carolina made the deal official a bit while later.
In return for one of the game’s most-electric players, San Francisco sent second-and-third-round picks in 2023, a fourth-round pick next April and a fifth rounder in 2024 to Carolina.
To be clear, this is a high price to pay for an injury-plagued back who had suited up in a combined 10 games in the previous two seasons ahead of the 2022 campaign.
But it’s also a move that San Francisco viewed as a necessity following an ugly Week 6 loss to the Atlanta Falcons and with the team set to welcome the Kansas City Chiefs to town on Sunday.
A first-round pick of the Panthers out of Stanford back in 2017, McCaffrey has returned to pre-injury form this far this season with 670 total yards and three touchdowns through six games. Let’s break down this deal below.
Christian McCaffrey’s Fit With The San Francisco 49ers
Objectively, it couldn’t be more ideal for both sides. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has always fancied himself dual-threat running backs dating back to his days as the Houston Texans’ offensive coordinator all the way back in 2008.
McCaffrey is just that. In fact, his 33 receptions this season would lead the 49ers. Prior to the injuries of the past two seasons, McCaffrey caught a combined 223 passes while hauling in 83.8% of his targets in 2018 and 2019.
It’s also not like McCaffrey doesn’t do damage on the ground. He’s averaging 61 rushing yards per game at a clip of 4.6 yards per attempt throughout his career.
McCaffrey has loads of experience in San Francisco’s outside zone-blocking scheme, too. That should make it a seamless transition for the star back.
The addition of McCaffrey changes the dynamics for San Francisco’s offense in a big way. Once he returns from injury, Elijah Mitchell will be used a change-of-pace back. The 49ers can also utilize current RB1 Jeff Wilson as a short-yardage guy. He’s scored a whopping 19 touchdowns in his past 37 games.
More importantly, opposing defenses are now going to have major issues game-planning against the 49ers.
Deebo Samuel likely won’t need to see much action in the backfield with McCaffrey in the mix. He can now focus primarily on being a wide receiver opposite breakout player Brandon Aiyuk.
The idea of defenses having to plan for formations with the likes of McCaffrey, Kittle, Samuel and Aiyuk all on the field is a thing of nightmares for coordinators.
Finances Of The Christian McCaffrey Trade
The finances of Christian McCaffrey’s trade to the San Francisco 49ers. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
From a salary cap perspective, this deal does very little in 2022. McCaffrey is due a mere $1.035 million base salary after restructuring his conract with Carolina back in the spring. San Francisco is on the hook for a pro-rated version of that (roughly $669,705.00).
The long-term outlook is different. McCaffrey is playing under a four-year, $64 million contract that he signed back in April of 2020. He’s set to count $19.55 million against the cap in 2023 with cap hits of $19.55 million in 2024 and $15.45 million in 2025.
In terms of the 49ers responsibility for that, he’ll count $12 million against their cap in 2023 and 2024 with a $12.2 million hit in 2025.
By taking on McCaffrey’s contract, Lynch and Co. are now committing top-end cash to yet another position.
Even prior to this blockbuster trade, the likes of fullback Kyle Juszczyk, tight end George Kittle, left tackle Trent Williams, linebacker Fred Warner, wide receiver Deebo Samuel and defensive lineman Arik Armstead were among the highest-paid NFL players at their respective positions.
This doesn’t even take into account the need to sign Pro Bowl edge rusher Nick Bosa to what would be a record-breaking contract extension next summer. His new deal will likely come in at somewhere near $25 million annually.
Prior to this deal, San Francisco was projected to have roughly $18.5 million in cap room for next season. The McCaffrey trade brings this to well under $10 million.
Financial gymnastics would have to be part of the game for the 49ers’ front office. This would likely include restructuring the contracts of Williams, Armstead, Warner, Kittle and Charvarius Ward, who are set to count a combined $76-plus million against the cap in 2023.
As it stands, the 49ers have avenues that could help with the cap next spring. The increase in the NFL salary cap moving forward due to its historic television contracts will help here, too.
Remaining San Francisco 49ers Draft Picks Following Christian McCaffrey Trade
San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch will have his work cut out for him. (AP Photo/Ben … [+] Margot)
Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
On the surface, this deal seems to deplete San Francisco’s draft capital, especially with its first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft already gone due to the Trey Lance deal.
That’s just on the surface. The 49ers are projected to pick up two third-round compensatory picks under the guise of the NFL’s minority hiring program. It should also pick up a fifth, sixth and seventh via the NFL free-agent compensation loophole.
This should leave the 49ers with a nice amount of selections once all is said and done. Sure they’ll be without picks in the first two rounds. But the question becomes whether anyone selected in that range would have anywhere near the same impact as a healthy Christian McCaffrey over the next three-plus seasons. It seems highly unlikely.
The San Francisco 49ers have mostly watched as the NFC West division rival Los Angeles Rams have repeatedly swung for the fences to try to win the Super Bowl. That approach worked for the Rams last season. The Niners believe it’s their turn, which is why they pulled off a stunning trade for running back Christian McCaffrey late Thursday night.
The Niners sent second-, third- and fourth-round picks in 2023 and a fifth-round pick in 2024 to the Carolina Panthers for McCaffrey in hopes he can help jump-start a sagging offense.
Through the first six weeks, the 49ers have been plagued by injuries all over the roster, and their offense hasn’t played close to the level of their dominant defense.
Coach Kyle Shanahan doesn’t want a repeat of 2019, when the Niners wasted an elite defense as the offense couldn’t close out the Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Put simply: San Francisco believes it is in a championship window, and trading for McCaffrey sends that message loud and clear to the rest of the league.
How will McCaffrey fit into the 49ers’ offense?
This should be relatively seamless for McCaffrey, who has plenty of experience operating in an outside zone-heavy scheme and brings the type of versatility that will allow Shanahan to mix and match him with the team’s skill-position options. And make no mistake, while McCaffrey will be the team’s No. 1 option at running back, Shanahan will use him in the pass game plenty and create more headaches for defenses, who now have to keep track of him and the likes of receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk and tight end George Kittle. — Nick Wagoner
Did the 49ers give up too much?
On paper, it seems like it. But when you make an all-in move like this, there’s no price that’s too high if it pays off. The risk is obvious: McCaffrey has missed 23 games in the past two seasons, and he’s joining a team that is consistently snakebit by injury. And while the Niners have a couple of third-round compensatory picks, they’re essentially punting on the 2023 NFL draft. Adding young, cost-effective players is important for a team that has so much high-priced talent and is planning to pay defensive end Nick Bosa an enormous amount of money this offseason. But if McCaffrey, who is under contract through 2025, is healthy and on the field, he gives the 49ers one of the best groups of skill-position players in the league, and the loss of multiple Day 2 picks won’t sting much at all. — Wagoner
Does adding McCaffrey put the 49ers over the top in a tight NFC West?
It should, but that comes with the significant caveat of whether the Niners and McCaffrey can get (and stay) relatively healthy. No team has been more banged up than the Niners in the first six weeks, and while many of those players are expected to return, there are no guarantees when it comes to health. If their injury luck turns for the better, the Niners, who are already 2-0 in the division, have the best roster in the NFC West and should be able to not only win the division but make another deep postseason run. — Wagoner
After firing their coach and getting rid of McCaffrey and Anderson, is this a complete rebuild for the Panthers?
The Panthers might not call it a complete rebuild because the defense is in good shape for next season. Defensive tackle Matt Ioannidis is the only starter not under contract. But this is a complete rebuild when you consider the Panthers will have a new coaching staff, since Matt Rhule already has been fired; a new quarterback, since Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold aren’t the answer; and a new face of the franchise, since McCaffrey is gone.
On top of that, the receiver room is a mess. DJ Moore is the only legitimate threat now that Robbie Anderson has been traded to the Arizona Cardinals. And none of Carolina’s tight ends are legitimate weapons. Not to mention the offensive line ranks near the bottom of the league in pass win and run win rate. One could argue 2022 first-round pick Ikem Ekwonu has had growing pains thus far at left tackle. He might be better suited for the right side or at guard. So call this what you want, but it’s a rebuild. — David Newton
How does this set up interim coach Steve Wilks?
Wilks never got a fair shake in his one season (2018) as the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals because he didn’t have the talent to compete and coached with mostly an inherited staff. He has the same situation now with Carolina. And now he loses his most valuable offensive asset. McCaffrey was his offense, accounting for 75% of the team’s yardage in Sunday’s 24-10 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Wilks has to replace him with second-year back Chuba Hubbard and journeyman D’Onta Foreman.
The offense is already rated last in the NFL in total yards and in third-down percentage, and former XFL quarterback PJ Walker is starting his second straight game Sunday against Tampa Bay while Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold recover from ankle injuries. Owner David Tepper said Wilks would be considered for the full-time job if he does an exceptional job the remainder of this year. Instead, it appears he has been set up for failure once again. This feels like a total tank to build for the future. — Newton
What are the contract and cap implications of the deal?
McCaffrey is a one-year rental on a cheap contract for San Francisco, with a $1.035 million salary thanks to Carolina’s offseason contract restructure. Next year it gets more complicated, as McCaffrey is owed $11.8 million. But the 49ers don’t inherit McCaffrey’s signing bonus proration, which lessens his $19.5 million cap hit in 2023 by several million. This is all manageable but still steep for a running back. — Jeremy Fowler
What other teams were involved in talks?
Several contenders at least made the call, but as of midweek talks were slow to develop. Despite hype about their interest, I never got the sense the Buffalo Bills were all-in. Teams I’ve talked to believe the Rams and Denver Broncos were involved to some extent but were unwilling to reach the price point the 49ers ended up paying.
The Panthers also have received multiple trade calls on their other top playmaker, wide receiver DJ Moore, per sources, but the team considers Moore a foundational piece for the roster in the long term. — Fowler
In the late window, the Buffalo Bills made a statement (and grabbed a potential AFC playoff tiebreaker) by defeating the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. On Sunday Night Football, the Philadelphia Eagles earned a statement win over the Dallas Cowboys to remain the only undefeated team in the league.
Our NFL Nation reporters react with the biggest takeaways and lingering questions coming out of this week’s matchups and look ahead to what’s next. Let’s get to it.
What to know: Quarterback Jalen Hurts answered the bell. Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence said: “All you need to write is he hasn’t played the Cowboys yet, so we don’t know how good he is,” when asked about Hurts’ improvement this week. Hurts threw for a pair of touchdowns with no interceptions against one of the NFL’s best defenses, including the game-clincher to DeVonta Smith midway through the fourth quarter while operating behind an offensive line missing two of its starters. That, and the Eagles’ three defensive takeaways — two by C.J. Gardner-Johnson — pushed the Eagles past the Cowboys and to 6-0.
What are the Eagles going to do about these second-half droughts? Philadelphia has a habit of falling asleep offensively down the stretch. The Eagles have scored 35 points in the second half this season compared to 126 first-half points. It hasn’t bitten them yet, but it will be a point of focus during their bye week. — Tim McManus
Next game: vs. Steelers (Sunday, Oct. 30, 1 p.m. ET)
Cowboys
What to know:Cooper Rush did all he could do, winning four straight starts after Dak Prescott suffered a fractured right thumb. At some point, it had to come apart and it did against the Eagles, especially in the first half. Rush’s first two interceptions of the season turned into 10 points in the second quarter when Philadelphia took a 20-0 lead. The Cowboys made a game of it in the second half, but for all of those wondering whether there would be a quarterback controversy, Sunday answered that question. Rush deserves credit for keeping the Cowboys’ season alive, but it’s up to Prescott to make sure they stay in the NFC East race the rest of the way.
Should there be worry about the Cowboys rush defense? For the fourth time in six games, the Cowboys allowed more than 120 yards on the ground. If there is an Achilles’ heel to the defense, it is their run defense. They do not have a lot of bulk up front and choose to get it done with speed. When the Eagles took control of the game with a 13-play, 75-yard drive, they ran it 10 times and never faced a third down longer than 4 yards. Their next two games come against the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears, who have the eighth- and second-ranked run offenses in the league. — Todd Archer
Next game: vs. Lions (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Bills
What to know: Despite offensive miscues and the defense allowing Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes to throw for more than 100 yards to both Travis Kelce and JuJu Smith-Schuster, the Bills came away with another regular-season win at Arrowhead Stadium. The win was far from perfect, and there were miscues on both sides of the ball, including allowing the Chiefs to mount a 16-second drive for a field goal at the end of the first half.
The Bills brought in Von Miller to help win games like this. Has his performance paid off so far? The Bills invested heavily in the front seven over the offseason, most significantly with the addition of Miller. Against the Chiefs, the outside linebacker showed why it was worth it, finishing with his second two-sack game of the season, four tackles, two quarterback hits and two tackles for loss. Miller was also the first to pressure Mahomes on the game-ending interception. Overall, the Bills’ defense was not able to pressure Mahomes as much as they would have hoped (32.6% of throws). But Miller’s impact was felt at key moments, which is exactly what the Bills were hoping for. — Alaina Getzenberg
Next game: at Packers (Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET)
Chiefs
What to know: The Chiefs’ defense needs to be more productive with its blitz than it was against Bills quarterback Josh Allen. On one play, the Chiefs blitzed Allen with seven defenders and left him with enough time to throw a dime to Gabe Davis for a touchdown. On another, they sent six but left him enough time to throw a TD to Stefon Diggs.
Should the Chiefs be concerned about their secondary? They played without two of their top three cornerbacks and one of their top three safeties because of injuries. Therefore, the Chiefs were left with no choice but to play two rookies at cornerback, and the Bills successfully went after one of them, Joshua Williams, who played little until Sunday’s game. Things should improve when cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Rashad Fenton and safety Bryan Cook return. That could be as soon as Sunday against the 49ers. — Adam Teicher
Next game: at 49ers (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)
Rams
What to know: The Rams snapped their two-game losing streak, but their offense still hasn’t hit its stride. Los Angeles did score multiple touchdowns (three) for the first time since Week 3, but this offensive performance won’t be enough. After the Rams’ Week 5 loss, coach Sean McVay said the team needed to help quarterback Matthew Stafford. Los Angeles took a step forward against Carolina (rushing for two scores and giving up zero defensive touchdowns), but there’s still room for improvement.
Is this performance what the Rams can expect out of WR Allen Robinson II? Through five games, Robinson’s role in the offense was inconsistent, but he had his best game Sunday. Stafford spread the ball around more evenly than in previous games this season, and Robinson finished with five catches for 63 yards and a touchdown. This is likely what McVay envisioned when adding Robinson in free agency, so expect him to continue to get these targets as the season progresses. — Sarah Barshop
Next game: vs. 49ers (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)
Panthers
What to know: The Panthers didn’t look much different under interim head coach Steve Wilks than they did under coach Matt Rhule, who was fired Monday. The offense and defense continued to struggle on third down, the offense still was lifeless with PJ Walker at quarterback instead of Baker Mayfield (sidelined by an ankle injury), and the team still made too many critical mistakes. Wilks did make his presence felt with more dedication to getting running back Christian McCaffrey involved in all facets, but even that wasn’t enough.
Will McCaffrey and wide receiver Robbie Anderson be on the team much longer? Anderson’s time with the team appears near the end after he was sent to the locker room by Wilks following two heated arguments with wide receivers coach Joe Dailey. Will a team give up a draft pick for Anderson, and does Carolina really want to take a $20 million dead-cap hit over the rest of this year and next? Moving McCaffrey before the Nov. 1 trade deadline makes the most sense because the Panthers could get something in return that would help down the road. To move on from McCaffrey would be moving on from the team’s best offensive playmaker, as he showed Sunday. — David Newton
Next game: vs. Buccaneers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Seahawks
What to know: The Seahawks’ embattled defense finally showed up. In a reversal of what became well-established roles over the first five weeks, the defense carried Geno Smith (20-of-31, no touchdown passes) and the offense for a change. Seattle kept Arizona’s offense out of the end zone (its only touchdown was on special teams), stopped it on four of its five fourth-down attempts and sacked Kyler Murray six times. It was an encouraging performance by a defense that entered Sunday ranked last or near last in several categories.
How good can Seattle’s rookie class be? This looks like the best group of rookies the Seahawks have had since the 2012 class that produced Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner, among others. Cornerback Tariq Woolen is an early front-runner for Defensive Rookie of the Year now that he has an interception in four straight games. He also recovered a fumble forced by nickelback Coby Bryant, Bryant’s fourth of the year. Running back Kenneth Walker III ran for 97 yards and his second TD in as many weeks. Tackles Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas are off to strong starts despite some struggles for the offensive line Sunday. — Brady Henderson
Next game: at Chargers (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)
Cardinals
What to know: The Cardinals didn’t convert on three fourth downs in field goal territory against Seattle, costing them nine points and a shot at making it a game. By not taking the points, coach Kliff Kingsbury put pressure on the Cardinals’ defense and forced the offense to play from behind yet again. Had Arizona taken the points in all three situations and had kicker Matt Ammendola made his only extra point attempt, the game could have been tied at 19.
Can the Cardinals’ offensive woes be fixed by the return of DeAndre Hopkins? In theory, yes. The addition of Hopkins will force defenses to spread their coverage across the entire field instead of focusing only on Marquise Brown. But with how Arizona has been producing, adding Hopkins might not matter. Regardless, he’ll be a much-needed boost for Arizona six games into the season. — Josh Weinfuss
Next game: vs. Saints (Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET)
Falcons
What to know:Marcus Mariota showed Sunday why, in a controlled offense, he can still be a dynamic performer. Mariota had his best game as an Atlanta Falcon in beating San Francisco, completing 13 of 14 passes for 129 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions while running six times for 50 yards and a touchdown. He didn’t throw an incompletion until 10:52 left in the fourth quarter and ran coach Arthur Smith’s offense perfectly against one of the better defenses in the NFL. It’s a clear sign Mariota is starting to gain confidence.
Is Atlanta’s defense something to believe in? Falcons defensive coordinator Dean Pees gave an impassioned speech about how he wanted his defense to be like the ones he ran in Baltimore and New England. Atlanta is starting to look somewhat like it. The Falcons forced three three-and-outs Sunday, scored a touchdown on a fumble recovery, pressured 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and intercepted him once. Of course, there is some concern, too, as both starting cornerbacks A.J. Terrell (thigh) and Casey Hayward (undisclosed) finished the game on the bench because of injuries, which will be something to monitor. — Michael Rothstein
Next game: at Bengals (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
49ers
What to know: Relentless injuries have made it impossible for the 49ers’ defense to carry this team, which means it’s time for the offense to pull more of the weight. It was only a few weeks ago that Niners quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo spoke about the offense’s efforts to find a rhythm following a strange offseason. That was OK when a healthy Niners defense was suffocating opponents. But the toll of injuries left the Niners with four healthy starters on the field at the end of Sunday’s loss, leaving the offense to make up the difference. It wasn’t up to the task.
How bad is it going to get on the injury front? Every team in the league deals with injuries, but the Niners continue to have more than their share, with 11 of 22 starters on injured reserve, a pregame inactive or a player departing Sunday’s game because of injury. No team can overcome such attrition. — Nick Wagoner
Next game: vs. Chiefs (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)
play
0:40
A.J. Terrell tries to return a fumble for a touchdown, but he fumbles too, allowing Jaylinn Hawkins to recover the ball for a Falcons touchdown.
Jets
What to know: Who needs a star quarterback? The Jets proved again they can beat a good team without a prolific passing day by quarterback Zach Wilson, who was held without a touchdown pass for the second straight game. The Jets (4-2) upset the Packers with a classic game of complementary football. With Wilson struggling, they relied on the running game (two TDs), a suffocating defense (four sacks) and big plays by the special teams (a blocked punt and field goal). It took a few games, but the Jets have found their identity: a smash-mouth offense featuring rookie Breece Hall (116 rushing yards) and a dramatically improved defense led by tackle Quinnen Williams.
Is it time to take the Jets seriously? Heck, yeah. They’re a legit playoff contender. They’re in second place in the AFC East, riding their first three-game winning streak since 2019. They beat the Packers and Dolphins, two respectable teams, by a combined score of 67-27. They flipped the script from last October, when they got blown out on a weekly basis. They finally beat an elite quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, controlling him for the better part of 60 minutes. This isn’t a mirage: The Jets are for real. — Rich Cimini
Next game: at Broncos (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET)
Packers
What to know: It was hard to tell who was worse: Rodgers, his offensive linemen or his skill-position players’ hands. Rodgers missed what used to be routine throws, and his blocking didn’t give him much of a chance to stand in the pocket. Oh, yeah, and the Packers had six dropped passes — their most in a game since 2017. And then there was the lost fumble on a botched exchange between Rodgers and running back AJ Dillon. The Packers can’t go more than 3½ quarters without an offensive touchdown like they did on Sunday and expect to be a contender. But that’s what happened because Rodgers was off target and his offensive line allowed him to get hit nine times. It all added up to the first time the Packers have lost consecutive games in Matt LaFleur’s four seasons as head coach.
Do the Packers need to bring in a receiver? The trade deadline is a little more than two weeks away, and if the Packers stand pat, it’s hard to imagine how their passing game will get better. Maybe they’re counting on Sammy Watkins, who could return this week off injured reserve after spending four weeks on it because of a hamstring injury. Watkins was off to a nice start before he got hurt in practice leading into Week 3. Or perhaps they believe rookie Christian Watson, who also has battled hamstring problems and was inactive on Sunday, can add some speed to the lineup when or if he returns. But if not, there could be more performances like this. — Rob Demovsky
Next game: at Commanders (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Bengals
What to know: It wasn’t a must-win game, but it was one the Bengals desperately needed after a rough start to the season. New Orleans was without several key offensive starters, and playoff teams don’t lose three games to backup quarterbacks. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase delivered the game-winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter to provide Cincinnati a big midseason boost.
Is Cincinnati’s offense back? It’s too early to say yes. But the Bengals’ offense had its best showing of the season. Burrow had his best game since the end of the 2021 regular season. He was elusive, had great field awareness and feasted on short throws. It resulted in the most fluid offensive showing for the Bengals this season. If Cincinnati can replicate that performance next week against Atlanta, it’s a great sign for a unit that has struggled this season. — Ben Baby
Next game: vs. Falcons (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Saints
What to know: Surprisingly, there was some life in the Saints’ offense despite being short at wideout. New Orleans didn’t have Michael Thomas, Jarvis Landry, Chris Olave or even Deonte Harty and managed to move the chains with unlikely replacements, like explosive rookie Rashid Shaheed. They also continued their luck with the run game, rushing for more than 200 yards as a team. But they kicked too many field goals, and after the defense gave up a late-game touchdown, they couldn’t do enough to come back.
Do the Saints keep going with Andy Dalton? It’s clear Jameis Winston is progressing from his back injury, returning to practice on a limited basis and even being active on game day. But the offense, even though it was compromised, seems to have found a rhythm with Dalton. If Winston is healthy enough to play next week, the Saints could be wading into a quarterback controversy, unless they feel he could boost their chances if he’s playing at 100%. — Katherine Terrell
Next game: at Cardinals (Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET)
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Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase continue strong connection with a third quarter touchdown.
Giants
What to know: This Giants team is unflappable. They put up 90 yards in the first half, while the Ravens had 256. They were down 10 points with under 10 minutes remaining and their offense couldn’t do much of anything. It doesn’t matter with this group. They hang around and do just enough — seemingly every week — to win. The Giants may not have been the better or more talented team Sunday, yet they still found a way in the final minutes. This group is resilient.
What can the Giants do to make this offense more explosive? The offense is so unimposing Baltimore keyed on Saquon Barkley and the run game with the Giants down 10 and less than 10 minutes remaining. New York didn’t produce a 20-plus-yard play in the contest. But Wan’Dale Robinson returned after missing four games with a knee injury, and the Giants didn’t put Kadarius Toney (hamstring) and Kenny Golladay (knee) on injured reserve in hopes they could return soon. It’s their only hope at this point. In the meantime, they’re surviving. — Jordan Raanan
Next game: at Jaguars (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Ravens
What to know: This ugly loss falls squarely on Lamar Jackson, and it will go down as one of his worst performances. With the game on the line, Jackson turned the ball over on the final two drives with an interception and a fumble. Less than sharp all game (17-of-32 for 210 yards), Jackson got intercepted on one of the worst decisions of his career. With three minutes left in the game, Jackson picked up a poor snap and threw a wild, off-balance pass in the middle of the field while deep in his own territory that was picked off by safety Julian Love. The Giants converted that turnover into Barkley’s game-winning touchdown. On the Ravens’ next possession, Jackson got stripped with 1:29 left, sealing another late-game collapse by Baltimore.
Has Kenyan Drake surpassed J.K. Dobbins as the go-to running back? It could be by default right now. The biggest positive of the game was the big-play running by Drake, who became the first Ravens running back to produce 100 yards rushing this year. Dobbins, who acknowledged that it was “super hard” not being the featured back late in last week’s game, didn’t play in the second half. He wasn’t even holding his helmet on the sideline, which could be a sign that he’s dealing with an injury. Drake, who was inactive for two games earlier this season, has earned more playing time going forward. — Jamison Hensley
Next game: vs. Browns (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Vikings
What to know: The Vikings have reached their bye with a 5-1 record, nearly a best-case scenario with a new coaching staff and schemes installed on both sides of the ball. Their loss came at the Eagles, who entered Week 6 as the only undefeated team in the NFL (5-0). Only one of the Vikings’ five wins has been convincing, their Week 1 defeat of the Packers, and the disappearance of their offense for long stretches in Miami will give coach Kevin O’Connell plenty to study. At one point, the Vikings had as many three-and-outs (seven) as they did first downs.
What happened to the Vikings’ running game? It was waiting for the right moment. Tailback Dalvin Cook had been primed for a big game in his hometown but managed 17 yards on his first nine carries as the Dolphins’ defense presented favorable looks for the passing game. When they needed to carve time off the clock midway through the fourth quarter, the Vikings passed three times. But given a reprieve, Cook popped through the line for a 53-yard touchdown that sealed the game. The running game affected the outcome in another way, too: Both of Kirk Cousins‘ touchdown passes came on play-action. — Kevin Seifert
Next game: vs. Cardinals (Sunday, Oct. 30, 1 p.m. ET)
Dolphins
What to know: Regardless of your feelings about Tua Tagovailoa‘s long-term status as the Dolphins’ franchise quarterback, it is abundantly clear this team is quantifiably better with him on the field. Miami’s offense hasn’t moved the ball with any sort of consistency since Tagovailoa went down in Week 4. Rookie Skylar Thompson was inspiring in the first half (7-of-13, 89 yards) before a thumb injury to his throwing hand knocked him out of the game. In his stead, Teddy Bridgewater was skittish in the pocket, late on his throws and constantly harassed behind an offensive line that gave up 23 pressures — 19 of which came when the Vikings weren’t blitzing. It’s not often you can say one player would make all the difference, but it’s reasonable to think Tagovailoa’s return next week against the Steelers should turn things around for what’s been a stagnant Dolphins offense.
Can the Dolphins’ defense stay hot and find a groove over the next month and a half before a grueling December? Sunday was the Dolphins’ best defensive performance of the season, outside of a game-sealing 53-yard touchdown run by Dalvin Cook late in the fourth quarter and a 47-yard catch-and-run by Justin Jefferson on the previous series. Those two plays accounted for 42% of the Vikings’ offense in what was otherwise an impressive effort from Miami’s defense. Ideally, it’s the start of a trend of improved defensive play during a still-winnable stretch of the season coming up. If the Dolphins can keep this up against the Steelers, Lions, Bears, Browns and Texans, they should be rolling by the time a difficult December slate comes around. — Marcel Louis-Jacques
Next game: vs. Steelers (Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET)
Colts
What to know: This didn’t figure to be the game where the Colts discovered a viable offensive game plan, given the way the Jacksonville defense dominated the first meeting, and with running backs Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines sidelined on Sunday. But the Colts used a new offensive line configuration, timely throws on crossing routes from quarterback Matt Ryan and deep shots to emerging star Alec Pierce to pull off a critical AFC South victory. Pierce (winning TD catch, two drawn pass interference penalties) and Michael Pittman Jr. (13 catches, 134 yards) benefited greatly from the much-improved pass protection.
Has Ryan turned things around? There have been massive struggles for Ryan this season, especially in an earlier shutout loss to Jacksonville. But Ryan showed what he is capable of with improved pass protection. The Colts revamped their line for the second consecutive game, and Ryan took advantage, throwing for 389 yards and three touchdowns on 42-of-58 passing. For the first time this season, Ryan was not sacked and his pocket presence was clearly improved as a result of the protection. This was easily Ryan’s most complete performance of the season. — Stephen Holder
Next game: at Titans (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Jaguars
What to know: The Jaguars had a chance to take early control of the AFC South with back-to-back games against struggling Houston and Indianapolis. They lost both — including Sunday’s game against the Colts on a last-second field goal — and are now 1-2 in the division with none of the early momentum they gained with their 2-1 start. It’ll be hard to make up the two games in the division considering they’ve struggled against the Tennessee Titans (the Jags haven’t won in Nashville since 2013) and have lost nine consecutive games to Houston. The Jags are likely going to be fighting to stay out of the cellar — again.
Should Travis Etienne Jr. be the Jaguars’ feature back? Etienne has outperformed James Robinson in back-to-back weeks, rushing for 157 yards on 20 carries and catching five passes for 63 yards, while Robinson rushed for 81 yards on 22 carries and caught three passes for 13 yards. Etienne had a 48-yard run against the Colts and is flashing the big-play potential he was drafted to provide. He started on Sunday, and it may be time to make that permanent. — Mike DiRocco
Next game: vs. Giants (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Patriots
What to know: Rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe, the fourth-round draft pick from Western Kentucky playing in place of injured Mac Jones, finished 24-of-34 for 309 yards and two touchdowns with zero interceptions. While many of the throws were shorter and allowed his pass-catchers to do the rest, Zappe once again played with poise and stayed within himself to complement a stingy Patriots defense (which limited the Browns’ No. 1 rushing attack). Zappe smiled last week when asked if he’d heard of “Zappe fever” — a playful theme that has been discussed on local sports-talk radio — and he gave Patriots fans a reason to smile Sunday with another solid performance.
Will Mac Jones return for a Monday Night Football matchup against Justin Fields and the Bears? Jones made the trip to Cleveland, which was a reflection he was hoping to play but wasn’t quite there yet. That bought the Patriots more time until 90 minutes before kickoff. But Jones didn’t go through a pregame warm-up and, when he came out to the field, he was walking with a limp. Over the past three weeks, Jones has progressed from out to doubtful to questionable on the injury report. If he takes the next step, he’d be going up against fellow 2021 first-round draft pick Fields with the Bears coming to town on Monday night. — Mike Reiss
Next game: vs. Bears (Monday, Oct. 24, 8:15 p.m. ET)
Browns
What to know: New England took away NFL leading rusher Nick Chubb and the Browns’ vaunted running game, and Cleveland had no answer. Chubb finished with 56 yards, as coach Bill Belichick forced quarterback Jacoby Brissett to beat the Patriots. Brissett couldn’t consistently make New England pay, throwing two interceptions in a game the Pats controlled from the opening kickoff.
Is Cleveland’s season already on the brink? The season isn’t over. But the Browns are 2-4 after facing QBs Baker Mayfield, Joe Flacco, Mitch Trubisky, Marcus Mariota and rookie Bailey Zappe, who cooked Cleveland for more than 300 yards through the air. The Browns are getting ready to face Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, Josh Allen and Tom Brady. The season might not be over, but the way the Browns have played, especially defensively, it could begin to spiral. — Jake Trotter
Next game: at Ravens (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
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Myles Garrett’s strip sack in the first quarter gives him 62.5 career sacks, setting the Browns franchise record.
Steelers
What to know: Maybe it was senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach Brian Flores’ insight into Tom Brady‘s psyche. Maybe it was the defense figuring out how to get pressure without injured defensive end T.J. Watt. Whatever it was, the Steelers’ defense kept Brady and the Buccaneers in check, applying steady pressure and keeping the offense out of sync. Cam Heyward and Larry Ogunjobi constantly made Brady uncomfortable, and the patchwork secondary that included James Pierre and former practice squad corner Josh Jackson largely kept Tampa Bay’s weapons from exploiting a talent mismatch. The Steelers got to Brady by rarely bringing a blitz, doing so only once.
What’s Kenny Pickett‘s status going forward? The rookie quarterback’s first home start was dampened when he exited with less than eight minutes left in the third quarter after sustaining a concussion on a hard hit by Buccaneers linebacker Devin White. Veteran Mitch Trubisky replaced Pickett, and he completed 9 of 12 attempts for 144 yards and led the Steelers on a touchdown drive in the fourth quarter. Pickett, who completed 11 of 18 passes for 67 yards and a touchdown, is still more than likely the Steelers’ starter when he returns. Pickett must clear concussion protocol, and there’s no concrete timeline for that. — Brooke Pryor
Next game: at Dolphins (Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET)
Buccaneers
What to know: The Bucs’ red zone scoring woes continue. Errors and costly penalties have contributed. Even Tom Brady‘s patent quarterback sneak on third-and-1 in the fourth quarter didn’t work. They made it to the Steelers’ 17-, 1- and 4-yard lines but couldn’t find the end zone until there was 4:45 to go (an 11-yard touchdown pass to running back Leonard Fournette), and then botched the 2-point conversion. Bottom line: For a team with Super Bowl aspirations, they have certainly underachieved.
Why does the Bucs’ offense look so out of sync? There are a lot of reasons for this. First, the offensive line is struggling. Rookie left guard Luke Goedeke once again looked lost. The Bucs can’t run the ball effectively with Fournette getting clobbered in the backfield. And then Brady had a difficult day. He’s rarely off-target, and heading into Sunday’s game, his off-target percentage was 16.2%. But against Pittsburgh, it was 28%. His struggles most notably came when targeting wide receiver Chris Godwin. Bucs officials said it wasn’t a big deal that Brady missed Saturday’s walk-through to attend New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s wedding, but with an offense struggling, it probably didn’t help. — Jenna Laine
Next game: at Panthers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Thursday
Commanders
What to know: Washington has a long way to go. The Commanders won the game, but coach Ron Rivera was fired up after about various mistakes that could have cost them — the same ones that have cost them other games. They’ve committed 27 penalties in three games. They give up big plays and their offense struggles. A true turnaround must also include smarter, more disciplined play.
Can the run game spur a turnaround? Washington ran the ball much better in the second half, albeit against a defense that struggles against the run. But any turnaround must start with running the ball consistently. They can mix Brian Robinson‘s power runs with Antonio Gibson‘s ability to get around the corner. A consistent run game would be Step 1 for an offensive turnaround. But until they solve their protection issues, there will still be struggles, especially with an immobile quarterback. He needs help up front; if he gets it, they could be efficient. — John Keim
Next game: vs. Packers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Bears
What to know: The Bears took 11 snaps inside the Commanders’ 6-yard line and couldn’t punch in a touchdown. Chicago went 0-for-3 inside the red zone for the second time in three games, and the offense’s inefficiencies were showcased in a litany of ways, starting with an interception thrown by Justin Fields at Washington’s 5-yard line, a missed throw to tight end Ryan Griffin that Fields stressed he has to make and wide receiver Darnell Mooney‘s potential game-tying catch ruled down at the 1-yard line.
How can Justin Fields improve in spite of what’s around him? The Bears need to reevaluate their offensive scheme and what’s being asked of Fields. Chicago’s shortcomings are hindering his development. But how can Fields improve when he’s being pressured on 46% of his dropbacks and his receivers can’t consistently make catches or create separation? This is the position Chicago put itself in during the offseason when it did not address the talent deficiencies around Fields, and if the Bears want to get a clearer picture about Fields’ development over the next 11 games, a number of adjustments need to be made. — Courtney Cronin
Next game: at Patriots (Monday, Oct. 24, 8:15 p.m. ET)
Week 6 of the NFL season is upon us. The Washington Commanders and Chicago Bears got things started with a mundane, er — low-scoring affair on Thursday. Sunday promises to spice things up.
Before Sunday’s competitors take their talents to the gridiron, they’re showing out with their pregame fits.
From Joe Burrow‘s nod to his favorite target, Ja’Marr Chase, and their LSU college glory — as they return to the Superdome for the first time since their national championship triumph — to Aaron Rodgers‘ neutral chic ensemble, here’s a look at some of the most fashionable Week 6 arrival choices:
Von Miller this week: “Derrick Thomas was my favorite player to ever play the game. I molded my game after him. He was the reason why I wore 58 in Denver. So every time I’m on that field and I’m warming up, I’ll look for that 58 that’s on the ring of honor …” (1/2) https://t.co/PZ3iRWzQfb
Mike Clay’s Playbook: 
