Around the AFC
J-E-T-S! Why!? Why!? Why!?: Which team made the more head-scratching move Tuesday? Was it the Jets, who went “all-in” and traded for receiver Davante Adams a week after firing their head coach and one day after falling to 2-4? Or was it the Raiders, whose return for dealing a three-time All-Pro was a conditional third-round pick? It could be argued Vegas did well to get anything for a player who clearly wanted out of Sin City, but a third-rounder doesn’t feel like much of a return for a player of Adams’ caliber. At the same time, if owner Woody Johnson thinks the Jets’ problem was a lack of offensive weapons — last we checked, RB Breece Hall and WR Garrett Wilson are pretty good — he’s in for a bit of a surprise.
Where the Buffalo roam: Speaking of wide receiver trades, let us be the latest to give the Bills high marks for recognizing a need and acting on it by acquiring Amari Cooper from the Browns. All it cost them was a third-round pick, and they somehow turned a 2026 seventh-rounder into a 2025 sixth-rounder as part of the deal. Go figure. Unlike their AFC West counterparts in the Big Apple, the Bills (4-2) are actually a move or two away from becoming a Super Bowl threat. Is this the one that finally puts Buffalo over the top? Only time will tell, but star quarterback Josh Allen has to be feeling a lot better about things.
Dange-Russ decision: So, Justin Fields starts off the season 4-2 and … loses his job to Russell Wilson? Did someone forget to send Steelers coach Mike Tomlin the Dange-Russ tape from his time in Denver? Of course, the real tragedy here is that Wilson couldn’t get healthy in time to face the Broncos in their Week 2 matchup at Empower Field at Mile High (a game Fields ended up winning, by the way). Broncos Country, we were robbed.
Around the NFC
Jerry’s World: If only all NFL owners were like the Cowboys’ Jerry Jones, who not only granted a gaggle of reporters a postgame interview following last week’s 47-9 de-pantsing at the hands of the Lions but also went on a local radio show to castigate a couple of shock jocks. Imagine polished Broncos CEO Greg Penner doing that after last week’s disappointing loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. What fun! Alas, the Broncos are a measured and professional organization, unlike America’s Team down in North Texas, and we aren’t afforded such delicious entertainment. Ah, but a boy can dream.
Pointing North: It appears the Broncos picked the right year to avoid the NFC North. Six weeks in, this much is clear: There is no deeper division in the NFL. All four of Minnesota, Detroit, Green Bay and Chicago were 4-2 or better heading into the weekend, with each riding a win streak of two or more games. Will QB Sam Darnold and undefeated Minnesota ever turn into pumpkins? Is Caleb Williams capable of stopping Chicago’s endless QB carousel? Can Detroit overcome the loss of DE Aidan Hutchinson? Will QB Jordan Love continue Green Bay’s Hall of Fame QB parade? This race will be fascinating.
Brotherly tough love: If there’s one thread that has tied together Philadelphia sports fans through the generations, it’s their penchant for booing — anyone and everyone. Nick Sirianni surely knew this when he signed up to become the Eagles’ head coach. And if he didn’t, he found out pretty quickly after his defense took a nosedive at the end of last season. Which is why we were perplexed in the wake of Sunday’s festivities when Sirianni taunted his own fans at the end of a taut 20-16 win over a very bad Cleveland Browns team. Tune it out, Nick. They aren’t going to stop anytime soon (or ever).
Game of the Week
Detroit at Minnesota
The loss of defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson to a season-ending injury offers further proof that the Lions are, in fact, cursed. No doubt, he will be missed. But perhaps not as much as one might think against the 5-0 Vikings, who are 1.5-point favorites. Minnesota’s offense has looked a little more pedestrian in recent weeks — as has a defense that started as good as any in September. This is when Detroit takes control.
Lions 21, Vikings 17
Lock of the Week
Kansas City at San Francisco
An argument could be made that this Super Bowl rematch should be the game of the week. Especially given that the last meeting was an overtime thriller that stands among the greatest championship games in NFL history. The one problem: Despite being a two-point favorite, this isn’t the same San Francisco team of recent vintage. Besides, we all know how this is going to pan out: with Kansas City stealing yet another one.
Chiefs 27, 49ers 24
Upset of the Week
New England at Jacksonville
Gotta hand it to the NFL. Sending two of the league’s worst squads to Wembley Stadium is a heck of a way to grow the fan base in Foggy London Town. The question here: Is it really an upset when one awful team beats another? In this case, with the Patriots 5.5-point underdogs in rookie quarterback Drake Maye’s second NFL start, the answer is yes. The Jaguars, soon to be 0-for-England in two games, are broken. And it will probably cost Doug Pederson his job.
Patriots 20, Jaguars 17
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