Around the AFC
Let Moug Cook: Former Broncos assistant general manager Darren Mougey engineered the story of the trade deadline and now has two first-round picks for 2026 and three in 2027. The NFL might as well just check with him on scheduling for the next couple of Aprils because he and New York are going to be on the clock a lot the next two drafts. Trading Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams is a big bet. The next rebuild will be fascinating.
Lamar-kable: The Ravens are 3-5 and Lamar Jackson missed three games, but he’s back now and doing ridiculous things. The three-time All-Pro has a 14-1 TD-INT ratio, is completing 73% of his passes, and has played to a 136.7 QB rating so far this season. Baltimore has won two straight and has a manageable month coming up. Look out, AFC North.
Tackle-less Chargers: The Los Angeles Chargers made a trade at the deadline for Trevor Penning, but that’s a Band-Aid on a major gash. The Chargers lost Joe Alt to a season-ending ankle injury and now will play without both him and Rashawn Slater — two players who looked like the best set of tackles in football last summer. The quest for the 6-3 Chargers to stay in the AFC West race begins this weekend in one of several game-of-the-week candidates: a home date with 5-3 Pittsburgh.
Around the NFC
Packer problems: Green Bay followed a powerful Sunday night win at Pittsburgh with a hideous home loss to Carolina. A repeat of sorts from earlier in the year when they beat Detroit and Washington in five days to open the season, then lost to Cleveland. When they’re going good, Matt LaFleur’s team looks like a Super Bowl contender. But the bad is really bad. They’ve got a marquee game on deck Monday night at home against Philadelphia, which looks back on track offensively. This game could impact the No. 1 seed in the NFC… if these teams don’t keep yo-yo-ing.
Fully loaded birds: Mike Macdonald has Seattle at 6-2, tied atop the NFC West and already looking like one of the most complete teams in football. Then the team, which is fifth in the NFL in scoring, added receiver Rashid Shaheed at the trade deadline. It shouldn’t take him long to get up to speed — Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak coached Shaheed in New Orleans last year. Another element that makes Seattle formidable: The Seahawks are 11-1 on the road under Macdonald.
Shutdown Town: There’s not much government happening in Washington, D.C., these days, and, unfortunately, there’s not much going right for the local football team, either. The Commanders were already getting blown out by Seattle the other night when quarterback Jayden Daniels, inexplicably still in the game, sustained a left elbow injury — though for now the team isn’t placing him on injured reserve. Last year’s darlings have now lost four straight and could realistically finish last in the NFC East.
Game of the Week
L.A. Rams at San Francisco
The 6-2 Rams look like perhaps the best team in the NFC through nine weeks, but the 49ers are just a half-game back in the West at 6-3 and they’ve already got a 26-23 win over Los Angeles in the bank. If Kyle Shanahan’s team polishes off a season sweep, that’d be a major boost to their division title odds — though the Seahawks will be in the mix, too. Meanwhile, it’s a critical stretch for Sean McVay’s team. They follow the trip to San Francisco with Seattle and Tampa at home. That’s not only a chance to take control of the division but also to position themselves well for seeding in the conference. The Niners have dealt with a raft of injuries admirably. The Rams, though, are rolling, favored by 4.5 points on the road and haven’t given up more than 10 points in any of their past three games.
Rams 23, 49ers 20
Lock of the Week
Buffalo at Miami
Much was made this week about the Bills failing to acquire a wide receiver at the trade deadline and whether that handicaps their Super Bowl chances. Sean McDermott’s team, though, is coming off an impressive win against Kansas City and has perhaps the most dangerous ground game in football. James Cook is averaging an NFL-best 108.4 yards per game and is tied with Jonathan Taylor at 5.7 per carry. The Bills also lead the NFL in yards per game (385.5) and are third in scoring (29.4). They’re just fine with the receivers they’ve got, and their dynamic ground game, plus quarterback Josh Allen, are plenty to make them real contenders in the AFC. There’s a reason they’re 9.5-point road favorites against the 2-7 Dolphins.
Bills 34, Dolphins 17
Upset of the Week
New England at Tampa Bay
There may be better options for an upset, but this one could easily have been the game of the week. It’s the Tom Brady Bowl for two teams that have hit their strides with quarterbacks playing at really high levels. There isn’t a better story in football than Drake Maye’s Year 2 ascension and the Patriots’ massive one-year turnaround under coach Mike Vrabel. Last year, they went 4-13 and didn’t score more than 25 points in a game. They’re currently riding a six-game winning streak during which they’ve averaged 29.5 points. The Bucs and their own terrific quarterback, Baker Mayfield, are 6-2, firmly in control of the NFC South and favored by 2.5 points at home. They need this one, too, with back-to-back roadies to Buffalo and the Rams on deck. But will they get it?
Patriots 28, Buccaneers 27
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