{"id":929994,"date":"2026-10-12T07:54:25","date_gmt":"2026-10-12T07:54:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/929994\/"},"modified":"2026-10-12T07:54:25","modified_gmt":"2026-10-12T07:54:25","slug":"albert-breers-week-5-nfl-takeaways-how-the-mature-49ers-won-a-slugfest-in-seattle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/929994\/","title":{"rendered":"Albert Breer\u2019s Week 5 NFL Takeaways: How the \u2018Mature\u2019 49ers Won a Slugfest in Seattle"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jump to a topicSan Francisco 49ers<\/a>Houston Texans<\/a>Marvin Harrison Jr.<\/a>Green Bay Packers<\/a>Minnesota Vikings<\/a>New York Jets<\/a>Denver Broncos<\/a>New England Patriots<\/a>Pittsburgh Steelers<\/a>Quick-hitters<\/a><\/p>\n

It was a fun, action-packed Sunday of football. And for all things Week 5, we\u2019ve got the MMQB takeaways to wrap it all up \u2026<\/p>\n

San Francisco 49ers<\/p>\n

If we ranked NFL teams like they do college teams, the 49ers would be No. 1. On Sunday, they went into Lumen Field and outlasted the champion Seahawks, 32\u201329, on a 44-yard Eddy Pi\u00f1eiro field goal and late defensive stand. That makes San Francisco 3\u20130 against the NFC West, with just one road division game left, that one being at 1\u20134 Arizona in Week 18.<\/p>\n

And, really, it\u2019s not just that they\u2019re winning that makes them the NFL\u2019s team of the moment. It\u2019s how they\u2019re winning.<\/p>\n

In this one, same as it was against the Rams in Australia, when it mattered most, this old warhorse of a roster turned the game into a battle of wills and pad level. Because the Niners, in the words of ex-San Francisco coach Mike Singletary, like that kind of party.<\/p>\n

So it was that on five of their seven snaps on their final drive, the Niners had Brock Purdy turn around and hand the ball off. Christian McCaffrey up the middle for eight, then around left end for 13. Then, rookie Kaelon Black off right guard for 11, off left guard for five, before a one-yard loss sucked a little more time off the clock and set up Pi\u00f1eiro for the winner.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor us, it\u2019s such a mindset, between the O-line, the tight ends, fullback and in the running back room\u2014we expect slugfests,\u201d McCaffrey told me. \u201cAnd so whether you have two carries in the first half and it might seem like you\u2019re not running the ball, we\u2019re always prepared to start to carry the load. And I think at the end of the game to be able to put the ball on the ground and do what we did and get a field goal, I think all of us are extremely hungry for even more.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo that\u2019s what\u2019s exciting is just the competitiveness and the desire to want some more in the run game is definitely there. \u2026 And it\u2019s just a cool thing to be a part of.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, consider this: It\u2019s just another club in their bag.<\/p>\n

Yes, they beat the Rams this way. But the week after that, they overwhelmed an outmanned Dolphins team with a near-perfect performance from Purdy. Then, they held off the Cardinals in a game that became a shootout down the stretch, before winning a streetfight over the Broncos, with a long George Kittle touchdown connecting for the knockout blow.<\/p>\n

Then, there was this one, that, while a slugfest, as McCaffrey called it, at the end, incorporated elements of all of the above within what felt like a championship bout. Which only highlighted how well-rounded the Niners really are.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s a really mature team,\u201d McCaffrey said. \u201cObviously, people talk a lot about our age and how we\u2019re all old and how that\u2019s a disadvantage. I look at it as a massive advantage. You have guys who have been on teams that everybody thinks they\u2019re really good in the beginning and then they end up not making the playoffs. And I think you\u2019ve got teams that are really good and then they lose in the first round. So it\u2019s a team that focuses on the work.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd whatever the scoreboard says, it\u2019s not that we don\u2019t want to win\u2014obviously we want to win\u2014but we want to just put good stuff on tape constantly, and some is in practice, some\u2019s in the games. And I think there\u2019s a very pointed focus on where we want to go and what kind of team we know we can be if you just look at our roster.\u201d<\/p>\n

The roster\u2019s still star-studded, after all these years, even with Nick Bosa still out injured. As McCaffrey said, it is older, too. And on a day like Sunday, all that served the Niners well in that they weren\u2019t overwhelmed when the Seahawks owned the third quarter, turning Seattle\u2019s 21\u201313 halftime deficit into a 26\u201321 Seahawks lead, headed into the fourth quarter, and sending Lumen Field into a frenzy.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not letting momentum get the best of you,\u201d McCaffrey said. \u201cI think there\u2019s times there where I think if you\u2019re watching from home, you might think, Oh man, Seattle\u2019s about to run away with this. And to continue to just not blink and focus on one play at a time, I think that\u2019s what good teams do, that\u2019s what smart teams do.\u201d<\/p>\n

That, on Sunday, is what the best team in football through five weeks did.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll see if the Niners can hang on to that distinction.<\/p>\n

Houston Texans<\/p>\n

The Texans may be one win away from turning the corner. It won\u2019t be easy\u2014that game is in London next Sunday against the 4\u20131 Jaguars, and the Jaguars are already there, while Houston has to fly back from Nashville, then go all the way overseas.<\/p>\n

But if Houston can find a way, the schedule softens and there\u2019s a path back to .500.<\/p>\n

And while Sunday\u2019s 26\u20133 drubbing of the winless Titans won\u2019t exactly be tallied as the most impressive win we saw in Week 5, it\u2019s pretty clear the Texans see a way out. Not because of how they beat Tennessee, or how three of their four losses were by five points or fewer. More so, what\u2019s been most encouraging for the proudest members of the Texans\u2019 roster has been how the group has handled a bumpy start.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think everybody\u2019s keeping their composure,\u201d captain Will Anderson Jr. told me. \u201cNot even just today. I think you look at the last four or five weeks, you see a bunch of guys having joy every day, bringing joy to the building. Nobody felt like the season was over. Everybody\u2019s still staying up. Everybody\u2019s still coming to work with positive energy and just having joy. And that\u2019s what you\u2019ve seen today. No matter the outcome, this team has persevered and been able to bring joy every day. And that\u2019s why we\u2019ve been able to be a really great team.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maybe it\u2019ll be why they can be once again, since they took that joy and put it to work in how they started to spackle the holes poked through the first month of their season.<\/p>\n

The interesting thing about where they were coming into this week is that, really, the offense wasn\u2019t the sole root of the problem. It was also a defense full of All-Pros with a ton of skins on the wall letting the team down\u2014having given up 30-plus points in losses to the high-powered Cowboys\u2019 and Bills\u2019 offenses. The group\u2019s underachievement was implicitly acknowledged with DeMeco Ryans taking play-calling back from highly regarded defensive coordinator Matt Burke this week.<\/p>\n

Anderson said having Ryans back on the headset was \u201celectrifying\u201d for the group, but didn\u2019t stop the leaders of the pack from looking hard in the mirror.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe biggest key phrase that was said this week was \u2018Own your box,\u2019\u201d Anderson said. \u201cAnd I think every man did a good job of owning their box today\u2014whatever you have on the field, own that part of the field. Wnd I think that\u2019s why we were so successful today.\u201d<\/p>\n

So Sunday was a start. After allowing the Titans to drive for a field goal on the game\u2019s first possession, the Texans shut Tennessee out, holding its offense to 129 yards from that point on, without letting Cam Ward\u2019s group get past the Houston 43 again. Meanwhile, C.J. Stroud and the offense kept making strides, and the special teams helped control field position.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought today we played complementary football,\u201d Anderson said. \u201cC.J. has been balling all year. He\u2019s been leading those guys. He\u2019s been doing a hell of a job. And with us as defense, we had to pick it up.\u201d<\/p>\n

They did, and maybe we started to see the Texans team so many of us expected<\/a>. Anderson certainly feels that way: \u201cOh, most definitely. I think we have a really great team.\u201d And in six days, we should have a little better idea of how great they can be.<\/p>\n

\"Marvin<\/p>\n

Marvin Harrison Jr. will reunite with college teammate C.J. Stroud in Houston. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n

Marvin Harrison Jr.<\/p>\n

While we\u2019re there, the Texans\u2019 offense is getting another weapon, with Marvin Harrison Jr. coming in via trade<\/a>. The Cardinals asked around for a second-round pick plus a sweetener. Houston, over the 24 hours leading into kickoff Sunday, wound up coming around on that, ending an interesting process that ended Harrison\u2019s two-plus years in Arizona.<\/p>\n

It actually began weeks ago, with the No. 4 pick from the 2024 draft deciding to hire an agent to handle his situation, bringing in veterans Todd France and Tory Dandy of Athletes First.<\/p>\n

Quietly, the groundwork was laid for Harrison\u2019s exit, starting then. The writing had been on the wall with the team\u2019s decision to extend another young receiver, Michael Wilson, to pair long-term with big-money tight end Trey McBride. It had to stay that way for Arizona to get the type of return that would motivate the team to move Harrison. And things heated up over the course of the weekend, with the Texans\u2019 effort to reunite Harrison with Stroud, his teammate at Ohio State.<\/p>\n

So what will get Harrison turned around? He had 62 catches for 885 yards and eight scores as a rookie, then 41 catches for 608 yards and four touchdowns in 12 games last year. He\u2019d gradually lost confidence though, as questions rose internally over his toughness\u2014bigger-bodied receivers need to be rugged to make it in the NFL, and Harrison\u2019s game hasn\u2019t been that way. Work ethic was never a question. In fact, if anything, how hard Harrison worked could work against him at times, as some saw it, because he\u2019d tend to get in his own head.<\/p>\n

And the thought among some was that if Harrison could get in the right environment, maybe the right coach could pull it out of him\u2014since the toughness question was a relatively new one.<\/p>\n

Along those lines, I don\u2019t think it was a mistake that Stroud, who played with Harrison for two years in college and was a Heisman Trophy finalist with Harrison as his No. 1 receiver in 2022, said after the trade was completed Sunday, \u201cI think it\u2019s perfect for him. Fresh starts are good.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a big swing for a Texans team that\u2019s invested a ton in receivers. They\u2019ve paid Nico Collins twice now. They spent second- and third-round picks on Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel last year\u2014and were expecting big things from Higgins this year before he tore his ACL. Tank Dell, a 2023 third-rounder, is coming back from a catastrophic injury. They traded safety Jaylen Reed and a 2028 seventh to the Patriots for Kayshon Boutte. And now, they\u2019re sending 2027 second- and sixth-rounders to Arizona for Harrison and a 2027 seventh.<\/p>\n

I may be biased (yeah, he was one of the best players I\u2019ve ever seen play at Ohio State), but I think this can work. It can work for this year. It also could work unbelievably well next year, when Collins, Higgins and Harrison could look like a basketball team out there together.<\/p>\n

So it\u2019s a risk, but a worthwhile one, in a really good kid who\u2019ll badly want to turn it around.<\/p>\n

\"MarShawn<\/p>\n

MarShawn Lloyd scored two toucdowns for the Packers on Sunday. | Erick W. Rasco\/ Sports Illustrated<\/p>\n

Green Bay Packers<\/p>\n

I can confirm that, yes, the Packers\u2019 blowout win meant a little more for the guys in the building. But beyond just the idea of settling a score from January, or winning a rivalry game<\/a>, there was real meat on the bone for Green Bay within its 31\u20137 beatdown of the Bears at Lambeau.<\/p>\n

The main thing, really, is that the Packers\u2019 best young players are breaking through, and just as their best player, Micah Parsons, is gearing up to return to the lineup from a torn ACL.<\/p>\n

Receivers Christian Watson and Matthew Golden combined for 266 yards and two scores (both Watson\u2019s) on 12 catches. Tucker Kraft, back from an ACL tear of his own, had five catches for 64 yards. Devonte Wyatt had two sacks, rookie Dani Dennis-Sutton had another, and Lukas Van Ness, off to a hot start, had two quarterback hits. Budding star safety Evan Williams had 12 tackles and Xavier McKinney had a pivotal pick early.<\/p>\n

And Jordan Love was excellent\u201425-of-31 for 367 yards, two scores and a 137.5 rating.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo start the season, we\u2019ve had our fair share of injuries,\u201d Love told me afterward. \u201cThere were a lot of moving parts for the first couple of weeks, and there still have been some moving parts. But nobody lost confidence. We knew we just weren\u2019t playing good. We weren\u2019t playing up to our standard, and there was a lot of stuff that we needed to clean up. I think a win like this and what we did today, it gives everybody confidence and just reignites the belief in what we were capable of as an offense.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe obviously had to go prove that to everybody, and that\u2019s what we did. Now it\u2019s just, how can we do that week after week? How can we keep stacking this stuff?\u201d<\/p>\n

The easy answer: to keep playing off each other like they have, and did on Sunday, when a 10-play, 91-yard touchdown drive in the first quarter led into a McKinney pick, which the offense cashed in with another score to go up 14\u20130 on the first play of the second quarter.<\/p>\n

Everyone felt it, too. Matt LaFleur was in his bag, adjusting on the fly. \u201cThat\u2019s Matt,\u201d Love said. \u201cThat\u2019s who he is.\u201d First-year DC Jonathan Gannon has settled in, too.<\/p>\n

As it is, the Packers\u2019 win pulled them even with the Bears and Lions at 3\u20132, two games behind the 5\u20130 Vikings. And now, getting Parsons back, and maybe eventually Josh Jacobs, there\u2019s a lot more to like here going forward than people thought a couple of weeks ago.<\/p>\n

Minnesota Vikings<\/p>\n

That Vikings are playing at some sort of level on defense. What level? Since halftime of the season opener against the Packers, the Vikings\u2019 defense has allowed three touchdowns. Opponents have a 60.7 passer rating\u2014the NFL\u2019s lowest number through five games in five years\u2014and Minnesota\u2019s the only team with a takeaway in all of its games this year. And 40.6% of plays against the Vikings have gone for no gain or a loss.<\/p>\n

All of that is why the Vikings are 5\u20130, and how they\u2019ve been able to manage an offense that\u2019s adjusting with Kyler Murray (and Carson Wentz when Murray was hurt) at quarterback.<\/p>\n

And they\u2019ve pulled it off with Brian Flores playing mad scientist, and a bunch of grizzled vets leading the way. Six of the Vikings\u2019 11 starters on defense in Sunday\u2019s 23\u201313 win in New Orleans are veterans of at least seven NFL seasons. Only four have fewer than five. And that\u2019s not counting Harrison Smith, the 15-year vet and Mufasa of this group of lions.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe got a whole bunch of guys with a lot of IQ. Guys in this defense playing multiple positions, just having those players calling stuff out,\u201d eighth-year corner Byron Murphy Jr. told me. \u201cLike [10th-year linebacker] Eric [Wilson], calling stuff out before the offense even runs it, giving the young guys a chance to read their keys before the play even started.\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s another piece, though, that Murphy said is even more integral to the job Flores has done.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s put into place away from the game field, with Flores working to foster an environment where the conversation among all these football Mensas never stops, nor does the busting chops. The belief, for Flores, came from his year in Pittsburgh, where Mike Tomlin used to say, \u201cYou can\u2019t have unique results without unique relationships.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI would definitely say that\u2019s the best coach I\u2019ve ever been around,\u201d Murphy continued. \u201cNot even just scheme, all those things\u2014football-wise, we know he\u2019s the best\u2014but this chance that he gives us to connect with our guys, our brothers that\u2019s in the room. Those are the things we look forward to, having those meetings and just connecting as brothers.\u201d<\/p>\n

The way they play, Murphy believes, reflects the bond that they\u2019ve all worked to build.<\/p>\n

Whatever they\u2019re doing, it\u2019s working. And if the offense comes along? \u201cThat\u2019s the scary part,\u201d Murphy says. \u201cWe still haven\u2019t all played our best yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

New York Jets<\/p>\n

The Jets keep giving their fans glimmers of hope. New York is 2\u20133 now. That\u2019s not exactly breakout-season material. And yet, in Sunday\u2019s win over the suddenly hot Browns, there were three sacks from David Bailey and a game-ending strip-sack from Will McDonald IV. There were 104 yards and a touchdown from Garrett Wilson and another 116 yards and a score from Braelon Allen on 24 carries. There was youth on both lines of scrimmage.<\/p>\n

There was, in short, a lot of hope on the soggy MetLife Stadium turf.<\/p>\n

Jets fans have been here before, to be sure, and recently. That said, I thought it was pretty interesting talking to Geno Smith about these guys afterward, given the perspective he has. Smith was there as GM John Schneider rebuilt the Seahawks with the picks from the Russell Wilson trade, a deal that opened the door for Smith to start there for three years.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt really feels like that, which is why I was so happy to be here,\u201d Smith told me. \u201cOnce I got here, it felt like how it felt in Seattle, where we were building towards something. And I wasn\u2019t on the team last year and they eventually got to the Super Bowl, but I felt like a part of what we did, the guys in that locker room that built that momentum and that belief to where every game we play, we can go out there and dominate. And I think that\u2019s something we\u2019re building here.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had some games early on that we didn\u2019t finish. And I feel like it was self-inflicted wounds, the reason why we didn\u2019t finish. So if we can eliminate those and continue to build on the positives, we have the coaches and we have the roster to do some special things.\u201d<\/p>\n

So far it\u2019s been enough to beat the Titans and Browns, and go to the mat with the Lions and Packers. The idea, of course, is that there are bigger things to come. And by the way, the Jets have no fewer than three first-round picks in 2027 to continue to invest into that idea.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll have more on these guys later this week in my Tuesday notes.<\/p>\n

\"Sean<\/p>\n

Sean Payton took over play-calling but the Broncos\u2019 offense wasn\u2019t much better. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n

Denver Broncos<\/p>\n

By the numbers, Denver\u2019s change in offensive play-caller didn\u2019t really work. The Broncos, with Sean Payton back in the saddle, had 224 yards from scrimmage and 18 first downs\u2014their second- and third-lowest totals in those categories this year. Bo Nix had a quarterback rating of 82.8, and threw for just 123 yards. J.K Dobbins rushed for 68 yards on 18 carries.<\/p>\n

None of that would wow anyone.<\/p>\n

But pulling the plug on Davis Webb after four games did accomplish one thing. It amped up the urgency around a team that probably needed a little juice. So when Denver had to have it, in the fourth quarter, trailing the Chargers 17\u201310, the defense delivered a turnover on downs, a fumble and an interception. The offense scratched together short drives for a touchdown and two field goals, while draining the clock to lock up a 20\u201317 win.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey gave us a short field, three times. And we ended up getting points to take the lead back. And then they finished the game,\u201d veteran tight end Evan Engram told me. \u201cSo that\u2019s team football. That’s complementary football. We\u2019ll look at the middle of the game and see where we can be better \u2014the second and third quarters, when we could have really separated ourselves. But we all answered the bell when it came down to the fourth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Engram then added, \u201cWe all are urgent every day, honestly. I think we just got to be better when the time comes.\u201d<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll see if they can be that three days from now, when the Seahawks come to town Thursday night.<\/p>\n

New England Patriots<\/p>\n

It looks like Drake Maye is going to be just fine. The first three weeks were one story, and one that seemed to extend back to his four-game playoff run. The past two weeks have been another story altogether. The numbers:<\/p>\n

Weeks 1\u20133: 585 yards, 63.8% completion, 1 TD, 6 INTs.Weeks 4\u20135: 643 yards, 67.6% completion, 7 TDs, 1 INT.<\/p>\n

So what\u2019s been the difference for the Patriots\u2019 star<\/a>? In a word, everything. Whereas in the first three weeks, he had flashes of his old brilliance drowned out by a cacophony of killer mistakes and debilitating uncertainty, since then we\u2019ve seen the cocksure gunslinger from (most of) 2025. He\u2019s got command and control at the line, better footwork and ball placement, and overall accuracy, and you can see him moving defenders and manipulating the pass rush.<\/p>\n

Nowhere was all of that on display more than on his 49-yard connection with second-year receiver Kyle Williams, on a post that looked simpler than it was. Before the snap, Maye distributed the protection to deal with a Raider blitz. Because he was responsible for setting it, he knew how he could manipulate the pocket, and that the blitz would be picked up. That gave Maye the confidence to stand tall and stay patient in the pocket, and identify that there was no safety deep to help on Williams.<\/p>\n

In a lot of systems, the center is responsible for setting the protection. This, on the other hand, is why the Patriots give that responsibility to the quarterback, because if he can master it, he\u2019ll be able to operate with more confidence in what\u2019s happening around him.<\/p>\n

That Maye\u2019s already doing this stuff early in his third season is great news, of course, for New England. And a nice sign that he\u2019s worked through whatever was getting him the first three weeks of the season.<\/p>\n

\"Aaron<\/p>\n

Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers are 3\u20132 after a win over the Colts. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n

Pittsburgh Steelers<\/p>\n

The signs in Pittsburgh haven\u2019t been great all year, but the Steelers keep winning. A lot was made over Aaron Rodgers\u2019s comments on Mike McCarthy\u2019s play-calling after a Week 2 loss to the Patriots, and the on-field discord between the two during a Week 4 loss to the Browns. Then, there were Jalen Ramsey\u2019s remarks of last week, where he told the Pittsburgh media there was a \u201cdisconnect\u201d between the coaches and players.<\/p>\n

And after Sunday\u2019s convincing win over the Colts, the Steelers are 3\u20132, with the Buccaneers, Saints and Browns left between now and the team\u2019s Week 9 bye.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith any great team, there\u2019s going to be some type of adversity or miscommunication,\u201d said Jaylen Warren, who had 188 scrimmage yards on 21 touches against Indianapolis. \u201cEven if you\u2019re not seeing eye-to-eye on some things, maybe it was just voiced or taken differently [than intended]. Coming into this game, we were all embracing what we had in the building. And we were all on the same page. [All the talk] was nothing, no bad blood or nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maybe, but McCarthy did give the players a \u201cday of reflection\u201d early in the week, coming back from the team\u2019s Thursday night loss in Cleveland. Warren said he was told to \u201ctake it how it is, and whatever you need to do to benefit from that day, that\u2019s good.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was a different idea in a bit of a weird week.<\/p>\n

But Warren did point out to me that with such a veteran team, there are going to be more credible voices, and more strong opinions\u2014and as long as that\u2019s all channeled properly, it can be a good thing. And right now, and so long as the Steelers keep playing like they did against the Colts, it\u2019s tough to argue against that.<\/p>\n

Quick-hitters<\/p>\n

And we\u2019ll get out of here with our weekly quick-hitters. Let\u2019s roll \u2026<\/p>\n

\u2022 It\u2019s hard not to be impressed with how Jesse Minter\u2019s Ravens are finishing games<\/a>. They easily could\u2019ve chalked a Sunday loss up to Lamar Jackson\u2019s absence. Instead, they drove 71 yards in six plays, and converted a two-pointer, to tie the game at 23 with less than a minute left and force overtime. Then, behind Snoop Huntley, they grinded out another 14-play, 68-yard touchdown drive to take the lead, before homecoming king Kyle Hamilton picked off Tua Tagovailoa\u2014in for a hobbled Michael Penix Jr.\u2014to get Baltimore to 4\u20131.<\/p>\n

\u2022 It\u2019s tough to wrap your head around the finish in Washington<\/a>. Both Dan Quinn and Jayden Daniels have to take the bullet for it, simple as that. That was inexcusable for each guy, as Commanders limited partner Magic Johnson pointed out.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m in total disbelief my Commanders had such poor clock management in today\u2019s overtime game against the Giants. All we had to do was kick the field goal and we would have won the game!\ud83e\udd26\ud83c\udffe\u200d\u2642\ufe0f<\/p>\n

\u2014 Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) October 11, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2022 Meanwhile, I\u2019d be less upset with Eagles coach Nick Sirianni over his decision to kick the ball in the field of play. Didn\u2019t we just get done crushing Brian Schottenheimer for Dallas kicking the ball through the end zone in Rio?<\/p>\n

\u2022 While we\u2019re there, I\u2019m still impressed with Philly\u2019s ability to hang in there with a patched-together line, after the departures of Cam Jurgens and Lane Johnson last week, with Will Shipley at tailback and a depleted pass-rush. No one develops the bottom of the roster like the Eagles do, and it probably should\u2019ve paid off with a win over the Jaguars.<\/p>\n

\u2022 On the other side, that was not the Jags\u2019 best Sunday, but they found a way, and there\u2019s something to be said for that.<\/p>\n

\u2022 The Bengals have been a little wonky the past three weeks. They get their bye now to regroup, before a massive Week 7 game in Baltimore. They know they have work to do. But they\u2019re still 3\u20132.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2022 The once-promising Saints are now 1\u20134, and Tyler Shough has struggled the past couple of weeks. There\u2019s still a lot of talent on that roster, so it could be, in April, a pretty nice landing spot for a QB, if Shough can\u2019t do enough to hang onto his status as the franchise\u2019s future.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Baby steps: The Lions\u2019 defense throttled the Cardinals\u2019 offense into the third quarter, before the score got a little out of hand. I\u2019d still say they should be shopping for a corner.<\/p>\n

\u2022 The scrutiny on Cam Ward is only going to get more intense, if he doesn\u2019t improve by leaps and bounds before next April. Remember, the Titans have a new stadium to open up next year, and the franchise wants to be able to sell hope.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Finally, we\u2019ve got Bills-Rams Monday night, which has to be one of the most appealing Monday night game since the package took a bit of a backseat to Sunday Night Football 20 years ago.<\/p>\n

\u2022 And while you\u2019re waiting for kickoff, be sure to check out my Mike Ditka obit<\/a> on the site.<\/p>\n

\"\"Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Jump to a topicSan Francisco 49ersHouston TexansMarvin Harrison Jr.Green Bay PackersMinnesota VikingsNew York JetsDenver BroncosNew England PatriotsPittsburgh SteelersQuick-hitters…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":929995,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[436],"tags":[49,48,514,82],"class_list":["post-929994","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nfl","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-nfl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/929994","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=929994"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/929994\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/929995"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=929994"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=929994"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=929994"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}