5 things I care about

Russell Wilson upgrades Steelers' QB situation

I’ll admit, I was highly skeptical of what Russell Wilson would bring to the table as the Steelers’ starting quarterback. Team record aside, pulling Justin Fields was a defensible enough decision because he left several dimensions on the table. I just wasn’t sure if the current version of Wilson, coming off a poor but statistically fradulent 2023 season with the Broncos, would fill in the gaps.

One game in and I’m ready to say Wilson provided a tangible upgrade for the Steelers under center.

We saw Wilson make quick decisions and execute the offense. He didn’t hold the ball forever and took layups when available. Darnell Washington caught four passes out in the flat for 36 yards. These weren’t game-changing plays but they came as a result of Wilson’s quick decision-making. He helped set up the hulking Washington for yards-after-catch opportunities.

Wilson really activated the core play-action concepts of Arthur Smith’s offense on Sunday Night Football. This was the most consequential difference between Wilson and Fields.

Wilson is also specifically a good fit with No. 1 receiver George Pickens. All of Pickens’ production came on outside-the-numbers targets in Week 7, per Next Gen Stats. He didn’t catch his lone between-the-numbers target.

Fields’ strengths as a passer also overlap with Pickens’ strengths as a deep and outside-breaking-route receiver. However, Wilson throws a better ball on go routes and fades. That is where Pickens really cooks. Pickens is essentially a better version of Courtland Sutton, who Wilson enjoyed a strong season with in Denver last season. Their connection makes sense.

Justin Fields didn't necessarily do anything to lose the job and everyone around Pittsburgh sang his praises all throughout the week and even after this game. Wilson specifically shined on Fields in the post-game interview. We may yet see him get another chance with this team if Wilson hits a stumbling block. But for now, it was clear on Sunday that Wilson filled in some crucial areas in this offense that needed to improve based on the film from Week 1 to 6.

The 49ers' rookie wide receivers

Brandon Aiyuk suffered a devastating knee injury against the Chiefs, and Kyle Shanahan sounded like a coach bracing for the worst after the game. Deebo Samuel had an illness going into Week 7 and only played 5.4% of the snaps. Jauan Jennings missed the game with an injury.

It probably wasn’t the plan for Round 1 receiver Ricky Pearsall to lead the team with an 86.5% route participation in his first game activated after being shot in the preseason but with the injuries at the position, that’s how it played out. Given the state of this receiver room now, it may not be the last time he does it.

If Aiyuk is out for the rest of the season, and it looks like we're headed for that news, Pearsall will go from a luxury Round 1 selection to a necessary contributor in 2024. Given that he missed time in the offseason with injury issues of his own prior to the shooting incident, that's a lot to ask of a rookie. Samuel is a declining player who already wasn't a strong man-coverage-beater. That was Pearsall's specialty as a prospect and, I believe, the reason this team drafted him so early.

Pearsall will not be the only young receiver the 49ers must ask more of going forward. Chris Conley was second on the team in routes run at the wide receiver position but second-year receiver Ronnie Bell was fourth (Aiyuk was third). Conley is a backup X-receiver and primarily a special-teamer. He’d be the favorite to take over Aiyuk’s pre-snap alignment but has never been a target-earner. Pearsall isn’t an X-receiver candidate and played a 60:40 outside-to-slot-receiver ratio in Week 7.

The other interesting player to watch here is fellow rookie Jacob Cowing. He only ran a route on 21.6% of the dropbacks, per TruMedia, but drew a target on a whopping 37.5% of them. Cowing has made plays as a special-teamer and has speed. If injuries to Jennings or Samuel persist, Cowing will likely be the one who needs to make an impact as Bell and Conley won’t move the needle.

If Aiyuk is lost for the year, we have lost hope of ever seeing the 49ers' Avengers-like, star skill-position squad ever fully assembled this season. It’s a shame for an offense that’s a chore to stop when at full strength.

If the 49ers are going to compete at the level this team expects, they will need Pearsall’s learning curve to be a lot shorter than anyone ever hoped.

Jared Goff outduels Brian Flores

The book on Jared Goff is that if you can rattle him, you can unravel his entire game. Most NFL pundits consider him a cog in the machine at best, and a scheme merchant at worst. To credit that concept, we’ve seen good defensive coordinators put Goff in a blender in recent seasons. We’ve even seen Brian Flores himself make Goff’s life difficult during his tenure as the Vikings’ defensive coordinator.

That was the matchup of the day in this game, and it was a decided victory for Jared Goff.

According to Next Gen Stats, Minnesota blitzed Goff on 55.2% of his dropbacks in Week 7 — and they put the heat on him. Goff was under pressure on a season-high 51.7% of his dropbacks. Yet, Goff beat the blitz and found answers all afternoon.

When blitzed in Week 7, Goff completed 13 of 15 passes for 163 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He completed all but one of his passes under pressure against the Vikings, including both of those touchdowns.

Goff is playing at an extremely high level this season, even when the picture is fuzzy. Coming out of Week 7, Goff’s 11.6 yards per attempt and 71.6% completion percentage when under pressure (NGS) both lead the NFL. Some of that is thanks to the answers provided by Ben Johnson and a beautifully designed offensive system. Maybe trying to unknot Goff’s play from this offense is a difficult challenge but at the end of the day, Goff executes his assignment at a higher level than the vast majority of NFL quarterbacks.

Against the Vikings, Goff completed passes to seven different pass-catchers. When Goff saw pressure against Minnesota, he didn’t just take little gimme passes. The man was actively trying to push it down the field into the teeth of this fearsome pass defense. He has complete mastery of every level of the field right now.

Flores and the Vikings' defense has made life hell for some of the best offenses and the best quarterbacks in the league this season. He met his match with Goff and the Lions on Sunday. That is an incredible testament to how well Goff is playing at this moment and just how high this team can fly when everything is clicking.

Amari Cooper’s role

Amari Cooper’s role in the Bills offense was a big talking point all week after he was traded from the Browns heading into Week 7. In his first game with the team, we got plenty of indicators.

Cooper only ran a route on 34% of Josh Allen’s dropbacks against the Titans, per TruMedia. Six other players ran more routes than Cooper. However, he was still a huge factor. Allen threw to Cooper on 42% of his routes run on Sunday. When Cooper was out there, his quarterback was looking for him and the concept was designed to go his way.

It was easy to see why. Cooper immediately provided a dimension that wasn’t present in the Bills' wide receiver room. He lined up outside on 83% of his snaps in Week 7 and won against tight man coverage.

It was fair to expect a learning curve from Cooper, as he just arrived in Buffalo a few days ago and has never played in this system before. There was no scenario where he was going to be a full-time player in Week 7.

He may not have even known the play call or his route assignment on the play where he scored a touchdown:

Cooper will continue to get more involved in the Bills offense going forward. If you just isolate the plays he was on the field, his and Allen’s connection already looks like it’s on the right track. This trade is going to be a success.

While it’s not all due to Cooper’s arrival, it’s worth noting that the Bills’ young receivers Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakir enjoyed excellent outings in Week 7. Shakir manned the slot position and caught all of his targets once again. He’s going to find so much space over the middle of the field going forward. Coleman was still a pure outside receiver (92.7% of his snaps) but averaged over 19 yards after the catch per reception. That’s where Coleman can make a big impact in addition to his work as a ball-winner.

Once Cooper gets fully integrated, guys like Coleman and Shakir can slide into supporting roles. Both of these wideouts can play. This will get the best out of them, in addition to what Cooper adds on his own.

The Texans' offensive line

Whether it’s a scheme or talent issue, the Houston Texans' play up front just hasn’t been good enough. Penalties have been a persistent problem all year, and the run game is completely nonexistent when Joe Mixon isn’t available.

On Sunday, the line allowed C.J. Stroud to take an abnormal amount of pressure. Per Next Gen Stats, Stroud was under pressure on 48.3% of his dropbacks, the highest rate of his career. The Packers entered Week 7 as a middling, at best, pass-rush team and they got after the Texans up front all day.

Stroud is the type of quarterback who can thrive under pressure. He's made outrageous throws under duress all season. It's a big graduation area for Stroud after his dynamic rookie season. But even if he can do it, it doesn't mean you want to ask him to do it at the rate Houston has this year.

The Texans have not been at full strength at any point this season. Mixon missed multiple weeks and it’s been made clear he’s a difference-maker for a team that’s trying to reenergize its run game. Nico Collins made the jump to the elite tier this year and came into Week 7 leading the NFL in receiving yards but he is on IR. Second-year receiver Tank Dell is still working his way back from a 2023 injury and just isn’t the same dynamic player he was as a rookie.

These injury issues have lessened the Houston Texans' margin for error. The offensive line, playing below expectation, has all but destroyed it. They need their quarterback to play almost flawless football. Stroud is too good, and the Texans' offense is too talented, to ever completely go in the gutter, but days like Sunday show what can happen when a defense turns up the pressure dial to throw Stroud off his game.

5 things I don’t care about

The Davante Adams trade

My analysis of the Davante Adams trade to the Jets, even before it happened, was that, while he would undoubtedly help the offense, his arrival would not come close to solving all of their problems. The results of Sunday Night Football in Week 7 justified that opinion.

I’m not sure what changes going forward.

As expected, there were no reservations about Adams’s usage. This is not surprising. He has years of familiarity with Aaron Rodgers and knows the terminology, concepts and assignments of this offense. Everything you hoped to get from Adams’ deployment in New York, you got it.

He was a full-time player — and it didn’t matter.

You could feel the space Adams’ presence created for the other players on the roster. No matter how much you think Adams has declined from his elite peak years, there’s no question teams treat and cover him like a top-tier threat. He was drawing extra defenders to the boundary when he was on the outside with cloud coverages. There was space underneath for Breece Hall to make plays in the receiving game. Garrett Wilson had plenty of single-coverage opportunities and Allen Lazard had a few big catches over the middle of the field.

It's hard to say that doesn't matter because it does make a difference but the result was still another middling offense that scored 15 points.

The sins of the Jets’ offense run deep and nothing Davante Adams can do will completely heal them. The offensive line is a problem unit that gives up quick pressure which torpedos plays before they begin. Breece Hall’s fantasy season is back on track but that’s a mask covering up what’s been an abominable run game. Outside of designed, scripted deep shots, the quarterback can only run the quick game. That’s not even touching on any of the flaws in the actual design of the offense.

Davante Adams made the Jets offense better. It’s objectively better to have Adams on the field, creating opportunities for other players as opposed to a guy like Mike Williams. The problem is that’s so far away from being enough for what New York needs to get its offense on the right path.

The holes are too deep and Adams isn’t enough to fill the gaps.

Trying to wish-cast a WR1 to Kansas City

Alright, I will admit, there is a small part of me that thinks a Diontae Johnson-to-Kansas City trade is in the cards. The Chiefs were in on him when the Steelers shopped him this offseason but they didn’t want to send him to the Super Bowl champions. Perhaps his stop in Charlotte will merely be a layover.

At the same time, Johnson has played extremely well for the Panthers, and since they’ll be in the quarterback market again, they may want to keep him for the next guy. Otherwise, their 2025 receiver room may look much like the one that failed Bryce Young in 2023.

If Johnson is off the board, I'm not sure who a sure-fire No. 1 wide receiver trade candidate is available for the Chiefs, especially since they're reportedly only looking for guys under 30.

The Chiefs certainly need more help at the position. Tom Brady did an excellent job highlighting their elite ability to find ways to win despite adverse conditions and injuries. There’s a cap to how far that can take them. Even when they won the Super Bowl last year, they were able to unleash Rashee Rice as a layup target and yards-after-catch, high-volume receiver. Xavier Worthy never profiled as that type of player and after another team-high target total that went nowhere in Week 7, there just hasn’t been any evidence he’s about to become that guy as a rookie.

With JuJu Smith-Schuster dealing with injuries, there’s a chasm in the intermediate-middle of the field that Kansas City’s offense loves to attack.

I believe that the Chiefs will add someone before the trade deadline but despite all the hype that’s sure to come from the leadup, I’m preparing to be underwhelmed. Unless Johnson comes free from Carolina, we’re probably looking at a move akin to their distressed asset acquisition of Kadarius Toney a few years ago, in a best-case scenario.

Excuses in Miami

It sounds like Miami is close to getting Tua Tagovailoa back, if not next week then sometime soon. After another lifeless outing from their scoring unit, I’m starting to wonder if we should even care.

Scoring 10 points against a Colts defense that has given up production to every opponent this year is just inexcusable. File it away with an overall inexcusable season for the Dolphins offense.

While the Dolphins' run game got back on track in Week 7, their passing game continued to wither after their bye week. Neither Tyreek Hill nor Jaylen Waddle had a catch in the first half of this game. Both ended with one catch for a combined 19 yards. These are the two best players on this offense, with plenty of room to spare. Not being able to activate either against a vulnerable secondary is insane.

We can sit here and continue to make backup quarterback excuses, but that doesn't sit well. For one, the team chose to part ways with highly paid backup Mike White after seeing Skylar Thompson in the building for years. Given what we knew about Thompson, ending up on the carousel of Tyler Huntley and Tim Boyle was always in the range of outcomes. It's even more troubling when you consider Tagovailoa's injury history to have such an unsettled quarterback solution.

Good teams make the best of backups being in the game under center. Miami has done the opposite. To come out of the bye week with no new wrinkles to lean into Huntley’s skill set is beyond puzzling.

Secondly, it’s worth noting that Miami was off to a poor start this season in the two-and-a-half games Tua Tagovailoa started in 2024. The offense was buried in Week 2 by the Bills and was largely blanked by a pitiful Jaguars defense until the final quarter.

The lack of answers from Mike McDaniel throughout the season is not a fluke. Through seven weeks of the season, this has been the new norm for the Dolphins’ head coach. Maybe getting Tagovailoa back is the band-aid this offense needs to stop the bleeding. Based on what we’ve seen so far this season, there’s more evidence to the contrary. Miami needs more from its offensive mastermind coach to get the season back on track — before it's too late.

The Colts' pass-catchers

Week 7’s result was the worst nightmare for someone who wants to be excited about the Colts' wide receiver corps. As one of those people, I didn’t want this to be the conclusion. Unfortunately, until we see a cleaner version of Anthony Richardson, we just can’t have any expectations for the talented players in the Colts' receiver room.

The Dolphins aren’t one of the top defensive units in the NFL but they took it to Indy in Week 7. Richardson was under pressure on 18 of his dropbacks against Miami, per Next Gen Stats. Of those 67% were “quick pressures” that came in under 2.5 seconds. Few quarterbacks are going to make it work under those conditions. Frankly, it’s a credit to Richardson that he came away from that type of defensive mauling without taking a sack.

However, the issue is that Richardson is still not making the most of his chances when the picture is clean up front. Richardson completed just four of his nine passes from a clean pocket in Week 7 for 48 yards, per Next Gen Stats. So far this year, Richardson’s 51.6% completion percentage when kept clean is the lowest among starting quarterbacks by a country mile. Trevor Lawrence’s 64.3% is the second-lowest.

Richardson has shown real promise as a rusher and vertical passer. He has still only started nine NFL games. So, I still want to hold off making any sweeping proclamations about how his career will play out, especially since we’ve seen guys turn their accuracy issues around the last few seasons. That is a long-term debate and issue. Here in the present, it’s just time to accept that until Richardson does indeed change his stripes, we will never be able to project any level of consistent production for these talented wideouts.

Tank Bigsby’s takeoff

Tank Bigsby is having an excellent season and is clearly the best pure runner in the Jacksonville backfield. The Jaguars are a better rushing team when he carries the load regarding “grinder work” on early downs. All that being said, I worry the fantasy community may be in danger of over-projecting his rest-of-season outlook after his 118, two-touchdown breakout game in Week 7.

For all of the Jaguars’ flaws, they still opened as 5.5-point favorites over the one-win New England Patriots starting a rookie quarterback. Jacksonville fell into a hole early in the first quarter, but mostly controlled this game for most of the morning. They were able to hammer a weaker Patriots run defense with 35 running back runs to 20 pass attempts.

The outlined condition is the exact type of game script that a back of Bigsby's profile needs to thrive in fantasy football. It's also a script the Jaguars rarely found themselves in through the first six games.

Looking over the rest of their schedule, I’m not sure how many other times Jacksonville will be in this kind of script that suits a back like Bigsby, who has not been deployed on passing downs by this coaching staff, to this point. The Jaguars will return to the USA to play the Packers, Eagles, Vikings and Lions before their Week 11 bye. When they return from the week off, they’ll get a date with the Texans. I don’t spy many other matchups that will mirror the conditions the Jaguars and Bigsby played under against the Patriots in Week 7.

Remember, we are just one week removed from Bigsby taking the lion’s share of the work from a banged-up Travis Etienne Jr. and still getting completely scripted out of the game late against a superior Bears team. Just because this dominant performance is the most recent showing does not mean it is reflective of how the rest of the season will play out. We need to see Bigsby’s usage in trailing situations change before he’s a matchup-proof RB2 option.