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In today's newsletter we cover: team trajectories, star WRs debuting with new teams, and what's next for Cleveland after players lambasted fans cheering Deshaun Watson's injury.

Promoter of the week 7

Let's start with Saquon Barkleyis a stunning return to MetLife Stadium, where the former Giant averaged 10.4 yards per carry and totaled 176 rushing yards (just 13 shy of his career high in a single game). He's on pace to rush for 1,864 yards, which would be the Eagles' franchise record.

But as the 2-5 Giants' 28-3 loss shows (and The athlete“'s Week 7 takeaways explained), it still made sense for them to let him walk — just anywhere other than Philly (4-2).

Other climbers:

📈 Chiefs. After a convincing 28:18 victory over the injury-plagued 49ers, Kansas City is the only undefeated team in the NFL. If their passing game can keep up with their running game and defense (weird, right?) then that's their upcoming schedule screams winnable. But Patrick Mahomes had just 154 passing yards and two interceptions without Rashee Rice (and JuJu Smith-Schuster, who left early with a hamstring injury), making him surprisingly great If.

📈 Drake Maye. Unfortunately, the 1-6 Patriots have done nothing to put their potential franchise quarterback in position to succeed. Their running game, behind a different starting offensive line each week, is nonexistent (Maye was once again a leading rusher). But somehow the rookie completed 70.2 percent of his passes for 276 yards and two touchdowns in a 32-16 loss to the Jaguars. As Steve Buckley writes, New England has its man… but little else.

📈 Packers defense. While the story is that newly signed Brandon McManus hit the game-winning kick to beat the Texans 24-22, defense is the reason Green Bay is 5-2. Entering Sunday as the league's leader in takeaways, their relentless pressure on CJ Stroud resulted in him amassing a career-low 86 pass yards.

📈 Move the BOOM. Specifically, it's about hits involving 49ers safety Malik Mustapha. In the first quarter, he came out of the secondary and beat RB Kareem Hunt. In the second, he did the same to Xavier Worthy. But in the fourth quarter, PaTRUCK Mahomes returned the favor.

📈 Jared Goff on MVP Watch? A week after losing to All-World DE Aidan Hutchinson, Goff and the Lions cemented their status as contenders with a 31-29 road win over the Vikings. Against the league's best defense, Goff was nearly perfect, finishing the game with 280 yards and two touchdowns on 22 of 25 passes. After Sunday, Goff became only the second QB to throw for 1,000 yards in four games while completing 80 percent of his passes. The first? 2008 MVP Peyton Manning.

📈 Misdemeanor of the commander. No Jayden Daniels, no problem. The record-setting rookie only played one drive (rib injury, should be fine) before Marcus Mariota replaced him. The veteran finished 18 of 23 for 205 yards and two touchdown passes in a 40-7 win, proving that either (A) Kliff Kingsbury's offense is historically good or (B) the Panthers are historically bad. Probably both.

The top six NFL offenses by EPA per drive in Weeks 1-7 since at least 2000:

1. 2000 Rams (Kurt Warner)
2. 2007 Patriots (Tom Brady)
3. 2004 Colts (Peyton Manning)
4. 2004 Vikings (Daunte Culpepper)
5. 2007 Colts (Peyton Manning)
6th Commanders 2024 (Jayden Daniels/Marcus…)

— Austin Gayle (@austingayle_) October 21, 2024

📉 Those injury-plagued 49ers. If there's anything worse than a loss for the Chiefs, it's a loss And a devastating injury. With Christian McCaffrey's schedule still uncertain, Kyle Shanahan's (now 3-4) group couldn't afford for Brandon Aiyuk to tear his ACL. That probably happened yesterday, and as Matt Barrows writes, the 49ers desperately need first-round WR Ricky Pearsall to step up.

📉Anthony Richardson. How much time do you give a 22-year-old quarterback to develop? The sophomore's career completion percentage (53.5) ranks 244th out of 274 quarterbacks who have attempted 100 passes since 2000. His 2024 average (48.5) — barely above Tim Tebow's career mark (47.9) — would be the 14th-worst season mark since 2000 (out). of 1,076), behind it The The final season of JaMarcus Russell.

Yes, Eli Manning's rookie year (age 23) offers a glimmer of hope.

Oh, and one more thing 📈: Robert Saleh's sleep score. The Jets are 0-2 since Saleh's firing, with last night's total collapse resulting in a 37-15 loss to the Steelers. The irony: Aaron Rodgers admitted that the pre-game energy had waned a bit after they fired Mr. “All-Gas No Brakes.” At least they taught Haason Reddick a lesson? No, as Dianna explains below.

What Dianna hears: Reddick reports to the Jets this morning (if he still wants to)

Yesterday started with good news for the New York Jets: According to agent Drew Rosenhaus and team sources, Haason Reddick, who was acquired by the team in March but had been waiting for a new contract since the spring, agreed to a restructured deal. He is scheduled to report to the team facility on Monday morning.

One clarification: Under the current CBA, the Jets are not allowed to forgo the more than $12 million in fines Reddick accrued during his restraint. However, the new contract is structured so that the Pro Bowl edge rusher can offset those fines with performance bonuses.

Back to you, Jacob.

Old faces, new places: Cooper and Adams debut

Everyone is smiling in Buffalo. Amari Cooper only played 35.7 percent of the snaps, but still managed four catches for 66 yards and a touchdown. When Cooper didn't get an audible signal (he can be seen turning to Keon Coleman for help), the brilliant route runner was still open for a touchdown.

It looks like Amari Cooper wasn't aware of the audible when Josh Allen reviewed the piece. He looks at Keon Coleman who either tells him what to do or he makes it up 😂 TOUCHDOWN! pic.twitter.com/8jnXw1e4sQ

– Josh Allen Stats (@JoshAllenStats) October 20, 2024

And when he wasn't touching the ball, his presence was felt: “When Cooper was on the field and the Bills dropped back to pass, the team averaged 10.4 yards per play,” noted beat reporter Joe Buscaglia. The Bills gave Josh Allen (again) the No. 1 receiver he had been missing.

The usual frown for New York. A flying, touchdown-saving tackle was the most notable play by Davante Adams, who dropped his first of nine targets and finished with three catches for 30 yards. “We just couldn’t do it,” Adams said after his debut. “That was the spirit of this team this year.”

IT’S BEANIE, BABY‼️ @_sbx2

📲 Stream on NFL+: https://t.co/COxKRnr6Mc pic.twitter.com/E3w2mgnQiW

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) October 21, 2024

All that's left for Rodgers to do is lure Jordy Nelson away from his family farm.

Deshaun Watson's final snap

Even if there were never allegations of sexual assault against Watson (now 27), the idea of ​​trading three first-round picks for the right to pay a record-breaking, fully guaranteed five-year contract to a quarterback who was torn apart by his ACL was always there a terrible one.

Well, it's over now. Watson's ruptured Achilles tendon should be confirmed today, ending his time as a Brown. Right? As Jim Trotter writes, it's not that simple: His cap hit in each of the next two years is nearly $73 million.

The athleteMike Sando's Pick Six column goes beyond the complicated reactions — from fans cheering the injury to third-string quarterback Jameis Winston calling Watson a victim — and assesses the impact on this football team, including the role that the Injury insurance will play.

As for the Week 8 starter, this is still the most expensive roster in NFL history. Does it really matter at 1-6?

MNF doubleheader

The schedule for tonight features four decent-to-great quarterbacks, starting with Lamar Jackson & Co. in Tampa Bay as 3.5-point favorites over Baker Mayfield's Bucs.

Meanwhile, Justin Herbert and the Chargers' league-leading defense are favorites by 1.5 points over Kyler Murray and Marvin Harrison Jr., who will play in Arizona tonight.

Have fun with the games!

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(Photo:
Timothy T. Ludwig / Getty Images)