All 32: Team-by-team NFL notes

[October 18, 2018]  AFC East

Buffalo Bills: Defensive tackle Kyle Williams is in his 13th NFL season and has played only in Buffalo. The Bills had to work to encourage the 35-year-old to return in 2018, but he said he's glad he did, even though the Bills are off to a 2-4 start. "I came back to be a Buffalo Bill, to play for Sean McDermott and play for my teammates," Williams said on the team's radio station. "There's ups and downs during seasons. We did it last year, up and downs, as low as it got, and we had to come back up. There's struggles, and you just never know what's out there." The Bills' defense has been a highlight on the season, ranking as the third best in the NFL and allowing 311.7 yards per game. He has 3.5 sacks on the season, trailing Jerry Hughes (4.5) for the team lead. He also has 12 tackles.

Miami Dolphins: As the former defensive coordinator of an AFC East team -- the Patriots -- Detroit Lions coach Matt Patricia said he knows what to expect when his team meets the Dolphins Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium. "I've always had battles with this team," Patricia told reporters. "This is a grueling team to play at home." The Dolphins (4-2) have not lost in three home games, averaging 28.7 points per game. On the road, the Dolphins have averaged about half of that. Patricia said the South Florida weather could compound the problems for the Lions. "It'll be a big challenge for us," he said. "We haven't had heat or humidity like they're anticipating down there this weekend. I think you saw in the Chicago game, you definitely could see the sideline with the sun on the visitor sideline beating down on the players there and as the course of the game goes on, when you start to get into those 80-plus-play games, you just kind of wear out at the end. "

New England Patriots: Tom Brady will retire -- someday -- with a truckload of awards, multiple entries in the team and league record books, and lots of rings. But here's one fun fact about Brady that most people don't know. Since taking over as starting quarterback of the Patriots in 2001, Brady has more regular-season and postseason wins to his credit than only one major league pitcher. Brady has won 227 games in 294 starts. CC Sabathia of the New York Yankees has 256 wins in 561 starts, according to Boston Sports Info. Starting pitchers who stay healthy and throw every fifth game start an average of 32.4 games per year -- double the number of NFL regular-season starts.

New York Jets: When the Jets host the Minnesota Vikings this week, the game will feature New York's franchise quarterback against the man who could have been their franchise quarterback. The Jets made a big offseason play for free agent Kirk Cousins, who spurned them for the Vikings. That led to the Jets moving up in the draft to grab a quarterback, who turned out to be Sam Darnold. Some NFL insiders said this week that the Jets should thank Cousins for passing. "Cousins or Darnold? Me, personally, I'd take Darnold," a longtime NFL talent evaluator told ESPN on the condition of anonymity. "They gave up a lot for Darnold, but you can't minimize the money and how it impacts their cap. They got Darnold at a fraction of the price. I thought they did a good job." And here's another take from a rival general manager. "Cousins is likely who he is in terms of ceiling, but at that, it's good and productive. I just think when you get a chance to draft and groom your own guy to play for 10 or 12 years, it can be special."

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens: The No. 1-ranked scoring offense in the NFL led by Drew Brees is up next for the Ravens' top-ranked scoring defense. Baltimore gives up less than 13 points per game and hasn't allowed a second-half touchdown all season. Safety Eric Weddle is in the crosshairs when Brees is on the other side, a challenge he's ready to embrace. "It's a fun challenge," said Weddle. "The great ones always bring out the best in you, and they can bring out the worst in you too. If you make a mistake, it's a touchdown. So that's the pressure you like, especially for myself."

Cleveland Browns: Leading tackler Joe Schobert said his hamstring is not "as bad as it could be," but he will not return to the field this week, missing his first game of the season when the Browns take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Outside linebacker Christian Kirksey will start in the middle, but the Browns haven't determined who will fill the starting spot outside this week. According to Pro Football Focus, Schobert leads the NFL among linebackers in coverage this season. Schobert identified fifth-round rookie Genard Avery as the most likely starter outside this week.

Cincinnati Bengals: Andy Dalton enjoyed seeing Patrick Mahomes perform when the teams met last preseason and is not surprised to see his "arm talent" getting national notice in his second season. "He's obviously been showing it all year," Dalton said. "He's playing really well and at a really high level. That's the biggest thing everybody knew about him when he was coming out."

Pittsburgh Steelers: Rookie first-rounder Terrell Edmunds is six games into his NFL career and said he is understanding the importance of taking care of his body. "We've been non-stop ever since last college season," Edmunds said. "Straight into draft workouts, minicamp and into the season. We've already played 10 games. Our whole college season is already done right now. We've got a whole lot of football left right here." Edmunds said he will return home during the bye week to "get some good meals in" after living with his brother during the season.

AFC South

Houston Texans: Quarterback Deshaun Watson struggled while playing with a chest injury in last Sunday's victory over the Buffalo Bills, and he said Wednesday that his health is vastly improved. "I'm cleared to do everything, so I'm good," Watson declared. The second-year pro isn't concerned about the pounding he has taken this season. Watson said little ailments don't bother him and that his track record shows he will be ready on game day with the exception of suffering two serious knee injuries. "I played through a lot of injuries before as a young kid through high school," Watson said. "Never missed a game until I got to college where ACL was the issue and then last year, same. ACL was the issue that kept me out. Outside of that I was just always on the field playing."

Indianapolis Colts: Receiver T.Y. Hilton returned to the practice field Wednesday as a full participant after missing the previous two games with chest and hamstring injuries. It is a welcome sight with the team mired in a four-game slide and the passing attack being hindered with dropped passes. "Yeah, but at the same time, I've gotta make sure I'm healthy," Hilton said when asked if he is feeling the pressure to play Sunday against the Buffalo Bills. "I don't wanna go out there and hurt myself. So, for me, I'll give it a test. We're in a must-win game, so I've gotta be out there." Hilton has 21 receptions for 294 yards and two touchdowns this season, and his presence would be a boost with wideouts Ryan Grant (missed practice Wednesday) and Marcus Johnson (placed on injured reserve) suffering ankle injuries during last Sunday's loss to the New York Jets.

Jacksonville Jaguars: The Jaguars are in an antsy mood after being outscored 70-21 over their past two games against the Dallas Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs, and coach Doug Marrone was on the warpath during Wednesday's practice. "There is no way anyone in this building should be comfortable," Marrone said. "We earned that right to be where we are. We're the ones that put us where we are." Quarterback Blake Bortles is fine with the heat Marrone is putting on the players leading up to Sunday's game against the Texans. "Coach Marrone felt like we needed to push that a little bit and that's what we did today," Bortles said. "I thought it went well. We got a lot of good reps in and it's obviously hotter. That's the camp feel, and I thought it was good."

Tennessee Titans: Cornerback Malcolm Butler (one interception) hasn't made much of an impact in his first season with the team, and he is attempting to make changes. Butler said he went back and studied his 2014 rookie film with the New England Patriots and he found some motivation while dissecting the video. "Just to see where you started out, how hungry I was back then," Butler said. "That fire has to get back in me, and it is back in me now. It's lit, man. I'm ready to go out there and practice right now, and play on Sunday. I am pissed (with my performance), but nobody can change that but me -- no coach, no player, no teammates, no scheme, no nothing. I have to change that, and that is what I am going to do. That is what they got me here for."

AFC West

Denver Broncos: Trying to end a four-game losing streak Thursday night in Glendale, Ariz., the Broncos will be without starting right tackle Jared Veldheer (knee), third cornerback Adam Jones (quad), outside linebacker Shane Ray (ankle, wrist) and safety/special teamer Dymonte Thomas (chest). Also part of that group is left guard Ronald Leary, who was lost for the year with a torn Achilles last week and will be placed on injured reserve. While it won't help this week, Denver could get reinforcements soon in safety Su'a Cravens and wideout Jordan Taylor, who returned to practice this week. Recovering from meniscus surgery, Cravens can be activated from injured reserve in two weeks, while Taylor has been on the PUP list after having offseason surgery on both hips.

Kansas City Chiefs: The Chiefs' offense has been one of the league's very best, but some hiccups in the red zone in Foxborough last week have Andy Reid & Co. focused on improvement as the Bengals come to town. "I take responsibility for that," Reid said. "We want to score touchdowns. I love [kicker Harrison] Butker, but I would rather score a touchdown." Quarterback Patrick Mahomes shouldered the blame for the issues against the Patriots after he missed a few throws. "You can't miss like Kareem (Hunt) on that seam route and Tyreek (Hill) on the deep cross and (Travis) Kelce on the corner," Mahomes said. "I know they're tough throws on some of those, but when you play really good teams, and we are playing a really good team this week, we've got find ways to get in that end zone.'

Los Angeles Chargers: With the Chargers' struggles to draw interest from fans since their move to Los Angeles, the viability of the team remaining in L.A. was a topic of discussion at league meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to ESPN. Per the report, the topic was not brought up formally, but there were many side discussions about the Chargers' issues building a fan base. The team initially targeted a goal of generating $400 million in revenue once it moved into the new stadium in Inglewood, Calif., but that target is expected to be cut to $150 million, per ESPN, with much of the projected cut accounted for in lowered ticket prices.

Oakland Raiders: With the Raiders in turmoil at 1-5 and new head coach Jon Gruden showing he's not afraid to make changes, trade rumors have begun flying surrounding recent first-round picks Amari Cooper, Karl Joseph and Gareon Conley. Some have even speculated about the future of quarterback Derek Carr, whom the Raiders made the highest-paid player in NFL history at the time when he signed an extension in June of 2017. CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora suggested the team could look to trade Carr near the NFL Combine, guessing the New York Giants as a possible destination. Parting ways with Carr after the season would save Oakland $15 million against the cap and leave a dead-money charge of $7.5 million.

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys: When DallasCowboys.com reported Tuesday that the organization, according to sources, is pondering offering head coach Jason Garrett a contract extension, fans went wild on social media. Owner Jerry Jones denied the report on a local radio show, but it was clear by the fans' reactions that they think the Garrett era has run its course in Dallas. Garrett is in his ninth season and has a 70-56 career record, including 3-3 this season. The Cowboys have qualified for the playoffs in two seasons during his run, going 1-2. The reaction of one fan on Twitter: "If he gets one we should all boycott. He's horrible." And another: "Don't fear fam. Couple more losses will do it. ... We wasted too many talents as an organization. At one point we had 9 dudes in the pro bowl at the same time and still did nothing."

New York Giants: As the Eli Manning era limps to its eventual end in New York, there's a lot of talk about his replacement. And there's a thought that the Giants might not want to draft and develop a quarterback, but instead acquire a veteran to complement Odell Beckham Jr. and a productive corps of receivers, as well as running back Saquon Barkley. One name the Giants have been linked to is Oakland signal-caller Derek Carr, who might become available if the 1-5 Raiders are ready to hit the reset button. Carr has four years and about $78 million left on his deal; the Raiders could save $15 million against the cap by parting ways with him this offseason.

Philadelphia Eagles: Quarterback Carson Wentz missed practice Wednesday with what was termed a minor back injury, but he's expected to practice Thursday and play Sunday when the Eagles host the Carolina Panthers. ESPN's Tim McManus reported Wentz was believed to have muscle spasms. That's a relief for the Eagles, who had a long list of players miss practice on Wednesday: LB D.J. Alexander (quad), CB Rasul Douglas (not injury related), LB Nathan Gerry (ankle, knee), S Corey Graham (hamstring), OT Lane Johnson (ankle), CB Sidney Jones (hamstring) and RB Darren Sproles (knee).

Washington Redskins: Quarterback Alex Smith, acquired in the offseason, still is finding his way in the Redskins offense and trying to build some chemistry with the team's receivers. Coach Jay Gruden told reporters this week that Smith, who has thrown for 1,205 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions, needs to be quicker in making his decisions. "I think the critical side of me, the coaching side of me, there are some things we've got to clean up," Gruden said. "Get his eyes in certain progressions a little bit quicker and maybe get off some a little bit quicker. Sometimes he hangs on too long giving guys too much of a chance where he needs get off of them, get to the next guy. But for the most part, I thought he improved from last week to this week and there is still some improvement to do for everybody across the board. I like where he's at. I like that he's buying in and he's learning."

NFC North

Chicago Bears: NFL media is regularly a comparison business, matching teams from vastly different decades and modern players with those from bygone eras. But after some praise for Mack, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick didn't want to play that game when asked about a comparison for pass rusher Khalil Mack that some pundits have made: Hall of Fame Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor. "Wait a minute, we're talking about Lawrence Taylor now," Belichick said. "I'm not putting anybody in Lawrence Taylor's class. You can put everybody down below that. That's with a lot of respect to a lot of good players, but we're talking about Lawrence Taylor." Mack, who is hobbled by an ankle injury but expected to play against New England on Sunday, has 45.5 sacks in 68 games. Belichick called Mack a "disrputive player, very good pass rusher." Bears radio analyst Tom Thayer, a former offensive lineman who played for the 1985 Super Bowl champions and against Taylor, made the L.T. comparison in an interview with the New York Post this week.

Detroit Lions: Offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter is wary of the Dolphins' secondary ahead of Sunday's game. Miami is getting to the quarterback and mixing coverages by sliding personnel to various positions in the formation. The Dolphins have only 10 sacks, but head coach Matt Patricia said the threat from Cameron Wake and Robert Quinn means the production can soon match the merited extra protection. Speeding up quarterbacks is likely leading to more risk-taking passes. "Our guys are doing a better job this year of actually just holding on to them," Dolphins coach Adam Gase said. "We've had opportunities in previous seasons to probably have more interceptions than what we did and we didn't finish the play. This year, the whole defensive staff has done a great job of emphasizing running to the football and, really, we've got some deflections where, because of effort, guys are in the right spots and ball has come to them."

Green Bay Packers: As the bye week began, Packers head coach Mike McCarthy said he is peeking ahead to the Packers' next opponents -- the Los Angeles Rams -- but most of his energy is focused on his own team. "We'll get a chance to work this week, get a head start on those guys. But we've got a lot of work to do on ourselves, and that's really where the energy will go," he said. "You look at all six weeks. You look at everything."

Minnesota Vikings: The Jets have 15 takeaways this season, including 10 interceptions, and grabbed quarterback Kirk Cousins' attention on film with their rangy secondary and linebackers. Cousins has only three interceptions in 260 pass attempts, completing 71.2 percent of his passes this season. "When you're going against a team as good as they are at taking it away, just having a heightened sense of awareness of the need to not give them that whenever possible," Cousins said. In New York, the focus is on Cousins choosing the Vikings over the Jets in free agency. Cousins said he studied each team, their coaches and personnel for more than two months. Cousins ultimately chose the Vikings, and the Jets selected Sam Darnold No. 3 in the 2018 draft.

"You feel like it's a really impressive start. I'm sure he's got a lot of great days ahead of him," Cousins said.

NFC South

Atlanta Falcons: With starting running back Devonta Freeman (groin) on injured reserve, the club is hoping Tevin Coleman can find his stride. The fourth-year pro has a team-leading 260 rushing yards but has tallied 35 or fewer in four of six games. Coleman's best game was a 107-yard effort against the Carolina Panthers in Week 2. Rookie Ito Smith is also an option and has 102 rushing yards on the campaign but he has just 27 on 14 carries over the past two games. Smith has recorded a rushing touchdown in three straight games. Getting the ground game clicking is a priority with Atlanta ranking 29th in the NFL at 86.0 rushing yards per game.

Carolina Panthers: The Panthers have a road test against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday as they look to end an early season trend. Carolina is 3-0 at home but lost both its road contests, including a 23-17 loss to the Washington Redskins last weekend. The three-turnover showing wasn't a good sign for a team that believes it can advance deep into the playoffs this season. "We've got a great group of guys that are coming together, obviously," coach Ron Rivera told reporters. "But you've got to win football games, and that's probably the biggest thing. You can put up all of the points you want, put all the yards up but people won't look at you (as great). To me, it's as simple as that. We had a little bit of a setback last week. We will bounce back from it."

New Orleans Saints: The team is coming off a bye but receiver Ted Ginn Jr. is still struggling with the knee injury that caused him to miss the Week 5 game against the Washington Redskins. Ginn didn't practice on Wednesday, nor did rookie defensive tackle Taylor Stallworth. Ginn's absence against the Redskins opened the door for rookie Tre'Quan Smith, who caught two touchdown passes -- including a 62-yarder on the play in which quarterback Drew Brees set the all-time record for career passing yardage. Smith had three receptions for 111 yards in that contest and figures to be part of the game plan whether or not Ginn is healthy.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: New defensive coordinator Mark Duffner's first task is getting the unit to be more stingy in terms of other teams lighting up the scoreboard. The Buccaneers are last in the NFL in scoring defense (34.6), prompting the firing of Mike Smith earlier this week. Duffner, who was defensive coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals from 2001-02, is happy to get another opportunity at age 65. "I think every coach has aspirations to take on more responsibility," Duffner told reporters. "I've been a defensive coordinator in the NFL before and I've been a college head coach, so is this something I was dying to do? I just love coaching. I like working with young men and trying to help them get better."

NFC West

Arizona Cardinals: A day after Broncos linebacker Von Miller said his team would kick the Cardinals' (expletive) in Thursday night's game, Arizona head coach Steve Wilks told reporters he doesn't expect his guys to need the bulletin-board material for motivation. "I hope not, from a standpoint of trying to get guys ready to play football," Wilks said. The 1-5 Cardinals will be without guards Mike Iupati (back) and Jeremy Vujnovich (hamstring) for the game, while guard Justin Pugh is questionable with a hand injury. Safety Tre Boston (shoulder, ribs) is also out, while cornerback Jamar Taylor (back) is questionable.

Los Angeles Rams: As they prepare to meet for the third time as head coaches, Sean McVay lamented that he can't talk football as much with good friend Kyle Shanahan as much as he used to, now that they lead division rivals. "Any time that we cross paths at the combine or whatever it might be, we always enjoy talking ball, and it doesn't have to be anything where you're giving your secrets away," McVay told reporters. "We certainly still talk. I know that I feel like I wish he wasn't in our division and we didn't have to play twice a year so that we could be a little bit more open with our dialogue. ... But, we're fortunate to even be in these roles. So we'll take it, but I would prefer not to have Kyle Shanahan in our division, if you ask me."

San Francisco 49ers: The offense took a big step forward last week in scoring 30 points against the Green Bay Packers, and while it wasn't enough for a win, Shanahan is optimistic about the group with the return of wideout Marquise Goodwin from injury. "We'd been missing Quise a lot," Shanahan said. "He's been battling to get back. ... He played very well for us, not just the plays he made, but he blocked very well and did a lot of good things when he wasn't getting the ball. That loosens up the coverage for everyone. Quise does a good job and he also helps out other people and helps our run game." Goodwin totaled 126 yards and a pair of scores on four catches against Green Bay.

Seattle Seahawks: Seattle hit its bye coming off its best game of the season, a 27-3 romp over the Raiders in London, and defensive end Frank Clark capped the triumph by being named NFC Defensive Player of the Week on Wednesday. Clark hounded rookie tackle Kolton Miller to rack up 2.5 sacks, including two sack-fumbles that were recovered by teammates, in just 29 defensive snaps as he battled an illness. In a contract year, Clark now has 5.5 sacks this season, best on the team and 1.5 shy of the NFL lead (J.J. Watt, Danielle Hunter).

--Field Level Media

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