SO YOU’RE SAYING THERE’S A CHANCE: With their win Thursday Night against the Houston Texans in the Meadowlands, the Jets have clawed back to 3-6. It is improbable, but with the win, saying they saved their season is not hyperbole.
A 2-7 would have all but ended their playoff chances, but with the Chargers currently holding the seventh seed at 4-3, Thursday’s victory still keeps the Jets close enough in the rearview mirror to make a move. It’s unlikely, but their last eight games are all winnable…and let’s not forget, it’s in the NFL’s best interest to have at least one team hanging around for a playoff run.
TRADE MADE IN HEAVEN: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers desperately need a WR. And some top-tier WRs have already come off the board. One of those WRs is Davante Adams, who was traded from Vegas to the aforementioned Jets. With Adams now in New York’s WR room, others on the team have become expendable.
On Thursday, Garrett Wilson made one of the best catches you’ll ever see, invoking memories of Odell Beckham Jr. Wilson isn’t going anywhere. All of a sudden, Mike Williams is, at best, the third option for Rodgers. When you factor in his pass-catching RBs and his TEs, Williams is a perfect trade chip for a team in need.
Enter the Buccaneers. With Mike Evans out with a hamstring issue and Chris Godwin out for the year, Tampa needs a solid wide receiver. It makes all the sense in the world for them to acquire the veteran wide receiver who is a fantastic route runner and will help Baker Mayfield tremendously in their passing game.
TRADE MADE IN HEAVEN pt2: The Carolina Panthers are cannon fodder for the league. They lost again last Sunday, and the benching Bryce Young experiment did nothing. They are sellers. One of their biggest and most valuable trade chips is RB Chuba Hubbard. One of the teams in the league that most desperately needs an RB is the Dallas Cowboys.
It makes all the sense in the world, and Hubbard would be the perfect RB for the Cowboys. Last season, Hubbard rushed for 902 yards, and this year, he is on pace to rush for over 1200 yards. And he’s on pace to catch over 50 passes.
Hubbard is in the last year of his rookie contract, so this would be a pure rental for Jerry Jones unless he wanted to extend him. And because the asking price won’t be much, probably a fifth-rounder or later, it is a no-brainer for Jones. Make the trade, Jerry.
THE SIMPSONS DID IT FIRST…WELL, IN THIS CASE, SECOND: Last season, the NFL messed around with technology and cartoon-ized a game in real-time to the theme of the movie Toy Story. It was actually quite innovative and cute. That game was played from overseas and shown here at 9:30 a.m. on a Sunday, and it made all the sense in the world to get children to watch early on a Sunday.
This year’s game doesn’t make as much sense. It’s a Monday night game on December 9th between the Bengals and the Cowboys, and the avatars will be in the world of the Simpsons, with Bart Simpson, the quarterback, on one side and Homar, the quarterback, on the other.
I realize that the Simpsons casts a wide appeal and is as much an adult animated show as it is for children, but it’s still an odd choice to have this done on a Monday night. Sunday morning is the perfect spot for this sort of thing, but I applaud the NFL for continuing to broaden its appeal to as many people of all ages as possible.
THE INJURIES ARE REALLY PILING UP: This is the time of the year when injuries start to hit teams, and the game is as much about a war of attrition as anything else. This is the functional equivalent of “The Dog Days of Summer” in August of an MLB season. But in that sport, it’s generally not due to injuries but more to do with extreme heat and entering the second half of a grinding season.
Here is a list of some of the more significant injuries that will affect their teams and possibly your fantasy roster:
TJ Hockenson-Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings are on a two-game losing streak, and Hockenson is actually making his first start back from an ACL tear. This will be his first game since Christmas Eve 2023.
Derek Carr-New Orleans Saints: This will be Carr’s first game back in three weeks, which ended up with three losses for the Saints. His return comes not a minute too late.
Drake Mayo-New England Patriots: Mayo is 100% the team’s future, but the Pats’ two wins this season have come with Jacoby Brissett at the helm. Mayo left last week’s game due to a concussion. He’s been in concussion protocol all week but has practiced with the team. As of now, he is listed as questionable.
Amari Cooper and Curtis Samuel-Buffalo Bills: Cooper has a wrist issue, and Samuel has a pectoral strain. Each WR is listed as questionable. If one or both are out, look for Josh Allen to rely on Keon Coleman.
Zamir White-Las Vegas Raiders: The Vegas RB has had a lackluster season thus far. He’s been sidelined due to a quad issue and is listed as questionable.
Tee Higgans and Zack Moss-Cincinnati Bengals: Higgans also has a quad injury and is listed as doubtful this week, and Moss has a neck injury and is also doubtful. Chase Brown will pick up the slack in the running game, while Ja’Marr Chase will simply continue to be Ja’Marr Chase in Cincinnati’s passing game, continuing to be Joe Burrow’s primary receiver and offensive option.
Tyjae Spears, Tony Pollard, Tyler Boyd, and Will Levis-Tennessee Titans: The Titans offense is anemic, and with all of these offensive pieces out, it’s hard to see where pts will be coming from. Spears is out with a hamstring issue. Pollard is questionable with a wonky foot. Boyd and Levis each have shoulder issues and are both questionable.
Adam Thielen-Carolina Panthers: Thielen has been ruled doubtful this week due to a hamstring issue.
Christian Kirk, Tank Bigsby, Gabe Davis, Travis Etienne, and Brian Thomas-Jacksonville Jaguars: The Jaguars’ medical room is worse than the Titans at this point, with these five vital offensive pieces banged up. Kirk is out with a collarbone issue. Bigsby is questionable with an ankle injury. Fellow RB Etienne, WRs Davis, and Thomas are also questionable this week.
Dallas Goedert-Philadelphia Eagles: Goedert is out with a hamstring issue. Although Jalen Hurts relies on his TE, there are enough offensive weapons around him to get by. Between RB Saquon Barkley and WR AJ Brown and Devonta Smith, the Eagles will be just fine.
Josh Jacobs and Jordan Love-Green Bay Packers: Jacobs is listed as questionable with his ankle, and Love has been listed as questionable with a groin issue. If the Packers have an Achilles heel, they lack depth. There isn’t a decent backup to Jacobs in the running game, and although Malik Willis is adequate if Love goes down for any significant time, it would deeply affect their playoff chances.
Puka Nacua-Los Angeles Rams: This week at practice, Nacua again came up gimpy with a knee issue. He is listed as questionable this week. It is amazing how different and dynamic the Rams offense is when both Cooper Kupp and Nacua are on the field…it’s a shame we don’t get to see it more often. The Rams need every win they can get, and not having him on the field diminishes their chances greatly.
Noah Fant and DK Metcalf-Seattle Seahawks: Geno Smith is down to big and important targets this week, losing both Fant and Metcalf to injuries, as both are out this week. Fant has a groin problem, and Metcalf is out with a knee injury. Last week, their offense was completely anemic, and Smith will need to rely on others in a close NFC West division. Tyler Lockett should be a solid fantasy play this week, getting a ton of targets.
