Why Russell Wilson is struggling with the Broncos

Back from New York (here’s what I wrote on the Jim Irsay–Daniel Snyder news there), and now ready for your questions … From Josh Turnbaugh (@Turns31): WTF is wrong with Russ? Josh, this is my opinion, and one I expressed in the Oct. 10 MMQB column after talking to a bunch of people who worked with Russell Wilson in Seattle—I think there’s a way you have to deploy Wilson to get the most out of him as a player. And I know some people are convinced that Wilson doesn’t want…

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Robert Saleh follows Rex Ryan’s advice as Jets win third straight

On ESPN’s pregame show, Rex Ryan told a story we covered in the Sept. 5 MMQB—one that explained how the outgrowth of Ryan ripping Jets coach Robert Saleh was a conversation between the two that led to material changes in the team’s roster. Ryan explained to Saleh the value he got in bringing program guys such as Bart Scott and Jim Leonhard with him from the Ravens to the Jets and suggested the Jets coach do the same in Year 2. Saleh took Ryan’s words to heart, and imported Kwon…

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NFL Week 6: Joe Burrow dressed for success in New Orleans thanks to Ja’Marr Chase

Joe Burrow wearing Ja’Marr Chase’s LSU jersey to the Superdome was the coolest look of Week 6—and both ex-Tigers backed all of it up. And it really started with a random text from quarterback to receiver asking if he had one of his college jerseys he could bring on the trip back to Louisiana. “He asked for it before we left Cincinnati,” Chase told me, “so I gave it to him.” “It’s the game-worn jersey,” Burrow confirmed, via text, from the Superdome. “Just wanted to pay tribute to my time…

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How the Bills’ defense stopped Mahomes and the Chiefs in victory

There are a lot of us who remember where we were on the evening of Jan. 23, and that includes Von Miller. He just so happened to be on a cross-country flight from Tampa back to Los Angeles, after he and the Rams scored a thrilling 30–27 win over the defending champion Buccaneers to advance to the NFC title game. Like everyone else, he was following a game that would, somehow, top the one he had just finished. “I saw the beginning of it,” Miller said, from a raucous visitors’…

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Weighing Ron Rivera’s job security with Washington Commanders

Week 6 starts Thursday. The mailbag starts now … From Samuel Reyes (@YourfavHilo): Is it time to pull the plug on Ron Rivera and his staff? Either move him upstairs or completely get rid of him. His coaching isn’t working. Samuel, I get your feelings on the trajectory of the operation. Washington was 7–9 in 2020, 7–10 in ’21, and would need to go 6–6 just to get to seven wins this year—which, given how much tougher the NFC East is than was expected, could be a bigger ask than you…

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Saints quarterback Taysom Hill proves he still has plenty of juice at 32

First Taysom Hill was a gadget guy, and then he was the Saints’ quarterback of the future. After that, he lost a quarterback competition to Jameis Winston, so it was back to being a gadget guy, and that had to happen on the fly last year because he’d spent the whole offseason positioning himself to be the guy taking every snap. And somewhere in there, Hill turned 32. In case you were wondering, even at that advanced football age, Hill’s got plenty of juice left. Sunday’s wildly entertaining 39–32 win…

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NFL Week 5: Mike McCarthy explains why he loves the Cowboys’ roster

Mike McCarthy has 100% answered the bell in Dallas. And I really liked his answer when I asked a global question about the roster that has helped him to do that—and what he likes about its makeup. “I love the locker room,” McCarthy said over his cell on the way to LAX for the team flight home Sunday. “I’ve been saying that for the last two years. We’ve got a great blend of talent, people and experience. The older guys are bringing the young guys along. Our young guys contributed…

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Geno Smith backs up Pete Carroll’s decision to make him starting quarterback

The best game of Week 3 was one you probably didn’t watch. And maybe if everyone was watching, more people would be drawing conclusions from Seahawks-Lions the way they would if this were the Chiefs and Bills or the Rams and 49ers. So here’s one for the people who missed this particular showdown in Motown—Geno Smith is pretty good. And I’m not just saying he’s pretty good relative to what you think. He’s a pretty good quarterback, period, and he’s backing up the decision his coach made a month ago…

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NFL Week 4 takeaways: Inside the NFLPA investigation and concussion protocol

There’s a way to boil down the Tua Tagovailoa flashpoint to its essence, and I think I found it. Just answer this question: If Tagovailoa’s head bounces off the turf, and he stumbles as he did against Buffalo, and the Dolphins are up, say, three touchdowns in the fourth quarter against a nondivision opponent, is he still going back in the game? My guess is no. And, thus, it sure looks like competitive factors contributed to a decision that’s supposed to be made on medical factors alone. Anyway, we covered…

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