The San Francisco 49ers, who come to MetLife Stadium on Sunday to face the New York Giants, are a team Giants fans might not be terribly familiar with. Sure, you know some of the big names. But, do you really know what kind of team the 49ers are? To help us figure that out, we turn to Nicholas McGee of SB Nation’s Niners Nation to give us the inside scoop in this week’s ‘5 questions.’ Ed: The 49ers are 5-3, but coming off a bad loss to the Houston Texans. How would you describe the first half of the season for San Francisco? Nicholas: Even with last week’s loss, it still has to be considered an impressive start to the season for the 49ers considering all the injury adversity they’ve been through. For the 49ers to have five wins with the players they’ve lost is a remarkable coaching job by Kyle Shanahan and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. The worry now is that the injuries are simply becoming too much. Shanahan will never make that excuse, but the Texans game looked to be just one too far for this undermanned group. San Francisco deserves great credit for getting in position to make a playoff push, the challenge is now to get as healthy as possible and find ways to make sure the strong start doesn’t fade and result in a lost season. Ed: You will get ZERO sympathy from Giants fans, but I know the 49ers have been impacted by a number of key injuries. Can you go through the most important ones and how they have affected the team? Nicholas: The two most important losses have been Fred Warner and Nick Bosa. The pass rush has fallen off a cliff without Bosa’s presence off the edge, his absence exacerbated last week by Bryce Huff’s hamstring injury, while the injury to Warner has robbed the 49ers of the best linebacker in football. The removal of Warner as the green-dot wearer on defense has led to critical coverage breakdowns that were key to the defeat in Houston. The 49er defense is much weaker for the loss of Warner’s communication skills and his rare blend of athleticism and coverage ability. Unless the Niners can find a way to consistently compensate for the injuries to Bosa and Warner on defense, it’s going to need to be the offense that carries the team. Ed: If you could take one player off the Giants’ roster and put him in San Francisco’s lineup, who would it be? Why? Nicholas: Undoubtedly Dexter Lawrence. The 49ers have struggled to generate consistent interior pass rush for a while now and having somebody who can affect the quarterback like Lawrence can at his size would be transformative for the San Francisco defense. Ed: If Brock Purdy plays this week, how much of a difference can he make for the 49ers? Nicholas: If he’s healthy enough to be mobile in terms of escaping the pocket and extending plays, then I think it could make a huge difference. There’s no denying how well Mac Jones has played during this stretch with Purdy on the sideline, but his inability to make second-reaction plays was telling as the Texans’ defensive line dominated San Francisco last week. With the level of talent the Giants have up front, it would be huge for the 49ers to have the upside Purdy brings in terms of making plays outside the structure of the offense. Ed: If you were game-planning AGAINST the 49ers, how would you attack their defense? What do you try to do to slow their offense? Nicholas: With Warner out of the lineup, the way to attack the 49er defense at present is to challenge the linebackers and change their rules frequently. Use of motion, as much as they’re used to seeing it practicing against the Shanahan offense, is a must, while it would behove the Giants to lean heavily on plays where they leak backs and tight ends out late. The evidence from last week suggests the easy buttons will be there for Jaxson Dart if the Giants can put the second-level defenders in conflict. On the other side of the ball, it’s about shutting down the run on early downs. The 49ers will be desperate to control the game on the ground as they did against Atlanta, as that makes the offense run much more smoothly. For the Giants, the plan should be to focus on shutting that down and then attacking an extremely vulnerable interior offensive line on passing downs. New York has the talent to get home with four, but pressure looks that target the three interior positions — and particularly the left guard spot — are a clear avenue to success on defense, especially if it’s Jones under center. See More: General
Giants-49ers ‘5 questions’: Undermanned San Francisco still winning games
Giants likely to be short-handed at cornerback vs. 49ers
Cornerback Paulson Adebo was once again held out of practice on Thursday, a clear sign that the New York Giants’ No. 1 cornerback is likely to miss a second straight game on Sunday when the Giants host the San Francisco 49ers. Cornerback Art Green (hamstring) and defensive lineman Chauncey Golston (neck) also did not practice. Tight end Daniel Bellinger (neck), right tackle Jermaine Eleumunor (pectoral) and cornerback Cor’Dale Flott (concussion) were also not participating. If Adebo and Flott can’t play, the Giants would be without their two starting outside cornerbacks. That could mean another full slate of snaps on defense for former first-round pick Deonte Banks. As for who would line up opposite Banks, that would be a wait-and-see proposition. Wide receiver Jalin Hyatt (wisdom teeth) and guard Greg Van Roten, who was given a rest day on Wednesday, returned to practice. Here is a good summary of the injury situation: — Full injury information will be added once it is made available after practice. See More: New York Giants injuries
Giants’ QB Jaxson Dart is NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month
New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart has been named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month for October. October has been nothing short of a rollercoaster for the Giants, but the play of Dart has been the highlight of 2025 for Big Blue. Dart entered the month as a new starter, riding the high of an upset win over the Los Angeles Chargers in the final week of September, and took the NFL world by storm with a win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday Night Football. Dart followed that up with a strong performance against a top-two defense in the Denver Broncos. Though that was ultimately a losing effort, Dart showed his toughness as well as his skill in leading a go-ahead drive to score with 30 seconds left in the game. Odell Beckham Jr. was the last Giants’ rookie to win Offensive Rookie of the Month honors (November and December, 2014). We’ll see if Dart is able to match Beckham with another strong month. The Giants’ decision to trade up to 25th for Dart was initially viewed with skepticism, but their faith has been rewarded through his first five games. He has easily been the best rookie quarterback since taking over as the Giants starter, leading rookies in passing touchdowns, total touchdowns, and passing touchdowns. In fact, Dart has been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL since Week 4, and is eighth among qualifying passers in DAKOTA rankings — which blends EPA and completion percentage over expected. The Giants’ offense as a whole is depleted, but Dart’s play gives them a chance to win every week and Dart has far exceeded expectations and has proven to be immediately NFL-ready. His play so far bodes well for his future development and it seems like the Giants have their franchise quarterback for the foreseeable future. See More: New York Giants News
Fantasy Football: Running back report entering Week 9
Michelle Magdziuk provides the top running back takeaways from Week 8 that could have a significant impact on fantasy football points in Week 9 and beyond. Fantasy Football: Running back report entering Week 9 By Michelle Magdziuk Posted Oct 30, 2025 11:37 am EDT Kimani Vidal is taking full advantage of his opportunities: In two of his three starts with the Los Angeles Chargers this season, Vidal has scored 22.8 and 19.7 fantasy points while putting up over 125 yards and scoring a touchdown in both of those games. He saw a career-high 23 carries last weekend. J.K. Dobbins‘ fantasy managers don’t need to fret over R.J. Harvey: In a great matchup in Week 8 against the Dallas Cowboys, R.J. Harvey, not Dobbins, had a big fantasy performance while stealing all three backfield touchdowns. However, Harvey’s playing time and touches have remained minimal, and Dobbins is still very much in control of the team’s red zone work. Unlock your edge with PFF+: Access Premium Stats, dominate fantasy with in-season tools and projections and make smarter bets with the new PFF Player Prop Tool. Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes Below are the top running back takeaways from Week 8 that could have a significant impact on fantasy points in Week 9 and beyond. Kimani Vidal is getting workhorse volume in Los Angeles Chargers‘ backfield Kimani Vidal has impressed after taking over the lead role in the Los Angeles Chargers backfield in Week 6 with both Omarion Hampton (on short-term injured reserve) and Najee Harris (out for the season) injured. In two of his three starts this season, Vidal has scored 22.8 and 19.7 fantasy points while putting up over 125 yards and scoring a touchdown in both of those games. His only disappointing game as a starter came in Week 7 in a blowout loss against the Indianapolis Colts, where he saw just nine carries in the game. Last week, Vidal notched career-highs in both playing time (74% of snaps) and carries (23). He has not disappointed as the Chargers’ lead back, averaging over 5.2 yards per carry as their starter this season. His usage should continue to remain high as long as Omarion Hampton is on the sidelines and he gets a very juicy matchup this weekend against the Tennessee Titans, who have allowed the most touchdowns and third-most fantasy points per game to the running back position this season. Upcoming matchups: at Titans, vs. Steelers, at Jaguars Tyrone Tracy Jr. will get the starting gig back after the devastating Cam Skattebo injury With Cam Skattebo sadly going down for the season due to a dislocated ankle, Tyrone Tracy Jr. will now be the lead back for the New York Giants moving forward after losing his starting job to Skattebo earlier in the year. Last season as a rookie, Tracy averaged 13.1 fantasy points per game in 12 starts. In the eight games, he had at least 15 touches, and his average jumped up to 15 points per game. Not only will Tracy’s volume on the ground increase, but he should also be on the field for many passing downs and see a great deal of targets moving forward. Skattebo ranks second on the Giants in receptions this season, behind only Wan’Dale Robinson. Tracy, a former collegiate wide receiver, has the receiving chops to take over that role. Tracy has a couple of favorable upcoming matchups against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 9, who have allowed the third most receptions to running backs in 2025, and then the Chicago Bears in Week 10, who have allowed the tenth most points per game to RBs this year. Upcoming matchups: vs. 49ers, at Bears, vs. Packers R.J. Harvey stole three touchdowns from J.K. Dobbins, but his snaps remain limited Denver Broncos second-round rookie running back, R.J. Harvey, had a career fantasy day in Week 8 with 24.1 points, on the back of three touchdowns, two rushing and one receiving, against the terrible Dallas Cowboys defense. However, he still only played on 26% of the Broncos’ offensive snaps and saw just eight touches in Week 8. Harvey has seen the field for fewer than 30% of the team’s snaps in each of the last four games and has had double-digit touches in just one game all year (in a blowout win against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 4). In contrast, his backfield teammate J.K. Dobbins has consistently played the majority of team snaps each week and has had 14-plus touches in all but one game this season. It is frustrating for Dobbins’ fantasy managers that he has not found the end zone over the last three games, after scoring four touchdowns in the first five games of the season, but you should not be worried that he has lost his goal-line job to Harvey. Dobbins massively outsnapped Harvey in the red zone in Week 8 and had two goal-line carries to Harvey’s one. Harvey’s lone goal-line carry came on an unconventional wildcat play, zx the snap went directly to him on third-and-1. Harvey’s other rushing touchdown was from 40 yards out. Dobbins is still the fantasy back to start in the Broncos backfield, and Harvey should not be trusted in lineups until his usage increases. Upcoming matchups: at Texans, vs. Raiders, vs. Chiefs In the Tennessee Titans‘ last game, Tyjae Spears saw a season-high 12 touches and scored 17.2 fantasy points while leading the backfield with 52% playing time. Tony Pollard was still very involved in the offense in Week 8. He was on the field for 46.5% of Tennessee’s offensive plays and also got 12 touches. However, it was the first time this season that Pollard did not out-touch Spears in a game. Plus, the team gave Spears the one goal-line carry in the game, which he successfully converted into a three-yard touchdown. This is a trend to keep a close eye on, as Spears was injured at the start of the season and has slowly been earning more playing time and a larger
PFF Grades: Top Rams performers and notes from first segment of season
The first “half” of the season couldn’t have gone much better for the Los Angeles Rams. They sit at 5-2 and were competitive in both of their close losses. While there were significant questions about the health of Matthew Stafford and the offensive line in the early going of the season, those uncertainties have been […] The first “half” of the season couldn’t have gone much better for the Los Angeles Rams. They sit at 5-2 and were competitive in both of their close losses. While there were significant questions about the health of Matthew Stafford and the offensive line in the early going of the season, those uncertainties have been put in the rearview in a major way. LA is healthy and capable of making a playoff run. These are the top performing individuals that helped the Rams to their impressive early record and prime them for success over the remaining 10 regular season games, all according to Pro Football Focus (PFF) grading. Top five performers on offense (including only players with at least 100 snaps; player rankings use a 50% snap filter unless noted otherwise) 1 – Puka Nacua, WR: 92.6 In what may be the least surprising part of this post, Nacua leads the Rams and the NFL in PFF receiving grade. He’s just ahead of NFC West rival Jaxon Smith-Njigba of the Seattle Seahawks. Despite missing 1.5 games, Nacua is on pace for 1,736 receiving yards. This would fall behind Calvin Johnson’s all-time record at 1,964 and trails Cooper Kupp’s historic 2021 season of 1,947 yards. Nacua is expected to return this week against the New Orleans Saints. Whether the Rams continue to give him a high volume workload remains to be seen, but Nacua is clearly among the NFL’s best at his position. 2 – Matthew Stafford, QB: 91.0 I’ll admit I didn’t see a career season coming for Stafford, but that is exactly what we are seeing from the veteran. He’s on track to finish with the single-best PFF grade of his career and second in the NFL behind the Seahawks’ Sam Darnold. With the context of the back injury and more than a decade-and-a-half of performance, it simply would not have been a wise bet to expect Stafford to play this well in 2025. He had other plans in mind. The most impressive aspect of Stafford’s year so far is the fact he’s manufacturing big-time throws at the highest rate of his career (if you ignore injury-shortened seasons) and putting the ball in harm’s way at a low frequency. These are the top QB’s of 2025 followed by their big-time throw and turnover-worthy play rates: Sam Darnold: 8.9% / 1.8% Matthew Stafford: 7.3% / 2.5% Dak Prescott: 5.8% / 2.1% Drake Maye: 5.0% / 2.3% Justin Herbert: 2.9% / 1.4% Jordan Love: 5.3% / 2.7% Josh Allen: 3.7% / 1.2% 3 – Davante Adams, WR: 80.5 Adams ranks 11th among all receivers. There are troubling signs in his analytical profile—such as a catch rate that recently improved to 50% and other markers that are trending downward from his prime—though he’s still playing at a high level and is a serviceable compliment to Nacua. The veteran’s six touchdowns is tied for second among all receivers behind only Amon-Ra St. Brown. 4 – Kevin Dotson, RG: 78.1 It was a slower start to the season for Kevin Dotson. He’s strung together three-straight stellar performances and improved to PFF’s fourth-ranked guard on the season. As has been the case in his time with the Rams, he’s faring better in run blocking than pass protection: 84.3 vs 58.9 in 2025. 5 – Steve Avila, LG: 76.0 Steve Avila has played only 2.5 games on the year. If you lower the snap threshold to 25%, the third-year guard is ranks sixth at the position behind Dotson. When was the last time we saw the Rams with two top-10 guards? This can only be good news for keeping Stafford upright and to clear holes for Kyren Williams and company. Other notes on offense Rob Havenstein has returned to full health and could start this weekend against the Saints. While he’s played through injury, he ranks as the second-lowest player (55.0; 23rd) on the Rams offense in front of only Beaux Limmer. His replacement—Warren McClendon—ranks ninth with a grade of 70.0. The question of who should start is not only important in terms of on-field performance. Havenestein is slated to become a free agent next spring. McClendon would play in 2026 on the final year of his cost-controlled rookie deal. It would be a bonus if the Rams find out whether McClendon can start this year into next. This would prevent the team from entering the offseason with a need at a premium position. Top five performers on defense 1 – Jared Verse, EDGE: 90.1 From the moment Jared Verse stepped on the field as an NFL rookie, he’s been a top 10 EDGE defender. This season he ranks sixth at the position and he’s had a relatively quiet year. One noteworthy item: Verse has taken a step back in run defense from 2024 according to PFF. As a rookie he earned a grade of 81.0. This mark has fallen to 66.4 in 2025. Can Verse improve in this facet over the second half of the season? 2 – Byron Young, EDGE: 85.0 Young ranks 14th among all EDGE’s in total pressures and 10th overall in PFF defensive grade. His defensive grade is bolstered by the best run defense mark of his career at 69.4 (previous career high in 2023 of 61.6). The third-year linebacker has played 53 coverage snaps and is also on pace for the best grade of his year in this area. 3 – Poona Ford, DT: 84.1 It is important that Ford and Adams were LA’s biggest splash signings in free agency and they are now within the top five grades on their respective sides of the ball. Ford has the second-highest run grade on
3 key players to watch for the Cincinnati Bengals vs. Chicago Bears
Barrett Carter Carter has supplanted Logan Wilson as a starting linebacker for the Cincinnati Bengals. The fourth-round rookie has shown some flashes of promise over the past few weeks. He has also given up several big plays against the run. He and Demetrius Knight Jr. are both missing tackles at a high rate this season. […] Barrett Carter Carter has supplanted Logan Wilson as a starting linebacker for the Cincinnati Bengals. The fourth-round rookie has shown some flashes of promise over the past few weeks. He has also given up several big plays against the run. He and Demetrius Knight Jr. are both missing tackles at a high rate this season. Carter has eight missed tackles on the season already. He has a 14.8% missed tackle rate. He will be tested once again this week against the running game of the Bears. D’Andre Swift is averaging 4.6 yards per carry. He averages almost 67 yards rushing per game. Kyle Monangai is averaging almost 27 yards per game as his backup. There will be a heavy dose of both guys against this Bengals defense. Carter will need to be more consistent if the Bengals are to win this game. Dylan Fairchild Fairchild was impressive as a run blocker against the Jets’ defense. He opened up multiple lanes on some of the best rushes of the game. Establishing the run will be key again against the Chicago Bears’ defense. They enter this week ranked 28th overall in rushing yards allowed per game. The Bengals are actually one spot above them at 27th overall. That is saying quite a bit when we have watched just how bad this run defense has been lately. It will be equally important that Fairchild holds up well in pass protection. Gervon Dexter Jr. has 3.5 sacks on the season for the Bears’ defensive line. Keeping him in check could go a long way toward Flacco and the Bengals’ passing game being able to continue generating points at a high rate. Jordan Battle Battle comes into this game off a less-than-stellar performance. He was hesitant on a blitz that was completed for a touchdown. He also looked hesitant on multiple long runs in the second half. He has to be reliable in run support this week from the safety position. If he isn’t, I don’t think the Bengals can win this game. Battle has bounced back with good games on multiple occasions after a down week. His three interceptions on the season are leading the team. Caleb Williams has thrown four already this season for the Bears. Battle coming up with a big turnover could be the difference in coming out with a close win this week. See More: Cincinnati Bengals Analysis
Indianapolis Colts Injury Report: 6 Starters Miss Practice
The Indianapolis Colts released their Wednesday injury report today for Week 8 of the NFL season against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Safety Nick Cross missed practice today with a shoulder injury. Cornerback Kenny Moore also missed practice today with an Achilles injury. Whilst cornerback Jaylon Jones was a full participant as he works back from a […] Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images The Indianapolis Colts released their Wednesday injury report today for Week 8 of the NFL season against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Safety Nick Cross missed practice today with a shoulder injury. Cornerback Kenny Moore also missed practice today with an Achilles injury. Whilst cornerback Jaylon Jones was a full participant as he works back from a hamstring injury which has sidelined him since week 1. With Kenny Moore II and Nick Cross potentially missing the secondary could be tested, especially on the road against Aaron Rodgers. However, the return of Jaylon Jones brings depth and potential relief. Thursday and Friday practices will be a huge indication about the secondary. Defensive ends Samson Ebukam (knee) and Tyquan Lewis ( groin) both missed practice tiday. Defensive tackle Grover Stewart also missed practice but due to a foot injury. The absence at practice and potential game day absence of Ebukam, Lewis and Stewart means the pass rush and run-defensive rotations could be massively stretched. All three are significant contributors to the defensive front. Wide receiver Josh Downs missed practice today with a hip injury. Wide receiver Anthony Gould also missed practice today with a knee injury. Both receivers bring a similar skill set to the offense and Gould is often used to help replace a missing Downs on offense. Gould also provides a much nee returning element on special teams. Offensive linemen Matt Goncalves and Braden Smith both missed practice today. Goncalves missed practice due to a personal reason whilst Smith was due to a veteran rest day. Both could return See More: Indianapolis Colts News
Time for offense to start producing
Editor’s note: The morning links will no longer have the “Silver Minings” heading moving forward per company policy. The Las Vegas Raiders have a lot of problems to address and correct as they return from their bye week with a 2025 record. Perhaps the biggest issue that needs to be fixed is the offense. The […] Editor’s note: The morning links will no longer have the “Silver Minings” heading moving forward per company policy. The Las Vegas Raiders have a lot of problems to address and correct as they return from their bye week with a 2025 record. Perhaps the biggest issue that needs to be fixed is the offense. The unit has floundered badly under first-season offensive coordinator Chip Kelly. So far, Kelly’s reputation as a “good college coach, bad NFL coach” is proving to be true. The Raiders reportedly made Kelly the highest pad offensive coordinator in the NFL at $6 million a season to leave Ohio State. A lot was expected from Kelly’s unit that included key newcomers quarterback Geno Kelly and first-round pick Ashton Jeanty. But the unit has floundered all season and are coming off a 31-0 shutout at Kansas City prior to the bye. Check this out: And this: The numbers are as ugly as the play on the field. Something has to change now. In other Raiders’ news: Trade talk: Here is an NFL trade deadline preview. Panic time: Yahoo has an NFL panic meter look. Power rankings: Check out where ESPN has the Raiders slotted in their Week 9 power rankings. See More: Las Vegas Raiders Game Information
Fantasy Football ‘25: Week 9 preview – Start/sit and more
Welcome to Week 9, and Happy Halloween! The NFL just gave us one of the most lopsided slates of games in recent memory. Sunday was a good day to mow the lawn or put up spooky decorations. NYJ 39 – CIN 38 was the only game out of 13 played in Week 8 that was decided by less than 10 points. Favorites won outright in 11 of 13 contests. Boo, and boo. An interesting tidbit from Week 8: There were eight interconference games played, and the AFC team won seven of them. Six teams were on Bye last week, and that number drops to four this week. That’s a bit of a reprieve, although rampant injuries are still hindering lineups. Several starting QBs should return to action this week, which is welcome news for fantasy managers. Stats of the Week: Jonathan Taylor has scored 3 TDs in half of his team’s eight games. Taylor has 14 total TDs. That’s more than four NFL teams (Titans, Raiders, Falcons, Saints), and the same number as a fifth (Browns). In seven of the last eight seasons, the Giants have been either 1-7 or 2-6 after eight games. The Broncos have scored 77 points across their last five quarters. The Patriots are the first team since 1950 to not allow an opposing rusher to gain at least 50 yards in a game in the first eight games of a season. New England hosts the Falcons and Bijan Robinson this week. Joe Burrow is injured, but the other four starting QBs from the class of 2020 (Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert, Jordan Love, and Jalen Hurts) combined to throw 14 TD passes this past weekend, against just one INT. Joe Flacco has targeted Ja’Marr Chase 42 times across the Bengals’ last two games. 42! The 2-5 Baltimore Ravens are currently the betting favorite (-110) to win the AFC North. Week 9, here we go! Bye Weeks: CLE, NYJ, PHI, TB Danny delivers another DimeRobert Goddin-Imagn Images Week 9 Rides, Fades and Sleepers For those who are familiar with this column, you know the drill. For everyone else: The Rides, Fades, and Sleepers is an analysis of players that I think are primed for an especially strong or poor performance, often as compared to consensus expectations. This isn’t a straight-up Start/Sit exercise. As a general rule, start your studs. I’ll rarely list the most obvious names at a position as “Rides” because those players are almost always expected to have strong performances. You don’t need me or anyone else telling you to start Josh Allen or Jonathan Taylor. While this analysis is intended for season-long play, it works for DFS formats too. Half PPR scoring and Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR) are used for the column. Each week, I’m picking a Ride, Fade,and Sleeper of the Week. The rules: The Ride of the Week can’t be a truly elite option, the Fade can’t be someone who nobody is starting anyway, and the Sleeper must be an actual sleeper, from down in the rankings. For the second straight week, I whiffed on my Ride, Fade, and Sleeper of the Week, but had a high hit rate on everything else. My tight end predictions were especially on point. So maybe skip ahead to the next section…You can check my work here: Week 8. Ride of the Week: Daniel Jones (@PIT). I know, I know. If you’ve watched a lot of NFL football during the 2020s, it’s tough to accept these two truths: Danny Dimes is playing outstanding football, and the highly paid Black and Gold defense is trash. But here we are, and I’m jumping on it. Jones captains an offense that has been an absolute Death Star through eight glorious weeks. He has topped 20 fantasy points in five of eight starts, and is currently the QB6 on the season, at 20.8 fantasy points per game (FPPG). Numbers don’t lie. On the flip side, the Steelers haven’t been able to stop anyone. They’ve allowed the most passing yards per game and second most FPPG to opposing quarterbacks. Fade of the Week: Alvin Kamara (@LAR). I haven’t mentioned Kamara much this year. If he’s on your roster, he’s been a tough hang. It’s hard to bench a starting running back, but single digit points week after week aren’t helping you. His high output over the last six weeks is 10.1 fantasy points. Yikes. Maybe the QB change will help, or it could make things worse. Factor in a brutal matchup this week and Kamara is a sit for me. The Rams have allowed the third fewest FPPG to opposing running backs and are the only team in the NFL that hasn’t allowed a rushing TD to the position. They’ve also allowed just 31 receptions to running backs, which is Top-5. The game script is almost certainly going to be negative (the Rams are favored by 14). Hard pass. Sleeper of the Week: Colston Loveland (@CIN). The conventional wisdom that rookie tight ends never pop for fantasy has been taken to task in recent seasons, but so far, Loveland hasn’t joined that party. That could start to change this Sunday, thanks to two factors: A back injury to Cole Kmet that kept him out of the lineup last week, and a visit to every tight end’s favorite weekend destination, the Queen City. Loveland just saw a season high in snaps (81%) with Kmet out, and Cincinnati continues to be a gift matchup for opposing offenses in general and tight ends in particular. They’ve allowed the most FPPG, yards, and TDs (10) to the position, including the game-winner to Mason Taylor last week. Loveland is ranked outside the Top-12 TEs this week, and I think that’s low. Stafford should stay hot this weekGetty Images Quarterback: Elite options this week – Lamar Jackson (expected to return), Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Drake Maye, and Justin Herbert; the analysis starts below them. Note that Maye and Herbert are new adds to the elite ranks
A Vikings Fan Takes His Medicine (with Week 9 Prediction)
“Ah – Playoffs? Don’t talk about — playoffs?! You kidding me? Playoffs?! I just hope we can win a game!” — Jim Mora. The good thing about this gig is that it doubles as therapy. Writing has a way of easing the mind and spirit amid the emotional roller coaster of being a Minnesota Vikings […] “Ah – Playoffs? Don’t talk about — playoffs?! You kidding me? Playoffs?! I just hope we can win a game!” — Jim Mora. The good thing about this gig is that it doubles as therapy. Writing has a way of easing the mind and spirit amid the emotional roller coaster of being a Minnesota Vikings fan. While there are moments – heck, even months – of elation in any given season, the only thing that’s ever guaranteed is disappointment. Warren Ludford did an outstanding job touching on the general mess the Vikings find themselves in, while Christopher Gates followed it up with a terrific look at the latest surrounding the embarrassing Carson Wentz injury drama. With that, some of my takes. The recurring theme: I was wrong. The Lowest Point of KOC’s Tenure Thursday night was the worst loss of the KOC era. Yes, the 40-3 beatdown by the Dallas Cowboys in 2022 was technically worse in terms of point differential, but context matters. KOC was a rookie head coach; we were 8-1 at the time, and coming off one of those highs mentioned above —a win in one of the most entertaining regular-season NFL games in recent memory against the Buffalo Bills. This was a trainwreck of another kind. With a 3-3 record and a brutal schedule ahead, the Vikings needed a solid effort. Heck, they needed to seem at least…interested. They failed to clear that low bar. KOC’s body language throughout was alarming to me. He looked exhausted, confused, and, worst of all, like a man resigned to his fate – something you never want to see in a head coach. It all played out like a scene from some cheesy, schmaltzy, depressing Lifetime TV movie or a New York Jets documentary. The seemingly endless string of injuries is now reaching historic and comical levels. You have to laugh or you’ll cry. That has to take a toll. The same goes for the ongoing quarterback drama, along with the legitimate questions and conspiracy theories that have come with it. At the end of the day, however, it comes with the territory. As Hyman Roth noted in The Godfather II: “This is the business we’ve chosen.” KOC is getting paid the big bucks to navigate such stormy waters, and with it, the expectation that such problems can be solved, however daunting. Wentz Takes One for the Team We can engage in the useless exercise of assigning blame for the last two games. Was it 100% Wentz? 90%? 80%? Considering we now know he had absolutely no business playing for weeks, and endured pain that would have put most of us in a hospital bed, let alone being a sitting duck behind a makeshift offensive line for NFL defensive linemen and linebackers to tee off on. This much is now clear: Carson Wentz is the only one who comes out of this mess looking good. If this does prove to be the end of his career in the NFL, he went out as a warrior and as a consummate team player who sacrificed his health for his coaches, teammates, and a franchise he’s been part of for all of two months. I wish him a full recovery and all the best for whatever the future holds. I saw the astute point made in one of the DN’s comment sections: You can’t hold KOC blameless for scheming receivers open and calling good games, while simultaneously keeping a quarterback in the game so hindered by injury that he was incapable of executing the offense with a minimal standard of competence. He’s not the offensive coordinator; he’s the head coach. And no, I’m not saying it’s 2001, we’re the Patriots, and Max Brosmer is Tom Brady. But Wentz was not a functional NFL quarterback for the entirety of the Eagles game and clearly was not at the outset of the Chargers game. Brosmer (or any other NFL backup) could at least scale that minimal hurdle. KOC opted for the Ivan Drago “if he dies, he dies” approach, and it backfired spectacularly. Yes, Wentz…But Something Else is Up I received some pushback in the comments for my last article about KOC’s tendency to abandon the run. He has the fourth-highest pass-to-run ratio since 2022. Then there’s this doozy. Yes, I know game flow and playing from behind influence decision-making. Then again, we can debate whether being behind 17-6 to the Bears with 12:51 left in the third quarter, or 15-6 at home against the Falcons with 11:16 left in the fourth quarter, necessitated panic. We (allegedly) have a shutdown defense, after all (more on that later). Regardless, the awful 3rd-and-1 pass call in the first quarter on Thursday further hammered the point home. I was wrong. I clearly put way too much stock in the offense’s performance in the Browns game. KOC has clearly not yet found his way out of the funk that dates back to Week 18 last year. Things continue to look way too disjointed to throw all of the blame into the Carson Wentz injury basket. Something is wrong with the entire operation. I love the Xs and Os, but perhaps someone more experienced and adept at their nuances could determine on the merits of the “KOC’s scheme has been exposed” narrative. I’m a huge KOC supporter. But I don’t reside in a world of denial, either. He must get this fixed. I absolutely believe he can. But if he doesn’t, and this continues, we may not only be looking at a disappointing season, but also one where the Vikings are potentially staring down a Top 10 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.