Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is listed as questionable for Sunday's matchup against the Green Bay Packers. Head coach Sean McVay says Stafford is expected to be a game-time decision, according to Stu Jackson of the team's official site.Stafford, who sprained the UCL in his right thumb in Week 8, was held out of practice all week.McVay added that the veteran signal-caller is "progressing every day."Stafford has thrown for 2,070 yards and eight touchdowns against seven interceptions while leading the Rams to a 3-5 record.Brett Rypien is in line to start in the team's Week 9 game if Stafford is unable to go.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

If you bet Philadelphia early enough in Week 8, you didn't want Ron Rivera (who once asked to be called "Analytical Ron" instead of "Riverboat Ron") to play it by numbers and go for two. Luckily for those with Eagles -6.5 - like the first Commanders-Eagles meeting - he foolishly didn't. If you had Eagles -7, you accepted the push, something easy to swallow given that our other four best bets against the spread went 4-0, pushing the season-long ATS record in this space to 23-11-3 (67.6%).Best bets ATSWe've already discussed the five underdogs with a shot to win outright relative to their price, and as always, they're worth a look against the spread.TEAMSPREADBears+8.5Seahawks+6Vikings+4.5Cowboys+3Jets+3.5However, there are more plays worth making this week.Chiefs -1.5I'm unconcerned by the market move toward the Dolphins from Chiefs -2.5 because, truthfully, that's where I'd expect the point spread to be based on previous lines for each team. However, on the field, we go by a rule you might remember from such games as the 2023 AFC championship and Super Bowl LVII: Don't bet against Patrick Mahomes in games lined under a field goal.The winner of this contest in Germany gets a leg up on home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, so we should get a focused Chiefs team, and that's not a group I mess with. The Dolphins - once fully healthy and up to speed on Vic Fangio's defense - will be a problem when we get to a potential postseason rematch. But, for now, Kansas City's defense has shown it can match up with Miami like the Bills and Eagles did.Patriots -3Maybe we got away with one by backing the Dolphins at a big number last week since the Patriots' defense did a decent job holding the Fins to 5.3 yards per play. But, as expected, New England's offense couldn't keep up. Against the Commanders this week, there's less urgency to race to 30 points. New England will get to Sam Howell - sacked 41 times this season - as everyone else has.On the other side of the ball, Washington's bread-and-butter - the defensive line - is half as scary with Montez Sweat and Chase Young dealt this week. With more time than he would have, Mac Jones can expose the middle of the Commanders' defensive backfield. We can add this game to the card since this line dropped enough for the insurance of a push should the Patriots win by a field goal.Texans -2.5In Year 1 of the Texans' rebuild with the coach and quarterback in place, it shouldn't be surprising that the team is at its best at home against mediocre competition. Winning this type of game is how Houston will get to six or seven victories, a respectable number for a team lined at 5.5 wins before the season.It's a small sample size, but the Texans have given up 6.1 yards per pass attempt at home compared to 7.3 on the road. The going should be tough for Baker Mayfield after three straight losses in which the offense varied between one-dimensional and zero-dimensional.Giants +2If the best case for backing the Raiders is that they're energized by being rid of Josh McDaniels, how do we account for their three wins? On a short week, with travel, it's hard to imagine their offense suddenly clicks with rookie Aidan O'Connell starting, especially since the Giants' defense has been stingy the last three weeks against Josh Allen, Howell, and Zach Wilson.New York's offense is hoping injured offensive tackles Andrew Thomas and Evan Neal can return and protect Daniel Jones from Maxx Crosby. Saquon Barkley and Wan'Dale Robinson can give Jones the quick-twitch options the quarterback was missing earlier this season.Bengals -2If you're a regular to our NFL content, you know we've got concerns about the legitimacy of the Bills' rating in the market, as they've failed to cover every game since losing a trio of top defenders for the season. Meanwhile, after a significant drop in the Bengals' rating due to Joe Burrow's early season issues, anything under a field goal indicates there's still value left in backing the home side against a team it dominated in the playoffs last year despite missing a handful of starters on the offensive line.Moneyline upset of the weekOur defined parameter for this section is underdogs paying at least +150.Seahawks (+210) over RavensThe Seahawks offense is starting to incorporate talented rookies Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jake Bobo, and Zach Charbonnet alongside DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. That's a dangerous group supporting Geno Smith, the prototypical high-variance signal-caller to back on the moneyline as a big underdog or fade as a big favorite. Seattle will take its shots on offense and try to turn over Lamar Jackson. At better than +200, the Seahawks are worth a look for an upset bet.Best 6-point teaserBrowns (-2) / Panthers (+8.5)The Cardinals provided bettor nightmare fuel with a backdoor cover against the Ravens. While I don't think they'll do that again, let's avoid that sort of spread catastrophe by pulling the Browns - who we like to win outright - down under a field goal.Of the nine games that opened with a 2.5-point spread, almost all have moved one way or another, suggesting market disagreement with the opener. However, the Colts-Panthers line has barely moved. The more efficient the point spread, the better it is for a teaser leg, especially one daring Indianapolis to win on the road by two scores.Matt Russell is the lead betting analyst for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on social media @mrussauthentic.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London will miss the team's Week 9 contest against the Minnesota Vikings due to a groin injury, head coach Arthur Smith announced Friday.It's the first game that London will miss since being selected with the No. 8 pick in the 2022 draft.The 22-year-old has been the team's leading receiver this season. He's hauled in 37 receptions for 438 yards and two touchdowns in eight games.Quarterback Taylor Heinicke, who's in line for his first start of the season after the team benched 2022 third-rounder Desmond Ridder, will likely lean on a combination of Mack Hollins, Van Jefferson, and KhaDarel Hodge at the wide receiver position.Running back and returner Cordarrelle Patterson, who entered the league as a wideout in 2013, could also be more involved in the passing game.The Falcons also ruled out fullback Keith Smith with a concussion.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson will start Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed Friday.Stefanski said Watson was a full participant in practice Friday after being limited throughout the week. The quarterback doesn't have an injury designation for Week 9.Watson has been in and out of the lineup since suffering a shoulder injury in Week 3 against the Tennessee Titans. He was inactive the following two games but returned as the starter in Week 7 against the Indianapolis Colts. Watson only played in 12 snaps before being removed after a big hit from a Colts defender.P.J. Walker finished the game for the Browns and also started the Week 8 contest against the Seattle Seahawks. He went 2-1 in three starts, throwing for 618 yards with one touchdown and five interceptions.The Browns signed Watson to a five-year, $230-million fully guaranteed contract after acquiring him for multiple first-round picks from the Houston Texans. He missed the first 11 games of the 2022 season after the league suspended him for misconduct.Watson is 6-4 in 10 starts for Cleveland, throwing for 1,785 yards with 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions.The Browns ruled out cornerback Greg Newsome (groin), defensive end Alex Wright (knee), and wide receiver David Bell (knee) for Sunday's game.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

SSSQ is a weekly look at under-the-radar fantasy players to consider starting and potential busts you should leave on your bench. We also identify breakout candidates to stash on your roster and players you can safely cut.Consult our Week 9 rankings for the rest of your lineup decisions. You can also listen to the Week 9 preview episode of theScore Fantasy Football Podcast.StartDak Prescott, Cowboysat Eagles Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyAfter a quiet start to the year, Prescott's fantasy production has returned with top-three weekly results in his last two outings - including a four-touchdown performance Sunday.If you're worried about a matchup with the Eagles' defense slowing him down, don't be. Philadelphia's defense is a pass funnel that's allowing the third-most fantasy points to quarterbacks.Prescott has also thrown at least three touchdowns in each of his last three games against the Eagles.Boone's projection: 286 passing yards, 3 passing TDs, 9 rushing yardsOther QBs to start

Pittsburgh Steelers rookie cornerback Joey Porter Jr. told head coach Mike Tomlin leading up to Thursday Night Football against the Tennessee Titans that he wanted to cover wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins."On Tuesday, I went to Coach T, and I told him, 'I want 10.' That's what I was looking for. I don't really hide from nothing. I said, 'That's the matchup I want, that's the matchup I need.'" Porter said postgame, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.Porter Jr. lined up against Hopkins on 26 of his 36 routes run Thursday, according to Next Gen Stats. The star wide receiver caught just one pass for 17 yards on five targets with Porter Jr. as the nearest defender.Hopkins finished the game with four catches for 60 yards on 11 targets. He didn't record a reception in the second half."(Coach) didn't really say yes on Tuesday," Porter said. "He was like, 'We going to think about it' because they were like, 'That's kind of crazy.' But throughout the week, they were like, 'Alright, we going to let you get 10 on some reps.' And then throughout the game, it was like, 'You just go where 10's at.'"Porter Jr. has seen a drastic increase in snaps since Pittsburgh's bye week. After only playing in 24% of the snaps through five games, the rookie has been on the field for 85% of the defensive plays in the last three contests.Pittsburgh is 2-1 while allowing only 17.6 points per game during the recent stretch."I just got to keep working, keep grinding," Porter said. "Some rookies always hit their high ceiling, and then it's the rookie slump, so I just got to keep working. Like I said before, just chop wood, carry water, and just look forward to the next week."The Steelers selected Porter Jr. with the 32nd overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. He has 12 tackles with four passes defended and one interception in eight games this season.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Las Vegas Raiders star wideout Davante Adams isn't celebrating after the firings of former head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler this week."We, obviously, think it was time, one way or the other, for some sort of change," Adams said, according to ESPN's Paul Gutierrez. "Just to bring a little juice in and revitalize the team a little bit."The Raiders promoted linebackers coach Antonio Pierce to interim head coach, while Champ Kelly was promoted to interim general manager.Adams' frustration with the team appeared to boil over after a loss to the Detroit Lions on Monday Night Football, in which he had a single catch for 11 yards. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo missed on two pass attempts to Adams that could've resulted in long touchdowns."I don't know what to say at this moment. I truly don't," Adams told reporters postgame. "I wish I had the words to say something that's not gonna get blown up in the media and taken out of context, so I truly just don't know."The six-time Pro Bowler is on pace to have his lowest yards per reception average (11.5) since 2015. He's posted 47 receptions for 539 yards and three touchdowns through eight games. Adams hasn't surpassed 100 receiving yards or recorded a touchdown since Week 3.Along with relieving McDaniels and Ziegler of their duties, the Raiders promoted quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree to offensive coordinator. Adams will also have someone new throwing him the ball this week after the team benched Garoppolo for rookie Aidan O'Connell.Raiders players appeared to be joking around during the team's open-locker period Thursday, including Adams, who played one-on-one against running back Ameer Abdullah on a miniature basketball net."I think it's more of a mindset that we (are) trying to - not force - but just have moving forward to just be as positive as possible. ... I think that's kind of the mindset we have," Adams said, per NFL.com's Eric Edholm. "Just try to have fun and enjoy our time on the field. I think, as we speak to each other, there's been too much of this has just been feeling like work too much and not having enough fun. Just got to go back to that."Despite his frustrations with the team at different points in the season, Adams made sure to thank both McDaniels and Ziegler for bringing him to the organization. Las Vegas acquired Adams in a blockbuster trade with the Green Bay Packers in March 2022 and signed him to a five-year, $140-million deal."I just want to say I really appreciate Josh and Dave for bringing me here and going through what they went through in order to make this happen for me. And I'm really appreciative of them because if they didn't fight as hard as they did to try to make this happen, who knows how it would've panned out," he said, according to Gutierrez.The Raiders host the New York Giants in Pierce's coaching debut on Sunday.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find positional rankings, additional analysis, and subscribe to push notifications in the NFL Fantasy News section.theScore's Justin Boone was first overall in FantasyPros' Most Accurate Expert Competition in 2019 and finished among the top seven each of his last seven years in the contest. Follow the links below to see his rankings for Week 9.The final rankings will be released Sunday morning.Half PPR

Find positional rankings, additional analysis, and subscribe to push notifications in the NFL Fantasy News section.Welcome to theScore Fantasy Football Podcast, hosted by Justin Boone.Find the show on Spotify, Apple, and Google.In this episode, Boone opens up the fantasy mailbag to answer your questions before Week 9.

The NFL trade deadline came and went with some interesting - if not earth-shattering - moves.Chase Young was the biggest name to be dealt and he was sent to the best buyer. If I had more faith in Sam Howell on the road, the Commanders' dealings might have created some value in betting on their moneyline in New England.But another deal sets up a potential underdog surprise and, elsewhere, we hope that Jamal Adams' helmet doesn't get in the way of another winner this week... or maybe we do?How it worksWe parlay five underdogs together - which we also bet against the spread - in 10 different three-team parlays. Using every combination of a three-team parlay is called a round robin, so we'll use a total of 1.1 units to make 11 different bets: 10 three-team parlays and one five-team parlay, each for .1 units. You'll likely double your money if three teams pull off the upset. If four teams win, you're connecting on four separate parlays and will be very pleased with the return. If all five teams win, you'll be diving into a gold doubloon silo like a young Scrooge McDuck.Who to playVikings (+190) over FalconsI'm aware that Kirk Cousins is done for the year. His absence will be a problem for the rest of the season. But it was an overreaction to flip favorites from my projected line of the Vikings as a short favorite to a moneyline nearing +200. As we saw last week, the Falcons have a situation at quarterback where two options are equally capable of turning the ball over at any moment.In calling the Vikings' upset of the 49ers two weeks ago, we referenced the former's defensive turnaround under Brian Flores. They're top-10 in defense-adjusted value over average (DVOA), and only two teams have allowed fewer yards per rush. The Falcons, meanwhile, have scored 16 points or fewer in half of their games this season. Sticking to a fundamental offense with either Joshua Dobbs or Jaren Hall and winning the turnover battle against Desmond Ridder or Taylor Heinicke seems like a reasonable recipe to manufacture 17-20 points and possibly pull out a win.Bears (+300) over Saints"Oh good, the Bears again." - You, sarcastically, probably.I've never seen the Chargers play a cleaner game, but it helped that a phantom whistle ruled Darnell Mooney down when he would have put Chicago at least in scoring range to take a lead. That might have provided a game script to keep them closer on Sunday. At the very least, having been beaten repeatedly on checkdowns to a tailback, the Bears' defense should be ready for Derek Carr-to-Alvin Kamara.Will the Saints get the same breaks and play as flawlessly off of a win as the Chargers did when they were desperate to keep their season alive? It seems unlikely. New Orleans' run defense has fallen off from a good start, allowing 6.8 yards per carry to the Colts last week. Chicago should be able to use play-action to make life easier for Tyson Bagent and, if Justin Fields can go, his presence adds the type of high-end variable you want in a big underdog.Seahawks (+210) over RavensIt's been four weeks, spanning eight time zones, since the Ravens inexplicably lost a game against an inferior team - so they're due for a stinker. However, on their best day, the Seahawks might not be that inferior.The Seahawks successfully revamped their defensive line in the offseason. They allowed 4.9 yards per carry in 2022 but brought that number down to 3.6 this year, and they upgraded that group even further this week by adding Leonard Williams from the Giants. The Ravens' passing game has improved this season, but the threat of the run needs to be prominent for it to be successful. Getting key components of their secondary in Tariq Woolen, Devon Witherspoon and Jamal Adams on the field together has made the Seahawks difficult to throw against lately.Cowboys (+140) over EaglesIt's time for the Cowboys to run the ball well. They were able to do it in Philadelphia last year at 5.2 yards per carry but couldn't beat the Eagles on the road with Cooper Rush at the helm. When Dak Prescott returned for the rematch, it was a high-scoring, back-and-forth affair.As much as Philadelphia's defensive personnel is still top-notch, their metrics are middle of the pack, sitting 18th in DVOA. Meanwhile, the Cowboys rank third in the same category. Philadelphia is the better team offensively, but there's concern that a key offensive weapon in the form of Jalen Hurts' legs is compromised, as indicated by a season-low in carries and yards last week.Jets (+150) over ChargersOn Monday night, we get a matchup between a Chargers team that somehow loses games in inventive fashion and a Jets team that manages to win games in unexpected ways. Oh, and the winners are a notable underdog.Let's bet against Los Angeles on the road. "Throw it to Austin Ekeler" was the team's game plan last week en route to a win perceived worthy of a Chargers rating upgrade. But the team's defense still ranks 27th-rated in DVOA and may make Zach Wilson look functional and struggle to contain Breece Hall.How the odds look this week:PARLAYODDS (Approx.)CHI+MIN+SEA+3600CHI+MIN+NYJ+2700CHI+MIN+DAL+2700CHI+SEA+NYJ+3000CHI+SEA+DAL+3000CHI+NYJ+DAL+2300MIN+SEA+NYJ+2000MIN+SEA+DAL+2000MIN+NYJ+DAL+1500SEA+NYJ+DAL+1700CHI+MIN+SEA+NYJ+DAL+19000Who are your five underdogs for a football betting lottery ticket?Matt Russell is the lead betting analyst for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on social media @mrussauthentic.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Indianapolis Colts linebacker Shaquille Leonard isn't happy with how the team is using him during games this season.Colts coaches have said that Leonard, who underwent multiple back surgeries last year, would need to get to November to potentially have the role that made him a three-time first-team All-Pro back.Leonard said Thursday that he's ready to do more on the field now but isn't optimistic he and Indianapolis are on the same page."I don't think they think that," Leonard said, according to Nate Atkins of the Indianapolis Star. "I think it's probably going to be the same or maybe even worse."He added: "I just feel like each week proves who I am. I feel like the way I play the game improves each week, but they say I don't make enough splash plays. So I guess I'll still be watching for a little bit."Leonard, a second-round pick in 2018, took the NFL by storm and earned All-Pro berths in his first four pro seasons. The 2018 Defensive Rookie of the Year averaged 134 tackles (seven for loss), eight pass breakups, four forced fumbles, four sacks, and three interceptions per season from 2018-21. He forced a league-leading eight fumbles in 2021.However, injuries became an issue for the South Carolina State product, who appeared in only three games in 2022. That was also when the Colts brought in Gus Bradley to replace Matt Eberflus as defensive coordinator.After Leonard rushed back from surgery last year, Indy has been monitoring his snaps in 2023 and often takes him off the field on third-down situations, leaving linebackers Zaire Franklin and E.J. Speed in the game instead. Leonard, who missed Week 5 with a groin injury, has appeared in seven games this season while playing 72% of the Colts' defensive snaps, a dip from the 93% or above rate he had per year earlier in his career.The 28-year-old Leonard has racked up 46 tackles (two for loss) this campaign with no sacks or turnovers forced."I'm not as free as I once was in the defense before," Leonard said Thursday. "It's kind of hard to see those splash plays because I'm either handling the ball back to Z or spooning it to the safeties. I'm not the free guy. I don't blitz. It's kind of tough to make splash plays when you just have to do your job and then on third downs you're sitting on the sidelines being a cheerleader."Indianapolis' defense ranks dead last in scoring after allowing 28.6 points per game through this season's first eight weeks. The 3-5 Colts play the Carolina Panthers and New England Patriots next before their Week 11 bye.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill said Sunday's game against his former team, the Kansas City Chiefs, being in Frankfurt, Germany, won't affect his performance."Obviously, it would've been great to play in K.C., but it really doesn't matter where we play at, you feel me?" Hill said Thursday, according to ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques. "They're going to get this work wherever."Hill added: "It is going to be trash talk, but it's going to be fun, though," he said. "It's going to be like, 'I want to see you do good, but we going to bust your ass at the same time, though.' It is going to be one of those things like backyard football with your brothers."The NFL scheduled the Week 9 blockbuster in Frankfurt as part of its International Series.Hill played his first six NFL seasons with the Chiefs and helped them win a Super Bowl title. He caught 479 passes for 6,630 yards and 56 touchdowns in 91 regular-season appearances with Kansas City while earning six Pro Bowl berths and three first-team All-Pro nods from 2016-21.The 29-year-old, who leads the league with 1,014 receiving yards and eight TD receptions, knows what Miami's defense must do to stand any chance of stopping Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Co. on Sunday."What I've been telling the guys to do is just find Kelce," he said. "If you allow Kelce to get open, man, he's like the energy of that team. Although Pat is all-world, if he finds Kelce and Kelce just catches a 2-yard pass, he just somehow finds energy in that and gets that team going."The Chiefs - who lifted another Lombardi Trophy in their first year without Hill last campaign - traded the speedster to the Dolphins during the 2022 offseason as part of a blockbuster move. Miami then made Hill the NFL's highest-paid receiver by signing him to a four-year, $120-million deal.Along with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, Hill is a major part of a Dolphins offense that leads the NFL in points and total yards, among other categories."He's a great player, that's the bottom line," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said of Hill on Wednesday, according to Nick Shook of NFL.com. "You might slow him down, but he is going to make plays somewhere. That's what makes him the player he is. He's got speed, quickness, and he's smart."Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

If Foster Moreau holds onto the ball in the end zone two weeks ago and the Saints win in overtime, we're looking at three straight weeks of sweeping our trio of Thursday night bets.Instead, we're carrying a 4-4 record on TNF sides and totals, but our props have netted a respectable +6.6 units on a 9-7 record thanks to a handful of plus-money winners.Titans @ Steelers (-3, 36.5)With a total of 36.5, the betting market isn't expecting much in the way of scoring in Pittsburgh and, on the surface, why would they?Kenny Pickett is questionable to play, and Titans rookie Will Levis will likely get his second career start on the road. The matchup doesn't sound ideal for scoring, but that narrative is reflected in a total that's among the lowest in NFL betting this season.On the other hand, the Titans and Steelers both rank in the 20s in offensive defense-adjusted value over average and are 11th and 9th in the category, respectively. Those metrics are good, but not unbeatable. And they're based on games where both had a star safety - Kevin Byard Jr. and Minkah Fitzpatrick Jr. Neither is playing this week due to trade and injury.Of the few things we know about Levis early in his career, one is that he's willing to throw deep: He connected on 33-, 47- and 61-yard touchdowns in his debut. Meanwhile, the Steelers' secondary looked disorganized, allowing 9.1 yards per attempt to the Jaguars thanks to repeated coverage breakdowns in the rain last Sunday. That's problematic for a defense that's allowed the 27th most rushing yards per carry this season. And they're going against the Titans, who want explosive running backs Derrick Henry and Tyjae Spears to carry the ball.Pickett says he's "playing for sure." For all his faults, that's still better than starting Mitch Trubisky under center, especially for an over. Pickett is at least capable of taking deep shots to George Pickens Jr.The Steelers struggle to run the football, and the Titans are good at limiting the ground game. That should result in Pickett (or Trubisky) having to play loose. Whether it's the Titans turning balls over to create short fields and touchdowns or the Steelers doing their usual thing of creating havoc for a rookie quarterback, this game might not be all punts and few possessions.With such a low total, it won't take much for a 20-17 game to come to fruition, so we'll play something of a contrarian over on a rare November night in The Steel City where the weather shouldn't be a factor.Pick: Over 36.5Diontae Johnson: Over 57.5 receiving yardsIn just his second game back from injury, Diontae Johnson saw 14 targets against Jacksonville and, were it not for an early soul-crushing drop, would have cleared 100 yards. A 57.5 total is the median number based on Johnson's 2022 season, where Trubisky and Pickett (as a rookie) split time. Pickett is developing and there's public pressure on Pittsburgh's offensive coordinator to push the ball down the field more, so this total should be higher. Especially since Johnson's had 79 and 85 yards since coming back healthy.Derrick Henry: Anytime touchdown (+150 or better)A low game total should lengthen the odds for each touchdown scorer. However, since we'd like for there to be points in this game, we're getting a decent price on Henry to find the end zone. One of the reasons he didn't on Sunday was because the Titans scored from so far out so frequently. He recorded a touchdown in half of Tennessee's previous six games, so this feels like a coin-flip bet where we're getting longer odds than that.Will Levis: Anytime touchdown (+500 or better)Having the time to complete long passes also made it less necessary for Levis to use his legs. But he still did so seven times, showing he's comfortable tucking and running. When Tennessee's in the red zone, look for Levis to embrace the rookie tendency to take off the moment things break down, making him a decent small bet at longer than 5-to-1 odds to score.Matt Russell is the lead betting analyst for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on social media @mrussauthentic.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling doesn't appear to be looking forward to the team's upcoming game in Germany.In an interview with CBS Sports' Bryan DeArdo, Valdes-Scantling spoke about the challenges that come with playing overseas."It sucks," he said. "Obviously, it sucks that we have to travel nine hours for a home game when Arrowhead is right down the street. But obviously, we do have other fans that are all over the world, not just in the United States. So it gives them the opportunity to see some of their favorite players play."I know we've got a lot of fans over in Germany, so I'm grateful that we get to give them that opportunity. But it does suck for the players to have to be away from their families. (I've) got to find a babysitter for my dogs for a couple days. Things that we've got to take into account. But past that, it is what it is."The Chiefs will face the Miami Dolphins in Frankfurt on Sunday as part of the NFL's annual International Series. It marks the second time an NFL regular-season game will be played in Germany after last year's Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Seattle Seahawks matchup in Munich.The Chiefs and Dolphins both enter Sunday's game sitting atop their respective divisions at 6-2.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tennessee Titans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is expected to suit up for Thursday night's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers despite being listed as questionable with a toe injury, a source told Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.Hopkins was limited for the first two practices of the week before sitting out the final session Wednesday, making his status uncertain for the prime-time game.The veteran pass-catcher is coming off a three-touchdown, 128-yard performance in the Week 8 win over the Atlanta Falcons.Hopkins, who leads the team with 31 catches and 504 yards, had been kept out of the end zone for his first six games with Tennessee since joining as a free agent in July.Rookie Will Levis, who threw four scores in his NFL debut versus Atlanta, is set to start for a second straight week with Ryan Tannehill still nursing a high ankle sprain.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis set himself a deadline of Oct. 31 to decide whether to make a change at both the head coach and general manager positions.With the trade deadline approaching, Davis felt it was time to make a change, dismissing both Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler amid a 3-5 start and less than two seasons into their tenures."Unfortunately, I had great hopes for Josh and Dave," Davis told ESPN's Paul Gutierrez on Wednesday. "It just seemed we were going in the wrong direction."Davis made the move after Las Vegas suffered a 26-14 defeat to the Detroit Lions on Monday Night Football in Week 8. The week prior, the Raiders lost 30-12 to the Chicago Bears, who started undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent.The poor results were emblematic of McDaniels' and Ziegler's tenures with the Silver and Black following their arrival from the New England Patriots in 2022. Davis was enamored with McDaniels, whose success with New England included six Super Bowl titles as an offensive coordinator. However, McDaniels struggled to establish a winning culture upon being hired. The duo finished with a 9-16 record in Las Vegas after both signed six-year contracts.Las Vegas tabbed linebackers coach Antonio Pierce as the interim head coach and assistant GM Champ Kelly as the interim general manager. Davis says he chose Pierce over "several qualified candidates" on the team's staff.Davis admits he's "intrigued" by Pierce's bio and believes the former Pro Bowl linebacker brings a "fresh approach." The Raiders owner would like to see Pierce "lead, not necessarily coach" while delegating to coordinators and position coaches."That's not to say I don't want him to coach now, but he understands the culture of the Raiders, and that's important to me," Davis said about his interim coach.Las Vegas will turn to some new faces ahead of its Week 9 matchup against the New York Giants. Quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree was named the new offensive coordinator and play-caller after the club parted ways with OC Mick Lombardi.Hardegree will be communicating with a new starting quarterback Sunday, as Aidan O'Connell will get the nod after the team benched Jimmy Garoppolo.Davis isn't sure what he'll see from the team following a major in-season shake-up."My job, my role is to give them all the tools possible for them to succeed," he said.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The rich get richer.The San Francisco 49ers acquired defensive end Chase Young as part of a trade that'll send a third-round pick to the Washington Commanders, both teams announced Wednesday.San Francisco will send a compensatory selection to Washington for Young, reports ESPN's Adam Schefter. The 49ers are projected to receive two compensatory third-round picks for the offseason losses of offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey, general manager Ran Carthon, and head coach DeMeco Ryans.Young, the 2020 No. 2 pick, is in the last year of his rookie contract after having his fifth-year option declined by Washington in April.The Ohio State product took the NFL by storm, racking up 7.5 sacks and four forced fumbles in 2020 en route to claiming the Defensive Rookie of the Year award. However, Young missed the second half of the 2021 season and the first part of the 2022 campaign while recovering from a torn ACL. The 24-year-old looks healthy again in 2023, racking up 15 tackles, nine QB hits, and five sacks in seven games.Landing Young is another splash for a San Francisco defense that added top free agent Javon Hargrave in free agency and recently acquired Randy Gregory from the Denver Broncos.The 49ers boasted football's top-ranked defense in 2022 and are still solid in 2023. However, they haven't been as effective at generating sacks, ranking only 18th in that category through eight weeks. The Niners began this season 5-0 but have since lost three straight.San Francisco has been one of the league's most aggressive teams on the days leading up to the trade deadline since general manager John Lynch took over in 2017:

A day after the Washington Commanders traded starting pass-rushers Montez Sweat and Chase Young, head coach Ron Rivera believes the club has plenty to play for moving forward."We have an opportunity to go out and play well," Rivera said, according to ESPN's John Keim. "I do think there's every opportunity in front of us. It's an opportunity to see what else we have. It's an opportunity to go out and win football games using different guys."Washington bolstered its draft haul at the trade deadline, gaining a third-round pick from the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for Young and a second-round selection for Sweat in a deal with the Chicago Bears.The Commanders had been receiving calls about Sweat and Young as far back as training camp, a source told Keim. Rivera said trade conversations began 10 days ago.Sweat and Young combined to tally 11.5 sacks before being dealt on Tuesday. Sweat led the Commanders with 6.5 sacks, followed by Young, who hauled opposing quarterbacks down a total of five times.Rivera drew similarities to his tenure with the Carolina Panthers, when the team made some personnel moves and managed to capture the NFC South by winning the final four games of the 2014 regular season."I've gone through this before," Rivera said. "Do we have that opportunity? I think this is what this is. It's the same kind of opportunity."Casey Toohill and James Smith-Williams are expected to see more snaps beginning Sunday against the New England Patriots.Washington holds five draft picks within the top 100 ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft. The franchise is also projected to have over $90 million in cap space next offseason, according to Over the Cap.Rivera is confident that the franchise is trending upward, especially when it comes to the development of quarterback Sam Howell."I know this franchise has been looking for quite some time (for a quarterback) and for the first time in a while, I think that that guy might be here," Rivera said.Howell produced one of his best performances of the season by throwing for 397 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception in a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles last weekend. The North Carolina product has displayed promise for a franchise that has started 33 different passers since 1991.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find positional rankings, additional analysis, and subscribe to push notifications in the NFL Fantasy News section.Welcome to theScore Fantasy Football Podcast, hosted by Justin Boone.Find the show on Spotify, Apple, Google, and Stitcher.In this episode, Chris Allen of Fantasy Life joins Boone to discuss the biggest fantasy questions for Week 9.

The Pittsburgh Steelers activated defensive lineman Cameron Heyward off injured reserve ahead of their Thursday night matchup against the Tennessee Titans, the team announced Wednesday.Heyward had been sidelined since suffering a groin injury in the season-opening loss to the San Francisco 49ers.The veteran returned to practice last week, though he didn't play in last Sunday's loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Heyward was a full participant in Tuesday's and Wednesday's sessions this week and didn't have an injury designation for the Titans matchup.The Steelers have missed their defensive captain in the trenches. The unit ranks 30th in total yardage allowed and 27th against the run.The 34-year-old has made six straight Pro Bowls and registered eight or more sacks in five of his last six campaigns. He put up 10.5 sacks and 14 tackles for a loss last season.Pittsburgh will also have quarterback Kenny Pickett for Thursday night's contest despite the quarterback nursing a rib injury. However, star safety Minkah Fitzpatrick is out due to a hamstring ailment.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

While the NFL trade deadline never provides the fireworks football fans hope for, it can help paint a picture of how teams view their standing in the league.However, the betting market often gives better insight into which teams are actual threats of making the playoffs, and which are pretenders and perhaps should have been sellers.Let's take a look at each team's odds of making and missing the playoffs, starting with the AFC.Odds for AFC teams to make, miss playoffsTeamTo MakeTo MissChiefs-4000+1800Jaguars-1600+900Dolphins-1600+900Ravens-550+425Bills-200+170Bengals-165+140Browns-115-105Chargers+155-185Steelers+170-200Jets+220-270Texans+300-380Colts+500-700Titans+500-700Raiders+1100-2000Broncos+1200-2500Patriots+4000-20000Odds via theScore Bet.The Chiefs, Jaguars, and Dolphins appear to be shoo-ins to clinch a playoff spot, with the latter two given an implied probability of 94.1% to advance.The Ravens and their AFC North-leading 6-2 record are at -550, or an 84.6% shot. It would take a drastic collapse for any of the aforementioned teams to not make the playoffs.The AFC gets interesting at the Bills, who are -200 to make and +170 to miss. Buffalo sits a game back of the Dolphins in the AFC East, but oddsmakers believe the club has a substantially worse chance than Miami - 27.4% to be exact - of advancing. That seems like a wide gap in odds with so many games remaining.Oddsmakers also suggest the two final wild-card spots in the AFC will be between the Bengals, Browns, Chargers, Steelers, and potentially the Jets.A healthy Joe Borrow led the Bengals to an impressive road win over the 49ers in Week 8. If Cincinnati is back to being the team everyone thought it was prior to the season, then -165 to make the playoffs seems like value.The Chargers play the Jets on Monday night in Week 9, which, based on the odds above, could have significant playoff implications. Both teams are on the outside looking in at the moment and cannot afford to lose ground on the others in the hunt.Odds for NFC teams to make, miss playoffsTeamTo MakeTo MissEaglesN/A+4000Lions-7500+2000Cowboys-2500+120049ers-1800+1000Seahawks-400+320Falcons-190+155Saints-165+140Buccaneers+200-240Vikings+240-290Rams+270-340Packers+425-550Commanders+900-1800Bears+1800-4000Giants+4000-20000Cardinals+4000-20000Panthers+4000-20000The Eagles, Lions, Cowboys, and 49ers are virtual locks to make the playoffs. You can probably toss the NFC West-leading Seahawks into that group as well with their odds implying they have an 80% chance of reaching the playoffs.The Falcons and Saints are in a battle to win the weak NFC South. One of these teams is likely to end up in the playoffs, perhaps with a below-.500 record. The Buccaneers are also in the running for the division title with a 3-4 record.Since the Cowboys, 49ers, and Seahawks are likely to advance, there's really only one wild-card spot up for grabs.The Vikings currently hold that position but lost Kirk Cousins for the season to put their hopes in doubt. Prior to their Week 8 victory over the Packers, the Vikings were +155 to make the playoffs. After the Cousins news was announced, their odds plummeted to +300 - a 14.2% implied probability swing ... and that accounts for their Week 8 win.However, Minnesota made a trade with the Cardinals to acquire Josh Dobbs, and its odds of making the playoffs have now settled at +240. The betting market believes that trading for Dobbs increased the Vikings' chances of making the playoffs by 4.4%.The Commanders were the biggest sellers at the trade deadline. They traded away edge rushers Chase Young and Montez Sweat and are now +900 to make the playoffs with a 3-5 record.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Las Vegas Raiders fired head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler after a 3-5 start to the season, the team announced."After much thought about what the Raiders need to move forward, I have decided to part ways with Josh and Dave," team owner Mark Davis said in a statement. "I want to thank them both for their hard work and wish them and their families nothing but the best."The Raiders named linebackers coach Antonio Pierce as the interim head coach and assistant GM Champ Kelly as the interim general manager. The club will undergo a "comprehensive search" to fill both roles in the offseason."We're on the same page," Pierce said Wednesday at his introductory presser, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. "The staff is connected. ... We're tired of losing. It's not a good feeling."Las Vegas also parted ways with offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi, a source told Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. Quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree will reportedly take over the position on an interim basis.McDaniels and Ziegler were hired away from the New England Patriots in January 2022, with the former reportedly receiving a six-year deal.A respected assistant for his contributions to numerous Super Bowl-winning teams, McDaniels hasn't been able to carry that success over to a lead role. He coached just 28 games with the Denver Broncos from 2009-10 before being fired late in his second year, and he infamously backed out of an agreement to become Indianapolis Colts head coach in 2018.The Raiders were a major disappointment in their first season under McDaniels last year, going from a playoff appearance in 2021 to a 6-11 record despite adding All-Pro receiver Davante Adams and getting a league-leading 1,653 rushing yards from Josh Jacobs.McDaniels' offense became one of the league's worst units to start the 2023 season and currently ranks 30th in scoring and 31st in yards. Las Vegas is the first team since 2009 to score fewer than 20 points on offense in each of its first eight games, according to Josh Dubow of The Associated Press.The decision to move on from nine-year starter Derek Carr and bring in Jimmy Garoppolo, a familiar face from New England, yielded disastrous results for McDaniels and Ziegler. Garoppolo has thrown just seven touchdowns against a league-worst nine interceptions, and he had several egregious misses in Monday night's loss to the Detroit Lions.Adams, who had publicly voiced frustration with the offense over the last month, was visibly agitated on the sideline after a turnover on downs late in the fourth quarter effectively sealed another loss. "I don't know what to say at this moment," he said postgame. "I truly don't."Las Vegas is starting fourth-round rookie quarterback Aidan O'Connell going forward. Garoppolo will head to the bench after signing a three-year, $72.75-million contract with the team last offseason.Parting ways with McDaniels and Ziegler midseason seemingly represents an abrupt change of tune for Davis. The Raiders owner declared his head coach was doing a "fantastic" job amid a 2-7 start last season, and he told fans calling for McDaniels' job to "smarten up" during a game this season.Davis had previously told his head coach and general manager they had through the end of the 2024 season to conduct the rebuild process, according to Jeff Howe of The Athletic.McDaniels and Ziegler leave the Raiders having posted a 9-16 record in 25 games. Las Vegas currently sits third in the AFC West.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Las Vegas Raiders aren't done making significant changes.The Raiders will start rookie quarterback Aidan O'Connell moving forward instead of veteran Jimmy Garoppolo, new interim head coach Antonio Pierce confirmed Wednesday, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo."We just feel like he gives us the best chance," Pierce added.The quarterback switch is just the latest major development to rock the organization. Head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler were fired just after 12:00 a.m. ET on Wednesday morning after going 3-5 to start their second season with the team. Offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi was also reportedly terminated.Garoppolo had ties to McDaniels and Ziegler dating back to their time with the New England Patriots. He signed a three-year, $72.8-million contract with Las Vegas as a free agent this past offseason, replacing longtime Raiders quarterback Derek Carr.However, Garoppolo has struggled mightily under center with his new team. He's thrown seven touchdowns to a league-leading nine interceptions and has struggled with his accuracy.His final start came in Monday night's loss to the Detroit Lions where he missed multiple throws to star wide receiver Davante Adams. He completed just 47.6% of his passes in the defeat, his lowest mark in a game since 2020.O'Connell was selected in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He's appeared in two games this season, completing just over 65% of his throws for one touchdown to two interceptions.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst is hopeful the final 10 games of the 2023 season will provide a definitive answer on Jordan Love's future as the team's franchise quarterback."I hope not," Gutekunst said Wednesday when asked if they would need more than this season to evaluate Love, according to ESPN's Rob Demovsky. "I think we've got 10 games left. These are going to be very important 10 games."The Packers' offensive struggles during their current four-game losing streak - in which the team hasn't scored more than 20 points - have made it even more difficult for Gutekunst and Co. to fairly assess Love."When the group as a whole is not functioning the way it should function, then it's hard to evaluate anybody," he said. "At the same time, it's on us to get that right so we can move forward and evaluate the guys we have in that room. But yeah, when we're not clicking, it's tough to evaluate anything."Love's play has been erratic over the four-game slide: He's thrown three touchdowns and seven interceptions. But Gutekunst admitted that it hasn't been all bad in Love's first full year as the team's starting quarterback."I think he's done a lot of really good things," the executive noted. "Really like the way he's responded to the adversity, how he's led the team. Again, we've got to be better as a unit, and I expect that to happen over the next 10 games."After spending three seasons behind Aaron Rodgers, the 2020 first-round pick finally got his opportunity to lead Green Bay. Through seven games, Love's won two starts and completed 57.7% of his passes for 11 scores and eight picks. The Packers sit third in the NFC North at 2-5.Love is under contract through next season and carries a cap hit of just $7.8 million for 2024, per Spotrac.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Time is the world's most valuable asset.Using the league's top teams has bought us time - the season's first two months - even if it hasn't given us an advantage over the remaining fields in our survivor pools.Now, it's time to pay the piper. We must pick from potential non-playoff teams to win games they're expected to, even if they're merely an average lot. Luckily, those most likely to win this week are teams in the meaty part of the NFL's bell curve. Most of the ones we've used are facing other top-tier squads.Every week until we get knocked out, we've mapped two paths to make it to the end of the season undefeated. As long as one of our entries still stands, we'll use the moneylines for our picks to show the odds of making it the distance traveled along the path. Once we're out, though, we're out.We could provide a series of theoretical rules to follow - like never taking a road team - but the moneyline reflects a club's likelihood of winning each game. We can easily translate that into an implied win probability, listed in descending order in the chart below.Week 9 moneylinesTEAMMONEYLINEIMPLIED PROB(%).Browns-38079.2Saints-38079.2Ravens-24070.6Falcons-21067.7Patriots-17563.6Packers-16562.3Colts-15560.8Eagles-15560.8Bengals-15560.8Chargers-15560.8Steelers-15060.0Raiders-14559.2Texans-14559.2Chiefs-14058.3Dolphins+12045.5Buccaneers+12544.4Giants+12544.4Titans+13043.5Jets+13542.6Bills+13542.6Cowboys+13542.6Panthers+13542.6Rams+14041.7Commanders+15040.0Vikings+17536.4Seahawks+20033.3Bears+30025.0Cardinals+30025.0Survivor Path AKnocked out in Week 3. Thanks, Ravens. At least they didn't crush our hopes the second time around last week.Survivor Path BWEEKTEAM USEDIMPLIEDPROB.1Falcons64.9%2Cowboys80.0%3Chiefs88.9%449ers90.9%5Lions81.0%6Bills90.9%7Seahawks79.2%8Ravens80.0%SURVIVOR PROBABILITY19.6%Other than the already-used Ravens, the seven teams with the highest win probability this week are all considered league-average in the betting market.We were happy to get the Falcons off our list early with a Week 1 win over the Panthers, but they've come back as a surprisingly good option against the Vikings this week. Kirk Cousins' Achilles injury leaves a gaping hole for Minnesota, which is already without Justin Jefferson.This week's decision comes down to the Saints and Browns - two teams you can't be thrilled with trusting. Since we need to plan for 18 weeks, we must use both teams eventually.New Orleans has two teams on its home schedule that are rated similarly to the Bears: the Panthers in Week 14 and the Giants in Week 15. Cleveland also has a good matchup in Week 15 when, coincidentally, it faces the Bears.We can take solace in an uncomfortable decision at least having simple terms:OPTION 1OPTION 2Week 9CLE (vs. AZ)NO (vs. CHI)Week 15NO (vs. CAR)CLE (vs. CHI)While both options have the same win probability this week, in Week 15, the Saints should be at least -7 at home to the Panthers, while the Browns will be favorites by just under a touchdown against the Bears.Survivor is filled with forks in the road. Even if everyone makes it past this week, it'd add another division for the entries. We'll thus opt for a slight advantage in win probability and the late-season flexibility provided by taking the Browns against the Cardinals.Pick: BrownsMatt Russell is the lead betting analyst for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on social media @mrussauthentic.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Sunday's matchup between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals will be a significant one for Damar Hamlin, as it marks his first time returning to Paycor Stadium since suffering a cardiac arrest in January.Hamlin explained his mindset ahead of the game in an interview with Christian Arnold of the New York Post."I don't know what to expect. You know, this is unique to me as well," the Bills defensive back said. "All I know is I'm walking in with courage, I'm walking in with strength and I'm walking in with my brothers. You know, and I'm walking in with my mom, my dad, my family. And I'm walking into, you know, an environment of people that supported me the entire time."They continue to support me, you know, on both ends. So, you know, it's a lot of love. I can't wait to receive it and give it and show my gratitude, you know, but ultimately we're going up there to get a win."Hamlin collapsed on the field following a hit to the chest during the Bills' Jan. 2 game against the Bengals. Medical staff were able to restore his heartbeat at the scene and he was subsequently rushed to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.The 25-year-old was fully cleared to resume his football career in April, though he's been a healthy scratch in seven of the Bills' eight games thus far. He told The Post he isn't sure if he'll play Sunday.The Bills are 5-3 and sit second in the AFC East behind the Miami Dolphins.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Atlanta Falcons benched quarterback Desmond Ridder and will start Taylor Heinicke against the Minnesota Vikings, head coach Arthur Smith announced Wednesday.Ridder will prepare as the backup quarterback."Just for this week, just with all the variables. Just considering everything the last 72 hours and what we feel is best for this week for us against Minnesota, Taylor will play," Smith said.Heinicke started the second half against the Tennessee Titans in Week 8 after Ridder left the game to be evaluated for a concussion. Ridder cleared protocol and was on the sideline with his helmet in the fourth quarter.Ridder was sacked five times in the contest while completing eight passes for 71 yards.Heinicke completed 12 of 21 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown. Atlanta scored 20 second-half points compared to only three in the first half.Ridder has struggled in eight starts this season, leading the league in turnovers with 12. He's thrown for 1,701 yards with six touchdowns and six interceptions. Atlanta's offense ranks 28th in points per game.Heinicke signed a two-year, $14-million contract with the Falcons last offseason. He started 24 games for the Washington Commanders from 2021-22, going 12-11-1 with 5,278 passing yards and 32 touchdowns.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find positional rankings, additional analysis, and subscribe to push notifications in the NFL Fantasy News section.In an effort to help you find trades that could improve your fantasy team, we present the Trade Value Chart.You can use this chart to compare players and build realistic trade offers. Values are based on 12-team leagues.Follow the links below to see the trade values and rest of season rankings for each position.Trade Values

Find positional rankings, additional analysis, and subscribe to push notifications in the NFL Fantasy News section.theScore's Justin Boone was first overall in FantasyPros' Most Accurate Expert Competition in 2019 and finished among the top seven each of his last seven years in the contest. Follow the links below to see his rankings for Week 9.Updated rankings (including Standard and PPR) will be released Thursday, with the final version coming down Sunday morning.Half PPR

theScore's NFL monthly awards series continues as we recap the best events and moments from around the league in October between Weeks 5-8.Player of the monthTyreek Hill, WR, DolphinsIt was a two-man race between Hill and A.J. Brown. The Eagles star extended his streak of consecutive games with 125-plus receiving yards this past month en route to becoming the first player in NFL history to top that mark in six straight contests. Brown has been the best player on an Eagles team that owns the NFL's best record. But Hill also joined the record books and actually had more catches (33-31), receiving yards (544-525), and touchdown catches (4-3) than Brown in the last four weeks. He's the main player in football's best offense. Hill's spectacular month also helped him become the first player in the Super Bowl era to reach the 1,000-yard receiving mark in a season's first eight games. It feels like it's just a matter of when, not if, he'll break Calvin Johnson's single-season record (1,964) and top 2,000 yards.Team of the monthJetsNew York doesn't play convincing football, and the team just edged the Giants in possibly the ugliest game you'll see all season. That said, the Jets are on a three-game winning streak that includes a victory over the Eagles in what's still Philadelphia's only loss this season. Led by a stifling defense, Robert Saleh's outfit is 4-3 despite losing Aaron Rodgers to injury in Week 1 and starting the campaign 1-3. It's hard to imagine the Jets making the playoffs with Zach Wilson at quarterback, but nobody really thought this team would be above .500 at this point. Rodgers continues to tease a potential postseason return. Whether you believe that or not, the last few weeks showed we shouldn't overlook N.Y. Elsa / Getty Images Sport / GettyRookie of the monthJordan Addison, WR, VikingsAddison showed why he was a first-round pick after Justin Jefferson went down with an injury. The rookie has scored at least a touchdown in the last four games to help the Vikings post a 4-4 record after they started 0-3. The 21-year-old's five TD grabs since Week 5 lead the whole league. He's also racked up 23 catches and 297 yards in that span. It won't be easy for him to keep his momentum now that injured quarterback Kirk Cousins is out for the season, but the early results of Addison's young career show that Minnesota found another special pass-catcher.Coach of the monthNick Sirianni, EaglesPhilly had a relatively slow start, but Sirianni helped the reigning NFC champions handle their Super Bowl hangover nicely. The Eagles have posted an NFL-best 7-1 record despite losing both of their coordinators in the offseason. Sirianni has been as aggressive as any other coach on fourth down, and he's helped make short-yardage situations virtually automatic for Philadelphia thanks to the team's unstoppable "tush push." The Sirianni-coached Eagles have been able to find ways to win even when they don't play at their best, and that's been on full display over the last few weeks.Under-the-radar player of the monthRashid Shaheed, WR, SaintsNew Orleans has lacked consistency with Derek Carr at quarterback, but things would've been worse if it weren't for Shaheed. He's caught 23 passes for 479 yards and a league-leading 20.8 yards per reception as one of football's premier deep threats. The 25-year-old, who's also hauled in a team-high three TDs, had a 3-153-1 game in Week 8. Between Weeks 5-8, only Tyreek Hill had more catches of 20-plus yards than Shaheed's six. The Saints pass-catcher's three contested catches on deep passes in that span are also tied for the most with Brown. Oh, and Shaheed leads the league with 16.2 yards per punt return. Dylan Buell / Getty Images Sport / GettyWho is Shaheed? He joined New Orleans in 2022 as an undrafted free agent after an impressive career at Weber State. A special teams specialist with the Wildcats, he was a four-time All-American kick returner. Shaheed didn't make his Saints debut until Week 6 in 2022 when he had a 44-yard rushing touchdown on his first career touch. He then recorded a 53-yard score on his first catch a week later en route to earning more snaps. We should've known what was coming.All-NFL team of the monthFacts you should knowHow good is Miami? Mike McDaniel's outfit has stolen headlines thanks to its unstoppable offense. Miami boasts the league's most efficient offensive unit, and it's not really close. But how concerning is the fact that the 6-2 Dolphins lost the hardest games in what's otherwise been a relatively easy schedule? Miami was outscored by Buffalo and Philly 79-37 combined. Those were the only opponents the team has played that have a winning record after Week 8. The Dolphins are an undeniably good club that just got better defensively with Jalen Ramsey's return. But they haven't played great against other contenders. Before we hit the panic button, though, let's see how Miami performs in a Week 9 blockbuster versus Kansas City.Better than expected. The Bears might end up being where we thought the Cardinals would be after Arizona acquired Houston's first-round pick next year. Chicago also has an extra 2024 first-rounder thanks to the trade that sent the 2023 first overall pick to the Panthers last year. Not only did the Bears land top receiver D.J. Moore in that deal, but the Bears should also receive a great Round 1 choice as Carolina is mostly struggling with rookie quarterback Bryce Young. The Panthers are now 1-6 and the Bears are 2-6, so don't be surprised if Chicago picks 1-2, or twice in the top three, in 2024. The 1992 Colts are the only team since the merger to draft No. 1 and No. 2 overall.Finally. The Broncos defeated the Chiefs in Week 8 to end a 16-game losing streak versus their divisional rivals. Here are some crazy facts about Denver's previous win over K.C. in Week 2 of the 2015 season:

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell wants quarterback Kirk Cousins back for the 2024 season after the signal-caller tore his Achilles tendon in Week 8."Yeah, you guys know how I feel about Kirk. Kirk knows how I feel about Kirk," O'Connell said, according to Kevin Seifert of ESPN.The pair had good internal talks on a variety of subjects, including the direction the team will go at the position moving forward. "... Kirk Cousins is going to be healthy again. I know he's going to be a free agent after this season, but Kirk knows how I feel about him, and that will be something that hopefully works itself out," O'Connell added.Cousins suffered the injury in the Vikings' victory over the Green Bay Packers. He was placed on injured reserve Tuesday, ending his season.The 35-year-old is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent following the 2023 campaign. Cousins signed a one-year extension with the team in 2022 after signing a two-year, $66 million extension in 2020. Cousins was playing some of the best football of his career before tearing his Achilles tendon.He is currently tied for first in passing touchdowns (18), second in passing yards (2,331), and third in passer rating (103.8).The veteran passer was a big reason why the team was able to crawl back from a 0-3 start to a 4-4 record through eight games."I think he was playing as well as anybody in the National Football League and one of the hardest parts about coping with this ... (is) the fact that he was experiencing his best season in the National Football League and where we could have gone as a team."Hopefully, we are still going to get to that place. But I know without Kirk Cousins and that high-level quarterback play we were getting from him week in and week out, it's going a challenge, but one that we've got to accept and try to thrive," O'Connell said.The Vikings acquired quarterback Joshua Dobbs from the Arizona Cardinals before the trade deadline. O'Connell announced on Tuesday that rookie signal-caller Jaren Hall will get the start in Week 9 against the Atlanta Falcons.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NFL trade deadline is officially fun again.A wave of notable deals on Tuesday confirmed that last year's action was no anomaly, with several contenders (and non-contenders) getting aggressive to add the pieces they need.Let's take a look at all six trades made on deadline day to evaluate how each team made out.49ers make a splash49ers receiveCommanders receiveDE Chase Young2024 3rd-round pickOf course, the 49ers were going to make a big trade at the deadline. Addressing a major need at cornerback would've been ideal if it came down to one or the other, but it's tough to argue with this move. Young reunites with former Ohio State teammate Nick Bosa to bolster an already-lethal 49ers pass rush. The 2020 No. 2 overall pick appears to be hitting his stride after some injury issues, having racked up five sacks and 38 pressures in six games this season with Washington, according to PFF. He may only be a rental, but getting this kind of talent for a late third-round pick is a steal - especially when you consider the return in the other trade the Commanders made Tuesday.49ers: A

The Buffalo Bills bolstered their secondary by acquiring cornerback Rasul Douglas from the Green Bay Packers shortly before Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET trade deadline, both teams announced.Buffalo sent a third-round pick to Green Bay for Douglas and a fifth-rounder.Douglas started the first seven games of the season for Green Bay, registering 32 total tackles, one interception, and six pass defenses.The 28-year-old will act as a much-needed veteran presence for the Super Bowl hopefuls.Pro Bowler Tre'Davious White is out for the rest of the season with an Achilles injury, and Dane Jackson has struggled at times as his replacement. Former first-rounder Kaiir Elam has fallen out of favor with the Bills.The Philadelphia Eagles selected Douglas in the third round in 2017. He spent three seasons in Philadelphia before playing one year with the Carolina Panthers.Douglas joined Green Bay ahead of the 2021 campaign, snagging 10 interceptions in 36 games during his tenure.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

For someone who doesn't live anywhere near the Bay Area, I have a lot of people asking me about their favorite team - the 49ers. Specifically, I hear a lot of one question: "What's wrong with them?"Even after three straight losses, the short answer is nothing.The long answer is that they're just not perfect. But they never were. Brock Purdy has created turnover-worthy plays at a rate of 3.1%, though a 22:3 touchdown-to-interception ratio suggests he's been somewhat lucky. However, those plays are now resulting in turnovers. Players like Germaine Pratt and Camryn Bynum are holding onto balls thrown in their area, sometimes in spectacular fashion, and it doesn't help that Deebo Samuel and Trent Williams have been out.The 49ers' secondary was always their weakness. David Blough, Geno Smith, Carson Wentz, Kenny Pickett, Daniel Jones, Joshua Dobbs and Matthew Stafford (without Cooper Kupp) couldn't take advantage of that. But they've recently faced quarterbacks (Kirk Cousins and Joe Burrow) who could.With regular season win total markets up all summer, bettors agreed that an 11-6 season was San Francisco's median expectation. That's a rating of 65 out of 100, suggesting they'd be 65% likely to beat an average team on a neutral field. So, as the Niners crept up into the mid-70s through a 5-0 start, they were due for a run of failing to cover, though the outright losses have the "faithful" more concerned than they should be.How ratings workEvery week, we'll look at what the betting market thinks of each team based on the closing lines from that week's games. The "rating" column is an educated guess at the oddsmakers' rating to create a point spread, with the specific number being the percentage chance that the team beats an average opponent on a neutral field. Ratings aren't rankings. The closing line is considered a better reflection of a team's value than one game.The range column is my evaluation of what each team is capable of. It's our job as handicappers to determine where, within its range, a team will play based on factors like on-field matchups and roster/injury issues. The earlier it is in the season, the wider the range a team may have.Market ratings and our rangeTEAMRATINGRANGEChiefs7460-80Eagles7260-8049ers7160-80Cowboys6960-80Bills6855-75Dolphins6855-75Ravens6550-70Lions6150-70Bengals5940-75Jaguars5745-65Chargers5550-70Seahawks5340-60Vikings5235-55Saints5140-60Rams5035-55Falcons4735-55Browns4530-60Texans4425-45Steelers4440-60Patriots4335-55Broncos4335-55Jets4230-50Packers4240-60Raiders4130-50Commanders4035-55Colts3925-45Buccaneers3830-50Giants3125-45Titans3035-55Bears3020-40Panthers2525-45Cardinals2320-40The 49ers fell even before the loss to the Bengals, whose rating is surely headed back to the mid-60s, where it was last season.A significant Bills drop was thwarted by money coming on Buffalo before kickoff on Thursday night. It was probably a result of bettors thinking the team's struggles aren't that bad - at least not compared to the Buccaneers' incapability. Thankfully for some, it took a series of small miracles for Tampa Bay to get the backdoor cover.Meanwhile, the money that came on the Raiders on Monday, even with the Lions covering the spread, was another example of how a team can get dominated (486-157 in total yards) and still nearly cover a big number.Another week of P.J. Walker gave us more clarity on the difference between Cleveland's rating with him versus Deshaun Watson under center. The Browns' Week 7 rating, when Watson started against the Colts, was 58/100 - that of a borderline playoff team. This past week in Seattle, they were rated below average with Walker. The Browns didn't cover in Indianapolis, but they covered the +4.5 closing line - and probably deserved to cover all possible spreads - against Seattle.With no concerns about Trevor Lawrence's knee, the Jaguars saw their rating return to its expected state heading into Week 8. We'll see what that looks like after they return from their bye week now that they've won five straight.The Texans sat at the top end of our range for them when facing down the Panthers, who were at the bottom of their range. Unsurprisingly, the buy low on Carolina and sell high on Houston plan worked to perfection.Speaking of opportunities to buy low, the Titans as home underdogs never made sense against the Falcons, as a new low would have to be established for Tennessee. Not in those uniforms it wasn't.Matt Russell is the lead betting analyst for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on social media @mrussauthentic.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Chicago Bears are getting much-needed help for their pass rush.The Washington Commanders traded defensive end Montez Sweat to Chicago for a 2024 second-round pick, the Bears announced Tuesday.Sweat is in the last year of his contract. The 27-year-old has racked up 32 tackles (10 for loss), 6.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles through eight games this season.A first-round pick in 2019, Sweat has averaged 50 tackles, 22 QB hits, and nine sacks per 17 games played since entering the NFL. He's racked up 35.5 sacks in 67 career appearances."Montez is a huge addition to our team," Bears general manager Ryan Poles said, according to team reporter Larry Mayer. "He is not only a great player but a great person. We expect him to help elevate our defense."The Mississippi State product had one of his best games this season against Chicago in Week 5, amassing six tackles, two QB hits, 1.5 sacks, and a pass breakup. The Atlanta Falcons were also interested in Sweat and reportedly offered a third-round pick for him last week.Bolstering the pass rush has been one of Chicago's biggest priorities, as the team has recorded a league-low 10 sacks in 2023 after also ranking dead last in that category last year.The Bears addressed their defense during the offseason but didn't add any high-profile edge rushers, with Yannick Ngakoue and DeMarcus Walker being the club's main additions at the position. Ngakoue, who joined in August, and linebacker T.J. Edwards lead Chicago with two sacks apiece this year.Sweat seemingly wasn't part of the Commanders' long-term plans, as they have already rewarded linemen Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne with lucrative extensions.Meanwhile, Washington also reportedly traded defensive end Chase Young to the San Francisco 49ers for a third-round pick. The former No. 2 pick - who's in the last year of his rookie deal after having his fifth-year option declined - has produced five sacks this season.The Bears and Commanders are 2-6 and 3-5 this season, respectively.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Detroit Lions acquired wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones from the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a 2025 sixth-round pick, the teams announced Tuesday.Peoples-Jones joins a dynamic receiver group that includes Amon-Ra St. Brown, Josh Reynolds, Kalif Raymond, and Jameson Williams, among others.Peoples-Jones led all Browns wide receivers in snaps played (439) this season but mustered just eight catches for 97 yards across seven appearances and five starts.However, the 24-year-old is coming off his best season after putting up a personal-best 61 catches and 839 yards in 2022. Peoples-Jones also offers special teams value as a return man. He returned a punt for a touchdown last season while also recording 223 punt return yards on 18 attempts.Detroit's offense ranks among the league's best this season. It is second in total yardage, while its 25 points per game ranks eighth in the NFL.The Lions are on track for a playoff appearance after storming out to a 6-2 start. They lead the NFC North by two games over the 4-4 Minnesota Vikings, who recently lost quarterback Kirk Cousins for the season due to a torn Achilles.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Arizona Cardinals are trading quarterback Joshua Dobbs to the Minnesota Vikings, both teams announced Tuesday.The Vikings lost Kirk Cousins to a season-ending Achilles injury in last Sunday's win over the Green Bay Packers.The Vikings sent a sixth-round pick to the Cardinals for Dobbs and a seventh-round pick. The seventh-rounder could become a sixth-rounder for Minnesota based on unspecified conditions, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN.The 1-7 Cardinals acquired Dobbs from the Cleveland Browns in late August for a fifth-round pick.The veteran started the first eight games for Arizona with Kyler Murray sidelined, completing 62.8% of his passes for 1,569 yards and eight touchdowns against five interceptions. He also ran for 258 yards and three scores.Head coach Jonathan Gannon announced Monday that rookie Clayton Tune would start in Week 9 over Dobbs if Murray isn't ready to return from his ACL injury.Dobbs will likely compete with rookie Jaren Hall for the Vikings' starting job for the remainder of the campaign. However, Hall will start Sunday's road game against the Atlanta Falcons, while the newly acquired veteran will "potentially" act in a supportive role, head coach Kevin O'Connell said Tuesday, according to Kevin Seifert of ESPN.After starting 0-3, Minnesota has turned around its season by winning four of its last five games.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett plans to play in Thursday night's matchup against the Tennessee Titans despite nursing a rib injury."Nah, I'm playing for sure," Pickett said when asked if suiting up depended on how he feels or a doctor's clearance, according to ESPN's Brooke Pryor.Pickett exited Sunday's 20-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars after being taken down hard on his right side on an incomplete pass in the second quarter.Head coach Mike Tomlin said Monday that Pickett would be a game-time decision for Thursday's prime-time matchup.Despite not posting impressive numbers as a passer, Pickett's led Pittsburgh to a 4-3 record this season. The former first-round pick has completed 61% of his passes for five touchdowns to four interceptions. He's also averaging 190 passing yards per game.If Pickett can't play, Mitch Trubisky is expected to fill in under center.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Las Vegas Raiders won't trade Davante Adams before Tuesday's trade deadline, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter."Not a chance in hell," a source told Schefter.Adams spoke to the organization about the possibility of a change of scenery earlier this month, but the front office insisted it wouldn't move him, sources told Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report.The Raiders had reportedly informed potential suitors that the Pro Bowl wide receiver wouldn't be available.Adams has endured a difficult season in an inconsistent Raiders offense. He was seen throwing his helmet on the sideline late in Monday night's loss to the Detroit Lions. Adams was held to just one catch in that contest and said he had no words when asked about the game.The three-time All-Pro hasn't been shy to voice his concerns about the franchise's direction. He said he doesn't have "time to wait around" following a loss in September. He also complained about a lack of targets earlier this month.Las Vegas is 3-5 and has averaged just 15.8 points per game, which ranks 30th in the NFL.Adams is under contract through the 2026 season, per Spotrac.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Teams needing running back help have inquired about the availability of New England Patriots veteran Ezekiel Elliott ahead of the 4 p.m. ET trade deadline, sources told Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report.The Patriots are also open to dealing pass-rusher Josh Uche and have engaged in trade talks with teams, sources told Dan Graziano of ESPN.Elliott has played behind Rhamondre Stevenson this season, producing 260 yards and two touchdowns while averaging 3.9 yards per carry.Meanwhile, Uche is set to hit free agency after this season. The linebacker had a career-high 11.5 sacks in 2022 and has two in six appearances this campaign.New England could offload some veteran players following a disappointing 2-6 start to the season.The three-time Pro Bowl running back signed a one-year deal with the Patriots in August after being released by the Dallas Cowboys.Elliott burst onto the scene as a rookie in 2016, rushing for a career-best 1,631 yards and 15 touchdowns. He spent the next six seasons in Dallas, racking up another three 1,000-yard campaigns.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Running back Jahmyr Gibbs' monster game Monday night may only be a preview of what's to come, according to Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell."Every week, he's just gotten a little bit better and a little bit better. I thought last week was his best game, and this week certainly surpassed that," Campbell told reporters, including Grant Gordon of NFL.com. "I think the more he gains his own confidence in his own abilities in this league, he's just going to continue to grow."He added: "I think this was kind of the tip of the iceberg, if you will, for what he's able to do and going to be able to do. Really proud of him."Gibbs rushed for a career-high 152 yards and one touchdown in Monday's 26-14 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. The rookie also added 37 yards on five catches to give him 189 total yards from scrimmage."I didn't know he was that fast, and he just makes it look effortless out there, and it makes us look better," Offensive tackle Penei Sewell said, according to ESPN's Eric Woodyard.Drafted with the 12th overall pick, Gibbs was expected to be a big piece of the Lions' offense. However, he endured a slow start to the season as the team gave the majority of the workload to veteran back David Montgomery.Over his last two games, Gibbs has totaled 315 yards from scrimmage, with 220 of that coming on the ground.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NFL Power Rankings are selected by a panel of theScore's football editors.This week, we're uncovering a scary trend for each team that will leave fans trembling in fear on Halloween.1. Philadelphia Eagles (7-1) Cooper Neill / Getty Images Sport / GettyPrevious rank: 1The Eagles' secondary remains a concern after getting lit up by Sam Howell for the second time this season. Philadelphia ranks 25th in passer rating allowed.2. Baltimore Ravens (6-2)Previous rank: 3Odell Beckham Jr. and Rashod Bateman were supposed to be important pieces of the Ravens' new-look offense. So far, they've been afterthoughts. Neither player has exceeded 50 receiving yards in a game or scored a touchdown.3. Miami Dolphins (6-2)Previous rank: 4The Dolphins have made easy work of inferior opponents, but they've had some hiccups against better teams. Miami's defense has allowed 48 and 31 points, respectively, against top-five scoring offenses (Bills and Eagles).4. Kansas City Chiefs (6-2)Previous rank: 2Kansas City was banking on big leaps from its young receivers this season, but only Rashee Rice is living up to that expectation. Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore are almost anonymous, combining for just nine catches and 71 yards over the last three games.5. Detroit Lions (6-2) Nic Antaya / Getty Images Sport / GettyPrevious rank: 6The Lions haven't gotten much out of 2022 first-rounder Jameson Williams. The promising receiver, who turned his only catch from his rookie season into a 41-yard touchdown, missed the first few weeks of the 2023 campaign due to a suspension. He has only amassed six touches in four appearances this year.6. Dallas Cowboys (5-2)Previous rank: 7Dallas' red-zone woes have halted the offenses' potential. The Cowboys are scoring a touchdown just 41% of the time when in the red zone, which ranks 29th in the NFL.7. Cincinnati Bengals (4-3)Previous rank: 10For the second straight year, the Bengals have bounced back after starting the season 1-3. However, it'll be hard for Cincinnati to maintain its momentum, as the team has the second-hardest strength of schedule left this year.8. Jacksonville Jaguars (6-2)Previous rank: 9Calvin Ridley hasn't been playing poorly, but the receiver has fallen short of the expectation he'd be the Jaguars' undisputed No. 1 weapon. He hasn't scored since Week 4 and has only two games with over 100 yards compared to five contests with below 40 yards.9. Buffalo Bills (5-3)Previous rank: 8The Bills are just 2-2 over their last four and the reason for that is turnovers. Buffalo has turned the ball over seven times in that span while Josh Allen has thrown an interception each time.10. Seattle Seahawks (5-2) Al Bello / Getty Images Sport / GettyPrevious rank: 11Seattle remains perched atop the NFC West amid a promising start to the season. However, only good fortune can account for the team posting a 2-1 mark despite Geno Smith suffering six turnovers during a three-game stretch.11. San Francisco 49ers (5-3)Previous rank: 5San Francisco has a lot to fix amid its three-game skid, and penalties have been one of the biggest issues all season. The 49ers have averaged 6.9 penalties committed, the fifth-highest mark in the league.12. Los Angeles Chargers (3-4)Previous rank: 15The Chargers' defense has been incredibly suspect in 2023. That includes Khalil Mack, who recorded six of his seven sacks in one game. In his other six appearances this season, he's only recorded a sack and four QB hits.13. Cleveland Browns (4-3)Previous rank: 12No one knows when Deshaun Watson will be back. That spells trouble for the Browns considering the rest of their quarterback room has combined for one passing touchdown and eight interceptions.14. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3)Previous rank: 14The Steelers' offense is a complete mess. Pittsburgh hasn't scored more than 30 points in two years with its last 30-plus point performance coming in Week 11 of the 2021 season.15. New York Jets (4-3) Kathryn Riley / Getty Images Sport / GettyPrevious rank: 17Everything seems to be going well for the Jets amid a three-game winning streak. Beneath the surface, though, their third-down woes are just waiting to cause problems. New York is 7-of-38 on third down over the last three contests.16. Houston Texans (3-4)Previous rank: 13Houston was expecting to rely on its rushing attack to ease the pressure on rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud. Instead, the No. 2 pick has carried the offense as the ground game falters. The Texans have barely improved as the season has gone on, ranking 30th in yards per rush attempt (3.3).17. New Orleans Saints (4-4)Previous rank: 22Alvin Kamara missed three games and still has seven more catches than any other NFL running back. Derek Carr racing to the checkdown has always been a problem for him, and it limits the offense's potential.18. Tennessee Titans (3-4)Previous rank: 26While Will Levis' bombs-away approach paid off in his NFL debut, the Titans can't rely on scoring before getting to the red zone. They're among the NFL's worst teams at converting red-zone trips into touchdowns with a 33.33% conversion rate over the last three weeks.19. Atlanta Falcons (4-4)Previous rank: 18Desmond Ridder left the team's Week 8 contest after getting evaluated for a concussion, and he did not return. He's off to a rough start this season, ranking 27th out of 32 qualifying quarterbacks in QBR. At least Taylor Heinicke was able to lead the offense efficiently while replacing Ridder on Sunday.20. Los Angeles Rams (3-5) Justin Casterline / Getty Images Sport / GettyPrevious rank: 19Kicking has been one of Los Angeles' main issues. The Rams, who recently parted ways with kicker Brett Maher, have converted only 76% of their field-goal attempts and 92.3% of their extra-point attempts, ranking 28th in both categories.21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-4)Previous rank: 20Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers' offense got off to a solid start, but things have started to sputter. Tampa Bay ranks 29th in success rate on offense since Week 5, spoiling the team's 3-0 start.22. Minnesota Vikings (4-4)Previous rank: 16Injuries to key starters have caused big problems for the Vikings. If losing All-Pro receiver Justin Jefferson to a hamstring injury for multiple weeks wasn't enough, Minnesota won't have quarterback Kirk Cousins for the remainder of the season due to an Achilles issue.23. Indianapolis Colts (3-5)Previous rank: 21It would be easy to go with Gardner Minshew's turnover problem, but that's to be expected from the erratic journeyman. Far more concerning is the Colts' defense, which started well but has given up 38 points per game over the last three weeks.24. Washington Commanders (3-5)Previous rank: 24Howell has been sacked a league-high 41 times through eight games. It will be hard for the Commanders to evaluate the young gunslinger this year if they can't keep him upright.25. Denver Broncos (3-5) RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images / Denver Post / GettyPrevious rank: 28After a tumultuous start, the Broncos have started to find their footing over their past couple outings. However, Denver's run defense remains an issue, having surrendered a league-high 154.1 yards per contest.26. New England Patriots (2-6)Previous rank: 27Points have been hard to come by for New England's offense. The Patriots have been held to 20 or fewer points an NFL-leading seven times this season.27. New York Giants (2-6)Previous rank: 23The Giants' passing offense is a mess. They finished their Week 8 contest with minus-9 yards through the air, which is a microcosm of what has occurred in 2023. New York is dead last in passing yards per contest.28. Chicago Bears (2-6)Previous rank: 25Injuries will have sent shivers down Matt Eberflus' spine this season. Justin Fields headlines an injury list that also features Eddie Jackson, Khalil Herbert, and Braxton Jones, among others.29. Las Vegas Raiders (3-5)Previous rank: 29Jimmy Garoppolo becoming a turnover machine is downright terrifying for the Raiders. He has been intercepted on an NFL-high 5.4% of his passes, with P.J. Walker (5.2%) the only other quarterback over 4%.30. Green Bay Packers (2-5) Cooper Neill / Getty Images Sport / GettyPrevious rank: 30Jordan Love's development has come to a screeching halt. Over his last four games - all losses - Love has completed only 60.9% of his passes for four touchdowns to seven interceptions, good for a 66.6 passer rating.31. Carolina Panthers (1-6)Previous rank: 32Carolina got its first win in Week 8, and rookie quarterback Bryce Young showed glimpses of why the team took him first overall. However, the Panthers have failed to eclipse 27 points in a game and rank 31st in yards per play on offense.32. Arizona Cardinals (1-7)Previous rank: 31Perhaps the most frightening reality for Arizona is a fate that's not in their control. The Texans won't be seeing ghosts with a favorable slate for the remainder of the season, which could mean the Cardinals' second first-round pick falls outside of its top-10 projected range.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Chicago Bears permitted cornerback Jaylon Johnson to seek a trade ahead of Tuesday's deadline, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.Johnson, who is scheduled to be a free agent at the end of the season, reportedly requested a trade after the two sides couldn't come close to an extension during contract talks last week.A 2020 second-round pick, Johnson has started 45 games over the first four years of his career. He's recorded two interceptions in six contests this season, taking one back for a touchdown.Trading Johnson to a cornerback-needy contender could land the Bears some valuable draft picks for the ongoing rebuild. Chicago already holds an extra 2024 first-round pick from the Carolina Panthers, giving the club a chance at having two top-five selections next spring.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Frustrations are continuing to boil over for Davante Adams after the Las Vegas Raiders receiver was held to one catch for 11 yards in Monday's 26-14 loss to the Detroit Lions."I don't know what to say at this moment. I truly don't," Adams told reporters postgame. "I wish I had the words to say something that's not gonna get blown up in the media and taken out of context, so I truly just don't know."One of the NFL's premier receivers having such a minimal role has been an ongoing story for the Raiders' struggling offense over the last month. The six-time Pro Bowler first voiced his concerns after seeing a combined nine targets in wins over the Green Bay Packers and New England Patriots.The offense made a point of getting him involved early and often last week against the Chicago Bears, but it wasn't long before he was once again phased out of the eventual blowout loss.Adams received only seven targets Monday in Detroit, with several highlighting some concerning quarterback play for the Raiders. Jimmy Garoppolo threw a brutal end-zone interception intended for Adams in the first quarter, and he had two egregious misses with his top target running free downfield in the fourth quarter.

Find positional rankings, additional analysis, and subscribe to push notifications in the NFL Fantasy News section.Every Monday during the season, theScore's Justin Boone runs down the recommended waiver-wire pickups.Roster percentages are based on Yahoo leagues. Free Agent Budget (FAB) amounts are based on a $100 salary cap. Only players rostered in less than 50% of leagues are considered.Week 9 Byes

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay announced quarterback Matthew Stafford is day-to-day with a sprained UCL in his right thumb, according to ESPN's Sarah Barshop.Stafford suffered the injury in the second quarter of Sunday's 43-20 loss to the Dallas Cowboys while hitting his throwing hand on a defender's helmet. After a brief exit, he returned for the second half and even caught a pass on a two-point conversion before leaving for good.He was spotted on the sideline with a taped hand.The 35-year-old has won three of his eight starts this season and has thrown for eight touchdowns to seven interceptions. His 59.7 completion percentage would currently rank as his lowest since 2013.Stafford returned to lead a young and transformed Rams squad in 2023 after missing eight games last year due to a neck injury and multiple trips to the concussion protocol. He also dealt with an elbow injury coming into the 2022 campaign.Brett Rypien would be expected to start in the team's Week 9 matchup against the Green Bay Packers if Stafford is unable to go.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Arizona Cardinals are making another change at quarterback.Fifth-round rookie Clayton Tune will be under center Sunday against the Cleveland Browns instead of Joshua Dobbs if Kyler Murray is still unavailable, head coach Jonathan Gannon announced Monday, according to ESPN's Josh Weinfuss.Murray hasn't played in 2023, as he began this season recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in Week 14 last year. The former No. 1 pick returned to practice last week but wasn't available to play in Sunday's 31-24 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. He could return versus Cleveland."We're going to keep ramping up Kyler and see how he progresses through the week," Gannon said Monday, according to Bo Brack of PHNX Cardinals.Murray is more likely to be back in Week 10 against the Atlanta Falcons, sources told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.Dobbs started this season's first eight games for the Cardinals, who are off to a 1-7 start. The 28-year-old journeyman, whom Arizona acquired in August, has completed 62.8% of his passes for 1,569 yards and eight touchdowns against five interceptions this year. He's added 258 yards and three scores on the ground.Gannon said after the Ravens game that Dobbs would remain the starter until Murray's return. Dobbs accounted for three touchdowns while tossing two interceptions versus Baltimore.Tune joined the Cardinals in April after a standout career at Houston. The 24-year-old has attempted just one pass this season.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett is out for the season after suffering a torn ACL in last Sunday's loss to the Tennessee Titans, sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN.Garrett exited the Week 8 matchup after being injured on Tennessee's opening drive.The 30-year-old is the key cog of Atlanta's defensive front and has racked up 1.5 sacks and 23 total tackles in eight games this season.Jarrett's best campaign came in 2019 when he produced a career-high 7.5 sacks to earn Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors. He was also named a Pro Bowler in 2020.The veteran hasn't missed a game in the previous four seasons.With Jarrett out, Calais Campbell will likely take on a larger role alongside David Onyemata. LaCale London and Ta'Quon Graham should also see more playing time moving forward.The Falcons also bolstered their defensive line by acquiring Philadelphia Eagles defensive lineman Kentavius Street in a trade Monday. The 27-year-old has recorded 6.5 sacks over 60 career games. He made one start for the Eagles this season.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Find positional rankings, additional analysis, and subscribe to push notifications in the NFL Fantasy News section.Welcome to theScore Fantasy Football Podcast, hosted by Justin Boone.Find the show on Spotify, Apple, Google, and Stitcher.In this episode, Boone discusses the latest injuries and the top players available on the waiver wire.

The Seattle Seahawks acquired Pro Bowl defensive lineman Leonard Williams from the New York Giants in exchange for a 2024 second-round pick and a 2025 fifth-round pick, the Giants announced Monday.Several teams were reportedly interested in the veteran before the Giants elected to ship him to the Seahawks, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.Williams is due $10 million for the rest of the season, but the Seahawks will only pay the prorated veteran minimum of his contract, sources told Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.Seattle's massive swing to reinforce its defensive line by adding Williams comes just ahead of Tuesday's NFL trade deadline.Drafted sixth overall in 2015 by the New York Jets, the Giants acquired Williams in a midseason trade in 2019. He's played five seasons with the NFC East club, recording 61 appearances and 22.5 sacks. His best campaign came in 2020 when he racked up a career-high 11.5 sacks and 30 quarterback hits.In eight games this year, Williams has put up 21 tackles, 1.5 sacks, one tackle for a loss, and five quarterback hits.Seattle jumped into first place in the NFC West in Week 8 after a 24-20 win over the Cleveland Browns pushed them to 5-2. The Seahawks have won five of their last six while their closest division rivals, the San Francisco 49ers, have lost three in a row to drop to 5-3.Copyright (C) 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.