The five best landing spots for Tom Brady in 2020 and beyond

If this really is the end for Tom Brady in New England, where are the best landing spots for the greatest of all time?

Tom Brady has famously said that he wants to play until he’s 45. That he was able to complete 60.8% of his passes for 4,057 yards, 24 touchdowns, and eight interceptions when his receiver corps was basically Julian Edelman and the Pips, and that he was able to do so at age 42, tells you that there’s still something left in the tank. New England’s 20-13 loss to the Titans in the wild-card round on Saturday represents the first time since 2010 the Patriots were bounced out of the playoffs in their first postseason game, and it feels like the end of that same decade could well be the end of Brady’s 20-year tenure with the team.

It’s worth wondering if Bill Belichick, who stays in tune with the college game as well as any NFL head coach, would be interested in getting his hands on a Jalen Hurts-style player and redefining his offense, especially with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels almost certainly on the way out to accept his own head coaching position elsewhere. And, there’s no guarantee whatsoever that Brady is emotionally tied to the Patriots beyond this season. The 2019 team experienced offensive failures in both coaching and execution all season, and while enough of those were Brady’s responsibility, Brady’s also smart enough to watch the rest of the NFL and see how good other quarterbacks have it these days, while he’s been forced to deal with less in recent times.

“I don’t want to get too much into the future and stuff,” Brady said after the game, which essentially ended for the Patriots when he threw a pick-six to ex-Patriots cornerback Logan Ryan. “I mean, this team has fought hard. We battled every day, we tried to get better, we worked hard to improve and I was proud to be a part of this team. Not only this year, but every year. Again, I just don’t know what’s going to happen and I’m not going to predict it. No one needs to make choices at this point. I love playing football, I love playing for this team. I’ve loved playing for this team for two decades and winning a lot of games. And again, I don’t know what it looks like moving forward, so we’ll just take it day-by-day.”

Perhaps 2019 was the wake-up call both Brady and Belichick needed to tell them that the most successful coach/quarterback relationship in NFL history is about to come to an end. If that’s the case, here are the best landing spots for the greatest quarterback in NFL history.

Raiders | Bears | Buccaneers | Chargers | Colts

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4 things to watch for when Broncos host Raiders in Week 17

The Denver Broncos’ 2019 season will draw to a close against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday. Here are four things to look for in the game.

Though any season that doesn’t end with a trip to the playoffs is often a major disappointment, there will still be plenty to watch for when the Denver Broncos face the Oakland Raiders in the season finale on Sunday.

First off, it’s the Raiders. Throw the records out the door — this is one of the league’s oldest and greatest rivalries. Should the Broncos hand the Raiders a defeat, it will get the offseason started on the right foot.

The 2019 season got off to a terrible start for the Broncos following a humbling defeat in the season opener against the Raiders on Monday Night Football. The team would like nothing more than to return the favor.

Here are some other things to keep track of.

1. Phillip Lindsay’s search for 1,000 yards

Lindsay has been terrific in his first two seasons with the Broncos and though 1,000 yards rushing isn’t what it used to be, it’s still the benchmark for NFL running backs.

With 42 yards against the Raiders, Lindsay would crack the 1,000-yard mark for the second season in a row. He would become the first undrafted player in NFL history to do that and the first Broncos running back to accomplish that feat since Clinton Portis did it back in 2002-03.

2. Justin Simmons playing every snap

How many NFL players have played 100 percent of the defensive snaps in each of the last two seasons? Not many.

Simmons has a chance to do that if he plays every snap against the Raiders on Sunday. He didn’t miss a snap last year and so far, hasn’t missed one this year.

Just another reason for the team to re-sign him to a new deal as soon as possible.

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Touchdown Wire’s Week 17 NFL Power Rankings — Playoff picture becoming clearer

On the heels of a wild weekend that transformed the NFL playoff picture, Touchdown Wire unveils its weekly NFL Power Rankings.

Touchdown Wire’s Week 17 NFL Power Rankings — Playoff picture becoming clearer

On the heels of a wild weekend that transformed the NFL playoff picture, Touchdown Wire unveils its weekly NFL Power Rankings.

Heading into Week 17, we already know the Baltimore Ravens are the best team in the league and the Cincinnati Bengals are the worst.

In Week 16, we found out two positive certainties for the Ravens and Bengals. First, by guaranteeing the league’s worst record, the Bengals clinched the No. 1 spot in the 2020 NFL draft.

At least at the moment, it appears likely they’ll use it on Heisman Trophy winner and LSU quarterback Joe Burrow. That’s the silver lining in Cincinnati’s dismal season.

Baltimore earned a gift with its great season. At 13-2, the Ravens clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs, meaning they have a bye and hold home-field advantage throughout the postseason.

Lots of other scenarios were clinched in Week 16. But many more, including a number of playoff seeds, won’t be known until after Week 17.

We touch on that and more in this week’s Touchdown Wire NFL Power Rankings.

32. Cincinnati Bengals

(1-14. Last week: 32)

Finally, there’s something to celebrate in Cincinnati. It took an overtime loss to Miami, but the Bengals officially clinched the No. 1 pick in next year’s draft. That almost certainly will be used on a quarterback, and most draft experts currently believe LSU’s Joe Burrow is the top prospect. While that seems like a certainty, the status of first-year head coach Zac Taylor isn’t a given. Bengals owner Mike Brown has been notoriously patient and frugal in the past, but a one- or two-win season may not be enough for Taylor to survive. Besides, there is plenty of room to question Taylor’s decision to go back to veteran quarterback Andy Dalton after briefly benching him in favor of rookie Ryan Finley. Yeah, Dalton threw four touchdown passes Sunday, but it’s clear he’s got no future with the Bengals. Apparently, Finley doesn’t either. This looks like a team that already has settled on Burrow.

31. Washington Redskins

(3-12. Last week: 31)

There hasn’t been much for Washington fans to cheer for this season, especially after Sunday’s overtime loss to the New York Giants dropped the Redskins into sole possession of last place in the NFC East. But there is one bright spot: the play of rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins. Coming off the best game of his career, Haskins continued to show progress by completing 12 of 15 passes for 133 yards and two touchdowns before leaving with an ankle injury. That means whoever is coaching the Redskins next year might already have his quarterback. The Redskins are going to have a premium draft pick and might decide on Ohio State defensive end Chase Young, who is more of a sure thing than any of the quarterbacks who will be available.

30. Detroit Lions

(3-11-1. Last week: 29)

Things continued to get worse for Detroit with a 27-17 loss to Denver. That was to be expected because the Lions are down to third-string quarterback David Blough, who totaled just 117 passing yards and took four sacks against the Broncos. This season has long been over for the Lions. But the real story here is about next season. Ownership came out last week and firmly said that coach Matt Patricia will be back for a third year and general manager Bob Quinn also will return. That’s somewhat surprising since Patricia’s tenure has been a disaster, and there haven’t been many signs of progress. But I can see the case for giving Patricia another year. He deserves a shot to see what he can do with quarterback Matthew Stafford healthy all season. If Patricia can’t win with Stafford, then it will be time to move on.

29. Jacksonville Jaguars

(5-10. Last week: 27)

The Jaguars made news last week by firing executive vice president Tom Coughlin. Some assume that means coach Doug Marrone and general manager Dave Caldwell are safe for next season, but that’s not necessarily the case. Marrone has lost 21 of 31 games since taking the Jaguars to the AFC Championship Game after the 2017 season. Coughlin’s firing was about more than the team’s record. It was a reaction by owner Shad Kahn after the NFL Players Association issued a warning to players about signing with the Jaguars due to a high number of grievances against the organization. Those issues were a poor reflection on Coughlin. But the team’s poor record is a reflection on Marrone and Caldwell. Kahn might be better off cleaning house and starting over again.

28. Miami Dolphins

(4-11. Last week: 30)

Remember back early in the season when everyone thought the Dolphins were purposely losing to acquire better draft picks? At first, it seemed to be true, but they were just good enough to win their way out of the top pick — and it was fitting that their overtime win against Cincinnati helped the Bengals clinch the No. 1 pick. Miami stuck with veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick over second-year pro Josh Rosen most of the season. That was pointless, because Fitzpatrick is no long-term answer for a team that needs a major rebuild. By missing out on the No. 1 pick, the Dolphins apparently will miss out on consensus No. 1 quarterback prospect Joe Burrow. They probably still will draft a quarterback. Instead of Burrow, it likely will be Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa or Oregon’s Justin Herbert.

27. New York Giants

(4-11. Last week: 28)

Sure, the Giants are 4-11, and Sunday’s victory against a bad Washington team came in overtime. But I’m going to go way out on a limb and declare the Giants the favorite to win the NFC East in 2020. Seriously. Why? The Giants have the brightest future of the bunch. You could see Sunday that the Giants are set at quarterback and running back for the long term. Rookie quarterback Daniel Jones returned from injury and threw for 352 yards and five touchdowns. Second-year running back Saquon Barkley ran for 189 yards and a touchdown and caught four passes for 90 yards and another touchdown. Jones and Barkley could be superstars. Sure, there’s plenty of work to be done on the defense, at receiver and on the offensive line. But Jones and Barkley give the Giants hope and something to build around. Their presence and promise probably is enough to keep coach Pat Shurmur employed.

26. Carolina Panthers

(5-10. Last week: 25)

Perhaps the most insightful NFL quote of the week came from veteran Carolina tight end Greg Olsen, who has a bright future in broadcasting. After an embarrassing loss to Indianapolis, Olsen put Carolina’s situation into perfect context.

“It’s a really tough way to operate,” Olsen said. “Players are underperforming. It’s right now a very collective failure, organizationally a failure.”

The Panthers might be in the most disarray they’ve been in since coach George Seifert’s final year, a 1-15 season in 2001. Interim coach Perry Fewell hasn’t come close to winning a game since taking over when Ron Rivera was fired. It’s become obvious that Fewell will not get the permanent job. Owner David Tepper has to go out and find the right guy. If general manager Marty Hurney sticks around and has any input, his track record suggest he’ll favor a rising coordinator and not a former head coach or a college coach.

25. Los Angeles Chargers

(5-10. Last week: 23)

The Chargers lost to the Raiders on Sunday, but the big story here came in the postgame. Veteran quarterback Philip Rivers told reporters he wants to continue playing. Rivers is 38 and in the final year of his contract.

“I’m capable enough physically and mentally, there’s no question,” Rivers said. “Yes, I do want to play football. I do, and that’s how I feel deep down as I stand here.”

But the bigger question is do the Chargers want Rivers back? Despite all he’s done for the franchise through the years, Rivers has endured a bad season. His 18 interceptions rank second in the NFL to Jameis Winston’s 28. The Chargers have been one of the league’s most disappointing teams and haven’t developed much of a fan base in Los Angeles. They’ll be moving into a new stadium next year, and it might be time for an infusion of excitement at quarterback, whether through the draft or via free agency.

32-25 | 24-17 | 16-9 | 8-1

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Raiders QB Derek Carr cools his hot seat with stellar performance vs. Chargers

Raiders quarterback Derek Carr quieted reports of disconnect with Jon Gruden with a stellar performance against the Chargers.

With the Raiders losing four consecutive games in large part due to a struggling offense, there were rumors of disconnect between quarterback Derek Carr and coach Jon Gruden.

Carr did his best to quiet any such chatter by turning in a stellar performance against the Chargers, leading his team to a 24-17 victory and keeping the Raiders’ playoff chances alive in front of thousands of Raiders fans in LA.

Carr completed 26 of 30 passes for 291 yards and two touchdowns, one on the ground and one through the air. He failed to notch his first 300-yard passing performance but was a perfect 10 for 10 passing in the second half.

The return of wide receiver Hunter Renfrow helped Carr’s cause, especially on third-down plays. The two paired for five completions on that crucial down, including a 56-yard touchdown on the Raiders’ first drive of the game, per The Raiders Wire’s own Levi Damien.

Five of Hunter Renfrow's 7 catches today have come on third down for 85 yards and a touchdown.

— Levi Damien (@LeviDamien) December 22, 2019

Carr and Renfrow’s on-field relationship was solidifying before Renfrow was injured against the Jets, and Carr acknowledged his rapport with the rookie after the game, telling reporters, “Obviously the chemistry is there. There’s no denying that.”

Carr also made an impact while running the ball. His hesitation to bolt from the pocket when needed this season is part of the reported disconnect between Carr and Gruden. Carr scored a touchdown on a pass play that saw him roll out to the right and keep running when tight end Darren Waller and fullback Alec Ingold were covered.

LET'S. GO.@derekcarrqb scampers in to retake the lead with seconds left in the first half. #OAKvsLAC pic.twitter.com/VkhdeMbdZR

— Oakland Raiders (@Raiders) December 22, 2019

After the game, Gruden noted that Carr’s athleticism is underrated and sounded more than pleased with his quarterback’s ability to threaten the defense with his legs. He also reaffirmed he wants more from Carr in that regard.

“I think that was something that we were really looking for and excited about. He is a much better athlete than people know about and we have been trying to encourage him to do more of that,” Gruden told reporters after the game. “It was a bootleg … LA did a nice job to cover it. That’s what you need to be. You need to be a threat to run and that’s what he did today. That was a big play for us.”

That the Raiders were booed last week after losing the last game at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum only fueled speculation about Carr’s future with the club. Gruden notoriously has a wandering eye when it comes to quarterbacks, as well.

But Carr executed the offense at a high level against the Chargers — through the air, and on the ground, earning a second chance to succeed in front of a friendly crowd. If he can do the same next week when the Raiders travel to Denver to face the Broncos, rumors of a new quarterback for the 2020 Las Vegas Raiders will greatly subside.

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Winners and Losers for Raiders in Week 16 vs. Chargers

Raiders Wire looks at the winners and losers from the Raiders Week 16 division win against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Oakland Raiders last game in Oakland didn’t end well, but there last home game of 2019 did the opposite. The Raiders came up with a big win and kept their small playoff chances alive with a 24-17 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.

The offense found its groove with an excellent performance on the road. The Raiders average a healthy 5.9 yards per play with the running and passing game being efficient. The passing offense excelled the most, creating explosive plays throughout the game.

The only problem from the offense was the offensive line allowing three sacks on the day, killing plenty of drives in the first half. However, they bounced back in the second half playing bully ball to maintain the lead.

The defense put up its best performance of the season, allowing 5.0 yards per play and shut down the Melvin Gordon and running game all day. Phillip Rivers did have a decent today and didn’t have the turnovers he did in their last matchup, but he was not able to put points on the board.

The Raiders did face an ugly injury on the defensive side of the ball with Trayvon Mullen going down hard late in the fourth quarter. Mullen’s diagnosis, later on, was a neck injury, and he was supposed to be recovering well after the incident.

After a strong win and keeping the Raiders alive, who were the winners and losers? Let’s look at the studs and duds for this week.

Winner: WR Hunter Renfrow

Hunter Renfrow’s injury ended up hurting the offense more than fans ever thought. Without him, in the slot, Carr struggled, and the other wideouts couldn’t create separation. Renfrow made a triumphant return with a career game, proving he is for sure the slot receiver of the future.

Renfrow finished the day with seven receptions for 107 yards and a touchdown. He started the game with a 56-yard touchdown where he displayed his YAC ability breaking multiple tackles on the way to an explosive score. Carr was able to lean him all game with numerous catches on the drive at the beginning of the third quarter finding the holes in the zone making himself available to the quarterback. He helped in the kicking game when Richard was injured, showing while he is such a valued player to this football team.

The former Clemson wide receiver is adjusting to the NFL in a compelling way when his team needs him the most. The chemistry he has built with Carr is evident, and we could see him have another huge game next week against the Denver Broncos.

[lawrence-newsletter]

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4 key things to know about Chargers’ Week 16 opponent

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez lays out four key things to know about the Oakland Raiders heading into Week 16.

The Los Angeles Chargers and Oakland Raiders meet for the second and last time this season in what will be a bout in the last game played at Dignity Health Sports Park this Sunday.

Here are four key things to know about the Raiders heading into the matchup:

Wheels have fallen off

About a month ago, you would have thought that the 6-4 Raiders were headed to the playoffs. But Oakland has been hit with injuries and they haven’t been able to perform at the level they were earlier this season. As a result, they’re on a four-game losing skid and have been outscored 136-49 during that span.

Defense has taken a dip

When the Chargers and Raiders met earlier this season, you would’ve thought that they had a top-10 defense as they forced three turnovers and sacked quarterback Philip Rivers five times. But the numbers don’t suggest that heading into their second meeting.

Oakland is 27th in league in opposing passing yards per game (263.8), 30th in opposing passing touchdowns per game (2.3) and they’ve struggled at getting to the quarterback, posting only four sacks in their last four games. Along with that, their red zone defense ranks 31st as opponents have a 66.7% conversion rate.

Stout in pass protection

If the Chargers want to have success on the defensive side of the ball, they need to put quarterback Derek Carr under duress. Los Angeles’ pass rush has been one of the more disappointing areas, totaling only 27 sacks this season, which ranks 27th in the NFL. It won’t be an easy task to get hot as defensive end Joey Bosa and company face an offensive line that has yield the second-lowest pressure percentage in the league (18.3%) and the fifth-lowest amount of sacks (24).

Struggles to beat Chargers on the road

The Raiders might have taken care of business in the team’s first meeting, but history shows the Bolts have had their number whenever the game is played in Southern California. In last two games played at Dignity Health Sports Park, the Chargers have won by the scores of 26-10 and 30-10. Quarterback Philip Rivers has been red hot in those contests, completed 78% of his passes, while throwing five touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Should Raiders QB Derek Carr still be the starting quarterback in 2020?

Derek Carr is a sore subject when it comes to Raiders fans. The quarterback leaving the field to a chorus of boos as he walked off the field at Oakland Coliseum for the last time was the definition of the relationship with this loyal fan base.

Most of it is based around his perceived toughness or lack thereof, which is crazy because he played with a transverse fracture in his back that sidelined Carson Wentz and Matthew Stafford.

Fans question his overall fire for the game that has come under criticism after he mentioned how he wants to be there when his kids grow up earlier in the year. The other part comes from blind Gruden worshipping, thinking he is a genius, and the quarterback is holding him back.

The other side gives Carr way too many excuses and doesn’t look at his play from a logical standpoint either. They consistently overrate his game and allow him too much credit when he performs well.

Carr’s season has been a complicated one with the team overachieving early because of his play and falling back to earth once defenses decided to stop him and allow the Raiders to run the football. The real question is, has he played his way to be starter Week 1 in Las Vegas?

Is it a legitimate question to ask, especially with the severe unknown of the actual relationship between the quarterback and the play-caller. Michael Lombardi weighed in this Monday morning in an article for The Athletic.

Still, he mentioned how Carr makes too many mistakes when the second-round pick is 10^th in interception percentage since he entered the league according to pro football reference. It plays into the mystery of their bond because nobody knows if Gruden likes Carr or not for sure.

The rumors will be everywhere this offseason, but let us sit back and examine if Carr actually has played his way to Vegas. Making a case for his stay and making a case for why he should go.

Why he should be the starter?

From a stats perspective, there can be a case to be made that Carr is playing the best football of his career. Carr, before this season, struggled to be efficient and has struggled at consistently moving the football even in his MVP caliber season. 2019 we have seen a complete turn around in this department.

Carr has a career-high in EPA(expected points added) at 47.5 according to sports info solutions, which ranks tenth in the NFL right ahead of Aaron Rodgers. His raw QBR is higher than his 2016 season at 61.1, according to ESPN, and he leads the league in passer rating on third down at 127.

Carr has been the best quarterback this year on third down leading the league in EPA, touchdowns, and yards. He has achieved career highs in YPA and his best passing rating under pressure at 92.3, according to PFF.com.

These numbers display a quarterback who is thriving in a system. While it is not adding up to points for the Raiders offense, it will be hard for Gruden to find a quarterback to run his offense as efficiently as Carr does on a game to game basis. Also, this is one of the worst receiving corps in league with not one receiver scaring any defense and teams loading up to stop Darren Waller.

The Raiders’ front office might take the approach that if they add more pieces around Carr in the offseason, he could have a massive year. Gruden could see this as a reason why Carr moves into the house next to him as a neighbor.

Why They Should Move On

On the flip side of this, let’s be honest. Carr is always going to be Carr. After almost six seasons of production, he is about as mid-tier as an NFL quarterback can be, and the Raiders need a signal-caller who can go toe to toe with Patrick Mahomes.

Carr’s quirks are never going to change or get better at this point in his career. His pocket presence has improved this season, but it is just gone from bad to stable. Also, pressure stats are always year to year. Next season we could see the same old Carr creep back up and lead the league in interceptions under pressure.

The Raiders quarterback will continue to throw the ball away on a fourth down and not take chances or be aggressive. Fans will always be frustrated with the way he plays football, and he hasn’t used his athleticism at all since he broke his leg in 2016.

It might just be time for new scenery for Carr as well. Seeing old teammates, he was around during the winning in 2016, thriving in other places has to be in the back of his mind.

If he can get signed to a team that thinks they are a quarterback away from becoming a contender, he could find himself in a better organization than the Raiders. Carr needs a coordinator that forces him to be aggressive, and Gruden just isn’t that guy. If he can find himself in a better situation, it might cause a career revival for Carr. This could be an excellent split for both the team and the player.

Prediction

With Gruden making an excuse after excuse during his press conferences, Carr is receiving a mulligan for this season. The head coach threw Carr under the bus a couple of times in 2018, but this season, there has been praise after every game, no matter the outcome.

There are two games left this season and could mean a change if Carr plays these last two games terribly on the road. As of right now, Carr should be the starter in Vegas and will probably get competition from veteran back up, such as Case Keenum.

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[lawrence-newsletter]

Ex-NFL GM: There’s a ‘significant disconnect’ between Raiders coach Jon Gruden and Derek Carr

The Raiders’ offense has fallen apart midseason, and a former NFL general manager says the team’s coach and QB have a strained relationship.

Offensive woes have plagued the Raiders during their current four-game losing streak, which reached historic proportions after they fell to the Jaguars last Sunday. It was, in all likelihood, the final Raiders game at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.

Oakland led at halftime, 16-3, but didn’t score a single point in the second stanza. The Raiders watched as the Jaguars tallied 17 points themselves to wrestle the game away and stun the home crowd.

Significant anger was one result of the game, with quarterback Derek Carr leaving the field to a chorus of boos from a portion of the fans. But whether vocal or not, nobody left The Coliseum happy that day, except for the Jaguars.

Another result of the game is a report from The Athletic’s Michael Lombardi. The former NFL general manager, who worked with Raiders coach Jon Gruden during Gruden’s first stint as Oakland coach, says he doesn’t see the Raiders improving next season with Carr as QB because Carr and Gruden don’t see eye to eye.

There is a significant disconnect between the coach and the quarterback. Gruden and Carr will play nice; they will say all the positives about one another. Still, having been around Gruden for many of those good years in Oakland, I know what he loves in quarterbacks: the toughness, the grit, the willingness to sacrifice, and a competitive drive to match his own. Carr makes too many mistakes with the ball, and whether it’s a fair assessment of his ability or not, he never displays the fire that would remind anyone of former quarterback Rich Gannon. Too many times he refuses to hold on for one more second, knowing he might get hit before releasing the ball.

Lombardi does point out that Carr’s game has improved under Gruden. During the coach’s tenure, Carr’s average yards per attempt is 7.5, the best mark of his career, per Lombardi.

But this report was mostly critical of Carr. Lombardi notes Carr’s subpar ability to make off-script plays, which was another strong suit of Rich Gannon, the former Raiders MVP QB. It’s also a skill prevalent in the NFL today, with the likes of Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes among those leading the charge.

[Carr’s] not progressing when the play breaks down if Gruden’s play call is not perfect. He struggles to create big plays on his own. Usually the defense is at risk when a quarterback breaks the pocket. But when Carr leaves, the defense is never worried, as he is more likely to just throw the ball out of bounds than try to make a play.

That description brings to mind Carr’s throwaway late in the Raiders’ loss to the Titans two weeks ago when he broke free of the pocket but simply threw the ball out-of-bounds, though there was no risk save for a meaningless potential interception.

Lombardi goes on to predict Gruden will acquire another QB to challenge Carr, perhaps via a high draft pick. But a steady showing by Carr in the season’s last two weeks, or perhaps simply improved production in the second half of those games, could convince Gruden to continue building the roster around Carr, at least for the time being.

The needs of the club are numerous. Most notably, the wide receiver position needs attention, as does the front seven of the defense. Gruden might be wise to spend his draft picks there.

But as Lombardi points out, an ultra-competitive Gruden, with just a 10-20 record since he returned to the sideline, might feel he’s improved the roster enough already and be compelled to make a drastic change at his most important — and most scrutinized — position.

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[lawrence-newsletter]

NFL Week 16 Power Rankings: NFC East is center of attention

The NFC East doesn’t have a team with a winning record, but it’s the most compelling division in Touchdown Wire’s weekly Power Rankings.