Denver’s quarterback coach and passing game coordinator is, according to several whispers from Broncos types to The Grading The Week (GTW) staffers, a star-in-the-making.

Look,, let alone help them to go 24-10 together in the regular season, you ought to be up for the Nobel Peace Prize — never mind the vacant head-coaching gigs with the Raiders or Ravens.

Multiple reports have indicated the 30-year-old Webb has interviewed for both the Baltimore and Las Vegas jobs, by the way. Which is, at face level, a heck of a jump for somebody who’s never even been an NFL coordinator before.

Then again, Webb isn’t just “somebody.” As a player, the dude ran with Patrick Mahomes and Baker Mayfield as a college QB at Texas Tech and with Eli Manning and Josh Allen as a pro. By his own admission, he’s also a pack rat, an analytics nerd and a teaching wonk — three dubious traits for a husband but three excellent traits for an NFL head coach.

Webb’s play-calling during the preseason raised some eyebrows and made some Broncos fans pine for the young guy to take over the call sheet permanently.

Regardless, he’s a guy on the climb. Unfortunately for ¶¶Òőapountry, so is Jim Leonhard.

Broncos staff being raided by NFL rivals — C.

The 43-year-old former Broncos safety and Wisconsin Badgers star was a coup when Payton and Denver snapped him up before the 2024 season. The ex-Badger was hired as defensive backs coach and defensive pass game coordinator before the 2024 season and was promoted to assistant head coach before this last one. The Broncos fielded one of the top secondaries in football last season, added Talanoa Hufanga as a free agent last spring and got even better in 2025 before injuries hit.

If Vance Joseph leaves Denver for a head-coaching job, a role he’s openly pined to get back to after a decent DC run with Arizona and a brilliant one in Dove Valley, it’s presumed that Leonhard would slide into VJ’s old slot here — assuming the former’s still here, of course. The Cowboys have asked permission to talk to Leonhard, who was highly regarded as a Big Ten play-caller, about being their DC, so the rumor mill over the next few weeks and months could be tricky. Potentially.

Payton’s built an incredible staff here in a short time. But one of the sad, eternal NFL truths is that incredible assistants almost always leave the nest to advance their own careers.

Fortunately, the Walton-Penner Group has shown a willingness to pay and retain good coaches, which is another reason why the Broncos are where they are. With Payton at the helm, Denver could probably afford to lose one of either Webb or Leonhard as the winter carousel looms. But boy, you’d hate to see the Broncos lose both.

Lorenzen’s Rockie Mountain High — C-plus.

Sometimes, desperation on the part of two sides can make for a questionable relationship, although with right-handed pitcher Michael Lorenzen and the Rockies, you wonder. Lorenzen, who’s now likely the Rockies’ No. 2 or No. 3 starter by default, has given up 73 homers since 2022. MLB’s Baseball Savant says he’d have given up only one more dinger (74) pitching most of his games at Coors Field. So that’s good. One of his best weapons has traditionally been a changeup, a decent “out” pitch on 20th and Bleak. More good. He’s also , which, over a season, would’ve ranked him fifth among 2025 Rockies who played in at least 25 games. Give the dude a bat! Why not make Lorenzen Denver’s own Colorad-Ohtani and have some fun with another lost summer in LoDo?

Monopoly. . It does not matter. It extends beyond traditional games: first to finish reading a book, or tie their shoe. When Tez Johnson was 15 years old and a receiver at Pinson Valley High in Alabama, he was introduced into this family by Patrick and Krista Nix, .

Johnson was introduced to their way of life: passionate about faith, family, football. About anything. And he was also introduced to his quarterback at Pinson Valley, the quarterback who soon became his brother: Nix, who struggled so intensely with any version of failure that Johnson would watch him fiddle obsessively with a broken remote while they tried to watch Netflix.

“We don’t take losses lightly,” Johnson said. “And he’s not gonna. Not ever.”

From Alabama to one Nix-dubbed “dream” season at Oregon, from Oregon now to pro ball, their shared abhorrence of losing has kept the two adoptive brothers bound tight even 2,000 miles away. Their paths have split again over the past two years, with Nix quarterbacking the Broncos for a second year and Johnson in the middle of his rookie year with the Buccaneers. Still, they are the rock in each other’s corner, a steady belief in one another that never wanes, no matter the turbulence of life in the NFL.

Johnson, a seventh-round pick, has made a splash in his first season in Tampa Bay: 24 catches, 287 yards, five touchdowns in 13 games. Still, Nix has had to remind him every once in a while that a leap doesn’t happen “overnight.”

Still, every time Johnson’s team loses a game — the Buccaneers are 7-7, and 1-5 in their last six games — he calls Nix.

“It¶¶Òőap like, that¶¶Òőap the only person I can cope with,” Johnson told The Denver Post last week.

Nix, too, has helped his brother grasp the intricacies of NFL football — when he can — across the last few months. He doesn’t know Tampa Bay’s scheme or principles, of course. But he pushes Johnson to maximize the opportunity in front of him, and Johnson will pick the 25-year-old Nix’s brain.

“How you watch film, how you look at a cornerback or a DB,” Johnson said. “And you’re getting that from a quarterback’s perspective, not just a receiver coach … I’m getting it from like, ‘OK, this is how the quarterback sees this DB. How can I see this DB the same way?’ (With) him helping me with stuff like that … I feel like I got a leg up.”

In turn, Johnson carries a feverish faith in Nix. Perhaps it’s embellished. He’ll always be partial. But Johnson told The Post he believes Nix is the best quarterback in the NFL.

Then he stopped — and corrected himself.

“Well, actually, the world,” Johnson continued. “Because I don’t see a quarterback that¶¶Òőap out there better than him. Anybody can get around Bo and they can have success because of how hard he’s going to push them, and just because he’s willing to get better.”

Told of Johnson’s comments Wednesday — and reminded that Johnson has a pretty good quarterback himself at the moment in Tampa Bay’s Baker Mayfield — Nix flashed a wry smile.

He treats Johnson just like his other brother, Caleb, currently a safety at Jacksonville State. All of them push each other, Nix said.

“I would say all three of us believe that each other is the best at what we do,” Nix told The Post. “Regardless if that¶¶Òőap true, it¶¶Òőap just the importance of having somebody’s back, and believing in ‘em.”

Sure, Nix and Johnson talk smack. They are competitive, after all. Nix pokes Johnson that the Broncos, sitting at 11-2, are better than the Buccaneers. But they share a deeper encouragement — both spoken and unspoken — as they try to navigate their own fates. Johnson is trying to prove that he can stick and thrive in the NFL as a 5-foot-10, 165-pound wideout who has “made it further than a lot of people thought he was going to make it,” as Nix proudly put it.

Nix is trying to prove that he can carry a franchise and a city with the Broncos’ Super Bowl window thrust wide open.

Nix tells Johnson, privately, to be a sponge, to keep his mentality the same. And Johnson tells anyone who’ll listen, publicly, that his brother in Denver will be great.

“Everyone gets in the NFL for the first time, and they struggle a little bit, yeah,” Johnson said of Nix. “Let (him) get the hang of it, and the world is his. He’s one of those guys that … he wants to figure it out.ÌęAnd when he figures it out, I mean, Lord help us all.”

Old man Rivers. Philip Rivers returning to Indianapolis and perhaps even starting this weekend at Seattle is one of the most compelling stories in the NFL this year. Can the 44-year-old really do it? Can he come off the bench cold after five years and not play disastrous football? Conventional wisdom suggests no, but what a story if he can. Everybody will be watching.

Two-way go. The Broncos should very clearly be rooting for Kansas City to get off the skid and beat the Chargers this weekend. Still, the AFC West matchup essentially amounts to a win-win for Denver. If the Chargers win, Kansas City is fully out of the playoff picture. So while a Chargers loss is by far the better outcome for Denver’s division title hopes, a Chiefs loss isn’t terrible, either. If Jim Harbaugh’s team wins and the Broncos lose to Green Bay, the race in the West is very much on.

Dudes in a dud. Not often you get a matchup of future Hall of Fame-type quarterbacks in December that has as little juice as Baltimore and Cincinnati this weekend. This could have been a top-of-the-division tilt, but instead it’s a 6-7 vs. 4-9 game. The Ravens most certainly aren’t out of the picture in the AFC North, but Lamar Jackson and the offense have been going nowhere recently. Meanwhile, the Bengals are out of the playoff race and Joe Burrow is questioning whether playing football is still fun for him. This should almost always be a dynamite late-season matchup. Not this time.

Around the NFC

Crunch time for Lions. Detroit has a massive challenge and a near must-win at the NFC-leading Los Angeles Rams. The Lions are currently sitting in third in the NFC North with 40% playoff odds, . If they manage to beat L.A., those odds jump to 60% before any other Week 15 action. If they lose, the odds plummet to 30%. So, a 30-point swing one way or the other.

Couple Bucs short. There are bad losses and then there’s Tampa Bay blowing a 14-point fourth-quarter lead at home against Atlanta. The Falcons had already been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, but stormed back to beat Baker Mayfield’s Bucs. Tampa’s lost five of six, including New Orleans and Atlanta back-to-back. Carolina can take control of the NFC South on Sunday. Todd Bowles might be looking around and asking, “Is it just me or is this seat a little warm?”

Dak attack. Dallas at 6-6-1 needs to win out to have a realistic chance at the playoffs. Their final four isn’t impossible. They start this weekend with Minnesota before a tough one at home against the Chargers. Then they finish with roadies at Washington and the New York Giants. That¶¶Òőap a doable slate for the NFL’s leading passer, Dak Prescott, and his terrific receiver duo of CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens.

Game of the Week

Buffalo at New England

If anybody is going to stop New England’s mega-heater, the Bills are probably the best bet. The Patriots already have a game in hand against Buffalo — the second of their current 10-game winning streak was a 23-20 victory in Western New York — and now they get the defending division champs at home with a chance to put the division on ice.

Mike Vrabel has engineered one of the great single-season turnarounds in league history in his debut season as New England’s coach and this will be the club’s biggest test to date. The final three isn’t a total cake walk — at Baltimore, at the New York Jets and home against streaking Miami — but this feels like the biggest hill left on the route to the AFC’s No. 1 seed. Well, that and the fact that Denver’s also won 10 straight. The Bills are 1.5-point road favorites. This should be a terrific one.

Bills 24, Patriots 23

Lock of the Week

Las Vegas at Philadelphia

Even after a stumble last week, the Eagles are 1.5 games clear in the NFC East and they’re the only team in the division with a positive points differential. Dallas could mount a run at them, but Philly should be in pretty good shape. All the same, they’ve chewed through a decent amount of their margin for error and still have a road game at Buffalo on the docket. Nick Sirianni’s team can’t afford a dumb loss. This would be exactly that. The Raiders are in dire straits across the board and are still in the mix for the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. You shouldn’t be able to set this line high enough. The sports books have it pegged at 11.5 points. Maybe Raiders coach Pete Carroll can call for a meaningless field goal that covers the spread for the second straight week.

Eagles 27, Raiders 13

Upset of the Week

Miami at Pittsburgh

Every time the Steelers do something notable, they seem to take a step back. They did something notable last week, knocking off Baltimore in a thriller and taking sole possession of first place in the AFC North in the process. They’ve still got another matchup with the Ravens in Week 18 at home, but in the meantime, they’ve got a chance to potentially build a bit of a lead.

Miami, though, is playing well itself and has won four straight games. That¶¶Òőap all probably for naught — even if they win their last four games, the postseason odds don’t favor Mike McDaniel’s team — but it makes life difficult for Pittsburgh. Can Aaron Rodgers conjure more high-level December play as a three-point home favorite? Maybe, but not this week.

Dolphins 20, Steelers 19

Snap decision: The Shedeur Sanders Era is ready for lift-off in Cleveland. Thrown into the deep end vs. Baltimore last Sunday, the CU Buffs legend flailed and flopped to the tune of 47 yards on 4-of-16 passing in relief of concussed rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel. That came after Sanders received zero (!) practice snaps with the Browns’ starting offensive line over the first 11 weeks of the season, according to head coach Kevin Stefanski. Now, with a week of reps under his belt, Coach Prime’s son is set to make his first NFL start at the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. We eagerly await the measured, thoughtful discourse that will follow in its wake.

Backup duty: It would’ve been hard to envision three weeks ago when the Broncos had Davis Mills running for his life inside NRG Stadium, but Houston’s backup QB has revived a once-lost season for the Texans. Starting in place of C.J. Stroud the last three games, Mills has thrown for 719 yards and five touchdowns in leading Houston to three straight wins, including a surprise takedown of Buffalo on Thursday night. Of course, it also helps to have a defensive front — led by Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter — that can terrorize opposing quarterbacks for four quarters. With trips to Indianapolis and Kansas City on the docket the next two weeks, more of the latter will be needed.

First-round fodder: Your AFC division leaders entering Week 12? Denver, New England, Indianapolis and Pittsburgh. Talk about a changing of the guard. Baltimore, Kansas City and Buffalo all have work to do just to make the Wild Card round in early January. And if they do? Well, let’s just say things could get awfully, um, wild during the first weekend of the NFL Playoffs. After the Chiefs’ reign of terror over the last seven years, the AFC has rarely felt more wide open.

Around the NFC

Casino Cowboys: Speculation swirled after receivers George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb were held out of the Cowboys’ opening drive at the Las Vegas Raiders this past Monday night, with one particularly salacious rumor floating around that Lamb was seen throwing up outside a casino the night before. while having dinner and drinks at Red Rock Casino on Sunday night, but denied the upchuck allegations. Far be it from us to cast judgment upon someone losing track of time in a Sin City casino. But before a Monday Night Football game with your team’s season on the line? Tsk, tsk.

What Brown can do for coup: Whoever came up with the phrase “winning cures everything” never met A.J. Brown. The Eagles’ veteran wide receiver is less than a year removed from getting fitted for a Super Bowl ring, and his team is currently No. 1 in the NFC, but you wouldn’t know it if you stood next to his stall in the Eagles locker room or scrolled through his social media accounts after the latest Philly win. Things got so bad last week, for a 10-minute heart-to-heart on the practice field. Let’s hope it produces the desired results for Brown: More targets, more TDs, and maybe even an Eagles win. (In that order, of course.)

Rodgers in Chicago: If there are football gods, Aaron Rodgers will be healthy enough to play when Pittsburgh takes on the NFC North-leading Chicago Bears on Sunday. The former Green Bay QB famously declared “” at the Soldier Field crowd after one of his many touchdowns against the Bears back in 2021. While Rodgers might only be a glimmer of the quarterback who once went 25-5 against the Monsters of the Midway in green and gold, we welcome any opportunity to turn back the clock.

Game of the Week

Tampa Bay at L.A. Rams

Either something is wrong with Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield, or his fourth-quarter magic has simply run dry. The Buccaneers have lost three of their last four games and could desperately use a win with the Carolina Panthers lurking a half-game back in the NFC South. There’s just one problem: Rams QB Matthew Stafford has been shooting laser beams out of his eyes for the better part of seven weeks. The Rams are laying seven points to the visiting Bucs — which feels like a few too many.

Rams 31, Buccaneers 27

Lock of the Week

Seattle at Tennessee

There are two things the Seahawks do better than just about anyone else in the NFL right now: 1) Win on the road, and 2) Obliterate bad teams. They’ll get an opportunity to do both on Sunday when they visit Nashville. The Titans are getting 13.5 points, and that’s still not enough for a team that is one Arizona Cardinals fourth-quarter implosion away from being 0-10 on the season. Could Tennessee really get the No. 1 overall pick two years in a row? Our Magic 8 Ball says “Signs point to yes.”

Seahawks 34, Titans 17

Upset of the Week

New England at Cincinnati

Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow practiced all week and is trending toward returning to the field when the Bengals host Drake Maye and the Patriots on Sunday afternoon at Paycor Stadium. Somehow, the Bengals were still 6.5-point home underdogs as late as Friday morning against the AFC East leaders. The Pats have won eight straight since getting off to a 1-2 start to the season (Sound familiar?). A healthy and rested Joe Cool is ready to burst their bubble.

Bengals 27, Patriots 24

Let Moug Cook: Former Broncos assistant general manager Darren Mougey engineered the story of the trade deadline and now has two first-round picks for 2026 and three in 2027. The NFL might as well just check with him on scheduling for the next couple of Aprils because he and New York are going to be on the clock a lot the next two drafts. Trading Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams is a big bet. The next rebuild will be fascinating.

Lamar-kable: The Ravens are 3-5 and Lamar Jackson missed three games, but he’s back now and doing ridiculous things. The three-time All-Pro has a 14-1 TD-INT ratio, is completing 73% of his passes, and has played to a 136.7 QB rating so far this season. Baltimore has won two straight and has a manageable month coming up. Look out, AFC North.

Tackle-less Chargers: The Los Angeles Chargers made a trade at the deadline for Trevor Penning, but that¶¶Òőap a Band-Aid on a major gash. The Chargers lost Joe Alt to a season-ending ankle injury and now will play without both him and Rashawn Slater — two players who looked like the best set of tackles in football last summer. The quest for the 6-3 Chargers to stay in the AFC West race begins this weekend in one of several game-of-the-week candidates: a home date with 5-3 Pittsburgh.

Around the NFC

Packer problems: Green Bay followed a powerful Sunday night win at Pittsburgh with a hideous home loss to Carolina. A repeat of sorts from earlier in the year when they beat Detroit and Washington in five days to open the season, then lost to Cleveland. When they’re going good, Matt LaFleur’s team looks like a Super Bowl contender. But the bad is really bad. They’ve got a marquee game on deck Monday night at home against Philadelphia, which looks back on track offensively. This game could impact the No. 1 seed in the NFC
 if these teams don’t keep yo-yo-ing.

Fully loaded birds: Mike Macdonald has Seattle at 6-2, tied atop the NFC West and already looking like one of the most complete teams in football. Then the team, which is fifth in the NFL in scoring, added receiver Rashid Shaheed at the trade deadline. It shouldn’t take him long to get up to speed — Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak coached Shaheed in New Orleans last year. Another element that makes Seattle formidable: The Seahawks are 11-1 on the road under Macdonald.

Shutdown Town: There’s not much government happening in Washington, D.C., these days, and, unfortunately, there’s not much going right for the local football team, either. The Commanders were already getting blown out by Seattle the other night when quarterback Jayden Daniels, inexplicably still in the game, sustained a left elbow injury — though for now the team isn’t placing him on injured reserve. Last year’s darlings have now lost four straight and could realistically finish last in the NFC East.

Game of the Week

L.A. Rams at San Francisco

The 6-2 Rams look like perhaps the best team in the NFC through nine weeks, but the 49ers are just a half-game back in the West at 6-3 and they’ve already got a 26-23 win over Los Angeles in the bank. If Kyle Shanahan’s team polishes off a season sweep, that’d be a major boost to their division title odds — though the Seahawks will be in the mix, too. Meanwhile, it¶¶Òőap a critical stretch for Sean McVay’s team. They follow the trip to San Francisco with Seattle and Tampa at home. That¶¶Òőap not only a chance to take control of the division but also to position themselves well for seeding in the conference. The Niners have dealt with a raft of injuries admirably. The Rams, though, are rolling, favored by 4.5 points on the road and haven’t given up more than 10 points in any of their past three games.

Rams 23, 49ers 20

Lock of the Week

Buffalo at Miami

Much was made this week about the Bills failing to acquire a wide receiver at the trade deadline and whether that handicaps their Super Bowl chances. Sean McDermott¶¶Òőap team, though, is coming off an impressive win against Kansas City and has perhaps the most dangerous ground game in football. James Cook is averaging an NFL-best 108.4 yards per game and is tied with Jonathan Taylor at 5.7 per carry. The Bills also lead the NFL in yards per game (385.5) and are third in scoring (29.4). They’re just fine with the receivers they’ve got, and their dynamic ground game, plus quarterback Josh Allen, are plenty to make them real contenders in the AFC. There’s a reason they’re 9.5-point road favorites against the 2-7 Dolphins.

Bills 34, Dolphins 17

Upset of the Week

New England at Tampa Bay

There may be better options for an upset, but this one could easily have been the game of the week. It¶¶Òőap the Tom Brady Bowl for two teams that have hit their strides with quarterbacks playing at really high levels. There isn’t a better story in football than Drake Maye’s Year 2 ascension and the Patriots’ massive one-year turnaround under coach Mike Vrabel. Last year, they went 4-13 and didn’t score more than 25 points in a game. They’re currently riding a six-game winning streak during which they’ve averaged 29.5 points. The Bucs and their own terrific quarterback, Baker Mayfield, are 6-2, firmly in control of the NFC South and favored by 2.5 points at home. They need this one, too, with back-to-back roadies to Buffalo and the Rams on deck. But will they get it?

Patriots 28, Buccaneers 27

He turned it down.

Clearly, he was not out of breath.

Gibbs scored on a long sprint in the second quarter, a 5-yard spinning plunge in the third and accounted for a career-high 218 yards from scrimmage to lead the in a 24-9 win over the on Monday night.

“You felt like this was coming,” Detroit coach Dan Campbell said. “This has been building.”

The Lions (5-2) bounced back from a loss as they have done flawlessly for nearly three years, extending their NFL-long streak of 51 games without dropping two straight in the regular season.

“The guys responded, which I knew they would,” Campbell said.

Tampa Bay (5-2) was outgained by more than 200 yards in the first half, but trailed 14-3 because Detroit had an interception, fumble, turned it over on downs and missed a field goal.

Rookie Tez Johnson had a 22-yard touchdown reception to open the second half, pulling the Bucs within five points, but they could not slow down Gibbs.

On the ensuing drive, Gibbs had a 15-yard run and a 28-yard reception to set up his second touchdown that gave the Lions a 21-9 lead late in the third quarter.

The third-year running back finished with a season-high 136 yards rushing on 17 carries and a season-high 82 yards receiving on three catches, giving him a total that trails just four performances for the franchise this century.

Gibbs is the first NFL player with at least 135 yards rushing and 80 yards receiving along with two scores on the ground since Chris Johnson pulled off the feat with Tennessee in 2009.

“He’s a very talented running back and when you miss a gap, he can turn it into a big play,” Bucs coach Todd Bowles said.

Detroit¶¶Òőap Jared Goff was 20 of 29 for 241 yards with a 27-yard touchdown pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown on the game’s opening drive. Goff, though, lost a fumble and overthrew rookie receiver Isaac TeSlaa on fourth-and-2 on the next two possessions and later threw an interception — all in Tampa Bay territory.

Baker Mayfield was 28 of 50 for 228 yards with one touchdown and one interception against a short-handed defense. Mayfield threw an incomplete pass in the end zone with 4:24 left, ending potential comeback hopes.

“As a skill group, we didn’t connect on a lot of plays,” Mayfield said. “Once the defense knows we are going to have to pass, they can pin their ears back. That¶¶Òőap not a fair situation to the offensive line.”

Gibbs took advantage of a big hole and his speed to score on a careerlong, 78-yard run late in the second quarter to put Detroit ahead 14-0.

“If you can get him to second level, he can do the rest,” Campbell said.

After Detroit¶¶Òőap Jake Bates missed a 54-yard field goal, Chase McLaughlin made a 53-yard field goal to end the half and put the Bucs on the scoreboard.

Bates did connect on a 58-yard field goal early in the fourth, knocking it in off an upright, to give the Lions a 24-9 lead.

“They are a tough matchup for every team right now,” Bowles said. “We know about the loud crowd. We just didn’t execute, but they played a very good game.”

Prime time

The Lions are 13-3 in night games under Campbell and they’ve won five straight on Monday Night Football.

Injuries

Bucs: WR (concussion, broken collarbone) lasted less than a half after returning from a three-game absence due to a hamstring injury.

“He’s going to be gone until toward the last of the season,” Bowles said.

OLB Haason Reddick (knee, ankle) left the game in the second half.

Lions: CB Kerby Joseph, Terrion Arnold and Avonte Maddox were out with injuries, a setback for a secondary without suspended safety Brian Branch. DT Alim McNeill played since tearing a knee ligament late last season and OT Taylor Decker (shoulder) returned after missing two games.

Up next

Bucs: Visit New Orleans on Sunday.

Lions: Bye week before hosting Minnesota on Nov. 2.

Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart and running back Cam Skattebo have injected enthusiasm into the veins of a long-suffering fanbase, hope into a long-suffering franchise. They have a cool aforementioned nickname.

Skattebo has been a revelation. Cast as a situational player in the draft, he boasts 338 yards rushing and five touchdowns. He is Brian Bosworth meets Mike Alstott, inspiring teammates with his rock’em, sock’em robot running style. He leads with his chin in every conversation and carry.

But Dart needs to cool his jets. If, for no other reason, based on what just happened to the Jets.

Some cayenne pepper got sprinkled on Sunday’s game with trash talk, sanitized as it was. Reigning AFC Defensive Player of the Week Jonathon Cooper made it clear he is not impressed with Dart, saying, “He’s feeling himself a lil’ bit. He’s out there running around. He’s got the chain on. He’s dancing. I feel like everybody needs something, you know.”

It was a warning. Dart found it amusing.

“I think a lot of guys wear chains and dance when they score touchdowns,” . “I appreciate him following my dance touchdowns.”

Covering players like Dart is a blast. But quarterbacks lacking humility get clobbered by reality.

He was the singing QB with the nifty backpack celebration until he wasn’t. He has been cast as a career backup since 2021. Dart is more athletic than Lock, but his total disregard for his body and overconfidence have helped him lead the league in blue tent visits the past three weeks.

This Broncos defense is frothing, eager to put on a show to impress the Super Bowl 50 champions, who will be honored at halftime.

Dart is great for the Giants, even if his yards per play are worse than Russell Wilson’s. He loves attention. He just picked the wrong week to engage in verbal jousting. The Broncos have not allowed a touchdown at home, while posting nine sacks.

Good luck “Hanging with Mr. Cooper” on Sunday, Dart.

It is the team, not QB: Time to stop pointing the finger at first-round quarterbacks who fail when history shows coaching and organizational dysfunction is largely to blame. Baker Mayfield is 5-1, and an MVP candidate. Daniel Jones is 5-1 and an MVP candidate. Sam Darnold is 4-2 for Seattle. Here are the records of the teams that drafted them: Cleveland is 1-5, the Giants are 2-3-1 and the Jets are winless.

Wrong tone: The Chiefs welcome back receiver Rashee Rice this week. Can folks stop acting like he is returning from knee surgery? He was suspended for six games for his involvement in a six-car crash that resulted in multiple injuries and led Rice to plead guilty to two felony charges. His absence had nothing to do with his health.

Latin for winning: Talked to Nuggets center Jonas Valanciunas. And teammates about Jonas Valanciunas. It is clear he has bought into his role as Nikola Jokic’s backup on a team with championship expectations, following the “Age Quod Agis” message posted on the practice wall. Translated, it means: “Do what you do.” Valanciunas gets it.

“Whatever it takes to win. We all got to put our egos away and come into the building knowing that only together can we do big things,” Valanciunas said.

Stats don’t always lie: Some good news has surfaced in the Rockies’ promised front office overhaul. According to Patrick Saunders, the club will create a chief revenue and strategy officer position to help invest money in data, analytics and strategy. For all of the reasons the Rockies stink, not understanding the infrastructure of the sport ranks high on the list. The job title is eyewash. But modernizing the baseball operation, which has been operating in the Stone Age for more than a decade, is absolutely necessary.

Grumpier old men. The 2024 presidential election of quarterback matchups — old vs. older — turned into quite a barn-burner. Aaron Rodgers threw four touchdowns and definitely didn’t know the “6-7” celebration Darnell Washington did after one of them. Joe Flacco has hardly been in Cincinnati long enough to figure out where the early bird specials are, and yet he hit Ja’Marr Chase 16 times on 23 targets for 161 yards and a TD. Cincy pulled it out late and suddenly looks like a team that could survive until a late-season Joe Burrow return.

We beat the Broncos. Denver’s two losses are walk-offs on the road against Indianapolis and the L.A. Chargers. Those teams are sitting near the top of the AFC currently and square off this weekend at SoFi. The Colts’ offense is absolutely humming. The Chargers stopped their slide by narrowly beating Miami last weekend. This should be a good one – and could well have seeding impact come January.

Very good Vrabel. The three teams above would represent the top three seeds in the AFC if the playoffs started today. No. 4? Drake Maye and New England. How about that? Mike Vrabel’s done a heck of a job in his return to Massachusetts. Now, actually winning the division against Buffalo is a monster ask, but the Patriots have won three straight and two other divisional teams — the Dolphins and Jets — are very bad. This team can stay in the playoff picture.

Around the NFC

Bears back? Is the endangered Chicago Bear about to stumble out of the wilderness after three decades of irrelevance? Are they really, actually back? Well, they’ve got a chance to stake their claim the next few weeks. Not only is Chicago 3-2 under coach Ben Johnson and QB Caleb Williams and winners of three straight, but their next four games are against New Orleans, Baltimore, CIncinnati and the Giants. Time to gorge.

Are you for real? The Eagles have suddenly lost two straight games and now face Minnesota. If the Vikings lose Sunday, they could find themselves in last place in the NFC North. This is a matchup of teams that started the year as prime NFC contenders and still might be, but are each currently in a bit of a state of flux. Either could get hot, but both have major questions. In Philly: How to get a dormant offense of star players fully rolling. In Minnesota: What¶¶Òőap the plan at quarterback?

Bryce is nice. Since throwing two interceptions in Carolina’s season-opening loss, quarterback Bryce Young has thrown nine touchdowns against three picks and led the Panthers to three wins. This team’s not particularly good, but Young continues to show signs of growth after really struggling as a rookie. Doesn’t hurt to have a back like Rico Dowdle, who is fifth in the NFL in rushing yards and looks like a steal after signing for one year and $2.75 million this spring.

Game of the Week

Tampa Bay at Detroit

Baker Mayfield is playing like an MVP candidate, and he’s about to get receiver Mike Evans back, too. The Bucs have been awfully fun to watch with rookie WR Emeka Egbuka quickly becoming a star and Bo Nix’s brother, Tez Johnson, coming on strong recently too. They’ve got a big challenge on their hands this weekend on the road against the Lions, though, where Dan Campbell’s team has caught fire since a lackluster Week 1 loss. That¶¶Òőap enough to make Detroit a 5.5-point favorite against the team with the best record in the conference.

Lions 27, Buccaneers 23

Lock of the Week

Las Vegas at Kansas City

Don’t look now, but the Chiefs offense is heating up. They’ve scored 37, 28 and 30 the past three weeks, and in that stretch Patrick Mahomes has eight TD passes vs. one interception. Oh, and Kansas City gets top receiver Rashee Rice back from a six-game suspension starting Sunday against the division-rival Raiders. Pete Carroll’s team, meanwhile, has really struggled. Quarterback Geno Smith is comfortably leading the NFL with 10 interceptions and star tight end Brock Bowers has been slowed by injury. If KC gets off to a good start, the 12.5-point line might not be enough.

Chiefs 34, Raiders 20

Upset of the Week

Atlanta at San Francisco

The next time the 49ers catch a break on the injury front will be the first time in a long while. Now they’re down star middle linebacker Fred Warner after a gruesome lower leg injury last week. Still, Kyle Shanahan’s team has trudged its way to 4-2. The Falcons have to travel a long way out to the Bay Area and are 2.5-point underdogs, but they’ve got good vibes going. Running back Bijan Robinson is an offensive player of the year candidate, and second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has played really well the past two weeks after a dreadful outing vs. Carolina. Raheem Morris’ team looks pretty frisky.

Falcons 23, 49ers 21

Bengals need an Average Joe: About two weeks ago, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said he had “unwavering confidence” in backup Jake Browning. And yet $161 million man Ja’Marr Chase seemed rather unhappy. And $115 million man Tee Higgins seemed rather unhappy. The Broncos turned Browning into a ghost a couple of weeks ago, and then Joe Burrow’s replacement turned around and threw three picks against the Lions. The solution to a rapidly-sinking Bengals season: The organization traded for 40-year-old Joe Flacco, who authored a resounding 60.3 quarterback rating in four games in Cleveland before being benched for rookie Dillon Gabriel.

Vibe check in Vegas: Pete Carroll’s NFL return could be going better. The Raiders just got blitzed 40-6 by the Colts in Indianapolis, and quarterback Geno Smith has nine picks in five games. Stud tight end Brock Bowers has been nagged by a knee injury. Linebacker Germaine Pratt was cut after four games. It’s a long process, but the 74-year-old Carroll has yet to show any signs of the culture overhaul he orchestrated at USC and in Seattle.

Breakthrough in Houston: C.J. Stroud said . The NFL world, evidently, did not understand this was a joke, because for some reason the larger NFL world seemed to sour on Stroud to Caleb Williams last year. After a shaky three-game start to 2025, though, Stroud got back on track with a 23-of-27, 244-yard, four-touchdown gem in a blowout of the Ravens last week. Yes, Baltimore’s bruised up every which way. But it was a much-needed showing for Stroud.

Around the NFC

The Javonte Renaissance: Who could’ve predicted this? Through five weeks in Dallas, former Broncos running back Javonte Williams sits at third in the NFL with 447 rushing yards — less than 70 away from his 2024 mark, which he put up in 17 games in Denver. He’s averaging two full yards a carry more in 2025 than he did in 2024, and just snapped off a 66-yarder in a 135-yard performance in Dallas’ Week 5 win over the Jets. If the Broncos hadn’t found J.K. Dobbins at the free-agent buzzer, they might’ve ended up pining after their ex in Texas.

Who’s the real No. 1 pick? A heck of a Monday Night matchup is coming to D.C., as 2024 No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels and the Commanders host 2024 No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams and the Bears. It’s a rematch of last October, when Daniels established himself as the clear top dog in his class in downing Williams in an 18-15 Washington win — albeit on a last-second Hail Mary. Williams, though, has captured some attention across two straight wins for Chicago, and Daniels is still ramping up from an early-season knee injury. Round 2 awaits.

Historic Puka: Matthew Stafford is just churning out historic receiver seasons down in Los Angeles, as Puka Nacua shattered old teammate Cooper Kupp’s record last week for the most catches through the first five weeks of an NFL season. 52 catches! On 62 targets! It’s shaping up as an all-timer. Former Saints wideout Michael Thomas is the single-season record-holder with 149 catches back in 2019, and Nacua is easily within early striking distance.

Game of the Week

San Francisco at Tampa Bay

This is a gem on the CBS mid-afternoon slate. San Francisco, despite a rash of injuries and Brock Purdy’s absence, sits at 4-1. The Buccaneers, riding high on the right arm and outsized confidence of Baker Mayfield, also sit at 4-1. A dogged San Francisco defense did enough to seal an overtime win over the Rams last week, while Mayfield went haywire in a 29-of-33, 379-yard performance to slay Seattle. Someone’s ending up 5-1 and an early belle of the NFL ball after this one.

Tampa Bay 27, San Francisco 21

Lock of the Week

Rams at Ravens

Unless Lamar Jackson pulls a Willis Reed and hobbles out of the tunnel at M&T Bank Stadium on a bad hamstring, this one’s a wrap. The Ravens have given up 35-plus points in four of their five games this season, and sit at 1-4 because of it. Their training room looks like a M.A.S.H. ward. Meanwhile, Matthew Stafford rolls in conducting one of the highest-powered passing attacks in the league. Expect fireworks.

Rams 38, Ravens 17

Upset of the Week

Chargers at Dolphins

Man, the Chargers’ season started so promisingly. But starting tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt are out, running backs Omarion Hampton and Najee Harris are both sidelined, and Justin Herbert’s gotten knocked around the yard for three straight games. Los Angeles sits at 3-2, but they’re eminently vulnerable after putting up just 10 points last week in a loss to the Commanders. Mike McDaniel looks totally checked out in Miami, but Tua Tagovailoa still has enough juice left in his left arm to pull this one out.

Dolphins 21, Chargers 17

°Âłó±đČÔ:Ìę11 a.m. Sunday

°Âłó±đ°ù±đ:ÌęLincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pa.

°ŐłŐ/°ùČč»ćŸ±ŽÇ:ÌęCBS, 850 AM/94.1 FM

Broncos-Eagles series: Denver’s only won once in seven tries at Lincoln Financial Field, as the Broncos face an incredibly tough test on Sunday. The Broncos are 5-9 all-time in 14 matchups against the Eagles, last dropping a game 30-13 in November 2021, when now-Eagles DC Vic Fangio was the head coach.

In the spotlight: Bo Nix faces Vic Fangio defense in massive early test

If you ask Vic Fangio, the Broncos’ second-year quarterback is a heck of a lot like the one the Eagles just played: Baker Mayfield.

“I think he might be Baker’s younger brother,” Fangio, now the Eagles’ defensive coordinator, said Monday. “Really good. Really, really good.”

It’s a fairly apt comparison. Mayfield, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ fiery 30-year-old Pro Bowler, stands 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds. Bo Nix, the Broncos’ fiery 25-year-old QB, stands 6-foot-2 and 217 pounds. Both fall somewhere in the vague realm between on-time game manager and creative shot-taker.

It’s unclear if such a comparison will end up being a compliment, though, after the Eagles just held Mayfield to a 55.0 completion percentage and an 84.3 quarterback rating in a Philadelphia win last Sunday.

“He’s a scrambler,” Fangio said of Nix. “He’s a competitor. He’ll throw the ball in tight places. He runs their offense really well. I think Sean’s done a great job bringing him along. And they got their quarterback for the future.

“They looked long and hard for many years, and they’ve got one.”

Fangio, of course, knows as well as anyone. In Fangio’s three years as the Broncos’ head coach from 2019-2021, Denver cycled through six starting quarterbacks. Those were the days of a not-yet-reborn Joe Flacco, and the weirdness of Drew Lock, Brandon Allen and Jeff Driskel. Payton found his offensive leader in the first round in 2024, after Fangio found the Broncos’ current defensive leader, Pat Surtain II, in the first round in 2021.

Now, after an inconclusive four-game start to 2025, Nix steps into one of the most important moments of his early Broncos career. Head-to-head with the Super Bowl champions. Head-to-head with a Fangio defense that tormented Patrick Mahomes himself last February. Head-to-head with 65,000-plus roaring Philadelphians.

Here’s the thing: The Eagles’ defense has looked considerably more vulnerable through four games this season, despite a 4-0 start. They stiffen in the red zone — tied for the fewest red-zone TDs allowed (4) of any NFL team thus far — when the field tightens and their playmakers shine. Inside linebacker Zack Baun has been worth every penny of a $51 million March extension, racking up nine pressures as a blitzer and allowing just 73 yards on 16 targets in coverage. Quinyon Mitchell is rounding into one of the best young cornerbacks in the game not named Pat Surtain II, surrendering a 44% catch rate early in 2025.

When the field lengths, though, the Eagles are vulnerable. Philadelphia’s allowed the second-most average yards on deep balls thus far this season, according to Next Gen Stats. And they haven’t been able to consistently pressure quarterbacks on such looks: Fangio’s defense sits in the middle of the league in pressure rate, and near the bottom of the league in total sacks.

“I don’t think our rush has been bad,” Fangio said Monday. “The ball’s been coming out pretty quick at times. I haven’t felt an epidemic during the games, when I’m calling them, that our rush isn’t good enough.”

Nix ripped a 28-yard shot to Marvin Mims Jr. against the Bengals in Week 4, one of his most impressive throws of the year. Still, his deep-ball accuracy has been an early talking point. If Payton’s play-calling opens up opportunities against Philadelphia, Nix can’t afford to miss them.

“It¶¶Òőap going to be a challenge to find explosive plays, but at the same time, it¶¶Òőap not getting bored, continuing to do the same stuff over and over throughout the game,” Nix said Thursday. “When it¶¶Òőap there, you also have to be able to hit it. They’ll give us our opportunities; we’ve got to hit it. But at the same time, we’re going to have to work for them.”

Who has the edge?

When Broncos run: Sean Payton unlocked a two-back effectiveness against the Bengals that he’d never quite found in his two previous seasons in Denver, and the Broncos’ ground attack is suddenly rolling. They’re fifth in the NFL in average rushing yards per game. Veteran back J.K. Dobbins has answered the bell at every call, and rookie RJ Harvey added 58 yards on 14 carries Monday night. The Eagles defense has allowed the seventh-highest yards per carry in the league thus far, but this area gets interesting if .ÌęSlight edge: Broncos

When Broncos pass: Vic Fangio made the joke this week that every rookie you start equates to one loss. The Eagles, though, are rolling with second-round pick Andrew Mukuba at safety. He’s largely been solid to start his NFL career, but he got torched for a 77-yard touchdown last week. Philadelphia has solid cornerback play in Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, but sits right in the middle of the league in pass defense thus far. Edge: Even

When Eagles run: The follow-up to a league-altering Super Bowl rushing attack has been … fine. All-world back Saquon Barkley has averaged 3.1 yards a carry thus far, and is going for just 2.5 a pop on between-the-tackles runs. But the Eagles have still run for seven touchdowns on the ground, and the Jalen Hurts Tush Push remains as lethal as ever. Edge: Eagles

When Eagles pass: You’re in a tough early-season spot when your WR1 is . A.J. Brown has been fully neutralized in all but one of the Eagles’ four contests this season, currently averaging fewer than 40 yards a game. Hurts has been remarkably efficient as a thrower, but the Broncos just shut down arguably the best receiving tandem in the league last week in the Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. ·Ą»ćČ”±đ:ÌęBroncos

Special teams: Fangio went on a diatribe this week about how the NFL’s new kicking rules — teams being allowed unlimited time to break in balls — have “drastically changed” field goals around the league. Eagles kicker Jake Elliott probably won’t complain, though, as he’s 3 of 3 on kicks longer than 50 yards this year. Philadelphia, meanwhile, has blocked three combined field goals or punts in just the last two games. This could be a bloodbath. Edge: Eagles

Coaching: Sean Payton’s play-calling popped in Week 4 against the Bengals, and the shift to full series for Dobbins and Harvey showed clear self-evaluation. Vance Joseph’s defense, meanwhile, was allergic to letting the Bengals across midfield for most of the game. For all the combined years of experience there, though, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni is currently piloting a football team that is 20-1 in its last 21 games and has overachieved in 2025 relative to yardage ranks.ÌęEdge: Eagles

Tale of the tape

By the numbers

217:ÌęPassing attempts since Jalen Hurts last threw an interception.

3.5:ÌęEagles running back Saquon Barkley’s average yards-per-carry in 2025 when facing a light box (less than seven defenders).

92.3%:ÌęPhiladelphia tight end Dallas Goedert’s catch rate in 2025.

50%:ÌęA.J. Brown’s catch rate in 2025.

40.9%: Eagles’ pressure rate against Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers last Sunday, their highest since the start of 2024.

158.3: Bo Nix’s quarterback rating when pressured by the Bengals on Monday night.

X-factors

”ț°ùŽÇČÔłŠŽÇČő:ÌęDL Zach Allen. Denver needs its interior defensive linemen to step up massively against the Eagles’ ground game, and Allen has yet to record a true breakout game in 2025 despite doing the dirty work for edges Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper to shine. Philadelphia guard Landon Dickerson has allowed 13 pressures in four games this year. There’s an opportunity for Allen to do some damage.

·ĄČčČ”±ô±đČő:ÌęLB Nakobe Dean.ÌęThe Eagles opened Dean’s practice window to return from the PUP list after a torn patellar tendon in last year’s playoffs, and his presence could massively shift Sunday’s outcome. If Dean’s healthy, Philadelphia could stick him next to rookie Jihaad Campbell at ILB and shift Baun to the edge to try to generate more pressure on Nix.

Post predictions

Parker Gabriel, beat writer: Eagles 26, Broncos 23

The Eagles haven’t really hit their stride yet this season and yet are 4-0. The Broncos haven’t really hit their stride yet — though perhaps Monday night was the start — and are 2-2, with a pair of brutal road losses. Those games matter Sunday in this context: Sean Payton’s team hasn’t learned to close away from home yet. Philly, on the other hand, has won 20 of the past 21 games it’s played over the past calendar year-plus. That and special teams could be the difference.

Luca Evans, beat writer: Broncos 24, Eagles 21

Let’s get a little crazy. Philadelphia has way overachieved its underlying offensive and defensive numbers this year, winning games with fantastic special-teams and red-zone play. The Broncos have one of the best red-zone defenses in the league, and their run game is rolling. Darren Rizzi’s special teams will face its test of the season, but if they play a clean game and don’t spring themselves off any linemen, the Broncos have a real shot here.

Troy Renck, columnist: Eagles 24, Broncos 20

This screams upset … if Denver were at home. The Eagles are vulnerable. Their wings are clipped in the passing game. They have an A.J. Brown problem. They had zero yards through the air in the second half last week. The Broncos could run the ball, take care of the ball, and shock the Eagles. But not in Philadelphia. The Eagles have won 11 straight home games, and haven’t lost there in 13 months. A special teams play will prove the difference.

Sean Keeler, columnist: Eagles 24, Broncos 21

With apologies to the great Reggie Jackson, Sean Payton is the new Mr. October. Since 2016, the Broncos head coach sports a 13-2 record, straight-up, in October road games. Like Tampa and the Meadowlands last year, nobody outside the Front Range gives the orange and blue much of a chance. Bo Nix and the Broncos found something on Monday night. Unfortunately, I think what they mostly found is that the Bengals stink.