The Bengals were desperate after a three-game losing streak.
Joe Burrow looks like the most valuable player in the history of sports.
With Burrow, the Cincinnati Bengals are a perennial contender to win the AFC North or at least make the playoffs. They made a Super Bowl with Burrow once. Since Burrow went to injured reserve, the Bengals have barely resembled an NFL team.
That's how the Bengals landed on what has to be viewed as a desperation trade. Which makes sense, since their three-game slide should put them in desperation mode.
Quarterback Joe Flacco was benched for a third-round rookie by the 1-4 Cleveland Browns, but the Bengals called their division rival about their discarded quarterback. The Browns sent Flacco and a sixth-round pick to the Bengals for a fifth-round pick on Tuesday morning, hoping he saves the offense. Good luck.
It's a low-cost move. It's also a 40-year-old Flacco who in the last calendar year has been benched for Anthony Richardson Sr. and Dillon Gabriel. Thinking that he can save the season, especially joining a team in early October and learning a new offense and teammates on the fly, is likely wishful thinking. But the Bengals had to do something.
Jake Browning was pretty good in 2023 when he was Burrow's injury replacement, but he struggled this season. In the three games since Burrow's injury, the Bengals have been outscored in the first half 69-6. They have not scored a touchdown unless they've been trailing by double digits. They have been absolutely uncompetitive in all three games. They had to try something else at quarterback — is it possible that coach Zac Taylor, the coaching staff and the front office worried they were on the hot seat if they continued to play at this level the rest of the season? — and even though Flacco is unlikely to be a savior, he's better than the alternative. And the Bengals are unlikely to regret that late round pick swap too much, even if it seems like a bad idea to expect Flacco to lead them to the playoffs. They might just be fine with the offense looking like a professional operation again.
Flacco joined the Browns during the season two years ago and had a good run. Maybe he can do the same thing this season with the Bengals and drag them back into playoff contention. There are a lot of people hoping that long shot hits.
Panic meter: A serious panic move
Who's left on the Chargers' offense?
Remember when the Chargers were 3-0? That hot start is fading fast. The Chargers have lost two in a row, which doesn't ruin their season, but injuries might.
Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt were supposed to be the best tackle duo in the NFL. Slater is out for the season and Alt has been out with a high ankle sprain. The Chargers line has been bad without those tackles. At least the Chargers had a couple of good running backs to help slow down the pass rush and take some pressure off of Justin Herbert. Then Najee Harris tore his Achilles and Omarion Hampton suffered an ankle injury severe enough to land him on injured reserve. Hampton looked like a candidate for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year the past couple games before the injury. Now the Chargers turn to Hassan Haskins and Kimani Vidal, who are a big step down from Hampton and Harris. Losing Hampton for at least four games is a huge blow.
The Chargers are well coached, Herbert is a very good quarterback and there are still some good receivers. The defense will help too. But injuries could end up being what wrecks a season that started with such promise.
Panic meter: Don't invest in Chargers playoff tickets, let's say
The below-.500 Chiefs, again
If the Chiefs would have held onto a lead for the final 1:45 on Monday night, we'd have no real worry about them. They would have been 3-2 and tied for first place in the AFC West.
That's not what happened. Trevor Lawrence drove the Jaguars for a game-winning touchdown, vaulting them to 4-1 and knocking the Chiefs back to 2-3. Being 2-3 isn't ideal but not a death sentence. Here's the bad part: The Chiefs host the Lions next. The Lions might be the best team in the NFL. A 2-4 start would be rather shocking for the Chiefs. And the Broncos, who are 3-2 and became the first team since September of 2024 to beat the Eagles in a game that Jalen Hurts started and finished, are a real threat to win the division.
The Chiefs are a good team. They're getting Rashee Rice back in Week 7. It would be foolish to write them off. But they're digging a pretty big hole.
Panic meter: No need to freak out yet, but it's possible they don't win the division
Jaxson Dart struggles
Dart was solid in his first start and the New York Giants won. In his second start last week, he was responsible for three of the Giants' five turnovers and they lost to the lowly Saints. Dart had a few moments but overall he didn't play well. On top of that, Dart hurt his hamstring, though the Giants don't seem too concerned about that.
Quite simply, this is life with a rookie quarterback. Jayden Daniels and C.J. Stroud, who both rarely struggled as rookies, are not the norm. Dart, a first-round pick, should be starting and remain starting through his inevitable slumps. It will happen. He also has clear playmaking ability and has to be allowed to grow. The Giants shouldn't play him if he's significantly injured, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Dart will be fine. He's just not perfect. That shouldn't have been the expectation.
Panic meter: No big deal
When will the Jets win?
There's only one team with a zero on either side of the win-loss column in the standings. The Jets are the league's lone winless team at 0-5. They seem to be getting worse, as well. At some point, the worry has to be how long it will be before coach Aaron Glenn gets his first win.
The Jets play the Broncos in London this Sunday, and that doesn't seem like a win. A game against the Panthers in Week 7 seems easier, though the Jets aren't taking a bye after a London game and that's a reason for concern. Games against the Bengals and Browns come after that. Though at this point, the Jets can't be trusted to beat anyone.
The Jets aren't a good team, but the schedule isn't too bad after what should be a loss to the Broncos. A win should be coming soon. They better hope it is.
Panic meter: If they find themselves 0-9, it's time to get worried
Category: General Sports
