The NFC news cycle this week had a little bit of everything: a star pass rusher, a Cardinals playmaker still working back from injury, and a Seahawks offense trying to sharpen its identity on the fly.
In San Francisco, the Khalil Mack conversation came straight to 49ers GM John Lynch from an unexpected source: TE George Kittle. Lynch was asked whether the team wanted the Chargers pass rusher after Kittle brought up the same name.
“I can’t tell you that,” Lynch said, via 49ersWebzone.com. “A lot of people ask me that.
We seem to be connected to everyone, and I don’t know where that comes from. I had a player ask me that yesterday.”
In Arizona, Cardinals HC Mike LaFleur said RB Jeremiyah Love has not been a major part of the passing game because of an ankle injury and his current inability to run routes. Love is expected to be used more as a receiver once he is fully healthy and able to handle those route responsibilities.
Seattle’s offensive story is more about adjustment and steadying the ship. Brian Fleury is in his first year as the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator after previously working as an assistant with the 49ers, and HC Mike Macdonald gave him credit for handling the team’s injury issues without flinching. Still, Macdonald said the offense needs clearer plans it can actually carry out.
“His approach of trying to find solutions and working through things that arise, I think he’s done a great job of that,” Macdonald said, via Brady Henderson of ESPN. “I think he’s doing a good job. But we’ve got to continue as an offensive staff - and Brian’s leading our offensive staff - of generating really clear plans that we can execute, and as an offense, executing at really a higher level.”
Fleury also spoke about an earlier stop in his career, saying his time with the Dolphins was “one of the most valuable” stretches he’s had. He was a Miami research analyst in 2016 before moving up to director of football research for the next two seasons.
“So at the time, I was a little bit frustrated because I wasn’t dealing with players directly, but in hindsight, it probably was one of the most valuable three-year periods of my life, just from a development standpoint,” Fleury said.
Seahawks TE AJ Barner also offered his view of Fleury’s style, describing him as direct, organized, and firmly focused on football.
“I think Coach Fleury does a great job of being all about ball,” Barner said. “He runs his meetings the right way.
He expects great things out of his players. He comes to work each day with the same kind of attitude that’s just straight business.”
In Other News...
Sean McVays Reaction Said Everything After Cardinals Shocked The Rams
A road win over a division rival is always going to count for something, but this one landed with a little more force for Arizona because of the way it unfolded. The Cardinals snapped a four-game losing streak and did it by beating the Rams 18-16 at SoFi Stadium, a result that left Los Angeles frustrated and searching for reasons after the offense stalled and the game kept slipping away through turnovers and penalties.
Sean McVays postgame tone said plenty about where the Rams are right now. He spent much of his discussion pointing to the critical errors and self-inflicted mistakes that undercut his team, and the bigger concern for the Rams is that the issues were not isolated to one phase or one drive. For Arizona, it was the kind of gritty division win that can steady a season. For the Rams, it was another reminder that clean football still is not coming easily. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Trade Deadline Push Centers On One Huge Pass Rush Question
The pass-rush market always gets a little louder near the trade deadline, and Josh Sweat is one of the names drawing attention because of what he could mean for a team trying to shore up the edge. Dallas has been linked to the Cardinals defender as it looks for help up front, with the idea being that a proven pass rusher could change the look of a defense in a hurry. Sweats recent performance and contract status only add to the appeal, making him the kind of player contenders check on even when the price is expected to be steep.
Arizona, though, has given no public indication that it is eager to move him, which is why any serious conversation would need to be handled carefully. The Cardinals have every reason to treat Sweat as more than a simple deadline asset, and that uncertainty is what keeps the situation from feeling like a quick fix for Dallas. For now, it is a familiar deadline tug-of-war: a team looking for immediate help, and another weighing whether a valuable edge defender is truly available at all. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Suddenly Face A Receiver Problem Cardinals Fans Should Watch
A late-game scare for Davante Adams has put the Rams receiver room back under the microscope, and that is the sort of development Cardinals fans will want to track closely. Adams came up limping after reaching for his left leg and left the field for attention, adding another layer of uncertainty to a group that was already thin behind him and Puka Nacua, who recently returned from injury.
For a Rams offense trying to stay balanced around its top targets, the depth chart suddenly looks more fragile than it did a week ago, and the trade deadline now looms larger as a possible source of help. No moves have been reported yet, but with limited proven depth beyond the top two receivers, this is exactly the kind of situation that can push a team to explore outside options sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]