The panic meter is starting to buzz for a few teams hanging around the playoff race, and the pressure is landing in different ways depending on how much runway each club still has left. Some teams are wobbling.
Others are already in trouble. And one just made a move to try to save its season.
Minnesota sits at the lowest end of the worry scale here, even after a rough stretch at quarterback forced the issue. Carson Wentz’s Monday night outing against the Buffalo Bills was brutal - 8-of-25, 81 yards, two interceptions - and it pushed the Vikings into action. On Tuesday, Minnesota sent a third-round pick to the Vikings in a deal for Kirk Cousins in hopes of jump-starting an offense that had gone flat.
That upgrade matters. Cousins ranks sixth in the NFL in success rate at 51.1 percent, fifth in passing yards and second in passing touchdowns with 20.
Compared with Wentz and Kyler Murray, he’s a massive step up. The Vikings already have an elite defense, and with even competent quarterback play, they suddenly look like a real threat again.
That’s why their panic meter lands at 4/10.
New England is in a more uncomfortable spot. The Patriots looked like they were rolling after beating the Buffalo Bills in Week 4 and then winning two more to move to 4-2.
But that momentum has faded fast. Three weeks later, they’re 5-4 and coming off a 45-27 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
Mike Vrabel’s team is still holding the seventh spot in the AFC standings, but the margin is getting thin. If the Patriots lose to the Detroit Lions in Week 10, NFL.com gives them just a 46 percent chance to make the playoffs.
Injuries are part of the problem on offense, and the schedule ahead is no favor either. Four of the next five games are against the Lions, Bills, Vikings and Kansas City Chiefs.
The panic button isn’t fully smashed yet, but it’s close enough that the hand is hovering right over it. That puts New England at 6.5/10.
Cleveland is the team with the most reason to sweat. The Browns have been a good story, but the numbers are starting to turn against them.
NFL.com gives Cleveland, now 5-4, just a 25 percent shot at the postseason. If they lose to the Houston Texans in Week 10, that number drops to 16 percent.
The recent form doesn’t help. Cleveland has dropped three of its last five, and the two wins in that span came against the Tennessee Titans and the Tyler Huntley-led Baltimore Ravens.
That’s the kind of résumé that makes it hard to trust them when the competition rises. With a desperate Texans team next, the Browns are staring at a game that could push them even deeper into the panic zone.
Their rating: 8/10.
In Other News...
Carson Wentz Just Framed How Fast The Vikings Changed Course
Carson Wentz did not try to dodge the moment after his rough outing, and his acknowledgment of how he played helps explain how quickly the Vikings moved to change course at quarterback. In a division where every week seems to reset the conversation, Minnesota had seen enough to make a move that was less about waiting for a rebound and more about reacting to what was already on film.
The timing matters because the rest of the NFC North is still making its own adjustments, from Detroit dealing with Christian Mahogany's benching after a team-rules violation to Green Bay lighting up New England behind big days from Christian Watson and Matthew Golden. For the Vikings, though, the focus is on stability and getting the position settled, and Wentz's self-assessment only sharpens the sense that the organization was not going to let the situation linger. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Fans Had The Perfect Reaction To This Josh Allen Moment
The Bills left U.S. Bank Stadium with a 23-6 win over Minnesota on Monday night, and Josh Allens night did not end with the final whistle. After Buffalo improved to 7-1 behind Allens 234 passing yards, a touchdown and an interception, plus James Cooks 107 rushing yards and a score, the quarterback was seen spending time with the family of Vikings long snapper Andrew DePaola.
For a fan base that had just watched its team get handled on prime time, the postgame scene offered a lighter moment to latch onto. Allen took photos with DePaolas wife and children, and the interaction quickly became the kind of unexpected sideline footnote that travels fast after a game like this, especially when the result on the field already belonged to Buffalo. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Just Sent A Clear Message About Odell Beckham Jr
The Vikings made a notable roster move this week, parting ways with Odell Beckham Jr. along with guard C.J. Hanson and offensive tackle Corey Robinson II from the practice squad. Beckham had only recently been elevated to the active roster for Week 9, which made the decision stand out even more as Minnesota continues sorting through the back end of its roster.
For Beckham, it adds another twist to a career that has already included plenty of movement and short-term stops in recent years. For the Vikings, it leaves open the question of how they want to handle the veteran receiver going forward, especially with the practice squad still available as a possible landing spot if the two sides decide to reconnect. [Read more 🡒]