The Buccaneers are still waiting on Baker Mayfield’s Week 7 status, but the bigger development in Tampa might be the progress of rookie edge rusher Rueben Bain. After finally getting his first NFL sack in Week 6, the first-round pick said he’s encouraged by where things stand as he works through the season.
“I’m feeling good. It’s a week-by-week thing,” Rueben Bain Jr. said, via the Tampa Bay Times. “But, you know, as long as I’m progressing, that’s the main thing.”
Todd Bowles liked what he saw from the pass rush against the Steelers, even if the box score didn’t fully show it. He said the unit made life difficult on Dak Prescott and believed the pressure up front was the best Tampa Bay has produced this season.
“I thought all those guys brought pressure,” Bowles said. “They didn’t get the sacks, but they brought a bunch of pressure up front and they had Dak not having his feet set, and that’s very important with a guy like Dak, if you can get him on the move a little bit and throw him off-balance here and there.
I thought the pressure up front was probably the best we’ve had all year. (Bain) looked good.
He’s got to knock the rust off some technique-wise, but he played well and he played hard.”
Bowles also said he does not yet have an update on Mayfield’s condition for Week 7. He said the team won’t know until Wednesday’s practice, and added that Mayfield is supposed to start practicing then. For now, though, the Buccaneers are working with the plan to start Jalon Daniels again.
“We’ll take a good look at him there, and we’ll kind of evaluate him during the week and see how he does.”
In Carolina, Dave Canales made it clear the Panthers won’t force anything with Monroe Freeling. If the OT is able to play in Week 7, Canales said the team will still do what fits the roster best.
“This is a first-round pick for us but we’re gonna do what’s best for the Panthers.”
Canales also had praise for the tackles around him, saying “T-Mo was T-Mo,” in reference to Taylor Moton, and adding that Rasheed Walker had his best game against the Eagles.
In New Orleans, the Saints got a win and moved to 2-4, but that result came after owner Gayle Benson delivered a blunt message to the organization before Sunday’s game. She called the team’s 1-4 start unacceptable and said it fell short of what fans deserve.
“We are 1-4. That is not acceptable to me, and it falls short of what our fans truly deserve,” Benson said, via The Athletic.
“I hear the frustration directed toward our team and our organization. It is not lost on me.
Our fans invest their time, their money and their hearts in the Saints. They are right to expect more than we have delivered.”
Benson said the burden begins with her and stressed that she will not excuse the way the season has gone.
“As an owner, the responsibility does start with me,” Benson added. “I will not make excuses, and I will not accept this level of performance as our standard.
I am committed to making the decisions necessary to improve this team. Everyone in this organization understands the urgency.
We must prepare better, execute consistently and correct the mistakes that are costing us the games. Words will not restore our fans’ confidence.
Our performance must do better.”
She also laid out where the accountability sits across the organization, pointing to Kellen Moore, Mickey Loomis and the players themselves.
“ Kellen Moore and his coaches are responsible for preparing our players to perform,” Benson continued. “Mickey Loomis and our football staff are responsible for building a roster capable of sustained success.
Our players are responsible for their preparation and execution. I am responsible for holding this organization accountable.”
Benson closed by tying the moment to the Saints’ history, mentioning the 20-year anniversary of the team’s return to the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina and recalling Steve Gleason’s blocked punt.
“Twenty years ago, the Saints returned to the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina. We all remember Steve Gleason ‘s blocked punt.
The roar of the crowd and what it meant to see our city come together once again,” she concluded. “Losing this year’s anniversary game to Atlanta, truly disappointing.
Hearing our fans’ memories of that homecoming reinforced how deeply this team is woven into their lives. There’s a great deal of football ahead of us, but our response must show up on the field.”
In Other News...
Saints Win Turned On One Offensive Choice And Two Huge Defensive Plays
The Saints found a way to steady themselves after an early hole at MetLife Stadium, leaning on a mix of timely offense and dependable kicking to keep the Giants from fully separating. New Orleans answered the opening punch with touchdowns from Tyler Shough and Jameis Winston, while Daniel Carlsons field goals helped keep the pressure on a New York team that kept finding answers of its own.
The turning point came when the defense started changing possessions, with interceptions by Martin Emerson Jr. and Julian Blackmon giving New Orleans extra chances in a game that had already swung back and forth. Once those takeaways arrived, the Saints were able to keep pushing the pace and protect a lead that held up through the end. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Just Saw How Messy The Giants Backfield Has Become
The Giants backfield has taken another turn, and for a Saints team that already had a close eye on the NFC landscape, it is the kind of roster shuffle that stands out. New York is now down to Cam Skattebo, Tyrone Tracy and Devin Singletary in the running back room, a group that has been in flux as the Giants continue to sort out how they want to distribute touches.
Najee Harris had been part of that mix until the latest change, even after the Giants made some unusual calls with his usage in recent weeks. His role had already been in question after Week 6, when the workload never matched what many expected, and the move leaves even more uncertainty around how the Giants plan to handle the position going forward. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Game Just Intensified The Giants J.J. McCarthy Debate
Adam Thielen said the mood inside the Giants locker room was buoyed by J.J. McCarthys fourth-quarter surge against the Saints, even though the comeback effort came in a loss. McCarthy was making his first real impression after landing in New York from Minnesota, and for a stretch he looked every bit like a quarterback who could change the conversation around a team searching for a reset.
For New Orleans, the bigger issue is how quickly McCarthy turned a late, lopsided game into something worth dissecting. Thielen pointed to the reaction around the Giants after McCarthy stepped in for Jameis Winston and suddenly energized the offense, a reminder that one strong finish can ripple well beyond the final score and fuel an already uncomfortable debate about what comes next. [Read more 🡒]