The Denver Broncos have listed quarterback Russell Wilson as questionable for their Week 7 meeting with the New York Jets.

Wilson injured his hamstring during the Broncos' 19-16 overtime defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday, a game in which the 33-year-old started brightly before Denver collapsed.

Wilson finished the first quarter with a perfect 10 completions, including a touchdown, but completed just five of his subsequent 18 passes as the Chargers fought back.

Things then went from bad to worse for the Broncos as Wilson confirmed he had played through the pain barrier after straining his hamstring in the latter stages of the game.

On Friday, the Broncos listed Wilson as questionable for the clash with the Jets, while head coach Nathaniel Hackett said the team will make a "game-time decision" on his involvement.

Wilson was already managing a shoulder injury sustained in the Week 5 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, and has been seen wearing a wrap under his pads in recent outings.

The Broncos enter their meeting with the Jets with a 2-4 record for the season, with nine-time Pro Bowl QB Wilson completing just 58.6 per cent of his passes since arriving in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks.

Baltimore Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins will miss up to six weeks of action following knee surgery.

The 23-year-old, who was the 55th overall pick for the Ravens in the 2020 draft, missed the whole of the 2021 season after suffering a knee injury in his team's final preseason game.

Dobbins returned to action in Week 3 of the 2022 campaign against the New England Patriots, and has played four games in all, scoring a touchdown in the 23-20 defeat to the Buffalo Bills in Week 4.

However, he did not practice all week after not playing in the second half of the 24-20 defeat at the New York Giants in Week 6.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Dobbins will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in the next few days that will keep him out for "four to six weeks".

The 3-3 Ravens, who face the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, will have to turn to Kenyan Drake and Justice Hill over the next few weeks to maintain their impressive running game, spearheaded by quarterback Lamar Jackson, who himself has rushed for 451 yards in six games this season.

Baltimore rank seventh in the NFL for rushing yards (934) but are first for average yards (5.95).

Christian McCaffrey officially joined the San Francisco 49ers on Friday and expressed excitement about joining the Kyle Shanahan-led offense. 

Acquired from the Carolina Panthers on Thursday for a haul of draft picks, McCaffrey met with the media after taking part in his first practice with the 49ers.  

"In my opinion, the best run game and one of the most explosive offenses in the league. How could you not want to play here as an offensive weapon," McCaffrey said. "I couldn’t be more fired up to be here. Obviously, I have a little bit of a history with coach Shanahan. I can’t express how happy I am to be here." 

The trade sends McCaffrey back to the Bay Area where he starred in college at Stanford. 

McCaffrey’s father, former NFL wild receiver Ed McCaffrey, won a Super with the 49ers in 1994 and won two more titles in Denver with Shanahan’s father, Mike, as his head coach.  

"I don’t think there’s anybody better at putting guys in position to have success and tailoring to what they’re good at," McCaffrey said of Kyle Shanahan. "I’ve watched him to do some unbelievable things with some great running backs, even the guys in the room right now. I’m just excited to learn from them."

The 49ers will add McCaffrey to a group of playmakers that includes versatile receiver Deebo Samuel, star tight end George Kittle and receiver Brandon Aiyuk.  

Samuel has thrived under Shanahan in becoming one of the league’s most productive players and McCaffrey should be able to do many of the similar things, whether lining up in the backfield or in the slot as a receiver.  

"It’s an honour to be compared to him [Samuel]," McCaffrey said. "I’m happy to share the locker room with him and I think we can do some exciting things." 

While clearly one of the best running backs in the league, McCaffrey has had trouble staying healthy in recent seasons. He missed 23 games over the previous two seasons due to injuries but has played in all six games in 2022.  

"I think you’re always adapting every offseason," McCaffrey said regarding injuries. "It’s a constant change in figuring out what’s the best thing to do, so I made some tweaks here and there, talked to some different guys. Every year I’ve made certain changes and at the end of the day, it’s an ongoing process. Just take it day by day." 

McCaffrey ranks fourth in the NFL in yards from scrimmage (607) despite playing for the league’s 32nd-ranked offense. He and Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb are the only players in the league to have five games this year with at least 100 yards from scrimmage.

The New York Jets travel to face the Denver Broncos on the back of a three-game winning streak on Sunday, though their recent record in this contest suggests it could be a struggle for their offense. 

Denver's defense has recorded a shutout in each of the Broncos' last two home games with the Jets.

The Broncos might have expected to enter this Week 7 contest with a winning record, but it is the Jets who are in much better shape in the AFC after six weeks.

Having started the season 1-2, the Jets have claimed three wins in a row since Zach Wilson returned from injury and face a Broncos team now 2-4 after two consecutive overtime defeats and with questions lingering over the performances of Russell Wilson.

The Broncos' blockbuster trade with the Seattle Seahawks for the nine-time Pro Bowl QB has not worked out as intended so far. Wilson has a completion percentage of 58.6 this season. In 10 seasons with the Seahawks, his lowest single-season completion percentage was 61.3 in 2017.

His Week 6 performance in overtime defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers was particularly poor as Wilson completed just 15 of his 28 passes (53.6 per cent), with Wilson's former Seahawks team-mate Michael Robinson warning there could be a 'mutiny' in the locker room due to his 'robot' approach.

A yards per game average of 240.3 is only enough to rank 14th in the NFL and Wilson's well-thrown rate, a Stats Perform metric that measures how often a pass is accurate and well-thrown, stands at 72.6 per cent. Of players with over 100 passing attempts this season, only the Chicago Bears' Justin Fields has a lower percentage (72.1).

In contrast to the Broncos' woes, the Jets come into the matchup on a high after securing their first three-game win streak since 2019, with last week's victory at the Green Bay Packers also marking their first three-game road winning run in a single season since 2010.

That year, the Jets season ended with a trip to the AFC Championship game. They have not been back to the playoffs since and recorded a winning record just once in that time (10-6 in 2015).

Only once since 2018 have the Jets had more wins in a single season (seven in 2019) than the four they have amassed so far yet, while the feeling is positive, it is no secret Zach Wilson still has work to do.

In his three games since returning from injury, all of which have been victories, he has thrown 572 yards with a completion percentage of 56. He has thrown only one touchdown completion while tossing two interceptions.

The No.2 pick from the 2021 draft has seen general manager Joe Douglas vastly improving Wilson's supporting cast, but their recent surge has been in spite of Wilson rather than because of him.

A well-thrown rate of 72.5 is a concern on its own but is especially concerning given 82.6 percent of his throws have been to an open target, the fifth-highest rate among quarterbacks with at least 50 attempts.

No player in the NFL with at least 50 pass attempts this season has a higher pickable pass percentage than Wilson's 10.14, while he is continuing to hold the ball for far too long.

Indeed, his average time of 2.94 seconds from the snap of the ball to the throw is the longest of any player to have a passing attempt in 2022.

Clearly, both Wilsons have significant strides to make, but the difference is Denver is locked into Russell Wilson for the long-term on an extremely lucrative contract. Zach Wilson is still on his rookie deal and the Jets could soon start to have conversations about whether to activate his fifth-year option or look to move on to a new potential answer at the game's most important position. Breaking their scoreless streak in Denver against a vaunted Bronco defense will at least improve the case of the player the Jets hope will blossom into their franchise quarterback.

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray and head coach Kliff Kingsbury have played down their heated exchange during a win over the New Orleans Saints.

The Cardinals snapped an eight-game home losing streak with a 42-34 victory on Thursday, as the visitors' stand-in QB Andy Dalton threw three interceptions.

For Arizona, Murray completed 20 of his 29 passes for 204 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions, but he also made headlines through his second-quarter row with Kingsbury.

Murray appeared to shout, "calm the f*** down" at his coach on two occasions, but insisted there was no ill feeling between the pair after the win.

"The clock was running down and we couldn't get off the play that we were trying to run," Murray said. "So, it was... I guess it's my fault. I'll take it.

"We're good. We're going to make it right. We ended up scoring so that was good. But, yes, that's all I was saying, just chill out.

"It doesn't faze me, and I don't think it fazes him. We're just trying to win. [It was an] in the moment type of thing. After that, we're good."

Kingsbury shared Murray's view of the incident, adding he liked to see such levels of competitiveness from his QB.

"I mean, it's good," Kingsbury said. "I think we are working through, as an offense, where we want to be and what we want to do. 

"When you have competitors that have a level of intensity like that, I think it will keep pushing us forward."

The Cardinals' win represented their first 40-plus-point game since January 1, 2017, breaking the longest streak in the NFL of 87 games, and took them to 3-0-4 for the season.

Heading into Week 7 of the NFL season, the picture is still delicately poised as the race for the playoffs begins to heat up.

The Philadelphia Eagles (6-0), Buffalo Bills (5-1) and Minnesota Vikings (5-1) are all on a bye this week, along with the Los Angeles Rams (3-3), which provides an opportunity for the chasing pack to close the gap.

Both New York franchises are on the road as they look to extend their winning records, the Giants in Jacksonville to face the Jaguars while the Jets tussle with the Denver Broncos, and elsewhere, the Kansas City Chiefs have a stern test in San Francisco against the 49ers.

With all that and more on the cards, Stats Perform has delved into the numbers to preview this weekend's action.

New York Giants (5-1) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (2-4)

The Giants may have season form on their side against the Jaguars but they are the only team to never win a road game in Jacksonville (0-3), who are one of two franchises the Giants have not won against away from home alongside the Baltimore Ravens.

Victory against the Ravens in Week 6, coming on home soil, saw the Giants secure a fifth win of the season and become the first NFL team this term to surpass their win total from last year (four). Their largest wins increase in the Super Bowl era was from one in 1966 to seven in 1967.

Daniel Jones' form has been key to that improvement, completing at least 70 per cent of his passes in back-to-back games for the first time in his career. He has the opportunity to become only the second Giants QB in the Super Bowl era to do so in three straight games, alongside Eli Manning in September 2018 (minimum 20 attempts each game).

The Jaguars' 2-4 record does not paint the full picture of their season, though, with a +24 point differential standing as the sixth best in the NFL and the best for a team with a losing record through six games since the 2010 Los Angelese Chargers (+31, 2-4).

In last week's defeat to the Indianapolis Colts, Trevor Lawrence completed 20 of 22 passes (90.9 per cent) to become the youngest player (23 years, 10 days) to ever record 90 per cent accuracy from at least 20 passing attempts in a game.

Kansas City Chiefs (4-2) @ San Francisco 49ers (3-3)

Kansas City face the 49ers boasting victories in four of the last five matchups, including a 31-20 triumph in Super Bowl LIV, but are 1-5 in San Francisco – with their only win there coming in the teams' first-ever clash in 1971.

The Chiefs have not been strong defensively, allowing at least 20 points in all six games to begin the season and stand as one of four teams who are yet to allow fewer than 20 in any game this season.

That bodes well for the 49ers, who are 2-0 at home this season and have allowed fewer than 10 points in both of those games, though they have never held their opponent to fewer than 10 points in the team's first three home games of any season.

The potential return of Nick Bosa will be of concern for Patrick Mahomes, after he missed last week due to a groin injury, as the 49ers are pressuring quarterbacks in 48.4 per cent of passing plays with Bosa on the field (122 plays) compared to 34.9 per cent without him (86 plays).

New York Jets (4-2) @ Denver Broncos (2-4)

The Denver Broncos are in need of a major improvement in performance and hosting the Jets will provide encouragement, having shut them out in two straight home games, including 26-0 last year.

The Jets have reason to be optimistic themselves, however, with last week's 27-10 victory against the Green Bay Packers securing their first three-game winning streak since 2019 and their first three-game road winning streak in a single season since 2010.

Meanwhile, the Broncos fell to a 19-16 overtime defeat to the Chargers in Week 6 and suffered their second straight overtime loss, with no team ever having played three straight overtime games in NFL history.

Russell Wilson found himself under scrutiny again last week, completing only 15 of his 28 pass attempts for a completion percentage of 53.6. In total this season, he has a 58.6 completion percentage, having entered the year with a lowest single-season completion percentage of 61.3 in 2017.

Elsewhere…

The Pittsburgh Steelers lost their first six road games as a franchise against the Miami Dolphins but head to Florida in Week 7 with a 6-3 record in the past nine meetings. However, they have not had a quarterback start at the Dolphins other than Ben Roethlisberger since Kordell Stewart in 1998.

Each of the last 11 games between the Seattle Seahawks and the Chargers have been decided by a single-digit margin, with the only longer streak in NFL history being a 14-game stretch between the Colts and Houston Texans from 2014 to 2020.

Aaron Rodgers stands 0-3 in road games against the Washington Commanders, with the Green Bay Packers 2-8 in their last 10 games in Washington – their victories coming in 1968 and 2004.

Tom Brady faces the Carolina Panthers with 15 completions in each of his last 39 games for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, tying Brady's career-best streak with 39 straight games for the New England Patriots from 2011 to 2013.

The San Francisco 49ers have won the Christian McCaffrey sweepstakes, acquiring the All-Pro running back from the Carolina Panthers on Thursday for four draft picks, according to multiple reports.

Off to an ugly 1-5 start, the Panthers had been considering trading McCaffrey, and they found a partner in the 49ers. Carolina will receive picks in the second, third and fourth round in the 2023 draft, and a fifth-round selection in 2024.

The 26-year-old McCaffrey ranks fourth in the NFL with 670 scrimmage yards, amassing 393 on the ground and another 277 through the air.

He joins a 49ers team that lost starting running back Elijah Mitchell to a sprained MCL in the season opener and quarterback Trey Lance to a season-ending broken ankle the next week.

Despite the significant injuries, the 49ers are 3-3 and in a three-way tie for first place in the NFC West with the Seattle Seahawks and defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams.

The versatile McCaffrey gives quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo another weapon to an offense that features receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk and tight end George Kittle.

The eighth overall pick of the 2017 draft, McCaffrey’s best season came in 2019, when he became the third player in NFL history to reach 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season. He finished with 1,387 rushing yards and 1,005 receiving yards and 19 total touchdowns to tie for the league lead.

Injuries, however, limited him to just 10 total games in 2020 and ‘21, but he’s suited up for all six games this year.

McCaffrey becomes the second Carolina player traded to an NFC West team this week after the Arizona Cardinals acquired wide receiver Robbie Anderson on Monday.

The Arizona Cardinals snapped their two-game losing skid by capitalizing on three Andy Dalton interceptions in a 42-34 win over the New Orleans Saints on Thursday.

The Cardinals led 35-17 before the Saints scored two fourth-quarter TDs through Dalton passes, but the damage was done as Arizona improved to 3-4 at University of Phoenix Stadium.

Arizona QB Kyler Murray, who was seen shouting at head coach Kliff Kingsbury in the second quarter, completed 20 of 29 passes for 204 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions, along with 30 rushing yards. DeAndre Hopkins sparked his side, returning from suspension for the first time this season for 103 yards from 10 catches.

Cardinals running backs Eno Benjamin, who had 12 carries for 92 yards, and rookie Keaontay Ingram both scored TDs.

The story of the game was Saints QB Dalton, starting for the fourth straight game in Jameis Winston's absence due to a back injury. 

Dalton had thrown only one interception in his previous three starts, but gave away three, including two pick-sixes to Marco Wilson and Isaiah Simmons. He had 30-of-47 passing for 361 yards with four touchdowns, connecting with Juwan Johnson for two of them, but the three interceptions hurt.

The Saints had gone ahead early when Dalton found Rashid Shaheed with a 53-yard TD pass, but the Cardinals worked their way back with 25 second-quarter points. Ingram powered his way in for a TD, before Wilson swooped on Marquez Callaway's tip ball, followed by Simmons' interception return from the 40-yard line.

The game marked the Cardinals' first 40-plus-point game since January 1 2017, breaking the longest streak in the NFL of 87 games.

The Dallas Cowboys have not made an official announcement, but according to Dak Prescott he will be back starting at quarterback on Sunday against the visiting Detroit Lions.

When asked during a press conference on Thursday if he would be starting on Sunday, Prescott responded, “I am.”

He then paused briefly and said, “I think.”

Though he tried walk back his slip-up, all signs point to Prescott being under center for the first time since suffering a fracture near his right thumb in the fourth quarter of a 19-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on September 11.

He has been medically cleared to practice and got through a full training session on Thursday for the first time since his injury.

''It's about staying where my feet are,'' Prescott said. ''Just thankful I went out there and had a good practice. Just put my mind right where I am, and when I look up I'll be prepared ready to go for Sunday.''

Prescott said he had no issues throwing and joked that he threw 140 passes – his way of saying he has no limitations.

"I did everything. I wasn't limited by any means," Prescott said. "There wasn't a pitch count. I think I threw about 140 balls, something like that. I just made that up, but there was no pitch count. I was full go."

He threw 40 passes during a practice on Wednesday and also threw on the field prior to the Cowboys’ 26-17 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles last Sunday.

That marks the only blemish on Dallas’ record since the season opener.

Cooper Rush led the Cowboys to four consecutive wins in place of Prescott, completing 61.9 per cent of his passes for 775 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions for a 97.1 passer rating before completing 47.4 per cent of his 38 attempts for 181 yards with a TD throw and three picks for a 37.3 rating in Week 6.

''He went out there and did everything I expected Cooper to do,'' Prescott said. ''Understand that everybody had to raise their level and everybody is going to continue to raise their level. That is what he has done and what the team has done. Now I can come back and we can keep rolling.''

Prescott, however, also struggled in Week 1, completing 48.3 per cent of his 29 attempts for 134 yards and an average of 4.6 yards per throw with one interception and a 47.2 rating.

Tua Tagovailoa says he was "wondering what happened" after being knocked unconscious by a big hit in the Miami Dolphins' defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Dolphins quarterback was briefly hospitalised after hitting his head on the ground while attempting to extend a play during a 27-15 Week 4 loss.

Tagovailoa has not played since, but he cleared the concussion protocols last weekend and is set to start against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.

The 24-year-old has spoken for the first time about the injury he sustained on September 29.

He said: "I wouldn't say it was scary for me at the time because there was a point where I was unconscious, so I couldn't really tell what was going on.

"When I did come to and kind of realised what was going on and what was happening, I didn't think of anything long term or short term. I was just wondering what happened."

Tagovailoa has vowed to learn from the experience and change his approach where necessary.

"Throwing the ball away hasn't been something that I've done in the past really well," he said.

"Because I'm trying to make plays, and so just learning from that – if it's not there, it's okay to throw it away. It's the longevity of me just being able to be the quarterback for this team and not try to make something out of nothing."

Miami started the season with three consecutive wins but are now 3-3 after three defeats in a row.

Tagovailoa warned he will not be returning with a magic wand to ensure their fortunes are turned around immediately. 

"I just gotta be myself – I'm not the saviour of this team. I don't just come in and we start winning games," he said.

"It's a team deal. The defense gets us stops, the offense goes and puts points on the board, and the defense can help put points on the board as well as special teams.

"So for me, I just look at it as coming into this week and just be myself. Don't try to force anything. Don't try to make plays that aren't there – just give our playmakers the ball and let them go to work."

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marquise Brown got a second opinion on his injured left foot and will be sidelined at least one month.

Coach Kliff Kingsbury gave the injury update Wednesday, and although he admitted he didn’t know the exact nature of the injury, he said it won’t require surgery.

"It looks like it’ll be indefinite. I think at least a month, I would say," he said via video from Bo Brack of PHNX Cardinals podcast. "We’ll evaluate it and go from there."

It was originally being reported that Brown would be sidelined at least six weeks after he was injured in Sunday’s 19-9 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

Brown ranks fifth in the NFL with 43 receptions and has the seventh-most receiving yards with 485, while his three receiving touchdowns account for half of Kyler Murray’s TD passes.

Murray, though, will have a pair of new weapons at his disposal for Arizona’s Thursday night game against the New Orleans Saints.

Robbie Anderson will make his Cardinals debut after being acquired from the Carolina Panthers on Monday, and DeAndre Hopkins will rejoin the team with his six-game suspension for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs now over.

Belief is a powerful emotion.

Athletes from a variety of sports over the years have spoken about the power of self-belief that allowed them to overcome the odds and prevail.

In the world of fantasy football, where the stakes are substantially lower, it is easy to lose faith after a few bad weeks given the season is so short.

Still, even as the losses mount, it's important to not get discouraged, trust in your line-up decisions and, most importantly, remember that it's just a bit of fun.

Not everything is going to go right for all your players in every game, but with Week 7 on the horizon, Stats Perform has gone through the numbers and identified four offensive players and a defense deserving of your faith for the upcoming slate of games.


Quarterback: Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys @ Detroit Lions

Prescott is finally set to return to the lineup after Cooper Rush kept the Cowboys firmly in the mix during his absence with a fractured thumb.

There may some reticence to roll with Prescott in fantasy in his first game since the season opener. 

Against the Lions, there's little reason to have such concerns. Their defense is allowing 7.37 yards per pass play, the second most in the NFL, while only the Cleveland Browns have conceded more offensive touchdowns than Detroit's 18.

Game flow could work against Prescott putting up a huge fantasy performance if the Dallas defense allows the Cowboys to build a big lead, but there's no reason to expect him to struggle on his return.

Running Back: Kenneth Walker, Seattle Seahawks @ Los Angeles Chargers

Walker backed up his explosive performance against the New Orleans Saints in Week 5 with a strong showing in Week 6 as the Seahawks knocked off the Arizona Cardinals.

He racked up 97 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries versus Arizona and now gets to face a Charger run defense that has displayed no improvement despite heavy offseason investment.

Only the New York Giants (5.61) are allowing more yards per rush than the Chargers (5.56). Walker already has seven rushes of 10 yards or more this season and, if you have this exciting rookie on your roster, you can afford to believe he will deliver in a substantial way in LA.

Wide Receiver: Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Samuel was kept relatively quiet as the 49er offense endured a difficult day in Atlanta last week, failing to score in the second half of their 28-14 loss to the Falcons.

Even so, he still managed seven catches for 79 yards and his fantasy managers who may be worried about a drop-off from the San Francisco attack should stay calm.

The 49er run game sputtered in Atlanta, gaining just 50 yards, but it looked at its best on the two carries Samuel received out of the backfield. 

Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan last season turned to putting Samuel in the backfield to give his offense a spark and it produced stunning results. Don't be surprised to see him do the same here.

With the Chiefs level with the Lions with 18 offensive scores allowed, a varied role for Samuel on Sunday could spell a highly productive effort on an offense that may benefit from the return of All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams.

Tight End: Robert Tonyan, Green Bay Packers @ Washington Commanders

The Green Bay offense is in dreadful shape, with some questioning whether it is broken beyond repair following a dismal defeat to the New York Jets at Lambeau Field.

Aaron Rodgers has called for the Packers to simplify their attack in the wake of that loss. Any huge schematic changes seem unlikely but what is probable is that Rodgers will focus on the few targets he trusts.

One such target is Tonyan, who was last week targeted 12 times, catching 10 passes for 90 yards.

With Randall Cobb on the sideline through injury, Allen Lazard and Tonyan will likely be Rodgers' favoured weapons in the passing game. Whether he can engineer an upturn in Green Bay's fortunes is open for debate, but Tonyan's place in the pass-catching hierarchy for the Packers gives him plenty of fantasy value against a Commanders defense that has allowed 12 passing touchdowns, the second-most in the league.

Defense/Special Teams: New Orleans Saints at Arizona Cardinals

Is your faith in the New Orleans defense shaken by the Cincinnati Bengals' comeback against the Saints? Well here come the Cardinals to make everything all better.

The Cardinals managed nine points against a Seahawks team that has allowed 163 this season. Only the Lions have given up more.

On a per-play basis, the Steelers are the sole team to put up fewer yards (4.77) than the Cardinals (4.81).

The Saints' defense is not as fearsome as in days gone by, but it has the benefit of facing an utterly anaemic offense in Week 7 and is worthy of some belief as a result.

Tom Brady is cutting the same frustrated figure he did in his final season with the New England Patriots, but Ryan Fitzpatrick is still not ruling out a Super Bowl run in case "Tom becomes Tom again in the playoffs".

Brady briefly retired in the offseason, only to soon reverse that decision and return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

But the legendary quarterback then missed time in the preseason and has struggled so far in the 2022 season, with the Bucs falling to 3-3 with Sunday's shock defeat to the lowly Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Tampa Bay offense that ranked seventh and second in Brady's first two years with the team is now down in 21st.

The 45-year-old is moving the ball only 6.7 yards per passing attempt. He has only dipped below that mark once since 2002, throwing for 6.6 yards per attempt in 2019 before leaving the Patriots.

Former Bucs QB Fitzpatrick is concerned, although he is not writing off a record-extending eighth Super Bowl success.

"I think I've seen this from him before," Fitzpatrick told The Bill Simmons Podcast on The Ringer.

"His last year in New England, it was another example of a year where there was so much visible frustration from him.

"He was exasperated all the time by his team-mates and play-calling, and you could visibly see him upset more than usual on the field and the sideline. That's what this year feels like a little bit.

"That being said, I've played for Todd Bowles in New York. First of all, his defensive scheme is great, it's tough to go against, he's very aggressive. That trickles down to the team.

"I think they won some games early because of the defense, and they haven't performed so well of late.

"I still see the Bucs as a team that is going to sleepwalk their way to 10-7, make the playoffs, and then hopefully it all comes together because maybe then Tom becomes Tom again in the playoffs. That's just what this season feels like right now, for me."

Brady is in his 23rd season in the NFL, and Fitzpatrick has been in awe of his focus up to this point.

"That's always been the amazing thing about him when I watch him," he added. "Even though it's been so long, he's so locked in all the time.

"Whether it's been an inferior opponent or a big game on Sunday, Monday night, Thursday night, he was always so locked in.

"I'm just missing that a little bit when I watch him this year."

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay has become the first NFL owner to back the removal of Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder. 

"I believe there’s merit to removing him," Irsay told reporters gathered for the NFL owners meetings in New York on Tuesday. "There’s consideration that he should be removed."

His comments come as Snyder faces several scandals and investigations into workplace conduct in Washington. The league has been investigating allegations of sexual misconduct and financial impropriety. 

Removing Snyder would be unprecedented and requires 24 votes from the other owners. 

"I think potentially there could be, but we’ll see," Irsay said when asked if at least 24 owners would vote for removal. 

"It’s something we have to review, we have to look at all the evidence and we have to be thorough and it’s something that has to be given serious consideration.

"I believe in the workplace today, the standard that the shield stands for in the NFL, that you have to stand for that and protect that. I just think once owners talk among each other they will arrive at the right decision."

Snyder’s problematic ownership became an issue again last week when ESPN reported, citing anonymous sources, that he has hired private investigators and told people he has enough information to expose fellow owners and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. The Commanders released a statement saying the Snyders will not sell the team. 

"It is highly inappropriate, but not surprising, that Mr. Irsay opted to make statements publicly based on falsehoods in the media,'' the statement said.

"It is unfortunate that Mr. Irsay decided to go public with his statement today, while an investigation is in process, and the team has had no opportunity to formally respond to allegations.

"The Commanders have made remarkable progress over the past two years. We are confident that, when he has an opportunity to see the actual evidence in this case, Mr. Irsay will conclude that there is no reason for the Snyders to consider selling the franchise. And they won't.'' 

Snyder then issued a second official statement addressing specific allegations made by the ESPN article, which he said contained "false and malicious statements".

"There is one allegation in the ESPN article that I feel it is important to address immediately," it says. "The article cited unnamed sources who said: 'they've been told that Snyder instructed his law firms to hire private investigators to look into other owners' and Commissioner Goodell.

"That is patently false and intended to erode the trust and goodwill between owners that I take quite seriously. I have never hired any private investigator to look into any owner or the Commissioner. I have never instructed or authorised my lawyers to hire any private investigator on my behalf for any such purpose. And I never would."

Tanya Snyder, the team's co-CEO, and Commanders president Jason Wright are representing the team at this week's owners' meetings. 

Since Dak Prescott was injured in the season opener, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has remained optimistic that his quarterback would return sooner than originally estimated.

He now believes Prescott will be back on the field this Sunday against the Detroit Lions.

"Well, let's just say this: He's determined to [play]," Jones said during an interview with 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday. "I think he's, from my perspective, from what I can know and see, I think he's going to get there. We feel like that physically, he's at a position that the risk/reward justifies him being out there in terms of any reoccurrence of the injury."

Prescott was originally expected to be sidelined between six-and-eight weeks after suffering a fracture near his right thumb in the fourth quarter of a 19-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on September 11.

He began throwing again last week and coach Mike McCarthy said Monday that Prescott would be medically cleared to return to practice Wednesday.

"He’s going to be given every opportunity this week to go play," Jones said. "He looks ready to go."

Jones said Prescott had a "very impressive" throwing session prior to Sunday’s 26-17 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, and afterwards said he was planning to return in Week 7.

Sunday’s defeat marked Dallas’ only setback since the season opener.

Cooper Rush led the Cowboys to four consecutive wins in place of Prescott, completing 61.9 per cent of his passes for 775 yards for an average of 7.4 yards per attempt with four touchdowns and no interceptions for a 97.1 passer rating.

He looked a bit shaky this past weekend, however, completing 47.4 per cent of his 38 attempts for 181 yards and an average of 4.8 yards per pass with a TD throw and three picks for a 37.3 rating.

Prescott, however, also struggled in Week 1, completing 48.3 per cent of his 29 attempts for 134 yards and an average of 4.6 yards per throw with one interception and a 47.2 rating.

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