NFL NEWS
WHAT TO LOOK FOR – WEEK 7
Below are the teams and players that can set historic marks or reach career milestones in Week 7 of the 2025 NFL season, including:
- Denver Broncos
- QB Patrick Mahomes
- QB Aaron Rodgers
- QB Drake Maye
- QB Sam Darnold
- QB Dak Prescott
- WR George Pickens
- RB Christian McCaffrey
- RB Bijan Robinson
- RB Josh Jacobs
- WR Justin Jefferson
- TE Trey McBride
DENVER BRONCOS
The Denver Broncos lead the NFL with 30 sacks this season, tied with the 2013 Kansas City Chiefs for the most sacks by a team in its first six games since 1990.
In Week 7 against the New York Giants (4:05 p.m. ET, CBS), Denver can become the third team since 1990 with at least 35 sacks in their first seven games of a season, joining the 2013 Kansas City Chiefs (35 sacks) and 2000 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (35).
Additionally with five sacks on Sunday, the Broncos can become the third team ever with at least five sacks in five of its first seven games of a season, joining the 2000 Tampa Bay Buccaneers and 1986 Denver Broncos.
Denver has a +24-sack differential in their first six games (30 sacks, six sacks allowed) this season and can surpass the 1969 Los Angeles Rams (+26) for the best sack differential by a team in its first seven games of a season in NFL history.
The teams with the largest sack differential in its first seven games of a season in NFL history:
| TEAM | SEASON | SACKS | SACKS ALLOWED | SACK DIFFERENTIAL |
| L.A. Rams | 1969 | 36 | 10 | +26 |
| Miami | 1989 | 25 | 0 | +25 |
| L.A. Rams | 1988 | 38 | 13 | +25 |
| Tampa Bay | 2000 | 35 | 11 | +24 |
| San Francisco | 1971 | 29 | 6 | +23 |
| Washington | 1987 | 30 | 7 | +23 |
| Denver | 2025 | 30 | 6 | +24* |
| *in team’s first six games | ||||
PATRICK MAHOMES
Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes totaled four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing) with a 132.2 rating in the Chiefs’ Week 6 win, his 92nd regular season win as a starting quarterback since 2017.
With a win against Las Vegas on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS), Mahomes – who turned 30 years old last month – can surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (92 wins) for the most regular-season wins ever by a player under the age of 31.
On Sunday, Mahomes can become the fourth player all-time with a passer rating of 100-or-higher in 60 games in his first nine career seasons, joining Russell Wilson (74 games), Dak Prescott (63) and Matt Ryan (61).
The players with the most games with a passer rating of 100-or-higher in their first nine seasons in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM(S) | GAMES |
| Russell Wilson | Seattle | 74 |
| Dak Prescott | Dallas | 63 |
| Matt Ryan | Atlanta | 61 |
| Jared Goff | L.A. Rams, Detroit | 59 |
| Patrick Mahomes | Kansas City | 59* |
| *in ninth season | ||
AARON RODGERS
Pittsburgh quarterback Aaron Rodgers has 1,021 passing yards with 10 touchdowns and a 105.4 rating in his first five starts this season. He enters Week 7 with 63,973 career regular season passing yards, the sixth-most in NFL history.
On Thursday Night Football at Cincinnati (8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video), Rodgers needs 116 passing yards to surpass Ben Roethlisberger (64,088 passing yards) for the fifth-most regular season passing yards all-time. .
The players with the most regular-season passing yards in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM(S) | PASSING YARDS |
| Tom Brady | New England, Tampa Bay | 89,214 |
| Drew Brees | San Diego Chargers, New Orleans | 80,358 |
| Peyton Manning HOF | Indianapolis, Denver | 71,940 |
| Brett Favre HOF | Green Bay, N.Y. Jets, Minnesota | 71,838 |
| Ben Roethlisberger | Pittsburgh | 64,088 |
| Aaron Rodgers | Green Bay, N.Y. Jets, Pittsburgh | 63,973* |
| *active | ||
DRAKE MAYE
New England quarterback Drake Maye has recorded at least 200 passing yards and a passer rating of 100-or-higher in five consecutive games, including each of the Patriots’ three road games this season.
On Sunday at Tennessee (1 p.m. ET, CBS), Maye can become the third quarterback under the age of 24 with a passer rating of 100-or-higher in each of his first four road starts of a season in NFL history, joining Dak Prescott (first six road starts in 2016 with Dallas) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino (first five road starts in 1984 with Miami).
With at least 200 passing yards and a passer rating of 100-or-higher in Week 7, Maye can become the third player under the age of 24 to record at least 200 passing yards and a passer rating of 100-or-higher in six consecutive games in NFL history, joining Patrick Mahomes (seven consecutive games in 2018) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino (six games in 1984).
The players under the age of 24 with at least 200 passing yards and a passer rating of 100-or-higher in the most consecutive games in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM | SEASON(S) | CONSECUTIVE GAMES |
| Patrick Mahomes | Kansas City | 2018 | 7 |
| Dan Marino HOF | Miami | 1984 | 6 |
| Patrick Mahomes | Kansas City | 2018-19 | 5 |
| Drake Maye | New England | 2025 | 5* |
| Dak Prescott | Dallas | 2016 | 5 |
| *active streak | |||
SAM DARNOLD
In his first three home starts with Seattle, quarterback Sam Darnold has 709 passing yards and six touchdown passes for a 127.0 passer rating.
On Monday night against Houston (10 p.m. ET, ESPN), Darnold can record the highest passer rating by a player in his first four home games with a team in NFL history, surpassing Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner (129.1 rating with St. Louis Rams).
The players with the highest passer rating in their first four home starts with a team in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM | PASSER RATING |
| Kurt Warner HOF | St. Louis Rams | 129.1 |
| Ryan Tannehill | Tennessee | 127.7 |
| Dave Krieg | Detroit | 125.5 |
| Matt Ryan | Atlanta | 125.2 |
| Brock Purdy | San Francisco | 124.9 |
| Sam Darnold | Seattle | 127.0* |
| *in first three home starts | ||
DAK PRESCOTT & GEORGE PICKENS
Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott, since Week 4, has at least three touchdown passes and a passer rating of 120-or-higher in three consecutive games.
On Sunday against Washington (4:25 p.m. ET, FOX), Prescott can become the third player in NFL history with at least three touchdown passes and a passer rating of 120-or-higher in four consecutive games, joining Russell Wilson (five consecutive games in 2015 with Seattle) and Andrew Luck (four consecutive games in 2018 with Indianapolis).
Additionally, with three touchdown passes, Prescott can become the sixth player all-time with at least three touchdown passes in 40 games in his first 10 career seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Peyton Manning (48 games) and Dan Marino (48) as well as Patrick Mahomes (44, in ninth season), Aaron Rodgers (43) and Russell Wilson (41).
Dallas wide receiver George Pickens is tied for first in the NFL with six touchdown receptions , including a touchdown catch in each of his past five games.
In Week 7, Pickens can become the fifth player in the Super Bowl era with a touchdown reception in six of his first seven games with a team, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Randy Moss (with New England) and Terrell Owens (with Philadelphia) as well as Donte’ Stallworth (with New Orleans) and Wes Welker (with Denver).
CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY
San Francisco running back Christian McCaffrey leads all running backs with 46 receptions and 444 receiving yards this season and became the first running back in NFL history with at least 50 receiving yards in each of his team’s first six games of a season
On Sunday night against Atlanta (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC), McCaffrey can become the fifth running back all-time with at least 50 receptions and 500 receiving yards in six career seasons, joining Larry Centers (eight seasons), Tiki Barber (six), Keith Byars (six) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk (six).
Since entering the NFL in 2017, McCaffrey has recorded at least 50 receiving yards in 46 games. With 50 receiving yards on Sunday night, he can tie Ronnie Harmon (47 games) for the third-most games with at least 50 receiving yards by a running back in the Super Bowl era. Only Larry Centers (55 games) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk (50) have more.
The running backs with the most games with at least 50 receiving yards in the Super Bowl era:
| PLAYER | TEAMS | GAMES |
| Larry Centers | Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals, Buffalo, Washington | 55 |
| Marshall Faulk HOF | Indianapolis, St. Louis Rams | 50 |
| Ronnie Harmon | Buffalo, San Diego Chargers, Houston/Tennessee Oilers | 47 |
| Keith Byars | Philadelphia, Miami, New England, N.Y. Jets | 46 |
| Christian McCaffrey | Carolina, San Francisco | 46 |
BIJAN ROBINSON
Atlanta running back Bijan Robinson leads the NFL with 822 scrimmage yards this season, the fourth-most by a player in his team’s first five games of a season in the Super Bowl era.
On Sunday Night Football at San Francisco (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC), Robinson can move into the top five for the most scrimmage yards by a player in his team’s first six games of a season in the Super Bowl era.
The players with the most scrimmage yards in their team’s first six games of a season in the Super Bowl era:
| PLAYER | TEAM | SEASON | SCRIMMAGE YARDS |
| Marshall Faulk HOF | St. Louis Rams | 2000 | 1,083 |
| Tiki Barber | N.Y. Giants | 2004 | 989 |
| Priest Holmes | Kansas City | 2002 | 962 |
| O.J. Simpson HOF | Buffalo | 1975 | 942 |
| DeMarco Murray | Dallas | 2014 | 940 |
| Bijan Robinson | Atlanta | 2025 | 822* |
| *in team’s first five games | |||
JOSH JACOBS
Green Bay running back Josh Jacobs totaled 157 scrimmage yards and two rushing touchdowns in Week 4 and 150 scrimmage yards and two rushing touchdowns in Week 6.
On Sunday at Arizona (4:25 p.m. ET, FOX), Jacobs can become the fourth player ever with at least 150 scrimmage yards and two rushing touchdowns in three consecutive games within a single season, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson (four consecutive games in 2006 with the San Diego Chargers), Chris Johnson (three in 2009 with Tennessee) and Ricky Williams (three in 2002 with Miami).
JUSTIN JEFFERSON
Since entering the NFL in 2020, Minnesota wide receiver Justin Jefferson leads all players with 7,881 receiving yards and ranks tied for fourth with 524 receptions.
With 119 receiving yards against Philadelphia on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, FOX), Jefferson can join Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss (8,375 receiving yards) and Torry Holt (8,156) as the only players with at least 8,000 receiving yards in their first six seasons in NFL history.
With five receptions in Week 7, Jefferson can surpass DeAndre Hopkins (528 receptions) for the second-most receptions by a player in his first six seasons in NFL history. Only Jarvis Landry (564 receptions) has more.
The players with the most receptions in their first six seasons in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM(S) | RECEPTIONS |
| Jarvis Landry | Miami, Cleveland | 564 |
| DeAndre Hopkins | Houston | 528 |
| Antonio Brown | Pittsburgh | 526 |
| Michael Thomas | New Orleans | 526 |
| Randy Moss | Minnesota | 525 |
| Justin Jefferson | Minnesota | 524* |
| *in sixth season | ||
TREY MCBRIDE
Arizona tight end Trey McBride ranks second among tight ends with 37 receptions this season.
Since entering the NFL in 2022, McBride ranks second among tight ends with 258 receptions and with eight receptions against Green Bay on Sunday (4:25 p.m. ET, FOX), can surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Antonio Gates (265 receptions) for the second-most receptions by a tight end in his first four seasons in NFL history. Only Jimmy Graham (301 receptions) has more.
The tight ends with the most receptions in their first four seasons in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM | RECEPTIONS |
| Jimmy Graham | New Orleans | 301 |
| Antonio Gates HOF | San Diego Chargers | 265 |
| George Kittle | San Francisco | 264 |
| Mark Andrews | Baltimore | 263 |
| Tony Gonzalez HOF | Kansas City | 261 |
| Trey McBride | Arizona | 258* |
| *in fourth season | ||
AFC NORTH RIVALRY BETWEEN STEELERS AND BENGALS TAKES ON A TOUCH OF GRAY WITH RODGERS FACING FLACCO
Joe Flacco was asked during the preseason about continuing to play at 40 years old.
However, Flacco is a youngster compared to his counterpart, 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers.
Thursday night’s matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals will mark only the third regular-season game between 40-year-old starting quarterbacks.
New Orleans’ Drew Brees won both regular-season games against Tampa Bay and Tom Brady in 2020. But Brady sent Brees into retirement when the Buccaneers beat the Saints in an NFC divisional round game.
“Yeah, it’s one thing you guys can’t talk about this week in terms of me being older, at least, but it’s pretty neat,” Flacco said. “I’ve been in a locker room my whole life, so, you know, age isn’t something that I think about. I just view myself as one of those 20-something-year-olds in the locker room. So, it’s not something I really think about, but I think one day, when you look back on it, it’s just one of those things that’ll be pretty cool to be able to have a matchup like this.”
At the beginning of the season, Flacco thought this matchup would happen when the Browns faced the Steelers last Sunday. Flacco was replaced as Cleveland’s starter after four games and then traded to Cincinnati last Tuesday, which stunned most people, including Steelers coach Mike Tomlin.
With Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow sidelined until at least mid-December after toe surgery on Sept. 19, many expected them to make a move after Jake Browning was ineffective in his three starts. Few expected it to come from a division rival.
“(Browns general manager) Andrew Berry must be a lot smarter than me or us, because it doesn’t make sense to me to trade a quarterback that you think enough of to make your opening day starter to a division opponent that’s hurting in that area. But that’s just my personal feelings,” Tomlin said on Monday.
This will be the fourth matchup between Rodgers and Flacco. Rodgers has won the previous three.
“I think it’s great for all the old guys. I know that when I watch other sports, maybe it’s because I’m the older guy, but I tend to pull for the older guys to win,” Rodgers said. “I’ve known Joe for a long time. He’s been great coming to my charity event. He’s had a great career, and it’s fun that we’re both still playing.”
Rodgers has helped lead the Steelers to a 4-1 start and first place in the AFC North. He is second in the AFC with a 105.4 passer rating, along with 10 touchdowns and only three interceptions.
A key to Rodgers’ success this season is that his average time to throw is 2.57 seconds, second quickest in the league and his quickest since at least 2016. He has completed 81.1% of his attempts on passes under 2.5 seconds and is averaging 8.2 yards per attempt, which is second best.
He will be facing a Bengals defense that allows a league-high 7.7 yards per attempt on quick passes and eight touchdowns, second most.
Flacco hasn’t had much practice time with the Bengals, but he has developed a quick rapport with star receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. He passed for 219 yards and two touchdowns against the Packers in his Cincinnati debut, but most of that came in the second half after Cincinnati fell behind 10-0 at halftime.
Flacco and the Bengals (2-4) will try to snap a four-game losing streak and stay within striking distance of the Steelers. Flacco has faced the Steelers 25 times in his career, including the playoffs, with 24 starts.
“He knows their style of play. He knows their level of aggression on defense and played against most of their guys over there,” coach Zac Taylor said. “Obviously, he’s played them more than anybody has in this league that is currently playing, so I think he’s got a great sense of what it takes to win.”
Quick start needed
Cincinnati is hoping to get off to a better start. It has been outscored 79-9 in the first half during the four-game skid and is one of three teams without a first- or second-quarter touchdown in that span.
“You’ve got to be willing and ready to just play the patient game as well. I think we’ve got to be efficient on early downs. And I think if we do that, then we’ll give ourselves a chance to be successful early on in the football game,” Flacco said.
Going big
The Steelers gave their secondary a makeover in the offseason, with all moves designed to help them match up better against Cincinnati’s dynamic tandem of Chase and Higgins.
Donte Jackson (5-foot-10), Damontae Kazee (5-11) and Minkah Fitzpatrick (6-1) are gone. Jalen Ramsey (6-1), Juan Thornhill (6-0) and Darius Slay (6-0) joined Joey Porter Jr. (6-2) to give Pittsburgh a physical and veteran defensive backfield the team believes is better suited to take on maybe the best wide receiver duo in the league, no matter who the quarterback is.
“You’d better have some corners taller than me if you’re dealing with the likes of Tee Higgins and people like that,” said the 5-foot-11ish Tomlin, who was a wide receiver during his college days at William & Mary.
Chase and Higgins have been a problem for the Steelers throughout their careers, combining for 78 catches for 1,194 yards and nine touchdowns in 14 appearances against Pittsburgh.
Thursday road woes
No team has played on Thursday nights (Thanksgiving Day excluded) more often than the Steelers since the league began playing on Thursdays semi-regularly in 1980.
And no team over the past 15 years has lost more Thursday night road games than Pittsburgh, which is 1-9 on Thursdays since 2009. That includes a 0-6 mark against AFC North opponents Baltimore and Cleveland. This will be the first Thursday meeting between the Bengals and Steelers in Cincinnati, and the NFL’s longest-tenured head coach doesn’t appear to be lingering on his team’s Thursday night road shortcomings.
“I’m only concerned about 2025,” he said. “I got my (butt) kicked in a lot of ways over the last 19 years.”
AFC NORTH LEADER PITTSBURGH TRAVELS TO REELING CINCINNATI FOR THURSDAY NIGHT MATCHUP
Pittsburgh (4-1) at Cincinnati (2-4)
Thursday, 8:15 p.m. EDT, Prime Video.
BetMGM line: Steelers by 5 1/2.
Against the spread: Steelers 3-2; Bengals 2-4
Series record: Steelers lead 71-40.
Last meeting: Bengals won 19-17 in Pittsburgh on Jan. 4.
Last week: Steelers beat Browns 23-9; Bengals lost at Packers 27-18
Steelers offense: overall (29), rush (29), pass (25), scoring (14)
Steelers defense: overall (25), rush (16), pass (27), scoring (16)
Bengals offense: overall (31), rush (32), pass (30), scoring (29t)
Bengals defense: overall (31), rush (28), pass (31), scoring (30)
Turnover differential: Steelers plus-7; Bengals minus-4.
Steelers player to watch
OLB Nick Herbig. The 2023 fourth-round pick is blossoming in his third season. Thrust in a larger role after Alex Highsmith went down with an ankle injury in Week 2, Herbig has 4 1/2 sacks over his past three games and forced his way into more playing time even with Highsmith back healthy. While Herbig is a bit undersized at 6-foot-2 and 240 pounds, he makes up for it with speed off the edge and an ability to get into the opposing backfield with frequency.
Bengals player to watch
QB Joe Flacco. After being traded from Cleveland last Tuesday, Flacco passed for 219 yards with two touchdowns and a 90 passer rating in his Bengals debut. Flacco has 5,028 passing yards against the Steelers, his most against any opponent. He had a pair of TD passes and a 105.9 rating in a victory against Pittsburgh last season while he was with the Indianapolis Colts.
Key matchup
Steelers OLB T.J. Watt versus Bengals offensive line. According to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, Watt has faced a league-high 68 chip blocks this season. However, he has the most pressures (eight) and is tied for the most sacks (two) when chip blocked. Cincinnati’s offensive line has chip blocked 84 times this season, eighth most in the league.
Key injuries
Steelers: WR Calvin Austin III (shoulder) is likely to miss his second straight game and special teams ace Miles Killebrew is out with a knee injury.
Bengals: DE Shemar Stewart (ankle) has been sidelined the past three games but coach Zac Taylor says there is a possibility the first-round pick could be back this week. … TE Mike Gesicki (pectoral) was placed on injured reserve … DE Trey Hendrickson (back bruise) and WR Charlie Jones (ribs) are questionable. TE Tanner Hudson is in the concussion protocol.
Series notes
The teams split the season series last season with the road team winning each time. Pittsburgh has won four of the past six after Cincinnati swept the season series in 2021. This is the third time, and first since 2008, that the teams are facing each other in a Thursday night game. The previous two were in Pittsburgh. The Steelers have a 9-6 edge in prime-time matchups. Mike Tomlin has a 27-10 record against the Bengals, including a playoff win in 2015, while Taylor is 5-7 when facing the Steelers.
Stats and stuff
The Steelers can take firm control of the AFC North with a victory, though Thursday nights have been a problem through the years, particularly on the road. Pittsburgh is 1-9 in its past 10 Thursday night contests when forced to travel, including an 0-6 mark against AFC North opponents over that span. … Pittsburgh QB Aaron Rodgers has been far more successful on Thursdays, throwing 42 touchdowns against five interceptions while going 13-5 on Thursday nights during his 21-year career. His 13 victories on Thursdays are second most by a QB in NFL history, one behind Tom Brady’s record of 14. … Rodgers is 116 yards shy of passing Ben Roethlisberger for fifth in passing yards in NFL history. Rodgers is at 63,973. Roethlisberger threw for 64,088 yards during his 18-year career with the Steelers. … Pittsburgh WR DK Metcalf’s 18.7 yards per reception leads the NFL among qualified receivers. Metcalf also has a touchdown catch in four straight games. … Pittsburgh’s offense isn’t piling up eye-popping totals but has taken advantage of its opportunities inside the red zone. The Steelers have turned 71% of their red zone possessions into touchdown, tied for sixth best in the league. … The Steelers’ new-look offensive line has stayed healthy and taken several steps forward since the opener. Pittsburgh has allowed just one sack over its past three games, including none last week against Myles Garrett and the Cleveland Browns. … The Steelers have a plus-34 turnover margin since the start of 2023, tops in the NFL. Pittsburgh is plus-7 on turnovers this season and has given the ball away just three times through five games. Only Tampa Bay and Kansas City have fewer. … The Steelers are 11-11 against Flacco and sacked him 58 times, the most any opponent has taken down Flacco in his well-traveled career. … Pittsburgh kicker Chris Boswell has been near automatic against Cincinnati in his 10-year career. Boswell has converted 45 of 48 field-goal opportunities and made all 38 of his extra points when facing the Bengals. … This is the third time in Zac Taylor’s seven seasons as coach the Bengals have had a losing streak of at least four games. … The Bengals have been outscored 140-55 during their four-game skid. … Cincinnati has a 10-9 record in Thursday night games, including 7-2 at home. … The Bengals will wear their all-white combination, including white helmets. They have a 4-1 mark with that look. … The offense has scored 10 touchdowns in 13 red zone trips. The 76.9% rate leads the AFC. … WR Tee Higgins has six straight home games with a TD. … OT Orlando Brown Jr. has allowed 4 1/2 sacks. … DE Trey Hendrickson had 3 1/2 sacks in the previous meeting against Pittsburgh. … LB Demetrius Knight is third among NFL rookies in tackles with 46. … S Jordan Battle has 29 run tackles, most among defensive backs in the league. … Cincinnati has a 16.4% blitz rate, second lowest in the league.
Fantasy tip
Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase had 10 catches for 94 yards and his 50th career TD last week. He has 13 games with double-digit catches, second most by a player in his first five seasons. Chase needs 107 yards to reach 6,000 in his career.
JAGUARS PLAN TO MAKE ROOKIE TRAVIS HUNTER THE NO. 1 TARGET ‘MORE OFTEN’ BEGINNING IN LONDON
The Jacksonville Jaguars have a plan that could reduce Brian Thomas Jr.’s drops: throw more to two-way rookie Travis Hunter.
Coach Liam Coen said Wednesday the Jaguars (4-2) would like to get Hunter more involved beginning Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams (4-2) at Wembley Stadium in London.
“Our job as an offensive staff is to make sure we’re putting him in the progression and putting him in the position to be (target) No. 1 a little bit more often in some ways,” Coen said.
Jacksonville’s passing attack was designed to play through Thomas, who caught 87 passes for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns as a rookie last season. But the former LSU standout has dropped six passes this season and short-armed at least three more attempts thrown over the middle.
Thomas has talent, no doubt, and the Jaguars are trying to help him work through whatever issues he’s dealing with that could be causing his inconsistency and hesitancy.
He set up go-ahead touchdowns with long receptions in wins against Houston and Kansas City. But he had crucial drops late in losses to Cincinnati and Seattle.
Hunter, meanwhile, has played primarily in the slot in three-receiver sets. The 2024 Heisman Trophy winner from Colorado, the second overall draft pick in the NFL draft, has a knack for making tough catches and making defenders miss when he has the ball in his hands.
“I’ve just got to continue to be consistent for the quarterback and for the coaches so they can trust me more,” said Hunter, who is making his first visit to London.
He has 20 receptions for 197 yards while playing 63% of the team’s offensive snaps. He made a leaping catch between two defenders against Kansas City and an equally impressive one against Houston two weeks earlier. He was targeted twice more on plays that looked as if they would be touchdowns before defenders turned them into interceptions.
“When he is the primary, we’ve got to throw and catch,” Coen said. “We’ve got to make sure that we identify it, find him, be able to be at the right spot at the right time. … I think it’s a combination of a lot of those things that ultimately can all be controlled.”
Finding the right usage for Hunter has been a challenge all season, especially with him splitting time between offense and defense. But the Jaguars agree that getting him more chances on offense is a much-needed next step.
“Sometimes we might not give him as many touches as we wanted to or we planned to, and the game just unfolds a little bit differently,” quarterback Trevor Lawrence said. “That’s just football.
“But it’s definitely something that we are consistently trying to do because I think we’ve all seen how special he is when he gets the opportunities downfield or just catches the ball underneath and can make people miss and turn those 5-yard passes into 25-yard gains because he’s so good with the ball in his hands.”
CHIEFS’ OFFENSE GETS A BOOST AS RASHEE RICE RETURNS FROM SUSPENSION
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs will finally get to see what their offense looks like when Rashee Rice joins fellow wide receivers Xavier Worthy and Marquise Brown on the field for Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Rice returned to practice Wednesday after his six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy, a punishment that was handed down for causing a high-speed wreck on a Dallas highway in March 2024 that injured several people.
He rejoins an offense that just scored 30 points on the Detroit Lions last week and is starting to find its swagger again.
“He’s going to want to be out there every single play. That’s the mentality he has,” Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said. “It’s going to be our job as coaches and teammates to build him back the right way, but it’s going to be hard to keep him off the field.”
That’s a good problem given how long the Chiefs have waited to get their top three wide receivers on the field together.
It was the vision of Chiefs general manager Brett Veach and coach Andy Reid going back more than a year, when they signed Brown in free agency and drafted Worthy in the first round. But the plan went amiss almost from the start, when Brown hurt his shoulder on the first play of preseason — last preseason — and it kept him out until December.
By that time, Rice had torn ligaments in his knee, sidelining him the rest of the season. The freak injury occurred when Mahomes threw an interception and was trying to make a tackle, and instead collided with his wide receiver’s right knee.
After undergoing surgery, Rice managed to get back on the field for the Chiefs’ offseason program, and he was able to take part in training camp. But then the NFL handed down its suspension, keeping Rice away from the team for the first six weeks.
Worthy hurt his shoulder in the season opener, causing him to miss a couple of games as well.
Now, all three of the wide receivers are healthy and available, and it seems the biggest question is whether there are enough opportunities to go around. The Chiefs also have gotten good production from JuJu Smith-Schuster, and tight end Travis Kelce has had a resurgent season after spending the past eight months getting into better shape.
“Everybody eats,” Worthy said with a smile, pointing out that Rice’s return also means “more eyes going to somebody else.”
“I feel like everybody in this offense can make a play or go win one on one. It’s another explosive guy,” Worthy added.
Rice brings a different look to the offense than Brown or Worthy. He has the size and physicality to catch passes near the line of scrimmage and make yards after contact. It’s a similar set of skills to Smith-Schuster, though Rice is younger and faster.
“Listen, I think he’s excited to be back in and going,” said Chiefs coach Andy Reid, who declined to say whether he’d have any snap count on Rice in his first game back. “You know, I think getting through practices here will be good for him to get back in the swing of things. We’ll see how everything goes from there. He’s been working hard. He’s in good shape.”
While the Chiefs expect to have their full complement of wide receivers, they could be without left tackle Josh Simmons for the second consecutive game. He was a late scratch from last week’s win over Detroit with what the team called “personal reasons,” and Reid declined to address his status when asked about it multiple times Wednesday.
“Veach is handling everything there,” Reid said. “We’ll leave it at that.”
Simmons’ absence means Jaylon Moore is expected to start again at left tackle. He signed a two-year, $30 million deal in free agency with the expectation of starting before the Chiefs drafted Simmons in the first round. Now, he is getting his chance.
“He’s a competitive kid,” Reid said. “He did come here to step in, and he’s always ready. He practices a third of the practices because (offensive line coach) Andy (Heck) rotates him in there. I thought he did a nice job the other night. He played well. We have a lot of trust in him. Most of all, the guys around him have a lot of trust in him.”
