Gridiron Digest: Playoff Hopes on the Ropes for Early-Season Contenders

It's never too early to start panicking about the playoffs. And when it's mid-October and your team has just lost what should have been a "statement" game to a bitter division rival, that panic just might be justified.

This week's Gridiron Digest kicks off by looking at a trio of teams that severely hampered their playoff chances on Sunday, as well as the trio of teams that helped their own causes with critical victories.

Plus:

• A look at how the Jalen Ramsey and Marcus Peters trades may have helped three teams;
• Your weekly dose of Lamar Jackson hyper-scrutiny;
• Much-needed reminders that Aaron Rodgers, Kirk Cousins and Matthew Stafford are all good at football;

and much, much more! 

Some Teams May Need to Push the Panic Button After Losses in Divisional Duels

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Even though it's only Week 7, three of Sunday's games had massive playoff implications.

The folks at Football Outsiders and Sports Info Solutions calculate every team's probability of making the playoffs each week, using simulations that take into account every team's record, performance, strength of future schedule and the state of each division and conference. (You can check out the Football Outsiders probabilities through last week here.) Gridiron Digest got a look at this week's percentages before Sunday's games, and it turns out three Week 7 results may have been major turning points in the playoff races:

• Their ugly loss to the Cowboys dropped the Eagles' probability of reaching the playoffs to 41 percent, while the Cowboys raised their chance to 63 percent. The Eagles would have had a 79 percent chance of reaching the playoffs with a win. Instead, they helped the Cowboys get back on track toward winning the worst division in football.
• A tough loss to the Vikings dropped the Lions' playoff probability to just 13 percent while raising the Vikings' chance of reaching the playoffs to 66 percent. The Lions, who looked good enough to hang with the league's top contenders as of early in the second quarter on Monday night, have been all-but eliminated from the playoffs. 
• The Texans would have had an 85 percent chance of reaching the playoffs with a win over the Colts. But their 30-23 loss dropped their chances all the way down to 59 percent while raising the Colts' probability to 55 percent. Instead of waltzing toward the postseason, the Texans now find themselves trailing a Colts team that has their number in big games. 

It may be shocking to learn that mid-October games can cause such wild swings in probability, but that's the nature of this year's NFL. The NFC East is a two-team race, and the Cowboys are now sitting pretty. The AFC is so full of weaklings that a 5-2 start (with wins over top challengers like the Chiefs and Colts) would have given the Texans multiple ways to coast to a playoff berth. The NFC is so hotly contested that every potential wild-card tiebreaker is crucial, so back-to-back divisional losses—plus some injuries that we will get to in a later segment—have essentially dealt the Lions a knockout blow.

Let's dig deeper into each of Sunday's important divisional duels to determine what the winners did right, what the losers did wrong, and what it means for all six of these teams. 

Game Spotlight: Cowboys 37, Eagles 10

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What happened

Eagles coach Doug Pederson guaranteed a victory at the start of the week. Tank Lawrence told him to shut up. And then the Cowboys shut him up.

The Cowboys turned a pair of Eagles first-quarter fumbles into touchdowns and never looked back. Dak Prescott was nearly perfect until a late-game interception when the Cowboys held a commanding lead. The Eagles offense sputtered all night. It was an easy victory that should help the Cowboys win the division, not just because they secured an important tiebreaker, but because they are simply the better team. 

What it means

As their recent three-game losing streak revealed, the Cowboys are far from a great team, but they will not have to be to win the NFC East. They're likely to be healthier after next week's bye, particularly along the offensive line, which should help them keep the Eagles at arm's length through a tough second-half slate that includes the Patriots, Vikings, Rams and Bears.

The Eagles were billed by Gridiron Digest (and many others) as Super Bowl contenders with one of the NFL's deepest rosters entering the season. Here's a partial list of the reasons that assessment turned out to be incorrect:

• The seemingly deep Eagles secondary has turned into one of the league's worst due to injuries to Ronald Darby and others, plus the failure of young players pressed into major roles, like Sidney Jones, to get the job done.
• The seemingly deep Eagles receiving corps has proved to be among the league's weakest due to an injury to DeSean Jackson and the failure of young players pressed into major roles, like Mack Hollins, to produce.
• The seemingly deep Eagles defensive line has proved to be average-at-best this year, particularly when rushing the passer, for reasons roughly similar to the ones that weakened the secondary and receiving corps. 
• As was often noticed last year, much of the offensive game-planning creativity left Philly the day the Colts hired Frank Reich. The defensive game-planning creativity left the day Jim Schwartz arrived four years ago. 

Sunday's loss was a microcosm of all the Eagles losses this season: They started slowly and had no way of stopping deep downfield passes, forcing Carson Wentz to play catch-up against a withering pass rush with a slow-footed receiving corps. It's a recipe for failure against even weaker opponents (see the loss to the Falcons in Week 2), and while the Eagles remain in the playoff picture thanks to the weakness of their division, Pederson and general manager Howie Roseman will have to guarantee some major changes if the team plans to stay there.

What's next

The Cowboys are on a bye. The Eagles face the Bills, which means there is a chance that a Bills receiver gets open 10 yards past their secondary but Josh Allen throws a pass 10 yards over the receiver's head, meaning that camera operators will have to shoot in CinemaScope to capture everything.

Game Spotlight: Colts 30, Texans 23

AJ Mast/Associated Press

What happened

The well-run organization with a very good coach beat the team with an inferior coach who runs the organization, which changes the complexion of the AFC South playoff race.

The Texans settled for field goals on three red-zone trips in the first half, allowing the Colts to mount a 21-9 lead on 95-, 75- and 74-yard touchdown drives. 

The Texans rallied to make things interesting with a pair of second-half touchdowns, but big mistakes (an uncharacteristically ugly Deshaun Watson interception to kill one drive), strange Bill O'Brien play calls (back-to-back ill-designed plays on 3rd-and-1 and 4th-and-1 to kill another) and some clock mismanagement before the two-minute warning doomed the comeback bid.

What it means

Jacoby Brissett threw for 326 yards and four touchdowns on Sunday, executing a brilliant Frank Reich game plan that turned Zach Pascal (6-106-2) into the most dangerous player on the field. The Colts were efficient on third downs (8-of-16 with several long conversions) and in the red zone (four touchdowns on four trips).

The sound situational game plan and step-up performances by secondary weapons (and a long-term substitute starter) are hallmarks of a well-run team, and they are reasons why the Colts are still in the thick of the playoff race despite adversity that would have some organizations shrugging their shoulders and making excuses.

The Texans coughed up an opportunity to nearly ensure a playoff berth with a win, but O'Brien excels at coughing up opportunities, only to get even more opportunities because the AFC South is a mid-major conference.

The Colts kept handing the Texans extra chances on turnovers deep in their own territory, failed fourth-down conversions and fourth-quarter three-and-outs, but O'Brien and the Texans kept outsmarting themselves and getting in their own way. 

The Texans looked like they might be a better, smarter franchise after back-to-back wins over the Falcons and Chiefs in previous weeks. Nope: They are still the same Texans who will turn an All-Pro nucleus into a 9-7 record and act like it was an accomplishment.

What's next

The Texans can't afford to look past the pesky Raiders. The Colts will be licking their chops as they host the Denver Sack Dispensary.

Game Spotlight: Vikings 42, Lions 30

Duane Burleson/Associated Press

What happened

The Vikings proved that they are bona fide NFC contenders with a convincing win, something they seem to have to prove each week. The Lions kept it close for most of the game but suffered a loss that may knock them out of the postseason conversation.

Just as everyone expected from this divisional duel between teams known for tight defense and ball-control offense, this game began as a shootout, with Marvin Jones Jr. catching the third of his four touchdown passes to tie the score at 21 just before halftime.

But while the Vikings lost Adam Thielen to a hamstring injury after his early-game touchdown catch, the Lions lost cornerback Darius Slay, defensive tackle Damon Harrison, running back Kerryon Johnson and linebacker Jarrod Davis (who returned to the game but was clearly limited) as the game wore on. Even without Thielen, the Vikings were able to control both the line of scrimmage and the clock in the second half against a depleted opponent.

What it means

It's not fashionable to admit the Vikings are a really good football team. It's much more entertaining to make fun of Kirk Cousins' inconsistency and contract or of head coach Mike Zimmer's obsession with establishing the run, to attribute any Vikings success to their defensive front seven or to Thielen and Stefon Diggs' ability to make any quarterback look good. Or to just write them off as perennial playoff also-rans, as if that's a bad thing. 

But Cousins (337 yards, four touchdowns) played well for the third straight week, and this time he did most of the damage with Thielen on the sideline and rookies Olabisi Johnson and Irv Smith Jr. playing major roles in the passing game. Dalvin Cook rushed for 144 yards and two touchdowns, and the offensive balance is taking pass-rush pressure off Cousins and making things easier for the offensive line, which are the reasons why old fuddy-duddy coaches think establishing the run is so important.

The Packers remain the best team in the NFC North, but the Vikings are building a strong playoff resume. And while Thielen's injury bears monitoring (a postgame report from NFL Network's Tom Pelissero said he was optimistic he would play this Thursday), they appear to be getting better each week.

The Lions have endured three straight close losses to tough opponents and could be without two of their best defenders (Snacks Harrison and Slay) for a while. They're a more talented and disciplined team than we thought they would be entering the season. But in a brutal division, Sunday's loss may well have been a knockout punch.

What's next

The Vikings host old friends Adrian Peterson and Case Keenum; pencil in a "W" there. The Lions have a great opportunity to climb back to .500 as they host the Giants.

Winners Keep on Winning

Mike Roemer/Associated Press

Here's a quick rundown of how some teams near the top of the standings won on Sunday and what it means as the playoff race heats up.

Packers 42, Raiders 24

He may not be as dominant as he was from 2011 to 2016, and he may come across as the most likely player in the NFL to claim that he will help you move out of your apartment and then ghost you the night before, but Aaron Rodgers remains an incredible quarterback. Rodgers threw for 429 yards and five touchdowns to a receiving corps full of guys named Allen Lazard and Danny Vitale. The Packers defense is playing well and their offensive line is solid, but Rodgers is the reason they are 6-1.

The Packers have also gotten some breaks from the refs: It sure looked like Jake Kumerow stepped out of bounds before one of those touchdowns, and there were some unfortunate calls in the Monday night win over the Lions. But claiming that the officiating is somehow biased in favor of the Packers assumes that NFL referees have any idea whatsoever what they are doing, and we all know that they don't.

Saints 36, Bears 25

The Bears entered the season believing that they had an outstanding defense and a creative offense that would make them Super Bowl contenders despite ordinary quarterback play. That's a much better description for the Teddy Bridgewater-led Saints than the disappointing Bears.

The Saints won in all three phases on Sunday despite the absence of Alvin Kamara (and Drew Brees, of course). That's a testament to the value of a veteran roster and coaching staff. Some organizations are built to overcome multiple obstacles; others (like this year's Bears) go out of their way to ram head-first into them. 

Bills 31, Dolphins 21

This was a typical Bills game—strong defense, an offense that looks much better when you lower your expectations, lots of long drives ending in field goals or turnovers—with a flurry of strange plays at the end to make it look more like a shootout. 

The Bills schedule is so soft that they are almost guaranteed a winning record and a playoff berth no matter how obvious their shortcomings are. Heck, they should have at least eight wins (Washington, the Browns, a Dolphins rematch and the Broncos are all on their upcoming slate) when they face the Cowboys on Thanksgiving. The Patriots are catching similar breaks, but it's impolite to mention it. 

49ers 9, Redskins 0

The surface at FedExField looked like a cranberry bog just before the harvest; sure, the rain was heavy, but Pop Warner fields on the fringe of the Everglades have better drainage. The best thing about this game was that it was over in just two hours and 36 minutes, meaning that the dozens of Washington fans in attendance could get home and dry off in time for the late games.

We learned nothing about the 49ers that we didn't already know, and there is much that we are still trying to figure out (like if they have a passing game). But 6-0 is 6-0.

Can Lamar Jackson Keep This Up? (Part 14 of an Ongoing Series)

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What happened

Lamar Jackson rushed 14 times for 116 yards and one touchdown in a 30-16 victory over the Seahawks that improved the Ravens' record to 5-2. He also completed a few passes, going 9-of-20 for 143 yards.

Jackson has now rushed for over 100 yards three times this season and carried the ball 14 or more times four times. He's on pace for 190 rushes and 1,317 yards, numbers which would easily eclipse the biggest rushing seasons by Michael Vick (123-1,039 in 2006) or Randall Cunningham (118-942 in 1990).

What it means

On the one hand, the Ravens have delivered exactly what they promised. They custom-built their offense to highlight Jackson's rushing ability, and it sure has been highlighted. Jackson has also improved as a passer, though it wasn't always evident on a soggy day in Seattle (Jackson's receivers dropped a few balls), and the improvement hasn't been quite as drastic as Jackson's five-touchdown performance against the morose Dolphins in the season opener suggested. There's still a lot of room for growth. 

On the other hand, the Ravens struggled to move the ball consistently in the first half and needed two defensive touchdowns to ice the Seahawks. Jackson is getting a historic number of rushes so the Ravens can be what they have always been: a running-and-defense team that would be much more dangerous if their passing game was more efficient.

Jackson is a thrill to watch, of course, and his intensity and competitiveness were on display when he barreled into the end zone on a fourth-down keeper. And the Ravens could coast to an AFC North crown with all of their rivals in various states of disrepair. But plunging Jackson between the tackles and expecting him to slip and slide for first downs on a slick field over and over again is both risky and sub-optimal. Even in 2015 Superman mode, Cam Newton only averaged 8.3 rushes per game. Jackson is averaging 11.9, and he's neither as big as Newton nor as indestructible as he appeared to be until the moment he was not anymore.

Intensity and competitiveness can cut both ways when a quarterback is on the run. That's why even the best dual-threats—like the fellow Jackson faced Sunday—can only improve by replacing some daring rushing highlights with a few more completions. 

What's next

After a much-needed bye, Jackson faces the Patriots, a team that is nearly impossible to defeat through options and scrambling. 

Inside the Numbers

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Jalen Ramsey, Rams: 4 tackles, 1 forced fumble

Ramsey punched the ball out of Devonta Freeman's arms and about 10 yards back toward the Falcons' end zone in the second quarter. (This was long before Freeman punched Aaron Donald, but that's an entirely different topic.) Otherwise, Ramsey's Rams debut was quiet in a good way. 

Julio Jones caught just six of nine targets for 93 yards with Ramsey shadowing him much of the afternoon. The Falcons challenged Ramsey one-on-one a few times, but while Jones made a few grabs, Matt Ryan spent much of the afternoon searching for other targets against a defense that felt free to blitz more frequently with Ramsey roaming the secondary before a sack knocked him out of the game. 

Marcus Peters, Ravens: 1 tackle, 1 67-yard interception-return touchdown

With five pick-sixes, Peters has the highest total in the NFL since he entered the league in 2015, per ESPN Stats and Info. It was also his 25th career interception; no other defender has more than 16 since Peters entered the league. 

The Peters-Ramsey series of trades may have helped all three teams. The Ravens may now have the league's best and deepest secondary, and they will live with Peters' occasional brain cramps in coverage if he delivers a few game-changing interceptions per year. The Rams, as mentioned earlier, may now be more comfortable blitzing without fear of exposing Ramsey (who is not nearly as mistake-prone as Peters). And the Jaguars have a pair of extra first-round picks in the bag and a defense that still looked pretty good in a 27-17 victory over the Bengals. So far, the flurry of big-name cornerback deals looks like a win-win-win. 

Ryan Tannehill, Titans: 23-of-29, 312 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT

Sunday's 23-20 victory over the Chargers marked the ninth time in Tannehill's career that he threw for over 300 yards and at least two touchdowns. His teams are now 6-3 in those games. That's a technical way of saying that while Tannehill played pretty well, he has been a starter for a long time and has games like Sunday's sprinkled all over his career. Eventually, he reverts back to plain-yogurt Tannehill. He may be better than Marcus Mariota right now, but sadly, that's not saying much. 

Saquon Barkley, Giants: 18 carries for 72 yards, 1 TD, three catches for eight yards 

Barkley lost a 32-yard run on a holding penalty, but he didn't lose an eight-yard loss on a screen pass (he made about 20 jukes and ran a total of about 50 yards, all of them sideways or backward) on a separate holding penalty. Barkley also disappeared into the tent with what appeared to be an re-aggravation of his ankle injury for a few scary minutes but later returned to the game.

In summary, Barkley's numbers look the same whether the Giants are losing with Eli Manning at quarterback or with Daniel Jones at quarterback.

Melvin Gordon III: 16 carries for 32 yards; 2 catches for -3 yards and 1 TD

Gordon is now averaging 2.3 yards per rush and 3.8 yards per reception for the year. It's as if the Chargers are rubbing our noses in Melvin Gordon. You wanted us to pay this guy so badly? Well, watch him gain eight feet per carry, over and over again! What, you think we care that this is hurting our offense? We're the Chargers: we have no fans or home and are doomed. We only play football so we can prove spiteful points! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Come to think of it, "Nihilist Chargers" would be a pretty fun Twitter handle... 

Matthew Stafford: 30-of-45 for 364 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT

All four touchdowns went to Marvin Jones Jr., who had the best game of his career in a lost cause.

The big story here is that Stafford eclipsed the 40,000 mark for career passing yards. Only 20 other quarterbacks have thrown for over 40,000 yards, though Joe Flacco is just 107 yards away and should join Stafford next week. (If sack yards were subtracted from the totals, it might take Flacco a month, but they aren't.) 

Stafford also moved past Johnny Unitas to move into 20th place on the all-time passing list and should pass Joe Montana next week. Stafford is no Unitas or Montana—modern passing offenses make former Hall of Famers look like game-managers—but reaching the 40,000-yard plateau remains an impressive accomplishment for a quarterback. And, yes, smarty pants, it will still be impressive after Flacco reaches it, too.

Awards Digest

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Defender of the Week

Chandler Jones of the Cardinals recorded four sacks and poked a fumble out of Daniel Jones' hands in a 27-21 win over the Giants. Jones now has 8.5 sacks on the year. And don't look now, but the Cardinals have quietly climbed to .500 at 3-3-1.

Offensive Line of the Week

Riley Reiff, Pat Elflein, Garrett Bradbury, Josh Kline and Brian O'Neill had another strong game for the Vikings, helping Dalvin Cook and others combine for 166 rushing yards while holding the Lions without a sack.

The Vikings offensive line, like Kirk Cousins and the coaching staff, gets plenty of criticism when things are going poorly but never earns any praise. Gosh, it sure is mysterious how the Vikings have scored 108 points over the last three weeks when everyone on their offense except the receivers stinks. 

Special Teamer of the Week

J.T. Gray's blocked punt for a safety helped the Saints set the tone for one of the most special teams-heavy games in recent memory. Cordarrelle Patterson's 102-yard kickoff return was the Bears' only offensive highlight until they were facing a prevent defense in the fourth quarter of a rout. Deonte Harris had two long kickoff returns for the Saints called back by penalties. The Bears recovered an onside kick at the end of the game, which is nearly impossible these days, and nearly recovered a second.

Wil Lutz also missed a pair of field goals, but the Saints won, so he is off the hook for the next category.

Kicker Fail of the Week

Washington marched 65 yards down a muddy field on its opening drive, thanks to Adrian Peterson's ability to double as an ATV. But Dustin Hopkins missed the 39-yard field goal that would have given it a 3-0 lead that might well have held for the rest of the afternoon. 

Mystery Touch of the Week

Dolphins punter Matt Haack gained two yards and a first down on one of the strangest fake field-goal attempts ever: He took the snap as the holder and then stood up and plunged straight into the middle of the line. It was like the coach who designed the fake ran out of ideas, drew a bunch of straight lines on a whiteboard and said, "Just go with this," which, in Miami, that could be precisely what happened.

Annual Johnny Hekker Fake Punt Alert

Rams punter Johnny Hekker has been throwing passes on fake punts for so many years that there's only one team in the league so disheartened and poorly coached that it could still fall for one. That team is the Falcons, of course, and Hekker tossed a 23-yarder to Nick Scott to extend a drive when the Rams offense was sputtering early in what became a 37-10 rout. 

Hekker is now 12-of-20 passing for his career with 179 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions for a passer rating of 106.0. He's probably not a better pure passer than Mitchell Trubisky. But it's close. 

Annual Reminder That the Fumble Touchback Rule Is Hot Garbage

Derek Carr appeared to be about to score a Raiders touchdown on a bootleg when he lost control of the football while reaching for the goal line. Sure enough, the ball sailed out of bounds just past the pylon, meaning that the Packers got possession of the football due to an out-of-date rule from the 1920s and some dumb luck. The Packers marched down the field and scored after the turnover, and a close game turned into a rout.

People who think fumble touchbacks are fair are the same people who think losing your driver's license for an unpaid parking ticket is fair. 

Meaningless Fantasy Touchdown of the Week

Mitchell Trubisky may have been cataclysmically terrible for most of the afternoon against the Saints, but he at least found Allen Robinson II in the back of the end zone for a seven-yard touchdown to cut the Bears deficit to 36-18 late in the fourth quarter. 

Trubisky followed an onside kick recovery with another drive and a short touchdown pass, this time to Javon Wims. But if Javon Wims is on your fantasy team, you need to rethink your strategy. And if Trubisky is in your starting lineup, you should also rethink that strategy.

Digest Sportsbook

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Spreads Gone Wild

Sure, the Dolphins stink and are ambivalent-at-best about the prospect of winning any games this season, but they are not terrible enough to make the Bills 17-point favorites. The Dolphins covered that off-the-wall spread on Sunday, keeping the game close and even leading for chunks of a 31-21 loss. 

The Dolphins have now covered in back-to-back weeks after going 0-4 ATS to start the season. They're opening as 16-point dogs on the road next week against the Steelers, whose one win with backup quarterback Mason Rudolph (expected back next week) required heavy doses of both the Wildcat and the Bengals in a prime-time game.

We suggest you take the Dolphins and the points whenever they are double-digit underdogs to an opponent who would probably be double-digit underdogs themselves if they were facing the Patriots. 

Overwatch

Austin Ekeler's fourth-quarter touchdown catch may have turned a Titans win-and-cover into a 23-20 push, but the score squeaked Titans-Chargers just past the over of 42.5. If you're the type who bets Titans-Chargers overs for some reason, congratulations!

Undertale

Gridiron Digest made the mistake of taking the Cardinals-Giants over of 50 before looking out the office window and seeing steady rain along the New Jersey Turnpike corridor. The Giants defense/special teams did its best to help us out by allowing Cardinals running back Chase Edmonds to run all over them and by scoring a touchdown on a blocked punt. Daniel Jones even fumbled twice deep in his own territory. But the Cardinals knelt to end the game at the Giants' 4-yard line rather than kicking a field goal that would have given them a 30-21 victory and us a winning slip. Blame it on the rain. 

Lines on the Move

The 49ers opened -8.5 in Washington, but the line moved to -10 early in the week. So the Skins covered for most bettors, despite getting shut out 9-0. It was their first cover since the opener, when they lost to the Eagles 32-27 as 10.5-point dogs. 

The Dolphins may be worse than Washington, but from a gambling standpoint, the Skins are far more depressing. 

Monday Night Action: Patriots (-9.5) at Jets

The Patriots have won the last seven meetings, with an average Patriots margin of victory of 19.3 points. Even with the Jets at home and getting healthier both at quarterback and other positions, this spread feels like an opportunity to get the Patriots at a discount because the public is on a Sam Darnold sugar high. That said, the Jets have historically been OK home dogs (19-13-1 ATS since 2011), and betting the Patriots to win big for the umpteenth time this century is something of an acquired taste.

Historical spreads via TeamRankings.com unless otherwise noted. 

Point-Counterpoint

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

Patrick Mahomes out several weeks after dislocating his kneecap on a quarterback sneak.

Point: What a stupid call by Andy Reid! Mahomes was already injured. You don't risk the NFL MVP on a dangerous play like a quarterback sneak when he's banged up. Period.

Counterpoint: What about all the times Cam Newton ran sneaks, options and so forth when he was injured?

Point: That's different. In my eyes, Cam Newton dresses funny and is therefore an expendable human who must always prove his manhood.

Counterpoint: What about all the times 40-something-year-old Tom Brady runs quarterback sneaks?

Point: That's different. It's a well-known fact that Brady is immortal and indestructible.

Counterpoint How come I have never before heard you mention the dangers of a quarterback sneak in all the years we worked together?

Point: Because all the other coaches besides Reid are smart enough not to use it. Except for Bill Belichick, Ron Rivera and all the other coaches who know the precise circumstances under which it is not dangerous or might only injure a player I don't like.

Counterpoint: I see. It sounds to me like you just made up a hot take on a controversial topic on the spot to get attention and are now just making stuff up to justify it.

Point: That's why I get top billing. There's a reason this segment ain't called Counterpoint-Point. 

Tom Brady draws criticism for appearing in a massage parlor scene which appears to lampoon Robert Kraft's solicitation-of-prostitution charges. Brady laments  "blame and shame" atmosphere of the media for taking a joke out of context.

Point: This is a story involving illegal prostitution and an investigation of human trafficking. But kudos to Brady for determining that the real victim here is Brady.

Counterpoint: At the rate the Patriots are going off the field, Rob Gronkowski is going to refuse to come out of retirement because he has too much dignity. 

NFL confirms that a 17-game schedule is on the negotiating table for the next collective bargaining agreement.

Point: The players' union agenda still consists of saying "Nuh-uh" and threatening to hold their breath until they turn blue.

Counterpoint: If Jeff Fisher were still on the competition committee, he would have to decide if this was some 7-10 or 8-9 bulls--t.