Welcome to the Riker Report, where I open up my game day files each week and share a quick-hitter observation or development from each of the eight NFL divisions. Only one unbeaten team remains, the Kansas City Chiefs, while the NFC North continues to prove why it is the toughest division to play… and the toughest to predict. Let’s check in on all eight divisions, right before the regular season’s halfway point.
AFC East: Despite Drake Maye’s efforts, Patriots drop sixth straight in rough London loss
Of the five quarterbacks selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, Drake Maye may have had the roughest draw in landing spots: a lowly New England team squarely in a rebuilding process and trying to replicate the success of decades with former head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady. His first two matchups have been unenviable as well, a test against Houston’s tenacious defense and an international game in London, but Maye has given Patriots fans reason for hope in a six-game losing streak. Though New England’s offense is sorely lacking playmakers, Maye has fared about as well as could be expected from a rookie still adjusting to the NFL level. Maye fired two touchdown passes with a game-high 276 yards and no turnovers, while tying the Patriots’ team-high rushing total with 18 yards. The Patriots couldn’t find their rhythm after an opening-drive touchdown and did not challenge the mediocre Jaguars in the second half, but give Maye credit for his decision-making and promise. Next step: contending for wins.
NFC East: Philadelphia’s Saquon Barkley exacts revenge on the Giants in 176-yard romp
One of my favorite sports movies, Big Fan, tells the story of a crazed Giants fan (played by Patton Oswalt) who spends his time calling into sports talk radio and taunting Eagles fans, only to have his life flipped around when his favorite player attacks him on a night out. To non-sports fans, the movie may seem like an exaggeration of the investment of a football fan, but most NFL diehards would appreciate the accuracy of the movie’s depiction — especially the bad blood in the Eagles-Giants rivalry.
In a storyline worthy of the big screen, Eagles running back Saquon Barkley provided one of the most compelling stories of Week 7 in his revenge match against his former employer. Already one of the NFL’s best backs this year, Barkley took it to another level against the team that drafted him (and then declined to extend him this past offseason) with a 176-yard showing in Philadelphia’s definitive 28-3 win over its bitter rivals. If the Giants thought they could replace Barkley’s production in the backfield, Sunday’s game proved otherwise. Barkley outpaced the entire Giants’ rushing output by exactly 100 yards and provided the game’s longest play on a 55-yard burst. With the Eagles angling for a Hollywood ending to their 2024 season, No. 26 might be the top reason fueling their Super Bowl dreams.
AFC North: Russell Wilson victorious in his Steeler debut in prime time
Sunday Night Football did not lack drama. While the visiting Jets brought a midseason coach firing and a blockbuster receiver trade to the prime-time matchup, the hosts brought an even bigger news item from the week. Head coach Mike Tomlin ultimately chose to start veteran quarterback Russell Wilson for his first game as a Steeler, displacing the quarterback who had directed Pittsburgh to a strong 4-2 start, Justin Fields. Wilson’s start to his Steelers era was shaky — he completed just two of his first eight passes and had a stretch of three consecutive three-and-outs — but he breathed new life in the Steelers’ offense when the Jets were threatening to take control. Wilson led a two-minute drill touchdown drive to end the first half, then piloted four scoring drives in four possessions to demolish the vaunted Jets defense in a 37-15 rout. The former Seahawk and Bronco passer outdueled New York’s Aaron Rodgers in a matchup of Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks and finished with 264 passing yards and a pair of touchdowns, along with no turnovers. Wilson has put together one of the most fascinating careers of any top quarterback this century, and the early returns tease that the third stop in his borderline Hall of Fame career could have some twists and turns of its own.
NFC North: Lions’ late-game magic topples undefeated Vikings, moves Detroit into first place
The NFC North battle for supremacy was everything fans could have asked for and more, featuring plenty of plot twists, a ton of offense and a frenzied final quarter that came down to the final seconds. My takeaway — both teams are legitimate contenders, led by quarterbacks who are as inspiring of redemption stories as there are around the league. In 2021, Jared Goff was a castoff starting for the 3-13-1 Lions, while Sam Darnold was struggling to fit in with his new team, the Carolina Panthers. Though both were top-five picks and displayed flashes of top-level talent, Goff and Darnold seemed more fit for the bridge quarterback role than face of the franchise. On Sunday, the two dueled at U.S. Bank Stadium and looked like some of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Goff completed 88 percent of his passes, held the advantage in passing yards (280 to Darnold’s 259) and touchdowns (2 vs Darnold’s 1), but Darnold engineered a furious rally with three straight scoring drives to open the second half and give Minnesota a 31-29 lead in the game’s final minutes. Goff responded admirably, connecting with this offense’s top two playmakers, running back Jahmyr Gibbs and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, and setting up Jake Bates’ go-ahead 44-yard field goal with 15 seconds left. The teams will play next in the final week of the regular season, and given the starting quarterbacks’ boldness in the deep passing game, efficiency moving the ball down the field and elevated play in the fourth quarter, the second matchup between the Vikings and Lions could very well rival the first.
AFC South: Anthony Richardson powers Colts on the ground in 16-10 win over Miami
Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson entered the season with plenty of hype, but the same factors that derailed his rookie season reared their heads again: inconsistency and injuries. The fourth pick of the 2023 NFL Draft missed Indianapolis’ last two games with an oblique injury and struggled in his early-season starts, but his potential as a revelatory playmaker and his status as the future of the Colts’ franchise convinced Colts head coach Shane Steichen to insert Richardson back into the Colts’ lineup despite backup Joe Flacco’s successes under center.
Richardson’s return was a further testament to the franchise’s faith in him, though his statline wasn’t pretty: 10-for-24 for just 129 yards. What Richardson did bring to the Colts’ offense was dual-threat playmaking, evidenced by his team-high 56 rushing yards on 14 carries (which tied for most rushes by a Colt on Sunday) and strong decision-making on Indianapolis’ two fourth quarter field goal drives. The strong-armed passer completed five of his six passes on those drives, including four passes for more than 10 yards, in powering Indianapolis into the lead and above .500. The Colts will need Richardson’s contributions in both aspects of the passing and rushing attacks in their upcoming games, with Houston, Minnesota and Buffalo next on their slate.
NFC South: Broncos rout reeling Saints in Thursday Night Football rout
What has happened to the Saints? Since the last time I wrote about them (their 44-19 beatdown of the Dallas Cowboys to lift them to 2-0), New Orleans has not won a game and is giving the Panthers competition for the last-place spot in the NFC South. Losses to Philadelphia, Atlanta and Kansas City felt justifiable for the Saints, but allowing the Buccaneers to torch their vaunted defense for 51 points in Week 6 was a shock. The Saints’ performance on Thursday Night Football took another step backward — a non-competitive 33-10 loss to the Denver Broncos on their home turf. The absence of quarterback Derek Carr has forced rookie Spencer Rattler into action earlier than anticipated, and the wide receiving core has been ravaged by injuries as well. New Orleans’ defense couldn’t disrupt former head coach Sean Payton’s ground game and allowed running back Javonte Williams to post 88 yards and two touchdowns on the evening. With head coach Dennis Allen facing his third season without a playoff appearance, the Saints are in danger of a major shakeup after the season if they can’t reverse their losing streak.
AFC West: Despite Mahomes’ turnover woes, Chiefs stand tall as NFL’s lone unbeaten team
Overall, the Chiefs enjoyed a terrific week. Kansas City’s win in their Super Bowl rematch against the San Francisco 49ers showcased their dominant defense in front of a national audience, while the Lions’ close win over Minnesota put the Chiefs in rare air as the only undefeated team at 6-0. No other AFC team has fewer than two losses, and KC remains head-and-shoulders above the rest of the AFC West. We’re nearing the time of the season where checking the schedule to see who could possibly defeat the reigning Super Bowl champions in the regular season is a reasonable exercise.
Still, the play of the Chiefs’ leader, Patrick Mahomes, gives reason for pause. Mahomes’ numbers on the season are not pretty, and Sunday marked the sixth-straight game with at least one interception. Mahomes’ penchant for picks hasn’t doomed the Chiefs late in games, but his arm isn’t elevating the Chiefs’ offense like it has in prior seasons. He ranks 16th in passing yards, 23rd in passer rating and is tied for the NFL lead in interceptions. Mahomes’ playmaking has been more pronounced in the rushing attack (his best play against the Niners was a sideline scramble for 33 yards), and his supporting cast has compensated for his mistakes. But considering just how dominant Mahomes has been to start his career and in the postseason, his performance in the first half of 2024 is a jarring development.
NFC West: The window is open for Arizona to make noise in the NFC West
We’re six seasons in, and former number one overall pick Kyler Murray is still looking for his first playoff win. Why not this year? Murray has the offensive playmakers (running back James Conner, wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and tight end Trey McBride) and a head coach in his second year, and he still has the skill set to embarrass defenders on any given play, as he did to the Chargers with a 44-yard touchdown scamper on Monday Night Football. Murray has eclipsed 215 passing yards just once in seven starts this season, but the Cardinals’ last-second MNF win over Los Angeles should remind the league that Murray has the potential to take over games late and take on top defenses. Two even more convincing reasons why the Cards could make a run to the playoffs: Murray’s clean bill of health and a NFC West that is wide-open for the taking due to injuries and inconsistent play from Arizona’s rivals. With October wins over the 49ers and Chargers, the Cardinals are proving to be more than cellar-dwellers and have established themselves in the playoff mix after a 1-3 start.
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