Details Emerge About Emeka Egbuka’s Status For Monday

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are tied for the best record in the National Football League.

That record will be put to the test when they hit the road for a high-flying Monday Night Football matchup with the Detroit Lions.

Fortunately, Todd Bowles’ team might have its best offensive weapon of the season back on the field.

Apparently, there’s a big chance that star rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka will be able to suit up:

“Schefter: Emeka Egbuka (hamstring) has ‘real chance’ to play Monday,” per Underdog NFL.

Schefter: Emeka Egbuka (hamstring) has "real chance" to play Monday.

— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) October 19, 2025

That would be a huge break, but the Bucs also need to be cautious about him.

The Ohio State product missed most of the win over the San Francisco 49ers last Sunday because of the injury, and while it was never believed to be serious, we’ve already seen how tricky soft-tissue injuries can be.

They need to make sure this won’t be a chronic issue or a long-term ailment, and they should err on the side of caution, even if that means that they will have to play without him.

So far, he’s been Baker Mayfield’s preferred weapon.

He’s up to a whopping 27 receptions on 42 targets, logging 469 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns.

He was the odds-on favorite to run away with Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, helping the Bucs hold down the fort without star WRs Chris Godwin Jr. and Mike Evans.

Evans is reportedly on track to suit up again after missing several weeks with an injury of his own.

As for Godwin and star running back Bucky Irving, they will watch the game from the sidelines again.

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Panthers Hint At New Gameplan For Veteran RBs

The Carolina Panthers have a great problem on their hands right now.

They had a starting running back in Chuba Hubbard, but Rico Dowdle has been even better as his replacement.

That’s why, instead of just benching Hubbard now that he’s back to full strength, they want to keep both of them involved, and they will look to take a page out of the Detroit Lions’ offense’s book:

“Schefter: Wanting to play both Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard, the Panthers have studied how the Lions and Seahawks handle their RB split,” per Underdog NFL.

Schefter: Wanting to play both Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard, the Panthers have studied how the Lions and Seahawks handle their RB split.

— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) October 19, 2025

Of course, we should take this with a grain of salt.

The Lions have two legitimate stars at running back in Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, and, with all due respect, that’s not the case with Dave Canales’ team.

Granted, Hubbard has had some big games and is an above-average starter, but Dowdle is currently playing out of his mind, and that level of play simply might not be sustainable.

He’s not going to play the Dallas Cowboys and Matt Eberflus’ defense every day.

The Panthers have looked much better than most people anticipated this season.

Not many people thought they would be sitting on the same record as the Kansas City Chiefs after six weeks, and a win on Sunday would give them the first three-game-winning streak of the Bryce Young era.

That sets the table for them to test out their new running back committee, and it’ll be interesting to see how it works out for Dave Canales.

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Broncos Are On Pace To Make Franchise History

The Denver Broncos entered the season with high hopes and expectations.

They were, by far, the best team in the preseason.

And with the moves they had made, their success last season, and Bo Nix’s growth, they looked poised for a dominant run.

In fact, head coach Sean Payton gushed about them, stating that this was one of the few times in his career that he was fully convinced that the team could make a Super Bowl run.

Fast forward to today, and that hasn’t necessarily been the case.

Nevertheless, their defense has been as good as advertised, if not more.

According to ESPN insider Adam Schefter, they’re on pace to do something quite special this season:

“The descendants of Denver’s Orange Crush have turned into the Orange Rush: After six games, the Broncos have an NFL-leading 30 sacks, putting them on pace for 85 this season, which would set the league’s all-time single-season record that the 1984 Chicago Bears currently hold with 72 sacks,” Schefter posted on X.

The descendants of Denver’s Orange Crush have turned into the Orange Rush: After six games, the Broncos have an NFL-leading 30 sacks, putting them on pace for 85 this season, which would set the league’s all-time single-season record that the 1984 Chicago Bears currently hold… pic.twitter.com/aO2H5nhiII

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 19, 2025

Sean Payton’s teams have always been stout on defense, and with Vance Joseph leading the way at defensive coordinator, this shouldn’t be much of a surprise.

Star LB Nik Bonitto has emerged as a true game-changer, and their aggressive defense has kept its opposition on its toes week in and week out.

Notably, they might be licking their chops ahead of Sunday’s clash with the New York Giants.

They will host a rookie quarterback in Jaxson Dart, and they will look to put a lot of pressure on him on every dropback.

The Giants’ offensive line hasn’t been as bad as in previous years, but it’s far from good.

Will the Broncos wind up making NFL history this season? We shall see, but you have to like their chances on Sunday.

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Rex Ryan Reveals Biggest Difference With Eagles This Season

The Philadelphia Eagles lost Kellen Moore in the offseason, and they’re paying that price.

Once again, Nick Sirianni’s team has only been as good as its assistant coaches, just like what happened when they lost Jonathan Gannon and Shane Steichen.

New offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo has left plenty to be desired.

The team has no offensive identity, no trickery, and they haven’t made the most of their many weapons.

According to former head coach Rex Ryan, their lack of RPO plays has hurt them mightily.

Talking on ESPN, Ryan called them out for going away from what worked out for them last season:

"They're not even themselves."

Rex Ryan speaks on the Eagles' biggest difference from the 2024-25 Super Bowl season pic.twitter.com/Gw0rRtCBu6

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) October 19, 2025

They have the reigning Offensive Player of the Year and one of the best running backs in the league, yet they refuse to use him for whatever reason.

Patullo hasn’t gotten Saquon Barkley going, even though they have arguably the best offensive line in the game.

To add insult to injury, Jalen Hurts’ issues with reading coverage have also hurt the passing game.

He’s been either unwilling or unable to find a wide-open A.J. Brown over and over this season.

The Eagles can’t keep alternating dominating seasons with subpar ones.

That’s what the head coach is supposed to be there for.

Sirianni might be a Super Bowl-winning coach, but his personnel management and character have been a subject of debate way too many times.

And with the locker room once again being a talking point, the team might have to find him another high-end assistant to handle business.

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Adam Schefter Reveals J.J. McCarthy’s Potential Return Timeline

The Minnesota Vikings had some big hopes for the 2025 season.

So far, they haven’t fulfilled them.

While they’ve won multiple games, they’ve barely gotten to watch their young quarterback play.

Once again, an injury has kept J.J. McCarthy on the shelf, and it might be a little longer before he can return.

According to a report by NFL insider Adam Schefter, McCarthy will have to miss at least another couple of weeks:

“The hope is that Vikings QB JJ McCarthy (ankle) can return in week 9 against the Lions,” per Adam Schefter.

The hope is that #Vikings QB JJ McCarthy (ankle) can return in week 9 against the #Lions, per @AdamSchefter. pic.twitter.com/2Wbf5ABALI

— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) October 19, 2025

That’s clearly not an ideal setting to return.

He will have to face a tough divisional rival with a stout defense.

McCarthy didn’t look good in limited action this season.

He looked raw and unprepared at times.

And now that he’s missed extensive time twice in as many years in the league, the team has to have some major concerns about him and his durability.

McCarthy missed his entire rookie season with a major knee injury.

The Vikings still chose not to bring back Sam Darnold or give Daniel Jones a chance.

They also voted against signing Aaron Rodgers, even though he reportedly wanted to play for them.

Now, they might pay that price.

Carson Wentz might be a proven veteran and one of the most experienced backups in the National Football League, but he’s a backup for a reason.

He can’t be trusted to lead this team to the playoffs, and if McCarthy doesn’t look good once he returns, they won’t have any more opportunities to trade for a potential replacement to salvage their season.

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Ashton Jeanty Has Made Franchise History

The Las Vegas Raiders never hesitated to take Ashton Jeanty with the No. 6 pick.

Some thought that was a bit of a reach for the Boise State product, considering that he didn’t get to face good competition in college.

Then again, his numbers were simply ridiculous, and there was nothing not to like about his tapes or measurements.

Fast forward to today, and it’s clear that the Raiders did the right thing.

As shown by the team’s PR department on X, the rookie running back has already made history.

Heading into Week 7, he has 12 runs of at least 10 yards, which is the fourth most in the league this season.

More than that, he’s tied for the third-most runs of 10+ yards by any Raiders running back through the first six games of a season, and he has the most since Darren McFadden had 16 of such runs back in 2011.

Heading into Week 7, RB Ashton Jeanty (@AshtonJeanty2) has 12 runs of 10+ yards, the 4th most in the NFL in 2025.

Since 2000, his 13 runs of 10+ yards are tied for the 3rd most by a #Raiders RB through the first 6 games of a season – the most since 2011 (Darren McFadden, 16). pic.twitter.com/7mF2lmbcc2

— Raiders PR (@RAIDERS_PR) October 19, 2025

Jeanty got off to a bit of a slow start to his career.

Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly insisted that he changed his usual stance, and that didn’t do anything to help his game.

But ever since he returned to his old stance from college, he’s been the same tackle-breaking, big-play machine he was at Boise State.

The Raiders still need to do a better job of getting him going.

Geno Smith has been a turnover machine this season, and the best way to take pressure off his shoulders and not rely solely on his big throws will be to establish the run.

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Ryan Clark Questions Travis Hunter’s Role With Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars gave up a lot to get their hands on Travis Hunter.

So far, it hasn’t been worth it.

The No. 2 pick has failed to make much of an impact on either side of the field.

That’s why, after watching him take the field on offense and not on defense early in the game against the Los Angeles Rams, former NFL player Ryan Clark took to social media to question his role on the team:

Is Travis Hunter just a receiver now? What’s the deal? That’s not it man!

And he needs to be used more like a utility offensive weapon than a true wide out. Just get it in his hands. He can’t give you the entire route tree at this stage.

— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) October 19, 2025

This was easy to predict.

It’s one thing to dominate in college, but this is the pro game.

Hunter has the talent to be a superstar at both defensive back and wide receiver, but that’s just not the way things go in the National Football League.

The Jaguars’ desire to use him on both sides of the field has led to him being an average player on defense and offense.

He should play on one side of the ball full-time, and sparingly on the other, at least at the beginning.

Of course, that’s not to say that he will never be a star, as he has the talent, skills, and work ethic.

But sometimes, it’s better to be elite at one thing than average at two.

Hopefully, he will be able to live up to the hype at some point.

More importantly, if he ever plays full-time on both sides of the field, he will be able to stay healthy, as dealing with that type of wear and tear could take a huge toll on his skinny frame.

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Caleb Williams Is On Pace To Make Bears QB History

The Chicago Bears were founded in 1919.

However, in their more than 100 years of existence, they have never had a star quarterback.

That hasn’t been their identity, perhaps because of the city’s windy nature, as they’ve often favored the running game.

Even so, it was about time someone put an end to their perennial woes at the position.

Caleb Williams is finally on pace to become their first-ever star quarterback, and that could happen as early as this season.

As pointed out by Sunday Night Football on NBC on X, the USC product is currently on pace to throw for 4,008 yards.

Is Caleb Williams on pace for Bears HISTORY? pic.twitter.com/lBO8PwGfap

— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) October 19, 2025

That would make him the very first player in Bears history to throw for at least 4,000 passing yards.

Granted, unlike his predecessors, Williams will have an additional regular-season game to do it, but that shouldn’t make this any less impressive.

Expectations were sky-high for Williams coming out of college, and while he did show flashes of greatness and incredible talent as a rookie, he also struggled mightily at times.

Then, his unflattering clips from training camp went viral, and the narrative around him shifted pretty quickly.

That’s why it’s only right that he now gets the credit he’s earned for what he’s done this season.

With offensive guru Ben Johnson now calling the shots for him, he’s currently on a three-game winning streak.

And while he clearly still has to clean plenty of things up in his game, he’s trending in the right direction and finally looking like this franchise’s savior.

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Antonio Pierce Turns Heads With Statement About Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs just got a prime reinforcement.

Star wide receiver Rashee Rice is ready to make his season debut against the Las Vegas Raiders.

He served a six-game suspension for his involvement in a multi-car crash in the 2024 offseason.

That, plus their history and experience, are reasons enough to believe this team is far from done.

At least, that’s how Antonio Pierce feels.

Talking on CBS, the former NFL player and Raiders head coach opened up on the Chiefs, and he had to admit that they’re built to dominate late in the season.

“They’re built for this … this team is built for January and February,” Pierce said.

"They're built for this … this team is built for January and February."

Former Raiders coach @AntonioPierce on the Chiefs pic.twitter.com/rw5uQ2AgAB

— NFL on CBS (@NFLonCBS) October 19, 2025

He saw that firsthand when he coached the Raiders, and he even managed to beat them, so he knows what he’s talking about.

Granted, being 3-3 at this point in the regular season is unlike them, and it’s far from what they expected.

They lost several close games that they would’ve won every single time years ago, but that fortune in close-game situations always seemed to be unsustainable.

Still, we’re talking about a team that has been there and done that.

They know what it takes to get the job done when it matters the most, and they will never feel overwhelmed or like the situation is too big for them.

They have one of the best head coaches and offensive play-callers to ever live, calling the shots.

And with Patrick Mahomes playing back to his superstar level, it might not be wise to put your money against the most dominant team of their era.

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Matt Ryan Has Strong Belief About Chiefs Despite Slow Start

The Kansas City Chiefs have already lost three games this season.

That shouldn’t be that worrisome for most teams, but we’re talking about the most dominant team of the past decade.

However, unlike some people, Matt Ryan doesn’t think this is the beginning of the end of the dynasty.

Talking on CBS Sports, the former MVP shared his honest thoughts on Andy Reid and his team:

“There’s a level of pacing I think that Andy Reid does and forcing guys into roles for development so he can get the best out of them when he needs them in November, December, and January. This team is going to be right there at the end,” Ryan said.

"This team is going to be right there at the end."@M_Ryan02 thinks the Chiefs are trending in the right direction at the perfect time. pic.twitter.com/dbDgyhNEOx

— NFL on CBS (@NFLonCBS) October 19, 2025

Of course, being 3-3 at this point is far from ideal, but there’s still plenty of football to be played.

Betting against Patrick Mahomes has rarely been profitable, and the former MVP is currently playing arguably the best football of his career.

The defense hasn’t been as stout as its been during most of Steve Spagnuolo’s tenure as defensive coordinator, but they still have the personnel to shut down all their opposition.

Also, their offense will finally be back to full strength.

Star wide receiver Rashee Rice will finally make his season debut after serving a six-game suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.

Xavier Worthy has looked solid since he returned from injury, and even if Travis Kelce is no longer a superstar, he’s still Travis Kelce.

Everybody in the league has spent hours upon hours trying to figure out a way to stop the Chiefs, and it may have worked so far.

Then again, they still have arguably the greatest offensive playcaller of all time calling the shots, so it might be way too early to have this type of conversation about the Chiefs.

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