Josh Tolentino

A large cloud of controversy emerged this week in Pittsburgh as Steelers coach Mike Tomlin apparently decided to switch quarterbacks ahead of the team's Sunday night game against the New York Jets.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Patrick Mahomes scurried off the Levi's Stadium field in jubilation. Despite registering the worst passer rating of his brilliant career Sunday, Mahomes wore a wide grin after his Chiefs handed the 49ers a 28-18 defeat that improved Kansas City's record to 6-0. Before he disappeared into the tunnel, hundreds of lingering fans cheered him on as he pumped his arms toward the sky.When Mahomes reached the front entrance of the visitors' locker room, team owner Clark Hunt greeted him."That is a Kansas City win!" Hunt shouted as he embraced his franchise quarterback.Mahomes was quick to focus the spotlight on Kansas City's defense."It took everyone!" Mahomes replied. "How 'bout that defense!"This rematch of last year's Super Bowl featured more dominance from the back-to-back champs; Sunday marked Kansas City's fifth consecutive victory over San Francisco. A litany of injuries affected both teams, but the Chiefs emerged with the win thanks to a defensive unit that's remained lights out under coordinator Steve Spagnuolo."With Spags - it all goes back to the love and care that he has for his guys," defensive end George Karlaftis told theScore. "All of us on defense, we can feel it. We just have the ultimate amount of respect for him. Everybody wants to play with him and follow his game plan to the best of our ability. So that's what it's about."San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy threw a season-low 212 passing yards with three interceptions and no touchdowns - a chaotic outing in stark contrast to the stellar offensive performances in February's Super Bowl. Mahomes countered by completing just 59% of his passes (16 of 27) with two interceptions and zero touchdowns.That's not a winning formula on its own, but this season, Kansas City is proving it can beat opponents in a multitude of ways. The Chiefs are fifth in points allowed (17.6 per game) and 10th in yards allowed (306.2 per game)."It's obviously fun to win and score a lot of points, but whenever you play these high, tense moments against great teams, you see where you're really at," Mahomes said. "We were able to find ways to win because our defense continues to play special, honestly."Spagnuolo's exotic defense typically features a variety of pre-snap looks. All the extra movement near the line of scrimmage is meant to test the patience of opposing quarterbacks. But the unit's success is rooted in its ability to stop the run. That trait was on full display against the 49ers, who managed just 101 rushing yards (4.2 average) to pair with Purdy's ugly performance.When asked about the dominant run defense, Karlaftis began to discuss the details, but five-time All-Pro Chris Jones interjected from his neighboring locker stall."We could be so much better!" Jones shouted as he pounded his metal stall with a fist. Thearon W. Henderson / GettyJones and Karlaftis' on-field chemistry shows the importance of winning consistently at both the edge and interior. The duo has combined for 54 total pressures and 35 quarterback hits this season.With the linemen asserting their will and dominance up front, linebacker Nick Bolton shared that one of Spagnuolo's biggest points of emphasis throughout the year has been effective tackling. While it sounds simple, the defense's second and third levels have been consistent overall in their efforts to bottle up the ball carrier. Niners running back Jordan Mason had just 14 carries for 58 yards.On the season, Kansas City has the third-fewest missed tackles (40) in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus. San Francisco, which regularly deploys a top defense, has 65 missed tackles."With Spags … the thing I'm really proud of is his ability to (connect) with a lot of the young guys," Bolton said. "The mental part of their game is up here. You can see that. They've got the IQ, youth, legs. The pre-snap motion and disguises, we can do a lot of different things with the people we have in the building."It's about population to the football with Spags. Our D-line, those guys are filling their gaps, creating holes for us to crash. I think we have the best tackling defensive backs in the league. When the ball does spit out, they are always there to help us live another down."Spagnuolo had Purdy in a blender, but it was the coordinator's ingredients that impressed, making this team's already noteworthy season look even more promising. Rookies Chris Roland-Wallace and Jaden Hicks had combined for 14 defensive snaps all season before they were thrust into action Sunday due to injuries, and each picked off Purdy once. Veteran safety Justin Reid recorded Kansas City's third interception.Cornerback Trent McDuffie's eyes lit up while he discussed his fellow members of the secondary."There's a strong foundation. There's a standard," McDuffie said. "Anyone who comes in, whether it's a rookie or free agent, they come in and adopt those things. They plan their training and preparation around how we do it … We got two rookies with their first pick. I think it goes to show not only the coaching, but the leadership that follows them on this team."This defense and our DBs … we are going to hit. That's something Spags would tell you, that's something that we'll tell you. That's just our game. I think they've drafted the right guys who are going to come in and embrace that aggressive mindset. I think it really does help with the run game - being able to not let them hit the edges and when they do hit the outside, being able to stop them from big gains."Later, as players and coaches filed out of the visitors' locker room, Mahomes shared more embraces with Reid, Jones, and Spagnuolo. Across the way, wide receiver Justin Watson lingered. Before he joined Mahomes and the rest of their teammates for their return flight, Watson expressed his excitement for what's ahead.Watson has faith that Mahomes will figure it out in the pass game. Until then, the Chiefs will enjoy the quarterback's occasional magic, such as the epic rush in which he tiptoed down the left sideline. Thearon W. Henderson / GettyPerhaps more importantly, in an NFL season that has been defined by lackluster offenses, Kansas City has remained unbeaten with its Spagnuolo-led defense."Man, all of this adversity on offense just gives us a lot of confidence that we can find all these different ways to win games," Watson said. "We're still in the process of finding out as an offense what we're good at, what we're not good at. So to get through our first six games, while we're still figuring things out, undefeated - it's an awesome achievement."Going against our defense in training camp, in practice, those guys - they play us harder than any defense will play us all season. We really focus on that competition all week, and I think it's paying dividends right now. They're playing unbelievable right now."Watson concluded: "They'll keep bailing us out for now. But when we find a way to put it all together, watch out. We know New Orleans (site of Super Bowl LIX) is where we want to be."Josh Tolentino is theScore's lead NFL writer.

The Philadelphia Eagles' 28-3 victory over the New York Giants on Sunday likely will be remembered as the Saquon Barkley revenge game.

TAMPA, Fla. - Amid all the chaos and celebration inside the visitors' locker room at Raymond James Stadium, Falcons coach Raheem Morris insisted on giving Kirk Cousins the floor Sunday afternoon.Cousins was masterful in directing the Falcons to their second victory over the Buccaneers - Atlanta's top threat in the NFC South - in four weeks. The 36-year-old quarterback tossed four touchdowns in the 31-26 win, which improved Atlanta's record in the division to 4-0. So, with Atlanta rapper Bankroll Fresh's "Take Over Your Trap" blaring, Cousins busted a dance move that made the entire room erupt."We're enjoying winning and we had the music playing, and I was just going to soak in that for a minute, and I was just celebrating with the guys," Cousins said. "It was about going on the road and going into someone's trap and trying to take over their trap."In a division that was wide-open to begin the year, Atlanta has taken a noticeable step toward supremacy by sweeping Tampa Bay, the NFC South's reigning champ for three straight years. The Falcons have two division games remaining against the Saints and Panthers, but the road to their first division title since 2016 is starting to look smooth at the midway point of the regular season.Veteran safety Jessie Bates sensed some extra effort from his teammates leading up to the Bucs game."There was a little more urgency this week with it being a division opponent," said Bates, who forced a fumble and also intercepted Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield. "They're the defending NFC South champs for the last three years. We knew the mindset was to come here and take (the division) from them. That was our mindset as a team."Earlier in the week, Cousins approached Morris and asked if he could address the team following the Falcons' 20-point loss to the Seahawks in Week 7. While the content of Cousins' speech remains private, his message hit the spot for a surging Atlanta squad."This league beats you up and it tests you every day and it just kicks you down and you've got to get back up," Cousins said. "Sometimes I need to encourage myself. And when I was encouraging myself, I thought, 'You know what? Maybe somebody else could use this, too.'"This weekend marked the one-year anniversary of Cousins tearing his right Achilles. The former Vikings quarterback joined Atlanta in the offseason on a four-year, $180-million contract before the Falcons selected quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 pick in the draft. That decision left many wondering about Cousins' long-term future with the team.Entering Week 9, Cousins has Atlanta firmly in the driver's seat. He ranks fourth in the NFL in passing yards per game, seventh in completion percentage over expected, eighth in EPA per play, and fourth in tight-window completion percentage. Of his four passing touchdowns against the Bucs, three were explosive plays (30-plus yards), while Cousins' 145.9 passer rating was the sixth highest in his 158 career games.Cousins acknowledged that he'd reflected on reaching the one-year milestone. He showed just how far he's come in recovering from his Achilles injury: Late in Sunday's fourth quarter, Cousins scrambled for 13 yards to extend Atlanta's drive and take more time off the clock.Morris joked: "He looked like Patrick Mahomes out there."Across the division, the Saints and Buccaneers continue to be ravaged by injuries. Against the Falcons, Tampa Bay (4-4) was without top receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. New Orleans started the season hot with consecutive victories but has since lost six in a row. Carolina (1-7) remains stuck in the NFL's cellar.Since the NFC South was formed in 2002, Atlanta has the fewest division titles with four. Carolina has five, Tampa Bay six, and New Orleans seven.There's plenty of optimism across the Falcons organization that this could finally be their year - eight seasons after last making the playoffs. But the players recognize there's still work to do."This doesn't mean the season is done," Bates said. "It doesn't mean the Saints are going to lay down or the Panthers are going to lay down. But we've got to go take two more (division wins) and be undefeated in this division and see where it goes after that."Linebacker Kaden Elliss, who leads the team with 65 tackles, emphasized that Morris has the Falcons playing with more discipline, a trait that Atlanta has lacked."I think we're such a good team," Ellis said. "Another team might have a really good strength, another team might have one of our sides of the ball, our number that day, another team might make some plays. At the end of the day, we have so many guys on all three phases that can create plays that help us find a way to win. That's what it's all about."Taking down the champs in this division, they've won this thing three years in a row, that was big time. … Coming out here to beat them two times, you can't beat this feeling. I feel like we're finding our stride."Eagles' flight path Dylan Buell / GettyThe Eagles entered their Week 5 bye with a laundry list of concerns.Through four games, quarterback Jalen Hurts had career-worst marks in success rate, EPA per dropback, yards per pass attempt, and sack rate, and he'd committed a league-high 11 turnover-worthy plays.One month later, the Eagles have rattled off three consecutive victories to improve to 5-2, and Hurts didn't commit a turnover in that span. Philadelphia has started to create an identity as a run-first offense led by Saquon Barkley.During this weekend's 37-17 smashing of the Bengals, star playmakers Barkley, DeVonta Smith, and A.J. Brown combined for 280 net yards, while Hurts had three rushing touchdowns. The Eagles were efficient and effective, scoring on seven of eight drives, and Hurts registered the best EPA per dropback (0.58) of his career.Barkley, whose career high is 1,312 rushing yards with the Giants in 2022, is on pace for 1,860 yards during his inaugural season in Philadelphia. He's been a smashing addition to an Eagles offense littered with big names. Barkley's explosiveness has also made coordinator Kellen Moore more willing to diversify the offense, leading to a recent uptick in under-center play calls. Before this season, the Eagles deployed Hurts almost exclusively in the shotgun or pistol formation."I don't think we're there yet (offensively)," Hurts told reporters Sunday. "I think we're slowly finding it and trying to piece things together. Ultimately, it comes down to cadence, rhythm, and how we play. And then ... optimizing all of the talent we have."While Hurts reached the end zone three times with his legs, he also connected with Smith for one of his best throws ever. Hurts' 45-yard touchdown completion traveled 59.3 air yards, the longest completion through the air in his five-year career.Philadelphia's 20-point victory over Cincinnati was an overdue development for the "win comfortably" crowd. Before the Eagles' Week 7 win over the Giants, they hadn't won a game by more than one possession since Week 7 of the 2023 season. Philadelphia's now accomplished that feat in consecutive games.Barkley rushed for 57 of his 108 yards in the fourth quarter - all of them on a 12-play, 85-yard drive that ate up 7:37 of game time. It was the type of shove-it-down-your-throat possession that allowed the Eagles to close out the victory in style.Defensively, Philadelphia has upped its intensity and seemingly found its footing in coordinator Vic Fangio's scheme and game plans. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow finished with an 84.7 passer rating, his lowest of the season.Since the bye, the Eagles rank first in the league points allowed per game, first in yards allowed, second in sacks, and first in defensive success rate.The Eagles still sit 31st in takeaways, although they forced two turnovers - a fumble forced by Zack Baun that fellow linebacker Nakobe Dean recovered and an interception from safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson - to double their season takeaway total."We put everything we have into this," head coach Nick Sirianni told reporters. "I'm proud of these guys with how mentally tough they are, and when you win, you feel it - you're excited about it regardless of how you win."The identity of this football team is physical. That's what we're going to try to play by each week."McManus clutch again for Green Bay Rich Storry / GettyFor the second consecutive week, kicker Brandon McManus connected on a game-winning field goal, this time lifting the Packers to a 30-27 victory over the Jaguars.Green Bay began the season with Brayden Narveson at kicker, but the undrafted rookie - who'd been claimed off waivers at the end of training camp - missed four field goals between 40-49 yards. General manager Brian Gutekunst then turned to McManus, a 10-year veteran who played for the Jaguars last season.Back in May, a pair of flight attendants sued McManus, alleging he had sexually assaulted them on the Jaguars' chartered flight from Jacksonville to London in 2023. He'd already signed a one-year deal with the Commanders, who released him. The lawsuit, which was dismissed and then refiled in September, prolonged McManus' free agency.Later in September, however, the NFL said it couldn't find evidence that McManus had violated the league's personal conduct policy, and in October, he said the lawsuit was "resolved." Given Narveson's early struggles, the Packers brought in McManus for a workout, and he signed Oct. 16.Through two games, McManus has been gold for Green Bay. Last week, he knocked in a 45-yard game-winning field goal to defeat the Texans. This Sunday, he connected on a 24-yarder against his former team as the Packers improved to 6-2 in an extremely competitive NFC North."Anytime I have a chance to play in this league, have an opportunity to strap up the helmet and play with teammates in a locker room, this is one of the most cherished places in the world," McManus told reporters Sunday. "It's a chance to share memories and times with these guys, it's incredible for me. That makes it special."McManus and the Packers will battle the Lions (6-1) for first place in the NFC North on Sunday at Lambeau Field.Josh Tolentino is theScore's lead NFL writer.

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