Connections are a key to life. Research has shown that positive social connections lead to longer and happier lives. Our human nature seeks ways to develop and maintain essential connections.
Football has helped me connect. To longtime friends, far too many times, my go-to group of friends will realize how much we connect during the fall, using our football connection as a conversation starter to check in on life as a whole.
As a parent, learning new connections is crucial as your kids grow and their interests change. My eldest daughter is interested in football. She plays in our office Chopped league. She is crushing it, building a Patrick Mahomes II - Travis Kelce stack, a Dolphins fan with De'Von Achane and Jaylen Waddle. Due to the help of her local Footballguy staffer, she just added Puka Nacua and Trey McBride.
But Waddle is her favorite player. Recently, his name has come up in trade rumors. The Buffalo Bills have been mentioned. I am a Bills fan. There is nothing I want more. Getting another receiver seems obvious given the team's offensive struggles in Week 6. But this would be deeper. My daughter said if Waddle were traded, she would hang up her Dolphins fandom and become a Bills fan. We can get into the ethics of hanging up a favorite team or a better team in the middle of a season. I'll make an exception.
Week 7 is loaded with NFL connections. Mike Vrabel is returning to Tennessee. Carson Wentz is starting against the Eagles. Kyle Shanahan's 49ers play the Atlanta Falcons franchise, where he served as the offensive coordinator during their fabled 28-3 Super Bowl collapse.
The list continues.
Jim Harbaugh, against a Colts organization that meant so much to his playing career, while Shane Stechien, on the opposite side, sees a Chargers organization that gave him his first job as a coordinator. Stechien coached Justin Herbert during Herbert's rookie year.
The Bengals and Steelers started the week with a connection of their own. Joe Flacco and Aaron Rodgers became one of the oldest starting quarterback combinations in NFL history.
Fourteen games remain, full of connections—time to touch them all.
Number Watch
Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco - 50 Receiving Yards
McCaffrey has pushed his season-opening record 50 receiving yards by a running back game streak to six games. The six games tied him with James White for the fourth-longest streak in NFL history. Herschel Walker has the longest streak, with ten games.
McCaffrey is just one yard behind Roger Craig for seventh place on the career running back receiving yardage list.
Hitting 90 receiving yards would push him to 5,000+ career rushing and 5,000+ career receiving yards.
Alvin Kamara, New Orleans - 27 Receiving Yards
Kamara is just behind McCaffrey on the career receiving yardage list. He needs 27 to get to Craig's number.
Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons - 90 scrimmage yards
Robinson has 90+ scrimmage yards in 11 consecutive games. That number is not quite halfway to the NFL record of 25, held by William Andrews. Marshall Faulk is second on that list, with 21 games.
If you like obscure stats deep dives, Andrews is an interesting player.
Dallas Goedert - 4 Game Receiving Touchdown Streak
George Pickens - 5 Game Receiving Touchdown Streak
Goedert and Pickens are both halfway to their franchise leaders in longest touchdown streaks.
Mac Jones, San Francisco - 1 Win, $100,000
Jones is still hunting the $100,000 bonus with four wins after losing in Week 6. His contract includes a clause stipulating that four wins and 25% of the team's snaps will trigger the bonus. He has an additional bonus of $550,000 if he plays 50% of the snaps and the team makes the playoffs. He's played 222 snaps out of 364, 61%.
Revenge!
We are back! No, Immaculate Grid has not sponsored us yet, but hope remains. Who is playing for a little extra this week?
- TE Evan Engram, Denver vs. NY Giants
- QB Carson Wentz, Minnesota vs. Philadelphia
- WR Lil'Jordan Humphrey, NY Giants vs. Denver
- TE Hunter Long, Jacksonville vs. LA Rams
- TE Johnny Mundt, Jacksonville vs. LA Rams
- QB Russell Wilson, NY Giants vs. Denver
- QB Gardner Minshew, Kansas City vs. Las Vegas
- WR Noah Brown, Washington vs. Dallas (on IR)
- TE Eric Saubert, Seattle vs. Houston
Coach Connections
- HC Mike Vrabel, New England vs. Tennessee - Titans head coach from 2018-2023, fired following the 2023 season.
- HC Dan Quinn, Washington vs. Dallas - Cowboys defensive coordinator from 2021-2023.
- HC Brian Schottenheimer, Dallas vs. Washington - Washington quarterback coach in 2001, Schottenheimer's father Marty, was Washington's head coach in 2001.
- HC Jim Harbaugh, LA Chargers vs. Indianapolis - Colts quarterback from 1994-1997.
- HC Shane Steichen, Indianapolis vs. LA Chargers - Chargers offensive coach starting in 2024, promoted to offensive coordinator in 2020, Justin Herbert's rookie year.
- HC Liam Coen, Jacksonville vs. LA Rams - Offensive coach from 2019-2020, offensive coordinator in 2022.
- HC Mike McDaniel, Miami vs. Cleveland - Browns wide receiver coach in 2014.
- HC Andy Reid, OC Chip Kelly, Kansas City vs. Las Vegas - The Raiders' offensive coordinator was Reid's successor as head coach for the Eagles.
- HC Sean Payton, Denver vs. NY Giants - Giants quarterbacks coach in 1999 and offensive coordinator in 2000-2002.
- HC Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco vs. Atlanta - Falcons offensive coordinator, 2015-2016
Last Week
- RB Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia at NY Giants - Lost 34-17, 12-58-0 / 2-9-0.
- RB Rico Dowdle, Carolina vs. Dallas - Won 30-27, 30-183-0 / 4-56-1.
- WR Jonathan Mingo, Dallas at Carolina - Lost 30-27, on IR.
- RB Miles Sanders, Dallas at Carolina - Lost 30-27, on IR.
- QB Jacoby Brissett, Arizona vs. Indianapolis, Lost 31-27, 27/44-320-2-1 / 3-19-0.
- WR Josh Reynolds, NY Jets vs. Denver, Lost 13-11, 3-25-0.