We have it all figured out. Nine weeks complete. NFL standings solidified. Contenders have separated from pretenders.
To quote Lee Corso, "Not so fast, my friend."
Coming out of Week 10 in 2024, we had it all figured out. The 6-4 Cardinals and Falcons were in prime playoff positions. Atlanta was two games up on the 4-6 Buccaneers. The 4-5 Rams were in trouble. The 5-5 were stuck in the middle of the AFC.
Things changed. Arizona closed the season 2-5. Atlanta did the same. Tampa Bay went 6-1. The Rams were 6-2. Denver went 5-2.
Fantasy football had a flip, too. De'Von Achane was RB16, Jonathan Taylor was RB20, Bucky Irving was RB25, and Rico Dowdle was RB33 through Week 10. From Week 11 to 18, Achane was RB5, Taylor was RB6, Irving was RB7, and Dowdle was RB13.
Recognizing the flip mid-stream is difficult. We knew Achane and Taylor were talented players. But they had not shown the consistent ceiling that closed the year. Irving and Dowdle were unknown players who closed strong.
We are seeing some signs with players. Saquon Barkley had his best game of the season in Week 8. Derrick Henry rebounded from four straight in single digits. Chase Brown had five straight single-digit games. All are talented players who were struggling for various reasons.
Keep an eye out for flipping fortunes. Hitting on those spots wins leagues.
Thirteen games stand on the schedule, time to touch them all.
Number Watch
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle - 120 Receiving Yards
Smith-Njigba has hit 120 receiving yards in four straight games, tying nine players. Only AJ Brown (6 games) and Calvin Johnson (5) have gone past four games. Smith-Njigba's next 100-yard game will be his seventh of 2025, breaking a tie with Steve Largent for the most 100-yard games in a Seahawks season.
Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis - 63 Rushing Touchdowns - Edgerrin James 64 Colts Franchise Record
Taylor's next rushing touchdown will bring him into a tie with James for the most in franchise history. Marvin Harrison Jr. holds the record for most touchdowns from scrimmage for the team, at 128. With 70, Taylor is in fifth place, five behind James.
Taylor needs 92 rushing yards to hit 6,000 in his career.
Davante Adams, LA Rams - 7 Receptions, 16 Receiving Yards, 1 Receiving Touchdown
Adams needs seven catches to hit 1,000 in his career, becoming the 17th player in NFL history to cross that threshold. He is one behind DeAndre Hopkins on the career list. He is currently 27th in the career receiving yards list at 12,335; he needs 16 to catch Brandon Marshall (12,351). Adams' next receiving touchdown will break a tie with Tony Gonzalez for sole possession of eighth on the all-time list.
DeAndre Hopkins, Baltimore - 6 Receptions
Hopkins needs six more catches to hit 1,000 in his career. 2025 has been an arduous trek for Hopkins to cross the 1,000 threshold, with ten receptions in eight games. He needs 41 yards to catch Andre Reed for 18th on the career yardage list.
Stefon Diggs, New England - 1 Receiving Yard
Diggs needs one yard to become the 44th player to hit the 11,000-yard threshold. He is 60 yards from passing Chad Johnson on the career yardage list. His next reception will tie Wes Welker for 28th on the career list.
Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco - 17 Rushing Yards, 15 Receptions
McCaffrey is in a countdown to become the fifth back with 600 career receptions, needing 15. Alvin Kamara hit the mark in Week 8. With 585 career receptions, he can quickly jump from seventh to fifth, with Tiki Barber (586) and Marcus Allen (587) ahead.
He needs 17 rushing yards for 7,000 in his career, a mark 72 running backs have hit in league history.
Two rushing touchdowns would move him into the Top 10 on the 49ers' career rushing touchdown list.
Alvin Kamara, New Orleans - 88 Receiving Yards
Kamara only needs 88 receiving yards to join the exclusive five-player 5,000-5,000 club. The rub is that he only needed 91 more entering Week 9. He has topped 28 receiving yards just once in 2025, with 45 in Week 6. He topped 28 receiving yards nine times in 2024.
Josh Allen, Buffalo - 3 Rushing Touchdowns
Allen needs three rushing touchdowns to tie Cam Newton for the most by a quarterback in NFL history. Allen has two rushing touchdowns in each of his previous two games against the Dolphins. The Dolphins have allowed the most rushing touchdowns to quarterbacks in the NFL. Allen needs 23 rushing yards to catch Joe Cribbs for fourth all-time on the Bills franchise rushing leaderboard. Long term, he needs 13 touchdowns to catch Andre Reed and Thurman Thomas, who sit tied for the most all-purpose touchdowns in team history.
Matthew Stafford, LA Rams - 2 Passing Touchdowns
Stafford needs two more passing touchdowns for 400 in his career. At 398, he is in ninth place, with Ben Roethlisberger (418), Dan Marion (420), and Philip Rivers (421) sitting in the next three places. He has nine touchdown passes over the last two games, becoming the 18th quarterback with that many in a two-game stretch. Two touchdown passes will also bring him into a tie with Norm Van Brocklin for fourth on the Rams career list.
Mark Andrews, Baltimore - 9 Receptions, 18 Receiving Yards
Andrews was one of the biggest beneficiaries of Lamar Jackson's return to the lineup, with two touchdowns in Week 9. He can become the team's leader in career receiving yards, needing 18 to pass Derrick Mason. He needs nine receptions to catch Mason on the franchise's reception list and become the leader in that category. Andrews needs 38 receptions to become the 21st tight end with 500 in his career.
Revenge!
We are back! No, Immaculate Grid has not sponsored us yet, but hope remains. Who is playing for a little extra this week?
- WR Christian Kirk, Houston vs. Jacksonville
- RB A.J. Dillon, Philadelphia vs. Green Bay
- QB Jimmy Garoppolo, LA Rams vs. San Francisco
- QB Tyrod Taylor, NY Jets vs. Cleveland
- WR Malachi Corley, Cleveland vs. NY Jets
- RB Dare Ogunbowale, Houston vs. Jacksonville
- RB Najee Harris, LA Chargers vs. Pittsburgh (on IR)
- QB Jarrett Stidham, Denver vs. Las Vegas- Won 10-7, No stats
- TE Albert Okwuegbunam, Las Vegas vs. Denver- Lost 10-7, No stats
Last Week
- TE T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota vs. Detroit - Won 27-24, 2-11-1
- WR Mack Hollins, New England vs. Atlanta - Won 24-23, 2-9-0
- TE Austin Hooper, New England vs. Atlanta - Won 24-23. 1-20-0
- WR Brandin Cooks, New Orleans vs. LA Rams - Lost 34-10, 2-16-0
- QB Tyler Huntley, Baltimore vs. Miami, Won 28-6, No stats
- TE Darren Waller, Miami vs. Baltimore (on IR), Lost 28-6
