Routines are a funny thing. Our brains crave them. The sameness of NFL weeks creates easy opportunities to develop effective routines. At Footballguys, we have a running joke about Groundhog Day. Every day of the week is the same, for 18 consecutive weeks.
NFL teams love routines.
The Rams generated headlines in Week 1 with a unique approach to playing in Australia. Their reasoning centered on settling into the weekly routine as quickly as possible. Teams have talked about the hangover effect of playing abroad. Ironically, the 5-4 Rams may have been the team to feel the hangover, as the 49ers have cruised to a 7-1 start.
Breaking the routine shocks the system.
Outside of the 49ers and Rams, nine different teams have played international games.
Jacksonville, Pittsburgh, and New Orleans are a combined 4-0 since playing abroad. Dallas and Houston are 4-4 combined. At the opposite end, Baltimore, Indianapolis, Washington, and Philadelphia are 3-16-1. That sample suggests playing abroad is fine, as long as you don't lose your starting quarterback to injury or have a bad team.
The truth?
Life is what you make it.
When things are going well, we credit our routines and support systems. When struggling, we seek change. Did the routine create positives? Or was the routine simply a byproduct of doing what we need to survive?
These are the questions NFL teams seek to answer as they stare at an active trade deadline. Fantasy managers ask similar questions as they navigate bye weeks and injuries. And writers do the same as they adjust from a week of family vacation.
Thank you for your patience last week. Back to regularly scheduled programming!
Blind Resume
| Player | Receptions | Receiving Yards | Touchdowns |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 10 | 155 | 1 |
| B | 10 | 195 | 1 |
| C | 14 | 150 | 1 |
| D | 10 | 164 | 1 |
| E | 7 | 171 | 1 |
| F | 7 | 111 | 1 |
The last couple of weeks, explosive running back performances have dominated the headlines. Just last week, a parade of running backs topped 140 rushing yards and took this space. In Week 9, the receivers struck back. Five different players topped 150 receiving yards in Week 9, the most in a single week since Week 10, 2023. Prior to that 2023 week, the last time we saw this explosive production was Week 5, 2021. It's been 10 years since we saw a single week top 5 different 150-yard games, Week 16 in 2016.
Can you place this production?
Stats Of The Week
Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco: 37 Career Receiving Touchdowns
McCaffrey became the all-time leader in running back receiving touchdowns. It was his 18th career game with a rushing and receiving touchdown, extending his own record. Marshall Faulk is second with 15 games.
Trey McBride, Arizona: 7 Receptions, 54 Receiving Yards
McBride caught 7 passes for the 11th consecutive game. That ties him with Cooper Kupp for the second-longest streak in NFL history. Antonio Brown has the longest streak, going 14 games in 2015. McBride has the longest tight end streak, passing Travis Kelce's 8-game streak from 2020. McBride is on pace for 138 receptions as he looks to break his own record of 126 tight end receptions in 2025.
Matthew Golden, Green Bay: 10 Receptions, 164 Receiving Yards, 1 Touchdown
Christian Watson, Green Bay: 7 Receptions, 171 Receiving Yards, 1 Touchdown
Watson and Golden became the 4th pair of teammates with a 7+ receptions, 160+ receiving yards, 1+ touchdown line in the same game. The others: Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle (2022), Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks (2012), and T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Chad Johnson (2004).
Golden has 783 receiving yards, and Watson stands at 879. They are closing in on becoming the first Packers duo to cross 1,000 yards since Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb in 2014.
Ken Walker III, Kansas City: 102 Rushing Yards, 1 Rushing Touchdown, 4 Receptions, 41 Rushing Yards, 2 Receiving Touchdowns
The Chiefs entered Week 9 on a two-game losing streak. They decided the solution was the player who had pushed them to 5-0. Walker had his first three-touchdown game of the season. He topped 100 rushing yards after combining for 105 against Seattle and Denver. He now stands 128 yards from becoming the first 1,000-yard back to play with Patrick Mahomes II.
Walker recorded a rushing and receiving touchdown in the same game for the 3rd time in 2026. Chuck Foreman holds the record, doing it 5 times in 1975. 11 separate seasons have seen a player record 4 games with both; Austin Ekeler and Christian McCaffrey are the only players with 4 games since Brian Westbrook in 2008. Walker had just one career game with both entering the season.
Kirk Cousins, Las Vegas: 47,040 Passing Yards, 15th Most All-Time
Cousins jumped Russell Wilson and Fran Tarkenton on the career passing yardage list, moving into 15th all time. He has been involved in trade rumors and may have played his last game with the Raiders prior to the November 10th deadline.
Keenan Allen, Indianapolis: 1,095 Receptions, 8th Most All-Time
Allen passed Tim Brown to move into 8th on the career receptions list. He is 7 receptions from 6th-place Marvin Harrison Jr. Like Cousins, Allen has been mentioned in trade rumors.
Deep Waiver Wire Names To Know
DWWNTK often features players who may not appear in waiver wire content, filling the gaps. The top names will be rostered in most leagues, especially early in the season, but still merit mention. Recommendations for actions follow.
- Shallow Leagues - Start 2 running backs, 2-3 wide receivers, 1 flex, 5-6 bench size.
- Deep Leagues - Start 8-9 "Flex" positions, 10+ bench size.
- Managed Leagues - Start / Sit decisions made by manager.
- Bestball - Leagues that play the best score weekly, increasing value for volatile start / sit players.