With all the games, backstories, injuries and developments in a given week in the NFL, it’s tough to know what to look for on Sunday. Here are five things to watch this week:
Sideline intrigue to watch
Packers coach Mike McCarthy decided to give up play-calling duties, a decision that’s going about as well now as the second half of last January’s playoff loss to the Seahawks did for Green Bay.
McCarthy was peppered with questions about taking back the job after Green Bay continued to flail in the red zone of an ugly, 18-16 home loss to the Lions last week, turning 22 first downs and 372 total yards into just two Aaron Rodgers touchdown passes.
McCarthy said he has no interest in calling the plays again, so Tom Clements will continue to handle the duties when the 6-3 Packers visit the 7-2 Vikings on Sunday in a pivotal NFC North matchup for both teams.
It’s a situation that bears watching, though — especially if Rodgers starts to voice any displeasure with it. McCarthy isn’t considered the most patient coach, and it would surprise no one to see him reconsider should Green Bay fall in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2008.
Injury hole to watch
The 9-0 Patriots have been incredibly resilient this season, but is Julian Edelman’s broken foot one injury too many for the reigning Super Bowl champions?
It certainly will be the most challenging of all the New England injuries to deal with as the Patriots prepare to play host to Rex Ryan and the Bills on Monday night.
Edelman, who is projected to be out anywhere from six weeks to the entire season, by far was Tom Brady’s favorite receiver this season. The Patriots will now have to replace 24 percent of their receptions, 23 percent of their receiving yards and a whopping 29 percent of their receiving touchdowns.
That’s a lot, especially in a season when New England’s receivers are dropping passes at a dizzying rate. The Patriots’ 27 drops — perhaps due to properly inflated footballs? — are second only to the Eagles’ 28 for the most in the league, according to Pro Football Focus.
Of course, if anyone can make the best of a misfit receiving corps, it’s the superb Brady. He showed that last Sunday, when he threw for 200 yards in the fourth quarter to lead a comeback win over the Giants after Edelman was sidelined.
But the Patriots’ task of repeating now promises to be a lot harder as long as Edelman is down.
Special teams to watch
The Eagles’ special teams have been anything but special this season, and that’s prompting some blowback for Chip Kelly.
A day after a bad snap on a failed field-goal try, a blocked punt and a 37-yard kickoff return allowed contributed mightily to an excruciating, 20-19 home loss to the Dolphins, Kelly bristled at criticism of some of his personnel moves that seemed to contribute to those special-teams woes.
The second-guessing is warranted, though. Kelly wanted — and won — final say over the roster last offseason, and his decision to get rid of top special-teams James Casey, Chris Polk, Casey Matthews and Brandon Boykin have come back to haunt the Eagles.
The Birds scored seven TDs on special teams last season, blocked six punts while not having a single punt of their own blocked and saw Darren Sproles lead the league in punt-return average.
Though Sproles is still a home-run return threat, the Eagles go into Sunday’s home game with the Buccaneers a shell of their 2014 selves on special teams. And with the league as parity-driven as it is, that could be the difference between the Eagles going to the playoffs or sitting at home again.
If so, Kelly only can blame himself.
Defensive tailspin to watch
The apparent demise of Peyton Manning isn’t the only reason for the Broncos’ sudden tailspin. A defense that was the toast of the NFL just a few weeks ago also must shoulder a big chunk of the blame now that Denver has fallen to 7-2 and ceded the top of the AFC to the unbeaten Patriots the past two weeks.
The Broncos travel to face the resurgent Bears and Jay Cutler on Sunday still ranked No. 1 in the league in total defense but slipping noticeably on that side of the ball.
After holding the Packers to just 140 yards in a 29-10 win three weeks ago, Denver has allowed 300-plus yards in consecutive games (both losses) for the first time all season. The Broncos also have not forced a turnover in three straight games after piling up 17 takeaways in their first six contests.
Denver doesn’t have long to shore that up, either. New England is next on the schedule after Chicago.
Trade fallout to watch
The Eagles didn’t exactly “win” the Sam Bradford-Nick Foles trade, but the Rams certainly appear to have lost it.
Not only is St. Louis benching Foles in favor of Case Keenum for Sunday’s trip to Baltimore, but the Rams are on the hook for a $6 million roster bonus to Foles next spring that is fully guaranteed.
St. Louis could escape having to pay that bonus by trading Foles, but that is considered highly unlikely now that Foles has been demoted in the wake of a roller-coaster, 4-5 start.
Even worse: The Rams still owe the Eagles a second-round pick for Foles in 2016. Foles will be long gone from the Rams by the time Philadelphia makes that choice.
Yet another reason to consider Jeff Fisher the most overrated coach in the league.