AFC North

The Cleveland Browns struggled in all aspects during Sunday's 39-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins.

Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa torched the Browns defense, which also struggled to stop the run with Jeff Wilson Jr. and Raheem Mostert having big days.

Fans were quick to criticize head coach Kevin Stefanski for the all-around performance:

Defensive coordinator Joe Woods also earned plenty of the blame:

It wasn't a great day for the offense, but the defense was a major problem while allowing 39 points and 491 yards from scrimmage.

It resulted in the Browns falling to 3-6, with just one win since Week 3.

A blowout 32-13 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 8 had some expecting a big second half of the year after the Week 9 bye, but the squad came out flat against the Dolphins.

If the Browns can't wake up in Week 11 against the Buffalo Bills, there might not be enough time to save the season.

The Pittsburgh Steelers will be without safety Minkah Fitzpatrick against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Fitzpatrick won't play because of appendicitis.

ESPN's Adam Schefter added that Fitzpatrick is expected to miss multiple weeks after having an appendectomy.

The 25-year-old has missed one game this season, in Week 6 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers because of a knee injury. He was placed in the concussion protocol ahead of a Week 4 matchup against the New York Jets, but he didn't miss time.

Through seven games, the Alabama product has 45 tackles and three interceptions, one of which he returned 31 yards for a touchdown.

He racked up a career-high-tying 14 tackles in Pittsburgh's Week 1 overtime win against the Cincinnati Bengals and added that pick-six, a performance that earned him his first AFC Defensive Player of the Week award.

The No. 11 pick by the Miami Dolphins in 2018, Fitzpatrick quickly established himself as one of the best players at his position.

The Steelers acquired him in a trade in Week 3 of the 2019 season, and he earned the first of back-to-back Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro selections that year. Pittsburgh rewarded him with a four-year, $73.6 million extension prior to this season.

While Fitzpatrick is sidelined, Tre Norwood is slated to take his place in the starting lineup. The Oklahoma product, 23, has 57 career tackles, including 19 this season. He has played 25 games with six starts since he was drafted in the seventh round last year.

The fantasy football trade deadlines are rapidly approaching. Regardless of whether you're fighting for a bye, a playoff spot or to fend off a last-place punishment, you should consider all avenues to improve your team. You should also assess your current roster and decide whether the collection of talent will get you over the top when push comes to shove.

With that in mind, here's a look at a pair of Cleveland Browns running backs, Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, and some thoughts on them moving forward.

Chubb has been nothing short of sensational for the Browns, who selected the ex-Georgia star with the No. 35 overall selection in the 2018 NFL draft.

The fourth-year pro rushed 228 times for 1,259 yards and eight touchdowns in 2021 alongside 20 receptions, 174 receiving yards and one more score.

He's followed that up with 149 carries for 841 yards and 10 scores (5.6 YPC) in 2022 alongside 10 catches and 70 receiving yards. Chubb has amassed over 1,100 total yards in each of his first four seasons and is well on his way to doing that again in year number five.

If you have Chubb, you're keeping him for the end of the season and into the playoffs, plain and simple. He's one of the top 10 most valuable fantasy players and a rock-solid asset going forward. If a fantasy team is looking to offload Chubb for whatever reason (which they shouldn't, but you never know), it's worth making a Godfather offer to land him. He's simply one of the most consistent and best running backs in real and fantasy football.

The better question is regarding second-string running back Kareem Hunt, who is productive in his own right (422 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns on 96 touches over eight games).

Ultimately, he's been capped at 12 touches per game, so he doesn't have a great ceiling.

But that could change if the Browns take a big step forward when quarterback Deshaun Watson makes his season debut in Week 13 versus the Houston Texans. Perhaps adding the three-time Pro Bowler gives the Browns more scoring opportunities and therefore more chances for Hunt to make his mark.

However, that's a speculative notion at best. Hunt's best opportunity would be him becoming the unquestioned RB1 if Chubb is ever forced to sit, but in the meantime, trading for him is a gamble. He's a solid bench option at running back at best.

At the same time, he provides good depth in case you run into a bind at the position, so it's best to hang onto him unless someone else is offering you a good deal for him.

A California gas station owned by Joe Chahayed, the father-in-law of longtime NFL defensive tackle Domata Peko, sold the winning $2 billion Powerball ticket.

Darren Rovell of the Action Network reported Chahayed will receive $1 million as a reward for selling the coveted ticket:

"My father-in-law sold the winning Powerball [for] $2 billion. Congratulations Baba," Peko wrote Tuesday on his Instagram story.

The ticket was sold at Joe's Service Center in Altadena, California. A winner hasn't come forward as of early Wednesday afternoon.

"We are excited. We are happy for California, happy for Los Angeles County and happy for the city of Altadena," Chahayed told KTLA's Cindy Von Quednow. "We are happy for the schools. They're going to get more money."

Peko was a fourth-round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2006 NFL draft. He spent the first 11 seasons with the AFC North franchise.

The 6'3'', 325-pound defensive lineman went on to make stops with the Denver Broncos, Baltimore Ravens and Arizona Cardinals, his most recent team in 2020. He hasn't formally retired despite not playing the last two seasons.

"You deserve it! My wife Anna's dad. Let's go," Peko wrote on the Instagram story.

Chahayed, 75, told Von Quednow he plans to share his winnings with his children and 11 grandchildren.

"There's no one else that deserves it more than this man," one of his sons told KTLA.

The lucky owner of the winning ticket has one year to come forward to claim the record-setting prize.

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward doesn't agree with the way Los Angeles Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey called out L.A.'s offense after Sunday's loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Ramsey felt the Rams offense should have been able to run out the final two minutes on the clock after the defense's stop on the penultimate Bucs possession. Instead, Tom Brady and Co. got the ball back and scored a touchdown to win 16-13.

Ramsey told reporters:

"The defense should not have had to go back on the field. Simple. Gotta have some dogs who are gonna go get it. We shouldn't come to the sideline after a big stop like that and our coaches or the other side or whoever telling us, 'We gonna to need y'all one more time. We gonna to need y'all one more time.' Like what the f--k? We just made a big stop, turnover on downs, with a minute and some change left and no timeouts for nobody."

Heyward was asked about those comments Tuesday on the Not Just Football podcast (27:30 mark of video below). He responded:

"You know, I can only speak for our team. When our offense comes up short you just think as a defense we gotta do more. Whatever it takes. We know it's not gonna be perfect on the other side of the ball, but we're provided an opportunity to win the game when we step on that field. I don't think it comes down to pointing the finger. I think it comes down to just understanding the situation that when one unit falls short the other unit's gotta step up."

Heyward's steady progression after the Steelers selected him in the first round of the 2011 draft allowed him to become one of the league's top defensive linemen. He entered 2022 with five straight Pro Bowl appearances and three First Team All-Pro selections over the past five years. He also fills a key leadership role for the club.

The 33-year-old Ohio State product has recorded 31 total tackles and three sacks in eight games this season.

Some of Ramsey's frustration likely stems from the fact that the Rams, the reigning Super Bowl champions, suffered their second straight loss to drop their record to 3-5. It hasn't been the type of title defense L.A. was expecting.

Regardless, clearly Heyward, whose Steelers stand at 2-6, doesn't believe in venting those types of grievances in the public.

Both teams will attempt to begin turning their seasons around Sunday. The Steelers host the New Orleans Saints at Acrisure Stadium, while the Rams welcome the Arizona Cardinals to SoFi Stadium.

Lamar Jackson generates most of the headlines for the Baltimore Ravens, but the defense could be the difference between a Super Bowl run and an early playoff exit.

The unit spearheaded Monday's 27-13 victory over the New Orleans Saints as the AFC North leaders improved to 6-3 with their third straight win. Wide receiver Rashod Bateman, tight end Mark Andrews and running backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards were among those sidelined for the visitors, but Justin Houston and Co. made sure that didn't change the outcome.

Houston in particular overwhelmed the Saints offensive line with 2.5 sacks, two tackles for loss, one interception, three quarterback hits and one pass defended.

The Baltimore defense, which now has Roquan Smith in the middle after a trade with the Chicago Bears, sacked Andy Dalton four times and didn't allow a touchdown until the final five minutes, when the game was well in hand.

The unit drew plenty of praise from social media in the process:

Baltimore figured to need a brilliant performance from Jackson given all its injuries, and he treated it to just that at times in the first half with a touchdown pass to Isaiah Likely and a few impressive runs.

The attention he drew also helped open running lanes for Kenyan Drake, who scored two touchdowns and finished with 93 yards on 24 carries.

But the defense was the story as it confounded the Saints—who started the game with four straight punts, including three three-and-outs—when the outcome was still hanging in the balance.

If it continues to play at that level with Jackson leading the offense, the Ravens figure to be a favorite in the AFC.

Joe Mixon had one of the best individual days of the 2022 season with 153 rushing yards, 58 receiving yards and five total touchdowns for the Cincinnati Bengals in Sunday's 42-21 win over the Carolina Panthers.

It was a historically impressive effort from the veteran running back.

Most of the discussion on social media was about the impact on fantasy leagues, as Mixon decided countless matchups single-handedly.

The Bengals rode Mixon to a one-sided victory over the Panthers, and the running back likely carried fantasy managers to wins in any format in Week 9.

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown said Saturday he was fined $10,000 by the NFL for taunting two Pittsburgh Steelers defensive backs in Sunday's Week 8 game.

Brown pointed at Steelers cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick after scoring a second-quarter touchdown during the Eagles' 35-13 win.

The 25-year-old wideout was borderline unstoppable against Pittsburgh. He finished the contest with six catches for 156 yards and three touchdowns.

It's the continuation of a trend since he was acquired by the Eagles in an April trade with the Tennessee Titans, a move that looks better with each passing week.

Philadelphia is averaging 242.3 passing yards per game in 2022, which is an increase of over 40 yards from last year (200.2).

That improvement has come despite the Eagles featuring many of the same key pieces offensively, including quarterback Jalen Hurts, receivers DeVonta Smith and Quez Watkins and tight end Dallas Goedert.

Adding a true No. 1 receiver like Brown to the mix has made the passing game much tougher to defend, and that's a major reason Philly is the league's last undefeated team at 8-0 following Thursday's win over the Houston Texans.

Meanwhile, it's just the third time in Brown's career he's been fined. The previous two occasions came in 2020 with the Titans for excessive celebrations, totaling $19,000, per Spotrac.

Brown and the Eagles will look to continue their winning ways Nov. 14 when they host the Washington Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field.

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman has decided to undergo season-ending Lisfranc surgery, according to head coach John Harbaugh on Thursday.

"Rashod Bateman has decided to go ahead and get a surgery for his foot," Harbaugh said.

"He's gonna get the Lisfranc surgery. It was one of those ones where it was up to him. He and his agent and his family talked it over, and they decided it would be his best interest to do that, so we support him on that and understand what he's doing."

Per a Cleveland Clinic description of the injury: "A Lisfranc fracture is a type of broken foot. The Lisfranc joint is the spot on top of your foot where the metatarsal bones (the bridges to your toes) connect to the rest of your foot."

As noted by OrthoVirginia, "Lisfranc surgery is to repair broken or dislocated bones in the midfoot, or the middle part of the foot."

The 22-year-old Bateman is in his second NFL campaign after the Ravens selected him with the No. 27 overall pick in the 2021 draft. The ex-Minnesota star had 15 catches for 285 yards and two touchdowns in six games this year after posting a 46/515/1 stat line during his rookie season.

Bateman suffered the injury during his team's 27-22 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Thursday. Initially it appeared that Bateman wouldn't be out for the entire season, with Harbaugh making these comments to reporters Monday.

"Bateman's a little bit more disappointing in the sense that after the game, they thought it was kind of a tweak, but there was a little more there from a strain standpoint.

"… (From) conversations that we had, it looks like it's going to be a few weeks for him. We'll have more to report on that later in the week."

Unfortunately, Bateman is now out for the season as the promising talent looks toward a 2023 return.