AFC North

Cleveland Browns running back Kareem Hunt is reportedly available at a reasonable price ahead of the NFL trade deadline on Nov. 1.

According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano, other NFL teams are saying Hunt can be had for a fourth-round draft pick.

Hunt, 27, has been productive for much of his six-year NFL career, but with Nick Chubb leading Cleveland's backfield, he has undoubtedly become expendable.

As the No. 2 back behind Chubb, Hunt has rushed 66 times for 263 times and three touchdowns this season. He also caught 15 passes for 87 yards and a score.

While the numbers aren't bad considering his situation, his 4.0 yards per carry would be the lowest average of his career, as would his 5.8 yards per catch.

Hunt was on a far better pace last season before getting injured, with 60 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns in eight games, and that came on the heels of him racking up 1,145 total yards and 11 touchdowns the year before.

The former Toledo standout has spent the past four years in Cleveland after playing for the Kansas City Chiefs in his first two seasons.

It was in KC that the 2017 third-round draft pick played his best football, registering 1,782 total yards and 11 touchdowns as a rookie and then 1,202 total yards and 14 scores in 11 games the following season.

Hunt's tenure with the Chiefs came to an end in 2018 after video of him kicking a woman at a hotel surfaced, leading Kansas City to release him.

He subsequently signed with Cleveland prior to the 2019 season and has been a quality complement to Chubb ever since, but he may now be expendable given his contract and the Browns' running back situation.

Hunt is a free agent at the end of the year. Assuming he wants the opportunity to be a No. 1 back, it seems unlikely that he would re-sign with the Browns, making him a prime trade candidate.

Fowler and Graziano noted that while interested teams may like his $1.35 million base salary this season, his roster bonus of $200,000 per game could be an issue. One possible solution would be for the Browns to restructure the bonuses into a signing bonus to make the deal more palatable.

At 2-5, the Browns are in danger of falling well out of playoff contention, although they are biding their time until quarterback Deshaun Watson returns from suspension.

Trading Hunt is a move that could be construed as giving up on this season, but since D'Ernest Johnson has shown the ability to be highly productive when given a chance to play, the Browns may not miss much by sliding him into Hunt's role.

If that is the case, the Browns would be wise to pick up a future asset or two for a player who isn't likely to be in the fold beyond this season.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett chalked up his game-sealing interception in Sunday's 16-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins to a "miscommunication" with wideout Diontae Johnson.

"Clock winding down, I wanted to give [Johnson] a chance to make a play. ... It's just a miscommunication," Pickett said after the game (51-second mark). "I thought he was gonna come back down. He ended up going vertical. I wanted to put it high and outside and give him a chance to make a play, but that's on me there. I gotta run it there and get outta bounds or just throw it out."

Kenny Pickett speaks to the media following tonight's game: pic.twitter.com/DIh5yPkqem

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) October 24, 2022

Noah Igbinoghene intercepted Pickett in the Dolphins' end zone with 25 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter on a play where the rookie quarterback had wide-open space in front of him to run for a first down on 2nd-and-2. It was the third pick of the game for Pickett, who has been turnover-prone in his brief NFL career.

The Pitt product has thrown seven interceptions in 127 pass attempts, giving him by far the league's highest interception rate (5.5 percent).

"I think there is some things to build on," Pickett said. "Turnovers, they can't happen. That cost us the game. I got to fix that. I'll be in there tomorrow working on it."

The Steelers, now sitting at 2-5, seem settled into a rebuilding season with Pickett at the helm. Coach Mike Tomlin also looks like a near-lock to have his first losing season in 16 seasons in Pittsburgh.

Allowing Pickett to have a trial by fire will either make him a better long-term quarterback or give the Steelers a leg up in deciding he's not the franchise face they hoped would replace Ben Roethlisberger.

There is clearly work to be done, both with Pickett's decision-making and his chemistry with receivers. As much as practice works as a good simulation, there's no replacement for Pickett getting on the field and making these calls in real time—even if they sometimes cost the Steelers a win.

The Pittsburgh Steelers fell to 2-5 on the season with a 16-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday night at Hard Rock Stadium, and the team's offense, unsurprisingly, struggled again.

Rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett completed 32-of-44 passes for 257 yards and one touchdown against three interceptions in his third NFL start. He also rushed for 20 yards on three carries.

George Pickens led the Steelers with six catches for 61 yards and one touchdown, while Najee Harris led the running backs with 17 carries for 65 yards.

Sunday's game was a winnable one for the Steelers, but the team's offense struggled to move the ball, and Pickett fell victim to being slammed by fans on Twitter following the loss:

Kenny Pickett does NOT scan the field or go through his reads....

— TAOisTheKey (@TaoIsTheKey) October 24, 2022

As much as I like Kenny Pickett, it is unacceptable to go scoreless for as long as the Steelers have. That’s in part, on him.

— Drip Bayless (@DripGodless) October 24, 2022

Kenny Pickett is bottom of the barrel.

— Elias (@EliasButcher3) October 24, 2022

I’m not enjoying the Kenny Pickett experience

— pghpls (@pghpls) October 24, 2022

I haven’t been super impressed with Kenny Pickett tonight. Not that Matt Canada has given him much to work with but I haven’t seen any magic yet.

And right now they need it.

— Penguins Jesus (@PenguinsJesus) October 24, 2022

https://twitter.com/JasperKent75/status/1584378117610934272

Can Kenny Pickett put one drive together?

— Big Easy Bets🎙 (@BigEasyBets) October 24, 2022

https://twitter.com/imjmoneyy/status/1584377652705533953

Kenny Pickett proves what we’ve known for a while now. He sucks

— Chase Brown (@IamChaseBrown13) October 24, 2022

Kenny Pickett not the long term answer in Pittsburgh

— Magic Max (@MaxwellDavies3) October 24, 2022

There is very little evidence that Kenny Pickett is going to be a good QB at this point. #SNF

— Bailey melvin (@bailey_melvin) October 24, 2022

https://twitter.com/Newdough/status/1584376642914295808

https://twitter.com/RencheckB/status/1584376570315431936

https://twitter.com/WvuPirates/status/1584372377441689600

The Steelers selected Pickett in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft, but he hasn't lived up to his draft status, and he certainly doesn't look like the heir to Ben Roethlisberger's throne in Pittsburgh.

Entering Sunday's game, he had completed 45-of-70 passes for 394 yards and one touchdown against one interception in two starts, one of which was a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, he threw for just 67 yards and one score in that game.

Of course, Pickett isn't solely to blame for Pittsburgh's offensive struggles, but it's quite clear he needs some more time to develop.

The Steelers will travel to face the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles next weekend.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow torched the Atlanta Falcons for 481 yards and three touchdowns in Sunday's 35-17 win, and he set a record in the process.

Sunday's game marked the fifth 400-plus passing yard game of Burrow's career, and he became the first player in NFL history to accomplish the feat in the first three seasons of his career, passing Hall of Famer Dan Marino, per ESPN Stats & Information (h/t ESPN's Ben Baby).

The other games Burrow has thrown for 400-plus yards include:

• Oct. 25, 2020 vs. Cleveland Browns: 35-of-47 for 406 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT 
• Oct. 24, 2021 vs. Baltimore Ravens: 23-of-38 for 416 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
• Dec. 26, 2021 vs. Baltimore Ravens: 37-of-46 for 525 yards, 4 TD
• Jan. 2, 2022 vs. Kansas City Chiefs: 30-of-39 for 446 yards, 4 TD

Burrow was cooking against the Falcons. He completed 34 of 42 passes and also rushed for 20 yards and one touchdown on three carries.

Tyler Boyd led the Bengals with eight catches for 155 yards and one touchdown. Ja'Marr Chase also caught eight passes for 130 yards and two scores, while Tee Higgins caught five passes for 93 yards.

Burrow has been one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL since being selected first overall in the 2020 NFL draft out of LSU.

Before suffering a season-ending torn ACL and MCL during his rookie season, he had completed 65.3 percent of his passes for 2,688 yards and 13 touchdowns against five interceptions, in addition to rushing for 142 yards and three scores.

In 2021, he was named Comeback Player of the Year after completing 70.4 percent of his passes for 4,611 yards and 34 touchdowns against 14 interceptions, in addition to rushing for 118 yards and two scores.

Burrow went on to lead the Bengals to the Super Bowl last season, but they fell to the Los Angeles Rams.

After a shaky start to the 2022 campaign, the 25-year-old now has Cincinnati tied for the AFC North lead with a 4-3 record. The Baltimore Ravens are also 4-3 on the season.

The Bengals are set to face the Browns next week before hosting the Carolina Panthers on Nov. 6.

Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski downplayed the significance of his team's reaction to a 23-20 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

According to multiple reports, there was audible yelling coming from Cleveland's locker room. Stefanski chalked it up as "normal football."

Browns star Myles Garrett added it reflected how badly the players wanted to win the game:

#Browns Myles Garrett on the screaming in the locker room after the game pic.twitter.com/bs2mWLcv2w

— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) October 23, 2022

#Browns Myles Garrett on the yelling from the locker room: "I think it's just a lot of guys passionate about winning...I think everyone is just intent on winning and fixing what we have going on."

— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) October 23, 2022

The Browns have now dropped four in a row and sit last in the AFC North at 2-5. Exacerbating the team's frustration, four of its five losses have come by three points or fewer.

The circumstances of Sunday's defeat left plenty of fans asking questions of the officiating crew.

Cade York had an opportunity to tie the game on a 55-yard field goal with 2:09 left. However, a false start penalty moved the offense back five yards, and York's 60-yard attempt was blocked. What led to the flag wasn't clear to the naked eye.

That sums up Cleveland's luck at the moment. The Browns outgained Baltimore 336-254 and averaged two more yards per play. The defense sacked Lamar Jackson three times and held him to 120 passing yards on 16 attempts.

Still, it wasn't enough for Stefanski's squad to come out on the winning end.

Attempting to make anything of the response inside the Browns' locker room feels like an exercise in confirmation bias. If you remain bullish on Cleveland, then it's an example of how much the players care and how focused they'll be heading into Week 8. If you're less enthusiastic about the team, it shows how the franchise is spiraling further toward dysfunction.

Regardless of where you sit on that spectrum, the hard truth is that losing to the Cincinnati Bengals to slip to 2-6 heading into their Week 9 bye would be a significant blow to the Browns' playoff hopes.

Baltimore Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins was ruled out for Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns because of a knee injury that is expected to sideline him for at least a month.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Dobbins is expected to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery and will miss 4-6 weeks.

The 23-year-old has already seen injuries become the major storyline of his career.

After a promising rookie season in 2020 that saw him rush for 805 yards and nine touchdowns, adding 18 receptions for 120 yards, he missed the entirety of the 2021 campaign with a torn ACL.

His recovery from that injury also cost him Baltimore's Week 1 win over the New York Jets, despite Dobbins being adamant in July he would be ready for the start of the regular season.

Okay I’m tired of being quiet… come to me for your source @RapSheet because I might not even go on PUP because that’s how good my rehab is going and I’m damn sure going to be ready for week 1. https://t.co/gH2TqCFLM4

— Jk dobbins (@Jkdobbins22) July 18, 2022

I would post videos but I want all you fake a** doctors and people who have never spoken a word to me to see what me and Jesus been up to on the biggest stage.

— Jk dobbins (@Jkdobbins22) July 18, 2022

Dobbins was activated off the physically unable to perform list in early August, fueling optimism he might be able to play in Week 1. But the Ravens played it safe with their top running back, hoping to keep him healthy for the entirety of the 2022 season.

JK Dobbins is ready to play but the Ravens are being extra cautious with their star running back. It’s more important to have him for many games rather than just one. https://t.co/Ruk3H5FpL7

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 11, 2022

He made his return in Week 3, rushing seven times for 23 yards to go along with two catches for 17 yards.

"It felt great, (I'm) blessed to be back out there," he told reporters at the time. "I'm happy about that, but now it's time for me to try to do what I do. And that's run for 100 yards and stuff like that."

He's a key member of Baltimore's offense, alongside quarterback Lamar Jackson, tight end Mark Andrews and wideout Rashod Bateman. A year after the Ravens were decimated by injuries at the position, the hope was to keep Dobbins healthy for the majority of his campaign.

Friday's news will be alarming for the team, which also didn't have Gus Edwards available for the first four games of the season as he recovered from an ACL tear of his own. He started the season on the PUP list.

With Dobbins out of action, Kenyan Drake figures to be the primary back after he ran for 119 yards and one touchdown in a Week 6 loss to the New York Giants.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett is expected to start Sunday's contest against the Miami Dolphins after clearing concussion protocol from an injury he suffered in the team's last game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, per ESPN's Brooke Pryor.

Cornerback Levi Wallace and tight end Pat Freiermuth also cleared concussion protocol and will likely take the field against Tampa Bay.

Pickett took first-team reps during practice on Wednesday and Thursday, and his return shifts Mitch Trubisky back to the second-stringer role.

Trubisky entered the Week 6 win over Tampa Bay after Pickett suffered the concussion and played well on his way to 9-of-12 passing for 144 yards, one touchdown and zero interceptions.

His touchdown pass to Chase Claypool in the fourth quarter helped open up an eight-point lead, and Pittsburgh's defense stopped Tampa Bay's two-point conversion after its late touchdown to preserve the 20-18 win.

Trubisky started the first four games of the season but gave way to Pickett during the Week 4 loss to the New York Jets.

The rookie then started against the Buffalo Bills and Buccaneers and will presumably be the starter this season as long as he is healthy. He has completed 66.3 percent of his passes for 514 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions, although he scored twice on the ground against the Jets.

Pittsburgh is just 2-4 on the season and could have an eye on the future after selecting Pickett with the No. 20 overall pick of the 2022 NFL draft.

More experience this year will presumably help his preparation for future seasons when the Steelers may be in a better position to compete, although they are only one game behind the 3-3 Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC North.

If the rookie can demonstrate a bit more consistency as a thrower while garnering that additional experience this season, the Steelers could make a playoff run despite a lackluster start to the campaign.

Deshaun Watson was cited for speeding by police over the summer after he was traded to the Cleveland Browns.

Per TMZ Sports, the Ohio State Highway Patrol pulled Watson over for driving 97 mph in a 70 mph zone on June 11.

Watson told the officer he was traveling back to the city from Detroit. TMZ noted court records show the case was closed on July 6 after the veteran quarterback paid a $185 fine.

According to TMZ, Watson's interaction with the officers was "cordial" and he was allowed to leave after being issued the citation.

The Browns acquired Watson from the Houston Texans on March 18. After the deal, he also signed a fully-guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract extension. It's the largest fully-guaranteed deal in NFL history.

Watson's trade to Cleveland came as he was facing 22 civil lawsuits accusing him of sexual assault and sexual misconduct. Two additional civil lawsuits were filed against him before May 31, bringing the total number up to 24.

As of July 31, Watson settled 23 of the 24 civil lawsuits. He received an 11-game suspension and a $5 million fine for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy after a settlement on discipline was reached between the league and NFL Players Association.

A new civil lawsuit was filed against Watson on Oct. 13 in Harris County District Court. The suit alleges Watson attempted to "solicit" sexually related acts with plaintiff during a massage session at a Houston hotel in December 2020.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement after the new civil lawsuit was filed that Watson's status "remains unchanged" and the league "will monitor developments in the newly-filed litigation; and any conduct that warrants further investigation or possible additional sanctions would be addressed within the Personal Conduct Policy."

If Watson meets all the parameters for reinstatement, he will be eligible to return to practice with the Browns starting on Nov. 14. He could potentially make his first start of the season on Dec. 4 against the Texans.

New Baltimore Ravens wide receiver DeSean Jackson is a big fan of Lamar Jackson—a big enough fan to compare him to one of the greatest dual-threat quarterbacks of all time.

"I've been keeping my eye on Lamar for a little while now, man," he told reporters on Wednesday. "You see a lot of the characteristics and similarities to Michael Vick, but he's beaten some of his records, so he's the new era of Michael Vick."

New Ravens WR DeSean Jackson said Lamar Jackson is the “new era of Michael Vick” pic.twitter.com/HKgWzasZTI

— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) October 19, 2022

Jackson, 35, would know better than most—he played with Vick in Philadelphia between the 2009-13 seasons. All three of Jackson's Pro Bowl seasons came during that time, though he also spent time catching passes from Donovan McNabb, Kevin Kolb and Nick Foles in those years.

Nonetheless, if there is a modern comparison to Vick, it is absolutely Lamar Jackson. The 2019 MVP has rushed for over 1,000 yards twice in his career. The only other quarterback to ever do it once was Vick in 2006 (1,039 yards).

And like Vick, Jackson is a more than capable passer, even if the major knock on him in his career has been that he can't win games with his arm consistently enough to lead the Ravens on a deep playoff run.

The jury is still out on that. It is also still out on whether DeSean Jackson, who has bounced between three teams in the past two seasons, can still make an impact at his age. His new quarterback is excited to have him:

Lamar Jackson said that DeSean Jackson was “floating around, running great routes. I’m excited.”

— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) October 19, 2022

John Harbaugh on the addition of WR DeSean Jackson: “We’ll see how it goes.”

Harbaugh said Jackson looked fast and fluid in his workout.

— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) October 19, 2022

Jackson caught just 20 passes for 454 yards and two scores in stints with the Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Rams last season, though he did appear in 16 games. That was a positive after he played a total of just eight games for the Eagles between the 2019-20 seasons.

If healthy, he can provide the Ravens with a solid deep threat. And if he isn't open, his quarterback can always go full Vick and handle it with his legs.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson told reporters that his team is "pissed off" about losing but that it's imperative for the squad to move forward and look toward its next game.

"Our attitude is we're pissed off about losing.. But at the same time, we can't dwell on it. We have to move on and focus on the Browns." pic.twitter.com/1gJr3RzJFB

— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) October 19, 2022

The 3-3 Ravens have held double-digit leads in each of their losses. They led the Miami Dolphins 35-14 in the fourth quarter before losing 42-38. The Buffalo Bills trailed Baltimore 20-3 late in the first half before scoring 20 unanswered points in a 23-20 victory.

On Sunday, the Giants trailed 20-10 in the fourth quarter before scoring two touchdowns in a 24-20 win.

Jackson notably committed two turnovers in that game off a Julian Love interception and a fumble following a Kayvon Thibodeaux strip-sack.

The pick led to the Giants' game-winning score from Saquon Barkley, while the fumble let the Giants run out the clock.

Still, Jackson has been lighting up NFL fields far more often than not this year. He's accounted for 15 touchdowns (13 passing, two rushing) alongside 1,277 passing yards and 451 rushing yards.

Baltimore is also arguably better than its 3-3 record shows. The Ravens have had a brutal early schedule, with all six of their opponents sitting at .500 or better. Football Outsiders also ranks the team third in DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average).

On the bright side, Baltimore's .500 record is still good enough for first place in the AFC North during a down year in the division through six weeks.

Baltimore will look to get back in the win column on Sunday when it hosts the 2-4 Cleveland Browns.