The Miami Dolphins have named Tua Tagovailoa as their starting quarterback, the rookie first-round pick taking over from Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Miami selected Tagovailoa with the fifth overall pick in the 2020 draft, despite concerns over a dislocated hip he suffered in his final college game for Alabama last November.

He made his debut on Sunday, appearing late in the fourth quarter as the Dolphins eased to a 24-0 win over the New York Jets to improve to 3-3.

And, according to reports from ESPN's Adam Schefter and NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, he will replace Fitzpatrick after Miami's Week 7 bye and make his first start against the Los Angeles Rams on November 1.

Though his errors did not prove critical against a dismal Jets team still waiting for their first win, Fitzpatrick was underwhelming in Week 6 as he threw for 191 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.

His seven interceptions are the third-most in the NFL behind Kirk Cousins (10) and Carson Wentz (nine). Fitzpatrick is 18th of 33 qualifying quarterbacks in adjusted net yards per attempt with 6.62.

The 37-year-old was always seen as a placeholder and mentor for Tagovailoa, who will hope to reproduce his spectacular college performances at the highest level of the sport.

Tagovailoa threw for 7,442 yards, 87 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in a storied career with Alabama that saw him replace Jalen Hurts for the second half of the National Championship game at the end of the 2017 season and lead them to a dramatic overtime win over Georgia.

The most efficient quarterback in college football history with a 199.4 rating at Alabama, the Dolphins will hope Tagovailoa can provide an instant spark as they look to contend with the 4-2 Buffalo Bills in the race for the AFC East title.

Ezekiel Elliott issued an apology following the Dallas Cowboys' heavy loss to the Arizona Cardinals, admitting after two costly fumbles: "I need to be better".

The Cardinals improved to 4-2 as they thrashed the Cowboys 38-10 in Texas, running all over their opponents as they amassed 261 total rushing yards in the one-sided contest on Monday.

Dallas were without starting quarterback Dak Prescott, who suffered a season-ending ankle injury during the Week 5 win over the New York Giants. The defeat drops them to 2-4 for the season, though they still remain top of the NFC East.

Running back Elliott insisted the result was not down to Prescott's absence, instead pointing to his pair of fumbles in the first half as key moments. Having lost possession on back-to-back drives, he accepted responsibility for the result.

"I don't think we can use that [Dak's absence] as an excuse," Elliott told the media.

"I'm just going to keep saying it over and over - I started the game out with two fumbles, gave the ball away and gave them all the momentum they need to go take off.

"I want to say I'm sorry and this one is on me. I need to be better."

Both turnovers led to touchdowns for Arizona and, after Kenyan Drake put the Cardinals 14-0 up, Tony Pollard - not Elliott - was on duty at running back for the Cowboys.

Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy made clear that despite the change during the game, Elliott remains the team's lead back.

"Every player who plays in this league, and it's no different on our football team, if you don't take care of the football it obviously affects your opportunities," McCarthy said in his post-game media conference.

"Tony got an opportunity, I thought he did some really good things. At the end of the day, Zeke is our bell cow and we need to get it right. He's part of the plan and he's going to be part of our success.

"We need to get it right and take care of the football, that's for everyone who touches the football on our team."

Elliott finished the game with 49 rushing yards on 12 attempts, while Pollard had 31 yards on 10 carries.

The Cowboys are on the road in Week 7, taking on divisional rivals Washington.

Patrick Mahomes is unfazed by what approach the Kansas City Chiefs take, saying he just wanted to win after beating the Buffalo Bills.

Mahomes completed 21 of 26 passes for 225 yards and two touchdowns in the 26-17 victory over the Bills on Monday.

However, the Chiefs' running game was key as they rushed for 245 yards – with Clyde Edwards-Helaire accounting for most of those with 161 on 26 carries.

Chiefs star Mahomes, who rushed for 36 yards, said he was happy to take any approach – as long as his team were winning.

"It was definitely different. I had a few of those RPOs called and I had to tell myself not to throw it, just keep handing that thing off," the quarterback told a news conference.

"Clyde was running well, O-line was blocking well, and I just want to win, I don't care how that's done – pass, run, defense, whatever that is.

"We found a way to do that."

Mahomes connected twice with Travis Kelce for touchdowns as the Chiefs improved to 5-1.

The 2018 NFL MVP said the Bills' plan was why the Chiefs relied so heavily on their running game.

"Obviously we had a few more pass plays called, we always do, but once we saw how deep their linebackers and safeties and corners were playing, we knew we had the run game" Mahomes said.

"We really just stayed with it and if teams are going to play us like this you're going to see us running the football and we have the guys that can do it."

AFC West leaders the Chiefs face the Broncos in Denver on Sunday.

Tom Brady got the better of Aaron Rodgers in the most high-profile game of an NFL Sunday that also saw the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans move to 5-0.

The Seattle Seahawks are the only undefeated team remaining in the NFC after Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers recovered from a poor start to earn an emphatic 38-10 win over the Green Bay Packers.

Pittsburgh crushed divisional rivals the Cleveland Browns, while the Titans needed overtime to win a wild encounter against the Houston Texans in an AFC South battle.

With all but two Week 6 games now played, we reflect on the best statistics from another thrilling slate.

Brady and Gronk connection is back

The Bucs defense played its part against the Packers, but it was also a decent game from Brady, who had a 104.9 passer rating (166 yards, two TDs).

Rob Gronkowski had a slow beginning to his 2020 NFL return, but he was targeted on eight occasions this time, hauling in five catches for 78 yards (47 per cent of Brady's total) and a touchdown.

Brady and Gronk have now combined for 91 TDs, including postseason play, with this score seeing them surpass Philip Rivers and Antonio Gates for third on the all-time list for a QB-receiver pairing.

Steve Young and Jerry Rice (92) are next in their sights, though they have some way to go to catch Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison (114).

With starting tight end O. J. Howard out for the season, a resurgent Gronk in addition to star receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin should keep Brady and the 4-2 Bucs firing.

Rivers bounces back

Philip Rivers had made an underwhelming start with the Indianapolis Colts, so he needed a big performance and duly delivered one as his team rallied to beat the Cincinnati Bengals 31-27.

The 38-year-old recorded 371 passing yards and three touchdowns with one interception as receiver Marcus Johnson (five catches, 108 yards) enjoyed a big game.

It was the 30th time Rivers produced a 300-yard game with at least three TDs, only the sixth player to reach that milestone behind quarterback greats Drew Brees (67), Brady (51), Manning (46) and Rodgers (36).

Titans make history

The Titans' thrilling 42-36 win over Houston saw Ryan Tannehill throw for 364 yards (four TDs and one INT), while Derrick Henry rushed for 212 yards (two TDs), including an epic 94-yard score.

As a result, they became the first team in NFL history with a 350+ yard passer and a 200+ yard rusher in the same game.

Henry's 264 yards from scrimmage (he had 52 receiving yards) was a career-high and he became the first player to record a 200+ yard rushing game in three consecutive seasons.

He also equalled the record for rushing touchdowns of at least 90 yards (two), as well as drawing level with O.J. Simpson and Barry Sanders with five rushing scores of 70+ yards.

Only Adrian Peterson and Chris Johnson (both seven) have more in that category.

Patriots stumble without Brady

Life after Brady was never going to be easy for the New England Patriots, but few would have expected them to lose 18-12 at home to the Denver Broncos.

They lost despite the returning Drew Lock throwing two poor interceptions in the fourth quarter, while the victorious Broncos did not score a touchdown in the game.

Lock became only the second QB to defeat the Pats under Bill Belichick in a road game while throwing multiple interceptions, joining Hall of Famer Kurt Warner, who did so in Week 10 of the 2001 season when he won the MVP award.

New England dropped to 2-3, so are now below .500 through five games for the first time since 2001, the year Brady went on to win his first Super Bowl.

The Pats' streak of 18 straight seasons above .500 after five weeks of play had been the longest in NFL history.

Year of the comeback

The Colts' win saw them come from 21-0 down, while the Bucs were in a 10-point hole before recovering to beat the Packers.

Those games continued a 2020 trend of dramatic fightbacks and this is the first-ever NFL season where at least one team has won after being at least 16 points down in each of the first six weeks.

Nineteen games have seen comebacks of 10 or more points, tying the records set through Week 6 from the 2011 and 1987 campaigns.

The Colts' remarkable victory, though, was the first time since Week 1 of the 2016 season that a team has recovered from as many as 21 behind. 

The last occasion had seen the Kansas City Chiefs trail 24-3 before fighting back to win 33-27 in overtime against the Chargers, who then represented San Diego.

Lamar Jackson clocked his highest speed in the NFL with his touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles but there was an aspect of disappointment in the play for the Baltimore Ravens quarterback.

Reigning MVP Jackson sprinted at 21 miles per hour on his 37-yard TD run in the third quarter of the Ravens' narrow 30-28 victory at Lincoln Financial Field in Week 6.

The third-year signal caller had 108 yards rushing on nine carries, in addition to passing for 186 yards and one touchdown. It was the eighth time in his NFL career – including the postseason – that he has reached triple figures in both categories in the same game, tying the record held by Michael Vick.

Jackson turned back to check if he was going to be caught when he stepped inside the 20, which is something he admitted he should not have done.

Asked what it feels like when you turn around and realise no one will stop you, he said: "I don't like what you just said there because usually when I think I'm not gonna get caught and I start slowing down, people always give extra effort and I'm getting slapped on the foot and stumbling and no touchdown. So, I've got to do better.

"I'm not going to look back next time, just keep my eyes forward and get all the way to the end zone because I don't need no mishaps."

On the speed he displayed, Jackson added: "Well, I slowed down. I just had to burst. A lot of guys did a great job with their assignments, I just had to be ready and do the rest. My number was called and I'm gonna try to finish it."

Jackson's third-quarter score put the Ravens up 24-6, but Carson Went found Jason Croom and Travis Fulgham for touchdowns that were followed by two-point conversions.

Wentz scored a one-yard touchdown inside the final two minutes, but Matthew Judon and L.J. Fort stopped him and Boston Scott running in a game-tying two-point conversion.

"I was thinking 'read zone' because they had run it multiple times earlier," said former Eagles linebacker Fort.

"Me and Judon were able to make the stop. You always want to make big plays, especially coming from a team that let you go. So, that was a great feeling, and to be able to get the closer was the cherry on top."

Kyle Shanahan was proud of the way the San Francisco 49ers responded against the Los Angeles Rams after "getting embarrassed" by the Miami Dolphins. 

The 49ers improved to 3-3 with a 24-16 win over the Rams, a week on from a 43-17 blowout at the hands of Miami. 

Coach Shanahan had sensed there was a strong performance in the offing all week, having been impressed by the attitude in practice. 

"When you get embarrassed like that, you can find out a lot about your team," he said. "I was very impressed with the character of our team and the way they carried themselves and the way they came out to practice on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and really the way they responded to all of us getting embarrassed. 

"They tried to get better this week and not worry about anything else, and usually when you do that, you can put together those type of practices, usually the results are better, and I'm glad that they were because I thought they really earned it throughout the week and today." 

Jimmy Garoppolo, who was benched midway through that defeat to the Dolphins, bounced back in style on Sunday to throw three touchdown passes to Deebo Samuel, George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk. 

Garoppolo completed 23 of 33 passes for 268 yards and was 18 of 23 on throws of five yards or less as he flourished in a "pick-your-poison" plan by Shanahan. 

Such was the authority with which San Francisco started that they were 21-6 ahead in the second quarter, the Rams outgained 291 yards to 102 as Garoppolo's counterpart Jared Goff struggled in the first half.  

"Kyle is mixing all that stuff up like that, it makes it hard on defenses," Garoppolo said. "It's a pick-your-poison type of thing, and Kyle did a great job tonight putting us in good positions. He was on point tonight, so it makes all of our jobs a lot easier. 

"I thought the O-line as a whole just did a phenomenal job. It started with the run game and then the pass game, the pockets were clean all night ... I didn't get hit very much, felt great coming out of this game. When the O-line plays like that, it sets a tone for our whole offense, and they did it tonight." 

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers handed the Green Bay Packers their first loss of the NFL season, while Tua Tagovailoa made his debut as the Miami Dolphins thrashed the New York Jets.

Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers went head-to-head, and the Buccaneers came out on top at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday.

In Florida, the Dolphins blew out the Jets, leaving New York 0-6 and putting further pressure on under-fire head coach Adam Gase.

In the last game of the day, the San Francisco 49ers bounced back from consecutive losses by beating the Los Angeles Rams.

DEAN SPARKS BUCCANEERS AGAINST PACKERS

With the Buccaneers trailing 10-0, Jamel Dean's pick-six of Rodgers sparked Tampa Bay on the way to a 38-10 victory.

The Buccaneers scored 38 consecutive points, with Brady throwing touchdown passes to Tyler Johnson and Rob Gronkowski in the second quarter.

Brady completed 17 of 27 passes for 166 yards and the two TDs.

The quarterback connected with former New England Patriots team-mate Gronkowski for their 79th TD. They are tied for the fourth most by a duo in NFL history, alongside Dan Marino and Mark Clayton, as per NFL Research. Only Peyton Manning-Marvin Harrison, Philip Rivers-Antonio Gates and Steve Young-Jerry Rice are ahead of them.

Packers star Rodgers threw two interceptions and was sacked four times, finishing with just 160 passing yards after completing 16 of 35.

MORE MISERY FOR JETS AS TUA DEBUTS

Tagovailoa, the fifth pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, came on for his debut in the Dolphins' 24-0 win over the struggling Jets.

He replaced Ryan Fitzpatrick, who had completed 18 of 27 passes for 191 yards, three TDs and two interceptions as the Dolphins improved to 3-3. Tagovailoa completed two passes for nine yards.

Under pressure at the helm of the Jets, Gase said his players were hurting.

"In this locker room, these guys are good guys that work extremely hard. It's frustrating when you talk to them on Monday and you can tell they're hurting," he said.

"They come in to work and do a good job and have high energy at practice. I feel the players are the ones who are trying to flip this thing, they're taking the lead on this. We've just got to keep grinding and find a way to fix these early mistakes to try and flip the game."

49ERS BOUNCE BACK

The 49ers improved to 3-3 courtesy of a 24-16 win over the Rams.

Jimmy Garoppolo threw three touchdown passes – to Deebo Samuel, George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk – and completed 23 of 33 for 268 yards.

Kittle had 109 receiving yards for San Francisco, including a 44-yarder from Garoppolo for a TD in the second quarter.

Rams QB Jared Goff struggled, completing just 19 of 38 passes for 198 yards, to go with two TDs and an interception.

Week 6 scores:

Tennessee Titans 42-36 Houston Texans
Baltimore Ravens 30-28 Philadelphia Eagles
Atlanta Falcons 40-23 Minnesota Vikings
Pittsburgh Steelers 38-7 Cleveland Browns
Indianapolis Colts 31-27 Cincinnati Bengals 
Detroit Lions 34-16 Jacksonville Jaguars
Chicago Bears 23-16 Carolina Panthers
New York Giants 20-19 Washington Football Team
Denver Broncos 18-12 New England Patriots
Miami Dolphins 24-0 New York Jets
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 38-10 Green Bay Packers
San Francisco Giants 24-16 Los Angeles Rams

Tom Brady hailed Jamel Dean for the pick-six that "sparked" the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their win over the Green Bay Packers.

With the Buccaneers trailing the Packers 10-0, Dean intercepted Aaron Rodgers and went 32 yards to score as Tampa Bay produced 38 unanswered points in a 38-10 victory.

Brady, who completed 17 of 27 passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns, praised Dean on Sunday.

"Jamel made a hell of play," the Buccaneers quarterback said. "He did that to us in training camp a few times.

"That was a huge play, sparked us, then we got another turnover, got the ball in, had a decent drive, got the ball in. It was good. I think not turning the ball over helped a lot. Not being behind on down and distance helped a lot.

"But certainly there are things we can do better than what we did today and we're going to keep working at it."

Brady connected with Tyler Johnson and Rob Gronkowski during the Buccaneers' 28-point second quarter.

Tampa Bay head coach Bruce Arians also said Dean's pick-six was the key for the Buccaneers, who are 4-2 and handed the Packers their first loss of the season.

"They came out with a pretty quick start and we kind of hung in there and then Dean made his play," he said.

"That kind of changed the whole momentum, I thought, in the whole stadium."

The Green Bay Packers suffered their first defeat of the NFL season at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and star quarterback Aaron Rodgers believes it is a necessary wake-up call for the franchise.

Green Bay carried a flawless 4-0 record into the Week 6 contest, but the Packers were upstaged by Tom Brady and the Buccaneers 38-10 on Sunday.

It was a forgettable day for the Packers at Raymond James Stadium, where two-time MVP Rodgers threw a pair of interceptions and a pick-six as he finished 16-of-35 for 160 yards without a touchdown.

"You don't ever want to lose like this," Rodgers said. "I felt like we needed a little bit of a wake-up call at some point this season because things have been so good and there's been so much talk maybe outside the building about the ease with which we're moving the ball on offense and scoring.

"I think we needed kind of a kick in the a*** a little bit. There's a little bit of wake-up to stop feeling ourselves so much and get back to the things that got us to this position. I think this would be, unfortunately but fortunately, something we can really grow from."

It was a rare pick-six for Super Bowl champion and MVP Rodgers, who had only been intercepted and returned for a score on two previous occasions in a stellar career dating back to 2005.

"That s*** happens," Rodgers, who was replaced by Tim Boyle late in the game, said. "I haven't had a lot of those over the years. But the wind was blowing pretty good right to left, and like I said, I felt good about the spot.

"I knew it was tight, we've hit throws like that, but I missed on my spot by probably a foot, or so. And the kid made a good play."

Rodgers – interception-free on his first 156 passes of the season before that run came to an end against the Bucs – added: "I don't feel like we ever got into a rhythm, or even the 10 points to start the game. We had off-scheduled plays to keep our drives alive. They deserve credit -- they got us out of our rhythm."

It was a day to forget for Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns who once again failed at the Pittsburgh Steelers, while the Tennessee Titans remained unbeaten in the NFL after late drama on Sunday.

Both the Atlanta Falcons and the New York Giants finally remembered what it feels like to be on the winning team, but the New England Patriots lost to the Denver Broncos to slip to 2-3 and be under ,500 in October for the first time since 2002.

There was drama as the Tennessee Titans downed the Houston Texans and the Indianapolis Colts moved to 4-2 thanks to a 31-27 triumph over the Cincinnati Bengals.

HURT MAYFIELD STRUGGLES AS STEELERS CONTINUE BROWNS DOMINANCE

The Steelers made it 17 straight wins over the Browns in Pittsburgh with a comprehensive 38-7 mauling of their AFC North rivals, during which the influence of Cleveland quarterback Mayfield was quelled.

Cleveland headed into the fixture on the back of a first four-game winning streak since 2009, but Mayfield – contending with a rib injury that limited his practice time – and the Browns offense never got going.

Mayfield was just two-of-seven passing for five yards with a sack and two picks on third downs, and was sat down for Case Keenum deep into the third quarter. In total he was sacked four times and intercepted twice in a bruising outing.

James Conner was impressive for Pittsburgh, finishing with 101 yards on 20 carries and scoring the Steelers' first offensive touchdown in the second quarter, which made the score 17-0.

Ben Roethlisberger completed 14 of 22 passes for 162 yards and throwing for a touchdown, while Chase Claypool and Benny Snell also scored rushing touchdowns on a great outing for the now 5-0 Steelers.

The Baltimore Ravens are second behind Pittsburgh in their division after defeating the Philadelphia Eagles 30-28, and they have now scored 20-plus points in 29 straight games – the second-longest streak in NFL history.

FALCONS, GIANTS UP AND RUNNING

The Atlanta Falcons fired head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Thomas Dimitroff after a 23-16 loss to the Carolina Panthers saw them slip to 0-5 for the season last week.

But under the leadership of interim coach Raheem Morris, the Falcons routed the Minnesota Vikings 40-23 at U.S. Bank Stadium for their first win of the season.

Julio Jones came back into the line-up and collected eight receptions for the return of 137 yards, while also celebrating his first two touchdowns of the season. Veteran quarterback Matt Ryan, whose future in the team was called into question after a poor start, made 30 of 40 passes for 371 yards.

Joe Judge's first win as New York Giants coach came in vastly different circumstances, scraping past the Washington Football Team 20-19.

Washington missed when they opted to go for a two-point conversion with 36 seconds remaining, rather than take the kick for an extra point that would have taken a game riddled with errors into overtime.

It meant only the New York Jets - in action later in the day - had yet to win in the NFL this season.

HENRY, TITANS RALLY PAST TEXANS

The Titans stayed perfect at 5-0 following a dramatic finish to their 42-36 triumph over the Houston Texans.

It did not look like being the Titans' day given they had two turnovers, saw Stephen Gostkowski have a field goal blocked and fail with another, while Houston QB Deshaun Watson threw for four touchdown passes and the Titans defense gave up 335 yards in passing.

The last of those touchdown passes from Watson had Houston up by seven points with one minute and 50 seconds remaining but they crucially failed with a two-point conversion.

Ryan Tannehill consequently drove the Titans 76 yards and found A.J. Brown with a six-yard touchdown pass with only four seconds left to force overtime.

The brilliant Derrick Henry, who finished with 212 yards rushing and 52 yards receiving, then took a direct snap for a five-yard touchdown to win it three minutes and 30 seconds into overtime.

The Chicago Bears improved to 5-1 after defeating the Carolina Panthers 23-16.

Week 6 scores:

Tennessee Titans 42-36 Houston Texans
Baltimore Ravens 30-28 Philadelphia Eagles
Atlanta Falcons 40-23 Minnesota Vikings
Pittsburgh Steelers 38-7 Cleveland Browns
Indianapolis Colts 31-27 Cincinnati Bengals 
Detroit Lions 34-16 Jacksonville Jaguars
Chicago Bears 23-16 Carolina Panthers
New York Giants 20-19 Washington Football Team
Denver Broncos 18-12 New England Patriots

The Kansas City Chiefs added another high-profile player to their offense this week, signing Le'Veon Bell to a one-year deal.

Bell arrives in Kansas City having been released by the New York Jets, who had attempted to trade the running back.

He joins a backfield that has endured a difficult start to the season despite the Chiefs taking running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire with their first-round pick in the draft this year.

Here we assess Edwards-Helaire's performance to this point, if the Chiefs need Bell and whether he can turn their running game around.

EDWARDS-HELAIRE STRUGGLING TO MEET EXPECTATIONS

Much was expected of Edwards-Helaire when the LSU star was selected by the Chiefs with the final pick of the first round.

It was a move seen by many as stacking the deck further in the favour of the most explosive offense in the NFL.

Edwards-Helaire's debut performance did little to dispel that notion as he rushed for 138 yards and a touchdown in the season-opening win over the Houston Texans.

However, he is averaging under four yards a carry in the last four games, providing scant indication he has improved the running game.

METRICS MAKE DIFFICULT READING

Edwards-Helaire's struggles are illustrated by his performance in Rushing Yards Over Expected (RYOE).

RYOE is an NFL NextGen Stats metric that measures the difference between actual rushing yards and expected rushing yards on a play or series of plays.

The rookie is average minus 0.15 RYOE per attempt and is facing eight-man boxes on 14.81 per cent of his carries.

To contextualise that, Raheem Mostert of the San Francisco 49ers leads the NFL with 2.94 RYOE per attempt and has faced eight-man boxes on 20.59 per cent of his carries. 

In other words, teams are more frequently loading up to stop Mostert, a former undrafted free agent, than they are Edwards-Helaire and the Niners starter is still gaining over three yards RYOE more than the Chiefs rookie.

Much of Mostert's success in that regard is because of his speed. He leads all running backs in yards before first contact per attempt with an average of 5.4.

Edwards-Helaire is not blessed with the same pace, with his game much more reliant on evading defenders and breaking tackles.

Yet Edwards-Helaire has not really excelled at shrugging off defenders either, he is 16th among qualifying players with 2.4 yards after contact per attempt and averages a broken tackle every nine carries (13th in the NFL).

It is early, but at this stage Edwards-Helaire has not lived up to the billing. So, will Bell's arrival help?

BELL FAILS TO TAKE FLIGHT

When he elected to sit out the entire 2018 season after being franchise-tagged by the Pittsburgh Steelers, Bell was regarded as one of the best and most versatile running backs in the game.

His star has fallen considerably since then. Bell's spell with the Jets could hardly have gone worse and he averaged minus 0.41 RYOE per attempt in 2019.

Bell also ranked last among 47 qualifiers in yards before contact per attempt with a paltry 1.2 and was 32nd in yards after contact (two yards per attempt).

The two-time All-Pro would probably make the case that his struggles were as much down to the lack of talent around him on the Jets' offense as his own standard of play.

There is credence to that argument. The Jets ranked 29th in total offense last year and things have declined further in that regard this season.

Even if Bell is not the running threat he once was, the numbers suggest he can provide the Chiefs with yet another weapon in the passing game.

PASSING GAME UPSIDE

Edwards-Helaire has lived up to expectations in terms of being a valuable receiving threat out of the backfield.

The rookie has caught 17 of his 27 targets from Mahomes for 169 yards, an average of 9.9. yards per reception.

While Bell has seemingly experienced a steep decline since his exit from Pittsburgh, he too remains a threat as a pass-catcher.

He caught 66 of his 78 targets in 2019 for 461 yards and a touchdown, posting an impressive average of seven yards per reception in his sole full season in New York.

The pass-catching prowess of Edwards-Helaire and Bell gives the creative mind of Andy Reid the option of using both as receivers out of the backfield, adding another potential string to the bow of one of the league's most diverse offenses.

DO THE CHIEFS NEED A RUNNING THREAT?

Given the proficiency of the Chiefs' passing attack and Mahomes' ability to lead them back from almost any deficit, some may question whether they even need a viable running game.

Mahomes led Kansas City back from three successive double-digit deficits during their playoff run to Super Bowl LIV glory last season.

However, it should not be forgotten that key to their success was running back Damien Williams, who was in the Super Bowl MVP conversation for his efforts in the 31-20 win over the 49ers.

Williams was fifth in the NFL with 0.75 RYOE per attempt in 2019 and tied Derrick Henry for the NFL lead with 3.2 yards after contact per carry.

He opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns and, through five games, the Chiefs do not look like replacing his impact.

Bell's brief time with the Jets did little to suggest he can help in that regard but, on a short-term deal, it is worth the Chiefs taking a low risk to see if he can rediscover some of his Steelers form and provide the crucial support to help Edwards-Helaire's career take off.

The Indianapolis Colts have reopened their facility and Sunday's NFL game against the Cincinnati Bengals is on after a coronavirus scare.

Earlier on Friday, the Colts closed their practice facility after being informed of "several" positive COVID-19 tests within the organisation – with no initial specification over whether those affected were players.

However, the four positive samples were then re-tested, and all found to be negative.

The Colts have therefore reopened their doors and will face the Bengals at Lucas Oil Stadium, where there have been a limited number of fans at games.

"Earlier this morning, we were informed that four individuals with the organisation tested positive for COVID-19," the Colts said in a statement.

"The four positive samples were re-tested and have been confirmed negative.

"After consultation with the NFL and Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Allen Sills, the team will open the practice facility this afternoon under the league's intensive protocol and will continue preparation for Sunday's game against Cincinnati."

Prior to the team's announcement, owner Jim Irsay had delivered a positive update, tweeting: "All is well. Details shortly. COLTS-BENGALS, 1PM SUNDAY!"

The Colts are second in the AFC South at 3-2 following a 32-23 defeat to the Cleveland Browns last time out, while the Bengals are 1-3-1 after going down to a 27-3 loss at the Baltimore Ravens.

The Indianapolis Colts have closed their practice facility after being informed of "several" positive COVID-19 tests within the organisation.

Still in the process of confirming the tests, the Colts did not reveal whether any of the apparent positives were from their players.

The Colts are due on Sunday to host the Cincinnati Bengals at Lucas Oil Stadium, where there have been a limited number of fans at games.

A statement from the Colts on Friday read: "This morning, we were informed that several individuals within our organisation have tested positive for COVID-19. The team is currently in the process of confirming these tests.

"In the meantime, the practice facility will be closed and the team will work remotely while following NFL protocols.

"We are in communication with the NFL and will have more information when available."

The Colts are second in the AFC South at 3-2 following a 32-23 defeat to the Cleveland Browns last time out.