NFC notes: Philadelphia Eagles lead NFL with 19 takeaways
The Dolphins are giving Maxwell a fresh start, hoping he’ll return to the form he had in Seattle. Problem is Miami needs to find two other viable starters to pair with him. It is possible that McCain, a 2015 fifth-round pick, can handle the nickel cornerback workload, but Miami still needs to find someone to play opposite Maxwell on the left side. Taylor struggled badly last season, and Lippett, a converted college receiver, has some upside, but is quite raw from a technique standpoint. Drafting a cornerback early will likely be a priority.
Arizona: The Cardinals are one of the highest blitzing teams, but have registered just 13 sacks, tied for 23rd in the league. They are tied for lead in interceptions (13).
Atlanta: The Falcons have had six turnovers and 17 penalties in their last two games. Atlanta had seven total turnovers in its first six games.
Carolina: The Panthers have rushed for more than 100 yards in 18 consecutive games. Tight end Greg Olsen has four touchdowns in his last five games.
Chicago: Rookie Jeremy Langford, a fourth-round draft pick, is set to start in place of running back Matt Forte, who suffered a knee injury last week.
Dallas: Dez Bryant had two catches for seven yards in his return from injury last week against the Seahawks. He had three scores the last time he played the Eagles.
Detroit: The Lions fired general manager Martin Mayhew and president Tom Lewand after the team’s 1-7 start. Matthew Stafford has a passer rating of 84.1.
Green Bay: Packers are second in the NFC with 23 sacks. Defensive end Julius Peppers is the only player in NFL history with 100 sacks and 10 or more interceptions.
Minnesota: The Vikings have scored touchdowns in 33.3% of their red zone appearances this season, 30th in the NFL. Teddy Bridgewater has six passing touchdowns.
New Orleans: Mark Ingram is third among running backs with 804 scrimmage yards. Tight end Benjamin Watson has two touchdowns in the last two games.
N.Y. Giants: Defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul could make his regular- season debut against the Buccaneers after losing a finger in a fireworks accident this summer.
Philadelphia: The Eagles lead the NFL with 19 take-aways. Sam Bradford has completed 62% of his passes for nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
San Francisco: Blaine Gabbert will start at quarterback for Colin Kaepernick. Gabbert is 5-22 as a starter with his last win coming Sept. 23, 2012.
Seattle: Seahawks receiver Ricardo Lockette was released from the hospital Thursday. He suffered a season-ending neck injury Sunday.
St. Louis: Todd Gurley is the first rookie running back to rush for more than 125 yards in four consecutive games. He has three scores in five games.
Tampa Bay: The Buccaneers average the fourth-most rushing yards per game (131.3). Doug Martin has seven carries of 20-plus yards and four touchdowns.
Washington: The Redskins are 0-4 when Kirk Cousins has a pass intercepted and 3-0 when he goes without a pick. Cousins has had eight passes intercepted.
Follow Matt Wihalme on Twitter @mattwilhalme
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