It’s been said that a good man is hard to find. In the seventh week of this fantasy football season, a good quarterback is even rarer.

Two of the preseason favorites for NFL Most Valuable Player, Buffalo’s Josh Allen and Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson, are on bye this week. Jackson was already injured, and Allen is hurting after his Bills dropped two in a row.

Most of the better replacement QBs are likely already gone in your league (Caleb Williams, Jaxson Dart, Sam Darnold). So, too, are some really poor options (Justin Fields, Cam Ward, Geno Smith).

So we’ve got a short list of QB options for this week that are, if nothing else, going to top Fields’ historically and comically bad performance last Sunday in London:

Michael Penix Jr. (Falcons) — The sophomore, who looked great Monday night in Atlanta’s classic uniform,  is coming off his best two games of the season. This week he faces a reeling San Francisco defense now missing its best player, all-world linebacker Fred Warner.

Michael Penix Jr. #9 of the Atlanta Falcons makes a pass in the second quarter of the game against the Buffalo Bills at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Oct. 13, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Aaron Rodgers (Steelers) — No. 12 has apparently been inoculated against serious competition in the AFC North, and this week he opposes the fading Bengals. He’s averaging two TD passes per game and should at least match that Thursday night in Cincinnati.

Aaron Rodgers #8 of the Pittsburgh Steelers signals against the Cleveland Browns during the first half in the game at Acrisure Stadium on Oct. 12, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)

C.J. Stroud (Texans) — While he still has a patchwork offensive line and a tough foe (Seattle) this week, Stroud is coming off a season-best performance against the Ravens: 23 of 27 for 244 yards and four touchdowns.

C.J. Stroud #7 of the Houston Texans rushes with the ball against the Baltimore Ravens during the NFL 2025 game between Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on Oct. 05, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Bryce Young (Panthers) — The once-too-small Heisman Trophy winner has feasted on bad Miami and Dallas defenses the past two weeks (with five TD passes), and now he gets to play the Jets, the new Worst Team on the Planet outside of Penn State.

Bryce Young #9 of the Carolina Panthers reacts after a touchdown pass during the second quarter against the Dallas Cowboys in the game at Bank of America Stadium on Oct. 12, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Sitting stars

The Chiefs’ defense is rounding into form and will mostly put clamps on Vegas RB Ashton Jeanty. … Tennessee RB Tony Pollard will do little against New England, especially now that Tajae Spears is back to take some of his workload. … The Vikings’ defense will disrupt Eagles’ inconsistent passing game, so that will limit receivers A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith. … Seattle will devote massive coverage to stopping Houston star wideout Nico Collins. … Giants QB Jaxson Dart will do better against Denver than Jets’ Fields did last week, but not by much. … And embattled Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa could get battered by Cleveland’s Myles Garrett.

Ashton Jeanty #2 of the Las Vegas Raiders caries the ball against the Tennessee Titans during the fourth quarter in the game at Allegiant Stadium on Oct. 12, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Matchup game

Who’s the NFL’s top running back over the past two weeks? Why it’s Carolina’s Rico Dowdle, who will have another big day against the Jets with teammate Chuba Hubbard still iffy  … Kimani Vidal is now No. 1 with the Chargers and should hit paydirt against the Colts. … Same goes for his teammate, WR Ladd McConkey. … Dallas’ George Pickens will stay hot against Washington. … As will Cincy WR Tee Higgins, becoming a favorite of Joe Flacco, against Pittsburgh. … And this week’s top quarterbacks will be, in no particular order, the Patriots’ Drake Maye vs. Tennessee, Tampa Bay’s Baker Mayfield vs. Detroit and the Commanders’ Jayden Daniels, looking to rebound against Dallas’ defensive mediocrities.

Rico Dowdle #5 of the Carolina Panthers carries the ball for yardage during the NFL 2025 game against the Dallas Cowboys at Bank of America Stadium on Oct. 12, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Injury watch

The league’s receiving corps took a big hit last week with injuries to the Rams’ Puka Nacua, Bucs’ Emeka Egbuka, Cards’ Marvin Harrison Jr., Niners’ Jauan Jennings, Jets’ Garrett Wilson, Titans’ Calvin Ridley and Cleveland tight end David Njoku. … Tampa Bay has again already ruled out RB Bucky Irving and WR Chris Godwin. … Also likely out: Raiders tight end Brock Bowers. … The long list of questionables includes six receivers (Dallas’ CeeDee Lamb, Chargers’ Quentin Johnston, Tampa’s Mike Evans, Washington’s Terry McLaurin, Chicago’s D.J. Moore, Atlanta’s Darnell Mooney) and three quarterbacks (Arizona’s Kyler Murray, Niners’ Brock Purdy and Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy).

Puka Nacua #12 of the Los Angeles Rams reacts after suffering an injury during the second quarter against the Baltimore Ravens in the game at M&T Bank Stadium on Oct. 12, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

Deepest sleeper

His friends and Arizona teammates call him Bam. We’ll refer to the Cardinals’ running back with a very light resume by his given name of Zonovan Knight. The third-year pro out of North Carolina State has emerged as the Cards’ No. 1 back thanks to a slew of injuries. He eclipsed teammate Michael Carter last week in Indianapolis, rushing 11 times for 34 yards and scoring a touchdown for the second consecutive week. He’ll have fantasy value at least until Trey Benson returns from the injured list in November.

Bam Knight #20 of the Arizona Cardinals runs against the Indianapolis Colts during the second half in the game at Lucas Oil Stadium on Oct. 12, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

The Thursday pick

Steelers at Bengals (+5½)

Pick: Steelers by 3

Joe Flacco #16 of the Cincinnati Bengals passes the ball against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter in the game at Lambeau Field on Oct. 12, 2025 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

You can hear Kevin Cusick on Thursdays on Bob Sansevere’s “BS Show” podcast on iTunes. You can follow Kevin on X– @theloopnow. He can be reached at kcusick@pioneerpress.com.

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Today is Wednesday, Oct. 15, the 288th day of 2025. There are 77 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Oct. 15, 2003, 11 people were killed and 70 were injured when a Staten Island ferry slammed into a maintenance pier. (The ferry’s pilot, who had blacked out at the controls, later pleaded guilty to 11 counts of manslaughter.)

Also on this date:

In 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte, the deposed French emperor, arrived on the British-ruled South Atlantic island of St. Helena, where he spent the last 5 1/2 years of his life in exile.

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Dallin H. Oaks, former Utah Supreme Court justice, is selected to lead Mormon church

In 1945, the former premier of Vichy France, Pierre Laval, was executed for treason.

In 1946, Nazi war criminal Hermann Goering (GEH’-reeng) fatally poisoned himself hours before he was to have been executed.

In 1954, Hurricane Hazel made landfall on the Carolina coast as a Category 4 storm; Hazel was blamed for about 1,000 deaths in the Caribbean, 95 in the U.S. and 81 in Canada.

In 1976, the first debate of its kind took place between vice-presidential nominees. Democrat Walter F. Mondale and Republican Bob Dole faced off in Houston.

In 1991, despite sexual harassment allegations by Anita Hill, the Senate narrowly confirmed the nomination of Clarence Thomas to the U.S. Supreme Court, 52-48.

In 1997, British Royal Air Force pilot Andy Green twice drove a jet-powered car in the Nevada desert faster than the speed of sound, officially shattering the world’s land-speed record.

In 2017, actor and activist Alyssa Milano tweeted that women who had been sexually harassed or assaulted should write “Me too” as a status. Within hours, tens of thousands had taken up the #MeToo hashtag (using a phrase that had been introduced a decade earlier by social activist Tarana Burke).

Today’s Birthdays:

Baseball Hall of Famer Jim Palmer is 80.
Musician Richard Carpenter is 79.
Film director Mira Nair is 68.
Britain’s Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, is 66.
Chef Emeril Lagasse (EM’-ur-ul leh-GAH’-see) is 66.
Actor Dominic West is 56.
R&B singer Ginuwine (JIHN’-yoo-wyn) is 55.
Singer-TV personality Keyshia Cole is 44.
Actor Bailee Madison is 26.

DALLAS – A determined offensive push by the Minnesota Wild came too late, in this case.

Trailing the Stars by a trio of goals, Minnesota threw everything at its disposal toward the Dallas net in the final period, but despite the work of its NHL-best power play, came up just short.

Third period man-advantage goals by Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy made it a nail-biter, but the Stars were able to hold on for a 5-2 win Tuesday night in north Texas.

Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger carried much of the load, stopping 38 shots as the Wild fell to 2-2-0 for the season, starting a long road trip on a down note. For Minnesota, goalie Filip Gustavsson had 20 saves in the loss.

Trailing 3-0 in the third, Minnesota pulled back within a goal, and outshot Dallas 16-4 in the final 20 minutes, only to see Radek Faksa and Roope Hintz score empty-net goals to squelch the drama.

While the power play for Minnesota has been a bright spot, the Wild have now gone three games without a 5-on-5 goal.

In the early going, the Wild looked nothing like a team that had played the night before and had gotten into their Texas hotel beds at 3 a.m. Tuesday morning. They pelted Oettinger with eight shots in the opening three minutes of the game, but the momentum was short-lived.

Dallas struck first just over five minutes into the game when an errant Vladimir Tarasenko pass was intercepted by Hintz, who fed defenseman Esa Lindell for a low shot through traffic that eluded Gustavsson.

When Minnesota took the first penalty of the game late in the first, Dallas needed 31 seconds of man advantage to double its lead. After Wild defenseman Jake Middleton lost his stick while guarding the front of the net, Stars forward Wyatt Johnston was able to walk around him and pop a shot into the top right corner of the net.

Despite being outshot 14-11 by its guests, Dallas took its two-goal lead into the first break.

Early in the middle frame, Minnesota killed all but seven seconds of the Stars’ second power play, but ended up in the three-goal hole thanks to an unfortunate bounce. With Zach Bogosian manning the top of the crease, Dallas forward Matt Duchene was able to bank a puck off the Wild defenseman’s skate and between Gustavsson’s knees.

Minnesota’s power play, which entered the game leading the NHL in efficiency, got its first opportunity of the night in the second period, and crowded Oettinger’s crease. But they came away empty after the goalie smothered a Kaprizov wrist shot from 12 feet out.

The Wild began the third period with 51 seconds of man advantage and spent all of that time in the offensive zone, with nothing to show for it on the scoreboard.

The handful of Minnesota fans at American Airlines Center finally had a reason to cheer when Middleton leveled Duchene with an open-ice hit in the neutral zone, then got in a scrap that ended with the Wild on a power play. They spoiled Oettinger’s attempt at a clean sheet when Zeev Buium’s shot from the blue line sailed through a crowd and was deflected by Boldy on the way to the back of the net.

Boldy, who has scored in every Wild game, became the first player in franchise history to open a season with a four-game goal streak.

Tuesday night’s game marked the Stars’ 32nd home opener since they moved to Texas in 1993. The franchise spent its first 26 seasons in the Twin Cities, playing home games in Bloomington as the Minnesota North Stars.

The Wild, who are in the midst of a five-game road trip – their second-longest of the season – have two days off before a 6 p.m. game on Thursday versus the Capitals in Washington.

A late header by Michael Hernandez Ruiz gave Simley a 1-0 victory over Cretin-Derham Hall in the Section 3AA boys soccer final Tuesday night and its first state tournament berth since 2009.

A scrappy, free kick filled affair was goalless until the game’s 68th minute when a long ball into the Raiders’ box was guided on goal by Hernandez Ruiz to punch the Spartans’ ticket to U.S. Bank Stadium.

Simley head coach David Albornoz said his team was resilient on the pitch and that his team achieved something special.

“No one believed in them,” Albornoz said. “Look at them now.”

For the first time in 16 years the Spartans are on their way to state after a windy, rain-filled night at Spartan Stadium.

An early foul on the Raiders gave Simley’s Luis Ramirez Reyes the opportunity to whip one into the box. Ramirez Reyes’ ball flashed across the box, but no Spartan was able to get a touch.

With 25:30 left in the first half, Raiders sophomore midfielder Colin Hafenbrack earned a free kick for the Raiders 10 yards into the Spartans’ half. William Roedler lofted the ball deep into the box, which found the head of Raiders senior defender Luke Hilger, whose flick was deflected on goal but cleared off the line.

Set pieces continued to play an integral role in generating offense for both teams in the first 40 minutes.

A Simley goal kick that traveled three quarters of the pitch bounced into the CDH box and found the foot of Ramirez Reyes. He controlled it and laid it off to Hernandez Ruiz, who slotted it past Raiders sophomore Lewis Zweber. However, the far side linesman ruled the play offside.

Albornoz said it was a good goal in his eyes.

“There is no offside on goal kicks, period,” Albornoz said. “So that should have counted. But one of the things I told the boys: we’re resilient.”

A sleek surface led to a sloppy, physical and scoreless first half that finished without an official shot on goal.

With 27:20 to play in regulation, Halfenbrack found himself free at the top of the box and slashed one towards the bottom corner, forcing a kick save from Spartans goalkeeper Dylan Gonzalez.

The Raiders’ pressure continued as CDH kept it almost exclusively in the Simley half for the first 20 minutes of the second half.

The Spartans weathered the storm, literally and figuratively, and with just over 10 minutes to play found the back of the net from a set piece.

Hernandez Ruiz towered over the Raiders’ defense and headed it past Zweber to make it 1-0 Simley.

“That free kick, it’s a matter of practice,” Hernandez Ruiz said. “We’ve been doing this over and over again. The long free kick just to flick on. What can I say? Practice makes perfect.”

The Spartans defended a late onslaught of Raiders offensive pressure resiliently to clinch their trip to state.

“Who could suffer the most and withstand the pain, and we did it,” Albornoz said. “All my love and respect to CDH. They were a hard, hard team to beat. But I think it was our time.”