Overview
- Kafka’s first game as interim head coach ended in a 27–20 defeat to the Packers, the team’s fourth blown fourth-quarter lead this season.
- He has kept the coaching staff intact for now, though local reporting raises the possibility of changes if late-game collapses continue, including scrutiny on defensive coordinator Shane Bowen.
- Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart remains in concussion protocol, heightening focus on usage decisions that better protect him when he returns.
- Kafka signaled a firmer disciplinary approach by penalizing rookie Abdul Carter for missing a walk-through.
- ESPN’s Mike Graziano and Jeremy Fowler report Kafka will get a legitimate look for the permanent job in a hiring cycle described as unusually wide open.