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Team Notes week 11 2022
NEWS, NOTES, RUMORS AND OTHER GOOD STUFF
Directly from the desk of FlashUpdate Editor Bob Harris. The good; the bad; and yes. ... Even the Bears. There is no better way to jump start your weekend than browsing these always educational -- often irreverent -- team-by-team, Fantasy-specific offerings. ...
Access specific teams by clicking on a team name in the schedule appearing directly to your left or by clicking on a helmet below; return to the helmets by hitting the link labeled "Menu" following each teams notes. ...
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Arizona Cardinals
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 15 November 2022As Darren Urban of the team's official website reported it, Colt McCoy slowly walked into the interview room, his left knee wrapped and he limped heavily as he got behind the podium.
He was there because starting quarterback Kyler Murray was out because of a hamstring injury. And he had made his start Sunday at SoFi Stadium work despite played with four of five backup offensive linemen and despite losing tight end Zach Ertz on the first possession to a potentially bad knee injury.
But he had come to ride to the rescue of the Cardinals, and with it, potentially rescuing the Cardinals' season after a 27-17 win over the Rams.
"Honestly I want K1 healthy," McCoy said. "He's a phenomenal player. But I dug deep and was proud to play as hard as I could."
Said running back James Conner, "We all believe in C.M. He's a legend."
McCoy's stat line -- 26 of 37, 238 yards, a touchdown, no turnovers -- looked a lot like the ones he put up last season when he beat the other two NFC West teams in road starts while Murray was injured.
It leaves the Cardinals (4-6) still breathing in the playoff chase, especially with a game against the 49ers coming next week in Mexico City.
"Just to come out and get a victory, hopefully we can build some momentum," head coach Kliff Kingsbury said.
The Cardinals passed the ball the first 11 plays of the game -- mostly quick throws -- to help a decimated offensive line that was missing four of five starters. By the end of the game, Conner had rushed for two touchdowns and had a season-high 69 yards on the ground.
Hopkins had 10 catches for 98 yards and Rondale Moore had nine receptions for 94 yards, season-bests for the latter and an important outing given the loss of Ertz. The tight end, on pace to smash the franchise record for tight end catches in a season, was in tears as he slowly walked off the field and later had to be carted to the locker room after the first-half injury.
More on Ertz, who has apparently suffered a season-ending injury below.
The Cardinals only had right tackle Kelvin Beachum from their original starting offensive line. And also were without cornerback Byron Murphy. But on defense, the Cardinals dominated, in part with the Rams also without their starting quarterback Matthew Stafford, who was out with a concussion, but also with star safety Budda Baker not only playing through an ankle injury that seemed all but certain to sideline him, but also grabbing an interception to seal the win.
But the day was mostly about McCoy, in a league where the quarterback is inarguably the most important position.
Like he did in the game with his passes, McCoy was efficient in his postgame presser, passing around compliments to the depleted offensive line, to the receiving corps after Ertz went out, and to Conner for shouldering the running load.
He insisted he didn't know for sure he was going to start during the week (although he acknowledged he had a pretty good idea.) Kingsbury reiterated the Cardinals didn't want Murray to play if he couldn't run full-speed.
To turn to McCoy was comfortable for all involved.
"We want to turn our season around," McCoy said. "We know what we've got to do."
Again, the next opportunity to do that will be Monday night, when the Cardinals face San Francisco in Mexico City. ...
For what it's worth, McCoy has completed at least 70 percent of his passes in all three starts he has won with the Cardinals. The fourth-down backbreaking 26-yard pass to Moore -- nursing a seven-point lead --was perfection. ...
Again, the Cardinals play their third straight game against an NFC West opponent when they travel to face the 49ers in Mexico City next Monday. It's a matchup of the same two teams that played in the first regular-season NFL game outside the U.S., which was also in Mexico City in 2005. ...
As for the injuries. ... Kingsbury said Murray remains day-to-day.
The coach once again stressed the Cardinals want Murray to be able to run full out on the field.
"We want to continue to progress him and see where that thing's at," Kingsbury said in his Monday press conference. "We're playing the 49ers -- that's a D-line that you better be full speed and be able to run, move and do the things that he can do. So, we'll see how he feels Wednesday and try to go from there."
With Arizona's next game on Monday night, the Cardinals won't release their first Week 11 injury report until Thursday.
While the extra day that comes with a Monday night kickoff will likely work in Murray's favor, it works against us as fantasy managers. It's not unreasonable to expect the team to carry this decision out all the way until Monday if need be.
Again, as noted above, McCoy is also dealing with a leg injury and exited in the third quarter. He was able to come back in to finish the game. ...
Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, Ertz suffered a season-ending knee injury in Sunday's win over the Rams.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Sunday that Ertz's ACL was intact. But apparently, the tight end's knee injury was still severe enough to sideline him for the rest of 2022.
Ertz ends 2022 with 47 catches for 406 yards with four touchdowns.
Rookie Trey McBride and veteran Stephen Anderson are next men up. Maxx Williams in on the practice squad.
New kicker Tristan Vizcaino made a key 46-yard field goal with 3:44 to play while replacing Matt Prater, who was ruled out due to a lingering hip issue and an illness. ...
More on all involved via Late-Breaking Update as the week progresses. ...
Other notes of interest. ... As noted above, Hopkins and Moore had the shiny stats. But A.J.; Green made the most of his two targets.
The first provided four yards on an impressive fourth-down catch when the Cardinals needed three on their opening drive. The second was a six-yard touchdown -- Green's first score of the season -- on a jump ball right before halftime to give the Cardinals a commanding 17-3 lead.
And after the game, McCoy made sure everyone understood why he looked for the veteran in important moments.
"Listen -- I love A.J. Green," McCoy said. "He's faced adversity this year and he's responded like a true pro. You talk about pros, A.J. Green is a pro. I trust him, I know the team trusts him, I know the coaches trust him. I'm thankful he was able to make some plays and I knew he would."
Considering Green had a total of one offensive snap combined in two of the Cardinals' previous three games, such plays were unexpected. Since Robbie Anderson arrived in trade, it was Green's opportunity that faded.
But there he was Sunday, making a difference when the Cardinals needed him.
"It's very difficult," the soft-spoken Green said. "I've been the guy for the last decade. It's hard to come off the field. But I understand my role. I know what I can still do, I know I can still play at a high level. Sometimes you can't control it. You just have to be ready."
Anderson was not targeted against the Rams.
Kingsbury said "I am a huge A.J. fan" and that he would try and get Green more involved going forward.
Eventually, Marquise Brown will return and team with Hopkins and Moore as the top three receivers. But with Ertz hurt, Green's importance could grow.
"We all have that tough conversation sometimes," Green said. "I just want you to be honest with me and that's what they did -- they have been very honest with me through this whole process."
He is an option, one with experience. McCoy said the play that scored the touchdown was designed to go to Hopkins on the front side. Then he saw Green's matchup.
"It's like the grocery store line," McCoy said. "There's more people over there, let's throw it over here."
It was Green who had the clutch two-point catch with no time left in the Las Vegas game, getting it to overtime when the Cardinals finally won. But mostly, Green has had to handle a diminished role while posting by far the lowest numbers of his career -- now 12 catches for 66 yards through 10 games.
"He has not blinked through everything, through the adversity, through the things going on," Kingsbury said.
The Cardinals may need him again.
"I've been in this league a long time, seen a lot of stuff," Green said. "For me, I've always been a guy who stayed level whatever happened. I know I put the work in each and every day and I'm always satisfied with whatever the outcome is because I know the work I've put in. ..."
As NBCSportsEdge.com pointed out, Conner, who ran 21 times for 69 yards and two touchdowns, played on 96 percent of snaps against the Rams.
Eno Benjamin played just a single snap. And it was apparently his last with Arizona.
Schefter first reported on Monday the Cardinals informed Benjamin they are releasing him.
Benjamin was elevated to first string with Conner and Darrel Williams sidelined by injuries. He ran 36 times for 151 yards and a touchdown in those games and has 70 carries for 299 yards and two touchdowns overall this season. He also caught 24 passes for 184 yards.
Williams remains on injured reserve, but Conner has been back the last two weeks.
Asked about that disparity in Los Angeles, Kingsbury said it was about Conner rather than Benjamin.
"We talked about James getting the full share," Kingsbury said. "He'd been banged up, had the ribs, and it was one of those deals where it was time to give him the starting running back reps. Thought he played at a high level, allowed him to get in a rhythm and did what we needed him to do."
Benjamin's release leaves Keaontay Ingram as the only back on the roster behind Conner (though Corey Clement and Ty'Son Williams are on the practice squad).
As FantasyLife.com's Dwain McFarland noted, Conner got 85 percent of the rushing attempts, benefited from 60 percent route participation, drew a 9 percent target share, and dominated short-yardage, long-down distance and two-minute offense work, getting 100 percent of the snaps in all three categories. ...
As for Hollywood Brown?
The Cardinals opened the former Ravens' practice window and he could play on Monday night. He had been dealing with a small broken bone in his foot.
"I think he's getting to the point where it's going to be day-to-day," Kingsbury said. "He's come a long way in a short time and I'm not sure if he'll make it this week. But hopefully soon rather than later. If not, we'll get him after the bye and I would expect he'll be ready to go for the last five."
Again, keep an eye on the Late-Breaking Updates.
You can access complete stats for the Cardinals Week 10 game via our exclusive Fantasy BoxScore.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Kyler Murray, Desmond Ridder, Clayton Tune
RBs: James Conner, Michael Carter, Emari Demercado
WRs: Zay Jones, Michael Wilson, Rondale Moore, Greg Dortch, Zach Pascal
TEs: Trey McBride, Geoff Swaim
Atlanta Falcons
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 15 November 2022Two losses in five days left head coach Arthur Smith again fielding questions about quarterback Marcus Mariota.
The Falcons are 4-6, falling out of a first-place tie in the weak NFC South. Even after Mariota and the offense struggled in Thursday night's 25-15 loss at Carolina, Smith gave no indication he's ready to give rookie Desmond Ridder an opportunity to lead the team.
As Tori McElhaney of the team's official website reported, Smith was very clear about three things during his press conference on Monday.
No. 1: He does not believe there is a quarterback situation in Atlanta following Mariota's performance against Carolina last Thursday night.
"There is no situation. There was never a situation, ever. Never," he said.
Smith added: "You lose two games in five days and everybody wants to panic, but we're right in the middle of it. We're not where we want to be but the reality of it is that you're right in the middle of a playoff race."
No. 2: He does not place blame for last Thursday's loss on Mariota's shoulders.
"There are a couple plays where you can certainly put the blame on him. But there's blame to go around operationally," Smith said. "If there's pressure right there, I don't know what to tell the quarterback when he's looking down to pick the ball up because it's a low snap, he gets up and there's a defender right in his face. That's kind of hard to overcome there. It's the little things that add up to it that we can do better, and we have at times. I wouldn't pinpoint just on one player."
And finally, No. 3: He does not feel the time has come to potentially make a move to Ridder at quarterback.
"Everything is up for grabs every week, so if we felt like one move could certainly be the difference in us winning or losing then we'd make the move. But we're not at that point at a lot of spots," Smith said.
And later, when asked for clarification on whether or not anyone will see Ridder take over QB1 responsibilities this week, Smith added: "We're playing the guys who have been playing. ... If we were going to make a change, I'd tell you. You'd see it at practice.
While Smith said he understands why these questions about Mariota and Ridder have been asked of him during his last three press conferences since the Falcons loss to Carolina, he considers this topic of conversation to be "low-hanging fruit."
Smith reiterated that the Falcons issues stem not from Mariota, but the offensive operation as a whole.
"We need to avoid negative plays," Smith said. "I don't think an offense is going to be very effective if you're off track. We've been pretty damn good when we've been on track. We just haven't been as consistent lately. Those are things we can eliminate. And that's not just on the quarterback."
In much of the same line of thinking as his on Thursday night, Smith continued to point to protection breakdowns and holding penalties on Monday afternoon as what truly kept the Falcons from moving the chains in their last game.
Again, he didn't - and wouldn't - put the offense's lack of production at times on Mariota or his decision-making.
"It's not the reason that we lost the last two games," he concluded.
Indeed, as Associated Press sports writer Charles Odum noted, Atlanta lost the battles on both lines of scrimmage against the Panthers, failing to protect Mariota and finding no way to stop Carolina's running game.
The Falcons were a surprise team in the NFL at 4-4 because Smith successfully built a running game that helped protect a suspect passing attack and weak defense. The Panthers stacked the box on defense against the run, used pressure to force Mariota into making bad decisions and were more successful running the ball.
No Atlanta running back gained more than 32 yards and the Falcons didn't have a rushing touchdown. In fact, a 26-yard run by Mariota helped to make the running totals look respectable.
The Falcons averaged 5.5 yards on 25 carries, even though Tyler Allgeier was held to only 20 yards on eight carries.
Mariota was the leading rusher with 43 yards on three carries and said he should have run more instead of taking five sacks. He threw for 186 yards with two touchdowns and an interception -- and said he forced too many passes.
"I was playing a little bit outside of myself," Mariota said. "Tried to make a play too many times and it hurt our team."
According to Odum, Smith's loyalty to Mariota is understandable. The two also worked together in Tennessee, where Smith was the offensive coordinator. Mariota lost his starting job with the Titans in 2019 but his dual-threat skills have been a good fit in Atlanta's run-first offense -- at least as long as the Falcons were winning.
If the Falcons continue to lose ground in the NFL's worst division, the spotlight on Smith's quarterback decision will only intensify. And the Panthers' winning strategy of loading their run defense and putting pressure on Mariota will be duplicated by future opponents.
The Falcons' challenge is to generate better offensive balance, with or without Mariota.
Meanwhile, after giving up 232 rushing yards and two touchdowns to Carolina, the Falcons will face the league's top rushing team when Chicago visits Atlanta on Sunday. ...
Other notes of interest. ... Tight end Kyle Pitts had only two catches for 28 yards on eight targets. The 2021 first-round pick thrived as a rookie last season, setting a team record for receiving yards (1,026) for a tight end. He has only 25 catches for 313 yards and two touchdowns through nine games.
Wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge, playing for his fourth team in his fifth NFL season, finally had his first career touchdown catch. His 25-yard reception from Mariota in the fourth quarter provided the feel-good moment of a long night for the offense. He had two catches for 37 yards.
The usually reliable Younghoe Koo missed two extra-point attempts, his first two misses of the season. He made each of his 30 attempts in 2021 and had been good on 71 consecutive attempts before his misses. Koo was kicking in wet and windy conditions and he made a 33-yard field goal.
You can access complete stats for the Falcons Week 10 game via our exclusive Fantasy BoxScore.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Taylor Heinicke, Logan Woodside, Kirk Cousins
RBs: Bijan Robinson, Tyler Allgeier, Cordarrelle Patterson
WRs: Drake London, Darnell Mooney, Mack Hollins, KhaDarel Hodge, Van Jefferson, Scott Miller, Jared Bernhardt, Josh Ali
TEs: Kyle Pitts, MyCole Pruitt, John FitzPatrick
Baltimore Ravens
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 15 November 2022Each season brings a new challenge for Lamar Jackson, and through much of 2022, he has looked more steady than spectacular.
According to Associated Press sports writer Noah Trister, that suits the Ravens just fine.
Since his late interception and fumble cost Baltimore dearly in a loss to the New York Giants, Jackson has gone three games without a turnover, and it's no coincidence that the Ravens have won them all. As sensational as Jackson can be -- and nobody should take his remarkable stats for granted -- with an offense limited by injuries at key positions, this year might be a test of his patience as much as anything.
"They joke with me that I'm beating a dead horse, but I'm going to keep beating it. We all know the correlation between turnovers and success, in terms of wins and losses," quarterbacks coach James Urban said. "You don't want to play scared. He hasn't been -- he's still been aggressive -- but you want to make great decisions."
The Ravens (6-3) have their open date this weekend, and with a favorable-looking schedule the rest of the way, this looks like another chance for Jackson to try to lead Baltimore on a deep playoff run. Last season was completely derailed by injuries -- including to Jackson himself down the stretch -- and health has been an issue on offense this year as well.
In Week 2, Jackson threw for 318 yards and three touchdowns against Miami. That day, he became the first quarterback in NFL history with both a touchdown pass and a touchdown run of at least 75 yards in the same game.
Baltimore's offense hasn't really reached those heights since. Receiver Rashod Bateman was lost to a foot injury, and standout tight end Mark Andrews has dealt with knee and shoulder problems. J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards -- two running backs who missed all of last season with knee injuries -- returned but have been limited for various reasons.
Jackson certainly can carry an offense for periods of time. In addition to his passing, he has almost twice as many yards rushing as the next-highest Baltimore player. But with solid work from the offensive line and enough role players stepping up to run the ball and catch passes, the Ravens haven't needed Jackson to force the issue too much.
"Just moving the ball, moving the chains. That's what we have to do sometimes," Jackson said after Monday night's win at New Orleans, where he completed passes to 10 different teammates. "Sometimes things aren't opening up down the field, (and) we have to take what the defense gives us. That's what I had to do."
Jackson has thrown 16 touchdown passes, equaling his total from all of last season. But the Ravens at the moment are more methodical than explosive, especially in the passing game.
Jackson is on track to rush for more than 1,000 yards. He is averaging 7.4 yards per carry, a career best. Baltimore is 13th in the league in total offense but third in time of possession and fifth in points per game. The Ravens have a plus-7 turnover margin, second in the NFL to Philadelphia's plus-15.
The last time Baltimore lost was on the road against the Giants. After a mishap on a shotgun snap, Jackson scrambled and threw a pass that was intercepted, giving the Giants the ball in the red zone. They scored the go-ahead touchdown, and then Jackson fumbled to seal Baltimore's fate.
Since then, the Ravens have turned the ball over only once in three games.
Jackson is one of the game's dynamic players, and he's always a threat to play like he did against Miami, when he looked like an MVP candidate. But with the injuries around him, if the Ravens are going to have success, it might look more like it did Monday against the Saints.
Jackson threw for 133 yards and a touchdown in that game. He ran for 82 yards. The Ravens went 9 for 15 on third down -- when Jackson's ability to improvise can be particularly scary for a defense -- and controlled the ball for 37:47.
"Third down, he kind of did put the cape on a number of times," head coach John Harbaugh said. "That's why we had the third-down numbers that we did really, was he made plays both passing, and scrambling and even run-game stuff."
It wasn't the type of game that belongs at the top of Jackson's highlight reel, but it was another win for his AFC North-leading team.
"We just have to keep doing what we're doing, stay locked in, keep cleaning up the little details here and there," Jackson said. "I feel like the sky's the limit for us."
Whatever the case, the bye week has concluded for the Ravens and as they peer down the second half of the season, many expect great things with their remaining schedule being the focal point.
The Ravens face only one team with a winning record in their final eight games -- the Cincinnati Bengals at 5-4. The combined record of Baltimore's remaining opponents is 25-45 (.357), the worst in the league.
ESPN's Jamison Hensley offered a list of reasons why the Ravens could "possibly sneak up on the Buffalo Bills (6-3) and Kansas City Chiefs (7-3) and take the No. 1 seed in the AFC."
Those included Jackson's record against teams under .500 and the run game.
"Jackson is 22-3 (.880) against teams with losing records as the Ravens' starting quarterback -- the best active mark in the NFL since 2018 -- winning 10 of his past 11 vs. teams with records below .500," Hensley wrote. "When the Ravens were at their best in 2019 and 2020, they had an unstoppable ground attack. Baltimore is getting close to that level after gaining 188 yards in Monday night's 27-13 win in New Orleans despite not having its top two running backs (Dobbins and Edwards)."
And when will those backs return?
The Ravens expect Edwards to return this week and Dobbins will likely still be a couple more weeks.
Harbaugh did tell reporters last week that the scope procedure on Dobbins' knee was a "smashing success," and that he would be back at practice in three or four weeks.
And what about Andrews?
Harbaugh told reporters laste Monday that Andrews, like many of the Ravens injured players, has a "really good chance" of playing Sunday against the Panthers
Until he is on the field, expect rookie Isaiah Likely will be the top target in the Ravens offense. He led the Ravens with five targets in New Orleans. Wideout Demarcus Robinson had four and nobody else had more than two. ...
Worth noting, Edwards was on the practice field to open preparations on Wednesday; Andrews was not taking part.
I'll be watching for more on the returning injured in coming days and report back via Late-Breaking Update as the team prepares for Sunday's game against the Panthers. ...
One last note on Andrews. ... According to Pro Football Focus' Kambui Bomani, Andrews is the No. 1 red zone receiver this season.
"Andrews' red-zone stat sheet includes the second-most receiving yards (66) and third-most receptions (9) from 14 such targets," Bomani wrote. "He's continued to be Jackson's go-to threat in scoring positions, with the Oklahoma product ranking second in red-zone touchdown receptions (5) through Week 9."
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Lamar Jackson, Josh Johnson
RBs: Derrick Henry, Justice Hill, Melvin Gordon, Keaton Mitchell
WRs: Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, Nelson Agholor, Tylan Wallace
TEs: Isaiah Likely, Charlie Kolar, Mark Andrews
Buffalo Bills
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 15 November 2022As ESPN.com's Alaina Getzenberg recounted it, Josh Allen walked around the field with his hands on his head almost in disbelief. While the Minnesota Vikings celebrated their 33-30 comeback victory in overtime, Allen threw his helmet to the ground -- not the first time the quarterback had done that in frustration on Sunday.
The roller-coaster loss resulted from what has emerged as a trend for the Bills since the team's bye in Week 7: Poor second-half play.
The offense has not scored a touchdown in the final two quarters or overtime since the Bills rallied to beat the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 6.
While it's not time for panic mode yet, the Bills have gone 1-2 in their three games since the bye. They've lost the lead of the conference and dropped to third in the division and seen games they were in control of become closer than they should be. Buffalo is now 2-3 in one-score games on the season.
"I think it's worth a deeper dive again this week," head coach Sean McDermott said on the Bills' second-half issues. "We look at it and study it and we haven't scored touchdowns in the second half, so we've gotta go back and look at what's been different the second half and what's been different compared to the first half."
The Bills have lost back-to-back games in which they had double-digit leads for the first time since 2010. They aren't playing disciplined, with 14 of their 16 penalties in the last three games coming in the second half or overtime.
"It's just executing when the moments and the stakes are the highest," center Mitch Morse said. "We have a lot to learn and a lot to improve on, which is a double-edged sword."
Turnovers by Allen have played a role. The quarterback has fumbled eight times, losing three, and thrown 10 interceptions, which leads the NFL. Six of those have come since the team's bye in Week 7 (two in each game), and five were thrown in the second half or overtime.
"It comes down to my shoulders and my shoulders only," Allen said. "Making the right decisions, making the right throws, putting our best foot forward in practice. This one's gonna suck watching. Only way is forward. We gotta find a way to put this behind and not let it affect our next one."
While Allen's three turnovers in the fourth quarter and overtime played a significant role in the Bills' latest loss, first-year offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey's decisions or reluctance to run the ball in the second half, despite McDermott saying the team needs to be less one-dimensional, has left time on the clock for opponents.
The offense has carried the ball 33 times (just 21 times from offensive skill players) in the second half of the past three games (ranks 20th), despite having halftime leads in each game.
Offense in the red zone has also been a problem.
The team's four red zone drives in the second half or overtime of the past three games have not resulted in touchdowns. Allen has thrown red zone interceptions the past two games (three total). He had thrown two in his career prior to Week 8.
"It seemed like when we've got to get in the groove, it's always crunch time," wide receiver Stefon Diggs said. "And we always manage to kind of figure it out and make a way, but it'll save us if we don't take that lull, don't take that little gasp of air. Von [Miller] always says don't blink, and I feel like we might be blinking a little bit."
The defense has also fallen short, especially in the running game.
Since Week 8, the Bills' defense is allowing 120.3 rushing yards per game in second halves/overtime, which ranks 31st. The defense is also allowing 6.2 yards per play during that span (24th).
The Bills will have to figure it out quickly. The Cleveland Browns and running back Nick Chubb (third in the NFL with 904 rushing yards) are coming to town next.
"It's almost a mental test," tight end Dawson Knox said. "You just gotta be locked in the whole time. You can't ever act like the game's put away. So, you can't ever just hang your hat and say, 'I'm done.' You just gotta always be locked in the game, ready to go."
Remember, Allen started the game after uncertainty surrounding his right elbow injury. Despite the turnovers, Allen didn't appear to be hampered by the injury, as he completed 67.4 percent of his passes (his second highest of the season), but again, his mistakes at the end were costly.
For what it's worth, Diggs rallied to Allen's defense.
"If I know Josh, I know he's extremely hard on himself," Diggs said. "He's going to hate it for 24 hours, but I've got his back. I'll take the good with the bad any day. My quarterback is a winner. We can be better. We will be better."
Fortunately, Buffalo has as pair of winnable games over a short week. After hosting the Browns (3-6) on Sunday, Buffalo travels to play Detroit (3-6) on Thanksgiving Day. ...
For the record. ... McDermott said Allen's elbow is in a "good spot" coming out of the game and that the team will determine his practice schedule for the week. Dorsey added that the game plan on Sunday was not limited by Allen's injury.
"There weren't really many throws off the table," Dorsey said, via the team's website. "He was really making all the throws throughout the game and I think we all saw that. ..."
Also on the injury front. ... Jake Kumerow left Sunday's game with an ankle injury and was quickly ruled out. As NBCSportsEdge.com noted, Kumerow missed several weeks with an ankle injury earlier this season, but it's not currently known if the injury is an aggravation or not.
I'll follow up on Allen, who was slated to work on a limited basis Wednesday, (and Kumerow) via Late-Breaking Update as need be in coming days. ...
Other note of interest. ... Devin Singletary rushed 13 times for 47 yards and two touchdowns while catching one of two targets for no gain against the Vikings.
Singletary scored touchdowns of five yards and one yard in the first quarter. He scored seven times on the ground last season, but these were Singletary's first two rushing touchdowns of 2022.
Buffalo relied on Singletary more down the stretch last season as the weather got colder, and the same pattern could be emerging again based on this performance in cold temperature.
As FantasyLife.com's Dwain McFarland notes, Singletary was on the field for 72 percent of the snaps, had 65 percent route participation, 61 percent of the rushing attempts, 33 percent of the short-yardage work (with Duke Johnson sniping him in that category), 78 percent of the long-down distance work and 100 percent of the two-minute offense.
Worth noting. ... Nyheim Hines played just 8 percent of snaps in his second game with the Bills.
McDermott told reporters on Wednesday that Hines will be "worked in as he continues to grow."
You can access complete stats for the Bills Week 10 game via our exclusive Fantasy BoxScore.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Josh Allen
RBs: James Cook, Latavius Murray, Ty Johnson
WRs: Khalil Shakir, Curtis Samuel, Trent Sherfield, Deonte Harty
TEs: Dalton Kincaid, Dawson Knox, Quintin Morris
Carolina Panthers
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 15 November 2022The Panthers will have a new starting quarterback when they take the field this weekend, as interim coach Steve Wilks told reporters on Monday that P.J. Walker suffered a high ankle sprain during Thursday's win over the Falcons and wouldn't be available for Sunday's game against the Ravens.
That means Mayfield will start and that Sam Darnold will back him up this weekend.
Mayfield started the first five games this season, and they did not go particularly well. He had four touchdowns, four interceptions, and a 71.9 passer rating in those five starts before he was injured against the 49ers. He played better in the second half against the Bengals two weeks ago in relief of Walker, throwing for 155 and two touchdowns in the second half.
But even he admitted that was against some passive Bengals coverage (since they were up 35-0 at halftime when Walker was pulled after two interceptions).
But he's also been supportive of Walker when he was serving as the backup, and said repeatedly he wanted to be a part of wins.
When Mayfield takes the field in Baltimore this week, he'll be part of a different-looking offense from the last time he started in Week 5.
Carolina's offense made some strides with Walker at the helm, including last week's 25-15 victory over Atlanta on Thursday Night Football. The Panthers have become a more efficient running team and protected the quarterback better, taking steps toward establishing a personality.
"Our identity as an offense is physicality; that's what we want to do," left guard Brady Christensen said. "Physicality and finish is kind of what we really lean on."
Now Mayfield, who struggled for the first five games of the year, will get back the reins after Walker sustained a high ankle sprain against the Falcons.
And it looks a little different now.
For one, Steve Wilks is the interim coach in place of Matt Rhule. Running back D'Onta Foreman has succeeded after taking the bulk of carries following the Christian McCaffrey trade, and Bradley Bozeman has performed well at center since Pat Elflein underwent season-ending hip surgery.
Wide receiver Robbie Anderson was traded to Arizona, so Laviska Shenault Jr. and Terrace Marshall Jr. have gotten more targets in his absence, and they've each delivered some big plays.
"I feel like a lot of the guys who weren't getting opportunities earlier in the year are getting opportunities, and I feel like those guys are really stepping up and showing that they have the ability to be good players in this league," veteran backup tackle Cameron Erving said. "The offensive line has been doing a really good job of just being physical, finishing blocks, finishing plays, and just winning the game up front. That's the biggest part."
Wilks has emphasized the line of scrimmage since taking over, and the Panthers have appeared to take that message to heart.
"Everything we do starts up front," Wilks said. "We've got to do a great job establishing the run game, getting Foreman, Chuba Hubbard, and all those guys running. Then when we do pass the football, (do a) great job of giving him a clean pocket, so he can go through his progressions and get the ball down the field."
Since Mayfield last started in Week 5, Carolina's offense has improved from 89.8 rush yards per game in the first five games to 146.2 in the last five. The Panthers' top three rushing games have all been recent contests -- Week 10 against the Falcons (232 yards), Week 7 against the Buccaneers (173 yards), and Week 8 at the Falcons (169 yards).
Foreman has particularly made a splash, with three 100-yard games since Week 7.
And Mayfield is familiar with the current focus and personnel, as he has backed up Walker since returning from his high ankle sprain in Week 8 against the Falcons. Mayfield has also played meaningful snaps with the post-Week 5 offense, coming in for the second half of a blowout loss at the Bengals in Week 9 and playing better than he had in his first five games.
Mayfield had four touchdowns, four interceptions, and a 71.8 passer rating through his first five starts before throwing 155 yards and two touchdowns against a less-aggressive Cincinnati defense, which had the benefit of a 35-0 lead at halftime and still won by three touchdowns.
Walker and Mayfield have both started in five games, and their numbers were relatively similar.
Mayfield has completed 56.6 percent of his passes (98-of-173) for 1,117 yards, six touchdowns, and four interceptions, while Walker completed 59.4 percent of passes (63-of-106) for 731 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions.
The Mayfield-led offense for the first five weeks turned the ball over seven times, while Walker's offense for the past five weeks totaled five turnovers.
"Across the board, number one, it starts with protecting the ball," Wilks said when asked about improvements heading into the Baltimore game. "We've got to do a great job of protecting the football, and that increases our chances of winning -- when we don't turn the ball over."
Mayfield has also taken 15 sacks compared to Walker's seven, though that number could be a testament to improvements up front.
Whatever the case, between the marked improvement in the run game, a more diverse catalog of targets, and chemistry along the line, Mayfield will step into a slightly different offense in Baltimore -- one with a stronger identity.
Remember, Mayfield has experience against the Ravens, starting eight games against them in the previous four years with the Browns. He was 3-5 in those starts, but his 83.2 rating in those games was solid (13 touchdowns, nine interceptions). ...
For what it's worth, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports that some with the team would like to see Darnold at some point. He hasn't shown what he can -- or can't -- do in Ben McAdoo's offense yet. ...
Beyond Walker on the injury front. ... Wilks officially confirmed the Panthers have lost cornerback Donte Jackson for the season to a torn Achilles tendon. He said Jackson will have surgery soon.
Also, defensive tackle Matt Ioannidis (calf) and tight Giovanni Ricci (neck) are out this week against the Ravens. Defensive tackle Daviyon Nixon will start against quarterback Lamar Jackson and the Ravens.
Wilks hopes to get safety Jeremy Chinn back on the field this week after he missed the last six games with a hamstring injury.
You can access complete stats for the Panthers Week 10 game via our exclusive Fantasy BoxScore.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Bryce Young, Andy Dalton
RBs: Chuba Hubbard, Miles Sanders, Raheem Blackshear
WRs: Adam Thielen, Diontae Johnson, Jonathan Mingo, D.J. Chark, Terrace Marshall Jr., Laviska Shenault, Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Mike Strachan
TEs: Tommy Tremble, Stephen Sullivan, Ian Thomas, Hayden Hurst
Chicago Bears
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 15 November 2022As Associated Press sports writer Jay Cohen framed it: "Justin Fields is collecting NFL records in his second season with the Chicago Bears.
"It just doesn't mean all that much to him, not with all the losses piling up."
Fields threw for two touchdowns and rushed for two more TDs on Sunday against the Detroit Lions. But the dynamic quarterback also threw an ugly interception that was returned for a touchdown in a 31-30 loss.
According to STATS, Chicago became the first team in NFL history to score at least 29 points in three consecutive games and lose all three.
The Bears (3-7) have dropped six of seven overall.
"It's just where (are) your priorities as a player. Is it to break records or is it to win?" Fields said. "Personally, mine is to win. I don't care about breaking records. I just want to win games."
Fields rushed for 178 yards and accounted for four touchdowns last weekend, but the Bears lost 35-32 to the Miami Dolphins. Fields' rushing total set a Super Bowl-era record for a quarterback in a regular-season game, topping Michael Vick's 173 yards for Atlanta against Minnesota in 2002.
He went right back to work against Detroit, finishing with 147 yards on 13 carries. He had a bruising 1-yard TD run in the final seconds of the first half and an electric 67-yard scamper for another score in the fourth quarter.
Fields broke the NFL record for yards rushing by a quarterback in consecutive games, topping Tobin Rote's 281 yards for Green Bay in 1951, according to STATS. The former Ohio State star also became the first QB in the Super Bowl era with multiple rushing touchdowns of at least 60 yards in the same season.
Led by Fields, Chicago became the first team in NFL history with five consecutive games of at least 225 yards rushing. But no one on the Bears seemed all that interested in the team's impressive statistics.
"They've practiced hard. They're doing the right thing," first-year coach Matt Eberflus said. "It's about determination and perseverance and staying the course, and that's what they're going to learn. That's what they are learning."
Chicago opened a 24-10 lead on Fields' two touchdown passes to Cole Kmet in the third quarter. But it was outscored 21-6 in the fourth, hurting itself with a couple of big mistakes.
Detroit tied it at 24 when a hurried Fields floated an ill-advised throw in the direction of Kmet on an attempted screen, and Jeff Okudah returned the interception 20 yards for the TD.
"I can assure you that will never happen again for the rest of my career," the 23-year-old Fields said.
"Just got to dirt it and play the next play."
Fields responded with his long touchdown run on third-on-2 on Chicago's ensuing drive. But Cairo Santos missed the extra point.
After Detroit (3-6) went back in front on Jamaal Williams' 1-yard TD run with 2:21 left, Chicago got one first down before stalling. Fields needed stitches for a gash on one of his ears after he was thrown down for a sack on the team's final offensive play.
"I'm hurting pretty bad, not really from hits but just my legs are kind of sore," Fields said after the loss. "But other than my legs being sore and of course my ear, I'm fine."
Fields was 12-of-20 passing for 167 yards. He is averaging just 148.9 yards passing per game, a rarity in today's NFL. But he is up to a team-high 749 yards rushing on 104 carries.
"His grit, his toughness, how physical he can be, how strong he is, that's what makes him a special player," Eberflus said.
Next up, Fields and the Bears will travel to Atlanta to take on the Falcons. ...
Worth noting. ... Prior to Chicago's Week 8 loss at Dallas, Kmet had gone 28 straight games without a receiving touchdown. Kmet then recorded his first TD reception of 2022 against the Cowboys.
Now the third-year tight end has two receiving touchdowns in each of the past two weeks.
According to ESPN Stats and Information, Kmet is the second player this season with two receiving touchdowns in back-to-back games and the first Bears player with two receiving touchdowns in back-to-back games since Johnny Morris in 1964.
Fields, meanwhile, is the third QB in the Super Bowl Era to record two passing touchdowns and a rushing TD in three straight games, joining Michael Vick in 2010 and Steve Grogan in 1976. ...
Receiver Byron Pringle returned to action after missing six games with a calf injury he sustained in a Week 3 win over the Texans, catching one pass for 12 yards.
As FantasyLife.com's Dwain McFarland noted, Chase Claypool did not see the expanded role we expected in his second game with the Bears.
Claypool had one reception for eight yards in large part to being limited to a 12 percent target share and just 30 percent route participation. ...
Santos made his only field-goal attempt of the game from 33 yards, extending his streak to 20 in a row, including all 14 he's tried this season. But, as noted above, he missed an extra point for the first time since kicking in monsoon-like conditions in Week 1, pushing his attempt wide left after the Bears had broken a 24-24 tie on Fields' 67-yard TD dash.
"I'll have to watch the film and make the corrections I need to make," Santos said. "Sometimes it happens. I've just got to see what went wrong. How the ball flew, something tells me that something in the operation [was off]. It comes down to me trusting everything and going through it."
On the injury front. ... Khalil Herbert will miss at least the next four games.
Herbert injured his hip while returning the final kickoff of Sunday's win over the Lions and the league's daily transaction wire shows that they placed him on injured reserve Tuesday.
Herbert ran 10 times for 57 yards and returned two kicks for 67 yards before getting hurt against Detroit. He has 108 carries for 643 yards -- best among the team's running backs -- and four touchdowns on offense this season.
David Montgomery may be looking at more work while Herbert is out of the lineup. Sixth-round pick Trestan Ebner is the only other back on the active roster.
You can access complete stats for the Bears Week 10 game via our exclusive Fantasy BoxScore.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Tyson Bagent, Nathan Peterman
RBs: Khalil Herbert, D'Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson, Travis Homer, Khari Blasingame
WRs: D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, Tyler Scott, Trent Taylor, Velus Jones Jr., Equanimeous St. Brown
TEs: Gerald Everett, Cole Kmet, Robert Tonyan, Marcedes Lewis, Jake Tonges
Cincinnati Bengals
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 15 November 2022According to Associated Press sports writer Mitch Stacy, Joe Mixon said he was out to show everyone he was "still that dude."
In making that point, the sixth-year running back might have revived the Cincinnati Bengals' season -- as well as own.
He certainly revived their confidence.
Mixon's frustrating lack of production through eight games had reduced his role in the Bengals' offensive plans, with inconsistent line play taking part of that blame. Fans on social media wondered if his best years were behind him.
After rushing for more than 1,200 yards in the run-up to the Super Bowl last year, Mixon was averaging 3.4 yards per carry this season, had only three plays of more than 15 yards and scored just three touchdowns.
Then in Week 9 against the Carolina Panthers, Mixon went "crazy," as teammate Tyler Boyd said, biting off chunks of yards and scoring touchdowns early as the Bengals raced to a 35-0 halftime lead. Mixon averaged 7 yards per carry in rushing for 153 with four touchdowns. He added another 58 receiving yards and a TD catch.
"I knew at some point the dam would break," Mixon said. "I tried to come out here and prove to myself that I'm still that dude."
His four rushing TDs were the most by an NFL player in a single game this season and his five total TDs were a Bengals single-game franchise record. The performance earned him AFC offensive player of the week honors.
"The best I've ever seen -- that was it, right there," Boyd said. "But I expect that out of Joe. I know he always has those games each year where he goes crazy, but this is the craziest one yet that I've seen."
The 26-year-old Mixon delivered it at a critical time for the Bengals. Playing without injured star receiver Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati was embarrassed the previous Monday night at Cleveland 32-13 and slipped to 4-4, with the Carolina game standing between it and a much-needed week off.
Mixon's performance and the 42-21 rout was a monumental shot for the Bengals' morale. Their 5-4 record is identical to last year's at the nine-game mark. But they were 0-3 against AFC North foes in the first half and open the second half at Pittsburgh (2-6) on Nov. 20. Cincinnati will be trying to avenge a 23-20 overtime loss to the Steelers in Week 1.
"It's different when Joe Burrow is having a day like that, but when Mixon is running the ball, it kind of creates the dominance of our team on all three phases," said safety Jessie Bates III, who had one of Cincinnati's two interceptions of Carolina's P.J. Walker. "Joe was definitely running with a different type of pop. Like I said, it got going, not just through the offense, but through our defense and special teams, as well."
That also peeled some of the pressure off Burrow, who passed for 206 yards and the TD to Mixon.
"If we run the ball like we did, it's tough to stop us," Burrow said. "We're getting healthy again; we'll get some key guys back after the bye and continue to get guys back after that. That's going to be big for us, to get everyone healthy and ready to go."
If Cincinnati can continue to get Mixon loose, defenses will have to adjust, which should give Burrow some more room to find his receivers.
Meanwhile, as ESPN.com's Ben Baby suggested, the Bengals will need Mixon to play at a high level with the stakes raised heading into the stretch run.
Cincinnati has the second-toughest remaining strength of schedule in the league, according to ESPN Analytics. Cincinnati is currently a game back of the division-leading Baltimore Ravens, who have a much easier schedule, and is on the outside of a congested battle for an AFC wild-card berth.
But the offensive numbers are trending in the right direction. The Bengals are fifth in the NFL in points per drive and fourth in the league in touchdowns per drive, according to ESPN Stats and Information.
Cincinnati's big day against the Panthers was the team's second game without star without Chase.
And Mixon knows what it means if he can continue to play well through Chase's return.
"The way that we were balanced, I feel like it's going to pay huge dividends down the road because we ran the ball effectively, and also we threw the ball," Mixon said. "When Chase comes back ... we start opening the offense even more, because the run game is going, and the pass is on.
"I feel like it's only going to get crazier."
First up, the Bengals will travel to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers on Sunday.
A few final notes here. ... Chase (hip) is still walking with crutches and head coach Zac Taylor said that "everything has been good" so far.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports the Bengals are "hopeful" Chase will return in Week 12.
Also. ... The Bengals designated DT D.J. Reader (knee) as eligible to return from injured reserve.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Jake Browning, Joe Burrow
RBs: Zack Moss, Chase Brown, Chris Evans, Trayveon Williams
WRs: Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Trenton Irwin, Andrei Iosivas, Charlie Jones
TEs: Irv Smith Jr., Mike Gesicki, Tanner Hudson, Drew Sample, Mitchell Wilcox
Cleveland Browns
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 15 November 2022Deshaun Watson is set to rejoin the Browns on the practice field this week.
Since Oct. 10, Watson has been allowed to participate in team meetings and work out at the Browns' training facility. But now he will be permitted to practice with the team for the first time since training camp.
The Browns are next scheduled to practice again Wednesday.
Watson violated the NFL's personal conduct policy by committing sexual assault on massage therapists, as defined by the NFL. He'll continue to serve an 11-game suspension.
Watson will ramp up for his Browns debut Dec. 4 in a game against his former team, the Houston Texans.
"We'll have a plan for him to start getting ready," head coach Kevin Stefanski said Monday.
Jacoby Brissett has filled in at quarterback during Watson's suspension. General manager Andrew Berry recently reiterated that Watson would replace Brissett as Cleveland's starter once he's eligible to return. But Stefanski said getting Brissett ready to play will remain Cleveland's priority in practice until then.
"Whatever we do with Deshaun won't take away from Jacoby's preparation," Stefanski said.
Watson hasn't played in a regular-season game since 2020, sitting out all of last year in Houston while waiting for a trade.
The Browns (3-6) face the Buffalo Bills this weekend, then the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before Watson's return.
This week, they'll prepare to face the Bills coming off a brutal beatdown in Miami, where the Dolphins unleashed a 39-17 thrashing that raised more questions about the Browns' effort, personnel, schemes and future.
As Associated Press sports writer Tom Withers pointed out, there are problems everywhere, but especially for a defense that was supposed to be the team's strength and has turned out to be a glaring weakness.
One of the NFL's top-rated passing teams, the Dolphins came in ranked 28th in rushing and ran it down Cleveland's throat, rolling up 195 yards. The Browns struggled to get off blocks, missed tackles and were thoroughly overmatched from the start.
The Browns were successful in slowing down the Dolphins' dynamic receiving duo of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, but Miami's other playmakers stepped up.
It was another case of one step forward, two back for Cleveland's defense, which has only been consistent in being inconsistent.
There had been positive signs of progress following a dominant game against Cincinnati on Halloween.
Even Cleveland's dependable running game spent most of Sunday grinding its gears. Other than a solid opening drive, the offense sputtered and a costly fumble by the dependable Nick Chubb sabotaged a potential scoring chance when the Browns were only down three.
Cleveland's offensive line rarely looks ordinary. The Dolphins made it appear less than that.
Along with the running game issues, the Browns struggled to protect Brissett, who was sacked three times and under pressure from Bradley Chubb and Co. almost every time he dropped back.
If you're looking for positives, wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones had a season-high 99 yards on five catches. It was his fourth straight game with at least 70 yards, and sixth straight with 50 or more.
The third-year wideout's growth as a playmaker is an encouraging sign with Watson's return on the horizon.
They'll need all the play-making ability they can muster for their looming trip to Buffalo to face a Bills team stinging from an overtime loss Sunday at home. If the Browns are going to salvage their season, they'll have to do it on the road with five of their last eight games outside Cleveland.
On the injury front. ... Pro Bowl right guard Wyatt Teller had to be pulled in the first half with a calf injury that kept him out of the previous two games. ... Stefanski offered no updates on tackles Jack Conklin (foot) or Jedrick Wills Jr. (ankle). ... Linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (knee) and tight end David Njoku (ankle) both missed their second straight games.
I'll have more on Njoku, who was not on the practice field Wednesday, via Late-Breaking Update in coming days. ...
You can access complete stats for the Browns Week 10 game via our exclusive Fantasy BoxScore.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Jameis Winston, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Tyler Huntley, Deshaun Watson
RBs: Jerome Ford, D'Onta Foreman, Pierre Strong Jr., Nick Chubb
WRs: Amari Cooper, Elijah Moore, Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman, Marquise Goodwin, David Bell
TEs: David Njoku, Jordan Akins, Harrison Bryant
Dallas Cowboys
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 15 November 2022As NFL.com's Kevin Patra reported, head coach Mike McCarthy whipped his headset at the Lambeau Field turf following an ill-fated fourth down attempt in overtime of Sunday's 31-28 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
After allowing the Packers to wipe out a 14-point fourth-quarter lead and force overtime, the Cowboys were on the move, but two penalties on the drive stymied Dallas. Facing fourth-and-3 from the Green Bay 35-yard line, McCarthy eschewed a 53-yard field goal attempt into the wind, deciding to try to play for the game-ending TD.
"We were right on the line for the field goal," McCarthy said after the game. "Hey, to be honest with you, I felt we needed to go for it. I mean I called it on second down, especially with the way the game was going. Big play, penalty. Big play, penalty. Big play, penalty. So our thing was just keep playing. We had good calls. I'm fine with the decision obviously on fourth-and-3. Just didn't convert."
Dak Prescott was pressured on the play, and his desperation toss to Tony Pollard fell incomplete.
But the real failure on the drive came earlier with two penalties, an inexplicable offside on wide receiver Jalen Tolbert, and a holding call on guard Connor McGovern wiped out gains of 9 and 16 yards.
"I thought we were in total control in overtime," McCarthy said. "Obviously the penalties and the things, very, very, very frustrated. But you have to overcome those things. This group, this group of men, they have it. But just disappointed for them."
The holding call was massive, as the Cowboys would have had a first down at the 26-yard-line. Instead, three plays later, it was Packers ball, and they marched for the game-winning field goal.
The Cowboys' disappointing loss scuttled McCarthy's reunion in Green Bay and thrust Dallas into third place in the NFC East after the Giants won earlier in the day.
"Obviously we wanted to get it for Mike," Prescott said. "And it sucks we didn't. That's that. There's no way to sugarcoat it. There's nothing else to add on. We wanted to get it to Mike but more importantly we wanted to lay another brick on where we're going and we didn't do that. So we're going to stick together and find a way to make this team better moving forward."
Of course, it was just one loss in a season that has eight regular-season games left to play. But this was, in Prescott's words, a playoff atmosphere.
This was a chance to establish themselves as a legitimate NFC contender even if they don't end up winning the NFC East.
Instead, as ESPN.com's Todd Archer suggested, the Cowboys left with the same questions, especially for their run defense that not even the bye week could fix. The Packers ran for 207 yards on 39 carries with 138 yards from Aaron Jones. This came after the Cowboys allowed 240 yards rushing to the Chicago Bears in Week 8. It's the second time in three seasons the Cowboys have allowed at least 200 yards rushing in back-to-back games.
The Cowboys entered the contest allowing just 16.6 points per game, good for third in the NFL, yet the defense could not hold a 28-14 lead in the fourth quarter. On the Packers' two fourth-quarter touchdown drives, Dallas allowed 165 yards.
And it wasn't just the run defense. They allowed four pass plays of at least 20 yards, including touchdowns of 58 and 39 yards to rookie Christian Watson.
In contrast, they allowed just 13 pass plays of 20 yards or more in the first eight games.
Next, the Cowboys say hello to Minnesota Vikings superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson -- who had 10 catches for 193 yards and a touchdown in Week 10 against the Buffalo Bills, including four catches of at least 20 yards -- and running back Dalvin Cook, who had 119 yards rushing, mostly on an 81-yard touchdown.
Cook is followed in Week 12 by the Giants' Saquon Barkley, who had 152 yards rushing in New York's win against the Houston Texans on Sunday.
Penalties hurt again, with nine of them for 83 yards, including two in overtime that McCarthy thought were questionable and cost the Cowboys 25 rushing yards.
"We have to fix that moving forward because it was kind of our Achilles' heel last year," All-Pro right guard Zack Martin said, "and we're not going to let it be this year."
At 6-3, the Cowboys find themselves in third place in the NFC East behind the Philadelphia Eagles (8-0) and Giants (7-2).
The Cowboys won't have to wait long to show how good they can be.
Dallas is in the middle of its annual routine of three games in 12 days.
On Sunday, they play at the 8-1 Vikings, who pulled off an incredible overtime win against the Bills on Sunday. Four days after that game is the Giants' Thanksgiving Day visit to ATandT Stadium. With three losses, the Cowboys' postseason path looks more like wild card than division champ at the moment, given the Eagles' success this season.
"I'm not worried about that, no," McCarthy said. "There's a lot of football to be played. We just crossed the halfway line. We just got to take care of our own business, clean our own house. … We've got enough to focus on. So, yeah, if we take care of our own business, we'll get to where we want to go. ..."
Worth noting. ... Prescott has four interceptions through four games for the first time in his seven-year career. He missed five games with a broken thumb on his throwing hand.
As Associated Press sports writer Schuyler Dixon reminded readers, when he was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2016, Prescott didn't throw his first interception until his sixth game (in a victory at Green Bay, by the way). The Cowboys need something closer to that since they're built around the running game and defense. ...
Lamb had Dallas' first 100-yard receiving game of the season, with career highs in yards (150) and catches (11). His two touchdowns tied his best. It hurt the Cowboys to waste that effort considering they've been waiting for him to break out in the No. 1 receiving role. ...
On the injury front. ... The decision on whether or not to play Ezekiel Elliott against the Packers went to the wire, but it was decided by the Cowboys that they'd keep their two-time NFL rushing champ on the sideline at least one more week as he recovers from a knee sprain.
It's the first time Elliott has missed consecutive games because of injury in his seven seasons.
Elliott is known to be the "sledgehammer" for the Cowboys and, as such, it's possible his presence in the four-minute drill would've been felt in a major way.
In his absence, the bulk of the work was again shoveled upon Pollard, who played well, but the Cowboys inability to pound the Packers into submission with a 14-point lead begs the question of if they might've been able to have Elliott been on the field.
The team attempted to utilize Malik Davis in Elliott's role, and it was nearly effective, but a holding call against Connor McGovern deleted a 20-plus yard run that helped torpedo that attempt.
I'll have more on Elliott, who was scheduled to practice Wednesday, via Late-Breaking Update in coming days. ...
Meanwhile, Pollard is 2 for 2 in 100-yard games with Elliott sidelined. Pollard had 115 yards with a touchdown on a career-high 22 carries in Green Bay. The fourth-year back tied his best with 131 yards against Chicago and had a career-high three TDs in the previous game with Elliott sidelined.
But the Cowboys truly unleashed Pollard this week, letting him handle a true every-down role.
Per FantasyLife.com's Dwain McFarland, Pollard was on the field for 87 percent of the offensive snaps, earned 73 percent of the rushing attempts, enjoyed 70 percent route participation and a 10 percent target share.
He also got 100 percent of the short-yardage work, 100 percent of the two-minute opportunities and 100 percent of the long-down distance opportunities.
21 fantasy points and 18 percent of carries went 10 yards-plus. ...
One last note here. ... Dalton Schultz is playing great over the last three games, and his route participation is improving.
In Green Bay, Schultz enjoyed a 72 percent route participation rate and 23 percent target share.
As FantasyLife.com's Dwain McFarland notes, 80 percent route participation is the gateway for elite production at tight end, which means Schultz is on pace to finish as a mid-range TE1 for fantasy managers. ...
You can access complete stats for the Cowboys Week 10 game via our exclusive Fantasy BoxScore.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Dak Prescott, Cooper Rush, Trey Lance
RBs: Ezekiel Elliott, Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn, Hunter Luepke
WRs: CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, Michael Gallup, Jalen Tolbert, KaVontae Turpin, Jalen Brooks
TEs: Jake Ferguson, Luke Schoonmaker, Peyton Hendershot
Denver Broncos
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 15 November 2022As Associated Press sports writer Arnie Stapleton put it, "Move over 'Orange Crush.' Step aside 'Steel Curtain.' Make way 'Fearsome Foursome.' And Dallas, your 'Doomsday' defense has been given fresh meaning with this year's Denver Broncos sporting their stingiest unit since 1971.
"Call it the 'All in Vain' defense."
The Broncos (3-6) are in danger of becoming the first team since the 1946 Pittsburgh Steelers to own both the NFL's stoutest defense and its feeblest offense.
Denver is allowing a league-low 16.5 points per game, but its offense continues to spin out under Nathaniel Hackett and Russell Wilson, averaging a meager 14.5 points per game.
The Broncos' 17-10 loss at Tennessee on Sunday -- after a bye in which they changed nothing and actually watched their injury list grow -- was a carbon copy of all their other defeats.
Stout on defense. Soft on offense.
And throw, throw, throw in a close game.
"We've got to find a way to run the ball," Hackett lamented after dialing up a season-high 48 drop-backs for Wilson in a one-score game.
Denver's only touchdown came on an audible by Wilson, but he had his eyes on the pass rushers more than on his targets after two more O-linemen got hurt, leaving the Broncos with third-stringers at both tackle spots and at center.
The Broncos entered the game without speedy receiver K.J. Hamler (hamstring) and Jerry Jeudy left with an ankle injury he suffered on Denver's first offensive snap.
Wilson completed just half of his passes, got hit 18 times and was sacked a season-high six times, and the Broncos squandered a 10-0 lead, once again petering out after halftime.
They punted on their first five second-half possessions and their final drive ended with Wilson's game-sealing end zone interception.
Wilson now has seven TD throws and has been sacked a whopping 29 times in eight games.
As Stapleton pointed out, Hackett's offense is designed to be operated out of the pocket and Wilson wants to morph into a pocket passer, but it all seems so forced, robbing Wilson of the off-schedule magic that defined his time in Seattle.
Meanwhile, the Broncos, who ran it just 25 times Sunday, are the only team that hasn't had a single rush for 20 yards this season.
Up next for the bungling Broncos are the languishing Las Vegas Raiders, who are 2-7 under first-year coach Josh McDaniels, who will be going for the season sweep in Denver this weekend after beating the Broncos 32-23 in September for his first win since getting fired by them in 2010.
The losing coach Sunday undoubtedly will face a growing chorus of fans calling for them to get fired.
"I learned a long time ago you're coaching for your job every day," Hackett said Monday. "I mean, every single day you come in that building and you compete and you fight to be the best version of yourself and try to get the best out of everybody around you. That's just how this is; that's how I've always known it is. ...
"It's not about me, though," Hackett added. "It has nothing to do with me. It has to do with this team, it has to do with these coaches. It has to do with all of us coming together and finding a way to win a football game. ..."
In a related note. ... The Broncos have been penalized 78 times for 650 yards. That leads the league in both categories. The Broncos had eight infractions for 50 yards against the Titans, and they weren't even flagged for having an extra man in formation on a field-goal try.
On the injury front. ... With five of the team's six losses by seven or fewer points and an offense ranked last in the league, Hackett will take any sliver of good news.
And, as ESPN.com's Jeff Legwold reported, Hackett got at least some good news Monday when injuries to Jeudy and center Graham Glasgow were not as serious as the Broncos had feared Sunday night. Jeudy left after the above-mentioned ankle injury on the Broncos' first play from scrimmage and Glasgow left the game late in the third quarter with a right shoulder injury.
Hackett said both players would be "day-to-day" this week as the Broncos prepare for Sunday's game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
On Jeudy specifically, Hackett went as far as to call it a "minor ankle."
For what it's worth, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports that Juedy "has a chance" to play in Week 11.
Jeudy leads the struggling offense in touchdown receptions with three as the Broncos have scored 16 or fewer points in five of their six losses.
The Broncos didn't get as good of news on right tackle Billy Turner (knee) and their nickel cornerback K'Waun Williams (knee), who also left Sunday's game with injuries. Hackett said both of those players will miss some time, classifying them as "week-to-week."
Turner was placed on injured reserve Tuesday.
With left tackle Garett Bolles already on injured reserve and his replacement Cam Fleming having missed Sunday's loss to the Titans with a thigh injury, Wilson's well-being in a concern. The Titans sacked Wilson six times Sunday, four of those after Glasgow and Turner had left the game, and hit Wilson 18 times.
The news also wasn't great on Hamler.
Hackett told reporters Wednesday that Hamler will miss the next few weeks due to his hamstring injury.
In addition, receiver Kendall Hinton (shoulder) is day to day and did not practice Wednesday.
I'll be watching for more on Jeudy and Hinton in coming days; watch the Late-Breaking Updates as the week progresses. ...
One few final notes here. ... As FantasyLife.com's Dwain McFarland put it, "Newsflash: Chase Edmonds is still Chase Edmonds."
In his first game with the Broncos, Edmonds played 19 percent of the snaps, earned 8 percent of the rushing attempts, got 15 percent route participation and was on the field for 21 percent of the long-down distance opportunities.
Murray rushed the ball nine times for 24 yards in Sunday's 17-10 loss to Tennessee. He added three receptions on three targets for 23 yards.
Latavius Murray paced the Denver backfield with nine carries despite Melvin Gordon drawing the start and working the first few offensive possessions. Neither back was particularly efficient on the ground, though Gordon managed a superior performance as a pass catcher.
While both Gordon and Murray split the work fairly evenly out of Denver's backfield, it's unclear whether the team may plan to mix Edmonds in more regularly as he grows more familiar with the offense. ...
And last. ... The team waived receiver Tyrie Cleveland on Tuesday.
Cleveland appeared in six games for Denver this season, mainly on special teams. Though he did catch a pair of passes for 28 yards in the Broncos' Week 2 victory over the Texans.
You can access complete stats for the Broncos Week 10 game via our exclusive Fantasy BoxScore.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Zach Wilson, Jarrett Stidham
RBs: Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin, Samaje Perine
WRs: Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims Jr., Lil'Jordan Humphrey, Brandon Johnson
TEs: Adam Trautman, Chris Manhertz, Greg Dulcich
Detroit Lions
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 15 November 2022As Associated Press sports writer Dana Gauruder noted, a three-game winning streak wouldn't be a big deal for most NFL franchises.
For the Detroit Lions, it would go down as a major development.
The Lions (3-6) haven't won three in a row since November 2017. They can finally match that by defeating the New York Giants (7-2) on Sunday.
"If you really want to become a truly competitive, good team, you have to stack some wins together," second-year head coach Dan Campbell said. "All the good ones do."
First, Detroit ended a five-game losing streak by grinding out a 15-9 home victory over Green Bay.
The Lions then defeated another NFC North opponent with an improbable rally.
Trailing 24-10 entering the fourth quarter, they rallied for a 31-30 victory. The previous time Detroit won after being down 14 or more points entering the fourth quarter was Oct. 31, 1993, against Minnesota.
The Lions hadn't won a road game since the 2020 season.
"Those are big things for us, especially with a young team," Campbell said. "That's how you grow up in a hurry, that's how you mature in a hurry."
Chicago quarterback Justin Fields threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more, but the defense came up with some big plays late.
Jeff Okudah returned an interception for a touchdown and Aiden Hutchinson and Julian Okwara had sacks after Jamaal Williams' go-ahead score with 2:21 remaining.
Campbell said while the results have been different, his coaching staff's approach has remained the same.
"We're not changing anything," he said. "Everything we've preached since Day 1, we're still preaching the same thing. We tweaked a couple of things schematically, but ultimately nothing is changed."
But ball security has improved dramatically.
Detroit didn't have a turnover in Chicago and has lost the ball just once in the past three games -- Jared Goff was intercepted early in the second half in the victory over Green Bay.
The three previous games, all losses, the Lions turned the ball over nine times, including five giveaways against Dallas.
Of course, with every victory, the Lions move further away from the No. 1 overall pick in next year's draft.
Detroit drafted franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford with the top pick in 2009. Unless Goff has an exceptionally strong finish, the Lions will likely be seeking a top-flight quarterback in the next draft.
The good news for the Lions is that they also own Los Angeles' first-rounder, courtesy of the Stafford trade last year, and the Rams have the same record as they do. ...
Other notes of interest. ... Williams has had a productive second season with the Lions, and he has eight games to go. With 59 yards and a touchdown rushing against the Bears Sunday, he has 604 for the season. That beats his previous single-season high of 601 yards, set last year with the Lions. He never got to the 600-yard mark in four previous seasons with the Packers.
Still, ESPN.com's Eric Woodyard wonders if it's not time for more rushing attempts for D'Andre Swift.
FantasyLife.com's Dwain McFarland laid it out well: Swift's utilization limitations continued as he was limited to just 27 percent of the snaps, 21 percent of the rushing attempts, a 30 percent route participation rate, 33 percent of the short-yardage opportunities, 22 percent of long-down distance chances and 50 percent of the two-minute offense work.
As McFarland put it: "Not even the full-time pass-down option anymore -- getting the Clyde Edwards-Helaire treatment."
Woodyard went on to note that Swift is the most exciting offensive player on the Lions' roster -- when healthy. However, can he stay healthy? Despite limited touches since returning from his three-game absence, Swift reached the end zone off a 9-yard rush in Chicago for a crucial fourth-quarter score -- his first score on the ground since Week 1.
He ended with just six carries for 6 yards. Williams led the Lions with 16 carries.
Amon-Ra St. Brown continued to etch his name in the history books. With his parents in the stands as he faced his older brother, the Bears' Equanimeous St. Brown, Amon-Ra made 10 catches for 119 yards, becoming the 11th player since 1950 to record 135 or more receptions in his first 25 career games.
Entering Sunday, he went five straight games with fewer than eight receptions.
One objective going forward: Find another consistent receiving threat would take some pressure off St. Brown.
He's caught 14 passes in the past two games after the team dealt tight end T.J. Hockenson to Minnesota at the trade deadline.
The rest of the team's wide receivers and tight ends have made 13 receptions during that span.
That said, Wide receiver Tom Kennedy came up big Sunday with a 44-yard catch to set up Williams' game-winning touchdown. It was an important third-and-8 conversion on the Lions' final touchdown drive and came two plays after St. Brown briefly left the game. Kennedy stepped right into the slot and made a huge play.
"We trust TK," Campbell said after the game. "He mentally knows all the positions. You know he's going to give everything he's got. When his number was called, he showed up. Goff found him and made a huge play for us. It was big. ..."
Brock Wright caught 1-of-2 targets for two yards and a touchdown against the Bears.
As NBCSportsEdge.com noted, Wright is technically the Lions starting tight end, but Shane Zylstra and James Mitchell also saw one target in this game. Although Wright got in the end zone this week, he should not be considered a trustworthy fantasy prospect at this point -- any more than Zylstra or Mitchell. ...
On the injury front. ... Campbell said wide receiver Josh Reynolds, who missed Sunday with a back injury, is a little bit better.
Williams (illness) did not practice Wednesday.
I'll follow up on Williams and Reynolds via Late-Breaking Update as developments warrant. ...
In addition, Campbell offered updates on a couple of the team’s wide receivers on Wednesday.
Campbell said that wide receiver D.J. Chark is back at practice as the team has designated him for return from injured reserve. Chark last played in Week 3 and has been recovering from an ankle injury.
Chark had seven catches for 98 yards and a touchdown in his first three games with the Lions. He is eligible to play as soon as this weekend and the team has 21 days to activate him before he’d be shut down for the year.
First-round pick Jameson Williams is a little behind Chark on the return timeline. Campbell said the hope is to have Williams, who tore his ACL at Alabama, practicing after Thanksgiving.
“He’s progressing. There’s no setbacks,” Chark said, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
Acquiring Chark and Williams was part of Detroit’s plan to upgrade their receiving corps. If all goes well, they’ll see action together in the final weeks of the regular season. ...
You can access complete stats for the Lions Week 10 game via our exclusive Fantasy BoxScore.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Jared Goff, Teddy Bridgewater
RBs: David Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs, Craig Reynolds, Zonovan Knight
WRs: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Josh Reynolds, Kalif Raymond, Jameson Williams, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Antoine Green
TEs: Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright, James Mitchell
Green Bay Packers
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 15 November 2022According to Associated Press sports writer Steve Megargee, Matt LaFleur didn't bother going home Sunday night after the Green Bay Packers snapped their longest losing streak since 2008 by rallying for an overtime victory over the Dallas Cowboys.
He simply didn't have time.
LaFleur had to start preparing as soon as possible for a Thursday night game with the Titans as the Packers try to recover from a five-game skid that damaged their playoff hopes.
"It's a good thing there's a couch in my office," the coach said Monday.
The NFL schedule offers the Packers (4-6) little opportunity to celebrate their 31-28 triumph, which came after they rallied from a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter. Of course, the AFC South-leading Titans (6-3) are facing a similarly quick turnaround after beating the Denver Broncos 17-10 at home on Sunday.
At least the Packers, unlike the Titans, don't have to worry about travel taking up some of their valuable preparation time.
"We have the advantage this week with the short week at home," quarterback Aaron Rodgers said after the Cowboys game.
The Packers can't afford any letdown because their prolonged slump has left them with little margin for error as the three-time defending NFC North champions attempt to return to the playoffs.
Winning a fourth straight division title seems like a major long shot. The Packers are 4½ games behind the NFC North-leading Minnesota Vikings (8-1).
But a late push could enable the Packers to at least contend for one of the NFC's three wild-card berths. Green Bay is just 1½ games behind the San Francisco 49ers (5-4), who would have the NFC's final wild-card spot if the season ended today.
The Packers' rally Sunday showed that some players are ready to play bigger roles in a potential late-season surge.
Wide receiver Christian Watson, the rookie second-round pick from North Dakota State, was the most apparent example after catching his first three touchdown passes Sunday. Watson's two fourth-quarter touchdowns helped Green Bay erase a 28-14 deficit.
Watson was the first Packers rookie to have 100 yards receiving and three touchdown catches in a single game since Hall of Famer James Lofton in 1978.
The second-round pick still has to prove he can quit dropping the ball; he had two more drops on Sunday. But he's the closest thing the Packers have to a big-play guy other than running back Aaron Jones.
Further proof of that can be found in the fact Watson earned 76 percent of the Packers' air yards.
Speaking of Jones, he rushed for 138 yards and one touchdown. In three career games against Dallas, Jones has totaled 62 carries for 370 yards and six touchdowns plus 10 catches for 102 yards.
In general, the Packers showed plenty of balance on offense by passing for 224 yards and rushing for 207.
Watson's emergence enabled Rodgers to have more success throwing downfield. ...
Even though the Packers ended up winning in overtime, Rodgers thought they had a chance to get it done in regulation. Instead, with 1:38 remaining in the fourth quarter, LaFleur called for two running plays and then, after a third-down incompletion, the Packers punted.
The Packers quarterback was caught on camera giving LaFleur an earful as he left the field.
Rodgers admitted afterward he was frustrated at LaFleur's decision to play for overtime.
"Just every single play call, probably," Rodgers said of the source of his frustration, via a postgame transcript from the team. "I felt like we were like 30 yards from ending the game in regulation, and also felt like it was two minutes, so I was going to be calling those, and I was in a pretty good rhythm. Obviously, I didn't have a ton of attempts, but felt like I was in a pretty good rhythm. I felt like I threw the ball just about exactly where I wanted to, so I wanted a chance to go win the game."
The Packers punted with 22 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, lost the overtime coin toss but stopped the Cowboys on downs in overtime and won it with a field goal. The Cowboys, who led 28-14 in the fourth quarter, had been 195-0 in franchise history when leading by 14 points after three quarters.
LaFleur calling the end-of-regulation play calling "indecision" on his part, knowing the Cowboys had three timeouts remaining if the Packers had to punt with too much time remaining.
"It didn't work out, at least in that moment, but it did work out obviously for us to be able to come out on top," LaFleur said. "A lot of times when we get in those situations, we give Aaron a ton of freedom to kind of run the show. I'd say typically, he does such a great job with it. So, hindsight is 20/20, but that was on me, totally."
Expect the coach to rectify that going forward as the Packers continue arguably the most difficult portion of their schedule by hosting the Titans on Thursday.
They follow that by visiting the unbeaten Philadelphia Eagles on Nov. 27. ...
On the injury front. ... Rodgers (right thumb) was listed as a limited participant in Tuesday's walkthrough practice after the team estimated him a non-participant Monday.
He originally injured his right thumb on the final play of regulation against the Giants on Oct. 9 and has remained on the practice report with the injury since, though he has not missed a game.
Rodgers appeared to aggravate his injured thumb on a strip-sack in the second quarter Sunday. He initially was hit by DeMarcus Lawrence, who knocked the ball loose, and Cowboys defensive lineman Johnathan Hankins inadvertently hit Rodgers' thumb as both attempted to jump on the ball.
Rodgers played every snap in the victory over the Cowboys.
The Packers made only two other changes to their practice report from Monday, with defensive lineman Devonte Wyatt (foot) and Watson (ankle) upgraded to full participants.
Left tackle David Bakhtiari (knee), linebacker De'Vondre Campbell (knee), receiver Romeo Doubs (ankle), cornerback Shemar Jean-Charles (ankle) and offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins (knee) remained sidelined.
Cornerback Rasul Douglas (calf), linebacker Kingsley Enagbare (ankle), Jones (shin), receiver Allen Lazard (shoulder), cornerback Keisean Nixon (calf), offensive guard Jon Runyan (knee) and linebacker Preston Smith (shoulder/groin) again were limited.
Bahktiari and James are officially questionable while Doubs was ruled out on Wednesday.
I'll obviously be following up on all involved in advance of Thursday night's kickoff. ...
In a related item. ... Wide receiver Randall Cobb could be back in the lineup for the Packers on Thursday night.
Cobb has been on injured reserve since injuring his left ankle in the team's Week Six loss to the Jets, so he is eligible to be activated this week. During his Monday press conference, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said that the plan is for Cobb to participate in the team's walkthroughs this week and that he could get the green light to play against the Titans.
Cobb had 18 catches for 257 yards over the first six weeks of the season. ...
A few final items. ... Receiver Amari Rodgers fumbled a punt return to set up a Cowboys touchdown. Keisean Nixon handled the punt-return duties for the rest of the game. LaFleur and special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia wouldn't say Monday who will return punts against the Titans.
But it won't be Rodgers.
The Packers announced they waived Rodgers and running back Kylin Hill on Tuesday.
Rodgers was a third-round pick in 2021, with Green Bay trading up to draft him. He was a very limited contributor on offense, recording just eight catches for 95 yards in 26 games. In 2022, he'd played only 98 offensive snaps. As a returner, Rodgers averaged 20.3 yards per kick return and 7.0 yards per punt return. But his fumbles were a clear liability.
A seventh-round pick in 2021, Hill appeared in the last two games. He took a carry for 7 yards in his one offensive snap in the Week Nine loss. He was on the field for eight special teams snaps combined.
And Last. ... Sunday's win was the first time the Packers accumulated 30-plus points, 400-plus total yards and 200-plus yards rushing since a 40-14 victory over the Titans on Dec. 27, 2020. The Packers have won the last 40 regular-season games in which they've reached those totals.
The last time they reached all three of those benchmarks but lost a regular-season game was Oct. 8, 1950, against the New York Yanks.
You can access complete stats for the Packers Week 10 game via our exclusive Fantasy BoxScore.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Jordan Love, Sean Clifford
RBs: Josh Jacobs, A.J. Dillon, Patrick Taylor
WRs: Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson, Dontayvion Wicks, Samori Toure, Malik Heath
TEs: Tucker Kraft, Ben Sims, Josiah Deguara, Luke Musgrave
Houston Texans
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 15 November 2022According to Associated Press sports writer Steve Megargee, Matt LaFleur didn't bother going home Sunday night after the Green Bay Packers snapped their longest losing streak since 2008 by rallying for an overtime victory over the Dallas Cowboys.
He simply didn't have time.
LaFleur had to start preparing as soon as possible for a Thursday night game with the Titans as the Packers try to recover from a five-game skid that damaged their playoff hopes.
"It's a good thing there's a couch in my office," the coach said Monday.
The NFL schedule offers the Packers (4-6) little opportunity to celebrate their 31-28 triumph, which came after they rallied from a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter. Of course, the AFC South-leading Titans (6-3) are facing a similarly quick turnaround after beating the Denver Broncos 17-10 at home on Sunday.
At least the Packers, unlike the Titans, don't have to worry about travel taking up some of their valuable preparation time.
"We have the advantage this week with the short week at home," quarterback Aaron Rodgers said after the Cowboys game.
The Packers can't afford any letdown because their prolonged slump has left them with little margin for error as the three-time defending NFC North champions attempt to return to the playoffs.
Winning a fourth straight division title seems like a major long shot. The Packers are 4½ games behind the NFC North-leading Minnesota Vikings (8-1).
But a late push could enable the Packers to at least contend for one of the NFC's three wild-card berths. Green Bay is just 1½ games behind the San Francisco 49ers (5-4), who would have the NFC's final wild-card spot if the season ended today.
The Packers' rally Sunday showed that some players are ready to play bigger roles in a potential late-season surge.
Wide receiver Christian Watson, the rookie second-round pick from North Dakota State, was the most apparent example after catching his first three touchdown passes Sunday. Watson's two fourth-quarter touchdowns helped Green Bay erase a 28-14 deficit.
Watson was the first Packers rookie to have 100 yards receiving and three touchdown catches in a single game since Hall of Famer James Lofton in 1978.
The second-round pick still has to prove he can quit dropping the ball; he had two more drops on Sunday. But he's the closest thing the Packers have to a big-play guy other than running back Aaron Jones.
Further proof of that can be found in the fact Watson earned 76 percent of the Packers' air yards.
Speaking of Jones, he rushed for 138 yards and one touchdown. In three career games against Dallas, Jones has totaled 62 carries for 370 yards and six touchdowns plus 10 catches for 102 yards.
In general, the Packers showed plenty of balance on offense by passing for 224 yards and rushing for 207.
Watson's emergence enabled Rodgers to have more success throwing downfield. ...
Even though the Packers ended up winning in overtime, Rodgers thought they had a chance to get it done in regulation. Instead, with 1:38 remaining in the fourth quarter, LaFleur called for two running plays and then, after a third-down incompletion, the Packers punted.
The Packers quarterback was caught on camera giving LaFleur an earful as he left the field.
Rodgers admitted afterward he was frustrated at LaFleur's decision to play for overtime.
"Just every single play call, probably," Rodgers said of the source of his frustration, via a postgame transcript from the team. "I felt like we were like 30 yards from ending the game in regulation, and also felt like it was two minutes, so I was going to be calling those, and I was in a pretty good rhythm. Obviously, I didn't have a ton of attempts, but felt like I was in a pretty good rhythm. I felt like I threw the ball just about exactly where I wanted to, so I wanted a chance to go win the game."
The Packers punted with 22 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, lost the overtime coin toss but stopped the Cowboys on downs in overtime and won it with a field goal. The Cowboys, who led 28-14 in the fourth quarter, had been 195-0 in franchise history when leading by 14 points after three quarters.
LaFleur calling the end-of-regulation play calling "indecision" on his part, knowing the Cowboys had three timeouts remaining if the Packers had to punt with too much time remaining.
"It didn't work out, at least in that moment, but it did work out obviously for us to be able to come out on top," LaFleur said. "A lot of times when we get in those situations, we give Aaron a ton of freedom to kind of run the show. I'd say typically, he does such a great job with it. So, hindsight is 20/20, but that was on me, totally."
Expect the coach to rectify that going forward as the Packers continue arguably the most difficult portion of their schedule by hosting the Titans on Thursday.
They follow that by visiting the unbeaten Philadelphia Eagles on Nov. 27. ...
On the injury front. ... Rodgers (right thumb) was listed as a limited participant in Tuesday's walkthrough practice after the team estimated him a non-participant Monday.
He originally injured his right thumb on the final play of regulation against the Giants on Oct. 9 and has remained on the practice report with the injury since, though he has not missed a game.
Rodgers appeared to aggravate his injured thumb on a strip-sack in the second quarter Sunday. He initially was hit by DeMarcus Lawrence, who knocked the ball loose, and Cowboys defensive lineman Johnathan Hankins inadvertently hit Rodgers' thumb as both attempted to jump on the ball.
Rodgers played every snap in the victory over the Cowboys.
The Packers made only two other changes to their practice report from Monday, with defensive lineman Devonte Wyatt (foot) and Watson (ankle) upgraded to full participants.
Left tackle David Bakhtiari (knee), linebacker De'Vondre Campbell (knee), receiver Romeo Doubs (ankle), cornerback Shemar Jean-Charles (ankle) and offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins (knee) remained sidelined.
Cornerback Rasul Douglas (calf), linebacker Kingsley Enagbare (ankle), Jones (shin), receiver Allen Lazard (shoulder), cornerback Keisean Nixon (calf), offensive guard Jon Runyan (knee) and linebacker Preston Smith (shoulder/groin) again were limited.
I'll obviously be following up on all involved in advance of Thursday night's kickoff. ...
In a related item. ... Wide receiver Randall Cobb could be back in the lineup for the Packers on Thursday night.
Cobb has been on injured reserve since injuring his left ankle in the team's Week Six loss to the Jets, so he is eligible to be activated this week. During his Monday press conference, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said that the plan is for Cobb to participate in the team's walkthroughs this week and that he could get the green light to play against the Titans.
Cobb had 18 catches for 257 yards over the first six weeks of the season. ...
A few final items. ... Receiver Amari Rodgers fumbled a punt return to set up a Cowboys touchdown. Keisean Nixon handled the punt-return duties for the rest of the game. LaFleur and special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia wouldn't say Monday who will return punts against the Titans.
But it won't be Rodgers.
The Packers announced they waived Rodgers and running back Kylin Hill on Tuesday.
Rodgers was a third-round pick in 2021, with Green Bay trading up to draft him. He was a very limited contributor on offense, recording just eight catches for 95 yards in 26 games. In 2022, he'd played only 98 offensive snaps. As a returner, Rodgers averaged 20.3 yards per kick return and 7.0 yards per punt return. But his fumbles were a clear liability.
A seventh-round pick in 2021, Hill appeared in the last two games. He took a carry for 7 yards in his one offensive snap in the Week Nine loss. He was on the field for eight special teams snaps combined.
And Last. ... Sunday's win was the first time the Packers accumulated 30-plus points, 400-plus total yards and 200-plus yards rushing since a 40-14 victory over the Titans on Dec. 27, 2020. The Packers have won the last 40 regular-season games in which they've reached those totals.
The last time they reached all three of those benchmarks but lost a regular-season game was Oct. 8, 1950, against the New York Yanks.
You can access complete stats for the Packers Week 10 game via our exclusive Fantasy BoxScore.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: C.J. Stroud, Case Keenum, Davis Mills
RBs: Joe Mixon, Dameon Pierce, Mike Boone, Dare Ogunbowale
WRs: Nico Collins, Stefon Diggs, Noah Brown, Robert Woods, John Metchie III, Xavier Hutchinson, Tank Dell
TEs: Dalton Schultz, Brevin Jordan
Indianapolis Colts
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 15 November 2022Well then. ... Didn't see all this coming, did we?
As Associated Press sports writer Michael Marot noted, interim coach Jeff Saturday understood the low expectations.
Nobody gave him, or his team, a chance. Saturday doesn't anticipate much changing this weekend with Philadelphia coming to Indy for his first home game as coach.
With Saturday resigned to accept any potential outcome, the Colts went out and made him 1-0 as a head coach with a 25-20 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders, taking them to 4-5-1 and giving Saturday some needed credibility with a locker room full of players and a coaching staff blindsided by his stunning hire six days ago.
Somehow, despite a third consecutive turbulent week in Indianapolis, Saturday pushed all the right buttons and the Colts responded with their most complete game all season.
Saturday took over after owner Jim Irsay fired Frank Reich on Monday, assuming the new role despite having never had a coaching role beyond high school football.
As ESPN.com's Stephen Holder understated, "It was a bold decision panned by many."
After leaving Las Vegas with a win, the first-time NFL coach wasted no time delivering another message on the team flight home -- emotions alone won't get the Colts into the playoffs. Only focused players and coaching can shed the label of underdog.
"Execution, to me, is doing exactly what we're coached to do, so that if we have to solve problems midgame, we understand where everybody was supposed to be so that we can make an adjustment," Saturday said. "From an emotional perspective, to me, emotion usually runs out about midway through the first quarter."
And he got that execution in Vegas.
"I told the guys just all three phases was an incredible team effort," Saturday said afterward. "These guys have been through it. I told the staff, the coaches, the players, [about] the fortitude that they presented and the way they played today. They laid it all out there today. And I just could not be more appreciative of those guys and the way they played.
"Everybody from offense, defense and, obviously, on special teams, these guys, they rallied and it's a special moment for all of those guys. And I tipped my hat to all of them. It's just an honor to be a part of it."
Saturday implored his new players to be ready for a game that would be decided by a late play, and his projection proved true.
Cornerback Stephon Gilmore, the 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, defended a fourth-down pass in the end zone against Raiders All-Pro receiver Davante Adams with 52 seconds remaining to preserve the victory.
"I just kept telling them, man, just keep pushing through," Saturday said. "And I said it's going to come down to the last play. It always does in the NFL. And who goes hardest, the longest ultimately wins. And we made a couple plays there at the end that were spectacular."
The Colts had to revamp their coaching staff on the fly this week, with Saturday mostly yielding the detailed work to the offensive assistants, including first-time playcaller Parks Frazier. But the biggest lift arguably came from the surprise return of quarterback Matt Ryan; the team previously said he would be benched for the remainder of the season.
Ryan started the game, replacing Sam Ehlinger, and completed 21 of 28 passes for 222 yards. He also rushed for a touchdown in his first game back in three weeks.
Regarding the move to reinstate Ryan as the starter, Saturday said his observations in practice during the week convinced him it was the right one.
"I wanted to talk to the staff on Friday afternoon, but I knew what I was going to do," he said of making the change. "I knew everybody was with it and I felt like Matt gave us the best chance to win. And I had the conversation with Sam, who was a true pro, and I have so much respect for that young man and the way that he's conducting himself and the type of teammate he is."
Ryan recalled growing up a fan of Peyton Manning and watching Saturday snap the ball to him, and said he has always liked Saturday, going back to their first Pro Bowl together, when Ryan was representing the Atlanta Falcons, the team Saturday grew up cheering for.
"I've known Jeff, I think I played with him in the Pro Bowl maybe in 2010, which is funny," Ryan said. "I always remember, being from Georgia, family from Georgia, he was like, 'Can I get your helmet?' And I was like, 'What? Jeff Saturday? Because I was a Peyton fan. '"
It's been a long time since that Pro Bowl meeting, and no one could have possibly expected Ryan and Saturday together again under these circumstances.
But for the first week, at least, it worked.
An added bonus came from a rejuvenated Jonathan Taylor, the All-Pro running back who returned from an ankle injury to rush for 147 yards, including a 66-yard touchdown. The run was Taylor's longest since a 67-yarder in Week 15 of the 2021 season.
Even Ryan had a critical 39-yard run, a career long.
Saturday knows this is the blueprint to success for Indy.
While we won't know what kind of coach Saturday is on the basis of one game, the Colts' ability to win this game -- in the face of intense scrutiny from around the league and significant upheaval within their building -- will give Indy's interim head coach at least some credibility.
Replicating that feat against a foe with the best record in football would help prove Irsay made the right call last week. That's a big ask for an offense that has struggled with consistency all season. But another strong game from Taylor would give Indy its best chance to pull another surprise. ...
As for Taylor, on Wednesday, the NFL announced the thire-year running back has been named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week.
For what it's worth. ... Ryan put together one of his best performances as a Colt and after the game, left guard Quenton Nelson noted why the Colts have so much respect for the veteran quarterback.
"An absolute pro since he walked in the building," Nelson said, via Zak Keefer of The Athletic. "The way he handled [Ehlinger] coming in and being named the starter was unbelievable. It was like the biggest man move I've ever seen.
"I remember I was in the training room and I just see him talking to Sam after a game. And then I get done getting treatment, and he's still talking to him. And then I go lift, and he's still talking to him, trying to help him as much as he can … we want to block our best for a guy like that."
Ryan was sacked only once. In six of his seven previous starts, he was sacked multiple times. The only game where Ryan wasn't sacked was the week six victory over Jacksonville.
No one knows where the Colts will end up this season. But at least for one game, Ryan experienced a resurgence after an ugly start to 2022.
Don't expect the Colts to have Ryan on a short leash.
As Holder suggested, the decision last month to say Ryan would be benched for the rest of the season never made much sense. And the obvious struggles of Ehlinger made it hard to defend.
Ryan controlled the offense with ease on Sunday. He committed no turnovers, something that had plagued him during his first seven appearances.
Ryan's return, more than anything, gave the Colts a reason for optimism.
Fantasy managers invested in Michael Pittman Jr. and Parris Campbell are probably feeling that same optimism.
Pittman and Campbell both got nine targets in Ryan's first game back, and CBSSports.com's Chris Towers believes both should be in the starting discussion moving forward.
Towers added: "Pittman probably isn't the fringe WR1 you hoped he would be, but he'll be in the WR2 discussion with Ryan at QB; Campbell is a viable PPR starter with 31 targets in his past three games with Ryan. He's the go-to short-area target when they want to get the ball out of Ryan's hands."
FantasyLife.com's Dwain McFarland took that a bit further by pointing out that over his last three games with Ryan starting, Campbell enjoyed 97 percent Route participation; a 25 percent target share, 24 receptions, 203 yards and three TDs.
For what it's worth, Alec Pierce was held without a catch on two targets against the Raiders. Ashton Dulin, who was activated from injured reserve last week, actually drew the start ahead of Pierce in this one. He also was not targeted. ...
On the injury front. ... Deon Jackson (knee) and rookie tight end Jelani Woods (shoulder) missed Sunday's game. Their status this week is unclear.
I'll have more on both via Late-Breaking Update in coming days. ...
Also worth noting. ... The Colts lost DE Kwity Paye again due to an ankle injury. It's unclear when Paye could return but if he's out, his absence, coupled with three-time All-Pro LB Shaquille Leonard going on injured reserve, will hurt.
Dealing with back and ankle injuries, Leonard was placed on injured reserve last week. But now, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Leonard underwent successful season-ending back surgery on Tuesday morning.
You can access complete stats for the Colts Week 10 game via our exclusive Fantasy BoxScore.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Joe Flacco, Sam Ehlinger, Kellen Mond, Anthony Richardson
RBs: Jonathan Taylor, Trey Sermon, Evan Hull
WRs: Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, Alec Pierce, Isaiah McKenzie, D.J. Montgomery
TEs: Mo Alie-Cox, Kylen Granson, Will Mallory, Andrew Ogletree, Jelani Woods
Jacksonville Jaguars
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 15 November 2022According to Jaguars.com's senior writer John Oehser, the main post-game theme at times felt like the only theme.
The Jaguars lost to the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday -- and while there was respect for Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, head coach Doug Pederson afterward voiced a theme that player after player reiterated following a sixth loss in seven games.
The Jaguars had many opportunities against one of the NFL's premiere franchises.
And way too many were missed.
"We left a lot of points out there," running back Travis Etienne Jr. said after the Jaguars' 27-17 loss to the AFC West-leaders at Arrowhead Stadium.
Added quarterback Trevor Lawrence, "It's hard to overcome when you miss that many opportunities early in the game against a good team."
The Jaguars on Sunday scored two touchdowns on three red-zone trips -- all in the second half -- but it was during the first half that Pederson and many players felt the game was lost.
"It just goes back to shooting ourselves in the foot," wide receiver Christian Kirk said. "When you're playing a team like this, you can't expect to come in and play a crappy first half and try to walk away with a win. That's a playoff team year in and year out.
"For us to get to that level, we have to be at our best and limit the turnovers and missed opportunities."
The Jaguars not only recovered a game-opening onside kick, but they also forced two first-half takeaways and had five possessions in Kansas City territory. They scored just seven points off those opportunities -- a touchdown on a three-yard pass from Lawrence to Kirk with :11 remaining in the second quarter.
"We've got to a better job playing complementary football," left tackle Cam Robinson said. "You come into a place like this and get three turnovers … the defense turns the ball over we should be able to go on the field and go right back down the field and get points.
"The thing for these games, and ultimately this team, is just finishing and finishing opportunities we have and starting to capitalize on those opportunities."
The Jaguars for the game forced three Chiefs turnovers, with the only points off those takeaways coming when Lawrence threw a 19-yard touchdown to Kirk in the fourth quarter after safety Andre Cisco intercepted Mahomes. The Jaguars punted after recovering a Chiefs fumble on the first Kansas City drive and Jaguars kicker Riley Patterson missed a 41-yard field-goal attempt after the Jaguars recovered a fumble on a kickoff return following Kirk's second-quarter touchdown.
"That's the difference between a win and a loss, us not cashing in on those opportunities," Etienne said. "That's the reason we lost."
Said Cisco, "You have to capitalize on every opportunity you get, offensively and defensively. There were times when we had a chance to swing the momentum and get off the field on third down and do some stuff like that and we didn't get a chance to. And that's what you've got to do to beat these teams."
According to Associated Press sports writer Mark Long, the Jaguars have to start faster.
A week after trailing the Raiders 17-0, they were down 20-0 at the Chiefs. Defensive lapses and third down failures were common in both deficits.
Make no mistake, the Jaguars have made strides in Pederson's first season, but they're not close to consistently competing with the league's elite teams. As ESPN.com's Mike DiRocco explained, they don't have a big enough margin for error to overcome the litany of mistakes and missed opportunities they had against the Chiefs.
The toughest part of their schedule is ahead -- Baltimore, Dallas, Tennessee (twice) and the New York Jets -- and they're staring at the potential for double-digit losses for the 11th time in the past 12 seasons.
So they have plenty of issues to work on over the bye week before they return to host the Ravens on Nov. 27. ...
Other notes of interest. ... Etienne on Sunday rushed for 45 yards and no touchdowns on 11 carries, his fewest rushing yards since moving into the starting lineup in a Week 6 loss at Indianapolis. "They were just shooting the gaps," said Etienne, who entered the game as the NFL's fifth-leading rusher and who now has rushed for 725 yards and four touchdowns on 131 carries in 10 games. "They weren't really giving me outside to the perimeter and the cutback wasn't there because the [line]backers were shooting the gaps. They had a good game plan. I have to be better and make a guy miss, try to do something special and make a spark for the team."
Meanwhile, DiRocco wonders what the team is going to do behind Etienne.
JaMycal Hasty has been the No. 2 back since the Jaguars traded James Robinson on Oct. 25. However, he has 24 yards on 13 touches.
Pederson said the Jaguars don't want to overwork Etienne, but they might not have a choice because Hasty isn't giving them much and the only other backs on the roster are rookie Snoop Conner and second-year player Mekhi Sargent, who have a combined five career carries.
Hasty missed a block and dropped a screen pass on consecutive plays in the second quarter, the latest woes for the backup running back. He carried once for 4 yards in the game, which was progress considering his previous 10 carries gained 21 yards. ...
Kirk finished with a season-high nine receptions for 105 yards and two touchdowns. He now has 52 catches for 679 yards and seven scores in the first of a four-year, $72 million deal. He's on pace to become the fifth 1,000-yard receiver in team history and first since Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns in 2015.
The Jaguars could use their bye to get Conner ready for an increased workload.
The Jaguars on Sunday allowed a season-high five sacks for 19 yards, the third time this season they have allowed four or more sacks. The Jaguars also this season have had five games in which they have allowed no sacks.
"They brought pressure early, but I don't think it's anything we weren't prepared for," Robinson said. "I just know to a man we probably have to look in the mirror and just probably demand a little more from ourselves. That's everyone, including myself. I think that's all I really can say about it."
On the injury front. ... The Jaguars, who have remained relatively healthy all season, will also use their bye week to recover from several nagging minor injuries.
You can access complete stats for the Jaguars Week 10 game via our exclusive Fantasy BoxScore.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Trevor Lawrence, Mac Jones, C.J. Beathard, Nathan Rourke
RBs: Travis Etienne Jr., Tank Bigsby, D'Ernest Johnson
WRs: Gabe Davis, Parker Washington, Tim Jones, Jamal Agnew, Christian Kirk
TEs: Evan Engram, Brenton Strange, Luke Farrell, Elijah Cooks
Kansas City Chiefs
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 15 November 2022According to ESPN.com's Adam Teicher, head coach Andy Reid indicated he believed the Jaguars should have been penalized for the hit that forced wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster to exit Sunday's game in the second quarter and enter the concussion protocol.
"As long as there's contact to the head, it doesn't need to be in the game," Reid said of the hit on Smith-Schuster by Jaguars safety Andre Cisco. "So it looked like there was contact to the head from where I was standing, but I'm not the one making that call."
Smith-Schuster had been going across the middle to catch a pass from Patrick Mahomes when Cisco hit him high and a flag was thrown. The wide receiver was motionless on the turf with his hands momentarily frozen. He was eventually helped to his feet and walked off with assistance from teammates.
While he was still on the ground, referee Brad Rogers picked up the flag and announced there was no penalty, even though replays showed helmet-to-helmet contact. Reid protested to Rogers and later said he was told the contact was shoulder-to-shoulder and not subject to a penalty.
"He obviously was in pretty bad position there for shoulder-to-shoulder [contact]," Reid said.
Said Rogers after the game: "After discussion on the field, the two officials came in and determined that the defender had set and braced for impact and hit shoulder-to-shoulder. They didn't feel it was use of a helmet foul."
Smith-Schuster did not return to the game, which Kansas City won 27-17. The Chiefs' leading wide receiver this season (46 receptions, 615 yards), Smith-Schuster had two catches for 33 yards against the Jaguars.
After the game, his teammates shared their unhappiness about the lack of a call.
"We were mad," Chiefs safety Justin Reid said. "I've had a lot of big hits and not once have I made helmet-to-helmet contact like that."
Said Mahomes: "Obviously, there was some helmet-to-helmet contact, and we want to get that out of the league as much as possible, for player safety. These guys on defense are playing too, but by rule, if it's helmet-to-helmet, it is supposed to be a flag. I know that guy wasn't trying to. I know it's a bang-bang play."
Mahomes mentioned that perhaps helmet-to-helmet blows should be reviewed, much like targeting penalties are in college football, though he walked back that thought when asked to clarify what he meant. The quarterback also shared a positive update on Smith-Schuster.
"It was scary when you're out there. We saw him after the game and he seemed perfectly normal," Mahomes said, "giggling around, joking around, stuff like that. Just take precautions and get him back healthy as quickly as possible."
The Chiefs played against the Jaguars without another top wide receiver, Mecole Hardman, because of an abdominal injury. Recently acquired Kadarius Toney was the Chiefs' leading wide receiver with four receptions, and he scored his first NFL touchdown in the first quarter when he hopped along the sideline on one leg to reach the end zone.
He could have a similarly large role in next Sunday night's game against the Los Angeles Chargers, particularly if Smith-Schuster and Hardman don't play.
Toney initially hesitated when asked whether he already felt more a part of things with the Chiefs than he did in his one-plus seasons with the New York Giants. But he eventually answered by saying, "I don't want to throw no [shade], but kind of, yeah."
"I guess you could say New York, it was a learning experience. Just got my feet wet. I'm a rookie coming in just trying to learn how the business goes, how everything really goes. Now I'm here."
Toney caught 39 passes in 10 games last season for the Giants and two in two games this year before being sidelined with a hamstring injury. He played his first game with the Chiefs last week against the Tennessee Titans and caught two passes.
"Just really just spending extra time doing what I've got to do to make sure I know what I've got to do," Toney said on how he got up to speed so quickly with the Chiefs. "It's my job to know what I have to do. So why not spend every waking moment I've got doing what I've got to do?"
Toney also had a succinct response on the hit to his wide receiver teammate: "That was illegal," he said.
The Chiefs fully expect Hardman and Smith-Schuster to return at some point; the former could be back Sunday night, when they visit the Los Angeles Chargers. But in the meantime, Toney is ready to step into their void with his new team.
"Yeah," he said Sunday night, "I feel like I'm right where I need to be."
Again, the Chiefs visit the Chargers on Sunday night in a game that was flexed from its scheduled afternoon kickoff. Kansas City could take a three-game lead in the AFC West by sweeping the season series from Los Angeles. ...
I'll obviously be keeping a close eye on Smith-Schuster and Hardman in coming days. I'll remind you Smith-Schuster has three previously-documented concussions while Hardman was said to be awaiting further evaluation of his abdominal issue late last week.
So it's no surprise that Reid told reporters at his Wednesday press conference that Smith-Schuster (concussion) wouldn't practice to open the week. Harman also sat out as did Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who's dealing with an unspecified illness.
That means Skyy Moore, Toney and Justin Watson are the team’s only healthy receivers.
Watch the Late-Breaking Updates section for more in coming days. ...
Smith-Schuster's injury made the most headlines, but the Chiefs also lost right tackle Andrew Wylie to a sprained elbow and special teams ace Chris Lammons to the concussion protocol. ...
Other notes of interest. ... Clyde Edwards-Helaire played a season-low four snaps and didn't log a carry while failing to haul in either of his targets against the Jaguars.
As CBSSports.com noted, for the third game in a row, Edwards-Helaire ceded the start at running back to Isiah Pacheco, but Sunday marked the first time the latter took on anything resembling a starter's workload. With Pacheco getting off to a nice start to Sunday's game, Reid relied on him more heavily, with the Rutgers product finishing with 16 carries for 82 yards while playing 56 percent of the snaps.
Edwards-Helaire, meanwhile, nearly fell out of the game plan entirely, while Jerick McKinnon (37 percent snap share, six receptions for 56 yards on eight targets) retained a role as the Chiefs' primary passing-down back.
Given that Pacheco's strong outing perhaps only further solidified him as the Chiefs' top option on early downs, Edwards-Helaire looks like he could find himself third in the pecking order for snaps out of the backfield moving forward.
Travis Kelce pulled in his eighth TD catch of the season and the 65th of his career, moving him into second in Chiefs history. It also gave Mahomes his 16th game with at least four TD passes, the ninth most by a quarterback since at least 1950.
Finally. ... The Chiefs did not have a penalty on Sunday for the fourth time in franchise history, and the first time since facing the Raiders on Dec. 1, 2019. The other games were against the Bills in 1966 and the Raiders in 1974.
You can access complete stats for the Chiefs Week 10 game via our exclusive Fantasy BoxScore.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Patrick Mahomes, Blaine Gabbert, Carson Wentz
RBs: Isiah Pacheco, Clyde Edwards-Helaire
WRs: Marquise Brown, Rashee Rice, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Justin Watson, Kadarius Toney, Richie James, Justyn Ross, Skyy Moore, Mecole Hardman
TEs: Travis Kelce, Noah Gray, Blake Bell, Jody Fortson
Las Vegas Raiders
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 15 November 2022Despite a depressing 2-7 start to Josh McDaniels' tenure as head coach, Raiders owner Mark Davis isn't ready to pull the plug on the operation, giving the embattled coach an endorsement following Sunday's loss to the Colts.
"As far as Josh goes, I have no issues," Davis told the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Monday. "I'm getting to know him a lot better. When you sign someone to a contract, don't you expect him to fulfill the contract?"
Entering the season with playoff aspirations, the Raiders have fallen apart. They've blown big leads, got shut out by a three-win New Orleans squad, and have been an undisciplined club.
In spite of the struggles, Davis attempted to squash rumors that McDaniels could crap out in Vegas after just one season.
"I like Josh. I think he's doing a fantastic job. That's why I hired him," Davis said. "We did an exhaustive search and found the person we believe is going to bring the Raiders to greatness. We're building an organization. We're building a team. We're building it for the future. Rome wasn't built in a day."
The owner noted that the Raiders are still in the nascent stages of rebuilding the team under the new leadership.
"Life isn't static. It's fluid," Davis said. "You want to win at the end of the year and be the one holding the trophy. Obviously, we're not there yet. I know it's frustrating for the fan base. I feel for them. I'm a fan as well."
As Associated Press sports writer Josh Dubow noted, with Davis' backing that McDaniels' job is safe, that doesn't mean major changes aren't coming.
Quarterback Derek Carr, playing on a team-friendly contract with what appears to be a strong quarterback draft class next year, could be one of those changes. Carr sounded as if he knew he was looking at the end when he teared up during the post-game news conference.
"I think the emotion of just nine years of stuff hit me today, for how much I really love this place," Carr said.
Carr also said was "pissed off" at the slow process the Raiders have made in 2022.
McDaniels understands the frustration of his players following the loss.
"We are building. I never use the word rebuilding or anything like that. This is the National Football League," McDaniels said on Monday. "There's not five years to do that, so we know that. I think there's a process that we're trying to go through. Certainly slower and more painful than anybody wants it to be. We share the same sentiment. …
"We all know we're evaluated on what we do and it's a production-based business."
According to Dubow, McDaniels also could make changes to his coaching staff, be it during this season or afterward.
He also could take a much closer look at the younger players to better evaluate the overall roster.
As expected, McDaniels didn't get specific when asked what steps he might take, but has weekly discussions with Davis about the state of the franchise.
"He has the same urgency that that we all do, if not more," McDaniels said. "He's been here a long time. He's seen this when it's been good, and he wants to win as bad or worse than anybody else does. And he feels the frustration at the same time. He's been incredibly supportive, and that's important, obviously, as you go forward."
McDaniels is dealing with some potential unrest in the Raiders' locker room. Carr and wide receiver Davante Adams said Sunday not everyone shared their level of commitment.
"Just don't have enough guys that are fully bought in," Adams said, via Vic Tafur of The Athletic. "I don't think people are like, you know, 'F what [McDaniels] is talking about' or 'I'm going against the grain.' It's just a matter of executing when it's time. ... It means playing a complete game, every minute of the game, giving it everything you've got. ... It's doing your job and making the plays when you're called on and get the opportunities, and we just don't do that at a high enough level right now."
McDaniels didn't dispute that, saying no NFL team has 100 percent upper-level commitment like those players.
Perhaps along those lines, defensive linemen Matthew Butler, Neil Farrell and Clelin Ferrell were placed on the inactive list against the Colts.
On Monday, the Raiders claimed 2019 Los Angeles Chargers first-round pick Jerry Tillery, a defensive lineman, off waivers.
"We had three guys on defense that I'd say just we're going to keep that internally for us," McDaniels said. "We've handled what we had to handle, and hopefully that will change going forward. But I think two young guys (Butler and Farrell) that are learning how to do everything the right way, and it's just one of the parts of the process that is sometimes painful.
"But I think in the big picture, trying to create a team that's disciplined and accountable and those kinds of things is really important for us. Tough decisions sometimes to make, but it's the right decisions in our mind."
One area the team has come up short in has been the ability to close out games. Las Vegas knew how to win one-possession games in 2021, going 7-2. The Raiders are 0-6 in such games this season. Given they almost certainly will miss the playoffs, the Raiders will rue how close they came and how often.
Next up, the Raiders visit AFC West rival Denver on Sunday, a Broncos team also struggling at 3-6. Las Vegas has had the Broncos' number recently, winning the past five meetings.
With Darren Waller (hamstring) and Hunter Renfrow (oblique) placed on injured reserve last week, there are opportunities to be had in this passing attack.
Tight end Foster Moreau is a viable fantasy prospect with Waller out and Mack Hollins' floor is solid.
Moreau caught 3-of-4 targets for 43 yards and a touchdown against the Colts. The score was Moreau's first of 2022. Hollins caught 2-of-6 targets for 18 yards/
But Adams said last week he was paid to come to Las Vegas and make big plays -- and from a fantasy perspective, also most of the plays.
Adams put the offense on his back Sunday, Adams caught 9-of-14 targets for 126 yards and a touchdown. ...
Josh Jacobs rushed 21 times for 78 yards and a touchdown against the Colts
As NBCSportsEdge.com notes, it was Jacobs' third straight ineffective performance, but this one at least saw him find the end zone and finish over 100 yards from scrimmage. Jacobs' score was a one-yard plunge in the third quarter. Jacobs might be in position to dial it back up this weekend as he will be facing a Broncos run defense he scorched for 144 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 24 carries in Week 4.
That was when the Broncos still had Bradley Chubb to flesh out their front seven. ...
You can access complete stats for the Raiders Week 10 game via our exclusive Fantasy BoxScore.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Aidan O'Connell, Gardner Minshew, Brian Hoyer
RBs: Alexander Mattison, Zamir White, Ameer Abdullah, Brandon Bolden
WRs: Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers, Tre Tucker, Hunter Renfrow, DeAndre Carter, Kristian Wilkerson
TEs: Michael Mayer, Austin Hooper, Jesper Horsted
Los Angeles Chargers
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 15 November 2022Just when Brandon Staley and the Los Angeles Chargers thought things couldn't get worse with injuries, along came the loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night when the defensive line became the latest group to be decimated.
Staley said Monday that Otito Ogbonnia and Christian Covington suffered season-ending injuries during the 22-16 loss that dropped the Chargers to 5-4.
Ogbonnia, a fifth-round pick in last April's draft, ruptured the patellar tendon in his left knee during the first quarter. Covington tore a pectoral muscle during the fourth quarter.
After Ogbonnia and Covington's injuries, Los Angeles was down to only three defensive linemen as the Niners scored the go-ahead touchdown on Christian McCaffrey's 2-yard run with 7:54 remaining in the game.
"We'll have to work through some things in the next 36 hours. and probably make some acquisitions," Staley said. "I think we're trying to mine the entire NFL to find the best fits. Maybe we've got relationships in certain places, or maybe they play in certain styles that are similar to ours."
Staley did add that Joe Gaziano is expected to be called up from the practice squad to fill one of the open spots.
As Associated Press sports writer Joe Reedy noted, Los Angeles has had difficulty stopping the run this season, even at close to full strength. With top run-stopper Austin Johnson lost for the year with a knee injury last week and the release of 2019 first-round pick Jerry Tillery, the Chargers went into the game already thin on the defensive line.
Add in the two injuries that happened during the game, and San Francisco was able to dominate the line of scrimmage.
Two of the three Niners' scoring drives in the second half were at least 12 plays and they had the ball for 21:38. San Francisco had 106 of its 157 rushing yards after halftime.
The Chargers' offense -- down their top two receivers and a right tackle -- didn't help with only three first downs and 62 yards on five second-half drives.
Justin Herbert passed for 196 yards, the fourth-lowest total of his three-year career.
"In the second half, we had to play a lot of plays," Staley said. "There were a couple of third downs in there that were tough, that we missed a tackle, were tight in coverage, and they made a couple of good throws and catches."
Los Angeles enters Sunday's game against Kansas City allowing 5.39 yards per carry, one of the highest in the league.
With Staley and general manager Tom Telesco likely to make moves to shore up the defensive line, the rest of the locker room and coaches will not use injuries as an excuse. They nearly bristle at being asked if coming close on the road should count as a moral victory.
"If you're on the field, you're getting paid to play. You have to step up and make your plays," running back Austin Ekeler said. "We got some of our guys that are down, but that doesn't matter. The opponent doesn't care. We have to play hard, but we also have to make plays. We can't just do the minimum."
Herbert connected with DeAndre Carter for gains of 33 and 32 yards and with Josh Palmer for a 25-yard pickup -- all in the first half. The Chargers had no other play that netted more than 17 yards.
"No one really created today," Ekeler said. "We need more playmaking. We didn't have that in the second half. We can't just go out there and play hard. That's doesn't win in the NFL."
The good news?
Staley said Monday he anticipates Keenan Allen and Mike Williams to return to practice.
"You will see Mike and Keenan back in practice this week," Staley said. "To the extent, we'll keep you posted on that, but they will be back in practice this week."
The Chargers have had Williams and Allen available on the field together for only 55 snaps this season.
Williams has missed the past two games with an ankle injury. He has 37 receptions for 495 yards and three touchdowns in seven games.
Allen has played only two games this season because of a hamstring injury in the season opener that he twice has aggravated. He has only six receptions for 77 yards.
Staley said tight end Gerald Everett also will practice at some point this week after injuring a groin Sunday.
"He's going to be day-to-day but made it out of the game OK," Staley said.
Tight end Donald Parham, Jr., is "still a ways off" with a hamstring injury and is on injured reserve. Running back Joshua Kelley is also on injured reserve with a sprained MCL, but Staley said he is "trending very positive." Kelley can return for Week 12 against the Cardinals.
One positive?
The kicking game. Cameron Dicker -- the team's third kicker this season after injuries to Dustin Hopkins and Taylor Bertolet -- was 3 for 3 on field goals and has made all five the past two games. The Chargers have made 16 straight field goals and 17 of 18 on the season.
Another positive?
Carter has nine receptions for 117 yards in the past two games. Carter beat 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga on a corner route for a 32-yard touchdown during Sunday's opening drive.
But more broadly speaking, the Chargers receivers have dropped 24 passes this season, according to Sportradar, which is among the league leaders. They had three against San Francisco, including one by tight end Tre McKitty during the second quarter that might have gone for a 35-yard touchdown and extended the Bolts' lead to 17-3.
If the Chargers have any hopes of getting back into the AFC West division race, they need to defeat Kansas City this week. The Chargers have not won at home against the Chiefs since 2013 and have dropped the past two in overtime.
I'll be following the progress of Allen, Williams and Everett closely this week; watch the Late-Breaking Updates section for more in coming days. ...
You can access complete stats for the Chargers Week 10 game via our exclusive Fantasy BoxScore.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Easton Stick, Justin Herbert
RBs: Gus Edwards, Joshua Kelley, Isaiah Spiller, Elijah Dotson, J.K. Dobbins
WRs: Josh Palmer, Quentin Johnston, Jalen Guyton, Derius Davis
TEs: Donald Parham, Stone Smartt
Los Angeles Rams
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 15 November 2022The Los Angeles Rams will be without star receiver Cooper Kupp for at least the next month.
Head coach Sean McVay announced Tuesday that Kupp will undergo surgery on his injured ankle Wednesday and will be placed on injured reserve.
McVay added that Kupp would have tightrope surgery on the ankle. The coach wouldn't declare the reigning triple-crown winner out for the season but being placed on IR knocks Kupp out for at least four weeks.
"It's significant," McVay told reporters Tuesday. "But what we got to be able to do is say, alright let's put our heads together, lets figure out who we're playing with, you know, what do those guys do well?
"How do we make sure that the plan is in alignment with that and continue to try to just really pour into these guys and develop them and help them play to the best of their ability with an enjoyment and you know, seeing if you can put them in positions to enjoy the odds to be able to make some plays and go compete as well as they possibly can."
The reality of the 3-6 Rams situation could mean Kupp is put on ice for the rest of the season. The tightrope surgery, meant to stabilize the ankle, usually comes with a 4-6 week recovery. By that point, the reigning Super Bowl champ's season might be kaput.
With Kupp out at least the next four games -- against the Saints, Chiefs, Seahawks, and Raiders -- the Rams' passing attack loses its only consistent weapon. Kupp leads L.A. with 812 yards on 75 catches and six touchdowns. Tyler Higbee is the next closest on the Rams, with 44 grabs for 385 yards.
Kupp's absence will thrust Allen Robinson, who has struggled in L.A., into a prominent role. The veteran has 29 catches for 292 yards and two TDs this season. Van Jefferson, who has played in just three games due to injury, and Ben Skowronek will also see increased targets.
"That's really where we're at with this," said McVay. "Obviously you never, ever replace a player like Cooper Kupp, but we've got to figure out the best way to extenuate the skillset of the guys that will be playing. It's a lot of guys that we'll be continuing to learn about because until you play these types of games, you don't really know. That's part of what is enjoyable about the challenge and the journey ad trying to be able to pour into these guys a good as we possibly can as coaches and see if we can get them to play to the best of their abilities."
Losing Kupp is the latest blow to a Rams offense that has been woeful much of the season, scoring 20 points or fewer in six of its past seven games and earning more than 24 points just once all season.
Kupp's injury isn't the only bad news for L.A. The offensive line continues to be riddled by injury. McVay announced offensive lineman Alaric Jackson is out for the season while dealing with blood clots, and guard Chandler Brewer is going on IR with an MCL sprain.
McVay also noted that quarterback Matthew Stafford remains in concussion protocol after missing Sunday's game. The coach added they should have more clarity on the QBs situation in the coming days.
And I'll be following up on all this via Late-Breaking Update in the coming days. ...
Meanwhile, nine games and nine months after winning the Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium, the Rams find themselves in a new position: Last place in the NFC West and at the lowest point in McVay's tenure, with five losses in six games and a series of long road trips upcoming.
"This team has a lot of fight," Jefferson said Monday. "This team is resilient. We would have loved to have got the win, but we just need to execute better. ... We're going to continue to fight, continue to play and let the chips fall where they fall. Nothing is over until it's over, so we're just going to keep playing, and hopefully everything falls in our favor."
According to Associated Press sports writer Greg Beacham, Jefferson's optimism is reflected across the roster, yet the reasons for the slide are the same almost every week: McVay's offense doesn't have the talent, the depth or the game plans to perform at the level to which it has become accustomed.
That was obvious while both of Stafford's backups managed little production behind another makeshift offensive line against the Cardinals, and it is likely to be even more obvious Kupp sidelined.
Stafford seems likely to return to practice this week, but John Wolford led an offensive effort that was only marginally worse than the ones produced by the Rams with Stafford in uniform. The Rams are 31st in the NFL in yards per game (282.7), 29th in scoring (16.4) and last in yards rushing (68.1).
According to Beacham, McVay's abiding faith in Wolford over the past four seasons is remarkable, but Wolford didn't play well enough against the Cardinals until the final drive. His arm strength and accuracy both looked shaky, and his athleticism wasn't exploited enough. The Rams might consider getting a tested NFL quarterback soon to back up a starter who will be 35 next season.
That said, Jefferson finally made an impact after two offseason knee surgeries, catching three passes for 27 yards and a late score despite playing only 17 snaps.
The defense continues to play well enough to win, a few minor quibbles aside. Los Angeles allowed only three drives longer than 35 yards by the Cardinals, who scored 10 of their 27 points on short fields created by the Rams' turnovers. Coordinator Raheem Morris' unit is sixth in the NFL with 310.8 yards allowed per game, and new linebacker Bobby Wagner is playing tremendously.
But until the offense raises its game, the defense's solid season won't matter much.
Next up, a visit to New Orleans to face another three-win team. This meeting with the Saints is a chance to get back on track in a matchup that is eminently winnable -- but so was the Rams' visit from the Cardinals. ...
One last note here. ... The much-anticipated debut of Kyren Williams finally came to pass. Don't feel bad if you missed it.
Williams rushed once for nine yards and caught all three of his targets for 30 yards.
As CBSSports.com noted, Williams didn't accumulate any stats until the final drive of the game, and he took the field for only 16 offensive snaps.
The rookie out of Notre Dame was able to showcase his pass-catching ability on the final drive with three receptions, and he recorded 39 total yards with his limited usage.
Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson combined for just 43 rushing yards on 12 attempts, and Henderson scored the only touchdown between the trio of running backs.
The continued lackluster play of Akers and Henderson may provide Williams, who at the very least appears to be carving out a passing-down role, with more opportunities heading into thus week's game against the Saints, but it will be hard to trust any of the trio to have much of a fantasy impact with so many mouths to feed in the backfield.
You can access complete stats for the Rams Week 10 game via our exclusive Fantasy BoxScore.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Matthew Stafford, Jimmy Garoppolo, Stetson Bennett
RBs: Kyren Williams, Royce Freeman, Zach Evans, Ronnie Rivers
WRs: Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, Tutu Atwell, Ben Skowronek, Demarcus Robinson
TEs: Tyler Higbee, Brycen Hopkins, Colby Parkinson, Hunter Long, Davis Allen
Miami Dolphins
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 15 November 2022As Associated Press sports writer Alanis Thames noted, the Dolphins already built a formidable résumé before Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns.
A comeback victory against Baltimore. An upset win over their divisional opponent Buffalo.
They've won defensive battles and high-scoring slugfests.
Miami's 39-17 rout of Cleveland on Sunday was the dominant win the Dolphins (7-3) needed.
And it couldn't have come at a better time as they'll head into their bye week alone in first place in the AFC East after Buffalo lost to Minnesota and fell to a tie with the New York Jets.
"We probably played our most complete game today in all three phases," Miami defensive end Christian Wilkins said. "Yeah, there were things we can clean up on and things we can get better on, but this is probably our most complete."
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's confidence and command of the offense is growing more evident with each game, and it has made the Dolphins nearly unstoppable.
ESPN.com's Marcel Louis-Jacques reminded readers that Tagovailoa entered the season facing doubts about his future in Miami. The Dolphins can extend the third-year quarterback in the offseason, but that wasn't a certainty in the preseason when Tagovailoa was a 75-1 longshot to win MVP.
But now, Tagovailoa is one of the MVP favorites, currently listed by Caesars Sportsbook with the fourth-best odds at 7-1, behind the Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes, Philadelphia Eagles' Jalen Hurts and the Buffalo Bills' Josh Allen.
"Just like [resurgent Seattle Seahawks quarterback] Geno Smith said, a lot of people wrote him off -- Tua ain't write back," receiver Tyreek Hill said.
The Dolphins haven't lost a game this season that Tagovailoa -- who missed nearly three full games after suffering a concussion -- has started and finished.
And unlike previous years, Miami's success hasn't been credited to an opportunistic defense. Instead, it's been largely the play of its quarterback, who is the catalyst for an offense that is averaging 391.5 yards per game, third-best in the NFL.
Whether it's his efficiency or deep throws, Tagovailoa has taken a step forward in what's been a breakthrough season.
Louis-Jacques went on to note there's a quantifiable method of measuring Tagovailoa's value -- expected points added. According to NFL Next Gen stats, Tagovailoa leads the NFL in team EPA per dropback at .37 -- which is an improvement from his .08 EPA per dropback last season. His current mark is ahead of established stars at the position like Mahomes (.28) and Allen (.13).
Tagovailoa also ranks second in completion percentage over expectation at 3.5 percent, another improvement over last season when he posted a 0.9 percent CPOE.
Because of the games missed, Tagovailoa ranks 19th in pass attempts among qualified passers, but he is tied for the third-most touchdown passes (18) entering Week 11 with the Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Burrow. A league-leading 7.3 percent of his attempts have resulted in touchdowns, and he also leads the NFL in yards per completion (12.87), yards per dropback (8.6) and QBR (82.6).
Obviously, Tagovailoa hasn't done it by himself.
The Dolphins traded for Hill, who's leading the NFL with 1,148 yards and on pace to break former Lions receiver Calvin Johnson's single-season record of 1,964. Hill and Jaylen Waddle have combined for 2,026 yards -- which would rank higher than 10 teams in total receiving yards this season. Tagovailoa's targets have an average of 3.62 yards of separation when the pass arrives, the seventh-best in the NFL.
Hill believes the influence of first-year coach Mike McDaniel has helped Tagovailoa silence some of his preseason critics.
"So media people, I'm saying this to y'all -- y'all can apologize now," Hill said.
In particular, Tagovailoa has improved as a deep passer, something he isn't afraid to point out.
"I've grown a lot with the deep balls, huh? Don't we think?" he said at the end of a media session in Week 9. "That was probably a subtle jab, but it was a jab."
The numbers back up his statement.
Tagovailoa has completed 64.3 percent of his passes that travel at least 20 air yards, up from 48.3 percent last season. He ranks fourth in the league in air yards per attempt at 8.66, up from 6.92 a season ago.
And he's dialed up that aggression when it matters most, in the fourth quarter, when his passes average 9.98 air yards per attempt, and 14.6 percent of his attempts travel at least 20 air yards.
He may not have the strongest arm in the NFL, but he's become one of its most reliable passers.
In addition, with five of the Dolphins' seven wins coming by one score, Tagovailoa has been asked on two occasions to play an essentially perfect game.
Both times, he delivered.
Miami trailed by multiple scores in the second half against the Ravens in Week 2 and Lions in Week 8. In the third and fourth quarters of both games, Tagovailoa completed a combined 36 of 44 passes for 448 yards and six touchdowns. He has yet to throw an interception in the second half this season.
Tagovailoa was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week after the win over Baltimore, during which he threw for 469 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions. He threw four of those TDs during a torrid fourth quarter, erasing a 21-point deficit in the process.
"He went and played and took his responsibilities seriously to his teammates about, 'Hey, I'm going to lead this team confidently,'" McDaniel said after the Ravens game. "It is what you get into sports for. It is as cool for the coaching staff and him that it was coming to life. I think it was a moment that he will never forget, that hopefully he can use moving forward.
"His teammates learned a lot about him, and I think he learned something about himself."
For what it's worth, the three highest-rated games of his career have come in the past three weeks, capped by Sunday's performance in which he completed 25 of 32 passes for 285 yards, threw three touchdowns and no interceptions for a 135.0 passer rating.
Tagovailoa hasn't thrown an interception since he returned from a concussion in Week 7, and he said Sunday feels as though he's playing the most consistent football of his career.
McDaniel pointed to Tagovailoa's vision, ball placement and ability to move through his progressions at lightning speed as the reasons for his success.
"That's really making it frustrating for a defensive front," McDaniel said. "You're in pass rush mode and you can't get to them. ... So he is doing a lot of things visually, manipulating defenders, making really good throws and getting the ball out."
As a result, the Dolphins are closing in on their first playoff berth since 2016.
But they have a tough stretch coming up, with road games against San Francisco, Buffalo and the Los Angeles Chargers.
First, however, they'll have a week to rest. And McDaniel really wants them to rest.
"Deliberate practice is a brain drain," McDaniel said. "And in order to do it the appropriate way, you have to have deliberate rest as well. So I'm a leader by example. I'm going to show these guys how to rest my butt off. ..."
Also worth noting here. ... The Dolphins' trade for Jeff Wilson Jr. looks to be the spark they needed in their running game. His physicality has complemented Raheem Mostert's quickness, and the result was Miami's best rushing output of the year Sunday. Wilson has 26 carries for 170 yards and two touchdowns in two games as a Dolphin.
"I don't know who pisses him off before every game," Wilkins said. "He is a lot of fun to watch, and I'm glad he is on our team."
As FantasyLife.com's Dwain McFarland notes, Wilson has clearly moved ahead of Mostert in the pecking order with a 61 percent snap share and 52 percent of the attempts, but both have value as Mostert provided 18 fantasy points against Cleveland, just behind Wilson's 22. ...
Jason Sanders' two missed extra points didn't matter much Sunday, but those points could be a much bigger deal in a closer game or in the playoffs. Sanders is 13 of 17 on field-goal attempts this season and has missed all three of his attempts of 50-plus yards. He has also missed three extra points.
After their week off, the Dolphins will host the Houston Texans on Nov. 27. After that, four of their next five games will be on the road.
You can access complete stats for the Dolphins Week 10 game via our exclusive Fantasy BoxScore.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Tua Tagovailoa, Mike White, Skylar Thompson
RBs: Raheem Mostert, De'Von Achane, Jeff Wilson, Salvon Ahmed, Christopher Brooks
WRs: Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Odell Beckham, Braxton Berrios, Cedrick Wilson, Chase Claypool, River Cracraft
TEs: Durham Smythe, Jonnu Smith, Julian Hill, Tyler Kroft
Minnesota Vikings
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 15 November 2022The Minnesota Vikings have leaned on their late-game resilience on a weekly basis this season, a trait that's as vital as ever in a league staging a record amount of close contests.
Winning seven straight games, all by one score, wouldn't be possible without the intangible asset of crunch-time confidence. This streak that has propelled the Vikings (8-1) into a runaway lead of the NFC North also owes as much to their possession of one of the NFL's true elite pass-catchers.
Justin Jefferson just keeps on delivering.
"He truly believes that he is capable of greatness every time he goes on the field," head coach Kevin O'Connell said, "and I happen to agree with him."
With 10 catches, 193 receiving yards and a first-quarter touchdown that aided the Vikings in their exhilarating 33-30 overtime victory at Buffalo on Sunday, Jefferson was again the star of a show that featured all kinds of stellar performances.
On Wednesday, the NFL announced that Jefferson has been named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week.
As Associated Press sports writer Dave Campbell reported, there was no play more fitting of his impact on the game than the unfathomable one-handed grab he made on fourth-and-18 to keep them alive with a four-point deficit late in the fourth quarter. O'Connell's mantra of pushing his team to be at its best when its best is required has no better pitchman than Jefferson, who's only 2½ seasons into his stellar career.
"Big-time players making big-time plays," said cornerback Patrick Peterson, who had two interceptions of Josh Allen in the end zone, including the game-ending pick in overtime.
But Jefferson makes a lot of them.
In fact, all but one of Jefferson's 10 receptions came with a sub-50 percent completion probability, according to the NFL's Next Gen Stats.
No other player has had more than six in one game since the data was tracked starting in 2016.
The big catches might have obscured a significant milestone for Jefferson.
Per the league, Sunday was Jefferson's 20th career 100-yard game. He now owns the record for the most such efforts in the first three years of a player's career.
The two players with 19 were Randy Moss and Odell Beckham Jr., who had 19 each.
Jefferson also passed Moss and Lance Alworth for the most 150-yard games in the first three years of a career. Jefferson has seven; Moss and Alworth have six.
And Jefferson still has eight games to play.
There's more. Jefferson now has 4,076 receiving yards in 42 games, matching Beckham and Alworth for the fastest to 4,000.
Despite a tradition of great receivers, from John Gilliam to Sammy White to Ahmad Rashad to Anthony Carter to Cris Carter to Moss to Percy Harvin to Stefon Diggs, Jefferson turned in a performance for the ages that rivals if not surpasses anything any of the others ever achieved.
The Vikings have a long way to go in a lot of areas. They also have a lot of success to build on.
"Keep fighting all the way to the end," Jefferson said. "I just feel like this team is so together as one."
That aspect was evident as you dig into the details here.
For example, the often-overlooked art of blocking beyond the five offensive linemen was superb.
Dalvin Cook knocked defensive end Von Miller off his pass-rushing path with a jarring blow to help Cousins complete the fourth-and-18 throw to Jefferson.
On Cook's 81-yard touchdown run in the third quarter that sparked the rally, Jefferson stonewalled then flattened safety Damar Hamlin to create a big seam. Tight end T.J. Hockenson also hustled downfield to cut off cornerback Cam Lewis help spring Jefferson for the last part of his 46-yard gain on third-and-11 in the first quarter.
Those are the little things that -- when combined with the big-play capabilities of Jefferson, Cook and quarterback Kirk Cousins -- will keep Vikings in a great spot for post-season success and keep all the fantasy-relevant players right where we want them.
The Vikings get five of their next six games at home, starting with Dallas this week. The Cowboys (6-3) are coming off an overtime loss at Green Bay in which they blew a 14-point lead early in the fourth quarter.
The Vikings need only four more victories to clinch the division, or fewer than that when coupled with the correct amount of losses by the Packers (4-6), Lions (3-6) and Bears (3-7). ...
Also of interest. ... While Jefferson and Cooks are obviously the top of the offensive pecking order here, there's room for more.
K.J. Osborn caught 4-of-11 targets for 35 yards in Buffalo. As NBCSportsEdge.com notes, Osborn had only cracked more than five targets once this season, but Minnesota threw the ball 50 times in this one to try to catch up to the Bills.
Hockenson caught 7-of-10 targets for 45 yards and Adam Thielen caught 5-of-7 for 49 yards. ...
Greg Joseph has four missed extra points, the most in the NFL. He made both of his field-goal attempts in Buffalo, including the 33-yard try in overtime that provided the winning margin, but he's also tied for the most missed field goals (five) in the league this season. That's a total of 19 points for a team that has played seven straight one-score games.
You can access complete stats for the Vikings Week 10 game via our exclusive Fantasy BoxScore.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Nick Mullens, Jaren Hall, Sam Darnold
RBs: Aaron Jones, Ty Chandler, C.J. Ham, Kene Nwangwu, Cam Akers
WRs: Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, K.J. Osborn, Brandon Powell, Jalen Nailor
TEs: Josh Oliver, Johnny Mundt, Nick Muse, T.J. Hockenson
New England Patriots
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 15 November 2022The Patriots returned from their bye week very much in the AFC playoff picture. But so is everyone else in an AFC East that suddenly has the most parity in the NFL.
Entering Week 11 it's the only division in the league featuring all four teams with records above .500. New England (5-4) is last among them, yet currently holds the AFC's final wild-card spot.
As Associated Press sports writer Kyle Hightower notes, Sunday's home matchup with the New York Jets will begin a tough stretch that will see New England play three games over a 12-day period, concluding with back-to-back Thursday night games at Minnesota on Thanksgiving night and home against Buffalo on Dec. 1.
"We know what the schedule is. Certainly, the Jets are highest priority, but we have to be ready for the rest of the schedule as well," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said Monday.
Ultimately making the playoff field is by no means guaranteed, either.
Of the Patriots' eight remaining opponents, five -- the Jets (6-3), Vikings (8-1), Bills (6-3) twice and Dolphins -- would qualify if the postseason began this week.
What's more, the AFC East hasn't gotten three teams into the playoffs in the same season since 2001. Only once have four teams made it (1998).
Last season, only division champion Buffalo (11-6) and New England made the cut, with Miami missing out at 9-8.
Despite some signs of the offense showing improvement during a 26-3 win over the Colts in Week 9, it's been the defense that's carried the Patriots to this point. That was on display during the win over Indy, when New England had nine sacks in what turned out to be Frank Reich's final game as Indianapolis' coach.
Monday's return to the practice field did bring some encouraging signs on the health front for the Patriots, with receiver DeVante Parker back in uniform after sitting out the Colts game with a knee issue.
That's on the heels of center and captain David Andrews making his practice return during the team's lone workout during the bye. He's missed the past two games with a concussion.
If he is back in the lineup this week, he should bring some stability to an offensive line that has been riddled with penalties and dealt with protection breakdowns as it continues to adjust to preseason personnel and position changes.
It could also go a long way toward quarterback Mac Jones salvaging what so far has been an underwhelming second NFL season.
Consider that the offense had 10 negative non-kneel-down plays in that win over the Colts. They had 14 the week before in their win over the Jets.
As ESPN's Mike Reiss noted, that's a whopping 24 plays that didn't advance past the line of scrimmage, which when combined with seven that went for no gain, represents 22.6 percent of the non-kneel-down snaps over the past two games.
It is no wonder that Jones, who has been unable to get into a rhythm partly due to shaky protection in front of him, held up his right arm and moved it up and down Sunday as he said: "We're playing good at spots, but we need to continue to go up here and stop riding the wave."
Jones expressed confidence that the Patriots will do that.
Left tackle Trent Brown said Jones has kept a positive mindset on the field throughout the season even when things haven't gone according to plan.
"It's easy to ride the wave and point fingers," Brown said sharing Jones' analogy. "But we all know that everybody -- all 11 on the field on both sides of the ball -- gets paid to do this because we're good at what we do. I think it's just an understanding that it's a long game and you can't really ride the wave. You've got to stay even keel."
Through nine games, the Patriots rank 24th in the NFL in passing yards, averaging just 202.7 per game.
When they can't lean on emerging star Rhamondre Stevenson as a rusher -- the Jets and Colts made it hard for them to do that consistently the past two games -- their deficiencies in the passing game show more.
Head coach Bill Belichick deflected a question last Monday when asked how he feels things have progressed with the offensive coaching staff, which might be a result of him preferring to leave big-picture evaluations for the offseason when he's out of the daily grind.
"Every week's its own week in terms of game-planning, practicing, preparing for that team and then moving on to the next week," Belichick said in response to the question.
"It's the way it is on offense, defense, special teams -- for our entire team. It's what we'll keep doing, just grinding away here. Consistency in all three phases of the game is definitely something that we need to be better at. So we'll start with that."
And that will continue Sunday against the Jets.
A few final notes here. ... Damien Harris (illness) missed the Patriots' most recent contest in Week 9 against the Colts but will almost certainly be ready to go against the Jets.
Harris dealt with a hamstring injury a few weeks ago but was healthy enough to play against the Jets in Week 8. With Stevenson emerging as the lead back, Harris' role is unlikely to be as robust down the stretch as is was to open the season.
That said, I'll follow up on Harris and Parker, who was limited in Wednesday's practice, as needed via Late-Breaking Update in coming days.
And last. ... Running back Ty Montgomery will miss the rest of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery, a league source told Boston Globe staffer Jim McBride.
A standout throughout the preseason, Montgomery suffered an ankle sprain in the final preseason game against the Raiders, but made it back in time for the season opener in Miami.
He suffered the shoulder injury midway through the Dolphins game. The Patriots placed him on injured reserve a few days later, and he had not seen any action since.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Bailey Zappe, Jacoby Brissett
RBs: Rhamondre Stevenson, Antonio Gibson, JaMycal Hasty
WRs: DeVante Parker, Demario Douglas, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Tyquan Thornton, Kayshon Boutte, Matt Slater, Kendrick Bourne
TEs: Hunter Henry, Pharaoh Brown
New Orleans Saints
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 15 November 2022As ESPN.com's Katherine Terrell reported, the Saints were considering making a quarterback switch, according to head coach Dennis Allen.
Allen told reporters on Monday that Jameis Winston was a candidate to start against the Los Angeles Rams, but a decision hadn't been made yet.
"I think we've gotta look at everything," Allen said. "Yeah, I think we've gotta look at everything. And that will be a process we go through today and tomorrow as we get ready for the Rams."
The Saints have started Andy Dalton for the last seven games, but Allen hinted his starting job was contingent on the offense continuing to perform well.
The Saints (3-7) have scored only 23 total points in back-to-back losses.
"And we haven't been doing as well the last couple weeks," Allen said. "So, I think we've gotta evaluate that. I think that's something that we need to look at."
Winston was named the starter going into the season but injured his back in Week 1 and struggled to play through his injuries for the next two games. Allen initially sat Winston for the game against the Minnesota Vikings in London to allow him to heal, but eventually decided to go with Dalton full-time.
Allen said at the time of the switch that Winston was healthy enough to play, and he eventually was not on the injury report, but admitted it's unlikely Winston, who also had a foot injury this season, will be 100 percent. He said Winston's health would factor into his decision.
"I feel like I think we probably have to visit with him a little bit in terms of that or visit with the medical staff in terms of that," Allen said. "And I think Jameis said this the other day, I don't know that he's ever gonna be 100 percent healthy this season. But he's in here every day, he's in here every morning working with the trainers, getting himself ready. And I feel like he's closer to being there."
Allen also said the health of the offensive line was another factor.
The Saints placed starting center Erik McCoy on injured reserve before their loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers this weekend and did not play starting right guard Andrus Peat. Starting left tackle James Hurst left the game with a concussion, leaving the Saints to play backup guards Calvin Throckmorton and Lewis Kidd, backup center Josh Andrews and backup tackle Landon Young.
"I think everything goes into the decision," Allen said. "I don't think any decisions are made in a vacuum. But we've gotta try to do what we feel like gives our team the best chance to win. So that's ultimately what the decision will come down to."
On Wednesday, Allen announced that a decision had been made: The team is sticking with Dalton.
Dalton completed 17 of 27 passes for 174 yards and two interceptions in Sunday's 20-10 loss to Pittsburgh while taking two sacks.
It marked the QB's third straight game with fewer than 230 passing yards and his seventh INT in seven starts (six in the last four games).
The Saints battled back to tie the game at 10 at halftime, but the offense couldn't move the ball in the final two quarters. New Orleans generated 24 net yards in five second-half drives with a lone first down and two fourth-quarter interceptions.
But this isn't all on one player.
"Performance wasn't good enough, really in all phases," Allen said. "We didn't play well enough. We didn't coach well enough. We have to do a better job. We fought ourselves back, got back into the game at halftime, felt like we were in a good position, and we really just didn't do anything in the second half. So we have to be better."
The defense didn't force a second-half punt and got run over by Pittsburgh, but the inability of the Saints offense to move the ball at all has been the biggest issue in New Orleans.
Beyond that, the running game has looked anemic for two consecutive weeks. The Saints had just 48 yards rushing in a Week 9 loss to Baltimore and it got even worse against Pittsburgh, which held New Orleans to a mere 29 yards rushing.
"The last two weeks we haven't been able to run the ball and that's hurt us," Dalton said. "We put ourselves in unfavorable situations -- third-and-long -- and the efficiency on first down and second down hasn't been good enough."
Alvin Kamara generated 45 scrimmage yards on 11 touches against the Steelers, his second straight game with fewer than 70 scrimmage yards.
As NFL.com's Kevin Patra suggested, if the staff can't generate touches for its best player, regardless of the situation, it's poor coaching, plain and simple.
In any event, the Saints know that a number of changes need to be made and that merely changing quarterbacks is no panacea.
They're fortunate to be just two games out in the NFC South with seven remaining, but their performance and results to this point do not give them much credibility at all as a potential playoff team in their first season since the retirement of long-time coach Sean Payton.
The Saints on Sunday host another team that has struggled to win as much as expected this season. The defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams, who've lost three straight to drop to 3-6, invade the Superdome, where New Orleans has gone 2-3 this season. ...
Also of interest. ... Chris Olave recorded three receptions on five targets for 40 yards in the loss to the Steelers.
For the first time since Week 4, Olave faced legitimate target competition due to the return of Jarvis Landry (groin). As a result, Olave earned his fewest targets since Week 1, also turning in his lowest yardage total of the campaign.
Olave should have the potential to regain volume moving forward, but the poor state of the Saints offense limits his potential to produce consistently. That same issue extends to Landry and the other receiving assets here.
Finally. ... The Saints have cut two running backs off their practice squad and added another..
Jordan Howard and Derrick Gore were both released in Tuesday's transactions.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports that the Saints are signing former Cardinals and Texans running back David Johnson to their practice squad. Johnson has been out of the league since wrapping up last season with Houston.
Johnson had 2,118 yards from scrimmage and 20 touchdowns for the Cardinals in 2016, but got hurt in the first game of the next season and has never put together another season to rival that one. He ran 67 times for 228 yards and caught 32 passes for 225 yards in 13 games with the Texans in 2021.
The Saints also made an unsuccessful waiver claim for Eno Benjamin this week, so they’re clearly looking for something else to go with Kamara in the backfield with Mark Ingram missing the last couple of games with an injury.
You can access complete stats for the Saints Week 10 game via our exclusive Fantasy BoxScore.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Derek Carr, Jake Haener
RBs: Alvin Kamara, Jamaal Williams, Kendre Miller
WRs: Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, A.T. Perry, Keith Kirkwood, Lynn Bowden, Michael Thomas
TEs: Juwan Johnson, Taysom Hill, Foster Moreau, Jimmy Graham
New York Giants
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 15 November 2022As ESPN.com's Jordan Raanan noted, the Giants went to running back Saquon Barkley early and often Sunday in a 24-16 victory over the Houston Texans, just days after they tabled contract talks.
All he did was produce.
Barkley had a career-high 35 carries for 152 yards and a touchdown in an effort that only further emphasized his reemergence as a top back after three injury-riddled seasons. It was the second time this season (and in his career) he topped 30 carries.
"My body felt it, I guess," Barkley said after undergoing standard post-game treatment. "You don't really know [how many carries]. I tried my best. Obviously, they bring it up and they show it. I try my best not to focus on that and block it out and stay locked in the game one play at a time. Like I said, it is what it is. We were able to get the dub, get the win, and it's my job to be a pro and take care of my body."
Barkley now leads the NFL with 931 rushing yards and 1,128 yards from scrimmage. He's playing on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract and is set to be a free agent at the end of this season.
Barkley, 25, and the Giants did not come close to hammering out a deal during the bye week, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Saturday night. Those talks have now been shelved until after the season.
The Giants' captain is expected to set his sights on being among the NFL's highest-paid running backs, if not the highest. The upper echelon of running backs is currently making $12.5 million to $16 million this season.
"We got into a little bit of conversation," Barkley said. "At the end of the day, I put that in the past. That was the bye week. Obviously, we weren't able to come to an agreement during the bye week, and my mindset is just focus on the rest of the season. Next week going against Detroit and knowing when that opportunity comes up again, focus on it then."
The star running back took away from the brief negotiations that he now knows how the Giants feel about him. They spoke highly of him even if a deal couldn't get done.
Barkley would like for something to ultimately get done.
"I think I've kind of been vocal before contracts were even brought up, about how I feel about this place, what I want my legacy to be in this place and I want to be Giant for life," he said. "Like I said, I've been vocal about that, so if the conversation gets brought up again, we'll go from there."
General manager Joe Schoen said during the bye there would be an "ongoing evaluation" with quarterback Daniel Jones and Barkley. Jones is also a free agent.
The most pertinent question about both entering the season was durability. Barkley had been injured most of the previous three years, while Jones has never played a full season.
Barkley, however, doesn't think there is anything left to prove.
"No, I feel like I answered all the questions/concerns, to be completely honest," he told ESPN late last week. "But that is not really my focus. My focus is to block out the noise, continue to come out here and play for those guys in the locker room."
That is what happened on Sunday. After starting the afternoon slowly with 29 yards on 12 carries, Barkley ripped off a 29-yard run. He had 133 yards on his final 23 carries (5.8 yards per carry).
Leaning on their most explosive offensive player was always the Giants' plan against the league's worst run defense. That was just fine with Barkley.
"He loves the opportunity to take over a game and play as well as he did. He played very well [Sunday]," Jones said.
The Giants have not been shy about Barkley's workload this season. He has played 84 percent of their offensive snaps.
They appear to have no reservations about that workload or the 35 carries.
"I mean, you tell me. He looked good to me. No, I'm just messing with you," head coach Brian Daboll said. "What did he have? Thirty-five for 152? The thing, I think, with him is [he] takes a lot of shots. So, we try to do the best job we can -- the medical staff, the sports science -- of practicing him the right way. And this week, he was fresh. So, he had a really good week of practice. We were handing him the ball at the 20 and he was running the ball to the end zone, 80 yards, and then coming back and doing it again. So, I thought that the stuff he did during the week carried over.
"Obviously, he's having a good season for us. He had a good day."
Eventually, it's going to get him paid. ...
For what it's worth, when the game was over, Daboll was asked what it is like to come up with a "conservative game plan" for his offense.
"I wouldn't use that word," Daboll said in his postgame press conference. "I would just use we try to do what we think we can do, which was run the ball for 46 times. I think [someone] asked me, 'Is it as simple as just running the ball with Saquon Barkley?'
"The answer's no because they do a good job. They made some runs. But each week, we just do what we think we need to do for that particular game. If it's 60 passes, it's 60 passes. That's what we do as a coaching staff. That's what we'll always do. I wouldn't give it a label. I would just say we try to do the best job we can to formulate a plan and make sure the players execute it."
As Profootballtalk.com's Josh Alper put it, "When a team can't stop you from running the ball up and down the field, it would be foolish do stop yourself."
Daboll and the Giants haven't made many foolish choices this season and their 7-2 record reflects the benefits of that approach.
The Giants are averaging 164.8 yards rushing, which is 3.8 yards more than their passing average. The play of the offensive line has been much improved.
But given their style of play, Associated Press sports writer Tom Canavan doesn't expect the Giants to blow anyone out this season. Every game is going to be a grind. This week's opponent, the Lions have won two in a row and have four losses by four points or less.
In other words, expect more Barkley. ...
Also. ... Expect less Kenny Golladay. If that's even possible.
Golladay back in the lineup on Sunday after he missed four games with a knee injury, but he spent most of the day on the bench.
Golladay dropped a pass just before halftime and he spent the second half watching from the sidelines. After the game, Daboll said that wide receivers coach Mike Groh let Golladay know that the Giants would be going with Isaiah Hodgins for the second half of the game.
Hodgins was claimed off of waivers on November 2, so this was his first game with the team and Daboll was asked if choosing him over Golladay meant that the veteran has blown his chance of getting back into the mix.
"I mean it's after one game," Daboll said at his postgame press conference. "You never know what can happen week to week. Go out there, try to have a good week of practice, and take it day by day.
Golladay said, via Dan Duggan of The Athletic, that he'll keep any comments about the benching to himself and that he'll keep working because he doesn't know why this season has gone so wrong for him. Given how well the Giants have done without getting much from Golladay, it's fair to wonder if he'll keep getting chances to show he can turn things around.
Hodgins had two catches for 41 yards. ...
In a related note. ... FantasyLife.com's Dwain McFarland notes that Wan'Dale Robinson came up small in the boxscore (turning two targets into two catches for 20 yards) but led the Giants with 83 percent route participation.
Still, to be determined if he can demand targets consistently, but the role is there for now. ...
Worth noting. ... Golladay (knee) and Robinson (hamstring) were limited in Wednesday's practice; I'll follow up via Late-Breaking Update as needed. ...
You can access complete stats for the Giants Week 10 game via our exclusive Fantasy BoxScore.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Tommy DeVito, Drew Lock, Daniel Jones
RBs: Devin Singletary, Matt Breida, Gary Brightwell, Eric Gray
WRs: Darius Slayton, Wan'Dale Robinson, Jalin Hyatt, Parris Campbell, Isaiah Hodgins, Sterling Shepard
TEs: Darren Waller, Daniel Bellinger, Lawrence Cager, Chris Myarick
New York Jets
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 15 November 2022In Week 8, the Jets outgained the Patriots by nearly 100 yards (387 to 288) while racking up six sacks and 13 tackles for loss. They also averaged 17.8 yards on Zach Wilson's 20 pass completions as Garrett Wilson had 115 yards on six catches and Tyler Conklin had 79 yards on his six grabs with 2 TDs. And despite winning in several areas, they dropped a 22-17 decision at MetLife Stadium.
"Yeah, New England's been that way forever," Jets head coach Robert Saleh told reporters on Monday, the players' first day back at practice after a week off. "You walk away [after playing New England] and say, 'man if we don't just do this.' They do it all the time, they force you into mistakes, force you to shoot yourself in your foot."
The Patriots have won 13 consecutive games in the series since 2015, up there and down here. But these aren't the Same Old Jets. Not by a longshot. General manager Joe Douglas has rebuilt the roster through free agency and two extremely productive drafts. That means the institutional memory is minimal.
"The advantage of youth is that they're not connected to all the history, what the organization has gone through," Saleh said. "They don't know any better, they don't have the scarring or the idea of what's supposed to happen. They know they're talented enough that if they don't make mistakes, we're going to be tough to beat. It's what they know. It's what we know."
As the Jets seek to end that streak and split the season series, they are 2-1 in AFC East games so far and are seeking their sixth victory in the conference. And although Wilson threw 3 interceptions against New England, he has played clean games in four other contests; he has a 5-1 record overall.
"[People are] holding him hostage for four, five plays against New England, externally," Saleh said. "Internally we have a lot of faith in Zach to do it in an efficient manner. If we need to put it on his back, he's capable of doing it, but when you sling around there's going to make mistakes. It's hard to play quarterback in this league. It's our job to make sure he's not asked to do that constantly, but if asked we're confident he can do it."
On the injury front, Saleh said on Wednesday that veteran wide receiver Corey Davis (knee) is day-to-day, but he would not practice to open the week.
Saleh said that Davis, who remained at the team headquarters working out during the bye week, has a chance to play, but he has not been on the field since Week 7 so more practice time would be a good thing if that’s going to be a realistic chance.
In addition, rookie offensive lineman Max Mitchell is off the injured list, opening his 21-day practice window. Finally, OL George Fant (knee) remains sidelined, and DL Sheldon Rankins (elbow) is out.
I'll have more on Davis via Late-Breaking Update in coming days. ...
Meanwhile, when it comes to Wilson, a small sampling of his teammates shared their thoughts on the Jets' second-year quarterback in strikingly similar terms on Monday, their first day back at 1 Jets Drive after a week off.
"Extreme confidence," said wide receiver Braxton Berrios.
"Ultimate confidence," said center Connor McGovern.
Wilson's two colleagues on offense said all concerned are eager to wipe away the bad taste from their loss to New England -- Sunday's opposition in Foxboro -- after their 22-17 loss on Oct. 30. In that game, Wilson, who had been nearly impeccable since returning from knee surgery, tossed three interceptions.
"Extreme confidence, and everyone feels that way," Berrios said. "There's no flinching on that from anyone in the building. It's not an exaggeration. This game is played by some of the best athletes in the world and it gets lost that Zach's one of those. Things happen, there are ups and downs, but we have extreme confidence in him. We've seen day in and day out and he's the same guy every day."
Since he missed the first three games of the season, Wilson has led the Jets to wins at Pittsburgh, over Miami, at Green Bay, at Denver and over AFC East rival Buffalo, which has now lost two straight and fallen out of first place. A Jets (6-3) victory at New England (5-4) would vault the team into first place in the division, by virtue of the victory over Miami (7-3).
The Dolphins have won four straight but are off on Sunday.
"He's going to do what it takes to win," McGovern said of Wilson. "In some games he's had to use his arm, and it's lucky for the offensive line because it's easier to run block than pass block. It's every O-lineman's dream to run the ball out in the fourth quarter and win."
That is exactly what the Jets did in their final drive to the winning field goal against the Bills.
They ran the ball eight-straight times to start the 13-play, 86-yard statement drive that ate up more than 6 minutes off the clock.
"His confidence level is extremely high," McGovern said. "He's playing at another level compared to last year. He understands doesn't have to throw 50 times for 4 TDs the way this team is playing. If he has to turn it on, the O-line will hold up and his arm will do the job. There's definitely a ton of confidence, even if he hasn't had to use it. It's one of the cards in the deck for sure."
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Trevor Siemian, Tyrod Taylor, Aaron Rodgers
RBs: Breece Hall, Israel Abanikanda
WRs: Garrett Wilson, Xavier Gipson, Jason Brownlee, Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, Mike Williams, Charles Irvin
TEs: Tyler Conklin, Jeremy Ruckert, C.J. Uzomah, Kenny Yeboah
Philadelphia Eagles
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 15 November 2022As Associated Press sports writer Dan Gelston framed it, "The Eagles -- like all but one team in NFL history -- were not going to finish the season undefeated.
"That much was inevitable.
"Losses happen, even to teams with an MVP candidate such as Jalen Hurts.
"But, wow, that L came like this?"
Indeed, as Gelston went on to explain, the Eagles played more like a bad team in the first preseason game than one stamped with bona fide Super Bowl expectations in a 32-21 loss Monday night to the Washington Commanders.
Fumbles, an interception, another disaster on special teams, no pass rush, no pass coverage, it was as if the Eagles stuffed a season's worth of foul-ups, mental miscues and blunders into one game.
The good news?
They're still 8-1 and still lead the NFC East.
The cause for concern?
The 8-1 mark now only ties them for the best record in the NFC with Minnesota (though the Birds have the head-to-head edge).
The Eagles now head to Indianapolis (4-5-1) and get a shot to prove the undisciplined performance was either a one-game aberration or a worrying sign there are significant cracks in a championship foundation.
"We lost it together," head coach Nick Sirianni said. "Offense, defense, special teams, we lost it together. That's what lost us the game."
There was plenty of blame to go around, and yes, that includes at an officiating crew that egregiously missed a late facemask penalty that could have allowed the Eagles one more shot at a comeback.
Some of the critical errors:
A.J. Brown is the Eagles best wide receiver since Terrell Owens and his ability to catch the 50-50 balls is a pivotal reason he's one of the best in the game. With the Eagles up 14-10, Hurts hit Brown in stride, but the wide receiver let the ball slip through his hands and the pass was intercepted. The Commanders then went on a 16-play, 86-yard drive that lasted 7:04 for the go-ahead score.
WR ball security was a theme. With the Eagles down 26-21 in the fourth, Hurts again went deep and connected with Quez Watkins for a 50-yard gain that would have put the Eagles deep in Washington territory. Watkins hit the ground on the catch and decided to get up and keep running. The extra effort was somewhat admirable until he was tackled from behind and lost the ball. Again, the Commanders recovered.
TE Dallas Goedert was tackled early in the fourth on a facemask that not only jarred the ball loose -- one of a season-worst four turnovers -- and led to a Commanders field goal, Goedert suffered a shoulder injury on the play.
Hurts was hesitant to blame the ref on the missed call that helped decide the game.
"We can go all day about that," he said. "I think in reality, in the end, it's about us doing the things that we can and controlling the things that we can. I think tonight we weren't doing that at a high level. Today it got us. It doesn't get you until it gets you and today it got us."
Hurts might not have had a great game, but two passing touchdowns and another rushing score marked his fourth game this season and ninth of his career with at least three total TDs.
Still, as Sirianni noted, this was a full team loss.
The Eagles again were unable to pressure the quarterback. Josh Sweat had a nice strip-sack of Taylor Heinicke early in the game but that was about it. The Eagles have allowed 144 yards rushing to the Steelers, 168 to the Texans and 152 to the Commanders in each of the past three games. Counting Sweat's sack, the Eagles have only three over the past five games.
Remember, former Eagles QB Carson Wentz was sacked nine times and he was hurried 17 more the first time these two teams played in September.
So it's time to regroup and get back on track.
"All this 17-0 sh-t is over with," Brown said, via Zach Berman of The Athletic. "Now we're going to wake up, and how are you going to respond? Sometimes you get hit in the mouth. How do you respond? It comes with it. ... We get back up and start fighting back."
The Eagles will get to show how they bounce back against the Colts in Week 11 and adding a ninth knockout to this year's record would be a good way of showing that all remains on track despite Monday night's stumble. ...
Meanwhile, NFL Network reports that Goedert will miss extended time with a shoulder injury. The Eagles confirmed that when they placed him on injured reserve on Wednesday. He is expected back before the season is over, but he'll miss at least four weeks and the Eagles will have to bounce back from Monday night's loss to the Commanders without one of their key offensive players.
Jack Stoll and Grant Calcaterra are the other tight ends on the 53-man roster in Philly. Tyree Jackson has been designated for return from the physically unable to perform list and could be activated this week.
Elsewhere on the injury front. ... After suffering their first loss of the season on Monday night, the Eagles held a walk-through instead of a full practice as they began to prepare for the Colts on Wednesday.
Several players would have been limited if they had practiced in full, including the team’s top two receivers.
Philadelphia listed Brown (ankle) and receiver DeVonta Smith (knee) as limited.
Center Jason Kelce (ankle), defensive tackle Fletcher Cox (foot), edge rusher Haason Reddick (thigh), and receiver Britain Covey (thigh) also would have been limited on Wednesday.
Cornerback Josh Jobe (hamstring) would not have practiced.
I'll follow up via Late-Breaking Update as developments warrant. ...
You can access complete stats for the Eagles Week 10 game via our exclusive Fantasy BoxScore.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Jalen Hurts, Marcus Mariota, Kenny Pickett, Tanner McKee
RBs: Saquon Barkley, Kenneth Gainwell, Boston Scott, Rashaad Penny
WRs: A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Julio Jones, Olamide Zaccheaus, Quez Watkins
TEs: Dallas Goedert, Jack Stoll, Grant Calcaterra, Albert Okwuegbunam
Pittsburgh Steelers
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 15 November 2022According to ESPN.com's Brooke Pryor, Najee Harris fought it at first.
When coaches approached their 2021 first-round draft pick at training camp and told him he wouldn't be carrying the ball as much as his rookie season -- when he led the NFL with 381 touches -- Harris pushed back.
He's used to carrying the load. He wants to carry the load.
But the Steelers coaches didn't want that for him. It wouldn't benefit the Steelers or Harris long term.
Though he admits it's still an ongoing adjustment, Harris saw the benefits of sharing the load with rookie undrafted free agent Jaylen Warren in the Steelers' 20-10 win against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. The offense rushed for a season-high 217 yards -- the Steelers' best rushing mark since Week 14 of the 2016 season.
"I argued with [running backs coach Eddie Faulkner] going in the preseason against the Lions when I came back [from a foot injury]," Harris said. "But just sitting down and having an actual talk about me and my longevity. ... They want me here. If I want to keep playing, if I want to be healthy. If I want, when I retire, [not] to walk out on one leg. Then the smartest thing to do is to. ... I'm glad as hell I have Jaylen right now. Somebody to come in there and to do what he do and to help me out and spell me.
"As running back, we got one of the hardest positions, if not the most violent position in the NFL. I mean, people last about [three to six] years. You can look anywhere around the league. You need somebody like that. I never really told Jaylen before, but man, in my head, I'm like, 'I appreciate what you do, man. You don't even know it yet.'"
Playing 60 percent of snaps to Warren's 43 percent, Harris put together his best performance of the season with 99 yards on 20 carries, good for an average of 5 yards per carry. Warren had nine carries for 37 yards, and he added three catches on three targets for 40 yards. Harris was targeted once in the passing game -- a would-be touchdown -- but he couldn't come down with the ball.
It was the second-most balanced division of labor between the two backs since the Week 5 loss to the Buffalo Bills in which Warren played 51 percent of snaps to Harris' 49 percent -- in part because the Steelers trailed most of the game and Warren is valuable for his pass protection. In the final game before the bye, a loss to Philadelphia, Harris played 71 percent of offensive snaps to 29 percent for Warren.
"He's an inspiration to me coming up here," Warren said. "So I always look forward to being complementary to him, which is a huge, huge deal to me. However I can ease the work for him. He's a worker. He'll take every snap if he could. That's just how he is, and I think as a team we all look up to that. So wherever I fit in to make adjustments, that's where I'll, I'll go."
Harris got going early with a 36-yard run in the first quarter, and while he downplayed the significance of the run to him as an individual, quarterback Kenny Pickett said Harris' season-long run helped to jump-start the offense. The run led to a field goal a couple of plays later and gave the Steelers a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter.
"That play really sparked the offense," Pickett said. "We were getting behind Najee and felt great with how he's been practicing and everything. He came to the game with a lot of confidence. It showed. The O-line did a great job as well. They complemented each other as well."
Thanks in large part to that long run, Harris finished the first quarter with 56 rushing yards, and as a team, the Steelers had 60 first-quarter rushing yards, the most of any first quarter since Week 5 of 2018 against Atlanta.
While Harris got the game going early, Warren shouldered the load late to seal it. After Harris lost his first career fumble in the fourth quarter, Warren was inserted in the lineup and turned a short pass from Pickett into a 26-yard gain a play later. Then, when the Steelers got the ball back just before the two-minute warning courtesy of a Levi Wallace interception, Warren clinched the win with a 21-yard run with 1 minute, 53 seconds to play.
"Jaylen, he made probably two of the most important plays of the game in the end for the catches," Harris said. "So it helped out a lot. ... [The organization] told me this year that, 'We're gonna try to take off some pressure off of you. We can't put you on the field whatever amount of plays I did last year. You need some help if you wanna be here long enough.' So him coming in there, making those two plays, it helped out a lot."
Part of accepting help came through conversations with Harris' coaches during the bye week.
His first-half production -- 361 rushing yards -- didn't live up to the goals he set for himself after a quietly impressive rookie season. Harris played through the first eight games of the season with mounting emotions, a double-edged sword that motivated him while also causing him to sometimes do too much.
During the bye, Harris regrouped. He met with his coaches and the offensive line. Though he didn't divulge specifics of the meetings, Harris said he made an effort to talk with the offensive linemen and work with them in a more symbiotic relationship. Center Mason Cole said the entire offense talked about accountability, not being sensitive to criticism and putting "all hands on deck." The result was the kind of ground game the Steelers hoped to have all season, the kind that makes life easier on a rookie quarterback and helps open up the passing game, too.
"I think everyone just felt a sense of urgency," Cole said. "We were 2-6, and we hadn't had a good game running the ball yet. We wanted to have our backs have a really good game like that. And obviously the backs wanted to have a good game. I don't know, maybe it's a change of attitude over the bye week, but it certainly felt good today."
After not recording a single run of 20-plus yards in the first eight games, the Steelers recorded four against the Saints. While Harris had the longest rush, Pickett also got involved with 55 rushing yards -- including 23- and 12-yard scampers. Wide receiver George Pickens also helped out in the ground game, filling the role previously held by Chase Claypool as the team's jet sweep specialist. Pickens scored a rushing touchdown and ran an end-around for a 22-yard gain. It was the perfect way to complement Harris and Warren -- and it gave the Steelers a blueprint of run game success to follow the rest of the season.
"I had to revert back to college where I had some help, too," Harris said. "If a guy's playing every single snap and he's making plays for the team and he's the guy, especially at the running back position, you could just send blitzes at him and pepper him up and just hit him a lot, and then that's wear and tear throughout your career.
"... Am I still adjusting to it? Yeah, I mean, I'm still adjusting to it. I'm a competitor. I wanna play. But are they looking out for me? Yes."
Fantasy managers have likely already adjusted -- whether that involved resetting and reducing expectations for Harris or acquiring Warren, who has gone for a lottery ticket-level handcuff to a viable weekly flex option. ...
Meanwhile, head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters Tuesday that Harris is dealing with "knee discomfort."
It's supposedly a non-issue, per Tomlin, but Harris is expected to be limited in practice this week as the Steelers manage the injury. I'll obviously be following this one closely via Late-Breaking Update as the week progresses.
Having all their pieces in place will be important as the Steelers try to in consecutive games for the first time this season when Cincinnati visits Sunday.
The Steelers opened 2022 with a stunning road upset over the defending AFC North champions in Week 1 thanks in large part to seven sacks and five takeaways.
Indeed, T.J. Watt's return made all the difference for the Steelers' defense in the win over the Saints. Although Watt, who routinely drew extra attention by Saints blockers, didn't record a sack, he finished with four pressures and a quarterback hit.
And even without safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (appendicitis), the defense put together one of its best performances of the season with two interceptions and two sacks -- plus they held the Saints to just 3-of-11 on third down and stopped a big fourth-down attempt in the fourth quarter.
The Saints were playing with an injury-riddled offensive line, but the Steelers' defensive performance in the win gives them a boost heading into Sunday's rematch with the Bengals.
Other notes of interest. ... While Pickett will never be confused with Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen or Justin Fields, Associated Press sports writer Will Graves believes the rookie's mobility is something opponents never had to worry about during the latter stages of Ben Roethlisberger's career.
Pickett's 51 yards rushing were the most by a Steelers quarterback since Roethlisberger had 55 against the Raiders in 2010.
Pickett's decision-making, on the other hand, has been less impressive.
While he didn't turn the ball over in 30 pass attempts and hung in there despite absorbing six sacks, he is still learning how to read the field. With the Steelers driving in the third quarter, wide receiver George Pickens lined up in the slot to Pickett's right and broke open in the end zone.
Rather than try to thread the needle, Pickett hesitated and ended up taking a sack on a drive that ended with a missed field goal.
Asking Pickett to read defenses like a 10-year veteran is unfair. Still, he will need to make progress in that department over the final eight games if Pittsburgh truly wants to be a factor -- even if it's on the fringe -- down the stretch. ...
According to FantasyLife.com's Dwain McFarland, Pat Freiermuth is going to be a quality mid-range TE1 the rest of the way.
McFarland explained the second-year man already had a 23 percent target rate -- very good for a TE -- on the season.
But in his first game without Chase Claypool?
Freiermuth drew a 27 percent target share with an 87 percent route participation.
As McFarland often notes, 80 percent route participation is the gateway to elite tight end production. ...
And finally. ... The Steelers signed kicker Matthew Wright off Kansas City's practice squad to fill in for injured Chris Boswell. Wright didn't exactly pick up where he left off with the Chiefs, missing two of his three field-goal attempts inside a relatively calm Acrisure Stadium.
You can access complete stats for the Steelers Week 10 game via our exclusive Fantasy BoxScore.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Justin Fields, Russell Wilson, Mason Rudolph, Mitchell Trubisky
RBs: Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren, Anthony McFarland Jr.
WRs: George Pickens, Allen Robinson, Calvin Austin III, Miles Boykin
TEs: Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington
San Francisco 49ers
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 15 November 2022As Associated Press sports writer Josh Dubow noted, when the San Francisco 49ers offense was stumbling, it was Jimmy Garoppolo who bailed the team out for a change.
The quarterback widely viewed as being carried to success by talented playmakers and a stout defense came through with several big throws in San Francisco's 22-16 win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday night.
Garoppolo was at his best in difficult spots, completing 6 of 7 passes for 90 yards and four first downs when the Niners (5-4) were facing third-and-8 or longer.
That proved to be a big reason why San Francisco managed to win back-to-back games.
"It's not going to be perfect," Garoppolo said. "When we get in those tough situations, it's how can we overcome it? I thought we did that a couple times tonight, especially in big situations."
Garoppolo got the offense going late in the second quarter with a 21-yard strike to George Kittle on third-and-12. His best play might have come right after that when he scrambled to avoid the rush and then dropped a perfectly placed deep shot down the sideline to Ray-Ray McCloud for a 33-yard gain.
Garoppolo capped that drive with a 1-yard TD sneak for San Francisco's first touchdown.
He then converted three more third-down passes on the go-ahead touchdown drive in the fourth quarter with his 24-yarder to Brandon Aiyuk on third-and-10 leading to Christian McCaffrey's 2-yard TD run.
"We were super excited, especially not playing last week. I think a little too excited for a little bit," Aiyuk said. "It took us a while to settle in but once we got going, it was good."
Garoppolo has been one of the best in the league this season converting on third-and-long. The 49ers have gotten a first down on 45.2 percent of his passes on third and at least 8 yards, second best in the NFL to Patrick Mahomes' 46.9 percent for Kansas City.
But the entire offense needs to pick up the pace in the red zone.
The Niners moved the ball well but struggled to finish drives, setting for field goals on three of their five trips into the red zone. McCaffrey was stopped on third down from the 2 on the first drive, Aiyuk dropped a pass in the end zone on third down in the third quarter and Elijah Mitchell was hit for a loss on third-and-goal from the 1 late in the game.
San Francisco has scored TDs on 57.8 percent of red zone drives this year, down from a league-leading 66.7 percent in 2021.
"I do think there are a lot of things clicking," head coach Kyle Shanahan said. "But you're not going to get points if you move it and can't score inside the 10. You're not going to get enough points, that's for sure."
And yes, Mitchell looked sharp in his return from a knee injury that had sidelined him since the opener. He had a team-high 18 carries for 89 yards, generating six first downs on the ground.
Shanahan said his "goal" is for McCaffrey and Mitchell to have "about even carries" going forward.
"That kind of was our goal before the game started, was to have a goal to have about even carries [between McCaffrey and Mitchell], but you never know how the game goes," Shanahan said. "And then at the end there when we were just trying to hammer it down, we were just feeling [Mitchell], so we kept him out there."
So what does a timeshare mean going forward?
McCaffrey played 65 percent of the snaps, handled 34 percent of the carries, enjoyed a 73 percent route participation rate and a 21 percent target share; he was involved in 50 percent of the short-yardage plays and 100 percent of the long-down distance opportunities.
According to FantasyLife.com's Dwain McFarland, those numbers equate to "Old school Alvin Kamara and Austin Ekeler before they took over early downs. Great, but not league-crusher."
McFarland added: "McCaffrey is still a great player -- as the comps above indicate.
"Just think 18-22 points per game rather than 25-plus. ..."
And don't expect that to change much.
The 49ers will fly to Colorado on Tuesday to practice at Colorado Springs as they try to acclimate to high altitude before playing Arizona in Mexico City on Monday night. San Francisco will practice in Colorado through Saturday before flying to Mexico on Sunday. ...
The Niners had no in-game injuries for a second straight game for a pleasant change. Rookie WR Danny Gray rolled his ankle in pregame warmups and didn't play. He is day to day. ... DT Arik Armstead (foot, ankle) could return for the first time since Week 4. Shanahan said he wouldn't know until later in the week if Armstead will be able to practice.
The team announced they have signed QB Jacob Eason and WR Dazz Newsome to the team's practice squad. In order to make room on the practice squad, the team placed WR Tajae Sharpe on the practice squad injured reserve list and released QB Kurt Benkert.
Shanahan is not expecting his linebacker, Dre Greenlaw, to be suspended for the helmet-to-helmet hit on Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert on Sunday night. After the game, the coach said he understood the need for the penalty but was surprised that Greenlaw was ejected from the matchup, feeling that the intent to harm was not evident.
His feelings didn't change on Monday. A reporter asked if the coach is under the impression that Greenlaw won't be suspended for the hit.
"I haven't talked to anyone, but I'm not expecting him to [be suspended]," Shanahan said. "... But yeah, I would be very surprised if he was. I feel like he's almost a first-time offender. It's not something he's done much, and I think he's pretty good at that stuff. That's why it would surprise me."
And finally. ... There have been reports that wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. might be interested in joining the 49ers or Dallas Cowboys. A reporter asked Shanahan if that interest was mutual.
"We consider everything," Shanahan said, not wanting to add much more to that comment.
You can access complete stats for the 49ers Week 10 game via our exclusive Fantasy BoxScore.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Brock Purdy, Josh Dobbs, Brandon Allen
RBs: Christian McCaffrey, Elijah Mitchell, Jordan Mason, Kyle Juszczyk
WRs: Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, Jauan Jennings, Ray-Ray McCloud, Ronnie Bell, Danny Gray
TEs: George Kittle, Charlie Woerner, Brayden Willis, Ross Dwelley, Cameron Latu
Seattle Seahawks
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 15 November 2022According to ESPN.com's Brady Henderson, head coach Pete Carroll didn't place any blame for the Seattle Seahawks' 21-16 loss on lingering jetlag from their long trip to Munich, Germany, as sluggish as they looked early on while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers raced to a 14-0 halftime lead.
He didn't fault the turf either, noting they weren't the only team that struggled to find its footing on the slick surface at Allianz Arena.
And so the best explanation for the Seahawks' worst performance since their Week 2 debacle in Santa Clara may be that they simply got beat by the greatest quarterback of all time and a team that's better than Tampa Bay's 4-5 record entering the game indicated.
Whatever it was, the Seahawks (6-4) played too well during the four-game winning streak they brought across the Atlantic to conclude after one loss that their bubble is bursting, especially given their strong second-half rally. But the way they played for the majority of the NFL's first ever game in Germany is at least a little troubling given the resemblance it had to their struggles on both sides of the ball during their 1-2 start.
"We talked about how important it is to realize that we were right back in this game and that we weren't out of it," Carroll told reporters. "We never thought that and we didn't show that. That is the same kind of mentality that's going to help us finish the season and do something special with this year. We don't think anything changes in that regard. Just on this night, they did a better job than we did."
Third down was the story, with Seattle going just 1 of 9 on offense and allowing the Bucs to convert on 10 of 15 chances for a 66.6 percent success rate that nearly doubled their average entering Sunday.
By their own admission, the Seahawks underestimated Tampa Bay's running game, which was ranked last in the NFL in yards per game (60.7) and per attempt (2.98).
Seattle's defensive game plan was more focused on collapsing the pocket with a four-man rush and dropping into coverage to stop Brady and the Bucs' pass-catchers. That's why they made run-stuffing defensive tackle Bryan Mone a healthy scratch in favor of Myles Adams, a better interior rusher.
But that strategy only produced one official QB hit.
According to NFL Next Gen Stats, the lack of pressure allowed Brady to average 2.78 seconds to throw, his highest since Week 4 of last season. He posted his best Total QBR, completion rate and yards-per-attempt average in any game this season, leaving the Seahawks' defense looking little like the resurgent unit that had been one of the NFL's best over the past four weeks.
As for the offense. ...
Geno Smith finished with his typically efficient line (23 of 33 for 275 yards) and threw a pair of touchdown passes to Tyler Lockett and Marquise Goodwin. His on-the-run throw into the end zone to a diving Goodwin had a completion probability of only 24.4 percent, according to Next Gen Stats.
Smith now has six touchdown passes with a completion probability under 25 percent this season while no other quarterback has more than two.
Smith also led the Seahawks in rushing with 22 yards, five more than Kenneth Walker III had on 10 carries. But his mixed bag of a day included just one completion on five third-down throws -- and the killer fumble.
But after more than a month of solid and sometimes exceptional play, Smith seemed to suffer a market correction.
He was indecisive and at times jumpy in the pocket. He lacked some of the accuracy that defined his success through the first nine games. And he had a costly fumble deep in Tampa Bay territory in the third quarter when he could have easily just thrown the ball away.
Smith has played at a Pro Bowl level this season thanks as much to his sound decision-making as his talent, but this was his second straight game with a costly mistake. And unlike last week, when he led the Seahawks to three consecutive touchdown drives and a victory over the Arizona Cardinals after throwing a pick-six, they were in too big of a hole to climb out of it this time.
"Obviously I've got to protect the football," he said. "That can never happen. Guy made a great play as I was going down, but if I don't turn that over in the red zone, I think it's a different game."
The silver lining is that the Seahawks are heading into their bye still atop the NFC West with a half-game lead over the 5-4 San Francisco 49ers. They have some difficult matchups left, including a Christmas Eve meeting with the Chiefs in Kansas City, but will play five of their final seven games at home.
But as Associated Press sports writer Tim Booth suggested, the Seahawks' 12-hour flight back to Seattle probably seemed even longer after this loss.
Something to work on over the off week: Seattle had zero running game, which contributed to the problems on offense in the first half. As noted above, Walker finished with 17 yards rushing on 10 carries and didn't have a run longer than 5 yards.
That said, Walker saw a 24 percent target share.
As FantasyLife.com's Dwain McFarland notes, Travis Homer retained most of the long-down-distance work, but the Seahawks finding ways to keep Walker involved in trailing scripts is positive.
"Five receptions for 55 yards, is nice in this game script," McFarland added. ...
On the injury front. ... WR Dee Eskridge injured his hand, but it's not broken, Carroll said. Guard Damien Lewis and LB Jordyn Brooks both left briefly in the second half but returned. Seattle should get back CB Tre Brown following the bye week after he missed more than a year with a knee injury.
You can access complete stats for the Seahawks Week 10 game via our exclusive Fantasy BoxScore.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Sam Howell, Geno Smith
RBs: Kenneth Walker III, Zach Charbonnet, DeeJay Dallas, Kenny McIntosh
WRs: DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jake Bobo, Cody Thompson, Dareke Young
TEs: Noah Fant, Will Dissly
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 15 November 2022As Associated Press sports writer Fred Goodall noted, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are back at .500 and feeling good about their prospects of making a strong second-half run.
The Bucs (5-5) enter this week's bye sitting alone atop the NFC South, confident they're headed in the right direction after consecutive wins over the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks.
The two-game winning streak follows a stretch in which they struggled offensively and defensively while losing five of six games.
"Hopefully, we're trending forward," head coach Todd Bowles said after Sunday's 21-16 victory over the Seahawks in Munich, Germany.
"You almost don't want to have a bye since you won two in a row," Bowles added. "But we've got some guys nicked up and we've got to get healthy, so we'll get some rest and get ready for the stretch run."
The Bucs delivered perhaps their best overall performance of the season to end Seattle's four-game winning streak with Tom Brady throwing for 258 yards and two touchdowns and finally getting some assistance from a running game that's been absent most of the year.
The defense sparkled, too, despite allowing a couple of late touchdowns that tightened the score in the fourth quarter.
"It wasn't perfect, but the best part is winning the game and feeling like we made some improvements," Brady said.
"We have a bye week now," the seven-time Super Bowl winner added, "so can take a little bit of time to refresh and get ready to make a big push, figure out kind of some of the things we haven't done well the first 10 weeks of the season, and how we can get better."
The remainder of the regular-season schedule includes road matchups at Cleveland, San Francisco, Arizona and Atlanta, as well as home games against New Orleans, Cincinnati and Carolina.
At 45, Brady still ranks among the league leaders in passing yardage, averaging 280.5 yards per game. WR Mike Evans is on pace for another 1,000-yard season receiving, and on Sunday Chris Godwin caught his first TD pass since undergoing knee surgery and Julio Jones scored his second since returning from injuries that have kept him out of five games this season.
The running game remains a work in progress. The Bucs rushed for a season-best 161 yards against the Seahawks, topping the century mark for the first time since a Week 1 victory over Dallas. That increased their season average by 10 yards per game, but they still have the NFL's second-worst ground attack at just 70.7 yards per game.
Leonard Fournette is likely to be ready for Tampa Bay's next game after its bye despite suffering a hip pointer Sunday against the Seahawks in Munich, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The Buccaneers' next game is at the Browns in Week 12.
Fournette rushed for 57 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries before leaving in the fourth quarter with the injury.
He also threw an interception after taking a direct snap and attempting to complete a pass to Brady, who slipped before the Seahawks' Tariq Woolen made the easy pick.
"Had he not slipped you would have seen his 42-inch vertical," Bowles joked.
Brady recognized that the defense wasn't fooled.
"I tried to yell, 'Lenny no,' but it was too late," Brady said.
It's been tough sledding for Fournette and the Bucs' run game throughout 2022. He's totaled 462 yards with three touchdowns in 10 games. He's averaged just 3.4 yards per carry.
Rachaad White, seldom used on offense the first half of the season, delivered the first 100-yard rushing performance of his career against Seattle, finishing with 105 yards on 22 attempts.
The Athletic's Greg Auman believes White will retain the Bucs' starting job when the team returns from its Week 11 bye. Who gets more touches rest of the way hinges on who produces. ...
Scoring remains a problem. Despite winning two in a row to get back to .500, the Bucs only scored 37 points in doing so. There are just five teams -- Denver, Indianapolis, Washington, Pittsburgh and the Los Angeles Rams -- averaging fewer than the 18.3 points per game Tampa Bay has scored through 10 weeks. ...
You can access complete stats for the Buccaneers Week 10 game via our exclusive Fantasy BoxScore.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Baker Mayfield, Kyle Trask
RBs: Rachaad White, Chase Edmonds, Sean Tucker, Ke'Shawn Vaughn
WRs: Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Trey Palmer, Kaylon Geiger, Deven Thompkins, Rakim Jarrett, Russell Gage
TEs: Cade Otton, Ko Kieft, Payne Durham
Tennessee Titans
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 15 November 2022As Associated Press sports writer Teresa M. Walker, the Titans face their first Thursday night game this season at the worst moment possible.
Yes, the Titans (6-3) are coming off a 17-10 win over Denver, their sixth in seven games. They also have 13 players on injured reserve and had to scratch five defensive starters before kickoff.
Then Tennessee lost three more to injuries during the game.
And oh yeah, Titans kicker Randy Bullock's calf on his right, kicking leg is hurt now too before a trip to Green Bay (4-6).
Walker went on to suggest, "It's time for some Jedi mind tricks" -- beyond the usual NFL ploy of pretending Monday really is Wednesday and not the day usually spent recovering from playing a game 24 hours earlier.
"We have to tell ourselves that, we have to tell our bodies that, we have to tell our minds that," head coach Mike Vrabel said Monday. "But we also have to try to do the best that we can to win the mental performance and the physical recovery battle here the next couple of days. Everybody deals with it."
The Titans (6-3) have battled through plenty of injuries to climb back atop the AFC South after an 0-2 start.
Patching together a lineup for the next game is nothing new for a franchise that set an NFL record using 91 different players last season while earning the AFC's No. 1 seed.
They also got quarterback Ryan Tannehill back from a sprained right ankle that cost him two straight starts.
"No doubt it is a challenge," Tannehill said. "It is a challenge each and every Thursday night game that comes around. We have to get past this one quickly."
And they'll need to pick up the pace on offense.
Yes, Tannehill had his third-best passing performance this season with 255 yards, and they scored a rare touchdown in the third quarter. But Tennessee has scored two fewer points (166) than the defense has allowed (168).
The Titans rank last in averaging 281.7 yards per game.
Derrick Henry, second in the NFL with 923 yards entering Monday, remains their biggest weapon. He's also the biggest focal point for opposing defenses to stop first and foremost. That's why his five-game streak of 100-yard rushing performances was snapped with 53 yards against Denver, his second-worst performance this season.
But Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, the guy who went undrafted out of Indiana in 2020, is coming off a career-best performance with 119 yards receiving and two touchdowns, including a 63-yarder off a flea-flicker play. That tripled the number of TD catches by Tennessee receivers, which had been one by Robert Woods.
In fact, entering Sunday's game, Titans wideouts collectively had one touchdown reception, and none had posted a 100-yard receiving performance through eight games.
Worth noting. ... Treylon Burks saw a 75 percent route participation in his return from injured reserve and he tied for second on the team with an 18 percent target share.
As FantasyLife.com's Dwain McFarland notes, this is a good first step and the first-round pick could surprise in the coming weeks. ...
AAs for the injuries. ... Defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons (ankle) returned to a limited practice Tuesday, which is a move in the right direction ahead of Thursday Night Football.
Simmons missed Sunday's game against the Broncos and was estimated as a non-participant Monday.
In eight games, Simmons has 30 tackles, 5.5 sacks and nine quarterback hits as one of the best players at his position in the league this season.
The Titans also reported good news regarding Tannehill. He had a full practice Tuesday.
Tannehill, who returned Sunday after missing two games with an ankle injury, was listed as limited Monday.
Defensive lineman Denico Autry (not injury related), offensive lineman Aaron Brewer (toe), cornerback Kristian Fulton (hamstring), Henry (not injury related), linebacker David Long (neck), defensive back Elijah Molden (groin) and defensive lineman Kevin Strong (ankle) also had full practices after being estimated as limited Monday.
Bullock remained out of practice after injuring his calf during pregame warmups Sunday.
The team initially believed he would not be available to kick in Sunday's game against the Broncos.
That left Vrabel obviously concerned.
"How much of a concern [is it] when you don't have your kicker 10 minutes before the game?" Vrabel asked rhetorically, via Terry McCormick of titaninsider.com. "A sh-t ton."
Punter Ryan Stonehouse, the holder on place kicks, would have filled in as the kicker with Tannehill as the holder.
But Bullock kicked two extra points and a 35-yard field goal with 2:59 remaining in the win. He kicked off on the team's first kickoff late in the first half but got the ball only to the Denver 18, so Stonehouse took over for the team's other three kickoffs. Two of Stonehouse's kickoffs were touchbacks.
Stonehouse had a great day at his regular job, with a 54-yard average on his eight punts, including one that rolled dead at the 4-yard line and another that was downed at the 5.
Bullock was officially ruled out on Wednesday.
The Titans signed Josh Lambo to the practice squad as insurance and he was promoted to the regular roster on Wednesday.
"We have confidence in Josh Lambo," special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman said, via AtoZ Sports Nashville. "I've worked with Josh beforehand when we were with the Chargers together. Josh for four years was over a 90 percent field goal career kicker right there. He had one bad year last year, but he's a professional. He's done it before in the past. He's kicked up in Lambeau. Having a guy who has some experience, if he's called upon, great."
Lambo kicked in only seven games the past two seasons for the Jaguars, but he has 78 games of experience and is a career 87.1 percent field goal kicker.
Linebacker Bud Dupree (hip), safety Amani Hooker (shoulder), cornerback Lonnie Johnson (hamstring), and center Ben Jones (concussion) are also out. It’s the second straight game Dupree will miss while Hooker has been out for the last three games.
Defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons (ankle) was out of practice after being limited on Tuesday. He’s listed as questionable along with cornerback Elijah Molden (groin).
One last note here. ... The Titans are 0-2 in prime-time games this season and have lost their past two at Lambeau Field by a combined score of 95-21. Then the Titans can get a long weekend off before hosting Cincinnati on Nov. 27.
You can access complete stats for the Titans Week 10 game via our exclusive Fantasy BoxScore.
DEPTH CHART
QBs: Will Levis, Malik Willis
RBs: Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears, Julius Chestnut
WRs: Calvin Ridley, DeAndre Hopkins, Treylon Burks, Nick Westbrook_Ikhine, Tyler Boyd, Kyle Philips, Colton Dowell, Chris Moore
TEs: Chigoziem Okonkwo, Josh Whyle, Trevon Wesco
Washington Commanders
Compiled by FootballDiehards Editor Bob Harris | Updated 15 November 2022As NFL.com's Grant Gordon noted, once upon a 2022 schedule release, Week 10 was circled on the Carson Wentz reunion tour.
With Wentz' finger injury having halted the Philadelphia homecoming storyline, backup quarterback Taylor Heinicke grabbed the headlines and perhaps the QB1 job on Monday night.
Behind Heinicke, the Commanders handed the Eagles their first loss of the season, 32-21, and won for the fourth time in their last five games. With Wentz eligible to come off injured reserve this week, Heinicke's potential to remain in command was as topical as Washington knocking its rivals from the ranks of the unbeaten.
"I don't know," Heinicke said when asked after the game if he'd done enough to start when Wentz returns, "there's a lot of mistakes I've made throughout the games, but again, it's one of thing where if my number's called and I have to play, let's go out there and play, and I'm going to try to do the best of my abilities, so we'll see what happens."
Heinicke's final stats didn't glisten at Monday night's end. He completed 17 of 29 passes for 211 yards, no touchdowns, an interception and a 66.9 rating. Nonetheless, he made big throws when needed, and he captained an offense that moved the chains and had the ball for a resounding 40 minutes and 24 seconds.
Creative offensive play-calling and turnover-generating defense were behind the win.
"We made a commitment to the run," head coach Ron Rivera said Tuesday. "I like the play-calling. I thought we mixed it up very well offensively, and defensively, for that matter. But I really do think running being the focus, we showed ourselves how it can help, how it helps slow down a pass rush."
Antonio Gibson rushed 14 times for 44 yards and a touchdown while catching all three of his targets for 14 yards.
Gibson tied the score at 7-7 with a one-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, but the next time Washington got one yard away from the end zone, it was fellow running back Brian Robinson Jr. who punched it in.
Still, Heinicke was the winning quarterback and his record improved to 3-1 as a starter.
"We felt if we could control the line of scrimmage and run the ball, we could slow things down, and that's what we were able to do," head coach Ron Rivera said. "I mean, the dude's a dynamic quarterback, and he's done a heck of a job."
While Rivera celebrated Heinicke on Monday, he shut down any talk about who will start when Wentz returns until Tuesday.
"We'll talk to you guys tomorrow, we'll talk about that then," Rivera said.
Predictably this was the first topic at his Tuesday press conference.
Rivera did not make any pronouncement about who is starting against the Texans in Week 11, but noted that Wentz has not been cleared to return after finger surgery at this point and that the team would see how things play out before any final decisions.
"We're going to see what happens this week," Rivera said, via Ben Standig of TheAthletic.com.
Creative offensive play-calling and turnover-generating defense were behind the 32-21 win at the Eagles on Monday night that helped the Commanders improve to .500 at 5-5 on the season. Thanks to that, they're right in the thick of the NFC wild-card race.
"We made a commitment to the run," Rivera said Tuesday. "I like the play-calling. I thought we mixed it up very well offensively, and defensively, for that matter. But I really do think running being the focus, we showed ourselves how it can help, how it helps slow down a pass rush."
Though Heinicke's stats on Monday were hardly dazzling, the Commanders have become winners with him under center. In contrast, Wentz is 2-4 as Washington's starter this season, which includes a 24-8 loss to the Eagles in Week 3.
There's more to it, of course. The Commanders traded for Wentz to be the guy this offseason after a 2021 campaign in which Heinicke was 7-8 as a starter who threw for 209.7 yards a game, 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.
"I said it back in OTAs, we brought Carson in to be the starter, and if my number was called I'd be ready to go in. So, whatever decision they want to make, let's go," Heinicke said. "If I'm backing up Carson next week, great, I'm going to help him any way I can to get ready for that Texas game. The biggest thing for me is let's go win, let's just keep winning, whether it's me playing or not."
Wentz' leadership has drawn criticism in the past, whereas Heinicke has been the underdog who provides a spark and galvanizes his teammates.
"His grit, just the way he plays, he's a guy that, it's hard to beat the underdog mentality sometimes, and I told you guys that's him," Rivera said.
For what it's worth, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports "many around the league" expect Heinicke to retain the starting job.
Whatever the case, a decision between Heinicke and Wentz will come later, but if this is it for Heinicke as the Commanders' QB1, it was a memorably sensational last start.
"I'd probably say it's the biggest win of my career," Heinicke said. "It's a division opponent, undefeated, their place, Monday night? Can't get much better than that."
There is excitement in the air and wins in the standings for Washington over these last four weeks. Both were largely absent before then.
Meanwhile, the team will look to rest up on a short week, then prepare for the 1-7-1- Texans. The Commanders opened as 3-point favorites on FanDuel Sportsbook. Another run-heavy Commanders game plan is likely in Week 11 against Houston's porous run defense.
So it's worth noting in the final minute of the first half, Gibson stayed down after being tackled awkwardly, but he returned to the field after halftime. Both running backs are crucial to Washington's offense, as Robinson had 12 more carries than Gibson but no targets. Expect both to be busy this week. ...
Terry McLaurin caught 8-of-11 targets for 128 yards. He remained Heinicke's favorite target again, earning 38 percent of the backup's attempts versus the Eagles.
The speedy receiver now has 370 yards in Heinicke's four starts. ...
Chase Young could play Sunday for the first time in more than a year since tearing the ACL in his right knee, as long as this week of practice goes well. Rivera said Young is "trending in the right direction."
The 2020 Defensive Rookie of the Year's season debut can only bolster a defensive line and pass rush that have been one of Washington's biggest strengths.
Kicker Joey Slye was a perfect 4 of 4 on field-goal attempts, connecting from 44, 58, 32 and 55 yards. The 58-yarder at the end of the first half was a career long and might have "Riverboat" Ron reconsidering going for it on fourth down in makeable situations the rest of the season.
In addition to the field goals, Slye also went 2-of-2 on extra points in the win and the NFL named him the NFC Special Teams Player of the week on Wednesday. It’s the second time he’s been named the conference’s top special teams player of the week. The first came in 2019 when Slye was with the Panthers.
Slye is now 13-of-15 on field goals this season and 14-of-15 on extra points.
You can access complete stats for the Commanders Week 10 game via our exclusive Fantasy BoxScore.
DEPTH CHART
QBs:
RBs: Brian Robinson Jr., Austin Ekeler, Chris Rodriguez
WRs: Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, Dyami Brown, Jamison Crowder, Byron Pringle, Mitchell Tinsley
TEs: Logan Thomas, Cole Turner, John Bates