After Week 16’s action, the Tank Bowl is officially set for the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants next week. The Tennessee Titans managed to get a win against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, meaning next week’s game between the Raiders and Giants will feature the league’s only two-win teams. So, the loser […] After Week 16’s action, the Tank Bowl is officially set for the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants next week. The Tennessee Titans managed to get a win against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, meaning next week’s game between the Raiders and Giants will feature the league’s only two-win teams. So, the loser could actually be the “winner”, as that team will have the inside track at the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft heading into the final week of the regular season. The order below is via Tankathon. Updated NFL Draft order New York Giants 2-13 (Week 17: @ LV) Las Vegas Raiders 2-13 (Week 17: vs. NYG) Cleveland Browns 3-12 (Week 17: @ PIT) New York Jets 3-12 (Week 17: vs NE) Arizona Cardinals 3-12 (Week 17: @ CIN) Tennessee Titans 3-12 (Week 17: vs NO) Washington Commanders 4-11 (Week 17: @ DAL) New Orleans Saints 5-10 (Week 17: @ TEN) Cincinnati Bengals 5-10 (Week 17: vs AZ) Miami Dolphins 6-9 (Week 17: vs TB) Los Angeles Rams via Atlanta Falcons 6-9 (Week 17: vs LAR MNF) Kansas City Chiefs 6-9 (Week 17: vs DEN) Dallas Cowboys 6-8-1 (Week 17: @ WSH) Baltimore Ravens 7-8 (Week 17: @ GB) Minnesota Vikings 7-8 (Week 17: vs DET) Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7-8 (Week 17: @ MIA) Detroit Lions 8-7 (Week 17: @ MIN) New York Jets via Indianapolis Colts 8-6* (Week 17: vs JAX) Carolina Panthers 8-7** (Week 17: vs SEA) Pittsburgh Steelers 9-6** (Week 17: @ CLE) Dallas Cowboys via Green Bay Packers 9-6** (Week 17: vs BAL) Philadelphia Eagles 10-5** (Week 17: @ BUF) Houston Texans 10-5** (Week 17: @ LAC) Buffalo Bills 11-4** (Week 17: vs PHI) San Francisco 49ers 10-4** (Week 17: vs CHI SNF) Los Angeles Chargers 11-4** (Week 17: vs HOU) Cleveland Browns via Jacksonville Jaguars 11-4** (Week 17: @ IND) Los Angeles Rams 11-4** (Week 17: @ ATL) Chicago Bears 11-4** (Week 17: @ SF) New England Patriots 12-3** (Week 17: @ NYJ) Denver Broncos 12-3** (Week 17: @ KC) Seattle Seahawks 12-3** (Week 17: @ CAR) *The 49ers and Colts will have their Week 16 game on Monday Night Football. **Indicates current playoff team. See More: Las Vegas Raiders Draft
Raiders NFL Draft order 2026: Where Las Vegas stands after Week 16
NFL Week 16 Recap: Immediate fantasy football takeaways from Monday’s game
PFF’s fantasy football recap focuses on player usage and stats, breaking down all the vital information you need to achieve fantasy success in 2025. NFL Week 16 Recap: Immediate fantasy football takeaways from Monday’s game George Kittle leads an impressive San Francisco 49ers passing game: While wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was out, Brock Purdy spread targets around several wide receivers but focused the most on Kittle, who had his first 100-yard game of the season. Josh Downs has his best game of the season: The Indianapolis Colts wide receiver was on the field more often, as Indianapolis used more 11 personnel than usual, allowing Downs to have a big game. Get PFF+ for 30% off: Use promo code HOLIDAY30 to unlock the PFF Player Prop Tool, Premium Stats, fantasy dashboards, the PFF Mock Draft Simulator, industry-leading fantasy rankings and much more — everything you need to win your season. Estimated reading time: 7 minutes PFF’s fantasy football recap focuses on player usage and stats, breaking down all the vital information you need to achieve fantasy success in 2025. The 49ers adjust without Ricky Pearsall: He couldn’t practice all week due to knee and ankle injuries and was ruled out on Saturday. San Francisco didn’t have much stability at wide receiver over the first 10 weeks of the season. Kendrick Bourne, Jauan Jennings, Pearsall, Demarcus Robinson, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Skyy Moore, Russell Gage Jr., Malik Turner and Jordan Watkins all played at least 17 offensive snaps, and none of them played in every game. The 49ers finally had some stability in their last five games. Jennings and Pearsall started, playing 75% of the 12- and 21-personnel snaps and over 92% of the 11-personnel snaps. Robinson joined during 11 personnel, playing 85% of the snaps. Bourne was Robinson’s backup in 11 personnel, and they were the two backups in 12 personnel. Moore was the fifth-string option, playing only five offensive snaps in four games. Watkins has been on the roster but has been a healthy inactive in each of the last four games. This week, Bourne simply took Pearsall’s space in the starting lineup. Bourne had been a full-time starter from Weeks 3-10, playing ahead of Robinson, so it wasn’t a surprise that Bourne received the boost in snaps. The Pearsall loss did not impact Jennings and Robinson’s roles. Moore moved up to fourth on the depth chart but split that role with Watkins, who was active for the first time in over a month. Targets were spread out among the wide receivers. Tight end George Kittle was the focal point of the passing game. San Francisco has a big game against the Chicago Bears next week, which has generally been a favorable matchup for wide receivers. Bourne is a fine waiver-wire target in deeper leagues if Pearsall ends up missing another game. Monitor George Kittle’s health: Kittle suffered an ankle injury late in the third quarter and didn’t return. Kittle missed the first third of the season and was eased back into action for a few weeks, but he’s been dominant over the second half of the season. He is one of three tight ends to play over 90% of their team’s offensive snaps from Weeks 10-15, joining Kyle Pitts Sr. and Brock Bowers. He averaged 19.1 PPR points per game during that stretch, second-best to Trey McBride, and there is a four-point gap between him and third place. Kittle continued to play at a high rate over the first three quarters. He was the focal point of the offense, catching seven passes for 115 yards and a touchdown. After his absence, Luke Farrell and Jake Tonges took over. Farrell has been the second tight end in 12 personnel throughout the season, but Tonges took over as the receiving tight end early in the season. Tongs averaged 11.0 PPR points per game as a starter, which ranked 11th-best among tight ends during that time. The 49ers had a lead and were focused on run-heavy formations during the fourth quarter this week, but we should expect Tonges to be the more fantasy-relevant player if Kittle misses next week. The 49ers have a favorable matchup against the Chicago Bears, so Tonges would be a fine waiver-wire option in deeper leagues. However, players like Taysom Hill, Brenton Strange or A.J. Barner are likely better waiver-wire options. The Colts return to their 11 personnel roots: Indianapolis stuck with 11 personnel more in this game than in any other this season. When head coach Shane Steichen joined the Colts in 2023, they used 11 personnel on 77.1% of their offensive plays, third-most in the league at the time. His wide receivers were Alec Pierce at X, Michael Pittman Jr. at Z, and Josh Downs in the slot in 11 personnel, which has remained true each of the last three seasons. His 11 personnel rate dropped in his second year to 70.9%, in part, thanks to injuries at wide receiver. This season, that rate dropped to 61.6%, ranking 14th in the league. Their three division rivals rank in the top three. Indianapolis invested a first-round pick in Tyler Warren, while Mo Alie-Cox and Andrew Ogletree both rank in the top 16 run-blocking tight ends of the last five seasons (out of 80 tight ends with at least 1,000 snaps). This has been detrimental to Downs’ fantasy value. His snap rate has declined by over 10% of the offensive snaps per game. He’s also had to compete for targets with Warren. His receptions per game have dropped from 5.1 to 3.6, and his receiving yards per game have dropped from 57.4 to 31.2. Indianapolis’ game plan this week was to use more 11 personnel. The Colts used 11 personnel on 29 of the 32 first-half snaps. Indianapolis tried a few things on the first drive of the second half, but then it needed to use 11 personnel to try catching up to the 49ers’ offense. This allowed Downs to be more involved. He caught five passes for 65
Rams’ new special teams coach was recently fired over miscues
The Los Angeles Rams fired special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn over the weekend, the first in-season firing by Sean McVay during his nine seasons with the team. The move was called “overdue” by many fans given L.A.’s many shortcomings on special teams in 2025, but it is merely just a punishment against one person by […] The Los Angeles Rams fired special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn over the weekend, the first in-season firing by Sean McVay during his nine seasons with the team. The move was called “overdue” by many fans given L.A.’s many shortcomings on special teams in 2025, but it is merely just a punishment against one person by McVay unless the Rams actually improve on special teams over the rest of the season. Has anyone stopped to wonder WHY the Rams are suddenly going to get better on special teams just because Blackburn is gone? McVay’s answer to that question is promoting assistant Ben Kotwica and hiring outside consultant Matt Harper. Perhaps that will work, but it is has been less than a year since the Denver Broncos fired Kotwica for many of the same reasons that McVay just fired Blackburn. On January 17th, 2025, the Broncos announced that Sean Payton had fired Kotwica after two seasons with the team. Some of the takeaways you’ve probably read this week about Kotwica’s time with Denver are that the Broncos “finished top-10” in special teams both seasons by some metric and that they were one of the best punt returning teams in the league. Both true. It is also true that Payton fired Kotwica. Fired him. Why? Well, just like Blackburn, Kotwica’s field goal planning was put into question after the Broncos had a kick blocked against the Chiefs that cost Denver a huge divisional win. The first was a blocked field goal as time expired Nov. 10 that preserved a Kansas City Chiefs 16-14 win over the Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs found a weakness in the Broncos’ front on a previous kick in the game and over-loaded the left side of the line. Multiple Kansas City defenders then pushed Alex Forsyth over and linebacker Leo Chenal blocked Lutz’s 35-yard attempt to end the game. The following day Payton said it was not simply Forsyth’s fault, that “this isn’t on one player … this is on all of us. This is on us as coaches.” A 35-yard game-winning field goal try…blocked. Does that sound like how the Rams lost to the Eagles this season? Kotwica made a line adjustment after that and it seemed to work. But cut to Week 17 and the Broncos lose in overtime to the Bengals 30-24. In overtime, punter Riley Dixon (formerly of the Rams) had two punts: one went 40 and one went 38, both setting up Cincinnati in easy scoring range. The first drive ended in a missed field goal but the second time the Bengals scored the game-winning touchdown. A 12-5 Broncos team would have gone to the Texans in the wild card round instead of the Bills. Denver went to Buffalo and got blown out. There was also a special teams gaffe against the Chargers in another late season division loss: The second high-profile special teams mistake came before halftime of the Broncos’ Dec. 19 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in SoFi Stadium, cornerback Tremon Smith was called for fair-catch interference when he bumped Chargers punt returner Derius Davis as the half was about to end. The Chargers elected, by rule, to take a free kick as a result of the penalty, and Los Angeles kicker Cameron Dicker then made a 57-yard field goal to end the half. The play cut the Broncos lead to 21-13 in the game and gave the Chargers, who went on to a 34-27 win, some momentum. Kotwica’s track record in Denver became a “when it rains, it pours” nightmare for the special teams coach in the second half of the season. All three losses in the second half of the Broncos season could point back to special teams and that’s why Kotwica is now the interim special teams coordinator of the Rams instead of retaining his position in Denver despite so much superficial statistical success over two years. You are not just your statistical success as a special teams coach though. That unit is measured more by nuance and individual plays — did you allow a key return touchdown (as the Rams did in Week 16) or a blocked field goal or shank a critical punt? — not just “what did you rank in punt return yards?“ Kotwica is not a change of special teams in L.A. because he’s merely being promoted. He’s been on the staff all year. Harper hasn’t, he’s the only thing representing a new voice here, but he has no noteworthy to track record to speak of and he was a coaching free agent available to be hired in December. So should we expect Kotwica to “fix” the Rams’ special teams problems in the final two weeks of the season and playoffs? That’s probably not going to happen. But perhaps the special teams players will see what happened to Blackburn and realize that if they don’t do better in the next two weeks, they know what will happen to their contracts sooner or later. See More: Los Angeles Rams News
Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings: Initial Injury Reports
It’s time for the first injury reports of the week, folks! Yes, because the Minnesota Vikings and the Detroit Lions are facing off on Thursday, the first injury reports of the week are up as of today, and we’ve got them here for you. It’s worth noting that these are probably best described as pseudo-injury […] It’s time for the first injury reports of the week, folks! Yes, because the Minnesota Vikings and the Detroit Lions are facing off on Thursday, the first injury reports of the week are up as of today, and we’ve got them here for you. It’s worth noting that these are probably best described as pseudo-injury reports. The Vikings didn’t actually practice today, so they’re really more of a wag than anything else, while the Lions just went through a walkthrough rather than an actual practice. Still, this is what we’ve got, so let’s get to them. Detroit Lions OT Taylor Decker – DNP (shoulder) DB Avonte Maddox – DNP (back) WR Amon-Ra St. Brown – DNP (knee) OL Trystan Colon – Limited (wrist) DL Marcus Davenport – Limited (shoulder) C Graham Glasgow – Limited (knee) WR Tom Kennedy – Limited (abdomen) G Christian Mahogany – Limited (fibula) OT Giovanni Manu – Limited (knee) DT Alim McNeill – Limited (abdomen) DE Al-Quadin Muhammad – Limited (knee) DB Amik Robertson – Limited (hand) Pretty lengthy list of names for the Lions, and a couple of pretty significant ones under the “DNP” heading. However, with their playoff hopes still alive, albeit somewhat on life support at this point, I can imagine it will pretty much be all hands on deck for the Lions on Thursday afternoon. I can’t imagine St. Brown not being out there, certainly. Minnesota Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson – DNP (shoulder) C Ryan Kelly – DNP (concussion) RB Jordan Mason – DNP (ankle) QB J.J. McCarthy – DNP (right hand) OT Brian O’Neill – DNP (heel) RB Aaron Jones – Limited (ankle) DL Javon Hargrave – Limited (thigh) LB Eric Wilson – Limited (thumb) TE Gavin Bartholomew* – Full (back) RB Ty Chandler* – Full (knee) LB Austin Keys – Full (ankle) That’s a lot of significant DNPs for the Vikings early on in the week. The McCarthy thing has been discussed ad nauseum already, but I’m sure we’ll continue to discuss it over the next few days. I’d be stunned if Kelly plays. . .frankly, I’d be surprised if he plays again at all, never mind either of the last two games of the season. O’Neill was a game-time decision last week, and I suspect he might be the same this week. It’s also worth noting that the final day of Chandler’s 21-day window for his return from IR is Wednesday, and if Mason is going to be out, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Chandler activated by then. A lot of moving parts here, folks. Those are the first injury reports of this abbreviated week, ladies and gentlemen. We’ll keep tracking the injury situations throughout the course of the next couple of days here and be sure to point out any significant changes. See More:
Kansas City Chiefs announce construction of new stadium, HQ in Kansas
On Monday, the Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas governor Laura Kelly announced plans to build a new stadium for the team — along with a new headquarters and training facility — at two locations in Kansas. The $3 billion stadium will be built in Wyandotte County — reportedly just west of Kansas Speedway — while […] On Monday, the Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas governor Laura Kelly announced plans to build a new stadium for the team — along with a new headquarters and training facility — at two locations in Kansas. The $3 billion stadium will be built in Wyandotte County — reportedly just west of Kansas Speedway — while the team’s headquarters will be located in Olathe. Both sites will be part of mixed-use developments that include entertainment, dining, shopping, office, hotel and residential components. “Today is an extraordinary day in the history of the Kansas City Chiefs,” chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said in an official statement. “We are excited to partner with the State of Kansas to bring a world-class stadium to our fans. This project represents another step in our legacy of innovation and our fan-first mentality, which started with my father, Lamar Hunt. The stadium, practice facility and surrounding development will benefit the entire region — and further elevate Kansas City in the eyes of the country and the world.” The team will continue to play its home games at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium — located in Jackson County’s Truman Sports Complex — through the 2030 season. The new stadium is expected to be ready for the 2031 season. Kansas officials estimate the project will create 20,000 jobs and generate more than $4.4 billion in economic impact during the construction phase. “This agreement to bring the Chiefs to Kansas takes our state to the next level,” Governor Kelly said in a statement. “With this new stadium, we’re creating thousands of jobs, bringing in tourists from around the world, attracting young people and continuing to make Kansas the best place in America to raise a family. This is a game-changer for Kansas — and a signal to America and the world that our state’s future is very bright.” The agreement was approved Monday by the Kansas Legislative Coordinating Council. Structured as a public-private partnership between the Chiefs and the state, the project will require no funding from the current state budget and no new Kansas taxes. The public portion will be financed through Sales Tax and Revenue (STAR) bonds, which will be repaid through revenue generated by the developments themselves and the Kansas Lottery. Further announcements regarding specific facility locations, renderings, design firms and groundbreaking timelines are expected in the months and years ahead. Join the conversation! Sign up for a user account and get: Fewer ads Create community posts Comment on articles, community posts Rec comments, community posts New, improved notifications system! See More: Kansas City Chiefs News
Lions, Vikings Week 17 injury news: Amon-Ra St. Brown misses practice, Graham Glasgow returns
The Detroit Lions (8-7) and Minnesota Vikings (7-8) have announced their initial injury reports as they prepare to face off in Week 17. With this game being played on a Thursday (Christmas Day), the Lions’ practice schedule is altered this week. Their initial report comes out on Monday, while the injury declarations will be announced […] The Detroit Lions (8-7) and Minnesota Vikings (7-8) have announced their initial injury reports as they prepare to face off in Week 17. With this game being played on a Thursday (Christmas Day), the Lions’ practice schedule is altered this week. Their initial report comes out on Monday, while the injury declarations will be announced on Wednesday. The Lions held a walkthrough on Monday, meaning each player’s practice participation level is estimated by the coaching staff, projecting each injured player’s involvement had there been a regular practice on that day. Let’s take a look at the latest injury report and get you up to date with what we know. Note: Any changes from the last injury report will be bolded. Injured reserve updates TE Brock Wright (neck, IR) — Eligible to return in Week 18 OT Giovanni Manu (knee, IR) — Evaluation clock started LB Zach Cunningham (hamstring, IR) S Kerby Joseph (31) — (knee, IR) — Eligible to return in Divisional Round Joseph was placed on injured reserve last Saturday, and with him not being eligible to return until the Divisional Round of the playoffs, his season is effectively over. The Lions have insisted that he’s been close to returning all season, but they’ve had a difficult time “calming down” his knee, so hopefully an offseason of rest will afford him a proper chance to heal up for 2026. No practice WR Amon-Ra St. Brown (knee) — injured in Week 16 LT Taylor Decker (shoulder) DB Avonte Maddox (back) — injured in Week 16 St. Brown played on 97% of offensive snaps in Week 16, but a knee injury kept him from an estimated practice on Monday. While this could be a precautionary measure, it’ll be worth monitoring his progress on a short week. “We’ll know more a little bit later, but this is something that popped up when he came in today,” coach Dan Campbell said at his Monday press conference. “Hopeful that this is just some irritation from the game. That’s what I’m hoping, but I’ll know more later. I’ll know more tonight.” Decker has routinely taken practices off ahead of games, and on a short week, it wouldn’t be surprising if he doesn’t practice much, if at all, leading up to this game. Maddox injured his back against the Steelers, but he was able to finish the game, suggesting this could be a rest day for the veteran. However, because this soft-tissue injury likely popped up following the game, it’s worth monitoring. Limited practice C Graham Glasgow (knee) — upgraded from no practice LG Christian Mahogany (fibula) OL Trystan Colon (wrist) OT Giovanni Manu (knee) — Days remaining in injury evaluation clock: 14 WR Tom Kennedy (abdomen) — injured in Week 16 DT Alim McNeill (abdomen) — injured in Week 16 EDGE Al-Quadin Muhammad (knee) — injured in Week 16 EDGE Marcus Davenport (shoulder) — Injured in Week 16 CB Amik Robertson (hand) Glasgow missed the final two practices last week, then was ruled inactive and missed the game against the Steelers. Having to practice just 24 hours later is a challenging task, so it’s not surprising that the Lions are taking it easy with him to start the week. If he isn’t ready to play again this week, look for the Lions to turn to Trystan Colon (who also missed last week’s game due to injury) or Kingsley Eguakun, who started against the Steelers. Mahogany was removed from injured reserve ahead of the Lions Week 16 game, and played a full complement of snaps, save four that were given to rookie Miles Frazier for developmental purposes. Mahogany was seen limping in the locker room post-game, so hopefully he’ll be able to rest up a bit and play through his discomfort. An estimated limited practice suggests he’ll have a chance to play this week. Colon missed last week’s game with an injury, despite getting in some limited practices during the week. If he’s able to return to the active roster this week, he could challenge to start if Glasgow is once again unable to play. Manu continues to work through his injury evaluation window, but the Lions are currently rostering 10 offensive linemen, so they’re not in a situation where they need to rush him back. Kennedy, McNeill, and Muhammad all played a full complement of snaps in Week 16, yet each suffered a soft tissue injury, which likely would have limited their ability to practice on Monday. An estimated practice is a good sign that they’re in a good position to play this week, but their progress will be worth monitoring. Davenport injured his shoulder against the Steelers and briefly needed to exit the game. Fortunately, he was cleared to return and was able to finish the game. He’s yet another monitoring situation. Robertson was able to play in Week 16 with a club on his injured hand. However, he was limited to just 36% of defensive snaps, suggesting he will likely be limited moving forward until his hand heals up. No longer on the injury report RB Sione Vaki (thumb) LG Kayode Awosika (foot) S Thomas Harper (concussion) The players in this section have progressed far enough in their injury rehabilitation that they no longer need to be listed on the injury report. Vaki practiced in full last week and entered the game without an injury designation. He looks like he’s as healthy as he’s been all season. Awosika practiced in full last week and did not carry an injury designation into the game, suggesting he was deemed a healthy scratch. If Mahogany’s injury doesn’t get better, Awosika could be back in the mix very quickly. Harper
NFL Week 16 Recap: San Francisco 49ers 48, Indianapolis Colts 27
Brock Purdy and the 49ers turned it up a notch against the Colts to close out Week 16, despite having already clinched a playoff berth based on the week’s prior results.
49ers can knock Rams down a peg tonight
If the San Francisco 49ers beat the Indianapolis Colts on Monday, the Los Angeles Rams will slip from the 5 seed to the 6 seed in the NFC playoff picture. It’s a remarkable turnaround from where these teams were at going into their Week 5 matchup — an overtime win by the 49ers — and […] If the San Francisco 49ers beat the Indianapolis Colts on Monday, the Los Angeles Rams will slip from the 5 seed to the 6 seed in the NFC playoff picture. It’s a remarkable turnaround from where these teams were at going into their Week 5 matchup — an overtime win by the 49ers — and L.A.‘s revenge win in Week 10. Going into Week 5, the Rams were 3-1 and 9-point favorites over a 49ers team that suffered injuries all over the roster, including to quarterback Brock Purdy. But the 49ers lost three of their next five, including that 42-26 loss to L.A., and most were writing them off at 6-4 and losing ground on a playoff spot. Now the 49ers could go from out of the playoffs to holding the number one seed. Unbelievable. The 49ers have won four straight and the Rams have lost two of their last three. With a better divisional and conference record, the 49ers hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over L.A. and would improve to the 5-seed if they beat the Colts on Monday night. Talk about the game with other Rams fans right here!
Philip Rivers took the 49ers to school on Colts opening drive
Indianapolis, IN — Clinical, surgical, teach tape: these are just a few words that accurately describe Philip Rivers’s opening drive in primetime against the San Francisco 49ers. Starting center Tanor Bortolini went down early with a concussion, making it the Colts’ third consecutive week in which a starting offensive lineman left the game with injury, […] Indianapolis, IN — Clinical, surgical, teach tape: these are just a few words that accurately describe Philip Rivers’s opening drive in primetime against the San Francisco 49ers. Starting center Tanor Bortolini went down early with a concussion, making it the Colts’ third consecutive week in which a starting offensive lineman left the game with injury, but the veteran quarterback didn’t flinch. Instead, he took the modern-day 49ers defense to school as he carved them up en route to a 9-play, 72-yard touchdown-scoring opening drive. Culminating in a big-time touchdown to wide receiver Alec Pierce, Rivers’s pre-snap operation is what led the Colts offense to a quick, efficient score. Spending almost the entire play clock on each play, the veteran quarterback made every check and audible possible as he singlehandedly walked the 49ers’ defense down. The touchdown to Pierce came on the heels of a free play after Rivers’s cadence caused the defensive line to jump. On the opening drive in question, Philip Rivers went 5-7 for 73 passing yards and 1 touchdown through the air. It was an electric throwback to the past era of quarterbacking, yet also provided a peek at what a player of Rivers’s caliber can do with more prep time than half of a week directly off the couch. Against the Seattle Seahawks in his debut back from retirement, Rivers’s genius was on full display, but his understandably weaker arm was as well. Against the 49ers, however, his arm seemed to reclaim some leftover juice from his past. That’s not to suggest that Rivers is back to his prime, but he’s certainly shown shades through one quarter of play thus far. See More: Indianapolis Colts News
Las Vegas Raiders rookies show development vs Texans
The Las Vegas Raiders fell a close one to the Houston Texas 23-21 on Sunday maintaining there 2nd overall draft selection but in the process young talent continued to showcase some good strides going forward. The most notable being first rounder Ashton Jeanty who logged 24 attempts for 128 yards and a touchdown. Additionally, he […] The Las Vegas Raiders fell a close one to the Houston Texas 23-21 on Sunday maintaining there 2nd overall draft selection but in the process young talent continued to showcase some good strides going forward. The most notable being first rounder Ashton Jeanty who logged 24 attempts for 128 yards and a touchdown. Additionally, he added a 60 yard touchdown reception. 106 of Jeanty’s 128 rushing yards came after contact and the rookie runningback forced 14 missed tackles including 12 on the ground and 2 in his lone reception. Fellow offensive rookies Jack Bech and Caleb Rogers also flashed with Bech logging 2 receptions for 43 yards including a 31 yarder early in the game. The Raiders have started to incorporate Bech more frequently in recent weeks with Bech logging nearly 75% of his 224 yards this season in the last four weeks including 50 vs the Broncos and 43 vs the Texans. Bech also went 1 for 1 on his contested catch opportunities bringing him to an 74% rate on contested catches this season which leads all rookie WRs. Third rounder Caleb Rogers continued his development and track towards starting consistently going forward and in 2026 vs the Texans where he allowed 0 pressures in 27 pass block attempts including a 90.1 pass blocking grade via PFF. Through his first four games as a starter Rogers has allowed just 1 sack and 5 pressures with a 80.2 pass blocking grade and 69 overall PFF grade. Rogers has shown good traits as a pass protector and run blocker though his initial time as a starter after initial reports stated he was “so far from ready to start”. Fellow rookie Charles Grant recorded 2 snaps after head coach Pete Carroll stated he’d see “increased playtime” vs Houston. On defense while the Raiders didn’t see a ton of star plays that Jeanty, Bech, and Rogers turned in they recorded some strong performances. Cornerback Darien Porter Jr turned in a good recovery performance after struggling vs the Eagles allowing 2 receptions for 40 yards while adding a PBU and allowing a 61.9 QBR. Porter has had his ups and downs this off-season but has shown some good coverage instincts and the athletic ability that got him drafted inside the top 100. Porter is young to the position but his initial success is key for his long term future as a starter for Las Vegas. Tonka Hemingway continued his stretch of development turning in 2 tackles, a TFL, and 3 stops while adding 2 pressures and a 9.7% pass rush win rate. Hemingway has consistently seen his snap counts rise through the end of the season and the fourth rounder from South Carolina consistently has shown the ability to be a good rotational defensive tackle and can defend the run as well. Hemingway’s season has been up and down but he’s developed well to end the year. JJ Pegues logged 11 defensive snaps with a 41% run stop win rate and a stop where he’s developed into a strong candidate going forward at nose tackle.
