McDermott’s announces it: Damar Hamlin to start at safety for Bills vs. Cardinals Nick Wojton Damar Hamlin will be the other starting safety for the Buffalo Bills against the Arizona Cardinals in their 2024 NFL season opener. Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott revealed the news via video conference on Wednesday ahead of the matchup. Like many, Hamlin’s incredible journey over the past few years, suffering cardiac arrest and now a starting defensive back in Buffalo, is what stood out the most for the coach. “What else can’t this young man do?” McDermott said. “To come back from that, you know, it’s one thing to come back off of an ACL or a broken bone. It’s another thing to come back off of what he came back off, right? Let alone just to decide to play football and contact football in full pads at the NFL level.” Hamlin will start for the Bills defense alongside Taylor Rapp. Rapp was named a starter early on in the offseason but Hamlin was in a three-way battle for the job. The others in contention were Mike Edwards and second-round rookie Cole Bishop. While Hamlin is the Day 1 starter, that could always change. McDermott even noted that part of the reason Hamlin edged out the competition was because of availability. Edwards (hamstring) and Bishop (shoulder) missed extensive time during training camp due to injury. That hampered their ability to learn the defensive scheme which Hamlin has already spent years in. All things considered, Hamlin will be one of the top players to watch on the Bills defense against the Cardinals. McDermott discussing Hamlin being named a starter can be found in the clip below: https://billswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/65/2024/09/mcdermott-hamlin-Made-with-Clipchamp.mp4 Read all the best Bills coverage at the Democrat and Chronicle and Bills Wire.
Damar Hamlin to start at safety for Bills vs. Cardinals
Giants-Vikings Wednesday injury report: All 53 Giants participating in practice
Drew Lock | Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images The big question still seems to be whether Gunner Olszewski will be able to return punts All 53 members of the New York Giants’ active roster practiced on Wednesday as the Giants prepared for Sunday’s season-opening game against the Minnesota Vikings, per head coach Brian Daboll. While the official Wednesday injury report is not out yet, Daboll expected wide receiver/punt returner Gunner Olszewski (groin), linebacker Mich McFadden (hip), quarterback Drew Lock (hip/oblique), and safety Dane Belton (back) to be listed as limited. The biggest concern has been the availability of Olszewski, who is now on the long end of what had been estimated as 2-4 week recovery period from his groin injury. Here is what Olszewski looked like returning punts on Wednesday: Gunner Olszewski, working back from a groin injury, fielding punts on Wednesday during NYG practice. pic.twitter.com/lruSnypt8e — Big Blue View (@bigblueview) September 4, 2024 If Olszewski can’t return punts on Sunday, the Giants might have to turn to newly-signed cornerback Adoree’ Jackson to handle that role. If they don’t want Jackson, who was injured returning punts for the Giants two seasons ago, to do it they might be forced to make a roster move. On Wednesday, special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial said Jackson is a “dynamic” player with the ball in his hands. Jackson said this week he would be happy to return punts in the opportunity presents itself. “I’m always in the mindset that I’m a returner. I’ve always been one at heart, regardless of what may happen,” Jackson said. “As you all have seen, I go back there and it’s just second nature, just like you get up, walk out of bed, go wash your face, brush your teeth. I get up, go back there, punt return, catch it and figure out what’s going to happen next.” Lock was expected to test his injuries by participating in team work on Wednesday. Daboll also expected McFadden to participate in team work. Lock, the backup quarterback.
Minnesota Vikings Reacts Survey: Gearing Up for Week 1
Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images Let’s start the party! Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Minnesota Vikings fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys. Okay, ladies and gentlemen, it is time for our first official SB Nation Reacts poll of the regular season as we get ready to watch the Vikings take on the New York Giants on Sunday afternoon. Today, we’ve got a trio of questions for you to weigh in on. Reminder that if you want to sign up to be polled on the national questions that are e-mailed out every week, there is a link for you to do so above. For this week, our first question is the one question that we’ll be asking our readers every week: How confident are you in the direction of the Minnesota Vikings? We’ll be doing our best to track these from week-to-week. As far as things that are specific to this week, we are asking everyone to call their shot about how many wins you think the team will have this year. The expectations for the Vikings from most of the Really Smart Football People™ aren’t terribly high, but maybe we’ll get a different result from those of us who keep closer track of the team. Last, we want to know who you think will be the first to find the end zone for the Vikings on Sunday. We’ve got some of the more obvious options for you to pick from, as well as a couple of catch-all choices if you don’t like any of those. If you do like one of the catch-all selections, you can always let us know which specific player you think it will be in the comments section. With that, feel free to cast your vote in our survey and make your opinions known in the comments! We’ll have the results of the survey for you here in a few days. Please take our survey
Jaguars vs. Dolphins Week 1: Reviewing the recent history between the teams
Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK The Miami Dolphins open the 2024 NFL season against the Jacksonville Jaguars. How have the teams fared in recent matchups? The Miami Dolphins open their 2024 regular season with a home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The game will be the 11th all-time regular-season meeting between the two Florida AFC franchises, breaking a 5-5 time in the head-to-head standings. The teams have met one time in the playoffs – but we should all continue to repress the memory of that debacle. The Jaguars finished the 2023 season in second place in the AFC South with a 9-8 record. They missed the playoffs, landing ninth in the AFC standings, with the top seven teams qualifying for the postseason tournament. The Dolphins did make the playoffs, finishing second in the AFC East with an 11-6 record, good enough for the sixth seed. They did not last long in the tournament, however, losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the wild-card round – extending a streak that is now at 24 seasons since their last playoff win. What is the recent history between the Dolphins and the Jaguars? Time to take a look. All-time Dolphins vs. Jaguars record Tied at 5-5 (Regular season) Jaguars 1-0 (Playoffs) Most recent meeting 2021 Week 6 (Oct. 17, 2021)Tottenham Stadium, London, England Dolphins 20 – 23 Jaguars The Dolphins opened the scoring with a six-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to wide receiver Jaylen Waddle on the game’s opening drive. The Jaguars answered with a field goal four minutes later. The first quarter ended with the Dolphins at the Jacksonville 20-yard line and leading 7-3. Three plays into the second quarter, the Dolphins extended the leader with a Jason Sanders field goal. The next three drives, two by the Jaguars one from Miami, ended with punts before the Dolphins were able to add a second field goal in the quarter. After another round of traded punts, the Jaguars started a possession at the Miami 49-yard line, using the field position to score on a touchdown pass from quarterback Trevor Lawrence to wide receiver Marvin Jones. A missed 58-yard desperation field goal attempt from Miami with no time on the clock ended the first half with Miami leading 13-10. The Jaguars scored on the second half’s opening possession when running back James Robinson punched the ball into the endzone from one-yard out. Miami punted on their first drive of the half before defensive lineman Zach Sieler recovered a Lawrence fumble on a defensive lineman Christian Wilkins sack, giving the Dolphins the ball back. Miami did not hold onto the ball for long, with Tagaovailoa throwing an interception on the next play. The quarter ended with Jacksonville leading 17-13. Jacksonville attempted to convert a fourth-and-one early in the final period, but failed to gain a first down when linebacker Jerome Baker was able to stuff Robinson at the line of scrimmage. Miami scored on a 91-yard drive after the turnover on downs, with Tagovailoa finding Waddle in the endzone for a two-yard score. A trade of points was followed by a Jaguars field goal, tying the game at 20 with 3:40 to play. Miami failed to convert on a fourth-and-one attempt of their own, leading to a Jaguars field goal as time expired, giving Jacksonville the 23-20 victory. Surplatives Current streak: Jaguars – 1 win Recent results: Jagaurs 3 wins in last 4 Longest Dolphins streak: 3 wins (2009-2014) Longest Jaguars streak: 2 wins (2015-2018) Largest Dolphins victory: 21 points (24-3, 2012 Week 15) Largest Jaguars victory: 14 points (24-10, 2006 Week 13 – Regular season); 55 points (62-7, 1999 AFC Divisional Round – playoffs) Closest Dolphins margin of victory: 4 points (14-10, 2009 Week 14) Closest Jaguars margin of victory: 3 points (23-20, 2015 Week 2 and 2021 Week 6) Most Dolphins passing yards: 359, Ryan Tannehill (2015 Week 2) Most Jaguars passing yards: 319, Trevor Lawrence (2021 Week 6) Most Dolphins rushing yards: 108, Ricky Williams (2009 Week 14) Most Jaguars rushing yards: 135, Fred Taylor (2000 AFC Divisional Round) Most Dolphins receptions: 10, Jaylen Waddle (2021 Week 6) Most Jaguars receptions: 8, Fred Taylor (2003 Week 6) Most Dolphins receiving yards: 121, Chris Chambers (2006 Week 13) Most Jaguars receiving yards: 155, Allen Robinson (2015 Week 2) Former Teams Dolphins who played with/coached for Jacksonville: Darrell Bevel, quarterbacks coach (Offensive coordinator/interim head coach in 2021) Calais Campbell, defensive tackle (2017-2019) Max McCaffrey, offensive assistant (played WR in 2017) Jalen Ramsey, cornerback (2016-2019) Jaguars who played with/coached for Miami: Doug Pederson, head coach (played QB in 1991-1994) Kris Richard, defensive backs coach (played DB in 2005 training camp)
Week 1 Reacts Survey: Will the Lions repeat as NFC North champs?
Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK Checking in with Detroit Lions fans for our latest SB Nation Reacts survey: Will the Lions repeat as NFC North champs? Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Detroit Lions fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys. With the regular season returning, SB Nation is bringing back their Reacts Surveys for every week of the season. As we have done in the past, there will be a question or two specifically geared toward Detroit Lions fans, with an article exploring the results later in the week. This week we have two questions, the first being a recurring weekly question, and the second designed for Week 1: 1. Are you confident the Lions are headed in the right direction?2. Will the Lions repeat as NFC North champs? The Lions have routinely lived near the top of the rankings when it comes to fans’ confidence in the direction of the organization. Last season, the Lions opened with 99% of fans expressing confidence in the Lions after beating the Chiefs in Week 1. Things remained in the high 90s for the majority of the season with the low point coming in weeks 12-14, dropping as low as 58%. They jumped back to 96% after dismantling the Broncos the following week and stayed in that range for the rest of the season, finishing the year at 98%. After yet another highly successful offseason, the Lions continue to make fans across the NFL. In a recent survey of all NFL fans, over 90% of NFL fans approved of the direction the Lions organization is headed, the highest percentage of all 32 teams. For our second question—Will the Lions repeat as NFC North champs?—we have given fans four options to choose from: Lions remain Kings of the North No, Packers return to glory No, the Bears time is now No, Vikings overcome the loss of J.J. McCarthy According to the folks over at FanDuel Sportsbook, the Lions are the favorites to win the NFC North with +125 betting odds, followed by the Packers with the second-best odds (+210), Bears (+340) third, and Vikings (+850) wrapping up the group. If you’re inclined to believe that the division will finish in this exact order, you can also make that wager with +600 odds. Alright, time to vote in the polls below and keep an eye out later in the week for the results. Please take our survey
Dan Campbell reacts to Applebee’s ad, says ‘there’s more to come’
Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images Lions coach Dan Campbell reacted to the Applebee’s ad and promised (warned?) there’s more to come. A little sneak peek here: On Tuesday, an Applebee’s ad featuring Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell hit the internet and was widely praised for both its overall humor and Campbell’s impressive acting chops. Wednesday, Campbell provided his reaction to the ad campaign—and his reaction to the reaction of the ad. “I got off the practice field yesterday, and I come in, my phone’s on my desk, I turn it over and I’m like, ‘Oh my god,’ I’m just blow(ing) up,” Campbell told 97.1 The Ticket. “The first thing you’re thinking is, ‘I hope there’s not a death in the family.’ And then you realize it’s ‘Hey, I’ll have the 50 cent wings’ from a cousin of mine. It’s endless. ‘Hey, nice one, man. Give me one of those wings.’ So you’re just getting picked at. I’m like, ‘Oh god, they dropped the commercial.’” Campbell admitted he was hesitant to even do the campaign, but encouragement from his wife and his daughter eventually was enough to convince him to do it. And in pure Dan Campbell form, he wanted to make sure the production crew got its proper shoutout. “The staff and crew that worked with us were unbelievable,” Campbell said. “The actors were awesome, they made it what it is. They were unbelievable. They made me feel comfortable and we just did it.” When asked if had experience doing advertisements from when he was a player, Campbell noted that he did a small spot for the Dallas Cowboys back in the day, but was coy on the details. Unfortunately for Campbell, the internet was already a few steps ahead of him and found the ad where he briefly cameos. And if that hasn’t satiated your fix for Campbell commercials, well… good news. “Unfortunately, there’s more to come, I’m afraid,” Campbell said. You can see the original Applebee’s ad here, and below there’s a little extra bonus from his ad campaign already: Drama. Football. Boneless Wings. Take a behind the scenes seat every week and watch as we go from your favorite franchise to a dining dynasty. pic.twitter.com/jKKWs16QPo — Applebee’s Grill + Bar (@Applebees) September 3, 2024
5 things to be excited about the 2024 Eagles
Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images Saquon Barkley is just one of the things to be most excited about with opening night almost here. I understand why the NFL higher-ups want the Eagles and Packers to play their first game of the 2024 season in Brazil. I really do. The NFL wants to be the NBA. They want to be a global league. They want to have Brazilian superstars and French superstars and German superstars and so on. They want to rake in the billions of dollars in foreign cash the NBA does, and utilizing the Eagles and Packers, two marquee franchises and Super Bowl contenders to promote the sport in a country like Brazil makes sense from a long-range financial standpoint. But it stinks. Starting off the season on a Friday night in a foreign country is just about the last way you’d want a team like the Eagles to kick things off in Week 1. This is a team whose schedule last year was all over the place, and with so much uncertainty about the roster and the coaching staff, with so many unanswered questions and coming off a historic collapse the season before, you’d like to start the 2024 season with a good ‘ol fashioned 1pm Sunday kickoff. So while I am looking forward to seeing Jalen Hurts, Jalen Carter and the rest of the 2024 Eagles get the season started on Friday night, I am not looking forward to seeing them do it in Brazil, and I’m certainly not looking forward to seeing how it affects them in the weeks after making this ridiculous trans-continental trip to a city with a sky-high crime rate. That being said, here are five things I am most looking forward to this season with kickoff just a few hours away! Saquon Barkley’s Impact on the Offense The Eagles have not had a true No. 1 running back since Shady McCoy, who led the Eagles in rushing from 2009-14. Over the last decade there has been a collection of RB-by-committee members — DeMarco Murray, Ryan Mathews, Jay Ajayi, LeGarrett Blount, Josh Adams (a team-leading 511 rushing yards in 2018!!!), Miles Sanders, D’Andre Swift, Kenny Gainwell to name a few — and I am ready to give my heart to one player once again. Saquon Barkley is going to be “the guy” in the new Eagles offense. Head coach Nick Sirianni said this week the team was ready to fully unleash the former Giants star and Pro Bowler, saying “He can go for it here” after watching a Barkley run in practice Monday that made him do a double take. I’m also fascinated to see if the Eagles can finally utilize a running back out of the backfield as a pass-catcher, and how much that will help Jalen Hurts. I’m excited to see what Barkley can do running behind a real quarterback in a real offense with real weapons that teams have to focus on other than him. In New York, all eyes were on him. In Philadelphia, he may be option No. 3 or 4 at times. Some believe the offense will run through Barkley, but whether that’s true or not, I’m most excited about a potentially monstrous season from him. Jalen Carter Dominating the NFL With Rams star Aaron Donald now retired, Jalen Carter has a chance to replace him as the best pass-rushing defensive tackle in the NFL. That’s not hyperbole. He has the potential to be an All-Pro defensive tackle, and all accounts from training camp are that he’s in better shape than a year ago and been utterly dominant. Carter played well at time last season, but wore down during the 17-game, 18-week marathon, hardly a surprise development for a player who didn’t play every snap in college in a highly rotational defense at Georgia. The departure of Fletcher Cox from the defensive line rotation leaves a pretty big hole. Even in his final season, Cox was excellent, consistently performing every week while tallying five sacks. Carter would appear to be the heir apparent, and I’m excited to watch him take the next step forward in 2024. Kellen Moore’s Offensive Design By the end of last year, it became clear the Eagles’ offensive schemes needed more than just a makeover. They needed a renovation. And what do you do when you need to renovate something? You hire someone to come on board and strip things down to the studs and rebuild. Enter former Cowboys and Chargers offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. His task is to freshen things up and insert new ideas into Nick Sirianni’s existing scheme. Almost certainly we’ll see more pre-snap motion after last year when Sirianni used it just 10.9% of the time, far and away the lowest percentage in the league. But there will be more to it than just pre-snap motion. Perhaps we’ll see an offense that is able to not only be destroyed by blitzing, but actually exploit it. Perhaps we’ll see more designed passing to their new star running back. Perhaps we’ll see more of A.J. Brown or Devonta Smith in the slot. Perhaps we’ll see different designed runs for Hurts, new blocking schemes, and/or the utilization of Dallas Goedert more. The good news is Moore has so many weapons with diversified skill sets, the possibilities are literally endless. He also has a quarterback that appears ready to match his MVP-caliber 2022 season. Jalen Hurts looks and sounds like a man on a mission, ready to put a distracted and disappointing ‘23 season behind him. If Hurts runs the ball with the same kind of effectiveness we saw two years ago, I just don’t know how anyone stops this offense, even without future Hall of Famer Jason Kelce at the center of the offensive line. A.J. Brown & DeVonta Smith Do you really need more than 30-40 words from me to talk about why I’m excited to see the best wide receiver duo the franchise has ever seen? I didn’t think
Did Hard Knocks catch Joe Schoen scouting quarterbacks?
Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images Schoen says it must “be nice” to not have to worry about the quarterback position The New York Giants may be getting ready for the regular season, but GM Joe Schoen is already hot on the scouting trail. HBO’s “Hard Knocks” cameras caught Bears GM Ryan Poles chatting with Giants GM Joe Schoen before kickoff of the game between the University of Georgia and Clemson. Their chat gave us this exchange, Schoen: “Gotta be nice. Not to be looking at the, uh …” Poles: “Quarterbacks?” Poles: “Hopefully it stays that way for a long time.” “Gotta be nice not to be looking at the (Quarterbacks)” – #Giants100 GM Joe Schoen to #DaBears Ryan Poles on Hard Knocks pic.twitter.com/qLdmLbIDEu — Monte (@MONTECRI5TO) September 4, 2024 Schoen came up through the NFL’s executive ranks as a scout and we already know he spends as much time away from the Giants’ facilities as in them during the season. So it isn’t a surprise to see him at a college game in person. While the the Giants expressed a willingness to trade up for Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels, their plan for 2024 is to give quarterback Daniel Jones one last chance to prove beyond a doubt that he’s their franchise quarterback. Ideally his play behind an (hopefully) improved offensive line and a with a receiving corps in which the Giants are heavily invested will prove worthy of John Mara’s faith. But, in the inimitable words of Mike Tyson “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face.” The Giants don’t know if that punch is going to come, or what form it’ll take if (or when) it does. But they also can’t assume that everything will just work out. And to that end, Schoen has already personally attended three games in the first week of the 2024 College Football Season. He attended the game between Colorado and North Dakota State last Thursday. He then pulled a double-header on Saturday and attended the game between Georgia and Clemson referenced above and the Saturday evening showdown between Texas A&M and Notre Dame. It doesn’t come as much of a surprise that Schoen made a point of watching these teams first. Georgia might be the most talented team in college football, while Notre Dame and Clemson have players who will be drafted highly as well. But while each of those games features players who could help the Giants’ young secondary, Schoen’s hint that the Giants may still be in the market for a quarterback casts the visits in a different light. Quarterbacks Shedeur Sanders (Colorado) and Carson Beck (Georgia) are projected to be among the top passers in the 2025 draft class. Conner Weigman (Texas A&M), meanwhile, is regarded as a high-upside prospect some believe could be a first round prospect. Sanders had a great showing against FCS titan North Dakota State, going 36 of 44 (81.8 percent) for 445 yards (13.1 per attempt), 4 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Beck was efficient as well, going 23 of 33 (69.7 percent) for 278 yards (8.4 per attempt), and 2 touchdowns. Scouting the upcoming quarterback class is prudent for several reasons. And we know that Schoen scouted last year’s class very heavily, watching each of the top prospects in person at least once. But we also should be careful not to read too much into this. Just because Schoen is scouting quarterbacks doesn’t mean the team will draft a quarterback. Jones could thrive in his renovated surroundings, or the team could decide that an imperfect Jones is still better than their options in 2025. But for now, and for our purposes, this could give us a clue as to where Schoen will be each week. For instance, we should probably expect to see him in attendance when Texas takes on Michigan this week.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73563427/2167442490.0.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,0&ssl=1 "The Linc – Biggest reasons for Eagles optimism in 2024")
The Linc – Biggest reasons for Eagles optimism in 2024
Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links … 2024 NFC East preview: Big offseason changes will make or break each team’s season – SB Nation Reason for optimism: Kellen Moore and Vic Fangio. The Eagles roster has been among the very best in the NFL, and could be even better in 2024. However, coaching losses after 2022 led to a disappointing 2023 campaign. Kellen Moore is an excellent offensive mind and his offensive philosophy could fit Jalen Hurts very well. The return of Vic Fangio could help the Eagles regain their dominant defensive identity from the 2022 season. It’s worth noting that Fangio was with the Eagles in an advisory role in 2022, and while they attempted to keep continuity in 2023, Fangio’s disciples have rarely performed as well as he has. Eagles Injury Report: Devin White ruled OUT … but Nakobe Dean was reportedly set to start anyway – BGN The big news is that Devin White is listed under DID NOT PARTICIPATE. He is not traveling with the team to Brazil and has thus been ruled OUT of Friday’s game. White unexpectedly appeared on Tuesday’s injury report as a limited participant due to an ankle injury. Apparently he got hurt in practice. Based on how he took nearly all of the first first-team linebacker reps in practice this offseason, White was originally expected to be a Week 1 starter. But reports indicate Dean was actually slated to be the guy at MIKE. 2024 NFL playoff field predictions: 20 teams that could make it – ESPN+ There are two scenarios for this team. In the positive one, running back Saquon Barkley excels after a massive situation/line improvement, taking some of the pressure off Jalen Hurts. The young draftees (and the return of defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson) in the secondary solidify a group that aged rapidly during the second half. Vic Fangio is a major upgrade at defensive coordinator, the pass rush comes together and a complete Philadelphia team improves its turnover margin and underlying level of play and wins the NFC East comfortably. The other one doesn’t go quite as well. The two new coordinators fail to make an immediate impact. The oft-injured Barkley only lasts half a season, and the offensive line battles injuries and inconsistent play on the interior all season. Rookies Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean aren’t immediate impact players at cornerback, and the Eagles are behind the curve in running a Fangio defense that seems to have peaked in effectiveness a couple of years ago, leading to lots of long, comfortable drives for opposing offenses. I fall somewhere between the two, but I lean toward the latter scenario as more likely. In this universe, the Eagles finish 9-8 and just miss out on a wild-card berth. 2024 NFL Season, Week 1: Three things to watch for during Friday’s Packers-Eagles showdown in Brazil – NFL.com 2) How will the Eagles look in 2024? An Eagles offense that ranked seventh in scoring in 2023 is looking to forget the late-season slump that ultimately led to the team’s early playoff exit. The biggest loss from last year’s unit is undoubtedly center Jason Kelce, a team leader who was an integral part of the prolific “Tush Push” (or “Brotherly Shove”) play, but Philadelphia still boasts plenty of talent at the skill positions. At the center of new coordinator Kellen Moore’s offense: Jalen Hurts, who’s looking to rebound after posting the fourth-most giveaways last season (20) and finishing outside the top 10 in passing yards (3,858) and passing touchdowns (23). He’s flanked by the dynamic receiving duo of A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith — one of just three teammate tandems to each post 1,000 receiving yards last season — newly acquired WR Jahan Dotson, tight end Dallas Goedert and running back Saquon Barkley. This unit looks good on paper but needs stronger support from a defense that ranked near the bottom in 2023, allowing more than 25 points per game (30th in the league). It might be the Saquon Barkley Show, but don’t forget about Kenny Gainwell – NBCSP Saquon, Saquon, Saquon, Saquon, Saquon. Yeah. But don’t forget about Kenny Gainwell either. It’s easy to do. Saquon Barkley has the big contract, three 1,000-yard seasons and two Pro Bowls on his resume. He’s the star in the Eagles’ running back room. But new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore’s history says Gainwell will play a significant role this year as well. “Hopefully so and I’m pretty sure Kellen will make sure that we get those great opportunities and once they come our way, we are going to take full advantage,” Gainwell said. “He’s basically just giving us a greater opportunity to get everyone involved. He’s doing a great job at that. I’m excited about it. I get a great opportunity. I’m just glad for him to be here.” Gainwell has averaged 6.4 touches per game in his first three years with the Eagles, with a high of 7.1 last year. Among running backs who’ve started fewer than five games since 2021, he’s got the 4th-most touches and 4th-most scrimmage yards. The Best NFL Bets for Week 1 – The Ringer Both of these offenses have among the most talent and upside in the NFL. I’m especially interested in seeing whether Jalen Hurts is better able to throw to the middle of the field with DeVonta Smith deployed in the slot more often and since new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore relies on motion more than outgoing offensive coordinator Brian Johnson did. We don’t know how much Green Bay will blitz Hurts in this game, but given how talented both of these offenses are, I expect early fireworks in Sao Paulo. Moore and LaFleur are both good at scripting early plays, and this first-half total should not still be sitting at 24. If the Packers get to +3 across the board, I’ll be betting them against the spread as well. If not, they are an excellent teaser option
4 things I think about the Rams before they start 2024 campaign
Photo by Ryan Kang/Getty Images Is this the last year in LA for Matthew Stafford and/or Cooper Kupp? It’s nearly time for the Los Angeles Rams to kickoff the 2024 season against the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night Football. This time of year brings excitement and a renewed sense of optimism for fans of all 32 teams. The Rams have hopes of returning to the postseason and adding another banner next to their 2021 world championship title. The past few months have been nothing short of interesting for LA. They’ve come out on the other side of contract negotiations for their franchise quarterback, Matthew Stafford, while tensions ran high with their defensive signal caller, Ernest Jones, before the team traded him to the Tennessee Titans. We saw Sean McVay handoff the head coaching headset for the first time in his career to Aubrey Pleasant. This isn’t the end of the journey but merely the start, and we have so much more to learn about this year’s version of the Rams. On the eve of the regular season, these are 4 things I think about Los Angeles before we find out more about the team: 1 – This is Matthew Stafford’s last year in horns The context of Ernest Jones’ contract negotiations gone bad that saw him sent to Tennessee in a mid-round pick swap has made me re-contemplate Stafford’s deal with the Rams on the eve of training camp. Tensions were high that LA’s franchise QB might not report to camp without changes to his deal—reported at the time to be additional guaranteed dollars in future years. Reports leaked during this past spring’s NFL Draft that Stafford wanted said changes to his contract, and a resolution wasn’t reached until late July. Did the Rams send Stafford a similar message to what they told Jones, i.e. play out the 2024 season and then we’ll make up our mind whether you’re part of the team moving forward? While Stafford’s adjusted deal does make it more difficult for the team to move on by prorating money into the remaining years of his deal, it’s still possible to cut ties and look in a new direction at quarterback. Stafford helped McVay and the Rams reach new heights with a Super Bowl victory in 2021, but it’d be difficult to see them meet the same pinnacle again with Stafford—who’s already age 36 and only counting. LA boasts one of the youngest rosters in football. It’s time they draft and develop a quarterback that resembles the profile of the rest of the team. time to buck this trend! sunday night football records:——————————— stafford1-2 with the rams1-6 with the lions2-8 career goff2-0 with the lions4-3 with the rams6-3 career pic.twitter.com/RRtTn5qE89 — roberto clemente (@rclemente2121) September 2, 2024 2 – This is Cooper Kupp’s last year in horns While the financial implications and dollars suggest it’d be wise for the Rams to call it quits with Kupp after this season, I have a tougher time imagining him in another uniform than I do with Stafford. Kupp embodies what it means to be a Ram in the McVay era, and he’s effectively served as an on-field coach since joining the team in 2017. From an incredible triple crown year to the game-winning catch of Super Bowl LVI, Kupp defines this era of Rams football as much as anyone save for Aaron Donald. But all good things must come to an end, and it seems unwise for the Rams to commit nearly $30M in cap space to Kupp when they’ve been able to identify talented wide receivers at the back of the draft that outperform their draft position and fit the team’s mold, see Puka Nacua and Jordan Whittington. Cutting Kupp after the season would result in a dead cap hit of $22.3M and a savings of $7.5M. Managing a trade would improve the savings to $12.5M. While the heart says not to move on from Kupp, the finances say it’s a no brainer. The moment Cooper Kupp had the game winning TD. SUPER BOWL CHAMPS BABY!!! pic.twitter.com/lTpeXpBM65 — Ernesto (@Ernastyy) February 14, 2022 3 – Jared Verse and Braden Fiske will be foundational defensive pieces Jared Verse is the Rams’ earliest draft pick since 2017, and much has been made of that fact. Aside from Steve Avila, who was chosen at pick 36, Braden Fiske would be the next earliest pick over that same span after being chosen at 39th overall. This is the biggest influx of young talent that we’ve seen in Los Angeles in a long time. Last year’s third round picks Byron Young and Kobie Turner were impressive, but Verse and Fiske have much stronger pedigree and should serve as building blocks for this defense into the future. Still, if both players fare well this season, it will be extremely difficult for either to win the league’s defensive rookie of the year award as they’ll likely split votes. Laiatu Latu entered the draft as the most prolific pass rusher, and he’ll head into the season as the favorite for the award with the Indianapolis Colts. The moment Braden Fiske and Jared Verse found out they’ll be reunited in LA im not crying pic.twitter.com/FZ7UTUmMtY — Barstool FSU (@FSU_Barstool) April 27, 2024 4 – Chris Shula’s defense will be a departure from the last three years Raheem Morris was a great defensive coordinator for LA. He played a big part in the championship season in 2021 and helped keep the team from spinning apart during the struggles of the 2022 campaign. The Atlanta Falcons were smart to bring Morris back into the fold of their organization, and the team seems to be headed in the right direction. But the early signs from Chris Shula tell us the team is headed in a much different direction. While Ernest Jones was a focal point in the middle of Morris’ defense, the Shula group seems like it will be multiple in the sense of possibly rotating linebackers and pulling coverage
