:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25838345/Screenshot_2025_01_19_at_3.19.17_PM.png?w=1200&resize=1200,0&ssl=1 "All things being equal, draft an experienced quarterback")
As the New York Giants and their fans burn for (seeming) eternity in quarterback hell, watching Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels carve up the Detroit Lions defense to reach the NFC Championship Game, “How can we get one of those?” is the question of the day. It’s been the question for a better part of a decade now. The team definitely needs a bridge quarterback for the 2025 season, but the bigger question is where to find someone younger and with more potential for the long term in the 2025 NFL Draft. Maybe there are none worth drafting, or at least none that will still be on the board when the Giants pick at No. 3. Or maybe there will be several, but the trick is deciding which one is worth the investment, if not at No. 3, then in Round 2. I don’t have the expertise to answer that question; I’ll leave it to Chris Pflum to tell us whether any of the prospects out there this year have the potential to make it as an elite starting NFL quarterback. Mostly that evaluation is about physical and mental traits that the best quarterbacks have: arm talent, accuracy, pocket presence, anticipation, ability to go through read progressions, etc. You’d have to think that all general managers know this, yet they often get it wrong, as evidenced by the number of failed quarterbacks on NFL rosters. One thing I don’t hear discussed much – and when I do, it’s backwards – is the role that age and experience play in QB success. More often than I would have imagined, you hear people downgrade an older college prospect for one of two reasons: You’ll only have them for 10 years or so before they begin to decline (as if none of us would sign on for a decade of elite play), and if they’re good enough to succeed in the NFL, why did they have to stay in college so long? Let’s look at every quarterback drafted in the NFL since 2016 in the first or second round and see whether age and experience at the college level play any role in their NFL success. There are 39 such QBs. We’ll use four different measures: Calendar age at the start of the year they were drafted, college games played, pass attempts, and pass attempts per game. None of these by itself is definitive, e.g., some QBs get into blowout games early in their career and just hand the ball off, some play for coaches who are more or less pass-oriented, etc. Collectively, though, hopefully they show us some trends. Age Here are the six oldest and six youngest Round 1-2 quarterback draftees since 2016: Data from Sports Reference Age and experience aren’t everything – some quarterbacks are just not good enough to succeed at the NFL level. Kenny Pickett at least started for a while, while it looks like Will Levis’ starting days are over given that Tennessee has the No. 1 pick. The other four oldest rookies are an interesting group, though. Bo Nix was the least heralded of the six top QB prospects in the 2024 draft – terrible at Auburn, better at Oregon only because he played in their RPO system, so it was said. But Nix got a ton of experience. After a rough opening month of his NFL career, he clicked in Sean Payton’s offense and led Denver to the playoffs. Michael Penix Jr. only started the last three games of the season, but he looked good in two of them. including a final game with seven (yes, seven) big-time throws and no turnover-worthy plays according to Pro Football Focus. Then we have Daniels, who spent three years at Arizona State, then transferred to LSU for two years and hit his stride. Five years in college seem to have served him well. Finally, Joe Burrow followed a similar path – two years at Ohio State and two more at LSU, and like Daniels, he hit the ground running when he reached the NFL, coming within a play of a Super Bowl ring in his second year. The six youngest quarterbacks tell a different story. Lamar Jackson is unique among them. He, like Burrow, is one of the top five QBs in the NFL today. But he mostly sat through the first half of his rookie year, and when he did become a starter, he was mostly a runner rather than a passer (56.5 PFF passing grade). By year 2, though, he had become the unstoppable force he is today. For Christian Hackenberg, Josh Rosen, and DeShone Kizer, though, that moment never came. Sam Darnold didn’t seem to put it together until this, his seventh, season, although his final two games put even that into question. Finally, we have Anthony Richardson: Jaw-dropping traits, but so little experience – only 393 passes in college, vs. 1936 for Nix and 1438 for Daniels. He was arguably the worst starting QB in the NFL this year despite being the No. 4 pick in 2023. He should have stayed in school another year. Games and Pass Attempts Below we sort the QBs by least (30 or less) and most (40 or more) college games played: Data from Sports Reference The list of quarterbacks with the fewest college games played includes some of the most spectacular failures in recent NFL draft history: Trey Lance (No. 3 after the 49ers traded up), Dwayne Haskins (too small an NFL sample to judge, but unsuccessful until his tragic accident), Richardson (who may yet succeed but clearly wasn’t ready yet), Deshone Kizer (a starter for one year, out of the NFL after two), Kyle Trask (11 NFL pass attempts in three seasons), Zach Wilson (did not throw a pass in 2024 after three years as sometimes-Jets-starter), and Rosen (out of the league after three seasons). It also includes Josh Allen, a bad QB as a rookie but better in year 2 and spectacular since; Kyler Murray,
All things being equal, draft an experienced quarterback
Fantasy Football Rankings 2025: Quarterback tiers
Nathan Jahnke reveals his fantasy football quarterback tiers for 2025. Fantasy Football Rankings 2025: Quarterback tiers 2YYR3DH Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) celebrates after the game winning touchdown during an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Landover, MD. (AP Photo/Peter Joneleit) By Nathan Jahnke Posted Jan 20, 2025 5:00 am EST • Jayden Daniels could join the elite tier: Daniels exceeded expectations as a rookie and the Washington Commanders could greatly improve the wide receiver room this offseason. • Don’t count out Brock Purdy: The San Francisco 49ers quarterback is one of four quarterbacks to rank in the top-10 in fantasy points per game for a quarterback each of the last two seasons. • 2025 NFL Draft season is here: Try PFF’s best-in-class Mock Draft Simulator and learn about 2025’s top prospects while trading and drafting for your favorite NFL team. Estimated reading time: 8 minutes With the conclusion of the 2024 NFL season, these way-too-early 2025 fantasy football rankings are an initial look at how players could be ranked this summer. Player movement in free agency will have a big factor on the rankings, particularly at running back. For now, players expected to be unrestricted free agents are marked as free agents in the team column. These rankings are for redraft PPR leagues. Most of the logic is for single-quarterback leagues, but the general order of the quarterbacks remains true for superflex leagues. Last Updated: 7:00 a.m Monday, January 20 Tier 1: The 24 points-per-game players Rank Name Team Allen and Jackson have been in a league of their own regarding quality and consistency. In the last five seasons, Allen has finished among the top three quarterbacks in fantasy points per game. His worst season over the five-season stretch is better than anyone else’s average season. Allen also had the best PFF offensive grade among quarterbacks at that time. His only problem this season was a lack of consistency early in the year and a few games where the Bills dominated with their run game and didn’t need Allen to accumulate many stats for a decisive victory. A young core of receivers, including Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman and Dalton Kincaid, should help keep Allen near the top of the position. Jackson was the best fantasy quarterback last season. He finished among the top 12 fantasy quarterbacks in all but one game and ranked in the top six in 65% of his matchups. While Jackson was the better of the two quarterbacks this year, there is concern the offense won’t be as dominant next year. Derrick Henry and Mark Andrews are past the age players at those positions usually peak. Left tackle Ronnie Stanley will be 31 years old and a free agent. Jackson is also well past the age quarterbacks usually excel as a runner. There has never been another quarterback like Jackson, so it’s hard to know when his rushing will regress, but he averaged one fewer carry per game this season than any other season of his career. Allen and Jackson had two of the highest ADPs among quarterbacks last season, and they were the two most likely to lead their teams to the fantasy playoffs and two of the top four the year before. Their consistent success should make them third-round picks in most leagues, and it’s possible their price could get driven to the second round. Tier 2: The other quarterbacks to prioritize Rank Name Team 3 Jayden Daniels Commanders 4 Jalen Hurts Eagles 5 Joe Burrow Bengals These three quarterbacks averaged at least 21 fantasy points per game last season. The main way a quarterback has consistently hit 21 points per game over multiple seasons is by rushing. Hurts joins Allen and Jackson as the only quarterbacks with at least 21 points in the last two seasons. All three quarterbacks have accomplished this in at least four of the last five seasons. They have rushed for at least 550 rushing yards 13 times over the last five seasons, whereas all other quarterbacks combined have seven. While Hurts has a lot of value from one-yard touchdowns, he would have still ranked among the top-12 fantasy quarterbacks in points per game without them. Daniels is a riskier option, but his upside is enough to rank third. He averaged 21.5 fantasy points per game despite a bumpy middle part of the season. He finished second in rushing attempts and rushing yards. The Commanders have the third-most cap space heading into the offseason, according to OverTheCap, and most of their wide receivers outside of Terry McLaurin are hitting free agency. If the Commanders can bring in more firepower on offense, that could be enough to move Daniels into the top tier. Burrow is the first quarterback on the list who isn’t a runner. We haven’t seen a pocket passer have back-to-back excellent seasons in recent years, but Burrow should be the exception. He’s averaged over 21.5 fantasy points per game in two of the last three seasons, with injuries taking their toll on his 2023 season. Burrow’s 92.9 PFF passing grade over the last three seasons is the clear best among quarterbacks. The Bengals’ offense and his receivers help increase the gap between Burrow and the rest of the passers. Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins‘ contract situation could take a turn for the worse, which could bring Mahomes down a tier. Tier 3: Most likely to take a leap Rank Name Team 7 Brock Purdy 49ers There is a large gap between gaps two and three, as the top five are pretty safe bets to reach 21 fantasy points per game or better, and arguments could be made for most of the other starting quarterbacks in the NFL to round out the top 10. These three have the highest odds of finishing in the top five or, at the very least, top 12. Mahomes used to average at least 22 fantasy points per game every season, but then he lost Tyreek
Instant analysis of Ravens heartbreaking 27-25 loss to Bills in AFC divisional round
Instant analysis of Ravens heartbreaking 27-25 loss to Bills in AFC divisional round glenn erby Lamar Jackson will have another off-season of questions after the Ravens suffered a heartbreaking 27-25 loss to the Bills in Buffalo after Mark Andrews dropped a two-point conversion that would have tied the game up with less than 2:00 remaining in the fourth quarter. Baltimore finished with 416 yards of offense and outgained Buffalo by over 143 yards, but three costly turnovers doomed a Ravens offense that didn’t make enough winning plays when it mattered most. With the offseason now official, here’s an instant analysis of the crushing loss at Highmark Stadium. Turnovers ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 19: Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens throws a pass against the Buffalo Bills in the first quarter during the AFC Divisional Playoff at Highmark Stadium on January 19, 2025 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images) Baltimore entered Sunday having turned the ball over three times over the past seven games. In Sunday’s matchup with Buffalo, the Ravens had three turnovers in 3.5 quarters, and they were all crucial with ramifications. Mark Andrews ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 19: Mark Andrews #89 of the Baltimore Ravens runs after a catch against the Buffalo Bills in the third quarter during the AFC Divisional Playoff at Highmark Stadium on January 19, 2025 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) Andrews will undoubtedly end up in the Ravens Hall of Fame, and he has Pro Football Hall of Fame numbers, but he’ll remember his costly fumble and dropped two-point conversion. Overall, Andrews had five catches for 61 yards. Andrews hadn’t had a dropped pass since Week 6. He had two in the divisional round loss, including the costly one on the 2-point conversion. Derrick Henry ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 19: Derrick Henry #22 of the Baltimore Ravens runs the ball against Greg Rousseau #50 of the Buffalo Bills in the third quarter during the AFC Divisional Playoff at Highmark Stadium on January 19, 2025 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images) Henry was signed for these moments and did enough, logging 18 carries for 84 yards (5.3 avg) and one touchdown. Lamar Jackson Jan 19, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) runs the ball against Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin (3) during the second quarter in a 2025 AFC divisional round game at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images The two-time MVP will always take the brunt of any loss, but Jackson did enough to win, going 18-25 passing for 254 yards (10.2 avg), two touchdowns, and one interception with a 114.4 rating. Ravens pass catchers ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 19: Rashod Bateman #7 of the Baltimore Ravens catches a pass for a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills in the first quarter during the AFC Divisional Playoff at Highmark Stadium on January 19, 2025 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) Isaiah Likely had four catches for 73 yards and one touchdown, while Rashod Bateman had four catches for 66 yards and a touchdown.
Bengals News (1/20): Al Golden Watch
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images We could be watching the Bengals’ next defensive coordinator coach for a national championship tonight. Bengals: Joe Burrow’s MVP case gets a surprise supporter“Every time he steps on the field, and he’s playing well, he’s definitely considered the best,” O’Neal told RG’s Crissy Froyd. “If he’s in the conversation, he has a chance to win.” ‘All Signs Point’ to Al Golden Becoming Next Cincinnati Bengals Defensive Coordinator“This is not the time or place. This is about the kids … The biggest thing for us right now is understanding the enormity of this game,” Golden said on Saturday. “That’s our focus. All of that other stuff, we’ll deal with in the future.” Patrick Mahomes’ sideline antics have Bengals fans talking againAt this point, that’s probably putting it nicely, too, considering the game’s broadcast called him out for it and the NFL had to come out and defend the flags the next day. J.J. Watt fuels unretirement to join Bengals rumorsThe Bengals adding Watt to pair with Trey Hendrickson would be wild and go a long way toward fixing one of the defense’s biggest problems. Reality check time, though — Trafford will have to keep up his end of the bargain through the end of his season on May 3. Bengals: Ranking 2025 free agents by re-sign priorityThe Cincinnati Bengals figure to be a team with some notable roster turnover after the failure to reach the playoffs, which includes letting a number of the team’s own free agents walk on the open market. The Athletic Gives Bengals Best Chance to Make 2026 NFL Playoffs Among Eliminated Tea“A five-game season-ending win streak put the Bengals on the precipice of the postseason following a slow start to 2024,” Jones wrote. “But the Broncos won their final regular-season game to clinch the AFC No. 7 seed, and that left the Bengals on the outside looking in. 2025 NFL offseason: Free agents, draft notes, predictionsOur NFL Nation reporters picked an offseason priority for the team they cover, then identified an under-the-radar issue that should be considered this spring. Al Golden Right Fit for Bengals? | Notre Dame Defensive Coordinator Could Be NFL BoundThe Cincinnati Bengals could hire Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden to replace Lou Anarumo. Can the Bengals keep Higgins and Chase?“These are high-rent problems to have so many good players that you that you need to pay. It means you have a lot of talent on your roster,” said Kurt Badenhausen, a sports journalist who follows NFL contracts for Sportico. “You can do the salary-cap gymnastics to make it work, but you’re going to have to take from other parts of the team.” Bengals draft prediction adds massive and versatile 6’6, 4.5-sack defenderMore specifically, the Bengals need some help upfront, both on the edge and the interior. Trey Hendrickson is entering the final year of his deal, Sam Hubbard is a candidate to be cut and Joseph Ossai is a pending free agent. ‘What-If?’ – Bengals Passed on Veteran O-Lineman That is Thriving on ContenderBecton left Cincinnati without a deal and the Bengals. Apparently he didn’t have the best visit, but clearly he can play at a high level. He posted a 75.2 overall grade according to Pro Football Focus this season. Former NFL Executive Praises Texans for Joe Mixon Trade With Cincinnati BengalsBy trading Mixon, they cleared the way for Chase Brown to have a breakout second season. Brown had 990 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. He also had 54 catches for 360 yards and four touchdowns.
AFC Championship Game first look: Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs odds and lines
The Buffalo Bills (15-4) will attempt to dethrone the 2-time defending-champion Kansas City Chiefs (16-2) Sunday in the AFC Championship Game. Kickoff from GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium is set for 6:30 p.m. ET. (CBS) Below, we look at Bills vs. Chiefs odds from BetMGM Sportsbook’s NFL odds before making our expert NFL picks and predictions later in the week. The Bills survived a snowy, tightly contested game 27-25 Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens. QB Josh Allen didn’t have gaudy numbers, but he took care of the football and got it done. He was 16-for-22 for 127 yards, 0 TDs and 0 INTs. He ran 10 times for 20 yards and 2 TDs. The Bills defense turned the Ravens over 3 times. The Chiefs took an intentional safety to run time off the clock near the end of the game, which cost them an ATS win as 9.5-point favorites, in a 23-14 win against the Houston Texans Saturday. QB Patrick Mahomes was 16-for-25 for 177 yards, 1 TD and 0 INTs. TE Travis Kelce had game highs with 7 grabs for 117 yards and 1 TD. Play our free daily Pick’em Challenge and win! Play now! Bills at Chiefs odds Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Monday at 12:05 a.m. ET. Moneyline (ML): Bills +105 (bet $100 to win $1005) | Chiefs -125 (bet $125 to win $100) Against the spread (ATS): Bills +1.5 (-110) | Chiefs -1.5 (-110) Over/Under (O/U): 48 (O: -110 | U: -110) Season betting stats ML: Bills 15-4 | Chiefs 16-2 ATS: Bills 12-7 | Chiefs 8-10 O/U: Bills 12-6-1 | Chiefs 7-11 Bills vs. Chiefs head-to-head The Bills lead the all-time series 30-25-1. This will be their third meeting in the playoffs in the last 4 years. K.C. won 42-36 in the AFC Championship in 2022. The Chiefs also won 27-24 in the Divisional Round in 2024. The Bills handed the Chiefs their first loss of the season 30-21 on Nov. 17 in Buffalo. For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW. Follow Ryan Dodson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook. Gambling involves risk. Please only gamble with funds that you can comfortably afford to lose. While we do our utmost to offer good advice and information we cannot be held responsible for any loss that may be incurred as a result of gambling. We do our best to make sure all the information that we provide on this site is correct. However, from time to time mistakes will be made and we will not be held liable. Please check any stats or information if you are unsure how accurate they are. No guarantees are made with regards to results or financial gain. All forms of betting carry financial risk and it is up to the individual to make bets with or without the assistance of information provided on this site and we cannot be held responsible for any loss that may be incurred as a result of following the betting tips provided on this site. Past performances do not guarantee success in the future and betting odds fluctuate from one minute to the next. The material contained on this site is intended to inform, entertain and educate the reader and in no way represents an inducement to gamble legally or illegally or any sort of professional advice. Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside. It is your sole responsibility to act in accordance with your local laws.
Giants news, 1/20: Reviewing the best stories of the weekend
Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images New York Giants headlines for Monday Good morning, New York Giants fans! From Big Blue View 2025 NFL Draft prospect profile – Bradyn Swinson, edge, LSU New York Giants free agency: Stay or go? Ihmir Smith-Marsette Fifth-year options and the myth of first-round draft success Brandon Brown to get second interview for Las Vegas Raiders GM job 7-round New York Giants mock draft: QB Jalen Milroe in Round 3? 2025 NFL Draft prospect profile – Ollie Gordon II, RB, Oklahoma State Is Russell Wilson the right bridge quarterback for the New York Giants? Big Blue View mailbag: Travis Hunter, draft scenarios, more New York Giants free agency: Stay or go? Guard Greg Van Roten More headlines Top 10 rookie classes in the NFL in 2024 | Pro Football Focus The Giants check in at No. 4. Not much went right for the Giants in 2024, but they can take solace in the fact that their rookie class could be part of their foundation moving forward. Malik Nabers is an ascending superstar after finishing his rookie season with more than 1,200 yards and an 87.1 PFF receiving grade. Fifth-round pick Tyrone Tracy was the team’s leading rusher this season and forced 47 missed tackles combined as a runner and receiver. Defensively, the Giants found starting-caliber players in slot cornerback Andru Phillips and safety Tyler Nubin. Phillips led the team’s qualified players with a 75.8 PFF coverage grade. Nubin contributed well in the box with a 76.0 PFF run-defense grade. New York also got decent contributions from Elijah Chatman and Darius Muasau as injuries piled up on their defensive front all season. Ex-Rebel Patrick Willis Tells Hilarious Story of When He Sacked Eli Manning in NFLFormer Ole Miss Rebels and NFL linebacker Patrick Willis finally got the chance to sack his former college teammate in the NFL. BBV mailbag Have a Giants-related question? E-mail it to [email protected] and it might be featured in our weekly mailbag. BBV YouTube You can find and subscribe to Big Blue View YouTube from the show’s home page BBV on X: Follow @BigBlueViewEd Valentine: X @Valentine_Ed | Threads: @ed.valentine | Bluesky: @edvalentineBBV on Facebook: Click here to like the Big Blue View Facebook pageBBV on YouTube: Subscribe to the Big Blue View YouTube channelBBV on Instagram: Click here to follow our Instagram page
The ones that got away – The Splash Zone 1/20/25
Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images Welcome to the Splash Zone, the quickest way to get your day started off right. We bring you a rundown of Miami Dolphins news from the last 24 hours. The Miami Dolphins had to say goodbye to several free agents last year due to their salary cap issue. The team had to let key players leave and sign better deals elsewhere. Robert Hunt went to the Carolina Panthers after signing a deal that the Dolphins were defiantly not going to match or do better. The one player that hurts the most though is Andrew Van Ginkel. He had such a great year with the Minnesota Vikings and it hurts even more knowing the Dolphins never offered him anything. You can check out that story here, and the rest of the day’s round-up below. Miami Dolphins Free Agents Who Shined For Other Teams in 2024An NFL.com writer’s ranking of the top 10 free agents included two who got away from the Miami Dolphins Phinsider News You May Have Missed What are the Dolphins top roster needs – Miami Dolphins News 1/18/25 – The PhinsiderWelcome to the Splash Zone, the quickest way to get your day started off right. We bring you a rundown of Miami Dolphins news from the last 24 hours. Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa told his father he’d ‘die on the field’ for the game he loves – The PhinsiderIn a recent interview with ESPN Honolulu, Galu Tagovailoa discussed Tua’s concussions and their heart-to-heart conversation about his future. Catching Up With the Class of the NFL: What’s next for the Dolphins – The PhinsiderWhat is at the heart of the Dolphins problems? NFL playoff predictions: 2025 Divisional Round winners picks for Rams vs Eagles, Ravens vs Bills – The PhinsiderThe Divisional Round of the 2025 NFL playoffs comes to an end on Sunday as the Los Angeles Rams visit the Philadelphia Eagles and the Baltimore Ravens face off against the Buffalo Bills.
Open thread: Was the Detroit Lions’ 2024 season a success or failure?
Kimberly P. Mitchell / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images The Detroit Lions came into 2024 to avenge their playoff loss. Despite an incredible regular season, they met an even worse fate: immediate elimination. All things considered, was the 2024 season a success or failure? Only one team can win it all each season. There were high hopes and high expectations that the Detroit Lions could be the one to do it. A 15-2 season set themselves up for a home stand en route to the Super Bowl. The team was devastated by their playoff loss last season, and that game drove their path of destruction in the regular season: they were a team on a mission. Yet following another playoff loss that hurts just as badly, was that mission a success or failure? The Lions lost to the Washington Commanders in heartbreaking fashion. The injury bug had the last laugh. The defense floundered. The offense committed the cardinal sin of too many turnovers in the playoffs. All the hopes were dashed away in under 60 minutes. The road to this point was incredible, but does the ending sour the season that was? Today’s Question of the Day is: Was the Lions’ 2024 season a success or failure? My answer: A success. This is such a difficult question to answer—I almost wanted to cop out and say that it depends, because it truthfully does. Success or failure is based on your expectations. Does the bad destination outweigh the great journey? The 2024 Lions were a better team than their 2023 counterpart in nearly facet. The offense was more dangerous, demolishing foes at rates we have not seen in franchise history. The defense, amidst endless injuries to starters and depth alike, was also a significant improvement over the season prior. The Lions turned a scrapheap of practice squad-caliber players into good defense. In 2023, the defense was bad, with or without injuries. Not to be forgotten, the Lions also cemented their special teams for years to come: Jack Fox is an All-Pro punter, while Jake Bates and Hogan Hatten were solid in their debut seasons. All of these improvements led to the best regular season in Lions franchise history. A whopping 15 wins is an incredible feat for any NFL team. That is without question a success, no? The regular season is just an avenue for playoff glory, and the Lions fell flat in that regard. A stunning regular season amounted to a disastrous playoff loss. Once the playoffs begin, those 15 wins meant nothing besides seeding: it was do or die, and the Lions died. Bowing out from the playoffs in upset fashion is rendered worse by the incredible regular season. The Lions won 15 games and lost like that? All of those weeks of incredible football, and the Lions could not defeat a team they were heavily favored against when it actually mattered. For all the good that Detroit demonstrated, they could not match their previous NFC Championship appearance. How can you call this season a success when they could not improve on last year’s playoff run? There is no right answer to the question of success or failure, but I am leaning towards success. At the end of the day, we got to experience months of exciting football. Football is, at its core, entertainment, and to paraphrase the famous line from Gladiator, were we not entertained? Think back to the Matt Patricia era where watching the Lions was akin to a chore—I hated having to write about the NFL Draft in early November. Even if the ending was below expectations, it was still a positive season. Was the season a success or a failure? It all depends on what you wanted from this season. A better team than last year? Success. A Super Bowl appearance? Failure. The Lions have set themselves up for continued dominance, but this missed opportunity will sting until they finally win that coveted trophy.
Eagles-Rams snap counts: Jalen Carter totally dominated while nearly playing the entire game
Eric Hartline-Imagn Images Playing time analysis. The official snap counts from the Philadelphia Eagles’ Divisional Round playoff win over the Los Angeles Rams are in! Let’s take a look and run through some analysis. Get it? Run? OFFENSE Jalen Hurts did not miss a snap despite suffering a knee injury. Tough dude. Lane Johnson was not on the field for victory formation. Fred Johnson took that snap at right tackle. Despite missing just two snaps, A.J. Brown only had two catches for 14 yards. Both of them went for first downs. He was targeted seven times in total and would’ve had two more catches if not for drops. Dallas Goedert led the Eagles in receiving. His four targets resulted in four catches for 56 yards. Efficient. Eagles need to keep feeding him. DeVonta Smith’s four targets resulted in four catches for just 21 yards. But he became the Eagles’ new franchise leader in playoff receiving yards. Saquon Barkley logged 30 total touches, which is tied (with two other times) for the second-most he’s had this season. He produced 232 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns. Pretty decent player. Jahan Dotson did not see a target despite playing 39 snaps. He should’ve been targeted at one point when he got wide open downfield. Not as much 12 personnel this week with Grant Calcaterra being limited to his second-lowest snap count percentage of the season. The only time he finished lower was in Week 18 when he was rested for part of the game. Johnny Wilson once again saw limited playing time as a blocking WR. Kenny Gainwell only played six snaps but made the most of his two touches by gaining 20 yards and two first downs. E.J. Jenkins has a very small role as TE3. Reed Blankenship was lined up deep behind victory formation as a precaution in the unlikely event of a fumble. DEFENSE This was the first time Darius Slay played 100% of the Eagles’ defensive snaps since Week 11. It’s only the fourth time this season that he’s played the entire game on defense. Jalen Carter was an absolute force despite getting just two plays off. He filled up the box score with five total tackles, three quarterback hits, two sacks, two tackles for loss, and one pass deflection. Carter had a season-saving sequence late in the game by sacking Stafford to turn 3rd-and-2 at the plus 13-yard line into 4th-and-11. Then he also pressured Stafford into an incompletion on fourth down. Still had gas left in the tank to take over the game at the end. What a beast! Lots of nickel defense with Cooper DeJean nearly playing the entire game. There was thought that Oren Burks might share snaps with rookie Jeremiah Trotter Jr. Not the case. And understandably so with Burks playing relatively well. Josh Sweat played his highest snap count by far. His previous high was 51. The Eagles are starting to let him empty the tank a bit more with the end of the season in sight. Nolan Smith continues to be awesome as a starting edge rusher for this team. Isaiah Rodgers filled in for an injured Quinyon Mitchell for most of this game. Moro Ojomo logged his first career sack. Jalyx Hunt notched a sack as the third edge rusher in a three-man rotation. Jordan Davis was limited to 17 snaps as DT4. Kelee Ringo saw some playing time as both a dime cornerback and when Rodgers missed a few snaps before returning late in the game. The Eagles will hope that Mitchell’s injury isn’t too serious. The rookie cornerback downplayed concerns about his outlook but his status will be worth monitoring on the injury report this week. SPECIAL TEAMS With Burks graduating from backup to starter, Jeremiah Trotter Jr. picked up the slack on special teams. Nicholas Morrow logged two special teams tackles in his first game back with the Eagles. No fullback snaps for Khari Blasingame in this one. Special teams duty only. Braden Mann had some really good holds in addition to punting well. No defensive role for Trevor Booker once again. The Eagles have shortened the DT rotation to four players. DID NOT PLAY INACTIVE: Tanner McKee, Nick Gates, Darian Kinnard, Trevor Keegan, Ainias Smith, Eli Ricks, Lewis Cine ACTIVE: Kenny Pickett, Bryce Huff, Parris Campbell The inactives were the same from the Eagles’ Wild Card game. They were all healthy scratches. Pickett was warming up after Hurts got banged up and evaluated in the medical tent. But the backup quarterback didn’t enter the game. After playing one defensive snap last weekend, Huff didn’t even see the field in this one. Just not ideal for a big money free agent signing to be such a non-factor. Campbell played two special teams snaps last weekend before not playing at all in this game.
Eagles-Rams snap counts: Jalen Carter totally dominated while nearly playing the entire game
Eric Hartline-Imagn Images Playing time analysis. The official snap counts from the Philadelphia Eagles’ Divisional Round playoff win over the Los Angeles Rams are in! Let’s take a look and run through some analysis. Get it? Run? OFFENSE Jalen Hurts did not miss a snap despite suffering a knee injury. Tough dude. Lane Johnson was not on the field for victory formation. Fred Johnson took that snap at right tackle. Despite missing just two snaps, A.J. Brown only had two catches for 14 yards. Both of them went for first downs. He was targeted seven times in total and would’ve had two more catches if not for drops. Dallas Goedert led the Eagles in receiving. His four targets resulted in four catches for 56 yards. Efficient. Eagles need to keep feeding him. DeVonta Smith’s four targets resulted in four catches for just 21 yards. But he became the Eagles’ new franchise leader in playoff receiving yards. Saquon Barkley logged 30 total touches, which is tied (with two other times) for the second-most he’s had this season. He produced 232 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns. Pretty decent player. Jahan Dotson did not see a target despite playing 39 snaps. He should’ve been targeted at one point when he got wide open downfield. Not as much 12 personnel this week with Grant Calcaterra being limited to his second-lowest snap count percentage of the season. The only time he finished lower was in Week 18 when he was rested for part of the game. Johnny Wilson once again saw limited playing time as a blocking WR. Kenny Gainwell only played six snaps but made the most of his two touches by gaining 20 yards and two first downs. E.J. Jenkins has a very small role as TE3. Reed Blankenship was lined up deep behind victory formation as a precaution in the unlikely event of a fumble. DEFENSE This was the first time Darius Slay played 100% of the Eagles’ defensive snaps since Week 11. It’s only the fourth time this season that he’s played the entire game on defense. Jalen Carter was an absolute force despite getting just two plays off. He filled up the box score with five total tackles, three quarterback hits, two sacks, two tackles for loss, and one pass deflection. Carter had a season-saving sequence late in the game by sacking Stafford to turn 3rd-and-2 at the plus 13-yard line into 4th-and-11. Then he also pressured Stafford into an incompletion on fourth down. Still had gas left in the tank to take over the game at the end. What a beast! Lots of nickel defense with Cooper DeJean nearly playing the entire game. There was thought that Oren Burks might share snaps with rookie Jeremiah Trotter Jr. Not the case. And understandably so with Burks playing relatively well. Josh Sweat played his highest snap count by far. His previous high was 51. The Eagles are starting to let him empty the tank a bit more with the end of the season in sight. Nolan Smith continues to be awesome as a starting edge rusher for this team. Isaiah Rodgers filled in for an injured Quinyon Mitchell for most of this game. Moro Ojomo logged his first career sack. Jalyx Hunt notched a sack as the third edge rusher in a three-man rotation. Jordan Davis was limited to 17 snaps as DT4. Kelee Ringo saw some playing time as both a dime cornerback and when Rodgers missed a few snaps before returning late in the game. The Eagles will hope that Mitchell’s injury isn’t too serious. The rookie cornerback downplayed concerns about his outlook but his status will be worth monitoring on the injury report this week. SPECIAL TEAMS With Burks graduating from backup to starter, Jeremiah Trotter Jr. picked up the slack on special teams. Nicholas Morrow logged two special teams tackles in his first game back with the Eagles. No fullback snaps for Khari Blasingame in this one. Special teams duty only. Braden Mann had some really good holds in addition to punting well. No defensive role for Trevor Booker once again. The Eagles have shortened the DT rotation to four players. DID NOT PLAY INACTIVE: Tanner McKee, Nick Gates, Darian Kinnard, Trevor Keegan, Ainias Smith, Eli Ricks, Lewis Cine ACTIVE: Kenny Pickett, Bryce Huff, Parris Campbell The inactives were the same from the Eagles’ Wild Card game. They were all healthy scratches. Pickett was warming up after Hurts got banged up and evaluated in the medical tent. But the backup quarterback didn’t enter the game. After playing one defensive snap last weekend, Huff didn’t even see the field in this one. Just not ideal for a big money free agent signing to be such a non-factor. Campbell played two special teams snaps last weekend before not playing at all in this game.
