Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images The top of the NFC has some of the best teams in football. Here’s an updated look at the NFL playoff race. The Detroit Lions may be on a nine-game winning streak, but they just can’t seem to produce any cushion both atop the division and the conference. Of course, if the Lions just keep winning, what everyone else does for the rest of the regular season is irrelevant. But as we get deeper into the season, it’s become apparent that there are some serious players atop the NFC. It’s going to be a thrilling finish in the final six weeks of the regular season. Let’s take a closer look with our Week 13 NFC playoff picture. NFC North standings: Lions: 10-1 Vikings: 9-2 Packers: 8-3 Bears: 4-7 While the Lions were comfortably winning, it was the Vikings’ turn to narrowly escape a loss at the hands of the Bears. Minnesota hasn’t played particularly inspiring football as of late, as explained perfectly by friend of the PODcast Arif Hasan. In a series of confidence-draining wins, this most recent Vikings win — an overtime game-winning field goal from a backup kicker — is perhaps the most confidence-draining win, which perhaps evokes the question of “can we relax and enjoy wins?” (no) — Arif Hasan, but NFL (@ArifHasanNFL) November 24, 2024 Here’s what the Vikings have done in the last six weeks: 2-point loss to Lions 10-point loss to Rams 8-point win over Colts 5-point win over Jaguars 10-point win over Titans 3-point (OT) win over Bears The six remaining games on their schedule feature five teams still very much in the thick of the playoff race (Cardinals, Falcons, Seahawks, Packers, and Lions), so we’ll see if this all holds up. The Packers took care of business against a beat-up 49ers team. Like the Lions, they have back-to-back Thursday games coming up, with the surging Dolphins on Thanksgiving and the NFC showdown vs. the Lions on the following Thursday night. Also, lol Bears. NFC playoff standings: Division leaders: Lions: 10-1 Eagles: 9-2 Seahawks: 6-5 Falcons: 6-5 The NFC top seed is now essentially between the Eagles and three NFC North teams. Meanwhile, no one had a better Week 12 than the Seahawks. Not only did they pick up a big win against the Cardinals, but the 49ers and Rams both lost, giving Seattle the lead back in the West. No other team appears to be trending in the right direction. Wild Card spots: 5. Vikings: 9-26. Packers: 8-37. Commanders: 7-5 The Commanders have lost three straight and are just barely clinging onto a playoff spot now. Their fall has given new hope to some of the flailing NFC teams. The problem is… In the hunt: 8. Cardinals: 6-5t-9. Buccaneers: 5-6t-9. Rams: 5-6t-9. 49ers: 5-612. Saints: 4-713. Bears: 4-7 … none of these teams short of the Buccaneers are playing very inspired football right now. And even with Tampa, not sure how much we can take from a shellacking of the Giants. If any of these teams are going to make a run at the playoffs, they’re going to need to play near-perfect football in the final six weeks. Mock draftin’ 14. Cowboys: 4-715. Panthers: 3-816. Giants: 2-9 I don’t care if the Cowboys won and have the same record as some “In the hunt” teams. They are not contenders. They’re just hurting their own draft stock at this point.
Updated NFC playoff standings: Detroit Lions in tight race atop conference
‘Things I think’: Brian Daboll’s grip on the New York Giants, and his job, might be slipping away
Brian Daboll | Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images Losing is one thing, but losing the way the Giants did on Sunday and then having players question each other’s effort is another EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — In thinking about the New York Giants and Brian Daboll’s increasingly tenuous hold on the team’s head-coaching job prior to Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, I posted this on social media: “Brian Daboll needs to hope things go well today as the post-Daniel Jones era begins. It can’t be good for Daboll if the Giants are awful today and fans are leaving early.” Well, things went as badly as they could possibly go once the game started. The listless Giants gave up a 14-play, 70-yard touchdown drive on the Buccaneers’ opening possession. They fell behind 23-0 at halftime and 30-0 in the third quarter en route to a never-competitive 30-7 loss, their sixth straight, that left them at 2-9. Fans who have yet to see the Giants win a game in six tries at MetLife Stadium this season barely bothered to boo, putting about as much energy into that as the Giants seemed to put into trying to compete with the Buccaneers. Instead, they just headed for the exits before the third quarter was over. After the game Dexter Lawrence and Malik Nabers each called the team “soft.” Nabers went so far as to say “soft as f—k.” Lawrence said the Buccaneers “beat the shit” out of the Giants. When I was asked before the season began, and even a few weeks ago, if I thought Daboll deserved to remain as head coach beyond this season, I consistently said yes. With the caveat that the one thing that could change that would be the season going completely off the rails and Daboll losing the locker room. Well, the season has gone off the rails. And, with the non-competitive, seemingly disinterested way the Giants played on Sunday and players sounding after the game as though they had reached the point of hopelessness Daboll might be losing the locker room. There are six games to go. That’s an eternity for a hopeless team. The Giants have lost six straight. They are an unwatchable 0-6 at home. After losing to the Carolina Panthers, watching the best quarterback on the team get benched and ultimately waived, and then being non-competitive Sunday from the first drive against a team that had itself lost four straight games it is fair to wonder if Daboll even finishes the season as the team’s head coach. The Giants have a short week with a Thanksgiving Day game in Arlington, Texas against the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day. If the Giants put up another turkey on Thursday, it is not unimaginable to think co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch will de-activate Daboll’s key card. I continue to think Daboll is a good coach — or, at least could be a good coach. I continue to think that with the right quarterback Daboll could be a winning coach with the Giants. Daboll, though, seems to be watching everything blow apart with no answer for how to stop it. The Giants were competitive in most of their losses before the bye, 1-5 in one-score games an losing a sixth by 10 points. They played hard. They weren’t competitive Sunday, and it is hard to argue that that they gave their best effort. If this continues it is hard to imagine Daboll getting a chance to find out if he can succeed with whatever quarterback comes next after the one the Giants disposed of last week. The Bucs cut through the Giants’ defense like a knife through warm butter as the Giants offered no resistance. The league’s worst offense, orchestrated by Daboll, offered no threats. Daboll, as losing coaches always do, insisted “we had a good week of practice.” But, he had no answers. He just kept repeating some version of the same thing: “It wasn’t good.” “We didn’t play well … just not good enough.” “We just didn’t do a good enough job.” “We weren’t good.” “We didn’t do a good enough job.” Daboll didn’t want to hear questions about whether the benching and ultimate waiving of former starting quarterback Daniel Jones caused a hangover that led to his team’s apparent lethargy on Sunday. “We’ve moved on here,” he said. But, have they? Or, more precisely, have the players? They insisted after the game that they had: “I don’t think that is the reason why we came out here today and got beat the way we did,” said wide receiver Darius Slayton. “At the end of the day, DJ wasn’t on the field today. He had no affect on how well the people that were out there did their jobs and at the end of the day, the people who did play today did a terrible job and that is why we got beat.” Still, while it may have ultimately been the right decision, it is hard to believe the Jones departure had no impact on Sunday. This was former Giants placekicker Lawrence Tynes while watching and trying to process Sunday’s awful performance: The Giants brass made a business decision this week. The players have returned the favor and are making a business decision today. This organization needs a reboot! #Giants100 — Lawrence Tynes (@lt4kicks) November 24, 2024 Players know that Jones, for all his flaws, was the best quarterback on the Giants’ roster. They know how hard he worked and how willingly he sacrificed his body. They know, even though they won’t blatantly say it, that performance might have gotten the quarterback benched but it was money that got him sent packing. They know the organization is moving on to thinking about the future. So, it shouldn’t be any surprise that they don’t appear to possess much resolve in the present. These comments from veteran players are damning for a coach: Jermaine Eluemunor: “I personally don’t think everybody is giving 100%.” Darius Slayton:
Taking stock of the Eagles’ internal options following the Brandon Graham injury
Photo by Ryan Kang/Getty Images Philadelphia’s going to have to make some tweaks to their pass rush rotation. Brandon Graham’s season-ending (career-ending?) triceps injury raises questions about how the Philadelphia Eagles will move forward at the edge defender position. Graham ranks second among Philly pass rushers this season in snaps played (28.3 per game). We previously looked at some external free agent options that the team might consider. Now let’s take stock of the internal options. EDGE RUSHERS ON THE ROSTER JOSH SWEAT Sweat also got banged up against the Los Angeles Rams. It’s unclear if his injury will prevent him from playing. Sweat leads all Eagles edge rushers in snaps played and total sacks this season. He’s averaging 39 snaps per game and he’s pretty consistently played around that number; his season low is 35 and his season high is 45. The read here is the Eagles don’t want to burn out Sweat like they did last year. But they might need to rely on him a bit more now. NOLAN SMITH The 2023 first-round pick has been making progress recently with 3.5 sacks and six quarterback hits in his last seven games. Smith’s inconsistent as a pass rusher but he can provide some splash plays in addition to setting the edge as a run defender. The Eagles should increase Smith’s workload a bit with the hope he can continue to improve. JALYX HUNT Hunt saw 25 defensive snaps in Week 10, which was one game after Bryce Huff suffered his wrist injury. But then Hunt didn’t play a single defensive snap in Week 11. Maybe the coaches didn’t love what they saw? Huff’s injury forced the Eagles to rely on Hunt again in Week 12. And now the team really has no choice but to count on the 2024 third-round pick to be a rotational contributor. Back when Hunt was drafted, it seemed like he might need a full year to see meaningful playing time. But he appeared to be more advanced than expected in the summer. What Hunt lacks in experience he might be able to make up for with athletic tools. EDGE RUSHER ON INJURED RESERVE BRYCE HUFF The Eagles placed Huff, who had wrist surgery on Thursday, on injured reserve prior to Week 12. He’s therefore eligible to return to the field as soon as the Week 16 game against the Washington Commanders. It’s not clear if Huff will actually be healthy enough to play at that point. And if he is, Huff has not really played well this season … even prior to his injury. GETTING CREATIVE ZACK BAUN Tough to move Baun out of his inside linebacker role when he’s legitimately been playing like an All-Pro at that position. But the Eagles might need to him to contribute some more snaps as an edge defender. He obviously has experience in that role. The Eagles could look to put Oren Burks or Jeremiah Trotter Jr. (guessing the former is more likely) in next to Nakobe Dean to free up Baun as a pass rusher. MILTON WILLIAMS Williams has defensive tackle/defensive end versatility. His best work has come as an interior defender but he might be able to fill some snaps as an edge defender. The Eagles have more DT depth to lean on if Williams plays more DE. PRACTICE SQUAD TARRON JACKSON Placing BG on injured reserve and signing Jackson to the roster seems like a logical move. The Eagles’ 2021 sixth-round pick only has one career sack in 308 career snaps played, so, he’s far from a proven commodity. But Jackson did flash a bit this summer. He had one sack, two TFLs, and two QB hits in the preseason. For what it’s worth, Pro Football Focus had Jackson as their seventh-best graded edge rusher from the preseason. The Eagles waived Jackson in part due to a numbers crunch. He caught on with the Carolina Panthers’ practice squad and was signed to their roster before being waived a month later. Jackson returned to Philly earlier this month. The Eagles could give Jackson a shot and see if he’s able to contribute in a rotational capacity. OCHAUN MATHIS The Eagles only signed Mathis to the practice squad on Friday. Guessing they’re not about to immediately make him part of their edge defender rotation. But worth noting he’s around.
Monday Night Football: Ravens-Chargers betting preview (odds, lines, best bets)
Previewing the betting angles for Week 12’s Monday Night Football matchup between the Los Angeles Chargers and Baltimore Ravens. Monday Night Football: Ravens-Chargers betting preview (odds, lines, best bets) 2YGFF38 Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) lines up for play during an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Kirk Irwin) By Mason Cameron Posted Nov 25, 2024 5:45 am EST • QB Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers — under 0.5 interceptions: The Chargers’ signal-caller has been on fire over his past five games, earning the NFL’s highest passing grade (93.4) since Week 7. During that span, Herbert has recorded a league-leading 17 big-time throws while committing just two turnover-worthy plays. • Unlock your edge with a PFF+ subscription: Get full access to all our in-season fantasy tools, including weekly rankings, WR/CB matchup charts, weekly projections, the Start-Sit Optimizer and more. Sign up now! Estimated reading time: 3 minutes Baltimore Ravens (-2.5) vs Los Angeles Chargers [Total: 50.5] Game Overview The primetime lights of Monday Night Football will shine on the third installment of the Harbaugh Bowl, as Jim’s Chargers host John’s Ravens. Historically, this matchup has favored big brother John, who holds a 2-0 record both straight up and against the spread. However, those games took place over a decade ago, and this time, the stakes are just as high but take on a different shape. Both teams are battling for AFC playoff positioning, with each currently clinging to a wild-card berth. Jim Harbaugh has positioned his Chargers for success both on the field and in betting markets. Los Angeles boasts a top-five cover rate (70%) in the NFL, with a 5-1 record against the spread (ATS) since the start of October and an undefeated 4-0-1 ATS record at home this season. On the other hand, the Ravens have faltered recently, delivering less favorable betting results. Baltimore has gone 1-3 ATS since Week 8, including losses in their last two road games, which they entered as favorites. Despite this, Baltimore still fields the league’s highest-graded offense (88.1) and leads in EPA per play this season, though their recent performance was underwhelming. To avoid another lackluster showing against a Chargers defense that ranks third in the league in EPA allowed per play, Baltimore will need strong performances from Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry, who are coming off their lowest-graded games of the season. That could prove challenging, given the Chargers‘ offensive firepower in recent weeks. Since the start of November, Los Angeles has earned the NFL’s third-highest offensive grade (80.3), driven by Justin Herbert‘s exceptional play. Subscribe to PFF+ to unlock the world’s most advanced football database! QB Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers: Under 0.5 interceptions (+109) The Chargers’ signal-caller has been on fire over his past five games, earning the NFL’s highest passing grade (93.4) since Week 7. During that span, Herbert has recorded a league-leading 17 big-time throws while committing just two turnover-worthy plays. Although he had a potential interception dropped in Week 11, he has otherwise avoided turnover-worthy plays since Week 6 and hasn’t thrown an interception since Week 2. Baltimore’s coverage unit has struggled this season, ranking in the bottom third of the league in EPA allowed per pass play and posting a team coverage grade of just 59.0. Interceptions have been hard to come by, with the team recording only seven picks across 491 coverage snaps — below the league average. To compound matters, Baltimore leads the NFL with eight dropped interceptions.
Rams trending towards another 2022
Photo by Brooke Sutton/Getty Images 3 reasons that 2024 is more encouraging and more discouraging than 2022 Two years ago, the Rams went 5-12 and were outscored by 77 points as they averaged 18.1 points per game and 22.6 points per game allowed. After losing to the Eagles on Sunday, the Rams dropped to 5-6 and have been outscored by 43 points — the fourth largest deficit in the NFC — while averaging 21.2 points per game on offense and allowing 25.1 points on defense. The Rams should end up winning more than 5 games, but by almost any other measure they’re trending towards a worse season than the disaster that was 2022. What can be done about it now and what ramifications would another “2022” have on the team next year? In these ways, 2024 has been more discouraging than 2022: 2022 was ravaged by injuries Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp are 2 years older; Aaron Donald isn’t coming back Missed free agent swings could cost Rams valuable 2025 cap space There have been injuries to both receivers and the offensive line, but L.A.’s issues aren’t comparable to 2022’s slate of starters on IR and every team loses players like Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp during the season; the Eagles didn’t miss a beat without DeVonta Smith. Two years ago, the front office knew that Stafford, Kupp, and Donald would return in 2023. That’s not necessarily the case in 2025. Parting ways with Stafford and Kupp feels inevitable if the Rams know that a reset is necessary should they miss the playoffs. Unfortunately signings like Jonah Jackson, Colby Parkinson, and Darious Williams could be short-lived and eat up valuable 2025 cap space in dead money. Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images In these ways, 2024 is MORE encouraging than 2022: This time the Rams will be forced to accept a reset The CORE of the team is better, younger, and cheaper Les Snead will be forced to take fewer big swings on over-the-hill veterans The Rams were bold in trading for Stafford and Von Miller in 2021, as well as signing Odell Beckham, Jr., and it worked out amazingly for that team. However, Snead should have been even bolder in 2022 and started the reset then instead of extending Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, and Aaron Donald to bloated contracts. What Snead did instead was overpay players who were past their primes and then go a step further by overpaying Bobby Wagner and Allen Robinson. The Rams should have accepted that they probably weren’t going to win the Super Bowl two years in a row and started to ship out older players for younger ones, which potentially could have resulted in the team recouping some of that draft value they lost in their previous trades. Of course, 2023 was Snead’s best offseason in years — since 2017 probably — and that was because the team was forced to sit back and watch free agency unfold without any involvement. Bargains paid off and the Rams made the playoffs at 10-7. Unfortunately, that tricked the Rams into thinking that Jackson, Parkinson, and Tre’Davious White would be good signings to put the team over the top. If what happens is that the Rams go 7-10 and then decide to part with players over 30, it’s not the worst thing that could happen: Build around Jared Verse, Braden Fiske, Kobie Turner, and Byron Young. The defensive line is better now than any group (other than receiver) that the team had in 2022 or 2023. Cut ties with veterans who don’t fit into the 2026 — 2 years from now — plans. Stafford, Kupp, Rob Havenstein, Tyler Higbee, Darious Williams. It’s just business. Don’t be in a rush to spend the newfound salary cap wealth. If a premier offensive tackle or cornerback or linebacker or some other player becomes available, and he’s not at the end of his career, sure go for it. But there’s no more reason to be looking at the Tre White’s of free agency. Draft one of the core positions in the first round: Offensive Tackle, Edge Rusher, or Quarterback. Anything else is a luxury pick that teams like the Rams can’t afford to waste a first rounder on while they have needs at premium positions. What happens next? It’s no surprise that the Rams aren’t as good as the Eagles, as Philadelphia showed why they’re once again contenders to win the Super Bowl. However, they play the Saints, Bills, 49ers, and Jets in the next four weeks. That’s three beatable teams and the Bills. Buffalo is a home game so who knows if maybe Josh Allen will be off his game. The Rams should probably still fit into the 7-10 to 9-8 final record range. That’s probably going to keep them out of the playoffs and out of the top-10 in the draft. But if making the playoffs in 2023 caused L.A. to overestimate how good the team actually is, then maybe not making the playoffs is what causes the Rams to realize how badly they need a reset.
Nelson Agholor injury update and status vs. the Chargers in Week 12 | Nov. 25, 2024
Nelson Agholor and the Baltimore Ravens take on the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 12 on Monday at 8:15 PM ET. Watch Nelson Agholor and the Ravens vs. Chargers on Fubo! Will Nelson Agholor play this week? Agholor makes an appearance on the injury list this week (full participation in practice, illness). He does not have a game status listed as of now. The Ravens have one other receiver on the injury list this week: Rashod Bateman (FP/knee): 33 Rec; 531 Rec Yds; 4 Rec TDs More Ravens news Nelson Agholor’s 2024 stats Agholor’s 13 grabs (on 26 targets) have netted him 205 yards (to average 18.6 per game) and two TDs. Ravens’ next game Matchup: Baltimore Ravens at Los Angeles Chargers Time: 8:15 PM ET Date: November 25, 2024 TV channel: ESPN Live stream: Fubo (Regional restrictions may apply) Watch Nelson Agholor and the Ravens vs. Chargers on Fubo! Nelson Agholor’s 2024 game log Week 1 at Chiefs: 1 TAR, 1 REC, 6 YDS, 0 TD Week 2 at Raiders: 3 TAR, 1 REC, 13 YDS, 0 TD Week 3 at Cowboys: 1 TAR, 1 REC, 56 YDS, 0 TD Week 4 at Bills: 3 TAR, 2 REC, 10 YDS, 0 TD Week 5 at Bengals: 4 TAR, 1 REC, 4 YDS, 0 TD Week 6 at Commanders: 3 TAR, 1 REC, 25 YDS, 0 TD Week 7 at Buccaneers: 2 TAR, 1 REC, 20 YDS, 0 TD Week 8 at Browns: 5 TAR, 3 REC, 36 YDS, 1 TD Week 9 at Broncos: 1 TAR, 1 REC, 29 YDS, 0 TD Week 10 at Bengals: 2 TAR, 1 REC, 6 YDS, 1 TD Week 11 at Steelers: 1 TAR, 0 REC, 0 YDS, 0 TD Watch Nelson Agholor and the Ravens vs. Chargers on Fubo! More Ravens vs. Chargers info 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. We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. Ravens Wire operates independently, though, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
Bengals News (11/25): Cincinnati doesn’t receive much help in playoff hunt after Sunday’s games
Photo by Harry How/Getty Images The Bengals are a team that do have to do some scoreboard watching this year, and in Week 12 the teams currently slated for playoff spots did their jobs. Stats to Know From The Bengals First 11 Weeks of 2024Joe Burrow’s 89.3 PFF-pass grade is the second-highest in the NFL and trails only Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson. PFF also has charted Burrow with 21 big-time throws, the second-most behind Buffalo’s Josh Allen. Burrow additionally has a 77.8 PFF-pass grade under pressure this season, the second-highest grade in the league among QBs with at least 50 dropbacks under pressure. Bengals AFC Playoff PictureIf the Bengals can win their remaining six games, they have a 94% chance to make the playoffs. Per The Athletic, Cincinnati is favored in five of the team’s last six games as of this writing, with the lone exception being Week 18 in Pittsburgh. A loss to any of the following opponents would significantly decrease postseason chances varying amounts depending on the game. Bengals vs. Steelers Week 13 | SCOUTING REPORTThe Pittsburgh offense entered 2024 with two new signal callers as Russell Wilson and Justin Fields have both seen action under center. Wilson, injured the first six weeks of the season, took over for Fields in Week 7. The former Seahawks and Broncos QB has been smart with the football, boasting a 7-2 TD-INT ratio. Per PFF, he has committed three turnover-worthy plays since Week 7, tied with a group of quarterbacks for the eighth-lowest in the NFL. However, all three have come when Wilson was under pressure, and his 53.3 pass grade under pressure ranks 17th among QBs with at least 50 dropbacks, per PFF. Bengals have a horrific Evan McPherson problemMcPherson, affectionately called Money Mac and other names by fans, has been anything but this year. Over 11 games, he’s gone 15-of-21 and missed four of seven attempts from 40-plus yards. Bengals Slight Home Betting Favorites Against Steelers Coming Off Bye WeekCincinnati cannot afford another AFC loss and enter this contest 4-7 overall with a 6-5 record against the spread. Pittsburgh is 8-3 ATS and straight up amidst a stellar start to the season. Six games to go: A look at the Bengals’ playoff odds as the team enters bye weekNow, as the time elapsed since the team’s last win surpasses the one-month mark, oddsmakers are increasingly closer to reaching a verdict about whether the team will be able to make it back to the playoffs this year. Bengals don’t get much help in playoff race during bye weekThe Week 12 weekend was more mixed for the resting Bengals. Tennessee knocked off Houston in an upset, bringing the Texans down to 7-5. But Miami stomped New England to move to 5-6. Frustrated Bengals are 4-7 at their bye week and still looking for ways to win close games | Sports | journalgazette.netBut the Bengals keep losing the close ones. They are 4-7 at the bye week and in danger of missing the playoffs for the second straight season. They’d likely have to win all of their last six games to have a chance at the postseason. Burrow, still not completely recovered from surgery on his throwing hand, leads the NFL in completions (274), passing yards (3,028) and touchdowns (27). Oddsmakers take an unexpected stance on Bengals ahead of Week 13 matchup vs SteelersIt’s very late in the year for the Bengals and Steelers to have their first meeting of the season. Had this matchup occur in September, Pittsburgh would have a different quarterback leading the charge, and the Bengals’ playoff hopes wouldn’t be as diminished. Nevertheless, it’s a chance for the home team to get their biggest victory of the season.
Raiders-Broncos score: Denver has bypassed Las Vegas
Gardner Minshew | Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images Raiders are the worst team in the AFC West For the past few years, the Las Vegas Raiders could take solace that they were not the worst team in the AFC West. They were better than the Denver Broncos and owned them with an eight-game winning streak dating back to 2020. That is no longer the case. The Broncos took over in the second half, beating the Raiders 29-19 at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday to complete the season sweep over Las Vegas, which fell to 2-9 and which has lost seven straight games. Denver, 7-5, swept the Raiders for the first time since 2014. The Raiders, who have trailed by double digits in all 111 games, are not only the worst team in the AFC West, but they’re one of the worst teams in the NFL as they are tied with the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Giants as the only two-win teams in the NFL. The rest of the season is all about the push to get a quarterback to give them a better chance of competing with Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and Bo Nix in the division. Here are some key aspects of the game: Tough game for offensive line: Gardner Minshew had to leave the game and reportedly broke his collarbone and will be out for the season on a sack late in the game. He was sacked five times. Meyers has good game: Raiders’ top receiver Jakobi Meyers was a bright spot as he had 10 catches for 121 yards. Meyers is having a nice season in a tough situation. Nix gets them: Nix had another solid game as he completed 25 of 42 passes for 273 yards. He was not intercepted and he connected with Courtland Sutton for two touchdown passes. Bowers quiet, but sets mark: Raiders’ rookie star tight end Brock Bowers had a quiet game with four catches for 38 yards. Bowers who is on pace to set all kinds of records did set the Raiders rookie record for receptions. He has 74 catches. Wide receiver Amari Cooper had 72 catches in 2015. The Broncos had star cornerback Patrick Surtain cover Bowers often. McCormick flashes: With Zamir White and Alexander Mattison out injured, running back Sincere McCormick made his debut. He had runs of 11 and 19 yards and finished with 33 yards on five carries. Perhaps we will see more of him down the stretch. Coach out: Sunday morning, the Raiders told reporters special teams coach Tom McMahon would not coach in the game. No explanation was given. Assistant special teams coach Derius Swinton II took McMahon’s role Sunday. The Raiders showed out on special teams with a long kickoff return by Dylan Laube that setup a touchdown and a 34-yard fake punt pass from punter A.J. Cole to linebacker Divine Deablo that setup a field goal. Empty seats: Not many Raiders fans are going to games at Allegiant Stadium. There were a lot of Broncos fans in the stands Sunday (as is often the case with visiting fans in Las Vegas. But there were also a lot of empty seats. That trend may continue in the final three home games this season. Three-safety look: The Raiders started the game with Tre’von Moherig, Isaiah Pola-Mao and Thomas Harper all playing safety. The Raiders were hurting at cornerback with Nate Hobbs (ankle) and Jakorian Bennett (shoulder) out. Maxx Milestone: Raiders’ star defensive end Maxx Crosby registered his 100th career tackle for loss in the second quarter. He added two more in the second half. It’s the most in the NFL since he entered the league in 2019. He is one of four players since 1999 to reach 100 tackles for loss in their first six NFL seasons Joining DeMarcus Ware, J.J. Watt and Aaron Donald. Ware is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Watt and Donald are in their way to Canton soon. Crosby has 26 games with multiple tackles for loss, which is the second most since 2019 behind T.J. Watt’s 26. He has 14 tackles for loss this season, which is tied for the second most in the NFL. Wilson coming on:Raiders’ second-year defensive end Tyree Wilson had a sack for the second straight game (he has all three of his sacks this season in the past four games) and blew up a jet sweep in the second quarter. The No. 7 overall draft pick in 2023 has his moments, he just has to become more consistent. First half mark:In the second game with Scott Turner as the interim offensive coordinator, the Raiders scored 13 points in the first half as they led 13-9 at halftime. The Raiders hadn’t scored more than 10 points in the first half all season. It was their first halftime lead since Week 4. Ugly turnover margin: The Raiders are minus-17 on the turnover margin. It is the worst margin in team history after 11 games.
Giants news, 11/25: Giants dominated by Bucs, Malik Nabers, Dexter Lawrence, more headlines
Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images New York Giants news for Monday Good morning, New York Giants fans! From Big Blue View Giants-Bucs final score: Giants dominated by Buccaneers, 30-7 ‘Kudos & Willies’: Nothing nice to say about Giants-Bucs, but we’re reviewing the game, anyway New York Giants called ‘soft’ by Dexter Lawrence, Malik Nabers after loss to Bucs 3 things we learned from the Giants’ 30-7 loss to Tampa Bay ‘Significant interest’ in ex-New York Giants QB Daniel Jones 5 playoff-caliber teams who should sign Daniel Jones Giants officially waive Daniel Jones, activate Kayvon Thibodeaux from IR Big Blue View mailbag: It’s — almost — all about quarterback, of course Other Giant observations Dexter Lawrence after the game Dexter Lawrence on if there’s still a good connection between the coaching staff and players: “Of my knowledge I think so.” pic.twitter.com/nfwEuZgn6u — Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) November 24, 2024 Politi: Fire Brian Daboll? ‘Soft’ Giants are making that decision easy for owner John Mara | nj.com When the doors to an NFL locker room open to the media after a loss as bad as the beatdown the Giants suffered on Sunday afternoon, those of us carrying the cameras and the notepads never know exactly what we’re going to encounter. Maybe it’ll be anger. Maybe it’ll be apathy. Maybe it’ll be a bunch of empty stalls, a sign that the players have given up on accountability altogether. After three decades of walking into these uncomfortable situations, I’ve learned to never be surprised. NY Giants called ‘soft’: If this one fails to strike a nerve, it’s over | The Record As the waning moments of Sunday’s 30-7 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers played out on the field, Mara walked quietly into the press box elevator and descended to the basement of MetLife Stadium. The doors opened and Mara, the Giants’ co-owner and team president, stepped out and began the long walk through the hallway on his way to the locker room. The hustle and bustle of an NFL game, regardless of the scoreboard, was enough to cause distractions if he allowed for that, just not in this case. A group of reporters waiting near the security checkpoint at the MetLife loading dock and Mara slowed just enough to extend a “Happy Thanksgiving” greeting, and that was that. Darius Slayton: We need to do our jobs Darius Slayton is asked if the Giants can finish the season strong: “We can, if people start doing their jobs. If you go out there and you don’t do what you’re supposed to do, you get beat.” pic.twitter.com/MiUijzHrIo — Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) November 24, 2024 After Tommy DeVito fails to spark Giants, Brian Daboll doesn’t regret benching Daniel Jones: ‘We’re moved on’ | SNY.tv The head coach said the situation with Jones didn’t have any impact on the team and was “no excuse” for the team’s poor showing. But does Daboll regret benching the starter? “No, we’re moved on here,” he said. When asked again if moving on from Jones – who many on the team believed was the best QB on the team – could impact the locker room, he reiterated they had moved past that and, “We just gotta do a better job, play better all around.” 2025 NFL Draft: Giants’ next 3 games will go a long way in determining draft spot | The Athletic As this season comes to a close, that’s going to be a key number to keep an eye on. Strength of schedule is the first tiebreaker the league uses to determine draft position between teams with the same record. The team with the lower strength of schedule, the aggregate winning percentage of a team’s opponents, receives the better pick. Right now, that’s bad news for the Giants. Their strength of schedule (.520) is one of the highest among teams jockeying for the No. 1 pick. What that means for Giants fans in terms of rooting interest is easy, though: Root against anyone the Giants have played or will play the rest of the year. The more losses those teams pile up, the lower the Giants’ strength of schedule becomes. Coach Brian Daboll on what he said to the players after the game Brian Daboll was asked what his message to the locker room was after today’s loss: “There’s a lot of prideful people, but what we put out there wasn’t good enough.” pic.twitter.com/CsEWphuY7z — Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) November 24, 2024 This week’s opponent Dallas Cowboys at Washington Commanders recap: Scores, highlights, news | Blogging The Boys The Dallas Cowboys won on Sunday and did so because they a bunch of wild things happened both for them and as a result of their hard work. It was their first win since the beginning of October. To start things off Jayden Daniels hit Terry McLaurin for a massive touchdown on literally the first play that they had with just seconds left thanks to doing everything that they could to get the ball back. Chaos ensued with fans celebrating obviously and Dan Quinn elected to go for the extra point and tie as opposed to the two points and potential win. A bad snap led to a miss on the extra point NFL Week 12: Biggest questions, takeaways for every game | ESPN.com Cooper Rush is steady, and that’s what teams need from their backup quarterback. Against the Commanders, Rush completed a season-high 78.5% of his passes and avoided big mistakes. His previous best as a starter was 67.7% in a 2022 win against the Giants. He threw two touchdown passes in the second half and looked like the quarterback who went 4-1 as Prescott’s replacement in 2022. Stephen Jones on trade for Trey Lance: I don’t regret that at all | Pro Football Talk “[Lance] is a top-tier pick, a guy we had at the top,” Stephen Jones said on 105.3 The Fan on Friday. “As you know, Dak was coming up for a contract, and we wanted to take a look at
NFC Playoff Picture: Vikings in Prime Postseason Position
Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images Positive for the purple! With tonight’s Monday Night Football matchup not set to have any affect on it (since it’s an all-AFC matchup), it’s time to take a look at the updated playoff picture in the NFC. As it stands right now, our Minnesota Vikings are in an outstanding spot with six games remaining in the regular season, so let’s take a look at how everything has shaken out so far, with current odds supplied to us by our friends from FanDuel. #1 seed – Detroit Lions (10-1, 1st place NFC North, -600 to win division, +310 to win Super Bowl) With their victory over Indianapolis on Sunday, the Lions are now the betting favorite to win the Super Bowl, a prospect that’s. . .well, nauseating at best. They’ve been running through teams with no issues over the past few weeks and are tied for the best record in the league with Kansas City, but we as Vikings fans know that it’s not over until it’s over. There’s a good chance that Week 18 game in Detroit will still have plenty of meaning. Week 13 opponent: vs Chicago (Thursday early) #2 seed – Philadelphia Eagles (9-2, 1st place NFC East, -550 to win division, +750 to win Super Bowl) Thanks to Sunday’s results, the Eagles now have what amounts to a three-game lead over Washington thanks to head-to-head tiebreakers. With the NFC West and NFC South winners fading a bit, the Eagles are in a position to potentially host two playoff games and the list of teams that could potentially stop them is pretty short. Week 13 opponent: at Baltimore (Sunday late) #3 seed – Seattle Seahawks (6-5, 1st place NFC West, +450 to win division, +5000 to win Super Bowl) You’re reading that correctly. . .thanks to their victory over Arizona on Sunday, the Seahawks have jumped from outside of the playoff picture all the way to the #3 seed in the conference. Of course, this could change at pretty much any time given the state of the NFC West at the moment (every team in the division is either 6-5 or 5-6 through 11 games), but for now there would be a first-round playoff game in Seattle if the season ended today. Week 13 opponent: at New York Jets (Sunday early) #4 seed – Atlanta Falcons (6-5, 1st place NFC South, -320 to win division, +3800 to win Super Bowl) The Falcons took the week off in Week 12 but managed to maintain their perch atop the NFC South. They still have, essentially, a two-game lead over Tampa Bay because of their head-to-head sweep, so they’re still a pretty heavy favorite to win the division, but their defense is going to have to get themselves going in the right direction if they want to avoid a collapse. Week 13 opponent: vs Los Angeles Chargers (Sunday early) #5 seed – Minnesota Vikings (9-2, 2nd place NFC North, +700 to win division, +2100 to win Super Bowl) The Vikings continue to make things more difficult on themselves than they need to be, but they keep winning football games and keep putting the pressure on Detroit in the division. They swept a three-game road trip and now get to return to U.S. Bank Stadium for three in a row before finishing with two of three on the road. It would be nice if the Vikings could win games more convincingly, sure, but wins are wins however you come across them. Week 13 opponent: vs Arizona (Sunday early) #6 seed – Green Bay Packers (8-3, 3rd place NFC North, +1600 to win division, +1400 to win Super Bowl) The Packers got to play the San Francisco B-squad on Sunday and won convincingly, as they should have. I mean, not every team can beat the Niners at full strength, am I right? The Packers are attempting to keep pace with the Vikings but still have the disadvantage when it comes to head-to-head record, so they’ll need a Viking stumble to get past them. Will it happen? Hopefully not. Week 13 opponent: vs Miami (Thursday night) #7 seed – Washington Commanders (7-5, 2nd place NFC East, +450 to win division, +5000 to win Super Bowl) The Commanders had a second consecutive stumble on Sunday, falling to a Dallas team that had been in disarray before Sunday. Jayden Daniels continues to look less dynamic than he did before he suffered his rib injury, and now they have teams right in their rear-view mirror in the Wild Card chase. They’d better hope that Daniels can get himself right in a hurry. Week 13 opponent: vs Tennessee (Sunday early) Outside Looking In #8 seed – Arizona Cardinals (6-5, 2nd place NFC West) #9 seed – Los Angeles Rams (5-6, 3rd place NFC West) #10 seed – San Francisco 49ers (5-6, 4th place NFC West) #11 seed – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-6, 2nd place NFC South) #12 seed – New Orleans Saints (4-7, 3rd place NFC South) #13 seed – Chicago Bears (4-7, 4th place NFC South) #14 seed – Dallas Cowboys (4-7, 3rd place NFC East) #15 seed – Carolina Panthers (3-8, 4th place NFC South) #16 seed – New York Giants (2-9, 4th place NFC South) There you have it, folks. Hopefully the Vikings can keep the winning going and not fall out of the position they’ve put themselves in with six weeks left in the season.
