Photo by Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images The picks are in! The picks are in for this week’s games, ladies and gentlemen, so now it’s time to take a look at who the guys that power your favorite Minnesota Vikings website are selecting in Week 12 around the NFL. As always, we’ll start off with a look at how everyone did last week. Warren Ludford: 12-2 straight-up, 11-3 against the spread, 8-6 over/under GA Skol: 9-5 straight-up, 6-8 against the spread, 5-8 over/under Eric Thompson: 8-6 straight-up, 4-10 against the spread, 8-6 over/under Mark Pittman: 8-6 straight-up, 5-9 against the spread, 7-7 over/under Christopher Gates: 8-6 straight-up, 7-7 against the spread, 6-8 over/under Sam Buegler: 7-7 straight-up, 6-8 against the spread, 5-9 over/under Yeah, Warren pretty much killed it last week, beating everyone in the straight-up selections by at least three games and in the spread picks by at least four. How well did he do? Here’s your answer. NFL Week 11 Expert Rankings Top Overall Experts @MCannon313 @wludford @JohnnyParlay11 4. @ethicalchamp 5. @L0RDoftheTrash 6. @alex_reno 7. @BOOMbaca 8. @jfowlerespn 9. @billhorgan2005 10. @HoggNFL https://t.co/BHmIoNYMGD — Tallysight (@tallysight) November 19, 2024 Yep, that’s pretty damn good! Here’s our widget to take a look at how everyone is going so far when it comes to the season-long picks. You can take a look at any of the categories that we pick each week for an individual week or for the entire year. With that, it’s time to get into our picks for this week. As always, we remind you that everyone who makes picks for us might have different lines and numbers depending on when they made their selections. For the latest odds on any NFL game, or pretty much any other sporting event, feel free to check in with our friends at FanDuel. Unanimous Picks Tampa Bay Buccaneers over New York Giants Detroit Lions over Indianapolis Colts Houston Texans over Tennessee Titans Miami Dolphins over New England Patriots Washington Commanders over Dallas Cowboys Minnesota Vikings over Chicago Bears Kansas City Chiefs over Carolina Panthers Denver Broncos over Las Vegas Raiders Pittsburgh Steelers over Cleveland Browns (everyone gets it wrong) 5-1 Picks Arizona Cardinals over Seattle Seahawks (GA Skol dissenting) Philadelphia Eagles over Los Angeles Rams (Eric dissenting) 4-2 Picks San Francisco 49ers over Green Bay Packers (Eric and Warren dissenting) 3-3 Picks Baltimore Ravens (Eric/Mark/Sam) at Los Angeles Chargers (Chris/GA Skol/Warren) There you have it, folks. Thirteen games on the schedule this week and we are in complete agreement on nine of them (and have already gotten one of them completely wrong). Is that good or bad? I guess we’ll find out in a day or two. But, good or bad, those are our picks for this week, ladies and gentlemen. Who are you rolling with this week around the NFL?
Daily Norseman Staff NFL Picks, Week 12
Terrion Arnold downgraded to OUT for Week 12 vs. Colts
Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images The Detroit Lions have downgraded rookie CB Terrion Arnold to OUT for their Week 12 game vs. Colts On Saturday, the Detroit Lions announced that they have downgraded rookie corner Terrion Arnold (groin) to OUT for their Week 12 game against the Indianapolis Colts. Arnold suffered a groin injury during Thursday’s practice, and despite getting in a full practice on Friday, he was listed as questionable, and the team was optimistic he would be cleared. “Yeah he should be good,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said of Arnold on Friday. “This morning he went in, got treatment, everything looked like it’s pretty good, so we’ll see what he looks like at practice today. I’m not concerned right now, but we’ll see how this day goes.” Unfortunately, it appears he didn’t make enough progress with his rehabilitation, and with the Lions having three games in the next 12 days—with the next two games being against NFC North rivals—coaches likely opted to play it safe and allow him to stay at home this weekend and improve his recovery status. With fellow rookie corner Ennis Rakestraw also ruled out due to a hamstring injury, the Lions will likely turn to veteran Kindle Vildor to take Arnold’s place in the starting lineup. However, there is a chance that the Lions will activate Emmanuel Moseley (pec) from injured reserve, and he could also factor into the equation. Moseley was competing for the starting nickel spot during training camp, but he has a history of starting at outside corner over his career.
Rams-Eagles final score prediction
Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images Both teams tend to start slow on offense, so which first quarter defense has the edge? Could it decide the game? The Rams have climbed back into the playoff race by winning four of their last five games, but as badly as they need to beat the Eagles this week, I think Philly gets the win. Both teams have struggled scoring early in games with the Rams averaging 1.3 points in first quarters this season. That’s tied for last with the Chicago Bears. To be fair, the Eagles aren’t doing much better at scoring in their first quarters with an average 1.4 points, but it’s Philly’s first quarter defense that can give them the advantage in this one. As nice as LA’s defense has looked lately they are still giving up an average of 6.3 points per game in the first quarter. That’s the 30th worst mark in the NFL. The only teams worse in that area are the Carolina Panthers and the Dallas Cowboys. The Eagles on the other hand surrender an average of 4.0 points in the first quarter. The 11th best mark in the league. There is a lot more that goes into a football game than first quarter scoring, but I can see the Eagles opening up the scoring, and holding their lead. Historically speaking it has been the teams who score first in the NFL that most often come away with the victory. For LA to win they need McVay’s offense (which lacks explosiveness) to come out of the gate hot like they did against the Minnesota Vikings or else this could be a long day for the Rams as they struggle to keep up with the Eagles. Final Score: Eagles 31, Rams 19 Of course, either team can prove me wrong and that’s why the games are played. We’ll have to tune in Sunday night to find out.
Should the Cincinnati Bengals consider cutting Sheldon Rankins?
Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images Rankins certainly hasn’t lived up to his price tag The Cincinnati Bengals lost DJ Reader to the Detroit Lions in free agency, and that turned out to be a far more brutal blow than fans expected as the team’s defensive interior this season has done little to stop opponents. At least some of that can be traced back to Sheldon Rankins, who was meant to fill the gap left by Reader’s absence. The Bengals brought in Rankins on a two-year, $24.5 million deal. Cincinnati could save almost eight figures if they parted ways with the 30-year-old defensive tackle. That’s what Bleacher Report explained when discussing players that could be cut in the offseason, but the sad part is that he was only highlighting players on the “NFL’s most disappointing teams,” a category the Bengals fit in this season. “The Bengals let D.J. Reader leave in free agency and then signed Sheldon Rankins to a two-year, $24.5 million contract. That has turned out to be a major source of disappointment. The 30-year-old simply doesn’t hold up at the point of attack the same way Reader did, and it’s having a ripple effect on their defensive line,” Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine wrote. The 6-foot-2 Rankins, who came from the Houston Texans this past offseason, has played in just seven games this season and has totaled 18 tackles, one sack and one tackle for a loss as well. That’s a ghost of what he did a season ago, having nine tackles for a loss and six tackles in his lone season in Houston. The Bengals needed more from Rankins, and he hasn’t delivered. Don’t be shocked if they part ways with him in the coming months.
Breaking down 10 plays from Richardson’s stellar Jets performance
Brad Penner-Imagn Images Anthony Richardson had the best performance of his career against the Jets; let’s review 10 plays that sum up his game. Anthony Richardson had his best game yet as an Indianapolis Colts, pulling off a huge win against the New York Jets. We look back at 10 plays that sum up his performance. Play 1: Special strength Anthony Richardson’s ability to get throws off, even with defenders attempting to wrap him up, is comical to watch. pic.twitter.com/E2tuv8hSEY — Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) November 19, 2024 There are not many quarterbacks who can make this play. Not only was he able to get the ball away and avoid the sack, but he was actually able to get the ball thrown. To then throw the ball accurately is something else. To me, this one play should show how unique his physical gifts are. Play 2: Special arm Richardson throwing missiles while on the run and working backwards is pretty funny, too pic.twitter.com/EZDieHnF0i — Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) November 19, 2024 Throwing off platform is now a regular occurrence for all NFL quarterbacks, but it doesn’t mean it’s easy to pull off. Throwing while moving forward to the side is relatively straight for most of these guys, but moving backwards is difficult as it puts a lot more stress on the arm as the feet aren’t set. In this case, Richardson threw the ball from his 45 yard line, just inside the right hash to a receiver on the opponent’s 30 outside the numbers. That’s a 28-30 yard throw with the feet not set and moving backwards, which is a 8/10 difficulty for quarterbacks. Many can’t hit this throw. Part 3: Eye discipline Richardson moving a LB with his eyes to open up a throwing lane pic.twitter.com/tPVLzpRZV8 — Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) November 19, 2024 The eye discipline and the shoulder shimmy is what opens up the lane in the middle of the field. Richardson is able to get the inside linebacker to false step to the outside as that linebacker is purely reading his eyes in zone. That false step allows a nice big lane for Pittman to get a ball, which might’ve been more difficult to execute without the look off and shoulder move. Play 4: Missing a layup Great play design, just missed it. #Colts#ForTheShoe#Jets#JetUp#INDvsNYJ pic.twitter.com/lt1s8ax20E — Chris Shepherd (@NFLscheme) November 17, 2024 Despite the good plays, there are still some throws like this which high school quarterbacks could hit. Despite the easiness of the throw, Richardson should still twist his upper body to align his shoulders to the target. Instead, he doesn’t move a thing, he’s completely misaligned and he relies on a flick, which is simply not accurate. So despite the fact that it’s only a 2 yard throw, the poor upper body alignment/mechanics causes this super easy throw to be off the mark. Play 5: Arm Angle Mo!#Colts#ForTheShoe#Jets#JetUp#INDvsNYJ pic.twitter.com/liHAA8RvZ6 — Chris Shepherd (@NFLscheme) November 17, 2024 While these little things are subtle, to me this is a crucial development to his game. The arm angle change is something all quarterbacks at all levels are developing as they might be forced to throw around pressure or they just might find it easier to release it from a different point. In this case, Richardson rolls to his left, faces pressure and throws the ball from a more side arm angle. The ability to do this will serve him well in the future, so this was encouraging to see that he possesses this ability. Play 6: Getting away with poor footwork Nice throw and catch from MPJ#Colts#ForTheShoe#Jets#JetUp#INDvsNYJ pic.twitter.com/lajC6qpcJq — Chris Shepherd (@NFLscheme) November 17, 2024 The end result of this play was good as his body was properly aligned and the throw was on target, but what was a tad concerning was his drop back after the play action. There’s no world where two hops is the footwork here, so a proper 3 step without a hitch was probably the appropriate move here. It’s more efficient with timing (gets more distance from the offensive line and quicker) and simply easier for him to establish a platform after a normal drop, which will make his throw simpler. Play 7: Hitting the layup AR to AD!#Colts#ForTheShoe#Jets#JetUp#INDvsNYJ pic.twitter.com/6fVB0h654e — Chris Shepherd (@NFLscheme) November 17, 2024 Richardson finally hits a layup throw, hitting Mitchell on a beautiful crossing route that leads to a near touchdown. These are the throws we’ve been begging for him to hit over his career and this game he finally hit them. This little throw (thanks to a proper read) was perfectly placed so Mitchell stayed in stride and that’s why he nearly scored. If the throw were a couple of inches further behind, Mitchell would’ve been tackled and he wouldn’t have gotten any yard after the catch. The only concern is that Richardson completely messes with his mechanics, throwing from a very open position, which will lead to accuracy inconsistency, but on this throw, he gets away with it. Him reading this throw was extremely encouraging and we can only hope he takes more of these layups instead of the halfcourt heaves. Play 8: Don’t be a hero I mean, points for trying and glad it worked out but sometimes you just gotta give up on the plan #Colts#ForTheShoe#Jets#JetUp#INDvsNYJ pic.twitter.com/2UyqEbLr5N — Chris Shepherd (@NFLscheme) November 17, 2024 These are the type of plays that will only improve with experience, but Richardson needs to learn how to give up and fight another down. The Colts are up 13-0 and a turnover in their own zone would’ve been catastrophic. I love his effort to fight, but if he’s being tackled 10 yards short of the line, there is absolutely zero benefit to do a lateral to a running back who was going to be tackled 8-9 yards short of the sticks. By doing what he did, he nearly gifted the Jets with a fumble opportunity, which as mentioned before, would’ve been disastrous before the half, especially in a game they
Silver Minings: Raiders-Broncos predictions
Sean Payton, Antonio Pierce | Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images Who do you got in Week 12? It’s that time of the week again as we hit Week 12. The Las Vegas Raiders are back home at Allegiant Stadium for the first time in four weeks as they host the Denver Broncos. After going 0-5 to start the Raiders’ season, I have ridden the Raiders’ losing streak. to even up at 5-5. I feel like I have to go with the opponent again this week. The Raiders have been a mess and the Broncos are pretty spunky The Broncos broke an eight-game losing streak to the Raiders won they beat Las Vegas in Denver 34-18. Here’s my prediction for Sunday: Broncos 24, Raiders 16. Now, it’s your turn: In other Raiders’ news: Do-over: NFL.com has an idea for each NFL losing team. QB in 2025? The Athletic looks at how the Raiders can find their quarterback in 2025. How this happen? The Athletic examines how the Raiders’ roster eroded,
Bills’ Dion Dawkins would welcome first-round bye in playoffs (video)
Bills’ Dion Dawkins would welcome first-round bye in playoffs (video) Bills’ Dion Dawkins would welcome first-round bye in playoffs (video) Nick Wojton To bye week or not? That is the question for Dion Dawkins. The Bills’ left tackle joined the “Up & Adams Show” and looked forward to the 2024 NFL postseason. Fresh off a 30-21 win over the Kansas City Chiefs, the discussion about that foe remained with the playoffs in mind. Specifically relating to a first-round bye. The Chiefs have grabbed that the past few years as the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Kansas City then goes on to beat Buffalo with their extra rest. Dawkins wouldn’t mind the tables being turned in that regard this year. Dawkins’ full breakdown can be found below: Read all the best Bills coverage at the Democrat and Chronicle and Bills Wire.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73742833/2186354689.0.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,0&ssl=1 "Vikings Links: Are You Picking The Vikings Over Da Bears!")
Vikings Links: Are You Picking The Vikings Over Da Bears!
Filed under: Minnesota Vikings News and Links: Are You Picking The Vikings Over Da Bears! I cannot find many reasons to doubt! By Mark P Nov 23, 2024, 10:24am CST If you buy something from an SB Nation link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement. Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images There has been a lot of discussion about interior offensive line still being an issue besides Brandel. Cornerback and interior defensive line are also position groups where the team will need players due to most of the current contributors being free agents. Due to a lack of draft capital filling these positions is going to be tricky. Ideally, you wont need the draft to get an immediate starter. It would be nice but just getting players that can contribute would be great. Looking at the free agents in 2025, interior defensive tackle is going to be tough to fill and there will be a lot of competition. Considering what transpired with the top of the guard market last year, I would not want to pay between 15-20M per year for a free agent guard. The pickin’s are slim. Cornerback should have plenty of options to choose from and I expect that is where they would spend the money with safety right behind. They might need a linebacker for depth and maybe a running back although I could see them re-signing Aaron Jones. When you do not have much draft capital and free agency is not that great, then you have to be wise and not overspend just to get a body. Separately, would the Vikings try to sign Daniel Jones for the rest of the season? Is he an upgrade over Nick Mullens or just another QB for depth? Daniel Jones landing spots: Raiders, Colts (but not Cowboys) among best fits after Giants release Minnesota Vikings Speaking of McCarthy, the Vikings shouldn’t be re-signing Sam Darnold with the rookie first-round waiting in the wings to make his healthy debut in 2025. Jones would fit the profile as the ideal No. 2 to McCarthy with his mental makeup for Kevin O’Connell system. Minnesota Vikings News and Links Vikings-Bears Week 12 predictions from the Vikings On SI staff Will Ragatz: Bears 20, Vikings 17 I know the Vikings have won four in a row at Soldier Field, but it’s hard to shake the memory of that venue being such a tough place for them to win prior to 2020. And that’s not the only reason why I don’t have a great feeling about this game. Caleb Williams is coming off a strong outing under new offensive coordinator Thomas Brown, while the Vikings’ defense has been susceptible to giving up some chunks in the passing game. The Bears have also been very good at generating takeaways, which has been an issue for Sam Darnold. With the Vikings on a three-game winning streak and the Bears on a four-game losing streak, it just feels like something might give here, so I’m picking a loss for the first time all year. I’d like to be wrong. Joe Nelson: Vikings 27, Bears 8 I think we all have to pause for a moment and take a 30,000-foot view of the Bears. When you get in close you see a shiny new quarterback with big-time potential in Williams, but when you zoom out you see a franchise in disarray. The head coach doesn’t seem to have the support of his players, and the Bears’ four victories came against the banged-up Los Angeles Rams the woeful Tennessee Titans, Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars. Maybe the Bears just aren’t good? That’s what I’m thinking. Make it five straight wins at Soldier Field for Minnesota. Nolan O’Hara: Vikings 23, Bears 17 Jonathan Harrison: Vikings 24, Bears 7 Tony Liebert: Vikings 28, Bears 17 Here are last week’s predictions. Season records for our pickers: Will: 8-2 Joe: 8-2 Nolan: 6-4 Jonathan: 6-4 Tony: 4-6 Bears QB Caleb Williams Sends Strong Message on Vikings Coach “Obviously, he’s gonna he’s going to blitz you. He’s the king of cover zero blitz and finding a bunch of different ways to do it. And then you know they’ll switch it up and just fly 22 [Harrison Smith] out from two yards away from me and fly him all the way back to the safety and things like that,” Williams told reporters on November 20. The Vikings blitz at the NFL’s highest rate at 37.7%, per Pro Football Reference. Unsurprisingly, they also boast the top pressure rate at 29.6%, the sixth-highest sack rate at 8.7%, and rank third in the league with 35 sacks through 11 weeks. Flores and the Vikings’ defense have also held opposing quarterbacks to the fifth-lowest passer rating with a 79.4 mark. There are, however, some weak spots that Williams and the Bears can take advantage of. “Us being decisive, us having a plan for all of that [is key]. And then from there, get the ball to your playmakers, run the ball well and efficiently. And from there, when they give you shots and give you explosive plays, you make those plays,” Williams said. “It affects the, I guess you can say, play calling for the defense when you’re able to hit explosive plays or when you’re able to get the ball out and be decisive when they’re sending all these different exotic blitzes and things like that. I think it affects the play-caller on the other side, and you got to find other ways to attack.” Williams has completed 55.9% of his throws against the blitz this season, and 41.7% when he is under pressure, per PFF. However, he has a 4:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio against the blitz. Despite the Vikings’ favorable sack and pressure numbers, their pass defense ranks 28th in yards and 19th in touchdowns allowed. They have the eighth-highest average depth of target and the fifth-most air yards on completions. Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson expects to see more snaps moving forward T.J. Hockenson
Lions vs. Colts bold prediction: Jameson Williams sets career mark
Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images Jameson Williams could be in for a big day Sunday. Check out our Lions vs. Colts bold prediction of the week. The Detroit Lions are unstoppable right now. The Indianapolis Colts, on the other hand, are quite stoppable. Sunday, we’ll see what happens when an unstoppable force meets a very movable object. Will it be another 50-point game? I’m not so sure. But what I am sure of is that the Lions will continue to see the success they had last week in the intermediate passing game. Bold prediction of the week: Jameson Williams has career-best 6+ receptions against the Colts I never want to get ahead of myself, as anything can happen any given week in the NFL. However, the Lions are fairly indisputably the best team in the league right now and the Colts are… not. They enter the week 5-6 with serious questions remaining over quarterback Anthony Richardson’s head despite him reclaiming the starting quarterback spot last week. We’re not here to talk about Richardson, though. The Colts have just as many question marks on defense as they do at quarterback. They’ve been Swiss cheese all season, allowing the third-most rushing yards in the league with 1,574 so far this season (143 yards/game). They’re similarly bad against the pass, allowing the fifth-most yards in the league so far. When you dig deeper, the numbers tell that it’s more an issue of coverage than tackling—the Colts are seventh-worst in the league in net yards allowed per pass, at 6.7. How does that translate to Jameson Williams? Last week, what stood out to me the most was not just that the Lions’ offense was playing well, but how they were playing well. Ben Johnson and Jared Goff are continuing to extend this offense deeper into the intermediate parts of the field, especially now that Tim Patrick is acclimated and Jamo is back from suspension. That translated to four receptions and 124 yards for Jamo in Week 11. This week, I expect that to continue, even if the Lions are playing from ahead. One of the things we learned last week is that the Lions are not afraid of hurting their opponents’ feelings. They’ll throw the ball often, even when they’re up several possessions. In fact, four of Jamo’s six targets—as well as his lone rush of the day—came in the second half when the Lions were up at least four possessions against Jacksonville. This week, if the Lions see a big lead, they’ll have even more incentive to throw the football. While the Colts look bad on paper against the run, they’ve gotten better as of late. Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner returned from a high ankle sprain in late October, and the Colts have since held two of their four opponents to less than 100 yards on the ground. If the Colts continue that momentum and the Lions have a lead, then Detroit will have no choice but to keep picking on the Colts in the passing game. A lot has to go right for this to come together. The Lions have to take an early lead, Goff has to find the same comfort in the middle of the field that he had last week, and the Colts D has to put pressure on the Lions run game. If it does, though, expect the Lions to lean on Jamo to keep the chains moving, enough so that he finishes with a career-high of six or more receptions in Week 12.
There’s only room for one Defensive Rookie of the Year
Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images And how Temple football can unite us all I don’t know, or really care, who is going to win MVP this season. But the Bills beating the Chiefs last week certainly helped Josh Allen’s case. When two candidates go “head to head”–really their teams–it gives voters an easy out on ranking them. So this week we have, potentially, a Defensive Rookie of the Year show down in the (NFC) West. An award winning day? Quinyon Mitchell “vs” Jared Verse, and both will have their opportunities to state their case. Eight of the last ten Defensive Rookies of the Year have been either an edge rusher or a cornerback, and these two are the odds on favorites to win. Verse actually trails teammate and former college teammate Braden Fiske in sacks, 4.5 to 5.0. Perhaps the Rams moving up in the draft to draft Fiske specifically because he played alongside Verse at FSU (though just for one season) was a good idea? In early April, the staff held a series of meetings that argued for and against “pods” of defensive linemen and outside linebackers as potential tandems. Verse and defensive tackle Braden Fiske, teammates at Florida State, were identified among those tandems as having a unique chemistry. If the Rams could get Verse, they would also go after Fiske. Verse will get his chances against a QB who has been holding onto the ball for too long too often recently. Jalen Hurts has been sacked multiple times in four of his last five games, and 3+ times in three of them. The whole defense will have a shot at Hurts, the Rams enter this week 9th in sack rate, one spot ahead of the Eagles. Verse is also 6th in the NFL in tackles for loss, (behind three players who have played an additional game) he will get his chances to show his run stopping ability as well. Mitchell too will get his chances against a Rams offense that is back to full strength and loves to throw the ball. In six games with Cooper Kupp, the Rams are throwing the ball 38 times per game, which would lead the league in passing attempts over a full season. Since returning to the lineup four games ago, Kupp has been targeted at least 7 times in every game; and Puka Nacua has been targeted 9+ times in three of four games. The outcome of this “duel” feels kind of predictable. Verse will get on the stat sheet with a sack, and a tackle for loss. Mitchell will keep whoever he’s covering to something like 3 receptions for 32 yards and no TDs, and Verse will have “won” the matchup because he got on the stat sheet because he’s an edge rusher. We’ll know for sure in February. Two birds, one stone Earlier this week Temple fired its football coach. You may not have noticed because no one really pays attention to Temple football. And for good reason, Temple is simply not a good program and doesn’t have the infrastructure, fan/alumni base, location, or school alignment to ever become one. There are a lot of harsh realities that are hitting and will hit college football programs at every level as we rapidly accelerate towards the end point of schools having to pay student athletes as employees. Some hard decisions will have to be made. Some schools, such as UMass who also fired their coach this week, or Kennesaw State, who fired their coach last week and should never have been in FBS, may be better off moving back down to the FCS level. (They will not move down.) Some might be better off not having a college team at all. Temple may be one of such program. The unfortunate truth is that few would miss Temple football if it no longer existed. Calls to end Owls football are nothing new, and this week Marcus Hayes wrote another piece echoing that. I’ve got a solution that would appease everyone: Temple will fold its football team if the Inquirer fires Marcus Hayes. Everyone wins. Temple Owls Football, never a source of joy, would end on the highest of notes, uniting everyone in a celebratory moment. Temple basketball wouldn’t create this kind of excitement if they made a Final Four run, because fans of other Big 5 teams wouldn’t find joy in that. But the end of Marcus Hayes having any kind of relevance is something that can unite an entire region. Oh and if the Inquirer ever brings him back, the football team comes back. College Football Week 13 Watch List QB Kurtis Rourke, Indiana I doubt the Eagles draft a QB, having traded for Kenny Pickett. But the QB Factory needs materials, and Rourke fits the profile that the Eagles generally like, as he’s big (6-5, 223), and mobile enough, though his arm strength is lacking. He checks a lot of the same boxes that Pickett does. Rourke is also one of the oldest prospects in the draft, he turned 24 last month. A sixth year breakout QB who doesn’t do anything at an elite level (again, like Kenny Pickett) shouldn’t go high (though Kenny Pickett did), though this QB class is going to see a few QBs taken higher than they should be. If he’s there on day three, he could be an Eagles target. RB Ollie Gordon, Oklahoma State Gordon could fit a different type of player that the Eagles have tended to draft over the years: an early season potential top prospect who, come April, isn’t a top prospect. Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Kelee Ringo, and Nakobe Dean all fit that profile recently, and Jalen Mills and Matt Barkley in earlier drafts. In August, Gordon was RB1. Now, he might not even be top 5. Gordon was near unstoppable last year, blowing away almost every one Oklahoma State played after they rotated through three QBs in their first three games and struggled in the air and
