Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images Breaking down the All-22 of how Aaron Glenn’s defense came up big on third-down in the Lions’ win over the Texans. In the not-so-distant past, there were those around the NFL that wondered whether or not Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn was the right person for the job. Throughout the end of 2022 and most of the 2023 season, this was the sentiment for a lot of fans and analysts around the world. However, at the time, there was plenty of reasoning as to why one side of the ball was out-pacing the other. Lions general manager Brad Holmes and his staff had devoted a lot of resources towards improving the offensive side of the football, while they were still attempting to make do with what they had defensively. Fast-forward to the middle of the 2024 season and we are seeing what Glenn can accomplish with more weapons at his disposal. From a revamped secondary filled with young playmakers, to a physically-imposing front seven—the defense has made serious strides this season, and appears to be trending upwards as we approach the back half of the regular season schedule. During their comeback victory over the Houston Texans, the defense made play after play in order to keep things close, particularly on third down. They were able to hold Houston to field goals on several occasions when the offense put them in tough spots, and came away with two key takeaways that proved to be essential to pulling out the road win. Overall, Houston finished 6-of-15 on third down conversions on the day, which sounds like a fairly respectable number when you look at it without all of the context. Unfortunately for the Texans, after converting their first two third-and-long situations early in the first quarter, they would go on to only convert four of their next 13 the rest of the game. Let’s jump into the All-22 and break down how Glenn’s defense was able to come up big in several money-down situations that helped the Lions on their way to their eighth win of the year. Generating Pressure Third-and-11 on Detroit 11. 2:56 left in first quarter After a quick three-and-out on offense, the Lions’ defense found themselves back on the field trying to keep Houston from going up two touchdowns in the first quarter. Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is operating out of an empty set and the Lions counter the look by having five players along the line of scrimmage. Once the ball is snapped, both James Houston and Josh Paschal drop into coverage, while cornerback Amik Robertson blitzes off the edge. You will hear people refer to this kind of concept as a “simulated pressure,” which is when a non-traditional pass rusher (like Robertson) rushes the quarterback while the traditional rushers (like Paschal and Houston in this instance) drop into coverage. Defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike forces Stroud to step up and escape the pocket to the left, which allows for Houston to come up and make the play on the ball carrier for the sack. Third-and-10 on Detroit 11. 4:16 left in second quarter Now later in the second quarter, the Lions defense once again found themselves in a near-identical scenario from the play above—trying to limit the damage done and hold Houston to three points. Already leading 13-7 and looking to add more, the Texans are in the shotgun and in 11-personnel (one running back and one tight end). The Lions opt to drop seven into coverage on this third-down attempt, and despite only rushing four—defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike is able to quickly defeat his block on the inside, forcing Stroud to bail out of the pocket and work out of structure. Credit to cornerback Carlton Davis III for sticking to his assignment during the scramble drill. Watch as he stays glued to the receiver’s hip and uses the back of the endzone as an additional defender. It isn’t a terrible throw from Stroud. His receiver just ran out of real estate. Another red zone opportunity for Houston ends in three points, and Lions stay within striking distance despite their first half offensive struggles. Third-and-10 on Houston 47. 9:21 left in fourth quarter On this snap, the Lions rush four and use linebacker Jack Campbell as a spy on Stroud. Both rushers win quickly with speed around the edge, forcing Stroud to climb the pocket, and thanks to good rush-lane integrity from defensive tackles Alim McNeill and Onwuzurike, there is nowhere for Stroud to escape. Obviously having superstar edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson healthy would certainly help, but with that said—this was a really impressive performance from the Lions’ pass rush against a shorthanded Houston offensive line. Defensive backs making plays Third-and-9 on Houston 10. 15:00 left in fourth quarter Now down by 10 in the fourth quarter, time was becoming more of a factor for the Lions. They needed a few more big plays from their defense in order to get this comeback really cooking, and some familiar faces came up big once again. The pre-snap motion from Houston prompts cornerback Amik Robertson to step to his outside and change his coverage assignment, leaving safety Brian Branch to cover Texans receiver Xavier Hutchinson in the slot. To me, this is a combination of Branch’s natural ability and football instincts on full display. Watch as he snaps out of his back pedal when Hutchinson bends his route towards the middle of the field. Without any wasted movement, Branch breaks on the ball and knocks it away, forcing another Texans punt. Seven plays later, Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown would reach paydirt, cutting the Houston lead to just three. Third-and-4 on Detroit 40. 2:00 left in fourth quarter It hasn’t been the easiest start to the year for Lions rookie cornerback Terrion Arnold, but to be fair—it rarely is for young defensive backs in this league. Arnold has been sticky on most reps, but because of the amount of man-coverage that
Film Breakdown: How Lions defense came up big on 3rd down vs. Houston
NFL Power Rankings: Week 11 Edition
Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images 100% accurate ranking of all 32 teams. Now that Week 10 of the 2024 NFL season is in the books, it’s time for an incredibly meaningful and serious exercise: NFL Power Rankings! What differentiates these rankings from all the others is that they’re THE only truly accurate ones in the entire universe. We use a proprietary system that heavily accounts for all-important vibes. Let’s take a look at how all 32 teams stack up. (Click here for last week’s version.) BLG’S WEEK 11 NFL POWER RANKINGS 1 – Kansas City Chiefs (Last Week: 1) – You can say they’re not deserving of the top spot since they almost lost. But you’d be ignoring how they were never actually truly in danger. As we’ve been saying all along, they’re inevitable. They will win no matter how bleak it looks. If you think you have them beat … no, you don’t. 2 – Detroit Lions (LW: 2) – Coming back from being down 15 points in the third quarter on the road … in a game where Jared Goff threw FIVE interceptions … this team certainly has the “It’s their year” feel. Doesn’t mean they’ll actually win it all. But they’ve got great vibes. 3 – Buffalo Bills (LW: 3) – The Bills are averaging 31.25 points over the last four weeks. And that’s with Amari Cooper only playing in two of those games. Buffalo could really afford to have him back for a big battle in Kansas City this weekend. The Bills must win this to have any shot at the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoff picture. 4 – Baltimore Ravens (LW: 4) – Lamar Jackson has been lights out with 14 touchdown passes to zero interceptions over his last four games. But that Ravens defense is able to be had. 5 – Philadelphia Eagles (LW: 5) – Following a blowout win in Dallas, the Eagles own the NFL’s fourth-best point differential at +72. And they’re only one point behind third place. Vic Fangio’s defense continues to dominate with just four total touchdowns allowed in Philly’s last five games. That unit will now by tested by rookie sensation Jayden Daniels. If the Eagles can come out on top against Washington, they’ll be in a good position to win the NFC East. 6 – Pittsburgh Steelers (LW: 8) – Russell Wilson is still a winner; the Steelers are 3-0 since he’s taken over. He’s produced seven touchdowns to just one interception for a 105.9 passer rating. With a game against Baltimore up next, the Steelers can prove they’re truly the top team in the AFC North. 7 – Washington Commanders (LW: 5) – The Commanders’ last two losses: a one-score defeat in Baltimore and a one-point defeat to Pittsburgh. With a relatively schedule easy remaining schedule, they’re going to make the playoffs. It’s just a matter of being a wild card team or a division winner. 8 – Green Bay Packers (LW: 7) – The Packers return from their bye to take on a struggling Chicago team. 9 – Minnesota Vikings (LW: 9) – Sam Darnold has thrown more interceptions (five) than touchdown passes (three) over the last two weeks. The Vikings are looking much more mortal … but they do have some pretty winnable games coming up. 10 – San Francisco 49ers (LW: 12) – The Niners have won two in a row to stabilize their season. Their next three: vs. Seattle, at Green Bay, at Buffalo. It could be tough to make up ground on Arizona for the NFC West lead. 11 – Arizona Cardinals (LW: 14) – Don’t look now but the Cards have won four in a row. Despite this, they still only have the 13th-best point differential at +18. While they’ve hardly proved they’re ready to hang with the elites, they have the NFL’s eight-easiest remaining strength of schedule. They’re in a solid spot to win their division. 12 – Los Angeles Chargers (LW: 15) – The Bolts are allowing just 13.1 points per game. That’s pretty good. The team allowing the second-fewest points per game is at 16.2. Cincy and Baltimore will test the Chargers’ defense over the next two weeks. 13 – Atlanta Falcons (LW: 10) – They’re probably going to win the NFC South but no one is truly scared of this team. Losing to New Orleans is pretty unserious. 14 – Houston Texans (LW: 11) – The Texans are in a similar spot to the Falcons in that they’re going to win a weak division by default. After losing to Detroit, Houston has a -2 point differential. Getting healthier should help this team’s outlook but for now it’s hard to say they belong with the big boys in their conference. 15 – Cincinnati Bengals (LW: 13) – Cincy is better than their 4-6 record indicates. They’ve just been a bit unlucky this season. It’s the opposite of Detroit’s “It’s their year” feel. Good but not quite good enough. 16 – Denver Broncos (LW: 17) – The Broncos had the Chiefs beat … until they didn’t. Denver deserves credit for playing KC tough. And they’re probably going to make the postseason since the AFC wild card contenders aren’t very great. But if they end up missing the playoffs by one game … that’ll be pretty brutal. 17 – Los Angeles Rams (LW: 16) – It looked like the Rams might go on a run to rebound from a bad start and take over the NFC West. But a loss to Miami has them at 4-5. They might just be more middling than good. 18 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (LW: 18) – Despite losing four straight, Baker Mayfield’s scrappy Bucs are not dead yet. Their next three games: at NYG, at Carolina, vs. Las Vegas. They have a real chance to get back over .500. 19 – Miami Dolphins (LW: 26) – Funny enough, the Dolphins are second in the AFC East with a 3-6 record. They’re
Eagles rookie report card: A new red zone weapon
Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images Philadelphia’s promising 2024 NFL Draft class was on display in Dallas. The Eagles absolutely housed the Cowboys to improve to 7-2 on the season while taking control of the NFC East. It was a dominant performance in all phases, but the rookies really were impressive. Quinyon Mitchell: A While the Dallas quarterbacks didn’t exactly challenge the Eagles secondary in a significant way, the rookie DBs still played absolutely great football. Mitchell continued his dominant rookie season, locking up the perimeter of the Eagles defense while getting two impressive PBUs. Cooper DeJean: A Cooper DeJean played a great game. He got off to a great start recovering a fumble in the end zone for the Eagles defense. From there, he just played great run and pass defense for the 3.5 quarters he was on the field. Johnny Wilson: A Johnny Wilson had his first career touchdown despite only playing 18 snaps. His size proved to be an asset when he was able to box out Dallas defenders in the end zone to snag his one catch of the game. Hopefully we see more of Wilson going forward. Jalyx Hunt: B+ Jalyx Hunt got some snaps early in the game, proving to be disruptive as a pass rusher. He batted down a pass early while applying pressure, showing some great awareness for a rookie. This was the first time we saw a lot of Hunt in a game, and he looked really good. I bet he continues to have a growing role going into the second half of the season. The Rest Will Shipley ended up getting a handful of touches late in the game when the starters rested, turning in some solid runs. He also had a good kick return in the second half. Jeremiah Trotter Junior also got some snaps late in the game, looking solid in limited action.
2025 NFL Draft QB stock report: Which quarterbacks helped themselves in Week 12?
Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images Who’s stock is up, and who’s is down? The 2024 college football season is really starting to heat up. We just finished Week 12 of the season and are inching closer to Rivalry Week, Championship Weekend, and then the College Football Playoffs. The NFL’s draft process is also getting ready to spin up, as teams start to separate and we get some clarity in the draft order. It’s looking increasingly likely that the New York Giants will be in the market for a new quarterback in 2025. What we don’t know, at least not yet, is whether the Giants will like the 2025 quarterback class enough to draft one of them. To that end, we’re keeping an eye on the top quarterback prospects and tracking their draft stock as the draft class takes shape. Cam Ward (Miami) Stock: Down Ward is still QB1 in this draft, and one game doesn’t eclipse his prior body of work since 2022. However, his issues were on display in Miami’s loss to Georgia Tech. Ward’s ability to extend and go big play hunting has been an asset for the Hurricane, but in this game it was a liability. Ward’s playmaking instincts were the reason why Miami was in position to win, but he also took unnecessary hits and put the ball on the ground in a crucial situation that lead to the loss. Teams interested in drafting Ward will need to dive into those negative plays and cold stretches to find out exactly why they happen. The challenge with Ward will be harnessing and focusing his game to create those big plays within the structure of the offense without dulling his edge. Next game: Miami vs. Wake Forest (11/23) Shedeur Sanders (Colorado) Stock: Up Between wild lead changes and flying tortillas, Colorado’s game against Texas Tech was certainly chaotic. It also showed off Sanders’ strengths — and weaknesses — at quarterback. His bloodline conjures up images of world-class athleticism, but Shedeur isn’t the same kind of dynamic athlete as his father and looks a bit awkward when running the ball himself. He also benefitted from some poor defensive play by Texas Tech. However, Shedeur also showed off his patience in the pocket, field vision, and accuracy. He completed some legitimately impressive passes over the course of the game, attacking tight windows and placing the ball with precision. He also showed good anticipation when throwing downfield. Next game: (20) Colorado vs. Utah (Fox, noon – 11/16) Jalen Milroe (Alabama) Stock: Up The conditions for Alabama’s game against LSU weren’t conducive to quarterback play. It was raining hard and handling the ball was a problem. That, however, gave Milroe the opportunity to show off his prodigious athleticism and run for 185 yards and four touchdowns on 12 carries (15.4 yards per carry). Milroe manages to be quick, fast, agile, and powerful as a runner — and unlike other powerful runners like Cam Newton or Josh Allen, he doesn’t subject himself to unnecessary hits. He did a good job of getting out of bounds or getting down instead of pushing his luck for every possible inch. That discretion also extended to his passing. The Alabama passing attack doesn’t put much on him, but he did do a good job of quickly getting to his check-downs when his options down the field weren’t there. Milroe has elite arm strength and is able to make off-platform throws, but this game didn’t give him many opportunities as a passer. That’s going to be a complicated aspect of his evaluation. Next game: (11) Alabama vs. Mercer (11/16, ESPN+, 2 p.m.) Garrett Neussmeier (LSU) Stock: Down LSU relied on Neussmeier heavily in this game, and he didn’t step up in response. He completed 64.3 percent of his passes for 239 yards (5.7 per attempt) and threw two interceptions to a single touchdown. As mentioned above, conditions were tough for both quarterbacks, so we should take that into account. However, Neussmeier’s 4th quarter interception in the end zone was simply bad. He lead the Alabama linebacker to the spot with his eyes and didn’t see that he was there. Neussmeier has the raw tools to be an NFL quarterback, but it increasingly looks like he would benefit from using his final year of eligibility to develop before the draft. Next game: Florida vs. (15) LSU (11/16, CBS – 3:30 p.m.) Jaxson Dart (Mississippi) Stock: Neutral The big question with Jaxson Dart has been whether he could get it done against top competition. He got his chance against Georgia, and it started disastrously with an interception and an ankle injury. Dart eventually returned to the game and was able to piece together a 13 of 22, 199-yard (9.0 yards per attempt), 1 TD, 1 INT performance. He also ran for 50 yards on eight carries. It’s worth noting that the interception wasn’t exactly his fault, as he was hit as he threw, and he was clearly bothered by the ankle injury after returning. Dart wasn’t able to use his footwork in the pocket, though he was still able to generate velocity and throw with adequate accuracy in the intermediate area of the field. Dart didn’t have the game we hoped for, but he also didn’t play poorly enough (all things considered) to negatively impact his stock. Next game: Florida vs. (16) Ole Miss (11/23, noon) Carson Beck (Georgia) Stock: Down Carson Beck completed 64.5 percent of his passes, but that’s the extent of his good work this game. He was sacked five times and only threw for 186 yards with notouchdowns and an interception. Beck looks like an NFL quarterback, but his draft stock has collapsed this year. He’s been holding the ball too long, taking too many sacks, and his accuracy has suffered without great receivers to adjust to off-target passes. Beck will likely get a chance from a team that believes they can develop him, but he looks much more like a Day 2 quarterback than a
The Linc – Eagles’ defense is posting some numbers that no one has ever seen in NFL history
Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 11/12/24. Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links … Eagles held Cowboys and Giants to NFL’s only games this season with under 50 passing yards – PFTThose are the only two times all season that an NFL offense has finished with fewer than 50 net passing yards. The combination of the Eagles’ stout defense and the Giants’ and Cowboys’ offensive incompetence led to stats that you just don’t see in the modern NFL. In fact, they were numbers that no one has ever seen in NFL history: Only two teams ever have completed at least 17 passes but netted fewer than 50 passing yards, and those were the Cowboys and Giants against the Eagles this season. The Eagles are playing very good football right now — and are being helped by having two awful teams in their division. Eagles at Cowboys: 16 winners, 2 losers, 2 IDKs – BGNIt took 56 plays for the Cowboys to produce 146 yards. That’s 2.6 yards per play. For context, the worst offense in the NFL this season is averaging 4.2 yards per play (Cleveland Browns). The Eagles allowed six points on two field goals and both of those Cowboys scores came on short fields. The first was when a KaVontae Turpin kick return allowed Dallas to start at their own 40-yard line. The second was when Jalen Hurts’ fumble allowed Dallas to take over six yards away from the end zone. Fangio’s defense has now prevented three out of the Eagles’ last five opponents from scoring a touchdown. After allowing four touchdowns to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 4, the Eagles have allowed just four total touchdowns in five games since. Playing bad quarterbacks/offenses certainly helps. But that’s still an impressive feat regardless of opponent. The level to which the Eagles’ defense has dominated is not merely a given. After some struggles earlier this season, Fangio’s defense has really come together. It’ll be interesting to see how his unit fares against better quarterbacks. At the very least, there should confidence that the defense can handle their end of the bargain and keep games winnable for the offense to do their part. Why your NFL team won, lost in Week 10 – PFFPhiladelphia Eagles 34, Dallas Cowboys 6. Why the Eagles won: Jalen Hurts was sacked five times by the Cowboys defense and fumbled the ball once when pressured, but he was wholly positive under duress. Hurts completed 7-of-11 pass attempts when pressured for 115 yards and two touchdowns, adding three big-time throws and earning a 76.6 overall grade. Week 10 proved another strong performance from the Eagles quarterback. Why the Cowboys lost: The Cowboys just didn’t look like a functional offense without Dak Prescott, but the game plan didn’t make it easy for Cooper Rush. The Cowboys ran play-action on just 16.7% of Rush’s dropbacks. Moreover, the backup looked shell-shocked when pressured, recording a 29.3 overall grade and completing 37.5% of his passes. It’s going to be a long second half of the season in Dallas. Looking Legit – Iggles BlitzThe Eagles will face three really good QBs and a pair of dynamic offenses. This will tell us a lot about the defense. It will also put pressure on the offense. You aren’t going to beat Washington or Baltimore with 17 points. The offense will need to score in those games. If the Eagles can win 2 of the 3 games, they’ll be feeling pretty good about where things stand. If the Eagles lose a couple, there will be more questions. For now, enjoy the winning streak and feel good about the Birds. The players and coaches are figuring things out, but there is still room to get better. Jahan Dotson has two long catches in the last two weeks. Johnny Wilson caught his first NFL TD on Sunday. Bryce Huff had a strip sack. Maybe that will get him going. The defense has 10 takeaways in the last three games. It feels like the team gets a little better each week. Last year’s team feels worlds away from this group. The Eagles are well coached this time around. They block and tackle well. They are tough and physical. And Howie Roseman built a talented roster. They didn’t make a move at the trade deadline in part because they didn’t need to. It has been exciting to see this team come together. Hopefully it will be even more fun to see what they do in the second half of the season. NFL Week 10 Under Review: The Playoff Picture Is Taking Shape – The RingerWe get a huge matchup in the NFC East between the Eagles and Commanders on Thursday night. The winner will be in the driver’s seat for the division, though there’s a good chance that both teams are going to be in the playoff field. The Commanders have the second-easiest remaining schedule, and the Eagles have the third-easiest. According to DVOA, both teams have over a 90 percent chance of getting in. Eagles have ended takeaway drought in record-setting fashion – NBCSPLet’s put this in perspective real quickly: From Week 4 last year through Week 7 this year – a span of 21 games and 1,350 snaps – the Eagles forced 12 turnovers. About half a turnover per game and one every 113 plays. Since then – a span of three games and 165 snaps – the Eagles have forced 10 turnovers. Almost 3 ½ per game and one every 17 plays. The Eagles couldn’t buy a takeaway for most of last year and the first two months of this year. They were only the third team in NFL history to get 12 or fewer takeaways in a 21-game span. Now they can’t stop. Spadaro: No time to waste with prime-time NFC East showdown with Commanders awaits – PE.comRoughly 91 1/2 hours after landing home from their 34-6 win over the Dallas Cowboys, the Eagles will take
Schefter: ‘Anything’s possible’ with Brian Daboll, New York Giants
Photo by Sven Hoppe/picture alliance via Getty Images Daboll’s return not guaranteed despite John Mara’s recent plea for patience NFL insider Adam Schefter isn’t sure that New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll will survive a second straight miserable season. Schefter said Monday on the Pat McAfee Show that “anything’s possible” with the Giants. “I don’t know that anybody can say that anybody’s safe in New York. I don’t know that anybody can say that anybody’s safe when you’re on track to have the No. 1 overall pick in the draft,” Schefter said. “We’ll give him [Giants co-owner John Mara] the benefit of the doubt, we’ll say he’s not making any changes, we don’t expect anything in season, but I think that they’re going to be looking at everything and I think anything’s possible there.” “If the draft were today the New York Giants would have the number one overall pick.. I don’t know that anybody is safe in New York and I think anything is possible there” @AdamSchefter #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/hMXiCJZI6u — Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) November 11, 2024 Valentine’s View Schefter, of course, was wrong that the Giants have the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. They have the No. 2 pick. They could, obviously, end up with the No. 1 overall pick but as of Week 10 that is not the case. Anyway, the major point is in regards to Daboll’s future as the team’s head coach — and perhaps Joe Schoen’s as the GM. Here is what Mara said less than a month ago, when the Giants were 2-5: “Obviously, we’re all very disappointed with where we are right now,” Mara said. “But I’m going to say one thing, we are not making any changes this season, and I do not anticipate making any changes in the offseason, either.” If you know your recent Giants history, you know that Mara said something similar about Ben McAdoo during a poor 2017 season. Neither McAdoo nor GM Jerry Reese made it to the end of that season. You know that in 2021 Mara supported coach Joe Judge and said he was the right guy for the job right up until a couple of weeks before Mara fired him. So, neither Daboll not Schoen should be comforted by the vote of confidence. Over the last decade, we have become used to the Giants starting seasons like this. They have gotten to the 10-game mark with three or fewer victories in seven of the last eight seasons. We know we have also been fooled into thinking progress was being made by late-season surges in several of those years. Mara and Steve Tisch can’t be fooled by that this time. I am still of the belief that replacing Daboll and Schoen is not the right thing to do, but the seven-week post-by stretch is critical for their futures. What kind of attitude do the players show the rest of the way? Does it become apparent they are tuning out the coach? Do we see more effort-related issues from Deonte Banks, or obvious ‘business decisions’ by other players? Do we see increases instances of the embarrassing lack of discipline showed Sunday by Ihmir Smith-Marsette when he got two dead-ball 15-yard penalties on one play? Do we see and hear finger-pointing from the locker room? Or, do we see the Giants continue to grind and give effort? Do we see them stick together despite the season having gone off the rails? That will all matter. When you have coached a team to an 8-19 record over two seasons and a 10-24-1 record since a 7-2 start in 2022, as Daboll has, nothing about your future is guaranteed.
Statistical Review of NFL Week 10: Chiefs, Bills and Steelers stay atop the AFC
PFF broke down the advanced metrics immediately after every game of the Week 10 slate, giving an in-depth look at the numbers behind every contest. Statistical Review of NFL Week 10: Chiefs, Bills and Steelers stay atop the AFC 2YH981D Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes throws during the first half of an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) By Timo Riske Posted Nov 12, 2024 8:30 am EST PFF broke down the advanced metrics immediately after every game of the Week 10 slate, giving an in-depth look at the numbers behind every contest. For more statistics, snap counts and PFF grades, check out PFF Premium Stats. Click to jump to a game: Baltimore Ravens 35, Cincinnati Bengals 34 Game Summary Passing Summary Receiving Summary Rushing Summary Carolina Panthers 20, New York Giants 17 Game Summary Passing Summary Receiving Summary Rushing Summary New England Patriots 19, Chicago Bears 3 Game Summary Passing Summary Receiving Summary Rushing Summary San Francisco 49ers 23, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20 Game Summary Passing Summary Receiving Summary Rushing Summary Kansas City Chiefs 16, Denver Broncos 14 Game Summary Passing Summary Receiving Summary Rushing Summary Buffalo Bills 30, Indianapolis Colts 20 Game Summary Passing Summary Receiving Summary Rushing Summary Pittsburgh Steelers 28, Washington Commanders 27 Game Summary Passing Summary Receiving Summary Rushing Summary Minnesota Vikings 12, Jacksonville Jaguars 7 Game Summary Passing Summary Receiving Summary Rushing Summary New Orleans Saints 20, Atlanta Falcons 17 Game Summary Passing Summary Receiving Summary Rushing Summary Los Angeles Chargers 27, Tennessee Titans 17 Game Summary Passing Summary Receiving Summary Rushing Summary Arizona Cardinals 31, New York Jets 6 Game Summary Passing Summary Receiving Summary Rushing Summary Philadelphia Eagles 34, Dallas Cowboys 6 Game Summary Passing Summary Receiving Summary Rushing Summary Detroit Lions 26, Houston Texans 23 Game Summary Passing Summary Receiving Summary Rushing Summary Miami Dolphins 23, Los Angeles Rams 15 Game Summary Passing Summary Receiving Summary Rushing Summary
Why Lou Anarumo is not the problem on defense
Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Who is Lou? Let’s be honest. When the Cincinnati Bengals hired Lou Anarumo as their defensive coordinator, we had no idea who he was. Now, we know exactly who he is and so does everyone else in the NFL. I don’t know if Anarumo is on the hot seat or not, but I can tell you one thing: He will be a defensive coordinator in the NFL next season. Lou Needs Dudes Anarumo took a lot of heat in his first couple of seasons with the club. The defense was bad, but you could see where he was trying to go with things. He ran some very creative packages; he just didn’t have the dudes to execute them, particularly in the secondary. Then two years later Jessie Bates was joined by Vonn Bell, Mike Hilton, Chidobe Awuzie, and Eli Apple. Up front, they drafted some quality linebackers and added Trey Hendrickson, DJ Reader, BJ Hill, and Larry Ogunjobi to their defensive line. All of the sudden. Anarumo was a great defensive coordinator. They went to the Super Bowl, beat the Chiefs three times in a calendar year, and Anarumo interviewed for head-coaching jobs. Now, an attempt to get younger, faster, and yes, cheaper in the secondary has blown up in their face. Ogunjobi and Reader left a few years apart, but neither was sufficiently replaced. And mainstays like Bell and Sam Hubbard are old and beaten. Now, ya’ll don’t like Lou again. Lou Needs Film This is part of why the Bengals have been slow starters, and it’s why they struggle against backup quarterbacks (remember the Mike White Jets?). Anarumo needs a good amount of film on an opponent to be successful, but when he has it… Lou’s Game Plans are Fire Even last week, despite not having the dudes, they put together a game plan that limited a Ravens offense that is one of the league’s most prolific units for a half. Which ties in nicely with the next thing we all know about Lou. Lou’s Defense’s Step Up in Big Games The Chiefs. The Bills. The Ravens. Anarumo knows how to get his defenses up for big games. It’s about winning the big one, isn’t it? That’s what we are trying to do here. Anarumo can get his unit ready for big matchups on a big stage. What Does it Mean? He’s the right guy for the job, but you’ve got to get him the guys he needs. If we were going to have a serious conversation about replacing Anarumo the most obvious name that would come up is Robert Saleh, but have you ever seen him coach a defense with so few pass rushers? Of course not. He wouldn’t do any better than Anarumo. They need to spend money and get Anarumo his guys. Now, spending high draft capital on defensive backs and defensive linemen is a smart strategy, but it hasn’t panned out yet. Some of that is, of course, scouting, but the defensive staff deserves just as much blame for failing to develop players. Of course, that is the whole point of free agency. When you make mistakes in the draft, you can fix them by opening your wallet. In the meantime, the defense has shown improvement, but consistency is a major issue. They don’t need to be a top unit, but they need to step up in the red zone and make plays in key moments. Just think about how different this conversation would be if Cam Taylor-Britt had hauled in that interception. Anarumo is the right guy. They just have to give him the right pieces.
The Good, Bad & Ugly from the Miami Dolphins Week 10 victory over the Los Angeles Rams
Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images Miami Dolphins get off the schneid; down Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football Can you say narrative buster? The Miami Dolphins had to travel to Los Angeles, California to square off with the Rams in week 10 on Monday Night Football. Plenty of questions were being asked about the squad from South Florida ahead of the matchup. Could the team finally defeat a quality opponent outside of the friendly confines of Hard Rock Stadium? Could the team stop a high powered offense led by one of the greatest quarterbacks of this generation in Matthew Stafford? Could they corral a bevy of highly talented receivers like Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, Tutu Atwell and Demarcus Robinson? Yes, yes and yes! The Miami Dolphins answered their naysayers in resounding fashion on Monday night — defeating the Los Angeles Rams by a score of 23-15 — while putting themselves squarely in the race for the final Wild Card nod in the floundering American Football Conference. Rejoice, Dolphins fans. Your favorite team is finally back in the win column, and with the Las Vegas Raiders and New England Patriots on the docket for the team’s next two contests — with fingers crossed — they could be looking at an opportunity to pull even at 6-6 with a pivotal game against the Green Bay Packers looming on Thanksgiving night if they take care of business beforehand. But… let’s not get too ahead of ourselves and instead look back at the good, bad and ugly from Miami’s Monday night victory. GOOD Miami’s defense holds high powered Rams offense to just five field goals in win When Tua Tagovailoa went down in week two with another concussion, Miami’s defense stepped up as best they could in his absence. They kept games close, even allowing for a narrow victory on the road against the Patriots in week five. However, when Tagovailoa returned against the Arizona Cardinals, the Dolphins defense suddenly looked lost, allowing 28 points in a one point loss. Against the Buffalo Bills the following week, it was more of the same as the team’s defense allowed 30 points in a three point loss to Josh Allen and company. Against the Rams on Monday night, against a highly talented offense coached by another Mike Shanahan disciple in Sean Mc’Vay, Miami’s defense came to play — allowing no touchdowns and just 15 points via five made field goals. The returns of defensive tackle Zach Sieler, cornerback Kader Kohou and safety Jevon Holland invigorated defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver’s unit. Miami will need more performances like their week 10 showing if they want to continue their unlikely playoff push. BAD Dolphins offensive line takes step back against stout Rams defense Miami’s offensive line has been a surprising positive in a frustrating year for the franchise. The team found a new identity running the football while their quarterback was nursing his latest concussion. On Monday against the Rams, that offensive line took a step back against a dominating defensive line. Without starting right tackle Austin Jackson, and with linemen shuffling in and out of the game due to injury, Miami’s line couldn’t get any push in the running game — netting just 67 yards on 22 attempts (3.0 yards per carry). They also struggled with trying to protect their franchise quarterback from an onslaught of defenders — with Tagovailoa being pressured all night, and being sacked a total of three times against Los Angeles. The offensive line will need to regroup with Maxx Crosby and the Las Vegas Raiders coming to town in week 11. UGLY Two Tua Tagovailoa first half turnovers slow Dolphins offense Tua Tagovailoa had been playing splendid football since his return from injury against the Arizona Cardinals. He was efficient, surgical, and smart with his decision making. And then Monday Night Football happened… Against the Rams, Miami’s young singal-caller made a couple of bone-headed plays in the first half, leading to two turnovers that luckily didn’t devastate the team’s chances at a win thanks to the stellar play of the Dolphins defense. First, Tagovailoa tried to rip a ball to a Dolphins pass catcher on a roll-out to his left that was jumped by Rams linebacker Christian Rozeboom at the start of the 2nd quarter. Even worse was Tagovailoa’s tackle on the play — a tackle that saw a player with an extensive consussion history lower his head to complete the takedown only to be kicked forcefully in the side of the helmet. On the very next offensive series, Tagovailoa inexplicably held onto the ball for an extended amount of time while facing a brawny pass rush, only to be stripped of the ball by a Rams defender. Los Angeles would recover — however Miami’s defense would once again come to the rescue by forcing the Rams to settle for a short field goal. ___ The Dolphins secured a much needed win on Monday night to bring the team’s record to 3-6 on the season. It wasn’t the prettiest game, but a win is a win. Where do you place the team’s playoff chances at this time? Can they continue to stockpile wins and get back to a .500 record? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter at @MBrave13. Fins up!
Power rankings: Detroit Lions hold, but analysts raise Jared Goff concerns
Troy Taormina-Imagn Images The Detroit Lions remain a top-2 team in just about every power ranking out there, but several analysts appear concerned about Jared Goff. The Detroit Lions moved to 8-1 on the season with a remarkable 26-23 comeback victory over the Houston Texans. For many, the takeaway from the game was that the Lions can win in just about any environment and any scenario. They played one of their worst offensive games through three quarters—highlighted by Jared Goff throwing five interceptions—yet they were never truly out of the game thanks to a physical defense and a strong-willed offense. Others—particularly on a national level—expressed concerns about Goff. Ever since things went south with the Los Angeles Rams, Goff hasn’t had the best reputation among national outlets, fair or unfair. And after a turnover-riddled performance, it seems like some of the thoughts—ones that have remained dormant during Goff’s dominant performance over the last couple years—have risen to the surface again. After the game, both coach Dan Campbell and Goff himself defended the performance. “For me, I’m not going to tell him anything because I don’t feel like this is, ‘Oh, man, what are you doing?’” Campbell said. “These weren’t ill-advised throws. It wasn’t our day.” “I honestly didn’t feel like I was playing all that bad, and I was seeing things well. I was throwing it well,” Goff said after the game. “I had some unfortunate things there early, but I’ve been through a whole lot worse than that.” Detroit remains a top-two team in every one of the power rankings we look at each week, but several writers expressed concerns about Goff’s game. Take a look: MMQB: 1 (Last week: 1) From Conor Orr: I think this exercise is going to perpetually drive Chiefs fans insane when in real life we should be incredibly kind to Kansas City given the power they have to fix games at the NFL level. But seriously, if Patrick Mahomes threw five INTs, the Chiefs would have lost to the Broncos by 35. The Lions won this one and, after halftime, showcased just how good this coaching staff has been at making adjustments. The Ringer: 1 (Last week: 1) From Diante Lee: This win speaks to the advantages Detroit has in talent and coaching each week, because they were able to effectively take it out of Goff’s hands late and get better control over the game. Goff’s play this season makes me nervous about their Super Bowl chances, but they’ve built the right kind of team to win games even when he struggles. Yahoo Sports: 1 (Last week: 2) From Frank Schwab: For all the praise of the Lions’ comeback win, they do need to figure out how Jared Goff went off the rails on Sunday night and more than doubled his interception total for the season. It shouldn’t be a problem. But the Lions can’t let it become one either. The Athletic: 2 (Last week: 1) From Josh Kendall: This (QB confidence ranking of seven) could be a nine, but there’s always a concern with Jared Goff that something bad is lurking around the next corner. For instance, a five-interception game like he had Sunday night against the Texans. That’s more than he had in the first eight games of the season. The other knock on Goff is his offensive coordinator and teammates make it easy on him. His air yards per attempt (6.9) rank 29th in the league. Still, his EPA per dropback (.16) ranks eighth in the league and can’t be dismissed. Sporting News: 2 (Last week: 2) From Vinnie Iyer: The Lions proved, like the Chiefs, that they also can win games on special teams, defense, and the running game when their passing game is off. They remain the NFC’s team to beat for that reason. CBS Sports: 2 (Last week: 2) From Pete Prisco: Winning the way they did on Sunday night against the Texans is proof of just how tough this team can be. They rallied in a big way, which shows their Dan Campbell grit. The 33rd team: 2 (Last week: 2) From Marcus Mosher: A sign of a good team is if you can still win despite everything going wrong. That was certainly the case for the Detroit Lions in Week 10, with Jared Goff throwing five interceptions in the first three quarters. Yet, they pulled off the win in Houston against the Texans. The Lions’ defense has been legit all season, and it will soon add Za’Darius Smith to the unit. The Chiefs and the Lions are clearly the league’s top two teams, and it’s going to take a lot for them to move out of these spots going forward. USA Today: 2 (Last week: 2) From Nate Davis: Add resilience to their DNA after they notched their first win under HC Dan Campbell after trailing by double digits at halftime … while becoming the first team in 12 years to prevail despite its quarterback serving up five INTs. Still to come: NFL.com: TBD (Last week: 1) From Eric Edholm:
