Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images Matthew Stafford has thrown an interception in six-straight games The three-game winning streak of the Los Angeles Rams was snapped by the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football. Miami came out on top 23-15. The Rams fall to 4-5 on the season and are tumbling back towards the bottom of the NFC West standings. Who stood out on an individual level against the Dolphins? Winners Kobie Turner, DT LA’s second-year defensive tackle was all over the field on Monday night. He finished with six tackles, a sack, and a pass deflection. The Rams got consistent pass rush production and that prevented Miami from pushing the ball downfield for the most part. There were plenty of interceptable passes and Tua Tagovailoa threw for just 207 yards. Nothing to see here… just two 3rd round steals meeting at the QB Kobie Turner (89.8) Byron Young (71.1) (In-Game PFF Grades) pic.twitter.com/kBGsHeTMaa — All-22 (@All22_PFF) November 12, 2024 Jared Verse, OLB The Rams’ impressive rookie wreaked havoc against Miami. On a single play, he beat veteran LT Terron Armstead for a sack, stripped the quarterback, and recovered his own forced fumble. Verse made several big plays in the run game as well. Verse continues to strengthen his campaign for the NFL’s defensive rookie of the year award, of which he’s clearly the frontrunner at present. Former FSU First-Round DE Jared Verse just had a GAME CHANGING PLAY! ROOKIE pic.twitter.com/mHYDCmJke1 — Clay Fink (@clay_fink) November 12, 2024 Josh Karty, K Karty scored all of the Rams’ 15 points in this game. He did leave three points on the table, though the miss doesn’t rest all on his shoulders. The rookie kicker converted a 52-yard kick, but center Beaux Limmer was called for a false start. Karty missed the 57-yard kick which would have been the longest of his career. All-in-all, making five of six field goals and setting a new career-high at 55-yards is a pretty good day at the office. Christian Rozeboom, MLB Rozeboom had easily the best coverage game I’ve ever seen from him. He picked off a pass to give the Rams’ offense favorable starting field position and then dropped another interception late. The box score credited him with three pass breakups on the evening. Possibly even more impressive is the fact LA held Miami to less than 70 rushing yards. The defense did more than enough to win this game, but the offense failed to play complementary football. PICKED! Christian Rozeboom has it for the @RamsNFL! : #MIAvsLAR on ESPN/ABC : Stream on #NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/ruREK3xAW7 — NFL (@NFL) November 12, 2024 Losers Rams free agent signings Jonah Jackson, C The Rams benched rookie standout Beaux Limmer for this guy? LA had visions of a road grading interior offensive line when they signed Jackson to pair with Kevin Dotson and Steve Avila. However, Jackson was never a risk-free signing. He’s missed stints of time due to injuries during his days with the Detroit Lions, and he was generally considered the weak link of an otherwise steady Detroit OL. The Rams are seeing the low end of his range of outcomes currently. There were multiple bad snaps in this game as well. It was Jackson’s first game back from injury, so he probably should get the benefit of the doubt. Still, this level of performance was by no means acceptable. Jonah Jackson’s high snap results in a 13-yard loss. Rams shoot themselves in the foot again. — Cameron DaSilva (@camdasilva) November 12, 2024 Colby Parkinson, TE Parkinson was seemingly benched for second-year TE Davis Allen for most of this game. Allen didn’t exactly make the most of his opportunities, and none of the three TE’s on the roster are playing well right now. Perhaps Tyler Higbee can return from injury and bring some stability to this group for the remainder of 2024 and beyond. This is probably a position that needs addressed in a serious way—again—ahead of next season. Matthew Stafford, QB If we are being honest, Stafford’s only good game this season came on Thursday Night Football versus the Minnesota Vikings where he tossed four touchdowns. In nearly every other game—including comeback wins against the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks—Stafford’s play has ranged from pedestrian to below average. He’s on a streak of six-straight games with an interception and as of last week led the NFL in dropped interceptions at six. The veteran signal caller completed 32 of 46 passes (69.5%) for 293 yards, and interception, four sacks, and a passer rating of just 77.5. The Rams offense needs a spark in a major way. With every passing week it’s becoming more apparent that Stafford shouldn’t be the quarterback beyond 2024. What does the team have to lose by putting Jimmy Garoppolo on the field? It’s time to explore alternatives. Might be the worst game I’ve seen Stafford play as a Ram, or at least Top 3. He did nothing to contribute to a possible win. I love Stafford, but we need a LOT more from him (even with the OL getting dominated). — Mike Winchell (@mrmikewinch) November 12, 2024 Steve Avila, LG Similar to Jackson, Avila had a rough return from injury. Chalk it up to rust possibly, but the Rams should expect more from last year’s second round pick. Joe Noteboom, RT Fans don’t appreciate the steadiness of RT Rob Havenstein enough, though they are usually reminded just how important he is to the team’s success when he misses time with injury. Havenstein’s absence was seriously felt on Monday night, and Noteboom was a liability on the right side of the line. Calais Campbell dominated him nearly all game. If Havenstein is unavailable next week, would LA benefit by turning to Warren McClendon instead? Kyren Williams, RB Williams has been a non-factor over the last two games. He fumbled the ball after a sudden change and forced turnover by the Rams defense. He finished with 15 carries for 62 yards (4.1
Winners & Losers: Matthew Stafford lays egg on Monday Night Football
Bengals News (11/12): Kicking The Tires
Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images Looking for some outside help. The Cincinnati Bengals were relatively quiet at the NFL trade deadline, but on a “mini bye week,” they brought in several players for visits on Monday and made an addition to the practice squad. Bengals News Former Dolphins star CB Xavien Howard not signing with Bengals despite contract offer, per report Howard is still looking for the right opportunity. Bengals sign Gary Brightwell to practice squad The Bengals brought Brightwell in their second running back in as many weeks. Who is Gary Brightwell? Get to know the Bengals’ newest running back and what he brings to the team The Bengals signed a former Cleveland Browns player to their practice squad. Bengals worked out Leonard Fournette Before the signing of Brightwell announced, the Bengals worked out “Lombardi Lenny.” Injury updates ahead of Week 11 Zac Taylor gave injury updates on some key Bengals before the face the league’s top scoring defense. Bengals draft position after Week 10 If you’ve already fired up the draft simulator… NFL News Jedrick Wills “shocked” when benched After a “business decision” the prior week Micah Parsons weighs in on Mike McCarthy A lot was said here. Daboll noncommital on Daniel Jones Changes coming in New York? Does the NFL need a minor league system? Interesting to think about, Chargers, 49ers and Bengals among nine wild cards that could shape second half of 2024 NFL season In this edition of The First Read, Jeffri Chadiha spotlights nine wild cards that could shape the second half of the 2024 NFL season.
Early thoughts on report of Raiders’ locker room unrest
Antonio Pierce | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images Does Antonio Pierce have an accountability problem with his roster? The Las Vegas Raiders can’t stay out of news when it comes to negativity even on their bye week. Over the weekend, there was a report from CBS Sports reporter Jonathan Jones which stated the Raiders’ players and coaches held an intense team meeting the day after they fell to 2-7 on the season and before breaking for the bye week. Here is a snippet of Jones’ report: After Monday’s coaches meeting, the team met with the staff and the floor was open for anyone to speak their mind. According to sources present, a few themes emerged. Players had issues with the schedule not being efficient. There was a lack of organization and “wasting time,” and there was a “lack of discipline and accountability.” One source described the meeting as ending “uncomfortably for all parties.” But, to be sure, this meeting was nothing like one between the players and head coach from almost exactly a year ago. If you would have told me the Raiders players would have these types of concerns in January when the roster pushed hard for Pierce to be promoted from the interim coach to the full-time leader, I would have been floored. But things haven’t gone well this season and there have been signs that Pierce doesn’t have the grasp on this roster that he appeared to have when he spent the final nine games of last season as the interim head coach after replacing the fired Josh McDaniels. The concerns Jones detailed are concerning and frankly, damning of Pierce and his staff if true. If players feel the coaching staff isn’t spending time wisely and is “wasting time” that is a major issue. While Pierce is a green head coach., he has had former NFL head coaches Marvin Lewis and Joe Philbin around all season and he his former Super Bowl winning coach Tom Coughlin is a close advisor to Pierce. Also, former NFL head coach Norv Turner is joining the staff as well These shouldn’t be problems. The truth is, if this meeting doesn’t do anything to change the way the coaching staff and roster communicates and work together and the losing continues, it could be tough for Pierce to get passed. Last year, Raiders’ owner Mark Davis listened to players when they complained about McDaniels. It will be interesting to see who Davis handled this unexpected unrest about Pierce, especially after he gave the players what they wanted when he promoted Pierce earlier this year. Replacing a head coach after one full season is unusual and not ideal. But Pierce’s entire calling card was his relationship with the players. If that is already frayed and the results on the field or poor, what’s the point of continuing. So, this report sheds on light on a bigger issue in the building and if the team doesn’t show improvement in the final eight games, perhaps it will lead to a major change come January.
Bills’ Josh Allen says teammates ‘stepped up’ vs. Colts
Bills’ Josh Allen says teammates ‘stepped up’ vs. Colts Bills’ Josh Allen says teammates ‘stepped up’ vs. Colts David De Cristofaro A win is a win. It wasn’t pretty, but the Bills won in all three phases 30-20 on the road against the Colts in Indianapolis. Buffalo got the job done despite turning the ball over multiple times, which left much to improve upon. Few knew that better than quarterback Josh Allen. “We’ve got to have a faster start. We didn’t play our best today, but we’ll take the win,” the QB said. “Four forced turnovers — we’ve got to hold onto the ball a little bit better. We’ll take them how we can get them, and we’ll turn the page tomorrow.” Allen would go 23 of 37 for 280 yards in the air with 50 yards on the ground. He also threw a pair of interceptions, putting him at four in the span of the last three games after a stellar start to the year in which he didn’t throw any at all in his first seven contests. “Guys stepping up, knowing they’re knowing their job, knowing their assignment, and going out there and executing can be cleaner,” he added. “That’s that’s me. So again, just making sure we’re communicating well, and just try again, just trying to hold on to the football. And, you know, we got to play better on offense.” Playing in front of so many Bills fans in attendance it was practically a home game in the stands, Buffalo was missing receivers Amari Cooper and Keon Coleman. Their scoring got done by way of kicker Tyler Bass’s field goals, along with rushing touchdowns by Allen and starting running back James Cook, and a pick-six interception by corner Taron Johnson. “Just all hands on deck,” head coach Sean McDermott said to the press postgame. “I mean, what else can you say? I would say (offensive coordinator) Joe (Brady), the (offensive coaching) staff, they didn’t flinch. They just kept dialing it up, trying to adjust. I thought the communication at halftime was great by the entire staff.” This ahead of one of their biggest tests of the season next Sunday, a home game hosting the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs in Orchard Park. For four-straight games and in seven of their 10 games this season, the Bills have scored 30 points or more, which could matter next week against a Kansas City team that’s only scored that much once this season. The win against the Colts was the Bills’ first in Indianapolis since 1998, their fifth consecutive win, and they improved to 8-2 overall, their best start since 1993. And they might possibly have been at 9-1 if not for clock management and playcalling near the end of the club’s matchup against the Houston Texans. Nonetheless, things remain in perspective for Allen. “It’s awesome to get eight wins through 10 games. Still got a lot of season left, so we’re not really looking at it as that. It’s just really on to the next one.”
Giants news, 11/12: Daboll noncommittal on starting QB, Jermaine Eluemunor, John Mara, more headlines
Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images New York Giants news for Tuesday Good morning, New York Giants fans! From Big Blue View Brian Daboll opens the door to replacing Daniel Jones as New York Giants starting QB New York Giants have no choice but to move on from Daniel Jones Evan Neal — yes, Evan Neal — was Giants’ highest-graded offensive player vs. Carolina Panthers Devastated Tyrone Tracy: ‘My emotions came out of me’ after costly fumble Ex-Giant Nick McCloud signs with San Francisco 49ers 2025 NFL Draft order: Giants hold the second overall pick Around the league Jermaine Eluemunor’s frustration with Giants position switch comes with Evan Neal positive | New York Post “It was something that just happened,” Eluemunor said. “It’s hard to switch sides like that. It’s not the most comfortable thing. I tell people it’s like you’ve been writing with your right hand for a long time and out of nowhere they tell you, you gotta write an essay with your left hand and it’s due on Saturday and you have three days to freaking learn how to write with your left hand.” The Giants are getting worse, so what is the case for retaining Brian Daboll, Joe Schoen? | The Athletic Mara loathes that he’s been stuck in a cycle of replacing coaches and general managers regularly. But the case for retaining Daboll and Schoen must be stronger than just not wanting to abruptly fire another regime. It’s difficult to identify what this regime does well. Since catching lightning in a bottle with a 7-2 start to their first season, the Giants have gone 10-24-1. That’s tied for the third-most losses in the league over that stretch. With bye week looming, now’s the perfect time for Giants to make massive change — at QB or head coach | NJ.com Had Mara bit his tongue shut three weeks ago, Daboll might not have survived the Germany trip. Now? He’d look like a fool to give up on the same coach he gave a vote of confidence less than a month ago (especially since it wouldn’t be his first offense). It’s a dilemma. This is, for many reasons, the perfect week to spark the team by moving on from Daboll, but Mara probably won’t because he couldn’t help himself with another needless (and unprompted) proclamation. Boomer: Daniel Jones is ‘completely hamstrung mentally’ | WFAN.com “They have a quarterback who is completely hamstrung mentally,” Boomer said. “It’s paralysis by analysis by Daniel Jones. They left probably nine to 20 points on the field by colossal, boneheaded mistakes and missed opportunities…I don’t want to hear about offensive line and running back problems. It really comes down to ‘Does the quarterback have the balls to stand in there and make the plays?’” It’s time for Giants to end the Daniel Jones chapter | New York Post So many of them are complicit for transgressions big and small that conspired to doom a doomed team, once again. There are fingerprints galore smeared across the 20-17 loss to the Panthers, and that this game came in Germany, and not on U.S. soil, does not mitigate the damage done to a franchise that has specialized for more than a decade in losing games every which way, here, there, everywhere and, in a new twist, even in the capital of Bavaria. The Giants are in their bye week. When they return to the field Nov. 24 to face the Buccaneers at MetLife Stadium, Jones has to be on the sideline and either Drew Lock or Tommy DeVito needs to be the starting quarterback. Malik Nabers on what he said to Tyrone Tracey Malik Nabers talked to Tyrone Tracy Jr. after his fumble in overtime: “I told him, that play doesn’t define you. That one play doesn’t lose us the game.” pic.twitter.com/xLfxJ5NYFS — Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) November 10, 2024 Notes & Stats: Giants vs. Panthers Recap | Giants.com Rookie safety Tyler Nubin led the Giants with 12 tackles (eight solo). Linebacker Bobby Okereke had 11 tackles (four solo). Jalin Hyatt made his third start of the season in place of Darius Slayton, who is in the NFL concussion protocol and did not accompany the team here. Hyatt caught four passes for 39 yards. He entered the game with one reception for six yards this season. NFL Week 10: Biggest questions, takeaways for every game | ESPN.com Eye-popping stat: Three 10-plus-yard runs for Tyrone Tracy Jr. This is the fourth time in six starts that the rookie running back had at least three runs of 10 or more yards. He has added an explosiveness in the run game to the Giants’ offense starting ahead of Devin Singletary. Tracy finished with 103 yards rushing on 18 carries, but his final one resulted in the fumble that cost the Giants the game. For the most part, he’s been a rare bright spot this season. Tyrone Tracy Jr.’s back-breaking OT fumble a painful reminder of rookie growing pains | The Athletic It’s also worth noting that the fumble can serve as a learning moment for him. Given how good he’s been — he’s fifth in the league in rushing yards (516) since taking over the starting role in Week 5 —it’s easy to forget he’s pretty new at this whole running back thing. He played wide receiver in college for five seasons (four at Iowa, one at Purdue) before fully committing to running back in his final year with the Boilermakers. It stands to reason then that there will be some growing pains as the fifth-round pick continues to learn what is, to him, a new position. NFL mock draft 2025: Giants, Raiders land new QBs in updated first-round projection | SBNation.com 2. New York Giants: Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado. Daniel Jones ain’t it, and if the Giants are picking this high, it might be with a new GM and head coach. Sanders is by far and away the best QB in this draft class, and his touch combined with his
Dolphins keep season alive after beating Rams – The Splash Zone 11/12/24
Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images Welcome to the Splash Zone, the quickest way to get your day started off right. We bring you a rundown of Miami Dolphins news from the last 24 hours. The Miami Dolphins snapped their losing streak as they beat the Los Angeles Rams last night to improve to 3-6. It’s been a rough season for the Dolphins and their fans, but a win keeps their bleak playoff chances alive. Defensively, the Dolphins did a great job of applying pressure and not allowing the Rams to convert many third downs. On offense, their were a few mistakes made by quarterback Tua Tagovailoa but the team was able to overcome them and kept drives alive by converting on third down. Up next for the Dolphins is the Las Vegas Raiders. You can check out that story here, and the rest of the day’s round-up below. Miami Dolphins beat Los Angeles Rams, Instant Takeaways | Schad – Yahoo SportsThe Dolphins defeated the Rams to improve to 3-6. Wide receiver Tyreek Hill played for Miami despite a wrist injury. Dolphins at Rams Tua and the Dolphins keep playoff hopes alive in win vs. Rams – ESPNThe Dolphins managed to keep Matthew Stafford and the Rams from scoring a touchdown all night. Dolphins defense doesn’t allow a touchdown en route to a 23-15 win over the Rams in prime time – Yahoo SportsThe defense held Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford without a touchdown pass for only the second time in his career. Miami Dolphins’ win allows Florida football teams to break winless streak – ESPNAfter “Monday Night Football,” Florida football teams across the NFL, FCS and FBS have gone 1-11 since Saturday. Dolphins Offensive Line Dolphins place tackle Austin Jackson on IR with knee injury – ESPNDolphins right tackle Austin Jackson will miss at least the next four games after the starter was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury. Phinsider News You May Have Missed SB Nation Reacts: Miami Dolphins Week 10 an confidence climbs after strong performance against Bills – The PhinsiderFans feel a little better about the direction of the Miami Dolphins, even after another loss. Monday Night Football Preview: Dolphins vs Rams kickoff time, TV channel, online stream, odds, injury report, more – The PhinsiderThe Miami Dolphins are headed into a primetime game against the Los Angeles Rams. How can you watch the game? We have everything you need to know. Tyreek Hill injury update: Drew Rosenhaus talks availability Monday, potential surgery – The PhinsiderMiami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill is questionable for Monday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams with a wrist injury. Agent Drew Rosenhaus provided an update. Xavien Howard update: Free agent cornerback visiting Cincinnati Bengals Monday – The PhinsiderFormer Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard is visiting the Cincinnati Bengals. NFL Winners Picks Week 8: Predictions for Giants vs Steelers on MNF – The PhinsiderThe Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Rams face off on Monday Night Football tonight. Who do we think will win? Dolphins vs. Rams Week 10: River Cracraft activated, practice squad elevations announced – The PhinsiderThe Miami Dolphins made a flurry of roster moves ahead of tonight’s Monday Night Football game against the Los Angeles Rams. Miami Dolphins lose Brandon Pili to Seattle Seahawks – The PhinsiderThe Miami Dolphins waived defensive tackle Brandon Pili on Saturday. The Seattle Seahawks claimed him on Monday. Miami Dolphins Week 10 preview at Los Angeles Rams: Kyren Williams, Demarcus Robinson, Kamren Kinchens – The PhinsiderThe Miami Dolphins face the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football to close out Week 10 of the 2024 season. To get a closer look at the Rams, we turned to Turf Show Times. Dolphins vs. Rams final score and immediate reactions – The PhinsiderThe Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Rams met on Monday Night Football. We reacted to all the action as it happened.
Discussion: Which Lions player deserves more credit for win over Texans?
Thomas B. Shea-Imagn Images There were a lot of heroes in the Lions’ win over the Texans. Who isn’t getting enough credit. Following the Detroit Lions’ gritty comeback win over the Houston Texans, head coach Dan Campbell handed out three game balls. One to defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn for his masterful game plan, one to Carlton Davis III for his two interceptions and overall impressive performance, and one to kicker Jake Bates for the game-winning field goal. In a game where mistakes were plentiful and one side of the ball was struggling to execute, they needed those guys to step up and save the day. But there are some other players that may not be getting all the attention, but deserve a share of the credit as well. Today’s Question of the Day is… Who is your unsung hero from the Lions’ win over the Texans? My answer: On defense, it was the Carlton Davis III and Brian Branch show for most of the evening, but one player that deserves some extra love is Josh Paschal. Paschal had a huge hand in the run defense’s success with three stops against the run for an average depth of tackle at just 0.3 yards. This was a statement game for the run defense after a few weeks of uncharacteristic struggles, and Paschal played a big part in it. In the passing game, Paschal was just as active. He led the team with five QB pressures and had a sack to go along with it. Great stuff from Paschal and the rest of the defense. Let’s hear from you. Who are your unsung heroes from the Lions’ “Sunday Night Football” victory? Leave your answers in the comments below.
NFL Week 10 Recap: Immediate fantasy football takeaways from Dolphins-Rams Monday Night Football
PFF’s fantasy football recap focuses on player usage and stats, breaking down all the vital information you need to achieve fantasy success in 2024. NFL Week 10 Recap: Immediate fantasy football takeaways from Dolphins-Rams Monday Night Football 2YHGAWF Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) runs with the ball past Los Angeles Rams safety Kamren Kinchens (26) during an NFL football game, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong) By Nathan Jahnke Posted Nov 11, 2024 11:04 pm EST • Raheem Mostert takes a step back: The Miami Dolphins used Mostert as only a third-down back this week after he was one of the best runners in football one year ago. • Davis Allen is the Los Angeles Rams‘ new top tight end: He had slowly cut into Colby Parkinson’s playing time in recent games and fully took over this week. • Unlock your edge with a PFF+ subscription: Get full access to all of 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: 5 minutes PFF’s fantasy football recap focuses on player usage and stats, breaking down all the vital information you need to achieve fantasy success in 2024. Puka Nacua: 9 receptions, 98 yards Cooper Kupp: 7 receptions, 80 yards Raheem Mostert reduced to a third-down role: The veteran running back did not play on early downs this week. Mostert was the Dolphins’ starting running back last season when healthy, with he and De’Von Achane ranking in the top five in PFF offensive grade among running backs with at least 200 snaps. This season, Mostert started in Week 1 but exited due to an injury that forced him out in Weeks 2-4. He returned in Week 5 with Achane as the starter, but Achane left the game early due to a concussion. In Weeks 7 and 8, Achane was Miami’s clear lead running back, but Mostert was seeing 14-16 offensive snaps on early downs in place of Achane each week, with Jaylen Wright mixing in. How the two were used in passing situations was inconsistent. Last week, Mostert fumbled early in the third quarter. He played 35% of snaps before the fumble and 10% after. This week, Mostert played only on third downs. If Achane needed a break on early downs, it was Wright taking his place instead of Achane. While Achane is a much better receiving back, Mostert is the better pass-blocker, which could be contributing to the Dolphins’ decision. Mostert and Achane have graded generally well as runners this season — but not near the heights of last year. It’s fine to consider dropping Mostert in redraft fantasy leagues. He isn’t scoring enough fantasy points to be a starter since both running backs have been healthy, and he will be scoring even less in this role. If Achane were to suffer an injury, this game suggests Wright would be the Dolphins’ primary early-down back. Wright has graded the best of the three as a runner, so it would make sense to give him more opportunities going forward. This also makes Wright a better speculative waiver target. The Dolphins have a very rough schedule for running backs starting in Week 14, so if Wright doesn’t become a double-digit-touch player in the next three weeks, he can be dropped. Achane was already a must-start player, given his talent and role in the offense, but he is an even safer start now that his role is larger. Rams make a change at tight end: Davis Allen started the game and was Los Angeles’ clear lead tight end throughout. Colby Parkinson began the season as the Rams’ lead tight end, playing 74% of 11-personnel snaps and 63% of 12-personnel snaps over the first five weeks. After the Rams’ Week 6 bye, they started phasing Parkinson out of two-tight end sets, with him playing 17% of 12-personnel snaps over Weeks 7 and 8. Last week, he began getting phased out of 11 personnel. In the first half, he played 61% of 11-personnel snaps, but that fell to 12% in the second half, with Allen playing more than Parkinson in that personnel grouping. This week, Allen was the Rams’ main tight end for the entire game. Parkinson took only a few snaps, at times giving Allen a break in 11 personnel. Allen caught four passes for 21 yards. Parkinson can potentially be released in all redraft leagues and some dynasty leagues. It’s worth noting that Tyler Higbee is “ahead of schedule” in his recovery from his torn ACL and MCL, which he suffered in January. The Rams have generally stayed quiet about his status and haven’t given much of a return schedule, but there is a chance he will be back this season. The Rams’ tight ends have generally had low target shares, regardless of who is playing, and the team has one of the most difficult schedules for the position over the rest of the season, so Allen and Higbee can likely be left on the waiver wire. Miscellaneous Notes • Jordan Whittington returned after missing Weeks 8 and 9 and barely playing in Week 7 with a shoulder injury. He served as a backup for Puka Nacua for a few plays in 11 personnel, but Tyler Johnson was occasionally in for Nacua instead. • Tyreek Hill showed up on the injury report Friday with a wrist injury. He was questionable, and it wasn’t clear if he was playing until inactives were announced. He received his normal snap share in this game but was mostly used as a runner and a target on short passes. • The Dolphins activated River Cracraft from injured reserve earlier Monday. He was a full participant in practice all week. This led Dee Eskridge to be a healthy inactive. Malik Washington and Odell Beckham Jr. remained the third and fourth wide receivers on the depth chart despite Cracraft’s return. • Alec Ingold was questionable with a calf injury
McVay says Rams will consider offensive line changes
Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images “Everything’s on the table,” says Rams head coach after bad offensive line performance Sean McVay was disappointed in the play of the Rams offensive line in their loss to the Dolphins on Monday Night and implied the team could make changes when telling reporters that “We’ve got to evaluate everything and we’ve got to be a lot better” and that “Everything is on the table”. Matthew Stafford was under duress for the most of the night despite the Dolphins usually only rushing four and was sacked four times. McVay said it was important to give Steve Avila and Jonah Jackson a change to show what they could do after missing most of the season on IR, but now it just looks like the Rams rushed them back and compromised the continuity that had developed with Beaux Limmer and Justin Diedich. McVay referenced “continuity” after the game, noting how much he talks about the importance of continuity and that L.A. “never gave ourselves a chance” by failing to protect Stafford. Asked if his team played sloppy, the head coach agreed and it was uncharacteristic to see the Rams have botched snaps, fumbles and gut-wrenching sacks in crucial moments time and time again. “It’s gotta be a lot better,” the coach reflected on his team’s performance. LIVE: Sean McVay & Matthew Stafford postgame press conference following MNF matchup vs. Dolphins. https://t.co/ahmwbyCQPe — Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) November 12, 2024 Credit the Dolphins who earned a huge win to keep their season afloat, but it was as though each time the Rams took a step forward, they took two steps back. McVay seemed to agree that his team performed poorly, but also said the mistakes can get corrected. “There’s been a lot of instances where really, we haven’t been consistent enough especially when you just look at it from…sloppy? Yeah, I mean there was some…execution that has to be better, and I wanna be able to go back and look at the tape, but these are things that we have to be able to clean up if we want to be the type of team…and especially from an offensive perspective, you know, we’ve got to be able to play better and…consistently execute better with 11 as one.” This game could’ve been a momentum launching victory for LA who would’ve risen to above a .500 record for the first time all season, but instead the Rams again fell to below .500 making it much harder to secure the NFC West. The good news is LA still has three division games ahead and plenty of crucial matchups in their final eight games of the season.
Andy Reid Roundup: Donovan Smith, JuJu Smith-Schuster and the deep ball
What’s new at Arrowhead Pride Premier? If you want more Chiefs, our newsletter is the answer for you. Three times a week we deliver a new edition to your inbox. Don’t miss Tuesdays with the full hour of our video podcast, the Editors Show, with Pete Sweeney and John Dixon. Check out a free trial below.
