The Philadelphia Eagles are 7-2 after beating the Dallas Cowboys. I don’t care that Dak Prescott (who has stunk this year anyway) wasn’t playing; Eagles wins over the Cowboys shouldn’t be taken for granted. Especially when they haven’t won at AT&T Stadium since 2017. Time to hand out some winners, losers, and IDKs. WINNERS ZACK BAUN The thought struck me on Sunday afternoon: is Zack Baun the best Eagles linebacker … ever?! I’m aware it sounds hyperbolic. And, look, I was born in 1991, my memory of watching the Eagles goes back to the early 2000s. But I feel like Baun is the best Eagles linebacker I’ve ever watched. He’s an absolute beast. Really, is there anything he can’t do? Baun has looked great in coverage. So much so that I nearly mistook him for a defensive back the way he gained depth to break up a pass against the Jacksonville Jaguars last week. He’s allowed just a 72.6 passer rating when targeted. Pro Football Focus has him graded as their second-best linebacker in coverage this season … only slightly behind FRED WARNER. Baun is dominant against against the run. He leads all NFL linebackers in defensive stops, which are tackles that constitute a failure for the offense. He has 40. Three players are tied for second with 36 … and they’ve all played one more game than Baun has. Baun is physical. He hits hard! Baun had two forced fumbles in this game to bring him up to three this season. Only one linebacker has more: FRED WARNER. One of Baun’s forced fumbles came in a pretty key spot, too, with the Cowboys well positioned to score from 2nd-and-goal at the 3-yard line if not for him knocking the ball out. Baun can rush the passer. This one comes as no surprise since he’s spent time as an edge rusher. He has two sacks and seven total pressures. Baun is a stud. Forget Pro Bowl, this dude belongs on the All-Pro team at this rate. Extend this man’s contract, Howie Roseman. Poll Is Zack Baun the best Eagles linebacker ever? 0% Yes (0 votes) 0% No (0 votes) 0 votes total Vote Now VIC FANGIO It 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. JALEN HURTS It was an uneven start for Hurts, who was guilty of holding the ball too long at times en route to taking five sacks. Hurts also turned the ball over twice with an interception in the end zone and a fumble. Some have excused the pick as merely a great play by Trevon Diggs. While the Cowboys’ cornerback does indeed deserve credit, that didn’t look like it was 0% on Hurts. And the fumble was a case of him only having one hand on the ball, which he’s gotten burned by earlier this season. Regardless of how you specifically parse blame, the big picture takeaway is that the Eagles should’ve been up more than one possession against a Cowboys defense allowing the second-most points in the league. The quarterback and, subsequently, the offense needed to be sharper than they were early on. Hurts deserves credit for rebounding with a strong two-minute drive to give the Eagles a 14 to 6 lead entering halftime. He did a really nice job of sidestepping pressure and delivering a touchdown pass to Dallas Goedert. He also managed the pocket well on his touchdown throw to Johnny Wilson, stepping up and delivering a strike after surveying the field. Oh, and his 44-yard completion to A.J. Brown down the right sideline was a thing of beauty with the ball placed right on the receiver’s hands. Following his second giveaway, Hurts posted the following numbers: 8/13 (61.5%), 110 yards (8.5 average), 2 TD, 0 INT, 128.2 passer rating … two runs, 32 yards, TD. His success allowed the Eagles to pull their starters early in the fourth quarter to rest ahead of Thursday’s game against the Washington Commanders. SAQUON BARKLEY His longest play was only 12 yards. What a bum! Of course, that play involved him making multiple defenders miss to turn a third down catch way short of the sticks into a first down: He’s simply too good. The Eagles did well to manage Barkley’s workload as much as possible. He only had fewer touches in one game this season (the blowout loss to the Bucs). And yet he still pitched in with 78 yards from scrimmage. A.J. BROWN Boringly excellent: seven targets, five receptions, 109 yards (21.8). Serious question: what can A.J. do that’ll actually be interesting/surprising at this point? He’s never had more than 181 yards in a game. So, would be nice to see him top that and get in the 200s. Also maybe his first-ever four-plus touchdown game. He’s never completed a
Eagles at Cowboys: 16 winners, 2 losers, 2 IDKs
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25727411/2184184786.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,0&ssl=1 "Fantasy Football ‘24: Waiver Wire, Week 11 edition")
Fantasy Football ‘24: Waiver Wire, Week 11 edition
Welcome to the Fantasy Football Waiver Wire for Week 11! A not-so-funny thing is happening over the next couple of weeks. It’s the push for the fantasy playoffs, and at the same time, half of the teams in the league still haven’t had their Bye. Four teams are on Bye this week, then six in Week 12, then everyone plays on Thanksgiving weekend, and then the final six have Byes in Week 14, which for many is the final week before the fantasy playoffs start. Thanks, Rog. Throw in the constant stream of NFL injuries and navigating the next month is going to be a challenge. The Waiver Wire is there to help, and so am I. For those who’ve saved some free agent budget dollars, it’s time to use that to your advantage. As a reminder, a good strategy to employ for Bye weeks is to look ahead a week in order to get what you need and especially at the “onesie’ positions (QB, TE, PK, D/ST). It’s better to get the player you want when there isn’t as much competition. That’s harder to do for Week 12, since four teams are also off this week. As for this week’s crop of free agents, there are some players who can definitely help you this week, and down the stretch. Keep reading. The Process: Each week, I try to identify the top Waiver Wire targets and evaluate the short- and long-term prospects of those players. I also do my best to reveal which players who are coming off a big week are fool’s gold. Finally, I look at streamers who might help you in a pinch (this is usually more important during Bye weeks). Note that I’m writing this column BEFORE the Week 10 Monday night game (MIA@LAR). Some players discussed won’t be available in your league. I try to list players who are available in more than 50% of leagues. But what does that even mean? A 10-team league with six bench spots will have a much larger Free Agent pool than a 14-team league with eight. Most leagues fall somewhere in between. This isn’t “one size fits all.” By way of example, I won’t list Justin Herbert, Jaylen Warren, Cedric Tillman, Jauan Jennings, Taysom Hill this week, among others who probably aren’t available in any of your leagues. All would be priority adds this week, with Warren at the top of the list given the injury to Najee Harris. WEEK 11 BYES: ARI, CAR, NYG, TB Bo Nix is outscoring a bunch of prominent veteransPhoto by Jamie Squire/Getty Images Week 11 Waiver Wire Quarterback: Need a second quarterback for a Superflex league, a streamer for this week, or another starting option in a 1-QB league? There are again some appealing choices this week. Bo Nix and Drake Maye. I’ve listed these two rookies so many times in this column that I’m tired of typing their names. I’m lumping them together because the case is the same for both. They’re each averaging between 16 and 17 points per start and that puts them ahead of a whole bunch of veterans who you might be playing (especially in a Superflex). They’re outscoring the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Jared Goff, Kirk Cousins, and C.J. Stroud, among others. It helps that they both can scoot and are scoring points as runners. More good news: they both have favorable schedules upcoming. Russell Wilson. He’s been pretty solid since returning from injury (a 19.3 point average over this three starts) and taking over for Justin Fields. The addition of Mike Williams should help the entire passing game, as defenses will need to account for his ability to make big plays. His next three matchups (BAL, CLE, CIN) are all division games, but all three of those defenses have been very generous to opposing QBs. Matthew Stafford. As long as his top two WRs are healthy, Stafford slots in as a borderline QB1 with upside. He won’t earn any points as a runner, but he can still whip the ball around as well as just about anyone, and the Rams can get into high-scoring affairs. Add him. Others to consider, as needed: Derek Carr and Jameis Winston. Jameis is a roller-coaster, so if you have issues with motion sickness, bear that in mind. Hop on the Gus Bus!Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Running Back: For this first time in a few weeks, there are some backs that could be poised to get meaningful workloads down the stretch. Gus Edwards. Where did that come from? Before Edwards got hurt, J.K. Dobbins had taken over the Chargers backfield, and was doing much more with his touches. Edwards returned on Sunday and it was pretty close to a 50/50 split, with Edwards on the field when the Chargers got in close. That’s a promising sign, and this team runs enough to support two fantasy-relevant backs, IF they’re both going to see at least 10 touches per game, as was the case Sunday. Dobbins should continue to see the bulk of the pass-caching work, but if Edwards can get a chunk of early down work and some run at the goal-line, he’ll be Flex-worthy, at least. Throw in the injury history of Dobbins and he’s a borderline priority add. Audric Estime. Where did that come from (part deux)? After logging just 15 carries all season, the rookie from Notre Dame led the Broncos’ backfield with a 45% snap share and 14 carries on Sunday. The Chiefs are the NFL’s top rushing defense, so I wouldn’t be scared off by his 3.8 yard rushing average this week. He’s a power runner who doesn’t figure to see much receiving work (the next pass he catches will be the first of his NFL career), but if this is a sign of his workload to come, he must be rostered. Khalil Herbert. With Zack Moss done for the season, the Bengals traded for Herbert on Tuesday and he dressed on Thursday, but the one
Brian Daboll opens the door to replacing Daniel Jones as New York Giants starting QB
Daniel Jones may finally have run out of time as Giants’ quarterback. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Daboll says Giants will “evaluate everything” during bye week Brian Daboll did not announce a change at quarterback for the New York Giants on Monday. He did, though, open the door to benching starter Daniel Jones when the team returns from its by week to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, Nov. 24 at MetLife Stadium. “We’re going to spend a lot of time here watching our tape and evaluating things and we’ll do that as a coaching staff over the next week here,” Daboll said on Monday. When asked that question in previous weeks, Daboll has always unequivocally said Jones would remain the starter. After a 20-17 overtime loss on Sunday to the Carolina Panthers in which Jones played poorly, Daboll opened the door to starting either Drew Lock or Tommy DeVito in Week 12 against the Buccaneers. “We’re evaluating our team at the bye week is what we’re doing,” Daboll said. Jones has started every game this season as the Giants have struggled to a 2-8 record. The Giants are 31st in the NFL in scoring at 15.6 points per game. Jones, the No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, has been the Giants’ unquestioned starting quarterback since taking over for Eli Manning during Jones’ rookie season. That seems to be changing. “We’ll go back and we’ll evaluate everything and decide what we want to do here,” Daboll said. “We’ve got a week to go ahead and really dig into this.”
Dallas Cowboys 2025 NFL Mock Draft: Dallas bolsters its defensive line
The 2024 season has been disappointing for the Dallas Cowboys, who are currently positioned for a near top-10 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Dallas Cowboys 2025 NFL Mock Draft: Dallas bolsters its defensive line 2Y8KD4R Michigan defensive lineman Kenneth Grant, left, and defensive lineman Mason Graham tackle Washington wide receiver Jeremiah Hunter during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Seattle. Washington won 27-17. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) By Gordon McGuinness Posted Nov 11, 2024 1:01 pm EST • Round 1 (11) — DI Kenneth Grant, Michigan: While Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty may seem like the obvious choice — and he was available in PFF’s Mock Draft Simulator at this pick — the Cowboys’ need on the interior defensive line is arguably even more pressing. • Round 3 (75) — RB TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State: The Cowboys need fresh talent in the running back room, and they’d be wise to target multiple prospects in the draft to rejuvenate the position. Henderson has earned a PFF rushing grade above 85.0 in each of the past two seasons and has forced 155 missed tackles on 524 career carries. • Draft and trade for yourself: Try PFF’s Mock Draft Simulator — trade picks and players and mock for your favorite NFL team. Estimated reading time: 3 minutes The 2024 season has been disappointing for the Dallas Cowboys, who are currently positioned for a near top-10 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. However, multiple roster weaknesses exposed over the course of the season mean the team will need to address several key areas to return to contention quickly. Here’s our take on what the Cowboys should do with the 11th overall selection if they find themselves drafting in this spot. Round 1 (11): DI Kenneth Grant, Michigan While Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty may seem like the obvious choice — and he was available in PFF’s Mock Draft Simulator at this pick — the Cowboys’ need on the interior defensive line is arguably even more pressing. If Michigan’s run-stopping specialist Chris Grant is still available when Dallas is on the clock, they shouldn’t hesitate to make the pick. Grant has been one of the top run defenders in college football this season, boasting an impressive 85.3 PFF run-defense grade and recording 18 defensive stops. Cowboys fans might be wary of selecting another interior lineman from Michigan after Mazi Smith’s recent struggles, but Grant’s skill set and production make him the right choice to bolster Dallas’s defensive front. Subscribe to PFF+ to unlock the world’s most advanced football database! Round 2 (43): DI T.J. Dontay Corleone, Cincinnati One of my favorite draft strategies is doubling up on a position of need, as it increases the likelihood of landing a successful player where the team needs help the most. Adding someone like Dontay Corleone would fit this approach perfectly. Corleone has consistently performed at a high level, earning PFF grades above 80.0 for three consecutive seasons. He’s not only been a force against the run but has also shown impressive ability as a pass-rusher, making him an ideal addition to fortify the interior of the defensive line. Round 3 (75): HB TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State The Cowboys need fresh talent in the running back room, and they’d be wise to target multiple prospects in the draft to rejuvenate the position. TreVeyon Henderson would be an excellent option, bringing proven consistency and explosiveness. Henderson has earned a PFF rushing grade above 85.0 in each of the past two seasons and has forced 155 missed tackles on 524 career carries.
Would the Rams still trade Jalen Ramsey almost two years later?
Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images Was trading Jalen Ramsey the right move two years later? Prior to the 2023 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Rams made a shocking move in which they traded away star cornerback Jalen Ramsey. In return, the Rams received a third-round pick in the upcoming draft and tight end Hunter Long. The return was nowhere near what the Rams paid back in 2020 to acquire the NFL’s top cornerback at the time when they gave up multiple first round picks. That type of return was always unlikely, but a third-round pick and depth tight end seemed low at the time. While a tough decision, trading Ramsey was a necessary one. Following a disastrous 2022 season, it was clear that the Rams needed to off-load some contracts and bring in younger talent. Ramsey wasn’t old by any means, it cleared the Rams of a large cap-hit going forward. Following the trade, the Rams took on $19.6 million in dead money, but were able to clear the way for 2024 to spend on free agents such as Jonah Jackson and Kam Curl. Said head coach Sean McVay about Jalen Ramsey this week, “We have a cool relationship and he knows the respect and the admiration that I have for him as a player and what he meant to this team. There were a lot of tough decisions that were on the horizon for us as a football team and it didn’t have anything to do with us not wanting him here. There were a lot of things that we had to do as a result of some previous years and things of that nature. He understood that.” The Rams were set to go through an active re-build. That process included dumping big contracts and bringing in younger talent that the team could move forward with and build around for a push in 2025 and beyond. Unfortunately, that plan simply didn’t include Ramsey. In some of these trades, the draft pick that was acquired doesn’t become even half the player they were trade for in the move. For example, when the Jacksonville Jaguars traded away Ramsey they ended up with K’Lavon Chaisson, Travis Etienne, and Jordan Smith. Etienne has been a fine running back at times, but Chaisson was a bust and Smith hasn’t been anything in the NFL. However, on the Rams side, they acquired a third-round pick that turned out to be Byron Young. Young has been a solid complementary edge rusher over the last two years. He may not be a star on the edge, but he’s a good secondary piece to have across from a star player such as Jared Verse. Tight end Hunter Long has been injured for much of the last two years. Still, when he has been healthy, he has shown some blocking upside. Injuries are hard to predict and there’s no guarantee Ramsey would have gotten hurt if he stayed with the Rams. Ramsey spent most of his first season with the Dolphins injured with a torn meniscus. Still, in 10 games he had three interceptions and five passes defended. His three interceptions would have tied with Witherspoon and Jordan Fuller for most on the defense. This year, he is Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded cornerback. Ever since Ramsey left, the Rams have certainly missed his physicality and presence at cornerback. Last season, the Rams got by With Ahkello Witherspoon and Derion Kendrick on the outside. This season has been another ‘put duct tape on the issue’ type of year. Tre White didn’t work out as hoped while Darious Williams has been fine and Witherspoon was brought back, but has given up big plays. The Rams were never going to replace Jalen Ramsey and what he did for the defense. With that said, they haven’t necessarily tried to through the draft. The position remains one of their bigger needs heading into the 2025 offseason. Outside of trading for Matthew Stafford, the acquisition of Ramsey is probably the most important move in the “F them picks” era. With the Rams, Ramsey was a two-time first-team All-Pro selection, including the 2021 Super Bowl season. He also made a Pro Bowl in every season with the Rams. It’s a move that has worked out for both sides and is a rare win-win trade. The Rams got what they wanted out of it which is a clean salary cap and young defensive building block with the draft pick. On the other side, the Dolphins have a very good cornerback on their defense and Ramsey is still playing at a high level despite having lost half a step. Almost two years later, the Rams likely do the same exact thing and trade Ramsey to the Dolphins. They needed to move on into a new era and unfortunately, trading Ramsey was a repercussion of that.
Are the Ravens set to unveil a three-headed monster at RB position?
Are the Ravens set to unveil a three-headed monster at RB position? glenn erby The Baltimore Ravens have Derrick Henry plowing towards a potential 2,000-yard season, and they’re set to add another horse to the stable. After being out since last January, Keaton Mitchell returned to the lineup in Week 9, logging a handful of snaps in the Ravens win over the Bengals. Mitchell’s role will increase, and during his Monday news conference, head coach John Harbaugh hinted at a “three-headed monster” at the running back position. Derrick Henry has 1,120 rushing yards, while Justice Hill has done most of his damage in the passing game, logging 27 catches for 272 yards and two touchdowns on the season. There’s only so much football to go around, and Mitchell could assume the role of a home run hitter and dual-treat in the passing game.
Bengals made an offer to Xavien Howard that was declined; Leonard Fournette won’t be signed either
Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images The two veterans won’t be joining the Bengals. The Cincinnati Bengals made headlines on Monday when they brought in veterans Leonard Fournette and Xavien Howard for workouts. However, it doesn’t appear those will lead to anything. Not long after word broke of Fournette visiting, FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz reported that the Bengals were signing running back Gary Brightwell to the practice squad. That will be the only move Cincinnati makes in the backfield for the time being, as Schultz later reported that Fournette will not be signed. This is probably the right move to make after the Bengals traded a seventh-round NFL Draft pick to the Chicago Bears for Khalil Herbert last week. It’s better to let the 26-year-old back show what he can do vs. signing a more expensive guy like Fournette, who may not have much, if anything, left in the tank at this point. In addition, Mike Garafolo says the Bengals won’t be signing Howard, though they did make him a contract offer that was declined. The team is clearly desperate for cornerback help, being that it’s arguably the weakest position on the roster, so it’s no surprise to see they made an offer to Howard. On to the next one. The #Bengals made an offer to CB Xavien Howard after a good workout today but the sides were unable to reach an agreement, sources say. Howard is headed back home to continue training to stay ready for his next opportunity. https://t.co/c0zARG1EFj — Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) November 11, 2024 Source: #Bengals are not signing RB Leonard Fournette at this time, who also worked out for Cincinnati today. https://t.co/KnLv1dPn87 pic.twitter.com/SpfrnWE82T — Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) November 11, 2024 Be sure to follow our Twitter page and ‘like’ our Facebook page for the latest Cincinnati Bengals news, views, and other fun stuff. And Who Dey!
Vikes Views: Sunday King Vikings at Jaguars
Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images The Minnesota Vikings defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars by a score of 12-7 on Sunday. The team remains undefeated in Jacksonville. I am sure everyone is anxious to discuss the solid play after another hard fought road win. Byron Murphy Jr – Murphy is a man on a tear. Three games in a row with an interception. He is thriving in year 2 under Flores. Not a ton of action because Jacksonville only passed 22 times and only 14 completions for 111 yards. The defense needed to do what it needed to do and Murphy Jr continues to be a huge part of that. Cam Bynum – Anytime you get the game sealing INT, you’re going to get at least a nominee (unless you get smoked all game). Bynum’s celebration game is the best in the league right now. He’s starting to grow into this defense with some consecutive good games. TBH, I wanted Bynum gone after last season and he’s slowly turning me into a believer. Brian Flores – The defense is obviously what won the team the game. The only real drive was a fluke. 3 chunk passes and a quick score for Jacksonville. The Jaguars aren’t some great test. They’re a team falling apart with a lame duck coaching staff. This is a game the team should’ve dominated. Flores’ defense did their part at every level. The defense dominated and the game was closer due to the other phases of the game. The Vikings are the first team to win a game with 0 TD and 3+ turnovers since 2006. Teams had lost 195 straight games. pic.twitter.com/iGrdLiS0Bv — NFL on CBS (@NFLonCBS) November 10, 2024 Brian O’Neil – When everyone else is falling apart around him, O’Neil is the rock that we can depend on. The Vikings gave up 12 pressures on Sunday, none of them were from O’Neil’s man. He’s the best OL that’s healthy and one of the best RTs in the league. Parker Romo – Another week, another player joining mid week to play the hero. Last week Cam Robinson fill the big shoes of Christian Darrisaw. This week, Romo filled the big shoes of rookie PK Will Reichard. Romo went 4 for 4 in a game where the team needed their kicker to score all the points. If Blair Walsh could go 4 for 4 he’d probably still be playing.
2024 NFL Week 10 Monday Night Football winner picks for Dolphins vs. Rams
Set Number: X164637 TK1 The Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Rams face off on Monday Night Football tonight. Who do we think will win? The Miami Dolphins look to shake off a rough first half of the 2024 season and a streak of rough primetime performances in Week 10 as the face the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football. Sitting at 2-6 on the season, Miami needs to come out firing on all cylinders on Monday if they want to force their way back into the AFC playoff picture this season. The Rams, meanwhile, have already made themselves a factor in the NFC playoff picture, despite a 1-4 start to the year. Coming into Week 10 on a three-game winning streak, Los Angeles have not only made themselves a player in the wild card chase, but forced their way back into contention in the NFC West division title race. Tonight’s game starts at 8:15 p.m. Eastern on ESPN. What are the latest FanDuel sportsbook odds? This game has seen some movement throughout the week, but eventually returned back to where the line opened. As of noon Eastern on Monday, the Rams were favored by 2.5 points, just below the normal three points a home team receives. The point total was 48.5 points. The Dolphins were +120 on the moneyline for the straight-up win while the Rams were -142. All odds are brought to us by FanDuel sportsbook. Who will win? Our contributors make their winners picks each week of the season. We mostly focus only on the straight-up winners. Some of the group, however, have also made picks against the spread and with the point total for each game. You can check out our picks, including the spread picks, in the widget below, provided to us by Tallysight. Here are our Monday picks for Week 10.
Lions snap counts: Detroit combines defensive fronts to stop Texans’ run game
Filed under: Lions Week 10 snap counts: Detroit combines defensive fronts to stop Texans’ run game A look at the Detroit Lions’ Week 10 snap counts against the Houston Texans, including how they combined different defensive fronts in an effort to stop the Texans’ rushing attack. By Nov 11, 2024, 1:00pm EST
