Filed under: Dolphins vs. Rams preview: An insider look at LA’s turnaround, Kyren Williams, and 2024 expectations The 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. By Nov 11, 2024, 12:00pm EST Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images Kevin Nogle began writing FanPosts on The Phinsider in 2009 before being added as a contributing author in 2010. He became the managing editor of the site in July 2011. He is a lifelong Dolphins fan and tries to always maintain a level-headed approach to covering the team. The Miami Dolphins return to primetime tonight as they visit the Los Angeles Rams in a Week 10 Monday Night Football contest. The Dolphins enter the game desperately in need of a win, reaching the mid-way point of the season with a 2-6 record and a fading chance of the postseason. Can they spark a second-half run with a win over the Rams? Who are the Rams? Miami has not faced Los Angeles since 2020. They are 12-2 all-time against the Rams and they have won the last five meetings, but the Rams of 2020 are not the Rams of 2024. Who are these Rams? To get an idea, I turned to Turf Show Times, SB Nation’s Rams team site, and staff writer Evan Craig for a closer look. You can check out my answers to Craig’s questions on the Dolphins here. The Rams started the season 1-4, but are now sitting at 4-4 and in second place in the NFC West standings. This follows the 2023 Rams’ 3-6 start to what ultimately became a 10-7 season and a Wild Card playoff appearance. Asking for a friend, but what has been the catalyst to these turnarounds, especially this year? Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images The catalyst for the Rams’ turnaround this season has been simple and that is seeing its top offensive playmakers return from injury. This comes while Matthew Stafford hasn’t exactly played super well, despite him throwing 4 touchdowns against the Vikings to hand them their first loss and tossing the game-winning TD to Demarcus Robinson in overtime last week during the team’s three-game winning streak. Having Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua back in the lineup is key for Stafford as they’re his security blankets in the offense. Also, it helps that Kyren Williams picked up right where he left off in 2023, as the unit performs so much better with him around, as I will get to below. Running back Kyren Williams carried the team through the early part of the season, especially without wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. Now that the receivers are back and getting up to speed, how much does that change the Rams’ offense and how run-heavy will the team be? Photo by Joe Scarnici/Getty Images Even with Kupp and Nacua back, Sean McVay will be sure to maintain balance on offense, so feeding Kyren Williams the ball will not be an issue. Remember, Williams came out of nowhere last season once ex-running back Cam Akers proved he was not the answer. Williams is the engine that keeps this offense going, not the passing game. The offense saw what happened when he missed time last season and the entire unit suffered as a result. McVay struggled to find balance with his star running back out of the lineup and it was part of the reason LA slumped to a 3-6 to begin the ‘23 campaign. Once Williams returned, so did the balance and that was how they were able to turn it around so quickly. Rams fans are also incredibly fortunate that even with the nagging injury bug plaguing the team, Kyren has (thankfully) stayed healthy through the first eight games. The Rams’ defense is 24th in the league, giving up 360.8 yards per game this season, including 23rd against the pass (225.6 yards) and 24th against the run (135.1 yards). Why are they struggling and where can Miami find success against them? Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images The defensive rankings are slightly skewed due to the Rams having a 31-point loss to the Cardinals early in the year which jacked up all their stats. Since then, the young unit led by first-year DC Chris Shula has begun to round into form. In October, LA led the league in scoring defense, opponent third-down conversion rate, held offenses to 307 yards per game (seventh in the league) and allowed just 104 rushing yards a game (eighth). They were spectacular last month, but all anyone can talk about when discussing this unit is how much they miss Aaron Donald. The pass rush spearheaded by first-rounder Jared Verse is also proving itself very dangerous. Heading into the year, the D-line was expected to be the Rams’ biggest weakness minus AD, yet it is quickly turning into one of its strengths. While the defense has shown drastic improvement, the secondary is very iffy. The team traded cornerback Tre White at the deadline and was already a tad thin at that spot. Miami has the speed and playmakers to exploit LA’s CBs, so I anticipate mismatches there. This will be just the 15th time these two franchises have met, the last time coming in 2020 in Miami. Which player Dolphins fans may not know will stand out on offense on Monday night? On defense? Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images I mentioned Demarcus Robinson earlier and he’s been a solid contributor all season long. Robinson is the forgotten man in the offense due to Kupp’s and Puka’s presence, yet he is the team’s second-leading receiver behind Tutu Atwell and leads LA with 5 touchdown receptions. Sure, injuries to the Rams’ top two wideouts helped boost his numbers, but he comes up with a key play here and he’s been a nice veteran addition to help out Stafford. On defense, I’ll go with last week’s game
Dolphins vs. Rams preview: An insider look at LA’s turnaround, Kyren Williams, and 2024 expectations
Tyreek Hill injury update: Drew Rosenhaus talks availability Monday, potential surgery
Photo by Bryan Bennett/Getty Images Miami 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. The Miami Dolphins head into their Week 10 Monday Night Football game against the Los Angeles Rams in need of a spark to turn around a rough 2024 season. Sitting at just 2-6, Miami’s playoff chances continue to shrink with each passing game, but a win on Monday could be the catalyst to a second-half run back into the AFC playoff picture. Miami might have to do it without their top receiving threat, however. Wide receiver Tyreek Hill found himself on the injury report this week with a wrist injury. Hill injured the wrist initially in the preseason, but it did not bother him throughout much of the season. This week during practice, however, he aggravated the issue and now is questionable for the game and will be a true game-time decision. How has Hill be playing in 2024? The Dolphins’ receivers as a whole have seen a downturn in their stats in 2024. After Hill challenged the league’s receiving yardage record in 2023, aiming to be the first player to surpass 2,000 receiving yards in a season, with a league-high 112.4 yards per game, he is averaging just 55.8 yards per game this season, well below any season performance other than his rookie year. This has not been a season up to the normal standards of Hill’s play – but, Miami’s offense has not looked like the high-powered offense of last year, either. Hill’s 2024 statistics 8 games played, 34 receptions on 56 targets, 446 yards, 13.1 yards per reception average, 1 touchdown What is the latest on Hill’s injury? On Sunday night, Josh Moser had a chance to talk to Hill’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, about the injury and what it might mean for the Dolphins against the Rams. Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill is questionable for #MNF vs. the Rams with the wrist iniury. His Agent @DrewJRosenhaus says Hill will try and play tonight- as far as Hill potentially needing surgery Drew says that discussing will be kept “in house.” #finsup pic.twitter.com/nTyl7Ix07Z — Josh Moser (@TheMozKnowz) November 11, 2024 “Well, Tyreek has been dealing with the wrist issue,” Rosenhaus explained. “He is one of the most durable players int he lea and he always does everything possible to play each and every week. You know he is going to give everything he has to play and right now, he is questionable. This will, obviously, be a game time decision unless I hear otherwise tomorrow leading up to the game.” Moser then followed up on a rumor that Hill may require surgery to repair the damage in his wrist, asking if another Dolphins loss could swing Hill from trying to play in every game this year to wanting to have the surgery now to get read for 2025. “That’s not something I am prepared to discuss publicly, Josh,” Rosenhaus responded, though he never stated that Hill is not considering surgery. “That’s something that, really, will be internal between myself, Tyreek, his family, and the team. Right now, I know he is focused on doing everything he can to get ready to play in the game tomorrow night. It’s obviously a big game, and I think everyone knows how important this game is, and let’s focus on that right now.” The Dolphins and Rams kickoff at 8:15 p.m. Eastern tonight. Hill is expected to test his wrist during warmups before the game. The final decision on his availability may come down on the team’s inactive players list, which will be released at 6:45 p.m. tonight. Hill’s contract status If Hill does require surgery and will miss some or all of the remainder of the 2024 season, his contract beyond this year becomes something to review. In August, the Dolphins and Hill agreed to a restructured contract that moved him back into the top spot for guaranteed money among NFL receivers, but it did not add any new money to his previous deal. Hill si fifth in the league in terms of average salary per year at $30 million. His 2025 salary cap number will be $27.7 million, with $55.9 million in dead money if the team released him. In 2026, he will have a $51.9 million cap number with $15.6 million in dead money if the team released him. The 2028, 2028, and 2029 seasons on his contract are all void years that helped the team spread out his signing bonus for accounting purposes, but will fall off the end of the contract after the 2026 season. Hill will likely be with the Dolphins through the 2025 season, given the guaranteed money still owed to him on his contract. The team could look to move on from him ahead of the 2026 season, despite the $15.6 million in dead money given that would actually be a $36.3 million savings against the cap. Hill will be 32 for the 2026 season.
Xavien Howard update: Free agent cornerback visiting Cincinnati Bengals Monday
Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images Former Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard is visiting the Cincinnati Bengals. Former Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard has been waiting to find a new team since Miami released him in March. At the time, Howard was the longest tenured Dolphins player, but the team’s salary cap situation forced the team to make a move. Howard joined the Dolphins as a second-round pick in 2016 and earned four Pro Bowl selections, was a First-Team All-Pro selection in 2020 and a Second-Team All-Pro selection in 2018. He led the league in interceptions in 2018 and 2020. Since being released, Howard has been waiting for the right opportunity to return to the field. It appears, he may have found it as the league moves into the second half of the 2024 season. According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, Howard is set to visit the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday. Cincinnati is 4-6 on the year, currently holding the ninth position in the AFC playoff picture. They are hoping to make a run in the second half of the season with the goal of making the postseason. Adding Howard to their secondary could be a big step toward making that goal a reality. Former Dolphins defensive backs coach Lou Anarumo is the Bengals defensive coordinator, providing familiarity from both sides in a potential signing. Howard appeared in 100 games, starting 99 of them, in his eight years with the Dolphins. He recorded 331 tackles, two sacks, four forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries with two touchdowns, 95 passes defensed, and 29 interceptions with two touchdowns.
Lions vs. Texans stock report: 5 risers, 2 fallers in comeback win
Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images LIONS STOCK REPORT! 5 risers and 2 fallers after Detroit’s comeback win over the Texans. This team, man. This. Team. After an incredible come-from-behind victory for the Detroit Lions over the Houston Texans on “Sunday Night Football,” the boys in Honolulu Blue are sitting at 8-1 and are in a great position as they head into the middle of November. Let’s jump into this week’s edition of the stock report and see how things shook out during a wild win in Texas. Stock up: Jake Bates, K This young man just keeps impressing. Two for two on the night—one much-needed 58-yard bomb, followed by a 52-yard game winner. Kudos to the Lions for leaning into Bates early on in and camp and showing their confidence in him. It is paying huge dividends now in the heart of the regular season. Stock up: Aaron Glenn, DC Coaching in front of a ton of family and friends in his native state of Texas, Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn turned in a game for the ages. Time and time again, the offense put the defense in tough situations, and each time the defense did what they had to do to keep the game within striking distance by holding Houston to field goals. The Lions knew they were going to have to force some turnovers in order to complete the comeback, and they made that happen, too. Operating without star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson has surely been a challenge for the entire defensive coaching staff, but credit to Glenn for making it work. Enjoy the here and now, Lions fans. Because I think Glenn is going to have no shortage of options to become a head coach next year. Stock up: Brian Branch, S Simply put, Branch is quickly becoming one of the best defenders in the entire NFL. On Sunday he had 10 tackles, one tackle for loss, two pass breakups, and one quarterback hit. Branch was all over the field against the Texans, and routinely came up with big plays in big moments for the Lions. Whether it was knifing into the backfield to stop Texans running back Joe Mixon in his tracks, or coming up with a clutch stop on third down—Branch showed out in a big way on Sunday night. Stock up: Alim McNeill, DT We don’t have the numbers on how many pressures or hurries McNeill tallied against the Texans, but I have to imagine there were at least several he will end up being credited for. As far as counting statistics go, McNeill had himself an evening—six total tackles, two for loss, one sack, and one quarterback hit. He constantly generated pressure up the middle against Houston’s interior offensive line, and on one particular series, he forced a holding and notched a sack on consecutive snaps. Another big-time performance from one of Detroit’s most important defenders. Stock up: Carlton Davis III, CB Davis made two of the biggest plays of the entire game when the Lions needed them the most. Both of his interceptions on Sunday evening were timely, but the one coming out of halftime really seemed to set the tone for the Lions throughout the second half. He is going to get beat here and there. That is just the world we live in with how the rules are slanted towards the offense in the NFL, and especially with as much man-coverage the Lions play. With that said, Davis has been playing some really good football for the majority of the season, and I hope people are beginning to realize that. Stock neutral: Jameson Williams, WR It wasn’t a huge night from Williams, but coming off of his two-week suspension, it was good to see him reintegrate himself into the offense. He finished with three receptions for 53 yards, including a couple of clutch catches that ended up moving the chains for the offense. And while we likely won’t ever know the real cause of the play, it looked like he and quarterback Jared Goff were not on the same page when he tried Williams deep and ended up throwing another interception. Dan Campbell said in the post-game press conference that Williams’ route should have been more vertical. Stock neutral: Penei Sewell, RT From my first watch, the one negative that can easily be identified is the sack Sewell gave up that led to one of the five turnovers for the Lions. However, other than that rep, it looked like another dominant showing from the fourth-year pro. You don’t often hear about right tackles taking over games, but that is exactly what happened in the second half of the Lions’ Week 10 win over Houston. The offense had troubles getting into a rhythm for the majority of the night, and when they needed to get going, they got behind their All-Pro right tackle. Sewell was an integral part of several of the Lions big plays, including the screen to wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown that cut the Houston lead to three. Stock down: Ben Johnson, OC Look, not everyone can be perfect. And as good as Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has been throughout the last few years, everyone has their off days. And for a while against Houston, it appeared that both Johnson and Goff were flustered by what Houston was doing defensively. Whether it was an unblocked defender off the edge jumping into throwing lanes, or an inability to get the run game going for the majority of the game—this was not Johnson’s best play-calling day. But when you are an elite team like the Lions, you can overcome just about anything. Stock down: Jared Goff, QB Not every one of the interceptions were on Goff, but as the quarterback—the blame is usually going to be on your shoulders. And while he made plays when the team needed them most, it certainly was not Goff’s best day of the season. With that said, I give him all the
What were Saquon Barkley and Micah Parsons laughing about after the Eagles beat the Cowboys?
Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK The Penn State alumni have been friends since college, and they reconnected Sunday after the Birds won in Dallas. They might have always been division opponents since entering the league, but Saquon Barkley and Micah Parsons started out as close friends and teammates at Penn State. In the days leading up to the Eagles-Cowboys game, Parsons even had Barkley’s back on his podcast when he blamed the Giants for letting the RB go to a team with a functioning o-line. The friends reconnected after the Eagles beat the Cowboys in Dallas, 34-6, and despite the loss, Parsons was all smiles when talking to Barkley. The two covered their mouths, so it’s a bit of a mystery what they were talking about, but they certainly thought it was funny. Just a couple Nittany Lions @saquon @MicahhParsons11 @PennStateFball pic.twitter.com/gGZSH7BhwC — Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) November 11, 2024 For what it’s worth, Parsons will be playing on his fifth-year option in 2025, and while the LB has said the contract negations will take care of themselves, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones doesn’t always take care of his players. Plus, the Dallas franchise recently opened its wallet to pay Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, so paying Parsons the money he’s worth might be a long shot. Parsons also had some interesting words about the Cowboys next season, indicating he doesn’t know if Mike McCarthy will be the head coach or not, but he mostly feels bad for the longtime Dallas players whose potential last season has been such a disaster. The LB has publicly said he wants to stay with the Cowboys long-term, but that might not be a reality. So, back to what Barkley and Parsons were laughing about after the Eagles-Cowboys game. It seems like a stretch to assume Barkley was trying to recruit Parsons to Philly — which probably wouldn’t take much convincing —, but maybe? What do you think Barkley and Parsons were chopping it up about on Sunday? Let us know in the comments!
Eagles-Cowboys snap counts: Jalyx Hunt joins the pass rush rotation
Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images Playing time analysis. The official snap counts from the Philadelphia Eagles’ Week 10 road win over the Dallas Cowboys are in! Let’s take a look and run through some analysis. OFFENSE The Eagles pulled their starters early but Fred Johnson and Mekhi Becton had to play the entire game with only eight offensive linemen active. Jack Driscoll, Nick Gates, and Tyler Steen came in to finish out the game. The starters who were rested missed at least 14 snaps. Dallas Goedert caught two of his three targets for 25 yards and a touchdown in his first game played since Week 6. Saquon Barkley’s 15 total touches were his second-fewest this season. He previously had 12 in the Eagles’ Week 4 blowout loss. The Eagles are likely gearing him up for heavy usage on Thursday night against the Washington Commanders. Jahan Dotson had a back-shoulder grab for 27 yards on his sole target. He’s up to two catches for 63 yards over the past two games after only logging 35 yards over his first seven games. Hot streak! Kenny Gainwell and Will Shipley benefited from the Eagles managing Barkley’s touches. Johnny Wilson caught his sole target for a five-yard touchdown. Red zone weapon! The Eagles have made it a point to get Ainias Smith at least one designed touch each of the past two weeks. Kenny Pickett completed one of his two pass attempts for five yards. He missed Grant Calcaterra for what should’ve been a first down. Ben VanSumeren logged snaps as the Eagles’ fullback yet again. DEFENSE With only three full-time safeties active, C.J. Gardner-Johnson remained in the game with Reed Blankenship coming out before him. He took advantage of playing in garbage time to get a pick off Trey Lance. Zack Baun led the team in tackles and had two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery despite not even playing the entire game. What a beast. Jalen Carter played his second-lowest snap count percentage this season. But it still wasn’t super low at 72%. For perspective, this would’ve been his second-highest snap count percentage last season. Isaiah Rodgers saw a good chunk of playing time filling in for Darius Slay, who was in and out of the lineup due to an ankle injury. Nick Sirianni’s comments about Jalyx Hunt earning more playing time weren’t just lip service. The rookie ended up logging the second-most snaps in the edge rusher rotation. Hunt wasn’t just limited to garbage time action, either. Check out these first half snaps from when the Eagles entered the third quarter up by just eight points: Eagles edge snaps, first half: Josh Sweat 21 Brandon Graham 15 Jalyx Hunt 13 Nolan Smith 11 Bryce Huff 6 — Tim McManus (@Tim_McManus) November 10, 2024 Hunt logged one solo tackle and he managed to slightly deflect a Cooper Rush pass that created an interception opportunity for Nakobe Dean. Hunt had only played 17 defensive snaps prior to this game, with most of that action coming in garbage time. Nolan Smith was evaluated in the medical tent at one point so his snap count was a little lower than it may have been if he didn’t miss some time. Jordan Davis played his second-lowest snap count percentage this season. Bryce Huff’s first snaps didn’t come until early in the second quarter. And he finished with just 12 snaps after only logging six last week. But he did make the most of his limited action with one strip-sack and one TFL. Sydney Brown’s logged 20 garbage time snaps since returning from the PUP list. Seems like a nice way to ease him back in from injury. SPECIAL TEAMS With the Eagles scoring six times, it was active game for Braden Mann as the kickoff guy. He also had four punts. Jake Elliott made his two field goals attempts (39, 38) and his four extra point kicks. DID NOT PLAY INACTIVE: Eli Ricks, Tristin McCollum, Darian Kinnard, Trevon Keegan, Tanner McKee Ricks has been a healthy scratch more often than not this season. McCollum was a healthy scratch for the second week in a row.
Ex-Giant Nick McCloud signs with San Francisco 49ers
Nick McCloud | Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images After refusing pay cut, McCloud lands with a contender Refusing to take a pay cut cost Nick McCloud his job with the New York Giants last week. It appears, though, to have helped him land in a better situation. McCloud has signed with the San Francisco 49ers to become part of their practice squad, per Dan Duggan. The 49ers, of course, represented the NFC in the Super Bowl last season, losing to the Kansas City Chiefs. This year, the 49ers are 5-4, fighting for the NFC West title and a playoff berth. The Giants, of course, lost their fifth straight game on Sunday to fall to a miserable 2-8. McCloud, 26, is a valuable backup cornerback and an excellent special teams player. He actually started five games for the Giants this season, and had started 16 of the 40 games he played in for New York over three seasons. NFL teams get three practice squad elevations before having to add a player to their 53-man roster. Best guess is the 49ers will use those elevations fairly quickly on McCloud, and that he ends up on their 53-man roster by season’s end.
NFL Week 11 Betting: Best early bet before lines move
A contest between the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills is among the NFL Week 11 games that present early betting value. • Bills should be favorites against undefeated Chiefs: Kansas City’s pass defense has regressed to a below-average unit on the season. Look for Bills quarterback Josh Allen to take full advantage of that and beat the Chiefs for the second straight time in the regular season. • Week 10 in review: Our bet on the Texans (+4.5) to cover against the Lions hit despite the team blowing a 16-point lead. • Unlock your edge with a PFF+ subscription: Get full access to all our in-season fantasy tools, including weekly rankings, WR/CB matchup charts, weekly projections, the Start-Sit Optimizer and more. Sign up now! Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes NFL Week 10 is nearly a wrap, and betting lines are now available for Week 11. Here is our favorite early bet for the slate. Unlimited Fantasy League Sync Fantasy Start/Sit Line-Up Optimizer & Waiver Wire WR-CB & OL-DL Matchups, PFF Player Grades, & Premium Stats 2.0 Tools Nathan Jahnkes Rankings – #1 Most Accurate Last 70 Weeks PFF Best Bets, Player Props, & Power Ranking Tools NFL Mock Draft Sim with Trades & Draft Grades Subscribe now Already have a subscription? Log In
Random Ramsdom: Will Jared Verse’s hot play continue on Monday night?
Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images Los Angeles Rams News and Links for 11/11/24 The Los Angeles Rams and the Miami Dolphins play on Monday Night Football giving their players the chance to shine (or not) on National Television. Jared Verse has been making a name for himself and at this time he seems like a frontrunner for a Defensive Rookie of the Year award, but there are still plenty of games to go so nothing is necessarily determined yet. Can his play continue? Will his play improve as the season continues? LA also has Kobie Turner, Braden Fiske, Byron Young and more so perhaps this defense can show out, but with Tyreek Hill (who was listed as questionable), Jaylen Waddle and more this Dolphins offense might take off. Feel free to comment on whatever you want and thanks for checking out Turf Show Times! Wiil you be waiting all day for Monday night? Rookie Jared Verse is a battering Ram, sacking QBs and talking a great game for Los Angeles (newsday) “As the surging Rams (4-4) prepare to host the Miami Dolphins (2-6) on Monday night, Verse is already a cornerstone of a defense that’s still rebuilding after Aaron Donald’s retirement. He has racked up 3 1/2 sacks and nine tackles for loss, but that’s only a snapshot of the disruption Verse wreaks on opposing offenses. Verse was the NFL’s defensive rookie of the month for September. He was even more impressive in October with 2 1/2 sacks, four tackles for loss and nine quarterback hits in four games. He’s widely considered the midseason favorite to be the NFL’s defensive rookie of the year, an honor won by Donald himself exactly a decade ago. “I don’t care about any awards,” Verse said. “Everything will come if I do the things I need to do. … Handling success is harder. Handling failure, you can only get better. But handling success, you can only get worse. I’m just going to continue to work.” Monday Night needs to hurry up. pic.twitter.com/xupxrOAMS0 — Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) November 10, 2024 Puka Nacua Names The Rams 4 Toughest Defenders (lafbnetwork) “I think being able to be, especially around guys on our team, the young guys around [Byron Young], [Jared] Verse, Elias [Neal], and Omar Speights, everybody’s always ready to pack a punch. It’s nice to get back in there and be like everybody’s willing to hit.” Nacua seems to imply that these four, defensive linemen Jared Verse and Byron Young and linebackers Elias Neal and Omar Speights are cut from the same cloth — the ones most ready to “pack a punch” and “willing to hit.” Round 2… Who makes the cut?! pic.twitter.com/0erXq4iVRd — Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) November 10, 2024 Dolphins vs. Rams Final Score Prediction for Monday Night Football in NFL Week 10 (si.com) “It’s likely too little too late for the Miami Dolphins, but a win in this game at least gives their playoff hopes a breath of life. Tua Tagovailoa has been strong in his return from concussion protocol, but their defense has let them down in two straight weeks, Meanwhile, the Rams are finally starting to get healthy and have managed to string together three straight wins, putting them just half a game back from the NFC West lead heading into the weekend. They’ll try to mimic last year’s success when they were the hottest team in the league in the second half of the season.” The @RamsNFL pass rush is finding its stride. What’s working and why it’s been translating in recent weeks: https://t.co/BNqoytjjp7 — Stu Jackson (@StuJRams) November 9, 2024
Bengals’ 2024 free agent class has been an absolute disaster thus far
Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images Most are near the bottom of the league at their positions. The Cincinnati Bengals (4-6) have let some big players go the past two offseasons, especially on defense. And they tried to sell fans on getting cheaper replacements who, when combined with Draft picks, would supposedly keep the defense competitive, allowing the team to re-sign Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase. Well, none of that happened. As you can see below, this year’s free agent class has been a collective non-factor on the field. Sheldon Rankins is average at best and is the top of the class so far. Geno Stone has been terrible (85th at his position). Zack Moss was getting stuffed before he got hurt (52nd for RBs). Vonn Bell hasn’t been his old self (69th). And the oft-injured Trent Brown is out for the season. Here is where each of the Bengals core FA signings rank, per PFF: ▪️Rankins – #82/134▪️Stone – #85/92▪️Moss – #56/60▪️Bell – #69/92▪️Brown – hurt $26.5M in 2024 cap space that could be easily replaced by late Day 3 picks and UDFAs. Not ideal roster building. https://t.co/BDIP0l3vLG — Gridiron Grading (@GridironGrading) November 10, 2024 This can’t be chalked up to bad fortune. None of these were big-money signings. They were classic Mike Brown / Katie Blackburn signings, nothing like the additions of DJ Reader in 2020 or Trey Hendrickson in 2021. Nope. After the Joe Burrow contract, the Bengals’ front office has returned to “value” deals. We’ll see if Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase are good enough to drag this team into the NFL Playoffs despite the deteriorating roster around them. Up next, they get the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.
