As the Blue Bombers and Argonauts get set to square off in the Grey Cup, PFF highlights the 32 highest-graded players who will be part of the action.
Ranking the highest-graded players in the 2024 Grey Cup
Why Matthew Stafford’s age is trending
Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images Will Matthew Stafford become the 10th QB in history to accomplish this feat after turning 37? If your 37-year-old quarterback isn’t Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, or Aaron Rodgers, he’s in trouble. Matthew Stafford turns 37 in three months and that could be why the most popular search term for the Rams quarterback is fans asking how old he is. If Rodgers retires after the season, Stafford will be the oldest starting quarterback in the NFL. That is only if Stafford doesn’t also retire. Matthew Stafford is intercepted for the sixth straight game, the longest INT streak of his career. pic.twitter.com/a5ecAXRQhZ — Arye Pulli (@AryePulli) November 12, 2024 Over-37 QBs In the 105-year history of NFL data collection stored at Pro-Football-Reference.com, there have been 9 different human beings who played quarterback in the NFL after turning 37 and had a season with a 100+ QB rating. Could Stafford be the 10th or does it feel like his best playing days were 104 years ago? Aaron Rodgers has done it twice and posted a 121.5 passer rating in 2020, when he was 37, the best in history for a QB who was over 36 Drew Brees did it 5 times(!), including a 116.3 passer rating when he was 40 Peyton Manning did it twice, including 115.1 when he was 37 Tom Brady shows up on the list 5 times, including 112.2 passer rating when he was 39 The others: Brett Favre (40), Philip Rivers (37), Y.A. Tittle (37), Charlie Conerly (38), and Steve Young (37) all did it once Of course, Brady had 9 good seasons after he turned 37, which is 9 more good seasons than most quarterbacks at any stage of their career. Brady threw 290 touchdowns after he turned 37! That doesn’t make him the rule, it makes him the exception. It’s meaningless to Rams fans that one exceptional Hall of Famer was good after 37. The vast majority stop being good by 37. Some would say that Stafford stopped being good at 34. If the Rams can give Stafford better protection than he had in Monday’s loss to the Dolphins, the veteran QB has proven to still have one of the best arms in the league. “You miss 100% of the reckless tight window throws you don’t attempt.” – Matthew Stafford pic.twitter.com/mTBJ5CVHWB — Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) November 4, 2024 This could be a blessing or false hope. What’s the next thing that could go, if not Stafford’s arm talent? He’s not mobile, he’s not a great decision-maker for four quarters, he’s getting rattled from pressure as much as he ever has been rattled, and the Rams can’t score touchdowns in the red zone. So the answer to the question that people want to search for: Stafford is almost 37. The answer to the question you REALLY want to know: Yes, that’s concerning.
How to buy Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens Week 11 NFL tickets
How to buy Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens Week 11 NFL tickets Adam Dubbin The Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens are set to tangle this Sunday in an early Week 11 matchup, and if you want to see the NFL action live and in person inside Acrisure Stadium, we have the ticket information you need to know here. The Steelers sit atop the standings in the AFC North division with a sturdy 7-2 record so far this fall. Linebacker T.J. Watt, who is in the midst of an impressive campaign, leads the defense while quarterback Russell Wilson has also seen a resurgence under center. The Ravens are just a half-game behind them in the AFC North standings with a 7-3 tally at the 10-game mark. Quarterback Lamar Jackson leads Baltimore on offense and is a strong candidate for his second-consecutive NFL MVP award if he continues his superlative performance. The Pittsburgh Steelers will host the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, Nov. 17 at 1 p.m. ET. Shop Steelers vs. Ravens tickets How to buy Pittsburgh vs. Baltimore football tickets What better way to spend your afternoon than watching a gridiron matchup between two of the top NFL teams? If you want to catch the mid-November pigskin action, here are the details. At the time of publication, the cheapest available tickets for the Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens are $260. Shop Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens tickets We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. Ravens Wire operates independently, though, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
Encouraging update on Orlando Brown Jr. and Tee Higgins
Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Could the Bengals have both guys back vs. the Chargers? The 4-6 Cincinnati Bengals head into their Week 11 Sunday Night Football game against the LA Chargers with their backs truly against the wall. Another loss on Sunday could sink their already drowning playoff hopes. On Wednesday, left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. and wide receiver Tee Higgins were both on the rehab field, and Zac Taylor’s intention is to play them on Sunday, depending on how they do this week. Both starters have missed multiple weeks, Brown with a knee injury and Higgins with a quad issue, and both could be used back in the lineup. Higgins’ WR2 spot opposite Ja’Marr Chase has largely been filled by a rotating cast, with tight end Mike Gesicki proven to be a reliable target for Joe Burrow. Cody Ford has stepped into the starting left tackle position for Brown Jr. as Trent Brown is also injured and was placed on IR earlier this season. Ford has given up 12 QB pressures over his last two weeks as a starter, and Brown would be a welcome addition as the Bengals head into a must-win game. Stay tuned as this story develops throughout the week. Tee Higgins and Orlando Brown “encouraging” and “steps in the right direction” with potential return, according to Zac Taylor. Said would be on field with trainers today, not taking practice reps. Participated in walkthrough. — Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) November 13, 2024 Charlie Jones (groin) and Tee Higgins (quad) working on rehab field as team goes through stretch. Orlando Brown Jr. hanging out near Frank Pollack in area where O-line does drills. — Jay Morrison (@ByJayMorrison) November 13, 2024 Follow our Twitter page and ‘like’ our Facebook page for more Cincinnati Bengals stuff. Who Dey!
Dolphins sign tight end Hayden Rucci to practice squad
Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images A familiar face is back and on the Miami Dolphins practice squad With an opening on the practice squad and the run game suffering on Monday Night Football (Get well soon, Alec Ingold!), the Miami Dolphins have re-signed tight end Hayden Rucci to the practice squad. Skylar Thompson and Hayden Rucci get the @MiamiDolphins on the board! : Stream #MIAvsTB on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/218QrTHSIf — NFL (@NFL) August 24, 2024 Rucci, who played collegiately at Wisconsin, was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Dolphins on May 10th, 2024. He would spend the offseason with Miami and even start the season on the practice squad before being released on October 23rd to make room for quarterback C.J. Beathard. Rucci finished the preseason with seven catches on eight targets for 57 yards and a touchdown. The Jacksonville Jaguars would later poach C.J. Beathard from the Dolphins’ practice squad. What can Hayden Rucci bring to the Miami Dolphins offense? First, let me start by saying this is a practice squad signing. Currently, we do not know how long Ingold may be out or if he’ll miss an extended period. That said, I think the reason for this signing is quite apparent. On Monday Night vs. the Rams, Miami’s run game returned to reality, rushing for 67 yards on 22 carries for a pedestrian 3 yards per carry. The run game struggled to get in a rhythm all night, and while both Durham Smythe and Julian Hill are adequate blockers, you saw a clear difference in Monday Night’s game when they tried to line up in Ingold’s absence. Gone but not forgotten, king. https://t.co/g9CTiBKmAo — Kyle Crabbs (@GrindingTheTape) November 13, 2024 I’m not sure how soon Rucci will hear his name called up to the 53-man roster — if at all — but for a player who showed promise in the summer, primarily from a blocking perspective — I’m entirely on board with the Dolphins bringing him back especially if Ingold’s long-term health is in question. What are your thoughts on Hayden Rucci’s signing? Did you like what you saw out of him in the preseason? Do you agree that Miami’s run game missed Alec Ingold on Monday? Let us know in the comments section below!
Lions K Jake Bates wins weekly honors for second time in 2024
Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images Lions K Jake Bates has won NFC Special Teams Player of the Week, bringing Detroit’s weekly honors total to six on the season. For the second time in just nine career games, Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates has been named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week. Bates was a no-brainer this week after making two huge kicks in the final 5:01 of Sunday night’s game against the Houston Texans. The first, a 58-yard boom, tied the game up 23-23. Almost exactly five minutes later, Bates booted the 52-yard game-winning kick to complete Detroit’s comeback victory, 26-23. JAKE. BATES. CALLED. GAME. #DETvsHOU | NBC pic.twitter.com/fSa4NBaZsP — Detroit Lions (@Lions) November 11, 2024 “We’re getting some pretty long kicks here,” coach Dan Campbell said after the game. “I don’t particularly like to do that all the time, but sometimes you need it when you get in a game like that. He’s answered the bell.” Bates also won the award back in Week 7 after he nailed a 44-yard game-winning kick against the Minnesota Vikings with 15 seconds remaining. For the season now, Bates has made all 14 of his field goal attempts, including 6-of-6 from 40 yards or longer. His only mistake has been one missed extra point among 33 attempts. The Lions have been weekly staples in the NFC Player of the Week honors. Here’s a full list of Lions players who have been honored this year: Week 3: P Jack Fox Week 4: QB Jared Goff Week 6: S Brian Branch Week 7: K Jake Bates Week 8: PR Kalif Raymond Week 10: K Jake Bates In addition to those awards, Aidan Hutchinson won NFC Defensive Player of the Month in September and Jared Goff was named NFC Offensive Player of the Month for October.
It’s time to sign Zack Baun to a contract extension
Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images The Eagles suddenly have a stud linebacker. What a feeling! He was one of the first players targeted by the Eagles this off-season, signed on the first day of free agency. He had been a solid situational pass rusher as an edge/outside linebacker for the New Orleans Saints, specializing in blitzing the quarterback and causing problems in the backfield. No one could have expected what Zack Baun has given the Eagles this year. Transitioned to inside linebacker by new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, Baun has put together an All-Pro caliber season and, after a sterling performance against the Dallas Cowboys last Sunday, was named the NFC’s Defensive Player of the Week. It is the first time an Eagles off-ball linebacker has won Defensive Player of the Week since Jeremiah Trotter in Week 7 of 2005, when Jim Johnson’s blitz-heavy scheme was ruling the roost. It’s also the first time the Eagles have had a defensive player at any position win since Brandon Graham in Week 14 of 2022 (Darius Slay, Graham and Haason Reddick won it three straight weeks in Weeks 2-4 of ‘22 as well). Baun piled up eight tackles, forced two fumbles, recovered a fumble and registered a tackle for loss. Among linebackers, Baun’s 86.4 PFF grade ranks third only to Tennessee’s Jack Gibbens (88.4) and San Francisco’s Fred Warner (91.4). His 87 tackles are 11th most of any defensive player in the NFL. Baun signed a one-year, $1.6 million deal with the Birds and could become a free agent at the end of the season, unless GM Howie Roseman decides to sign him to a contract extension. Seemingly a no-brainer for both sides, inking Baun to a long-term deal to stay in Philadelphia makes too much sense not to happen. The Eagles have long struggled to figure out the linebacker position. They have not spent a first or second round pick on the position since San Diego State’s Matt McCoy at the tail end of the second round in 2005, and generally avoid signing linebackers to multi-year free agent contracts. Some comparable deals are the three-year, $31.3 million deal signed by Zaire Franklin with the Colts in March, the three-year, $37.5 million contract signed by Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah with the Browns during training camp and the three-year, $30 million contract Foyesade Oluokun inked with the Jaguars back in March. Osusu-Koramoah’s $12.5 million salary this year makes him the 6th-highest paid linebacker in football, Franklin’s $10.4 million in ‘24 makes him the 8th-highest paid, while Oluokun’s $10 million AAV is tied for 9th. So what makes sense for Baun? While this is his first season as a starting off-ball linebacker, that lack of experience hasn’t translated onto the field, where he has been a disruptive playmaker since Week 1. It wouldn’t be crazy to think he could get a price just over Owusu-Koramoah’s $12.5 million a season but under Patrick Queen’s $13.7 million contract (3 years, $41 million). The Eagles have never doled out a lot of money for linebackers, but it’s plain to everyone how instrumental Baun and third-round pick Nakobe Dean have been to Fangio’s suddenly stingy defense. Roseman cannot let Baun walk away in free agency like he has done with previous linebackers. This is a deal that needs to happen.
Are New York Giants’ investments at cornerback paying off?
Terry McLaurin of Washington catches a touchdown pass against Deonte Banks. | Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images Some are, and some have not as of yet One of my core roster building beliefs is that NFL teams can never have too many good coverage cornerbacks. Do the New York Giants have enough? GM Joe Schoen is trying, having devoted four draft picks — three of them premium Day 1 or Day 2 selections — to the position. Current roster: Deonte Banks, Cor’Dale Flott, Dru Phillips, Adoree’ Jackson, Tre Hawkins III, Art Green Players drafted since 2022: Cor’Dale Flott (Round 3, No. 81, 2022); Deonte Banks (Round 1, No. 24, 2023); Tre Hawkins (Round 6, No. 209, 2023); Dru Phillips (Round 3, No. 70, 2024) Biggest free agent signing: None … unless you count bringing back Adoree’ Jackson this season. Biggest losses: James Bradberry Schoen often talks about building for long-term sustainability rather than the short-term. His moves at cornerback, sometimes through necessity but most often through design, have reflected that. In his first offseason, Schoen was forced to cut ties with starting cornerback James Bradberry to begin digging his way out of a cap mess he inherited. Bradberry had a terrific 2022 season for the Philadelphia Eagles, but struggled last year and has spent this season on IR. Schoen signed veteran Fabian Moreau as a stop-gap cornerback in 2022. Even though Moreau played well, he was not retained. Schoen waited as long as possible this year before bringing back veteran Adoree’ Jackson to add depth, hoping his young cornerbacks would step up. Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty ImagesDru Phillips If you remember from ‘Hard Knocks’, Schoen and the Giants were interested in cornerbacks KoolAid McKinstry and Kamari Lassiter in the 2024 NFL Draft. Neither made it to the Giants’ pick at No. 47. McKinstry went to the New Orleans Saints at No. 41 and Lassiter to the Houston Texans at No. 42. Both have shown promise, showing that the Giants were right in their evaluations. The Giants “settled” for safety Tyler Nubin, who has played 99% of the team’s defensive snaps and appears to be a long-term answer at that position in Round 2. They took slot cornerback Dru Phillips, the second-youngest player on the roster behind wide receiver Malik Nabers, in Round 3. Phillips has been impressive enough that he recently showed up in Round 1 of a Yahoo Sports re-draft and was the 11th-ranked rookie by NFL.com in its midseason rookie rankings. So, you can argue that after missing out on a cornerback in Round 2 they found two long-term answers in their secondary. The Giants, incidentally, had three players in the top 25 of that ranking. Flott, in his third year, was a question mark as an outside cornerback heading into the season. He has played decently with four passes defensed and a 101.1 passer rating against. Despite being in his third season, the only Giants younger than the 23-year-old Flott are Nabers, Phillips and Jalin Hyatt. How many resources the Giants continue to need to put into cornerback in the next couple of offseasons depends largely on Banks. The former Maryland Terrapin showed promise last season, when he only occasionally had to match up with the No. 1 receiver on opposing teams. Even as a collegian Banks has never made enough plays on the ball, but the hope has been that would change with experience. Banks has struggled this season as the Giants have changed their defensive scheme and he has been asked to cover No. 1 receivers full time. The effort issues that led to Banks’ eventual benching for part of a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, though, are a red flag and bear continued attention. “We’re not giving up on Tae,” GM Joe Schoen said during his bye week press conference. “He’s got the physical traits. He’s shown the ability to match the top receivers on other teams. And corner’s a tough position to play. You’re moving backwards and you’re going against some of the greatest athletes in the world that are moving forward. And there’s balls that are going to be caught on you. And he’s been in really good position on some of them. “So, we’re not going to give up on Tae. He works hard. He wants it. And I still believe he’s got a bright future.” The verdict This is a position the Giants need to continue pouring resources into. Jackson has given them little as a veteran backup, so improvement could be used there. Flott has done OK, but size is still an issue for the 175-pounder on the outside. An upgrade could be found there, which would turn Flott into a useful depth player in the slot and on the outside. How heavily the Giants need to invest in this position, though, comes down to whether Banks a) grows up and b) shows he isn’t overmatched against the league’s top receivers.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73721053/usa_today_24483239.0.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,0&ssl=1 "Eagles-Cowboys Film Review: Jalen Carter is flying under the radar")
Eagles-Cowboys Film Review: Jalen Carter is flying under the radar
Eric Hartline-Imagn Images Well, it appears that this Philadelphia Eagles defense is awesome. This was another fantastic performance, but you have to put a huge asterix next to it because Cooper Rush and this Dallas Cowboys’ offense were absolutely awful. They were not competitive. How bad must Trey Lance be?! Anyway, despite the weak competition, I enjoyed this one a lot. Let’s get into why. (Previously: Eagles-Cowboys offensive film review) Defense I was very critical of C.J. Gardner-Johnson last week, so it’s only fair that I credit him this week. He bounced back and played really well. The first play of the game set the tone for the rest of the game. One thing I really like about this Eagles’ defense right now is the aggresiveness in the flat. They aren’t giving up easy yardage and they are trying to defend every single inch of the field. This is a big difference from previous iterations of this defense. Here’s another example. Cooper DeJean has turned this defense around. He’s the perfect modern day nickel cornerback as he looks like he could play cornerback, safety, or linebacker. He flies downhill with real intensity and aggression and blows up this play in the backfield. However, he does miss the tackle. Rallying to the football is one of the best traits of basically any good defense. Look at the hustle that Nolan Smith and Zack Baun show here to get to the receiver. How good is it to see 3 young athletes combining to make the play. I love this play! This play is going to be my ‘Concept of the Week’ this week, so I’m not going to get into the design of the play. I will, however, point out the absolute star that is Quinyon Mitchell. Defensive rookie of the year? Although it’s really hard for a defensive back to win it without any star plays, real analysts will recognise that he should absolutely be in the conversation. He is going to go up against Terry McLaurin a lot on Thursday night, and a big performance will increase his national profle. He’s been so good. There’s no obvious weaknesses with him and he seems to do everything well already. I don’t know what else to add about Zack Baun. He’s awesome every single week. The Eagles need to sign him as soon as possible because the price tag is increasing. I like to think that I am a realistic, rational sports fan, and I understand the business involved in sports. But I will be furious if Baun ends up on another team next year. The Eagles must pay this guy. I’ve been dreaming of a linebacker like this for years! I’ll get to Jalen Carter later because he’s also awesome, but it’s worth pointing out that he is frequently being double-teamed, and offensive linemen are struggling to get to the second level. This makes it much easier for both Baun and Nakobe Dean to excel. If you think back to the Falcons game, the Eagles were slanting Jalen Carter, which allowed the guards to get to Baun immediately. That isn’t happening right now. Carter doesn’t have the huge sack numbers that other defensive stars do, so he is going under the radar. However, he’s playing extremely well. He was fantastic against the run in this game. Whenever the Cowboys tried to block him with one man, they failed. He blew up multiple runs, and it looked easy for him at times. He’s a star. When the sack numbers start to reflect how good he is, people are going to talk about him a lot more. People often think Fanigo’s defense is easy on the outside cornerbacks, but that is not true. When they play standard quarters (quads/cover 4) coverage against a 3×1 set, the weak safety will always look out for crossing routes from the strong side (this is known as Trix). This means the weak side cornerback and linebacker will also end up one-on-one. In addition to this, there is a lot of room for safety and linebacker coverage. Quinyon Mitchell doesn’t seem to care, though. He covers this well, and I love how aggressive he is at the catch point. He plays the ball so well. This is an outstanding rep. Fangio teaches the gap-and-a-half technique, where the defensive tackle has his main gap but also keeps an eye on the gap next to his. He needs to use this because, with two deep safeties, he needs to ‘cheat’ a gap. Carter plays his perfectly here. Jordan Davis uses a different way of shutting down a gap by just shoving the tackle back into the A-gap! Davis hasn’t taken another jump yet and is pretty much just an early down run defender at this point, but he’s doing it well. He still has a valuable role, even if it’s limited. The route distribution in this game was excellent. I don’t care if you are playing Cooper Rush or Patrick Mahomes; you can still see how the route distribution looks from the All22. In the first month of the season, the Eagle’s route distribution from their single-high zone defense was awful. Remember when they just couldn’t cover a crossing route? These issues seem to be resolved now. Fangio’s defense is complicated and it can take time to perfect, but it feels like this current secondary are running it at at a very high level now. He obviously teaches it very well, to his players and his coaches! It must be very hard for opposing quarterbacks because every single coverage looks identical pre-snap. The Eagles ability to stop the run with a 4-man front is enabling them to line up with this split-safety look pre-snap every single time. The Bryce Huff stuff is interesting. I watched Fangio’s press conference this week and he was adamant that Huff isn’t playing as much because he is hurt. Fangio rarely lies in his press conferences so I am inclined to believe him. It
Zack Baun is NFC Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in his career
Tim Heitman-Imagn Images Philadelphia’s inside linebacker is a total beast. Saquon Barkley is NFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 10 of the 2024 NFL season, according to an official league announcement. Baun was an absolute BEAST in the Philadelphia Eagles’ win over the Dallas Cowboys. He logged a team-high eight total tackles (three solo), two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and one tackle for loss. We raved about Baun in this week’s edition of Winners-Losers-IDKs: 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. Safe to say the Eagles really nailed this free agent signing. Speaking during his Tuesday press conference, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said Howie Roseman put Baun on his radar … but it was Fangio who foresaw a position change maximizing Baun’s strengths. Q: Zack Baun gives you a lot of credit for helping him become the player that he is this year. What is it that you saw in him that gave you the belief in him? VIC FANGIO: Y’know, I don’t know. When I evaluate players, there’s no check box, things you check off. You just watch the tape, watch the movement patterns, watch the player play. And Howie brought him up to me first, but he had a vision for him as a backup outside linebacker/special teams demon. After I watched him, I said ‘No, I think he’s an inside linebacker.’ Luckily, it hit. Baun is the first Eagles player to win NFC Defensive Player of the Week since Brandon Graham in Week 14 of the 2022 season. Baun is the first Eagles inside linebacker to win NFC Defensive Player of the Week since … Jeremiah Trotter Sr. all the way back in 2005. With the way he’s playing right now, it wouldn’t be surprising if Baun wins this award again before the season is over.