Kareem Elgazzar-USA TODAY Sports Cincinnati ranks inside of the top-5 across the entire league The Bengals are gearing up for the 2024 NFL season with Sunday’s opener vs. the Patriots just days away. The Bengals are looking to get back to the Super Bowl after missing the playoffs last season due to a Joe Burrow season-ending injury. The team has worked hard to get a talented offensive line in front of Burrow to help protect the franchise quarterback. Burrow is going into 2024 with the best offensive line in front of him since being drafted by the Bengals back in 2020. According to Brandon Thorne, the Bengals have a top five most experienced offensive line going into 2024. Total experience is another interesting one (combined games started). 2024 to 2023 differences: pic.twitter.com/XMSe4xoqew — Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) August 30, 2024 The Bengals rank fifth behind the Lions, Browns, Jaguars, and Jets. They jumped up from 14th in 2023. At the moment, the offensive line looks like it will be Orlando Brown Jr., Cordell Volson, Ted Karras, Alex Cappa, and Trent Brown. Cincinnati did draft Amarius Mims this offseason, but Mims is currently working through some injuries, and the Bengals have no reason to rush him into a starting role if he is not fully healthy. If nothing else, he’s a valuable backup for both tackle spots, and that alone is a major boost. We should all be excited to see this offense, but Burrow’s health is the top priority.
Bengals have one of the most experienced offensive lines in the NFL
Spencer Brown on which player Bills fans should not overlook
Spencer Brown on which player Bills fans should not overlook: Spencer Brown on which player Bills fans should not overlook Nick Wojton Spencer Brown is a big fan of his linemate. Brown appeared on the “Centered on Buffalo” podcast with Eric Wood and had nothing but good things to say about a guy who makes his life easier. Brown lines up at right tackle and 2023 second-round pick O’Cyrus Torrence is next to him at guard. And what Brown says makes sense. Most NFL draft pundits expected Torrence to be a first-round selection in 2023. He was not and fell to the Bills at No. 59 overall. Brown was asked about a player that might be “overlooked” by fans and Torrence was the one he named. Brown’s reasoning was based on how seamlessly Torrence translated his game from college to the pros. Think about it, did you complain about Torrence much as a rookie? Few did, and Brown was not one of them. For more from Brown, see the attached clip below: Read all the best Bills coverage at the Democrat and Chronicle and Bills Wire.
1-on-1 with Jakob Johnson: Expecting nothing, taking advantage of opportunities
Jakob Johnson | Photo by Maximilian Haupt/picture alliance via Getty Images Fullback talks about his NFL journey, and his potential role with the Giants Jakob Johnson has had a unique, interesting NFL journey. The New York Giants discussed that journey, as well as his brief time with the Giants in a wide-ranging 1-on-1 chat this week in the Giants’ locker room. Here is the result of that chat, in Q&A form. Ed: How has being a Giant been so far? Johnson: Oh man, it’s been super rewarding to be here. It was a long free agency for me this year, long offseason. So I’m just super excited to be here. Ed: So, one day you are on the roster. The next day you’re off. What’s going on with all the shuffling? Johnson: Yeah, listen, if there’s something for me to do, bring me up, I’ll be here. If not, then not. I’m going to kind of leave it up to the coaches to determine what’s going on with that. But whether I’m on the practice squad, active roster, it really doesn’t matter to me. I’m just excited to be here, get an opportunity to play this game and wear the Giants uniform. That’s a blessing. Ed: Do you expect to be elevated on Sunday, or do you expect to maybe be waived and cut and re-signed three times between now and then? Johnson: I’m expecting nothing. If you follow me a little bit, I’m a big yoga guy, big philosophy guy, and that’s kind of telling you to not focus on the results of your actions, but just choose the right actions. So I try to approach it like I’m part of the team, I’m getting ready to play, I put everything into preparation like I am playing. And if I’m up on Sunday, I’m up. If not, I’m not. Ed: The season starts, guys go through OTAs, and they go through mini-camp, and training camp starts, and you want to play, you want to continue your career, and you’re still out there looking for work. How hard is that to sit and wait? Johnson: Honestly, that’s super challenging mentally. I’m super blessed that I have a good support system around me, and I put myself in a good location where I had trainers that kind of held me accountable, that kept pushing me. The weeks that it was kind of tough mentally to keep the faith, they were there to kind of stay on me, keep pushing me. And then you just kind of focus on the work. It’s not that I expected a call. I was just like, hey, if the opportunity does come, then you better be ready. That’s kind of how this league works. All you can hope for is opportunity, but what you do with that opportunity is up to you. Ed: All these guys that have been here for a while, they get a ramp-up. You get to play eight snaps the day after you get signed. I mean, how difficult is that, mentally and physically? Johnson: It’s definitely a challenge, right? You kind of build your confidence through your preparation in the sport. You have your routine all throughout OTAs, all throughout training camp. You kind of get to perfect your routine to be ready on game days, and I kind of skipped that this year. So what helped me is my experience. This is year six for me, so I’ve been through a bunch of game days. And then just focusing on gratitude, like, man, look, I get to play this game. I get to play against, at that time, it was the Houston Texans wearing the New York Giants uniform when a week before that, it looked like my career might be over. So I was just focusing on that, getting out there, playing football, playing the game that I’ve been playing since I was little and having fun with the guys. Ed: You were at that point where you thought you might not get a call? Johnson: Yeah, just looking at how the situation is for fullbacks around the league. It’s not a lot of jobs available. So I knew there was going to be kind of like a long waiting period, and we were coming up on kind of the end of training camp. So it was definitely getting a little, the percentages were starting to look a little down. Ed: What does a fullback add to an offense? To a running game? Passing attack? Johnson: Honestly, it’s just obviously toughness, grit. It’s kind of like a reminder of what football is all about. It’s the ultimate team sport, and that’s kind of what fullbacks bring to the game, kind of like a level of selfishness, a level of fire for the guys, kind of leading by example, setting that physical edge, but also just creating some challenges for the defense. A lot of defenses don’t see a lot of fullbacks anymore, so some of the looks you can create, some of the runs you can create with a fullback are a little different for linebackers. And there are some mismatches. Linebackers are a lot smaller these days, at least in many systems, so there’s a physical mismatch. And if you have a fullback that can also catch the ball and everything, then you’re able to just create difficult situations for the defense. Ed says: You’re an energy guy, I can tell. Johnson: I am, I am, man. I mean, listen, I love playing. I grew up playing football in Germany where it was like making money with this was never even an idea. It was just getting out there playing football and then hopefully playing for the adult team one day where after the game the guys would get together and drink a case of beer and just have a good time. Ed says: When did this whole thing become reality for you? Johnson: It was a
Vikes Views: Who Ya Got? Minnesota Vikings at New York Giants
Photo by David Berding/Getty Images The Minnesota Vikings will travel to New Jersey to face the New York Giants. It will be a rematch of the most recent Viking playoff loss. Since then Daniel Jones has been paid very handsomely and performed very poorly in 2023. Jones will have a new best friend in Malik Nabors at WR1. The highly touted rookie is expected to be amongst the contenders for Offensive Rookie of the Year. The Vikings Opening Day record is 35-27-1 all time. Let’s see if they can improve that to 36 wins on Sunday. Head to Head Record – Vikings Lead 18 – 13 Vikings Road Record v Giants – 9 – 7 Streak – L1 Most Points Scored – 49 on December 27, 2015 (49-17) Widest Margin of Victory – 37, on January 3, 2010 (44-7) Most Recent Matchup – January 15, 2023, the 4th and 8, 3 yard pass game Vikings Opening Day Record – 35-27-1 Kevin O’Connell Opening Day Record – 1-1 How I see it playing out: I see a slower start for the Minnesota Vikings. Sam Darnold’s first few drives with the team might be a little shaky. The Giants get an early score and take the lead into half. Mostly a defensive battle with little bursts of offense early. The Viking offense gains some traction in the 3rd and end up cruising to a victory. Vikings 23 – Giants 16
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73567636/1925917582.0.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,0&ssl=1 "The Honolulu Blueprint: 4 keys to a Lions victory over the Rams")
The Honolulu Blueprint: 4 keys to a Lions victory over the Rams
Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images The 2024 NFL regular season is upon us and that means it’s time to bring back our weekly look at the Detroit Lions keys to victory in their upcoming game. In Week 1, the Lions are hosting the Los Angeles Rams on “Sunday Night Football” in a rematch from last year’s Wild Card playoff matchup. “I would say for them, this to me is a better team than what we faced last year,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said earlier this week. “Just looking at their personnel coming in. I feel like this is a better offensive line, I feel like this is a better D-line. I understand they lost [Aaron] Donald, but what I think they gain is youth and collectively, that front is—I’ve said it before, they’re young, they’re hungry, they’re high motor. They’re going to push us.” If the Lions want to start the season off on the right foot, they’ll need to follow the keys to victory laid out in this week’s Honolulu Blueprint. Rams base schemes With this being the first game of the season, teams have to look back at what their opponent has had success with in their recent past, as well as make assumptions based on changes. “As far as the schematics of it, you’re not really going to get anything (from the preseason), so all you have is what you had in the past,” Campbell noted. “And then you piecemeal some things together by, ‘Alright, I think projection-wise this guy’s playing here or I think this’ — so that’s what you really have to go back to.” The Rams have kept their offensive coaching staff in place, and with Sean McVay running the offensive system, we have a pretty good idea what they will do. But on defense, the Rams have had a full makeover—following Donald’s retirement—and things are a bit harder to project. Offense Sean McVay’s modified West Coast offense: The Rams have held over offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur (brother of Packers coach Matt) but make no mistake, this is McVay’s offense. McVay ideology stems from the Mike Shanahan coaching tree and is rooted in a West Coast scheme, leaning on 11 personnel upwards of 90% of the time. The Rams heavily lean on multiple receiver sets, pre-snap motion, play-action, end-arounds, screens, outside-zone runs, and a lot of condensed formations. Defense New coordinator, new look scheme Rams’ 2023 defensive coordinator Raheem Morris took the head coaching job with the Atlanta Falcons this season and LA replaced him with Chris Shula, the grandson of Hall-of-Fame coach Don Shula. Shula has been with the Rams since 2019, working with the linebackers from 2019-21, then shifting to defensive backs in 2022-23, and was promoted to defensive coordinator this offseason. While he learned under Morris the past three seasons, he has converted the defense from a 4-3, Cover-2 scheme to a 3-3-5 base with varying zone coverage concepts mixed in. The shift in scheme was necessary following Donald’s retirement and as a way of adapting to the Rams’ new personnel. The Rams added veteran corners in the offseason and lean on three-safety sets the majority of the time, hoping to create strong coverage units that can buy time for a young pass rush that is still finding its legs. On paper, the Rams defensive weaknesses appear to be over the middle of the field, where the Rams traded away their captain and starting MIKE linebacker Ernest Jones, as well as along the defensive line where they have opted for athleticism over size. And that leads us to our first key to victory. Key 1: Test the Rams undersized defensive front with the run The Rams are replacing Donald with a volume of players and the primary traits most of these players possess are pass rushing skills that are still being developed. A side effect of the athleticism is that they lack bulk upfront. For instance, when the Rams deploy a seven-man front, nose tackle Bobby Brown checks in at 328 pounds. But when he’s not on the field, their top four defenders on the line of scrimmage, all check in under 300 pounds. Lining up opposite them is the Lions starting offensive lineman whom the team website lists: Frank Ragnow at 310 pounds, followed by Grahams Glasgow (315), Taylor Decker (318), Kevin Zeitler (332), and Penei Sewell (335). Look for the Lions to try and bully the Rams defensive line early and wear them down. If the offensive line can get the upper hand early, it’ll slow down the pass rush and force the Rams to drop defenders into the box, which will leave them vulnerable over the middle. Key 2: Attack the middle of the defense, then adapt and counter Last season Ernest Jones was a team captain and led the Rams in tackles, while also offering them pass rushing productivity from the MIKE linebacker position. The Rams made it clear he probably wasn’t in their plans beyond 2024—as they were shifting to younger options—but trading him away seemed premature. “Honestly, I have zero clue how the Rams weather that storm as the depth at linebacker leaves plenty to be desired with Jones out of the picture,” Evan Craig from TurfShowTimes.com told our Ryan Mathews in this week’s 5 questions. “Christian Rozeboom and Troy Reeder were named the starting linebackers after Jones was traded. They at least have starting experience, but just weren’t super successful outside of their stints in LA. Linebacker has been severely undervalued under McVay so the whole Ernest Jones situation shouldn’t have come as a surprise.” Look for offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to run a load of play-action, motion, and crossing routes, while also getting his running backs involved in the passing game. The Rams will likely use a ton of three safety looks—with Quentin Lake in the 2023 Brian Branch role—because of the flexibility it gives them. But it can also be a pick-your-poison situation. With Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta operating
2024 Detroit Lions season preview: Predicting overall record, playoff run
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Open thread: Which Lions player could take over game vs. Rams?
Sign up for Season 2 of PODD Big things are in store for our newsletter, Pride of Detroit Direct. I’m excited to announce we’ve added Ty Schalter this season. Listen to exclusive podcasts sent directly to your inbox and read more voices from our team at Pride of Detroit by clicking below to sign up for a 7-day free trial today!
Giants news, 9/6: Malik Nabers, Brian Daboll, Andrew Thomas, more headlines
Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports New York Giants news for Friday Good morning, New York Giants fans! From Big Blue View Giants’ WR Malik Nabers can’t wait to hear fans chant ‘Leeeeeeek’ Giants’ DC Shane Bowen on Adoree’ Jackson’s role, and his defensive philosophy Giants-Vikings 5 questions: Sam Darnold, much more about Minnesota New York Giants unofficial depth chart for Week 1 Giants-Vikings: What to expect when the Giants have the football Giants-Vikings 2024, Week 1: Everything you need to know Fantasy Football ‘24: Week 1 Fantasy preview — start/sit, and more Other Giant observations ‘Mad scientist’ Brian Daboll betting on his play-calling ‘magic’ to revitalize Giants | The Athletic “He’s brilliant,” said quarterback Matt Barkley, who spent three years with Daboll in Buffalo before reuniting for part of last season with the Giants. “He fits his offense to work with whoever he’s got. He’s really incredible in that regard. I can’t overstate how much he just gets ball. He’s all ball, all day.” The past is the past for AT “There was a lot of things we dealt with last year, but we’re putting that to bed” Andrew Thomas looks ahead to a new season for the Giants: pic.twitter.com/RrdVAkT5fx — Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) September 4, 2024 Andrew Thomas hopes to prove reliability, rewrite narrative about Giants’ O-line this season | NJ.com As rookie sensation Malik Nabers steals headlines from his teammates in the days leading up to the Giants’ first game, it’s easy to forget about the team’s other top-five pick on offense who will be a foundational piece for years to come. All-Pro left tackle Andrew Thomas — arguably the Giants’ best player on either side of the ball — is back with a vengeance in 2024 after powering through what he called a “tough” yet “relaxing” offseason training regimen. Giants’ Andrew Thomas on Brian Daboll: ‘He calls it, we haul it’ | USAToday.com All-Pro left tackle Andrew Thomas was asked his take on what is different with the head coach calling the plays this year instead of offensive coordinator Mike Kafka. “It’s not different. It’s the same scheme,” Thomas said. “We have a saying, ‘he calls it, we haul it.’ Whatever’s going on, we try to execute that play.” Giants’ offensive line overhaul banking on Raiders Way | New York PostThe left side of the line — stud tackle Andrew Thomas and dependable, durable newcomer Jon Runyan (50 starts the past three seasons for the Packers) — should not be an issue and could be a strength. The center, second-year John Michael Schmitz, must prove he can stay healthy and play much better than he did as a rookie. It is on the right side of the line where this grand experiment will be enacted. If Eluemunor, 29, and Van Roten, 34, can do for the Giants in 2024 what they did for the Raiders in 2023 — they played nearly 800 snaps alongside each other — it is not difficult to envision this offensive line as a smart, capable unit. Biggest need for each NFL team ahead of Week 1 | CBSSports.com Giants: Offensive line. The construction of the offensive line remains a mystery. Jermaine Eluemunor is slated to start at right tackle ahead of former first-round pick Evan Neal. What comes of the battery that includes John Michael Schmitz, Greg Van Roten and Jon Runyan Jr.? Depth behind that unit is relatively limited as well. Cornerback concerns were alleviated a bit with the return of Adoree’ Jackson. Linebacker is another position to consider. Dabs’ Digest: 1-on-1 with Coach Brian Daboll before 100th season opener | Giants.com Q: As a coach, do you have a sense of how your team is going to play, or is it a mystery entering the first game? Daboll: “I’d say that’s the early part of the season. Some of my mentors, they always said that it takes, I’d say, the first month of the season to really figure out exactly what you are and what other teams are. There are constant adjustments, but you have to play the right way in terms of effort and toughness, and you have to rely on your fundamentals, and you have to communicate well, and you have to solve problems, whether it be the first quarter, the third quarter, to make sure that everybody’s on the same page and you give yourself the best chance.” Mike Kafka, Team Beard Mike Kafka would like to see Daniel Jones keep his beard pic.twitter.com/8VzZVBAvca — Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) September 4, 2024 Daniel Jones: How many prove-it seasons can NY Giants QB survive? | The Record “I’ve always approached every season like I have to prove something, and it’s certainly no different this year,” Jones told NorthJersey.com in a quiet moment at his locker, clutching a tablet as he reviewed practice Tuesday. “To myself, I know I can play at a high level in this league. I mean, I’ve done that, so I’m confident. I know I can play. I know I can put this team in position to win games. It’s not necessarily to prove it in that respect. I think it’s just about working and being driven to be the best you can in every situation and be the best for teammates and win as many games as possible.” Questions for all 32 NFL teams ahead of Week 1 | PFF Can Daniel Jones Prove The Extension Was Worth It? If you look at Jones’ PFF grading profile, nothing suggests that he should have been given a four-year, $160 million contract extension after leading the Giants to the divisional round in 2022. His highest graded season came in 2020 (78.4) when he delivered 24 big-time throws. He has had 18 total big-time throws in the three seasons since then, and in his 2022 season that earned him the big extension, Jones threw just seven big-time throws to 19 turnover-worthy passes. The team had success, and Jones was rewarded for it. Now it’s time for Jones to
Takeaways from the Ravens’ 27-20 loss to the Chiefs in the season opener
Patrick Mahomes threw for 291 yards and a touchdown, and a Lamar Jackson touchdown pass to Isaiah Likely was overturned with no time remaining, allowing the Chiefs to begin the pursuit of a record third straight Super Bowl title with a 27-20 victory over Baltimore on Thursday night. Jackson initially connected with Isaiah Likely in the back of the end zone with no time remaining for his second touchdown of the night. The video replay showed Likely’s toe landing on the end line, and the call was overturned. Kansas City rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy scored touchdowns rushing and receiving. Isiah Pacheco also had a touchdown run for the Chiefs, who beat the Ravens for the fifth time in their last six meetings. Jackson threw for 273 yards and a touchdown while adding 122 yards on the ground, while Likely had a career-high 111 yards receiving and a score, on nine catches. With Baltimore set to begin preparation for the Raiders, here are takeaways and observations from the thriller. Kyle Van Noy exits Sep 5, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy (1) scores a touchdown as Baltimore Ravens linebacker Kyle Van Noy (53) misses the tackle during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images Van Noy passed a concussion test but was forced to exit with an eye injury. The veteran linebacker finished with three tackles. Ravens struggled after the opening touchdown Sep 5, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) runs the ball against Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones (95) during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images After Derrick Henry’s impressive score on the first drive, Baltimore struggled to find any offense. The Ravens’ last six drives after opening the game with a TD were a Punt, Fumble, Turnover on downs, Missed FG, FG, and Punt before finding offensive success in the fourth quarter. Mark Andrews missing Sep 5, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews (89) runs with the ball against Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie (22) during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images Andrews finished with two catches for 14 yards as Isaiah Likely dominated on the night. Rotating right tackles Sep 5, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones (95) sacks Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) causing a fumble during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images Patrick Mekari started the contest, and the rotation from last season continued with rookie Roger Rosengarten playing some right tackle. Trenton Simpson KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – SEPTEMBER 05: Justin Watson #84 of the Kansas City Chiefs is tackled by Trenton Simpson #23 of the Baltimore Ravens during the third quarter at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on September 05, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) Trenton Simpson was active on the night, logging five catches, one half a sack, one pass defended, and one QB hit.
Thursday Injury Report – Vikings @ Giants
Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images Second injury report of the week The Minnesota Vikings released their Thursday injury report in the lead up to Sunday’s game in East Rutherford against the New York Giants. The report is unchanged for both teams. Minnesota Vikings WR Jordan Addison (ankle) – limited WR Jalen Nailor (ankle) – limited New York Giants S Dane Belton (back) – limited QB Drew Lock (abdomen) – limited LB Micah McFadden (groin) – limited WR Gunner Olszewski (groin) – limited The Giants did not practice on Thursday, so their injury report was “projected” but listed the same players and participation as Wednesday’s report. For the Vikings, both Jordan Addison and Jalen Nailor were limited participants in Thursday’s practice, but Nailor had some time off with a trainer before rejoining the rest of the team. Darren Wolfson said on SkorNorth today that he thinks both Jordan Addison and Jalen Nailor will play on Sunday, the question for both is if they will be 100% or not. Nailor had been previously reported to be a couple days behind Addison in his recovery from his ankle injury, but he seems to be on a trajectory toward being available on Sunday. Jordan Addison also said after practice on Thursday that he will be ready on Sunday. We will have a better idea tomorrow when the final injury report is posted and each player’s status for Sunday’s matchup are included as well. Stay tuned. Follow me on X @wludford
