Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels is the highest-graded rookie in the NFL after 10 weeks of NFL action.
Ranking the best NFL rookies after Week 10
10 takeaways from Rams Monday Night loss to Dolphins
The Los Angeles Rams arguably suffered their most frustrating loss of the season, losing to the Miami Dolphins 23-15. Needing to keep pace with the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers, the Rams fell behind in the NFC West race. A loss the 2-6 Dolphins puts a stamp on the kind of season that it has been for the Rams. Here are my 10 takeaways. 1. The slow starts on offense need to stop For the fifth time this season, the Rams failed to score in the first quarter. They currently rank 31st in first quarter points per game at 1.4 which is ahead of only the Chicago Bears. That tends to set the tone for the first half of games where the Rams rank 28th in scoring, leading only the New England Patriots, New York Giants, and Cleveland Browns. It’s hard to believe that much of that has to do with poor game planning or being under prepared. Sean McVay is one of the best schematic coaches in the NFL. Whether it’s needing to feel out games, the Rams need to find ways to get into a rhythm and find their fastball much earlier. 2. Rams started three new offensive linemen and it looked like it The Rams offense simply looked disjointed for much of the night. However, that should have been expected despite the fact that they were getting Steve Avila and Jonah Jackson back in the lineup. At the end of the day, the offensive line was consisting of new starters at 60 percent of the spots. While Steve Avila was certainly an upgrade over Justin Dedich and Joe Noteboom was filling in for Rob Havenstein at right tackle, there is something to be said about pulling Beaux Limmer for Jonah Jackson. The Rams offense has shown during the McVay era that cohesiveness along the offensive line is important. They didn’t have that Monday Night. When it comes to Jackson, the situation is complicated. The Rams paid him a lot of money and he simply hasn’t worked out how they would have liked. He hasn’t played center since his sophomore year at Rutgers so not only are the Rams playing a new face at center, but someone who’s unfamiliar with the position in the offense. The Rams front office has done a good job of admitting mistakes and moving on from players. However, they won’t do it with Joe Noteboom for some reason. The offensive line didn’t look good and two of the biggest reason were two players getting the biggest paycheck. 3. Defense kept Rams in the game…which is unexpected At the Week 10 point of the season, not many would have expected that it would actually be the Rams defense keeping them in games. However, that was exactly the case. This is a young group that still has the occasional mental lapse, but for the most part they are getting more consistent. Following the touchdown on the opening drive, the defense allowed three more points. Those points only came after a Matthew Stafford tipped ball interception. They gave the offense opportunities to take control of the game with two turnovers, but Stafford and co. could not take advantage. The Rams defense deserves a lot of props. Against an explosive offense, they finished the week ranked seventh in defense EPA and eighth in defensive success rate. The offense simply needs to reward them. 4. The defensive front took over and Jared Verse is on way to stardom There was a period during the second and third quarters in which the Rams defensive line simply took over the game. Jared Verse had six pressures and a pressure rate of 23.1 percent. That doesn’t mention his forced fumble and fumble recovery. In primetime, Verse was on the verge of taking over the game. Kobie Turner also added three more pressures and a sack. Verse is running away with the defensive rookie of the year award right now and this is only the beginning. His 20.4 percent pressure rate is the third-highest among all defenders and the second-highest by a rookie since 2018 via NextGen stats. He is going to be a star in this league. The bad news for the rest of the NFL is that him and the rest of the Rams defensive line are only in year one and two. 5. Only thing consistent about the offense is getting in its own way The only consistent thing about the Rams offense right now is how often they get in their own way. With the offense moving at the end of the first half, Alaric Jackson gave up a sack on the left side. Following Christian Rozeboom’s first interception, Kyren Williams fumbled on the very next play. With a chance to bring the game within one score, Limmer had a false start to make a 52-yard field goal a 57-yard attempt. That doesn’t mention Stafford not seeing Williams for a touchdown late in the game. This isn’t just a one week thing. These are the same type of mistakes that the Rams had last week and have plagued them in losses to the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears. The Rams offense just never looked comfortable against the Dolphins and when they had opportunities, they bottled them. To put it simply, the Rams had drives that started at their own 49, the Dolphins 36, and the Dolphins 48 and scored three points on those drives. 6. Kyren Williams has a fumbling problem Kyren Williams has fumbled three times this season which is behind only Breece Hall and Rhamondre Steveson among running backs. He’s tied with four other running backs with three. Williams fumbled last week against the Seahawks, but didn’t lose it. He lost another fumble in the loss to the Packers. It’s not just that Williams fumbled, but when he fumbled. The fumble came following a Rozeboom interception and a chance to grab some momentum. It’s a turnover that let the Dolphins off the hook.
Bengals vs. Ravens snap counts from Week 10
Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images The defense struggles again despite low snaps. Offensive injuries have led to some interesting developments in the Cincinnati Bengals’ snap counts. This was even more obvious, with the unit taking 81 snaps in the 35-34 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. With Zack Moss out, Chase Brown once again dominated the running back snaps, taking 71. Newcomer Khalil Herbert was expected to see more action, but after fumbling his first carry away, he Homer Simpson gif-ed into the bushes. Herbert played two snaps, Trayveon Williams played one, and tight end Drew Sample saw significant action in the backfield in passing situations. The absence of Erick All at tight end led to a heavy dose of Tanner Hudson. Hudson played 29 snaps, which was third behind Mike Gesicki (58) and Sample (46). Surprisingly, UDFA Cam Grandy leapfrogged sixth-round pick Tanner McLachlan to become the fourth active tight end. He saw four snaps, including Chase Brown’s touchdown run, on which he made a key block. Jermaine Burton saw significant action this week and established himself as the third wide receiver in terms of snaps. Ja’Marr Chase led the way with 77 snaps, followed by Andrei Iosivas with a nice 69 snaps. Burton added 39 snaps, and Trenton Irwin trailed the trio with 12. Chase dominated the stat sheet with 264 yards and three touchdowns on 11 receptions. Iosivas and Burton failed to make a major impact. Iosivas had two catches for 29 yards on four targets, and Burton had only one catch for 11 yards on five targets. The defense, on the other hand, took only 63 snaps. Jordan Battle was third on the team in tackles with seven despite only taking 30 snaps. He split time with Vonn Bell, who took 32 snaps, while Geno Stone took 62 snaps. Rookie Josh Newton got into the action a bit more at cornerback, taking 19 snaps, but Cam Taylor-Britt (58 snaps), DJ Turner (54 snaps), and Mike Hilton (42 snaps) remained the top dogs. DJ Ivey added eight snaps to the mix. BJ Hill and Sheldon Rankins took the lion’s share of snaps at defensive tackle. Hill played 44, and Rankins logged 41. Rookies Kris Jenkins (21 snaps) and McKinnley Jackson (12 snaps) were the primary subs, while Jay Tufele added six snaps. Bengals vs. Ravens Snap Counts Week 10
Good news, Michael Mayer is back
Michael Mayer | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images Tight end has been out for personal reasons Michael Mayer is back with the Las Vegas Raiders. The second-year tight end was designated for return by the team Tuesday as he has returned to practice. The Raiders put the 2023 second-round pick on the reserve/non-football injury list October 11 due to a personal reason. Prior to that, Mayer has missed two weeks of practices and games. He missed the past six games. Recently, Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce said he was hopeful Mayer getting close to returning. Mayer had four catches for 21 yards in the first three games of the season. He had 27 catches for304 yards as a rookie in 2023. The Raiders traded up to take Mayer with the 35th pick of the draft. The Raiders’ planned to use Mayer often in a double tight end set with rookie sensation Brock Bowers and that is still possible this season. It is not known when Mayer will play. The Raiders play at the Miami Dolphins on Sunday with a 10 a.m. PT kickoff. Whether he plays this week or not, Mayer is clearly getting close and that is excellent news.
Former Bills linebacker surprisingly cut, could he return?
Former Bills linebacker surprisingly cut, could he return? Former Bills linebacker surprisingly cut, could he return? Nick Wojton In a surprise move, the Seattle Seahawks have made a former Buffalo Bills linebacker available for hire in the middle of the 2024 NFL season. The Seahawks (4-5) have released Tyrel Dodson. The 26-year-old only signed in Seattle this past offseason after his 2023 season in Buffalo ended and he became a free agent. Most interestingly, Dodson made 71 tackles for the Seahawks defense, a team-high, and he also totaled two sacks, two pass breakups, and five tackles for loss … and while he was released, he started all nine games for the team this year. Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald explained that others were just going to get a chance now. “We took a step back and realized where we were at,” Macdonald said about the move. “It was the best thing for us to move forward [without Dodson]. We’re going to give the other [linebackers] an opportunity.” Paired alongside Jerome Baker from the Miami Dolphins on a similar one-year deal, Dodson and Baker were slated to replace Bobby Wagner and Jordyn Brooks at linebacker in 2024. That clearly did not go according to plan, as Dodson departs Seattle after Baker already had weeks ago. Depending on price tag, Dodson is a name to keep in mind for the Bills defense. He originally signed as an undrafted free agent in Buffalo after the draft, came up through the ranks, and had a solid 2023 season before leaving. That indicates the Bills coaching staff certainly believes in the player. And the linebacker spot has had a few injuries in it this year. Currently Baylon Spector (calf) is on injured reserve. Matt Milano (knee) has been designated to return but still is weeks out. And on top of all that, Dodson does know the Bills defense already having spending years in it. He could be destined for Buffalo once again. Bills Wire will provide updates as information is made available. Read all the best Bills coverage at the Democrat and Chronicle and Bills Wire.
Week 10 Separation Report: Best receivers at beating coverage to get open
Dontayvion Wicks has created separation on 43 of his 57 opportunities this season, with his 75.44% separation percentage leading all wide receivers.
Player waived by Rams is immediately picked up by Titans
Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images The Titans added Logan Bruss after he was waived by the Rams The Los Angeles Rams used their first pick of the 2022 draft on Logan Bruss, but the former third rounder was seen as expendable after the team activated Jonah Jackson and Steve Avila from IR this week. The Rams waived Bruss less than three years after drafting him, with just eight games and three starts to his credit, and now he will be continuing his career with the Tennessee Titans. #Titans bolster OL by claiming former third-round pick off waivers. Could he get into the mix at RT?https://t.co/KJNbhNKd9E@Titan_Sized | #TitanUp — Justin M (@JustinM_NFL) November 12, 2024 The Rams may not miss Logan Bruss, but they have a lot of concerns about the position he plays. The former Wisconsin Badger was drafted to shore up the middle of L.A.’s offensive line, but he missed his entire rookie season with injury and couldn’t climb back into Sean McVay’s good graces, eventually ending up on the practice squad. The team had to use Bruss this season due to injuries, but obviously McVay didn’t see much use in continuing that experiment.
NFL officiating must take more accountability after latest primetime gaffes
When you are wrong, just admit it. The Cincinnati Bengals lost yet another gut-wrenching battle to the Baltimore Ravens Thursday night. Like a lot of the Bengals games in the last few years, it came down to the final minute yet again. Year after year, technology is getting tenfold better, but it seems like the human is getting worse. Granted the Bengals, offensively and defensively missed plays they could have capitalized on, but there are three plays in particular the referees need to take accountability for and just simply admit they missed the call. Two calls which happened on the same crucial play. The first missed call happened as Burrow stepped back to throw, completed the pass, and then got drilled from behind, clearly after the ball was released. I can’t say always, but it seems like most of the time, like 99% of the time, this play would garner a flag, especially for certain quarterbacks, which I will not mention. Patrick Mahomes would get this call smh pic.twitter.com/BaJdPyzKSn — Joe Burrow Fan Club (@JoeyBClub) November 8, 2024 The unfortunate part of the situation is Burrow admitting he doesn’t get those calls. “I feel like I’ve never really got those calls, so I don’t really expect that.”#Bengals QB Joe Burrow on the missed calls on the final drive pic.twitter.com/rg6wWPXRWv — Chatterbox Sports (@CBoxSports) November 8, 2024 The final two calls happened in the most crucial part of the game, the 2-point conversion attempt for the Bengals to take the lead and potentially win. The #Ravens got away with a defensive holding and a roughing the passer on the failed two-point conversion, Terry McAulay said on the broadcast. pic.twitter.com/NcWLiaChnR — Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) November 8, 2024 REFS DIDNT CALL TWO PENALTIES on the final Bengals play of the game how does this continue to happen? insane pic.twitter.com/ZXAVtxmbAZ — Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) November 8, 2024 You can’t overlook big missed calls in crucial moments of different games. It would be a different story if there were complaints by Bengals fans only, but last night there were several analysts, non-Bengals fans, and even eye companies commenting on the plays. The refs have been absolutely atrocious all season long and they just cost the Bengals another game ♂️ #NFL pic.twitter.com/CXyWiVOZrY — JmxSports (@JmxSports) November 8, 2024 Chiefs would’ve gotten every penalty go their way on that 2-pt conversion — Will Compton (@_willcompton) November 8, 2024 Bengals got boned even worse than you think https://t.co/KKpXUgXzGp — Matthew Berry (@MatthewBerryTMR) November 8, 2024 Better Vision. Better Calls. Yes, we’re still offering NFL refs free LASIK.pic.twitter.com/d7jYdo5q1z — LASIK.com (@LASIKdotcom) November 8, 2024 This actually isn’t the first time something like this has happened on Thursday Night Football this season, as the Los Angeles Rams benefitted from a horrific no-call late in their win over the Minnesota Vikings on an obvious facemask penalty. THIS TYPE OF MISSED CALL SHOULD NEVER DECIDE A GAME!!! pic.twitter.com/8zYpCS80JV — Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) October 25, 2024 As one of the largest organizations in the country, it’s time for NFL officiating to admit the calls were missed and be better than this.
Vikings Just-Over-Halfway Season Report
Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images Vikings Just-Over-Halfway Season Report The good, the bad, and the adjustments needed. By Nov 12, 2024, 6:34pm CST The Minnesota Vikings have moved to 7-2 in their first nine games after managing to prevail in Jacksonville on Sunday afternoon. And with that victory, the Vikings move past the half way point in the season. Over the first half of the season, the Vikings have compiled a lot of good plays and stats, and some not so good ones. And despite their 7-2 record, there are some things the Vikings need to adjust to be more effective and make a deep run in the postseason. Let’s take a look. Vikings’ Box Score and Advanced Stats Stats are shown by league ranking followed by the raw number in paratheses. Box Score Stats Record: tied for 4th (7-2) Point differential: 8th (+64) Simple Rating System (SRS): 2nd (7.82). This is a point differential-based rating weighted for strength of schedule and home field advantage. Average Scoring Margin: 7th (+7.1 points) Offensive Scoring Box Score Stats Offense points scored: 10th (221) Passing Touchdowns: 6th (17) Rushing Touchdowns: 30th (4) Points per Play: 10th (0.402) Offensive Yardage Box Score Stats Total Yards: 13th (3,092) Average Yards per Play: 13th (5.6) Average Yards per Game: 13th (343.6) Passing Attempts: 25th (263) Passing Yards: 12th (2,010) Average Net Yards per Passing Attempt: 8th (6.9) Rushing Attempts: 11th (260) Rushing Yards: 16th (1,082) Average Rushing Yards per Attempt: 21st (4.2) Defensive Scoring Box Score Stats Defensive Points Allowed: 3rd (157) Passing Touchdowns Allowed: 20th (14) Rushing Touchdowns Allowed: 2nd (4) Points per Play Allowed: 4th (0.282) Defensive Yardage Box Score Stats Total Yards Allowed: 11th (2,798) Average Yards per Play Allowed: 6th (5.0) Average Yards per Game Allowed: 11th (310.9) Opponent Pass Attempts: 29th (338) Passing Yards Allowed: 26th (2,087) Average Net Passing Yards per Attempt Allowed: 7th (5.7) Opponent Rushing Attempts: 1st (fewest) (189) Rushing Yards Allowed: 2nd (711) Net Yards per Rushing Attempt Allowed: 3rd (3.8) Turnovers Offensive turnovers: 29th (16) Fumbles lost: 24th (6) Interceptions Thrown: 25th (10) Defensive Takeaways: 1st (20) Fumbles Recovered: 12th (5) Interceptions: 1st (15) Penalties Penalties per Game: 22nd (7.0) Penalty Yards per Game: 19th (52.3) Opponent Penalties per Game: 6th (7.1) Opponent Penalty Yards per Game: 7th (59.7) Situational Stats Third-Down Conversion Percentage: 10th (40.2%) Opponent Third-Down Conversion Percentage: 8th (33.6%) Red Zone Touchdown Percentage: 19th (53.3%) Opponent Red Zone Touchdown Percentage: 25th (63.6%) Red Zone Offensive EPA/play: 28th (-0.31) Red Zone Offensive Pass EPA/play: 20th (-0.24) Red Zone Offensive Rush EPA/play: 31st (-0.39) Red Zone Defensive EPA/play: 22nd (-0.01) Red Zone Defense Pass EPA/play Allowed: 15th (-0.02) Red Zone Defense Rush EPA/play Allowed: 14th (-0.01) DVOA DVOA is a measure of efficiency expressed as a percentage relative to average and adjusted for strength of opponent. Larger negative percentage is better for defensive DVOA, while larger positive percentage is better for offensive and special teams DVOA. Click on the DVOA title above for a more complete explanation. Total Team: 4th (+22.8%) Offense: 17th (-1.8%) Defense: 1st (-25.0%) Special Teams: 19th (-0.4%) The Viking have played the 7th most difficult schedule so far (+4.8% average DVOA) and have the 16th most difficult remaining schedule (+1.4% average DVOA). Offensive DVOA Breakdown Passing: 16th (+18.9%) Rushing: 19th (-7.0%) The Vikings’ offense has faced the 11th most difficult schedule (-1.4% average defensive DVOA) so far this season. Defensive DVOA Breakdown Passing: 1st (-22.7%) Rushing: 1st (-29.8%) The Vikings’ defense has faced the 6th most difficult slate of offensive opponents so far this season (+6.0% DVOA). The biggest flaw in the Vikings’ defensive DVOA has been the game-to-game variance, which ranks 30th. So, while the Vikings have the top defense in overall DVOA, their level of efficiency can vary more significantly game-to-game than average. Trends Over the first four games of the season, the Vikings were winning games by jumping off to big early leads with chunk plays in the passing game, complemented by an unorthodox defense that opponents couldn’t figure out. But after those first four games, teams began to adjust to counter the Vikings’ winning formula. Looking at the chart above, you can see how the Vikings’ Total DVOA has changed from weeks 1-4 compared to weeks 5-10. But if you look at the Vikings’ offensive DVOA each week on the graph above, you would’ve thought the two games the Vikings lost were against the Jets and Jaguars. Sam Darnold’s best game in terms of both passer rating and ESPN’s QBR (an EPA-based metric) was against the Rams, which the Vikings lost. But both the Jets and Jaguars employed a successful scheme to limit the Vikings’ passing attack down the field. The Jets had two good corners that could play man coverage well and the Jaguars used almost exclusively two-deep safety shell coverage to limit chunk passing plays to wide receivers. The Vikings offense had opportunities to target tight ends and running backs more often, but Kevin O’Connell seemed to have been more focused on keeping Sam Darnold aggressive in pushing the ball downfield, foregoing open receivers underneath and accepting the interceptions that go with throwing deeper shots to not always open receivers. That strategy has its merits, but when opposing defenses are focused on taking that part of the passing game away, that means throwing into the teeth of the defense. The Vikings are one of 23 teams that have a negative rushing EPA/play, which is typical. The only teams that have a positive EPA/play rushing either have a quarterback that can run well or multiple good running backs. The Vikings are particularly poor running the ball in the red zone, ranking 31st in EPA/play on such occasions. And if you take away the 40-yard touchdown run Aaron Jones had against the Lions, there isn’t a lot to write home about the Vikings’ rushing attack right now. There is some prospect for improvement as Cam Akers has proven to be an upgrade over
Raheem Mostert makes the most of limited role on Monday Night Football
Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images Six players ran the ball against the Rams but Raheem Mostert wasn’t one of them. The Miami Dolphins struggled to run the ball Monday — it was the first time since Week 1 that they rushed for fewer than 70 yards. Six players carried the ball and averaged three yards per carry on 22 attempts against the Los Angeles Rams, but Raheem Mostert wasn’t one of them. De’Von Achane had a team-high 12 carries while Jaylen Wright ran the ball on five of his nine snaps. Mostert, who entered Monday’s game with at least six carries in each of his five appearances this season, was active but didn’t see a rushing attempt for the first time since 2019. Mostert saw a diminished role, playing a season-low eight snaps, but coach Mike McDaniel didn’t imply that he fell out of favor after fumbling in two of the last three games. “We have a very talented backfield and we’re manipulating game plans week-in and week-out for a multitude of reasons,” McDaniel said on Monday. “I feel very confident with entrusting Raheem with our possession, with the football.” While Mostert didn’t carry the ball, he came up clutch as quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s outlet on a third-and-19 early in the fourth quarter. He finished the day with two receptions for 34 yards, including the 25-yard catch to move the chains in a one-possession game. Tua making things happen to convert the 3rd and 19 to Mostert!#Dolphins moving pic.twitter.com/ZlE6T7KSMM — BlurCentral (@BlurCentral) November 12, 2024 Mostert and McDaniel’s relationship dates back to their time together with the San Francisco 49ers — and McDaniel rarely says anything negative — but it’s hard to imagine that two costly fumbles in recent weeks didn’t impact his workload against the Rams. All that said, McDaniel made it clear that the 2023 rushing touchdown leader will remain a key part of the offense as Miami fights to keep its playoff hopes alive. “He’ll have plenty of plays that he’ll make the rest of the season,” McDaniel said. “The particular usage this past game was unique to the game plan, and that’s kind of the case when you have one football and multiple talented running backs that all contribute in various ways. He’s still a leader in that room and we’ll be counting on him all season for us to get where we want to go.”
