Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 11/16/24. Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links … After a quiet start, Eagles’ Cooper DeJean is emerging as a Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate – PFFFrom Weeks 6-11, only fellow second-round rookie cornerbacks Renardo Green and Kamari Lassiter have earned higher coverage grades than DeJean (79.4). DeJean, despite a down performance against the Washington Commanders on Thursday Night Football in Week 11, hasn’t allowed a touchdown and ranks tied for fourth in the league in coverage stops (11). Heading into that game against the Commanders, DeJean boasted an 83.7 season-long PFF grade and an 85.9 PFF coverage grade, ranking fourth and first, respectively, among NFL cornerbacks. Thursday Night Football wasn’t as kind to DeJean, as he put up a season-low 53.5 PFF overall grade and 52.1 PFF coverage grade, allowing eight catches for 53 yards and three first downs. He did play a career-high 66 defensive snaps, but the weaker performance damaged his still-strong season-long grades — 77.2 overall and 78.9 in coverage. Regardless, the Eagles have finally unleashed DeJean to create a young cornerback duo between him and Mitchell that should give defenses fits for years to come — a positive development in a division featuring Dak Prescott, Jayden Daniels and whomever the Giants find to replace Daniel Jones. Eagles-Commanders snap counts: Jalen Carter made his impact felt while playing the entire game – BGNJalen Carter didn’t miss a snap. Wow. His previous career-high was the 96% he played against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 9. Hard to blame the Eagles for not wanting to take him off the field in a key game. He was a monster out there. Saquon Barkley makes his MVP case in Eagles’ win over Commanders – SB NationOn the season, Barkley leads the NFL with 1,137 rushing yards — although Derrick Henry is close behind with 1,120 and has a chance to respond in his Week 11 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday — putting him on pace to eclipse his previous career-high of 1,312, set back when he was with the New York Giants in the 2022 season. That number accounts for 63% of the team’s rushing yards. He also leads the NFL in yards from scrimmage with 1,347, although Henry will again have his chance to respond on Sunday against the Steelers. Beyond the numbers, Barkley is the true engine of the Eagles’ offense, a fact that he showed on Thursday night against Washington. For the bulk of Thursday night’s game against the Commanders, the Philadelphia offense was struggling. Jake Elliott missed a pair of field goals, the Eagles passing game was out of rhythm, and Philadelphia took a 12-10 lead early in the fourth quarter on a tush push TD from Hurts, only to see Elliott miss the extra point. Roob’s Eagles Stats: Just how rare is Eagles’ rushing success? – NBCSP1. During their six-game winning streak, the Eagles have outgained the Browns by 128 yards, the Giants by 220 yards, the Bengals by 117, Jaguars by 232, Cowboys by 202 and Commanders by 170. That’s a 1,069-yard margin, the Eagles’ largest in any six-game span in 71 years. This is why we love the Stathead team span finder yardage margin tab. Last time the Eagles outgained six opponents by more yards was in 1953, when they outgained the Giants, Colts, Cardinals, Giants, Washington and Browns by 1,135. They’ve outgained their 10 opponents by 1,068 yards, which is their largest margin to start a season since 1954, when they outgained their first 10 opponents by 1,154 yards. Another huge defensive stand propels Eagles to a key win – NBCSPIt was a huge fourth-down stop by this Eagles defense but that’s not anything new. They’ve been coming through in these clutch situations. The Eagles’ defense has now faced eight 4th-and-2 or shorter situations this season when the offense goes for it and has given up just three conversions. That conversion rate of 37.5% is the lowest in the NFL: 1. Eagles: 3/8 (37.5%), 2. Patriots: 2/5 (40%), t-3. Vikings: 3/7 (42.9%), t-3. Lions: 3/7 (42.9%), 5. Bills: 6/13 (46.2%). After the Eagles’ stop on fourth down, the offense got the ball back and eventually scored on the first Saquon Barkley touchdown. After a Jayden Daniels interception from Reed Blankenship, Barkley punched in another long touchdown run and the game was basically over. It went from the Eagles’ clinging to a two-point lead to ballgame in a few minutes. And it really all started with that huge fourth-down stop. Eagles brandishing a Super Bowl-level defense, but Lane Johnson has a warning for entire team – NJ.com Lane Johnson told the cautionary tale of the 2023 season late Thursday night after the Eagles completed their short week by chalking up a sixth straight victory, this one behind another relentless defensive effort that made the betting favorite for NFL offensive rookie of the year simply look like a rookie. “As good as things are going, I want people to remember last year,” Johnson said after a fourth-quarter offensive surge allowed the Eagles to pull away for a 26-18 victory over the Washington Commanders. “You’re 10-1 and you get that complacency feeling, you can find out quickly that this league will knock you on your ass if you let it.” 2025 NFL offseason: Possible surprise cut, trade candidates – ESPN+Bryce Huff, Edge, Philadelphia Eagles. What? Didn’t he just sign there? Yes, Huff was a high-profile free agent signing by the Eagles, who gave him a three-year, $51.1 million deal to lure him away from the Jets. Given the way the season has unfolded, Huff is certainly happy with that move. But are the Eagles happy with him? Huff played just 12% of their defensive snaps in Week 9, 20% in Week 10 and 22% in Week 11 (after averaging 44% over the first eight weeks). He has 2.5 sacks, 14 pressures and four quarterback hits, and he seems to be
The Linc – PFF says Cooper DeJean also deserves Defensive Rookie of the Year consideration
College football primer: Scouting Day 2 prospects who could be steals
Photo by Mitchell Scaglione/LSU/Getty Images We could have some great scouting tape this week. Good morning New York Giants fans! Happy Saturday and welcome to Week 12 of the 2024 College football season. The schedule makers are taking a bit of a breath this week, as many of the top teams are either off or have easier games. Next week will be a bit of a ramp-up, and then we get Rivalry Week in week 14, as almost every top program will play their fiercest rivals. But that’s not for two weeks, and while we don’t have many big games this week, the schedule isn’t barren either. We have some very intriguing matchups this week, as well as a couple big games sprinkled throughout the afternoon and evening. There’s plenty to watch today, and we could even get some go-to scouting tape for the 2025 NFL Draft. In fact, we’re going to start with one of those matchups first. Landon Jackson, DL, Arkansas Arkansas vs. Texas – ABC, noon We’ve mentioned Jackson earlier in the season, but this is a great game to circle back to him. Each of Texas’ offensive tackles, left tackle Kelvin Banks and right tackle Cameron Williams, should be first-round picks and Banks could be a Top 10 pick. That gives us an excellent opportunity to scout Jackson against elite competition. Jackson is very much a “first off the bus” type of guy. He has a massive frame at 6-foot-7, 280 pounds, with long arms and enough athleticism that he landed at 21 on Bruce Feldman’s “Freaks List” for 2024. Jackson has the potential to take over a game, which also makes this a good game to scout the Texas offensive tackles. Denzel Burke, CB, Ohio StateNorthwestern vs. (2) Ohio State Marcus Mbow, OL, Purdue Purdue vs. (4) Penn State – CBS, 3:30 p.m. Mbow is an interesting offensive line prospect who could appeal to the Giants if he slips far enough on draft day. He started his career at right guard before transitioning to offensive tackle, and could even have upside as a center convert at the next level. Mbow is undersized for an offensive tackle, listed at 6-foot-5, 305, but that’s a solid size for an interior lineman in a zone-based blocking scheme. He was able to make the transition from guard to tackle thanks to plus athleticism, but his frame could well fall below thresholds at the position for some (even many) teams. That said, his versatility and athleticism could bolster his draft stock as most teams should be able to find a fit. Penn State boasts two very good pass rushers in Abdul Carter and Dani Dennis-Sutton. This should be go-to scouting tape for Mbow. Donovan Ezeiruaku, EDGE, Boston College (14) SMU vs. Boston College – ESPN, 3:30 p.m. Ezeiruaku is flying under the radar a bit — after all, BC isn’t exactly a powerhouse at 5-4 on the season — but he’s an intriguing pass rusher. He has a compact frame at 6-foot-3, 235 pounds and experience rushing from both a 2 and 3-point stance. That should give him the versatility to find a home in most modern defenses. As you many gather from his frame, Ezeiruaku won’t be known as a dominant run defender, and could be viewed as a rotational player. However, his motor and impressive bend around the edge can give blockers fits. He isn’t the type of long, hyper-athletic pass rusher who gets scouts excited, but he has the potential to be a hidden gem in the middle rounds of the draft. Kyren Lacy, WR, LSU Florida vs. (22) LSU – NBC, 3:30 p.m. Lacy played second, or rather third, fiddle behind Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. last year at LSU. But with Nabers and Thomas both in the NFL, Lacy has had the opportunity to show what he can do. He hasn’t had the same yards per reception as 2023 — 15.2 down from 18.6 — but he’s having a career year in total yardage and scoring. Lacy isn’t as dynamic an athlete as Thomas or Nabers, lacking Thomas’ raw speed and Nabers quickness and agility. However, he has good size at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds and is a nuanced route runner. He’ll likely settle into a role as a reliable possession receiver in the pros, and it’s a job he can do for a long time. Daylen Everette, CB, Georgia (12) Georgia vs. (7) Tennessee – ABC, 7:30 p.m. You could probably use this as an excuse to watch the entire UGA defense — they’ve got a lot of dudes who’re pretty good at this football thing. I’m focusing on Everette due to the Giants’ needs in the defensive secondary. Everette is long (6-foot-1, 190 pounds) and an explosive athlete who’s expected to turn a 40 in the low 4.3s. But while he looks like a press-man corner, he’s better suited to zone schemes. Everette has some stiffness that limits his transitions and mirroring ability, but has very good instincts for zone coverage. His limitations in man coverage could knock him into the second day of the draft, but his ability in zone makes him an appealing prospect for Shane Bowen’s defense. And while we’re here, feel free to enjoy watching the rest of the Bulldogs’ defense. Games to watch (17) Colorado vs. Utah – Fox, noon Pittsburgh vs. (20) Clemson – ESPN, noon (8) Notre Dame vs. Virginia – NBC, 3:30 p.m. USC vs. Nebraska – Fox, 4 p.m. Wisconsin vs. (1) Oregon – NBC, 7:30 p.m. Quarterback tracker Quinn Ewers (Texas) – Arkansas vs. (3) Texas – ABC, noon Shedeur Sanders (Colorado) – (17) Colorado vs. Utah – FOX, noon Cade Klubnick (Clemson) – Pittsburgh vs. (20) Clemson – ESPN, noon Jalen Milroe (Alabama) – (10) Alabama vs. Mercer – SEC Network, 2pm Drew Allar (Penn State) – Purdue vs. (4) Penn State – CBS, 3:30 p.m. Garrett Neussmeier (LSU) – Florida vs. (22) LSU – ABC, 3:30 p.m. Dillon Gabriel (Oregon)
College football preview: 4 draft prospects to watch in Week 12
Photo by Chris Leduc/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images With only a few weeks of college football season left, here are the top NFL Draft prospects I am watching this weekend. All listed times are Eastern Standard Time Desmond Reid, Running Back, Pittsburgh v. Clemson (12 PM on ESPN): I have written about Desmond Reid before. He is Pittsburgh’s do-everything player running and catching the football. The Panthers have dropped two straight games and need all the help they can get against Clemson to stay relevant in the ACC. Reid will need to provide a big boost. Donovan Ezeiruaku, Edge Defender, Boston College v. SMU (3:30 PM on ESPN): Donovan Ezeiruaku has been one of the most ferocious, disruptive pass rushers in the country over the last few months. Boston College has a great chance at upsetting a hot SMU team if Ezeiruaku can have a big game. Nick Emmanwori, Safety, South Carolina v. Missouri (4:15 PM on SECN): Nick Emmanwori is a star on the Gamecocks defense. The junior safety is leading the team in tackles and interceptions all while playing a hybrid linebacker/safety/slot role on their defense. He is a unique and gifted player who will have his hands full with a Missouri offense that loves to work the shallow parts of the field. James Pearce, Edge Defender, Tennessee v. Georgia (7:30 PM on ESPN): The Heavyweight fight of the weekend is the showdown between the Vols and the Bulldogs. The loser of this game is all but eliminated from playoff contention this year. The Georgia offense has been vulnerable, to say the least, and James Pearce can exploit their weaknesses with a strong game to give Tennessee a great shot.
Despite Saquon Barkley’s greatness, the Giants are fine at running back without him
Tyrone Tracy | Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images What Barkley does in Philly really shouldn’t matter as the Giants try to build their own team The biggest, most controversial, most consequential event in Joe Schoen’s three seasons as GM of the New York Giants has been not being able to reach a long-term contract agreement with Saquon Barkley. Ultimately, of course, that led to Barkley being allowed to enter free agency and finding $37.75 million worth of brotherly love from the Philadelphia Eagles. The Barkley situation hung over the franchise for two offseasons, and will reverberate for years to come. Current roster: Tyrone Tracy Jr., Devin Singletary, Eric Gray Players drafted since 2022: Eric Gray (Round 5, No. 172, 2023) | Tyrone Tracy Jr. (Round 5, No. 166, 2024) Biggest free agent acquisitions: Devin Singletary Biggest losses: Saquon Barkley Barkley is having a great season, the best of his career to date. No one should be shocked by that. I don’t believe the Giants are. Barkley ran for 176 yards on just 17 carries against the Giants in Week 6, mercifully taking the fourth quarter off. He is averaging a career-best 113.7 yards rushing per game and leads the league through 10 games with 1,137 rushing yards. If he keeps up that pace, he will end up with 1,933 rushing yards and a career-high 2,289 total yards from scrimmage. Eagles fans were all over social media trolling the Giants after Barkley ran for 146 yards and caught two passes for 52 more, giving him 198 total yards on Thursday as the Eagles beat the Washington Commanders to improve to 8-2. The view here? Good for Saquon. He’s a great player and he deserves to shine. He is still as good or better than anyone in the open field, and he is with a team that can get him there and let him do what he does best. Good for Eagles fans. Let them have their fun. The Barkley-Giants divorce was messy. It probably could have been handled better, by both sides. There were many twists and turns, some we will probably never know in full detail. It probably could have been cleaner. I’m not sure I will ever understand how the two sides could not bridge a gap reported to be no more than $2 million in 2022. Regardless of the optics, Barkley’s great year and all of that I think this situation turned out the right way. Barkley is in a place where he can be a difference-making, finishing piece on a team with championship aspirations. The Giants weren’t, and aren’t that. They probably won’t be for a while. No matter the kind of success Barkley has, Schoen and the Giants did the right thing by not spending big money for a back who had shown over six seasons that there was one thing he couldn’t do, that no running back can do. Turn a bad team into a good one. Despite his brilliance, the Giants had one winning season in Barkley’s six years. Schoen, who did not draft Barkley, re-prioritized. That was his right, and popular or not, the right decision. It was time to stop trying to build a team around a running back, especially a high-mileage one with an injury history. The Giants are 2-8. Would they be significantly better with Barkley? Probably not. He almost certainly would not be putting up the numbers for the Giants that he is for the Eagles. Their future wouldn’t look any brighter, either. Without Barkley, an argument can be made that they are better positioned for the future. Schoen used that money to successfully improve the offensive line. Schoen and the Giants also leaned into the belief that if you block well you can run the ball without a star running back, and that if you scout well you can find good backs in the middle to late portions of the draft. The Giants found Tyrone Tracy Jr. in Round 5, the 166th player taken in the 2024 NFL Draft. Tracy has 545 yards rushing, on pace for 926 yards despite getting only 12 carries during the first four weeks of the season. Since he took over as the starter six games ago, Tracy has posted three 100+ yard rushing games and averaged 86.0 rushing yards per game. Extended over a full season, that would be third in the NFL in yards per game behind Barkley and Derrick Henry (112.0). Extend that 86-yards per game average out over a full season, Tracy would be third in the league in rushing yards and on pace for a 1,462-yard season. Barkley is costing the Eagles $26 million in guaranteed money over the next three seasons. Tracy? He is costing the Giants a total of $4.306 million over four years, only $286,000 of which is guaranteed. Barkley is doing Barkley things for the Eagles. That’s tough to watch, especially when he does them against the Giants. The Giants, though, are just fine at running back.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73727236/97300117.0.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,0&ssl=1 "George Young didn’t build the Giants into a powerhouse overnight")
George Young didn’t build the Giants into a powerhouse overnight
Filed under: George Young didn’t build the Giants into a powerhouse overnight Let’s go back to 1983 and judge Young the same way we are now judging Joe Schoen By Anthony Del Genio Nov 16, 2024, 9:30am EST Photo by Dan Cronin/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images At Joe Schoen’s bye week presser he answered affirmatively when asked if he expected to be brought back next season. He also claimed “We’re not far off”. Giants’ Twitter and several of the Giants’ beat writers have been, shall we say, skeptical of these answers. Ed Valentine polled the Big Blue View community on the first of these questions and got a solid if not landslide endorsement of Schoen from you: As bad as some of you think you have it being Giants fans right now, I and those of you similar to my age know that the current dry spell is nothing compared to the wilderness years of 1964-1980, when the Giants had zero playoff appearances and only two seasons with a winning record. If you’re old enough to remember that era, you’ll remember something else: The Giants hired a new general manager in 1979, George Young, and Young got the Giants to the playoffs in his third season as GM…only to have the team collapse the two seasons after that when Bill Parcells took over for Ray Perkins as head coach. Young’s scorecard after 5 seasons as GM: 1 playoff appearance (and 1 playoff win), and records of 6-10, 4-12, 9-7, 4-5 (a strike-shortened season), and 3-12-1. Young almost fired Parcells after one season (1982) and replaced him with Howard Schnellenberger but in the end decided not to. I don’t remember if Young himself was in danger of being shown the door, but if these questions are being asked of Schoen, surely it would have been fair to ask them of Young. We all know how the story ends: Playoffs in 1984 and 1985, and a Super Bowl ring in 1986. Did George Young think the Giants were not far off in 1983? How far off were they, actually, and how did they get from there to a title? Here’s a table showing the Giants’ starters (data courtesy of Pro Football Reference) for 1978, their last season under GM (actually “Director of Operations”) Andy Robustelli and head coach John McVay (grandfather of Sean), and for every subsequent season up to 1986: Data courtesy of Pro Football Reference Unless you want to take a stroll down memory lane, most of the names in the table are irrelevant to the discussion. The purpose is to identify how the 1986 Super Bowl champion Giants were built, and how long it took. Toward that end, the starters on that team (far right column) are color-coded in red in the year in which they first became starters for the Giants. Some of the salient points are: Young inherited a team with no offensive stars but with two defensive players who would be key starters for the 1986 Super Bowl Champions, including Hall of Famer Harry Carson (both Carson and George Martin had been starters for several years before 1978). It took Young three seasons to get the Giants to the playoffs for the first time in 18 years, but by that time he had only added three players who would eventually start for the 1986 team (Phil Simms, Brad Benson, and Lawrence Taylor). Simms of course was chosen over Joe Montana. The Giants went right back into the wilderness for two years after that first playoff appearance, just as Schoen’s Giants teams have done (barring them running the table and making the playoffs at 9-8 this season). By 1983, Young’s sixth year at the helm and his worst season as GM (3-12-1), only five of the players who would start for the 1986 champs were already starters: Simms, Benson, Taylor, plus Billy Ard and Terry Kinard. (There were a couple more who were on the team by then but were not starters, e.g., Jim Burt and Leonard Marshall) Young could easily have been fired by Wellington Mara at that point – there were some good players in addition to those mentioned above on the 1983 team, but not enough, and the product on the field was a dismal failure, finishing 1-10-1 after a 2-2 start. Finally, in 1984, the team jelled and became a perennial playoff contender, eventually winning it all in 1986. Fifteen of the 22 starters on the Super Bowl team weren’t on the team or weren’t yet starting until 1984 or later. Here’s the early career of one of those key starters, Carl Banks. Banks is again this year a Pro Football Hall of Fame semifinalist. You wouldn’t have guessed that outcome from his first two seasons, when he didn’t start most of the Giants’ games: Courtesy of Pro Football Reference Banks was the No. 3 pick in the draft in 1984. He was OK his first two seasons, but he certainly didn’t look special…until 1986, when he replaced Byron Hunt, an OK but not special player himself, and really broke out. How would today’s Giants fan feel if the No. 3 pick in the draft was not starting regularly by his second season? A side note to the Banks story: The Giants already had a great third linebacker (besides Carson and Taylor) in veteran Brad Van Pelt. After the terrible 1983 season, Van Pelt wanted a big raise. Reportedly Young told him that he could lose without him as well as he could lose with him and traded him, replacing him with Banks. Some thinking along these lines may have gone into Schoen’s decision to let Saquon Barkley finally leave last off-season. What he needs is for Barkley’s replacement, Tyrone Tracy, to work out anywhere near as well as Banks did for Young. We don’t know what the future holds for Joe Schoen, for Brian Daboll, or for the players currently on the Giants’ roster. We do know that, like
Random Ramsdom: Is Sunday’s game a must win for LA?
Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images Los Angeles Rams News and Links for 11/16/24 In the NFL every game is a “must win”, but as the season moves along games become much more important and so how much of a “must win” would you consider this Sunday’s Los Angeles Rams’ game? I am going to say it’s “must win” in terms of keeping hope alive among the fan base and maybe even within the team. However, can the Rams lose on Sunday and then still go on the make the playoffs? I believe the math would say yes. So, in that sense this is not an “all or nothing” type of game, but can you imagine all the questions LA will be facing next week if they lose to the New England Patriots this week? Food for thought. Thanks for checking out Turf Show Times, have a great Saturday. Did you watch the fight last night? Please comment on whatever you want and have a great day! Rams vs. Patriots Final Score Prediction for NFL Week 11 (Los Angeles Bounces Back With Big Win vs. New England) (si.com) “Just when you thought the Rams were about get hot and go on a run, they lose to the Miami Dolphins in disappointing fashion on Monday Night Football. Now, they’ll try to bounce back with a win to get back in the mix in the NFC West when they take on the New England Patriots in Week 11 action. The Patriots have little hope of going on a postseason run, but they’ve won two of their last three games and their rookie quarterback, Drake Maye, has exceeded expectations so far in 2024.” Another second-half surge starts Sunday. pic.twitter.com/5SfQApKjdt — Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) November 15, 2024 Rams Look to Return Tyler Higbee for Tight End Reinforcements (bvmsports) “The Los Angeles Rams are optimistic about the return of tight end Tyler Higbee, who is expected to be back in a couple of weeks following recovery from a torn ACL and MCL sustained last season. Currently, the Rams’ tight end situation is dire, with minimal contributions from Colby Parkinson, who has caught 23 passes for 214 yards this season without a touchdown. Both Davis Allen and Hunter Long have struggled to make an impact as well, with Allen catching six of 11 targets for just 39 yards. Higbee’s imminent return will bring much-needed depth and skill to the struggling unit.” Staying in the hunt. pic.twitter.com/k3EOOhvLVH — Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) November 15, 2024 Rams’ O-Line Gets Even More Bad Injury News in Week 11 (lasportshub) “Even though the Los Angeles Rams missed a huge opportunity on Monday after losing to the Miami Dolphins at home, they still have a good chance to win the NFC West. Sitting at 4-5 heading into the final stretch of the season, the Rams need to go on a winning streak to get back to the postseason for a second straight year. Their Week 11 matchup against the New England Patriots is a great chance to build momentum. Unfortunately, however, the bad injury luck in one specific position complicates things for the Rams. The offensive line which has been a problem all season, will be missing several key starters once again, per head coach Sean McVay.” .@CamWin11, @JB_Long, and @MJD discuss the midway point of the 2024 season + preparing for the New England Patriots on this episode of Between the Horns. ️ — Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) November 15, 2024
Bengals fans sound off on the college football player they’d add to current roster
Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images A fairly mixed response on this one. The Cincinnati Bengals have a very important matchup this Sunday night as they face the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday Night Football. This squad has had a lackluster season so far. However, the franchise looks to make a playoff push in the final quarter of the season, and that could start with a win against the Chargers. However, the time spent thinking about the NFL Draft is inching closer and closer, and the roster could end up in a solid first-round position once again. That led us to our SB Nation Reacts question this week: Which college football player do you hope the Bengals add? In a rather spread-out group of answers, it was Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter who took home the vote with 32% of the answers. He was followed by Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham with 27% of the vote. Following them was Travis Hunter (19%), Ashton Jeanty (8%), Nic Scourton (7%), and ‘other’ player (7%). Carter is having an impressive season with the Nittany Lions. Heading into the final three weeks of the college football season, he has totaled 24 tackles and eight sacks while playing for one of the best defenses in the country. Any time you can add an elite pass rusher, you take the chance. If the opportunity presents itself, let’s hope the Bengals run to the podium.
Pride of Detroit charity auction is LIVE!
Our Movember auction—including signed footballs and jerseys—is now LIVE! All proceeds go to the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center. Our Movember charity drive continues in the month of November, as we continue to raise funds for the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center. You can still donate directly to our campaign here, but we’re raising funds in a different way, as well. Introducing, our Movember Auction! We’ve got four fantastic prizes available to bid on RIGHT NOW! 100 percent of the proceeds will go to the Rogel Cancer Center. HEAD TO THE ONLINE AUCTION HERE Here’s what’s up for grabs: 1. Sam LaPorta signed home jersey (size: large) Donated by the Detroit Lions, this brand-new Sam LaPorta jersey is signed by the All-Pro tight end himself. Jersey comes with a certificate of authenticity from the Detroit Lions. 2. Amon-Ra St. Brown signed football Donated by the Detroit Lions: An authentic NFL-branded Wilson football signed by Lions All-Pro wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. 3. Jim Harbaugh signed football: Donated by the Rogel Cancer Center: A football signed by former Michigan Wolverines (and current Los Angeles Chargers) head coach Jim Harbaugh. 4. Custom Pride of Detroit trading cards signed Donated and created by Eric Wagenmaker of Reclaim Customs, mint-condition trading cards of Pride of Detroit staffers Erik Schlitt, Jeremy Reisman, Chris Perfett, and Ryan Mathews. Cards will be signed by each before delivery. Note: Delivery for each item will be free. If you have any questions about the auction or anything else regarding our Movember campaign, feel free to reach out in the comment section or by email.
WATCH LIVE: Lions vs. Jaguars preview, Madden 25 simulation
Come join our LIVE Detroit Lions vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Madden 25 simulation preview at 10 a.m ET Saturday. Our Madden 25 simulations are broken again. When we first started doing them, Madden predicted the wrong winner in each of the Detroit Lions’ first four games. After the bye, it seemed like the Madden ratings had properly adjusted, and the Madden Lions had won three in a row—just as the real Lions had. But in the past two weeks, Madden has predicted Lions losses and was thoroughly humbled by the real-life version in back-to-back games. Here are the week-by-week results from our Madden simulations compared to the actual thing: Week 1: Madden: 24-20 Rams Actual: 26-20 (OT) Lions Week 2: Madden: 31-24 Lions Actual: 20-16 Buccaneers Week 3 Madden: 42-17 Cardinals Actual: 20-13 Lions Week 4: Madden: 31-26 Seahawks Actual: 42-29 Lions Week 6: Madden: 31-28 Lions Actual: 47-9 Lions Week 7: Madden: 35-14 Lions Actual: 31-29 Lions Week 8: Madden: 30-24 (OT) Lions Actual: 52-14 Lions Week 9: Madden: 24-17 Packers Actual: 24-14 Lions Week 10: Madden: 28-24 Texans Actual: 26-23 Lions Certainly, they couldn’t get it wrong this week, right? The Lions are up to a 91 overall rating in Madden, while the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars are a 78. And with Trevor Lawrence out this week, it certainly seems hopeless for even the Madden Jaguars. So if you’re interested in watching the virtual Lions take it to the virtual Jaguars come join us as we live stream it Saturday morning. I’ll be providing live commentary, while also answering any Lions questions you may have. It’s a lot of fun, and as a reminder, we’re also continuing to raise money for the Rogel Cancer Center at the University of Michigan. This week, we may even have some giveaways during the livestream. If you want to be a part of the fun, here’s how to join: What: Lions vs. Jaguars Week 11 Madden 25 simulationWhen: 10 a.m. ET — Saturday, November 16Where: Twitch.tv/prideofdetroit or YouTube.com/@Prideofdetroit (or embedded below)How to donate to our Movember charity drive: HERE!
Open thread: Which Jaguars player could give the Lions the most trouble?
Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images Which player on the Jacksonville Jaguars could give the Detroit Lions the most trouble on Sunday? The Detroit Lions are nearly two-touchdown favorites of the Jacksonville Jaguars, so needless to say it would be a pretty big surprise if Detroit lost at home on Sunday. This team has done a very good job in the past of avoiding any sort of trap or letdown game, with the only real counterexample being their odd loss to the Carolina Panthers back in 2022. But even having said that, the Jaguars have a talented roster. Their owner even called it the “best team assembled by the Jacksonville Jaguars, ever.” And while those comments certainly seem foolish now that the team is 2-8, when you look at the actual depth chart, there is no shortage of decent players across the roster. So today’s Question of the Day is: Which Jaguars player could give the Lions the most trouble on Sunday? My answer: Travon Walker. If you’re like me, you’ve been so happy with Aidan Hutchinson’s play that you haven’t bothered to check in how Walker and Kayvon Thibodeaux have been doing. The debate between all three players waged on prior to the 2022 NFL Draft, and Hutchinson seems to have put that debate to a definitive end with how he’s played through 2.5 seasons. But Walker has developed into a great player, and one that would very much fit in Detroit’s defense. He’s physical, he violent, and he’s really, really good in the run game. So this week, he could give the Lions trouble. In 2024, Walker leads the Jaguars with 7.5 sacks and nine tackles for loss. His 35 pressures ranks t-16th in the NFL. And his 14 run stops is tied for eighth most among all NFL edge defenders. The biggest thing working against Walker is that he typically lines up on the defense’s left, meaning he’ll draw Penei Sewell for much of Sunday’s game. That’s a losing formula no matter who you are. But he should still be a challenge in the run game and any time he’s lined up opposite left tackle Taylor Decker—who is not 100%—he could be a threat as a pass rusher. Which Jaguars player do you think could give the Lions trouble on Sunday? Scroll down to the comment section and let us know!
