The Bengals will honor two legends from the past on Monday Night Football. Joe Burrow Knows “We’ve Been Here Before’; Tee Higgins Goes Limited | Quick HitsWith Corey Dillon and Tim Krumrie set to be honored Monday night (8:15-Cincinnati’s Channel 9), the Bengals are looking for their first one of the year against Washington rookie Jayden Daniels in a Bayou Bowl of quarterbacks. Week 3 Injury Report | Commanders at BengalsTake a look at the injury reports of the Cincinnati Bengals and the Washington Commanders leading into Week 3 of the 2024 season. Bengals WR Tee Higgins (hamstring) returns to practice ahead of Monday’s game vs. CommandersHiggins suffered the hamstring injury in practice in early September, removing one of Joe Burrow’s top targets from the team’s offense for their first two games. Cincinnati struggled mightily in their season-opening loss to New England, finishing with just 154 passing yards while possessing the ball for fewer than 26 minutes. Bengals’ Daijahn Anthony makes penalty vs. Chiefs phone wallpaperAnthony said that along with family photos, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce are part of a rotating carousel of images on his phone’s wallpaper. That way, his game-changing penalty in last weekend’s 26-25 loss to Kansas City isn’t far from his mind as he looks for motivation. Video: Bengals’ Joe Burrow Says Tom Brady Provided Advice on How to Handle Fame, More“We talk a lot about how to handle off-the-field situations this year, and I’ll keep that between us, but he gave me some really good insight about how to handle certain things outside the facility and how to handle those to best facilitate your success. Commanders Release First Injury Report Before Bengals GameWith only three non-participants, the Commanders might be shaping up to be quite healthy on Monday. Newton, out with rest, should be able to continue adding depth to the defensive tackle position by being healthy. Forbes’ absence makes sense following the injury news early this week, as he had thumb surgery. Cincinnati Bengals Joe Burrow Highlights Bengals Tight End Usage To Start 2024 Season“A lot of teams have different looks in 12 personnel than they do in 11, and week to week, that could vary,” Burrow noted in his weekly press conference. “The usage of 12 could vary week to week, depending on matchups and what we feel like the defense is going to give us in those situations, and we have the guys to make that decision this year. We have a lot of tight ends that we feel really good about putting them on the field and going and making plays. So that’s a luxury that we have this year.”
Bengals News (9/20): Honoring Corey Dillon and Tim Krumrie
Vikes Views: Who Ya Got? Houston Texans at Minnesota Vikings
Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images The Minnesota Vikings host the Houston Texans at Noon CST on Sunday Head to Head Record – 5-0 Vikings Home Record v Texans – 2-0 Streak – W5 Most Points Scored – 34, Oct 10, 2004 Widest Margin of Victory – 18, Oct 9, 2016 (31-13) Most Recent Matchup – 31-23 win at Houston, October 4, 2020 My 2024 Prediction Record: 1-1, I had not faith last week 2024 Vikes Views Poll Record: 2-0, keep pickings those Ws The last time the Vikings hosted the Houston Texans in Minneapolis the Vikings improved to 5-0 with Sam Bradford. It was the first season at the US Bank Stadium. That game was also my first trip the new stadium. The team finished that season at 8-8 after an early bye Week 6. Interesting Tidbits from the Vikings Weekly Release: If Justin Jefferson has 81 receiving yards or more he will move into the top five for the most receiving yards by a player in his first 5 seasons. He needs 694 yards this season to match Torry Holt’s record of 6,784. Harrison Smith needs 1⁄2 a sack to become the 7th defensive back in history with 30 interceptions and 20 sacks in a career. 5 of the 6 who did it are in the Hall of Fame. The Vikings average 6.81 yard per play on offense, 2nd best in the NFL The Vikings are tied with the Bills for most points in the 3rd quarter with 21 The Vikings have had 5.0 sacks and an interception in consecutive games for the first time since Weeks 2 and 3 in 2016. How I see it playing out: The Vikings Defense is playing too strong right now to let CJ Stroud dominate this game. The Texans struggled last week against the Chicago Bears. I believe the Vikings are a better team and have a better defense than the Bears. On the other side of the ball, I am not as confident without Jordan Addison. I still think they can get it done and I will put my faith in Sam Darnold. Vikings 24 – Texans 16
Open thread: Who will have a big day against the Cardinals?
Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Who do you think will have a big day for the Lions in their Week 3 matchup with the Cardinals? For a while, it felt like a matchup against the Arizona Cardinals was an annual thing for the Detroit Lions and their fans. I am sure plenty of fans enjoyed the trip for several years and it probably felt like the Cardinals were almost a part of the yearly divisional schedule. After all, getting away from the colder weather is a necessity for some people living up in the mitten. However, I feel like the Lions’ upcoming Week 3 matchup with the Cardinals feels a bit different this time around. I have heard several national analysts talk about this matchup at length in the week leading up to the game, and with the Cardinals’ drubbing of the Los Angeles Rams in Week 2, it is easy to understand why. With quarterback Kyler Murray healthy and making plays, Arizona is playing some good football early in the 2024 season. And with all of the talk surrounding the Lions entering the year, it is easy to see why this game is drawing more eyes and ears than in years before. That brings us to today’s Question of the Day: Who on the Lions will have a big day against the Cardinals? My Answer: I am going to lump the whole ground game into one answer here. Through two games, the Lions have run the ball decently well, but not quite up to their standards. Execution and attention to detail are paramount when running the ball, and Detroit seems to be still ironing things out. On the road and facing a hot club in Arizona, I believe the need to run the ball well is going to be the key factor in whether or not the Lions can leave the Arizona desert with a win in Week 3. From the offensive line to running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs—if the Lions can run the ball effectively and control the tempo of the game, other aspects of the game will take care of themselves. How about you? Who do you think needs to have a big day for the Lions against the Cardinals? Let us know by leaving a comment with your answer at the bottom of the page.
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Lions vs. Cardinals preview, prediction: On Paper
The Detroit Lions are in need of a rebound this week, as they head down to Arizona for their first road game of the season. The Arizona Cardinals appear to be a much tougher out than they were last year, as they jumped out to 17-3 lead over the Bills before losing, then demolished the Rams last week to the tune of 41-10. But the Lions haven’t tallied back-to-back losses since October of 2022. Can they avoid it again this week? Our Lions vs. Cardinals preview and prediction will tell the tale. It’s Week 3, On Paper. Note: This is the last week I’ll be using any 2023 data. Starting Week 4, it’s all about 2024. Lions pass offense (7th) vs. Cardinals pass defense (31st) 2024 DVOA numbers: Lions (26th) vs. Cardinals (24th) After posting top-10 numbers in nearly every category last year, the Lions passing offense is off to an extremely slow start. I examined this earlier in the week, and the problem seemed to be two-fold. For one, Detroit’s interior offensive line is giving up more pressure than normal. Secondly, Jared Goff has been extremely uncharacteristically bad when NOT UNDER PRESSURE. Here are his splits from last year to this year with a clean pocket: Via PFF: Last year: 28 TDs, 3 INTs, 116.1 passer rating, 0.8% turnover worthy plays, 94.5 PFF gradeThis year: 0 TD, 1 INT, 74.0 passer rating, 4.8% turnover worthy plays, 49.0 PFF grade Via NFL Pro: Last year: +2.7% CPOE (8th), +0.31 EPA per dropback (4th)This year: -6.5% CPOE (23rd), -0.06 EPA per dropback (27th) With sample sizes so low at this point, it’s hard to take this drastic turn of events too heavily. For most of his career, Goff has been lethal with a clean pocket, and I’m not ready to believe he’s suddenly regressed to the exact opposite end of the spectrum. That said, the statistics through two games are worrisome: 25th in dropback EPA 22nd in success rate 23rd in yards per attempt 25th in passer rating I still have confidence this will be a top-10 offense again, but they’re very clearly not playing like it right now. The good news is that the Cardinals’ passing defense was not good last year, and they’re not off to a great start in 2024, either. It’s hard to take anything from the Rams game considering how quickly it got out of hand, but Josh Allen and the Bills’ offense had their way with the Cardinals’ defense in Week 1. He went 18-of-23 for 232 yards, 10.1 yards per attempt, and a 137.7 passer rating. Through two weeks, the Cardinals pass defense ranks: 20th in dropback EPA 32nd in success rate 31st in yards per attempt 28th in passer rating Particularly troubling for the Cardinals is their relative lack of pass rush. They rank 28th in ESPN’s pass rush win rate (28th last year, too) and 21st in PFF pass rush grade (29th last year). Their coverage isn’t much better, either. They rank 31st in team PFF coverage grade, and per NFL Pro, they average the highest yards in separation per passing target (4.8 yards, average is around 3.5). All is to say, Arizona’s pass defense may be slightly improved from last year, but it’s still not great. Player to watch: Amon-Ra St. Brown. While the Cardinals haven’t been very efficient stopping the pass, they do tend to keep everything in front of them. That leaves the middle of the field vulnerable. Just look at Josh Allen’s chart against this Cardinals defense in Week 1. That is pure St. Brown territory. Advantage: Lions +1.5. I could look foolish here, but I just don’t believe the Lions’ slow start passing the ball will stick. It runs counter to every statistical trend we’ve seen over the past 2.5 years with this offense, so I’m chalking it up as two early outliers. This isn’t a good Cards pass defense, so we’ll know if Detroit struggles here, there are some serious problems to work out. Lions run offense (4th) vs. Cardinals run defense (30th) 2024 DVOA numbers: Lions (2nd) vs. Cardinals (4th) The Lions have picked up where they left off: as one of the best rushing attacks in football. While it may not have seemed like they were as efficient as possible over the first two weeks of the season, the advanced statistics say otherwise. Per NFL Pro, the Lions rank second in rushing EPA and first in success rate. What makes them particularly dangerous is their ability to employ two different running backs who can beat you in several ways. In Week 1, David Montgomery’s bruising rushing style tore through a tired Rams defense. In Week 2, Jahmyr Gibbs’ explosiveness shined. Both backs currently rank in the top six in rush EPA (Montgomery fourth, Gibbs sixth), and both are able to produce yards after contact, with Gibbs currently ranked 8th in that metric, and Montgomery 24th. Detroit’s run blocking has taken a small step back, ranking 11th in PFF grade (second last year), and 21st in ESPN’s run block win rate (13th last year). Still, I think this is an elite unit. After a strong start to the season, the Cardinals run defense was a disaster toward the end of last year. And if you take a closer look at the chart, you’ll see that they gave up at least 90 rushing yards in every single game last year, with opponents averaging at least 4.4 YPC in 10 of 17 games. However, this year has been a completely different story. They rank fourth in yards per carry (3.5), ninth in rushing yards allowed (91.5), 12th in rush EPA, but 25th in success rate, suggesting that there’s something else going on here. It’s worth noting that in both games this season, the Cardinals have jumped out to early leads. That could have changed how offenses play against them, leaning heavier on the passing attack to get out of the hole. That said, I do believe
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The Linc – ESPN mentions two potential trades involving the Eagles
Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links … 2024 NFL trade deadline: Top candidates to move, team fits – ESPN+ 1) Devin White, Philadelphia Eagles. The 26-year-old former Buccaneers star signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the Eagles this offseason, but he lost the starting middle linebacker job to Nakobe Dean. He sat out the first game of the season because of an ankle injury but was a healthy inactive for the Week 2 Monday night game against the Falcons. Of the $4 million the Eagles gave him, more than half was in the form of a signing bonus, so he’d be an extremely cheap veteran option for a team in need. White had 83 tackles and two interceptions last season in Tampa Bay. Potential landing spot: Buffalo Bills. They lost Matt Milano to a torn biceps in the preseason and Terrel Bernard to a pectoral strain in Week 2 against Miami. Buffalo could use more veteran support on the second and third levels of the defense. The Raiders and Patriots also make sense. […] 2) Budda Baker, Arizona Cardinals. Unsigned beyond this season, Baker would be an impact player for any team needing safety help at the deadline. He has 18 tackles, three tackles for loss and a pass breakup over two games. The Cardinals would have to be out of contention to consider it, and Baker’s $14.2 million salary wouldn’t be a piece of cake to move. But unless the Cards extend him at some point, you have to think they’d take the call. Potential landing spot: Philadelphia Eagles. It seems Philly is perpetually on the lookout for safeties, and it is always one of the most active teams on the trade market. The Eagles love to bring in big-name veterans at midseason. Watch the Jets and Browns, too, if Baker were to become available. Eagles Film Analysis: Offense takeaways from the loss to the Falcons – BGN Sometimes, the sequencing of plays can be really hard to spot. This is about as easy as it gets, though! In the play above, the Falcons follow the motion with a linebacker, which creates a light bo. The next play, the Falcons bring a safety down and leave the linebacker in the box so the Eagles throw it. Although this play had a positive outcome, I would have liked the call even if it hadn’t. Sometimes, you do something to set something else up later, which gives Kellen Moore the idea that he can use this motion to create single-high coverage later in the game. I’ve seen a lot of comments about this being Jahan Dotson’s only coverage, and while I agree it is a bit weird, I would assume he is still getting up to speed with the offense and earning Jalen Hurts’ trust. I hope he has a few more opportunities this week. Eagles at Saints: Five matchups to watch – PhillyVoice “I think this offense really suits him,” Fangio said. “He’s always been one of the most talented passers in the league. He throws it short, intermediate, and deep very, very well. Throws a great deep ball. They’re max protecting a lot, giving him time. They’re running boots. They’ve got the running game going. I think this offense and him is a really good marriage.” The Saints’ offense is playing at an extremely high level, while the Eagles’ defense looks a lot like it did to close the 2023 season. 2024 NFL defensive line rankings ahead of Week 3 – PFF 21) Eagles. The biggest story for the defensive line is Jalen Carter’s noticeable decline in performance. After earning an impressive 89.5 grade as a rookie, he currently holds a 38.6 grade. His game grades of 30.0 and 56.7 to start the season are lower than all but one of his games in 2023. Best Player: Brandon Graham. Graham continues to deliver strong performances, boasting an 18.8% pressure rate and a 15.6% pass-rush win rate, all while maintaining a high level of run defense. How worried should we be about Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis and Nolan Smith? – NBCSP Two games in, Carter, Davis and Smith don’t have a sack and don’t have a tackle for loss. Davis has no solo tackles and one quarterback hit. Davis has one solo tackle and no quarterback hits. And Smith has one solo tackle and no QB hits. Thomas Booker, a futures contract player who’s only played 17 snaps, has more tackles than all of them combined. Carter and Davis have had some flashes. They’ve both gotten double teamed at times, and Carter had his hands full with a two-time Pro Bowl guard in Chris Lindstrom Monday night. But the bottom line is they were brought here to dominate, they’ve played a total of 215 snaps and not one of them has made a single impact play. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said the three Georgia guys won’t be able to make those sort of game-changing plays until the Eagles are able to stop the run, his logic being that it’s difficult for defensive linemen to get tackles for loss, hurries or sacks when teams are rarely in third-and-long. Eagles’ dysfunction on RPOs can be fixed, according to this OL: ‘It’s not that complex of an issue’ – NJ.com “It’s just a timing thing on our own end,” Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata told NJ Advance Media on Thursday. “It’s a simple fix. Put a tag on the play call so we know that we need to hold onto the blocks a little longer. That’s pretty much it. It’s not that complex of an issue. It isn’t.” “Again, once you add that tag, you become more clearer on what read comes first and what you need to do as an offensive lineman. It’s not that deep. Everybody’s making a big deal about it, but it’s not a big deal on how to fix it.” NFL QB Index, Week 3: C.J. Stroud vaults Josh Allen;
Giants-Browns 5 matchups to watch: To get first victory, Giants need to win these
Myles Garrett | Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images You can call these keys to victory The New York Giants are 0-2 and starving for a victory. Star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence said this week he is “pissed because I hate losing with a passion.” Linebacker Micah McFadden said the team needs the “juice” a victory could provide. Quarterback Daniel Jones said “nobody’s happy with where we are.” The Giants are 6.5-point underdogs on the road against the Cleveland Browns this Sunday. Here are five matchups that will be critical if the Giants are going to earn an upset victory. Kayvon Thibodeaux, Brian Burns vs. Cleveland OTs This is a matchup the Giants have to win — no, have to DOMINATE — to have a chance to pull off a desperately-needed upset victory on Sunday. Usual starting left tackle Jedrick Wills has still not returned from a knee injury he suffered last season. Starting right tackle Jack Conklin has played just 23 snaps as he works back from a knee injury he also suffered last season. A career right tackle, Conklin be forced to play left tackle this week. Fill-in starting right tackle Dawand Jones also missed practice on Wednesday with a knee injury. So, the tackle spots for the Browns are in flux. That could be the perfect elixir for a Giants’ defense that needs but has not yet gotten game-changing production from edge defenders Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns. Burns has seven tackles and not a single quarterback hit in two games. Thibodeaux has four tackles and three quarterback hits. Neither player has a sack. Per Pro Football Focus, Thibodeaux is 80th among edge defenders in pass rush pressure percentage at 4.1%, and Burns is 86th at just 2.9%. That has to change for a defense that has struggled to get off the field. “I think Thibs had a great game (vs. Washington). I do. I think he made major strides from Week 1 to Week 2,” defensive coordinator Shane Bowen said. “Burnsy (Brian Burns), when we get the opportunities, we’ve got to take advantage of them. There’s a lot of chipping going on. think Thibs got a little bit more of those one-on-ones than possibly Burnsy did. But, again, he tried to make the most of it. He showed up there late when we got the defensive penalty, the holding call on Dru (Phillips). Had a sack there that got negated. Just continue with both those guys. Stay on the attack. Stay on the attack.” Andrew Thomas vs. Myles Garrett On its face, the matchup between Giants left tackle Andrew Thomas and Browns edge defender Myles Garrett should be a great one. And it will be. When we get to see it. Question is, how often will that be? They’ll mix him up … They do a good job trying to find the best matchup for him. — Andrew Thomas on Myles Garrett Garrett moves around on the Cleveland defensive front. Jared Mueller of SB Nation’s ‘Dawgs By Nature’ told the ‘Valentine’s Views’ podcast this week that Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz allows Garrett to decide where he is going to line up on any given play. That gives Garrett, a three-time first-team All-Pro who had 14.0 sacks in 2023, the freedom to seek the place where he feels he can make the most impact on any given play. So far this season, Garrett has lined up 48 times on the right side and 40 times on the left — with one random snap at nose tackle. That means we will likely see Garrett matched up with Jermaine Eluemunor roughly as often as we see him against Thomas. Head coach Brian Daboll knows Garrett will be a handful. “He’s one of the best ones in the league. They’ve lined him up in a variety of spots. He’s explosive. He’s strong. He’s powerful. He’s got good size. He can run. He takes the ball away. He gets it away from the quarterback,” Daboll said. “You do the best job you can on practicing with the look team, but it’s never the same until you’re playing a player like that. He’s a high-level player in this league. He’s been for a long time. He’s one of the really good ones. He’s certainly a challenge.” Giants’ CBs vs. Cleveland WRs If the matchups go the way BBV’s Chris Pflum anticipates, we could see a lot of the following in 1-on-1 situations: Tae Banks vs. Jerry Jeudy. Cor’Dale Flott/Adoree’ Jackson vs. Amari Cooper. Dru Phillips vs. Elijah Moore. Jeudy, the former Denver Broncos first-round pick, has 8 receptions for 98 yards and a touchdown thru two games. After matchups with Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings and Terry McLaurin of the Washington Commanders, Banks has given up 7 completions in 10 targets (70%) for 85 yards and a touchdown. His passer rating against is an unsightly 129.2. Cooper, the former Dallas Cowboy who has five 1,000-yard seasons in his first six years in the NFL, is off to a rough start. He has just five receptions for 27 yards in 17 targets with four drops. That is a 23.5% drop rate. Still Cooper against Flott (158.3 passer rating against) or Jackson does not seem favorable to the Giants. Moore has nine catches, but averages only 5.9 yards per catch and his average depth of target is only 4.4 yards. Phillips has been impressive, but has only been targeted three times, giving up three catches for 12 yards. It will be interesting to see what happens if and when a team decides to attack the rookie third-round pick. Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images Malik Nabers vs. Cleveland DBs The Browns are not the Washington Commanders when it comes to the caliber of their defensive backs. Cleveland has three good cornerbacks in three-time Pro Bowler Denzel Ward, 2021 first-round pick Greg Newsome and slot cornerback Martin Emerson. It seems unlikely that the Browns will let the Giants get away with
Daily Dawg Chow 9/20: Browns news, Mike Hall Jr gets probation, Conklin healthy and Giants up Sunday
Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images More of the latest Browns news and notes from around the web in today’s dose of the Daily Dawg Chow. The latest Cleveland Browns coverage from Dawgs By Nature: Thursday Night Football, Week 3: Patriots vs. Jets open thread (Chris Pokorny) Browns fans can also use this as an open thread. Browns, Giants Thursday injury report: Some improvements for Cleveland (Jared Mueller) 3 DNPs but those include Myles Garrett, David Njoku NFL Picks Week 3, and media picks for Giants vs. Browns (Chris Pokorny) The DBN staff predicts the Week 3 games, plus the national media make their predictions for Giants vs. Browns. Giants vs. Browns: Scouting the New York Giants with our Q&A with Big Blue View (Chris Pokorny) We ask about Giants rookie WR Malik Nabers, where Cleveland should attack their defense, thoughts on QB Daniel Jones, and more. More Cleveland Browns news: NY Giants vs Cleveland Browns predictions: Our expert picks for Week 3 of NFL season (Bergen Record) “The Giants (0-2) are back on the road as they travel to Cleveland to face the Browns (1-1) in Week 3 of the NFL season.” D’Onta Foreman wants to put his versatility on film with continued opportunities (clevelandbrowns.com) “Ran hard; first play of the game ran hard, I think 8-yard gain,” head coach Kevin Stefanski said of Foreman’s performance. “He’s a bigger back, has good vision, runs behind his pads.” Players to watch this weekend in Cleveland (Giants.com) “Players to keep an eye on as the Giants travel to Cleveland to take on the Browns for their first inter-conference matchup of the season.” Cleveland Browns DT Mike Hall Jr. sentenced to probation (WOIO) “On Sept. 10, the judge did terminate the temporary protection order/no contact order.” AB cut another draft pick? And Jack Conklin back! (Youtube) Quincy Carrier with reactions to the Thursday news
How PFF ranks the Bengals offensive line through 2 weeks
Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Not great, but is it fair? It has been another sluggish start to yet another highly anticipated season for the Zac Taylor and the Cincinnati Bengals. For the third season in a row, the Bengals have started a new year 0-2 after losing to both the New England Patriots and the Kansas City Chiefs. Although the team fell to the Chiefs, they improved greatly from Week 1, and the offense played much better as a unit. Through the first few weeks, the offensive line has played much better than in past years, and Burrow has been up on his feet much more, which is priority No. 1. Although the offensive line has looked better, Pro Football Focus disagrees and ranks the line much lower than expected so far through two weeks. The Bengals offensive line comes in at No. 28 only ahead of only the Raiders, Jaguars, Titans and Patriots. Zoltan Buday wrote, “Left guard Cordell Volson went up against elite interior defender Chris Jones for much of Cincinnati’s bout with the Chiefs, and it showed in his stats.” Buday continued, “Of the 12 pressures allowed by the Bengals’ offensive line, Volson was responsible for five, one sack, one hit and three hurries. He finished the day with an 11.0 PFF pass-blocking grade, the second-lowest figure among all guards in Week 2. Cincinnati’s offensive linemen struggled to create creases in the running game, highlighted by the fact that all five players earned sub-65.0 PFF run-blocking grades in Week 2.” The offensive line has not played perfectly, but the unit is continuing to improve each and every week. Protecting Joe Burrow has been priority No. 1 since being drafted, and the franchise continues to look to build a strong front.
Bills vs. Jaguars: 8 things to watch for in Week 3
Bills vs. Jaguars: 8 things to watch for in Week 3 The Buffalo Bills roll on in their 2024 regular season journey with a matchup at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Highmark Stadium. All week, topics and storylines have been discussed ahead of these two AFC foes. In the end, regardless of what is said by players, coaches, media outlets and fans, it always comes down to what unfolds on the field in the NFL. And once the battle arrives, there will be a few particular things to keep in mind to look out for. With that, are eight things to watch for during Monday’s Bills-Jags matchup: Facing friends [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] Welcome back, Gabe and Mitch. Center Mitch Morse and wide receiver Gabe Davis both signed in Jacksonville this offseason after they spent the past few seasons in Buffalo. There will be off-field excitement on both sides for this storyline. On the field, these two know their former teammates very well… and visa versa. Could the Bills or Jaguars use this to their advantage? Filling big shoes (Getty) The Bills defense has played very well after two games… in stunning fashion because of a slew of injuries. Particularly at linebacker, Buffalo is shorthanded but you wouldn’t know it. At that spot, Dorian Williams was already replacing Matt Milano (bicep). Now Terrel Bernard (pectoral) will miss multiple games. That puts a spotlight on Baylon Spector. While yes, they have played well, teams are going to try and exploit them regardless. Could the Jags manage to do so despite tight end Evan Engram being listed as questionable at this point? Jags are a funk (Getty) The Jaguars have started the season at 0-2 for a reason. Just ask Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who proclaimed, “we suck” after their latest loss. In all seriousness, it’s been a tough start to the year for the Jags and Lawrence specifically. He has one touchdown pass–a far cry from the highly-touted prospect he once was. The Jaguars will probably get it together at some point, it’s a long season… but will that happen in Buffalo…? Any rust? (USAT) Having an extended period off is a two-sided coin. Rest can mean better health and more energy. It can also mean rust. Which is your team will the Bills be? Lockdown secondary? (Getty) It’s only two games but the secondary in Buffalo is looking very good. Linebackers stepping up was mentioned but the cornerback duo of Cam Lewis and Ja’Marcus Ingram should be noted as well. The secondary has slowed down the likes of some top talent through two outings in 2024. Arizona Cardinals rookie wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. was invisible in Week 1. The Miami Dolphins’ star in Tyreek Hill was silent last week, too. You’ve got to give Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott this: He can coach a secondary. Containing Josh (USAT) Josh Allen… Josh Hines-Allen** (The Jaguars defender changed his name this offseason) has played well against the Bills and… Josh Allen. Had to make that connection, of course. The Jags’ Allen needs to be contained by Buffalo’s offensive line but he is not alone. Travon Walker and Arik Armstead are a couple of other names that need to be dealt with so the Bills’ Allen and running back James Cook can find space in the backfield. Highmark fortress (Getty) The Bills will want to make Highmark Stadium a fortress in 2024… like every season. Playing on prime-time football in front of Bills Mafia will always help, but the home team has done a good job lately in Orchard Park. Buffalo is looking to extend their home winning streak to five-straight games dating back to last season. With the home-field advantage under the lights coming into the equation, the Bills could be in for a fast start. How ya feeling, Ty? (USAT) We are officially on Tyler Bass watch. The Bills worked out a pair of kickers this week. No one was signed… but it was a sign in itself. Bass needs to perform better and prove his doubters wrong. He has been inconsistent dating back to last season.
Giants DC Shane Bowen: ‘We’ve got to force them to punt’
Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Bowen discusses player mistakes vs. Washington, takes accountability for his own After the New York Giants’ frustrating loss to Washington, defensive coordinator Shane Bowen on Thursday acknowledged key adjustments that he should have made, particularly when it came to containing quarterback Jayden Daniels. Daniels, known for his dual-threat capabilities, consistently found ways to extend plays with his legs. Bowen, reflecting on the game, admitted the team should have assigned a spy to limit Daniels’ mobility. “Looking back, we should’ve put more focus on Daniels,” Bowen said. “He’s a dynamic player, and giving him that much space to work with was a mistake. We needed to spy him, keep him under control.” Daniels hurt the Giants not just through the air but on the ground, rushing for critical yards that allowed Washington to sustain drives. Bowen emphasized how critical it is for the Giants to make adjustments on the fly. “We knew he had the ability to escape the pocket, and yet we didn’t do enough to contain him,” Bowen continued. “You can’t let a guy like Daniels find his rhythm—he’ll make you pay. “We’ve got to be better. It’s on us to make those adjustments in real-time, especially against a quarterback who can hurt you in multiple ways.” Bowen hopes the team will learn from the loss and implement faster defensive shifts when needed, ensuring they don’t allow another quarterback to exploit their defense as Daniels did. “We can’t afford these kinds of mistakes, not at this level,” Bowen concluded. “We’ll correct it and be ready for the next one.” On never forcing a punt vs. Washington The Commanders scored all seven times they possessed the ball, albeit via field goals. “I think the first thing that comes to mind is we’ve got to force them to punt. Really proud of the guys and the resolve, the resiliency to get stops in the red zone. To keep playing through all the adversity that showed up. To get stops after third and long completions on drives or conversions on drives… Those things are back-breaking. And (they) continued to play and find stops. Really proud of their resolve, especially after Week 1, not getting stops down there. But, we can’t let them down there seven times. We can’t. We got to be better out in the field. We got to make sure we’re getting off the field on third down, doing our part and not fouling on third down to extend drives.” Why the run defense struggled “I think tackling. Tackling showed up. Missed some tackles, even on the scramble plays. We had guys in opportunities to make plays on those to get off the field on third down. And tackling showed up. I think a couple were fit issues. One, we just get too nosy. We got him bottled up, we get nosy and he leaks out on us. The post safety gets a little nosy, as well, and it goes for 40 (yards). It’s a potential third and one stop that turns into 40 yards. Just continuing our fits. Making sure we’re flying around, running to the football. Making sure the missed tackles don’t turn into… because they’re going happen. We got to reduce them. They’re going to happen from time to time. But making sure those missed tackles end up being two to five additional yards instead of 10-plus.” On players doing their jobs Multiple players this week said they were guilty of at times trying to do more than they should have. “That’s across the unit. I don’t think that’s just Bobby (Okereke). We got to make sure all 11 guys are focused on doing their job because it turns into a chain reaction. Somebody’s out of place, somebody sees somebody going somewhere that doesn’t look right to them, and then all of a sudden they want to make that guy right, and right now they’re (the opposing team is) finding it. We’re at a point right now where they’re finding it every time. A lot of times… Sometimes they don’t find it and you get away with stuff. They’re finding it right now. So, we got to lock in, make sure we’re doing our job on every snap. I got to do a good job putting them in positions where they can execute their job. But again, worry about your one-eleventh. Trust the other guys. Keep building that confidence in the other guys that they’re going to be where they’re supposed to be as well.”
