Divine Deablo | Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images It’s looking like Las Vegas will be down a starting linebacker and the guard was downgraded from Wednesday’s report The Las Vegas Raiders might be without starting linebacker Divine Deablo for their Week 3 matchup against the Carolina Panthers. The Raiders released their second injury report of the week on Thursday and Deablo missed his second practice in a row with an oblique injury and a concussion. The latter is especially concerning given the NFL’s strict concussion policy. If Deablo can’t go, expect Luke Masterson to be elevated to the starting lineup. Masterson got some playing time on defense last Sunday in Baltimore and recorded three total tackles on 12 snaps, according to Pro Football Reference. Also, rookie linebacker Tommy Eichenberg was on Thursday’s report with a knee injury. Granted, Eichenberg was upgraded from a limited participant on Wednesday to a full participant. On the other side of the ball, starting right guard Dylan Parham was downgraded from full to limited on Thursday with a knee injury. If Parham is out, the Raiders have a few options at right guard that could include rookie Jackson Powers-Johnson making his NFL debut as Powers-John hasn’t been listed on the report this week. Jordan Meredith, DJ Glaze and Andrus Peat would be the team’s other options. Below is a look at the Raiders full injury report from Thursday. DE Maxx Crosby (ankle) LP LB Divine Deablo (oblique/concussion) DNP LT Kolton Miller (shoulder) LP CB Decamerion Richardson (hamstring) DNP DE Tyree Wilson (knee) LP DT Christian Wilkins (knee) LP G Dylan Parham (foot) LP S Chris Smith (knee) FP DE Janarius Robinson (hand) FP The Panthers also released their injury report on Thursday. DT A’Shawn Robinson (knee) LP DT Shy Tuttle (foot) DNP OLB Jadeveon Clowney (NIR/rest) FP TE Felepie Franks (NIR/personal) FP OL Robert Hunt (shoulder) FP G Damien Lewis (groin) FP TE Tommy Tremble (hamstring/back) LP OT Taylor Moton (NIR/rest) DNP S Lonnie Johnson Jr. (thigh) LP S Nick Scott (neck) LP
Thursday injury report: Deablo misses 2nd practice, Parham limited
Bills vs. Jaguars: Thursday injury reports for both teams
Bills vs. Jaguars: Thursday injury reports for both teams Bills vs. Jaguars: Thursday injury reports for both teams Nick Wojton Here are the full injury reports for the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars ahead of their Week 3 matchup at Highmark Stadium: Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2) Did not practice TE Evan Engram (hamstring) Limited participation RB Tank Bigsby (shoulder) S Darnell Savage (quad) Full practice N/A Buffalo Bills (2-0) Did not practice LB Terrel Bernard (pectoral) CB Taron Johnson (forearm) Limited participation DE Dawuane Smoot (toe) DE Javon Solomon (oblique) DE Casey Toohill (knee) Full practice QB Mitchell Trubisky (knee) QB Josh Allen (left hand) TE Quintin Morris (shoulder)
Houston Texans at Minnesota Vikings: Thursday Injury Reports
Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images Let’s see what changes have been made We’re back with a look at the second injury reports of the week for the Houston Texans and the Minnesota Vikings as they prepare for their Week 3 clash at U.S. Bank Stadium. Let’s take a look and see whether or not these teams made any changes from their initial reports. Houston Texans Did Not Participate RB Joe Mixon (ankle) RB Dameon Pierce (hamstring) Limited Participation CB Kris Boyd (hip, upgrade from DNP on Wednesday) WR Nico Collins (hip/calf, upgrade from DNP on Wednesday) DT Folorunso Fatukasi (shoulder, upgrade from DNP on Wednesday) OL Jarrett Patterson (calf, upgrade from DNP on Wednesday) LB Azeez Al-Shaair (shin) OL Juice Scruggs (groin, upgrade from DNP on Wednesday) S M.J. Stewart (knee) Full Participation CB Kamari Lassiter (elbow, new addition to injury report) TE Dalton Schultz (ankle, upgrade from limited on Wednesday) Plenty of positive news for the visiting team on today’s report, as they’ve upgraded six players from where they were on Wednesday’s first report. None of those six players are running backs, as Mixon and Pierce continue to sit out of practice sessions for Houston. It’s looking more like Cam Akers could end up being the primary ball carrier for the Texans in this one but we’ll see what the final reports bring on Friday. Minnesota Vikings Did Not Participate WR Jordan Addison (ankle) OLB Dallas Turner (knee) Limited Participation WR Justin Jefferson (quad) LB Ivan Pace Jr. (quad) Full Participation C Garrett Bradbury (knee, upgrade from limited on Wednesday) G Ed Ingram (tricep) RB Aaron Jones (hip, upgrade from limited on Wednesday) WR Jalen Nailor (ankle) OT Brian O’Neill (elbow, upgrade from DNP on Wednesday) OLB Andrew Van Ginkel (foot, upgrade from limited on Wednesday) Good news for the Vikings as well, as four of their players from Wednesday’s report went from either not practicing or being limited to full participation in the Thursday session. Things aren’t looking good for Addison’s chances, as he did work on one of the rehab fields, and it’s starting to not look great for Turner, either. Jefferson will likely be a full go for Friday’s practice and I’d be surprised if he wound up with an injury designation for Sunday at all. Those are the second injury reports of the week for the Vikings and the Texans, folks. Final reports of the week drop tomorrow and we’ll have those for you as soon as we’re able.
Rams fill out their practice squad with two signees
Quindell Johnson has another go with the L.A. Rams | Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images Safety Quindell Johnson and wide receiver Quintez Cephus are the latest additions It’s been a busy week for the Los Angeles Rams pro player personnel office, balancing street free agent additions and returnees from designation lists against losses due to injuries. But with the signings of safety Quindell Johnson and wide receiver Quintez Cephus, the Rams now officially return to a full complement of bodies on the practice squad and stand one short of a full active 53. Johnson begins his second term in L.A. He was originally signed by the Rams as a 2023 undrafted free agent ( their highest paid UDFA) out of Memphis. After the Rams let him go in final cuts, he joined the Chicago Bears and played in nine games, charting no starts, 35 defensive snaps, and another 106 on special teams. The Bears cut him loose on August 29. Turf Show Times did a capsule profile of Johnson back in May 2023. He has NFL safety size and length at 6’ 201 lbs., along with 9 1/2” hands and 33” arms… Timed a 4.55 forty and 4.24 shuttle. He also logged a 32.5 vertical and 10’ long jump. Well-rounded and versatile defender in both coverage and run support. Last year, he played almost 300 snaps as a deep free safety, another 150+ in the box, and 275+ out in the slot. Better in zone coverage than man. Appears to a step slow in reaction time to breaks and double moves when tasked with one on one situations. Has the length to recover and play from trail position at the college level, but it won’t fly as a pro. He’s smooth both going forward and backpedaling… Both Johnson and Cephus fit the Rams pattern on making lower-level additions based on familiarity. Defensive Coordinator Chris Shula, Assistant Head Coach Aubrey Pleasant and safeties coach Chris Beake all have worked with Johnson. Cephus has history with Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, playing together in 2020 and 2021. Turf Show Times also did a capsule review of Cephus earlier today. A fifth round pick (by Detroit Lions) out of Wisconsin in 2020… Playing with Matthew Stafford in 2020, Cephus caught 20 of 35 targets for 349 yards and two touchdowns. Stafford’s passer rating on throws to Cephus was 112.6 with 15 first downs… Cephus played in only five games in 2021 prior to landing on season-ending IR with a shoulder injury,.. appeared in four games for the Lions in 2022 and has not been back in the NFL since… suspended for the entire 2023 season due to violating the league’s gambling policies… Does either addition move the needle? Both additions are likely inexpensive filler. With the Rams down to $3.2mil in cap space, trying to find replacements that are realistic possibilities of an upgrade are limited. In theory, the Cephus/Stafford connection appears to offer possible value, but Cephus hasn’t played in the NFL since early 2022. Although Johnson was the Rams highest paid UDFA, he didn’t impress these same coaches enough to be kept around in his first stint with the Rams. As of today, the Rams active roster (52) Probable starters in bold QB- Matthew Stafford, Jimmy Garappolo, Stetson Bennett RB- Kyren Williams, Ronnie Rivers, Blake Corum, Cody Schrader WR- Demarcus Robinson, Tyler Johnson, TuTu Atwell, Jordan Whittington, Cooper Kupp TE- Colby Parkinson, Davis Allen, Hunter Long OL- Alaric Jackson, Logan Bruss, Beaux Limmer, Kevin Dotson, Rob Havenstein, Warren McClendon, Geron Christian, Justin Dedich, Dylan McMahon ST- Jay Ward, Ethan Evans, Josh Karty DL- Kobie Turner, Bobby Brown, Braden Fiske, Tyler Davis, Neville Gallimore, Desjuan Johnson E- Byron Young, Jared Verse, Michael Hoecht, Nick Hampton, Brennan Jackson ILB- Troy Reeder, Christian Rozeboom, Jake Hummel, Omar Speights, Elias Neal S- Kam Curl, Quentin Lake, Kam Kinchens, Jaylen McCollough CB- Tre White, DeCobie Durant, Josh Wallace, Charles Woods, Cam Lampkin The practice squad (17) WR- Xavier Smith, Drake Stoops, Sam Wiglusz, Quintez Cephus TE- Nikols Kalinic, Miller Forristall OL- AJ Arcuri, Mike McAllister ST- Tanner Brown DL- Cory Durden, David Olajiga E- Zach VanValkenburg, Keir Thomas S- Tanner Ingle, Quindell Johnson CB- Ahkello Witherspoon, Shaun Jolly
Ravens vs. Cowboys: 5 more stats to know for Week 3 matchup
Sunday’s Week 3 matchup between Baltimore and Dallas already had game-of-the-year implications before both clubs got off to sluggish and disappointing starts. The heavyweight matchup has some urgency, with both teams coming off losses in Week 2. The Ravens (0-2) and the Cowboys (1-1) will meet at AT&T Stadium. The contest will feature star power at quarterback: Lamar Jackson and Dak Prescott, along with Derrick Henry, Micah Parsons, CeeDee Lamb, Trevon Diggs, Zay Flowers, and Roquan Smith, among the big-name players who’ll have a crucial impact. With preparation set to begin, here are five more stats to know for Week 3. Cowboys struggling to run the football Sep 15, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) hands off to running back Rico Dowdle (23) in the first quarter against the New Orleans Saints at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images This is from the Cowboys Wire: The Cowboys’ leading rusher has just 56 yards through two games, with the most efficient rusher averaging just 3.7 yards/carry. Deuce Vaughn is leading the unit in missed tackles forced and in yards after contact/attempt. Investment in Odafe Oweh is paying off Sep 15, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens linebacker Odafe Oweh (99) sacks Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew (15) during the first quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images The Ravens didn’t bulk at paying Oweh his fifth-year option, which could turn into an All-Pro season and long-term contract for the pass rusher. Cowboys TE could eat Sep 15, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys tight end Luke Schoonmaker (86) makes a catch during the first quarter against the New Orleans Saints at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images Kyle Hamilton is the ultimate eraser, but when Dallas tight ends get matched on Baltimore linebackers, it could provide the perfect opportunity for Luke Schoonmaker to eat. Baltimore secondary must improve BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – SEPTEMBER 15: Jakobi Meyers #16 of the Las Vegas Raiders is tackled by Marlon Humphrey #44 of the Baltimore Ravens during the second half at M&T Bank Stadium on September 15, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) The Ravens’ secondary hasn’t lived up to expectations on the backend, allowing the fifth-most points through two weeks. Zach Orr’s unit allowed 27 points against the Kansas City Chiefs and 26 to a Raiders offense that only scored 10 against the Chargers in Week 1. The Ravens surrendered 26 points twice last season. Ravens can pressure the Cowboys Sep 8, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) lines up behind center Cooper Beebe (56) for the snap during the first quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images Baltimore has been able to pressure the quarterback through the first two weeks, and they’ll face a Cowboys’ offensive line that generated mixed results in pass protection against the Saints in Week 2. Dallas’ interior offensive line surrendered just four pressures, while offensive tackles Tyler Guyton and Terence Steele gave up 11 in the loss to New Orleans. Rookie center Cooper Beebe has only allowed one pressure — albeit a sack — against the Saints. According to PFF, Beebe has allowed pressure on 1.1% of pass plays this season, the third-best rate among NFL centers. Tyler Smith’s 83.9 PFF pass-blocking grade after Week 2 ranks fifth among all guards.
Daijahn Anthony feels the support from his teammates and coaches
Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK The rookie feels like his teammates and coaches have his back. Near the end of the Cincinnati Bengals’ Week 2 game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium, Joe Burrow and the Bengals were leading by a score of 25-23. With 48 seconds left in the game, on a fourth-and-16 play, Patrick Mahomes threw a pass intended for Rashee Rice as he rolled out of the pocket. Just before Rice’s hands made contact with the ball, rookie seventh-round pick Daijahn Anthony made contact with Rice, drawing a pass interference call from the closest referee. Four plays later, Harrison Butker made a 51-yard field goal as time ran off the clock. The Chiefs won 26-25. Now, as the Bengals roll into another Week 3 game with an 0-2 record, Anthony feels the love from his teammates and coaches. According to Paul Dehner Jr., Anthony said he has rewatched the play “probably 1,000 times.” “My teammates and coaches got behind me and lifted me up every single moment,” he said. He’s not the first or last young Bengals player to attempt and make a play that draws a yellow flag and ends the game. Luckily for the Bengals, this particular instance was early in the season, and there’s plenty of time to get things back on track after the slow start. It’s a testament to the coaching staff’s confidence in Anthony to have him on the field in such a pivotal moment. With the lack of an interior pass rush, due to injuries to both starting defensive tackles during the game, Lou Anarumo decided to he needed all hands on deck in the secondary. Hopefully, watching that film 1,000 times helps Anthony time it right next time.
Five Good Questions with Battle Red Blog
Time to get the low down on all things Houston We have, once again, reached the point of the week where we sit down with the folks from the SB Nation blog that covers the Minnesota Vikings opponent. This week, the purple will play host to the Houston Texans, which means an opportunity to sit down with the folks from Battle Red Blog, the best site to go to for everything relating to Texans’ football. I had the opportunity to exchange questions with Scott Barzilla from BRB this week. Once he posts my answers to the questions he sent me, I’ll put them on our site and link to them here. For now, here are the questions that I posed to him along with his answers. Stefon Diggs and Danielle Hunter both make their returns to Minnesota this Sunday, with Diggs having been traded to Buffalo ahead of the 2020 NFL Draft and Hunter signing with the Texans this offseason. How have the two of them fit into the Houston offense and defense, respectively? Hunter made his presence felt this last Sunday night with 1.5 sacks and quite a few additional pressures. You cannot double Hunter and defending Defensive Rookie of the Year Will Anderson. One or both will go off on most teams. Diggs’ numbers don’t jump off the page yet but he fits in well as a veteran presence. Sure, that is likely because this year is now a walk year, but he has been a security blanket for Stroud and he will go off eventually. C.J. Stroud took the league by storm in his rookie season and seems to have picked up where he left off after his Rookie of the Year campaign. What have the Texans done to help turn him into one of the league’s best quarterbacks in just his second season? I think the key for any young QB is tailoring an offense around what he does well. He is extremely accurate and generally goes to the right guy with throws. I think the bigger difference in year two is just the addition of Diggs and Joe Mixon. Defenses can’t take away all the targets and he is good at simply finding the open man. Under DeMeco Ryans, the Texans have turned their team around in very short order. How high are the expectations for this team among the fan base, particularly after their 2-0 start to this season? I think it’s AFC Championship or bust to be honest. That’s admittedly a tough task in the AFC. Suddenly, the Texans have a two game lead in the division but we saw the Jaguars fritter away a lead last season. It has to be pedal to the metal. Give us one player on each side of the ball for the Texans that Vikings fans might not know about but will be essential to the Texans’ success on Sunday. On offense, Dalton Schultz is that guy for me. You can key on those top three receivers and forget about him. Focusing on Nico Collins is tempting after his first two games but there are other targets that can burn you. On defense, the two rookie secondary players (Kamarie Lassiter and Calen Bullock) each have a pick already. They aren’t Pro Bowlers but their additions have allowed the Texans to blitz more often. How do you see this weekend’s game shaking out? Can the Texans get their franchise’s first-ever win over Minnesota on Sunday? This is a tough line. Ryans is 9-3 in one score games as a head coach. I’m going Texans to win but it’s going to be a close game. I hadn’t realized we were winless in Minnesota but it makes sense. It’s a tough place to play and the Vikings look better than previously thought. I’ll take the Texans, give the points, and keep my fingers crossed. Thanks to Scott for taking the time to sit down and answer our questions for this week!
Dave Toub believes Harrison Butker could have set a new record on Sunday
Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images Kansas City’s placekicker could have gotten it done — but the attempt was going to be too risky. Following the Kansas City Chiefs’ 26-25 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, there have been some questions about whether the team should have attempted a field goal at the end of the first half. It was fourth-and-11. The was ball spotted half a yard on Kansas City’s side of the 50. It would have been a 68-yard field goal attempt for placekicker Harrison Butker, who would have had the wind at his back. If successful, it would have set a new NFL record. But if Butker missed, Cincinnati would have taken over inside Kansas City’s 43-yard line with 20 seconds left in the half — and one timeout remaining. Butker came out on the field, acting as if he was getting ready to kick a field goal — but ultimately, the Chiefs put the punting unit on the field. On Monday, Kansas City head coach Andy Reid said the long field goal was under consideration “for about a second.” Denny Medley-Imagn Images But it appears that special teams coordinator Dave Toub was thinking about for a little longer than his boss. “In a vacuum, [Butker] could probably hit a 68-yarder,” Toub told reporters on Thursday. “With a little bit of wind, I’ve seen him do it 73 yards. So that kick was very ‘makeable’ because we had the wind at our back — and I think he hit a 66 in pregame. Then we tried a 73 [in pregame]. The leg was strong enough, but [it went] just a little bit left.” So Toub was good to go. “I was all in with it,“ recalled Toub, “[but Coach Reid] was right. He was smart. We looked at the situation: how much time was left on the clock — [and] if you miss it, they get that field position right there and they probably go down and at least kick a field goal. So he was smart, pulling us out and then going with the punt. I was happy Matt made a nice punt there, too.” Toub remains convinced that one day, Butker will kick the longest field goal in league history. All it will take is the right situation. “If we ran a little bit more time off the clock there [and it] was 10 seconds or so,” he explained, “we [would] take a shot at it. We’re going to get that chance. [Butker] was [as] disappointed you’ve seen him; he was disappointed when we took him off. He really thought we were going — [and] I did, too.” On Sunday, the Chiefs also had their first kickoffs returned under the NFL’s new rules. Kansas City had seven straight kickoffs become touchbacks before Butker landed a first-quarter kickoff on the 4-yard line. Trayveon Williams returned it to the 24. But when Butker landed another kickoff at the 4 just after the fourth quarter began, Chase Brown returned it to the 32. Toub said both kickoffs were responses to what the team had seen the Bengals do on film. “If we see something during the week — [if] they show us a look — we might want to try to try to bang one in there,” he explained. “It worked out great on the first one — [but] not so good on the second one. It got to the 32. It’s rolling the dice a little bit; it’s a risk/reward thing.” Toub noted that drive starts following returned kickoffs are tending to be around the 30-yard line — which isn’t going to help the league achieve its stated goal under the new rules: more kickoff returns without increasing injury risk. He would support any idea that made it harder for kicking teams to get touchbacks — including moving the kicker even further back than their own 35-yard line. Photo by Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images “That would make it a lot harder to kick touchbacks, for sure,” he noted. “That would be an option. The other option would be, obviously, if it is a touchback, give them that ball at [the] 35. Those are two things that I’m sure they’re going to look at if this thing keeps going as it’s going.” But Toub also thinks that teams will eventually start returning some kicks that can be fielded a little inside the end zone. “I think more and more teams are going to start coming out with the ball a little bit [when] it’s two or three [yards] deep,” he continued. “They might take a shot a little bit more [often] as the season progresses. I think that’s gonna happen.” In the meantime, Toub is concentrating on how he will deal with running back Isiah Pacheco’s absence. It could easily mean less return work for running back Carson Steele — and more for wideouts Skyy Moore and Mecole Hardman. “I go to walk-through every day to see who’s getting reps, so I can set up my roster,” he revealed. “It could be a situation where we don’t give Steele as many [reps] — and then go with Skyy and Mecole back there a little bit more.”
INJURY REPORT: Terron Armstead’s participation increases while wide receiver sits due to shoulder ailment
Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images Three Dolphins upgraded from limited practices to full participation on Thursday. The Miami Dolphins took the practice field on Thursday ahead of their upcoming tilt in Seattle against the Seahawks, and in a weird twist of fate, the team was mostly healthy despite the depressing injury news coming out of their Thursday Night Football loss to the Buffalo Bills. Starting left tackle Terron Armstead returned to practice in a LIMITED fashion after not practicing on Wednesday due to knee and shoulder injuries. He spoke with the media today and told them he would be playing on Sunday. Wide receiver Grant Dubose — dealing with a shoulder injury — was downgraded to a DNP on Thursday after getting in a limited session on Wednesday. Running back Raheem Mostert (chest) and wide receiver Malik Washington (quad) both remained LIMITED, while offensive guard Liam Eichenberg (shoulder) remained a FULL participant despite his ailment. Offensive guard Rob Jones (shoulder), linebacker Jaelan Phillips (achilles) and running back Jeff Wilson Jr. (oblique) all upgraded their participation to FULL after being LIMITED a day earlier. Calais Campbell returned to practice after receiving a veteran rest day on Wednesday. Dolphins-Seahawks Thursday injury report. Terron Armstead returns, others upgraded to full participation. Kenneth Walker again misses practice for Seahawks. DK Metcalf, Jerome Baker return for Thursday drills. pic.twitter.com/Ftis8kCBCl — David Furones (@DavidFurones_) September 19, 2024 Of note regarding injuries for the Seahawks was the fact that running back Kenneth Walker III once again did not participate due his oblique injury. However, wide receiver DK Metcalf returned to FULL partcipation while dealing with his hand injury.
Vic Fangio addresses Eagles defensive struggles, says Bryce Huff is still the starter
The Eagles DC spoke about the lack of production against Atlanta, and why they need to focus on stopping the run. Eagles DC Vic Fangio spoke to reporters on Thursday for the first time since Monday’s loss to the Falcons, and he talked about their lack of production, why they have to be focused on stopping the run, and also talked about some individual performances. He emphasized numerous times how they, starting with himself as the lead, need to do a better job. “We’ve obviously played a lot of nickel these past two games because the teams are playing a lot of three-wide against us. So, a lot of teams normal reaction is to play a good bit of nickel. We just have to do — I just have to do a better job of coaching the guys on the technique and do the job better. I just haven’t done a good enough job of getting that done.” After two games, Fangio said they don’t need to make any wholesale changes to help the run defense, and reiterated that he and the coaches just need to do a better job of preparing the guys with better technique and discipline. But, without a moment’s hesitation, when asked if he thinks they have the talent up front to get it done, Fangio said, “Yes.” He was also asked about the production of Jordan Davis, Jalen Carter, and Nolan Smith, but Fangio said that things like sacks and pressures won’t come until the run defense improves. “Until we do a better job of playing the run, those aren’t coming. That’s for sure, and we all need to do a better job, starting with me, of playing the run better.” The DC later explained that if you’re not stopping the run, the offense isn’t getting into an obvious pass situation. He pointed out that their next opponent, the Saints, either run it or max protect play action, run boots, and are doing a great job offensively. Fangio noted that the Saints have a lot of the same run scheme in their repertoire as they saw against the Falcons., and surmised that they probably plan to use it after seeing them fail to stop it on Monday night. On the Falcons game-winning drive “It started off as what you think is a two-minute drive, but within two plays it really wasn’t two minute any more. We gave up the big on one the sideline there on the second play and after that, it became, they’re in the redzone and they got their time and set of downs to do it. Again, we just need to coach it better, starting with me, to get them to do it better.” On individual performances Bryce Huff “Yeah, he’s [Bryce Huff] still going to be the starter, but we’re mixing those guys in, as I know you know, and we’ll continue to do that.” Fangio later acknowledged that Huff is still learning to play the total game, and not just rush situations, but he’s working hard at it and they’re gonna stick with him. Zack Baun Fangio acknowledged that Monday night’s game was the first time Baun had been exposed to cut blocks, and said the LB learned a valuable lesson. The DC expects Baun to be better prepared for it now. “It was the first time he’s [Zack Baun] seen it. He has to react better to it, but we need to get him ready for it, too.” Devin White “He’s [Devin White] practicing and staying attentive, and ready to roll. Special teams plays a part of it, but yeah, he’s ready and available.” Nolan Smith “I think Nolan’s come aways since his rookie year. I think he’s playing better on the edge than he was last year.” Other notables Fangio said Cooper DeJean is the back-up nickel right now, and they want to focus him on just one position. The first week he was the dime DB and the back-up nickel, but with all the time they lost in training camp due to his injury, they want him to focus on one thing and see if he can make progress there. The DC doesn’t think that the inexperience with a lot of the defensive players keep them from operating at a high level. He said it’s not that cut and dry, because young players can play really good and be where they need to be mentally. But, did admit that they’re probably still in the process of learning everything and putting it all together. He later said that he’s very happy with how rookie Quinyon Mitchell has been playing this year, and there is a play here and there they both might want back, but overall Mitchell has been doing a good job.
