The Eagles’ head coach talked about preparing for the Falcons, what it means to be accountable, and more. The Eagles were back to work on Thursday preparing for the Falcons, and head coach Nick Sirianni spoke to reporters about the starting linebackers, how being accountable means not blaming the field conditions for mistakes last Friday, and gave his thoughts on Atlanta’s QB Kirk Cousins and RB Bijan Robinson. Here’s what the head coach had to say: On the starting LB job Sirianni said that he’ll keep his conversation with Devin White — and all players — private, but the veteran linebacker is a good teammate and will still be needed this season. “But he’s [Devin White] been a great teammate and done everything that has been required of him, and I really have a lot of respect for him. We’re going to need him. We’re going to need him this year. It’s a long football season. Obviously, Zack [Baun] and Nakobe [Dean] are our linebackers, but Devin is going to have to contribute this year if we want to go where we want to go, and that goes for all the guys that are one snap away from going in.” On accountability The head coach was asked how much the field conditions factor into their evaluations from Week 1, but Sirianni explained that they don’t use that as an excuse. If someone missed a tackle because they slipped, or missed a catch, it isn’t about blaming the field conditions, but rather figuring out how they should have better adjusted for the field conditions. They may have to rely more heavily on fundamentals and footwork. He also noted that they got a lot of great film to learn from and be better prepared next time. On preparing for the Falcons As they continue preparing for the Falcons, Sirianni said that QB Kirk Cousins has had a lot of success in the league, and they have to be prepared for him to play, and for the alternative. “I just really think [Kirk Cousins’] accuracy, his decision making. He’s able to get the ball where it needs to go consistently. Again, just got a lot of respect for him, and I think his track record speaks for itself.” He also explained that there’s still a lot of unknowns — of both teams — heading into the second game of the season. Neither team exposed everything they can do in Week 1, and their game plans could be completely different. “We showed some tape of [Bijan Robinson] today of just how elusive he is. I think if you look, his first touchdown was like play 11 against Carolina last year, play 11 of the game of game number 1. They throw him a little swing pass and he makes the first guy miss, then he makes another guy miss, and he runs through a tackle. He’s a really good football player who can create on his own. Things can break down, and he still can make a play.” Sirianni went on to say that when he was showing the Robinson film, it reminded him on when he would should Saquon Barkley ahead of a Giants game, and just how elusive they both are. He also acknowledged that they’re going to have to tackle better than they did last week if they want success against Robinson and the Atlanta offense. On his role after a game Sirianni talked about how things have changed for him right after a game, and how he no longer has to be entrenched in the offensive game planning immediately. He said he still re-watches the film from the offense, defense, and special teams, but now his thoughts turn more to figuring out what the message for the week is going to be and what part of the culture they’re going to focus on. “I know the first thing I did is what should the message be this week, what should the culture be about this week. The culture is the same. We have core values that we believe in. But what truly needs to be dove into this week, and what are some things, some stories that I can tell, videos I can show, what are points that I can make within the tape of who we’re playing. And I think that’s where my week started this last week, as opposed to in the film room watching 12 personnel against the opposing team.” Other notables He talked a lot about the schedule and how they approach plans for different weeks — short week, mini-bye, international travel, etc… — but that’s something that continues to evolve as the strive to make the process better. Going into Week 2, he said it’s helpful that they’ve played so many Monday night games the past few years, allowing them to have a good blueprint for those. Sirianni also noted that it was important for the players to get some time off and away from the facility when they got back from Brazil — with the Friday night game, they didn’t benefit from a little break the weekend in between training camp and the regular season. It was pointed out that they only have two home games through October, and while the head coach said they love playing in front of their fans, he’s not looking that far ahead. They’re focused on each game, one week at a time.
Nick Sirianni on Devin White: “We’re going to need him”
NFL betting advice: Eagles-Falcons pick and Week 2 props
Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images Weighing the odds. Steve Maltepes, known as “The Philly Godfather,” will impart his gambling wisdom on the Eagles and where the smart money is going on various pro football games each weekend this season. Maltepes is one of the nation’s hottest sports betting experts who appears weekly on national radio and has his own website, www.thephillygodfather.com [thephillygodfather.com]. Atlanta Falcons (0-1) at Philadelphia Eagles (1-0), 8:15 p.m. Monday The Line: Eagles minus-6.5/Total: 47 What is the line telling you: This line originally opened up with the Eagles being minus-5 point favorites over the Falcons, with a combined total set at 48.5. Since then, we’ve seen some sharp money attack the screen on Philadelphia and push that price down to Eagles minus-6.5. The game total set by Vegas has also seen a 1.5-point downtick to 47. It’s still early to be looking at bet splits on this matchup since the game kicks off on Monday night and the majority of the action comes in on the same day. But the public money so far is heavily tilted to Philadelphia. As of right now, 85% of all tickets placed offshore and in Vegas are on the Eagles. Last week, the Eagles were lucky to come out with a 34-29 victory over the Packers, after turning the ball over three times, and ending up with four less total yards than the Packers. The Falcons on the other hand weren’t as lucky, as they turned the ball over three times and ended up losing 18-10 to the Steelers. Historically, a team (like the Eagles) with a minus-2 turnover differential for the game will lose straight up 82.5% of the time, while a team like the Falcons, who lost the turnover battle 3-0, will lose 91.4% of the time. Bottom line In this matchup, we actually like the points and the Falcons. So, we are suggesting you wait for the price to get to Eagles minus-7, or just buy the half point to get to that key number on the Falcons now. If you remember before the season started, Atlanta’s projected season win total was set at 9.5, just one game lower than the Eagles, so regardless of what we witnessed in the first week of the season, these teams aren’t that far apart. We think the Eagles win the game, but not by more than seven. Prop bets for the game Use the Eagles as a 7-point teaser and bringing the price down to a pick should help you cash a ticket coupled with the Baltimore Ravens minus-1. Bijan Robinson anytime touchdown -120 Bijan Robinson over 60 rushing yards AROUND THE NFL Take the Ravens -8: Las Vegas Raiders vs. Baltimore Ravens -8 Take the Panthers plus-6: Los Angeles Chargers -6 vs. Carolina Panthers Cleveland Browns (0-1) at Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1), 1 p.m. Sunday The Line: Jaguars minus-3/Total: 41.5 What is the line telling you: Jacksonville’s defense last week held Miami to just 20 points, which was 9 points below their season average from last year. If you watched the Browns-Cowboys game, then you know this Browns’ offense has some serious issues moving the ball and putting points up on the board. The Browns’ offense only averaged 2.7 yards per pass attempt and 3.3 yards per play vs Dallas. The offensive line played even worse, giving up 6 sacks, and Deshaun Watson threw two interceptions. The Jags also have revenge on their minds. The last time these teams played was Week 14 last season with the Browns walking away with the 31-27 win. Bottom line: We like the Jags here on the moneyline and anything under a field goal. (Betting lines via FanDuel are subject to change.)
Rams OL takes a beating in rankings, but there’s reason for hope against Cardinals
Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images The Rams dropped 11 spots in OL rankings, but Cardinals is an ideal matchup The Los Angeles Rams were classified as the “NFL’s healthiest team” in 2023, but they’re now best known for being the unhealthiest team through one week of the 2024 season. Most of those issues seem situated on the offensive line and as such their offensive line rankings have tumbled in short order. Luckily, if there’s a team an OL wants to face when they’re short-handed, it’s the Arizona Cardinals. The Rams will play without A.J. Jackson (suspension), Steve Avila (ankle), and potentially both Rob Havenstein (ankle) and Kevin Dotson (ankle). That’s four out of five starters, but backup left tackle Joe Noteboom also went on IR this week. Quentin Lake was added to the injury report with a hip injury. pic.twitter.com/3obc9gm1nj — Sarah Barshop (@sarahbarshop) September 12, 2024 Let’s say that the Rams play with A.J. Arcuri at left tackle, Jonah Jackson at left guard, Beaux Limmer at center, Dotson at right guard, and Warren McClendon at right tackle. It’s not the offensive line we expect for the Rams, but it might be good enough against Arizona. In his OL rankings, Brandon Thorn of the Trench Warfare newsletter dropped the Rams from 11th overall all the way down to 22nd due to their recent injuries. The newsletter Establish the Run highlighted these rankings and matchups and wouldn’t you know it: The Arizona Cardinals had the 32nd ranked defensive line. So while it could be as bad as facing a defensive line as good as say, Week 3’s opponent the 49ers, currently ranked third on DL, the Rams need only face the Cardinals this week. Arizona had two sacks in Week 1, one by a cornerback and the other by nose tackle Roy Lopez. Edge rusher Zaven Collins is playing a new position after moving off of linebacker, whereas Dennis Gardeck played 40 snaps in Week 1 but didn’t record a tackle or anything else. Defensive end L.J. Collier is a former first round bust by the Seahawks, while everyone else in that group is basically an unknown or a journeyman like Julian Okwara and Jesse Luketa. The Cardinals don’t bring much to pass rusher in terms of proven players. It is never good to be injured, let alone on the offensive line tasked with protecting Matthew Stafford, but at least the Rams have another week to prepare for the 49ers (when A.J. Jackson should be back and Havenstein, Dotson might also return) with a warmup against the Cardinals.
Chargers OC Greg Roman, two former Ravens’ players were key vs. Raiders in week 1
In week 2, the Baltimore Ravens can use the strategy of Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman to attack the Las Vegas Raiders defense. Last weekend, the Raiders surrendered 176 total rushing yards to the Chargers, who relied on running backs Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins. Roman, Edwards, and Dobbins were all formerly with the Ravens and worked as key components in bringing quarterback Lamar Jackson’s potential to fruition. Unlike Roman, Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken prefers to throw the football, and his 41 pass play installment did not pan out against the Kansas City Chiefs in week 1. The Ravens have proven in recent history to be a prolific team when they commit to running the ball but often defer to the passing attack. After parting ways with Roman, the Ravens had their best offensive season in a long time in 2023. However, unlike the Chargers, the Ravens have begun the 2024 regular season in the loss column, and they cannot afford an upset in week 2.
Ja’Marr Chase talks highly of Jermaine Burton and the progress he’s making
Kareem Elgazzar-USA TODAY Sports Chase heaped praise on the rookie receiver. The Cincinnati Bengals lost to the New England Patriots in their season-opening game. What stings more is that they lost at home. With Tee Higgins sidelined, Ja’Marr Chase was the star of the show but didn’t get much help from other receivers. As the Bengals continue through the season, should Higgins continue to miss time with a hamstring injury, the team may look to a few more unknown players for production. Jermaine Burton, a third-round pick from Alabama, could be one of them. Burton had a solid preseason but fell in the draft due to off-field issues; however, Chase recently gave nothing but praise for the young receiver. “I feel like Jermaine has made a big tremendous jump on just knowing his plays, knowing where he needs to be, knowing what he’s used for,” Chase told reporters on Thursday. Burton ended his senior season at Alabama with 798 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. The high ceiling is there, but he hasn’t really been on the field long enough to show that impact. With the Bengals having two second-year receivers as well, Zac Taylor is going to have options if Higgins remains sidelined. While Burton may not quite be ready to take on that size of snap count, Chase certainly has seemed impressive by the rookie. If Burton continues to impress, we could be seeing more of him in the near future. Ja’Marr Chase had some high praise for rookie WR Jermaine Burton this afternoon. “I feel like Jermaine has made a big, tremendous jump… And, you know, finally, getting able to get a chance, you know, I’m saying there’s no bigger, no bigger chance than right now.”#Bengals |… pic.twitter.com/V5GTz0f1Ld — Olivia Ray (@OliviaRayTV) September 12, 2024 Follow our Twitter and Facebook pages for more Cincinnati Bengals news. And as always, Who Dey!!
Colts rule out starting safety Julian Blackmon for Sunday—as latest loss to injury depleted secondary
Filed under: Colts rule out starting safety Julian Blackmon for Sunday—as latest loss to injury depleted secondary The Colts will be without another key starter in their secondary ahead of Sunday’s game against the Packers. By Luke Schultheis Sep 13, 2024, 1:42pm EDT If you buy something from an SB Nation link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.
Raiders Week 2 injury report: Tyree Wilson is out
Tyree Wilson | Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images Rookie Jackson Powers-Johnson is game-time decision As expected, the Las Vegas Raiders will be thin at the defensive end position Sunday at the Baltimore Ravens. Friday, Las Vegas coach Antonio Pierce told reporters that 2023 first-round pick Tyree Wilson won’t play Sunday. Wilson hasn’t practice since he departed Sunday’s 22-10 Week 1 loss at the Los Angeles Chargers with a knee injury. Monday, NFL Media reported Wilson has a knee sprain, but it’s not expected to be long-term. The Raiders are also without starting defensive end Malcolm Koonce, who is on the injured reserve with a knee injury and he will miss, at least, three more games and ESPN has reported he could be out for the season. The Raiders’ current healthy players at the position are superstar Maxx Crosby and the inexperienced Janarius Robinson and Charles Snowden. Crosby played every snap against the Chargers. Robinson played 42 percent of the snaps on Sunday, while Snowden was on the field for 53 percent next to Crosby who seemingly never leaves the field. The Raiders signed veteran pass-rusher K’Lavon Chaisson to the practice squad this week. Pierce made it sound as if Chaisson can be promoted this week. He was the No. 20 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He played 57 games with 11 starts in four seasons with the Jaguars. He had five career sacks. The Jaguars declined his fifth-year option and Chaisson, 25, became a free agent. He signed a one-year deal with the Carolina Panthers in March. They released him last week. Meanwhile, Pierce said second-round pick, guard Jackson Powers-Johnson will be a game-time decision to play Sunday. He was ill last week and was inactive against the Chargers and he has been limited in practice all week. He has been dealing with health issues since the offseason sessions. The team is hopeful the Oregon product can quickly compete with free-agent addition Cody Whitehair at left guard. Pierce said, fifth-round pick, linebacker Tommy Eichenberg will be active for the first time and the Ohio State product will mostly play on special teams. Rookie cornerback Decamerion Richardson hasn’t practiced this week and he could miss the Ravens’ game. He missed the Chargers’ game with a hamstring injury. The Raiders will release an injury report after practice Friday and this post will be updated. Meanwhile, Baltimore first-round pick, cornerback Nate Wiggins is not expected to play Sunday. John Harbaugh said first-round pick Nate Wiggins was involve in a car accident a couple of days ago. Wiggins is not expected to play Sunday, but Harbaugh said he’s ok and healthy. pic.twitter.com/IlNocLBNj5 — Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) September 13, 2024
Post-Dolphins win, Bills players celebrate with fans in Miami (video)
The Buffalo Bills rolled the Miami Dolphins in their first AFC East contest of the 2024 NFL season en route to a 31-10 win. It was a road game for Buffalo (2-0) on a short week. Miami (1-1) did not feel like it. Hard Rock Stadium sounded like a “home away from home” for the Bills because of all the traveling fans. After the final whistle, Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott, quarterback Josh Allen and other players went and celebrated with Bills Mafia to show their gratitude for that. Check that out in the clips below: Bills celebrate Dolphins win Bills celebrate Dolphins win Bills celebrate Dolphins win Bills celebrate Dolphins win Bills celebrate Dolphins win Bills celebrate Dolphins win Bills celebrate Dolphins win
Norse Code Podcast Episode 521: Fakely Emerged (with guest Evan Sowards)
Norse Code Logo Arif and James are back to preview the 49ers game with friend of the show Evan Sowards. We also go over the Tua concussion and the mailbag as well. *****Download Link Here***** Episode Notes: Luke’s film review of the game includes an analysis of what worked for Sam Darnold and what didn’t work for Caleb Williams and Kirk Cousins This is my piece on the believability of the Vikings The Springfield Cat Hoax has gotten so bad it has its own Wikipedia page Follow us on Twitter Arif – @ArifHasanNFL James – @bigmono Evan – @EvanSowards To listen to more, this is the link to that iTunes feed. If you can’t for whatever reason subscribe via iTunes, subscribe to via our RSS feed, which should support the RSS reader or podcast organizer of your choice. You can still leave a review even if you can’t subscribe via iTunes because it’s easy to create an AppleID. We also have a YouTube channel. Our podcasts are automatically uploaded there. You can visit our shop here. Buy a onesie? Maybe a wiggler sticker? AD But we also have a Patreon and that should make it even easier to support the best podcast for your Minnesota Vikings. We have a discord just for our Patreon supporters, along with special edition episodes. Check it out here. If you wanted to donate via Paypal instead of Patreon, head to this link. And if you want something to show off your support of the show, buy our merch! We have multiple designs. Please do not buy a shower curtain. Once again, contact me at arifmhasan (at) gmail dot com or the podcast at NorseCodePodcast (at) gmail dot com. Follow us on twitter at @NorseCodeDN or just me @ArifHasanNFL
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73583783/usa_today_24218283.0.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,0&ssl=1 "Mike McDaniel talks Tua Tagovailoa concussion: ‘He’s the starting quarterback of his family’")
Mike McDaniel talks Tua Tagovailoa concussion: ‘He’s the starting quarterback of his family’
Sam Navarro-Imagn Images The Miami Dolphins lost to the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night in a game that was never close. The story from the game was not the loss, though, but rather the injury to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. In the third quarter, Tagovailoa scrambled away from pressure on a 4th-and-2 play, picking up six yards and giving Miami a 1st-and-Goal. On the tackle, however, Tagovailoa leaned into safety Damar Hamlin and sustained a concussion. The quarterback, as he hit the ground, displayed fencing symptoms, the scary moment where the hands begin twitching uncontrollably and are pulled up in front of the face. Tagovailoa showed similar symptoms from a concussion during the 2022 season, a year in which he sustained three concussions. He left last night’s game immediately and went into the locker room, with the team confirming he had sustained a concussion. On Friday morning, head coach Mike McDaniel met with the media, with Tagovailoa’s injury, status, and the team’s way forward as the main topics of discussion. We will bring in someone. McDaniel was asked if the Dolphins are considering adding a quarterback as they assess Tagovailoa’s health and any potential return, or if they will move forward with quarterback Skylar Thompson as the starter. McDaniel explained, “[The discussion of potentially adding a veteran] started late last night and I think the way to best articulate where we’re at is the team and the organization are very confident in Skylar and see there was a reason he was our backup quarterback. That being said, we will bring in someone. We’re just evaluating the pros and cons for the different situations and getting through all those possibilities to do the best thing for the team, but as it stands today, I’m expecting that Skylar is the next man up.” The coach was asked if he believes last night’s concussion was worse than the previous concussions he sustained in 2022. “Realistically for me, first and foremost, I’m not assessing the injury through the lens of all right, so what does this mean for him playing? And so just what I know to be of the utmost importance and what I really care about, it didn’t really matter the severity of it. I think this is something that it’s super important to – the whole, all the science behind concussions tells you what we’ve learned is how delicate the time is right after an injury and how important it is that you don’t institute extra sources of anxiety. So from my vantage point, I feel it’s supremely important in understanding that, that I’m not giving off any sort of vibes, I’m not trying to even look at, ‘OK well, how serious is this relative to his past ones?’ He continued, saying, “Really, really for me, I know the facts are that it’s important that he gets healthy day by day and in that, the actual, the best thing I can do is not try to assess what this even means from a football standpoint. And knowing that and with my relationship with players – specifically with Tua, but with all the players – it’s not in my DNA to think, ‘Hey, what does this mean for…’ What it means is that to properly prioritize what’s most important that I have to put his health as the primary. And so it’s been 10 hours since I last talked to you guys. For me, I absolutely positively will not do anything to make anything worse or hurt anyone of our players, specifically guys that are in concussion protocol. And the best way to be as healthy as fast as possible is to not focus on anything but being present; for him with Ace and Maizy and Annah and that’s it “Ironically, I think there’s a lot of people that have vested interest in the Miami Dolphins. There’s a lot of fans and there’s a lot of people that want to support, but quite literally, questioning timelines; that gives forth anxiety. Trying to meet them, trying to assess what this means for playing. This is heavy stuff that you have to be diligent and deliberate and coaching up Tua, ‘Hey, your job is to be a dad and to communicate daily’ – and we’ll have daily assessments with experts in the field and handle that. And that is the only thing that matters because you don’t make matters worse by trying to – he would be able to feel if I was trying to vibe out and diminishing what this was based upon some symptoms. So literally I understand it completely and it’s not like I would’ve thought any other way until I was in a position of finding out information of what’s best for players in this situation, but talking about or having any sort of assumptions or planning – like I have no idea and nor should I, and I don’t want to because I want him to be healthy. And the best way to be as healthy as fast as possible is to not focus on anything but being present; for him with Ace and Maizy and Annah and that’s it.” After clarifying that the original question was not meant to be focused on trying to get Tagovailoa back on the field, but rather a sense of severity of the injury based on the outpouring of support from players both in Miami and around the league. McDaniel replied, “Thank you for qualifying that. My energy is coming from my supreme care and concern for him and quite honestly it’s probably misguided that I wasn’t projecting that energy out on you, but I totally hear what you’re saying and it’s because you hear the outpouring that you want to say as loud as you possibly can that it is absolutely imperative that he is assessing nothing to football right now and in terms of – I guess there was no discussion of him not walking off the field and he was