Kara Durrette/Getty Images Besides the Lions’ Week 12 matchup against the Colts, which game are you most looking forward to watching? As the holiday season approaches and temperatures drop, the intensity of the NFL regular season gets cranked up a few notches. And with the Detroit Lions traveling to face the Indianapolis Colts in Week 12 for a 1 p.m. ET start, it leaves us as Lions fans open to watch some (hopefully) good football the rest of the afternoon once the game in Indy wraps up. That brings us to today’s Question of the Day: Which non-Lions game are you most looking forward to watching in Week 12? My answer: I thought about going with the San Francisco 49ers against the Green Bay Packers here, but ultimately I am picking the “Sunday Night Football” matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Los Angeles Rams. Both games have serious playoff implications, and may be must-wins for both the 49ers and the Rams in order for both teams to stay in the playoff race. The Eagles are playing some good football as of late. Their defense appears to be putting things together, and I am sure we are all well aware of the season that Philadelphia running back Saquon Barkley is currently having. And after winning a hotly contested division game against the Washington Commanders in Week 11, the Eagles are in the driver’s seat of the NFC East. On the other side of the ball, the Rams are sitting at 5-5 behind the Arizona Cardinals for the NFC West lead, and with as tight as the NFC playoff race looks like it is going to be for the rest of the regular season, this game against Philadelphia almost feels like a must-win for them. How about you? Which game other than Lions-Colts are you most looking forward to watching in Week 12? Let us know in the comments below.
Open thread: What is the best non-Lions Week 12 game on the schedule?
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73740850/2172672011.0.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,0&ssl=1 "The Linc – Jason Kelce hosting new ESPN late night show")
The Linc – Jason Kelce hosting new ESPN late night show
Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links … Jason Kelce to host new ESPN late-night show filmed in Philly – Inquirer Heeerrreee’s Kelce! Jason Kelce, the retired Eagles center turned multimedia star, is taking his talents to late-night television as the host of They Call It Late Night, a new weekly ESPN show filmed in Philadelphia. Emphasis on late. The show will debut at 1 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 4, so make sure you set your DVR. Jason Kelce Showed a Lot of Restraint in Not Clobbering this Autograph Seeker – Crossing Broad It’s gotta be terrible to reach a level of celebrity where you’ve got people all over you, calling your brother homophobic slurs and yelling expletives at you while demanding your autograph at the same time. Autograph seekers are the worst in general, entitled little rats, but this guy obviously has something wrong with him, like bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. Maybe it’s not politically correct to assume that someone is mentally ill, but how else can you explain the 180 this guy pulled, calling Kelce a “pussy” and “sorry ass” before going on some rambling diatribe about peace and love? Eagles Injury Report: DeVonta Smith misses practice again – BGN The Eagles listed two players under DID NOT PARTICIPATE: DeVonta Smith and Bryce Huff. Smith sat out again on Thursday. Two missed practices typically don’t bode well for a player’s chances of playing. If DeVonta can’t suit up, the Eagles will roll with the following wide receivers: A.J. Brown, Jahan Dotson, Britain Covey (assuming he’s activated from injured reserve), Johnny Wilson, and Ainias Smith. Rams struggles versus mobile QB’s & what they mean against Jalen Hurts – Turf Show Times Strictly as a passer, Hurts is nothing to write home about. He’s average to below average in most measures, including Pro Football Focus (PFF) passing grades which would rank him 23rd of 27 signal callers with more than 227 dropbacks. But on the ground, Hurts has the third-best rushing grade of this QB crop at 88.8. This trails only Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills and Drake Maye of the New England Patriots, who the Rams saw this past weekend. Hurts averages nearly two-full yards after contact on his rushing attempts and has forced 13 missed tackles, both according to PFF. Eagles-Rams preview: Five things to watch – PhillyVoice The strength of the Rams defense is their defensive line, notably their young edge rushers. Second-year pro Byron Young leads the team with 6 sacks, after posting 8 sacks as a rookie in 2023. Jared Verse has 4.5 sacks, which is certainly good for a rookie, but also isn’t indicative of how good he has been so far this season. Verse is currently the favorite to win NFC Defensive Rookie of the Year honors (Quinyon Mitchell is second). He is primarily a power rusher who has counters off of his power. Fortunately for the Eagles, Jordan Mailata is a brick wall vs. power, so this is a matchup that is not in the Rams’ favor the same way it would be against other left tackles. If the Eagles were starting Andre Dillard, for example, this matchup would be a HUGE concern. Analyzing the matchups that could define the NFL in Week 12 – PFF Eagles’ defense vs. Rams‘ out routes. Sunday Night Football offers us a second straight enticing battle from SoFi Stadium, especially factoring in the strength of the Eagles’ defense against the Rams’ high-powered offense. Particularly interesting is how well Philadelphia will handle Los Angeles’ most regular pass concept: the out route. Matthew Stafford has targeted out routes 56 times, the second most in football. On top of that, his 77.6 PFF passing grade on out routes ranks 11th. It shouldn’t be a surprise to learn that Cooper Kupp’s 17 out-route targets are the seventh most in football and that his 76.0 PFF receiving grade is a top-30 mark among all pass-catchers on the concept. Meanwhile, Philadelphia’s revitalized defense has clamped down against out routes. The Eagles rank 10th in team coverage grade against outs, led by the standout play of rookie Cooper DeJean. DeJean has been one of the NFL’s best defenders against out routes, regardless of position. His 87.6 PFF coverage grade against the concept ranks fourth, having permitted only two catches for nine yards on six out-route targets. How much will DeJean shadow Kupp and Puka Nacua, and can he close space outside the numbers? Or will Stafford get in rhythm along the boundary before dialing up deeper shots? If the Rams want to pull off the upset and earn a crucial conference win, they’ll need their quarterback and receivers to excel in the precise areas where they dominate. NFL QB Index, Week 12: Patrick Mahomes slips out of top four after Bills hand Chiefs first loss – NFL.com QB13) Jalen Hurts. The Eagles’ balanced offense has been their saving grace during this winning streak. With Philadelphia struggling to put drives together and find a rhythm in Week 11, Hurts still managed to have some success on underneath throws. He continued to avoid holding onto the ball for too long and occasionally took off for positive gains. Things didn’t really get going until the second half, when Hurts found A.J. Brown for a gain of 17 yards. His pass to Dallas Goedert on their next drive stood as his longest completion of the night (32 yards), opening the door for Saquon Barkley to bury the Commanders with two touchdown runs of 23-plus yards. Hurts didn’t need to be the hero, but he still managed to play a clean game, throw for more than 200 yards and tally yet another rushing score from a yard out. NFL best bets for Week 12: Picks, props and more for the weekend – ESPN+ On the other side of the ball, the Eagles’ offense seems like an unstoppable machine, but there are still weak points in the Death Star. Jalen Hurts has
Daniel Jones released by New York Giants
Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images Jones asked for release after meeting with John Mara One day after saying he was still “processing” his benching and figuring out what to do about his future, Daniel Jones asked for and received his release from the New York Giants on Friday morning. Here is co-owner John Mara’s statement: “Daniel came to see me this morning and asked if we would release him. We mutually agreed that would be best for him and for the team. Daniel has been a great representative of our organization, first class in every way. His handling of this situation yesterday exemplifies just that. We are all disappointed in how things have worked out. We hold Daniel in high regard and have a great appreciation for him. We wish him nothing but the best in the future.” — More to come
Eagles sign former Rams draft pick to practice squad
Photo by Brooke Sutton/Getty Images Philadelphia made a tweak to their edge rusher depth. The Philadelphia Eagles officially announced some roster news on Friday morning. An overview: OLB Ochaun Mathis was signed to the practice squad. OLB David Anenih was released from the practice squad. Let’s sort through this news on a player-by-player basis. OCHAUN MATHIS Mathis has history with the Eagles’ Week 12 opponent; he was a sixth-round pick (No. 189 overall) by the Los Angeles Rams in the 2023 NFL Draft. The 6’5”, 250-pound edge rusher logged 74 defensive snaps and 19 special teams snaps as a rookie. Mathis was then waived by the Rams in cuts prior to the 2024 season. Shortly after leaving LA, Mathis signed with the New England Patriots’ practice squad. He was then signed to their active roster in late October. Mathis played 11 defensive snaps and 80 special teams snaps before the Pats cut him earlier this week. Now in Philly, Mathis will provide edge rusher/special teams depth. The Eagles seem to like the 25-year-old’s developmental potential. Ochaun Mathis has some interesting tools to work with, including +90th percentile arm length and hand size Could develop into a solid rotational rusher under Joe Kim and Jerry Montgomery https://t.co/kYzf8b331a pic.twitter.com/GoEPFtjW5m — Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) September 1, 2024 DAVID ANENIH The Eagles originally signed Anenih to their practice squad back in mid-September. They clearly seem to think Mathis is a better option at the same position. EAGLES PRACTICE SQUAD Each player below is eligible to be temporarily elevated to the active roster up to three times unless otherwise noted. OLB Ochaun Mathis WR Parris Campbell (zero elevations remaining) TE E.J. Jenkins (zero elevations remaining) TE C.J. Uzomah (two elevations remaining) DT Siaki Ika DE Tarron Jackson LB Dallas Gant DB Tariq Castro-Fields CB Parry Nickerson WR Danny Gray DB A.J. Woods RB Tyrion Davis-Price DT Gabe Hall WR Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint S Andre’ Sam T/G Brett Toth OT Laekin Vakalahi (international exemption) PRACTICE SQUAD INJURED LIST WR John Ross (two elevations remaining)
Newly-signed Giants’ offensive lineman is glad to be back home
Tyre Phillips | Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images Tyre Phillips is back for his third stint with the Giants Tyre Phillips’ wide, irrepressible smile told the story. The veteran offensive lineman, who signed to the team’s practice squad this week, is thrilled to back with the New York Giants. “I love the building here, and the guys. Obviously, it makes sense to go somewhere where you know the playbook, but it was more than just knowing the playbook, because I’m a free agent,” Phillips said when I caught up with him in the locker room on Thursday. “I could have went anywhere, tried out anywhere, but I knew this place, and this place knew me. I feel like I found a home here, and man, there’s nothing like being a Giant for me.” Phillips had a rollercoaster 2023 season. After starting five games and playing well for the Giants in 2022, he did not originally make the team. After being cut, he landed on the practice squad of the Philadelphia Eagles. A few weeks later, with injuries wrecking the offensive line, the Giants poached Phillips from the Eagles. He started nine games in relief of the injured Evan Neal before tearing a quad muscle in Week 17. How does Phillips look at last season? “A lot of things happened, but it’s just a good thing to just be a good locker room guy, just being a great person, and just being a great teammate, and not burn bridges in understanding that this is a business,” Phillips said. “It’s not personal, even though this is my livelihood, and you got to try your hardest to not make it personal, but it’s not personal. This is a business, and you never know, just like the opportunity of me coming back right now. “So I could have been salty or anything, but what’s that for?” Phillips, 11 months removed from surgery to repair the torn quad, was only recently cleared to begin working out for teams. He took one workout. With the Giants. Then joined the team’s practice squad, saying he “100 percent” wanted to return to New York. Despite the grueling work of rehabbing the first major injury of his career, Phillips called the last year “wonderful.” “Obviously, last year for me, being cut, practice squad, you know, starting a few games, it was great,” he said. “Obviously, it didn’t end the way I wanted it to end, obviously, right before for agency, but that’s just part of the process with the National Football League.” Phillips doesn’t know what his role will be. Eleven months after surgery he is just trying to continue getting stronger and acclimating to the way his leg feel. “It’s a roller coaster,” Phillips said of the recovery process. “It’s very challenging. And still to this day, I stay on top of my body. Luckily, I’m a good pro, but to this day I can tell I had surgery down there. “I feel strong right now. It’s just when it’s a muscle that you use every day and you can tell it’s a change, that’s the only thing. But I feel strong. I want to be stronger and callous it up. But you can tell it feels different.” Phillips said the injury has forced him to change his routine. “I have to warm up way more than I used to. But I take the time out to do that. So I’m on the field earlier,” he said. “I’m dressed first because I need to do these different thing I’ve got to do this to get the tendon firing up. But, I mean, that just come with it. “That don’t stop me from nothing.”
Giants-Buccaneers: Can Tommy DeVito spark struggling Giants’ offense?
Troy Taormina-Imagn Images The Tampa Bay defense has not been great The 2-8 New York Giants host the 4-6 Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 12. Both teams are fresh off a bye week. Tampa Bay is favored by 5.5 points, and the Over/Under is 41.5 points. Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers were 4-2 but lost four games in a row, mostly in a competitive fashion. The Giants finally turned the page on starting quarterback Daniel Jones and promoted third-string quarterback Tommy DeVito to primary signal caller. Drew Lock will remain as the second-string quarterback. Buccaneers statistics DeVito will face a Todd Bowles coached defense that emphasizes stopping the run while blitzing the quarterback at a 29.1% rate (seventh highest). Expect a loaded box against the Buccaneers, who rank second in loaded box rate. According to NFL Pro, the Buccaneers load their box at a 56.4% rate; this number advantage is reinforced with Vita Vea in the middle — one of the best run-stopping defensive linemen in the league. Despite the focus, Tampa Bay is league average in rushing yards allowed; they surrendered 125.1 rushing yards per game. Baltimore rushed for 244 yards against the Buccaneers in Week 7. They held the Chiefs and Falcons to less than 130 rushing yards in Weeks 8 and 9 and the 49ers to just 75 rushing yards in Christian McCaffrey’s return. The run defense is the strength, and Kirk Cousins exploited the pass-defensive weakness in Week 5 to the tune of 509 yards and four touchdowns. The Buccaneers allow the third-most passing yards per game (264.1) and total yards per game (389.3). They’re 27th in points surrendered (26.6). Bowles’ defense allows the 24th-highest third down completion rate (43.3), and they’re tied at 17th in red zone touchdown percentage (57.89) with the New England Patriots. They recorded five interceptions and 10 forced fumbles. Tampa Bay is tied with the Eagles and Browns at ninth in the league with 28 sacks. Vea leads the team with five. Second-year defensive linemen Calijah Kancey has four, and Lavonte David and Logan Hall have three sacks. C.J. Brewer, Yaya Diaby, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, and Anthony Nelson each have a pair of sacks. Second-year edge defender Yaya Diaby leads the Buccaneers with 38 pressures; Vea has 24, and Tryon-Shoyinka has 20. The next highest is veteran linebacker Lavonte David with 15. David also leads the team with 72 tackles; just behind him is safety Jordan Whitehead with 71 and linebacker K.J. Britt with 61. Giants’ game plan There was a discernible difference in Brian Daboll’s 2023 offense with Tommy DeVito at the helm. DeVito targeted outside the numbers: QB Tommy DeVito averaged 7.2 yards per attempt throwing outside the numbers in 2023, completing 6 of his 8 touchdowns to these areas of the field while not throwing a single interception on 94 such attempts. Daniel Jones has averaged just 4.9 yards per attempt on throws outside… — Nick Falato (@nickfalato) November 19, 2024 We discussed DeVito’s penchant to throw outside the numbers last season. This ability gave Daboll a different approach, and the Giants found moderate success, but DeVito struggled to target the middle of the field. DeVito was 7 of 17 with one touchdown and two interceptions when targeting beyond ten yards between the numbers, with zero completed passes of 20 yards between the numbers. The Giants will attempt to run the football and work the play-action passing attack with bootlegs/rollouts. Daboll will dial up three-level sail concepts and other No. 3 or tight-end corner routes underneath clearouts from 3×1 or 2×2 sets. Starting CB Zyon McCollum hurt his hamstring in Week 10. He may not be available on Sunday, which leaves Josh Hayes and Tyrek Funderburk. However, Jamel Dean is trending in the right direction after missing four weeks with a hamstring injury. The health of McCollum and Dean is crucial for the Buccaneers’ secondary. Before his injury, McCollum allowed just eight yards across 70 coverage snaps in Weeks 8 and 9; McCollum was targeted on just 8.6% of his coverage snaps in Weeks 8-9, the fourth-lowest rate among outside cornerbacks with at least 50 coverage snaps during that span. Whitehead, star safety Antoine Winfield Jr., and nickel Christian Izien round out the rest of the secondary. Rookie Tykee Smith hurt his knee and may not play in the game. Malik Nabers should win any of these matchups, but can DeVito deliver passes to Nabers promptly and accurately? Daboll will call this game to DeVito’s strengths, which are using his quick release and attempting to create immediate openings to be seized. DeVito is more aggressive than Jones, but he does have a knack for sitting in the pocket too long; he was sacked 37 times on 178 passing attempts with a 37.4% pressure-to-sack ratio. The Giants should create half-field reads with easy check-downs for the young quarterback. Some of those check-downs should be made to either Theo Johnson or Tyrone Tracy Jr. The Buccaneers linebackers have combined to allow the most receptions (52), most yards (671), highest completion percentage (86.1%), and third-most yards per target (9.3) among all linebacking corps when targeted in coverage this season (from Week 10). Suppose DeVito can successfully stretch the field horizontally toward the sideline. In that case, the Giants may be able to create more space between the middle-hook and curl-flat defenders for Wan’Dale Robinson or other Giants’ receivers against Cover-3. If Bowles decided to man up, the Giants should run condensed pick/rub routes to free up receivers and have DeVito quickly get the football out of his hands. Kancey and Vea will prove to be a lot for the interior part of the Giants’ offensive line. Bowles will likely look to isolate one-on-one matchups and put Diaby across from Evan Neal. Expect David to blitz toward Neal’s side, with Diaby or Tryon-Shoyinka initially occupying Neal. It would behoove the Giants to keep a tight end or running back close to Neal. Final thoughts Can Tommy DeVito recreate his magic from the
Rookie Ladd McConkey has proven himself an invaluable WR1 for the Chargers and Justin Herbert
Ladd McConkey and Justin Herbert are powering a new-look Los Angeles Chargers to new heights in 2024. Rookie Ladd McConkey has proven himself an invaluable WR1 for the Chargers and Justin Herbert 2YKK1PE Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey (15) runs during an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong) By Jim Wyman Posted Nov 22, 2024 8:39 am EST • Los Angeles’ WR1 wasted no time acclimating to the NFL: Through Week 11, he leads the Chargers in targets (66), receptions (46), yards (638), yards after the catch (230), yards per route run (2.21) and PFF receiving grade (81.9). • The Chargers were criticized for drafting an offensive tackle first: Despite being panned for selecting Joe Alt instead of a receiver with the fifth pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Chargers seem to have known what they were doing after all. • Unlock your edge with a PFF+ subscription: Get full access to all our in-season fantasy tools, including weekly rankings, WR/CB matchup charts, weekly projections, the Start-Sit Optimizer and more. Sign up now! Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes The Los Angeles Chargers entered the 2024 offseason looking like a team headed into a tailspin. After finishing the 2023 season 5-12 and firing head coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco midseason while having little money to spend in free agency, some upheaval was underway. The team replaced Staley with Jim Harbaugh and Telesco with Joe Hortiz, but roster changes were necessary, as well. Salary cap woes split up the wide receiver room harder than any unit in the league, as the Chargers’ top two receivers, Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, became casualties. Los Angeles traded Allen to the Chicago Bears and outright released Williams. A loaded 2024 NFL Draft of receiver talent soon became the target — even after the Chargers selected offensive tackle Joe Alt at No. 5. The move was questioned by fans and analysts alike; how would the team push the ball downfield without a top receiving threat? It turns out, the Chargers had a plan. Los Angeles traded up a few spots in the second round to draft Georgia wide receiver Ladd McConkey. A two-time national champion at Georgia, McConkey didn’t have the dazzling stats of the receivers taken ahead of him, but he showcased high-caliber route running ability both at the Senior Bowl and NFL Scouting Combine while possessing breakaway speed (4.39-second 40-yard dash). That skill set is now thriving in the NFL. McConkey immediately became quarterback Justin Herbert’s favorite target. Through Week 11, he leads the Chargers in targets (66), receptions (46), yards (638), yards after the catch (230), yards per route run (2.21) and PFF receiving grade (81.9). Ahead of Week 12, McConkey’s receiving grade is tied with George Pickens for 14th in the NFL among receivers with at least 100 receiving snaps and trails only Malik Nabers by 0.1 points among rookies. Subscribe to PFF+ to unlock the world’s most advanced football database! Perhaps McConkey’s most impressive performance came on Sunday Night Football in Week 11 against the Cincinnati Bengals. He caught six of 10 targets, all of which resulted in first downs, for 123 yards. While he didn’t score any touchdowns, he was instrumental in the Chargers’ final drive to hold off a vigorous Bengals comeback attempt, as he hauled in two clutch passes for big gains. The first came on an out and up where he leaped over Mike Hilton for a 28-yard gain that brought the Chargers out of the shadow of their own endzone. On the other, McConkey beat Geno Stone on a corner route and got out of bounds for another 27 yards, which set up the game-winning J.K. Dobbins touchdown run the next play. In all, McConkey has earned an 80.0-plus PFF receiving grade in three games and gone under 70.0 only twice while catching multiple passes and converting multiple first downs in every game he’s played. Despite the Chargers being panned for selecting a tackle instead of a receiver with the fifth pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, it seems they knew what they were doing after all. The team is 7-3 with a rookie second-rounder as their leading target-getter, with things only looking up from here. What was once thought of as a franchise heading for dark times is suddenly set up to compete for the postseason for years to come.
Random Ramsdom: Do Eagles have the Defensive Rookie of the Year?
Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images Los Angeles Rams News and Links for 11/22/24 In yesterday’s Random Ramsdom I asked if the Los Angeles Rams had the Defensive Rookie of the Year on their roster with either Braden Fiske or Jared Verse? My phone must have been listening because today all over my internet feed(s) I see the reality that it is the Philadelphia Eagles who may have the Defensive Rookie of the Year with Quinyon Mitchell. Mitchell has been balling out, so maybe he will earn the award. Either way, it’s exciting that Sunday night’s game should feature so many young up and coming defenders. These young men haven’t really even hit their stride in the NFL yet so we may be writing about them for years to come. It’s an exciting possibility Time will tell as it always does. Please comment on whatever you want, thanks for checking out Turf Show Times and have a great day! Why Rams-Eagles could decide Defensive Rookie of the Year race (ramswire) “Defensive Rookie of the Year isn’t quite a two-man race with seven weeks to go, but it’s quickly becoming one. Rams edge rusher Jared Verse has been the odds-on favorite to win the award for several weeks and though he had been pulling ahead after recording 3.5 sacks in Weeks 8-10, Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell is closing the gap. As of now, Verse is -190 to win Defensive Rookie of the Year at BetMGM. Mitchell is second at +320, with Laiatu Latu a distant third at +2000. Even if he hasn’t spoken publicly about it, this is an award Verse would surely love to win. He can make a huge statement on Sunday night in a marquee matchup against Mitchell and the Eagles.” Giving back to the community! We partnered with the West Valley Food Pantry for a Thanksgiving food distribution. pic.twitter.com/giRnGTng5m — Rams Community (@RamsCommunity) November 21, 2024 Eagles’ Darius Slay says this rookie has ‘unlimited’ ceiling: ‘He should be Rookie (of the Year) easy’ (cbssports) “PHILADELPHIA — Quinyon Mitchell has been even better than expected in his first NFL season. The only player in the league that has faced 375+ coverage snaps without allowing a touchdown pass this season, Mitchell has played his way into the Defensive Rookie of the Year conversation. That’s just the beginning of what Mitchell can accomplish. “It’s unlimited, man,” Eagles cornerback Darius Slay said of Mitchell’s ceiling. “You know, he got a talent that could just really just blossom real great.” Royal is good for the Sol. pic.twitter.com/k7nwjRRqrE — Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) November 21, 2024 REPORT: Which Rams Team Will We Get on Sunday? (si.com) “The problem with trying to pick a winner in this game or any Rams game is that I have no idea which Rams team is going to show up,” Breech said. “Are we going to see the Rams team that put up 30 points on the Vikings in Week 8, or are we going to see the Rams team that didn’t bother to show up during a Week 10 loss to the Dolphins where they only scored 15 points?” The Eagles have proven to be one of the best teams in the league. Philadelphia is 8-2 on the season after winning six games in a row and seven of their last eight games. Breech credited the Eagles’ consistency over the previous two months.” o-line channeling their inner @LethalShooter__ pic.twitter.com/H9tsmcPl2Y — Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) November 21, 2024
No, Zac, the Bengals are not a good team right now
Zac Taylor | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Failures persist in all three phases. Sorry, Zac, but I’m just not buying it. “We’re a good football team,” Cincinnati Bengals coach Zac Taylor said after another disappointing, heart-breaking, last-minute loss, this time to the Los Angeles Chargers Sunday night. This is not a good football team. Maybe it still can be, but as of right now, it is not. A good football team excels in all three areas — offense, defense and special teams. The Bengals excel in none of those areas, the most obvious of which is the defense. The latest meltdown came against the Chargers. After Cincinnati had clawed back into the game from 21 points down and tied the score at 27-27, the defense allowed three straight explosive plays of 20, 27 and 29 yards. Game over. The Bengals have lost twice to the Baltimore Ravens. Both times it was big plays that did them in. In the first game, Derrick Henry’s 51-yard run led to the winning field goal. In the second game, a Cam Taylor-Britt interception was overturned by replay, and the Ravens marched right down the field for a touchdown that extended their lead to 35-28. The big plays in that drive were a 19-yard and a 16-yard completion to Zay Flowers. Cincinnati did manage to score the potential game-tying touchdown minutes later, but it missed on the two-point conversion that would have won the game. Defense has been the weakest part of the trifecta all season. The Bengals sit at No. 24 in overall team defense, are 30th in points surrendered, 24th against the run, 26th against the pass, and 27th in total yards given up. Definitely not good. Special teams have let Cincinnati down as well. The normally dependable Evan McPherson missed two field goals against the Chargers, field goals that could have made the difference in the game. The Bengals drove to the Los Angeles 43-yard-line with three seconds left, which would have put McPherson in position for a 60-yard field goal attempt to win the game. But, his earlier two misses made that possibility moot. McPherson has made 9-of-9 field goals from inside 40 yards, but he is just 3-for-5 between 40 and 49 yards. Worse yet, he has hit on only 3-of-7 attempts outside of 50 yards. Money Mac is no longer so money – more like “Missing Mac.” Lineups.com has Cincinnati’s special teams ranked at No. 25, largely due to McPherson’s struggles. And, the Bengals would be ranked even lower if not for the 100-yard kickoff return by Charlie Jones earlier in the season. And, as good as the Bengals’ offense has looked at times, there have been plenty of flaws in that unit as well. Sunday night’s loss is a good example. Cincinnati scored the tying touchdown with 12:21 left in the fourth quarter, then went missed field goal, missed field goal, and four-and-out before the Chargers took the lead for good. The Bengals drove into Los Angeles territory the first three times they had the ball and got all the way down to the Chargers’ 3-yard-line on their second possession. Yet all they had to show for it was a pair of field goals. Cincinnati scored only 10 points in a season-opening loss to the New England Patriots and managed just 17 points against the Giants (a win) and the Eagles (a loss). In the first meeting with the Ravens, the Bengals owned a 10-point lead with 8:54 left in the fourth quarter but came up empty the rest of the way. Quarterback Joe Burrow summed it up this way: “Just got to make the plays,” he said. “Just got to make the plays. We have it down stretch and we’re not a good enough team to – our margin of error is slim, so we got to make those plays. I got to make those plays. We all got to make those plays.” So no, Zac, this is not a good football team. As my former mother-in-law used to say, “you can cover the sun with one hand, but it’s still there.”
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25746536/lions_pass_o.PNG?w=1200&resize=1200,0&ssl=1 "Detroit Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts preview, prediction: On Paper")
Detroit Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts preview, prediction: On Paper
The Detroit Lions are on a roll, and they’re going to need to keep rolling if they want to earn the NFC’s top seed. At 9-1, they hold the top spot, but both the Vikings (8-2) and Eagles (8-2) are on their tails. They can’t afford a slip-up against the 5-6 Indianapolis Colts this week—a team they’re clearly better than. Let’s take a closer look at the Week 12 matchup, then make a prediction in our Lions vs. Colts On Paper preview. Lions pass offense (9th in DVOA) vs. Colts pass defense (19th) Jared Goff bounced back from his five-interception performance with arguably his best performance in a Lions uniform. For the season, the Lions have been lighting opponents’ defenses on fire. They’ve not only finished with a 100+ passer rating in seven of 10 games, but over 120 in five of 10. With all due respect to the DVOA ranking, I think this is a top-five passing attack in the league, not just top-10. Some other notable statistics: 9.2 yards per attempt (first) 113.8 passer rating (second) 73.0 completion percentage (first) 0.259 dropback EPA (third) 53.0% dropback success rate (first) Goff, in particular, has been outstanding since struggling out of the gate. Take away the first two games of the season, and Goff’s numbers have been outstanding: Pass protection has been a minor issue, ranking 14th in PFF pass blocking grade, ninth in pass block win rate, and 16th in pressure rate allowed. But that obviously hasn’t slowed the passing attack much. It hasn’t been a great year for the Colts’ pass defense, but it hasn’t been all bad. Though they’ve allowed six of 11 opponents to eclipse a passer rating of 100, they’ve also held four below 90. Still, teams are regularly eclipsing their averages against this unit. Here’s a look at their raw statistics: 7.6 yards per attempt (26th) 97.3 passer rating (20th) 69.5 completion percentage (29th) 0.056 dropback EPA (13th) 46.1% dropback success rate (15th) It’s hard to exactly pin down why the Colts are struggling. They have capable pass rushers, but only rank 18th in pressure percentage, t-15th in sacks, 18th in PFF pass rush grade, and 21st in pass rush win rate. In terms of coverage, they rank ninth in PFF grade, and have one of the best nickel defenders in Kenny Moore II. Outside cornerback Jaylon Jones is also tied for fifth in pass breakups, so Lions receivers will have a challenge this week. That said, the Colts rank 26th in DVOA against tight ends, and with Sam LaPorta expected back this week, we could see a big game from him. Player to watch: Amon-Ra St. Brown vs. Kenny Moore II. Per PFF, Moore II has not allowed a single touchdown in coverage this year, while also notching five passes defended and an interception. His 80.6 PFF coverage grade is seventh in the NFL. Meanwhile, St. Brown is coming off his best career game and ranks seventh in PFF grade. A true strength vs. strength matchup Advantage: Lions +2.5 The Lions’ passing attack looks nearly unstoppable right now, and while the Colts have an okay defense, they aren’t particularly great at anything. Lions run offense (1st) vs. Colts run defense (16th) No team has yet to hold the Lions under 100 rushing yards, and they’ve now eclipsed 160 yards in five of 10 games. The only team to really hold them in check was the Texans, and by the end of the game, the Lions had worn them down, too. The Lions are nearly atop the league in just about every category when it comes to running the ball: 4.7 yards per carry (eighth) 152.2 yards per game (third) 0.042 rush EPA (second) 45.2% success rate (second) 13.6% stuffed percentage (fifth) The offensive line is arguably the best run blocking unit in football, ranking third in PFF run blocking grade (76.7), nine in run block win rate (73%), and first in adjusted line yards (5.11). The Colts run defense has been all over the place this season, but there’s been more bad than good. They started out horribly, recovered a bit, but have at least been acceptable the last month. Some of that lines up with the return of defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, who played in Weeks 1 and 2, but missed the next five games with an injury. Since returning against the Texans, they’ve done an okay job, but they’re certainly not a dominant unit. For the season, they rank 13th in yards per carry allowed (4.4), 13th in rush EPA (-0.119), 22nd in adjusted line yards (4.56) and 12th in success rate (38.1%). That said, they are tied for the most 10+ yard rushes allowed, and the Lions just so happen to rank sixth in that category on offense. Player to watch: DeForest Buckner. Buckner has an 11.2% run stop rate per PFF, which ranks fifth among all defensive tackles with at least 52 run defense snaps. He’ll have his work cut out for him, though, as he’s usually lined up against the right side of the offensive line. Right guard Kevin Zeitler (86.8 PFF grade, third) and right tackle Penei Sewell (90.2, first) are two of the best run blockers in football. Advantage: Lions +2. This is a little tighter than the passing matchup, but there are very few defenses that can hold Detroit’s run game in check. Compared to the Texans run defense (second in DVOA) that saw some success a few weeks ago, this Colts team doesn’t measure up. Colts pass offense (19th) vs. Lions pass defense (2nd) *Joe Flacco starts**Anthony Richardson and Joe Flacco I’m not entirely sure what to make of the Colts passing offense. There are a lot of terrible games in this chart, but they’re intermixed with a couple of really good performances, including last week’s game against a very respectable Jets defense. The benching of Anthony Richardson and subsequent re-starting throws another wrench into the predictability of this game. He certainly looked
