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junker-town · 3 years ago

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6 games to circle on the 2022 NFL schedule

Set Number: X163914 TK1

These are the games every football fan should watch.

The 2022 NFL schedule is upon us, and now we march towards fall. With the draft in the rear view mirror, and training camp ahead of us, we wait to see how rosters around the league will settle before the start of the league year.

This year gives us some truly fascinating matchups, and these are the games I’m circling on the calendar as can’t-miss. Regardless of who your favorite team is, anyone who likes football should be waiting for these.

Bills vs. Chiefs — Week 6

Hell yeah I’ll take a rematch of the AFC Divisional Playoff game between these two, which was without a doubt the best game of the year.

While that game only took place in January, the complexion of this matchup looks entirely different. The Chiefs had some major retooling to do after trading away Tyreek Hill, while the Bills are more or less the same team that pushed Kansas City to the limit earlier this year.

This could be a serious litmus test in the AFC to see if the Bills are ready to win it all and head to the Super Bowl, or whether they’re still struggling to get over that hump.

Dolphins vs. 49ers — Week 13

I’m a sucker for matchups between coaches, and no game this year will be as fascinating from a coach vs. coach perspective than this one. You have Kyle Shanahan leading the 49ers, now with Trey Lance at the helm — taking on his protege in Mike McDaniel, entering his first year as Dolphins head coach.

These two have spent years together. They know each other intently. McDaniel orchestrated San Francisco’s offense, and knows every player on that team, while Shanahan understands McDaniel’s tendencies. It’s going to be interesting to see how the Dolphins look, how the Niners play with Lance leading them, and watch the jousting match between the two coaches.

Browns vs. Texans — Week 13

This one needs no explanation, but naturally it’s all about Deshaun Watson. The Browns are convinced that Watson will get them over the hump and into the Super Bowl, while the Texans are rebuilding.

That said, Houston might have been bad in 2021, but they were more competitive that people expected. There’s every chance they could take a big step forward in 2022, especially if Davis Mills ends up being what the team hopes he can be.

Meanwhile, assuming Watson isn’t suspended by the NFL, this game is a litmus test for Cleveland’s chances to make a run. They’ll want to win, and win big.

Bengals vs. Buccaneers — Week 15

I like the age matchup here, not dissimilar to the Super Bowl between the Bengals and Rams. I know Cincinnati’s appearance in the big game was seen as an outlier, but I think it can become a staple of this franchise as it moves forward.

This game will take strides to deciding that. If the young Bengals can hang with Tom Brady and the Bucs it will go a long way to make people believe they’re here to stay.

Chiefs vs. Broncos — Week 14

The pressure is on Russell Wilson to prove he can get Denver to the point it can hang with the AFC West’s best. It’s unfair to have the expectation that the Broncos can win the division immediately and make a deep playoff run, after all Peyton Manning lost early in the playoffs during his first season in Denver.

However, there is the belief, at least from fans, that this team was a top-tier quarterback away, not just from a playoff run, but challenging for the AFC Championship. None of that happens without getting through the Chiefs, and it will be on Wilson to prove he is the difference maker the team believed him to be when they made their big trade.

Rams vs. Chiefs — Week 12

These two teams are the measuring stick by which their respective divisions are measured — even now. Both are considered Super Bowl contenders, and we’ll get a great sense of where the power lies in the NFL when these teams meet.

Furthermore, the relative strength of this matchup holds significance for other teams in the NFC and AFC. How each of these teams looks could help us work out whether the power still lies in these teams, or if its shifted to the Bills, Buccaneers, or another team we’re not expecting.

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hawkvalley · 7 years ago

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Quick Review

The Broncos beat the Raiders 16-10 on a last second interception by Justin Simmons. The Raiders were driving for the go ahead touchdown when the backup quarterback, Manuel, threw the interception.

The Broncos offense seemed good in the first quarter and then faded away. This is pretty much the norm for this season. The Broncos kicked so many field goals I thought I was watching soccer.

The Bronco defense allowed Manuel to complete 65% of his passes and sacked him 3 times for 19 yards. Keep this in mind when you read the stats below.

QB stats

Siemian Passing comp ypa TD INT Long Rating 62% 7 1 0 29 95 Rushing Att Yards Long TD 4 1 4 0 Sacked Times Yards Lost 4 24

AFC West Notes

During the Bronco's bye week, there were no divisional games played.

Trends: Kansas City has won five straight games, Denver and San Diego won a game, Oakland has lost three games in a row.

The Raiders play the Chargers this afternoon.

AFC West Standings

Victories Defeats Broncos 2 0 Chiefs 1 0 Raiders 0 1 Chargers 0 2

During the week

The subject of backup quarterbacks did arise. Vance Joseph mentioned Paxton has started to throw again, he also mentioned the fourth stringer Chad Kelly. The fact that the coach is keeping up with the progress of backup quarterbacks probably doesn’t inspire Trevor with confidence.

The Raiders lost to the Baltimore Ravens during the bye week. I mention this because the Giants are using injures as an excuse for the Broncos game tonight. The Ravens had been averaging 22 points per game during the first two weeks, got hit by the injury bug, and their average points per game dropped to 8. This didn’t stop the Ravens from beating the Raiders by 13 last week.

Season summary for both of tonight’s teams

The Giants lost by an average of 15 points during the first two weeks of the season. Since then, they still haven’t won a game, but the margin of defeat has dwindled to a field goal. In net points terms, the Giants improved from -30 during the first two games to -10. That’s a nice improvement.

The Broncos were +28 in net points the first two weeks of the season, but during weeks 3-4, their net dropped to -4. That drop off is terrifying!

Teams ranked by stats

Broncos Stats

Points: 11th

Yards: 13th

Passing yards: 24th

Rushing yards: 3rd

Passing Touchdowns: 7

Rushing Touchdowns: 3

Defensive Touchdowns: 1

Safeties: 0

Giants Stats

Points: 28th

Yards: 18th

Passing Yards: 10th

Rushing Yards: 30th

Passing Touchdowns: 8

Rushing Touchdowns: 2

Defensive Touchdowns: 0

Safeties: 1

Tonight's game

This game looks to be an easy game for Denver. The Broncos are 3-1, the Giants are 0-5.

The Giants have publicly used their injuries as an excuse for losing this game already.

Will the Giants backups step up? Eli has the Giants passing attack ranked tenth in the league and they may benefit from “no fly zone” relying on their reputation.

Denver’s defense has improved vs the run compared to last year, but that may not play a factor...look at where the Giants rushing game ranks.

At the end of the day, the Denver Broncos are undefeated at home in 2017 and tonight’s game is in Denver.

#nfl #denver broncos #new york giants #sunday night football #afc west

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waterarcher8-blog · 5 years ago

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AFC Championship preview - Chiefs to freeze out Patriots?

The Kansas City Chiefs won their first playoff game for a quarter of a century when holding off the Indianapolis Colts 31-13 in the Divisional round last weekend and now get the chance to play for the trophy which bears the name of their founder, Lamar Hunt, who also started the league that eventually became the AFC.

The Chiefs have never won an AFC championship. Even though they appeared in two Super Bowl games – the first played after the 1966 season and the second after the 1969 season – in both cases they appeared in the game as the representative of the original AFL. The AFC didn’t come into being until the 1970 season.

They now face the New England Patriots, who are incredibly competing in their eighth straight AFC Championship game.

READ MORE: NFC Championship preview: Can Saints take advantage of Rams secondary?

READ MORE: Late TD the mentality Chiefs need to win Super Bowl, says Mahomes

READ MORE: Rhule explains why he snubbed Jets

The Chiefs are 8-1 at home this season, their only loss – a 28-29 defeat – coming at the hands of division rival Los Angeles Chargers in Week 15.

The Patriots, who knocked off the Chargers at home 41-28 in a game that was not as close as the score would suggest in last week’s Divisional round – are 3-5 on the road this season.

Chiefs are considered 3.0-point GentingBet handicap favourites at odds of 10/11, although they can also be backed at 3/4 to successfully concede 2.5 points on the handicap.

Patrick Mahomes leads the No.1 NFL offense who have scored 35.3 points per game on average

The Patriots, who lost a heartbreaker to the Philadelphia Eagles in last season’s finale, can still be supported at 7/2 to win Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta on February 3, while the Chiefs are 23/10 second favourites to win their first Vince Lombardi Trophy since beating the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV in January 1970.

It is also anticipated that this will be one of the coldest games in NFL history. A winter storm system, with plenty of snow, is expected to descend upon Kansas City, with temperatures at game-time on Sunday forecast to drop to anywhere from -8C to -17C.

Anyone who has ever attempted to catch a football in freezing temperatures knows that you have to be used to grabbing high-velocity rocks, so some may feel the odds-makers might be taking a chance at setting the under/over points-total line at 55.5 total points.

Their reasoning is perhaps the score of their first meeting this season in Foxboro, which resulted in a 43-40 Week 6 Patriots win.

Historically, New England does not have a great record when playing at Kansas City. They have lost seven of their eight trips in the Super Bowl era, but have been favoured in their 12 previous playoff games, which dates back to the 2013 AFC Championship. They were road underdogs against Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos and lost that particular game 26-16.

Tom Brady and Sony Michel will hope for a similar result as they got in Week 6

New England head coach Bill Belichick has a 6-2 record against Chiefs’ counterpart Andy Reid, who was 1-4 against Belichick while head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles – including a 24-21 loss to the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXIX (following the 2004 season) – but is 2-2 as Chiefs head coach, including a divisional round loss in Foxboro in the 2015 season. Reid is also 1-4 in Conference Championship games, which is an irritating itch on his CV.

Story continues

Belichick has coached 342 games (postseason included) and only seven times have his teams allowed 40 points or more. Three of those instances came at the expense of Reid’s offenses.

PATRIOTS OFFENSE vs CHIEFS DEFENSE

The much-maligned Chiefs’ defense caught something of a break against the Colts. They went into their Divisional Round clash conceding 132.1 yards per game on the ground (ranking 27th of the 32 teams in the league) and a third-worst 19 rushing touchdowns, yet their offense scored quickly and often. So, while they still allowed an eye-popping 6.2 yards a carry on the ground, they forced the Colts to get away from their ground game. Reid’s squad also controlled the clock with long, time-consuming drives.

With two weeks to prepare, defensive coordinator Bob Sutton produced the ideal game-plan and the Chiefs held the Colts to 263 net yards. Furthermore, they allowed no third-down conversions (0/9) against an elite quarterback in Andrew Luck, which is unprecedented. The Chiefs had also conceded 30 passing touchdowns going into the game.

Some may argue this was a one-off. Despite their 12-4 regular-season record, the Chiefs allowed 405.5 yards per game on average, which ranks 31st in the league, as does their pass offense, which conceded 273.4 yards per game.

The Arrowhead Stadium crowd is one of the loudest in the NFL and there was no doubt this was a disrupting factor last weekend, helping to account for the Colts’ awful job in managing third-down situations.

Patriots receiver Julian Edelman will be a handful for the Kansas City Chiefs defense

The Patriots boast the fourth-ranked offense in terms of points scored at an average of 27.2 per game, and fifth in total yards at 393.4 yards per game, and while they scored a total of 79 points in their last two games, both of those wins (over the Jets and Chargers) came at home.

It must be remembered that they have largely struggled on the road and posted just 10 points in losses at Detroit, Tennessee and Pittsburgh, none of whom made the playoffs. They also suffered defeats at Jacksonville and Miami, who both ended with losing records. In summary, they went 2-5 on the road against non-playoff teams, and their sole win on the road against a playoff team came against Wild Card losers Chicago.

New England quarterback Tom Brady had a great deal of help from his offensive line, who pushed around the much smaller Chargers’ defensive line last week and running back Sony Michel made his post-season debut a memorable one by rushing for 129 yards and scoring three touchdowns on 24 carries.

Brady picked apart the Chargers’ zone looks, consistently beating them with short, quick throws – mostly to Julian Edelman and James White – that consistently put the ball in his receivers’ hands in space. Indeed, 24 of his 34 competitions went to that pair.

Given the likely conditions, the running game, merely an extension of the Patriots’ short-passing game, will be crucial to the chances of Belichick and Brady reaching a ninth Super Bowl. Michel could be the difference-maker and the Patriots are 16/5 to win between 1-6 points inclusive.

Tyreek Hill has speed to burn and Mahomes will attempt to get him in space

For the Chiefs to advance, their defense needs to apply pressure up front. It is something they have done consistently this season and Brady can get rattled if he cannot get rid of the ball quickly. He was sacked a total of 10 times in the five road losses (from 21 in total), and the Chiefs were tied as league leaders in sacks.

Despite great protection last week, Andrew Luck was sacked three times and the Chiefs had plenty of pressure when they could not get to the Colts’ QB. More of the same is paramount.

CHIEFS OFFENSE vs PATRIOTS DEFENSE

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is 23 and Brady is 41. While they may be separated by 17 years in age and over 17 years in NFL experience, they have one thing in common – they are connected in the passing record book. For they are two of the three quarterbacks to throw 50 touchdown passes in a season, Brady in 2007 and Mahomes this term.

Second-year passer Mahomes was sacked the fifth-fewest times (26) in the regular season and leads the No.1 offense, who put up an average of 35.3 points per game and 425.6 yards per game.

He faces a Patriots’ defense that was ranked 22nd against the pass, allowing 264.4 yards per game, and a run defense that was ranked 11th (112.7ypg).

However, Brian Flores, who is in the running to become the new head coach of the Miami Dolphins, helped oversee a unit that allowed only 20.3 points per game (ranking 7th in the NFL) and showed improvement as the season wore on.

This bend-don’t-break defense will be severely tested. Travis Kelce is unlike any player in the league, in that he has a body of a tight end, but the skills of an elite receiver, while Tyreek Hill is a receiver who has speed to burn. He will be a threat in turning short to intermediate passes into big gains.

Yet perhaps the Chiefs’ biggest weapon this weekend will be former Dolphins’ rusher Damien Williams, who rushed for 129 yards at 5.2 yards per pop from 25 carries against the Colts. He also nabbed five catches for another 25 yards.

Travis Kelce is arguably the best tight end in the NFL and presents a major problem for the Patriots

Chiefs managed to put up 40 points and 446 yards on the road in their first meeting at Foxboro and the Patriots’ defensive numbers dip markedly in road games, where they conceded an average of 398.9 yards and 24 points per game.

Kansas City has managed to vanquish their post-season failings with that win, but the edge of experience is clearly with the Patriots, who are 13/10 to win. The Chiefs are 8/13 on the Moneyline and are as big as 9/2 to win by a margin of 7-12 points inclusive.

How each team handles the icy temperatures and likely slick field conditions is the great unknown for punters, however. For all the AFC Championship odds, click here.

Those seeking educated picks against the handicap spread may wish to take a look at Lindyssports.com, America’s leading football authority.

Watch live NFL action in your local Genting casino. Find your nearest casino here.

You must be 18+ in order to bet. Please bet responsibly. BeGambleaware.

Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/afc-championship-preview-chiefs-freeze-patriots-134018158.html?src=rss

#read more #see more #check it out #interesting #learn more

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pocketcost4-blog · 6 years ago

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AFC Championship preview - Chiefs to freeze out Patriots?

They now face the New England Patriots, who are incredibly competing in their eighth straight AFC Championship game.

READ MORE: NFC Championship preview: Can Saints take advantage of Rams secondary?

READ MORE: Late TD the mentality Chiefs need to win Super Bowl, says Mahomes

READ MORE: Rhule explains why he snubbed Jets

The Chiefs are 8-1 at home this season, their only loss – a 28-29 defeat – coming at the hands of division rival Los Angeles Chargers in Week 15.

The Patriots, who knocked off the Chargers at home 41-28 in a game that was not as close as the score would suggest in last week’s Divisional round – are 3-5 on the road this season.

Chiefs are considered 3.0-point GentingBet handicap favourites at odds of 10/11, although they can also be backed at 3/4 to successfully concede 2.5 points on the handicap.

Patrick Mahomes leads the No.1 NFL offense who have scored 35.3 points per game on average

Their reasoning is perhaps the score of their first meeting this season in Foxboro, which resulted in a 43-40 Week 6 Patriots win.

Tom Brady and Sony Michel will hope for a similar result as they got in Week 6

Story continues

Belichick has coached 342 games (postseason included) and only seven times have his teams allowed 40 points or more. Three of those instances came at the expense of Reid’s offenses.

PATRIOTS OFFENSE vs CHIEFS DEFENSE

Patriots receiver Julian Edelman will be a handful for the Kansas City Chiefs defense

Tyreek Hill has speed to burn and Mahomes will attempt to get him in space

Despite great protection last week, Andrew Luck was sacked three times and the Chiefs had plenty of pressure when they could not get to the Colts’ QB. More of the same is paramount.

CHIEFS OFFENSE vs PATRIOTS DEFENSE

Second-year passer Mahomes was sacked the fifth-fewest times (26) in the regular season and leads the No.1 offense, who put up an average of 35.3 points per game and 425.6 yards per game.

He faces a Patriots’ defense that was ranked 22nd against the pass, allowing 264.4 yards per game, and a run defense that was ranked 11th (112.7ypg).

Travis Kelce is arguably the best tight end in the NFL and presents a major problem for the Patriots

How each team handles the icy temperatures and likely slick field conditions is the great unknown for punters, however. For all the AFC Championship odds, click here.

Those seeking educated picks against the handicap spread may wish to take a look at Lindyssports.com, America’s leading football authority.

Watch live NFL action in your local Genting casino. Find your nearest casino here.

You must be 18+ in order to bet. Please bet responsibly. BeGambleaware.

Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/afc-championship-preview-chiefs-freeze-patriots-134018158.html?src=rss

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madpicks · 7 years ago

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New Post has been published on http://www.madpicks.com/daily-fantasy-sports/top-daily-fantasy-football-plays-saturdays-week-2-preseason-games/

Top daily fantasy football plays for Saturday’s Week 2 preseason games

MadPicks.com will be bringing you the top options on virtually all preseason slates through the end of August. There are eight games on the Saturday slate (Carolina-Tennessee is not available), so the options are a bit more wide open for DraftKings and FanDuel slates. As is always the case, keep an eye on Twitter throughout the day on gamedays, as injury and lineup news is always coming in prior to kickoff, turning popular plays into fades and lifting obscure plays into tournament-winning position.

Quarterback

DeSean Watson, Houston Texans vs. New England Patriots

Watson was everything fantasy players in Week 1 were hoping for, as he passed and ran his way to about 15 points in about 25 minutes of action. Watson could conceivably play an entire half in this game, and we saw last week what Jacksonville’s suspect offense did to the Patriots on the road. Things are lining up for a potentially monster outing from Watson, who could make a strong case to the Week 1 starter.

Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago Bears at Arizona Cardinals

Expectations were low for Trubisky in his professional opener against the Broncos last week, and he went out and reminded Bears fans what a competent, dynamic quarterback actually looks like. With a fine performance in his back pocket, Trubisky should play even more this week, against a defense that has made the likes of Kellen Moore look like a world beater two weeks ago.

Jimmy Garoppolo, Patriots at Texans

Tom Brady is expected to start against Houston, and might play about a quarter, maybe less. That should give Garoppolo somewhere in the neighborhood two quarters of playing time, which was similar to last week’s total, which led to a solid scoring line. Garoppolo also gets the benefit of facing the Texans’ backups on defense, which enhances his chances to be successful.

Drew Stanton, Cardinals vs. Bears

In the Hall of Fame Game, it was Blaine Gabbert who made the most of his opportunity, and we hyped Gabbert for last week’s slate, and he disappointed. Instead, it was Stanton who delivered a terrific performance against the Raiders. Suddenly, it’s Stanton who looks like the shoo-in for backup duties in Arizona and he is expected to be given the chance to further that claim tonight against the Bears.

C.J. Beathard, San Francisco 49ers vs. Denver Broncos

Two things that happened last week: Beathard looked pretty sharp against the Chiefs in the second half and Trubisky looked like an All-Pro against the Denver backups on defense. Tonight, Beathard gets his crack at the backups on the Denver defense. No one will be on Beathard, but the spot is a good one to surprise.

Running Back

Tarik Cohen, Bears at Cardinals

I loved Cohen last week and he showed why the Bears’ coaching staff loves him as well in his limited duty against Denver. The hope is that Cohen gets a longer look against Arizona, because he’s clearly the kind of back who can do damage, especially in PPR tournaments. I would have no hesitation going right back to him this week.

Kareem Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs at Cincinnati Bengals

Hunt was pretty much a bust last week against San Francisco, but the Chiefs are no less committed to him, and Charcandrick West certainly didn’t give any reason why he should be getting more reps than the rookie. The feeling is that Hunt will get a serious chance to carry the ball in this game and show off his talents, which puts him back on this list.

D’Onta Foreman, Texans vs. Patriots

Foreman delivered in a big way in the Texans’ opener last week with 82 yards on nine carries. We saw the Jags run all over the Patriots last week, especially with their back-up running backs. Foreman is in a battle with Alfred Blue for the No. 2 role on the Texans and should get another chance to make his case.

Jamaal Williams, Green Bay Packers at Washington

Check on the availability of Ty Montgomery in this one. If he doesn’t go, or is limited to a series or two, Williams is primed for a big night after working with the first team for much of the week while Montgomery was sidelined. The fourth-round pick had 14 yards on four carries last week, but with Monty iffy, the role could be expanded greatly in this one.

De’Angelo Henderson, Broncos at 49ers

Henderson led the Broncos last week in rushes (7) and yards (54) and added a touchdown. With Devontae Booker out with an injury, the carries should be there again this week against a 49ers defense that was atrocious against the run in 2016.

Wide Receiver

Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys vs. Indianapolis Colts

Much like Mike Evans in Week 1, this is one of those times where you plug in a starter, even though it’s likely he only plays one or two series, and watch the scoreboard light up. This is Bryant’s preseason debut and he has been extremely vocal about his determination to “put on a show” in this game. Bryant put up big numbers in his preseason debut last season, working with Dak Prescott in the quarterback’s coming out party against the Rams. It’s Dak and Dez again tonight, and Dez is practically begging you to put him in your lineup. Who are we to say no?

Phillip Dorsett, Colts at Cowboys

Dorsett was another of our preseason darlings in 2016 and he needs to be a darling this time around if he wants to stay prominent in the Colts’ receiving rotation. T.Y. Hilton is expected to start and he’s another potential candidate as a starter who maximizes his limited snaps, but Dorsett is where we want to focus here, as he needs this game for his own future. With Chester Rogers out with an injury, Dorsett is expected to soak up extra plays.

Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams at Oakland Raiders

Sammy Watkins is expected to play in his Rams debut, but it should be a short stint. That keeps the door open for Kupp, who got a lucky touchdown last week by falling on a fumble in the end zone. Hey, six points are six points, and Kupp demonstrated that he’s can be a weapon in this offense with a pair of catches for 35 yards. He has sneaky upside here.

Austin Carr, Patriots at Texans

Carr and Devin Lucein were the two receivers expected to make the most noise for the Patriots this preseason, but it was Carr who was the star in Week 1 against Jacksonville. Carr made five catches on seven targets for 44 yards and a touchdown. Lucien can still be a factor, but Carr was clearly the better receiver last week and gets the nod here.

Aldrick Robinson, Kendrick Bourne, 49ers vs. Broncos

The Legend of Aldrick Robinson continued again last week. If they ever build a Preseason Hall of Fame somewhere near Canton, Robinson goes in on the first ballot. He lit up the Chiefs last week for 83 yards on two catches, and until someone stops him, he has to be in consideration. But the other 49ers receiver worth a look is Bourne, who had a team-high seven targets last week, catching four for 88 yards and a touchdown.

Tight End

Troy Niklas, Cardinals vs. Bears

The only thing holding Niklas back in his career has been injures, but he’s healthy now, has looked good in two games this preseason and had a touchdown last week. He’s going to continue to get work as the Cardinals want him to be a big part of their offense this season. Another touchdown could make him the tight end play of the night.

Martellus Bennett, Packers at Washington

There was a lot of talk this week about Bennett and Aaron Rodgers wanting to get reps together to work on their chemistry. If they do it on the field this weekend, there’s a decent chance Bennett finds the end zone.

#Daily Fantasy Sports #NFL

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junker-town · 3 years ago

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5 winners and 3 losers from Week 4 in the NFL

Photo by Harry How/Getty Images

This version of the Cardinals is different, and very special.

I’m drinking the Cardinals Kool-Aid, big time. I’ve been warned against falling for its intoxicating scent. Given reason not to give in to its sweet promises. But dammit, at this point I’m willing to take a big swig, even if it kills me.

After the first week of the season I noticed this was a very, very different Cardinals team to the past. There have been established expectations for Arizona that existed long before the Kliff Kingsbury era. They established themselves as a team that lived or died by the pass, with almost nothing else to show for it. There are times this approach has worked well, like the 2008 team that made the Super Bowl — but what is often forgotten about that team is just how average they were.

Kurt Warner having one last run made for a heck of a story, but this was a really bad team propped up by a hell of a playoff run. The Cardinals went 9-7, in the regular season, had the worst rushing attack in the NFL, and a defense that was in the bottom third of every statistical area. The narrow loss to Pittsburgh for the Lombardi Trophy was the absolute maximum juice that could ever be squeezed out of that orange.

We know that Kingsbury’s approach was bold. He was taking the Air Raid offense and porting it over to the NFL, and for a while it seemed destined to follow in the path of other bold offensive choices that flourished, before fizzling and failing.

Now in 2021 it’s working, or it would be if this was a true Air Raid. Calling what Arizona is doing by any label would be inaccurate, because they’re absolutely unique. Sure, the bread-and-butter of the offense is overwhelming teams through the air with a host of weapons, but the running game has increasingly become a focal point — and it’s been trending this way for a couple of years.

The concept that the Cardinals are marked by Kyler Murray throwing 50 times a game is definitely true at times, but not in 2021. Rather, they’ve been remarkably balanced. Murray has thrown the ball 134 times this season, while the team has run the ball 114 times. This near-parity has positioned Arizona as 19th in the NFL in passing attempts, and 11th in rushing attempts.

This offensively balance was on full display against the Rams, who really didn’t have an answer defensively for the Kingsbury approach. Now with a 1-2 punch of Chase Edmonds and James Conner at running back as their shifty and power back respectively, there are just infinite ways this Arizona offense can attack you — and this season they’ve finally found a defense that’s good enough to get the job done as well.

A win over the Rams is of extra significance to Cardinals fans, who have seen this team struggle so much against Los Angeles in recent years that it’s their Moby Dick. Entering the game on Sunday Arizona had never beaten the Sean McVay led Rams, with an 0-8 record against them. Now sure, 1-8 isn’t much better — but that’s a very important symbol. In doing so it’s also catapulted Murray into potential MVP conversation, even though the season is young.

In four games Murray has been, well, incredible. He’s thrown for 1,273 yards, which projects to well over 5,000 on the year. While his 9 TD to 4 INT ratio is good, but perhaps not incredible — it’s really two other statistics that jump out to me. Murray is completing a ludicrous 76.1 percent of his passes, while converting at yard-per-attempt of 9.5. Keep in mind that averaging over 8.0 is normally a sign of an elite quarterback, and this number is just astonishingly good.

Oh, have we mentioned he can run too? 109 rushing yards for three touchdowns this season. Nothing to exactly write home about, but he’s also been incredibly efficient on the ground when needed — averaging 4.7 yard-per-carry.

What this means in totality is that Murray makes everyone’s life so much easier because he’s locking down an entire phase of the game. It’s meant that the defense doesn’t need to be in world-beating form, just enough of a speed bump that it’s impossible to hang with a team averaging 35 points a game and succeeding against everyone they’ve faced.

Now at 4-0 and coming off a big divisional win over Los Angeles I’m ready to double down on the Cardinals this season. They are that damn good, and this could be their best season ever.

Winner: Dallas Cowboys

It’s not like beating the Panthers is some huge statement game that solidifies the Cowboys in the NFL elite, but there’s a trend to this 3-1 team that’s worth following: Their offense is extremely good, and very difficult for teams to manage. Dallas hasn’t really had an easy “gimme” game this season so far, and they’re still on the right side of the ledger.

Time will tell whether their offensive explosion against Carolina is an indictment of their defense just not being as good as we thought, or if it’s a case of how good the Cowboys’ offense is — but either way this was an important win to take a grip on the NFC East.

In the next four weeks Dallas plays the Giants, Patriots, Vikings and Cowboys — which could absolutely position them at 7-1 as they reach the halfway point in the season.

Loser: Tennessee Titans

If you lose to the Jets you’re a loser of the week. I don’t make the rules around here, I just enforce them.

Winner: The Panthers and Broncos

This was a major statement week for both teams who entered Sunday at 3-0, but neither of whom really had an actual test. When the dust settles I think fans of both teams should remain pretty excited about their teams.

Carolina definitely made mistakes on Sunday, and their defense was exposed by Ezekiel Elliott — but without Christian McCaffery on offense the team still made this a one score game. Assuming McCaffery isn’t out too long there’s every chance this team can get back on track and continue to surprise this season.

Meanwhile the Broncos deserve plenty of props too. The scoreboard might not appear too favorable, but Denver was able to hang very close to Baltimore up until Teddy Bridgewater was forced out with a concussion. The game got away from them after that point, and it became clear a comeback wasn’t in the cards, because Drew Lock is terrible, but this is another case where I think Denver can move past this and put together a good season.

Even if 2021 isn’t the year in Carolina or Denver, both teams are showing that they’re trending in the right direction.

Loser: Urban Meyer

‘Nuff said really. You can find the video, I’m sure.

Winner: Patrick Mahomes

The Chiefs are a bit of a mess this season if we’re all being honest. Defensively Kansas City has been one of the worst teams in the NFL, and when that side of the ball is so bad that Mahomes can’t bail you out, well, you know there’s trouble.

That aside, we can’t just ignore a player throwing five touchdowns — even if it meant just a 12 point win over the Eagles, who are lost and confused this season.

I don’t think the Chiefs have it in 2021. There are just too many issues on defense to imagine this team making a playoff run in a division with the Raiders, Chargers and Broncos (who are better than expected), and I just realized that’s an actual sentence that I said, and not as a joke.

This is all so wild. This season rules.

Loser: Everyone who sat through the Patriots vs. Buccaneers broadcast

The game between Tampa Bay and New England was fantastic. Easily one of the best of the weekend — and it was absolutely ruined by how far the hyperbole in this match was pushed.

Every Patriots series we heard Cris Collinsworth talk about what a win over Tom Brady would mean to Mac Jones. Whenever Brady made a throw there was a cut away to show him warming up before the game, walking into the stadium or hugging Robert Kraft.

Then, just when you thought “this game is so great we don’t need to rely on Jones vs. Brady being a thing,” NBC played this video of Patriots fans leaving voicemails about Brady like it was call in radio, and it was awful. People saying they felt like Tom betrayed them, others saying watching him win a ring in Tampa was tantamount to seeing an ex get married.

Jesus Christ people, dude gave you unparalleled success for 20 damn years. Chill maybe.

Anyway, Mac Jones was good. The Patriots have a solid foundation, the Buccaneers are still the dangerous — and we just didn’t need any of this.

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thegloober · 6 years ago

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Three Key Matchups: Chiefs vs. Broncos

Before the season began, no one was entirely sure what to expect from Kansas City. The Chiefs were turning the offensive reins over to a second-year quarterback with a gunslinger streak and had a defense with more holes than a wheel of Swiss cheese.

Now, Andy Reid‘s group are the darlings of the NFL and Patrick Mahomes is turning into a star. Kansas City heads into Week 4 as just one of the league’s three unbeaten teams.

Up to this point, most of the country has only seen the Chiefs’ offensive fireworks through highlights. Now, they get to step into the national spotlight with a showdown against AFC West rival Denver (2-1) on Monday Night Football.

Kansas City has won the last five meetings with the Broncos, including three straight at Mile High.

What do the Chiefs need to have happen to keep that streak alive in Mahomes’ ESPN coming out party? Glad you asked.

Kareem Hunt vs. Expectations

Exactly one year ago, fantasy owners who had taken a chance on Kansas City’s third-round pick were fist pumping all over the place. The Toledo product had exploded for 538 total yards and six touchdowns during the Chiefs first three games.

This year, things are a little bit different. Fantasy owners who hitched their team’s fortunes to Hunt aren’t quite as angry as, say, those with Arizona’s David Johnson, but they’re not happy either.

The reigning rushing champion currently sits 17th in the league with 168 yards. Just as concerning, he’s caught only one ball–albeit for a score–after hauling in 53 passes last year. He’s at least managed to notch three touchdowns.

Heading into the season, there was some concern that Hunt might be heading for a sophomore slump. The reasoning at the time was that teams would gear up to stop the second-year back, at least until Mahomes proved that he could handle defenses that had game planned for him.

Well, that happened in the first half of the Chiefs first game, and Hunt has still been bottled up. Some of that is scheme. It’s stating the obvious to say that Reid’s offense looks different with Mahomes under center than it did with Alex Smith.

With teams forced to pay attention to all of Kansas City’s receiving threats, there should be running lanes that open up. So far, though, Hunt hasn’t hit holes with much authority. After a rookie season where he became known for explosive running plays, his longest gain through three weeks is 16 yards.

Hunt went through a slump during his first campaign, so there’s no reason to believe that he won’t get it going at some point. It would be fun, though, to see what the Chiefs offense looks like with Hunt fully joining the party.

Von Miller vs. Mitchell Schwartz

Over his illustrious career, Miller has proven to be one of the best pass rushers in the NFL. There has been only one season where the former first-round pick hasn’t totaled double-digit sacks, and that was because of injuries.

Already this season, the Broncos linebacker has four sacks in three games. That has him tied for the league lead.

Denver’s star defender hasn’t had as much success against Kansas City since Schwartz came over as a free agent from Cleveland in 2016. With the exception of a three sack performance in their second matchup, the Chiefs’ right guard has held his own against Miller.

In fact, that one game accounts for all of the linebackers’ sacks against Kansas City since Schwartz took over at right tackle. Miller was on the field for Mahomes first start in last year’s meaningless Week 17 game but managed just a single hit on the young quarterback.

Even Reid and the Chiefs are looking forward to the battle.

One of Andy Reid’s favorite features of the twice-annual meetings between the Chiefs and Broncos are the matchups between Kansas City right tackle Mitchell Schwartz and Denver outside linebacker Von Miller. It’s a fun matchup to watch,’’ Reid said…. https://t.co/ge8hs3rNv3

— Adam Teicher (@adamteicher) September 27, 2018

The Broncos feature one of the league’s top rushing attacks, plus the Mitch Schwartz-Von Miller battle.

🔑 @ChiefsReporter’s Key #KCvsDEN Matchups pic.twitter.com/MTkyxQfGuy

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) September 28, 2018

If Denver wants to join the Chiefs atop the AFC West, they’ll need Miller to play up to his reputation.

Phillip Lindsay vs. Bob Sutton’s Swiss Cheese

The preseason concerns over Kansas City’s defense were not overstated. Through three weeks, defensive coordinator Bob Sutton‘s group is giving up an average of 466.7 yards and more than 31 points per game. That’s, um, not good.

At this point, Sutton is the biggest Mahomes fan in the world, since the quarterback has saved him repeatedly.

Most of the damage against the Chiefs, though, has come through the air. Kansas City is only allowing an average of 3.6 yards per carry and 77.7 yards a game on the ground. Of course, when your defensive backs are giving up boatloads of receptions there’s really no reason for teams to bother running.

The Case Keenum-era has not quite gotten off to the start that John Elway was hoping for. The Broncos’ main free agent signing has a quarterback rating of 71.6 and has thrown five interceptions.

Denver’s ground game has been solid, though, with rookies Lindsay and Royce Freeman forming a nice one-two punch. The duo has amassed 350 rushing yards, with a 5.1 yards per carry average.

Broncos head coach Vance Joseph rose through the coaching ranks on the defensive side of the ball. He knows that one of the best ways to keep Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, and Sammy Watkins from lighting up the Mile High scoreboard is to keep the ball away from them.

Given the first three games, it’s entirely possible that Keenum will suddenly be able to consistently get the ball to Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders with the Chiefs in town. Actually, the more accurate word might be “likely.”

However, Keenum is the weakest quarterback that Kansas City has faced so far. The Chiefs need their front seven to keep the Broncos’ rookies from keeping the chains moving. The more chances that Keenum has to attack Kansas City’s defensive backs, the better he’s going to end up looking.

At the very least, stopping Denver’s rushing attack might take the pressure off of the Chiefs offense to keep scoring more than 30 points every game.

Source: https://bloghyped.com/three-key-matchups-chiefs-vs-broncos/

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investmart007 · 6 years ago

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Tom Brady vs. Jaguars is one-sided confrontation

New Post has been published on https://www.stl.news/tom-brady-vs-jaguars-is-one-sided-confrontation/170529/

Tom Brady vs. Jaguars is one-sided confrontation

If there’s ever going to be a changing of the guard in the AFC, then Sunday’s visit to Jacksonville by the Patriots would seem a perfect time.

Except when you look at the numbers that say Tom Brady doesn’t lose to the Jaguars.

Ever.

Jacksonville had a 10-point lead at New England in the second half of the AFC championship game last January when Brady worked his magic, helped mightily by the Jaguars’ discomfort being so close to making the Super Bowl. It shouldn’t have been a surprise in this matchup: Brady now is 8-0 against the Jags, the only AFC team without a win against the five-time Super Bowl champion and three-time league MVP. He has 19 TDs and two interceptions against Jacksonville while completing more than 70 percent of his passes for more than 1,800 yards.

So solving Brady, as it is for most teams, is a must for Jacksonville in this battle of opening-game winners that could wind up pivotal for the AFC playoffs.

“It’s going to be an emotional environment,” Brady said. “I think everyone, whenever you play some of the best teams, you want to see where you’re measured up to, and that defense has been ranked very high all last year, and I could see why. We practiced against them. They were very good. They’ve got a lot of very talented players — some of the guys that are probably the best at their position. So, it’s going to be a great environment for football.”

Brady has 224 career wins, one shy of the NFL record held by kicker Adam Vinatieri, whose Colts are at Washington.

Jacksonville could be short-handed in a key area: running back Leonard Fournette has hamstring issues, and the Jags need a strong running game to keep Brady on the sideline.

T.J. Yeldon would get the start if Fournette can’t go.

“He has always been good,” coach Doug Marrone says of Yeldon. “I think he is more explosive. He’s stronger. He’s elusive. I think he can carry a load of carries.”

The weekend began with Cincinnati’s 34-23 home victory over Baltimore. Andy Dalton threw four touchdown passes in the first half — three to A.J. Green — to help the Bengals improve to 2-0. The Ravens are 1-1.

Philadelphia (1-0) at Tampa Bay (1-0)

One reason the Eagles had the NFC’s best record in 2017 was a 6-2 road mark. They were sloppy yet victorious in their opener at home against Atlanta and haven’t played since Sept. 6. Nick Foles gets the call at quarterback again with Carson Wentz still not ready, though Philly’s running game with Jay Ajayi, who had two touchdowns last week, and strong defense could decide things.

The Buccaneers come off an impressive upset win at New Orleans in which Ryan Fitzpatrick showed why he has been a quality fill-in passer for years. He threw for a career-best 417 yards, four TDs, and had no interceptions against the Saints. He also scored a rushing TD.

FitzMagic indeed.

Kansas City (1-0) at Pittsburgh (0-0-1)

As ugly as the Steelers’ performance was in the rain in Cleveland, that’s how pretty Chiefs fan think their team’s work was in Los Angeles.

But this is a nightmare matchup for KC: The Steelers have won seven of the last eight vs. the Chiefs, who are 0-6 in Pittsburgh since 1986. Plus, the Steelers are 15-2 in home openers at Heinz Field.

Two of the NFL’s most dynamic wideouts go at it here: All-Pro Antonio Brown for Pittsburgh, WR-KR Tyreek Hill for Kansas City. Don’t take your eyes off the field.

Minnesota (1-0) at Green Bay (1-0)

Right up until kickoff, the fans at Lambeau Field will be holding their breath to see if Aaron Rodgers can go. Green Bay is in massive trouble if he can’t, as last week’s heroic performance by A-Rod in the comeback victory over Chicago showed.

“Yeah, well, you know he walks on water, so I’m sure he’s going to play,” Minnesota coach Mike Zimmer said.

The Vikings aren’t the Bears and won’t likely be playing passively if they get a lead. Not with that dynamic defense that handed Jimmy Garoppolo his first pro defeat in the opener.

Carolina (1-0) at Atlanta (0-1)

Not only did the Falcons falter in Philly in their opener, they had two significant long-term injuries with safety Keanu Neal and linebacker Deion Jones. The defense kept them in the Eagles game while Matt Ryan struggled. Sure, he completed 10 passes for 169 yards to Julio Jones, but Ryan generally was off the mark.

Carolina has its own injury woes, losing star TE Greg Olsen with a foot problem. Its defense was super stingy against Dallas, with LB Luke Kuechly in on 13 tackles.

Miami (1-0) at New York Jets (1-0)

Barring a tie — and we all know those never happen in the NFL, right? — one of these teams will be a surprising 2-0 Sunday night.

The Dolphins come off the longest NFL game since the 1970 merger, outlasting Tennessee in 7 hours, 8 minutes, including 3:59 in multiple weather delays. RB Frank Gore has 14,087 career yards rushing and needs 15 to surpass the Jets’ greatest runner, Curtis Martin (14,101), for fourth place on the NFL’s list.

Sam Darnold threw a pick-6 on his first pro attempt, then reversed things with aplomb at Detroit. The Jets’ defense deserves the highest accolades for making Matthew Stafford look like an inept rookie, something Darnold didn’t resemble beyond that opening pass.

Cleveland (0-0-1) at New Orleans (0-1) Oh yeah, they do have ties, which for the Browns is a monumental achievement considering they lost all 16 games in 2017 and were 1-15 the previous year. Oddly, the Browns overwhelmingly lead this series 13-4, winning five of the last six meetings.

WR Michael Thomas had a Saints single-game record 16 catches last week for 180 yards and a score. Drew Brees will target him often, sometimes against rookie Denzel Ward, who had two picks of Ben Roethlisberger in the opener.

Arizona (0-1) at Los Angeles Rams (1-0)

All seven of the new head coaches lost last week, none more distressingly than Arizona’s Steve Wilks at home against Washington. QB Sam Bradford, the top overall draft choice by the Rams in 2010, now is the Cardinals’ starter, and he has an all-time great receiver in Larry Fitzgerald. Yet Arizona was outclassed in its first game for Wilks.

No such problems for the Rams, who looked strong in all phases at Oakland. A worry, though, is losing All-Pro kick returner Pharoh Cooper to an ankle injury.

Oakland (0-1) at Denver (1-0)

The glow from the return of Jon Gruden as coach will fade into the Mile High air if the Raiders put forth another mediocre showing in this bitter rivalry. Oakland struggled in the second half in falling to the Rams, with only TE Jared Cook a consistent positive with nine catches for a career-best 180 yards. The defense clearly missed Khalil Mack.

Von Miller was a terror against Seattle: Miller had three sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. He’s one of three active players (Robert Quinn, Terrell Suggs) with two career games with at least three sacks and two forced fumbles.

In all, Jon Gruden’s teams are 1-9 against the Broncos, with the one win coming in Oakland in 2001.

Indianapolis (0-1) at Washington (1-0)

The last time Frank Reich coached in a game that counted, he helped Philly win a Super Bowl. His Colts blew a big lead at home to Cincinnati, but at least Andrew Luck is back behind center. And Luck likes the look of Redskins burgundy: He threw for 370 yards, five TDs and one interception in his only previous game vs. Washington.

RB Adrian Peterson moved into 10th place all-time in rushing yards after gaining 96 last week at Arizona. Washington’s defense was stout and ranks second overall.

Houston (0-1) at Tennessee (0-1)

After their long, weather-related wait to eventually lose in Miami, and a right elbow injury to Marcus Mariota, the Titans could use a boost in a key early season AFC South game. Mariota should play for new coach Mike Vrabel, who was an assistant in Houston the last four years under Bill O’Brien.

The Texans have won nine of the last 12 against Tennessee, and O’Brien is 6-2 against the Titans. Houston lost at New England last week, but kept things close.

L.A. Chargers (0-1) at Buffalo (0-1)

So, first-round pick Josh Allen will start and hope to avoid another debacle after the 47-3 defeat at Baltimore. Allen will have a long leash. Remember, Buffalo’s other QB, Nathan Peterman, threw five first-half interceptions in his start against the Chargers last year. He was just about as bad against the Ravens.

The Chargers have won three straight and 17 of the past 22 meetings. They outscored the Bills by 113-44 in those three victories.

Detroit (0-1) at San Francisco (0-1)

It’s impossible to fathom Stafford being as awful again. He threw four picks, one returned for a touchdown by the Jets. His passes were off the mark most of the game.

Now that 49ers QB Garoppolo has lost a game, maybe the expectations in the Bay Area can be tamped down a bit. Keep a watch out for DL DeForest Buckner (2 1/2 sacks at Minnesota) and LB Fred Warner, who led all rookies with 12 tackles last week and forced a fumble.

New York Giants (0-1) at Dallas (0-1)

Easy to understand why the NFL keeps scheduling this matchup in prime time and why the broadcasting network loves it: big audiences. This year’s faceoff doesn’t have all that much charm considering both teams stumbled, particularly with the ball, in losing openers.

Of prime interest will be the running backs, second overall pick Saquon Barkley, who excited Giants fans with his 68-yard TD burst in his debut, and Dallas star Zeke Elliott.

Seattle (0-1) at Chicago (0-1), Monday night So the two night games in the second week of the schedule feature a combined record of 0-4. YAWN!

Both teams lost close ones on the road, with the Bears infamously blowing a 20-point lead at Green Bay to a hobbled Rodgers. Seattle gave up 475 yards at Denver and the usually slippery Russell Wilson was sacked six times.

By BARRY WILNER , Associated Press

#Adam Vinatieri #barry wilner #England #Jacksonville #jaguars' discomfort #sided confrontation #Super Bowl #TodayNews #Tom Brady

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plantsindubai · 7 years ago

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Broncos' historic offense vs Seahawks' immovable defense 2014

ou're underrating the Denver Broncos' offense. Indeed, you. I couldn't care less your identity. You may be somebody who views orange as an essential shading, welcomed Steve Atwater to your wedding, and has been screwed over thanks to pooches named Cutler and Tebow throughout recent years. You, resolute Broncos fan, are most likely disparaging exactly how great Denver's offense truly is. On Sunday, you will watch the last diversion from what may be the best offense in NFL history. The main issue, Denver fans, is that you may likewise be watching them play a standout amongst other protections in NFL history, as well. To begin with, how about we begin with these Broncos. All it takes is a gander at the history books to find that the Broncos have a standout amongst the most beneficial offenses ever. Denver scored 606 points1 this year, making it the establishing individual from the NFL's 600 Club. No other group is inside 16 purposes of that aggregate. At 37.9 focuses per diversion, the Broncos arrived at the midpoint of a greater number of focuses per challenge than any group since Peyton Manning's new kid on the block year of 1950, when the Rams and Norm Van Brocklin found the middle value of 38.8 focuses per amusement. In the event that you need to state they're simply the best post-Truman offense, that appears to be OK, as well. The issue with those crude numbers is that we're playing in a time of especially high scoring. NFL groups arrived at the midpoint of 23.4 focuses per amusement this season, more than some other year allied history. Also, when you take a gander at the rundown of groups with the most focuses in a solitary season, four of the main six seasons have a place with groups from 2011 (the Packers and Saints), 2012 (Patriots), or 2013. Those were extraordinary offenses, however the most ideal approach to judge an offense is by what it did in connection to its companions. We can't send Van Brocklin and Co. forward 63 years in time, yet by estimating how much preferable they were over alternate offenses in football amid the 1950 battle, and running similar checks for each other group since 1940, we can put their execution in setting and ship that to 2013. What's more, that will give us the best thought of where these Broncos stand truly. Goodness My Golly As specified before, the Broncos scored a bigger number of focuses than any other person in football this year. There are a few years when some individual simply happens to complete first among a gathering of three or four groups that all generally perform at a similar level. In 2005, for instance, only 13 focuses isolated the principal (Seattle, 452) and second-positioned offenses (Indianapolis, 439) in the class, with three more groups inside 21 purposes of Indy. I don't believe Seattle's offense was considerably superior to Indianapolis' that year, in spite of the way that it completed to begin with, given that the distinction between the two groups adds up to short of what one point for every diversion. That is not exactly the situation with the 2013 Broncos, who are only a minor piece facilitate in front of the pack. Denver's offense scored, as specified prior, 606 focuses. Simply behind it, in second place, were the Chicago Bears, who scored … 445 focuses. That is foolish. How ridiculous? You pick a reason! 1. Denver could have quit scoring after its 35-28 win against the Chiefs in Week 13 and spent the last a month of the standard season conveying pizzas, despite everything it would have driven the association in scoring by 19 focuses. 2. Keeping an eye on and Co. had the same number of 50-point diversions (three) as whatever is left of the class joined. 3. The Broncos found the middle value of 37.9 focuses per diversion. No other group was inside 10 focuses per session of their normal. 4. Those Bears arrived at the midpoint of 27.8 focuses per diversion, 10.1 focuses per challenge far from Denver. They were nearer to the 30th-positioned offense of Tampa Bay (18.0 focuses per diversion) than they were to Denver.

It's not by any stretch of the imagination precise to state the Broncos drove the NFL in scoring. Denver was truly in its own universe, and afterward there were 31 different groups playing football. A superior method to quantify the contrast between the Broncos and whatever is left of the class is by communicating their point add up to as a standard score, which measures what number of standard deviations a given information point is finished or under the normal of the considerable number of information focuses in the example. Here's an outline of the institutionalized scores for each group's point add up to in 2013, on account of Grantland diagramming wear Kirk Goldsberry. The Broncos are gliding out in space, miles from the peons and people on foot around whatever is left of the alliance. Denver's offense was 3.3 standard deviations over the mean a year ago. That is unnerving. Given an ordinary distribution,2 you would expect around 0.1 percent of NFL offenses to be in excess of three standard deviations over the mean. Also, the cool thing, obviously, is that you can utilize standard score to contextualize each and every group's execution against whatever remains of its class and utilize that to think about groups crosswise over times. Things being what they are, there are three different offenses since 1940 that have been three standard deviations over the mean. None of them can coordinate with the Broncos, whose standard score recommends they have the best offense in the historical backdrop of the National Football League. Here are the best offenses in NFL history by standard score and what their numbers would mean in the 16-diversion hostile condition of 2013:

YearTeamActual PAPPGStd Score2013 Adj PA2013 Adj PPG 2013Broncos60637.93.3260637.9 2001Rams50331.43.1059036.9 199449ers50531.63.0758936.8 2007Patriots58936.83.0358636.6 1999Rams52632.92.8657435.9 199349ers47329.62.8157035.6 1997Broncos47229.52.7056335.2 1983Washington54133.82.6455834.9 1998Vikings55634.82.6155734.8 2012Patriots55734.82.6055634.7

This is a significantly more illustrative rundown of incredible offenses. A group like the 1993-94 49ers, who commanded in a time when groups just found the middle value of 19.5 focuses per diversion, is appropriately knock up the graphs in spite of a mediocre crude measure of focuses scored. It's still solely centered around groups from the previous 20 years — there are a couple of blasts from the past that appear in the following 10 groups, the previously mentioned 1950 Rams among them — which I'm speculating is firmly connected to the way that the greater part of these groups were worked around a prevailing passing game.3 The most effortless approach to lap the association is to toss the ball extremely well. Timetable D Is there motivation to believe that standard score may misrepresent the 2013 Broncos? Incidentally, there's one extremely evident factor. Scoring offense doesn't represent a group of things,4 yet the least complex missing segment is the nature of the resistance. And keeping in mind that the Denver offense influenced everybody in its way to look vulnerable this year, those safeguards were truly terrible when the Broncos weren't on the field, as well; Denver confronted the class' third-most effortless slate of protections this year, with just Washington and Kansas City getting a charge out of less demanding ways to the end zone. The awful news is that we don't have quality of-plan information for every offense backpedaling to 1940. Fortunately the majority of the groups in our main 10 have become an integral factor in the course of recent years, and DVOA — a superior metric than focuses scored or the subsequent standard score — additionally happens to exist over that time allotment. DVOA thinks about a group's execution to the normal subsequent to altering for the down, separate, diversion circumstance, and, essentially, the nature of restriction. DVOA doesn't abruptly transform the Broncos into an average offense, clearly, yet it takes a portion of the breeze out of Denver's sails. The Broncos still posted the association's best hostile DVOA this year at 33.7 percent, yet second-put San Diego is nearer to Denver than it is to seventh-put Philadelphia. Furthermore, as far as their situation on history, the Broncos won't appreciate what DVOA needs to state; while the metric just revisits the 1989 crusade, it recommends that the 2013 Broncos are the 6th best offense of the past quarter century. The 2007 Patriots complete on the DVOA rankings, proposing that the 16-0 Tom Brady offense was the best assault on a play-by-play premise over the time period being referred to. Denver's offense, as indicated by standard score and scoring offense, rates out as the best aggregate offense in any season. In either case, we're likely getting excessively picky here; if the 2013 Broncos aren't the best offense allied history, they're without a doubt some place in the main five. It's the best assault Peyton Manning's at any point drove, and conceivably the most fearsome scoring machine you've ever observed. No doubt, So? The Broncos won't be up against any normal barrier on Sunday, either. The Seahawks' barrier didn't get a similar number of awards or set records a similar way the Denver offense did in 2013, yet it's not precisely missing for great exhibitions. Seattle permitted an alliance low 231 focuses this year, with contradicting groups scoring only 14.4 focuses per amusement against Richard Sherman and Co. That is a decent number any year, however it looks surprisingly better with regards to the most elevated scoring season allied history; Seattle cut nine focuses per amusement off the normal offense's yield this year. It drove the group in protective DVOA, Simple Rating System, and AdvancedNFLStats' Team Efficiency. We can put Seattle's execution into setting a similar manner by which we investigated the Broncos' offense to see where the Seahawks stack up verifiably. Utilizing an indistinguishable approach from before,5 the numbers recommend that the Seahawks were 2.2 standard deviations below6 the mean. That is not exactly as ludicrous as Denver's 2013 season, but rather despite everything it figures out how to fly up as a standout amongst the most noteworthy protective crusades ever. Here are the main 10 cautious exhibitions in NFL history by standard score, and what their numbers would mean in 2013:

YearTeamActual PAPPGStd Score2013 Adj PA2013 Adj PPG 2006Ravens20112.6-2.7119812.4 2002Buccaneers19612.3-2.7019812.4 1995Chiefs24115.1-2.5820612.9 1970Vikings14310.2-2.4621413.4 1994Browns20412.8-2.3522113.8 1985Bears19812.4-2.2922514.1 1986Bears18711.7-2.2922514.1 2000Ravens16510.3-2.2223014.4 1988Bears21513.4-2.2023114.4 2013Seahawks23114.4-2.2023114.4

Some non-Seahawks musings: • The 2006 Ravens? No doubt, they were superior to anything you recollect. They held restricting groups to 12.6 focuses per amusement in an association where the normal group permitted 20.7 focuses per challenge. They went 13-3, yet lost in the playoffs to the possible Super Bowl champion Colts without permitting a touchdown; Indy won 15-6 out of an amusement where it recuperated every one of the five of the bobbles that hit the ground and picked off Steve McNair twice in the red zone. Baltimore sent six players to the Pro Bowl that year, including every one of their four beginning linebackers. • The 1995 Chiefs, trust it or not, lost their first playoff diversion to the Colts in a 10-7 issue, with Indianapolis recuperating each of the five of the amusement's bobbles. • The 1970 Vikings are the great case of a group that should be balanced for the setting in which it played. They were magnificent — you don't hold groups to a little more than 10 focuses without being quite unfathomable — however they were playing in a class where the normal group scored 19.3 focuses per diversion. They likewise lost in their first playoff diversion notwithstanding holding the best offense in football (San Francisco) to 17 focuses and delivering a guarded touchdown on a bumble return. • The best protection in the historical backdrop of football over a multiyear extend, it appears to be really clear, are those mid-'80s Bears groups. None of these guards were flukes, yet putting three groups in the best 10 is genuinely stunning. • The 2013 Panthers barrier completed with the twentieth best standard score allied history. I need to concede I was somewhat amazed at exactly how well Seattle's protection positions generally; I knew they were the best barrier in football, yet I didn't understand they were very this great. Similarly just like the case with the Broncos, DVOA uncovers more about the Seahawks. The Seahawks' crude numbers are likewise expanded some by their slate of adversaries, as Seattle had the second-simplest calendar of contradicting offenses in football. Indeed, even in the wake of calculating that in, the Seahawks' resistance posted the seventh-best DVOA since 1989. Factor in Seattle's execution on offense and unique groups, and the 40.1 percent add up to DVOA the Seahawks posted over all aspects of the diversion abandons them as the fifth-best group of the previous 25 years. Denver's underneath normal resistance drives its general execution out of the best 10. In this way, the numbers recommend we're taking a gander best case scenario offense ever versus one of the 10 best safeguards ever.

#fairy gardens ideas #air plants terrarium #succulent plants for sale #cactus house plants #terrarium

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yahoo-shutdown-corner-blog · 7 years ago

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NFL playoff picture heading into Christmas and Week 17 finale

yahoo

Heading into the two games on Monday and the Week 17 finale’s full slate on Dec. 31, there will be a mad scramble for the final two wild-card spots in the AFC.

Meanwhile in the NFC, the South division crown is still up for grabs along with the final wild-card spot.

The Seattle Seahawks stayed in the playoff hunt in the NFC with a road victory against Dallas, a win that eliminated the Cowboys. (AP)

A look at the picture:

AFC

1) New England Patriots** (12-3): Next game vs. New York Jets (5-10). • Victory against the Bills on Sunday kept them on pace to win the conference’s No. 1 seed. New England clinched a first-round bye with Jacksonville’s defeat at San Francisco. • How they can clinch home-field throughout the AFC playoffs: Steelers lose at Texans on Monday.

2) Pittsburgh Steelers** (11-3): Next game vs. Houston Texans (4-10) on Monday. • How they can clinch a first-round bye: Beat or tie the Texans.

3) Jacksonville Jaguars (10-5)**: Next game vs. Tennessee Titans (8-7) • Lost at San Francisco on Sunday but clinched the AFC South on the Tennessee Titans’ defeat against the Los Angeles Rams.

4) Kansas City Chiefs (9-6)**: Next game at Denver Broncos (5-10) • Their victory against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday secured K.C. the AFC West for the second straight season. That means they’ll host a playoff game. They are locked in at the No. 4 seed.

A Merry Chiefsmas to all! ~ Andy Reid/Santa pic.twitter.com/bO5RLUMSLL

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) December 24, 2017

In the AFC wild-card hunt

5) Baltimore Ravens (9-6): Next game vs. Cincinnati Bengals (6-9) • Defeated the Colts on Saturday, setting up a scenario where they can clinch a playoff spot with a victory in Week 17 against the Bengals.

6) Tennessee Titans (8-7): Next game vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (10-5) • Lost to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, which took them out of the running to win the AFC South. A win against the Jags gets them in the playoffs. A loss + a Chargers win + Ravens win eliminates them. No pressure.

7) Los Angeles Chargers (8-7): Next game vs. Oakland Raiders (6-8) • Defeated the New York Jets to stay alive for a wild-card spot. Can get in with: Victory vs. the Raiders + a Titans defeat to the Jaguars + a Ravens victory against the Bengals. Those heart-breaking losses in the first month of the season may prove too much to overcome.

8) Buffalo Bills (8-7): Next game at Miami Dolphins (6-9) • Got blown away in the second half against the Patriots but have faint playoff hopes. They probably wish they had that Nate Peterman vs. Chargers game back. To stay alive, the Bills summed it up here:

So you're saying there's a chance… #GoBills

The playoff picture explained: https://t.co/NxAlqjgNmJ pic.twitter.com/4BOuwblVnV

— Buffalo Bills (@buffalobills) December 24, 2017

NFC

1) Philadelphia Eagles** (12-2): Next game vs. Oakland Raiders (8-6). • How they can clinch home-field advantage throughout NFC playoffs: Beat the Raiders.

2) Minnesota Vikings** (12-3): Next game vs. Chicago Bears • Defeated Green Bay Packers 16-0 Saturday. The Vikings can clinch at least a first-round bye with a victory Sunday. Can move up to the top seed with a victory and two Eagles defeats (vs. the Raiders and Cowboys).

Also, from the St. Paul Pioneer Press’ Chris Tomasson:

The only way the #Vikings won't be at least the No. 2 seed in the NFC if if they lose at home next Sunday to Chicago, Carolina wins at Atlanta and New Orleans loses or ties at Tampa Bay. All games start at noon next Sunday.

— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) December 24, 2017

3) Los Angeles Rams** (11-4): Next game vs. San Francisco 49ers (4-10). • Clinched the NFC West with victory against the Titans. Will host a playoff game on wild-card weekend, the first time L.A. has hosted a postseason game since the 1985 season.

4) New Orleans Saints* (11-4): Next game at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-11). • Clinched a playoff berth with Sunday’s victory against Atlanta Falcons. Will clinch the NFC South with a victory in Week 17 or a Panthers defeat against the Falcons.

5) Carolina Panthers* (11-4): Next game vs. Atlanta Falcons (9-6). • Clinched a playoff berth with victory against the Buccaneers. Can win the NFC South with a victory vs. the Falcons + a Saints defeat to the Bucs.

6) Atlanta Falcons (9-6): Next game vs. Carolina Panthers (11-4). • Defeat against the Saints gave their division rivals a playoff berth. Atlanta can still get in with a victory against the Panthers next week. A loss + a Seattle Seahawk victory vs. Arizona will eliminate the defending NFC champions.

In the NFC wild-card hunt

7) Seattle Seahawks (9-6): Next game vs. Arizona Cardinals (7-8) • Stayed alive with victory in Dallas and can claim the final spot in the NFC playoffs with a victory against the Cardinals + a Falcons defeat.

** Have clinched their division * Have clinched a playoff berth

More NFL coverage from Yahoo Sports:

yahoo

• Watch: Winston loses mind after game-ending fumble • Insult added to injury: Seattle CB mocks Zeke after TD • Charles Robinson: NFL’s worst rule rears its ugly head, again • Winners and Losers: Suspension, drama too much for Cowboys

#_uuid:72b8aa2d-5855-3886-a961-72a0d980832f #_author:Yahoo Sports Staff #_lmsid:a077000000CFoGyAAL #_revsp:99add987-dcd1-48ae-b801-e4aa58e4ebd0

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buddyrabrahams · 7 years ago

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15 key questions for NFL Week 12

The Cowboys and Lions are no strangers to playing Thanksgiving football, but neither team looked prepared on Thursday. The Vikings were able to stave off Detroit’s late comeback attempt, and Dallas continued to prove it cannot score points without Ezekiel Elliott. As a result, Minnesota has the NFC North all but wrapped up and the Cowboys are quickly fading from playoff contention.

Those games answered a lot of questions for us to start off Week 12, but plenty still remain. Here are some more things to watch.

1. How will Tyrod Taylor respond to getting his job back?

Bills head coach Sean McDermott was ripped for benching Taylor last week in favor of rookie Nathan Peterman, and the decision turned out so much worse than anyone could have imagined. Peterman threw five interceptions in the first half of a blowout loss to the Chargers, leaving McDermott with no choice but to go back to Taylor after two quarters.

Now, McDermott has once again named Taylor the starter for Sunday’s game against the Chiefs. Kansas City is one of the toughest places to play in the NFL, so Taylor was the obvious choice. He could play with added motivation after his coach sat him down, but no one would blame the veteran if he is already thinking about life after Buffalo.

2. Can the Seahawks overcome their compounding injuries?

Seattle’s defense has been the No. 1 reason for the team’s sustained success over the past several years. But injuries have made it nearly impossible for the “Legion of Boom” to live up to its reputation this season. Richard Sherman is out for the season with a torn Achilles, and Kam Chancellor is dealing with a neck injury. In Monday night’s loss to the Falcons, starting cornerback Shaquill Griffin left with a concussion.

Seattle should be able to beat the Niners with a patchwork secondary, but that won’t be the case every week. Pete Carroll can’t feel good about his team’s situation as the playoffs inch closer.

3. Is Paxton Lynch the answer in Denver?

The Broncos are playing musical chairs at quarterback this season, and Lynch is the next man up. The 2016 first-round pick has appeared in just three games in his NFL career, but John Elway obviously saw something he liked in him coming out of college. With Denver having lost six straight and no longer in playoff contention, the final six games of the season are basically an audition for Lynch.

If Lynch doesn’t prove capable of being an NFL starter, the Broncos have to look at quarterback options this offseason. On Sunday, he’ll get to face the Raiders, who were just carved up by Tom Brady and the Patriots.

4. What will the Chiefs do to get back on track?

The Chiefs got off to an impressive 5-0 start this year that included a season-opening win over the Patriots in Foxboro, but they have suddenly lost four of their past five games. Defenses seem to be figuring out how to handle rookie sensation Kareem Hunt, and Alex Smith has thrown three interceptions in the past two games after not tossing any in the first eight.

Fortunately, the AFC West suddenly looks like a weak division. Kansas City should still be able to hold off the Raiders and Chargers, and the Broncos look like a lost cause. However, they need to rediscover their early-season magic as they head toward the postseason. A convincing win over the Bills at Arrowhead Stadium this weekend would be a good start.

5. Do the Packers have any chance of staying in the playoff hunt?

The Packers are seemingly going to go only as far as Brett Hundley will take them, and that wasn’t very far in the team’s Week 11 loss to the Ravens. Hundley threw three interceptions in the 20-0 defeat, giving him seven on the year compared to just two touchdown passes. Green Bay is 1-3 in games Hundley has started since Aaron Rodgers went down, and things don’t appear to be improving.

Despite that, the Packers are 5-5 on the year and just one game out of a playoff spot in the NFC. There’s still a remote chance Rodgers could return for Week 15, but can Hundley do enough to keep Green Bay in playoff contention over the next three games? That appears highly doubtful.

6. Can defense carry the Ravens to the playoffs?

One of the reasons Hundley struggled so much in Week 11 is that Baltimore’s defense was downright ferocious. As bad as Joe Flacco and the Ravens’ offense have been, Baltimore’s defense has been one of the best in the NFL. They have two shutouts over the past three games. Baltimore is allowing just 17.1 points per game and has been particularly stingy against the pass, ranking second in the NFL with 185.2 passing yards against per contest. With home games remaining against the Texans, Colts and Bengals, and a road game against the Browns, Flacco probably won’t have to do much down the stretch. If the Ravens defense keeps it up, the playoffs await.

7. Have the Falcons finally figured it out?

The Falcons looked like they were dealing with a vintage Super Bowl hangover when they lost three out of four games and were beaten at home by the Dolphins and Bills in back-to-back weeks, but their past two wins over the Cowboys and Seahawks have to be encouraging for Atlanta fans. After dominating Dallas at home in a 27-7 win, the Falcons went on the road to Seattle and were able to grind out another victory in a 34-31 shootout. For an offense that has struggled all season, that was a great sign.

Atlanta is still in third in the NFC South behind the Panthers and red-hot Saints, but the past two games have been huge to keep them in playoff contention. Matt Ryan has been throwing the ball a lot better, which could be an indication that he is finally getting on the same page with offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian. Look for the Falcons to keep it rolling in Sunday’s home game against the Buccaneers.

8. Could Saints-Rams be an NFC Championship Game preview?

The Saints and Rams play each other in Week 12, and there’s a chance the game could be a preview of the NFC Championship Game or some other playoff matchup. Imagine that.

Sean McVay has been a great hire for the Rams, and Jared Goff looks like he has a long NFL future ahead of him under the young head coach. The Rams and Saints both rank in the top-five in the NFL in yards per game and top-three in scoring. Unlike in past years, Sean Payton’s team has shown it can win games on the road. With the way the Saints have played during their current eight-game winning streak, they may not have to do any of that in the postseason. Los Angeles will be looking to defend its home turf and bounce back from an ugly loss to the Vikings. That won’t be easy to do against New Orleans.

9. How strong of a possibility is 0-16 for Cleveland?

The Browns have been competitive in several games in recent weeks, but they let another slip away against the Jaguars last Sunday. There have been stretches during each game where it feels like Hue Jackson’s team may finally get its first win, but Cleveland always comes up short for one reason or another. With the way the schedule looks over the final six weeks, Browns fans should brace themselves for a winless season.

On Sunday, the Browns travel to Cincinnati to face an inconsistent Bengals team. That’s a winnable game, but it’s tough to envision DeShone Kizer doing enough on the road to get a victory. Cleveland then has road games against the Chargers, Bears and Steelers wrapped around two home games vs. the Packers and Ravens. The whole “any given Sunday” thing has proven to be true many times in the NFL, but the Browns are facing an uphill battle.

10. Will Matt Moore grab a hold of the Dolphins’ starting job?

Matt Moore will start against the Patriots in place of Jay Cutler, who is recovering from a concussion. We wondered when he got the start against the Ravens a few weeks back if he would keep the job, but the Dolphins ended up losing 40-0 to the Ravens. Moore threw two interceptions in the game and had a passer rating of 47.2

As awful as Cutler has been all season, Miami head coach Adam Gase continues to stand behind him. Gase is the one who lured Cutler away from the broadcast booth after Ryan Tannehill went down, so he probably feels the need to be loyal to him. But if Moore plays well against the Patriots on Sunday, Cutler may find himself behind Moore.

11. Can Derek Carr find a way to get on track?

At one point last season, it looked like the Raiders were poised to have one of the NFL’s best offenses for years to come. With a wide receiving corps that features Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree, why wouldn’t they? Unfortunately, Carr and his pass-catchers have not been on the same page this year, and Oakland ranks towards the bottom of the NFL in offensive production.

Carr has thrown six interceptions over the past five games, which is part of the reason the Raiders have been so inconsistent. They’re almost out of playoff contention at 4-6. Will Carr ever start to look like the guy we saw last season?

12. What type of boost will Greg Olsen give the Panthers?

It took Cam Newton a while to adjust to life without his favorite target after Olsen went down with a foot injury, so the Panthers quarterback must be relieved to have the tight end back in Week 12. Olsen was activated off of injured reserve on Friday and is going to play on Sunday against the New York Jets. Assuming he’s healthy, that should provide Newton and Carolina’s offense with a major boost.

Newton has been inconsistent this season, and a lot of that has to do with his lack of weapons. Olsen missed several weeks, and then Kelvin Benjamin was traded to Buffalo. No one will be happier to have their starting tight end to throw to in Week 12 than Newton.

13. Can Ben Roethlisberger build off of his best game of the season?

Roethlisberger has not played all that well in 2017, with the lowlight being his five-interception performance in a blowout loss to the Jaguars last month. With his critics starting to raise their voices, Big Ben responded in a big way by completing 30-of-45 passes for 299 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions in a win over the Titans last week.

On Sunday, the Steelers host a Packers team that has been decent against the pass, allowing 234.4 yards per game. Look for Roethlisberger to try to establish a rhythm early on and make it two quality performances in a row.

14. Will Blaine Gabbert be eaten alive by his former team?

Gabbert was the No. 10 overall pick in the 2011 draft by the team he is facing this Sunday, the Jacksonville Jaguars. That team happens to have the best defense in the league and has been terrorizing opposing quarterbacks all season long. The Jags will look to make Gabbert their next victim in Arizona.

Gabbert got the start last weekend at Houston with both Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton injured. He made some plays and threw three touchdown passes, but the Texans intercepted him two times. If Gabbert doesn’t protect the ball against Jacksonville, things will get ugly in a hurry.

15. Does Martavis Bryant have a chance to play a big role in Pittsburgh?

It wasn’t long ago that Bryant was publicly demanding a trade and complaining about his role in the Steelers’ offense. The wide receiver has since been suspended by the team for making comments about rookie teammate JuJu Smith-Schuster. Ironically, Pittsburgh may have to lean on Bryant against the Packers on Sunday with Smith-Schuster out because of a hamstring injury.

Ben Roethlisberger has tried to get Bryant involved in recent weeks with some deep shots, but Bryant has three or fewer catches in each of the last four games he has played in. If the Packers try to take Antonio Brown away, Bryant could be called upon to handle a lot of targets.

from Larry Brown Sports http://ift.tt/2i3VkMQ

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junker-town · 5 years ago

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The 9 dumbest mistakes from NFL Week 9, ranked

Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

Jameis Winston threw it back, literally and figuratively. Kirk Cousins doesn’t know how to slide. And the Dolphins won, but butt-tackled themselves in the process.

The Dolphins won. The Patriots lost. The Browns are ... still the Browns. Week 9 kept us entertained, to say the least. It was also full of very questionable decisions.

It all started on Thursday night, when Kliff Kingsbury essentially iced his own defense. Right before halftime, the 49ers faced a fourth-and-goal, and the Cardinals sniffed the play out and got the stop — but it was negated by Kingsbury calling a timeout. The 49ers scored on their second chance and took a 21-7 lead into halftime. They would go on to beat the Cardinals 28-25.

Kingsbury’s snafu served as a precursor to what Sunday would bring. Pete Carroll left the Seahawks with just one timeout on their final drive, which ended in a missed field goal attempt to send the game to overtime.

Mike Tomlin burned two timeouts on pass interference challenges in the final three minutes of a tight game against the Colts. Fortunately for Tomlin, Adam Vinatieri’s botched 43-yard field goal allowed the Steelers to escape with a 26-24 win.

Like the Seahawks and Steelers, the Raiders’ timeout misuse didn’t end up costing them a win, though it easily could’ve. The Lions, who were out of timeouts and down by seven, were rushing to get lined up on fourth-and-goal as the clock was winding down. Jon Gruden then bailed them out, at least temporarily, by calling a timeout with eight seconds remaining. Luckily for the Raiders, the Lions’ fourth-down play was truly awful.

Then there’s the Browns, who used up all their timeouts with 3:23 left in the game, leaving them with no chance to stop the clock on the Broncos’ last game-clinching possession.

For those counting, that’s five dumb mistakes all related to timeouts — and we haven’t gotten to this week’s actual rankings yet.

On that note, let’s get to it.

9. The Dolphins butt-tackled themselves

The Dolphins won a real football game, and we’re very proud of them for that. That doesn’t mean they’re getting let off the hook here. Not when one of their players butt-tackles his own teammate:

FO EY#NYJvsMIA | #TakeFlight pic.twitter.com/t2vRKZeH7M

— New York Jets (@nyjets) November 3, 2019

That’s center Evan Boehm getting pushed back into running back Mark Walton for a 5-yard loss on third-and-goal. If the Dolphins had lost, this is the play you’d point to as evidence of them tanking (they still are, though).

Instead, it was the Jets who lost in embarrassing fashion, but at least for once, they weren’t on the wrong end of a butt play.

8. Mason Rudolph dropped back 10 yards before taking a sack in the end zone

Trey Edmunds’ run from the Pittsburgh 1-yard line seemed to free the Steelers from the danger of a safety in the third quarter of their showdown with the Colts. Rudolph’s five-step drop out of a shotgun snap put him right back in the eye of that hurricane.

pic.twitter.com/mF6BsORhTt

— Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) November 3, 2019

That long drop, combined with his lack of awareness, led to an ill-advised pump-fake and a strip-sack for Justin Houston. While the Colts weren’t able to jump on the ball, it still led to a safety and two points for Indianapolis.

7. Vikings OL Pat Elflein got beaten so badly he sacked his own QB

Kirk Cousins had a bad day in Kansas City. While his last four weeks had seen him emerge as an MVP candidate, the Chiefs’ revamped pass rush found a way to pressure him into mistakes all afternoon. And at no point was this more evident than when guard Pat Elflein got so thoroughly overpowered by Pro Bowler Chris Jones that he got thrown backward with enough force to sack his own QB.

Kirk Cousins just got blasted by his own offensive lineman pic.twitter.com/lGgRzhwIiG

— Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) November 3, 2019

That wasn’t the only lowlight for Cousins, either.

6. Kirk Cousins doesn’t know the rules of sliding

Kirk Cousins is 31 years old. He’s in his eighth season in the NFL. He’s played in 87 games during the regular season. He should know every single rule of playing quarterback.

And yet, he did this on third-and-6:

Kirk the Scrambler comes up short on 3rd down #Vikings punt pic.twitter.com/u8xWooLvy1

— Sean Borman (@SeanBormanNFL) November 3, 2019

When a quarterback slides, the ball is spotted where he begins that slide. This is not new info! Cousins should absolutely know this.

So rather than Cousins picking up a first down that was right there for the taking, the Vikings punted. The Chiefs scored a field goal on the ensuing possession of a game they won by, wouldn’t you know it, a field goal.

5. Darius Leonard gifted the Steelers a free field goal with an unnecessary hit

The Steelers’ attempt to get a quick five yards before setting up a Hail Mary at the end of the first half looked like a failure at first glance. Vance McDonald was unable to get out of bounds at the tail end of his quick out, leaving a timeout-less Pittsburgh team to watch the clock run out on the second quarter with no recourse.

Then All-Pro linebacker Darius Leonard lowered his head to blast a player three of his teammates had already wrapped up.

Darius Leonard with the late helmet-to-helmet hit as the 2nd quarter expires, giving the Steelers a free shot at a field goal instead of walking into the locker room pic.twitter.com/X6vT7jzVdH

— Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) November 3, 2019

The unnecessary roughness penalty that ensued gave Pittsburgh 15 free yards and an untimed down. The Steelers used this extra opportunity to try a 51-yard Chris Boswell field goal — and went into the locker room down 16-13 instead of 16-10.

Somehow, this wasn’t the only 15-yard roughness penalty Leonard would earn Sunday. His late hit on JuJu Smith-Schuster pushed the Steelers into field goal range one quarter later. Pittsburgh turned that into a McDonald touchdown reception and a lead moments afterward.

4. Officials made it illegal for Calais Campbell to fall down

The NFL rulebook was changed in 2018 to add a section that made it illegal when a player “lowers his head to initiate and make contact with his helmet against an opponent.”

That’s most certainly not what Jaguars defensive end Calais Campbell did when he tried to tackle the Texans’ elusive quarterback, Deshaun Watson.

Just end the NFL pic.twitter.com/zIxLCSZQHB

— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) November 3, 2019

Aside from the fact that Campbell’s helmet wasn’t close to contacting Watson, it’s tough to imagine how the Jaguars’ gigantic defensive end is supposed to make any tackle without lowering his head. He’s 6’8 and, on that particular play, he was trying to get low enough to avoid Watson ducking under his tackle attempt.

The penalty moved the Texans into Jaguars territory, but Campbell got his revenge later in the drive with a sack that forced a field goal. Fortunately for the Jaguars, the officials didn’t throw a phantom personal foul call on that one.

3. Nothing good happened for the Browns on fourth down

The Browns went 0-for-2 on fourth down in their 24-19 loss to the Broncos. Both came at critical times, when a touchdown would’ve given them a lead.

The first wasn’t really their fault. They ran a quarterback sneak on fourth-and-1 at the Denver 5 and Baker Mayfield looked like he picked it up:

Baker comes up short with QB sneak on fourth down #Browns vs #Broncos pic.twitter.com/x7F1yGVmCh

— Browns Replay (@BrownsReplay) November 3, 2019

However, the refs gave him a terrible spot, and despite a Freddie Kitchens challenge, the Browns turned it over on downs.

The second time was on their last drive of the game. After Nick Chubb was dropped for a loss on third-and-1, the Browns faced fourth-and-4 with the game on the line. Mayfield threw the ball late to a covered Jarvis Landry when Odell Beckham had Chris Harris beat on the outside:

Baker went across the middle to Landry with two defenders instead. Ouch. pic.twitter.com/bB0zlW3tgV

— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) November 4, 2019

Aaaand that’s how Cleveland lost its fourth straight game.

2. Sam Darnold can’t stop throwing goal-line interceptions

Darnold missed three games due to mono earlier in the season and he’s still the NFL leader in red zone interceptions with four. You’d think after being picked off three times with a chance to score, he’d start being a little more careful. Nope! His fourth was the worst one yet.

After rolling to his left, Darnold had to deal with Dolphins linebacker Raekwon McMillan, who screamed through the middle of the offensive line and into the backfield. For some reason, Darnold thought that was the right time to lob a ball up for grabs as he was being swung down by McMillan. It wasn’t a good idea at all.

Boneheaded decision here by Sam Darnold. What in the world. (via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/H1Zb9qGUjC

— NFL Update (@MySportsUpdate) November 3, 2019

Rolling Darnold to his left instead of running the ball with Le’Veon Bell is a questionable call too, but it’s on the quarterback to not turn the play into a disaster.

The decent-ish news for Darnold was that the Jets’ defense got a safety on the very next play. New York got the ball back and Darnold led the team into range for a 52-yard field goal for Sam Ficken just before halftime. Just like that, the Jets salvaged five points out of Darnold’s horrendous interception. Still, the Jets’ second-year quarterback has to stop self-destructing in the red zone, at some point.

1. Jameis Winston pulled a 2015 Rose Bowl to give the Seahawks the lead

Once upon a time, Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston escaped pressure, then slipped, flailed, and launched a fumble in the wrong direction during the 2015 Rose Bowl. It was scooped up by Oregon defensive lineman Tony Washington, who returned it for a touchdown as part of a 59-20 win for the Ducks.

Less than four months later, Winston was picked No. 1 overall by the Buccaneers. Now — nearly five years after that hilarious Rose Bowl blooper — Winston is still the same guy. He’s one of the most turnover-prone quarterbacks in the NFL, and still very capable of tossing a ball in the wrong direction without any contact from a defender.

Jameis… son, come on. pic.twitter.com/xbHZG3Nozb

— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) November 3, 2019

The Seahawks picked up the fumble and returned it 36 yards. A few plays later, Jason Myers kicked a 22-yard field goal that gave Seattle its first lead of the day.

Winston also had over 300 passing yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions against the Seahawks. But random and silly turnovers are part of his game and probably always will be.

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