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Green Bay Packers Crush Saints: Solidify NFC Contender Status
The Green Bay Packers were, in a word, spectacular as they totally dissected the decimated injury-ravaged New Orleans Saints in a contest that even further solidified them among the best teams in the NFC. That overwhelming defeat sends a loud and clear message to the opponents: the Packers are a legitimate playoff threat. Playing at their home field, the Packers came out with intensity and…
#emanuel wilson#green bay#green bay packers#jordan love#juwan johnson#lambeau field#new orleans saints#new orleans saints vs green bay packers match player stats#packer game#packers#packers game#packers game today#packers saints#packers schedule#packers score#packers vs saints#rattler#saints#saints game#saints packers#saints qb#saints schedule#saints score#spencer rattler#where to watch new orleans saints vs green bay packers
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Green Bay Packers Crush Saints: Solidify NFC Contender Status
The Green Bay Packers were, in a word, spectacular as they totally dissected the decimated injury-ravaged New Orleans Saints in a contest that even further solidified them among the best teams in the NFC. That overwhelming defeat sends a loud and clear message to the opponents: the Packers are a legitimate playoff threat. Playing at their home field, the Packers came out with intensity and…
#emanuel wilson#green bay#green bay packers#jordan love#juwan johnson#lambeau field#new orleans saints#new orleans saints vs green bay packers match player stats#packer game#packers#packers game#packers game today#packers saints#packers schedule#packers score#packers vs saints#rattler#saints#saints game#saints packers#saints qb#saints schedule#saints score#spencer rattler#where to watch new orleans saints vs green bay packers
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Green Bay Packers Crush Saints: Solidify NFC Contender Status
The Green Bay Packers were, in a word, spectacular as they totally dissected the decimated injury-ravaged New Orleans Saints in a contest that even further solidified them among the best teams in the NFC. That overwhelming defeat sends a loud and clear message to the opponents: the Packers are a legitimate playoff threat. Playing at their home field, the Packers came out with intensity and…
#emanuel wilson#green bay#green bay packers#jordan love#juwan johnson#lambeau field#new orleans saints#new orleans saints vs green bay packers match player stats#packer game#packers#packers game#packers game today#packers saints#packers schedule#packers score#packers vs saints#rattler#saints#saints game#saints packers#saints qb#saints schedule#saints score#spencer rattler#where to watch new orleans saints vs green bay packers
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Monday Night Football: How to watch Saints vs. Packers tonight
When to watch New Orleans Saints vs. Green Bay Packers? Monday, December 23, at 8:15 PM ET (5:15 p.m. PT). Where to watch: The Saints-Packers game will be shown on ABC and ESPN. See in Fubo It carries ESPN and ABC for $80 a month Fubo See on Hulu It carries ESPN and ABC for $83 a month Hulu Plus Live TV It's a win-and-go for Green Bay tonight. If the 10-4 Packers can beat the 5-9 Saints…
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Monday Night Football: How to Watch Saints vs. Packers Tonight
When to watch New Orleans Saints vs Green Bay Packers? Monday, December 23, at 8:15 pm ET (5:15 pm PT). Where to watch: The Saints-Packers game will be shown on ABC and ESPN. See Fubo It carries ESPN and ABC for $80 per month Fubu See it at Hulu It carries ESPN and ABC for $83 per month Hulu Plus Live TV It’s a win and you’re in Green Bay tonight. If the 10-4 Packers can beat the 5-9…
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Saints vs Vikings
The New Orleans Saints host the Minnesota Vikings in one of two NFC wild-card games Sunday in a rematch of the "Minneapolis Miracle" from 2018.T
As the No. 1 overall seed in the conference, the 49ers will face the lowest remaining seed in the divisional round at Levi's Stadium on Jan. 11. The Saints are the No. 3 seed, so they can't be the 49ers' next opponent, but regardless of the outcome between New Orleans and Minnesota, the game will be of particular interest to San Francisco.
With a win, the Saints would advance to the divisional round, where they would face the No. 2 seed Packers in Green Bay. The winner of that matchup would face the winner of the 49ers' divisional-round matchup in the NFC Championship Game.
A Vikings' victory, on the other hand, would automatically set up a matchup with San Francisco in the divisional round, and the winner of the other NFC wild-card game would advance to face the Packers in Green Bay.
Given the way the last playoff game between the Saints and Vikings concluded, you can be sure the 49ers will be watching till the very end, just like everyone else.
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6 burning questions entering Week 2 of the NFL
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Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Are the Cardinals this good? Will the Jaguars implode? Are the Giants really just children in a trenchcoat?
If there’s one thing less reliable than making strong proclamations about the NFL before the season starts, it’s making those same statements after one week of play. Preconceived notions of who would be dominant and who would struggle were blown open by one of the wildest, least-predictable opening weekends in recent memory.
If there’s one prevailing thought I’m left with after Week 1 of the NFL is that I’m not confident any team that lost is as bad as they showed, and nobody won in a convincing enough way that I can confidently say they’re ready for a big run. That’s extremely exciting if you’re an NFL fan, so now’s the perfect time to dive into some of the burning questions we’re left with after Week 1, and see whether they can be answered yet.
What do we make of the NFC South?
Outside of the Falcons, who honestly look like one of the biggest dumpster fires in the NFL, it’s impossible to have any strong opinions about the rest of the NFC South. Obviously the Buccaneers should be regarded as the class of the division, a benefit of winning the Super Bowl — but they didn’t exactly look like world beaters in Week 1, slugging it out with the Cowboys.
Now, there’s definitely a chance Dallas really is that damn good, but giving up 451 yards of offense has to worry even the most die-hard Tampa Bay fans. There’s no reason for concern yet, obviously, but this is a trend to watch. In Week 2 the Buccaneers face the Falcons, a game they should handily, and easily demolish. If that doesn’t happen it might be time to start taking a serious look at whether this team has the power to compete.
Meanwhile in New Orleans, I can’t tell you what the hell the Saints are. Obviously they had a huge statement win against the Packers, but we all know that was in a game where Aaron Rodgers wasn’t just playing poorly, it was like he was barely playing football. I don’t believe the Saints have the firepower to demolish the NFC’s elite on a weekly basis ... but maybe they do?
Which brings us to the most intriguing matchup in the division: Panthers vs. Saints. Here are two teams who, on paper, figured to be in the league’s lower-third this season. New Orleans shocked by destroying Green Bay, while the Panthers largely did as expected by handling the Jets.
Carolina’s long-term hopes entirely hinge on Sam Darnold and the Panthers offensive line. Darnold came out playing like a world-beater against the Jets, throwing for over 250 yards in the first half. It appeared the revenge game would be in full effect, then the offense went conservative and boring, allowing the Jets back in the game and Darnold’s afternoon to finish with a whimper, not a bang. He was still solid, just not as impressive as it appeared he would be, based on the first half.
Saints vs. Panthers could go a long way to answering questions about both teams moving forward.
How long are the Bears going to keep trying to make Andy Dalton a thing?
True to their infamous tweet, the Bears did indeed start the season with Andy Dalton. History will always show he was their QB1 for a week. Now let’s have this experiment end.
Dalton was atrocious against the Rams in Week 1, and it’s not just the 206 passing yards and one interception. It’s the fact it took him 38 ATTEMPTS to net 206 yards. I’m a strong believer in YPA being a key metric in quarterback success, because at the end of the day getting yards with opportunities is what football is all about.
The best QBs in the league can sustain a YPA of 8.0 or above. Solid NFL starters can routinely finish with over a 7.0. Against the Rams, Dalton averaged 5.4. That is pathetic, dink-and-dunk territory that won’t take the Bears back to the playoffs.
Just make the change already and see what you’ve got in Fields. The NFC North is enough of a mess that it’s worth the shot.
Are the Cardinals really this damn good?
I’ll be honest, I was absolutely blown away by the Cardinals in Week 1, and when I gushed about them I was immediately warned not to have faith. Arizona took their already potent offense, and paired it with a defense that shut the Titans down so convincingly that they looked like a JV team.
There’s no time off in the Cardinals schedule, who this week play the Vikings — a team that is far better than their Week 1 loss against the Bengals showed. This is another potent offense Arizona is facing, with Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen being one of the better receiving tandems in the NFL. If Arizona can perform again, locking down on defense and letting their offense go wild, well, man, we might be seeing something special emerge.
Will the Jaguars implode?
I cannot believe we’re having this discussion. I really can’t. I honestly thought Trevor Lawrence would bring stability to Jacksonville and finally this franchise could turn the page — but we’re one week in and there are reports Urban Meyer is pissing people off, he’s already having to deny rumors about being interested in USC’s coaching vacancy, and it feels like we’re hurtling towards disaster.
The saving grace is that Trevor Lawrence looks good, really damn good. Ignore the raw stats for a second, because every rookie will have TD/INT parity as they adjust to the league. The important part is that this was not a fool’s gold 300 yard passing game. We saw legitimate flashes of brilliance from Lawrence that showed every bit of why he was the most heralded quarterback prospect in the NFL since Andrew Luck.
We need to see more progression here for sure, and Week 2 against Denver will be more difficult that Week 1 was against Houston (a game Jacksonville should have won), but I’m terrified that the off-field drama could consume this team unless they can get a win soon.
Are the New York Giants an established NFL football team, or two children in a trench coat playing pretend?
This is hyperbole of course. It would have to at least be 10 children in 5 trenchcoats, at least to establish the line of scrimmage.
Here’s the deal: This team is out of excuses. There has been a multi-year rebuild in place, a first round quarterback chosen to be the future, numerous receivers signed in free agency to give the offense spark, and an alleged transcendent running back to bring it all together.
The result was a two touchdown loss to the Broncos, a team who were struggling last season and basically on the same level as the Giants.
I just want to see if there’s any bark in this dog at all. In Week 2 the team has a divisional game against Washington, which they should be able to win — at least on paper. If there’s another big loss, gosh, I don’t know what to say anymore. It’s going to be a disaster.
Is Aaron Rodgers okay?
I just want to know if he’s alright. Based on how he played against the Saints I’m ready to assume he was replaced with an alien wearing an Aaron Rodgers suit. One who had never seen the game of football played before.
The Packers face the Lions this week. If Rodgers sucks again ... man, I don’t even want to think about it.
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New Post has been published on https://freenews.today/2020/11/19/biggest-week-11-injury-questions-for-all-32-nfl-teams-not-so-fast-on-davante-adams-qb-questions/
Biggest Week 11 injury questions for all 32 NFL teams: Not so fast on Davante Adams, QB questions
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8:00 PM ET
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NFL NationESPN
Green Bay Packers receiver Davante Adams, who has seven touchdown catches in his past four games, isn’t necessarily sweating his status for Sunday, especially after he was able to return to the game in Week 10 after suffering an ankle injury.
But nothing is certain with Adams, which is a common theme across the NFL with other big-name players, including quarterbacks, heading into Week 11. The status of quarterbacks Matthew Stafford (right thumb) of the Detroit Lions and Teddy Bridgewater (right knee) of the Carolina Panthers are up in the air. And in New Orleans, we know Drew Brees won’t be under center, but how will the Saints use his backups, Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill?
Here’s a roundup of the biggest injuries from ESPN’s NFL Nation reporters:
Jump to: ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND JAX | KC | LAC | LAR | LV | MIA | MIN NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF SEA | TB | TEN | WSH
AFC EAST
Can Buffalo’s hobbled players return to full health by Week 12? The Bills’ bye week came at an opportune time with several key players nursing injuries. Linebacker Matt Milano will have one more week on injured reserve following the bye, but Cody Ford, Mitch Morse and John Brown should all benefit from an extra week of rest before Buffalo hosts the Chargers next week. — Marcel Louis-Jacques
Running back Matt Breida has missed the past two games with a hamstring injury, but he appears on track to return Sunday vs. the Chargers after he was a full participant in Wednesday’s practice. Breida would likely eat into some of Salvon Ahmed‘s workload in the backfield. — Cameron Wolfe
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Cornerback Stephon Gilmore (knee) has missed the past three games with a knee injury and he remained limited in practice earlier this week. He is scheduled to speak with reporters on Friday, which could mean that he’s cleared to play. The reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year would naturally add a boost to a defense that is coming off one of its best performances of the season — in a win over Baltimore. — Mike Reiss
Quarterback Sam Darnold (shoulder) is out again, so Joe Flacco will make his fourth start. He played well in the Jets’ Week 9 game, throwing for three touchdowns in a loss. For the second game in a row, the Jets will have their full complement of wide receivers. Defensive tackle Quinnen Williams (hamstring), who missed the last game, is expected to play against the Chargers, which helps the interior pass rush. — Rich Cimini
AFC NORTH
It looks like the Ravens will be without two starters along the defensive line for Sunday’s game against Derrick Henry and the Tennessee Titans. Defensive end Calais Campbell (calf strain) and nose tackle Brandon Williams (ankle) both didn’t practice Wednesday. Campbell is considered day-to-day, and Williams is “touch-and-go for Sunday,” according to coach John Harbaugh. There’s a significant drop-off in the defensive line, where rookie third-round pick Justin Madubuike would replace Campbell and Justin Ellis would fill in for Williams. — Jamison Hensley
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Matthew Berry asserts that if Joe Mixon is able to play in Week 11, he will do very well in fantasy.
Well, it’s that time. We are now on Joe Mixon Watch. And so far, things aren’t looking great. Mixon wasn’t at practice on Wednesday, which doesn’t bode well for him moving forward. So, if you have him on your fantasy team, here’s my advice: Trade Mixon. Dump him off on an unsuspecting owner who still thinks running the ball is a good way to win in the NFL. Even if Mixon comes back, it’s unclear if he actually makes the Bengals’ offense better. That is more concerning to his long-term approach than the injury. — Ben Baby
Right tackle Jack Conklin was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list after being identified as a high-risk close contact to an outside practitioner who tested positive. Conklin, as a result, wasn’t at practice Wednesday. The Browns are hopeful, however, that he will be available for Sunday’s game against the Eagles if he continues to test negative this week. — Jake Trotter
The Steelers are mostly healthy entering Sunday’s game against the Jaguars, with Mike Hilton’s availability being the biggest outstanding injury question. The versatile defensive back has missed the past four games after injuring his shoulder against the Browns, but with a full practice Wednesday, barring a setback, he should take the field in Jacksonville. The Steelers badly need him to help with run defense, and he’ll be a key to slowing rookie RB James Robinson. — Brooke Pryor
AFC SOUTH
Defensive end Charles Omenihu returned to practice on Wednesday after missing the Texans’ Week 10 loss to the Browns. In that game, Carlos Watkins started for Omenihu and played 82% of Houston’s defensive snaps. — Sarah Barshop
The odds of tight end Jack Doyle playing Sunday against the Packers took another hit after he didn’t practice, as he remained in the concussion protocol. But the bigger issue for the Colts could be at defensive back. Starting safety Khari Willis didn’t practice Wednesday because of a rib injury. The Colts need all the help they can get against Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Colts coach Frank Reich called the Packers the biggest test of the season for his defense. — Mike Wells
2 Related
Rookie wide receiver Laviska Shenault, who is third on the team in receptions and receiving yardage, is still dealing with a hamstring injury and did not practice on Wednesday. Coach Doug Marrone said Shenault did some work on the side and they’ll evaluate him again on Thursday to see if he can practice. But if he misses practice again on Thursday, it doesn’t look good for him playing against the Steelers on Sunday. “We’re still hopeful,” Marrone said. “We have him as questionable right now.” Veteran Chris Conley started in Shenault’s place last week and would do so again this week. — Mike DiRocco
Left guard Rodger Saffold came out of last week’s game with an ankle injury but later returned. Saffold didn’t practice on Wednesday. The Titans’ offensive line is already without Taylor Lewan. Center Ben Jones (knee) missed some time in Sunday’s game because of a knee injury but returned. Jones did not practice on Wednesday, either. The interior part of the offensive line could be in trouble. — Turron Davenport
AFC WEST
Quarterback Drew Lock, who suffered rib and oblique injuries in Sunday’s loss in Las Vegas, did not practice Wednesday. Lock was on the field and even had his helmet on during practice, but he did not participate beyond any walk-through periods. Broncos coach Vic Fangio said Lock is not in a situation where he could practice with limited snaps or none at all and still play Sunday against the Dolphins. Unless Lock shows significant improvement and gets more time on the field, Brett Rypien would be the starter against the Dolphins. Rypien started the Broncos’ Week 4 win over the New York Jets. — Jeff Legwold
Sammy Watkins is on track to play on Sunday night for the first time since injuring a hamstring in Week 5 against the Raiders. Watkins was a full participant in practice on Wednesday for the first time since the injury. His return would be good news for the Chiefs, particularly because Mecole Hardman remains on the reserve/COVID-19 list, making his availability uncertain for Sunday. — Adam Teicher
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The Raiders are in hurry-up-and-wait mode when it comes to the seven defensive players they placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday. As high-risk close contacts, S Johnathan Abram, DT Maliek Collins, DT Johnathan Hankins, DL David Irving, CB Isaiah Johnson, DE Arden Key and DT Kendal Vickers would all be eligible to play the Chiefs on Sunday night should they all continue to test negative until then. In fact, 10 of the 11 Raiders on the reserve/COVID-19 list are defensive players, with DE Clelin Ferrell and DB Lamarcus Joyner going on the list Tuesday and LB Cory Littleton going on it last week. — Paul Gutierrez
Defensive end Joey Bosa was ready to play last week but then was placed back on the concussion protocol list. The Chargers missed him and might not play him vs. the Jets, depending on how he tests. He’s their best defender, a tough edge rusher, and if there’s a way he can play, he’ll do it. But he has to pass the tests. Troymaine Pope is dealing with a neck injury, but expect Kalen Ballage to get the work at running back. — Shelley Smith
NFC EAST
RB Ezekiel Elliott said his hamstring is “a little tight, a little stiff,” but he was able to finish Wednesday’s practice as a full participant. Elliott suffered the injury Nov. 1 against Philadelphia, but he played against Pittsburgh despite not going through a full practice. He said he feels more comfortable than he did going into the Steelers game and will continue to get extra treatment to make sure he is good for Sunday’s game against Minnesota. Quarterback Andy Dalton (concussion, reserve/COVID-19) was also a full participant and should resume the job as the starter. — Todd Archer
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Matthew Berry expects Ezekiel Elliott to get a high volume of touches against the Vikings but is concerned about his usage in the Cowboys’ passing game and in the red zone.
The Giants are on a bye. Their biggest injury question is when does rookie safety Xavier McKinney return. Coach Joe Judge said Wednesday he was “optimistic” that McKinney, a second-round pick, and several others would return at some point this season. But Wednesday was supposed to be a key day for them, before a positive COVID-19 test this week from kicker Graham Gano forced the team to work virtually. This might even make it less likely that McKinney returns for next Sunday’s game vs. Cincinnati. The following week is more likely. — Jordan Raanan
Tight end Zach Ertz is back practicing for the first time since suffering a high ankle sprain in Week 6 against the Baltimore Ravens. Coach Doug Pederson said the idea was to get him reacclimated into the offense and monitor him as the week progresses. To date, he has still not been activated off injured reserve. He’s not a sure bet to play against the Browns, but Ertz should be back in the lineup before long. — Tim McManus
Safety Deshazor Everett did not practice because of a sprained ankle, nor was he on a side field doing any sort of work. If Everett has a high ankle sprain, it could sideline him for several weeks depending on the severity. But coach Ron Rivera would not yet rule him out for Sunday. If he can’t play, Troy Apke likely would start. Apke has struggled when he has played, allowing way too many deep passes because of poor technique — turning the wrong way, bad angles. Also, left tackles Cornelius Lucas (ankle) and Geron Christian (knee) didn’t practice. If they can’t play, Morgan Moses would move from the right side to the left. He played left tackle in the fourth quarter vs. Detroit last week. David Sharpe would start at right tackle. — John Keim
NFC NORTH
All the focus is on Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky‘s injured right shoulder. Nick Foles‘ status for the Bears’ next game on Nov. 29 at Green Bay is up in the air after the veteran quarterback suffered a hip injury late in Monday night’s loss to the Vikings. The logical choice — if Foles has to miss time — would be for the Bears to turn the offense back over to Trubisky. But there is no indication yet that Trubisky’s shoulder is healthy enough for him to play. The Bears are off the rest of the week and return to the facility on Monday. — Jeff Dickerson
Quarterback Matthew Stafford didn’t practice Wednesday with his right thumb injury. While coach Matt Patricia said they are being cautious with him, there is reason to be mildly concerned with him not getting any work in. Stafford said he hoped to get some practice time in this week and was hopeful he would play Sunday. Stafford had the thumb protected on Wednesday even though he didn’t participate. If Stafford can’t play, the Lions would likely turn to Chase Daniel to make his second appearance of the season. — Michael Rothstein
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Field Yates and Matthew Berry discuss the fantasy impact of Allen Lazard being activated off of the Packers’ IR.
Davante Adams finished Sunday’s game against the Jaguars after he briefly left because of an ankle injury in the second half — and caught a touchdown pass after his return — so in his mind that should mean he’s ready to go this week against the Colts. But not so fast. He didn’t do anything during the open portion of practice but still was listed as a limited participant, and then he said: “I’m not even going to go there as far as guaranteeing if I’m playing or not, but that’s the idea. Anytime where I feel like I can come back into a game like that, typically speaking my mindset going into the next week is that I’ll be able to roll. We’re doing all the things right, right now, to make sure I’m as pain-free and not limited come Sunday, and that’s where we are.” If Adams plays and Allen Lazard, who was just activated off IR, is good to go, then it would be the first time the Packers’ top two receivers will play together since Week 2. — Rob Demovsky
The Vikings are a step closer to getting TE Irv Smith Jr. back after he missed the Chicago game with a groin injury. Kyle Rudolph saw a significant increase in targets (five) and finished as the Vikings’ second-leading receiver against the Bears. Smith was upgraded to limited in Wednesday’s light walk-through. Elsewhere, rookie right guard Ezra Cleveland was a DNP with an ankle injury, and center Garrett Bradbury (shoulder) was limited. — Courtney Cronin
NFC SOUTH
Wide receiver Calvin Ridley was limited with a foot injury, so his status for the Saints game remains questionable. Ridley is a critical weapon for the Falcons, who face a New Orleans team that still has the potential to put a lot of points on the board without QB Drew Brees. In Atlanta’s last game before the bye with Ridley out, TE Hayden Hurst was the leading receiver with eight catches. With Ridley and Julio Jones, the Falcons have a better chance of pulling off the upset. — David Newton
Everything you need this week: • Full schedule » | Standings » • Depth charts for every team » • Transactions » | Injuries » • Football Power Index rankings » More NFL coverage »
QB Teddy Bridgewater likely will go down to a game-time decision with the sprained right knee suffered in Sunday’s loss to Tampa Bay. He was moving better on Wednesday after swelling went down, but he still was limited to working mostly with trainers on the side. If he can’t play, the plan is to use both backups, Will Grier and P.J. Walker, to get a clearer picture of who is the true No. 2 since both have served in that capacity this season. Coach Matt Rhule said he’s confident both can win in the NFL. — David Newton
The Saints had a lengthy injury list on Wednesday that will be worth monitoring throughout the week, but QB Drew Brees is the headliner. He will miss an unspecified amount of time after suffering broken ribs and a punctured lung Sunday, a source told ESPN’s Ed Werder. The Saints have not announced their plans for replacing him, though coach Sean Payton suggested that Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill will both have a role. Most likely we’ll see Winston as the starter with some Hill packages sprinkled in like we saw in the second half of last Sunday’s game. — Mike Triplett
The Bucs did not practice Wednesday, with coach Bruce Arians giving them an extra day to recover since they’re playing Monday night. Starting right guard Ali Marpet remains in the concussion protocol, but he’s still expected to practice on a limited basis this week. They’re hopeful he can be back after he missed the past two games — and with the Rams’ Aaron Donald lining up against them this week. — Jenna Laine
NFC WEST
By ruling defensive tackle Jordan Phillips out for Thursday night’s game against the Seahawks, the Cardinals’ already-thin line got even thinner, especially after Wednesday’s news that Corey Peters will be out for the year with a knee injury. That leaves the Cardinals with Josh Mauro, Trevon Coley and Angelo Blackson as the only healthy defensive linemen on the roster. — Josh Weinfuss
The Rams placed three starters on injured reserve this week, including left tackle Andrew Whitworth, safety Taylor Rapp and kicker Kai Forbath, but otherwise coach Sean McVay said, “We’re as healthy as really any team in the league.” It’s not anticipated that any other player is in danger of missing Monday night’s game against the Buccaneers. In Forbath’s absence, the Rams signed Matt Gay and he will compete with Austin MacGinnis to take over at kicker. — Lindsey Thiry
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Adam Schefter explains that starting Nov. 21, the NFL plans to intensify its coronavirus protocols to reduce team gatherings and ensure safety.
The 49ers are on a bye, but the extra week off could bring a handful of meaningful reinforcements, including receiver Deebo Samuel, running backs Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman and cornerback Richard Sherman. Coach Kyle Shanahan is hopeful that all four will be able to get back on the field for the Nov. 29 game against the Los Angeles Rams. That would be a boon for a team that is 4-6 and dangling on the periphery of the postseason picture. — Nick Wagoner
The Seahawks list starting running back Chris Carson as questionable for Thursday night’s game vs. Arizona, but a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that he’s unlikely to play. The good news for Seattle’s banged-up backfield is that Carlos Hyde will play for the first time since he and Carson were hurt in Week 7. The Seahawks’ run game hasn’t been the same with rookie DeeJay Dallas and Travis Homer, who lack the physicality of Carson and Hyde and are better suited for complementary roles. Hyde was a full participant the past two days. “Feeling really good that Carlos will be out there,” coach Pete Carroll said. — Brady Henderson
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RTARL’s NFL Week 7 Extravapalooza
I know this is a football post, but the World Series looks like it’s gonna be great. Verlander, Cole, and Greinke vs. Scherzer, Strasburg, and Corbin is RAD. Especially now that MLB has decided to switch back to the non-juiced baseballs. Nothing says “we care deeply about the integrity of competition” quite like drastically fucking with the league’s official equipment when the games matter most!
The Stros and Nats are very evenly matched in my opinion, but I think I’m gonna take Washington to win based on nothing more than pure bullshit and approximately 25 seconds of thought. Nationals in 6, baby! TAKE IT TO THE BANK!
[looks at my record of picking things]
Congrats to the Houston Astros and their fans!
My picks are in BOLD, and all betting info comes to you courtesy of Vegas Insider.
Last Week’s Record: 6-7
Season Record: 35-49-1
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Arizona Cardinals at New York Giants (-3)
Ooh, this is a spicy little meatball of a game. Neither of these teams are what I’d call “good,” nevertheless this one rates very highly on the “Watch ‘Em Up Index” patented by my colleague Starkweather.
The combination of the “West Coast team travelling East to play an early game” scenario and the triumphant return of Saquon Barkley led me to choose New York to prevail in a shootout.
Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts (-1)
Another good game! The Colts deserve all the credit in the world for not going completely into the tank after Andrew Luck decided to call it a career weeks before the season started. They’re legitimately feisty, and it was wrong for me to ever doubt the powers of Jacoby Brissett.
One thing the Colts do NOT do well is pressure the QB, as they sit at just 26th in the league in Pressure % ( QB pressures (hurries + knockdowns + all sack plays (half and full for players, just full sacks for teams)) per dropback). This leads me to believe that DeShaun Watson will make it through at least one more week without literally exploding into chunks on the field, and when he avoids that he’s usually very good.
Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills (-17)
Holy shit, when was the last time the Bills were favored this heavily? The WAGONS HAVE BEEN CIRCLED! Buffalo QB Josh Allen has played the Dolphins twice in his young career so far, and both times have resulted in an absolute statistical bonanza for fantasy footballers, so if you play DFS or feel like placing any prop bets, I would advise hopping aboard the Allen Train today.
The Dolphins make me sad. Note that they don’t make me CRY, because I’m not Hootie from Hootie and the Blowfish.
Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions (-2)
Man, I feel bad for the Lions. They were boned out of a divisional win on Monday, and now they welcome an even tougher divisional foe on a short week. I still think they’re a good team, but this is a tough spot. My man Kerryon Johnson has NOT had a chance to get it going so far, as for whatever reason the Detroit offensive coordinator is insistent upon trying to run him straight up the middle in obvious running situations as opposed to trying to get him the ball with a bit of space to operate. Seems like a functional running game would take some pressure off of Staff Daddy! Why yes, I am an aggrieved Kerryon Johnson fantasy owner, why do you ask?
The Vikings coming to the realization that their best bet for success is to let Kurt Cousins chuck it all over the yard is hilarious to me, because you know damn well it’s going to cause HC Mike Zimmer’s other eye to explode. His demeanor in press conferences following games where Minny wins after Kurt throws 30+ times could best be described as “just watched his wife’s autopsy.”
Jacksonville Jaguars (-4) at Cincinnati Bengals
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Oakland Raiders at Green Bay Packers (-4.5)
I am VERY disappointed that the Raiders have actually been a somewhat competent team so far. Watching Jon Gruden seethe on the sidelines each week was supposed be a major part of my autumn, god damn it. I suppose there’s still time for things to go sideways, but it doesn’t seem like it’ll devolve to quite the level I’d like.
The Packers’ rush defense isn’t very good, which is unfortunate given that they find themselves up against enormous Oakland RB Josh Jacobs this week. Conversely, the best way to attack Oakland is through the air. Despite having Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay isn’t really in a great position to take advantage of this, given the fact that they have basically zero healthy pass-catchers. This game feels like a low-scoring, field-position battle that ends up being decided by a field goal.
Los Angeles Rams (-3) at Atlanta Falcons
I can’t shake the feeling that this game is going to be a blow-out win for the Falcons, and my instincts are NEVER wrong. You know who the Rams’ back-up QB is? That’s right, it’s BLAKE BORTLES! I know it isn’t likely they’d make a switch given Goff’s huge contract, but how many more stinkbombs are they willing to endure before they begin to feel themselves swaying to the siren song of BORT? Jalen Ramsey may demand another trade if that were to happen.
I truly have no idea what the Falcons will do from week-to-week. I mean, I clearly don’t know what ANY team is going to do, but with Atlanta it’s like, EXTRA uncertainty.
San Francisco 49ers (-9.5) at Washington Football Team
The narrative around this game has mostly been “Kyle Shanahan hates the Washington franchise with the fire of 1000 suns and he desperately wants to crush their hopes and dreams,” which is DELIGHTFUL. This game probably isn’t going to be any fun at all for Case Keenum, and then it will be even less fun for poor Dwayne Haskins if the team throws him in there.
The field at Washington is a notorious piece of shit to begin with, and evidently today it’s extremely soggy there. The Over/Under is currently at 39, and pounding the under doesn’t seem like the worst investment in the world if the game’s gonna be a slop-fest featuring one team that wouldn’t be likely to score a whole hell of a lot even in ideal conditions.
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Baltimore Ravens at Seattle Seahawks (-3)
In theory, Seattle has the speed and athleticism along their defensive line and in their linebacking corps to keep Lamar Jackson from completely running wild on them. If that’s the case and Lamar is forced to try to beat them mostly with his arm, I don’t think he can do it. Especially given that his best WR, Marquise Brown, is out for this one.
As far as Seattle goes, Russell Wilson is the best. Evidently the national NFL media reads this picks column, because the “Wilson is the MVP frontrunner” chatter began in earnest on all of the talking-head shows this past week following my praise of the mighty DangeRuss. Clearly, nobody was aware that he was good until I brought it to the world’s attention. I’m predicting this is going to be a breakout game for rookie WR DK Metcalf. TE Will Dissly was a big part of Seattle’s passing offense, and those targets have to go somewhere. That coupled with Baltimore’s extremely shaky pass defense likely focusing the bulk of their meager stopping power on Tyler Lockett leads me to believe that DK will feast.
Los Angeles Chargers at Tennessee Titans (-2.5)
In last week’s post I joked that it would be hilarious if San Diego blew a lay-up of a game against the thoroughly depleted Pittsburgh Steelers. Well, it turns out that it wasn’t hilarious, it was actually kind of depressing. Do NOT watch any of this game for any reason.
New Orleans Saints at Chicago Bears (-4)
Trubisky BACK! Whether or not that’s actually good for the Bears long-term is certainly up for debate. At the very least, he’s a much more capable scrambler/runner than Chase Daniel, which I think will come in handy today.
Alvin Kamara being out is huge, obviously. Teddy B not having him around as a world-class safety valve in the face of Chicago’s fearsome pass rush is going to be an issue, I reckon.
This game has the week’s lowest Over/Under (37) for a reason.
Sunday Night Game: Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys (-2.5)
Neither of these teams are playing particularly inspired football as of late, which is nice. At least some of the Cowboys’ issues can be chalked up to injuries to key players, and it appears they’re going to have everyone back for this one. La’el Collins and Tyron Smith coming back is huge (literally LOL!!!) for the offensive line, and Amari Cooper returning to join Michael Gallup gives them a legitimately dangerous pair of WRs.
I’m picking the Cowboys to win here, which feels kind of gross, BUT I think in the long term it will only help from a comedy perspective because it increases the odds of Jason Garrett getting a contract extension.
Monday Night Game: New England Patriots (-9.5) at New York Jets
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Here’s your NFL playoff rooting guide for the Divisional Round
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Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images
The NFL playoffs continue with four games this weekend to decide the divisions. Here’s one reason you can root for about all eight teams.
The 2019 NFL playoffs are in full swing, and next up is the Divisional Round this Saturday and Sunday. The weekend kicks off with a big NFC matchup between the No. 1 seed San Francisco 49ers and the Minnesota Vikings, who upset the Saints last week. The weekend ends with another huge NFC matchup in Seahawks-Packers. In the AFC, we’ve got Titans-Ravens to start things off on Saturday, followed with Texans-Chiefs on Sunday.
If you aren’t exactly sure who to root for this weekend, I’ve got some good reasons to cheer on each team playing this weekend.
Minnesota Vikings at San Francisco 49ers
Saturday, Jan. 11, 4:25 p.m. ET
Why you should root for the Vikings: Kirk Cousins.
Cousins has been in the league since 2012, but throughout his seven years in the NFL, he’s earned a reputation of not being able to win big games. That is until last week, when he led a game-winning touchdown drive to defeat the New Orleans Saints on the road in the Wild Card Round:
.@KirkCousins8 to @KyleRudolph82 for the @Vikings walkoff win in OT. pic.twitter.com/aXSJllOqpB
— NFL (@NFL) January 5, 2020
The win was Cousins’ first career playoff victory, and outside of postseason games, he hadn’t really done much otherwise in big games:
He’s 0-9 on Monday Night Football
2-5 on Thursday Night Football
7-15 in primetime games
After the win over New Orleans, he gave us another, perfect “YOU LIKE THAT?!”
Yes @KirkCousins8 we do indeed like that. pic.twitter.com/svG0KryrQN
— Dave Schwartz (@Dave_Schwartz) January 5, 2020
Not too hard to root for a guy like Cousins, is it? If Cousins and the Vikings want to pull off an upset, starting fast on offense will be huge. He’s 7-30 against winning teams, including in the playoffs, but he has another chance to change that record this weekend.
Why you should root for the 49ers: They’re one of the most balanced teams in the league in all three phases.
Kyle Shanahan’s offense has been excellent this season. Jimmy Garoppolo has been helped mightily by the best tight end in football, George Kittle. Shanahan’s offense is the perfect place for the rookie receiver Deebo Samuel, a quick-twitch gadget player, to succeed. Raheem Mostert, a former undrafted practice squad body, looks like an All-Pro running in the offense.
Defensively, the 49ers have an aggressive pass rush led by rookie Nick Bosa and a secondary led by Richard Sherman, who is still one of the top corners in the league. He can both hype his team up on the sidelines and jaw with whatever receiver is lined up opposite him on the field.
On special teams, kicker Robbie Gould is coming off a month when he had a couple of game-winning kicks. He nailed a 30-yard field goal to seal a thrilling 48-46 victory against the Saints, and added another game-winning field goal in Week 16 against the Rams.
That balance makes the 49ers fun to watch — and dangerous.
Tennessee Titans at Baltimore Ravens
Saturday, Jan. 11, 8:15 p.m. ET
Why you should root for the Titans: They eliminated the Patriots.
Maybe that’s doing a disservice to the cool redemption stories of Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry, but that’s the truth of it. The Patriots had appeared in four straight Super Bowls and eight straight AFC title games — and those streaks are over, thanks to the Titans.
The Titans were underdogs against the Patriots, but they won on the back of an amazing performance from Henry. Others played key roles, too.
Don’t overlook what punter Brett Kern did in that game. He booted a punt that was downed at the 1-yard-line, putting the Patriots in a bad position that led to Tom Brady throwing a pick-six from his own end zone before he could even start a potential game-winning comeback.
Head coach Mike Vrabel gaming the rules to run some clock off — a move Bill Belichick himself used — was just beautiful, too.
We don’t have to watch another Patriots game this season. Isn’t that wonderful? Go Titans.
Why you should root for the Ravens: LAMAR DEMEATRICE JACKSON JR.
It’s extremely easy to root for Lamar Jackson (and especially cathartic to dunk on everyone who made the erroneous claim that he shouldn’t be a quarterback). And it will be even more cathartic if Jackson can shake off the only thing still dogging him at this point: his poor showing in the playoffs as a rookie.
Against the Chargers last year, Jackson had completed just three passes going into the fourth quarter. John Harbaugh never pulled him, though, and Jackson responded by completing 11 more passes with a pair of touchdowns. It wasn’t enough to get them the win, so we’re still looking for Jackson’s first playoff victory.
Plus, it sure is nice seeing the Ravens be good AND exciting, as opposed to the team that sent both Joe Flacco and Trent Dilfer to the Super Bowl.
Jackson is so damn good we can’t stop writing about the soon-to-be MVP. Here’s a selection of words we’ve published about him, and this isn’t even all of them!
6 plays that show Lamar Jackson, QUARTERBACK, is the real freakin’ deal
Lamar Jackson has become the MVP we all knew he could be
The 3 victims of Lamar Jackson’s spin move I feel most sorry for
Lamar Jackson is so good he brings a stack of extra jerseys for postgame jersey swaps
Lamar Jackson and the Ravens are the game to watch, no matter when they play
Ranking Lamar Jackson’s 5 most eye-opening plays from the Ravens’ win over the Bills
Houston Texans at Kansas City Chiefs Sunday, Jan. 12, 3:05 p.m. ET
Why you should root for the Texans: If you want to see a team that’s never even played in a Super Bowl reach one.
Not only that, but Houston hasn’t even made it to a conference championship game since its inaugural franchise season in 2002. Every other team currently in the AFC has. The Texans have won five AFC South (2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2019) but have failed to make it to the conference championship. Their first-ever playoff game came just eight years ago, when they beat the Bengals 31-10 in the Wild Card Round.
The Texans are coming off of an exciting 22-19 overtime win over the Bills, so we’ll see if Houston can keep this momentum going.
The Texans are 0-3 in divisional playoff games, so this will be the first time in franchise history they’d advance to the AFC Championship if they can knock off the Chiefs on the road. The Texans are currently 9.5-point underdogs, so they have their work cut out for them.
Why you should root for the Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes can get a second chance at winning the AFC Championship.
While the quarterback of the 2019-20 season is obviously Jackson, Mahomes is having another huge year. The Chiefs are in the top five in the league in total pass yards, pass yards per attempt (8.1), pass touchdowns per game (1.9), and average team passer rating (104.4).
Last year, Mahomes won the NFL’s MVP Award, and led the Chiefs to an AFC Championship Game. Kansas City ended up losing 37-31 in overtime to the Patriots, and thanks to the NFL’s stupid OT rules, Mahomes didn’t have a chance to counter New England’s overtime touchdown. Luckily the Chiefs won’t have to play the Patriots in the championship this year, and they can get a second chance to win the conference if they beat the Texans. Perhaps the football gods give us Mahomes vs. Jackson in the title game this year, too!
Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay Packers
Sunday, Jan. 12, 6:40 p.m. ET
Why you should root for the Seahawks: They know how to play an ... interesting game.
It’s probably a massive understatement to call Seahawks games “interesting.” In fact, they’re downright distressing if you’re a fan of them or the team they happen to be playing. All but four of their games this season were one-score games, and they were 10-2 in them.
Their flair for the dramatic was present in their last meeting against the Packers in the playoffs. In January 2015, the Seahawks came back from down 19-7 with under three minutes to go before they won in overtime.
Seeing Russell Wilson in his element — willing his team to victory in a high-stakes game — is always a great time, especially when that opponent is Aaron Rodgers.
Rodgers and Wilson are both no stranger to the playoffs, with each quarterback having nine career postseason wins as a starter. They also hold the two highest passer ratings in the playoffs in NFL history with Rodgers at 102.4 and Wilson at 101.2. The quarterback duel should be a treat, and considering the Seahawks are involved, it’ll keep you on the edge of your seat.
Why you should root for the Packers: If you’d like to see Aaron Rodgers one-up Brett Favre with a Super Bowl win.
Rodgers and Favre both have one Super Bowl victory in their careers. Favre won his first and only one in Super Bowl XXXI in 1997, when the Packers defeated the Patriots. He then lost in the Super Bowl the following year. Rodgers won his first and only appearance nine years ago with a win over the Steelers in Super Bowl XLV. Rodgers was asked this week about winning a second Super Bowl.
“It’s on my mind every day,” Rodgers said via Sports Illustrated. “That’s why we play the game. That’s why you put in the time in the offseason, that’s why you do the little things. It’s to put yourself in this position, where we’re two games away from being able to compete for that. I’m 36. I know what this is all about. This is an important opportunity for us.”
Eight quarterbacks have won exactly two career Super Bowl wins, including former Packers QB Bart Starr, Roger Staubach, Jim Plunkett, John Elway, Bob Griese, Eli Manning, Peyton Manning, and Ben Roethlisberger. The Packers are 4.5-point favorites against Seattle at home. Rodgers’ opposing quarterback, Wilson, has never won at Lambeau Field, either.
If Green Bay can beat the Seahawks, the Packers will then go on to the NFC Championship Game to give Rodgers another chance to advance to his second Super Bowl.
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Big Game Bound Week 12: NFC title game preview in San Francisco?
(NEXSTAR) — It’s Week 12 of “Big Game Bound,” and this week features some of the biggest matchups of the season.
We’re breaking down the can’t-miss games, including a Sunday night showdown in San Francisco. The 49ers (9-1) host the Green Bay Packers (8-2) at Levi’s Stadium. Can Aaron Rodgers continue his hot streak against one of the best defenses in the league? Our Big Game correspondents tell us what each team needs to do to win.
Plus, we’re highlighting two other huge games: The Carolina Panthers visit Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints. And the AFC South Division league is on the line in Houston where the Texans will take on the Indianapolis Colts.
On this week’s episode, which streams exclusively on Nexstar Nation websites starting at 1 p.m. ET, we’ll have:
What the Hallock: Former NFL player Ty Hallock is in studio with his thoughts on the current playoff picture, Tom Brady’s future in New England, and his Top 5 Teams.
The Big Matchups: 49ers vs Packers, Saints vs Panthers, and Texans vs Colts – huge games that could decide division races and playoff seeding.
The Big Decision: Bob Harris from footballdiehards.com is back to help you set you fantasy football lineup. Which players in your “keeper league” should you cut ties with? And which running back can fill the void with Marlon Mack on the sidelines?
“Big Game Bound,” hosted by WOOD TV8 Sports Director Jack Doles, streams every Thursday at 1 p.m. ET. If you can’t watch the stream live, you can watch episodes on demand by clicking or tapping here.
from FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports https://fox4kc.com/2019/11/21/big-game-bound-week-12-nfc-title-game-preview-in-san-francisco/
from Kansas City Happenings https://kansascityhappenings.wordpress.com/2019/11/21/big-game-bound-week-12-nfc-title-game-preview-in-san-francisco/
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Bears vs. Vikings: Notes from a tough 25-20 victory
There is something about Sunday Night games that has every fan on the edge of their respective seats towards the final two minutes of regulation....
Regardless, a stingy defense and Cody Parkey’s bid for redemption balanced out an uneven effort on offense in their return from a 5+ year absence on Sunday Night. They also gained a much firmer grip on the race for the NFC North crown. Plus, this is the type of “signature” win that will make most critics believe in the Bears this season.
First; and foremost, the fans should take a bow for their performance at Soldier Field. They were LOUD from start to end, and surely that electricity was felt in every square inch of that stadium. Well done, Bears fans. I’ll raise a cold one in your honor tonight.
And right on cue, the Bears forced a 3-and-out on the Minnesota Vikings’ first possession of the night. Akiem Hicks is a freakin’ monster.
Also on cue, the Bears score on their first possession of the night, albeit only a field goal. Mitchell Trubisky looked great in their initial march down the field, until he took a sack in the red zone. Jordan Howard was also heavily featured in this first drive. Cody Parkey’s first kick of the night split the middle of the uprights.
Parkey is just having the worst month of his career. After he boots the field goal, he shanks the following kickoff as it flew over the Vikings’ two-yard line. Woof.
“Bend but don’t break,” a saying made famous during Lovie Smith’s career in Chicago, was on full display during the 2nd possession against the Vikings’ offense. Literally, the Bears’ D needed to force a takeaway to keep the scoreboard blank. It almost seemed destined that a big play would be made in the Bears’ own red zone.
And then Khalil Mack delivered. Again. He stripped and recovered his 5th forced fumble of the 2018 season. He came into the night as the first player since 1982 to have 7+ sacks, 4+ forced fumbles, and 1+ interceptions within the first ten weeks of the regular season.
This is where the night started getting rough for Trubisky. And Matt Nagy, for the matter; they appeared to abandon the run while opting to go vertical with the passing game. This drive ended with an interception, where Trubisky tried to thread the needle to Taylor Gabriel in between three different Viking DBs. All three Viking DBs had a significant height advantage on Gabriel, too.
Oh look, that Khalil Mack guy seems pretty good at this football stuff. The entire front seven just whipped the Vikings’ O-Line on all three snaps, with Mack getting the Bears off the field as he hammered Kirk Cousins while the $84 million-per-year quarterback was throwing the ball. Had Bryce Callahan just held onto the ball for two seconds longer, that would have been a pick.
If Trubisky has displayed anything to this point in his career, it’s resilience. After he tossed the interception in their previous series, he teamed up with Jordan Howard — something they should have done in the previous series — to control the clock and score a touchdown. Trubisky and Howard punished the Purple People Eaters on the ground, which set the play-action passing game up nicely.
Anthony Miller has some ridiculously good hands. I initially thought the ball bounced off the turf following a low delivery from Trubisky, yet Miller held on and secured the touchdown. The chemistry between these two players is strong nowadays, as Miller has recorded a receiving touchdown in 3 of the last 4 games.
Oh, boy. A two-point conversion already? Most fans didn’t like that call, as it appeared to be a bit too aggressive for that situation. Me....to hell with it. The days of bubble wrapped offense under John Fox are loooooong over, my frents.
If I were to tell you that Kirk Cousins is earning a fully guaranteed $84 million per year, after watching this series, I’d expect a few weird faces. He continued to crumble under pressure in this series as he failed to connect with Adam Thielen on two separate tries.
It’s nice to see this Bears offense when Jordan Howard is given more than one touch per series. It would also be nice if Nagy could just stop getting cute in critical moments. After Howard trucks for some solid gains, the offense started going horizontal. Against one of the fastest flowing defenses in the league. Not a good idea.
Cody Parkey hit his 2nd field goal just barely inside the left upright. All this while the NBC broadcasting crew was obsessed with the “doink” sound effect trademarked by John Madden. Idk who was happier to see Parkey sink his 2nd kick; the Bears’ coaching staff, or Al Michaels.
Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs went from having a combined 0 catches in the first 29:10 minutes of the game, to making all the catches on this last minute effort to score some points heading into half time.
That was until Leonard Floyd forced Kirk Cousins to toss an arm punt straight to Adrian Amos. Amos now has a career high in interceptions (2) within a season. And that ensured the Vikings would be blanked on the scoreboard heading into the 3rd quarter.
You know, it would be splendid if the Bears’ offense could stop sleepwalking in the 3rd quarter. Despite Tarik Cohen having a nifty 21-yard gain on 2nd and 21, the gameplan just didn’t appear to make sense as the Vikings’ defense stiffened up big time.
Luckily for the Bears, there’s more than one monster on their defense. His name is Akiem Hicks, in case the rest of the NFL hasn’t figured this out yet. He recorded another tackle for loss, and Leonard Floyd joined in on the fun with a TFL of his own.
TRUBISKY NO! That’s all I’ll say on this series of which resulted in his 2nd interception of the night; or should we say, arm punt. It also gave the Vikings excellent field position to begin a comeback.
MACK YES! Just as Thielen and Diggs are heating up in the receiving game, Khalil Mack took Cousins down for his 8th sack of the year. That became too much for the Vikes’ offense to overcome as they settled for a field goal.
This is where I started saying “oh s—-.” Granted, this forced fumble was a result of outstanding hustle from the Vikings’ defense. And I respect how hard Cohen fights on every tout. Still, it’s not a bad thing to just go down and secure the ball after contact is made. Be smart and survive to live another down. Instead, the Vikes are once again gifted with a turnover deep in the Bears’ territory.
AKIEM HICKS YES! Seriously; though, how did the New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints miss on this guy? He took Cousins down for a huge sack on 3rd-and-2 that forced Minnesota to settle for another field goal.
At least the Bears chewed up some clock on the ensuing possession. This was a “big boy” moment for Trubisky and the Bears’ young offense, and they missed on a chance to effectively end the game.
EDDIE JACKSON OMG!!! The budding star at safety made a Mike Brown-esque pick six on a poorly thrown ball from Cousins. He overthrew Laquon Treadwell badly, and instead of simply backing away from the play, Jackson attacked the ball and returned it for the back-breaking touchdown.
Here we go: two D-linemen in on the Bears’ 2nd 2-point conversion of the night. Roy Robertson-Harris and Akiem Hicks got their opportunity to play offense in yet another package featuring members of Vic Fangio’s crew. Best of all Akiem Hicks lined up in the backfield as a tailback, in a T-formation, and motioned out wide as a slot receiver.
So because for the sake of common sense, Trubisky lobbed a ball to Adam Shaheen after the 6’7” tight end received a single manned look in coverage. Welcome back, Shaheen.
I would have absolutely lost my mind had the ball gone to Hicks....and I actually wanted that to happen, too. Here’s to hoping that’ll come against the Green Bay Packers.
Another thing that would be nice — the theme of tonight’s thread — is if Vic Fangio could discontinue the soft prevent look in the fourth quarter. Not only does Cousins finally get a touchdown on the board following an impressive drive, but a BS call on Hicks gave them two attempts at a two-point conversion. They, naturally, succeeded on their second attempt.
I swear, Matt Nagy planned on getting Cody Parkey his chance at redemption tonight. Even though the previous two touchdowns resulted in consecutive two-point conversions, after Parkey made his first field goal. Nevertheless, the Bears controlled the clock and forced Minnesota to burn out some of their timeouts. And when called upon, Trubisky made a few decent plays, while drawing an unnecessary roughness from Harrison Smith.
The moment every Chicagoan was waiting for — both in fear and in anticipation — Parkey’s chance to drive the final nail in the Vikings’ coffin. He delivered, beautifully mind you, on a 48-yard field goal that kept the Bears ahead by two scores. Kudos to Parkey for gutting out what was a gruesome week of memes, angered fans, and calls for him to be cut; only to deliver the knockout punch against such a tough opponent.
Barring anything stupid, any touchdown drive this late in the game would be considered “garbage time points.” Sure, Cousins got Diggs and fantasy owners a touchdown to make the score a bit closer. Of course, all it would take is #BearsSpecialTeams to manifest itself again in the obvious onside kick attempt.
Nope. Not happening. Benny Cunningham made a smart play to snatch the ball immediately after Dan Bailey kicked it. And that wrapped up the game.
In all, Mitchell Trubisky completed 20 of 31 passes for 165 yards, a touchdown, and two picks. His performance wasn’t pretty; rather, he did just enough against a top five defense to control the clock and keep Cousins and Co. off the field. The ability to extend drives with his legs is reminiscent of Aaron Rodgers. One could say this is his first true win against a tough opponent.
For those who follow me on Twitter, you all have likely seen how adamant I am when it comes to feeding Howard the ball. Tonight is a great example of that; 80% of the time Howard carried the ball inside, he’d pick up 5+ yards. I, still, can’t see why it’s a good idea to not give him more touches.
After being shut out last week, Taylor Gabriel led all Bears receivers in receptions and receiving yards. I can get used to this whole “spreading the wealth” concept in the passing game.
I’m sure coaches from all levels would agree with the following statement: the Bears’ defense is the best in the league when one considers a “whole team” concept. From Akiem Hicks recording 5(!) tackles for loss, to Eddie Jackson and Adrian Amos recording a pick each, to Khalil Mack feasting on multiple plays. This defense is 1) stacked from top to bottom and 2) built to last for a long time.
The Chicago Bears (7-3), currently winners of 4 straight games, have a short week with a game on Thanksgiving Day being hosted by the Detroit Lions (4-6) this coming Thursday afternoon. They will then be at the New York Giants (3-7) and at home versus the Los Angeles Rams (9-1) the following week.
It feels good to finally be in a healthy position for clinching a spot in the playoffs.
Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2018/11/19/18102253/chicago-bears-vs-minnesota-vikings-notes-from-a-tough-25-20-victory-akiem-hicks-cody-parkey-nfl-2018
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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.
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Packers return home to host the Bengals
The Green Bay Packers take on the Cincinnati Bengals at Lambeau Field on Sunday afternoon. The Packers look to win their first two home games for the fifth consecutive season and for the seventh time in the last eight seasons. Including the postseason, Green Bay has won five consecutive games at Lambeau Field. Green Bay has started 1-1 for the fifth time in the last six years. The Packers have won seven of their last eight regular-season games. Six of the last seven contests between Green Bay and Cincinnati have been settled by seven points or less, including each of the last four. While the Packers are 4-3 as the home team against Cincinnati, they are 4-1 in Green Bay. The Bengals play in Green Bay for just the sixth time and the first time since 2009, when they won, 31-24. The Packers are looking to snap a three-game losing streak against Cincinnati and record their first victory over the Bengals since 1998. Green Bay and Cincinnati will meet for the sixth time in the month of September, including the fourth time in the last five times they have faced each other. Under Head Coach Mike McCarthy (since 2006), the Packers are 15-7 at home against AFC opponents. Green Bay’s .682 winning percentage is tied with Philadelphia for No. 3 in the NFC and behind Arizona (16-6, .727) and Seattle (17-5, .773). Dating back to 2006, Green Bay has outscored AFC opponents by 178 points at Lambeau Field, ranking No. 1 among NFC teams and No. 7 in the NFL. The Packers are 4-1 in September home games versus AFC opponents under McCarthy. The last time Green Bay hosted an AFC team in September was in 2015, a 38-28 win over Kansas City. Since 2006, the Packers are 4-4 against AFC North teams during the regular season. LB Clay Matthews has two sacks and two forced fumbles in two games against the Bengals. Matthews (74.0) is a sack away from passing Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila (74.5, 2000-08) for the most in franchise history (since 1982). The Packers will play two games in five days, as they face the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field on Thursday night. It is the 12th straight year that Green Bay and Chicago will meet in primetime and the third consecutive season that they will play on Thursday night.
This is an abbreviated version of the Dope Sheet. Read the full version here (PDF)
WITH THE CALL
CBS will broadcast the game to a regional audience with play-by-play man Jim Nantz and analyst Tony Romo handling the call from the broadcast booth and Tracy Wolfson reporting from the sidelines. Milwaukee’s WTMJ (620 AM), airing Green Bay games since November 1929, heads up the Packers Radio Network that is made up of 50 stations in five states. Wayne Larrivee (play-by-play) and two-time Packers Pro Bowler Larry McCarren (analyst) call the action. McCarren first joined the team’s broadcasts in 1995 and enters his 23rd season calling Packers games. After originally being paired together in 1999, McCarren and Larrivee enter their 19th season of broadcasts together. Sports USA will air the game on radio across the country. Larry Kahn (play-by-play) and Hank Bauer (analyst) will call the action, with Troy West reporting from the sideline. The broadcast is also available on Sirius Satellite Radio (WTMJ feed). DIRECTV subscribers can watch the game on Channel 715.
BREAKING DOWN THE ROSTER
The Packers currently have an 53-man roster that is composed of 26 offensive players, 24 defensive players and three specialists. Of the 53 players on Green Bay’s roster, 36 of them (67.9 percent) were draft picks of the Packers. Dating back to 2007, Green Bay has at least one member of each draft class still on the roster. Green Bay has 12 players on the roster that began their careers as undrafted free agents, with nine of those originally signed by Green Bay. Almost a third (32.1 percent) of the players (17 of 53) on Green Bay’s roster entered the league as a sixth-round or seventh-round pick or as an undrafted player. The Packers have six players on the roster that played in the NFL prior to the 2009 season. Four of those five players were draft picks of the Packers (QB Aaron Rodgers, K Mason Crosby, WR Jordy Nelson and LB Clay Matthews) and three have made at least one Pro Bowl. Of the 53 players on the roster, 45 began their pro careers with the Packers (84.9 percent). Only 22 of the 53 players on the roster (41.5 percent) were selected in the first three rounds of the draft, with 19 being drafted by the Packers.
GREEN BAY’S ROSTER …
BY AGE (as of Sept. 24)
21-24: 26 players 25-28: 18 players 29-32: 5 players 33-plus: 4 players
BY EXPERIENCE
R-1: 12 players 2-3: 18 players 4-5: 8 players 6-9: 8 players 10-plus: 7 players
BY DRAFT ROUND
1st: 7 players 2nd/3rd: 15 players 4th/5th: 14 players 6th/7th: 5 players Undrafted: 12 players
THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK’S OPPONENT:
Packers vs. Bengals All-time, Regular season: 5-7-0 All-time, in Green Bay: 4-1-0 Streaks: The Bengals have won the last three regular-season meetings. Last meeting, regular season: Sept. 22, 2013, at Paul Brown Stadium; Bengals won, 34-30
COACHES CAPSULES
Mike McCarthy: 125-69-1, .644 (incl. 10-7 postseason); 12th NFL season Marvin Lewis: 118-112-3, .513, (incl. 0-7 postseason); 15th NFL season Head to Head: Lewis 2-0 vs. Opponent: McCarthy 0-2 vs. Bengals; Lewis 3-0 vs. Packers
MIKE McCARTHY…Is in his 12th year as the Packers’ 14th head coach.
Led the Packers to their eighth consecutive playoff appearance last season, tied for the third-longest streak in NFL history. Has also led the team to nine playoff appearances in the last 10 years (2007, 2009-16). Ranks second in franchise history in total victories, trailing only Curly Lambeau. Guided the Packers to top-10 finishes in scoring in eight straight seasons (2007-14), joining the Patriots as the only other team to accomplish the feat over that time; Packers finished first overall in scoring in 2014. Reached the 100-win plateau faster than any active NFL head coach, needing just 155 games. Joined Vince Lombardi and Mike Holmgren as the only coaches to guide the Packers to a Super Bowl title with a win over Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XLV.
MARVIN LEWIS…Is in his 15th year as the Bengals’ ninth head coach.
Has posted the longest tenure (15) and the most wins (118) of any head coach in franchise history. His Bengals have made seven postseason appearances in his time at the helm, including each of the last five seasons. Led the Bengals to AFC North titles in 2005, 2009, 2012-13 and 2015 as he was the consensus NFL Coach of the Year in 2009 when Cincinnati swept all six division contests.
THE PACKERS-BENGALS SERIES
The Bengals have won the last three regular-season meetings (2005, 2009 and 2013). Prior to 2005, Green Bay owned a three-game winning streak in the series (24-23 in 1992 and 24-10 in 1995, both in Green Bay, and 13-6 in 1998 at Cincinnati). Perhaps the most memorable game in the series came in 1992 when Brett Favre, summoned to replace an injured Don Majkowski at quarterback in the first quarter, proceeded to direct the Packers to an electrifying, 24-23 come-from-behind victory, forged when he hit wide receiver Kitrick Taylor for a 35-yard scoring pass with only 13 seconds remaining in the game. The series launched at Lambeau Field in 1971, when the legendary Paul Brown was head coach of the Bengals, a team he had founded three years earlier as a member of the then American Football League. The Packers posted a 20-17 victory in their first meeting, with a Lou Michaels field goal providing the victory margin.
NOTABLE CONNECTIONS Packers head coach Mike McCarthy and Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis were both assistant coaches at the University of Pittsburgh in 1990 and 1991…Packers QBs coach Alex Van Pelt played for the Panthers while Lewis was on the Pitt coaching staff…Lewis and Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers coached on the Steelers’ defensive staff together from 1992-94 and Green Bay secondary-safeties coach Darren Perry played in Pittsburgh during Lewis’ time with the Steelers…Capers grew up in Buffalo, Ohio, where he attended Meadowbrook High School…Capers also attended Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio, and coached defensive backs at Ohio State from 1982-83…Packers DL coach Mike Trgovac was born in Youngstown, Ohio, and attended Fitch High School in Austintown, Ohio…Packers LB Ahmad Brooks began his career with the Bengals, playing in Cincinnati from 2006-08…Perry’s first NFL coaching job came in 2002 when he coached safeties for the Bengals…Cincinnati defensive line coach Jacob Burney was an assistant coach at Wisconsin in 1989…Bengals WR Alex Erickson played at Wisconsin…Bengals assistant strength and conditioning coach Jeff Friday is a Milwaukee native and attended the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee…Packers special teams coordinator Ron Zook was the defensive coordinator at the University of Cincinnati from 1981-82 and the defensive backs coach at Ohio State from 1988-90…Green Bay C Corey Linsley is from Boardman, Ohio, and played at Ohio State for four seasons, where he was part of a Buckeyes team that won 24-consecutive games from 2012-13…Packers CB Quinten Rollins is a native of Wilmington, Ohio, and played four years of basketball and was the MAC Defensive Player of the Year in his one year of football at Miami (Ohio)…Packers G/T Adam Pankey is a Hamilton, Ohio, native…Bengals LBs coach Jim Haslett was Packers associate head coach/LBs Winston Moss’ position coach with the Los Angeles Raiders from 1993-94…Haslett was also the defensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1997-99 while Perry was a player in Pittsburgh…Zook held the same title in Pittsburgh during Haslett’s tenure…As head coach of the New Orleans Saints from 2000-05, Haslett coached Perry and hired McCarthy, Zook and Moss as assistant coaches…Haslett coached Packers defensive quality control coach Tim McGarigle in two stops, first as defensive coordinator of the St. Louis Rams, then as the head coach of the UFL’s Florida Tuskers…Bengals strength and conditioning coach Chip Morton was on the strength staff at Penn State while Perry played for the Nittany Lions…Morton would go on to be Capers’ strength and conditioning coordinator with the expansion Carolina Panthers from 1995-98…Bengals tight ends coach Jonathan Hayes played for the Chiefs in 1993 when McCarthy was on Kansas City’s staff…Hayes and Perry were teammates with the Steelers…Packers defensive front assistant Jerry Montgomery was a coach at Oklahoma while Bengals LB Jordan Evans played for the Sooners…Green Bay CB Davon House and Cincinnati DE Chris Smith teamed together in Jacksonville from 2015-16…Bengals CB Adam Jones and Packers TE Martellus Bennett were Cowboys teammates in 2008…Former college teammates include: Packers S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, DT Quinton Dial, Bengals CB Dre Kirkpatrick and QB A.J. McCarron (Alabama)…Bengals G Christian Westerman and Packers CB Damarious Randall (Arizona State)…Green Bay WR Davante Adams and Cincinnati S Derron Smith (Fresno State)…Packers S Morgan Burnett and Bengals DE Michael Johnson (Georgia Tech)…Packers LB Jake Ryan and Bengals DT Ryan Glasgow (Michigan)…Bengals LB Jordan Evans and Packers FB Aaron Ripkowski (Oklahoma)…Packers LB Blake Martinez, RB Ty Montgomery, T Kyle Murphy and Bengals H-B Ryan Hewitt (Stanford)…Bengals G Alex Richmond, Packers DT Kenny Clark and QB Brett Hundley (UCLA)…Green Bay S Marwin Evans, LB Kyler Fackrell, RB Devante Mays and Cincinnati LB Nick Vigil (Utah State)…Packers CB Kevin King and Bengals WR John Ross (Washington).
This is an abbreviated version of the Dope Sheet. Read the full version here (PDF)
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