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junker-town · 3 years ago

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6 burning questions entering Week 2 of the NFL

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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sportswitherichicks · 3 years ago

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It’s just Week 1 Right?

Bucs VS Cowboys

Week 1 is in the books, starting the 21 NFL regular season. We started things off with the defending NFL Super Bowl Champs the Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs the Dallas Cowboys in Tampa on Thursday night. This was a tell of 2-stories. For Tampa Bay, it was the start up the Bucs defending the Super Bowl Championship, bringing back all their players from last season such as Antonio Brown, Ndamukong Suh, and Lavonte David just to mention a few. For Dallas, it was Dak Prescott, making his return under center for Big D after his season was cut short with a broken ankle and of course the strained shoulder this year. It was also the revamping of the Dallas Cowboy Defense who wasn’t there best under Mike Nolan. Former Falcons Head Coach Dan Quinn is the new DC in Dallas and would look to make the defense better than last season. Tom Brady continued to prove that age aint nothing but a number, as he looked sharp and mobile throwing for 4tds; two of which he threw to Rob Gonkowski. But the star of the season open was indeed Dak Prescott. No one knew just how good Dak would be coming off injury last year except the Dallas Cowboys. Dak’s first play was at the 2-yard line deep in their own endzone. Dak snapped the ball and threw a dart to Amari Cooper for first down. From their on Dallas staged a passing attack against the Bucs Prescott would go to Cooper and Ceedee Lamb having both wideouts with over 100-yds receiving and 3-total Tds. The Dallas defense even looked better applying pressure and picking off Brady 2-times in the game. Prescott would finish the game with 403-yards and 3tds, just short of victory due to his kicker Greg Zuerlein missing two field goals and one extra point due to some back issues. Bucs would win 31-29. Even Though Dallas lost, they actually won, by looking very impressive on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. They will be a force to be reckoned with in the NFC East.

I have to admit, watching Sunday’s games were very interesting, to the point where I was like, “No, that just didn’t happen!” Here’s what i mean!

Cardinals Vs Titans

The Tennessee Titans were in the AFC Championship game last year against the Chiefs. This season they went out and got stronger on the offensive and defensive side of the ball bringing in Bud Dupree, Julio Jones etc. The Cardinals missed the playoffs last season, but made some upgrades as well bringing in A.J. Green and J.J. Watt. The Titans were looking to pick up where they left off last season, but their momentum was derailed by one defensive end by the name of Chandler Jones. Jones dominated the Titan offensive line picking up 5-sacks. The Cardinals also slowed down King Derrick Henry to 17-carries for 58yds. Kyler Murray also shined, with his new weapons such as A.J. Green, D Hopkins and James Conner. Murray would rip apart the Titans defense with 4tds and 289-yards passing. Arizona would score double digits points for the first 3qtrs of the game. Murray completed 65% of his passes. A Cardinal beatdown on the Titans as Arizona won 38-13.

You couldn’t tell me that week one, The packers would get blown out by the Saints and Jameis Winston would torch the Packers defense with 5tds, winning the starting job and taking over under center for the retired Drew Brees. Aaron Rodgers might have taken a little more time off than he should have. Winston showed great decision making, knowing when to run with the ball and when to pass. Winston also showed off his arm, going deep when need be. New Orleans hit Green Bay with a heavy dose of run and pass. The defense also held their own against Rodgers, picking him off 2-times in the game and holding the future hall of famer under 150-yards passing. Needless to say, I didn’t expect New Orleans to pick up the win, let alone blow out the Packers. If someone would have told me the Packers would gotten blown out by the Saints, I would have not them. But if this world as taught me anything is that anything can happen, especially on any given Sunday! Now, before we go crazy, lets take a deep breathe and remember it’s only week 1. “16-more games to go,” Aaron Rodgers said while speaking to the media after his Head Coach Matt LaFleur called the 38-3 loss embarrassing! While this is only week 1, we have to keep in mind for some teams, this may be a wake up call!

#Buccaneers #Cowboys #Cardinals #Titans #Saints #Packers #NFL #SportsWithEricHicks

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freenewstoday · 4 years ago

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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

8:00 PM ET

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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#2020 #biggest injuries #Fantasy NFL #NFL

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racingtoaredlight · 5 years ago

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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

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

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.

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

via GIPHY

#NFL #Sports!#Football

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priestfibre23-blog · 6 years ago

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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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egyptbra6-blog · 6 years ago