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SNF: Chiefs at Patriots
- By CGI_Ram
- RAMS / NFL TALK
- 73 Replies
https://athlonsports.com/nfl/sunday...vs-new-england-patriots-prediction-picks-2018
Sunday Night Football: Kansas City Chiefs vs. New England Patriots
The Kansas City Chiefs (5-0) will pay a visit to Foxboro to face the New England Patriots (3-2) for a primetime marquee matchup between AFC heavyweights on “Sunday Night Football.” The Patriots last hosted the Chiefs to open the 2017 NFL season on “Thursday Night Football.” New England entered that matchup as the defending Super Bowl champions and as nine-point favorites over the Chiefs. The Patriots exited the game as the victim of an embarrassing 42-27 upset. Kansas City’s 42 points in that game stand as the most points ever allowed by a Bill Belichick-coached New England team.
Kansas City will make its triumphant return to Gillette Stadium on Sunday. Despite the Chiefs’ unblemished record, and a top-5 offense that averages 35 points per game, they once again find themselves playing the role of underdog against the homestanding Patriots. The Kansas City offense has been nothing short of spectacular to this point behind the arm of phenom quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the Chiefs’ defense, which ranks dead last in the NFL, surrendering 462 yards per game. Kansas City gave up 502 yards to Jacksonville just last week. But the Chiefs also forced five turnovers and racked up 424 yards of their own against the NFL’s top-ranked defense to secure a 30-14 victory over the Jaguars at home. The red-hot Chiefs now make their way to New England in a bid to repeat last season’s monumental upset and remain perfect on the season.
New England enters the big Week 6 matchup with a little momentum of its own. After a shaky 1-2 start to the season that had many of the New England faithful reaching for the panic button, the Pats appear to be returning to form. They have averaged 38 points per game over the last two weeks in blowout wins over the Dolphins and Colts. But the real test will come in the form of the visiting Chiefs on Sunday night. And despite New England’s recent turnaround, there are still a few wrinkles left for Bill Belichick and Tom Brady to iron out. The good news is that they have had ten days to prepare and rest up. The question is, will that be enough for the Patriots to avoid the same fate as last season against the surging Chiefs?
Kickoff: Sunday, Oct. 14 at 8:20 p.m. ET
TV: NBC
Spread: Patriots -3.5
Three Things to Watch
1. Brady vs. Mahomes
This may be the most intriguing quarterback matchup of the season, as the legendary 41-year-old veteran goes head-to-head against the 23-year-old upstart phenom. And this one should not disappoint. Both quarterbacks have very promising matchups awaiting on Sunday night, which means that this could very well turn into a shootout of epic proportions.
Fresh off his 500th career touchdown pass in Week 5 against the Colts, Tom Brady will now attempt to reach another milestone on Sunday night, becoming the first NFL quarterback to win 200 regular-season games. He enters Week 6 with 1,259 passing yards and 12 touchdowns on the season. However, Brady’s six interceptions through five games are just two fewer than he threw all of last season. That said, the reigning NFL MVP is looking sharper by the week. And with the return of Julian Edelman to go along with the addition of elite playmaker Josh Gordon, and the always-dangerous Rob Gronkowski still on hand, the New England passing attack should only get better from here.
Sunday night looks particularly favorable for Brady and company. The Kansas City pass defense is giving up a generous 343 yards per game through the air (31st in the NFL). The Chiefs also have allowed a league-high 27 pass plays of 20 yards or more. Additionally, it appears that the Chiefs will be without star pass rusher Justin Houston (hamstring) on Sunday night. Houston played a key role in Brady’s poor performance in last year’s game with two sacks.
Sunday night’s matchup also is shaping up to be a good one for Patrick Mahomes. The second-year quarterback is taking the league by storm. Mahomes leads all NFL quarterbacks with 14 touchdown passes through five games. And like Brady, Mahomes also etched his name in the record book last week, tying a franchise record with his fourth consecutive 300-yard passing game. He’s also a perfect 6-0 as a starting quarterback in the NFL.
Mahomes will be matched up against a Patriots pass defense that has been up and down so far this season. The inconsistent New England secondary has been inexcusably bad in its down performances. Case in point: Blake Bortles threw for 376 yards and four scores against them in Week 2. And Andrew Luck lit up the Pats secondary to the tune of 365 passing yards and three touchdowns just last week. New England hasn’t generated much of a pass rush so far this season, either. The Pats have just seven sacks through five games (second fewest in the NFL).
2. Kansas City playmakers
There may not be a more dynamic group of skill position players in the NFL than that of the Chiefs. Kansas City’s playmakers wreaked havoc on the New England defense last season, and they may prove even more dangerous this time around. Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt racked up 246 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns in last year's matchup. Hunt hasn’t been as active in the passing game so far in 2018, but he does rank fifth in the NFL with 376 rushing yards. He’s scored a touchdown in each of Kansas City’s last four games as well. Hunt will face a New England run defense that has looked much better than the one he faced last season. However, the Patriots are allowing a somewhat generous 4.4 yards per carry.
One player the Patriots did hold in check last season was Travis Kelce. New England will make a concerted effort to slow the elite tight end again on Sunday night, but it won’t be easy. Kelce leads all NFL tight ends with 81.4 receiving yards per game and serves as Patrick Mahomes’ favorite target. If New England does somehow manage to contain Kelce, that will only open the door for speedsters Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins. Hill already has nine receptions of 20 yards or more on the season. And he proved to be a big thorn in the side of the Pats secondary last season with seven receptions for 133 yards and a score. New England will surely have its hands full against Kansas City’s rare blend of dynamic playmakers.
3. New England running backs vs. the Kansas City run defense
New England will want to keep Kansas City’s high-powered offense off the field as much as possible. The only way to do that is by controlling the clock with a successful rushing attack. Rookie running back Sony Michel will spearhead that effort on Sunday night. Michel has played a pivotal role in New England’s recent turnaround, jumpstarting the Patriots ground game with 210 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns over the last two weeks.
Michel did pop up on the injury report with an apparent knee injury and was limited in practice on Thursday. However, reports suggest that it isn’t serious, and his limitations in practice are merely precautionary. If that is indeed the case, Michel should find success again this week against a porous Kansas City run defense. Opposing running backs are averaging a league-high 5.8 yards per carry against the Chiefs. Kansas City has given up the most receiving yards (454) to running backs in the NFL as well. That bodes well for pass-catching specialist James White, who ranks third among NFL running backs with 32 receptions for 270 yards and four touchdowns.
Final Analysis
It’s hard to go against the red-hot Chiefs right now. After all, they are 5-0 and lighting up the scoreboard week in and week out. Kansas City also went into Foxboro last season as an underdog and dominated the Patriots. That said, it’s only a matter of time before the Chiefs’ anemic defense bites them. And this might very well be that week. The Patriots offense is starting to hit its stride, and Tom Brady finally has the weapons he needs to get the passing game hitting on all cylinders.
Bill Belichick is a master game-planner as well. And with 10 days to prepare for this matchup, he should have a few tricks up his sleeve. The Chiefs will still score plenty of points. However, their defense isn’t good enough to keep the Patriots from doing the same. Pats win a close one at home in a shootout.
Prediction: Patriots 34, Chiefs 31
Tomorrow is Jared Goff's Birthday
- By Florida_Ram
- RAMS / NFL TALK
- 26 Replies
How about being an NFL quarterback and having the opportunity to lead your team to a 6-0 record on your birthday.
Jared Thomas Goff: Born October 14th, 1994
Jared Thomas Goff: Born October 14th, 1994
Ndamukong Suh sheds light on Rams' 'terrible' run defense
- By tomas
- RAMS / NFL TALK
- 14 Replies
By: Cameron DaSilva | 22 minutes ago
The Los Angeles Rams looked like a perfect team in the first three weeks of the season. They were blowing teams out, locking down opposing offenses and scoring seemingly at will. The past two weeks, however, have been a bit of a struggle on the defensive side of the ball.
They’ve given up 62 points the past two games to the Vikings and Seahawks, which is nearly twice as many points as they surrendered in the first three games combined. Seattle had its way on the ground, rushing for 190 yards on 32 carries.
The Broncos have one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL with rookies Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman, which could prove to be an issue for the Rams once again. Ndamukong Suh didn’t mince words on the team’s run defense, calling it “terrible.”
“Terrible, without question, because of 191 yards. I can’t think back to many times of defenses that I’ve been a part of that have [given up] 191 yards, let alone many times over 100,” Suh said Thursday. “Because I’ve been a part of some great defenses where we’ve allowed maybe one team get close to 100, or over 100, so that’s what I pride myself on.”
Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
While Suh gave credit to the Seahawks for doing some good things on offense, but he knows the issues against the run are the Rams’ own fault. It typically comes down to gap discipline, making tackles and closing up running lanes, none of which the Rams have done well in two of the past three weeks.
Suh thinks the unit has to go back to basics.
“I think our terrible run defense over the last two weeks is primarily due to our own self. At the end of the day, it came down to us not being disciplined, not making the correct plays, especially when you go back and look at the film. And really all we just gotta do is go back to the basics. Tackle, first and foremost, and be where we’re supposed to be,” he said.
There’s reason for optimism, of course. It’s just a matter of coming together and clicking as a cohesive unit, from the front to the back end.
“When we get consistent and we’re all on the same page at all times, we’ll be a dangerous defense,” he added.
https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2018/10/12/nfl-los-angeles-rams-ndamukong-suh-run-defense/
The Los Angeles Rams looked like a perfect team in the first three weeks of the season. They were blowing teams out, locking down opposing offenses and scoring seemingly at will. The past two weeks, however, have been a bit of a struggle on the defensive side of the ball.
They’ve given up 62 points the past two games to the Vikings and Seahawks, which is nearly twice as many points as they surrendered in the first three games combined. Seattle had its way on the ground, rushing for 190 yards on 32 carries.
The Broncos have one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL with rookies Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman, which could prove to be an issue for the Rams once again. Ndamukong Suh didn’t mince words on the team’s run defense, calling it “terrible.”
“Terrible, without question, because of 191 yards. I can’t think back to many times of defenses that I’ve been a part of that have [given up] 191 yards, let alone many times over 100,” Suh said Thursday. “Because I’ve been a part of some great defenses where we’ve allowed maybe one team get close to 100, or over 100, so that’s what I pride myself on.”
Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
While Suh gave credit to the Seahawks for doing some good things on offense, but he knows the issues against the run are the Rams’ own fault. It typically comes down to gap discipline, making tackles and closing up running lanes, none of which the Rams have done well in two of the past three weeks.
Suh thinks the unit has to go back to basics.
“I think our terrible run defense over the last two weeks is primarily due to our own self. At the end of the day, it came down to us not being disciplined, not making the correct plays, especially when you go back and look at the film. And really all we just gotta do is go back to the basics. Tackle, first and foremost, and be where we’re supposed to be,” he said.
There’s reason for optimism, of course. It’s just a matter of coming together and clicking as a cohesive unit, from the front to the back end.
“When we get consistent and we’re all on the same page at all times, we’ll be a dangerous defense,” he added.
https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2018/10/12/nfl-los-angeles-rams-ndamukong-suh-run-defense/
Obo Okoronkwo progressing: won't be handed a roster spot:
- By Florida_Ram
- RAMS / NFL TALK
- 87 Replies
Sorry if this was already posted?
By: Cameron DaSilva
Obo Okoronkwo progressing, but won't be handed a roster spot: 'He's gotta earn it'
It’s no secret that the Los Angeles Rams have struggled to generate pressure from the outside linebacker position.
They’ve tried multiple players on the edges alongside Samson Ebukam, from Dominique Easley to Matt Longacre to John Franklin-Myers.
No one – not even Ebukam – has had sustained success rushing the passer, leading to some real problems on the defensive front. Fortunately, the Rams could get a big boost next week with Ogbonnia Okoronkwo eligible to come off the PUP list.
He’s recovering from a broken foot suffered this spring, which caused him to miss all of training camp and preseason action.
As a result, the Rams have seen very little of him, which could prevent them from activating the rookie when first eligible. Sean McVay commented on Okoronkwo’s status Thursday, saying he’s trending in the right direction.
“He’s a guy that we’re monitoring. He’s making good progress. We’re coming up on that date. I don’t know exactly what that is. My brain is mush right now,” McVay said.
“But it’s coming up to where you can decide whether you want to activate him and put him on the roster, obviously that affects some different things that we’d have to do. But as far as we know, he’s on track to be able to potentially get back and get working with us.”
Good news, right? Okoronkwo looked like a steal as a fifth-round pick, fitting nicely in Wade Phillips’ scheme at outside linebacker.
Unfortunately, the foot injury was a huge setback and there’s no guarantee he’ll even contribute as a rookie.
Once these six weeks are up, the Rams have another six weeks to let him begin practicing.
Once that occurs, they have three more weeks to decide whether to activate him and put him on the 53-man roster or keep him on IR for the rest of the season.
That may seem like an easy decision based on the Rams’ struggles outside, but McVay isn’t going to hand him a roster spot.
“He’s gotta earn it. We have a lot of confidence in what he put on tape – it’s the reason why we wanted to be able to get him here.
But haven’t seen him play a lot of football – really, any football for that matter. Looking forward to just seeing him compete, see how he fits in and if it’s something that we feel like helps our team,” he said.
“But yeah, anyone you invest a pick in and that’s on our football team, we want to try to develop them to the best of our ability and see them flourish and he’s no different than anybody else.”
It seems almost certain Okoronkwo will begin practicing at some point, it’s just a matter of whether the Rams activate him in that three-week window, or if they feel good about the players currently on the roster.
https://theramswire.usatoday.com/20...es-rams-roster-ogbonnia-okoronkwo-sean-mcvay/
By: Cameron DaSilva
Obo Okoronkwo progressing, but won't be handed a roster spot: 'He's gotta earn it'
It’s no secret that the Los Angeles Rams have struggled to generate pressure from the outside linebacker position.
They’ve tried multiple players on the edges alongside Samson Ebukam, from Dominique Easley to Matt Longacre to John Franklin-Myers.
No one – not even Ebukam – has had sustained success rushing the passer, leading to some real problems on the defensive front. Fortunately, the Rams could get a big boost next week with Ogbonnia Okoronkwo eligible to come off the PUP list.
He’s recovering from a broken foot suffered this spring, which caused him to miss all of training camp and preseason action.
As a result, the Rams have seen very little of him, which could prevent them from activating the rookie when first eligible. Sean McVay commented on Okoronkwo’s status Thursday, saying he’s trending in the right direction.
“He’s a guy that we’re monitoring. He’s making good progress. We’re coming up on that date. I don’t know exactly what that is. My brain is mush right now,” McVay said.
“But it’s coming up to where you can decide whether you want to activate him and put him on the roster, obviously that affects some different things that we’d have to do. But as far as we know, he’s on track to be able to potentially get back and get working with us.”
Good news, right? Okoronkwo looked like a steal as a fifth-round pick, fitting nicely in Wade Phillips’ scheme at outside linebacker.
Unfortunately, the foot injury was a huge setback and there’s no guarantee he’ll even contribute as a rookie.
Once these six weeks are up, the Rams have another six weeks to let him begin practicing.
Once that occurs, they have three more weeks to decide whether to activate him and put him on the 53-man roster or keep him on IR for the rest of the season.
That may seem like an easy decision based on the Rams’ struggles outside, but McVay isn’t going to hand him a roster spot.
“He’s gotta earn it. We have a lot of confidence in what he put on tape – it’s the reason why we wanted to be able to get him here.
But haven’t seen him play a lot of football – really, any football for that matter. Looking forward to just seeing him compete, see how he fits in and if it’s something that we feel like helps our team,” he said.
“But yeah, anyone you invest a pick in and that’s on our football team, we want to try to develop them to the best of our ability and see them flourish and he’s no different than anybody else.”
It seems almost certain Okoronkwo will begin practicing at some point, it’s just a matter of whether the Rams activate him in that three-week window, or if they feel good about the players currently on the roster.
https://theramswire.usatoday.com/20...es-rams-roster-ogbonnia-okoronkwo-sean-mcvay/
TNF: Eagles at Giants
- By CGI_Ram
- RAMS / NFL TALK
- 78 Replies
https://athlonsports.com/nfl/thursd...gles-vs-new-york-giants-prediction-picks-2018
A crucial early-season NFC East showdown finds the defending Super Bowl champs on life support
One year ago, the Philadelphia Eagles’ Jake Elliott sent the New York Giants into a tailspin with a record-setting kick. A team-record 61-yard field goal as time expired saved the Eagles’ year, changing direction from 1-2 toward what would become a Super Bowl season. The Giants, along with former head coach Ben McAdoo, never recovered.
Did Carolina deliver a similar knockout blow to Big Blue last week? Graham Gano’s 63-yard field goal as time expired lifted the Panthers over the Giants 33-31. It was tied for the second longest in NFLhistory, wiping out an 11-point comeback in the fourth quarter that saw the Giants offense spark to life. Now 1-4, they’re tied for the worst record in the NFC.
We’re about to find out as the schedule still provides these same Giants an opening: none of their next six games are against a team over .500. Two of them are against the 2-3 Eagles, who enter Thursday’s game once again with their backs against the wall. Sloppy play on defense, turnovers on offense and overall tough luck leave them with as many losses now as they had throughout all of 2017.
Can the Giants become the fix the Eagles need, just like last season, to right the ship? They play them twice over a six-game stretch that also squeezes in Super Bowl contenders Carolina, Jacksonville and New Orleans. Sweeping their division games at this point is imperative if the Eagles are to even make the postseason, let alone defend their Super Bowl title.
The NFC East has thrown both teams a bone; even the Giants are just 1.5 games behind the Redskins at 2-2. It’s very much a wide open race that will receive some clarity after these division rivals clash in MetLife Stadium.
Philadelphia at New York
Kickoff: Thursday, Oct. 11 at 8:20 p.m. ET
TV: FOX/NFL Network
Spread: Eagles -3
Three Things to Watch
1. Can the Eagles play mistake-free football on offense?
The drama surrounding the Eagles revolves around doing the little things all wrong. They’re 29th in the NFL with 395 penalty yards. Their turnover margin is a dismal minus-four, ahead of only Jacksonville and San Francisco. Their red zone scoring percentage is just 38.5 percent in the three games since Carson Wentz returned, ahead of only four other teams. In short, this team can’t get out of its own way.
“I’m concerned,” said Eagles tight end Zach Ertz after Sunday’s contest. “It’s not where we thought we would be.”
Wentz along with head coach Doug Pederson have put emphasis on fixing these details in practice. But in the game? There’s been mistake after mistake. An inconsistent Vikings defense found their footing again last week with two crucial fumbles that altered the game’s momentum. Running back Jay Ajayi was the biggest culprit, fumbling five years from the end zone in the third quarter when the Eagles were about to make it 17-10.
That’s the last we’ll hear from Ajayi with the Eagles; he suffered a torn ACL Sunday and was put on injured reserve this week. The pending free agent joins Darren Sproles (hamstring) and Corey Clement (quad) missing significant time. But it might not be the worst news for a team that won the Super Bowl last season with role players (see: Foles, Nick) and needs an offensive spark. Ajayi’s postgame complaints about offensive play-calling were out of step with the rest of the team’s locker room.
Star defensive tackle Fletcher Cox restructured his contract amidst talk the team may trade for the Steelers star Le’Veon Bell in the next few weeks, rumors the team repeatedly denies. For now, Wendell Smallwood will step up and the hope is Clement is back by Thursday night. The duo will have to come together and produce against a Giants defense 27th in the NFL against the run. Wentz can’t do it on his arm alone.
But cleaning up the sloppy play is a stat you can’t really quantify. Some Super Bowl teams experience the hangover for a whole season; others finally have a wakeup call and get back to playing postseason football. The Eagles have many of the same pieces on the field from last year and know how to get the job done. It’s a matter of whether they can snap back together in time. The flags have to stop, false starts that feed into a failure of the offensive to produce points.
2. Can Eli Manning reassume control of the Giants' offense?
So much has been written about Manning’s decline at age 37. People have blamed a poor offensive line as a main reason he’s struggled to get on track.
But despite the addition of star first-round pick Saquon Barkley and wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. back from injury Manning’s numbers are only marginally better year-to-year. Here’s a quick comparison of his last two seasons through five games.
2017: 1,338 yards, 67.8 completion rate, 8 TDs, 5 INTs, 13 sacks
2018: 1,381 yards, 71.7 completion rate, 6 TDs, 3 INTs, 3 fumbles, 16 sacks
It’s not like Manning has become a Pro Bowler again with more weapons in the arsenal. Instead, the best play from under center Sunday came from Beckham, throwing what became a breathless 57-yard TD to Barkley.
The problem with Manning these days is he has a number of young dynamic offensive talents around him but his explosive playmaking ability has declined. That’s a dangerous recipe for chemistry in this locker room, especially considering Beckham’s aggressive personality. A game-changing performance is necessary to quiet some critics and remind them Manning still controls the office, not the people he gives the ball to. Being just a game manager won’t be enough.
3. A battle of two bad offensive lines
The Eagles' offensive line, just five games removed from a Super Bowl, enters the Giants game in tough shape. Tackle Lane Johnson has gone from first-team All-Pro to also-ran, allowing pressure that led to a Wentz sack and fumble-six last week. Nine-time Pro Bowler Jason Peters is once again playing through injuries that have him showing his age at 36. The starting lineup has been shuffled with Isaac Seumalo inserted in place of Stefen Wisniewski at left guard. Through five games, they’ve allowed 17 sacks, fourth worst in the NFC. This unit allowed just 33 all of last season.
But the Giants, of course, are in the same boat. Manning has been sacked 16 times although the line has played better since 2015 first-round pick Ereck Flowers was finally benched. The speed of Barkley makes his blockers look a little better than they actually are.
But both sets of linemen are vulnerable, setting up opportunities for an Eagles defense ranked second against the run. For all the playmakers they have on defense, the defending Super Bowl champions have just two fumble recoveries in five games. Cox, Brandon Graham, Michael Bennett and that whole defensive unit must put pressure on Manning and stuff Barkley, who for all his flair has less than 50 rushing yards in two straight games. They’re due for a few takeaways.
The same goes for the Giants on Wentz. They have just six sacks through five games and one fumble recovery of their own. That’s not going to cut it, especially in a division known for physical play. The team that gets to the quarterback quickest and most consistently Thursday night has the best chance to win.
Final Analysis
The Eagles have the better record but this game feels like a must-win for them over the Giants. A loss drops them to 2-4 and even in an easy division the schedule would make 10 wins a near impossible task. Everything about this team has felt off, in particular Doug Pederson’s coaching decisions. The head coach has come under fire for everything from play-calling to clock management to even dissing his kicker’s range. One year after Elliott hit that game-winning kick, Pederson responded to questions about eschewing a field goal Sunday by claiming his range maxed out at the opponent’s 35-yard line. Could you imagine if they thought that about Elliott during the Giants game last year?
But the Giants have their own drama, Odell Beckham Jr. spending last week whining publicly about his role on offense. To be fair, the wide receiver addressed his team on Sunday and responded with a game ball-type performance: 131 receiving yards, a touchdown catch and that spectacular 57-yard TD throw to Saquon Barkley. But the chemistry within this team still seems off.
Even on the road, you have to give the Eagles a slight edge with Carson Wentz and his leadership ability to keep his team in check. Eli Manning has made too many mistakes in big moments lately and appears to be losing that role with the Giants.
Prediction: Eagles 23, Giants 20
