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Lol Bernie M getting Roasted for this article
- By Corbin
- RAMS / NFL TALK
- 31 Replies
True Confession, and You’ll Hate Me For It: I Really Enjoy Watching the LA Rams
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff (16) throws a pass to Robert Woods for a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game New York Giants Sunday, Nov. 5, 2017, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
The Los Angeles Rams aren’t slowing down. They will not observe the speed limit.
They plan to keep this up, scoring as many damn points as they please to give the people something fun to watch on an NFL Sunday.
This is a healthy development for an NFL cartel that’s so consumed by chasing dollars, amassing power and warring with its own players that the moneychangers forgot about the necessity of providing entertainment.
The suits in charge of this enterprise don’t have the time to focus on cultivating a more exciting and dazzling competitive product to please fans in the stadiums and the TV viewers at home when they’re so busy chasing Ezekiel Elliott’s attorneys through courthouses.
The suits don’t have enough free time to fix the increasingly invasive fussiness of game officials who apparently believe they’re being paid for every flag they throw … never mind that they are turning a sporting event into three hours of monotony.
And when league leaders and owners are ripping franchises away from three alienated markets and losing fans there forever … and digging in hard to maintain the cabal’s corrupt internal justice system … and are getting the vapors in the rush to suspend players who haven’t been found guilty of committing crimes … and that they’ve been woefully incompetent in mishandling — and worsening — these preventable national anthem controversies…
Well the VIPs cannot fret over minor concerns such as the regressive drop in points scored in NFL games, or the slide in TV ratings, or taking a few minutes to call Cleveland and insist that the Browns find their first real quarterback since Otto Graham.
Not when Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is trying to stage a coup to overthrow commissioner R. Goodell, a remote possibility that nonetheless has cable networks panting. The networks, you see, are becoming just like the league they service … it ain’t about the football. It’s about everything except the football. The way this league is covered is more Kardashian than the actual Kardashians.
True confession here.
I like watching the Rams play, even if I don’t like the owner who is paying them to play.
This league is so ridiculously low on entertainment, so littered with gratuitous penalty flags, so neglectful about truly protecting players from vicious, supposedly outlawed head-shots … so active in carting the broken bodies off the field …
It’s really becoming unwatchable.
And as an entertainment form, college football is vastly superior to these NFL Sunday slogs.
But I do like to watch football on Sunday, a lifelong habit. I have to find something on an NFL Sunday that’s interesting, and fresh, and engaging … something that isn’t like digesting a fistful of ambien. … something that stands out as different than the humdrum procession of boring teams that the NFL pushes out there each week.
The Rams are fun.
Charismatic.
They are a marketable product …
(Well, except in Los Angeles.)
The Rams have something going that can make fans smile.
(Well, except in St. Louis.)
Of the many preseason predictions I would have flunked before this 2017 campaign, I can assure you my forecast failures would be topped by these misjudgments:
— That the Rams would be 6-2, and leading the NFC West, and getting talked up as a dangerous playoff contender … a contender that no opponent really wants to take on should the Rams get into the tournament
— That head coach Sean McVay, age 31, would emerge as a short-list, hot-list candidate for NFL Coach of the Year in his rookie season.
— I did say I thought the Rams made an intriguing hire with McVay, and I liked that they were trying something different to stimulate an offense that’s been depressed if not dead for more than a decade. But no, I didn’t think that when the Rams fired antediluvian head coach Jeff Fisher to bring in someone new, they’d find the next Bill Walsh.
— I wouldn’t have predicted that McVay and the Rams could recruit legendary defensive coordinator Wade Phillips to move to Los Angeles to run their defense.
— No prediction that the Rams would be leading the NFL in all-around points per game, 32.9, after averaging half of that (the worst in the league, barely 16 points) over a 10-season stretch that dragged them through 2016.
— That the Rams would have won three games by 30+ points this season — after winning only two games by 30+ from 2007 through 2016.
— That these Rams would score 40+ points in three of their first eight games when the snoozer Rams of yore scored 40+ points only TWICE in 160 games from 2007 through 2016.
— That Rams GM Les Snead would be freed from Jeff Fisher Prison to sign a very good left offensive tackle (Andrew Whitworth), sign a very good center (John Sullivan), and do a wide receiver makeover that brought in Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods and rookie Cooper Kupp … and that Snead would get all of this done in one offseason.
— And that McVay could make something out of Tavon Austin, and rejuvenate the running back Todd Gurley. In this armory the Rams have more playmakers than they’ve had in a long time — maybe going back to 2006.
— That the Rams, with 263 points scored through only eight games, would already have more points on the board than the 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2016 Rams scored over a full season of 16 games. That’s crazy.
— That the Rams would be leading all NFL teams with the highest percentage (51.6%) of possessions that end with points being scored. Go back a season, and the 2016 Rams scored points on only 21.8 percent of possessions … 32nd (last) in the league.
— That the Rams would have 23 touchdownsfrom scrimmage on offense through eight games … the same number that last year’s team produced in 16 games.
— That Rams quarterback Jared Goff would be third in the NFL in average yards per passing attempt (8.32), or leading the league with an average of 13.8 yards per completion. Not after Goff, last year’s No. 1 overall draft choice, looked so overwhelmed, so awkward, so horrible. Goff was so bad last year that I felt guilty about making fun of him when watching his games. After 2016, I thought the only future this kid would have would be in Cleveland, the place where the Browns collect failed quarterbacks.
— And now, eight games into his second season, Goff is piercing defenses for an average of 13.8 yards per connection? My goodness Kurt Warner and Trent Green combined to average 13.59 yards per completion for the 1999-to-2001 St. Louis Rams. No, I would not have predicted that.
— I would not have predicted the 2017 Rams averaging 29.1 points on offense each game … just points on offense, excluding points scored by the defense or special teams on returns.
— I would not have predicted that the 2017 Rams, with that spiffy average of 29.1 offensive points per game, would be hanging out with the 1999-2001 Rams that averaged 29.7 offensive points per game over three seasons.
I wouldn’t have predicted any of this.
This is La La Land stuff … and I ain’t talking about the movie.
“La La Land” as in being completely detached from reality.
Thanks for reading…
–Bernie
- Bernie Milkasz
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff (16) throws a pass to Robert Woods for a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game New York Giants Sunday, Nov. 5, 2017, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
The Los Angeles Rams aren’t slowing down. They will not observe the speed limit.
They plan to keep this up, scoring as many damn points as they please to give the people something fun to watch on an NFL Sunday.
This is a healthy development for an NFL cartel that’s so consumed by chasing dollars, amassing power and warring with its own players that the moneychangers forgot about the necessity of providing entertainment.
The suits in charge of this enterprise don’t have the time to focus on cultivating a more exciting and dazzling competitive product to please fans in the stadiums and the TV viewers at home when they’re so busy chasing Ezekiel Elliott’s attorneys through courthouses.
The suits don’t have enough free time to fix the increasingly invasive fussiness of game officials who apparently believe they’re being paid for every flag they throw … never mind that they are turning a sporting event into three hours of monotony.
And when league leaders and owners are ripping franchises away from three alienated markets and losing fans there forever … and digging in hard to maintain the cabal’s corrupt internal justice system … and are getting the vapors in the rush to suspend players who haven’t been found guilty of committing crimes … and that they’ve been woefully incompetent in mishandling — and worsening — these preventable national anthem controversies…
Well the VIPs cannot fret over minor concerns such as the regressive drop in points scored in NFL games, or the slide in TV ratings, or taking a few minutes to call Cleveland and insist that the Browns find their first real quarterback since Otto Graham.
Not when Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is trying to stage a coup to overthrow commissioner R. Goodell, a remote possibility that nonetheless has cable networks panting. The networks, you see, are becoming just like the league they service … it ain’t about the football. It’s about everything except the football. The way this league is covered is more Kardashian than the actual Kardashians.
True confession here.
I like watching the Rams play, even if I don’t like the owner who is paying them to play.
This league is so ridiculously low on entertainment, so littered with gratuitous penalty flags, so neglectful about truly protecting players from vicious, supposedly outlawed head-shots … so active in carting the broken bodies off the field …
It’s really becoming unwatchable.
And as an entertainment form, college football is vastly superior to these NFL Sunday slogs.
But I do like to watch football on Sunday, a lifelong habit. I have to find something on an NFL Sunday that’s interesting, and fresh, and engaging … something that isn’t like digesting a fistful of ambien. … something that stands out as different than the humdrum procession of boring teams that the NFL pushes out there each week.
The Rams are fun.
Charismatic.
They are a marketable product …
(Well, except in Los Angeles.)
The Rams have something going that can make fans smile.
(Well, except in St. Louis.)
Of the many preseason predictions I would have flunked before this 2017 campaign, I can assure you my forecast failures would be topped by these misjudgments:
— That the Rams would be 6-2, and leading the NFC West, and getting talked up as a dangerous playoff contender … a contender that no opponent really wants to take on should the Rams get into the tournament
— That head coach Sean McVay, age 31, would emerge as a short-list, hot-list candidate for NFL Coach of the Year in his rookie season.
— I did say I thought the Rams made an intriguing hire with McVay, and I liked that they were trying something different to stimulate an offense that’s been depressed if not dead for more than a decade. But no, I didn’t think that when the Rams fired antediluvian head coach Jeff Fisher to bring in someone new, they’d find the next Bill Walsh.
— I wouldn’t have predicted that McVay and the Rams could recruit legendary defensive coordinator Wade Phillips to move to Los Angeles to run their defense.
— No prediction that the Rams would be leading the NFL in all-around points per game, 32.9, after averaging half of that (the worst in the league, barely 16 points) over a 10-season stretch that dragged them through 2016.
— That the Rams would have won three games by 30+ points this season — after winning only two games by 30+ from 2007 through 2016.
— That these Rams would score 40+ points in three of their first eight games when the snoozer Rams of yore scored 40+ points only TWICE in 160 games from 2007 through 2016.
— That Rams GM Les Snead would be freed from Jeff Fisher Prison to sign a very good left offensive tackle (Andrew Whitworth), sign a very good center (John Sullivan), and do a wide receiver makeover that brought in Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods and rookie Cooper Kupp … and that Snead would get all of this done in one offseason.
— And that McVay could make something out of Tavon Austin, and rejuvenate the running back Todd Gurley. In this armory the Rams have more playmakers than they’ve had in a long time — maybe going back to 2006.
— That the Rams, with 263 points scored through only eight games, would already have more points on the board than the 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2016 Rams scored over a full season of 16 games. That’s crazy.
— That the Rams would be leading all NFL teams with the highest percentage (51.6%) of possessions that end with points being scored. Go back a season, and the 2016 Rams scored points on only 21.8 percent of possessions … 32nd (last) in the league.
— That the Rams would have 23 touchdownsfrom scrimmage on offense through eight games … the same number that last year’s team produced in 16 games.
— That Rams quarterback Jared Goff would be third in the NFL in average yards per passing attempt (8.32), or leading the league with an average of 13.8 yards per completion. Not after Goff, last year’s No. 1 overall draft choice, looked so overwhelmed, so awkward, so horrible. Goff was so bad last year that I felt guilty about making fun of him when watching his games. After 2016, I thought the only future this kid would have would be in Cleveland, the place where the Browns collect failed quarterbacks.
— And now, eight games into his second season, Goff is piercing defenses for an average of 13.8 yards per connection? My goodness Kurt Warner and Trent Green combined to average 13.59 yards per completion for the 1999-to-2001 St. Louis Rams. No, I would not have predicted that.
— I would not have predicted the 2017 Rams averaging 29.1 points on offense each game … just points on offense, excluding points scored by the defense or special teams on returns.
— I would not have predicted that the 2017 Rams, with that spiffy average of 29.1 offensive points per game, would be hanging out with the 1999-2001 Rams that averaged 29.7 offensive points per game over three seasons.
I wouldn’t have predicted any of this.
This is La La Land stuff … and I ain’t talking about the movie.
“La La Land” as in being completely detached from reality.
Thanks for reading…
–Bernie
MNF: Lions@Packers
- By Prime Time
- RAMS / NFL TALK
- 24 Replies
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/...streaming-tv-why-the-lions-will-edge-packers/
'Monday Night Football': Why the Lions will edge Packers
by Sean Wagner-McGough
I'm a Bears fan, and even I miss Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers has broken my heart more times than a girl ever could, and I still miss watching him shred defenses with mind-bending throws on a weekly basis. He's the league's most talented quarterback, and the NFL is worse without him. In a season featuring not enough good teams and too many injuries, Rodgers' absence hurts even more.
The NFL's Rodgers-less problem is going to be exacerbated on Monday night when the Packers (4-3) host the Lions (3-4) on Week 9's edition of "Monday Night Football." Instead of getting a matchup between the league's most-talented quarterback in Rodgers and a top-tier-ish quarterback in Matthew Stafford, we'll be forced to watch Brett Hundley and what will probably be a run-focused offense take on the slumping Lions, who've lost three straight.
Of course, Rodgers' absence is a bigger problem for the Packers than it is for the league. Without their quarterback, the Packers are no longer a Super Bowl contender, but instead a floundering fish on the sand waiting for the tide to return and save them.
By the time Rodgers is able to play again -- the Packers are reportedly hoping he's able to return on Dec. 17 (Week 15) -- the Packers' playoff hopes might be dead already. They're 4-3 and still have at least six more games without Rodgers. Their run with Hundley continues on Monday night, and I don't see it going well.
I'm taking the Lions in this game primarily because of Rodgers' absence. Rodgers covers up so many of the Packers' warts. He can't do that on the sideline. Not only do the Lions boast the better quarterback in this matchup, they also own the better defense and special teams. That's why I'm picking the Lions.
The prediction: Lions 24, Packers 17
My "MNF" prediction record: 6-2
Lions hold the QB advantage
The Lions have the better quarterback with Rodgers injured. So far this season -- after signing the most lucrative NFL deal ever in August -- Stafford's numbers have been right around what we've come to expect out of him. He's completed 60.4 percent of his passes, averaged 6.9 yards per attempt, thrown 12 touchdowns and four interceptions, and posted an 89.6 passer rating. He continues to be a solid, but not great quarterback.
And that's better than what we can say about Hundley, who was thrust into the starting role when Rodgers went down. In three games (one start), Hundley -- a once-hyped prospect at UCLA who's been with the Packers since 2015 -- has completed 52.5 percent of his passes, averaged 4.1 yards per pass, thrown one touchdown and four picks, and posted a 40.5 passer rating. It hasn't gone well.
He's been bad both under pressure and not under pressure, posting a 56.3 passer rating under pressure and a 28.9 passer rating without pressure, according to Pro Football Focus. On passes thrown at least 20 yards downfield, he's gone 1 of 7 for 26 yards, a pick, and a 3.0 passer rating, according to PFF. Off play-action, he's accumulated the second-worst passer rating (33.1). Only Tyreek Hill -- the Chiefs' wide receiver -- has been worse, per PFF.
Obviously, we're dealing with small sample sizes. Obviously, Hundley can improve as he acquires more experience in the NFL. Obviously, play-calling and his supporting staff deserve to be blamed along with him.
This is not a knock on Hundley, who's never been asked to be a starter before, but the Lions are probably going to win this game because they have a starting-caliber quarterback and the Packers do not. It's really that simple. Plus, Packers tight end Martellus Bennett is doubtful, which means Hundley will likely be without his security blanket.
It's worth noting that Stafford usually plays well in Green Bay. According to ESPN Stats & Info, Stafford has averaged 315 yards per game and totaled 15 passing touchdowns and five picks in six games at Lambeau Field. Still, he's gone 1-5 in those games. Rodgers being gone will help him improve that record.
Aaron Jones needs to carry the Packers
To have a chance in this game, the Packers need their rookie running back, Aaron Jones, to carry their offense. Since wrestling the starting job away from Ty Montgomery in Week 4, Jones has electrified the Packers' running game.
In the three games since, he's averaging 6.06 yards per carry and 99 yards per game. He's played in four total games. If he kept up his current pace over a 16-game season, he'd reach 1,384 rushing yards. According to PFF, he's been just about as elusive (in terms of missed tackles) as Le'Veon Bell and Melvin Gordon.
He needs to have a productive outing for the Packers to have a shot against the Lions. But it won't be easy to get the ground game going against a Lions defense that is flying under the radar.
Don't sleep on the Lions' defense
The Lions' defense is allowing 3.6 yards per carry (the fourth-lowest in football) and 91.6 rushing yards per game (the sixth-lowest in football). By DVOA, they're ranked fifth against the run. So running on them won't be easy.
They are, however, more susceptible against the pass. They allow the seventh-most passing yards per game (254.6) and the fourth-most passing yards per attempt (7.9). But it's worth noting that the Lions' pass defense isn't as bad as those rankings suggest. By DVOA, they're ranked eighth against the pass. Perhaps more importantly, they've snagged 10 interceptions. Only two teams have more to this point.
I'm also taking the Lions to win because they boast the better defense. Overall, they're ranked seventh in DVOA and are tied for the second-most takeaways with 16. The Packers' defense, meanwhile, is ranked 19th in DVOA. If Stafford can take care of the ball, the Lions should be fine against a mediocre at best defense.
The red zone
One area the Lions need to improve in is the red zone. In a 20-15 loss to the Steelersa week ago, Stafford threw for 423 yards and the Lions outplayed the Steelers in nearly every aspect of the game. But they lost because they failed to reach the end zone. The Lions went 0 for 5 in the red zone. So far this season, they're 27th in red zone offense by scoring a touchdown on only 45 percent of their red zone trips, according to TeamRankings.com.
The Lions can't keep kicking field goals. If they're forced to settle for three points, they'll let the Packers hang around in a game they shouldn't win.
Special teams matter
With that being said, let's give Matt Prater and the rest of the Lions' special teams credit. By DVOA, they're the best special teams unit in football. Prater is 15 of 17 on field goals and perfect on his extra points. He's 5 of 7 from 50-plus yards. Meanwhile, the Packers' special teams unit is ranked 14th in DVOA. Their kicker, Mason Crosby, is 7 of 8 on field goals and 17 of 19 on extra points. He's yet to make a kick from 50-plus yards.
If it's a close game, give the edge to the Lions, their stud kicker, and their quarterback, who happens to have quite the history of winning nailbiters.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...ves-martellus-bennett-ahmad-brooks-wont-play/
Packers-Lions inactives: Martellus Bennett, Ahmad Brooks won’t play
Posted by Charean Williams on November 6, 2017
Getty Images
The Packers will play without tight end Martellus Bennett tonight against the Lions. Bennett is among Green Bay’s inactives.
Bennett missed practice last week with a shoulder injury, and the Packers had listed him as questionable. Lance Kendricks and Richard Rodgers will get more snaps in Bennett’s absence.
The Packers already had ruled out linebacker Joe Thomas (ankle) and linebacker Ahmad Brooks (back) and defensive linemen Quinton Dial (chest) won’t play either after being listed as doubtful.
Green Bay’s other inactives are cornerback Donatello Brown, offensive tackle John Ulrick and offensive lineman Adam Pankey.
Guard Lane Taylor (ankle) and cornerback Damarious Randall (hamstring/illness) are active and will play despite being listed as questionable.
Lions wide receiver Kenny Golladay will miss a fifth consecutive game. He hasn’t played since injuring his hamstring in Week 3 against Atlanta.
TJ Jones will continue to get more snaps in Golladay’s absence.
Safety Don Carey (knee) won’t play, but rookie cornerback Teez Tabor will. The Lions also will have to make do without left tackle Greg Robinson (ankle) for a second consecutive week, with Brian Mihalik getting another start.
The Lions’ other inactives are running back Zach Zenner, running back Tion Green, linebacker Steve Longa and defensive end Jeremiah Valoaga.
'Monday Night Football': Why the Lions will edge Packers
by Sean Wagner-McGough
I'm a Bears fan, and even I miss Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers has broken my heart more times than a girl ever could, and I still miss watching him shred defenses with mind-bending throws on a weekly basis. He's the league's most talented quarterback, and the NFL is worse without him. In a season featuring not enough good teams and too many injuries, Rodgers' absence hurts even more.
The NFL's Rodgers-less problem is going to be exacerbated on Monday night when the Packers (4-3) host the Lions (3-4) on Week 9's edition of "Monday Night Football." Instead of getting a matchup between the league's most-talented quarterback in Rodgers and a top-tier-ish quarterback in Matthew Stafford, we'll be forced to watch Brett Hundley and what will probably be a run-focused offense take on the slumping Lions, who've lost three straight.
Of course, Rodgers' absence is a bigger problem for the Packers than it is for the league. Without their quarterback, the Packers are no longer a Super Bowl contender, but instead a floundering fish on the sand waiting for the tide to return and save them.
By the time Rodgers is able to play again -- the Packers are reportedly hoping he's able to return on Dec. 17 (Week 15) -- the Packers' playoff hopes might be dead already. They're 4-3 and still have at least six more games without Rodgers. Their run with Hundley continues on Monday night, and I don't see it going well.
I'm taking the Lions in this game primarily because of Rodgers' absence. Rodgers covers up so many of the Packers' warts. He can't do that on the sideline. Not only do the Lions boast the better quarterback in this matchup, they also own the better defense and special teams. That's why I'm picking the Lions.
The prediction: Lions 24, Packers 17
My "MNF" prediction record: 6-2
Lions hold the QB advantage
The Lions have the better quarterback with Rodgers injured. So far this season -- after signing the most lucrative NFL deal ever in August -- Stafford's numbers have been right around what we've come to expect out of him. He's completed 60.4 percent of his passes, averaged 6.9 yards per attempt, thrown 12 touchdowns and four interceptions, and posted an 89.6 passer rating. He continues to be a solid, but not great quarterback.
And that's better than what we can say about Hundley, who was thrust into the starting role when Rodgers went down. In three games (one start), Hundley -- a once-hyped prospect at UCLA who's been with the Packers since 2015 -- has completed 52.5 percent of his passes, averaged 4.1 yards per pass, thrown one touchdown and four picks, and posted a 40.5 passer rating. It hasn't gone well.
He's been bad both under pressure and not under pressure, posting a 56.3 passer rating under pressure and a 28.9 passer rating without pressure, according to Pro Football Focus. On passes thrown at least 20 yards downfield, he's gone 1 of 7 for 26 yards, a pick, and a 3.0 passer rating, according to PFF. Off play-action, he's accumulated the second-worst passer rating (33.1). Only Tyreek Hill -- the Chiefs' wide receiver -- has been worse, per PFF.
Obviously, we're dealing with small sample sizes. Obviously, Hundley can improve as he acquires more experience in the NFL. Obviously, play-calling and his supporting staff deserve to be blamed along with him.
This is not a knock on Hundley, who's never been asked to be a starter before, but the Lions are probably going to win this game because they have a starting-caliber quarterback and the Packers do not. It's really that simple. Plus, Packers tight end Martellus Bennett is doubtful, which means Hundley will likely be without his security blanket.
It's worth noting that Stafford usually plays well in Green Bay. According to ESPN Stats & Info, Stafford has averaged 315 yards per game and totaled 15 passing touchdowns and five picks in six games at Lambeau Field. Still, he's gone 1-5 in those games. Rodgers being gone will help him improve that record.
Aaron Jones needs to carry the Packers
To have a chance in this game, the Packers need their rookie running back, Aaron Jones, to carry their offense. Since wrestling the starting job away from Ty Montgomery in Week 4, Jones has electrified the Packers' running game.
In the three games since, he's averaging 6.06 yards per carry and 99 yards per game. He's played in four total games. If he kept up his current pace over a 16-game season, he'd reach 1,384 rushing yards. According to PFF, he's been just about as elusive (in terms of missed tackles) as Le'Veon Bell and Melvin Gordon.
He needs to have a productive outing for the Packers to have a shot against the Lions. But it won't be easy to get the ground game going against a Lions defense that is flying under the radar.
Don't sleep on the Lions' defense
The Lions' defense is allowing 3.6 yards per carry (the fourth-lowest in football) and 91.6 rushing yards per game (the sixth-lowest in football). By DVOA, they're ranked fifth against the run. So running on them won't be easy.
They are, however, more susceptible against the pass. They allow the seventh-most passing yards per game (254.6) and the fourth-most passing yards per attempt (7.9). But it's worth noting that the Lions' pass defense isn't as bad as those rankings suggest. By DVOA, they're ranked eighth against the pass. Perhaps more importantly, they've snagged 10 interceptions. Only two teams have more to this point.
I'm also taking the Lions to win because they boast the better defense. Overall, they're ranked seventh in DVOA and are tied for the second-most takeaways with 16. The Packers' defense, meanwhile, is ranked 19th in DVOA. If Stafford can take care of the ball, the Lions should be fine against a mediocre at best defense.
The red zone
One area the Lions need to improve in is the red zone. In a 20-15 loss to the Steelersa week ago, Stafford threw for 423 yards and the Lions outplayed the Steelers in nearly every aspect of the game. But they lost because they failed to reach the end zone. The Lions went 0 for 5 in the red zone. So far this season, they're 27th in red zone offense by scoring a touchdown on only 45 percent of their red zone trips, according to TeamRankings.com.
The Lions can't keep kicking field goals. If they're forced to settle for three points, they'll let the Packers hang around in a game they shouldn't win.
Special teams matter
With that being said, let's give Matt Prater and the rest of the Lions' special teams credit. By DVOA, they're the best special teams unit in football. Prater is 15 of 17 on field goals and perfect on his extra points. He's 5 of 7 from 50-plus yards. Meanwhile, the Packers' special teams unit is ranked 14th in DVOA. Their kicker, Mason Crosby, is 7 of 8 on field goals and 17 of 19 on extra points. He's yet to make a kick from 50-plus yards.
If it's a close game, give the edge to the Lions, their stud kicker, and their quarterback, who happens to have quite the history of winning nailbiters.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...ves-martellus-bennett-ahmad-brooks-wont-play/
Packers-Lions inactives: Martellus Bennett, Ahmad Brooks won’t play
Posted by Charean Williams on November 6, 2017
Getty Images
The Packers will play without tight end Martellus Bennett tonight against the Lions. Bennett is among Green Bay’s inactives.
Bennett missed practice last week with a shoulder injury, and the Packers had listed him as questionable. Lance Kendricks and Richard Rodgers will get more snaps in Bennett’s absence.
The Packers already had ruled out linebacker Joe Thomas (ankle) and linebacker Ahmad Brooks (back) and defensive linemen Quinton Dial (chest) won’t play either after being listed as doubtful.
Green Bay’s other inactives are cornerback Donatello Brown, offensive tackle John Ulrick and offensive lineman Adam Pankey.
Guard Lane Taylor (ankle) and cornerback Damarious Randall (hamstring/illness) are active and will play despite being listed as questionable.
Lions wide receiver Kenny Golladay will miss a fifth consecutive game. He hasn’t played since injuring his hamstring in Week 3 against Atlanta.
TJ Jones will continue to get more snaps in Golladay’s absence.
Safety Don Carey (knee) won’t play, but rookie cornerback Teez Tabor will. The Lions also will have to make do without left tackle Greg Robinson (ankle) for a second consecutive week, with Brian Mihalik getting another start.
The Lions’ other inactives are running back Zach Zenner, running back Tion Green, linebacker Steve Longa and defensive end Jeremiah Valoaga.
Memories.....
- By Boston Ram
- NFL DRAFT / COLLEGE FOOTBALL
- 6 Replies
Seems like yesterday that this was the busiest forum here at this point of the season. We would all be talking about who we like to replace so and so, and how we needed to upgrade that position, etc.
Now this forum is basically crickets......its kind of nice
Now this forum is basically crickets......its kind of nice
What Texans fans are saying before and after the game
- By Prime Time
- RAMS / NFL TALK
- 181 Replies
The despicable Mike Foolio and his underlings over at PFT continue to push the "Colin Kaepernick must get signed by someone or else" scheme every time an NFL team's starting QB gets injured. Actually it would make this Sunday's game against the Rams even more interesting if they did sign him but apparently the Texans F.O. and ownership has some common sense.
*******************************************************************************************
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/11/06/texans-are-sticking-with-tom-savage-this-week/
Texans are sticking with Tom Savage this week
Posted by Darin Gantt on November 6, 2017
Getty Images
The Texans may talk about other quarterbacks this week.
But they’re sticking with Tom Savage as their starter.
Texans coach Bill O’Brien told reporters today that Savage can improve, and that “I do expect him to be the starter” this week against the Rams.
That’s not necessarily a surprise, as he’s been around there all year, and they went and retrieved T.J. Yates from the basement they keep him in last week to go with Matt McGloin, after Deshaun Watson was lost to a season-ending knee injury.
But as long as there’s a vacancy or a team that could otherwise be competitive if they had a real quarterback, the questions about Colin Kaepernick are coming.
O’Brien talked around them mostly, saying he and General Manager Rick Smith talk about everybody. But it didn’t take a long look between the lines to know where this one’s heading.
“I like the guys that we have and we’ll continue to try to coach them,” he said.
Later, he was asked again and said: “Colin Kaepernick is a good football player, hasn’t played in a while. These things are going to continue to be discussed.”
Of course, as long as Bob McNair owns the Texans, no one’s going to expect them to be the team to give Kaepernick an opportunity. But with the way Savage played yesterday (like crap, by his own admission), the Texans football department may come to realize the opportunity they have that’s being squandered.
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http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/11/06/texans-are-sticking-with-tom-savage-this-week/
Texans are sticking with Tom Savage this week
Posted by Darin Gantt on November 6, 2017
Getty Images
The Texans may talk about other quarterbacks this week.
But they’re sticking with Tom Savage as their starter.
Texans coach Bill O’Brien told reporters today that Savage can improve, and that “I do expect him to be the starter” this week against the Rams.
That’s not necessarily a surprise, as he’s been around there all year, and they went and retrieved T.J. Yates from the basement they keep him in last week to go with Matt McGloin, after Deshaun Watson was lost to a season-ending knee injury.
But as long as there’s a vacancy or a team that could otherwise be competitive if they had a real quarterback, the questions about Colin Kaepernick are coming.
O’Brien talked around them mostly, saying he and General Manager Rick Smith talk about everybody. But it didn’t take a long look between the lines to know where this one’s heading.
“I like the guys that we have and we’ll continue to try to coach them,” he said.
Later, he was asked again and said: “Colin Kaepernick is a good football player, hasn’t played in a while. These things are going to continue to be discussed.”
Of course, as long as Bob McNair owns the Texans, no one’s going to expect them to be the team to give Kaepernick an opportunity. But with the way Savage played yesterday (like crap, by his own admission), the Texans football department may come to realize the opportunity they have that’s being squandered.
Peter King: MMQB - 11/6/17 The 6-2 Stunner: How the Rams Stole the Spotlight at NFL’s Midseason Mark
- By Prime Time
- RAMS / NFL TALK
- 17 Replies
These are excerpts. To read the whole article click the link below. Even though the Patriots were on a bye week did PK still manage to kiss some Patriot's butt? You bet!
You see, for Peter, the Rams are 6-2 because of thievery. No, it can't be because of good players and good coaching. It's because they steal plays from other teams. SMH :jerkoff:
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https://www.si.com/nfl/2017/11/06/jared-goff-los-angeles-rams-sean-mcvay-first-place-week-9-mmqb
The 6-2 Stunner: How the Rams Stole the Spotlight at NFL’s Midseason Mark
By Peter King
AARON M. SPRECHER VIA AP
Trying to digest the 6-2 Rams. Let’s start with Jared Goff, on the bus from the Meadowlands to Newark Airport, after his Rams hung 51 on a once-proud Giants franchise Sunday afternoon. The son of a former major-league backup catcher was talking about the World Series just completed. “I loved this World Series,” Goff said of the Dodgers-Astros matchup. “It felt like I was watching the Little League World Series. Every time somebody would hit on a home run, seems like somebody on the other team hit one. It was great.”
Goff and the Rams are hitting a lot of home runs these days too. Goff completed throws of 35, 44, 44, 52 and 67 yards in the 51-17 beatdown of the Giants on Sunday. The reason why the Rams are such a great story—other than the fact that their coach graduated from Miami (Ohio) just 10 years ago, and that they haven’t had a winning season in 14 years—is they are so darn explosive, and so darn likeable.
Look at the NFL’s points per game basement last year ...
Team....................................... Points Per Game
32. Rams (4-12).............................. 14.0
31. Browns (1-15)............................ 16.5
...and the penthouse this season.
Team...................................... Points Per Game
1. Rams (6-2)................................. 32.9
2. Eagles (8-1)................................ 31.4
How have they done it? By stealing, in part. That’s right. Thievery.
On Friday, on the team bus on the way to the Los Angeles International Airport for the flight to New Jersey, coach Sean McVay was telling a story about one of the turning-point plays of their season. It happened in Week 4, against Dallas. Late in the third quarter, down 29-24, Rams ball at their 47-yard line, Jared Goff took a shotgun snap.
From Goff’s left, speedy Tavon Austin came in motion. Snap. Ball-fake to Austin on the jet sweep. Todd Gurley circled out of the backfield as though to run a typical running back wheel route. Except he never stopped. He bisected Dallas defenders Damien Wilson and Kavon Frazier and kept going up the right seam. Goff hit Gurley in stride, for a 53-yard touchdown. The Rams took the lead there and never trailed.
“I got that from Andy Reid,” McVay said. “Opening night, Kansas City at New England.”
So I go to trusty NFL Game Pass, to search for Alex Smith to a back, seam route, big play. There it is, eerie in its similarity, early in the fourth quarter, first game of this NFL season.
Smith took a shotgun snap. From Smith’s left, speedy Tyreek Hill came in motion. Snap. Ball-fake to Hill on the jet sweep. Kareem Hunt circled out of the backfield as though to run a wheel route. Except he never stopped. He bisected Patriot defenders Cassius Marsh and Kyle Van Noy and kept going up the right seam. Smith hit Hunt in stride, for a 78-yard touchdown. The Chiefs took the lead there and never trailed.
“K.C. ran it the first game of the season,” Goff said Sunday. “That was straight from them. But you saw how well it fit what we do. They’ve got players like we have. Our coaches do things like that pretty often. It really makes it fun. It’s just like, we come into our meeting Saturday night before the game, and we sit down and look at the plays, and it’s hard to find plays we don’t like. It’s hard to find plays we think aren’t going to work.”
I can’t tell you how many coaches over the years, smart coaches, have told me openly that they steal. Buddy Ryan was one of the first, at the height of his “46 Defense” success . In 1985 or ’86, he told me he watched tape (might have been film) of other teams he admired every week, and he’d copy some defensive wrinkle or blitz.
The coaches I admire admit it the way McVay did instead of huffing and puffing and being all proud. McVay knows everything in the game comes around. Goff says when one of these old but new plays gets introduced in practice, “The defense will go, ‘Wow. Cool.’”
“What you notice about Sean,” said Rams COO Kevin Demoff, who led the charge to hire the then-30-year-old Washington offensive coordinator, “is he’s a millennial in so many ways. But he’s really an old soul in football. He knows what works. Like, he said to us he really wanted Wade Phillips to coach the defense.
He knew he wasn’t going to do it, so why not get someone who’d done it so well for so long. So the defense is all Wade’s. He took the interim coach [John Fassel] and kept him as special-teams coach, and gave him more responsibilities, like clock management and timeouts. So he knows it’s smart to empower people.”
Interesting that the Rams have gone from the most feeble offense to the most explosive, in nine months. How does that happen? By getting everyone involved. Robert Woods, Buffalo free-agent import, with two TD catches Sunday. Sammy Watkins, Buffalo trade import, with a 67-yard scoring bomb from Goff. Cooper Kupp, third-round rookie, with a catch-in-the-flat and quick lateral for a nine-yard gain to another weapon, Austin.
Gurley, with 102 total yards and two more touchdowns. Rookie tight end Gerald Everett with a 44-yard catch, and another young tight end, Tyler Higbee, with a touchdown. And Goff, with his best game as a pro, four touchdowns and no picks and a 146.8 rating.
“The ball’s going to be spread around,” said Goff, “which makes it easy on me. There’s always a good option for me. We’ve got so many talented players here, and for us, it’s like what Tiger Woods says: ‘Winning fixes everything.’” As does fun. And no team is having more fun than the Rams right now.
You know what else is impressive? Winning travels. Look what’s happened the past three games. The Rams flew to Jacksonville and won by 10. Then it was on to London; Rams 33, Cards 0. Then home, then the bye, then on to New Jersey. Rams by 34.
Three games, 3,000 to 7,000 miles away from home, and three double-digit wins. It’s strange to say “first-place Rams” in November. But the Rams are trending up. I’ll be surprised if they flatten out in the second half of the season.
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Drew Brees, Saints Extend Winning Streak to Six; Kirk Cousins Rallies Washington in Seattle
JONATHAN BACHMAN/GETTY IMAGES
Two more takeaways from Week 9, beginning with...
MAN, IS DREW BREES EXCITED
The Saints snuck up on the rest of the league. Here they are, one of five division leaders with a 6-2 record, and Drew Brees swears: “I’m just telling you, I see this team every day. We’re just scratching the surface.” Look at what Brees did in the feisty 30-10 rout of the Bucs: completed 81 percent of his throws for 263 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions, a tidy ballgame for someone used to far more explosive days.
But the Saints don’t need that from Brees now. That’s because there’s a very good running game here with Mark Ingram and rookie Alvin Kamara (26 total rushes, 145 yards on the ground Sunday, and another 86 receiving yards), and a defense that’s allowed 15 points per game over the past six. Not so coincidentally, the Saints have their first six-game winning streak since 2009.
“They say a quarterback’s best friend is a great running game and a great defense,” Brees said Sunday. “We’ve been getting both.” Another good friend is a good draft—and GM Mickey Loomis provided that.
Marshon Lattimore, the 11th overall pick, is probably the leader for defensive rookie of the year. Kamara, selected in the third round, is a latter-day Reggie Bush, with 652 rushing/receiving yards and five touchdowns in eight games. And the defense, with Lattimore starring in a renewed secondary and Cam Jordan playing at his peak only with more help, is a legitimate top-10 unit.
Recent history treated the Saints right. They almost acquired Malcolm Butler from New England in the spring but couldn’t figure the right deal—either for the Patriots or in a contract. So they dealt wideout Brandin Cooks to the Patriots for the 32nd overall pick in the draft, and New England kept Butler. One other X factor: The top two players on New Orleans’ board, in some order, were Lattimore and Texas Tech quarterback Pat Mahomes. So things went very well when:
• Kansas City traded up to the spot ahead of New Orleans, at 10, to take Mahomes. The Saints happily took Lattimore at 11. Lattimore has been a top-10 cornerback in the league this year. It was interesting to hear Lattimore’s post-game talk about the cheap shot Bucs wideout Mike Evans took at him, using a running start and a blindside hit to drill him. “I was shocked,” Lattimore said. “But it’s football. It is what it is. We got the W. That’s all that matters. I’ve seen that before.”
• With the pick acquired from New England, the Saints were going to take Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster. But the Niners jumped them and took Foster. New Orleans took tackle Ryan Ramczyk, which was fortunate: Ramczyk been their best offensive lineman, and he’s played every offensive snap at right tackle.
• In the second round, free safety Marcus Williams was there, and he was an easy pick; now Kenny Vaccaro can play down in the box and do what he does best—play the run and be a cover guy on intermediate routes. Williams has played more snaps than any other defensive back on the team.
“The significance of the draft class can’t be overstated,” Payton said Sunday night. “It’s made all the difference.”
And maybe without all the pressure on him, Brees can be healthier later in the year, and play longer, and keep playing at a high level, the way Tom Brady is doing. “I don’t feel any different than I’ve felt in the past few years,” Brees said. “I feel like, like I’m sure Tom does, that I’ve got a great routine and great process to stay on top of the physical part of the game. There’s probably a lot of similarities between us that way.”
Here’s one: New England is 6-2. New Orleans is 6-2.
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THAT’S THE BEST DRIVE OF KIRK COUSINS’ NFL CAREER
“It ranks right up there,” Cousins said Sunday night from Seattle.
Come on, Kirk Cousins. That was it—the game-winner in a game you had to have. In order of obstacle: Sunday on a sleety day in Seattle, with four neophyte offensive linemen trying to hold off the strongest and deepest front seven in football, with Russell Wilson doing his typical late magic to put the Seahawks ahead 14-10 with 1:34 left in the game, with the crowd going batcrap trying be the classic 12th man in a stadium full of them, Cousins took the field at his 30. He had 94 seconds and two timeouts to win the game and keep 3-4 Washington in playoff contention.
After an incompletion, Cousins rolled right and here came Michael Bennett. Cousins had been used to flipping the ball hurriedly against the heavy rush, with beginners (mostly) on the line. He never saw this pass land because he got leveled. But Brian Quick caught it with two defenders on him. Gain of 31. Quick got popped hard by Kam Chancellor.
“I just wanted to put it out there for him and give him a chance,” said Cousins. “Just a chance.” Now came a deep go by 2016 number one pick Josh Doctson. Cousins had a little time this time, and he overthrew Doctson by half a yard. Fine with Doctson. He laid out for it. First down at the Seattle one. Rob Kelley punched it in from the half-yard line. Seventy yards, four plays, 35 seconds.
“Probably the toughest football game I’ve ever played,” said Cousins. Best drive, under the circumstances, I’ve seen Cousins make, and it’s not close.
If there was ever a referendum in Washington on whether to keep Cousins, this was it. He passed. The team has to figure a way to get a contract done with the looming free agent, and if he can’t get signed, he needs to be retained even if under the costly franchise tag. Not many quarterbacks are winning the game Cousins won Sunday. He might occasionally drive you crazy, but winning is made exponentially harder when you don’t have one of those guys.
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THERE WAS NO PROTECTING LUCK FROM LUCK
A few thoughts on the Colts shutting down Andrew Luck until 2018 to rehab his surgically repaired throwing shoulder:
• Luck essentially misses three prime years because of a shoulder injury that should have robbed him of one. The Colts believe Luck probably tore his labrum in Week 3 of 2015 and essentially tried to play/rehab/play through it for the next two seasons. The Colts finished 8-8 in 2015, with Matt Hasselbeck playing in relief in a season that ended with Indianapolis out of the playoffs.
If, say, Luck had shoulder surgery on Nov. 1 that season, he’d have been able to rehab it and likely play opening week 2016 at something very close to 100 percent. But he missed 10 games over the next two seasons, and with Luck often playing far below 100 percent, the Colts won just 10 of his 22 starts. So Luck missed or was severely hampered during his age 26, 27 and 28 seasons. In his three seasons at that age, Peyton Manning, Luck’s predecessor, threw for 13,024 yards and 105 touchdowns. That’s the prime of a quarterback’s life.
• Playing through the injury likely necessitated more rehab. When 15 months pass between the time of an injury and the time you have surgery to repair it, what happens? You adjust and adapt things like your throwing motion to evade pain and enable yourself to stay on the field. Plus, your body’s coping mechanisms take over.
As one NFL medical expert who did not examine Luck’s records said on Friday, it’s likely scarring occurred and more damage was done by Luck overcompensating, making the surgery he had in January 2017 more significant than it would have been 14 or 15 months earlier. Thus the longer recovery time now.
• Luck could need more surgery, and if he does, opening day 2018 is no sure thing. There’s no indication now that he needs another operation. I’m told it’s not likely. But the Colts and his medical team will take the future as it comes.
Luck’s a strong-willed guy, as most great players are, but there needs to be an authority figure who dictates how far players can go when it comes to playing with injuries. Maybe that’s coach Chuck Pagano, or his successor. Maybe it’s GM Chris Ballard (which would be smarter, seeing he wouldn’t be as subject to the emotion of week-to-week coaching decisions). But someone needs to step in, even when a player is playing fairly well (as Luck was last year) and be the referee when a player may be injuring himself further by playing.
• Jim Irsay needs to not give any more medical updates. The Colts’ owner tweeted post-surgery last January that Luck “will be ready for season!” That has haunted this process, particularly when fans fully expected the franchise quarterback to play the season. It’s not fair to the fans. It’s okay to say, “We don’t know.” With a surgery like this one, I’d empower one medical official or one club official to speak for Luck and the team. That’s it. The rest of the organization, including the owner, has to zip it.
It’s amazing to me that, assuming Luck plays pain-free on opening day 2018, it will be two weeks shy of three years since Luck played a game without pain in his shoulder. How unfortunate for a player of his stature. But there are lessons in the Luck story for the Colts, and they’d be wise to learn them.
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JOE ROBBINS/GETTY IMAGES
NFL Midseason MVP: Carson Wentz Leads the Race; Tom Brady, Alex Smith Round Out Top 3
Starting this week at the season’s midpoint, and continuing through Week 17, I’ll give you my top candidates for the Most Valuable Player award.
A couple things to note: Number six this week could be number two next week; it’s pretty close at the top. And you’ll notice I have a player out for the season in the top five. That’s because I think Deshaun Watson was pretty special in his six starts.
I’ve picked 12, because I want to credit all deserving players who I think have a shot to win it. Really, there’s only one I don’t think has a prayer: defensive end Calais Campbell of the Jaguars. He’s the NFL sack leader, and the Jaguars have been so dominant rushing the passer this year that I wanted them represented. Thumbnails on the top five on my list:
1. Carson Wentz, QB, Philadelphia. Wentz, Brady. Brady, Wentz. Can’t go wrong either way. The Eagles have the best record in football, and Wentz has had dominating games against one excellent defense (Denver’s, on Sunday) and a good one, Washington’s. Wentz led Philly to 85 against Denver and Washington in the past three weeks.
He has the NFL lead in touchdown passes (23), and he’s second in yards and third in rating. Perfect example of his impact: Against Denver, he rolled right and, with Von Miller in his face, threw 32 yards down the right sideline perfectly for Alshon Jeffery for a touchdown—with Pro Bowl cornerback Aqib Talib in tight coverage. Wentz has been making these types of plays all season.
2. Tom Brady, QB, New England. The ageless one is as good as ever, and that’s not hyberbolic. By the way, Brady’s regular-season touchdown and interception numbers since the start of 2016: 20 games, 44 touchdowns, four interceptions. This year Brady has survived an injury to Julian Edelman and gotten hit as much as any recent season, but the Patriots are 6-1 since that opening debacle loss to the Chiefs. It’s on Brady.
3. Alex Smith, QB, Kansas City. Amazing to see this man with the dinking-and-dunking reputation entering Week 9 leading the NFL with an 8.4-yards-per-attempt average. Smith has become a good downfield thrower with a healthy Tyreek Hill to target. Smith is a legit MVP candidate … if the Chiefs can stay atop their division. He went until the fourth quarter of Week 9 before he threw his first interception of the season.
4. Russell Wilson, QB, Seattle. Wilson belongs in this group because of the success he has had with the worst offensive line in football, and with the shaky nature of the running game. Wilson didn’t play as well Sunday in the loss to Washington, but he still had enough at the end to put the Seahawks in position to win with the TD toss to Doug Baldwin with less than two minutes to play. If the line play and running game improve, Wilson could easily move up this list.
5. Deshaun Watson, QB, Houston. I know what you’re saying: out for the year, they were 3-4 when he played, can’t have him over Aaron Rodgers. Yes I can. In his six starts, Watson led the Texans to 13, 33, 57, 34, 33 and 38 points, the final game the incredible showdown against Wilson in which Watson twice threw touchdown passes to take fourth-quarter leads. Throwing for 402 at Seattle? That’s enough for me to put Watson here. But unfortunate reality check coming soon: Can't win my vote when you start six games.
Finishing up the top dozen:
6. Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay
7. Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans
8. Aaron Donald, DL, Los Angeles Rams
9. Jared Goff, QB, Los Angeles Rams
10. Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh
11. Calais Campbell, DE, Jacksonville
12. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas.
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OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Andrew Whitworth, left tackle, Los Angeles Rams. Another clean sheet for Whitworth, in the 51-17 skunking of the Giants in the Meadowlands, per ProFootball Focus: zero sacks, pressures or hits allowed on Jared Goff, who posted the first four-TD game of his career.
Whitworth also made the pass-block of the day. Facing an impossible third-and-33, Goff dumped a short pass to Robert Woods, and Whitworth got in front and waylaid a Giant to spring Woods. The result: a stunning 52-yard touchdown. Whitworth, who signed with the Rams as a free agent after 11 years in Cincinnati, has been a godsend for an offensive line beleaguered for so long.
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Each week, I ask an NFL person what his Most Valuable Possession is, and why.
Jared Goff, quarterback, Los Angeles Rams. “I have a lot of memorabilia that I like, a lot of baseball stuff. My dad [Jerry Goff] played major league baseball, so I was around the game a lot. I might have been about 9, but I was at the ballpark one day and I got Ken Griffey to sign a ball for me. I still have it. I’m really proud of that. It’s cool to have, because I liked him so much as a player.”
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Things I Think I Think
1. I think the smartest thing I heard about why there were six trades (and should have been a seventh with the A.J. McCarron fiasco) on the long weekend of the trade deadline came from one NFL GM in the wake of all the action: “Communication. Information.” I was puzzled by that, and he explained.
With so much information out on the street—with the massive info available from sites like Pro Football Focus, with more advanced NFL reporting digging up who needs what and what they might be willing to give, with the knowledge of which teams are down on which players—there are not a lot of secrets around the league.
So the idea, for instance of the Jets dealing for Niners corner Rashard Robinson, who had slipped down the team’s depth chart, got easier as the Jets trolled for needed corner depth Monday and Tuesday. In training camp this year, I remember meeting with a front-office guy in one camp, and four or five times in 90 minutes he sent quick texts to peers around the league.
I wondered what the activity was about. “Cutdown day,” he said. “Just getting our ducks in a row with a few teams about down-the-line guys.” In other words, fact-finding about some team’s fifth corner—and whether that guy might be worth dealing a conditional seventh-round pick for. Same thing last week.
2. I think this is how I’d analyze the trades that were made, and not made, at the trading deadline:
• Jay Ajayi, the NFL’s fourth-leading rusher last year (1,272 yards, a gaudy 4.9 per rush), is 24 and totally healthy. But trading him was Adam Gase saying to the locker room: You don’t work hard, you don’t have a place here. Gase wanted many of his players, Ajayi being one, to be more dedicated. Philadelphia got a bargain. Amazing to me that a running back with this much upside was fetched for a fourth-round draft choice, which will be approximately the 125th pick next April.
• The Duane Brown deal is good for both teams. For the Texans, because they get two top-100 picks (a three in 2018, a two in 2019, as well as a five in 2018) for a 32-year-old tackle who was going to be unhappy over his contract and owner Bob McNair, and perhaps verbally so if he stayed in Houston. For the Seahawks, this was a must-do deal.
Entering Sunday’s game against Washington, left tackle Rees Odhiambo was the 73rd-rated tackle in the league, out of 73 qualifying tackles, per Pro Football Focus. He allowed an alarming 35 sacks/hits/pressures of Russell Wilson. That simply could not stand.
• Jimmy Graham was the player Houston wanted in that Duane Brown trade. But as I reported last week, Russell Wilson was likely going to be very unhappy if it happened. So the Seahawks went a different way. It’s probably best for them, if they’re trying to win big this year.
• So why’d the Patriots finally cave and deal Jimmy Garoppolo to San Francisco for a second-round pick—or to anyone for anything? I cannot tell you exactly why. And I still think it’s a mistake to leave your 40-year-old franchise quarterback without a net for the last three months of the season. The Patriots are a closed shop, but one good theory that I buy is this: If the Pats had dealt Garoppolo to Cleveland in the spring, they knew he and wise agent Don Yee likely wouldn’t have been inclined to sign a long-term deal … and what would that have meant?
Cleveland likely would have franchised Garoppolo this March, which could have opened the door for a quarterback-hungry, Garoppolo-admiring team—perhaps Patriots division rivals like the Jets, Bills or Dolphins—to make Garoppolo an offer sheet he couldn’t refuse. The Patriots wouldn’t have wanted to see Garoppolo back in the division. Just a theory, but one I buy.
• By the way, the Patriots should have know last April that Garoppolo was not going to sign a deal to wait behind Brady. Last April, it’s a certainty the Patriots could have done better than the 34th pick in the 2018 draft (approximately) that they got last week. That’s a failure on their pre-draft fact-finding.
• I like the Kelvin Benjamin trade for Buffalo. Check out the numbers in his first two full seasons—1,949 receiving yards, 14.3 yards per catch, 16 touchdowns in 2014 and 2016—and consider that at 26 years old and with the size (6'5", 240) every team yearns for at that position, he’s a worthy gamble.
And consider that, if the Bills pick around number 18 overall in each round, they’ve just dealt the 82nd and 236th picks, approximately, for a franchise-type wideout. The move gives the Panthers a chance to morph into the speed team they were moving toward with the draft picks they made this year, but I like Buffalo’s side of this more.
• I believe the Colts were not dealing left tackle Anthony Castonzo unless they got a ransom. That never came. I believe the Colts wanted to deal cornerback Vontae Davis but couldn’t, with his $9 million salary in 2018 an anchor to those chances.
• The Browns blew the A.J. McCarron deal. Say whatever you want about paying too much (second- and third-round picks) for a guy more likely to be a backup than a starter, but from all reports, EVP of Football Operations Sashi Brown did agree to the deal just before the 4 p.m. deadline—and then failed to execute the mechanics of it correctly. Tony Grossi of ESPN Clevelandwondered to me the other day how Brown could have done this, seeing that he’d made 17 previous trades since taking the franchise’s football reins 22 months ago.
It can’t be because Brown really didn’t want to make the trade and so conveniently messed up the mechanics of it; that would only make him look worse because the failed trade was going to leak. And when Adam Schefter reported the bungled deal, the Browns looked a lot worse.
I am left with this thought: I do not see how, unless there’s a reversal of play by the Browns down the stretch of this season, owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam are going to let all front-office members return in 2018. This non-trade is a major disgrace, even by the standards of the Browns.
3. I think the one byproduct of the Browns dropping the ball on the McCarron deal is that the reputation of the Cleveland front office is now surfacing. Teams do not like trading with the Browns. They feel Cleveland’s asking price, or the selling price, is too much of a moving target. This is not on every trade, but it is on some trades.
I’ve heard from more than one team that it thinks it has a deal with Cleveland, and when the callback comes to confirm the deal, the price changes. Now, lots of times that is overcome, because some deals make too much sense, and pragmatic GMs and coaches realize that even if the price changes, they still want to make the deal. I’m just telling you what’s out there, and I’m telling you that other teams were not surprised the McCarron deal fell through.
4. I think these are my quick thoughts on Week 9:
a. Easiest touchdown catch of Julio Jones’ life, alone behind Carolina’s secondary. Perfect pass. Most stunning drop I’ve ever seen from Jones.
b. There will be a quiz on this sometime in your lives, Washington fans. But this is the offensvie line that somehow didn’t get Kirk Cousins buried in Seattle on Sunday despite allowing 17 sacks/hurries/hits on 37 pass drops: T.J. Clemmings, Arie Kouandijo, Chase Roullier, Tyler Catalina, Morgan Moses. All but Moses are fill-ins.
c. Josh Doctson: You might play a long time in the NFL, but I doubt you’ll have a more meaningful catch, with such a degree of difficulty, than the one you had to the half-yard line, the biggest play in the 17-14 win over Seattle.
d. So much for the death of the Jets’ pass rush.
e. Drew Brees scrambled, looked all over the field, then threw across his body at the last minute for Coby Fleener—it was a perfect example of Brees at his best, two months shy of 39.
f. Alvin Kamara would have been a good value pick at number seven in the first round. And he was the 67th overall pick.
g. Dumb unnecessary roughness call on Baltimore defensive end Za’Darius Smith for a minor touch on quarterback Marcus Mariota in Tennessee.
h. Great touchdown run and stretch over the goal line for a touchdown by Cam Newton, but he’s not going to last long making plays like that, diving into four defenders all trying to wreak havoc on him.
i. How many bad balls can Brock Osweiler throw? How many drops can Denver receivers have?
j. Catch of the Day: Jacksonville wideout Keelan Cole, with a twisting, one-handed, awkward catch plucked out of the sky on a pass by Blake Bortles. You know Cole. Free-agent from Kentucky Wesleyan. Sure.
k. Why wouldn’t you touch T.Y. Hilton down, Andre Hal?
l. The Giants are 0-4 at home after Sunday’s loss to the Rams. They’ve got one home game in the next month, and I certainly don’t see them beating Kansas City in the Meadowlands on Nov. 19. So this team that was a Super Bowl contender on Labor Day now could enter Week 14 winless at home. Stunning.
m. Giants at 49ers on Sunday. Combined record: 1-16.
n. Giants-Niners. Combined players on IR: 31.
o. Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz is one of the best football coaches at any level, and I don’t just say that because of the 55-24 wipeout of Ohio State. Parents who have high school prospects should want to send their kids to play for Ferentz, and not just for the winning. He wins, he loses, he develops people.
q. The curse of Roberto Aguayo lives. Now Patrick Murray is all messed up in Tampa Bay.
r. How do the officials in Houston NOT stop the clock on the sideline completion to DeAndre Hopkins?
s. Gorgeous onside kick by Miami’s Cody Parkey on Sunday night. He even recovered it. Good play design by Darren Rizzi, the Miami special-teams czar.
t. Good look at the current tough life of Tony Dorsett by Gary Myers of the New York Daily News.
5. I think I find it incredible that Arizona (which has lost by a combined 67-7 to the Eagles and Rams in the past month) and Seattle (which had won four straight by 54 points before an agonizing loss to Washington on Sunday) could be tied at midnight Thursday in the NFC West. Seahawks, 5-3, at Cards, 4-4, in the desert.
6. I think it’s okay to say Thursday night football stinks, and on many Thursday nights it does, and it’s certainly unfair to the well-being of players. But I would also tell players that to cancel Thursday night football in the next collective bargaining agreement would be to cut some revenue from the salary cap.
Having nothing to do with the TV rights, Amazon this year paid a reported $50 million just to be able to stream the games on Amazon Prime. I’m fine with Thursday night games going away. But let’s not have any bleating over the cap cuts (if there are any) if the package is killed in the next CBA.
7. I think the first time this year I thought, The Giants might have to clean house, was Sunday, late in the third quarter against the Rams, when a once-proud defense had allowed touchdown-field goal-touchdown-touchdown-punt-field goal-touchdown-touchdown-touchdown.
(And one of those touchdowns came on a third-and-33 pass play.) I can just envision the smoke coming out of John Mara’s ears. He’s got to be disappointed, even with all these injuries, with how feeble his team is playing. Giants are 1-7 for the first time since 1980.
8. I think this is impressive: Bill Belichick’s next victory will tie him with Tom Landry as the third-winningest NFL coach of all time. Landry has 270 wins, including playoffs.
You see, for Peter, the Rams are 6-2 because of thievery. No, it can't be because of good players and good coaching. It's because they steal plays from other teams. SMH :jerkoff:
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https://www.si.com/nfl/2017/11/06/jared-goff-los-angeles-rams-sean-mcvay-first-place-week-9-mmqb
The 6-2 Stunner: How the Rams Stole the Spotlight at NFL’s Midseason Mark
By Peter King
AARON M. SPRECHER VIA AP
Trying to digest the 6-2 Rams. Let’s start with Jared Goff, on the bus from the Meadowlands to Newark Airport, after his Rams hung 51 on a once-proud Giants franchise Sunday afternoon. The son of a former major-league backup catcher was talking about the World Series just completed. “I loved this World Series,” Goff said of the Dodgers-Astros matchup. “It felt like I was watching the Little League World Series. Every time somebody would hit on a home run, seems like somebody on the other team hit one. It was great.”
Goff and the Rams are hitting a lot of home runs these days too. Goff completed throws of 35, 44, 44, 52 and 67 yards in the 51-17 beatdown of the Giants on Sunday. The reason why the Rams are such a great story—other than the fact that their coach graduated from Miami (Ohio) just 10 years ago, and that they haven’t had a winning season in 14 years—is they are so darn explosive, and so darn likeable.
Look at the NFL’s points per game basement last year ...
Team....................................... Points Per Game
32. Rams (4-12).............................. 14.0
31. Browns (1-15)............................ 16.5
...and the penthouse this season.
Team...................................... Points Per Game
1. Rams (6-2)................................. 32.9
2. Eagles (8-1)................................ 31.4
How have they done it? By stealing, in part. That’s right. Thievery.
On Friday, on the team bus on the way to the Los Angeles International Airport for the flight to New Jersey, coach Sean McVay was telling a story about one of the turning-point plays of their season. It happened in Week 4, against Dallas. Late in the third quarter, down 29-24, Rams ball at their 47-yard line, Jared Goff took a shotgun snap.
From Goff’s left, speedy Tavon Austin came in motion. Snap. Ball-fake to Austin on the jet sweep. Todd Gurley circled out of the backfield as though to run a typical running back wheel route. Except he never stopped. He bisected Dallas defenders Damien Wilson and Kavon Frazier and kept going up the right seam. Goff hit Gurley in stride, for a 53-yard touchdown. The Rams took the lead there and never trailed.
“I got that from Andy Reid,” McVay said. “Opening night, Kansas City at New England.”
So I go to trusty NFL Game Pass, to search for Alex Smith to a back, seam route, big play. There it is, eerie in its similarity, early in the fourth quarter, first game of this NFL season.
Smith took a shotgun snap. From Smith’s left, speedy Tyreek Hill came in motion. Snap. Ball-fake to Hill on the jet sweep. Kareem Hunt circled out of the backfield as though to run a wheel route. Except he never stopped. He bisected Patriot defenders Cassius Marsh and Kyle Van Noy and kept going up the right seam. Smith hit Hunt in stride, for a 78-yard touchdown. The Chiefs took the lead there and never trailed.
“K.C. ran it the first game of the season,” Goff said Sunday. “That was straight from them. But you saw how well it fit what we do. They’ve got players like we have. Our coaches do things like that pretty often. It really makes it fun. It’s just like, we come into our meeting Saturday night before the game, and we sit down and look at the plays, and it’s hard to find plays we don’t like. It’s hard to find plays we think aren’t going to work.”
I can’t tell you how many coaches over the years, smart coaches, have told me openly that they steal. Buddy Ryan was one of the first, at the height of his “46 Defense” success . In 1985 or ’86, he told me he watched tape (might have been film) of other teams he admired every week, and he’d copy some defensive wrinkle or blitz.
The coaches I admire admit it the way McVay did instead of huffing and puffing and being all proud. McVay knows everything in the game comes around. Goff says when one of these old but new plays gets introduced in practice, “The defense will go, ‘Wow. Cool.’”
“What you notice about Sean,” said Rams COO Kevin Demoff, who led the charge to hire the then-30-year-old Washington offensive coordinator, “is he’s a millennial in so many ways. But he’s really an old soul in football. He knows what works. Like, he said to us he really wanted Wade Phillips to coach the defense.
He knew he wasn’t going to do it, so why not get someone who’d done it so well for so long. So the defense is all Wade’s. He took the interim coach [John Fassel] and kept him as special-teams coach, and gave him more responsibilities, like clock management and timeouts. So he knows it’s smart to empower people.”
Interesting that the Rams have gone from the most feeble offense to the most explosive, in nine months. How does that happen? By getting everyone involved. Robert Woods, Buffalo free-agent import, with two TD catches Sunday. Sammy Watkins, Buffalo trade import, with a 67-yard scoring bomb from Goff. Cooper Kupp, third-round rookie, with a catch-in-the-flat and quick lateral for a nine-yard gain to another weapon, Austin.
Gurley, with 102 total yards and two more touchdowns. Rookie tight end Gerald Everett with a 44-yard catch, and another young tight end, Tyler Higbee, with a touchdown. And Goff, with his best game as a pro, four touchdowns and no picks and a 146.8 rating.
“The ball’s going to be spread around,” said Goff, “which makes it easy on me. There’s always a good option for me. We’ve got so many talented players here, and for us, it’s like what Tiger Woods says: ‘Winning fixes everything.’” As does fun. And no team is having more fun than the Rams right now.
You know what else is impressive? Winning travels. Look what’s happened the past three games. The Rams flew to Jacksonville and won by 10. Then it was on to London; Rams 33, Cards 0. Then home, then the bye, then on to New Jersey. Rams by 34.
Three games, 3,000 to 7,000 miles away from home, and three double-digit wins. It’s strange to say “first-place Rams” in November. But the Rams are trending up. I’ll be surprised if they flatten out in the second half of the season.
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Drew Brees, Saints Extend Winning Streak to Six; Kirk Cousins Rallies Washington in Seattle
JONATHAN BACHMAN/GETTY IMAGES
Two more takeaways from Week 9, beginning with...
MAN, IS DREW BREES EXCITED
The Saints snuck up on the rest of the league. Here they are, one of five division leaders with a 6-2 record, and Drew Brees swears: “I’m just telling you, I see this team every day. We’re just scratching the surface.” Look at what Brees did in the feisty 30-10 rout of the Bucs: completed 81 percent of his throws for 263 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions, a tidy ballgame for someone used to far more explosive days.
But the Saints don’t need that from Brees now. That’s because there’s a very good running game here with Mark Ingram and rookie Alvin Kamara (26 total rushes, 145 yards on the ground Sunday, and another 86 receiving yards), and a defense that’s allowed 15 points per game over the past six. Not so coincidentally, the Saints have their first six-game winning streak since 2009.
“They say a quarterback’s best friend is a great running game and a great defense,” Brees said Sunday. “We’ve been getting both.” Another good friend is a good draft—and GM Mickey Loomis provided that.
Marshon Lattimore, the 11th overall pick, is probably the leader for defensive rookie of the year. Kamara, selected in the third round, is a latter-day Reggie Bush, with 652 rushing/receiving yards and five touchdowns in eight games. And the defense, with Lattimore starring in a renewed secondary and Cam Jordan playing at his peak only with more help, is a legitimate top-10 unit.
Recent history treated the Saints right. They almost acquired Malcolm Butler from New England in the spring but couldn’t figure the right deal—either for the Patriots or in a contract. So they dealt wideout Brandin Cooks to the Patriots for the 32nd overall pick in the draft, and New England kept Butler. One other X factor: The top two players on New Orleans’ board, in some order, were Lattimore and Texas Tech quarterback Pat Mahomes. So things went very well when:
• Kansas City traded up to the spot ahead of New Orleans, at 10, to take Mahomes. The Saints happily took Lattimore at 11. Lattimore has been a top-10 cornerback in the league this year. It was interesting to hear Lattimore’s post-game talk about the cheap shot Bucs wideout Mike Evans took at him, using a running start and a blindside hit to drill him. “I was shocked,” Lattimore said. “But it’s football. It is what it is. We got the W. That’s all that matters. I’ve seen that before.”
• With the pick acquired from New England, the Saints were going to take Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster. But the Niners jumped them and took Foster. New Orleans took tackle Ryan Ramczyk, which was fortunate: Ramczyk been their best offensive lineman, and he’s played every offensive snap at right tackle.
• In the second round, free safety Marcus Williams was there, and he was an easy pick; now Kenny Vaccaro can play down in the box and do what he does best—play the run and be a cover guy on intermediate routes. Williams has played more snaps than any other defensive back on the team.
“The significance of the draft class can’t be overstated,” Payton said Sunday night. “It’s made all the difference.”
And maybe without all the pressure on him, Brees can be healthier later in the year, and play longer, and keep playing at a high level, the way Tom Brady is doing. “I don’t feel any different than I’ve felt in the past few years,” Brees said. “I feel like, like I’m sure Tom does, that I’ve got a great routine and great process to stay on top of the physical part of the game. There’s probably a lot of similarities between us that way.”
Here’s one: New England is 6-2. New Orleans is 6-2.
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THAT’S THE BEST DRIVE OF KIRK COUSINS’ NFL CAREER
“It ranks right up there,” Cousins said Sunday night from Seattle.
Come on, Kirk Cousins. That was it—the game-winner in a game you had to have. In order of obstacle: Sunday on a sleety day in Seattle, with four neophyte offensive linemen trying to hold off the strongest and deepest front seven in football, with Russell Wilson doing his typical late magic to put the Seahawks ahead 14-10 with 1:34 left in the game, with the crowd going batcrap trying be the classic 12th man in a stadium full of them, Cousins took the field at his 30. He had 94 seconds and two timeouts to win the game and keep 3-4 Washington in playoff contention.
After an incompletion, Cousins rolled right and here came Michael Bennett. Cousins had been used to flipping the ball hurriedly against the heavy rush, with beginners (mostly) on the line. He never saw this pass land because he got leveled. But Brian Quick caught it with two defenders on him. Gain of 31. Quick got popped hard by Kam Chancellor.
“I just wanted to put it out there for him and give him a chance,” said Cousins. “Just a chance.” Now came a deep go by 2016 number one pick Josh Doctson. Cousins had a little time this time, and he overthrew Doctson by half a yard. Fine with Doctson. He laid out for it. First down at the Seattle one. Rob Kelley punched it in from the half-yard line. Seventy yards, four plays, 35 seconds.
“Probably the toughest football game I’ve ever played,” said Cousins. Best drive, under the circumstances, I’ve seen Cousins make, and it’s not close.
If there was ever a referendum in Washington on whether to keep Cousins, this was it. He passed. The team has to figure a way to get a contract done with the looming free agent, and if he can’t get signed, he needs to be retained even if under the costly franchise tag. Not many quarterbacks are winning the game Cousins won Sunday. He might occasionally drive you crazy, but winning is made exponentially harder when you don’t have one of those guys.
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THERE WAS NO PROTECTING LUCK FROM LUCK
A few thoughts on the Colts shutting down Andrew Luck until 2018 to rehab his surgically repaired throwing shoulder:
• Luck essentially misses three prime years because of a shoulder injury that should have robbed him of one. The Colts believe Luck probably tore his labrum in Week 3 of 2015 and essentially tried to play/rehab/play through it for the next two seasons. The Colts finished 8-8 in 2015, with Matt Hasselbeck playing in relief in a season that ended with Indianapolis out of the playoffs.
If, say, Luck had shoulder surgery on Nov. 1 that season, he’d have been able to rehab it and likely play opening week 2016 at something very close to 100 percent. But he missed 10 games over the next two seasons, and with Luck often playing far below 100 percent, the Colts won just 10 of his 22 starts. So Luck missed or was severely hampered during his age 26, 27 and 28 seasons. In his three seasons at that age, Peyton Manning, Luck’s predecessor, threw for 13,024 yards and 105 touchdowns. That’s the prime of a quarterback’s life.
• Playing through the injury likely necessitated more rehab. When 15 months pass between the time of an injury and the time you have surgery to repair it, what happens? You adjust and adapt things like your throwing motion to evade pain and enable yourself to stay on the field. Plus, your body’s coping mechanisms take over.
As one NFL medical expert who did not examine Luck’s records said on Friday, it’s likely scarring occurred and more damage was done by Luck overcompensating, making the surgery he had in January 2017 more significant than it would have been 14 or 15 months earlier. Thus the longer recovery time now.
• Luck could need more surgery, and if he does, opening day 2018 is no sure thing. There’s no indication now that he needs another operation. I’m told it’s not likely. But the Colts and his medical team will take the future as it comes.
Luck’s a strong-willed guy, as most great players are, but there needs to be an authority figure who dictates how far players can go when it comes to playing with injuries. Maybe that’s coach Chuck Pagano, or his successor. Maybe it’s GM Chris Ballard (which would be smarter, seeing he wouldn’t be as subject to the emotion of week-to-week coaching decisions). But someone needs to step in, even when a player is playing fairly well (as Luck was last year) and be the referee when a player may be injuring himself further by playing.
• Jim Irsay needs to not give any more medical updates. The Colts’ owner tweeted post-surgery last January that Luck “will be ready for season!” That has haunted this process, particularly when fans fully expected the franchise quarterback to play the season. It’s not fair to the fans. It’s okay to say, “We don’t know.” With a surgery like this one, I’d empower one medical official or one club official to speak for Luck and the team. That’s it. The rest of the organization, including the owner, has to zip it.
It’s amazing to me that, assuming Luck plays pain-free on opening day 2018, it will be two weeks shy of three years since Luck played a game without pain in his shoulder. How unfortunate for a player of his stature. But there are lessons in the Luck story for the Colts, and they’d be wise to learn them.
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JOE ROBBINS/GETTY IMAGES
NFL Midseason MVP: Carson Wentz Leads the Race; Tom Brady, Alex Smith Round Out Top 3
Starting this week at the season’s midpoint, and continuing through Week 17, I’ll give you my top candidates for the Most Valuable Player award.
A couple things to note: Number six this week could be number two next week; it’s pretty close at the top. And you’ll notice I have a player out for the season in the top five. That’s because I think Deshaun Watson was pretty special in his six starts.
I’ve picked 12, because I want to credit all deserving players who I think have a shot to win it. Really, there’s only one I don’t think has a prayer: defensive end Calais Campbell of the Jaguars. He’s the NFL sack leader, and the Jaguars have been so dominant rushing the passer this year that I wanted them represented. Thumbnails on the top five on my list:
1. Carson Wentz, QB, Philadelphia. Wentz, Brady. Brady, Wentz. Can’t go wrong either way. The Eagles have the best record in football, and Wentz has had dominating games against one excellent defense (Denver’s, on Sunday) and a good one, Washington’s. Wentz led Philly to 85 against Denver and Washington in the past three weeks.
He has the NFL lead in touchdown passes (23), and he’s second in yards and third in rating. Perfect example of his impact: Against Denver, he rolled right and, with Von Miller in his face, threw 32 yards down the right sideline perfectly for Alshon Jeffery for a touchdown—with Pro Bowl cornerback Aqib Talib in tight coverage. Wentz has been making these types of plays all season.
2. Tom Brady, QB, New England. The ageless one is as good as ever, and that’s not hyberbolic. By the way, Brady’s regular-season touchdown and interception numbers since the start of 2016: 20 games, 44 touchdowns, four interceptions. This year Brady has survived an injury to Julian Edelman and gotten hit as much as any recent season, but the Patriots are 6-1 since that opening debacle loss to the Chiefs. It’s on Brady.
3. Alex Smith, QB, Kansas City. Amazing to see this man with the dinking-and-dunking reputation entering Week 9 leading the NFL with an 8.4-yards-per-attempt average. Smith has become a good downfield thrower with a healthy Tyreek Hill to target. Smith is a legit MVP candidate … if the Chiefs can stay atop their division. He went until the fourth quarter of Week 9 before he threw his first interception of the season.
4. Russell Wilson, QB, Seattle. Wilson belongs in this group because of the success he has had with the worst offensive line in football, and with the shaky nature of the running game. Wilson didn’t play as well Sunday in the loss to Washington, but he still had enough at the end to put the Seahawks in position to win with the TD toss to Doug Baldwin with less than two minutes to play. If the line play and running game improve, Wilson could easily move up this list.
5. Deshaun Watson, QB, Houston. I know what you’re saying: out for the year, they were 3-4 when he played, can’t have him over Aaron Rodgers. Yes I can. In his six starts, Watson led the Texans to 13, 33, 57, 34, 33 and 38 points, the final game the incredible showdown against Wilson in which Watson twice threw touchdown passes to take fourth-quarter leads. Throwing for 402 at Seattle? That’s enough for me to put Watson here. But unfortunate reality check coming soon: Can't win my vote when you start six games.
Finishing up the top dozen:
6. Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay
7. Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans
8. Aaron Donald, DL, Los Angeles Rams
9. Jared Goff, QB, Los Angeles Rams
10. Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh
11. Calais Campbell, DE, Jacksonville
12. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas.
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OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Andrew Whitworth, left tackle, Los Angeles Rams. Another clean sheet for Whitworth, in the 51-17 skunking of the Giants in the Meadowlands, per ProFootball Focus: zero sacks, pressures or hits allowed on Jared Goff, who posted the first four-TD game of his career.
Whitworth also made the pass-block of the day. Facing an impossible third-and-33, Goff dumped a short pass to Robert Woods, and Whitworth got in front and waylaid a Giant to spring Woods. The result: a stunning 52-yard touchdown. Whitworth, who signed with the Rams as a free agent after 11 years in Cincinnati, has been a godsend for an offensive line beleaguered for so long.
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Each week, I ask an NFL person what his Most Valuable Possession is, and why.
Jared Goff, quarterback, Los Angeles Rams. “I have a lot of memorabilia that I like, a lot of baseball stuff. My dad [Jerry Goff] played major league baseball, so I was around the game a lot. I might have been about 9, but I was at the ballpark one day and I got Ken Griffey to sign a ball for me. I still have it. I’m really proud of that. It’s cool to have, because I liked him so much as a player.”
* * *
Things I Think I Think
1. I think the smartest thing I heard about why there were six trades (and should have been a seventh with the A.J. McCarron fiasco) on the long weekend of the trade deadline came from one NFL GM in the wake of all the action: “Communication. Information.” I was puzzled by that, and he explained.
With so much information out on the street—with the massive info available from sites like Pro Football Focus, with more advanced NFL reporting digging up who needs what and what they might be willing to give, with the knowledge of which teams are down on which players—there are not a lot of secrets around the league.
So the idea, for instance of the Jets dealing for Niners corner Rashard Robinson, who had slipped down the team’s depth chart, got easier as the Jets trolled for needed corner depth Monday and Tuesday. In training camp this year, I remember meeting with a front-office guy in one camp, and four or five times in 90 minutes he sent quick texts to peers around the league.
I wondered what the activity was about. “Cutdown day,” he said. “Just getting our ducks in a row with a few teams about down-the-line guys.” In other words, fact-finding about some team’s fifth corner—and whether that guy might be worth dealing a conditional seventh-round pick for. Same thing last week.
2. I think this is how I’d analyze the trades that were made, and not made, at the trading deadline:
• Jay Ajayi, the NFL’s fourth-leading rusher last year (1,272 yards, a gaudy 4.9 per rush), is 24 and totally healthy. But trading him was Adam Gase saying to the locker room: You don’t work hard, you don’t have a place here. Gase wanted many of his players, Ajayi being one, to be more dedicated. Philadelphia got a bargain. Amazing to me that a running back with this much upside was fetched for a fourth-round draft choice, which will be approximately the 125th pick next April.
• The Duane Brown deal is good for both teams. For the Texans, because they get two top-100 picks (a three in 2018, a two in 2019, as well as a five in 2018) for a 32-year-old tackle who was going to be unhappy over his contract and owner Bob McNair, and perhaps verbally so if he stayed in Houston. For the Seahawks, this was a must-do deal.
Entering Sunday’s game against Washington, left tackle Rees Odhiambo was the 73rd-rated tackle in the league, out of 73 qualifying tackles, per Pro Football Focus. He allowed an alarming 35 sacks/hits/pressures of Russell Wilson. That simply could not stand.
• Jimmy Graham was the player Houston wanted in that Duane Brown trade. But as I reported last week, Russell Wilson was likely going to be very unhappy if it happened. So the Seahawks went a different way. It’s probably best for them, if they’re trying to win big this year.
• So why’d the Patriots finally cave and deal Jimmy Garoppolo to San Francisco for a second-round pick—or to anyone for anything? I cannot tell you exactly why. And I still think it’s a mistake to leave your 40-year-old franchise quarterback without a net for the last three months of the season. The Patriots are a closed shop, but one good theory that I buy is this: If the Pats had dealt Garoppolo to Cleveland in the spring, they knew he and wise agent Don Yee likely wouldn’t have been inclined to sign a long-term deal … and what would that have meant?
Cleveland likely would have franchised Garoppolo this March, which could have opened the door for a quarterback-hungry, Garoppolo-admiring team—perhaps Patriots division rivals like the Jets, Bills or Dolphins—to make Garoppolo an offer sheet he couldn’t refuse. The Patriots wouldn’t have wanted to see Garoppolo back in the division. Just a theory, but one I buy.
• By the way, the Patriots should have know last April that Garoppolo was not going to sign a deal to wait behind Brady. Last April, it’s a certainty the Patriots could have done better than the 34th pick in the 2018 draft (approximately) that they got last week. That’s a failure on their pre-draft fact-finding.
• I like the Kelvin Benjamin trade for Buffalo. Check out the numbers in his first two full seasons—1,949 receiving yards, 14.3 yards per catch, 16 touchdowns in 2014 and 2016—and consider that at 26 years old and with the size (6'5", 240) every team yearns for at that position, he’s a worthy gamble.
And consider that, if the Bills pick around number 18 overall in each round, they’ve just dealt the 82nd and 236th picks, approximately, for a franchise-type wideout. The move gives the Panthers a chance to morph into the speed team they were moving toward with the draft picks they made this year, but I like Buffalo’s side of this more.
• I believe the Colts were not dealing left tackle Anthony Castonzo unless they got a ransom. That never came. I believe the Colts wanted to deal cornerback Vontae Davis but couldn’t, with his $9 million salary in 2018 an anchor to those chances.
• The Browns blew the A.J. McCarron deal. Say whatever you want about paying too much (second- and third-round picks) for a guy more likely to be a backup than a starter, but from all reports, EVP of Football Operations Sashi Brown did agree to the deal just before the 4 p.m. deadline—and then failed to execute the mechanics of it correctly. Tony Grossi of ESPN Clevelandwondered to me the other day how Brown could have done this, seeing that he’d made 17 previous trades since taking the franchise’s football reins 22 months ago.
It can’t be because Brown really didn’t want to make the trade and so conveniently messed up the mechanics of it; that would only make him look worse because the failed trade was going to leak. And when Adam Schefter reported the bungled deal, the Browns looked a lot worse.
I am left with this thought: I do not see how, unless there’s a reversal of play by the Browns down the stretch of this season, owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam are going to let all front-office members return in 2018. This non-trade is a major disgrace, even by the standards of the Browns.
3. I think the one byproduct of the Browns dropping the ball on the McCarron deal is that the reputation of the Cleveland front office is now surfacing. Teams do not like trading with the Browns. They feel Cleveland’s asking price, or the selling price, is too much of a moving target. This is not on every trade, but it is on some trades.
I’ve heard from more than one team that it thinks it has a deal with Cleveland, and when the callback comes to confirm the deal, the price changes. Now, lots of times that is overcome, because some deals make too much sense, and pragmatic GMs and coaches realize that even if the price changes, they still want to make the deal. I’m just telling you what’s out there, and I’m telling you that other teams were not surprised the McCarron deal fell through.
4. I think these are my quick thoughts on Week 9:
a. Easiest touchdown catch of Julio Jones’ life, alone behind Carolina’s secondary. Perfect pass. Most stunning drop I’ve ever seen from Jones.
b. There will be a quiz on this sometime in your lives, Washington fans. But this is the offensvie line that somehow didn’t get Kirk Cousins buried in Seattle on Sunday despite allowing 17 sacks/hurries/hits on 37 pass drops: T.J. Clemmings, Arie Kouandijo, Chase Roullier, Tyler Catalina, Morgan Moses. All but Moses are fill-ins.
c. Josh Doctson: You might play a long time in the NFL, but I doubt you’ll have a more meaningful catch, with such a degree of difficulty, than the one you had to the half-yard line, the biggest play in the 17-14 win over Seattle.
d. So much for the death of the Jets’ pass rush.
e. Drew Brees scrambled, looked all over the field, then threw across his body at the last minute for Coby Fleener—it was a perfect example of Brees at his best, two months shy of 39.
f. Alvin Kamara would have been a good value pick at number seven in the first round. And he was the 67th overall pick.
g. Dumb unnecessary roughness call on Baltimore defensive end Za’Darius Smith for a minor touch on quarterback Marcus Mariota in Tennessee.
h. Great touchdown run and stretch over the goal line for a touchdown by Cam Newton, but he’s not going to last long making plays like that, diving into four defenders all trying to wreak havoc on him.
i. How many bad balls can Brock Osweiler throw? How many drops can Denver receivers have?
j. Catch of the Day: Jacksonville wideout Keelan Cole, with a twisting, one-handed, awkward catch plucked out of the sky on a pass by Blake Bortles. You know Cole. Free-agent from Kentucky Wesleyan. Sure.
k. Why wouldn’t you touch T.Y. Hilton down, Andre Hal?
l. The Giants are 0-4 at home after Sunday’s loss to the Rams. They’ve got one home game in the next month, and I certainly don’t see them beating Kansas City in the Meadowlands on Nov. 19. So this team that was a Super Bowl contender on Labor Day now could enter Week 14 winless at home. Stunning.
m. Giants at 49ers on Sunday. Combined record: 1-16.
n. Giants-Niners. Combined players on IR: 31.
o. Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz is one of the best football coaches at any level, and I don’t just say that because of the 55-24 wipeout of Ohio State. Parents who have high school prospects should want to send their kids to play for Ferentz, and not just for the winning. He wins, he loses, he develops people.
q. The curse of Roberto Aguayo lives. Now Patrick Murray is all messed up in Tampa Bay.
r. How do the officials in Houston NOT stop the clock on the sideline completion to DeAndre Hopkins?
s. Gorgeous onside kick by Miami’s Cody Parkey on Sunday night. He even recovered it. Good play design by Darren Rizzi, the Miami special-teams czar.
t. Good look at the current tough life of Tony Dorsett by Gary Myers of the New York Daily News.
5. I think I find it incredible that Arizona (which has lost by a combined 67-7 to the Eagles and Rams in the past month) and Seattle (which had won four straight by 54 points before an agonizing loss to Washington on Sunday) could be tied at midnight Thursday in the NFC West. Seahawks, 5-3, at Cards, 4-4, in the desert.
6. I think it’s okay to say Thursday night football stinks, and on many Thursday nights it does, and it’s certainly unfair to the well-being of players. But I would also tell players that to cancel Thursday night football in the next collective bargaining agreement would be to cut some revenue from the salary cap.
Having nothing to do with the TV rights, Amazon this year paid a reported $50 million just to be able to stream the games on Amazon Prime. I’m fine with Thursday night games going away. But let’s not have any bleating over the cap cuts (if there are any) if the package is killed in the next CBA.
7. I think the first time this year I thought, The Giants might have to clean house, was Sunday, late in the third quarter against the Rams, when a once-proud defense had allowed touchdown-field goal-touchdown-touchdown-punt-field goal-touchdown-touchdown-touchdown.
(And one of those touchdowns came on a third-and-33 pass play.) I can just envision the smoke coming out of John Mara’s ears. He’s got to be disappointed, even with all these injuries, with how feeble his team is playing. Giants are 1-7 for the first time since 1980.
8. I think this is impressive: Bill Belichick’s next victory will tie him with Tom Landry as the third-winningest NFL coach of all time. Landry has 270 wins, including playoffs.
