HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Poll: Who Will Win NFC West?

November 19th, 2020 at 6:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

Exiting the NFL’s midway point, the NFC West serves as arguably the league’s most compelling division. Although injuries have made the 49ers’ road back to the playoffs exceedingly difficult, the division’s other three teams are surefire contenders.

The Cardinals’ re-emergence has created a crowded competition. Arizona, Los Angeles and Seattle enter Week 11 at 6-3. These three teams have four more combined games against one another, beginning with Thursday night’s Cards-Seahawks rematch.

This season’s top play thus far — the Kyler Murray-to-DeAndre Hopkins game-winner over the Bills — spotlighted the primary reasons behind the Cardinals’ resurgence. They have now beaten two winning teams — Seattle and Buffalo — and rank in the top 10 both scoring and points allowed. Their plus-56 differential leads the division, one this franchise has only won twice (in 2008 and ’15).

Through nine games, Murray has accounted for 27 touchdowns (10 rushing); that is more than unanimous 2019 MVP Lamar Jackson had at this time last season. Providing a predictably strong early return on the Cards-Texans March trade, Hopkins ranks second in the NFL with 861 receiving yards. Arizona’s defense, however, enters Week 11 with five D-linemen on IR — including big-ticket offseason signing Jordan Phillips. Chandler Jones also residing on IR will make matters tougher on Vance Joseph‘s unit in the second half.

The Rams have shown plenty defensively this season; the unit has powered their 6-3 start. Hired after stays as the Bears and Broncos’ outside linebackers coach, Brandon Staley has the Aaron Donald– and Jalen Ramsey-led unit standing second in points allowed. Staley’s troops held Russell Wilson without a touchdown pass and forced him to commit three turnovers Sunday.

Los Angeles also has one of this year’s top-graded offensive lines, though that unit stands to take a hit after Andrew Whitworth‘s knee ligament tears. Jared Goff‘s 25th-ranked QBR figure, however, threatens to impede the Rams from their third division title in four years. The Rams and Cardinals do not play until Week 13.

Seattle is 1-2 in divisional play, holding that mark after a near-70-minute loss in Arizona and Week 10 defeat in L.A. Wilson has lost the MVP lead, per Las Vegas, to Patrick Mahomes and lacks the defensive support Goff and Murray are receiving. The Seahawks enter Week 11 ranked last in yards allowed. Although their maligned pass rush sacked Josh Allen seven times, that game still included 415 passing yards from the Bills quarterback. While Wilson has thrown a league-high 28 touchdown passes and is on track smash his career-high figure (35 in 2018), Seattle’s soon-to-be 32-year-old superstar passer has also turned the ball over 10 times in the team’s three losses.

The 49ers have a somewhat one-sided win over the Rams on their resume, but the defending NFC champions are 4-6. “Decimated” may be too light of a descriptor to illustrate San Francisco’s injury situation.

The new seven-team playoff bracket will make it easier for the NFC West to send three teams to the playoffs. But which of these teams will have the highest seed and the playoff “home” game?

Vote in PFR’s latest poll (link for app users) and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/19/20

November 19th, 2020 at 5:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the most recent NFL minor moves:

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Jacksonville Jaguars

  • Placed on IR: CB C.J. Henderson

Kansas City Chiefs

Minnesota Vikings

  • Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: FB C.J. Ham

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

NFL Not Eyeing 16-Team Playoffs Beyond 2020

November 19th, 2020 at 5:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

While Major League Baseball has drawn scrutiny for potential plans at a major postseason expansion next season, the NFL has no interest in moving beyond its new 14-team bracket.

The league approved a proposal to increase its 2020 playoff field to 16 teams, in the event COVID-19 prevents all 256 regular-season games from being played. But even that in-case-of-emergency plan encountered major dissenting voices among owners, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports notes. This, and some opposition to the new CBA’s 14-team playoff field in league circles, points to the NFL not eyeing a future when half its teams make the playoffs annually.

Strong opposition emerged at this contingency-plan 16-team bracket, per JLC, and those dissenters made it known this will not be a precursor to future NFL postseasons. The NFL ended its 30-year run with a 12-team bracket — its most stable postseason, after eight- and 12-season periods with eight- and 10-team fields, respectively — last season and will collect additional revenue from the two extra playoff games this new 14-team playoff produces. That TV revenue will be critical ahead of 2021’s expected salary cap reduction.

When the NFL green-lit the 12-team field for the 1990 season, the league housed 28 teams. That meant 42.9% of its teams made the playoffs; the 14-team format will invite 43.8% of the NFL’s teams to the postseason. The NFL has not been forced to cancel a game due to the coronavirus this season, but the league has changed several teams’ schedules. The first contingency plan remains for a makeshift Week 18 to serve as an if-necessary makeup window. The 16-team postseason bracket is Plan C.

Eagles Expected To Sign Jordan Howard

November 19th, 2020 at 4:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

Shortly after the Dolphins cut Jordan Howard, the veteran running back secured an Eagles visit. Howard is meeting with Eagles brass Thursday, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.

This will lead to an agreement. Howard is expected to sign with the Eagles on a practice squad agreement, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). Should he navigate COVID-19 protocols, he will be eligible to practice with the Eagles next week. Given Howard’s history with the team, he should not have an issue reacclimating.

Howard landed an ultimately unsuccessful (for the Dolphins) two-year deal based somewhat on his 2019 performance as an Eagle. The Eagles acquired Howard from the Bears last year and used him as a starter. The fifth-year back, however, has experienced a brutally ineffective 2020.

Howard’s Dolphins stay ended with a 1.2 yards-per-carry average (33 yards on 28 totes). The Dolphins made him a healthy scratch at one point and moved on in the form of a Monday cut. As expected, no team claimed Howard’s contract.

The Eagles have a recent history of circling back to running backs. They signed Jay Ajayi a year after an injury ended his first Eagles tenure and re-signed Corey Clement after non-tendering him as a restricted free agent this year. Clement is currently on Philly’s reserve/COVID-19 list.

Howard surpassed 1,100 rushing yards in his first two Bears seasons but was less effective in Matt Nagy‘s scheme in 2018, prompting the Bears to trade him in the ’19 offseason. With the Eagles, Howard bounced back by averaging 4.4 yards per carry and rushing for six touchdowns in 10 games.

J.J. Arcega-Whiteside Tests Positive For COVID-19

November 19th, 2020 at 3:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

J.J. Arcega-Whiteside will be away from the Eagles for a while after testing positive for COVID-19, Geoff Mosher and Adam Caplan of InsidetheBirds.com report (via Twitter).

Because of contact tracing, the Eagles also placed Vinny Curry, Corey Clement and wide receiver Deontay Burnett on their reserve/COVID-19 list Thursday.

Clement and Curry landed on the list because they came in contact with someone who contracted the coronavirus, but NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport notes their placements on the list did not stem from Arcega-Whiteside’s positive test (Twitter link). Curry and Clement have continued to test negative, and ESPN.com’s Tim McManus indicates (via Twitter) each player landed on the virus list because they were close contacts of two different individuals.

While Arcega-Whiteside is guaranteed to miss Sunday’s game, his affected teammates’ respective statuses will come down to when their last contact with an infected person occurred. Players who land on the reserve/COVID list must isolate for five days, but players have been placed on a COVID list on a Thursday and returned to play the following Sunday. Kyle Van Noy did so last week.

Holdovers from the Eagles’ Super Bowl LII-winning team, Curry and Clement serve as key rotational players for Philadelphia. Arcega-Whiteside has not been able to break through despite his second-round pedigree. He has just 12 career catches, including two this season for an again-injury-ravaged Eagles receiving corps.

Cardinals Move Jordan Phillips To IR

November 19th, 2020 at 3:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

More trouble for Arizona’s defensive line. The Cardinals placed big-ticket free agency addition Jordan Phillips on IR on Thursday. He will join Corey Peters as D-linemen on the Cards’ injured list.

Phillips is battling a hamstring injury that caused him to miss Week 9. He will be out until Week 14 because of Thursday’s transaction, and the Cards are certainly set to be thin on their defensive front against the Seahawks. Peters is out for the season.

The Cards promoted defensive lineman Michael Dogbe from their practice squad but are still down Peters, Phillips and Zach Allen up front. Five Cards D-linemen in total are on IR. Considering Chandler Jones is also out, the Cardinals are down most of the players they intended to have rush quarterbacks at the season’s outset. They have turned to former off-ball linebacker Haason Reddick as an edge player as a result, and the team reacquired Markus Golden from the Giants to help out.

Phillips signed a three-year, $30MM deal to come over from Buffalo in March. He has not quite flashed his contract-year form, registering two sacks and three QB hits this season. In 2019, Phillips posted a Bills-best 9.5 sacks and 16 QB hits.

The Cardinals also promoted D.J. Foster. The veteran running back has seen action as a practice squad promotion a few times this season. Tight end Evan Baylis and linebacker Reggie Walker will rise to the active roster as well.

Seahawks To Place Quinton Dunbar On IR

November 19th, 2020 at 3:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Seahawks will go a second straight game without one of their cornerback starters Thursday night, and Quinton Dunbar‘s injury-related absence will be extended to at least four weeks.

Dunbar will go on Seattle’s IR list, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The offseason trade acquisition is battling a knee injury — one that shelved him for the Seahawks’ Week 10 loss to the Rams.

Seattle will promote Snacks Harrison and running back Bo Scarbrough from its practice squad. Chris Carson is not expected to play against the Cardinals tonight, and Scarbrough stands to provide depth for a backfield that has not been at full strength in weeks. Technically, Seattle’s running back stable has been incomplete all season due to Rashaad Penny‘s absence.

Dunbar has started all six games he’s played with his new team. The Seahawks sent Washington a fifth-round pick for the sixth-year veteran. Pro Football Focus has not viewed the 2019 standout’s play as particularly strong this season, ranking him 106th among full-time corners. Seattle’s defense enters Week 11 last in yards allowed; its pass defense has been the primary culprit.

The 28-year-old defender was in talks with the Bruce Allen-led Washington front office about an extension, but the Ron Rivera regime traded him to Seattle. His current deal expires at season’s end. Dunbar broke through as a full-time starter last season, intercepting four passes and grading as one of the NFL’s top defenders (per PFF), but could use a strong stretch run to impact potential Seahawks extension talks or a 2021 free agency bid.

This will be Harrison’s second time in a Seahawks game uniform. The team waited several weeks before activating the former All-Pro nose tackle, and Harrison played 19 defensive snaps against the Rams. He should be ticketed for another part-time role tonight.

NFC South Notes: AB, Bridgewater, Saints

November 19th, 2020 at 2:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

Antonio Brown being accused of vandalizing a security camera has placed the Buccaneers in a bit of hot water, but Bruce Arians confirmed the team knew about this alleged incident before signing him. The second-year Bucs HC reiterated during an interview with NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (audio link) that Brown not being a model citizen will result in his release. “He’s been a model citizen,” Arians said Thursday, via Jenna Laine of ESPN.com. “I think we’re beating a dead horse right now, so there’s been enough statements about it.” Arians said in March that Brown would not be a fit with the Bucs, but Tom Brady pushed for the team to make the move. Through two games with the Bucs, AB has 10 catches for 100 yards.

The NFL was not made aware of this incident before the Bucs signed Brown, who was not charged due to the homeowners association not pressing charges. The league, per Laine, is now looking into the matter, which could be determined as a violation of Brown’s probation. Although the NFL handed Brown an eight-game suspension, the league could move to levy another ban depending on the outcome of Britney Taylor’s civil suit. Taylor’s three-page affidavit alleges Brown raped her. The controversial wideout is again part of a multifront NFL investigation.

Here is the latest from the NFC South:

  • Teddy Bridgewater is now expected to join Christian McCaffrey in not suiting up for the Panthers‘ Week 11 game. Carolina’s QB1 has practiced on a limited basis this week, with Matt Rhule labeling him “extremely limited,” and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets the team is expected to require one of its backup passers to start against the Lions. Bridgewater suffered an MCL injury in the fourth quarter of the Panthers’ loss to the Buccaneers. XFL 2.0 standout P.J. Walker has replaced Bridgewater twice this season, but both he and 2019 third-round pick Will Grier have worked as the Panthers’ game-day backup. They have split reps in practice this week, and Rhule — via ESPN.com’s David Newton — declined to say who would start if Bridgewater cannot go.
  • If the 2021 salary cap comes in at that $175MM floor, the Saints are projected to be a whopping $95MM over that salary ceiling. While the Mickey Loomis-led operation annually finds a way to navigate cap issues, this would be new territory. This situation has flummoxed several execs around the league, per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, who adds the current NFL management council cap figure being used for projections ($198MM) is much higher than where the actual number is expected to land. Multiple GMs expect the cap to come in around $175MM, which would mark by far the biggest reduction in the cap’s 28-year history and create tremendous issues for the Saints and a few other teams.
  • Drew Brees is expected to be out at least two games, though the future Hall of Fame quarterback has sought additional opinions this week. He is believed to have cracked at least five ribs.

Texans’ CEO: Jack Easterby Won’t Be GM

November 19th, 2020 at 1:05pm CST by Zachary Links

The Texans will not appoint Jack Easterby as their next GM. That’s what team president Jamey Rootes told reporters earlier this week, and that was hammered home on Thursday by team CEO Cal McNair.

“Let me reiterate: Jack will not be our general manager,” McNair said when asked about the club’s Executive Vice President. “But, he will have a significant role in helping shape our future here within the Texans…(Easterby) is going to be an incredibly valuable part of our franchise moving forward as he works with our next general manager and head coach. I want to build something that our fans, players and staff are proud of. It’s okay to be under construction right now.”

The Texans kicked off their construction in earnest earlier this year by firing head coach/GM Bill O’Brien. The process has been a trying one for Texans fans, who watched running back David Johnson go on IR while DeAndre Hopkins added an all-timer to his highlight reel for the Cardinals. On the other side of the ball, cornerback Gareon Conley has been ruled out, leaving the Texans paper thin in the secondary. On the plus side, interim head coach Romeo Crennel has them in the win column, which is more than O’Brien was able to do. The Texans will look for win No. 3 this week against the Patriots.

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