HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Poll: Which AFC Team Will Miss Playoffs?

December 30th, 2020 at 7:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

Despite the NFL expanding its playoff bracket to 14 teams, one 10-win AFC squad’s season will end Sunday. The historic depth on display in this year’s AFC may well exclude an 11-win team from the playoffs for just the third time since the 1970 merger.

The conference’s Nos. 4-7 spots are not yet determined; the Titans, Dolphins, Ravens, Browns and Colts sit at 10-5. Only the 1985 Broncos and 2008 Patriots — who were left out of five- and six-team AFC brackets, respectively — missed the post-merger playoffs at 11-5. But with none of the 10-win quintet playing one another Sunday, the Colts could join that list.

With the Steelers indicating they will rest Ben Roethlisberger, the Browns would appear to have a strong chance to snap the NFL’s longest playoff drought (18 years). Although they lost 38-6 in the teams’ October meeting in Pittsburgh, the Steelers have not played nearly as well since and have lost key defenders Devin Bush and Bud Dupree. The Browns beat the Mason Rudolph-quarterbacked Steelers 21-7 in Cleveland last year, though the game result became obviously obscured. Football Outsiders gives the Browns a 44% chance to hold at the No. 6 seed and a 20% chance to qualify as the seventh seed.

Sean McDermott has not indicated if he will rest starters against the Dolphins. Doing so would certainly hurt the Colts’ qualification chances, with Indianapolis needing at least one of the other four 10-win teams to lose. The Bills can only drop to the No. 3 spot with a loss and a Steelers win, and given Mike Tomlin‘s decision to rest Roethlisberger, it would not be surprising to see McDermott give Josh Allen a rest or an abbreviated assignment Sunday.

The Dolphins have made the playoffs once in the previous 11 seasons and have benched Tua Tagovailoa twice since naming him their starter. Tagovailoa remains Miami’s QB1, however. Football Outsiders gives Miami a 28% chance to hold at the No. 5 seed and a 29% chance to earn the No. 7 seed in this year’s expanded bracket. While the Bengals knocked the Ravens out of the 2017 playoffs in Week 17, this version is less talented and down its starting quarterback (Joe Burrow) and top running back (Joe Mixon). Of the five 10-win AFCers, Baltimore’s path may be the least daunting.

The Colts have seen their Philip Rivers signing produce mixed results, and it is not certain the sides will reunite in 2021. Although Rivers has helped the Colts return to the playoff precipice, the 39-year-old quarterback ranks 18th in QBR. While that figure is north of Rivers and Jacoby Brissett‘s 2019 placements, the Colts have also endured defeats to the Jaguars — their Sunday opponent — and lost by at least two scores to the Browns, Ravens and Titans.

Tennessee also lost to Indianapolis in a blowout and brings a less reliable defense (29th overall) into Week 17. Houston also nearly pulled a Week 6 upset in this matchup, losing in overtime. However, the Texans are without some key players — including Will Fuller and Bradley Roby — going into the rematch. Football Outsiders views a Titans loss in Houston and a Colts win as the most likely way Indy can return to the playoffs, slotting this scenario at 33%.

So which of this quintet will wrap its season early? Vote in PFR’s latest poll (link for app users) and weigh in with your thoughts on this Week 17 gridlock in the comments section.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/30/20

December 30th, 2020 at 5:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Wednesday’s practice squad moves:

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

  • Signed: DB Sojourn Shelton
  • Placed on practice squad IR: OL Badara Traore

Cleveland Browns

  • Activated from practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Ryan Switzer

Jacksonville Jaguars

  • Activated from practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Terry Godwin

Los Angeles Rams

  • Activated from practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list: DL Eric Banks

Miami Dolphins

  • Activated from practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list: DE Tyshun Render

New Orleans Saints

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

  • Activated from practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list: TE Cody Hollister

Ravens Expected To Sign S Jayron Kearse

December 30th, 2020 at 5:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

A Jayron Kearse Baltimore visit is expected to produce a deal. The Ravens are on track to add the former Vikings and Lions safety to their practice squad, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets.

Kearse visited the Ravens on Wednesday, trekking to Maryland shortly after an abbreviated Detroit stay. The Lions waived Kearse for violating team rules, according to the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett. Said violations included leaving the Lions’ team hotel without permission and being late for bed check (Twitter link).

This has been a bumpy year for Kearse, who spent four seasons in Minnesota. An October DUI arrest led to a three-game suspension to start this season. The Lions quickly put him to work, using him as a starter in seven games this season. The former seventh-round pick made 59 tackles and forced a fumble with Detroit. He worked mostly as a depth piece with the Vikings, starting five games in four seasons.

The post-Earl Thomas Ravens have used Chuck Clark and DeShon Elliott as their primary safety starters this season. Kearse would qualify as depth ahead of a potential postseason run.

Andrew Whitworth Returns To Practice

December 30th, 2020 at 5:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

Reeling at several offensive positions, the Rams received some good news regarding their left tackle. Andrew Whitworth returned to practice Wednesday.

The former All-Pro blocker hit key recovery checkpoints sooner than expected. He suffered MCL and PCL tears Nov. 15, halting another strong season. But the Rams may have him back to protect a new quarterback Sunday. They will have three weeks to move the 15th-year tackle back to their active roster.

Earlier this month, Sean McVay did not rule out a Whitworth return for Week 17. That would be quite the bonus for a Rams team that will be without Jared Goff and Darrell Henderson — and possibly Cooper Kupp and Cam Akers as well — against the Cardinals in what could well be a do-or-die game. John Wolford, an Alliance of American Football refugee who has yet to take an NFL snap, is set to start this weekend. Goff is recovering from thumb surgery.

One of the oldest O-linemen in NFL history, Whitworth turned 39 earlier this month. But he played a key part in helping the Rams bounce back from an uneven 2019 season on offense. When Whitworth went down in Week 10, Pro Football Focus slotted him fourth overall among tackles. The Rams have lost to two non-playoff-bound teams — including the previously winless Jets — without Whitworth.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/30/20

December 30th, 2020 at 4:57pm CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:

Baltimore Ravens

  • Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: K Sam Koch

Cleveland Browns

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: C Ryan Groy; Groy remains on IR

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Packers Claim Snacks Harrison Off Waivers

December 30th, 2020 at 4:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

Damon Harrison will jump from one NFC playoff team to another. The Packers made a successful claim for the recently waived defensive tackle, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Snacks expressed a desire to leave Seattle, after the Seahawks made him a healthy scratch Sunday. But he will still factor into the NFC playoff bracket and may well have additional time to acclimate in Green Bay, with the Packers having the inside track on the conference’s bye.

Several teams previously expressed interest in poaching the 350-pound defensive tackle off the Seahawks’ practice squad. The Packers joined the Buccaneers, Dolphins and Ravens in eyeing the veteran run stopper. They will be Harrison’s fifth NFL team. The veteran nose tackle has played with the Jets, Giants, Lions and Seahawks in nine NFL seasons.

Snacks did not sound too interested in being claimed, but it does appear the Packers were a preferred destination (Twitter links). He will be called upon to help the Packers attempt to reach their first Super Bowl in 10 years.

Harrison, 32, played in six Seahawks games, rising to their active roster after a lengthy acclimation stay on their practice squad. In typical Snacks fashion, he performed as a solid run-stuffer with less-than-solid showings on passing plays. Pro Football Focus gave him an overall score of 68.1 — his 81.7 ground grade was weighed down by his 47.9 passing mark.

The former UDFA was a first-team All-Pro with the Giants in 2016. He made the Jets-to-Giants switch that year, but the Giants traded him to Detroit in 2018. He has made 111 starts in his career, though none came this season. Harrison made a career-high nine tackles for loss with the Giants and Lions during the ’18 season.

While the Packers have one of the league’s top interior defenders on their roster in Kenny Clark, they have multiple D-linemen — Montravius Adams and Billy Winn — on IR. The Packers have also experienced issues stopping the run this season. Despite preventing a Derrick Henry snow rampage, they rank 14th against the run. Dalvin Cook and Ronald Jones enjoyed big days against Green Bay earlier this season, but the team stands to have a proven ground-game deterrent in the mix come playoff time.

Jets Place Frank Gore On IR

December 30th, 2020 at 3:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jets will finish their season without their leading rusher. Frank Gore‘s 16th NFL season will end on injured reserve.

While this does not mean much at this point in a 2-13 Jets season, this could certainly be significant for Gore. The NFL’s No. 3 all-time rushing leader — with exactly 16,000 rushing yards — is not signed through the 2021 season and has obviously enjoyed one of the longest careers in the history of the running back position.

Gore sustained a lung contusion in Week 16, which will end a season in which he logged more carries (187) than he has since 2017. The enduring veteran finished with 653 rushing yards and two touchdowns for the Jets, his fifth NFL team. Gore signed with New York to back up Le’Veon Bell, but Bell suffered an early-season injury and was cut soon after returning.

This will only be Gore’s third missed game in the past 10 seasons. He has managed to keep finding landing spots at a position when a third contract is out of the question for most. Gore, who now has a son playing college football, has not indicated if he will try to play at age 38 next season. It is also uncertain if a team would give him an opportunity to return, though the Raiders joined the Jets in pursuing him this offseason.

Gore returning in 2021 would give him an outside shot at a previously unthinkable accomplishment. The five-time Pro Bowler passed Barry Sanders on the career rushing list last season and is now 726 yards away from Walter Payton for second overall. Gore has not hit that yardage number since 2017, however.

Browns Close Facility Due To COVID-19

December 30th, 2020 at 3:13pm CST by Zachary Links

3:13pm: While several Browns remain on the coronavirus list, they have completed a contact tracing effort and reopened their facility, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com tweets. They also added center Javon Patterson to the practice squad COVID list, Cabot adds (via Twitter).

11:06am: On Wednesday, the Browns closed their team facility due to a positive COVID-19 test. This comes after the Browns learned that a coach and a practice-squad player have tested positive for COVID-19 (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero).

The Browns have also placed safety Karl Joseph, Andrew Sendejo and Harrison Bryant on the reserve/COVID-19 list, a sign that he was likely in close contact with one or both of those individuals.

The Browns were in similar territory last week with the ripple effect of B.J. Goodson‘s positive COVID-19 test. Contact tracing deemed several Browns wide receivers Jarvis Landry, Rashard Higgins and Donovan Peoples-Jones to be high-risk close contacts, keeping them out of Sunday’s game against the Jets. The Jets went on to win 23-16, bumping the Browns to 10-5 and knocking themselves out of the No. 1 draft pick sweepstakes.

The Browns can make the playoffs for the first time in a long time with a win over the Steelers in Week 17. Alternatively, they can still reach the postseason if the Colts fall to the Jaguars. There’s also a third scenario that would give them a playoff berth, though that would be dependent on the outcome of three different games.

Bills Hosting Kenny Stills On Visit

December 30th, 2020 at 2:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

A liability for many years coming into 2020, Buffalo’s passing attack broke through this season. And the unit may be on the verge of having another weapon for the playoffs.

The Bills are hosting Kenny Stills on Wednesday, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). While Stills must navigate COVID-19 protocols, Schefter notes there is optimism this will be the free agent deep threat’s only visit.

This marks Stills’ first known meeting since the Texans waived him in late November. He did not play much of a role in Houston this season, but the 28-year-old wideout was an auxiliary part of several Saints and Dolphins passing attacks previously. The twice-traded receiver has two 800-plus-yard seasons on his resume and finished the 2019 Texans season with 561 and four touchdown catches in 13 games.

A potential Bills-Stills partnership would seemingly be tied to the statuses of Stefon Diggs‘ supporting cast. The Bills were prepared to have John Brown back in action Monday, but the veteran speedster instead landed on the team’s reserve/COVID-19 list. While Brown is off IR and has not been reported to have tested positive for the coronavirus, the 30-year-old pass catcher has a history of injuries. Slot receiver Cole Beasley also suffered an injury during the Bills’ blowout win over the Patriots, and Sean McDermott called the veteran “week to week” following the game. The Bills will enter their Week 17 against the Dolphins as the NFL’s second-ranked pass attack.

Colts To Sign Jared Veldheer

December 30th, 2020 at 1:08pm CST by Zachary Links

The Colts are set to sign tackle Jared Veldheer to the practice squad, as NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. Veldheer will likely be elevated to the varsity squad between now and Sunday to help fill the void for Anthony Castonzo.

[RELATED: Colts’ Anthony Castonzo Done For Year]

Veldheer, 33, spent some time with the Packers late last year and even started in a playoff game. After that, he retired for the second time in his career. Now, he’s making yet another return with yet another opportunity for postseason action.

With the season on the brink, the Colts are left paper thin at left tackle. Veteran Will Holden, who started against the Steelers, has an ankle injury of his own that will keep him out this weekend. The Colts may turn to Chaz Green, but the right tackle hasn’t performed well on the opposite side. On short notice, Veldheer could see snaps against the Jaguars.

Another option as the Colts shuffle the front five: All-Pro left guard Quenton Nelson. Nelson does his best work on the interior, but he’s also played some LT in emergency spots.

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