HEADLINES

Month: September 2024

Week 17 Playoffs Update

January 2nd, 2022 at 11:56pm CST by Ely Allen

The playoff picture is starting to solidify. With the conclusion of Sunday’s games, 6 divisions have been decided and 2 wild card spots have been claimed. Here’s where everyone stands with one week (and one game tomorrow) left to go (not including the potential for any tie game results):

AFC

Eliminated: Jacksonville Jaguars (2-14), Houston Texans (4-12), New York Jets (4-12), Denver Broncos (7-9), Cleveland Browns (7-8), Miami Dolphins (8-8)

  1. Tennessee Titans (11-5) – Clinched AFC South. Can clinch a first round bye with a win over the Texans in Houston or a Chiefs loss and a Bengals loss. Can finish as low as the 3rd Seed.
  2. Kansas City Chiefs (11-5) – Clinched AFC West. Can clinch a first round bye with a Titans loss and a win over the Broncos in Denver. Can finish as low as the 4th seed.
  3. Cincinnati Bengals (10-6) – Clinched AFC North. Can clinch a first round bye with a Titans loss, a Chiefs loss, and a win over the Browns in Cleveland. Can finish as low as the 4th Seed.
  4. Buffalo Bills (10-6) – Clinched playoff spot. Can clinch AFC East with a win over the Jets in Buffalo or a Patriots loss. With a win, can finish as high as the 2nd Seed and as low as the 4th Seed. With a loss, can finish as high as the 4th Seed and as low as the 7th Seed.
  5. New England Patriots (10-6) – Clinched playoff spot. Can clinch AFC East with a Bills loss and a win over the Dolphins in Miami. Can clinch a first round bye with a win over the Dolphins, a Bills loss, a Titans loss, and a Chiefs loss. With a loss, can finish as low as the 6th Seed.
  6. Indianapolis Colts (9-7) – Can clinch a playoff spot with a win over the Jaguars in Jacksonville. With a win, can finish as high as the 5th Seed and as low as the 6th Seed. Can be eliminated from playoff contention with a loss to the Jaguars.
  7. Los Angeles Chargers (9-7) – Can clinch a playoff spot with a win over the Raiders in Las Vegas. With a win, can finish as high as the 5th Seed and as low as the 7th Seed. Can be eliminated from playoff contention with a loss to the Raiders.
  8. Las Vegas Raiders (9-7) – Can clinch a playoff spot with a win over the Chargers in Las Vegas or with a Colts loss and a Steelers loss (either tomorrow vs the Browns or next Sunday at the Ravens). With a win, can finish as high as the 5th Seed and as low as the 6th Seed. Can be eliminated from playoff contention with a loss and a Colts win or a loss and two Steelers wins.
  9. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7-1) – Can clinch the 7th Seed with a win over the Browns in Pittsburgh (tomorrow), a win over the Ravens in Baltimore, and a Colts loss. Can be eliminated from playoff contention with a loss to the Browns (tomorrow) or a loss to the Ravens or a Colts win.
  10. Miami Dolphins (8-8) – Eliminated.
  11. Baltimore Ravens (8-8) – Can clinch the 7th Seed with a win over the Steelers in Baltimore, a Colts loss, a Dolphins loss, and a Chargers loss. Can be eliminated from playoff contention with a loss to the Steelers or a Colts win or a Dolphins win or a Chargers win.

NFC

Eliminated: Detroit Lions (2-13-1), New York Giants (4-12), Carolina Panthers (5-11), Seattle Seahawks (6-10), Chicago Bears (6-10), Washington Football Team (6-10), Atlanta Falcons (7-9), Minnesota Vikings (7-9)

  1. Green Bay Packers (13-3) – Clinched first round bye.
  2. Los Angeles Rams (12-4) – Clinched playoff spot. Can clinch NFC West with a win over the 49ers in Los Angeles or a Cardinals loss. Can clinch the 2nd Seed with a win. With a loss, can finish as high as the 2nd Seed and as low as the 5th Seed.
  3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (12-4) – Clinched NFC South. Can clinch the 2nd Seed with a win over the Panthers in Tampa Bay, a Rams loss, and a Cardinals loss. Can clinch the 3rd Seed, at worst, with a Cowboys loss. Otherwise, clinched the 4th Seed, at worst.
  4. Dallas Cowboys (11-5) – Clinched the NFC East. Can clinch the 2nd Seed with a win over the Eagles in Philadelphia, a Rams loss, and a Buccaneers loss. Can clinch the 3rd Seed with a win over the Eagles and a Rams loss. Otherwise, clinched the 4th Seed, at worst
  5. Arizona Cardinals (11-5) – Clinched playoff spot. Can clinch the NFC West with a win over the Seahawks in Arizona and a Rams loss. With a win, can finish as high as the 2nd Seed and as low as the 5th Seed (cannot finish as the 4th Seed).
  6. San Francisco 49ers (9-7) – Can clinch a playoff spot with a win over the Rams in Los Angeles or a Saints loss. Can clinch the 6th seed with a win over the Rams or an Eagles loss and a Saints loss. Can be eliminated from playoff contention with a loss to the Rams and a Saints win.
  7. Philadelphia Eagles (9-7) – Clinched playoff spot. Can clinch the 6th Seed with a win over the Cowboys in Philadelphia and a 49ers loss or a 49ers loss and a Saints win. Otherwise, clinched 7th Seed, at worst.
  8. New Orleans Saints (8-8) – Can clinch the 7th Seed with a win over the Falcons in Atlanta and a 49ers loss. Can be eliminated from playoff contention with a loss to the Falcons or a 49ers win.

NC State’s Ikem Ekwonu Declares For Draft

January 2nd, 2022 at 10:12pm CST by Ely Allen

Potentially the best offensive lineman in college football, Ikem Ekwonu had ACC pass rushers and defensive linemen breathing a sigh of relief as he announced his intentions to forgo his senior year and take the next step towards an NFL career (Twitter). Ikem is short for Ikemefuna, an Igbo name that translates loosely to “my strength is not in vain,” and never has that been more true than with Ekwonu.

Ekwonu arrived in Raleigh as a 3-star recruit out of Providence Day School in Charlotte. Ekwonu’s strength was not his only asset, as he chose the Wolfpack over offers from FCS Ivy’s Harvard and Yale. It took NC State 5 games before they realized Ekwonu needed to be on the field for every play. He started at left tackle for the final 7 games of the season and led the team in pancake blocks with 37. Ekwonu’s dominance was immediately noticed as he was named to the FWAA Freshman All-America team. He was moved to left guard to start the 2020 season before being kicked back out to tackle and once again leading the team with 50 pancakes and 22 knockdowns. In his final year of collegiate play, Ikem led the team once more with 63 pancakes and 18 knockdowns en route to a unanimous First-Team All-American selection.

Ekwonu is set for a large payday as he readies for the 2022 NFL Draft, but, according to an interview with USA Today Network, money was not a motivation to leave. He was quoted saying, “The reason I would leave would be because I’ve dominated at this level for as long as I have and I feel like it’s time for that next step.” Humble to the core; not wrong, though.

Ekwonu’s size will have teams viewing him as an interior line prospect, but Ekwonu has shown continuous success as a blindside tackle, as well. Most mock drafts have him as a Top 10 pick, while Dane Brugler, of The Athletic, has him listed as the 5th-best overall player and the 2nd-best offensive tackle, behind only Alabama’s Evan Neal. Ekwonu will aim to be only the third Wolfpack offensive linemen in history to be picked in the first round (Jim Ritcher, Bills 1980 & Garrett Bradbury, Vikings 2019). Needless to say, it won’t take long into that Thursday night in April, before we see “Ickey” shuffle across that stage to shake Goodell’s hand.

Cowboys Believe Gallup Is Done For Year

January 2nd, 2022 at 8:23pm CST by Ely Allen

In the second quarter of today’s game against the Cardinals, Cowboys’ wide receiver Michael Gallup injured his knee while pirouetting back to the ball on a catch that resulted in a touchdown as he fell into the end zone. Upon landing, the 25-year old out of Colorado State immediately reached for his knee. Local Cowboys reporter Michael Gehlken was quick to tweet out a statement from team owner Jerry Jones after the game that Dallas believes Gallup has torn his ACL and will miss the remainder of the season. Gallup will undergo an MRI exam on Monday to confirm the early diagnosis.

Gallup missed 8 weeks earlier in the season when he was placed on IR after straining his left calf in the Cowboys’ Week 1 loss to Tampa Bay. Since rejoining the team in Week 10, Gallup quickly regained his position as WR3, behind CeeDee Lamb and Amari Cooper. He was looking to play a crucial role in the league’s top offense, in terms of yards per game, as they roll into the playoffs. Dallas will rely on Boise State product Cedrick Wilson to fill the empty role, as they did during Gallup’s IR stint. Behind Wilson, reserve receivers Noah Brown, Malik Turner, and Simi Fehoko have spent time on the active roster, but haven’t shown much in terms of production.

This is unfortunate timing for Gallup as he will go into the offseason as a free agent. On the bright side, Gallup has given the league a strong sample of his work in previous years. In 2019, Gallup caught 66 balls for 1,107 yards and 6 touchdowns despite only playing in 14 games. Last year, despite competing with Cooper and Lamb for targets, Gallup still recorded 59 catches for 843 yards and 5 touchdowns. He showed similar yardage per game in his limited time this year. It looks like, due to an unfortunately timed injury, someone in the league will probably get a good deal on a solid starting receiver.

Chiefs’ OL Lucas Niang Out For Rest Of Season

January 2nd, 2022 at 6:31pm CST by Ely Allen

According to a tweet from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Andy Reid informed reporters, after the Chiefs’ loss to the Bengals today, that tackle Lucas Niang suffered a torn patellar tendon. Worries were high for the second-year lineman when he needed to be carted off early in the first quarter. Unfortunately, this type of injury not only prevents Niang from returning this year, but, even after extensive rehabilitation, it could hamper Niang for years to come.

Niang was a third-round pick for the Chiefs two years ago, but was one of several players who opted out of the 2020-21 NFL season due to COVID-19 concerns. In what is effectively his rookie season, Niang has been a key player on the line, starting 8 games this season while dealing with some injuries and spending some time on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

Kansas City was already short their other starting tackle, Orlando Brown, as he was scratched early this morning with a calf injury. The Chiefs pushed guard Joe Thuney to left tackle and relied on Andrew Wylie at right tackle. Wylie has been filling in for Niang this year and Kansas City will likely continue to depend on him into the playoffs. The loss of Brown is much more concerning for the immediate future and they will hope to get him back in time for a January run.

As for Niang, a speedy and efficient recovery is the best hope. Tears of the patellar tendon have a penchant for ruining careers. While players have been known to rehab and return, few have looked like their former selves after. Players like former Giants’ receiver Victor Cruz and former Buccaneers’ running back Cadillac Williams have returned to play only to look like shadows of their former selves. Longtime former Patriots’ linebacker Jerod Mayo retired shortly after his diagnosis.

Bears’ tight end Jimmy Graham is a rare example of a player who returned to play and continued being his dominant self. After Graham was traded to the Seahawks, he never quite reached the thousand-yards-receiving-coupled-with-double-digit-touchdown seasons of his days with the Saints, but, after tearing his right patellar tendon in his first season in Seattle, Graham returned to Pro Bowl play each of the next two years and set a Seahawks’ franchise record for single season touchdowns by a tight end with 10 in 2017.

We obviously hope for a best case scenario outcome like this as Niang deals with one of football’s biggest nemeses. Torn patellar tendons have ruined too many careers before they began. Our hopes go out to Lucas as he prepares to tackle a daunting injury and we wish him a long and healthy career.

Broken Ankle For Titans’ MyCole Pruitt

January 2nd, 2022 at 4:01pm CST by Zachary Links

Titans tight end MyCole Pruitt suffered a fractured and dislocated ankle during today’s game against against the Dolphins (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). Now set for surgery, Pruitt will surely be out for the rest of the season, including the playoffs. 

Pruitt, 29, had 14 catches for 145 yards and three touchdowns heading into today’s game. The Titans went on to win 34-3, but they’ve lost an essential run blocker heading into the postseason.

The Titans will still have veteran Geoff Swaim and Anthony Firkser on the roster and they have Austin Fort on the practice squad. Tennessee uses multiple tight end sets pretty frequently to leverage their rushing attack and they’ve utilized all three of their tight ends pretty equally with all three getting their fair share of snaps. Through Week 16, Swaim led the group playing 58.6% of the offensive snaps, Pruitt followed with 44.4%, and Firkser was on the field for 33.4%. None are really receiving threats, so the two remaining tight ends will continue to fill their role and Tennessee will hope a player like Fort can step up in heavy packages or when called upon to give his teammates a breather.

As for Pruitt, the hope is that the severity of the injury is low and the recovery from the surgery is quick as he heads into the offseason as a free agent. On a lucky note, Swaim and Firkser are also in contract years, so if the Titans like their trio of tight ends, it may be an easy decision to extend any combination of the three.

Antonio Brown Bails On Bucs-Jets

January 2nd, 2022 at 2:49pm CST by Zachary Links

Antonio Brown took off his uniform, chucked pieces of his gear into the stands, and left the field midway through Sunday’s game against the Jets. There’s no word from the team just yet, but this will likely mark the end of his Buccaneers tenure.

[RELATED: Bruce Arians Clears COVID-19 Protocols]

As noted on the FOX telecast (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport), teammates O.J. Howard and Mike Evans tried to calm AB down midway through his outburst. They were unsuccessful as Brown jogged to the locker room half naked.

With star wide receiver Chris Godwin out for the year, Brown figured to be a key part of the Bucs’ playoff offense. The timing is even more confusing given Brown’s contract. As noted by Spotrac (Twitter link), Brown was on the verge of collecting serious bonus money. With eight more catches ($333K), 55 receiving yards ($333K), and one receiving touchdown ($333K), Brown would have made an extra $1MM this year.

Instead, Brown is probably done with the Buccaneers and, possibly, football altogether. The rest of the Bucs, meanwhile, went on to rally and beat the Jets, 28-24.

PFR Originals: Bowles, Ryan, Raiders

January 2nd, 2022 at 2:40pm CST by Zachary Links

In case you missed it, here’s a look back at some of our recent originals:

  • On December 30, 2018, Jets fans were overjoyed when they learned head coach Todd Bowles had been fired. Fast forward three years, and fans have endured at least one head coaching failure. As our own Ben Levine writes, Jets fans may be questioning whether they should have kept Bowles after all.
  • Christmas Day tends to be pretty quiet in the NFL. But, on December 25th of last year, the Giants had quite the gift for Logan Ryan — a three-year, $30MM extension with $11.5MM fully guaranteed. The veteran defensive back dropped plenty of hints beforehand, waiting out most of the previous offseason as he pushed for a $10MM/year deal. At the time of signing, Ryan earned his shiny new contract with 83 tackles, one interception, one sack, three forced fumbles, and nine passes defensed through 14 games.
  • In another holiday firing, the Raiders sacked Jack Del Rio on NYE 2017. JDR, who amassed a 25-23 record, was quickly replaced by Jon Gruden. Since then, Del Rio went public with some unflattering comments about Derek Carr and his performance in cold weather games. Fortunately, that storyline has a happy ending as Del Rio and the quarterback recently hashed things out. “We had a good talk,” Carr said. “Obviously I wish it was better for me, but we just expressed our love for one another and how thankful we were for the times that we had.”

5 Key Stories: 12/27/21 – 1/1/22

January 2nd, 2022 at 1:11pm CST by Zachary Links

Been busy? Let’s get you caught up with a look back at some of the NFL’s biggest stories from the past week:

  • NFL Legend John Madden Passes Away: Late last week, NFL legend John Madden passed away at the age of 85. Madden, of course, is one of the most iconic NFL personalities of all time, evolving from Hall of Fame coach to famed broadcaster to the face of the sport’s most popular video game franchise. “On behalf of the entire NFL family, we extend our condolences to Virginia, Mike, Joe and their families,” said commissioner Roger Goodell in a statement. “We all know him as the Hall of Fame coach of the Oakland Raiders and broadcaster who worked for every major network, but more than anything, he was a devoted husband, father and grandfather.”
  • Jaguars Kick Off HC Search: The Jaguars requested interviews with Bucs offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich and defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, Colts DC Matt Eberflus, Cowboys OC Kellen Moore and DC Dan Quinn, Packers OC Nathaniel Hackett, and experienced HCs Doug Pederson and Jim Caldwell. Quinn has since declined the opportunity for an early interview, but he could still chat with the Jags at a later date.
  • Colts Reached Out To Rivers: Colts head coach Frank Reich recently asked Philip Rivers if he’d be interested in coming out of retirement. Even though Rivers has left the door open to an eventual return, it doesn’t sound like the 40-year-old is interested in filling in for Carson Wentz. In his lone Colts season, Rivers completed 68% of his passes and finished with a 24-to-11 TD-INT ratio.
  • Giants’ Joe Judge Likely To Return: The Giants reportedly plan to stay patient with head coach Joe Judge, even as they wrap up another losing season. For his part, Judge says he’s still committed to turning things around in New York. “I’ve said this from the beginning: I’m not interested in having some kind of quick flash,” Judge said. “I’m not interested in shortcuts. I’m not interested in quick fixes. I want to do this the right way. When I took this job I made it very, very clear that I was only going to do this if we’re all committed to doing this the right way. And that’s something that’s been very clear from ownership on down.”
  • Roethlisberger Addresses Likely Steelers Exit: Ben Roethlisberger has not publicly committed to retiring after the season, but Monday’s matchup with the Browns will almost certainly be his final home game with the Steelers. On Thursday, Big Ben addressed the speculation and seemingly acknowledged the end of his 18-year Pittsburgh run. As of this writing, Roethlisberger sits 24th in QBR for this season.

Grand Jury Clears Barkevious Mingo

January 2nd, 2022 at 12:57pm CST by Rory Parks

Linebacker Barkevious Mingo signed a one-year, $1.25MM contract with the Falcons in March, but Atlanta released him a few months later, after he was charged with “indecency with a child–sexual contact.” As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported last month, the Texas grand jury that was convened in the matter determined there was no probable cause to move forward, so Mingo will not be prosecuted (Twitter link).

Mingo, 31, has never lived up to his status as the No. 6 overall pick of the 2013 draft. His rookie season tally of five sacks still represents a career-high, as he managed only 7.5 sacks in total across the next seven years. Still, he has carved out a lengthy career as a rotational defender and special teams contributor, and in his 2020 season with Chicago — in which he appeared in 36% of the Bears’ defensive snaps and 82% of their special teams snaps — Pro Football Focus’ metrics considered him a league-average performer.

He has also proven himself to be durable, as he has never appeared in less than 15 games in a single season. Now that his legal situation has been resolved, he will presumably have a chance to continue his playing career in 2022, though any contract he gets will likely be for the veteran minimum or slightly higher.

Mingo’s attorney, Chris Lewis, issued a statement (Twitter link), which reads in part as follows:

“Today’s decision is the first step in restoring Keke’s good name and successfully brings to a close what has been a painful and uncertain chapter in his life. We appreciate the hard work and thoughtful consideration that the District Attorney’s Office and the Grand Jury dedicated to this matter.”

Latest On Mike Zimmer, Vikings

January 2nd, 2022 at 12:09pm CST by Rory Parks

Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer‘s job security is once again a topic of conversation. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says Zimmer’s future in Minnesota is presently unclear, though a playoff berth would obviously be a major boost to his prospects.

Unfortunately for him, he will be without starting quarterback Kirk Cousins for tonight’s matchup against the Aaron Rodgers-led Packers in Lambeau Field. Cousins has landed on the reserve/COVID-19 list, so Sean Mannion will get the nod in a must-win contest in which Minnesota is a 13.5-point underdog.

As such, the Vikings are very much at risk of sitting out the postseason for the fifth time in eight seasons under Zimmer’s stewardship. And since he was said to be on the hot seat earlier this year, and given that ownership was prepared to cut ties even after a 10-6 season and a playoff win in 2019, it would seem that another season with no chance at a title might be too much for Zimmer to overcome.

That is especially true when considering the manner in which the 2021 campaign has unfolded. The Vikings have lost eight games by one score and actually have a +12 point differential despite their 7-8 record. They have suffered a handful of heartbreaking losses, they have been penalized for more yards than any other NFC team, and they have allowed more points in the final two minutes of a half than any team in football (h/t Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune). They have also dropped games to the then-winless Lions and a Cowboys team that was playing Cooper Rush at quarterback due to a Dak Prescott injury.

Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports says internal discussions about Zimmer’s future have taken place, and the Vikings have researched potential HC candidates. Zimmer, 65, does boast a 71-54-1 regular season record, but he could be looking for a new employer (or considering retirement) in a couple of weeks. Injuries, COVID-19, and other circumstances have doubtlessly played a role in this year’s disappointments, though that may not be enough to earn Zimmer a reprieve.

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