Month: January 2024

Tunnel Vision – Injuries, free agents and Sunday stars

Tunnel Vision – a look back at Sunday for fantasy free agents, injuries and notable performances.

SUNDAY SALUTES
Quarterbacks Pass-Rush TD
 Lamar Jackson  321-35 5
 Kyler Murray 232-24 3
 Justin Fields 268-45 2
 Joe Flacco 309-3 3
Jordan Love 256-2 4
Running Backs Yards TD
Kyren Williams 20-87
2-14		 3
Isiah Pacheco 18-130
7-35		 1
Breece Hall 13-84
9-42		 1
James Conner 26-128
1-5		 2
Jerome Ford 12-64
2-57		 2
Wide Receivers Yards TD
CeeDee Lamb 13-227 1
Davante Adams 13-126 2
D.J. Moore 9-159 1
Brandon Aiyuk 7-114 1
Jayden Reed 6-89 2
Tight Ends Yards TD
Juwan Johnson 8-90 1
David Njoku 6-134 0
Isaiah Likely 2-42 2
Dallas Goedert 5-41 1
Sam LaPorta 7-84 0
Placekickers XP FG
Harrison Butker 1 6
Brandon McManus 2 4
Ka’imi Fairbairn 2 4
Cairo Santos 4 3
Chris Boswell 4 3
Defense Sack – TO TD
Houston 6-1 1
Jacksonville 6-1 0
Buffalo 3-4 1
NY Giants 6-1 1
Cleveland 2-2 1

Bumps, Bruises and Bowouts

QB Will Levis – Foot
QB Tua Tagovailoa – Shoulder
RB Christian McCaffrey – Calf
RB Alvin Kamara – Ankle
RB AJ Dillon – Neck
WR Tee Higgins – Hamstring
WR Devonta Smith – Leg
WR Robert Woods – Hip
WR DeVante Parker – Ribs
WR Jayden Reed – Chest
TE Dawson Knox – Head

Chasing Ambulances

QB Will Levis – Injured his foot and was carted to the locker room. Test results will be known later in the week but the final game doesn’t matter much. Ryan Tannehill will replace him if needed.

QB Tua Tagovailoa – Left the blowout loss to the Ravens with an injury to his throwing shoulder. He was ruled out since the game was already out of hand but he said after the game that he was “good, just  sore.”

RB Christian McCaffrey – Left early in the second half because of a calf injury and never returned. HC Kyle Shanahan said that he thought that McCaffrey would be “alright”, but he didn’t know if McCaffrey would be available next week. The 49ers have sewn up the No. 1 seed and will likely rest several players. McCaffrey is unlikely to be seen until the 49ers first game in the Divisional Round.

RB Alvin Kamara – He was already questionable to play with an illness, but Kamara was active and effective until he injured his ankle in the first quarter after ten rushes. It was not known if he had a high ankle sprain or not. The Saints are the current No. 9 seed and would need help to reach the playoffs next week.

WR Tee Higgins – Left the game with a hamstring injury but managed to return in the third quarter.

WR Devonta Smith – Was injured while blocking near the end of the game. He was on crutches with a walking boot after the game. The prognosis wasn’t released but there should be more information early in the week. The injury was serious enough for the boot and crutches which throws a shadow onto Week 18 when they finish up at the Giants.

WR Jayden Reed – He had already caught two touchdowns when he injured his chest during the second quarter in the win over the Vikings. He underwent CT scans after the game but his prognosis has not been disclosed. The Packers host the Bears next week and need all hands on deck since the Packers are currently the No. 7 seed.

 Free Agents, Flops and Other Notables

QB  Jordan Love – He was likely on many benches if his fantasy owner even made the playoffs, but the Packers quarterback is looking better and erasing some of the early season fears. He threw for 256 yards and three touchdowns at the Vikings and rushed in a touchdown as well.

RB Kyren Williams – Taken as just running back depth in summer drafts, the Rams tailback has become an elite producer and fantasy team owners in large contests did very well in Week 17 when he ran for 87 yards, gained 14 yards on two catches and totaled three touchdowns.

RB James Conner – Playing at the Eagles meant lowering expectations against the No. 1 defense against running backs. Except Conner rushed for 128 yards on 26 carries with two touchdowns as a visitor.

RB Justice Hill – The Ravens lost Keaton Mitchell, so they just switched back to Hill as the RB2. The third-down back ran for 48 yards on three carries and caught five passes for 64 yards and one score. Any back on that powerhouse team carries fantasy value.

WR Julio Jones – The Eagles receiver caught two passes for 34 yards in the loss to the Cardinals. But he scored on each and Philly may be without DeVonta Smith.

TE Isaiah Likely – The replacement for Mark Anderson is becoming a factor in games thanks to playing in an offense that likes to throw to tight ends. Likely made a one-handed catch on a reception and while he only caught two passes for 42 yards, he caught two of the eight touchdowns by a tight end this week.

TE David Njoku – Since Joe Flacco showed up, Njoku was a scoring machine with a touchdown in four straight games. He failed to score this week, but led the position with 134 yards on six catches.

WR Bo Melton – The Packers wideout was called up from the practice squad to help cover for all the wideout injuries in Week 17. He responded by leading the Packers with nine targets for six catches and 105 yards with a touchdown. It was the first 100-yard performance by any Packer receiver this year.

RB Najee Harris – He lost his job as a receiver out of the backfield, and was listed below Jaylen Warren on the depth chart. He never had a 100-yard game and scored just once in the last month. So right when you need him the most and trust him the least, Harris turned in a season-best 122 yards on 27 carries with two touchdowns.

Huddle player of the week

Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

CeeDee Lamb  –  He was already well represented on fantasy playoff teams and then helped to deliver the trophy for many when he caught 13 passes for 227 yards and a touchdown. 41.7 fantasy points is a difference-maker.

Salute!

Drama 101 – Somebody has to laugh, somebody has to cry

Comedy Yards TDs Tragedy Yards TDs
QB Joe Flacco 309-2 3 QB Patrick Mahomes 245-2 1
RB Justice Hill 3-48
5-64		 1 RB Derrick Henry 12-42 0
RB Khalil Herbert 18-124
2-5		 1 RB Jahmyr Gibbs 15-43 0
WR Darius Slayton 4-106 1 WR Tee Higgins 1-19 0
WR Wan’Dale Robinson 6-55
1-24		 1 WR Stefon Diggs 4-26 0
WR Julio Jones 2-34 2 WR DeVonta Smith 3-30 0
TE Juwan Johnson 8-90 1 TE George Kittle 3-29 0
PK Harrison Butker  1  XP   6 FG PK Chase McLaughlin   1 XP
Huddle Fantasy Points = 166 Huddle Fantasy Points = 41

Now get back to work…

Will Boston Celtics fix being 2023’s biggest Boston sports letdown in the 2024 NBA playoffs?

The Celtics fell short in the 2023 postseason – can they win it all in 2024?

2023 was a disappointing year for Boston sports fans, but there’s hope ahead given how the Boston Celtics have started their 2023-24 season. The Celtics and Boston Bruins fell short in the 2023 playoffs, the Red Sox finished dead last, and the New England Patriots will likely join them there this season.

The Celtics’ loss in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Miami Heat was the biggest disappointment. Many believed the Celtics had the talent to win the NBA title, but they came up short against Miami despite having home court advantage. The Bruins also failed to meet expectations, losing Game 7 at home in the first round of the NHL playoffs, but at least they made the postseason.

Will the Celtics avenge their 2023 letdown in the 2024 postseason, and bring honor back to New England sports?

NBC Sports Boston’s Andy Hart and Tom Giles joined Trenni Casey on “Arbella Early Edition” to talk it over — check it out above!

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Steelers HC Mike Tomlin non-commital about Mason Rudolph as the starter next week

Mike Tomlin is going to make us all wait to announce next week’s starter.

For the second week in a row, the Pittsburgh Steelers offense looked like a legitimate NFL offense and helped the team pull off a big win. First, it was the Cincinnati Bengals and this week the Seattle Seahawks and the common denominator was Mason Rudolph at quarterback.

The Steelers now have one game left to play and with a win could make the playoffs. With the stakes so high, will head coach Mike Tomlin stick with the hot hand next week against the Baltimore Ravens even if Kenny Pickett is fully healthy?

As of now, he’s not saying. Tomlin was asked about it after Sunday’s win but he left everyone wondering like a cliffhanger at the end of an action movie.

“We’ll talk about that next week,” Tomlin said. “Right now, we’re just appreciative of the victory. We’ll give you guys something to buzz about for the next 24 or so.”

While we appreciate the suspense, if Tomlin doesn’t stick with Rudolph for the team’s final game, the city might riot.

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Kevin O’Connell takes accountability for disappointing performance

Kevin O’Connell took accountability for Minnesota’s subpar performance against the Green Bay Packers.

After a lifeless 33-10 beating to a hated divisional rival, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell took accountability for his staff’s subpar showing on primetime in his postgame press conference.

“I’ll look at how we prepared, I’ll look at what our plan was, get with the coordinators in all three phases, and talk about areas where we could have been better as a coaching staff and where we could have better put the plan together to ultimately see where did the failure happen. Was it the play calls? Was it the technique and fundamentals? Was it ownership of the plan? You have to take inventory on it. It’s not an easy process, it’s not a fun process but we as a coaching staff, starting with me, have to have the accountability and ownership…”

Sunday night was an embarrassing showing, made even more so when understanding the stakes involved. Win this game, and the playoffs are in your hands as you take on the Detroit Lions next week. Lose it, and you’re at the mercy of up to five different outcomes to continue the journey this season.

O’Connell is taking ownership and that’s what’s necessary with a performance like this one. His team was woefully unprepared when LaFleur’s game plan came to fruition on both sides of the football, the only bright spot coming from a three-play sequence that started with the effort from Najee Thompson. Outside of that, the performance was stiff and spiritless. It’s back to the drawing board for Minnesota as they look to play spoiler and take one last gasp at the postseason.

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Panthers fans react to David Tepper’s drink-tossing video

Panthers fans react to David Tepper’s party foul on New Year’s Eve

The Carolina Panthers just experienced their most shameful Sunday of the 2023 season—and that’s saying something since they’ve had quite a bit of those.

On top of being shut out for the first time in 21 years and clinching the No. 1 overall pick for the Chicago Bears, the Panthers faced more embarrassment courtesy of owner David Tepper on New Year’s Eve. A video showed Tepper appearing to angrily dispose the contents of a cup towards the crowd at EverBank Stadium during the team’s 26-0 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

And this, of course, got Panthers fans going to work on Twitter . . .

2024 5-Star DL Dominick McKinley has flipped his commitment LSU

2024 5-star defensive lineman Dominick McKinnley has flipped his commitment from Texas A&M to LSU, announcement on New Year’s Eve.

Well, while everyone was ringing 2024, one of Texas A&M’s longstanding five-star commits in the 2024 recruiting class, defensive lineman Dominick McKinley, has flipped his commitment to LSU as the Louisiana native will stay home after the firing of Jimbo Fisher likely impacted his decision.

New Aggies head coach Mike Elko has already signed 14 players in the 2024 cycle, as McKinley and five-star athlete Terry Bussey remained the only prospects unsigned, which, of course, set in a dose of worry for the fan base over the next two months.

While it’s no surprise that McKinley was heavily pursued by the Tigers this month, the departure of former defensive line coach and interim HC Elijah Robinson was the final straw after developing a close relationship during the recruiting process. So far, A&M has signed four-star DL Dealyn Evans and three-star DL Kendall Jackson, but losing a talent like McKinley will sting in the long run.

According to 247Sports, Dominick McKinley is currently positioned as the 31st-ranked player, the 6th-ranked defensive lineman, and the No. 1-ranked player in Louisiana.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.

Kevin O’Connell not committing to starting quarterback vs. Lions

O’Connell refused to name a starter ahead of the final regular season game

The Minnesota Vikings have not just started four quarterbacks during the course of the 2023 season but they each have gotten at least two starts.

After Sunday’s 33-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers where he pulled starting quarterback Jaren Hall for Nick Mullens, head coach Kevin O’Connell told the media after the game that he is not committing yet to a starting quarterback for their week 18 matchup against the Detroit Lions.

This is the third time that O’Connell has done that this season, doing so after losses against the Las Vegas Raiders and Lions. Each time he did, O’Connell announced the starting quarterback mid week.

Who will be the starter against the Lions? That remains to be seen, as all three quarterbacks have merit to get the start. Mullens looks to be the best option to get the win, Dobbs is a major changeup that could give a spark to the offense and Hall would be the choice if you want to keep learning about what he could be in the future.

That answer will come in time but don’t expect it quite yet.

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NFL, Panthers decline to comment on David Tepper video

As of Sunday night, mum is the word from the NFL and the Panthers in regards to the unflattering David Tepper video.

As expected, mum is the word right now from both the NFL and the Carolina Panthers in regard to David Tepper.

On Sunday afternoon, shortly after Carolina’s 26-0 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, a video of the billionaire owner unconventionally disposing of his beverage emerged on social media. The (big) problem was that Tepper appeared to dispose of it toward the crowd at EverBank Stadium . . .

The NFL was relatively quick in their response, telling reporters that they are aware of the video. They did not, however, provide any further comment.

That was at least a bit more than what the Panthers offered. Predictably enough, the team declined to comment.

Unfortunately for Tepper, this incident wasn’t his first publicly documented outburst of the season. Back in Week 12, after Carolina’s 17-10 loss to the Tennessee Titans, Tepper was seen angrily leaving the locker room, shaking his head before yelling out a particular four-letter profanity.

Less than 24 hours later, Tepper fired Frank Reich, putting a cap on the NFL’s shortest head-coaching run in nearly 50 years.

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NFL announces Week 18 schedule and it has major NFC East implications

The Week 18 schedule is out. There are multiple spots still to be decided, including who wins the NFC East.

Once the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers went final on Sunday Night Football and Week 17 was in the books, the NFL released the schedule for Week 18.

There are several playoff scenarios still in play around the NFL. Some divisions are still up for grabs, as are some wild-card berths. In the AFC, three playoff spots are still available heading into Week 18. In the NFC, two spots are remaining.

There are also division battles remaining, one of which is in the NFC East. The Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles sit atop the NFC East with an 11-5 record. Both have already clinched playoff berths but are now competing for the No. 2 seed behind top-seeded San Francisco.

Let’s review the Week 18 schedule and how it impacts the NFC playoff race.