Category: Latest News

Titans QB Ryan Tannehill is one of the NFL’s most underrated players

It didn’t take long for the Tennessee Titans to realize they had a problem at quarterback this season.

It didn’t take long for the Tennessee Titans to realize they had a problem at quarterback this season.

But hardly anyone expected former Miami Dolphins signal-caller Ryan Tannehill to accomplish what he has in Nashville after taking the reins in the third quarter of a shutout loss the Denver Broncos.

So it comes as no surprise that he’s been recognized as one of the NFL’s must underrated players.

Baltimore Ravens left tackle Ronnie Stanley and Denver Broncos free safety Justin Simmons also made the list.

[lawrence-related id=23201]

Since Tannehill has taken over, he’s completed 128-of-176 passing for 1,602 yards with 12 touchdowns and four interceptions.

He also had a solid game in last week’s 31-17 win over the Indianapolis Colts, delivering on 17-of-22 pass attempts for 182 yards for two touchdowns, and took care of the football, finishing the contest without an interception.

Tannehill and the Titans will look to extended their winning streak to four games as they face the Oakland Raiders at 3:25 p.m. CT on Sunday in Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.

Cincinnati Bengals 7-round mock draft as season enters final stretch

Here’s a fresh seven-round mock for the Bengals.

With just four weeks left in the regular season and the No. 1 pick within reach, talks about the 2020 NFL Draft will start to ramp up. Mock drafts will be all the rage. So why not build a seven-round Cincinnati Bengals mock now that December is upon us?

 

No. 1 – Joe Burrow, QB, LSU

Nov 30, 2019; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers quarterback Joe Burrow (9) scrambles against the Texas A&M Aggies during the second half at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

It’s becoming more clear that Joe Burrow is destined for Cincinnati. Zac Taylor will have his guy that he can really work with, especially after we watched some poor performances from rookie Ryan Finley.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7

Baker Mayfield’s injury and other top pregame Bengals vs. Browns storylines

Top storylines for Bengals vs. Browns Week 14.

The Cleveland Browns stand in the way of the Cincinnati Bengals picking up a second win on the season.

Zac Taylor’s Bengals would like to make it two in a row coming off last week’s win, regardless of what it might do to draft positioning. Those Browns would like to get back on track as well coming out of a loss to Pittsburgh that dashed a three-game winning streak.

These are the top storylines to know for Sunday’s Battle of Ohio.

 

Resurgences: Two big details spurred the Bengals to win No. 1 on the season last week: Andy Dalton and the pass rush. Dalton’s return to the starting lineup after getting benched for three games wasn’t amazing by any means, but some of the throws he made swung the contest. If he can build on that in the cold on the road, he gives the team a good chance to win. As for the pass rush, Carl Lawson and Carlos Dunlap came alive, the latter putting up three sacks in the process. If they can do something similar Sunday, it could make life decidedly easier on a struggling offense. But doing so won’t be easy, as rotational piece Sam Hubbard won’t be able to go due to a knee injury.

Baker Mayfield (and his injury): Mayfield terrorized the Bengals over two games last year, throwing seven touchdowns. But this year he has just 15 touchdowns and 14 picks while hardly completing 60 percent of his passes. One could argue much of this is also on head coach Freddie Kitchens. Regardless, Mayfield also injured his hand last week after hitting it on a helmet. Here’s Kitchens on the topic recently, per Cleveland.com’s Scott Patsko: “Yeah, everything was good, just like everybody today.” Seems simple enough, but a throwing-hand injury is a tricky one, which would seem to be especially the case in a cold December game. He’s also dealing with an apparent rib issue. Mayfield has game-controlling abilities unlike almost anyone set to take the field Sunday, so how he looks early could decide the game outright.

Redemption vs. Domination: Ideally, the Bengals would like to win this one for a bevy of reasons. But it sure doesn’t hurt to mention a shot at redemption for last year’s gaffe. Meaning, the first series sweep since 2002. The Bengals might lead the all-time series 50-41, but the Browns took both last year as both teams headed in very different directions. That narrative has changed a bit this year thanks to Cleveland’s dramatic regression, yet the idea for the Bengals remains the same — secure a win and take back control of this in-state rivalry, denying the Browns a sense of dominance carrying over from last year’s sweep.

[vertical-gallery id=25558]

Brandon Wilson’s brief, magical season ends on injured reserve

Bengals star kick returner Brandon Wilson heads to injured reserve.

Brandon Wilson was one of the best new developments about the Cincinnati Bengals this season.

Fitting with the theme of this downtrodden season though, the Bengals had to send Wilson to injured reserve Friday as a corresponding move after he injured his hand making a tackle in the team’s first win.

Wilson, a sixth-round pick in 2017, found himself shoved into returning duties this season after injuries to others and — like his college days — he turned out to be nothing short of superb at it

His final tally besides the team-lead in special teams tackles? Twenty returns for 625 yards and one touchdown, good for an average of 31.3. That average is an NFL best mark — and he’ll remain in contention to finish first overall because he just hit the minimum number of attempts to qualify:

The Bengals are in good hands when it comes to returns thanks to the re-debut of Darius Phillips, who is fresh off injured reserve and flashed serious upside there before getting hurt.

But the timing of the Wilson injury is a disappointing one. If nothing else, the good takeaway is the Bengals could have a seriously lethal one-two punch on special teams returns next year, if not for a long time.

[vertical-gallery id=25558]

Zac Taylor isn’t giving up on Billy Price

Zac Taylor still has confidence in Billy Price.

The Cincinnati Bengals added another offensive lineman Friday by claiming Isaiah Prince on waivers, which seems to create more questions than answers.

One of those big questions for the unit continues to be Billy Price, the 2018 first-round pick who will again sit out this weekend in favor of rookie Michael Jordan at left guard.

But head coach Zac Taylor says the Bengals aren’t giving up on Price but also again stressed draft positioning doesn’t mean anything.

“None of that stuff plays into anything,” Taylor said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “We’re looking to play the guys that give us the best chance and certainly we have a lot of confidence in Billy.”

While true Price has been dealing with a nagging back issue that he gritted through a few weeks back when Alex Redmond got hurt during warmups, it’s hard not to get a sense the first-round product isn’t in a good spot.

After failing to win the starting job at center Price also lost the gig at left guard to Jordan back when the season started. He had a different nagging issue then too. When he’s presumably been healthy this year, he hasn’t had a notable impact.

An ironman of a draft prospect with a limited ceiling, the Bengals were going for a sure thing when they drafted Price. With all this continued talk about draft slotting not factoring into playing time decisions (which is a refreshing change for the team), it’s easy to envision the Bengals seeking out more consistent options this offseason

Price might factor into the long-term plans still, but his developmental track is spotty at best after ducking in and out of the lineup so many times.

[vertical-gallery id=25558]

Fast facts to know about new Bengals OT Isaiah Prince

Get to know new Bengals OT Isaiah Prince.

The Cincinnati Bengals claimed offensive tackle Isaiah Prince on Friday, adding another Ohio State product to the offensive line.

Here are a few fast facts to know about the newest member of the Bengals.

Background: Prince is a 6’7″, 310-pound lineman from Maryland who played high school ball at Greenbelt (MD) Eleanor Roosevelt, where he was a three-time All-Washington D.C. Metro pick.

College: Prince attended Ohio State and was one of four true freshmen to play. He shifted from right to left tackle before ultimately earning a first-team all-conference pick in 2018.

What experts said about Prince’s draft stock: While projecting him as a fourth or fifth-round pick, here’s what NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote: “Prince will get touched up in scouting circles for what he can’t do, but he’s made strides in his pass-protection technique that warrants a deeper dive. He’s not a natural knee-bender so his pad level — and therefore balance — will always be concerns, but his length can become an effective weapon in pass sets if a coach can get his hands timed up. He’s a right tackle-only with leverage limitations, but there are enough flashes to project him as a backup with eventual starter potential as a middle round pick.”

What experts said about Prince’s draft stock, Pt 2: The Draft Network graded Prince as a Day 3 pick: “A three-year starter for Ohio State, Prince has some intriguing tools to work from. His length, functional strength and ability to get depth in his kick slide are likable traits. With that said, he needs to cleanup some body control issues that stem from issues with posture and antsy feet while also operate with better leverage. Prince has developmental appeal and has improved throughout his career for the Buckeyes, but more technical improvements are needed for Prince to stick at the next level.”

Drafted: Sixth round, No. 202 by Miami, where he played in four games, starting two before getting waived so the Dolphins could claim a different position on waivers.

Coach Talk: Here’s Dolphins offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo after Prince got some regular-season action: “He did some good things; did some things that need to be worked on, like all of them. I don’t think he had the best game that he’ll have in his time in the NFL, but I think for the first time out there he did an admirable job. He’s got a bright future. He’s an extremely talented young man. He’s just got to keep working like all the rest of them.”

Media: 

[vertical-gallery id=25558]

Sam Hubbard ends up out alongside three others on final injury report

Here’s the final injury report for Bengals vs. Browns.

It turns out the Cincinnati Bengals won’t have defensive end Sam Hubbard on the field at all this weekend against the Cleveland Browns.

Earlier in the week, Hubbard missed with a knee issue but head coach Zac Taylor had remained positive about the outlook. That extended into Friday — until the final injury report went live.

There, Hubbard’s name comes up among those out. He joins A.J. Green and rookie tight end Drew Sample with that classification. Returner Brandon Wilson had the same classification before going to injured reserve later in the day to make room for the new rookie offensive tackle claimed off waivers.

As for the Browns, four players are listed as questionable, including defensive end Olivier Vernon and center JC Tretter.

[vertical-gallery id=25558]

Bengals claim Dolphins rookie Isaiah Prince on waivers

The Bengals added rookie Isaiah Prince on waivers Friday.

The quest to improve as the offseason approaches continues for the Cincinnati Bengals.

Friday afternoon the Bengals claimed Miami Dolphins rookie guard Isaiah Prince off waivers. The team will announce the corresponding move at 4p.m. ET.

Prince, 22, was a sixth-round pick by the Dolphins this year out of Ohio State who appeared in four games, starting two. The team needed roster space after claiming Zach Sieler on waivers and appeared to hope it could slip Prince back onto the practice squad.

The Bengals had other plans clearly and inherit another young Buckeyes product alongside Billy Price and Michael Jordan.

Given the rotating door at guard and the lack of depth at tackle, the move certainly makes sense. If Prince doesn’t get playing time this year he’ll be in the mix over the offseason at what could classify as Cincinnati’s worst unit.

[vertical-gallery id=25558]

Ravens vs. Bills: Who’s playing and who isn’t in Week 14

The Baltimore Ravens have no players already ruled out but with four listed as “questionable,” there could be some concern in Week 14.

The Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills will enter Week 14 against each other fairly healthy. Both the Ravens and Bills have very few names on their final injury reports and even fewer with their game status in question.

For Baltimore, they have just four players listed as “questionable.” While seeing Marlon Humphrey and Marquise Brown among them is concerning, there’s some upside for both. Humphrey had been limited in the first two practices but returned to full participation today. Brown wasn’t even on the injury report on Wednesday and was also a full participant on Friday. If Friday’s final injury report is any indication, all four players should be able to suit up this week.

Baltimore Ravens game status:

WR Marquise Brown (ankle) – Questionable
CB Marlon Humphrey (thigh) – Questionable
LB Patrick Onwuasor (ankle) – Questionable
WR Seth Roberts (knee) – Questionable

Buffalo Bills game status:

T Ty Nsekhe (ankle) – Out

Nsekhe is Buffalo’s backup left tackle, so being ruled out already isn’t exactly a killer. But Nsekhe has played a decent number of snaps every week he’s been healthy, seeing no fewer than 27% of the offensive snaps in a game this season.

That could end up affecting how the Bills run the football, something they’ll need to do effectively to keep up with the Ravens. But with Baltimore being able to sack quarterbacks 15 times over the last five games, quarterback Josh Allen won’t like missing a key blocker in front of him either.

Titans QB Ryan Tannehill leads NFL in passer rating heading into Week 14

Hardly anyone expected something quite like this from Ryan Tannehill.

Hardly anyone expected something quite like this from Ryan Tannehill.

He took the reins at quarterback from Marcus Mariota in the midst of Week 6’s shutout loss to the Denver Broncos, and the Titans haven’t looked back since.

And that’s with good cause.

Tennessee’s offense was mostly stagnant at the beginning of the year, but has gotten rolling with Tannehill at the helm.

[lawrence-related id=23187]

But he’s not just gaining recognition in Nashville. Heading into Week 14, Tannehill leads the league in passer rating (113.9).

Behind Tannehill are the Minnesota Vikings’ Kirk Cousins (111.9), the Seattle Seahawks’ Russell Wilson (111.1), the Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson (109.6) and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Here’s a look at the complete list.

[lawrence-related id=23177]

So far in 2019, Tannehill has lost just one game as a starter for the Titans.

He’s 128-of-176 passing for 1,602 yards with 12 touchdowns and four interceptions.

In last week’s 31-17 win over the Indianapolis Colts, Tannehill completed 17-of-22 pass attempts for 182 yards for two touchdowns, and took care of the football, finishing the contest without an interception.

Tannehill and the Titans will look to stay hot as they face the Oakland Raiders at 3:25 p.m. CT on Sunday in Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.