Category: Latest NFL news

Raiders TE Brock Bowers named AP first team All Pro

Raiders TE Brock Bowers’s historic season earns him All Pro First Team honors as a rookie.

One season. One AP First Team All Pro nod. Brock Bowers’ meteoric rise to the NFL best tight end is official.

It wasn’t a great surprise. Bowers led the NFL among tight ends in receiving (1194), receptions (112), and yards after the catch (596).

Those numbers were also historic. With him breaking a 63-year-old rookie tight end receiving yards record, setting a new rookie receptions record at any position twice, and setting a new Raiders franchise receptions record at any position and any experience level.

His numbers earned made him just the fourth rookie tight end in the modern-era to be named a first team All Pro and the first since Jeremy Shockey in 2002.

Boweres simply dominates at every level. From being the top TE recruit in the nation out of Napa High School, to an All American as a true freshman at Georgia, to the first ever two-time Mackay Award winner his final two seasons there.

3 bold predictions for Chargers’ playoff opener against Texans

In Jim Harbaugh’s first season as coach of the Chargers, he has led them to an 11-6 record and a trip to the playoffs.

Despite the game being at NRG Stadium in Houston, the Chargers are three-point favorites this weekend against the Texans. Jim Harbaugh has his squad playing some of the best football of the season.

It’s the first time Los Angeles takes the field in the playoffs since the epic collapse against the Jaguars back in 2022.

Here are some bold predictions in the Chargers-Texans AFC playoff tilt on Saturday:

Teams combine for 6+ sacks

There are lethal pass rushers on each side’s defense. Both teams were top-six in the NFL in sacks this season, so this isn’t even that bold of a prediction. Furthermore, both offensive lines are vulnerable. While there are elite tackles on both teams, the Texans allowed 54 sacks, tied for third-most in the NFL. The Chargers still had their flaws as well, particularly on the interior portion of their line, as they gave up 44 sacks. Expect guys like Khalil Mack and Will Anderson Jr. to wreck havoc on multiple instances this weekend.

Quentin Johnston goes for 70+ yards again

Texans Pro Bowl corner Derek Stingley Jr. will more than likely shadow Ladd McConkey on Saturday. As a result, that should open the field up for other Chargers playmakers. Johnston had a career day in Week 18 with 13 catches for 186 yards. He’s been nursing a thigh injury throughout the week, so his status for the game is something to keep an eye on. Assuming he plays, he should be in line for another big day.

Justin Herbert throws an INT

Across 503 pass attempts this year, Herbert miraculously threw just three interceptions. That’s an outstanding number, but something has to give this weekend. The Texans defense snagged 19 interceptions this season, the second-most in the NFL. Houston has two secondary members with five interceptions each and playmakers all over the defense. With limited weapons at wideout, Herbert gets overly aggressive and makes an uncharacteristic mistake.

5 Texans players to watch vs. Chargers in wild-card round

Nico Collins is just of several game-changing players that the Chargers will have keep an eye on this weekend in Houston.

The Chargers and Texans play on Saturday afternoon to open up the 2024 NFL postseason. Barring an upset from the other two games, the winner of this contest will more than likely face the Chiefs next weekend.

The Texans have plenty of talent on both sides of the ball, so here are five specific players to watch on Saturday at NRG Stadium.

WR Nico Collins

Collins has turned into one of the most dynamic wideouts in all of football. With Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell out for the season, all eyes will be on Collins in this one. Not only is he a threat underneath, but he is C.J. Stroud’s favorite deep ball threat as well. If the Chargers want to win this game, limiting Collins should be their No. 1 priority.

TE Dalton Schultz

With some big-time playmakers out, Stroud hasn’t been able to find much of anyone to step up recently. A guy like Schultz will play a crucial role in this contest, as he may be the Texans’ second-best pass catcher now behind Collins. His numbers were slightly down across the board this year, as he had his lowest outputs in catches (53), yards (532), and touchdowns (2) since his 2019 sophomore campaign.

OT Laremy Tunsil

Recently, Tunsil was announced as a Pro Bowler for the fifth time in the last six seasons. He’s evolved into one of the best tackles in all of football, and his matchup against the Chargers pass rush may end up being the deciding factor in this game. The Texans gave up 54 sacks in the regular season, tied for third-most in the league, but Tunsil gave up just two of those.

CB Derek Stingley Jr.

Stingley has taken a massive step forward in 2024, and that has earned him his first career nod to the Pro Bowl. The LSU product regularly guarded opposing offenses’ biggest threats, yet he was still very productive. His five regular season interceptions finished tied-for-fifth in the NFL. It’ll be interesting to see if he travels with Ladd McConkey at all in this one.

S Jalen Pitre

The Texans defense is littered with young playmakers, and Pitre fits that description. Now in his third NFL season, he missed five games this season. It was obvious when he was out of the lineup, as the defense missed his presence. On the season, he finished with 65 total tackles, eight pass deflections, six tackles for loss, an interception, and a forced fumble.

Everything you need to know about Chargers’ NFL playoffs record, history

The Los Angeles Chargers have been a good team in the wild-card round.

The Chargers are back in the playoffs after finishing last season with a 5-12 record. Much of their success can be attributed to head coach Jim Harbaugh, who has a proven track record in the playoffs, with a 5-3 record in the postseason and three trips to the Conference Championship.

Harbaugh has been to as many Super Bowls as the Chargers have: one. That Super Bowl appearance for the Bolts came back in 1995 when they lost to the 49ers, 49-26.

The Chargers’ all-time record in the playoffs, which dates back to 1960, is 12-19. They have played well in the wild-card round, currently with a 6-3 record. The Bolts have struggled in the divisional round, winning just four of 12 games.

The Chargers have been to the Conference Championship four times and are 1-3.

If the Bolts can beat the Texans, it will only fit the theme of them historically being a good team in the wild-card round.

Will Chargers beat Texans in wild-card round? Here are our latest predictions

The Los Angeles Chargers look to pick up their first playoff win since 2018.

The Chargers look to pick up their first playoff win since 2018 when they head to Houston to meet the Texans.

Los Angeles is currently a 3-point road favorite, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.

Here are Chargers Wire’s predictions for Saturday’s game:

Gavino

The Chargers are playing fantastic football right now, winning their last three games. Los Angeles’ offense has found its stride, while the defense continues to dominate, giving up an NFL-low 301 points this season. Meanwhile, the Texans enter this game without two key offensive players in Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell. C.J. Stroud was the second-most sacked quarterback during the regular season. This spells disaster for an injury-depleted offense. Despite Houston’s decent defense, the variety of the Chargers offense should make it challenging to keep pace. Oh yeah, and then there’s Jim Harbaugh, who has been in many of these types of games.

Prediction: Chargers 24, Texans 17

Alex

Houston has had issues picking up blitzes all season, which could present the Texans with problems against a Chargers defense that’s been among the league’s most creative at producing pressure looks. On the other side, Justin Herbert’s ability to pepper the middle of the field against an inexperienced linebacker unit may prove to be the difference.

Prediction: Chargers 27, Texans 23

Chargers injury report: Latest update on Rashawn Slater ahead of wild-card game vs. Texans

The Chargers had nine limited participants on Tuesday.

The Chargers had their first practice on Tuesday in preparation for Saturday’s wild-card game against the Texans.

Los Angeles had nine limited participants on the injury report, including offensive tackle Rashawn Slater.

Slater missed the regular season finale against the Raiders after he felt discomfort in his knee in the pregame stretch.

Head coach Jim Harbaugh did not provide much information today, but it’s a good sign that he practiced in some capacity.

The other limited participants were the following players:

RB J.K. Dobbins (ankle)

RB Gus Edwards (ankle)

WR Simi Fehoko (elbow)

OL Zion Johnson (ankle)

WR Quentin Johnston (thigh)

LB Denzel Perryman (groin)

OL Trey Pipkins (oblique)

CB Ja’Sir Taylor (oblique)

Wide receiver Joshua Palmer did not practice on Tuesday. Palmer sustained a heel injury in Week 17 against the Patriots that kept him sidelined in Week 18.

Key things to know about Chargers’ wild-card opponent: Texans

Here are some key things to know about the Los Angeles Chargers’ opponent ahead of the wild-card round matchup.

The Chargers face off against the Texans in the wild-card round on Saturday afternoon.

To preview the matchup, here are some key things to know about Houston.

How Houston finished the regular season

The Texans finished as champions of the AFC South with a 10-7 record. Houston struggled down the stretch, losing three of its final five games.

Stroud’s struggles

Quarterback C.J. Stroud was outstanding in his first year as a pro, winning 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year. However, Stroud took a step back in Year 2. Some of it involved losing wide receiver Stefon Diggs early in the season, missing Nico Collins for a few games, and then losing Tank Dell last month. But he wasn’t as accurate as he was in his rookie campaign and was often under pressure. He was sacked 52 times (second-most in the NFL) and threw 12 interceptions.

Gotta slow Joe

The Chargers have been stout against the run recently, ranking fourth in the past three weeks as they’ve allowed just 81.7 rushing yards per game. They must remain stout against running back Joe Mixon. Mixon finished the regular season with 1,016 yards, 11 touchdowns, and an average of 4.1 yards per carry.

Beware of the pressure

The Chargers’ offensive line must be on its A-game against a Texans defensive line that has lived in opposing backfields this season. Houston has a franchise-best 49 sacks this year, tied for the fourth-most in the NFL. Offensive tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt will be accounting for edge defenders Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson, Jr., who have 12 and 11 sacks, respectively.

Other notes

  • The Texans are 26th in red zone offense and 27th in red zone defense.
  • Houston has the sixth-best passing defense, allowing 201.0 yards per game.
  • The Texans have the fifth-most takeaways (29).
  • Cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. and safety Calen Bullock each have five interceptions.
  • Wide receiver Nico Collins topped 1,000 receiving yards.

Raiders fire head coach Antonio Pierce after one season

Antonio Pierce is out after one season as Raiders head coach.

Despite Antonio Pierce’s seeming confidence at his Monday press conference he would remain the head coach of the Raiders, Pierce has been fired after one season. The team made the move official early Tuesday afternoon.

Pierce went 4-13 in his only season as Raiders head coach, including a streak of ten-straight losses.

At his Monday press conference, Pierce took to the podium in a Raiders starter jacket and talked about this and Tom Telesco’s plans for attacking the roster in the offseason, adding that the noise about him being fired was only coming from outside the building, not inside of it.

Well, while Mark Davis may not have been making any noise about it, he was apparently quietly considering other candidates for the job to replace Pierce.

It isn’t a big surprise to see the Raiders move on from Pierce after one season. The team that had rallied around him as interim head coach in 2023 was in shambles by the third game of the season, no doubt leading to the ten-game losing streak. It’s hard to keep your job with a streak like that no matter who you are.

5 players the Chargers must re-sign in 2025

With the regular season over, we look ahead to some guys the Chargers should re-sign this upcoming offseason.

The regular season has come to an end for the Chargers, whom finished the season with an 11-6 record. Now, the attention shifts to the Texans this weekend in the wild card round.

It’s never too early to take a peak ahead to the offseason though, which could begin in as soon as a week. There are five players that the Chargers must re-sign this offseason:

LB Khalil Mack

Set to turn 34 years old in February, Mack turned in another elite season. While his age won’t demand too large of a contract, the Chargers should bring him back on a shorter-term deal with a higher annual number. He’s been elected to the Pro Bowl for the ninth time in his illustrious career, and he’s been a huge reason for the defense’s success in 2024.

RB J.K. Dobbins

Running back remains a need for this Chargers team, and they should most certainly bring Dobbins back next season. The former Raven far exceeded the $1.6 million deal that he signed last offseason. He’ll earn a nicer deal this upcoming offseason, although he still won’t be overly expensive given his injury history. Dobbins finished 2024 with a career-high 905 rushing yards and nine touchdowns.

DL Poona Ford

The Chargers’ defensive line doesn’t have any big names on the interior, but they played well all season long. Ford was the best player up front with his ability to stop the run and clog up lanes for opposing offenses. This may be the biggest priority for the Chargers, as he has been one of the best defensive linemen in the NFL in 2024. Pro Football Focus rated him as the fifth-best defensive lineman this season with a 85.1 overall grade.

CB Kristian Fulton

Add Fulton to the list of bargains that the Chargers capitalized on this season. While Fulton certainly had his low moments, he still was well worth the signing. The veteran was helpful in the run game and started 14 games for the best defense in the NFL. While he was inconsistent in coverage at times, he still made several plays with seven passes defended and an interception.

P J.K. Scott

Why not bring back both J.K.’s? The priority on Scott may not be as high as the others on this list, but he was exceptional this season. He consistently helped the Chargers flip field position, as he finished the season with 28 punts downed inside the 20-yard line.

5 reasons Chargers should feel good about facing Texans in wild-card round

The Chargers head into the playoffs on a three-game winning streak and will look to win on the road to advance to the divisional round.

In the first season under Jim Harbaugh, the Chargers return to the postseason as a five-seed. They headed into the Week 5 bye with a 2-2 record, but they were able to go 9-4 after the week off.

With an 11-6 record, they will face the Texans this weekend. Here are five reasons why Chargers fans should feel confident ahead of this weekend’s game in Houston.

Trajectory of team

As the 2024 season has progressed, the Chargers have only gotten better. Coming into the playoffs, they are playing arguably the best football of the season. All phases of the team complement each other well, led by the NFL’s best defense and an elite-level quarterback. They come into the postseason with three straight victories and will look to make it four against the Texans on Saturday.

Texans’ injuries at wide receiver

The Texans have lost a ton of firepower in the last few months. Before the season, they had arguably the best wide receiver trio in all of football. First, four-time Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs tore his ACL back in Week 8. Then, Tank Dell suffered a serious season-ending knee injury in Week 16. It has left the Texans offense with limited weapons recently, and it bodes well for the Chargers. They will be able to focus on top wideout Nico Collins, albeit that is still easier said than done.

C.J. Stroud’s struggles

Stroud has not been the same quarterback in his second NFL season. After an impressive rookie campaign, many expected him to take another step in Year 2. That didn’t quite happen, as his 12 interceptions were tied for fourth-most in the NFL. Stroud threw just 20 touchdowns across 532 pass attempts, and his numbers took a dip across the board. While he’s still a talented quarterback, the Chargers secondary will have the opportunity to capitalize on some of his mistakes in this one.

Strength on strength

The Texans have a lethal pass-rushing duo in Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter. The two have combined for 23 sacks in 2024, and the team as a whole is tied-for-fourth in the NFL in sacks with 49. Fortunately, the Chargers have the perfect offensive tackle duo to counter those two. Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater have been exceptional all season, with the former being selected to his second Pro Bowl. This is all assuming that Slater plays this weekend, as his status still seems up in the air after missing the regular season finale.

A healthy J.K. Dobbins

This team’s running game was nonexistent without Dobbins in the lineup. In his two games since returning, the veteran has run the ball 37 times for 139 yards and a touchdown. Now, they at least have some balance on the offensive side of the ball. That will only open things up for Justin Herbert and the passing game, an aspect of the Chargers that has flourished over the last few months.