NFL tanking rankings: Which teams are in best position for the No. 1 pick after upset-filled Week 10?

A lot of bad teams won on Sunday.

You thought some of the tanking teams would deliberately try to lose (and some did!). But three of the franchises on our initial edition of the Tanking Rankings (Tank for Tua! Be Bad for Burrow!) won on Sunday.

That makes the path to the top two picks a little clearer for this week.

With that in mind, let’s rank each team based on its record, remaining schedule and just how bad their rest-of-season prospects are (e.g. did the team bench its starting QB for a rookie?). We’ll start from the top … er, bottom:

8. Arizona Cardinals (3-6-1)

Remaining schedule: @ SF, vs. LAR, vs. PIT, vs. CLE, @ SEA, @ LAR

They’ve proven they can beat mediocre teams, so there might be a win or two more left on the schedule.

7. Atlanta Falcons (2-7)

Remaining schedule: @ CAR, vs. TB, vs. NO, vs. CAR, @ SF, vs. Jax, @ TB

Whoa. They beat the Saints. In the Superdome. Whaaa? Is this the sign that they’ll bounce back a little the rest of the way? I’ll buy it.

6. Detroit Lions (3-5-1)

Remaining schedule: vs. DAL, @ WSH, vs. CHI, @ MIN, vs. TB, @ DEN, vs. GB

This all depends on Matthew Stafford’s back injury. If the Lions decide to shut him down (and I think they should, especially given how their playoff hopes are slim to none) and start Jeff Driskel, Detroit might lose the rest of the way.

5. New York Jets (2-7)

Remaining schedule: @ WSH, vs. OAK, @ CIN, vs. MIA, @ BAL, vs. PIT, @ BUF

Would it be shocking if they beat the Redskins, Bengals and Dolphins and ended up at 5-11? Nope.

4. New York Giants (2-8)

Remaining schedule: @ CHI, vs. GB, @ PHI, vs. MIA, @ WSH, vs. PHI

Of the games left, I see two they could win.

3. Miami Dolphins (2-7)

Remaining schedule: vs. BUF, @ CLE, vs. PHI, @ NYJ, @ NYG, vs. CIN, @ NE

After beating the Colts on Sunday, I suddenly see a few winnable games on this schedule (the two New York games, at home against the Bengals). Maybe they’ve taken themselves out of the running for the top two?

2. Washington Redskins (1-8)

Remaining schedule: vs. NYJ, vs. DET, @ CAR, @ GB, vs. PHI, vs. NYG, @ DAL

The bye week proved to be a win — they moved up two spots by doing nothing.

1. Cincinnati Bengals (0-9)

Remaining schedule: @ OAK, vs. PIT, vs. NYJ, @ CLE, vs. NE, @ MIA, vs. CLE

The last winless team in the NFL proved it’s heading toward clinching No. 1 overall with Ryan Finley at the helm.

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Smith-Schuster: Jalen Ramsey said ‘so many cuss words I’ve never heard of’

Jalen Ramsey introduced a new vocabulary of curse words to JuJu Smith-Schuster.

It’s widely known that Jalen Ramsey likes to talk trash on the field. He’s a player with a lot of confidence in himself, and rightfully so. He’s one of the best cornerbacks in the league and lets people know about it.

JuJu Smith-Schuster has faced Ramsey in the past and did so again on Sunday in the Steelers’ win over the Rams. He heard an earful from Ramsey throughout the game as the two were matched up throughout the game, and afterwards, Smith-Schuster shared some insight on what Ramsey said.

Well, he said as much as he could, at least.

“It was cool, man. He talks a lot. He talks so much. He said so many cuss words I’ve never heard of, and I’m 22 years old. But he’s a good player,” Smith-Schuster told reporters.

JuJu on Jalen Ramsey: “He said so many cuss words I’ve never heard of.” #Steelers pic.twitter.com/hQ6OumGiKm

— Josh Rowntree (@JRown32) November 11, 2019

Ramsey had some success against Smith-Schuster, but he was also called for two pass interference penalties and was beaten a few times for receptions by Smith-Schuster. The two lined up across from each other all game long, and Smith-Schuster finished with three catches for 44 yards on six targets.

He also mentioned how Ramsey is forced to follow the Rams’ scheme more closely than he had to in Jacksonville.

“It’s a lot different than him being in Jacksonville where he was able to do whatever he wants. Over here, he has to pretty much do what he’s told … so it’s different. But it was a great experience, wish we got more balls thrown at us, but it’s hard when you’re double-teamed.

Leading up to the game, Ramsey said he was “not really worried” about covering Smith-Schuster and was focused more on himself. He also said Smith-Schuster is “not Antonio Brown,” which the young receiver agreed with after the game.

“He’s right, though, I’m not Antonio Brown,” Smith-Schuster said. “I will never be Antonio Brown. I am myself. I’m JuJu Smith-Schuster. I’m not as good as him yet. I think I still have time to proceed to get to his level.”

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Good, bad, and ugly as the Jags return from bye week

The Jags will get Nick Foles back after the bye week, but the question remains as to if he’ll be able to step in and have success right away.

The Jacksonville Jaguars didn’t have a game this week but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty to talk about.

As of now, the Jaguars currently sit in fourth place in the AFC South due to the Tennessee Titans’ victory against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Jaguars will get the chance to improve on their standing in the division when they take on their AFC South rivals in the Indianapolis Colts on Nov. 17 at Lucas Oil Stadium.

As the Jaguars prepare for their matchup, here are some good, bad and ugly tidbits as the exit their bye week.

The good: So you’re saying there’s a chance?

If the Jags want to make a playoff push, they have the schedule to do it.

The Jaguars’ opponents have a combined record of 29-36, which is good for a .402 win percentage. The Jaguars have not lost to a team with a win percentage below .500 this year, going 4-0 in those specific meetings. The three teams who they will face after the bye week with losing records include the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Los Angeles Chargers and the Atlanta Falcons.

This could be a prime opportunity to make a run for the postseason.

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Looking ahead to Vikings vs. Broncos in Week 11

The Vikings should be able to keep their momentum rolling in Week 11 against an underperforming Broncos team.

Denver Broncos (3-6) at Minnesota Vikings (7-3)

Sunday, November 17, 1 PM ET, U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN

Broncos’ keys to victory: Vic Fangio’s defense has done its part, ranking in the top 10 in both yards and points allowed. If Denver can get anything that resembles an offense clicking, that could be enough to steal a game from the up-and-down Vikings. That’s pretty unlikely, though. Denver has scored more than 20 points just twice this season. The good news, however, is that the Broncos were able to do it in their last game, with QB Brandon Allen at the helm. It actually probably works against the Vikings that QB Joe Flacco (neck) won’t play in this game.

Vikings’ to victory: If the Vikings just play their game, they should be just fine. That means controlling the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. RB Dalvin Cook is one of the best running backs in the NFL, but a big question mark continues to be overall team health. The Vikings could really use WR Adam Thielen, who missed two of the past three games with a hamstring injury. The offense gets stagnant without him, as there just aren’t many receiving weapons for QB Kirk Cousins outside of WR Stefon Diggs.

Matchup to watch: Vikings DE Danielle Hunter vs. Broncos QB Brandon Allen. I would expect Vikings coach Mike Zimmer to throw a lot at Allen. There will be plenty of blitzes to keep Allen on his toes — or on his back. What makes Zimmer’s blitzes so effective is that he has two Pro Bowl-caliber defensive ends in Danielle Hunter and Everson Griffen. There’s a good chance Hunter will have his second-straight season with 10 or more sacks before this game is over. Last season, he finished with a career-high 14.5.

Who wins? It will be difficult for the Broncos to slow down the Vikings’ offense, and it seems highly unlikely the Broncos will be able to put up points against Zimmer’s stingy defense. The Vikings should be plenty hungry considering they’re fighting for playoff positioning. Vikings 31, Broncos 13

Tunnel Vision of Week 10

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

SUNDAY SALUTES
Quarterbacks	Yards	TD
Lamar Jackson	223 – 63	4
Daniel Jones	308 – 20	4
Patrick Mahomes	446	3
Kyler Murray	324 – 38	3
Dak Prescott	397	3
Running Backs	Yards	TD
Derrick Henry	188 – 3	2
Aaron Jones	93	3
Christian McCaffrey	108 – 33	1
Melvin Gordon	108-25	1
Dalvin Cook	97-86	1
Wide Receivers	Yards	TD
Christian Kirk	138	3
Darius Slayton	121	2
Tyreek Hill	157	1
Golden Tate	95	2
Amari Cooper	147	1
Tight Ends	Yards	TD
Mark Andrews	53	2
Travis Kelce	75	1
O.J. Howard	47	1
Jack Doyle	44	1
Kyle Rudolph	14	2
Placekickers	XP	FG
Harrison Butker	2	4
Younghoe Koo	2	4
Matt Gay	3	3
Jason Sanders	1	3
Sam Ficken	4	2
Defense	Sck-TO	TD
Steelers	4-3	1
Ravens	2-3	2
Rams	3-2	1
Raiders	5-3	1
Jets	6-2	1

Bumps, Bruises and Bowouts

TE Trey Burton – Calf
RB Devonta Freeman – Ankle
RB Giovani Bernard – Knee
RB Ty Johnson – Concussion
RB Jordan Wilkins – Ankle
WR Ryan Switzer – Back
RB Saquon Barkley – Undisclosed

Chasing Ambulances

Devonta Freeman – This is the only injury likely to create new opportunities. The Falcons already placed Ito Smith on injured reserve last week and next up means Brian Hill. He ran for 61 yards on 20 carries mostly all after Freeman left by halftime. Hill also caught a ten-yard pass. Hill already has some value as the new No. 2 for the Falcons and will be the primary if Freeman misses any time. Next week, the Falcons play the Panthers that just let Aaron Jones score three touchdowns. At this point in the season, Hill is a worthy addition if you have the room.

Free Agents and Notable Performances

RB Melvin Gordon – Finally broke 100 yards for 2019 when he ran 22 times for 108 yards and a touchdown plus caught a pass for 25 yards. He ran for 80 yards on 20 carries in Week 9 versus the Packers. After six games back, he’s back in playing form with two straight games of 20 carries and 4.0 YPC.

RB J.D. McKissic – Ty Johnson left with a concussion so McKissic (10-36) and Paul Perkins (7-9) filled in. McKissic also caught six passes for 19 yards as the busiest receiver. He worth adding to a roster if there are reception points and the upcoming schedule (DAL, @WAS, CHI, @MIN) will need to use a running back as a receiver. That was with Jeff Driskell as the quarterback but Matt Stafford uses him a well.

TE Mark Andrews – Big game with six catches for 53 yards and two touchdowns. The notable part is that he’s only topped 50 yards in one other game since Week 2. He gained 99 yards on six catches in Week 6. Against the same Bengals team in their first meeting. They can’t always be the Bengals each week, but when they are, Andrews comes to life.

RB Joe Mixon – Okay, so he hasn’t rushed in a touchdown this year, but at least Mixon just turned in his first 100-yard rushing effort of the year. He ran for 114 yards on 30 carries and added 37 yards on two catches in the loss to the Ravens.

QB Ryan Finley – The rookie debuted with only 167 yards and one touchdown with one interception versus the Ravens which were not the best choice for a first game. Short of a catastrophic situation for your fantasy team, doesn’t look like he needs to be picked up. There is even game film on his this week.

Saints backfield – Sunday was a trash game for the Saints who never showed up. So it is hard to draw too many conclusions from what happened in the loss to the Falcons. Alvin Kamara returned from his ankle injury but only gained 24 yards on four carries. Latavius Murray ran five times for 12 yards so the Saints equally mixed the pair for at least this week. Kamara still caught eight of his targets while Murray only drew two passes. But the situation is more reminiscent of how the Saints used to mix Kamara and Mark Ingram.

WR Darius Slayton – He only caught one pass for six yards in the Week 9 loss to the Cowboys but the fifth-round rookie just turned in his first game over the century mark when he caught ten passes for 121 yards and two scores on the Jets. He has a bye this week but his fantasy playoff schedule for Weeks 14 to 16 are @PHI, MIA, and @WAS.

RB Saquon Barkley – There are missing offensive linemen and a rookie quarterback, but that still doesn’t completely explain how one of the most talented running backs on the planet just rushed for a net of one yard on 13 carries in the loss to the Jets. Barkley still caught five passes for 30 yards but the first pick in most fantasy drafts was hoped to offer more than 31 yards. Barkley was reported to have gone to the x-ray room after the game but no word as to why.

Cardinals backfield – The return of David Johnson did not change much. He only ran for two yards on five carries and caught one 8-yard pass. Kenyan Drake rushed ten times for 35 yards and caught six passes for a net six-yard gain. And that is without Chase Edmonds eventually mixed back in. For now, the backfield is split and Drake is getting the bigger share.

WR Andy Isabella – The Cardinals rookie is becoming a common deep threat lately with a 55-yard catch this week and an 88-yard reception in Week 10. His 78 total yards against the Buccaneers was second highest for the receivers.

RB Ronald Jones – He’s recently been given over ten carries per game but he had never caught more than two passes. Against the Cardinals, Jones ran for 29 yards and a score on 11 carries and added eight catches for 77 yards. The Bucs had not used running backs much as receivers, so it is worth noting since Jones’s fantasy value would be much greater if he had more than two receptions per game.

RB Damien Williams – Nice development for Williams. After sharing with LeSean McCoy, he was allowed 12 carries in Week 9 and gained 125 yards with one score. On Sunday, he ran for 77 yards on 19 carries and added five catches for 32 yards. McCoy was a healthy scratch. He lost a fumble that was returned for a touchdown which works against a running back. But at least the Chiefs turned him into a workhorse this week.

WR DeVante Parker – With Preston Williams on injured reserve, Allen Hurns filled in bot only caught two passes for 32 yards on his four targets. Parker saw more work with ten targets and five receptions for 69 yards. The Fins will need to throw and look like they only trust Parker now.

WR DJ Moore – Kyle Allen is connecting better with Moore in recent weeks and his seven-catch, 101-yard effort in Week 9 was followed up with nine receptions for 120 yards at Green Bay.

RB Aaron Jones – He ran for 93 yards on 13 carries and had no receptions. But he scored three touchdowns, giving him a total of 14 scores on the year. He’s scored in seven of his ten games and yet hasn’t rushed the ball more than 13 times in the last five weeks.

Huddle player of the week

Christian Kirk – The second-year receiver hadn’t scored a touchdown this year and was mostly held to moderate production each week while his rookie quarterback went through his learning curve. Facing the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay was a great place for a career-best game. Kirk caught six passes for 138 yards and scored three touchdowns. It probably won’t be that easy next week in San Francisco. But he led the position for Week 10.

Salute!

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

Comedy		Yards	TDs	Tragedy		Yards	TDs
QB	Mitchell Trubisky	181	3	QB	Drew Brees	287	0
RB	Brian Hill	71	1	RB	David Johnson	10	0
RB	Peyton Barber	47	1	RB	Saquon Barkley	31	0
WR	James Washington	90	1	WR	Cooper Kupp	0	0
WR	Mecole Hardman	63	1	WR	Robby Anderson	11	0
WR	Adam Humphries	23	1	WR	JuJu Smith-Schuster	44	0
TE	Anthony Firkser	36	1	TE	Darren Waller	40	0
PK	Younghoe Koo	2 XP 4 FG		PK	Steven Hauschka	2 XP
Huddle Fantasy Points = 106				Huddle Fantasy Points = 26

Now get back to work…

Tank watch: Bengals get big breathing room in draft order as bad teams win

The Bengals are winning in the NFL draft order, at least.

The Cincinnati Bengals suffered one of their worst losses in franchise history against the Baltimore Ravens over the weekend.

But the team sure keeps winning in the draft order race.

Week 10 was quite fruitful in this pursuit. The Miami Dolphins picked up another win, this time over Indianapolis to make it two wins on the season.

Ditto for the New York Jets with a win over the New York Giants, as well as Atlanta upsetting New Orleans.

Those big winners of the weekend join the four teams sitting at two wins. Five more have three wins. Just one — the Washington Redskins — have a single win.

And then there are the 0-9 Bengals.

The Bengals stand alone atop the draft order and haven’t shown much in the way of progress on the field by comparison, to the point it’s fair to wonder if a coach could get fired.

With the way things have gone, it sure seems like the Bengals could keep a tight grip on the first pick without much of a problem. It’s hard to fathom 0-16, but one look at the remaining schedule doesn’t produce any guaranteed wins.

If nothing else, onlookers can take solace in the fact the top pick should mean the arrival of a new era at quarterback.

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Former Lions WR Charles Rogers dead at 38

Former Lions WR Charles Rogers has passed away at just 38 years of age according to social media posts from former teammates

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Former Detroit Lions wide receiver and first-round pick Charles Rogers has died at age 38, according to social media posts from former teammates and confirmed by the Detroit Free Press’ Chris Solari. The Saginaw native and onetime Michigan State star was found dead in Florida on Monday morning.

Rogers’ time with the Lions is no small part of the story of the spectacularly lost decade of the 2000s. The No. 2 overall pick of the 2003 NFL Draft — taken one spot ahead of Andre Johnson — Rogers last just three seasons.

It could have been much more. Rogers caught two touchdown passes in his first career game and was at 22 receptions for 243 yards and three TDs in his first five before a broken collarbone shattered his season. He broke his collarbone again in 2004. Rogers became known as a fragile player and a colossal bust.

Substance abuse issues, including painkillers, derailed his career and his life. After football, he moved to Florida and worked with a childhood friend in an auto shop.

Rest in peace.

Keys to victory: How 49ers offense can find success vs. Seahawks

3 things the 49ers must do on offense to come away with a win Monday night.

The 49ers offense found a new way to win in Week 9 when Jimmy Garoppolo slung the ball around for 317 yards and four touchdown passes. Week 10 against the Seahawks won’t necessarily follow that same formula.

Here are three keys for the 49ers offense on Monday Night Football:

1. Get back in the run game

The returns of Joe Staley, Mike McGlinchey and Kyle Juszczyk give the 49ers their full stable of blockers for the first time since Week 2. Their rushing attack has spearheaded the offense through most of the first half of the year, and Monday is a chance for it to hit a new level with a fully healthy offensive line and fullback. Ball control will be enormous against MVP-candidate Russell Wilson, so the run game has to be at its best against a relatively soft defense.

2. Don’t dwell on the absences

It sounds like tight end George Kittle isn’t going to be available Monday night. That means tight end Ross Dwelley will start in his place, and likely take on much of the same role as Kittle. While Dwelley isn’t as talented as Kittle, he’s capable enough as a blocker and pass catcher to keep the 49ers from completely overhauling their game plan. They may not be able to lean on Dwelley the way they do on Kittle, but they need to trust him to make plays and not steer out of the scheme that’s gotten them to 8-0.

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3. Pass (catch) the torch

No Kittle means the 49ers will be without their top target in the passing game. Where those targets get redistributed is going to play a huge role in how well San Francisco moves the ball, especially on third downs where Kittle was so reliable. Dwelley will earn some of those looks, but receivers like Deebo Samuel, Dante Pettis and Kendrick Bourne will need to step into playmaking roles to help extend drives.

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Panthers coach Ron Rivera’s inconsistent use of analytics is confusing

Rivera needs to make a choice.

Ron Rivera decided to go for two.

If it had been successful, the Packers’ lead would have been cut to just six points, bringing Carolina that much closer to a thrilling comeback win. Panthers fans would be sharing Riverboat Ron memes and praising the genius and daring of their coach, who understands how the modern game works and isn’t afraid to use analytics to his advantage.

The two-point conversion attempt didn’t work out. So instead, Panthers fans are calling him foolish and worse. The thing is Rivera made the right call – at least if you believe in numbers. That time, anyway.

The result isn’t always going to be there. The process is what matters. The more times you make the correct decision, the more often you will reap the benefits.

That’s what makes Rivera’s inconsistent use of analytics so frustrating.

Rivera set the wrong tone for the game on the very first drive, when he decided to punt on 4th and 3 inside Packers territory. Given the way last week’s win over the Titans went, it was a baffling decision, made all the more confusing by Rivera’s post-game comments when he talked about the decision to go for two, per the Athletic.

“Yes, that was purely analytics, 100 percent. . . If you don’t get it there, you get an opportunity to go for two again. We feel pretty good about the play we had called the first time, and we felt good about having the second one up. It’s most certainly something where we went ahead and followed the analytics of it.”

“Following the analytics of it” is what winning teams do, but in the next breath Rivera changed course and talked about his gut feelings and game flow.

Last week, Rivera’s instincts told him to go for it on two separate fourth downs against the Titans. Or maybe it was the analytics. It’s hard to tell when there’s no clear method of operating. In any case, after that win, several players remarked on how much confidence Rivera’s aggressive decisions gave them.

What were they to think when Rivera punted away inside Green Bay’s territory to begin the game?

For all the talk about Kyle Allen’s poise and grit and leadership ability, not trusting him to get three yards there when the analytics say otherwise and Allen’s opening drive looked strong doesn’t inspire confidence and raises questions about Rivera’s own leadership.

The Panthers have an analytics department, which they announced without much fanfare in June. We must assume that Taylor Rajack and whoever else works in that department get paid real money to do their jobs. David Tepper can afford it, in any case. Since the franchise is paying for it, they might as well put it to use on the field.

Rivera needs to make a choice.

Either the analytics trump his gut feelings and the “situation” or they don’t. This mix and mash he’s got going on is only going to lead to confusion and more of those infamous missed opportunities.

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Giants brace for change following humiliating loss to Jets

Following a humiliating loss to the New York Jets on Sunday, the New York Giants are bracing for change entering the bye week.

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The New York Giants knew that a Week 10 game against the New York Jets was considered a must-win by many, so after coming up short in a 34-27 loss, they recognize that change could be on the horizon.

“I just worry about what I can control. We all know this league is a business and winning is everything in this league. When you don’t win, everything starts to look different. I’m worried about going out there each and every week and putting the best football I can on tape, do whatever I can to help my team win,” safety Jabrill Peppers told reporters.

Although he’s remained relatively confident in his job status leading up to Sunday, head coach Pat Shurmur sounded completely defeated after the Jets loss and appeared to accept the reality that his employment was no longer a sure thing.

“My concern is putting a team on the field that’s going to win a football game — that’s my concern. It’s always a one-week concern getting ready to play the next opponent and put a winning performance on the field. That’s my concern,” Shurmur said after the game.

Shurmur acknowledged that there would likely be some bye week evaluations with team ownership, but made it clear the media would hear absolutely none of those details.

“Well, obviously, anything that I speak about behind the scenes would be behind the scenes stuff. I wouldn’t share any of that with you, especially at this point,” Shurmur said.

Like Shurmur, superstar running back Saquon Barkley also looked and sounded defeated following the loss, uncharacteristically providing misdirected answers or quick one-liners.

“Only the thing I can focus on is coming in and being the player for my team. Just focused on this bye week, it’s a week where it gives everyone a chance to get healthier, not only myself but the whole team. We get to reflect on our season so far and try to be a better team than we were in the first half,” Barkley said.

It’s clear the Giants expect some change, but how might that manifest itself? Co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch are unlikely to fire Shurmur, and Shurmur has already stated that Mike Shula and James Bettcher are safe, so what now?

We’ll all find out together over the next 7-10 days.

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