Tag: ben skowronek

NFL Draft: Rise of the power slot

The Minnesota Vikings need a wide receiver in the NFL Draft and @TheKevinFielder believes that could by taking a power slot.

The Minnesota Vikings face a predicament on offense that will only be figured out with time.

With just 15 months on the job, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell are attempting to build their brand of offense but the opportunities to do so have been limited.

This free agency has signaled a significant step in that direction, though. After releasing wide receiver Adam Thielen and signing tight end Josh Oliver, it seems like the Vikings will shift to more two tight end sets. This is a far cry from how the offense operated last season.

While such a move should help boost the Vikings’ chances on the ground, significant work has to be done. The Vikings won’t live in 12 personnel (one running back and two tight ends) all game and will have to run the ball out of 11 personnel eventually.

Currently, the Vikings are operating incompletely in this sense, and it seems like they’ll continue to struggle on the ground when they head into 11 personnel.

There is a solution, however, and it involves embracing a shift in football: power slots.

Ben Skowronek, Brian Allen out for season with calf injuries

Sean McVay said both Brian Allen and Ben Skowronek are out for the year with calf injuries.

The Los Angeles Rams have lost two more starters for the rest of the season. Sean McVay told reporters on Tuesday that Ben Skowronek and Brian Allen both suffered a strained calf in Monday night’s loss to the Packers and they’ll miss the final three weeks of the season.

Allen was injured on the second play and missed the rest of the game, while Skowronek left the game for a brief time in the first half before returning later on. Skowronek ends the best season of his career with 39 catches for 376 yards, and although he didn’t catch a touchdown pass, he did score once on the ground.

Allen played just seven games this year, missing time due to a knee injury and now the calf strain. He’ll likely be replaced by Coleman Shelton at center, which will thrust Oday Aboushi into the starting lineup.

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Baker Mayfield on Ben Skowronek’s clutch catch: ‘That’s a guy I’m gonna trust’

After seeing Ben Skowronek come down with a clutch contested catch, Baker Mayfield feels confident throwing his way

Ben Skowronek had played 30 regular-season and postseason games in his career prior to last week’s win over the Raiders, but he never put up numbers like the ones he had against Las Vegas. And oddly enough, he was playing with a quarterback who had never thrown him a pass in a game before.

With Baker Mayfield under center, Skowronek caught a career-high seven passes for 89 yards – one more catch and 23 more yards than he’s had in any other game. The biggest play of the night came when Skowronek made a leaping grab over a Raiders defender for a gain of 32 yards on the Rams’ game-winning drive, giving them a fighting chance late in the fourth quarter.

Mayfield spoke to Peter King about the whirlwind that was his first 48 hours with the Rams, and he pointed to Skowronek’s catch as a defining play – and also one that gives him confidence throwing No. 18’s way.

“Those are the moments in a two-minute drill, somebody’s gotta make a play,” Mayfield said. “Catching it right on top of the DB’s head, with the safety bearing down on him? That’s a guy I’m gonna trust, a lot.”

Mayfield and Skowronek will have a full week to practice together this time around as they prepare to face the Packers on Monday night. That will hopefully lead to some greater chemistry, building on what they’ve already developed in their short time together as teammates.

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Amid the Mayfield Mayhem, Ben Skowronek was Rams’ unsung hero vs. Raiders

Baker Mayfield is deservedly getting all the glory for Thursday’s win, but Ben Skowronek was an unsung hero for the Rams

Baker Mayfield is being paraded as the hero of Thursday night’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders after he led the Los Angeles Rams to a dramatic come-from-behind victory just two days after being claimed by them. And he deserves every bit of praise he receives in the aftermath of the game because it truly was one of the most shocking wins of the season.

But he didn’t do it alone, something he said multiple times Thursday night. Tutu Atwell played a solid game, Bobby Wagner was everywhere and Ernest Jones’ interception before halftime was huge. The real unsung hero of the night, however, was Ben Skowronek.

A receiver who’s been the subject of criticism from fans in his first two seasons for being limited, Skowronek had the best game of his career just two days after meeting his new quarterback, Mayfield. He finished with a career-high seven catches for 89 yards, none bigger than a 32-yard highlight-reel grab over a defender on the Rams’ game-winning drive.

It moved the Rams from their own 28-yard line to the Raiders’ 40-yard line with just over a minute to play, giving them a fighting chance. It was unquestionably the best catch of Skowronek’s young career and it couldn’t have come at a better time.

Two plays later, he caught an 8-yard pass on second-and-1 to move the chains and keep the drive progressing in the right direction. After a spike, Mayfield hit Van Jefferson for the game-winning touchdown on the very next play.

Earlier in the fourth quarter on the Rams’ first touchdown drive, Skowronek made another key grab, a 14-yarder on second-and-10 to get the Rams to the Raiders’ 48-yard line. They eventually found the end zone to make it 16-10, but had Skowronek not made that catch, it’s possible the drive would’ve stalled on third-and-10.

His catch on third-and-13 in the first half could’ve proved to be a huge play in the game, too, had Cam Akers not fumbled on the next snap.

It’s odd to say, but the Rams don’t win that game without Mayfield and Skowronek – something that would be hard to believe if someone said it before the season began. So for as much praise as Mayfield deserves, Skowronek should be recognized for his play, too.

Should Notre Dame pursue Texas quarterback in portal?

Should Notre Dame be looking to the Longhorn state for help at quarterback next year? Thanks to @jhickey24 & @longhornswire for the scouting report!

College football’s postseason and offseason are so different now than they were just a few short years ago. One reason is the transfer portal. Welcome to recruiting on steroids that moves at the pace of a Formula 1 car instead of a big semi. Thanks to the portal, teams can freely recruit players from other schools to fill positions of need.

Notre Dame hasn’t had a huge number of players enter via the portal, but some select difference-makers certainly have. [autotag]Ben Skowronek[/autotag] led the team in receiving yards in 2020 after transferring from Northwestern. [autotag]Jack Coan[/autotag] went 11-1 as the starting quarterback in the 2021 regular season after being passed over at Wisconsin due to injury. And this season another former Northwestern star, safety [autotag]Brandon Joseph[/autotag], made the biggest impact as a transfer.

We don’t expect Notre Dame to be bring in loads of new faces as did USC, LSU and others did via the portal last offseason, but we do expect them to search for a veteran quarterback. [autotag]Drew Pyne[/autotag]’s limited ceiling, [autotag]Tyler Buchner[/autotag]’s never-ending injury concerns and the lack of experience on the rest of the depth chart tells you exactly why it makes sense.  

So with that in mind, we’re taking a look at potential quarterbacks for Notre Dame to land via the portal. What is their backstory? Why are they leaving their schools? What is their potential as collegiate starter in 2022? We’re seeking out the help of our experts with connections to other programs in doing so.

Texas quarterback [autotag]Hudson Card[/autotag] announced Tuesday that he’ll enter the portal. Could the former Longhorns starter be a fit for Notre Dame? Here’s how our colleague, Joey Hickey at Longhorns Wire breaks down Card.

Should Chicago’s college football team try poaching another from Chicago’s Big Ten team?

Should Chicago’s college football team try to poach another from Chicago’s Big Ten team?

Notre Dame doesn’t use the transfer portal like Lincoln Riley and USC, as the Trojans have become college football’s version of shopping on Black Friday.  The end result may be great but the process in getting there makes you want to vomit.

Notre Dame has been known to pick their spots in the portal, however.  We’ve been tracking all the quarterbacks who enter the portal for obvious reasons, but a compelling non-quarterback entered Tuesday.  It’s especially compelling for Notre Dame because it’s a program just down the road that the Irish have poached a couple of talents from in recent years.

Malik Washington was Northwestern’s leading receiver this past season and entered the portal Tuesday.  He’s listed at 5-9, 180 pounds and although nobody would describe him as a burner, he consistently makes plays on the ball.  It should also be noted that perhaps no Power Five team has had less production from their quarterbacks in the past two seasons.

Washington hauled in 65 receptions for 694 yards (10.7 avg) this year, the sixth-highest total in the entire Big Ten.  He did find the end zone just once but then again, Northwestern threw for just 10 touchdowns all year.

Notre Dame had massive receiver issues this season as a sophomore [autotag]Lorenzo Styles[/autotag] was the only one to amass 300 yards.  If it wasn’t [autotag]Michael Mayer[/autotag] chances are it wasn’t getting done in the passing game and the group of receivers would certainly use some help and experience.

Wide receivers coach [autotag]Chansi Stuckey[/autotag] has the cavalry coming but counting on several underclassmen is a risk I certainly wouldn’t prefer taking.  Growth and development will help Styles, [autotag]Deion Colzie[/autotag], [autotag]Tobias Merriweather[/autotag], and the incoming freshman group, but it would certainly be nice to have some proven veteran experience as well and Washington would accomplish that.

And heck, [autotag]Ara Parseghian[/autotag], [autotag]Ben Skowronek[/autotag], and [autotag]Brandon Joseph[/autotag] all worked out alright so why not do it again?

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Fantasy football: Should you start any Rams WRs with Cooper Kupp out?

With Cooper Kupp out, someone needs to step up for the Rams. Can you trust any of their receivers in fantasy?

The Rams won’t have Cooper Kupp for the next four weeks after he suffered an ankle injury on Sunday, which will land him on injured reserve. He’s been their best offensive player and really the only one who’s produced consistently this year, so this is a massive loss for the Rams.

It’s also a significant blow for anyone who has Kupp in fantasy. Just as the Rams won’t be able to replace him, no fantasy owner will be able to fill the void of Kupp.

And when looking at the Rams’ roster, it’s hard to see any receiver who will become a fantasy star in the next month. Here’s a run down of three Rams receivers who are at least somewhat fantasy-relevant.

How does Van Jefferson’s return impact Rams’ other WRs?

With Van Jefferson back this week, what is the Rams’ plan at wide receiver?

Outside of Cooper Kupp, the Rams’ receiving corps has been painfully underwhelming this season. Kupp leads the team with 56 receptions, 607 yards and four touchdowns, which was fully expected, but it’s the gap between him and the next-closest wideout that’s concerning.

Ben Skowronek is second among the Rams’ wide receivers with 23 catches and 221 yards, ahead of Allen Robinson’s 17 catches for 170 yards. Thankfully, Van Jefferson is on the verge of returning and will make his season debut on Sunday against the 49ers.

Jefferson has been out with a knee injury, which he underwent two procedures for this offseason. Just before his second procedure, Sean McVay said Jefferson had “arguably his best practice as a Ram.” Assuming he gets back up to full speed right away, he’s going to have a meaningful impact right away.

The question is, how does his return impact the rest of the wide receiver room? Kupp’s role certainly won’t change, and Robinson is likely to keep playing just about all of the snaps, but everyone else will get fewer opportunities now that No. 12 is back.

Right now, Skowronek is playing 83.8% of the snaps on offense. Brandon Powell is playing 15% and Tutu Atwell is playing just 6%. There isn’t enough room for all three of those players to keep getting meaningful snaps now that Jefferson is back. He’s going to be the No. 3 receiver and may even get more looks than Robinson right off the bat.

After all, Jefferson has already developed a rapport with Matthew Stafford that Robinson is still working on. Stafford and Jefferson had a strong connection on deep passes last season and that should carry over in 2022.

He’s the downfield receiver the Rams desperately need. And because of that, he’s going to get plenty of targets right away.

Expect Skowronek to keep playing fullback and helping as a blocking receiver on running plays. Powell should still get chances on jet sweeps and screens because his speed and elusiveness are valuable. Atwell, whose role is already minimal, will get even fewer snaps now.

It will be a work in progress for the Rams with Jefferson back, but don’t expect it to take very long for him and Stafford to hit a big play down the field.

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Sean McVay breaks down Ben Skowronek’s rushing touchdown

#Rams receiver Ben Skowronek got into the end zone on an impressive end-around run that sealed the #Panthers’ fate in Week 6

The Los Angeles Rams successfully overcame their early-season struggles in Week 6 and got their first win in October over the Carolina Panthers. Their 3-3 record has them in a prime position to get back in the NFC West lead with more wins in the coming weeks and should keep them in the mix for a playoff spot if they can keep finding success through the middle of their schedule.

Among the most impressive plays in their matchup against Carolina was a 17-yard touchdown run by multitalented receiver Ben Skowronek, which scored the Rams’ final points to put the game on ice. Head coach Sean McVay commented on the impressive play in his post-game press conference and noted the teamwork necessary for Skowronek to get into the end zone.

“Guys [are] playing for each other,” McVay said. “It was awesome to just be able to see the selflessness of this group. I think is what’s right about this group. [We] continue to grow and WR Brandon Powell was like, ‘Why didn’t I get that look on that play earlier in the game?’ So I said ‘Ben lulled them to sleep.’ It was a great job by Allen Robinson at the point of attack.”

After weeks of inconsistent play from their offense, Los Angeles looks to have turned a corner against the Panthers in stunning fashion. Key contributors like Skowronek and Allen Robinson got involved for the first time in what felt like forever and proved that they can still get the job done when their number is called.

Quarterback Matthew Safford started to settle in after throwing a pick-six in the first half of the game, and relied on his top receivers to keep himself in rhythm down the stretch. With Skowronek’s versatility on his side and a cast of excellent playmakers to throw the ball to with regularity, the Rams are set to take on the toughest part of their 2022 schedule with a full head of steam following this important win.

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Watch: wide receiver Ben Skowronek scores go-ahead touchdown vs. Panthers

Multitalented #Rams receiver Ben Skowronek scored a long go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter against the #Panthers

Ben Skowronek, who has been one of the Los Angeles Rams’ most impressive offensive assets this season, made his presence felt against the Carolina Panthers, scoring a long rushing touchdown in Week 6. He gave the Rams a six-point lead, which was extended to seven with a Matt Gay extra point.

Take a look at this exciting run, and notice how the blocking got him free to score from 17 yards out:

This must-win game has seen momentum swing in favor of both sides and is far from a sure thing at this juncture. They are nursing the seven-point lead they were spotted by Skowronek, and will need to continue utilizing their creativity on offense to build on their advantage.

Skowronek is a second-year pro who was selected in the seventh round by the Rams in the 2021 draft. He has been used as a fullback this year, in an unconventional move by Sean McVay to get more playmakers on the field. In recent weeks, the team has relied on him in a more conventional role but has shown the same resolve to get him involved offensively.