Tag: Broncos

Saints free agent rejoining his former coach may be his ‘best fit’

Juwan Johnson’s best option in free agency? It may be rejoining Sean Payton with the Denver Broncos, if he leaves the New Orleans Saints:

Juwan Johnson will be a free agent this upcoming offseason, and there should be serious conversation on whether or not the New Orleans Saints should look to retain Johnson.

If Johnson looks to go elsewhere in free agency, there is one destination in particular that could feel just like home.

The 33rd Team’s Tyler Brooke sees Johnson’s “best fit” with the Denver Broncos. This would entail Johnson following the footsteps of former teammates Wil Lutz, Adam Trautman, Tre’Quan Smith, Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Lucas Krull and others by joining former head coach Sean Payton.

Familiarity in the system would benefit Johnson by removing the need to learn a new system. Johnson and Payton were paired for two seasons, followed by another two seasons with Pete Carmichael after Payton’s retirement. Until this past year, this was the only professional offense Johnson played in.

Outside of familiarity, Brooke also sees Johnson as the potential middle of the field target Denver is missing. His ability to become the Broncos’ middle of the field target would come down to utilization versus ability.

New Orleans didn’t have a great middle of the field presence in the passing game. Spencer Rattler used the tight ends more than Derek Carr, so maybe Carr’s preference for targeting wide receivers was the biggest reason Johnson was limited over the middle.

Johnson has flashed that ability at times in New Orleans to be a threat on crossing routes and running up the seams. He is a former wide receiver whose skillset would allow him to provide that to Denver. It’s just about the frequency.

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Dolphins hiring former Titans, Chargers assistant as ST coordinator

The Dolphins filled the final spot on Mike McDaniel’s coaching staff.

The Miami Dolphins are hiring Craig Aukerman to be their new special teams coordinator, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Aukerman, 48, began his coaching career in 2000 and entered the NFL ranks as a defensive assistant with the Denver Broncos in 2010. He eventually transitioned to special teams while an assistant with the Jacksonville Jaguars and became the special teams coordinator for the San Diego Chargers in 2016.

He later joined Mike Vrabel’s Tennessee Titans staff and was promoted to special teams coordinator in 2018. During his sixth season with the team, Aukerman was fired after two Titans punts were blocked on back-to-back drives.

Aukerman didn’t coach during the 2024 season.

The Dolphins relieved Danny Crossman of his duties as special teams coordinator earlier this month after his sixth season in the role. While Jason Sanders was one of the NFL’s best kickers in 2024, Miami’s special teams miscues included the Patriots blocking a Jake Bailey punt and the Dolphins getting bamboozled by a Texans fake punt even though they knew it was coming.

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Pete Carroll could be part of the greatest coaching division in NFL history

Pete Carroll, Andy Reid, Sean Payton, and Jim Harbaugh are all coaching in the same division. It’s hard to comprehend how great the four coaches are.

If you love the NFL and its history, you have to be excited about seeing the news that Pete Carroll will coach the Las Vegas Raiders. Carroll will coach in the AFC West, going up against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. He will try to slow down the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers, two teams which made the NFL playoffs this past season. If you stop for a moment and consider the four coaches who make up the AFC West coaching contingent, it is hard to think of another time in NFL history when one division had four great all-time head coaches.

The mid-1980s NFC East had three all-timers: Tom Landry of the Dallas Cowboys, Bill Parcells of the New York Giants, and Joe Gibbs of the Washington Redskins. The 2025 AFC West, however, will have four all-time greats.

Pete Carroll, Andy Reid, and Sean Payton have all won the Super Bowl. Carroll is the only man alive to have won the Super Bowl, Rose Bowl, and college football national championship. Andy Reid has won three Super Bowls and should become — in a few years — just the fourth man ever to win 300 NFL games as a head coach. Jim Harbaugh is one of a select few men who have won a college football national championship and coached in a Super Bowl.

All four men — Carroll, Reid, Payton, and Harbaugh — have coached in multiple conference championship games. All are in the top 95 on the NFL head coaching wins list.

Pete Carroll, Sean Payton, and Andy Reid are all in the top 20 for all-time NFL head coaching wins. They all have 170 or more wins.

The list of statistics and milestones goes on and on and on. This might be the best division of coaches in the history of the NFL.

Sean Payton is up for his second AP Coach of the Year award

Sean Payton was named AP Coach of the Year with the New Orleans Saints in 2006 and he’s a finalist for the award in 2024 with the Denver Broncos:

Zack Baun and Trey Hendrickson aren’t the only former members of the New Orleans Saints who are finalists for an Associated Press award. Former head coach Sean Payton, now with the Denver Broncos, is a finalist for Coach of the Year. He previously won this award with the Saints in 2006.

Payton led the Broncos to the playoffs in second year with the team. It was Denver’s first playoff berth since their 2015 Super Bowl victory.

Though it was only a two game improvement from Year 1, Payton and the Broncos still over achieved. Russell Wilson’s play was shaky in 2023, but the move to rookie Bo Nix was supposed to be a much slower transition.

The defense was the backbone of the team, while Nix exceeded expectations and is in the running for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Making the playoffs with a rookie at quarterback is the driving force of Payton’s resume for the award. He and Dan Quinn, a fellow finalist, are the only ones to achieve that feat this year.

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3 keys to a Bills victory vs. the Chiefs in the AFC championship

3 keys to a Bills victory vs. the Chiefs in the AFC championship

The Buffalo Bills will play the Kansas City Chiefs on the road at Arrowhead Stadium in the AFC championship game this Sunday.

These teams clash while on hot streaks. The Bills have won 12 of their last 13 meaningful games while the Chiefs have won 20 of their last 21 meaningful games. Their lone loss over that time was to the Bills.

The Bills beat them 30-21 in Week 11 this year. Quarterback Josh Allen accounted for 317 total yards and a pair of touchdowns while the team converted on 9 of 15 third-down plays in the victory.

NFL Playoff picks: Unlock exclusive data-driven predictions

Patrick Mahomes threw a pair of interceptions in the loss, but the Chiefs have won the last three playoff games over the Bills and it will be tougher to force them into mistakes this time around. Kansas City are favored by 1.5 points at home.

To slay the dragon and advance to the Super Bowl, the Bills will need to execute their game plan.

Here are three keys to a Bills win vs. the Chiefs:

Execution in pass coverage

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Mahomes is good enough in the pocket that he can beat you even when everyone is covered. He’s great at buying an extra second or two and finding someone uncovered down the field, and in the playoffs, tight end Travis Kelce has often been that person.

The two have incredible rapport and always find open grass when things break down. It will take multiple defenders every pass play to shut them down.

The Bills defense will need to communicate purposefully and rapidly, especially in the middle of the field, where Kelce likes to roam. If there’s one man out of place, he’ll make you pay like he has in the past.

The good news for Buffalo is the middle of their defense is much healthier this postseason compared to last. During the 2023 playoffs, they were down both linebackers Matt Milano and Terrel Bernard, this year they are both expected to be out there occupying the middle.

Keep feeding James Cook

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Handing the ball to James Cook might have been included in about ten weekly “keys to victory” this year. And it continues to prove effective under offensive coordinator Joe Brady.

The Bills went up against two of the best run defenses in their first two playoff matchups and were able to control the game on the ground. The Bills handed both the Denver Broncos (wild card) and Baltimore Ravens (divisional) the most rushing yards they’ve allowed this season.

The Bills have averaged 178.5 yards on the ground this postseason. This figure would have been good for third-most in the league during the regular season.

The Chiefs ranked ninth in defense rushing DVOA this year and eighth in rushing yards allowed per game. They’ve been a decent group, but haven’t stuffed the run like Baltimore or Denver.

Igniting Cook and the rushing game will open things up for the Bills’ passing game, especially in the middle of the field where the Chiefs have allowed the most yards to tight ends in the NFL this year (1,191).

Win matchups on the defensive line

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Getting to Mahomes and taking him down for a sack is easier said than done. But, getting consistent pressure could force errant passes or throwaways, which can make a big difference in the playoffs.

While there has been a lot of talk about the Chiefs rotating pieces on the offensive line this year and that they’ve struggled at times, Mahomes has a way of masking their offensive line’s deficiencies. They rank 16th in the NFL in sacks allowed this year (41), and if they had someone who couldn’t manipulate the pocket or make off-script plays, they’d be much higher on the list.

The Bills had 224 total pressures in the regular season, good for eighth in the NFL. They’ll need to mix things up at times by showing different fronts and blitzes, but the Bills also have some guys who can win their one-on-one matchup.

Von Miller, Greg Rousseau, Ed Oliver, AJ Epenesa, and others will need to capitalize on chances to get after Mahomes Sunday.

If they can force the Chiefs into unfavorable down-and-distances and make Mahomes uncomfortable in the pocket during those plays, it would go a long way toward their chances at making the Super Bowl.

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3 keys to a Bills victory vs. the Ravens in the Divisional round

3 keys to a Bills victory vs. the Ravens in the Divisional round

The Buffalo Bills will play the Baltimore Ravens at home at Highmark Stadium in the Divisional round.

The Bills have won 11 of their last 12 meaningful games, while the Ravens have won 8 of their last 10. This is a high-profile matchup between two of the best offenses in the league and two of the best quarterbacks.

The Bills are home underdogs in this one, with the Ravens favored by 1.5 points. The last time these teams met was Week 4 in Baltimore. The Ravens won that matchup, 35-10. Baltimore ran for 271 yards, with Derrick Henry accounting for 199.

The Ravens finished the regular season as league leaders in both yards per game and rushing yards per game.

Buffalo will need to execute its game plan to advance in the postseason. Here are three keys to a Bills win vs. the Ravens:

Limit explosive runs

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The Ravens led the league in the regular season in rushes over 10 yards with 89 such plays. They had 13 more than the second-most. They did this while facing stacked boxes at the second-highest rate in the NFL.

Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson are threats for big plays on the ground at any moment. The Bills witnessed it firsthand in Week 4 when Henry took his first touch 87 yards for a touchdown. Jackson also scored a rushing touchdown that game while averaging nine yards per carry.

If the Bills do a better job taking away big runs in the Divisional round than in Week 4, they’ll have a much better chance at winning.

Stay steady in pass protection

USA Today Sports

Much like the matchup against the Denver Broncos last week, the Bills offensive line will be facing another top-tier pass rush. While the Broncos led the league in sacks in the regular season, the Ravens were second.

The Ravens posted 54 sacks despite blitzing at the seventh-lowest rate in the NFL (20.5%). Unless Baltimore changes their tendencies and blitzes more, expect to see some good battles in the trenches between an elite Bills offensive line and a productive Ravens defensive line.

If the Bills continue to pass protect the way that they have been, they won’t have a problem. In last week’s win over Denver, they allowed just one sack and five total pressures.

Win the time of possession

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In the Wild Card win over the Broncos, the Bills dominated the time of possession. They had the ball for over 41 minutes.

The Bills were moving the ball effectively and making timely stops on defense. In turn, this kept Bo Nix and the Denver offense on the sideline for more than two-thirds of the game.

This type of ball domination would surely help in the Divisional round. Jackson and Henry can’t cause headaches for the defense while on the sideline.

Last week was a masterful offensive plan by Joe Brady that both chewed up the clock and put points on the board. If they can maintain long, sustainable drives, they have a good chance at advancing in the playoffs.

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Saints are interviewing two head coach candidates Friday, including hotshot OC

The New Orleans Saints are interviewing two head coach candidates Friday, including hotshot Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady:

This could be big. The New Orleans Saints are interviewing two head coach candidates Friday, including hotshot Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady and their own interim head coach Darren Rizzi. The news was first reported by CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones.

Rizzi is said to have a lot of support in the building, and he has tight bonds to the coaches who have led two of the NFL’s biggest cultural turnarounds in recent years — Dan Campbell with the Detroit Lions (who Rizzi coached with on the Miami Dolphins, and again in New Orleans) and Sean Payton with the Denver Broncos, who brought him to the Saints in the first place. That influence matters and general manager Mickey Loomis could view him as the right pick to lead a rebuild, despite his 3-5 record last season.

Coincidentally, the Broncos dismissed special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica on Friday morning, which opens up a new opportunity for Rizzi. He’s an obvious pick for that job if he doesn’t get the full-time head coach position with the Saints given his background on special teams and experience with Payton.

But the real highlight here is Brady. His stock hasn’t been this high since he called plays for the LSU Tigers’ 2019 national championship-winning squad, having defied Payton’s advice to leave an assistant coaching job with the Saints for that opportunity. Brady has earned a lot of credit from Bills star quarterback Josh Allen for their resurgence the last two years and he could be a real candidate for the Saints.

Brady’s interview will be held virtually, per NFL rules, while Rizzi will get to sit down with Loomis first since he’s already under contract with the Saints. If they go well we could see second interviews scheduled (and in-person for all candidates) as soon as next week.

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ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky: James Cook’s vision sensational in Bills win vs. Broncos

ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky: James Cook’s vision sensational in win vs. Broncos

ESPN NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky is well-regarded for his knowledge of football’s intricacies. This week, he joined One Bills Live and praised the  Buffalo Bills’ running game against the Denver Broncos in the Wild Card round, particularly James Cook.

Cook carried 23 times for 120 yards and a score in the 31-7 win at Highmark Stadium.

“I thought James Cook’s vision was sensational,” Orlovsky said. “His ability to wait for the hole and then get through the hole… that vision and burst was one of the better performances I’ve seen all season. It was in many ways, I don’t want to say flawless, but a big performance by that whole group.”

For Cook, this just added to his list of standout games on the ground this year. He had four 100+yard games and eight games of 70+ in the regular season.

He had a spectacular 2024 regular season as he continued to improve as a runner. He tied O.J. Simpson for the most rushing touchdowns in a season in Bills history (16). He did this despite carrying the ball over 120 fewer times than Simpson in his record-breaking year (1975).

Cook, Josh Allen (46 yards rushing), and Ty Johnson (44 yards rushing) led the way for a ground game that totaled 210 yards in the Wild Card win.

Check out the full clip from One Bills Live:

Josh Allen: Bills offense wanted to their ‘best football’ vs. Broncos

Josh Allen: Bills offense wanted to their ‘best football’ vs. Broncos

The Buffalo Bills stampeded the Denver Broncos 31-7 in the NFL playoffs Wild Card round.

Buffalo won the day thanks to a defensive effort that prevented any more Broncos points after a mountain top long-ball touchdown by Denver minutes into the contest.

They also did so due to OC Joe Brady and QB Allen spreading the ball around for short gains and on long possessions, bringing a stingy Broncos defense down to Earth.

“I don’t think there was one certain thing over another. We just wanted to come out and execute well,” Allen said after the game. “At the end of the day, we just wanted to come out and play our best football, and I feel like we did that today.”

Going into the game, the Broncos were 31st in the NFL at defense-adjusted value over average (DVOA) in defending passes to RBs. An area that Joe Brady and the Bills offense are active in.

Allen led an efficient and balanced offensive distribution of the football, going 20-for-26 for 272 yards with two touchdowns to go with 46 yards on eight carries rushing.

He was backed by RB James Cook who rushed for 120 yards and a touchdown, as Buffalo would keep that momentum scoring 31 unanswered points in total.

While there was a lot of short-gain offense Allen completed a highlight reel 24-yard touchdown pass on fourth down to RB Ty Johnson who also made a highlight play, sliding to make the catch.

Allen then found receiver Keon Coleman for a two-point after-conversion to give the rookie the first postseason score of his career.

He also threw a 55-yard touchdown throw to Curtis Samuel which was the second-longest playoff TD toss of his postseason passing career (75-yard TDs to Gabe Davis vs. KC 2022).

The Bills QB surpassed legendary Hall of Fame signal-caller Jim Kelly for the most postseason passing TDs in Bills history.

“It’s great, it’s amazing,” said Bills receiver Khalil Shakir of Allen per Sky Sports. “We know we go as he goes, how special and what he’s able to do, we’re always in it no matter what.

“We just continue to work, you can never be too good, it is a league where everybody is constantly getting better.”

The Bills remain undefeated at 9-0 when leading at halftime remains intact this season, and became the first team since at least 1960 to not lose the turnover battle through the first 18 games of a season (incl. playoffs)

The game also yielded some interesting notes per NFL Next Gen Stats that point out that Buffalo used six-plus offensive linemen on 22.2% of offensive plays against Denver, which was their 3rd-highest rate in a game this season.

Meanwhile, Allen generated 20+ EPA for the 3rd time in his postseason career and completed all four of his deep passes for 139 yards & 2 TDs to now lead all QBs with 23 completions and 791 yards on passes of 20+ air yards in the postseason since entering the league in 2018. His 55-yard touchdown throw to Samuel was also the first deep completion allowed by Surtain as the nearest defender in coverage this season.

Allen did take a hit late in the game from Denver outside linebacker Nik Bonitto on his right hand where he then took a seat on the bench and was looked at by Bills’ training staff. He was replaced by backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky for the final possession.

The television broadcast showed a close-up of his thumb bleeding as a Bills’ trainer put an adhesive on it.

“It’s good,” Allen noted postgame. “I just got a little blood there. It’s fine. We’re fine.”

“We’ll follow that nail all week,” CBS analyst Tomy Romo mused.

Bills’ Sean McDermott, Josh Allen give early preview of Ravens matchup

Bills’ Sean McDermott, Josh Allen give early preview of Ravens matchup

The Bills beat the Broncos 31-7 on Sunday at home in Orchard Park and advanced back to the divisional round of the NFL playoffs for a rematch with the Baltimore Ravens.

Buffalo lost a head-to-head matchup in Baltimore 35-10 in NFL Week 4 this season, which was the third-worst margin of loss in quarterback Josh Allen’s career.

Both outcomes he’ll look to change this time around when it will matter most.

Allen was asked about the Bills game next week against the Ravens during an on-field postgame interview with CBS sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson

“They got after us earlier this year so we have a lot of film to watch,” he said. “It’s a great team who has a great quarterback with Lamar doing what he is able to do. He is one of the most dynamic, if not the most dynamic quarterback in the league, he is so fun to watch, but I’ll be watching their defense this week. That is our focus.”

While a victory during the regular season would have bolstered Buffalo’s chances for the No. 1 AFC playoff seed and a first-round bye, the division-round matchup will ultimately determine the two teams’ postseason fates.

Buffalo is the 2 seed and Baltimore is the 3 seed, meaning the Bills will host the Ravens in Orchard Park with a chance to “defend their dirt”. The team has been a perfect 9-0 in their 2024 campaign including the first round Wild Card win.

There are plenty of storylines leading into the contest as well.

Allen and Jackson’s teams meet with a matchup of the two clubs with the most points per game in the NFL after the Detroit Lions (who Buffalo beat in NFL Week 15) and the Bills (30.9) and Ravens (30.5) averaged 30 points per game during the regular season

Both quarterbacks were selected in the first round of the 2018 draft, with Allen going 7th overall to Buffalo and Jackson going 32nd overall in the final pick of the first round to Baltimore.

Both clubs traded up to select their respective signal caller.

Both Allen and Jackson are this season’s front-runners for MVP. Jackson’s won the award twice. Notably over Allen last season as he had fewer turnovers and his team had a better record, despite Allen having better overall quarterback stats.

The Ravens added RB Derrick Henry in free agency which bolstered their offense, meanwhile, the Bills re-booted their roster and payroll, with media analysts writing them off to a rebuilding season with many predicting the Dolphins or Jets would win the division.

Instead, Allen’s turned in an MVP-caliber performance and the Bills have had one of their best seasons with him under center and Sean McDermott as head coach, winning the AFC East for the fifth straight year and locking in the 2 seed and home field advantage through at least the first two rounds.

Henry and Bills RB James Cook each had a league-high 16 rushing TDs during the regular season, with Henry being selected to the Pro Bowl along with eight other Ravens (the most selections in the NFL.) Buffalo only had two, Allen and offensive lineman Dion Dawkins, with Cook a clear snub.

The Ravens also had five All-Pro first-team selections with the Bills having none.

“This is what everyone’s been waiting for, right?” coach Sean McDermott said in his postgame press conference after Sunday’s win. “So it’ll be a nice week and everyone will be looking forward to it, and they’re a great football team. I mean they handled us pretty good the first go around and they’re certainly playing well.”

Jackson and Allen’s teams have played each other only once in the playoffs with both players under center in the 202 divisional round when Buffalo beat Baltimore 17-3. Buffalo opens as a slight favorite this time around as well.

With a win against the Broncos and the Ravens up next, the Bills are embracing the moment.

“I’ma enjoy the win first, but I love playing good on good football,” left tackle Dion Dawkins said. “We have a lot of competitors on our team, and when juggernauts come into town or when we go to their spot, the intensity is up. And I love it. I love when the intensity is high, but we’ll see ’em in a week. They’re a good team and we look forward to it.”

Buffalo has lost in the division round each of the last two seasons and is looking to get over that hump to return to the AFC Championship game for the first time since 2022 for a chance to advance to the Super Bowl.