Tag: Colts

Dennis Allen credits new job to ‘a product of the same connections’

Ben Johnson began recruiting Dennis Allen late last year. Their shared connections to Aaron Glenn and Dan Campbell may have played a big part in getting Allen to Chicago

Dennis Allen recently told Jay Glazer he felt worse for the young coaches under his leadership than himself after the New Orleans Saints fired him. Allen was confident his connections through his decade plus career would allow him to land on his feet.

It didn’t take long for Allen to land on his feet. He interviewed with the Indianapolis Colts earlier this offseason and was named the Chicago Bears defensive coordinator this week.

Allen credited landing in Chicago as “a product of the same connections.”

Ben Johnson came from the Detroit Lions alongside Aaron Glenn and Dan Campbell. It wouldn’t be surprising to hear Glenn and Campbell gave Allen a strong endorsement. They worked with each other for years in New Orleans.

Beyond just New Orleans, all he, Glenn and Campbell all been attended Texas A&M. As you look back to Allen’s comments to Glazer, you can assume these were the connections he was referencing.

Johnson felt so strongly about Allen as his potential defensive coordinator that he reached out to Allen before the regular season ended. Allen said, “At some point as we got later in the season, he reached out to me to see if I’d be interested.”

Allen’s comments to Glazer happened after Allen’s conversation with Johnson. With what we know now, it’s clear Allen was foreshadowing his next move. It was just too early to say too much.

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Dennis Allen could have a quick return to coaching after all

Dennis Allen felt he could land on his feet after being fired, and his upcoming interview for Colts defensive coordinator is a sign of that:

Dennis Allen recently reflected with Jay Glazer on his firing from New Orleans. One of the sentiments he expressed was feeling worse for his younger staff members than himself, because Allen has connections around the league to where he was confident he would land on his feet.

Proof of that statement is already coming to light. The Indianapolis Colts are interviewing plan to speak with Allen for their vacant defensive coordinator position, as first reported by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. A subsequent report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport confirmed Allen will meet with the Colts this Friday.

In addition to the Colts, Fowler said “Allen is expected to be a prime candidate for other opportunities due to his work with New Orleans’ defense over the years.” Rapoport expressed the same sentiment.

The New Orleans Saints became a dominant defense during Allen’s tenure as the defensive coordinator. They were top-15 in points allowed from 2017-2020, top-10 in three of those seasons. Allen put together back to back seasons in the top-10 of yards allowed.

Things began to decline shortly after he ascended to head coach and got really bad this season. New Orleans began allowing more yards and then finally dropped out of the top-10 points allowed this past season.

That could be a sign of players departing, players getting older, or possibly it means he needs to simply focus on the defense. When he did that, the defense was strong.

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NFL playoff picture: Dolphins’ updated scenarios after Week 17

The Dolphins are right on the Broncos’ heels for the last playoff spot in the AFC.

The Miami Dolphins’ path to the postseason has become awfully simple. After a 20-3 win against the Cleveland Browns, the Dolphins are 8-8 and just a game behind the 9-7 Denver Broncos for the final playoff spot in the AFC.

Thanks to a superior record against AFC teams, the Dolphins would win a tiebreaker if both teams finished 9-8.

So that leaves the following scenario that would see the Dolphins to sneak into the playoffs next weekend:

  • Dolphins win against Jets
  • Broncos lose against Chiefs

It’s as simple as that.

The Dolphins will be a significant favorite against the 4-12 Jets, but the Chiefs getting a win may be the taller ask. On Christmas, Kansas City secured the No. 1 seed in the AFC, meaning the team is likely to rest its starters with nothing to gain in Week 18.

That probably means the Dolphins’ postseason hopes rest in the hands of Chiefs backup quarterback Carson Wentz, who is the presumed starter next week against the Broncos.

According to NFL.com, the Dolphins have a 28 percent chance at reaching the playoffs.

If both the Broncos and Dolphins lost, the Cincinnati Bengals could take the final spot instead.

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NFL playoff picture: Dolphins’ updated scenarios after Colts loss

The Dolphins’ path to the playoffs is down to just three results after the Colts were eliminated Sunday.

The New York Giants pulled off an unlikely win Sunday, snapping a 10-game losing streak with a 45-33 upset win over the Indianapolis Colts.

The loss for the Colts eliminated them from the playoffs and the Miami Dolphins are among the biggest beneficiaries of that result.

Prior to the Giants win, the Dolphins needed — among a couple other things — the Colts to lose at least one of their last two games of the season. With matchups for Indianapolis against the lowly Giants and Jacksonville Jaguars in the last two weeks of the year, that was far from a sure thing.

But with the 7-8 Dolphins now ahead of the 7-9 Colts in the AFC standings, here’s what would need to happen to send Miami to the postseason for a third consecutive year:

  • Dolphins win against Browns (Week 17) and Jets (Week 18)
  • Broncos lose against Chiefs (Week 18)

And that’s all, folks.

If the Dolphins were to slip up against Cleveland or New York, it’d open the door for the Cincinnati Bengals to jump into the playoffs. But it’d be a moot point for both Miami and Cincinnati if the Chiefs can’t beat the Broncos next weekend.

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NFL playoff picture: Dolphins’ updated scenarios after Broncos loss

The Chargers clinched a playoffs spot, but a Broncos loss on Saturday left the last one in the AFC up for grabs.

The Los Angeles Chargers secured a playoff spot Saturday, but the Denver Broncos failed to clinch the last wild card berth in the AFC.

With the Broncos’ 30-24 overtime loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, the last postseason spot in the conference won’t be decided until Week 18, regardless of the results of games this Sunday.

That means the Miami Dolphins have a chance to keep their long shot postseason hopes alive if they can get a win against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

Here’s what would now need to happen over the last couple of regular season weekends for Miami to get in the playoffs:

  • Dolphins win against Browns (Week 17) and Jets (Week 18)
  • Broncos lose against Chiefs (Week 18)
  • Colts lose against Giants (Week 17) or Jaguars (Week 18)

If the Dolphins lose in Cleveland, they’ll be officially eliminated. The final spot in the AFC can only be secured by the 9-7 Broncos, 8-8 Bengals. 7-8 Dolphins, or 7-8 Colts.

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NFL playoff picture: Dolphins could be eliminated Saturday

There’s a chance the Dolphins will be eliminated before they even kick off against the Browns on Sunday.

The Miami Dolphins kept their playoff hopes alive last week with a win against the San Francisco 49ers, but there’s a chance they’ll be eliminated before they even play the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

With two weekends of regular season football left, the Dolphins need — along with a little other help — the Denver Broncos and/or the Los Angeles Chargers to lose their last two games.

On Saturday, the Chargers will face the New England Patriots on the road in a game kicking off at 1 p.m. ET. Then the Broncos will travel to play the Cincinnati Bengals with kickoff set for 4:30 p.m. ET.

If both the Chargers and the Broncos win those games, they’ll both improve to 10-6 and clinch the last two AFC postseason berths up for grabs.

Here’s how the AFC standings currently stack up:

  1. (z) Kansas City Chiefs: 15-1
  2. (y) Buffalo Bills: 12-3
  3. (x) Baltimore Ravens: 11-5
  4. (y) Houston Texans: 9-7
  5. (x) Pittsburgh Steelers: 10-6
  6. Los Angeles Chargers: 9-6
  7. Denver Broncos: 9-6
  • Indianapolis Colts: 7-8
  • Miami Dolphins: 7-8
  • Cincinnati Bengals: 7-8

(x – clinched playoff berth)
(y – clinched division title)
(z – clinched first-round bye)

If one or both of the Chargers and Broncos lose on Saturday, the Dolphins can keep their playoff hopes alive into the final week of the regular season by beating the Browns.

On Thursday, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said the team’s focus won’t change, regardless of the Saturday results.

“Regardless if we’re still in it or not, you get to see a lot about who a person is by the way they go about their business,” Tagovailoa said. “You see guys laying down? That tells you a lot right there. You see guys fighting? I mean, that should tell you a lot as well.”

The Dolphins earned a spot in the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, but lost on Wild Card Weekend both times.

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NFL playoff picture: Dolphins’ updated scenarios after Week 16 win

It’s still an uphill climb, but the Dolphins’ unlikely path to the playoffs is still alive after their Week 16 win.

The Miami Dolphins improved to 7-8 with a 29-17 win against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 16 that kept their playoff hopes alive for another week.

While it’s still an uphill climb with a small chance of coming to fruition, the Dolphins are hoping to sneak into the last wild card spot in the AFC. As it currently stands, those three berths belong to the 10-5 Baltimore Ravens, 9-6 Denver Broncos, and 9-6 Los Angeles Chargers.

The Ravens have clinched their spot, but the 7-8 Dolphins, as well as the 7-8 Indianapolis Colts and 7-8 Cincinnati Bengals are still mathematically able to track down one of the final spots.

Here’s what would need to happen for Miami to get in:

  • Dolphins win against Browns (Week 17) and Jets (Week 18)

Along with at least two of the following three:

  • Chargers lose against Patriots (Week 17) and Raiders (Week 18)
  • Broncos lose against Bengals (Week 17) and Chiefs (Week 18)
  • Colts lose against Giants (Week 17) and/or Jaguars (Week 18)

The Dolphins would win a tiebreaker against every other 9-8 team with the exception of the Colts.

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Recently-waived former 49ers 3rd-round pick claimed by Colts

The Indianapolis Colts are a popular place for former San Francisco 49ers CBs to land.

The San Francisco 49ers on Tuesday as part of a slew of roster moves waived former third-round pick Ambry Thomas.

Thomas, a cornerback from the University of Michigan, was claimed Wednesday by the Indianapolis Colts according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

San Francisco kept Thomas on their initial 53-man roster despite a rough preseason that was further derailed by an injury. Thomas was quickly placed on IR because of a broken forearm he sustained in the team’s preseason opener. He was never activated before being placed on waivers.

Thomas is due to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason after an up-and-down tenure in the Bay Area.

He stepped into a starting role as a rookie and wound up sealing a postseason berth by intercepting Matt Stafford in overtime of a Week 18 win over the Los Angeles Rams. He wound up missing out on a starting job in Year 2 and started none of the 15 games he appeared in. Last season he was in-and-out of the starting lineup as a third CB while the team struggled to find consistency in the secondary.

His training camp and preseason left him without a role heading into 2024. Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir locked down two of the starting jobs, while Isaac Yiadom and rookie Renardo Green were the clear third and fourth CBs in some order. Thomas stayed around as an internal depth piece San Francisco never needed.

Thomas played in 42 games with 11 starts for the 49ers and posted 79 tackles, 12 pass breakups, two interceptions, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. He’ll now get a fresh start with a Colts club that also claimed former 49ers CB Samuel Womack after he was let go at final cuts.

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NFL playoff picture, Week 15: Dolphins down to long shot scenario

A Chargers loss means the door to the playoffs is still cracked for the Dolphins, but it’s certainly not looking likely.

The Miami Dolphins’ 20-12 loss to the Houston Texans likely ended the team’s playoff hopes.

The setback dropped the Dolphins to 6-8 on the year and both the Baltimore Ravens and Denver Broncos improved to 9-5. The only saving grace for Miami is that both the Los Angeles Chargers and Indianapolis Colts lost Sunday.

With all the AFC results from Week 15 now in the books, here are the conference standings with three weeks left in the regular season:

  1. Kansas City Chiefs: 13-1
  2. Buffalo Bills: 11-3
  3. Pittsburgh Steelers: 10-4
  4. Houston Texans: 9-5
  5. Baltimore Ravens: 9-5
  6. Denver Broncos: 9-5
  7. Los Angeles Chargers: 8-6
  • Indianapolis Colts: 6-8
  • Miami Dolphins: 6-8
  • Cincinnati Bengals: 6-8

For the Dolphins, it’s pretty simple now: one more loss will almost certainly eliminate them from playoff contention.

If Miami wins out by beating the 49ers, Browns, and Jets to get to 9-8, they’d own a tiebreaker against any teams other than the Texans and Colts. That means the Dolphins need Indianapolis to lose at least once in the final three weeks against the Titans, Giants, and/or Jaguars.

But the real long shot is that the Dolphins need either the Ravens or Broncos to lose out, or the Chargers to lose two of their last three. Baltimore finishes the year against the Steelers, Texans, and Browns, Denver faces the Chargers, Bengals, and Chiefs, and the Chargers end the year with the Broncos, Patriots, and Raiders.

The odds of any of that coming to fruition and the Dolphins playing in the postseason? NFL.com puts it at about a six percent chance.

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Which Week 15 results would help the Dolphins most? A rooting guide

Winning is Houston is the top priority, but there’s a few other teams in Week 15 that Dolphins fans should also be cheering on.

The Miami Dolphins can’t afford a misstep after digging themselves into a hole in the first half of the 2024 season. But after four wins in their last five games, the Dolphins could get back to .500 on Sunday if they manage to beat the Houston Texans.

That’d put the Dolphins very much in the mix for a wild card berth with three weeks left. They still need help, though.

Three 8-5 teams currently occupy the trio of AFC wild card entries into the NFL playoffs, and the 6-7 Indianapolis Colts own a tiebreaker over the 6-7 Dolphins thanks to their head-to-head victory back in Week 7.

Getting a win at NRG Stadium on Sunday is paramount for Miami. But here’s what else Dolphins fans should be rooting for in Week 15:

Giants win vs. Ravens (1 p.m. ET)

To catch the Ravens, the Dolphins would need two more wins than Baltimore in the last four weeks. Baltimore would be in serious jeopardy of not doing enough if it can’t go through the easiest opponent left on its schedule.

If the two-win Giants somehow ended an eight-game losing streak by getting a home win against the Ravens, it’d leave the door pretty wide open for Miami. The Ravens would likely need to win at least two — or maybe all three — of its remaining games against the Steelers, Texans, and Browns to hold off the Dolphins.

A Giants win is a long shot, but it’d be a dream come true for Miami.

Buccaneers win vs. Chargers (4:25 p.m. ET)

The likeliest path to the playoffs for the Dolphins is to track down one of the two AFC West teams ahead of them in the standings. The Broncos and Chargers meet in Week 16, meaning that (barring a tie) Miami has an inevitable chance to make up a game on one of them.

So a Chargers loss to the Buccaneers could even mean the Dolphins climb into a wild card spot as early as next week.

Colts win vs. Broncos (4:25 p.m. ET)

The good news for the Dolphins is that (again, barring a tie) one of these teams will lose. The bad news is one will win.

While Miami probably needs Indianapolis to lose at least once down the stretch, the priority for now is catching one of the eight-win contenders.

And even if the Colts rattle off four consecutive wins to end the season — which isn’t outlandish considering they play the Titans, Giants, and Jaguars to close out the year — it might not be a nightmare scenario. That’d move Indianapolis to 10-7, which may be enough to take the AFC South title from the Texans, especially if the Dolphins hand Houston its sixth loss on Sunday.

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