Defense

Chiefs DT Mike Pennel shares his thoughts on Joshua Uche’s progress: ‘He’s picking it up’

Kansas City #Chiefs defensive tackle Mike Pennel shares his thoughts on Joshua Uche’s progress: ‘He’s picking it up’ | @EdEastonJr

Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Mike Pennel is a veteran of the team’s system and has firmly grasped how things are done in Steve Spagnuolo’s defense. He spoke to the media on Friday, providing an update on the progress of recently acquired pass rusher Joshua Uche.

“I’ve heard about him in college. I saw him a little bit over in New England, and, you know, Mike Danna, they were teammates together. So we know that he’s a speed rusher. He’s a guy that gets after the quarterback as Spags’ (Steve Spagnuolo) playbook is complex, but he’s picking it up very well.” said Pennel. “He’s blended well with the guys, is a hard worker, and is entertaining in the locker room. And, keep him under the wing and just let him know it’s a family atmosphere, giving him room to grow, room to work.”

The former Michigan Wolverine is off to a slow start in Kansas City, but there is optimism that he will find a solid role in the defensive system. More practice time and support from his new teammates will help contribute to his progress as the postseason draws closer.

Chiefs DE George Karlaftis discusses matchup with the Bills: ‘We’ve got to bring our A-Game’

Kansas City #Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis discusses matchup with the Buffalo #Bills: ‘We’ve got to bring our A-Game’ | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs defense had a late-game scare against the Denver Broncos last week but is using the experience to sharpen up for Week 11. Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis explained to reporters on Friday that he is very familiar with this Sunday’s opponent.

“They got great guys all over the board, starting with their quarterback, running back, offensive line, receivers, and great defense, too. It’s a tough environment to play,” said Karlaftis. “We obviously played a lot of close games with them, having won once at least since I’ve been here in the regular season. Beat them in the playoffs, obviously. We got to bring our A-Game this week.”

The defense will focus on Buffalo Bills Pro Bowl quarterback Josh Allen, who has played almost error-free football this season. Karlaftis acknowledged Allen’s talent and the need to slow him down to secure the victory.

“What’s unique about him is he could run. First of all, he’s like one of the best quarterbacks in the league, right? That goes without saying.” said Karlaftis. “He can move as well as he does, and he’s my size, if not a little bigger. You respect that even a little more. So he’s, like I said, one of those elite guys who can make all the throws with his dangerous feet. So, you got to have stuff, and you got to prepare all week for a guy like that.”

The Bills are one of the top teams in the conference and are well aware of the potential impact a victory over the league-leading Chiefs could have on their postseason seeding.

Broncos select pass rusher in new 2025 NFL mock draft

Draft Wire’s recent 2025 NFL mock draft has the Broncos selecting pass rusher James Pearce.

The Denver Broncos sit at 5-5 through the first 10 weeks of the 2024 NFL season, and they’re in the thick of the AFC playoff hunt. As a result, in Draft Wire’s newest mock draft, the Broncos are projected to pick 19th overall.

According to author Curt Popejoy, the Broncos are going to bolster their top-5 defense with another pass-rusher in the form of Tennessee EDGE James Pearce.

Pearce (6-5, 243 pounds) is a massive body Denver could use to stop the likes of AFC heavyweights Derrick Henry in the rush game and be a formidable foe for quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, Joe Burrow and Lamar Jackson off the edge.

In 2023, as a sophomore, Pearce led the SEC with 10 sacks. In 2024, Pearce found himself on several preseason collegiate watch lists, and is a semi-finalist for several individual awards.

Pearce would be a huge addition to an already-stout Broncos defense that is in the top three in quarterback pressures, blitz rates, sacks and yards-per-dropback in 2024. The unit has proved to be one of the best in the NFL, but Denver could look to add more depth and competition next spring.

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Saints offense has a huge edge on the Browns defense in this key stat

Derek Carr has been one of the best quarterbacks working off of play action, and the Saints should lean into it against the Browns:

Pro Football Focus would suggest the New Orleans Saints offense has one huge advantage over the Cleveland Browns defense. That comes in the form of play action passing.

Derek Carr grades out as one of the best quarterbacks in the league when using play action. The lack of play action was one of the things missing from last year’s offensive game plan. Under Klint Kubiak, PFF grades Carr as the third-best quarterback when using play action. Against play action, the Browns allow the 30th most yards in the NFL.

That creates a matchup between a top-five quarterback and bottom-five defense in this specific stat. You can’t run play action all game, but New Orleans does like to hit shot plays off of play action. We saw it last week with Marquez Valdes-Scantling’s big debut. A defense that allows a good amount of yardage on play action could open the door for more explosive plays like we saw last week.

According to charting from Pro Football Reference, the Saints are tied with the Browns for the 11th-most pass attempts off of play action (72), but New Orleans has been much more successful on those plays. They’re one of six teams to gain 700 or more yards off of play-action passing. If the Saints are going to win back-to-back games, they’ll need to lean on this aspect of their offense.

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Statistical Breakdown: How the Chargers and Bengals stack up before Week 11 game

Here’s how the Chargers and Bengals stack up statistically ahead of Sunday’s matchup.

The Chargers and Bengals are set to square off this upcoming Sunday night.

Here’s how Los Angeles and Cincinnati stack up statistically on both sides of the ball ahead of the Week 11 matchup:

Offense

Category	Chargers	Bengals
Points per game	20.7 ppg (19th)	27.0 ppg (6th)
Passing offense	196.4 ypg (22nd)	254.8 ypg (4th)
Rushing offense	117.9 ypg (19th)	89.7 ypg (29th)
Total offense	314.3 ypg (22nd)	344.5 ypg (12th)
3rd down conversions	39.84% (13th)	47.29% (3rd)
Red zone scoring	54.17% (18th)	72.41% (2nd)
Sacks allowed	24 (17th)	23 (12th)
Turnovers	4 (T-1st)	10 (8th)

Category	Chargers	Bengals
Points allowed	13.1 ppg (1st)	26.2 ppg (26th)
Passing defense	191.6 ypg (9th)	220.2 ypg (23rd)
Rushing defense	110.6 ypg (9th)	127.3 ypg (17th)
Total defense	302.1 ypg (6th)	347.5 ypg (23rd)
3rd down conversions	32.76% (5th)	45.80% (29th)
Red zone defense	38.89% (2nd)	71.88% (31st)
Sacks	31 (T-4th)	17 (28th)
Takeaways	13 (11th)	10 (20th)

Broncos’ defense ranks among NFL’s best: ‘They’ve kept us in all of these games’

The Broncos’ defense ranks third in points allowed per game (17.7) and second in sacks (35). “They’ve kept us in all of these games.”

The Denver Broncos‘ defense continues to rank among the NFL’s best through ten weeks of the 2024 season. Vance Joseph’s unit ranks fifth in total yards allowed (295.7) and third in points allowed (17.7) per game. Denver’s 35 sacks rank second and their 12 takeaways rank 13th.

“They were phenomenal like usual,” quarterback Bo Nix said when asked about the defense’s performance against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. “They’ve kept us in all of these games. They gave us the ball back and any score would’ve won. It was impressive to see them.

“They held them in the red zone several times. They didn’t give up explosive plays. They got sacks, plenty of sacks. At some point, we just have to go down there and score on our own. We have to help them up and get some points in between us. It’s a team game. We all know that. I thought the defense played really well again.”

Kansas City was 1-of-4 in the red zone on Sunday and Mahomes was sacked for times for negative 23 yards. The defense put the offense in position to win the game, and they would have if not for a blocked field goal.

If the defense continues this pace and Nix continues progressing, the Broncos will remain in playoff contention down the stretch. After eight straight years of missing the postseason, there’s reason for optimism in Denver.

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Sorry, Baltimore: Steelers know exactly how to stop Derrick Henry

Pittsburgh has consistently contained Derrick Henry, with wins over him in 2017, 2020, and 2023—a testament to their resilience.

King Henry may rule in Baltimore, but he has bowed several times to the impressive display of determination and resilience that the Steel City represents. The Pittsburgh Steelers have faced a Derrick Henry-led offense three times during his career—in 2017, 2020, and 2023—and emerged victorious each time.

In 2017, the Pittsburgh defense limited Henry to 32 rushing yards on 7 attempts. In 2020—a season many consider one of the greatest by a running back, with Henry averaging 5.4 yards per carry on 378 attempts, rushing for 2,027 yards, and scoring 17 rushing touchdowns—the Steelers once again tamed the king in their Week 7 matchup with the Titans, holding him to just 75 yards on 20 attempts. When the teams met again in 2023, Pittsburgh held Henry to the same 75 rushing yards.

The Baltimore-based king is one of the greatest running backs of his era, but his lack of production speaks volumes about HC Mike Tomlin’s ability to scheme effectively and prevent him from taking over the game. While Henry is an elite player in the NFL, make no mistake: just like the Baltimore Ravens over the past few seasons, Pittsburgh will have his number once again in Week 11.

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Mike Tomlin hilariously shrugs off risky play-calling inquiry

Mike Tomlin had an interesting response when asked if offensive success contributes to riskier play calls on defense and special teams.

Taking risks, making bold moves, and securing victories any way they come are just a few aspects of Mike Tomlin’s high-level coaching that benefit the Pittsburgh Steelers. Throughout their Week 10 contest against the Washington Commanders, the Steelers executed a variety of risky play calls across all three phases of the game—some of which succeeded, while others fell short.

During Monday’s press conference, when asked if Russell Wilson and his dynamic deep-threat ability affect riskier decision-making, Tomlin responded with a smirk: ‘No, we’re gonna take risks on defense and special teams anyway.’

While fans may argue against the destructive potential of relying on risk over strategy, Tomlin has managed to balance this razor-thin line, combining both elements when calling plays and securing critical victories in 2024 as a result.

The Steelers may need to once again lean on Tomlin’s willingness to take risks as they face a pivotal Week 11 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens on November 17th at 1:00 PM EST.

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Is it time to hit the panic button on Joey Porter Jr.?

As Joey Porter Jr. continues to shows signs of regression after a strong rookie year with the Steelers, is it time to panic?

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr., the Steelers’ second-year cornerback from Penn State, entered his rookie season in 2023 with high expectations and ultimately earned the respect of both his peers and fans. However, his second NFL season has been disappointing, to say the least.

Through nine games in the 2024 season, Porter has allowed 26 receptions for 365 yards and a quarterback passer rating of 94.5. At this rate, he is on pace to allow 689 yards by the season’s end. This marks a noticeable decline from his 2023 rookie season, where he allowed just 25 receptions for 385 yards and a QB passer rating of 68.8 over 17 games.

Though Porter has shown inconsistency throughout the season, his worst performance came in Week 10 against the Washington Commanders. He allowed 131 yards on six receptions, which accounted for 71% of Washington’s 182 total receiving yards.

Pittsburgh may need to evaluate its options moving forward, perhaps by giving Porter additional practice reps or placing a safety over him during man-coverage plays, as the Steelers defense need to keep his inefficiency under control heading into a difficult second half stretch of the 2024 season.

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Could Preston Smith be the lifeline for Steelers defense?

With Alex Highsmith set to miss time with an ankle injury, the Preston Smith acquisition may have saved the Steelers’ defense.

When Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager Omar Khan and the Steelers front office acquired OLB Preston Smith from the Green Bay Packers for a 2025 seventh-round draft pick, many began to speculate if this was the biggest steal of the trade deadline. Alex Highsmith’s apparent ankle injury in Week 10 against the Washington Commanders further solidifies Smith’s acquisition as one of the greatest trades of 2024.

While backup Nick Herbig performed admirably, the Steelers went 2-2 in games that Highsmith missed, highlighting the need for a veteran edge rusher opposite T.J. Watt.

Smith, having played 156 games with 138 starts in his 10-year career, is exactly what could save the Steelers’ defense with Highsmith set to miss time.

Used sparingly in Week 10, Smith still managed to record a sack on rookie QB Jayden Daniels.

The ‘Khan Artist’ truly struck gold in acquiring Smith’s talents, and this move could reshape the entire landscape of the Pittsburgh defense. The 31-year old Smith will look to fill the void left by Highsmith, and aims to start with sacking Ravens’ QB Lamar Jackson in Week 11.

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