Tag: game notes

Matt Eberflus seeks to pull career record vs. Lions back to .500 in Week 17

Eberflus is 3-4 against the #Lions over the course of his career and will look to get back to the .500 mark against Detroit on Sunday

The Chicago Bears could use a divisional win to cap off their disappointing 2022 campaign and will have a great opportunity on Sunday against the Detroit Lions in Week 17. Head coach Matt Eberflus has led his teams to mixed results against Detroit in the past with a 3-4 record against the Lions over the course of his career.

He was 3-3 as an assistant with the Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, and Indianapolis Colts, and took his first loss to Detroit as a head coach earlier this season in his first matchup against the team. Given that his experience in Chicago has been his only stint as a head coach at the NFL level, Eberflus will seek to improve his career record against the Lions to get back to the .500 mark as the 2022 season winds to a close.

He’ll have a tough path ahead of him to secure the Bears their fourth win of the season. Detroit has surprised several opponents after their slow start to the year and is in search of their eighth win to get their overall record back to .500 to stay in the hunt for a playoff spot.

Chicago, on the other hand, is simply playing for their pride. This failed 2022 campaign has been disappointing from the start, and if it weren’t for the magic being made by quarterback Justin Fields on the ground almost every week, Bears games would be nearly unwatchable.

Eberflus still has a lot to prove if he intends to hack it as a head coach in the NFL, and needs his team to show signs of improvement quickly to keep his job secure in the future. Though there haven’t been rumblings of the team moving on from him any time soon, Eberflus could find himself on the hot seat next season if the Bears continue to struggle.

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Jaquan Brisker became third Bears defensive back to log four or more sacks in a season in effort vs. Bills

Brisker joined elite company with his sack of quarterback Josh Allen in the #Bears’ Week 16 loss to the #Bills

Rookie safety Jaquan Brisker has been a key contributor to the Chicago Bears’ defense in 2022 and made history for the franchise in their loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 16. After sacking two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Josh Allen in the second quarter of the matchup, Brisker became just the third defensive back in Bears history to eclipse the four-sack mark in a single season.

The two other players who managed to meet this standard were Dave Duerson and Todd Bell, who managed to accumulate seven and four and a half sacks in 1986 and 1984 respectively.

Brisker tied defensive backs Derwin James and Donovan Wilson for the league lead in sacks among players at the position and moved to third place in his rookie class for pass rush production behind Detroit Lions’ stars Aidan Hutchinson and James Houston.

With these impressive numbers, Brisker is cementing himself as one of the best young safeties in the NFL, and a player that could become a cornerstone of the Bears’ defense moving forward. As the team looks to rebuild following their disappointing 2022 season, Brisker should see his role within the defense grow.

A former Penn State Nittany Lion, Brisker was a second-round selection by Chicago in April’s draft and made an immediate impact for the team as an early contributor in Week 1. His tenacious tackling ability and impressive speed made him a highly valuable prospect in this year’s draft class, and the Bears’ front office should see dividends paid for their investment in him for years to come.

Watch for Brisker to continue playing his patented brand of hard-nosed football from the safety position in the last two games of the 2022 season, and for the team to continue relying on his talent for more big plays as they try to salvage what they can of this latest failed campaign.

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Desmond King set personal best mark with 50 yard punt return vs. Browns

King’s 50-yard punt return against the #Browns was the longest of his career

The Houston Texans’ special teams unit has played well in comparison to their struggling offense and seemed to gain traction against the Cleveland Browns in Week 13 on the strength of a long punt return by cornerback Desmond King II. His 50-yard scamper was the longest punt return of his career, and though it didn’t affect the game’s final outcome, it was a good indication that the unit is trending in the right direction in the last weeks of the 2022 season.

For his part, King has proven to be a premium playmaker for Houston and uses his exceptional abilities to give the Texans any field position advantage he can to assist the offense in their quest to score points. Clearly, his efforts haven’t been the difference between wins and losses this season for the team, but as he continues to settle into his role, fans should expect more impressive plays from him.

The Texans will face a fierce opponent in the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday and will need any edge they can find to get a win over their intrastate rival against all odds. Their 1-10-1 record is indicative of the uphill battle they’ll face against the 9-3 Cowboys, who are considered among the best teams in the NFC with the playoffs quickly approaching.

Houston will need King to make the most of every opportunity he gets to flip field position against Dallas, and with another big return he could set the Texans up for success in this Lonestar State showdown. Kyle Allen and the rest of Houston’s offense will need to maximize their chances against the Cowboys’ exceptional defense to make good on any advantage King provides them, and with a few improvements over last week’s game plan, the team might be able to pull off the upset and secure their second win of the year.

Jalen Pitre climbing Texans’ rookie interceptions leaderboard

With his interception against the #Browns, Pitre took over third place on the #Texans’ all-time rookie interceptions leaderboard

Safety Jalen Pitre has been among the Houston Texans’ most valuable contributors on defense and is climbing the team leaderboard for most interceptions in a rookie season after picking off the Cleveland Browns quarterback on Sunday. He is currently in third place on the list and marked the third interception of the season with the exceptional play against Cleveland.

It is also worth noting that he managed to get involved in 16 total tackles in the matchup, which made him the first Texans rookie to break the 15-tackle threshold since Demeco Ryans in 2006. This feat is an example of the exceptional abilities that Pitre brings to the table for Houston, and is an indication that he will continue to improve his game as he matures in the Texans’ defensive system.

Head coach Lovie Smith would be wise to feature Pitre in his game plans, and once fellow rookie Derek Stingley Jr. returns from injury, the team’s secondary should be a force to be reckoned with through the end of the season. Houston will still look to add talent wherever possible in the coming offseason but has a solid group of young defensive backs to buoy the defense and provide continuity on the roster through the Texans’ rebuild in 2023.

Once the team secures the services of a capable quarterback, whether through free agency or the draft, they’ll be able to leverage the young talent they’ve assembled on defense to compete for relevance in the loaded AFC. Pitre will look to play a key part in bringing the Texans back from the dead next season and should be expected to continue building on his strong 2022 campaign to turn heads around the league.

If he can, Houston may become a premier destination for free agents who want to have a hand in helping a team come back from the brink of total collapse.

Nico Collins set high water mark for yardage in a season vs. Browns

Collins surpassed his 2021 output with three catches for 35 yards and a touchdown in the #Texans’ loss to the #Browns in Week 13

While the Houston Texans’ offense was lackluster at best against the Cleveland Browns in Week 13, wide receiver Nico Collins managed to snag enough receptions to set his career high in yardage and catches in a season in the matchup. collins burst onto the scene this year as a much-needed contributor on offense and has proven over the course of 12 games that he is a force to be reckoned with.

The Alabama native was a third-round selection by the Texans in last year’s draft class and caught 33 passes for 446 yards as a rookie in 2021. This season, he has brought in 37 passes for 481 yards, including three of those receptions for 35 yards and a touchdown against the Browns in Sunday’s action.

These numbers likely won’t get Collins on the All-Pro squad at the end of the year, but they are an indication that his trajectory is trending up, even as the Texans’ fortunes on the whole are in a tailspin. He has not had the benefit of particularly good quarterback play to this point in his career, and especially in the 2022 season where he has caught passes from Davis Mills and, more recently, Kyle Allen.

His counterpart on the outside, Brandin Cooks, was inactive for the Week 13 tilt, which opened the door for Collins to take on an expanded role in the offense. He was targeted no less than 10 times in the game, and scored the Texans’ only touchdown on a pass from the aforementioned Allen.

With more performances like the one he turned out against Cleveland, Collins could soon find himself as one of Houston’s brightest offensive stars in an offense that should feature a premium quarterback prospect next year. If he can keep his head up through all of the ups and downs of the Texans’ rebuild, he might prove to be the team’s best offensive weapon.

Wide Receiver Chris Moore tied career high in receptions vs. Commanders

Moore was the #Texans’ third-leading receiver in their Week 11 loss to the #Commanders

Houston Texans wide receiver Chris Moore did his best against the Washington Commanders in Week 11, and despite his inability to change the final outcome, he put up a valiant effort in a game where his team was completely outmatched. As one of the few Texans to produce in the matchup, Moore managed to match his career-high for receptions in a game and set new benchmarks for himself in both receptions and yardage in a single season.

He had five catches in the game for 20 yards which, when added to his season totals, combine for 22 receptions on the season for 261 total yards. His previous highs were 21 receptions, which he achieved last season for the Texans, and 248 yards, which he set as a member of the Baltimore Ravens in 2017. The high for receptions in a game that he tied has previously been set at five while playing for Houston against the New England Patriots in 2021.

While these numbers may not be flashy, with seven games left to play, Moore has plenty of time to beef up his career highs in the coming weeks. He has cemented himself as Houston’s clear-cut third receiver and will count on quarterback Davis Mills to continue feeding him the ball when he breaks free against opposing secondaries.

A fourth-round selection in the 2016 draft, Moore is now 29 years old and seeing the most significant playing time of his career on the Texans’ struggling offense. Whether he will be part of the team’s long-term plans at the wide receiver position is unknown, but indications at this point are that he should have a spot on the roster next season if he can continue putting up decent numbers through the rest of the 2022 schedule.

Time will tell if he can live up to the promise shown on his college film from his time at the University of Cincinnati, but Moore is well on his way to carving out a niche for himself in Houston.

Defensive lineman Ogbonnia Okoronkwo continued commendable string of performances against Commanders

While his strong play wasn’t enough to get the Texans a win, Okoronkwo put together a marvelous performance against the Commanders

While the Houston Texans fell well short of a win in Week 11 against the Washington Commanders, a few players stood out as top performers. Among them was defensive lineman Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, who matched his mark for a career-high in tackles in a single game with seven, which he had set in Week 10 against the New York Giants.

This is notable because his presence on the defensive line is turning into a major factor against opposing offenses who now have to account for one more player who is showing a knack for getting into the backfield. Okoronkwo is in his fifth season in the NFL and has shown signs of progression throughout the season that point toward development that could make him a major contributor on the defense moving forward.

Though he will need to continue on this trajectory for some time to become a star on the Texans’ defensive line, every indication is that he is starting to come into his own for a team that desperately needs more players to step up to find consistent success. Paired with other impact players like Jerry Hughes and Maliek Collins up front, Okoronkwo could soon find his niche as a highly effective situational pass rusher with some upside against the run when facing specific personnel packages.

His journey is far from over, but at just 27 years old, there seems to be plenty of potential for Houston’s coaching staff to turn him into a truly special talent before his career draws to a close. Whether that will be this year or next is unclear, but for head coach Lovie Smith, Okoronkwo’s potential is a cause for salivation ahead of a 2023 rebuild that will be both intensive and challenging.

When the Texans go to re-create their roster after February’s Super Bowl, watch for Okoronkwo to be a factor in its construction on the defensive line.

Texans pass rush maintaining torrid pace in 2022

The #Texans’ pass rush posted another solid game against the #Giants in Week 10 with three sacks to show for their effort

Among the few things that have gone right for the Houston Texans in 2022 has been their resurgent pass rush, which has been a key factor in any defensive success they’ve found so far this season. The Texans managed to find their way into the New York Giants’ backfield three times on Sunday, marking their third-consecutive multi-sack game and their sixth such showing on the season.

Linebackers Blake Cashman and Christian Kirksey got in on the pass-rush bonanza, while defensive linemen Jerry Hughes and Maliek Collins were able to provide the necessary push up front to hassle quarterback Daniel Jones in the pocket. Cashman and Hughes notched full sacks in the effort, and with help from Kirksey and Collins who ended the game with half a sack each, the team mustered a three-sack performance.

While this turn of events is a welcome sign for Texans fans who were hoping to see the team’s defense blossom in 2022, the unit is far from being a finished product. Sloppy play against the ground game allowed running back Saquon Barkley to carry the ball for over 150 yards, and Houston’s secondary could only hold the aforementioned Jones to four incompletions on the day.

The pass rush has been an exciting part of the Texans’ development this season to be sure, but without fundamentally sound play at other phases within the defense, Houston will continue struggling to win games through the rest of their schedule. They have relied on several rookie contributors on that side of the ball, namely Jalen Pitre, Derek Stingley, and linebacker Christian Harris.

With more experience in Lovie Smith’s defensive scheme, these players will likely become consistent performers for the Texans, but for now, their lack of playing time against high-level talent will leave Houston at a disadvantage against more established teams. Watch for the pass rush to continue picking up the slack left by the relatively green defense, and for the team to gradually improve through their remaining eight games.

Defensive lineman Kurt Hinish secured first sack of his career against Philadelphia in Week 9

Hinish has been an underrated part of the #Texans’ defense, and secured the first sack of his career against the #Eagles in Week 9

While the Houston Texans’ Week 9 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles was a downer for fans who just want to see the team win a game after a 1-6-1 start, not all was lost for one member of the defense who recorded his first career sack in the Thursday night matchup.

Defensive lineman Kurt Hinish got in the backfield to pressure Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts in the fourth quarter, marking the initial sack of what looks to be a promising career for the first-year pass rusher. The play may not have changed the outcome of the game, but given the Texans’ situation, any production and improvement is positive momentum heading into the team’s looming rebuild in 2023.

Hinish signed with Houston after going undrafted back in April and has made an impact for the Texans in the seven games he has been active for. The Week 9 matchup against the Eagles marked the most action he has seen for the team so far, as he notched 40 defensive downs played and combined for three tackles to go along with the big sack.

His success should not come as a surprise to anyone who watched him play for his alma mater at Notre Dame, where he was a standout for the Fighting Irish since the 2017 season. Hinish was an underrated part of the program’s success, and while he may not have been the most well-known contributor to their defense, he certainly showed that he could hold his own against the top-level talent on the Irish’s schedules over the years.

Whether he will turn into a defensive star for Houston like he did for Notre Dame is unclear at this juncture, but the pieces certainly seem to be there for him to become one of the team’s most impactful linemen as a hard-nosed run stuffer that has the flexibility to get after the quarterback. Time will tell just how high his ceiling is, but for a team that needs any spark they can get, Hinish is in an enviable position on the Texans’ defense heading into Week 10.

Running back Nick Chubb on prolific pace to start 2022 season

Chubb has been the Browns’ best player on offense, and has a chance to make history if he can keep up his breakneck pace.

Another 100-yard performance in Week 3 has Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb atop the NFL’s rushing leaderboard. Though Browns fans are well acquainted with his unique skillset, the league has only recently come to recognize just how game-changing his abilities are.

For perspective, Chubb notched his 49th game with 50 or more rushing yards, which is second only to Dallas Cowboys star Ezekiel Elliott for the most in a player’s first 61 games. Additionally that mark tied him with Tennessee Titans stalwart Derrick Henry for second-most by an active player in their first five years in the league at the end of Thursday’s matchup.

Along with those impressive marks, Chubb is steadily climbing Cleveland’s franchise records lists. His 100-yard showing against the Pittsburgh Steelers was the 24th of his career, which leads the NFL since his rookie season in 2018. The Browns are an impressive 17-7 when he reaches that benchmark, and are particularly reliant on his production to drive their offense downfield.

With a touchdown scored in the matchup, Chubb achieved an even 40 scores in his career, which puts him in fifth place in franchise history in the rushing category. He will need four more rushing touchdowns to tie Browns legend Otto Graham for fourth most on the franchise leaderboard, and a fifth to exceed Graham’s total for sole ownership of fourth place. If he can find pay dirt on the ground eight more times in 2022, he could move into third place, passing Kevin Mack and Mike Pruitt at 46 and 47 respectively.

The work being put in by Chubb on a week-to-week basis is reaching legendary status, and the team certainly wouldn’t be the top team in the AFC North if it weren’t for his exceptional play to start the season. With 14 games remaining on Cleveland’s schedule, he will have ample opportunity to build on his already prolific performances, and cement himself as the NFL’s premier ball carrier.

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