The Ravens had a pretty massive need at inside linebacker and Queen is likely to be thrust immediately into action.
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The Baltimore Ravens have selected an inside linebacker in the first round for the first time since 2014 as they take LSU linebacker Patrick Queen at No. 28 in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
The Ravens had a pretty massive need at inside linebacker and Queen is likely to be thrust immediately into action following the departures of Patrick Onwuasor and Josh Bynes this offseason. Of the four other linebackers on Baltimore’s roster, only L.J. Fort and Jake Ryan have any starting experience while Otaro Alaka hasn’t seen the field at all. There’s likely going to be a competition for who pairs with Queen at linebacker at this point.
Queen, standing at 6-foot-1 and 229 pounds, totaled 85 tackles in his senior year and four sacks in his three seasons in college. His 4.50-second speed in the 40-yard-dash made him the fourth-fastest linebacker in this class, which is a major asset against today’s pass-happy offenses.
Queen will have to work run defense as well, which was suspect at times during his time at LSU, especially during play action. He’s only a one-year starter and comes into the NFL a little raw because of it. At times, Queen still doesn’t trust himself to hit the correct gap and he benefitted from a strong defensive line in front of him at LSU, which will likely translate over to the NFL. However, with the Ravens adding Calais Campbell and Derek Wolfe to Matthew Judon and Brandon Williams, he should be able to overcome that issue.
Queen has a ton of upside thanks to his physical tools and given Baltimore’s weakness at the position, he’s an immediate starter. Now it remains to be seen what positions the Ravens decide to fill on Friday when the draft continues to rounds three and four.
Instant analysis of the Packers’ 37-20 defeat at the hands of the 49ers in the NFC title game on Sunday.
The Green Bay Packers fell behind 27-0 in the first half and didn’t have enough run defense or firepower on offense to mount a legitimate comeback in the second half, eventually falling 37-20 to the superior San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday night at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
Game balls
WR Davante Adams: Despite a quiet first half, Adams caught nine passes on 11 targets for a game-high 138 receiving yards, including an impressive 65-yard catch in the second half.
No defensive game ball awarded.
Key Stat
285: The 49ers rushed for a season-high 285 yards, including 220 from Raheem Mostert.
Quick takes
– A captivating Packers season ended one game short of the Super Bowl. They’re now 0-3 in NFC title game since winning Super Bowl XLV. All three losses came on the road.
– For the second time in as many trips to Levi’s Stadium, just about everything that could’ve gone wrong went wrong early on Sunday. Offense, defense, special teams, coaching, game management. All of it. What a disaster the first half was. It ended up being way too much to overcome.
– In the 2016 NFC title game, the Packers trailed 24-0 at halftime in Atlanta. This time around, the Packers trailed 27-0.
– The Packers were outscored 50-0 in the first half of two games against the 49ers in San Francisco and 74-28 overall. Aaron Rodgers didn’t think the gap between his team and the 49ers was big, but the scoreboard suggested otherwise. The 49ers had more playmakers and were bigger and faster on defense.
– Matt LaFleur pointed to an inability to stop the run and turnovers on offense as the breaking points for his team. No arguments here. The Packers allowed 6.8 yards per carry and almost 300 total rushing yards, and the offense turned it over three times, including two critical first-half turnovers.
– Jimmy Garoppollo attempted only eight passes but the 49ers still scored 37 points. Kyle Shanahan’s creative run scheme and Raheem Mostert’s blazing speed killed Mike Pettine’s defense without any need to throw it.
– The Packers played nickel and base defense and neither had any chance at stopping the run. Mostert used his speed and cut-back ability to both hit the edge and find cutback lanes. The Packers defense was either slow to cut the corner or overpursued outside. It’ll go down as one of the worst performances from a run defense in NFL postseason history.
– Shanahan and the 49ers run game made Blake Martinez look like a really bad player. He isn’t, but the Packers need a major talent infusion at inside linebacker. The difference in talent and speed at the position between the Packers and 49ers was staggering. The interior of the defensive line needs help, too.
– Matt LaFleur had two shots at crafting a game plan to beat the 49ers and he came up woefully short both times. The Packers were undermanned talent-wise, but the coaching and plan didn’t come close to making up for it.
– Rodgers pointed to a mishandled snap in the first half as one of the turning points. He and Corey Linsley failed to execute the snap, and it killed a likely scoring drive and gave the football back to the Niners. Later in the half, he threw an interception in his own half that led to seven more points.
– Aaron Jones found running lanes early, but with the game script going haywire early, his opportunities in the run game became limited. His impact in the passing game never really materialized.
– Jace Sternberger made a nice move on linebacker Fred Warner to wiggle free for a second-half touchdown. He’s a young player to watch in 2020. Potential breakout candidate.
– Up next: The offseason. With another couple of impressive months building the roster by Brian Gutekunst, the Packers could certainly be back in this game – with a better chance to win it – in 2020.
Instant analysis of the Packers’ 28-23 win over the Seahawks in the NFC Divisional Round of the playoffs.
The Green Bay Packers opened up a 21-3 lead in the first half and then survived a furious Russell Wilson comeback to hold on for a 28-23 win over the Seattle Seahawks during Sunday’s NFC Divisional Round playoff game at Lambeau Field.
Game balls
WR Davante Adams: He caught eight passes for 160 yards, two touchdowns and one of the big third-down conversions on the final drive.
OLB Preston Smith: His late third-down sack helped the Packers survive. He finished with two sacks and four quarterback hits.
LB Oren Burks: He finished with a game-high three tackles on special teams.
Key Stat
9: The number of third-down conversions from the Packers’ offense, including two crucial conversions on the final drive.
Quick takes
– The Packers led 21-3 at halftime but flashbacks of an agonizing afternoon in Seattle in January of 2015 crept into minds during the second half. This team, however, showed real resolve, getting one big stop and one big drive to finish off a win. The 2019 Green Bay Packers just find ways to make big plays late and win games, no matter the aesthetics.
– The dramatic win sends the Packers back to San Francisco, where they lost 37-8 in November.
– Adams had the game of his life. He caught a 20-yard touchdown to cap off the first drive, answered Seattle’s first second-half with a 40-yard touchdown and then helped seal the game with a 32-yard catch on 3rd-and-8 with just over two minutes left. All night long, he delivered in clutch moments with ridiculously good routes.
– Rodgers was terrific on third down. All nine conversions came via his right arm.
– Big props to Jimmy Graham. He converted three huge third downs. The first two eventually ended in touchdowns. The third clinched the win against this former team. His stat line finished at three catches for 49 yards, but Sunday night was his biggest and most important performance as a Packer.
– The Packers defense kept Russell Wilson under pressure for most of the night, but the former Badger quarterback was slippery as ever. He took five sacks but probably avoided 10 others. He was hit 10 times. By the fourth quarter, his disappearing acts had drained the Packers defense. One third-down sack by Preston Smith eliminated Wilson’s final shot.
– Neither team had a turnover, and neither team delivered a stop in the red zone. Overall, only 10 penalties were accepted. It was a clean football game.
– Credit Jared Veldheer. Once again, he played in place of Bryan Bulaga and held his own. Bulaga, the warrior right tackle, missed the game due to an illness that has plagued the Packers for the better part of a month.
– Coach Matt LaFleur became the first Packers coach in franchise history to win a playoff game in his first season.
– Up next: The Packers are headed to San Francisco for a rematch with the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game. The winner will go to Super Bowl LIV.
Here’s the Baltimore Ravens score against the Tennessee Titans and instant analysis of each scoring drive for the NFL playoffs matchup
The Baltimore Ravens get their chance to show what they’re capable of in the NFL playoffs, against the Tennessee Titans.
Coming off a first-round bye thanks to their 14-2 record and No. 1 seed, Baltimore is pretty healthy and fresh. They’ll be looking to remind the rest of the league just how dominant they were during the regular season while extending their winning streak to 13 games to go to the AFC Championship Game.
But they’ll have to go through a Titans team that is coming off an upset win over the New England Patriots. With a powerful rushing attack and a capable defense, Tennessee is hoping they can upset everyone to wrap up their Cinderella story to Super Bowl LIV.
We’ll keep you up to date with all the action in this NFL playoff matchup. Live Ravens and Titans scores as well as instant analysis of each scoring drive so you know what happened outside of the end zone.
Instant analysis of the Packers’ 23-20 win over the Lions in Week 17 of the 2019 season.
The Green Bay Packers were asleep at the wheel for most of the first 40 minutes but eventually woke up in the second half and stunned the Detroit Lions on Sunday at Ford Field, using a pair of touchdown passes from Aaron Rodgers, big stops from the defense, an explosive play from Aaron Jones and a game-winning field goal from Mason Crosby to escape with a 23-20 win.
Game balls
RB Aaron Jones: He carried 25 times for 100 yards, and his 31-yard catch-and-run helped set up the Packers’ game-winning field goal.
OLB Za’Darius Smith: His pressures helped force rookie quarterback David Blough into important mistakes and incompletions in the third and fourth quarters.
K Mason Crosby: He missed a 51-yarder, but he also connected on three clutch kicks in the second half, including the game-tying extra point and game-winning field goal.
Key Stat
20: The number of points scored in the second half for the Packers, who trailed 17-3 at the half.
Quick takes
– The Packers needed one final ugly win to clinch the first-round bye. They came out flat early – an expected result of a short week coming off a big road win – and then scratched and clawed their way back late. Coming back to beat the Lions sure beats the 31-0 drubbing they took at Lambeau Field in last year’s finale.
– Aaron Rodgers played a terrible first half and was as inaccurate as he’s been all season, but he made big throws late to help the Packers escape. He needs to be much, much better if the Packers are to make a Super Bowl run next month.
– Rodgers had 28 incomplete passes on Sunday, setting a new career-high in a game. He finished 27-of-55 passing.
– The defense did enough to keep the Packers in it. They delivered an interception and two stops late in the fourth quarter, giving the offense plenty of chances to complete the comeback.
– The Packers overcame injuries to Corey Linsley (back) and Bryan Bulaga (evaluated for concussion) along the offensive line. Lucas Patrick, who just signed a new, two-year extension, held up at center, while Jared Veldheer, a recent addition, played well at right tackle. The Packers will now have an extra week to get the offensive line healthy again.
– The Packers kept giving the ball to Aaron Jones and it eventually paid off. He finished with 143 yards. No. 33 is always good for a few big plays on turf.
– Even when it looked dark, the Packers had a chance to win it because David Blough was capable of making mistakes and Jones and Davante Adams were capable of creating big plays.
– Allen Lazard saved the day a few times. He made an impressive catch off his facemask for a first down, went up to catch the game-tying touchdown pass over Darius Slay and converted a late third-down with a nice slant route inside. He finished with 69 receiving yards.
– Aaron Jones finished the season with 1,084 rushing yards. He was unable to score his 20th touchdown. Davante Adams finished three yards short of 1,000 receiving yards. Aaron Rodgers finished with 4,002 passing yards.
– Matt LaFleur became just the fifth coach in NFL history to win at least 13 games in their first season as coach.
– Up next: The Packers are off for the first round of the playoffs. They’ll host their next opponent in the NFC Divisional Round at Lambeau Field.
Up to the minute scores and instant analysis of each scoring drive between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 17
It’s the final week of the 2019 NFL regular season and the Baltimore Ravens are playing host to the Pittsburgh Steelers. It’s the second of two matchups this season, with Baltimore winning the last one back in Week 5 in a 26-23 overtime clincher.
This week doesn’t mean much to the Ravens, having clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC with last week’s win over the Cleveland Browns. But for the Steelers, they absolutely need to win this week to even have a shot at making the postseason. However, with Baltimore resting several starters and Pittsburgh dealing with injuries, this one could very well look more like a preseason matchup rather than one with playoff implications.
Still, the Ravens and Steelers are always good football and we should expect more of that today. If you can’t keep up with the action live, we’ll be posting the up-to-date score and instant analysis of each scoring drive to help you out.
Instant analysis of the Packers’ 23-10 win over the Vikings in Week 16.
The Green Bay Packers used two rushing touchdowns from Aaron Jones and an utterly dominant performance from Za’Darius Smith and the rest of Mike Pettine’s defense to beat the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night, a victory that clinches the NFC North title for Matt LaFleur’s team.
It was over when …
… Kirk Cousins’ fourth-down prayer late in the fourth quarter was dropped, handing the ball back to the Packers and securing Green Bay’s 23-10 victory.
Game balls
RB Aaron Jones: He scored a 12-yard touchdown to give the Packers the lead in the third quarter and then scored a 56-touchdown to put the game away in the fourth quarter. He finished with 154 rushing yards.
OLB Za’Darius Smith: The Pro Bowl snub produced 3.5 sacks, 5 tackles for losses and five quarterback hits in one of the most dominant performances in recent memory by a Packers edge rusher.
P JK Scott: He boomed five punts, averaging 46.8 yards with two inside the 20-yard. He hit a 58-yarder and a 60-yarder.
Key Stat
127: The Packers out-rushed the Vikings by 127 yards, 184 to 57.
Quick takes
– The Green Bay Packers are the 2019 champions of the NFC North.
– The Vikings were without Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison, but the performance from Mike Pettine’s defense was championship-worthy. They held the Vikings to 139 total yards. Minnesota averaged 2.6 yards per play. Kirk Cousins finished with 82 net passing yards on 32 attempts.
– Za’Darius Smith wrecked everything. He should be an All-Pro. He should be in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year, too.
– Aaron Jones fumbled on the first series, but he finished with 23 carries for 154 yards and two huge touchdowns. He now has 19 scores in 2019.
– The offense moved the football consistently, dominated time of possession and eventually wore out the Vikings defense. The Packers rushed for 184 yards and owned the line of scrimmage.
– Allen Lazard wasn’t perfect, but he made at least three big third-down catches that moved the sticks. Aaron Rodgers trusted him in a bunch of big spots, and he came through.
– Kenny Clark is going to be a very rich man soon. Vikings rookie center Garrett Bradbury will have nightmares about No. 97 for a long time.
– Davante Adams and Aaron Jones got the ball 38 times. They produced 276 total yards.
– Matt LaFleur and Mike Pettine both dialed up incredible plans. They out-coached the Vikings for most of the contest.
– There’s a chance this game ends 23-0 without the three Packers turnovers in the first half. Credit the offense for sticking with it despite the rocky start and the defense for keeping them in it the whole way.
– It took the Packers four tries, but they have a win at U.S. Bank Stadium. Celebrating a division title in Minneapolis will be extra sweet.
– Many Vikings fans exited the building early.
– Up next: The Packers go to Detroit with a chance to finish 13-3 and clinch a first-round bye (and maybe more) if they beat the Lions.
Keep it tuned here to see the Ravens score along with instant analysis of each scoring drive as they happen in Week 16 against the Browns.
The Baltimore Ravens wrap up their season with two games against AFC North rivals — the first against the Cleveland Browns in Week 16.
Both the Ravens and Browns have been headed in different directions this season. Cleveland earned lots of preseason praise for a roster that looked unstoppable but have managed to stumble to a 6-8 record and a 10th consecutive season without a playoff berth. Baltimore, on the other hand, has won 10 straight games and look to be en route to a No. 1 seed in the AFC playoff picture.
This game matters to both teams greatly. For the Ravens, it’s their chance to clinch the top seed and potentially rest starters in Week 17. For the Browns, it’s a chance to not have a losing season and sweep the best team in the division — two consolation prizes in a lost season.
This game should be chippy and full of attitude. For true football fans, you’ll want your television locked on to this matchup. But if you’re unable to watch or want to know what’s happening a little closer, we’ll be providing up-to-date scores and instant analysis of each scoring drive below.
The Dallas Cowboys came into Week 15’s matchup with the Los Angeles Rams as a broken team. The offense had looked horrible for three-straight weeks. The defense hadn’t looked right for much of the season and had several stretches in the last few …
The Dallas Cowboys came into Week 15’s matchup with the Los Angeles Rams as a broken team. The offense had looked horrible for three-straight weeks. The defense hadn’t looked right for much of the season and had several stretches in the last few games where players looked like they weren’t giving maximum effort. The special teams units were an embarrassment of the highest magnitude.
As a result, the owner had been on the radio several weeks in a row discussing the head-coaching search despite Jason Garrett remaining employed. It was an absolute mess and it felt as if things were going to change in 2019, it had to happen quick and in a hurry. They did. Dallas summoned the pride of their ancestors and absolutely throttled the Los Angeles Rams, 44-21 to pull even on the season at 7-7.
The Cowboys reached their season high in points while at their lowest point of the season.
What a world.
It was over when…
… Dak Prescott somehow escaped a sure sack from Dante Fowler, stepped up into the pocket, and after the Rams’ secondary collided with each other, found Tavon Austin open for a wide open , 59-yard touchdown.
The score gave Dallas a 14-7 lead and announced that unlike the previous two weeks, the Cowboys wouldn’t be going in the tank after their first score of the game. This time, Dallas continued to play well on both sides of the ball and instead of getting ran, did the running, scoring 30 straight points to make the game into a second-half laugher.
Conventional Stats
Efficiency Stats
Game Balls
Sean Lee
Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Lee turned back the clock. Starting for Leighton Vander Esch once again, Lee missed the entire week of practice with pectoral and thigh injuries. The rest worked as he was all over the field when Dallas needed him most. Lee secured his first interception of the season and first since 2017 before halftime, giving Dallas another possession and allowing them to balloon their lead from 21-7 to 28-7.
In the second half, Lee came in for a huge sack of Jared Goff, his first full sack since 2015. It was a banner day for a player who has struggled much of the year in limited action.
Kai Forbath
Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Needing to be released back in February, somehow Brett Maher lasted through Week 14 of this season. Finally, Dallas brought in kickers to tryout and settled on Forbath. He flubbed the opening kickoff and it seemed destined to be a bad day when the Rams started from their 40-yard line.
Then Forbath went into Cobra Kai mode. He nailed a 50-yarder, then firmly knocked through two more field goals from over 40 and made five extra points.
He ended up kicking another one out of bounds late in the fourth quarter.
Ezekiel Elliott
Much has been made about Elliott’s lack of explosive plays this season. With the Cowboys struggling and Prescott playing the first half of the year in the MVP race, he’s been discounted far too often. Over the last several weeks he’s picked up his play, but it hasn’t been worth much as Dallas has trailed big early and abandoned the run game.
Not Sunday.
Elliott was masterful with several big gains on both the ground and through the air, ending the game with 160 total yards and two scores (both on the ground) giving him 11 touchdowns for the season.
Tony Pollard
When Elliott wasn’t giving the Rams’ defense the business, Pollard was spelling him and dictating his own terms. The fourth-round pick was sorely missed against Chicago 10 days ago, but he came through in a major way against the Rams.
In the playoff loss to LA, Dallas watched as Todd Gurley and CJ Anderson performed the dynamic duo role. This time, Dallas starred as the superheroes.
Pollard chipped in 85 yards on the ground, giving Dallas over 200 in rushing as a team, and also threw in another 12 yards receiving. He was everything we mentioned in our 5 to Watch pre-game column:
Ezekiel Elliott’s handcuff should see a ton of action against the Rams as the Cowboys offense looks to emerge from their doldrums that have infected their possessions over the last couple weeks. Pollard is a weapon in his shiftiness and tackle-breaking ability with excellent balance and needs to be part of both the passing and running game for the Cowboys.
Key Stat: 97
Rams’ punter Tom Hekker is a big weapon for their team. After Dallas earned a stop, leading 14-7, Hekker booted a masterful punt that placed Dallas at their own three-yard line with a lot of tough yardage to go. Eight minutes and 14 plays later, Elliott was celebrating in the end zone from one-yard out and Dallas had their second 90-plus-yard drive of the first half.
Quick Hits
Jourdan Lewis is now third on the team in sacks after notching another one, his third in the last two weeks. He also leads the team in interceptions with two. Somehow, the Cowboys have kept their biggest playmaker on the bench for much of the last two years, as he is only starting due to Anthony Brown’s injury issues. Insane.
Michael Bennett continues to notch pre-snap penalties, getting two off-sides called on him. Fortunately it was late in the game and didn’t impact the final result, but it is maddening.
The Cowboys’ star receivers? Amari Cooer, Michael Gallup and Randall Cobb combined for just 22 total receiving yards.
Blake Jarwin continues to be impressive with gaining yards after the catch, but Jason Witten turned back the clock on an early touchdown reception.
Instant analysis of the Packers’ 21-13 win over the Bears on Sunday, Dec. 15 at Lambeau Field.
The Green Bay Packers scored a pair of touchdowns to open the second half and then held on for a 21-15 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday at Lambeau Field, improving the Packers’ record to 11-3 and pushing the Bears to the brink of elimination from playoff contention.
It was over when …
… the Bears’ last gasp effort from the 34-yard line ended up just short of the end zone with no time remaining.
Game balls
RB Aaron Jones: He scored touchdowns on each of the Packers’ first two drives to start the third quarter, extending Green Bay’s lead to 21-3. He finished with just 51 rushing yards, but his two scores gave him 17 for the season.
DL Kenny Clark: He set the tone early when he sliced into the backfield and stopped Tarik Cohen for a 3-yard loss. He added two sacks, giving him 3.5 over the last two games.
PR Tyler Ervin: His two kick returns netted 71 yards, including a season-long return of 45 yards, and his only punt return gained 12 yards, making him 5-for-5 gaining 10 or more yards on punt returns over the last two games.
Key Stat
6: The Packers forced three turnovers and stopped the Bears on three different fourth downs.
Quick takes
– The Packers have winning ugly mastered. Who knows if it will translate into playoff wins, but they’ve all but guaranteed a playoff spot with an 11th win in 14 games.
– The variance of the Packers’ offense is nothing short of maddening. They can produce spurts of high-level play, but for every impressive touchdown drive, there are two or three possessions that fall well below the standard set in Green Bay. Oftentimes, the good and the bad possessions are clumped together. Such was the case again Sunday.
– The Packers offense delivered another fast start and then hibernated for the second quarter. They came out of half time, scored on back-to-back possessions and then limped to the finish line.
– Aaron Rodgers played another disappointing game. He made two or three big throws to spark scoring drives, but he struggled for long stretches again. His 33 attempts netted 192 yards.
– Davante Adams caught seven passes for 103 yards and a score. His touchdown on 4th-and-4 gave the Packers an early 7-0 lead, and his 34-yard catch-and-run sparked a scoring drive to start the second half. He also dropped at least three passes.
– Mitchell Trubisky threw at least a half-dozen interceptable passes. The Packers finished with two picks and six pass breakups.
– Jake Kumerow made former Packer Ha Ha Clinton-Dix miss in the open field on his 49-yard catch in the third quarter.
– Kenny Clark keeps coming on. He was dominant early and disruptive throughout. The Packers defense is a different animal when he’s healthy.
– Aaron Jones finished with only 51 rushing yards, but they were hard-earned yards. Both of his scores were impressive. On the first, he ran through the tackle attempt of Kyle Fuller and beat Eddie Jackson to the pylon. Later, he ran right through the Bears defensive back at the goal line for the 2-yard score. Jones is such a special player.
– The Packers can win the division by winning just one of the final two games. They can clinch at least the No. 2 seed and a first-round by winning both.
– One final thing: Don’t discount the value in the Packers winning all these close games late. There’s something to being in that late-game scenario and knowing what it takes to win and how not to lose. Maybe that factors in once the calendar flips to January.
– Up next: The Packers head west for the short road trip to Minneapolis, where they’ll play the Vikings on Monday Night Football in Week 16.
