Tag: Kyler Murray

Bills’ Leslie Frazier says players from offense could be option vs. Hail Mary

Bills Leslie Frazier on Hail Mary issues: ‘It’s a head-scratcher’

Prior to facing the Los Angeles Chargers, Buffalo Bills safety Jordan Poyer said he was moving on from the ending of his team’s loss to the Arizona Cardinals. That, of course, was highlighted by a Hail Mary pass from Kyler Murray to DeAndre Hopkins to end the game in a Cards win.

“I’ve played this game long enough to understand that you’re going to be on the bad end of some plays,” Poyer said.

While the Bills (8-3) did top the Chargers, 27-17, in Week 12, Poyer and his teammates got a friendly reminder of something from two weeks earlier, before Buffalo went on their bye week.

The ills beat Los Angeles, but what did quarterback Justin Herbert do?

Completed another Hail Mary pass against the Bills in the dying seconds.

The play left Buffalo defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, quite literally, was scratching his head during his weekly video conference on Monday.

“Believe me, I wish I knew,” Frazier said. “It’s a head-scratcher. The one yesterday, I just shake my head. We have a bunch of guys around the ball.”

While games rarely come down to such a play, Frazier said the team does practice such plays each and every week. One question some wonder is should the Bills put better personnel out there on the field in such circumstances? Such as players from offense?

Frazier didn’t say no.

“Could be, could be,” Frazier said when asked about the possibility. “Those are things we’re thinking about. But I think we’re capable of knocking that ball down. We haven’t done it yet, but I think we’re capable of doing it. We have some pretty good athletes back there.”

The Bills secondary has been a strength of the team for multiple seasons since Sean McDermott took over as head coach in 2017. As of now, there’s little reason to overreact to such plays occurring, as the likelihood of completing the Hail Mary is low. In fact, Murray’s Hail Mary completion to Hopkins had about a one-in-six chance of being caught. Hopkins, for his part, made the play of the season.

After the Cards loss, it was kind of an eye roll situation. Now? Well, things like that just don’t happen twice for no reason. Hopefully we actually don’t find out the answer to this question, but could Tyron Johnson catching Herbert’s late catch change the way Buffalo’s defense attacks such scenarios? Guys like Stefon Diggs or Dawson Knox could be options.

In any event, these head-scratching needs to be replaced by precise execution moving forward.

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Fanrasy Football Targets, Touches and TDs: Week 13

A look at the best and worst fantasy football schedules the rest of the way.

So we’re past Thanksgiving.

That not only means fewer than 30 shopping days until Christmas, but also that the fantasy football playoffs are essentially upon us.

In the majority of leagues, postseason play kicks off Week 14 and runs through Week 16 when the majority of 2020 champions will be crowned.

With that very stretch in focus, this week’s TT&T is referencing The Huddle’s extremely useful Fantasy Strength of Schedule tool and looking at the easiest and toughest postseason itineraries for each of the five main fantasy positions: quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end and team defense/special teams. The 10 easiest and 10 toughest are listed for each, followed by quick thoughts on what jumps out from the rankings.

All statistics and rankings are through Week 12 play Monday night.

Quarterback

Easiest Week 14-16 fantasy QB schedules

1) Rams, 2) Buccaneers, 3) Washington, 4) Packers, 5) Chargers, 6) Broncos, 7) Jets, 8) Lions, 9) Bears, 10) Falcons

Notable

  • Chargers rookie QB Justin Herbert had his first sub-20-fantasy-point game with 19.6 in Buffalo on Sunday, but he still currently ranks fifth among healthy quarterbacks with an average of 27.9 points per outing. According to the strength of schedule tool, the Chargers have faced the fifth-easiest fantasy QB slate so far this season (Weeks 1-12), and it’s not going to get any tougher in the fantasy playoffs with matchups against the Falcons, Raiders and Broncos, so plan to keep riding the rookie.
  • Grizzled veterans Aaron Rodgers (sixth among QBs with a 27.5-fantasy-point average) and Tom Brady (eighth with 24.7 points) should continue to defy Father Time, at least through the fantasy postseason, with top-four fantasy QB schedules that feature a combined three positive matchups (opposing teams in the top eight of average QB fantasy points allowed), three neutral contests (opposing defenses ranked ninth through 24th) and no negative matchups (25th and below).
  • The Rams’ Jared Goff is going to be tough to trust coming off his season-worst 11-point dud Sunday against the 49ers, but the fantasy postseason schedule is juicy, particularly matchups against two of the four most favorable fantasy defenses (Seahawks and Jets) in Weeks 15 and 16 if you get that far and still need a streaming or a QB2 option in a two-quarterback league.
  • The Lions’ Matthew Stafford and Falcons’ Matt Ryan also are set up as favorable streaming options, but definitely keep an eye on the health of their respective receiving weapons (namely WRs Kenny Golladay and Julio Jones) before rolling with either in a win-or-go-home fantasy playoff contest.

Toughest Week 14-16 fantasy QB schedules

1) Bills, 2) Texans, 3) Bengals, 4) Cardinals, 5) Colts, 6) Jaguars, 7) Panthers, 8) Vikings, 9) Eagles, 10. Cowboys

Notable

  • You’re almost assuredly still going to keep riding top-seven fantasy QBs Kyler Murray (first), Josh Allen (fourth), and Deshaun Watson (seventh) in the fantasy playoffs, but don’t expect smooth sailing with a combined nine-game postseason itinerary that features five minus matchups, four neutrals and no plus fantasy contests.
  • The Vikings’ Kirk Cousins is sixth among QBs (two-start minimum) with an average of 26.6 fantasy points over the last three weeks, and that should continue with favorable matchups against the Jaguars (third best for fantasy QBs) and Bucs (fifth best) ahead the next two week. But games against the Bears (third stingiest vs. fantasy QBs) and Saints (seventh) in Weeks 15 and 16 are cause for concern if you’re trying to map out possible streaming plans for the coming month.

Running back

Easiest Week 14-16 fantasy RB schedules

1) Titans, 2) Packers, 3) Bears, 4) Lions, 5) Broncos, 6) Buccaneers, 7) Dolphins, 8) Colts, 9) Ravens, 10) Panthers

Notable

  • League rushing leader Derrick Henry (1,257 yards) is already crushing with an average of 20.1 fantasy points (point-per-reception scoring) — and that’s despite only 23.3 total receiving points (14 catches for 93 yards and no TDs). And here’s predicting King Henry will be the crown jewel on a number of league championship teams with a fantasy postseason schedule that consists of plus matchups against the Jaguars, Lions and Packers — all top-six defenses in terms of average fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs.
  • The Packers, with Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams, also are 3-for-3 in positive fantasy running back postseason matchups with games against the not-so-formidable run defenses of the Lions, Panthers and Titans.
  • If you’ve been hanging tight through the ups and downs with rookie RBs D’Andre Swift (Lions), Jonathan Taylor (Colts) and K. Dobbins (Ravens), it could very well pay off in the fantasy postseason provided that Swift recovers from his concussion, which kept him out in Weeks 11 and 12, and Taylor gains clearance from COVID-19 issues.
  • Those who spent the No. 1 overall draft pick on Christian McCaffrey have only received three games out of him so far due to injury, but they’ve yielded a whopping 90.4 fantasy points. And if you make it to the postseason despite CMC’s prolonged absence and he returns in Week 14, that top pick could very well pay off when it matters most as the Panthers face the 10th-most favorable fantasy RB postseason schedule with games against the Broncos, Packers and Washington.

Toughest Week 14-16 fantasy RB schedules

1) Vikings, 2) Chiefs, 3) Bills, 4) Cowboys, 5) Eagles, 6) Giants, 7) Seahawks, 8) Cardinals, 9) Texans, 10) 49ers

Notable

  • Among running backs who have played at least four games, Minnesota stud Dalvin Cook leads the way with an average of 25.1 fantasy points per contest. But it’s interesting to note that, according to The Huddle SOS, the Vikings have played the easiest fantasy running back slate to date (Weeks 1-12). Minnesota will encounter the toughest running back road in the fantasy postseason with games against the Bucs, Bears and Saints. You’re still rolling with Cook, but temper expectations that he’s going to single-handedly carry your squad to a league title.
  • Those fantasy general managers who have weathered the weekly roller coaster with high draft picks Ezekiel Elliott, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Kenyan Drake and Miles Sanders need to be prepared for tough fantasy postseason itineraries and might need to seriously weigh other starting options come playoff time.

Wide receiver

Easiest Week 14-16 fantasy WR schedules

1) Rams, 2) Buccaneers, 3) Washington, 4) Bears, 5) Packers, 6) Lions, 7) Jets, 8) Ravens, 9) Chargers, 10) Titans

Notable

  • The Rams’ Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp are both currently WR2s with 16.6 and 14.3 fantasy-point-per-game averages, respectively, and the going should be even more favorable in the fantasy playoffs with the easiest projected schedule for wide receivers, particularly the back-to-back matchups against the Jets and Seahawks in the Weeks 15 and 16. It’s a big reason why we just got done talking about Goff as a viable streaming option in the fantasy postseason.
  • Despite continued far from ideal QB play, the Bears’ Allen Robinson ranks 13th among wideouts with an average of 16.7 fantasy points per game, and he should continue to shine with a fantasy playoff slate that consists of the Texans, Vikings and Jaguars, all of which ranks among the top third of most favorable fantasy wide receiver secondaries.
  • The Lions’ Golladay has only played four full games — and none since Week 7 — this season due to injury issues, but if he can return in the coming weeks, he should be able to feast on a Week 14-16 slate that includes matchups against the Packers, Titans and Bucs.

Toughest Week 14-16 fantasy WR schedules

1) Panthers, 2) Jaguars, 3) Patriots, 4) Seahawks, 5) Texans, 6) Raiders, 7) Bills, 8) Steelers, 9) Dolphins, 10) Broncos

Notable

As mentioned with McCaffrey above, the Panthers’ fantasy postseason schedule is more of a run funnel, as the Carolina wideouts face the toughest playoff slate with games against the Broncos, Packers and Washington. That could mean an end-of-season damper for Panthers receivers Robby Anderson, D.J. Moore and the surging Curtis Samuel. To date, the SOS metrics say the Panthers have faced the easiest fantasy WR slate so far, but that’s about to change drastically.

  • The Texans’ wideout duo of Will Fuller and Brandin Cooks has been a boon for Watson, but now Fuller has been suspended for the remainder of the season and the next three weeks are brutal with a matchup against the Bears (fourth toughest vs. opposing fantasy wide receivers) sandwiched between the divisional home-and-home contests against the Colts (seventh toughest).
  • Seattle’s DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are both WR1s, with a combined average of 37.3 fantasy points per outing — tops among wide receiver duos. But playoff matchups against two of the three toughest fantasy wide receiver secondaries (Washington, Rams) in Weeks 15 and 16 is brutal timing.

Tight end

Easiest Week 14-16 fantasy TE schedules

1) Broncos, 2) Vikings, 3) Jaguars, 4) Falcons, 5) Ravens, 6) Texans, 7) Steelers, 8) Jets, 9) Seahawks, 10) Bears

Notable

  • Can Denver Noah’s Fant, currently 11th among active tight ends with an average of 9.6 fantasy points per game, finish with a florurish? A Week 14-16 schedule that consists of games against three top-third fantasy TE defenses (Panthers, Bills and Chargers) certainly throws the door wide open to that possibility.
  • The Falcons’ Hayden Hurst and the Steelers’ Eric Ebron, both tied for 12th at the position with an average of 9.5 fantasy points per game, have been solid high-end streaming options for most of the season, and both definitely should be locked in with favorable fantasy postseason schedules ahead.
  • Speaking of tight end streaming options with plus slates coming up, keep Vikings tight ends Irv Smith (if healthy) and Kyle Rudolph on the radar as Minnesota faces the Bucs, Bears and Saints — all beatable fantasy tight end defenses — in the fantasy playoffs.

Toughest Week 14-16 fantasy TE schedules

1) Bills, 2) Cardinals, 3) Raiders, 4) Colts, 5) Bengals, 6) Panthers, 7) Titans, 8) Washington, 9) Eagles, 10) Dolphins

Notable

  • Thanks to his tight end-leading seven touchdown grabs (tied with Travis Kelce and Robert Tonyan), the Titans’ Jonnu Smith ranks eighth among still-active TEs with his average of 10.2 fantasy points per game. But Smith is tied for 16th at the position in both receptions (30) and yards (338) and faces two of the eight toughest fantasy tight end defenses (Lions and Packers) back-to-back in Weeks 15 and 16.

Team defense/special teams

Easiest Week 14-16 fantasy D/ST schedules

1) Cowboys, 2) Cardinals, 3) Seahawks, 4) 49ers, 5) Panthers, 6) Browns, 7) Texans, 8) Chargers, 9) Saints, 10) Rams

Notable

  • This is where a fantasy strength of schedule lookahead is especially useful with the abundance of defensive/special teams unit streaming.
  • An intriguing list to be sure as six of these 10 D/STs (Cowboys, Cardinals, 49ers, Panthers, Texans and Chargers) rank in the bottom half at this position in terms of average fantasy points per game. Dallas, which is ranked 27th among D/STs with an average of 4.2 fantasy points per outing, presents the biggest conundrum as it has three plus-matchups (opposing offenses ranked among the eight most charitable in terms of average fantasy defensive points surrendered), including the Bengals in Week 14 and Eagles in Week 16.
  • Those already rostering the Browns, Rams and Saints — all current top-nine D/STs — will be wise to keep them locked in through the fantasy postseason.

Toughest Week 14-16 fantasy D/ST schedules

1) Lions, 2) Chiefs, 3) Colts, 4) Falcons, 5) Dolphins, 6) Packers, 7) Raiders, 8) Broncos, 9) Giants, 10) Jaguars

Notable

  • Figuring out how to handle the Indy and Miami D/STs, both current top-five units, will be challenging as neither has a top-half postseason matchup with the Raiders’ offense (17th-most-favorable matchup) coming the closest.
  • Stay away from streaming the Chiefs’ and Lions’ D/STs as they have five negative and one neutral fantasy playoff matchup between them in six combined games.

Patriots Week 12 film review: Adam Butler’s all-out effort was key to victory

Patriots Week 12 film review: Adam Butler’s all-out effort a key to victory

The New England Patriots’ (5-6) topsy-turvy season continued in Foxboro this season, as they downed the upstart Arizona Cardinals (6-5) 20-17 off of Nick Folk’s 19th field goal make in a row, and second game-winning kick this season.

The Patriots offense mightily struggled again, but the story of the game was Bill Belichick’s defense rattling Kyler Murray and the mighty Cardinals offense.

The Patriots limited Murray to just 201 total yards and an interception on Sunday with a game plan that featured a variety of different formations, often  utilizing three or more safeties, with many lining up near the box to help in run coverage (versus Murray and Arizona running backs) as well as shallow zone coverage in the passing game.

Arizona head coach Kliff Kingsbury, a former Belichick draft pick for the Patriots in 2003, was seemingly flustered throughout the game.

We broke down the Patriots’ defensive performance here.

Following an ‘ugly’ win vs. the Cardinals, Cam Newton had a simple message in the locker room

Cam Newton didn’t have much to say after upsetting the Cardinals in ‘ugly’ fashion.

Though the New England Patriots left victorious after playing the Arizona Cardinals in Week 12, it wasn’t the prettiest win.

Cam Newton had a career-low 84 passing yards and two interceptions to top it off, with nine carries for 46 yards on the ground. The Patriots’ offense was saved by a huge day from James White (2 rushing TDs) and Nick Folk’s two field goals, one of which was a 50-yard game-winner.

Folk’s game-winner stemmed from Newton’s converted third-and-13 run that had a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty tacked on. Newton came through when needed, but it was following an interception that almost sealed the game while sitting with a tied 17-17 score late in the fourth quarter.

Newton spoke with reporters after the game and had a solid quote after leading his team to a 5-6 record.

“I said in the locker room, I’d rather have an ugly win rather than a pretty loss, if that makes any sense,” quarterback Cam Newton said. “I don’t know if that even exists.

“We didn’t play our best game offensively, but when we needed it, we got the job done. That’s all that counts.”

Newton’s been playing incredibly smart and efficient over the past few weeks and he appeared to be ascending. Arizona threw him off with blitz packages and the absence of Rex Burkhead was felt. Regardless, the Patriots pulled away with an ugly win and kept the playoff hopes alive.

New England plays the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 13 with hopes of securing a .500 record.

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Cardinals have jeopardized their playoff chances with loss to Patriots

The Cardinals must do some soul-searching after a crushing 17-20 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday

Sunday was an abysmal loss for the Arizona Cardinals. The Cards had the Patriots beat in almost every statistical category, but found a way to lose in the end. A big part of that loss came off the right foot of Zane Gonzalez, but the team should never have been in that position to begin with.

So, since this is overreaction Monday, what is there to overreact to?

The Cards have severely jeopardized their playoff chances with this loss. While they still hold the NFC’s seventh seed, they have allowed other teams to get within striking distance. Minnesota, Chicago and San Francisco are all    5-6. With a loss to the Rams on Sunday, they’ll likely allow one of those teams to tie.

It was a week of missed opportunities in the playoff standings. The previously first-place Rams fell to the 49ers. A win in New England would have put the Cardinals ahead of L.A. in the division. They’ll have the opportunity to do that again this Sunday, but it would have been nice to have a bit of extra breathing room.

It would be easy to overreact to the Cardinals offense. Since being nearly unstoppable since their breakout game against Dallas, the unit has sputtered in their last two games. Vance Joseph’s defense has played well enough to win in both of those contests, particularly in New England. It’s fair to wonder if there is concern with Kyler Murray’s throwing shoulder, but almost everyone has said it’s a non-factor.

Despite losing to the 49ers, the Rams have one of the best defenses in the NFL. If the Cardinals offense plays like it has recently, they’ll undoubtedly fall back down to .500 on the year. Given their 5-2 start to the year, falling to 6-6 would be very disappointing.

While the second half was a mess for the Cardinals, they still could have won the game on a Zane Gonzalez 45-yard kick. He’d miss wide right, leaving the sideline stunned. This kick marks the third clutch kick missed by Gonzalez in the past month. He had crucial missed kicks against Seattle and Miami (one of which he was bailed out by Isaiah Simmons).

There’s a chance Gonzalez is moved on from this week. A year removed from being a Pro Bowl alternate kicker, Gonzalez may find himself back as a free agent. There’s still a chance the Cards hold onto him, but the sad truth is he’s cost the team from being much higher in the playoff conversation.

There really aren’t many options in the available kicker market. Longtime Seahawk Stephen Hauschka is available at age 35. There is also Aldrick Rosas, who has gone in and out of the active lineup for the Jaguars this season following a four-week suspension. Rosas was a Pro Bowl selection in 2018.

The Cardinals now find themselves in a pivotal matchup against the division rival Rams this Sunday. There are massive implications in this one. If they win, they’ll be 7-5 and second place in the NFC West. If they lose, they’ll be 6-6 and possibly no longer in possession of a playoff spot. They’ve come up big before, particularly against Seattle and Buffalo. We’ll see if they can do it again.

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Patriots vs. Cardinals game recap: Everything you need to know from the stunning upset

Cam Newton struggled enormously. The defense finally showed up. But the win wasn’t a triumphant one.

The New England Patriots’ bizarre run continues in 2020. They defeated the Arizona Cardinals, 20-17, in Week 12 on Sunday at Gillette Stadium. That loss to a seemingly superior Cardinals team comes in the wake of New England’s Week 11 loss to the Houston Texans, a seemingly subordinate team.

Trying to make sense of where the Patriots rank in the NFL is useless. They can defeat just about any team. And they can lose to just about any team. There’s no saying how good they’ll be on any given week. But the good version of New England has showed up too far and too few in between the bad. And so the Patriots (5-6) are still long shots to make the playoffs.

New England carried a struggling Cam Newton to victory in Week 12. A Nick Folk field goal ended the game as time expired. It was an exciting victory, even in the context of a puzzling season. Here’s everything you need to know about the game.

Winners and losers from Patriots’ absolutely stunning upset of Cardinals in Week 12

New England had to find a way to win, with Cam Newton struggling.

The New England Patriots’ 2020 season doesn’t make any sense.

And that’s especially strange for Bill Belichick, who had a habit of putting together tidy seasons with quarterback Tom Brady. The Patriots generally won games where they were favored and lost to the best teams in the NFL, if at all (see: 2007). Maybe that’s an oversimplification. But in a chaotic, any-given-Sunday NFL, Belichick’s Patriots were generally the only thing you could count on.

In 2020, that’s no longer the story. They’re just like everybody else. Cam Newton and Belichick have been erratic. They lose to bad teams and they beat the good ones, sometimes. So it was fitting — though no less stunning — that the Patriots beat the Arizona Cardinals, 20-17, with a last-minute field goal from Nick Folk on Sunday in Week 12.

Let’s get to the winners and losers.

Watch: Nick Folk hits 50-yard field goal as time expires to lift Patriots over Cardinals

Nick Folk delivers a game-winning kick for the New England Patriots

The 2020 season has not been easy on Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots. Yet, they stand at 5-6 after Nick Folk hit a 50-yard field goal as time expired Sunday to give the Pats a 20-17 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.

The Patriots won despite Cam Newton throwing for 84 yards and a pair of interceptions. He was going up against Arizona’s Kyler Murray, who threw for 170 yards.

One of the key plays on the game-winning drive came when Arizona rookie Isaiah Simmons was flagged for unnecessary roughness with 56 seconds left after a 14-yard run by Newton on a third-and-13.

 

Watch: Kyler Murray with the early throw of the day

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray delivers on what might be the best throw of the weekend.

The weekend NFL slate is in the early going, but there is a clubhouse leader for the “throw of the week.” Sure, it went for just 16 yards and a first down, but it might be hard to top this play from Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray:

This is not how you coach the quarterback position, but here Murray retreats under pressure and makes a late throw to tight end Dan Arnold to move the chains on third down.

This is, as it was called in the booth by the broadcast team, “crazy.”

Arizona Cardinals vs. New England Patriots live stream, how to watch, NFL football predictions, odds, tv channel, start time

The Arizona Cardinals are on the road in week 12 when they face the New England Patriots on Sunday afternoon from Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.

The Arizona Cardinals are on the road in week 12 when they face the New England Patriots on Sunday afternoon from Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.

Arizona is coming into this one well-rested after their 28-21 loss to the Seahawks on Thursday Night Football almost two weeks ago. Meanwhile, the Patriots fell to the Texans last week by a touchdown.

This should be a fun one to watch between Kyler Murray and Cam Newton. Don’t miss this game, here is everything you need to know to stream the action on Sunday.

Arizona Cardinals vs. New England Patriots

  • When: Sunday, November 29
  • Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: FOX
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)

Prediction: I’m confused as to why the line is only Arizona -1, seems a bit sketchy to me but I’ll be rolling with the Cardinals in this one. They have had over a week and a half to prepare for the Pats and get their players some much-needed rest.

Bet: Arizona Cardinals -1

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NFL Football Odds and Betting Lines

NFL odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds last updated Sunday at 11:00 a.m. ET.

Arizona Cardinals (-1) vs. New England Patriots

O/U: 50.5

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