Tag: linebacker

Former Ravens’ LB takes shots at Patrick Queen signing with Steelers

Former Ravens linebacker Bart Scott criticizes Patrick Queen’s move to the Steelers ahead of the AFC North matchup in Week 11.

Bad blood is in the air, as former Ravens players are taking time to shed light on some of the biggest storylines heading into Week 11’s AFC North rivalry matchup between Pittsburgh and Baltimore.

Former All-Pro Ravens LB Bart Scott spent seven of his 11 years in the NFL with Baltimore, and he believes that while both sides respect each other, one thing he can’t tolerate is a traitor.

He is, of course, referencing the Steelers LB and former Raven Patrick Queen, who had a phenomenal outing in Week 10 against the Commanders.

Scott would continue his tirade, calling Queen a “Judas” for his decision to come to the Steel City in 2024, and that the Steelers’ LB switched over to “the dark side”.

Perhaps the “dark side” Scott is referencing would be Super Bowl aspirations, as Queen is a pivotal member of an outstanding 7-2 Pittsburgh Steelers team looking to make a deep playoff run.

Queen will have the opportunity to silence doubters, including Scott, when his team takes on the Baltimore Ravens on November 17th, at 1:00 PM EST.

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Chiefs LB Nick Bolton describes his game-changing sack in Week 10: ‘I just had to make the layup’

Kansas City #Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton describes his game-changing sack in Week 10: ‘I just had to make the layup’ | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs defense pitched a shutout in the second half of Sunday’s victory over the Denver Broncos. Nick Bolton made another impactful play in the game as he secured an impressive sack on Bo Nix that changed the pace the rookie quarterback was creating after two first-half touchdown passes.

“(Defensive Coordinator) Coach (Steve Spagnuolo) ‘Spags’ saw something throughout the week and waited for the right position to call it,” said Bolton. “It was something new we put in this week. The back went over to block (Justin Reid) J. Reid, and I was free; I just had to make the layup. I missed the last couple ones the last couple of games, so it felt good to get that one.”

The Broncos’ sack from Bolton cost them 16 yards, knocking them out of realistic field goal position and changing the game’s momentum. Nix and the Denver offense were moving smoothly in the first half, and the Bolton sack was a much-needed message to turn the tide back to Kansas City’s defensive dominance.

“I think he did a good job playing within the system,” said Bolton of Nix’s performance. “He had a couple of tough throws. I thought we could have done a better job mixing up our looks and make him think a little bit more pre-snap. Overall, I thought he played a pretty decent game today.”

Bolton praised the young Broncos star in his first AFC West battle with the Chiefs. Both teams will meet in Denver in the final week of the regular season.

Drew Sanders’ returns will complicate Broncos’ roster decisions

Drew Sanders is one of seven players who could soon return to the Broncos’ 53-man roster, and Denver will have to make room on the squad.

The Denver Broncos are going to have some tough roster decisions to make in the coming days.

Broncos linebacker Drew Sanders (Achilles) returned to practice on Wednesday, starting his 21-day window to return from the physically unable to perform list. There’s no guarantee Sanders will be activated to the 53-man roster in time for Sunday’s game, but he will likely return to the active roster within the next three weeks.

Sanders is one of seven players who could soon return to the 53-man roster, which will create some tough decisions for Denver’s staff. Not everyone will return at the same time — and other players could go on IR in the coming weeks — but the roster juggling will start soon for the Broncos.

“l am [excited],” coach Sean Payton said of getting players back from injuries. “All of these guys… Reentry for a veteran player, it just depends on the injury, the player and the position, but absolutely [excited about] having these guys get healthy because it’s week-to-week.

“This upcoming Monday after the game, they’ll be a curve ball, there always is [with injuries]. Being healthier, having more depth can help you, but it’s good to have those guys back out there.”

Payton later noted creating spots for players returning from injuries is “always a challenge” and “a little bit of a puzzle.”

The puzzle pieces will likely begin falling into place this weekend. Denver linebacker Kwon Alexander is out of practice squad elevations, so he will likely be promoted to the 53-man roster. Broncos center Luke Wattenberg is eligible to return from injured reserve this week, too.

Denver has one open spot on the active roster after trading pass rusher Baron Browning to the Arizona Cardinals. The Broncos will probably have to create at least one more roster spot this week. Stay tuned.

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Is T.J. Watt’s dominant start foreshadowing another D.P.O.Y award?

T.J. Watt’s 2024 campaign showcases dominance, aiming for his second D.P.O.Y. award with elite performances in his 8 games played.

T.J. Watt continues to prove week in and week out that he is a force to be reckoned with for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Whether he is sacking the quarterback, forcing a fumble, or stuffing the run, one thing remains certain—Watt is inevitable.

Watt’s 2024 resume speaks for itself. Through 8 games played, his four forced fumbles are tied for first, his ten tackles for loss are tied for second, his nine QB hits are tied for fifth, and his six and a half sacks are tied for ninth.

The former 2021 D.P.O.Y. winner is looking to build on this fantastic statistical output and put together an undeniable campaign to win the illustrious award for a second time.

DraftKings currently has Watt as the odds-on favorite to win the award through nine weeks, ahead of elite defenders such as Kansas City Chiefs’ DT Chris Jones, New York Giants’ DT Dexter Lawrence, Houston Texans’ EDGE Will Anderson Jr., and Detroit Lions Safety Kerby Joseph.

Can Watt achieve his second D.P.O.Y. award in 2024, or will his efforts result in him being snubbed once again?

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Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo discusses Joshua Uche’s role: ‘I’m not sure’

Kansas City Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo discusses Joshua Uche’s role: ‘I’m not sure’ | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs’ recent trade with the New England Patriots has landed them one of the best young pass rushers in the league. Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo spoke to reporters on Friday for the first time since acquiring Joshua Uche, sharing his thoughts on his potential role on the team.

“I’m not sure what will happen this Monday – I mean, it’s quick, but (Defensive Line Coach) Joe’s (Cullen) doing – Joe and (Assistant Defensive Line Coach) Terry (Bradden) are doing the best they can to get him (Joshua Uche) up to date on the things we’re doing,” said Spagnuolo. “We just went through a walk-through there, and he got involved in it, so that’s good. We’ll see where we’re at. Hopefully, we get some edge rush out of him. I know he’s a good football player – a lot of good things about him – all the research we did. Mike Danna played with him. I remember talking to Mike about him as a teammate, and everything came back positive, so (we’ll) keep our fingers crossed and be hopeful.”

Uche has two sacks this season and will be counted on in various ways for Spagnuolo’s defense during the stretch run. The relationship with former college teammate Mike Danna should help the learning curve and possibly get Uche on the field for Monday night.

How realistic is a blockbuster LB trade between AFC North rivals?

With the rumored departure of Cleveland’s Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, would the team trade their star player to Pittsburgh for the right price?

There is no love lost in the bitter rivalry between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns. While trades within the same division are rare, these AFC North rivals have made deals before. Notable trades occurred in 1968, 1973, 1984, 1993, and most recently in 2017, when WR Sammie Coates and a 2019 seventh-round pick were sent to Cleveland in exchange for the Browns’ 2018 sixth-round pick.

One recent and exciting revelation swirling around the trade deadline rumor mill is that the Cleveland Browns have been receiving trade calls for their star LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. While the Steelers have other pressing needs on the roster, LB Patrick Queen’s performance has been inconsistent, to say the least.

Owusu-Koramoah is currently ranked 3rd out of 154 eligible linebackers against the run, per PFF. Even if the Browns were to entertain sending their linebacker to the Steel City, how much draft capital would the Steelers send back to their rivals?

The Cleveland Browns’ linebacker would make an already great Steelers’ defense even more spectacular. This likely speaks volumes to how unlikely this trade speculation is; however, unlikely circumstances, such as Cleveland’s urgency to sell at the November 5th trade deadline, could allow certain rarities to take place.

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Sean Payton hints linebacker could join Broncos’ 53-man roster next week

Kwon Alexander can be elevated from the practice squad one more time. After that, he’s a likely candidate to be fully promoted to the 53.

The Denver Broncos may have found their Alex Singleton replacement.

After losing Singleton to a season-ending torn ACL, the Broncos signed two veteran linebackers — Kwon Alexander and Zach Cunningham — to their practice squad. Alexander has been elevated to the game-day roster in each of the team’s last two games.

Alexander (13 snaps) did not end up playing as much as Justin Strnad (37 snaps) last week, but it appears that Denver could be ramping him up for a bigger role.

“We go back and forth based on what our package is,” coach Sean Payton said of the linebacker rotation. “So a lot of it has to do with who we’re playing. A lot of it has to do with, ‘What’s our personnel? Are we in base? Are we in penny?’ and then, ‘Who are we playing?’ relative to those decisions.”

Alexander can be elevated from the practice squad to the game-day roster one more time without having to clear waivers. Payton was asked this week if the linebacker is a candidate to eventually be fully promoted to the 53-man roster.

“Yes,” Payton said. “In other words, we brought in two veteran linebackers. The good news is that decisions isn’t now, but we brought in both those players because they have a lot of experience. They’ve played at a real high level, and they give us some flexibility.”

After Alexander uses his final elevation (presumably this week), he will likely be a top candidate to get activated to the 53-man roster. That transaction could happen as soon as next week.

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Steelers’ DC isn’t keen on treating LB Payton Wilson like a rookie

Steelers’ defensive coordinator Teryl Austin spoke highly of Payton Wilson’s maturity and what it means for the team.

It is clear that not every rookie needs time to adjust to the NFL level of speed.  Pittsburgh Steelers inside linebacker Payton Wilson has been turning heads through seven weeks of the 2024 season with his elite play in both the pass and run defense.  His instincts have further supported the argument that Wilson deserves more play time on defense, as he has been used sparingly thus far.

Defensive Coordinator Teryl Austin seems to agree that the rookie linebacker shouldn’t be restrained in any capacity, as his maturity allows for the team to place more trust in his play.

The team would be wise to continue to treat him as a more established player in the league, even though he might have far less experience than other linebackers on the roster.  The admiration that Wilson’s teammates and coaches have for him is backed up by his competitive spirit on and off the field.

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Broncos LB Cody Barton named AFC Defensive Player of the Week

Congrats to Broncos linebacker Cody Barton for being named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Saints!

In Week 7, the Denver Broncos defense stuffed the New Orleans Saints to only 10 points on Thursday Night Football, and the player with the biggest impact was linebacker Cody Barton.

Barton finished Thursday’s game with eight tackles (six solo), one sack, one quarterback hit, one pass defended and a 52-yard fumble return for a touchdown. Following that impressive performance, Barton was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week.

Head coach Sean Payton spoke about Barton’s achievement on Wednesday. “I’m proud of (Barton),” said Payton. “Certainly, when you look at the game, he was one of the guys on defense that got a game ball. It was a real good game for him.”

Barton also had the opportunity to address the media about the weekly award. “It was an honor getting that award,” Barton said. “It makes me feel good, but also it makes me happy for my teammates as well. I know there’s a lot of plays that I couldn’t have made — like the touchdown at the end — if my teammates aren’t in the backfield making plays. As shiny as it was individually getting an award, I attribute it to my teammates.”

The Broncos defense limited the Saints to 271 total yards and forced two turnovers. Barton has been filling in for injured Denver linebacker Alex Singleton as the defense’s signal-caller.

“The good thing about this defense and something I love about this defense is everyone eats,” Barton said. “You don’t know who’s day it is going to be. In this defense, everyone makes plays and everyone has the chance to eat. It’s a lot of fun.”

The Broncos will look to have another stellar defensive performance on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers.

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Is Mike Tomlin making another Wilson-sized mistake?

Although rookie Payton Wilson continues wreck offenses on Sundays, he is still being used sparingly. Could this be a mistake by Tomlin?

It appears to be a Wilson-eat-Wilson world for the Pittsburgh Steelers. While QB Russell Wilson has finally been given the opportunity to succeed, it seems HC Mike Tomlin has ‘moved on’ from rookie WR Roman Wilson. Now, LB Payton Wilson could be the next ‘Wilson-sized’ mistake by the Steelers’ head coach. 

The young linebacker has not only excelled through seven weeks of football, but Wilson is also playing like one of the best rookies in the league. Meanwhile, LB Patrick Queen, one of the biggest signings from the Steelers’ 2024 free agency class, hasn’t quite lived up to expectations. While Queen’s play has struggled to say the least in 2024, he continues to get almost double the playing time of his rookie teammate.

Should Wilson be considered for more snaps? And if so, could the Steelers implement a three-linebacker rotation between Queen, Wilson, and the elite Elandon Roberts? Similar to the Week 8 quarterback decision, only one man can get the rookie onto the field more often, and Tomlin may once again be choosing loyalty to a subpar player over another Wilson. 

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