The Baltimore #Ravens announced four roster moves ahead of the teams Week 4 matchup against the Cleveland Browns via @Thacover2NFL
The Ravens are set to depart for Cleveland, and the team announced four roster moves ahead of Sunday’s huge matchup against the Browns.
Outside linebacker David Ojabo was placed on injured reserve with ankle and knee injuries, meaning he’ll miss at least the next four games.
Baltimore signed veteran Kyle Van Noy from the practice squad to the 53-man roster to fill Ojabo’s spot, meaning he’s in line to play in Sunday’s game in Cleveland.
We have placed OLB David Ojabo (ankle/knee) on Injured Reserve.
We have signed Kyle Van Noy to the 53-man roster.
We have also elevated RB Melvin Gordon III and WR Laquon Treadwell from the practice squad for tomorrow’s game.
Tunnel Vision – a look back at Sunday for fantasy free agents, injuries and notable performances.
SUNDAY SALUTES
Quarterbacks
Pass-Rush
TD
Lamar Jackson
202-101
2
Justin Herbert
405-11
3
Tua Tagovailoa
309-0
4
Kirk Cousins
367-10
3
Jordan Love
259-39
2
Running Backs
Yards
TD
Devon Achane
18-203 rush
4-30 rcv
4
Raheem Mostert
13-82 rush
7-60 rcv
4
Kenneth Walker
18-97 rush
3-59 rcv
2
Christian McCaffrey
18-85 rush
5-34 rcv
1
Zack Moss
30-122 rush
2-23 rcv
1
Wide Receivers
Yards
TD
Keenan Allen
18-215
1
Adam Thielen
11-145
1
Tyreek Hill
9-157
1
Justin Jefferson
7-149
1
Davante Adams
13-172
2
Tight Ends
Yards
TD
Sam LaPorta
8-84
1
Travis Kelce
7-69
1
George Kittle
7-90
0
T.J. Hockerson
8-78
0
Pharoah Brown
2-71
1
Placekickers
XP
FG
Matt Gay
1
5
Jason Meyers
2
5
Tyler Bass
4
3
Matt Prater
1
3
Ka’imi Fairbairn
4
3
Defense
Sack – TO
TD
Bills
9-5
1
Lions
7-1
0
Browns
5-0
0
Chiefs
3-2
0
Texans
0-2
1
Bumps, Bruises and Bowouts
That was pretty light.
QB Derek Carr – Shoulder
RB Gus Edwards – Concussion
WR Mike Williams – Knee
WR Jonathan Mingo – Concussion
Chasing Ambulances
QB Derek Carr – Was diagnosed with an AC joint sprain in his throwing (right) shoulder. It is not season-ending and his time away will depend on the swelling and how it responds to treatment. In the meantime, Jameis Winston will be the starter.
RB Gus Edwards – Was pulled from the loss to the Colts, and replaced by the tag team of Melvin Gordon and Kenyan Drake. While he’s yet another injured running back for the Ravens, they insist on their committee approach that rarely allows more than a dozen touches to any single back. Gordon should see the bigger share of the workload, but Lamar Jackson also has to be factored into the rushing.
WR Mike Williams – Was carted to the locker room after sustaining a left knee injury. It appeared to be non-contact as there was no apparent collision or twisting. He’ll be evaluated on Monday but if he misses time, Joshua Palmer will move up the depth chart and the rookie Quentin Johnston will become more involved. Palmer logged four catches for 66 yards and a score in the win over the Vikings and has to be a free agent consideration by the Mike Williams owner.
Free Agents, Flops and Other Notables
RB Alexander Mattison – The Vikings acquired Cam Akers from the Rams but they had faced the Buccaneers and Eagles – both have great defensive lines and Mattison was held below 12 carries each week. Versus the Chargers, Mattison enjoyed his last non-Akers weekend by rushing for 90 yards on 20 carries and catching five passes for 32 yards. Maybe he will hold Akers off and keep him as just backfield depth.
WR Tank Dell – The rookie logged seven catches for 72 yards and one score in Week 2 against the Colts but that was a one-game fluke. Or so it was thought. Dell turned five receptions into 145 yards and one score at the Jaguars. No other Texans receiver gained more than 34 yards. Dell is forging a very dangerous relationship with C.J. Stroud.
WR DJ Chark – Debuted last week with just one catch in the loss to the Saints, but he was targeted 11 times against the Seahawks – second highest on the team and caught four passes for 86 yards and one touchdown. The Panthers were forced to start Andy Dalton but the experienced quarterback strongly favored Chark and Adam Thielen (11-145, TD). This is how the offense should work and what Bryce Young aims to become.
WR Josh Downs – The Colts third-round pick stepped up nicely against the Ravens, fielding a team-high 12 targets for eight catches and 57 yards. With Anthony Richardson out, Gardner Minshew was the starting quarterback but he’s already challenging second-year Alex Pierce for the No. 2 wideout role.
WR Elijah Moore – The transplant from the Jets only managed three catches in his first two games but then attracted a team-high nine targets and caught them all for 49 yards. He’s starting to mesh with Deshaun Watson and defenses have enough trouble keeping up with Amani Cooper.
TE Kyle Pitts – He only gained 41 yards on five catches, but it is a positive sign that he led the Falcons with nine targets. Fellow tight end Jonnu Smith was next with eight passes that became five catches for 37 yards in the loss to the Lions.
TE Sam LaPorta – The Lions rookie tight end already started his career with five catches per game, then upped that with eight receptions for 84 yards and one score in the win over the Falcons. After three games, he is on a pace to catch 102 passes. And that’s as a tight end.
RB Kendre Miller – The Saints rookie wideout debuted with 34 yards on nine carries and one catch for no gain. But he led the backfield and now will pair with Alvin Kamara who returns from his suspension this week. Jamaal Williams was placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury and Tony Jones drops down another notch on the depth chart.
RB Ezekiel Elliott – He already hurt Rhamondre Stevenson’s workload when he was added this summer, but now he’s looked sharper than hi,. Stevenson ran for 59 yards on 19 carries (3.1 YPC) and caught one three-yard pass. Elliott just ran for 80 yards on 16 carries (5.0 YPC) and caught a seven-yard pass. It doesn’t mean that Elliott will overtake Stevenson as the primary, but it points to the fact there is no reason to change the backfield sharing for now.
RB Tony Pollard – After three weeks, the Cowboys starter totals 62 carries for 264 yards (4.3 YPC). He also caught 12 passes for 48 yards. In Week 3, the Cowboys were finally challenged by their opponent and ran Pollard for 122 yards on 23 carries. The interesting part is that he is on a pace for 340 carries and 68 receptions. He’s never had more than 193 rushes in any season in the NFL or college. He broke his leg at the end of last season with a far lesser workload. Rico Dowdle is his backup but hasn’t carried more than seven times in any game. What happens to the Dallas offense if Pollard breaks down?
Huddle player of the Week
Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
RB Devon Achane / Raheem Mostert – This is the first time in our 27 years that the Player of the Week is shared. How could it not? Raheem Mostert rushed for 82 yards and three touchdowns on the Broncos and added 60 yards on seven receptions with a fourth touchdown. The rookie ran 18 times and gained 203 yards and two touchdowns, plus caught four passes for 30 yards and two more scores to also total four. That is two running backs, on the same team, that combined for 285 rushing yards, caught 11 passes for 90 yards and totaled eight touchdowns between them. That’s two backs in one game that produced 96.5 fantasy points. There were three teams last year that failed to total more than eight touchdowns from their entire backfield over all 17 games.
Salute!
Drama 101 – Somebody has to laugh, somebody has to cry
The Baltimore #Ravens are elevating veteran RB Melvin Gordon to the active roster for Week 3 matchup vs. Colts via @Thacover2NFL
With J.K. Dobbins out for the season, Keaton Mitchell on IR, and Justice Hill ruled out, the Ravens are elevating running back Melvin Gordon to the active roster for Week 3.
#Ravens are activating running back Melvin Gordon from the practice squad for Sunday’s game vs. #Colts, per source.
The last time the Broncos faced the Dolphins, then-rookie Tua Tagovailoa was benched.
Week 3 of the NFL season brings the Denver Broncos to South Florida for a matchup against the Miami Dolphins.
This week will be no beach vacation: the Dolphins are 2-0, and the leader of the AFC East over the Patriots, Bills and Jets.
Week 3 will be the 21st meeting between these two franchises, dating back to 1966. The Dolphins lead the all-time series, 12-7-1.
The last game between these two was during the COVID-19 season in 2020. Then-rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa started for the Dolphins, but the Denver defense proved to be a tough foe. Tagovailoa was pulled late in the game in favor of veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick led a valiant Miami effort in an attempt to tie the game, but an end zone interception by Broncos Justin Simmons sealed the game for a 20-13 win.
Denver’s quarterback was Drew Lock, who went 18-of-30 for 270 yards and an interception. Then-starting running back Melvin Gordon scored two touchdowns and led the Broncos rushing attack with 84 yards.
The Broncos will look to get Sean Payton’s first win of the 2023 season against this talented Miami team this weekend.
Week 1 is over, and now we have to decide about all those big and small performances, the unexpected changes, and more than a few disappearing acts. Was it real? No arguing that Week 1 was a slop-fest for most teams that just now are playing “for keeps” and not just to decide which 53 guys get a locker for the season.
We’ve already seen J.K. Dobbins’s much-hyped season turned into yet another disappointing trip to injured reserve. And the Aaron Rodgers era with the Jets only lasted three plays. There were a few surprises in various backfields, and running back is the position that always delivers several in-season surprise fantasy stars. Most often, it comes from injuries shaking up the depth chart.
Here are six players and situations that I’m watching this weekend on the hunt for fantasy opportunity.
RBMelvin Gordon (BAL) – The first name mentioned here last week was J.K. Dobbins but he didn’t last long. The Ravens also used Gus Edwards (8-32) and Justice Hill (8-9, 2 TD). Hill was scraped off the waiver wire in every league after those two touchdowns, but the player who appears most likely to benefit from the Dobbins injury is Melvin Gordon. HC John Harbaugh said they would not add any backs but promote Gordon up from the practice squad. Gordon is no longer special, but Hill and Edwards have never been. Hill enters his fourth season with the team, and Edwards is in his fifth. Neither have done much in the past. It is a great offensive line in Baltimore and a decent schedule. The committee will persist, but Hill and Edwards have long been just depth players. Gordon could end up with reliable weekly value, though not as a difference-maker. One more name gets thrown into the ring next month – the rookie Keaton Mitchell who is on IR for now.
RB Emanuel Wilson (GB) – Aaron Jones was productive in Week 1 but injured his hamstring and has missed practice. He has not been ruled out, and if he was, the expectation is that AJ Dillon becomes the primary with a significant chunk of carries. But also watch for Wilson if Jones is out. The rookie was a scratch in Week 1 but is the only other back on the active roster. The OC Adam Stenavich said that Wilson was a potential replacement for Jones if needed. He made the team as an undrafted free agent after rushing for 223 yards during the preseason.
RB Kareem Hunt, Leonard Fournette – The Colts lost Evan Hull to injured reserve but may have Zack Moss ready for this week as he returns from a broken arm in the summer. But they’ve also contacted Hunt and Fournette this week and are “monitoring the market.” The Colts’ only other backs are Deon Jackson and Jake Funk, which isn’t optimal for the next 16 games. Jackson ran for 14 yards on 13 carries last week versus the Jaguars. Both Hunt and Fournette will end up somewhere this season, and yet they are already being dumped in fantasy leagues. This all goes away if Jonathan Taylor returns, but there is hardly any certainty that he will.
RB Kendre Miller (NO) – The Saints 3.08 pick was inactive in Week 1 due to his hamstring strain. He returned to practice on Thursday and may make his debut this week. Jamaal Williams (18-45) wasn’t very effective rushing against the Titans and suspended Alvin Kamara is still out for three more games. The Saints have an out in Kamara’s contract next year, so any playing time that Miller gets could help him make the case that he should become the starter at least next year.
RB Roschon Johnson (CHI) – The rookie may be stuck in a committee, but he’s made the most of it. In his first NFL start, his seven targets tied for the highest on the team, and his six catches was the leader. Add in that he ran five times with a touchdown and a 4.0-yard-average, and Johnson already looks better than Khalil Herbert (3.0 yards per carry) and D’Onta Foreman (3.2 yards per carry). The Bears face a tough defensive line in Tampa Bay, but Johnson’s role as a receiver could lift him above the other two backs. No Chicago back had more than four catches in any game last year – Johnson just caught six.
WR JuJu Smith-Schuster (NE) – The ex-Chief signed a three-year, $25 million contract with the Patriots and then laid an egg in Week 1 with only four catches for 33 yards. Kendrick Bourne (6-64, 2 TD) became a waiver wire darling this week. The Pats offense looked better already with the addition of an actual offensive coordinator, except for Smith-Schuster, who was only on the field for 54% of the offensive snaps. He was on the sideline on the final drive. There is speculation that his knee injury of last year still lingers, even though they let Jakobi Meyers go. Bourne is in his seventh season and third with New England, and he is no sudden star. This week versus the Dolphins should give plenty of reasons to use Smith-Schuster, and if they don’t, there are problems that they haven’t been public with. DeVante Parker may return if only to face his old team, but Smith-Schuster is the one to watch.
And about last night…
Vikings 28, Eagles 34
At halftime, it was 13-7 in favor of the Eagles, and it appeared the standard sloppy play of last week, and too many Thursday night games had shown up again. It became a great game in the second half, with the Eagles leading 27-7 and then the Vikings putting on a show for the final quarter and a half – although too little, too late.
The Vikings offense is very good. Kirk Cousins threw for 364 yards and four touchdowns, and Justin Jefferson showed up in the second half with 11 catches for 159 yards and inches away from a touchdown. Jordan Addison (3-72, TD) scored for the second week, breaking free on a 62-yard touchdown down the middle. T.J. Hockenson (7-66, 2 TD) is getting a lead on all other fantasy tight ends.
Unfortunately, Alexander Mattison flopped for the second week, gaining just 28 yards on eight rushes and catching three passes for 11 yards. He also lost one of the four team fumbles. At some point, maybe soon, the Vikings may be rethinking the whole “let’s just use our second string” approach to the backfield.
Jalen Hurts has not thrown much this year. He totaled just 18-of-23 for 193 yards and one touchdown to DeVonta Smith (4-131, TD), who provided nearly all of the receiving yards, much to the dismay of A.J. Brown owners (4-29). Brown caught a score but was called back on a holding penalty. Hurts ran in two scores to pump up the fantasy points on his 12 rushes for 35 yards. Kenneth Gainwell picked a bad week to be out, since D’Andre Swift (28-175, TD) has to have leapfrogged the career depth running back.
The Broncos lead the all-time series against the Commanders 8-7 going into Week 2 of the 2023 season.
Week 2 of the 2023 season brings another foe to Denver, and this week’s contender being the Washington Commanders.
All time, the Broncos lead the series between the two teams 8-7-0. The last meeting occurred in 2021 when Washington was known as “Football Team.” This will be the first matchup since Washington changed their name for a second time to the Commanders.
This game is also a Super Bowl rematch of when Washington played the John Elway-led Broncos. After scoring the first ten points of the game, Denver failed to score again, and the Doug Williams-led Washington team scored 42 unanswered points to win Super Bowl XXII in 1988.
In 2021, the Broncos were led by quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who ended up completing 19-of-26 passes for 213 yards and one touchdown.
Things got dicey late in the game as the Broncos led 17-10 with 37 seconds left. Denver running back Melvin Gordon tried to run out the clock, but as he so often did during his time with the Broncos, fumbled with the game on the line. Luckily, the defense stopped the Football Team dead in its tracks to seal a victory.
Will the Broncos find a way to win their first game of the Sean Payton era?
Melvin Gordon enjoyed Wisconsin’s big day on the ground
Wisconsin’s history of terrific running back play will continue this season, that is a definitive statement. Braelon Allen and Chez Mellusi combined for 298 yards and four touchdowns in Wisconsin’s Week 1 win over Buffalo, generating all of the effective offense the Badgers needed to come away with a win.
Given it’s a new era of Wisconsin football and the Badgers figure to pass the ball more frequently, it’s good to know the team is still driven by the players in the running back room.
I’m sure Wisconsin legend Melvin Gordon agrees with that statement. He took to X, the site formerly known as Twitter, on Saturday to react to Allen and Mellusi’s big days:
Former Broncos running back Melvin Gordon signed with the Ravens’ practice squad.
Story update: Melvin Gordon signed with the Ravens’ practice squad on Wednesday. See our original post below.
The NFL roster cut deadline was at 2 pm Tuesday, and among the hundreds of cut casualties is a familiar name for Denver Broncos fans.
Ex-Bronco running back Melvin Gordon was one of the cuts from the Baltimore Ravens after training camp and the preseason.
Gordon played with Denver from 2020-2023. In the middle of 2023, Gordon was ignominiously released because of fumbling issues. After being released by the Broncos, he signed with the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, although he never played a down in a Chiefs uniform.
The Baltimore Ravens were the fourth team that Gordon had signed with in his career, and is the most recent stop for the journeyman back, who was once a 1,000-yard rusher as a member of the Los Angeles Chargers.
The biggest question mark for Gordon will be who will be the “lucky” team he signs with next, unless he retires from the game in the meantime.
Veteran ball-carrier Justice Hill says the Baltimore #Ravens have the best running back group in the NFL via @Thacover2NFL
Baltimore is loaded on offense and even after adding Odell Beckham to the passing game, Todd Monken’s bread and butter could be a versatile rushing attack.
The Ravens have six players on the roster capable of carrying the load and after a 20-19 win over the Eagles in the preseason opener, Justice Hill made a pretty bold claim.
“I feel like we have the best running back room in the league,” Hill said. “We all bring a different skillset, and whenever we‘re all out there, we can show that. Whatever number is called, whoever’s number is called, we all just go out there and execute and make plays.”
The 2023 college football season is right around the corner and the Badgers are now 25 days away from their season opener against Buffalo on Sept. 2. The number 25 was worn by an all-time great running back and he produced a legendary season in 2014.
Melvin Gordon was entering his second season as Wisconsin’s starting running back and he turned it up to another level. Gordon rushed for 2,587 yards and 29 touchdowns during his final campaign in Madison.
The rushing yards rank second only to Barry Sanders (1988) for the most ever in a college football season. Most notably, Gordon went crazy in the team’s tenth contest, turning 25 carries into an NCAA record 408 yards while adding four touchdowns at home versus Nebraska.
His record would only stand for one week with Samaje Perine (Oklahoma) breaking it against Kansas with a still-standing 427 rushing yards.
Gordon went on to finish second to Marcus Mariota in the Heisman Trophy voting and was selected 15th overall in the 2015 NFL Draft by the Chargers.
