Tag: Monday Night Football

Bills sign kicker to practice squad as ‘concern’ with Tyler Bass grows

Bills sign kicker to practice squad as ‘concern’ with Tyler Bass grows

The Buffalo Bills have signed free agent kicker Lucas Havrisik to the practice squad the team announced on Thursday.

The Bills released wide receiver Ahmarean Brown from the practice squad to make room for Havrisik.

Havrisik has appeared in just nine games in the NFL. They all came in 2023 for the Los Angeles Rams. Last year he made 15-of-20 field goals (75%) and converted 19-of-22 extra points (86.4%). He also spent some time on the practice squad for the Indianapolis Colts and Cleveland Browns.

Havrisik’s kicking percentages would rank towards the bottom of the barrel when it comes to NFL kicking. But, current Bills kicker Tyler Bass ranks that poorly right now.

Bass has had an inconsistent year through six weeks of the season. And his struggles date back to last year.

During a press conference on Tuesday, Bills head coach Sean McDermott expressed his concern with Bass.

McDermott said bluntly, “I can understand everyone’s concern [with Bass]. I’m concerned the same.”

The concern about Bass’ performance is what led to the Bills bringing in two free-agent kickers for workouts in September. And the concern remains a month later.

McDermott did, however, express his confidence that Bass would turn it around.

“He’s had some really good kicks in some really good moments, and some that weren’t his best,” McDermott said. “That’s part of the journey as well. I’m confident that he’ll continue to work through that and his best football is ahead of him.”

On Monday night against the New York Jets, Bass missed a field goal from 47 yards and he also missed an extra point that wasn’t particularly close to the uprights. It was a very windy night in East Rutherford in Bass’ defense.

Bass is 9-of-12 on field goals for the year. His 75% field goal percentage ranks 28th in the NFL. His 90% conversion rate on extra points ranks 32nd in the NFL.

The added competition in the special teams room with Havrisik can’t hurt.

The Bills need to turn their kicking around for the rest of the year. Bass will get a chance to get back on track against the Tennessee Titans at home in Week 7.

ESPN aired a montage of Aaron Rodgers’ career Hail Marys right before he threw one in Jets-Bills

Wow.

ESPN must have had a good feeling that New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers was going to nail a Hail Mary right before halftime during Monday Night Football.

Right before Rodgers nailed an improbable deep touchdown to Jets wide receiver Allen Lazard to close out the half, the ESPN game broadcast showed a montage of all three of the Rodgers Hail Mary touchdowns he threw while he was with the Green Bay Packers.

It was pretty fascinating to go from past to present as Rodgers landed his fourth-ever Hail Mary touchdown (and his first as a Jet) just a moment later as ESPN provided the perfect preamble for the moment.

Also, here’s the ManningCast‘s reaction to the Hail Mary while you’re with us.

Feature image courtesy of ESPN. 

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Bills kicker Tyler Bass’ brutal extra point miss wasn’t as bad as it looked

Here’s why that brutal Tyler Bass extra-point miss for the Bills wasn’t as bad as it looked.

Buffalo Bills kicker Tyler Bass shanked an extra point so badly on Monday Night Football that even ESPN broadcaster Joe Buck couldn’t help but roast him.

Right after Bass went wide, wide left on the attempt, Buck quipped on the broadcast, “I’ve seen better kicks than that on College GameDay.”

Bill Belichick also got a self-deprecating dig in at Bass on the ManningCast, saying “That looks like my 4-Iron.”

Was Bass’ kick really that bad? Well, News 8 WROC reporter AJ Feldman pointed out on Twitter (X) that, while the kick may have gone left anyhow, Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams did get his hand on the kick to muff the attempt.

The replay backs up Feldman’s observation. To make it harder for the kicker,  it was pretty windy at MetLife Stadium. It’s possible the weather may have caused a problem, too.

While Bass may not have gotten the kick he wanted, it wasn’t all his fault it looked that bad on the broadcast.

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Jets QB Aaron Rodgers hits WR Garrett Wilson for go-ahead TD vs. Bills

Check out this touchdown pass from #Jets QB Aaron Rodgers to WR Garrett Wilson that gave New York an early lead over the #Bills.

The New York Jets got out to an early lead over the Buffalo Bills in Week 6 when quarterback Aaron Rodgers hit star wide receiver Garrett Wilson for a touchdown in the second quarter of Monday night’s contest.

Though Buffalo would ultimately regain the lead before halftime, the play was an excellent demonstration of the Jets’ offensive potential with Rodgers under center.

New York desperately needs a win against the Bills to keep its season on track after the Jets fired head coach Robert Saleh last week.

Watch take a look at Wilson’s dramatic grab in this video that was shared to Twitter by the NFL’s official account:

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1845988830891200717

After a high-scoring first half, viewers should expect Rodgers to continue putting on a show as he attempts to out-duel Josh Allen to earn New York a share of the top spot in the AFC East heading into the middle part of the regular season.

Watch Aaron Rodgers warm up before Jets’ matchup vs. Bills

Check out this video of #Jets QB Aaron Rodgers showing off his arm in pre-game warmups ahead of New York’s Week 6 matchup against the #Bills

While the New York Jets weren’t able to score a touchdown on the opening drive of their matchup against the Buffalo Bills on “Monday Night Football,” Aaron Rodgers made sure to show fans that he still has the arm to upset the home crowd at Highmark Stadium in his pregame warmups.

Rodgers and the Jets entered Week 6 with a 2-3 record, and need a win tonight to get their season back on track.

Monday night’s matchup against Buffalo will be New York’s first game since the Jets fired head coach Robert Saleh last week.

Check out this video of Rodgers’ warmup, which was posted by the NFL’s official Twitter account:

Expect Rodgers to do his best to lift New York back to relevance over the next few weeks as he looks to salvage the Jets’ season after the team’s decision to part with Saleh.

After a quarter and change of play, New York currently trails Buffalo 13-10.

BIlls vs. Jets: QB Josh Allen better check his reads for D.J. Reed

BIlls vs. Jets: QB Josh Allen better check his reads for D.J. Reed

The New York Jets rank No. 1 in opponent pass yards allowed per game and defensive back D. J Reed is a major reason for the season.

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Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen should be careful not to target Reed or all-pro Sauce Gardner in one-on-one situations tonight at Met Life Stadium. While rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman does possess extraordinary attributes, he hasn’t lined up versus a secondary this dynamic in 2024.

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The Bills come into week 6 ranking No. 26 in pass yards per game. Of course Allen is still a handful to deal with, but the Jets have all hands on deck, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

The outcome of this week six AFC East rival matchup will come down to which team can force a crucial turnover and/or win field position. Reed and others have their eyes on Allen and that football, and an interim head coach ready to turn things around.

3 keys to a Bills victory vs. the Jets in Week 6

3 keys to a Bills victory vs. the Jets in Week 6

The Buffalo Bills will visit the New York Jets at Metlife Stadium on “Monday Night Football” in Week 6. The winner will become the leader in the AFC East.

The Bills (3-2) and Jets (2-3) are both coming off tough losses to good football teams. The Bills fell at the Texans while the Jets lost to the Vikings in London. Both teams are looking to bounce back.

The Bills are mostly searching for answers on offense while the Jets are searching for a new direction for the team after firing their head coach Robert Saleh on Tuesday. The Jets’ defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich has been promoted to interim head coach, while Todd Downing has taken over the offensive play calling for Nathaniel Hackett.

The Bills aren’t exactly sure what to expect given the coaching changes for the Jets, but they’ll be focused on themselves getting back in the win column.

Here are three keys to a Bills win in Week 6:

Play to the strengths of personnel

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It took one Khalil Shakir ankle injury for the Bills to learn what they had in their new offensive weapons. Under offensive coordinator Joe Brady, they haven’t had to pass much this year. Josh Allen is tied for 23rd in the NFL in pass attempts.

When they passed, Shakir was the go-to guy. Without him in Week 5, newcomers had to step up. They didn’t.

Mack Hollins, Curtis Samuel, Keon Coleman, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling were targeted a total of 18 times in the loss. They caught just four of the passes.

The pass catchers looked out of place and were misused. Hollins hasn’t made a living on go-balls. MVS in the short field hasn’t been his strong suit. According to former NFL WR Steve Smith, Coleman belongs in the slot. And, Samuel has been nonexistent in the offense. So, why are they being used this way?

It’s still a newly formed unit, and Brady will have to play some chess to figure out how they can be most effective. But, changes ought to be made to how they are being utilized, and quickly.

Don’t let Jets running backs heat up

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Jets running backs Breece Hall and Braelon Allen have been held in check lately on the field. In the last two weeks, they have averaged 37 combined rushing yards per game.

They are capable of much more. They can make defenders miss and are one of the more talented duos in the league. They are threats through the air as well. Both backs have a receiving touchdown this year.

The Bills’ rush defense ranks as eighth-worst in the NFL through five weeks. They give up over 144 yards per game on the ground. Sure, Breece Hall has averaged an abysmal 3.0 yards per carry to start the year, but the Bills defense has allowed big ground games this year. Ed Oliver was ruled out for the game as of Saturday morning, which makes things more difficult for the middle of the Bills defense.

More efficient offense

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Last week Allen was 9-for-31 passing (29%). He was 1-of-14 on passes ten or more yards downfield. Under pressure, he was 0-for-15.

What happened? Week 5 was night and day from what we saw the first three weeks when Allen and Brady had the offense humming. After three games, Allen was completing 75% of his passes and the Bills led the league in points per game.

The offense knows they have to be better. An early learning curve is expected due to all the new pieces and having a young OC, but no one expected the curve to look that bad. Eyes will once again be on the Bills offense to see how they turn it around, just like they were last week after their poor performance in Week 4.

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Lions rookie CB Terrion Arnold keeps getting better

Lions rookie CB Terrion Arnold keeps getting better by the week

It’s been far from perfect through four games played for Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold. He’s dealt with a hand injury and knee injury but that hasn’t kept him off the field for very long. Arnold’s played in 257 defensive snaps and that is 3rd most for the Lions this season.

Through all of that, Arnold has played up and down for the first quarter of the season. He’s allowed 16 receptions for 164 yards and one touchdown. Fortunately, he’s gotten better each week in coverage. The last two weeks, Arnold has been targeted 17 times but he’s only allowed 6 receptions for 65 yards.

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The bigger concern is the penalties that Arnold continues to get called for in these games. Through four games, he’s been called for eight penalties and five of those have been pass interference penalties. For the Lions, it seems evident that they’d rather have a physical defender over a defender that shy’s away from contact and consistently gets lost in space.

When listening to Dan Campbell and the Lions coaching staff, there doesn’t appear to be that much concern about Terrion Arnold. Specifically about the penalties. Every Wednesday, Campbell speaks with 97.1 The Ticket and yesterday, Campbell talked about Arnold. He said, “It’s something we talked about. We had our big practice yesterday, our big first down, full-pad practice. Those are to really work your craft and really hone in your skill, get better at it.”

Campbell continued and said, “there’s gonna be this give and take that goes down if you’re gonna compete with a receiver. Look, it’s a point of emphasis and he’s gonna be fine. He just keeps working through it and he knows what it is, but we need him to continue to compete and challenge on the perimeter.”

Overall, Arnold has  been in-phase when playing in coverage. He’s not allowing very big passing windows for quarterbacks and it feels like those windows will become non-existent soon. Sure, he’s got to improve on when and when not to grab a receiver with his hands but as the season continues, it looks like Arnold is only going to get better.

Colin Cowherd calls Chiefs a no-excuses team: ‘They just make it work’

Colin Cowherd praised the #Chiefs’ resilience this week after Kansas City’s win over the New Orleans #Saints on “Monday Night Football.”

After the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the New Orleans Saints on “Monday Night Football” in Week 5, FS1 commentator Colin Cowherd gave his two cents on the defending Super Bowl champions’ efforts this season.

In a segment on his show “The Herd with Colin Cowherd,” the veteran broadcaster explained to his viewers that while every other team in the NFL seems to be affected by different sets of circumstances, the Chiefs seem to be immune to the ups and downs of the regular season.

Check out the full clip of Cowherd’s comments below, which was posted by Herd w/ Colin Cowherd’s official Twitter account on Tuesday:

https://twitter.com/TheHerd/status/1843710449663258878

Kansas City will have a week off after dominating the Saints in Week 5. It will resume regular season play against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium on October 20.

Stay tuned to see if the Chiefs can keep their undefeated season alive and stay immune to the circumstances that Cowherd talked about as they look to complete the NFL’s first-ever Super Bowl three-peat.

Ex-Chiefs OL issues scathing criticism of struggling WR

Former #Chiefs OL Geoff Schwartz expressed his frustration about WR Skyy Moore’s recent performances in a post to Twitter on Monday night.

The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the New Orleans Saints on “Monday Night Football” in Week 5, but the defending Super Bowl champions’ performance was far from perfect.

Third-year wide receiver Skyy Moore drew criticism from former Chiefs offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz after his disappointing showing against the Saints in primetime.

Schwartz expressed his frustration with Moore in a post to Twitter, where he questioned why the Western Michigan product was still on Kansas City’s roster.

Check out Schwartz’s post below to see exactly what the nine-year NFL veteran had to say about Moore’s uninspiring play to this point in the 2024 regular season:

 

Moore hasn’t recorded a single catch through the Chiefs’ first five games and has mostly been limited to a special teams role as a kick returner.

Kansas City’s fans will have to wait to see if Moore can rebound with a better performance when the Chiefs face the San Francisco 49ers after a Week 6 bye.