Tag: nfl news

Report: Atlanta Falcons plan to release Kirk Cousins after only one season

ESPN reports the Falcons are looking to move on from quarterback Kirk Cousins after only one season of him playing in Atlanta:

The Atlanta Falcons made an intriguing decision this offseason, and that was giving Kirk Cousins a four-year, $180 million contract with $90 million guaranteed at signing, before drafting another quarterback in Michael Penix Jr. in the top ten picks of the 2024 NFL draft. This move received an exceptional amount of fan and media criticism, and for good reason as the move was questionable at best. Things have changed now however, with the pick of Penix Jr. looking like the better of the two moves, rather than the signing of Cousins looking better initially.

A report from Adam Schefter of ESPN came out early Saturday morning with the news that Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons are expected to part ways sometime between now and Mar. 17, 2025 when his $10 million roster bonus is due. This comes after Cousins was formally benched during the week for Penix Jr. in lieu of a string of bad performances by the veteran signal-caller, and despite some good mixed in there, the Falcons have opted for the rookie instead.

The Falcons were on a four game losing streak before Week 15, where they managed to scrape by the lowly Las Vegas Raiders by a score of 15-9, where Cousins only threw for 112 yards with 1 touchdown to 1 interception. The offense stalled out, and ultimately that was the tipping point for the Falcons’ front office, as they will now move on to another option.

Ex-Broncos players blame Sean Payton for ‘TNF’ loss to Chargers

Former Broncos players Tyler Polumbus and Nate Jackson have criticized coach Sean Payton following the Broncos’ loss to the Chargers.

Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton is facing heavy criticism following the team’s 34-27 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday Night Football.

The Broncos squandered a 21-10 lead that was established primary off success in the run game, and Payton is taking heat for easing up on the ground. His decision to throw instead of running out the clock just before halftime played a role in the Chargers scoring three points before halftime.

Later, in the fourth quarter, Payton opted to punt instead of going for it on 4th-and-6 near midfield while trailing by a field goal. Following a 34-27 loss, two former Broncos players took to Twitter/X with criticism of the coach.

This is what former lineman Tyler Polumbus wrote:

“When you can’t find a player that blew it, when you can’t point to a play or two that blew it, when one team started out physical in the run game, yet the other team is the one that finished with the run game there is really only one place to point the finger…. We got out coached mid game. Simple as that. Chargers adjusted. We did not.”

Polumbus later co-signed on a tweet that said Denver abandoned what was working in the first half against Los Angeles.

Another ex-Bronco, retired receiver/tight end Nate Jackson, chimed in with this tweet on Friday:

The game was certainly mismanaged by Payton starting with the team’s final drive in the first half, and the criticism is deserved. Denver is still just one win away from a playoff berth, though, and Payton has already clinched the team’s first winning season since 2016. Payton has the Broncos trending in the right direction, but Thursday was a poor showing from the coach.

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Jerry Jeudy had a funny reaction to reason why Broncos-Jets trade was nixed

Jets owner Woody Johnson nixed a Jerry Jeudy trade to New York because of the WR’s Madden rating. This is how Jeudy responded to the report.

Earlier this week, Dianna Russini, Zack Rosenblatt and Michael Silver released a wild report in The Athletic about New York Jets owner Woody Johnson nixing a trade with the Denver Broncos earlier this year.

In the story, Jets general manager Joe Douglas was said to be “deep in negotiations” with Broncos general manager George Paton on a trade that would have sent wide receiver Jerry Jeudy to New York this spring.

Here’s what happened next, according to The Athletic:

The Broncos felt a deal was near. Then, abruptly, it all fell apart. In Denver’s executive offices, they couldn’t believe the reason why.

Douglas told the Broncos that Johnson didn’t want to make the trade because the owner felt Jeudy’s player rating in “Madden NFL,” the popular video game, wasn’t high enough, according to multiple league sources. The Broncos ultimately traded the receiver to the Cleveland Browns.

Jeudy had a Madden rating of 83 overall in last year’s version of the popular NFL video game. His rating improved to 84 this year.

Jeudy took to Twitter/X with a funny response to the report:

Chad “OchoCinco” Johnson is a Madden ratings adjuster (yes, that’s an actual position). The former NFL receiver indicated that the deal getting nixed worked out for Jeudy in the end:

Johnson promised a big ratings increase next year if Jeudy finishes the season strong:

Jeudy later said on a Cleveland radio station that he thinks the report is funny, but fake news.

For what it’s worth, the Broncos have pushed back on The Athletic report through KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis, who tweeted on Thursday that “from the Broncos perspective, talks broke down due to draft compensation and nothing more.”

Jeudy, 25, has hauled in a career-high 70 receptions for a career-best 1,052 receiving yards and four touchdowns through 14 games with the Browns this season.

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Chargers PFF grades: Best, worst performers in Week 16 win over Broncos

Spotlighting Pro Football Focus’ highest and lowest-graded Chargers players from the win over the Broncos.

In Week 16, the Chargers defeated the Broncos, 34-27.

En route to victory, there were some standout performers and others who did not contribute as much.

That said, here are the best and worst performers from Sunday’s contest, according to Pro Football Focus’ player grades.

Top 5 Offense

FB Scott Matlock — 83.8

TE Tucker Fisk — 80.5

QB Justin Herbert — 78.2

WR Joshua Palmer — 74.7

RB Gus Edwards — 73.6

Top 5 Defense

DT Teair Tart — 92.9

DT Poona Ford — 77.0

EDGE Tuli Tuipulotu — 73.4

CB Kristian Fulton — 72.0

LB Daiyan Henley — 71.5

Bottom 5 Offense

OL Bradley Bozeman — 32.1

OL Trey Pipkins — 35.7

OL Zion Johnson — 46.6

WR Quentin Johnston — 53.0

WR DJ Chark — 56.0

Bottom 5 Defense

LB Junior Colson — 29.1

S Kendall Williamson — 37.0

CB Ja’Sir Taylor — 49.5

LB Denzel Perryman — 51.8

CB Tarheeb Still — 52.2

Jaguars vs. Raiders: Final injury reports, game statuses

Jaguars vs. Raiders: Final injury reports, game statuses

Find the Jaguars and Raiders’ final injury reports and initial game statuses for Jacksonville and Las Vegas’ Week 16 matchup below.

* indicates status upgrade from the previous practice

Jaguars injury report

  • TE Brenton Strange (shoulder) — limited
  • OT Walker Little (ankle) — limited
  • OG Ezra Cleveland (knee) — limited
  • OG Brandon Scherff (knee/shoulder) — limited

Jaguars game statuses

None.

Analysis: Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said earlier Friday that each member of Jacksonville’s injury report was “fine” entering Week 16.

Accordingly, the Jaguars did not assign game statuses to any injured players, meaning starters, tight end Brenton Strange and offensive linemen Walker Little, Ezra Cleveland and Brandon Scherff, will play against the Raiders on Sunday.

Raiders injury report

  • QB Aidan O’Connell (knee) — full
  • QB Desmond Ridder (hip) — full
  • RB Alexander Mattison (neck) — full
  • WR Ja’Kobi Meyers (ankle) — full*
  • OG Jordan Meredith (ankle) — did not participate
  • LB Kana’l Mauga (illness) — did not participate
  • CB Sam Webb (back/illness) — did not participate
  • CB Nate Hobbs (illness) — did not participate

Raiders game statuses

  • LB Kana’l Mauga: QUESTIONABLE
  • CB Sam Webb: QUESTIONABLE
  • CB Nate Hobbs: QUESTIONABLE
  • OG Jordan Meredith: DOUBTFUL

Analysis: An ailment appears to have broken out at Raiders’ headquarters as cornerback Sam Webb’s listing was modified and linebacker Kana’l Mauga and cornerback Nate Hobbs were added to Las Vegas’ injury report with illnesses on Friday. Each player is questionable to play on Sunday.

Guard Jordan Meredith, who did not practice all week, is doubtful.

Pederson talks Jaguars ascending CBs Montaric Brown, De’Antre Prince

Pederson talks Jaguars ascending CBs Montaric Brown, De’Antre Prince

Often a spot-starter over his first three seasons with the team, Jaguars cornerback Montaric “Buster” Brown has seized a first-team role in Jacksonville’s defense as the 2024 regular season nears its close.

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson confirmed Monday that Brown had succeeded veteran Ronald Darby to start at cornerback opposite Tyson Campbell moving forward, crediting Jacksonville’s 2022 seventh-round NFL draft pick for his development and performances when asked to step up.

Brown has started seven games this season, five while Campbell was on Jacksonville’s injured reserve in Weeks 2-6, and in the Jaguars’ last two matchups over a healthy Darby. Brown has logged 46 total tackles with five for loss, one interception and seven defended passes in 14 appearances total.

Despite his previous status as a backup, Brown frequently played in rotation with Campbell and Darby earlier this season. His 691 defensive snaps this year rank No. 5 on the team.

“A guy that’s worked hard, was kind of thrust into action and has really embraced it,” Pederson described Brown on Friday.

“He’s another one that, I think, elevated his game. But again, it just doesn’t happen. Buster works at it. He works at it hard in practice and he’s hard on himself. He’s coachable, and that’s what’s made him a really good player for us.”

Brown had previously started seven games with the Jaguars, largely while Campbell battled multiple injuries in 2023. He exceeded expectations as a former late-round draft pick, entering the campaign with 40 tackles and four pass breakups in 20 career games.

He has taken another step forward with further opportunities this season. Per Pro Football Focus, through Week 15, Brown’s 67.2% coverage completion rate, 10.5 yards per reception allowed and 96.5 passer rating against are all career bests, to pair with his increased box score production.

Brown’s coverage completion percentage drops to 65.2% in games he has started this year.

“I think he just is going to continue to learn, continue to grow, continue to get better. That’s a good sign for a young player,” Pederson added.

Pederson believes Brown’s emergence provides a “great example” for another young member of Jacksonville’s secondary, rookie cornerback De’Antre Prince, who also is slated for an uptick in defensive snaps after Darby’s benching.

Jacksonville’s fifth-round, No. 153 overall selection in the 2024 NFL draft, Prince has appeared in eight games this season but with a larger snap share on special teams (11%) than defense (7%). He has recorded two tackles.

“I think it’s going to be great for him,” Pederson said of Prince. “Regardless of the number of snaps, hopefully, in the next couple of games, he gets quite a few, and it gives us an insight into the type of player and to who Tre is. He works obviously hard at practice, and it’s an opportunity to go play.

“It gives the player a lot of confidence if he can go out and play, play well and do some good things. For us too, it gives us, again, that insight to how can this player help us, in Tre’s case, in the future, and where can we use him on defense. These next few weeks, a lot of our young players, it’s just that — a great opportunity for them.”

Pederson: Four injured Jaguars ‘all fine’ entering Raiders matchup

Pederson: Four injured Jaguars ‘all fine’ entering Raiders matchup

Jacksonville head coach Doug Pederson on Friday considered the four starting Jaguars who have been limited in practice throughout Week 16 — tight end Brenton Strange, offensive tackle Walker Little, and guards Ezra Cleveland and Brandon Scherff — “all fine” ahead of the club’s Sunday road matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Strange (shoulder) and Little (ankle) suffered their injuries in Jacksonville’s 32-25 loss to the New York Jets in Week 15 but were able to finish the game. Cleveland (knee) and Scherff (knee/shoulder) have played through their hurts for multiple weeks.

Strange took over as Jacksonville’s starting tight end against New York after Evan Engram was ruled out for the season with a labrum injury that required surgery. Strange has logged 34 receptions for 329 yards and two touchdowns in 14 appearances, including 11 grabs for 73 yards versus the Jets.

The Jaguars and Raiders’ Week 16 matchup is scheduled to kick off at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev.

Jaguars vs. Raiders: Key matchups

Jaguars vs. Raiders: Key matchups

The Jacksonville Jaguars head into Week 16 against Las Vegas with some offensive momentum following a productive Sunday in their loss to the New York Jets.

One of the key storylines from the Jaguars’ defeat is their franchise record-setting rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., who has emerged as one of the best young playmakers in the league. Jacksonville’s first-round selection will be a high-level target for a healthy Trevor Lawrence in 2025 and beyond.

This week against the Raiders, the Jaguars have a chance to add another win to their lowly season total against a team projected to be selected within the first three slots in April’s NFL Draft. 

Jaguars Wire takes a closer look at the key matchups ahead of Sunday’s late afternoon bout with Desmond Ridder and the Raiders.

Jaguars secondary and linebackers vs. Raiders TE Brock Bowers

This weekend will feature two highly regarded rookie skill players, Thomas and Raiders tight end Brock Bowers, who have quickly become franchise cornerstones on their respective teams.

Bowers himself is on his way to a record-breaking rookie season as he is just over 100 yards away from breaking Mike Ditka’s rookie record for receiving yards by a tight end at 1,076.

Against a Jaguars defense that ranks last in yards allowed (396.4), Bowers has a good chance to break the record this weekend. However, there is a way to keep this from happening for at least another week.

If Jacksonville wants to slow down Bowers, match zone and heavy man coverage will be key. One idea is to allow Tyson Campbell to travel with Bowers and limit his productivity or play match coverage on the second level against Foye Oluokun, Devin Lloyd, or rookie nickelback Jarrian Jones, who we highlighted in this week’s All-22 review.

Either way, Bowers is the best player on the field for the Raiders at the moment. Limiting him would clear a path for a potential Jaguars victory in the Nevada desert.

Jaguars RB Tank Bisgby vs. Raiders defense

With Travis Etienne Jr. back in the starting lineup, Tank Bigsby’s rushing production has varied. His highest rushing total in his last five games is 55 yards. Yet, he continues to create yards after contact and make defenders miss in space at a steady clip.

The Raiders’ rushing defense could provide Bisgby with a productive game. According to Next Gen Stats, they have the 10th-highest missed crackle rate in the league at 13.9 percent. Bigsby has the third-highest missed tackle rate in the league at 36 percent.

Those numbers translate on film as well. Bigsby has a strong contract balance and jittery footwork that allows him to create yards in space consistently. A noisy day from the former Auburn Tiger tailback could spell success for Jacksonville.

Jaguars QB Mac Jones vs. Raiders QB (TBD)

Close your eyes football fans. This is not the superstar quarterback matchup you might hope for this weekend. One of the paths to success for either team is which signal-caller can play a cleaner game.

There is a possibility that Aidan O’Connell will return to the starting lineup for the Raiders this weekend. However, Desmond Ridder could be in line to start again if O’Connell can’t go (or if Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce were to make another quarterback change).

Ridder was efficient on quick-tempo passes against his former team on Monday night, the Atlanta Falcons, going 11-of-15 for 114 yards and one touchdown in that respect, according to Next Gen Stats.

Yet, he also demonstrated why he is already on the third team within one league year. Far too often, he put the ball in harm’s way and made inaccurate throws.

O’Connell doesn’t come without risk either but is a more effective vertical passer, potentially allowing Bowers to see more production downfield. However, neither are particularly great options.

Jones is also a quarterback prone to making questionable throws, including two interceptions against the Jets. He enters the weekend with a four-to-seven touchdown-to-interception ratio on the season. 

While he did give Thomas, second-year tight end Brenton Strange and wide receiver Parker Washington chances to make plays, Jones’ knack for turning the ball over at the worst times continues to plague him. 

That said, if Jones were to put up similar numbers to what he did in place of Trevor Lawrence against Houston three weeks ago, there is a sound opportunity for Jacksonville to get its fourth win of the season in Sin City.

Explaining the NFL’s fair catch kick rule from the Chargers-Broncos game

The Chargers took advantage of an obscure NFL rule with a fair catch kick against the Broncos on ‘Thursday Night Football.’

Just before halftime of a Thursday Night Football clash between the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos in Week 16, Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker put his name in the NFL history books with a rare feat.

Dicker converted a 57-yard fair catch kick, a scenario that has not happened in the NFL since 1976. Los Angeles took advantage of an obscure rule after Denver cornerback Tremon Smith made contact with the Chargers’ returner after he had called for a fair catch on a punt.

By rule, NFL teams can attempt a field goal after a fair catch without facing a rush from the opposing team. Usually, punts are fielded too deep to make attempting a kick a feasible option. Thanks to a 15-yard penalty from the Broncos, however, L.A. was put in range for a fair catch free kick on Thursday.

The sequence happened after Denver opted to not run out the clock with an 11-point lead at its own 18-yard line. The Broncos ran two pass plays and then punted after being stuffed on a third-down run.

“Look, I think 40 or 41 seconds to start the drive,” coach Sean Payton explained after the game. “We try to see, typically, you’d be pretty conservative. We were going to have the ball. We ran a screen and then when the clock got low enough, we didn’t get any momentum going there. We just ran the ball and punted it.

“A penalty puts them in a position and then basically anytime you catch a punt, you have the ability to place it right there and get a free kick. Doesn’t happen much. We practice it all the time. Well, in that situation the penalty put them in field goal position, so it’s disappointing.”

So the Broncos were part of NFL history on Thursday night. Unfortunately, they were on the wrong side of history in an eventual 34-27 loss.

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Chargers secure second-half comeback over Broncos: Instant analysis of Week 16 win

Here’s our recap of the Chargers’ loss to the Broncos in a game that saw Los Angeles complete a double-digit comeback.

The Chargers pieced together a double-digit comeback in the second half, taking down the Broncos in a 34-27 battle on Thursday night.

Here’s our recap of Los Angeles’ Week 16 win.

It was over when…

Justin Herbert pitched the ball to Hassan Haskins, who ran for a 34-yard touchdown with 2:27 remaining to go up by 10.

Notable number

The Chargers swept the Broncos for the first time since the 2010 season.

3 stars of the game

  1. QB Justin Herbert: 281 yards, 2 passing touchdowns
  2. RB Gus Edwards: 2 rushing TDs
  3. WR Ladd McConkey: 6 catches, 87 yards

Quick hits

  • Before their win, the Chargers had lost 13 straight games when trailing by double digits, the fifth-longest active streak in the NFL.
  • Credit offensive coordinator Greg Roman for devising a game plan that resulted in 34 points against the league’s best defense.
  • The Chargers totaled 380 yards, 263 passing and 117 rushing, averaging 6.2 yards per play. They went 3 of 4 in the red zone.
  • Justin Herbert connected with ten different pass-catchers.
  • According to Next Gen Stats, Herbert used play action on a career-high 47.2% of his dropbacks against Denver, finishing 12 of 15 for 155 yards with a play fake.
  • Ladd McConkey led all receivers with 87 yards. Joshua Palmer was second with 41 yards on three catches.
  • Before his 43-yard run, Gus Edwards was only averaging 1.9. yards per carry. Still, Edwards found the end zone twice, bringing his touchdown total to four on the season.
  • After giving up three touchdowns in the first half, defensive coordinator Jesse Minter made some adjustments by dialing up and executing more pressure to mitigate the thin defensive backfield.
  • In the second half, Los Angeles forced four punts, two of which were three-and-outs, on five of Denver’s possessions.
  • Ryan Ficken, knowing the free-kick law, paid off as Cameron Dicker’s 57-yard field goal was good right before the half, the first free-kick FG since 1976.
  • The Chargers now have a 97% chance to make the playoffs after the win.

What’s next?

The Chargers are back on the road to face the Patriots (3-11) on Saturday, Dec. 28, at 10:00 am PT.