Tag: nfl news

Did Jessie Bates take a subtle shot at Bo Nix ahead of Broncos-Falcons game?

Falcons safety Jessie Bates went viral after he said there’s “10 years” of college film of Bo Nix, but that quote needs proper context.

Atlanta Falcons safety Jessie Bates went viral on Friday after aggregation accounts on Twitter/X started re-sharing a video of him saying he’s been watching Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix playing at the college level for the last 10 years.

There’s some context to the quote, though.

Bates started his answer on Nix by saying the Falcons have enough NFL film to study from the QB’s time in the NFL.

“Ten games, usually, that’s enough film to really see a quarterback’s strengths or weaknesses or what they like to do,” Bates said on Friday, via Raphael Haynes of The 3 Point Conversion. “[There’s] kind of multiple years where we can go back and watch what he does. … We’ve been watching him in college for, you know, the past five or six years, however long it was.”

Media members then interjected “Ten years!” with laughter and Bates said, “Ten years, whatever it is.”

It seemed to be a harmless remark from Bates with the “10 years” quip being prompted by media in attendance.

“He’s not [like] a rookie quarterback — seems like he’s a graduate student almost,” Bates continued. “He’s doing a good job … running their offense at a high level.”

The Broncos do not view Nix’s extensive college experience as a negative. Coaches and players both said this offseason that Nix appeared more poised and polished than a typical rookie because of his college experience.

Nix spent five years at the college level before entering the NFL. Atlanta’s rookie quarterback, Michael Penix, spent six years in college.

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Pederson previews Bigsby, Cleveland’s status for Jaguars vs. Lions

Pederson previews Bigsby, Cleveland’s status for Jaguars vs. Lions

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson called Friday a “big day” for determining running back Tank Bigsby’s availability for Jacksonville’s Week 11 road matchup with the Detroit Lions.

Bigsby did not practice Wednesday or Thursday while nursing an ankle injury, which he suffered in Week 7 against the New England Patriots and aggravated Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.

“Tank’s gonna go today,” Pederson said Friday. “We’ll see. Optimistic, you know. But obviously, today will be a big day for him.”

Bigsby has rushed for 519 yards and four touchdowns over 95 attempts this season and added three receptions for 36 yards.

Pederson revealed that Jacksonville’s starting left guard, Ezra Cleveland, will likely play against Detroit after missing the Jaguars’ last two games with an ankle injury suffered in Week 8 against the Green Bay Packers.

“Ezra should be good to go,” Pederson said.

Jacksonville vs. Detroit will kick off at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, at Ford Field.

Statistical Breakdown: How the Chargers and Bengals stack up before Week 11 game

Here’s how the Chargers and Bengals stack up statistically ahead of Sunday’s matchup.

The Chargers and Bengals are set to square off this upcoming Sunday night.

Here’s how Los Angeles and Cincinnati stack up statistically on both sides of the ball ahead of the Week 11 matchup:

Offense

Category Chargers Bengals
Points per game 20.7 ppg (19th) 27.0 ppg (6th)
Passing offense 196.4 ypg (22nd) 254.8 ypg (4th)
Rushing offense 117.9 ypg (19th) 89.7 ypg (29th)
Total offense 314.3 ypg (22nd) 344.5 ypg (12th)
3rd down conversions 39.84% (13th) 47.29% (3rd)
Red zone scoring 54.17% (18th) 72.41% (2nd)
Sacks allowed 24 (17th) 23 (12th)
Turnovers 4 (T-1st) 10 (8th)

Defense

Category Chargers Bengals
Points allowed 13.1 ppg (1st) 26.2 ppg (26th)
Passing defense 191.6 ypg (9th) 220.2 ypg (23rd)
Rushing defense 110.6 ypg (9th) 127.3 ypg (17th)
Total defense 302.1 ypg (6th) 347.5 ypg (23rd)
3rd down conversions 32.76% (5th) 45.80% (29th)
Red zone defense 38.89% (2nd) 71.88% (31st)
Sacks 31 (T-4th) 17 (28th)
Takeaways 13 (11th) 10 (20th)

 

Jaguars vs. Lions: Thursday injury reports

Jaguars vs. Lions: Thursday injury reports

The Jaguars made no changes to their injury report between Wednesday and Thursday, with starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence (expectedly) and running back Tank Bigsby notably missing their second consecutive day of work.

The Lions promoted a pair of players to full participation, but paired the good news with adding a starter to their injury report Thursday.

Find Jacksonville and Detroit’s Thursday injury reports for Week 11 below.

* indicates upgraded status from the previous practice 

^ indicates player is designated to return from injured reserve 

Jaguars injury report

  • RB Keilan Robinson^ (toe) — full
  • RB D’Ernest Johnson (hamstring) — limited
  • WR Brian Thomas Jr. (chest) — limited
  • WR Gabe Davis (shoulder) — limited
  • OL Brandon Scherff (knee) — limited
  • OL Ezra Cleveland (ankle) — limited
  • OL Blake Hance (knee) — limited
  • DE Josh Hines-Allen (shoulder) — limited
  • DT Maason Smith (ankle) — limited
  • CB Tyson Campbell (shoulder) — limited
  • S Daniel Thomas (hamstring) — limited
  • QB Trevor Lawrence (left shoulder) — did not participate
  • RB Tank Bigsby (ankle) — did not participate

Analysis: No changes to report. The Jaguars are trending toward listing a handful of players as questionable to play in Week 11, with starting left guard Ezra Cleveland and rookie defensive tackle Maason Smith’s statuses worth monitoring. Cleveland has missed Jacksonville’s last two games; Smith has been out for three weeks.

Lions injury report

  • OT Taylor Decker (shoulder) — full*
  • DT Brodric Martin (knee) — full
  • LB Malcolm Rodriguez (ankle) — full*
  • CB Emmanuel Moseley (pectoral) — full
  • CB Carlton Davis (hand) — limited
  • S Ifeatu Melifonwu (ankle) — limited
  • TE Sam LaPorta (shoulder) — did not participate

Analysis: After not playing against Houston in Week 10, Detroit starting left tackle Taylor Decker and rotational linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez were upgraded to full practice participation Thursday. Both appear poised to play on Sunday.

The Lions added starting cornerback Carlton Davis to their injury report Thursday with a hurt hand, seemingly suffered during practice.

The Athletic tabs ‘easy fit’ if Jaguars pick No. 1 in 2025 NFL draft

The Athletic tabs ‘easy fit’ if Jaguars pick No. 1 in 2025 NFL draft

If the Jaguars hold onto the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL draft, which they possess 10 weeks into the 2024 season, The Athletic believes Jacksonville’s general manager will face an easy choice come April.

Identifying prospect fits for teams who might take the top spot in the draft, including Jacksonville, The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner envisioned a “win-win” for both the club and the player, pairing the Jaguars with Colorado wide receiver and cornerback Travis Hunter Jr.

We’ll see how things go (and, obviously, this job is still filled for the moment), but the Jaguars get my pre-vote for best opening of the impending 2025 NFL coaching cycle. That’s not just because the new coach would get Trevor Lawrence. There’s also a fair amount of young talent to work with on this roster, and the Jaguars currently have the most 2025 draft capital in the league.

Even though the 2025 draft class doesn’t look elite by any measure, it’s more than enough for the Jaguars — an aimless group that is better than its record — to turn their fortunes.

Hunter, the best college player in America, could help finally give Lawrence a real weapon and/or establish the Jaguars’ defensive culture. It’s a win-win. Easy fit.

Hunter has entered the conversation as one of the best two-way players in college football history over his three-year career, under head coach Deion Sanders as a freshman at Jackson State and the last two seasons at Colorado.

Over 26 games between both schools, Hunter has logged 144 receptions for 1,767 yards and 18 touchdowns and 70 total tackles, seven interceptions, 20 defended passes and one forced fumble.

The Jaguars could pair Hunter with Brian Thomas Jr., their star rookie wide receiver, to offer Lawrence a dynamic, young pass-catching duo for years to come if this scenario were to play out.

Should the Jaguars prefer Hunter’s defensive upside, Jacksonville could also align Hunter opposite Tyson Campbell, who signed a four-year contract extension with the club this past offseason, at outside cornerback for the foreseeable future.

Or, the Jaguars could even do both.

The 2025 NFL draft will begin April 24.

Former Washington LB Lavar Arrington happy to reunite with organization

Lavar Arrington reunites with the Washington franchise.

Lavar Arrington is back. No, the former No. 2 overall pick in the 2000 NFL draft is not back on the field, but he is back home with the organization where he played six of his seven seasons.

The Washington Commanders announced last week that Arrington would be the Week 11 “Legend of the Game.” It was a moment that Arrington himself almost wondered if it would ever happen.

Speaking to JP Finlay of NBC 4 and 106.7 The Fan in Washington, D.C., Arrington spoke of returning home.

“I’m never at a loss for words, but this has been really awesome,” Arrington said. “Been too long. Been a lot of time and a lot of emotion, but there’s come a point and time where there’s so many things that are bigger than some of things that happened in the past. Having the opportunity to come back, the reception, just the communication leading up to coming back. Them making it real, the way that they did.”

Arrington then discusses if he

“I don’t want to say I thought about always coming back because you get to a point where you’re away for so long that it just kind of becomes almost like a dormant, dead memory to you.”

The former No. 2 overall pick then discussed how he and the team connected. Arrington appreciated how the team reached out to him and communicated with him.

Then, Arrington, once the franchise’s most popular player, discussed the fans.

“I’m excited to see the fans,” Arrington said. “It’s never been about there being any beef with the fans. One singular entity that kinda bonded us all together in this turbulent ride. It doesn’t feel like that anymore.”

Arrington then said something that should excite all fans.

“In three hours, I can feel an energy here that I’ve never felt,” Arrington said. “So, if not for anything else, just to be able to feel what I’m feeling now as a longtime retired former player of this team, I’m glad that these current players get an opportunity to feel the energy that I’m feeling right now.”

It’s good to see Washington making things right with many former players estranged from the team. Whether it’s Darrell Green, John Riggins, Champ Bailey, or Lavar Arrington, everyone has had the same message about the current ownership group. It’s a different time in Washington.

The name may have changed, but so has the play on the field. It’s good to see Arrington back in a place where he was beloved for a while until issues with former owner Daniel Snyder led to his departure. Arrington played for Washington from 2000-05 and then spent one season with the New York Giants before a motorcycle accident led to his retirement.

Broncos QB Bo Nix responds to Alex Forsyth backlash: ‘It ticks me off’

“It ticks me off that people can say those things about him and not even see how he works or how he responds or how he plays,” Bo Nix said.

The Denver Broncos suffered a heartbreaking 16-14 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday after the team’s last-second field goal attempt was blocked.

The Chiefs had identified Broncos lineman Alex Forsyth as being “light on his toes,” making him susceptible to a bullrush. Kansas City rushed three defenders at Forsyth’s spot and ended up blocking the kick to secure the win.

Denver coach Sean Payton has said the loss — and the block — was not the fault of a single player, but that hasn’t stopped fans from lashing out at Forsyth on social media.

Broncos quarterback Bo Nix had his first media availability of the week on Wednesday and he came to the defense of Forsyth, who played with Nix at Oregon.

“So, I think it’s very unfortunate, very unfair that, ultimately a play comes down to one moment and — something, people can say that it falls under one person and nobody prepares like Alex Forsyth prepares,” Nix said, via Andrew Mason of DenverSports.com. “Nobody goes through the moments throughout the week and gets every set and every look that he possibly can and go out there and put his team in the best possible spot. And I think it’s unfair that — unfortunately, it’s the game we play and all of our mistakes are on national TV and everyone sees them and there’s a lot of negative talk when somebody messes up, but I think it’s — I think it should be known how valuable he is to our team, how much he is respected throughout our locker room.

“It really — it ticks me off that people can say those things about him and not even see how he works or how he responds or how he plays. And I have no doubt that Alex Forsyth’s going to respond probably better than anybody in that situation. He cares more than anybody would in that situation. And I know every single one of our team, every single guy in our locker room believes in him to move on and respond. And what happened to him sucks, it really does. It’s happened to many of us, and you just gotta, unfortunately get over it and you gotta find ways to move past it.

“And he’s mentally tough. He’s been through tougher life moments than probably any of us, and so, he knows how to handle adversity, and I’m excited to see him grow and respond through this. And I can’t imagine as much as he works throughout a week, how much more he’s going to put on himself, but I respect him greatly. I hate that he’s having to go through all this, but sometimes it’s part of the game and it is what we signed up for, but I’m happy to be on his team. I’m proud to call him a teammate, and I know he’s going to respond really well.”

Broncos offensive tackle Garett Bolles and guard Quinn Meinerz also came to Forsyth’s defense. Bolles said fans shouldn’t pin the game on Forsyth when the offense only scored 14 points.

Meinerz said Forsyth getting blamed was ridiculous.

Former Broncos players have also come to Forsyth’s defense, with ex-lineman Tyler Polumbus and retired tight end Joel Dreessen sticking up for the center on social media.

Forsyth will get his first opportunity to bounce back when the Broncos host the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

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Broncos’ updated 53-man roster after recent transactions

The Broncos cut DB Keidron Smith and promoted FB Michael Burton to the active roster this week. Here’s a look at the updated 53-man roster.

After making two roster moves this week, the Denver Broncos have updated their 53-man roster ahead of their game against the Atlanta Falcons.

Denver waived safety Keidron Smith on Tuesday, making room for fullback Michael Burton to be promoted to the active roster on Wednesday.

Here’s a look at the team’s active roster following those moves.

Denver Broncos 53-man roster

Position Name Number
QB Bo Nix 10
QB Jarrett Stidham 8
QB Zach Wilson 4
RB Javonte Williams 33
RB Jaleel McLaughlin 38
RB Audric Estime 23
FB Michael Burton 20
FB/TE Nate Adkins 45
TE Greg Dulcich 80
TE Adam Trautman 82
TE Lucas Krull 85
WR Courtland Sutton 14
WR Marvin Mims 19
WR Troy Franklin 16
WR Devaughn Vele 17
WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey 84
OT Garett Bolles 72
OT Mike McGlinchey 69
OT Frank Crum 73
OT Alex Palczewski 63
OL Matt Peart 79
G/C Quinn Meinerz 77
G Ben Powers 74
C/G Alex Forsyth 54
C/G Luke Wattenberg 60
OL Calvin Throckmorton 76
DE Zach Allen 99
DE John Franklin-Myers 98
DL D.J. Jones 93
DL Malcolm Roach 97
DL Eyioma Uwazurike 96
DL Jordan Jackson 94
OLB Jonathon Cooper 0
OLB Nik Bonitto 15
OLB Jonah Elliss 52
OLB Dondrea Tillman 92
ILB Cody Barton 55
ILB Justin Strnad 40
ILB Levelle Bailey 56
CB Pat Surtain 2
CB Ja’Quan McMillian 29
CB Riley Moss 21
CB Levi Wallace 39
CB Kris Abrams-Draine 31
CB Tremon Smith 1
CB Damarri Mathis 27
DB Devon Key 26
S Brandon Jones 22
S P.J. Locke 6
S JL Skinner 34
K Wil Lutz 3
P Riley Dixon 9
LS Mitchell Fraboni 48

With a 53-man roster and a 17-player practice squad, Denver has 70 players under contract, plus several players on injured reserve.

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Pederson: Defenses are double-covering Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr.

Pederson: Defenses are double-covering Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr.

It has been a quiet couple of weeks for sensational Jaguars rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr.

After averaging roughly four receptions for 72 yards over six targets per game in the first eight weeks of his debut NFL campaign, a stretch in which he scored five touchdowns, Thomas has been limited to seven targets, four catches, 34 yards and zero scores in Jacksonville’s last two games.

Granted, Thomas has played through a chest injury that he suffered in the last game he scored a touchdown, against the Green Bay Packers in Week 8.

However, Jacksonville head coach Doug Pederson has dismissed the notion that Thomas’ production is being limited by his injury.

Instead, Pederson has pointed toward the coverage Thomas has faced in the Jaguars’ recent matchups, largely Cover 3 Cloud in Week 9 against Philadelphia and a mix of traditional Cover 2 and Cover 3 Cloud versus Minnesota in Week 10.

Accordingly, Thomas often had two defenders dedicated to keeping him in check during these games.

“If you specifically watch the football game and not follow the ball, you will see what Philly did in kind of normal down situations. Some on third down as they had a corner and a safety. So, they basically doubled [Thomas],” Pederson explained on Nov. 4, noting the Eagles had not previously presented the coverage much throughout the season.

“It’s hard to throw the ball over there to a guy that’s doubled. So, you have to go other places with the ball. So that was part of their game plan.”

To pair, Pederson acknowledged that the Vikings’ impactful pass rush limited Thomas’ opportunities further in Week 10. Jaguars quarterback Mac Jones took three sacks and was pressured 10 times over 27 dropbacks on Sunday.

With Jaguars starting slot receiver Christian Kirk’s Week 8, season-ending shoulder injury in mind, perhaps opposing defenses are dedicating more resources to slowing Thomas down.

But Pederson believes the coverage attention Thomas has warranted can be navigated, by the coaching staff moving him around the offensive formation pre-snap and Thomas recognizing potential double-teams.

“I think you can put him in stacks, bunches. You can move him around the formation a little bit, do some things that way,” Pederson said Wednesday.

“The only downside to it is the offense has to be stationary at the snap so the defense can still move and get lined up as well. So do the best we can to move him around the formation, and then on Brian to obviously know that he’s going to be doubled at times. He’s just going to have to work to get himself free.”

Thomas’ next test will come against Detroit’s secondary on Sunday. The Lions have allowed 244.2 passing yards per game this season, the fifth-most in the NFL.

Jaguars vs. Lions: Initial injury reports

Jaguars vs. Lions: Initial injury reports

Find Jacksonville and Detroit’s initial injury reports for the Jaguars and Lions’ Week 11 matchup below.

^ indicates player is designated to return from injured reserve 

Jaguars injury report

  • RB Keilan Robinson^ (toe) — full
  • RB D’Ernest Johnson (hamstring) — limited
  • WR Brian Thomas Jr. (chest) — limited
  • WR Gabe Davis (shoulder) — limited
  • OL Brandon Scherff (knee) — limited
  • OL Ezra Cleveland (ankle) — limited
  • OL Blake Hance (knee) — limited
  • DE Josh Hines-Allen (shoulder) — limited
  • DT Maason Smith (ankle) — limited
  • CB Tyson Campbell (shoulder) — limited
  • S Daniel Thomas (hamstring) — limited
  • QB Trevor Lawrence (left shoulder) — did not participate
  • RB Tank Bigsby (ankle) — did not participate

Analysis: Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson ruled quarterback Trevor Lawrence out of Week 11 before practice on Wednesday, making his nonparticipation not a surprise.

The Jaguars added left guard Blake Hance, defensive end Josh Hines-Allen and cornerback Tyson Campbell to their injury report, meaning each player either suffered an injury against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 10 or during practice Wednesday. Each player was limited to begin the week.

Running back Tank Bigsby, who was limited daily in Week 10 with an ankle injury and briefly exited against the Vikings, did not practice Wednesday.

Starting left guard Ezra Cleveland returned to practice in a limited capacity after missing Jacksonville’s last two games with an ankle injury.

Lions injury report

  • DT Brodric Martin (knee) — full
  • CB Emmanuel Moseley (pectoral) — full
  • S Ifeatu Melifonwu (ankle) — full
  • OT Taylor Decker (shoulder) — limited
  • LB Malcolm Rodriguez (ankle) — limited
  • TE Sam LaPorta (shoulder) — did not participate

Analysis: Star Detroit tight end Sam LaPorta did not practice Wednesday after suffering a shoulder injury in Week 10 against Houston. Starting left tackle Taylor Decker and rotational linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez were limited participants to begin Week 11 after not playing against the Texans.