Tag: NFL Week 15

Alvin Kamara (groin) questionable to return vs. Commanders

Alvin Kamara (groin) is questionable to return in the fourth quarter of the Saints’ game with the Commanders:

This isn’t what you want to see: Alvin Kamara was seen walking to the New Orleans Saints locker room escorted by members of the team’s medical staff after scoring a long touchdown catch against the Washington Commanders. The Saints later announced that Kamara was dealing with a groin injury and was questionable to return midway through the fourth quarter.

He’s a huge loss. Kamara is the team’s best player and on Sunday brought a couple of much-needed sparks in the passing game, including that touchdown and a field-flipping catch earlier on. We’ll see if he can return. Kamara has dealt with a variety of injuries this season including a broken hand.

In the meantime, expect a heavier workload for second-year running back Kendre Miller and veteran backup Jamaal Williams. But there’s no replacing No. 41.

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Bengals’ Jordan Battle drops ball before scoring TD

A disaster for Bengals safety Jordan Battle.

Cincinnati Bengals safety Jordan Battle made the unforgivable mistake on Sunday during a blowout of the Tennessee Titans.

Sprinting down the field and about to extend his team’s 31-14 lead with a fumble-recovery touchdown, Battle joined the hall of the infamous as a player who dropped the ball before scoring.

Instead, Battle’s drop meant a touchback and the Bengals got literally nothing from forcing the turnover.

As a whole, it is perhaps a great example of Battle’s season. He was a slow starter over the summer who had a hard time earning playing time despite expectations from fans that he could be headed for a breakout season.

Now, this stands as one of his lone season-long highlights and will be added to the infamous leaguewide reel.

 

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New Orleans Saints set season-high in sacks vs. Commanders

In just the first half, Saints have recorded their most sacks in a game this season vs. the Commanders and rookie QB Jayden Daniels:

It’s only the first half, but the New Orleans Saints have already recorded five sacks. That’s more than New Orleans has recorded in an entire game this year. To make it more impressive, they are doing this against the elusive Jayden Daniels

Ugo Amadi,  Demario Davis, Willie Gay, Cameron Jordan, and Chase Young all recorded a sack in the first 30 minutes.

Containing Washington Commanders was a point of emphasis for the New Orleans Saints. Joe Woods told reporters this week that “We’re going to have different ways to control him and keep him in the pocket.”

There have been a few plays Daniels has used his legs to extend a play, but the Saints have done a better job than expected against him. You have to tip your hat to the secondary as well, because some of these sacks have been a product of Daniels having nowhere to go.

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Cameron Jordan sacked the 48th quarterback of his 14-year career

Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan sacked the 48th quarterback of his 14-year career, bringing down Washington Commanders rookie Jayden Daniels on Sunday:

Cameron Jordan sacks Jayden Daniels for his 119.5th sack. Daniels is the 48th quarterback Jordan has sacked in his Saints career.

— John (@johnsigler.bsky.social) December 15, 2024 at 1:45 PM

The New Orleans Saints defensive line started strong against the Washington Commanders in Week 15, and 14-year veteran defensive end Cameron Jordan managed to bring down Jayden Daniels in the first half. This sack was good for the 48th different quarterback he has sacked in his career, which brings his career total to 119.5.

Jordan has had a slow season in that category so far, with this being only his second sack on the season which would tie 2023 as his second lowest total (aside from his rookie year, in which he only had one). This brings him ever closer to 22nd on the all-time sacks list as well, where he looks to pass Clyde Simmons who has a total of 121.5. We will see where Jordan ends up finishing his career in this category, but regardless it will be very close to the top of the list.

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Saints announce inactive players for Week 15 vs. Washington Commanders

The New Orleans Saints announced their inactive players for Week 15’s game with the Washington Commanders, who made a last-second decision on their starting center:

The New Orleans Saints announced their inactive players for Week 15’s game with the Washington Commanders, who had to make a last-second decision on their starting center Tyler Biadasz after he contracted an illness. He was a late addition to the injury report and officially labeled questionable, but wasn’t able to play.

As for the Saints? They had already ruled out starting quarterback Derek Carr (left hand/concussion), with a couple of players also unavailable on injured reserve in third-year linebacker D’Marco Jackson (ankle) and rookie wide receiver Bub Means (ankle). Washington put wide receiver Noah Brown on their own injured reserve list after he suffered a significant kidney injury.

Here are the full inactive lists from each team:

New Orleans Saints inactive players

  • QB Derek Carr
  • RB Jordan Mims
  • WR Mason TIpton
  • DE Tanoh Kpassagnon
  • DT Khristian Boyd

Washington Commanders inactive players

  • C Tyler Biadasz
  • WR K.J. Osborn
  • CB Michael Davis
  • LB Dominique Hampton
  • K Zane Gonzalez
  • DT Phidarian Mathis
  • QB Jeff Driskel (emergency QB3)

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Bengals make last-second roster moves before Week 15 vs. Titans

Some late roster moves for the Bengals before they play the Titans in Week 15.

The Cincinnati Bengals made a few roster moves before kickoff against the Tennessee Titans in Week 15, with at least one a direct response to an injury.

There, the Bengals announced the signing of quarterback Logan Woodside to the active roster and shifted linebacker Joe Bachie to injured reserve.

Specifically for Sunday’s game, the team elevated offensive tackle Andrew Coker and kicker Cade York to the active roster.

At quarterback, the Bengals tend to do this every year in December. Woodside’s promotion is less about Joe Burrow’s knee injury last week (no injury report status) and more likely about preventing other teams from signing him off their practice squad.

Coker, though, is up for the game because Cody Ford got downgraded to questionable due to an illness. He is supposed to start in place of Orlando Brown Jr. at left tackle.

York, like last week, will get the nod in place of Evan McPherson.

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Final score predictions for Bengals vs. Titans in Week 15

A final prediction for Bengals vs. Titans in Week 15.

The Cincinnati Bengals link up with old friend Brian Callahan on Sunday when they visit the Tennessee Titans in a Week 15 matchup.

Said matchup will see the Bengals hope to keep their comically small playoff chances alive with a win. But that has become background noise with Joe Burrow pushing the Bengals front office to keep Tee Higgins — and Higgins himself changing agents, linking up with the reps who…do the same job for Ja’Marr Chase.

That big detail out of the way, the game itself should see the Bengals sit in a pretty good position, provided they don’t play down to the level of the competition.

The competition is a Titans team that is 3-10 and losers in two in a row and four of their last five. Tennessee quarterbacks have thrown for 16 touchdowns and 13 interceptions all year, and a bottom-six defense coughs up 26.3 points per game on average.

That said, the Titans technically have the best passing defense in the league by holding teams to 175.5 yards through the air per game.

But that’s a pretty big technically against a wideout group boasting Triple Crown contender Ja’Marr Chase, plus Higgins. Unless the knee injury that Burrow suffered last week limits his mobility (he’s not even listed on the final injury report), there isn’t any reason to think his offense shouldn’t be its usual self.

Of note, left tackle Cody Ford, starting in place of the injured Orlando Brown Jr., is now a question mark for the game due to an illness. The Bengals could have a third-string tackle on the left edge.

Otherwise, even a shaky Bengals defense should be fine against a Titans offense that has scored more than 20 points twice this season.

Prediction: Bengals 34, Titans 20

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Will Alvin Kamara play this week? Injury updates for Saints RB

Saints running back Alvin Kamara is dealing with an illness. Here are the latest updates on his status against the Washington Commanders.

The New Orleans Saints managed to sneak away with a win this past week, winning 14-11 over the New York Giants. The offense has been reeling for weeks now, and Alvin Kamara has been pretty much their only lifeline when things got tough. Kamara came into this week fine, however on Wednesday and Thursday he missed practice with an illness, which caused a little bit of concern as to his status for the upcoming Week 15 game. With that said, here is his current status:

Alvin Kamara illness update

As of Saturday, Kamara is in line to play in the Week 15 matchup, coming in with no injury designation, and was a full participant at Friday’s practice. Interim head coach Darren Rizzi expressed that Kamara being held out on Thursday was simply a precautionary measure, and not an indication of him not playing or his full health status outside the illness.

What is the Saints’ RB depth chart?

Fortunately for the Saints, things have begun to look a little bit better on the injury front, and the running back position has filled back out with the usual players. As of right now, the active rostered running backs are:

  • Alvin Kamara
  • Kendre Miller
  • Jamaal Williams
  • Jordan Mims

Kendre Miller and Jamaal Williams had both experienced injuries of their own in prior weeks, however they have both been back for a little bit now, and should be good to go for Week 15, as well as Jordan Mims provided he is marked active.

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Commanders Week 15 rooting guide

Who should the Commanders be rooting for in Week 15?

The Washington Commanders (8-5) return to action in Week 15 after some much-needed time off. After a 42-19 win over the Tennessee Titans two weeks ago, the Commanders finally had a bye.

The Commanders are on the road in New Orleans, where they’ll face the 5-8 Saints. While New Orleans doesn’t have the greatest record, it has won three of the last four games since firing head coach Dennis Allen and replacing him with Darren Rizzi.

Washington enters this weekend’s slate of games in an excellent position in the NFC playoff picture. The Commanders continue to hold the No. 7 seed and are only one game out of the No. 6 spot. However, keep an eye on the red-hot Los Angeles Rams. After Thursday’s win over the 49ers, Los Angeles improved to 8-6 and is only a half-game behind the Commanders for the seventh and final NFC playoff spot.

Here’s a current look at the NFC playoff field:

  1. Detroit Lions
  2. Philadelphia Eagles
  3. Seattle Seahawks
  4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  5. Minnesota Vikings
  6. Green Bay Packers
  7. Washington Commanders

We recently explained why the Commanders may want to avoid the No. 7 seed. Whoever becomes the seventh seed must travel to Detroit or Philadelphia in January. The Lions and Eagles look like the NFC’s clear frontrunners ahead of the rest of the pack. Washington and Philadelphia have met once, with the Eagles winning a competitive game back in Week 11. The two NFC East rivals meet again in Week 16.

So, how do the Commanders avoid a trip to Detroit or Philly in January? By moving up to the No. 6 seed. The Packers currently hold the sixth seed and are one game ahead of Washington.

While the Commanders remain alive in the NFC East race, their chances of winning the division are become slimmer by the week.

Which teams should Washington fans be rooting for in Week 15?

49ers over Rams

This game was played on Thursday, and, unfortunately for Washington, the Rams held off the Niners and are now just a half-game behind the Commanders. L.A. looks like a serious contender to overtake Seattle for the NFC West.

Steelers over Eagles

A Pittsburgh win and a Washington win would put the Commanders only two games behind the Eagles ahead of their Week 16 showdown in Landover. Plus, Washington fans will always root for the Eagles to lose.

Patriots over Cardinals

The Commanders hold the tie-breaker advantage over Arizona and are currently two games ahead of them for the final spot. A New England win over the Cardinals would widen the gap for the Commanders.

Seahawks over Packers

The Seahawks are in a battle for the NFC West with the Rams. They must keep winning, or they’ll take LA’s spot behind Washington. So, while Seattle could be a potential threat to the Commanders, Washington badly needs the Seahawks to win here. A Commanders’ win and a Packers’ loss mean things would mean they’d both be 9-5 with three games remaining.

Bears over Vikings

The Commanders are three games behind the Vikings for the No. 5 seed in the NFC. However, if Washington keeps winning, it’s still mathematically possible to catch them. So, as long as this possibility exists, fans should want to see the Vikings lose.

Raiders over Falcons

The Falcons are sliding badly. At 6-7, another loss would severely damage their Wild Card hopes, meaning they’d need to win the division. The Commanders should hope that every team close to them loses. Washington and Atlanta meet in two weeks.

Saints downgrade injured starter, won’t play vs. Commanders in Week 15

The New Orleans Saints downgraded injured quarterback Derek Carr, confirming he won’t play against the Washington Commanders in Week 15:

The New Orleans Saints downgraded injured quarterback Derek Carr on Saturday afternoon, confirming he won’t play against the Washington Commanders in Week 15. This was the expectation, but given Carr’s initial game status (doubtful), it’s now official.

Carr fractured a bone in his non-throwing hand last week and suffered a concussion on the same play, having tried to leap ahead to convert a first down. He came up short and hurt himself in the attempt. It’ll be his backup Jake Haener filling in on Sunday.

How long Carr will be out remains to be seen. Interim head coach Darren Rizzi has said he’ll be evaluated on a week-to-week basis, but if this injury lingers we may not see Carr again through the final four games. In the meantime, Haener has a big opportunity in front of him, and the second-year pro should try to make the most of it.

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