Tag: NFL Week 3

Brian Branch fined for two separate hits vs. Cardinals

Branch was fined for two separate hits vs. Cardinals including the play where he suffered a concussion

Lions safety Brian Branch had a rough finish to the Week 3 win in Arizona. Branch left the game with a brain injury and now two fines for separate hits in the game, including the one that gave both him and Cardinals TE Trey McBride concussions.

The NFL announced the fines on Saturday, and Branch got tagged $10,128 for the hit on McBride for unnecessary roughness/use of helmet, per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. McBride, who also lowered his head into contact on the play and appeared to initiate the contact, was not fined.

 

The good news is that Branch has cleared concussion protocol and is expected to play on Monday Night Football against the visiting Seattle Seahawks.

C.J. Gardner-Johnson fined for late hit out of bounds on Alvin Kamara

C.J. Gardner-Johnson blasted the Saints for playing dirty. Well, he was the recipient of a fine from the NFL for a late hit on Alvin Kamara:

Philadelphia Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson had a lot to say about the New Orleans Saints after the Week 3 game. This was to be expected. The Saints drafted Gardner-Johnson in 2019, and fans became accustomed to his propensity to talk trash.

After their victory, Gardner-Johnson called the Saints pretenders, but the biggest thing he did was criticize Khristian Boyd’s hit on DeVonta Smith, for which the rookie defensive tackle was fined. He called the play and the Saints, as a whole, dirty.

Dennis Allen denied that earlier this week. Funny enough, Gardner-Johnson had his own play that was late. He slung Alvin Kamara to the ground early in the game while both players were out of bounds.

Just like Boyd’s play, there was no penalty in the game. Just like Boyd’s play, there was a fine after the game, per NBC Sports’ Mike Florio.

Gardner-Johnson’s hit wasn’t as vicious but it was clearly late. It’s pretty ironic that he had so much to say only to be fined playing beyond the whistle.

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NFL power rankings roundup: Saints rankings plateau entering Week 4

The Saints’ ratings in NFL power rankings have plateaued after their Week 3 loss to the Eagles. They’ve got a lot to prove in Week 4:

The New Orleans Saints Week 3 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles tamed how many media outlets view the team heading into Week 4, as many of their ratings of the Saints went down or stagnated compared to last week. Fortunately, many of the ratings did not go too low, and every outlet still has the Saints in the top half of the league, most of them by a good margin as well.

The Saints got all the way up to third in some rankings last week which was really fun to see, and this week they remained as high as seventh but also went as low as 14th compared to the low of 12th entering Week 3. Here is the full list of how they are rated:

High: 7th – Low: 14th – Average: 10.5

To be frank, many outlets see the Saints as we fans and media do still, good but not great. They rank behind the elite of the league who have been performing since Week 1 and even back to last season when factoring in expectations, but ahead of most of the middle of the road teams who are of a similar record. The first two weeks did a good job of solidifying the Saints for at least a week with a buffer for a loss, but their matchup with the Atlanta Falcons will be a critical one to keeping hopes high and potentially moving them up the boards again.

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Where the Saints come in on USA Today’s Week 4 NFL power rankings

Let’s take a look at where the Saints rank on the freshly-updated USA Today power rankings heading into Week 4:

The New Orleans Saints’ 2-1 start has left many media outlets feeling mixed on their reactions to how the team should rank among the NFL’s elite. On the one hand, they started off 2-0 and had 91 points through two games, and on the other hand, they looked less than stellar against the Philadelphia Eagles, especially without Erik McCoy.

Across the media landscape they have dropped a few positions but typically not too many, and this is the same case as the USA Today power rankings, which put the Saints at No. 9. Last week the Saints came in at No. 6on this list, however, their loss and a few teams continuing to look good moved them down a little bit. Here’s what USA Today’s Nate Davis had to say about the Saints after Week 3’s close loss:

“So much focus has understandably been devoted to their offense. But when was the last time you saw a slot corner (Alontae Taylor) among the league’s sack leaders (3½)?”

He makes a good point as well, the offense got a lot of attention when it was good, and the same when it was bad in Week 3. However we have neglected to talk about the defense, including Alontae Taylor, which with the exception of a few plays has looked pretty outstanding for having to carry the load in Week 3.

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Saints PFF grades: Best, worst performances from loss to Eagles in Week 3

Saints PFF grades: Best, worst performances from Week 3 loss to Eagles

The latest round of Pro Football Focus player grades are in after Week 3’s New Orleans Saints game with the Philadelphia Eagles. So who stood out — for good and bad? Let’s break it down by highlighting the top five — and bottom five — performances on both offense and defense from Sunday, as well as the special teams and quarterback play:

  1. WR Chris Olave: 90.3
  2. QB Derek Carr: 67.5
  3. LT Taliese Fuaga: 64.9
  4. RB Alvin Kamara: 63.8
  5. C Erik McCoy: 60

Backup left guard Nick Saldiveri gets an honorable mention here for grading out with a 71.0 on his only snap of the game (in pass protection), and it would be great to see him climb the depth and earn a shot in the starting lineup now that McCoy is out of action. Olave should’ve had more targets. He caught all 6 passes that Carr threw to him for 86 yards and what would have been a game-winning touchdown.

  1. DE Carl Granderson: 88.9
  2. LB Willie Gay Jr.: 85.9
  3. CB Paulson Adebo: 79.9
  4. CB Marshon Lattimore: 72.7
  5. FS Tyrann Mathieu: 68.5

Granderson was incredible this week, leading the team with seven pressures and twice sacking the quarterback. As we expected, Gay played a key role in spying Jalen Hurts to prevent the quarterback from running amok; he only had 3 tackles but Hurts managed just 25 rushing yards off of 8 attempts, 21 of them on one play. They went after Adebo often in coverage but he yielded just 36 yards and 3 first downs on 9 targets.

  1. TE Juwan Johnson: 29.6
  2. RT Trevor Penning: 40.1
  3. LG Olisaemeka Udoh: 43.3
  4. RG Cesar Ruiz: 45.5
  5. WR Mason Tipton: 46.4

We’re past the point where Johnson’s offseason injury can explain his lack of production. He’s someone who should’ve stepped up with Taysom Hill out this week, but instead he was a liability as a blocker and he couldn’t get open enough for Derek Carr to even try throwing to him. The offensive line was a disaster without Erik McCoy in the middle. All three of these blockers allowed multiple pressures (4 for Udoh, 3 for Ruiz, and 2 for Penning) and they failed to consistently open running lanes against the Eagles front.

  1. S Jordan Howden: 32.8
  2. DT Bryan Bresee: 40.7
  3. LB Deemario Davis: 44.5
  4. DE Chase Young: 56.8
  5. DT Nathan Shepherd: 59.1

Those aren’t the names you want at the bottom of the list. Davis suffered an injury in this game and played an uncharacteristically low number of snaps because of it (only 63 out of 71), and he struggled to defend tight ends crossing through his zone in the middle of the field. Howden only played 11 snaps but was one of the key defenders at fault on a coverage bust that set up Dallas Goedert’s 61-yard catch late in regulation. Bresee didn’t generate many pressures but he did bag a pair of sacks. Conversely, Young had six pressures but he’s still struggling to finish plays, and too often he rushed too deep which created a lane for Jalen Hurts to escape into.

Blake Grupe looked sloppy on a couple of mid-range field goals, which may have kept the coaches from trusting him at greater distances later in the game. At least Matthew Hayball placed his punts better this week with two falling inside the 20 and only one being returned. Isaiah Foskey had two assists in coverage and J.T. Gray blocked a punt, but the offense couldn’t capitalize on that opportunity.

It’s tough to evaluate Carr’s performance given how many times he was under pressure. He did make a couple of big-time throws this week, but he also twice put the ball in harm’s way; he’s very lucky he had an interception dropped on the worst pass he’s thrown all season, but he didn’t get lucky on a forced throw in the offense’s final play. The Eagles did a great job not biting on play action and that really limited his options to get the ball out under pressure.

Dennis Allen explains his decisions on critical fourth downs vs. Eagles

Dennis Allen shared his thought process on three critical fourth downs against the Eagles. Whether to punt, attempt a long field goal, or go for it:

The New Orleans Saints only attempted one fourth down conversion on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles. It was an Alvin Kamara run that was stopped short of the line of scrimmage. The other two situations Dennis Allen referenced were punts, and he doesn’t regret any of the three decisions.

What about the other two decisions? Those would have asked Blake Grupe to attempt a career-long field goal. Allen chose to not take the gamble of the Eagles receiving good field position due to a miss.

The first attempt would have been a 58-yard field goal, as the Saints were faced with a 4th-and-8. Allen said he “doesn’t know if that’s the down and distance to we’re looking for to potentially go for it.”

That left punting or kicking the field goal as the only viable options. Allen went with the former because of the flow of the game suggested pinning the Eagles in their own territory was the best bet.

On the next drive, Grupe would have been tasked with a 60-yard field goal  try, which Allen said “You certainly aren’t trying to kick.” He just didn’t see the success as consistent enough to risk giving the Eagles great field position. New Orleans considered going for it because they were only 4 yards from the first down. Ultimately, they chose to punt that one as well.

Allen kept it simple on the decision to go for it on 4th-and-1. He called it a “no brainer.”

Allen sees the two punts as plays that worked out for the team and the attempt as a play he’d do every time. It doesn’t seem like he’d change how he handled the situation, but you have to wonder whether Grupe banging his  first field goal in off the uprights played a part in how he approached this phase of the game on Sunday.

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Dennis Allen responds to C.J. Gardner-Johnson’s claim the Saints are a dirty team

C.J. Gardner Johnson called out the Saints for having a culture of cheap hits and playing dirty. Dennis Allen denied that notion:

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith took a hit from Khristian Boyd that led to him suffering the concussion. In that play, Smith was being pushed back by New Orleans Saints defenders before the hit. There didn’t seem to be ill intent involved.

After the game, Smith’s teammates C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Jordan Mailata called the play dirty. Mailata kept it at that, but Gardner-Johnson went further and connected the play to the culture of the team.

Dennis Allen responded to a question about the play, but his answer leans towards a response to Gardner-Johnson’s culture point. Allen was straightforward on Monday, saying, “I don’t think we play dirty. I don’t think we ever have played dirty. It’s not the way we coach it, not the way we teach it.”

Allen instead said his team plays hard, and honestly, that’s what the play looked like. Boyd appeared to just be playing through the whistle. You wish he would have let up in hindsight, but this doesn’t look dirty.

Allen made sure to dispel the notion that the Saints are a dirty team by reiterating “dirty” is an inaccurate description of how they play or coach.

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Tyrann Mathieu perfectly summarized the Saints’ defensive performance

The Saints allowed two plays for 60-plus yards at the worst moments. Tyrann Mathieu perfectly summarized how that wiped out an otherwise solid game from his defense:

The New Orleans Saints defense held strong until the final minutes of their Week 3 game with the Philadelphia Eagles. There are two explosive plays that stand out with Saquon Barkley and Dallas Goedert both delivering gains of over 60 yards.

Each of these plays happened in the fourth quarter. These big gains also stripped away the Saints’ best defensive trait on the day. The Eagles drove down the field consistently, but the Saints played bend-but-don’t-break defense, conceding shorter pickups while guarding the deeper reaches of the field. There wasn’t a chance for that strategy after Barkley scored and Goedert took the ball inside the 5-yard line.

Tyrann Mathieu perfectly summarized the sense of disappointment in that collapse: “You can play great defense for 55 minutes and in 5 minutes’ time will get away from you.”

Goedert’s catch and run was the true death blow. Not only did it lead to the game winning score, the moment was easily avoidable. It was terrible execution and felt like the defense fell apart.

The defense stood tall many times, but when they were needed the most they couldn’t stop the Eagles. Despite this moment, Mathieu maintains the defense hasn’t lost their confidence.

Confident or not, the team has to do a better job closing out games than they did Sunday.

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Dan Campbell calls punter Jack Fox ‘the story of the game’ in Week 3 win

Dan Campbell calls punter Jack Fox ‘the story of the game’ in Week 3 win over the Arizona Cardinals

It’s not often after a win that a head coach praises a punter as being the key to victory, but not every head coach is Detroit’s Dan Campbell. And not every punter is Jack Fox of the Lions.

Fox had an outstanding game in the Lions’ Week 3 win over the Cardinals. Just ask Campbell, which happened in the coach’s Monday media session.

“Fox was – I don’t know how you play any better than Fox did as a punter,” Campbell enthused. “Five punts, first one, touchback, 68 yards and there’s a penalty on it so they start at the 10. Then he has a 61-yarder, they start at the two-yard line – great job by (CB Khalil Dorsey) Dorse getting down there.

Then he puts them on the 12, then he puts them on the nine, then he puts them on the seven, so their average start line was the eight-yard line after five punts – big time, man, Fox just continues to raise his level of play. And we had no penalties in the special teams unit, so I thought he and Dorsey really excelled on teams. That was really the story of the game.”

For the game, Fox punted five times with a net of 49.4 yards, with four of those punts being downed inside the Cardinals 20-yard line. Arizona return man Greg Dortch made two fair catches and did not attempt a return.

Bengals lose to Commanders: Quick takeaways after Week 3

Quick-hitting takeaways after Commanders vs. Bengals in Week 3.

The Cincinnati Bengals looked like a team lost at the controls during the Week 3 loss to the Washington Commanders on primetime.

At home, the Bengals defense got rolled up and down the field with ease, allowing a rookie quarterback and a strong ground game to put up 38 points, mostly uncontested, while the team’s punter had the night off.

Here are some quick takeaways.

 

The defense…

…is a problem. There were signs of life against Patrick Mahomes last week. But Lou Anarumo, oddly enough, just does well against Mahomes. Every other opponent so far has brought out horrible tackling angles and overall effort in bringing ball-carriers down. Edges were getting filled in the running game and even Cam Taylor-Britt got beat deep. All this, by the way, against a rookie quarterback.

 

The RT situation

With the speed at which the team ruled out Trent Brown after his injury, it’s reasonable to presume they need help there now. Amarius Mims is a high-upside first-rounder who looks good in flashes, but also got beat badly to give up a sack of Joe Burrow. At the very least, they need to bring on a capable veteran to play behind him now. One more injury there and the offense is in trouble.

 

Don’t overlook the offense

Is it living up to its potential? Hardly. While the Commanders were getting scores, the Bengals kept settling for field goals in the red zone and overall going 2-of-4 there. That’s a losing recipe for any team. They all need to get on the same page still, but it might be worth wondering if somebody like Jermaine Burton can’t provide a little more juice.

 

But it’s also all on the offense

The major successes of the last few years usually featured a turnover-happy defense doing some heavy lifting. Those days are long gone. There are far too many injuries along the offensive line and the front office clearly flopped while losing talent like Jessie Bates and DJ Reader over the years. Now, there’s not much coming back from letting a rookie passer drop 38 points on the road with zero punts. Burrow and Co. need to light up the league or this will get worse.

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