Tag: NFL Week 3

C.J. Gardner-Johnson injury: Ex-Saints DB is questionable for Eagles

C.J. Gardner-Johnson has missed two games against the Saints with injuries. He was a midweek add to the Eagles injury report but his old team is ready if he plays:

C.J. Gardner-Johnson has already missed two rematch games against the New Orleans Saints with injuries on two different teams, so he’s probably looking forward to his third chance for some payback. But he was a surprise midweek addition to the Philadelphia Eagles injury report with a foot issue. That has made him questionable for Sunday’s game.

His old team is ready if he plays. Saints head coach Dennis Allen was asked Friday about planning for instigators who bait opponents into hotheaded penalties, and he had a great response.

“Is there a particular player you’re talking about?” Allen quipped.

Gardner-Johnson has developed a reputation as one of the NFL’s best trash talkers. When he was with the Saints, he was known for getting under opponents’ skin and drawing flags — and a punch or two. That’s continued after he left the team. Last Monday night he taunted another player into swinging on him and hurting their team.

So the Saints are going to be ready, if Gardner-Johnson does end up playing. They know him better than any other team around the league. It just comes down to health. The Saints traded him to the Eagles in 2022 but a lacerated kidney put Gardner-Johnson on injured reserve before they could play each other later that season. He signed with the Detroit Lions in 2023, another Saints opponent, but a torn pectoral muscle sidelined him again before kickoff.

Now he’s gone back to Philadelphia and is dealing with another untimely injury. We’ll have to wait to see whether he can gut it out. When approached by Eagles beat reporters in the locker room on Friday, Gardner-Johnson offered only a brief comment: “See ya Sunday.”

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Lions vs. Cardinals: Final Detroit injury game status report for Week 3

Lions vs. Cardinals: Final Detroit injury game status report for Week 3

The Detroit Lions started off the Week 3 preparations with quite a few injury concerns. However, the final game status after Friday’s practice session looks a lot healthier than it could have been.

The Lions have ruled out just two players due to injury.

CB Ennis Rakestraw (hamstring)

S Ifeatu Melifonwnu (ankle)

Neither player practiced all week.

Four players are questionable after being limited during the practice week:

LB Alex Anzalone (concussion)

LG Graham Glasgow (knee)

CB Terrion Arnold (illness)

WR Isaiah Williams (abdomen)

Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown is not listed with any injury designation after suffering a wounded knee near the end of the Lions Week 2 loss to the Buccaneers. EDGE Marcus Davenport, who missed Week 2, is also free from injury designation and expected to play.

Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley to test rebuilt Saints run defense

The New Orleans Saints run defense has had trouble against the Philadelphia Eagles in the past. Will Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley put them on their heels?

The New Orleans Saints have had trouble with their run defense in the past against the Philadelphia Eagles, most notably in their 2020 matchup when both Miles Sanders and Jalen Hurts each surpassed 100 rushing yards. However, the Saints defensive line has been revamped since then, and while the run defense was exceptional back then in most games, it has been similarly effective in more recent years as well.

Entering Week 3 of the 2024 season, the Saints rank second-best in rushing yards allowed, giving up only 126 on 41 attempts. They also rank second in yards per carry allowed at 3.1, tied for third in rushing touchdowns allowed with one, and fourth place in rushing first down percentage allowed at 17.1%. Cameron Jordan has remained a stout run defender, but they’ve also invested in guys like Bryan Bresee and Nathan Shepherd. The secondary is tackling better, too, with Alontae Taylor developing into a sure thing in the open field.

However, it is worth noting that they faced two running back groups which are not necessarily known for their effectiveness, as well as two quarterbacks who are not anywhere as mobile as Jalen Hurts. Having to deal with mobile quarterbacks has been an issue for the Saints in the past, primarily because they employ a 4-2-6 defense, which means they have one less linebacker on the field at times to run as a spy. We’ll see if that approach changes with Willie Gay Jr. chomping at the bit for more reps, having been brought in specifically to defend agile passers.

Hurts has played two games against the Saints, and while he has never hit 200 yards passing in either of those games, he has averaged 87.5 rushing yards in those games at 4.9 yards per carry. He also had three touchdown runs in his most recent game against the Saints back in 2021.

Saquon Barkley is a little more interesting, as his history against New Orleans is not exceptional, in three games he averaged 36.7 rushing yards (3.4 yards per carry) with only one rushing touchdown, and a single receiving touchdown. He did well as a receiver, averaging 51.0 receiving yards per game against the Saints and 11.8 yards per reception. His most recent appearance against them came last season, where he had just 9 carries for 14 yards and 2 receptions for 23 yards.

This will no doubt be the biggest test of the Saints’ run defense yet this season, as having to deal with multiple facets of the rushing attack is always difficult to figure out.

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Saints vs. Eagles to feature both starting QBs for the first time since 2018

Injuries under center have haunted both the Saints and Eagles over the years. Week 3 will feature both starting quarterbacks for the first time since Nov. 2018:

The New Orleans Saints have had a decent number of games with the Philadelphia Eagles in recent years, however, many have been marred by quarterback injuries or replacements for one reason or another. That won’t be the case this week with Derek Carr and Jalen Hurts both starting under  center, but poor health at quarterback has hit each team in recent years.

It is somewhat of a weird trend as their last four matchups, including one playoff game, have seen a quarterback who was not the initial starter playing for at least one of the two teams. Andy Dalton, Gardner Minshew II, Trevor Siemian, and Nick Foles are just some of the backups who have to step into a starting role during this series.

Starting off with the most recent matchup, Jan. 2023 (Week 17 of the 2022 season), we saw the normal Saints’ starter in Andy Dalton at the time. However, Jalen Hurts missed the matchup due to a sprained shoulder. This moved Minshew into the lineup and ultimately led to a 20-10 victory for the Saints on the road.

Then we go back to Week 11 of the 2021 season for their next matchup, which was the last matchup Hurts played in against the Saints. But with Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill both injured New Orleans had to turn to Trevor Siemian. This is also the year they had to start Ian Book for one game, which was not so great to say the least. Siemian would go 0-4 in his four starts, including this game which the Saints lost 40-29.

The Week 14 matchup in 2020 between these two teams also featured Jalen Hurts as the Eagles’ starting quarterback, except Drew Brees did not play due to his vast array of injuries; Brees suffered shoulder and foot issues in addition to his 11 broken ribs and collapsed lung. This led to the Saints starting Taysom Hill at quarterback, who actually didn’t do half bad with 291 passing yards and two touchdowns against one interception. Despite this, the Saints lost 24-21.

Then we have the one playoff game in this string of games, which was the 2018 NFC divisional round. This was the season Carson Wentz suffered his vertebral fracture around October, and missed the rest of the season, pushing Nick Foles back into the starting spot after his previous year’s heroics. This time he did not play as great, with only 201 passing yards and an touchdown to two interceptions, one of which being the notable Alshon Jeffrey drop and Marshon Lattimore interception off of it to seal the game.

Ultimately, the last time these two teams played with their normal starting quarterbacks was earlier that 2018 season in Week 11, when the Saints won 48-7 in dominating fashion on the back of 363 passing yards and 4 touchdowns from Drew Brees, as well as 103 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns from Mark Ingram II. Here’s hoping for another landslide on Sunday.

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Dennis Allen says Taysom Hill will be questionable vs. Eagles

Saints coach Dennis Allen says Taysom Hill will be listed as questionable before kickoff with the Eagles: ‘If he’s able to go, he’ll be out there for sure’

This is worth watching. New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen told reporters Friday that do-it-all tight end Taysom Hill will be listed as questionable on Week 3’s injury report. We won’t know for sure whether he’s playing until just before kickoff with the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

“If he’s able to go, he’ll be out there for sure,” Allen said.

Hill was held out of Wednesday’s first practice session with a chest injury suffered last week against the Dallas Cowboys, which required a trip to the hospital and a couple rounds of imaging. We still haven’t learned exactly what’s ailing him, but it’s a good sign that Hill never had to wear a red non-contact jersey in practice this week. He was a limited participant on Thursday and practiced again Friday.

So we’ll just have to wait and see whether he’s ultimately able to play. Hill has remained a key piece to Klint Kubiak’s offense as a blocker, runner, and receiver, and his presence alone forces the defense to line up in more base personnel than they’d probably like. If he can’t go on Sunday the Saints would have to ask more of fullback Adam Prentice and maybe rookie tight end Dallin Holker. But as we’ve learned over Hill’s career, no single player can fill his shoes.

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Saints vs. Eagles is a revenge game for C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Zack Baun

Former New Orleans Saints defenders C.J. Gardner-Johnson return to the Caesars Superdome, but this time as members of the Philadelphia Eagles:

The New Orleans Saints versus Philadelphia Eagles is better known in certain circles as the C.J. Gardner Johnson and Zack Baun revenge game.

It’s unclear if Baun has any animosity towards the Saints, but Gardner-Johnson certainly held a grudge upon his departure. There was even a point where he called the Saints his favorite opp.

Ironically, the Saints have played Gardner-Johnson’s team in each of the past two seasons. The safety has been unable to dress out, however, due to injuries. He did miss Thursday’s practice with a foot issue so he may miss this revenge game for the third year in a row.

Gardner-Johnson rose to prominence as one of the best nickel corners and trash talkers in the league with New Orleans. Since departing he has transitioned into becoming a safety. He was punched in the face again during “Monday Night Football,” so it’s safe to say his position is the only thing that changed.

Baun looked like a star in the making in Week 1. In Brazil, Baun made 15 tackles and had two sacks. That sack total ties his season high with New Orleans from last year. Most surprisingly, he is doing this from inside linebacker. Baun has left the Saints for a more important role. He is a starting linebacker who is going to beat all of his season high marks possibly before Week 5.

The Saints offense will look to exploit both of their former players and come down with a third straight victory.

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Almost two-thirds of experts pick Saints to beat Eagles in Week 3

The good news? Almost two-thirds of experts are picking the Saints to beat the Eagles in Week 3. The bad news? They were almost all wrong about the Saints in Week 2:

Beating the snot out of the Dallas Cowboys helped the New Orleans Saints  win over a lot of doubters, but they don’t have everyone on their side just yet. According to surveying done by Pickwatch, about 37% of former players, media analysts, national writers, and other experts like the Philadelphia Eagles to pull off a road win at the Caesars Superdome on Sunday. Roughly 63% picked the Saints on Friday.

So that’s more than one-third of the football cognoscenti picking against the Saints. New Orleans is slightly favored in this game but it’s understandable to still see so many questions being raised about them. They’re the highest-scoring offense in the league, having proven those experts wrong one week ago, but how real is this resurgence? The last two years with Dennis Allen at head coach could be meaningful than their last two games.

Which means the mission is the same as it ever was: Prove these doubters  wrong. The Eagles were a trendy preseason Super Bowl pick and their uneven 1-1 start has left them looking vulnerable. The Saints could stick a fork in them with another dominant win this Sunday.

You figure New Orleans is bound to slow down sooner or later. Klint Kubiak’s offense is new and teams don’t have much film to study on it just yet. They may have a favorable strength of schedule but at some point teams are going to start keying in on Kubiak’s tendencies and adjusting accordingly. That could start as soon as this week. The Eagles aren’t an opponent they can take lightly.

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Broncos vs. Bucs series history: Denver has dominated series

The Broncos lead the all-time series against the Buccaneers 7-3.

The Denver Broncos head into their Week 3 matchup in Florida against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looking to improve their 0-2 record.

Rookie quarterback Bo Nix is seeking his first passing touchdown of the season, and the Denver offense looks to kickstart against a very difficult Bucs defense that defeated the reigning NFC champion Detroit Lions in Week 2.

These two teams have met ten times prior, and the Broncos have dominated the all-time series 7-3.

The Bucs and Broncos last met during the COVID-19-affected season in 2020. Denver featured two quarterbacks during the game, Jeff Driskel and Brett Rypien against future Pro Football Hall of Famer Tom Brady.

Broncos quarterbacks went a combined 25-of-39 passing for 229 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions, while Brady went 25-of-38 for 297 yards and three touchdowns. Denver lost to the eventual Super Bowl champions, 28-10.

Before that, the Broncos defeated the Bucs 27-7 in 2016.

Denver will look to right the ship of the past two games and find its offensive rhythm against Tampa Bay in the first of a two-game road trip this weekend.

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How to watch, stream, and listen to Saints vs. Eagles game in Week 3

Here are all of your options for how to watch, listen, and stream the Week 3 matchup between the New Orleans Saints and the Philadelphia Eagles:

The New Orleans Saints Week 3 matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles is going to be a must-watch, as both teams have all the motivation in the world to come out of this game victors. The Saints look to improve to 3-0 on the back of two impressive victories, and the Eagles look to bounce back to 2-1 after a loss to the Atlanta Falcons last week.

Here is how you can tune into the FOX Sports broadcast this week, which will be carried by both local markets as well as much of the country. Greg Olsen and Joe Davis will be slated as the broadcasters for this matchup:

  • What: New Orleans Saints (2-0) vs. Philadelphia Eagles (1-1)
  • Where: Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, La.
  • When: Sunday, Sept. 22, Noon CT (1 p.m. ET)

Streaming options include FuboTV (try it free) in each team’s regional market, with fans outside that range able to stream with NFL Sunday Ticket via YouTube TV.

If you want to listen in via the radio, the local options consist of WWL-870 AM or 105.3 AM, which consist of Deuce McAllister, Mike Hoss, and Jeff Nowak for announcers. Additionally, there is the national radio station Compass Media, which features Chris Carrino and Brian Baldinger.

Both teams will have the chance to really show what they’re made of in this matchup, and solidify where they rank among the top of the NFC with other teams. The Saints will want to prove themselves again against another quality opponent like they did against the Dallas Cowboys, and the Eagles want to just get back on track after a tough end to the 2023 season and 1-1 start so far to this season.

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Instant analysis of Patriots’ lopsided 24-3 loss to Jets in Week 3

The Patriots got dominated by the Jets on Thursday night

The New England Patriots got their hearts broken in Week 2 just to have it stomped and splattered on the pavement in Week 3.

Thursday’s primetime debut of Jerod Mayo’s Patriots was a lopsided butt-kicking courtesy of the New York Jets in a 24-3 loss. It was a come-back-down-to-reality performance by the Patriots after their shocking Week 1 upset win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

The offensive line was an absolute disaster for the Patriots on a night where the unit gave up seven sacks and 15 quarterback hits. Meanwhile, the defense looked gassed on a short week after Sunday’s 23-20 overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

Aaron Rodgers went 27-of-35 passing for 281 yards and two touchdowns. It was a dominant performance from the 40-year-old quarterback, who made the Patriots defense look average. Unfortunately for New England, average isn’t good enough when their offense is well below average.

Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett completed 12 passes for a pitiful 98 yards. The rushing attack had been the team’s bread and butter in the first two games, but the Patriots weren’t as committed to it for some strange reason. They finished with only 15 total carries for 78 yards.

Rookie quarterback Drake Maye got some garbage time work late in the fourth quarter. He appeared to potentially be on the brink of a scoring drive before the Patriots ran out of time. In his short time in the game, he was sacked twice by an aggressive Jets defensive front.

However, he did show the ability to make plays with his legs and keep the drive going. He picked up 12 rushing yards and went 4-of-8 passing for 22 yards.

Overall, the ugliest stat line of the night was the time of possession with the Jets having the ball for 40 minutes in comparison to the Patriots’ 19 minutes.

Gang Green dominated at the line of scrimmage, ran the ball effectively and converted 10-of-15 third downs. The Jets looked more like the Patriots than the Patriots.

It will be a tough flight home for the team after this loss. Hopefully, a few extra rest days will be good for the players ahead of another brutal three-game stretch for the Patriots against the San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins and Houston Texans.

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