Tag: NFL Week 6

Trevor Nowaske: Breaking down the Lions new SAM and how he played against the Cowboys

Trevor Nowaske: Breaking down the Lions new SAM and how he played against the Cowboys in Week 6

The Detroit Lions lost SAM backer Derrick Barnes in the Week 4 win over the Seattle Seahawks. Rather than looking outside the organization to replace the unique skills Barnes brought to the role, the Lions gave the first crack at replacing him to young Trevor Nowaske.

Nowaske, reclaimed earlier this year after being poached from Detroit by the Arizona Cardinals a year ago, filled in for Barnes in a very limited duty against Seattle. His role expanded quite a bit in Detroit’s Week 6 blowout win over the Cowboys in Dallas.

Nowaske played 29 snaps in Dallas of a possible 69 defensive reps. I watched all 29, focusing on No. 53 and how he performed on each. I evaluated Nowaske on every snap, giving him a plus for a positive play and a minus for a poor one. Not every play earns a plus or minus. Here’s what I took away from Nowaske against the Cowboys.

Nowaske didn’t play in the first two defensive series as the Cowboys were almost exclusively in 10 (1 RB, no TEs) or 11 (1 RB, 1 TE) personnel packages; the Lions defense typically never uses the SAM (the 3rd LB) against those groupings. Dallas opened its third drive with 13 personnel (3 TEs), and that brought Nowaske onto the field.

Nowaske didn’t earn any mark on this play, a run that went to the other side of the formation. He did shed the block from the outside TE and got involved in the pileup after the tackle was already made, a good effort but not a consequential one for the play outcome.

The first plus came well into the third quarter, after Aidan Hutchinson’s unfortunate injury. Nowaske lined up in Hutchinson’s role as a stand-up EDGE against Cowboys RT Terrence Steele and immediately beat No. 78 with a bull move that he pulled off and shed to wrap up a fleeing Dak Prescott. It’s a clean-up sack, with Nowaske finishing what pressure DJ Reader and Isaac Ukwu started, but No. 53 did a great job here.

Nowaske earned his first minus on his next pass rush attempt, this time from the other side of the formation. He was easily nullified by Tyler Smith and didn’t do much with his hands or shoulders to try and break free.

The very next play was the Brian Branch “punchout” forced fumble, and Nowaske should have drawn a holding penalty on Smith on this one. Tough to rush the passer when the tackle has his full hand inside your shoulder pad under your jersey…

In an unexpected twist, Nowaske later earned a plus for his hustle and blocking on the Brian Branch interception that was nearly returned for a pick-six. Nowaske had a pass rush win on the play and then nicely got in the way of the Cowboys pursuit of Branch.

Overall tally for Nowaske

In the 29 snaps, Nowaske earned five plusses and three minuses. Nearly all of his grade-worthy action game while playing as the LDE in the base defense once Hutchinson left. The game was well in hand for the Lions by that point, for context.

In the run game, Nowaske earned one plus and one minus. Dallas barely ran the ball, so that’s not much of a sample size.

As a pass rusher, Nowaske picked up four plusses and two minuses. The plusses includes his sack and another QB pressure. His one rep in coverage was inconsequential.

I’d like to see Nowaske play with better pad level when setting the edge on the run. As a pass rusher, he did a pretty good job of not offering the blocker a clean target and generally (but not always) fought well to shed.

Brian Branch named NFC Defensive Player of the Week

Brian Branch named NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his Week 6 performance against the Cowboys

For the second Detroit game in a row, a Lions player has earned the NFC Player of the Week honor for his performance in a win.

Brian Branch earned the NFC Defensive Player of the Week award from the NFL for his dominant play in Detroit’s 47-9 walloping of the Dallas Cowboys in Week 6. Branch picked off two passes and forced a fumble in the Lions huge win.

He joins Jared Goff, who captured the NFC Offensive Player of the Week honor in the Week 4 win over Seattle. This is Branch’s first time being honored.

Two Falcons defenders earn elite PFF grades in NFL Week 6 win

Falcons LB Nate Landman and CB Clark Phillips earned ELITE Pro Football Focus grades in Week 6 win over Panthers..

Despite Sunday’s NFC South matchup against the Carolina Panthers having “trap game” written all over it, the Atlanta Falcons came out on top with a 38-20 win to improve to 4-2 on the season.

It was a hard-fought division matchup and the Falcons showed their ground attack could carry the offense the way the passing game did in Week 5. Defensively, the Falcons continued to bend but not break in key moments, forcing two interceptions in the fourth quarter.

Cornerback Clark Phillips had the best game of his short career while linebacker Nate Landman was dominant in his return from the injured reserve list. Pro Football Focus released its NFL Week 6 player grades and the two Falcons defenders earned elite marks.

Landman led the way with a PFF grade of 94.3 and Phillips was right behind him with a defensive rating of 93.0.  Check out Atlanta’s five highest-graded players from Sunday’s win over Carolina below:

  1. LB Nate Landman: 94.3
  2. CB Clark Phillips: 93.0
  3. RG Chris Lindstrom: 89.0
  4. LG Matthew Bergeron: 82.9
  5. RB Tyler Allgeier: 82.2

This week’s grades also highlight just how good the Falcons’ rushing attack was against Carolina. The next three highest grades were right tackle Kaleb McGary (80.6), running back Bijan Robinson (78.8) and center Ryan Neuzil (78.7).

Raheem Morris gave the game ball to the offensive line following Sunday’s victory. “When you win football games and you run for 200 yards, you gotta give the game ball to the whole O-line,” Morris told a rowdy locker room.

The Falcons will get a short break from NFC South play in Week 7 when they host the Seattle Seahawks at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. After that, it’s another division matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 8.

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Falcons hit multiple milestones in 38-20 victory over Panthers

The Atlanta Falcons hit multiple milestones in Sunday’s win over the Carolina Panthers.

The Atlanta Falcons continue to dominate the NFC South, adding another one to the win column after they defeated the Carolina Panthers, 38-20 on the road Sunday.

In addition to the victory itself, the team hit a few notable milestones. The Falcons racked up 423 yards of total offense, passing for 225 yards and rushing for 198 rushing yards. It was Atlanta’s highest rushing total of the season.

Running back Bijan Robinson headed the effort, carrying the ball 15 times for 95 yards and two touchdowns. It’s the first time in Robinson’s NFL career that he’s rushed for touchdowns in a game and also the first multi-touchdown game he’s had since Week 12 of the 2023 season.

Only Tyler Allgeier tallied more yards on the ground, rushing for 105 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. It was the third-year running back’s third career game topping the century mark. Allgeier also surpassed 2,000 career rushing yards in Week 6.

Atlanta’s three first-half touchdowns mark the first time the team has totaled at least three touchdowns before halftime this year. In terms of points scored, the Falcons have combined for 74 points over the last two games, the highest total in two games since Week 14 and Week 15 of the 2016 season.

The Falcons will aim to stay on the right side of the win column as they face the Seattle Seahawks in Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Oct. 20. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET.

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Kirk Cousins had a simple message for Falcons OC at halftime

Kirk Cousins had a simple message for Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson at halftime…

The Atlanta Falcons have won four games this season, but Sunday’s 38-20 victory over the Carolina Panthers was the first time they did so without trailing in the final minute. So what changed in Week 6?

While playing the one-win Panthers certainly helped, the Falcons had more success running the ball than they have in recent weeks. After finishing with 73 total rushing yards in Week 5, running backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier combined to rush for 200 yards against the Panthers.

Sunday’s game provided more evidence that this team can win in multiple ways. Quarterback Kirk Cousins followed up his 509-yard, four-touchdown performance with an efficient 225 passing yards, one touchdown and zero turnovers.

With Atlanta holding a 22-17 lead at halftime, offensive coordinator Zac Robinson approached Cousins to discuss the second-half game plan. The Falcons QB had a simple message for Robinson:

“I like running the football,” said Cousins.

Robinson clearly heard the message and the ground attack took over for the final two quarters. Allgeier led the way with a season-high 105 rushing yards on just 18 carries while Bijan Robinson added 95 yards on 15 carries.

Atlanta finished with more total yards than Carolina and won time of possession in Sunday’s NFC South showdown. The Falcons’ schedule will get even tougher over the next few games.

In Week 7, the team will host the Seattle Seahawks before battling the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Dallas Cowboys in back-to-back weeks.

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Zay Flowers is faster than Speedy Gonzales, Ravens improve to 4-2

Whether opponents use zone or man coverage versus Baltimore Ravens WR Zay Flowers, they still can’t account for his impeccable quickness.

Whether opponents use zone or man coverage versus Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers, they still can’t account for his impeccable quickness.

Nine catches for 142 receiving yards means Flowers finished week six with a whopping 14.7 yards per catch average versus the Washington Commanders.

With Ravens running back Derrick Henry and quarterback Lamar Jackson demanding attention in the trenches, Flowers, and teammates Mark Andrews and Rashod Bateman have been able to run loose in voids at the intermediate and deep level of the pass defense.

As long as offensive coordinator Todd Monken continues to run a balanced attack, Flowers and others will get their share of targets in the passing game.

Yesterday, Monken totaled 28 first downs, winning the time of possession 36.08 to 23:52. Flowers has been an essential possession receiver, moving the chains when needed, and it’s only a matter of time before he breaks another big play for a touchdown.

Bengals snap count takeaways after Week 6 win over Giants

A glance at Bengals snap counts after the Week 6 win over Giants.

The Cincinnati Bengals at least somewhat got the season back on track with Sunday night’s win over the New York Giants.

Now 2-4, here’s a quick look at how the Bengals deployed players in the effort, via the snap counts takeaways:

  • Ja’Marr Chase up to 90 percent of the snaps, with Tee Higgins right behind at 85 percent. Andrei Iosivas dominated the rest at 66 percent.
  • Chase Brown took 33 snaps to Zack Moss‘ 24 as that seemingly continues to shift the sophomore’s way.
  • Rookie tight end Erick All had 23 snaps, with Drew Sample only playing three more than him. On the subject of that position, Mike Gesicki played just 19.
  • Coordinator Lou Anarumo mixed it up more on defense, primarily with Vonn Bell reducing to 84 percent of the snaps while Jordan Battle got 18 percent at safety.
  • With Dax Hill lost for the year, Cam Taylor-Britt and DJ Turner played 99 percent of the reps at boundary cornerback.
  • Anarumo gave Trey Hendrickson (47 snaps) some relief in the form of 40 snaps for Joseph Ossai.
  • Rookies Kris Jenkins Jr. and McKinnley Jackson got 39 and 21 snaps, respectively.

The full counts:

 

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Bengals beat Giants: Quick takeaways after Week 6

Quick-hitting takeaways after Bengals vs. Giants in Week 6.

The Cincinnati Bengals came out flat offensively against the New York Giants in Week 6 and spoiled a decent defensive performance en route to a 17-7 win.

After weeks of huge offensive outbursts from Joe Burrow and Co., the offensive line collapsed and the defense eventually broke at times after quite a bit of bending in the first half.

Here’s a look at some quick takeaways from the game.

 

The defensive line is back

With the return of Sheldon Rankins to pair with B.J. Hill (who had a monster revenge game against his old team), the Bengals defensive line looked much better. There were problems — like Joseph Ossai being a complete liability against the run whenever he is on the field. But as a whole, this was the best the line looked all season.

 

No panic on the offensive line

Yes, the line in front of Burrow was bad on Sunday night, spoiling the idea that this is the best line of his career to date. Yet, it still is. Some of the issues were rookie Amarius Mims simply getting beat. So far, this down showing has been an exception, not a rule. The Giants, somewhat sneakily, have a fantastic front seven.

 

Quick note on Jermaine Burton

A segment of Bengals fans were not happy that Burton popped up on the inactive list. But the rookie isn’t seeing the field in the base offense much with Tee Higgins back healthy. The team going with Trenton Irwin for what the veteran adds on special teams isn’t all that surprising.

 

Mistakes

Close games like this, especially where the offense isn’t performing up to standard, can’t afford many mistakes. The Bengals had two critical ones in the second half. DJ Turner got hit with a flag in the endzone that let the Giants move to the one-yard line and then score. And not long after, a penalty took away a score by the offense that they wouldn’t get back. It was out of character at the worst of times.

 

The outlook…

…not great. Yes, 2-4 is better than 1-5. But in the AFC North, the Ravens and Steelers are now 4-2. The inability for the Bengals to pitch a complete game six contests into the season is an issue. Maybe it all comes together and they go on a run, especially against an easier schedule than in past years, sure. But the offensive line woes need to disappear as fast as they arrived and the defense needs to remain on the upswing.

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Instant analysis after Bengals beat Giants to reach 2-4

Instant analysis after Bengals vs. Giants in Week 6.

The Cincinnati Bengals finally got a solid showing from the defense, only for Joe Burrow’s offense to go cold in Week 6 against the New York Giants.

Despite the struggles, the team moved to 2-4 with the 17-7 win.

It was a slog in the Big Apple for the Bengals on “Sunday Night Football” against an unfamiliar NFC foe and it showed, especially as the offensive line struggled to keep up.

Here’s a look at some quick notes and numbers to know.

 

Quick Thoughts

  • Joe Burrow hit the fastest speed of his career on the 47-yard touchdown scamper in the first quarter. Just a funny note on top of the smooth awareness to take off the way he did.
  • Good tackling was a theme early in this one, which we haven’t been able to say all season for the defense. There was a little bend-but-don’t-break going on, too, after Germaine Pratt‘s redzone interception in the first quarter.
  • B.J. Hill, almost predictably, had a big day against his former team and seemed to be all over the place.
  • The offensive line, stout for most of this season, fell apart Sunday night, with the Giants blowing up pretty much everything with ease.
  • Eventually, the defense was going to break. That happened in the third quarter as the Giants went 16 plays and 79 yards for a score to tie the game.
  • Too many critical mistakes. The Bengals committed a penalty in the endzone that let the Giants walk a touchdown in on that score mentioned above. Then, they had a touchdown of their own called back.
  • Burrow took a brutal hit in the fourth quarter that required a visit to the blue medical tent.
  • Back in the game by the next drive, Burrow converted a third-and-12 by extending the play, then hitting Andrei Iosvias on the sideline to keep possession and the three-point lead. It says a lot about Iosivas that he’s the guy getting a critical look like that.
  • A rollercoaster — Chase Brown fumbled out of bounds near the two-minute warning, then came back after the break and ripped a 30-yard touchdown run to end it. Fitting, given the season so far and all, right?

 

Key Stat

4-of-11: The offense’s mark on third downs. It’s almost impossible to move the ball when the line puts up a performance like that, and highly unlikely to get a win with this type of mark.

 

Game Balls

B.J. Hill: What a revenge game against the team that traded him away. Hill stuffed the stat sheet and made a constant impact.

Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins: The dynamic duo was at it again, making up the bulk of the receiving yardage for the team and dragging the offense to some form of competency.

 

Top Takeaway

Not encouraging: After so many games with 30-plus points, this was a disaster class for an offense that looked like it had the ability to carry the defense to wins. The lack of balance between the two units six games into the season is concerning. And the onslaught of weird mistakes — they even fumbled out of bounds near the two-minute warning — didn’t help. Right now, the play very much matches the record.

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Falcons vs. Panthers: Top 75 photos from NFL Week 6 matchup

Falcons vs. Panthers: Top 50 photos from Sunday’s NFC South showdown

The Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers faced off Sunday afternoon at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. It was the Falcons’ third straight division matchup and they came away with their third consecutive victory.

After allowing 17 first-half points, Atlanta held Carolina to just three points in the second half of Sunday’s 38-20 road victory. Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier combined for 200 rushing yards on just 33 carries. Kirk Cousins passed for 225 yards with a touchdown pass to Drake London.

A.J. Terrell and Clark Phillips III came up with fourth-quarter interceptions to allow the Falcons to pull away. Check out the top 75 photos from Sunday’s NFC South showdown below: