Tag: NFL Week 8

Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger takes subtle jab at Titans, makes preemptive excuse vs. Ravens

After the Titans broke COVID-19 protocols and had an outbreak, altering the Ravens and Steelers’ schedules. Now Ben Roethlisberger is upset.

The Baltimore Ravens shouldn’t even be playing this week. Originally scheduled to have their bye in Week 8, an outbreak of COVID-19 among the Tennessee Titans altered the schedule for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore. Now with the Steelers coming to M&T Bank Stadium this week following the Ravens’ Week 7 bye, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is letting his frustrations be known in a pretty passive-aggressive way.

According to NFL Network’s Aditi Kinkhabwala, Roethlisberger reflected how important and physical this AFC North rivalry is. But in the process, Roethlisberger took a little jab at how the Titans’ COVID-10 outbreak really only seemed to hurt Pittsburgh.

Roethlisberger certainly isn’t wrong here. It’s completely unfair for the NFL to effectively penalize the Steelers by giving them Tennessee and Baltimore in back-to-back weeks, altering the original schedule because of something Pittsburgh didn’t do wrong. At the same time, the Ravens didn’t ask for their schedule to be changed either. And with the Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, Tennessee, and Pittsburgh next up on the schedule in the following four weeks, having a bye in there would be pretty stellar for Baltimore as well.

Though it seems like Roethlisberger is only taking a shot at how the Titans broke the rules and were relatively unaffected, it can also be taken as a bit of a preemptive excuse this week as well. If the Ravens beat the currently undefeated Steelers Sunday, there will undoubtedly be a ton of chatter about how the schedule change was the real reason for the loss, as well as a defining storyline to their Week 12 game on Thanksgiving.

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FOX assigns Joe Buck, Troy Aikman to call Week 8’s Saints-Bears game

FOX Sports broadcasters Joe Buck and Troy Aikman will be on the call for Week 8’s NFL game between the New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears.

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Two big names in NFL broadcasting will be in the booth for Week 8’s matchup between the New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears at Soldier Field: Joe Buck and Troy Aikman of FOX Sports, per John Hendrix of SI.com. As always, Erin Andrews is expected to complete the “America’s Game of the Week” crew while reporting from the sidelines.

Buck will be coming off of a lengthy seven-game World Series stint, but the veteran play-by-play man has already fit in a Thursday night Giants-Eagles game into his schedule last week. He’ll have a few days to rest between Wednesday’s Dodgers-Rays championship game before getting on the mic for this Saints kickoff.

The last time Saints fans tuned in for a game with Aikman and Buck on the call, they watched their team intercept Tom Brady twice while Alvin Kamara scored a pair of huge touchdowns (with a third would-be scoring run being ruled out of bounds at the one-yard line). Those sort of highlights would be welcome in Week 8, with the Saints hot on Tampa Bay’s heels.

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Fantasy football IDP free-agent report: Week 8

Some potential emerging stars look to shine in Week 8.

Week 8 may be the halfway point of the NFL season, but it beckons crunch time in the fantasy season. It’s time to cut bait on early-season stashed pieces and start taking some chances. Fear not, we’re here to aid in those key roster decisions.

Defensive linemen

DE Calais Campbell, Baltimore Ravens

Campbell is owned in about half of leagues polled, but he needs to be owned in every, single, IDP league. Yes, he started slowly. However, he had three sacks against the Philadelphia Eagles before the bye week. The most important factor, though? The team acquired stud DE Yannick Ngakoue to line up on the other side. That will open ample lanes to rush the passer, and Campbell could be an absolute monster the rest of the season. Pick him up, trade for him, whatever you have to do!

DE Romeo Okwara, Detroit Lions

The fifth-year man may have turned a corner in his somewhat quiet career. Two sacks last week gave him at least one QB takedown in three of the last four games. He’s among the top 10 DEs in fantasy (depending on scoring system) over the last five weeks. That includes a bye week. Pick him up to see if this is in fact his coming of age.

Linebackers

OLB A.J. Klein, Buffalo Bills

The 29-year-old veteran was solid to start the season with five tackles in each of the first two games before going into the tank in his next two. He’s playing his best football right now with 13 total tackles, a forced fumble and a half-sack in the last two games combined. He’s a back-end ‘backer to use right now.

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OLB Malik Reed, Denver Broncos

The second-year man has disrupted offenses with two sacks in each of the past two games. He has only 22 total tackles on the year, which we’d like to see more of, but his schedule is pretty favorable. He’ll face the Los Angeles Chargers, Atlanta Falcons, Las Vegas Raiders and Miami Dolphins over the next month.

OLB Alex Singleton, Philadelphia Eagles

The Montana State product has been racking up tackles the last two weeks with 15 combined. He has the Dallas Cowboys this week before the bye, and the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns afterwards. So this could be a nice window to eat.

Defensive backs

SS Kamren Curl, Washington Football Team

Washington, and fantasy owners alike, lost star SS Landon Collins (Achilles) for the season in Week 7. Curl, a seventh-round rookie, is expected to inherit Collins’ spot in the lineup. He had 76 tackles as a junior at Arkansas last year and could be a tackle compiler the rest of the way.

SS Rayshawn Jenkins, Los Angeles Chargers

The fourth-year man is emerging as a fierce presence on the field, and it’s starting to show up in fantasy. He has had at least eight tackles in three of the last four games. He has a good matchup against the Denver Broncos as he looks to continue his hot streak.

Texans’ Romeo Crennel says run game must get going to complement the passing attack

Houston Texans interim coach Romeo Crennel says the run game has to get going in order to help the passing attack carry the load.

The Houston Texans’ passing game has come alive. In the past four weeks, quarterback Deshaun Watson has thrown for at least 300 yards, giving the team every chance to win ballgames.

However, the ground game has not met expectations at all in 2020, and interim coach Romeo Crennel believes that element has to activate after the bye week to help improve the team’s 1-6 record.

“I think that we have to establish a running game also,” Crennel said. “If we can establish a running game, that pulls linebackers up on the run fake, then you can throw play-action passes. Then you can drop back when you want to rather than when you have to.”

Houston typically has had to drop back “when they have to” because of the deficits they are overcoming or simply because running backs David Johnson and Duke Johnson haven’t been able to threaten defenses. Only in the Week 5 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars was Johnson able to average more than 4.0 yards per carry. In five of Houston’s six losses, it has been sub-4.0 for the former 2016 All-Pro.

Similarly for Duke Johnson, in four of his five games played, the former Cleveland Brown has recorded less than 4.0 yards per carry.

Said Crennel: “Because when you drop back when you have to, they know you have to, and they can pin their ears back and bring the heat basically. A couple times in the second half, they were able to do that, which then forced Deshaun to have to pull the ball down and try to run. We’ve seen him be able to make some good runs, but [Sunday the Green Bay Packers] kind of penned him up a little bit as far as his ability to run. I think us doing a better job in the running game will help the passing game.”

The Texans will close their season series with the Jaguars in Week 9 at TIAA Bank Field, and it will be another chance for Houston to get their run game going.

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Odds watch: Browns open as slight favorites over Raiders in Week 8

The 5-2 Browns are barely favored over the 3-3 Raiders

The Cleveland Browns are 5-2 and coming off a win. The Las Vegas Raiders are 3-3 and head to Cleveland coming off a blowout loss. Despite those divergent records and paths, the Browns are barely favored to beat back the invaders from the AFC West.

At BetMGM the Browns are 2.5-point favorites over the visiting Raiders. Considering the home team typically gets a 3-point bump in value, that line effectively makes this a tossup game. Granted the Raiders did have COVID-19 issues on the offensive line in Week 7 and the Browns did lose top wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to injury, but that’s still a lower favorite line than expected.

The early over/under total is 53.5. Both teams have surpassed that total five times this year through Week 7.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

Fantasy football rest of season rankings: Week 8

Midseason player called continues to be rocked by major injuries.

NOTE: These player rankings track a player’s value for the remainder of the season and are intended to be used as a tool, not necessarily a definitive guide to player valuation.

The scoring system is performance PPR. There is no exact science behind season-long rankings, considering all of the variables and situational uncertainties at work.

Fantasy football rest of season rankings

Quarterbacks

Rk

Never leaves lineup

Bye

Movement

Notes
1
 Patrick Mahomes, KC
10
2
 Russell Wilson, SEA
6
3
 Kyler Murray, ARI
8
4
 the best mix of passing and running right now
4
 Lamar Jackson, BAL
7
5
 Josh Allen, BUF
11
eight FGAs against the Jets!? Allen is close to dropping down a tier

Rk

Lineup regulars

Bye
6
 Deshaun Watson, HOU
8
let Deshaun cook!
7
 Tom Brady, TB
13
8
8
 Aaron Rodgers, GB
5
9
 Matt Ryan, ATL
10
10
 Justin Herbert, LAC
6
14
 for all of the attention Burrow has received, Herbert has been better
11
 Drew Brees, NO
6
12
 Ryan Tannehill, TEN
4
13
 Ben Roethlisberger, PIT
8
14
 Joe Burrow, CIN
9
17
 playing from behind is a good way to rack up fantasy points

Rk

Weekly matchup plays

Bye
15
 Carson Wentz, PHI
9
20
16
 Jared Goff, LAR
9
17
 Matthew Stafford, DET
5
18
 Cam Newton, NE
5
12
 he looks awful; the only reason he remains in the top 20 is potential
19
 Derek Carr, LVR
6
20
 Gardner Minshew, JAC
8
15
 it sure feels like he’s trending in the wrong direction
21
 Teddy Bridgewater, CAR
13
22
 Baker Mayfield, CLE
9
25
 could life w/o OBJ lead to better play from Mayfield?

Rk

Fringe plays/roster depth

Bye
23
 Philip Rivers, IND
7
24
 Kirk Cousins, MIN
7
25
 Jimmy Garoppolo, SF
11
24
 can you really count on a QB that relies almost entirely on YAC?
26
 Andy Dalton, DAL
10
22
 was playing poorly before that brutal cheap shot; seems unlikely for Wk 8
27
 Tua Tagovailoa, MIA
7
28
 Daniel Jones, NYG
11
HE FELL DOWN!!!!
29
 Kyle Allen, WAS
8
32
30
 Drew Lock, DEN
5
31
 Nick Foles, CHI
11
32
 Sam Darnold, NYJ
10
33
 Mitchell Trubisky, CHI
11
34
 Ryan Fitzpatrick, MIA
7
35
 Ben DiNucci, DAL
10
NR
 could start on SNF
36
 Dwayne Haskins, WAS
8

Running backs

Rk

Never leaves lineup

Bye

Movement

Notes
1
 Alvin Kamara, NO
6
2
 Derrick Henry, TEN
4
3
 Dalvin Cook, MIN
7
likely to return this week after MIN was on bye in Wk 7
4
 Aaron Jones, GB
5
sat out Wk 7 w/ a mild calf injury; he could return in Wk 8
5
 Ezekiel Elliott, DAL
10
3
 well, at least he didn’t fumble this week

Rk

Lineup regulars

Bye
6
 Joe Mixon, CIN
9
Mixon sat out this week due to a foot injury and is day-to-day
7
 Miles Sanders, PHI
9
Sanders didn’t play on TNF & with PHI’s bye in Wk 9 he could sit this Sunday
8
 Chris Carson, SEA
6
week-to-week w/ a foot sprain; sounds unlikely he’ll play in Wk 8
9
 Clyde Edwards-Helaire, KC
10
snowy weather + a blowout made it tough to get a read on CEH/Bell split
10
 James Conner, PIT
8
seeing Snell getting goal line touches is frustrating
11
 Kareem Hunt, CLE
9
12
 Christian McCaffrey, CAR
13
McCaffrey has an outside shot at playing on TNF, but Wk 9 seems more likely
13
 James Robinson, JAC
8
18
 that looked like a new gameplan to feature the run for the Jags
14
 Josh Jacobs, LVR
6
15
 Todd Gurley II, ATL
10
maybe Gurley had himself in his fantasy lineup?
16
 Jonathan Taylor, IND
7
17
 David Montgomery, CHI
11
18
 Melvin Gordon III, DEN
5
if I was more comfortable with Lindsay’s health I’d drop Gordon a bit
19
 Nick Chubb, CLE
9

Rk

Weekly matchup plays

Bye
20
 Austin Ekeler, LAC
6
17
 it doesn’t sound like Ekeler will be back anytime soon
21
 Myles Gaskin, MIA
7
22
 Kenyan Drake, ARI
8
21
 set to miss a few weeks w/ an ankle injury
23
 Darrell Henderson, LAR
9
24
 Devin Singletary, BUF
11
Singletary is close to dropping after splitting touches w/ Moss
25
 Ronald Jones, TB
13
22
 I expect Arians to “ride the hot hand,” which is always a fantasy nightmare
26
 David Johnson, HOU
8
27
 Phillip Lindsay, DEN
5
suffered a concussion Sunday; his second injury in just three games played
28
 Mark Ingram, BAL
7
29
 Antonio Gibson, WAS
8
big game, albeit against DAL

Rk

Fringe plays/roster depth

Bye
30
 Davonta Freeman, NYG
11
hurt his ankle in Wk 7 & his status is unknown for Wk 8
31
 Latavius Murray, NO
6
32
 Raheem Mostert, SF
11
29
 placed on IR with a high ankle sprain, his second significant injury of ’20
33
 Le’Veon Bell, KC
10
34
 D’Andre Swift, DET
5
43
 I’m switching Swift & Peterson; surely there’s more upside in the former
35
 Alexander Mattison, MIN
7
36
 Chase Edmonds, ARI
8
54
 he should be RB1 in ARI until Drake returns
37
 Jamaal Williams, GB
5
showed how viable he is if Jones misses more games this season
38
 Mike Davis, CAR
13
33
 what role will Davis have once McCaffrey is back?
39
 J.K. Dobbins, BAL
7
40
 Leonard Fournette, TB
13
41
 Adrian Peterson, DET
5
35
42
 James White, NE
5
34
 nothing is working in NE right now…
43
 Damien Harris, NE
5
…nothing
44
 Zack Moss, BUF
11
50
 Moss matched Singletary in touches in Wk 7
45
 Tevin Coleman, SF
11
57
 Coleman has a chance to come off of IR this week
46
 Joshua Kelley, LAC
6
47
 Frank Gore, NYJ
10
38
 split carries w/ Perine
48
 Carlos Hyde, SEA
6
62
 Hyde’s value depends on the length of Carson’s absence
49
 Boston Scott, PHI
9
50
 J.D. McKissic, WAS
8
52
51
 Justin Jackson, LAC
6
46
52
 Matt Breida, MIA
7
53
 La’Mical Perine, NYJ
10
60
 gotta figure he’ll move ahead of Gore at some point
54
 Nyheim Hines, IND
7
55
 Jerick McKinnon, SF
11
40
 McKinnon barely played on Sunday … Supposedly for rest purposes, so we’ll see.
56
 Malcolm Brown, LAR
9
57
 JaMycal Hasty, SF
11
NR
 could he be the lead back in SF in the short term?
58
 Sony Michel, NE
5
59
 Cam Akers, LAR
9
42
 Akers has no obvious role in LA right now
60
 Giovani Bernard, CIN
9
70
 Bernard could be in line for another start if Mixon can’t go in Wk 8
61
 Duke Johnson Jr., HOU
8
62
 Benny Snell Jr., PIT
8
Snell is getting goal line touches
63
 Wayne Gallman, NYG
11
NR
 could start if Freeman misses time
64
 Tony Pollard, DAL
10
65
 Gus Edwards, BAL
7
66
 Brian Hill, ATL
10
67
 Chris Thompson, JAC
8
68
 D’Ernest Johnson, CLE
9
69
 AJ Dillon, GB
5
70
 Kerryon Johnson, DET
5

Wide receivers

Rk

Never leaves lineup

Bye

Movement

Notes
1
 DeAndre Hopkins, ARI
8
2
 Davante Adams, GB
5
3
 Julio Jones, ATL
10
4
 Keenan Allen, LAC
6
7
 I love his rapport w/ Herbert
5
 Calvin Ridley, ATL
10
6
 Michael Thomas, NO
6
3
 still hasn’t played since Wk 1 & is now dealing with a hamstring injury
7
 DK Metcalf, SEA
6
8
 Tyreek Hill, KC
10
5
 has only topped 80 yds receiving once this season
9
 Chris Godwin, TB
13
12
 seems to be a better fit w/ Brady than Evans
10
 Stefon Diggs, BUF
11
11
 A. Robinson II, CHI
11

Rk

Lineup regulars

Bye
12
 Tyler Lockett, SEA
6
15
 huge weekly upside, but Metcalf feels like the steadier play
13
 Mike Evans, TB
13
9
 the TDs are great but Evans is currently on pace for just 58 rec & 727 yds
14
 Amari Cooper, DAL
10
DAL completed 11 passes in Wk 7, seven of them went to Cooper
15
 Adam Thielen, MIN
7
16
 Terry McLaurin, WAS
8
18
17
 D.J. Moore, CAR
13
24
 Moore-Anderson has been one of the NFL’s most productive duos
18
 Kenny Golladay, DET
5
19
 Robby Anderson, CAR
13
20
 A.J. Brown, TEN
4
27
 Brown has been excellent since returning from injury
21
 Cooper Kupp, LAR
9
17
22
 JuJu Smith-Schuster, PIT
8
in a key game Big Ben looked to Smith-Schuster & Johnson to make the plays
23
 Robert Woods, LAR
9
22
24
 Will Fuller, HOU
8
25
 Tyler Boyd, CIN
9
26
 DJ Chark Jr., JAC
8
20
 hasn’t done much since Wk 4
27
 Jamison Crowder, NYJ
10
DNP in Wk 7 w/ a groin injury; his third missed game of 2020
28
 Jarvis Landry, CLE
9
40
 w/ Beckham done for the year, Landry becomes CLE’s top option

Rk

Weekly matchup plays

Bye
29
 CeeDee Lamb, DAL
10
27
 a small drop for now, but Wk 7 couldn’t have gone much worse
30
 DeVante Parker, MIA
7
Parker hurt his groin in Wk 6 & his status for Wk 8 is unknown
31
 Darius Slayton, NYG
11
32
 Justin Jefferson, MIN
7
33
 Diontae Johnson, PIT
8
48
 continues to deal w/ injuries but looks to be PIT’s WR2 when healthy
34
 Brandin Cooks, HOU
8
35
 Cole Beasley, BUF
11
44
 quietly on pace for 89-1,074-5; he’s a better BUF WR to own than John Brown
36
 Marquise Brown, BAL
7
37
 Julian Edelman, NE
5
31
 Edelman is probably trying to figure out how to get traded to TB
38
 Emmanuel Sanders, NO
6
tested positive for COVID & missed Wk 7; his status for Wk 8 is unclear
39
 Tee Higgins, CIN
9
40
 Laviska Shenault, JAC
8
50
41
 Michael Gallup, DAL
10
36
 see Lamb, CeeDee
42
 Brandon Aiyuk, SF
11
49
 he’s probably SF’s top WR w/ Samuel hurt
43
 Deebo Samuel, SF
11
Samuel hurt his hamstring Sunday & is likely to miss the next two games
44
 Preston Williams, MIA
7
45
 Tim Patrick, DEN
5
DEN’s top WR is day-to-day w/ a hamstring injury
46
 Chase Claypool, PIT
8
37
 targeted just once in Wk 7; Smith-Schuster/Johnson were targeted 29 times
47
 A.J. Green, CIN
9
56
 Burrow is getting Green involved consistently
48
 Marvin Jones, DET
5
49
 Christian Kirk, ARI
8
plenty of TDs but not much else
50
 Travis Fulgham, PHI
9
58
51
 Marquez Valdes-Scantling, GB
5
41
 MVS hasn’t topped 50 yds receiving since Wk 2
52
 Jerry Jeudy, DEN
5
53
 Corey Davis, TEN
4
scored a TD Sunday in the first game he’s played since Wk 3 due to COVID
54
 Mike Williams, LAC
6
46
 zero consistency
55
 T.Y. Hilton, IND
7
56
 John Brown, BUF
11
51
 a knee injury kept him out of Wk 7; he has just four catches since Wk 2
57
 Nelson Agholor, LVR
6
NR
 three straight games with a TD

Rk

Fringe plays/roster depth

Bye
58
 Scotty Miller, TB
13
59
 wildly inconsistent from one game to the next
59
 Allen Lazard, GB
5
eligible to return in Wk 9; he appeared w/ rehab group in practice last week
60
 Mecole Hardman, KC
10
61
 Sterling Shepard, NYG
11
79
 looked good in his return
62
 Hunter Renfrow, LVR
6
63
 Randall Cobb, HOU
8
64
 Henry Ruggs III, LVR
6
60
65
 Sammy Watkins, KC
10
66
 Rashard Higgins, CLE
9
NR
 he’s set to start opposite Landry w/ Beckham out
67
 Keelan Cole, JAC
8
68
 Curtis Samuel, CAR
13
73
69
 N’Keal Harry, NE
5
62
 suffered a head injury in Wk 7
70
 Josh Reynolds, LAR
9
NR
71
 Michael Pittman Jr., IND
7
72
 Darnell Mooney, CHI
11
I couldn’t keep ranking three CHI WRs; Mooney stays, Miller goes
73
 Greg Ward, PHI
9
NR
74
 Russell Gage, ATL
10
75
 Tre’Quan Smith, NO
6
NR
 w/ Thomas & Sanders out, Smith rejoins the rankings
76
 Golden Tate, NYG
11
67
 Tate seems to be the third guy in a low-usage passing attack
77
 Larry Fitzgerald, ARI
8
78
 B. Perriman, NYJ
10
66
 sustained a concussion in Wk 7; he just can’t stay healthy
79
 Alshon Jeffery, PHI
9
Jeffery stays; D-Jax leaves the rankings after hitting IR again
80
 Antonio Brown, TB
13
NR
 stash candidates don’t get much more interesting than this

Tight ends

Rk

Never leaves lineup

Bye

Movement

Notes
1
 Travis Kelce, KC
10
2
 George Kittle, SF
11
3
 Darren Waller, LVR
6

Rk

Lineup regulars

Bye
4
 Mark Andrews, BAL
7
5
 Hunter Henry, LAC
6
the numbers aren’t there yet, but I still like the Henry-Herbert pairing
6
 Jared Cook, NO
6
8
7
 Tyler Higbee, LAR
9
Higbee didn’t play on MNF due to a hand injury
8
 Zach Ertz, PHI
9
9
 Hayden Hurst, ATL
10
he’s starting to give some Hooper-esque production

Rk

Weekly matchup plays

Bye
10
 T.J. Hockenson, DET
5
12
 TDs in three consecutive games
11
 Rob Gronkowski, TB
13
18
 the Brady-Gronk connection is gaining steam
12
 Noah Fant, DEN
5
7
 returned after missing one game w/ an ankle injury
13
 Mike Gesicki, MIA
7
14
 Austin Hooper, CLE
9
DNP in Wk 7 due to an appendectomy; could have a bigger role when he returns
15
 Evan Engram, NYG
11
16
 Dallas Goedert, PHI
9
17
 Jonnu Smith, TEN
4
14
18
 Eric Ebron, PIT
8
21
 40+ receiving yards in four of the last five games
19
 Robert Tonyan, GB
5
20
 Jimmy Graham, CHI
11
21
 Trey Burton, IND
7

Rk

Fringe plays/roster depth

Bye
22
 Irv Smith, MIN
7
23
 Dalton Schultz, DAL
10
20
24
 Jordan Akins, HOU
8
25
 David Njoku, CLE
5
35
 I’ll be keeping an eye on Njoku w/ OBJ out for the year
26
 Gerald Everett, LAR
9
27
 Greg Olsen, SEA
6
w/ three capable TEs, Olsen is stuck in the lower tier barring injuries
28
 Logan Thomas, WAS
8
29
 Darren Fells, HOU
7
30
 Tyler Eifert, JAC
8
Eifert missed Wk 7 w/ a neck injury
31
 Drew Sample, CIN
9
32
 Cameron Brate, TB
13
33
 Anthony Firkser, TEN
4
34
 Chris Herndon, NYJ
10
35
 Dawson Knox, BUF
11

Defensive teams

Rk

Never leaves lineup

Bye

Movement

Notes
1
 Steelers
4
2
 Ravens
7
3
 Colts
7
4
 Rams
9
5
 an aggressive scheme w/ a true superstar in the middle

Rk

Lineup regulars

Bye
5
 Buccaneers
13
6
 Chiefs
10
7
 Bears
11
8
 Patriots
5
4
 that was really, really ugly
9
 Bills
11
10
 49ers
11
12
 very impressive Sunday; we’ll see how they handle SEA in Wk 8
11
 Saints
6
12
 Broncos
5

Rk

Weekly matchup plays

Bye
13
 Browns
9
10
14
 Eagles
9
15
 Cardinals
8
16
 Chargers
6
17
 Packers
5
19
18
 Dolphins
7
19
 Washington
8
NR
20
 Seahawks
6

Texans drop 1 spot in Touchdown Wire NFL power rankings

The Houston Texans fell by one spot in the latest Touchdown Wire NFL power rankings.

The Houston Texans keep taking a nosedive in the power rankings with each subsequent loss.

According to the Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar, the Texans have dropped from No. 24 to No. 25 in the latest power rankings.

There are some incredible people in football media, one of them is John McClain, a living legend who has covered the Houston Texans for years. His social media presence makes him a must-follow, as he has the ability to distill the current state of the Texans into a single tweet.

He was at it again early in Houston’s loss to the Green Bay Packers:

That tweet might have come early in the game, but the sentiment was accurate for the entire contest. The connection between Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams got working early, and the Packers raced out to an early lead, as they were up 21-0 at the halftime break. Quarterback Deshaun Watson and the Houston offense struggled in the first half, as the Texans punted on their first three possessions and managed just 51 yards of offense on those three drives. Then they finally put a drive together with their fourth possession, but that ended with a missed field goal.

Houston’s offense picked up the pace a bit in the second half, as Watson threw two touchdowns passes in the second half, but it was too little, too late. 

The loss dropped the Texans to just 1-6 on the season, four games behind the Tennessee Titans and three games behind the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC South. Could the Texans make a run? Perhaps, but it might be time for the organization to think hard about how to approach the future. Houston lacks cap space and if the 2021 draft happened right now their first pick would not occur until early in the third round. Could the Texans move some players, such as Will Fuller or even J.J. Watt? It might be worth exploring to put them in a better position for 2021, accepting that this is a lost season and just punting on the present.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are No. 31, the Indianapolis Colts are No. 10, and the Tennessee Titans are No. 5.

NFL power rankings: Ravens didn’t play in Week 7, didn’t move in TD Wire’s power rankings

The Baltimore Ravens weren’t helped or hurt in TD Wire’s power rankings despite not playing a game in Week 7.

There’s an old adage in football that isn’t nearly as true as we’d all like it to be: “You can’t lose your job to an injury.” While that is a nice notion, things can absolutely change when players aren’t on the field. Though the Baltimore Ravens were on a bye in Week 7, they didn’t lose their spot in the power rankings.

The Ravens came into this week sitting in the No. 6 spot and after the dust has settled from the week’s games, they remain at No. 6 in Touchdown Wire’s latest power rankings list. Writer Mark Schofield used the bye week to take a closer look at one critical question facing Baltimore right now . . . “Could they get even better down the stretch?”

Schofield pointed out the Ravens’ inconsistencies on both offense and defense over the last few weeks, not as a negative but as a potential positive. If Baltimore can get that fearsome defense playing at a top level every down of every week and the offense finally shows some more life, they could go from being above average to great.

The Ravens already did what they needed in order to get the defense moving in the right direction. General manager Eric DeCosta pulled off a trade, landing Pro Bowl pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue. We’ve reviewed some of Baltimore’s biggest offensive issues and ways they could improve them, as well as some potential trade options if the Ravens decided they need more talent on the roster. Much like this time last year, there’s a pretty clear path forward for Baltimore, even if it’s not a guaranteed success.

Having gotten some much-needed rest and time to fix their schematic issues, we’ll see if the Ravens can finally take that leap forward in Week 8 when they take on the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers. That game will help guide the rest of Baltimore’s season and likely impact their standings in the NFL power rankings.

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Matt Patricia proud of the Lions win in Atlanta but now focused on the Colts

Patricia and the Lions quickly shifted focus to the Week 8 matchup with the Colts

Matt Patricia definitely enjoyed Sunday’s epic comeback win in Atlanta over the Falcons. But the Lions head coach knows he can’t savor the victory for long, and he won’t let his players forget there is still a lot of work to be done to get ready for the next game.

Patricia talked about the need to quickly process the win and then get prepared for the Week 8 matchup with the Indianapolis Colts.

“I think it’s critically important for us to just get through the game today, get the corrections and then really, move on,” Patricia said in his Monday press conference. “Certainly it was a great game, and I’m proud of the team for the way they handled yesterday, but that really won’t help us next week. The Colts are going to be ready to go. They’re coming off a bye week; they’re going to be rested.”

Coach Patricia continued on the theme of staying consistent and not getting too high or low in the season,

“The game of football, and whether you talk about game-by-game, the season or play-by-play – it’s just about staying consistent, and like you said, not riding the wave, but just being the same all the time. I think that’s where you show improvement, that’s where you get better. I think that’s where you are really the most aware of what’s going on around you and how you can learn and grow. I think when you go either too high or too low, you miss a lot of details, whether in-game or from each game, and when you miss those details, you can’t apply them the next time.”

The Colts are 4-2 and coming off a bye. In their last two games they struggled to beat the one-win Bengals and lost to the 5-2 Browns.

Calais Campbell: Ravens-Steelers is the ‘biggest rivalry in professional sports’

It doesn’t get any bigger or better than when the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers face off. At least according to Calais Campbell

The Baltimore Ravens will face off against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 8, in what has to be one of the hardest-hitting and toughest rivalries in football. Ravens defensive end Calais Campbell certainly believes it doesn’t get any bigger than this and he’s excited to get into the mix.

“There’s no bigger rivalry in professional sports — in my opinion — than this matchup,” Campbell said during Monday’s press conference. “As a football fan, I’ve watched it from afar for plenty of years and I’m happy to finally be in it.”

While Campbell already knows about and respects this rivalry, he’ll get his first taste of what it actually means on the football field. Campbell said Matthew Judon, Pernell McPhee, Jimmy Smith, and Brandon Williams have been telling him about the seriousness of this rivalry leading up to this game. Fans of both teams can easily recall moments where the rivalry went from fun and games to serious business, both on and off the field.

Whether it’s Steelers coach Mike Tomlin’s “accidental” trip onto the field during a Jacoby Jones kickoff return, Ravens defensive tackle Haloti Ngata breaking Ben Roethlisberger’s nose, or former Pittsburgh linebacker and coach Joey Porter getting on Baltimore’s bus after a game looking for trouble; there’s no shortage of crazy moments in this rivalry. It’s also about as evenly fought as any rivalry around.

Since 2008 when John Harbaugh took over as coach of the Ravens, Baltimore has gone 14-13 against Pittsburgh. Though they swept the Steelers last season, this is a rivalry where records absolutely don’t matter. Each time these two teams get on the field, you’re going to see the best from both squads and it’s almost always going to be a close contest.

The Ravens brought in Campbell for exactly these types of weeks — looking to shore up their run defense and add more interior pass rush. Baltimore is hoping Campbell can help tip things in their favor once again this week after putting together a three-sack effort in Week 7 against the Philadelphia Eagles. Time will tell how Campbell’s first foray into the Ravens-Steelers rivalry will go but big players show up in big games and for Baltimore, there are few opponents bigger than Pittsburgh every season.

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