Tag: NFL

NFL Week 4 Power Rankings Roundup: Raiders tumble back toward the cellar

The ugly loss to the winless Panthers sends Raiders tumbling back toward the bottom of the power rankings.

The high didn’t last long. The Week one loss to the Chargers acted as a confirmation to many who saw the Raiders as a bottom five team. The stunning win in Baltimore had people rethinking that. Then Week 3 came and all returned as it once was.

USA Today

Link to the Article

Current Ranking: 25

Last Week’s Ranking: 21

Author: Nate Davis

Author’s Take:

Certainly plenty of focus on an unsettled quarterback spot. But it’s not helped by a run game averaging – by far – a league-worst 51 yards per game and 2.8 yards per attempt.

NFL Media

Link to the Article

Current Ranking: 28

Last Week’s Ranking: 26

Author: Eric Edholm

Author’s Take:

I took some heat for not raising the Raiders much after their Week 2 upset of the Ravens, but I truly felt after watching that game that Baltimore gave it away as much as Las Vegas won it. While my pick of the Panthers to beat the Raiders on Sunday was a bit of a dart throw, Antonio Pierce offered some strong words for his team after the loss that made me think I might have been onto something. The defense is too Maxx Crosby-dependent in general, and when he’s banged up, as he was this week, the poor results can be eye-opening. The offense has been too reliant on the passing game, which feels odd for a team with QB questions, even taking into account the Raiders’ pass-catching talent. Pierce brought Aidan O’Connell into the game late, but he’s keeping Gardner Minshew in the QB1 role for now. If the Raiders can’t win against the Browns or Broncos coming up, this season could slip away pretty fast.

ESPN

Link to the Article

Current Ranking: 22

Last Week’s Ranking: 21

Author: Paul Gutierrez

Author’s Take:

Sure, the Raiders have found themselves trailing by at least 10 points in the fourth quarter of all three games and needing to throw more, but Las Vegas is already passing twice as much as it’s rushing. The Raiders have run 55 times, averaging just 2.8 yards per carry, and have thrown 111 passes. “If [we] can’t win on early downs, teams are going to just keep teeing off on us,” Raiders coach Antonio Pierce said. “We’ll go into the lab and … chip away.”

CBS Sports

Link to the Article

Current Ranking: 30

Last Week’s Ranking: 16

Author: Pete Prisco

Author’s Take:

That was a terrible showing against the Panthers at home. So much for the momentum after beating the Ravens. The defense was awful and a quarterback change could be coming.

Yahoo! Sports

Link to the Article

Current Ranking: 25

Last Week’s Ranking: 20

Author: Frank Schwab

Author’s Take:

The Raiders aren’t going to win anything if they can’t run the ball, and they’ve been horrible at it. They average 2.8 yards per rush, the only team this season under 3 yards per carry. That’ll be hard to fix.

Fox Sports

Link to the Article

Current Ranking: 30

Last Week’s Ranking: 25

Author: David Helman

Author’s Take:

Losing to the Panthers is a tough look, regardless. Getting blown out by the Panthers, to the point that the head coach is calling out his players’ effort? In Week 3? That’s a tough place to be. Can Antonio Pierce keep this thing out of the ditch?

Sharp Sports Analysis

Link to the Article

Current Ranking: 30

Last Week’s Ranking: 24

Author: Pamela Maldonado

Author’s Take:

The Raiders suffered a significant loss to the Carolina Panthers, falling 36-22. This drops their record to 1-2 for the season. Maxx Crosby continues to be a bright spot for the Raiders defense, but the overall defensive performance is concerning. Players like Davante Adams and rookie tight end Brock Bowers have shown potential, but the team needs to find ways to utilize them more effectively.

The Athletic

Link to Article

Current Ranking: 24

Last Week’s Ranking: 22

Author: Josh Kendall

Author’s Take:

Controversy might be a strong word when the choices are Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell, but here the Raiders are. O’Connell replaced Minshew in the fourth quarter Sunday and finished 9-for-12 for 82 yards and a touchdown. That might be enough to earn him a start, although coach Antonio Pierce didn’t sound happy with anybody after the game.

Average rank: 26.75

Last week’s rank: 21.57

Average change: -5.18

Travis Kelce jokes about playing like ‘trash’ on the latest New Heights

While the star tight end is frustrated, he’s not worried.

A new episode of the New Heights podcast dropped on Wednesday morning, and hosts Jason and Travis Kelce took a chance to talk about the Kansas City Chiefs and their start to the season. While the Chiefs are 3-0 to open the season, the star tight end is not performing to the level he would like with just eight receptions and 69 yards so far.

But the three-time Super Bowl champion isn’t too worried about his individual performance just yet.

“I just want to have a successful offense,” Travis said of his team before praising quarterback Patrick Mahomes for finding the open guy on the field that will let them do that.

“I think everyone saw my drop in the fourth quarter and the crucial third down, just trying to do too much before putting the ball away. That’s probably the biggest thing for me is making the play in big-time moments like that,” Kelce said of the win over the Falcons on Sunday. “I think with how defenses are playing us right now, I’m not really getting a lot of opportunities to make plays down the field, but not using that as an excuse. Moving forward, still trying to make sure I can help the team out in that regard knowing I’ve been that weapon for us in the past.”

Still, Kelce was hard on himself, calling his play “trash” before correcting course and saying “I’m playing winning football. It’s not trash, but, it could be better.”

Despite the questioning from outside parties, Kelce said he still felt alright. “I wish I played as good as I felt,” he said dejectedly at one point during the pod.

Kelce will have a chance to bounce back this weekend as the Chiefs head to Los Angeles to face the Chargers to stay undefeated.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 tag=122421747]

Falcons list new starting defensive lineman on depth chart

The Falcons no longer list defensive lineman Zach Harrison as a starter on their depth chart…

The Atlanta Falcons are 1-2 but the fan base hasn’t completely given up on them yet. Since the Falcons lost to two undefeated teams and upset the 2-1 Eagles on the road, things may not be as bad as they appear. With that said, there are still some problematic areas that the team needs to clean up.

The pass rush has been among the least effective in the NFL this season. While you never want to put too much stock into sack numbers, Atlanta’s three sacks rank 31st in the entire league. For context, there are currently 10 teams with at least 10 sacks this season.

The Falcons are still tinkering with things along their front seven under defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake. On Tuesday, the team released a new depth chart with a few changes up front. Defensive lineman Zach Harrison is no longer listed as a starter.

The Falcons moved defensive tackle Eddie Goldman into the starting lineup, listing Harrison as a backup to Grady Jarrett. Goldman is one of the few defensive linemen on the roster who can play that nose tackle spot, so it’s not a shock to see this reflected on the depth chart.

Harrison, a former third-round pick out of Ohio State, racked up 33 tackles (18 solo), five QB hits and three sacks in 16 games last season. He was listed as a starting defensive end for the first three weeks. However, Harrison’s playing time hasn’t reflected that of a starter this season.

In three games, the former Buckeye has played just 18 percent percent of the team’s defensive snaps (39 total) and has two total tackles. Goldman has played close to 40 percent of the defensive snaps this season, which is close to his career average.

Regardless of what the depth chart says, the team has a deep group of defensive linemen and will continue to rotate them. The Falcons haven’t played second-round pick Ruke Orhorhoro or fourth-rounder Brandon Dorlous.

Both rookie defensive linemen have been healthy scratches through the first three weeks of the season. Perhaps that will change in Week 4.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1360]

Former Falcons third-round pick signs with practice squad

Falcons sign former third-round pick to practice squad as team looks for offensive line depth

The Atlanta Falcons are sorting through some injuries along their offensive line after losing two starters during the team’s Week 3 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. On Tuesday, the team placed center Drew Dalman on the injured reserve list with an ankle sprain.

Dalman, one of the team’s most underrated offensive linemen, can return in four weeks. The Falcons will look to backup center Ryan Neuzil to start in the meantime, but they’re still tweaking the roster to give themselves other options.

On Tuesday, the team signed offensive lineman Elijah Wilkinson off the practice squad and filled his spot with offensive lineman Matt Hennessy. Atlanta drafted Hennessy in the third round back in 2020 and the former Temple center started 17 games for the team in 2021.

Hennessy lost his starting job to Dalman in 2022 and was placed on injured reserve before the 2023 season began. The Philadelphia Eagles signed Hennessy over the offseason but released him as part of final cuts.

Falcons head coach Raheem Morris was the interim coach for most of Hennessy’s rookie season in 2020, so don’t be surprised to see the team elevate him for Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints.

Dalman has been removed from the depth chart and Wilkinson was listed as a backup to Matt Bergeron at left guard. Right tackle Kaleb McGary was also injured in Week 3, suffering an apparent knee injury. However, McGary’s status is still up in the air.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1360]

Speculation pegs the Jaguars as a sleeper contender for Bill Belichick in 2025

Could Bill Belichick wind up with the Jaguars next year?

The Jacksonville Jaguars are down bad right now, falling to 0-3 on Monday Night Foootball this week for the 2024 season.

Could former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick be the answer to the franchise’s problems?

On Tuesday’s edition of The Dan Patrick Show, Sports Illustrated reporter Albert Breer hinted that the Jaguars may be one of the teams in on Belichick during the 2025 coaching cycle if they part ways with Doug Pederson.

“[The Jaguars are] just a sneaky one with Belichick for me,” Breer told Patrick on the segment, citing team owner Shahid Khan’s son, Tony Khan, and the latter’s allegedly strong relationship with the NFL coaching legend.

Breer added that Belichick played a role in Jacksonville making Doug Marrone the team’s head coach in 2017.

“Bill’s had the ear of ownership in that place for a while now,” he told Patrick. “And I just wonder if that’s not rattling around in the heads of ownership there now.”

https://twitter.com/dpshow/status/1838669736223056152

Would Belichick take a chance on closing out his coaching career in Jacksonville?

The team has a solid roster, a franchise quarterback in Trevor Lawrence and the advantage of sunny Florida weather.

While teams like the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles feel like safer bets, the Jaguars are an intriguing sleeper contender for the 2025 Belichick sweepstakes.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1371]

Cardinals bring in 4 D-linemen for tryouts

With injuries to Justin Jones and Khyiris Tonga, the Cardinals are looking at some potential D-line depth to add.

We will hopefully learn more Wednesday about the injuries sustained by defensive linemen Justin Jones (triceps) and Khyiris Tonga (knee) in Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions.

What we do know is that the Arizona Cardinals had four defensive linemen in Tempe for tryouts Tuesday. D-linemen currently on the practice squad are Angelo Blackson, who was signed Sept. 10 after being released by the Denver Broncos, and P.J. Mustipher, who was signed Aug. 28 after being cut by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Here are the facts and figures about those four players:

Agim McTelvin: 6-3, 300; born Sept. 25, 1997; attended Arkansas; selected in the third round of the 2020 draft by the Denver Broncos. He played 10 in games for the Broncos in 2020 (141 defensive snaps/16 special teams), seven in 2021 (90/3) and one for the Indianapolis Colts in 2023 (13/6) for a total of 18 games and no starts.

Transactions since 2023: Waived by the Colts Sept. 30, signed to practice squad Sept. 1, practice-squad contract expired after the season, signed to Houston Texans practice squad Jan. 16, 2024 and futures contract; waived Aug. 27, signed to Colts practice squad Aug. 29, released Sept. 17.

Matt Dickerson: 6-5, 298; born Nov. 9, 1995; attended UCLA; entered NFL as undrafted free agent with the Tennessee Titans in 2018. Played three games with the Titans in 2018 (28 defensive snaps/three special teams), five with Titans in 2019 (54/11), 10 with Titans in 2020 (197/49), six with Atlanta Falcons in 2022 (96/13) and 12 with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2023 (190/7) for a total of 36 games and no starts. He spent time on the Cardinals’ practice squad in 2021 and the offseason in 2022.

Transactions since 2023: Signed as unrestricted free by the Chiefs May 10; contract terminated Aug. 30; signed to Chiefs practice squad Aug. 30; signed futures contract with Chiefs Feb. 14; contract terminated May 13; re-signed May 20; contract terminated Aug. 27; signed to Chiefs practice squad Aug. 28; released Sept. 2.

Jonathan Marshall: 6-3, 317; born Sept. 16, 1997; attended Arkansas; selected by New York Jets in sixth round if 2021 draft. Played four games with no starts in 2021 (76 defensive snaps, one on special teams).

Transactions since 2023: Waived by Pittsburgh Steelers Aug. 29; signed to Steelers practice squad Aug. 30; signed by Steelers to futures contract Jan. 17, 2024; waived July 31; signed by Jacksonville Jaguars Aug. 6; waived Aug. 25.

Deadrin Senat: 6-0, 314; born July 22, 1994; attended South Florida; selected by Falcons in third round of 2018 draft. Played 15 games with two starts for Falcons in 2018 (370/19), two with Falcons in 2019 (21/3), five with Falcons in 2020 (43/9), 12 with Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2022 (165/6) and three with Buccaneers in 2023 (18/5) for a total of 37 games.

Transactions since 2023: Re-signed as unrestricted free agent by the Bucs in 2023; contract terminated Aug. 29; signed to Bucs practice squad Sept. 20; practice-squad contract expired after the season; signed by Baltimore Ravens May 28; contract terminated with injury settlement Aug. 27.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

 

Chargers stock watch: Who’s up, who’s down after Week 3 loss to Steelers

Here are the Chargers players who saw their stock rise and fall the most in Week 3.

We are nearly a month into the Chargers campaign already. The team is 2-1 through the first three weeks, perhaps a better spot than some expected them to be in.

Coming off their first loss of the season, Los Angeles now has to face the Chiefs. Heading into Week 4, check out who saw their stock rise and fall against the Steelers this past weekend.

Stock up: WR Ladd McConkey

McConkey finished the game with six targets, double as many as anyone else on the team. He produced three catches for 44 yards, which tied Quentin Johnston for the most in Week 3. We’re nearly a month through the season and it’s clear that those two are the Chargers’ primary targets at the wide receiver position. As the season progresses, look for the rookie McConkey to get more comfortable in the offense.

Stock down: C Bradley Bozeman

While the offensive line has been exceptional for the most part, Bozeman has been the lone exception. He’s been one of the worst centers in football in 2024, which has come as a slight surprise. The seventh-year veteran has played every snap, but the center position is an area of concern for Los Angeles. He has played some difficult interior defensive fronts so far this season, but if his performance doesn’t improve, the Chargers will need to find reinforcements elsewhere.

Stock up: OG Zion Johnson

In a game that saw the Chargers lose each of its offensive tackles, Johnson was phenomenal on the inside. He did pretty well against one of the best defensive lines in all of football. PFF gave him a 68.1 overall grade for the game, which was fourth-best on the team. The Chargers have completely rebuilt this team in the trenches, and it’s looking like Johnson will be a main part of that for the long term.

Stock down: RB J.K. Dobbins

It was the Chargers’ toughest matchup of the year, so it was expected that Dobbins’ numbers would come back down to earth. Still, he was largely ineffective on the day against a team he usually thrives against. Injuries hurt the Chargers offensively, particularly along the offensive line. Dobbins averaged just 2.9 yards per carry on Sunday for 44 yards on the ground. On the positive side of things, he did register a season-high three catches for 10 yards. Dobbins out-snapped Gus Edwards by a wide margin, indicating he’s the clear starter moving forward. We’ll see how Dobbins does in Week 4 against another stout defense in the Chiefs.

Stock up: CB Kristian Fulton

It’s the second straight week in which Fulton has made this list. He continues to boost his stock with exceptional play, as he was the team’s second-highest graded player in Week 3, according to PFF. In fact, they have had Fulton as the third-best cornerback in all of football for three weeks. He’s becoming quite a story for Los Angeles, and they will need more of that stellar play moving forward.

Chargers fall to middle of the pack in NFL power rankings after loss to Steelers

Find out where the Chargers stand in the national eye after Week 3

The Chargers lost to the Steelers in Week 3, 20-10.

After coming up short, let’s see what national analysts think of Los Angeles:

USA Today: 16 (Previous: 14)

“Bad week for Team Harbaugh. With QB Justin Herbert and both starting offensive tackles injured and S Derwin James now suspended, can the Bolts just opt for a two-week bye rather than host K.C. – to whom they’ve lost five in a row – this Sunday?”

NFL: 14 (Previous: 7)

“When the Chargers intercepted Justin Fields midway through the third quarter, it put them in position to take control of the game, similar to how they leaned on the Raiders late in the Week 1 victory. But the Bolts went three-and-out, with Justin Herbert leaving the game due to injury, and it was all Steelers after that. They scored 10 points on their next two drives and bled out the final five minutes of clock to seal it. Los Angeles obviously can’t afford to lose Herbert for an extended period of time, so it was good news that his ankle ailment turned out to be about as positive as it probably could have been. The problem is that three other key Chargers left the game with injuries: edge menace Joey Bosa and offensive tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt. Taylor Heinicke was sacked three times in five dropbacks, which obviously isn’t a sustainable rate if he needs to step into the starting lineup for Herbert. It’s a bit of a scary time for the Chargers heading into a matchup with the Chiefs, but the early bye in Week 5 might end up being a blessing, allowing the Bolts to get their health in order.”

ESPN: 15 (Previous: 8)

Biggest issue on offense: Injuries to stars

Quarterback Justin Herbert (ankle) and offensive tackles Rashawn Slater (pectoral) and Joe Alt (MCL sprain) all left Sunday’s loss to the Steelers because of injuries. Those are perhaps the Chargers’ three most important offensive players, and without them, L.A. will have trouble running an effective offense. Herbert left in a walking boot, and receivers Joshua Palmer(elbow/calf) and DJ Chark Jr. (hip) are also nursing injuries that kept them out of Sunday’s loss. Now five Chargers offensive starters have lingering injuries heading into Week 4.

CBS Sports: 14 (Previous: 9)

“Losing Justin Herbert ended their chances against the Steelers. If he misses time with that ankle injury, they have major problems that their power offense can’t fix.”

Sports Illustrated: 15 (Previous: 12)

“I have no idea where to slot this team but it was instructive to see what happens to this iteration of a Jim Harbaugh team when they’re pushed back and unable to run the ball. Just 2.9 yards per carry for J.K. Dobbins meant that some of the buffer previously afforded to Justin Herbert evaporated. Without Herbert, this team quickly becomes extremely one-dimensional. Joe Alt was also knocked out in this one and will miss next week’s game against the Chiefs. I have a feeling that, during this eventual settling period, we will see Los Angeles find its home between Nos. 16 and 19 on this list with regularity.”

Bleacher Report: 14 (Previous: 13)

“…Jim Harbaugh has certainly put his stamp on this year’s Chargers team. While L.A. fell to 2-1 on Sunday, it continues to show that it’s going to play a tough, physical brand on both sides of the ball. It’s a formula that can make the Chargers competitive, regardless of the opponent or venue. However, injuries—which seem like a perennial issue in L.A.—are already a potential problem. Justin Herbert, Rashawn Slater, Joe Alt and Joey Bosa all left with injuries against Pittsburgh, and if any of them miss significant time, the Chargers will be in trouble.”

Aaron Rodgers took a jab at Haason Reddick over a question about the Jets’ messy culture

Aaron Rodgers made it very clear he doesn’t respect Haason Reddick’s contract fight.

In the middle of a contract dispute, Haason Reddick has yet to play a single snap for the New York Jets. Reddick is so adamant about getting his well-earned money that he didn’t even participate in any of the Jets’ offseason activities.

This fact is not lost on Aaron Rodgers, who, after finally playing like a star in the Jets’ latest win last Thursday night, simply couldn’t help himself during an interview on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday.

When asked about how the Jets’ culture currently compares to what The Athletic’s Ben Standig reported was in “disarray” in late August, Rodgers said he didn’t read the piece. However, based purely on the headline, he did jokingly suggest that Reddick’s agent must have written it, given the pass-rusher’s ongoing dispute with the Jets organization.

https://twitter.com/PatMcAfeeShow/status/1838633616902926839

Uh, yeah, I don’t think Reddick will be playing for the Jets any time soon if he sees his quarterback slash supposed “leader” taking jabs like this in the media. This is a bit of a low blow. At the very least, it seems Rodgers doesn’t really respect Reddick’s financial battle much, and that’s not a great look, either.

Seahawks host free agent OT Jason Peters for a workout

Seahawks host free agent OT Jason Peters for a workout

No, you are not experiencing Déjà vu, you did in fact read this headline correctly. On Tuesday afternoon it was announced the Seattle Seahawks hosted 42-year old veteran tackle Jason Peters for a workout. The reason why this sounds familiar to you is because the then-41 year old Peters played in eight games last year for the Seahawks.

Now, it appears a reunion could be on the table between the future Hall of Famer and his former team.

Despite their best efforts this offseason, the Seahawks’ offensive line is in shambles once again. The health of Abe Lucas continues to be the largest problem, as he was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list to begin the season due to a knee procedure he had this past winter. Unfortunately, there is no concrete timeline for Lucas to return. At least, not one head coach Mike Macdonald is willing to share publicly.

As for Lucas’ primary backup George Fant, he was placed on Injured Reserve this past weekend and brought up McClendon Curtis in his place. The other in-house options for Seattle are rookies Michael Jerrell and Sataoa Laumea, who have been inactive for every game this season.

Ironically, my initial post-draft analysis for the Laumea pick was the Seahawks were trying their best to ensure they would not be in a situation where they’d have to rely on someone like Jason Peters.

A visit does not confirm Seattle is intent on signing Peters, but the two sides are obviously familiar with each other, and there is a clear need for depth. Stone Forsythe has performed admirably in his new starting role, but the Seahawks clearly need a contingency plan behind him.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4 category=1360]