Tag: NFL

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.

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Steelers insider updates Alex Highsmith injury timeline

The Pittsburgh Steelers could be without outside linebacker Alex Highsmith for a few games.

According to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Steelers could be without pass-rusher Alex Highsmith for up to two weeks.

Highsmith suffered a groin injury, the second of his career, during Pittsburgh’s win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.

Similar to 2023, Highsmith has been off to a slow start, having recorded one sack, a pass defended and 11 tackles in three games.

Expect Nick Herbig to get the bulk of the work, with DeMarvin Leal rotating in.

https://twitter.com/gerrydulac/status/1838665680218120455

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A mic’d-up Jordan Mailata provided hysterical commentary on Dallas Goedert’s big Eagles reception

Jordan Mailata’s commentary here is hysterical.

The Philadelphia Eagles upset the New Orleans Saints in the Big Easy on Sunday, in big part thanks to a huge play from tight end Dallas Goedert.

However, no big play happens without good blocking up front. Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata kept quarterback Jalen Hurts upright in the pocket for him to get the pass off to Goedert, which is always commendable.

Mailata also wore a mic during Goedert’s big moment, which provided this absolutely hysterical, NSFW commentary that Philly fans are sure to love.

“Unhook the trailer!” has to be one of the best lines of the 2024 NFL season so far, as Mailata proved he’s as good at commentating as he is blocking.

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Ballers for Raiders Week 3 loss to Panthers

Singling out the performances in Raiders Week 3 loss to Panthers

There wasn’t much to sing about if you’re the Raiders in their loss to the Panthers. The 36-22 final score didn’t tell the story at all. The real score was 33-7 which sealed it early in the fourth quarter.

A lopsided score like that suggests a complete collapse on both sides of the ball. They couldn’t run the ball, they couldn’t stop the run. They couldn’t pass the ball, they couldn’t stop the pass.

Andy Dalton was picking them apart through the air and Chuba Hubbard (who?) ran all over them on the ground. Gardner Minshew completed one deep pass and the Raiders still have the worst rushing attack in the NFL dating back like 25 years at least.

Anyway, let’s see about them Ballers, eh?

Baller

WR Tre Tucker

That one deep completion went to Tucker. He got behind the defense and made the long catch 54 yards downfield. It set up the Raiders only touchdown that actually mattered. It tied the game at 7-7 in the first quarter.

When the game essentially was over, he had three catches for 64 yards. But he didn’t just pack it in, he added four more catches to finish with 98 yards and a touchdown.

That’s it. That’s the list.

Continue to the Busters…

Busters for Raiders Week 3 loss to Panthers

Singling out the many poor performances in the Raiders Week 3 loss to Panthers

Welcome to the primary portion of the program. There was a lot more bad news in this one than good. In fact, it wasn’t all that easy to find anything good to say about this performance by the Raiders.

So, let’s not belabor the point any longer.

Busters

OC Luke Getsy

Run, run, pass. Run, run, pass. Run, run, pass. Sensing a pattern? Yeah? Well, you’re not alone. The Raiders opponents do too. Perhaps Getsy thinks it’s like a pendulum that will lull opposing defenses to sleep because that is his approach so often, it’s downright maddening.

If this were a situation where the Raiders were having some success, it would be one thing. But they’re not. For whatever reason they are not running the ball at an NFL level. And you have to wonder if it’s the scheme that’s the problem because this wasn’t the case last season. Quite the contrary actually, they were the best running team in the league the final four games of last season. Now they’re the worst.

Four times on the first three drives of this game the Raiders started a series with consecutive runs. One of those they did three straight runs. Only once did they get a first down on the ground. And it wasn’t the one where they ran it three straight times! That one they went for it on fourth down and didn’t pick it up. The defensive backfield literally stood in a line three yards off the line and all the Raiders’ receivers ran that far. Minshew threw for Brock Bowers and it was knocked down easily. Terrible play call against the defense designed to stop that very thing.

Down 21-7 going into the third quarter, and you’ll never guess what they did then. Run. Run. Pass. Punt. So, they were down 24-7 before they finally stopped doing that.

This is a replay of the first two games. They bang their heads against a wall for three quarters and then try to make a late comeback. The defense was able to keep them in it the first two weeks. That didn’t happen this time. And it should never have to happen that way.

Something needs to change right now because right now their run game is broken. Whether it’s moving away from zone blocking, leaning more on the passing game, or just mixing things up a bit more to keep the defense honest.

QB Gardner Minshew

Whatever he found in the fourth quarter in Baltimore he lost again. Too often in this game he seemed gun shy, pulling his passes back, dancing around the pocket, and bouncing off his linemen like a pinball before either getting sacked or throwing it away.

Through three quarters — remember that’s when the game ended for all intents and purposes — he had completed 10 passes for 127 yards and no touchdowns. Most of his yards came on one completion to Tre Tucker for 54 yards. That was one of just four first downs he had through the air.

WR Davante Adams

Adams wasn’t helping things much. He had two drive killing drops in the second quarter alone. The first one came on third and short to end the drive. The second one took them out of field goal range and Daniel Carlson just missed the 57-yard attempt wide left at the half.

CB Nate Hobbs, CB Jakorian Bennett, CB Jack Jones

A week ago we were celebrating their work on the outside. Not so much this week. This week Andy Dalton made burnt toast out of them all.

The first drive Hobbs gave up a 17-yard catch and the touchdown catch from six yards out.

Second drive, Bennett gave up a 24-yard catch on third-and-14, Tre’von Moehrig gave up a 35-yard catch and run, and Jones gave up the touchdown on third-and-goal from the five.

Their third touchdown drive saw Hobbs give up a catch to Diontae Johnson, then try to chase him down only to whiff on the tackle for a 35-yard play. The next play Jones gave up a 31-yard touchdown catch to Adam Thielan.

The final touchdown drive early in the fourth quarter started with Bennett giving up an 11-yard catch. Then Jones missed a tackle on a 14-yard run, Bennett missed a tackle on a five-yard run, and on third down, Bennett was flagged for pass interference in the end zone to put the Panthers in first and goal from the one. They punched it in two plays later to go up 33-7.

Jones added to his poor day when he didn’t bother to try and make the tackle on a ten-yard run that led many to accuse him of being the player Antonio Pierce was referring to when he said players were making “business decisions” in the game.

RB Zamir White

I don’t know if he’s just trying to stick with what he thinks he’s trying to do or what. But there were so many times he just seemed to run right into a tackle or right in to the back of his own lineman. One of those times was the second play for the offense when he landed on the legs of Thayer Munford, causing him to leave the game with an injury and not return.

He was having much more success late last season. Now he looks like the least effective running back on this team. He’s averaging just 3.2 yards per carry and despite his size and apparent strength, they don’t even use him at the goal line. They give it to Alexander Mattison who has two touchdowns this season as a result.

LG Cody Whitehair, C Andre James

They’re just not getting any push up the middle. They aren’t creating any running lanes. The Raiders went for it on fourth down twice in the first three quarters. The first time Whitehair was driven back into Minshew’s lap as he threw. The other time it was a QB keeper that James got no push. Both attempts failed.

DT John Jenkins

You know who was getting push? The Panthers offensive line. Often times it was Jenkins who was getting pushed around. Jenkins had one tackle in the first three quarters. It was on a six-yard first down run. He also gave up the Panthers’ final touchdown from one yard out.

See the Baller

Falcons place starting center Drew Dalman on IR, sign veteran OL

Falcons place starting center Drew Dalman on injured reserve, sign veteran offensive lineman to 53-man roster

The Atlanta Falcons lost two starting offensive linemen during Sunday’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Right tackle Kaleb McGary and center Drew Dalman were injured in the first half and did not return in Week 3. On Tuesday, the team placed Dalman on the injured reserve list with a high-ankle sprain.

Dalman must miss the next four games at a minimum before he can return, which means the Falcons will be turning to backup Ryan Neuzil. The team signed offensive lineman Elijah Wilkinson in a corresponding transaction on Tuesday.

Wilkinson previously played for Atlanta in 2022, starting nine games. The veteran offensive lineman has 45 career starts under his belt. Last season, Wilkinson started nine games for the Arizona Cardinals. With McGary potentially out, Wilkinson gives the team a little more depth along the offensive line with experience playing both tackle and guard.

The Falcons also signed former third-round pick Matt Hennessy to the practice squad, the team announced on Tuesday. Check out Atlanta’s updated 53-man roster and practice squad entering Sunday’s NFC South showdown against the Saints.

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Raiders place S Marcus Epps on injured reserve with ACL injury

Starting safety Marcus Epps is headed to IR with an ACL injury.

Late in the third quarter, Raiders safety Marcus Epps went for a tackle and didn’t get back up. When he lunged for the tackle, his leg gave out without contact. Those are often the scariest injuries. Epps limped off the field and headed for the locker room.

Today the team placed him on injured reserve, and reports say he tore his ACL and will miss the remainder of the season.

Epps was in his second season with the Raiders as their full time starting strong safety. He was a valuable piece to the Raiders defense last season as a free agent signing from the Eagles and was looking to earn an extension or a new deal after this season.

Replacing Epps in the lineup was third year safety Isaiah Pola-Mao.

The former undrafted free agent out of USC was the team’s ‘big nickel’ and primary backup at both safety spots.

To fill Epps’s spot on the roster, the Raiders signed CB Sam Webb off the practice squad.

Jared Verse and Braden Fiske are living up to the hype

Jared Verse and Braden Fiske are 1st and 2nd among all rookies in pressures this season, showing why the Rams loved both in the draft

The Los Angeles Rams are only three games into the 2024 season but it’s abundantly clear that Jared Verse and Braden Fiske are going to be cornerstone players for a long time. There was a lot of hype and high expectations for both former Seminoles when they were drafted with the Rams’ top two picks and they’ve been as good as advertised thus far.

Despite not playing in the preseason and even though they were thrown to the fire as Day 1 starters, Verse and Fiske have stepped up to the plate. The stats show they’ve been two of the best defensive rookies in the NFL through three weeks.

According to Next Gen Stats, Verse and Fiske are first and second among all rookies in total pressures. Fiske leads with 12 pressures, while Verse has 11. Pro Football Focus tallied their pressures a little bit differently – Verse leads with 13 and Fiske has 11 – but the point still stands: they’ve been outstanding as pass rushers.

They’re a big reason the Rams racked up 27 pressures against the 49ers on Sunday, a massive number for a team that just lost Aaron Donald in March. Les Snead drafted them to help reshape the offense without No. 99 and there’s no question they’ve done just that.

It’s not just the pass rush where they’re making an impact, either. According to PFF, Verse is second among all rookies with six total stops and Verse is tied for third with five. Stops are quantified as “tackles that constitute a ‘failure’ for the offense,” so they’re important for defenders to make.

Through three weeks, Verse is the favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year and Fiske is inching up the board, now with the 10th-best odds to take home the award, according to BetMGM.

As long as both of them stay healthy, along with Byron Young and Kobie Turner, the Rams’ defensive front should be one of the best in football for years to come.

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Where the Chargers rank statistically after Week 3

Here is how the Chargers compare statistically to the rest of the NFL after Week 3.

The Chargers fell to 2-1 after losing to the Steelers this past Sunday.

It was an underwhelming performance for Los Angeles that lost a few key starters along the way.

With Week 4 coming up, how do the Bolts compare to the rest of the NFL? Here is where Los Angeles ranks:

Offense

Category Stat Rank
Points per game 19.3 ppg 17th
Passing offense 125.7 ypg 31st
Rushing offense 152.0 ypg 7th
Total offense 277.7 ypg 25th
3rd down conversions 38.10% 16th
Red zone scoring 42.86% 24th
Sacks allowed 7 14th
Turnovers 2 7th

Defense

Category Stat Rank
Points allowed 11.0 ppg 3rd
Passing defense 175.3 ypg 10th
Rushing defense 91.7 ypg 6th
Total defense 267.0 ypg 6th
3rd down conversions 32.50% 12th
Red zone defense 20.00% 2nd
Sacks 8 16th
Takeaways 5 6th

 

Bills’ Damar Hamlin emotional after MNF return: ‘It was special’

Bills’ Damar Hamlin emotional after MNF return: ‘It was special’

The Buffalo Bills had their big win of the season on the national stage during NFL Week 3, in a 47-10 home win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday Night Football.

On a night of firsts for a handful of Bills, safety Damar Hamlin took the field for his first Monday Night Football start since the January 2023 contest in which he suffered cardiac arrest.

In his return to MNF, Hamlin had a strong performance with five tackles and two pass deflections.

He also got his first career interception.

While it carried significance for the 2021 sixth-round NFL Draft pick from PITT as a career achievement, it was the experience of walking down the tunnel and out to the field that resonated with him.

“Man, it was special,” Hamlin said to the media. “We all know my last start on Monday Night Football and how that game went, so to be able to come all the way back from that and have a special moment like that, it’s all God right there. I’ve been giving him the praise like crazy lately, because it wasn’t easy, but I’m super thankful to my teammates for just the support and the love. That was encouraging.”

Hamlin has recorded 19 tackles through three games this year as he’s manned Buffalo’s defensive backfield alongside Taylor Rapp. He credits his play—and the fact that he’s playing football at all—to his teammates, as playing for them is what fuels his fire.

“It makes all of the emotions way easier when you just go out there and you think about, ‘I just want to make plays for my teammates,'” Hamlin said. “It makes it all simple again.”

The Jags’ offense had a 1st-and-10 at their own 41-yard line when Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence overthrew rookie receiver Brian Thomas Jr. And Hamlin was there to take away the pass, giving QB Josh Allen and the Bills offense the ball back, which he would then throw to Khalil Shakir for a touchdown and a 27-3 lead.

The young safety’s teammates erupted with excitement when he got the pick and celebrated with and around him.

“Damar, with his first interception, the crowd went crazy, everybody ran out on the field, man, it was inspiring,” said OLB Von Miller, who took the press podium seated alongside Hamlin after the win.

His head coach was moved as well by the on-field moment.

“Damar, what a night for Damar, right?” Sean McDermott said during his press conference. “At home on Monday Night Football, getting his first interception, I believe, of his NFL career. The journey that he’s been on and how he’s persevered.”

Hamlin’s last Monday Night Football start was against the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2022 season, his second year in the NFL. He suffered a cardiac arrest during the first quarter of the Week 17 clash, in a broadcast on-field moment in which the NFL world stood still.

The Bills’ medical staff worked quickly to save his life, and he went on to make a full recovery after stabilizing in the hospital. He’s since won a starting safety position battle in Buffalo’s new-look secondary, leading to a very significant moment back on the MNF stage.