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ESPN analyst suggests Falcons make change at quarterback

ESPN NFL analyst Mina Kimes says Falcons should start rookie QB Michael Penix Jr.

The Atlanta Falcons signed Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract on the opening day of free agency to stabilize the quarterback position after failed experiments with Marcus Mariota and Desmond Ridder.

Once the team drafted Michael Penix Jr. in the first round, it was only a matter of time before a quarterback controversy broke out in Atlanta. Cousins played well for the first two months of the season but once “Kirk-tober” ended, the 36-year-old’s struggles began.

The Falcons have lost three straight games since their 6-3 start. Cousins is going through arguably the worst stretch of his career, passing for zero touchdowns and six interceptions over the last three games.

In the team’s 17-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, he threw four brutal interceptions, including a pick-six. This has prompted many around the NFL to call for a quarterback change. ESPN’s Mina Kimes is the latest to suggest the Falcons bench Cousins and start Penix.

“He’s just not right,” Kimes said about Cousins. “There’s something off with his footwork when he’s under center and he has to turn around and he’s aiming and it just doesn’t look right, frankly. It doesn’t look like Kirk Cousins and it makes me wonder — you drafted Michael Penix eighth overall. I criticized the decision. Dan, you defended it. I will criticize that decision infinitely more if they don’t give Penix a shot this season if this continues.”

Kimes has a point, and it’s hard to argue against a quarterback change if Cousins continues to play poorly. The Falcons have a shot to win the division for the first time since 2016 and they can’t prioritize loyalty over the other 52 players on the roster.

“You’re throwing away a season where not only you have a chance to win the division, but you could potentially go farther if you see something with the young quarterback,” concluded Kimes.

Cousins has passed for 3,052 yards, 17 touchdowns and 13 interceptions this season. There have been moments when the quarterback has played as well as anyone in the NFL. Then, there are other times when Cousins makes decisions that are beyond head-scratching.

Meanwhile, Penix is staying ready for his moment. We spoke to the rookie during the bye week and he continues to prepare like a starter.

“You know, starter or not, just making sure I’m always ready for the moment so whenever that moment does come, I can shine,” said Penix.

It sounds like that moment may come sooner than we all anticipated.

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5 takeaways from Broncos’ crazy 41-32 win over Browns

Pat Surtain should have followed Jerry Jeudy the whole game. More takeaways from the Broncos win over the Browns:

The Denver Broncos defeated the Cleveland Browns 41-32 in a crazy Monday Night Football game in Week 13. Here are five quick takeaways following the victory.

1. Jaleel McLaughlin remains the hot hand: Javonte Williams scored a touchdown on Monday, but he ended the day with just four carries for one yard. He now has 12 carries for -1 yard over the last two weeks. McLaughlin, meanwhile, led the team with 14 carries for 84 yards against Cleveland. Denver’s backfield rotation is hard to predict on a week-to-week basis, but McLaughlin is trending up going into the bye.

2. Pat Surtain should have followed Jerry Jeudy: Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph opted to not have PS2 follow Jeudy on Monday, which was a curious decision. With Riley Moss (knee) unavailable, Levi Wallace was repeatedly torched by the Browns. Jeudy finished the day with nine receptions for 235 yards with one touchdown, but on the 34 plays that Jeudy covered him, the receiver totaled just two receptions for 20 yards. PS2 finally started following Jeudy late in the game and it appeared that Joseph also benched Wallace in favor of rookie Kris Abrams-Draine late in the contest. Both decisions should have been made sooner.

3. Courtland Sutton remains Mr. Reliable: Sutton ended the day with six receptions for 102 yards and he now has 42 receptions for 569 yards and three touchdowns over the last six weeks. He remains Denver’s best receiver and a reliable target for rookie quarterback Bo Nix.

4. That was a classic Jameis Winston game: Winston torched the Broncos’ secondary for 497 passing yards and four touchdowns … and three interceptions. It was a quintessential Winston experience. That might sound like a Browns Wire takeaway, but it’s notable for Denver, too, because future opponents might not gift interceptions at that rate. The Broncos easily could have lost Monday’s game if not for a pair of pick-sixes. Fans in Denver will hope that Moss recovers during the bye and is able to return in Week 15.

5. Nik Bonitto is a strong DPOY candidate: Bonitto is the first Broncos defender since Von Miller to record double-digit sacks and a pick-six in the same season. That’s pretty good company.

Bonitto’s 11 sacks this season rank second in the NFL, only trailing Trey Hendrickson (11.5). He’s making a strong case for Defensive Player of the Year.

The Broncos will now go into their bye week with an 8-5 record. After the bye, Denver will host the Indianapolis Colts in Week 15.

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What are the Broncos’ chances of making the NFL playoffs?

The Broncos are getting closer and closer to the NFL playoffs. Here’s how Denver can clinch a postseason berth in 2024.

Following a 41-32 win over the Cleveland Browns on Monday Night Football, the Denver Broncos improved to 8-5 and they remain the seventh and final playoff seed in the AFC.

Results elsewhere in Week 13 were mixed. The Miami Dolphins (5-7) lost on Thanksgiving and the Cincinnati Bengals (4-8) lost on Sunday, but the Indianapolis Colts (6-7) and Los Angeles Chargers (8-4) won this week.

The Broncos will play the Colts, Chargers and Bengals right after their bye, so Denver controls its playoff fate. As Andrew Mason of DenverSports.com has pointed out, if the Broncos beat the Colts in Week 15, Denver will need just one more victory and one Dolphins loss to clinch a playoff berth.

Here’s a look at AFC’s playoff picture following Week 13.

AFC Playoff Picture

  1. Kansas City Chiefs (11-1)
  2. Buffalo Bills (10-2)
  3. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3)
  4. Los Angeles Chargers (8-4)
  5. Houston Texans (8-5)
  6. Baltimore Ravens (8-5)
  7. Denver Broncos (8-5)

In the Hunt

  1. Indianapolis Colts (6-7)
  2. Miami Dolphins (5-7)
  3. Cincinnati Bengals (4-8)

So, what are the Broncos’ chances of reaching the postseason?

The Athletic gives Denver a 79% chance of reaching the playoffs. ESPN has given the team a 76% chance. DVOA has the most optimistic outlook, giving the Broncos an 82.5% chance to reach the postseason.

Denver will now have a bye in Week 14 before hosting the Colts in Week 15. The Broncos will then have back-to-back road games against the Chargers and Bengals before hosting the Chiefs in their season finale.

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Fantasy Football: 12 running backs to target on the waiver wire

Christian McCaffrey is hurt again, making Isaac Guerendo a must-add on the fantasy football waiver wire. These are the top RBs to target.

Here we go again.

Christian McCaffrey suffered a knee injury on Sunday Night Football in Week 13 and the San Francisco 49ers announced Monday that he has a PCL injury. McCaffrey will now go on injured reserve and he’s expected to miss the rest of the regular season.

That would have left Jordan Mason as the next man up in San Francisco, but he has a high ankle sprain that will also land him on injured reserve. Mason will now miss at least the next four games.

Following the injuries to both McCaffrey and Mason, Isaac Guerendo is a top priority must-add on the fantasy football waiver wire this week.

Elsewhere on the fantasy front, Russell Wilson (43.1%) is gaining steam at quarterback, Adam Thielen (27.3%) is relevant at wide receiver again, and Will Dissly (32.9%) has a good tight end matchup against KC this week.

Today, though, we’re focusing on the running back position. We’ve put together a quick list of 12 running backs to consider on the fantasy football waiver wire going into Week 14.

Fantasy Football Running Back Waiver Wire Targets

1. RB Isaac Guerendo (1.3%): With McCaffrey and Mason both sidelined, it should be the Guerendo show down the stretch in San Francisco.

2. RB Chris Rodriguez (0.2%): The Commanders placed Austin Ekeler on injured reserve with a concussion, leaving Brian Robinson as their top RB. Robinson is not alone in the backfield, however, as Rodriguez had a big day on Sunday with 94 rushing yards and a touchdown. If Washington continues splitting RB touches, Rodriguez could be a gem off the waiver wire.

3. RB Kimani Vidal (10.7%): J.K. Dobbins (knee) was ruled out and then placed on injured reserve, which means he’ll miss at least the next four games. Gus Edwards seems to be the new RB1 for the Chargers, but Vidal was right behind him in carries on Sunday (six to four). He’s a sleeper.

4. RB Alexander Mattison (47.0%): Mattison and Zamir White were both sidelined on Sunday, leaving Ameer Abdullah and Sincere McCormick (0.1%) as the Raiders’ top RBs in Week 13. Mattison is worth picking up for once he returns. If Mattison and White remain sidelined, McCormick will be worth a look in deep leagues.

5. RB Tank Bigsby (32.5%): Coming out of the bye week, Travis Etienne led the Jaguars’ backfield with 13 carries for 46 yards, but Bigsby also got seven carries plus one target. Up next is a Titans defense that allows 120.1 rushing yards per game.

6-12. Handcuff running backs: Jonathon Brooks (47.6%), Tyler Allgeier (41.5%), Zach Charbonnet (50.9%), Blake Corum (14.2%), Ray Davis (11.4%), Trey Benson (24.1%) and Braelon Allen (22.0%).

Roster percentages for players listed in this article were sourced from ESPN. For more fantasy coverage, check out our fantasy football hub.

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20 best photos from Broncos’ thrilling win over Browns

The Broncos beat the Browns in a ‘Monday Night Football’ thriller. Here are our favorite photos from the game.

The Denver Broncos defeated the Cleveland Browns 41-32 in a thrilling Monday Night Football game in Week 13. Here are our favorite photos from the crazy win.

Broncos beat Browns 41-32 in ‘Monday Night Football’ thriller

What a wild ‘Monday Night Football’ game! The Broncos now go into their bye week with an 8-5 record following Monday’s win.

The Denver Broncos improved to 8-5 with a 41-32 victory in a Monday Night Football thriller against the Cleveland Browns in Week 13 of the 2024 NFL season.

After the Broncos punted on their opening drive, Browns kicker Dustin Hopkins missed a 47-yard field goal attempt on Cleveland’s first possession of the game. Nix then led a 12-play, 63-yard drive that was capped off by a two-yard touchdown run from Javonte Williams to take a 7-0 lead.

With Denver cornerback Riley Moss (knee) sidelined, the Browns attacked fill-in cornerback Levi Wallace on their next drive as quarterback Jameis Winston connected on an eight-yard touchdown pass to tight end David Njoku to tie the game at 7-7 late in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Browns cornerback Denzel Ward tipped a Nix pass intended for Troy Franklin into the air and it was intercepted by Greg Newsome. Cleveland capitalized off that takeaway with a 45-yard Hopkins field goal to take a 10-7 lead.

Later in the second quarter, the Broncos went 67 yards on six plays and fullback Michael Burton scored on a one-yard run to make it 14-10. Shortly thereafter, Denver pass rusher Nik Bonitto made a game-changing play with a 71-yard pick-six to extend the lead to 21-10.

The Browns bounced back after that pick-six as Winston led an 11-play, 70-yard drive that ended with a four-yard touchdown pass to Njoku to cut the deficit to 21-17 just before halftime.

In the third quarter, Nix threw a 93-yard touchdown pass to receiver Marvin Mims to make it 28-17.

Winston matched that score with a 70-yard touchdown pass to Jerry Jeudy. After a successful two-point conversion thrown to Jeudy, Cleveland made it a field goal game, 28-25. Broncos kicker Wil Litz later converted a 36-yard field goal to increase the lead to 31-25.

In the fourth quarter, Nix was intercepted by Ward when he threw a deep pass intended for Mims. The Browns capitalized on that takeaway as Winston later threw a five-yard touchdown pass to running back Nick Chubb to give Cleveland a 32-31 lead with just under nine minutes remaining in the game.

Denver then used up just over six minutes on a 61-yard drive that ended with a 27-yard Lutz field goal to retake a 34-32 lead. Broncos cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian then grabbed a 46-yard pick-six to make it 41-32.

Denver linebacker Cody Barton then sealed the game with an interception on the final drive of the game.

Winston threw for 497 yards and four touchdowns, but his three interceptions proved to be costly. Nix totaled 294 passing yards with one touchdown pass and two interceptions.

Up next for the Broncos is a bye in Week 14 followed by a home game against the Indianapolis Colts at Empower Field at Mile High in Week 15.

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WATCH: Ja’Quan McMillian grabs 46-yard pick-6 vs. Browns

What a huge play by Ja’Quan McMillian!!!

Denver Broncos cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian grabbed a crucial interception in the fourth quarter of Monday’s game against the Cleveland Browns and returned it 46 yards for a touchdown.

Here’s video of the play, courtesy of the team’s official Twitter/X page:

Following the score, the Broncos lead the Browns 41-32.

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WATCH: Bo Nix throws 93-yard TD pass to Marvin Mims

Bo Nix with a 93-yard touchdown pass to Marvin Mims!

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix threw a 93-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Marvin Mims in the third quarter of Monday’s game against the Cleveland Browns.

Here’s video of the play, courtesy of the team’s official Twitter/X page:

Following the score, the Broncos now lead the Browns 28-17.

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