Tag: offense

Statistical Breakdown: How the Chargers and Patriots stack up before Week 17 game

Here’s how the Chargers and Patriots stack up statistically on offense and defense ahead of Saturday’s matchup.

The Chargers and Patriots are set to square off this Saturday.

Here’s how Los Angeles and New England stack up statistically on both sides of the ball ahead of the Week 17 matchup:

Offense

Category Chargers Patriots
Points per game 21.9 ppg (18th) 17.3 ppg (30th)
Passing offense 200.8 ypg (28th) 178.5 ypg (32nd)
Rushing offense 106.5 ypg (23rd) 119.7 ypg (14th)
Total offense 307.3 ypg (24th) 298.3 ypg (29th)
3rd down conversions 37.89% (18th) 35.75% (26th)
Red zone scoring 57.50% (14th) 47.73% (31st)
Sacks allowed 43 (21st) 47 (26th)
Turnovers 9 (2nd) 21 (20th)

Defense

Category Chargers Patriots
Points allowed 18.3 ppg (1st) 24.1 ppg (24th)
Passing defense 213.9 ypg (15th) 212.4 ypg (12th)
Rushing defense 124.1 ypg (17th) 130.4 ypg (24th)
Total defense 337.9 ypg (15th) 342.8 ypg (21st)
3rd down conversions 37.07% (10th) 42.08% (25th)
Red zone defense 44.74% (1st) 62.75% (24th)
Sacks 42 (7th) 28 (31st)
Takeaways 19 (14th) 12 (29th)

 

Sean Payton doesn’t like NFL camera crews zooming in on his play sheet

“I don’t like the fact that the network TV cameras feel like they can zoom in to our call sheets, but it is what it is,” Sean Payton said.

The Denver Broncos clearly had a plan to run early and often going into last Thursday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

That game plan was clear because Amazon’s Prime Video broadcast zoomed in on coach Sean Payton’s play sheet that had “RUN IT!!!” written on the top.

Despite that apparent message written to himself, the Broncos got away from the ground game in the second half of Thursday’s game and ultimately lost 34-27. Payton was asked about the message written on his play sheet and turning to the passing game during his Sunday conference call with reporters.

“Fair enough. I think — No. 1 — I don’t like the fact that the network TV cameras feel like they can zoom in to our call sheets, but it is what it is,” Payton said. “It’s just a reminder sometimes. They’ll be little notes we’ll put at the top of — I’ll put at the top of a section. I felt we ran it real well early in the game [in the] first half.

“The second half there were two series I kind of kicked myself where even when we did run it, it was the type of run we ran that wasn’t as effective. We had ample opportunities in that second half. I thought our third-down numbers obviously weren’t where we wanted them to be. We couldn’t get off the field defensively and therefore we weren’t able to keep the lead we had going into halftime or coming out to start the second half.”

Sunday certainly wasn’t the first time a camera crew captured a clear image of Payton’s play sheet. Last season, another Prime Video broadcast showed a crystal clear image of Payton’s play list during a Thursday Night Football showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Payton didn’t think much of last season’s incident.

“I saw it,” Payton said in October last year. “I don’t worry about it. When everyone sent that to me, it was like — this game is so spontaneous and fast. The language teams can look at — everything is on tape. …

“It’s hard to take that information, for instance, and then bring it in the division and look at it and say, ‘Here are the two-minute [calls].’ There are a ton of things we change. Each night we have a new — not audible, but a term we use that we might [change]. Trying to give a defensive player [a heads up], that guy is going to look at you like you’re nuts. He going to say, ‘I have to play.’ I don’t think much of it, but I saw it.”

Payton has since changed his tune. Up next for Denver is a road game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday. We’ll see if NFL Network’s broadcast shows any closeups of the coach’s play sheet.

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BREAKING: Wisconsin lands commitment from top transfer portal tight end

Wisconsin gets a major transfer commitment

Wisconsin landed a commitment from Ball State transfer tight end Tanner Koziol on Saturday.

He is the program’s second transfer commitment of the cycle, joining Louisville edge rusher Mason Reiger.

Related: Tracking Wisconsin football’s transfer portal offers, interests and commitments

247Sports ranks the talented tight end as a four-star transfer recruit, the No. 48 overall player in the portal and the No. 3 player at his position.

His commitment is significant news for a Wisconsin team that saw starters Riley Nowakowski and Tucker Ashcraft combine for just 23 catches, 156 yards and a touchdown in 2024. The position never played a big role during Phil Longo’s tenure as offensive coordinator. With new hire Jeff Grimes reshaping the unit, Koziol should immediately fill a primary role in the receiving game.

The multi-year starter totaled 94 catches, a team-high 839 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in 2024. His career-long numbers are an impressive 163 catches, 1,507 yards and 18 total touchdowns.

Koziol fits the mold of Grimes’ pro-style offense and immediately gives the program its best receiving threat at the position since Jake Ferguson.

Wisconsin now continues its transfer recruiting with a major position checked off. Defensive line, quarterback, wide receiver, cornerback, safety and linebacker remain some of the team’s biggest needs.

Bookmark our transfer offer, visit and commitment tracker for the latest updates.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.

Statistical Breakdown: How the Chargers and Buccaneers stack up before Week 15 game

Here’s how the Chargers and Buccaneers stack up statistically on offense and defense ahead of Sunday’s matchup.

The Chargers and Buccaneers are set to square off this Sunday.

Here’s how Los Angeles and Tampa Bay stack up statistically on both sides of the ball ahead of the Week 15 matchup:

Offense

Category Chargers Buccaneers
Points per game 21.3 ppg (20th) 27.9 ppg (5th)
Passing offense 198.1 ypg (25th) 241.0 ypg (6th)
Rushing offense 111.5 ypg (19th) 138.3 ypg (7th)
Total offense 309.5 ypg (24th) 379.3 ypg (3rd)
3rd down conversions 38.37% (15th) 47.17% (2nd)
Red zone scoring 54.55% (19th) 68.63% (4th)
Sacks allowed 38 (23rd) 32 (16th)
Turnovers 6 (1st) 18 (20th)

Defense

Category Chargers Buccaneers
Points allowed 15.9 ppg (1st) 23.8 ppg (22nd)
Passing defense 206.1 ypg (8th) 253.4 ypg (30th)
Rushing defense 117.6 ypg (14th) 115.2 ypg (11th)
Total defense 323.7 ypg (11th) 368.5 ypg (28th)
3rd down conversions 35.03% (7th) 41.92% (23rd)
Red zone defense 41.94% (1st) 51.02% (10th)
Sacks 39 (5th) 35 (11th)
Takeaways 17 (10th) 16 (14th)

Why Bills-Lions promises to be offense explosion in Week 15

Why Bills-Lions promises to be offense explosion in Week 15

When the Buffalo Bills travel to Ford Field to take on the Detroit Lions in Week 15 they will face the only team in the NFL that scores more points than them.

The Lions (12-1) average 32.1 points per game, leading the NFL. The Bills (10-3) average 30.5 points per game, second in the NFL. They are the only two teams in the league that average over 30 per game.

Though both teams are well-rounded in all phases, their explosive offenses are the reason they are both among the favorites to win the Super Bowl.

But, they haven’t always produced these types of numbers. Both Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady made drastic differences recently for their franchises.

Johnson took over the reigns as OC in Detroit in 2022 and immediately enhanced the offensive output. The Lions improved from the 25th-most ppg in 2021 (19.1) to the 5th-most in 2022 (26.6). And in return, the team improved from a 3-13-1 record in 2021 to 9-8 in 2022.

In 2021, quarterback Jared Goff posted the 17-highest passer rating in the NFL (91.5) and with Johnson in 2022, he shot up to 7th-best in the NFL (99.3). It was his best passer rating since the 2018 season in which he went to the Super Bowl under the offensive-minded Sean McVay with the Rams.

Goff earned a Pro Bowl appearance in 2022 and posted a career-low interception percentage (1.2%). Fast forward a couple of years and the combination of Goff and Johnson continues to get better. He is currently second in the league in passer rating (109.1).

Brady had had a similar effect on Josh Allen. From 2021 through 2023, Allen averaged a passer rating of 93.7, and so far in 2024, Allen has a rating of 101.9.

In 2024 (Brady’s first full year as OC), the Bills are averaging the second-most points per game in a season in Bills history. Their 30.5 ppg trails only the 2020 team (31.3 ppg).

Since Brady took over as the interim OC in Week 11 of 2023, the Bills are 16-4. But, both Johnson and Brady would tell you that they wouldn’t be as effective as coordinators if they didn’t have the special talent that they do on offense. And it’s not just the talent of the players they have but rather the versatility of their guys that can allow their offenses to win in many different ways.

In the 2024 offseason, Brady coined the phrase “everybody eats” as he was sharing his vision for the Bills offense. In July, he said, “We’re kind of in the process of trying to see what all of our guys can do, their different skill sets. I’m so excited about the group that we have, the tight ends and the receivers, because it’s so many different skill sets. You hope that the versatility allows it to play a little harder for defenses to defend.”

His vision has come true. The Bills have multiple weapons at running back, tight end, and receiver that can all hurt a defense in different ways. As for Johnson and the Lions, they are taking a similar approach due to their plethora of playmakers at the skill positions.

Following a Week 5 win over the Cowboys in which they scored 47 points, Johnson talked about the ways he can get creative as a playcaller and give a defense different looks due to the variety of talent he has to work with. Not only can he spread the ball around, but he can mix in trick plays, too.

“The well is deep,” Johnson said regarding his playbook. “We can run a million different types of plays. With that, I don’t like to run the same one twice.”

Over their last four games, the Lions have four pass-catchers averaging at least 35 receiving yards per game: Amon-Ra St. Brown (84.8 ypg); Jameson Williams (74 ypg); Tim Patrick (43 ypg); Sam LaPorta (36.3 ypg). And, they have two running backs averaging at least 60 rushing yards per game over that time: Jahmyr Gibbs (72.3 ypg); David Montgomery (62.8 ypg). Add in the fact that both Gibbs and Montgomery can hurt you in the passing game, and that St. Brown and Williams can take a jet sweep, and you can see why defenses have been in a bind all year against them.

As for the Bills, they have a strong possibility to get WR Keon Coleman and TE Dalton Kincaid back into the lineup after they have both missed time. They would join an offense that just scored 42 points last week without them, scoring six touchdowns and committing zero turnovers.

The Bills are looking to get the sour taste of last week’s loss to the Rams (44-42) out of their mouth. With Week 15 being another game in cozy dome between two high-powered offenses, this one may be a second-straight shootout for Bills.

Both teams still have a lot to play for, with the Bills chasing the one-seed in the AFC and the Lions trying to fend off an 11-2 Vikings team in the NFC North.

BREAKING: Another Wisconsin starting offensive lineman announces return for 2025

BREAKING: Another Wisconsin starting offensive lineman announces return for 2025

Wisconsin center Jake Renfro announced on Saturday he would be returning to the Badgers for his final year of eligibility in 2025.

He is the second veteran member of Wisconsin’s starting offensive line to announce his intention to return, joining right tackle Riley Mahlman.

Related: Ranking Wisconsin football’s updated transfer portal needs after a busy first week of movement

Renfro joined the program in 2023 after three seasons under Luke Fickell at Cincinnati. He was a first-team all-AAC member in 2021 after starting 13 games for a Bearcats team that made the College Football Playoff.

He then missed the entire 2022 season with an injury before transferring to the Badgers after Fickell got the job. The veteran center remained out for most of the 2023 season, only seeing game action in Wisconsin’s ReliaQuest Bowl loss to LSU.

Renfro stepped into the starting job in 2024 after 2023 starter Tanor Bortolini left for the NFL. He led an offensive line that was arguably the strength of the team, and was far from the reason the offense finished outside the nation’s top 100 in scoring.

His return means three members of the 2024 offensive line will be back — Renfro, Mahlman and left guard Joe Brunner.

Big questions will surround Wisconsin’s left tackle position entering the season. Top freshman Kevin Heywood could win the job if the program does not land a top veteran in the transfer portal.

Wisconsin officially hired Kansas’ Jeff Grimes to its vacant offensive coordinator role on Saturday. While he has significant work to do to rebuild a struggling unit, the team’s returning talent and experience up front should provide a significant help. Renfro’s return is big news in that regard.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.

Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco made a strong impression in Week 13 return

Kansas City #Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco made a strong impression in Week 13 return | @EdEastonJr

Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco made his much-anticipated return to the field in Week 13 against the Las Vegas Raiders. Considering the many weeks of rehabbing his ankle injury, he exceeded many expectations.

Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy spoke highly of Pacheco’s performance during his conversation with reporters on Thursday.

“I thought he (Isiah Pacheco) did a great job. It doesn’t surprise me,” said Nagy. “I was – for that seven seconds that he was running the football down the sideline, I was just – you think back to the moment when he got hurt and for that one play right there to have an explosive play. We haven’t had a whole lot of those explosive runs this year, so I think it was a 33-yard run (and) those are nice. It gets the guys going. We need to get more of those, no matter who it is, but he certainly brings that to the offense.”

Pacheco returned to the field after being placed on injured reserve earlier in the year and broke free in the third quarter for a 34-yard rush to move the Chiefs quickly downfield, marking the club’s longest rush of the season. He led Kansas City’s rushing attack against the Raiders with seven rushes for 44 yards.

Statistical Breakdown: How the Chargers and Chiefs stack up before Week 14 game

Here’s how the Chargers and Chiefs stack up statistically on offense and defense ahead of Sunday’s matchup.

The Chargers and Chiefs are set to square off this upcoming Sunday night.

Here’s how Los Angeles and Kansas City stack up statistically on both sides of the ball ahead of the Week 14 matchup:

Offense

Category Chargers Chiefs
Points per game 21.7 ppg (18th) 24.1 ppg (11th)
Passing offense 198.4 ypg (24th) 229.8 ypg (12th)
Rushing offense 112.9 ypg (18th) 111.8 ypg (19th)
Total offense 311.3 ypg (24th) 341.6 ypg (15th)
3rd down conversions 37.74% (18th) 51.83% (1st)
Red zone scoring 53.33% (21st) 52.08% (24th)
Sacks allowed 35 (23rd) 32 (20th)
Turnovers 6 (1st) 14 (14th)

Defense

Category Chargers Chiefs
Points allowed 15.7 ppg (1st) 19.6 ppg (8th)
Passing defense 206.4 ypg (10th) 224.1 ypg (23rd)
Rushing defense 119.4 ypg (14th) 87.3 ypg (3rd)
Total defense 325.8 ypg (14th) 311.9 ypg (8th)
3rd down conversions 33.33% (2nd) 39.46% (18th)
Red zone defense 42.86% (2nd) 51.28% (10th)
Sacks 36 (6th) 24 (27th)
Takeaways 17 (10th) 10 (27th)

Drew Brees on what coaches should do to help their quarterbacks

Drew Brees says hiring a head coach from an offensive background isn’t necessary to cultivate a young quarterback, but the best passers have positive influences:

Drew Brees has seen a thing or two in his football life, and he shared his thoughts on what teams should look for when hiring a new head coach during a recent appearance on “The Herd” with Colin Cowherd. Specifically, the legendary former New Orleans Saints quarterback advocated for coaches with background working on the offensive side of the ball.

While Cowherd’s question focused on the Chicago Bears, who need a new coach to mentor and develop Caleb Williams, much of what Brees spoke about could soon apply to the Saints’ situation, too.

“Whether that’s an offensive head coach or that’s just someone who is really responsible for his growth and development, certainly you need that person,” Brees said. “And look that might be a veteran backup quarterback rather than relying on coach to be that person. At the end of the day what I think and every quarterback would tell you is that early in their career they needed someone to help them develop great habits, great discipline and great process.”

Derek Carr isn’t a youngster at quarterback, but he may not be long for New Orleans, either. The Saints haven’t drafted a quarterback in the first round since they picked Archie Manning way back in 1971, and that streak is going to end sooner or later. It might happen as soon as 2025 if their next head coach doesn’t plan on Carr running the offense.

And if that’s the case? It isn’t necessarily a deal-breaker for the head coach to come from an offensive background in order for a rookie quarterback to develop quickly. Like Brees said, someone needs to be there as a positive influence, whether it’s an experienced backup or a talented position coach.

We don’t know who will be coaching the Saints or the Bears in 2025. But if Brees is onto something here, both teams should be taking a hard look at the environments they’re creating for their quarterbacks, especially if New Orleans turns the page in next April’s NFL draft.

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Fans react to Steelers’ dominant Week 13 offensive performance

Steelers fans flooded social media with reactions after the team’s dominant Week 13 performance, fueled by a 500+ yard offensive explosion.

Fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers were understandably nervous heading into the team’s Week 13 matchup against the underrated offensive force of the Cincinnati Bengals. Pittsburgh’s Week 12 loss to the Cleveland Browns certainly didn’t inspire confidence.

However, the Black and Gold offense came alive, all but dismantling the Bengals’ defense with over 500 total yards in the contest.

Leading the offensive explosion was none other than QB Russell Wilson, who threw for over 400 yards and three touchdowns, complemented by RB Najee Harris’ 129 all-purpose yards. This performance showcased just how formidable this unit can be.

With a challenging five-game stretch remaining, the Steelers will aim to make Week 13’s offensive dominance the new standard rather than a one-hit wonder.

Steelers fans are still buzzing days after the team improved to 9-3 in the 2024 season, with their excitement palpable across social media. Here are some of the best fan reactions to the Steelers’ offensive showcase in Week 13.

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