Tag: offensive line

The good, the bad, and the ugly from Seahawks’ loss to Rams

The Seattle Seahawks were on the receiving end of a stunning blowout on the road as the reigning NFC West champs sent them packing, 28-12.

Division games are never a sure thing, as the Seattle Seahawks found out on “Sunday Night Football” after a punishing 28-12 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. The Seahawks had the opportunity to clinch a playoff berth with a loss or tie, but instead fell to second in the NFC West due in part to the 49ers’ win over the Saints earlier in the day. This week, Seattle boasted one star but unfortunately fielded much more to criticize – here’s the good, the bad, and the ugly from the Seahawks’ prime-time outing at the Coliseum.

THE GOOD

Quandre Diggs: The trade for Quandre Diggs looks more and more like a steal as the safety picked off Rams quarterback Jared Goff in two consecutive drives, bringing life to a Seahawks team that trailed by 18 at the beginning of the second half. He brought the first interception back 55 yards to the house for six points on the first drive of the third quarter, then surprised Goff deep in the red zone on the next drive to save another Rams touchdown and give Seattle the ball back. Diggs has been involved in five turnovers this season, having notched three interceptions, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in just four games with the Seahawks.

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Texans coach Bill O’Brien: We have to fix LT Laremy Tunsil’s penalties

Houston Texans left tackle Laremy Tunsil is one of the best in the NFL. However, his penalty issues have been a liability.

Laremy Tunsil leads the NFL in false start penalties with 12. Though he says there is a target on his back, it’s clear that starting prematurely has been the Houston Texans left tackle’s crux.

On Sunday, Tunsil took three false start penalties in a 38-24 loss to the Denver Broncos, all in the first half. Postgame, Bill O’Brien stated the obvious: he has got to fix that.

“Laremy’s — he’s played very well, but he’s had too many penalties,” said O’Brien. “He would be the first one to tell you that. We’ve got to try to fix it. We’ve got to continue to try to help him to fix it. I think nobody feels worse about that than him. He’s a great guy. He’s a great player, but we’ve got to fix that.”

Tunsil has played the part of an elite tackle. Entering Sunday’s game, Pro Football Focus rated him as the second-best pass-protecting tackle in the NFL. However, no matter how good he can snap-to-snap, his false start issues are a liability — similar to Jadeveon Clowney’s offside tenancies.

Houston has time to get Tunsil in sync with Deshaun Watson. They have three more games before the playoffs, presuming they make the postseason. The final three games, including their two-game series with the Tennessee Titans, could write the ultimate fate for the 2019 team.

Broncos OL Dalton Risner gives QB Drew Lock ‘a lot of crap’

Broncos guard Dalton Risner playfully gives quarterback Drew Lock a hard time in the huddle.

Broncos running back Phillip Lindsay describes offensive guard Dalton Risner as a “character.” He likes to talk smack — even to his own teammates.

Risner and quarterback Drew Lock were both selected in the second round of this year’s NFL draft and they roomed together in the spring. They formed a friendship and Risner, being the jokester that he is, has carried their banter into the huddle.

“Dalton Risner likes to give me a lot of crap in the huddle, especially in practice,” Lock said with a smile Wednesday. “He’ll go up to the ball after I call a play, he’ll ask me, and say the exact opposite of the play pretty much. ‘No, Dalton.’ He’s just trying to get me all riled up.”

Lock did not play calls in college while at Missouri so he has been wearing an armband to call plays. Risner couldn’t let that slide.

“That first time out there where I was in the huddle, Buzz Lightyear was used,” Lock said. “‘To Infinity and Beyond,’ with the play calls on my arm, they got all of it ready for me. It’s been fun. It keeps things light for sure in practice. Dalton likes to talk.”

Lindsay believes Risner’s talking is good for the team.

“Dalton gives everybody grief, but that’s just who he is,” the running back said. “That’s great when you have good character guys. You need that in the huddle, and you need that for your team. That helps build a franchise into being successful. You have to have different personalities.”

Through the first 12 games of his career, Risner has been penalized three times and has allowed 2.5 sacks. Not a bad start.

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Report: Texans OT Tytus Howard undergoes successful right knee surgery

Houston Texans rookie right tackle Tytus Howard had successful knee surgery and should be ready for the club’s offseason program.

The road to recovery is off to a good start for Houston Texans rookie offensive tackle Tytus Howard.

According to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, the first-round pick from Alabama State had successful surgery to repair the meniscus in his right knee. As such, the 6-5, 322-pound offensive lineman will be on track to participate in the team’s offseason program.

Howard started eight games for the Texans, but dealt with injuries throughout the season. In preseason, Howard broke his hand and it kept him out of the club’s season opener at the New Orleans Saints.

In Week 6 at the Kansas City Chiefs, Howard sustained an MCL sprain that knocked him out for the next two games until he returned in Week 9 against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London.

On Nov. 30, a day before the Texans hosted the New England Patriots on Sunday Night Football at NRG Stadium in an eventual 28-22 win, the club placed Howard on injured reserve, ending his rookie campaign.

In the absence of Howard, the Texans plan to rotate Chris Clark and Roderick Johnson at right tackle.

Broncos make 2 roster moves

The Broncos claimed center Patrick Morris off waivers from the Steelers and placed defensive end Derek Wolfe (elbow) on injured reserve.

The Denver Broncos claimed offensive lineman Patrick Morris off waivers from the Pittsburgh Steelers and placed defensive lineman Derek Wolfe (elbow) on injured reserve, the team announced Tuesday.

Morris (6-3, 300 pounds) is a first-year center from TCU who spent his rookie season on Pittsburgh’s practice squad and dressed for two games this year. Morris earned first-team Academic All-Big 12 Conference honors three times during his time with the Horned Frogs before signing with the Steelers as an undrafted free agent last year.

Morris will add more depth on the offensive line with guard Ron Leary in concussion protocol. When Leary left last week’s game, Austin Schlottmann filled in for him at guard. Schlottmann is also Denver’s backup center so the team needed to add depth in case Leary does not play in Week 14.

Wolfe (6-5, 285 pounds) totaled 34 tackles and a career-high seven sacks in 12 games this year before suffering a season-ending elbow injury. He is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in March.

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Bill O’Brien: Texans right tackle position is ‘week-to-week’

Houston Texans head coach Bill O’Brien says the team’s right tackle position is “week-to-week” with Roderick Johnson and Chris Clark.

Without rookie tackle Tytus Howard (injured reserve – MCL), the Houston Texans are taking a new approach to their right tackle position: rotating between their two backups.

Chris Clark, 34, and Roderick Johnson, 24, have each started two games at right tackle. In Week 13’s win over the New England Patriots, Clark played 61% of right tackle snaps, while starting, and Johnson played 39%.

In Week 9, an international win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Clark and Johnson evenly split snaps at left tackle.

Texans coach Bill O’Brien isn’t sure who will start at right tackle in Week 14’s tilt with the Denver Broncos.

“I think it’s more week-to-week. I think we thought that that was decent the way that it went last week, but this week’s a whole different ball game,” O’Brien told the Denver media in a conference call Tuesday. “I think there’s always competition on our roster at certain spots. I think it’s a lot about practicing and competition and things like that.”

Whoever does play may have to block against pass-rusher Von Miller, who isn’t a sure thing to play on Sunday (knee). Whether it’s Clark or Johnson, they will undoubtedly have a tough task at NRG Stadium on Dec. 8.

Texans believe rotating right tackles is in the team’s best interest

The Houston Texans aren’t approaching right tackle normally, as they rotate between Roderick Johnson and Chris Clark. They say it’s for the better.

The Houston Texans have taken an unorthodox approach to replace rookie starting right tackle Tytus Howard, who is on injured reserve for a partially torn MCL.

Rather than stick with one player, the Texans have rotated Chris Clark and Roderick Johnson at the right tackle position. In Week 13’s win over the New England Patriots, Clark started and playing 61% of snaps (34) while Johnson played 39% (22).

The Texans allowed three sacks in the 28-22 win over the Patriots.

Coach Bill O’Brien says rotating between the two offensive tackles is in the best interest of the team.

“I think that was just something we felt, again, was in the best interest of the team. We felt like both of those guys had earned the right to play and we felt that that was a good way to do it,” Bill O’Brien told reporters Monday.

Johnson, 24, has two starts at right tackle. Clark, 34, can say the same, while also picking up a start at left tackle in a Week 9 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Similar to the Texans’ current plan at the right-side, Clark and Johnson each played 50% of snaps in that Week 9 win.

According to Pro Football Focus, Johnson has one sack allowed in 222 snaps, grading in at 64.6. Meanwhile, Clark has one in 146 snaps while measuring in at a 50.6 grade.

Texans-Patriots Friday injury report: Tytus Howard doubtful

The Houston Texans released their injury report ahead of their Week 13 matchup with the New England Patriots, and RT Tytus Howard is doubtful.

The Houston Texans released their final injury report of Week 13 as they prepare for the New England Patriots Sunday night at 7:20 p.m. CT at NRG Stadium.

Houston may have to find other solutions at right tackle as rookie Tytus Howard is listed as doubtful with a knee injury.

The Texans had more participation from receiver Will Fuller (hamstring), cornerback Lonnie Johnson (ankle), and cornerback Bradley Roby (hamstring).

Full participant

DE Carlos Watkins (hamstring) ⁠— OUT

Limited participant
DE Angelo Blackson Shoulder QUESTIONABLE
CB Gareon Conley Hip QUESTIONABLE
G/T Tytus Howard Knee DOUBTFUL
OLB Brennan Scarlett Shoulder QUESTIONABLE
Full participant
S Mike Adams Concussion
S Justin Reid Concussion
CB Bradley Roby Hamstring
CB Lonnie Johnson Ankle
WR Will Fuller Hamstring

For the Patriots, TE Ryan Izzo is out with an illness, and he did not participate in Friday’s practice. LB Kyle Van Noy was listed as questionable, and he also did not participate in Friday’s practice.

New England had 16 players listed as questionable.

Quarterback Tom Brady was upgraded to a full participant with an elbow injury, and he does not have a designation for Sunday night.

Pro Football Focus credits Saints pass rush with 41 QB pressures vs. Falcons

The New Orleans Saints defense started and ended their game with the Atlanta Falcons by sacking Matt Ryan, but the story is larger than that

The Atlanta Falcons did everything they could to take the New Orleans Saints defense out of the game on Thursday night. They forced the Saints defenders to remain on the field for a season-high 93 plays, expecting the heightened workload to tire them out down the stretch.

It didn’t happen. If anything, the prolonged playing-time hurt Atlanta’s own blockers. The Falcons allowed 5 sacks in their last 15 snaps (one of which was wiped out by a Saints defensive penalty) and 9 on the day as a whole, leading coach Dan Quinn to take aim at specific players for mistakes in his postgame media availability — a rarity in their troubled season. Quinn has largely avoided singling out struggling players, but he was left with no choice after the beatdown they suffered on Thanksgiving in front of a national audience.

Quinn told Falcons team reporter Kelsey Conway that two of the sacks were at fault of starting left tackle Jake Matthews, the team’s first-round pick back in 2014. Two more sacks were put on rookie first-rounder Kaleb McGary at right tackle, while big free agent signing Jamon Brown and star running back Devonta Freeman each allowed a sack of their own. Quinn chalked up three other sacks to lockdown coverage by New Orleans.

However, there was more to the Saints’ success than just their takedowns. They pressured Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan relentlessly, as seen in their game grades from the analysts at Pro Football Focus. The Saints pass rush was credited with 41 total quarterback pressures on the day, including all of those sacks, often moving Ryan off of his spot and hurrying him through his reads. Three different Saints defensive linemen received grades above 90 (defensive ends Cameron Jordan and Marcus Davenport, and rookie nose tackle Shy Tuttle) as did rookie slot defender C.J. Gardner-Johnson.

When the Saints are getting after quarterbacks this well, there aren’t many passers who can hold up to such repeated pressure. The Saints played one of them already this season in Seattle Seahawks MVP candidate Russell Wilson; if things keep going the way they have so far, New Orleans might not see the other one until Super Bowl LIV, if Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens can go the distance.

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Broncos guard Dalton Risner seen wearing boot, says he’s ‘good’

Broncos rookie guard Dalton Risner was seen wearing a boot in the team’s locker room.

Denver Broncos offensive guard Dalton Risner briefly left Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings with an ankle injury before later returning to the contest (a game the Broncos lost 27-23).

Risner was seen wearing a boot on his foot in the team’s locker room Tuesday but the rookie told The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala, “I’m always good,” which seems like a positive sign that it might not be a serious injury.

Risner (6-5, 312 pounds) was selected by Denver in the second round of this year’s draft out of Kansas State. He has had a brilliant rookie season so far, allowing just one sack in 10 games, according to STATS LLC.

If Risner does have to miss any games with his ankle injury, the Broncos might move Elijah Wilkinson back to guard (if Ja’Wuan James is healthy enough to play right tackle). Austin Schlottmann is another option.

Denver will release an updated injury report after practice Wednesday.

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