Tag: Playoffs

AFC West standings: Broncos alone at the bottom

The three other teams in the AFC West won on Sunday, leaving the Broncos in last place in the division.

As if an ugly 13-6 loss on Sunday wasn’t bad enough, Denver Broncos fans also witnessed every other team in the AFC West secure victories in Week 2.

The Las Vegas Raiders upset the Baltimore Ravens 26-23 on the road to improve to 1-1. The Los Angeles Chargers took care of business with a 26-3 victory over the Carolina Panthers to move to 2-0. And the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 26-25 to remain undefeated.

Those victories and Denver’s loss left the Broncos as the only winless team remaining in the division. Yes, it’s a small sample size, but Denver’s already put itself in a hole in the AFC West.

AFC West standings after Week 2

Team Record Div. Con. Net Points
1. Los Angeles Chargers 2-0 1-0 1-0 35
2. Kansas City Chiefs 2-0 0-0 2-0 8
3. Las Vegas Raiders 1-1 0-1 0-0 -9
4. Denver Broncos 0-2 0-0 0-1 -13

Following back-to-back road games against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0) and New York Jets (1-1), the Broncos will return home to host the Raiders in Week 4. Fans in Denver will hope brighter days are ahead.

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AFC West standings: Broncos in 3rd place after Week 1

Following one week of action, the Broncos are ranked above the Raiders in the AFC West. The Chargers and Chiefs sit atop the division.

Following a 26-20 road loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1, the Denver Broncos (0-1) find themselves in third place in the AFC West.

Technically, the Los Angeles Chargers (1-0) are first in the AFC West after a 22-10 win over the Las Vegas Raiders (0-1). The Raiders are the only team ranked lower in the division than the Broncos after one week of action.

The Kansas City Chiefs (1-0) are ranked second after defeating the Baltimore Ravens 27-20 in the NFL’s season opener on Thursday. After a small one-week sample size, it’s looking unlikely that anyone will catch KC in the division even though the Chiefs are currently ranked No. 2.

AFC West standings after Week 1

Team Record Div. Con. Net Points
1. Los Angeles Chargers 1-0 1-0 1-0 12
2. Kansas City Chiefs 1-0 0-0 1-0 7
3. Denver Broncos 0-1 0-0 0-0 -6
4. Las Vegas Raiders 0-1 0-1 0-1 -12

The Broncos have an in-conference game coming up against the Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0) in Week 2. Three weeks later, Denver will play its first division game of the year when the Las Vegas Raiders come to town in Week 5.

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Peter Schrager predicts Broncos will make playoffs this season

NFL Network’s Peter Schrager has the Broncos making the playoffs this season. Do you Bolieve?

Going into the 2024 NFL season, not many people view the Denver Broncos as a playoff contender. However, there is one analyst who sees more than what is on the surface. NFL Network’s Peter Schrager declared on a recent episode of Good Morning Football that the Broncos would be the fifth seed in the AFC come playoff time.

“Rookie quarterback Bo Nix, the sixth quarterback (selected in the 2024 NFL draft), no Justin Simmons, all these guys you’ve known on this team — in Sean Payton I trust,” Schrager said earlier this week. “He’s had a full year to get his cards in order and his guys in places he wants them to succeed. I’ve seen this guy do it with a lot less in New Orleans.”

https://twitter.com/nflnetwork/status/1830978624427540819

Schrager’s take is a far cry from what the Las Vegas over/under is on the Broncos. Oddsmakers have set Denver’s win total for 2024 at 5.5 wins, which the Broncos will have to crush in order to get into the playoffs, much less the fifth seed. In 2023, the Cleveland Browns locked up the fifth seed with 11 wins.

Can the Broncos exceed all (except Schrager’s) expectations in 2024? Let’s get past Week 1 before we make assumptions!

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Cameron Jordan pushes back on Amon-Ra St. Brown’s big Saints question

Cameron Jordan shut down Amon-Ra St. Brown’s claim that the Saints don’t believe in themselves. He argues they just need a chance:

https://twitter.com/stbrownpodcast/status/1831413472833241439?s=46&t=_U0UBmCWxF2s5xLnGQ2rFQ

Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown is back pushing the “New Orleans Saints don’t believe in themselves” button. He did it with his brother Equanimeous St. Brown earlier this offseason. Now, Amon-Ra tried it with team leader Cameron Jordan. That conversation went differently.

Jordan opened his response by saying, “Just because your brother didn’t know how to answer that question has nothing to do with me.” Of all the people to ask, Jordan was probably the last one to pose this question to. There may not be a member on the roster with greater belief that Jordan, and there’s even less who can convey better.

Jordan gave a clear-cut, straightforward “Yes” to the idea of whether or not the Saints believe they’re contenders. That wasn’t enough for Amon-Ra who wanted to know if the belief was the same as when New Orleans went the NFC championship game.

Jordan believes Week 4 is the true point in which you really know a team. This is when Jordan went on the offensive, telling the wide receiver “As confident as you can be right now, you’ve only really tasted playoff success once.”

It was an important statement to make because you’d think Amon-Ra played for the two-time Supeer Bowl champion Kansas Chiefs by his tone. The Lions should be a good team, but the NFL is volatile. Things change quickly. Confidence doesn’t immediately equate to success.

Jordan ended with a strong endorsement of the defense. “Our defensive line is crazy. Our linebackers studs. Our defensive back… stupid (talented).” There might be someone in the Saints locker room who doesn’t believe they can go the distance this year. But that person for sure isn’t Cameron Jordan.

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Marshon Lattimore’s game-winning INT is the Saints Play of Day 23

Marshon Lattimore’s game-winning interception off of Nick Foles is the New Orleans Saints Play of Day 23. Here’s how you win and advance:

Whew. We’re counting down the days until the New Orleans Saints’ regular season opener by looking back on highlights from years past, and our pick for Day 23 is a good one. It’s one of the best plays Marshon Lattimore has made in the No. 23 jersey — a clutch interception to win and advance in the 2018 playoffs.

Lattimore had already picked off Eagles quarterback Nick Foles once in this game, cutting off a push into New Orleans territory and sparking the first scoring drive for the Saints after Philly had gone up by two scores. But this time he was protecting a tenuous 20-14 lead inside the final two minutes. And Lattimore came through again.

Maybe Foles put too much hot sauce on that pass. Maybe Alshon Jeffery’s hands were too slippery. Whatever the case it slipped through the receiver’s grasp and Lattimore was in position to come down with it. The Saints offense took the field and quickly ran out the clock, with a 12-yard run from Alvin Kamara on third-and-10 finally silencing any hope of an Eagles miracle. Win and advance. That’s why you play the game, and this highlight was a great example of that.

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Lance Moore’s 24-yard playoffs TD catch is the Saints Play of the Day

Lance Moore’s 24-yard TD catch is the Saints Play of the Day. He helped knock out the Eagles and win the team’s first road playoff game:

There are 24 days to go until the New Orleans Saints kick off their 2024 regular season, and we’re turning the clock back to Jan. 2014 for today’s highlight. Lance Moore’s 24-yard touchdown catch against the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2013 Wild Card Round is the Saints Play of the Day.

Moore helped knock out the Eagles and win the Saints’ first road playoff game with this score, which you can watch here. This victory dispelled a couple of narratives that had dogged the Saints for years. They were characterized as a team that couldn’t win away from the Superdome, or even outdoors, especially in poor weather.

So imagine their doubters’ surprise when the Saints took the field on a cold, windy night in Philadelphia and left with a win. Drew Brees rolled out and away from the Eagles pass rush to find Moore in the middle of the field, lobbing a quick pass to one of his favorite receivers. Moore cut upfield and fought his way through an Eagles defender to crash into the end zone, extending the Saints’ lead to 13-7.

They weren’t out of the woods yet. The Eagles passing attack woke up when star cornerback Keenan Lewis was pulled from the game with an injury, and a late Zach Ertz touchdown pass from Nick Foles gave Philly a 24-23 lead in the final five minutes. But the Saints didn’t let Foles touch the football again. Helped by a good return from Darren Sproles and a horse collar tackle against the Eagles, Brees set up shop near midfield at the opposing 48-yard line. Khiry Robinson helped move the ball further into Eagles territory and Brees converted a pair of first downs in short-yardage situations, forcing Philly to burn their last timeouts. Shayne Graham kicked a 32-yard field goal as time expired and the Saints advanced to the next round, having made a new chapter in team history.

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Mark Ingram II’s 36-yard fourth-quarter run is the Saints Play of the Day

Mark Ingram II’s 36-yard fourth-quarter run is the Saints Play of the Day. He flipped the field to help knock out the defending Super Bowl champs:

We’re down to just 36 days until the New Orleans Saints kick off their 2024 regular season — little over a month. And Mark Ingram II’s 36-yard fourth-quarter run is our choice for the Saints Play of the Day.

Ingram nearly flipped the field to help knock out the defending Super Bowl champs in the 2018 divisional round. The Philadelphia Eagles had jumped out to an early 14-0 lead, but the Saints fought back to tie it up. Drew Brees threw a couple of clutch touchdown passes to Keith Kirkwood and Michael Thomas. A 45-yard field goal by Wil Lutz helped them close the gap before halftime, and Brees’ second touchdown lob to Thomas gave them the lead.

Then Ingram went to work to kick off the fourth quarter. He took the handoff on first-and-10 and sprinted through the Eagles secondary until they brought him down 36 yards later, effectively flipping the field; the New Orleans offense moved from their own 37-yard line to the Philadelphia 27. The Saints ultimately had to settle for another Lutz field goal, from 39 yards out this time, but it was enough to win the day. Nick Foles threw a pass that slipped through Alshon Jeffery’s hands and into Marshon Lattimore’s for the game-winning interception.

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Rich Eisen believes the Commanders will be one of the NFL’s top sleepers in 2024

Playoffs? Eisen thinks it’s a possibility for the Commanders in 2024.

The Washington Commanders aren’t expected to be a playoff team in 2024. Considering Washington went 4-13 last season, that’s not a surprise. However, there is a lot of goodwill and excitement surrounding the Commanders after the franchise underwent massive changes this offseason.

One person who thinks the Commanders have a chance to be good is Rich Eisen. On a recent edition of the “Rich Eisen Show,” Eisen named his top five sleeper teams for 2024. The Commanders came in at No. 2.

“I like the Washington Commanders to really wake up, guys,” Eisen said. Jayden Daniels, despite what the coach is saying that we need to see something before we name him the starter, he’s going to be your starting quarterback. Terry McLaurin is as good as they come in the National Football League. And I love Austin Ekeler with Brian Robinson Jr., and you know how DQ, Dan Quinn, can rile some people up. This team is going to be good this year, folks. I think they can make the playoffs.”

It’s difficult to go from four wins to the playoffs in one offseason. It’s been done before. Remember how bad the Houston Texans were in 2022? Like Washington, Houston selected a quarterback with the second overall pick in the draft and went from worst to first.

While the Texans remain more of an outlier right now, that can’t be ruled out. With many questions surrounding the Dallas Cowboys, there’s a chance the NFC East will take a step back this year.

Can the Commanders make the playoffs? The defense will be much better. That’s a guarantee. Two things that will help determine Washington’s season are rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and the offensive line. If both things go in the Commanders’ favor, watch out.

Low marks for Steelers HC Mike Tomlin in big-game rankings

Mike Tomlin can get his teams to the playoffs but that’s where it ends.

Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports put together his NFL head coach rankings based on their resumes in big games, meaning the playoffs and Super Bowls.

Based on Benjamin’s criteria, only 14 head coaches even have enough on their resume’ for consideration. This includes Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.

But out of 14 coaches, the best Tomlin could do was 11th. Here’s what they had to say about Tomlin.

Tomlin is unique in that he’s both 1.) already entrenched as an all-timer, and 2.) still widely respected as one of the game’s best motivators. Even so, his Steelers have proven more scrappy than special for a long time now. Since an AFC title-game bid in 2017, he’s gone 0-4 in playoff games over the last six years.

Tomlin’s teams are 8-10 in playoff games and haven’t won a playoff game since 2016. To say this team has underachieved is a gross understatement. Hopefully, the positive changes the team has made this season will help Tomlin be more bride than bridesmaid.

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Bucs Flashback: Divisional playoff win vs. Saints in 2020

Relive the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 30-20 win over the New Orleans Saints in the divisional round of the 2020 playoffs

Back in 2020, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers finished the regular season strong with four straight wins to earn a playoff spot, and followed it up with a wild-card win on the road against Washington.

Their reward? A rematch in New Orleans against the rival Saints, who had swept them in the regular season.

The Bucs got the last laugh when it mattered most, as Tom Brady and company pulled off a 30-20 win, as the Tampa Bay defense created clutch turnovers in what would prove to be the last game of Drew Brees’ career.

Relive this iconic Bucs victory with this highlight reel:

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