The move from Dennis Allen to Darren Rizzi took Kendre Miller out of the doghouse. It should lead to greater usage when he returns from injured reserve:
Kendre Miller’s New Orleans Saints career hasn’t really been able to get off the ground due to injuries. Injuries have limited the former third-round draft pick to just 10 games in two seasons.
The frustrating part about Miller is you see why the Saints selected him when he plays. He only played in two games and carried the ball nine times this year, but he looked like a great complement to Alvin Kamara.
And Miller may have the chance to truly showcase this upon his return now that Darren Rizzi is the coach. Dennis Allen was publicly critical enough to assume he and Miller had a bad relationship in private.
It was reported Miller didn’t need to be put on injured reserve, and that was a Dennis Allen decision. The change at head coach takes the running back out of the doghouse.
Per LouisianaSportsDotNet’s Ross Jackson, the plan is for Miller to be “all gas, no brakes” when he comes back from a hamstring injury. That could be as early as this week against the New York Giants.
Miller should see plenty of carries per game if this is the approach. The Saints will be without Taysom Hill for the rest of the season, and Miller should be the secondary rushing option over Jamaal Williams.
Wisconsin basketball’s game against Michigan will only be available on one streaming platform
The Wisconsin Badgers (8-0, 0-0 Big Ten) will host the Michigan Wolverines (6-1, 0-0 Big Ten) on Tuesday evening. The game will begin the 2024-25 conference schedule for both schools after each has started strong against their respective nonconference slates.
Wisconsin’s first Big Ten game of the season brings a fresh reminder about how to watch college basketball in the modern age of the sport: the big game will only be available via streaming on Peacock.
The streaming-exclusive games are part of the Big Ten’s new television deal with Fox, CBS and NBC. Peacock, a property of the latter, has been the home for numerous football and basketball games over the past two years.
Wisconsin’s important home matchup against Michigan is the next in the long line of those matchups.
Debuting a new look on Tuesday 🆕🔥
This season's "By the Players" alternate uniforms, in collaboration with @UAbasketball
Wisconsin is 8-0 to begin the season and ranked No. 11 in the latest AP Poll entering Tuesday. Its resume already include wins over Arizona and No. 18 Pittsburgh. Michigan, meanwhile, is 6-1 to begin the season under first-year head coach Dusty May. It’s start is highlighted by a recent win at the Fort Myers Tip-Off, capped by a 78-53 victory over Xavier.
The Badgers and Wolverines will tip off at 9 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. CT. Again, a Peacock subscription is required to watch the contest.
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Previewing the Lions ahead of Thursday night’s showdown at Ford Field in Week 14.
The primetime showdown between the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions is the first game and might be the best game of Week 14 of the 2024 season. The highly anticipated rematch — the Lions beat the Packers at Lambeau Field in early November — is a huge game in the NFC North, which has three teams with at least nine wins coming out of Week 13.
Both the Packers and Lions scored wins on Thanksgiving Day to set up this showdown at Ford Field.
Here’s a closer look at the Lions in Week 14:
Last week (Win, 23-20 over Bears)
The Lions scored four times in the first half and held a 16-0 advantage after two quarters but needed a wild ending to escape with a three-point win over Caleb Williams and the reeling Bears. Jared Goff was efficient, completing 21 passes for 221 yards, two scores and zero interceptions, Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery combined for 228 total yards, Sam LaPorta caught both of Goff’s touchdown passes and former Packer Za’Darius Smith had 1.5 sacks. But Jake Bates missed a field goal, Gibbs lost a fumble and Williams threw three second-half touchdown passes to get the Bears back in the game. Down three, the Bears drove into field goal territory but had one of the NFL’s biggest clock management gaffes to end the contest without as much as a field goal attempt. The Lions were outscored 20-7 in the second half but held on to improve to 11-1.
Quarterback play
Since throwing an incredible five interceptions on Nov. 10, Jared Goff has thrown six touchdown passes and zero picks in the last three games, all wins. He was perfect — at least by passer rating terms — in a blowout win over the Jaguars but hasn’t been as deadly efficient in the last two games. Goff is accurate and generally gets the ball out on time. He doesn’t attack aggressively downfield — by PFF’s measure, Goff has 10 “big-time throws” and 13 “turnover-worthy plays” this season. Therein lies the key for the Packers. Can Jeff Hafley’s defense confuse or pressure Goff into a few mistakes? He played a clean game in the first meeting.
Line of scrimmage
When everyone is healthy, the Lions have one of the best offensive lines in football. Left tackle Taylor Decker is dealing with an injury and missed last week, so his status for Thursday is up in the air. Dan Skipper played left tackle against the Bears. By PFF grade, the Lions rank 15th in pass-blocking grade and third in run-blocking grade. It all starts up front for the Lions on offense. Aidan Hutchinson, John Cominsky and Marcus Davenport are all on injured reserve, which is why the Lions went out and added former Packer Za’Darius Smith at the trade deadline. He has 17 pressures in three games in Detroit. Alim McNeil plays like a young Kenny Clark — he has 39 pressures. DJ Reader produced two sacks last week. The Lions are giving up 4.4 yards per carry this season, but no team has faced fewer rush attempts. The Lions win a lot of football games up front along the line of scrimmage.
Turnovers
The Lions have only turned the ball over in six of 12 games this season. Jared Goff had one nightmare performance — throwing five picks in a win over the Texans. And he hasn’t protected the football perfectly this season, so the Packers must capitalize if Goff presents an opportunity on Thursday. He turned the ball over multiple times in the meeting at Ford Field last season. The Lions defense has 19 takeaways, creating a plus-8 turnover margin. In 11 games, the Lions have won the turnover battle five times. When the Lions don’t turn the ball over this season, they are averaging 40.2 points per game.
Injury situation
The Lions will be without Aidan Hutchinson, Alex Anzalone, Derrick Barnes, Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Kalif Raymond, Ennis Rakestraw, Ifeatu Melifonwu, John Cominsky, Malcolm Rodriguez, Marcus Davenport and Mekhi Wingo, who are all on injured reserve. Carlton Davis, Taylor Decker, Levi Onwuzurike and Josh Pascal are all dealing with injuries and have uncertain statuses for Thursday. The Lions are beat up — no doubt about it. They will be without key pieces in the rematch, but Dan Campbell’s team has already proven — over and over — that they can overcome.
Players to know
WR Amon-Ra St. Brown: He caught all seven of his targets and scored a fourth-down touchdown against the Packers in November. St. Brown is catching 83 percent of targets and has nine scores this season.
TE Sam LaPorta: His catches and receiving yards are down, but LaPorta has a touchdown catch in three of the last five games. If nothing else, he is a dangerous red-zone weapon.
S Kerby Joseph: His pick-six in the first meeting turned the game. The playmaking safety is currently tied with Xavier McKinney for the NFL lead in interceptions (7).
DL Alim McNeil: He’s one of the NFL’s better interior pass-rushers. The Packers have to keep him blocked or he’ll wreck the game.
WR Jameson Williams: The speedster missed the first meeting. He has a catch of at least 20 yards in seven games this season, and the Lions have given him at least one carry in seven games.
Most NFL experts are backing the Broncos to beat the Browns on ‘Monday Night Football’ this week.
The Denver Broncos (7-5) are set to host the Cleveland Browns (3-8) on Monday Night Football in Week 13. Check out NFL.com’s preview (and expert game picks) in the below video.
After hosting the Browns on Monday, the Broncos will have a bye in Week 14 before hosting the Indianapolis Colts (5-7) in Week 15.
All the latest updates and news on Wisconsin’s injury report ahead of a Week 14 game vs. Minnesota.
The Wisconsin Badgers (5-6, 3-5 Big Ten) and Minnesota Golden Gophers (6-5, 4-4 Big Ten) are less than 90 minutes from kickoff for their Week 14 rivalry matchup.
Wisconsin released its final injury report leading up to the contest. Of note, the Badgers are getting star safety Hunter Wohler back for the first time in two weeks. Leading wide receiver Will Pauling is also listed as ‘questionable’ after missing the team’s Week 13 game at Nebraska.
Here is the full injury report from both Wisconsin and Minnesota entering the important rivalry matchup. Several notable Badger starters are listed as ‘questionable.’
Wisconsin injury report
OUT: RB Chez Mellusi, QB Tyler Van Dyke, WR Joseph Griffin Jr., S Kamo’i Latu, QB Cole LaCrue, S Owen Arnett, LB Tamer Dalloul, OT Evan Brown, OL Leyton Nelson, TE Rob Booker
QUESTIONABLE: LB Jake Chaney, WR Will Pauling, LB Jaheim Thomas, TE Tucker Ashcraft, DL James Thompson Jr., DL Elijah Hills
Minnesota injury report
OUT: DB Aidan Gousby, DB Darius Green, TE Pierce Walsh
QUESTIONABLE: OL Tyler Cooper
Wisconsin S Hunter Wohler injury update
Wohler is off the injury report after missing the Badgers’ Week 13 game with an injury.
Wisconsin WR Will Pauling injury update
Pauling is ‘questionable’ after missing last week’s contest. He left the Badgers’ Week 12 game against Oregon with a lower-body injury.
Wisconsin DL James Thompson Jr. injury update
James Thompson Jr. made his season debut during Wisconsin’s Week 13 loss to Nebraska. He is ‘questionable’ vs. Minnesota though is expected to return to the field.
Wisconsin LB Jake Chaney injury update
Jake Chaney left the Badgers’ Week 13 game vs. Nebraska with an injury. He’s ‘questionable’ against the Gophers.
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Luke Fickell’s Badgers have yet to beat a team as good as the 2024 Minnesota Golden Gophers
The following statistic tells an accurate story for those in search of a glimpse at Wisconsin football’s current state of affairs under head coach Luke Fickell: the Badgers are 0-and-9 against teams ranked higher than No. 50 in ESPN FPI since the start of 2023.
Looking a year-end FPI numbers from 2023 and the updated rankings entering the final week of 2024, the Badgers’ best win was against Rutgers (No. 50) last season. Otherwise, Wisconsin has lost every game against a team inside FPI’s top 50.
Fickell was hired to not only win those matchups but elevate the Badgers toward the top tier of the Big Ten. Obviously, that has yet to come to fruition.
That reality sets up the Badgers’ upcoming rivalry matchup against Minnesota. The Gophers enter 6-5 on the season and 4-4 in Big Ten play. Their quality is better than the record suggests — FPI currently ranks the team No. 33 in the nation.
That ranking can be attributed to narrow losses to North Carolina, Michigan and top-ranked Penn State, plus statement wins over USC and Illinois. The Gophers are a few bounces of the football away from 9-2 and long-shot College Football Playoff contention.
Of note, Wisconsin has not beaten a team close to the quality of the 2024 Gophers, according to FPI, during the Fickell era. That reality creates an opportunity for a defining victory, but it also paints a negative light on the team’s chances. That 0-for-9 mark against top-50 teams is a significant trend that doesn’t come as some large fluke.
The Badgers need a win to clinch bowl eligibility for the 23rd consecutive season. Maybe most importantly, they need a win to show some life under the no-longer-new regime.
Wisconsin and Minnesota will kick off at noon ET, 11 a.m. CT on Friday afternoon.
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These 24 players will be honored during Wisconsin’s Senior Day festivities before Minnesota game
Wisconsin football announced its 2024 Senior Day honorees on Tuesday.
Those 24 honorees will be WR Haakon Anderson, LB Jake Chaney, CB R.J. Delancy III, CB Nyzier Fourqurean, WR Bryson Green, CB Ricardo Hallman, DL Elijah Hills, OG Joe Huber, OL Kerry Kodanko, CB Max Lofy, DL Cade McDonald, LS Duncan McKinley, K Gavin Meyers, WR Alex Moeller, OT Jack Nelson, TE Riley Nowakowski, LS Cayson Pfeiffer, OLB John Pius, ILB Jaheim Thomas, DL James Thompson Jr., K Nate Van Zelst, RB Tawee Walker, S Hunter Wohler and S Preston Zachman.
That group of seniors will be honored on Friday morning before the Badgers close their regular season against the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
One noteworthy inclusion is CB Ricardo Hallman, a redshirt junior with eligibility remaining. The consensus is he will enter the 2025 NFL draft after the season concludes.
Other players listed who still have eligibility remaining are Max Lofy, James Thompson Jr., Preston Zachman and Cade McDonald. They each could have a chance to return for another season, either at Wisconsin or elsewhere.
Some notable players not listed are DL Ben Barten, OLB Leon Lowery, C Jake Renfro and QB Tyler Van Dyke. All four are seniors but have eligibility remaining. Their omission does not guarantee anything, but could point toward each returning to the program in 2025.
Neither running back Chez Mellusi nor safety Kamo’i Latu are listed. Both players have been listed as ‘out’ for the majority of the season to date. Mellusi left the program in early-October.
Wisconsin and Minnesota will kick off at noon ET, 11 a.m. CT on Friday after the Senior Day festivities have concluded. It will then be worth monitoring the decisions of those upperclassmen who still have eligibility remaining.
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Previewing the Dolphins ahead of Sunday’s showdown at Lambeau Field in Week 13.
The Green Bay Packers will welcome the surging Miami Dolphins to Lambeau Field for a Thanksgiving Night showdown in Week 13. After starting 2-5 and dealing with an injury to Tua Tagovailoa, the Dolphins have won three straight games and are picking up steam offensively since Tagovailoa returned to the lineup. The Packers, meanwhile, have won five of the last six games, including Sunday’s blowout win over the shorthanded San Francisco 49ers.
Can the Packers feast in primetime and ruin the holiday for their visitors from Miami?
Here’s a closer look at the Dolphins in Week 13:
Last week (Win, 34-15 over Patriots)
The Dolphins scored 31 straight points and led 31-0 into the fourth quarter of a blowout win in Miami. The Patriots scored on a 4th-and-15 touchdown pass and a fumble return for a touchdown during garbage time. Tua Tagovailoa threw four touchdown passes, including a pair to running back Devon Achane in the first half. Jaylen Waddle caught eight passes for 144 yards and a score, and Jonnu Smith added nine catches for 87 yards and a score. The Dolphins sacked Drake Maye four times and forced two turnovers, including a fumble setting up a touchdown. Miami struggled to run the ball (23 carries, 65 yards) but it didn’t matter. This one was over early.
Quarterback play
Tua Tagovailoa returned from a head injury suffered in Week 2 and has ignited the Dolphins passing game. Over the last three games, Tagovailoa has eight touchdown passes and just one interception as the Dolphins have beaten the Rams, Raiders and Patriots. He’s completing a league-high 73.3 percent of attempts and has a passer rating of 106.1. Tagovailoa is one of the NFL’s best timing passers, and he can be deadly hitting in-breakers or underneath passes with anticipation and accuracy. While not a statue, Tagovailoa is not a major threat to scramble or create rushing yards with his legs. He wants to get the ball out quick and on time. The Packers can’t let him play from clean pockets and must force Tagovailoa to make decisions under pressure.
Line of scrimmage
The Dolphins offense is averaging only 4.1 yards per rush attempt and has allowed 27 sacks, suggesting a potential weak spot up front. At PFF, the Dolphins rank 15th in pass-blocking grade and 16th in run-blocking grade. Left tackle Terron Armstead is 33 but remains one of the best in the business, and center Aaron Brewer is having a nice season. Robert Jones, the left guard, has struggled as a pass-blocker, while veteran Kendall Lamm took over recently at right tackle. Defensively, the Dolphins are giving up 4.3 yards per carry and have 21 sacks. At PFF, Miami ranks eighth in run defense and 19th in pass-rushing grade. Rookie Chop Robinson has emerged as a game-wrecking pass-rusher. Even at 38, Calais Campbell is an impact player against the run (team high nine tackles for loss) and as an interior rusher, while defensive lineman Zach Sieler has 27 pressures.
Turnovers
The Dolphins have 12 giveaways and 11 takeaways, creating a minus-1 turnover differential. Miami ranks 22nd in fumbles lost with seven, including one returned for a touchdown last week. Tua Tagovailoa has thrown four interceptions but has eight turnover worthy plays in seven games. The Dolphins have intercepted seven passes, including two from Jalen Ramsey, and six different players have a forced fumble. The turnover margin hasn’t been perfectly predictive for the Dolphins this season — they are 2-2 when turning the ball over two or more times and 2-1 when getting multiple takeaways.
Injury situation
Dolphins cornerback Kendall Fuller isn’t expected to play while dealing with a concussion. Left tackle Terron Armstead wasn’t estimated to have practiced on Monday with a knee injury, but he’s played through the issue during each of the last two weeks. Receiver Tyreek Hill is playing through a wrist injury. Receiver Braxton Berrios, former Packer Grant DuBose, right tackle Austin Jackson and edge rusher Jaelen Phillips are on injured reserve.
Players to know
DE Chop Robinson: The rookie from Penn State has 22 pressures on only 82 pass-rushing snaps over the last three games. He’ll rush from both sides.
RB Devon Achane: He leads the Dolphins in rushing yards and all NFL running backs with five receiving touchdowns. While only 5-8 and under 190 pounds, Achane is dynamic.
TE Jonnu Smith: Everyone knows Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, but Smith — the veteran tight end — has been a capable underneath target. He’s second on the team in targets and coming off a game in which he caught nine passes.
DL Zach Sieler: The veteran interior defender has three or more pressures in six games this season. His four sacks are tied for the team lead, while his nine quarterback hits lead the Dolphins.
CB Storm Duck: The rookie with an awesome name was excellent as a starter opposite Jalen Ramsey against the Patriots last week.
K Jason Saunders: The veteran kicker has made seven kicks over 50 yards this season.
Wisconsin vs Nebraska injury report: Badgers without two star players vs. Cornhuskers
The Wisconsin Badgers (5-5, 3-4 Big Ten) will be without two of their star players when they battles Nebraska (5-5, 2-5 Big Ten) on Saturday.
Those are safety Hunter Wohler and wide receiver Will Pauling. Both left the second half of the team’s Week 12 loss to Oregon with injuries. Neither was ready to return for Saturday’s matchup.
Wohler leads Wisconsin in tackles (63) and pass deflections (six) through 12 games. He’s arguably the team’s most important player on either side of the football. Pauling, meanwhile, is second on the team in receiving yards (407) and leads in receiving touchdowns (three).
In other recent news, Nebraska will be without starting cornerback Tommi Hill against Wisconsin. The veteran had been battling a foot injury since the start of the season. Rhule announced this week that he’d miss the team’s final two regular season games.
As Wisconsin and Nebraska near kickoff, here are the official injury reports from each team:
Wisconsin injury report
OUT: S Hunter Wohler, WR Will Pauling, RB Chez Mellusi (for season), QB Tyler Van Dyke (for season), WR Joseph Griffin (for season), S Kamo’i Latu, QB Cole LaCrue, OL Evan Brown, OL Leyton Nelson, TE Rob Booker
QUESTIONABLE: DL James Thompson Jr., LB Jaheim Thomas
Nebraska injury report
OUT: CB Tommi Hill, K Tristan Alvano, OL Turner Corcoran, OT Tyler Knaack
QUESTIONABLE: RB Rahmir Johnson, OL Micah Mazzccua
Hunter Wohler injury update
Wohler left the end of Wisconsin’s narrow loss to Oregon with an injury after a tough collision. He went straight into the locker room, indicating the injury was serious. He is out against Nebraska.
Will Pauling injury update
Pauling exited during the second half of Wisconsin’s loss to Oregon. He was a key factor of the Badgers’ win over Nebraska in 2023. His absence is a big loss on an offense that needs a spark.
James Thompson Jr. injury update
James Thompson Jr. suffered a significant upper-body injury during training camp. He’s been listed as ‘out’ all season leading up to this week. The top lineman is now ‘questionable’ against Nebraska.
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Most experts are picking the Broncos to beat the Raiders on Sunday.
The Denver Broncos (6-5) will go on the road to face the Las Vegas Raiders (2-8) in Week 12 of the 2024 NFL season on Sunday afternoon. Check out NFL.com’s preview and expert game picks in the below video.
After taking on the Raiders, the Broncos will return home to host the Cleveland Browns on Monday Night Football in Week 13.
