Tag: stn

Raheem Morris, Jeff Ulbrich shared defensive play-calling duties Sunday

It was reported prior to Sunday’s win over the Saints that linebackers coach Jeff Ulbrich had taken over the Falcons defensive play-calling duties from head coach Dan Quinn.

It was reported prior to Sunday’s win over the Saints that linebackers coach Jeff Ulbrich had taken over the Falcons defensive play-calling duties from head coach Dan Quinn.

Following Atlanta’s 26-9 upset over New Orleans, NFL Network’s Steve Wyche reported that the team used a unique arrangement on defense:

Ulbrich called plays on first and second downs, while Raheem Morris called them on third downs and in two-minute situations. This led to the Falcons defense playing with a confidence and speed that we haven’t quite seen this season.

New Orleans had dominated the time of possession battle in its first eight games, but went 3-for-12 on third downs in Week 10, which changed the flow of the game.

Brees was sacked six times, and Atlanta’s young secondary held strong — particularly rookie CB Kendall Sheffield. Dan Quinn’s reign as defensive coordinator was a failure, but these changes were extremely effective.

According to Wyche, the Falcons plan to keep this defensive play-calling arrangement for the rest of the year.

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Panthers submitting Gerald McCoy penalty to the league for clarification

Coach Ron Rivera says he plans to submit the call to the league for clarification, per David Newton at ESPN.

Panthers defensive tackle Gerald McCoy was called for one of the worst roughing the passer penalties in league history on Sunday. His tackle of Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers in his own end zone should have resulted in a grounding penalty. Instead, Green Bay got to continue a drive that lasted for the rest of the second quarter, robbing the Panthers of a crucial chance to score before the half.

Coach Ron Rivera says he plans to submit the call to the league for clarification, per David Newton at ESPN.

“Panthers coach Ron Rivera plans to send the controversial third-down roughing the passer penalty called on Gerald McCoy in the end zone with less than 5 minutes left in the first half to the league for clarification.”

McCoy says the officials told him that the flag was thrown because he landed with his full weight on Rodgers. Except that’s the exact opposite of what McCoy did.

If you watch the play, you’ll see he did everything in his power to shift his weight and slide off to the right instead of driving Rodgers into the ground.

Ridiculous.

Hopefully the league admits Jerome Boger’s crew made a mistake, but it won’t help now.

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Broncos CB Bryce Callahan will try to practice Tuesday

Broncos cornerback Bryce Callahan (foot) is expected to return to practice Tuesday.

Denver Broncos quarterback Drew Lock (thumb) isn’t the only injured player expected to return to practice Tuesday. Broncos coach Vic Fangio said during his Monday press conference that cornerback Bryce Callahan (foot) will try to practice as well.

“Yeah, I believe he’s going to try to practice tomorrow and we’ll see [how it goes],” Fangio said.

Callahan suffered a foot injury while playing with the Chicago Bears last year and the injury has prevented him from playing this season. The cornerback had a procedure to try to speed up the healing process in late September and was given a recovery timeline of 4-6 weeks.

We’re now more than six weeks removed from that procedure.

Wide receiver Tim Patrick (hand), safety Will Parks (hand) and defensive end DeMarcus Walker (shoulder) are also expected to practice Tuesday. Patrick is still on injured reserve but he might be activated to the 53-man roster later this week.

Fangio also said tight end Jeff Heuerman (knee) might be able to practice and it’s “up in the air” whether offensive tackle Ja’Wuan James (knee) will be able to practice or not. James has missed all but two games this year.

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Report: Chiefs LG Martinas Rankin’s knee injury believed to be season-ending

Martinas Rankin’s injury appears to be a serious one that could cost him the remainder of the 2019 season.

The Kansas City Chiefs fear the worst with left guard Martinas Rankin’s knee injury.

According to a new report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the belief is that Rankin’s knee injury will end his 2019 season. Rapoport described the injury as an injury to his patella. He also says the Chiefs are still awaiting the results of an MRI.

Rankin joined Kansas City via Houston in a player-for-player trade involving RB Carlos Hyde. He’s actually been a bright spot along the offensive line after struggling early in his career with the Texans

The Chiefs have suffered multiple injuries along the offensive line this season. Their starting left guard, Andrew Wylie, suffered an ankle injury in Week 5. Rankin filled in for Wylie, starting the last five games for the Chiefs, beginning with their Week 6 game against Houston.

Now it appears the remainder of his 2019 season is in doubt and losing him will be a big blow to Kansas City’s offensive line depth.

“…Rankin hurt his right knee,” Reid said following Sunday’s loss. “We’ll know more tomorrow once we get the MRI.”

Andy Reid was brief on Sunday when it came to Rankin’s injury, but you already knew this had the chance to be serious when the cart came out for Rankin during the game. Pending MRI results it appears like this promising young player will have to focus on his rehab and recovery moving forward.

Part of the reason that Rankin was so appealing in trade is because of his contract. He’ll remain under team control through 2021 at the very least. There’s no reason to believe that he won’t be able to return to action for Kansas City next season and pick up right where he left off.

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Broncos QB Drew Lock will return to practice this week

Broncos quarterback Drew Lock (thumb) will practice for the first time since August on Tuesday.

Denver Broncos quarterback Drew Lock (thumb) will return to practice this week, coach Vic Fangio confirmed during his Monday press conference.

Lock injured his thumb during a preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers on Aug. 19. He was then placed on injured reserve and hasn’t practiced for nearly three months.

Once Lock returns to practice, it will trigger a 21-day window for the team to make a decision about his future. If the QB is not activated from IR to the 53-man roster within three weeks, he will spend the entire year on reserve.

NFL teams are allowed to bring back two players from IR per season. Fangio didn’t guarantee that Lock will be one of those two players this year.

“[He’s] one of the two that we can bring off IR — but that doesn’t [necessarily] mean he’ll be activated,” Fangio said.

One of the other candidates to return in 2019 is receiver Tim Patrick (hand). Fangio said the team will make a decision on Patrick later this week.

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Steelers Week 10 gut reactions

The Pittsburgh Steelers found a way to win their fourth straight game.

It was ugly but the Pittsburgh Steelers managed to pull off their fourth straight win with a 17-12 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. The game was hard to watch with the two teams combining for 24 penalties, six turnovers and displaying poor offenses. That being said, here are my gut reactions.

I mentioned the high amount of penalties already, but the offense was absolutely horrid. I’m going to come out and say it. People that are saying Mason Rudolph’s development is similar to Ben Roethlisberger his rookie season are wrong. Rudolph was essentially given the whole 2019 season to prove to the fans, coaches, ownership and his peers that he was the Steelers quarterback of the future, and if anything, there are more questions now about his future than in Week 2. When Roethlisberger was a rookie, he entered his first game in Week 2 at the Ravens and including the playoffs, the Steelers rattled off 15 straight wins on their way to losing the AFC championship game.

Looking back at that season, Roethlisberger was more limited in his pass attempts. Rudolph had 38 attempts Sunday and seems to be limited in effectiveness and productivity. Roethlisberger was assisted by an effective running game, something Rudolph has not been lucky enough to experience. The Steelers averaged 1.6 yards per rush, and the team’s longest run was 8 yards. Rudolph and Roethlisberger are alike in that both have been bolstered by dominate defenses while they attempt to get their footing as an NFL quarterback. Their on-field performances far from parallel one another.

Now that I’ve lashed out at Rudolph’s poor performance, I have to say there’s plenty of blame to go around. The Steelers as a team have not been consistent receivers for Rudolph. Drops are too common. He doesn’t have a run game to set him up in third-and-short situations on a regular basis and just to top things off, if the Steelers manage to move the ball, they usually end up off-setting their production with offensive penalties.

No running game, no receivers, and too many penalties are not the ideal situation for a young quarterback to flourish in. It’s a frustrating situation, which is only emphasized every week because of the defense’s stellar play. When Minkah Fitzpatrick is the Steelers’ best offensive weapon and he’s on defense, changes need to be made.

As bad as the offense has been, the defense continues to impress. They won the turnover battle for the eighth straight game and limited an inconsistent Rams offense to three points. Week 10 was so difficult to pallet, partially because the Steelers offense let the Rams score nine points while the defense held them to three. The defense consistently made big plays, tallying four sacks, four takeaways, three fumbles by the opposing quarterback and a defensive touchdown.

Fitzpatrick has been clutch and showcased rare awareness and ball skills. T.J. Watt entered the game as the highest-graded edge rusher in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus, one point above the Chicago Bears’ Khalil Mack. Watt tallied five tackles and two sacks against the Rams. Steve Nelson has been a shutdown corner across from Joe Haden, helping shut out Cooper Kupp on Sunday.

Just to top it off, defensive captain Cameron Heyward entered the day as the third-highest graded interior defensive lineman at PFF and was extremely disruptive. He had three tackles, a sack, two passes defended, and three of the Steelers’ nine quarterback hits. Even that impressive stat line doesn’t sum up just how dominant he was at the point of attack. With the Steelers winning four in a row, the NFL has to wonder just how good this defense truly is.

The Steelers leave the friendly confines of Heinz Field on a short week to play the Cleveland Browns on national TV Thursday night. The Browns got their third win of the year in Week 10 at home against a surging Buffalo Bills team. But their offensive line has been extremely shaky, which has forced Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield force the ball downfield under pressure. Mayfield is second in the NFL with 12 interceptions thrown. Don’t look now, but the Steelers are vying for an AFC wild-card spot.

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Falcons rookie CB Kendall Sheffield shines in win over Saints

Entering Sunday’s game against the Saints, the Falcons secondary looked to be in bad shape with top corner Desmond Trufant set to miss his fourth straight game.

Entering Sunday’s game against the Saints, the Falcons secondary looked to be in bad shape with top corner Desmond Trufant set to miss his fourth straight game.

Apparently, something clicked for this team during the bye week, however, and Atlanta would play its best defensive game all season, beating a 7-1 New Orleans team on the road.

The Falcons recorded six sacks of Saints QB Drew Brees, while the secondary played with confidence for the first time in weeks. Rookie Kendall Sheffield more than held his own in Week 10 — being targeted seven times and allowing just five catches for 28 yards.

Pro Football Focus gave Sheffield an impressive grade of 89.9 for his performance on Sunday:

The Falcons have asked a lot of their rookie fourth-round pick this season, and although there have been some bumps in the road, Sheffield has exceeded expectations in 2019.

The team may have lucked into another building block if the former Ohio State standout can keep it up.

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Ron Rivera says there’s ‘no magic fix’ for Panthers’ run defense problems

Speaking with the media today, head coach Ron Rivera said there’s no magic fix, according to Jourdan Rodrigue at the Athletic.

For a team that prides itself on stopping the run, the Panthers have done an awful job of it this season. Only three NFL teams have allowed more rushing yards per game and the problem seems to be getting worse with each passing week.

On Sunday, the Packers ran all over Carolina, averaging six yards per carry and scoring three touchdowns on the ground. There were other factors in the loss, but that was by far the biggest one.

Speaking with the media today, head coach Ron Rivera said there’s no magic fix, according to Jourdan Rodrigue at the Athletic.

Losing Kawann Short to injured reserve was always going to be a big deal for this defense, even if it didn’t show early on.

You can’t blame Rivera for Short’s absence, but he hasn’t done enough to make adjustments in the two months since he’s been out. One thing he should consider is abandoning his 3-4 looks, which aren’t working when it comes to stopping the run. The front seven (especially inside linebacker Luke Kuechly) seem to constantly be out of position.

Switching back to a 4-3 may or may not fix things, but Rivera has to consider that and anything else that might help.

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Falcons TE Austin Hooper to have MRI on knee, expected to miss time

The Falcons may have lost two of their starters during the game, but still managed to pull off an upset win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

The Falcons may have lost two of their starters during the game, but still managed to pull off an upset win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

Tight end Austin Hooper hurt his knee and running back Devonta Freeman went down with a foot injury. Both players will have MRIs on Monday to determine the severity of their injuries, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Atlanta hasn’t gotten a ton out of Freeman this season, while the running game as a whole has struggled to find room behind the team’s new-look offensive line.

Backup Ito Smith was just placed on the injured reserve last weekend, so keep your eyes on Brian Hill and Kenjon Barner to get some extra work.

Hooper, on the other hand, was having a breakout year. Through nine games, he was on a career-best pace with 56 catches, 608 yards and 6 touchdowns. Even if the injury causes him to miss time, he is probably on his way to a earning a hefty new contract with the Falcons or someone else in the very near future.

Hopefully, Atlanta won’t be without its star tight end for very long as he’s been one of the few bright spots this season.

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NFC South Week 10 review: Falcons flip the script, stun Saints

Here’s our review of what happened around the division this week.

The Saints have been the team to beat in the NFC South for the last two and a half seasons. On Sunday though they suffered a huge collapse at home against the Falcons. So, maybe they aren’t quite as indestructible as everyone had thought.

Here’s our review of what happened around the division this week.

Saints (7-2) lost to Falcons (2-7), 26-9

Nobody saw this one coming. New Orleans had a six-game win streak going coming into Week 10 and Atlanta appeared to be dead in the water. The Falcons defense flipped the script, holding the Saints to just nine points in a stunning upset. They were dominated in the trenches – a normally flawless offensive line allowed Drew Brees to get sacked six times and Latavius Murray and Alvin Kamara combined for just 36 yards on the ground. The division leaders also saw Marshon Lattimore suffer a hamstring injury. The Saints will try to rebound at Tampa Bay next week.

Panthers (5-4) lost to Packers (8-2), 24-16

The Saints’ surprise loss gave Carolina a golden opportunity to close ground in the NFC South race. The Panthers squandered it, though. Two turnovers by Kyle Allen certainly didn’t help, but it was more excruciating run defense that truly lost this matchup. With defensive tackle Kawann Short on IR and unavailable, Ron Rivera needs to consider taking drastic measures to turn things around, including abandoning his new 3-4 scheme.

Buccaneers (3-6) beat Cardinals (3-6-1), 30, 27

Kyler Murray and Jameis Winston put on a show Sunday, combining for 682 total passing yards. Winston’s threw two more interceptions, though and wasn’t nearly as efficient as the No. 1 overall pick. Nevertheless, the Bucs came out on top, boosted by a second consecutive big game from Ronald Jones II. He totaled 106 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown. Beating Arizona and their awful defense at home is nothing special, though. Call us when they get a secondary.

Falcons (2-7) find a spark vs. Saints (7-2), 26-9

Dan Quinn finally made a real change this week: he switched up his coaching staff and abandoned defensive play-calling duties in favor of linebackers coach Jeff Ulbrich. The impact was immediate. Atlanta’s defense played better than it has in a long time, especially their front seven. Grady Jarrett remains the centerpiece, but Vic Beasley finally stepped up and produced. Together, they totaled four sacks and seven quarterback hits. The Falcons’ victory came at a cost, though. Devonta Freeman and Austin Hooper both suffered injuries and could be out a while. They’ll visit the Panthers next.

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