Tag: Thursday Night Football

Seahawks make NFL history with their victory against Chicago

Seahawks make NFL history with their victory against Chicago

The Seattle Seahawks had a number of firsts from their 6-3 win over the Chicago Bears on Thursday Night Football. Quarterback Geno Smith earned his first win on Thursday and Mike Macdonald secured his first winning season as a head coach – in his first season, no less. But this wasn’t your regular run-of-the-mill winning season, because nothing with the Seahawks ever is.

By improving to 9-7, Seattle secured a spot above .500 no matter what else happens in Week 18 or else. It also ensured the Seahawks became the first team in NFL history to have a winning record despite losing six games at home.

On the year, Seattle was a shockingly awful 3-6 at Lumen Field. However, they became tremendous road warriors, as they are currently a remarkable 6-1 away from the Emerald City! The Seahawks’ success on the road is truly the biggest reason why they are where they are at this point.

There are a couple of ways of looking at this: on one hand, Seattle had a brutal home slate. Minnesota, Buffalo, and Green Bay all visited Lumen Field this year, and all have a combined 36 wins between the three of them.

On the other hand, it just goes to show how much better this Seahawks team should have been. Yes, that is a tricky slate of games, but you have those opponents at home! In your building, which is the most geographically isolated stadium in the entire league! Even if you are the under dog you should be able to find a way to defend home turf.

It also does not excuse Seattle from dropping home games to the San Francisco 49ers (who will likely finish in last place this year), the Los Angeles Rams, and of course… the New York Giants who have literally not one a game since their Week 5 win over the Seahawks.

For whatever reason, the Seahawks were awful at home this year. Yet despite such a homefield disadvantage, the team is still going to finish the year with a winning record and could possibly still end up winning the division.

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First half recap: Seahawks lead Bears 6-3

First half recap: Seahawks lead Bears 6-3

The Seahawks just completed a “blink and you’ll miss it” half of football against the Chicago Bears. Kick off was at 5:15 pm Pacific Standard Time, and 72 later, both teams were headed to the locker room for intermission.

Normally this is where we would showcase all kinds of highlights from the first half, but right now it is a kick-fest between these two teams. If you were to check the box score on your phone, it would be forgiven if you thought this was a game between the Mariners and White Sox.

The Seahawks got the ball to start the game, and engineered an 11-play, 71 yard scoring drive to take an early lead. Geno Smith nearly threw his fifth red zone interception of the season, but linebacker Tremaine Edmunds dropped the ball for an incompletion. Seattle got a break and took advantage, and scored from a 27-yard field goal attempt from Jason Myers.

And that is where scoring ended, for nearly two full quarters that is. After the Seahawks’ opening drive, both teams combined for six total punts. The Bears finally got on the board after marching 76 yards in 13 plays. Chicago’s drive began at their own nine-yard line, and it very nearly resulted in a touchdown. Quarterback Caleb Williams found fellow rookie – and former Washington Husky – receiver Rome Odunze for what should have been a 17-yard touchdown… if it weren’t for former Seattle tackle Jake Curhan being flagged for a holding call. With the touchdown wiped off the board, the Bears had to settle for a 42-yard field goal to tie it up at 3-3 with 2:32 left in the half.

The Seahawks had one more shot to get points before halftime, and they were successful. Seattle made it as far as the Bears’ 32-yard line and settled for a 50-yard Jason Myers field goal attempt to retake the lead with only 21 seconds left in the half.

Chicago will get the ball to start the second half. Be sure to follow @TheSeahawksWire and @KoleMusgrove23 for more live updates, analysis and highlights during the game!

Seahawks Week 17 inactives: 6 players will not play

Seahawks Week 17 inactives: 6 players will not play vs Bears

The Seattle Seahawks are less than two hours away from kicking off against the Chicago Bears on Thursday Night Football. The inactives list for both teams have dropped, and as expected running back Kenneth Walker III will not be competing Walker was added to the injured reserve list on Thursday. Unless the Seahawks somehow find their way to the NFC Championship game, Walker’s 2024 campaign is concluded.

Joining Walker on the sideline will be a few others, such as tight end Brady Russell who has missed several weeks due to his injury. While he is inactive, quarterback Jaren Hall will be listed as an emergency third-string quarterback. Given Geno Smith’s knee injury, having a little extra insurance at the most important position in all of sports isn’t a bad idea.

On the other side of the ball, 12’s should recognize another familiar name. Running back Travis Homer for the Bears is inactive. Homer was originally drafted by the Seahawks in the 6th round of the 2019 NFL draft, and Seattle is where he spent the first four years of his career. After his rookie contract expired, Homer signed a two-year deal with Chicago in 2023.

The full inactives report from both teams can be seen below.

Seahawks Inactives:

  • CB Nehemiah Pritchett
  • TE Brady Russell
  • LB Patrick O’Connell
  • T Michael Jerrell
  • WR Cody White
  • QB Jaren Hall

Bears Inactives:

  • RB Travis Homer
  • DB Tarvarius Moore
  • OL Teven Jenkins
  • DB Elijah Hicks
  • LB Noah Sewell
  • DL Zach Pickens

The Seahawks will get the ball to start the second half. Be sure to follow @TheSeahawksWire and @KoleMusgrove23 for more live updates, analysis and highlights during the game!

Former Seahawks HC Pete Carroll interested in Bears job

Former Seahawks HC Pete Carroll interested in Bears job

There is always something interesting to unwrap on Christmas morning, and the NFL news cycle is a gift that keeps on giving. On Wednesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter broke the news that former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll isn’t just interested in coaching again, but he is specifically interested in the open Chicago Bears job.

The timing of this news is especially notable, considering the Seahawks are gearing up to take on the Bears for a Week 17 Thursday Night Football showdown. Never say Schefter doesn’t know how to drum up peak engagement for his stories.

Of course, I don’t feel like I would be doing my job if I didn’t take a moment to point out Schefter’s tweet isn’t entirely accurate. Yes, those four coaches listed did all win a National Championship in college, and all four did make it to a Super Bowl… but only three of them won a Lombardi. Sorry Jim Harbaugh, but Pete Carroll was a key reason in 2013 why you have yet to win a ring yourself!

Anyways, back to the main story. The Chicago Bears are in the market for a new head coach after parting ways with Matt Eberflus following their disastrous Thanksgiving performance. Eberflus became the first Bears head coach in the 104 year history of the franchise to be fired in-season. Despite Chicago being trapped in the basement of the league’s toughest division (as well as the perpetual dysfunction of the organization) the Bears job will be sure to draw plenty of interest. The roster is solid, and they have former No. 1 overall pick in Caleb Williams as quarterback. Williams may not be living up to his lofty draft position as a rookie, but the man still has a tantalizing amount of talent any coach would love to get a chance at working with.

Carroll being interested in the Chicago job makes sense, but would the Bears be interested in him? I would imagine some of the first responses to this news would be “the last thing Chicago needs is a 73-year-old coach who is defensive minded! It’s an offensive-driven league!”

Let me address the “defensive coach” charge first. Yes, Carroll has been historically known as a defensive coach, but he does not get nearly enough credit for his outstanding work with quarterbacks. In fact, I would argue Carroll deserves to be known as a “quarterback whisperer.” Let’s just look at his NFL quarterbacks, shall we?

  • Russell Wilson – an undersized third round pick who evolved into an incredibly unique, playmaking quarterback. He soon turned into a perennial MVP candidate and became the best signal-caller in Seahawks history. However, the story of Wilson cannot be told without his two years in Denver, as well as his 2022 season – the first without Carroll. They were the two worst years of his career and led to his ouster before his mega contract could even kick in. Wilson has reclaimed some mojo in Pittsburgh, but he still isn’t close to where he was when he was under Carroll’s tutelage.
  • Geno Smith – widely regarded as one of the bigger quarterback busts in recent memory, Smith bounced around the league for several years as a backup before finally earning the starting role in Seattle. Smith led the Seahawks to the playoffs in his first year as a starter and had them alive until Week 18 last year. Smith won Comeback Player of the Year under Carroll and made consecutive Pro Bowl appearances.
  • Drew Lock – yes, I’ll throw some love to Drew Lock here. Lock started two games under Carroll and played well in both, including pulling off an upset win on Monday Night Football. Similar to Wilson, Lock without Carroll in New York has been a disaster this year.

One could also include Carroll getting to the playoffs with an aging Matt Hasselbeck in 2010, as well as nearly getting there in 2011 with Tavaris Jackson. But Carroll’s expertise with quarterbacks is not limited to the NFL. When Carroll was the head coach at USC, his quarterbacks enjoyed tremendous success. Carson Palmer won the Heisman and became the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 NFL draft. Matt Leinart also won a Heisman, as well as winning two National Championships and making it to a third. Mark Sanchez would go on to be the No. 5 overall pick in the 2009 NFL draft.

I can confidently say Caleb Williams would overwhelmingly benefit from Carroll’s leadership and coaching.

As for the question of age, we should all be so blessed to

  • A) Live to 73
  • B) Look and feel as good as Carroll does at 73

Carroll has arguably more energy than anyone else coaching in the league right now, and as Al Michaels once described him as someone who looks like he “surfs to work.”

Carroll is a future Hall of Fame head coach and one of the best to ever lead a team at any level of football. The Chicago Bears should be willing to take a long, hard look at Carroll and think about what he can offer to their organization.

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Seahawks Week 17 injury report: Ken Walker III a non-participant

Seahawks Week 17 injury report: Ken Walker III a non-participant

No rest for the weary this week, as the Seattle Seahawks are already licking their wounds and preparing for a date with the Chicago Bears. Seattle will travel to the Windy City for another prime time affair on Thursday Night Football. As such, we have been given injury reports for an earlier-than-usual practice.

The Seahawks did not actually host an actual practice, but merely, a walk-through. The injury report shared is an estimation on what it would have looked like had they held a typical practice. Unsurprisingly, running back Kenneth Walker III was listed as a non-participant. Walker underwent imaging on Sunday night after the loss to the Vikings, and according to head coach Mike Macdonald, he is still getting tests done to get a better idea of what the extent of the damage is, per Brady Henderson of ESPN. This year has been a frustrating one for Walker, who has battled injuries all season long.

The full injury report can be seen below.

Did Not Participate:

  • TE Brady Russell Foot
  • RB Kenneth Walker III Ankle
  • T Abraham Lucas Knee/NIR-Rest
  • LB Ernest Jones IV Knee/NIR-Rest
  • DE Leonard Williams Foot/NIR-Rest

Limited Participation:

  • TE Noah Fant Knee
  • RB Zach Charbonnet Elbow
  • C Olu Oluwatimi Knee
  • LB Derick Hall Shoulder
  • LB Uchenna Nwosu Wrist

Full Participation:

  • S *K’Von Wallace Ankle

Ex-Broncos players blame Sean Payton for ‘TNF’ loss to Chargers

Former Broncos players Tyler Polumbus and Nate Jackson have criticized coach Sean Payton following the Broncos’ loss to the Chargers.

Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton is facing heavy criticism following the team’s 34-27 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday Night Football.

The Broncos squandered a 21-10 lead that was established primary off success in the run game, and Payton is taking heat for easing up on the ground. His decision to throw instead of running out the clock just before halftime played a role in the Chargers scoring three points before halftime.

Later, in the fourth quarter, Payton opted to punt instead of going for it on 4th-and-6 near midfield while trailing by a field goal. Following a 34-27 loss, two former Broncos players took to Twitter/X with criticism of the coach.

This is what former lineman Tyler Polumbus wrote:

“When you can’t find a player that blew it, when you can’t point to a play or two that blew it, when one team started out physical in the run game, yet the other team is the one that finished with the run game there is really only one place to point the finger…. We got out coached mid game. Simple as that. Chargers adjusted. We did not.”

Polumbus later co-signed on a tweet that said Denver abandoned what was working in the first half against Los Angeles.

Another ex-Bronco, retired receiver/tight end Nate Jackson, chimed in with this tweet on Friday:

The game was certainly mismanaged by Payton starting with the team’s final drive in the first half, and the criticism is deserved. Denver is still just one win away from a playoff berth, though, and Payton has already clinched the team’s first winning season since 2016. Payton has the Broncos trending in the right direction, but Thursday was a poor showing from the coach.

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Broncos PFF grades: Best, worst players from 34-27 loss to Chargers

Broncos CB Kris Abrams-Draine (75.6) impressed again while LB Justin Strnad (28.7) had a night to forget. View more PFF grades here.

Following the Denver Broncos‘ 34-27 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday Night Football, Pro Football Focus has released grades for each player’s Week 16 performance.

PFF grades players on a 0 (worst) to 100 (best) scale. Check out the best and worst of Week 16 below.

Best Offensive Players 

  • TE/FB Nate Adkins: 79.7
  • FB Michael Burton: 75.3
  • RB Audric Estime: 74.1
  • G Quinn Meinerz: 73. 6
  • RB Blake Watson: 70.6

Adkins and Burton did a good job opening up running lanes and Estime impressed, averaging 5.3 yards per carry. RB Javonte Williams (67.3) received the sixth-best grade on offense after averaging 6.0 yards per tote. Denver should have been more committed to the run.

Best Defensive Players 

  • DL Malcolm Roach 84.9
  • CB Kris Abrams-Draine: 75.6
  • DL Eyioma Uwazurike: 75.5
  • DL D.J. Jones: 74.6
  • LB Drew Sanders: 73.4

One defensive snap, one sack for Sanders. Perhaps we’ll see more of him in the final two games of the regular season. Abrams-Draine, meanwhile, continues to look like a fifth-round gem.

Worst Offensive Players 

  • G Ben Powers: 42.3
  • OT Mike McGlinchey: 47.2
  • OL Matt Peart: 50.3
  • TE Adam Trautman: 52.2
  • WR Troy Franklin: 56.1

Franklin continues to struggle to make an impact. QB Bo Nix (62.6) ranked 11th among Denver’s 19 graded players on offense.

Worst Defensive Players 

  • LB Justin Strnad: 28.7
  • LB Cody Barton: 34.6
  • DB P.J. Locke: 43.7
  • DL John Franklin-Myers: 45.4
  • OLB Jonathan Cooper: 47.5

Strnad had a night to forget. In addition to his foul against a sliding Justin Herbert, the linebacker also allowed seven catches for 103 yards on eight coverage targets. The Broncos will need to make upgrading the inside linebacker position a priority in 2025.

Special Teams 

  • ST JL Skinner: 71.9
  • LS Mitchell Fraboni: 64.8
  • R Marvin Mims: 61.2
  • K Wil Lutz: 73.5 (FG) 60.0 (KO)
  • P Riley Dixon: 67.5

You can view grades for every player on the paid version of PFF’s website.

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Broncos WR Troy Franklin was in a walking boot after ‘TNF’ loss

Broncos WR Troy Franklin was spotted wearing a walking boot after a ‘Thursday Night Football’ loss to the Chargers.

Following the Denver Broncos‘ 34-27 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday Night Football, rookie wide receiver Troy Franklin was spotted wearing a walking boot on his left foot, according to a report from the Denver Post‘s Ryan McFadden.

Franklin was not given an injury designation during the game and the Broncos will not practice again until next week, so it might be several days until we get an update on Franklin’s status.

The 21-year-old receiver hauled in two receptions for 25 yards on three targets against the Chargers. Franklin now has 25 catches for 252 yards and two touchdowns through his first 14 games in the NFL.

Denver released veteran wide receiver Josh Reynolds earlier this month, so if Franklin misses any time, the team’s remaining WRs would be Courtland Sutton, Devaughn Vele, Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Marvin Mims. The Broncos also have Michael Bandy, David Sills and A.T. Perry available on the practice squad.

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Explaining the NFL’s fair catch kick rule from the Chargers-Broncos game

The Chargers took advantage of an obscure NFL rule with a fair catch kick against the Broncos on ‘Thursday Night Football.’

Just before halftime of a Thursday Night Football clash between the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos in Week 16, Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker put his name in the NFL history books with a rare feat.

Dicker converted a 57-yard fair catch kick, a scenario that has not happened in the NFL since 1976. Los Angeles took advantage of an obscure rule after Denver cornerback Tremon Smith made contact with the Chargers’ returner after he had called for a fair catch on a punt.

By rule, NFL teams can attempt a field goal after a fair catch without facing a rush from the opposing team. Usually, punts are fielded too deep to make attempting a kick a feasible option. Thanks to a 15-yard penalty from the Broncos, however, L.A. was put in range for a fair catch free kick on Thursday.

The sequence happened after Denver opted to not run out the clock with an 11-point lead at its own 18-yard line. The Broncos ran two pass plays and then punted after being stuffed on a third-down run.

“Look, I think 40 or 41 seconds to start the drive,” coach Sean Payton explained after the game. “We try to see, typically, you’d be pretty conservative. We were going to have the ball. We ran a screen and then when the clock got low enough, we didn’t get any momentum going there. We just ran the ball and punted it.

“A penalty puts them in a position and then basically anytime you catch a punt, you have the ability to place it right there and get a free kick. Doesn’t happen much. We practice it all the time. Well, in that situation the penalty put them in field goal position, so it’s disappointing.”

So the Broncos were part of NFL history on Thursday night. Unfortunately, they were on the wrong side of history in an eventual 34-27 loss.

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Justin Strnad, Tremon Smith plead their cases after ‘TNF’ penalties

“I don’t know what else I’m supposed to do,” Broncos LB Justin Strnad said when asked about the Justin Herbert slide.

The Denver Broncos were penalized seven times for 61 yards in a 34-27 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday Night Football in Week 16.

One of the most crucial fouls came from linebacker Justin Strnad, who was penalized for “barely” hitting sliding Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert on a third down in the third quarter. Instead of facing 4th-and-6 from Denver’s 11-yard line, L.A. was gifted a 1st-and-goal from the five-yard line.

The Chargers went on to score a touchdown. Assuming they would have kicked a field goal on fourth down if not for the penalty, that foul was a four-point swing.

After the game, Strnad initially said he had “no comment” on the play before later saying, “I don’t think it was a penalty.”

When asked if he made contact with Herbert, the linebacker had this response: “I think I like barely hit him. I mean, he’s a huge quarterback, I’m getting ready to tackle him, he slides last second. I don’t know what else I’m supposed to do.”

This is the play in question:

Broncos cornerback Tremon Smith also had a crucial penalty that cost the team points. Just before halftime, Smith made contact with a returner who had called fair catch. The resulting 15-yard penalty gifted the Chargers a fair catch free kick, a three-point swing.

Smith admitted it was a “dumb penalty,” but he also implied that the returner manipulated the situation.

“The returner did a good job of selling it, just running into me even though he wasn’t going to catch the ball,” Smith said. “Like I said, dumb penalties.”

Strnad and Smith will look to bounce back when the Broncos face the Cincinnati Bengals on the road in Week 17.

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