Tag: Week 13

Here were Jacksonville’s standouts in the blowout loss to Rams, per Pro Football Focus

Tyson Campbell and Laquon Treadwell had solid outings for the second-straight week, among others.

It was certainly hard to find many positives in Jacksonville’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 13. The offense looked as lost as ever, and the defense didn’t hold up very well against its toughest test since it has started playing better over the last month.

The 2-10 Jags haven’t improved much this season, and Sunday’s game made it clear that the team has a lot of work to do this offseason to compete with the best teams in the league. With that being said, this game wasn’t completely devoid of solid individual performances, and with a number of injuries plaguing the team on both sides of the ball, several players thrived with the increase in playing time.

Here were Jacksonville’s best performers in the 37-7 loss in Los Angeles, per Pro Football Focus.

Snap count analysis from the Jags’ ugly loss to the Rams

Here’s what we can learn from Jacksonville’s snap counts in Sunday’s loss.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are desperately searching for some way to be competitive after another frustrating game, which was a 37-7 beatdown from the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. The offense hasn’t played well since the bye, but this was probably the worst outing yet for the group, while the defense regressed to the mean against one of the most talented offenses in football.

The Jaguars sit at 2-10, and for a squad that wasn’t particularly talented or deep in the first place and is now depleted by injuries, there isn’t much hope of turning things around this season, especially with upcoming games on the road against the division-leading Tennessee Titans and New England Patriots.

There wasn’t much positive to take away from the loss to the Rams on Sunday, but here’s what the snap counts from this game tell us.

*The following info was obtained by (NFLGSIS).

Offense

Analysis

  • The Jags endured an injury on the offensive line in this one as center Brandon Linder had to leave this game. That gave opportunities to Tyler Shatley, who started five games while Linder was on the injured reserve. Will Richardson also saw snaps in Ben Bartch’s place (it’s unknown if he suffered an injury or was benched). That’s the last thing the Jags wanted to see against the Rams’ ferocious front four, and while quarterback Trevor Lawrence was sacked just twice, he was hit six times.
  • After his second lost fumble in two weeks, James Robinson didn’t see much action. Carlos Hyde saw more reps but also had a lost fumble and didn’t find any more success than Robinson. Per coach Urban Meyer, Robinson is still not 100% as he battles back from heel and knee injuries.
  • Laquon Treadwell, who was on the practice squad just a few weeks ago, has been Lawrence’s top target the last two weeks. He played the most of any receiver, while Tavon Austin saw his role diminish a bit. Jaydon Mickens, who returned to Jacksonville last week from the Tampa Bay practice squad, was only on the field for three offensive snaps but recorded catches on two of them for 10 yards.
  • Without Dan Arnold available, James O’Shaughnessy was on the field for the bulk of the offensive snaps, but he only had two catches on six targets. Chris Manhertz saw more playing time than usual, but he wasn’t targeted and was mostly used for blocking, which is his strong suit. The same goes for Luke Farrell, who saw just 13 snaps in this one.

Defense

Analysis

  • Tyson Campbell was once again the team’s No. 1 corner this week with Shaquill Griffin out, and though he wasn’t as impressive as he was last week, he had another solid game. He had to exit the game with an injury, giving a few snaps to Chris Claybrooks on the outside, but he would return to the game. Nevin Lawson struggled more in this start, allowing touchdowns to Van Jefferson and Odell Beckham Jr.
  • It was a big matchup for nickel Rudy Ford against the NFL’s leading receiver in Cooper Kupp, and he struggled (as did others in the secondary). Kupp had 129 yards and a touchdown on eight catches, and as a result, Andre Cisco got some snaps in the slot later in the game.  Cisco also saw one snap at safety, but Andrew Wingard was on the field for 67 of 68 defensive snaps.
  • Jay Tufele was active for the first time in his career, and the rookie fourth-round pick had a tackle against the Rams. He played on almost half of all snaps, and if he can have a solid close to the season it would be a boon for the rookie class, which hasn’t seen many contributors outside of Lawrence and Campbell. He saw more snaps than Taven Bryan, whose role continues to be limited despite some improvements in his play. He had two tackles on Sunday.

Seahawks’ injury updates following win over 49ers Week 13

Coach Pete Carroll provided a number of player injury updates following the team’s win over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 13.

The Seattle Seahawks came away with a thrilling victory on Sunday, beating their rival San Francisco 49ers in front of the home crowd. Following the win, coach Pete Carroll provided a number of player injury updates.

Safety Jamal Adams left the game early and was unable to return. He remained on the sidelines in street clothes for the remainder of the matchup. “He sprained his shoulder today, the one that was operated on (after last season),” Carroll told reporters. “I don’t know any updates other than that.”

Tackle Brandon Shell also left the contest early with a shoulder injury. “Brandon Shell, it’s the same shoulder that was bothering him, just aggravated again,” Carroll explained. “Not a whole lot worse than it was last week, but he didn’t finish last week either.”

Fellow offensive lineman, guard Kyle Fuller, sustained an ankle injury. “He sprained his ankle,” Carroll said. “I don’t know any update on that either.”

Defensive tackle Bryan Mone, who banged up his knee, was ultimately able to return to the game. “Mone had a knee injury, he put a brace on and was OK to go back,” Carroll confirmed. “Toughed that out for sure.”

Carroll should have additional injury updates by his scheduled Monday afternoon press conference.

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Javonte Williams didn’t disappoint in first NFL start

“I was very impressed with Javonte [Williams],” Broncos QB Teddy Bridgewater said.

Denver Broncos running back Melvin Gordon missed Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs due to injury, leaving rookie Javonte Williams to make his first NFL start on “Sunday Night Football.”

Williams didn’t disappoint, rushing 23 times for 102 yards. He also hauled in six receptions for 76 yards and a touchdown in Week 13.

“I was very impressed with Javonte,” quarterback Teddy Bridgewater said after the game. “He did a great job of executing everything we asked of him tonight whether it was protections, running the ball, catching the ball out of the backfield.

“I’m happy that he had a game like he had tonight. We have to do better around him. If he’s making plays like that, we’ve got to do better and all elevate our games as well.”

Unfortunately, Williams’ 178 yards from scrimmage weren’t enough as Denver fell to Kansas City 22-9. It was a huge performance from Williams, but it was tough to celebrate after such a disappointing loss.

“Even though I played good, the locker room is still not happy …. It’s hard to celebrate after a loss, especially to the Chiefs,” Williams said.

Once Gordon returns — perhaps as early as next week — the Broncos will go back to a two-back rotation with Williams and Gordon splitting time. With Gordon scheduled to become a free agent in 2022, Williams will likely become the workhorse back down the road, and if Sunday was any indication, he’ll be up to the task.

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After four games without a turnover, Teddy Bridgewater had two on SNF

“I wish I could take it back, but I can’t,” Broncos QB Teddy Bridgewater said of his first interception against the Chiefs.

After going four-straight games without a turnover, Denver Broncos quarterback Teddy Bridgewater threw two interceptions in Sunday’s 22-9 loss against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 13.

Chiefs defensive back Juan Thornhill fooled Bridgewater on the first interception.

“The guy on that first interception had the tight end in man and the tight end was in protection so the guy ended up falling off in the hole,” Bridgewater said on Sunday evening. “I tried looking left but he anticipated the throw and made a play. I wish I could take it back, but I can’t.”

Bridgewater’s second interception wasn’t necessarily a poor decision, but the throw was too low and was tipped at the line, leading to a Daniel Sorenson pick-six.

Broncos coach Vic Fangio pinned the loss on the team overall.

“One [of the interceptions was a tip],” Fangio said. “I am not sure on the other one that he threw and they caught. I am not sure of the story behind that one. I thought Teddy did a lot of good things, we as a team did not do enough.”

Bridgewater is now on pace to have a 10-interception season. That would be an improvement on Drew Lock’s 15 interceptions in 13 games last year. Bridgewater has also topped Lock’s 2020 total of 15 touchdown passes.

So while Bridgewater does not appear to be the long-term solution, Lock isn’t necessarily an upgrade, so the Broncos seem poised to stick with TB for at least the rest of the 2021 season.

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6 takeaways from Chiefs’ Week 13 win over Broncos

Here is what our @TheJohnDillon is taking away from the #Chiefs’ Week 13 win over the #Broncos:

Favored heading into this game, the Kansas City Chiefs looked every bit the part of an AFC contender against Denver in Week 13, handling an inferior opponent in short order in primetime. Though a matchup between bitter rivals always has a certain weight to it, the Chiefs’ win streak against the Broncos extends back more than five years at this point, and an upset was out of the question as soon as Denver’s first drive stalled.

Kansas City dominated this game in all four quarters and imposed their will on the Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium. Both sides of the ball played well enough for the Chiefs, and they handled business to secure the team an unencumbered lead in the AFC West.

Here are our six biggest takeaways from Kansas City’s latest win:

Chiefs snap counts: Deandre Baker plays most snaps since Week 4

What can we learn from the #Chiefs’ Week 13 snap counts?

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The Kansas City Chiefs defense was on the field a ton on Sunday night against the Denver Broncos, playing 20 more total snaps to the offense. That tells you just how off the offense was for Kansas City during the game. The defense still managed to hold their opponents to under nine points despite being on the field for the most snaps they’ve played in a single game this season.

What else can we learn from this week’s snap counts? Here’s a look at how the snaps played out in Week 13:

*Snap counts via NFL Game Statistics and Information System

Observations

  • Byron Pringle continues to be the No. 3 receiving option in Kansas City in terms of snap count and target share. Though he was targeted four times against Denver, he only caught one pass on the night.
  • Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Darrel Williams have settled into what is nearly a 50-50 snaps share and it has seemingly worked out for the Chiefs. Williams becoming a trusted target in the receiving game has been a boon to offensive success lately.
  • Mecole Hardman’s snaps continue to trend downward. This was his lowest career snap total, with nine snaps on offense and a single snap on special teams. He previously set his lowest career total in Week 11 against the Cowboys.
  • Josh Gordon’s snaps and involvement have also been trending in the wrong direction. It feels like not having a chance to be with the team during training camp and the preseason has him behind the eight ball in terms of chemistry with Patrick Mahomes.
  • Nick Allegretti was spotted in the game and it led some Chiefs fans to wonder if there was an injury to the starting offensive line group. Nope. The team brought him in as an extra blocker on three occasions to help move the chains in the run game.
  • Derrick Gore appeared in two offensive snaps in Week 13. Even with Jerick McKinnon on injured reserve, it was hard to get Gore involved as the No. 3 back.
  • Three Chiefs players (L’Jarius Sneed, Charvarius Ward and Tyrann Mathieu) played 100% of the defensive snaps. On a night where the unit played the most snaps they had all season, that’s impressive.
  • Deandre Baker played the fifth-most snaps on any Chiefs defender on Sunday night. It was the most snaps he’d played since Week 4 when he played 67 snaps in injury relief for Charvarius Ward. It was also the most combined snaps he’d played in a single game in his career with Kansas City. There’s also something to be said about how well he played against a talented WR group.
  • Willie Gay Jr. continues to lead the linebacker group in snaps, while rookie Nick Bolton is getting the fewest snaps of any linebacker. Bolton is making the most of his snaps, but don’t expect him to replace Ben Niemann as the dime linebacker or Anthony Hitchens unless there is an injury.
  • Daniel Sorensen, who had a big night for the Chiefs, played 39 defensive snaps on Sunday. It speaks to the usage of the big nickel package which has each of Juan Thornhill, Tyrann Mathieu and Sorensen on the field at once.
  • Alex Okafor had more snaps than Mike Danna this week, which is a rarity. It seems like Danna got dinged up at one point during the game, limiting his snaps total.
  • Melvin Ingram’s snaps continue to trend in the right direction. He’s getting upwards of 40 snaps per game in each of the past two games and he’s making an impact. He managed his first sack with Kansas City this week in the opening defensive series.
  • Noah Gray led the team in special teams snaps while Armani Watts, Dorian O’Daniel, and Chris Lammons only played special teams snaps.
  • Lammons, who was injured on the opening kickoff, returned to the game and played three more special teams snaps.

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Broncos’ defense was let down by offense, special teams yet again

Stop us if you’ve heard this before — the Broncos’ defense was great, but an inept offense and a blundering special teams unit let them down.

As usual, the Denver Broncos’ defense was not the problem in the team’s most recent loss.

Vic Fangio’s squad held the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense to just 16 points (Teddy Bridgewater’s pick-six accounted for KC’s six other points). And of those 16 points, three were secured on a short field goal after yet another Broncos special teams mistake.

So really, Denver’s defense held the Chiefs to 13 points, and the offense and special teams were responsible for nine points.

Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes had a 57.3 passer rating, the worst of his career, with no touchdowns and one interception. Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce combined for 49 receiving yards.

Yet, that wasn’t enough.

It’s the same old story for the Broncos.

Special teams were a problem again, yet special teams coordinator Tom McMahon continues to keep his job following blunder after blunder.

And the offense was dismal and featured more questionable play calling, yet offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur continues to keep his job.

Fangio’s not directly responsible for mistakes on offense and special teams, but he is responsible for not making changes to the coaching staff. His defense was great, as they often are, but Denver’s self-inflicted wounds prevented them from sticking with the Chiefs in what was a winnable game.

The Broncos’ formidable defense is being wasted by a lackluster offense and a frustrating special teams unit, and seemingly everyone besides Fangio is willing to hold McMahon and Shurmur accountable. That decision to stick with his guys could ultimately end up costing Fangio his own job.

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AFC West standings: Broncos fall to last place in division

The Broncos could have moved into first place in the AFC West with a win in Week 13. Instead, their loss dropped them to last place in the division.

The Denver Broncos could have moved into first place in the AFC West if they upset the Kansas City Chiefs on “Sunday Night Football” in Week 13. Instead, following a disappointing loss on the road, Denver fell to last place in the division.

Here’s a look at the current AFC West standings going into Week 14.

Team Record Div. Conf.
Kansas City Chiefs 8-4 2-1 3-4
Los Angeles Chargers 7-5 2-1 5-3
Las Vegas Raiders 6-6 1-2 4-3
Denver Broncos 6-6 1-2 3-5

To keep pace in the AFC’s Wild Card race, the Broncos now have a must-win upcoming home game against the Detroit Lions, who won a game for the first time this season on Sunday.

After that, Denver will have another game with crucial Wild Card implications against the Cincinnati Bengals (7-5). That game will also be played at home.

The Broncos will then close out the season with road games against the Raiders and Chargers followed by a home game against the Chiefs. Denver still has a chance to reach the playoffs, but there’s a lot of work to be done.

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Chiefs HC Andy Reid provides injury updates after win over Broncos

The #Chiefs escaped their win over the #Broncos relatively unscathed, but Andy Reid did speak on Chris Lammons’ injury after the game.

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The Kansas City Chiefs escaped their Week 13 win over the Denver Broncos without suffering many injuries.

There are always things that can pop up during the week, but Chiefs HC Andy Reid only had one injury to report on following the conclusion of the game. That injury was to special teams ace Chris Lammons, who suffered an ankle injury during the game.

“As far as the injuries go, really, Chris Lammons is the only one,” Reid told reporters following the game. “He hurt his left ankle, and he’s a tough kid. He did it on the opening kickoff and worked his way back through that.”

Lammons was ruled questionable to return and was never formally ruled out of the game. Ironically, had Lammons not been out of the game with the ankle injury, Byron Pringle would’ve never been in on punt coverage to make his fumble recovery. It was one of the bigger plays of the game and it probably wouldn’t have happened if not for an injury. It just goes to show you how flush the Chiefs are with special teams talent.

Health is going to be paramount moving forward, and escaping this game with few injuries is a huge win. If Lucas Niang, Rashad Fenton and others can get healthy enough to return soon, they’ll be geared up to make a strong push in the final five weeks of the season and into the playoffs.

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