Tag: Week 13

Film Room: Breaking down the final 3 drive-ending plays by the Lions defense in Week 13

Lions Wire Film Room: Breaking down the final 3 drive-ending plays by the Detroit Lions defense in their Week 13 win over the Chicago Bears.

In the Detroit Lions’ Week 13 comeback victory over the Chicago Bears, the offense and Matthew Stafford get a lot of the love — and rightfully so — but it was the defense that came up big three times at the end of the game, and those three plays will be the focus of today’s film room.

After giving up 23 points in the first half the Lions’ defense was struggling to acclimate to some of the new schematic changes introduced by defensive coordinator Cory Undlin — who is now in greater control of the defense after the firing of Matt Patricia.

But, when the second half began, the Lions defense settled in, only allowing an early fourth-quarter touchdown, while the offense began chipping away at the Bears lead.

Down 10 points, with five and a half minutes remaining, the Lions faced a key third down, and that is where our breakdowns begin.

Lions 20, Bears 30

  • Situation: 3rd and 4, 5:30 left in the 4th quarter
  • Key player: Everson Griffen at RDE
  • Assignment: Rush the passer
  • Results: Needing to get off the field, Griffen alters his pass-rushing attack and falls back on his ever-reliable spin move to get a key sack — ending the drive.

After getting the ball back, the Lions drove 96-yards on seven plays to cut the deficit to just three points.

Lions 27, Bears 30

  • Situation: 3rd and 4, 1:54 left in the 4th quarter
  • Key player: Romeo Okwara at LDE
  • Assignment: Rush the passer
  • Results: Inside their own red zone, the Bears decide to attempt to extend their drive by passing the ball instead of running more time off the clock. Okwara executes beautiful technique to gain leverage over the tackle and uses his extraordinary length and athleticism to get the strip-sack.

Two plays later, Adrian Peterson powers his way through the Bears defense for the go-ahead touchdown, giving the Lions their first lead of the day with just 1:26 left on the clock.

Lions 34, Bears 30

  • Situation: 4th and 1, 0:16 left in the 4th quarter
  • Key player: Kevin Strong at the 2i-technique
  • Assignment: Penetrate the line, attack the ball
  • Results: Strong’s first step is devastating and was the difference in this play, as he was able to blow up the play design before the ball even made it to the running back.

When the Lions needed stops late in the fourth quarter the Lions defense came through. They still have their issues on defense but having the mental fortitude to come through in the clutch was a missing element we haven’t seen in some time. Let’s hope it carries over the final month of the season.

Rush’N Attack: Jackson, Ravens go 8-bit on Cowboys 34-17; Dallas falls to 3-9

The Cowboys had 12 days to prepare for Baltimore, but they probably needed 120 of them to figure out how to stop the rushing attack.

It took an extra five days, but the Dallas Cowboys finally visited the Baltimore Ravens for their Week 13 game of the 2020 season. COVID-19 wasn’t done with the affair, however. After positive tests pushed the Ravens’ previous game back three times, having a domino impact on this one, the virus reared it’s head once again during the pregame, stealing the main piece of joy fans were looking forward to.

Wide receiver Dez Bryant was pulled from warmups to be retested and came up positive, ending his reunion game before it got underway. Once the game got going, things seemed to go according to plans. The Ravens and reigning MVP Lamar Jackson ran over, through and around the Cowboys’ lackluster defense, storming to a three-score victory. If it looked like old school, or if it looked like a video game, or if it looked like both to you, you’re not alone.

Baltimore pulled away in the second half en route to a 34-17 victory. The loss dropped Dallas to 3-9 on the season.

Dallas tried to trade blows early, thanks to a tip-drill interception and a big kickoff return, but there weren’t enough bullets in their gun to go shot for shot with Jackson’s designed runs, scrambles and handoffs to J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards.

The Ravens rushed for 294 yards, the third time on the season their porous defense allowed an opponent to top 250 ground yards.

On offense, Dallas wasn’t able to muster much, but they certainly weren’t aided by their special teams as kicker Greg Zuerlein missed three kicks which could have kept Dallas within striking distance. Quarterback Andy Dalton did pass for two touchdowns, finding Michael Gallup and Amari Cooper once in each half. After a strong start to the game, CeeDee Lamb all but disappeared and Ezekiel Elliott’s would-be-five-yard a carry average was stymied at the goal line on three straight plays in the fourth quarter.

Dallas has lost six of their last seven games and will have a day off before starting to prepare for the 2-9-1 Cincinnati Bengals. The teams which currently sit No. 3 and No. 4 in draft order will square off at noon in Week 14.

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Ravens activate CB Anthony Averett from injured reserve, 2 others from practice squad

Baltimore Ravens cornerback Anthony Averett is promoted to 53-man roster ahead of Week 13 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys.

The Baltimore Ravens activated cornerback Anthony Averett from injured reserve to the 53-man roster ahead of a Week 13 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys on Tuesday, according to the NFL’s transaction report.

Averett has been off the field since Week 6 after he suffered a shoulder injury against the Philadelphia Eagles. Averett came off injured reserve on Friday with a “designated to return” label, giving him time to practice with the team and get back up to speed. Averett is expected to suit up against the Cowboys and provide depth to a Ravens secondary that has been banged up all-season.

In total, Baltimore had five cornerbacks on injured reserve at one point this season. The Ravens lost cornerback Tavon Young to a season-ending knee injury in Week 2 while Iman Marshall and Khalil Dorsey were also put on injured reserve after their respective injuries.

But it’s not just players on injured reserve that’s making Baltimore’s cornerback depth disappear. Both Jimmy Smith and Tramon Williams are listed as inactive for Tuesday’s game against the Cowboys due to injuries, putting more pressure on the group — including Averett — to perform against a very capable Dallas passing attack. Smith did not practice this week after suffering a groin injury in Week 12 against the Steelers. Williams, who signed with Baltimore in November because of an injured-filled secondary is also inactive due to a thigh injury.

In other moves, the Ravens also activated tight end Eric Tomlinson and cornerback Pierre Desir from the practice squad. Tomlinson played Wednesday in Pittsburgh following tight end Mark Andrews being put on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. Desir last played in Week 9 for the New York Jets.

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Seahawks drop down to No. 9 in Touchdown Wire’s NFL power rankings

After falling to the New York Giants in Week 13, the Seahawks have dropped down to No. 9 in Touchdown Wire’s NFL power rankings.

The Seattle Seahawks suffered a heart-breaking loss to the New York Giants in Week 13 at Lumen Field. Seattle now sits at 8-4 on the year.

After falling to New York, the Seahawks also dropped down from No. 6 to No. 9 in Touchdown Wire’s NFL power rankings.

“What are we to make of Seattle?” writes Mark Schofield. “Some weeks they look like one of the NFL’s best, and other weeks they look more like the team we saw Sunday. Which team is going to show up next week in what should be a winnable game against the New York Jets?”

The winless Jets sit at dead last in the NFL power rankings for very good reason. If the Seahawks can’t get past them, coach Pete Carroll and staff will have some real questions to answer.

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Chiefs back on top in Touchdown Wire power rankings

After six weeks at No. 2, the Kansas City Chiefs are back to being recognized as the best team in football.

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For the first time in the last six weeks, the Kansas City Chiefs have ascended in the Touchdown Wire power rankings. They’ve had a stranglehold on the No. 2 spot, but after a win over the Denver Broncos and a Pittsburgh Steelers loss, the Chiefs are back to being the No. 1 ranked team. It felt like only a matter of time before something like this would propel Kansas City into the No. 1 spot.

Even though they didn’t play their best game in Week 13, they did enough to get some love in the power rankings. Their performance left Touchdown Wire’s Mark Schofield feeling rather optimistic about the team moving forward.

Here’s a preview of what Schofield had to say:

“Even when teams slow down the Kansas City Chiefs offense, like the Denver Broncos were able to do over the first half of Sunday night’s contest, everyone watching has that same feeling: At some point the big plays are coming. They eventually did come for Patrick Mahomes and company, as they put together a second-half touchdown drive to eventually overcome a plucky Broncos squad.

Looking back, this game could have been more of a one-sided affair”

The Chiefs had two Tyreek Hill touchdowns wiped out, one by a penalty and one by the most bizarre non-challenge sequence the NFL has ever seen. Hill literally had no idea that he caught the football, so Andy Reid didn’t know to challenge the play until it was too late. Add in an early miss by Patrick Mahomes on a wide-open touchdown for Hill and the score in this game could have looked more like the first matchup with the Broncos back in Week 7.

Schofield is right too, it’s only a matter of time before the Chiefs offense is awakened like some mythical beast that scores touchdowns at will. The only way for teams to keep Kansas City down is to outscore them. It makes you wonder, how many offenses are out there that can go toe-to-toe with the Chiefs? The Miami Dolphins, led by rookie QB Tua Tagovailoa, will get the next shot in Week 14.

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Raheem Morris: ‘Koo has been money, but I’d like to see less of him’

Falcons interim head coach Raheem Morris spoke to the media from his home after the team’s 21-16 loss to the Saints in Week 13.

Falcons interim head coach Raheem Morris spoke to the media from his home after the team’s 21-16 loss to the Saints in Week 13. Morris answered questions on Atlanta’s lack of offensive production, running back Todd Gurley‘s injury status and the team’s reliance on kicker Younghoe Koo.

Gurley was listed as questionable prior to the game, but suited up on Sunday to play just 33 percent of the offensive snaps, a season low. Morris was asked if Gurley was on a pitch count, or minutes restriction.

“I wouldn’t call it a pitch count and I don’t want to give you a percentage on how far he was because I don’t want to disrespect the athlete and tell you how far he was. I’ll give him the ability to tell you what he thinks he was. He let me know that he was capable of playing in the role we had him playing yesterday.”

Later, Morris was asked about how the offense has fared in the red zone, where Atlanta has been one of the NFL’s least efficient teams.

“Scoring is your job on offense and getting the ball back is your job on defense. We made some really good plays and they made some better ones. In order to build a winning culture, you got to be able to get into the end zone, there’s no doubt about that and how you do that is you’ve got to go out there an execute better.” 

The Falcons are the fourth-worst team in the league in terms of red zone efficiency over the last three games. Morris was asked if he felt the team made the proper adjustments from Atlanta’s first outing against the Saints two weeks ago.

“When you come out and have a slow start in the first half, you’re certainly disappointed in what you did on offense and you’re certainly disappointed in those things and we kicked too many field goals. Koo has been money, but I’d like to see less of him. We like to score touchdowns.”

Morris has four games left against some pretty tough competition to make his case to be the head coach of the Falcons beyond 2020.

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Raheem Morris: ‘Koo has been money, but I’d like to see less of him’

Falcons interim head coach Raheem Morris spoke to the media from his home after the team’s 21-16 loss to the Saints in Week 13.

Falcons interim head coach Raheem Morris spoke to the media from his home after the team’s 21-16 loss to the Saints in Week 13. Morris answered questions on Atlanta’s lack of offensive production, running back Todd Gurley‘s injury status and the team’s reliance on kicker Younghoe Koo.

Gurley was listed as questionable prior to the game, but suited up on Sunday to play just 33 percent of the offensive snaps, a season low. Morris was asked if Gurley was on a pitch count, or minutes restriction.

“I wouldn’t call it a pitch count and I don’t want to give you a percentage on how far he was because I don’t want to disrespect the athlete and tell you how far he was. I’ll give him the ability to tell you what he thinks he was. He let me know that he was capable of playing in the role we had him playing yesterday.”

Later, Morris was asked about how the offense has fared in the red zone, where Atlanta has been one of the NFL’s least efficient teams.

“Scoring is your job on offense and getting the ball back is your job on defense. We made some really good plays and they made some better ones. In order to build a winning culture, you got to be able to get into the end zone, there’s no doubt about that and how you do that is you’ve got to go out there an execute better.” 

The Falcons are the fourth-worst team in the league in terms of red zone efficiency over the last three games. Morris was asked if he felt the team made the proper adjustments from Atlanta’s first outing against the Saints two weeks ago.

“When you come out and have a slow start in the first half, you’re certainly disappointed in what you did on offense and you’re certainly disappointed in those things and we kicked too many field goals. Koo has been money, but I’d like to see less of him. We like to score touchdowns.”

Morris has four games left against some pretty tough competition to make his case to be the head coach of the Falcons beyond 2020.

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NFC West Roundup: How the rest of the division fared in Week 13

In the NFC West, the Los Angeles Rams defeated the Arizona Cardinals, while the San Francisco 49ers fell to the Buffalo Bills in Week 13.

Things took quite an unfortunate turn for the Seattle Seahawks this week. They lost a winnable game against the New York Giants while the Los Angeles Rams moved into first place in the NFC West with their victory over the Arizona Cardinals, holding the head-to-head tiebreaker.

However, it was not all bad for Seattle, as Arizona suffered its third consecutive loss and is two games behind the pair of leaders, and the San Francisco 49ers lost to the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football and are out of the race barring a miraculous sequence of events.

The division victor is still far from decided, as there are still four games left in the 2020 season. Let’s dive into the specifics of how Seattle’s rivals fared in Week 13.

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Watch: Brian Baldinger breaks down Falcons’ 3rd-down defense

The Atlanta Falcons lost to the New Orleans Saints in Week 13, dropping to 4-8 on the season.

The Atlanta Falcons lost to the New Orleans Saints in Week 13, dropping to 4-8 on the season. Defensively, the Falcons struggled to get off the field on third down. The Saints converted eight third-down attempts, which was arguably the difference in Sunday’s game.

Brian Baldinger of NFL.com broke down a Saints conversion on third and 17 at the start of the second quarter. At the time, the Saints held a 7-3 lead, with the ball on Atlanta’s 41-yard line.

Baldinger noted the massive gap in the Falcons’ defense that left 10 yards open between the first and second level. This allowed New Orleans to have plenty of room to complete an easy check down and get into field-goal range. With the defense playing that far back to guard the sticks, the corners should not have went into a back pedal, as Baldinger notes in his breakdown video below.

While the conversion had no effect on the outcome of the game due to Saints kicker Will Lutz missing the kick, it’s concerning to see the defense fail to execute just one week after their best performance of the season.

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Excellent Intel: Cowboys-Ravens Week 13 dissection of 2 floundering franchises

One fanbase still holds Super Bowl aspirations, but are the Cowboys and Ravens in similar boats?

No blame shall be placed on Cowboys Nation if they are unaware that the Tuesday opponent is struggling almost as much as the road team. Yes, the Dallas Cowboys are going through a tough stretch, but so are their Week 13 opponents the Baltimore Ravens. While Dallas is on the outside looking… well, at the draft order, the Ravens are still on the precipice of a playoff opportunity.

Their deficiencies are masked by their overall record, but they are struggling mightily right now. To get the scoop on what is transpiring with the one of the two state teams that actually claims Maryland, we go in deep with Matthew Stevens, managing editor of Ravens Wire. His insight into the current condition of the club and the fan base is pretty intriguing.