MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK

Baker Mayfield: We still have everything in front of us, but now it’s crunch time



The Browns haven’t played up to preseason expectations, sitting at 6-6 heading into Week 14.

But the team isn’t out of the AFC playoff picture, even though Cleveland currently sits at last place in the AFC North.


The club will come off its bye for a rematch against the Ravens. Baltimore beat Cleveland on Sunday Night Football in Week 12, overcoming four Lamar Jackson interceptions in the victory.

After a Week 13 bye, quarterback Baker Mayfield said in his Wednesday press conference that he feels “confident where I’m at, where we’re at, and where we’re headed.”

“That’s kind of the mentality we went into it the last two weeks, is we still have everything in front of us,” Mayfield said, via 92.3 The Fan. “But now it’s crunch time. Everybody’s talking about playoffs, but we need to have that singular focus, block out everything else, and realize that we need to take care of business one day and one week at a time.”

Mayfield has played through several injuries in 2021, completing 62 percent of his passes for 2,413 yards with 11 touchdowns and six interceptions. But in his last three games, Mayfield’s completion rate has gone down to 51 percent, throwing for 496 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions. He’s also lost a fumble.

The Browns will need Mayfield to get back to playing better football if the club is going to make the postseason.

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Lamar Jackson leads the NFL in sacks, and Ravens’ offense knows they have to do better



Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is getting sacked too much.

With five games left in the season, Jackson has already been sacked a career-high 37 times. That’s the most of any quarterback in the league. And he’s getting sacked on 8.9 percent of his dropbacks, which is the most of any season in his four-year career.


Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman acknowledged today that there’s a lot that needs to be improved on that front, including Jackson not holding the ball too long.

“There are definitely some things in that area we got to do better. Bottom line is we want to play on time and in rhythm, especially with these teams playing way off and giving us stuff underneath,” Roman said, via Jamison Hensley of ESPN.

Jackson has been in a slump recently, and the Ravens haven’t been able to run away with the AFC North like it looked like they would in September and early October. There’s a lot that needs to be done better in the Ravens’ offense right now.

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Not a stat you wanna lead the NFL in.

 

Patrick Mahomes: I try to limit interceptions, but at the same time I have to be me



Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw 11 interceptions combined from 2019-2020.

Through 12 games this year, the 2018 MVP has 12 — tying a career-high.


Not all of Mahomes’ turnovers are on him, as dropped passes have also been a significant issue for Kansas City in 2021. In the Week 13 matchup with the Broncos, for instance, Mahomes’ interception went off the hands of receiver Tyreek Hill and rookie corner Pat Surtain II caught it for a turnover.

But even as Mahomes is throwing more picks than ever, he says they’re not really affecting him.

“I mean it just happens, it’s part of football,” Mahomes said in his Wednesday press conference. “Luckily enough, our defense is playing good enough that whenever they happen, they’re able to get stops and get turnovers or whatever it is and not let it impact the team. But you understand that turnovers are a huge part of this game. Our defense is getting a lot of turnovers and winning that turnover battle. I’ll try to limit them as much as possible, but at the same time I have to be me and continue to throw the football and give guys chances to make plays.”

Mahomes also noted that drops that turn into interceptions are just as much on him as they are the receiver because he’s in control of the ball placement. And the quarterback isn’t going to stop throwing to a target just because a pass isn’t caught.

“I’m going to go through the play regardless as to who is at what position and what the read is,” Mahomes said. “Coach [Andy] Reid does a good job of kind of maneuvering it so we can get it back to them pretty quickly there. Like I said, some of the dropped passes — people get hung on them even the one in the game that got intercepted, if I throw the ball in a better spot and he makes the catch, probably splits and scores. I threw it high and hard, and it gets tipped up and picked.

“People put it on him, but it’s really on me to make a better throw. For myself just try to make some better throws and let those guys have easier catches especially in traffic where they can make plays happen after the catch.”

The Chiefs’ heavy turnover rate is why the club is currently third in yards and 13th in points scored. But the team has still been able to rip off five wins in a row, in part because the team’s giveaways have gone down and takeaways have gone up.

If Kansas City is going to make a third consecutive Super Bowl appearance, that trend will have to continue into the postseason.

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The Bengals were missing a few key offensive players at practice on Wednesday, but Thursday saw more players on hand to prepare for Sunday’s game against the 49ers.

Reporters at the open portion of the practice sent word that quarterback Joe Burrow was on the field and throwing passes for the first time since last Sunday’s loss to the 49ers. Burrow said he would be working on ways to cope with the injury this week, but doesn’t foresee any scenario where he wouldn’t be able to play this weekend.


Wide receiver Tee Higgins (ankle) was also back on the field, but running back Joe Mixon remained out of action.

Mixon missed Wednesday with an illness and remained sidelined on Thursday. If he’s back on Friday, he should be on track to play this weekend but another absence will leave him as a question mark for Week 14.

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The Texans offense will be Davis Mills‘ to run for the rest of the 2021 season.

Texans head coach David Culley announced on Friday that Mills will start against the Seahawks this Sunday, which was expected given Tyrod Taylor‘s wrist injury. Culley went on to say that Mills will remain the team’s starter for the four other games left on the team’s schedule.


Some might see the decision as a chance to evaluate their third-round pick while making it likelier that the Texans will pick at the top of the draft, but Cully gave a different answer when asked why he’s promoting Mills.

“I felt like he gives us the best chance to win,” Culley said at a press conference.

Culley was asked why he felt that Mills offered the Texans a better chance to win than Taylor and replied that “the last three ballgames we played” made the decision a clear one for him.

Mills started six games when Taylor was on injured reserve earlier this season and he’s made eight overall appearances. He’s 146-of-223 for 1,406 yards, seven touchdowns, and eight interceptions.

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Chargers HC Brandon Staley: 'You're witnessing something rare' with Justin Herbert

Justin Herbert heaved his MVP moment into the stratosphere the first half of Sunday's 37-21 beatdown of the New York Giants.

In a 10-point game with 25 seconds remaining in the first half, on 3rd-and-11 from their own 41, Herbert avoided pressure and uncorked a massive bomb down the seam to a streaking Jalen Guyton for a 59-yard TD. And the rout was on.



"When you see something special, normally it looks easy," Staley said of the TD pass, via Gilbert Manzano of the L.A. Daily News. "That's what he does. He makes the really, really challenging stuff look easy. And that's a pretty good indicator that you're witnessing something rare."

According to Next Gen Stats, Herbert's pass traveled 63.8 air yards, the second-longest completion in the NFL this season. It was the 10th of his career to travel 55-plus yards in the air, most in the NFL since 2020.

Please go back and read that previous sentence again. In 28 career games played, Herbert has 10 passes of more than 55 air yards. That is insane. He's also thrown an NFL-high seven 50-plus yard TDs.

"What you're witnessing is something special," Staley said of the QB's play.


Sunday, Herbert diced up the Giants' defense without No. 1 receiver Keenan Allen. Guyton (3/87/1) and rookie Josh Palmer (5/66/1) led the way for the Chargers' offense as Herbert spread the wealth, hitting nine different targets with at least one pass.

When offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi allows Herbert to toss bombs, the second-year QB rarely misfires, making seemingly impossible throws look routine.

Sunday, he threw for 275 yards, three TDs and a 133.1 passer rating. It marked the third time in the last four games Herbert had three-plus pass TDs. The prolific outing made Herbert the first QB in NFL history to throw for at least 30 TDs in each of his first two seasons.

The Chargers sit as the AFC's No. 5 seed heading into Week 15 but are just one win ahead of the No. 10-seeded Broncos.

Thursday is a massive game for L.A. as it hosts the division-leading Chiefs.

If Herbert has another huge game against his rivals, in prime time, in a pivotal AFC West race, his MVP stock will shoot through the roof.

Not that the young QB is focused on accolades.

"It's one week at a time for us," Herbert said. "Coach (Staley) did a great job of emphasizing that all weekend. I feel like the guys were focused. They were dialed in this week and took care of business, and now we move on to the next one. We're facing a really good Chiefs team on Thursday."

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After last night i think the book must be all but closed on Kyler Murray for MVP, for this year anyway. He'll need one heck of a finish to pull it back. He isnt playing as well as Brady and he sure as hell isnt playing as well as Erin.

His passing yards and completion % may not suggest it but he had a poor game last night. Missed some very makeable throws and had 2 bad picks.

 

You nailed it, in my opinion.

1. Brady
2. Rodgers
3. Murray

But, that can all still change as they are pretty tight.

 

TBH Will, Murray struggles to even make my top 5. I have Kupp & Jonathan Taylor ahead of Murray, quite comfortably.

Kyler gets a hell of a lot of mileage in the media for his off script plays, and yes they are flashy and impressive and great for the highlights. But he doesn't consistently do enough on script. I've never seen a great passer. He's not even top10 for TD passes this season, TD-INT ratio is barely above 2:1, he has 9 picks in 10 games now. I get it, the legs, the adlib, but non of those numbers are remotely close to MVP.

The media see a team that has(had) the best record in the league and get wowed by the few splash plays per game from Kyler and put the two together. Meanwhile the Cardinals D is top 5 in the league in all 3 critical categories of ppg, ypg & takeaways. Thats where the 10 wins has come from as much as anything.

 

Lamar Jackson not practicing on Thursday



Earlier, offensive coordinator Greg Roman said whether or not quarterback Lamar Jackson plays could go “down to the wire.”

It might have to.


According to multiple reporters on the Ravens beat, Jackson is not practicing on Thursday due to his ankle injury.

Thursday is usually one of Baltimore’s heaviest work days of the week. That’s part of why Jackson not being on the field is not a positive sign for his potential Sunday availability.

If Jackson is unable to play, Tyler Huntley would start against the Packers. He won his previous start for Jackson when the quarterback was out due to an illness earlier this season.

Offensive tackle Patrick Mekari, defensive lineman Calais Campbell, tight end Nick Boyle, receiver Marquise Brown, left tackle Alejandro Villanueva, fullback Patrick Ricard, offensive tackle Tyre Phillips, left guard Ben Powers, defensive lineman Brandon Williams, and safety Chuck Clark also weren’t practicing.

Baltimore’s full injury report will be released later on Thursday.

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Browns quarterback Case Keenum is joining Baker Mayfield on the COVID-19 reserve list, leaving Nick Mullens in line to start Saturday against the Raiders.

Keenum tested positive for the virus Thursday, according to multiple reports.


Mayfield went on the list Wednesday.

It is possible, with new protocols announced by the league Thursday, that Mayfield and/or Keenum could return Saturday if asymptomatic. The updated test-out policy allows for an individual’s return from quarantine as soon as the day after the initial positive test.

Players can clear protocols with two PCR tests, two Mesa tests, or one PCR and one Mesa test concurrently and return to work if negative.

If Mullens is forced into duty, he has appeared in 19 games with 16 starts. He most recently started eight games for the 49ers last season. In his career, Mullens has 25 touchdowns and 22 interceptions.

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Report: Tyler Huntley likely to start for Ravens



The Ravens listed Lamar Jackson as questionable Friday, holding out hope their starting quarterback could play against the Packers. It appears, though, that the Ravens will start backup Tyler Huntley.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports Jackson’s availability for Sunday is not looking good.


Jackson sprained his ankle in the loss to the Browns last week, playing only 10 of 74 snaps.

Huntley completed 27 of 38 passes for 270 yards and one touchdown while scrambling for 45 yards on six attempts in Jackson’s stead. He did lose a fumble that Myles Garrett returned for a touchdown.

Huntley has played four games with one start this season, leading the Ravens to a victory over the Bears while subbing for the ill Jackson in Week 11.

The Ravens have a one-game lead in the AFC North.

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Carson Wentz says Matt Judon attacked his “ability to reproduce”



Colts quarterback Carson Wentz angrily confronted Patriots pass rusher Matt Judon during Saturday night’s game, for reasons that weren’t clear at the time. But Wentz said after the game that he had very good reasons to be upset.

Wentz said that Judon took a cheap shot at Wentz in the place where a man least wants to get a cheap shot.

“Don’t need to go into specifics, obviously, but when a man’s ability to reproduce is being in question and there’s some other extracurriculars, guys’ hands need to be at their sides,” Wentz said, via the Indianapolis Star. “Let’s just say that. When that happens, you can get pretty riled up.”

Wentz said it was as dirty a play as he’s seen.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever been that fired up on the football field,” Wentz said.

Judon claimed not to know what Wentz was so angry about.

“I don’t know,” Judon said. “Leave it out on the field. Carson’s a good guy. He got mad about something, who knows, and I guess that anger was directed towards me.”

Videos that have emerged so far do not show precisely what happened, but the NFL will likely scour all available footage to determine whether there is any cause for discipline.

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I'm as pro Minshew as they get and I think he can be a starter but, to me, the Eagles are still transitioning from personnel that favors Wentz and not Hurts. I'd keep developing him.

 

Its basically a qb award but but 2nd up is running backs and Taylor has got to be top 3 imho. Watt should be in the argument as well though I dont expect him to win. Btw if i was voting Taylor would be in my #1 spot.

 

Ben Roethlisberger leapfrogs Philip Rivers for No. 5 on the all-time passing yardage list



In his penultimate regular-season home game as the Pittsburgh starting quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger further cemented his Hall of Fame credentials.

With 148 passing yards in a 19-13 win over the Titans, Roethlisberger jumped over Philip Rivers for fifth-place on the all-time passing yardage list.

Roethlisberger now has 63,562 passing yards. He won’t get fourth place; Brett Favre holds it with 71,838.

It won’t take long for Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan to climb ahead of Roethlisberger. Ryan currently has 59,107 yards.

The guy with the best chance to pass all of them (if Tom Brady ever retires) is Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford. At only 33, he has 49,007 career yards.

Roethlisberger undoubtedly will end up in Canton. He has two Super Bowl wins, and the Steelers have never finished under .500 in his career.

 

I too would vote Taylor at this point. Put the Colts right on his back in that Pats win.

 

Baker Mayfield, Case Keenum won’t play Monday

Baker Mayfield was praying that he would test out of COVID-19 protocols in time to play against the Raiders on Monday, but those prayers have not been answered.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports that Mayfield’s test on Monday was neither negative nor showed a low enough viral load for him to return to the active roster. That was also the case for Case Keenum, so Nick Mullens is in line to start at quarterback at 5 p.m. ET.


As noted by Mike Florio on Sunday, the Browns were preparing for the game with the mindset that none of the players on the COVID-19 reserve list would be cleared to play and that any player who does get cleared would be seen as a bonus.

The only bonus that appears to be headed their way is safety John Johnson. The Browns announced his activation on Monday morning and also announced that they have elevated cornerback Brian Allen, running back John Kelly, cornerback Herb Miller, safety Jovante Moffatt, safety Tedric Thompson, guard Hjalte Froholdt, and defensive end Joe Jackson from the practice squad.

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Giants quarterback Daniel Jones has missed the last three games with a neck injury and he’s going to miss the next three as well.

The Giants placed Jones on injured reserve Monday, which rules him out for the rest of the year. Head coach Joe Judge has said that the team does not believe the injury will have a long-term impact on Jones and the team said the same in a statement announcing the move.

There are other things that could impact his long-term future with the club, however. A change at General Manager is expected and the team has not said anything official regarding a third season for Judge, who fell to 10-20 in his tenure after Sunday’s loss to the Cowboys. Such moves could lead to a new direction at quarterback, but those calls won’t be made for some time.

Jones was 232-of-361 for 2,428 yards, 10 touchdowns, and seven interceptions in his 11 starts this season. He also ran 62 times for 298 yards and two touchdowns.

Mike Glennon has started the last three games, all of which have been Giants losses, but Jake Fromm replaced him on Sunday and could take over as the team’s starter for this Sunday’s game against the Eagles.

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Lamar Jackson “getting better,” Ravens hopeful he’ll practice Wednesday



Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson did not play in Sunday’s loss to the Packers because of an ankle injury and his status for Week 16 is up in the air as well.

Head coach John Harbaugh said on Monday that Jackson’s ankle is “getting better” and that he is “hopeful” that Jackson will be able to practice on Wednesday. Jackson didn’t practice at all last week and Harbaugh said the team will take its time before making any final decisions about whether Jackson or Tyler Huntley is under center against the Bengals.


“It’s a good question but it’s hard to answer because there’s no definitive formula,” Harbaugh said, via the team’s website. “We’re going to have to see where we’re at with all factors. You take everything into account and see what you feel best about going forward. Practice time, health wise, all those things. That’s really all you can do.”

The matchup with the Bengals is a big one in the race for the AFC North title and the overall conference playoff picture, so any choice the Ravens make about their quarterback will have serious implications in whether or not they make it to the playoffs this year.

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