NFL - NEWS & NOTES

Damontae Kazee is out for the rest of the year with suspension (including playoffs if Steelers make it) over his hit against the Colts, Michael Pittman. Kazee has 61 total tackles with three passes defensed, two fumble recoveries, and two interceptions in 14 games this season. He can appeal and reports are in that he will.

 

MNF Eagles 10-3 @ Seahawks 6-7

1. What is the Seahawks’ quarterback situation? Eagles in flux, too. Geno Smith missed last week’s game due a groin injury suffered in practice, and is considered questionable to play after practicing only in a limited capacity this week. He’s said he’s felt better as the days go on, but will the rest and extra day be enough for him to make it back on the field on Monday? And if he does return to play, will he be at 100 percent, or will he be hampered by lingering issues? Smith was already playing through a triceps/elbow injury on his throwing arm, but last week’s game was the first he missed due to injury, resulting in the Seahawks starting backup Drew Lock. Lock was serviceable in his appearance, going 22-of-31 passing for 269 yards and two touchdowns, but he also had two bad interceptions late in the game that ended any chance of a comeback. Whether Seattle will have to turn to Lock once again, or whether Geno will play -- and to what extent he’ll be at full strength -- will play a huge part in the Seahawks’ chances of pulling off the upset. The Eagles suddenly have their own questions at the position after was a late add to the injury report due to a weekend illness. Hurts officially is questionable for MNF and his status will be one to watch was we approach kickoff.
2. The Eagles have to get back on track. Philly had been one of the more consistently strong offenses this season and ranked within the top-10 in yards and points per game through 12 weeks. But in the losses to the 49ers and Cowboys, the Eagles offense stalled out, including failing to score an offensive touchdown last week versus Dallas. Hurts is in the midst of a four-game streak of outings with a passer rating below 100.0. The run game averaged 20.5 carries and 76.0 rush yards per game over their last two contests, down from averaging 31.7 carries and 133.3 rush yards in Weeks 1-12. If the Eagles want to get right with a likely playoff run approaching, those numbers have to get back to what they were earlier in the year. In this quest, it’ll help that the Eagles will be facing a Seahawks defense that has struggled as a unit in defending both the pass and the run. Seattle ranks 23rd in rush yards allowed per game and 25th in pass yards, giving Philadelphia an ideal matchup to get back on track, if they can capitalize.
3. A possible matchup between Defensive ROY candidates. On Day 1 of this year’s NFL draft in April, the Eagles and Seahawks each selected a defensive player with their first pick of the night, and both have proven to be well-chosen picks thus far. Seattle drafted cornerback Devon Witherspoon with the No. 5 overall pick, and the rookie has been impressive in his debut season, ranking up 65 tackles, three sacks, 16 pass breakups (third in the league) and one interception that he returned for a 97-yard touchdown. He is currently projected as one of the leading candidates for earning Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, alongside the Eagles’ first-round selection. Defensive tackle Jalen Carter, picked No. 9 overall, already has four sacks, two forced fumbles and 27 tackles, and he had a fumble recovery last week for Philadelphia’s lone touchdown on a scoop-and-score. He’ll be on the field this Monday, but Witherspoon’s status is more in the air. The cornerback left last week’s loss after only seven snaps due to a hip pointer injury and is questionable after not practicing all week. But the Seahawks have said they’re hopeful he’ll be available versus the Eagles, and if he is, fans will be able to watch two of the best defensive rookies of this year’s class on the same field. Which one will be able to further their Rookie of the Year case with their performance?
4. Will Philly’s defense find its footing? The Eagles defense gave up 30-plus points in each of its last two losses, allowing both Brock Purdy and Dak Prescott to throw for multiple touchdowns. And Philly’s woeful pass defense -- 28th in yards per game allowed -- could be in for another rough day if it lets the Seahawks WRs get going on Monday. While Seattle ranks 15th overall in pass yards per game, the trio of DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba have the potential to be explosive, especially if Geno Smith is back on the field throwing to them. Of special note in this matchup is Eagles defensive coordinator Sean Desai’s return to Seattle, where he spent last season as an associate defensive coach before being hired by Philadelphia. He should be familiar with at least Metcalf and Lockett from seeing them in practice, and it could be interesting to see how his current unit stacks up against his former team.

NFL.com

 

Monday Night Football: Drew Lock, Seahawks stun Eagles 20-17 with last-minute drive



Geno Smith watched from the sideline as Drew Lock led the Seahawks to an improbable 20-17 victory over the Eagles.

The Seahawks improved to 7-7 in ending a four-game losing streak, while the Eagles lost their third consecutive game in falling to 10-4 and back into a tie with the Cowboys in the NFC East.

Seattle took over at its own 8 with 1:52 remaining and its season on the line. DK Metcalf made catches of 18, 5 and 34 yards, two of them highlight-reel receptions, on the game-winning drive.

The Seahawks took their first lead of the game with 28 seconds remaining on Lock’s 29-yard throw to rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who caught the back half of the ball and held on.

They held on with Julian Love’s second interception of the fourth quarter. He picked Jalen Hurts at the Seattle 17 on a pass intended for A.J. Brown. Replay upheld the ruling on the field.

It was Lock’s fourth career game-winning drive and came in his second career start for the Seahawks.

Lock, who didn’t know for certain whether he was playing with Smith questionable with a groin injury, finished 22-of-33 for 208 yards and a touchdown. Metcalf had five catches for 78 yards, and Ken Walker had 86 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries and 26 yards on three receptions.

It was a painful loss for the Eagles, who opened the game with a touchdown drive but managed only 10 points the rest of the way.

Hurts, who was playing despite flu-like symptoms, scored two rushing touchdowns, tying Cam Newton for the most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in a single season with 14. But he also threw two interceptions, his 11th and 12th of the season, and he now has 17 turnovers on the season.

Hurts rushed for 82 yards on 13 carries and completed 17 of 31 passes for 143 yards. D’Andre Swift rushed for 74 yards on 18 carries.

The Eagles defense, playing for the first time with Matt Patricia as the playcaller, gave up 297 yards but 92 came on Seattle’s game-winning drive in the final two minutes. The drive took only 10 plays and 1:24.

NBC

 

Report: Ja’Marr Chase will miss time with a separated shoulder

The hits keep coming for the Bengals, who have managed to stay in playoff contention without quarterback Joe Burrow.

Now, they will have to try to do it without star receiver Ja’Marr Chase.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that Chase separated his shoulder Saturday, which will keep Chase out for at least Sunday’s game against the Steelers if not longer.

On Sunday, Bengals coach Zac Taylor called Chase day to day.

Chase, though, appears to be week to week.

He played 50 of 70 snaps, leaving after a 24-yard reception with 10:33 left in the game.

Chase has 93 catches for 1,156 yards and seven touchdowns this season.

The Bengals will lean on Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd as their top options without Chase, with Trenton Irwin, Andrei Iosivas and Charlie Jones also available.

The Bengals have won three in a row with Jake Browning at quarterback after a 16-10 loss to the Steelers with Browning in his first start at quarterback in Week 12.

PFT

 

Drew Lock's TD pass to Njigba was a thing of beauty. Might have been Locks best pass in his entire life and Njigba hauled it in on a great play on his part too.

 

Jacksonville and Philadelphia apparently want no part of this.

 

The Vikings better bring there A-game looks like we're going to WAR games within the division are Tough which Vikings team will show up?, Monday Night Football what a devastating ĺoss that was for the Eagles

 

Lions’ Sam LaPorta is first rookie tight end ever with 70 catches, 700 yards, 7 TDs

Detroit’s Sam LaPorta is having a rookie season like no other tight end ever.

With three games remaining in the regular season, LaPorta has 71 catches for 758 yards and nine touchdowns. That makes him the first rookie tight end in NFL history to reach 70 catches, 700 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns.

LaPorta is third in NFL history for catches by a rookie tight end, trailing Keith Jackson with the 1988 Eagles and Jeremy Shockey for the 2002 Giants. He’s also third in NFL history in touchdown catches by a rookie tight end, trailing Mike Ditka of the 1961 Bears and Rob Gronkowski of the 2010 Patriots. LaPorta has a chance to be first in both those categories by the end of the season.

As the 34th overall pick in this year’s draft, LaPorta looks like a steal, and a big part of why the Lions are poised to win the NFC North.

NBC

 

I"v been checking him out plus he's on my fantasy team

 

Hope he has a dismal day vs the Vikings. Seriously, he is the real deal.

 

***NOTES***

This was always our opening song back in the band days. "always drunk on Sundays" is a key lyric for me. Has to be as a Vikings fan.

 

I want him to have a so so game against the Vikings

 

1) Carr looks to attack vulnerable Rams secondary. Carr is coming off arguably his best game as a Saint and has played solid ball since midseason. He's rarely had all of his weapons at his disposal this season, but the Saints are starting to put together a more complete group offensively, and, last week, Carr hit tight ends Juwan Johnson and Jimmy Graham for touchdowns, along with wideout Keith Kirkwood for his first TD in five years. Chris Olave, who missed last week, will return from an ankle injury and Rashid Shaheed is back to form, so the Saints should be able to attack all parts of the field. The Rams have only eight interceptions this season, but half of those have come in the past five games. Cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon has been excellent this season, and though he left last week's game with a groin injury, he has no injury designation. The bigger worry might be at the other outside CB spot. Derion Kendrick was flagged twice late and allowed six catches on seven targets for a career-high 134 yards and a touchdown against Washington last week, struggling in man coverage. The Rams' pass rush can help alleviate some of that. Aaron Donald has generated at least four pressures in five consecutive games, and rookie Byron Young has been a pleasant surprise heating up on the edges. The Saints have had trouble pass blocking, but if Carr has time, he might have chances to hit some big plays.

2) Stafford heating up, but Saints' strong secondary awaits. Don't look now, but Stafford is turning back the clock with a strong season at age 35. Since returning from a thumb injury, he has played his best ball down the stretch, with a 12-1 TD-INT ratio in his past four games. The return of Cooper Kupp has been a big boon, as he's logged consecutive 100-yard receiving games and has scored in three straight. Puka Nacua hasn't faded, but he's taken on more of a complementary role in recent games. Even still, this duo is cooking, and Demarcus Robinson has stepped up as a legitimate No. 3 option in recent weeks. That, plus the return of tight end Tyler Higbee and the breakout of fifth-round pick Davis Allen, and the Rams have myriad options in the passing game. The Saints are a heavy press-man defense, and the secondary by and large has done a good job this season. Corners Paulson Adebo, Alontae Taylor and Isaac Yiadom have held up well in coverage, and Tyrann Mathieu has been a playmaker. The Saints tend to generate more pressure than their 25th-best sack rate (6.56%) would suggest, but Stafford has been great versus pressure in the Rams' 4-1 streak, with a league-high -0.03 EPA on pressured dropbacks in that span.

3) Alvin Kamara is Saints' best weapon, but Rams will be ready. Kamara has zero 100-yard rushing or receiving games this season. Yet since his return from a three-game suspension to start the season, Kamara has been a model of consistency for a sometimes offensively starved Saints team, averaging 97.8 yards from scrimmage per game and leading all NFL backs in targets (78) and receptions (68) despite missing three games. He's had only one game in 2023 with fewer than 70 total yards and hasn't fumbled all season. The Saints have worked Jamaal Williams into the RB rotation since his return, but Kamara has been the workhorse. The Rams struggled to contain similar playmakers in Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel against the 49ers in Week 2 and had some issues containing D’Andre Swift in Week 5, but by and large they've contained dual-threat backs pretty nicely this season. The Rams deploy a lot of five-man fronts, and linebacker Ernest Jones has been good in coverage underneath this season. The Saints also feature another multi-use tool in Taysom Hill, who can run, throw and catch. He was mostly a decoy against the Giants on Sunday but has four double-digit-touch games.

4) Kyren Williams has spurred Rams' offense, but ball-security questions have arisen. Williams ran for a touchdown and 152 yards on Sunday, coming up seven yards shy of a career high. That raised his league-leading rushing average up to 95.3 yards per game, as Williams has caught fire since October -- even while missing four games with a high ankle sprain. But Sunday also was a tough day for Williams early on, as he lost two fumbles in the first half, both deep in Washington territory. Sean McVay showed trust in Williams, who had only one fumble in his first 19 NFL games, by giving him 15 second-half carries. But the Rams can't afford to cough up scoring opportunities in this key game like they did against the Commanders. This is actually a good matchup for Williams, as the Saints' run defense has taken it on the chin at times, especially since midseason. The Saints have allowed the fourth-most yards to running backs before contact per carry (2.0) in the NFL this season, and Williams ranks third in the league in yards before contact per carry (2.0). The Saints' run defenders just aren't making enough disrupting plays in the backfield, and the Rams quietly have been an able run-blocking operation. McVay knows Williams is a difference maker, and his post-fumble trust in the second-year back suggests the coach viewed Sunday's first-half errors as aberrations rather than a worrisome trend.

NFL.com

 

Chargers edge rusher Joey Bosa is set to get back on the practice field.

The Chargers announced on Thursday that Bosa has been designated for return from injured reserve. The move gives him the ability to practice for the rest of the season and he could be activated to play in any of the Chargers’ remaining games.

Bosa injured his foot in Week 11 and has missed the team’s last four games. He had 20 tackles, 6.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in nine appearances before his injury.

The Chargers host the Bills on Saturday night and it seems unlikely that Bosa will be activated ahead of that game.

 

Thursday Night Football: Rams improve to 8-7 with 30-22 victory over Saints

The Rams entered Thursday’s game needing a victory to keep pace in a crowded NFC Wild Card race.

In a similar fashion to Sunday’s win over the Commanders, things got interesting in the fourth quarter. But the Rams were able to hold on and come away with a 30-22 victory.

With the rest of the Christmas weekend slate yet to come, that puts the Rams as the NFC’s current No. 6 seed.

L.A. scored on each of its first two possessions, with Puka Nacua catching a 2-yard touchdown to cap a 14-play, 95-yard drive. Then Lucas Havrisik hit a 20-yard field goal to make the score 10-0.

The Rams could have been up 13-0, but Havrisik sent a 47-yard field goal wide left.

New Orleans took advantage of the short field, with quarterback Derek Carr firing a 45-yard touchdown deep down the middle to Rasheed Shaheed with 2:28 left in the first half.

But even after forcing a rare Rams three-and-out, the Saints couldn’t get down the field to score again, with Carr throwing a pass that was well incomplete on fourth-and-5.

Matthew Stafford and the L.A. offense took advantage of their next opportunity, with the quarterback connecting with Demarcus Robinson for a 4-yard touchdown to give the Rams a 17-7 halftime lead.

After Havrisik hit a 22-yard field goal, running back Kyren Williams scored a 10-yard touchdown after a Carr interception to give Los Angeles a 27-7 advantage. Havrisik hit another 32-yard field goal to give the Rams 20 straight points.

The Saints cut off the points streak with Juwan Johnson’s 5-yard touchdown reception with 6:33 left in the fourth quarter. And a tipped punt on Los Angeles’ next possession gave New Orleans the ball at the L.A. 35.

New Orleans didn’t take long to score, with a 35-yard touchdown pass from Carr to A.T. Perry plus a two-point conversion putting the Saints down by eight.

But with just 3:53 left and the Saints without a timeout, the visitors attempted an onside kick. Nacua recovered it to give the Rams the opportunity to close the game.

They did just that, with Nacua securing a first down on a jet sweep. And after the two-minute warning, a New Orleans neutral-zone infraction kept the clock moving long enough for Stafford to take a knee and end the game.

Stafford threw to just four receivers on the night in Nacua, Robinson, Kupp, and Higbee. But the quarterback had another stellar game, finishing 24-of-34 for 328 yards with a pair of touchdowns — good for a 120.7 passer rating.

Nacua continued his sensational rookie season with nine receptions on 11 targets for 164 yards — including a massive 41-yard reception to start the third quarter that he caught off a defender’s arm. He also had two carries for 16 yards. Robinson finished with six catches for 82 yards, scoring a touchdown in his fourth consecutive game.

Williams finished with 22 carries for 104 yards, going over 1,000 yards on the season in the process.

On the other side, the Saints had trouble running it all night with Alvin Kamara finishing with just nine carries for 19 yards. Carr was 27-of-40 for 319 yards with three touchdowns and an interception.

After missing last Sunday’s win over the Giants, Chris Olave caught nine passes for 123 yards.

The Rams have now won five of their six games following their Week 10 bye to move to 8-7 on the season. Their only loss came in overtime against Baltimore in Week 14. The club will head East to face the Giants in New Jersey next weekend before finishing the season in the Bay Area against the 49ers.

New Orleans was tied for the NFC South lead at 7-7 entering Week 16, but now the team sits at 7-8 with two games to go. The Saints will be on the road to face the Buccaneers in Week 17 before finishing the season at home against the Falcons.

 

Well. My season just came to an end last night. No playoffs again.

♫ It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas ♫

 

NFL fines Falcons, Arthur Smith for failing to disclose Bijan Robinson illness in Week 7

The NFL has fined the Falcons and head coach Arthur Smith for violating the league’s injury reporting policy in Week Seven, when Bijan Robinson’s illness was not properly disclosed.

The league fined the Falcons as a team $75,000 and Smith individually $25,000.

Robinson played just 11 snaps in the Week Seven game against the Buccaneers and touched the ball only once. Robinson said afterward that he hadn’t been feeling well that day or the day before, and yet the Falcons hadn’t added Robinson to the injury report with an illness, which is what they should have done.

The NFL requires teams to be transparent about players’ injuries and illnesses both to prevent teams from gaining a competitive advantage over opponents who don’t have the information, and to prevent inside information from becoming valuable currency for gamblers.

Fans who made prop bets based on Robinson’s performance surely felt ripped off when Robinson only got the ball once. As the NFL embraces gambling more than it ever has before, it also needs to demand transparency. That lack of transparency is why the Falcons were fined today.

NBC