MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK

Bills QB Josh Allen says injured hand is 'fine' after win vs. Cardinals: 'I'm not a doctor'

Midway through the fourth quarter of Sunday's 34-28 win over Arizona, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen hurdled for a touchdown, got shoved by two Cardinals players, and landed hard on his left, non-throwing hand.

Allen had the injury heavily taped and remained in the game. After the contest, the signal-caller said he was "fine" before adding that he was waiting for further tests.

"Again, we'll find out -- I'm not quite sure," Allen said via ESPN's Alaina Getzenberg. "I'm not a doctor. But just kind of landed on it, I guess."

NFL.com
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Short week to heal and get ready as the Bills play the Dolphins Thursday night.

 

Caleb Williams happy with Bears' win despite debut struggles: 'I don't care about stats'

The conversation would have been entirely different had the Chicago Bears' defense and special teams not saved the day.

2024 No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams struggled in his NFL debut on Sunday, but the Bears used two non-offensive touchdowns to dig themselves out of a 17-point hole and win, 24-17. In spite of his own tough outing, Williams preferred to celebrate his first victory.

"Yeah, I don't care about stats. I feel great," he said. "To be honest with you, I feel great."

Earning a win deserves some mention. Since 1970, quarterbacks taken with the No. 1 overall pick had been 3-14-1 in Week 1 starts prior to Sunday. Williams became the first one of that fraternity to earn a victory in more than 20 years, joining David Carr (2002), John Elway (1983) and Jim Plunkett (1971).

To his credit, Williams didn't turn the ball over, which is what cost his counterpart, Titans QB Will Levis, dearly. Levis coughed it up three times -- with one of them ending in a Bears touchdown and the last one ending the game.

With the Bears starting 1-0, it's a lot easier to process Williams' meager first-game numbers. He completed 14 of 29 passes for 93 yards, overthrowing some open receivers and having at least three throws batted down at the line. According to Next Gen Stats, Williams was 0-of-7 passing on vertical shots.

It wasn't all Williams, clearly. The run game stalled early. The offensive line, which was rotating right guards throughout the game, wasn't in sync. Williams' receivers weren't perfect, either. Keenan Allen dropped a well-placed out route from Williams that should have been a touchdown; the Bears settled for a field goal.

"Obviously, we didn't perform how we wanted to (offensively)," Williams said. "We want to be the most efficient team out there, myself included. Didn't perform the way I wanted to. I missed a few passes that I normally don't miss. All these other things."

One of those other things was taking a 19-yard sack that knocked the Bears out of field-goal range in the first half. But Williams did make plays with his legs, escaping multiple pressures and scrambling three times for 17 yards before two end-game kneel downs. His 11-yard pickup on third-and-10 helped save a field-goal drive early in the fourth quarter, cutting the Titans' lead to 17-13.

Even with context, it was about as quiet a stat line as Williams has had in a football game. The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner lit up scoreboards at both Oklahoma and USC, throwing for 10,082 yards in 37 college games.

But when he was asked if he'd ever had as frustrating a game as this, Williams quickly recalled his experience at Notre Dame last year with USC. Williams threw for 199 yards on 37 attempts, threw three interceptions (he had only 14 total in college) and was held to minus-2 yards on 13 rushes, which included six sacks, taking a beating from the Irish defense.

"It was not too far down the road (from Chicago). I hate that you bring it up," Williams said jokingly. "But, no, (Sunday) was a frustrating game. But the most important thing is that – and it shows a bunch of the personality of this team, I would say -- the fight, the resiliency that we had."

Williams credited head coach Matt Eberflus' halftime speech for rallying the team and credited the defense and special teams for doing the heavy lifting in the victory. For his part, Eberflus said he never saw any panic in Williams – even at the depths of his struggles.

"I don't think there was any anxiety," Eberflus said. "He was calm, cool and collected the whole time. Never got frustrated. We always talk to him about the response you have of just hanging in there, because sometimes it can get rough on both sides. It can get rough.

"You've just got to hang in there. You've got to have that belief – the belief in the man next to you, belief in your teammates. It's not just about one guy. That's what I saw at halftime. They exhibited that in the second half."

Williams also appreciated the lack of finger-pointing when things were tough.

"We weren't shaming anybody," Williams said. "The defense was not getting on the offense, all these different things. It shows (Eberflus') personality, how much everybody believes in ourselves, the Chicago Bears. The defense believes in the offense, the offense believes in the defense, special teams and so forth.

"We're grateful and happy to get this win. Celebrating in the locker room, it was pretty cool, (my) first time celebrating in here."

NFL.com/Eric Edholm

 

Caleb Williams was just 14-of-29 for 93 yards on the day and said the post-game celebration included some reflection about what he needs to do in the future.

“I sat down, enjoyed the moment, just watching all the guys celebrate understanding that I need to be better, I will be better,” Williams said, via Josh Schrock of NBCSportsChicago.com. “Whether it’s a win or loss, you expect to play a certain way, you expect yourself to perform a certain way, to make passes, whether it’s just a routine pass or an insane kind of whatever the case may be kind of play itself. That didn’t happen today, so it’s enough motivation for me. We’re going to somebody else’s home this week and so it’s enough motivation for me to go out there and get better this week and make sure I perform differently next week.”

 

Since signing a four-year, $160 million contract with the Giants during the 2023 offseason, Jones has only won one game as a starting quarterback. He has thrown only two touchdown passes. And he has thrown three interceptions that were returned for touchdowns.

 

Aaron Rodgers: It will be sweet and emotional on Monday night

Aaron Rodgers’ return to the field is hours away.

The Jets quarterback tore his Achilles four snaps into the 2023 season and he acknowledged to Jeane Coakley of SNY that there were some thoughts that he might not be able to make it back at this point in his career. Rodgers feels ready to go physically, though, and he’s prepared to have some extra emotion as a result of his long road back when he takes the field against the 49ers

“My body feels good,” Rodgers said. “It was one of the tougher camps in the last few years with different challenges, but I practiced every day that they let me practice and I’m feeling really good. With all the ups and downs last year, there’s going to be a lot of appreciation for being able to be back on the field. There were definitely thoughts after it happened that it was going to be it, so to go back on the field will be a sweet and emotional moment for me.”

The Jets were able to win on Monday night in Week One last year despite Rodgers’s injury. They’ll be hoping for another win with Rodgers front and center through the whole game this time around.

 

At least he’s putting points on the board.

 

NFL reviewing Deshaun Watson complaint, no plan to put him on Exempt list

The NFL has made its first comment regarding the new lawsuit filed against Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson.

Watson is being sued for sexual assault and battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress in Houston for an alleged incident with a woman in 2020. The NFL previously declned to comment about whether Watson, who was suspended 11 games last season after facing similar allegations in more than 20 lawsuits, could be subject to new discipline Personal Conduct Policy.

On Tuesday, the league said it is looking into the latest Watson case.

“We are reviewing the complaint and we will look into the matter under the Personal Conduct Policy,” NFL vice president of communications Brian McCarthy said in a statement.

McCarthy added that there is no plan to put Watson on the Commissioner’s Exempt list as the review is just getting underway and Watson does not face criminal charges related to the allegation.

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The new lawsuit filed against Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson possibly — key word, possibly — sparks a chain of events that could culminate in the league suspending Watson, the Browns voiding his future guarantees, and the Browns releasing him.

If it were to happen before the start of the 2025 season, the Browns would avoid $92 million in currently guaranteed salary obligations.

That said, it would still come with a cost. Not in actual dollars but in cap dollars.

Watson’s contract eventually would trigger a total cap charge of $80.77 million. If he was released after June 1, 2025 (or designated as a post-June 1 release), the cap charge would be $26.935 million for 2025 and another $53.835 million for 2026.

It’s still better than paying Watson another $92 million (which also would hit the cap, in time), if they decide after this season that they’d welcome the chance to void the remaining guarantees.

None of this matters unless and until the league successfully suspends Watson for the new lawsuit. The NFL might not want to pick at a two-year-old scar.

Moreover, because a suspension would give the Browns a lifeline from the final two years of a potentially disastrous contract, the league might be more inclined to not help the Browns out of a fully-guaranteed contract that created plenty of consternation for the NFL — and that ultimately sparked a collusion grievance due to the refusal of teams to give other veteran quarterbacks fully-guaranteed deals.

PFT

 

Steelers preparing to start Justin Fields vs. Broncos in Week 2

Head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters in his Tuesday press conference that Russell Wilson is feeling better, but is still dealing with the effects of his calf injury. So, Fields is set to take the QB1 reps to begin the practice week.

“I just visited with [Wilson],” Tomlin said. “He feels better today than he did over the weekend. And so what that means, I don’t know as we sit here today. I know that we’re going to take the same approach we take with a lot of people in terms of injury. We’ll first start with his participation and his level of participation, his quality of participation.

“Over the course of the week, we’ll be analyzing whether he’s capable of protecting himself, whether he’s capable of being productive. When we get to those points, that’s when we’ll ponder his inclusion or not — and when that happens will probably be a component of that equation.”

Tomlin continued by noting what that means for Fields.

"[A]s I sit here today, we’re preparing as if Justin is going to be our quarterback,” Tomlin said. “I think that’s the appropriate way to do it. Speculation is a waste of time. Russell’s hurt, he’s not available to us. And so as you guys know, as a general practice, I focus my energy on those that are available and their readiness. Just saw Justin, he just finished a good workout here today and excited about maybe going through a complete week with him in terms of the preparation process. But, again, we’ll take it day by day.

“Russ is not scheduled to work in totality tomorrow. To what degree, I do not know. And then we’ll play it by ear from there based on the results and the things that we see, in terms of whether or not we consider him and to what degree we consider him.”

Fields completed 17-of-23 passes for 156 yards and rushed for 57 yards on 14 carries in his Steelers debut, an 18-10 victory over the Falcons.

The Steelers will be on the road again in Week 2 toffee the Broncos in Denver.

 

This was funny as hell. Herbert was totally shocked at his coaches pre-game pump-up... I bet he's ready next time.



Harbough might put Herbert on IR, lol.

 

Russell Wilson will be deliberate in his return: I’m getting closer but need to be smart

The Steelers put Russell Wilson through a “battery of movements” this week to assess where he is in his return from a calf injury he aggravated last Thursday. But while the quarterback said he’s getting “closer and closer” he does not sound confident about playing this week.

It’s no surprise as Wilson has not had a full practice since last Wednesday, the day before he aggravated his calf injury.

“I’m just trying to be smart,” Wilson said Thursday, via Brooke Pryor of ESPN. “Got to do a lot of work today on the field and everything else, throwing and all that, so just trying to be smart.”

Justin Fields started the season-opening win over the Falcons and appears poised to start again this week against the Broncos, Wilson’s former team.

Though Wilson wants and hopes to play, he said he is going to deliberate in his return and not come back until he’s 100 percent. The team’s medical staff will help him determine when the right time is to practice and play.

“Anybody who knows me, I always want to go and play and that’s how I get my mind ready, my body ready for that, to play,” Wilson said. “At the end of the day, I believe you got to play dinged-up sometimes. I think Coach, he’s also and the trainers just want to be smart, too, as well just because it’s early in the season. I think that if this is the last game of the season kind of thing or one of those kinds of games, we’re definitely going.

“I think right now I want to go, but we also, too, want to be smart, too, as well.”

Wilson originally injured his calf pushing a sled during the team’s conditioning test the day before training camp. He missed 10 practices while rehabbing.

Wilson played six series in the preseason, with the injury appearing to be behind him. But Wilson experienced tightness in last Thursday’s practice. He warmed up before the Falcons game, but it wasn’t good enough to play.

“I think when it happened in training camp, I was disappointed,” Wilson said. “I knew it was pretty strong, pretty good calf injury, and so that was disappointing. But we kept our head up, we worked our butts off every day in the training room. . . . We spent a lot of time just to kind of get ready, and so when I tweaked it again it was like, ‘OK, yeah, we got to be smart here and not crazy push it too bad. So, I think that was the frustrating part. Obviously, I want to be to be out there in between the white lines with our teammates.”

PFT/Williams

 

The first game action for Kirk Cousins since tearing his Achilles tendon raised plenty of questions about whether he has truly healed from the injury, surgery, and rehab.

Cousins addressed the concerns about his apparent unwillingness or inability to plant his right leg and drive the ball in a Thursday session with reporters.

“I feel good,” Cousins said, via Tori McElhaney of the team’s official website. “The Achilles feels good. I feel like I can move and push how I need to.”

Cousins added that he needs more live action in order to trust the leg. Based on Week 1, he wasn’t trusting it.

He wasn’t using his lower body the way he has. He was overcompensating, putting too much of his upper body into the throws. And he had less power and accuracy because of it.

The next test comes Monday night in Philadelphia, followed by a Sunday night home game against the Chiefs. Thus, whatever he does in the next two games, there will be no hiding it among a cluster of 1:00 p.m. ET games.

PFT

 

Packers QB Malik Willis admits he's 'in overdrive' as he prepares to face Colts in Week 2

In one desperate attempt to keep a final-minute play alive, Jordan Love suffered a knee injury that could potentially derail the Packers' lofty plans for 2024.

There's still plenty of optimism Love will be back soon. But as it currently stands, the job belongs to Malik Willis, a backup who joined Green Bay in August with just three starts under his belt in two NFL seasons.

He has just a week to prepare for his latest start -- and his first with the Packers.

"The reality is I just got here, so it's gonna be a little bit in overdrive," Willis said of preparing to face the Colts at Lambeau Field, via the team's official site. "It's been pretty much around the clock since I got here. You try to come in and be ready to go if you're called upon."

"He's got to communicate to us and let us know where he's at," Packers coach Matt LaFleur said of the week of preparation. "Certainly we'll go through it and comb it at the end of the week and probably 'X' out some things if he's not very comfortable with it, and star the things that he really likes.

"I'm confident that he'll tell me if he's uncomfortable with something."

Comfort will be a natural issue for a quarterback with only three starts under his belt. It's difficult for any signal-caller to adjust to the speed and complexity of the NFL game in such a short span of on-field experience. But Willis claims he's not the same quarterback he was in 2022.

"I've only played three games and I was a rookie, call it what you want to ... I wasn't ready yet," Willis said. "But I had to go in and I'm a different player than then.

"It's not about what you know, it's about what you can prove on the field. You know what I mean?"

Packers fans will learn what Willis means Sunday. They're hoping it means a happy ending.

in part/NFL.com

 

Jonathan Gannon: Kyler Murray “all good” despite being on injury report

You never want your starting quarterback to be on the injury report, but it doesn’t sound like there’s anything the Cardinals are worried about with Kyler Murray heading into this weekend’s game against the Rams.

Murray popped up on the injury report on Wednesday with a knee issue and he remained there on Thursday. Murray was a full participant in practice both days and that boded well for his outlook for Sunday.

That’s also the case for head coach Jonathan Gannon telling reporters at a Friday press conference that Murray is “all good” for the team’s Week Two game.

Full Cardinals injury designations will be released later on Friday, but there don’t appear to be any major injury concerns at any spot for the 0-1 team.

PFT

 

Kyler Murray’s perfect passer rating comes with a historic twist

Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray generated a perfect passer rating on Sunday. It came with a historic twist.

Murray, per the NFL, is only the second player in league history to generate a perfect passer rating while throwing for 250 or more yards and rushing for 50 or more yards.

It happened nearly 50 years ago, on November 3, 1974. Former Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson achieved those three distinctions in a 24-14 win at the Baltimore Colts.

Anderson, who won the NFL’s MVP award seven years later, completed 17 of 21 passes for 297 yards and three touchdowns. He added 62 yards on six carries.

On Sunday, Murray was also 17 of 21 for 266 yards and three touchdowns. He added 59 rushing yards on five attempts.

The passer rating, which has a maximum possible number of 158.3, is determined by four key components — completion percentage, yards per attempt, touchdown pass percentage, and interception percentage.

PFT

 

After Sunday’s loss to the Chargers, head coach Dave Canales was asked if he might bench quarterback Bryce Young and play Andy Dalton and replied, “Bryce is our quarterback.”

Canales has apparently changed his mind.

Per Tom Pelissero of NFL Media, the Panthers are benching Young to start Dalton — beginning with this week’s matchup against the Raiders.

Young, the No. 1 pick of the 2023 draft, has looked overmatched in his first two starts of the season. He has completed just 55.4 percent of his throws for 245 yards with three interceptions. His passer rating is 44.1 and he’s averaging just 4.4 yards per attempt.

Last season, Young finished 2-14 as a starter, having completed 59.8 percent of his throws for 2,877 yards with 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Coincidentally, Young did not play in last year’s Week 3 game either, as Dalton made his only start of 2023 against the Seahawks.

Dalton, 36, completed 58.6 percent of his throws for 361 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in three appearances for the Panthers last year. Back in 2022, Dalton finished with a 66.7 percent completion rate, throwing for 2,871 yards with 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions for the Saints.

A longtime starter for the Bengals, Dalton has amassed an 83-78-2 record.

PFT

 

NFL’s 2024 rookie quarterback class still doesn’t have a touchdown pass

The NFL had a historic draft for quarterbacks this year, with six of them taken in the top 12 picks. Through two weeks of the season, those rookie quarterbacks haven’t done much.

None of the NFL’s rookie quarterbacks has thrown a touchdown pass yet.

Chicago’s Caleb Williams, Washington’s Jayden Daniels and Denver’s Bo Nix have all started two games but failed to throw for a touchdown. New England’s Drake Maye and Atlanta’s Michael Penix are backups who haven’t played yet. Minnesota’s J.J. McCarthy is out for the season with a knee injury.

Daniels has the best numbers of the three starters, with a 75.5 percent completion rate, 410 yards and no interceptions. Nix has a 59.7 percent completion rate, 384 yards and four interceptions. Williams has a 56.1 percent completion rate, 267 yards and two interceptions.

Two games is far too little to draw any conclusions about the rookies’ long-term prospects. But it would be nice to see one of them throw a touchdown pass soon.

PFT/Smith

 

PITTSBURGH -- For the third week in a row, the Steelers are readying for Justin Fields to start at quarterback Sunday as Russell Wilson continues to work through a lingering calf injury.

"We're kind of in the same posture as we were in last week with Russ," Tomlin said Tuesday. "As I sit here today, Russ is not scheduled to be a full participant in practice [Wednesday], and so we're readying a plan that features Justin and his readiness."

ESPN

 

I'm not sure if this is just a coincidence that two consecutive posts are discussing the current and former Bears QB?

Regardless, articles about rookies and their lack of "success" are ridiculous. In a perfect world, a rookie wouldn't start a game until at least midway through their first year. If for no other reason than to learn the difference in how a game is managed from college to pros. They don't get that in preseason. I think it would set up all rookies for more success. I do think it would have less impact on the defensive side of the ball, but I still think it would be beneficial. If I were a coach, I wouldn't let a rookie start, I would rotate them in the first 8 games to get experience, bring them back off the field to absorb what is happening in game, then if they are ready, unleash them fully in the second half of the season. They already are not used to playing in 17 games of a season. Having them gear up their playing time would make their first year more successful and set them up with the knowledge of what is needed in the off season to ready themselves for a full season ahead.

Now, that being said... All Caleb Williams has to do is start 10 games and score more than 7 TDs to surpass Fields rookie year. IF Fields starts to play consistently and keeps Wilson on the bench, then we can start having conversations about the move by the Bears. As of right now, Fields wasn't even supposed to play at this point... his current state of play doesn't light a fire of certainty either. He's starting out of necessity. BUT... the Steelers are winning, in part to the fact that Fields hasn't been making mistakes that cost the team.

These kids might or might not have a long career ahead of them, but articles about their lack of success 2 weeks in is a little negative imho.

 

Might be negative, I'll agree, but to the authors cred he did say 2 games in is "far too little to draw any conclusions about the rookies’ long-term prospects."

In Chicago, they basically threw the standard protocol away because they really had to make Caleb Williams the starter right from the beginning... not much of a choice and I will admit they are baptizing him with fire. Huge expectations right from the get-go with no wiggle room or growth period to get into the NFL gel which is imo, apples n oranges from the college level.

Penix Jr and McCarthy dont even belong in the authors conversation either... cant throw TD's from the sidelines, lol.

Nix and Daniels sure could use some maturation, but the HC's for those two clubs decided to go against the grain and their vets for the young-guns. They might land up eating those decisions as imo, you can ruin a young and brash QB quickly or at least kill his confidence to the point where he thinks he has to carry the football team when it shouldnt have to be that way.

There were some vets still on the FA list those clubs could have utilized, but they thought not too, another case where if this works out you look like a genius, if it fails, you can ruin said QB and look pretty dumb.

Bottom-line for me, 2 games in... lets wait and see... but over-all I can get onboard with what you said. The author was a bit wide in his statement that by seemingly being critical, but then left himself an 'out' towards the end. He had to write something so he could get paid.

 

Big Ben, outstanding in his field had something to say about Fields...

Former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger says that Justin Fields, not Russell Wilson, should be the starting quarterback in Pittsburgh — even if Wilson is cleared to return from his calf injury.

Roethlisberger said on his podcast that the Steelers have played well enough with Fields starting the first two games that there’s no reason to make a change.

“I like what I’ve seen, I like that he’s getting into it, I like that he’s getting the feel of it,” Roethlisberger said of Fields. “If you told me they were 1-1 or 0-2 and these are going on, I’d think they’d have to do something, but again, he’s not turning the ball over, they’re 2-0. Big test this week with the Chargers coming to town. To me, if Russ is healthy, I’m sticking with Justin. I said it last week I wouldn’t, but what I saw [in Week Two]. I think that he has earned and deserves the right to stay there.”

Roethlisberger said coach Mike Tomlin could still make a change, but he compared it to his own first season in Pittsburgh, when Tommy Maddox started the first two games but was injured, and Roethlisberger kept the starting job because the Steelers kept winning with him.

“You could still change it up now. Mike could go back to Russ. It’s only two games in,” Roethlisberger said. “That’s how I first got in, Tommy hurt his elbow and it wasn’t a season-ender, but we hadn’t lost, and once you get into a rhythm and you get good things going, you don’t want to mess that up. . . . I didn’t always put up big numbers, but I prided myself on getting wins, and that’s what you’re supposed to do as a quarterback: You’re supposed to win football games.”

Roethlisberger said Fields is similar.

“Justin’s stats, nothing crazy, 117 yards, are you impressed? Probably not. You know what I’m impressed with? No turnovers. I’m impressed with efficiency. I thought he ran the ball when he had to, he did some really good things,” Roethlisberger said.

As long as the Steelers keep winning, it’s doubtful that Wilson is getting on the field. And Roethlisberger doesn’t think he should.

PFT/Michael David Smith