MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK

The Colts surprised a lot of people outside their building this week when head coach Frank Reich announced Sam Ehlinger would replace Matt Ryan as the club’s starting quarterback on Monday.

But that choice was unexpected for at least some inside the building, too.


Veteran center Ryan Kelly, for instance, did not seem to be the most enthusiastic about the move when speaking to reporters on Wednesday.

“Everybody’s got their own opinions about it,” Kelly said, via Stephen Holder of ESPN. “I’m not going to get into mine, but certainly, I think everybody’s a little bit surprised. So it is what it is.”

A first-round pick in 2016, Kelly has been there for all the QB changes of the Frank Reich era — from Andrew Luck, to Jacoby Brissett, to Philip Rivers, to Carson Wentz, to Ryan, and now to Ehlinger. So, it’s understandable if Kelly is perhaps a bit jaded.

But even as Ehlinger is more mobile than Ryan at this point in their respective careers, Ehlinger is going to need all the support he can get from the offensive linemen as he begins his tenure as Indianapolis’ QB1.

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Nathaniel Hackett: Russell Wilson set to start on Sunday



Russell Wilson is indeed ready to rock.

Via multiple reporters, Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett said after Friday’s practice in London that, barring any setbacks, Wilson will start at quarterback against the Jaguars on Sunday.


Hackett noted that Wilson was a full participant in the last session of the week. Wilson was limited on Wednesday and Thursday.

Hackett also said there was some thought to holding Wilson out on Sunday given that the Broncos have their bye next week to give him extra time to heal. But that apparently wasn’t given too much consideration.

“You talk to Russ and mention that, it’s not a great discussion,” Hackett said, via Mike Klis of KUSA. “But in the end, if he can go, we want him to be able to play.”

Wilson missed last week’s game against the Jets after suffering the hamstring injury late in the Week Six overtime loss to the Chargers.

In his first season with the Broncos, Wilson has completed 58.6 percent of his passes for 1,442 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions.

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Titans QB Ryan Tannehill (ankle/illness) will be questionable vs. Texans

Ryan Tannehill is questionable to play Sunday against the Houston Texans, Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel announced Friday.

The quarterback missed practices on Wednesday and Friday. Tannehill was listed as limited on Thursday.

Vrabel noted the team would wait as long as necessary before making a firm decision on Tannehill's availability.

The signal-caller injured his ankle in the Titans' Week 7 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Tannehill missed one snap and returned to the game with a heavily taped ankle. On Friday, the Titans QB was listed with an illness, as well.

If Tannehill can't play in Week 8, rookie Malik Willis would be in line to make his first start. Willis appeared in mop-up duty in Week 2, completing 1 of 4 passes in the blowout loss to Buffalo. The rookie has taken most of the reps in practice this week with Tannehill injured.

Regardless of who is under center, expect the Titans to saddle up Derrick Henry for a large workload against a Texans defense that has been gashed on the ground this season, ranking last in the NFL against the run.

Star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons is also questionable for Sunday. Outside linebacker Rashad Weaver and fullback Tory Carter are ruled out.

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He is now listed officially as out.

 

Is Willis getting the start? I would love to watch if he’s going.

 

He is

 

Patrick Mahomes calls PJ Walker’s TD ‘best throw of the year’



There are very few, if any, human beings that’ve mastered the art of chucking a football like Kansas City Chiefs superstar Patrick Mahomes has. So if he says a throw it’s good, it’s good.

On Sunday, 2018’s Most Valuable Player and Super Bowl LIV champion heaped some heavy praise upon Carolina Panthers quarterback PJ Walker—who connected with wide receiver DJ Moore for a miraculous 62-yard touchdown pass in Week 8. And not only did Mahomes infer that it was good, he said that it was the best all season.

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Zach Wilson's meltdown vs. Patriots raises questions about long-term future as Jets' franchise QB

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The New England Patriots came into Sunday's game with a quarterback problem. The New York Jets exited with one.

With a chance to break the stranglehold the Patriots have over this rivalry, Jets quarterback Zach Wilson -- the quarterback who was not involved in a quarterback controversy entering the game -- choked it away with a three-interception performance that sent the Jets skidding to a 22-17 loss and raised questions about his long-term future as the team's franchise quarterback.

This is not the same old Jets, despite losing the 13th consecutive game to the Patriots, a streak dating back to 2016. It's not even the same Jets from last year -- that team got blown out by the Patriots in a game that players and coaches talked openly last week about hoping to avenge. These Jets have a defense that largely stifled the Patriots, limiting them to five field goals and a lone touchdown. And until rookie running back Breece Hall and offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker suffered season-ending injuries last week, this was a team that could run the ball so effectively, it could shield Wilson's game from further scrutiny. The Jets were winning in spite of Wilson, not because of him, but they were winning nonetheless, so the single touchdown pass Wilson threw during the four-game winning streak since his return from injury could be looked at as an inconsequential blip, explained away by the Jets as Wilson doing what he was asked.

But with Hall out and newly acquired James Robinson not yet fully up to speed, the Jets ran the ball just 15 times for 51 yards, and that exposed an alarming reality: Wilson is struggling, susceptible to the kind of poor decision making you might expect of a rookie -- two of the interceptions were bad decisions -- and still incapable of the kind of consistent play that is required when a game is placed in his hands, as this game was with 41 pass attempts. It shouldn't be again for a while.

"He's got to play better," said coach Robert Saleh. "We've got to find ways to help him."

For starters, the Jets have to get back to what made them 5-3 and in second place in the AFC East. They have to figure out how to run the ball, to get their rushers the ball in space. And they have to do it quickly, because the Jets are still a viable playoff contender. But with a game against the Buffalo Bills next week, and a rematch with the Patriots after the Week 10 bye, the Jets can't afford to let Wilson's growing pains -- if that is still what this is, which Saleh seemed to suggest -- undermine the season.


Asked how the Jets can balance waiting for Wilson to grow with the urgency of the possibilities of this season, Saleh paused for a few moments before answering.

"We've just got to rally around him," Saleh said. "As coaches, we've got to figure out how to make it not necessarily simpler, but help him continue to progress and evolve. He's still a young man. Playing quarterback in this league is not easy. Collectively, we've got to do better for him. Obviously, he's got to be able to do what he did the last four weeks in terms of doing the simple stuff and not putting too much pressure on yourself to do more than you need to."

At the start of the summer, Saleh and Jets players talked about how Wilson was taking more of a leadership role, about how he was more vocal in the huddle. But then he was hurt, and he missed the start of the season. His play since his return has been mostly mixed. In his first game back, he led two touchdown drives in the fourth quarter to help the Jets to a come-from-behind victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The hope was that the sophomore leap the Jets anticipated had come to fruition. In the three weeks prior to Sunday, Wilson wasn't the problem, but he also wasn't the solution. He threw no interceptions in the previous three games, but also did not throw a touchdown pass. But Sunday's meltdown -- which included one interception when Wilson was trying to throw the ball away, and another when he was pressing to try to make a play -- came in the biggest game of the Jets' season so far, against a hated rival, with a chance to make a leap not just in the standings, but in the psychological warfare with the Patriots.

Wilson admitted Sunday that it is frustrating for him to get flushed from the pocket -- where he also made some of his best passes of the day -- and to constantly have to throw it away. It gets old, he said, to not see anything open in those situations. But he said this type of game would not hurt the team's confidence and, at times, he seemed nearly defiant. He was asked about his trajectory and the second-year leap and he responded that he didn't care about stats.

"Regardless of what it looks like, I feel like each game I'm learning and getting better," Wilson said. "There's always plays I'm going to want back. Always things that happen and you wonder, 'why did I just do that?' It's part of football."

It is. But it is a part that the Jets cannot afford right now. There were certainly other things that contributed to this loss, most glaringly a roughing the passer penalty on defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers that negated an 84-yard interception return for a touchdown on what was a terrible throw by Mac Jones. Saleh guessed that overall the penalty led to a 10-point swing, maybe 17 points. The pass protection for Wilson was shaky and he faced relentless pressure, especially in the second half.

But Wilson was the second overall pick last year because the Jets believed he was talented enough to handle adversity and elevate the Jets past it, to be the solution to the problems. Instead, Wilson was the problem, and it is one that there might not be an easy answer for. The Jets have time before they have to decide if Wilson is the long-term solution at quarterback and, ironically, the Patriots might still have to make that decision about Jones, too.

More pressing for the Jets is whether Wilson is still the solution right now, with the season on the line and a playoff berth entirely within reach.


"He can't lose his confidence," Saleh said. "We've got to figure out a way to help him. At the same time, there's self-inflicted wounds. It wasn't anything they did. Football is hard enough. It's when you make mistakes that are self-inflicted that makes it impossible. He's going to figure it out."

These are not the same old Jets. To avoid the same old results, he must.

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P.J. Walker to start for Panthers again this week



Panthers quarterback P.J. Walker is remaining the starter for at least another week.

Carolina interim head coach Steve Wilks confirmed today that Walker will get the start on Sunday at Cincinnati.


Although the Panthers have invested significant resources into trading for Baker Mayfield this year and Sam Darnold last year, Walker has been their most successful quarterback the last two seasons. It’s unsurprising that Wilks is sticking with him.

Mayfield was the backup to Walker on Sunday, and Wilks made a point of praising the professionalism Mayfield has shown in supporting Walker.

Darnold is currently on injured reserve but has returned to practice and is apparently healthy enough to play.

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Zach Wilson‘s three interceptions on Sunday were a big factor in the team’s 22-17 loss to the Patriots and head coach Robert Saleh was succinct in his analysis of the quarterback’s play in a postgame press conference.

Saleh said Wilson “has to play better” before adding that he continues to have faith that Wilson will do that in the future. On Monday, veteran linebacker C.J. Mosley said that Saleh has plenty of company in the organization when it comes to that stance.


“Everybody in the building has got his back,” Mosley said, via Al Iannazzone of Newsday.

Wilson didn’t light the world on fire in his first four starts after returning from a preseason knee injury, but, for the most part, he avoided the kinds of mistakes that marred his outing against the Patriots. Other teams are likely to borrow the Patriots’ approach and make Wilson throw as much as possible, so he’ll need to show that support is well-placed for the team to build on its 5-3 start.

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Titans QB Malik Willis on 10-attempt debut: 'If they can't stop the run, why would we not run it?'

Rookie quarterback Malik Willis made his first career start on Sunday but wasn't asked to do much, attempting just 10 passes as the Tennessee Titans bulldozed their way for a 17-10 victory over the Houston Texans.

Behind Derrick Henry's dominant performance, the Texans gobbled up 314 rushing yards to just 40 net passing yards.

"If they can't stop the run, why would we not run it?" Willis said. "More than anything, we're not out here to try to throw for 300 every game or try to run for 300 every game. We're out here trying to find ways to win games. That's all."

With the rookie under center, predictably, Henry was the workhorse. The running back rushed for 219 yards on 32 carries (6.8 yards per) with two touchdowns. Henry posted his sixth 200-yard rushing performance, tying him with Adrian Peterson and O.J. Simpson for most in NFL history. With his two TDs, Henry also became the Titans' all-time leader in rushing scores.

The Titans didn't need Willis to throw to win. The QB went 6-of-10 passing for 55 yards and an INT. He attempted just one pass, an incompletion, in the second half. The third-round pick added just five carries for 12 yards, including the game-ending kneel-down.

"Malik, first NFL start on the road, crowd noise, all those things," coach Mike Vrabel said. "We tried what we felt like gave us the best chance to win the football game. That is going to change each and every week."

In his few attempts, Willis missed some throws, including a late throw behind Cody Hollister that led to an interception.


"I thought (Willis' performance) got better," Vrabel said. "Today, there were some good things and some things that, if he's quarterback for us next week, that we'll have to be better at. But that will be about the same for everybody."

The 5-2 Titans travel to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs on Sunday night in Week 9. If Ryan Tannehill (ankle) can't play, they'll need Willis to balance out the attack to keep pace with Patrick Mahomes.

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Smart man!

 

For some teams, that's head coach material right there.

 

Joe Douglas: Zach Wilson is our quarterback



Zach Wilson ranks 34th in the NFL in passer rating. His 71.0 is ahead of only Kenny Pickett and behind even teammate Joe Flacco.

The Jets quarterback has three touchdowns and five interceptions, with three of the picks coming Sunday in the loss to the Patriots.


Coach Robert Saleh and Wilson’s teammates have had their quarterback’s back this week, and General Manager Joe Douglas offered his support Tuesday.

“’I’m sure he’d tell you there’s a few throws he’d want back but, look, we’re 4-1 with Zach as our quarterback,” Douglas said, via Zack Rosenblatt of TheAthletic.com. “In his first game back [against the Steelers], he brought us back from a double-digit deficit in hostile territory. I’m sure he’d say he wants a few of those throws back [against New England], but he also had nine explosive passes. There’s a lot of good to take away from that game. I know the focus was on the turnovers, but we love Zach. We love his approach every week. We love his competitiveness.

“He’s our quarterback.”

Douglas and Saleh are tied to Wilson after drafting him second overall. Wilson is only in his second season and has played only 18 games in his career.

But the Jets need fewer turnovers from their quarterback than he had Sunday to have a chance to do what they believe they can do.

“It’s tough, because when you lose, the quarterback gets the blame, and it’s not always just the quarterback’s fault,” Douglas said. “But . . . we’re going to be tough to beat when we take care of the ball, when we don’t have self-inflicted wounds. We talk about that every week, how games aren’t won in this league; they’re lost. We need to take care of the ball, and with our defense and special teams we’re going to be a tough team to beat. Focus on the turnover battle, focus on eliminating self-inflicted wounds, and that’s not just for Zach. That’s for the entire team.”

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Justin Fields excited to add Chase Claypool



Bears quarterback Justin Fields said today that he was very pleased with the news that the Bears had made a trade to acquire wide receiver Chase Claypool from the Steelers.

“I was excited, of course,” Fields said. “He’s a playmaker. Big body, athletic, fast, great 50/50 ball catcher. . . . Any time you trade for a player like him, you’re just trying to make the team better.”


Fields said the Bears’ front office and coaches have told him that they think he’s improving every week, but he disagreed with any notion that bringing in a young receiver proves the Bears are fully committed to Fields as the long-term answer at quarterback.

“I’m not worried about the next 5-10 years, I’m worried about this week,” Fields said.

Fields said that contrary to some perceptions that the Bears were waving the white flag on this season after trading Robert Quinn and Roquan Smith, he and his teammates — and the Bears’ coaches — believe they can win this year.

“Nobody has that mindset on our team. Everybody on our team, including coaches, we want to win every game,” Fields said.

The 3-5 Bears have an uphill battle to be a playoff team this year, but Fields believes this is a team that is going places.

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Jalen Hurts on Eagles' historic 8-0 start: 'We haven't accomplished anything yet'

A favorite son of Houston returned Thursday and made history for Philadelphia.

Ahead of this season and the last, there were questions as to whether Jalen Hurts would be the Philadelphia Eagles' long-term starter at quarterback. By evening's end, Hurts had quarterbacked the Eagles to the greatest start in the franchise's 90-year history.

In a victorious homecoming for the Houston native, Hurts threw two touchdowns to help the Eagles to a 29-17 win over the Houston Texans and the franchise's first 8-0 start. The 24-year-old downplayed the historic note, though, as he believes there is much yet to achieve and plenty to improve upon.

"I know it's special for the city of Philadelphia," Hurts, who was 21 of 27 for 243 yards, told reporters after the game. "I mean, I've been 8-0 before and lost the national championship. Just take it day by day. Take it day by day. We haven't accomplished anything yet. It's a day-by-day thing of us controlling things we can, playing to our standard and trying to grow every day. I think that's truly what it's about."

Along with 8-0 on Thursday came 11-0, as in the Eagles are likewise undefeated in Hurts' last 11 regular-season starts. Hurts, who's thrown eight touchdowns over his last three games with multiple TD tosses in each of them, has quickly ascended from a question mark as a starter in Nick Sirianni's offense to the unquestioned leader of one of the NFL's elite teams. In the eyes of the head coach who was on the wrong end of Hurts' talents Thursday, the young signal-caller has raised his play more than anyone in the game.

"I think he's improved more, maybe more than every player in the NFL," Texans head coach Lovie Smith said Thursday. "Outstanding player."

The compliment drew a grin from Hurts when it passed on to him.


"I respect his opinion. I work to improve every offseason," Hurts said. "I work to improve every offseason and the work shows in due time."

Perhaps most impressive on Thursday night for Hurts was that there were some unexpected trials and travails for the Eagles and himself against a struggling Houston squad (1-6-1), but they were shaken off en route to a comfortable win.

Hurts was hardly at his best in the early going. He offered up some wayward passes and fumbled away his team's second possession. But as the Eagles began to pull away as many expected they would from the start, it was Hurts who led the charge.

Tied at 14 in the third quarter, Hurts hit a stunningly wide-open A.J. Brown for a go-ahead 17-yard touchdown.

When the Texans answered with a field goal to cut the deficit to 21-17, Hurts and Co. mounted their second straight TD drive, which culminated with a 4-yard scoring throw to Dallas Goedert. Though 11 minutes and change remained in the game following Goedert's TD, the score all but wrapped up Hurts' homecoming win.

"Anytime I get to come back to the city of Houston it's special," Hurts said. "This is the first time I ever played back home at the professional level, collegiate level. I never got that opportunity at the collegiate level. So, to come back to play in a place where I've built a lot of memories with my mom and dad coming to watch ball at this same stadium [was special]. Of all things it's a great team win. There's rarity in me reflecting on things and not having emotion towards it, but I'm proud that my family got to see that today. I'm proud my dad got to see that, and I know that's special to him, because my family knows the memories we've had with the Houston Texans. Just being around and involved in the camps and Andre Johnson and him giving me his cleats as a kid. Those are the memories that I truly value to come home and get a win in this city it's special."

As NRG Stadium was flooded with Philly fans along with Hurts' family members, the QB was even keel, remaining his usual poised self by his teammates' accord.


"You can't read that guy," Eagles running back Miles Sanders said. "He's cool, steady, calm and collective, that's how he always is."

Sirianni went so far as to talk to Hurts about not getting caught up in the pomp and circumstance of the moment, even though he knew it was unlikely to be necessary.

"The one thing I said to him before the game is that don't let this be a distraction," the second-year head coach said. "You're the last person I worry about this, but don't let this be a distraction to you. He had the same look on his face as if it didn't matter. That's just who he is and that's how he goes about his business.

"It was nice that I finally got to meet his family. Nice people. It was really nice to meet them and put a face to the conversations Jalen and I have, he speaks so highly of his family. I know that felt good for him [getting the win] and I know that's something he can enjoy now. But he didn't approach that game any differently than he approached the Pittsburgh game, the Cowboys game. That's why he's a true professional."

Hurts has improved in each of his three NFL seasons and the Eagles have as well over the last two. It began last year when they finished the regular season at 9-8 and sneaked into the playoffs. And now they've long been the last undefeated team standing and are off to a franchise-best start. But despite all the hoopla of being the homecoming king and leading the charge into history, Hurts' fondest memory from Thursday night will be one that exemplifies the work ethic which leads to the dynamic results on the field.

"Being able to get a win," Hurts said when asked what moment would be his biggest memory. "There's a lot to be grateful about. There's a lot to reflect on and look at the things that we did well. There's also a lot of things that we can improve on. I'm not gonna make excuses about anything or the short week. We have a standard of play, we want to play to that at all times. It's a learning experience for us. It's a formative experience, that'll only build us up. I truly think the only direction is to rise. Personally, playing in the city of Houston, being the first time playing back home, that's a special moment for me personally. I think the job is still not done."

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Looks like Ryan Tannehill is a game-time decision.

 

Justin Fields sets record for most regular-season rushing yards by a quarterback, since at least 1940



The best quarterback from the class of 2021 may be Justin Fields.

On Sunday, Fields did something no NFL quarterback has done since at least 1940, per the NFL. Fields rushed for 178 yards. That surpassed the prior record set by Michael Vick on December 1, 2002.


Fields also accounted for four touchdowns on the day, three passing and one rushing. He became the first player in league history with at least three touchdown passes, 150 rushing yards, and a rushing touchdown in a single game.

As a team, the Bears are grinding it out on the ground. With 252 rushing yards on Sunday, the Bears joined the 1976 Steelers in the Super Bowl era with at least 225 rushing yards in four straight games. The last time any team rushed for 200 yards in four straight games happened in 1978, when the Patriots did it.

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Tom Brady becomes first QB in NFL history to throw for 100,000 yards



Tom Brady has reached another historic milestone.

The 45-year-old quarterback became the first in NFL history to throw for 100,000 yards in the regular season and postseason during the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game against the Rams.


The pass that did it was a 15-yard completion to running back Leonard Fournette in the fourth quarter. It set up a fourth-and-5 from the L.A. 32. kicker Ryan Succop sent the ball through the uprights for a field goal, making the score 13-9, Los Angeles.

That milestone throw was about the only highlight that’s come from the second half of Rams-Buccaneers.

L.A. quarterback Matthew Stafford hit receiver Cooper Kupp with a 34-yard pass that put the Rams at Tampa Bay’s 10-yard line late in the third quarter. But the Rams couldn’t put the ball in the end zone and settled for a 35-yard field goal to go up 13-6.

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Josh Allen's no good, very bad day resulted in an upset loss for the Bills, who watched their AFC East lead shrink to a half-game.

Allen was the first to admit his failures against the Jets in the immediate aftermath.

"It's tough to win in this league. We were playing a good team here, (and) your quarterback plays like s---," Allen said. "Made some bad decisions tonight, really cost our team. A lot to learn from, a lot to grow from, but that's not the standard we hold ourselves to. That's not the ball that we play."

Allen's performance began as usual, driving the Bills into scoring range before an uncharacteristically ugly interception ended the opening possession. It seemed to be a mistake Allen would overcome, throwing for 143 yards and a 14-10 lead at halftime.

But in the second half, it only grew worse for Allen. While he did score Buffalo's only two touchdowns on the ground, Allen completed just 5 of 12 pass attempts in the final two quarters, gaining 42 yards, and went without a passing touchdown in the entire game. He also appeared to suffer an elbow injury in the fourth quarter, although he told reporters afterward he'll be fine.

The last mistake was the most costly. With the Bills clinging to a 14-10 lead, Allen threw perhaps the ugliest interception of his career to Jets rookie corner Sauce Gardner, setting up a possession that ended in a go-ahead New York touchdown.

On first glance, it appeared as if Allen had a miscommunication with his intended receiver Gabe Davis. After the game, though, Allen admitted it was nothing more than a "brain fart."


"It's hard to win the game when you turn the ball over," Bills coach Sean McDermott said after the 20-17 loss. "We had opportunities and we shot ourselves in the foot."

Allen went through a period of growth early in his career in which he tried to let his incredibly strong arm do too much of the work, sailing passes over the heads of his intended targets for interceptions. He turned the corner in the last few years, though, making performances like Sunday's shocking to those who only know Allen as the superstar, rocket-armed signal-caller leading the NFL's most explosive offense.

Despite the loss, it's only one game. As offensive tackle Dion Dawkins said afterward, no one was born to be perfect. At 6-2, the Bills remain atop the AFC East, but by just one less loss than the 6-3 Jets.

McDermott and the rest of the Bills know they'll have another chance against the Jets in December. And they'll enter that home game with full faith and confidence in their quarterback.

"I have ultimate trust in Josh," McDermott said. "He's a heck of a football player, it's important to him, so he knows that those are non-negotiables, those plays right there. It's gonna happen from time to time just by percentages and times you throw, (but) overall it's gotta improve."

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