MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK

Rivers dropping dimes to Weekend at Gates

What was that?

 

I would have bet a million samoles on the Ravens today. Probably should have

 

Rosen plays with the Raiders draft position. "attaboy josh"
Wentz is still sucking.
Let's go Chargers and take the Kings with you. (this used to be a padres chant)

 

6 moar minutes of wincing wentz

 

Dallas vs Washington on Thanksgiving will have the inside track on the division. Eagles are still in it but if you ignore the fact that they can't get anything done with their injuries, they'd need to win all but one game and they play the Rams. They likely want the Redskins to win because of how the schedules line up for the Cowboys and tiebreakers. 10-6 will win the division, 9-7 likely wins it and 8-8 could win in. Heck the Giants are still in it but they surely need to win out. IF anything they are the ultimate spoiler team.

 

It sort of makes me sick that after winning against two bad teams people are talking about the Giants playing "meaningful" games or "having a chance." Sure you could meaningfully play spoiler for someone and if you win every game and catch a few breaks you could go 9 - 7 and win the division. But come on this is a deeply flawed football team that is pretending and refusing to just move on. From the perspective of the coaches and players they are not mathematically eliminated and I am glad they care. But holy crap is this frustrating from a fan perspective. They look downright terrible until the games don't matter then they start playing hard? If the rest of the division wasn't struggling so badly they could just face reality. But instead here we are pretending any of this matters...

 

If they get to the playoffs, then the records no longer matter. If a deeply flawed September/October team gets hot and makes the playoffs, anything can happen. Granted in the Giants case, the higher the draft pick they can get the better. Manning is done, I admire the loyalty of the organization to him, but they should draft his replacement this offseason. They also need to draft a couple players that can actually block someone. If they fortify that OL, maybe Eli gives the Giants one more year to help develop the rookie, it is probably best for all if Manning is released and they bring in another veteran quarterback to battle the rookie. I hear Derrick Carr is going to be available and he is like the 3rd best QB in the league according to one "expert"

 

Washington adds Mark Sanchez as Colt McCoy’s backup...

Mark Sanchez isn’t done in the NFL just yet.

Sanchez is signing with Washington a day after quarterback Alex Smith suffered a season-ending injury, Field Yates of ESPN reports.

The 32-year-old Sanchez hasn’t been in the NFL at all this year. He spent last year with the Bears but never got on the field. He last played in a regular-season game with the Cowboys in 2016. His strongest connection to Washington is that he has previously played for offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh, with the Jets.

Sanchez was handed a four-game suspension for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances this offseason, but he was allowed to serve that suspension while not under contract to an NFL team, so he will be able to play for Washington immediately.

Colt McCoy became the starter when Smith went down yesterday, but Washington had no other quarterbacks on its roster. Now Sanchez is next in line. (PFT)

 

I am starting to think Eli is going to be "Manning" the helm in 2019 as well. It's the last year of his deal, a down year for QB's (potentially way down if Herbert doesn't declare) and a pretty good year for EDGE and a few nice tackle prospects out there. I could see the Giants passing on a QB taking an EDGE and an OT in the 1st and 2nd and going into next season with Eli and Kyle Lauletta who they drafted in the 4th this year. When they had a shot at Bosa I was 100% on board with this plan (and I wanted to draft a QB last offseason) and I may still be if they are looking at Josh Allen...

I get I just don't see this team as a playoff team. The defense can't make an important stop to save their lives / jobs. Eli was sacked 4 times and he only dropped back 22 times... They can maybe score a bunch of points if they simply admit what they are -- a big play offense and not the dink and dunk offense Shurmer wants to run. I still would doubt their ability to win a playoff game even if they run the table at this point. I usually look on the bright side but it's tough with this roster -- even when they throw together a fun game.

 

Wasnt this what they said one of the years they won the super bowl?

 

Mitchell Trubisky has throwing shoulder injury...

Chicago Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky has an injured throwing shoulder.

The Bears did not practice today, but in their league-mandated injury report they announced that Trubisky would not have practiced because he has an injured right shoulder.

That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s anything serious. Quarterbacks often get time off as a precaution if they have issues with their throwing arms, and Trubisky only got hypothetical time off from a hypothetical practice. Trubisky took a number of hits on Sunday night but finished the game against the Vikings, and at the moment there’s no reason to think he won’t start Thursday against the Lions.

The Bears also said linebacker Aaron Lynch (concussion) and tight end Adam Shaheen (concussion) would have missed practice. Both of them seem unlikely to play Thursday, as the Bears’ kickoff against the Lions is only about 84 hours after the end of their game against the Vikings, and it would be tough for a player to pass through the league’s concussion protocol that quickly. (PFT)

 

Colt McCoy ready for another shot at a starting gig...

Colt McCoy led the Redskins to a brief rally Sunday in relief of the injured Alex Smith. Four years since his last start, McCoy is now responsible for trying to guide Washington to the playoffs. (NFL.com)

 

Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill to start against Colts...

Dolphins coach Adam Gase announced that quarterback Ryan Tannehill is once again the starter. He’s back after missing more than a month with a shoulder issue. (NFL.com)

 

Chase Daniel slated to start at QB for Bears vs. Lions...

The Chicago Bears will be without their starting quarterback on Thanksgiving Day.

With Mitchell Trubisky battling a shoulder injury, Bears backup quarterback Chase Daniel is slated to start against the Detroit Lions on Thursday afternoon, sources told NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.

The short week of preparations also played a role in the decision, as Rapoport noted Trubisky could probably play if this were a Sunday game.

The Bears conducted a walkthrough practice Wednesday and officially listed Trubisky, who was estimated as not practicing, as doubtful to play.

Daniel has started just two games in his nine-year career, but hasn't attempted a regular-season pass since the 2016 season while with the Philadelphia Eagles. He has appeared in 60 career games and completed 51 of 78 passes for 480 yards and a touchdown with an interception and is 1-1 as a starter. (NFL.com)

 

Aaron Rodgers donating $1M to fire relief efforts...

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers isn't sitting on the sidelines as recovery efforts begin after two wildfires spread across California.

Rodgers, a native of Chico, California, took to social media Wednesday morning and announced he is donating $1 million to assist the relief process.

"As many of you know, the California wildfires have devastated countless communities," Rodgers said in a video posted on Twitter. "In Northern California, where I was born and raised, the city of Paradise burned to the ground, and many of the residents that got out are now displaced in my hometown of Chico and across the north state.

"I personally reached out to my friends and the mayor of Chico to find out how to be of the most help, and raising money for both immediate needs and the long-term recovery is what's needed most right now. This is why I'm partnering with the North Valley Community Foundation and donating $1 million to help with recovery and eventual rebuild of these communities."

Rodgers added his long-time partner, State Farm, will donate $1 up to $1 million through the State Farm Neighborhood of Good program for every retweet of Rodgers' original tweet until midnight ET on Sunday, Nov. 25. Rodgers asked that the hashtag #retweet4good on every retweet.

 

In what seemed like an inevitable move, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh announced on Friday that Lamar Jackson will start at quarterback against the Raiders.

Joe Flacco didn’t practice at all due to the hip injury that also kept him out of the lineup last week and Jackson piloted the offense in last Sunday’s win, which made it a pretty easy choice for Harbaugh about how to proceed.

“I’m counting on Lamar being the starter,” Harbaugh said, via Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. “I think that’s pretty straightforward.”

As long as Flacco is physically unable to play, the calls at quarterback will continue to be straightforward in Baltimore. Things could get thornier for Harbaugh once Flacco is deemed healthy enough to play, although

a strong game for Jackson in a win that features a bit more success in the passing game would make a case for sticking with the rookie regadless of how Flacco’s hip is feeling. (PFT)

 

Why would they go back to Flacco? Just roll with Jackson, dump Flacco after the season is over.

 

I think they want to look at him a few times and see if he continues in a strong positive way. I was impressed when I saw him last week, the offense moved the football.

 

Marcus Mariota in line to start Monday...

Titans head coach Mike Vrabel said on Thursday that he was hopeful quarterback Marcus Mariota was “trending up” after suffering a stinger that knocked him out of last Sunday’s game and it appears that hope has been realized.

Vrabel said that Mariota moved up from limited to full practice participation on Friday and that the quarterback “felt good” after increasing his workload. Vrabel went on to say that expects Mariota to make the start on Monday night against the Texans, although there’s obviously the possibility of his condition taking a turn for the worse between now and then.

Mariota was injured late in the first half against Indianapolis and was 10-of-13 for 85 yards and an interception while also getting sacked four times.

A win on Monday would leave The Titans at 6-5 and pull them within a game of the Texans in the AFC South, so they’ll surely be happy to have their starting quarterback on hand as they try to make that happen. (PFT)

 

Philip Rivers sets NFL completion percentage record as Chargers win...

Philip Rivers had the single greatest completion percentage in NFL history in today’s win over the Cardinals.

Rivers completed 28 of his 29 passes today, for a completion percentage of 96.6 percent. That’s the best completion percentage any player has ever had in any game. The previous regular-season record was 92.3 percent, set by Kurt Warner when he went 24-of-26 in a game in 2009. The postseason record is 92.9 percent, set by Tom Brady in a postseason game after the 2007 season.

With 259 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, Rivers had an outstanding game, and he helped his team easily beat the Cardinals despite falling behind 10-0 in the first quarter.

Cardinals quarterback Josh Rosen did not have a good game. He hit Larry Fitzgerald for a 25-yard touchdown on the Cardinals’ first drive, but after that he could get nothing going. The Cardinals’ offense, which has bene ugly all season, was ugly again today. Rosen was sacked twice by Joey Bosa, Bosa’s first two sacks of the season.

The Cardinals drop to 2-9, and they remain in contention for the first overall pick in the draft. The Chargers improve to 8-3, and they remain in contention for a first-round playoff bye — and Rivers remains in contention for the league MVP award. (PFT)