NFL - NEWS & NOTES

Seeing the stories about Jerry Rosburg making changes on the Denver staff and then seeing Prater kick for Arizona today brings back memories. The FOX announcing team mentioned that Prater and this week's Cardinals QB David Blough had previously played together in Detroit, but they missed this one... Matt Prater's first two NFL games were in Atlanta. Jerry Rosburg was the special teams coach that brought him in.

The story: under head coach Jim Mora (Jr.) the Falcons tried to use punter Michael Koenen as the kicker in addition to the punter. (He was already handling kickoffs and long distance field goal attempts.) It got to be a bit much for him, and his accuracy suffered. So the team brought Morten Andersen back out of retirement to handle shorter field goals and extra points for the back half of the season.

The next season was the year of the hog-sooey nitwit Petrino. Then-GM Rich McKay signed two kickers to compete for the role - Aaron Elling and Billy Cundiff. Cundiff won. But the Dolphins cut Matt Prater at the first round of preseason roster cuts. Atlanta's special teams coach that season was Jerry Rosburg. Rosburg had some kind of man-crush on Prater and convinced Petrino to bring him in for a workout. Atlanta signed Prater to kick the final preseason game, which didn't seem like a big deal at the time as Atlanta sat out all of the starters. He shanked one of his three field goal attempts in that game.

But when the final roster cuts were announced, Cundiff was out and the kid from UCF with the tribal armband tattoos on BOTH arms was suddenly Atlanta's kicker. His career started out quite badly. He missed one of two attempts in the season opener against Minnesota, and then missed both attempts (including a very short one) in week two against Jackonville - with the Falcons losing that game by six points.

Even the hog-sooey nitwit had seen enough. Prater was out. At that point Cundiff had already enrolled in a graduate program. So... once again Morten Andersen (who was older than Petrino) got the call to come kick.

Prater ended up finishing the season as a second kicker in Denver behind Jason Elam and replaced Elam for 2008, with Elam in turn coming to Atlanta. Cundiff did his graduate program and returned to the NFL for a long career. Prater now leads the league in career 50+ yard field goals. And Rosburg is now the interim coach in Denver, making headlines this week for firing their special teams coordinator.

 

I'm guessing @SoCalSaint was right there with me in rooting hard for the Panthers this week.

But I have to (grudgingly) give Brady his due on this one. If Tampa had lost, Carolina would have been in the driver's seat for the division title with one week remaining. Instead, the old man went off for over 400 passing yards.

 

Gotta give mad props to the grounds crew and stadium staff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The Peach Bowl was in the same building, and the game ended just after midnight - followed by the post game trophy ceremony and other nonsense. The gates opened for the NFL game at 11:30 am.

The various crews had about 10 hours overnight on New Year's Eve/Day to clean up after the bowl game and get the stadium and field ready for the NFL game.

GREAT job.

 

I gotta give props to the Bulldogs for not shattering my heart. I’m a Bulldog fan from my time I lived in Georgia.

 

UPDATE...

 

It’s happening.

The Packers, left for dead only a month ago, won their fourth consecutive game with a 41-17 blowout of the Vikings.


The result eliminates the Commanders and Saints, leaving the Packers, Seahawks and Lions alive for the final playoff berth in the NFC. Green Bay will clinch the wild-card berth with a win over Detroit in Week 18.

If that happens, someone will have to face Aaron Rodgers and a rejuvenated Packers team in the first-round of the postseason.

The Packers had five different players score touchdowns, with one on special teams, one on defense and three on offense.

The Vikings, who had a shot at the No. 1 seed with the Eagles’ loss earlier in the day, fell to 12-4.

When the Vikings win, they win close, but when they lose, they get blown out. They have set a record this season with 11 one-score wins. Their losses have been by 17, 37, 11 and now 24.

It could have been worse today.

The Vikings took a 3-0 lead, but it was unsatisfying after a blocked punt put them at the 1-yard line. They couldn’t get into the end zone with a Kirk Cousins incompletion and two Dalvin Cook runs.

It only got worse.

The Packers scored 41 points in a row before the Vikings scored twice in the fourth quarter.

Rodgers went 15-of-24 for 159 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for a touchdown. A.J. Dillon and Robert Tonyan had the other two offensive touchdowns. Packers returner Keisean Nixon had a 105-yard kickoff return, and Packers safety Darnell Savage had a 75-yard pick-six.

Aaron Jones had 14 carries for 111 yards, putting him over 1,000 yards for the season.

Jaire Alexander covered Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson most of the game and held the league’s leading receiver to one catch on five targets for 15 yards. Adam Thielen had one catch for 16 yards.

Cousins went 18-of-31 for 205 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions. He also lost a fumble.

Adrian Amos and Rudy Ford also had interceptions for Green Bay.

PFT

 

49ers beat Raiders in overtime in Brock Purdy-Jarrett Stidham QB duel



It would have sounded crazy to say this a few months ago, but 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy and Raiders quarterback Jarrett Stidham just played an outstanding quarterback duel.

In the end, however, it was a Stidham interception in overtime that set up the 49ers for their game-winning field goal in a 37-34 win.

 

Sunday Night Football: Steelers keep playoff hopes alive with late touchdown, 16-13 win



The Steelers were fighting for their playoff lives. The Ravens were fighting to remain alive in the AFC North race.

A defensive battle came down to the wire, with Najee Harris catching a 10-yard touchdown pass from Kenny Pickett with 56 seconds left to give the Steelers a 16-13 win.
________
___________________

Bet you Steelers fans enjoyed that and at the same time, lost you central nervous systems!

Pickett went 15-of-27 for 168 yards and a touchdown, while Huntley was 14-of-21 for 130 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

 

Week 17, with MNF to go...

 

Well, we've finally reached the last Monday Night Football matchup of the regular season, and it's a good one.

In Week 17 we get to watch Josh Allen and the 12-3 Buffalo Bills face off against Joe Burrow and the 11-4 Cincinnati Bengals in a showdown of two teams at the top of the AFC, one of whom was in the Super Bowl last year and the other a preseason favorite to make it to the big game this season.

And both have already punched their ticket to the postseason, meaning this game could be a preview of what's to come if Buffalo and Cincinnati meet again in the playoffs.

This will be the only game in Week 17 between two teams with winning records, and the only game this week between two teams currently in playoff position.

In addition, with Cincinnati having won its last seven games and Buffalo its last six, this will be just the 15th matchup in NFL history of two teams on win streaks of at least six games. The Bengals and Bills' combined 23 wins coming into Monday night are also tied for the most by two teams entering Monday Night Football.

Many are already dubbing this the game of the year before the first snap has even been taken, so let's break down some of the most important storylines and implications of this matchup between two AFC powerhouses.


Here are four things to watch for when the Bengals host the Bills on Monday Night Football:

1. Dueling QBs take center stage. The main draw of this matchup is obviously the quarterbacks. Allen and Burrow are two QBs who have found themselves at the top of the sport at a young age, and this game will pit the two superstars against each other for the first time. The two are near the top of each statistical ranking, and combined have the most passing touchdowns (66) and offensive touchdowns (78) of two opposing QBs entering a Monday night matchup. Both are ranked in the top six in passing yards and passing touchdowns in 2022, though Burrow has a slight edge in most categories. He sits at No. 2 in the league in passing yards (4,260) and TDs (34), while Allen is close behind with 4,029 yards and 32 scores. Burrow’s completion percentage is 5.6% higher, he averages 16 more passing yards per game, and he has one fewer interception than Allen. It's all very, very close to even. But while Burrow has the slight upper hand passing, Allen does have the advantage with his legs. Burrow is an average QB in the run game, collecting a career-high 247 rushing yards this year, but he’s nowhere near Allen’s numbers. Allen has 746 yards and seven TDs rushing this season -- top five in both categories for QBs. Allen also has the most touchdowns and second-most yards on the ground of any Bills player this season, showing how effective his mobility is as a complement to his arm. Both players have their advantages over the other, but all this is to say that both are at the top of the league, and this will undoubtedly be a fun show to watch on Monday.
2. No 1 seed still up for grabs. While this game will already be entertaining due to the two teams' records and star QBs, the matchup also has its importance for the AFC playoff seeding. Both the Bills and the Bengals have clinched places in the postseason, but still to be determined is their seeding, and most importantly, who will finish the regular season as the No. 1 seed, reaping all the benefits that come with it (home-field advantage, first-round bye). If the Bills win their final two games of the season, they will be the top seed. Obviously that starts with a win over the Bengals. Meanwhile, the Bengals have two goals. First, with the Ravens' loss to the Steelers on Sunday night, a win over the Bills can officially lock up the Bengals' AFC North crown. In addition, their path to the No. 1 seed is more complicated, but still possible. If they can beat the Bills this week and the Ravens next week, and the Chiefs lose their regular-season finale, then Cincinnati can take the No. 1 spot via tiebreakers over Buffalo and Kansas City.
3. Will the run game factor in? Most of the discussion coming into this game has been focused on the passing games, and rightfully so. But a less discussed aspect of the offenses is their run games, which could end up playing a role in what’s expected to be a close matchup. The teams are in vastly different situations on this topic, with the Bills appearing to hold the edge on the ground. First, they have Allen, who as we’ve established is one of the best quarterbacks in the league at picking up yards with his legs. In addition, the running backs have started to gain traction lately, culminating in a 254-yard performance in last week’s win over the Bears, the first time this season the Bills had over 200 rushing yards in a game. In the snowy contest, Devin Singletary and James Cook had 106 and 99 yard rushing, respectively. Conversely, the Bengals have not had as much success running the ball this year, despite having Joe Mixon, who had 1,205 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns last season. Mixon has 787 yards and six TDs this season and has just one game with over 100 yards rushing, playing a part in the Bengals holding the 26th-ranked rushing offense in the league. While Burrow versus Allen will obviously be the game's headline, whether either team will be able to utilize its running game could also be an important factor.
4. Which defense will come out on top? With each sides' offense able to put up big points, it’ll be up to the defenses to hold it down for their teams on Monday. In this regard, the Bills have the advantage, as over the last couple of years Buffalo has become known for a lockdown defense. But this year there have been some wrinkles in the system, namely injuries. With the season-ending injuries to Von Miller and Micah Hyde, Tre’Davious White missing the first 10 games of the year, and much of the rest of the defense spending time on the injury report at some point or another, it’s been hard to keep the core of the unit healthy all at once. But nevertheless, the Bills remain one of the top defenses in the league, ranked seventh overall. Breaking it down, they are second in scoring and fourth in rush defense, tied for fourth in turnovers, and first in red zone defense. The Bengals, meanwhile, are more middle-of-the-pack in most categories, holding the No. 13 overall defense. While they have a strong rushing defense, ranked seventh, they also are 21st in the league in passing defense, which could pose a problem. Overall, Buffalo is just that little bit better, so it'll be up to the Cincy defense to step up to compete.

NFL.com

 

Week 18 schedule changes: Titans-Jaguars will decide AFC South title on Saturday night



The NFL announced changes to the Week 18 schedule.

The Chiefs-Raiders and Titans-Jaguars games have moved to Saturday.


The AFC West matchup will kickoff at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN/ABC. After Jarrett Stidham‘s performance Sunday when he threw for 365 yards and three touchdowns in taking the 49ers to overtime, the game looks more appetizing.

The Chiefs remain alive for the top seed in the AFC.

The AFC South title will be decided Saturday night. The NFL moved the Titans-Jaguars to 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN/ABC.

The Titans have lost six in a row to allow the Jaguars a chance to win the division for the first time since 2017, which is the last time they reached the postseason.

The NFL will announce the times of the other Week 18 games on Monday. The other 14 games will be played next Sunday.

PFT

 

NFC playoff-clinching scenarios for Week 18 of 2022 NFL season


EDITOR'S NOTE: The following are NFC playoff-clinching scenarios for Week 18 of the 2022 NFL season, according to NFL Research. Please note that the following scenarios exclude ones involving ties.

• Philadelphia Eagles -- playoff berth
• Minnesota Vikings -- NFC North
• San Francisco 49ers -- NFC West
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- NFC South
• Dallas Cowboys -- playoff berth
• New York Giants -- playoff berth

Philadelphia Eagles (13-3) (vs. New York Giants (9-6-1), TBD)

Philadelphia clinches NFC East division title with:

1. PHI win OR
2. DAL loss

Philadelphia clinches NFC No. 1 seed, home-field advantage and NFC's lone first-round bye with:

1. PHI win
2. DAL loss + SF loss

San Francisco 49ers (12-4) (vs. Arizona Cardinals (4-12), TBD)

San Francisco clinches NFC No. 1 seed, home-field advantage and NFC's lone first-round bye with:

1. SF win + PHI loss

Dallas Cowboys (12-4) (at Washington Commanders (7-8-1), TBD)

Dallas clinches NFC East division title with:

1. DAL win + PHI loss

Dallas clinches NFC No. 1 seed, home-field advantage and NFC's lone first-round bye with:

1. DAL win + PHI loss + SF loss

Green Bay Packers (8-8) (vs. Detroit Lions (8-8), TBD)

Green Bay clinches a playoff berth with:

1. GB win

Detroit Lions (8-8) (vs. Green Bay Packers (8-8), TBD)

Detroit clinches a playoff berth with:

1. DET win + SEA loss

Seattle Seahawks (8-8) (vs. Los Angeles Rams (5-11), TBD)

Seattle clinches a playoff berth with:

1. SEA win + GB loss

NFL.com

 

The AFC is still fuzzy to me, but I do know that the Patriots get in if they can beat Buffalo next weekend.

 

It would be nice if @LAOJoe would stop by and do some splainin' for me. What do you have for the AFC, Joe?

 

I hope this doesnt get Jefferson in too much trouble, but with my Vikings luck, it will.

 

AFC Tiebreaker Scenarios for Patriots, Dolphins, Steelers, Titans Heading Into Week 18

As the NFL barrels toward the postseason, there were multiple results on Sunday that drastically shifted the playoff picture in the AFC. None were more impactful than the Patriots taking down the Dolphins to move back into possession of the final wild-card spot, along with the Jets’ loss to the Seahawks to eliminate New York from contention.

New England had lost four of its past five games before notching a 23–21 home victory over Miami, improving its record to 8–8 on the season. Now, Bill Belichick and the Patriots control their own destiny and can secure a playoff spot with a win next week at Buffalo.

Of course, the rest of the postseason scenarios for the AFC are not quite so simple. Here’s a look at the current playoff picture, and what each of the teams on the bubble need to do next week to get into the field.

1. Chiefs (13–3)

2. Bills (12–3)

3. Bengals (11–4)

4. Jaguars (8–8): This one is simple: the Jaguars and Titans will play for the AFC South title on Sunday. Jacksonville has won four straight, including a 36–22 win at Tennessee in Week 14.

5. Ravens (10–5)

6. Chargers (10–6)

7. Patriots (8–8): New England needs to win at Buffalo on Sunday to clinch a postseason berth. Should the Patriots lose, the Dolphins would get in with a win over the Jets.

In the hunt:

8. Dolphins (8–8): Miami needs to beat the Jets at home on Sunday, combined with a Patriots loss to the Bills.

9. Steelers (7–8): The Steelers are still alive, but need a lot of help to leap into the field. Combined with wins over the Ravens in Week 17 and the Browns in Week 18, they’ll need both the Dolphins and Patriots to lose next Sunday to secure the No. 7 seed.

10. Titans (7–9): If the Titans beat Jacksonville, they’d become just the fourth team in NFL history to win their division with a losing record.

SI

 

I think that this is one of those things that looks worse on tape than it really was. Notice, the ref doesn't even turn around to see what hit him. Did the helmet even touch him? Let this one go !!!

 

His body literally reacts to being hit by the helmet...you can see his head jerk back. I don't think it was a very hard hit...Jefferson clearly lets up when he sees he's gonna make contact with someone but if you watch that video and don't see contact I'm gonna have to ask you to make an eye appointment.

 

There's an unlikely scenario in which the Jags could lose and get the 7 seed. The Steelers, Patriots, and Dolphins must all lose.

The Titans would be eliminated with a loss.