NFL News Updates

Author: nfltalk

  • Michigan vs. Maryland game: Prediction, expert picks, kickoff time, live stream, how to watch, TV channel

    Michigan vs. Maryland game: Prediction, expert picks, kickoff time, live stream, how to watch, TV channel

    No. 3 Michigan will be trying to block out distractions and keep its undefeated season alive when the Wolverines travel to College Park, Maryland, to meet Big Ten East foe Maryland on Saturday. 

    Michigan, without coach Jim Harbaugh on the sideline, dispatched Penn State last weekend in its biggest win of the season. The Wolverines ran the ball on their last 32 plays of the game, demoralizing the Nittany Lions and cementing themselves as a true power this season. 

    The Terrapins, on the other hand, are coming off of an ugly 13-10 win at Nebraska. Jack Howes hit a 24-yard field goal as time expired to clinch bowl eligibility and earn the program’s first win over the Cornhuskers. 

    What will go down Saturday afternoon? Let’s preview the game and make a pick.

    Michigan vs. Maryland: Need to know

    Michigan will be understaffed: The Wolverines didn’t have any issues with offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore on the sideline in place of Harbaugh, who was serving the first game of his three-game suspension. Harbaugh will out once again against the Terrapins after he and Michigan accepted the Big Ten’s three-game suspension. Harbaugh is still allowed to oversee the team during practice, however. Additionally, linebackers coach Chris Patridge has been fired for allegedly trying to cover up the sign-stealing scheme. Defensive analyst Rick Minter will step into an on-field role and serve as the team’s linebackers coach moving forward.

    Tagovailoa on third-and-long: Terps quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa ranks No. 51 nationally in completion percentage in third-and-7 or longer among players with 200 or more attempts. That’s one spot behind Penn State quarterback Dew Allar, who struggled mightily against this very Wolverines defense last weekend. Penn State was the…

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  • AFC teams affected the most by Joe Burrow, Deshaun Watson injuries: Steelers now with an attractive path

    AFC teams affected the most by Joe Burrow, Deshaun Watson injuries: Steelers now with an attractive path

    The landscape of the AFC shifted in a major way this week. Just a couple weeks ago, all four AFC North teams were firmly in the playoff picture. Now, it seems unlikely all four will make the postseason, and that’s because of injuries.

    Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson broke a bone in his throwing shoulder, which will force him to miss the remainder of the season, and Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a torn ligament in the wrist of his throwing hand, which will require season-ending surgery. With the Browns and Bengals losing their starting quarterbacks, it makes life easier for their rivals — and the AFC at large. Let’s take a look at all the teams that were affected by the recent QB injures in the AFC North.  

    Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook; Projections from SportsLine data scientist Stephen Oh

    Cincinnati Bengals

    Losing Burrow is clearly a massive blow to the Bengals. Cincy was already a little behind the eight ball due to its 1-3 start — and while the Bengals rebounded to get to 5-3 — they have now dropped two straight games and just lost their franchise quarterback. 

    What options do the Bengals have? Jake Browning, who completed 8 of 14 passes for 68 yards and one touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night, will likely be the new starter. The Bengals also have AJ McCarron on the practice squad. 

    The Bengals have some tough matchups to close out the year. In fact, Tankathon says Cincinnati has the toughest remaining schedule in the NFL. The Bengals play the Pittsburgh Steelers twice, the Jacksonville Jaguars on “Monday Night Football” and the Kansas City Chiefs on New Year’s Eve. According to SportsLine’s Stephen Oh, the Bengals’ chances of making the playoffs dropped from 37.6% with Burrow to just 1.3% without him. Cincy’s win percentage dropped 14.1%, and its odds of winning the AFC or the Super Bowl have shrunk to 0.0%.

    Playoff…

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  • UMaine (2-8) at New Hampshire (5-5)

    UMaine (2-8) at New Hampshire (5-5)

    Nov. 17—WHERE — Wildcat Stadium, Durham, New Hampshire

    WHEN: 1 p.m. Saturday

    STREAMING: FloFootball

    ALL-TIME SERIES: UNH leads, 57-45-8

    KEY STAT: 5,796, the combined passing yards for UNH quarterback Max Brosmer (3,178) and Maine QB Derek Robertson (2,618). Brosmer leads the FCS in passing yards, while Robertson is 10th nationally.

    OUTLOOK: This is the 111th meeting between Maine and New Hampshire. Neither team is moving on to the FCS playoffs, but with the Brice-Cowell Musket as the trophy to the winner of this rivalry game, neither needs to dig deep to find motivation. A win not only comes with the musket trophy and bragging rights over your biggest rival, it’s a high point on which to enter the offseason. The Wildcats won a thriller last season, 42-41 in overtime, when the Black Bears failed on a 2-point conversion on the final play.

    Maine is coming off a rare late-season bye week, and last played two weeks ago when it squandered a two-touchdown lead in the second half to lose to Hampton, 42-35. The time off was a chance to rest and get healthy, Coach Jordan Stevens said. Robertson threw five touchdown passes against Hampton to give him 22 on the season. With 30 passing yards, Robertson will move into fourth place for most passing yards in a single season for Maine. Robertson has spread the ball around, with Joe Gillette, Jamie Lamson and Rohan Jones each with five touchdown catches. Maine does a good job changing up its offensive game plan from week to week, said UNH Coach Rick Santos, and the Wildcats need to be ready to see multiple formations. Linebacker Ryan Toscano leads the Wildcats with 71 tackles. Josiah Silver has five sacks. Along with Brosmer, UNH has a weapon in running back Dylan Laube, who leads the FCS in all-purpose yards with 209.5 per game. Both Brosmer and Laube left last week’s 31-24 win over…

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  • Justin Fields, Matthew Stafford to return; Keenan Allen to play through AC joint sprain

    Justin Fields, Matthew Stafford to return; Keenan Allen to play through AC joint sprain

    The Baltimore Ravens improved to 8-3 and dropped the Cincinnati Bengals to 5-5 after a 34-20 win during “Thursday Night Football” to kick off Week 11 in the NFL.

    There were two big pieces of injuries news to come out of that game. First, Ravens tight end Mark Andrews is likely done for the season with an ankle injury. The Bengals are hoping for the best after Joe Burrow had to leave the game with a wrist injury in the second quarter. (The NFL is investigating why Burrow was not on the pre-game injury report.)

    Heading into Sunday, we know the Cleveland Browns will turn back to Dorian Thompson-Robinson at quarterback against the Pittsburgh Steelers after the news that Deshaun Watson’s season is over with a fracture in his throwing shoulder.

    Thompson-Robinson’s first NFL start came Oct. 1 against the Ravens, a 28-3 defeat where he went 19-for-36 with 121 passing yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions.

    “I know what to expect now,” Thompson-Robinson said Thursday. “I’m not stepping out there for the first time — not going out there wide-eyed anymore.”

    The Browns are working out Joe Flacco on Friday as they look to add to their quarterback room.

    Justin Fields (thumb) is expected to start for the Chicago Bears after missing four games when they face the Detroit Lions.

    “It’s not 100 percent, but it feels good. There’s still a little bit of healing left, but it’s stable,” Fields said.

    In other thumb injury news, Matthew Stafford went through a full practice Thursday and is expected to start against the Seattle Seahawks. He injured it Oct. 29 against the Dallas Cowboys, but thanks to the Rams’ bye week he only missed one game.

    Keenan Allen, meanwhile, will play for the Los Angeles Chargers when they take on the Green Bay Packers, but he will suit up while dealing with an AC joint sprain in his left shoulder. The 31-year-old wide receiver suffered the injury during a tackle in the fourth quarter of their Week 10 loss to the Lions.

    Here is the rest of the Week 11…

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  • Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin expects QB Jaxson Dart to return to team in 2024: ‘He’s said he’s coming back’

    Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin expects QB Jaxson Dart to return to team in 2024: ‘He’s said he’s coming back’

    Getty Images

    Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin expects starting quarterback Jaxson Dart to return to the Rebels in 2024, he said during his weekly radio show. Kiffin was asked whether Dart, who was injured during the second half of the No. 13 Rebels’ Week 11 loss at No. 1 Georgia, would play Saturday against Louisiana-Monroe. He not only gave Rebels fans good news on that front, he did them one better with news on Dart’s plans for the future. 

    “[Dart] will play,” Kiffin said. “I mean, I guess I can kind of speak for him, [Dart] said he’s coming back [in 2024]. We’re planning on him being back next year and getting better.” 

    Dart would enter his fourth and final season of eligibility in 2024. He joined Ole Miss in 2022 after transferring from USC. The 6-foot-2, 220-pound junior from Draper, Utah, has completed 65.1% of his passes this season for 2,579 yards and 16 touchdowns with five interceptions. Dart has also rushed for 354 yards and seven touchdowns.

    Dart completed 62.4% of his passes for 2,974 yards and 20 touchdowns during his debut season in Oxford, but was intercepted 11 times. His dual-threat capabilities added a dimension to the Ole Miss offense. He rushed for 614 yards and a touchdown in 2022.

    Dart committed to USC as a top-15 quarterback prospect in the 2021 cycle, per 247Sports, but only spent one season with the Trojans. USC fired coach Clay Helton, whom Dart committed to play for, just two games into the signal caller’s freshman season. Dart played in six games for the Trojans in 2021, making…

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  • Stefon Diggs downplays brother Trevon urging WR to leave Bills: ‘Not responsible for how other people feel’

    Stefon Diggs downplays brother Trevon urging WR to leave Bills: ‘Not responsible for how other people feel’

    All offseason, Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs downplayed the notion that he’s unhappy in Buffalo. Ten weeks into the 2023 season, however, his brother, Trevon, is urging him to leave the team altogether after the Bills’ Monday night loss to the Broncos.

    “Man 14 Gotta get up outta there,” Trevon posted on X (formerly Twitter) after Denver upset the Bills on a walk-off field goal in a wild ending. He also posted “let’s not forget, he didn’t start going off till bro got there,” referencing quarterback Josh Allen.

    Since Stefon has arrived in Buffalo in 2020, he leads the NFL in catches (411) on the second-most targets (586) while his 5,057 receiving yards are the fourth most in the league in that span. His 411 receptions account for 28.7% of Buffalo’s entire team catches since 2020, the most by a player for a single team in the NFL. On Thursday, Diggs cooled the flames surrounding rumors of his dissatisfaction given that he clarirfied that he hasn’t spoken with Trevon about his thoughts on the Bills season of late. 

    “I can’t [answer] the questions as to why he feels [that way],” Stefon said to local media. “I haven’t had the personal conversation with him [Trevon]. Obviously, he’s coming from more of a fan perspective [watching from home]. But that is my family, so I handle my family with the utmost respect, and I hope that people treat it that way. So when people speak on my family, [I hope they] have a level of integrity as well. … Tread lightly when you’re talking about my family.”  

    The elder Diggs, who co-leads the NFL in catches this season (73) and is the league’s most targeted wide receiver (102), was held to just three catches for 34 yards in Buffalo’s 24-22 loss, which saw the Bills commit four turnovers and drop to 5-5 on the season. His quarterback, Josh Allen, scored a go-ahead touchdown late in the contest, only for Bills’ penalties to then assist Denver’s frenetic…

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  • Week 12 college football viewing guide

    Week 12 college football viewing guide

    Every week throughout the season we’ll give you a college football viewing guide by highlighting the five best games of the coming weekend. We will pick those five games against the spread and highlight some other matchups that caught our eye from a betting perspective.

    We’ve reached the final two weeks of the regular season and there’s still so much to be decided.

    With five undefeated teams and four others with one loss, the College Football Playoff race can go in many directions. There are also conference title races coming down to the wire and more than 20 teams on the verge of bowl eligibility.

    Rivalry week is on the horizon and the coaching carousel has already ramped up, so we’re in for an eventful few weeks and beyond.

    (Note: All times ET, odds from BetMGM)

    Time: Noon | TV: ABC | Line: Miami -1 | Total: 46.5

    Louisville can clinch a spot in the ACC title game with a win over Miami. It’s been an excellent first season for the Cardinals under Jeff Brohm, who left Purdue to take the reins at his alma mater. The Cardinals are 9-1 but this is just the third true road game they will play all season. UL needed a come-from-behind effort to win 13-10 at NC State on Sept. 29 and then UL’s only loss came at Pitt back on Oct. 14. Since then, the Cardinals have won three straight — all at home. Will they be able to take care of business in Coral Gables?

    For Miami, it’s been another up-and-down season under Mario Cristobal. The Hurricanes started 4-0 before losing to Georgia Tech in inexplicable fashion and then suffering a road loss to North Carolina. From there, Miami rebounded with overtime home wins over Clemson and Virginia and then dropped back-to-back road games to NC State and Florida State. The Hurricanes had a spirited effort last week in Tallahassee, but lost 27-20. What will the motivation be from the Miami…

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  • As Browns reboot Deshaun Watson, the presumption of him recapturing elite trajectory is fading

    As Browns reboot Deshaun Watson, the presumption of him recapturing elite trajectory is fading

    “Where is his arrow pointed?”

    That was a question a general manager once posed to me about hefty quarterback contracts. At the time, the GM’s franchise was engaged in talks with its veteran starter. The negotiation was at a particularly contentious point. The player was frustrated, his agent was angry and the GM was explaining an offer that was significantly less than what free agency could get the QB down the line. The impasse, the GM said, was about “quarterback arrows.”

    For the contract the agent was seeking, the GM wanted the player’s arrow to reflect future growth potential.

    “I want the arrow to be up, and his is like this … ”

    The GM drew a flat line in the air with his finger.

    “… until it eventually becomes this … ”

    He veered the trajectory downward.

    “… and that’s when you get into problems with a quarterback contract.”

    When I think about NFL quarterbacks, I usually think about that conversation. It wasn’t meant to sound particularly brilliant. If anything, the point the GM made was about answering a question with simplicity: How do you feel about your quarterback’s future? Is he ascending and getting better? Is he stagnating? Or is he regressing?

    Of course, there’s a multitude of numbers and circumstances that explain why the arrow is doing what it’s doing. But before you get to that, there is usually an initial gut reaction before you get to the details. Name any veteran quarterback in the NFL right now, and you likely have an immediate arrow that jumps into your mind when it comes to his trajectory.

    Matthew Stafford? Baker Mayfield? Jared Goff? Patrick Mahomes?

    An arrow likely jumped into your head.

    Now do it for Deshaun Watson.

    Deshaun Watson hasn’t played a full NFL season since 2020. (Scott Galvin/USA TODAY Sports) (USA Today Sports / reuters)

    If you are limited to his remarkable last half of football for the Browns, the arrow might be up.

    If you factor in the statistical similarities between 2022 and 2023 (and toss out…

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