NFL News Updates

Author: nfltalk

  • Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Tennessee Titans: How to watch, schedule, live stream info, start time, TV channel

    Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Tennessee Titans: How to watch, schedule, live stream info, start time, TV channel

    Who’s Playing

    Tennessee Titans @ Pittsburgh Steelers

    Current Records: Tennessee 3-4, Pittsburgh 4-3

    How To Watch

    When: Thursday, November 2, 2023 at 8:15 p.m. ETWhere: Acrisure Stadium — Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaTV: Amazon Prime VideoFollow: CBS Sports AppTicket Cost: $45.00

    What to Know

    The Titans have enjoyed a two-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will square off against the Pittsburgh Steelers at 8:15 p.m. ET on Thursday at Acrisure Stadium. The Steelers are favored, but seeing as the odds didn’t stop the Titans in their last game, maybe the squad has another upset up their sleeve.

    Tennessee gave up the first points last Sunday, but they didn’t let that get them down. They snuck past the Falcons with a 28-23 win.

    The Titans can attribute much of their success to DeAndre Hopkins, who picked up 128 receiving yards and three touchdowns, and Will Levis, who threw for 238 yards and four touchdowns. Hopkins was no stranger to the big play, cutting upfield for a catch that went for 61 yards. Derrick Henry and his 101 yards on the ground were also a key factor in the Titans’ win.

    Another reason for the win was the Titans’ imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for six sacks. The heavy lifting was done by Harold Landry III and Jeffery Simmons who racked up four sacks between them.

    Meanwhile, the Steelers came up short against the Jaguars on Sunday and fell 20-10.

    The opposite results left the teams with opposite records: Pittsburgh’s victory pushed their record up to 4-3, while Tennessee’s loss dropped theirs down to 3-4.

    As for their next game, the matchup is expected to be close, with the Steelers going off as just a 2.5-point favorite. This will be their first time playing as the favorites at home this season.

    Odds

    Pittsburgh is a slight 2.5-point favorite against Tennessee, according to the latest NFL odds.

    The oddsmakers were right in line with…

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  • Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz reaffirms intent to continue coaching Hawkeyes amid departure of son as OC

    Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz reaffirms intent to continue coaching Hawkeyes amid departure of son as OC

    USATSI

    Longtime Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz reaffirmed his intent to continue coach the team in a statement released Wednesday night. The declaration comes amid the pending departure of his son, Brian Ferentz, who joined the program in 2012 and has served as offensive coordinator since 2017.

    Kirk Ferentz’s tenure at Iowa dates back to 1999. He holds a 204-138 record with the Hawkeyes.

    “While my immediate focus is on finishing the season strong, I love coaching and my intent is to continue coaching here at the University of Iowa,” Ferentz said. “We have built something very special here and I plan to coach until I am no longer passionate about the game, players or coaches.”

    The statement echoed thoughts he expressed during his radio show Wednesday. 

    “Until they tell me to sit down, I’ll probably keep going,” he said.

    The Hawkeyes announced earlier this week that the younger Ferentz will not return to his position in 2024, though he will remain on staff through Iowa’s bowl game. The decision comes after the Hawkeyes fell 12-10 to Minnesota, the program’s first loss against the Golden Gophers since 2015. 

    “Anyone who loves Iowa football recognizes both the success and challenges that have brought attention to our program this season,” Iowa interim athletic director Beth Goetz said in a statement. “Our struggles on offense coupled with the offensive coordinator’s contract make this a unique situation. After conversations with head coach Kirk Ferentz, coach Brian Ferentz and President (Barbara) Wilson, I informed…

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  • Titans to start QB Will Levis against Steelers after ruling out Ryan Tannehill due to ankle injury

    Titans to start QB Will Levis against Steelers after ruling out Ryan Tannehill due to ankle injury

    Will Levis will get to run it back on Thursday.

    The Tennessee Titans officially ruled out starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill for Thursday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers due to an ankle injury. Levis will start for the Titans for a second straight week after his incredible debut.

    Tannehill went down due to a right ankle sprain in the Titans’ loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 6 in London, and he hasn’t played since. He has been walking around the facility on his own and making progress on his rehab, but he’s not ready to go just yet. With the Titans on a short week between Sunday’s win over the Atlanta Falcons and Thursday’s game in Pittsburgh, there wasn’t much time for Tannehill to get fully healthy and back into the mix.

    So the Titans will stick with Levis, who looked great in his debut last week. He went 19-of-29 for 238 yards and four touchdowns in his debut, three of which went to wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. Levis led the Titans to a 28-23 win over the Falcons, which snapped a two-game losing skid. He also doubled Tannehill’s passing touchdowns mark in one outing, which is all the more reason to keep him on the field.

    Will Levis threw four touchdowns in his NFL debut last week against the Atlanta Falcons. (Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

    The Titans took Levis in the second round of the draft earlier this year out of Kentucky, but he failed to beat Malik Willis for the backup job to start the season. But when Willis continued to struggle and Tannehill got hurt, Levis jumped in perfectly. He’s just the third player in NFL history to record four touchdown passes in his NFL debut and the fifth in league history with at least 20 attempts and a passer rating of at least 130 in his first game.

    The Titans will take on Kenny Pickett and the Steelers on Thursday at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh. The Steelers are bringing back both defensive tackle Cameron Heyward, who had been out since their season opener due to a groin injury, and quarterback…

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  • It’s another big test for Shedeur Sanders and Colorado

    It’s another big test for Shedeur Sanders and Colorado

    The Deion Sanders-coached Colorado Buffaloes remain one of the nation’s most-watched teams despite a 4-4 record. This week should be no different with Colorado at home after a road loss to UCLA, while Oregon State hits the road for the second straight week after a close loss to Arizona. How will both teams rebound?

    How much does Shedeur Sanders have left?

    After getting sacked seven times last week for the third time this season, Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders is the second-most pressured quarterback in the country with the most sacks taken with 41. Behind Sanders is South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler with 33 sacks taken. Eight more is a total that makes you question just how much more can Sanders take. With four games to go, Sanders is on pace to tie the FBS single-season sacks taken record of 60, set by Pitt’s Tino Sunseri in 2011.

    Sanders displays a high level of mental and physical toughness, but without proper protection the Buffaloes can’t be considered to win as big underdogs against higher-caliber opponents. The lack of protection will be on display once again this week against Oregon State, which is tied for 14th for the most sacks nationally. Defensive lineman Joe Golden, a 6-foot-5, 290-pound wall of pressure, will be looking to wreak havoc on Sanders.

    Despite the sacks, Sanders still has the third-best passing grade in the country, according to PFF, behind Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. and LSU’s Jayden Daniels. How? Sanders is producing regardless, with the eighth-best completion percentage (70.3%), third-most passing yards (2,636), and fourth-most touchdowns (22).

    This week we’ll find out if Sanders can maintain production while sustaining the hits.

    Oregon State’s offense facing a lighter load

    Beavers quarterback DJ Uiagalelei and the offense couldn’t have asked for a better rebound spot. Oregon…

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  • NFL Week 10 schedule: No games flexed, so Jets-Raiders will stay on ‘Sunday Night Football’

    NFL Week 10 schedule: No games flexed, so Jets-Raiders will stay on ‘Sunday Night Football’

    The NFL did not make any changes to the Week 10 schedule, as the league could have flexed the “Sunday Night Football” matchup between the New York Jets and Las Vegas Raiders. The league decided to keep the game in the prime-time slot, not even moving any games from 1 p.m. ET to 4:25 p.m. ET

    Per the NFL flex scheduling rules, flexing a game may be used up to twice between Weeks 5 though 10, and at the NFL’s discretion during Weeks 11 to 17. “Monday Night Football” is eligible for flexing between Weeks 12 though 17 and “Thursday Night Football” between Weeks 13 through 17. “Thursday Night Football” flexing can only be used twice and the league has to give 12 days advance notice for any game that’s flexed for “Sunday Night Football” in Weeks 5 through 12 and “Monday Night Football” in Weeks 12 through 17. 

    Only Sunday afternoon or TBD games are subject to being moved into the Sunday night, Monday, or Thursday night window. The NFL did have an appealing game to move in Week 10, as the San Francisco 49ers (5-3) and Jacksonville Jaguars (6-2) play at 1 p.m. ET in the early afternoon slot.

    The full Week 10 schedule (all times Eastern): 

    Thursday, Nov. 9

    Carolina Panthers at Chicago Bears, 8:15 p.m., Prime Video

    Sunday. Nov. 12

    Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots (Frankfurt), 9:30 a.m., NFL Network

    Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens, 1 p.m., Fox

    Houston Texans at Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m., CBS

    San Francisco 49ers at Jacksonville Jaguars, 1 p.m., Fox

    New Orleans Saints at Minnesota Vikings, 1 p.m., Fox

    Green Bay Packers at Pittsburgh Steelers, 1 p.m., CBS

    Tennessee Titans at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1 p.m., CBS

    Atlanta Falcons at Arizona Cardinals, 4:05 p.m., CBS

    Detroit Lions at Los Angeles Chargers, 4:05 p.m., CBS

    New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys, 4:25 p.m., Fox

    Washington Commanders at Seattle Seahawks, 4:25 p.m., Fox

    New York Jets at Las Vegas Raiders, 8:20 p.m., NBC

    Monday, Nov. 13

    Denver Broncos at…

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  • College Football Playoff Rankings reactions: USC overrated, Michigan underrated in initial top 25

    College Football Playoff Rankings reactions: USC overrated, Michigan underrated in initial top 25

    The initial College Football Playoff Rankings were released on Tuesday, and there is drama at the top. Despite holding the No. 1 spot both polls all season, Georgia chimed in at No. 2 behind Ohio State. Behind those two teams — which happened to meet in last year’s Peach Bowl national semifinal — sit Michigan, Florida State and Washington, respectively. Oregon, Texas, Alabama, Oklahoma and Ole Miss round out the top 10. 

    The race for the Group of Five spot in the New Year’s Six bowls is always an intriguing battle as well. One-loss Tulane out of the AAC takes lead in that one, coming in at No. 24. That’s one spot ahead of undefeated Air Force out of the Mountain West. 

    These rankings are fluid, and there’s no doubt that there will be plenty of chaos between now and Selection Sunday on December 3. However, the committee did make a few mistakes in its initial release. Let’s break down the overrated and underrated teams in the first edition of the CFP Rankings

    Overrated: No. 20 USC

    The Trojans shouldn’t be ranked. It shouldn’t even be a consideration. They have lost two of their last three games, narrowly escaped California last week and needed three overtimes to beat Arizona on October 7. The defense has been atrocious all season — especially lately. USC has given up 34 or more points in each of its last five games. 

    This isn’t an aberration. It’s a trend. Coach Lincoln Riley has made a career out of producing flashy offenses, but his resume is also littered with subpar defenses dating back to his time at Oklahoma. Not even a superstar quarterback like reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams can make this team remotely competitive on the national scene. 

    Underrated: No. 3 Michigan

    No, the Wolverines don’t have a flashy strength…

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  • We expect Montez Sweat to help elevate our defense

    We expect Montez Sweat to help elevate our defense

    The Bears formally announced they’ve acquired defensive end Montez Sweat on Thursday afternoon.

    Chicago sent Washington a 2024 second-round pick to complete the deal.

    “Montez is a huge addition to our team,” General Manager Ryan Poles said in a statement. “He is not only a great player but a great person. We expect him to help elevate our defense.”

    Sweat has recorded 6.5 sacks so far this season, including one in each of the last two games. He also has 10 tackles for loss and 11 quarterback hits.

    The No. 26 overall pick of the 2019 draft, Sweat has 35.5 career sacks in 67 games.

    As a corresponding move, the Bears have waived defensive end Khalid Kareem. Chicago also released cornerback Joejuan Williams from the practice squad, theoretically clearing the way for Kareem to return to Chicago on the unit.

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  • Nix can take over the No. 1 spot with big day vs Cal

    Nix can take over the No. 1 spot with big day vs Cal

    Caleb Williams ran away with the PFF quarterback rankings title last season as he also took home the Heisman Trophy. The other Pac-12 signal callers don’t have to worry about that in 2023 with Williams not having that kind of season this year.

    The USC quarterback is still among the best out there, but with games against Washington, Oregon and UCLA, it’s difficult to see him leapfrog three quarterbacks for the title.

    Right now, the winner of these rankings could very well bring home the Heisman once again, and Oregon’s Bo Nix has a good of a chance as any to be that guy. The schedule also plays in his favor although he’s not the leader at the moment, Nix has an excellent chance to be No. 1 at this time next week.

    Here’s how the rankings currently stand.

    Steph Chambers/Getty Images

    PFF Grade: 91.5

    2023 stats: 203-of-294 (69 percent), 2,945 yards (368 ypg), 24 TD, 6 INT

    Last week: For the second straight week, Washington turned in a subpar performance before playing well enough in the fourth quarter to win. They pulled out a 42-33 win at Stanford with Penix going 21-of-37 for 369 yards, four touchdowns, and an interception.

    What’s next: at USC

    Chris Gardner/Getty Images

    PFF Grade: 91.0

    2023 stats: 206-of-263 (78 percent), 2,337 yards (292 ypg), 21 TD, 1 INT

    Last week: Nix was calm, cool, and most importantly, collected as the Ducks won 35-6 at Utah. He led Oregon on touchdown drives to open each half as he was 24-of-31 for 248 yards with two touchdowns and no picks. He also ran for a score.

    What’s next: California

    Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

    PFF Grade: 90.9

    2023 stats: 246-of-346 (71 percent), 2,637 yards (330 ypg), 22 TD, 3 INT

    Last week: The Colorado offensive line continues to fail their quarterback as Sanders was sacked seven times and hit a lot more. When he was upright, Sanders was just 27-of-43 for 217…

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