Category: NFL News

With nine weeks down and another nine to go, we’ve officially reached the halfway point of the 2023 NFL season. Some teams are cruising in the standings; the reigning Super Bowl contestants in Philadelphia and Kansas City, for example, are a combined 15-3 atop their respective conferences, while the Ravens might have a case as the best team in the NFL with a +115 point differential. Others are simply trying to get by — so much so that they could be in line for major changes in the coming months.

Head coaches are just one piece of the equation, but like quarterbacks, they tend to be held more accountable for a team’s struggles. With that in mind as we enter Week 10, these coaches appear firmly on the hot seat, if not now then very soon:

11. Mike McCarthy, Cowboys

Season record: 5-3 | Record with team: 35-23 (1-2 playoffs)

It’s not that McCarthy can’t guide a playoff contender. He’s done it in both Dallas and Green Bay. But owner Jerry Jones has a Super Bowl standard with a perennially glitzy roster, and McCarthy’s in-game management has frequently drawn criticism as America’s Team struggles to get over the hump when the lights are brightest.

10. Brian Daboll, Giants

Season record: 2-7 | Record with team: 11-14-1 (1-1)

New York will assuredly be hesitant to go two-and-done with yet another coach, especially after Daboll maximized a makeshift lineup to win a road playoff game in Year 1. But his offense has been even more rickety and situationally challenged in 2023, leading some veterans to openly question his handle on an injury-riddled franchise.

9. Dennis Allen, Saints

Season record: 5-4 | Record with team: 12-14

Endorsed by longtime HC Sean Payton and in his second stint with the team, Allen’s ties to ownership may be too strong for an exit after two years, and he’s once again shepherding a game-changing defense. But his curious game-day decision-making has often been masked by the…

..

[ad_2]

Read More

New Orleans Saints v Indianapolis Colts

Matchups are a key part of fantasy football at every position. You want to start quarterbacks and wide receivers facing leaky secondaries. Running backs who face defenses that are soft up the middle. Kickers who—OK, no one cares about kickers except maybe their parents.

The same absolutely holds true with team defenses. And there are some defenses right now getting more gravy than at Thanksgiving—because there are a handful of quarterback injuries and benchings that have led to some interesting dudes starting under center.

Last week’s game in Vegas between the Raiders and New York Giants featured a pair of rookies in Aidan O’ Connell and Tommy DeVito. O’ Connell and the Raiders did OK. DeVito and the Giants did not—the G-Men turned it over twice, allowed eight sacks and scored six points. It was even worse for Clayton Tune in his first start for the Arizona Cardinals—the Redbirds tallied all of 58 yards of offense and never got inside the 40-yard line against the Cleveland Browns. Brett Rypien of the Los Angeles Rams isn’t a rookie, but he was a disaster against the Green Bay Packers, completing less than half his passes for 130 yards and a pick in a 20-3 loss in Green Bay.

There are a number of quarterbacks fantasy managers should actively be targeting in Week 10—starting with a game in Dallas that may force the NFL to consider instituting a mercy rule in 2024.

THE NO-BRAINERS

Dallas Cowboys (vs. New York Giants)

Seriously, y’all. This ain’t fair. DeVito has been abysmal in the two games he’s played so far, and the Giants are stuck with the undrafted rookie—both Tyrod Taylor and Daniel Jones are on injured reserve after Daniel Jones tore his ACL last week. The Giants also have Matt Barkley on the roster, but it’s not like he provides some massive improvement. And whoever starts under center will be playing against arguably the best pass rush in the NFL behind an offensive line that is on pace to allow…

..

[ad_2]

Read More

The NFL regular season has reached what could be considered the halfway point. There are still two months to sort out postseason honors, but several players are on pace to potentially receive Pro Bowl recognition. A year ago, there were 27 players who were selected to their first Pro Bowl.

Here are nine players who could receive the call this year:

Purdy is one of six NFC quarterbacks to throw for more than 2,000 yards this season; two of those, Kirk Cousins and Matthew Stafford, have been dealing with injuries. According to TruMedia, Purdy has the second highest passer rating in the NFL. San Francisco is currently on a bit of a cold streak, but one has to assume it will continue on an upward trajectory once the collective begins to heal. 

Purdy is not a certainty to be recognized, but he is in the conversation. Quarterback is one position where multiple alternates are often called upon.

…..

[ad_2]

Read More

Five things I care about

The Bengals look playoff-ready

After their Sunday night win over the Buffalo Bills, the Bengals would now qualify for the playoffs if the season ended today. The same could be said for all of the AFC North teams, actually, but there are few operations I feel better about than the Bengals right now.

The early season era of panic around the Bengals was real. It was deserved. Their quarterback was playing like a shell of himself and the entire team is built around the concept of him being a difference-maker. When he’s not right, it’s cast asunder. That is no longer the reality we live in.

With 348 yards and two scores on 44 pass attempts against the Bills in Week 9, Joe Burrow has now stacked back-to-back pristine performances after dicing up the 49ers last week. He looks like a healthy and rejuvenated player the further we get out from the team’s bye week. As long as he’s playing like this, Burrow is back to being the man he was considered before the season. He’s an MVP-candidate type of player and a top-five fantasy quarterback.

The offense also got a predictable rebound game from Tee Higgins. While Ja’Marr Chase missed a few opportunities for big plays, Higgins delivered in a positive matchup. With Higgins and Chase working together at their peaks and Burrow in full form, the Bengals offense is once again a nightmare. Never mind the fact they got a handful of big plays from the ancillary players in this attack. That’s how you know a scoring unit and passer are feeling it.

Lastly, what makes me so bullish about the Bengals is that with their offense now not in such a hurry to get off the field, we’re seeing the greatness of Lou Anarumo. Perhaps one of, if not the very best, defensive game-plan designers at work right now, few coordinators are as capable of pitching a heater against great quarterbacks. Anarumo put a roof over the Bills offense and frustrated Josh Allen and co. all evening. When the defense is working in harmony…

..

[ad_2]

Read More

The top two favorites to reach the Super Bowl from the AFC will collide overseas when the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins face off Sunday at Frankfurt Stadium in Germany. The Chiefs (6-2) enter the week as the +240 favorite to win the AFC. Meanwhile, the Dolphins (6-2) are the +450 second choice. The teams are tied with Jacksonville and Baltimore atop the AFC standings. Sunday’s game will be the first international NFL matchup featuring two teams at least four games over .500 and the first NFL game ever held in Frankfurt.

Kickoff is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. ET. Kansas City is a 1.5-point favorite in the latest Chiefs vs. Dolphins odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 50. Before you make any Dolphins vs. Chiefs picks or NFL predictions, you need to see the NFL betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, is up well over $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception. The model enters Week 9 of the 2023 NFL season on an incredible 174-123 run on top-rated NFL picks that dates back to the 2017 season. It is also on a 28-15 roll on top-rated NFL picks since Week 7 of last season.

The model also ranked in the top 10 on NFLPickWatch four of the past six years on straight-up NFL picks and beat more than 94% of CBS Sports Football Pick’em players four times during that span. Anyone who has followed it is way up.

Now, the model has zeroed in on Chiefs vs. Dolphins and just revealed its picks and predictions. You can see the model’s picks only at SportsLine. Here are several NFL odds and betting lines for Dolphins vs. Chiefs:

Chiefs vs. Dolphins spread: Kansas City -1.5Chiefs vs. Dolphins over/under: 50 pointsChiefs vs. Dolphins money line: Kansas City -125, Miami +105KC: Chiefs rank second in the league in sack percentage (9.9)MIA: Dolphins lead the NFL in total offense (453.3 yards per game)Chiefs…..

[ad_2]

Read More

Here is the latest news and possible return dates for Giants players…

Nov. 4, 5:00 p.m.

Not long after the Giants announced Darren Waller was not traveling to Las Vegas to take on the Raiders, Big Blue revealed Saturday evening that the tight end and backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor will be placed on injured reserve.

The designation forces both players to be out a minimum of four games.

Taylor left last Sunday’s game against the Jets with a rib injury while Waller is dealing with a hamstring injury.

Nov. 4, 2:00 p.m.

Already ruled out for Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury, the Giants announced on Saturday that Darren Waller will also not be traveling with the team for their road contest against the Las Vegas Raiders.

This news doesn’t bode well for the tight end as the last time Big Blue made such an announcement on a Saturday about an injured player it was regarding Azeez Ojulari who was later placed on IR that same day.

Nov. 3, 11:24 a.m.

The Giants could be getting two key pieces of their offensive line back for Sunday’s game against the Raiders.

Andrew Thomas and Evan Neal are both improving, will take team reps during practice on Friday, and will be listed as questionable, head coach Brian Daboll told reporters.

Thomas hasn’t played since injuring his hamstring in Week 1 against the Cowboys. And his return was delayed after he aggravated his hamstring while practicing a few weeks ago.

“We’ll see,” Thomas said after practice. “This is the most I’ve done, this practice that we just had. If it responds well, I think I’ll have a good chance.”

Neal has missed the past two games due to an ankle injury.

While Thomas and Neal could be back, the season is over for kicker Graham Gano, who is undergoing surgery on his knee and being placed on IR.

The Giants have brought in kickers Cade York and Randy Bullock, who will compete for Gano’s spot.

Nov. 2, 1:31 p.m.

Head coach Brian Daboll told reporters on Thursday that both tight end Darren Waller (hamstring) and quarterback…

..

[ad_2]

Read More

With eight weeks down, we’re almost halfway through the 2023 NFL regular season. That means the playoffs are already on the horizon, and with them, Super Bowl LVIII. In fact, Friday marks the start of the 100-day countdown until Super Bowl Sunday.

That’s right. There are only 100 days until the last remaining contenders go head to head for the next Lombardi Trophy. Who will be standing for the championship showdown? Which teams are favored to go the distance? And what are the biggest storylines to monitor in the meantime? We’ve got you covered with 100 things to know, as Friday marks 100 days out from Super Bowl LVIII:

Super Bowl facts

Allegiant Stadium
USATSI

1. Super Bowl LVIII will be played on Sunday, Feb. 11.

2. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET.

3. The host site is Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada, adjacent to Las Vegas.

4. Allegiant Stadium is the newest NFL venue alongside SoFi Stadium in California, opening in 2020.

5. This will be the first Super Bowl ever held in the state of Nevada.

6. Super Bowl LVIII will air on CBS, Nickelodeon and Paramount+.

7. The Nickelodeon format, which debuted in 2020 and will also be featured on Christmas Day this season, will be specially tailored to kid and family audiences, with splashy graphics, Nickelodeon tie-ins and special guests. Note: This marks the first time in NFL history that the Super Bowl will be broadcast in two different formats, with CBS carrying the traditional broadcast of the game and Nickelodeon airing an exclusive kids- and family-friendly telecast. 

8. The game will also be streamed on NFL+, NFL.com and the NFL app.

9. The CBS broadcast team will include Jim Nantz (play-by-play), Tony Romo (color commentary) and Tracy Wolfson, Evan Washburn and Jay Feely (sideline reporters), along with Gene…

..

[ad_2]

Read More

When the Ravens signed wide receiver Odell Beckham to a one-year, $15 million contract this offseason, the idea was that he’d make a major impact on their offense. It hasn’t worked out that way.

Beckham has just 14 catches for 162 yards and no touchdowns this season, and after missing the entire 2022 season with a knee injury, he admits he’d like to be more productive.

“I didn’t come here with the expectation that I’d be going for 2,000 yards,” Beckham said, via Jamison Hensley of ESPN. “We’re trying to win a Super Bowl, so it is what it is, at this point. Just walking the fine line of being grateful for being back on the field but definitely not being content with how I am in terms of what’s going on.”

Beckham is clearly not the Ravens’ No. 1 receiver — rookie Zay Flowers took on that role from Day One and hasn’t looked back — but at this point Beckham can’t even really be considered the No. 2 receiver: Ravens wide receiver Nelson Agholor, who signed a one-year, $3.25 million contract this offseason, has three more catches, 60 more yards and two more touchdowns than Beckham despite getting four fewer passes thrown his way so far this season.

Still, Beckham says he’ll be happy as long as the Ravens are winning.

“It’s just about finding ways to win at this point,” Beckham said. “Honestly, trying to get rings on your finger. That’s a lot of fun, I can tell you that much. So that’s the goal.”

Beckham earned one Super Bowl ring with the Rams — the game in which he suffered the knee injury that cost him the 2022 season — and he’s aiming for another, even if it comes in a Baltimore offense in which he’s only a role player.

..

[ad_2]

Read More