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mardi 12 octobre 2021

New on SI: Week 6 Touches, Targets, Volume & Regression Index

Two Washington Football Team players performed poorly in a loss while Dawson Knox was the model of efficiency against the Chiefs.

We’re now more than a third of the way through the fantasy football regular season. Check out this past week’s top performers in efficiency and the players who missed out on their opportunities.

Inefficient Volume Players

RB Antonio Gibson, Washington Football Team

Gibson was one of five running backs to handle 20 or more carries this week. He was the only one who did not break 100 yards. He took 20 carries for just 60 yards and added two catches for 12 yards. His outing was salvaged by a pair of red-zone rushing touchdowns from one and five yards out.

Gibson matched his season-high carry total in a game the WFT trailed for the entire second half, and J.D. McKissic saw his fewest touches since Week 1, both of which bode well for him. Another positive was the bump in rushing work after he came into the week with a questionable designation for a stress fracture in his shin. Getting nearly 18 touches per game keeps Gibson in the top 12 running backs range, but his efficiency (4.0 yards per carry) is a concern.

RB Miles Sanders, Eagles

Sanders' touches have been all over the place this season — he's seen as many as 19 and as few as five. In a come-from-behind win against the Panthers' stellar defense, Sanders didn't capitalize on 16 touches, his second-most this season. He took 11 carries for 45 yards and turned a season-best five catches into six yards, getting tackled at or behind the line of scrimmage often. Sanders played 75% of snaps, his highest mark this season while receiving threat Kenneth Gainwell played less than a quarter of snaps, his fewest.

Sanders' yards per rush and yards per reception so far this season are both career lows. The Eagles don't figure to be running out the clock with big leads in many games this season, so Sanders needs to be a more efficient rusher and receiver. Plus, he's yet to score so far this season. His stock is dropping after he inexplicably went out of bounds twice while Philadelphia was trying to run out the clock.

WR Terry McLaurin, Washington Football Team

McLaurin turned in his worst game of the season against the Saints. He saw 11 targets come his way, a 28% share, but only hauled in four for 46 yards. McLaurin was coming off a season-high 123-yard outing, but New Orleans truly neutralized Washington's top receiving threat. Adam Humphries and DeAndre Carter both finished with more receiving yards than McLaurin. There's no real concern for McLaurin's production moving forward, though. He leads the team in targets with 49 — the next closest is Humphries with 20. The only worry is a defense throwing everything at McLaurin in the secondary with Washington's other top receiving threats Logan Thomas and Curtis Samuel injured.

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WR Robby Anderson, Panthers

Anderson’s seven targets were tied for the most on the team. It wasn’t a great day through the air for Carolina as a whole as Sam Darnold tossed three interceptions, but Anderson didn’t help. In the fourth quarter, he had a crucial drop and finished with two catches for 30 yards, his second-fewest this season. Anderson has played nothing like the 1,000-yard receiver he was a season ago. DJ Moore has a stranglehold on the receiving work, leading the team in all categories, but Anderson has completely regressed. A 57-yard touchdown he caught in the opener accounts for nearly a third of his receiving yards. The targets he’s seeing leave something to be desired, but Anderson isn’t making a case for himself to see more work.

Limited Volume Efficiency Players

RB Leonard Fournette, Buccaneers

Fournette, like a lot of running backs this season, enjoyed his best game against the Dolphins. He rumbled for 67 yards on just 12 carries and added 43 yards through the air on four catches. For the second consecutive game, Fournette surpassed 100 total yards, and he scored his first touchdown of the season against Miami. There’s a strong case for Fournette’s volume to increase as the season progresses if the Buccaneers ever stop passing while beating down their opponents — he’s averaging career-highs in yards per rush and yards per catch.

RB Aaron Jones, Packers

Jones breached 100 rushing yards for the first time this season against the Bengals. He did so on 14 carries, his second-fewest this season. He was unable to do anything with his four catches, managing only six yards, though. The lion’s share of Jones’ yards came on a 57-yard run. His previous season long was a 15-yard rush. Green Bay has somewhat surprisingly been in very close games the past few weeks. Jones may see more work in the next few games against the Bears and Washington, matchups the Packers should handle with relative ease.

WR Chase Claypool, Steelers

In Claypool’s return to action, he led Pittsburgh in receiving yards, aided in large part by a 59-yard bomb. Claypool hauled in five passes for a season-best 130 yards. He led the team in targets with six, which accounted for more than a 25% target share on a day Ben Roethlisberger threw the ball a season-low 25 times. In an offense that’s been largely dink and dunk, Claypool is averaging 17 yards per catch, and more work should be coming his way with the news that JuJu Smith-Schuster will miss the remainder of the season.

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TE Dawson Knox, Bills

Knox has scored in four straight weeks. Touchdowns are generally random, and the tight end position is hugely reliant on scores, but Knox had a great all-around night against the Chiefs. The third-year player surpassed 100 yards for the first time in his career on just three receptions. He was on the field for a season-high 96% of snaps, and on a night where Josh Allen was feeling it, something good was bound to happen, and it did in the form of a 53-yard touchdown. Allen is spreading the ball around this season more than last year, and Knox has been one of the biggest beneficiaries.

Week 5 TTVR Index Performance Recap

Click here for last week's article

Inefficient Volume Players

Mike Davis: Opportunities stayed consistent (15 touches) as it has for much of the season. Efficiency improved dramatically (1.1 yards per carry up to 4.1). Davis finished with a season-high 53 rushing yards.

Latavius Murray: Opportunities fell off (season-low six carries), but Murray could not do much with those chances (ran for 17 yards, also a season-low).

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Brandin Cooks: Opportunities decreased (season-low five targets down from seven a week prior). Production dropped off as well (season-low three receptions for 23 yards). Cooks wasn't a big factor in Davis Mills' career day.

George Kittle: Placed on injured reserve. Did not play in the 49ers' loss to the Cardinals.

Limited Volume Efficiency Players

Cordarrelle Patterson: Opportunities increased substantially (season-high 21 touches up from 11 a week ago). Efficiency lagged with a boost in touches (3.9 yards per carry, 8.6 yards per reception) but not a concern overall.

Chase Edmonds: Saw fewer opportunities (season-low nine touches coming off his best game of the season). Rushing efficiency (2.5 yards per carry) was poor, and receiving efficiency (6.3) was consistent with his season average.

Darnell Mooney: Opportunities were consistent with season average (five targets), but efficiency dropped off from last week's season-best outing (three catches for 35 yards).

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New on SI: Waiver Wire Pickups & FAAB Advice for Week 6: Darrel Williams, Kadarius Toney, Devontae Booker, Geno Smith

Add the best free agents available with these Week 6 waiver and blind bid recommendations

Another week with some serious injuries, especially at the quarterback and running back positions. It’s also the first bye week of the season, and that means it’s an important time to hit the waiver wire.

Quarterbacks - Waiver Wire Adds

Geno Smith (SEA)

With news that Russell Wilson will be sidelined for at least a month with a ruptured middle-finger tendon, Seahawks fans and fantasy managers will look to back up Geno Smith to try to keep the offense afloat. Smith entered the fourth quarter of the game on Sunday and looked pretty good by completing 10-of-17 passes for 131 yards and a touchdown. He also threw an interception on his third drive, but these numbers would look even better if Lockett hadn't been tripped up on his route. You can never replace Russ, but the 30-year-old Smith looked pretty sharp, considering he hasn't played more than 66 offensive snaps in a season since 2014. Geno is available in 99% of leagues.

FAAB: 16%

Taylor Heinicke (WFT)

A tough New Orleans defense held Heinicke to only a 49% completion rate and no touchdowns Sunday, making it his worst performance of the year. However, in the next few weeks, Heinicke has favorable matchups and should bounce back as a bye-week fill-in. This week he will face the Kansas City Chiefs, who have allowed the most points to opposing QBs this year, and in Week 7, he faces a Green Bay defense who could still be without Jaire Alexander. Before this week, Heinicke had finished as QB13 or better in each of his starts. Heincke is available in 85% of leagues.

FAAB: 7%

Mac Jones (NE)

Seeing Jones throw for only 230 yards and one touchdown Sunday vs. the Texans was a little disappointing, but Jones has an even tastier matchup this week vs. the Dallas Cowboys if you need a bye-week QB. Of course, we have to factor in at least one Trevon Diggs interception, but the Cowboys are surrendering a league-high 327.6 yards per game and two passing touchdowns per game to opposing quarterbacks. Jones is available in 82% of leagues.

FAAB: 5%

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Jacoby Brissett (MIA)

Next Matchup: Jacksonville. Need I say more? Brissett looked good Sunday vs. the Bucs, completing 69.2% of his passes for 275 yards and two touchdowns. This week he faces a struggling Jacksonville team that allows an average of 296 passing yards per game to opposing quarterbacks. Brissett is available in 97% of leagues.

FAAB: 3%

More QB: Justin Fields (CHI), Carson Wentz (IND)

Running Backs - Waiver Wire Adds

Darrel Williams (KC)

Williams looked good in Sunday night action vs. a tough Bills defense- averaging 5.4 yards on his five attempts and securing three of his five targets for another 18 yards. With news that Clyde Edwards-Helaire will miss a few weeks with a sprained MCL, Williams is the running back to grab in this high-powered Kansas City offense. Williams is available in 83% of leagues.

FAAB: 11%

Devontae Booker (NYG)

The Giants were brutalized with injuries on Sunday, not the least of which was Saquon Barkley leaving with an ankle swollen to the size of his thigh. Early reports are Saquon suffered a low-ankle sprain, which is positive news, as he may only have to miss a week of play. In the meantime, fantasy managers and Giants fans will look to Devontae Booker. Booker's 16 carries on Sunday were the most he has seen this year, and he turned them into an inefficient 42 yards and touchdown vs. the Dallas Cowboys defense; however, he also turned three of his four targets into 16 yards and another score. As long as Saquon remains sidelined, Booker should see plenty of work in an offense searching for healthy play-makers. Booker is available in 93% of leagues.

FAAB: up to 7%

Khalil Herbert (CHI)

With no David Montgomery, Chicago returned to more of a committee at running back. Rookie Khalil Herbert out-snapped Damien Williams 34 to 31 and was favored in the ground role with 18 carries for 75 yards, though he did not see a single target. Williams is still the preferred running back to roster as he will also have a role in the passing game, but Herbert is available in 81% of leagues.

FAAB: up to 6%

Brandon Bolden (NE)

Damien Harris may or may not be in the doghouse, and he may or may not have a rib or chest injury. Many waiver wire articles will tell you to target Rhamondre Stevenson, and I agree he is worth some of your FAAB, but the New England running back I am targeting is Brandon Bolden. With no James White, Bolden is in an especially good spot this week vs. the Dallas Cowboys defense has not been efficient vs. pass-catching running backs (see Devontae Booker above). I'm guessing Bill Belichick has noticed. Bolden played a healthy 24 snaps Sunday, and if you are lean at the RB position, he could be a flex play this weekend.

FAAB: up to 5%

More RB: Alex Collins (SEA), Rhamondre Stevenson (NE), DeeJay Dallas (SEA)

Wide Receivers - Waiver Wire Adds

Kadarius Toney (NYG)

Toney made this list last week, but this week he occupies the top spot after having a true breakout game vs. the Cowboys on Sunday, catching 10 passes for a whopping 189 yards. With no Shepherd, Slayton, Barkley or Golladay, Toney was featured and should continue to be. He's a yards-after-catch monster, effective even with Mike Glennon at the helm. The rookie showed off his playmaking ability no matter the situation. Toney played fewer snaps than Evan Engram and John Ross, but I'll assume he would have had a few more if he hadn't been ejected for throwing a punch at the Cowboys' safety. Rookie mistake. Toney is available in 83% of leagues.

FAAB: up to 21%

Marquez Callaway (NO)

Here's a neat trick: Pick up a player during their bye week. While everyone else is scrambling for replacements for this week, you are looking ahead with eyes on the prize. Marquez Callaway has now put together three consecutive productive fantasy weeks. He is second in snaps only to Alvin Kamara for the Saints, and he saw a season-high eight targets last week for 85 yards and two touchdowns, and in Week 7, he will see a Seattle Seahawks secondary that has allowed the second-most yards to opposing wide receivers. Callaway is available in 70% of leagues.

FAAB: up to 11%

Amon-Ra St. Brown (DET)

With Quintez Cephus and Kalif Raymond exiting with injuries, rookie Amon-Ra St. Brown made the most of his opportunities by catching seven of eight targets for 65 yards in Sunday's tough loss to the Vikings. After tying T.J. Hockenson last week for the team-high in targets, he led all receiving categories this week. In deeper leagues, you can consider the fourth-round pick who looks to be Goff's new favorite target.

FAAB: up to 3%

Preston Williams (MIA)

With no Will Fuller and no DeVante Parker, Preston Williams had a good day. Williams turned five targets into three catches and 60 yards and even added a rushing attempt for another seven. I’ve been a fan of Williams for a while, and it’s good to see him healthy. Next up is a Jacksonville secondary that has allowed the seventh-most yards to opposing wide receivers. If Parker continues to sit, I like Williams in deeper leagues. He’s available in 99% of leagues.

FAAB: 1%

Donovan Peoples-Jones (CLE)

Peoples-Jones leads the Browns with a 67.8% snap share on the season, yet he hasn’t been consistently targeted. Sunday Baker finally looked his way, and Peoples-Jones turned six targets into five grabs and 70 yards. It seems pretty clear that OBJ is not the preferred target in this offense even though he plays more snaps when he is healthy, and it could be worth adding Donovan Peoples-Jones to your bench, though it’s tough to get excited about receivers in this system.

FAAB: 1%

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Chris Conley (HOU)

For the first time this year, Brandin Cooks was out-snapped by Chris Conley. Sure, it was only by four, and it was a product of Bill Bellichick making sure to take Cooks out of the game, but Conley now has an 80% snap share on the season and looks to be the WR2 for the Texans. Now, that may not sound very exciting, but if rookie Davis Mills can put together a three-touchdown, 312-yard game vs. a Bill Bellichick defense, there could be some hope for this Houston team. Conley finished the day with 84 yards and a touchdown on four targets. Teammate Chris Moore had an even better day by securing all five of his targets for 109 yards and a touchdown. Since Cooks will usually be much more involved, if I'm choosing one, Conley is the pickup.

FAAB: 1%

More WR: Tim Patrick (LVR), Adam Humphries (WSH), John Ross III (NYG), Rondale Moore (ARI), Mecole Hardman (KC), Paris Campbell (IND)

Tight Ends - Waiver Wire Adds

David Njoku (CLE)

There’s no way to ignore the huge day Njoku had on Sunday, who was perfect with seven catches on seven targets with 149 yards and a touchdown. Njoku led the team in targets and played more snaps than Nick Chubb. Both Hooper and Njoku see a healthy snap share in this system, and last week Hooper had more targets, so don’t spend too much of your FAAB on what could be a very boom or bust play each week.

FAAB: 3%

Evan Engram (NYG)

Plain and simple, there aren’t many pass-catchers left for New York. Yes, I understand if you laugh when I call Evan Engram a pass-catcher, but here we are. It’s the tight end portion of the article. Engram was second only to Devontae Booker on Sunday in snaps, and he caught all four of his targets for 55 yards.

FAAB: 1%

Dan Arnold (JAX)

You may recall that Trevor Lawrence targeted James O'Shaughnessy eight times in Week 1 before he hit the IR. In his second week with the team and in the same role, Dan Arnold saw eight targets on Sunday, which he turned into six grabs and 64 yards. He also played the same amount of snaps as Laviska Shenault. With no DJ Chark, Arnold could be an add in deeper leagues, though goodness knows we can never predict what Urban Meyer will do.

FAAB: 1%

More TE: Hunter Henry (NE)

More Fantasy coverage:

• Week 6 Early Waiver Wire
• Week 5 Injury Recap & Fantasy Impact

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New on SI: NFL Power Rankings: Cardinals Keep Rolling, Chargers Make Statement

Arizona remains undefeated, while the Bills continue to impress. Plus, Joe Burrow catapults the Bengals into the Top 10.

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A little over a quarter of the way through the 2021 season, and we have one unbeaten left (surprisingly, the Cardinals), and two winless teams remaining (unsurprisingly, the Jaguars and Lions) with a dozen games to go.

That leaves a lot of teams within a couple games of one another and no real answers.

So that’s the preamble to my crack at the Power Rankings! Without a crystal ball, I don’t have foresight on which team is going to catch fire at the right time, which team will slump at that point, who will have a young star or two breakout, or who will have a guy who can’t take his game to another level when he’s expected to.

Let’s jump in...

1. Arizona Cardinals (5—0)

Last week: Win vs. San Francisco, 17–10
Next week: at Cleveland

I understand there are still skeptics out there. But they’ve got a young QB playing at an MVP level, a layer of vets that have helped the team mature, and wins over the Titans, Rams, 49ers and Vikings.

2. Buffalo Bills (4—1)

Last week: Win vs. Kansas City, 38–20
Next week: at Tennessee (Monday)

The most impressive team through five weeks, no question. And it really goes back to last year. Their four-game winning streak has come with an aggregate score of 156–41, and they’ve won 10 of their last 11 regular-season games, with nine of those wins coming by double-digits and the tenth one by 9 points.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4—1)

Last week: Win vs. Dolphins, 45–17
Next week: at Philadelphia (Thursday)

Interestingly, they probably looked most vulnerable in a tight win over New England. They rebounded nicely Sunday against the Dolphins, but still have injury concerns (Rob Gronkowski, Lavonte David, all the corners) that they’ll have to work around that didn’t exist during last year’s run.

4. Los Angeles Chargers (4—1)

Last week: Win vs. Cleveland, 47–42
Next week: at Baltimore

The Chargers play a smart disciplined game and have an absolute alien at quarterback. On paper, at least, there’s still a lot of untapped potential here.

5. Los Angeles Rams (4—1)

Last week: Win at Seattle, 26–17 (Thursday)
Next week: at New York Giants

After a loss to the Bucs and a less-than-dominant 'TNF' performance in Seattle, it feels like everyone’s taking a deep breath on the Rams and how good they are. Update: They’re still really, really good, and have three of the best players in football—plus one of the game’s best coaches, leading the way.

6. Dallas Cowboys (4—1)

Last week: Win vs. New York Giants, 44–20
Next week: at New England

Maybe having them sixth is being slow to come around—since they’ve looked as impressive as anyone of late, without a real discernible weakness showing up. I just want to see how they handle success, and this week should be an indicator with a trip to New England to face a Patriots team they should handle on tap.

7. Baltimore Ravens (4—1)

Last week: Win vs. Indianapolis 31-25 (OT) (Monday)
Next week: vs. Los Angeles Chargers

What a comeback on Monday night, and what a freaking amazing football player Lamar Jackson is. Here’s hoping he gets the credit he deserves for the work he’s put in to improving as a passer.

8. Green Bay Packers (4—1)

Last week: Win at Cincinnati, 25–22 (OT)
Next week: at Chicago

They are pretty much who we thought they are. They need to get healthier on the offensive line, and with key pieces (Jaire Alexander, Za’Darius Smith) on defense. But Aaron Rodgers is leading the team to win games it shouldn’t, and as the roster gets healthier there’ll be fewer of those.

9. Cleveland Browns (3—2)

Last week: Loss at Los Angeles Chargers, 47–42
Next week: vs. Arizona

Renewed concern with the defense? I don’t think so. They’re still strong upfront, young in the back seven, and well-coached and coordinated. I’d bet on them figuring it out.

10. Cincinnati Bengals (3—2)

Last week: Loss vs. Green Bay, 25–22 (OT)
Next week: at Detroit

Joe Burrow keeps raising the ceiling for this group. Now, they just have to be able to keep him healthy.

11. Carolina Panthers (3—2)

Last week: Loss vs Philadelphia, 21–18
Next week: vs. Minnesota

I bought all the way in and got burned—Carolina cracked the last couple of weeks against the Eagles and Cowboys, and the offense really looks like it misses Christian McCaffrey.

12. New Orleans Saints (3—2)

Last week: Win at Washington, 33–22
Next week: Bye

The Saints will start to get guys like Michael Thomas and David Onyemata back into the fold, and if they can beat Geno Smith after their bye, they’ll go into a showdown with Tampa on Halloween at 4—2.

13. Kansas City Chiefs (2—3)

Last week: Loss vs. Buffalo, 38–20
Next week: at Washington

Five new linemen. Some aging and banged-up pieces on defense. Thirty-eight games the last two years. It’s easy to see, with the benefit of hindsight, where the Chiefs hitting some roadblocks might happen early this year.

14. Tennessee Titans (3—2)

Last week: Win at Jacksonville, 37–19
Next week: vs. Buffalo (Monday)

Given the issues on defense, and the physical state of the receivers, it’s hard to believe that the Titans are 3—2. But they are, and it’s happened behind, who else, their freakish reigning Offensive Player of the Year at tailback.

15. Chicago Bears (3—2)

Last week: Win at Las Vegas, 20–9
Next week: vs. Green Bay

Justin Fields was finally named the starter, and the defense and run game end up carrying the day in Vegas. Which is actually just how you’d think a smart coach would arrange his team around a rookie starter at the position.

16. Denver Broncos (3—2)

Last week: Loss at Pittsburgh, 27–19
Next week: vs. Las Vegas

Denver’s lost two straight now, to Baltimore and Pittsburgh, and it seems pretty obvious that as good a story as Teddy Bridgewater is, the Broncos are going to looking for a difference-maker at the most important position. There could be a pretty interesting situation, too, waiting for an Aaron Rodgers, Deshaun Watson or Russell Wilson here.

17. San Francisco 49ers (2—3)

Last week: Loss at Arizona, 17–10
Next week: Bye

Injuries are hitting Kyle Shanahan’s gang again. I still think there’s a winning roster here, and certainly a winning coaching staff. But if that can’t be proven on the field … it’s pretty tough to truly assess where they are.

18. Las Vegas Raiders (3—2)

Last week: Loss vs Chicago, 20–9
Next week: at Denver

Bizarre few days for a team that’s over .500 but no longer has a coach. And so there are a lot of questions to answer here for a team that also lacks a team president, and has a general manager who had been, more or less, working for the head coach. Important times ahead.

19. Pittsburgh Steelers (2—3)

Last week: Win vs. Denver, 27–19
Next week: vs. Seattle

I have faith in Mike Tomlin’s ability to squeeze everything there is out of the Steelers. My belief in Ben Roethlisberger is flagging though, and so I think the shift you’re seeing now will result in the offense becoming Najee Harris’s, which should help to highlight a rock-solid defense.

20. Minnesota Vikings (2—3)

Last week: Win vs. Detroit, 19–17
Next week: at Carolina

Did you know Kirk Cousins is having a career year? It’s true! And yet, Minnesota was this close to giving visiting Detroit its first win on Sunday and falling to 1—4.

21. New England Patriots (2—3)

Last week: Win at Houston, 25–22
Next week: vs. Dallas

The Patriots roster simply isn’t all that, and the reworked front-office needs another draft class to get it back up to the old standard. The silver lining is that should allow New England to push Mac Jones as the year goes on.

22. Washington Football Team (2—3)

Last week: Loss vs. New Orleans, 33–22
Next week: vs. Kansas City

The defense should be far better than it has been given the horse the Football Team rolls out there up front. And you have to wonder if a coordinator change will, eventually, come.

23. Seattle Seahawks (2—3)

Last week: Loss at Los Angeles Rams, 26–17 (Thursday)
Next week: at Pittsburgh

This is now Geno Smith’s show. Buckle up.

24. Atlanta Falcons (2—3)

Last week: Win vs. New York Jets, 27–20 (London)
Next week: Bye

New coach Arthur Smith’s team appears to be making strides, having played well three weeks in a row, with two wins snuck in there. And don’t look now, but Matt Ryan’s getting better in Smith’s scheme, which has some familiarities to the one Ryan ran for Kyle Shanahan during his MVP campaign.

25. Philadelphia Eagles (2—3)

Last week: Win at Carolina, 21–18
Next week: vs. Tampa Bay (Thursday)

The Eagles are right where most of us figured they would be—young and retooled at a lot of spots, with some strength on the lines, and a young quarterback they have to find out about over the next three months.

26. Indianapolis Colts (1—4)

Last week: Loss at Baltimore, 31–25 (OT) (Monday)
Next week: vs. Houston

Lots of bad breaks for Indy this year, with the rash of injuries, and now they need to get past another heartbreaker. Also, Monday night’s loss was Carson Wentz’s eighth in his last nine starts, going back to Philly.

27. New York Giants (1—4)

Last week: Loss at Dallas, 44–20
Next week: vs. Los Angeles Rams

Another team beset by injuries, and with the Rams, Panthers and Chiefs up next, it’ll take an upset somewhere to avoid 1–4 becoming 1–7. Joe Judge has his work cut out for him.

28. Miami Dolphins (1—4)

Last week: Loss at Tampa Bay, 45–17
Next week: at Jacksonville (London)

Tua Tagovailoa will be back soon, and it’s hard to know how big a difference it’s going to make.

29. New York Jets (1—4)

Last week: Loss at Atlanta, 27–20 (London)
Next week: Bye

Clearly, the roster still needs a lot of work.

30. Houston Texans (1—4)

Last week: Loss vs. New England, 25–22
Next week: vs. Indianapolis

Ditto.

31. Detroit Lions (0—5)

Last week: Loss at. Minnesota, 19–17
Next week: vs. Cincinnati

Like everyone else, I love the fight, and I love how Dan Campbell is so invested in his players. It’ll probably be a little while before we can use wins and losses to assess the job he’s doing. For now, at least, the thing to watch is how engaged the team is, and how young players are developing.

32. Jacksonville Jaguars (0—5)

Last week: Loss vs. Tennessee, 37–19
Next week: vs. Miami (London)

One thing opposing coaches have told me is that the Jaguars continue to play very, very hard, and that continued Sunday against the Titans. So that’s a plus, after a week with a lot of minuses.

More NFL Coverage:
• Stop Forcing Cowboys-Giants Games on Us on TV
• Mailbag: What Should Shad Khan Do About Urban Meyer?
• Packers Hang on, but Again Take Ball From Rodgers’s Hands
• Week 5 Takeaways: Justin Herbert Plants His Flag as Football’s Best Player

lundi 11 octobre 2021

New on SI: Lamar Jackson Tosses Walk-Off Touchdown As Ravens Erase 19-Point Deficit

Lamar Jackson tallied 442 passing yards and four touchdowns on Monday night as the Ravens erased a 22-3 deficit in a way over the Colts.

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Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has been perhaps the NFL's most electric quarterback since entering the league in 2018, and he added another performance to remember on Monday night.

Jackson and the Ravens offense struggled out of the gate early as they hosted the Colts at M&T Bank Stadium. Indianapolis held Baltimore to just three first half points, and a fumble by Jackson led to a 22-3 Colts lead midway through the third quarter. But when the chips were down, Jackson delivered.

The 2019 MVP ripped off three straight touchdown drives to end regulation, adding a pair of two-point conversions. With 39 seconds to play, the 22-3 deficit was erased in a 25-25 tie.

Jackson had some help as he forced overtime for the Ravens. Colts kicker Rodrigo Blankenship missed two field goals and one extra point on Monday, including a 37-yard attempt as time expired. The Ravens then won the toss and promptly marched down the field, ending the contest on a five-yard toss from Jackson to wide receiver Marquise 'Hollywood' Brown.

Monday night marked a pair of impressive records for Jackson. He is now the only quarterback in NFL history to total 400 yards passing, 4 touchdown passes, zero interceptions and 50 yards rushing in a single game, and his 34 wins before turning 25 is tied with Dan Marino for the most in NFL history. Jackson will turn 25 on Jan. 7.

Jackson was part of another illustrious record on Monday night. Tight end Mark Andrews caught passes to convert two-point conversion attempts on multiple fourth quarter drives, receptions that were preceded by Andrews touchdown catches. The feat gave Andrews two Octopuses on the night, marking just the second such instance in NFL history. Todd Gurley pulled off the double Octopus in 2018 in a win over the Cardinals.

The Ravens advanced to 4–1 in 2021 with Monday's victory, and they've fared well in nail-biters of late. Baltimore pulled off a 36-35 win over Kansas City on Sept. 19, and they beat the Lions one week later on a 66-yard field goal from kicker Justin Tucker. Perhaps more magic will be in store in January as the Ravens vie for the Lombardi Trophy.

More NFL coverage:

New on SI: Jon Gruden Resigns as Raiders Head Coach

SI Senior Writer Albert Breer details the fallout from Monday night, after Jon Gruden resigned following the New York Times publishing details from his old emails, which included racist, misogynistic and homophobic comments.

New on SI: Gruden Has Resigned. Now, It’s Time for the Rest of the Washington Investigation to Be Made Public

If the NFL is truly committed to its stated values of inclusion, they’ll release the rest of the details of their investigation into the “toxic” work environment overseen by one of its owners.

The picture of Jon Gruden that

emerged over the past several days was a person who could no longer hold his 10-year, $100 million post as the Raiders head coach.

The Wall Street Journal published last week a 2011 email in which Gruden used racist language when referring to the executive director of the players union, DeMaurice Smith, who is Black. A New York Times report on Monday cited “numerous” other emails sent over a seven-year period in which Gruden used misogynistic and anti-LGBTQ language “casually and frequently,” and rebuked major developments in the sport such as a gay player being drafted, women officials and players demonstrating against racial injustice during the national anthem.

The contents of these published messages are crude and derogatory, and at odds with the values the NFL claims to espouse. Gruden resigned shortly after the Times story was published. Gruden apologized after the first email was released but continued to assert that he is not racist and had no racial intentions with his comments, demonstrating apparently willful disregard for the harm inherent to the words he chose. When the Times published the contents of the rest of the emails, Gruden’s own words disqualified him from leading an NFL franchise, moreover one with an openly gay player, Carl Nassib, and in a league that is 70% Black.

Gruden’s emails were collected and reviewed by the NFL in conjunction with the league’s investigation of the Washington football team’s work environment. (Gruden reportedly exchanged the messages with Bruce Allen, his former colleague and the then-team president of the Washington NFL club, while Gruden was still working as a color commentator for ESPN’s Monday Night Football.) Now, it’s impossible not to address the elephant in the room. Earlier this summer, when the league announced the conclusion of the Washington investigation, Lisa Friel, special counsel for investigations, told reporters that the results showed “the culture of the club was very toxic and fell far short of the NFL’s values.” But the league did not request a written report from investigator Beth Wilkinson, instead taking only an oral report because the subject matter was deemed sensitive.

Gruden’s emails evoked a visceral reaction. They were difficult to read. Their public release required Gruden to face consequences. These developments should also compel the league to make public the specifics of the toxic work environment in Washington.

If the NFL had asked for a written report to be produced and released publicly for the investigation into the Washington football team, would the same have been true for owner Daniel Snyder or other past or present members of the organization? Gruden was forced to resign. The NFL fined the Washington club $10 million for creating a workplace culture permeated with bullying, intimidation and harassment while Snyder was the owner. His family was not forced to sell the team, though, and Snyder was simply shelved for a while, as his wife, Tanya, was tasked with taking on day-to-day operations for at least the “next several months.”

Gruden’s conduct can and should be discussed on its own, as well as how this kind of hateful speech and ideology is not only tolerated, but in some cases encouraged, in the NFL. The owner of the Raiders, Mark Davis, had chased Gruden for years, so desperate to bring him back to the Raiders that he made a mockery of the Rooney rule and awarded him total power. That’s hardly the kind of environment in which any conduct like that shown in the emails would be corrected. Gruden’s initial public apologies were lacking, but perhaps his facing consequences will now spur him to acknowledge, confront and truly understand the harm caused by his derogatory behavior. “I don’t want to keep addressing it,” he said after the game on Sunday. Now, he has no choice but to do so. Hopefully he uses this time to educate himself.

But in order for him to face accountability, and for this kind of behavior to be condemned, it took Gruden’s emails becoming public. If the NFL is truly committed to its stated values, it will do the same with the rest of the information collected in the Washington investigation.

New on SI: Colts Recover Lamar Jackson Fumble, 98-Yard Touchdown Overturned by Replay

Some smart thinking from Darius Leonard nearly led to a 98-yard Colts touchdown on Monday night.

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original article to see embedded media.

The Colts stood tall in the red zone against the Ravens on Monday night, turning a 1st-and-goal opportunity into a 98-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter.

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson took a snap from the shotgun with the Colts trailing 16-3, needing just two yards to score. He faked a handoff and darted right, but the ball popped out and into the arms of linebacker Darius Leonard as he lunged for the goal line.

Leonard's recovery was far from the best part of the forced turnover. He tossed the ball to Colts defensive back Isaiah Rodgers near the 30-yard line, and Rodgers sprinted to the end zone with little resistance. The play appeared to gave Indianapolis a 22-3 lead as it looked to stage an upset in Baltimore, but it was overturned on replay review as Leonard's pitch was deemed a forward pass.

Perhaps Indianapolis's defense is turning a corner after allowing 25-plus points in each of the first three weeks. The Colts held the Dolphins to 17 points in a Week 4 win, and they held the Ravens to just three first-half points on Monday.

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