They also suffered quite a few injuries Cincinnati Bengals Hats , which opened up a ton of opportunity for bench players. Let’s examine which players got more playing time than they probably deserved.Here are this week’s snap count takeaways:This is the obligatory update of the Bengals getting out snapped by their opponent.The Bengals had 61 snaps while the Steelers had 73. The two teams were close at halftime in this respect, but Cincinnati failed to maintain drives as well in the second half. The receiver position was the one that caught the most flack on Sunday. John Ross wasn’t able to go with a groin injury. Alex Erickson (46) played a vast majority of the third receiver snaps. He still only ended up with two catches for eight yards. That was so much better than Cody Core though. Core had three targets, and two ended up being pretty crucial drops. What’s weird is Core only played nine snaps. That is way too high of a target-to-snap ratio for Core. Josh Malone (four) played less than Core, and at this point you have to question why that was. Is Malone worse than Core? If only the Bengals had another option that they could activate when Ross can’t go... (Before you comment, I’m talking about Auden Tate. I think Auden Tate should be active over Core).Okay lets jump into the mess that was the snap distribution in the secondary. We’re going to start with the safeties. Jessie Bates played the most snaps of any defender with 69. He missed four plays while being checked for a concussion, but he came back in and ended up making the stop that led to the Bengals goal line stand that kept them in the game. Shawn Williams (42) left the game twice to be checked for a concussion and the second time he left they kept him out for good. This opened up the door for Clayton Fejedelem (33) to play. We even saw a glimpse of Brandon Wilson at safety for two plays.The cornerback position was far more fluid. William Jackson was questionable coming into the day, but he ended up playing the most snaps of any corner with 64. Dre Kirkpatrick wasn’t far behind with 63 plays though. Darqueze Dennard left the game with a shoulder injury after only playing 12 plays. Tony McRae filled in with 20 snaps, and rookie corner back Darius Phillips played four plays. Phillips even made the stop and forced the fumble that held Pittsburgh to their second field goal in the fourth quarter.It appears the Bengals are over the Hardy Nickerson Jr. experiment as he only played five snaps despite Nick Vigil (13) getting knocked out of the game early. Instead it was Vincent Rey who replaced Vigil with 47 snaps. He was just ahead of Preston Brown (45). Vontaze Burfict played 61 snaps, which was the most of any linebacker, and Jordan Evans kicked in 23 snaps as well. The Linebackers got plenty of run as the Steelers often went with a two-tight end set.Carlos Dunlap (50) and Geno Atkins (54) led the defensive line in snaps. Surprisingly (or maybe not) Cincinnati Bengals Hoodie , Michael Johnson was right behind them with 45 snaps. This was significantly more than Carl Lawson (22), Jordan Willis (27) and Sam Hubbard (26). It seems like the Bengals chose to go with experience there, but no one really helped get pressure that much on Sunday anyway. However, having Johnson out there for 45 plays isn’t going to help that.Joe Mixon played 42 snaps on Sunday. I’m not stating this to say he should’ve played more because there is a decent chance the team and/or Mixon weren’t trying to push the running back too much. The issue is Mark Walton’s 19 snaps and the fact he didn’t do anything of note with them. He had two carries for negative two yards on the day. It seems like if Cincinnati was going to rotate Mixon against the Steelers that they shouldn’t have been so quick to part with a running back like Thomas Rawls. You could probably make an argument that you give those 19 snaps to Rawls he gives you more than negative two yards. This performance just makes the Bengals pick of Walton that much more confusing. He is still a rookie though, but this is something he needs to learn from.The Bengals snap counts vs the Steelers#POS.NAMESnapsPercentage of snaps#POS.NAMESnapsPercentage of snaps The Bengals were victorious on Sunday and are right behind the Steelers in the AFC North division race, which means it’s time to go through and vote for the Bengals’ best plays from the game. Your options are:Shawn Williams’ interception: The play that essentially opened the floodgates in the first half, Williams was in the right place at the right time when Winston overthrew a covered Mike Evans. Thanks to a pressure from defensive end Sam Hubbard that lead to Winston rushing the throw, Williams secured an interception for the second week in a row.Tyler Boyd’s nine-yard touchdown reception: Can Boyd produce when John Ross is out of the lineup? Apparently he can when he plays the Buccaneers. His fourth of nine receptions ended in his fifth touchdown of the season on a beautiful back-shoulder dart from quarterback Andy Dalton to give the Bengals more points in 20 minutes than they scored in 60 minutes against the Chiefs.Sam Hubbard’s sack: Hubbard gets the credit for this on the traditional stat-sheet, but it was the work from both defensive end Carlos Dunlap and defensive tackle Geno Atkins that got Winston flustered in the pocket. Hubbard kept his eyes on the quarterback and claimed his second sack of his career.Joe Mixon’s 43-yard run: The Buccaneers had no answer for either Boyd or Mixon in the first half, and Mixon’s longest run of the year featured the majority of his forced missed tackles from this season. The run got Mixon over 100 yards for the first time on the season Youth Customized Cincinnati Bengals Jerseys , and also got the Bengals offense in scoring position, and the next play directly followed...A.J. Green’s 17-yard touchdown reception: Boyd lead the team in receiving, but Green had the catch of the day. But no one should be shocked at how he did it: just a casual one-handed mid-air grab over the head of the defender while getting both feet in bounds. We take these for granted because we’re so numb to it, but it’s never to amazing to watch.Jessie Bates’ 21-yard pick-six: The last throw Winston made ended up in the hands of Bates, who jumped the slot receiver’s post route without Winston ever seeing him. Bates’ instincts are truly advanced for him being just 22 years old, and the matchup against Winston proved to be one where Bates would thrive.A.J. Green’s 11-yard reception for a first down: Dalton went to Green twice on the game-winning drive, and Green apparently injured his foot on the second one. After seamlessly releasing from the contact initiated by the defender three yards off the line of scrimmage, Green hauls in the contested catch to get the offense in field goal range with just 11 seconds to go.Randy Bullock’s 44-yard game-winning field goal: On the very next play, Bullock knocks in his ninth field goal of the season as time expired to give the Bengals their fifth win of the year and negate the Buccaneers’ 18-point comeback attempt.

The Los Angeles Rams’ official siteMark Barron elaborates on the turnovers caused from the defense and getting fueled by big plays like that from the defenseAaron Donald postgame locker room interview | The Rams’ official siteThe legend explains his forced fumble and fumble recovery Jamon Brown Jersey Black Friday , how it felt putting all phases of the defense together, bullying OL into the QB, the offense feeding off of turnovers, his children’s demand for sacks, and Marcus Peters’ prediction that was spot-onRobert Woods postgame locker room interview | The Rams’ official siteAfter stringing together a handful of spectacular performances, Robert Woods talks about playing as a team from all three phases, the key to making it all work, and the message in the locker room from player to playerTroy Hill postgame locker room interview | The Rams’ official siteHill talks about having a short memory and being able to move onto the next play, the crazy interception, stringing together good performances from the defense, and the ability of Aaron DonaldSean McVay postgame press conference | The Rams’ official siteThe Head Coach praises his defense playing a great game against both the run and pass creating seven sacks https://www.ramsfanstore.com/Greg-Zuerlein-Jersey , countless pressures, and four turnovers that directly lead to 24 points. He talks about having Greg Zuerlein back, the respect he has for Coach Shanahan, Aaron Donald’s legendary performance, and Cory Littleton’s impactRams crush 49ers: Instant analysis | Rams WireCam DaSilva recaps the game, shares interesting statistics, hands out his game balls, and share his game notesTodd Gurley ties TD record set in 2002 | Rams WireI mean (per Cam DaSilva):SpectacularStuds and duds from Rams’ big win | Rams WireCam shares his studs from the game which include several defenders and an offensive MVP, as well as his duds (not many)Aaron Donald destroys 49ers in blowout win | Yahoo SportsMatt Maiocco recaps the game from the opponents sideline sharing quotes from the 49ers’ offensive lineman on DonaldRams a fantasy juggernaut behind stud Todd Gurley | Yahoo SportsDalton Del Don recaps a bunch of the games from Sunday sharing very interesting statisticsSeven sacks, four turnovers: Rams defense unleashes | ESPNLindsey Thiry recaps the game spotlighting the dominant performance from the defense’s perspectiveRams get seven sacks and go to 7-0 on the season | OC RegisterRich Hammond outlines and recaps the game. He also shares a fun tidbit from Aaron Donald’s daughter, a requirement he could not meet on Sunday Another week Gerald Everett Color Rush Jersey , another win for the Los Angeles Rams.After a battle in cold temperatures and in the snow (kinda?), the Rams leave Denver unscathed (in record not injury) at 6-0.Let’s take a look at the stock report:Stock DownOLB Matt LongacreAnother game, another invisible performance for Longacre. Not only that, but at one point his back flared up and he was questionable to return. For a guy who just spent the past few months with multiple injuries (back, biceps) this is not good. It might be time to start looking elsewhere when it comes to an outside pass rush.CB Troy HillHill was awful yesterday. Call it how you will, but you can’t let three guys get over the top of you. Not only that, but he also registered a pass interference penalty. He was clearly the weak spot on the defense and Case Keenum was smart to continuously target Hill deep. Why is Hill even starting over Sam Shields at this point? At first I thought injury might have something to do with it, but Shields was playing on special teams and checked in at the end of the game.OLB Samson EbukamSamson Ebukam actually had a strip-sack early in the game that was negated because Keenum picked the ball up and threw it (BS rule) but was invisible outside of that. I’m surprised that Ebukam and Longacre have been this ineffective rushing the passer when getting to play with arguably the best trio of defensive lineman in the league.TE Tyler HigbeeThis isn’t so much Higbee’s fault, but over the past few weeks it’s starting to become the Gerald Everett show. Not that Everett is seeing a major role or major targets, but Higbee has been a complete non-factor in the passing game the past week or two. It looks like the Rams are slowly transitioning into an increased role for Everett which makes sense coming off an offseason where he was injured.Stock UpILB Cory LittletonAnother game another solid performance for Littleton. Littleton registered four tackles with an assisted tackle and nearly had an interception that turned into a pass deflection which was intercepted by SS John Johnson III. Littleton’s speed and versatility make him a much better fit for this defense than Alec Ogletree ever was.RB Todd GurleyUnreal. Gurley toted the rock 28 times for 208 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Not only that, but Gurley had another two receptions for 17 yards. This wasn’t just a great game from Gurley Cooper Kupp Jersey , it was something the Rams hadn’t seen for 17 years since Marshall Faulk rushed for over 200 yards in 2001. Gurley averaged 7.4 yards per carry. Keep feeding the horse!WR Robert WoodsIn 5/6 games this year, Robert Woods has crossed 80+ yards receiving. Three of those were 100+ receiving yards performances. Woods stepped up again as the only fully healthy (well, nobody is really fully healthy now) receiver with seven receptions for 109 yards on Sunday. Not only has Woods been a lowkey star, but he actually leads the Rams offense in both receptions (38) and receiving yards (524). Death, taxes, and Robert Woods killing defensive backs.S Lamarcus JoynerFinally Joyner makes his presence felt in a positive manner. Joyner had five tackles on the day with two more assisted tackles also registering his first sack of the season on a impressive spin move on a running back. He also registered a tackle-for-loss. Hopefully this is the kick starter on a more noticeable Joyner.After a perfect start to the season, the Rams head back into the state of California to face off with another divisional rival in the San Francisco 49ers.

Up next: Jared Cook , who’s coming off a career-best 180-yard performance in Oakland’s opener.Dissly did his damage on just three catches, covering Adam Gotsis Color Rush Jersey 105 yards.“I tell you what, he was one of my favorite guys in the draft. He’s a good player, but we can’t do that,” Broncos coach Vance Joseph said. “The first catch he made, we missed four tackles. The coverage wasn’t great, but we missed four tackles. The second play he made down the seam, again our eyes are bad and we’re out of position.”Actually, Joseph was forgetting Dissly’s first catch, a 15-yard touchdown grab in which the fourth-round draft pick out of Washington burst past rookie linebacker Bradley Chubb, the fifth overall pick in the draft.It was Dissly’s second catch when he broke four tackles before Brandon Marshall dragged him down at the 5-yard line following a zigzagging 66-yard catch and run, and it was his third grab, a 24-yarder, that put him over 100 yards.“That’s been a problem for us and we’ve got to fix it,” Joseph said. “We’ve got to coach better and we’ve got to play better.”The Raiders (0-1) visit the Broncos (1-0) on Sunday and Cook is getting as much attention from Denver’s coaching staff and defenders as Marshawn Lynch, Amari Cooper, Martavis Bryant, Jordy Nelson and Derek Carr.“The tight end is going to be a challenge this week,” Joseph said. “He is a physical mismatch for most safeties and definitely for backers. We have to play to bracket him and to play a safety over top of him like he’s a receiver. Hopefully we can rush the passer, speed the quarterback up, and kind of help us cover these guys.”That’s what they did last week when they sacked the mobile Russell Wilson six times, their most since Nov. 27 Phillip Lindsay Jersey , 2016, in an overtime loss to Kansas City. Von Miller , who had three sacks last week, has always rated the Raiders as the best O-line in the league, one he insists is even better now that Donald Penn moved to right tackle to make room for rookie left tackle Kolton Miller.“Donald Penn can play any position on the line (and) 77 is a beast. He was the best tackle in this year’s draft,” Miller said. “I’ve always said the Raiders have the best offensive line in football. They made it a whole lot better with the Miller kid.”Last season, tight ends averaged 64 yards a game against Denver, and the Broncos were especially burned by Jason Witten (97 yards, TD), Evan Engram (82 yards, TD), Hunter Henry (73 yards), Travis Kelce (133 yards, TD) and Rob Gronkowski (74 yards).Throw in Nick Vannett’s 11-yard catch and Seahawks tight ends had 116 yards and a TD last week.“The tight ends, we haven’t fixed that yet,” Joseph said.He knows a quick fix is necessary Sunday to contain Cook.“He’s 6-6, he has great ball skills, he runs a 4.5 (40-yard dash),” Joseph said. “We have to have a great plan to get him contained. We can’t walk in here on Monday and say we didn’t contain him. If we don’t contain him, it’s going to be a long day for us.” In the midst of a three-game losing streak, the Denver Broncos are preparing to battle the unbeaten Los Angeles Rams. They will need just more than a good week of practice to buck the skid and defeat the Rams. A win on Sunday would change the narrative of the Broncos’ season and subsequently save a few jobs in the process. Most likely they will need a miracle to come out victorious, but miracles happen every day, so why not on tomorrow afternoon? Anyhow, here is a deeper look at the Rams https://www.broncosfanstore.com/Derek-Wolfe-Jersey , some keys to the game and my final score prediction. A quick glance the Rams’ offenseLast week the Broncos’ defense was destroyed by the New York Jets, who entered last week’s affair having one of the league’s worst offenses. On Sunday that same defense who put up a disastrous effort will be going up against a much more formidable high-powered Rams offense that is one of the league’s best. But hey, maybe we can find a little hope that they will be slowed down a tad with a forecast of several inches of snow for the game, right folks?After enduring half a decade of Jeff Fisher led mediocrity, the Rams went out and hired rising star and offensive mastermind Sean McVay in 2017. In his first year as their head coach, he was a key cog in revamping the league’s worst offense from 2016 (in points and yards) to the league’s number one scoring offense and tenth ranked in respect to total yards. Now that is a hell of a turn around! The Rams’ offensive success has continued five games into the 2018 season and is third in points scored (averaging nearly 35 points per contest) and tops in yards produced (468 yards per game). The offense is led by Jared Goff, who is completing an impressive 72 percent of his passes and has 1,727 yards and 12 touchdowns on the season with only 4 interceptions. The wide receiver trio of Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods and the offseason trade acquired Brandin Cooks are lethal. Each of them has 26 receptions and 400 yards or more and often make their living operating in the middle of the field — giving the Rams arguably the best trio of receivers in the league. Their feature back and perhaps their best offensive player is running back Todd Gurley, who already has nearly 650 all-purpose yards and 9 touchdowns on the season in 120 total touches.While their offense doesn’t utilize the tight end much, those five players are much better than anything the Jets had to offer talent-wise last week and you saw what they did to the Broncos. Therefore, it’s hard to come up with any imaginable scenario where the Broncos will be able to keep them all in check, unless they have a defensive outing like they did against the Kansas City Chiefs, sans the disastrous fourth quarter.A quick glance at the Rams’ defenseA familiar face coaches the Rams’ defense and that’s former Broncos defensive coordinator Wade Phillips — the unsung hero and architect of the formidable defenses the Broncos fielded in 2015 and 2016. Humble as always, he seems to think he gets too much credit for that, but we all know if it wasn’t for him the franchise wouldn’t have gotten their third Lombardi Trophy. One of the best defensive minds in the history of game, Phillips has undoubtedly helped turn that side of the ball around with his play-calling helping them sport a top ten ranked defense (7th in points allowed, 9th in yards allowed), despite having no top-tier edge rushers and a secondary battling injuries. Their passing defense is ranked 9th in the league giving up 235 yards per contest, and their rushing defense comes in below-average at 19th overall, giving up over 106 yards a game and five yards per carry. If there is an weakness on their defense the Broncos could exploit — that would certainly be it.The two key players on the defense are Aaron Darnold and Ndamukong Suh, who are a handful for opposing offensive lines to handle on the interior of their defense. They have combined for 6 sacks this year and put a lot of heat on opposing quarterbacks, so it will be a big test for Ronald Leary, Matt Paradis and whoever the Broncos decide to start at right guard on Sunday. Even though he has had a down season after suffering a calf injury and being heavily-targeted with teammate Aqib Talib being sidelined Todd Davis Color Rush Jersey , the Broncos need to keep an eye out for Marcus Peters, who has the ability to make game-changing plays on defense. We all know how dangerous he can be, so it’s best not to sleep on the veteran despite poor performances in recent weeks.Two Keys to the GameActually utilize Royce Freeman and get Phillip Lindsay involved heavilyLike I said about the when the Broncos hosted the Chiefs, sometimes the best defense is a good offense that can control the clock and the pace of the game. Going up against an impressive Rams’ offense will be no easy task, so keeping Goff and Co. off of the field and sustaining long, time-consuming drives would be wise for Denver. If snow is in the forecast for Sunday, that’ll impact the passing game — but it will be a prime reason to actually give Royce Freeman and Phillip Lindsay ample opportunities to demonstrate their talent. As shown above, the Rams have been below-average against the run all year long and are giving up five yards per carry. It’s about time the Broncos’ coaches woke up and realized they need to run the ball more, especially in respect to Freeman. It’s the most effective part of their offense, so their willingness to abandon it and not establish it early on has been quite bothersome.Find a way to limit Goff’s success in the middle of the fieldGoff has been on fire when targeting receivers in the middle of the field this season, which is unfortunately the area the Broncos are most deficient at coverage-wise. With both Kupp and Cooks passing concussion protocol this week, they will be active for Sunday’s game and often find success against the heart of opposing defenses, especially on crossing routes. I’m not counting on Denver’s linebackers to excel in coverage in the middle of the field, so it will take some creative game-planning on behalf of Joe Woods to ensure the Broncos’ defense isn’t throttled in the open field. Oh, and the pass rush actually showing up this week would definitely help at getting Goff out of rhythm. Hart’s PredictionI’m usually an eternal optimistic, but the Broncos’ three-game losing streak has wiped away most of my positive outlook for the remainder of the season. Perhaps last week’s implosion against the Jets will be the wake-up call the coaches and players finally need, but I’m not going to hold my breath. The Rams are an incredibly good football team, in fact, they are the top contender to represent the NFC in this year’s Super Bowl. One team playing this Sunday has quality coaches and players that execute when it matters, one of them doesn’t. I will leave it to you to figure out which team is which — it’s certainly quite obvious. But I’m sure the Broncos had a good week of practice.Rams 30, Broncos 20.

Bell sent a tweet recognizing James Conner‘s strong play in the 28-21 win over the Bengals. Conner ran 19 times for 111 yards and two touchdowns Rocky Bleier Color Rush Jersey to continue a good run as the top running back in Pittsburgh. Thoughts about whether that run will continue led to a joke from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger after the game.“He was a bowling ball today,” Roethlisberger said, via PennLive.com. “He was all over the place. What a great game, but I know it’s his last game for us, so, because Le’Veon’s coming back. I thought he did well in his last one.”Roethlisberger said last week that Conner should retain a role in the offense if and when Bell returns to the fold and Sunday’s performance was another strong argument in favor of that approach. Ryan Switzer has been something of a revelation as a return man for the Pittsburgh Steelers since arriving via trade before the start of the season, but he had fans out of their seats for all the wrong reasons on Sunday afternoon with a catastrophic error midway through the third quarter.With Pittsburgh set up to receive a free kick after recording a safety Terry Bradshaw Jersey , confusion between Switzer and Roosevelt Nix led to a huge mistake that saw the Browns recover the ball at the Steelers 25-yard line.Seemingly believing the ball would be ruled dead if not returned by one of their teammates, both Nix and Switzer failed to make an attempt to dive on the live football when it had gone over the heads and the Browns pounced on it. While it would be incorrect to say Cleveland could have advanced the ball any further, they were still set up for a short drive that would end in a touchdown.Speaking to Chris Adamski of TribLive after the game, Switzer confirmed he really did not know the rules that governed free kicks and actually thought it would still be Pittsburgh’s ball, just as it appeared he did.If Switzer was open to acknowledging his mistake, Nix was far less willing to discuss it with reporters in light of another victory. Doubling down later on fans who dared to call him out for the play via Twitter.Against a more credible opponent, a mistake of this magnitude could have cost them the win and the Steelers can considered themselves lucky they were only playing the Browns. Clearly https://www.steelerssportshop.com/Ryan-Switzer-Jersey , many on the team needed a lesson about the rules surrounding free kicks and they all got one in the harshest way possible. If it prevents it from happening again, it will have been worth it.As understandable as it is to criticize the players for not knowing the rules, it would be fair to say that special teams coach Danny Smith deserve his share of blame for the play too. It is his job to have his players prepared for every eventually. A free kick after a safety is hardly unheard of, even if it is only the second one the Steelers have returned all season.

Other than the pregame fire alarm Ken Crawley Jersey , of course. But Saints coach Sean Payton dispatched that as easily as his team did the league’s worst-ranked defense.According to Josh Katzenstein of the New Orleans Times-Picayune, Payton acknowledged that he smashed the fire alarm in the visitor’s locker room at Paul Brown Stadium yesterday, and that he would pay for the damages.“Clearly, we were having issues with a fire alarm,” he said. “I just needed the noise to stop.”The alarm apparently went off for around 10 minutes, around 15 minutes before kickoff.The Bengals said yesterday they notified local authorities, and what he did is technically against the law. But the cops there are probably busy looking for head coach Marvin Lewis’ reputation for fielding competent defenses. A look at some key fantasy football questions going into Week 7:WHICH SAINTS WR WILL HAVE THE BIGGEST BOOST IN PRODUCTION WITH TED GINN ON INJURED RERSERVE?The Saints have been high on Tre’Quan Smith since the preseason. He had 16 receptions (three for 20 yards or more) this summer, and with Ginn sidelined in Week 5 he caught three passes for 111 yards and added two TDs. His two scores went for 62 and 35 yards, showing he’s a big play receiver. Although he was second on the team in routes run A.J. Klein Color Rush Jersey , in Week 5 he only received three targets.Cameron Meredith should play most of his snaps from the slot. He might receive more targets and catch more passes than Smith, but Smith has the bigger upside. Saints receivers have a tough matchup against a good Ravens defense this week, so don’t become alarmed if neither player puts up big numbers. Both receivers should see an uptick in production but Smith has better potential for the rest of the season.WHICH UNDER-THE-RADAR WR HAS THE BEST CHANCE FOR A BIG GAME IN WEEK 7?Bears WR Allen Robinson has been dealing with a groin injury this week. He may not play and if he does, he might be limited. Robinson’s injury could make Taylor Gabriel Chicago’s most targeted receiver this week. Gabriel hasn’t dropped a pass since Week 3 and has two straight games with 100 receiving yards or more. The Patriots defense has given up the third most TDs to wide receivers with nine this season. Gabriel leads Bears WRs with four targets within the 10-yard line, so should have a good opportunity to score a TD in Week7.Jets WR Jermaine Kearse could be in line for another double-digit target week vs. the Vikings. With Quincy Enunwa out, Kearse should play a significant portion of his snaps from the slot, a weakness for the Vikings defense.WHICH UNDER-THE-RADAR RB HAS THE BEST CHANCE FOR A BIG GAME THIS WEEK?Peyton Barber may eventually lose his starting job to rookie RB Ronald Jones but it’s not likely to happen right now. Barber’s coming off his best performance of the season, having rushed the ball 13 times for 82 yards (that’s 6.31 yards per carry). He also added four receptions for 24 yards and a TD. He has the potential to build upon that with a choice matchup against the Browns. They’ve given up 4.67 yards per carry and the second-most rushing TDs to the position this season.Kerryon Johnson could also have a larger role out of the Lions backfield this week if Theo Riddick is forced to miss time due to his knee injury. Johnson has averaged 5.98 yards per carry in his last four games and could be featured in the Lions passing game if Riddick is out.WHICH UNDER-THE-RADAR TE COULD BREAK OUT?Fantasy football players have been waiting a long time for Austin Hooper to emerge as a reliable fantasy TE. Well, it looks like it’s finally happening. Hooper has caught nine passes in each of the last two weeks and has over 70 receiving yards in each of the past two outings as well. With Mohamed Sanu and Calvin Ridley battling injuries and questionable to play on Monday night https://www.thesaintsfanshop.com/P.J.-Williams-Jersey , Hooper should see double-digit targets for a third straight game.CAN YOU RECOMMEND A GOOD BUY LOW TARGET AMONG WRS?Browns WR Jarvis Landry averaged just under seven catches per game through Week 3. He’s maintained an average of 11 targets per game, but since Week 3 his has just over four catches per game.Now he gets a very favorable schedule over the next four weeks, facing the Buccaneers, Steelers, Chiefs and Falcons. All four of those teams are top 6 in most yards per game yielded to slot receivers. If you own Landry, use him with confidence starting this week. If you don’t, his two catch for 11-yard Week 6 performance might allow you to trade for him at a discount.IF DALVIN COOK IS ACTIVE FOR WEEK 7 SHOULD HE BE IN STARTING LINEUPS?Cook’s status (hamstring) needs to be closely monitored as game time approaches but even if he’s active, if you have an alternate option, you should use it. Leading up to Week 6 Patrick Robinson Jersey , Cook’s practice status was as both a limited and full participant, he was also questionable, then likely to play and finally inactive. With the constant uncertainty surrounding his availability and the number of snaps he’ll play if active, try to minimize your risk and slip another RB into your lineup if possible.IS IT TOO LATE TO TRY TO TRADE STEELERS RB JAMES CONNER?No. It never hurts to put a player with Conner’s skill set on the trading block and allow offers to come your way. The potential impending arrival of Le’Veon Bell could drive down Conner’s fantasy trade appeal, but if and when Bell reports, he’s probably not going to be able to take on a full workload for a couple of weeks.If Bell reports and is activated for Week 8 he’d probably suit up, but it might take until Week 10 before he can possibly work as a bell cow back again. It could even still be a time share. Don’t be too surprised if Conner retains a significant role in the Steelers offense.Gauge his value if you have another feasible option at RB that you can slide into your weekly lineup. If you don’t, continue to use Conner until he’s no longer a surefire starter.

It wasn’t the most exciting game Trent Brown Color Rush Jersey , but it counts as a win and the Patriots are creating some distance within the AFC East and in the AFC.Here’s what we learned.The Patriots didn’t have a running gameRunning backs James White and Kenjon Barner combined for 19 rushing yards and a touchdown on 10 carries (1.9 yards per carry). Wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson led the Patriots with 38 rushing yards on 10 carries, while Julian Edelman added 13 yards on 2 carries. Tom Brady added 8 yards on an early scamper.In total, the Patriots had 78 rushing yards and a touchdown on 23 carries. They really missed having Sony Michel on the field and the lack of a running game had a major impact on the viability of the play-action game and the efficiency of the offense in the red zone.New England was able to get away with it this week because the Bills are terrible. They’ll need a rushing attack next week against the Green Bay Packers.Tom Brady had a very low-impact gameBrady had an effective day in the office, completing 29 of 45 passes (64.4%) for 324 yards, with no touchdowns or interceptions. He had...four, maybe five passes that anyone would consider “difficult” but it was entirely unnecessary because the Patriots didn’t have to do anything difficult to win.Brady spent much of his day dumping the ball off to James White (10 catches for 79 yards) or throwing it to Julian Edelman in the middle of the field (9 catches for 104 yards). It would have been nice if Brady were able to make any magic in the red zone (1 for 4, a fumble, for a net of +1 yards), but the Bills defense did a great job against the Patriots skill players.It honestly just felt like the Patriots were trying to “get through” this game as healthy as possible, with the hopes that Rob Gronkowski will be healthier next week and Sony Michel will be able to return to the lineup.The Patriots defense showed up against a weak opponentFootball Outsiders always preaches that the best teams show up against the weakest teams and don’t play to the level of the competition- and the Patriots defense rose to the occasion and crushed the terrible Bills offense. The defensive stars played as they should.Trey Flowers was the best player on the field and racked up two tackles for loss and a third for no gain, two quarterback hits, a pass defended. Kyle Van Noy was also excellent in the place of the inactive Dont’a Hightower, leading the Patriots with 8 tackles, 2 sacks, a forced fumble, and a tackle for loss.Lawrence Guy, Danny Shelton, and Malcom Brown combined for 2 tackles on the day, but the Bills running backs gained a mere 47 yards on 18 carries, with LeSean McCoy getting a laughable 13 yards on 12 carries.Credit also to the Patriots secondary, with Stephon Gilmore having another great game, holding Kelvin Benjamin to 2 catches for 45 yards on 7 targets, with 40 of those yards coming on a jump ball that he defended as well as he could. Patrick Chung and Devin McCourty did a good job against Charles Clay Duron Harmon Jersey , holding the tight end to 3 catches for 36 yards on 6 targets. McCourty also returned an interception for a touchdown.Hopefully the Patriots defense can build off this and play better over the second half of the season.Special teams had an up-and-down dayThe Patriots didn’t have the best day on special teams, with Ryan Allen averaging an “as-unimpressive-as-it-sounds” 37.0 yards per punt average; the Bills four drives off of Allen punts started at an average of the 37-yard line. On the flip side, Julian Edelman was penalized for an unsportsmanlike penalty that pinned the Patriots on their own 5-yard line.Stephen Gostkowski had a strong day, hitting field goals from 25-, 40-, 38-, and 25-yards and missing one from 50-yards. He also connected on his extra point and did well on his kickoffs with four touchbacks and the Bills starting on an average of the 22-yard line on kicks they returned.The first half of the 2018 NFL Season is in the books.The (6-2) Patriots now have a 2.5-game lead in the AFC East, with the head-to-head tiebreaker over the (4-4) Miami Dolphins. The (3-5) New York Jets and (2-6) Buffalo Bills are pretty far in the rearview mirror as the Patriots are on pace to win their 15th division title in the past 16 years.Within the AFC, the Patriots trail the (7-1) Kansas City Chiefs, but hold the head-to-head tiebreaker if they wind up with matching records at the end of the year. The (5-2) Los Angeles Chargers have the third-best record in the AFC and are second in the AFC West.The (4-2-1) Pittsburgh Steelers somehow lead the AFC North ahead of the (5-3) Cincinnati Bengals and (4-4) Baltimore Ravens, which adds import to the Patriots-Steelers showdown in week 15; the winner has a strong chance of getting a first round bye.Meanwhile, the (5-3) Houston Texans have a strong lead in the AFC South ahead of the (3-4) Tennessee Titans and (3-5) Jacksonville Jaguars. The Patriots have the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Texans, again cementing New England in strong position in the conference.The Patriots are 6-2, which is par for the course under head coach Bill Belichick. Only four Patriots teams have started better (8-0 in 2007 and 2015; 7-1 in 2004 and 2016), with the 2003, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, and 2017 Patriots also all starting 6-2.The Belichick teams that didn’t were the 2000-02, 2005, 2008 Andre Tippett Jersey Black Friday , and 2011-12 Patriots. It’s good to note that the Patriots have made every single AFC Championship Game since that 2011 season and that means they’re right on track for the second half of the year. Welcome to your safe space.How’s it feel having the Patriots at 7-2, with a two-game lead in the sinking AFC East, and ranking not only number two in the Conference, but between two and three over all?New England has settled into a winning groove, knocking off the Chiefs and the Packers during their six-game win streak — but for some that 2-2 start is hard to shake off. For those who still have nightmares from Detroit or who had checked off the Chiefs and Packers as automatic losses when the schedule came out back in April, its okay to breathe just a tad easier now.I’m not buying into the analysts who “yawn” or “ho-hum” at how the Pats fought back up standings, but I am buying that Belichick won’t take his foot off the gas until the end, so it’s no jinx if fans relax and enjoy where the team is right now.Really... it’s not a bad place to be and the season is flying by already.What’s ahead? The second-half schedule is plenty meaningful: Four division games, six out of seven conference games, three home games (Minnesota, Buffalo, NY Jets) and four away (Tennessee, NY Jets, Miami and Pittsburgh), with a Week 11 Bye. Sunday at 1:00 the Pats face the ‘Patriots-South’ in Tennessee with many familiar faces, including oldies Mike Vrabel and Dean Pees plus recent former players, Dion Lewis, Malcolm Butler, Logan Ryan and Josh Kline.No doubt they’ll be pretty hyped for this game but the Patriots will be steady and ready.Pats win by 17.GO PATS!Around the AFC East:(7-2) New England Patriots at (4-4) Tennessee Titans(5-4) Miami Dolphins at (3-4-1) Green Bay Packers(3-6) New York Jets vs. (2-7) Buffalo BillsAFC Matchups:(8-1) Kansas City Chiefs vs. (2-6) Arizona Cardinals (5-2) Pittsburgh Steelers vs. (6-2) Carolina Panthers (6-2) Los Angeles Chargers at (1-7) Oakland Raiders(5-3) Cincinnati Bengals vs. (7-1) New Orleans Saints(3-5) Jacksonville Jaguars at (3-5) Indianapolis Colts(2-6) Cleveland Browns vs. (4-4) Atlanta FalconsBye Weeks: (3-6) Denver Broncos, (4-5) Baltimore Ravens, (6-3) Houston Texans****************************************************2nd - Pete Prisco (CBS Sports): Ho-hum, it’s November and the Patriots are getting better. Haven’t we seen this script before?.2nd - Elliot Harrison (NFL.com): Before you pick at this ranking, realize that the Patriots won -- by multiple scores https://www.patriotsfanstore.com/Irving-Fryar-Jersey , no less -- without Rob Gronkowski, Sony Michel and Shaq Mason. Tom Brady picked at the Pack’s defense most of the night, being quite familiar with the scheme’s czar, Mike Pettine. Then Brady hit the Joshpot with that odd-looking intermediate throw to Mr. Gordon -- a ball that Julian Edelman initially elevated for ... before bringing his hands down in a move that made him look like a red, white and blue PEZ dispenser. Michel’s absence meant more was required of James White, who was obviously gassed after that trick-play beaut of a screen. What a well-planned, well-timed, well-better-than-anything-the-Packers-showed play call from New England. Edelman delivered calmly and coolly. Again.2nd - Vinnie Iyer (Sporting News): The Patriots made the Tom Brady-Aaron Rodgers showdown more about their running game and defense, and that’s exactly why they remain the best team in the AFC.2nd - Mark Maske (Washington Post): Tom Brady actually seemed confused at times Sunday night by the looks given to him by the Green Bay defense, but he figured out a way to win. Isn’t that how it always goes with Brady and the Patriots? This is resembling another one of those seasons in which a 1-2 start for New England gives way to a Super Bowl appearance.2nd - MMQB Staff (SI): Remember when the Patriots were outside of our Top 10? One of these years we’ll learn not to write them off after a slow start. The Patriots not only jumped the Rams this week, but also the Chiefs.2nd - Expert Consensus (Bleacher Report): There are three constants in life—death, taxes and the New England Patriots hitting the halfway point in the season with a stranglehold on the AFC East.2nd - Joshua Schrock (NESN): The Patriots continue to get better and better with each week. New England’s defense stole the show in Week 9, holding Aaron Rodgers and the Packers to 17 points in a 31-17 win at Gillette Stadium. Tom Brady and Co. now have won six games in a row and have done so with key members of the offense missing a number of games. There’s no telling how good the Pats will be come January.2nd - Staff (AP Pro32).3rd - Rebecca Toback (SB Nation): The Patriots and Chiefs both moved down one spot, but more because of the Saints’ recent dominance than anything else. Those three teams along with the Rams are clearly separating from the pack and the 6-2 Chargers aren’t far behind...3rd - Nate Davis (USA Today): Bill Belichick has to be wondering if former prot茅g茅 Matt Patricia will provide any potential cheat codes to fellow rookie HC Mike Vrabel this week.3rd - Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk): They may not lose again, playoffs included.4th - Frank Schwab (Yahoo! Sports): Josh Gordon had 130 yards and it looks like he’s going to be a dominant force down the stretch. Who could have ever guessed that the Patriots paying nothing for a player of Gordon’s talent in a trade could end up being a good deal? Never saw that coming.4th - Experts (ESPN): A 1-2 start wasn’t entirely unexpected, in part because Julian Edelman was serving a four-game NFL suspension and the Patriots have had some early-season struggles in past years, but that is the main reason the club has had a two-spot dip from preseason expectations. But credit also goes to the Rams and Chiefs, two teams who have far exceeded projections, even though the Patriots dealt the Chiefs their lone loss of the season.4th - Joe Giglio (NJ.com): How impressive is New England’s success? Sunday’s win over the Packers barely registered here on these rankings. It was expected. Another 12-or-13-win season a bye week is on the way.4th - Bryan Fischer (Athlon Sports): Even without Gronk, that was quite an impressive effort against the Packers on both sides of the ball. That slow start seems like it’s a thing of the past as the AFC favorites have another clear path to the Super Bowl.4th - Russell S. Baxter (Fansided): The Pats own a two-game lead in the AFC East and the only other team above .500 are the erratic Miami Dolphins. Belichick’s club has now won six consecutive games after that 1-2 start and appears on course to capture a 10th straight division title. There’s still a lot of football ahead but this team has found its stride.Week 10 Average Rank: 2.8 (+0.3)

For fans of the Minnesota Vikings that are simply interested in watching football, that can only mean one thing.Yes, for the first time this season, it’s a RED ZONE SUNDAY for fans of the purple.There are plenty of other Chris Doleman Jersey Black Friday NFL games, and if you have the Red Zone Channel on your cable or satellite provider, you know that it’s truly the best way to take it all in.Here’s a full listing of the games that will be happening today.Early Games on CBSCincinnati Bengals at Atlanta Falcons - Greg Gumbel, Trent Green - DirecTV Channel 705Buffalo Bills at Green Bay Packers - Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts - DirecTV Channel 706Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts - Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta - DirecTV Channel 707Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots - Kevin Harlan, Rich Gannon - DirecTV Channel 708Early Games on FOXTampa Bay Buccaneers at Chicago Bears - Thom Brennaman, Chris Spielman - DirecTV Channel 709Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys - Kevin Burkhardt, Charles Davis - DirecTV Channel 710New York Jets at Jacksonville Jaguars - Dan Hellie, Jeff Fisher - DirecTV Channel 711Philadelphia Eagles at Tennessee Titans - Chris Myers, Daryl Johnston - DirecTV Channel 712Late Games on FOXSeattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals - Dick Stockton, Mark Schlereth - DirecTV Channel 713Cleveland Browns at Oakland Raiders - Kenny Albert https://www.minnesotavikingsshop.com/Adrian-Peterson-Jersey , Ronde Barber - DirecTV Channel 714Late Games on CBSSan Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Chargers - Andrew Catalon, James Lofton - DirecTV Channel 715New Orleans Saints at New York Giants - Jim Nantz, Tony Romo - DirecTV Channel 716The Sunday Night Football matchup for this week highlights the AFC North rivalry between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers on NBC, and the focus will be on the AFC West for Monday Night Football as the Denver Broncos will play host to the Kansas City Chiefs on ESPN.That’s your Week 4 non-Vikings schedule, ladies and gentlemen. Enjoy your afternoon and evening of football! GREEN BAY, Wis. 鈥?Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Zimmer isn’t buying it.The Green Bay Packers can say all they want that quarterback Aaron Rodgers is day to day with a knee injury. The two-time NFL MVP will be given the whole week to get ready for Sunday’s game against Minnesota, coach Mike McCarthy said.“Yeah, well, you know he walks on water, so I’m sure he’s going to play,” Zimmer said Wednesday in a conference call.More Vikings coverageVikings coordinators: Defending Brees, Holton Hill’s role, a Minneapolis Miracle story and moreWATCH: The second annual Minnesota Sports AwardsVikings welcome Everson Griffen back to practiceVikings captain Griffen returns to team activitiesVikings Snap Counts: Rookie Hill shines with Rhodes ailingGreen Bay returned to the practice field on Wednesday, though Rodgers did not participate and stayed at Lambeau Field to rehab. Asked at his locker if it was accurate to say his injury was a sprained knee, Rodgers said Kirk Cousins Color Rush Jersey , “Sure … say sprained knee.”Wearing a brace could be an option, depending on how the quarterback feels later in the week. If he can’t go, the Packers would turn to backup DeShone Kizer, who accounted for two turnovers after coming in when Rodgers got hurt in the second quarter last week against the Bears.“Haven’t even thought about that,” Rodgers said when asked if he had confidence in Kizer if the backup needed to start.So it’s understandable why Zimmer and the Vikings think Rodgers will play. After all, Rodgers returned from injury on Sunday after being taken to the locker room on the front seat of a cart.Rodgers walked back out halftime, took over on the first series of the second half and threw three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter to rally the Packers from 20 points down to a 24-23 victory. He said after the game that while he had to undergo more tests, he planned on playing against Minnesota.Rehabbing on Wednesday was not a setback, McCarthy said.“I think anytime a player comes off a game where he’s injured, obviously there’s the hope of playing,” McCarthy added. “We’ll give him the whole week to get ready. So we’ll take it day by day and learn as we go.”Rodgers said he was feeling progressively better over the last couple days, though still sore. The 14-year veteran said he does not need to practice to play.7View Gallery Gallery:Upon Further Review: Vikings vs. 49ersBrad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports | Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports“I mean every practice is important,” receiver Davante Adams said. “But … two days is not going to make or break whether (we have) success, whether it’s me and DeShone, me and Aaron Anthony Barr Jersey , whoever it may be.”Rodgers has played before with an injured left knee. He tore the ACL in his knee in high school, and played with the injury for four years before having surgery while in college at California. He also had a cleanup procedure on the knee a few years ago by the Packers team doctor.“So I know what it feels like to play with something like this, and hopefully I’ll be at the point where I can (play) on Sunday,” Rodgers said.He described how he was cleared to play by the team doctor at halftime against the Bears so long as he could “deal with the pain.” There were a couple throws in which Rodgers said he got a “jolt” of pain after putting weight on his left leg.“It’s super painful, and you’ve just got to suck it up and play through it,” Rodgers said at his locker. “To be in this room, you’ve got to be mentally and physical tough.”If Rodgers does play, it would be his first game against the Vikings since the two-time MVP broke his right collarbone following a hit from Minnesota linebacker Anthony Barr on Oct. 15. The injury limited Rodgers to seven games last year.“We know he’s playing,” Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen said.NOTES: Adams also missed practice after he said he hurt his shoulder when a Bears defensive back landed on him after making a 51-yard catch. He said he would try to return to practice on Thursday and was optimistic about playing Sunday. “So we’re just taking it light a little bit just so we can build up and be ready for Sunday,” Adams said. … S Josh Jones (ankle) missed practice, while rookie LB Oren Burks (shoulder) was limited.

Denver Broncos at 6-0 as many of us predicted they would. If you’re just looking at the recap and/or box score following the game https://www.ramsfanstore.com/t-shirts , you might be a bit disappointed and look to TST to figure out what went wrong.But that score is largely misleading and the game was never as close as the score indicated. The Rams battled injuries (more on that in a bit) all day but snagged an early lead and never looked back.Last week, Hotdaddywags took a look at some Rams to watch. Let’s take a look back and see how they performed.Marcus PetersTo be completely honest, Peters looked god-awful against the Seattle Seahawks. He was constantly being fooled by double moves and got beat deep multiple times. For fans who remember what it was like when Janoris Jenkins was with the Rams, the similarities were staggering.In Denver, Peters was back to his usual self. Broncos QB Case Keenum was afraid to challenge Peters and largely avoided throwing to his side. Then again Los Angeles Rams Hats , with fellow CB Aqib Talib still out, the Broncos didn’t have to.Peters was given a game ball by our own Skye Sverdlin and erased lingering doubts that he might not be 100% recovered from his injury.Cooper Kupp and Brandin CooksCooks and Kupp didn’t do much on Sunday, but they didn’t have to. The Rams were dominant on the ground and QB Jared Goff wasn’t as accurate as usual in the cold weather. When Goff was able to connect, he looked early and often to WR Robert Woods - who again eclipsed 100 yards. Woods is now 7th in the NFL in receiving yards with Cooks and Kupp not far behind at 10th and 19th respectively.More worrisome for Rams fans is the injury that Kupp suffered at the end of the 1st half. It looked ugly, but he was able to return in the 2nd half - which is encouraging. Adam Schefter has reported that it’s an MCL sprain and that Kupp could miss some time.Todd GurleyGurley was damn near impossible to tackle on Sunday. He had his first career 200 yard game and averaged an impressive 7.4 YPC. He was a freight train that the Broncos had no answer for. This was exactly the type of performance the Rams needed from Gurley with Goff struggling.Gurley was able to overcome the OL injuries throughout the game and is already making a strong case to repeat as Offensive Player of the Year.Troy HillA week after an impressive showing against the Sehawks Los Angeles Rams Hoodie , Hill allowed multiple bombs to his side of the field and looked horrid. Three Broncos players had receptions of 40+ yards and I’m fairly certain that Hill was targeted in all of time.Get well soon Aqib. The Rams miss you. Michael BrockersBrockers had another quiet day at the office in Denver, but that doesn’t mean that it was a bad day for him either. Constantly overlooked because of his higher profile teammates, Brockers often gets lost in the shuffle. But that’s fine by him.He never complains about having to do the dirty work or not getting the recognition he deserves. He ate Broncos OL for breakfast, lunch, and dinner en route to 5 tackles (4 solo).The shoulder injury he sustained is worth monitoring https://www.ramsfanstore.com/Austin-Blythe-Jersey , but it didn’t seem to be bothering him after he returned to the game so I’m not horribly concerned about it. The Los Angeles Rams were simply too much for the San Francisco 49ers.From the opening kickoff to the final whistle, the Rams absolutely dominated things in all three phases. Were it not for some early mistakes from the Rams that they committed all on their own, the blowout would have been in full force early on. Instead, it took a few possessions for the Rams to iron out the wrinkles and for the game to truly show the distance between these two teams.And give the Rams credit. No, the Niners aren’t a highly talented team Jack Youngblood Jersey Black Friday , and yes they’ve suffered a bunch of high-impact injuries. But doesn’t matter. It’s the Rams-49ers. Getting a win like this on the back of the offensive line, RB Todd Gurley and DL Aaron Donald with great performances all around the defense with the takeaways they got today is something the Rams should hang their hats on as they come home to LA to take on the Green Bay Packers next Sunday.For today though, this contest was about two teams on opposite sides of the fence.And two teams that played like it.

Monday afternoon Jared Veldheer Jersey , and it was the most candid conversation you’ve ever heard from DT.And it was as much heartbreaking as it was heartwarming. DT loves Denver, loves the Broncos, loves the fans - and he didn’t want to go. But he was still able to joke about it with all-time great Rod Smith: “They got me out of here before I could even break all Rod’s records!” he laughed.And in a crafty blame-shift, Smith put it on Shannon Sharpe, joking that the Hall-of-Fame tight end was the one most worried about DT catching him on the all-time receptions leaderboard (Smith is tops with 849 then Sharpe at 675 and Thomas with 665).“You’ve got a couple years to catch me, but you were going to pass Shannon Sharpe this week probably,” Smith laughed.Listen to "11-5-18 Demaryius Thomas Reflects on Trade, Trade Rumors, Time in Denver" on Spreaker.But the most revealing part of the conversation came when DT was clarifying his comment to Mike Silver in which took a dig at his former team for losing games at the end.The crux of his issue was with coaches not listening to what players were seeing on the field.“If you want to be better, you’ve got to listen to your players. They’ve been playing for a long time,” Thomas said. “There were games I wanted to change stuff up on the field because I knew it would make us better. I used to do that with Peyton.“I’m the talent. You watch film, but when I see something and you’re not on the field with me, let’s just try to do something different,” he added. “I guarantee it’ll be better for the squad.”Thomas reiterated he wasn’t bashing the Broncos, but he wanted to win and he felt like the coaches needed to spend some time listening.“I’m not bashing nobody. I love football. I love winning. I’ve been studying so long,” he said. “We could do special things if we just did things together as a group.”The veteran wideout pointed out that he’s been learning since he came to Denver nine years ago - often from the likes of Rod Smith and other greats before him. He’s been passing that knowledge on to the younger guys, and he believes his knowledge of the game and contribution with the young guys was overlooked by coaches.“When I got here, Rod knew I didn’t know shit. I was just big and I could run. Rod just stayed on me and stayed on me and as the years go, everything got better,” Thomas said, admitting he didn’t know the pro game coming from the triple option at Georgia Tech. “I was raw as all raw. When I got information from Rod, starting giving it to the younger guys.”DT was clearly unhappy with how the entire situation went down - hearing rumors of being traded all season but being told by Vance Joseph that it wasn’t happening and then hearing from his agent that it was - but he also acknowledged feeling unappreciated.“I never cried about getting the ball. I didn’t bitch about nothing. I’m sorry,” he said, admitting that talking about it gets him emotional. “It just hurts. I’m empty. I’m just empty still.”John Elway staying the course with current coachesSpeaking with Dave Logan, Elway said he was going to “stay the course” when Logan asked if he planned any changes heading into the two-week bye.“We’re going to stay the course. There are enough good things going on as far as us and the way that we’re playing,” Elway said. “I am much more encouraged this year than I was last year. Guys are still playing hard, and we’re in the games. Unfortunately for EVERYBODY - not only players but also fans - we haven’t made the plays to get over the hump.”Listen to "Dave Logan and John Elway 11-5-18" on Spreaker.Elway acknowledged that the teams who win are the ones who can make those plays at the end of the game, on third down, on fourth down, etc., and are able to do it consistently. “We’ve just not been able to do it,” he said. But Elway isn’t ready to hold Vance Joseph accountable for all the team’s mistakes on Sunday.Admitting that kicking a 62-yard field goal is “obviously a long kick (laughs) and would have been a hard kick to make,” Elway pointed out that if the offense had come out in the second half and gotten things going instead of another three-and-out Connor McGovern Color Rush Jersey , the game would also be a different story.His point?That you can always point to the obvious decisions that didn’t work out and say the opposite choice would have been better.“Again, you’ve got to take advantage when you do have the ball,” he said. “Hindsight is always 20/20 but there’s a lot of other times during the game, if we had done some things differently, could have changed the outcome also.”As for the 51-yard miss at the end of the game, Elway hesitated to second-guess Joseph for not stopping the clock after second down and trying to go for a few more yards to give Brandon McManus an easier kick.Joseph’s thinking was that the Texans’ front seven was getting the best of the Broncos’ o-line, and he didn’t want a sack or a tipped pass or something that could take away a field goal that was at a distance they were confident McManus could make.“The last thing we wanted to do was make a mistake and go backwards. In that situation, we didn’t want to take any chances. With Brandon and the year he’s having, we could trust him at 50, 51, 52 yards,” Elway said, adding that the kick itself probably wouldn’t have even been good had the Broncos been much closer. “I’m not sure that kick is good at 35 because he pushed it to the right, so whether it was from 30, 35, 40, it was going to be right anyway.”Focusing on the positive, Elway pointed out that Case Keenum had his best game to date, and the team overall showed a lot of good things.“Case gave us a chance to win at the end, obviously we weren’t able to close the deal,” Elway said. “We have to figure out how to make plays to win it.”Maybe Elway should call DT; he had some ideas. As things stand today, the Denver Broncos are in line to receive the 8th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. The process of earning a draft pick that high up sucks, but a smart franchise can capitalize on the opportunity and land a player who will become a long term cornerstone of the franchise. See: Miller, Von.So what might the Broncos do with the premier picks that appears to be in their future?The most obvious answer has to be: get a quarterback. But it may not be the right one. The prospective QB1, Oregon’s Justin Herbert, may not even declare this year. But even if he does, the Giants (and potentially the Raiders, depending on just how twitchy Gruden’s trigger finger gets) stand squarely in the Broncos’ way of acquiring him. And the QBs behind him aren’t the most inspiring group.With that in mind, you have to wonder if the Broncos should play a longer game. Maybe the right move could be trading back with a team like Miami or Tampa Bay, collecting their 2019 1st & 2nd rounders in the bargain, and planning to offer up multiple 1sts to make a move for our QB of choice in 2020, That sounds drastic until you consider that the 5 teams who took a step that bold in 2015 & 2016, the Rams https://www.broncosfanstore.com , Chiefs, Eagles, Texans, & Bears, sport a combined record of 31-12at this point in the season. None of them are worse than .500, and 4 of the 5 are currently winning their divisions. And the one team in that group that’s at .500, the Eagles, are the defending Super Bowl champions.I’m not saying the Broncos will definitely go this route, but if they do- don’t be mad. It’s got a pretty nice track record lately, and if we can’t beat ‘em (and we can’t), then maybe we should join them. But if the Broncos don’t do something bold like that, here are some guys who may find themselves on stage next spring holding an orange & blue jersey:Offensive Tackle Jonah Williams, AlabamaWilliams is the premier offensive tackle in a pretty decent class. With Jared Veldheer set to be a free agent this offseason, if the Broncos don’t re-sign him I could definitely see the team seeing Williams as a great option. The four year starter at Alabama would most likely step in immediately at left tackle, allowing the Broncos to move Garett Bolles over to right tackle. Things would suddenly get much more comfortable in the pocket for the Broncos’ quarterback(s).Defensive Lineman Rashan Gary, MichiganIt’d be a little surprising if the Broncos dedicated back-to-back top 10 picks to the front seven, but the idea does have its appeal. Gary would provide an additional interior threat that might remind Broncos fans pleasantly of Malik Jackson. And we all know exactly how devastating that kind of player can be in combination with two elite edge rushers. Gary would help ensure that the Broncos’ defense would remain one of the most physical and intimidating units in the NFL.Cornerback Greedy Williams, LSUThe overall CB class is not the best, but that doesn’t prevent the top candidate from being excellent. If there’s an Aqib Talib in the 2019 Draft, it’s Greedy Williams. And since an Aqib Talib is what the Broncos’ secondary very, very obviously needs, this pick would be a slam-dunk. A starting CB trio consisting of Chris Harris, Greedy Williams, & Isaac Yiadom could be a very difficult unit for QBs to throw against. Combine that with the best pair of edge rushers in the NFL in Von Miller & Bradley Chubb and, well, you’d probably get something that looks suspiciously like the 2015 Broncos defense.Offensive Tackle Greg Little, Ole MissThe Bills will very likely pick before the Broncos, and should be well motivated to take Jonah Williams to bolster the NFL’s worst offensive line. If they do that, the Broncos might also consider Greg Little. He’s likely to be right up there with William as a prospect, though he might not be quite as strong of a candidate to immediately push Bolles out of the left side of the line. The Big 4My mentor has a saying that I’ve become fond of: Keep the main thing the main thing.That’s what John Elway needs to do when the draft finally gets here. He’s gone on record before, stating that the four positions he considers to be most important to a franchise’s success are quarterback, edge rusher, left offensive tackle Denver Broncos Customized Jerseys , and cornerback. And his 1st round draft selections have consistently fallen in line with that priority. Elway keep the main thing the main thing, and he’ll do that again in the next draft.So if there’s a quarterback there that the Broncos are convinced can be The Guy, you can be sure Elway will go that route. But there likely won’t be such a QB for Denver until 2020. If that’s so, then expect Elway to remain consistent and seek to either replenish the cornerback group, upgrade at left tackle, or find the final destructive piece of the pass rush puzzle.I’ve got my fingers crossed for Greedy Williams, personally.Horse TracksWhy is Nathan Peterman still a starting quarterback? - SBNation.comBlack QBs aren’t given the same opportunities as white QBs. This is just the latest example.Le’Veon Bell’s standoff with the Steelers explained - SBNation.comIs he ever coming back? Maybe! Here’s EVERYTHING we know.The Vikings defense is a nightmare for QBs thanks to Danielle Hunter - SBNation.comFour sacks, six tackles AND a touchdown ... there’s just no limit to what the Vikings pass rusher can do with his motor, says retired NFL defensive end Stephen White.The Los Angeles Chargers are finally lucky. They’re also really good - SBNation.comThe Chargers are off to their best start to a season in over a decade.NFL picks 2018, Week 10: Can the Bengals or Lions pull off an upset? - SBNation.comOur panel of experts is here with can’t miss picks for every game this week.2018 NFL picks, Week 10: Bet on the Titans against the Patriots, really - SBNation.comRetired NFL lineman and gambling guru Geoff Schwartz is back with three helpful picks for you this week.Rookie contract hero: Rams cornerback Marcus Peters is a puzzle in 2018 - SBNation.comPeters went from All-Pro to one of the league’s worst corners. Can he fix it?Big Ben, Steelers relentless in Panthers steamrolling - NFL.comWho needs Le'Veon Bell? The Pittsburgh Steelers' scorching offense put on a steamy performance that left the Carolina Panthers a wrinkled, disheveled mess on Thursday Night Football.QB Index, Week 10: Previewing offseason QB market - NFL.comWill Jon Gruden stick with Derek Carr as his QB in 2019? What does the future hold for Jameis Winston in Tampa? Gregg Rosenthal previews the offseason QB market and updates his ranking of this season's top 15 QBs.Rams to hold moment of silence for shooting victims - NFL.comA moment of silence will be held prior to the start of Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks in memory of the victims of Wednesday's shooting in Thousand Oaks, California.Cleveland Browns QB Baker Mayfield is giving the city a reason to believeDespite the elation of a September victory, the Browns' losing ways have been hard to shake. But in Baker Mayfield, Cleveland (yes, finally!) has reason to believe again.WatchESPN: Live Sports, Game Replays, Video HighlightsStream live sports, watch game replays, get video highlights, and access featured ESPN programming on your computer, mobile device, and TV with WatchESPN.2018 NFL second-half predictions - Stats that matter, picks for playoffs, Super Bowl LIIIJulio Jones will score more touchdowns. Patrick Mahomes might level off. Here's what the numbers tell us about the rest of the NFL season.Making sense of NFL rule changes at midseason: What has worked - NFL Nation- ESPNThrough nine weeks of the NFL season, we check in on how the league's intricate rule changes for the 2018 season have fared.19 predictions for the 2019 NFL offseason - free agent signings, QB moves and moreWhere will Le'Veon Bell end up? Whom will the Giants get to replace Eli Manning? We're forecasting the biggest offseason stories.

I have to issue the necessary disclaimer. You know the story; of course, I’m Mike Webster Color Rush Jersey not a football coach, or a teacher, but I play one in blogs and podcasts.Before the Steelers rolled into M&T Bank Stadium, I found myself equal part cautiously optimistic and defiantly pessimistic about playing the Ravens after a sickening Week 4 loss. The win that followed has the Steelers rolling and the Birdies reeling.Grading games is an extremely difficult and somewhat thankless task. While the coaches’ grades, of course, are what count the most, the media and fans can’t help but evaluate as well. So let’s take a look at BTSC’s early perceptions: Offense: James Conner https://www.steelerssportshop.com/Jack-Lambert-Jersey , once again, set the tone. But this time it started in the initial Steeler drive, With his fourth-straight 100-yard game, No. 30 helped set up a successful passing day as well. Randy Fichtner’s scheme was imaginative, the O-line was stellar again and Ben looked solid. Josh Dobbs May have had the play of the game with his one completion.Overall Offense Grade: A After a successful bye week and an emotional day of senseless tragedy, the Steelers needed to make a statement after tying Cleveland to start 2018, As always, I make my snap judgements as the game goes along. If you want to know how my emotions fluctuated throughout the day Jack Ham Jersey , keep on reading.Nonetheless, a simple reminder, a knee jerk reaction is an immediate and unthinking, emotional reaction. It’s basically shooting first and apologizing later. I can safely say that’s a true definition of your’s truly and a good lot of Steeler Nation. Here’s my real-time reactions during the Steelers’ most recent quest for redemption.Quarter 1I’m pleased that the organization honored the Squirrel Hill victims before the game.Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty ImagesDuke Johnson Jr. is a Brown I admire. He’d make a good Steeler.Nice blitz by Bud Dupree.Third down will tell you early who this defense is.Yeah, I don’t love that answer.Love the throwback numbers, but they took a while to notice.Did not know, Matt Feiler was known as “the anchor”. Who gave him that name?Hate the play call on third down. It’ll be 10-0 soon.Too many penalty calls already. On both teams.Knew the pick was coming. Offense looks stale early.Chubb is a definite load.Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty ImagesChickillo is oh-so-close two plays in a row.Steeler first quarter football continues to be abysmal.How is Berry still here?Amazing escape from Mayfield. He’s fun to watch, but not against Pittsburgh.Quarter 2Hilton makes a huge difference on defense.Ben isn’t right early.I have a feeling we’re going to see a lot of Justin Hunter today.Ben to AB. Now that was pure beauty.That Hyde trade could make the Browns so much better Dermontti Dawson Color Rush Jersey , just because of the expanded opportunities for Chubb.Mike Hilton is becoming one of the most important players on the defense.At the same moment I was arguing with my buddy that Joe Haden is still a difference maker, he makes an exceptional pick.Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty ImagesFoster led the way for Conner. Good redemption.Nice stretch by Hunter.This one should be overturned.Are Ben and Randy Fichtner calling sneaks just to spite Todd Haley.JuJu just had to play defense there. He’s better than Artie.Like AB, JuJu looks so natural catching the ball.How did they spend all of those timeouts?Gutsy play calling, I love it,Ben just threw a bullet to No. 84. Could have gone terribly wrong if he didn’t. Nice execution by No. 7.Quarter 3If AB doesn’t slow down, he’s going all the way.Bell is not the only one that can catch the ball out of the slot.But maybe not Switzer.Don’t want it to be, but that was a fumble on Ridley to me. That is an opportunity lost with that fumble.Can’t stop playing. There is too much time and too light of a lead.Safety. Bud was going to just crush Mayfield. Baker was anticipating the sack by dipping down.Shades of Barry Foster in 1990. Unacceptable to let that ball free on the free kick.If they lose this game, blame it on right here.Blatant PI by Edmunds.Falling apart.Conner isn’t giving up He’s running with heart and pride.Toe Tap Tony!That was huge. James Feakin’ Conner!Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY SportsQuarter 4Boswell could be back to normal now.The defense has stepped up again. Tuitt seems to have arrived.Too bad Mayfield’s knees were down https://www.steelerssportshop.com/Joe-Greene-Jersey , that would have been a fun and much needed turnover for the defense.Good to see Watt back in the game.The driving rain could hamper the Browns in their comeback bid.Good move bringing in Samuels. No need to see Conner the rest of the game.Conner is amazing.Not happy about the Browns scoring, but they came close to my 34-20 prediction.Good win. ...So...now as I replay the game more and more in my head, my perceptions and maybe my prescriptions will alter. But for now, you just got a glimpse of the first thoughts that popped in my mind while I was watching this game. Feel free to get your knee jerks on in the comments section.

mastering body and mind https://www.thesaintsfanshop.com/Ted-Ginn-Jr-Jersey , so that he could master opponents – The AthleticThrough five weeks, the Saints lineman is rated as Pro Football Focus' fourth-best tackle in the NFL.Saints WR Michael Thomas fined $10,026 for taunting | Saints | theadvocate.comMichael Thomas is losing a little bit of money this week.Saints bye week review: New wrinkles, biggest surprises, reasons for hope and fear, more | Saints | theadvocate.comThe New Orleans Saints have settled their secondary and haven’t had many coverage busts since playing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the season opener, which has been more palatable forSaints’ Justin Hardee aspiring to be NFL’s best special teams player | NOLA.comFilm Review: What the Ravens can learn from the Saints’ use of QB Taysom Hill - Baltimore BeatdownSince trading back into the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft to select quarterback Lamar Jackson, the Baltimore Ravens have made a couple of things clear — Joe Flacco is still the starting...Around the NFL:J.J. Watt calls out NFL after younger brother T.J. gets hit with a monstrous fine - CBSSports.comJ.J. Watt is not happy with the NFL right nowBills unlikely to trade LeSean McCoy to Eagles - NFL.comThe Buffalo Bills value running back LeSean McCoy and it appears the team isn't willing to trade him away to the Philadelphia Eagles unless they pay a steep price for his services.NFL Week 6 Fantasy Football rankings, injury updates, inactives, sleepers, lineup advice - CBSSports.comEverything you need to know heading into Week 6ESPN NFL Analyst Is Suggesting A Huge QB TradeThe Giants are 1-5 on the season and going nowhere. Making matters worse, their quarterback Eli Manning is struggling tremendously.NFL odds, picks for Week 6: Advanced computer model loving Rams, Falcons - CBSSports.comSportsLine computer model simulated every Week 6 NFL game 10,000 times with surprising resultsJosh Norman faces no further discipline after benching - NFL.comThe Washington Redskins' struggles against the Drew Brees on "Monday Night Football" were exacerbated by Josh Norman's benching by coach Jay Gruden in the second half of the loss.Ryan Tannehill out for Dolphins; Brock Osweiler starting - NFL.comThe Miami Dolphins will not have Ryan Tannehill under center against the Chicago Bears. The quarterback was ruled out for Sunday because of a shoulder injury.NFL Week 6 odds Garrett Grayson Jersey , picks: Steelers stomp Bengals, Titans topple Ravens and more best bets - CBSSports.comPlus more of Will Brinson's best bets for Week 6 of the 2018 NFL seasonRaiders shopping recent top draft picks as they brace for an offseason of many changes - CBSSports.comKarl Joseph, Obi Melifonwu and Derrick Johnson are among the players the Raiders are willing to moveGiants players' frustration with Eli Manning's deteriorating play is boiling over - CBSSports.comManning's atrocious outing against the Eagles resulted in more sideline outburstsBroncos' Joseph faces critical stretch of the season - NFL.comIn the midst of a losing streak with a gauntlet of arduous opponents upcoming, Broncos coach Vance Joseph finds himself being monitored closely by management, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reports.NFL Week 6: Latest news, analysis, injury updates - The Washington PostCan Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs upend Tom Brady and the Patriots?Injuries: Deshaun Watson will play today for Texans - NFL.comTexans QB Deshaun Watson, Panthers TE Greg Olsen, Jaguars CB Jalen Ramsey, Redskins RB Adrian Peterson and Vikings RB Dalvin Cook all expected to play on Sunday.NFL Week 6 News and Notes: NFL Team to London to Soon | SI.comThe league’s original goal was to get a team to London 15 years after launching the international series, and Sunday marks Year 12. How everything that could be in place is now in place for a London team. Also, notes on Dalvin Cook’s status, Andrew Luck rounding into form, a big week for the Cowboys’ staff and moreBreaking down which of two NFL unbeaten teams is betterTwo NFL teams remain undefeated though five games — the Rams and Chiefs.Which is the better team?I’ll take the Rams, based on the fact they have a defense...Rob Gronkowski shares the money advice he gives his NFL teammatesNFL star Rob Gronkowski explains to his rookie teammates on the New England Patriots why it's important to manage your money wisely.Eagles LT Jason Peters slated to return this season - NFL.comPhiladelphia left tackle Jason Peters, a potential future Hall of Famer P. J. Williams Color Rush Jersey , is expected to return from a torn biceps injury in 'a week or two,' according to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.Steelers' Watt among several fined by NFL for QB hitsPittsburgh's T.J. Watt has been fined $20,054 by the NFL for his hit on Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan, and the Steelers linebacker says he will appeal it.Watt rolled into the right leg of Ryan during the Steelers' 41-17 victory last Sunday and was called for roughing the passer.Watt, whoSaquon Barkley's rookie season has NFL players talkingSaquon Barkley was absolutely dominant for the New York Giants during the team's 34-13 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 6. Sunday Night Football - Week 8New Orleans Saints (5-1) at Minnesota Vikings (4-2-1)The Saints face the Vikings for the third time since the 2017 regular season opener.All three games have taken place in Minneapolis, and the first two matchups unfortunately ended in Minnesota victories.Now the Saints have an opportunity to turn the table on the home team by picking up a huge victory for themselves.Even though this is a mid-season contest, much is on the line for both teams, as postseason ramifications may hang in the balance.Should the Saints leave Minnesota with a win tonight, they may also leave with the inside track to a coveted first round bye in January.It won’t be easy to pick up a victory in hostile territory, but these Saints are ready for the challenge.Here are your links to follow all of tonight’s Saints Week 8 action:Kickoff:Sunday, October 28th - 5:20pm PST / 7:20pm CST / 8:20pm ESTLocation:U.S. Bank Stadium - Minneapolis, MinnesotaWeather Forecast:Perfect conditions under the roofTV Broadcast:Sunday Night Football on NBC (National Broadcast)- Al Michaels and Cris CollinsworthRadio:WWL 870AM/105.3FM New Orleans-Featuring: Zach Streif, Deuce McAllister, and Kristian GaricSIRIUS XM 226 / Internet 821 New Orleans Saints radio network affiliates can be found hereMinnesota Vikings radio network affiliates can be found hereOnline Streaming:NBCsports.comiOS/Android Streaming:NFL App and/or NBC Sports AppOdds:Saints -1.5; Over/Under 53Here’s to the Saints winning their sixth consecutive game!Who Dat!!!

Broadcast info Rob Gronkowski Jersey Black Friday , series history, tale of the tape; More.Team connections: Patriots-Titans.Paul Perillo tackles this week’s Ask PFW Mailbag: Adding depth, improving defense and more.Conference Call Transcripts: Bill Belichick - Josh McDaniels - Brian Flores.Angelique Fiske reports each Patriots player wore the initials of a fallen soldier on their helmets, honoring their sacrifice for Salute to Service.Wide Open: Deatrich Wise shows off his Bill Belichick impersonation, divulges what article of clothing he can’t live without and weighs in on the debate over whether a hot dog is a sandwich. (2.57 min. video)From the NFL - Baldy’s Breakdowns: How the Patriots offense uses I formation with Patterson. (2.21 min.)LOCAL LINKSKaren Guregian writes Bill Belichick made the right call between Stephon Gilmore and Malcolm Butler: Patriots have a shutdown corner, the Titans don’t.Doug Kyed points out the Patriots are not missing Malcolm Butler, who has struggled mightily with the Titans.Ryan Hannable notes Brian Flores praises Malcolm Butler as a ‘great’ https://www.patriotsfanstore.com/Tom-Brady-Jersey , ‘incredible’ player.Zack Cox scouts the Titans and gives us five things to know ahead of Sunday’s matchup: 2. They’re in the playoff hunt.Mike Reiss looks at the interesting coaching matchup between Bill Belichick and Mike Vrabel.Karen Guregian notes WR coach Chad O’Shea has been instrumental in bringing Josh Gordon up to speed on the offense.David Latham (LastWordOnSports) Josh Gordon: The New England Patriots savior.Ryan Hannable thinks Josh McDaniels is not getting enough credit for the success of the offense.Tom E. Curran calls last week’s chess match with Aaron Rodgers a growth opportunity for the defense.Nick O’Malley notes the Patriots defense may be short on star power, but it may have one of the most underrated players in the NFL in the form of “quiet storm” Trey Flowers.Mike Reiss reviews the first half of the Patriots season: Tom Brady has Patriots positioned for another post-season push.Mike Petraglia writes an interesting piece on how the Patriots’ seasonal rise starts with the details and Bill Belichick’s unwavering trust in his players. /Good read.DJ Bean says the 7-2 Patriots have come a long way from the 1-2 doldrums to potentially running the table.Ryan Hannable takes a look at the AFC playoff picture to see where the Patriots stand after Week 9.Devon Clements (PatriotsWire) Here are some franchise records Cordarelle Patterson broke against Packers.Nick O’Malley gives us an update on the Patriots’ recent series of roster moves.Henry McKenna (PatriotsWire) Obi Melifonwu: ‘Being a Patriot was the best thing for me’.Henry McKenna (PatriotsWire) Jason McCourty’s notebook collection is a ridiculously detailed football archive of his career.Karen Guregian Patriots Notebook: Josh McDaniels welcomes Titanic test from old friends.Bob Socci’s Patriots Notebook: Trey Flowers causes all kinds of trouble in Mr. Rodgers’ neighborhood.Doug Kyed NFL Rumors: Patriots work out free-agent running back, offensive tackle.Henry McKenna (PatriotsWire) Winning seems to have eased tension, drama between Bill Belichick and Tom Brady.Mike Cole posts a short Bill Belichick mic’d-up clip from Showtime’s ‘Inside the NFL’ that is just the latest example of his greatness.CBS Boston reports the Packers released Jermaine Whitehead after his ejection against the Patriots.Zack Cox reports Bruce Irvin turned down more money from the Patriots to sign with ‘his city’ Atlanta.NATIONAL NEWSRobert Mays (The Ringer) The Starting 11: The NFL’s most dominant offenses refuse to be stopped.Michael David Smith (ProFootballTalk) Bill Belichick’s latest innovation: Cordarrelle Patterson as a running back.Darin Gantt (ProFootballTalk) Patriots put center Brian Schwenke on IR.Josh Alper (ProFootballTalk) Malcolm Butler won’t be demoted ahead of Patriots game.Cameron Wolfe (ESPN) Who was that?!? Sneaky good performances that mattered in Week 9. Lawrence Guy gets a mention.Gregg Rosenthal (NFL.com) Debrief: Ravens’, Pack’s losses among most humbling of Week 9.MMQB Staff (SI) Unexpected and surprising storylines of the first half of the 2018 NFL season.Conor Orr (SI) NFL preseason predictions we missed.Danny Heifetz (The Ringer) How these seven coaches on the hot seat can save their jobs.Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) Who’s on the hot seat, halfway through the season?Jim Reineking (USA Today) Get your popcorn ready: Classic NFL celebrations we most want to see repeated next. The New England Patriots typically announce their practice players of the week after victories, but they haven’t done it this year since week 1- until now. The Patriots announced five practice players of the week from the team’s 38-31 victory over the Chicago Bears.These players are typically awarded for practicing as key players on the opposing squad in the days leading up to the game.Running back Kenneth Farrow was likely running backs Jordan Howard or Tarik Cohen.Wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson could have been receivers Taylor Gabriel or Allen Robinson (or both!).Offensive lineman James Ferentz was likely a combination of the Bears interior line Dwayne Allen Color Rush Jersey , specifically center Cody Whitehair and guard Kyle Long. This is the second time Ferentz has won the award this year.Safety Nate Ebner could have practiced as the quality safety duo of Adrian Amos and Eddie Jackson. He could have also spent time as Khalil Mack coming off the edge.Defensive tackle Frank Herron likely served as defensive tackles Akiem Hicks and Eddie Goldman.Congratulations to these players!—Week 1: DL Trent Harris, OL James Ferentz, DB Keion Crossen, DL Geneo Grissom, DL Deatrich Wise Jr., DB J.C. Jackson.

the state of Minnesota lost a truly legendary football coach.John Sheldon Richardson Jersey Gagliardi, who spent six decades at St. John’s University in Minnesota as the school’s football coach, passed away on Sunday at the age of 91.Gagliardi too over the football program at St. John’s in 1953, and was the head coach of the Johnnies until the 2012 season, when he finally hung up his whistle. In 2003, he passed the legendary Eddie Robinson as the winningest coach in the history of college football (at any level), and finished his college coaching career with a record of 489-138-11. He also won four Division III national championships along the way, and the trophy that the outstanding player in Division III football takes home every year (their equivalent to the Heisman Trophy) was named for Gagliardi in 1993.Gagliardi had an unusual coaching style, from all accounts. This comes from the story that ESPN did on him after his passing was announced earlier on Sunday.Gagliardi’s coaching career actually went all the way back to his high school Dan Bailey Jersey Black Friday , Trinidad High School in Colorado, when he was hired as the coach of the football team at the age of 16. Yes, a sixteen-year old coach. What happened was the team’s regular coach was drafted into military service (for World War II), and was a player-coach in his senior year. He continued coaching high school football while getting his college degree as well.Legendary Minnesota Vikings’ head coach Bud Grant paid tribute to Gagliardi just a short time ago with one simple picture on his Twitter account.Picture from the Twitter account of Bud GrantI’m not sure how many St. John’s alumni we have out there among our readers, but I think that if you’ve spent any time in the state of Minnesota watching football, you know who John Gagliardi was. He had a unique style, and he produced a lot of upstanding young men that went on to do big things after their football careers were done.Our thoughts prayers go out to the family and friends of John Gagliardi in light of John Gagliardi’s passing. Good Morning!It’s Thorsday and game day?Yes, it’s time for that annual hate fest I have with the league schedule as I don’t care for Thursday night games but I will watch if the Vikings are playing, really this is one (of many) issues the Player’s Union needs to find a way to negotiate getting rid of when the next CBA rolls around in 2020.As we’ve all read in multiple places DE Everson Griffen is out for the time being https://www.minnesotavikingsshop.com/Randy-Moss-Jersey , good luck to him as he gets the help he needs for whatever the cause is.The game starts tonight at 2030 ET and I think there are a couple of legal streaming options available for this game, I’ll be watching via Amazon Prime as I want to check out the play call of Andrea Kremer and Hannah Storm and I don’t want to watch on mute due to Troy’s sidekick yammering on and on about his hearthrob.In the meantime, while we’re waiting for the next Vikings game to start we’ll continue with our thread full of beer and rib recommendations, nap strategies, crock pot and smoker recipes.Have another cup of coffee and drop by for some fan wisdom and snark.Rams fan Ramsrock stopped by again this year, always nice to have great fans from other teams in our Open Thread.With that, let’s do this.Around the DN since our last thread:Chris has a spot where you can keep up with all the latest Vikings-Rams news.Five Good Questions from Turf Show Times with Joe McAtee and the Rams perspective on the game, Welcome Aboard Joe!One of my favorite weekly articles, Eric has his game preview with Vikings at Rams: Changing Perspective https://www.minnesotavikingsshop.com , while you’re there check out the GPOTW, this week a cheerleader, not a “pick.”From Chris, Hannah Storm and Andrea Kremer will make history as they’ll be the first all female duo to call an NFL game. Congratulations to them.Finally, Norse Code Podcast Episode 247: A Work In Progress (featuring. Joe McAtee of Turf Show Times).Vikings news from other sources:At Vikings.com they take a look back on the life and career of former HC Dennis Greenwho made a profound impact with players both on and off the field.He entered the team’s Ring of Honor, becoming the 24th member of the distinguished group.DE’s Stephen Weatherly and Danielle Hunter are prepping for a quick turnaround vs. the Rams.What’d They Say: Rams Talk About Vikings.Head Coach Mike Zimmer addressed the media from the TCO Performance Center on Tuesday.At 1500espn they ponder the question if OT Riley Reiff can’t play, how will Vikings align their O-line?At the espn NFC North blog:Resetting NFC North: Impact of Khalil Mack, who’s the favorite, more.League news: From NFL.com Los Angeles Rams place Aqib Talib on injured reserve.Jameis Winston on his return: ‘I’m not a selfish player’Joey Bosa says he’ll likely be out until midseason.What to watch for in Vikings vs. Rams on Thursday.We come to today’s media selection: It’s Game Day.Led Zeppelin-The Immigrant SongAgain Minnesota Vikings Customized Jerseys , we all know the rules, but in case someone is new:-No discussion of politics or religion-No feeding of the trolls-This isn’t a male version of The View, so leave the gender hatred at the door-Keep the bad language to a minimum (using the spoiler tags, if you must)-Speaking of which, if discussing a newer show or movie, please use spoiler tags-No pictures that could get someone fired or in serious trouble with their employer-If you can’t disagree in a civil manner, feel free to go away-While navigating the open thread, just assume it’s sarcasm.

The Los Angeles Rams kick off their 2018 season by heading north to take on the Oakland Raiders in Monday Night Football’s late game (10:20pm ET) in Week 1. The game can be viewed on ESPN and will be called by Joe Tessitore, Jason Youth Marcus Peters Jersey Witten, Booger McFarland, and with Lisa Salters reporting from the sidelines. Here’s a quick look at the past, and present, of Rams vs. Raiders. Series HistoryThese two teams have squared off 13 times in their history, dating back to 1972, with the Raiders leading the all-time series 8-5. The Rams, however, have won three out of the last four. Scores and stats for every game can be viewed here.The last matchup between the two teams occurred on November 30, 2014. On that day the Rams scored 52 points. The Raiders decided not to score any points. The last time they played at the Oakland Coliseum was almost eight years ago (9/19/10). The Raiders edged Steve Spagnuolo’s Rams, 16-14, that day. You can watch those game highlights here. 2017 Stats(via NFL Communications)AP PRO32 Ranking - Rams No. 4, Raiders No. 21Rams Offense - Overall (10), Rush (8), Pass (10).Rams Defense - Overall (19), Rush (28), Pass (13).Raiders Offense - Overall (t-17), Rush (25) http://www.ramsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-andrew-whitworth-jersey , Pass (16).Raiders Defense - Overall (23), Rush (12), Pass (26).(via AP News)Rams NotesThe Rams won the NFC West championship in 2017 — it marked the first time doing so since 2003. They lead the league in scoring, averaging 29.9 points per game. Sean McVay was named the 2017 AP Head Coach of the Year.Sean McVay’s first NFL job was as Jon Gruden’s assistant in Tampa Bay in 2008.Los Angeles went from worst to first in scoring in their first year under McVay.Rams led NFL with 11 opening-drive scores on offense last year.Jared Goff passed for 3,804 yards with 28 touchdowns and 7 interceptions last season, and was one of five QB’s with a 100+ rating. He he’s thrown 22 TD’s and five INT’s, with a 99.1 passer rating in 11 career road games. Goff improved his passer rating from 63.6 as rookie to 100.5 in year two.Todd Gurley earned AP Offensive Player of Year honors last season. He lead the NFL with 2,093 scrimmage yards and 19 total touchdowns. Gurley ranked 2nd with 1,305 rush yards in 2017. He became the third player in NFL history with 2,000+ scrimmage yards (2,093), 10+ rush TD’s (13) and 5+ receiving TD’s (6) in a single season.Cooper Kupp lead all rookie wide receivers with 62 receptions, and lead all Rams’ receivers with 869 yards in 2017. Brandin Cooks makes his Rams’ debut on Monday night. He had 65 receptions for 1,082 yards and 7 touchdowns in 2017 while with the New England Patriots. He is one of two players (Antonio Brown) with 1,000+ rec. yards and 7+ touchdown catches in each of the past three seasons. Aaron Donald was named the 2017 AP Defensive Player of Year. Since 2014, he leads all NFL defensive tackles with 39 sacks. He’s one of three players with 8+ sacks in each of the past four seasons.Making their debut with the Rams are corners Marcus Peters, Aqib Talib, and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. Peters has 19 interceptions since 2015 — most in the NFL. Talib has 118 career passes defended; 7th-most among active players. Since 2010, Suh ranks 2nd among NFL defensive tackles with 51.5 sacks. Raiders NotesJon Gruden will be coaching his first regular-season home game for Raiders since Jan. 6, 2001. He has a 100-85 career head coaching record (including the playoffs). He’s returning to sideline for first time since 2008.The Raiders won their last two home openers after losing 11 of the previous 12.The Raiders have 31 players on their roster who didn’t play for the team last year.The Raiders were last in the NFL in 2017 with five interceptions, and tied for second worst with 14 takeaways. Oakland QB Derek Carr matched career highs with 13 interceptions last year. He had his worst season for yards, TD’s Womens Ramik Wilson Jersey , and passer rating since his rookie season in 2014.Carr is one of three QB’s in NFL history (Peyton Manning and Russell Wilson are the others) with 3,000+ pass yards and 20+ TD passes in each of his first four seasons. He has 2,868 pass yards (260.7 per game) with 23 touchdowns and 5 interceptions and a 99.7 rating in his last 11 home games.Offensive tackle Donald Penn starts his first game on right side after 174 games on the left.Marshawn Lynch is 2nd among active running backs with 81 rushing touchdowns, and ranks 4th with 10,003 rush yards. He has 95+ scrimmage yards in six of his past games against the Rams. He has 323 scrimmage yards (107.7 per game) and two rushing TD’s in the past three games at home.Doug Martin makes his Oakland debut on Monday. He has 216 scrimmage yards (108 per game) in two career games against the Rams.Amari Cooper had a career-high seven touchdown receptions last season. Jordy Nelson has 69 career rec. TDs, which is tied for 5th most among active players. Since 2011, he has 63 TD catches — 2nd-most by an NFL WR. He aims for his third in a row against the Rams with 100+ rec. yards and a TD catch.Former Rams’ tight end Jared Cook lead the team, and ranked 5th among AFC TE’s, with 688 receiving yards last season. LB Bruce Irvin tied a career-high with 8 sacks in 2017. LB Tahir Whitehead had 110 tackles with the Detroit Lions in 2017. He has 242 tackles since 2016 — tied for 7th most in the NFL. LB Derrick Johnson is one of two active players (Julius Peppers) with 75+ passes defended (77) and 25+ sacks (27.5).S Reggie Nelson has 36 career interceptions, which is most among active safeties. He had an INT in his last game against the Rams (11/29/15 with the Cincinnati Bengals). Best Overreaction:Robert Woods proved that his contract is a steal as he filled in as slot receiverWhen WR Cooper Kupp went out of the game due to a concussion, the Los Angeles Rams were already short at receiver with WR Brandin Cooks already out due to his nasty collision at the end of the second half. Rather than just stay at his position as a wideout, Woods stepped in and did his best Cooper Kupp impression, nailing inside routes like it was no big deal. Mr. Woods has always been known as an excellent route runner, but his performance on Sunday proved that he’s much more valuable than his contract suggests (which was considered to be a reach at the time!)Worst Overreaction:S Tedric Thompson should have been ejected for the Brandin Cooks hit Complaining about the refs is an age old tradition for football fans, but it’s usually saved for when their team loses. In this case, it was in defense for the LA Rams’ star wideout, Brandin’ Cooks, who missed the second half due to this play. I don’t think Thompson’s hit was dirty, it’s just that his speed going into the tackle made the collision violent and unfortunate for our player. There were several brutal hits during the game (and every game played on Sunday), but just because it led to Cooks lying unconscious for a moment, doesn’t mean Tedric Thompson is to blame.

ESPNChiefs film review: What we learned from Patrick Mahomes vs. Bill Belichick’s defense | Kansas City StarFan who threw beer on Kansas City Chiefs receiver Tyreek Hill should be prosecuted Authentic nthony Hitchens Jersey , agent says | Fox NewsChiefs WR Tyreek Hill Has 2 Fastest Touchdowns in 2018-19 Season | Bleacher Report NFLNFL Analyst: Defenses Must Challenge Mahomes | CBS Sports RadioChiefs’ Sammy Watkins: Receives just four targets | CBS SportsWeek 7 fantasy streamers: Baker Mayfield tops list | NFLAround the leagueEx-Patriots are struggling, and other observations around the NFL | The Boston GlobeAlbert Wilson: ‘I’m the best YAC receiver in the league’ | NFLTroy Vincent’s advice to NFL defenders on roughing the passer rulings: ‘You’ve just got to play’ | USA TodayNFL Ratings Were Never a Problem—But There Is One Major Threat to the League’s Media Dominance | Sports IllustratedNFL: ‘Lot of work to do’ despite drop in preseason concussions | ESPNIn case you missed it at Arrowhead PrideRaiders cut Derrick Johnson Update: It’s official! Chiefs bring back Jeff Allen...Social Media Information:AP Facebook Page: Click here to like our pageAP Instagram: Follow @ArrowheadPrideAP Twitter: Follow @ArrowheadPrideAP Editor-in-Chief: Pete Sweeney: Follow @pgsween610 Sports Twitter: Follow @610SportsKCREPORT: Chiefs work out former Oakland Raiders tight end The Kansas City Chiefs worked out free agent tight end Clive Walford on Monday, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.Walford, 26 Youth Kendall Fuller Jersey , is a 6-foot-4, 250-pounder who originally entered the league as a third-round pick in 2015 made by the Oakland Raiders. Walford spent 2018 training camp and preseason with the New York Jets before being waived at the 53-man roster deadline.In 44 games over three years (2015-17) as a Raider, Walford compiled 70 receptions for 768 yards and six touchdowns. In six career games against the Chiefs, Walford had 15 catches for 158 yards.The Chiefs’ current tight ends on the roster are Travis Kelce http://www.chiefsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-kareem-hunt-jersey , Demetrius Harris and Alex Ellis. Ellis had just one offensive snap and six special teams snaps for the Chiefs Sunday against the Steelers. For comparison’s sake, Demetrius Harris had 17 offensive snaps and 30 on special teams in his return to the lineup. Perhaps the Chiefs are looking for a potential upgrade at their third tight end position.