Tag: football

The Green Bay Packers (4-6) and Detroit Lions (8-2) kick off a Thanksgiving triple-header live on Sky Sports from 5.30pm this Thursday, followed by the Washington Commanders (4-7) against the Dallas Cowboys (7-3) and the San Francisco 49ers (7-3) against the Seattle Seahawks (6-4).

Ahead of Week 12 in the NFL, we explore some of the top fantasy football waiver options around the league…

Isaiah Likely, TE, Baltimore Ravens

Lamar Jackson lost his most trusted target last week as Ravens tight end Mark Andrews suffered what is believed to be a season-ending ankle injury in Baltimore’s victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. It opens a void on Todd Monken’s offense, potentially paving the way for Isaiah Likely to take on a more expanded role over the second half of the regular season.

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Highlights of the Cincinnati Bengals against the Baltimore Ravens from Week 11 of the NFL

The second-year fourth-round pick out of Coastal Carolina flashed signs of what he could offer when given a full-time role in his rookie season, closing out the campaign with eight catches for 103 yards against the Bengals and posting at least eight points on the five occasions he had five or more receptions. He has just nine catches for 89 yards in 2023, though heads into a matchup with a Los Angeles Chargers defense ranked 30th against tight ends in fantasy this season.

The minimally-rostered Odell Beckham Jr can also be taken into consideration where available having just produced his first 100-yard game of the season and combined for 212 yards and two touchdowns over the last three outings.

Zach Charbonnet, RB, Seattle Seahawks

Kenneth Walker left Seattle’s defeat to the Los Angeles Rams with an oblique injury on Sunday, head coach Pete Carroll, though, suggesting injured reserve may not be necessary for the Seahawks running back. The injury is expected to amount to more action for second-round rookie Zach Charbonnet over the coming weeks.

The former UCLA man came in to carry the ball 15 times for 47 yards and catch all six of his targets for 22 yards to collect 12.9 points in Week 11, following up 10.2 points the following week after 62 yards from scrimmage against the Washington Commanders. With that said, his next four weeks include two meetings with the San Francisco 49ers’ third-ranked run defense, the Philadelphia Eagles’ first-ranked run defense and a Dallas Cowboys defense ranked first in total yards.

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Highlights of the Seattle Seahawks against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 11 of the NFL season

Demario Douglas, WR, New England Patriots

The New England Patriots offense remains a mess, but in sixth-round rookie receiver Demario Douglas has come a rare, if minimal, bright spot over recent weeks. Douglas caught six of his nine targets for 84 yards and 14.4 fantasy points in his side’s defeat to the Indianapolis Colts in Germany, having put up five receptions for 55 yards and 10.5 points in the loss to Washington the week before.

Without competition being stiff, he has emerged as the Patriots’ leading receiver following injury to Kendrick Bourne and could soon find himself playing with a new quarterback should Bill Belichick opt to move from Mac Jones to Bailey Zappe over the second half of the season.

Jayden Reed, WR, Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers believe they have found a long-term building block for their youthful offense in second-round rookie Jayden Reed, who has asserted himself as one of Jordan Love’s most productive weapons across the team’s 4-6 start to the season. Reed contributed 92 yards and a touchdown from scrimmage to register 19.2 points during Sunday’s win over the Los Angeles Chargers. It marked his second 19-point game in as many weeks after he caught all five of his targets for 84 yards and a score against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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Highlights of the Los Angeles Chargers against the Green Bay Packers in Week 11 of the NFL season

He has become a key multi-purpose asset to Matt LaFleur’s motion-friendly system, with his yards-after-catch ability seeing him feature as an end-around option across the backfield. He has hit double figures in fantasy points in six games this season heading into Thursday’s Thanksgiving matchup with the Detroit Lions.

Desmond Ridder, QB, Atlanta Falcons

For the purpose of throwing a quarterback option in here, how about Desmond Ridder? The Atlanta Falcons are handing the starting job back to the 2022 third-round pick for this week’s matchup with the New Orleans Saints after momentarily riding with Taylor Heinicke in response to Ridder’s turnover issues. Interceptions have been his downfall, but Ridder remains a handy fantasy option with 150 rushing yards and four touchdowns this year having also averaged 7.1 yards per attempt.

The former Cincinnati play-caller has two 300-plus yard games on the season and has surpassed 20 points in fantasy on two occasions, though faces three of the league’s better defenses in the Saints, New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers over the next three weeks.

Rondale Moore, WR, Arizona Cardinals

Hello, Rondale Moore! We all remember Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon making missile sounds upon his awkward first interaction with the speedy wide receiver this past offseason; on Sunday we saw those ‘explosives’ come to fruition as Moore hauled in a 48-yard touchdown against the Houston Texans.

Cardinals fans have been crying out for some more downfield action for the 2021 second-round pick, who has predominantly been treated as a yards-after-catch chess piece around the line of scrimmage since entering the league out of Purdue. Sunday’s end zone grab was a welcome reminder of what 4.3 speed can do in an expanded route tree, particularly with Kyler Murray’s arm back under center.

It followed up five catches for 43 yards against the Atlanta Falcons, while combining with an increase in production for tight end Trey McBride, in hinting at an up-turn for this Cardinals offense following Murray’s return. Moore’s NFL career is yet to truly light up; how he finishes this season will be intriguing as the Cardinals look to find some answers as to how they approach their offseason.

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Justin Herbert’s time is being wasted and Brandon Staley’s time is almost up as the Los Angeles Chargers swallow another painfully familiar dose of one-score torment. The NFL’s festive period has begun, and so too the countdown for some of the league’s most under-pressure figures.

The Chargers could be likened to the friend that turns up at five-a-side sporting Copa Mundials, with a hairband on, sock tape hugging their next-to-non-existent shin-pads and black Nike gloves to top off the ensemble. The optics point to a gifted technician, until they sky the five-yard gimme teed up by the Justin Herbert of the team following a marauding run during which he has slalomed beyond three defenders.

For the fifth time this season they came out second-best in a one-score game as they were beaten 23-20 by the Green Bay Packers, another blunder-stricken performance dropping them to 4-6 and shoving the playoffs further out of their flailing reach. Herbert has now suffered a quarterback-high 22 one-score defeats since entering the league in 2020 as the sixth overall pick.

Game-on-the-line mistakes were made, Staley was spikey in his press conference and even the most mellow Herbert could hide his frustration no longer as he slammed the ball into the ground after a delay of game penalty with his team trailing in the fourth quarter.

The Chargers aced the task of finding their franchise quarterback to succeed Philip Rivers while others around the league have hopped aimlessly between make-shift solutions and ill-guided decisions. Four seasons later, their record with Herbert is a measly 29-30 and on course for consisting of just one 10-win campaign.

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Highlights of the Los Angeles Chargers against the Green Bay Packers in Week 11 of the NFL season.

Quentin Johnston had the chance to be the hero on the final drive of the game when he bought himself two strides of separation on a sideline fade, Herbert rotating his hips and gliding a cross-field dagger into the path of his teammate, only for the rookie wide receiver to let it slip through his fingers. He would have been home free for the touchdown to win it.

Keenan Allen had been sucked into his team’s error-prone ways earlier in the game when he dropped an easy catch at the goalline, while Austin Ekeler was guilty of fumbling at the Packers’ two-yard line. And having left Green Bay staring at third-and-20 while trailing 20-16 with four minutes to play, the Chargers gifted the hosts a new set of downs when Asante Samuel Jr was flagged for pass interference on Dontayvion Wicks, who moments later bounced off two weak tackle attempts to race away for 35 yards and help tee up Romeo Doubs’ 24-yard game-winning touchdown. Chargers epitome.

“Everybody is squeezing the club too tight,” said former NFL head coach Jason Garrett on Sunday Night Football later in the evening.

Staley will be the one to pay the price. He had moved next door from the Rams to the Chargers in 2021 shimmering as one of the league’s most eloquent and innovative defensive minds, branching from the Vic Fangio tree accredited to the modern NFL’s most prominent scheme. Staley was all about inviting the run with light boxes, dropping two high safeties and rotating coverages post-snap as a means to fogging the field read of the NFL’s top young quarterbacks while challenging them to rein in their aggression in favour of patient, slow-burning drives. Of course, the results would be different without an Aaron Donald with whom to clobber up front.

It will be his famed defensive DNA and its ensuing downfall with one of the league’s most expensive units that goes down as the story of Staley’s time in charge, punctuated by the one-score margins they could not lean their way and a blown 27-point lead against the Jacksonville Jaguars in last season’s playoffs that continues to linger with a bitter after-taste. Even if it wasn’t the defining hindrance on Sunday.

Since Staley’s arrival the Chargers defense ranks 28th in EPA/play (expected points added) having allowed a third-most points per game in that time. They sit 31st in total yards allowed in 2023, last against the pass, 25th in scoring and bottom 10 in pressure rate. They have also now shipped 957 yards of offense over the last two games following last week’s 41-38 loss to the Detroit Lions.

Jordan Love recorded his first 300-yard passing game in the NFL, and the Packers put up more than 20 points for just the third time this season. With Samuel’s PI call, the Chargers have now allowed teams to convert on third-and-15-plus on six occasions this season. To add to matters, star pass rusher Joey Bosa was carted off in tears with a foot injury.

Any cracks that might have already been there appeared to have widened in his post-game press conference when Staley passionately defended his play-calling duties.

“I have full confidence in our way of playing,” said Staley. “Full confidence in myself as the play-caller and the way that we teach and the way that we scheme. Full confidence in that. We’ve got to bring this group together and do it consistently and that’s where it’s at. You can stop asking that question. I’m going to be calling the defenses, so we’re clear. So you don’t have to ask that again.”

Staley had not taken kindly to a question earlier this season over whether the memory of their post-season collapse was continuing to have a lasting impact on the team. The, perhaps unjust, reality being that one or two icy moments with the media will ultimately outweigh what had been refreshing outlooks on fourth-down analytics and aggression, and the gravity of an efficient running game that touted an intriguing mind to lead the Herbert era early on his tenure.

But the Patrick Mahomes effect is real. Teams fortunate enough to find their stalwart quarterbacks are terrified of squandering some of their finest years or setting back their development or falling behind the pack amid a time of AFC disparity.

With Herbert comes a weekly supply of the impossible, that must no longer go unrewarded. He crams passes into the tightest of slits and torpedoes sturdy coverage by way of supreme accuracy and the most venomous zip of any quarterback in the league (see his touchdown pass to Allen on Sunday). Hash-to-field-side cross-body heaves are customary to an arm that need not obey the high school equivalent of ‘don’t pass across your own penalty area’, as are the tilt-and-flick daggers to find open men from skewed off-platform launch points and the back-foot dunks to defy pocket pressure. Herbert should be going toe to toe with Josh Allen, Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, Tua Tagovailoa and Trevor Lawrence every postseason; his untapped upside will force the Chargers’ hand with Staley in January.

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Highlights of the Detroit Lions against the Los Angeles Chargers from Week 10 of the NFL.

Decisions are to be made, and decisions should have already been made, across the league. The New York Jets neglected to decide that moving forward with Zach Wilson in the absence of Aaron Rodgers would waste an entire season of their Championship-calibre defense. The Pittsburgh Steelers must decide that an offense led by Kenny Pickett, who has thrown two touchdowns passes since the start of October, is holding back an upper-tier defense led by Hall of Fame-bound pass rusher TJ Watt.

David Tepper, consumed by the fear or quarterback purgatory since Cam Newton, must decide how patient he will allow himself to be with Frank Reich and Bryce Young amid uneasy murmurs of back-room division over the No 1 pick in Carolina. The new owners of the Washington Commanders must decide whether they wish to start afresh with a new head coach to replace Ron Rivera, whose team are 4-7 and just shipped three touchdowns to still-lives-with-his-parents New York Giants third-string quarterback Tommy DeVito.

Staley is a bright and brilliant footballing mind whose eye for defensive intricacies has made for to-be-admired clinics, but far too infrequently with the Chargers. Herbert’s talent dictates soaring expectations, and Staley looks like he will take the fall for the splintered progress.

Mac Jones was benched for Bailey Zappe in the final minutes of the fourth quarter as the New England Patriots fell to a 10-6 defeat to the Indianapolis Colts in Frankfurt, Germany; Jonathan Taylor rushes for a first-half touchdown while Julian Blackmon comes up with late interception

Mac Jones was benched in the fourth quarter as Jonathan Taylor’s first-half touchdown helped the Indianapolis Colts to a 10-6 victory over the New England Patriots in Frankfurt on Sunday.

Julian Blackmon came up with a sucker-punch interception to derail a late Patriots drive, marking the final straw on a tough day for Jones as he exited the game for Bailey Zappe with two minutes to play.

His backup did not fare much kinder, throwing a game-icing interception to Rodney Thomas II as the Colts improved to 5-5 on the year in the final international regular-season game of the season.

Jones finished 15 of 20 passing for 170 yards and an interception, while Colts quarterback Gardner Minshew went 18 of 28 for 194 yards and a pick.

Both teams missed field goals either side of half-time, which the Colts had entered with a 7-3 lead thanks to Taylor’s second rushing touchdown of the season and three sacks from Dayo Odeyingbo.

The result drops New England to 2-8 while heightening the uncertainty surrounding the future of head coach Bill Belichick beyond this season.

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New England Patriots’ Mac Jones throws away the go-ahead opportunity with a league-leading 10th interception as he looked to find Mike Gesicki

Jones was almost intercepted by Blackmon earlier in the second half as the Colts safety got hands on a lofted pass in the end zone, forcing the Patriots to settle for a 24-yard field goal at the end of a 15-play drive lasting eight minutes.

Matt Gay’s 51-yard field goal pushed the Colts’ lead to 10-6 on the ensuing drive after Isaiah McKenzie had ignited the response with a 42-yard kick return.

The Patriots would come up short once again in their efforts to turn the game on its head when Blackmon snagged Jones’ pass at the goal line with four minutes to play, much to the despair of the New England sideline at the end of a nine-play series.

Zappe entered the game with two minutes remaining, before any hopes of a late twist fizzled out when the Patriots quarterback was picked off at mid-field, leaving Belichick with his hands on his head.

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Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor gets his team on the board against the Patriots in Frankfurt

Stats leaders:

Indianapolis Colts

• Passing: Gardner Minshew, 18/28, 194 yards, 1 INT
• Rushing: Jonathan Taylor, 23 carries, 69 yards, 1 TD
• Receiving: Michael Pittman Jr, 8 catches, 84 yards

New England Patriots

• Passing: Mac Jones, 15/20, 170 yards, 1 INT
• Rushing: Rhamondre Stevenson, 20 carries, 88 yards
• Receiving: Demario Douglas, 6 catches, 84 yards

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New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick could not hide his frustration as Bailey Zappe throws a game-sealing interception and the Patriots move to 2-8 on the season

The Patriots had threatened a perfect start to the second half when Myles Bryant was well-positioned to collect Minshew’s tipped pass off the hands of Michael Pittman Jr for an interception at the half-way line.

Jones almost landed himself in trouble as he attempted a dangerous under-arm shovel while scurrying to try and escape pressure.

The pick eventually went unrewarded as the Patriots failed to convert on third-and-three before Chad Ryland skewed his 35-yard field goal attempt wide of the posts.

New England’s next drive was all about the run, Stevenson carrying the ball five times alongside four Ezekiel Elliott runs and a 15-yard Mac Jones scramble to set themselves up at the Colts 24 at the beginning of the fourth quarter. The outcome being Ryland’s 24-yard field goal.

The Colts defense blunted Jones and the Patriots to the sight of five sacks in the first half, three of which came courtesy of Odeyingbo.

New England flashed signs of mending their stuttering offense during a 13-play opening drive that ended in Ryland’s 37-yard field goal after an Odeyingbo had derailed the series on third-and-six.

Taylor capped an immediate response when he skipped outside to run in for a one-yard touchdown at the end of a 14-play, 75-yard, seven-minute march ignited by Minshew’s off-script 30-yard throw to Isaiah McKenzie on third-and-six.

The sides then exchanged seven punts to test Deutsche Bank Park’s low-hanging scoreboard, Kwity Paye joining the sacks tally for the Colts having returned from an injury scare earlier in the half.

Minshew put the Colts in position to extend their lead late in the first half when he connected with Josh Downs for 12 yards on fourth-and-four, only for Matt Gay to miss the 57-yard field goal attempt.

Scoring summary

What’s next?

The Patriots enter a bye week before returning to face the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium in Week 12, while the Colts are due to host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after their break.

Week 10 in the NFL concludes on Monday night when the Denver Broncos visit the Buffalo Bills in the early hours of Tuesday, before the Cincinnati Bengals take on the Baltimore Ravens in Thursday Night Football to kick off Week 11.

The Kansas City Chiefs hold on to a commanding 21-point first-half lead to beat the Miami Dolphins in the first ever regular season game to be held in Frankfurt, Germany; Miami fall to 0-3 against teams with winning records in 2023.

Behold Arrowhead abroad, where a red sea of Kansas City Chiefs fans swarmed Frankfurt to watch on as their defending Super Bowl champions held off a Miami Dolphins fightback to clinch a dramatic 21-14 win at Deutsche Bank Park on Sunday.

The Miami Dolphins had trailed 21-0 at half-time, before pulling within seven points thanks to touchdowns from Cedrick Wilson and Raheem Mostert to threaten overtime.

Such has been the story of their season, it was Steve Spagnuolo’s Chiefs defense that would prove defining as they recovered Tua Tagovailoa’s fumble on fourth down to ice the game with a minute to play.

Tyreek Hill was limited to 62 yards on the ground while Travis Kelce made just three catches for 14 yards in a game that delivered on its promise of fireworks without two of the league’s most talked-about offenses lighting up the game.

It had been touted as a potential AFC Championship Game preview. On that assessment, few would turn it down.

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The Kansas City Chiefs defence comes up with an amazing play as their former teammate, Tyreek Hill is stripped by Mike Edwards who laterals the ball to Bryan Cook for the score.

Bedlam had been brewing across a historic week for Frankfurt, which glistens among the foundations of Europe’s NFL love affair having staged the first ever World League of American Football game in 1991.

Bedlam arrived in the closing seconds of the first half when Bryan Cook returned a Tyreek Hill fumble 59 yards for a touchdown to hand Kansas City a stunning 21-0 lead at the break.

It continued in the third when Tagovailoa connected with Cedrick Wilson for a 31-yard touchdown to put the Dolphins on the board.

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Tua Tagovailoa flings the ball up to Cedrick Wilson Jr who picks it out the air to finally get the Miami Dolphins on the scoreboard in Frankfurt.

Stats leaders:

Miami Dolphins

• Passing: Tua Tagovailoa, 21/34, 193 yards, 1 TD
• Rushing: Raheem Mostert, 12 carries, 85 yards
• Receiving: Tyreek Hill, 8 catches, 62 yards

Kansas City Chiefs

• Passing: Patrick Mahomes, 20/30, 185 yards, 2 TDs
• Rushing: Isiah Pacheco, 16 carries, 66 yards
• Receiving: Noah Gray, 3 catches, 34 yards

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Miami Dolphins’ Raheem Mostert scored two touchdowns during their victory over the Patriots and this 43-yard run was the pick of the bunch.

Miami’s comeback was suddenly on, Raheem Mostert running in for an 13-yard touchdown to punish an unnecessary roughness call against Chris Jones after the Chiefs thought they had held the Dolphins to a field goal.

The drive had stemmed from Bradley Chubb’s forced fumble, recovered by Zach Sieler at the Chiefs’ 27-yard line to prompt wild celebrations from the Dolphins sideline.

The Chiefs laid down an immediate marker when Rashee Rice turned a screen pass into an 11-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown on the opening drive of the game, Justin Watson’s catch at the back of the end zone having been ruled incomplete following a review on the previous play.

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Kansas City Chiefs go 14-0 up as Patrick Mahomes finds Jerick McKinnon for their second touchdown of the day.

Spagnuolo’s defense would hold the Dolphins to four straight punts before Jerick McKinnon doubled Kansas City’s lead with a 17-yard touchdown on a sneak route to cap a 13-play 95-yard drive lasting 8.28.

Kadarius Toney had ignited the drive by breaking three tackles for a catch-and-run of 18 yards, before Mahomes found Justin Watson on a deep over route for a gain of 23 yards down to the 24.

Scoring summary

What’s next?

The Chiefs now enter a bye week before returning to action against the Philadelphia Eagles at Arrowhead in Week 11, while the Dolphins follow up their bye week at home to the Las Vegas Raiders.

Week Nine continues on Sunday with the Baltimore Ravens against the Seattle Seahawks from 6pm live on Sky Sports NFL, followed by an all-NFC East clash between the Dallas Cowboys and Eagles before the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals meet in Sunday Night Football.

The Los Angeles Chargers then visit the New York Jets to conclude the week in Monday Night Football.