Yearly Archive 2024年11月19日

Last week, I made the argument that Matt Eberflus should be the next head coach fired. On Sunday, his Chicago Bears came out and lost, 19-3, to the lowly New England Patriots. That was the easiest remaining opponent on the Bears’ schedule, and firing Shane Waldron won’t fix everything. So, our friends in the Windy City need to buckle up for what could be a very rough end to the season.

There were other surprising results that came from the NFL in Week 10. The Kansas City Chiefs needed a blocked field goal at the buzzer to remain undefeated, the Dennis Allen-less New Orleans Saints upset Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons and Russell Wilson led the Pittsburgh Steelers to yet another victory.

Speaking of the Steelers, are they legitimate contenders? Defeating Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders is an impressive feat. Let’s examine their case as Super Bowl hopefuls, and then we’ll talk about the race for the top quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL Draft.

The Steelers won their fourth straight game after losing two straight, and they are averaging 30.8 points per game over those four victories. The biggest change the Steelers made, of course, is at quarterback, as Russell Wilson is finding success. He’s a better passer downfield than Justin Fields and has unlocked George Pickens.

I didn’t care about the wins against the New York Jets and New York Giants, but defeating the Commanders did raise my eyebrows. Here are some of my big takeaways from that game:

The Steelers looked like they were going to lose this game. After all, they were down double digits in the third quarter. Pittsburgh had previously lost eight straight games when trailing by double digits in the second half. Sunday was different.
The Steelers are now 4-1 on the road. Only the Detroit Lions have won more road games this season.
Jaylen Warren was a breath of fresh air with 66 rushing yards on 14 carries.
Wilson was inconsistent with some ugly-looking moon balls, but he came up big when it mattered most with the TD pass to Mike Williams.
The defense again impressed, holding Daniels to 17 of 34 passing. That 50% completion percentage was the worst of his young career, and the 34 passing attempts were his most without a touchdown pass. Washington also went 5 of 14 on third downs and failed on its lone fourth-down attempt — which sealed the game.
The Steelers are now 7-2 and Wilson is undefeated as the starter. The question has to be asked: Are the Steelers Super Bowl contenders? Let’s take a look at some numbers from our simulations, but first, here is the Steelers’ remaining schedule:

Beating Washington was one thing, but upsetting Lamar Jackson and the Ravens this week would be another. According to SportsLine data scientist Stephen Oh, the Steelers are expected to go around .500 in their remaining eight games. He gives them a projected finish of 4.1-3.9, which brings Pittsburgh’s win total to a projected 11.1. Just three teams in the AFC are projected to finish with more wins, including the rival Ravens.

Now, could the Steelers actually be real threats to teams like the Chiefs, Lions and Buffalo Bills? Here’s what our simulations say:

What’s interesting about these numbers is that the simulations say Pittsburgh has a 64.5% chance to lose its lead in the AFC North. Making the playoffs is a virtual lock, but the Steelers have just a 3.6% chance to win the Super Bowl. There are six teams with a better chance to win it all, including the Commanders, who the Steelers just beat, and Eagles.

The Steelers have an incredible defense and Wilson has brought some consistency to the offensive side of things. They are a good team, but I don’t think we can call them “Super Bowl contenders.” Pittsburgh has started four different seasons 7-2 or better under Mike Tomlin. They won zero playoff games in the previous three instances.

Who is sitting pretty for the top QB in the draft?
We’ve talked about “The race for the No. 1 overall pick in the draft” before, but I’m much more interested in the quarterback-needy teams atop the draft order, and who they could end up selecting.

If the season ended today, the Jacksonville Jaguars would own the top pick. They just signed Trevor Lawrence to a record contract, so they probably aren’t drafting a quarterback. They could draft another position or trade that top pick to another interested team. Behind the Jaguars are a few quarterback-needy squads.

Let’s take a look at CBS Sports NFL Draft expert Chris Trapasso’s most recent mock draft, which came out Wednesday.

Trapasso’s latest mock draft
TEAM PICK

1. Jacksonville Jaguars

ATH Travis Hunter, Colorado

2. New York Giants

QB Shedeur Sanders, Colorado

3. Tennessee Titans

S Malaki Starks, Georgia

4. Cleveland Browns

QB Jalen Milroe, Alabama

5. Las Vegas Raiders

QB Cam Ward, Miami

6. New England Patriots

WR Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona

7. New Orleans Saints

DL Mason Graham, Michigan

8. New York Jets

OT Will Campbell, LSU

9. Carolina Panthers

EDGE Mykel Williams, Georgia

10. Miami Dolphins

WR Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State

It’s very early in the “draft process,” so mock drafts will change drastically from now until March. But right now, Trapasso has three quarterbacks going in the top five. However, there are FOUR quarterback-needy teams in the top five.

It’s interesting that Trapasso has the Titans passing on a quarterback with their premier pick, since they will surely be doing their due diligence on signal-callers after Will Levis’ 2024 campaign. I also found it interesting that Milroe is going over Ward, who may be my favorite college quarterback this year. The Washington State transfer currently leads all conferences in passing yards (3,494) and passing touchdowns (32) to go along with just six interceptions.

Keep an eye on the Giants, the Titans, the Browns and Raiders as we inch closer to the end of the regular season. Which team can “out-lose” the others?

Two weeks after benching Anthony Richardson, then hinting the 2023 first-round draft pick might never start for the team again, Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen has completely reversed course. Coming off two losses with backup Joe Flacco under center, Steichen told reporters Wednesday that Richardson will return as the starting quarterback not only in Week 11 but for the rest of the 2024 NFL season.

“He will be our starter again,” Steichen said of Richardson. “He’s gonna start this week [against the New York Jets], and he’s gonna start the rest of the season. And we’re gonna go from there.”

The coach announced the decision moments after indicating Richardson had “made big-time strides” behind the scenes during his two weeks as the backup. Steichen had previously noted Richardson’s youth when initially demoting the second-year signal-caller, highlighting the fact the quarterback had a lot to learn as a 22-year-old. On Wednesday, he said Richardson had already succeeded at bringing the “little things” — from weight-room work to classroom study — up to a “higher standard.”

“Everyone has a different way [of developing],” Steichen said. “I love Anthony. And I have great faith in him to be our franchise quarterback.”

His remarks are a jarring contrast to his noncommittal approach taken just weeks ago, when he responded to questions about Richardson’s potential to return as a starter by saying, “I can’t predict the future.”

Richardson went 3-3 as the starter before his demotion, thriving as a rusher with nearly 6 yards per carry but struggling to find a steady rhythm as a passer with four touchdowns to seven interceptions and just a 44.4% completion rate. Flacco, meanwhile, through four picks of his own in an 0-2 stretch as QB1.

Happy midweek, everyone! Can you believe we’ve only got two more Wednesdays after this until Thanksgiving? The season sure does fly. Anyway, today’s Pick Six newsletter is brought to you by Cody Benjamin, with tidbits on all the latest from around the NFL.

Be sure to subscribe right here, to ensure you never miss a daily dose of NFL updates. And keep on reading for everything from Pete Prisco’s Week 11 predictions to big-name coaching buzz for 2025:

1. Deion to Dallas? Big-name possibilities for 2025
   sanders.jpg
   Getty Images
   Four different NFL teams currently employ head coaches who once played for the very franchises they now run. It got us thinking: Which ex-players could be next to grace the sidelines? We identified some big-name candidates for the 2025 coaching cycle, with none bigger than “Prime Time” himself:

Deion Sanders (Dallas Cowboys): One of the highest-profile coaches in all of sports, the outspoken Sanders was a glitzy ballhawk and return man for the Cowboys from 1995-1999. He’s gone 38-16, with two conference titles, as the head man at Jackson State, and now Colorado, since 2022.
Aaron Glenn (New York Jets): The Detroit Lions defensive coordinator began his playing career with the Jets, arriving as a first-round draft pick in 1994 and leaving ranked in the team’s top five all-time for interceptions. He’s also a member of the Jets’ honorary All-Time Four Decade Team.
Mark Brunell (New Orleans Saints): The former Pro Bowl quarterback spent two seasons as Drew Brees’ backup in New Orleans from 2008-2009. After a long run as a head coach for a private college, he joined Dan Campbell’s staff in Detroit, and still serves as Jared Goff’s position coach.

2. Giants noncommittal on Daniel Jones’ status
   If you’re thinking about buying stock in Jones as New York’s starting quarterback moving forward, well, what are you thinking, first of all? But in all seriousness, Giants brass is telegraphing a move, with general manager Joe Schoen declaring that “any decisions we make” regarding Jones’ status “will be football decisions.” That’s code for: Don’t accuse us of trying to avoid paying guarantees on Jones’ deal once we finally pull the plug on him as our starter. Drew Lock is on track to take over in short order.
3. Prisco’s Week 11 picks: Bills outlast Chiefs
   usatsi-josh-allen-bills-chiefs.jpg
   USATSI
   Pete Prisco is back with predictions for every single Week 11 contest. Here’s a sampling:

Eagles 31, Commanders 24: The Eagles have righted things on both sides of the ball. The offense has come alive. The Commanders are coming off a tough loss to the Steelers. Rookie Jayden Daniels has played well, but on the short week this is a tough ask. The Eagles win it.
Steelers 30, Ravens 27: This is an enormous game for first place in the AFC North. The Ravens have had defensive issues for a long time, which could be a problem in this one. The Steelers are the better defensive team, and they will control Lamar Jackson and the Ravens offense just a little.
Bills 27, Chiefs 23: This is the game of the week, with the Bills trying to beat their nemesis and the Chiefs trying to stay undefeated. The Chiefs haven’t looked great on offense this season, while the Bills and Josh Allen have most of the time. This is one of those games Allen and the Buffalo offense will outplay the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes. Bills win it.

4. Injury alerts: Pacheco back? Lawrence out again
   Here’s the latest on key names and their availability:

Isiah Pacheco designated to return: The Chiefs running back hasn’t played since Week 2
Trevor Lawrence to miss another game: The Jaguars quarterback has a sore shoulder
Steelers starter out 2-3 weeks: Pass rusher Alex Highsmith is dealing with an ankle sprain
Michael Mayer returns to Raiders: The tight end missed the last month due to personal reasons
Marshon Lattimore still sidelined: The newly acquired Commanders star has a hamstring issue

5. QB Power Rankings: Burrow chasing Jackson
   qb-power-rankings-week-11-burrow.jpg
   Kim O’Reilly, CBS Sports
   Every week, we rank all 32 starting quarterbacks from most promising to most concerning. And boy is there a spicy battle up top, where Lamar Jackson remains No. 1 but AFC North rival Joe Burrow is gaining ground as the new No. 2. Other signal-callers on the move in Week 11’s pecking order include Kyler Murray, who’s leaped into the top 10; and Russell Wilson, who’s now inside the top 15.
6. Mahomes, Kelce homes burglarized during season
   The reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs are unbeaten on the field, but not for a lack of effort from their opponents … on and off the field. Within hours of the team’s Week 5 win over the New Orleans Saints back in October, both Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce had their area homes burglarized, according to The Kansas City Star. Intruders allegedly took $20,000 from Kelce’s property.

The undefeated Kansas City Chiefs are close to getting a key player back in the fold. Kansas City is opening the 21-day practice window for running back Isiah Pacheco, who has been on injured reserve since fracturing his fibula back in Week 2. Head coach Andy Reid announced that Pacheco and pass-rusher Charles Omenihu will both have their practice windows opened Wednesday.

Neither Pacheco nor Omenihu are expected to play this week against the Buffalo Bills. They will be gradually ramping up football activities.

Kansas City’s starting running back since his rookie season, Pacheco played an integral role in the Chiefs’ two recent Super Bowl wins. He gained over 1,000 all-purpose yards as a rookie while helping Kansas City defeat the Eagles in that year’s Super Bowl. Last year, Pacheco had an even bigger impact during the regular season, rushing for nearly 1,000 yards and scoring nine touchdowns. He then led the NFL with 313 rushing yards during the postseason as Kansas City successfully defended its title.

While his presence has been missed, the Chiefs’ offense has done an adequate job with Pacheco out of the lineup. A big reason why was the free agent pickup of Kareem Hunt, who as a rookie led the NFL in rushing as a member of the Chiefs. Hunt currently leads Kansas City with 449 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.

Sunday’s game is a big one for the Chiefs. In addition to it being against the rival Buffalo Bills, Kansas City would join the 1990 49ers as the only back-to-back champions to start 10-0 if they can win Sunday.

PHILADELPHIA — Jalyx Hunt never had a conversion with Vic Fangio. The Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator never told the rookie pass rusher more snaps were coming his way.

“Vic just tells you be prepared,” Hunt said. “That’s how I feel our whole defense is and that’s why people are able to step in flawlessly.”

Hunt earned the 25 snaps he played in Sunday’s win over the Cowboys, a product of improving in practice and Bryce Huff’s hand/wrist injury playing a factor. The Eagles were prepared for the transition to move Hunt up the depth chart, which wasn’t expected when they drafted the converted safety and linebacker from Houston Christian in the third round of this year’s draft.

“I watched a couple of my snaps from training camp, rookie minicamp not too long ago all the way up until now,” Hunt said. “I just look more crisp. I credit that to my room just carrying myself professionally and learning how to move professionally.”

The progress Hunt has made this season ended up on the box score this week. Hunt didn’t record any pressures or sacks against the Dallas Cowboys, but he did have a batted pass in the second quarter that was a Cooper Rush throw intended for CeeDee Lamb. Hunt even thought Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean was going to come down with the interception.

“A lot of this league I’m finding out is who can make the faster decision, then go get it,” Hunt said. “So I’ve gotten my decision-making down, my speed down.”

Part of Hunt’s maturation was figuring out how to play fast without thinking as much. Thanks to veterans like Brandon Graham and Josh Sweat helping him out, there was a way to improve on both.

“You want to do as good as you can but you get so many reps in the league, it’s not like in college,” Hunt said. “So you get so many reps. Mess up one rep, you see go back, you check, you reevaluate what you need to do and you’re able to come back in the next time and move fast.”

Hunt is likely to see more snaps going forward. The 25 snaps he earned Sunday were no accident, especially since 16 of them came in the first half. Hunt only played 17 snaps on the season leading into Sunday.

“I was able to go in on some first and second downs, hold the edge, protect the run and let my boys come rush off the edge while I still build up my bag a little bit.”

Pittsburgh Steelers safety DeShon Elliott is looking to exact revenge against his original team, the Baltimore Ravens, when the AFC North rivals clash on Sunday. In the meantime, he’s already taken shots at his other former team, telling the “Punch Line Podcast” Wednesday that the 2023 Miami Dolphins were “soft.”

“I haven’t been able to play against Baltimore the way I wanted to,” Elliott said, anticipating Sunday’s Ravens-Steelers showdown. “Because last year, I played for a team that was soft as f—. … There were some guys who were tough, but the majority of the team, there was not mentally tough individuals. So, to be on a team with a full team of mentally tough guys … this is going to be fun, man.”

Elliott started 15 games for the 2023 Dolphins, who started 11-4, only to drop their final three games, including a wild-card playoff matchup with the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. One of those defeats was a 56-19 blowout loss to the Ravens, for whom Elliott previously played four seasons.

Now with Pittsburgh, Elliott told former Ravens teammate Marlon Humphrey, who hosts the “Punch Line” show, that he’s enjoying the “winning culture” that Miami lacked. It’s a mirror, he argued, of the culture he also experienced in Baltimore, where he started a combined 22 games.

“I think I am supremely only concerned with the 2024 Dolphins for sure,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said when asked about the comments later Wednesday. “And I think that every team’s ability to be mentally tough in an NFL season is definitely tried, and I think … our team played a tough-fought game the last three weeks, and ended up finding a way to win this past week. … Cool, you said it on a podcast? Cool podcast.”

Elliott isn’t the first player to question the Dolphins’ fortitude in recent years. Upon signing with Miami this summer, former rival and Buffalo Bills safety Jordan Poyer told reporters he used to do just that.

“Playing against this team over the past few years, you kind of … get a sense of, OK, if you get on top of this team, they might fold,” he said, while acknowledging he hoped to help redefine the club’s culture.