Category: NFL

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Week 10 and 11: Rookie Standouts

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It’s been two weeks since one of my rookie roundups, thanks to a lovely bout of flu and sinusitis, and a lot has changed in that time. Firstly, I’m going to give a brief rundown of who would have made my week 10 rookies, and then let’s focus on week 11’s before our lineup of Thanksgiving football feasts later on.

Week 10 Standout Rookies 

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Christian Watson, Wide Receiver – Green Bay Packers 

8 targets, 4 receptions, 107 yards, 3 touchdowns. Nuff said 

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Myjai Sanders, Edge – Arizona Cardinals 

A breakout game against the leagues worst OL. Two pressures including a sack-fumble and three run stops. 

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Charles Cross, Tackle – Seattle Seahawks 

0 pressures from 42 pass blocking snaps makes this his best performance of the season. 

Right, let’s move on to the rookies that stood out in week 11. 

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Tyler Linderbaum, Center – Baltimore Ravens 

It’s very difficult sometimes to fully appreciate how important it is to have a solid, reliable center. They don’t play a flashy position, and they rarely show up on the stat sheets despite having to both initiate each play and manipulate the defensive front depending on the play call. Despite this, I thought it was about time we spoke about the standout centre from this year’s rookie class, Tyler Linderbaum.

Linderbaum, despite experiencing some early teething problems, has improved week after week to quickly become a dominant force for the Ravens, especially on rushing plays. Baltimore averages 162.8 rushing yards per game, and Linderbaum has an impressive 77.6 PFF rating in run blocking, including a 74.1 rating this past week against the Carolina Panthers.

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Chris Olave, Wide Receiver – New Orleans Saints 

On draft night, the Saints knew they needed a wide receiver, and Olave was clearly their guy as they traded up five spots to select the Ohio State alumni, giving up their own 16th pick as well as picks 98 and 120. I think it’s fair to now say that they have been able to ratify their decision as Olave continues to be a standout player on their offense. 

After finishing week 11 with five receptions for 102 yards (an average of 20.4 yards per reception) and a touchdown, the Saints rookie is now ranked in the top 15 in most of the major receiving statistics. He’s tied for 15th in receptions with 51, tied for 12th in first down conversions with 34, and is 10th in receiving yards with 760. A lot of his extra targets can likely be attributed to the injuries suffered by Thomas and Landry, but at least the Saints know they have a more than competent number one going forward.

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Aidan Hutchinson, Edge – Detroit Lions 

The Lions completely dominated the Giants this past week (much to the annoyance of this writer), but credit where credit is due, it was fully deserved. Defensively, the Lions stifled everything that the Giants had to offer outside of a few chunk plays that came after the Lions were already almost out of reach, and one huge contributor to that was Aidan Hutchinson. 

Hutchinson, who has since been crowned NFC defensive player of the week, has already made this rookie standout list before and week by week is proving his credentials in the race for defensive rookie of the season. Against the Giants, he finished the game with a pass defense, three tackles, a fumble recovery, and an interception. The interception was his second of the season, making him the second player in NFL history with two interceptions and five or more sacks in his first 10 career games 

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5 things to look out for on Thanksgiving

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Is the 2022 Thanksgiving slate one of the best ever? Five out of six teams have winning records

1. Bills looking to put pressure on the Dolphins in AFC East race

Sean McDermott’s Buffalo Bills are in a need of a win to get their push for the AFC East and a chance to host a playoff game back on track.

A win for the Bills puts pressure on the Miami Dolphins who currently lead the division and hold the tie-breaker over Buffalo until they meet again in Week 15.

It’ll be tough as they’re without two more key defensive players, with Tremaine Edmunds and Greg Rousseau both out with groin and leg injuries respectively

2. Can the Lions finally win on Thanksgiving?

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As is Thanksgiving tradition, the Lions are back on the early game again but haven’t won in five on Turkey Day, the last one coming against the Vikings in 2016.

In fact, the Lions have only won four in their last eighteen Thanksgiving games, and are 6-15 since the turn of the century

Dan Campbell’s Lions could change that today, coming into the game in hot form having won their last three, and turning their season around from what looked like a mess just a few weeks ago.

3. Things are looking good in Dallas

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Sunday’s dominant win over the Minnesota Vikings was one of the most impressive Cowboys’ victories in years, beating a team that took down Buffalo just seven days earlier by 37 points.

Their offense has come alive since the return of Dak Prescott in Week 7, scoring over 40 points in two of the four games and winning three times.

Micah Parsons has been phenomenal in his second season, he however is hurt currently and questionable heading into this one, the star outside linebacker will be crucial in a crunch playoff match.

4. After losing two of their last three, have the Giants fallen off?

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The 7-3 New York Giants are the 7-3 Cowboys’ opponents as the two historic franchises fight it out for the lead in the hunt for the division-leading Philadelphia Eagles.

Brian Daboll’s team’s form is dipping just as Dallas is getting hot, losing two of their last three and conceding more points than normal, a win to stop the rot here would be big.

Giants games have always been close and low scoring this season, eight of their ten games have been within one score, whilst opposing offenses have only scored more than 30 points twice.

5. Are either of the Patriots or Vikings actually good?

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10 games into the season the New England Patriots and Minnesota Vikings have 13 wins between them, but are either of them real?

Both Minnesota losses were bad and came against good opponents just a week after well-worked wins as an underdog.

Bill Belichick has his New England defense playing lights out right now, allowing just 26 points in their past three games, winning all of them amidst a quarterback controversy. 

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Five Things: Week 11 – Detroit Lions at New York Giants

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The inevitable trap game reared its ugly head as the Giants were convincingly shutdown by the resurgent Detroit Lions and fell to a 31-18 loss. Here are five things that stood out:

Up and Down Jones

With Saquon Barkley essentially a non-factor in this game due to the offensive line’s inability to open up running lanes, it was the first time this season that everything was placed firmly on Daniel Jones’ shoulders, and although it wasn’t helped by a constantly changing offensive line and a lack of rhythm, Jones’ performance was mixed at best.

He completed 27 passes for 341 yards and a touchdown while throwing a season high 44 times and gaining 58 yards on four carries and a rushing touchdown. The blemishes, however, were the two interceptions that he threw, both of which were errors on Jones’s part rather than a miscommunication or due to pressure. After making 153 consecutive passes without throwing a pick, he failed to spot Lions defender Aiden Hutchinson dropping back from the line of scrimmage, who duly accepted the gift to give the Lions an instant red-zone opportunity. His second went to Lions safety Kerby Joseph after he overthrew tight end Lawrence Cager, which, after a runback, resulted in the Lions getting the ball back in the Giants’ half.

Disappointing Defense

With a defensive front consisting of an interior containing two potential pro bowlers in Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams, you would expect that the Giants would be able to pressure Lions quarterback Jared Goff enough that he would have to make quick decisions. Unfortunately for the Giants, neither of these things really materialised on what was an off day for the Giants’ defence.

The Giants are dead last in the league for yards per rushing attempt with 5.5 yards, and although their yards per carry were under that mark at 4.3, it didn’t stop the Lions from running all over our defence as they gained 160 yards on 37 carries and four touchdowns. The pass rush was pretty much non-existent too, with Goff only being pressured ten times with seven hurries, three quarterback hits, and zero sacks.

Why Adoree?

When Richie James fumbled two punts in the loss to the Seahawks a few weeks ago, the need for a potential change was clear. However, after a brief camp competition, it was revealed that the replacement would be starting cornerback Adoree Jackson. As you can imagine, there were some eyebrows raised due to the risks associated with putting a key part of the defence at risk.

Well, early in the second quarter, the worst happened. Jackson lined up deep to field a punt and, after pausing for a second, decided to fight for a few more yards. As he was tackled, his knee was twisted under a Lions player, and as the crowd of players dispersed, Jackson stayed down, clearly in pain. He was quickly ushered into the blue tent and was ruled out for the rest of the game with a knee injury. Subsequently, it’s been revealed that it’s an MCL sprain, which will keep the Giants’ number one cornerback out for between four and six weeks.

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Inconsistent Receivers

As previously stated, Jones threw the ball 44 times in this game, setting a season high while also gaining 341 yards. This more pass-heavy attack meant that the focus was on the Giants’ much-criticized wide receiver corps, which was another mixed bag.

  • In a very tongue-in-cheek moment, Kenny Golladay was given a standing ovation for his first of two catches on the day, which tells you all you need to know about the fan’s frustrations with the receiver.
  • Isaiah Hodgins had three catches for 29 yards but had a fumble late in the game that gave the Lions great field position, and the resulting touchdown essentially ended the contest.
  • Wan’Dale Robinson was having a career day with nine receptions for 100 yards before suffering an injury early in the fourth quarter. He was ruled out almost immediately, and it’s since been confirmed that Robinson has torn his ACL and is out for the rest of the season.

Injury Hell

We’ve already touched on Wan’Dale Robinson and Adoree Jackson’s injuries, but there were plenty more in the game that made a considerable impact, and with the Giants now facing a short week before their Thanksgiving game against NFC East rivals the Dallas Cowboys, they will be hoping that most will return quickly.

  • Leonard Williams left the game in the first quarter and headed into the blue medical tent but returned during the second quarter.
  • Tyre Phillips left the game in the second quarter with a neck injury. He was replaced by Matt Peary and was downgraded to out
  • Jason Pinnock was also injured in the second quarter after making a tackle. He did return but was reinjured in the fourth quarter and did not return.
  • During halftime, Fabian Moreau was ruled out with a rib injury.
  • Near the end of the third quarter, centre Jon Feliciano was replaced by Nick Gates and was later ruled out with a neck injury.
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Fantasy Recap – Week 11

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Welcome to the fantasy recap. Week 11 had game relocations, injury repercussions and surprise resurgences. It was a week with intrigue as deep as the Buffalo snow and results just as surprising. Next week there are only 2 teams on bye (and not particularly good ones at that) so next week should be a good yardstick to measure playoff potential if you haven’t started them yet. Time to grab your shovels, let’s get digging.

NB: Scores based on PPR leagues

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Fantasy Stars:

Tony Pollard (DAL) – 15rsh/80yds + 6rec/109yds/2td 37pts

Pollard benefitted from Zeke being eased back into the team and from 2 long TDs with plenty of yards after catch. It was a shocker of a game with Minnesota getting blown out after their great performances so far this season but it appears Dallas and indeed most of their fantasy assets are back on track.

Davante Adams (LV) – 7rec/141yds/2tds 33pts

When he’s not ill or injured Adams is a problem for any defence. The Raiders have struggled this season but the Carr/Adams connection isn’t the problem and Josh Jacobs has looked decent. Adams is the receiving TD leader through 11 weeks on 10 with only Diggs, Hill and Jefferson ahead on points but he could well pass the lot.  

Travis Kelce (KC) – 6rec/115yds/3tds 36pts

The Chiefs lost Tyreek Hill, any idea of a reliable running game and acquired Juju and MVS but one thing that doesn’t change is the Mahomes to Kelce connection that can just dominate teams. A 3TD game seems tame after the 4TD game against the Raiders but this was technically his highest score of the season. A season where he has averaged about 22pts per game. Dominant.

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Surprise Packages:

Jacobi Brissett (CLE) – 28cmp/324yds/3td/0int + 7rsh/29yds/0td/1fumlost 25pts

Is this perhaps the biggest surprise of all? The week before DeShaun Watson is eligible to return, Brissett puts up 324 yards and 3tds as well

Samaje Perine (CIN) – 11rsh/30yds + 4rec/52yds/3tds 30pts

I had every Cincinatti Bengals player in my DFS team except for Tyler Boyd and Perine… Before Mixon left through injury, Perine was already having a great game but without Mixon he was leant on harder and put up a monster day, albeit mostly in the air.

Josh Palmer (LAC) – 8rec/106yds/2tds 31pts

You have a few weeks without Allen and Williams and Palmer is okay but not special. The chargers get their top 2 receivers back and then Palmer goes absolute ham. Typical. He will be on so many benches this week that you know there will be tears. It would appear he just struggles with double teams but give him space and decoys and he will burn defences.

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Disappointments:

Kirk Cousins (MIN) – 12cmp/105yds + 1fumlost 1pt

What happened? The Vikings had looked so good this season but they did not get going against Dallas. I think you just discord this one but remember that Prime Time Kirk Cousins has historically struggled and that may still be a thing.

D’Onta Foreman (CAR) – 11rsh/21yds 2pts

After the departure of Christian McCaffrey, Foreman looked set for a solid workload. He started off very well but it’s somewhat fallen off a cliff since and as soon as you have any kind of expectation, it falls apart. This was the kind of stat-line you’d expect with CMC still there.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling (SF) – 1rec/18yds 3pts

In a team that lost Tyreek Hill but that passes an awful lot, MVS should be much more utilised. Whether he isn’t performing, isn’t being schemed in or is just 4th in line for targets, I think we all expected better than this.

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Waiver Wire Pickups:

BYE Weeks: ARI, CAR

QB – Trevor Lawrence (JAX) – Coming off the bye Lawrence may be available in a lot of places and the Jags may be a team to keep an eye on going down the back straight. The Ravens aren’t great against the QB so why not.

Other QB Options – Heinicke vsATL, Mariota @WAS, Garoppolo vsNO.

RB – Latavious Murray (DEN) – Melvin Gordon has been waived, most of the alternatives are injured and he just had a 17 point game. Latavious Murray is the obvious pickup. Isiah Pacheco may be out there but he’s a risky play and the same goes for Elijah Mitchell.  

WR – Parris Campbell (IND) – Campbell has been solid for back to back weeks and looks happier with Matt Ryan back at QB. Darius Slayton is also showing consistency for the Giants and Treylon Burks has finally shown something.  

TE – Juwan Johnson (NO) – It’s hard to pick a lower owned TE at the moment but Juwan Johnson has been in double digits for 3 weeks running so he’s low key been good.

DST Options – Colts vsPIT, Chiefs vsLAR, Dolphins @HOU.

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Four Takeaways From A Much-Needed New Orleans Saints Victory Vs. The Rams

Does this victory turn around the Saints Season? Sadly, I don’t think so, but crucially it stopped the bleeding for now. However, one thing is for sure. It was just nice to see some positive plays and the Saints winning a game, especially against the Rams.

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Andy Dalton’s Best Game As A Saint?

This is the game the Saints want to see from Dalton every week; no, he’s not going to complete 84% of his passes every week whilst averaging 10.4 yards per attempt. But playing turnover-free football, getting the ball out quickly, taking what the defense gives you, with the odd big play sprinkled in, is exactly what the Saints want from their QB.

Speaking of getting the ball out quickly, Dalton’s time to throw (TTT) in this game per Next Gen Stats was 2.16 seconds. To put that into perspective, that was the third-quickest TTT any QB has had all season. Ironically four of the top five in that category have been against the Rams. Clearly, there is a blueprint out for the Rams’ defense. It’s also not a surprise Dalton resorted to this plan with the Saints down three of their starting five o-lineman.

Dalton has played mistake-free football in other games since taking over as the Saints starting QB, so what makes this game his best so far? There wasn’t even a sniff of a turnover. In other games, he’s gotten away with a throw that should have been picked off. In this game, there was none of that. Dalton operated with pinpoint accuracy and found his playmakers in key moments. 

He also probably made his best throw as a Saint, on third and nine, with Aaron Donald bearing down on him. He uncorked a beautiful deep ball to Chris Olave, who had flown past all-pro CB Jalen Ramsey resulting in a 53-yard touchdown. This came at a crucial time in the game after momentum could have easily been shifting back to the Rams. A failed trick play by New Orleans on first down resulted in a 17-yard sack. Dalton got all of that yardage back with a nice throw to Juwan Johnson on second down, and then that throw capped it off to give the Saints back the lead.

Does this performance mean Dalton will be the starter for the rest of the year? Normally you’d think yes, but the Saints are still 4-7. I really think it’s still a week-to-week situation for Dalton. Remember, Winston is the only QB under contract after this year, and you have to think the Saints want to see what he looks like in this offense. Now he’s back close to full health. So they can make a concrete decision on his future with the team.

When Taysom Hill Is Successful, So Are The Saints

Hill didn’t light up the stat sheet as he has in previous games this season:

  • 42% of offensive snaps played, 17 snaps at QB ( previous high was 11, in weeks five, six, and eight)
  • One completed pass on three attempts for 14 yards.
  • Nine rushes for 52 yards (5.8 average), zero TDs.
  • One reception for 8 yards on one target.

There’s nothing crazy about these stats; however, it does provide the Saints with consistent production and a way to keep the defense guessing.

With a deeper look at these stats, you can see a pattern emerging. In games where Taysom has taken ten+ snaps at QB, the Saints are 3-1. In games this season where Hill has nine or more rushing attempts, the Saints are 3-0.

Does that mean the Saints just need to give Taysom those snaps and make sure he rushes that many times and they will win? No, unfortunately not, but what it does mean is the Saints need to make sure they continue to find ways to keep Hill involved and make sure they are consistently evolving the plays they used with him to keep this Hill package from becoming stale, predictable, and easy to defend.

Is Kaden Ellis The Best Defensive Player In The League?

Sorry to get your hopes up, but no, he isn’t. Not yet, anyway. However, if Ellis kept up his level of play from the last two weeks for the rest of the season, he would be right up there with the best defensive players in the league.

That’s how good Ellis played yesterday and against the Steelers a week ago. Ellis was everywhere again yesterday. He excelled rusher the passer with 1.5 sacks and four total QB pressures. He led the Saints defense in tackles with 11. Is that it? No, he was also a beast in run defense, with six defensive stops, which was the most in the game for either side.

This is all very impressive. However, the area of Ellis’ game that might be the biggest surprise and strength? His skills in coverage. Ellis was targeted three times, giving up two receptions for 22 yards, both to Tyler Higbee is one of the better receiving TEs around. On his other target, Ellis nearly made an incredible play for an interception but couldn’t quite make the catch.

The play that was most impressive, though, didn’t show up on the stat sheet. Ellis was playing what looked like zone coverage in the middle of the field. He noticed a crossing route behind him, helped cover it, and took the route out of the play. This is particularly important as this is a route the Saints have traditionally struggled with. Ellis also did the same against a similar-looking play against the Steelers.

The Saints Throwback Uniforms Might Be Their Best Look 

Did you click on this article for pure football takes? Sorry to disappoint, but there is a clear takeaway from yesterday’s game, the Saints throwback uniforms and helmets are beautiful and should be in rotation every year. 

Quick Hits

  • Olave was great again today and is the best rookie WR from this year’s draft.
  • Juwan Johnson is really emerging at TE, especially in the Redzone ( five TDs in his last five games)
  • Landry also had his best game as a Saints since week 1
  • Carl Granderson really stepped up with all the injuries on D-line, 1.5 sacks, and multiple plays in the run game.
  • Paulson Adedo had his best game of the season, and rookie Alontae Taylor looked good again.
  • Punter Blake Gillikin has strung together to great games after a rough start to the season.
  • Chris Harris had a rough game not just because of the Tutu Atwell deep bomb ( i think that was as much the safeties fault as Harris) he got picked on all day.
  • The tackling on defense was still a problem but improved over recent weeks.
  • Only two penalties for the Saints

For more Saints articles- https://www.full10yards.co.uk/saints/ 

Please let me know your feedback on this article and the others throughout the season. I’m always looking to improve and add things that people want to read about!

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @SaintsReportUK, for much more Saints content and discussion.

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5 things to look out for in Week 11

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Week 11 sees the NFL return to Mexico, a key AFC East battle, and a few crucial players potentially return from injury

1. Can Jeff Saturday go 2-0 as the Colts welcome the 8-1 Eagles to Indianapolis?

The Philadelphia Eagles’ hopes for an unbeaten season were ended on Monday night after a 32-21 loss at home to the Washington Commanders.

Colts Interim HC Jeff Saturday won his first-ever game as an NFL coach on Sunday, against the Raiders in a game that featured a rare Matt Ryan 40-yard run, only days after being an analyst for ESPN.

What makes Saturday’s achievement even more spectacular than your average new interim coach bounce is the fact that he has no play-calling experience whatsoever and has only previously operated at high school level.

2. Will the New England Patriots catapult themselves into contention for the AFC East with a win vs the New York Jets?

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Every team in the AFC East not only has a winning record but also would be in the playoffs if they started today.

After upsetting the Bills 20-17 two weeks ago, the Jets are back from a bye, refreshed and travel to New England for a must-win game to help their playoff push.

New England were victorious 22-17 as the away team in their Week 8 meeting, a win for Bill Belichick’s team puts them within a chance of being unexpectedly right in the mix late in the year.

3. Who’s better, the 6-3 Cowboys or 8-1 Vikings?

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The Dallas Cowboys are 6-3, they have however had one of the easiest schedules in the league this season, that changes on Sunday as they face the 8-1 Minnesota Vikings.

Minnesota, like Dallas, had many questioning their legitimacy but came away from Buffalo with a win in dramatic fashion, silencing their doubters.

Kevin O’Connell’s team are able to grind out wins, every victory in their current seven-game streak is by one score, they’ll be a real challenge for the Cowboys.

4. Will SNF see the Los Angeles Chargers get their playoff push back on track with a win at home to the Kansas City Chiefs?

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Justin Herbert may get the added boost of having Mike Williams and Keenan Allen back to help him go toe to toe with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs on Sunday Night Football.

Allen’s hamstring injury initially occurred in Week 1, before suffering a setback on his return in week 7, the same game that Williams went down with a high ankle sprain.

Kansas City have only scored less than 20 points once all year, but are without Mecole Hardman and Juju Smith-Schuster going into this one.

5. Will Kyler Murray be back for the fifth and final international game of 2022?

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Mexico City hosts two NFC West teams as the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers go head-to-head at Estadio Azteca on MNF.

Kyler Murray could be back for Arizona, but if he’s not, their backup QB Colt McCoy is coming off a big game in Los Angeles, where the Cards came away 27-17 winners over the Rams.

A win for San Francisco will see them overtake Seattle for the lead of the division, and in the driving seat for a home playoff game. 

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Analysing Three Key New Orleans Saints Matchups Vs. The Equally Depleted LA Rams 

At one time, this would have been a marque matchup in the NFL. The winner of this game would likely end up with the number one seed in the NFC and be one of the favorites for the Superbowl.

This season, how the mighty have fallen, both teams ravished with injuries, staring down the barrel of an aging roster and limited resources to inject fresh, younger talent into teams that really need it.

Of course, both teams want to win this game, but how much does it matter in the bigger picture? With the Saints at 3-7 and the Rams at 3-6, Compare to the stakes of years gone by, this game has an unusual feel of unimportance.  

With prideful stars on each team, I doubt they feel like these teams’ seasons are lost, so let’s look at three key matchups for the Saints on Sunday.

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Saints Backup Offensive Line Vs Aaron Donald

Aaron Donald is one of the biggest nightmares for offensive coaches to plan, even if the team is at full strength on the offensive line. If the Saints injury report continues in the same vein, then they will be far from full strength.

As it stands, they will be down three of their five day-one starters. Starting LT James Hurst is currently still in concussion protocol and is not practicing. When a player is not practicing this late into the week whilst in the concussion protocol, it is usually a near certainty that they will not be playing.

Starting LG Andrus Peat is also not practicing due to a Triceps injury that kept him out of last week’s game, so it looks very unlikely that he will be playing this week. Add to that starting center Erik McCoy is on injured reserve and is for at least the next three games after missing the games Vs. Pittsburgh last week. That leaves the Saints very shorthanded at a position group that was one of their lone strengths earlier in the season. 

The expected replacements Landon Young (LT), Josh Andrews (C), and Calvin Throckmorton (LG) did not fill anyone with much confidence in last week’s game against the Steelers. The Steelers have plenty of talent on the d-line, including T.J. Watt, who’s as dominant of a player as Donald, but Watt generally didn’t line up against the replacement players too often. He spent much of his time facing off with incumbent starting RT Ryan Ramczyk.

Donald can and will regularly line up against the replacement players at center and LG., which presents a massive set of issues for the line and the Saints coaches to try and prepare for. It’s vital that they contain Donald as much as humanly possible, as in recent weeks when the blocking has broken down in both the passing and running game, the offense has ground to a complete halt. 

Saints Running Game Vs Rams Defense

As we’ve already highlighted, the Saints will again be down many key starters on the offensive line this week. Against the Steelers, this meant they struggled to create any meaningful offense. That struggle was massively due to the dis-functions on the offensive line, meaning the offense could not establish any running game.

Without a run game, this offense led by QB Andy Dalton is not potent enough to be successful. They need to be able to pick up solid yardage on early down carries to make third-down conversions easier. This team struggles hugely when it ends up in third and long, which frequently happens when they can’t run the ball.

Also, the offenses main weapons, outside of rookie sensation Chris Olave are Alvin Kamara, and Taysom Hill, both of these players are predominantly deployed in the rushing attack. Though they both should be a massive part of the passing game, the Saints have struggled in recent weeks to keep them involved in this area.

 The Saints depleted rushing attack face another stiff test this week with a strong Rams run defense. They rank 5th in the league (tied with the Jets) with a stingy 4 YPC allowed to opposing offenses. Led by hall of fame LB Bobby Wagner and the previously mentioned Aaron Donald.

A stand-out stat from looking at the Rams run defense, per PFF, they have only missed 21 tackles in run defense this year, which is incredibly low. The 49ers, who are allowing a league-low 3.4 YPC, have missed 25. The Saints, who were once the league’s best-run defense, have missed a massive 49 tackles whilst defending the run this season. This stat shows one of the Saints biggest issues that’s caused a huge drop in their production against the run this year.

if we look at the top two players from each team from LB and the D-line regarding tackles in the run game, some more Saints issues show up.

Saints

Cam Jordan- 20 tackles, six missed tackles, 16.7% missed tackle rate.

Pete Werner- 32 tackles, four missed tackles, 8.7% missed tackle rate.

Rams

Aaron Donald- 27 tackles, one missed tackle,2.8% missed tackles rate.

Bobby Wagner- 24 tackles, zero missed tackles.

This shows where the Saints are failing against the run and where the Rams are massively succeeding. The Saints have to find a way to overcome their disadvantages and establish the run this weekend. Otherwise, it will be another very long day for the offense.

Saints Front Four Vs Matthew Stafford 

The Saints pass rush has shown signs of life in recent weeks. It does look like they will be without Marcus Davenport again this week and could be without ironman DE Cameron Jordan who’s not been practicing due to a nasty eye injury. However, Payton Turner and David Onyemata have played much better in recent weeks giving the d-line a bit more depth.

The front four’s play is crucial this week. As it appears, blitzing Rams QB, Matt Stafford actually does the defense more harm than good. Below are Matt Stafford’s passing stats (provided by PFF) when under pressure and not when he’s blitzed and when he’s not.

What you can clearly see is Stafford’s play so far this year has been its best when he’s been blitzed, and Stafford has struggled a lot more when under pressure (not from the blitz) or when he’s been kept clean.

Meaning the Saints need to win up front without blitzing. This should not be a problem considering the Rams are actually more injured on their offensive line than the Saints. The Rams have six offensive linemen on IR, with at least three of those being starters at some point this year and others who would have been starters with the current injuries.

Even if the Saints are down some key starters, they SHOULD still have enough up-front to make Matthew Stafford struggle, especially when we won’t have the quick throw to Cooper Kupp available with Kupp also out this game.

For more Saints articles- https://www.full10yards.co.uk/saints/ 

Please let me know your feedback on this article and the others throughout the season. I’m always looking to improve and add things that people want to read about!

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @SaintsReportUK, for much more Saints content and discussion.

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Fantasy Recap – Week 10

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Welcome to the fantasy recap. Week 10 saw perhaps one of the games of the season between the Bills and the Vikings, a return to something like they used to be for the Colts and injuries to Jerry Jeudy, Juju, Zach Ertz and Cooper Kupp. Those injuries will have cost a lot of teams this week and if they are out for multiple games it may cause havoc as we get closer to the fantasy playoffs. Let’s dive in.

NB: Scores based on PPR leagues

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Fantasy Stars:

Justin Fields (CHI) – 12cmp/167yds/2tds/1int + 13rsh/147yds/2td 39pts

Justin Fields was again the top scorer on the week with a 61yard rushing touchdown helping to inflate an already decent stat-line. If you weren’t a believer before, you should be now. I just wish I knew what the coaching staff was doing for the first 5 games of the season. Even Darnell Mooney is relevant again after being dropped everywhere.  

Jonathan Taylor (IND) – 22rsh/147yds/2td + 2rec/16yds 24pts

The Jonathan Taylor we were expecting at the 1.01 (or similar) may finally have returned. Injuries, poor QB play and bad coaching may all have played a part but he’s just been shutout so often. The Raider defence is proving something of a tonic for some struggling fantasy assets and with Philly next I’d keep expectations limited.

CeeDee Lamb (DAL) – 11rec/150yds/2tds 38pts

In a week with some incredible Wide Receiver performances Lamb was the one who racked up the most points. Stefon Diggs had more receptions and Justin Jefferson got all the headlines but Lamb was less sheepish about finding the endzone.

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Surprise Packages:

Matt Ryan (IND) – 21cmp/222yds/1td/0int + 4rsh/38yds/1td 23pts

There was no bigger surprise this week than Matt Ryan not only being the starter at the last second, but then playing a pivotal part in a victory with Jeff Saturday at the helm. Ryan wasn’t properly named the starter until the kick-off so it came as a shock that he played and then more of a shock when he was good. Maybe this will continue, maybe it won’t. but for some, there is hope again.

Alec Ingold (MIA) – 4rec/45yds/1td 15pts

There were 3 Dolphins RBs in the top 15 at the position this week. Jeff Wilson was 7th, Raheem Mostert 10th and Alec Ingold (technically a FB but classed as an RB) at 15th. They combined for 56 points against the Browns although it is worth noting they had 10 receptions between them and only 25 rushing attempts (17 of which were Wilson).

Nick Westbrook-Ikhene (TEN) – 5rec/119yds/2tds 29pts

Last week I was on the Full10Yards NFL Podcast and mentioned that the Titans wide receivers did not register a single reception in week 9. This week there were 10 receptions and 5 of them went to Nick Westbrook-Ikhene (A further 9 went to RB and TE options just for reference). On a day where the Broncos zeroed in on Henry and Burks, they gave Tannehill an easy and effective alternative option.

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Disappointments:

Justin Herbert (LAC) – 21cmp/196yds/1td/1int + 5rsh/22yds/1fum 12pts

Herbert was the QB24 on the week and while you can point to the fact he has a limited number of receiving options and that their star man currently is Austin Ekeler, this is still not what we expected from a top 6 drafted QB. Since week 5 he’s only once registered a score above 15 and he is the QB15 of the season. Marcus Mariota is the QB13, just to give you an idea how bad it is.

Cordarelle Patterson (ATL) – 5rsh/18yds + 1rec/2yds 3pts

Chalk this one down to Thursday Night Football often being terrible. Shorter rest weeks, quota filling matchups and a night where the team’s leading rusher was Marcus Mariota. Just ignore and move on.  

George Kittle (SF) – 1rec/21yds 3pts

His skills as a blocker do occasionally lead to lacklustre fantasy numbers and this was no exception. With McCaffrey, Mitchell, Deebo and Aiyuk they have plenty of weapons and Kittles support in the trenches opens that up as well as him being a very noteworthy decoy or release valve depending on how plays go. You’re never going to get consistency, but you always know there’s going to be a week where he explodes.

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Waiver Wire Pickups:

BYE Weeks: JAX, SEA, MIA, TB

QB – Daniel Jones (NYG) – Jones has been reasonable through this season and his scores tend to be in lock-step with the opposition ability. The Giants play Detroit this week so the signs point towards a good week.   

Other QB Options – Goff vsNYG, Wilson vsLV.

RB – Jerrick McKinnon (KCC) – The Chiefs seem to be ignoring Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Isiah Pacheco isn’t going to be a bell cow. McKinnon seems to be getting a lot of work in the receiving game and has scored double digits for two consecutive weeks. Chuba Hubbard, Gus Edwards, Darrel Henderson, James Robinson, Brian Robinson and Nyheim Hines are also worthy options.

WR – Christian Watson (GB) – Watson has been struggling with injuries and getting to grips with the league and Aaron Rodgers all season, but this week he broke out in an emphatic way and with Romeo Doubs out, Rodgers may have found a new weapon. Donovan Peoples-Jones, Michael Gallup, Nico Collins, MVS, Devin Duvernay and DeAndre Carter could also prove useful if you’re stretched.

TE – Cole Kmet (CHI) – Now that Justin Fields has had some of the shackles taken off, Kmet has become the weapon we thought he might be in pre-season. Successive 20+pt weeks mean he’s now 50% owned and gaining. Hayden Hurst, Foster Moreau and Juwan Johnson are all lesser owned possibilities but also lookout foe David Njoku being available as he should return and can be a difference maker.

DST Options – Bengals @PIT, Broncos vsLV, Commanders @HOU.

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Five Things: Week 10 – Houston Texans at New York Giants

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The New York Giants returned from their bye week with a 24-16 victory over the Houston Texans at MetLife Stadium. Let’s look at five things that stood out:

Win the Turnover Battle

As the old adage goes, “The key to winning the game is to win the turnover battle,” and the stats back that up. Teams that have more takeaways than giveaways win 73% of the time, and the Giants have a plus-four turnover differential despite only having two interceptions this season. In reality, it’s down to two things: a league-leading 10 fumble recoveries and Daniel Jones, who has become much more proficient in protecting the ball.

In the win against the Texans, not only did Jones protect the ball exquisitely, but the defence stepped up with two critical turnovers, one in the redzone and one in the endzone. The first, a fumble by standout rookie running back Dameon Pierce, was caused by a great punchout by Leonard Williams, and the second, an interception of Davis Mills, could have been caught by either Adoree Jackson or Dane Belton, but it was the rookie Belton that secured the grab at the front of the endzone.

Bulldozing Barkley

Over the weekend, it was revealed that the Giants had engaged in talks with the representatives of Saquon Barkley regarding a well-deserved contract extension. As of right now, that hasn’t materialized, but if the Giants want to keep arguably their best player on the team, they’re likely going to have to pay him top-tier money.

Barkley had a heavy workload in the win over the Texans, carrying the ball an astonishing 35 times (a season high) for 152 yards and a touchdown, while also catching the ball once for a further 8 yards. His 152 yards were his highest total in a game since his 164 yards in the season opener versus the Tennessee Titans and took his season total to a league-leading 931 yards. He also has the second most scrimmage yards with 1,128 and only needs 45 yards this week to overtake the Miami Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill, who is on a bye week.

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Sexy Dexy

Five weeks ago, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rogers had just found out firsthand what a dominant force Dexter Lawrence had become, and it obviously resonated with the veteran as he paid tribute to him on his weekly segment on the Pat McAfee show. “Number 97 is a premier player, and needs to probably get some more recognition for the ability that he has.” Since then, Lawrence has not let up in the slightest and appears to be a lock for the Pro Bowl and could even be an All-Pro candidate.

Sexy Dexy, as he’s been known since middle school, was a game wrecker on Sunday, terrorising the Texans offensive linemen and finishing the game with five total tackles, five QB hits, a sack (two half sacks), and a batted down pass. He also totaled eight pressures, one of which forced Houston quarterback Davis Mills into his ill-advised lob into the end zone that was intercepted.

Big Play Slay

It’s safe to say that up until a few weeks ago, this season likely had not been Darius Slayton’s favorite. Before it even started, he had to contend with trade rumours and then the very real threat of potentially being cut. Slayton survived both but ultimately was cast aside for the first four weeks of the season, suiting up for three games and only being targeted twice, but as the injuries mounted, the Giants’ hand was forced and he was given a larger role.

Since then, Slayton has flashed in a few games, but he was back in his rookie season groove against the Texans, as he played a massive part in securing the victory. Finishing the game with three receptions for 95 yards and a touchdown in which he took full advantage of a missed tackle by Texans safety Jalen Pitre to sprint 54 yards to the house. Slayton now has a team-leading 327 yards, and with there being no standout number two thanks to Kenny Golladay’s ongoing struggles, he could well lead the team for the rest of the season.

Schoen’s Additions

If there is one thing about the Giants’ season that cannot be understated, it’s the work of general manager Joe Schoen and assistant general manager Brandon Brown, who have been able to add players throughout the season, some of whom made sizable contributions in Sunday’s game:

  • Fabian Moreau, who was signed ironically after being released by the Houston Texans, has been a solid cornerback opposite Adoree Jackson. He recorded six tackles and one pass deflection.
  • Jaylon Smith resigned with the Giants near the end of September and has now become a starting linebacker. He made five tackles, had a quarterback hit, and recovered a fumble.
  • Jason Pinnock was claimed off waivers at the end of August and had a great day against the Texans with 1.5 sacks and a tackle for loss.
  • Lawrence Cager was claimed after being released by the neighbouring Jets and caught his first career touchdown against the Texans.
  • Isaiah Hodgins, signed less than two weeks ago after being waived by the Bills, caught two passes in Sunday’s game for 41 yards.
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One Fed-Up Takeaway From the New Orleans Saints Dismal Defeat In The Steel City

The Saints dropped to 3-7 after a dreadful display against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, and there is simply only one takeaway that matters after another putrid defeat. Dennis Allen is not the answer for the Saints, and he should not be the coach after this season. Below I explain why.

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Dennis Allen Is Not It

At the start of this season, there were very high expectations for this Saints team. Michael Thomas was back. They signed Jarvis Landry and Tyrann Mathieu. Brought back pretty much all of the coaching staff that had been a part of the very successful 2017-2021 seasons. 

The NFC looked weak, and so did the division. The runway was clear for a much-improved season after the injury-riddled 2021 season ended, with the team still winning nine games. How could this team be worse than that one with all the additions to an already talented roster?

One element was drastically overlooked, replacing a hall-of-fame level HC in with a coach who, in his first stint as an HC was fired after 2.5 seasons with an 8-28 record. Going from Sean Payton to Dennis Allen has not only not worked this season but has also set this team back for years to come.

The word of the off-season was continuity the Saints wanted to keep around the people that had helped Sean Payton build one of the winningest franchises during his tenure. In theory, this is not a bad plan. However, where this ultimately is a fatal floor, and this is the same with most coaches who come from the Belichick coaching tree as well. You can’t try to maintain the same culture the hall of fame HC did without that HC around to enforce and implement it.

Saints Twitter has been on fire since the first few weeks of the season with the mantra that DA is not the answer, I’ve tried to remain patient and make excuses to myself why things will improve. Injuries are the biggest excuse to rationalise the poor performances and to convince me things could and would improve. 

After Sunday’s performance, my patience ran out. Yes, there were again a monumental number of injuries to key starters. However, the bigger issues with this team, which have been present since the start of the season, are still present and still causing the team to lose.

At some point, that must come down to the HC, and for me, Sunday was my breaking point. Fundamentals are coached, and a culture of accountability for basic mistakes comes down to the coaches. For that to still not be in place ten weeks into the season is flat-out malpractice.

This team misses tackles constantly, sometimes turning minimal gains into huge ones and sometimes turning plays that should be a loss into plays that net positive yardage. Whichever way you slice it, basic tackles are not being made, and it’s been a consistently frustrating issue all season that should have been addressed and stamped out by now. 

The defense is Dennis Allen’s side of the ball, and for that side of the ball to have been the biggest issue of all, with the talent they have, the blame can only go to one person. 

The Saints are tied for third as the most penalised team in the league (72 penalties), have some of those calls been questionable? Absolutely, for example, I think all three DPI calls on Sunday against the Steelers were pretty poor calls, but it’s clear officiating has been inconsistent across the whole league.

However, the Saints lead are tied for the most False Start penalties in the league with 19 and are, by far, in a way leading the league in defensive holding penalties with a massive 15. The next closest is Green Bay, with 11. After that, it’s the Colts with 9. For perspective, the Chargers led the league last season with 15 defensive holding penalties across the 17-game season. The Saints are one behind that now, after only playing ten games.

Yes, some of these penalties are being committed by backups, but at this stage, they’ve had to play enough snaps due to injury that this should be stamped out by now, or they simply should not be playing. Calvin Throckmorton alone has accounted for five false start penalties, FIVE! He’s hardly a star on this team. Honestly, he’s not played at all well in his snaps this season. So, bench him, make an example that these mistakes won’t be tolerated, and do something to send a message that things have to change.

This all comes back to the HC. Is it fair to put all the blame on him? No, probably not this team has faced an ungodly amount of injuries that would be hard for anyone to overcome, including Payton. But my issue with the Dennis Allen operation is the inability to fix the problems that have been evident all season, and he’s shown a complete inability to do so.  

Would these problems with false starts, missed tackles, etc..  still be a problem if Sean Payton remained the coach? in my opinion, absolutely not.

Dennis Allen was an excellent DC for this team, something that I never thought I’d say after the Saints went through many legendary failures to find a competent DC over the years. Unfortunately, DA is not the answer as an HC, and because of this and the front office’s blind faith in him, they have set the team back for years to come. How you might ask? 

Well, because of misguided faith, the Saints traded away their first-round pick for the upcoming draft, which at this stage, they will be lucky if it’s not in the top 10, it could easily be in the top 5. In a draft, many are touting to have 4/5 top-tier QB prospects. With a first-round pick this year, the Saints could have hit the reset button on the franchise in the best way possible, but finding a young QB to build around, a young QB to give the fans hope.

Instead, we get to hear all off-season how the juggernaut Eagles team with very few holes, who made it deep into the playoffs, an Eagles team who may well win the SuperBowl pulled off the heist of the century and because of it, are now picking in the top 10. 

Unfortunately, firing DA would only be the start. The Saints need to then dip into the tombola of luck that is the HC hiring cycle, where it’s much easier to find the next Dennis Allen than it is to find the next Sean Payton. With no first-round pick, an aging roster, one of the worst cap outlooks in the league, and, crucially, no answer at QB. The list of potential suitors is likely to be shorter than it once would have been.

Sorry if you’re reading this, and I was hoping for a more positive outlook. I’ve tried that all season, and after Sunday, enough is enough. Buckle up Saints fans. The next few years could be a bumpy ride but don’t worry too much we are all going through this pain together.

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